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INDEX  1Q08. 


SUBJECTS. 


Biography:  Page. 

Threescore  Years  of  Public  School  Work 6 

iohn  Wanamakcr,  Merchant  and  Philanthropist.      i6 
lenry    William    Stiegel 7' 

Henry  A.  Schuler 99 

The   Mayors  of   a   Typical   Pennsylvania-German 

City    (Allentown,   Pa.) i47 

Rev.   Revere   Franklin   Weidner,   D.D.,   LL.D...    153 

Rev.    Elmer    Frederick    Krauss,    D.D 156 

Frederick    X'alentine    Melsheimer 213 

Henry    Sylvester   Jaeoby.' 222 

Ezra   E.    Eby,   the   Historian,   and    His   Work...    273 

Abraham    Harley     Cassell 303 

Edgar  Fahs  Smith,  Vice  Provost,  University  of 

Pennsylvania     346 

Philip    H.    Glatfelder 399 

Godlove    S.    Orth 43  5 

David   Schuftz:   An  Old  Time  "Bush   Lawyer"..    499 
Col.  Washington  A.  Roebling 511 

History: 

A   German    .Schoolmaster   of   "Ye   Olden    Time".        3 
vTleminiscences  of  a  P'ormer  Hereford  Schoolboy,      1 1 

•'The  Pennsylvania-Germans 21 

Pennsylvania-German    Patriotism    34 

VSumneytown    and    Vicinity 51,  359 

^^he      Pennsylvania-German      in     the      Field     of 

Science 59 

.       The    Pennsvlvania-German    as    Biologist 60 

^      Is   the    Dialect    Dying   Out? 85 

b^       Old-Time    Battalion    Drills    (B'dolya) 106 

\        The  Gun   Makers  of  Old   Northampton no 

V        \\'itchcraft 114 

A       Pennsylvania-Germans    as    Teachers    of    Science 

^  in    Colleges    and    Universities 121 

^  .  The   Pennsylvania-Germans  in  Loudoun  County, 

^  \"irginia 125 

Lynn    Township    and    Hs    Professional    Men....    158 
^      The    Lutheran    Congregation    of    Heidelberg....    17s' 

U.,     The    Germans     1 80 

'  Picturesque   and    Historic    Durham   Valley 195 

Pennsylvania's   Part   in   Winning   the   West 205 

r      The    Maternal    Grandmother    of    George    Wash- 
ington        226 

■*      Literary      Opportunities      in      Pennsylvania-Ger- 

^  many    243 

N      The     Conway     Cabal     at     York,     Pennsylvania, 

C>  1777-1778   ..248 

^      Historv      of      St.      Luke's      Reformed      Church, 

Trap'pe,  Pa ...    255 

^.^^  VT'ennsylvania-Germans    as    Teachers    of    Science 

vj«i;_   in    Private    Schools    262 

Flax   Culture  and   Its  Utility 266 

The  Pennsylvania-German  in  Minnesota 277 

^^     The    Burning   of    Chambersburg,    Pa 291 

V^    The    Germans    in    Franklin    County,    Pa 307 

V^  A    lourney    Over    the    Route    Travelled    by    Rev. 
;.»^         F.  A.   C.  Muhlenberg  on   His  Trips  to   Shamo- 

.^=^    kin,    1777 339 

i  \/"The     Pennsylvania-Dutch" — A     Few     Observa- 
tions     370 

The    Ancestral    Home   of    the    Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man     387 

The  Pennsylvania-Germans  in  the  Revolutionary 

War 407 

The   Pennsylvania-German  as  Geologist  and   Pa- 
leontologist     411 

The  Hassinger  Church 415 

y  Old   Germantown 443 

German   Supplanters 461 

First  Audience  Given  by  Congress  to  the  French 

Minister   to    the    United    States 463 

Regulars  and  Militia 483 

A  Pennsylvania-German  Settlement  in  Indiana..   487 

Canaling 490 

Hiester  Homestead  in  Germany 496 

A  German  Cradle  Song 505 

Genealogy: 

.1^     The  Fretz  Family 68 

Descendants  of  Martin  Luther 84 


The  Nationality  of  Daniel  Boone 141 

Schwartz  Descendants 145^ 

Hanjeorg   Kistler   and   His    Descendants 173, 

Ancestors  of  Daniel  Boone 233 , 

The  Maternal  Grandmother  of  Washington 313 

The  Blickensderfer  Family 32z- 

The   Mohr   Family 35a- 

The  Smith  Family 354 

The  Glatfelder   Family 396 

The   Shoemaker  Family  of  Shoemakersville,   Pa.  559 

Folklore   and   Fiction: 

William  Holler,  the  Red  Man's  Terror 29- 

The  Chimes  of  St.  Peter 77 

Elizabeth's  Mad  Ride 165 

Pennsylvania-German    Folklore 171 

The  '.S(|uire  and  Katrina 223, 

Marriage   Superstitions 372 

The  Home:    37,  86,   134,   182,  228,  422,  466,  516,  563. 

Some  Oldtime  Breakfast  Cakes 37 

A  Clock  Dated  B.  C.   1 780 37 

Revival    of    Patch     Work  Quilt 86- 

"Pennsylvania-Dutch"  Recipes 134 

Eyelet    Embroidery 134, 

Easter  Customs 182 

Apple   Dumplings 182 

.Steamed   Dumplings 182 

Baked   Dumplings 182' 

The  Old  Crepe  Shawl 422 

The  Old  Merry-Go-Round 422 

Applebutter   Boiling 516, 

Pennsylvania  Historical   Societies: 

Lancaster  County  Historical  Society  .85,  ^33,  477,  575 

Bucks  County   Historical   Society "133,  287,   333 

Lehigh    County    Historical    Society 133.478,575 

The   Wyoming  Society 191 

The  Schuylkill  County  Society 191,  33^ 

The    York    County    Society 191,   jj^ 

The   Montgomery    Society 191,  574: 

Historical    Society   of    Frankford 237,    383,   430- 

The   Lebanon   County  Historical  Society ...  .238,   526' 

The    Kittochtinny   Society 23S 

Hamilton    Library   Association 287 

Society  for  the  History  of  the  Germans  in  Mary- 
land      287 

Swatara  Collegiate  Institute,  Jonestown,  Lebanon 

County,  Pa 287 

The  Historical  Society  of  Berks  County. 333,  477,  526 

The  Presbyterian   Historical   Society 333,  526. 

The    New    England    Historical    Genealogical    So- 
ciety      333. 

The   Pennsylvania-German    Society 38s 

The    Pennsylvania    Federation    of   Historical    So- 
cieties      383s. 

The    Bradford    Flistorical    Society 430. 

The  Chester  County  Historical  Society 430- 

Annals  of  Iowa 477 

The  General  Council   Historical   Society 478^ 

The   Moravian    Historical   Society 574. 

Snyder   County   Historical    Society 575 

Deutsche  Pionier  Verein 575 

The  German   American   Historical   Society 575 

Miscellaneous: 

The    German-.American    Collection    in    the    New 

York  Public  Library 26 

Pure  German  and  Pennsylvania-Dutch 36 

Is  Pennsylvania-German  a   Dialect ? 66 

Spinning  in  the  Oldtime  Winter  Nights 83 

Alice    E.    Traub 86 

Rev.   Calvin   E.   Kuder 86 

Rev.  A.  B.  Shelly 88 

Chicago's   Largest  Lutheran  Congregation 88 

Himmclsbrief 217 

Die  .Mt  Heemet 279 

An    Historic    Pilgrimage    Along    Mountain    By- 

Ways 3,6 

Pioneer    Home    Life 323 


\) 


The  Urderground  Railroad 

Extracts  From  the  Justice  Docket  of  John   Potts 

of   Pottstown 

An  Immigrant's  Letter,    1734 

Country     Funerals    and     Mortuary    Customs    of 

Long    Ago 

Aaturalization  Paper  of  Adam  Miller 

Four  Hundred  Miles  Overland  for  Salome  Heck- 

ervelder 

Pennsylvania-Dutch    or    German  ? 

\\1\\   and    Inventory   of   Casper  Glattf elder 

A  Glimpse  of  the  Perkiomen   Valley 

•Oldtime  Xeijohrswunsch 

First    Mook  Printed  in   Reading 

A  WellPreserved   Centenarian   Cliurch 

■German   Surnames 169,  349, 

Battalion    [)ay 

Swiss   and    Hohtein    I'.ar;  s 

l^ITERARV    (^F.MS: 

Hurrah   for  der  Winter 

The   Departed  Year — Das    \bgesrhiedere  Yohi .  . 
Des  Xeujohrs  Mahning — New  Year's  Monition.. 

A   Calendar   of  Gems — En    Gem    Kalenner 

J\m   Barahunta 

<ieburtsmonet — Profezeiings 

Jis  Feiar  un   Boyertown 

Six  I  ove   Lyrics  of  St.   Valenti;  e 

.,m   Dinkey   sei   Knecht 

Zuf riedenheit — Conte-  tment 

Wie   Die   I  eut    Des   Duhue 

Der   Hexelok^or 13(1, 

Die    Mutterschproch 

Das  Herz — The  Heart 

P^in  Fruhlingflied  von    Dr.   M.   Luther 

Schlafend  in  Je?u — .Asleep  in  Jesus 

Die  Mami   Schloft 


361 

364 
367 

403 
421 

450 

458 

493 

508 

28 

33 

33 

455 

355 

398 


38 
38 
39 
39 

40 

41 
87 


135 
13s 
184 
183 
183 
184 
229 
229 


Em   Sam  sei   Kin  ner 

Eppes  ueber  Pennsylvanisch-Deutsch .  .  .  . 

Brief  an   "Der  Deutsch   Pioneer" 

'Ihe  American:      (The  First)    (The   Second) 

In  Der  Erndt 

Der    Viert    July [\ 

Poe's   Raven — Der   Krab '. 

Der  Gapenschenda   Merder 

The     Reaper    and    the    Flowers — Der     Schnitter 

und   die   Blumme 

Schnitter   mit   der    Sens 

Der  Olmechtich  Dawler 

De  College   Boova 

Tov 

The  Old  Way  of  Thrashing '.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. 

Jubilee  Ode 

Mei'   Erst'    Blugges 

Die  Scientists  un  de  He.xaduckter 

Whereever  It  May  Be 

Mei   Drom ,  \ 

Kriegslicd 

Montgomery    County    Pies 

En    Thanksgiving    Shtory 


230 
230 
325 
3-26 
326 
327 
373 
375 

423 
423 
424 
425 
468 
468 
469 
470 
471 
S17 
517 
518 
518 
519 


Editorial    Department:      42,    90,    138,    187,    232,    281, 

3-'8,   378,   420,  472,   520,   568  - 

Clippings  from  Current  News,  43,  92,    13",   188,  213, 

281,  328,  379,  420,  472,  531,  569 
Chat  with  Correspondents,  45,  94,   141,   189,  235,  285, 

331,  382,  429,  476,  572 
Genealogical    Notes    and    Queries,   46,    286,    334,    382, 

431.   525 
Our    Book-Table,    46,    95,     143,     192,    239,    287,    335, 

384,   431,    479,    527,    575 

Death    of    the     Editor 90 

A   Few   Words  of   Commendation 91 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Portraits: 


John    \\'anamaker 2 

Jonn   M.  'Wolf 7 

A.    B.    Myers 8 

John  Wanamaker  at  Twenty-Five 17 

Kroft     Fisher 107 

John    W.    Cyphert 107 

Captain  Edward  T.  Hess 108 

Rev.    Fllmer   F.    Krauss,    D.D 146 

Rev.  R.   F.   Weidner,  D.D.,  LL.D 146 

Samuel     McIIose 147 

Col.  Tilghman  H.  Good 147 

Theodore   C.    Yeajer,    M.D 148 

Col.  Edward  B.  Young 148 

Herman    Schuman 148 

Alfred  J.   Martin,  M.D 149 

Edwin    G.    Martin,    M.D 149 

Edward    S.    Shinier 149 

Werner    Knauss    Ruhe 150 

Col.    Samuel    D.    Lehr 150 

Henry  W.  Allison 1 50 

Fred.    E.    Lewis 151 

Capt.    James    L.    Schaadt 15' 

Alfred  J.  Yost,  M.D 151 

C.    D.    Schaeffer,    M.D 152 

Harry  Gibson    Stiles 152 

Rev.   Dr.   .\bram  R.   Home 194 

David    W.    Hess i94 

Prof.  Aaron  S.  Christine 194 

Prof.   Henry   Sylvester  Jacoby 194 

Rev.  J.  H.  A.  Bomberger,  D.D.,  LL.D 242 

Ezra  E.   Eby 242 

Abraham   Harley   Cassell 290 

Edgar  Fahs  Smith 338 

Godlove     S.     Orth 434 

Mary     Ball     Washington 53° 

Prof.   John    S.    Ermentrout 55° 

Rev.    Dr.    Abram   R.    Home 552 

State   Supt.    Dr.    N.    C.    Schaeffer 555 

Rev.    Dr.    G.    B.    Hancher 556 

Dr.    A.    C.    Rothermel 557 

Scenes    and    Views: 

Birthplace   of   John    Wanamaker 16 

Brickyard  in  which  young  Wanamaker  worked..  17 

Mr.    \\'anamaker's    First    Store 18 

The  Hiester  House,   Sunineytown,  Pa 52 

Ruins  of  Powder-Mill,  Sumneytown,  Pa 54 

Ruins  of   Dryhouse   Used   by   Miller   Bros 55 

Frieden's  Lutheran  and  Reformed  Church,  Sum- 
neytown, Pa 56 


Sumneytown's    Quaintest    Bridge 58 

John   Fretz  Homestead 69 

Christian   Fretz  Home.stead 70 

The  Stiegel  Mansion 73 

Stiegel's     Office 74 

Stiegel's    Ten    Plate    Stove 75 

Elizabeth    Stiegel's   Tombstone 76 

The    Old    Home    of    H.    A.    Schuler loi 

Remaining    Accountrements    of    the    Springfield 

Pioneers    109 

Taylortown   Mill  on  Catoctin   Creek 127 

German   Reformed   Church,   Lovettsville,   Va....  128 

Tankerville   Church.   Erected  in    1865 129 

Shinar    Church,    Erected    in    1895 130 

Lovettsville  lutheran  Church 131 

Lovettsville  Reformed  Church 132 

Donat's   Kopf 159 

Daniel  Kistler  Farm 160 

Jonas    Bachman    Farm i6i 

Lynville     Schoolhouse 162 

Lynnville   Hotel 162 

St.  Daniel's  Church 176 

Cemetery,    St.    Daniel's   Church 178 

Birthplace  of  Rev.  Dr.  Abram  R.  Home 196 

Springfield   Meeting  House 197 

Springfield  Church 198 

Skull    Rock 200 

Houpt's  Old  Mill 201 

Durham  Furnace 203 

Delaware  Narrows 204 

Doorway  to  a  Farm  House 244 

Historic  Flouring  Mill 246 

An  Old  Mill 247 

St.   Luke's  Reformed  Church 260 

Interior  of  St.  Luke's  Reformed  Church 261 

Pulling  Flax 268 

Thrashing    Fla.x 269 

Braking     Flax     270 

Flaxswingling 271 

Flaxhatcheling 272 

After  the  Fire,  Main  Street,  south  from  Public 

Square.     Now  Memorial  Hall 294 

After  the  Fire,  south  from  Market  Street  Bap- 
tist Church.  Now  G.  A.  R.  Hall  on  Emi- 
nence    297 

After    the    Fire,    Rosedale    Seminary.      Site    of 

present   Rosedale  Opera   House 300 

After    the    Fire,    Courthouse,    Northeast    Corner 

Memorial  Square 302 

View  of  Saylor's  Lake,  looking  northward 321 

Glatf elder 386 

Glatfelder  Church , 386 

Glatf  elder  Homestead 397 


■"Pennsylvania     ^^■agon" — The     Hearse     of     our 

Pennsylvania  Ancestors 404 

Hassinger's  Cliurch 416 

The  Orth   Homestead 437 

Ilomestead  of  Francis  Daniel   Pastorius 443 

Old  Germantown 445 

The  Johnson   House 446 

The   Roberts    Mill 447 

First  Dunker  Church 44S 

St.   Michael's   Evangelical-Lutheran   Church 449 


Church  at  Elsoff,  Germany 482 

Trinity  Reformed  Church,  Mulberry,  Indiana...    487 

School  Building,  Mulberry,  Indiana 489 

\'iew    near    Corning,    Pa 508,  509 

The    Normal    in    Early    Days .  .  .'  547 

The  Normal  of  Today '    548 

The    (iymnasium    rcg 

Old    Stone    M ansion ...'.'.    560 

\\  eiden    Schollen    !!!!!!!    561 

N'iew  of  Shoemakersville,  Pa 562 


.\UTIIORS    AND    CONTRirsUTORS. 


Adams,  Charles  Poller 565 

-Vnderson,   Rev.    M.   M 508 

Kachman,  J.    Fred J9 

Hergey,    Prof.    D.    H 59,    ui,    411 

Bittengen,    Lucv    Fornev 171 

Eetz,  Dr.  I.  II.' 248,  361 

Ulickensdcrfer,   .\1.    T 322 

Boonastiel,  Gotlieb 425 

Beaver,  P.  II 4t".537 

Betz.   Dr.    I.    H 490 

Croll,  Rev.   P.   C,   D.D 16,   505,   511 

Diffenderfer,   Frank  R 370 

Diller   (Dr.)   Theodore 458 

Elliot,    Mrs.    Ella   Zerbey 165,    2J3 

Earlv,    Rev.     I.    W .' 339 

Freti,  Rev.   A.   J 68 

Fuid.    Leonard    Felix,    M.A.,     LL.M 169,349,455 

Foltz.  Hon.   M.  A 307 

Funk,    Mrs.    li.    H.    (.Editor   Home    Department) 

372,  422 

Fisher,    H.    1 373,    468 

Gruber,    M.    A 2:,    175 

"Gothc  von  Berks" 135 

Gerhart,  Prof.  E.S.     (Editor  Reviews  and  Notes),    192 

Grumbine,  Lee  L 327 

Grubb.  Rev.  N.  B 364 

Glatfelder,    F.    S 396 

Grift,  A.  K 415 

Grumbine,  Dr.  Harvey  Carson 469 

Gerhart,    Rev.    VN'illiam,    D.D 470 

Hart.    Albert    Bushnell 21 

Helbig,  Richard  E 26 

"llulsbuck,    Sollv" 40,  87,  424,  519 

Huch,    C.    F....' 71 

Ilelfrich,    Dr.    W.    A 83 

Helfrich,    Rev.    W.    U 83 

Hess,    Asher    L 106,    195 

Heller,    William  J no 

Hartman,  William  L 147 

Hartford,   Courant 180 

Haupt,  Rev.   .\.  J.   D 277 

Hayden,   Rev.    Horace   Edwin,    M.A 313 

Harter,   F.    H 47 1 

Hiester,   Issac,   Esq 496 

Jordan,  H.  E.,  Ph.D 60 

Kadelbach,  Elizabeth   534 

Kriebel,   H.   \\' 37,  86,   99,  443 

Kistler,  Rev.  John 173 

Kaiser,     Frederick 183 

Kephart,    Horace 205 

Keller,    Rev.    Eli,   D.D 266 

Krebs,   Frank   S 547 

Long,  F.  A.,  M.D 85 


Luther,  Dr.   M 184 

Longfellow,    Henry    Wadsworth 423 

Lower,   Rev.    Williams    Barnes 518 

Mays    George     M.D 3,   355,   4,^ 

Alauch,   Russell    t 34 

More,    Charles    C i  ij6,    184^    517 

Messinger,    Rev.    S.    L.,    S.T.D ." 255 

Mcllhaney,  Asa  K 316 

Meschter,    Prof.    Charles   K 326,   468 

Mohr,    Mrs.    Charles    Shoemaker 559 

Mohr,    Richard    G -,^2 

Meyer,     Dr.     T.     P '.'.'.'.'.'.   483 

Miller,    Lizzie    B 42 1 

Neifert,   William    \V .    114 

'n    Alter    Pennsylvanier 325 

Prentice,  George  Dennison 38 

Prowell,     George     R 213 

Paules,  Howard  S 230 

Pennypacker,    Hon.    Samuel    W 303 

Parr,   Rev.    Amos   A 399 

Rpush,    Rev.    J.    L 5,,    359 

Kidder,     Herman 180 

Rupp,    Prof.    I.    D 230 

Raschen,    Prof.    J.    F.    L 387 

Richards,    H.    M.    M 407 

Rice,  William  H.,  D.D 4,0 

Shimmel,   L.    S.,   Ph.D 3 

Schuler,    H.    A m      jic 

Schultz,    Alfred    P.,    M.D 544 

StaufFer,  Josiah   W .3 

Scheffer,    Rev.   J.    A 34 

Stibitz,     George 36 

Singmaster,     Elsie 77 

Seiberling,  F.  C,  M.D 158 

Stotsenburg,    Hon.    John    H 226,543 

Stump,  Rev.  Adam 229 

Sherk,   Rev.   A.    B 273 

Seibert,    Rev.    Dr.    G.    C 291 

Smith,  .\llen  J 346 

Seipt,    David 367 

Shinier,  Prof.  W^  H 411 

Seip.   J.    W.,   M.D 470 

Shuey.   Rev.   D.   B 487 

Schedel,   Samuel 518 

\'om   A   Aagazeia   V'erzehit 375 

Washington,    W.    Lanier 541 

Wolf,    John     M 6 

M^uchter,  Rev.   A.   C 89,   183,  517 

Waage,  Rev.   Oswin  F 156 

W^-ilter,    Frank    K 262 

Louise    A.    W'eitzel 531 

Ziegler,    Charles   Calvin 66,    423 

Zimmerman,  Col.  T.  C 183 


NUMBER   OF  PAGES   IN   EACH   MONTHLY   ISSUE. 

The   following  list,   showing  the  number  of  pages  in    each    monthly    issue,    will    be    convenient    in   connection 
with    the    foregoing    Index,    for    finding    the    separate    numbers    containing    any    desired    article. 


January, Pages  i   to     48,  inclusive 

February "      49  to     96, 

March,       "      97   to  i44i 

April, "     145   to  192, 

May,       "     193  to  240, 

June "    241   to  38S, 


July Pp. 

August,       " 

September, " 

October, " 

November " 

December " 


289  to  336,  inclusive 

337  to  384, 

385  to  432, 

433  to  480, 

481  to   528, 

529  to   576, 


HBBIBlii^BiiiffiaHl 


AT    REST 


Henry  A.  Schuler,  Editor 

Born,  July  12,  1850 
Died,  Jan.  14,  1908 


Tho'  no  shaft  of  marble  rise  upon  my  grave, 
Nor  above  my  coffin  martial  banners  wave: 
Let  sweet  peace  within  my  simple  shroud  abide, 
Friends,  a  few,  stand  weeping  -  - 1  am  satisfied 


JOHN  WANAMAKER. 

(See  page  16.) 


Vol.  IX  JANUARY,  1908  No.  1 

The  Pennsylvania-German  in  His 
Relation  to  Education 


A  Symposium  of  Historical  and  Descriptive  Articles 
Edited  By  Prof.  L.  S.  Shimmel,  Ph.  D.,  Harrisburg,  Pa. 


A  German  Schoolmaster  of  "ye  Olden  Time" 

BY   GEORGE    MAYS,    M.D.,   PHILADELPHIA. 


FTER  reading  the  very  inter- 
esting historical  sketches  of 
the  early  schools  in  the  Ger- 
man settlements  of  eastern 
Pennsylvania,  I  can  not  re- 
sist the  temptation  to  in- 
dulge in  a  little  reminiscence,  or  rather 
character-sketch,  of  one  of  those  German 
masters,  who  still  flourished  in  my  boy- 
hood days,  and  with  whose  peculiar 
character  I  had  an  opportunity  to  be- 
come intimately  acquainted. 

Before  proceeding  with  my  story,  I 
wish  to  say-fhat  k  is  not  simply  a  fancy- 
sketch,  but  an  unvarnished  representa- 
tion of  what  I  actually  saw  and  heard. 
We  all  know  that  in  efforts  of  this  kind 
the  writer  is  often  led  to  embellish  or 
even  exaggerate  his  characters  for  the 
purpose  of  rendering  his  work  more  in- 
teresting and  popular,  but  it  is  equally 
patent  that  the  impressions  of  early  life 
are  so  seldom  modified  or  influenced  by 
later  experience  and  observation,  that 
w^hatever  appears  unnatural  or  grotesque 
is  sure  to  remain  indelibly  fixed  in  the 
mind,  and  comes  back  in  after  life  as 
fresh  and  clear  as  on  the  day  it  oc- 
curred. 

This,  then,  is  the  apology  I  have  to 
offer  for  the  delineation  of  a  character 
at  once  strange  and  somewhat  luiique. 

But,  in  order  that  the  younger  reader 
at  least  may  have  a  clearer  conception  of 
the    manifold    duties    required    of   those 


pioneer   teachers,   it   is   necessary   that   I 
should  explain  their  position. 

Teachers  as  Organists  and  Choir-Masters. 

Nearly  all  the  first  schools  in  that  sec- 
tion were  controlled  by  some  religious  de- 
nomination, and  most  of  the  men  em- 
ployed as  teachers  had  been  trained  chief- 
ly as  organists  and  choir-masters,  the 
secular  education  of  the  children  being 
looked  upon  by  many  of  the  parents  as 
of  much  less  importance  than  their  train- 
ing for  admission  into  the  church. 

The  first  requisite,  therefore,  was  that 
the  teacher  should  know  how  to  play  the 
organ  and  lead  the  congregation  in  sing- 
ing. If  his  work  in  the  schoolroom  only 
succeeded  in  teaching  the  pupil  to  read 
the  Catechism  and  write  and  cipher  after 
a  fashion,  the  parents  as  a  rule  were 
satisfied.  Nor  were  his  musical  accom- 
plishments often  called  into  question,  no 
matter  how  limited  they  may  have  been, 
so  long  as  he  possessed  the  knack  to 
make  the  organ  scream  and  had  a  voice 
to  match  it ;  while  its  soul-stirring  and 
awe-inspiring  effects  were  considered 
just  as  essential  to  Christian  worship  as 
at  present,  the  organist  seldom  had  a 
very  critical  audience  to  contend  with. 
This  made  his  work  comparativelv  easy, 
and  allowed  him  to  indulge  in  all  sorts 
of  fantastical  and  discordant  exhibitions 
that  would  hardly  be  tolerated  anywhere 
today.     Looking  back  to  that  period,   I 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Tiave  sometimes  wondered  if  Congreve, 
one  of  England's  earliest  poets,  had  one 

•of  those  performances  in  mind  when  he 
wrote : 

"Music    hath    charms    to    soothe    the    savage 
breast, 
To  soften  rocks  and  bend  a  knotted  oak." 

Or,  probably  its  boisterous   character 
-suggested  the  well  known  parody :. 

■"Music   has    charms    to    soothe    a    savage, 
To  rend  a  rock  and  split  a  cabbage." 

A  Laughingstock  of  the  Boys. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  one  of 
the  last  of  his  tribe,  and,  with  all  due  re- 
spect to  him,  his  general  unfitness  for  the 
triple  occupation  in  which  he  engaged 
leaves  little  doubt  of  the  fact  that  he  be- 
longed to  the  class  which  I  have  just  men- 
tioned ;  altho  the  reader  must  not  conclude 
that  the  teacher  I  am  about  to  describe 
was  a  typical  specimen  of  his  profession, 
for  I  am  only  too  ready  to  defend  those 
pioneer  pedagogs  who  labored  faithfully 
with  the  limited  means  at  their  command, 
to  teach  the  young  idea  how  to  shoot. 
The  hero  of  my  story,  it  is  admitted  by  all 
who  knew  him,  was  temperate,  prompt 
and  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  all  his 
church-duties,  but  had  the  misfortune  to 
be  one  of  those  half-finished  products 
of  humanity  who  always  furnish  more  or 
less  fun  for  the  vulgar  crowd.  When- 
ever he  appeared  in  public,  his  lank  form, 
tremendous  strides  and  swinging  arms 
gave  him  such  a  ludicrous  appearance 
that  the  younger  element  of  the  town, 
ever  on  the  alert  for  some  escapade  or 
other,  could  not  resist  the  temptation  to 
poke-  fun  at  him,  and  often  tormented 
him  with  hardly  ever  any  provocation 
than  his  singular  looks  and  queer  gesticu- 
lations when  he  was  angry.  It  is  readily 
seen  that  the  repetition  of  such  rude  dem- 
onstrations and  want  of  deference  to  the 
man  who  stood  next  to  the  minister  in 
the  community  would  have  to  end  in  re- 
taliation sooner  or  later,  tho  because  of 
his  position  in  the  church  he  paid  little 
attention  to  the  matter  at  first.  However, 
as  the  taunts  and  insults  grew  more  fre- 
quent and  unbearable,  I  have  seen  him 
turn  upon  his  tormentors  and  rebuke 
them,  but  generally  in  language  so  intem- 
perate and  often  vile  that  it  only  en- 
couraged the  youngsters  to  become  more 


persistent  in  their  attacks.  His  violent 
gesticulations  gave  still  greater  zest  to 
the  sport,  so  that  it  was  not  long  before 
he  had  become  the  butt  and  ridicule  of 
the  neighborhood. 

In  justification  of  his  peculiar  conduct 
at  such  times,  it  is  my  duty  to  mention 
that  his  unfortunate  domestic  relations 
had  soured  his  life ;  it  is  conceded  by  all 
who  knew  him  well  that,  if  his  termagant 
wife  had  fully  realized  the  significance 
of  her  promise  to  love  and  obey,  he  would 
in  all  probability  have  been  a  different 
man.  As  it  was,  his  manhood  had  been 
crushed,  for  he  never  was  allowed  to  de- 
fend himself  against  those  family-as- 
saults ;  but  in  the  schoolroom,  where  he 
reigned  supreme,  his  violent  temper  often 
asserted  itself  on  the  slightest  provoca- 
tion, and  woe  betide  the  unfortunate 
pupil  who  happened  to  incur  his  displeas- 
ure. I  never  attended  his  school,  but, 
living  next  door  to  the  schoolhouse,  fre- 
quently had  occasion  to  find  my  sympa- 
thies aroused  by  the  cry  of  distress  from 
some  unhappy  boy  or  girl  who  was  again 
receiving  a  terrible  tongue-lashing,  which, 
I  was  often  told,  left  a  deeper  sting  than 
the  stripes  of  the  rod,  which  he  had  the 
reputation  of  wielding  with  equal  force 
and  effect. 

Had  Scholarship  Enough  for  His  Needs. 

Altho  old  enough  to  enjoy  the  fun  of 
seeing  him  in  his  wordy  encounter  with 
the  older  boys,  I  was  still  too  young  to 
form  an  estimate  of  his  qualifications  as 
teacher.  I  learned,  however,  from  others 
that  his  German  was  not  the  best,  and 
that  he  evidently  had  never  passed  thro' 
any  gymnasium  or  higher  school  in  Ger- 
many, from  which  country  he  had  been 
directly  impoited  to  take  charge  of  the 
organ  and  school  connected  with  one  of 
the  churches  of  my  native  town.  As  al- 
ready remarked,  the  duties  of  a  pedagog 
in  those  days  were  few  and  confined  to 
the  rudest  form  of  instruction ;  so  I  have 
no  doubt  he  knew  enough  to  meet  the 
requirements  of  his  school.  At  all  events, 
he  managed  to  teach  the  pupil  to  read 
the  Catechism  and  Psalter,  to  write  his 
name  and  compute  his  simple  accounts. 
To  the  scholar  of  the  present  such  a 
condition  of  affairs  must  seem  very 
strange  indeed,  but  it  must  not  be  for- 


A    GERMAN    SCHOOLMASTER    OF    "YE    OLDEN    TIME" 


gotten  that  few  young  people  at  that 
time  aspired  to  anything  more  in  the  way 
of  an  education ;  their  position  in  after 
life  demanded  no  more,  and  they  were 
satisfied.  How  the  master  classified  his 
school,  or  if  he  had  any  system  at  all, 
I  am  unable  to  say ;  but  the  probability 
is  that  his  lack  of  discipline  and  interest 
in  school-work  generally  led  him  to  fol- 
low no  fixed  method  whatever.  Such,  at 
least,  was  the  impression  of  those  who 
kept  an  eye  on  the  work  of  the  school. 

An  Enthusiastic,  Forceful  Singer. 

Singing  appeared  to  be  the  most  im- 
portant exercise,  and  almost  every  hour 
of  the  session  one  could  hear  a  chorus 
of  voices  issuing  from  that  schoolroom, 
but  invariably  with  the  master's  far  in 
the  lead.  He  took  a  peculiar  pride  in  his 
vocal  accomplishments,  and  seldom  re- 
strained any  of  his  pupils  in  their  attempts 
to  outdo  each  other  in  screaming  at  the 
top  of  their  voices.  Time  and  harmony 
never  appealed  to  either  teacher  or  pupil, 
and  the  pandemonium  which  sometimes 
reigned  in  that  school  disgusted  many  of 
his  patrons,  who  often  remonstrated  with 
him,  but  never  to  any  purpose.  His  soul 
seemed  to  be  completely  wrapt  up  in 
his  musical  aspirations,  and  nothing  satis- 
fied him  better  than  the  opportunity  to 
lead  the  singing,  especially  on  funeral  oc- 
casions, when  he  would  often  give  such 
latitude  to  his  vocal  powers  during  the 
burial-service  as  almost  to  suggest  the 
fear  it  would  rouse  the  occupants  of  the 
surrounding  graves.  No  reason  was  ever 
assigned  for  thus  disturbing  the  solemnity 
of  the  grave,  but  probably  he  was  imbued 
with  the  idea  still  prevalent  in  some 
heathen  countries,  that  much  noise  is  ac- 
tually necessary  to  drive  away  the  evil 
spirits  that  are  seeking  entrance  into  the 
sanctuary  of  the  dead.  By  reason  of  iiis 
mental  infirmity,  his  intimate  association 
with  the  local  minister  as  Vorsinger 
(leader  of  the  singing)  added  not  a  little 
to  his  self-importance;  I  have  been  told 
by  those  who  understood  his  antics  better 
than  myself,  that  it  was  very  amusing  to 
see  him  at  times  trying  to  imitate  his  su- 
perior. He  was  faithful  in  the  discharge 
of  all  his  church-duties,  and  shrewd 
enough  never  to  show  any  of  his  weak 
points  on  public  occasions  when  in  the 


presence  of  his  pastor;  but,  I  regret  to 
add,  his  piety  was  like  his  coat,  which 
he  put  on  and  off  as  time  and  occasion 
demanded.  No  one  seeing  him  only  in 
his  official  capacity  would  ever  believe 
that  a  man  who  could  display  so  much 
zeal  and  earnestness  in  church  would  be 
guilty  of  such  violent  outbursts  of  pas- 
sion in  school  and  on  the  street,  no  mat- 
ter how  great  the  provocation. 

As  Vorsinger  he  was  in  his  element, 
and  I  have  often  thought  that  if  the  sing- 
ing-method of  teaching  geography  and 
mental  arithmetic,  whi-ch  was  not  intro- 
duced into  the  schools  until  a  number  of 
years  after  he  had  laid  down  the  rod, 
had  been  in  vogue  in  his  time,  he  would 
undoubtedly  have  been  able  to  retire  with 
laurels  instead  of  obloquy.  If  his  knowl- 
edge of  the  art  of  music  had  been  able 
to  keep  pace  with  his  inordinate  conceit, 
the  success  and  fame  that  followed  would 
have  extended  far  beyond  the  narrow 
precincts  of  the  village-school. 

"  Old  Fox  "  in  the  Schoolmaster's  Kitchen. 

I  am  not  aware  that  the  custom  of 
barring  out  the  teacher  on  Christmas 
holidays  was  ever  tried  in  his  school,  but 
do  know  of  one  introduction  which  took 
place  there,  or  rather  in  the  kitphen  of 
the  schoolhouse — at  that  time  many  of 
the  schools  were  held  in  a  room  of  the 
dwelling  occupied  by  the  teacher  and  his 
family — that  created  a  great  sensation  at 
the  time. 

One  dark  night,  after  the  teacher's  fam- 
ily had  retired,  a  party  of  young  men 
took  an  old,  worn-out  horse  belonging  to 
one  of  the  town-physicians  and  quietly 
installed  him  in  the  kitchen.  When  the 
master  came  down  in  the  morning  to 
open  the  house,  there  he  found  "Old  Fox" 
very  complacently  chewing  up  a  head  of 
cabbage  intended  for  the  family-dinner 
that  day.  The  horse  appeared  to  feel 
perfectly  at  home,  until  the  master  re- 
covered sufficiently  from  his  surprise  to 
summon  the  family ;  then  he  made  an  ef- 
fort to  get  away,  but  only  succeeded  in 
thrusting  his  head  thro'  the  upper 
half  of  the  old-style  kitchen-door,  where 
he  stood,  quietly  surveying  the  crowd  of 
boys,  of  which  I  was  one,  who  had  col- 
lected to  see  the  fun,  until  the  owner  came 
and  liberated  him. 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


The  master  had  been  the  victim  of 
many  a  prank  before,  but  this  last  he  re- 
garded as  the  unkindest  cut  of  all.  His 
unpopularity  and  inability  to  teach  Eng- 
lish, which  had  taken  the  place  of  Ger- 
man in  that  section,  compelled  him  soon 
afterward  to  close  his  school,  but  where 
he  went  and  how  he  fared  to  the  end,  no 
one  appears  to  know.  His  spirit  had  been 
broken,  his  life  wasted,  and  the  proba- 
bility is  that  he  never  succeeded  in  ob- 
taining another  situation  as  organist  and 
teacher. 


In  the  picture  I  have  tried  to  present 
no  doubt  many  of  my  readers  will  recog- 
nize the  counterpart  of  a  character  with 
whose  life  and  work  they  are  more  or 
less  familiar,  which  goes  to  show  what 
difficulties  were  encountered  by  the  early 
settlers  in  their  efforts  to  provide  even 
the  simplest  mental  training  for  their  chil- 
dren. Hence  it  behooves  us  still  more  to 
appreciate  the  educational  blessings  so 
bountifully  lavished  upon  poor  and  rich 
alike  in  our  day.  Sic  transit  gloria 
honvinniu. 


Threescore  Years  of  Public-School  Work 


BY  JOHN  M.  WOLF,  HANOVER,  PA. 


Editorial  Note. — The  author  of  the  follow- 
ing highly  interesting  reminiscences  is,  as  far 
as  we  know,  the  oldest  public-school  teacher, 
with  respect  to  service,  in  the  Keystone  State. 
His  name  indicates  his  German  ancestry,  and 
that  he  is  master  of  the  Pennsylvania-German 
dialect  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  he  uses  it  for 
contributions  to  local  papers.  His  article  was 
submitted  last  May,  when  he  had  finished  his 
fifty-ninth  term  of  common-school  teaching. 
Since  then  he  has  carried  out  his  intention  of 
.  teacliing  again,  as  we  learn  from  the  follow- 
ing  newspaper-item,    dated    Hanover,    October 

30,  1907:  ,      , 

John  M.  Wolf,  the  veteran  school-teach- 
er, resumed  his  work  yesterday  after  hav- 
ing been  oft'  duty  nearly  a  week  because 
of  illness.  It  was  the  first  time  in  sixty 
years  that  he  has  been  absent  from  the 
classroom  so  long  a  time.  Threescore 
j^ears  of  service  in  the  public  schools  of 
York  and  Adams  counties  is  the  remark- 
able record  of  this  Hanover  instructor. 
Although  75  years  old,  he  continues  in  the 
harness,  having  lately  been  elected  teach- 
er of  Myers'  School,  in  West  Manheim 
township.  Possessed  of  marked  ability, 
an  excellent  disciplinarian  and  an  untir- 
ing worker.  Squire  Wolf  (he  was  a  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  for  twenty-two  years)  is 
considered  one  of  the  most  successful 
school-teachers  in  southern  Pennsylvania. 
Throughout  this  section  almost  everybody 
ihas  gone  to  school  to  ]\Ir.  Wolf  or  to 
one  of  his  daughters  or  son,  four  of  his 
children  having  been  school-teachers  also. 

My  Parentage  and  School-Advantages. 

Y  parents  were  Pennsylvania- 
( iermans.  My  father  was  a 
farmer  in  comfortable  cir- 
cumstances, considering  the 
times  and  the  community  in 
which  he  lived. 
I  was  born  in  Hamilton  townshi]). 
Adams  county,  Pa.,  June  27,   1832,  and 


sent  to  school  at  the  age  of  six.  I  at- 
tended the  same  school  for  nine  consecu- 
tive terms  of  five  months  each.  The 
building  had  been  erected  for  school-pur- 
poses years  before  the  people  of  the 
township  accepted  the  free-school  sys- 
tem. It  was  an  old  building  then.  The 
room  contained  two  desks  extending 
through  its  entire  length,  with  benches  of 
the  same  length  occupied  by  the  larger 
pupils,  and  additional  benches  for  the 
smaller  pupils. 

The  school  was  very  ordinary,  as  ail 
schools  in  the  country  then  wer;,  teach- 
ers often  lacking  the  necessary  qualifica- 
tions, even  if  they  could  impart  al'  they 
knew.  Schools  generally  had  from  thirty 
to  fifty  pupils,  male  and  female,  from  the 
child  learning  the  A  B  C's  up  to  the 
girl  of  eighteen  and  the  boy  of  twenty. 
The  first  text-books  of  which  I  have 
any  recollection  were  Cobb's  Readers, 
Comly's  Speller  and  Smily's  Arithmetic; 
in  later  years  Webster's  Dictionary  was 
added.  Teachers  had  never  seen  an  alge- 
bra or  a  blackboard,  knew  nothing  about 
teaching  phonics  or  the  word-method,  and 
were  themselves  incapable  of  giving  an 
analytical  solution  of  an  arithmetical 
problem. 

Teachers  then  applied  the  rod  freely, 
and  I  was  not  exempt  from  its  influence. 
Timber  was  plenty,  and  the  boys  were 
generally  sent  for  the  rods  intended  for 
their  own  benefit. 

I  harbored  no  ill   feelings  against  my 
-  teachers,  either  vyhile  attending  school  or 
in  after  years.    My  last  teacher  was  high- 
ly respected  in  the  community,  and  fre- 


THREESCORE    YEARS    OF    PUBLIC-SCHOOL    WORK 


JOHN  M.  WOI>F,    VEIEKAN  TEACJHER. 

■quently  befriended  me  in  after  years. 
In  nsin,^  the  rod  those  masters  simply 
followed  the  custom  in  vogue  at  the  time 
they  were  pupils. 

Beginning  a  Teacher's  Career. 

At  a  little  over  fifteen  years  of  age  I 
succeeded  my  teacher  and  secured  the 
position,  mainly  through  his  influence,  at 
a  salary  of  $i8  per  month. 

At  the  close  of  the  term,  I  entered 
New  Oxford  College  as  a  student.  The 
session  lasted  twenty-two  weeks,  and 
comprised  the  only  educational  advan- 
tages afforded  me  except  the  common 
schooling. 

In  1848  I  took  charge  of  the  Abbotts- 
town  school  and  taught  it  for  three  con- 
secutive terms.  After  that  I  took  charge 
of  a  school  in  Paradise  township,  ^'ork 
county.  In  th^is  school  the  pupils  were 
from  six  to  twenty-four  years  of  age.  and 
it  was  the  only  one  1  ever  taught  in 
which  the  New  Testament  was  used  by 
some  of  the  larger  'pupiJs  as  a  reader. 
At  that  time  the  township  contained 
twenty-one  schools.  I  taught  the  sc!kx)1 
•one  term.     In  185 1  and  1852  he  directors 


of  the  township  employed  me  to  examine 
their  applicants  for  schools. 

A  New  Era  in  Schoolroom- Work. 

In  1854  a  new  era  in  school  room- work 
began,  when  Henry  C.  Hickok  came  to 
tlie  helm  as  State-superintendent  of 
schools.  The  first  improved  condition 
was  the  organization  of  teachers'  associa- 
tions, hence  institute-work,  closely  fol- 
lowing the  election  of  county-superinten- 
dents. 

The  first  superintendent  of  Adams 
county  was  J3avid  Wills,  a  young  attor- 
ney. The  first  teachers'  institute  was  held 
at  Gettysburg  in  1854;  it  was  attended 
by  thirty-five  teachers,  including  myself. 
So  far  as  known  only  five  of  these  are 
living,  of  whom  I  am  the  only  one  still 
teaching.  My  first  provisional  certificate 
was  granted  by  David  Wills ;  it  is  No.  20, 
and  dated  August  7,    1855. 

During  my  pedagogical  career  in 
Adams  county,  the  county-superintendents 
were  Messrs.  Wills,  Campbell,  Mcllhen- 
ny,  Ellis,  Sheely  and  Thoman,  tlie  last- 
named  being  one  of  my  former  pupils. 
Those  of  York  county  were  Messrs.  Et- 
tinger,  Blair,  Heiges,  Boyd,  Williams, 
Kain,  Brfenneman,  Gardner  and  Stine. 

In  1854,  I  again  took  charge,  as  prin- 
cipal, of  the  Abbottstown  schools,  and 
with  the  exception  of  three  terms  taugrit 
the  school  till  1869,  my  salary  for  the 
last  seven  terms  being  $52.50  per  month. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  school-board  in  18^, 
the  salary  of  the  principal  was  reduced 
from  $52.50  to  $35  per  month.  Old- 
fogyism  was  the  cause. 

The  teachers'  institutes  held  in  Adams 
county  prior  to  i860  were  not  well  at- 
tended, but  institute-work  was  done  by 
the  teachers.  The  subjects  for  discus- 
sion were  promptly  taken  up  and  ably 
handled.  Many  teachers  of  the  county 
had  begun  to  feel  confidence  in  them- 
selves. The  timidity  that  had  character- 
ized the  first  institutes  had  partly  disap- 
peared. Thoughts  uttered  were  well  ex- 
pressed, were  practical,  and  so  given  that 
they  could  not  fail  to  be  of  great  benefit 
to  the  less  experienced  teachers.  De- 
spite all  discouragements.  Adams  county 
had,  before  the  War  of  the  Rebellion, 
many  noble,  able  and  self-sacrificing 
teachers,  both  male  and  female. 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


School  Conditions  Fifty  Years  Ago. 

Prior  to  1855  a  vast  majority  of  the 
people  in  our  community  spoke  Pennsyl- 
vania-German. But  the  parents  being 
mindful  of  the  lack  of  facilities  for  ac- 
quiring an  education,  their  desire  in  after 
years  was  to  educate  their  children,  and 
opposition  to  schools  had  partly  ceased. 
Hence  I  still  contend  that  generally  peo- 
ple will  only  interest  themselves  in  any- 
thing when  they  are  compelled  to  furnish 
the  pecuniary  means. 

In  schools  then  any  violation  of  rules 
was  punished  either  by  rod  or  ruler.  The 
ruler  was  applied  on  the  palm  of  the 
hands,  and  occasionally  on  the  finger- 
tips, and  I  could  never  understand  why 
such  brutality  was  tolerated.  I  never 
used  the  ruler  and  had  little  occasion  to 
resort  to  the  rod. 

In  my  earlier  pedagogical  career  text- 
books were  such  as  would  not  command 
the  favorable  consideration  of  school- 
boards  at  present. 

Many  of  the  school-buildings  were 
simply  relics  of  bygone  ages.  In  the 
room  was  a  ten-plate  stove,  and  two 
desks  extending  the  entire  length  of  the 
room,  with  benches  of  the  same  length, 
as  described  above.  The  conditions  of  the 
room  were  such  as  to  require  no  extra 
ventilation. 

Teachers  had  little  opportunity  to  pre- 
pare themselves  for  school-work.  School- 
terms  lasted  four  or  five  months  and  sal- 
aries ranged  from  $15  to  $20  per  month. 
The  great  majority  of  the  teachers  lacked 
the  necessary  qualifications  to  impart  in- 
struction in  either  grammar,  geography, 
history  or  mathematics.  Many  of  them 
were  not  even  qualified  to  teach  "the 
three  R's." 

About  1850  school-directors  took 
more  interest  in  schools,  and  in  the  fol- 
lowing four  years  few  teachers  were  em- 
ployed without  examination.  These  ex- 
aminations were  conducted  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  boards  of  directors.  Directors 
demanded  a  more  rigid  examination  in 
arithmetic  than  in  any  other  branch. 

Spelling-Bees — A  Handless  Pupil. 

From  1845  to  i860  spelling-bees  were 
in  great  demand.  These  spelling-bees 
created  a  spirit  of  emulation  between  the 


pupils  of  neighboring  schools,  as  the  con- 
tests were  generally  between  the  pupils 
of  two  schools.  Parents  were  much  in- 
terested in  them.  Many  boys  and  girls 
from  twelve  to  sixteen  years  of  age  were 
experts  in  spelling,  and  my  opinion  is 
that  there  were  better  spellers  then  than 
now.  The  consensus  of  opinion  of  our 
principal  educators  at  present  is,  that 
spelling  and  arithmetic  are  two  branches 
that  are  neglected  in  our  schools. 

In  one  of  my  local  normals  I  had  a 
handless  pupil  by  liame  of  A.  B.  Myers, 
aged  about  twenty  years.  He  lost  his 
hands  in  a  stone-quarry  by  a  premature 
explosion.  I  persuaded  him  to  take  up 
penmanship,  which  he  did,  becoming  an 
excellent  penman.  He  passed  the  exami- 
nation, secured  a  school,  taught  one 
term,  and  then  took  the  State  normal 
course  at  Shippensburg.  He  taught 
school  a  number  of  terms  in  Penn  town- 
ship, York  county,  and  some  six  years 
ago  located  in  Lancaster  county.  In  1906 
he  announced  himself  as  a  candidate  for 
recorder  of  deeds,  was  nominated  and 
elected. 

Fifty-Nine  Years  in  the  Harness. 

My  professional  employment  has  been 
almost  continuous  for  fifty-nine  years. 
I  closed  my  last  term  April  3,  1907,  hav- 
ing taught  the  school  for  five  consecutive 
terms.  In  more  than  half  a  century  of 
service  I  missed  but  three  and  a  half  days 
from  the  schoolroom,  owing  to  the 
grippe.  That  happened  in  the  term  of 
1899. 


A.  B.  MYEKS. 


THREESCORE   YEARS    OF    PUBLIC-SCHOOL    WORK 


During  the  many  years  that  I  was  a 
resident  of  Adams  county,  I  never  was 
absent  from  any  of  the  successive  teach- 
ers' meetings.  Since  1870  I  have  been 
a  resident  of  Hanover,  and  during  my 
first  term  taught  the  grammar-school 
there.  In  1870  I  was  elected  principal 
of  the  Hanover  schools,  and  re-elected  for 
seven  consecutive  terms.  Since  then  I 
have  been  principal  of  the  Goldsboro 
schools,  also  of  the  New  Oxford  and 
Littlestown  schools. 

In  addition  to  the  regular  school-terms 
taught  by  me,  I  was  principal  of  twenty- 
two  local  normal  sessions  of  twelve 
weeks  each.  The  object  of  these  normal 
schools  was  to  prepare  students,  male  and 
female,  for  teaching,  of  whom  at  least  125 
took  up  the  profession.  Some  of  them 
are  still  teaching. 

In  my  first  few  years  of  teaching  there 
was  some  opposition  to  me,  nominally  on 
account  of  my  youth,  but  really  because 
of  my  determined  efforts  in  urging  the 
necessity  of  better  schools,  better  teachers 
and  a  change  of  textbooks.  This  opposi- 
tion especially  manifested  itself  in  my 
first  few  terms  of  teaching  at  Abbotts- 
town,  when  I  put  in  practice  the  methods 
in  use  in  the  New  Oxford  Institute.  The 
opposition  to  my  efforts  for  the  better- 
ment of  the  school  became  so  apparent, 
after  teaching  my  third  term,  that  they 
employed  another  teacher.  But  in  1854 
the  board  employed  me  again  to  take 
charge  of  the  school,  and  I  taught  it  thir- 
teen terms  more,  thus  demonstrating  the 
one  fact,  that  my  services  were  appre- 
ciated. I  was  finally  paid  $52.50  per 
month,  and  after  the  reduction  of  the  sal- 
ary refused  to  be  an  applicant  for  the 
position. 

Before  1854,  in  many  of  the  schools  in 
rural  districts,  nothing  was  taught  but 
"the  three  R's."  There  were  no  black- 
boards and  no  maps  or  charts.  People 
at  that  period  were  opposed  to  having 
their  children  take  up  any  other  branches. 
There  were,  however,  somie  few  excep- 
tions. But  in  after  years  the  people  be- 
came more  interested  in  education,  and 
the  antiquated  teachers  were  dropped. 

Introducing  Higher  Studies. 

In  taking  charge  of  a  school  in  Penn 
township  in  189 1,  I  had  TJ  pupils  on  the 


roll ;  there  was  but  one  studying  gram- 
mar, four  geography  and  two  United 
States  history.  The  year  before  I  took 
charge  of  the  school,  it  required  four 
teachers  to  finish  the  term. 

I  reported  the  condition  of  the  school 
to  the  board,  pointing  out  the  necessity 
of  a  change  in  textbooks  and  of  more 
school-supplies,  and  the  board  authorized 
me  to  have  the  pupils  supplied  with  the 
necessary  books.  I  reorganized  the 
classes  and  persuaded  the  larger  and 
more  advanced  pupils  to  take  up  gram- 
mar, geography,  United  States  history, 
mental  arithrrietic,  algebra  and  civil  gov- 
ernment. I  taught  the  school  four  con- 
secutive terms.  One  of  the  pupil?  tcok 
up  Latin,  and  when  I  quit  he  entered  the 
Hanover  high  school,  graduated  there- 
from in  two  terms,  took  first  honors,  and 
is  now  a  graduate  of  Yale. 

Four  of  my  children  have  been  teach- 
ing, a  son  and  three  daughters.  The 
oldest  daughter  taught  thirty-two  terms^ 
thirty  of  them  in  Hanover.  She  taught 
her  first  term  in  1869,  ^n  the  same  old 
building  in  which  I  taught  when  I  started 
on  my  pedagogical  career.  My  other 
two  daughters  taught  ten  terms  each^ 
the  younger  ten  consecutive  terms  in 
Hanover.  My  son  taught  eighteen  terms. 
Work  in  Two  Counties  Only. 

During  my  professional  career,  I  ex- 
perienced little  difficulty  in  controlling 
the  pupils.  As  a  general  thing  I  had 
the  good  will  of  the  patrons  and  co/dial 
co-operation  of  directors  and  county-su- 
perintendents. I  never,  in  all  my  profes- 
sional career,  taught  a  school  outside  of 
Adams  and  York  counties. 

As  yet  my  intellectual  faculties  remain 
unimpaired.  A  few  weeks  ago,  I  met 
two  of  the  former  county-superinten- 
dents, when  one  remarked  to  the  other, 
in  my  presence:  "Here  is  the  youngest 
old  man  in  York  county."  If  God  is 
willing  and  I  retain  my  health,  I  shall 
teach  again  the  coming  school-term,  hav- 
ing already  been  requested  to  take  charge 
of  a  school. 

A  Few  Schoolday-Reminiscences. 
During    my    schooldays    "barring    out 
teachers"  was  the  custom.    Teachers  ex- 
pected   it,    and    patrons    favored    it.      It 
was  done  by  the  larger  pupils ;  the  more 


:io 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


timid  and  smaller  pupils  refrained  from 
participating.  It  was  generally  done  the 
dav  before  Christmas,  the  demand  being 
a  treat  or  vacation  between  Christmas 
and  New  Year.  It  was  generally  a  vaca- 
tion, on  account  of  the  pecuniary  end  to 
treating.  Sometimes  the  pupils  were  un- 
successful in  obtaining  either. 

At  one  time,  in  barring  out  a  teacher 
by  the  name  of  J.  George  Wolf,  we  did 
not  succeed  in  keeping  him  out.  But  dur- 
ing the  time  that  he  was  out  he  positive- 
ly" refused  to  comply  with  our  demand, 
and  we  were  just  as  determined  that  he 
should  yield  to  us. 

Unfortunately  for  us,  who  were  inside, 
the  unexpected  happened.  The  stovepipe 
ran  out  through  the  roof  of  the  old 
school-house.  We  had  neglected  to  ex- 
tinguish the  fire  in  the  stove.  The  master 
secured  a  ladder  from  a  near  neighbor, 
mounted  the  roof,  closed  up  the  stove- 
pipe and  smoked  us  out !  The  only  thing 
to  do  was  to  open  the  windows  and  jump 
out,  or  suffocate.  Myself  was  barred 
out  several  times,  but,  as  I  wanted  a  va- 
cation myself,  the  pupils'  request  was 
granted  without  any  objection  on  my 
part. 

German  was  not  taught  during  my 
schooldays,  either  in  our  own  or  any 
adjoining  township.  It  was,  however, 
taught  when  my  parents  attended  school. 
They  said  there  was  opposition  to  the 
introduction  of  English  into  the  schools, 
especially  by  the  teachers  of  that  time, 
many  of  them  being  unable  to  speak  the 
English  language  themselves. 

The  following  Pennsylvania-Dutch 
stanza  was  written  by  a  gentleman  about 
the  teacher  he  had  during  his  first  school- 
term,  about  1832 : 

Doch  hot  er's  Englisch  's  letscht   erlaabt, 

Weil   Viel   hen's   lerna   wella. 
Er  'hot  uns  's  A  B  C's  erscht  g'lernt — 
Was   hot   nns   awer   sel   verzcrnt! — 

Nord  hen   nier    lerna   schpella. 
Un  dann  war's  Zeit  for  auszuschpanna, 
For   welter   hot   er's   net   verschtanna. 

Before  1850  the  custom  of  "boarding 
around"  prevailed  in  our  community ;  in 
some  of  the  adjoining  townships  a  few 
teachers  followed  it  even  as  late  as  i860. 
The  custom  was  very  unpopular  in  many 
districts,  and  the  practice,  where  it  pre- 


vailed, depended,  in  a  great  measure,  on 
the  popularity  and  qualifications  of  the 
teacher.  The  primary  reason  for  its  dis- 
continuance was  the  claim  of  some  of  the 
patrons  that  the  boarding-around  teach- 
ers were  partial  to  the  children  at  whose 
homes  they  boarded. 

Lady  Teachers  Were  at  a  Discount. 

There  were  no  lady  teachc^rs  employed 
by  school-boards  in  the  townships  of 
Hamilton,  Adams  county,  until  1869, 
when  my  daughter  was  elected  to  teach 
the  Union  school,  and  as  far  as  I  know 
but  one  has  been  employed  since.  No 
lady  teachers  were  employed  in  Oxford 
or  Berwick  township,  Adams  county, 
prior  to  1880.  In  Washington,  Para- 
dise, Heidelberg,  Manheim,  West  Man- 
heim  and  Penn  townships  few  lady  teach- 
ers were  employed,  and  but  .few  are  em- 
ployed there  at  present.  For  years  no 
lady  teachers  have  been  <Mnployed  in 
West  Manheim,  and  but  two  in  Penn, 
since  1902,  only  as  primary  teachers  in 
two  graded  schools. 

In  1852  and  1853  I  examined  the  ap- 
plicants for  schools  in  Paradise  township, 
York  county.  Among  the  thirty  appli- 
cants for  their  twenty-one  schools,  exam- 
ined by  me  each  year,  there  was  not  a 
single  lady. 

I  have  known  school-boards  of  the 
townships  named  to  turn  down  lady 
teachers  holding  either  State  normal  di- 
plomas or  professional  certificates,  and 
employ  male  teachers  holding  provision- 
al certificates,  who  had  no  experience  in 
school  work.  Their  reason  for  refusing 
to  employ  female  teachers  was  that  these 
could  not  control  the  larger  pupils. 

In  my  experience  as  principal  of 
schools  the  female  teachers  in  the  build- 
ing were  better  disciplinarians  than  the 
male  teachers.  I  have  also  noticed  that 
in  townships  where  the  great  majority 
of  teachers  employed  are  females  there  is 
less  complaint  by  parents  and  directors 
than  in  townships  where  the  majority  are 
male  teachers. 

It  is  also  known  that  in  those  parts 
of  Adams  and  York  counties  that  were 
originally  settled  by  English-speaking 
people  there  is  not  that  opposition  to  fe- 
male teachers  which  is  manifested  by 
directors  in  parts  settled  originally  by  the 


THREESCORE    YEARS    OF    PUBLIC-SCHOOL    WORK 


Germans.       I    have    reference    only    to      teachers    who    have    taught    school    for 

twenty-five  years,  have  not  kept  up  with 
school-work,  are  not  "up-to-date"  teach- 
ers, and  the  sooner  they  are  relegated  to 
the  rear,  the  sooner  will  the  children 
taught  by  them  get  a  "square  deal." 


Adams  and  York  counties. 

There  are  no  better  instructors  in  the 
two  counties  named  than  the  lady  teach- 
ers. They  are  doing  noble  and  excellent 
work  in  the  schoolrooms.    There  are  male 


Reminiscences  of  a  Former  Hereford  Schoolboy 


I'.Y    THE     EDITOR. 


THE  schoolday  -  reminiscences 
contributed  to  this  Sym- 
posium by  different  writers 
liave  been  greatly  enjoyed 
by  the  editor  of  this  maga- 
zine. He  acknowledges  to 
those  writers  an  obligation  which  he  will 
now  attempt  to  repay  in  part  by  telling 
some  of  his  own  reminiscences  of  that 
happy  opening  period  of  life. 

Aly  school-reminiscences  do  not  date 
back  further  than  the  winter  of  1859  to 
i860.  The  first  school  I  attended  was 
that  which  succeeded  the  subscription- 
school  described  by  our  publisher  in  the 
November  number,  being  located  near  the 
present  village  of  Chapel,  in  Hereford 
township.  Berks  county.  The  school- 
house  in  which  I  was  taught  was  prob- 
ably built  soon  after  1854,  in  which  year 
the  trustees  of  the  subscription-school,  as 
related  by  Mr.  Kriebel,  sold  their  prop- 
erty to  the  public-school  board  of  the 
township. 

A  Few  Parental  School-Recollections. 

As  an  introduction  to  my  personal  nar- 
rative let  me  repeat  a  few  things  which 
I  have  heard  my  parents  relate  of  their 
schooldays,  wdiich  were  spent  across  the 
line  in  Lehigh,  seventy  and  more  years 
ago. 

School-teaching  even  in  those  days 
was  somewhat  of  a  profession,  though 
there  was  no  organization  and  a  mere  pre- 
tense of  examination  for  applicants.  Cer- 
tain men  followed  the  business  more  or 
Jess  successfully  for  a  number  of  years. 
A  veteran  schoolmaster  two  generations 
ago  in  the  lower  end  of  Lehigh  was  John 
Walter,  the  man  to  whom  my  mother 
owed  the  greater  part,  possibly  all.  the 
schooling  she  ever  received. 

The  length  of  the  yearly  school-term 
did  not  exceed  four  months ;  more  likely 


it  was  only  three  or  three  and  a  half. 
The  teacher  boarded  around  with  his 
patrons ;  that  is,  he  would  go  home  al- 
ternately with  the  children  of  each  fami- 
ly represented  in  his  school  and  take  his 
meals  and  lodging  under  their  parental 
roof.  In  the  school  German  was  taught 
first,  English  afterwards ;  many  pupils, 
girls  especially,  never  advanced  to  the 
English  classes.  It  was  considered  quite 
sufficient  for  them  to  be  able  to  read  and 
write  their  mother-tongue.  The  first 
textbook  in  German  was  the  A  B  C-Biicli, 
the  next  the  Psalter,  the  third  and  last 
the  New  Testament.  The  school  was 
regularly  opened,  probably  also  closed, 
with  singing  and  prayer. 

The  first  English  manual  was  the  A  B 
C-book  or  Primer,  the  next  Comstock's 
Speller,  which  included  reading-lessons. 
What  higher  readers,  if  any,  were  used,  I 
can  not  sa\' ;  but  larger  boys,  who  had 
learned  to  read  and  write  tolerably  well, 
often  went  to  school  for  the  sole  purpose 
of  making  further  progress  in  arithmetic 
— taking  a  post-graduate  course,  as  it 
were. 

An  indispensable  part  of  the  oldtime 
schoolmaster's  outfit  w^as  a  good  stout 
rod,  or  rather  an  assortment  of  good 
stout  rods.  This  time-honored  instilu- 
ment  of  discipline  was  applied  without 
any  conscientious  scruples  and  with  hard- 
ly any  fear  of  legal  interference,  when- 
ever the  teacher's  judgment  or  temper  ad- 
vised its  use.  A  schoolmaster  who  could 
or  would  not  flog  his  pupils  was  incon- 
ceivable ;  some  were  noted  for  the  fre- 
quency and  severity  with  which  they 
wielded  the  birch-stick.  It  seems  they 
took  positive  pleasure  in  whipping  and 
often  applied  it,  on  general  principles,  to 
a  lot  of  boys,  so  they  might  be  sure  to 
])unish  the  right  one.  My  father  used  to 
tell  how  one  of  his  teachers  tried  to  whip 
the  habit   of   swearing   out  of  a  certain 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


boy.  The  culprit  crept  under  the  desk, 
but  the  master  continued  laying  on  the 
rod.  With  every  blow  he  asked:  "JVit 
du  rmu  del  Fhicha  schtoppa?"  but  to 
every  blow  the  boy  responded  with  a 
fresh  oath,  and  the  master  finally  had  to 
give  him  up. 

Probably  it  was  this  same  boy  of 
whom  my  father  used  to  tell  another 
amusing  story.  Tho'  rather  big  and 
somewhat  advanced  in  years,  he  was  still 
wrestling  with  his  (German)  ABC.  The 
letter  G,  in  particular,  would  not  stick  to 
his  mind ;  so  one  day  he  bored  it  out  of 
the  book  with  his  finger,  remarking  to  his 

mates :    "Ich  zvill  den  D—- mol  zveg- 

schaifa."  This  may  have  been  the  result, 
not  so  much  of.  natural  dullness  as  of  the 
absurd  method  of  teaching  that  required 
a  pupil  to  know  every  letter  before  he 
was  allowed  to  spell  or  read.  But  it  is 
time  to  turn  to  my  own  experiences. 

My  First  Winter  at  School. 

Being  an  only  child  and  living  a  mile 
and  a  half  from  school,  I  was  not  sent 
thither  until  nine  years  old.  I  remember 
how  my  mother  took  me  to  a  neighbor's 
one  morning,  Monday  probably,  that  his 
school-going  children — two  boys  and  a 
girl — might  take  me^  along.  Returning  in 
the  evening  I  was  asked  what  had  been 
my  impressions  on  seeing  the  school.  I 
answered  that  I  had  had  "all  kinds  of 
thoughts." 

It  was  the  school  near  Herefordville, 
now  Chapel,  that  I  joined,  and  the  teacher 
engaged  for  that  term  of  1859  to  '60  was 
a  young  man  from  Philadelphia  or  vicin- 
ity, Frederic  M.  Fry.  I  remember  hear- 
ing one  of  the  directors  tell  my  father 
how  fortunate  it  was  that  they  had  se- 
cured a  teacher  who  could  not  speak 
German ;  for  now,  he  said,  the  pupils  must 
learn  to  speak  English,  Of  course  this 
was  an  idle  hope.  The  few  pupils  who 
spoke  English  at  home  conversed  in  that 
language  with  the  teacher ;  the  rest  spoke 
German  among  themselves,  as  before. 
Having  learned  the  rudiments  of  English 
at  home  under  my  father's  tuition,  I  start- 
ed in  with  Sanders's  Second  Reader.  Our 
reading-class  was  large,  and  one  day  all 
of  us  were  ordered  to  stay  in  after  din- 
ner and  repeat  the  recitation,  because  we 
had  failed  to  spell  the  word,  tuition.     I, 


like  several  others,  had  spelled  to-zuish- 
en;  yet  I  for  one  managed  to  escape  the; 
punishment  and  spend  the  noon-intermis- 
sion outdoors,  as  usual. 

My  studies  that  first  winter  were  read- 
ing, writing  and  arithmetic.  Of  that  first 
teacher's  methods  of  discipline  I  can  say 
but  little.  He  never  corrected  me  that  1. 
remember,  but  this  is  not  saying  that  I 
never  deserved  correction.  He  made  an' 
offending  boy  sit  squarely  on  the  flat  table- 
before  him,  and  he  had  what  we  called. 
die  schzvars  Brill — a  sort  of  leather  mask 
which  he  would  throw  at  a  culprit,  them 
make  him  bring  it  out,  fasten  it  over  his 
face  and  make  him  stand  in  a  corner. 

Mr.  Fry  was  very  fond  of  playing  ball 
with  the  larger  boys  and  often  would  pro- 
long the  intermissions  to  indulge  in  his- 
favorite  sport.  I  suppose  he  was  dis- 
missed for  that  reason ;  at  any  rate  he- 
did  not  finish  his  term.  His  successor 
was  Lewis  Riegner,  an  older  and  much- 
more  serious  man,  who  used  to  begin  the 
day's  exercises  with  Scripture-reading- 
and  prayer  in  English. 

A  "  Summer-School  "  with  a  Good  Teacher. 

The  regular  winter-term  was  followed' 
•by  a  private  "summer-school,"  which  I, 
with  a  good  many  boys  and -girls  of -the 
vicinity  was  privileged  to  attend.  The 
teacher  was  Josiah  W.  Stauffer,  and  a 
good,  faithful  teacher  he  proved  to  be. 

I  shall  never  cease  to  be  grateful  to- 
that  man  for  the  pains  he  took  to  cure 
me  of  the  habit  of  lisping  and  the  good 
start  he  gave  me  in  grammar  and  geog- 
raphy. He  spoke  German  to  us  almost, 
continually,  and  we  all  understood  his 
explanations.  He  hung  up  outline  maps,, 
and  in  the  afternoon,  when  we  had  re- 
cited our  lesson  in  class,  we  would  go- 
to those  maps  and  hunt  up  states,  cities, 
rivers  and  mountains.  While  doing  this, 
we  were  permitted  to  talk  aloud,  and  you' 
may  be  sure  we  made  liberal  use  of  the- 
privilege.  Mr.  Stauffer  was  a  great 
lover  of  music,  and  made  us  sing  eight 
times  a  day — at  every  opening  and  every 
closing,  before  and  after  every  intermis- 
sion. Many  of  the  songs  he  taught  us- 
are  familiar  and  favorites  still.  Tho'  we 
all  liked  him,  he  was  "too  good"  in  point 
of  discipline  for  his  own  good,  and  when, 
the  following  winter,  he  tried  to  enforce 


REMINISCENCES    OF   A    FORMER    HEREFORD    SCHOOLBOY 


15 


JOSIAH  W.  ST  \UFFER,  VETERAN  TEACHER 

stricter  rules,  there  were  some  collisions. 
There  was  one  freckled,  tow-headed  boy 
sitting  beside  me,  who  repeatedly  caught 
a  whipping,  and  may  have  deserved  it 
oftener  than  it  came ;  of  my  own  deserts 
in  this  connection  I  will  not  speak.  Mr. 
S.  offered  me  a  whipping  one  day,  but  he 
asked  me  first  whether  I  wanted  it,  and 
I  did  not  hesitate  to  say  no.  Though  I 
-did  much  that  under  his  code  would  have 
deserved  such  punishment,  I  have  been 
wondering  ever  since  what  I  had  done 
on  that  particular  occasion  to  provoke  his 
ire. 

]\Ir.  Stauft'er  was  a  well  informed  man 
and  did  not  confine  himself  to  the  text- 
book in  his  teaching.  He  put  in  a  little 
astronomy  with  our  geography  and  al- 
lowed me  to  copy  the  Greek  alphabet 
from  a  book  of  his  on  astronomy.  One 
morning,  on  my  way  to  school,  I  disputed 
with  two  companions  about  the  rotation 
of  the  earth,  which  I  affirmed  and  the}- 
denied.  Finally  we  agreed  to  submit  the 
-question  to  our  teacher,  who  of  course 
decided   in   my   favor. 

Experiences  of  Four  More  Winters. 

From  1 86 1  to  '62  and  again  two  years 
later  our  school  was  taught  by  Joel  B. 
Bower.  It  was  customary  then  to  teach 
every  other  Saturday,  and  I  remember 
"how  Mr.  B.  used  to  announce  on  Friday 
■evening  whether  or  not  there  would  be 
school  on  the  morrow.  Under  him  I  ad- 
vanced from  Rose's  Arithmetic  to  Stod- 
dard's Practical  and  began  to  copy  my 
problems     into     "cyphering-books."        I 


had  jumped  from  Sanders's  Second  Read- 
er to  the  Fourth  in  the  spring  of  i860, 
and  as  that  was  the  highest  reading-man- 
ual used  in  school,  could  not  advance 
further  in  that  direction. 

During  the  winter  of  1862  to  '6^  our 
school  was  in  charge  of  Abraham  S. 
Krauss.  This  teacher  made  us  sing  our 
geography-lessons  from  the  outline  maps 
on  the  wall  and  took  especial  pains  to 
drill  us  on  English  sounds,  using  charts 
made  for  the  purpose.  What  pleased  me 
best  under  his  reign  was  the  "spelling- 
schools,"  which  he  conducted  during  a 
part  of  the  winter,  one  evening  each 
week.  "Spelling  on  sides"  also  was  a 
frequent  diversion  on  Friday  afternoon. 
For  some  time  I  remained  the  victor  in 
those  contests,  but  one  day  I  went  down 
on  the  word  anodyne,  and  I  knew  then 
that,  tho'  as  a  boy  of  ten  I  had  spelled 
down  all  my  opponents  at  the  first  spell- 
ing-bee I  ever  attended,  I  was  not  yet 
perfect  in  orthography. 

My  last  teacher  in  the  school  near 
Herefordville,  now  Chapel,  was  Abram 
Bechtel,  who  taught  it  during  the  winter 
of  1864  to  '65.  I  liked  him  well,  for  he 
was  a  good  scholar  and  made  extra  ef- 
forts for  the  benefits  of  our  Fourth  Read- 
er and  grammar-class ;  besides,  I  was  old 
enough  now  to  appreciate  somewhat  the 
importance  of  my  school-studies.  I  was 
particularlv  interested  when  he  explained 
Latin  and  French  phrases;  but  when  he 
told  us  one  day  the  proper  pronunciation 
cf  the  name  of  the  Duke  d'Enghien,  sta- 
ting his  authority,  I  positively  could  not 
believe  him.  I  have  found  out  long  ago 
that  he  was  fight. 

Sent  to  Another  School. 

In  the  fall  of  1865  the  children  of  three 
families  in  our  corner  of  the  district,  ours 
included,  were  ordered  to  the  Treichlers- 
ville  school,  in  order  that  the  pupils  at- 
tending the  two  nearest  schools  might  be 
more  evenly  divided.  I  did  not  like  the 
change  at  all,  and  for  a  few  days  after 
entering  the  new  school  seriously  talked 
of  leaving  and  going  back  to  the  old  one, 
where  a  late  schoolmate  now  ruled  as 
master.  Soon,  however.  I  accommodated 
mvself  to  the  new  surroundings  and  took 
the  last  two  terms  of  public-school  train- 
ing  at   Treichlersville   under   Henry   H. 


14 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


book  and  was  ambitious  to  keep  up  with 
Schultz.  My  principal,  best  loved  studv 
there  was  arithmetic,  with  what  it  in- 
cluded of  mensuration.  I  finished  Stod- 
dard's Practical,  writing  out  full  solu- 
tions of  the  miscellaneous  problems  at  the 
end,  then  advanced  to  Greenleaf's  Com- 
mon School  Arithmetic.  I  sat  beside  a 
neighbor's  boy  who  used  the  same  text- 
me ;  he  did  so,  at  least  for  a  time,  tho' 
I  had  to  do  most  of  his  work  for  him. 
H^  also  wrote  his  "sums"  into  a  "cypher- 
ing-book,"  into  which  I  usually  "printed" 
the  headings  for  him.  Sometimes  I  would 
decorate  those  headings  with  drawings 
that  were  not  always  true  to  nature,  tho' 
they  did-  not  miss  their  purpose  of  being 
funny.  My  conduct  was  not  blameless, 
and  I  well  deserved  whatever  reprimands 
I  got.  One  evening,  when  school  was  dis- 
missed, the  teacher  requested  me  to  stay 
for  a  private  talk.  j\Iy  conscience  was 
not  clear,  and  I  felt  sure  I  was  going  to 
get  it  now.  Imagine  my  relief  when  the 
teacher,  instead  of  lecturing  me  on  my 
misdeeds,  began  to  commend  me  for  my 
progress  and  advised  me  to  attend  some 
higher  school,  so  as  to  fit  myself  for 
teaching  or  some  other  profession. 

Exercises,  Methods  and  Discipline. 

I  attended  the  public  school  seven 
terms  and  was  there  under  the  tutelage  of 
seven  teachers.  I  may  say  I  liked  them 
all  and  got  along  fairly  well  with  them 
all.  No  doubt  they  did  their  work  as  well 
as  they  could,  and  if  we,  their  pupils, 
learned  nothing,  it  was  our  fault.  Our 
studies  were  reading,  writing,  arithmetic 
(written  and  mental),  grammar  and 
geography ;  the  methods  of  teaching  and 
the  order  of  recitations  were  much  the 
same  all  along.  Grammar  was  usually 
the  first  thing  after  opening  exercises  in 
the  morning ;  then  came  the  reading- 
classes,  generally  beginning  with  the 
highest,  which  used  Sanders's  Fourth 
Reader.  Geography  came  after  dinner, 
"mental"  some  time  in  the  afternoon  ;  usu- 
ally each  session  closed  with  an  oral 
spelling-exercise,  in  which  the  good  old 
custom  of  trapping  was  observed. 
At  least  one  of  our  teachers  also  gave 
us  spelling-lessons  from  dictation. 
Spelling  games  and  miscellaneous  prob- 
lems in  arithmetic  as  a  blackboard-exer- 


cise sometimes  came  in  on  Friday  after- 
noon ;  compositions  were  usually  called 
for  at  the  same  time.  I  disliked  this 
most  valuable  exercise  probably  as  much 
as  my  schoolmates  for  the  simple  reason 
that  the  teachers  hardly  ever  gave  us  any 
help  toward  it.  They  would  simply  say 
that  the  members  of  such  a  class  were  ex- 
pected to  write  compositions  and  hand 
them  in  by  a  certain  time.  Sometimes 
they  would  announce  a  subject,  but  more 
frequently  the  choice  of  subjects  was  left 
to  us. 

The  discipline  of  the  school  varied 
somewhat  with  the  master,  but  was  never 
really  severe ;  if  it  had  been,  the  writer 
would  not  have  got  thro'  without  a 
whipping  and  but  one  standing  out  in  the 
"lazy  boy's  corner."  Sometimes  disci- 
pline was  rather  too  loose.  I  remember 
one  winter,  in  particular,  when  we  smaller 
boys  had  to  suffer  a  good  deal  from  our 
bigger  fellows,  who  were  not  kept  in 
check  or  punished  as  they  should  have 
been.  They  would  take  their  stand  on 
the  little  platform  before  the  door,  and 
push  us  back  into  the  mud  as  often  as  we 
tried  to  get  on.  One  day  one  of  these 
bigger  fellows  applied  a  pin  quite  forcibly 
to  the  soft  rear  portions  of  a  smaller  boy 
sitting  on  the  next  bench,  and  the  latter 
jumped  up  with  a  howl  that  startled  the 
whole  school.  Of  course,  there  was  an 
inquiry,  and  the  culprit  was  quickly 
found,  but  he  got  off  easily  enough  with 
a  reprimand.  On  another  occasion  the 
teacher  called  out  a  boy  for  some  offence 
and  ordered  him  to  stand  on  one  leg.  The 
boy's  older  brother  interposed,  saying  that 
was  a  punishment  unfit  for  civilized  peo- 
ple. After  some  parleying  the  teacher 
substituted  a  whipping  for  the  punish- 
ment first  intended,  and  sent  the  offender 
back  to  his  seat. 

School  Recreations  and  Spelling-Bees. 

When  school  was  out,  we  would  play 
ball  in  various  forms — Hcrrballa,  IVed- 
dcrbaUa.  Balla  iiiit  Sah,  BaUio%'cr,  Rund- 
balla.  Eckballa  and  Long  Town,  which 
last  I  enjoyed  most  of  all.  Playing  sol- 
dier was  a  frequent  diversion  during  the 
war-time,  and  many  a  battle  was  fought 
with  snow-balls,  even  on  the  way  home. 
Sometimes  we  would  vary  the  program 
with   a  fight  in   good  earnest  with   fists. 


REMINISCENCES    OF   A    FORMER    HEREFORD    SCHOOLBOY 


15. 


Stones,  lumps  of  mud.  bats  or  sticks.  For- 
tunately these  fights  never  lasted  long. 
Often  too  we  would  "shoot  rabbits"  or 
play  "hide  and  seek."  One  day  when 
we  were  playing  this,  I  came  down  to  the 
old  blacksmith-shop  across  the  street,  feel- 
ing sure  no  one  would  find  me  there.  No 
one  did  find  me ;  but  when  I  wanted  to 
get  out  the  door  had  locked  itself  some- 
how and  I  could  not  open  it.  For  a 
while  I  was  in  great  fear  lest  I  should 
remain  a  prisoner  there  all  afternoon ; 
but  finally  I  espied  a  cleft  in  the  rear 
wall  and  by  a  tight  squeeze  managed  to 
crawl,  thro'  and  rejoin  my  mates  ere 
school  was  called  in.  The  walls  of  that 
old  shop  are  still  there,  and  I  regret  that 
I  can  not  illustrate  this  article  with  a 
picture  of  the  venerable  ruin. 

One  winter,  while  I  belonged  to  the 
Treichlersville  school,  we,  that  is  the 
larger  boys,  used  to  attend  spelling-bees 
held  in  the  evening  at  Traub's  school- 
house  on  the  hill.  In  those  contests  we, 
the  visitors,  were  usually  lined  up  against 
the  scholars  there  and  tho'  we  considered 
ourselves  good  spellers  and  did  our  level 
best,  we  were  invariably  beaten,  not  in 
every  game,  but  in  most  of  them.  The 
reason  may  be  plain  when  I  say  that  the 
local  teacher  gave  out  the  words  and  nat- 
urally favored  hJf,  Own  pupils.  I  remem- 
ber very  well  how  we  used  to  come  down 
the  hill  in  high  dudgeon,  bitterly  com- 
plaining of  the  unfair  treatment  we  felt 
we  had  received,  but  resolved  to  try 
again,  in  spite  of  it  all.  The  spelling  of 
German  words  sometimes  formed  part  of 
those  exercises. 

"Spelling-schools"  are  indeed  one  of 
the  sweetest  reminiscences  of  my  youth- 
ful days.  They  became  much  more  in- 
teresting a  few  years  later,  when,  tho  no 
longer  a  public-school  pupil  myself.  I 
used  to  accompany  my  young  friends, 
sometimes  a  whole  crowd  of  them,  to  dif- 
ferent schools  in  the  neighborhood  where 
those  exciting  contests  were  held  in  the 
evening.  To  be  sure,  it  was  then  no 
longer  the  mere  interest  we  took  in  the 
spelling,  but  rather  the  presence  and  par- 
ticipation of  certain  advanced  girl-pupils, 
that  drew  us  to  those  gatherings  week 
after  week  with  irresistible  power. 

There  was  a  notable  revival  of  the  old- 
fashioned    spelling-bee    in    the   spring   of 


1875.  I  was  then  a  student  at  the  State 
normal  school  at  Millersville  and  took 
part  in  two  or  three  which  were  held  in 
that  institution  and  at  which  valuable 
prizes  were  given  to  the  victors.  I  con- 
sider it  a  distinct  loss,  intellectually  and 
socially,  that  the  spelling-bee  has  gone 
out  of  fashion,  and.  tho  long  past  my 
schoolboy  and  schoolmaster-days,  no  one 
could  welcome  their  resuscitation  more 
heartily  than  myse'.f.  But  again  I  am 
"off  the  track." 

A  Fond  Remembrance. 

jVIy  public-school  days  ended  in  the 
spring  of  1867,  sooner  than  I  had 
thought  or  wished.  My  schoolmates  are 
scattered  far  and  wide,  and  some  of  them 
have  for  years  been  numbered  with  the 
dead ;  yet  I  still  love  to  send  back  my 
thoughts  to  those  days  of  long  ago  which, 
with  all  their  little  troubles  and  trials, 
were  pure  happiness,  compared  with 
many  that  followed.  Surely  our  school- 
advantages  were  far  inferior  to  those  the 
present  generation  enjoys  even  in  the  re- 
motest rural  district.  Yet  how  much 
better  use  each  of  us  would  make  of  them, 
if,  with  the  experience  the  years  have 
brought,  we  could  be  boys  and  girls 
again  and  sit  along  the  old  pineboard 
desks  in  the  old  schoolhouses  under  the 
teachers  of   forty  years  ago!    • 

The  old  schoolhouse  near  Hereford- 
ville,  now'  Chapel,  stood  until  the  sum- 
mer of  1874.  I  am  sorry  that  I  cannot 
give  an  unbroken  list  of  the  teachers 
there  from  1859  to  the  end,  but  will  give 
my  list  as  it  is,  hoping  some  one  else  maj; 
be  able  to  fill  out  the  gap:  i859-'6o; 
Frederic  M.  Fry,  Lewis  Riegner ;  1860- 
'61,  Josiah  W. 'Stauffer;  i86i-'62.  Joel 
B.  Bower;  i862-'63,  Abraham  S.  Krauss  ; 
i863-'64,  Joel  B.  Bower;  i864-'65, 
Abram  Bechtel ;  i865-'66,  Joel  Y. 
Schellv;  *  *  *  *  1869-70,  Cyrus  Y. 
Schelly,  W.  H.  Sallade,  H.  A.  Schuler; 
i87o-'73,  H.  A.  Schuler;  i873-'74,  Sam- 
uel S.  Schultz. 

The  other  old  schoolhouse  in  which  I 
was  taught  at  Treichlersville,  now  Here- 
ford, was  replaced  with  a  new  one  in 
1876.  The  writer  had  the  privilege  of 
teaching  there  during  the  last  winter  of 
its  existence. 


116 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


John  Wanamaker 

Merchant  and  Philanthropist 

(See   Frontispiece  Portrait) 
BY    REV.    P.    C.    CROLL,    D.D.,    LEBANON,    PA. 


At  the  recent  annual  meeting  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania-German Society  in  Philadelphia,  Mr. 
Wanamaker  was  unanimously  elected  presi- 
dent for  the  current  year.  The  following 
sketch,  originally  prepared  by  the  founder  of 
this  magazine  and  supplemented  and  brought 
up  to  date  by  Mr.  Wanamaker's  private  sec- 
retary, does  therefore  appear  well  suited  to 
the  present  issue  of  The  Pennsylvania- 
German. — Ed. 

NOWING  that  Mr.  Wana- 
maker is  a  descendant  of  our 
German  ancestry  (the  name 
formerly  was  written  Wan- 
namacher),  but  unable  to 
gain  reliable  biographical 
data  elsewhere,  the  author  wrot€  a  letter 
to  this  merchant-prince  himself,  politely 
demanding  in  highwayman  style,  not  his 
money  but  his  life.  The  busy  and  over- 
burdened man  of  affairs  was  just  pre- 
paring for  a  trip  to  Europe,  yet  on  the 
eve  of  sailing  instructed  his  secretary, 
Mr.  H.  S.  Jones,  to  furnish  the  necessary 
information,  which  he  did.  The  follow- 
ing sketch,  while  somewhat  meager,  is 
carefully  written  and  entirely  correct  as 
to  facts.  It  is  valuable  as  coming  from 
the  pen  of  one  very  closely  associated 
with  the  subject. 

A  Short  Sketch  of  a  Busy  Life. 

John  Wanamaker  was  born  in  Philadelphia, 
Pa.,  July  II,  1838.  His  grandfather  and  father, 
descendants  of  the  early  German  settlers  of 
Hunterdon  county.  New  Jersey,  carried  on  the 
"brickmakihg-business  in  the  southern  section 
of  Philadelphia  county,  which  was  at  that 
time  mostly  farming  land.  There  most  of  his 
boyhood  life  was  spent,  and  there,  by  work- 
ing before  and  after  school-hours,  he  earned 
his  first  money  in  the  brickyard.  His  only 
■opportunity  for  education  was  at  a  country 
public  school  not  equal  to  the  present  grade 
of  city  primary  school.  When  he  was  four- 
teen he  was  graduated,  because  the  teacher 
■claimed  that  school-lessons  could  not  carry 
him  any  farther. 

He  then  secured  employment  in  the  city 
as  messenger-boy  in  the  publishing-business 
•of  Troutman  and  Hayes,  on  Market  below 
Fifth  street,  at  a  salary  of  $1.25  a  week.  Here 
he  remained  until  his  father's  family  fol- 
lowed his  grandfather  to  Kosciusco  county, 
Indiana,  whence  he  returned  to  Philadelphia 
in   1856.     He  entered  the  retail  clothing-store 


of  Barclay  Lippincott,  Fourth  and  Market 
streets,  at  a  salary  of  $2.50  per  week,  but  soon 
accepted  a  better  offer  of  $6  a  week  from 
Mr.  Joseph  M.  Bennet,  proprietor  of  Tower 
Hall  Clothing  House,  on  Market  above  Fifth 
street.  Mr.  Bennet  says  of  him :  "John  was 
certamly  the  most  ambitious  boy  I  ever  saw. 
I  used  to  take  him  to  lunch  with  me,  and  he 
would  tell  me  how  he  was  going  to  be  a 
great  merchant.  He  was  very  much  interested 
m  tlie  temperance-cause  and  had  not  been  with 
me  long  before  he  had  persuaded  most  of  the 
employees  of  the  store  to  join  the  temperance- 
"society  to  which  he  belonged.  He  was  always 
organizing  something.  He  seemed  to  be  a 
natural-born  organizer.  This  faculty  is  prob- 
ably largely  accountable  for  his  great  success 
in  afterlife." 

In  1858  his  health  gave  way  and  he  went 
for  a  short  time  to  Minnesota.  Returning 
much  improved  but  not  fully  recovered,  he  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  and  was  its  first  sal- 
aried secretary  in  the  United  States.  When 
the  Civil  War  broke  out  he  was  refused  en- 
listment because  of  the  condition  of  his  lungs. 
On  the  day  upon  which  Fort  Sumter  was  fired 
upon,  he,  with  Nathan  Brown  as  partner, 
opened  a  small  store  at  the  southeast  corner 
of  Sixth  and  Market  streets,  dealing  as 
Wanamaker  and  Brown.  '  s^i  Brown  died  in 
November,  1868,  after  whici.'^k'-''r.  Wanamaker 
continued  the  business  under  the  above  firm- 
name  until    1884. 

In  1869  he  organized  the  house  of  John 
Wanamaker  &  Co.,  at  818  and  820  Chestnut 
street  for  the  sale  of  a  finer  grade  of  ready- 
made  clothing  than  had  ever  before  been  of- 
fered in  Philadelphia.  In  1875  he  purchased 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  its 
old  freight-depot  at  Broad  and  Market  streets, 


BIRTHPLACE  OP  JOHN  WANAMAKER 


JOHN    WANAMAKER,    MERCHANT    AND    PHILANTHROPIST 


17 


Brickyard  in, which  yaunj?  Waiiamalor  wjrkid 

and  transformed  it  into  a  general  store,  adding, 
as  demand  was  made,  drygoods,  carpets, 
house-furnishings,  furniture,  etc.,  until  at 
present  there  are  no  less  than  seventy  de- 
partments under  the  single  roof  which  extends 
from  Market  to  Chestnut  streets,  covering 
an  area  of  250  by  500  feet  on  the  ground 
floor. 

In  1896  Mr.  Wanamaker  purchased  the  old 
■drygoods-house  of  A.  T.  Stewart  &  Company, 
in  New  York,  which  he  opened,  as  a  counter- 
part of  the  Philadelphia  store,  in  September 
of  that  year.  To  accommodate  the  increasing 
business  he  has.  since  then  purchased  the  prop- 
erty extending  from  Eighth  to  Ninth  streets, 
on  Broadwa)-,  and  erected  thereon  a  fourteen- 
story  building,  adding  to  the  attractions  of 
the  already  attractive  business  a  large  audi- 
torium thoroughly  furnished  for  musical  and 
other  entertainments  of  the  highest  class  for 
the  benefit  of  the  public.  This  auditorium 
has  a   seating  capacity  of   1500. 

At  present  he  is  erecting  on  the  site  of  the 
Philadelphia  house  a  huge  granite  building 
two  stories  above  ground  and  three  beneath 
the  surface.  It  is  said  that  this  will  be,  when 
completed,  the  finest  retail-business  structure 
in   the   world. 

From  1873  until  after  the  close  of  the  great 
Centennial  Exposition  Mr.  Wanamaker  was 
one  of  the  most  active  of  the  Centennial  Board 
of  Finance.  By  his  individual  efforts  he  raised 
the  first  million  dollars  among  the  citizens,  and 
he  was  influential  in  securing  the  second  mil- 
lion from  the  Philadelphia  city-councils.  He 
was  chairman  of  the  Bureau  of  Revenue  and 
had  for  his  principal  assistant  ex-Governor 
William  H.  Bigler.  He  was  chairman  of  the 
press-committee  and  served  on  numerous  other 
•committees  of  the  Board  of  Finance.  He  al- 
ways has  had  an  interest  in  public  affairs, 
acting  as  chairman  of  the  citizens'  relief-com- 
tnittees  for  the  Irish  famine  and  the  yellow- 
fever  sufferers  of  the  South,  flood-committees 
and  general  benevolences. 

Mr.  Wanamaker  was  for  eight  years  presi- 
<lent  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion of  Philadelphia.  During  his  administra- 
tion the  fine  property  at  Fifteenth  and  Chest- 
nut streets  was  purchased,  the  cornerstone 
laid  and  the  building  erected  at  a  cost,  great 


in  those  days,  of  nearly  half  a  million  dol- 
lars. The  property  is  worth  to-day  double 
the  cost.  He  has  declined  many  proffered 
nominations  to  public  office,  auch'as  that  of 
Congressman-at-large  and  tlie  mayoralty,  but 
has  always  taken  an  interest  in  the  political 
questions  of  the  day,  being  a  staunch  Repub- 
lican. He  declined  membership  in  the  Repub- 
lican National  Committee  in  1888,  but  con- 
sented to  serve  on  an  advisory  committee,  of 
which  he  was  elected  chairman  and  to  which 
he  gave  tireless  attention  until  the  election 
of  Benjamin  iiarri.son  to  the  Presidency.  From 
the  fourth  of  Marcii,  1889,  until  the  fourth 
of  March,  1893,  he  served  in  President  Har- 
ri.son's  cabinet  as  Postmaster  General.  He 
carried  into  this  department  of  the  Govern- 
ment his  best  ideas  of  organization,  and  ef- 
fected many  valuable  irrrprovements  with  the 
railway-mail  service,  the  ocean-mails,  free  de- 
livery in  rural  districts,  securing  the  most  per- 
fect mail-service  the  nation  ever  had  and  en- 
tirely discontinuing  Sunday-work  in  the  de- 
partment-buildings in   Washington. 

During  the  entire  four  years  of  his  P-ost- 
master-Generalship  he  made  trips  from  Wash- 
ington to  Philadelphia  every  week  to  attend 
the  services  of  the  Bethany  Sunday-school,  of 
which  he  has  been  superintendent  for  forty- 
nine  years.  In  1857  he  became  a  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  under  the  pastor- 
ate of  the  Rev.  John  Chambers,  D.D.,  and  in 
February,  1858,  he  organized,  in  the  rooms  of 
an  humble  shoemaker,  a  Sunday-school  with 
27  members.  His  warm  heart  and  cordial 
handgrasp  won  for  him  the  goodwill  of  the 
roughest  men  in  the  neighborhood,  which  was 
then  the  battle-ground  of  the  old  volunteer 
fire-companies.  The  school  became  too  large 
for  its  quarters  and  was  removed  to  a  tent. 
A  modest  chapel  was  then  erected  on  South 
street    near    Twenty-first,    and    later,    in    1864, 


JOHN  WANAMAKER  AT  TWENTY-FIVE. 


i8 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


ground  was  broken  for  a  much  finer  Sunday- 
school  hall  at  Twenty-second  and  Bayibridge 
streets.  There  the  previous  building  has  been 
replaced  by  the  present  magnificent  edifice,  in 
which  3000  children  assemble  every  Sabbath, 
while  in  addition  to  the  school,  an  adult  Bible- 
union  of  1200  members  meets  in  the  great 
church  by  its   side. 

One  of  his  later  efforts  is  the  establishment 
of  the  First  Pennj'-Savings  Bank  of  Philadel- 
phia, of  which  he  is  president.  Over  14,000 
depositors  avail  themselves  of  its  advantages. 

In  1896  he  organized,  rebuilt  and  com- 
pletely furnished  the  Friendly  Inn  on  Ninth 
above  Spruce  street,  with  the  objective  view 
of  saving  and  helping  men  who  want  to  re- 
form and  lead  honorable  lives.  The  average 
daily  list  of  boarders  there  now  numbers  one 
hundred    and    twenty-five. 

The  old  chapel  on  South  street,  which  for 
many  years  had  been  occupied  as  a  furniture- 
warehouse,  was  offered  for  sale  a  short  time 
ago  and  the  property  was  purchased  by  Mr. 
Wanamaker ;  on  this  site  he  has  erected  the 
Bethany  Brotherhood  House  and  fitted  it  up 
for  the  use  of  the  men  of  the  Bethany  chapter 
of  the  Brotherhood  of  Andrew  and  Philip, 
of  which  there  are  no  less  than  iioo  mem- 
bers. A  little  later  he  secured  the  two  ad- 
joining properties,  on  which  he  erected  a 
handsome  building  now  known  as  the  John 
Wanamaker  Branch  of  the  Free  Library  of 
Philadelphia,  which  has  been  furnished  by  the 
Free  Library  Association  of  Philadelphia  with 
8000  volumes. 

Another  of  Mr.  Wanamaker's  philanthropic 
endeavors  is  the  establishment  of  Bethany  Col- 
lege, an  institution  for  the  instruction  in  book- 
keeping, stenography,  drawing,  dress-making, 
etc.,  of  young  people  who  have  missed  their 
early     school-days     and     are     now     employed 


through  the   week  earning  their   daily  bread. 

No  one  can  tell  as  yet  the  result  of  a  politi- 
cal campaign  which  Mr.  Wanamaker  entered 
into  in  the  summer  of  1898  in  opposition  to 
the  great  political  power  which  had  sunk  the 
grand  old  Keystone  State  in  corruption,  while 
it  seemed  as  if  there  were  no  eye  to  pity  nor 
any  hand  stretched  out  to  save.  He  labored 
arduously  for  many  months,  delivering  ad- 
dresses, sometimes  as  many  as  five  in  a  single 
day,  to  some  audiences  of  more  than  10,000, 
often  in  the  open  air,  exposing  the  chicanery 
of  the  bosses  who  at  that  time  controlled  every 
part  of  the  State  politics.  The  best  men  in 
all  counties  rallied  to  his  standard  and,  while 
the  work  has  not  yet  been  completed,  there  is 
a  noble  body  of  little  Pennsylvanians  ready 
to  stand  for  truth  and  righteousness  in  this 
State. 

Mr.  Wanamaker  is  still  in  the  prime  of 
manhood.  He  is  known  as  a  philanthropist 
throughout  America  and  Europe,  and  it  may 
be  said  of  him  that  he  has  used  wisely  the 
talents  with  which  the  Almighty  has  most 
wonderfully  endowed  him. 

A  Visit  to  Wanamaker's  Sunday-School. 

To  this  compendiotts  sketch,  every  item 
of  which  might  be  elaborated  with 
minuter  detail  and  many  personal  inci- 
dents, we  append  an  account  of  a  visit  to 
Mr.  Wanamaker's  Sunday-school,  from 
which  the  reader  may  gain  a  glimpse  of 
the  man  and  his  methods  in  this  his  favor- 
ite and  very  successful  Christian  mission. 
Having  been  established  and  personally 
supervised  for  a  generation  by  Mr.  Wan- 
amaker,   the    Bethany    Sunday-school   at 


MR.  WANAMAKER'S  FIRST  STORE. 
At  818-820  Chestnut  St.,  Phila.,  Pa.  (The  building  with  a  tower.) 


JOHN    WANAMAKER,    MERCHANT    AND    PHILANTHROPIST 


19 


Twenty-second  and  Kainbridge  streets, 
Philadelphia,  is  generally  known  as  Mr. 
Wananiaker's  Sunday-school.  Many  a 
stranger  who  liappened  to  sojourn  in  the 
city  over  Sunday  has  availed  himself  of 
the  opportunity  to  visit  it,  both  to  see  and 
hear  this  illustrious  layman  expound  the 
Word  of  God  to  an  eager  multitude  and 
to  observe  the  method  of  conducting  such 
a  vast  religious  enterprise.  So  the  author 
came  to  visit  it  on  Sunday,  July  6,  1890. 

The  day  was  one  of  the  hottest  of  the 
summer.  A  large  portion  of  the  city  had 
emptied  itself  to  the  seaside  and  other 
neighboring  resorts.  Yet  such  has  been 
the  character  of  these  services  for  years 
that,  while  vast  numbers  of  laboring 
people  on  a  hot  Sunday  afternoon  seek 
recreation  in  parks  and  gardens,  on  the 
river  or  by  the  sea,  hosts  of  workers  in  the 
vicinity  of  this  Sunday-school  prefer  to 
find  rest  and  refreshment  in  its  cool 
rooms.  To  them  Bethany  has  become  a 
fountain  in  the  desert  of  a  monotonous, 
grinding  city-life  and  as  "the  shadow  of 
a  great  rock  in  a  weary  land."  More 
than  two  thousand  souls  found  this  spir- 
itual refreshment  on  the  day  named. 

In  the  management  of  this  large  Sun- 
day-school the  stranger  finds  the  same 
genius  at  work  that  has  founded,  in  the 
same  city,  the  largest  retail  store  in  the 
world.  Nothing  is  left  to  chance;  every- 
thing is  done  according  to  a  definite  plan, 
faithfully  followed.  Still  nothing  ap- 
pears stiff  or  as  if  going  by  rote.  Every 
part  of  the  exercise  is  fresh  and  refresh- 
ing ;  every  wheel  seems  lubricated  and 
the  machinery  runs  with  ease. 

Being  a  few  moments  late,  we  found 
the  doors  of  the  main  room  locked — an 
unalterable  rule,  to  prevent  disturbance  of 
the  opening  exercises  by  late  comers. 
However,  a  polite  usher  conducted  us 
and  a  score  of  other  tardy  arrivals  to  the 
main  audience-chamber  of  the  church, 
where  the  adult  Bible-class  was  gather- 
ing and  being  entertained  with  charming 
music.  While  this  chamber  was  filling  up 
with  hundreds  of  eager  learners,  the  head 
of  this  vast  Sunday-school  army  was  con- 
ducting the  preliminary  services  in  the 
main  school-room,  and  a  few  of  his  wise- 
ly chosen  lieutenants  were  getting  the 
Bible-class  ready  for  his  exposition  of  the 
lesson.     Though  the  main  room  of  the 


school  was  now  thrown  open,  we  pre- 
ferred to  stay  and  listen  to  the  warm- 
hearted superintendent's  instruction  of 
this  vast  class  of  adult  scholars.  And 
what  a  treat  it  was !  The  moment  Mr. 
Wanamaker  entered — and  the  very  min- 
ute was  known  by  all — everybody  was  in 
his  place.  Even  the  ushers  had  finished 
their  work  and  the  quiet  which  reigned 
in  the  vast  auditorium  was  not  broken  by 
any  distracting  cause.  The  organist,  the 
male  quartet,  the  collectors  and  every 
other  officer  were  in  readiness  to  do  the 
bidding  of  the  superintendent.  The  exer- 
cises began  with  the  singing  of  a  beauti- 
ful Gospel  hymn,  printed  on  the  back  of 
an  ingeniously  constructed  paper  fan, 
which  was  handed  to  every  one  upon  en- 
tering as  a  practical  souvenir  of  the  day. 

After  a  few  routine  announcements  the 
class  was  invited  to  join  an  excursion  on 
the  following  Friday  (the  superinten- 
dent's birthday)  to  the  seashore,  where 
Cottage  Rest,  a  house  erected  by  the 
class  for  the  free  accommodation  of  any 
members  in  need  of  rest  by  the  sea,  but 
too  poor  to  defray  the  usual  expenses  of 
such  a  luxury,  was  to  be  formally  opened. 
This  called  forth  a  significant  supple- 
mentary statement  from  the  superinten- 
dent, to  the  effect  that,  if  he  did  not  re- 
ceive a  telegram  at  his  department  head- 
quarters at  Washington,  by  Wednesday 
evening,  that  the  indebtedness  of  this 
class-cottage  had  all  been  provided  for, 
the  class  must  go  on  this  excursion  with- 
out him,  as  he  had  a  mind  to  keep  his 
word  and  not  enter  the  building  until  it 
had  been  entirely  paid  for. 

The  offerings  were  now  taken  in  enve- 
lopes provided  for  the  day,  and  their  con- 
tents revealed  the  fact  that  the  condition 
on  which  hinged  the  prospect  of  enjoying 
the  superintendent's  company  on  this 
class-jaunt  had  been  met.  The  announce- 
ment of  this  fact  by  some  one  who  spoke 
for  the  class  was  followed  with  expres- 
sions and  tokens  of  congratulation.  Now 
came  a  selection  by  Prof.  Sweeney's  mag- 
nificent quartet  of  male  singers,  after 
which  Mr.  Wanamaker  offered  a  most 
tender  and  touching  prayer.  Then  an- 
other song,  after  which  the  lesson  was 
prefaced  by  the  reading  of  a  beautiful 
and  appropriate  poem,  which  the  super- 
intendent drew  from  his  pocket  as  a  way- 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


side  gem.  He  also  read  an  extract  from 
a  letter  received  from  a  newly  bereft 
mother  belonging  to  the  class.  This  led 
up  to  the  lesson  proper,  which  was  cer- 
tainly a  rare  treat  in  Scripture-exposi- 
tion. The  day's  topic  was  Christ's  Heal- 
ing of  the  Crooked  Woman,  recorded  in 
St.  Luke  13:10-17.  It  afforded  oppor- 
tunity for  a  most  precious  and  pathetic 
exposition  of  our  Savior's  tender  love  for 
suffering  humanity,  and  for  instruction 
on  the  proper  observance  of  the  Lord's 
day.  In  respect  to  both  aspects  the  treat- 
ment of  the  lesson  was  a  surprise,  coming 
from  a  most  busy  man  of  secular  affairs 
and  from  a  Presbyterian.  But  so  full  of 
tenderness  was  the  picture  of  Christ  that 
it  could  not  have  been  more  beautifully 
colored,  had  the  painter  been  a  devoted 
missionary  and  evangelist,  whose  daily  oc- 
cupation was  to  win  souls  and  preach  the 
glad  tidings  of  salvation.  And  so  devoid 
of  legalistic,  Sabbatarian  cant  was  the  in- 
struction on  Sabbath-observance,  that  one 
was  led,  as  one  seldom  is  when  this  ques- 
tion is  discussed,  to  see  the  gift-side,  the 
beneficent,  benediction-side  of  the  sacred 
day.  Altogether  the  graphic  picture  of 
this  blessed  miracle  of  Christ,  in  a  Jewish 
synagog  on  the  Sabbath-day,  was  pre- 
sented in  so  evangelical  a  light  as  to  make 
every  heart  fall  in  love  anew  with  the 
Mighty  Healer. 

When,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  lesson, 
the  superintendent  returned  to  the  main 
school  to  review  the  day's  lesson  and  close 
the  school — as  is  the  invariable  rule — a 
number  of  visitors,  including  the  writer, 
followed  him.  These  were  shown  to  the 
visitors'  gallery.  Here  they  found  the 
great  leader  surrounded  by  a  vast  sea  of 
now  upturned  and  attentive  faces,  mostly 
those  of  children.  The  vast  room  is  so 
arranged  that  every  class  faces  the  plat- 
form, which  is  centrally  located.  From 
this  elevated  stand  Mr.  Wanamaker 
makes  his  weekly  review  of  the  lesson 
and  the  fifteen  minutes  occupied  in  doing 
so  are  crammed  with  simple  exposition, 
happy  illustration,  graphic  coloring  and 
warm  appeal,  all  centering  about  the 
main  thought  of  the  lesson.  The  stranger 
is  charmed  with  the  eloquence  and  power 
of  the  speaker.  Graceful  in  movement, 
of  pleasant  address,  winsome  of  face  and 


manner  and  commanding  in  appearance, 
this  model  superintendent.  Sabbath  after 
Sabbath,  impresses  the  weekly  Scripture- 
lesson  upon  the  heart  and  memory  of  his 
vast  army  of  scholars  so  that  one  cannot 
see  how  its  truth  could  ever  escape  the 
mind  or  conscience  of  any  one.  Though 
one  hears  a  musical  and  penetrating 
voice,  the  speaker  is  soon  forgotten  in  the 
contemplation  of  the  truth  that  is  pressed 
with  burning  love  upon  the  heart.  It 
takes  a  cold  heart,  indeed,  that  does  not 
find  itself  kindling  with  the  same  fervent 
love  for  souls  and  the  same  warm  feeling 
of  universal  brotherhood  that  must  ani- 
mate the  superintendent's  bosom. 

An  incident  occurred  that  day  which 
afforded  an  excellent  opportunity  to  look 
into  the  innermost  part  of  the  man's  great 
heart.  While  reviewing  the  lesson  in  the 
main  school,  where  many  hundreds  of 
children  seemed  to  hang  spellbound 
upon  his  lips,  a  mischievous  urchin  of 
about  twelve  summers,  immediately  in 
front  of  the  speaker's  stand,  persisted  in 
annoying  both  the  speaker  and  others 
with  unseemly,  inadvertent  conduct. 
Twice  the  superintendent  stopped  to  re- 
buke the  offender.  When  the  annoyance 
was  still  continued,  the  interrupted  leader 
stopped  suddenly,  looked  the  boy  in  the 
face  and  demanded  that  he  instantly  leave 
the  room.  While  the  offender  was  get- 
ting his  hat  to  go,  Mr.  Wanamaker  said : 
'T  am  sorry  to  be  obliged  to  do  what  I 
have  not  done  in  thirty  years — dismiss  a 
scholar  in  this  manner."  Then  turning  to 
the  boy,  he  continued :  "You  may  come 
back  next  Sunday,  if  you  learn, 
meanwhile,  not  to  interrupt  a  speaker 
again."  In  an  aftermeeting  of  the 
"workers."  for  which  strangers  were 
invited  to  remain,  the  great  leader's 
wounded  soul  was  poured  out  in 
prayer  to  the  throne  of  Grace  for 
the  boy.  who  had  not  heeded  admonition, 
but  needed  correction,  that  day.  The 
tone  of  his  prayer  was  so  sincere,  and  the 
petition  so  heartfelt,  that  it  showed  the 
superintendent's  heart  was  more  concern- 
ed in  reclaiming  that  boy  than  in  the 
gratification  of  any  mere  personal  wish. 

The  two  hours'  personal  inspection  of 
this   one   of   Mr.   Wanamaker 's   religious 


JOHN    WANAMAKER,    MERCHANT    AND    PHILANTHROPIST 


enterprises  convmced  iis  that,  had  he  not 
achieved  orroatncss  as  a  business-man  or 
in  the  poHtical  world,  he  would  still  shine 
forth  as  an  eminent  man  for  what  he  is 
doing  as  a  philanthropist  and  religious 
leader.     And  methinks,  when  a  final  ac- 


count of  his  busy  and  useful  life  shall  be 
taken  at  the  bar  of  imwavering  justice, 
the  treasures  that  will  be  founcl  laid  up 
to  his  account  in  heaven  will  greatly 
overbalance  even  those  he  has  been  enabl- 
ed to  accumulate  upon  the  earth. 


The  Pennsylvania-Germans: 

A  Reply  to  Professor  Albert  Bushnell  Hart 

BY   M.   A.   GRUBER,   WASHINGTON,  D.   C. 


GXORANCE  of  many  facts, 
hurried  observation,  and  a 
number  of  misleading  state- 
ments appear  to  be  promi- 
nent factors  in  the  produc- 
tion, by  Professor  Albert 
Bushnell  Hart,  of  an  article  entitled 
"The  Pennsylvania  Dutch,"  which  was 
published  in  the  "Boston  Evening  Tran- 
script" of  August  31,  1907,  and  reprinted 
in  the  November  (1907)  number  of  The 
Pennsylvania-German. 

It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  a  man 
of  the  scholarship  and  literary  attain- 
ments ascribed  to  Prof.  Hart,  should  give 
to  the  world  an  historical  account  of  a 
class  of  people  of  whom  his  knowledge 
appears  to  be  very  superficial,  and  in  the 
description  of  whom  he  has  interwoven  a 
tangled  thread  of  ridicule. 

A  number  of  his  statements  are  in  the 
main  true,  but  the  process  of  exemplifica- 
tion, the  parts  left  unsaid,  and  his  appar- 
ent lack  of  definite  information  on  the 
subject,  render  the  article  of  no  value 
from  an  historical  point  of  view.  There 
is  also  evidence  of  considerable  narrow- 
mindedness  ;  and  the  tendency  to  belittle 
is  by  no  means  wanting  in  a  number  of 
instances. 

"  Assimilation  "  and  Absorption. 
His  introductory  word,  "assimilation," 
is  the  exponent  of  his  one-sided,  selfish 
notion  of  what  should  be  done  by  the 
Pennsylvania-Germans.  His  persistence 
in  using  the  term  "Pennsylvania-Dutch" 
for  the  proper  and  correct  term  "Penn- 
sylvania-German," indicates  that  his 
sense  of  humor,  no  matter  in  what  light 
he  may  have  intended  it,  has  reverted  to 
ridicule.  Surely,  it  does  not  require  a 
scholarly  mind  to  note  the  incorrectness 
of  making  "Saxon-Dutch"  the  equivalent 
of  "Sachse-Deutsch,"or  of  rendering  "Das 


Deutsche  Reich"  as  "The  Dutch  Empire." 
Nor  is  much  speculation  needed  to  ascer- 
tain the  origin  of  the  nickname  "Penn- 
sylvania-Dutch," since  it  is  well  known 
that  the  English  ofiiceholders  and  ofiice- 
seekers  were  sometimes  loud  in  their  com- 
plaints against  the  German  immigrants 
and  their  descendants,  who  were  found  to 
have  minds  of  their  own  as  well  as  brains 
equal  to  those  of  their  English  brethren, 
although  often  directed  in  political  op- 
position. 

In  the  first  paragraph  of  the  article  is 
found  this  statement:  "The  matter  is 
getting  serious  in  view  of  the  fact  that  of 
ninety  millions  of  Americans  about  fifty 
milHons  are  not  descended  from  English 
ancestors."  Why  should  there  be  ex- 
pressed so  glaring  a  predilection  for  the 
English?  What  has  become  of  German 
art,  German  literature,  German  .philoso- 
phy, German  scientific  and  historical  re- 
search, German  citizenship,  and  German 
scholarship,  not  to  mention  other  nation- 
alities, that  Prof.  Hart  should  show  so 
intense  a  prejudice  in  favor  of  the  Eng- 
lish ? 

Then  after  intimating  that  the  English 
were  the  native-born  heirs  to  American 
soil,  and  designating  the  settlement  of  the 
Germans  in  Pennsylvania  as  the  largest 
infusion  of  foreigners,  he  continues: 
"After  nearly  two  centuries  of  life  in 
America,  these  people,  who  have  received 
very  few  accessions  from  Germany  since 
the  American  Revolution,  are  still  sep- 
arate, and  show  little  signs  of  complete 
absorption  into  the  remainder  of  the  com- 
munity." 

Mark  the  peculiar  proposition  of  "as- 
similation" contained  in  the  last  eight 
words  of  that  statement. — complete  ab- 
sorption into  the  remainder  of  the  com- 
munity. 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


These  Pennsylvania-Germans  comprise 
from  two-thirds  to  nine-tenths  of  the 
people  of  different  communities  in  Penn- 
sylvania ;  they  are  a  strong,  sturdy, 
thrifty,  healthy,  honest,  enterprising 
class  of  people ;  they  are  patriotic,  reli- 
able, sensible  citizens ;  they  have  intelli- 
gence, ability,  and  business  capacity 
equal,  and  in  some  instances  superior,  to 
similar  qualities  possessed  by  persons  of 
any  other  nationality  living  among  them ; 
and  yet,  with  all  this  splendid  array  of 
excellent  qualifications  and  superiority  in 
numbers,  there  is  proposed  a  complete 
absorption  hito  the  remainder  (a  small 
rninority)  of  the  community.  The  minor- 
ity is  being  gradually  absorbed,  but  the 
professor  is  not  inclined  to  have  it  that 
way. 

It  seems  that  Prof.  Hart's  extreme 
partiality  for  the  English  causes  him  to 
look  for  illogical,  unnatural,  and,  con- 
sequently, improbable  results ;  or,  to  put 
a  very  charitable  construction  on  his  ac- 
tions, he  neglected  to  consider  the  indi- 
vidual, local  and  national  prominence  of 
the  Pennsylvania-German  element,  and, 
for  the  fun  of  the  thing,  tried  to  write 
what  he  thought  should  be  a  readable, 
"humorous  magazine  article.  To  the  ne 
phis  ultra  New  Englander  and  to  those 
whose  prejudices  incline  strongly  to  Eng- 
lish, he  may  have  succeeded ;  but  to  the 
man  of  careful  observation,  to  the  im- 
partial historian,  to  the  thoughtful  and 
considerate  reader,  and  to  those  whose 
birthright  he  has  attacked,  his  article  is 
a  bundle  of  prejudices  or  personal  fancies 
intermingled  with  facts  selfishly  treated. 

Pennsylvania  German  Success  in  Farming. 

It  is  true  that  the  Pennsylvania-German 
is  conservative  to  a  large  degree;  but 
conservatism  is  a  virtue  rather  than  a 
fault.  The  general  success  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania-German is  due  to  that  character- 
istic. He  usually  clings  to  the  oid  until 
he  is  satisfied,  either  by  observation  or 
experiment  on  a  small  scale,  that  the 
new  is   desirable   and   beneficial. 

He  commenced  his  career  in  the  New 
World  principally  as  a  farmer  or  tiller 
of  the  soil.  His  chief  resources  were  in- 
dustry, thrift,  cleanliness,  health,  and  in- 
domitable energy.  His  conservatism  in 
this    respect    is    proverbial,    and    he    has 


found  no  reason  for  a  change.  It  has 
enabled  him  to  buy  on  credit  a  farm  by 
the  side  of  English  neighbors,  pay  for  it 
from  the  ■  prod ctcts  thereof,  add  other 
property  to  his  possessions,  and  have  suf- 
ficient money  to  furnish  a  fine  horse  and 
buggy  to  each  of  his  boys,  who  were 
pleased  to  give  to  the  daughters  of  that 
locahty  a  good  time  by  taking  them  to 
fairs  and  social  gatherings,  while  his 
neighbors  were  eking  out  a  mere  exist- 
ence with  little  means  to  add  to  the  pleas- 
ires  of  life. 

Instances  are  also  known  of  persons 
who,  thinking  that  success  in  farming 
must  be  due  to  the  fertility  of  the  soil, 
purchased  farms  in  fertile  regions  of 
Pennsylvania-Germandom.  But  the  mode 
of  life  and  the  practice  of  agriculture  by 
some  of  these  new-comers  were  altogeth- 
er at  variance  with  the  industry  and 
thrift  of  the  native  residents ;  and  when, 
in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  failure 
marked  their  career,  they  tried  to  excuse 
their  failure  by  condemning  the  old- 
fashioned  methods  pursued  by  their  suc- 
cessful neighbors,  which  methods,  how- 
ever, were  productive  of  rich  returns  but 
had  been  set  aside  by  those  new-comers 
as -antiquated  rubbish. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  is  an  historical 
fact  that  Pennsylvania-German  families 
removed  to  English  localities  and  pros- 
pered on  farms  which  they  had  put  in 
excellent  condition.  But  the  two  subse- 
quent generations  brought  about  com- 
plete absorption  into  the  greater  re- 
mainder of  the  community ;  and  although 
parts  of  the  land  are  owned  and  culti- 
vated by  lineal  descendants,  the  glory  of 
those  farms  has  disappeared, — buildings 
and  fences  are  no  longer  repaired;  the 
familiar  scenes  of  industry  and  pros- 
perity are  wanting;  and. there  is  followed 
the  mere  routine  of  plowing,  planting  and 
reaping,  with  very  little  attention  to  the 
minor  yet  important  details  by  means  of 
which  the  Pennsylvania-Germans  made 
the  wilderness  to  blossom  like  the  rose 
and  have  succeeded  in  preserving  that 
condition  for  two  centuries.  Those  as- 
similated descendants  have  lost  the  Ger- 
man accent  and  speak  tolerably  good 
English ;  but  wherein  lies  the  benefit  of 
assimilation  with  the  English  when  the 
indispensable  ancestral  traits  of  r-'iaracter 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMANS:  REPLY   TO    PROF.   HART 


23 


are  lost  in  the  process  of  absorption  ? 

This  information  may  possibly  aid 
Prof.  Hart  in  solv'ns^  some  of  the  "mys- 
teries of  the  situation"  that  cause  the 
Pennsylvania-Germans  to  clin.c^  to  the 
customs,  principles  and  language  of  their 
ancestors. 

A  careful  study  of  this  point  will,  no 
doubt,  reveal  other  reasons  than  the  ex- 
travagant fondness  of  owning  land  and 
the  fondness  for  abstruse  theological 
hair-splitting  that  cause  the  Pennsylvania- 
Germans  to  own  whole  regions  of  fertile 
farms  and  to  become  fixtures  thereon  to 
the  exclusion  of  the  Scotch-Irish  and 
others ;  for  they  are  builders  of  homes ; 
they  plant  and  provide  for  posterity ;  and 
the  early  German  settlers  were 

•"Bold  master-spirits,  where  they  touched  they 
gained 
Ascendance — where     they     fixed     their     foot, 
they    reigned." 

Unique  Classification — Our  "Barbarous  "  Dialect. 

The  classification  of  the  Pennsylvania- 
Germans  according  to  church  organiza- 
tion is  a  unique  feature  of  Prof.  Hart's 
odd  humor.  However,  his  limited  knowl- 
edge of  the  subject  fixes  the  responsibil- 
ity for  the  division  into  six  kinds  upon 
"experts" ;  yet  those  experts  seem  to  take 
cognizance  only  of  the  region  of  Lan- 
caster county  through  which  Prof.  Hart 
made  his  trip.  They  overlook  several 
equally  prominent  creeds  among  the 
Pennsylvania-Germans  of  other  counties 
of  the  State  as  well  as  of  localities  in 
other  States. 

But  the  particular  characteristic  of  the 
Pennsylvania-Germans  which,  more  than 
any  other,  seems  to  disturb  the  mind  of 
Prof.  Hart,  is  their  langtiage  and  its 
extensive  present  use ;  for  as  he  states 
it,  "they  unite  in  obstinately  sticking  to 
two  languages  that  are  not  English,"  and 
then  adds :  "The  Pennsylvania-Dutch 
speak  what  is  often  called  a  dialect,  but 
is  really  a  barbarous  compound  of  Ger- 
man and  English  words  in  German 
idiom." 

It  is  surprising  that  a  man  of  reputed 
historical  authority  siiould  allow  his 
prejudices  to  control  statements  of  facts. 
The  Pennsylvania-German  mode  of 
speech  is  as  really  and  truly  a  dialect  of 


the  German  language  as  are  any  of  the 
varied  vehicles  of  thought  found  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  Germany ;  for  only  in  the 
changes  and  additions  due  to  environ- 
ment, are  there  found  material  diflfer- 
ences  from  the  South  German  dialects,  as 
conclusively  demonstrated,  with  numer- 
ous illustrations,  in  "The  Story  of  the 
Pennsylvania-Germans,"  by  William 
Reidelman,  late  of  Northampton  county, 
Pa.,  who,  for  the  purpose  of  refuting 
with  positive  historical  proof  the  stupid 
libels  and  malicious  representations  con- 
cerning those  people,  made  several  visits 
to  the  upper  Rhine  countries  of  South 
Germany,  from  which  came  the  greater 
number  of  the  early  immigrants. 

Because  the  Pennsylvania-German  dia- 
lect contains  a  number  of  English  words 
adapted  to  its  form  of  speech,  detracts 
no  more  from  the  verity  of  that  dialect 
than  the  addition  to  the  English  language 
of  words  from  the  Latin  and  Greek  de- 
tracts from  the  English. 

The  Scottish  vernacular  appears  to  be 
as  much  a  "jargon  for  communication" 
to  the  cultivated  English  ear  as  is  the 
Pennsylvania-German  dialect  to  the  clas- 
sical German  ear  or  to  persons  who  seem 
to  see  very  little  good  in  anything  that 
is  not  English.  Yet  the  Scottish  songs 
of  Robert  Burns  will  endure  to  the  end 
of  time;  and  the  beautiful,  soul-stirring 
poetic  compositions  in  such  productions 
as  Harbaugh's  "Hccnnvch"  and  Lee 
Grumbine's  "Dcngclsfock"  will  never 
cease  to  be  classics  of  their  kind. 

From  the  time  that  the  English  lan- 
guage became  the  means  of  communi- 
cating thought  in  England,  there  has 
been,  in  the  western  part  of  Great 
Britain,  a  little  country  a  large  propor- 
tion of  the  inhabitants  of  which  is  sHll 
speaking  the  Welsh  language  or  some 
form  thereof,  notwithstanding  that  Wales 
is  an  integral  part  of  the  United  King- 
dom in  which  for  centuries  the  English 
language  has  held  potent  sway.  For  500 
years  or  more  the  Welsh  must  have  been 
"obstinately  sticking"  to  their  mother 
tongue,  and  that,  too.  in  the  face  of  the 
fact  that  Wales  is  only  about  half  as  far 
from  London,  the  scat  of  English  learn- 
ing, as  is  the  distance  between  Lancaster 
and  Boston. 


24 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


However,  according  to  the  present 
trend  of  matters,  politically  and  socially, 
in  this  country  and  in  the  world  at  lai^e. 
the  Pennsylvania-Germans  will  eventually 
be  an  English-speaking  people ;  but  vs 
long  as  integrity,  industry,  economy,  hos- 
pitality, preservation  of  home,  parental 
concern  and  provision  for  the  future,  and 
respect  for  Christianity  remain  their 
watchwords,  just  that  long  a  Pennsylva- 
nia-German community  will  be  distin- 
guished from  any  other  community,  un- 
less it  be  that  all' these  excellent  traits  of 
character  become  the  characteristic  fea- 
tures also  of  communities  where  other 
nationalities  predominate  ;  in  v^hich  event, 
the  absorbing  or  assimilating  agency 
would  be  on  the  side  of  the  Pennsylvania- 
Germans. 

The  examples  and  translations  of 
Pennsylvania-Ger«ian  speech  given  in  the 
article',  show  Prof.  Hart's  want  of  famil- 
iarity with  the  "two  languages  that  are 
not  English,"  and  especially  does  his  ren- 
dering of  "azv  geu'ocksa"  as  "dropsy" 
need  enlightenment  on  his  part.  His 
"sheep's  ribs"  and  confusion  of  certain 
religious  sects  are  other  instances  indi- 
cating a  deplorable  lack  of  knowledge 
with  which  to  rush  into  print. 

Our  Educational  and  Social  Status. 

His  remarks  as  to  the  educational 
status  of  the  Pennsylvania-Germans  seem 
to  be  the  result  of  his  unwillingness  or 
neglect  to  make  careful  research  into 
the  matter,  coupled  with  his  strong  pre- 
dilection for  whatever  is  English.  An  ex- 
amination into  the  facts  of  the  case  will 
show  that  where  both  brains  and  muscles 
are  required,  the  Pennsylvania-Germans 
are  occupying  front  seats ;  and  where 
patiently  directed  and  continuous  intellec- 
tual effort  is  needed,  they  resemble  their 
German  brethren  who  have  no  superiors 
in  that  line  of  mentaj  activity.  They  also 
have  their  full  share  of  well-educated 
business-men,  lawyers,  physicians,  minis- 
ters of  the  gospel,  and  instructors,  some 
of  whom  are  occupying  prominent  posi- 
tions in  English  localities  and  institutions. 

Taking  the  Pennsylvania-Germans  as  a 
whole,  the  illiteracy  among  them  is  no 
greater  than  that  of  any  other  section 
of  the  country.     There   may   not   be   as 


many  who  have  passed  through  the 
courses  of  higher  education,  but  their  abil- 
ity to  make  proper  use  of  their  mental 
attainments  in  the  application  thereof  to- 
the  varied  pursuits  of  life  is  not  ex- 
ceeded by  any  other  class  of  people.  They 
are  genuine  workers  in  whatever  field  of 
usefulness  they  choose  to  engage ;  and  the 
Englishman  who  tries  to  keep  pace  with 
them  soon  learns  that  the  secret  of  their 
ability  is  the  intelligent  direction  given 
to  energy  and  thought. 

In  connection  with  the  educational  in- 
terests of  Pennsylvania,  it  may  be  men- 
tioned that  there  is  at  the  head  thereof,, 
as  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction, 
a  man  of  unmixed  Pennsylvania-German 
lineage,  whose  profound  and  practical 
scholarship  is  known  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  this  great  country, 
and  who,  as  an  educator,  ranks  with  the 
foremost  men  of  learning  of  other  States. 

After  commenting  upon  certain  peculi- 
arities of  the  Pennsylvania-Germans,  in 
some  instances  with  artful  humor,  and 
regarding  them,  with  other  race-elements,, 
as  a  discordant  factor  in  the  State,  Prof. 
Hart  asserts :  "Undoubtedly,  however, 
one  of  the  reasons  for  the  permanence 
of  the  Pennsylvania-Dutch  is  the  lack 
of  harmony  and  neighborly  feeling  with 
their  nearest  neighbors." 

This  statement,  made  as  it  is  without 
explanation,  indicates  no  kind  motive  on 
the  part  of  the  author.  If  it  was  intended' 
to  convey  the  idea  that  the  "nearest 
neighbors"  are  those  who  belong  to  quite 
different  religious  sects  or  those  who  dis- 
like the  Pennsylvania-Germans,  there  may 
be  an  excuse  for  the  assertion,  as  such 
conditions  are  to  be  found  also  in  English 
localities.  But  if  that  lack  of  harmony 
and  neighborly  feeling  is  to  be  considered 
a  general  characteristic,  the  author  of 
that  assertion  is  guilty  of  stating  an  his- 
torical  untruth. 

Because  the  elements  of  industry  and 
personal  attention  to  details  of  work  and 
business  enter  so  largely  into  the  welfare 
and  prosperity  of  the  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man farmers,  they  find  no  time  to  make 
frequent  visits  to  their  neighbors ;  but  no 
fair-minded  person  will  think  of  attribut- 
ing this  condition  to  a  lack  of  harmony 
and  neighborly  feeling.  An  example  of 
genuine    neighborliness    is    their    coming: 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMANS:    REPLY  TO   PROF.   HART 


25 


to  church  on  Sundays  a  half  hour  or  more 
before  services,  in  order  to  have  friendly 
chats  with  one  another.  In  case  some  mis- 
fortune befalls  a  family,  the  neighborly 
feeling  is  shown  by  assistance  and  serv- 
ice in  many  ways,  without  the  thought 
of  remuneration.  In  short,  their  gener- 
osity, cordiality,  sympathy  and  respect  for 
the  rights  of  others  are  proverbial. 

Unfair  treatment  of  the  Pennsylvania- 
Germans  is  shown  also  in  the  following 
statements:  "Some  of  the  children  of 
the  Pennsylvania-Dutch  families  find  their 
way  into  the  great  world  at  last,"  and 
"Socially,  politically,  financially,  indus- 
trially, the  Pennsylvania-Dutch  can  not 
furnish  their  own  leaders." 

Where  ignorance  is  bfiss,  'tis  folly  to 
be  wase ;  but  it  is  altogether  inexcusable, 
and  possibly  criminal,  to  allow  ignorance 
to  enter  into  the  composition  of  an  his- 
torical article. 

After  the  Revolutionary  War,  emigrant 
trains  of  sons  and  daughters  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania-Germans moved  westward  across 
the  border-line  of  their  native  State  and 
assisted  in  settling  and  erecting  the  com- 
monwealths of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois 
and  Iowa.  In  due  course  of  time,  "some 
of  the  children  of  Pennsylvania-Dutch 
families"  established  homes  in  Kansas, 
Alissouri,  Nebraska  and  other  States. 
They  then  followed  the  trail  across  the 
Rockies  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  "at 
last"  they  are  found  serving  as  mission- 
aries in  Japan  and  other  regions  of  Asia. 

Some  Prominent  "  Pennsylvania  Dutchmen." 

Surely  Prof.  Hart  must  have  read  of 
the  two  Muhlenbergs,  John  Peter  Gabriel 
and  Frederick  Augustus  Conrad,  than 
w^hom  no  stancher  patriots  and  greater 
political  leaders  ever  lived.  Their  serv- 
ices during  the  trying  days  of  the  Revo- 
lution, their  influence  as  champions  of 
the  Constitution  and  as  members  of  the 
National  House  of  Representatives  are 
of  the  highest  order ;  so  much  so  that  no 
greater  encomium  on  the  work  of  these 
two  brothers  can  be  pronounced  than  the 
following  words  by  John  Adams  of  New 
England  fame,  though  uttered  in  a  spirit 
of  complaint :  "These  two  Germans, 
who  had  been  long  in  public  aflfairs  and 
in  high  ofiices,  were  the  great  leaders  and 
oracles  of  the  whole  German  interest  in 


Pennsylvania  and  the  neighboring  States. 
*  -1=  *  *  The  Muhlenbergs  turned  -the 
whole  body  of  the  Germans,  great  num- 
bers of  the  Irish,  and  many  of  the  Eng- 
lish, and  in  this  manner  introduced  the 
total  change  that  followed  in  both  Houses 
of  the  Legislature  and  in  all  the  executive 
departments  of  the  national  government. 
Upon  such  slender  threads  did  our  elec- 
tions then  depend." 

Then  there  are  the  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man governors  of  the  great  Keystone 
State.  During  two-thirds  of  the  period 
covering  the  first  half  of  the  19th  cen- 
tury, the  reins  of  State  were  held  by 
these  men,  some  of  whom  were  highly 
educated  and  through  whose  influence  the 
Common  School  System  was  brought  to 
a  successful  issue. 

Michael  Hillegas,  the  Pennsylvania- 
German  merchant  and  sugar  refiner,  a 
man  of  ample  means,  a  pure  patriot,  and 
the  first  treasurer  of  the  United  States, 
is  another  example  of  the  early  Pennsyl- 
vania-German men  of  note  and  promi- 
nence. 

There  is  also  James  Lick,  a  veritable 
Pennsylvania-German  of  what  is  now 
Lebanon  county.  Pa.,  whose  public  spirit 
and  generosity  gave  to  his  country  the 
grandest  monument  of  its  kind, — the  Lick 
Observatory,  cresting  Mt.  Hamilton, 
California,  4,300  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  sea.  Does  Prof.  Hart  know  of  a 
nobler  and  more  useful  monument  erected 
by  the  energy,  genius,  worth  and  wealth 
of  one  man? 

Two  months  before  the  birth  of  James 
Lick,  there  passed  away  the  "Pennsyl- 
vania-Dutchman" David  Rittenhouse,  the 
mathematician  and  clockmaker,  who  ren- 
dered valuable  services  to  this  country  in 
diflferent  fields  of  labor,  and  of  whose  or- 
rery it  was  said,  at  the  time,  that  "there 
is  not  the  like  of  it  in  all  Europe." 

Charles  Rudy,  born  in  Lehigh  county. 
Pa.,  near  the  foot-hills  of  the  Blue  Moun- 
tains, is  another  example  of  success 
crowning  the  pluck  and  perseverance  of  a 
Pennsylvania-German.  He  was  the 
founder  and,  at  the  time  of  his  death,  the 
president  of  the  "International  Institute" 
of  Paris,  the  reputation  of  which  school 
has  gone  to  all  the  ends  of  the  earth. 
His  remarkable  career  is  a  verification  of 


26 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


the  adage,  "Truth  is  stranger  than  fic- 
tion." 

The  poet  Whittier,  of  New  England, 
has  immoriaHzed  in  song  the  heroic  deed 
of  Barbara  Fritchie,  a  Pennsylvania- 
German  dame,  born  at  Lancaster,  Pa. 

There  might  be  cited  numerous  oth^ir 
examples  of  Pennsylvania-Gerrnans  who 
became  prominent  and  famous  in  differ- 
ent fields  of  usefulness;  but  the  fore- 
going are  sufficient  to  show  the  incorrect- 


ness of  Prof.   Hart's  assertions   in  that 
respect. 

"Be  jubilant,  ye  Hill-tops  old  and  hoary — 
..Pnrmd  that  theix-  feet  ha vevtrod- your- rocky 

ways ; 
Rejoice,  ye  Vales,  for  they  have  brought  you 
glory 
And   ever   during  praise. 

"O   Rivers,  with  your  beauty  time-defying 
Flowing  along  our  peaceful  shores  to-day, 
Be  glad  you  fostered  them — the  heroes  lying 
Deep  in  the  silent  clay." 


The  German-American  Collection  in  the  New  York 

Public  Library 

BY   RICHARD   E.    HELBIG,   LENOX  LIBRARY    BUILDING,    NEW    YORK. 


This  article  was  published  in  the  Nezv- 
Yorker  Staats-Zeitung  of  October  6,  1907,  on 
the  occasion  of  the  biennial  convention  of  the 
National  German-American  Alliance  held  in 
New  York,  October  4-8,  1907.  It  was  after- 
wards embodied  in  the  proceedings  of  the  con- 
vention, to  be  published  in  German-American 
Annals.  We  gladly  publish  it  here,  as  Mr. 
Helbig's  successful  work  in  building  up  a  col- 
lection of  German-American  books  is  of  ut- 
most importance,  not  only  to  the  German  ele- 
ment in  this  country,  but  to  American  history 
as  a  whole. — Ed. 

CCORDING  to  paragraph  11 
of  its  constitution  and  prin- 
ciples the  National  German- 
American  Alliance  of  the 
United  States  of  America 
recommends  a  systematic 
investigation  of  the  share  Germans  have 
had  in  the  development  of  their  adopted 
country,  in  war  and  in  peace,  in  all  kinds 
of  German-American  activity,  from  the 
earliest  days,  as  the  basis  for  the  found- 
ing and  continuance  of  a  German-Ameri- 
can history. 

What  has  the  National  German-Ameri- 
can Alliance  as  such  done  so  far  in  this 
direction?  This  question  should  by  all 
means  be  discussed  at  the  convention  now 
in  session.  I  take  the  liberty  on  this  oc- 
casion to  inform  the  delegates  and  all 
others  interested  in  the  subject  about  the 
following : 

In  addition  to  my  regular  work  in  the 
Library  I  have  exerted  myself  for  many 
•years  to  build  up  a  large  German-Ameri- 
-can  collection  for  the  New  York  Public 
I^ibrary.     Already  on   March    17,    1902, 


prompted  by  the  visit  of  Prince  Henry 
of  Prussia  to  this  country,  a  comprehen- 
sive exhibition  of  books,  manuscripts,  il- 
lustrations, etc.,  relating  to  the  German 
element  in  the  United  States,  was  opened 
in  the  spacious  entrance-hall  of  the 
Lenox  Library  Building,  in  order  to  draw 
public  attention  to  this  collection. 

As  no  special  fund  is  yet  at  our  dis- 
posal to  buy  everything  in  this  field,  many 
of  my  recommendations  for  purchases 
could  not  be  considered.  For  this  reason 
the  growth  of  the  collection  appeared  too 
slow  to  me.  So  I  began  in  October,  1903, 
to  solicit  donations  of  books,  pamphlets 
and  other  material  for  the  collection,  by 
way  of  correspondence.  This  attempt 
proved  to  be  very  auspicious,  as  I  could 
report,  in  an  article  published  in  the  Neiv- 
Yorkcr  Staafs-Zcifung  of  April  10,  1904, 
the  receipt  of  293  volumes  and  pamphlets 
from  fifteen  States,  between  November, 
1903,  and  February,  1904.  Now  I 
pressed  vigorously  forward  in  this  path. 
The  steadily  growing  work  and  corre- 
spondence compelled  me  to  give  up  all 
my  own  time,  often  at  the  sacrifice  of 
hours  of  sleep,  to  this  labor  of  love. 

October  3,  1905.  I  sent  a  letter  to  the 
third  convention  of  the  National  German- 
American  Alliance  in  Lidianapolis,  ex- 
plaining the  scope  of  the  collection  and 
the  progress  made  so  far,  also  asking  for 
official  support  of  our  aims  and  efforts. 
The  letter  was  read  before  the  conven- 
tion, then  it  was  published  in  the  New- 
Yorker  Staats-Zeitung,  October  9.     '^y 


GERMAN-AMERICAN    COLLECTION   IN    NEW   YORK   LIBRARY 


27 


mistake  it  was  omitted  from  the  printed 
minutes  of  the  convention,  pubHshed  in 
German- American  Annals,  November, 
1905,  but  it  appeared  in  the  December 
issue. 

March  11,  1906,  the  New-Yorker 
Staats-Zcitnng  printed  an  abridgment  of 
my  report  on  the  progress  of  the  collec- 
tion during  the  years  1904- 1905.  It  was 
published  in  full  in  German-x\merican 
Annals,  May,  1906,  pp.  147-157.  As  this 
report  is  of  far-reaching  interest  to  Ger- 
man-American research,  many  German 
papers  reprinted  it  verhatim  or  gave  ex- 
tracts with  editorial  comments.  At  that 
time  the  collection  amounted  to  over  2,000 
titles.  During  the  two  years  mentioned, 
about  225  works,  including  some  rarities, 
had  been  purchased.  1332  volumes  and 
pamphlets  had  been  received  as  gifts 
from  301  persons  in  in  cities,  distributed 
over  31  States  of  the  Union.  The  report 
also  contains  a  list  of  about  125  names  of 
German-American  authors  of  belles-let- 
tres, represented  in  the  collection.  Since 
then  the  works  of  more  than  forty  such 
authors  have  been  acquired. 

After  January  i,  1908,  a  new  report 
upon  the  growth  of  the  collection  and  its 
use  for  the  time  1906-1907  will  be  issued. 
For  the  present  we  can  only  reveal  that 
the  results  surpass  those  of  1904- 1905. 
The  foremost  benefactor  has  been  the 
Rev.  John  Rothensteiner,  pastor  of  a  large 
German  parish  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.  He  has 
donated  over  360  volumes  and  pamphlets 
between  May,  1905,  and  June,  1907.  Of 
great  importance  is  also  the  gift  of  40 
volumes  of  a  New  York  weekly,  entitled 
BcUctristiscJics  Journal,  established  in 
1852,  from  the  present  publisher,  Dr.  11. 
E.  Schneider.  The  series  has  almost  been 
completed  from  other  sources.  Mr.  Hen- 
ry Feldmann,  of  New  York,  presented 
the  rare  volumes  13-15,  dated  1864- '65- 
'66-'67. 

I  repeat  what  I  stated  already  in  my 
letter  to  the  convention  in  Indianapolis : 
^'The  advantages  to  German-American  re- 
search offered  by  a  special  collection  in  a 
large  public  library  are  so  important  and 
evident,  that  our  efforts  not  only  deserve, 
but  that  we  may  reasonably  lay  claim  to. 
the  support  of  all  German-Americans." 
I  have  repeatedly  called  attention  in  the 


press  to  the  fact  that  the  publications,  re- 
ports and  smaller  printed  matter'  of 
churches,  societies  and  institutions  have  a 
positive  value,„as  original  material  for  re- 
search. The  National  German-American 
Alliance  could  facilitate  and  hasten  our 
arduous  work  by  the  passing  of  resolu- 
tions, wherein  the  local  federations  of  so- 
cieties are  requested  to  collect  material  in 
their  respective  districts  and  to  send  the 
same,  if  possible,  collectively,  to  our  ad- 
dress. Such  action  has  already  been  taken 
by  the  German-American  State  Alliance 
of  New  York  at  its  convention  in  Troy, 
June  23,  1907.    . 

All  publishers  and  editors  are  respect- 
fully requested  to  send  us  their  publica- 
tions regularly.  Complete  volumes  are 
bound  and  carefully  preserved  for  the 
purpose  of  research.  Volumes  of  past 
years  are  especially  desired.  As  it  is 
practically  impossible  to  obtain  complete 
files  of  all  German  newspapers  ever  pub- 
lished in  this  country,  I  have  determined 
to  find  out  the  existence  of-  files  in  the 
libraries  of  other  cities  and  in  private  pos- 
session. The  result  will  be  published 
later,  whereby  a  great  service  will  be 
done  to  historical  research.  .  .  .  How 
often  it  has  happened  that  old  newspaper- 
volumes  have  been  sold  for  a  few  cents  as 
waste  paper,  or  been  destroyed  outright ! 
Let  us  therefore  rescue  all  we  can.  Due 
acknowledgment  will  be  given  to  all  who 
assist  in  this  important  "piece  of  work. 
The  new  grand  structure  of  our  Library 
at  Fifth  Avenue,  between  Fortieth  an^ 
Forty-second  Street,  will  be  the  largest 
library-building  in  the  world.  It  is 
planned  to  hold  four  and  a  half  millions 
of  volumes.  So  there  will  be  plenty  of 
room  for  German-American  material. 

In  an  article  in  the  Nczi'-Yorkcr  Staats- 
Zcitnng  of  April  10,  1904.  I  have  already 
called  attention  to  my  Gcrnian-Americaii 
bibliography.  At  present  it  embraces 
over  10.000  titles,  including  contributions 
to  periodicals  and  the  publications  of  his- 
torical societies.  For  the  sake  of  accuracy 
every  conscientious  bibliographer  makes  it 
a  point  to  see  all  material  himself.  My 
plan  is  to  include  also  the  tides  of  books 
which  are  not  vet  in  possession  of  the 
New  York  Public  Library.  This  will  re- 
quire visits  to  the  libraries  of  other  cities. 


28 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


In  1904  I  sacrificed  three  weeks  of  my 
vacation  for  the  purpose  of  research  at 
the  Library  of  Congress  in  Washington, 
in  1905  a  shorter  time  at  hbraries  in  Phil- 
adelphia. Economy  of  time  a;nd  expendi- 
tures out  of  my  own  pocket  make  it  pru- 
dent to  postpone  the  publication  of  my 
bibliography  until  the  books  in  the  Astor 
and  Lenox  Libraries  have  been  united  in 
the  new  building,  which  present-day 
prophets  say  will  take  place  in  about  two 
to  three  years.  The  great  mass  of  our 
German-Americans  has  little  comprehen- 
sion of  the  gigantic  task  of  such  a  bibli- 
ographical undertaking.  I  am  well  aware 
of  the  difficulties  of  the  work,  but  I  must 
necessarily  finish  it  alone  to  insure  uni- 
formity.    As  a  member  of  the  American 


Historical  Association  and  the  Biblio- 
graphical Society  of  America,  I  am  in 
touch  with  competent  persons  and  can  at 
the  same  time  reach  those  circles  whose 
interest  for  German-American  historical 
research  should  be  won. 

Our  dear  fellow-citizens  of  German 
origin  may  be  assured  that  much  more  is 
effected  by  our  collection  than  by  the 
senseless  assertions  of  certain  "speakers, "^ 
who  vehemently  try  to  impress  their  hear- 
ers on  every  occasion  that  American  his- 
torians wilfully  ignore  the  merits  of  the 
German  element.  The  principal  thing  is 
to  gather  the  original  material  and  to 
make  it  available  for  systematic  scientific 
research.  The  whole  apparatus  is  already 
in  our  library. 


Another  Oldtime  "Neijohrswunsch" 


N  our  issue  of  January,  1907, 
we  described  the  peculiar 
Pennsylvania-German  cus- 
tom of  shooting-in  and 
wishing-in  the  New  Year. 
In  the  course  of  that  article 
we  published  two  of  the  Ncnjahrs- 
wiinsche  usually  recited  on  those  occa- 
sions, one  addressed  to  the  head  of  the 
house,  the  other  to  an  unmarried  young 
lady.  It  affords  us  pleasure  to  be  able 
to-day  to  lay  before  our  readers  another 
of  those  queer  old-time  New  Year's  greet- 
ings, which  is  addressed  to  the  whole 
household — father  and  mother,  "sons  and 
daughters,  man-servants  and  maid-serv- 
ants, and  all  who  go  in  and  out  of  this 
house."  It  is  one  of  three  that  were 
printed  on  a  "broadside,"  about  ten  by 
sixteen  inches  in  size,  for  the  loan  of 
which  we  are  indebted  to  the  kindness  of 
Mr.  Jacob  Arner,  of  Weissport.  and  Mr. 
George  H.  Enzian,  of  Lehighton.  The 
other  two  are  those  which  may  be  found 
on  pages  16  and  17  of  our  issue  of  Janu- 
ary, 1907. 

Ich  wiinsche  Euch  und  Eurer  Hausfrau, 
Sohnen  und  Tochtern,  Knechten  und  Magden 
und  alien  den  jenigen,  die  in  diesem  Hause 
ein-  und  ausgehen : 

Ein  gliickselig  neues  Jahr, 

Gott  gebe,  dass  es  werde  wahr, 

Wir  wiiunschen  Euch  ein  grosses  Gliick 

Und  alles  Ungliick  weit  zuriick. 


-ste   Jahr   tritt   ein. 


Das   - 

Nun    auf   im    Namen   Jesu    Christ, 

Weil   das   neue  Jahr   vorhanden   ist. 

Das   alte   Jahr   ist   nun    dahin, 

Denn   heute   fangen   wir   ein   neues   an. 

Gott   Lob   und    Dank   dass    diese   Zeit 

Erlebet   ist  in   Ruh'   und   Freud, 

Und  es  kommt   noch  uber   Euch 

Und    der    ganzen    Christenheit 

Was    Gott   und   Vater   hat   bereit, 

Von    einem    Jahr    zum    andern, 

Und  wir  gehen   dahin   und  wandern, 

Wir    leben    und    gedeihen, 

Vom  Alten  bis  zum   Neuen, 

Durch  so  viel  Angst  und  Plagen, 

Durch    Zittern   und   durch   Zagen, 

Durch  Krieg  und  grosse   Schrecken 

Die   alle   Welt   bedecken. 

Un  weiter  wiinschen  wir  Euch 

Ein   gliickselig   neues   Jahr 

Dass    Gott    Euer    ganzes    Haus    bewahr', 

Fiir   Feuers-und   fiir   Wassersnoth, 

Fiir   Krakheit  und   fiir   schnellem   Tod, 

Es  hat  uns  zwar,  o  Herr  und  Gott 

Dies  letzte  Jahr  gedroht 

Viele   Angst   und    Noth. 

Doch  hat  er  alles  gniidiglich 

Von   uns   gewendet   vaterlich. 

Und  weiter  wiinschen   wir   Euch 

Das    hochgelobte   neue   Jahr 

Bis   Ihr  bekonimt  ^raues    Haar, 

Und  mit  Ehren  werden  alt 

Und  hernach   den   Himmel  erhalt, 

Himmelslust   und   Gottes   Segen, 

Gottes  Gunst  bleibt   Euch  bewogen. 

Bis   die   Seele   mit   der   Zeit 

Kommt   gehn    Himmel   aufgeflogen 

Und   Euer   Sitz   der  bleibt  bereit 

Dort    in    der    ewigen    Seligkeit. 

Der  Herr  der  breite  iiber  Euch  seine  Hand 

Und  segne  dieses  Haus  und  Land, 

Es  gebe  Euch  auch  Gott  der  Herr, 


ANOTHER   OLDTIME   "NEIJOHRSWUNSCH" 


29 


Das  tiiglich  Rrnd  unci  was  noch  mehr  gobriclit 

Alls    Geduld    (lurch    Jcsuui    Christ. 

So  wollcn  wir  hicr  allzugleich 

O  hochster  Gott  in's   Himinelrcich, 

Dich  loben  an  dem  neuen  Jahr 

Und  darnach   werden  es   mimcrdar, 

So  vvohl  auf  Erden  in  diescr  Zeit 

Als  dort  in  der  ewigen   Scligkeit. 

Und  weitcr   wiinschcn   wir   Euch 

Ein   gluckseligos   noues   Jahr, 

Eine    Friedenszcit, 

Gott  helf  Euch  ins   Himmelreich. 

Dieses   alles  wollst   Du  geben, 

O  meines  Lebens  Leben, 


Euch    und   dcr   ganzen    Christenschaar, 

Zu  diesom   seligcn   neuen  Jahr. 

Nun    will    ich    mit    Euch    wachen, 

Und    Euch    in    Ehren    fragen, 

Ob  auch   das  Schiessen  und  das  Knallen 

Heut  an   Eurem    Haus  darf  schallcn, 

Denn  wir  sind  so  frcmd  hierher  gekommen, 

Das   ncue   Jahr   mit    Euch   anzufangen. 

So  bchiit   luich  Gott  wohl  vor  dem  Schrcckcn, 

Wann  wir  luich  so  friih  aufwecken, 

Ich  hoff  cs  wird   luich  nicht  verdriessen, 

Wann   wir   Euch   das   neue   Jahr   anschiessen, 

Wenn's   Euch   abcr   thut   verdriessen, 

So  miisst  Ihr  es  sagen,  eh'  wir  schiessen. 


William  Holler,  the  Red  Man's  Terror 

A  Blue  Mountain  Tale 


BY   J.    FRED   BACH  MAN,   D.S.NIELS\ILLE,    PA. 


I. 


WILLIAM,  if  you  want  a  roast 
for  your  dinner  to-morrow, 
you  had  better  look  around 
for  it,"  said  Widow  Holler 
to  her  son,  who  was  lying 
on  the  bench  and  stretching 
his  feet  towards  the  fire  on  the  hearth  to 
warm  them. 

William  was  dozing  at  the  time.  He 
had  been  out  in  the  cold  getting  wood  for 
the  family.  His  mother  was  darning 
stockings,  while  his  pet  dog,  Wasser,  was 
lying  under  the  bench  asleep. 

"William,"  she  said  again  shortly  after- 
wards, "if  you  want  a  good  roast  for 
your  dinner  to-morrow,  you  had  better 
look  around  for  it." 

W^illiam  Holler  was  a  strong,  hearty 
young  man,  used  to  the  hardships  of  pio- 
neer life  along  the  Blue  Mountains,  and 
the  only  child  and  support  of  his  mother. 
Mrs.  Holler  knew  that  her  son  was  an 
expert  hunter.  He  knew  how  to  handle 
the  long  heavy  rifle  which  was  his  con- 
stant companion  when  at  work.  He  sel- 
dom failed  to  bring  home  a  deer  or  other 
wild  animal  that  chanced  to  cross  his 
path.  Why  should  he  not  be  equally  suc- 
cessful to-day? 

His  father  had  been  killed  one  winter's 
■day  some  years  before  during  an  Indian 
attack  upon  his  lonely  home,  and  William 
liad  sworn  vengeance  on  the  redskins  for 
his  death.  When,  early  in  1756,  IJenja- 
inin  Franklin  came  to  Xeu-Gnadenhiitten, 
near  the  present  Weissport,   with   a   de- 


tachment of  troops.  Holler  was  one  of  the 
first  to  shoulder  his  rifle  and  step  into  the 
ranks. 

He  had  reached  the  age  when  his 
mother  thought  he  should  look  around 
for  a  wife,  especially  as  she  was  getting 
old  and  feeble.  She  would  frequently 
tease  him  about  getting  married.  "Now, 
had  you  not  better  close  that  contract 
with  Barbara  Case?"  she  would  say.  "I 
think  it  is  about  time  for  you  to  do  so. 
I  am  getting  old  and  you  will  be  in  want 
of  a  housekeeper  soon.  You  know  Mr. 
Case  and  his  family  are  very  good  neigh- 
bors, and  I  think  Barbara  would  make  a 
good  housekeeper  for  you." 

The  Case  family  lived  across  the  hill 
in  the  next  valley.  Mrs.  Holler  was  in 
the  habit  of  calling  them  neighbors,  but 
at  present  they  would  be  considered  very 
distant  neighbors. 

William  agreed  with  his  mother  in  her 
good  opinion  of  the  Case  family.  He 
frequently  called  on  liarbara  and  was  al- 
ways received  by  her  and  her  parents 
with  open  arms.  But  somehow  he  was 
bashful  and  could  not  venture  to  pop  the 
question. 

He  would  frequently  say  to  himself: 
"I  have  no  hesitancy  to  fight  the  Indians, 
but  I  can  not  manage  to  speak  this  word." 

Barbara  assisted  her  mother  in  the 
household  duties,  and  sometimes  helped 
her  father  in  clearing  the  land.  She.  too, 
was  often  teased  by  her  parents  about 
William,  and  in  answer  to  their  teasing 
would  sav:    "I  know  he  is  a  fine  young 


30 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


man,  and  I  think  he  would  make  a  good 
husband  for  me,  but  it  is  for  him  to  do 
the  asking.  If  I  am  not  worth  asking 
for,  I  am  not  worth  halving." 

Things  went  on  ir.  this  way  for  some 
time.  William  made  still  more  frequent 
visits,  but  he  was  too  timid  "to  close  that 
contract,"  as  his  mother  had  suggested. 

It  was  the  last  day  of  the  year,  and  his 
mother  desired  to  give  him  a  good  New 
Year's  dinner,  as  had  always  been  her 
custom. 

William  rose  from  the  bench,  put  on 
his  hunting-coat  and  reached  for  his 
trusty  rifle.  He  looked  at  the  priming 
and  thrust  the  ramrod  into  the  barrel.  "I 
think  it  is  all  right,"  he  said. 

No  sooner  did  Wasser  see  his  master 
reach  for  the  rifle  than  he  sprang  from 
under  the  bench  and  began  capering 
around  him. 

William  patted  the  faithful  dog  on  the 
head.  "Wasser  will  remain  at  home  with 
Mother  and  help  her  take  care  of  the 
house  until  I  come  home.  I  will  not  be 
gone  long.  That  is  a  good  doggy,"  he 
said. 

The  faithful  animal  seemed  to  under- 
stand William.  He  laid  down  his  long 
ears,  cast  a  yearning  look  on  his  master, 
then  returned  to  his  favorite  resort  under 
the  bench. 

"Poor  doggy,"  said  William  as  he 
opened  the  door  and  stepped  out.  "He 
takes  it  hard,  but  he  will  be  glad  to  see 
me  when  I  come  back." 

William  took  the  path  along  the  creek, 
going  over  the  hills  past  Mr.  Case's  house 
towards  the  north.  He  had  frequently 
shot  deer  along  this  creek,  to  which  they 
came  to  quench  their  thirst.  He  followed 
the  path  until  he  reached  the  hill,  but  saw 
no  deer.  He  went  to  the  top  of  the  hill, 
probably  not  so  much  in  quest  of  deer  as 
in  quest  of  Barbara.  When  he  could  see 
down  into  the  valley  he  was  dumbfound- 
ed. 

It  could  not  be  true !  He  looked  again. 
It  was  only  too  true.  The  house  occupied 
by  Mr.  Case  and  family  was  on  fire,  and 
he  thought  he  saw  some  Indians  and  cap- 
tives going  up  the  hill  back  of  the  house. 
II. 

William  Holler  took  in  the  situation  at 
a  glance.  While  he  was  warming  himself 
before  his   own  hearth   and  thinking  of 


Barbara,  a  party  of  Indians,  who  had 
skulked  thro'  between  the  forts,  attacked 
Case's  house,  taking  the  family  complete- 
ly by  surprise.  They  had  set  fire  to  the 
house  and  outbuildings  and  either  cap- 
tured or  killed  the  occupants. 

Barbara  was  first  in  William's  mind. 
"I  must  save  her,  if  it  costs  my  life."' 
So  saying  he  sprang  forward,  keeping 
well  behind  the  trees,  to  screen  himself 
from  the  enemy.  When  he  came  to  the 
house,  he  called  softly,  "Barbara."  There- 
was  no  answer.  "They  are  in  the  fire 
or  captives.  Perhaps  they  are  hid  some- 
where," he  said  to  himself. 

He  rushed  from  place  to  place,  keep- 
ing well  under  cover,  for  he  well  under- 
stood the  ways  of  the  wily  Indians.  -To 
his  horror  he  discovered  the  tracks  of 
several  captives. 

No  time  was  to  be  lost.  He  followed 
the  savages  across  the  hill,  now  and  then- 
making  sure  that  he  was  still  on  the  trail. 
He  was  descending  into  the  valley,  when 
he  thought  he  heard  cries,  and  his  eagle- 
eyes  caught  sight  of  the  Indians  with  their 
captives. 

"Six  Indians  and  four  captives,"  he 
said.  "What  shall  I  do?  Six  redskins 
are  too  many  for  me.  But  can  not  the 
captives  come  to  my  aid?" 

He  followed  on  stealthily,  and  as  he 
drew  nearer  he  thought  he  saw  Barbara 
with  her  father  and  mother  among  the 
captives.  "If  only  those  redskins  would 
scatter  more,  so  that  I  could  attack  them- 
singly.  They  are  too  many  for  me,"  he 
said  again. 

At  that  moment  he  saw  one  Indian  turn 
and  apply  a  switch  to  the  back  of  one  of 
the  captives.  It  was  Barbara's  mother. 
William's  blood  began  to  boil.  He  poised 
his  rifle,  took  aim.  then  lowered  it  again. 
"If  my  rifle  fails,  I  am  lost,"  he  muttered 
to  himself. 

He  looked  at  the  priming.  It  was  all 
right.  "Barbara,  can  you  not  get  away 
from  that  Indian,  so  that  I  can  shoot 
him  and  not  harm  you?"  he  said  under 
his  breath. 

William  was  almost  betrayed  when,  as 
he  sprang  cautiously  along,  he  happened 
to  step  on  a  dry  piece  of  wood,  which 
broke  in  two.  The  hindmost  Indian- 
turned  and  looked,  but  seeing  nothing: 
passed  on. 


WILLIAM  HOLLER,  THE  RED  MAN'S  TERROR 


3r 


Barbara's  mother  fell  again.  Her  hus- 
band, bound  as  he  was,  made  an  effort  to 
assist  her  to  rise,  but  could  not.  The 
same  switch  was  now  applied  to  both. 
Barbara  shuddered  and  offered  a  silent 
prayer. 

The  Indian  who  had  Barbara  in  charge 
turned  towards  her  and  said :  "White 
squaw  make  good  wife  for  Indian."  She 
made  no  reply,  but  again  sent  up  a  silent 
prayer :  "God,  remove  me  at  once.  I 
can  not  endure  to  see  my  lather  and 
mother  thus  tortured." 

William  saw  it  all.  He  could  hardly 
refrain  from  calling  to  Barbara  to  be 
patient. 

"God!"  said  he.  "Must  I  see  this  and 
not  be  able  to  help  them?  I  do  not  fear 
for  my  life,  but  what  would  Mother  do 
without  me?" 

The  Indians  and  their  captives  were 
still  ascending  the  hill.  The  savages  now 
thought  themselves  safe  from  pursuit  and 
were  becoming  careless. 

William  was  following  swiftly  but 
cautiously,  watching  for  an  opportunity 
to  pounce  on  them.  He  knew  that  the 
Indian  Spring  was  close  by,  for  he  was 
well  acquainted  with  the  locality.  Would 
some  of  the  redskins  turn  aside  to  quench 
their  thirst? 

Stretching  his  head  out  from  behind  a 
tree,  he  saw  three  of  the  savages  lay  down 
their  rifles  and  turn  from  the  path  toward 
the  spring.  The  moment  for  action  had 
arrived.  It  might  be  the  last,  but  what 
was  his  life  to  him  ?  Quick  as  lightning 
he  raised  the  rifle  and  fired.  The  Indian 
by  the  side  of  Barbara  fell. 

"Seize  the  guns  and  attack  your  cap- 
tors," he  cried. 

Barbara,  hearing  the  voice  of  William 
and  thinking  some  one  was  with  him, 
sprang  upon  the  dead  Indian,  seized  his 
tomahawk  and  struck  it  deep  into  the  head 
of  the  savage  near  her  father  and  mother. 
The  other  Indian  was  bewildered  and  be- 
fore he  could  collect  his  thoughts  William 
had  possession  of  the  rifles. 

"Barbara,  for  God's  sake  release  your 
father  and  mother  and  that  boy,"  shouted 
William. 

She  did  release  them,  and  they  were 
now  masters  of  the  ground.  The  Indians 
fled,  not  knowing  how  many  white  men 


were  after  them.  William  Holler  had 
avenged  the  death  of  his  father  and  re- 
leased all  his  captive  neighbors. 

No  sooner  had  the  Indians  fled  than 
the  late  captives  surrounded  William,  all 
endeavoring  to  thank  him  for  his  kind- 
ness. But  William  was  too  well  versed 
in  the  ways  of  the  wily  savages.  He 
waved  them  away. 

"We  must  first  make  sure  that  the 
Indians  are  gone,  then  we  will  settle  this 
little  bill,"  he  said. 

Barbara  thought  to  herself,  "Now  he- 
will  ask  the  important  question."  But 
William  failed  to  do  so. 

When  assured  that  they  were  no  longer 
in  danger  from  the  Indians,  they  took  the 
rifles,  tomahawks  and  other  articles  and 
turned  towards  their  homes,  Barbara 
joyfully  walking  by  the  side  of  her  res- 
cuer. 

When  they  came  to  the  place  where  the 
Cases  had  lived,  they  found  the  house  and' 
all  other  buildings  destroyed. 

"Where  shall  we  stay  now?"  said  Bar- 
bara's mother.    "All  we  had  is  in  ashes." 

"You  can  all  come  home  with  me," 
said  William.  "Mother  will  be  glad  tO' 
have  you  come." 

Barbara  looked  inquiringly  at  him. 
"Sooner  with  you  than  anyone  else,"  she- 
said. 

"We  must  be  very  careful  and  not  talk 
too  loud,"  said  William.  "These  wily  red- 
skins might  return  and  make  us  more 
trouble.     It  is  bad  enough  as  it  is." 

Barbara  said,  "We  lost  our  home,  but 
it  might  be  worse.  We  might  have  lost 
you  also." 

William  made  no  reply,  and  Barbara 
almost  thought  aloud:  "You  know  how 
to  fight  Indians,  but  you  are  too  bashful 
to  ask  a  woman  to  marry  you,  after  sav- 
ing her  life." 

At  this  moment  Barbara's  father  and 
mother  and  the  boy,  who  were  walking  on 
behind,  heard  a  rustling  in  the  bushes. 
Thinking  the  savages  were  upon  them 
again,  they  rushed  around  William 
shrieking:   "The  Indians !   The  Indians!" 

"Get  behind  the  trees,  quick,"  cried' 
William. 

It  was  not  many  seconds  before  his 
sharp  ears  perceived  that  the  noise  in  the- 
bushes   was   different   from  the   stealthy 


32 


THE  PENNSYLVAlsUA-GERMAN 


tread  of  the  savages.  Venturing  out 
from  behind  his  tree,  he  noticed  a  fine, 
large  deer  at  the  stream.  His  unerring 
rifle  brought  it  to  the  ground. 

"That  is  what  I   came  out   for,"   said 
WilHam.     "This  will   make  a  fine   roast 
for  dinner  tomorrow." 
III. 

When  the  party  reached  William's 
home  they  found  the  door  and  window- 
shutters  closed  and  barricaded  on  the  in- 
side. William  had  not  returned  at  the 
proper  time,  and  his  mother,  fearing  for 
her  safety,  had  kept  the  dog  in  the  house 
and  secured  the  door. 

William  was  puzzled  and  began  to  fear 
something  might  be  wrong.  He  crept 
cautiously  to  the  door  and  called, 
"Mother."    No  answer  came. 

As  he  was  sadly  turning  away,  not 
knowing  what  to  do,  he  heard  his  faith- 
ful dog  capering  around  the  room  He 
rapt  at  the  door  and  called  again. 

His  mother  was  hard  of  hearing,  but 
noticing  the  antics  of  the  dog,  she  con- 
cluded that  William  was  out.  "There 
must  be  some  one  out,  old  fellow,"  she 
said.  "I  think  it's  your  master."  So, 
having  confidence  in  the  dog,  she  undid 
the  door.  William  and  the  rest  stood 
l)efore  her  with  a  fine  large  deer  lying 
on  the  snow  beside  them. 

"Law  sakes  alive !  What  does  this 
mean?     Come  in!    Come  in!"   she  said. 

All  that  had  happened  was  explained 
to  her.     Then  she  said  : 

"You  will  all  remain  with  us  until  you 
have  another  home.  To-morrow  will  be 
New  Year's  day,  and  we  will  have  a 
thanksgiving-dinner  together.  I  have  a 
fine,  good  and  brave  son."  she  continued 
proudly.  "He  would  risk  his  life  for  his 
friends  at  any  time." 

All  present  readily  assented  to  this  last 
remark,  only  Barbara  made  a  mental 
reservation.  "He  is  not  brave  enough  to 
demand  the  ladv  he  rescued  for  his  wife," 
she  told  herself. 

The  next  morning,  while  hosts  and 
guests  partook  of  the  scanty  fare  placed 
before  them,  William  observed  that  the 
old-fashioned  dishes  were  carefully  ar- 
ranged, and  he  thought  the  viands  tasted 
unusually  good. 

During  the  meal  Widow  Holler  ad- 
dressed '  her    son :'     "W-illiam,    see    how 


nicely  things  are  arranged.  What  a  fine 
home  a  young  woman  could  make  here ! 
What  a  help  she  would  be  to  me !" 

Barbara  blushed,  and  William  was 
silent.    The  rest  looked  at  him  and  smiled. 

William  could  hardly  brook  this.  He 
longed  for  a  partner  and  Barbara  was 
his  choice.  His  mother  was  getting  old 
and  feeble.  The  evenings  were  long  and 
dreary,  to  sit  by  himself  while  his  mother 
sat  in  her  old  chair  and  dozed. 

Breakfast  over,  William  walked  out- 
doors and  stood  musing  by  himself.  "I 
believe  that  she  is  a  good  girl.  She 
seems  to  like  mother  and  I  dare  say  she 
is  nice  to  me.  I  need  help  in  this  home. 
I  would  ask  her  to  become  my  wife,  but 
what  would  she  say?  I  think  she  would 
have  accepted  my  oflfer  yesterday.  I  think 
she  wished  me  to  propose,  but  how  could 
I,  her  parents  being  by?  I  would  have 
been  in  a  nice  muddle,  had  I  proposed 
and  she  had  rejected  me." 

Unconsciously  he  had  got  to  thinking 
aloud.  On  looking  up  he  saw  Barbara 
standing  before  him. 

"William,  you  seem  to  be  in  trouble." 

"Why,   no— I  only"— 

"What  would  you  do  if  she  should  say 
no  ?" 

William  blushed.     "I  do  not"— 

"What  would  vou  do  if  she  should  say 
yes  ?" 

William  summoned  courage  to  ask: 
"What  would  you  sav  if  I — should  ask 
you"— 

"I  would  say  yes,  of  course." 

"Get  ready  then.  We  might  just  as 
well  settle  this  little  job  right  now,"  said 
William,  suddenly  grown  bold. 

"All  right,"  said  Barara.  She  went 
into  the  house,  and  William  went  to  the 
stable  to  get   "Old   Sam." 

Having  thrown  a  bearskin  over  the 
horse  and  put  a  large  piece  of  venison  in 
a  bag,  they  both  mounted  for  a  ride.  As 
the  others  came  to  the  door,  William 
called  out :  "We  are  going  to  Squire 
Bertch.  We  will  be  back  by  dinner- 
time." 

IV. 

Squire  Bertch  lived  about  five  miles 
from  William's  home.  He  was  a  hale, 
hearty  country  justice,  fond  of  stating 
that  he  held  a  commission  under  "his 
Royal  Tghness."     He  stood  at  the  gate 


WILLIAM   HOLLER,  THE  RED  MAN'S  TERROR 


33 


awaitins:^  the  arrival  of  his  son  and  family, 
to  spend  tile  day.  When  he  saw  William 
and  r)arbara  coming:,  he  could  hardly  be- 
lieve his  eyes.  It  was  an  uncommon 
things  to  see  a  gentleman  ride  a  horse 
with  a  lady  sitting  behind  him,  and  he 
could  not  at  first  understand  what  had 
gotten  into  W'illiam's  head. 

"Well,  by  our  Royal  'Ighness,  Wil- 
liam, what  are  you  up  to?"  he  said,  as  the 
couple  alighted. 

"W-hy.  w-hy,  Scpiire,"  stammered 
William,  "I  had  good  luck  yesterday,  and 
I  brought  you  a  haunch  of  venison 
and" — 

The  squire  looked  good-naturedly  at 
both  and  taking  in  the  situation  said:  "I 
guess  you  are  here  for  something  else. 
Come  right  in." 

The  ceremony  was  not  such  a  terrible 
ordeal  as  William  had  anticipated.  When 
it  was  over  the  bride  and  groom  related 
the  story  of  the  Indians'  attack  and  the 
rescue  of  their  captives.  This  was  too 
much  for  the  squire.  He  could  not  take 
any  fee  for  performing  the  ceremony  for 
the  simple  reason  that  he  feared  doing  so 
would  displease  "his  Royal  Tghness," 
should  it  ever  come  to  his  ears. 

The  squire's  wife  had  prepared  plenti- 
fully for  their  son  and  his  family,  and 
nothing  would  please  her  better  than  to 
give  the  newly  married  couple  one  of  her 
fine  fruit-cakes  for  a  wedding-cake.  This 
was  not  all.  Barbara  and  her  parents 
needed  clothing,  so  she  filled  the  bag  in 
which  William  had  brought  the  venison 
with  various  articles  of  apparel  which 
they  could  use. 

William  felt  somewhat  displeased  that 
he  had   to  walk  on   the   wav  home,  but 


when  he  saw  all  that  was  contained  in 
the  bag,  he  felt  quite  dififerently.  Their 
New  Year's  wedding-dinner  was  a  very 
enjoyable  occasion. 

V. 

William  and  Barbara  lived  hapi)ily  to- 
gether. William  was  fond  of  relating  the 
story  of  his  New  Year's  marriage.  He 
always  denied  asking  Barbara  to  become 
his  wife,  but  admitted  that  he  was  a  little 
out  of  humor  when  he  had  to  walk  home 
after  the  ceremony.  The  only  fault  Bar- 
bara had  to  find  with  him  was  that  he 
always  insisted  upon  allowing  Wasser  to 
lie  at  his  accustomed  place  under  the 
bench,  while  she  was  in  fear  continually 
that  little  William,  who  was  in  the  habit 
of  pulling  the  old  dog's  hair,  would  be 
bitten  by  him. 

The  dwelling-place  of  William  and 
Barbara  Holler  is  greatly  changed.  A 
large  stone  house  stands  where  the  old 
log  house  stood,  and  the  merry  gambol- 
ing children  who  roll  about  the  grass  in 
the  yard  in  summer  are  fond  of  relating 
the  pioneer  stories  of  William  Holler,  "the 
Red  Man's  Terror." 

A  short  distance  from  the  place  where 
the  Hollers  lived  is  a  small  piece  of 
ground  enclosed  by  a  stone  wall.  In  this 
enclosure  stand  two  sandstones  marking 
the  last  resting-place  of  the  hero  and  the 
heroine  of  our  story. 

Some  distance  north  of  this  enclosure, 
near  the  Indian  Spring,  stands  a  huge 
black  bowlder.  Tradition  points  to  this 
spot  as  the  last  resting-place  of  the  two 
Indians  who  perished  by  the  hands  of 
William  and  Barbara  on  the  day  with 
which  our  tale  begins. 


First  Book  Printed  in   Reading. 

George  P.  Hartgen,  of  Reading,  owns  the 
first  book  printed  in  Reading,  a  novel 
the  German  language,  entitled  "The  Story  of 
Florentine  von  Fallendorn,''  written  by  Hein- 
rich  Stilling  and  printed  Irom  the  press  of 
Jacob  Schneider  &  Co.  in  1707. 

A  Well  Preserved  Centenarian  Church. 

The  Emmanuel  Lutheran  congregation  at 
Brickerville,  Lancaster  county,  which  recently 
celebrated  the  centennial  of  its  present  church- 
building,  dates  its  own  history  back  to  1730. 
Rev.  John  Casper  Stoever  was  its  first  pa.stor, 
and  the  main  factor  in  its  organization.  Its 
first  church,  according  to  tradition,  was  built 


in  1733,  and  the  adjoining  old  cemetery  is 
believed  to  have  been  the  burial-place  of  Baron 
Henry  William  Stiegel,  the  famous  iron- 
master. The  present  church-building,  which 
was  consecrated  Oct.  25,  1807,  is  made  of 
brick  burnt  near  the  place.  It  has  a  gallery 
with  a  high,  arched  ceiling,  high-backed  pews 
with  shelves  for  Bibles  and  luannbooks  and 
a  curious  "wineglass"  or  "candlestick"  pulpit, 
surmounted  by  a  quaint  sounding-board.  The 
Coleman  furnaces  at  Cornwall  furnished  iron- 
work to  strengthen  the  trusses.  The  church 
cost  about  $8,000  and  it  is  recorded  that  a 
barrel  of  whiskey  was  consumed  during  its 
construction.  It  is  in  good  condition  and  bids 
fair  to   stand  another  hundred   vears. 


34 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Pennsylvania-German  Patriotism 

German  Oration  Delivered  at  the  Commencement  of  Muhlenberg; 
College,  June  20,  1907,  by  Russell  C.  Mauch 

TRANSLATED  BY  REV\  J.  A.  SCHEFFER,  A.M.,  ALLENTOWN,  PA. 


HIRTEEN  German  families 
landed  at  Philadelphia,  Oc- 
tober 6,  1683.  Their  leader 
was  Francis  Daniel  Pastor- 
ius,  one  of  the  most  learned 
men  of  his  time.  These 
Germans  settled  in  the  woods  where  Ger- 
mantown,  a  part  of  the  city  of  Philadel- 
phia, now  is.  The  first  paper-mill  in 
America  was  erected  in  this  German 
settlement  by  Wilhelm  Rittinghuysen, 
father  of  the  celebrated  astronomer, 
David  Rittenhouse.  Only  five  years  after 
arriving,  this  little  German  colony  pro- 
tested against  human  slavery,  and  pub- 
lished a  petition  that  all  slaves  be  freed. 
Governor  Pennypacker  spoke  truly  of 
this  event  when  he  said :  "Whenever  men 
seek  to  learn  the  beginning  of  the  move- 
ment that  led  on  to  Shiloh,  Gettysburg  and 
Appomattox,  they  will  have  to  go  back  to 
the  conscientious  farmers  and  artisans 
along  the  Wissahickon." 

During  the  centuries  since  1683  some 
of  Germany's  best  people  came  to  Amer- 
ica. More  than  six  millions  of  Germans 
have  become  citizens  of  the  United 
States.  And  no  one  can  overestimate 
their  influence  in  this  country. 

The  Pennsylvania-German  is  a  thor- 
ough-going, liberty-loving  citizen.  From 
the  depths  of  his  heart  he  is  the  protector 
and  defender  of  home  and  country.  And 
out  of  his  great  love  for  freedom  and 
justice,  grows  a  bitter  hatred  of  oppres- 
sion and  tyranny.  These  qualities  and 
characteristics  make,  him  morally  and 
physically  courageous  in  upholding  and 
defending  the  rights  of  every  citizen. 

In  times  of  peace  the  Pennsylvania- 
German  is  a  good,  quiet  citizen,  always 
in  favor  of  morality  and  religion,  politi- 
cal and  financial  honesty,  correcting  and 
reforming  any  and  all  wrongs.  When 
war-times  came,  he  was  among  the  first 
to  go  forth  in  defense  of  his  country. 
Two  years  before  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence was  proclaimed,  the  German 


settlers  in  Pennsylvania  declared  them- 
selves in  favor  of  absolute,  unconditional 
separation  from  England.  As  the  dissat- 
isfaction of  the  American  colonists  in- 
creased and  revolt  became  more  evident, 
the  kin^  of  England  asked  to  be  inform- 
ed as  to  two  matters :  first,  whether  the 
Germans  in  America  favored  an  inde- 
pendent government,  and  second,  if  many 
of  them  had  been  soldiers  before  emi- 
grating. When  he  received  an  affirma- 
tive answer  to  both  questions  his  counten- 
ance fell. 

The  first  troops  to  arrive  in  Boston  to 
help  the  New  Englanders  in  the  Revolu- 
tion were  Germans  from  Pennsylvania. 
They  arrived  there  July  18,  1775,  only 
thirty-four  days  after  Congress  called 
the  citizens  to  arms.  The  first  soldiers 
to  go  thither  from  the  South  were  Ger- 
mans from  Virginia.  They  marched  to 
Boston,  a  distance  of  600  miles,  over 
rough  roads,  in  fifty-four  days.  These 
Pennsylvanian  and  Virginian  Germans 
were  better  armed  than  the  New  Eng- 
land citizen-soldiers,  and  their  rifles  did 
much  more  effective  service  in  battle 
than  the  shotguns  of  the  latter.  When 
Washington  saw  them  march  into  camp, 
he  sprang  from  his  horse  to  shake  their 
hands,  while  tears  of  gratitude  rolled 
down  his  comely  face. 

The  German  Moravians  at  Bethlehem, 
Pa.,  had  the  best  equipped  military  hos- 
pital, provided  with  nurses,  for  the  sick 
and  wounded  soldiers  of  the  Revolution- 
ary war.  Berks  and  Lancaster  counties 
at  that  time  had  the  furnaces  and  found- 
dries  that  smelted  the  ore  and  cast  the 
cannon  and  balls  for  the  Continental 
army.  Most  of  the  rifles  and  others  arms 
were  manufactured  in  Northampton, 
York  and  other  German  counties  of 
Pennsylvania.  The  well  tilled  farms  of 
the  Germans  in  Pennsylvania,  Maryland 
and  Virginia  furnished  a  large  portion 
of  the  food-supplies  of  Washington's 
troops. 


PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN    PATRIOTISM 


35 


In  covering  Washington's  retreat  af- 
ter the  battle  of  Long  Island,  one  com- 
pany from  Easton,  Pa.,  of  less  than  a 
hundred  men,  lost  seventy.  A  historian 
has  well  said :  "Long  Island  was  the 
Thermopylae  of  the  Revolution  and  the 
Pennsylvania-Germans  were  the  Spar- 
tans." 

General  Peter  Muhlenberg  was  the 
most  distinguished  of  the  Pennsylvania- 
Germans  in  the  army.  He  was  the  trusted 
friend  of  Washington  and  other  generals. 
He  led  the  reserve-troops  in  the  battle  of 
Brandy  wine  and  other  bloody  fights.  It 
was  a  division  of  Germans  that  planted 
the  flag  on  the  conquered  fortifications,  at 
Yorktown,  Va.  Thus  from  the  beginning 
to  the  end,  did  the  former  countrymen  of 
Frederic  the  Great  and  their  sons  take  a 
prominent  part  in  the  war  for  independ- 
ence and  freedom. 

Long  before  the  North  expected  the 
close  approach  of  the  Rebellion  of  1861  ; 
long  before  the  South  resolved  to  secede, 
did  the  foresight  of  the  Germans  in  St. 
Louis  and  other  places  lead  them  to  drill 
the  members  of  their  athletic  societies  in 
the  manual  of  arms  for  the  defense  of 
the  Union.  When  Abraham  Lincoln 
called  on  Missouri  for  her  cjuota  of  sol- 
diers, the  Governor  replied  indignantly 
that  Missouri  w^ould  never  furnish  sol- 
diers to  fight  her  sister  States.  But  that 
Governor  did  not  take  into  account  the 
Germans  and  their  influence  in  his  State. 
At  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  Missouri 
had  given  more  soldiers  in  defense  of  the 
Union  than  Massachusetts,  the  so-called 
rock  of  anti-slavery.  Four  hundred  thou- 
sand Germans  served  in  the  Union  army 
and  only  comparatively  few  in  the 
Southern. 

Early    in    the    morning    of    April    12, 
1 861,  the  secessionists  fired  on  the  United 
States   troops   in   Fort   Sumter.     Before 
sunset  of  that  eventful  day,  Pennsylvania 
offered  $500,000  to  suppress  the  rebellion. 
Three  days  after  Abraham  Lincoln's  first 
call  for  soldiers,  five  companies  of  Penn- 
sylvania-Germans from  x-Mlentown,  Read- 
ing, Lewistown  and  Pottsville  arrived  in 
Washington.     When  at  a  critical  period, 
aduring    the    Rebellion,    Lincoln    desired 
Soi-ore  soldiers    the  Irish  in  New  York  in- 
"'^  gated  the  unpatriotic  "draft-riots."  The 


English  Governor  addressed  these  rioters 
as  "my  friends,"  but  the  German  societies 
called  on  their  countrymen  to  repulse  the 
enemies   of   their   country. 

In  the  late  war  with  Spain,  Admiral 
Schley,  of  German  descent,  destroyed  the 
Spanish  fleet,  near  Santiago.  General 
Shafter,  another  German-American,  con- 
quered the  land-forces  in  that  part  of 
Cuba,  and  an  American  of  Dutch  ances- 
try was  the  hero  of  a  battle  with  the 
Spaniards  at  San  Juan. 

When  the  thunders  of  war  were  over 
and  the  victories  were  won,  the  Germans 
settled  down  quietly  and  followed  their 
peaceful  occupations  of  farming,  manu- 
facturing and  commerce.  They  left  the 
boasting  and  the  political  scheming  to 
those  who  probably  had  done  little  to  win 
the  military  victories. 

The  Germans  left  their  fatherland, 
which  had  been  impoverished  by  wars. 
They  were,  however,  willing  and  prepar- 
ed to  fight  for  freedom  and  peace  in  their 
adopted  home. 

Two  thousand  years  ago  Csesar  and 
Tacitus  wrote  that  the  Germans  were 
brave  warriors  for  country,  home  and 
freedom.  These  historians  would  recog- 
nize the  same  characteristics  in  the  Penn- 
sylvania-German of  modern  times.  Wil- 
liam Penn  invited  the  German  people  to 
come  to  America  and  take  part  in  the 
"holy  endeavor"  to  establish  civil  and  re- 
ligious liberty.  They  came  to  contend 
courageously  with  yet  untried  hardships, 
in  order  to  attain  these  rights  and  bless-, 
ings.  These  pioneers  had  to  clear  the 
dense,  unbroken  forests,  to  protect  them- 
selves, at  every  step,  from  death  by  In- 
dians and  wild  beasts,  to  labor  amidst 
many  needs,  privations  and  much  suffer- 
ing, in  order  to  get  food  and  shelter  for 
themselves  and  children. 

In  addition  they  had  to  submit  to  un- 
desirable regulations  by  the  new  colon- 
ial government.  But  they  continued 
stedfast  in  their  undertakings.  Many 
fought,  bled  and  died  for  the  country 
they  helped  to  clear,  settle  and  make  in- 
dependent, free  from  tyranny  and  slavery. 

Whoever  questions  the  honest  patriot- 
ism of  the  Pennsylvania-Germans  is 
either  ignorant  of  their  character  and 
history  or  a  malicious  perverter  of  facts. 


36 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Few  of  them  have  had  any  blameworthy 
part  in  the  corrupt  pohtics  of  our  times. 
There  is  not  even  a  word  in  their  dialect 
for  the  hateful  English  word  "graft," 
May  it  never  be  needed. 

iMay  our  patriotism  be  kindled  afresh 
by  the   words   which   the   great   German  • 
patriot,  Schiller,  addressed  to  his  people 
in  his  magnificent  drama  of  liberty,  en- 
tided  "William  Tell": 


To  our  dear  fatherland  espouse   thy  soul ; 
Clasp  it  with  ev'ry  fiber  of  thy  being. 
Here   are   the    mainsprings    of   thy   manhood's 
strength. 


One    people,    as    of   brothers,    we   will    be ; 
Distress   and    danger   never    shall    divide    us. 
We  will  be  freemen,  as  our   fathers  were. 
Choosing  to   die   rather  than   live   in   bondage. 
In    God   Almighty   we    will    ever   trust, 
And  never  fear  the  might  of  puny  man. 


"Pure  German"  and  "Pennsylvania-Dutch" 

REV.   GEORGE   STIBITZ   IN   THE   "yORK    (pA.)    DISPATCH." 


[The  object  of  the  article  from  which  the 
following  extract  is  taken  was  to  refute  two 
assumptions  made  by  a  previous  correspondent 
of  the  Dispatch.  The  first  of  these  assump- 
tions was  that  "pure  German"  is  a  language 
native  to  the  soil  of  Germany  and  the  natural 
product  of  the  German  people ;  the  other,  that 
the  Pennsylvania-German  dialect  is  a  corrup- 
tion of  this  pure  language  of  the  fatherland. 
Rev.  Stibitz's  remarks  confirm  the  assertion 
made  editorially  in  our  November  issue,  that 
the  Pennsylvania-German  originally  was  as 
good  and  pure  a  dialect  as  any  spoken  in 
Germany. — ^Ed.  ] 

Pure  German  is  nowhere  naturally  spoken 
in  Germany.  It  is  always  a  language  that 
has  been  directly  or  indirectly  learned  in  the 
schools  or  from  literature.  There  are  as  many 
dialects  as  there  are  petty  kingdoms  in  Ger- 
many. These  differ  in  some  cases  so  much 
from  each  other  as  to  be  unintelligible  to 
all  who  are  not  to  the  manner  born.  I  have 
often  found  words  and  phrases  in  the  speech 
of  old  Bavarians,  Hessians  and  northern  Ger- 
mans in  general,  which  I  could  not  under- 
stand, though  a  German  by  birth.  According 
to  a  statement  recently  made  to  me  by  the 
pastor  of  one  of  the  large  German  congrega- 
tions-; in  Philadelphia,  the  Gernians  of  his 
churcii  find  it  necessary  to  use  the  literary 
language  of  the  homeland  so  as  to  be  able 
to  converse  with  each  other.  Each  has  a 
language  of  his  own  wherein  he  was  born,  but 
this  (the  High  German)  they  all  had  to  learn 
as   a   part   of  their   education. 

So-called  pure  German  is  in  a  sense  artifi- 
cial, as  it  is  made  up  of  the  best  elements  of 
all  the  differing  dialects  and  grammatically  re- 
duced to  a  system.  The  father,  so  to  speak, 
of  this  German  literary  language  was  Martin 
Luther.  Before  his  time  even  the  German 
book  language  vacillated  between  the  many 
dialects  of  the  country.  After  his  vigorous 
and  able  construction  of  the  language  it  was 
gradually  adopted  by  all  learned  men,  and 
now  every  one  who  lays  any  claim  to  edu- 
cation or  desires  a  medium  of  intercourse 
with  all  the  Germans  must  use  this  language. 
It  is  therefore  taught  in  the  schools  and 
preached  in  the  pulpits.  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
mans even  will  not  tolerate  anything,  else  in 
their  churches.     It  was  made  by  the- learned 


and   it   lives   as    the   language   of   such   to   this 
day. 

W'hat  is  known  to  us  as  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man, or  as  some  inappropriately  call  it, 
Pennsylvania-Dutch,  is  simply  one  of  these 
many  dialects  of  the  German  soil,  translated 
by  the  Palatine  immigrant  to  Pennsylvania. 
It  is  still  spoken  in  Germany  today  substan- 
tially as  it  is  spoken  in  York  and  other  coun- 
ties. Three  years  ago  I  was  surprised  to  hear 
on  the  streets  of  Heidelberg  just  such  speech 
as  I  hear  on  the  streets  of  York  or  Allen- 
town.  Expressions  which  I  had  thought  to 
be  the  product  of  this  Pennsylvania-German, 
I  find  galore  in  a  little  book  of  poems  in 
the  Palatine  dialect  by  Karl  G.  Nadler,  a 
native  of  Heidelberg,  Another  book  in  the 
same  dialect,  ''Die  Rhcin-Schnoke,"  which  I 
examined  in  Heidelberg,  is  still  more  like 
Pennsylvania-German  than  this  of  Nadler's. 
There  are  in  both  Heidelberg  and  York  the 
use  of  the  same  provincial  expressions,  the 
French  nasal  sound,  and  the  general  move- 
ment of  the  speech  from  the  throat  toward  the 
lips.  This  latter  is  according  to  the  most 
universal   law  of  language. 

The  great  objection  to  the  use  of  this  dialect 
to  the  exclusion  of  proper  language  is  be- 
cause it  is  a  dialect  and  provincial.  It  cannot 
have  a  literature  because  its  field  is  too-iMall. 
Going  to  school  the  farmer's  child  has  to  learn 
the  mediimi  of  communication  with  which 
others  are  alreadv  supplied.  But  a  corruption 
it  is  not.  It  has  maintained  itself  most  won- 
derfully here  during  these  one  hundred  and 
fifty  years  or  more.  The  York  county  farmer 
and  the  Palatinate  peasant  could  converse 
without  any  difficulty.  It  is  a  dialect,  but  it  is 
the  free  child  of  nature  and  strictly  obeys  the 
laws  of  nature.  I  believe  any  one  going 
through  the  length  and  breadth  of  Germany 
selecting  a  dialect  for  its  .softness  and  ease, 
qualities  for  which  the  French  has  been 
lauded  to  the  skies,  would  select  this  despised 
Pennsylvania-German  as  it  is  spoken  in  the 
Palatinate  today.  The  hard  guttural  pronun- 
ciation of  those  professors  in  Heidelberg  uni- 
versity who  came  from  the  north  made  one 
wish  for  the  softer  tones  of  the  native  Palati- 
nate. There  is  more  to  be  5 aid  in  defen?-,* 
not  of  the  use  but  of  the  genuineness. of  tW  & 
human  speech.  ' 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


37 


The  Home 

Thisdepartmenl  is  in  ehartre  of  Mrs.  H.  H.  Funk,  of  bprinu'town.  Pa.  to  whom  all  eommunication.s  for  ii 
should  be  addressed.  Conlrilniiioiis  relating  to  domestic  matters— cooking,  baking,  house-work,  gardening, 
flower  culture,  oldtime  customs  and  ways  of  living,  etc.,  etc.— are  respectfully  s>liciled     Our  lady  readers  are 


specially  requested  to  aid  in  making  this  department  generally  interesting 


Some  Oldtime  Breakfast-Cakes 


BY    THE    HOME    EDITOR. 


A  tempting  and  daintily  served  breakfast 
of  hot  cakes  and  coffee  invariably  tickles  the 
palate  of  the  most  whimsical  epicurean  and 
will  always  appeal  to  the  average  person.  It 
has  soothed  many  a  rufHed  temper,  healed 
many  a  heartache  and  sent  many  a  despondent 
mortal  away  from  home  with  a  lighter  step 
and  a  more  cheerful  mind,  to  cope  with  the 
duties  of  the  day.  Altho  many  changes  in  the 
diet  of  the  breakfast-table  have  taken  place 
in  the  past  century,  yet  griddle-cakes  have 
been  almost  indispen.sable  from  that  time  to 
this.  There  were  only  a  few  varieties  to 
choose  from ;  nevertheless  they  were  hot 
cakes,  just  from  the  griddle,  steaming  hot. 

In  interviewing  an  old  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man mother  on  this  subject,  she  replied:  ''The 
cakes  we  baked  were  plain,  cheap  and  whole- 
some. When  eggs  were  more  than  a  eent 
apiece,  we  made  them  without  eggs ;  when 
butter  was  eighteen  cents  a  pound,  we  sub- 
stituted lard,  and  when  some  other  ingredient 
was  lacking,  we  took  something  that  was  just 
as  good."  So  the  reader  will  understand  that 
it  is  hard  to  get  any  accurate  recipes  from 
these  natural-born  old  cooks.  Hot  cakes  were 
then  limited  to  two  varieties.  The  raised  buck- 
wheat-cakes that  graced  the  table  daily 
thro'out  the  sausage-season,  which  lasted  from 
early  fall  to  late   in   spring,  were  one  kind. 

For  a  change  there  were  "Journey-cakes" 
or  "Johnny-cakes."  These  were  coi^idered 
a  special  treat,  and  found  their  way  on  the 
table   mostly   when   company   was   present. 

These  hot-cake-and-sausage  breakfasts  were 
then  topped  oflf  with  a  little  spice-cake,  locally 
called  vinegar-cake,  or  the  sweet  cake,  now 
termed  gingerbread,  and  a  cup  of  coflfee.  This 
comprised  the  breakfast  Dicint  of  the  aver- 
age  Pennsylvania-German   family. 

Buchzi'licaf  -  Cakes. — The  buckwheat  -  cakes 
were  put  to  raise  in  the  evening.  I  am  in  re- 
ceipt of  the  following  recipe  for  making  them  : 
Half  a  cup  of  home-made  yeast,  three  cups 
of  buckwheat  flour,  enough  milk  or  water 
to  make  a  very  stiff  batter.  This  was  covered 
well  imti!   ready   for  use  in   the  morning;   .salt 


was  then  added  to  taste,  also  two  tablespoons 
of  table-molasses  and  enough  skimmed  milk 
to  make  a  thin  batter.  It  was  baked  on  a 
hot  griddle.  A  small  quantity  of  the  batter 
would  be  left  in  the  pot  for  a  starter,  instead 
of  yeast,  thus  keeping  the  pot  agoing  thro' 
the   entire   season. 

"Johnny-Cakes" — The  "Journey"  or  "John- 
ny-cakes" were  made  with  cornmeal  ground 
exceptionally  fine  for  the  purpose,  and  were 
considered   an    exceptional    luxury. 

A  good  recipe  still  in  use  is  as  follows:  One 
pint  of  Indian  meal,  three  eggs,  one  cup  of 
wheat-flour,  two  teaspoons  of  iDaking-powder, 
one  teaspoon  of  salt  and  a  pint  of  sweet 
»nilk.  Put  meal  in  a  bowl,  pour  on  enough 
boiling  water  to  scald  it,  but  not  to  make  it 
too  soft,  and  let  stand  until  cool.  Add  the 
milk,  beat  eggs  without  separating  until  very 
light  and  add  to  batter,  then  add  flour  and 
salt  and  beat  vigorously  for  three  minutes. 
Then  add  baking-powder,  mix  well  and  bake 
on  a  hot  griddle. 

Vinegar  or  Spice-Cake. — One  cup  New  Or- 
leans molasses  put  in  a  pan  on  the  stove  and 
heated.  Into  a  bowl  put  one  cup  of  brown 
sugar  and  one  teaspoon  of  saleratus ;  add  mo- 
lasses when  foamy,  one  tablespoon  of  ginger, 
one  tablespoon  of  vinegar,  and  flour  to  stiffen. 
When  as  stiff  as  can  be  made,  roll  out  thin, 
cut  round,  about  two  inches  in  diameter,  and 
bake  in  a  moderate  oven. 

Sweet  Cake  or  Gingerbread. — This  was  the 
children's  special  treat.  It  was  baked  in  a 
long  or  square  pan,  and  then  cut  in  square 
blocks  for  the  table. 

Take  two  quarts  of  New  Orleans  molasses, 
one  pint  of  sweet  milk,  half  a  pound  of  butter, 
one  ounce  of  ginger,  one  and  a  half  ounces 
of  baking-soda ;  work  in  flour  to  roll  soft  a 
half-inch  thick,  wash  the  top  with  sweet  milk 
and  bake  rather  slow. 

It  is  the  intention  of  this  department  to 
cover  this  subject  fully,  adding  recipes  as  rap- 
idly as  space  and  circumstances  will  permit. 


A  Clock  Dated  B.  C.  1780. 

At  a  public  sale  recently  held  at  a  farm- 
house near  Chalfont,  Berks  county,  Factory- 
Inspector  Egolf,  of  Norristown,  an  authority 
on  antique  furniture,  observed  an  old  clock 
across  the  face  of  which  was  painted  "John 
Solliday,  B.  C.  1780."  A  deeply  interested 
old  lady  who  stood  near  turned  to  Egolf  and 


asked:  "Is  it  true  that  clock  is  as  old  as 
that?"  "Yes,"  answered  Egolf;  "that's  the 
age  of  the  clock ;  but  I  have  bought  clocks 
much  older  than  this  one."  "Why,  I  can 
hardly  believe  it,"  exclaimed  the  woman,  "for 
this  clock  was  made  1780  years  before  Christ!" 
Then  Egolf  explained  that  "B.  C."  on  the 
clock  stood   for  "Bucks  Countv." 


38 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Literary  Gems 


HURRAH    FOR    DER    WINTER ! 


.  Hurrah  for  der  Winter,  hurrah  for  der  Schnee  ! 
Nau  raus  niit'm  Schlitta,  un  zahl  mer  ken  Zwee. 
Do  muss   mer   sich   dummla,   sunscht  geht   er   aweg; 
Villticht  bis  uf  marga  hot's  nix  as  wie  Dreck. 

Hurrah  for  der  Winter!     Der  SchHtta  muss  raus. 
''"is  hockt  mer   am   Offa,   was   will   mer   im   Haus? 

druf  mit  da  Bella,  sunscht  is's  ken  G'fahr. 
i^er  Wint  ,r  is  karz  un  die  Schlittabah  rar. 

Hurrah  for  der  Winter !  Nau  geht's  amol  ab, 
Wie  schneller  wie  Hewer.  '"Git  up,  Sal  un  Bob !" 
Was  rappla  die  Bella,  was  schpringa  die  Geil ! 
Des  is  mol  en  G'fahr,  es  geht  jo  wie'n  Peil ! 

Hurrah  for  der  Winter!    So  ebbes  is  G'schpass. 

Die  Aleed  sign'n  en  Liedel,  die  Buwa  der  Bass. 

Un  geht's  in  die  Schneebank  un  schmeisst's  emol  um, 

Geht's  drunner  un   driwer,  was  gebt  mer  dann   drum  ? 

Hurrah  for  der  Winter,  mit  Eis,  Schnee  un  Kalt ! 
Wann's   glanzt   as   wie    Silwer — sel   is    juscht   was    fehlt. 
Wann's  Schnee  hot,  werd  g'fahra ;  wann's  Eis  hot,  werd  g'schkeet. 
Hurrah    for   der    Winter,   abbartig   wann's    schneet ! 

Hurrah   for  der  Winter,  hurrah  un  hurrah ! 
Nau  raus  niit'm  Cutter  un  druf  mit  der  Frah. 
Un  loss's  mol  klingla,  dass  alia  Hund  blafift ! 
Der  Winter  is  do  un  die  Erwet  is  g'schafft. 


THE  DEPARTED  YEAR. 

BY    GEORGE    DENISON    PRENTICE. 

'Tis  midnight's  holy  hour,  and  silence  now 

Is  brooding  like  a  gentle   spirit  o'er 

The   still    and  pulseless   world.     Hark!   on   the 

winds 
The    bell's    deep    tones    are    swelling — 'tis    the 

knell 
Of  the  departed  year 

The    year 
Has     gone,     and     with     it     many     a     glorious 

throng 
Of  happy  dreams.     Its  mark  is  on  each  brow. 
Its  shadow  in  each  heart.     In  its  swift  course 
It    waved   its   .scepter   o'er   the   beautiful. 
And  they  are  not.     It  laid  its  pallid  hand 
Upon  the  strong  man  ;   and  the  haughty  form 
Is  fallen,  and  the  flashing  eye  is  dim. 
It  trod  the  hall  of  revelry,  where  thronged 
The  bright  and  joyous;   and  the  tearful  wail 
Of  stricken  ones  is  heard,  where  erst  the  song 
And  reckless  shout  resounded 

Remorseless  Time ! 
Fierce   spirit  of   the   glass   and   scythe!    What 

power 
Can  stay  him  in  his  silent  course,  or  melt 
His  iron  heart  to  pity!     On,  still  on, 
He  presses,  and  forever 


DAS    ABGESCHIEDENE    JAHR. 

DEUTSCH     VON     H.     A.     S. 

's    ist    Mitternacht    und    feierliches    Schweigen 
Herrscht  rings,  als   schwebt'   ein  milder   Engel 

iiber 
Der    stillen,    starren    Welt.      Horch !    auf    dem 

Winde 
Schwillt    dumpfer    Glockenklang — das    Grabge- 

liiut 
Des  abgeschied'nen  Jahrs 

Das  Jahr 
Ist   hin,   mit   mancher   licht   umfloss'nen    Schar 
Glucksel'ger  Traume.     Jede  Stirne  tragt 
Sein    Mai,    sein    Schatten    diistert   jedes    Herz. 
Den  Schonen  winktc  es  im  schnellen  Flug; 
Sie   sind   nicht  niehr.     Es   legte   seine   bleiche 
Hand  auf  den   Starken,  und  die   Kraftgestalt 
Sank  hin,   sein  blitzend  Auge  wurde  triib. 
Es  trat  im   Festsal  mitten  in  die   Menge 
Der    Frohlichen ;    wu    jiingst   noch   Lustgesang 
Und  Jubelruf  erschallten.  hort  man  jetzt 
Das   Wimmern   der  Verlass'nen 

Mitleidlo.se  Zeit ! 
Du  grimmer  Geist  des  Glases  und  der  Sense! 
Wer  kann  im   stillen  Lauf  ihn  halten  oder 
Sein  Eisenherz  erweichen?     Stets  voran 
Drangt  er,  voran  auf  ewig 


LITERARY  GEMS 


39 


DES    NEUJAHRS    MAHNUNG 

Zu  Jung  und  Alt,  zu  Weib  iind  Mann, 
Tritt   jetzt    das    Neujahr   frisch   hcran 
Und  spricht   zu  jedeni:    Sorgx;  niclit 
Wie's   morgen    wird — thu'    dcinc    Pllicht! 

Nicht  jeder  Tag  ist  licb  und  hold, 
Nicht  jeder  lacht  im  Sonnengold; 
Heut'  ist  es  dunkel,  morgen  licht. 
Frag'   nicht   darnach — thu'   dvinc   Pflicht ! 

•So   ist's  im   krausen   Lauf   dcr    Welt: 
Der  Eine  steight,  der  And're  fallt. 
Geh'  graden  Wcgs ;  in's  Angesicht 
Schau'   jedem   frei — thu'   deine   Pflicht! 

Was  morsch  und  alt,  verging  voll  Leid ; 
Die  Stunde  ruft :   's  ist  an   dcr  Zeit ! 
Der  Morgen  mahnt,  der  Abend  spricht: 
Kurz   ist   der   Tag — thu"   deine   Pflicht ! 

Kurz  ist  der  Tag,  rasch  ist  der  Tod, 
D'rum  sei  ein  Heifer  in  der  Not. 
"Was  du  auch  thust,  mehr  thust  du  nicht— 
X)as   merke   wol — als   deine    Pflicht ! 


NEW    YEAR'S   MONITION. 

To  man  and  woman,  young  and  old, 
New   Year  to-day  advances  bold, 
To  each  one  saying:    Sorrow   naught 
For  coming  days — do  what  you  ought ! 

Not  ev'ry  day  is  fair  and  bright, 
Filled  with  the  sun's  sweet,  golden  light. 
Be  it  with  joy  or  sorrow  fraught. 
What  matters  it? — 'do  what  you  ought! 

Thus   this   old   world   jogs  onward   still, 
While    fortune    scatters    good    and    ill. 
Keep  your  straight  course ;  be  not  distraught 
By    friend   or    foe — do   what   you   ought! 

O'd,   worn-out  things  have  passed  '  vay ; 
You're   living   now,    spend   well   to-day. 
This  morn  and  eve  by  turns  have  taught: 
Time  quickly   flies — do  what   you  ought! 

Time  quickly  flies,  death  comes  with  speed. 
Be  e'er  a  help  to  those  in  need. 
Whate'er  you  do,  hold  fast  this  thought — 
You  ne'er  can  do  more  than  you  ought ! 


A    CALENDAR    OF   GEMS. 


EN    GEM-KALENNER. 


The  January  girl   is   fair. 
And   garnets  only   she    should   wear. 
These   will   insure   her   constancy. 
True  friendship  and  fidelity. 

The  February-born  will  find 
Sincerit}'  and   peace   of  mind 
In  amethysts;   these  bring  relief 
From  ev'ry  passion,  care  and  grief. 

"Who  on  this  world  of  ours  their  eyes 
In  March  first  open,  shall  be  wise, 
Jn  days  of  peril  firm  and  brave, 
And  wear   a  bloodstone  to  their  grave. 

She    who    from    April    dates    her    years 
Should    diamonds    wear,    lest    bitter    tears 
For   vain   repentance   flow ;    this   stone 
As  emblem  of  good  luck  is  known. 

Who  first  beholds  the  light  of  dav 
In  spring's  sweet  flowery  month  of  May, 
And  wears  an  emerald  all  her  life. 
Will  be  a  loved  and  happy  wife. 

Who  comes  with  summer  to  this  earth 
And  owes  to  June  her  day  of  birth. 
With  ring  of  agate  on  her  hand 
-Can  health,  weaUh  and  long  life  command. 

The   glowing    ruby    should    adorn 
Those  who  in  warm  July  are  born  ; 
Then  will  they  be  exempt  and  free 
From   love's   doubts   and    anxiety. 

The    moonstone    will    secure    for    thee 
True   conjugal    felicity. 
If  August-born;  without  this  stone 
"Thou'lt  pass  thro'  life  unloved  and  lone. 


Die  Jannermeed  sin  alfert  schee 

Un   sotta  nix   weera  as   Garnetschtee ; 

For  sel  inschurt  en  schmiirter  Buh, 

Wu  sei  Freind  hoch  halt  un  schtickt  dazu. 

Harcht   emol,    ihr    Harningmeed : 
Wann    ihr   finna    wot    Ehrlichkeet 
Un  nix  vun  Sarg'  un  Truwel  heera, 
Sot    ihr    lauter    Amethysts    weera. 

Der   Marz  bringt   als  es   Frijohr  bei. 
Wer   g'heert    in    seller   Monet    nei, 
Werd  g'scheit  un  halt  sich  aus  der  G'fohr, 
Wann  sie  weert  Blutschtee  's  ganza  Johr. 

Der   April   is   arg  verannerlich, 
Un  wer  sel  Zeit  dut  jiihra  sich, 
Sot   weera   klora   Deimondschtec, 
Sunscht   kann's   am   End   ihr   iwcl   gch. 

'  Im  Moi  is  alles  Luscht  un  Freed. 
En  Emerald  for  die  Moiameed ; 
Sel   halt   sie  seef  vun   Zank  un   Schtreit 
Un   bringt   en    frohe    Heierzeit. 

Im   June   werd's   Summer   uf   der   Erd. 
Wer    sella    Monet   gebora    werd 
Un   tnicht  en   Agate  an  der   Hand, 
Werd  glicklich,   reich   un   alt  im   Land. 

July,  der  bringt  die  Hundsdag  bei ; 

Sei    iVIecdel,   des   is  wunnerfei. 

En    Ruby   is,   was   ihra   suht ; 

Sel   bringt   en   Liebschaft   siess   un   gut. 

I'ji    Mcrdcl.im    Auguscht    gebora, 
ilot   Ivedcr   all   ihr   Glick   ferlora,    . 
Except    sie   weert   en    Mondschtee;    dann 
Kriegt    sie   doch   noch   en    guter    Mann. 


40 


THE   PENMSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


A   maiden   born   when   autumn   leaves 
Are   rustling   in    September's   breeze, 
A   sapphire  on  her  brow   should  bind ; 
'Twill   cure  diseases  of  the  mind. 

October's  child  is  born  for  woe, 
And    life's    vicissitudes    must    know. 
But   lay   an   opal    on    her   breast. 
And  hope  will  lull  her  fears  to  rest. 

Who   first   comes   to  this   world   below 
With   drear   November's   fog   and   snow. 
Should   prize  the   topaz's   amber   hue. 
Emblem  of   friends   and   lovers   true. 

If  cold  -December   gave  you   birth, 
The  month  of  snow  and  ice  and  mirth. 
Place  on   your   hand   a  turquoise  blue; 
Success   will   bless   whate'er   you   do. 


September   kummt   mit   Farwa   g'schmickt, 
Seim    Meedel   awer   nix   recht   glickt. 
Sie  soil  en   Sapphire  weera,  noh 
Werd   all    ihr    Lewa    schee   un    froh. 

Oktower,   der   bringt   seina   Meed 
Viel    Truwel    oft    un    Traurigkeet. 
Wann    awer    sie    en    Opal    weera, 
Sel  dut  ihr  Leed  in  Luscht  verkehra. 

November   kummt   mit  Reif  un   Schnee. 
En   Topaz   is   der   Wunnerschtee 
For  sei  Meed — meent  mer  nau  'skenntsei?- 
Er  ziegt  die  Bobs  in  Schara  bei. 

Wann   d'   im   December   gebora  bischt, 
Dann  hoscht  en  glickliche  Zeit  verwischt. 
Weer    en   Turquoise    un    sei   net   bang;    • 
Es   geht   dir   gut   dei   Lewa  lang. 


AM    BARAHUNTA. 

FROM     "SOLLY    HULSBUCK's"      FUNNY   FACTS   AND   FICTION. 


Es  is  net  oft  dass  ich  die  Zeit  nem  for  Bara 
hunta,  awer  do  neHich  war  ich  mol  dra,  un 
for  Recht  zu  dub  zum  Biir,  zu  meina  Bekannts- 
leit  im  zu  mer  selwer,  will  ich  do  bezeiga  wie's 
ganga  is.  Am  erschta  Platz,  ich  war  net  am 
Sucha'  for  en  Bar,  un  ich  wees  net,  das  een- 
iger  Bar  en  Ursach  bet  for  sucha  for  mich. 
Die  Fact  is  mer  hen  enanner  juscht  so  umbe- 
hofft  a'getrofifa  im  Busch. 

Ich  war  draus  am  Keschtalesa,  mit  ma 
Schnap-sack  uf  m  Buckel  un  mit  ra  alta  Flint, 
as  der  Bill  Hoppich  kaaft  hot  dreissig  Johr 
zurick,  for'n  Hersch  schiessa.  Zum  Beschta 
vun  meim  Gewissa  is  der  Hersch  noch  am 
Schpringa.  Darch  en  Handel  is  die  Flint  in 
mei  Hand  kumma.  Was  ich  mit  ma  Schiess- 
eisa  hab  wella,  kann  ich  der  net  saga.  Ich 
bin  ken  Schitz.  Johra  zurick  awer  haw  ich 
amol  en  Has  g'schossa.  Er  hot  im  Nescht 
g'hockt.  Ich  hab  die  Flint  uf  'n  Fenzarigel 
gelegt  mit'm  Bisnessend  abaut  fufzeh  Fuss 
vum  Has,  die  Aaga  zugedrickt  un  der  Drick- 
«r  abgezoga.  Wie  der  Schmok  verzoga  is, 
war  net  genunk  vum  Has  meh  do  for'n  Post- 
mortem hewa,  un's  hot  mer'n  widerlich  Ekel 
gewa. 

Dfs  hot  nix  zu  dub  mit'm  Barahunta,  awer 
ich  sag's  do  for  zu  weisa,  dass  der  Bar  un  ich 
gleicha  Chances  g'hat  hen.  Ich  war  fleissig 
am  Keschtalesa  un  hab  zu  mer  selwer  so 
kleena  Liedlin  saftig  g'sunga  un  ebmols  ge- 
piffa.  Die  Zeit  is  langsam  rumganga.  Weit 
ab  haw  ich  die  Baura  heera  Odders  gewa 
iwer'm  Welschkarnschtrippa,  un  alsemol  hen 
die  Krappa  Singschul  g'halta  am  Berg  drowa. 
Wie  ich  darch  so'n  Dcich  im  Busch  bin,  haw 
ich  en  wilde  Ihm  g'funna  in  ma  hohla  Baam, 
wu  sie  Hunnig  bei'm  wholesale  g'sammelt  hen 
g'hat,  un  die  seem  Zeit  hot  der  Bar  mich 
g'funna.  Er  hot  uf  da  hinnera  Fiess  g'schtan- 
na,  wie'm  Heckabauer  sei  Esel,  wann  er  en 
Locomotion  sehnt  uf'm  Rigelwcg.  Er  hot  mich 
plessierlich  a'geguckt  for  all  dass  mer  so  frem 
wara,  un  ich  confess  ich  hab  verzagt  g'fihlt. 

Ich  hab  net  gewisst  dass  mer  sich  so 
schandlich    a'fihrt,    wann    mer    net    besser    be- 


kannt  is.  Es  is  all  gut  genunk  for  sich  eibilda, 
was  mer  deet  unnig  so  LTmschtanda,  awer 
wann  mer  in  da  Schuh  is,  deet  mer's  villeicht 
am  End  net  so.  Ich  hab  ennihau  net  so  ge- 
duh.  Der  Bar  hot  sich  uf  die  Vorfiess  gelosst 
un  is  langsam  neecher  kumma.  Uf  en  Baam 
krattla  war  net  dawert,  mit  ma  guta  Krattler 
hinnanoh.  Wann  ich  g'schprunga  wiir,  het  er 
ah   schpringa   kenna. 

Er  is  als  neecher  kumma.  Darnoh  haw  ich 
en  Idea  in  der  Kop  kriegt.  Ich  hab  gedenkt: 
"Nau,  wann  ich  juscht  'm  Bar  sei  Meind  uf 
ebbes  schunscht  kriega  kann,  sel  losst  mer'n 
Chance  for  aweg."  So  bin  ich  schlo  zurick- 
gebackt  vum  Baam,  un  wie  der  Bar  der  Hun- 
nig frisch  gerocha  hot,  is  er  schteh  gebliwa. 
Er  hot  paarmol  die  Nas  um  der  Baam  rum 
g'schowa,  bis  er's  Loch  g'funna  hot,  darnoh 
is  er  dazu  nei  mit'm  ganza  G'fress.  Ich  hab 
dart  g'schtanna  zugucka  un  kunsiddert,  was 
en  guter  Schuss  sel  macht ;  dann  is  's  mer 
beig'falla,  dass  ich  die  Flint  uf  der  annera  Seit 
vum  Deich  gelosst  hab.  Noh  bin  ich  awer 
an's  Schpringa.  Ich  bin  hi'kumma  un  hab 
die  Flint  kriegt  ganz  aus  Odem,  awer  juscht 
in  Zeit.  Ich  hab  der  Bar  g'heert  grummela 
hinnadrei  darch  die  Hecka  un  hab  g'schpiert, 
dass  die  Zeit  vun  eem  vun  uns  uf  dera  Welt 
karz   is   am   beschta. 

's  is  wunnerbar,  wie  schtark  'm  Mensch  sei 
Gedanka  trawcla,  wann  mer  in  en  Pinch  kummt 
wie  sel.  Dieweil  as  der  Bar  in  da  Hecka  rum- 
gedroscha  is,  haw  ich  meh  im  Kop  g'hat  as  en 
Frenologist  mer  saga  kennt.  Wie  ich  die 
Flint  gecockt  hab,  haw  ich  darch  mei  ganr 
Lewa  g'sehna,  ini's  war  gar  net  satisfactory ; 
sel  muss  ich  b'schteh.  Die  Polly  hot  sel  schun 
oft  g'saat,  awer  ich  hab  als  gemeent,  ihr  Judg- 
ment wiir  schwach.  Nau  hot's  mich  erinnert, 
dass  ich  der  Drucker  net  bezahit  hab  for  die 
Zeiting  drei  Johr.  Ich  hab  der  Polly  ken  neier 
Bonnet  kaaft  sitter  as  der  Horace  Greeley 
geronnt  is  for  President,  un  ich  hab  da 
Kercharot  verscholta,  weil  sie  mich  g'frogt  hen 
for  fufzig  Cent  zum  Parresloh  duh.  All  mei 
Sinda   sin  ufg'schtanna  wie   Saldata,   for  mich 


LITERARY  GEMS 


4r 


nunner  schlag-a.  Ich  hab  an  inei  l)eliebte  arme 
Familia  gedcnkt.  Liewer  Gruiid,  wie  geht's 
mit  ihna,  wann  der  Biir  mich  fresst? 

Ich  hab  draurig  g'fihlt  for  die  Mourners 
sehna  so  solemn  gucka,  un  gcwunnert  was  uf 
der  Grabschtee  kunmit.  Juscht  Ictscht  Woch 
'haw  ich  en  Verteldaler  g'schpoiit  for  Duwak, 
un  die  Kinner  hen  ken  Zuckerschtcnglen 
g'hat  in  scchs  Monet,  's  is  mer  beig'falla,  dass 
die  Polly  g'schtichclt  hot  for  zeha  Cent  for  in 
die  Collect,  for  Missionaries  in  die  Heidalanner 
schicka,  un  ich  hab  sie  schnarrig  beantwort. 
Un   der   Biir   is  needier  un   neecher  kumma. 

Ich  hab's  Weiss  vun  seina  Aaga  sehna  ken- 
na.  Er  hot's  Maul  gross  uf  g'hat  un  erschreck- 
lich  wietig  geguckt.     Ich  hab  abgedrickt,  awer 


's  is  net  los  ganga.  un  der  Bjir  is  als  neecher 
kumma. 

Nau  schtellt  er  sich  widder  uf  die  hinnera 
Fiess,  un  rast  un  brummt  schauderhaft.  Ich 
hab  sei  warmer  Odem  g'fihlt  uf  meim  g'sicht, 
un  's  is  alles  schwarz  warra  vor  meina  Aaga. 
0-o-o-o-oh  !  Es  trefft  mich  ebbes  grad  iwer's 
Herz. 

Wie  ich  widder  zu  kumma  bin,  hot  die 
Polly  a'g'fanga  :  "Du  alt's  Kalb,  leg  dich  niwer 
un  nemm  dei  kalta  Fiess  vun  meim  Buckel, 
odder  ich  kick  dich  aus'm  Bett." 

Ich  denk  seller  Biir  lebt  noch,  awer  der 
neekscht  Dag  haw  ich  so  verdeihenkert  klee- 
g'fihlt,  ich  het  darch  'n  Poschtaloch  schluppa 
kenna  unne  die  SchtifTcl  auszuduh. 


GEBURTSMONET-PROFEZEIING  A . 

FROM     "UNSER     PEENSYLVANISCH-DEITSCHER     KALENNER." 


En  Maniiskerl,  wu  im  Janner  gebora  is, 
macht  en  schaffiger  Kerl  un  gleicht  ah  ebbes 
zu  trinka,  wann  er  schun  alsemol  newanaus 
geht.  Er  gebt  ennihau  en  arrig  g'schpassiger 
Ding,  ini  singa  kann  er,  bei  Tschinks,  dass  's 
alles  biet.  Es  W^eibsmensch,  wu  in  dem 
Monet  uf  die  Welt  kummt,  gebt  en  schmarte 
Hausfrah.  Wann  sie  schun  alsemol  en  bissel 
brutzig  dreiguckt,  hot  sie  doch  en  gut  Herz. 

Der  Mann,  wu  im  Harning  gebora  is,  werd 
arg  for  Geldmacha,  awer  noch  viel  arger  for 
die  Weibsleit.  Daheem  is  er  arrig  knaps,  awer 
wann  er  uf  en  Schprie  geht,  noh  fiJilt  er  reich 
un  gebt  net  meh  um  en  Daler  as  Unsereens 
um  en  Cent.  Es  Meedel,  wu  im  Harning 
a'kummt,  gebt  en  ivveraus  gute  Hausfrah  un 
en  gute  Mammi,  wu  die  Welt  vun  ihra  Kinner 
denkt. 

Der  Mann,  wu  im  Marz  gebora  is,  guckt  so 
schlick  as  wann  er  juscht  aus  ra  Bandbox 
g'schluppt  wiir.  O  mei,  was  en  scheener  Buh  ! 
Er  gebt  awer  ah  en  ehrlicher,  dummer  Jockel, 
wu  sei  Lebdag  zu  nix  kummt.  's  Weibsmensch, 
wu  sich  im  Marz  jahrt,  gebt  en  verdollt  wiescht 
schpeitvoll  Babbelmaul,  wu  ihr  Nas  iwerall  in 
anner   Leit    Bisness   neischteckt. 

Der  IMann,  wu  en  Aprilbobbel  war,  hot  viel 
Kreiz  un  Elend  darchzumacha.  Er  gebt  en 
Rumlafer  un  Lodel,  gleicht  awer  doch  sei  Frah 
iweraus — wann  er  eene  hot.  's  Meedel  kann 
all  recht  sei,  awer  en  Maul  hot's — macht 
juscht.   dass   ihr   aus'm   Wew  kummt. 

Schecna,  schtolza  Mannsleit  bringt  der  Moi 
— un  was  sie  siess  schwetza  kenna !  Die  ]\Ieed, 
wu  soicha  kriega,  meena  wunners  was  sie  Glick 
hetta.  's  Weibsmensch,  wu  im  Moi  kimimt — 
well,  des  is  juscht  exactly's  seem  schtolzfihlig 
Ding. 

Die  Junibuwa  sin  kleena  Knerps,  wu  mer 
schier  in  en  Sack  schtecka  kennt ;  awer  arrig 
schlimm  for  die  Weibsleit — sei  is  en  Fact — 
un  iweraus  grossa  Kinnerfreind.  Sie  kenna's 
awer  bei  da  Meed  net  recht  kumma.  's  Juni- 
meedel  is  net  ganz  wie  sie  sei  sot,  wann  sie 
schun  der  Kaffee  besser  gle'icht  as  eenig  ebbes 
sunscht. 

Was  en  gtitguckiger  Dingerich  is  doch  der 
Tschuleibuh  un  wie  gut  genadurt !  Er  deet 
sei  Lewa  gewa  for  sei   Frah.     's  Meedel  is  so 


un  so,  juscht  dass  die  Nas  net  so  lang  un 
schpitzig  sei  breicht.  Sie  is  zimlich  gut 
g'scheept,  hot  awer'n  Maul,  wann  sie  a'fangt 
schelta.  as  mer  meena  sot,  en  ganze  Trupp 
Wildkatza  deeta   Hochzigfrolic  drin   halta. 

Der  Mannskerl,  wu  im  Auguscht  a'kummt, 
will  hoch  naus  un  hot  arrig  Schponk.  awer 
doch  schlecht  Glick  in  a  deel  Sacha.  's 
Weibsmensch  is  artlich  schee  un  kriegt  zwee 
Manner,  denkt  awer  meh  vum  erschta  as  vum 
zwetta  un  bejuhst  den  alsemol.  dass  es  arrig- 
is. 

Der  Septemberbuh— guck  amol.  was  en- 
schtauter  Chap  un  was  en  langkeppiger  Bis- 
nessmann,  un  doch  so  lass  mit  seinra  Frah!' 
Ken  Wunner,  dass  er  so  viel  Truwel  mit  ra 
hot.  's  Meedel  is  so  schee,  dass  mer  sie  fressa 
kennt.  Sie  hot  en  appelrund  G'sicht.  hella 
Hoor,  is  plaudrig  un  geglicha  vun  alia  Leit. 
Freindr-hot  sie  so  viel  as  's  Micka  gebt  im 
Frihjohr. 

Der  Oktowerbuh  is  gar  net  schlechtguckig, 
awer  nemmt  eich  in  Acht  vor  em,  ^Nleed.  er 
meent's  net  ehrlich.  's  Meedel,  wu'n  Ok- 
towerlx)bbel  war.  gebt  en  gross,  schtaut  Dier, 
awer  verannerlich.  Sie  gebt  nix  drum,  wann 
doch   viel  besser. 

Was  a  schee  G'sicht  hot  er  doch.  der  Novem- 
berbuh.  as  wann's  gemolt  war!  Awer  meind, 
er  is  eener  vun  sella,  wu  heit  warm  sin  un 
marga  kalt.  wu  heit  die  Suss  gleicha  un  marga 
der  Sal  nohlaafa.  Er  bringt's  awer  net  weit 
mit  sella  Tricks  un  bleibt  en  armer  Schlucker 
so  lang  er  der  Ochdem  ziegt.  's  Meedel  hot  en 
hibsch  G'.sicht,  awer  'n  bissel  a  lose  Zung.  For 
all  sei  kriegt  zie  zwee  Manner,  wu  vor  lauter 
Freed  iwer  sie  bal   schterwa. 

Der  Decemberbuh — ach.  was  en  guter  Mann 
for'n  an  der  Nas  rumfihra,  wann  er  ah  alse- 
mol en  bissel  mault !  Des  gebt  awer  ah  moi 
en  Kerl,  wu  vun  seinra  Frah  um  der 
Schtumpa  rum  gewippt  werd.  's  Meedel  kann 
net  gebotta  werra,  so  schee  is  sie.  Sie  is 
g'scheept  as  wann  sie  uf  der  Drehbank  ab- 
g'schnitzelt  war,  un  schwetza  kann  sie  so  siess 
as  Hunnig.  Sei  macht,  dass  sie  zwee  Manner 
kriegt.  wu  ihr  da  letscht  Cent  versaufa,  wann 
sie  ah  die  Saufschulda  all  bezahlt,  for  ihr 
guter  Nama  halta. 


42 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT 


H.  A    SCHULER, 
Editor 


H.   VV.  KRIEBEL, 
Publisher  and  Proprietor 


Mrs.  H.  H.  FUNK,   E.  S.  GERHARD 
A-ssociate  Ediiors 


The  Pennsylvania-German  is  an  illustrated  monthly 
magazine  devoted  to  the  biography,  history,  genealogy, 
folklore,  literature  and  general  interests  of  German 
and  Swiss  settlers  in  Pennsylvania  and  other  States, 
and   of   their   descendants. 

Price,  per  year,  $1.50,  in  advance;  single  copies, 
15  cents.  Foreign  postage,  25  cents  a  year  extra. 
Club-rates  furnished  on  application.  Payments 
credited    by    mail. 

Discontinuance. — The  magazine  will  be  sent  until 
order  to  discontinue  is  received.  This  is  done  to 
accommodate  the  majority  of  subscribers,  who  do 
not   wish   to   have  their   files  broken. 

Notice    of    E.xpiration    of    subscription    is    given    by 

Working  Ahead  and  Falling  Back. 

F  there  is  an  individual  whose 
occupation  compels  him  to 
"take  time  by  the  forelock," 
it  is  the  magazine-editor. 
In  order  that  his  finished 
product  may  appear  on 
time,  he  must  work  ahead  of  time  a  full 
month  or  more. 

This  working-  ahead  has  its  disadvan- 
tages. The  editor  in  his  work  is  depen- 
dent on  contributors,  engravers  and 
printers,  and  a  little  delay  here  added  to 
a  little  there  may  mean  a  considerable 
belating  of  the  final  result.  Unfortunate- 
ly we  have  experienced  this  anew ;  our 
issues  for  November  and  December  have 
appeared  later  in  the  month  than  usual 
and  later  than  they  ought.  The  delay 
was  due  pardy  to  the  editor,  but  equally 
much  to  the  printer.  For  certain  reasons 
we  rather  fear  this  Januar\'  number  will 
not  be  ready  for  distribution  quite  as 
early  as  we  would  wish ;  but  we  shall  try 
•our  best  to  obviate  henceforth  the  causes 
of  delay  and  have  "our  boy"  make  his 
monthly  round  in  good  time. 

Changes  in  Form  and  Substance. 
The  beginning  of  a  new  volume  is  an 
appropriate  time  to  make  changes  in  a 
periodical,  when  such  are  desirable.  We 
have  made  a  few,  as  the  reader  will  read- 
ily perceive.  The  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man will  come  with  a  new  title-page, 
wearing  a  new  face,  as  it  were.  This 
may  not  be  as  artistic  as  the  old  one,  but 
we  believe  it  will  be  more  serviceable.  A 
fuller  table  of  contents  on  the  front  cover 
is  substituted  for  the  one  heretofore  given 
within,  which  seems  superfluous  in  view 
of  the  classified  index  furnished  at  the  end 
<of  the  year.     We  take  for  granted  that 


using     red     ink     in     addressing     the     wrapper     of     the 
magazine. 

Contributions. — Carefully  prepared  articles  bearing 
on  our  field  are  invited  and  should  be  accompanied 
with  illustrations  when  possible.  No  attention  will 
be  given  to  unsigned  articles,  nor  will  we  be  re- 
sponsible for  the  statements  and  opinions  of  con- 
tributors. Unavailable  manuscripts  will  not  be  re- 
turned unless  stamps  are  sent  to  prepay  postage. 
■  Contributions  intended  for  any  particular  number 
should  be  in  the  editor's  hands  by  the  twenty-fifth  of 
the    second    preceding    month. 

Advertising    Rates    will    be    furnished    by    the    pub- 
lisher   upon    request. 

most  of  our  readers  will  have  their  annual 
volumes  bound  for  permanent  keeping.. 
Other  slight  changes  have  been  made  and 
our  editorial  department  has  been  en- 
larged so  as  to  include  a  new  subdivi- 
sion, which  with  its  special  editor  will  be 
duly  introduced  a  little  further  on. 
Ambitions  Outrunning  Possibilities. 

Thus  we  begin  the  year  of  grace  1908 
still  striving  to  improve  our  magazine  and 
to  search  more  systematically  and  thoro- 
ly  the  vast  field  of  its  endeavors.  Yet 
we  must  confess  that  we  often  find  our- 
selves in  the  situation  of  the  little  boy 
whose  story  we  used  to  read  in  one  of 
Sanders'  School  Readers  many  years 
ago.  Coming  home  from  school  and 
seeing  a  jar  of  filberts  on  the  table,  he 
reached  in  and  grasped  so  many  of  the 
nuts  that  he  could  not  withdraw  his  hand. 
Unwilling  to  let  go  his  hold,  he  was 
caught  until  his  mother,  hearing  him  cry. 
came  to  his  relief.  Thus  our  desires  and 
ambitions  are  apt  to  outrun  possibilities, 
and  we  too  get  caught  occasionally. 
"  Aufgeschoben  ist  Nicht  Aufgehoben." 

For  instance,  we  had  hoped  to  begin 
in  this  January  issue  the  Symposium  on 
The  Pennsylvania-German  in  the  Field 
of  Science,  as  announced  some  time  ago. 
A  superabundance  of  material  and  other 
•  conditions,  some  avoidable,  others  tin- 
avoidable,  have  prevented  this.  We  will 
say  only  this  now\  that  the  articles  belong- 
ing to  this  Symposium  are  coming  and 
that  the  special  editor.  Professor  D.  H. 
Bergev,  M.D.,  of  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania, is  anxious  to  give  our  readers 
a  superior  and  very  valuable  series  of 
papers.  This  is  shown  bv  his  introduc- 
tion to  the  Symposium,  from  which  we 
quote  as  follows : 


EDITORIAL    DEPARTMENT 


A3 


What  the  Symposium-Editor  Desires. 

It  is  the  desire  of  the  special  editor  and  of 
•the  pubHsher  to  make  this  Sjinposium  as  com- 
prehensive and  accurate  as  possible.  Every 
known  means  has  been  employed  to  secure 
the  names  of  all  Pennsylvania-Germans  who 
have  been  or  are  now  engaged  in  any  field 
of  science  as  investigators,  teachers  or  authors. 
A  great  mass  of  facts  has  been  gathered,  and 
these  are  now  being  utilized  by  the  differ- 
ent contributors   to   the   Symposium. 

Nevertheless  it  is  desired  that  all  scientists 
as  well  as  others  interested  in  the  subject 
will  forward  to  the  special  editor,  or  to  the 
publisher,  the  names  of  such  as  are  known 
to  be  of  Pennsylvania-German  descent,  who 
have  been  engaged  in  scientific  pursuits  or  are 
now  engaged  in  scientific  work.  In  addition 
to  this  it  is  desired  to  secure  information  re- 
garding all  the  work  of  the  Pennsylvania- 
Germans  in  the  field  of  science,  so  that  noth- 
ing of  importance  may  be  excluded.  By  the 
cordial  co-operation  of  many  contributors  we 
first  book  published  in  Reading,  a  novel  in 
may  be  able  to  make  the  Symposium  a  work  of 
great   interest  and  value. 

We  urgently  request  every  one  who 
reads  these  lines  and  has  knowledge  of 
any  data  that  may  be  of  interest  and  value 
to  the  special  editor,  to  correspond  with 
him  and  communicate  such  information 
without  delay. 

A  General  Request  Repeated. 

It  seeins  proper  at  this  point  to  repeat 
our  general  request  that  all  items  of  in- 
terest relating  to  our  field — local  history, 
biographical  and  genealogical  notes,  folk- 
lore, books  and  documents  old  or  new, 
newspaper-  or  magazine-articles,  house- 
hold-affairs, the  doings  of  historical  so- 
cieties, etc., — be  forwarded  to  the  publish- 
er, the  editor  or  the  special  editors.  This 
magazine  should  be  a  record  of  all  im- 
portant events  bearing  on  Pennsylvania- 
German  life,  and  if  all  take  part  in  col- 
lecting the  facts,  its  value  wSJl  be  great- 


ly increased.  It  essentially  belongs  to  the 
subscribers,  whose  subscription-moneys 
make  its  publication  possible.  The  more 
aid  they  give,  the  luore  interesting  and 
valuable  it  must  become. 

One  Reason  for  Getting  Caught. 

One  main  reason  why  the  publisher, 
like  the  boy  iii  the  schoolbook-story  re- 
ferred to  above,  gets  caught  sometimes, 
is  that  his  subscription-list  has  not  been 
growing  as  fast  as  it  should.  An  esteemed 
subscriber  said  recently:  "It  is  high  time 
for  the  Pennsylvania-Germans  to  assert 
themselves  more  generally,  so  as  to  nail 
more  effectually  the  libels  and  misrepre- 
sentations purposely  as  well  as  innocent- 
ly cast  abroad."  If  you  agree  with  this 
correspondent,  and  we  believe  that  you 
do,  can  you  do  much  better  service  to 
this  cause  than  securing  new  subscrip- 
tions for  The  Pennsylvania-German  ? 

A  few  weeks  ago  we  sent  out  to  sub- 
scribers a  circular  letter,  an  appeal  for 
aid,  embodying  among  other  items  a  nuin- 
ber  of  liberal  clubbing-offers.  If  you 
have  not  yet  replied  to  this  letter,  please 
do  so  at  once.  If  each  subscriber  would 
secure  but  two  new  ones,  at  an  outlay  of 
$1.50  at  the  utmost,  a  great  forward  step 
could  be  taken.  The  publisher  has  given 
much  time,  thought  and  money  to  the 
magazine.  Will  you  not  do  your  part  to 
help  it  and  the  cause  it  represents  ? 

Correction  of  a  Name. 

In  our  December  issue  the  name  of  the 
subject  of  our  biographical  sketch  was 
given  erroneously,  in  the  heading  and 
under  the  frontispiece  portrait,  as  Walter 
Jacob  Hoffman.  M.  D.  It  should  be 
Waher  James  Hoffman.  M.  D..  as  it  ap- 
pears in  the  text. 


Clippings  from  Current  News 


Old  Bible  as  Family-Heirloom. 

At  a  sale  of  personal  property  belonging  to 
the  estate  of  Aaron  L.  Trauger,  deceased,  of 
Nockamixon.  Bucks  countv.  William  H. 
Traucli  bought  a  German  Bible,  printed  at 
Nuremberg  in  1747  and  brought  over  by 
Christian  Trauger,  ancestor  of  the  Trauger 
family  in  America.  Christian  Traueer  was 
born  at  Beckinbach.  Darmstadt.  Germany, 
March  30,  1726,  landed  at  Philadelphia  from 
the    ship    Restoration,    October    9.     1747,    and 


settled  in  Nockamixon.  He  died  January  8, 
181 1,  and  since  then  the  Bible  has  passed  thro' 
the  Iiands   of   three   of  his   descendants. 

A  School-Teacher's  Artistic  Clock. 

William  N.  Brunner,  a  young  school-teacher 
in  Slatington,  has  constructed  a  grandfather's- 
clock  that  is  a  uninue  w-ork  of  art  and  an 
exact  timekeeper.  The  case,  which  is  90  inches 
high,  is  of  walnut,  the  decorations  are  of 
American  hollvwood.  The  clock  shows  Father 
Time  with  scythe  and  hourglass  sitting  against 


44 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


a  sun-dial,  a  Roman  sentinel  with  sword  and 
shield,  female  lyre-players  and  dancers,  boy 
buglers  and  other  figures,  surrounded  by  fine 
grille-work.  Instead  of  striking  the  hour, 
the  clock  plays  two  tunes  alternately.  Its 
movements  were  made  in  New  York,  the  musi- 
cal attachments  in  Switzerland.  Mr.  Brun- 
ner  has  had  no  training  in  wood-carving  ex- 
cept that  which  he  received  in  the  Keystone 
State  Normal  School,  at  Kutztown,  from 
which    he    graduated    in    1906. 

Unexpected  Honors  in  Orthography. 

Dr.  W.  W.  Deatrick,  a  member  of  the  fac- 
ulty of  the  Keystone  State  Normal  School, 
was  much  surprised  recently  by  a  letter  from 
the  Simplified-Spelling  Board  informing  him 
that,  upon  nomination  by  Dr.  Charles  P.  G. 
Scott,  he  had  been  elected  a  member  of  the 
advisory  council  of  said  Board.  This  council 
is  to  consist  of  about  a  hundred  "scholars,  ed- 
ucators and  others  interested  in  intellectual 
and  social  progress,  to  whom  shall  be  referred 
for  their  opinion  and  advice  all  prooosals  for 
the   simplification   of   English   spelling." 

L)r.  Scott  is  an  eminent  philologist  and  edi- 
tor-in-chief of  the  great  Century  Dictionary, 
which  in  its  latest  edition  has  given  unquali- 
fied endorsement  to  the  simplified-spelling 
movement.  The  distinction  conferred  on  Dr. 
Deatrick  was  the  more  unexpected  because  he 
had  no  personal  acquaintance  with  Dr.  Scott 
and  no  previous  correspondence  on  the  sub- 
ject of  simplified  spelling  with  any  one. 

Home  Education  for  Rural  Boys  and  Girls. 

Superintendent  Eli  M.  Rapp.of  Berks  coun- 
ty, has  inaugurated  a  very  successful  move- 
ment for  home  education  among  the  boys  and 
girls  of  the  rural  schools  under  his  supervision. 
The  pupils  form  clubs  and  undertake  various 
kinds  of  farm  and  household  work.  The  boys 
raise  corn,  potatoes  and  other  vegetables,  as 
well  as  poultry,  hogs,  pigeons,  rabbits  and  cat- 
tle ;  the  girls  engage  in  sewing,  cooking,  bak- 
ing and  gardening,  cultivating  both  vegetables 
and  flowers.  Parents,  teachers  and  pupils 
take  an  active  interest  in  the  movement,  and 
financial  aid  has  come  from  many  sources 
quite  unsolicited,  one  person  offering  $100  in 
gold  as  prizes  for  the  best  work  done  along 
designated  lines.  The  work  does  not  interfere 
with  the  regular  school-program,  as  it  is  all 
done  at  home  under  the  supervision  of  the 
parents.  The  object  of  organizing  those  clubs 
is  to  arouse  in  rural  conmiunities  a  general 
interest  in  industrial  education  ;  moreover,  the 
movement  tends  to  inculcate  the  dignity  of 
work  and  interest  the  children  in  agriculture 
and   country   life. 

In  Memory  of  DeKalb  and  Steuben. 

The  National  German-American  Alliance 
has  decided  to  build  bays  in  memory  of 
Generals  DeKalb  and  Steuben  in  the  Porch 
of  the  Allies  of  the  Washington  Mernorial 
Chapel  at  Valley  Forge.  The  bays  will  be 
built  of  Holmesburg  granite  and  Indiana 
limestone,  and  will  be  similar  to  those  in  the 
Cloister  of  the  Colonies  on  the  other  side  of 
the  chapel.     The  ceilings  will  be  of  oak,  hand- 


carved,  and  will  bear  the  arms  of  Prussia. 
The  arms  of  the  barons  will  be  cast  in  bronze 
and   set   in   the  marble   floors. 

Opposed  to  Memorial  Windows. 

The  proposal  to  have  memorial  windows- 
placed  in  the  Moravian  church  at  Nazareth 
was  defeated  with  38  to  8  votes  and  roused 
so  much  opposition  that  it  was  dropt  imme- 
diately. Nineteen  years  ago  the  same  ques- 
tion was  discussed  and  decided  negatively.  The 
desire  of  the  Church  to  uphold  the  beautiful 
ancient  custom  of  keeping  all  members  on 
an  equal  footing  was  forcibly  presented.  This 
equality  is  most  conspicuously  shown  on 
Moravian  graveyards,  where  all  tombstones- 
are  required  to  be  flat,  and  no  monuments  or 
other    special    ornaments    are    allowed. 

The  First  White  Man  in  the  State. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Bradford  County  His- 
torical Society  held  in  Towanda,  Nov.  23,  C. 
F.  Heverly,  editor  of  the  Bradford  County 
Star,  made  the  startling  statement  that,  ac- 
cording to  reliable  information  recently  un- 
earthed by  himself,  the  first  white  man  to 
set  foot  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  was 
Stephen  Brule,  a  Frenchman.  Brule  also  was 
the  first  white  man  to  visit  what  is  now  Brad- 
ford county,  having  entered  along  the  Sus- 
quehanna. He  had  been  sent  in  1615  by  Sam- 
uel de  Champlain,  the  well  known  explorer, 
to  secure  five  hundred  Indian  warriors  to  help' 
Champlain  in  an  attack  upon  the  Onondaga 
stronghold.  Hitherto  it  was  supposed  that 
Conrad  Weiser  had  been  the  first  white  man 
to  visit   Bradford  county. 

To  Commemorate  a  Bridge-Burning. 

Wilbur  C.  Kraber,  of  York,  is  chairman  of 
a  committee  organized  to  place  memorial  tab- 
lets on  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  bridge 
-  across  the  Susquehanna  at  Columbia  and 
Wrightsville.  to  commemorate  the  burning  of 
the  bridge  there  by  the  Federal  forces  dur- 
ing the  Civil  War.  The  burning  took  place 
on  Sunday  evening.  June  28,  1863,  by  order 
of  Colonel  Jacob  G.  Frick,  who  commanded 
the  Union  forces  in  Columbia  and  vicinity. 
The  day  before  an  effort  had  been  made  to 
blow  up  the  bridge,  but  the  fuses  failed ;  then 
Colonel  Frick  ordered  that  it  be  burned,  so 
that  the  Confederates  could  not  cross  the  river. 

Erdenheim  to  Become  a  Girl's  Orphanage. 

By  the  will  of  the  late  Robert  N.  Carson,  his 
beautiful  country-home  Erdenheim,  on  the 
Wissahickon,  in  the  lower  end  of  Aiontgomery 
county,  is  to  become  the  site  of  a  great  insti- 
tution for  orphan  girls.  The  place  was  settled 
and  named  in  1751  bv  Johaim  Georg  Hocker. 
a  wealthy  native  of  Wiirttemberg.  One  night 
in  1800  two  burglars,  believing  that  Hocker  had 
much  money  concealed  in  his  house,  broke  in. 
but  after  a  bloody  combat  were  overpowered 
and  tied.  Some  young  men  who  had  been 
attenc^ing  an  applebutter-party  nearby  came 
along  and  took  the  burglars  to  jail  in  Norris- 
town.  Several  days  later  the  prisoners  es- 
caped from  jail  and  returned  to  the  vicinity  of 
Erdenheim,  but  were  captured  and  afterwards 


CLIPPINGS    FROM    CURRENT    NEWS 


45 


convicted  and  sentenced.  Since  tlie  sixties, 
when  Aristidvs  Welsh  bought  Erdeniieim,  it 
has   been    famous   as   a   stock-farm. 

Reception  to  a  Home-Coming  Professor. 

The  membership  of  tiie  Association  of  (]er- 
man  Writers  in  America,  an  account  of  which 
was  given  by  its  recording  secretary.  Riciiard 
E.  Helbig,  in  our  issue  for  May.  1907,  now 
amounts  to  about  150.  An  important  event  of 
recent  date  was  the  reception  and  banquet 
given  Professor  John  W.  Burgess,  exchange 
professor  at  tlie  Berlin  University  during 
1906-1907.  in  the  Liederkran/.-Halle,  Nov.  21, 
1907.  Addresses  were  given  on  this  occasion 
by  President  N.  M.  Butler,  of  Columbia,  Dr. 
R.  Leonhard,  the  German  exchange-profes.sor 
at  Columbia,  Dr.  Kuno  I^'rancke.  Dr.  Hugo 
Miinsterberg  and  others.  Mr.  _  Helbig  has  been 
re-elected  recording  secretary  of  the  Associa- 
tion  for  the  current  year. 

First  Volume  of  the  "  Corpus  "  Complete. 

The  first  volume  of  the  Corpus  S'ciizvnik- 
feldianoriDii,  the  great  literary  work  in  which 
Dr.  Chester  D.  Hartranft  and  a  force  of  as- 
sistants have  been  engaged  since  1885,  has  been 
completed.  It  comprises  7;^;^  -^uarto  pages,  at- 
tractively and  substantially  bound  in  half  calf. 
It  contains  an  advertisement  of  the  publica- 
tion-board, an  introduction  by  Dr.  Hartranft 
and  six  of  the  earlier  letters  of  Schwenkfeld  in 
the  original,  followed  by  a  translation  and  criti- 
cal discussion.  The  entire  work  is  to  comprise 
eighteen   volumes. 

Another  Booksale  by  Ex-Gov.  Pennypacker. 

The  fifth  section  of  Ex-tjovernor  Penn}'- 
packer's  collection  of  rare  old  volumes  was 
recently  brought  under  li.e  auctioneer's  ham- 
mer. The  highest  price  paid,  $210,  was  for 
seven  New  Testaments  printed  by  Christopher 
Saur  at  Gcrmantown  between  1745  and  1755, 
the   only   complete   set   on   record.      The   next- 


highest  price.  $140,  was  for  "An  Account  of 
Great  Divisions  Amongst  the  Quakers  in 
Pennsylvania,"  etc.,  printed  in  London  in  1692. 
"Trutli  Advanced  in  the  Correction  of  Many 
Gross  and  Hurtful  Errors,"  etc.,  the  first  book 
published  in  New  York,  in  1694,  brought  $130. 
The  first  Bible  printed  in  America,  Saur's  edi- 
tion of  1743,  brought  $26.  A  number  of  Saur 
almanacs,  beginning  with  1741,  were  .sold  at 
$1  to  $8  apiece.  F.  P.  Harper,  of  New  York, 
bought  the  fir.st  book  printed  in  German  type 
in  America,  by  Saur  in  1739,  for  $26.  Many 
other  rare  volumes  were  sold  comparatively 
cheap.  The  celebrated  Aiken  Bible,  in  two 
volumes,  valued  at  $800,  sold  for  $420;  a  copy 
of  the  first  American  edition  of  the  Proposed 
Book  of  Common  Prayer  for  $20,  and  the  first 
edition  of  The  Federalist  for  $19.  Similar 
copies  of  these  two  were  recently  sold  for  $85 
and  $90.  The  first  American  edition  of 
Shakespeare,  in  eight  volumes,  worth  $150  ac- 
cording to  the  bookmen,   sold   for  $5.25. 

OBITUARIES. 

Stephen  Rex,  known  throout  Lehigh  coun- 
ty for  fifty  years  as  "the  Cider-King,"  died 
near  Fogelsville,  Nov.  7,  aged  77.  He  was  a 
son  of  George  Rex  and  as  a  young  man  bought 
a  farm  near  Kernsville,  on  which  he  erected 
one  of  the  first  cider-presses  in  the  county. 
This  he  operated  until  a  few  years  ago. 

DANIEL  Kehs,  a  well  known  citizen  of 
Hereford,  Berks  county,  died  suddenly  Nov. 
19,  in  his  seventy-fourth  year.  Forty  years 
ago,  Mr.  Kehs  and  his  twin  brother  Henry 
were  stage-drivers,  making  three  trips  a  week 
from  Hereford  to  Norristown  and  Boyertown, 
respectively. 

Beulah  Funk,  a  missionary  of  the 
Christian  and  Missionary  Alliance  in  China, 
died  recently  at  Shanghai.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  Rev.  J.  B.  Funk,  of  Lancaster,  a  minister 
of  the  U.  B.  Church,  and  had  gone  to  China 
about  a  year  ago. 


Chat  with  Correspondents 


Suiting  the  Act  to  the  Word. 

In    sending    his    renewal    a    subscriber    uses 
these   encouraging   words  : 

It  is  with  pleasure  that  I  enclose  money- 
order  for  $1.50  for  the  renewal  of  my  sub- 
scription  to  The   Pennsvlvani.\-Germ.\n. 
Permit   me   to   congratulate   you   upon   the 
able  manner  and  the  excellent  makeup   in 
which  the  magazine  has  come  to  its  read- 
ers in  the  past.     1  certainly  enjoy  reading 
the   many   valuable   articles   that   you   pub- 
lish  from  month   to  month. 
Many    thanks    for    your    kind    words.      The 
publisher    enjoys    these.      A    certain    old    min- 
ister used  to  say:     "A  Gross  Dank  and  a  pen- 
ny will  pay  for  a  pretzel."     While  such  words 
are  greatly   appreciated.   respon.ses   to   our   ap- 
peal  for  new   subscriptions  with  cash   enclosed 
will  be  much  more  serviceable  for  paying  bills. 
We  zcrlcomc  expressions  of  opinion  about  the 
magazine,    favorable    or    unfavorable,    but    we 
must    hai'e    more    subscriptiorrs". 


"  Go  Ye  and  Do  Likewise." 

The  following,  coming  from  a  highly  es- 
teemed friend  in  response  to  our  recent  circu- 
lar letter,  is  quoted  in  the  hope  that  it  may 
inspire  other  subscribers  to  follow  the  writer's 
example : 

Your  latest  in  the  interest  of  The  Penn- 
sylvania-German is  at  hand.  *  *  *  I  feel 
sort  of  guilty  and  ashamed  for  not  doing 
something  for  so  good  a  cause,  so  that 
now  I  must  say:  Almost  thou  persuadest 
me  to  become  a — canvasser.  I  will'  try 
and  do  something  for  the  good  Pennsvl- 
vani.a-Germ.\n.  I  will  put  a  copy  of  it 
in  my  pocket— put  The  Pennsylvania- 
German,  as  it  were,  into  a  Pennsylvania- 
German,  and  will  show  it  and  speak  a  good 
word  for  it  to  such  as  ought  to  take  it. 
Whether  this  will  produce  results.  I  know 
not.  Keep  on  hustling.  You  have  the 
satisfaction  of  knowing,  that  your  work  is 
appreciated,  whether  it  pays  or  not. 


46 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Differences  in  the  Dialect. 

A  valued  subscriber  and  contributor,  in 
sending  us  a  production  in  the  dialect,  writes 
thus : 

You   are   aware   that   the    Pennsylvania- 
Germans  in  your  part  of  the  State  use  a 
number  of  words   which   we   do   not   em- 
ploy in  our   section  and  vice  versa.     The 
same  is  true  in  regard  to  certain  phrases, 
the   structure   of   sentences,   etc. 
Yes,  Brother,  we  are  aware  of  these  differ- 
ences.    Will   you   not   jot   down    some  of  the 
variations  you  have  noticed  for  publication  in 
this    magazine?      We    have    been    planning    a 
series  of  papers  on  dialect-variations  for  some 
time.    If  you  will  set  the  ball  rolling,  others  no 
doubt  will  follow. 

Is  This  Judgment  too  Severe  ? 

With  reference  to  Professor  Hart's  article, 
reprinted  in  our  November  number,  a  reader 
writes  as   follows : 

The  more  I  look  into  the  matter  the 
more  I  am  convinced  that  a  full-fledged 
New-Englander,  whether  by  birth  or 
"assimilation,"  is  not  broad-minded  enough 
to  see  much  good  outside  of  the 
six  little  New  England  States  and  the 
descendants  of  the  early  inhabitants  there- 


of. I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  the  ne 
plus  ultra  class  are  ready  to  taboo 
Whittier's  Barbara  Fritchie  as  soon  as- 
they  know  that  she  was  a  real  personage 
and  a  genuine  Pennsylvania-German  at 
that. 

I  have  also  been  thinking  that  it  is  high, 
time  for  the  Pennsylvania-Germans  to  as- 
sert themselves  more  generalh^,  so  as  to 
nail  more  effectually  the  libels  and  mis- 
representations purposely  as  well  as  in- 
nocently cast  abroad. 

A  Chance  to  Bestow  a  Gift. 

If  any  one  of  our  subscribers  wishes  to  dis- 
pose of  his  copies  of  the  magazine,  he  may  be 
interested  in  the  following,  coming  from  a 
Carnegie  library.  We  had  to  say  no  to  the 
opportunity,  because  we  have  no  complete  sets 
available  and  can  not  afford  to  go  on  the 
market  and  buy  in  order  to  give  away. 

This  Library  has  long  wished  to  own 
a  set  of  your  Pennsylvania-German^  but 
has  never  been  able  to  purchase  one  out- 
right. Would  it  be  possible  for  you  to 
present  to  the  Library  a  complete  set  of 
The  Pennsylvania-German,  the  same  to 
be  entered  as  a  gift  from  your  organiza- 
tion? 


Genealogical  Notes  and  Queries 

This  department  is  open  to  all  our  subscribers.  Contributors  will  please  state  their  questions  and  in- 
formation as  clearly  and  briefly  as  possible,  being  particularly  careful  in  writing  names  and  dates.  For  the 
benefit  of  readers  generally,  it  is  desired  that  answers  to  questions  under  this  head  be  addressed  to  the 
editor   of  this   magazine. 


XXXVI. 

The  Nationality  of  Daniel  Boone. 

A  reader  says : 

I  have  noticed  in  your  magazine  several 

references  to  Daniel  Boone.     Can  you  tell 

me  certainly  of  his  nationality?     Was  he 

German,  English,  or  something  else? 

Who  can   give   us  exact   data   in  answer  to 

these   questions? 


XXXVII. 
Another  Inquiry  About  Benjamin  Newland. 

Information  is  desired  as  to  the  Revolution- 
ary services  of  Benjamin  Newland,  who  was 
born  in  York  county,  Pa.,  in  1763  and  who,, 
when  sixteen  years  of  age,  joined  the  Revo- 
lutionary army.  He  probably  went  from  York 
county.  N.  T.  DePauw. 

New   Albany,    Ind. 


Our  Book-Table 


Any  book  or  pamphlet  reviewed  in  this  magazine  will  be  sent  to  any  address  by  the  publisher  of  The 
Pennsylvania-German  on  receipt  of  the  published  price.  Postage  must  be  added  when  mentioned  sep- 
arately. Any  other  book  wanted  by  our  readers  may  be  ordered  thro'  us  at  the  publisher's  price.  Inquiries- 
relating  to  such  books  will  be  promptly  and  cheerfully  answered. 


The  German  Element  of  the  Shenandoah  Val- 
ley of  Virginia.  By  John  Walter  Way- 
land,  B.A.,  Ph.D.,  Assistant  and  Fellow  'in 
History,  University  of  Virginia,  Member 
of  the  Virginia  Historical  Society,  the 
Southern  History  Association  and  the 
Pennsylvania-German         Society.  The 

Michie  Company,   Printers,  Charlottesville, 
Va.      284    pages    octavo.      Price    in    cloth, 
$2;    paper,   $1.25. 
The  history  of  the  Germans  in  the  Southern 


University  of  Virginia,  to  the  title  of  Doctor 
of  Philosophy,  will  be  specially  welcome  to  the 
student  of  German-American  history.  As  the 
author  states  in  his  preface,  he  has  turned  to  this 
subject  partly  from  natural  inclination,  partly 
from  a  sense  of  duty.  "It  is  a  patent  fact,"  he 
says,  "that  the  German  element  in  Virginia 
has  received  but  slight  attention,  either  in  the 
thought  and  literature  of  our  larger  Virginia, 
or  in  the  thought  and  concern  of  the  German 
element  itself.     And  the  fact  is  not   singular. 


States  of  the  Union  is  a  field  i>  which  as  yet  The  prevailing  element  of  our  State  is  English ; 

comparatively     few     explorers     have     labored.  our  language  is  English,  and  not  even  a  Ger- 

Hence  the  present  work,  which  embodies  suf-  man   would   have   it   anything   else ;   hence  our 

ficient    original    research    to    have    entitled    the  books    and    our    thought    are    English    and    of 

author,  in  the  judgment  of  the  faculty  of  the  England.    .    .    .    This  is  only  analogous  to  the 


OUR  BOOK-TABLE 


AT 


larger  fact  in  our  country  as  a  whole.  The 
German  fiftli  or  fourth  of  our  American  na- 
tion is  often  forgotten — we  love  old  England 
so  well.  Yet  the  student,  at  least,  should  not 
be  so  forgetful — he  loves  the  German  schools 
too  well."    . 

In  the  thirteen  chapters  of  the  book  before 
us  the  student  will  find  much,  both  of  history 
and  description,  to  repay  his  careful  perusal. 
Beginning  with  a  geographical  outline  of  the 
Shenandoah  Valley,  tlie  author  gives  an  ac- 
count of  the  exploration  and  settlement  of  the 
country  and  then  goes  on  to  describe  the  people 
in  their  home  and  church  life,  "in  their  schools, 
fields  and  workshops,  and  in  the  larger  rela- 
tions of  Church  and  State  as  affected  by  peace 
and  war."  An  Appendix  of  S8  pages,  giving 
lists  of  names  of  inhabitants,  members  of  Con- 
gress and  the  Virginia  Legislature,  Revolution- 
ary pensioners,  etc.,  also  an  e.xtended  bibliog- 
raphy, adds  much  to  the  interest  and  value  of 
the  book. 

Der  Deutsche  Tas^.     Denkschrift  zur  Feier  des 
Zweigverbandes    Chicago,    Deutsch-Ameri- 
kanischer    Nationalbund,    Sonntag    den    6. 
October   1907,  im  Auditorium. 
This    is    a    really    elegant    souvenir    of    last 
year's  celebration  of  German  Day  in  Chicago, 
comprising    about    forty    quarto    pages    of    ap- 
propriate reading-matter  and  a  number  of  fine 
illustrations.     Its  leading  feature  is  a  history 
of    the    Germans    in    America,    carefully    pre- 
pared   from    reliable    sources   by    Emil    Mann- 
hardt,  secretary  of  the  German-American  His- 
torical   Society   of    Illinois,    and    a    contributor 
to  this  magazine.     It  also  contains  the  oration 
delivered  by  Dr.  C.  J.  Hexamer,  of  Philadel- 
phia, president  of  the  National  German-Ameri- 
can Alliance,  at  the  Jamestown  Exposition,  on 
German    Day,    Aug.    i,    1907,    in    the    original 
English. 

Weltbote-Kalender  fiir  das  Jahr  unseres  Herrn 
1908.    Weltbote  Publishing  Co.,  Allentown, 
Pa.     Price,  25  cents. 
This   is   a   pamphlet   of    141    pages    reading- 
matter    in    neat    paper    covers.      The    almanac 
proper    is   given    in    wonted    fulness,    with    all 
needed      explanations,      extracts      from      the 
weather-forecasts      of      the      Hxindertjdhrige 
Kalender    and    a    table    showing    the    date    of 
Easter    for   every  year   of   the   twentieth   cen- 
tury.    Following  the  custom  introduced  by  its 
former  editor,  the  late  John  Waelchli,  of  de- 
scribing the   leading   cities  of   the   world,    we 
find    here    the    first    part   of    a    description    of 


Philadelphia.  The  new  naturalization-law,  ap- 
proved June  29,  1906,  and  a  list  of  questions 
usually  asked  of  applicants  for  citizenship,  in 
German  and  English,  are  of  special  value  tO' 
lately  arrived  immigrants  from  the  fatherland ; 
so  is  the  list  of  Government  officials  and  of 
German,  Swiss  and  Austrian  consuls.  A  re- 
view of  the  world's  history  from  October,. 
1906,  to  October,  1907,  fills  several  pages.  Be- 
sides, there  is  the  usual  variety  of  fiction,  biog- 
raphy, poetry  (including  Harbaugh's  Der  Rcje- 
boge),  music,  household  recipes,  humor,  etc. 
Modern  Language  Notes.  Published  month- 
ly, with  intermission  from  July  to  October 
inclusive,  by  the  managing  editor,  A.  M. 
Elliott,  at  Baltimore.  Price,  $1.50  a  year, 
20  cents  a  copy. 
This  publication  is  "devoted  to  tlfe  interests 
of  the  academic  study  of  English,  German  and 
the  Romance  languages."  The  November  issue 
has  the  continuation  of  an  essay  on  All  of 
the  Five  Fictitious  Editions  of  Writings  of 
Machiavelli  and  Three  of  Those  of  Pietro- 
Aretino  Printed  by  John  Wolfe  of  London 
(1584-1589),  The  Plays  of  Paul  Hervieu,  Notes 
on  the  Spanish  Drama,  etc.  Those  who  de- 
light in  the  study  of  the  languages  above  named' 
and  can  read  them  fluently,  not  only  in  their 
modern  but  also  in  their  archaic  forms,  will 
here  fine  ample  material  for  instruction  and 
diversion. 

Nachrichten  des  "Verhands  deutscher  Schrift- 
steller  in  Amerika."  This  is  the  monthly 
organ  of  the  Association  of  German 
Writers  in  America,  an  account  of  whose- 
origin,  aims  and  purposes  w-as  given  in 
this  magazine  in  May,  1907,  as  contrib- 
uted by  the  Association's  recording  secre- 
tary, R.  H.  Helbig,  of  New  York. 
It   is    devoted   to   the   interests   of  members 

and   contains   a    full    list  of   their   names   and 

addresses,  as  well  as  of  their  contributions  to- 

German-American  literature. 

Dc  Nocht  for  Kristdawg.    By  Solly  Hulsbuck. 
Fully    illustrated    with    drawings    by    the 
author    himself.      The    Hawthorne    Press^ 
Elizabethville,   Pa.     Price,   10  cents. 
A  booklet,  "short  but  sweet,"  and  one  that 
will   be   enjoyed   even   by  those  children   whO' 
are    yet    too    young    to    have    learnt    to    read. 
The  handmade  pictures  are  not  artistic,  to  be 
sure,  but  they  are  expressive  and  will  be  read- 
ily understood,  when  the  story  is  told,  by  the 
little  folks  whom  the  author  intends  to  enter- 
tain. 


TO  BE   EDITED   BY  PROF.   E.    S. 

True  to  its  aim  as  a  broad  general  maga- 
zine in  its  chosen  field.  The  Pennsylv.\nia- 
German  has  secured  the  services  of  Professor 
E.  S.  Gerhard,  teacher  of  English,  German 
and  Latin  in  the  high  school  of  Trenton,  N. 
J.,  to  edit  a  subdivision  of  this  departmerit 
under  the  heading  given  above.  This  subdivi- 
sion will  be  devoted,  as  the  name  implies,  to 
literary  matters  relating  to  the  Pennsylvania- 
Germans. 


Literary  Notes 


GERHARD,    TRENTON,    N.    J. 

Its  general  purpose  will  be  to  record  what 
is  said  or  written  by  or  about  the  people  wdiom 
the  magazine  represents;  to  note  articles  re- 
lating to  them  in  current  literature,  to  an- 
nounce new  books,  pamphlets,  stories,  poems,, 
etc.,  produced  by  or  bearing  on  the  sons  and 
daughters  of  the  early  German  immigrants  to- 
this  countrv— in  short,  to  provide,  m  connec- 
tion with  Our  Book-Table,  a  vademecum  of 
matters  literary  for  all  our  readers. 


48 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


It  will  naturally  be  impossible  to  know  or 
record  in  detail  all  relevant  matters,  but  the 
publisher  feels  sure  that  our  readers  will  be 
indulgent  with  the  editor  and  allow  him  a 
wide  margin  for  working  out  his  own  person- 
ality. 

To  the  trite  question  that  may  suggest  itself 
to  some:  ll'liaf's  tlic  use/  we  will  answer 
briefly,  that  the  history  of  the  German  element 
in  America  has  not  yet  been  fully  written ; 
that,  when  it  comes  to  be  written  as  it  should 
and  will  be,  the  writers  will  be  entitled  to  care- 
ful consideration ;  that  the  present-day  work- 
ers in  this  field  are  eminently  worthy  of  the 
recognition  hereby  accorded  them,  and  that, 
finally,  these  Notes  themselves  may  serve  as 
a  partial  answer  to  the  sneers,  the  pouted  lips 
and  scornful  language  of  those  who  mireason- 
ably  and  unjustly  would  make  the  world  be- 
lieve that  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  early 
German  and  Swiss  immigrants  are  but  fit  sub- 
jects to  crack  a  joke,  "to  point  a  moral  or 
adorn  a  tale" — in  fact,  a  kind  of  Nazareth, 
from  which  no  good  can  come. 

The  special  editor  hopes  to  make  applicable 
to  his  department  the  following  words  spoken 
with  reference  to  The  Pennsylvania-German 
by  Richard  E.  Helbig,  assistant  librarian  of  the 
New  York  Public  Library :  "Your  valued 
magazine  is  to  be  considered  as  a  historical  re- 
pository, which  is  to  be  also  of  future  and 
permanent   value." 

By   way  of  introduction   the   publisher   takes 


pleasure  in  noting  a  few  biographical  data  re- 
lating to  the  new   sub-editor : 

Born  in  Montgomery  county.  Pa.,  of  good 
Pennsylvania-German  stock,  Elmer  S.  Gerhard 
spent  much  of  his  boyhood  upon  the  farm. 
He  attended  Perkiomen  Seminary  to  prepare 
for  Princeton  University,  from  which  he  grad- 
uated in  igoo  with  the  "degree  of  A.B.  At  the 
time  of  his  graduation  he  was  awarded  the 
prize  of  the  Class  of  1859  for  proficiency  in 
English.  He  won  the  Scribner  fellowship  in 
English  over  a  number  of  competitors  and  se- 
cured his  degree  of  A.M.  by  postgraduate  work 
at  his  a!i)ia  mater  in   1901. 

Since  then  Mr.  Gerhard  has  spent  five  years 
in  teaching",  three  of  them  as  principal  of  the 
high  school  at  Huntingdon,  Pa.  A  few  years 
ago  he  was  awarded  one  of  si.xteen  prizes  of 
$25  each  distributed  by  the  Funk  &  Wagnalls 
Publishing  Company,  of  New  York,  for  the 
best  essays  on  assigned  subjects.  His  prize 
essay  was  entitled,  "The  Value  of  Word-Study 
and  How  to  Direct  It."  Contributions  by 
Prof.  Gerhard  have  been  published  in  the  New 
York  School  Journal,  Educational  Review  and 
Education,  of  Boston,  Ameri'-.an  Education,  of 
xA.lbany,  N.  Y.,  The  Pennsylvania-German 
and   other  magazines. 

Professor  Gerhard  earnestly  requests  the 
readers  of  this  magazine  to  help  him  make 
these  Notes  as  comprehensive  as  possible  by 
sending  him  any  items  they  may  have  relating 
to  the  literary  activity  or  literary  mention  made 
of  the  Pennsvlvania-Germans. 


Calendar  of  Pennsylvania  History 

NOVENBER,  1907 


3.  Three  cottages  destroyed  by  fire  at  Mount 
■Gretna. 

5.  Republican  victory  at  State-election.  John 
O.    Sheatz    elected    State-treasurer. 

7.  Pennsylvania  Congress  of  Mothers  opens 
at   Harrisburg. — Snow   in    Pocono   mountains. 

8. .  Sevehteenth  annual  'meeting  of  -  Pennsyl- 
vania-German   Society   in    Philadelphia. 

9.  Opening  of  seventh  annual  Philadelphia 
Automobile-Show. 

II.  Chrvsanthemum-Show  opens  in  Horticul- 
tural Hall,  Philadelphia. 

13.  Unitarian  Conference  of  the  United 
States  and  Canada  opens  twenty-third  annual 
meeting  in  Philadelphia. — Receiver  of  defuifct 
Enterprise  National  Bank  of  Allegheny  sues 
Ex-State-Treasurer  Harris  for  $20,000  as  al- 
leged  bribe-money. 

14.  Snow  near   Wilkes-Barre. 

15.  Dwelling  in  Pitt.sburg  destroyed  by  nat- 
ural-gas explosion;  25  injured,  two  fatally. 

16.  Twenty-three  Chinamen  arrested  as  high- 
binders in  Pittsburg. 

18.  Federal  Supreme  Court  approves  consoli- 
dation of  Pittsburg  and  Allegheny. — First 
City-Troop  of  Philadelphia  jcelebrates  hundred 
and  thirty-third  aiTniverstiry. 


19.  Atlantic  Waterways  Conference  opens  in 
Philadelphia,  attended  by  delegates  from  seven- 
teen States. 

20.  Pennsylvania  Society  for  Prevention  of 
Tuberculosis  opens  second  annual  exhibition  in 
Philadelphia. 

21.  Bive  children..of  Thomas  W.  Zuver,  near 
TitiTsville,  perish  in  burning  house. 

22.  Pennsylvania  Day  is  celebrated  at  State 
College  with  dedication  of  three  agricultural 
buildings. — Pennsylvania  Bar  Association  gives 
dinner  to  Chief  Justice  Mitchell  on  the  semi- 
centennial of  his  admission  to  the  bar. — David 
Scull,  prominent  businessman,  dies  in  Phila- 
delphia. 

24.  Snowstorm   in   eastern   Pennsylvania. 

25.  Seven  men  killed  by  explosion  in  foun- 
dry at  Johnstown. — W.  R.  Chambers,  oldest 
man  in  the  State,  dies  at  Cecils,  Washington 
county,   aged    106  years. 

27.  Knights  of  Mystic  Shrine  lay  coraerstone 
for  new  temple  at  Wilkes-Barre  at  midnight.— 
Collision  of  freight-trains  on  Port  Richmond 
branch  of  Reading  Railway  in  Philadelphia; 
three  railroad  men  killed. 

29.  Second  annual  banquet  of  York'  Manu- 
facturing Association  at  Colonial  Hotel,  Phila- 
delphTa. 


-"^m 


BARON  STIEGEL'S  PRAYER 

Written  on  the  Fly-leaf  of  his  Hymn  Book  during  his  Imprisonment.  ** 

"Honored  and  truthful  God,  Thou  hast  in  Thy  laws  earnestly  forbidden 
lying-  and  false  witness,  and  hast  commanded  on  the  contrary  that  the  truth 
shall  be  spoken. 

*T  pray  Thee  with  all  my  heart  that  Thou  wouldst  prevent  my  enemies 
who,  like  snakes,  are  sharpening  their  tongues  and  who,  although  I  am  inno- 
cent, seek,  assassin-like,  to  harm  and  ridicule  me,  and  defend  my  cause  and 
abide  faithfully  with  me.  Save  me  from  false  mouths  and  lying  tongues,  who 
make  my  heart  ache  and  who  are  a  horror.  Save  me  from  the  stumbling 
stones  and  traps  of  the  wicked  which  they  have  prepared  for  me.  Let  me  not 
fall  among  the  wicked  and  perish  among  them. 

_  "Turn  from  me  disgrace  and  contempt,  and  hide  me  from  the  poison  of 
their  tongues. 

"Deliver  me  from  bad  people  and  that  the  misfortune  they  utter  about  me 
may  recoil  on  them.  Smite  the  slanderers  and  let  all  lying  mouths  be  stopped 
of  those  who  delight  in  our  misfortunes  and  when  we  are  caught  in  snares, 
so  that  they  may  repent  and  return  to  Thee. 

"Take  notice  of  my  condition,  Oh,  Almighty  Lord,  and  let  my  innocence 
come  to  light.  Oh,  woe  unto  me  that  I  am  a  stranger  and  live  under  the  huts 
of  others.  I  am  afraid  to  live  among  those  who  hate  friends.  I  keep  the 
peace. 

"My  Lord,  come  to  my  assistance  in  my  distress  and  fright  amongst  my 
enemies,  who  hate  me  without  a  cause  and  who  are  unjustly  hostile,  even  the 
one  who  dips  with  me  in  the  same  dish  is  a  traitor  to  me. 

"Merciful  God,  who  canst  forgive  transgression  and  sin,  lay  noc  this  sin  to 
their  charge.  Forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do.  Forbear 
with  me,  so  that  I  may  not  scold  again  as  I  have  been  scolded,  and  not  re- 
ward the  wicked  with  wickedness,  but  that  I  may  have  patience  in  tribulation, 
and  place  my  only  hope  on  Thee,  O  Jesus,  and  Thy  holy  will. 

"Almighty  God !  if  thereby  I  shall  be  arraigned  and  tried  for  godliness, 
then  will  I  gladly  submit,  for  Thou  wilt  make  all  well.  Grant  unto  me 
.strength  and  patience  that  I  may,  through  disgrace  or  honor,  evil  or  good, 
remain  in  the  good,  and  that  I  may  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  Thy  dearly- 
beloved  Son,  my  Lord  and  Saviour,  who  had  to  suffer  so  much  for  my  sake. 

"Let  me  willingly  suffer  all  wrongs  that  I  may  not  attempt  to  attain  my 
crown  with  impatience,  but  rather  to  trust  in  Thee,  my  Lord  and  God,  who 
seest  into  the  hearts  of  all  men,  and  who  canst  save  from  all  disgrace.  Yet, 
Lord,  hear  me  and  grant  my  petition,  so  that  all  may  turn  to  the  best  for 
mine  and  my  soul's  salvation,  for  Thine  eternal  will's  sake.    Amen !" 


=■ 


Vol.  IX  FEBRUARY,  1908 

Sumneytown  and  Vicinity 
A  Brief  Historical  Sketch 

BY    REV.    J.    L.    ROUSH,    SUMNEYTOWN,    PA. 


No.  2 


UMNEYTOWN,  k  .ated  in 
the  township  named  in  hon- 
or of  the  Duke  of  Marlbor- 
ough, an  EngHsh  general 
whose  military  exploits 
about  the  year  1706  had 
gained  for  him  a  wide  celebrity,  and 
who  died  in  1722,  is  the  oldest,  and  was 
for  many  years  the  most  prominent  vil- 
lage in  the  northwestern  part  of  Mont- 
gomery county,  Pa.  The  township  was 
formed  about  1745,  and  the  first  settle- 
ment within  its  bounds  was  made  about 
1730. 

Early  Settlers  of  Marlborough  Township. 

The  early  settlers  came  by  way  of 
Philadelphia,  thro'  pathless  forests,  and 
erected  their  rude  dwellings  at  the  flow- 
ing springs,  amid  the  romantic  and  beau- 
tiful scenery  of  the  surrounding  hills. 
Among  those  early  arrivals  were,  as  else- 
where, poor  immigrants,  who  had  been 
bound  over  by  ship-captains  to  pay  for 
their  passage.  Some  of  the  settlers  pro- 
cured land-warrants  and  paid  for  their 
homesteads  at  the  rate  of  fifty  cents  per 
acre. 

During  the  years  immediately  follow- 
ing their  arrival,  while  they  were  en- 
gaged in  building  their  log-cabins  and 
clearing  small  plots  of  ground  for  culti- 
vation, they  were  exposed  to  many  hard- 
ships and  privations.  Notwithstanding 
their  industry  and  foresight,  and  the  help 
of  friendly  Indians,  who  came  to  them 
with  gifts  of  meat,  they  frequently  suf- 
fered for  want  of  food.     In  those  periods 


of  distress,  we  are  told,  the  dealings  of 
a  kind  Providence  with  these  hardy  men 
and  women,  who  had  gone  forth  in  faith 
to  win  for  themselves  homes  in  the  for- 
ests of  Pennsylvania,  were  in  some  re- 
spects not  unlike  the  experiences  which 
marked  the  emigration  of  the  ancient 
Hebrews  to  the  land  of  Canaan.  Wild 
pigeons,  which  came  down  in  dense 
flocks,  were  killed  with  sticks,  and  the 
meat  thus  obtained,  when  not  needed  for 
immediate  use,  was  salted  and  kept  until 
another  supply  of  food  was  procured 
from  the  soil,  which  at  that  time  was 
cultivated  chiefly  by  means  of  the  hoe. 

The  nearest  mill  in  those  days  was  that 
of  Edward  Farer,  on  the  Wissahickon 
creek,  in  Whitemarsh  township,  twenty- 
five  miles  distant.  As  the  road  was  a 
mere  bridle-path  and  the  grain  had  to  be 
carried  thither  in  bags  slung  across  the 
backs  of  horses,  the  most  primitive 
means  were  often  resorted  to  in  the 
preparation  of  food  for  the  family.  Corn 
was  hung  up  by  the  husk  over  the  fire 
to  dry,  after  which  it  was  ground  on  the 
hominy-block  and  used  for  bread,  mush 
and  hominy.  Corn-bread  was  baked  on 
boards  or,  in  the  ashes,  and  the  hominy 
was  boiled  with  venison  and  salt.  The 
materials  for  clothing  were  such  as  the 
settlers'  limited  means  and  surroundings 
could  furnish.  r>uckskin  pantaloons  and 
vests  and  rough  linen  shirts  were  worn 
by  the  men,  while  the  women  and  chil- 
dren were  clad  in  homespun.  Cowhide 
and  wooden  shoes  comprised  the  only 
footwear  known  to  them.  Under  such 
circumstances  they  toiled  and  struggled. 


52 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


raised  their  families  and  developed  those 
sturdy  qualities  which  enabled  them  to 
aid  the  government  and  help  to  fight  the 
battles  of  the  Revolution. 

The  Origin  of  Sumneytown. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury Sumneytown  gradually  came  to  be 
the  center  of  an  active  trade.  It  was 
widely  known  both  for  its  flourishing  in- 
dustries and  the  excellence  of  its  manu- 
facture^' products — gun-powder,  flour, 
linseed-oil,  etc. 

Its  name  was  derived  from  Isaac  Sum- 
ney,  who,  for  some  time  prior  to  the 
Revolution,  opened  a  tavern  in  a  frame 
building  in  the  forks  of  the  Maxatawny 
and  Macungie  roads,  on  the  spot  where 
the  Red  Lion  Hotel,  conducted  for  many 
years  by  Samuel  Brandt,  now  stands. 
Some  authorities  mention  Dorn's  inn  as 
Jiaving  been  located  here  as  early  as  1758. 
In  1763  Mr.  Sumney  and  his  wife  Mag- 
idalena  bought  the  tract  of  land,  130 
acres,  which  includes  part  of  the  present 
site  of  '[\ie  village.  As  early,  however, 
as  lyic)  he  owned  100  acres  of  land  in 
another  part  of  the  township,  which  m- 


dicates  that  he  was  at  that  time  a  resi- 
dent of  this  place.  His  family  consisted 
of  himself,  his  wife  and  five  daughters. 
Commenting  on  the  absence  of  sons  in  the 
family,  his  guests  occasionally  twitted 
him  with  the  remark  that,  with  the  mar- 
riage of  his  daughters,  the  family-name 
would  die  out.  Annoyed  by  their  remarks 
and  being  then  the  owner  of  a  number 
of  houses  in  the  place,  he  resolved  that 
thenceforth  the  village  should  bear  his 
name.  He  had  erected  a  brewery  near 
the  tavern  and  is  reputed  to  have  made 
an  excellent  equality  of  beer,  which  prob- 
ably accounts  for  the  degree  in  which 
the  taste  for  that  beverage  was  culti- 
vated in  the  community,  traces  of  which, 
among  other  things,  are  still  preserved  by 
some  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  village. 
Mr.  Sumney  had  emigrated  from  Europe, 
and  is  said  to  have  been  a  gentleman  of 
more  than  ordinary  culture.  From  this 
place  he  removed  to  Gwynedd  township, 
and  thence  to  Philadelphia,  where  he 
died. 

The  Hiester  House. 

One  of  the   oldest  buildings   in   Sum- 
nevtown  is  known  as  the  Hiester  House, 


- 

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11 

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SCmm^ZISI 

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^^sssenl 

THE  HIESTER  HOUSE,  SUMNEYTOWN-  PA. 


SUMNEYTOWN   AND  VICINITY 


53 


and  is  situated  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Sunineytown  and  Spring  House  turnpike, 
close  to  Ridge  X'alley  creek.  It  was  the 
home  of  many  of  the  ancestors  of  the 
well  known  Hiester  family,  of  1  Jerks 
county.  It  is  a  massive  building  of  red 
and  black  brick,  in  the  colonial  style  of 
architecture,  and  was  erected  in  1757. 
Some  years  ago  a  new  slate  roof  was  put 
on,  and  its  walls  seem  durable  enough  to 
last  another  century.  This  was  the  prop- 
erty of  Daniel  Hiester,  a  native  of  ElsotT, 
in  Westphalia,  who  emigrated  to  Ameri- 
ca in  1737,  with  his  brother  Joseph,  in 
the  ship  St.  Andrew.*  He  had  been 
preceded  a  few  years  by  his  elder  brother, 
John.  Daniel  and  his  wife  Catharine,  }icc 
Schuler,  settled  on  this  tract,  which  was 
then  known  as  Goshenhoppen,  and  reared 
a  family  of  four  sons  and  two  daughters. 
Their  sons  were  John,  Daniel,  Gabriel 
and  \\'illiam,  who  were  born  on  this 
homestead.  They  all  served  in  the  army 
of  the  Revolution,  the  first  three  being 
officers.  John  and  Daniel  afterwards  be- 
came members  of  Congress,  the  former 
from  Chester,  the  latter  from  Berks 
county,  to  which  the  Hiesters  had  re- 
moved. A  number  of  the  descendants  of 
the  family,  up  to  the  present  day,  have 
preserved  the  family  reputation  for  use- 
ful activity  and  faithful  devotion  to  busi- 
ness  and   political   interests. 

On  a  tract  of  about  165  acres,  the 
elder  Hiester  here  carried  on  farming, 
conducted  a  tannery  and  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  brick  and  tiling.  He  died 
in  1795,  aged  eighty-two  years,  and  was 
the  uncle  of  Governor  Joseph  Hiester. 
The  homestead  was  the  center  of  political 
and  social  activity  for  miles  around,  and 
continued  as  such  during  the  occupancy 
of  his  son,  Daniel,  Jr.,  to  whom  the 
property  was  transferred  in  1774.  In 
179()  Daniel  Hiester,  Jr.,  conveyed  the  an- 
cestral home  to  Philip  Hahn,  of  New 
Hanover,  Montgomery  county.  Subse- 
quently it  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
Krause  family,  and  is  now  owned  bv 
James  S.  Miller. 


*Iii  Rupp's  Thirty  Thousand  Names  Dan.  Hiister  is 
nientioiied  as  one  of  450  Palatines  who  landed  at 
Philadelphia,  Sept.  26,  1737,  from  the  ship  .St.  An- 
drew Galley,  John  Stedman,  master.  His  name  is  the 
first  of   four  on   the  sick   list. 


Industries     Flour,  Powder  and  Oil-Mills. 

Owing  to  the  excellent  water-power  af- 
forded by  tae  Ferkiomen,  Macoby  and 
Swamp  creeks,  there  were  at  various 
times  in  the  early  history  of  the  com- 
munity not  less  than  forty  mills  in  opera- 
tion within  several  miles  of  Sunineytown. 
Among  them  were  four  flour  mills,  four- 
teen powder-mills,  eight  oil-mills,  two 
saw-mills,  three  polishing-mills,  one  wool- 
en-mill, and  one  forge.  Along  the 
Swamp  creek  alone,  within  a  distance  of 
five  miles,  could  be  counted  twenty-two 
wheels  in  operation,  while  three-fourths 
of  that  number  could  be  found  along  the 
Perkiomen,  between  Green  Lane  and 
Perkiomenville.  These  streams  played 
an  important  part  in  the  early  settlement 
and  development  of  this  region,  and  one 
of  them,  the  Perkiomen,  still  supports  a 
number  of  industries  which  add  very 
materially  to  the  trade  and  traffic  of  the 
Perkiomen  Railroad. 

The  first  flour-mill  was  built  in  1742  by 
Samuel  Schuler,  within  one  mile  of  Suni- 
neytown, on  the  property  later  owned  by 
Isaac  Stetler.  P^rt  of  the  foundation 
still  remains,  and  the  house  nearby,  built 
in  1748,  continued  to  .be  used  as  a  dwell- 
ing until  within  receni  years.  About  the 
same  time,  or  a  little  later,  another  mill 
was  built  by  Jacob  Graff,  at  Perkiomen- 
ville. It  was  afterwards  purchased  by 
Jacob  Johnson,  who  removed  the  old 
building  and  erected  a  large  three-story 
brick  building  in  its  place.  It  was  known 
for  some  time  as  Gehman  and  Hiestand's 
mill,  and  is  now  operated  by  John  H. 
Nyce. 

.Plalfway  between  Perkiomenville  and 
Green  Lane  stood  until  about  five  years 
ago  a  stone  mill  which  during  a  part  of 
its  history  belonged  to  the  estate  of  Jacob 
Snyder.  It  had  been  built  by  one  of  the 
Alayberrys  and  was  kept  in  constant  op- 
eration for  more  than  one  hundred  years. 
Prior  to  the  year  1784  Jacob  Nice  erected 
a  building  on  the  east  side  of  the  Perkio- 
men. iJetween  1798  and  i860  this  prop- 
erty passed  successively  from  the  hands 
of  Nice  into  those  of  Daniel  Smith,  Mat- 
thew Campbell,  George  Poley  and  Henry 
Bergey,  and  was  changed  first  from  a 
grist-  and  saw-mill  to  an  oil-  and  powder- 


54 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


RUINS  OF  POWDER-MILL,  SUMNEYTOWN,  PA..  OPERATED  BY  MILLER  BROS. 


mill,  later  to  a  fulling-  and  carding-mill. 
Here  George  Poky  began  the  manufac- 
ture of  satinets,  linseys  and  stocking- 
yarn.  When  in  1871  the  mill  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  the  walls  were  rebuilt  and 
the  building  was  fitted  up  as  a  grist-  and 
planing-mill. 

The  exact  time  when  gunpowder  was 
first  made  in  this  vicinity  can  not  be  de- 
termined. According  to  the  most  gener- 
ally credited  authorities,  a  German  by  the 
name  of  Sebastian  Gotz  was  the  pioneer 
in  this  industry,  having  made  powder  in 
Jacob  Snyder's  mill.  His  method  of 
making  the  article  was  very  simple.  He 
mixed  the  ingredients  in  an  iron  pot,  and 
ground  them  in  a  wooden  mortar  by 
means  of  a  pestle  operated  by  foot-power. 

The  first  powder-mill  of  any  import- 
ance was  located  on  the  Swamp  creek. 
It  was  built  in  1780  by  Jacob  Dash,  one 
of  the  early  settlers,  who  continued  the 
business  until  1790.  Before  engaging  in 
the  manufacture  of  powder,  Mr.  Dash 
was  the  owner  of  a  forge,  in  which  he 
made  iron  pans  and  spoons,  articles  for 
which  there  was  a  ready  sale  in  the  com- 
munity, as  cookstoves  were  then  un- 
known. After  the  death  of  Dash  his 
property  was  sold  to  Lorenz  Jacoby,  who 
erected  additional  mills  and  successfully 
carried  on  the  business  until  he  died, 
when  the  mills  were  transferred  to  his 


son  Daniel.  Other  men  who  either 
erected  or  operated  mills  were  William  A. 
Jacoby,  Jacob  Leister,  Franklin  Leister, 
Charles  Schaefifer,  George  Geiger,  Balser 
Reed,  John  George  Mpyer,  Jacob  Hersh 
and  the  Aliller  Brothers.  The  business 
prospered  to  such  a  degree  that  in  1858 
eleven  mills,  making  twenty  tons  of 
powder  daily,  were  in  full  operation  in 
Marlborough  township. 

With  the  advent  of  the  powder-mills 
came  also  the  erection  of  oil-mills,  of 
which  seven  were  running  at  the  same 
time  on  the  banks  of  the  Perkiomen  and 
Swamp  creeks.  The  manufacture  of  these 
products  required  the  investment  of  a 
large  amount  of  capital  and  gave  em- 
ployment to  a  large  number  of  men.  Dur- 
ing the  period  in  which  these  industries 
were  at  the  height  of  their  prosperity, 
some  of  the  finest  horse  and  mule-teams 
in  the  State  were  in  use  to  carry  the 
powder  to  Wilkes-Barre,  Pottsville  and 
other  places,  and  to  convey  the  oil  to  the 
market. 

The  Forge  at   Greenlane. 

When  and  by  whom  the  first  houses 
were  built  in  the  nearby  village  of  Green- 
lane  is  not  definitely  known.  Some  time 
in  1730  a  large  tract  of  land,  comprising 
1240  acres,  was  purchased  from  the  dep- 
uty governor  of  the  province  by  a  man 
named   Mayberry,  who  erected  a   forge 


SUMNEYTOWN   AND   VICINITY 


55 


■V- 
K 

■■■           C                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        '                    !>:■%' 

H 

'     '                                                                               -•'*■' — -—           '              '  ■    '   ■--:..  ''t-.^i J'' i'       .:,  - 

^ 

%                              ^mi%^           \.-''^V^ 

RUINS  OF  DRYHOUSE,  USED  BY  MILLEK  BROS. 


there.  Through  the  transference  of  the 
property  from  father  to  son  for  several 
successive  generations,  the  forge  was  kept 
in  continual  operation  for  more  than  a 
.century.  Between  1810  and  1815  the 
Mayberrys  sold  the  entire  property  to 
Willis  and  Yardley,  of  Philadelphia,  for 
■$45j500.  For  some  twenty  years  after- 
ward the  forge  remained  idle,  and  the 
land  was  rented.  In  1833  the  property 
was  sold  by  Henry  Longacre,  the  sheriff 
■of  Montgomery  county,  to  Col.  William 
Schall,  who  for  many  years  continued  to 
•operate  the  forge  and  the  furnaces  which 
he  had  built  there.  While  the  forge  was 
still  in  possession  of  the  Mayberrys,  a 
large  force  of  men  was  employed  to  carry 
on  the  work,  the  majority  of  whom  were 
negro  slaves.  In  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  the  forge  stood  a  number  of  cabins, 
in  which  the  negroes  lived.  xA.t  the  foot 
-of  the  hill,  directly  opposite  the  present 
ice-house,  a  commodious  log  house  had 
•been  built,  which  was  occupied  by  one  of 
the  Mayberrys.  In  the  course  of  time 
some  of  the  negroes  died  and  were  buried 
near  the  Greenlane  Hotel.  Some  of 
them  had  been  natives  of  Africa.  They 
-appear  to  have  been  faithful  and  reliable 
workmen,  and  to  have  received  the  same 
attention  and  kind  treatment  which  was 


accorded    to    white    servants    by    their 
masters. 

Owing  to  its  excellent  water-power 
and  the  abundance  of  wood,  which  was 
easily  converted  into  charcoal,  Green- 
lane  had  unusual  facilities  for  the  op- 
eration of  its  iron-works.  It  was  wide- 
ly known  as  the  location  of  a  forge  whose 
product  was  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  any 
other  iron  in  the  market.  The  sound  of 
the  forge-hammer  has  long  since  ceased 
to  reverberate  among  the  hills,  the  build- 
ings have  disappeared,  and  the  former 
activities  of  the  village  have  yielded  to 
the  changes  which  time  has  wrought  dur- 
ing the  last  half  century.  Instead  of  the 
many  industries  formerly  located  here, 
the  banks  of  the  Perkiomen  are  now  dot- 
ted with  large  ice-houses,  from  which 
large  quantities  of  the  crystal  product  are 
annually  shipped  to   Philadelphia. 

Friedens  Lutheran  and  Reformed  Church. 

In  early  times  the  nearest  houses  of 
worship,  in  which  the  Gospel  was  regu- 
larly preached,  were  the  New  Goshen- 
hoppen,  the  Six-Cornered  and  the  Old 
Goshenhoppen  churches.  There  was, 
however,  a  plot  of  ground  on  the  prop- 
erty of  Dr.  Samuel  Solliday  and  Frederic 
Gilbert  which  had  been  used  by  the  fami- 
lies in  the  neighborhood  as  a  cemetery  be- 


56 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


fore  the  Old  Goslienhoppen  church  was 
built,  in  1744.  For  more  than  fifty  years 
this  burial-place  has  been  abandoned  and 
neglected.  The  gravestones,  if  any  exist- 
ed, have  been  removed,- the  ground  has 
been  under  cultivation,  and  all  traces  of 
its  use  as  a  place  of  interment  have  dis- 
appeared. 

To  show  with  what  deliberation  our 
ancestors  sometimes  discussed  projects 
before  they  took  the  necessary  steps  for 
their  accomplishment,  it  may  be  stated 
that  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  before  the 
Friedens  Lutheran  and  Reformed  church 


year  later  the  building  was  dedicated  witb 
appropriate  ceremonies.  The  churcb 
stands  on  high  ground  overlooking  the 
village,  and  has  a  seating  capacity  for 
seven  hundred  people.  The  pastors 
who  have  officiated  here  were  Revs.  H^ 
Wendt,  A.  G.  Struntz,  E.  F.  Flecken- 
stein,  W.  B.  Fox  and  C.  F.  Dapp,  Luth- 
eran ;  and  Revs.  A.  L.  Dechant  and  J.. 
L.  Roush,  on  the  Reformed  side. 
The  Sumneytown  Schools. 
The  lot  upon  which  the  present  school- 
building  stands  was  presented  to  the 
community    in    1790   by    General    Daniel 


FRIEDENS  LUTHERAN  AND  REFORMED  CHTRCH,  SUMNEYTOWN,  PA. 


was  built,  its  erection  had  been  contem- 
plated. In  1857  the  matter  was  again 
agitated,  and  on  September  26  of  that 
year  the  residents  of  the  village  met  in 
the  Academy-building  to  adopt  a  plan. 
At  the  meeting  the  following  building- 
committee  was  elected : 

Lutheran.  Reformed. 

John   Wampole,  John  Ruckstuhl, 

Amos  Kepner,  John   Kepp, 

Jacob  Jacoby.  WilHam  D.  Rudy. 

During  the  winter  preparations  were 
made  and  on  Whitsunday  in  the  following 
spring   the    cornerstone    was    laid.      One 


Hiester,  thereafter  a  small  stone  building 
was  erected  on  it  and  used  for  school- 
purposes.  On  March  31,  1806,  the  Com- 
monwealth of  Pennsylvania  appointed 
and  authorized  Philip  Gabel,  Jr.,  George 
Hartzell.  Lorenz  Jacoby,  Philip  Zepp^. 
Sanr.iel  Smith  and  Philip  Hahn,  Jr.,  as 
commissioners  to  raise  a  sum  of  money, 
not  exceeding  $2000,  for  the  erection  of 
a  school-building  on  the  above-mentioned 
lot.  The  money  was  to  be  raised  by 
means  of  a  lottery.  The  lottery  was  ac- 
cordingly instituted  and  the  prizes  were 


SUMNEYTOWN    AND   VICINITY 


57- 


paid  to  the  respectixe  winners.  The 
most  vakiable  prize,  $1000  in  money,  was 
drawn  by  a  ticket-holder  in  Frederick 
township,  where  a  ckib  had  been  formed. 
On  the  tenth  of  February,  1817,  a  supple- 
ment to  the  above  act  was  passed  direct- 
ing that  the  balance  of  the  funds,  remain- 
ing- in  the  hands  of  the  commissioners, 
should  be  used  to  erect  a  dwelling  on 
the  school-lot,  for  the  teacher.  The  act 
further  directed  that,  in  the  event  of  the 
commissioners'  failure  to  put  up  the 
building,  Philip  Reed  and  Henry  Schnei- 
der should  be  authorized  to  take  charge 
of  the  funds.  After  some  delay,  the 
money  was  paid  over  and  made  available 
for  the  erection  of  a  school-building. 

In  1833  a  society  named  "The  Sumney- 
town  Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Use- 
ful Knowledge  "'  was  formed,  whose  ob- 
ject was  to  erect  a  spacious  building  for 
school  and  other  purposes.  A  suitable 
constitution  was  adopted,  and  the  follow- 
ing persons  were  elected  as  the  first  of- 
ficers of  the  society :  President,  Enos 
Benner  ;  vice-president,  Adam  Slemmer  ; 
secretary.  Daniel  G.  Kenney ;  treasurer, 
Daniel  Jacoby ;  trustees,  Solomon  Art- 
man,  Daniel  Scheid  and  George  Poley. 
In  1 84 1 -2  the  present  two-story  brick 
structure,  known  as  the  Academy-build- 
ing, was  erected,  which  since  its  comple- 
tion has  been  regularly  used  for  school- 
purposes,  ^ilarlborough  township  was 
among  the  first  to  advocate  the  adoption 
of  the  common-school  system  provided 
for  by  act  of  the  Assembly.  Its  citizens 
accepted  the  provisions  of  the  law,  re- 
ceived the  appropriation,  levied  the  tax 
and  put  forth  efforts  to  make  the  sys- 
tem popular.  In  a  few  years,  however, 
the  opposition  became  so  strong  that  the 
movement  was  discontinued  and  subscrip- 
tion-schools were  substituted.  The  dis- 
satisfaction which  resulted  from  this 
backward  step  made  it  necessary,  in  1843, 
to  return  to  the  system  of  common 
schools,  the  advantages  of  which  the 
township  has  enjoyed  ever  since. 

For  a  period  of  twenty-five  years  or 
more  the  Sumneytown  schools  were  in 
charge  of  Henry  E.  Hartzell,  through 
whose  superior  ability  as  an  instructor, 
the  village  became  favorably  known  in 
this  and  adjoining  counties  as  an  educa- 


tional center.  A  large  number  of  those 
who  were  under  his  instruction  have 
since  gained  prominence  in  business  and 
the  various  professions. 

Sumneytown's  Printing   Office. 

A  printing-office  was  established  in 
Sumneytown  as  early  as  1827  by  Samuel 
Royer,  who,  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  April 
in  that  year,  issued  Dcr  Advokat,  the 
first  (ierman  paper.  The  paper  advocated 
Tory  principles,  and  as  these  were  not 
in  harmony  with  the  views  and  feelings: 
of  the  residents  of  the  community,  it 
ceased  to  be  published  at  the  end  of  six 
months,  when  the  office  was  removed  tO' 
Pottstown. 

On  August  sixth  of  the  following- 
year  the  first  number  of  the  Baiicrn- 
Frciind  was  issued  by  Enos  Benner  & 
Co.  Adam  Slemmer,  Esq.,  afterwards  a 
resident  of  Norristown,  was  then  a  part- 
ner in  the  firm.  The  paper  had  a  small 
beginning,  but  was  gradually  enlarged. 
In  the  fall  of  the  year  during  whichthe 
paper  made  its  appearance,  Andrew 
Jackson  was  nominated  for  the  Presi- 
dency, and  his  election  was  warmly  ad- 
vocated. During  that  same  year'  Mr. 
Slemmer,  having  been  elected  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Legislature,  withdrew  from  the 
firm,  and  Mr.  Benner  continued  the  pub- 
lication alone  until  July,  1858,  when  the 
paper- was  sold  and"  removed  to  Penns- 
burg. 

Among  other  publications  which  came 
from  the  press  of  ]\Ir.  Benner  was  a  Ger- 
man Hymn  book  which  had  been  adopt- 
ed by  the  Synod  of  the  Reformed  Church 
and  a  (ierman  Primer  that  continued  to 
be  used  as  a  textbook  until  instruction 
in  the  German  language  was  finally  abol- 
ished in  the  public  schools. 

On  December  8,  i860,  Mr.  Benner  died. 
Since  then  the  book-and-job  printing 
business  has  been  carried  on  by  his  son, 
Edwin  ]\I.  Benner. 

Post  Office. 

The  first  post-oftice  in  Sunnieytown 
was  established  in  18 10.  Jacob  Boyer, 
then  proprietor  of  the  Sumneytown 
Hotel,  was  the  first  postmaster.  There 
was  at  that  time  only  one  postal  route  with 
which  the  office  was  connected,  namely, 
the  route  from  Doylestown  to  Pughtown, 


-58 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


SUMNEYTOWN'S  QUAINTEST  BRIDGE. 


in  Chester  county,  which  was  served 
once  a  week.  Opportunities  for  reading 
in  those  days  were  limited,  as  books  and 
papers  were  not  easily  obtained.  With 
the  exception  of  an  occasional  copy  of 
an  English  paper,  then  published  in  Nor- 
ristown,  the  Reading  Adlcr  was  the  only 
paper  that  circulated  in  this  community. 
As  the  flax-seed,  used  in  the  manufacture 
of  linseed-oil,  was  raised  principally  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Reading,  teams 
were  constantly  on  the  road  conveying  the 
seed  to  the  mills.     With  these  teams  the 


paper  was  brought  to  Sumneytown.  The 
subscribers,  it  is  said,  paid  their  subscrip- 
tions regularly  in  advance,  sending  the 
money  to  Reading  with  the  teamsters,  in 
order  that  the  Adlcr  might  not  be  inter- 
rupted in  his  flight.  A  little  later  the 
Alleiitozvn  Fricdcnshote  and  the  Unab- 
hdngige  RcpiihUkancr,  also  of  Allentown, 
were  brought  to  the  village  through  post- 
riders  furnished  with  bugles,  by  means  of 
which  they  announced  the  arrival  of  the 
papers  to  their  subscribers  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. 


Mrs.  Sarah  Rider  is  the  oldest  woman  in 
Montour  county.  Her  age  is  over  loi  years. 
She  is  still  well  and  hearty.  She  is  the  mother 
of  15  children,  twelve  of  whom  are  living.  She 
has  100  grandchildren  and  95  great-grandchil- 
dren. She  was  born  in  Danville  on  April 
10,  1807. 

The  oldest  minister  in  the  Pennsylvania  Min- 
isterium  is  the  Rev.  J.  C.  Schmidt,  of  Reading. 
He  was  licensed  to  preach  in  1844  'in^l  has 
therefore  been  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  for 
nearly  64  years.  The  Rev.  Dr.  William  Ger- 
hardt,  of  Martinsburg,  West  Virginia,  who 
stands  second  on  the  list,  is  older  in  years, 
having  passed  his  90th  birthday,  but  he  was 
not  ordained  until  1847,  and  therefore  has  just 
celebrated  his  60th  anniversary  of  his  ordina- 
tion. 

Capt.  Amos  Keiter,  of  Spring  City,  Pa.,  on 
November  28  completed  his  99th  vear.  He  was 
born  near  Parker  Ford  and  spent  all  his  life  in 
that  neighborhood.     He  is  still  well  and  reads 


without  glasses.    He  cast  his  first  vote  for  Gen. 
Jackson. 

Samuel  Burger,  Middleburg,  Pa.,  in  a  quiet 
way  with  a  few  of  his  children  celebrated  his 
ninety-ninth  birthday  on  January  10,  1908.  Mr. 
Burger  is  enjoying  the  best  of  health,  sleeps 
well  and  eats  three  meals  per  day  regularly  and 
two  or  three  times  between  meals.  He  always 
eats  before  retiring  at  night,  and  never  fails  to 
repeat  the  prayer  taught  him  in  early  child- 
hood, "Now  I  lay  me  down  to  sleep,"  etc.  Mr. 
Burger  enjoyed  an  occasional  smoke  since  he 
was  eight  years  of  age.  He  has  always  pur- 
sued outdoor  employment,  his  occupation  being 
that  of  stock  dealing.  Although  his  eyesight 
and  hearing  are  impaired,  his  health  is  ex- 
cellent. He  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife 
being  Miss  Barbara  Zeigler,  by  which  union 
there  were  five  children,  all  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing. His  second  wife  was  Miss  Jemima  Tall- 
helm,  and  by  this  union  there  were  eight  chil- 
dren, of  whom  five  are  living. 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  IN  THE  FIELD  OF  SCIENCE 


5^ 


The  Pennsylvania-German  in 
The  Field  of  Science 


A  Symposium 
Edited  by  Prof.  D.  H.  Bergey,  M.  D.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


Introduction 
By  the  Special  Editor 


HE  special  editor  of  the  Sym- 
posium contributed  a  brief 
article  which  was  printed  in 
this  magazine  in  July,  1905, 
in  which  he  called  attention 
to  the  work  of  several  prom- 
inent Pennsylvania-Germans  in  the  field 
of  science.  The  limited  space  allotted  to 
that  contribution  made  it  impossible  to 
write  an  extended  account  of  the  persons 
■engaged  in  the  different  fields  of  science 
or  to  give  a  detailed  exposition  of  the  na- 
ture and  extent  of  their  labors.  It  was 
felt  then  that  this  w-as  a  subject  meriting 
far  more  pretentious  and  painstaking 
treatment,  and  the  present  symposium  is 
the  outcome  of  that  conviction. 

The  subject  is  being  treated  in  a  com- 
prehensive manner  by  a  number  of  con- 
tributors, who  have  consented  to  write 
upon  the  work  of  the  Pennsylvania-(jer- 
man  scientists  as  investigators  in  the  dif- 
ferent departments  of  science ;  as  teachers 
of  science  in  schools  and  colleges ;  and  as 
authors  of  scientific  papers,  pamphlets 
and  books.  The  publisher  has  been  most 
fortunate  in  securing  the  co-operation  of 
persons  of  recognized  authority  in  the 
various  fields  of  science  to  write  of  the 
Pennsylvania-Germans  who  were  or  are 
active  in  each  particular  field. 

The  contributions  that  have  been  com- 
'pleted  are  of  a  high  order  of  excellence, 
►because  the  contributors  have  approached 


their  subject  in  a  truly  scientific  spirit,  in 
that  they  have  assumed  an  analytical  and 
critical  attitude.  These  contributions  are 
pre-eminently  presentations  of  facts  rather 
than  the  promulgation  of  arguments  to 
uphold  conceived  theories. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  the  Symposium 
to  praise  the  work  of  the  Pennsylvania- 
Germans  as  scientists,  but  rather  to  pre- 
sent to  the  reader  a  concise  statement  of 
their  achievements  and  permit  others  to 
estimate  the  relative  importance  and  value 
of  the  work  they  have  accomplished. 
Where  the  scientific  world  has  given  us 
an  estimate  of  the  relative  importance  of 
the  work  of  a  scientist,  that  estimate  will 
be  given  as  being  authoritative. 

It  is  the  desire  of  the  special  editor  and 
of  the  publisher  to  make  this  Symposium 
as  comprehensive  and  accurate  as  pos- 
sible. Every  known  method  has  been 
employed  to  secure  the  names  of  all  Penn- 
sylvania-Germans who  have  been  or  are 
now  engaged  in  any  field  of  science  either 
as  investigators,  teachers  or  authors.  A 
great  mass  of  facts  has  been  gathered,  and 
these  are  now  being  utilized  by  the  dif- 
ferent contributors  to  the  Symposium. 
Nevertheless  it  is  desired  that  all  scientists 
as  well  as  others  interested  in  the  subject 
will  forward  to  the  special  editor  or  to 
the  publisher  the  names  of  such  as  are 
known  to  be  of  Pennsylvania-German  de- 
scent, who  have  been  engaged  in  scien- 


6o 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERAIAN 


tific  pursuits  or  are  now  engaged  in  scien- 
tific work.  In  addition  to  this  it  is  de- 
sired to  secure  information  regarding  all 
the  work  of  the  Pennsylvania-Germans  in 
the  field  of  science,  so  that  nothing  of 
importance  may  be  excluded.  By  the  cor- 
dial co-operation  of  many  contributors  we 
may  be  able  to  make  this  Symposium  a 
work  of  great  interest  and  value. 

Neither  the  special  editor  nor  the  in- 
dividual contributors  to  the  Symposium 
regard  themselves  as  infallible,  and  what- 


ever information  may  be  received,  pertain- 
ing to  the  subject,  will  be  included  in 
subsequent  articles  or  in  special  articles, 
supplementing  those  that  mav  have  been 
published.  It  is  felt  that  such  a  course 
will  be  justifiable,  because,  notwithstand- 
ing the  great  pains  taken  in  collecting  all 
known  data,  the  Symposium  would  be 
held  up  for  a  long  time  if  still  more  ex- 
haustive investigations  were  to  be  made, 
and  in  the  end  might  not  be  entirely  satis- 
factory. 


The  Pennsylvania-German  as  Biologist 

BY   H.  E.  JORDAN,  PH.  D.,   CHARLOTTESVILLE,   VA. 


Editorial  Note. — The  author  of  this  sketch, 
Prof.  H.  E.  Jordan,  Ph.D.,  born  at  Coopers- 
burg.  Pa.,  was  graduated  from  the  Coopers- 
burg  High  School,  1896;  from  the  Kutztown 
Normal  School,  1897,  and  from  Lehigh  Uni- 
versity, 1903.  He  was  assistant  in  Biology 
at  Lehigh  University,  i903-'04,  and  assistant 
in  Histology  and  Embryology  in  the  Cornell 
University  Medical  College,  New  York  City, 
i904-'o6.  He  has  carried  on  special  studies 
at  Columbia  University,  at  the  United 
States  Fish  Commission,  Woods  Holl, 
Mass.,  Princeton  University  and  the  Mar- 
ine Biological  Laboratory  at  Dry  Tortugas, 
Florida.  He  received  the  degree  A.B.  from  Le- 
high University,  1903 ;  A.M.  from  the  same  in- 
stitution in  1904,  and  Ph.D.  from  Princeton 
University  in  1907.  He  is  now  Adjunct  Pro- 
fessor of  Anatomy  (having  charge  of  Histology 
and  Embryology)  at  University  of  Virginia. 

THE  final  test  of  a  scientist  is 
ability  to  prosecute  original 
research.  The  fruit  of  re- 
search is  addition  to  the 
fund  of  human  knowledge. 
Each     acquisition     m  cans 


benefit  to  mankind  and  marks  progress  in 
civilization.  The  ideal  scientist  is  a  man 
who  can  both  himself  discover  the  new 
and  ins])ire  pupils  with  a  desire  to  search 
for  hidden  truth.  Scientific  men  who 
can  answer  to  the  test  of  genuine  origi- 
nality have  at  all  times  been  rare.  It  is 
far  easier  to  imitate  and  to  follow  beaten 
tracks  than  to  be  a  pioneer  and  to  build 
one's  own  bridges.  Men  frequently  as- 
sume the  title  "scientific"  with  no  better 
claim  than  that  of  having  read  Aristotle 
and  s(Mne  of  the  later  text-books  of  sci- 
ence, and  their  ability  to  discourse  fluently 
on  the  various  facts  they  have  culled 
and  uiKiuestioningly  accepted.     The  real 


scientist,  however,  leaves  books  and  arm 
chair,  rolls  up  his  sleeves  and  investigates 
for  himself. 

The  Pennsylvania-German  race,  in 
spite  of  unfavorable,  even  hostile,  con- 
ditions, has  during  its  brief  history  in 
America  since  the  last  half  of  the 
eighteenth  century  produced  a  fair  quota 
of  real  scientists.  All  in  various  degrees 
qualify  in  regard  to  originality  and  the 
inspiration  they  have  imparted  to  a  host 
of  students. 

The  unfavorable  conditions  under 
which  scientific  men  developed  among  the 
Pennsylvania-Germans  were  various^ 
The  Pennsylvania-Germans  were  pre- 
eminently a  religious  people.  With  a 
library  consisting  of  only  Luther's  Bible, 
a  psalm-book  and  an  almanac,  they  re- 
mained necessarily  very  narrow.  More- 
over, they  were  superstitious,  intolerant 
and  looked  askance  on  general  culture^ 
A  literal  interpretation  of  the  Bible  fos- 
tered a  hostile  attitude  to  science.  Biolo- 
gy, with  its  theories  of  development,  in- 
heritance and  racial  evolution,  found  un- 
congenial reception  here.  The  Pennsyl- 
vania-Germans were  furthermore  a  fru- 
gal, thrifty  people.  In  their  eyes  a  natur- 
alist was  a  good-for-nothing,  perhaps  a 
decent  sort  of  vagabond.  Even  to  this- 
day  there  remains  a  sentiment  among 
some  of  the  Pennsylvania-German  fam- 
ilies that  learning  spoils  men  for  the 
duties  of  life.  A  certain  writer  has  said 
of  the  Pennsylvania-Germans  that  "they 
were  as  ignorant  of  what  we  call  know!- 
eds:e  as  the  cattle  in  their  fields."     This 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  AS  BIOLOGIST 


6i 


;statement  is  extreme,  but  emphasizes  the 
serious  handicap  under  whicli  bioloi^ical 
science  developed  among  the  Pennsyl- 
vania-Germans. It  is  all  the  more  won- 
-<lerful  that  in  the  face  of  such  obstacles 
there  should  have  arisen  even  a  few  il- 
lustrious Pennsylvania-German  biolo- 
gists. That  they  have  appeared  under 
such  highly  adverse  conditions  of  inheri- 
tance and  environment  gives  all  the  clear- 
er evidence  of  intellectual  strength  and 
vigor. 

Louis  Agassiz,  the  great  Swiss, natur- 
alist, came  to  Aiuerica  in  1846.  Under 
his  instruction  and  inspiration  grew  up 
such  renowned  biologists  as  Brooks, 
Whitman,  Jordan  and  others.  Under 
these  men  studied  another  generation  of 
biologists  who  are  now  occupying  chairs 
of  biology  all  over  the  United  States. 
To  these  latter  teachers  and  their  imme- 
diate product  are  now  going  hosts  of 
young  Pennsylvania-German  students, 
many  of  whom  are  giving  promise  of  be- 
coming great  biologists.  Already  some 
•of  these  are  holding  responsible  positions 
in  some  of  our  leading  colleges  and  uni- 
versities, including  Harvard,  Yale,  Michi- 
gan, Pennsylvania,  \'irginia  and  man)' 
smaller  institutions.  Most  of  these  are 
still  unknown  to  the  world  at  large,  due 
to  the  fact  that  they  have  not  yet  pro- 
<iuced  research  work  of  note  but  much 
may  reasonably  be  expected  in  the  fu- 
ture. It  will  probably  be  the  lot  of  many 
of  these  to  spend  their  best  years  in  the 
recitation  room  of  high  school  or  college 
and  on  die  lecture  platform.  But  their 
enthusiasm  and  learning  is  ever  attract- 
ing an  increasingly  larger  body  of  young 
mien  to  the  science,  some  of  whom  may 
•eventually  become  fired  wath  the  spirit 
of  original  investigation. 

Our  most  brilliant  example  of  this  type 
of  biologist  is  Samuel  Schmucker,  who 
for  many  years  has  contributed  informa- 
tion and  delight  to  thousands  of  young 
people  by  his  superb  lectures  on  biologi- 
cal to])ics  in  his  lecture  room  at  West 
Chester,  and  his  i)opular  lectures  at 
teachers'  institutes  and  elsewhere.  The 
present  writer  recalls  with  much  pleas- 
ure a  lecture  delivered  by  Professor 
Schmucker  at  a  teachers'  institute  at  Al- 
lentown  in  1898.    The  lecture  was  on  the 


development  of  the  grasshopper.  Refer- 
ence was  made  to  the  theory  of  evolu- 
tion. The  writer  had  a  week  previously 
read  a  sermon  by  Dr,  Talmage  in  which 
the  latter  referred  to  believers  in  evolu- 
tion as  "devils."  After  the  lecture  the 
writer  spoke  to  Professor  Schmucker  and' 
solicited  advice  as  to  what  opinion  one 
should  reasonably  hold  on  the  subject  of 
organic  development  when  reputed  au- 
thorities seemed  to  be  at  such  bitter  vari- 
ance. Professor  Schmucker  advised 
reading  Drummond's  "Ascent  of  Man." 
This  book  was  one  of  the  chief  and 
earliest  factors  that  led  the  writer  to- 
choose  the  field  of  biology  as  the  sphere 
of  his  life  work.  From  among  the 
thousands  that  Professor  Schmucker  has 
charmed  and  inspired  by  his  lectures  and 
attracted  to  biology  by  his  eloquence  and 
vivacity,  some  may  ultimately  contribute 
a  new  truth  or  uncover  a  hidden  fact. 

Contemporaneously  with  Darwin  and 
Agassiz  and  each  successive  generation 
of  their  brilliant  students,  the  Pennsyl- 
vania-German race  has  been  represented 
by  at  least  one  scientist,  distinguished  in 
some  line  of  biological  investigation.  The 
first  and  perhaps  the  greatest  of  these 
was  Samuel  Steadman  Haldeman.  Agas- 
siz in  1853  ii"^  very  high  terms  mentions 
his  work  on  Entomology,  and  Charles 
Darwin  in  the  preface  to  his  "Origin  of 
Species"  refers  to  Haldeman's  "able  paper 
on  species  and  their  distribution."  An- 
other writer  refers  to  him  as  "one  of  the 
most  trustworthy  observers  .  .  .  one  of 
the  most  accurate  naturalists  that  ever 
lived." 

The  Haldemans  were  a  Swiss  family 
that  emigrated  from  the  Thuner  See  in 
the  Canton  Bern  to  the  banks  of  the 
Susquehanna  in  the  early  days  of  the 
colony.*  Samuel  Steadman  Haldeman 
was  born  at  Locust  Grove,  Lancaster 
county.  Pa.,  on  August  12.  1812.  "Here 
he  peacefully  lived  and  worked  and  here 
he  peacefully  died,  alone,  in  the  night,  on 
the    tenth    of    September,    1880,    without 


*The  following  facts  were  gleaned  from  a  Memoir 
of  S.  S.  Haldeman  by  J.  P.  Lesley,  read  before  the 
National  Academy  at  Philadelpliia,  November  i6, 
1881,  and  published  in  their  "Biographical  Memoirs" 
\'ol.  II,  1886.  For  the  most  part,  the  substance  as 
here  presented  is  merely  a  transcript  of  portions  of 
this    longer    work. 


62 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


sickness  or  suffering,  as  every  man  of 
science  should  die."  Young  Haldeman 
was  alert  with  ear  and  eye.  He  had  no 
other  teachers  of  natural  history  than  his 
own  senses.  '  His  father  was  a  lover  of 
books  and  had  a  considerable  library,  but 
in  the  library  of  fields  and  waters  young 
Samuel  chiefly  rummaged.  He  early 
made  a  collection  of  fresh-water  shells 
from  the  banks  of  the  river  and  its 
islands.  He  boiled  out  and  set  up  the 
skeletons  of  rabbits,  opossums,  muskrats 
and  field  mice.  He  subsequently  enlarged 
his  museum  by  the  addition  of  birds, 
which  an  itinerant  Methodist  minister 
taught  him  to  stuff.  At  fourteen  he  was 
sent  to  a  classical  school  in  Harrisburg, 
where  he  prepared  for  Dickinson  Col- 
lege. But  classics  were  not  to  his  taste ; 
the  past  had  little  claims  for  this  student 
of  nature.  He  abandoned  college  at  the 
end  of  the  second  year  at  the  age  of 
eighteen,  and  in  1830  began  again  to  oc- 
cupy himself  at  home  wholly  with  his 
cabinet  of  minerals,  plants,  shells  and 
insects,  and  his  library  of  scientific  and 
philosophical  books. 

But  the  father,  true  to  his  Pennsyl- 
vania-German instinct  of  industry  and 
frugality,  insisted  that  his  son  must  take 
up  some  business,  and  so  put  him  to 
running  a  saw-mill  on  the  Chikiswalungo 
creek,  a  tributary  of  the  Susquehanna. 
Thus  young  Haldeman  spent  five  years 
of  his  life  sawing  wood  when  the  sun 
shone  and  studying  when  it  rained.  The 
following  two  years  were  spent  in  active 
exploration  as  a  working  field  geologist. 
From  the  close  of  his  official  career  in 
1837  he  lived  forty-two  years  at  his  home 
under  Chiquis  rock,  never  leaving  it  wil- 
lingly or  for  any  very  long  absence.  Hal- 
deman was  a  tireless  worker,  it  being  not 
unusual  for  him  to  work  sixteen  hours 
out  of  the  twenty-four.  He  was  often 
seen  at  the  meetings  of  the  American 
Philosophical  Society  and  the  Academy 
of  Natural  Sciences,  and  usually  had 
some  new  communication  to  make,  and 
was  always  ready  to  participate  with  live- 
liness and  sometimes  with  vehemence  in 
the  debates. 

In  the  years  from  1840  to  1845  ^P" 
peared  his  Monograph  of  the  Fresh-water 
Univalve  Mollusca  of  the  United  States 


in  eight  successive  numbers.  On  this 
work,  descriptive  of  the  himniadas,  his- 
early  fame  as  an  able  naturalist  was  estab- 
lished at  home  and  abroad.  From  i840' 
until  1858,  Haldeman  published  yearly 
several  important  articles  in  one  or  the- 
other  of  the  several  scientific  journals. 
After  1858  he  became  greatly  devoted  to- 
philological  studies  and  speculations,  and 
his  contributions  to  the  subject  of  biology^ 
became  less  frequent.  He  is  the  author 
of  a  "Zoology  of  the  Invertebrate  Ani- 
mals" and  "Outlines  of  Entomology."  He 
also  wrote  for  the  Iconography  Encyclo- 
pedia of  Science,  Literature  and  Arts, 
published  in  New  York  the  articles  Ar- 
ticulata,  Insecta,  Entomology,  Concholo- 
gy,  Radiata  and  others. 

Another  of  the  earliest  Pennsylvania- 
German  naturalists  was  Timothy  Conrad.. 
He  was  born  in  Philadelphia  m  1803, 
and  from  early  youth  showed  a  decided* 
taste  for  natural  history  studies,  though, 
for  a  time  he  followed  the  calling  of  his- 
father — that  of  a  publisher  and  printer. 
Conrad  is  perhaps  best  known  as  a- 
paleontologist,  but  his  frequent  writings- 
on  conchology  are  works  of  great  scien- 
tific value,  and  admit  him  to  a  high  rank: 
among  biologists.  He  was  bitterly  op- 
posed to  the  doctrine  of  evolution,  and 
predicted  that  Darwin's  wild  speculation- 
would  soon  be  forgotten.  According  to 
Conrad,  every  geological  age  came  to  a 
complete  close  and  the  life  of  the  suc- 
ceeding one  was  an  entirely  new  creation. 

It  was  the  writer's  pleasant  privilege  to- 
spend  several  hours  early  last  April  on' 
the  old  Conrad  homestead,  near  Trenton, 
and  walk  out  through  the  field  overlook- 
ing the  beautiful  Delaware  Valley  to  the 
rear  of  the  house  and  listen  to  a  very 
entertaining  anecdotal  discourse  from  the 
lips  of  Dr.  Abbott,  nephew  of  Timothy 
Conrad.  But  interest  in  the  works  of  the 
dead  must  give  way  to  greater  interest  in^ 
the  activities  of  the  living.  Dr.  Charles- 
Conrad  Abbott  was  born  in  Trenton,. 
N.  J.,  on  June  4,  1843.  He  was  gradu- 
ated as  a  doctor  of  medicine  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania,  in  1865,  but 
never  took  up  the  practice  of  medicine. 
He  is  best  known  as  an  author  and  natur- 
alist. He  is  interested  in  local  zoology,., 
particularly  fishes,  and  has  written  much/ 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  AS  BIOLOGIST 


63: 


on  archeological  and  biological  subjects. 
In  1 86 1  he  constructed  a  glass-bottom 
boat  and  employed  it  in  the  study  of  fishes 
in  their  natural  habitat  in  the  brook  be- 
hind his  house.  He  was  probably  the 
first  to  discover  that  fishes  have  voices, 
and  reported  the  matter  in  the  American 
Naturalist  for  1882.  He  also  studied  and 
printed  reports  on  the  subject  of  mosquito 
migrations.  He  demonstrated  the  exist- 
ence of  man  in  the  Delaware  River  Valley 
during  glacial  and  subsequent  prehistoric 
periods.  He  has  contributed  numerous 
articles  to  various  scientific  publications, 
and  is  the  author  of  several  very  enter- 
taining and  instructive  books,  well  known 
among  which  are  "A  Naturalist's  Rambles 
at  Home,"  "Upland  and  Meadow," 
"Wasteland  Wanderings,"  "Travels  in  a 
Tree-top,"  "In  Nature's  Realm"  and 
others. 

Dr.  Isaac  Ott  was  born  in  Easton,  Pa., 
in  1847.  ^6  was  graduated  from  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania,  in  1869,  as 
a  doctor  of  medicine.  The  following 
year  he  attended  lectures  at  the  universi- 
ties of  Leipzig  and  Berlin.  In  1877  he 
received  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts 
from  Lafayette  College.  The  next  year 
he  was  appointed  a  fellow  at  Johns  Hop- 
kins University.  Since  1895  Dr.  Ott 
has  been  professor  of  phvsiology  at  the 
Medico-Chirurgical  College,  Philadelphia. 
and  is  at  present  serving  in  the  capacity 
of  Dean,  He  is  consulting  neurologist  to 
the  Norristown  Asylum  and  a  former 
President  of  the  Neurological  Society. 
Dr.  Ott  has  made  splendid  contributions 
to  the  physiology  and  pathology  of  the 
nervous  system.  Other  important 
writings  have  been  on  the  subjects  of 
thermogenic  centers  ;  intestinal  peristalsis, 
and  the  physiological  action  of  drugs.  His 
recent  text-book  of  Physiology  ranks 
among  the  best  of  its  kind. 

Professor  Edward  Tyson  Reichert, 
born  in  Philadelphia  in  1855,  was  gradu- 
ated as  a  doctor  of  medicine  from  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania  in  1879.  Dur- 
ing the  years  from  1882  to  1885  he 
studied  at  Leipzig  and  Geneva.  Since 
1886  he  has  been  professor  of  Physiology 
at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  He 
had  been  a  regular  contributor  of  many 
medical    and   other    scientific    articles   as 


the  result  of  brilliant  original  research. 

John  Clement  Heisler  was  born  in 
Jersey  Shore,  Lycoming  county.  Pa.,  in 
1862.  He  was  graduated  from  the  Phila- 
delphia College  of  Pharmacy  in  1883,  and 
from  the  medical  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania  in  1887.  He  be- 
gan the  practice  of  medicine  that  same 
year  and  has  since  served  successively  as 
prosector  to  the  chair  of  Anatomy  at  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania  and  assistant 
demonstrator  of  Anatomy  and  curator  of 
the  Wistar  and  Horner  Museum  at  the 
same  institution.  In  1897  Dr.  Heisler 
was  appointed  Professor  of  Anatomy  at 
the  Medico-Chirurgical  College  of  Phila- 
delphia. He  is  the  author  of  a  very  good 
text-book  of  Embryology  for  medical 
students.  The  recently  revised  edition  of 
this  book  has  brought  it  up  to  an  enviable 
rank  among  the  best. 

Amos  Arthur  Heller  was  born  in  Dan- 
ville, Pa.  He  was  graduated  from  Frank- 
lin and   Alarshall   College  in    1892.     In. 

1897  he  received  the  degree  of  Master  of 
Arts  from  the  above  institution.  From 
1896  to  1898  he  held  a  position  at  the 
University  of  Minnesota  as  instructor  in 
Botany.  From  1898. to  1899  he  was  in 
charge  of  the  Vanderbilt  Expedition  of 
the  New  York  Botanical  Garden  ta 
Puerto  Rico.  Since  1905  he  has  been 
an  assistant  in  the  department  of  Botany 
of  the  California  Academy  of  Science. 
Mr.  Heller  has  done  much  good  work  in. 
systematic  botany.  He  has  made  a  care- 
ful study  of  the  California  flora,  espe- 
cially the  genus  Lupinus.  He  has  also- 
been  a  frequent  contributor  of  splendid 
articles  on  botanical  problems  to  the  Bul- 
letin of  the  Torrey  Botanical  Club,  and 
is  the  present  editor  of  Muhlenbergia,  a. 
journal  of  Botany. 

John  Kendall  Small,  a  native  of  Har- 
risburg,  was  graduated  from  Franklin 
and  Marshall  College  in  1892.  He  held 
a  fellowship  in  Botany  at  Columbia  Uni- 
versity from  1892  to  1894,  and  received 
the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Philosophy  from. 
that  institution  in  1895.  The  ensuing- 
three  years  he  was  employed  as  curator 
of   the   Herbarium   at   Columbia.      Since 

1898  he  has  been  curator  of  the  Museums 
and  Herbarium  of  the  New  York  Botan- 
ical Garden.     His  principal  contributions 


'64 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


to  the  science  of  botany  have  been  on 
various  subjects  relating  to  the  flora  of 
North  America,  the  flora  of  southeastern 
United  States  and  the  flora  of  Patagonia. 
He  has  also  done  excellent  work  on  the 
morphology  of  the  spermatophyta  and  in 
:the  fields  of  systematic  and  regional  bot- 
any, and  has  written  an  excellent  text- 
•book  of  Botany. 

John  William  Hershberger  was  born 
.in  Philadelphia,  attended  the  city  high 
school,  took  undergraduate  courses  at 
Harvard  and  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  received  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Philosophy  from  the  latter  in  1893. 
Since  then  he  has  traveled  and  botanized 
•extensively  in  Europe,  Mexico,  California, 
Canada  and  the  Eastern  States.  He  is  con- 
nected with  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania as  instructor  in  Botany  and  lecturer 
in  the  department  of  Philosophy.  He  is 
"t-he  author  of  a  very  important  work — 
''Maize,  a  Botanical  and  Economic 
Study."  He  was  botanical  editor  of 
Worcester's  New  English  Dictionary,  and 
in  the  last  ten  years  has  contributed  more 
than  a  hundred  good  scientific  papers  in 
various  scientific  journals. 

Dr.  Herbert  Maule  Richards  was  born 
in  Philadelphia,  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  the  city  and  after  a  course  of 
study  followed  by  independent  research 
received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Science 
from  Harvard  University  in  1895.  For 
four  years  previous  to  this  he  held  the 
position  of  assistant  in  Botany  at  Har- 
vard/ He  became  a  tutor  of  Botany  at 
Barnard  and  in  1898  again  returned  to 
Harvard  as  an  instructor.  Hie  follow- 
ing year  he  returned  to  Barnard,  where 
he  was  appointed  adjunct  professor  in 
1903.  He  is  an  associate  editor  of  the 
"American  Naturalist,"  the  "Botanische 
Centrallblat"  and  the  "Plant  World."  He 
has  published  results  of  important  in- 
vestigations on  the  structure  and  develop- 
ment of  alg?e  and  fungi,  reactions  of 
plants  to  the  stimulus  of  wounding  and 
to  chemical  stimuli,  and  on  the  influence 
•of  carbon  monoxide  upon  plants. 

Walter  Tennyson  Swingle,  botanist 
.^nd  agriculturalist,  was  born  in  Canaan, 
Pa.-  He  was  graduated  from  the  Kansas 
State  Agricultural  College  with  the  de- 
:gree  of  Bachelor  of  Science,  in  1890.    In 


1896  he  was  granted  the  degree  of  Master 
of  Science.  In  1891  he  was  appointed 
special  agent  of  the  Division  of  Vegetable 
Physiology  and  Pathology  of  the  United 
States  Department  of  Agriculture.  The 
following  four  years  he  spent  in  investi- 
gating the  culture  of  sub-tropical  fruits 
in  Florida  in  the  laboratory  which  was 
established  .  under  his  supervision  at 
Eustes.  Fie  visited  North  Africa,  Italy, 
Greece,  Asia  Minor  and  the  Balkans  to 
study  agriculture  and  biology.  He  intro- 
duced the  fig-insect  into  California,  and 
thereby  rendered  possible  the  culture  of 
Smyrna  figs.  He  was  given  the  charge 
of  the  introduction  into  America  of  the 
date  palm,  pistoche  nut  and  various  other 
useful  plants  of  the  Mediterranean  region 
as  well  as  various  agricultural  industries. 
Some  of  his  best  publications  are  "On 
Nuclear  and  Cell  Divisions  in  the 
Sphacelariacege"  (97),  "The  Grain 
Smuts"  (98),  "The  Date  Palm  and  Its 
Culture"  ('01),  "The  Pistache  Nut  and 
Its  Culture"   ("03). 

Henry  Calvin  Kauffman.  of  Ann  Ar- 
bor, Michigan,  was  born  in  Lebanon,  Pa. 
He  was  graduated  from  Harvard  in 
1896  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Arts.  Subsequently  he  studied  at  the 
University  of  Wisconsin  for  one  year,  and 
at  Cornell  University  for  two  years. 
After  serving  as  principal  of  the  Lebanon 
Preparatory  School  for  one  year,  teacher 
of  Science  in  the  high  school  of  Decatur, 
Illinois,  for  two  years,  and  at  Bushnell, 
111.,  for  another  year,  he  was  appointed 
an  assistant  in  Botany  at  Cornell  in  1902. 
Since  1904  he  has  been  an  instructor  in 
Botany  at  the  LTniversity  of  Michigan. 
His  research  work  covers  a  systematic 
study  of  the  Michigan  fungi,  the  biology 
of  the  saprolegniacese,  and  various  other 
studies  in  the  sphere  of  mycology. 

Dr.  Augustus  Henry  Roth  was  born 
in  Erie,  Pa.  He  was  graduated  from 
that  institution  with  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Medicine,  in  1903.  That  same  year  he 
was  appointed  an  instructor  in  Anatomy. 
He  has  carried  on  investigations  in  the 
sphere  of  Neurology,  Anatomy  and  In- 
ternal Medicine.  One  of  his  most  im- 
portant original  contributions  was  on  th'e 
Influence  of  X-rays  on  Leukemia  and 
Hodekins'  disease. 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  AS  BIOLOGIST 


65 


Barton  A.  Bean,  assistant  curator  of 
fishes  in  the  United  Stages  National 
Museum  since  1881,  was  born  at  Bain- 
iridge,  Pa.,  in  i860.  After  gracUiating 
from  the  Millcrsville  Normal  School,  he 
pursued  special  studies  in  Ichthyology. 
He  has  written  splendid  works  on  Fishes 
of  Indian  River,  Fla.,  and  various  fishes 
of  the  Bahama  Islands.  He  is  the  author 
-also  of  various  papers  on  fishes  in  the 
Proceedings  of  the  United  States  Nation- 
al Museum  and  the  Bulletin  of  the  Fish 
"Commission. 

Edgar  Nelson  Transue,  born  at  Wil- 
liamsport,  Pa.,  was  graduated  from 
Franklin  and  Marshall  College  in  1897. 
He  subsequently  pursued  special  courses 
in  plant  ecology  at  Chicago  University. 
In  1902  he  was  granted  the  Ferry  Fel- 
lowship in  Botany  at  ^lichigan  Univer- 
sity, where  he  spent  two  years  working  on 
"bog  plants  and  received  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Philosophy  in  1904.  Since 
1897  he  has  held  the  position  of  instructor 
in  Natural  Sciences  in  the  Williamsport 
High  School,  instructor  in  Botany  at  the 
University  High  School  at  Chicago,  as- 
sistant in  Ecology  at  the  Indiana  Uni- 
A^ersity  Biological  Station,  Winona,  Ind., 
instructor  in  Physiography  and  Botany 
at  the  New  York  Chautauqua,  instructor 
in  Plant  Ecology  at  the  University  of 
Chicago,  instructor  in  Plant  Ecology  at 
the  Brooklyn  Institute  Marine  Laboratory 
at  Cold  Spring.  L.  I.,  professor  of  Biolo- 
gy at  Alma  College,  and  resident  investi- 
gator in  the  Station  for  Experimental 
Evolution  of  the  Carnegie  Institution  at 
Cold  Spring  Harbor,  L.  I.  Professor 
Transue  has  just  entered  upon  his  new 
<luties  as  professor  of  Botany  at  the 
Eastern  Illinois  State  Normal  School  at 
Charleston,  111.  Professor  Transue  has 
published  various  articles  on  Plant  Ecolo- 
gy, and  is  at  present  carrying  on  exten- 
sive investigations  in  this  same  line. 

Professor  D.  S.  Hartline  received  in- 
•spiration  to  take  up  biology  in  the  Potts- 
town  Fligh  School.  He  was  graduated 
"from  Lafayette  College  in  1897,  and  re- 
■ceived  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  in 
1899.  Mr.  Hartline  is  professor  of  Biolo- 
gy in  the  Bloomsburg  Normal  School, 
and  during  the  summer  holds  a  position 
on    the    teaching   stafif   of   the    Brooklvn 


Institute  of  Arts  and  Sciences  in  their 
Marine  Biological  Laboratory  at  Cold 
Spring  Harbor.  Professor  Hartline  has 
done  research  on  "The  Origin  of  Adven- 
titious Buds,"  under  the  direction  of  Pro- 
fessor Strasburp^er  in  the  Botanischcr  In- 
stitute of  the  University  of  Bonn.  He 
is  the  author  of  various  popular  articles, 
and  a  frequent  lecturer  at  teachers'  m- 
stitutes. 

Georsfe  Harrison  Shull  was  born  in 
Ohio,  graduated  from  Antioch  College  in 
1 90 1,  and  given  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Philosophy  in  1904  by  the  University  of 
Chicago  for  graduate  work  in  Botany 
and  Zoology.  Since  1904  he  has  been 
botanist  for  the  Carnegie  Institution  at 
their  Station  for  Experimental  Evolution 
at  Cold  Spring  Harbor,  L.  I.,  and  is  sent 
for  several  months  twice  yearly  to  Cali- 
fornia to  interpret  the  scientific  aspects 
of  the  work  of  Luther  Burbank.  He  is 
the  author  of  various  papers  on  morphol- 
ogy, variation,  inheritance  and  evolution 
in  plants. 

Charles  A.  Shull  also  entered  Antioch 
College,  but  left  after  two  years  to  go  to 
the  University  of  Chicago  as  a  student  as- 
sistant in  the  laboratories  of  Zoology  and 
Neurology.  In  June  1905  he  was  gradu- 
ated with  highest  honors  with  the  degree 
of  Bachelor  of  Science.  The  following 
year  he  was  appointed  a  fellow  in 
Zoology.  He  was  re-appointed  in  1906, 
but  resigned  to  take  charge  of  the  de- 
partment of  Biology  of  Kentucky  Uni- 
versity. Mr.  Shull  is  interested  in  insect 
embryology  and  experimental  evolution, 
and  is  at  present  working  on  the  Cerco- 
pidffi  ("spittle  insects"). 

Frank  Eugene  Lutz  was  born  at 
Bloomsburg,  Pa.  He  received  his  Bach- 
elor of  Arts  degree  from  Haverford  Col- 
lege in  1900.  In  1902  he  was  given  a 
Master  of  Arts  degree  from  Chicago  Uni- 
versity. In  1903  he  was  a  student  at 
University  College,  London,  England. 
He  is  at  present  a  member  of  the  resident 
staff  of  the  Station  for  Experimental  Evo- 
lution of  the  Carnegie  Institution  at  Cold 
Spring  Harbor,  L.  I.  He  has  in  press 
and  in  process  of  preparation  several 
large  works  on  cross  breeding  experi- 
ments among  insects  and  on  the  general 
problems  of  evolution. 


66 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


The  Pennsylvania-Germans  can  boast 
also  of  a  woman  biologist,  Miss  Anne  M. 
Lutz.  She  was  born  in  Lafayette,  Indi- 
ana, and  graduated  from  Purdue  Uni- 
versity, receiving  the  degree  of  Master  of 
Science  two  years  later.  She  was  for 
three  3'ears  connected  with  the  University 
of  Michigan  and  for  one  year  each  with 
the  University  of  Chicago  and  Columbia 
University  as  histological  preparator  and 
technician.  She  is  at  present  cytologist 
at  the  Station  for  Experimental  Evolu- 
tion of  the  Carnegie  Institution  at  Cold 
Spring  Harbor.  Aliss  Lutz  has  in  prepar- 
ation the  results  of  extensive  investiga- 
tions on  Oenothera  Lawarkiana  ( 
primrose),  as  well  as  other  researches  in 
the  field  of  evolution. 

Professor  Beverly  Kunkle,  born  in 
Harrisburg,  Pa.,  is  a  graduate  of  Gettys- 
burg College.  He  received  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Philosophy  from  Yale  Uni- 
versity in  1903,  and  has  since  been  con- 
nected with  that  institutio  nas  an  in- 
structor   in    biologv.      Mr.    Kunkle    has 


published  several  articles  on  systematic 
zoology  and  is  particularly  interested  in 
histological  problems. 

William  Allison  Kepner,  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Virginia,  was  born  in  Fayette- 
ville.  Pa.  He  was  graduated  from 
Franklin  and  Marshall  College  in  1898. 
He  spent  several  years  as  a  teacher  in 
the  schools  of  the  Philippine  Islands.  In 
1904  he  held  a  Fellowship  in  Biology  at 
Princeton  University,  and  since  that  time- 
has  been  connected  with  the  University 
of  Virginia  as  an  instructor  in  Biology. 
His  chief  interest  centers  in  the  field  of 
Protozoology. 

Still  younger  and  an  ever  increasing 
company  of  Pennsylvania-German  stu- 
dents are  entering  the  sphere  of  the  bio- 
logical sciences,  and  ensuing  centuries 
will  doubtless  witness  still  more  brilliant 
and  more  numerous  examples  of  the 
product  of  Pennsylvania-German  grit,  in- 
dustry, thrift  and  skill,  even  in  the  realm 
of  Biology. 


Is  Pennsylvania-German  a  Dialect? 


BY    CHARLES    CALVIN    ZIEGLER. 


S    a    Pennsylvania-German    I 
cannot  sit  still  when   Prof. 
Albert   Bushnell   Hart  calls 
my    mother-tongue    a    "so- 
called  language,"  "a  barbar- 
ous   compound    of    German 
English    words    in    German    idiom, 
somewhat  resembling  that  mixture  of  He- 
brew   and    German    called    Yiddish,"    a 
"lingo"   and   a   "jargon."      It   is   evident 
that  his  knowledge  of  Pennsylvania  Ger- 
man was  acquired  during  an  automobile 
ride  around  Lancaster  county,  eked  out 
by  odds  and  ends  fished  from  Phebe  Gib- 
bons'    Essay     on     Pennsylvania     Dutch 
(1872)   and  a  few  other  inconsequential 
sources.    He  repeats  Phebe's  "Buggy  for- 
ray" — which  one  expression,   so   spelled, 
is  enough  to  relegate  both  her  and  him  to 
the  realm  of  incompetency  in  treating  of 
our    dialect.      Twenty    years    did    Phebe 
dwell  with  and  among  our  people  and  yet 
did  not  begin  to  understand  our  speech, 
and  we  cannot  therefore  expect,  Albert, 
to  do  any  better  with  only  the  experience 


gathered  during  an  automobile  tour. 

Professor  Hart's  article  on  The  Penn- 
sylvania Dutch  in  the  Boston  Transcript, 
reprinted  in  the  November  number  of 
The  Pennsylvania-German,  is  certain- 
ly very  interesting,  and  is,  I  believe,  his- 
torically and  ethnologically  about  correct. 
But  he  is  simply  mistaken  when  he  as- 
serts that  our  speech  is  a  mongrel  mixture 
of  German  and  English  and  not  a  German 
dialect.  The  halo  of  his  Harvard  profes- 
sorship shall  not  invest  this  old  error  with 
the  brightness  of  truth — not  if  I  can 
help  it. 

Why  did  not  the  Professor,  when  he 
snatched  "Buggy  forray"  from  Phebe 
Gibbons'  book,  turn  to  the  appendix, 
where  he  would  have  learned  something 
of  the  structure  of  the  dialect  as  given  by 
Prof.  Stahr?  Does  he  not  know  that  in 
1872  S.  S.  Haldeman,  then  Professor  of 
Comparative  Philology  in  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania,  wrote  an  essay  on 
"Pennsylvania  Dutch,"  in  which  he  con- 
clusively proved  that  our  speech  was  a 


IS    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN    A    DIALECT? 


67 


true  German  dialect,  different  from  all 
the  rest,  but  very  much  resembling  the 
Pfalzisch  ?  Is  he  ii^norant  of  the  scientific 
treatise  on  the  Pcnnsvlvania-(ierman  dia- 
lect (1889)  by  Prof.  :\Iarion  Dexter 
Learned,  formerly  of  Johns  Hopkins,  now 
of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania?  After 
exhaustive  research.  Prof.  Learned  shows 
beyond  all  cavil  that  ours  is  a  true  Ger- 
man dialect. 

Now  I  do  not  for  a  moment  deny  that 
the  Pennsylvania-("iermans  have  appropri- 
ated a  considerable  number  of  English 
words  into  their  speech.  The  proportion 
varies  according  to  locality,  the  individual 
and  the  particular  theme  under  considera- 
tion. The  infusion  of  English  at  Mauch 
Chunk  is  immenselv  greater  (judging 
from  E.  H.  Rauch's '"Hand-Book")  than 
at  AUentown.  Lancaster  and  York.  Li 
his  lexicon  Ranch  gives  the  number  of 
words  in  our  dialect  at  about  5,000,  of 
which  1,000  are  English.  But  Ranch 
was  a  law^ver  and  editor,  and  hence  in- 
cludes a  multitude  of  English  law  and 
technical  words  which  are  not  at  all  in 
general  use  by  our  people.  Prof.  A.  R. 
Home  (AUentown)  on  the  contrary,  gives 
in  "Em  Home  sei  Buch"  5.522  words,  of 
wdiich  only  176  are  English.  These  two 
dictionaries  show  20  and  3  per  cent,  re- 
spectively of  English  infusion — an  aston- 
ishing difference.  In  Lancaster  and  York 
counties  the  English  admixture  seems  to 
be  quite  small.  According  to  Prof. 
Learned's  investigations  it  is  less  than  one 
per  cent ! 

But  what  I  want  to  emphasize  is  the 
fact  that  the  Pennsylvania-Germans 
brought  their  dialect  with  them  when  they 
came  to  Pennsylvania  from  their  native 
homes  in  the  Palatinate  and  other  sec- 
tions of  South  Germany.  The  infusion 
of  English  is  accidental,  and  has  not 
changed  the  essential  characteristics  of 
the  dialect.  It  is  Pennsylvania-(icrman 
not  because  of  the  adventitious  mixture  of 
German  and  English,  but  because  it  al- 
ways was  Pennsylvania-German, — was  so 
from  the  first, — from  the  period  when  it 
was  brought  to  Pennsylvania  by 
thousands  of  immigrants  from  South  Ger- 
many. (See  Rupp's  "Thirty  Thousand 
Names  of  German  Immigrants  in  Penn- 
sylvania, from  1727  to  T77''»"). 


It  seems  almost  useless  now  to  con- 
tend against  the  misnomer  "Pennsylvania- 
Dutch,"  as  it  is  so  generally  used.  The 
fact  remains,  however,  that  there  is  really 
no  more  Dutch  in  Pennsylvania  German 
than  in  English.  Persons  who  speak  with 
a  faraway  loftiness  of  the  Pennsylvania 
"Dutch"  do  not  seem  to  realize  the  fact 
that  the  great  English  language  is  a  tree 
whose  ramifying  branches  are  grafted  on 
the  trunk  of  the  Dutch  dialect  called 
Anglo-Saxon.  It  is  an  immense  and  won- 
derfully compounded  pot-pie  with  Dutch 
for  the  undercrust.  It  doesn't  take  much 
erudition  to  prove  this.  From  my  dic- 
tionaries I  gather  within  a  few  minutes 
this  list  of  words  which  might  be  easily 
extended : 


Ettg. 

Dutch. 

Cer. 

Pa.-Ger. 

calf 

kalf 

kalb 

kalb 

that 

dat 

das 

des 

water 

water 

wasser 

wasser 

land 

land 

land" 

land 

father 

vader 

vater 

vatter,     daadi 

mother 

moeder 

mutter 

mutter,  mammi 

sister 

zuster 

Schwester 

schweschter 

brother 

breeder 

bruder 

bruder 

house 

huis 

haus 

haus 

what 

wat 

was 

was 

it 

het 

es 

■    es 

hood    (hat) 

hoed 

hut 

-    hut 

ca-t 

kat 

katze 

katz 

foot 

voet 

fuss 

fuss 

great 

groot 

gross 

gross 

hand 

hand 

hand 

hand 

God 

God 

Gott 

Gott 

ox 

OS 

ochs 

ochs 

sheep 

schaap 

schaf 

schoof 

hound (dog) 

hond 

hurid 

hund 

ground 

grond 

grund 

grund 

wot  (know) 

weet 

WTeiss 

weess 

good 

goed 

gut 

gut 

blood 

bloed 

blut 

blut 

plant 

plant 

pflanze 

planz    (p-b) 

book 

boek 

lauch 

buch 

sleep 

slaap 

schlaf 

schloof 

week 

week 

woche 

woch 

over 

over 

ueber 

iwwer 

tame 

tarn 

zam 

zaam 

wild 

wild 

wild 

wild 

to    prate, 

praten. 

sprechen 

schpreche 

talk 

spreken 

schwetze 

letter 

letter 

buchstaben 

buchschtaawe 

(of  alphabet) 

boor 

boer 

bauer 

bauer 

Don't  you  see  the  family  resemblance 
in  these  words?  All  Teutonic.  And  you 
will  notice  that  the  relationship  between 
English  and  Dutch  is  closer  than  between 
Dutch  and  Pennsylvania-German.  Prof. 
Ilart  surely  knows  Grimm's  law 
of  consonantal  changes,  in  accord- 
ance with  which  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man is  at  once  seen  to  belong  to 
the  das  branch  and  English  to  the 
dat  branch  of  the  Teutonic  languages. 
The  former  is  German,  the  latter  Dutch. 

Talk  about  "barbarous  compounds" ! 
What   was   the   English   during  the  400 


68 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


years  after  the  Norman  Conquest,  when 
Anglo-Saxon  and  Norman- French  were 
being  stirred  in  the  pot  and  forced  to  com- 
bine? And  consider  all  the  elements  that 
have  been  added  to  the  mixture  ever 
since ;  why,  the  combination  isn't  homo- 
geneous yet. 

"Double,   double  toil   and  trouble ; 
Fire,  burn;  and  cauldron,  bubble." 

How  poor  the  English  would  be  had 
it  not  borrowed  and  incorporated 
thousands  and  thousands  of  words  from 
every  language  under  the  sun !  It  is,  to 
say  the  least,  not  fair  to  describe  a  dialect, 
as   Prof.    Hart   has   done,  by   presenting 


its  unusual,  abnormal  elements  and  thus 
making  it  appear  ludicrous  to  the  unin- 
.  formed.  Every  language  has  its  funny 
aspects,  but  these  are  not  the  language 
itself.  A  man  may  make  a  grimace  oc- 
casionally, but  that  is  not  his  natural  ex- 
pression. 

I  suppose  people  will  continue  to  call 
us  the  Pennsylvania  "Dutch"  and  per- 
petuate the  old  erroneous  idea  that  our 
speech  is  only  a  curious  compound  of 
High  German  and  English;  but  when- 
ever I  catch  anyone  doing  it — be  he  pro- 
fessor or  clodhopper — I  shall  take  a  shot 
at  him. 


The  Fretz  Family 

BY   REV.   A.   J.    FRETZ,   MILTON,    N.   J. 


T 


HERE  have  been  many  immi- 
grants of  the  name  of  Fretz 
into  America,  at  various 
times,  that  located  in  Penn- 
sylvania, New  York,  the 
Western  States  and  Canada. 
However,  the  earliest  pioneers  of  the 
name  are  believed  to  have  been  John  and 
Christian  Fretz,  who  in  company  with  a 
third  brother,  named  Mark  (who  died  on 
the  voyage  and  was  buried  at  sea),  left 
their  homes  in  the  historic  Rhine-land, 
near  the  city  of  Manheim,  in  the  grand- 
duchy  of  Baden,  Germany,  and  sailed  for 
America,  arriving  at  Philadelphia  prior 
to  1727.  The  elder  brother,  John,  settled 
in  Bedminster,  Bucks  county,  where  he 
purchased  his  property,  originally  consist- 
ing of  230  acres,  in  1737-8,  and  where 
he  died  in  1772. 

The  homestead  proper  is  now  owned 
by  Mahlon  M.  Fretz,  and  the  present 
dwelling,  of  stone,  was  erected  by  the 
pioneer's  grandson,  Deacon  Abraham 
Fretz,  in  1821.  John  Fretz  was  a  weaver 
by  trade,  and  is  known  as  "Weaver 
John."  The  brother  Christian  Fretz  set- 
tled along  the  Tinicum  Creek,  in  Tinicum 
township,  Bucks  county,  at  the  place 
known  as  Heaney's  Mill.  The  farm  orig- 
inally contained  140  acres,  and  the  pres- 
ent dwelling,  a  substantial  stone  house, 
was  built  by  the  pioneer's  son,  Christian 
Fretz,  Jr.,  about   115  years  ago.     It  is 


owned  and  occupied  by  Joseph  M.  Hock- 
man,  a  descendant  of  the  pioneer. 

The  earlier  descendants  of  the  Fretz 
family  were  chiefly  occupied  as  farmers, 
millers,  weavers  and  mechanics,  but  later 
and  present  generations  grace  every  walk 
in  life.  The  family  has  been  and  is  nu- 
merously represented  in  the  Gospel  minis- 
try, in  medicine,  law  and  other  profes- 
sions. In  religious  faith,  the  family  was 
originally  Mennonite,  and  is  still  very 
largely  so,  but  representatives  of  the  fam- 
ily in  large  numbers  are  to  be  found  in 
all  the  principal  denominations  in  the 
land.  The  pioneers  came  by  the  hand  of 
God,  as  Israel  of  old,  out  of  the  house  of 
persecution  into  the  land  of  peace  and 
promise,  as  humble  tillers  of  the  soil  to 
found  families  that  would  become  a  mul- 
titude for  numbers,  and  would  be  scat- 
tered far  and  wide  over  the  land  to  bless 
God  and  the  nation.  Today  their  de- 
scendants to  the  number  of  over  10,000 
are  scattered  North  and  South,  East  and 
West,  throughout  the  United  States  and 
Canada. 

John  Fretz  was  twice  married,  his  first 
wife  being  Barbara,  daughter  of  Pioneer 
Hans  Meyer,  of  Uppr  Salford,  Mont- 
gomery county.  Pa.,  by  whom  he  had  the 
following  children — John,  Jacob,  Chris- 
tian, Abraham  and  Elizabeth.  The  chil- 
dren by  the  second  wife  were  Maria, 
,  Mark,  Henry  and  Barbara. 


THE  FRETZ   FAMILY 


60 


JOHN  FRETZ  HOMESTEAD. 


John  Fretz,  Jr.,  born  1730,  married 
Mary  Kolb.  In  1800  he  moved  to  Can- 
ada, where  he  died  in  1826,  aged  96  years. 
He  was  one  of  the  founders  and  the  first 
deacon  of  the  Mennonite  Church  in  Can- 
ada. His  descendants  are  very  numerous 
in  Canada  and  in  the  Western  States. 

Jacob  Fretz,  born  1732.  married  Mag- 
dalena,  daughter  of  Pioneer  WilHam 
Nash.  They  hved  in  Bedminster,  Bucks 
county.  Prominent  among  his  descend- 
ants are  Hon.  Oliver  P.  Fretz  (deceased) 
and  Hon.  Ohver  H.  Fretz,  M.D.,  of 
Quakertown,  Pa.,  both  having  served 
terms  in  the  Pennsylvania  Legislature. 

Christian  Fretz,  born  1734,  lived  on  the 
old  homestead  in  Bedminster,  and  mar- 
ried l>arbara,  daughter  of  Pioneer  Martin 
Oberholtzer.  It  is  a  very  remarkable  cir- 
cumstance that  at  the  time  of  her  death 
she  was  the  mother  of  12  children  and 
had  109  grandchildren  and  103  great- 
grandchildren, all  born  during  her  life- 
time. Her  descendants  now  number  more 
than  2,500  souls.  Among  the  more  for- 
tunate descendants  of  Christian  Fretz, 
himself  a  prosperous  and  wealthy  farmer, 
w^as  Ralph  Stover  Fretz,  who  emigrated 
to  California,  was  one  of  the  founders  of 
a  bank  at  San  Francisco,  amassed  a  for- 


tune of  half  a  million  dollars,  and  willed 
$20,000  towards  liquidating  the  national 
debt  incurred  during  the  Civil  War. 

Abraham  Fretz,  born  1736,  lived  in 
Bedminster  on  a  homestead  of  226  acres, 
where  now  reside  his  descendants.  Reed 
Fretz  and  H.  Irvin  Fretz. 

Elizabeth  Fretz,  born  1737,  married 
Jacob  Kolb,  and  lived  in  Hilltown,  Bucks 
county,  where  many  of  her  descendants 
still  live. 

Mark  Fretz,  born  1750,  married  Eliza- 
beth, daughter  of  Rev.  Henry  Rosenber- 
ger,  was  a  farmer  and  miller  in  New  Bri- 
tain, Bucks  county,  and  deacon  of  Men- 
nonite church  at  Line  Lexington.  Promi- 
nent among  his  descendants  were  the  Rev. 
John  Geil  and  the  noted  traveler  and 
evangelist,  Rev.  William  E.  Geil. 

Henry  Fretz,  born  1755,  married  Bar- 
bara Oberholtzer  and  lived  on  what  is 
known  as  the  Joseph  Wisler  farm  in  Bed- 
minster. 

It  is  not  known  whom  the  pioneer 
Christian  Fretz  married.  His  children 
were  Daniel,  Abraham,  Christian,  Mark, 
Barbara,  Esther. 

Of  Daniel  Fretz,  born  1738,  but  little 
is  known.  All  of  his  children  except  one 
son,    Daniel,    and    one    daughter,    Eve, 


70 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


CHRISTIAN  FRETZ  HOMESTEAD. 


moved  to  Westmoreland  county,  Pa.,  in 
1800. 

Abraham  Fretz,  born  about  1740,  mar- 
ried Dorothea  Kulp.  His  farm  in  Bed- 
minster,  still  in  possession  of  his  descend- 
ants, consisted  of  224  acres. 

Christian  Fretz,  Jr.,  married  to  Judith 
Kulp,  lived  on  the  old  homestead,  was  a 
farmer  and  miller. 

Mark  Fretz  married  Gertrude  Kulp  and 
lived  on  a  200-acre  farm  on  the  Durham 
road,  in  Tinicum. 

Barbara  Fretz  married  Jacob  Yoder,  of 
New  Britain,  Bucks  county. 

Esther  Fretz,  born  about  1748,  mar- 
ried Martin  Oberholt,  son  of  Pioneer 
Martin  Oberholtzer,  of  Bedminster,  Pa. 
In  1800  they  emigrated  to  Westmoreland 
county,  Pa.,  where  he  died  in  1811.  The 
widow    and    all    the    family    except    one 


daughter  moved  to  Tuscarawas  county, 
Ohio,  where  the  widow  and  several  of  the 
children  died  18 13,  during  an  epidemic  of 
spotted  fever. 

At  a  time  not  known,  a  Jacob  Fretz 
emigrated  from  Switzerland  and  located 
somewhere  in  Bucks  county.  He  had  only 
one  child,  a  son  Jacob  Fretz,  who  was 
born  March  15,  1793,  and  died  1875.  He 
was  three  times  married — first  to  Eliza- 
beth Gehman.  Their  children  were  Mary, 
Aaron,  David.  His  second  wife  was 
Elizabeth  Driesbach  ;  their  children  were 
James,  Catharine,  Matilda,  Rebecca  and 
Amanda.  His  third  wife  was  Elizabeth 
Keifer,  who  left  no  issue.  The  daughters 
married  in  their  order — Daniel  Ritter, 
Jacob  Kratzer,  Michael  Ziegenfuss, 
Henry  Kratzer  and  William  Patterson. 

The  second  son,  David  Fretz,  was  born 


THE  FRETZ   FAMILY 


1825  and  died  1883.  He  was  one  of  the 
best  known  citizens  of  the  western  part  of 
Northampton  county.  He  early  entered 
the  mercantile  establishment  of  Joseph 
and  Samuel  Laubach,  with  which  he 
passed  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  He 
was  superintendent  of  a  rolhng  mill  at 
FuUerton  a  short  time,  and  for  16  years 
president  of  the  Hokendauqua  Bridge 
Company. 

Henry  Fretz,  born  about  1740,  evident- 
ly a  pioneer  emigrant,  was  either  a  miller 
or  fuller  by  trade,  and  owned  property 
along  one  of  the  streams  in  cither  western 
Bucks  or  southern  Lehigh  county.  The 
buildings  burned  down  and  almost  ruined 
him.  His  children  were  John,  who  went 
West;  Henry,  a  preacher;  Abraham,  a 
shoemaker  in  Berks  county ;  Joseph, 
Jacob,  Daniel,  Mrs.  Henry  Hunsberger 
and  Mrs.  Henry  Barnett. 

Dr.  Abraham  N.  Fretz,  of  Fleetwoorl, 
Pa.,  a  grandson  of  Joseph,  graduated  at 
University  of  Pennsylvania  in  1863,  was 
soon  after  appointed  acting  Assistant  Sur- 
geon, U.  S.  A.,  was  Post  Surgeon  and 
Surgeon  in  charge  of  the  hospital  at  New- 
port News,  was  later  President  of  Regis- 
tration Board  for  Prince  George  county, 
Va..  and  April,  1869,  was  elected  to  the 


Legislature  of  Virginia,  serving  until 
January,  1872,  when  he  returned  north 
and  resumed  the  practice  of  medicine  at 
Fleetwood,  Pa. 

John  Philip  Fretz  emigrated  from 
Switzerland  in  1752,  settled  in  Lancaster 
county.  Pa.,  and  later  emigrated  with  all 
his  family  to  Canada  except  a  son.  Rev. 
Daniel  Fretz,  a  prominent  Bishop  of  the 
(ierman  Baptist  Church,  and  a  daughter, 
]  Barbara  Longenecker,  whose  descendants 
still  reside  in  Lancaster  and  Lebanon 
counties.  The  family  is  very  numerous 
in  Canada. 

Un  the  second  of  November,  1867, 
there  arrived  at  New  York,  from  Alsatia, 
Germany,  a  Mr.  Fretz  with  wife  and 
eight  children,  who  settled  in  Philadel- 
phia. One  of  the  sons  is  Rev.  A.  Fretz, 
a  prominent  priest  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  who  served  as  pastor  of  the  Cath- 
olic church  at  Shenandoah,  Pa.,  and  is 
now  pastor  of  the  German  Catholic 
church  at  South  Bethlehem,  Pa.  The  an- 
cestry of  this  Fretz  family  seems  to  be 
of  an  old  Alsatian  stock,  still  quite  numer- 
ous in  Gebweiler  and  JMuehlhausen 
(Upper  Alsatia),  Germany,  and  adhere 
to  the  Catholic  Church. 


Henry  William  Stiegel 


Note  by  Editor. — The  following  sketch  is 
translated  and  adapted  from  the  German  of 
C.  F.  riuch,  Secretary  of  the  "Deutsche 
Pionier-Verein"  of  Philadelphia,  the  sketch 
having  appeared  in  the  "Mitteilungen"  pub- 
lished  by  the   Society. 

Birth. 

F  N  R  Y  W  I  L  L  I  A  M 
STIEGEL,  also  known  as 
Baron  Stiegel,  is  said  to 
have  been  born  in  or  near 
iCyP^^xj  ^lannheim,  Germany,  in  the 
llii^iUll  year  1730.  H  he  was  ac- 
tuahs  ot  the  nobility,  he  must  have 
changed  his  name,  for  the  name  Stiegel 
is  not  found  in  registers  of  the  German 
nobility.  His  true  name  may  have  been 
Stengel,  as  a  more  recent  family  by  the 
name  of  Stengel  lived  in  Baden  whose 
ancestral  home  Stengelhof  is  located  near 
Manheim. 


Education  and  Early  Life. 

That  Stiegel  had  received  a  thorough 
education  and  was  a  man  of  culture  and 
fine  taste  can  be  inferred  from  his  tech- 
nical knowledge,  his  mode  of  living  and 
the  furnishing  of  his  residence.  His 
"nobility"  may  have  been  justified  there- 
fore, and  if  he  afiirmed  it,  he  had  probably 
good  grounds  for  doing  so.  Possibly  he 
was  not  on  good  terms  with  his  family, 
for  it  is  not  known  that  he  at  any  time 
revisited  his  old  home,  although  he  made 
several  business  trips  to  England.  Be- 
sides he  is  said  to  have  spent  some  time  in 
England  before  coming  to  America  and 
to  have  moved  in  the  most  select  society. 

Stiegel  arrived  in  Philadelphia,  August 
31,  175-?,  on  the  ship  Nancy  from  Rot- 
terdam, being  then  only  20  years  old  if 


72 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


he  was  born  1730.  He  is  said  to  have 
brought  good  recommendations  and  much 
money  with  him,  the  latter  probably  over- 
estimated. He  signed  his  name  in  the 
ship's  list  of  passengers,  Henry  William 
Stiegel.  Of  the  first  six  years  following 
his  arrival  nothing  is  known.  It  is  prob- 
able, however,  that  he  remained  for  some 
time  in  Philadelphia  and  then  traveled 
through  the  counties  mainly  settled  by 
the  Germans.  As  the  iron  industry  was 
being  developed  and  Stiegel  apparently 
possessed  considerable  metallurgical 
knowledge  he  found  in  this  section  a  field 
for  his  enterprising  spirit.  In  Lancaster 
county  he  became  acquainted  with  Jacob 
Huber,  who  owned  a  piece  of  land  in 
Elizabeth  township  on  which  he  had 
erected  about  1750  a  furnace  at  the  same 
place  where  later  Elizabeth  furnace  stood. 
This  may  have  been  done  with  Stiegel's 
assistance  who  was  married  to  his 
daughter  Elizabeth,  Nov.  1752. 

Elizabeth  Furnace  Company. 

In  1757  Stiegel  acquired  from  his 
father-in-law  the  furnace  and  land  be- 
longing to  it  and  replaced  the  old  with  a 
new  furnace  which  he  named  Elizabeth 
Furnace  in  honor  of  his  wife.  In  1758 
Stiegel  bought  of  the  rich  English  mer- 
chants of  Philadelphia,  Charles  and  Alex- 
ander Stedman,  a  tract  of  land  contain- 
ing 714  acres  in  Lancaster  county.  The 
same  year  a  partnership  was  formed  be- 
tween the  Stedmans,  John  Barr  and 
Stiegel  according  to  the  terms  of  which 
the  firm  owned  about  2,500  acres  of  land 
in  Elizabeth  township  with  iron  works — 
costs,  gains  and  losses  were  to  be  shared 
equally  and  Stiegel  became  manager,  un- 
der certain  stipulations  and  conditions. 
Stiegel  seemingly  later  rented  the  plant. 

This  partnrship  seems  originally  to 
have  been  known  by  the  name,  Elizabeth 
Furnace  Company.  According  to  report 
Stiegel  induced  the  Stedmans  to  become 
partners  and  to  furnish  the  necessary 
capital.  John  Barr  may  have  transferred 
land  to  the  partnership  and  was  sold  out 
by  the  sheriff  in  1769  when  his  third  part 
of  the  business  passed  into  the  hands  of 
Charles  Stedman. 

The  Elizabeth  Furnace  lay  on  the  east 


side  of  the  Blue  Mountains  about  \]/^ 
miles  northeast  from  Brickerville.  At  the 
time  of  its  erection  500  acres  of  land  be- 
longed to  it,  to  which  100  acres  were  later 
added,  acquired  of  Jacob  Huber,  lying  in. 
Lebanon  township  and  containing  iron  ore 
mines.  The  surrounding  hills  were  cov- 
ered with  chestnut  and  oak  timber  from, 
which  charcoal  was  made  and  two  miles- 
east  were  rich  beds  of  limestone.  The 
company  altogether  acquired  over  11,000 
acres  of  land  besides  what  Stiegel  held 
in  his  own  name. 

Stiegel  made  the  first  six-plate  wood- 
stoves  in  Pennsylvania.  He  also  im- 
proved the  Benjamin  Franklin  stove 
which  was  only  an  open  hearth  and  made 
it  a  complete  stove.  About  the  year  1760 
the  iron  works  were  in  a  prosperous  and 
remunerative  condition.  About  75  per- 
sons were  employed  while  in  the  Fall  and 
Winter  many  additional  hands  found 
work  on  the  hills  felling  trees  and  burn- 
ing the  charcoal. 

February  17,  1762,  Charles  and  Alex- 
ander Stedman  acquired  of  Isaac  Norris 
729  acres  of  land  of  which  they  sold  a 
third  part  the  following  September  \x> 
Stiegel  for  50  pounds.  He  soon  laid  out 
a  town  which  he  named  Mannheim  for 
his  native  city  in  Germany.  la  1769  the 
Stedmans  sold  their  share  of  the  property 
to  Isaac  Cox,  of  Philadelphia,  who  resold 
the  same  to  Stiegel  the  following  Febru- 
ary, thus  making  him  the  sole  proprietor 
of  Mannheim  excepting  the  building  lots- 
alreadv  sold. 


Stiegel's  Enterprises. 

Early  in  1763,  Stiegel  began  to  erect 
for  himself  at  Market  Square  a  magnifi- 
cent dwelling  house  which  his  simple 
German  neighbors  called  Stiegel's  Castle, 
built  in  the  form  of  a  square,  forty  feet 
on  a  side  and  two  and  one-half  stories 
high.  The  red  bricks  were  brought  by 
his  teams  from  Philadelphia,  the  inside 
ornamentation  was  probably  imported 
from  England.  The  second  story  was- 
divided  into  three  parts  by  means  of  the 
corridors.  The  southern  half  was 
arched  and  formed  the  celebrated  chapel 
from    the    pulpit    of    which    Stiegel    was. 


HENRY   WILLIAM    STIEGEL 


7S 


THE  STIEGEL  MANSION. 

wont  to  preach  and  conduct  services  for 
his  neighbors  and  workmen,  some  of 
whom  came  quite  a  distance.  The  lower 
story  was  divided  in  the  same  way.  The 
furnishing  of  the  building  evinced  a  fine 
taste. 

Some  time  after  the  laying  out  of 
Mannheim  Stiegel  erected  at.  the  corner 
of  Charlotte  and  Stiegel  streets  a  large 
glass  factory.  The  brick  building  is  said 
to  have  been  large  enough  to  drive  a 
four-horse  team  around  in  it.  This  estab- 
lishment known  as  the  American  Flint 
Glass  Factory  was  at  that  time  the  only 
glass  factory  in  America  and  manufac- 
tured glass  of  superior  quality  by  work- 
men brought  from  Europe.  Among  their 
products  may  be  mentioned  flasks,  wine- 
glasses, vases,  jugs,  bowls  and  many 
other  articles  in  addition  to  toys  and  col- 
ored ware.  In  1769,  35  workmen  were 
employed.  Stiegel's  glass,  which  equalled 
the  best  imported  glass  was  offered  for 
sale  in  I'hiladelphia  and  some  w'as  turned 
into  cash  by  means  of  a  lottery  the  draw- 
ing for  which  took  place  on  Pettie's 
Island  in  the  Delaware  River,  presumably 
to  evade  or  escape  the  law. 

Late  in  1762  or  early  in  the  following 
year  Stiegel  acquiced  possession  of 
Charming  Forge  situated  along  the  Tul- 
pehockcn  Creek,  a  few  miles  north  of 
Womelsdorf,  originally  erected  by  John 
George  Nickoll  in  1749  and  known  as 
Charming  Forge.  Stiegel  sold  an  undi- 
vided half  interest  in  the  property  to  the 
Stedmans.  Additional  land  was  bought 
until  by  1770,  3,700  acres  belonged  to 
the  Forge  property. 

In  the  year  1769  Stiegel  built  a  tower 


on  a  hill  near  Schaefferstown,  known  to 
this  day  as  Tower  Hill.  This  building 
was  to  serve  as  a  place  of  refuge  in  times 
of  danger  as  well  as  a  place  for  the  recep- 
tion and  entertainment  of  friends  It 
was  built  of  heavy  timbers  on  stone- 
foundations  in  the  form  of  a  pyramid  75 
feet  high,  50  feet  square  at  the  base  and 
10  feet  at  the  top.  Within  were  several 
large  halls  where  the  very  hospitable 
Baron  received  his  friends  and  neighbors 
m  most  excellent  style.  Nothing  of 
_  Stiegel's  Folly"  as  the  tower  was  known 
IS  left. 

All  existing  documents  designate  Lan- 
caster county  as  the  place  of  residence  of 
Stiegel  during  the  fifties.  Here  he  was 
married,  here  his  first  wife  died  1758  and 
was  buried  in  the  Lutheran  cemetery  at 
Bnckerville.  His  second  wife,  whom  he 
married  in  1759,  being  of  Philadelphia,  he 
seems  to  have  resided  there  until  1765 
when  he  moved  to  Elizabeth  Furnace^ 
where  he  occupied  a  large  sandstone 
house  which  on  account  of  its  appearance 
his  neighbors  called  castle,  and  in  which 
he  entertained  royally  his  friends  and  even. 
George  Washington  in  1769. 

Stiegel  was  probablv  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  German  Society  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  his  name  appears  among  a 
list  of  purchasers  of  the  first  piece  of  land 
by  the  Society  upon  which  they  expected 
to  build  a  house.  He  very  Va rely  .at- 
tended the  quarterly  meetings  of  the  So- 
ciety. On  February  27,  1770,  he  was- 
present,  however,  at  a  meeting  of  the  offi- 
cers and  laid  before  them  a  plan  for  a 
lottery  in  which  he  offered  to  give  the 
German  Society  100  pounds  if  they  would 
designate  some  one  to  attend  to  the  de- 
tails of  the  lottery.  The  appointment  was. 
made  but  at  the  very  next  meeting  of  the 
Society  preparations  were  made  for  a  lot- 
tery of  their  own  which  netted  them  808 
pounds.  Stiegel's  lotterv  was  not  forgot- 
ten, however,  for  the'  Society  bought 
tickets  from  him. 

Stiegel's  Generosity. 

He  was  a  friend  of  church  work,  as  is 
shown  by  his  conducting  services  in  his 
own  house.     He  was  a  member  of  the 


74 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


STIEGEL'S  OFFICE. 

constitutional  committee  of  the  Bricker- 
ville  church  and  represented  the  church  at 
a  meeting-  of  the  ministerium.  The  Lu- 
theran church  at  Schaefferstown  owed 
him  I  GO  pounds  which  he  remitted,  in- 
fluenced by  the  kindness  shown  him  on 
the  occasion  of  a  visit. 

In  the  year  1772  Stiegel  gave  the  Lu- 
theran church  at  Manheim  a  deed  for  a 
piece  of  land  for  the  erection  of  a  church 
for  which  the  consideration  was  stated  as 
five  shillings  besides  "an  annual .  rental 
of  one  red  rose  in  the  month  of  June, 
when  the  same  shall  be  legally  demand- 
ed." This  ground  rent  was  paid  twice 
to  Stiegel,  after  which  it  was  not  de- 
manded again.  In  recent  times  the  giv- 
ing- of  the  red  rose  has  been  revived,  and 
is  celebrated  each  year  in  June  as  a  feast 
of  roses. 

The  following  may  serve  to  illustrate 
Stiegel's  generosity,  piety  and  care  for  the 
physical  welfare  of  his  workmen.  March 
I,  1764,  a  German  named  Michael 
Kiintzel  indentured  himself  for  three 
years  as  his  servant  because  H.  W.  Stiegel 
&  Co.  had  paid  25  pounds  for  him,  and 
Stiegel  was  to  provide  his  food  and  cloth- 
ing. In  the  printed  form  of  indenture  are 
found  the  words  "sufficient  Meat,  Drink, 
Washing  and  Lodging."     The 


blank  after  the  word  Drink  is  not  filled 
in,  the  word  Washing  is  crossed  and  the 
following  in  writing  is  added,  "out  of  the 
wages  hereafter  at  the  back  of  this  In- 
denture allowed."  On  the  back  of  the 
paper  are  these  words  in  Stiegel's  hand- 
writing :  "The  Condition  of  the  within 
Indenture  is  that  the  said  master  is  to  al- 
low said  Michael  Kinsel  per  month  the 
sum  of  three  pounds  currency,  out  of 
which  said  Michael  is  to  find  himself  and 
..the  rest  is  to  go  towards  the  payment  of 


the  within  sum  till  fully  discharged,  then 
the  Indenture  void.  H.  W.'  Stiegel."  It 
would  seem  that  in  a  three  years'  service 
the  debt  could  be  paid  and  the  servant 
freed  but  this  did  not  happen.  On  the 
fourth  of  June,  1773,  Stiegel  in  writing 
conveyed  his  servant  Michael  Kiintzel  to 
Paul  Zantzinger  &  Co.,  and  the  debt  had 
grown  to  30  pounds.  -  . 

Stiegel's  Life   of  Splendor. 

As  long  as  the  iron  works  yielded  a 
rich  income  and  his  credit  was  still  good, 
Stiegel  lived  in  prodigal  splendor,  and 
many  stories  are  told  concerning  him  and 
his  desire  for  glory.  He  was  very  hos- 
pitable and  at  his  banquets  a  band  of 
music  played  made  up  of  his  own  work- 
men. 

To  the  northeast  of  the  Elizabeth  Fur- 
nace there  is  a  hill  .about  5oo  feet  high 
on  which  a  cannon  had  been  placed  and 
which  is  known  in  consequence  as  Can- 
non Hill  to  this  day. 

His  trips  between  Philadelphia,  ^lann- 
heim  and  Elizabeth  Furnace  Stiegel  made 
in  a  statecoach  drawn  by  four  fiery 
horses,  and  when  he  reached  Elizabeth 
Furnace  the  cannon  were  fired  to  an- 
nounce his  arrival  to  his  workmen.  In 
Mannheim  he  was  also  received  with 
music  and  the  booming  of  cannon.  His 
reception  must  have  been  most  brilliant 
when  after  the  acquisition  of  the  whole 
of  Mannheim  in  1770  he  came  to  take 
possession  of  his  house  built  five  years 
previously.  His  arrival  at  any  place  was 
warmly  welcomed  by  all,  for  it  meant 
payday  for  his  workmen,  whom  he  treat- 
ed most  royally. 

Stiegel  seems  to  have  reached  the 
height  of  his  glory  about  the  year  1769. 
His  glass  factory  and  his  various  iron 
works  were  in  full  operation  and  between 
200  and  300  persons  were  employed  by 
him.  He  was  regarded  one  of  the  richest 
and  most  respectable  men  of  the  times — 
although  unjustly,  so  far  as  his  riches 
were  concerned,  as  he  was  even  then 
heavily  in  debt. 

Early  in  1768  he  mortgaged  his  third 
part  of  the  Elizabeth  Furnace  Company, 
14,078  acres  according  to  Sieling,  to  Dan- 
iel Benezet,  of  Philadelphia,  for  3,000 
pounds,  and  in  1770  his  Mannheim  prop- 


HENRY    VVILLrAM    STIEGEL 


75 


•erty  to  Isaac  Cox  for  2.500  ptiunds.  His 
Charming  Forge  was  probal)ly  also  on- 
•cunibered. 

Stiegel  possessed  an  enterprising  spirit, 
good  technical  knowledge  and  would 
under  other  circumstances  and  a  more 
economical  mode  of  living  have  been  suc- 
cessful. His  iron  works,  particularly  at 
first,  must  have  earned  a  rich  income, 
since  the  stoves  introduced  and  improved 
by  him  found  a  ready  sale.  A  reduction 
in  his  income  soon  took  place,  however, 
probably  due  to  competition,  as  other  iron 
works  were  also  manufacturing  stoves. 
Great  sums  must  have  been  consumed  in 
building  operations,  particularly  in  his 
glass  factory  and  his  mansion  at  Alann- 
lieim.  The  return  from  his  glass  factory 
was  probably  not  as  large  as  had  been 
expected,  judging  by  the  money  expend- 
•ed.  Philadelphia,  New  York,  Boston  and 
other  markets  were  distant  and  the  sales 
of  the  products  of  the  factory  must  have 
been  limited  mainly  to  the  neighborhood. 
The  wages  at  the  same  time  were  prob- 
ably relatively  high,  as  skilled  workmen 
had  to  be  employed. 

Stiegel's  Failure  in  Business. 

To  all  the  misfortunes  that  beset  him 
were  added  the  troubles  and  disputes  with 
the  mother  country  through  which  busi- 
ness and  trade  were  ruined  and  enter- 
prises like  Stiegel's  were  injured.  He 
found  it  difficult  to  collect  his  outstand- 
ing claims  and  could  not  meet  his  own 
obligations.  His  creditors  became  impa- 
tient and  importunate  and  although  for  a 
time  he  could  fight  ofif  a  pitiless  fate  he 
could  not  prevent  the  'crash  of  all  his 
undertakings.  Before  a  forced  sale  by 
the  sheriff  took  place  he  tried  to  sell  a 
part  of  his  possessions.  Thus  a  sale  was 
announced  for  June  i,  1773,  at  which 
the  half  of  Charming  Forge  besides  500 
acres  of  his  own  land  were  to  be  sold  in 
lierks  county  in  addition  to  a  mill  at 
Mannheim,  building  lots  and  other  pieces 
of  ground,  a  house  and  blacksmith  shop. 
About  the  same  time  1,500  acres  of  land 
in  Lancaster  county  were  offered  for  sale. 
He  does  not  seem  to  have  been  success- 
ful in  this  effort.  According  to  a  deed 
executed  February  9,  1774,  the  Sheriff' 
sold    Stiegel's   half   of   Charming   Forge 


STIEGEL'S  TEN  PLATE  STOVE; 

with  1,291  acres  of  land  to  Paul  Zant- 
zinger,  the  merchant  of  Lancaster,  for 
1,660  pounds.  Nor  did  he  fare  better 
with  his  share  of  the  Elizabeth  Furnace 
Company  which  he  had  mortgaged  to 
Daniel  Benezet,  for  these  were  sold  by 
the  Sheriff  to  Benezet,  September,  1774. 
In  two  subsequent  sales  by  the  Sheriff, 
Benezet  secured  also  the  tracts  of  land 
that  had  belonged  to  Stiegel  exclusively. 

Stiegel's  circumstances  became  continu- 
ally more  desperate.  According  to  let- 
ters written  by  him  there  were  other 
creditors  beside  Benezet  to  be  satisfied 
whom  seemingly  he  offered  to  sell  of  the 
remaining  property  without  receiving  re- 
ply. About  this  time  he  recorded  on  a 
blank  page  of  his  hymnbook  a  prayer  in 
which  he  poured  out  before  God  his  soul 
anguish.  And  yet  although  he  struggled 
hard  to  overcome  his  difficulties  and  his 
neighbors  sympathized  with  him  and 
would  have  helped  him  if  they  could,  his 
rich  Philadelphia  friends  to  whom  he  had 
often  shown  himself  a  friend  and  whom 
he  treated  most  royally,  declined  to  bring 
even  the  least  offering  to  save  his  honor. 
A  few  indeed  expended  money  for  him 
but  not  sufficient  to  save  him  from  arrest, 
and  he  had  to  make  his  way  to  prison  in 
Philadelphia  on  account  of  his  debts. 
From  there  he  wrote  to  his  creditors  De- 
cember  15,   1774,  that  he  had  besought 


76 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


the  Legislature  to  free  him,  which  was 
done  December  24  by  a  special  act.  He 
probably  returned  to  Lancaster  county  to 
see  his  Mannheim  properties  sold  by  the 
Sheriff,  March  30,  1775. 

In  the  year  1776  Robert  Coleman  rent- 
ed the  Elizabeth  Furnace  for  seven  years 
at  an  annual  rental  of  450  pounds,  and 
appointed  Stiegel  foreman.  On  the  24th 
of  January  he  wrote  a  letter  to  Yeates  re- 
specting his  own  situation,  and  soon 
thereafter  the  furnace  received  an  order 
for  cannon  and  balls  from  the  govern- 
ment. A  large  number  of  Hessian  pris- 
oners captured  at  Trenton  were  sent  there 
who  in  the  winter  and  spring  of  1777  dug 
a  trench  from  the  "Sa whole"  and  Cannon 
Hill  to  the  Furnace  Run  by  which  it  was 
hoped  to  secure  a  greater  waterpower. 
Towards  the  end  of  1778  the  orders  by 
the  government  came  to  an  end  and 
Stiegel  lost  his  position. 

Last  Days  and  Death. 

He  was  now  totally  impoverished  with 
nothing  but  his  acquirements  left.  He 
had  indeed  many  outstanding  claims,  but 
his  debtors  were  themselves  poor,  as  prob- 
ably some  of  them  had  lost  their  property 
through  confiscation  on  the  charge  of 
being  loyalists.  Stiegel  himself  was 
suspected  of  being  a  loyalist,  although  he 
was  true  to  the  land  of  his  adoption.  His 
attempts  to  collect  his  claims  were  not 
very  successful.  Shortly  before  his  death 
he  wrote  from  Heidelberg,  Berks  county, 
respecting  certain  credits  which  he  wished 
to  collect. 

After  the  loss  of  his  position  he  brought 
his  few  personal  belongings  to  the  par- 
sonage of  the  Lutheran  church  at  Bricker- 
ville,   where  he  taught  school,   surveyed 


land,  preached  and  thus  poorly  prolonged", 
his  meager  life.  People  whom  before  this- 
he  had  employed  or  to  whom  he  had  sold 
musical  instruments  now  paid  him  a  small 
weekly  tuition  fee  for  the  instruction  of 
their  children,  and  many  who  had  heard 
his  sermons  paid  out  of  sympathy.  April, 
1780,  he  left  the  parsonage  to  move  inta 
the  tower  at  Schaefferstown.  He  re- 
mained here  only  a  short  time,  after  which 
he  moved  into  a  small  house  where  he 
taught  school  again.  From  this  place  he 
went  to  Charming  Forge,  upon  which  he 
taught  school  in  Womelsdorf  and  later 
probably  in  his  own  dwelling  near  the 
Forge,  where  he  was  employed  for  a  time 
as  bookkeeper. 

In  the  year  1782  his  wife  went  to  Phila- 
delphia to  visit  friends  and  relatives.  She 
became  sick  and  died  and  Stiegel  saw 
her  no  more.  This  painful  loss  in  connec- 
tion with  his  other  misfortunes  bore  heav- 
ily upon  him.  His  health  failed  and  he 
died  August,  1783,  in  the  mansion  at 
Charming  Forge  and  was  probably  buried 
on  the  cemetery  at  Womelsdorf.  Ac- 
cording to  Sieling,  however,  he  was 
buried  in  the  family  lot  on  the  Lutheran 
cemetery  at  Brickerville. 


ELIZABETH  STIEGEL' S  TOMBSTONE. 


The  Germanistic  Society  of  America  has  ar- 
ranged a  series  of  ten  lectures  on  the  German 
Dramatists  of  the  Nineteenth  Century,  which 
are  being  given  in  German  on  Thursday  af- 
ternoons in  Havemeyer  Hall,  Columbia  Uni- 
versity, New  York.  The  course  extends  from 
November  7,  1907,  to  March  19,  1908,  and  the 
individual  subjects  are  Kleist,  Grillparzer, 
Grabbe,  Hebbel,  Ludwig,  Freytag,  Anzen- 
gruber,  Sudermann,  Fulda  and  Hauptmann. 
The  lecture  on  Sudemiann  will  be  given  by 
Prof.  Karl  Knortz  of  North  Tarrytown,  N. 
Y.,  on   February  20. 


An  obelisk  sixty  feet  high,  with  two  figures 
of  an  American  soldier  on  its  base,  will  be 
erected  by  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  on  the 
battlefield  of  Petersburg,  Va.,  in  front  of  Fort 
Mahone,  to  commemorate  the  bravery  and 
heroism  of  the  Third  division  of  the  Ninth 
army  corps,  commanded  by  General  Hart- 
ran  ft  in  1864.  The  monument  was  designed 
by  F.  W.  Ruckstuhl,  the  New  York  sculptor, 
who  designed  the  Hartranft  statue  on  the 
Capitol  grounds  in  Harrisburg.  It  will  cost 
$15,000. 


THE  CHIMES  AT  ST.  PETER'S 


17 


The  Chimes  at  St.  Peter's 

BY  ELSIE  SING  MASTER,  GETTYSBURG,  PA. 

The  following  story  is  by  permission    reprinted  from    The  Youth's 
Companion  of  Oct.  17.  1907. — Ed. 


T.  PETER'S  German  Evan- 
gelical Lutheran  Church,  set 
in  the  heart  of  the  thriving 
Pennsylvania  city,  was  re- 
markable for  two  things — 
its  chimes  and  its  conserva- 
tism. The  chimes  were  the  gift  of  St. 
Peter's  oldest  and  wealthiest  member, 
Jonas  Schneider,  who  played  them  him- 
self ;  he  had  made  the  one  trip  of  his 
-eighty  years  to  New  York  to  learn.  The 
conservatism  was  the  inheritance  of  long- 
past  decades. 

The  present  lofty  structure,  built  in  ac- 
cord with  ecclesiastical  architecture,  and 
in  calm  disregard  of  danger  from  fire, 
stood  upon  the  spot  which  had  been 
cleared  from  virgin  forest  for  a  little  log 
chapel,  the  grandfather — if  there  is  a 
genealogical  relationship  between  build- 
ings— of  the  present  edifice.  The  city 
had  grown  up  about  it,  office-buildings 
slowly  hemmed  it  in,  but  it  held  its  clock- 
crowned  spire  far  above  them  all. 

A  few  of  its  children  had  wandered 
away  to  set  up  other  altars,  still  of  the 
old  faith,  but  where  they  worshiped  no 
longer  in  the  speech  of  St.  Peter's.  Most 
•of  them,  however,  were  carried  out  of  its 
wide  doors  to  be  buried,  as  they  had  been 
■carried  in  to  be  christened.  It  was  St. 
Peter's  boast  that,  while  they  welcomed 
the  stranger,  they  needed  none  but  their 
children  and  their  children's  children  to 
fill  up  their  ranks. 

Then,  about  the  middle  of  St.  Peter's 
second  century,  a  change  began  slowly 
to  make  itself  felt  in  the  city.  The  great 
blast  furnaces,  springing  up  throughout 
the  county,  the  manufactories,  the  silk- 
mills,  the  foundries,  attracted  a  new  class 
of  men.  who  knew  no  German,  and  grad- 
iially,  but  none  the  less  certainly,  the 
•city  became  English-American. 

Then,  and  not  until  then,  although  for 
a  century  he  had  made  America  his  home, 


the  naturalization  of  the  Pennsylvania- 
German  began. 

St.  Peter's,  however,  did  not  move  with 
the  tide.  Her  spiritual  children,  St. 
James',  St.  Andrew's,  St.  Mark's,  abol- 
ished all  German  services ;  she  herself 
made  but  one  concession  in  fifty  years. 
That  was  that  the  evening  service  might 
be  held  in  English.  That  German  should 
be  the  language  of  the  morning  service 
was  as  unalterable  as  the  laws  of  the 
Medes  and  Persians. 

It  was  not  strange  that  the  audiences 
at  the  two  services  should  be  different. 
The  morning  service  was  a  gathering  of 
old  persons,  at  which  one  heard  not  a 
word,  but  the  stately  speech,  preached  in 
comparative  purity,  but  spoken  with  many 
unwitting  concessions  to  the  English 
which  the  speakers  hated.  The  old  chor- 
als swung  up  to  the  arched  ceiling  with 
power  and  majesty,  the  greetings  were 
grave  and  contained,  the  clothing  of  the 
worshipers  somber. 

In  the  evening  all  was  changed.  The 
worshipers  were  young,  they  greeted  each 
other  gaily  in  a  curiously  inflected  broken 
English,  the  singing  acquired  a  liveliness 
and  speed  at  which  the  church  fathers 
and  mothers,  now  safely  at  home,  would 
have  gravely  shaken  their  heads,  and  the 
voices  were  no  gayer  than  the  clothes 
in  which  their  owners  were  clad. 

In  the  morning  the  minister  preached 
from  a  text ;  in  the  evening  he  often  yield- 
ed to  the  temptation  to  preach  from  a 
subject.  St.  Peter's  in  the  morning  was 
the  fatherland;  in  the  evening  it  was 
America. 

The  young  people  began  to  attend  other 
churches  instead  of  staying  quietly  at 
home  on  Sunday  mornings,  and  several 
families  left  the  church  to  join  English- 
speaking  churches.  The  morning  con- 
gregations grew  smaller  as,  one  by  one, 
the  fathers  and  mothers  dropped  out,  and 


78 


THE   PENXSYLVAXIA-GERMAN 


the    next    generation,    who    should    have 
taken  their  place,  did  not  appear. 

"It  iss  me  no  more  at  home  in  de 
mornings  in  church,"  explained  Mrs.  Sa- 
villa  Taylor,  whose  name  had  until  a 
year  before  been  Schneider.  "We  can't 
understand  de  Cherman  no  more  so  good. 
De  children,  dey  learn  English  in  de 
school,  an'  we  talk  it  always  at  home. 
Everysing  iss  getting  English." 

Her  father-in-law,  old  Jonas  Schneider, 
who  laid  the  blame  for  his  son's  "toni- 
ness,"  his  translation  of  his  name,  and  all 
his  other  foolish  notions  upon  his  son's 
wife,  raised  his  hands  in  horror.  "Well, 
St.  Peter's  don't  efer  get  English,  dat  I 
can  tell  you,  Safilla  Schneider."  He  took 
great  pleasure  in  reminding  her  that  her 
name  was  really  Schneider.  "If  it  iss  any 
folks  what  want  de  English,  dey  can  go 
somewheres  else.  Perhaps  dey  want  yet 
refifals,  an'  immersings,  too.  Well,  dey 
can  hunt  for  dem." 

Savilla  drew  herself  up,  and  her  brown 
eyes  flashed  wrath  into  her  father-in- 
law's  blue  ones. 

"All  right,"  she  said.  "You  chust  wait 
once.  De  Kolbs,  dey  are  soon  going 
somewheres  else.  .It  iss  dem  in. St.  Peter's 
too  Dutch." 

Old  Jonas  rose  from  the  rocking-chair 
and  pounded  his  cane  angrily.  It  was  an- 
other sign  of  weakening  traditions  that 
people  should  sit  on  their  front  porches. 
The  back  porch  and  the  kitchen  porch 
were  the  places  to  sit.  If  people  used  their 
best  all  the  time,  they  would  soon  come 
to  ruin. 

"I  tell  you  what,  Safilla  Schneider,"  he 
said,  loudly,  "you  may  be  English  when 
you  want  to,  but  St.  Peter's  iss  not  Eng- 
lish, an'  my  money  iss  not  English.  It  iss 
Cherman  or  Dutch  or  anysing,  but  not 
English."  Witli  which  he  stamped  ofif 
the  porch  and  up  the  street. 

His  son's  house  was  the  only  one  in 
the  street  which  was  not  like  every  other. 
They  all  presented  an  even  wall  broken 
only  by  door-steps  and  windows.  Those 
door-steps  had  been  scrul)lied,  the  brick 
pavement  had  been  scrubbed,  and  there 
was  not  a  housewife  who  did,  not  regret 
that  she  could  not  scrub  the  street,  also. 

Old  Jo/.as.  liowever,  had  no  eyes  now 
for  the  street  or  its  cleanliness. 


"Schneider-Taylor,"  he  said  to  himself. 
"It  iss  a  sin.  An'  Kolb !  Will  dey  call  it 
now  Calf?  I  would  sooner  be  calf  in 
Cherman  dan  English." 

The  attitudes  of  himself  and  his- 
daughter  toward  the  question  which  be- 
came every  day  more  insistent  were 
typical  of  the  two  factions  in  St.  Peter's. 
The  conservatives,  led  by  old  Jonas,  de- 
clined to  recognize  the  other  party. 

The  young  people  ■  made  at  first  only 
moderate  demands.  They  asked  for  Eng- 
lish preaching  on  one  morning  service 
each  month. 

The  pastor  at  first  held  wisely  aloof. 
He  had  foreseen  the  struggle  for  years, 
and  much  as  he  regretted  the  passing  of 
the  stately  days  of  the  old  regime,  he 
realized  that  the  old  order  must  change ; 
and  when  a  committee  of  the  younger 
generation  waited  upon  him  in  his  study, 
he  immediately  laid  down  with  them  a 
plan  of  campaign. 

He  would  present  the  question  at  the 
next  meeting  of  the  Kirchcn-Rath 
(Church  Council),  which  was  largely 
composed  of  the  older  men,  and  they 
would  discuss  and  vote  upon  it  there. 
Should  the  council  decide  against  them, 
they  could  present  a  petition  for  a  con- 
gregational meeting.  ^Meanwhile  they 
were  to  keep  their  own. counsel  and  their 
tempers. 

Some  one,  however,  failed  to  keep  the 
first  clause  of  the  agreement.  When  the 
pastor  entered  the  vestry-room  the  next 
evening,  for  the  monthly  council  meet- 
ing, he  was  instantly  aware  that  the  air 
was  charged  with  excitement.  He  heard 
the  ominous  tap  of  Jonas  Schneider's 
cane  before  he  opened  the  door. 

"(lOod  evening,  brethren!"  he  said, 
with  the  cheerful  smile  which  won  him 
the  hearts  of  the  oldest  man  and  the 
youngest  child.  "Am  I  the  last?" 
The  atmosphere  cleareci  visibly. 
"Gittcn  abend.  Para!"  answered  Jonas 
Schneider.  "It  iss  dis  efening  an  im- 
portant meeting.  It  iss  for  dat  dat  every- 
iDody  iss  so  soon  here." 

The  pastor  hung  up  his  overcoat, — it 
was  a  chill  November  evening, — and 
stepped  to  his  chair  behind  the  broad 
table,  wlitrc  la\-  the  secretary's  books. 
The   secretar\-  himself,   who  was  of  the 


THE  CHIMES  AT  ST.  PETER'S 


79 


younger  generation,  shook  his  head  mean- 
ingly as  his  eyes  met  the  pastor's. 

The  meeting  was  opened  with  prayer, 
the  reading  of  the  minutes,  and  the  roll- 
call.  There  were  no  Taylors  or  Calfs  on 
that  list.  It  was  headed  by  Jonas 
Schneider,  and  below  came  Heinrich  Ru- 
dolf, George  Treichier,  Abraham  Wescoe, 
John  Wagner.  Adam  Knauss,  Jacob 
Roth,  Samuel  Schwartz,  Heinrich 
Weber  and  Peter  Yingling,  a  list  which 
but  for  one  or  two  Anglicized  Christian 
names  might  be  found  upon  the  parish 
list  of  any  church  in  the  fatherland,  al- 
though the  owners  were  many  generations 
removed. 

As  he  listened,  the  pastor  grew  each 
moment  more  sure  that  a  congregational 
meeting  would  be  called. 

It  was  not  likely  that  a  Rudolf  or  a 
Schwartz  would  yield  without  a  bitter 
fight.  Yet  it  seemed  strange  that  they 
should  cling  so  firmly  to  the  German 
preaching,  when  they  had  long  since  put 
by  all  other  signs  of  their  origin.  Old 
Schneider  himself  had  gathered  his  wealth 
by  methods  which  were  strictly  Ayieri- 
can ;  he  regarded  the  customs  and  habits 
of  recently  immigrated  Germans  with  ab- 
horrence, the  German  Emperor  with 
scorn  which  was  almost  nihilistic,  and  he 
spoke  English  after  his  fashion. 

In  spite  of  it  all,  however,  he  would 
have  no  other  than  German  preaching. 

"I  am  eferysing  for  my  church,"  he 
would  say,  with  savage  emphasis.  "I 
pretty  near  build  dis  church.  I  gif  de 
chimes.  I  play  de  chimes,  I  am  always 
in  de  church,  and  I  guess  it  don't  get 
English  unless  I  say  so." 

When  the  roll-call  was  finished,  the 
pastor  laid  before  them  the  request  of 
their  own  sons  and  daughters  that  on  one 
Sunday  morning  of  each  month  there 
should  be  English  preaching.  For  a  mo- 
ment there  was  silence,  while  the  secre- 
tary diligently  took  notes.  It  was  not 
long,  however. 

Jonas  Schneider  sprang  to  his  feet,  his 
blue  eyes  blazing.  He  did  not  look  like 
an  old  man,  in  spite  of  the  burden  of  his 
eighty  years. 

"Para!''  he  began.  The  pastor  had 
never  made  any  effort  to  mold  this  un- 
plastic  material  into  parliamentary  form. 


"It  iss  time  dat  dis  iss  settled  once  for  all. 
It  iss  talking  all  de  time,  English,  Eng- 
lish. It  makes  me  sick  dat  dese  young 
people  go  so  against  der  pops'  an'  moms' 
rclichion." 

"It  will  not  make  any  difiference  in 
their  religion.  Brother  Schneider.  It  will 
only  make  them  take  a  deeper  interest  in 
their  church." 

"What !"  shouted  old  Jonas.  "Iss  it 
dat  you,  too,  want  de  English,  Paraf" 

"No,"  answered  the  preach,  quietly. 
"For  myself  I  should  prefer  the  German, 
but  we  must  consider  the  welfare  of  the 
young  people.'' 

"I  guess  what  deir  pops  an'  moms  had 
iss  good  enough  for  de  young  ones  yet.  I 
wass  always  satisfied  wis  my  pop's  re- 
lichion."     Old  Jonas  sat  down. 

"Brethren,"  began  the  preacher  again, 
"you  were  chosen  by  this  congregation  to 
manage  its  affairs  according  to  the  will 
of  God,  as  nearly  as  we  can  understand 
it.  On  whom  does  the  church  depend  for 
its  life  if  not  on  the  young  people  ?  They 
have  asked  for  English  ;  they  remind  us 
that  this  is  America,  and  not  Germany, 
that  they  learn  English  in  the  schools, 
that  one  hears  it  more  and  more  con- 
stantly in  the  stores  and  on  the  street, 
that  every  one  in  the  church  is  able  to 
understand  it.  The  young  people  are  in 
a  large  majority  in  the  church.  I  have 
tried  to  make  them  see  the  beauty  in  keep- 
ing the  German,  but  they  are  young  and 
they  do  not  understand.  And — this  they 
did  not  say,  but  it  is  none  the  less  true — - 
they  will  go  away."' 

"I'd  like  to  see  once  any  of  mine  go 
away!"  said  Jonas  Schneider.  "I  don't 
see  anv  use  talking  about  it  so  much. 
Let  us  make  once  a  wote,  an'  haf  it  set- 
tled, so  dat  dese  young  ones  may  know 
what  iss  what.  I  make  a  mofe  dat  we 
keep  sings  chust  like  dey  are  in  St. 
Peter's  Church."  The  motion  was  im- 
mediately seconded  by  Abraham  Wescoe, 
who  with  most  of  the  others  had  taken  no 
part  in  the  discussion.  The  preacher 
knew  that  they  regarded  it  all  as  the 
veriest  moonshine. 

"It  has  been  moved  and  seconded  that 
the  request  of  the  young  people  be  re- 
fused.    Are  there  any  remarks?" 

"Question,"  said  the  secretary,  young: 


:8o 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


John  Wagner. 

"All  in  favor  say  aye." 

There  was  a  thundering  aye,  empha- 
sized by  the  stroke  of  Jonas  Schneider's 
•cane. 

"Opposed,  no." 

The  pastor  started.  The  no  lacked  the 
fervor  and  volume  of  the  affirmative  sign, 
to  be  sure,  but  its  volume  was  greater 
than  that  which  the  voices  of  the  two 
young  men,  John  Wagner  and  Jacob 
Roth,  could  produce. 

"Division !"  called  John  Wagner. 

"All  those  in  favor,  rise,"  said  the 
pastor. 

"Wh-what !"  gasped  Jonas. 

Old  Abraham  Wescoe  nudged  him 
faintly.     "Get  up  !    Get  up  !"  he  said. 

Jonas  sprang  to  his  feet  and  looked 
about  him.  Abraham  Wescoe,  Heinrich 
Rudolf  and  Adam  Knauss  had  risen.  The 
others  had  not  moved. 

"Get  up !"  he  said,  sharply,  to  the  other 
•  older  men.     "We  are  on  de  aye  side." 

The  old  men  did  not  stir. 

"Get  up,  I  tell  you,"  cried  Jonas, 
"Treichler  an'  Schwartz  an'  Weber. 
What  do  you  den  mean  ?" 

George  Treichler  folded  his  arms  grim- 
ly. "My  children  will  go  away  when 
we  don't  haf  de  English." 

"Srash  dem!"  said  Jonas. 

"Yours  will  go,  too." 

"It  iss  a  lie !"  thundered  Jonas. 
"Schwartz,  why  don't  you  get  up?" 

"De  young  ones  are  more  dan  we," 
Samuel  Schwartz  answered.  "It  will  gif 
a  fight  in  de  church,  and  dey  will  come 
out  anyways  ahead." 

"Dat  iss  what  I  sink,"  said  Heinrich 
Weber. 

Jonas  stared  at  them  for  an  instant. 

"An'  you,  Peter  Yingling,  what  do  you 
sink?" 

"I  am  for  de  English,"  said  Peter. 

"I  tell  you  what  I  will  do,"  he  said, 
slowly.  "If  it  iss  English  in  dis  church, 
I  don't  efer  come  inside  again.  I  don't 
gif  one  cent.  I  don't  play  any  more  de 
chimes."  The  men  looked  at  one  an- 
other. What  would  St.  Peter's  be  with- 
out the  chimes?  But  there  were  other 
jjeople  who  could  play  the  chimes. 
*'An'  "  he  went  on,  as  if  he  had  read 
•-their  thoughts — "I  take  de  chimes  back 


again  to  myself." 

With  which,  gathering  up  his  hat  and 
stick,  Jonas  Schneider  departed  from 
the  council-chamber.  The  pastor  sprang 
to  call  him  back,  but  found  the  door 
closed  in  his  face. 

Part  of  his  threats,  at  least,  Jonas  made 
good.  The  next  Sunday  morning,  for 
the  first  time  in  forty  years,  his  pew  was 
empty.  Only  the  members  of  St.  Paul's 
knew  that.  Of  his  dereliction  from  his 
other  duties,  however,  the  whole  city  was 
aware.  The  chimes,  which  were  usually 
rung  fifteen  minutes  before  the  opening 
of  each  service,  were  the  signal  for  Lu- 
therans, Methodists,  Evangelicals  and 
Baptists  alike  to  start  to  church.  This 
morning  Lutherans,  Methodists,  Evan- 
gelicals and  Baptists  alike  were  late. 

At  St.  Peter's  there  was  great  excite- 
ment. The  congregation  gathered  in  the 
aisles  after  the  morning  service.  Greatly 
to  the  preacher's  surprise,  his  announce- 
ment that  the  petition  of  the  young  people 
was  granted  was  received  with  general 
although  somewhat  sad  approval. 

"So  de  old  ones  must  now  step  down," 
said  Uriah  Hauseman.  "Well,  dere  iss 
one  sing,  if  dese  English  young  ones  do 
not  come  efery  Sunday  morning  in  de 
church,  dey  will  catch  it." 

The  question  of  Jonas  Schneider  and 
the  chimes,  however,  could  be  dismissed 
with  no  such  sorrowful  pleasantry. 

The  preacher  went  to  see  him,  and 
Jonas  would  not  even  answer  his  good 
morning.  His  old  friends  and  his  family 
argued  with  him,  but  only  made  a  bad 
matter  worse.  The  preacher  discovered 
by  accident  that  Jonas  had  sought  legal 
advice  about  recovering  the  chimes,  and 
while  the  first  lawyer  whom  he  consulted 
had  told  him  that  it  was  impossible,  the 
second,  an  untrustworthy  newcomer,  had 
assured  Jonas  that  something  could  be 
done.  "St.  Peter's  sued  for  its  Chimes !" 
would  make  a  capital  head-line  for  the 
papers. 

The  congregation  meanwhile  grew  a 
little  impatient.  There  were  other  chime- 
ringers  to  be  had.  They  suddenly  re- 
membered old  Jonas'  tyranny  over  St. 
Peter's  in  the  past. 

It  was  not  strange  that  the  prepara- 
tions    for     the     Christmas     celebration 


THE  CHniES  AT  ST.  PETER'S 


8i 


dragged.  St.  Peter's  had  always  made 
much  of  Christmas.  There  was  special 
music  on  the  Sunday  nearest  Christ- 
mas day,  and  there  were  two  Sunday- 
school  festivals,  one  for  the  older  and 
one  for  the  younger  scholars.  The  exer- 
cises came  to  a  close  when,  on  New 
Year's  eve,  from  nine  till  twelve,  the 
whole  congregation  watched  the  old  year 
out. 

As  the  time  approached,  the  pastor  half 
regretted  that  he  had  not  consented  to  the 
engagement  of  another  chime-ringer. 
The  bells  were  always  rung  to  announce 
all  the  services,  as  well  as  on  Christmas 
morning  at  six  o'clock,  and  at  the  close  of 
the  watch-night  service.  It  would  not 
seem  like  New  Year's  without  the  chimes. 

To  the  watch-night  service  especially 
he  looked  forward  uneasily.  Hitherto, 
during  all  his  long  pastornate,  Jonas  had 
sat  before  him,  during  the  German  portion 
of  the  service,  at  least,  until  at  five  minutes 
of  twelve  he  walked  solemnly  down  the 
aisle,  up  to  the  stairway  to  the  gallery, 
then  on  up  to  the  tower,  his  footsteps  dy- 
ing slowly  away,  like  the  tread  of  the  de- 
parting year,  until  he  reached  the  little 
room  far  up  in  the  steeple  which  held  the 
manual  of  the  chimes. 

The  preacher  liked  to  picture  him  there 
in  the  darkness,  his  hands  on  the  levers, 
waiting  till  the  last  stroke  of  twelve  on 
the  church  clock  to  peal  out  "Ein  Feste 
Burg." 

As  the  preacher  went  up  the  steps  on 
the  way  to  the  watch-night  service,  he 
paused  for  a  moment,  bracing  himself 
against  the  wind.  He  seemed  to  hear  a 
dull  musical  vibration  from  the  tower 
above.  The  great  bells  seemed  to  mourn 
the  departed  order  of  things. 

Then,  as  a  few  minutes  later  he  glanced 
down  from  the  pulpit  over  the  great  con- 
gregation, his  heart  warmed. 

At  eleven  o'clock  the  service,  which 
had  opened  with  English  hymns  and 
prayers,  assumed  a  more  solemn  char- 
acter. There  appeared  more  old  men 
and  old  women.  The  pastor  announced  a 
German  hymn ;  then  the  congregation  set- 
tled into  greater  quiet.  There  seemed 
to  hover  in  the  air  a  tangible  presence ; 
one  remembered  misspent  moments  and 


neglected  opportunities.  The  occasional 
whispers  ceased,  and  every  eye  fixed 
itself  upon  the  pastor's  face. 

When  the  sermon  was  finished,  the  pas- 
tor lifted  a  book  which  lay  beside  him 
on  the  pulpit.  Even  the  mysterious 
whispers  up  under  the  great  ceiling 
seemed  to  die  away  for  a  moment. 

''According  to  our  usual  custom,"  he 
began,  "we  will  read  the  list  of  those 
members  of  our  church  who  have  died 
within  the  year. 

"On  the  third  of  January,  Henry 
Wolle,  aged  eighty-five  years,  the  son  of 
Henrich  and  Margaretta  Wolle.  On  the 
seventeenth  of  January,  Maria  Theresa, 
daughter  of  Hermann  and  Louisa  Ban- 
ner, and  wife  of  Jonas  Schneider,  aged 
seventy-three  years.    On — " 

The  memory  of  St.  Peter's  suddenly 
awoke.  How  was  it  that  they  had  for- 
gotten that  it  was  less  than  a  year  since 
Maria  Schneider  had  died  ?  She  had 
been  one  of  the  few  members  who  un- 
derstood no  English.  They  might  have 
waited  another  year.  The  heart  of  youth 
was  suddenly  smitten  with  a  knowledge 
of  the  heart  of  age. 

The  pastor  read  slowly  on.  The  list 
was  not  so  long  as  in  other  years,  and 
the  dead  were  almost  all  old  men  and  old 
women,  over  whose  going  home  one's 
tears  are  sad,  not  bitter.  Then  he  closed 
the  book,  and  stood  looking  down  upon 
them.     It  was  five  minutes  of  twelve. 

"We  will  wait  in  silence  and  on  bended 
knee  the  coming  of  the  new  year,"  he 
said  slowly. 

Old  Jonas  Schneider  sat  at  home  alone, 
his  hands  clasped  on  his  cane,  his  head 
bent  upon  them,  his  thoughts  across  the 
city  at  St.  Peter's,  where,  for  the  first 
time  in  fifty  years,  they  were  holding  a 
watch-meeting  without  him. 

It  was  that  which  made  his  heart  sore. 
The  German  Bible  class  could  do  without 
his  teaching,  the  church  without  his  ad- 
vice, the  German  prayer-meeting  without 
his  prayers.  One  thought  only  gave  him 
comfort :  they  could  find  no  one  to  ring 
the  chimes.  Mercifully  he  did  not  know 
how  easy  it  would  be  for  some  one  else 
to  take  his  place  there,  also. 

A  sudden  fierce  longing  to  ht  back  in 


82 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


his  place  assailed  him.  He  could  not  en- 
dure the  loneliness  of  the  house,  with  its 
haunting  presence.  Over  at  St.  Peter's 
the  preacher  would  presently  read  Maria's 
name  among  those  dead.  Should  Maria's 
watch-night  end  without  the  ringing  of 
the  chimes? 

Forgetting  his  overcoat,  he  stepped 
out.  The  wind  caught  him  and  buffeted 
him.  but  he  struggled  on  through  the 
lonely  streets  in  the  face  of  the  wind. 
W'hen  he  reached  the  church  steps  he 
paused.  From  within  came  faintly  the 
sound  of  the  preacher's  voice,  and  from 
above  a  faint  reverberation. 

He  closed  the  door  softly  behind  him, 
then  climbed  stealthily  the  gallery  stairs. 
There,  hidden  in  the  black  shadows,  he 
looked  down.  His  pew  alone  in  all  the 
church  was  empty.  It  smote  him  that 
they  had  kept  it  for  him.  The  pastor's 
voice  warmed  his  heart.  He  saw  his 
old  friends,  with  whom  he  had  by  turns 
quarreled  and  made  peace  since  he  was 
a  boy. 

There  was  old  Abraham  Wescoe,  who 
had  started  him  in  business  after  the 
panic,  and  old  John  Roth,  who  had  been 
his  intimate  friend  since  they  were  boys, 
and  whose  wife,  now  dead,  had  been  his 
wife's  sister.  There  was  scarcely  one  of 
them  to  whom  he  was  not  bound  by  some 
tie.  He  looked  about  the  church,  at 
the  huge  organ  for  which  he  had  fought 
against  all  the  council,  who  thought  its 
cost  a  sin.  then  up  into  the  dim  black 
spaces  above,  in  which  his  soul  delighted. 
He  loved  every  stone  in  the  building,  and 
in  his  own  fierce  way  he  loved  every  man, 
woman  and  child  who  owed  his  church 
allegiance. 

He  fell  upon  his  knees  when  the  pastor 
read  his  wife's  name ;  then,  while  the 
congregation  knelt,  he  crossed  the  gal- 
lery, and  opening  the  door  which  led  into 
the  tower,  slowly  climbed  the  steps. 

In  the  little  room  just  underneath  the 
bells,  where  the  great  keyboard  stood,  he 
paused.  The  moonlight,  now  clear,  now 
dimmed  by  a  passing  cloud,  cast  strange 
shadows  as  it  gleamed  through  the  nar- 
row windows.  He  could  feel  the  steeple 
sway  in  the  wind,  and  his  spirit  leaped 
like  the  spirit  of  a  young  man.    He  would 


be  content  to  die  if  he  could  feel  once 
more  the  smooth  levers  beneath  his  hands 
and  know  that  the  city  awoke  to  listen. 
But  he  had  said  that  he  would  never  play 
the  chimes  again,  and  he  never  broke  his 
word. 

Down  in  the  church  the  last  few  min- 
utes of  the  old  year  seemed  long.  Once 
a  child  stirred  uneasily  in  her  sleep,  but 
there  was  no  other  sound. 

Then,  suddenly,  even  to  those  who 
awaited  them,  the  first  strokes  of  twelve 
throbbed  out.  Now  far  away  and  sweet 
they  sounded,  as  the  wind  carried  their 
music  out  over  the  city,  now  loud  and  ex- 
ultant, as  if  they  were  the  voice  of  the 
storm.  Now  the  clear  tone  swept  through 
the  silence  like  the  wind-swung  bell  along 
a  rocky  coast,  then  died  away  like  the 
Sabbath  chime  of  a  village  bell. 

The  last  stroke  throbbed  more  and 
more  faintly,  and  still  the  congregation 
knelt.  Always  in  other  years  there  had 
been  whispered  good  wishes  even  before 
the  benediction.  Now  no  one  moved. 
The  blare  of  horns  and  mad  blowing  of 
factory  whistles  came  faintly  in. 

Then,  high  above  the  tumult  without, 
swelled  another  sound.  Loud  and  clear^ 
shutting  out  all  other  sounds,  St.  Peter's 
chimes  sang  out,  "Eiii  Fcstc  Burg." 

The  preacher  stretched  out  his  arms 
as  if  to  gather  to  his  heart  all  these  his 
people. 

"Ich  ■cvunsche  ciicJi  cin  gUlckseUges 
ncues  Jahr"  ("I  wish  you  a  happy  New 
Year"),  he  said. 

The  strains  of  the  "BatUe  Hymn"  died 
away,  and  the  congregation  started  slowly 
down  the  aisles,  with  much  laughter  and 
many  handclasps.  Jonas  Schneider  had 
come  back.  Would  any  one  have  the 
heart  now  to  insist  upon  the  English  ? 
"Listen!"  said  some  one,  sharply. 
The  eyes  of  the  people  met.  The  chimes 
still  played.  Nor  was  their  tune  "Nun 
dankct  allc  Gott,"  or  any  of  the  other 
German  chorals  of  which  old  Jonas  was 
so  fond,  but  the  English  "Coronation,"' 
with  its  swinging  melody. 

Thus  bravely,  openly,  did  old  Jonas 
Schneider  acknowledge  his  defeat.  The 
old  order  had  passed  away. 


SPINNING    IN    THE    OLDTIME    WINTER-NIGHTS 


83 


Spinning  in  the  Oldtime  Winter  Nights 

EXTRACT   FROM    DR.  \V.  A.  HELFFRICH'S  AUTOBIOGRAPH V^  TRANSLATED  BY  REV.  W.   U.    HELFFRICH,  BATH,  PA. 


Y  manner  of  living  this  win- 
ter (i84i-'42)  differed  ma- 
terially from  that  of  former 
days.  Instead  of  sitting  in 
the  Kneipc  (home  study) 
of  an  evening,  as  formerly, 
and  passing  the  time  in  conversation  with 
our  tutor  or  with  one  another  or  in  read- 
ing, with  Griebler's  explanations,  from 
the  German  classics,  I  spent  the  evenings 
with  the  family  in  the  sitting-room.  My 
father,  who  had  often  visited  us  in  the 
Kneipc,  also  joined  the  family-circle  and 
passed  the  time  by  reading.  Thus  we  all 
sat  together.  The  beautiful  ideal  exist- 
ence over  in  the  study  had  passed  away 
and  the  change  was  most  prosaic. 
Mother  sewed  or  knitted.  Old  Freny 
sat  behind  her  spinning-wheel,  spinning 
away  monotonously,  and  when  the  bear- 
ings got  dry,  as  they  often  did,  her 
wheel  droned  the  bass  to  an  often  too 
pronounced  prosaic  stillness. 

Spinning  was  still  the  custom  in  those 
days.  Everybody  spun  and  had  all  their 
white  and  colored  linen  stuffs,  Schcm- 
pcrin'^  and  flannels  woven  to  order.  Every 
fourth  or  fifth  house  had  its  loom.  In 
many  a  house  a  half  dozen  spinning- 
wheels  w^ere  kept  buzzing.  The  daughters 
spun  their  own  marriage  dower.  There 
was  plenty  of  noise  when  half  a  dozen 
wheels  w-ere  hvunming  and  droning,  and 
plenty  of  dust  too,  especially  when  flax 


•This  was  the  dialect  term  applied  to  a  stoutly 
■woven  fabric  much  used  for  trousers.  We  have 
often  heard  the  word  in  our  youth,  but  have  not 
been  able  to  trace  its  origin  quite  satisfactorily, 
and  shall  be  obliged  to  any  reader  who  will  do  so. 
Perhaps  it  was  derived  from  the  Old  "French 
janibidres,  stout  leggings  worn  by  huntsmen  and  others. 
—Ed. 


was  being  spun.  This  was  usually  spun 
first  from  the  distaff,  before  the  skeins 
of  finely  hatcheled  flax ;  finally  came  the 
wool. 

A  farmer's  spinning-room  in  those 
days  presented  a  strange  sight.  The  boys 
sat  or  lay  on  the  wood-chest  behind  the 
stove.  In  the  center  of  the  room,  sus- 
pended from  the  ceiling,  hung  a  wooden 
contrivance  to  which  was  fastened  the 
old-fashioned  fat-lamp,  about  which  the 
mother,  daughters  and  hired  girls,  clad 
in  homespun,  home-made,  tight-fitting 
dresses,  often  so  covered  with  dust  as 
to  be  unrecognizable,  sat  at  their  wheels 
night  after  night,  spinning  and  talking. 
The  father,  usually  idle  at  this  time,  sat 
in  the  arm-chair  before  the  stove,  resting 
comfortably ;  only  on  Sunday,  when  all 
was  quiet  about  him,  he  would  read  his 
newspaper. 

This,  to  be  sure,  was  not  the  custom  in 
our  home.  Old  Freny  alone  did  the 
spinning,  and  she  was  not  allowed  to 
cover  too  much  space  with  her  wheel,  if 
she  wished  to  avoid  being  called  to  order, 
or.  as  occasionally  happened,  when  she 
fell  asleep,  having  the  almost  empty 
distaff  roguishly  set  on  fire  by  some  one 
to  awaken  her. 

Everything  has  its  day,  even  spinning, 
and  to  the  great  delight  of  the  farmers' 
daughters  there  came  a  time  when  spin- 
ning ceased.  All  kinds  of  cloth  could  be 
purchased  cheaper  than  they  could  be 
spun  and  woven  by  hand.  Thus  spinning 
passed  quickly  out  of  fashion.  In  about 
eight  years  after  the  time  of  which  we 
write,  one  could  hardly  find  a  spinning- 
wheel  in  use  anvwhere. 


The  German-American  Historical  Society 
celebrated  its  sixth  anniversary  on  Monday 
evening,  January  6,  with  a  banquet  at  the  hall 
of  the  German  Society,  Marshall  and  Spring 
Garden    streets  ,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

The  following  toasts  were  responded  to: 
"Germans  in  Pennsylvania,"  Samuel  W.  Penny- 
packer ;  "The  Study  of  German-American  His- 


tory," Doctor  C.  J.  Hexamer ;  "Germans  in  In- 
ternational Commerce,"  Rudolph  Blankenburg; 
"German-American  Historical  Society,"  Arno 
Leonhardt ;  "The  German  Language  in  Amer- 
ica," Professor  M.  D.  Learned;  "The  German- 
American  Student,"  Dr.  Carl  Beck,  of  New 
York ;  "The  German  Press  in  America,"  Henry 
Detreux. 


84 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Descendants  of  Martin  Luther 


Note. — 'The  following,  quoted  from  Tlic 
Lutheran  of  November  28,  1907,  will  interest 
our  readers.  Descendants  of  Paul  Gerhardt, 
the  hymn-writer,  live  in  Berks  county  today. 
Who  can  locate  descendants  of  other  church 
fathers  ? 

T  may  be  of  interest  to  our 
Church  to  add  the  following 
to  the  glad  news  that  we 
may  soon  expect  Pastor 
Eilif  Theodore  Wagner  and 
his  wife,  accompanied  by 
his  brother-in-law,  Theo.  Cona.  Appel, 
and  his  wife,  at  our  Theological  Semi- 
nary. 

The  Wagner  family  originates  with  Dr. 
Martin  Luther  on  the  maternal  side 
through  his  daughter  Margaret,  who  mar- 
ried W.  Kiihlheim.  Through  their  chil- 
dren on  the  maternal  side,  comes  the 
founder  of  the  Wagner  branch,  Tobias, 
whose  occupation  was  that  of  copper- 
smith and  engraver  in  Nordlingen.  A 
son  of  his  became  senator  in  Heidenheim. 
His  son,  Tobias  Wagner,  was  pastor,  pro- 
fessor, chancellor  and  dean  in  Tiibingen. 
died  1680.  He  again  had  two  sons,  one 
of  whom  became  the  progenitor  of  the 
Danish  branch.  His  son's  name 
was  George  Wagner  and  George's 
son  was  John,  who  became  sur- 
veyor in  Heidenheim.  John's  son,  John 
Ludwig,  died  1792,  was  agent  in  Konigs- 
bronn.  His  son,  Frederick  Carl  von 
Wagner  (died  July  5,  1847,),  enlisted  as 
he  thought,  in  the  Prussian  army,  but  by 
mistake  it  happened  to  be  in  the  Danish 
army,  and  he  died  in  the  capacity 
of  Danish  colonel.  His  son.  Moritz 
Carl  Frederick  August  von  Wag- 
ner, became  likewise  Danish  colonel  and 
died  as  such  in  the  year  1849.  ^^is  son 
is  the  present  dean  Ludwig  Carl  Moritz 
Wagner  in  Saskjobing.  His  sister  was 
the  late  lamented  Lady  Schraeder,  and  it 
is  the  dean's  son  whose  coming  we  look 
forward  to  with  pleasure. 

Reverend  and  Chancellor  Tobias  Wag- 
ner's second  son  became  the  progenitor  of 
the  American  branch.  His  son  became 
minister  in  Hausen,  near  Tuttlingen.  He 
too  had  a  son,  Tobias  by  name,  who  be- 


came minister  in  Heilbronn,  where  he  re- 
mained until  June  13,  1742,  when  he  re- 
ceived a  call  as  chaplain  for  Gen.  S. 
Walter,  Colony  at  the  Brodd  and  Mus- 
congus  rivers  in  [Massachusetts  and 
Maine.  Coming  to  America  with  wife 
and  five  children,  three  more  children 
were  born  to  him  here.  He  left  the  col- 
ony in  1743  and  became  pastor  in  Tulpe- 
hocken,  Pa.  It  was  he  who  joined  in 
matrimony  the  Rev.  Dr.  H.  M.  Muhlen- 
berg to  Anna  Maria  Weiser.  He  sought 
to  organize  an  orthodox  Lutheran  confer- 
ence in  contrast  to  jMuhlenberg  and  the 
other  ministers  from  Halle  who  were  of 
the  pietistic  order.  He  had  a  somewhat 
polemic  disposition.  He  returned  to  Ger- 
many in  the  year  1759  while  all  his  chil- 
dren remained  in  America  and  submitted 
to  reordination  by  the  bishop  of  London. 
He  later  became  minister  in  the  mar- 
graviate  of  Brandenburg,  and  died  in 
1775  as  pastor  in  Wurtenberg.  His 
daughter,  Catharine  Elizabeth  Wagner, 
married  to  G.  Heinzelmann,  of  Lancaster, 
became  the  mother  of  General  Major  S. 
P.  Heinzelmann,  who  died  May  i,  1880, 
in  Washington.  One  of  the  sons,  John 
Christian  Wagner,  was  father  to  Mary 
Wagner,  who  on  December  19,  181 1,  was 
married  to  a  descendant  of  the  old  Swed- 
ish colonv,  John  Stille.  She  became  the 
mother  of  six  children,  among  whom  was 
Dr.  Alfred  J.  Stille,  of  Phila'delphia,  and 
Professor  Dr.  Chas.  Stille.  dean  at  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania.  We  here 
have  a  somewhat  widely  branched  famil}'- 
tree  originating  with  Pastor  Tobias  Wag- 
ner, the  son  of  Luther's  daughter  Mar- 
garet. How  many,  or  whether  any  of  the 
numerous  ministers  in  this  country  by 
the  name  of  Wagner  belong  to  the  same 
family  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  say  just 
now.  For  further  information  consult 
my  History  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Church  in  America  from  1620  to  1820, 
page'  394  fif.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Wagner  has 
thus  a  number  of  American  relatives,  and 
we  hope  that  he  will  find  himself  thor- 
oughly at  home  among  us  and  at  our 
school. 
Rev.  R.\smus  Andersen,  Brooklyn. 


IS  THE  DIALECT  DYING  OUT? 


85 


Is  the  Dialect  Dying  Out? 

BY    F.    A.    LONG,    M.D. 


a  recent  number  of  your 
magazine,  the  question  was 
asked,  "Is  the  use  of  the 
Pennsylvania-German  dia- 
lect dying  out"?  Prelim- 
inary to  what  I  wish  to  say 
I  may  state  that  my  wife  and  I  have  lived 
in  Nebraska  for  thirty  years  and  that 
we  left  the  Lehigh  A^alley  when  in  our 
"teens.  We  have  made  two  visits  to  Penn- 
sylvania in  these  years. — the  first  14  years 
ago  and  the  last  in  June  of  the  present 
year.  We  were  at  Lancaster  and  at  all 
the  important  places  in  the  Lehigh  Valley 
from  Easton  to  Mauch  Chunk,  and  at 
some  places  in  the  country  in  Lehigh  and 
Northampton  counties. 

We  were  thoroughly  impressed  with 
the  idea  that  the  people,  young  and  old, 
talk  a  much  better  English  than  they  did 
on  the  occasion  of  our  first  visit  14  years 
ago.  We  were  also  impressed  with  the 
idea  that  if  the  Pennsylvania-German  dia- 
lect is  dying  out  the  process  is  so  slow  as 
to  be  almost  imperceptible.  Returning 
to  the  scenes  of  one's  childhood  after 
manv  vears  and  hearing  the  dialect  talked 


by  street  car  employees  among  them- 
selves, by  the  conductors  and  brakesmen 
and  engineers  on  the  railroad,  by  the 
ticket  agents,  by  the  policemen  on  the 
streets,  by  old  and  young  over  the  coun- 
ters of  the  stores,  and  on  the  streets,  gives 
one  the  impression  that  the  dialect  is  still 
very  healthy  and  far  from  decadent.  In 
Lancaster  we  heard  it  on  the  public 
square,  and  on  the  street  cars  and  in  the 
parks,  and  from  lips  other  than  Menno- 
nites  and  Dunkards;  in  Mauch  Chunk  a 
clerk  talked  it  to  a  patron  at  the  post- 
ofifice,  and  we  heard  it  at  the  depot  and 
on  top  of  the  mountain  point  known  as 
Flagstaff.  And  these  two  places  have 
never,  I  believe,  been  known  as  thorough- 
ly German  commuities.  What  then  shall 
one  say  of  a  community  like  Allentown? 
In  discussing  the  future  of  the  dialect 
with  relatives  in  Allentown,  it  was  sug- 
gested that  in  ten  or  twenty  years  the 
Pennsylvania-German  dialect  would  have 
died  out.  I  said  "Not  in  a  hundred 
years !"  And  I  thoroughly  believe  it. 
And  why  should  it  die  out? 


Few  meetings  of  the  Lancaster  County  His- 
torical Society  have  been  more  interesting  than 
that  held  on  the  evening  of  December  6,  in  the 
Society's  room,  in  the  A.  Herr  Smith  Library 
building,  on  North  Duke  street.  It  was  the 
regular  monthly  meeting  of  the  local  historians, 
a  large  number  of  whom  were  present,  and, 
besides  a  considerable  amount  of  business,  the 
members  listened  to  an  unusually  entertaining 
paper. 

Under  the  new  constitution,  the  December 
meeting  was  the  time  for  the  nomination  of 
officers.  All  the  old  officers,  with  one  or  two 
exceptions,  were  nominated  for  the  new  year, 
as  follows  :  President.  Mr.  George  Steinman ; 
Vice-Presidents,  Rev.  Dr.  Jos.  H.  Dubbs  and 
Samuel  Evans.  Esq.,  of  Columbia;  Secretary, 
A.  K.  Hostetter;  Corresponding  Secretary, 
Miss  Martha  B.  Clark;  Librarian,  Samuel  M. 
Sener,  Esq. ;  Treasurer,  Dr.  J.  W.  Houston ; 
Executive  Committee,  F.  R.  Diffenderflfer, 
Chairman ;  H.  Frank  Eshleman,  Esq.,  R.  M. 
Reilly,  Esq.,  Hon.  W.  U.  Hensel,  George  F. 
K.  Erisman.  Monroe  B.  Hirsh,  D.  B.  Landis, 
Chas.  T.  Steigerwrlt,  Philip  A.  Metzger  and 
Mrs.  Sarah  B.  Carpenter. 

The  paper  of  the  evening  was  prepared  and 
read  by  Mrs.  Jai.ies  D.  Landis,  her  subject 
being.  "Who  Was  Who  in  Lancaster  One 
Hundred   Years   Ago."     It   was  based  on  the 


original  constitution  and  by-laws  of  the  Female 
Benevolent  Society  of  Lancaster,  which  were 
found  some  time  ago  while  the  old  home  of 
the  late  Amos  Slaymaker,  on  East  Orange 
street,  was  being  remodeled.  The  paper  is  in 
an  excellent  state  of  preservation,  and  is  now 
the  property  of  the  Historical  Society.  The 
paper  dealt  with  the  members  of  this  noble 
band  of  women  who  nearly  a  century  ago  dis- 
pensed sweet  charity  among  the  poor  of  the 
town  of  Lancaster.  The  authoress  took  up 
the  names  of  the  fifty-three  women  who  were 
the  signers  and  subscribers  to  the  society,  and 
gave  in  detail  a  sketch  of  each  one,  with  many 
interesting  and  amusing  anecdotes  in  their 
lives.  A  number  of  new  facts  about  Lancas- 
ter social  life  a  century  ago  were  brought 
out.  The  paper  was  introduced  with  an  ac- 
count of  the  principal  charitable  institutions  and 
organizations  in  this  community  at  the  present 
time  prepared  by  F.  R.  Diffenderflfer. 

Mrs.  Landis'  paper,  which  was  one  of  the 
most  voluminous  ever  prepared  for  the  So- 
ciety, was  remarkable  not  alone  from  its  en- 
tertaining character,  but  from  the  wonderful 
amount  of  research  it  entailed.  Church,  ceme- 
tery, family  and  Court  House  records,  with 
files  of  early  Lancaster  papers,  were  industri- 
ously scanned. 


85 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


The  Home 

This  departm;nt  is  in  c'larse  of  Mrs.  H.  H.  Funk,  of  t>prini,'to wn.  P<i.  to  wh  )m  all  communicaiions  for  it 
should  be  addressed.  Contributions  relatintr  to  domesti<i  matters— cookiuK.  baking,  house-work,  gardening, 
flower  culture,  oldtime  customs  and  ways  of  living,  etc.,  etc.— are  respectfully  solicited  Our  lady  readers  are 
specially  requested  to  aid  in  making  thi.s  department  generally  iaterosd  g. 

'       Revival  of  The  Patch-Work  Quik 


BY     THE      HOME     EDITOR. 


The  revival  of  the  old-fashioned  bright  col- 
ored patch-work  quilt  recalls  many  pleasant 
little  incidents  and  memories  of  the  past  to 
those  who  spent  the  long  winter  evenings  in 
framing  together  patches,  often  as  a  house- 
hold necessity  but  oftener  as  a  labor  of  love 
for  those  near  and  dear  to  them.  It  was  the 
sentiment  of  grandmother's  day  that  the  boys 
must  have  several  pieced  quilts  when  they 
leave  home,  and  the  girls  must  see  that  they 
have  their   own  pieced. 

This  old-time  handicraft,  which  had  almost 
become  a  lost  art,  is  becoming  very  popular 
again,  and  the  handsome  coverlets  stored  in 
the  chest  on  the  attic  for  years,  as  loving  re- 
membrances of  by-gone  days,  can  now  again 
be  brought  forth  to  be  of  useful  service 
and  to  replace  the  more  modern  successor, 
the  machine-made  spread  which  has  held  sway 
for  many  years. 

When  we  see  the  artistic  designs  and  har- 
monious color  blending  that  some  of  these 
spreads  contain  we  look  with  admiration  and 
often  a  little  envy  thereon,  and  realize  that  in 
spite  of  the  advanced  ideas  of  the  present  gen- 
eration, the  old  folks  did  know  a  thing  or 
two  in  their  day,  and  we  must  confess  that 
grandmother's  patchwork  quilt  is  as  pretty  and 
acceptable  to  us  today  as  it  was  to  her  several 
decades  ago. 

While  it  was  one  of  her  occupations  thro' 
the  long  winter  evenings,  it  was  also  a  pastime 
for  any  idle  hours  of  the  day,  and  if  there 
was  a  neighbor's  call  to  be  made  she  was  likely 
to  have  a  dozen  or  more  of  carefully  cut 
patches  tucked  under  her  arm  which  she  took 
along  to  sew  on  while  indulging  in  a  little 
social  chat.  Not  always  was  she  alone  engaged 
in  piecing,  but  very  often  the  little  seven-year- 
old  tot,  at  her  grandmother's  knee,  would  take 


her  first  lesson  at  the  same  time.  With  needle 
and  thread  she  would  sit  for  hours — often  a 
burdensome  occupation  for  the  child — and  sew 
the  square  blocks  that  grandmother  had  so 
neatly  cut,  pinning  seam  upon  seam,  which  the 
little  fingers  would  first  have  to  underhand, 
then  sew  with  a  back  stitch  so  as  to  make  the 
sewing  firm,  while  grandmother  was  piecing 
some  more  intricate  designs. 

While  most  of  the  designs  were  original  and 
many  were  handed  down  from  generation  to 
generation,  new  ones  were  created  by  the  ex- 
pert, some  of  which  were  very  difficult  to  ar- 
range and  often  quite  confusing  to  a  looker  on. 
If  it  was  to  be  an  every  day  spread  that  was 
wanted,  and  time  was  an  object,  the  patches 
were  usually  cut  in  square  blocks,  diamonds 
or  narrow  strips  in  short  lengths,  but  if  it 
was  to  be  a  select  spread  to  be  kept  as  a  keep- 
sake, the  piecing  was  often  quite  tedious  and 
tiresome.  Some  were  in  tiny  patches,  only  half 
an  inch  square,  which  necessitated  a  great  deal 
of  labor,  the  sewing  all  being  done  by  hand 
and  with  exceedingly  fine  stitches.  It  often 
took  several  winters  to  get  a  quilt  pieced  be- 
fore  it  was   ready   for  the  quilting   frame. 

A  few  of  the  most  popular  designs  that  are 
being  copied  today  are  the  rainbow,  star,  log- 
cabin,  the  rising  sun,  vei"y  popular,  made  of 
eleven  hundred  and  fifty-two  pieces,  and  Jacob's 
ladder  prettiest  of  them  all.  Many  new  de- 
signs, which  are  an  improvement  in  our  own 
estimation,  have  been  accepted,  as  for  instance 
the  crazy  patchwork  which  we  are  familiar 
with  and  a  sample  of  which  can  be  found  in 
nearly  every  home.  Quite  often  the  piecing 
is  now  done  by  the  aid  of  the  sewing  machine, 
which  makes  it  an  entirely  different  occupation, 
the  result  being  the  same  but  the  sentiment 
that  went  with  the  handmade  quilt  is  missing. 


At  a  meeting  of  the  executive  committee  oi 
the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  held  in  Lan- 
caster, Pa.,  on  January  8,  Miss  Alice  E.  Traub, 
of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  was  elected  as  a  mis- 
sionary nurse  for  the  Yochow  City  Hospital, 
in  China.  She  is  a  member  of  St.  John's 
church,  and  has  been  in  training  as  a  nurse 
for  a  number  of  years.  The  board  is  deli'^hted 
in  finding  so  capable  a  person  for  this  iin- 
portant  position.  Miss  Traub  expects  to  sail 
for  China  about  the  middle  of  March. 


The  Rev.  Calvin  £.  Kuder  sailed  for  India 
on  the  steamship  "Adriatic,"  of  the  "White 
Star  Line,"  on  New  Year's  Day.  He  goes 
via  Naples.  Pa.stor  Kuder  in  returning  to 
India  not  only  gives  up  a  large  and  prosperous 
charge  here  in  Pennsylvania,  but  because  of 
the  ages  of  his  children  must  leave  his  family 
behind  him.  Such  is  the  spirit  of  sacrifice 
when  a  man's  heart  is  in  a  work. 


LITERARY  GEMS 


87 


Literary  Gems 

ES  FEIAR  UN  BOYERTOWN 

BY    "SOLLY    HULSBUCK." 

Note — "The  old  mill  at  the  Swamp  (("lilbertsville),  a  village  near  here,  was  closed  today  for  the  first 
■week-day  in  years.  The  home  of  the  miller,  Robert  Taggart.  showed  no  signs  of  life.  His  buxom  wife 
failed  to  hail  the  farmers  as  they  passed  along  the  road.  People  bringing  grist  to  the  mill  called  and 
pounded  in  vain  and  drove  away  again.  Robert  Taggart  and  his  wife  and  their  daughter,  teachc  of  the 
nearbj  school,  came  into  town  Monday  night  to  attend  the  sho»v.  ihey  have  not  been  heard  of  since." — 
From  a  rei)ort  of  the  Hoyertown  (Pa.)  Opera  House  fire,  where  171  persons  burned  to  death  and  scores 
more    were    injured,    laken    from    the    Philadelphia    Record  of  Wednesday,  Jaa    •jth,    1908. 


Es  ravvd  shdad   siulil,  de  mcl  is  zu, 

's  is  gor  nix  lawend  do ; 
Es  shein'd  mer   frem,  's  is  cbes  lets, 

Par's  wor  ne'   fordem   so. 
Shun  lift  wor  Ich  do  in  da  niel. 

For    nioncha    longa    yor, 
Und  im"r  wilkum  g'funna  do, 

Ov'r   's   is   net   we   dafor. 

Es    is   mer    shoor    iinfreindlicli    nou, 

Der  milar  kumt  net  bei, 
Duch   wor  ar  un   seim   puslula   do, 

Im'r   fleisich   und  gatrei ; 
Und   dort   um   hous,   uft   hut   mer   g'hard 

En   leb   old  ledli   g'sunga, 
Ov'r  heit   is  oles   shdil,   mer  man'd 

Der  Dod  hut's  iv'r  g'numa. 

Der  Dod?    Sel  kon  net  meglich  sei, 

Es  war  duch   eb'r  do, 
Ov'r  nemond  kumt,   Ich  har  ken  sound, 

Dos  mi  hartz  klupa  so ; 
Besides,    se   wora   g'sunda    leit, 

Der  milar  und  sei   fraw, 
Labhoft    und    wol    in    ola    .shdond, 

So  wor  de  duchd'r  aw. 

Ich   was   um   beshd   is   laweszeit 

En  korts  und  mislich  ding, 
Der   Dod  kumt  monchmol   shnel   und   nemt 

Es  beshd  dos  ar  do  fint. 
Yushd   geshd'r    is    der   milar    fort, 

Ar  is  g'wis  net  weid. 
Kent's  meglich  sei  ar  g'shdricha  war 

In   dara   kortsa   zeit ! 

Yaw,  geshd'r  is  der  milar  fort, 

We    lond'sleit   ols'mol    gan, 
De   fraw  und  duchd'r  mit. 

So  kumt  ar  awich  nima  ham. 
Der  mashd'r  kumt   ne'   un   de  mcl, 

Des  is  en  drourich  bild, 
Es  ledli   dos  mer  g'hard  hut   dort 

Um    hous    is   awich    g'shdild. 

Se    wora   yushd    noch    Royertown, 

Der  wag  wor  gor  net  weid, 
Ov'r  duch   far  se  wor  sel  der  wag 

Noch  era   awichkeid. 


Bei   hun'rts   nuchber'sleit   dort   rum, 

Mit   leichtem   hartz   und   frad, 
Sel'r  owet  roof'd  der  Dod  se  aw 

Una  zeit   far   fel  gaba'd. 

Sei  odem  wor  en  feiarbrond, 

Arshreklich,    sund'rbawr, 
Und   bledslich    dort   im   Opera    House 

Wor'n   Dod's-bed  uf  em   flor. 
Yaw,  moncha  fod'r,  mud'r,  kind, 

Brud'r,   shweshd'r,   freind. 
Sin   esh   zu  esh,   hiltlos,    f'rbrent, 

Galida  und  gapein'd. 

O,   wun   mer   denkt   we   shouderhoft 

Is   so   en   dod  we   sel, 
Dut's   hartz   em   sheer   farshmelza   nou, 

Ous  mitleid,  far  en  shpell ! 
Mer  wissa  unser  end  mawg  sei 

So  'shreklich  und  so  shnel, 
Duch  gaid  mer   fort  im  olda  grawd, 

Und  denkt  net  un  de  hel. 

De  guta  leit  fun  Boyertown 

Wu   umkuma    sin   um    sho, 
Bareit   und   in   da   awichkeid, 

Sin  bes'r  ob  we  do. 
Duch  brecht's  em's  hartz  sheer  wun  mer  denkt 

Wos  alend  des  awshtel'd, 
Und  ola   leit  hen  mitgafel 

In  ola  eck  de  weld. 

Es  shein'd  em  frem,  ''s  is  net  we's  wor, 

Der  milar  kumt  net  bei ; 
Es  rawd  shdad  shdil,  de  mel  is  zu, 

Ar  gaid   aw   nima   nei ! 
Yushd  geshd'r   sin   se   fralich   do 

F"im    era    hamet    fort, 
Und   fralich'r   nou   sing'd   de   fraw 

In    selra    Hamet    dort ! 

Yaw,  des  wor'n  shlim  und  iv'le  soch, 

Un's  kumt  em  gor  naksht  ham, 
Mer  was  net  was  es  neksht  sei  kent, 

Ov'r  des  is  numa  plain — 
Dos  yaders  recht  nochdenka  set, 

Und  im'r  'redi  sei, 
Far  unglik  bringt  em  nix  zu-recht, 

Ov'r  wos  mer  larn'd  dabei. 


88 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


SIX  LOVE  LYRICS  OF  ST.  VALENTINE 

BY     FREDERICK    YEAKEL,     DENVER,     COL. 

BELLS.  NANNIE  GRIMES. 


Sweet  as  a  bell  with  most  musical  strokes, 
Most  charming  and  dear  is  sweet  Belle  Stokes. 

Clear  as  a  bell  doth  the  meadow-lark  sing, 
More  clear  yet  an.d  sweet,  Belle's  laughter  doth 
ring. 

ANNA 

Anna,   thou    blithesome   wood-sprite, 
Thy  hair,  wind  toss'd  and  wayward, 
Now   gleameth, 
Meseemeth, 
As  the  soft  dull  sheen  of  ancient  gold 

That  films  the  brown  of  the  sere  oak-leaf 
That  dances  the  drifts  in  the  wintry  wold 
Or  flirts  with  pale  sunbeams  at  noontide  brief. 

Rudely  yet  coyly  the  wind  caresses 

Not  the  oak-left  only  or  the  whispering  pine. 

But  in  riotous  glee  puffs  the  fairy  tresses 
'Neath  the  elfin  hood  of  my  Valentine. 

MY  NUT-BROWN  NYMPH. 

Ah,   Lucia ! 

What  limpid,  kindling  rays, 
From  deep,  dark  star-lit  eyes, 

Thy  dulcet  name 
To  me  now  signifies. 
Since  thine  entrancing  gaze 
My  heart  now  so  absorbs, 

Nor  wealth,  nor  fame. 
Lure  me  as  lure  thine  orbs. 

My  Lucia ! 

TO   J.    N.    G. 

The  soul  of  the  strains  that  nestle  in 
The  graceful  curves  of  the  violin 
Thy  skilful  hands  have  fashioned  here, 
Creates  in  me  a  tuneful  cheer ; 
Beguiles  full  many  a  sorrowing  mood 
To  yield  to  sweet  chords  from  the  carved  wood. 
But  a  song  now  rings  in  my  own  heart, 
'Tis  a  silvery  song  with  a  golden  part, 
Crescendos  rich,  that  fain  would  thrill 
Your  own  harmonious   soul,  and  fill 
Your  life  and  mine  as  never  will 
The  lark's  clear  song,  or  the  wood  bird's  trill; 
Love's  silvery  song  I'd  here  enshrine, 
In  the  golden  heart  of  my  Valentine. 


Part  I. 
Fair  Nannie  Grimes, — ■ 

I'm  pond'ring  tonight  o'er  the  olden  times ; 
For  visions  most  fond,  entrancing  and  rare 
As  the  fragrance  of  flowers,  on  bright  sun-lit 

air, 
Come  into  my  dreams  of  thee. 
Dear  love  of  old  days, — 

We're  strolling  once  more  'neath  the  silent 

rays 
Of  yon  moon  so  calm,  while  brilliantly  clear 
Twinkle  vigilant  stars,  as  if  they  would  hear 
Mine  accents  of  love  to  thee. 
Part  II. 
In    all    my    fairest    fireside    dreams, 

Of  faces  sweet, 
That  pass  me  by  in  fitful  gleams, 

With  smiles  replete; 
I've  still  thy  love-illumined  face, 

Dear  Nannie,  dear. 
Thy  form  petite,  thy  winsome  grace. 

My  days  to  cheer. 
Still  jdelds  my  heart  to  each  behest 

Of  thine,   my  light; 
That  I  can  nought  but  love  thee  best. 

Thou  vision  bright, 
My  constant  thoughts  to  thee  incline. 
Thou    fairy-love, — 'My    Valentine ! 

CLEORA. 

From  day  to  day. 

Through  year  to  year, 
In  every  way, 

Or  joy,  or  fear, 
I  know  whose  smile 

Doth  welcome  home, 
I  know  whose  lips 

Shall  press  mine  own, 
I  know  whose  heart 

Doth  constant  keep, 
Though  sad  my  faults 

That  I  might  weep. 
Though  poor  my  gifts 

My  follies  great,  F 
Her  love  withal 

Doth  not  abate. 
My  wife,  in  truth 

On  her   depend 
My   life's   best   hopes. 

She's  my  best  friend — 
Mv  Valentine. 


The  West  Swamp  Mennonite  church  has 
elected  Rev.  E.  S.  Shelly,  of  Pennsburg,  Pa., 
assistant  to  its  pastor.  Rev.  A.  B.  Shelly,  the 
oldest  Mennonite  pastor  of  the  Eastern  Dis- 
trict. Rev.  Mr.  Shelly  is  manager  oi  the 
Pennsburg  Telephone  Exchange,  and  in  spite 
of  the  fact  that  his  eyesight  has  failed  so  that 
he  is  almost  totally  blind,  he  has  taken  a  course 
of  theological  instruction  and  has  been  preach- 
ing in  the  churches  of  the  above  vicinity  for 
some  time. 


Chicago  claims  the  distinction  of  having  the 
largest  Lutheran  congregation  in  America.  It 
numbers  5,000  baptized  members.  In  the  6a 
years  since  the  church  gained  a  foothold  it  has 
grown  three  times  as  rapidly  aS  the  population 
of  the  city.  In  proportion  to  population,  it  is 
the  most  Lutheran  among  the  large  cities  of 
our  Union. 


LITERARY  GEMS 


89 


'M  DINKEY  SEI  KNECHT 

BY   KKV.    A.   C.    WUCHTER,   GILBERT,   PA. 


Dart  drunna  an   der   Weidakrick, 

Im  schcena  Liliadal, 
Hot  niol  vor  langa  Johr  zurick — 

Wie  vicl   hot  jcdcrs   Wahl — 
En  reicher   Bauersmann  gewuhnt, 

Als   Knecht   un   Maad   gedingt. 
Er  hot  sei  Leit  net  'bartig  g'schunt, 

Wie's  Knechtlied  immer  singt. 

Un  doch,  an's  Yori  Dinkey's  het 

Schier  eenig  ebber  g'schafift. 
Druf   nei    gerast,    sel    hen    sic    net, 

Mit  Hand  un  Fiess  gerafft, 
Wie's   efters  gcht   so   do  un   dart, 

Wu  Knecht  un  Maad  zuhaus : 
Wu's  heesst,  wann  ebber's  Maul  ufschperrt : 

"Dart  kummt  die  Faulheet  raus !" 

Wann   ewa  net   des   Schaffa  war, 

Wie  het  mer's  noh  so  gut! 
Noh  war  em's  Herz  net  gans  so  schwer, 

So  voll  vun  schwitzig  Blut. 
Wann  alles  selwer  wachsa  deet, 

Dann  war  der  Bauer  froh; 
Er  deet  aus  lauter  Luscht  un  Freed 

Sich  rolla  uf  em  Schtroh. 

Noh  kennt  des  Maad  un  Knechtgeding 

Zum  Bocksloch-Granny  geh. 
For  Leit  zu  dinga,  's  is  en  G'schpring; 

's  will  niemand  schaffa  meh, 
Except  mer  gabt  die  Bauerei 

Un    noch    die    Frah    dazu. 
Noh  misst  mer  noch  so  newabei 

Die  Erwet  selwer  duh. 

Ja,  wann  des  ewig  Schaffa  mol 

Der  Schtickfluss  kriega  deet, 
Dann  war  net  immer  des  Gejohl, 

Wann's  net  der  Gollop  geht. 
Ja,  war's  net   for  des  narrish  Geld 

Un's  daglich  Butterbrot, 
Ei,  's  war  ken  Knecht  mef  uf  em  Feld, 

Lewendig  odder  doot! 

Ja,  ja !  der  Bauer  hot  sei  Klag 

Un  brummelt  in  die  Fauscht ; 
Der  Knecht  hot  ah   sei  Regadag, 

Wann's  Grummelwasser  rauscht. 
Die  Frah  die  krigt  die  Ungeduld, 

Wann's  Wergelholz  net  sohafft ; 
Die  Maad — die  gebt  der  Katz  die  Schuld 

Wann  als  der  Rover  blafft. 


Well,  ennihau,  der  Yori  hot 

Sich  widder  "n  Knecht  gedingt. 
Sic  hen  so  rum  g'schafft  uf  der  Lot — 

Die   junga   Sei   geringt, 
Die    G'scherra    g'schmiert,    die    Fenza    g'fiickt. 

Hen  Schtroh  un  Mischt  uf's  Land,  1 
Un  g'schafft  so  wie  sich's  ewa  schickt 

Bei'm  liewa  Bauraschtand. 

"Wie  gleichscht  du  dann  dei  neier  Knecht?" 

Frogt  mol   der   Npchber  John. 
"Ei,"  sagt  der  Yori,  "gut  un  schlecht; 

's  kummt  ah  uf  zvie  un  vuann. 
Ich  war  do  jetz  mol  noch  der  Mihl, 

Noh  haw   ich  g'saat :    "Nau,  Joe, 
Die  Schtee  fahrscht  weg,  lad  net  zu  viel; 

Bin  zeitlich  widder  do.' 

Mer  hen  die  Fuhr  noh  ufgerickt 

Un  ab,  ich  un  die  Frah. 
Noh  hot  er  dann  der  Schubkarch  krigt, 

Geht  eifrig  druf  un  dra. 
's  nemmt  immer  langer  as  mer  meant, 

Noch  Schtohr  un  Mihl  zu  geh; 
Die  Weibsleit  hen  sich  so  verwehnt, 

Mer  gingt  als  besser  allee. 

Mer  sin  die  Lane  so  langsam  nuf; 

Der  Schubkarch  hot  gegrahnt. 
Noh  lacht  die  Betz :    'Sag,  bass  mol  uft 

Weescht  wie  mich  sel  gemahnt? 
"Der  Dinkey  kummt  noch  la-ang  net. 

Er  kummt   noch  .net,   rah — ie — ! 
Der  Dinkey  kummt  noch  net,  I  bet, 

Er  kummt  net,  sweet  Marie !" ' 

Er  hot  uns  iwerdem  erblickt. 

Noh  hot  die  Betz  gelacht : 
'Guck,  was  der  Joe  net  Eifer  krigt! 

Heerscht  wie  der  Schubkarch  macht? 
"Der  Dinkey  kummt !  der  Dinkey  kummt ! 

Ta-rie !   ta-rie  !  ta-rie ! 
Der  Dinkey  kummt,  'r  'ummt,  'r  'ummt! 

Hurrah   for  Tschin'rel  Lee!"'" 

Der  John  hot   sich   schier  doot  gelacht 

Un  uf  die  Knie  gekloppt : 
"Ich   sag  der,   Yori,   wie's  mer  macht; 

Sel   Lied   is  handig  g'schtoppt. 
Do  schickt  mei;,  dascht  sei,  Frah  un  Knecht, 

Der  bisness  noh  zu  geh. 
Noh  schmiert  mer  sich  der  Schubkarch  recht 

Un  fahrt  dann  selwer  Schtee." 


According  to  their  Church  Almanac  the  Luth- 
erans in  the  United  States  have  8052  Ministers, 
13,142  Congregations,  2,012,536  Communicant 
Members,  4700  Parochial  Schools,  6578  Sunday 
Schools,  24  Theological  Seminaries,  39  Col- 
leges, 42  Academies,  7  Female  Colleges,  28  Hos- 
pitals, 40  Orphans'  Homes  24  Homes  for  Aged, 
and  Deaconess  Institutions. 


Lebanon  Valley  College,  at  Annville,  is  ta 
have  a  theological  seminary,  which  is  to  be 
opened  next  fall.  The  United  Brethren  denom- 
ination has  no  institution  for  the  training  of 
students  for  the  ministry  in  the  East.  The 
nearest  institution  of  the  kind  is  Union  Biblical 
Seminary,   located  at   Dayton,  Ohio. 


■90 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT 


Editor  and  Publisher 

H.   \V    KRIEBEL. 

Ea  t  Greenville.  Pa. 

The  Pennsylvania-German  is  an  illustrated  monthly 
magazine  devoted  to  the  biography,  history,  genealogy, 
folklore,  literature  and  general  interests  of  German 
and  Swiss  settlers  in  Pennsylvania  and  other  States, 
and    of    their    descendants. 

Price,  per  year,  $1.50,  in  advance;  single  copies, 
15  cents.  Foreign  postage,  25  cents  a  year  extra. 
Club-rates  furnished  on  application.  Payments 
credited    by    mail. 

Discontinuance. — The  magazine  will  be  sent  until 
order  to  discontinue  is  received.  This  is  done  to 
accommodate  the  majority  of  subscribers,  who  do 
not    wish    to    have    their    files    broken. 

Notice   of    Expiration    of    subscription    is   given    by 


A.ssociate  Editors 
Mrs.  H,  H.  FUNK.    Springtown,  Pa 
E.  S.  GERHARD.  A.  M..  Trenton.  N.  J 
using     red     ink     in     addressing     the     wrapper     of     the 
magazine. 

Contributions. — Carefully  prepared  articles  bearing 
on  our  field  are  invited  and  should  be  accompanied 
with  illustrations  when  possible.  No  attention  will 
be  given  to  unsigned  articles,  nor  will  we  be  re- 
sponsible for  the  statements  and  opinions  of  con- 
tributors. Unavailable  manuscripts  will  not  be  re- 
turned unless  stamps  are  sent  to  prepay  postage. 
Contributions  intended  for  any  particular  number 
should  be  in  the  editor's  hands  by  the  twenty-fifth  of 
the     second     preceding     month. 

Advertising  R.\tes  will  be  furnished  by  the  pub- 
lisher   upon    request. 


Death  of  the  Editor. 


<  DITOR     SCHULER    is    no 

Emore.  Cruel,  relentless 
death,  sparing  none,  knocked 
at  his  chamber  door,  Thurs- 
day,   January    9,    and    bade 

him    prepare    for    the    last, 

lone  journey  to  the  Great  Beyond.  He 
was  a  sick  man.  A  physician  was  called 
who  found  him  suffering  with  a  severe 
attack  of  pneumonia  in  its  second  stage. 
Hoping  against  hope  he  at  once  sent  him 
to  bed  and  through  loving  hands  began 
to  apply  all  that  medical  skill  could  do  for 
him  but  the  contest  was  an  unequal  one 
from  the  start.  The  doctor's  fears  of  the 
first  day  became  by  Monday  a  moral  cer- 
tainty that  there  was  no  hope  for  his  re- 
covery. He  quietly  and  peacefully  fell 
asleep  and  passed  away  to  his  eternal 
home  and  reward  on  Tuesday  morning- 
January  14,  at  one  o'clock. 

The  somewhat  narrow  circle  of  his 
close  personal  friends,  the  community  at 
large,  the  literary  world,  the  publisher  and 
readers  of  this  magazine  have  in  his 
death  suffered  a  distinct  loss,  a  loss  which 
to  the  publisher  is  irreparable.  While  all 
rejoice  that  he  could  enter  into  his  eternal 
rest  and  reward  and  none  would  call  him 
back  if  he  could,  his  sudden  taking  away 
in  the  midst  of  his  labors  and  in  the  full 
possession  of  his  strength  and  vigor  is 
deeply  mourned. 

A  Great  Loss. 
The  death  of  the  editor  so  sudden  and 
-so  unexpected,  brought  the  publisher  face 
.to  face  with  a  very  practical,  pertinent. 


personal  question,  What  now  ?  Editorial 
work  on  the  January  number  was  un- 
completed through  no  fault  of  either  pub- 
lisher or  editor,  no  copy  for  the  Febru- 
ary number  had  been  forwarded  to  the 
printer,  with  many  details  of  editorial  pro- 
cedure the  publisher  was  unacquainted, 
no  time  was  to  be  lost,  an  enviable  repu- 
tation for  editorial  accuracy  was  to  be 
maintained.  The  only  logical  answer 
seemed  to  be  to  go  ahead  in  the  ftill  be- 
lief that  in  some  way  a  path  would  open 
itself  or  cotild  be  opened,  and  this  we 
shall  do.  While  the  services  of  the  editor 
on  the  magazine  were  beginning  to  bear 
continually  more  abimdant  fruit  and  his 
loss  is  irreparable,  we  feel  that  the  work 
must  not  be  allowed  to  stop,  or  suffer  loss, 
or  lag. 

The  publisher  pledges  himself  to  do  all 
in  his  might  to  make  the  magazine  of  in- 
creasing valtie  and  interest  to  its  friends, 
and  can  only  ask  subscribers  and  con- 
tributors to  stand  by  it  loyally  and  give  it 
their  unstinted  support  in  extending  its 
circle  of  infiuence  and  usefulness.  Its 
cause  is  much  wider  than  its  editor  and 
publisher.  It  had  been  a  matter  of  con- 
cern to  both  editor  and  publisher  how 
best  to  place  the  work  on  such  a  footing 
that  it  could  go  on  even  if  the  workers 
should  be  called  away.  The  change 
brought  about  so  unexpectedly  brings  the 
matter  still  nearer  home  and  makes  the 
solution  still  more  desirable  and  pressing. 
Suggestions  along  this  line  are  welcome. 

We  shall  have  more  to  say  about  our 
departed  friend  in  a  subsequent  issue. 
We  believe  that  our  readers  will  be  glad 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT 


91 


to  know  more  of  the  life  and  character- 
istics of  him  who  the  past  two  years  has 
labored  so  unselfishly  for  the  upbuilding 
of  this  magazine.  Peace  to  his  ashes, 
the  rich  blessings  of  heaven  to  his  soul. 

A  Few  Words  of  Commendation. 


The  heart  of  our  himontcd  editor  was  cheered 
by  many  kind  words  wliich  reached  us  through 
the  reguhir  course  of  business.  Our  readers 
will  pardon  us  if  we  quote  a  few  as  a  tribute 
to  a  faithful  and  conscientious  worker,  while 
at  the  same  time  we  heartily  thank  the  writers 
thereof.  From  far-away  Alaska  came  these 
words : 

Being   a    Pennsylvania-German   by   birth 

and  certainly  by  inclination,   1   admire  the 

work  you  have  undertaken,  and  wish  you 

ever}'   success. 

From  the  Buckeye  State  came  the  following 

cheering  lines : 

I  wish  to  congratulate  you  on  the  im- 
provement that  has  been  made  in  the 
magazine.  While  it  must  always  have  a 
limited  circulation  among  the  particular 
class  of  people,  it  is,  nevertheless,  a  very 
important  contribution  to  the  history  of  this 
thrift}'  people  and  will  no  doubt  furnish 
the  basis  for  future  historians  when  they 
come   to   write. 

I  wish  to  thank  you  for  this  improve- 
ment in  the  better  selection  of  articles  and 
specimens  of  the  vernacular,  and  also  the 
improvement  in  the  editorial  work. 

1  was  especially  interested  in  your  pub- 
lication of  the  ceremonies  in  regard  to  the 
New  Year  several  numbers  ago.  I  re- 
member hearing  my  grandfather  recite 
snatches  of  this  rude  poetry,  and  it  was 
very  interesting  to  me,  and  enabled  me 
to  spend  a  very  pleasant  evening  with  my 
mother  by  way  of  reminiscence. 
A  reader  in  Missouri  expressed  appreciation 
by    saying : 

I  note  with  pleasure  the  article  on  "The 
Buchtel  Family"'  by  my  old  teacher,  Henry 
Meyer,  of  Rebersburg,  in  the  December 
number.  This  and  all  the  other  features 
make  it  intenselv  interesting  to  me. 


Philadelphia,  Pa.,  the  City  of  Brotherly  Love, 
gave  a  helping  hand  in  words  like  the  follow- 
ing : 

The  enclosed  is  in  response  to  your  offer. 
Kindly  .send  the  numbers  as  they  appear, 
and  1  will  try  to  induce  the  recipients  to 
become  subscribers  after  the  time  expires. 
Your  plan  is  a  very  good  one.  and  1  hope 
it  will  be  the  means  of  enlarging  the 
subscription  list.  Probably  it  would  be 
wise  to  tell  the  friends  whose  names  I  am 
sending  that  I  am  exceedingly  anxious  to 
have  them  become  regular  subscribers,  for 
I  believe  it  to  be  their  duty  to  do  all  in 
their  power  to  make  the  magazine  a  suc- 
cess. It  is  an  enterprise  that  can  not  help 
but  arrest  the  attention  of  a  good  many 
people  who  are  still  laboring  under  the 
delusion  that  the  Pennsylvania-Germans 
are  far  in  the  rear  of  intellectual  progress, 
and  every  descendant  should  feel  only  too 
anxious  to  show  the  public's  error.  The 
expense  is  not  only  trifling,  but  one  that 
is  frequently  indulged  in  without  anything 
like  the  reward  that  must  follow  the  regu- 
lar perusal  of  a  journal  so  full  of  history 
and  general  information  on  a  subject  in 
which  every  son  and  daughter  of  Pennsyl- 
vania-German origin  is  more  or  less  in- 
terested. 

The  Pennsylv.'\nia-German  is  a  good, 
bright  magazine,  and  is  doing  a  good  work 
in  showing  the  frugality,  integrity  and 
influence  of  the  German  forefathers  in  the 
early  settlement  of  Pennsylvania  as  well 
as  many  other  States. 

P-S. — The  magazine  which  you  publish 
is  of  such  an  mteresting  nature  that  I 
think  if  the  attention  of  the  Pennsylvania- 
German  people  is  called  to  it  the  majority 
of  them  interested  in  historical  facts  Will 
greatly  appreciate  your  efforts.  For  my- 
self I  can  say  that  I  do  not  receive  a 
magazine  (and  I  receive  quite  a  number 
at  my  home)  which  gives  me  more  pleas- 
ure and  interest  than  your  publication. 
Hope  you  will  be  able  to  keep  on  with  the 
good  work  and  do  a  power  of  good,  not 
only  to  the  Pennsylvania-German  people, 
but  to  everyone  who  reads  same. 

Send  me  the  January  issue  of  The 
Penn.sylv.\nia-German  as  usual.  I  will 
discontinue  all  my  other  papers. 


The  KutztOwn  Patriot  of  December  28,  1907, 
incidentally  brought  evidence  that  the  Penn- 
sylvania-Germans lind  their  way  out  into  the 
wide  world  when  it  gave  in  a  column  of 
Personals  the  names  and  addresses  of  the  fol- 
lowing who  had  returned  to  Kutztown  as  their 
native  town  to  spend  Christmas : 

Solon   A.   Reinhard Cincinnati,   O. 

Prof.   G.   A.    Kramlich Galveston,   Tex. 

Lieut.  R.  J.  Herman West  Point,  N.  Y. 

B.  S.  Schmeuhl Philadelphia,  Pa. 


Dr.   H.  J.  Rhode Reading,   Pa. 

Mrs.    B.    E.    Moritz Denver.Colorado. 

Jesse    Wanner Baltimore,    Md. 

Solomon     Rhode Philadelphia,     Pa. 

C.  R.  Wanner Washington,  D.  C. 

Ralph   Scheidt Lake  Odessa,   Mich. 

Jacob  Fisher Fort  Riley,  U.  S.  A. 

Prof.  C.  A.  Smith Yonkers,  N.  Y. 

These  all  fill  responsible  positions  and  are 
but  a  few  of  the  many  who  have  gone  forth 
from  the  old  town  to  win  their  wav  in  the  world. 


92 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Clippings  from  Current  News 


Oswald  Family  Organization. 

At  a  meeting  of  some  of  the  descendants  of 
Henry  Oswald  held  at  the  Hotel  Allen,  Allen- 
town,  on  January  4  for  the  purpose  of  effect- 
ing a  temporary  family  organization,  the  fol- 
lowing oiticers  were  elected :  President,  Rev. 
Charles  Everett  Oswald,  New  York  City; 
Vice-Presidents,  Lewis  H.  Oswald,  Emerald ; 
Amandus  Oswald,  Freeland ;  James  A.  Os- 
wald, New  Tripoli;  John  S.  Oswald,  Nazareth; 
Amandus  C.  Oswald,  Coplay ;  Henry  E.  Os- 
wald, Binghamton,  N.  Y. ;  Treasurer,  Chas.  E. 
Oswald,  Best,  Pa. ;  Secretary  Guy  E.  Oswald, 
Hokendauqua ;  Executive  Committee,  the  offi- 
cers. 

Henr}'  Oswald,  the  progenitor,  leaving  his 
native  home,  Alsace,  near  the  Swiss  border, 
arrived  in  America  in  1735,  and  became  one  of 
the  pioneer  settlers  of  "Allemangel,"  what  is 
now  Lynn  township,  Lehigh  county. 

A  branch  of  the  family  established  itself  in 
the  early  part  of  the  last  century  in  north- 
eastern Ohio,  and  from  here,  in  southern 
Michigan  and  Indiana,  where  in  certain  locali- 
ties the  descendants  are  among  the  most  sub- 
stantial and  honored  citizens.  What  is  prac- 
tically a  complete  genealogy  of  the  family  has 
been  compiled  by  the  Rev.  C.  E.  Oswald,  of 
New  York  City,  with  the  help  of  James  A. 
Oswald,  which  was  recently  printed  in  book 
form. 

Tablet  Unveiled. 

A  tablet  to  the  memory  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Joseph  A.  Seiss  was  unveiled  in  the  Church 
of  the  Holy  Communion,  Rev.  E.  Pfatteicher, 
Ph.D.,  pastor.  Doctor  Seiss  was  pastor  of  St. 
John's  Church,  on  Race  street,  in  1870,  when 
the  congregation  of  the  Holy  Commjinion  was 
organized,  and  he  became  pastor  when  the 
church  at  Broad  and  Arch  streets  was  dedi- 
cated, on  February  17,  1875.  The  congregation 
left  the  Broad  street  church  in  1902  and  after 
worshiping  a  year  in  Witherspoon  Hall,  moved 
into  their  present  building.  The  Rev.  Dr. 
Samuel  A.  Laird,  who  delivered  the  address, 
declared  that  "no  more  useful  life  has  been 
spent  in  the  interests  of  the  Evangelical  Lu- 
theran Church."  The  tablet  reads :  "To  the 
glory  of  God  and  in  loving  memorv  of  the 
Rev.  Joseph  A.  Seiss,  D.D.,  LL.D.  Born  1823— 
Died  1904.  Author  and  Preacher.  First  pastor 
of  this  congregation,  and  its  faithful  minister 
for  29  years."  The  pastor  conducted  the  serv- 
ice. 

Removal  of  German  Baptist    Home. 

The  trustees  of  the  German  Baptist  Home 
for  the  aged  and  Infirm,  at  Manheim,  have 
decided  to  remove  that  institution  to  Elizabeth- 
town,  where  a  $20,000  building  is  to  be  erect- 
ed in  the  center  of  a  ten  acre  field,  close  to  the 
Elizabethtown  College. 


Hillegass    Marker. 

Through  the  efforts  of  the  members  of  the 
Hillegass  family  of  East  Greenville  and  vicin- 
ity, a  granite  marker  has  been  placed  at  the 
graves  of  the  progenitors  of  the  family  in 
America,  who  lie  buried  in  the  cemeterv  of  the 
New    Goshenhoppen    Reformed    Church. 

The  stone  is  four  feet  wide  at  the  base  and 
nearly  two  feet  thick.     Its  height  is  three  feet. 
On  the  top  is  the  following  inscription : 

"Pioneer  Settlers — 1727.  John  Frederick 
Hillegass,  November  24,  1685-January  6, 
1765.  Elizabeth  Barbara  Hillegass,  died 
March  4,   1769." 

The  front  of  the  stone  bears  the  following: 
"John  Frederick  Hillegass,  the  progenitor 
of  the  Montgomery  County  branch  of  the 
Hillegass  family,  now  distributed  over  the 
United  States,  was  born  in  Alsace,  Ger- 
many. With  his  wife,  Elizabeth,  Barbara 
and  younger  children,  he  sailed  from  Rot- 
terdam to  America  with  the  company  in- 
cluding the  Rev.  George  Michael  Weiss, 
a  Reformed  minister.  They  arrived  at 
Philadelphia  September  18,  1727,  and  set- 
tled in  this  region,  then  known  as  Goshen- 
hoppen. Erected  by  his  descendants, 
1907." 

Church  Dedicated. 

St.  John's  Reformed  Church,  Nazareth,  Pa., 
organized  in  1855  with  yi  members,  worshiped 
in  a  Union  Church  building  till  May,  1905,  when 
they  sold  their  half  share  in  the  property  to  the 
Lutherans  for  $5000.  They  began  building 
operations  the  following  September  on  a  new 
church  that  cost  about  $55,000  which  was  dedi- 
cated, December,  1907.  When  the  present  pas- 
tor took  charge  in  1891,  there  were  175  mem- 
bers ;  now  there  are  about  800,  with  an 
equal  number  in  the   Sunday-school. 

Printer  Retires. 

April  6,  1859,  Daniel  Miller  entered  a  print- 
ing office  at  Lebanon  as  apprentice.  Since 
that  date  to  the  present  time  he  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  printing  business,  and  has 
never  been  away  from  the  business  any  length 
of  time,  except  in  the  year  1863,  when  he  spent 
two  months  in  the  army  during  the  Confed- 
erate invasion  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  battle 
of  Gettysburg.  Ten  years  were  spent  in  the 
printing  office  of  John  Young  at  Lebanon.  On 
January  i,  1869,  he  came  to  Reading  and  en- 
gaged in  the  printing  and  publishing  business, 
and  has  been  engaged  ever  since  in  this  way. 
His  first  enterprise  was  the  "Republikaner  von 
Berks,"  a  German  weekly  which  he  edited  and 
published  more  than  thirty  years.  During  a 
similar  period  he  served  as  publishing  agent  of 
the  "Reformirte  Hausfreund,"  whose  editor 
and  proprietor   was   Dr.   Bausman.     On   April 


CLIPPINGS   FROM   CURRENT   NEWS 


93 


I,  1888,  about  twenty  years  ago,  the  "Re- 
formed Church  Record"  was  started,  which 
he  edited  ever  since.  At  the  same  time  he 
was  engaged  in  the  job  printing  and  book  pub- 
Hshing  business.  A  number  of  volumes  were 
published  which  found  an  extensive  sale.  He 
recently  sought  and  secured  relief  by  selling 
out  to  Rev.  I.  j\I.  Beaver. 

OBITUARIES. 

Mrs.  Cathrine  Tool  died  in  Ackley,  Iowa, 
December  3.  She  was  born  in  Lehigh  county. 
Pa.,  in  1814,  her  maiden  name  being  Cathrine 
Bear.  About  the  year  1863  the  family  moved 
to  Springfield,  Illinois,  whence  they  moved  to 
Ackley  in  1867.  Five  children  were  born  to 
them,  three  of  whom — Eugene,  of  Murdock, 
Nebraska;  J\lrs.  Nicklas,  of  Omaha,  and  Reed, 
of  this  city, — are  living.  Two  sons,  Albert  and 
Henry,  preceded  her  in  death.  There  are 
twenty-two  grandchildren  and  thirty-five 
great-grandchildren  living;  also  two  sisters, 
Mrs.  Henry  Reifinger,  Niles,  Ohio,  and  INIrs. 
John   Jacoby,   of   Emaus,    Pa. 

Dr.  Edward  Brobst  died  at  West  Leesport 
a  few  hours  before  the  old  year  expired.  He 
was  a  son  of  Valentine  Brobst,  who  died  at 
Rehrersburg,  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years. 
Dr.  Brobst  was  born  at  that  place,  September 
I5>  1833.  He  attended  day  schools  until  the 
age  of  twelve  years,  when  he  became  a  stu- 
dent at  the  Orwigsburg  Academy,  where  he 
remained  four  years.  He  then  entered  the 
medical  department  of  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania, from  which  place  be  graduated  in 
1853.  He  read  medicine  with  the  long-de- 
ceased   Dr.    Adam    Schoener,    of   Rehrersburg. 

Shortly  after  leaving  college,  he  located  at 
Danville.  Several  years  later,  friends  urged 
him  to  locate  at  Leesport.  In  his  younger 
days  he  made  nearly  all  his  visits  on  horse- 
back. 

Dr.  Frank  R.  Brunner,  one  of  the  vic- 
tims of  the  Boyertown  catastrophe,  lived  in 
Esbach,  Berks  county,  and  was  widely  known 
for  his  exceptional  ability  as  a  general  prac- 
titioner, a  surgeon  and  a  writer  on  medical 
subjects.  He  was  also  well  known  politically, 
having  for  several  terms  represented  the 
Democratic  party  of  the  countv  in  the  House 
of  Representatives.  Recently  he  was  invited 
to  become  a  candidate  for  renomination  at 
the  next  primary  election.  He  was  also  in- 
terested in  educational  matters,  having  for 
many  years  served  on  the  school  board.  He 
was  72)  years  old,  but  in  spite  of  his  age  at- 
tended daily  to  the  details  of  his  large  prac- 
tice and  found  time  also  to  write  for  medical 
journals    and    other    periodicals. 

William  F.  Moser,  aged  72,  years,  one  of 
the  wealthiest  men  in  Eastern  Pennsylvania, 
died  at  his  home  in  Allentown.  He  was  at 
the  head  of  the  firm  of  Wm.  F.  Moser  &  Co., 
cement  machine  manufacturers.  Practically 
all  the  machines  in  the  Lhiited  States  used  to 
manufacture  cement  were  the  product  of  this 
firm. 


Nathaniel  N.  Hensel,  one  of  the  best 
known  men  of  Lancaster  county,  died  at  Fair- 
field, aged  80  years.  He  was  prominent  in 
Republican  affairs  for  many  years,  He  came 
of_  German  stock,  his  great-grandfather,  Fred- 
erick Hensel,  being  one  of  the  earliest  settlers 
of  Northampton  county.  A  son  of  this  emi- 
grant, William,  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
War,  and  was  one  of  Washington's  army  at 
Valley  Forge.  The  father  of  Nathaniel  was 
also  a  William  Hensel,  and  a  soldier  of  the 
War  of  1812.  Ex-Attorney  Gfneral  W.  U. 
Hensel  is  a  nephew  of  the  deceased. 

Mrs.  Ellmaker^  one  of  the  prominent  mem- 
bers, for  many  years,  of  Trinity  Lutheran 
church,  who  died  on  December  24th,  was  one 
of  the  chief  ornaments  of  the  city  of  Lan- 
caster. Born  February  27,  1825,  the  daughter 
of  Christopher  and  Catharine  Sehner  Hager, 
she  lived  to  the  ripe  old  age  of  nearly  83 
years.  She  was  the  widow  of  Nathaniel  Ell- 
maker,  Esq.,  for  years  one  of  the  leaders  of 
the  Lancaster  bar,  who  died  in  1898,  and  was 
the  last  surviving  member  of  her  immediate 
family.     The  Lancaster  New  Era  says  of  her: 

"On  the  eve  of  the  New  Year  this  commun- 
ity mourns  the  loss  of  a  rarely  lovely  woman, 
one  whose  long  and  useful  life  has  been  identi- 
fied with  the  best  interests  of  Lancaster.  Cul- 
tured, broad-minded,  generous,  and  with  the 
highest  ideals,  her  beautiful  character  influ- 
enced for  good  all  those  who  came  in  contact 
with  her." 

Mr.  Thomas  H.  Lane,  of  Pittsburg,  passed 
away  December  31st,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
nine  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  First 
Lutheran  church,  on  Grant  street,  and  an  of- 
ficer in  it  for  many  years,  besides  being  the 
superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school  for  nearly 
half  of  his  life-time.  He  was  a  supporter  of 
the  American  Bible  Society,  and  was  among 
the  earliest  officers  of  the  Pittsburg  Y.  M. 
C.  A.,  filling,  also,  for  some  time,  the  office  of 
director  of  the  Institute  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb 
in    Western    Pennsylvania. 

Dr.  John  Peter  Keller,  last  surviving 
charter  member  of  the  local  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  and  charter  member  and 
president  of  the  Dauphin  County  Historical 
Society,  died  recently,  after  a  lingering  illness, 
aged  76  years.  He  was  the  descendant  of  one 
of  the  oldest  families  of  Harrisburg.  Mr. 
Keller,  besides  being  a  member  of  the  above 
mentioned  societies,  was  a  prominent  member 
of  the  Sons  of  Revolution,  the  Knights  of 
Honor,  and  a  lifelong  member  of  Zion  Luther- 
an church,  in  which  he  held  every  office  at 
different  times.  Dr.  Keller  was  born  Febru- 
ary 20,  1831,  in  the  house  where  his  death 
occurred,  and  grew  up  with  the  city.  His 
parents  were  John  Peter  and  Lydia  (Kunkel) 
Keller,  and  both  of  his  grandfathers  came 
to  Harrisburg  when  it  was  a  Colonial  vil- 
lage  and   were   among   the   first   settlers   here. 

Rev.  Dr.  J.  H.  Weber,  pastor  of  Zion's 
church,  Sunbury,  Pa.,  died  at  Clifton  Springs, 
New  York,  Jan.  Q,  1908. 


94^ 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Chat  with  Correspondents 


Words   Defined. 

The  query  in  the  December  issue  respecting 
the  strange  terms  in  the  account  of  sale  of  a 
farmer's  property  in  1757  elicited  a  number  of 
interesting  replies  from  which  we  quote  the 
following : 

Brust  Lapen — Vest  or  Chest  protector. 

Cabuts  Rock — Hood  with  mantle  at- 
tached, like  Red  Riding  Hood  is  pictured 
with. 

Camasol — Knitted  jacket. 

Hauben — Knitted  cap. 

leil    Tuch— Oil   cloth. 

Schreibtaffel — Writing  desk  or  black- 
board. 

Statwagen — Fancy  carriage  of  that 
period,  the  best  they  had. 

Stick    barchet — Piece    ticking. 

Boll,  I  think  was  a  large  wooden  bowl 
used  in  working  butter.  I  have  seen  them 
as  large  as  small  tubs.  The  one  I  saw 
used  was  as  large  around  as  a  good-sized 
tub. 

Cabuts  Rock  was  a  plain  coat  with  no 
collar,  buttoned  up  to  the  throat  and  a 
narrow  band  around  the  neck.  English 
people  called  them  hunting  jackets. 

Icil  Tuch  was  oil  cloth. 

Stat  IVagoii  was  the  market  wagon  used 
at  that  time  to  haul  produce  to  Philadel- 
phia. 

Stiller  was  a  distillery  used  on  most 
farms  at  that  time  to  make  rye  and  apple 
jack. 

Stipfcl  was  a  pair  of  boots. 

Waga  ]Vinn  was  a  wagon  jack. 

Zeug  Rock  was  an  overcoat. 

5o//— Velvet. 

Brust  lappcn — Kerchief. 

Cabutz  Rock — Coat  or  cloak  with  a  hood 
to  cover  head. 

Camasol — Vest  or  waistcoat. 

Hauben — Lace  caps. 

Krapen? — Krappe,  a  gun  lock. 

Tcil   tuch — Oil    cloth. 

Kumcth — Harness. 

Sclircib    tofcl — Slate. 

Stat   zvagoi — Carriage. 

Stick   Barchet — Piece    fustian. 

IVagcit  Win — Jack  to  raise  axle  of 
wagon. 

Zeug  Rock — Coat  or  dress  of  dress  stuff. 

A  boll  is  a  dippper;  a  brust-lapen  (lap- 
pen)  is  a  gentleman's  vest;  a  cabuts  rock 
is  a  coat  with  a  capuchin  cowl  or  hood  at 
the  top;  a  camasol  (kamisol)  is  a  doublet 
or  roundabout — a  jacket;  a  haube  is  a 
woman's  hood  or  cap ;  a  list  kumeth  is  a 
kind  of  horse  collar, — a  fals  collar ;  screib- 
taffel  is  undoubtedly  a  writing-tablet 
whether  of  slate  or  not,  but  why  not  of 
slate?  A  statwagen  is  a  pleasure  carriage, 
whether    it    means    a    wagon    in    which   to 


ride  to  the  city  (stadt)  or  a  wagon  of  state 
( staat  meaning  style,  display,  as  staat- 
machen  means  to  make  a  display).  Stick 
Barchet  is  a  piece  (Stiick)  fustian.  A 
wagon  win  is  a  wagon-jack,  a  lifting  ap- 
paratus, a  windlass,  or  a  winch.  Zeug. 
Rock  is  a  cloth  coat,  a  stuf  dres,  or  petty- 
coat. 

The  following  are  rather  surmises: 
Kraoen  may  be  a  each  or  tumbler  as  a. 
part  of  the  make-up  of  a  gun.  Stiller  is- 
probably  what  we  would  call  a  stil  or  per- 
haps more  likely  an  apparatus  used  to  stiL 
a  child. 

Note. — The    author    of    these    lines,    a    well    known, 
educator,    is    an    advocate    of   spelling    reform. 

Boll— PBolle  m.,  bull. 

?  Bolle   f.,  bulb,   onion ;   poplar ;   po- 
tato ;   watch. 
Brust — Breast. 
Lapen — ?  Lapin,    rabbit. 

?  Lappen,   rag;    sail;   thin   part   of 
sides  of  a  butchered  animal. 
Cabuts — For  Kapuga  ? — cowl ;  hood ;  golf- 
cape. 
Rock — Coat,  skirt. 

Rocken — distaff. 
Camasol — For     Kamisol  ? — Jacket,     under- 

waistcoat. 
Hauben — ?  Hauben,  pi.  of  Haube — woman's- 

cap. 
Krapen — ?  for  Krappen — doughnut,  fritter. 
?  for  Krappe,  pi.  Krappen — ^catch. 
of  a  gun. 
leil — ?  for  Teil — part. 
Tuch — Cloth,   stuff,  material. 
Statwagen — ?  Stadtwagen — wagon    for   the 

city,  used  in  the  city. 
Stiller — Appeaser. 

Stipffel — ?  for   Stipsel — bit,   small  piece. 
?  for  Stiefel — boot. 
?  Stopfel — cork,  stopper. 
Stick — ?  Stiick,  piece.  t 

Barchet — ?  Barchent,    fustian. 
Wagen — ?  Wagon. 
Win — ?  uein,    wine. 
Zeug — Cloth,    stuff. 
Where   doctors   disagree,   who    shall   decide?' 
The  reader  will  notice  that  these  replies  agree- 
on  some  points  and  disagree  on  others.     Who- 
can  give  more  light  on  the  subject? 

"  Himmels  Breef  "  Wanted. 

A  valued  reader  and  contributor  writes : 
Do    you    know    of    any    firm    publishing 
or  selling  copies  of  the  so-called  "Himmel's- 
Breef  at  this  time?     I  would  like  to  pro- 
cure a  copy. 
We  refer  this  query  to  our  readers,  believ- 
ing that   some  one  can   supply  the  desired  in- 
formation.      As     some     of     our     subscribers- 
would    probably    like    to    know    more    of    the 
Himmel's  Breef  we  would  be  pleased  to  print 
a  short  paper  on  the  subject. 


OUR   BOOK  TABLE 


95 


Our  Book-Table 


Any  book  or  pamphlet  reviewed  in  this  magazine  will  be  sent  to  any  address  by  the  publisher  of  The 
Pennsylvania-Gkrman  on  receipt  of  the  published  price.  Postage  must  be  added  when  mentioned  sep- 
arately. Any  other  book  wanted  by  our  readers  may  be  ordered  thro'  us  at  the  publisher's  price.  Inquiries 
relating  to  such  books  will   be  promptly  and  cheerfully  answered. 


Luther's  Catechetical  Writings,  Vol.  I.  By 
Prof.  John  Nicholas  Lenke,  D.D.  The 
Luther  Press,  MinneapoHs,  Minn.  1907. 
384  p.  Price,  $2.25. 
This  is  Vohinie  24  of  the  "Standard  Edition 
'  of  Luther's  Works  in  English,"  and  is  devoted 
to  Christian  Education,  a  most  opportune 
theme  at  the  present  day,  when  we  seem  to  be 
drifting  towards  a  Godless  and  Christless 
theory  and  system  of  education.  The  follow- 
ing works  by  Luther  are  contained  in  the  vol- 
ume :  The  Small  Catechism,  A  New  Trans- 
lation of  Luther's  Large  Catechism  and  the 
best  writings  of  Luther  on  the  five  parts  of 
the  Catechism.  Prof.  G.  H.  Schodde,  Ph.D., 
Prof.  A.  G.  Voigt,  D.D.,  and  Rev.  C.  B. 
Gohdes  rendered  valuable  assistance  as  trans- 
lators. The  volume  is  dedicated  "to  parents 
and  teachers,  pastors  and  authors,  Sunday- 
schools  and  Young  People's  Societies  and  all 
Protestants  interested  in  developing  a  better 
system  of  Christian  instruction,  supplementary 
to  that  of  the  public  schools."  The  Foreword 
of  15  pages  gives  interesting  data  respecting 
the  Catechisms.  The  editor  offers  the  work 
"as  a  humble  contributor  to  the  meager 
Christian  pedagogical  and  catechetical  litera- 
ture  in   the   English   language." 

Journal  of  the  Presbyterian  Historical  Society. 
Published  by  the  Society  under  the  editor- 
ship of  Louis  F.   Benson,   D.D.,   Philadel- 
phia, Pa. 
The  December  number  contains  an  interest- 
ing  article   by    Prof.    W.   J.    Hinke,    Ph.D.,   on 
The   Early   German    Hymn    Books   of  the   Re- 
formed Church  in  the  United  States. 

Journal    of    the    Military    Service    Institution. 

Edited    by    Brig.    Gen.    Theo.    F.    Roden- 

bough,  U.  S.  A.,  Governor's  Island,  N.  Y. 

The     January-February     number     discusses : 

Public  Opinion   and  Army,   Conduct   of  War, 


Art  in  Army,  Cavalry  in  Late  War,  Accuracy 
Life   of  Rifle,   Military   Bands,   etc. 

DeutscJi-AnierikaniscJic  Gcschichts-bldtter.  Pub- 
lished by  the  German-American  Historical 
Society  of   Illinois,   Chicago,   111. 
The  January  number  of  this  interesting  quar- 
terly has  articles  on  The  Earliest  German  Set- 
tlers in  Indiana  to  the  Year  1850,  The  German 
Settlements  of  the  Seida  Valley,  On  Old  Ger- 
man   Tracks    (in    Virginia),   The    Germans    in 
Kentucky,    Conclusion    of    Sketch    of    Life    of 
Political  Fugitive  of  1848,  History  of  the  Ger- 
mans  in    Quincy,   The   Americanization   of   the 
Germans  in  the  United  States   (reprinted  from 
Deutsche  Erde). 

The  Montgomery  Transcript,  Skippack,  Pa.^ 
recently  reprinted  an  interesting  paper  by  Hon. 
S.  W.  Pennypacker,  LL.D.,  on  Bebber's  Town- 
ship and  the  Dutch  Patroons  of  Pennsylvania. 

Woman's  Home  Companion  begins  Vol. 
XXXV  in  the  January  number  with  50  pages- 
devoted  to  Editorials,  Fiction,  Special  Articles,. 
Household,  Fashions,  Art,  Verse,  Music,  Spe- 
cial Departments  for  young  and  old.  This 
monthly  is  a  good  forger,  forging  right  ahead 
and  to  the  front  ranks  in  its  special  field. 

The  Hartford  Courant  of  January  16  had 
a  very  appreciative  editorial  on  the  Germans 
based  on  the  address  by  Herman  Riddle  de- 
livered before  the  German  Friendly  Society  of 
Charleston,   S.  C. 

The  Travel  Magazine,  New  York. 

The  January  number  of-  this  interesting  and 
fully  illustrated  popular  periodical  takes  the 
reader  to  North  Carolina,  Germany,  Japan,. 
Switzerland.  Mexico,  Africa,  Colorado,  Cali- 
fornia. The  February  issue  gives  a  glimpse  of 
Valley   Forge  as  it  is   today. 


Literary  Notes 


BY  PROF.   E.   S.    GERHARD,    TRENTON,    N.    J. 


John  Luther  Long. 

John  Luther  Long,  a  Pennsylvanian  by  birth, 
and  by  profession  an  attorney-at-law  in  Phila- 
delphia, is  one  of  the  regular  contributors  to 
The  Fortnightly.  This  is  a  newniagazine  just 
started  in  Philadelphia.  It  ought  to  receive 
the  support  of  all  the  loyal  citizens  of  the 
State,  who  take  an  interest  in  music,  literature 
and  the   stage.      Mr.   Long   contributed   to   the 


first  issue  (Oct.  19)  an  interesting  article  in 
the  form  of  a  review  of  the  stage.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  law  practice  Mr.  Long  devotes  con- 
siderable time  to  authorship.  He  has  become  a 
writer  of  some  repute;  among  his  novels  are 
"Madame  Butterfly,"  "The  Fox  Woman,''  etc. 
His  latest  novel  is  "The  Gulf"  He  has  also- 
written  some  good  stories  in  the  Pennsylvania- 
German   dialect. 


^ 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Reginald  Wright  Kauffman. 

Reginald  Wright  Kauffman  was  born  in 
Columbia,  Pa.  Since  1898  he  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  Philadelphia  Press  and  Satur- 
day Evening  Post.  With  his  journalism  he  has 
also  united  the  efforts  of  authorship.  Among 
his  writings  are  "Jarvis  of  Harvard"  and  "The 
Things  That  are  Caesar's."  His  latest  book  is 
"The  Bachelor's  Guide  to  ^Matrimony."  It  is 
epigrammatic  in  style ;  the"  epigrams  are  brief 
in  form,  bright  in  expression,  and  disclose  the 
social  philosophy  of  newspaper  humor. 

^Ir.  Kauffman's  article  in  the  December  issue 
of  The  Smart  Set  is  entitled  "The  Women 
You  Have  Loved."  The  Stuart  Set  considers 
itself  a  magazine  of  cleverness,  and  rightly  so. 
And  Mr.  Kauffman's  article  is  readily  entitled 
to  the  terms  clever  and  smart.  It  is  a  piece  of 
-clever  writing.  The  writer  elicits  an  honest 
confession  from  every  man  that  has  ever  felt 
the  "grand  passion."  By  saying  serious  things 
in  jest  and  by  pointing  out  our  foibles  and 
weaknesses  and  catering  to  them,  he  reminds 
one  of  Charles  Lamb.  He  also  makes  a  fellow 
think  over,  once  more,  some  of  the  "long, 
long  thoughts  of  youth" — and  of  yesterday. 

Helen  Riemensnyder  Martin. 

Helen  Martin  Riemensnyder  was  born  and 
raised  in  the  city  of  Lancaster,  Pa.  Her  middle 
name  may  well  suggest  her  ancestry. 

His  Courtship.  By  Helen  Riemensnyder 
Martin.     New  York:  McClure  Phillips  &  Co. 

The  Betrothal  of  Elypholate  (and  other 
Stories  of  the  Pennsylvania-Dutch).  Bv  Helen 
Riemensnyder  Martin.  New  York:  The  Cen- 
tury  Co. 

The  latter  book  is  comprised  of  stories  that 
have  been  collected  from  "The  Cosmopolitan," 
""Frank  Leslie's"  and  "McClure's."  Both 
books  are  handsomely  bound  and  artistically 
illustrated. 

When  you  have  read  one  of  these  books  you 
have  read  them  all.  The  self-same  type  of 
Pennsylvania-German  is  found  in  everyone  of 
them.  Her  characters  are  as  similar  as  the 
palings  on  a  fence;  in  fact,  one  wonders 
whether  they  are  real  persons  or  whether  they 
are  simply  the  impersonation  of  some  unde- 
sirable trait  falsely  attributed  to  the  Pennsyl- 
vania-Germans. And  as  for  Eunice  in  "His 
Courtship,"  one  may  well  question  the  possibil- 
ity of  such  a  character  at  all.  , 

Every  scene  is  placed  on  a  farm  as  though 
all  _  the  Pennsylvania-Germans  were  farmers. 
This  idea  leaves  a  false  impression ;  they  are 
not  all  farmers,  many  of  them  make  an  honest 
living  as  business  and  professional  men,  as 
mechanics  and  merchants.  In  nearly  every 
story  a  boarder  is  introduced  from  afar,  as 
though  these  people  were  in  the  habit  of  keep- 
ing boarders,  or  some  one's  sweetheart  is 
hrought  into  the  family  in  order  to  heighten 
the  contrast.  We  are  informed  repeatedly  that 
all  Pennsylvania-German  kitchens  are  living 
rooms   as   well.     This   is   a  general   statement 


that  will  not  hold  true  for  two  families  out  of 
every  three.  Ever>  farmer's  wife  is  described 
as  stout,  corpulent  and  awkward,  as  though 
they  were  all  of  that  build.  Unfortunately 
Mrs.  Martin  has  not  seen  c.-"ough  of  them  to 
know  that  her  description  is  Jt  from  being 
accurate. 

Every  farmer  is  depicted  as  mean,  sordid 
and  "close,"  whether  he  be  Mr.  Getz  in  "Tillie," 
or  Mr.  Morningstar  in  "His  Courtship,"  or 
Mr.  Lapp  in  "Reforming  a  Bridegroom."  If  a 
farmer  tries  to  earn  a  dollar  or  save  one,  he  is 
sneered  at.  Why  may  he  not  earn  and  save 
wherever  he  can  as  well  as  other  people  with- 
out bringing  upon  himself  a  lot  of  opprobrious 
terms?  Of  a  lazy,  scheming  scoundrel,  who 
lives  not  by  honest  toil,  but  by  polite,  open 
theft,  nothing  is  said.  Many  of  these  families, 
like  the  Morningstars,  have  a  daughter  whom 
they  are  anxious  to  have  well  established  by 
marrying  money.  Of  course  nobody  else  ever 
marries  for  money. 

The  fact  that  the  children  of  these  people  are 
reared  in  implicit  obedience  to  paternal  author- 
ity is  brought  to  our  notice  several  times  in 
somewhat  slighting  terms.  It  might  be  well 
if  lawless  Young  America  were  held  more  in 
submission  to  such  authority  and  be  taught 
to  reverence  authority  and  superiority  more, 
both  paternal  and  otherwise. 

The  Pennsylvania-Germans  have  their  idio- 
syncracies  and  weaknesses,  their  shortcomings 
and  failings,  like  all  other  people.  But  people 
can  be  found  anywhere,  everywhere,  that  are 
just  as  peculiar  as  they  are.  Just  why  their 
undesirable  traits  should  be  flashed  before  the 
world  is  not  very  clear.  One  hopes,  however, 
that  it  is  not  done  for  the  purpose  of  catering 
to  the  morbid  curiosity  of  the  spectacular- 
loving  American  public,  which  seems  to  take 
delight  in  these  over-drawn,  grotesque  scenes. 
And  to  take  these  same  traits,  characteristic  of 
one  small  section  of  the  country,  and  to  brand 
them  upon  the  whole  of  Pennsylvania-German- 
doni  is  uncalled   foj   and  unjust. 

She  has  not  described  one  single  noble  trait 
or  admirable  characteristic  of  these  people. 
But  she  has  gone  to  the  other  extreme ;  she 
accuses  them  of  having  "struck  a  bargain  with 
the  Almighty"  in  their  religious  life;  Dr.  Kin- 
ross is  made  to  say  that  he  never  encountered 
a  more  cow-like  herd  of  people  than  the 
Morningstars ;  and  the  Pennsylvania-German 
farmer  is  accused  of  having  integrity  only  be- 
cause he  fears  hell !  These  are  statements  that 
need  to  be  resented  in  the  strongest  terms.  To 
sa\^  that  these  people  have  no  virtues  and  noble 
traits  and  charities  is  false  on  the  face  of  it. 
She  gives  this,  however,  as  a  reason  for  not 
being  able  to  idealize  these  people.  But  might 
not  the   fault  lie  with   the  artist  ? 

Mrs.  Martin  is  a  successful  writer ;  her  books 
are  exceedingly  interesting  from  beginning  to 
end,  and  consequently  they  have  gained  a  wide 
popularity.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  she  will  some 
day,  by  exercising  broader  observation  and 
more  sympathetic  and  artistic  treatment  depict 
the  Pennsylvania-German,  not  as  he  is  found 
in  Lancaster  county,  but  in  Pennsylvania. 


Henry  A.  Schuler. 

Born,  July  12,  1850. 
Died,  Jan.  14,  1908. 


I 


Vol.  IX  MARCH,  1908 

Henry  A.  Schuler 

BY  THE  PUBLISHER 
FroDiispiece  by  courtesy  of  TOWN  AND  COUNTRY,  Pennsburg.  Pa. 


No.  3 


ENRY  ADDISON 
SCHULER  "walked  with 
God,  and  he  was  not,  for 
God  took  him."  The  gentle, 
humble,  tenderhearted  stu- 
dent, poet,  linguist,  editor. 
Christian  has  entered  the  larger'  world 
of  progress  unlimited  of  which  he  himself 
in  1 88 1  wrote  these  words  : 

I  believe  the  spirits  of  the  good  will  rise 
higher  and  higher  from  one  stage  of  intelli- 
gence and  happiness  to  another  through  all  the 
ages  of  eternity.  I  believe  they  will  be  angels 
and  become  more  ^nd  more  like  the  Divine 
Being  Himself,  but  I  do  not  believe,  I  can 
not,  that  the  end  of  it  all  will  be  annihilation, 
non-existence  or  a  state  of  utter  inactivity  which 
will  be  one  of  consummate  bliss.  There  is  no 
bliss  in  inaction,  no  life  in  death,  no  happiness 
in  a  state  which  leaves  nothing  to  do,  nothing 
to  hope,  nothing  to  wish.  Our  destiny  is  in- 
finite, our  life  immortal,  our  rise  and  progress 
unlimited  forever. 

Through  the  kindness  of  his  executor, 
Mr.  Henry  S.  Mover,  it  has  become 
possible  to  draw  aside  at  places  the  curtain 
of  privacy  screening  the  activities  of  the 
deceased  and  to  let  others  see  a  glimpse 
of  a  sweet  hidden  life.  Should  any  excuse 
other  than  a  desire  and  a  feeling  of  duty 
in  the  matter  be  sought  for  inflicting  this 
sketch  on  our  readers  we  would  quote 
the  words  of  a  warm  friend  of  the 
deceased,  Rev.  Dr.  P.  C.  Croll,  of  Leba- 
non, Pa. 

I  was  greatly  shocked  some  time  ago  to  note 
the  death  of  our  mutual  friend,  Mr.  Schuler, 
and  felt  like  writing  to  you  as  nearest  asso- 
ciated  with  him Let   me  assure  you 

that  I  mourn  his  demise  and  sympathize  with 
you  in  the  trials  it  may  bring  to  your  life  and 
business  relations.  ...  I  hope,  too,  to  see  in 
an  early  number  a  fitting  sketch  of  his  life, 
with   a   portrait,   if  possible. 


What  follows  is  not  worthy  .  of  the 
dignity  implied  in  the  term,  a  fitting 
sketch.  Let  the  words  rather  be  regarded^ 
as  a  few  inadequate  kaleidoscopic  views 
of  a  noble  Christian,  to  know  whom  was 
to  love  him,  to  associate  with  whom  an 
honor,  an  inspiration,  an  intellectual  treat.' 

H.  A.,  the  only  child  of  Thomas  and 
Elizabeth  {nee  Kemmerer)  Schuler,  was 
born,  July  I2,  1850,  in  Upper  Milford 
township,  Lehigh  county,  not  far  from 
Treichlersville,  (Hereford  Post  Office,) 
Berks  county,  Pennsylvania.  The  fol- 
lowing spring,  the  family  moved  into  a 
lowly  loghouse,  replaced  in  1855  by  a 
stone  dwelling  house,  on  a  small  farm  of 
21  acres  across  the  county  line  in  Berks 
county  where  the  subject  of  our  sketch 
spent  his  early  life. 

He  became  a  public  school  teacher  in 
the  year  1870  and  pursued  the  profession 
of  teaching  in  Lehigh  and  Berks  counties 
until  1 88 1  when  after  having  taught  ten 
terms  he  entered  the  editorial  sanctum  of 
the  German  newspapers,  the  "Boten," 
published  in  Allentown,  Pa. 

On  the  fifth  of  October,  1881  he  was 
married  to  Sarah  A.,  daughter  of  Gabriel 
and  Rachel  Griesemer,  a  neighboring 
family,  with  whom  he  lived  as  a  dutiful 
and  exemplary  husband  to  her  death, 
July  3,  1901,  after  having  endured  many 
years  of  cruel  suffering. 

His  editorial  labors  brought  to  an  end 
for  a  season  in  1903,  were  resumed  in 
1906,  when  as  editor  he  took  charge  of 
this  magazine.  The  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
MAN,  a  position  he  held  at  the  time  of 
his  death. 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


He  was  taken  sick  with  a  severe  attack 
of  pneumonia,  January  9,  and  Tuesday, 
January  14,  i  A.  M.,  peacefully  passed 
away  to  his  reward.  His  remains  were 
laid  to  rest  January  17,  by  the  side  of 
the  graves  of  his  wife  and  parents  in  the 
Zionsville  Lutheran  Cemetery. 

Distinctive  Characteristic. 

The  distinctive  characteristic,  the 
controlling  master-passion  of  Mr.  Schuler, 
was  undoubtedly  what  he  himself  termed 
an  "irrepressible  desire  for  self  improve- 
ment." This  affected  and  shaped  his 
plans,  his  activities  at  every  period  of  his 
life.  It  is  impossible  accurately  to  analyze 
and  w^eigh  the  various  forces  that  helped 
to  arouse  this  career.  Mr.  Schuler,  un- 
•  able  to  do  this  himself  in  discussing  the 
occupations  of  his  childhood,  expressed 
his  own  view  thus : 

These  were  not  wholly  the  result  of  m}-  soli- 
tary condition,  but  they  were  in  a  great  meas- 
ure. How  and  by  whom  the  mipulses  were 
given  that  have  shaped  and  moulded  my  whole 
future  life  it  is  hard  even  for  me  to  tell.  This 
love  of  knowledge  and  letters  can  not  be  in- 
nate since  neither  of  my  parents  ever  mani- 
fested it,  nor  was  it  owing  to  their  counsel 
and  direction,  for  though  they  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  my  knowledge  and  were  pleased  to  see 
me  become  studious  and  fond  of  books,  they 
gave  me  but  little  advice  and  encouragement 
afterwards.  I  can  explain  this  peculiarity  of 
my  intellect  only  by  asserting  that  it  was  the 
will   of   Providence   that   it   should   be   so. 

Under  God's  Providence  his  life  and 
attainments  were  in  great  measure  deter- 
mined by  the  following  factors,  of  relative 
importance  in  the  order  named — heredity, 
environment,  deliberate  choice  and  res- 
olute unyielding  determination.  His 
parents  were  quite,  humble,  pious,  unas- 
suming people,  living  in  a  secluded  spot 
along  a  hillside  facing  the  North  and 
West,  close  by  primeval  forests  and  re- 
moved from  the  many  distractions  against 
which  the  youth  of  the  town  and  city  so 
often  fight  without  success.  Being  an 
only  child  he  was  not  called  upon  to 
share  with  others  the  parents'  nurture, love 
and  care.  Nor  were  daily  bread  and 
clothing  and  shelter  the  only  questions 
to  be  considered  around  the  peaceful 
hearth,  llis  books  were  limited  in  num- 
bers, his  companions  but  few,  the 
temptations  to  dissipation  not  numerous. 
Situated  thus  he  might  apply  himself  to 


his  books,  drinking  deep  at  the  Pierian 
spring  or  hie  himself  to  his  forest  haunts 
to  think,  to  commune  with  nature  and 
thus  quietly,  unwittingly  perhaps,  to  lay 
the  foundations  of  a  stately  mansion  for 
his  soul  while  others  of  his  age,  having 
better  advantages,  wasted  their  possibili- 
ties in  ease,  pleasure  and  caring  for  the 
things  of  time  and  flesh.  The  limited 
irieans  at  his  disposal  seemingly  did  not 
warrant  his  undertaking  a  college  course 
by  residence,  thus  depriving  him  of  many 
privileges,  saving  him  from  many  pitfalls 
and  necessitating  a  methodic  husbanding 
of  time,  means  and  effort  to  attain  as 
nearly  as  possible  his  heart's  desires. 
He  made  stepping  stones  instead  of 
stumbling  blocks  of  the  privations  fate 
had  decreed  for  him. 

His    Boyhood. 

It  will  be  both  interesting  and  instruc- 
tive to  linger  around  his  boyhood  home 
and  haunts  and  to  note  a  few  of  his 
varied  lines  of  activity.  The  beginning 
of  his  literally  career  he  describes  as  fol" 
lows : 

It  was  during  this  time  while  we  had  our 
abode  in  the  old  shop  (1855)  that  my  father 
bought  for  me  the  first  German  primer  and 
gave  nie  the  rudiments  of  my  literary  knowl- 
edge bv  teaching  me  to  know  letters  and  to 
read.  I  have  a  faint  remembrance  that  one 
morning  I  was  called  out  of  bed  with  the  an- 
nouncement that  now  ''the  A  B  C-Buch"  was 
at  hand  and  I  must  learn  my  letters,  and  that 
I  was  really  afraid  at  first  and  altogether  • 
unwilling  to  have  anything  to  do  with  it.  The 
sign  of  a  blockhead,  however,  soon  passed 
away,  and  probably  it  did  not  take  me  long 
to  know  the  alphabet,  for  the  next  remem- 
brance I  have  of  this  matter  is  of  myself  read- 
ing in  the  old  Biblical  story  book  under  the 
direction  of  my  father,  stopping  only  at  the 
longer  words,  mistaking  "Jesus"  for  "Johan- 
nes" and  the  like,  and  of  printing  upon  slate 
and  paper  the  letters  of  the  English  and  Ger- 
man alpha]>cts.  From  the  time  of  my  learning 
to  read  through  the  remainder  of  this  period 
as  well  as  through  my  whole  after  life  my 
history  is  mainly  that  of  my  literary  pastimes 
and  pursuits.  Whence  I  got  thp  first  impulse 
to  printing  I  can  not  tell,  but  I  know  that  as 
soon  as  I  could  rcad  a  little,  which  was  in 
a  short  time,  I  began  to  draw  letters  in  print 
form  and  ore  long  this  practice  became  such 
a  favorite  that  1  spent  hours  and  days  in 
copying  from  the  books  at  my  command. 

The  books  which  Mr.  Schuler  first 
learned  to  use  were  an  old  Biblical  story 
book,  the  Piible,  his  mother's  old  Lutheran 


IlKXRY   A.  'SCIll'Ll'-R 


"f=pfi'"  'yff~^^  "W^ 


■mi^ 


■THEOLDHOME •■  OF  H.  A.  SCHULEIR. 


hymnbook,  a  story  book,  an  English 
primer  and  an  English-German  Diction- 
ary. By  the  aid  of  the  latter  he  trans- 
lated his  German  primer  into  English, 
his  toil  often  doomed  to  disappointment 
as  he  failed  to  find  English  equivalents  to 
the  German  monosyllabic  words.  Soon 
after  he  tried  to  produce  fac-similes  of 
his  mother's  mutilated  hymnbook.  He 
attempted  prose  composition  before  he 
was  seven  and  before  he  was  nine  he  made 
a  poem,  probably  his  first  effort  in  original 
verse,  in  which  he  ])redicted  in  strongest 
terms  the  defeat  and  punishment  of  a 
workman  with  whom  he  was  quarreling 
nearly  all  the  time. 

He  soon  learned  to  read  the  Biblical 
stories,  the  Bible  and  the  Friedensbote, 
a  family  paper,  and  found  pleasure  in 
reading   to    visitors. 

He  was  taught  to  believe  in  bugbears, 
monsters  and  nonentities  of  all  sorts. 
His  exceedingly  active  imagination  fed 
by  these  stories  and  the  pictures  he  saw 
produced  dreams  by  night  which  he 
termed  "absolutely  terrific." 

He  had  his  day  dreams  as  well.  At 
seven  he  was  Xebuchadnezzar  a  mighty 
king,  commanding  a  great  body  of  war- 
riors. At  nine  he  had  reared  in  imagina- 
tion  a    Macedonian   emi)ire   with   himself 


the  king  and  historian  of  a  noble  band  of 
warriors.  Soon  he  and  his  comrades 
would  be  Mountain  Rangers  roaming 
over  the  wooded  hills  east  of  his  home. 

His  love  of  instrumental  music  he 
traced  to  an  uncle  working  with  and  for 
his  father  who  with  violin  and  flute  gave 
young  Henry  many  a  pleasant  hour. 
One  of  his  first  school  teachers  made  his 
pupils  sing  eight  times  a  day  and  thus 
probably  was  awakened  a  love  for  vocal 
music. 

The  great  event  of  this  early  life  was 
the  finding  of  several  bundles  of  stray 
leaves  of  books,  a  considerable  number 
altogether,  rolled  up  and  stuck  under  the 
rafters  of  the  old  loghouse  which  his 
father  used  as  a  workshop.  He  was  soon 
busy  reading  and  translating  the  pages 
of  an  encyclopaedia  for  such  was  the  new 
treasure  he  had  found.  The  leaves  in 
spite  of  his  fondness  and  efforts  to  re- 
produce were  one  by  one  lost  until  at 
last  only  a  few  remained. 

When  young  Henry  at  the  age  of  nine 
for  the  first  time  entered  a  school  house 
as  a  pupil  he  was  able  to  take  up  as  one 
of  his  studies,  Sanders'  Second  Reader, 
thanks  to  the  careful  teaching  by  a  loving 
father.  When  he  returned  from  school  in 
the  evening  his  mother  asked  him  what  his 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


impressions  had  been  at  school  to  which 
he  replied  that  he  had  had  all  kinds  of 
thoughts. 

As  a  boy  of  ten  he  spelled  down  all 
his  opponents  at  the  first  spelling  bee  he 
ever  attended.  But  neither  of  these  items 
afiford  a  true  estimate  of  his  accomplish- 
ments at  the  time.  There  is  still  extant 
a  small  blank  book  of  his  in  which  at  the 
age  of  nine  he  copied  expressions  in 
German,  English.  Latin,  Greek,  Hebrew 
and  French,  besides  the  names  of  planets 
and  stars.  In  addition  he  adorned  the 
pages  with  drawings  of  faces  etc. 

Speaking  of  this  early  period  Mr. 
Schuler  wrote : 

A  strange  child,  indeed,  I  must  have  seemed 
to  others,  and  many  were  the  expressions  of 
surprise  and  compHments  bestowed  by  those 
who  came  to  observe  me.  .  .  .  Though  this 
work  was  my  delight,  I  could  not  do  without 
some  recreation,  and  when  too  long  continued 
application  had  wearied  me  even  of  my  favor- 
ite "printing,"  I  would  wander  abroad  in  the 
fields,  invent  some  new  plan  and  earnestly  dis- 
cussing what  I  had  done  or  would  do  next. 

Time  and  space  will  not  allow  a 
consideration  of  how  the  man  and  scholar 
grew  out  of  this  precocious  boy.  Data 
are  at  hand  to  trace  with  considerable 
accuracy  his  intellectual  progress  from 
this  time  forward. 

Physical  Toil. 

Lest  the  unwarranted  inference  be 
drawn  that  the  subject  of  our  sketch  failed 
to  learn  by  experience  what  physical  toil 
meant  it  may  be  in  place  to  note  that  he 
aided  his  father  in  the  tillage  of  his  acres, 
he  served  as  a  daylaborer  on  farms  in  the 
community  and  cast  his  lot  for  a  time 
with  the  workmen  in  the  ore  mines  near 
Minesite,  Lehigh  county.  As  a  boy  he 
with  book  in  hand  would  keep  watch  over 
the  cows  grazing  by  the  roadside ;  his 
thoughts  would  wander,  so  would  the 
cows.  For  a  time  he  had  an  ambition  to 
own  and  work  with  horses  as  the  farmers' 
boys  of  the  community.  When  he  was 
eighteen  his  father  wanted  to  make  a 
carpenter  of  him  but  a  week's  experience 
was  sufficient  to  settle  the  matter  and  the 
project  was  dropped.  The  son  recalled 
the  experience  in  these  words : 

I  felt  just  as  if  going  into  slavery;  my  whole 
soul  rebelled  against  the  work  thus  forced 
upon  me.     The  work  of  the  fields  was  a   de- 


light to  me.  but  this  was  a  drudgery  I  hated, 
not  so  much  for  itself  but  on  account  of  the 
condition  of  bondage  which  an  apprenticeship 
seemed  to  my   free   spirit. 

A  Self-Made  Man. 

Mr.  Schuler  was  a  self-made  man  if 
such  a  term  is  predicable  of  any  one. 
His  advantages  in  public  school  were, 
according  to  his  own  estimate,  far  inferior 
to  those  the  present  generation  enjoys  even 
in  the  remotest  rural  district.  He  attended 
the  Normal  School  at  Alillersville  a  few 
weeks  in  1874  and  a  Spring  term  in  1875. 
He  spent  a  few  weeks  in  both  the  Fall  and 
Spring  terms  of  1876-77  at  the  Normal 
School  at  Kutztown  where  he  passed  the 
final  examinations  for  a  Diploma  and 
graduated  in  the  Elementary  Course  in 
June  1877. 

Mr.  Schuler  early  formed  habits  and 
began  to  follow  set  rules  that  he  followed 
ever  thereafter.  The  result  was  that  he 
became  a  methodic  man  with  a  place  for 
everything  and  everything  in  its  place. 
Death  found  his  will,  his  papers,  all  his 
affairs  in  order  as  if  prepared  with  the 
knowledge  that  his  end  was  at  hand.  His 
Daily  Records,  his  Memoranda  ("Mem- 
oranda Armenionis,  the  Thottght-Records 
of  a  Thoughtful  Mind"),  his  Financial 
Records  were  begun  before  he  was  21 
years  of  age.  It  was  for  many  years  his 
unfailing  custom  to  read  his  Bible  alter- 
nately in  English.  German,  Latin,  Greek, 
French,  Spanish  and  Italian.  As  addi- 
tional means  of  self-improvement  em- 
ployed by  him  may  be  mentioned  the 
study  of  words,  study  of  shorthand,  a 
wide  course  of  general  reading,  systematic 
clipping  of  papers,  keeping  an  accurate 
record  of  his  correspondence,  the  writing 
of  essays,  the  translation  of  choice  litera- 
ture from  one  language  into  another. 

Such  a  course  rigorously  followed 
throttgh  years  mtist.have  resulted  in  rich 
fruitage,  and  is  the  best  kind  of  evidence 
that,  as  he  said,  he  regarded  knowledge 
and  culture,  as  next  to  virtue,  man's  liigh- 
est  good. 

Method  of  Work  Illustrated. 

His  Daily  Records  show  an  observing 
mind,  a  careful  attention 'to  detail,  a  warm 
interest  in  diverse  matters.  They  helped 
to  keep  the  past  fresh  in  mind  and  became 


HENRY  A.  SCHULER 


103 


a  means  of  self-study.  We  quote  his 
notes  for  the  first  Tuesday  and  Sundav 
of  May,  1883. 

T.  I. — Toilet.  Clouded.  Worked  in  sanc- 
tum, funeral  of  Amarynthia:  services  in 
Salem  Church;  good  sermon.  Many  friends 
here;  saw  11.  S.  walk  with  J.  II.  M.;  talk  on 
Luther.  Mr.  M.  Calling  in  office,  call  of  real 
estate  agent.  Five  nieces  waiting.  Talk  and 
walk  with  A. ;  friend  suffering  with  tooth- 
ache.     Coll. 

S.  6. — Up  at  six.  Toilet.  Greek  lesson 
(John  VU).  Attended  worship  in  Reformed 
church.  Discourse  on  the  1  ioly  Spirit.  Read 
"Aion — Aionios."  Examined  gifts  and  letters 
•of  love;  one  letter  missing.  Music.  Walk  to 
the  southeast  end;  beautiful  landscape;  fine 
houses.  Attended  worship  in  Ebenezer  Evan- 
gelical church;  the  perfect  law  of  God;  not 
kneeling.      Song. 

Mr.  Schuler  kept  a  very  full  and  ac- 
curate account  of  his  Income  and  Expen- 
ditures. His  first  finished  "Book  of  Ac- 
counts," covering  the  period  1871-1891, 
begun  in  1889,  interrupted  by  his  wife's 
sickness  and  finally  completed  in  1903,  a 
model  of  neatness,  accuracy,  attention  and 
painstaking  labor,  shows  his  daily  finan- 
cial transactions  to  a  cent,  both  as  to 
earnings  and  expenditures,  with  monthly, 
annual  and  decennial  summaries.  We 
quote  the  following  penned  in  1903: 

This  first  Book  of  Accounts  is  really  the  first 
of  all  my  private  records  that  is  brought  to  a 
finish,  within  and  without,  as  originally 
planned ;  it  will  likely  remain  the  only  one  so 
finished.  Is  it  worth  the  pains  bestowed  there- 
on? For  my  own  needs  surely  a  much  less  ele- 
gant record  of  finances  would  serve ;  and  whose 
this  shall  be  after  me,  I  know  not  yet,  but  if 
he  or  she  into  whose  hands  it  may  fall  be  led 
thereby  to  see  and  supply  the  need  of  an  ac- 
curate account  of  financial  afifairs,  if  it  teach 
him  or  her  to  be  more  saving  with  a  smaller 
income  and  more  generous  with  a  larger  one ; 
if  it  serve  to  imbue  him  or  her  with  the  spirit 
that  moved  a  sage  of  old  to  pray :  Give  me 
neither  poverty  nor  riches — the  labor  it  has  cost 
will   not   have  been   in  vain. 

In  illustration  of  the  subject  matter  of 
the  musings  in  his  Memoranda  begun  in 
1869,  we  quote  some  of  the  headings  in 
the  volume  for  1881,  the  year  of  his  mar- 
riage, his  entrance  upon  his  editorial 
labors  and  his  giving  up  the  vocation  of 
teaching:  Zum  Neuen  Jahr  Zehnt.  Hope 
Brightened,  Mv  School,  A  Message  at 
Hand,  Hope  Fulfilled,  A  Difficult  Deliv- 
erance, Eine  Ofifene  Wahl,  Awaiting  a 
Successor,  Noch  Nicht  Ersetzt,  Entre 
Deux  Candidats,  Austritt,  Forest  Mus- 
ings, Two  Weeks  in  Journalism.    These 


musings  were  written  in  English,  German, 
Latin  and  French. 

Becomes  a  Journalist. 

^  The  year  1881  was  in  the  life  of  Mr. 
Schuler  a  most  eventful  one.  It  meant 
the  final  giving  up  of  the  profession  of 
teaching,  of  which  he  was  thoroughly  sick 
and  tired,  the  non-acceptance  of  a  desir- 
able position  as  teacher  in  a  private 
school,  the  taking  up  of  journalism  as  a 
profession,  the  entrance  into  the  married 
state,  a  step  long  looked  forward -to  and 
made  possible  by  his  more  steady  and 
satisfactory  remuneration,  the  final  defi- 
nite relinquishment  of  a  long  cherished 
plan  of  some  day  graduating  in  a  literary 
course  at  a  university.  In  June  he  attend- 
ed the  commencement  exercises  of  Lehigh 
University.  In  a  subsequent  musing  he 
wrote  the  following: 

What  might  have  been?  What  might  have 
become  of  me,  if  so  many  years  ago,  when  for 
the  first  time  I  came  and  dared  not  enter  the 
forbidden  grounds,  when  again  I  came  a  sultry 
summer  day  and  dared  not  apply,  when  I  came 
a  third  time  vi^ith  a  friend  and  accomplished 
so  much,  when  I  saw  and  heard  and  went 
away  with  such  enthusiasm  swelling  within  me 
— what  might  have  been,  if  then  I  had  possessed 
courage  to  try,  energy  to  continue  and  perse- 
verance to  finish  what  was  for  the  time  the 
most  fondly-cherished  purpose  of  my  ambitious 
soul  ? 

Schuler's  attainments  recommended 
him  to  the  proprietors  of  the  "Boten" 
newspapers.  These  were  made  manifest 
in  contributions  sent  and  in  work  done  at 
the  ofiice  during  1880.  The  matter  as- 
sumed a  tangible  form  early  in  1881,  and 
by  March  15  he  entered  upon  his  duties. 
Many  applications  from  literary  men  had 
been  received  from  different  quarters — 
able  men — but  Schuler  was  preferred.  He 
was  editor  of  the  Friedensbote  from  1882 
to  1893,  when  he  assumed  editorial  charge 
of  the  Weltbote,  a  position  he  held  un- 
til he  retired  from  his  position  as  editor 
in  1903.  Serving  over  20  years  as  editor 
meant  a  great  deal  of  work  belonging  to 
the  commonplace,  but  even  here  he  was 
careful  and  conscientious,  making  an  en- 
viable record  for  clear  and  distinct  liter- 
ary style  and  painstaking  work  as  an  edi- 
tor. 

A  Lover  of  Nature. 

Mr.    Schuler's    writings    abound    with 


104 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


evidences  showing  that  he  was  a  true 
lover  of  Nature,  and  that  he  could  not 
forget  the  impressions  made  in  his  boy- 
hood days.  After  having  been  employed 
about  ten  weeks  as  an  editor  he  wrote : 

The  fair  Sabbath  morning  finds  me  here  in 
my  favored  spot  in  the  dear  old  forest  among 
m}'  childhood's  haunts  which  I  shall  love  as  a 
man  as  long  as  Earth  is  my  abode.  Welcome 
this  shady  place,  welcome  the  trees  and  the 
fields,  and  every  object  so  familiar,  doubly 
welcome  for  having  been  missed  so  long. 

Out  in  the  forest  again, 

Away   from  the  busy  haunts  of  men ! 

How  sweet,   from  the  town,  with  its  bustle 
and   noise. 
To  come  and  spend  the  day  of  rest 
In  the  place  of  all  I  still  love  best 

O,  dearest  by  far  are  my  home-made  joys 
How   glad   in   my   favored    solitude,    to   nurse 

awhile  my  pensive  mood. 
To  be  in  my  loved  Wyoming  again ! 
Scope  of  Literary  Activity. 
The      following,      taken      from      Mr. 
Schuler's  papers,  indicates  the  scope  of 
his  litera'ry  activity. 

OPERA   H.    A.    s. 
Scripta  Privata : 
Memoranda  Armenionis. 
Correspondence  of  H.  A.  S. 
Book  of  Accounts. 
Scripta  Publicata  seu  Publicanda : 
Poems. 

Essays  and  Addresses. 
Tales  and  Sketches. 
Journalistische  Arbeiten. 
Miscellaneous   Writings. 
Opera    Latina. 
Oeuvres. 
Compilations : 

Scrap  Books  of  Poetry,  History,  Religion  and 
Philosophy,  Geography  and  Ethnology,  In- 
dustry and  Arts.  Fiction,  Philosophy,  Curiosi- 
ties, Music  and  Song,  Pictures,  Wit  and 
Humor,  Biography  and  Anecdotes,  Natural 
Science,  Physiology,  Psychology  and  Hy- 
giene, Mythology  and  Folklore,  Farm,  Shop 
and  Household,  Politics  and  Sociology, 
Morals  and  Manners.  Antiquities  (Anthrop- 
ology), Miscellaneous  Matters. 
Thesaurus  Collectanearum. 
Tresor. 

Reisebriefe  und  Skizzen  B.  F.  T. 
Gedichte  von   Louis   Storck. 
Exercises  in  Pronunciation  and  Reading. 
History   of  the   H.   L.    S.    (Hereford   Literary 
Society). 

As  a  writer  Mr.  Schuler  was  noted  for 
his  limpid  style,  characterized  by  an  apt 
use  of  words  and  formation  of  sentences, 
a  studied  simplicity  and  accuracy  of  ex- 
pression, a  nobility,  breadth  and  purity 
of  thought. 

As  an  editor  he  worked  methodically, 


studiously,  avoided  giving  needless  of- 
fence, diligently  revised  all  manuscripts 
where  necessary,  furnished  a  clean,  cor- 
rect copy  for  printers,  read  proof  care- 
fully and  expeditiously  and  manifested  a 
rare  good  judgment  respecting  the  gen- 
eral makeup  of  a  periodical.  In  this  re- 
spect the  issues  of  The  Pennsylvania- 
C^ERMAN  during  1906  and  1907  will  be  his 
lasting  moninnent. 

Traits  of  Character. 

As  a  husband  Mr.  Schuler  was  ex- 
emplary, kind-hearted,  true  in  the  days 
of  joy  as  in  the  days  of  distress  and  pain 
which  latter  were  indeed  many.  At  the 
time  of  their  marriage  he  v/rote  these 
words  referring  to  his  wife : 

Shall  she  be  as  too  many  wives  are,  a  mere 
house-servant,  cooking  my  food,  setting  the 
table,  washing  and  mending  my  clothes  and 
ministering  to  my  material  wants  in  return  for 
food  and  lodging.  Shall  she  be  this  only,  or 
rather  my  partner,  my  companion  not  only  in 
every  day  matters  but  as  far  as  able  in  the 
matter  of  knowledge  in  the  pleasures  of  art? 

And  thus  as  companions  they  lived  to- 
gether in  sweet  peace  and  harmony.  When 
her  days  of  bodily  ailments  came  and  she 
could  no  longer  enjoy  pleasant  strolls  with 
him  or  attend  intellectual  feasts,  he  would 
go  by  himself,  and  returning  relate  to  her 
what  he  saw  and  heard,  thus  sharing 
with  her  to  the  end  the  pleasures  of  mind 
that  came  to  him  as  he  had  resolved.  It 
was  the  heart  of  a  grief-stricken,  loving 
husband  that  wrote  the  words : 

O,  hard  through  the  thickening  gloom 
Has  been  thy  way  to  the  tomb.  ^, 

Full  of  anguish  by  night  and  day 
Struggled  thy  spirit  so  long 
With  the   demon  doubly  strong 

Ere   from  its  chains  it  could  break  away. 
But  the  end  has  come  at  last. 
All   thy   sufferings   are   past — 

No  more  groans  and  cries  and  tears! 
Full   was  thy  measure   of  woe 
On   earth :   be  thy  happiness   so 

All   through   heaven's   numberless  years. 

It  may  be  in  place  to  make  a  note  re- 
specting his  religious  life.  In  his  infancy 
he  was  baptized,  but  he  was  not  received 
into  full  membership  of  any  church.  But 
thoueh  he  was  not  directly  identified  with 
a  ny  Christian  organization,  hisintellectual- 
ity  did  not  destroy  his  spirituality.  Broad- 
minded,  liberal  and  charitable,  he  was 
willing  to  learn  from  the  preached  word 
by    whatever    church    proclaimed.      He 


HENRY  A.  SCnULER 


105 


meditated  on  spiritual  things :  he  read 
his  l)ible  every  Sunday.  The  Internation- 
al Sunday  School  Lessons  were  studied 
regularly.  Even  on  the  bed  of  his  final 
sickness,  when  he  was  not  able  himself 
to  read  the  lesson,  he  asked  a  friend  to 
read  it  for  him.  Of  the  fortv-four  essays 
in  a  single  volume  of  his  Alemoranda  all 
but  one  end  with  a  prayer  to  God.  In 
one  of  his  liibles  this  note  was  found  in 
his  own  handwriting: 

Requirements  for  Prevailiwg  Prayer. 

If  yc  abide  in  mc  and  my  words  abide  in 
you. — John    15:7. 

If  we  keep  his  commandments  and  do  these 
things  that  are  pleasing  in  his  sight. — i  John 
3  :22. 

If  we  ask  anything  according  to  his  wmII. — 
I    John   5:14. 

His  whole  life,  thought  and  action  was 
distinctly  Christian. 

The  translation  of  Zufriedenheit  found 
on  another  page  of  this  issue  was  prob- 
ably one  of  his  last  literary  products.  The 
humble  quiet,  peace  and  content  which 
the  words  picture  was  his,  and  as  such 
was  the  fruit  of  many  years  of  life  spent 
under  the  guidance  of  the  Divine  Spirit. 

An  unselfish  Christian  manifests  itself 
in  his  last  will  and  testament.  Forgetful 
of  self,  he  cared  for  those  who  minister 
to  and  alleviate  the  pains  of  others. 

Mr.  Schuler  had  his  limitations,  his 
weaknesses,  his  shortcomings.  On  ac- 
count of  the  privations  of  his  early  life 
he  failed  to  develop  the  qualities,  the  bent 
of  mind  that  fit  one  for  success  in  the 
fashionable  social  circle.  As  a  teacher  he 
was  not  a  successful  disciplinarian.  This 
lack  grew  out  of  his  nature  and  was  in 
part  a  matter  of  choice.  He  was  not  of 
the  t}  pe  of  men  who  either  find  a  way  or 
make  one.  Lacking  in  the  gift  of  ini- 
tiative, he  was  not  fitted  to  be  a  leader 
of  men,  to  move  forward  in  faith  towards 
the  realization  of  great  and  problematic 
ends.  Nor  was  he  ready  to  put  himself 
forward  or  seek  to  make  himself  promi- 
nent. He  was  not  officious  or  obtrusive. 
Many  editorial  rooms  would  have  been 
glad  to  have  the  benefit  of  his  linguistic 
attainments,  had  they  been  fully  known. 
But  through  his  modesty  he  failed  where 
others   w'ith   less   fitness   easily   won. 

He  had  his  constitutional  peculiarities, 
his  idiosyncrasies.  But  many  worse  things 


than  this  may  be  true  of  a  man — not  the 
least  of  which  is  to  have  no  peculiarities, 
to  have  no  individuality,  to  be  the  easy- 
going non-offensive,  general  purpose  man, 
a  kind  of  lifeless  desert  without  change 
in  landscape,  or  variety  of  product  to  re- 
lieve the  monotony. 

He  was  introspective,  re-reading  and 
re-writing  his  records,  his  memoranda  and 
forest  musings.  He  was  thus  continually 
calling  up  his  past  hopes  and  fears,  his 
triumphs  and  failures,  his  joys  and 
griefs.  He  was  a  lover  of  the  true,  the 
beautiful,  the  good  wherever  found.  He 
enjoyed  nature,  took  delight  in  vocal  and 
instrumental  music,  adorned  the  walls  of 
his  quiet  home  with  choice,  chaste  pic- 
tures, and  fed  his  soul  on  the  best 
thoughts  of  the  authors  whose  children 
of  the  brain  will  never  die. 

He  was  not  brilliant,  and  fell  short  in 
the  things  that  men  are  at  present  apt  to 
look  upon  as  evidences  of  greatness.  But 
if  it  is  still  true  that  he  that  ruleth  his 
own  spirit  is  better  than  he  that  taketh  a 
city,  he,  though  living  a  secluded  life, 
was  greater  than  many  whose  names  are 
today  household  words.  He  alone  knew 
the  inward  struggles  endured,  the  ambi- 
tions sacrificed,  the  victories  won,  the 
temptations  resisted,  the  peace  and  quiet 
that  came  after  years  of  unrest,  stress 
and  struggle. 

Though  the  world  today  calls  for  the 
most  varied  equipment  and  accomplish- 
ments to  fill  its  unnumbered  places  of 
honor,  trust  and  leadership  in  Church, 
State  and  Society,  many  of  which  Mr. 
Schuler  could  not  and  would  not  have 
filled,  society  would  be  infinitely  better 
off  were  all  to  live  as  he  did  in  view  of 
eternity,  in  self-culture  of  the  spiritual 
life  within,  in  seeking  conformity  to  the 
true  Christian  ideal  as  found  in  his 
Savior. 

Dort  werd'   ich  sein  ein  Engel 

In  jenen  Engelsland, 
Ein'  Krone  auf  der  Stirne, 

Ein  Palmzweig  in  der  Hand. 
Dort  vor  dem  lieben  Heiland 

In  himmlisch  schoener  Pracht 
Werd'  Ich  mit  suesz'ten  Liedern 

Ihn  preisen  Tag  und  Nacht. 

Translation  by  H.    A.  fc^CBUlfR 


:io6 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 

Old  Time  Battalion  Drills 

(B'dolya) 

BY  ASHERL.  HESS,  PHILADELPHIA    PA. 


OME  years  ago  before  the 
Civil  War,  many  of  the 
larger  townships  were  rep- 
resented by  a  company  of 
militia,    either    infantry    or 

ligbt  horse  cavalry,  and  once 

a  \ear  each  company  with  a  sufficient 
number  of  companies  from  nearby  points, 
to  form  what  is  known  as  a  Battalion 
(500  or  more  men)  would  meet  and  en- 
gage in  Battalion  Drill. 

This  occasion  was  anxiously  looked 
forward  to  by  both  old  and  young,  and 
the  entire  country  roundabout  usually 
turned  out  to  pay  homage  to  the  citizen 
soldiery ;  in  short,  the  day  was  observed 
as  a  general  holiday  by  everybody.  The 
day  was  usually  ushered  in  by  a  number 
of  salutes  fired  from  a  cannon  stationed 
along  the  hillside,  which  echoed  and  re- 
echoed among  the  surrounding  hills.  The 
music  of  the  fife  and  drum  early  in  the 
day  was  the  signal  for  mobilizing  of  the 
troops,  which  thrilled  and  filled  the  young 
hearts  brimful  of  patriotism,  and  when 
the  popular  old  California  Band  arrived 
rendering  the  sweet  strains  of  Washing- 
ton's March,  young  America's  joy  knew 
no  bounds.  Under  the  command  of  a 
Major,  the  Battalion  went  through  vari- 
ous field  maneuvers,  the  manual  of  arms, 
and  dress  parade,  winding  up  with  a 
street  parade,  which  was  the  crowning 
feature  of  the  day. 

Amusements. 

On  these  gala  days  the  street  was  lined 
with  venders  of  refreshments, — peanuts 
and  small  beer  being  the  most  popular. 
The  little  stoop-shouldered,  red-faced, 
freckled,  good-natured  "Huckster" 
named  Moll,  so  widely  known,  was  ever 
present  with  hi''  refreshment  stand  on 
such  occasio:is.  Everybody  appeared  to 
enjoy  '"n  eyshtcr  soup  am  Moll  sci 
Huckshter-disch," — and  some,  who  were 
so  inclined,  enjoyed  his  sherry  wine  even 
a  little  too  much  sometimes.  A  side- 
;5how  in  some  near-by  field  was  usually 


an  intei-esting  feature,  gathering  in  the 
"fips"  and  the  "levies,"- — popular  coins  in 
those  days,  the  former  six  and  one-quar- 
ter cents,  and  the  latter  twelve  and  one- 
half  cents. 

The  Ambrotype  Photographer  with  his 
travelling  "studio  on  wheels"  was  gener- 
ally there  doing  a  thriving  business.  The 
most  unique  attraction,  however,  was  the 
"Flying  Coach"  or  "Flying  Circus," 
known  today  as  the  merry-go-round.  It 
was  not  propelled  by  an  engine,  nor  was 
the  music  furnished  by  an  orchestrion, 
but  it  was  propelled  by  a  horse  going 
round  and  round  near  the  centre,  and  a 
fiddler  sitting  on  a  perch  furnished  the 
music.  It  was  a  crude,  home-made  af- 
fair under  a  soiled  canvas  tent,  the 
coaches  (painted  a  common  blue  mostly 
all  worn  ofif),  having  the  appearance  of 
old  sleigh  bodies  without  the  runners, 
were  suspended  with  iron  rods  from 
wooden  arms  extending  out  from  a  heavy 
pole  in  the  centre  around  which  the  horse 
travelled,  and  the  apparatus  likewise  re- 
volved. The  charge  was  three  cents  a 
ride.  The  jingle  of  a  tiny  bell  was  the 
signal  to  stop,  when  the  ring-master  and 
the  horse  alike  would  hold  back  with  all 
their  strength  to  bring  the  coaches  to  a 
stop.  This  "show"  as  some  called  it  was 
well  patronized ;  the  lads  with  their  lasses 
apparently  enjoying  the  novel  rides. 

A  dance  at  the  village  tavern  in  the 
evening  generally  ended  the  festivities  of 
the  day ;  whoever  took  part  in  the  dance 
was  obliged  to  "pay  the  fiddler."  Johnny 
Seifert  and  Mich  Keefer  usually  claimed 
that  honor. 

"Nigger  Shows"  were  frequently  held 
in  another  part  of  the  premises  at  the 
same  time.  "Old  Lindsey,"  the  well 
known  and  popular  minstrel,  frequently 
made  his  appearance  on  these  occasions, 
and  was  well  patronized. 

The  company  also  engaged  in  target 
practice  at  stated  intervals,  the  prize  for 
hitting  the  "bull's  eye"  being  a  silver 
r.iedal,  which  Dr.  Bryan  presented  to  the 


OLD-TIME    BATTALION    DRILLS 


107 


KROFT       FISHER  JOHN  W.  CYPHERT 

TWO  OF  THE  PIONEERS 
Original  Ambrotvpe  picture  furnished  ilirou^h  the 
courtesy  of   Hon.  H.  S.  Funk.  Springtown,  Pa. 


'Company  at  its  organization.  The  mem- 
"bers  eagerly  vied  with  each  other  to  gain 
■possession  of  the  coveted  medal,  the  win- 
ner being  privileged  to  carry  it  when  in 
uniform  suspended  to  a  ribbon  on  his 
breast  until  the  following  contest.  Order- 
ly Sergeant  William  W.  Strock  won  the 
medal  on  tzvo  occasions,  and  was  the  only 
one  bearing  the  distinction  of  earning  it 
twice. 

After  the  company  was  disbanded  the 
medal  by  some  one's  carelessness  fell  into 
the  hands  of  boys,  who,  not  knowing  its 
value,  disposed  of  it  for  a  mere  song  to 
a  Jew  peddler,  and  thus  unfortunately 
losing  a  valuable  as  well  as  an  interest- 
ing relic. 

Companies  Disbanded. 

Those  good  old  days  are  past  and  gone  ; 
picnics  and  excursions  have  superseded 
old-time  festivities ;  soldiering  for  sport  is 
no  more ;  since  with  the  organization  of 
the  National  Guard  it  has  become  a  stern 
reality.  At  the  beginning  of  the  war  in 
1861,  most  of  the  rural  militia  companies 
disbanded.  In  the  larger  towns,  some 
companies  responded  to  the  President's 
call  for  troops.  At  that  time  the  village 
of  Springtown  could  boast  of  a  company 
•of  infantry,  commanded  by  Captain  Ed- 
ward T.  Hess,  afterwards  Lieut. -Colonel 
of   the    174th    Regiment    Penna.    Volun- 


teers in  the  Civil  War.  The  movement 
to  organize  a  company  was  inaugurated 
by  Dr.  Newton  M.  Bryan,  resident  phy- 
sician, brother  of  John  S.  Bryan,  Doyles- 
town.  Pa.,  who  was  Brigadier  General  of 
Bucks  County  Militia  at  that  time.  Short- 
ly after  its  organization.  Dr.  Bryan  pre- 
sented the  village  with  a  mounted  cannon 
for  the  use  of  the  company.  The  cannon 
was  housed  in  a  little  wooden  hut  erected 
especially  for  that  purpose,  stationed  at 
the  edge  of  the  woods  along  the  hillside 
immediately  north  of  the  Bryan  resi- 
dence; from  this  point  the  salutes  were 
usually  fired.  A  number  of  years  after- 
wards the  cannon  was  taken  to  Heller- 
town  without  permission,  where  in  firing 
a  salute  it  exploded  without  doing  any 
further  damage.  Following  is  the  muster- 
roll  from  the  time  the  company  w^as  or- 
ganized until  it  was  disbanded.  Most  of 
the  members  have  answered  the  final  roll- 
call,  reminding  us  of  Theo.  O'Hara's 
beautiful  poem  entitled  "The  Bivouac  of 
the  Dead." 


The  muffled  drum's  sad  roll  has  beat 

The   soldier's   last   tattoo: 
No  more  on  life's  parade  shall  meet 

That  brave  and  fallen  few. 
On  fame's  eternal  camping  ground 

Their    silent    tents    are    spread. 
And  Glory  guards,  with   solemn  round, 

The  bivouac  of 'the  dead. 


io8 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


CAPTAIN  EDWARD  T.  HESS. 

MEMBERS 

OF   THE 

SPRINGFIELD  PIONEERS 

Organized  Aug.    i6,   1856. 

Captain — Edward  T.  Hess.* 

First  Lieutenant — Lycurgus  S.  Bodder. 

Second  Lieutenant — Tilghman  Barron. 

Orderly  Sergeant — William  R.  Laudenberger. 

Second  Sergeant — ■ 

Drummer — David  W.  Seifert.* 

■Drummer — Samuel  Reichard. 

Bass  Drummer — George   W.    Seifert. 

Bass  Drummer — A.    Jackson    Strock. 

Fifer — Jacob  Reichard. 

Pioneer — John  W.  Cyphert. 

Pioneer — J.  Kroft  Eisher. 


William  Sterner, 
William  Barron, 
Jacob  Troch, 
Thomas  W.  Ochs, 
Edward  Barral, 
John  Keyscr, 
John   Clarke, 
Thomas  Weaver,* 
Samuel  Guth, 
Jacob   Fabian, 
Jesse  Bucher, 
William  Richard, 


Privates. 

Michael  Keefer, 
Jonas  Grube, 
Aaron  Seifert, 
Jacob  Shc'llenberger, 
Lsaac   Erankenfield,* 
Aaron  Amcy, 
John   J.    Iroch,* 
William  Heller, 
John  Funk,* 
David  Gamber, 
Levi  Reichard, 
Barney  Wetzel, 


Edward  A.   Campbell, 
Jacob  Strouse, 
Henry  S.  Funk, 
Harrison    Campbell,* 
Edwin  Kiser, 
John  Loudenstine, 
David  Funk,* 
Josiah    Christine, 
LTriah  Eichelberger, 
Samuel  Wolfinger, 
Tilghman   Steidinger, 
William  H.  Diehl, 
John  William  Hess, 
Henry  Woolbach, 
Edwin  Hemmerly, 
1  liomas  Fry, 
James  A.  Fluck, 
Charles  Cyphert,* 
Frank  Sloyer, 
Charles  R.  Kindig, 
George  Wallas, 
William   Emerv,* 
David  L.  Fluck, 
Francis  G.   Hess,* 
Allen  Moore,* 
William  Freiind, 
John  Shively,* 
Theo.  Eichelberger, 
John  W.  Weaver,* 
John  Ohl,* 
Philip  Reichard. 


Francis   A.   Fluck, 
Charles    W.    Flecken- 

stine, 
Levi  Longanauer,* 
Alexander   Bleyler, 
Levi   Christine, 
John  K.  Troch, 
Levi  Shellenberger,* 
Jacob    A.    Campbell, 
Reed  Keeler, 
Jacob  Sassaman, 
William  F.  Sassaman, 
1  lenr\-  Strock,* 
William  Ziegenfuss, 
Augustus    Buck,* 
Albert  M.  Rise,* 
I'eter  L.  Fluck,* 
lulwin  Sterner,* 
William  Strock, 
Alexander  Rath, 
Benjamin  Brunner, 
John  G.  Bcidelman, 
Ik-njamin    Sterner, 
lohn  R.  Bitts, 
William  ^L  Heft, 
William  H.  Rees, 
h^ranklin  Sloyer, 
John  R.  Beidelman, 
Owen  B.  Hess, 
Peter  Deemer. 
John   Deemer, 
K.  B.  Trauger, 

Those  marked  (*)  served  in  the  Civil  War. 

J.  Kraft  Fisher,  one  of  the  Pioneers,  re- 
signed and  went  to  Ohio.  W^m.  Emery  suc- 
ceeded him. 

Wm.  R.  Laudenberger,  Orderly  Sergeant,, 
resigned,  and  was  succeeded  by  Wm.  H. 
Strock. 

Wm.  H.  Diehl  and  John  William  Hess  were 
small  boys  who  carried  lances. 

CONSTITUTION   AND  BY-LAWS 

OF    THE 

SPRINGFIELD  PIONEERS 

OF   THE 

COUNTY   OF  BUCKS 

FOR    THEIR 

REGULATION    AND    DISCIPLINE 

Organized    August    i6th,    1856. 

CONSTITUTION. 

Article  i.  We  the  undersigned  have  asso- 
ciated ourselves  together  to  organize  a  Military 
Company  to  be  called  the  Springfield  Pioneers^ 
and  hereby  agree  to  be  held  responsible  for  all 
loss  and  damage  incurred  by  the  said  Com- 
pany. 

Article  2.  The  Uniform  shall  be  a  Sky- 
blue  Round-about  with  Red  and  Yellow  trim- 
mings at  the  collar,  and  regulation  brass  but- 
tons. The  Pants  of  same  material  with  a  Red 
stripe  and  Yellow  border.  The  Regulation 
Cap  with  Red  Pompom,  brass  plate  and  Eagle. 
White  Cotton  Gloves. 

Article  3.  Any  one  wishing  to  become  a 
member  of  this  Company  must  first  sign  the 
Constitution  of  said  Company. 

Article    4.     The    Military    Laws    of    Penn- 


OLD-TIME   BATTALION   DRILLS 


109 


sylvania  shall  form  part  of  the  Bv-Laws. 

Article  5-.  Fines  shall  be  imposed  on  any 
member    for    the    following    offenses,    viz : 

1st.  Absence  from  Spring  Training  and 
visits,  or  Special  Training  and  Target  Firing, — 
Members,   One   Dollar. 

2nd.     All  other  Trainings,  Seventy-five  cents. 
3rd.     Absence      from      Business      Meetings, 
Twenty-five   cents. 

4th.  Absence  from  Roll-call,  Twelve  and 
one-half  cents. 

Article    6.     Commissioned    and    Non-Com- 
missioned  Officers'  Fines  shall  be  as  follows: 
1st.     Captain  on  Battalion, — Three  Dollars. 
2nd.     First   Lieut,   on   Battalion, — Two   Dol- 
lars. 

3rd.  Second  Lieut,  on  Battalion, — One  and 
one-half   Dollars. 

4th.  Orderly  Sergt.  on  all  Parades, — One 
Dollar. 

5th.  Orderly  Sergt.  neglecting  to  send  his 
books  of  office  when  absent  himself, — Fifty 
cents. 

6th.  Fines  shall  all  be  equal  on  meetings 
of   Business. 

7th.  Musicians  on  all  Parades, — ^One  Dol- 
lar. 

Section  ist.  The  specified  time  and  place 
of  Parades  and  meetings  shall  be  decided  by 
vote   of  the   Company. 

Sec.  2nd.  At  a  meeting  of  Business,  five 
Jiiembers  shall  constitute  a  quorum.  The 
Senior  Officer  shall  preside,  who  shall,  in 
the  absence  of  the  Secretary,  appoint  some  one 
to  act  in  his  place. 

Sec.  3rd.  Commissioned  Officers  shall  be 
chosen  by  ballot.  Non-Commissioned  Officers 
shall  be  appointed  by  the   Captain. 

Sec.  4th.  The  Treasurer  shall  keep  a  strict 
account  of  all  moneys  he  may  receive  on  ac- 
count of  the  Company,  and  pay  no  bills  ex- 
cept on  an  order  signed  by  the  commanding 
officers  or  officer  presiding  at  the  meetings. 

Sec.  5th.  When  funds  of  the  Company 
are  deficient,  contributions  from  any  source 
may    be    received    for    paying    expenses. 

Sec.  6th.  A  Court  of  Appeal  composed  of 
three  men,  one  of  whom  must  be  an  officer, 
shall  be  held  invariably  the  first  Training  after 
the  Spring  Battalion.  The  Orderly  Sergeant 
shall  present  a  complete  list  of  every  member 
absent.  Any  member  indebted,  wishing  to 
contest  his  dues,  must  show  cause,  which 
if  found  perfectly  satisfactory  to  the  Court, 
the  claims  against  him  may  in  whole  or  in 
part  be  remitted ;  but  upon  refusal  of  any 
member  to  pay  his  dues  and  those  having  been 
confirmed  by  the  Court,  the  Commanding  Of- 
ficer shall  issue  his  warrant  according  to  the 
Military  Laws  of  the  State. 

Sec.  7th.  Officers  of  every  Court  of  Ap- 
peal with  the  Secretary  shall  make  a  state- 
ment signed  by  the  same,  showing  the  actual 
condition  of  the  Funds,  and  present  it  tt)  the 
next   appeal. 

Sec.  8th.  No  member  shall  use  his  arms 
in  an  offensive  manner,  or  even  an  insult, 
while  attending  a  meeting  or  parades ;  and  for 
any   such   offence,   or   for   intoxication,  or   any 


disorderly  manner  or  behaviour,  he  shall  be 
reprimanded  by  the  commanding  officer  and 
fined  Five  Dollars,  which  shall  be  collected 
on  the  sDOt.  For  the  second  offence  he  shall 
be   expelled. 

Sec.  9th.  The  commanding  officer  shall  or- 
der an  inspection  of  Equipments  of  the  Mem- 
bers at  regular  intervals. 

Sicc.  loth.  Every  new  member  shall  equip 
himself  within  six  months  from  the  time  of 
his   becoming   a   member. 

Sec.  nth.  Temporary  devic.tions  as  regards 
to  the  uniform  or  equipments  may  be  made, 
but  must  be  authorized  by  the  commanding- 
officer,  and  agreed  to  l)y  the  majority  of  the 
Company. 

Skc.  12th.  Regulations  or  Sections  may  be 
passed   by   a   majority   of   the   Company. 

Sec.  i3tli.  The  Commanding  Officer  can 
call  out  a  Parade  or  Meeting  on  special  oc- 
casions by  giving  six  hours  noti'ce  before 
the  time  of  meeting,  and  he  must  first  serve 
notice  to  the  Lieutenants  and  Non-Commis- 
sioned Officers,  and  they  in  turn  must  notify 
verbally  the  members  when  and  where  to 
meet. 

Sec.  14th.  The  Armorer  for  neglecting  to 
bring  the  Arms  in  clean  order  to  the  place  of 
Training,  shall  be  fined  no  less  than  Five 
Dollars  on  the  four  principal  days  of  Parade, 
and  on  other  occasions  no  less  than  Three 
Dollars. 


Kemuining  Accociitreuienl^  of  Llie  SpiinKfield  Pioneers 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


The  Gunmakers  of  Old  Northampton 

Address  of  William  J.  Heller,  of  Easton,  Pa.,  at  Meeting  of  Pennsyl- 
vania German  Society  at  Allentown,  Pa.,  on  November  2,   1906. 


^  T  is  the  usual  thing  for  history 
to  deal  exclusively  with 
great  events.  The  conduct 
of  armies,  the  description  of 
battles  and  a  record  of  mat- 
ters involving  the  interest  of 
the  many,  are  the  topics  which  absorb 
the  attention  of  the  historian  while  the 
individual  experiences  in  the  every  day 
life  of  the  common  people  are  lost  sight 
of  altogether.  The  knowledge  that  a  bat- 
tle was  fought  is  of  less  value  than  a 
knowledge  of  the  causes  that  led  to  it  and 
the  issues  resulting  from  it.  How  can  one 
understand  the  causes  except  he  enter  into 
sympathy  with  the  masses  involved?  Or, 
how  can  he  sympathize  with  their  individ- 
ual sufferings  and  with  their  manner  of 
life  and  mode  of  thinking?  We  know 
that  a  battle  was  fought ;  the  number  and 
disposition  of  the  contending  forces ;  at 
what  time  and  by  whom  the  charges  were 
made ;  the  repulses,  and  all  the  details  of 
the  action  are  matters  of  record.  But  the 
individual  experiences  and  home  life  of 
the  sterling  patriots  in  the  lower  ranks 
which  participated  in  the  fight  are  topics 
yet  undeveloped. 

The  Riflemen. 
George  Washington  takes  command  of 
the  army  then  forming  at  Cambridge, 
Massachusetts.  Troops  from  the  South- 
west are  on  the  march.  Every  day  we 
see  them  arriving  at  headquarters,  receiv- 
ing the  glad  welcome  of  their  new  com- 
mander. Up  out  of  Winchester  town 
comes  Daniel  Morgan,  a  Scotch-Irish 
Pennsylvania-German  lad  of  the  Lehigh 
hills,  gathering  as  he  goes  from  the  Shen- 
andoah to  the  Lehigh,  more  than  six  hun- 
dred Pennsylvania  rifiemen,  following 
close  on  the  heels  of  the  three  hundred 
more  from  the  Forks  of  the  Delaware,  on 
through  the  Minnesinks  to  the  siege  of 
Boston.  The  British  army,  for  the  first 
time,  now  faces  the  new  Swiss  invention, 
the  rifle,  and  this  new  weapon  of  warfare 
in  the  hands  of  nearly  two  thousand 
sharpshooters    from    Pennsylvania.      The 


British  commander  feared  more  these 
Pennsylvania  riflemen  than  all  the  rest  of 
Washington's  vmtrained  soldiery.  To 
Daniel  Morgan  and  these  two  thousand 
Pennsylvania  riflemen,  much  of  the  credit 
is  due  for  the  evacuation  of  Boston.  One 
of  these  Pennsylvania  boys  and  his 
famous  rifle  were  captured  by  the  British 
and  sent  to  England,  where  he  was  ex- 
hibited as  a  curiosity.  If  the  New  Eng- 
landers  overlooked  this  fact,  not  so  the 
British  army,  for  when  they  again  met  in 
battle  at  Long  Island,  there  was  ven- 
geance in  die  air.  The  British  com- 
mander points  to  a  distant  wooded  hil- 
lock, where  fluttered  the  crimson  banner 
bearing  the  legend  "St.  Tammany." 
"There  you  will  find  the  dread  green- 
coated  riflemen  of  Pennsylvania,"  and 
they  found  them,  and  history  tells  us  that 
nearly  half  of  these  brave  sons  of  Penn- 
sylvania never  lived  to  recross  the  Dela- 
ware river. 

The  grand  Republican  army  is  daily 
diminishing  while  that  of  the  Royalists 
has  been  increased  by  reinforcements  of 
five  thousand  Hessians  and  Waldeckers^ 
hired  by  the  British  ministry  to  assist  in 
subduing  the  posterity  of  Britons.  Wash- 
ington passes  his  army  over  into  New 
Jersey,  leaving  the  Royalists  entire  mas- 
ters in  New  York.  Terror  and  dismay 
overspread  the  whole  land.  The  Tories 
every  day  grow  more  bold  and  insolent ; 
the  Whigs  begin  to  despair  of  their  cause ; 
the  neutrals  turn  partisans  against  their 
country  and  the  British  general  becomes 
arrogant  with  success. 

New  Jersey,  which  soon  afterward 
witnessed  and  shared  in  his  triumphs, 
now  sees  him  avoiding  and  baffling,  with 
matchless  dexterity  and  caution,  a  super- 
ior force,  with  which  it  would  be  madness 
to  contend.  To  add  to  his  difficulties,  dis- 
affection begins  to  rear  its  head  among 
those  who  hitherto  remained  quiet,  and 
the  Royalists  of  the  county  of  Monmouth,, 
encouraged  by  the  aspect  of  affairs,  pre- 
pare to  rise  in  behalf  of  the  invader. 


THE  GUNMAKERS  OF  OLD  NORTHAMPTON 


iir 


Washington's  Appeal. 

He  urges  Congress,  he  urges  the  gover- 
nors of  the  different  States,  by  every  mo- 
tive of  patriotism,  to  take  measures  for 
the  safety  of  the  country  and  the  success 
of  its  cause.  His  appeal  to  the  New  Eng- 
land colonies  is  ignored.  Its  citizens,  for- 
getting their  patriotism  of  the  early  days 
of  the  struggle,  are  now  gathering  within 
the  folds  of  the  British  flag.  Congress 
delays,  the  resources  of  the  Committee 
of  Safety  are  exhausted,  they,  a  few 
months  previous,  sanctioning  the  sale  to 
the  colony  of  Virginia  of  one  thousand 
stand  of  arms  from  the  Forks  of  the 
Delaware.  Washington  appeals  directly 
to  the  German  yeomen  of  Pennsylvania ; 
he  looks  imploringly  to  the  blue  hills 
which  fringe  the  western  horizon.  His 
last  appeal  meets  with  success.  The  re- 
sponse from  old  Northampton  is  spon- 
taneous. From  the  Lackawaxen,  from 
the  Susquehanna,  from  the  Lackawanna, 
from  the  Wyalusing  and  the  great  valleys 
of  the  Lehigh  are  gathering  the  hosts  that 
cause  the  British  army  to  halt  in  its  on- 
ward progress. 

Northampton's  Response. 

The  Committee  of  Safety  for  the  Coun- 
ty of  Northampton  now  passes  its  famous 
resolution  which  debars  from  participa- 
tion in  these  armed  forces  now  gather- 
ing, all  persons  possessing  a  knowledge 
of  the  manufacture  of  firearms.  Among 
the  Swiss  and  Palatine  population  of  the 
vast  territory  then  known  as  Northamp- 
ton county  were  a  great  many  who  were 
gunsmiths  and  armorers,  some  of  whom 
were  descendants  of  the  ancient  armorers 
of  the  feudal  period  of  Central  Europe. 
These  people  brought  with  them  to  Penn- 
sylvania the  rifle,  forty  years  or  more  be- 
fore the  Revolution  and  improved  upon 
this  German  model  with  such  ingenuity 
that  up  to  within  a  few  years  of  this  im- 
portant event,  they  had  produced  a  new 
type  of  firearm,  superior  to  any  other  in 
the  world — the  American  backwoods 
rifle.  It  is  these  artisans  of  the  back- 
woods -who,  being  denied  the  anticipated 
pleasure  of  entering  into  the  conflict,  now 
return  to  their  workshop,  to  their  homes, 
knowing  full  well  that  their  efforts  at  their 
vocation  will  be  of  more  importance  than 
would  be  their  services  in  the  ranks.   Soon 


every  blacksmith  is  seen  forging  gun  bar- 
rels, every  cabinet  maker  shapmg  gun 
stocks,  every  gunsmith  rifling  gun  bar- 
rels ;  not  only  they  but  their  wives  and 
children  and  the  wives  and  children  of 
their  neighbors  who  have  gone  to  the 
front,  now  lend  a  helping  hand,  cleaning,, 
polishing,  burnishing  and  putting  the  fin- 
ishing touches  to  this  new  weapon  of  war- 
fare. All  the  backwoodsmen  of  Penn- 
sylvania, Maryland,  Virginia  and  the 
Carolinas  were  familiar  with  the  rifle,  and 
all  were  in  readiness  for  war  long  before 
the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  For  years  they 
had  been  equipping  themselves  with  the- 
Pennsylvania  rifle  in  place  of  the  old  mus- 
ket, which  was  yet  being  used  by  the 
more  eastern  colonies. 

The  Gunmakers. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  so  few  of  the 
names  of  these  tillers  of  the  virgin  soil 
of  Penn's  colony  who  possessed  the  abil- 
ity to  produce  a  better  weapon  of  war- 
fare than  was  used  by  any  of  the  armies 
of  the  world  has  been  handed  down  to 
posterity.  All  honor  to  John  Tyler, 
George  Layendecker,  John  Moll,  Jacobs 
Newhardt,  Ebenezer  Cowell,  Mathias 
Miller,  Peter  Newhardt,  Daniel  Kleist, 
John  Young,  Stephen  Horn,  Henry 
Young,  Abraham  Berlin,  Adam  Foulke, 
Anthony  Smith,  Isaac  Berlin,  Andrew 
Shorer,  William  Henry,  John  Golcher,. 
Henry  Derringer,  Johnston  Smith.  These 
are  names  of  principals  only.  The  names 
of  subordinates,  probably,  will  never  be 
known.  William  Henry  had  fourteen  em- 
ployes while  in  Lancaster,  six  of  whom 
he  brought  with  him  to  Nazareth,  but  so 
far  it  has  been  impossible  to  discover  the 
names  of  these  six. 

The  Council  of  Safety  of  Pennsylvania 
had  established  a  gun  factory  at  Phila- 
delphia and  employed  Golcher  to  instruct 
in  the  art  of  boring  and  grinding  gun  bar- 
rels. This  state  factory  was  later  moved 
to  AUentown,  Golcher  returning  to 
Easton,  where  he  began  manufacturing- 
fancy  guns,  the  principal  one  being  the 
double-barreled  revolving  rifle  with  one 
hammer.  Not  many  of  these  were  made 
on  account  of  the  high  cost  of  produc- 
tion, and  now  are  very  rare. 

Henry  Derringer  had  settled  very  early 
in  Easton  and  raised  a  large  familv,  one 


112 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


of  his  sons  being  the  inventor  of  the 
famous  Derringer  pistol,  which  is  still 
used  the  world  over  where  dueling  is 
practiced. 

John  Tyler  was  in  charge  of  the  gun- 
factory  at  Allentown  and  at  one  time  had 
sixteen  men  in  his  employ.  Daniel  Kleist 
had  his  gun  shop  in  Bethlehem  township, 
and  made  the  rifles  for  the  Moravian  store 
at  Bethlehem.  This  store  furnished  a 
great  many  rifles  to  the  companies  passing 
through  Bethlehem  on  their  way  to"  the 
seat  of  war.  Daniel  Morgan  stopped  here 
several  days  to  have  every  man's  rifle  ex- 
amined and  put  in  order  before  proceed- 
ing. 

Abraham  Berlin  had  taken  up  the  voca- 
tion of  blacksmithing  in  Easton,  but  was 
a  gunsmith  during  the  entire  period  of 
the  Revolution,  after  which  he  again  re- 
sumed blacksmithing.  Stephen  Horn 
lived  at  Easton,  put  in  several  years  at 
gun  work  and  then  took  up  that  of 
powder  making.  Isaac  Berlin  and  John 
Young,  both  from  the  upper  end  of  the 
county,  took  up  their  residence  in  Easton 
about  the  time  of  agitation.  Berlin's  spe- 
cialty was  sword  making.  John  Young 
was  an  armorer  and  an  engraver  or  dec- 
orator. The  decorations  on  Berlin's 
swords  and  on  his  own  rifles  were  very 
artistic.  He  also  decorated  the  guns  for 
his  brother  Henry.  Henry  Young  did  a 
large  business,  and  his  neatly  engraved 
rifles  became  very  popular.  His  factory 
is,  probably,  the  only  one  that  is  stand- 
ing today.  It  is  a  one-story  stone  building 
near  where  the  road  crosses  the  northern 
boundary  of  the  city  of  Easton  going  over 
Chestnut  Hill.  John  Young's  store  at 
Easton  was  a  place  of  importance,  and 
he  became  generally  known  not  only  in 
Pennsylvania,  but  throughout  the  other 
colonies.  During  the  month  of  February 
he  had  received  from  the  colony  of  Vir- 
ginia a  request  for  one  thousand  rifles. 
The  Council  of  Safety  at  Philadelphia  im- 
mediately gave  permission  to  him  to  de- 
liver to  Virginia  one  thousand  rifles  pro- 
vided he  could  deliver  them  before  May 
I,  which  he  did.  This  was  in  the  year 
1776.  Johnston  Smith  was  a  partner  in 
this  transaction,  and  it  was  his  part  to 
gather  the  rifles  from  the  dififerent 
makers.     The  Council  of  Safet}-,  during 


the  month  of  March,  had  been  forming 
several  companies  in  Philadelphia,  in  an- 
ticipation of  the  coming  conflict.  John 
Young  furnished  the  council  with  one 
hundred  and  thirty  rifles  in  April.  Adam 
Foulk  was  a  partner  in  this  transaction. 
He,  apparently,  was  of  a  migratory  turn, 
as  we  find  him  in  business  in  Easton,  Al- 
lentown and  Philadelphia. 

Little  is  known  of  Anthony  Smith  and 
Andrew  Shorer,  both  of  Bethlehem  town- 
ship. Probably  they  made  guns  for  the 
Bethlehem  store,  as  considerable  business 
was  done  there.  Peter  Newhardt  was 
from  Whitehall  township.  Jacob  New- 
hardt, John  Moll  and  George  Layendeck- 
er  were  from  Allentown.  They  at  differ- 
ent times  worked  in  the  State  factory 
there  and  were  in  business  for  themselvei 
when  the  State  removed  its  factory  t-"i 
Philadelphia  after  the  British  evacuated 
that  place.  Mathias  Miller  was  a  de- 
scendant of  the  ancient  German  armorers 
and  had  taken  up  locksmithing  in  Easton. 
His  guns  were  remarkable  by  reason  of 
their  exquisite  firelocks.  Ebenezer  Co- 
well  came  to  Allentown  along  with  the 
state  gun  factory  and  remained  there  after 
its  removal  again  to  Philadelphia.  George 
Taylor  and  Richard  Backhouse,  both  of 
whom  resided  in  Easton,  while  not  makers 
of  rifles  or  small  arms,  nevertheless  can  be 
classed  among  these  gun  makers  by  rea- 
son of  their  connection  with  the  Durham 
iron  works,  in  which  they  made  cannon 
and  considerable  experimental  work  with 
the  gun  barrels.  We  find  George  Taylor 
asking- the  committee  for  powder  for  the 
purpose  of  testing  gun  locks.  Taylor 
early  in  1776  made  a  number  of  small 
brass  swivel  cannon.  Both  Taylor  and 
Backhouse  furnished  great  quantities  of 
cannon  balls  during  the  entire  war.  As 
they  were  makers  of  bar  iron,  it  is  safe 
to  presume  that  they  also  made  bar  steel 
for  gun  barrels. 

The  vast  benefit  these  gunmakers  were 
to  th^  cause  of  American  liberty  has  been 
overshadowed  by  the  deeds  of  valor  of 
their  brothers  at  the  front. 
Deeds  of    Valor. 

When  Massachusetts  makes  her  famous 
appeal  to  the  sister  colonies  for  support, 
Congress,  then  in  session  in  the  city  of 
Philadelphia,  and  not  positive  of  its  own 


THE  GUNxMAKERS  OF  OLD   NORTHAMPTON 


113 


unity,  the  colonies  still  separated  by  petty 
jealousies  and  local  pride,  Cavalier  mock- 
ing the  Puritan,  Knickerbocker  mistrust- 
ing both,  appeals  to  the  twelve  colonies 
that  they  observe  a  common  fast  day  in 
recognition  of  King  George  III  as  their 
rightful  sovereign,  and  enjoining  them  to 
look  to  God  for  reconciliation  with  the 
parent  state.  Two  days  later,  finding 
itself  facing  actual  war,  Congress  makes 
its  first  call  for  troops  to  form  a  national 
army.  This  was  on  June  14,  1775,  when 
it  passed  the  resolution  "That  six  com- 
panies of  expert  riliemen  be  immediately 
raised  in  Pennsylvania,  two  in  Alaryland 
and  two  in  \"irginia,  that  each  company 
as  soon  as  complettd,  march  and  join  the 
army  near  Boston,  and  be  there  employed 
as  light  infantry."  These  riflemen  were 
the  first  troops  ever  levied  on  this  con- 
tinent by  authority  of  a  central  representa- 
tive government.  On  the  following  day 
George  Washington  was  appointed  com- 
mander-in-chief. Congress  did  not  ask 
New  England,  New  York  or  New  Jersey 
for  troops,  neither  did  it  look  to  the  Caro- 
linas.  They  knew  full  well  the  sentiment 
of  the  people  throughout  these  sections ; 
they  were  not  prepared  to  enter  a  con- 
flict. Time  w'hich  should  have  been  spent 
in  preparation  had  been  wasted  in  dis- 
cussion or  devoted  to  fasting  or  prayer. 
Eut  the  men  of  the  Alleghenies  were  al- 
ways ready.  Over  every  cabin  door  hung 
a  well  made  rifle,  correctly  sighted,  and 
bright  within  from  frequent  wiping  and 
oiling.  Beside  it  w^ere  tomahawk  and 
knife,  a  horn  of  good  powder,  and  a 
pouch  containing  bullets,  patches,  spare 
flints,  steel,  tinder,  whetstone,  oil  and  tow 
for  cleaning"  the  rifle.  A  hunting  shirt, 
moccasins  and  a  blanket  were  near  at 
hand.  In  case  of  alarm  the  backwoodsman 
seized  these  things,  put  a  few  pounds  of 
rockahominy  and  jerked  venison  into  his 
wallet,  and  in  five  minutes  was  ready.  It 
mattered  not  whether  two  men  or  two 
thousand  were  needed  for  war,  they  could 
assemble  in  a  night,  armed,  accoutred,  and 
provisioned  for  a  campaign. 

Incessant  war  with  the  Indians  taught 
him  to  be  his  own  general,  to  be  ever  on 
the  alert,  to  keep  his  head  and  shoot 
straight  under  fire.  Pitted  against  an 
«nemy  who  gave  no  quarter,  he  became 


himself  a  man  of  iron  nerve.     It  was  the 
pick  of  these  for  which  Congress  asked. 

The  assignment  for  the  companies  to  be 
raised  in  Pennsylvania  was  one  for  each 
county  with  the  exception .  of  Lancaster 
and  Cumberland,  which,  owing  to  their 
extensiveness,  were  assigned  two  compa- 
nies each.  Old  Northampton  trebled  its 
quota  and  followed  it  shortly  afterwards 
with  more.  When  the  tocsin  of  war  was 
sounded  through  the  great  Kittatinny  val- 
ley there  was  an  uprising  not  onl}-  of  eight 
hundred  and  ten  of  these  American  rifle- 
men, bu  upwards  of  two  thousand  of  them 
rushed  on  to  Cambridge,  some  of  them 
covering  the  distance  of  more  than  seven 
hundred  miles  in  twenty-one  days,  all 
equipped  with  the  product  of  these  gun 
makers  of  old  Northampton.  The  unruly 
mob  that  had  already  assembled  around 
Cambridge  and  which  our  New  Eng- 
landers  delight  to  call  an  army,  minute- 
men,  armed  with  pitchforks  and  ancient 
firelocks,  looked  on  this  avalanche  of  res- 
cue with  astonishment.  They,  however, 
were  accorded  the  greatest  respect.  No 
personal  consideration  bound  these  back- 
woodsmen to  the  men  of  New  England. 
Little  indeed  it  mattered  to  them  whether 
tea  was  a  shilling  a  pound  or  a  guinea  a 
pound — they  never  drank  it.  American 
manhood  was  insulted,  and  they  were 
there  to  resent  it.  All  without  a  farthing 
being  advanced  by  the  Continental  treas- 
ury. 

To  while  away  the  time  at  the  siege 
of  Boston  daring  feats  of  marksmanship 
were  indulged  in  to  restrain  the  New 
Englanders.  An  instance  of  the  accur- 
acy of  these  famous  rifles  in  the  hands  of 
an  expert  is  fully  illustrated,  in  one  of 
the  exploits  at  Cambridge.  An  officer  de- 
siring to  form  a  company  of  fifty  men, 
and  having  between  sixty  and  seventy  ap- 
plicants, and  being  unwilling  to  ofi'end 
any,  hit  upon  a  clever  expedient.  Taking 
a  piece  of  chalk  he  drew  upon  a  black- 
board the  figure  of  a  man's  nose,  and 
placing  this  at  such  a  distance  that  none 
but  experts  could  hope  to  hit  it  with  a 
bullet,  he  declared  that  he  would  enlist 
only  those  who  shot  nearest  to  the  mark. 
Every  man  hit  the  nose. 

Other  stories  are  told.  One  of  two 
brothers  took  a  piece  of  board,  only  five 


114 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


inches  broad  and  seven  inches  long,  while 
a  similar  piece  of  paper  centered  on  it 
for  a  bull's  eye,  and  held  the  board  in 
his  hand  while  the  other  brother  shot 
through  the  paper.  Positions  were  then 
reversed  and  the  second  brother  held  the 
board.  He  then  placed  the  board  be- 
tween his  thighs,  supporting  it  thus,  stood 
smilingly  erect  while  his  brother  shot 
eight  bullets  successively  through  the 
board.  Bystanders  were  assured  that 
more  than  fifty  men  in  one  company  could 
perform  the  same  feat  and  that  there  was 
not  one  but  could  "plug  nineteen  bullets 
out  of  twenty  within  an  inch  of  a  ten 
penny  nail." 

Superiority  of  American  Rifle. 
The  superiority  of  this  American  back- 
woods rifle  over  that  of  the  European 
counterpart,  the  original  invention,  is  ful- 
ly illustrated  in  the  story  told  by  one  of 
two  English  officers,  both  expert  shots 
with  the  rifle.  They  had  learned  the  use 
of  this  weapon  while  serving  in  the  Ger- 
man Seven  Years  war.  Both  commanded 
riflemen  in  the  Revolution  and  met  our 
frontiersmen  in  battle.  He  says  the  best 
shots  among  the  American  backwoods- 
men, shooting  in  good  light  when  there 
was  no  wind  blowing  to  deflect  the  bullet, 
could  hit  a  man's  head  at  two  hundred 
yards,  or  his  body  at  three  hundred  yards, 
with  great  certainty.  As  foreign  rifles  at 
that  period  could  not  be  relied  upon  for 
accuracy  at  such  distances,  he  goes  into 
great  detail  explaining  the  reasons  for  the 
American  rifle's  superiority,  showing  that 


he  was  a  comoetent  judge  and  a  trust- 
worthy witness.  He  tells  how  once,  whea 
he  and  General  Tarleton  were  making  a 
reconnoissance,  an  American  rifleman  got 
in  position  fully  four  hundred  yards  from- 
them  and  fired  two  deliberate  shots  at 
them.  He  and  the  general  were  side  by 
side  on  horseback,  their  knees  almost 
touching,  and  a  mounted  orderly  was  di- 
rectly in  their  rear.  The  first  shot  passed 
between  the  two  officers  and  the  second 
killed  the  orderly's  horse.  The  other 
British  rifleman  was  the  inventor  of  a 
breechloading  rifle  with  which  some  o£ 
his  men  were  armed.  He  commanded  the 
British  forces  late  in  the  Revolution,  at 
King's  Mountain,  where  he  was  opposed 
by  the  backwoodsmen.  This  was  the 
first  pitched  battle  in  civhized  war  in 
which  rifles  were  exclusively  used  by  the 
contesting  armies.  The  British  loss  was 
three  hundred  and  ninety  killed  against 
the  American  loss  of  twenty-eight. 

Too  much  credit  cannot  be  given  to 
these  noble  Pennsylvania-German  gun- 
smiths for  the  successes  and  achievements 
of  the  American  backoods  riflemen. 
Working  on  regardless  of  the  overtures  of 
the  British  emissaries,  whose  endeavors 
to  entice  them  to  the  interest  of  the  British 
crown  were  unsuccessful,  ignormg  all 
flattering  inducements,  ever  firm  in  the 
cause  of  liberty.  When  we  sing  the  songs 
of  Long  Island,  when  we  revel  in  the 
glories  of  Bunker  Hill,  it  behooves  us 
not  to  forget  the  gun  makers  of  old- 
Northampton. 


Witchcraft 


UV   WILLIAM   W.   NEIFERT,    HARTFORD,    CONN. 


N  the  United  States  the  belief 
in  witchcraft  is  popularly  as- 
sociated with  New  England, 
and  it  is  now  more  than  two 
centuries  since  the  abnormal 
and  monstrous  belief  and  de- 
lusion was  supposedly  stampt  out.  It  is 
surprising  to  learn  that  at  this  age  of  ad- 
vancement and  scientific  culture,  no  race 
or  nation  is  yet  exempt  from  the  belief  in 
the  magical  art,  and  that  charms,  oracles, 
amulets,  fortune  telling  and  sympathetic 
cures  are  practiced  as  zealously  as  they 
were  by  the  Indians,  the  Puritans,  or  our 


ancestors  from  the  Faderland.  Because 
certain  forms  of  the  sorcery  are  no  longer 
found  amoung  the  educated  classes,  peo- 
ple think  that  the  superstition  no  longer 
exists,  and  altho  we  no  longer  destroy 
poor  unfortunate  women  for  the  impos- 
sible crime  of  witchcraft,  it  is  a  fact  never- 
theless that  with  very  few  exceptions  the 
belief  is  far  more  widely  and  deeply  ex- 
tended today  than  any  cultivated  person 
dreams,  and  instead  of  yielding  to  the  ad- 
vances of  science  and  culture,  it  seems  to- 
actually  advance  with  them.  There  is- 
abundant  evidence  that  gypsies  have  done- 


WITCHCRAFT 


115 


more  than  any  race  or  class  of  people  to 
*  disseminate  these  behefs,  and  there  are  al- 
so good  reasons  for  believing  that  the 
greatest  portion  of  this  magical  lore  was 
brought  by  gypsy  women  from  that 
'Fadcrland  of  Divination  and  Enchant- 
ment'— India.  These  women  have  pre- 
tended to  possess  occult  power  since  pre- 
liistoric  times,  (they  surely  had  'snakes' 
in  some  form,  either  in  their  minds  or  as 
charms),  and  so  great  has  been  their  in- 
fluence, that  today  there  are  thousands  of 
minds  who  while  professing  a  higher  and 
purer  doctrine,  cling  to  these  madness 
savoring  forms  and  essentials,  but  by  be- 
lieving that  because  they  know  it  under 
different  names  it  is  in  no  respect  the  same 
thing. 

Belief  Widespread. 
The  farming  districts  of  the  eastern 
Pennsylvania  counties,  where  our  Penn- 
sylvania German  people  predominate,  is  a 
fruitful  field  for  studying  a  large  num- 
ber of  the  old  time  superstitions.  Their 
belief  in  this  magic  is  no  new^  thing  but  is 
the  common  heritage  of  humanity.  Their 
ancestors  brought  it  from  Germany,  be- 
sides those  from  the  British  Isles  who 
were  contemporaneous  immigrants  with 
the  German  brought  their  contribution,  so 
that  in  the  not  distant  past  every  village 
and  town  among  these  cjuiet  Pennsylvania 
hills  had  its  witch,  wntch-doctor,  pow- 
wower  and  wursht  frau.  The  Pennsyl- 
vania-Germans, how^ever,  are  by  no 
means  the  onl}-  believers  in  the  wiles  of 
witchcraft  today,  for  it  is  safe  to  say 
that  there  is  not  a  city  in  the  world  in 
which  these  superstitions  and  practices 
do  not  exist,  but  they  are  carried  on  with 
a  secrecy,  the  success  of  which  is  itself  a 
miracle.  Take  the  associations  and  feel- 
ings which  we  form  for  familiar  objects. 
A  coin,  a  penknife,  a  jewel,  or  a  pebble, 
which  has  long  been  carried  in  the  pocket 
or  worn  by  any  one,  seems  to  become  im- 
bued W'ith  his  or  her  personality,  and  is 
really  one  kind  of  fairy-lore  or  supersti- 
tions. Then  there  is  a  symbolism  of  a 
higher,  more  patriotic  or  sacred  impulse, 
and  perhaps  the  full  value  of  which  we  do 
not  understand.  Many  a  woman  looks  at 
a  pair  of  shoes,  many  a  man  looks  at  a 
little  ring  which  to  her,  to  him.  are  signs 
and   symbols   of  things    too    sacred    for 


speech.  They  were  worn  by  the  first 
born,  and  which  has  gone  to  the  Great 
Beyond.  Many  a  man  looks  at  a  piece 
of  white  cloth,  on  which  have  been  paint- 
ed some  red  stripes  and  a  blue  canton,  it 
is  nailed  to  a  pole,  but  yet  for  it  he  stands 
ready  to  give  if  need  be  his  life  and  hun- 
dreds of  men  have  given  their  lives.  No 
man  insults  that  cloth  flag  but  millions  of 
men  stand  ready  to  avenge  the  insult  and 
to  pour  out  untold  treasure  in  its  defense. 
(And  right  here  let  it  be  truly  said  that 
the  Pennsylvania  German  has  shown  on 
many  a  field  of  battle  that  he  is  qualified 
to  stand  on  a  level  with  men  of  any  other 
blood).  Why?  Because  that  flag  is  the 
symbol  of  the  nation's  greatness,  its 
schools,  its  churches,  the  State.  It  is  the 
ensign  of  the  people.  Our  steady- 
going  and  God-fearing  ancestors  lived 
mostly  in  the  backwoods-the  frontier- 
miles  from  a  regular  physician,  so  there 
was  some  excuse  for  the  practice  of  this 
mysterious  divination  among  them,  I  be- 
lieve which  is  easily  explained  by  the  fact 
that  as  a  'drowning  man  grasps  at  a 
straw'  so  will  the  person  in  pain  resort 
for  relief  and  cure  to  agencies  which  are 
nothing  more  than  nonsense  or  humbug. 
Of  course,  they  possessed  the  hereditary 
gift  of  faith,  and  there  is  no  doubt  where 
faith  is  very  strong  and  imagination 
lively^  cures  which  seem  to  border  on  the 
miraculous  are  often  effected — and  this 
is,  indeed,  the  basis  of  all  miracle  as  ap- 
plied to  relieving  bodily  afflictions.  But 
no  sound  system  of  cure  can  be  founded 
on  faith,  because  there  is  never  any  cer- 
tainty, especially  for  difficult  and  serious 
disorders,  that  they  can  be  healed  twice 
in  succession.    • 

The  writer  is  a  native  of  one  of  those 
rural  Pennsylvania  townships  with  its 
spacious  old  red  barns  and  peculiarly 
painted  gables,  and  after  an  absence  of  a 
score  of  years  recently  made  a  visit  to  the 
dreamy  hamlet.  He  was  amazed  to  find 
this  fetish  delusion  still  firmly  intrenched 
upon  the  minds  of  his  "cousins"  and  that 
the  practician  still  flourishes  and  includes 
among  his  clientele,  not  only  the  ignorant 
and  illiterate,  but  also  some  of  the  sup- 
posedly educated  and  enlightened  people 
— tho  it  is  encouraging  to  note  also  that 
the  good  work  of  exposure  begun  by  the 


ii6 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


saintly  Luther  is  being  steadily  carried 
forward  by  the  ministers  of  the  Lutheran 
and  Reformed  churches,  as  well  as  those 
of  other  denominations,  and  with  knowl- 
edge and  light  these  beliefs  cannot  fail 
to  disappear  as  "dew  before  the  morning 
sun,"  so  it  is  hoped  that  within  the  next 
decade  or  two  the  folk-lorist  will  be  the 
only  repository  for  these  old  beliefs  and 
superstitions. 

Belief  Hard  to'  Destroy. 
It  is,  however,  a  fact  that  whole  com- 
munities still  believe  in  the  reality  of 
"hexing,"  and  protect  themselves  from 
its  influence  by  the  charms  and  incanta- 
tions of  the  hex  doctor  and  the  pow 
wower,  and  to  destroy  their  belief  in  them 
would  be  almost  as  difficult  as  to  shake 
their  faith  in  the  Bible  itself.  Fancy  loves 
to  dwell  on  the  mystical  and  the  shadowy, 
and  sorcery  is  far  more  entertaining  than 
religion,  besides  it  has  the  charm  of  se- 
crecy, and  the  prehistoric  part  of  our 
make-up  evidently  prefers  the  former. 
Furthermore,  we  have  abundant  traces 
that  the  primeval  religious  beliefs  gravely 
attributed  every  disease  to  be  the  machina- 
tions of  the  devil,  instead  of  the  unavoid- 
able antagonisms  of  nature,  and  that  the 
negative  or  cure  was  holiness  in  some 
form.  Also,  the  witch  doctor  will  argue 
that  the  Bible  tells  us  that  "Charms  cast 
out  evil  spirits."  If  we  believe  the  Bible 
we  must  believe  that,  and  why  should  not 
such  spirits  exist  now  as  well  as  then? 
The  mention  of  witches  and  evil  working 
spirits  in  the  Bible,  tho  relatively  few, 
gave  a  warrant  for  the  beliefs  which  pious 
men  could  not  deny,  tho  the  absurd  be- 
liefs about  sexual  relations  between  the 
devil  and  the  witches,  or  about  witches 
riding  thru  the  air  on  broom  sticks,  and 
changing  themselves  into  animals  were 
folk-lore  and  have  no  backing  in  the 
Bible.  Our  Pennsylvania  witches  when 
attending  the  midnight  conventions  of  the 
weird  sisterhood,  it  was  supposed,  jour- 
neyed on  the  bare  backs  and  necks  of 
unbridled  horses,  and  if  a  farmer  found 
his  horse  in  a  wretched  condition: — 
trembling,  enfeebled — and  with  mane 
tangled  and  knotted  in  the  morning,  he 
was  certain  that  the  horse  had  been  ridden 
by  some  old  crone  the  night  before,  and 
that  the  knotted  mane  served  as  stirrups 


for  her  feet,  and  straightway  some  poor 
woman  of  eccentric  habits  and  repellant 
appearance  who  had  unfortunately  in- 
curred the  dislike  of  the  neighborhood, 
fell  a  victim  to  suspicion  as  having  famil- 
iarity with  Satan,  and  was  accordingly 
branded  as  a  witch.  There  were  witches 
who  went  on  foot  wearing  the  guise  of 
friendship,  so  the  farmer  could  avoid 
some  trouble  by  keeping  his  children  at 
home  on  moonlight  nights,  for  }-oung 
children  were  the  special  object  of  a 
witch's  uncharitableness.  In  order  to 
counteract  this  influence  the  mother,  be- 
fore the  babe  was  three  days  old,  was 
required  to  walk  three  times  around  the 
hous^  and  return  to  bed. 

It  was  supposed  that  the  meetings  of 
the  witches  were  held  on  moonlight  nights 
in  an  open  field,  or  clearing,  and  the  spot 
could  be  detected  for  some  years  by  an 
ever  widening  circle  devoid  of  vegetation, 
and  it  was  known  as  a  "hexa-donz." 
These  barren  spots  have  also  been  called 
"fairy  rings,"  but  scientists  have  demon- 
strated that  they  are  caused  by  a 
growth  which  exhausts  all  the  plant  food 
from  the  soil.  Whenever  a  witch  died 
her  mantle  descended  to  her  daughter, 
and  likewise  the  wiles  of  the  witch  doctors 
who  were  supposed  to  be  capable  of  com- 
batting their  maligned  influence  were 
usually  handed  dowm  from  father  to  son. 
It  was  contended  that  a  witch  could  be 
disabled  by  securing  a  hair  of  her  head, 
wrapping  it  in  a  piece  of  paper  and 
placing  it  against  a  tree  as  a  target  into 
which  a  silver  bullet  was  to  be  fired  from 
a  rifle. 

Exposures. 

Comparatively  recent  exposures  in  this 
state  of  the  wide  extent  of  witch  doctor- 
ing are  due  to  the  Berks  County  ^Medical 
Society,  and  particularly  to  a  prominent 
physician  of  Reading,  Dr.  John  M. 
Bertelot.  Dr.  Bertelot  frequently  detetted 
evidences  of  the  witch  doctor  in  the 
course  of  his  practice,  which  he  collected 
and  used  as  the  basis  of  an  interesting 
article  that  he  prepared  and  which  was 
published  in  the  Philadelphia  iMonthly 
Medical  Journal  for  December,  1899. 
This  article  awakened  considerable  in- 
terest, and  several  months  later  corres- 
pondents of  the   Xew  York   Herald  and 


/ 


WITCHCRAFT 


117 


the  North  American  collected  information 
concerninp^  the  practices  which  was  piib- 
lisht  by  those  papers.  The  article  in  the 
last  named  paper  was  later  used  as  a  basis 
for  bringing-  a  suit  for  libel  against  that 
publishing  company,  by  one  of  the  best 
known  'hex-doctors'  of  Reading.  There 
was  much  evidence  consisting  of  charms 
which  had  been  taken  from  the  persons 
of  patients  that  regular  physicians  had 
been  called  to  attend,  besides  the  state- 
ments of  others  who  had  employed  the 
witch-doctor.  Dr.  Bertelot  is  credited 
with  the  statement  that  at  one  time  he  was 
hastily  sent  for  to  see  a  woman,  and  while 
making  an  examination  of  her  chest  found 
something  under  her  garment  and  asking 
what  it  was,  was  told  that  a  witch  doctor 
placed  it  there  to  drive  away  all  her  ail- 
ments into  the  body  of  him  or  her  who 
was  haunting  her. 

The  patient  was  horrified  to  see  the  doc- 
tor remove  the  charm,  and  cautioned  him 
not  to  carry  it,  because  it  might  bring  the 
spell  on  him.  She  seemed  much  worried 
as  to  his  welfare,  regardless  of  the  fact 
that  he  assured  her  that  there  was  abso- 
lutely nothing  to  be  feared  from  such 
nonsense.  The  lady  was  suffering  from 
some  internal  trouble  which  was  entirely 
cured  by  an  operation  for  lacerated 
cervix.  He  has  also  related  his  experi- 
ence with  a  yovmg  man  who  seemed  to 
be  upon  the  verge  of  becoming  a  maniac 
under  the  most  peculiar  circumstances. 
This  party  had  some  insignificant  ailment 
and  consulted  a  female  witch  doctor,  who 
told  him  that  his  trouble  was  due  to  a 
young  woman  who  held  a  penny  in  her 
mouth  upon  a  certain  occasion  when  he 
visited  her,  and  that  as  a  result  he  was 
doomed  to  pass  into  consumption  and  to 
die  within  a  few  months.  This  alarming 
statement  threw  the  young  man  into  a 
condition  of  acute  melancholia  which  seri- 
ously affected  his  health.  He  consulted 
another  well  known  witch  doctor,  who 
confirmed  his  fears  by  assuring  him  that 
he  was  bewitched  and  would  give  him  a 
charm  to  break  the  spell.  The  witch 
doctor  placed  a  small  muslin  bag  on  his 
chest  suspended  by  a  piece  of  white  tape 
around  his  neck.  The  doctor  removed  it. 
and  upon  examination  found  that  it  con- 
tained  assafoetida   and   a  lot   of   curious 


looking  material,  which  the  young  man 
had  been  told  would  drive  away  his 
trouble  and  afflict  her  who  gave  it  to  him. 
The  doctor  found  his  lungs  in  a  sound 
condition,  and  advised  him  to  visit  some 
relatives  in  the  country,  where,  under  the 
influence  of  the  change  of  scene,  he  for- 
got his  afflictions  and  soon  regained  his 
health.  Another  story  is  told  of  a  pious 
little  German  woman  living  in  the  witch 
belt  of  Berks  county  whose  child  was 
"fur-hexed"  by  its  step-grandmother.  The 
old  lady  did  not  believe  in  witchcraft,  and 
laughed  at  witches  and  witch  doctors,  and 
that  is  what  made  suspicion  to  point 
towards  her.  The  baby  was  taken  sick 
very  suddenly — the  step-grandmother  had 
been  rocking  it,  and  called  a  regular  phy- 
sician, who  said  the  baby  had  colic  from 
taking  sour  milk.  He  gave  it  a  little 
medicine,  ordered  it  bandaged  in  flannel 
and  kept  very  warm,  and  said  it  would  be 
all  right  again  by  the  next  morning.  But 
the  mother  knew  better,  didn't  the 
baby  wake  up  and  cry  that  night  after 
she  had  given  it  the  doctor's  medicine? 
Didn't  it  cry  worse  than  ever  when  its 
step-grandmother  leaned  over  the  cradle 
and  lookt  into  its  little  face,  and  laid  her 
hand  over  its  heart?  The  mother  knew 
and  waited  until  the  old  lady  had  gone  to 
bed  and  then  she  snatcht  the  baby  from 
its  cradle  and  wrapt  it  in  her  shawl  and 
ran  out  of  the  house  with  it  thru  the  rain 
to  a  witch  doctor.  The  witch  doctor 
lookt  at  the  baby  and  shook  his  head. 
He  said  he  was  afraid  it  was  too  late,  the 
spell  had  been  on  it  too  long,  the  mother 
ought  to  have  come  to  him  in  the  first 
place,  still  he  would  do  what  he  could. 
He  took  off  the  flannel  bandages  the 
doctor  had  ordered  on,  and  blew  his 
breath  on  the  baby's  body  and  hung  a 
prayer  charm,  sewed  up  in  a  piece  of 
linen,  over  its  heart.  He  charged  the 
mother  the  usual  fee  of  $5.00  and  told 
her  when  she  got  home  not  to  go  into  the 
house  until  she  had  walked  three  times 
around  it  with  the  baby  in  her  arms 
to  frighten  away  the  powers  of  evil,  sin, 
darkness  and  death.  This  the  little 
mother  did  faithfully  and  heaven  only 
knows  what  might  have  happened  if  she 
had  not.  The  child  all  but  died  before 
morning.     The   wicked    ( ?)    step-grand- 


ii8 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


mother  flung  herself  out  of  the  house 
in  a  rage  when  she  heard  what  ihad 
happened  in  the  night,  but  she  came  back 
directly  and  brought  the  doctor  with  her. 
But  of  course  the  mother  very  well  knew 
they  could  do  little  to  hurt  the  child  for  it 
wore  the  charm  about  its  heart  and  she 
muttered  her  witch  prayers  over  it  un- 
ceasingly. The  step-grandmother  went 
away  directly  she  saw  the  child  was  get- 
ting better  which  proved,  the  mother  con- 
tended, how  angry  she  was  because  she 
had  not  "hexed"  it  to  its  death.  The 
little  woman's  husband-honest,  hard 
working,  and  home  loving-tells  the  story 
of  this  same  old  lady  who  had  "marrit" 
his  father,  and  how  she  had  "hexed" 
the  old  gentleman,  so  that  he  was  sick 
for  eight  years.  He  became  weaker,  and 
weaker,  and  did  not  know  anybody,  and 
he  just  died  and  would  not  speak  to  any 
of  his  children.  The  step-mother  nursed 
him  always  herself  and  would  not  employ 
a  pow-wower  or  a  witch-doctor  for  him. 
After  his  death  she  told  his  children  to 
take  the  farm,  because  her  work  there 
was  finisht  and  that  she  wanted  nothing. 
But  they  claimed  that  they  were  too  smart 
for  her,  because  she  had  some  "hex"  on 
the  farm  and  let  her  keep  it,  and  they 
went  away.  The  children  married  but 
none  of  them  would  harbor  the  old  lady, 
for  if  they  did,  trouble  was  sure  to  follow, 
as  in  the  case  of  his  own  little  girl.  The 
writer  cannot  vouch  for  the  foundation  of 
this  story,  he  merely  tells  the  tale  as  it  was 
told  to  him.  However  it  demonstrates  the 
unholy  influence  the  witch-doctor  has 
over  his  gullible  patients. 
Charms. 
The  charms  vary  greatly  but  the  fol- 
lowing description  will  serve  as  an  ex- 
ample. It  is  usually  a  small  coarse  linen, 
or  canvas  bag  about  four  inches  long  and 
two  inches  wide  and  is  pinned  to  the 
under  garment  with  safety  pins  or  hung 
about  the  neck  with  a  white  string.  On 
this  bag  are  usually  printed  by  hand  in 
red  ink  the  initials  INRI  and  below  each 
letter  is  the  sign  of  the  cross,  thus 
INRI 
t  t  t  t 
and  underneath  the  crosses  appears  the 
name  of  the  patient.  Inside  there  is  a  paper 
on  which  are  written  the  "blessings  and 
forbiddings"   made   up,   as   many  of   the 


formulas  of  the  witch-doctors  are,  from 
a  curious  book  which  many  of  them 
possess  and  which  is  called  the  Seventh 
Book  of  Moses.  The  formula  is  usually 
written  in  German,  with  every  alternate 
line  written  backwards,  and  which  rough- 
ly translated  is  as  follows : 

"Jesus  of  Nazareth,  a  King  of  the  Jews : 
The  victorious  title  of  Jesus  be  between  me 
(here  is  inserted  the  patient's  name)  and  all 
my  enemies,  visible  or  invisible,  that  they  can 
neither  approach,  nor  do  any  harm  to  my 
body  nor  to  my  soul :  Amen.  Thou  mysterious 
evil  spirit,  thou  hast  attacked  this  child,  and 
it  shall  now  fall  from  her  (or  him)  in  thy 
marrow  and  bone,  in  this  manner  it  is  paid  back 
to  thee  again.  I  command  thee  by  the  five 
wounds  of  Jesus  in  thy  flesh,  marrow  and 
bone.  I  command  thee  by  the  five  wounds  of 
Jesus  at  this  hour  let  her  get  well  again.  In 
the  name  of  God  the  Father,  God  the  Son,  and 
God  tlie  Holy  Ghost :  Amen.  In  the  name 
of  God  the  Holy  Trinity,  I  forbid  thee  my 
bedstead,  my  house  and  yard,  my  flesh  and 
blood,  my  body  and  soul.  I  forbid  you  every 
nail  hole  in  my  house  and  yard  until  you  climb 
every  little  tree,  wade  through  every  little 
stream,  count  all  the  little  stars  in  the  skies, 
until  the  beautiful  day  shall  bring  forth  her 
seasons.  In  the  name  of  God  the  Father,  God 
the  Son,  and  God  the  Holy  Ghost :    Amen." 

The  following  cabalistic  order  of  letters 
is  widely  employed  by  witch-doctors  as  a 
charm  to  drive  away  malaria,  and  in  fact 
it  is  asserted  to  be  a  panacea  for  almost 
all  ills.  The  letters  are  written  on  a  scrap 
of  paper  and  sewed  into  a  piece  of  cloth, 
and  then  worn  about  the  neck  until  the 
disease  leaves. 

AbaxaCatabax 

AbaxaCatabax 

AbaxaCataba 

AbaxaCatab 

AbaxaCata 

AbaxaCat 

A  b  a  x  a  C  a  '• 

A  b  a  X  a  C 

A  b  a  X  a 

A  b  a  X 

Aba 

A  b 

A 
To  quench  a  fire  without  water  the  fol- 
lowing square  of  letters  was  written  on 
the  side  of  a  plate,  which  was  then  thrown 
into  the  fire: 

S  A  T  O  R 

A  R  E  P  O 

TENET 

OPERA 

ROTAS 

This  bosh  is  all  the  witch-doctor  needs 

in  his  so-called  profession,  and  this  is  all 

the  gullible    patient    gets    for    the    hard 


WITCHCRAFT 


rig 


earned  money  that  is  paid  the  witch-doc- 
tor, and  this  is  what  has  hurried  some  of 
the  sick  and  ignorant  people  to  an  un- 
timely grave.  Let  some  Pennsylvania- 
German  reader  buy  one — they  are  only 
:$5.oo — and  wear  it  pinned  on  his  garment 
next  to  the  skin  and  he  may  be  sure  that 
no  witch  abroad  on  her  broomstick  will 
■"hex"  him,  besides  it  is  warranted  to  cure 
every  ill  of  body  or  mind,  and  it  is  the 
witch-doctor's  theory  that  disease  is  only 
witch-craft  and  suffering  under  a  spell. 
The  power  that  the  witch-doctor  is  likely 
to  wield  over  his  credulous  patients 
coupled  with  his  general  uncouth  person- 
ality and  small  intellectual  capacity  is 
hkely  to  make  him  a  dangerous  person  in 
the  community,  while  on  the  other  hand 
the  "pow-wower"  or  "wursht  frau"  is 
usually  some  elderly  person  who  has 
picked  up  some  charms  or  formulas  and 
practices  them  upon  friends  or  relatives 
without  charge,  or  at  most  perhaps  for 
some  simple  gift  or  tip  that  the  patient 
may  see  fit  to  make.  They  often  pre- 
scribe some  simple  herb  remedies  or  other 
preparations  of  their  own  which  are 
usually,'  tho  not  always  harmless. 
Pow  Wowing. 
The  art  of  "pow-wowing"  was  prac- 
ticed by  the  Indian  medicine  men,  and  fre- 
quent references  to  the  "pow-wow,"  not 
only  as  a  healer  but  also  as  a  priest,  may 
be  found  in  the  Indian  history  of  the 
colonies.  The  word  is  from  the  Indian, 
but  how  it  was  brought  into  use  among 
ovu'  people  the  writer  will  not  explain  at 
this  time.  In  the  Pennsylvania  German 
the  pow-wow  is  called  a  "Braucher"  and 
practices  what  is  termed  "Brauche."  The 
woi-d  is  a  corruption  of  "brauchen"  which 
in  the  German  signifies  "to  use"  and  the 
and  the  "braucher"  is  the  would-be 
healer  who  aims  to  effect  a  cure  by 
""'using  words"  that  is  to  say,  using  them 
as  a  ritual  in  the  working  of  a  charm  or 
an  incantation.  In  such  formularies  the 
words  of  greatest  potency  are  those  which 
are  termed  the  "three  highest,"  and  they 
are  the  sacred  names  of  the  Holy  Trinity 
with  whose  aid  invoked  by  the  recital  of 
the  ritual  and  a  few  passes  of  the  hands, 
"He  moveth  thus  mysteriously  His  won- 
ders to  perform."  Many  marvelous  in- 
.stances  are  recalled  bv  the  writer  where. 


in  cases  of  a  severe  cut  by  a  knife  or  other 
sharp  instrument,  the  flow  of  blood  was 
stoppt,  or  in  cases  of  severe  scalds  or 
burns  where  the  injured  person  labored 
under  intense  pain,  which  was  stopt,  ap- 
parently the  instant  the  "pow-wow"  said 
the  ritual  and  made  the  passes.  Tnese 
charms  among  the  Pennsylvania-Germans 
were  highly  valued  and  were  not  to  be 
lightly  dealt  with.  Generally  each  person 
cured  one  spell  distinctly,  keeping  the 
method  of  treatment  a  profound  secret. 
It  was  held  that  this  art  of  conjuration 
could  be  taught  and  its  occult  secrets 
transmitted  only  to  a  person  of  the  oppo- 
site sex,  but  in  1820  there  appeared  a 
German  book  on  the  subject,  which 
taught  any  one,  male  or  female,  who 
bought  it.  It  was  called  "Holman's 
Branch  Bichly,"  and  was  several  times 
reprinted,  and  in  1840  under  the  title  of 
"Der  Lang  Verborgne  Freund"  (The 
Long  Hidden  Friend).  It  has  been 
translated  into  English  and  contains  many 
curious  remedies  for  the  relief  of  the  ills 
that  flesh — man  or  beast — is  heir  to,  as 
well  as  pious  prayers  and  weird  incanta- 
tions for  the  recovery  of  stolen  goods  and 
the  finding  of  hidden  treasures.  The 
foundation  for  the  magical  artifices  which 
the  witch  doctors  and  pow-wows  practice 
on  the  ignorant  and  credulous  is,  broadly 
speaking,  undoubtedly  Holman's  book. 
The  sixth  and  seventh  books  of  Moses 
are  said  to  treat  on  these  occult  sciences, 
and  were  held  in  respect  and  awe,  not 
only  by  the  illiterate,  but  also  by  some 
educated  and  enlightened  people.  Stu- 
dents of  folklore  have  collected  in  numer- 
ous localities  beyond  the  borders  of  the 
Keystone  State  many  specimens  of  the 
blind  ignorance  and  credulity  contained  in 
the  former  publication.  A  few  excerpts 
follow : 

To  cure  toothache :  Take  a  needle  and  stab 
the  aching  tooth  with  it  till  you  bring  blood, 
take  vinegar  and  meal,  mix,  then  put  them  in 
a  patch  of  cloth,  wrap  it  around  the  root  of  an 
apple  tree,  wind  the  thread  around  it  very  fast 
and  cover  the  root  well  with   earth. 

To  check  a  hemorrhage :  Begin  at  50  and 
count  backwards  to  3,  when  you  get  to  3  you 
are  done;  (2)  This  is  the  day  the  wound  was 
made,  O  Blood !  thou  shalt  stoo  and  be  still 
until  the  Virgin   Mary  will  bear  another  son. 

"To  cure  a  cold :  This  must  be  strictly  at- 
tended to  every  evening — that  is,  whenever  you 
remove  your  shoes  and  stockings,  run  a  finger 


120 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


in  between  all  the  toes  and  smell  it.     This  will 
surely  effect  a  cure. 

To  cure  a  headache:  Tame  thou  flesh  and 
bone,  like  Christ  in  Paradise,  and  who  will 
assist  thee,  this  I  tell  thee  (name)  for  your 
repentance  sake.  This  must  be  said  three  tunes, 
each  time  pausing  for  three  minutes,  and  the 
pain  will  soon  cease.  If,  however,  the  head- 
ache is  caused  by  strong  drink,  it  is  not  so 
likely  to  go  away,  and  these  words  must  be  re- 
peated every  minute. 

To  cure  snake  bites:  God  has  created  all 
things,  and  thev  were  good.  Thou  only  serpent 
are  damned.  'Cursed  be  thou  and  thy  sting, 
Zing,    Zing,   Zing.  ^  .  , 

To  prevent  accidents :  Carry  with  you,  sewed 
to  your  right  sleeve,  the  right  eye  of  a  wolf. 

Security  against  mad  dogs:  Dog,  hold  thy 
nose  to  the  ground,  God  has  made  me  and 
thee,   hound. 

To  banish  the  whooping  cough:  Let  the  child 
drink  out  of  a  blue  glass  tumbler.  (This  disease 
was  known  as  the  "blue  cough,"  and  on  the 
principle  of  "like  cures  like,"  the  child  drinks 
from  a  "blue  glass"  to  be  cured  of  a  "blue 
cough"). 

To  cure  a  baldness :  Rub  the  scalp  with  the 
hemispheres  of  a  divided  onion.  (This  was  a 
strong  charm  if  the  vegetable  was  fresh.) 

To  cure  fits:  Take  off  the  child's- shirt,  turn- 
ing it  inside  out  while  doing  so,  and  then  burn 
the  garment. 

To  destroy  warts :  Stick  a  pin  thru  the  wart, 
and  give  away  the  pin,  when  the  warts  will 
follow  the  pin. 

Mumps  were  cured  by  rubbing  the  swelling 
against  a  pig's  trough.  If  the  patient  was  too 
ill  to  be  taken  to  the  pig  stj'e,  then  a  chip  taken 
from  the  trough  and  carried  to  the  house  was 
rubbed  on  the   swollen   gland. 

To  make  the  best  cider  vinegar :  After  the 
cider  is  put  into  the  cask,  call  up  the  names  of 
three  of  the  crossest  and  most  sour  tempered 
old  w^omen  in  the  communit}-,  and  in  a  loud 
voice  utter  their  names  into  the  bung  hole, 
and  immediately  cork  it  up,  and  you  will  have 
the  best  and  strongest  vinegar  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. 

A  remedy  against  slander  :  If  you  are  calum- 
niated or  slandered  to  your  very  skin,  to  your 
very  flesh,  to  your  very  bones,  cast  it  back  upon 
the  false  tongues.  Take  off  your  shirt,  and 
turn  it  inside  out,  and  then  run  your  two 
thumbs  along  your  body  under  the  ribs,  start- 
ing at  the  pit  of  the  heart,  thence  down  to  the 
thighs. 

An  apple  held  by  a  dying  person  till  life  is 
gone,  and  then  eaten  by  a  habitual  drunkard 
cured  him  of  the  craving  for  liquor.  Another 
remedy  for  this  vice  is  to  draw  a  live  eel  thru 
a  glass  of  whisky  and  let  the  person  to  be 
cured  drink  the  liquor,  when  his  appetite  for 
alcoholics  will  leave  him.  (This  seems  to  be 
a  kill-or-cure  remedy,  for  if  the  liquor  kills  the 
eel,  it  may  also  kill  the  drunkard.) 

A  stiff  joint  incased  with  the  di.sembowelled 
body  of  a  recently  killed  dog  and  while  still 
warm  will  regain  its  former  usefulness. 

To  bring  a  thief  to  confession  and  make  him 


restore  stolen  property :  From  the  door  sill 
over  which  the  thief  bas  passed  take  three 
splinters  in  the  name  of  the  Trinity.  Fasten 
them  to  a  w^agon  wheel  removed  from  the 
spindle,  and  thru  the  box  or  hub  pronounce- 
the  following  prayer :  "I  pray  thee.  Thou  Holy 
Trinity,  to  constrain  the  thief  who  has  stolen 
my  (name  of  the  article  stolen)  to  be  stung  by 
remorse  and  return  it  to  its  rightful  owner."" 
This  done,  the  wheel  is  to  be  replaced  by 
fastening  it  to  the  wagon,  when  it  was  given 
three  revolutions,  and  then  the  stolen  goods 
were  expected  to  be  returned. 

Erysipelas  was  very  mtich  more  com- 
mon in  the  early  days  than  now,  and  came 
perhaps  from  eating  too  much  salt  meat. 
Everybody  had  the  erysipelas  then  like 
the  appendicitis  now ;  diseases,  like  the 
fashions,  have  their  day. 

"It  was  known  as  "wildt  fire,"  and 
was  cured  by  throwing  three  shovelsful 
of  live  coal  over  the  patient,  at  the  same 
time  whispering,  "Wildt  fire,  Ich  yawg 
dich,  wdldt  fire,  pock  dich,  Im  namen  des 
Vaters,  etc."  Others  took  a  fire  brand 
and  waved  it  three  times  across  the  af- 
flicted person. 

Dr.  (jrumbine  relates  that  this  incanta- 
tion was  practiced  some  years  ago  by  a 
certain  Eastern  Pennsylvania  veterinary 
who  had  been  robbed  of  some  money, 
.  His  son  assisted  him  by  turning  the 
wheel,  but  without  results.  The  son  must 
have  laughed  in  his  sleeve  while  going 
thru  the  performance,  for  he  himself  was 
the  thief. 

The  fact  that  a  publishing  house  at  this 
day  and  tinie,  in  a  State  that  prides  itself 
on  the  intelligence  of  its  inhabitants,  finds 
it  a  paying  enterprise  to  print  such  non- 
sense is  not  very  flattering,  nor  would  it 
seem  very  creditable  to  the  educational 
system  of  people  who  are  pointed  out  as 
models  in  citizenship.  It  is,  however,  true 
that  "The  world  moves  and  civilization 
progresses,  but  the  old  superstitions  re- 
main the  same.  The  rusty  horse  shoe 
found  on  the  road  is  still  prized  as  a 
lucky  token,  and  will  doubtless  continue 
to  be  so  prized,  for  human  nature  does 
not  change,  and  superstition  is  a  part  of 
human  nature." 

John  George  Holman. 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  the 
Journal  of  American  Folk-Lore  concern- 
ing the  personal  history  of  the  author  of 
Holman's   book : 

John    George    Holman,    his    wife    Catharine, 


WITCHCRAFT 


and  their  son  Caspar,  were  German  Redemp- 
tioners,  who  reached  Philadelphia  some  time  in 
1799.  Their  time  was  purchased  by  a  farmer 
named  Frctz,  who  conveyed  them  in  his  market 
wagon  to  his  home  in  Bedminster  township. 
Hohnan  was  a  poet  and  a  ready  writer,  and 
had  a  knowledge  of  drawing  and  water  color 
painting,  which  he  learned  in  early  life  in 
Germany.  After  working  for  about  two  years 
he  conceived  the  idea  of  making  "taufscheins" 
(baptismal  certificates)  and  to  peddle  them 
over  the  country.  His  specimens  were  drawn 
on  paper  about  12  by  16  inches.  In  the  center 
was  a  heart  in  outline  of  five  inches  in  diameter, 
surrounded  by  representations  of  birds,  flowers 
and  angels,  in  rather  gaudy  colors  and  with 
religious  verses  of  four  or  eight  lines  each 
between  the  objects.  He  would  make  up  50  or 
100  of  these  "taufscheins,"  when  he  would  set 
off  on  his  pedestrian  peddling  tour  selling  them 
among  the  German  settlers  and  farmers.  The 
space  within  the  heart  was  left  blank  to  be 
afterwards  filled  up  to  suit  the  wishes  of  his 
patrons,  for  which  there  was  an  additional 
charge.  His  success  was  such  in  selling  these 
certificates  that  within  ten  months  from  starting 
in  the  business  he  realized  sufficient  to  not  only 
purchase  his  own,  but  also  his  wife's  freedom. 
In  about  16  years  he  realized  enough  from 
this  source  to  purchase  himself  a  snug  house - 
and  several  acres  of  ground  near  Reading,  Pa. 


Here  himself  and  wife  attained  to  a  good  old 
age  thru  the  comfortable  provision  he  made 
by"  his  industry.  Whether  he  further  added 
to  his  modest  income  by  engaging  in  the  pro- 
fessional practice  of  the  charms  which  he 
publisht  in  his  book,  we  cannot  say.  The 
list  of  testimonials  would  point  in  this  direc- 
tion. On  the  other  hand,  it  would  seem  that 
if  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  these  charms 
he  would  have  regarded  it  as  poor  financial 
policy  to  publish  them  broadcast.  At  all  events, 
he  was  not  a  shrewd  quack  who  was  striving 
to  enrich  himself  by  cultivating  the  super- 
stitions of  the  ignorant,  but  an  honest  man  who 
himself  thoroly  believed  in  the  value  of  the 
charms  which  he  had  collected  in  the  pages 
of  his  book.  Furthermore,  his  j'outh  and  early 
manhood  had  been  spent  in  the  Faderland, 
where  he  had  been  educated  in  the  customs 
and  superstitions  of  the  peasantry.  In  all  these 
ways  he  was  well  qualified  to  serve  as  a 
rnedium  for  the  transmission  of  genuine  tra- 
ditional folk-lore. 

Note. — In  the  preparation  of  this  article  the 
writer  consulted  the  following  publications,  and 
acknowledgment  is  hereby  accordingly  made, 
\ viz :  New  York  Herald,  January  14,  1900 ; 
'North  American,  Alay  22,  1900;  Journal  '/{ 
American  Folk-lore,  No.  LXV,  April-June, 
1904;  Grumbine's  Folk-lore  and  Superstitions 
of  Lebanon  Co. 


The  Pennsylvania-German  in 
The  Field  of  Science 


A  Symposium 

Edited  by  Prof.  D.  H.  Bergey,  M.  D.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


Pennsylvania-Germans  as  Teachers  of  Science 
in  Colleges  and  Universities 

BY  PROF.  OSCAR  KUHNS,  MIDDLETOWN.  CONN. 


O  trdat  this  subject  as  it 
deserves  to  be  treated  would 
demand  long,  patient  investi- 
gation, and  practically  a 
whole  volume  by  itself.  All 
that  can  be  done  in  this  brief 
sketch  is  to  give  a  bare  outline  of  the 
subject. 

From  the  earliest  times  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Germans  have  taken  a  prominent 
part  in  the  work  of  science,  both  as 
teachers  and  investigators ;  although  the 
fact  remains  that  it  is  chiefly  in  recent 
times  that  we  find  them  scattered 
throughout  all  our  colleges  and  univer- 


sities. This  is  largely  due,  on  the  one 
hand,  to  the  fact  that  science  itself  has 
made  extraordinary  progress  during  the 
last  fifty  years  or  so,  and  has  only 
recently  become  a  dominating  factor  in 
the  school  and  college  curriculum ;  and  on 
the  other  hand  it  is  only  the  last  genera- 
tion or  two  of  Pennsylvania  Germans  who 
have  become  completely  Americanized, 
giving  up  their  own  dialect,  and  to  all 
practical  purposes  indistinguishable  from 
their  fellow-countrymen  of  English  or 
Scotch-Irish  origin. 

Away  back  in   the  eighteenth  centur\' 
we  find  Pennsylvania  Germans  who  were 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


teachers  in  our  colleges  and  universities. 
Perhaps  the  most  distinguished  of  these 
pioneer  teachers  is  that  David  Rittenhouse 
(1732-1789.)  who  from  1779  to  1782  was 
Professor  of  Astronomy  in  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania.  He  was  the  great 
grand-son  of  the  first  Mennonite  minister 
tn  Pennsylvania.  Born  on  a  farm,  he 
educated  himself,  became  a  maker  of 
clocks  and  mathematical  instruments, 
studied  Astronomy  and  Surveying,  in 
both  of  which  he  made  a  distinguished 
success.  In  1763,  he  was  called  upon  to 
settle  the  most  difficult  part  of  the  bound- 
ary line  between  Pennsylvania  and  Mary- 
land, and  when  soon  after  the  official 
surveyors,  Charles  Mason  and  Jonathan 
Dixon,  examined  his  work,  they  found 
nothing  to  change.  An  orrery  which 
Rittenhouse  made  ill  1770  was  regarded 
by  John  Adams  as  a  "most  beautiful 
machine,"  and  was  sold  to  Princeton 
Universitv  for  three  hundred  pounds. 
Later  he  made  another  of  the  same  kind 
for  the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  His 
achievements  in  astronomy  may  be  in- 
ferred from  the  words  of  praise  given 
him  by  Thomas  Jeflferson  who  said. 
"We  have  supposed  Mr.  Rittenhouse 
second  to  no  astronomer  living;  that  in 
genius  he  must  be  the  first  because  he  was 
self-taught."  Rittenhouse  was  the  recip- 
ient of  many  honors  in  his  life.  He  was 
.a  member  of  the  American  Philosophical 
Society,  of  which  he  became  president  at 
the  death  of  Benjamin  Franklin.  He  was 
also  a  member  of  the  American  Academy 
of  Arts,  and  an  honorary  Fellow,  of  the 
Royal  Society  of  London.  He  took  a 
lively  interest  in  contemporary  politics, 
was  a  member  of  the  Convention  which 
drafted  the  first  constitution  for  the  State 
of  Pennsylvania  (1776),  and  became 
Treasurer  of  the  State.  Beside  being  a 
professor  at  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, he  was  also  a  trustee  and  vice-pro- 
vost. In  1789  he  received  the  degree  of 
LL.D.,  from  Princeton. 

Another  of  these  early  Pennsylvania- 
German  professors  of  science  was  Caspar 
Wistar  (1761-1819),  grandson  of  Caspar 
Wistar,  who  was  born  in  Hilspach,  near 
Lleidelberg,  in  1696,  and  came  to  America 
in  1 7 17.  It  is  said  that  this  first  Caspar 
Wistar   started   the   first   glass   works    in 


this  country.  Dr.  Wistar  was  a  distin- 
guished physician  as  well  as  a  teacher. 
In  1789,  he  was  appointed  professor  of 
Chemistry  in  the  College  of  Philadelphia; 
when  this  college  became  merged  into 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania  in  1792, 
he  became  adjunct  professor  of  Anatomy 
and  Surgery,  and  in  1801,  full  professor 
of  Anatomy.  His  name  will  go  down 
the  centuries  in  connection  with  the  beau- 
tiful flowering  and  climbing  plant  known 
as  'Wistaria." 

Dr.  Wistar  became  president  of  the 
American  Philosophical  Society  in  181 5 
(at  the  death  of  Thomas  Jefferson).  He 
opened  his  house  once  a  week  in  the  win- 
ter, and  gathered  around  him  a  group  of 
students,  citizens,  scientists  and  travelers, 
reminding  us  of  the  famous  "salons"  of 
Paris.  These  reunions,  known  as  "Wistar 
parties,"  were  continued  after  his  death 
by  others. 

The  early  teaching  of  the  Pennsylvania- 
Germans  centered  around  Franklin  and 
Marshall  College  and  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania.  In  connection  with  the 
former  several  names  suggest  themselves. 
One  was  Frederick  Valentine  Melsheimer 
(1749-1814),  who,  although  titular  pro- 
fessor of  Latin,  Greek  and  German  at 
Franklin  College,  was  also  a  distinguished 
scientist.  He  has  been  called  the  father 
of  entomology  in  America.  His  Insects 
of  Pennsylvania,  published  in  1806,  was 
the  first  work  of  its  kind  in  this  country. 
In  1 8 10,  he  published  a  still  larger  work, 
"American  Entomology,  or  Description 
of  the  Insects  of  North  America."  His 
collection  of  insects  now  forms  part  of  the 
collection  at  Harvard. 

Other  members  of  the  faculty  of  Frank- 
lin and  Marshall  we  may  mention  here 
were  William  Reichenbach,  first  professor 
of  Mathematics,  and  Thomas  C.  Porter. 
The  latter  who  was  proud  of  his  descent 
from  John  Conrad  Bucher  was  originally 
professor  of  Natural  Science  in  Marshall 
College,  and  when  this  was  merged  with 
Franklin  College,  he  too  left  Mercersburg 
for  Lancaster.  He  remained  here  till 
1866  when  he  went  to  Lafayette  college. 
Although  by  profession  he  was  a  teacher 
of  science,  Professor  Porter  was  also 
interested  in  literature,  and  his  name  has 
become  connected  with  a  famous  literary 


PENNSYLVANIA-GERMANS  AS  TEACFiERS  OF  SCIENCE 


123 


•controversy.  In  1855,  Longfellow  pub- 
lished his  "Hiawatha,"  which  was 
ummediately  hailed  as  the  great  American 
•epic.  One  day,  while  browsing  around 
the  library  of  a  colleague,  Professor 
Koeppen,  he  found  a  German  translation 
■of  the  Finnish  Epic  Kalevala,  and  was 
immediatel}-  struck  with  the  resemblance 
"between  it  and  Hiawatha.  The  articles 
"he  published  in  the  Mercersburg  Review 
in  1856  stirred  up  a  tremendous  contro- 
A^ersy,  especially  in  the  Boston  papers. 

Naturally  enough,  by  far  the  larger 
number  of  Pennsylvania-German  teach- 
«ers  of  science  were  connected  with  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania.  Among  them 
we  may  mention  Dr.  William  Pepper, 
professor  in  the  medical  department  from 
1860-64,  and  his  still  more  distinguished 
son,  of  the  same  name,  who  also  was  pro- 
fessor at  the  University  till  1881,  when 
lie  became  provost. 

One  name  well  known  to  all  students 
of  the  history  of  the  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
mans is  that  of  Samuel  S.  Haldeman 
{1812-1880),  who  combined  science  and 
philosophy  in  his  teaching,  and  became  a 
distinguished  investigator  in  both.  From 
185 1  to  1855,  he  was  professor  of  Natural 
Science,  and  from  1869  to  1880,  profes- 
sor of  Comparative  Philology  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania.  Among  his  pub- 
lications are  "Frcslnvatcr  Univalrc  Mol- 
iusca  of  the  United  States,"  "The  Ele- 
ments of  Latin  Pronunciation,"  and  his 
well  known  book  on  the  Pennsylvania- 
Dutch  dialect.  Professor  Haldeman  was 
a  member  of  many  learned  societies,  and 
the  founder  and  president  of  the  Philo- 
logical Society. 

Equally  well  known  is  Dr.  Joseph  Leidy 
(1823-1891),  who  was  professor  of 
Anatomy  in  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
•vania,  and  at  the  same  time,  after  187 1, 
professor  of  Natural  History  at  Swarth- 
more  College.  He  published  many  im- 
portant papers,  over  eight  hundred  in  all. 
One  of  these,  entiled  "Description  of 
Vertebrate  Remains,  Chieyy  from  the 
Phosphate  Beds  of  South  Carolina,"  was 
awarded  the  Walker  prize  by  the  Boston 
Society  of  Natural  History.  The  amount, 
■usually  five  hundred  dollars,  was  doubled, 
on  account  of  the  extraordinary  re- 
searches embodied  in  the  paper.     On  the 


establishment  of  the  Department  of  Biolo- 
gy  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  Dr. 
Leidy  became  its  director.  He  was  mem- 
.  ber  of  many  societies,  and  in  1886  was 
honored  by  the  title  of  LL.D.  from  Har- 
vard. 

Another  name  which  cannot  be  omit- 
ted from  any  discussion  of  Pennsylvania- 
German  activities  is  that  of  Spencer  F. 
Baird,  one  time  professor  of  Natural  Sci- 
ence at  Dickinson,  but  later  Director  of 
the  Smithsonian  Institution  in  Washing- 
ton, and  United  States  Commissioner  of 
Fish  and  Fisheries.  His  English  name 
should  not  deter  us  from  giving  him  a 
place  here,  for  he  was  partly  of  Penn- 
sylvania-German descent. 

In  any  discussion  of  this  kind,  much  of 
the  material  is  lost  because  of  the  difficulty 
in  deciding  as  to  who  is  of  Pennsylvania- 
German  descent.  A  large  number  of  our 
teachers  of  science  have  English  names, 
and  are  either  Pesssylvania-Germans  with 
anglicized  names  or  are  of  German  de- 
scest  on  the  mother's  side.  An  interesting 
illustratios  of  this  is  given  in  a  recent  his*^ 
tory  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  where 
biographical  and  genealogical  details  are 
given  of  the  members  of  the  facultv.  Thus 
P.  C.  Freer,  professor  of  Chemistrv,  says 
his  mother  was  of  German  descent!  J.  J. 
Abel,  later,  professor  in  Johns  Hopkins* 
was  of  German  descent  on  both  sides; 
M.  S.  Hoff,  professor  of  Dentistry,  Ger- 
man descent  on  father's  side;  A.  S. 
Warthin,  professor  in  Medical  Depart- 
ment, Pennsylvania-German  descent  on 
the  mother's  side.  The  mother  of  W.  L. 
Miggett,  professor  of  Engineering,  was  a 
Pemisylvania-German. 

In  the  following  list  of  teachers  of 
Science  in  colleges  and  universities  at  the 
present  time,  it  will  be  seen  that  all  the 
names  are  typical  Pennsvlvania-German. 
I  have  omitted  those  that  are  modern 
German,  and  especially  doubtful  names, 
such  as  Miller,  Fisher,  etc..  which  may 
be  either  German  or  English.  Hence  the 
list  here  given  is  far  more  modest  than 
the  facts  would  warrant  did  we  know 
them. 

James  M.  Anders,  M.D.,  Ph.D..  LL.D., 
professor  of  Medicine  and  Clinical  Medi- 
cme  since  1893.  in  the  Medico-Chirurgical 
College  of  Philadelphia. 


124 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Howard  S.  Anders,  AM.,  M.D.,  Aledi- 
co-Chirurgical  College  of  Philadelphia. 

David  H.  Bergey,  A.M.,  M.D.,  assist- 
ant professor  of  Bacteriology  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania,  since  1903. 

Charles  P.  Berkey,  Ph.D.,  tutor  in 
Geology  in  Columbia  University,  New 
York,  N.Y.,  since  1903. 

Abram  A.  Brenneman,  B.S.,  professor 
of  Industrial  Chemistry  in  Cornell  Uni- 
versity from  1879  to  1882;  chemical  ex- 
pert since  1882. 

Martin  G.  Brumbaugh,  Ph.D.,  presi- 
dent of  Juniata  College  since  1895 ;  pro- 
fessor of  Pedagogy  in  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania  from  1895  to  1906;  U.  S. 
Commissioner  of  Education  for  Porto 
Rico  from  1900  to  1902 ;  Superintendent 
of  the  Schools  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia 
since  1906. 

Lawrence  Bruner,  B.S.,  professor  of 
Entomology  and  Ornithology  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Nebraska  since   1895. 

John  'E.  Bucher,  Ph.D.,  professor  of 
Chemistry  in  Brown  University  since 
1901. 

William  E.  Byerly,  Ph.D.,  professor  of 
Mathematics  in  Harvard  University  since 
1881. 

Horace  G.  Byers,  Ph.D.,  professor  of 
Chemistry  in  Washington  State  Univer- 
sity since  1899. 

Arthur  B.  Coble,  Ph.D.,  instructor  in 
Mathematics  in  Johns  Hopkins  University 
since  1904. 

H.  M.  Derr,  Ph.D.,  professor  of 
Mathematics  in  South  Dakota  State  Col- 
lege since  1907. 

J.  S.  Diller,  B.S.,  geologist  of  the  U. 
S.  Geological  Survey  since  1883. 

George  Dock,  M.D.,  Sc.D.,  professor 
of  Medicine  in  the  University  of  Michigan 
since  1891. 

William  C.  Ebaugh,  Ph.D.,  director  of 
the  Department  of  Chemistry  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Utah  since  1903. 

William  S.  Eichelberger,  Ph.D.,  profes- 
sor of  Mathematics,  U.  S.  Naval  Ob- 
servatory since  1900. 

L.  P.  Eisenhart,  Ph.D.,  instructor  in 
Mathematics  in  Princeton  University 
since  1900. 

John  Eyerman,  lecturer  on  determina- 
tive mineralogy,  Lafayette  College,  1887- 
1892 ;  expert  mineralogist. 


J.  B.  Faught,  Ph.D.,  professor  of 
jMathematics  in  Northern  State  Normal 
School,  Alichigan,  since   1900. 

E.  L.  Fulmer,  M.S.,  professor  of  Nat- 
ural Science  in  Baldwin  L^niversity  since 
1903. 

George  D.  Gable,  Ph.D.,  professor  of 
Mathematics  and  secretary  of  the  Fac- 
ulty in  Parsons  College  since  1895. 

John  F.  Garber,  Ph.D.,  teacher  of  bot- 
any in  Yeatman  High  School,  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  since  1905. 

J.  L  Hamaker,  Ph.D.,  professor  of 
Biology  in  Randolph-Macon  College 
since   1904. 

J.  C.  Hartzell,  Ph.D.,  professor  of 
Geology  in  the  University  of  the  Pacific 
since   1904. 

Lewis  M.  Haupt,  Ph.D.,  Sc.D.,  profes- 
sor of  Civil  Engineering  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Pennsylvania  from  1875  to  1892; 
consulting  engineer. 

John  C.  Heisler,  M.D.,  professor  of 
Anatomy  in  the  Medico-Chirurgical  Col- 
lege of  Philadelphia  since  1897. 

Oscar  H.  Hershey,  formerly  field  as- 
sistant U.  S.  Geological  Survey.  Exam- 
ining Mines,  Nevada,  since  1904. 

P.  R.  Heyl,  Ph.D.,  professor  of  Physics 
in  the  Boys'  Central  High  School  of 
Philadelphia  since  1902. 

C.  F.  Himes,  Ph.D.,  LL.D.,  professor 
of  Chemistry  and  Physics  in  Dickinson 
College  from  1865  to  1884,  and  professor 
of  Physics  from  1884  to  1896. 

C.  H.  Kauffman,  Ph.D.,  instructor  in 
Botany  in  the  LTniversity  of  Michigan 
since  1904. 

E.  H.  Reiser,  Ph.D.,  professor  of 
Chemistry  in  Washington  University  (St. 
Louis)    since   1899. 

E.  B.  Rnerr,  Sc.D.,  assistant  city  chem- 
ist of  Ransas  City,  Mo.,  since  1905. 

E.  P.  Rohler,  Ph.D.,  professor  of 
Chemistry  in  Bryn  Mawr  College  since 
1900. 

Flenry  Rraemer,  Ph.G.,  Ph.D.,  profes- 
sor of  Botany  in  the  Philadelphia  Ccll<;ge 
of  Pharmacy  since  1897;  editor  of  the 
American  Journal  of  Pharmacy  since 
1898. 

D.  A.  Rreider,  Ph.D.,  assistant  profes- 
sor of  physics  in  Yale  University  since 
1902. 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA  GERMANS  IN  LOUDOUN  COUNTY,  VA. 


125 


William  W.  Landis,  A.M.,  professor 
of  Mathematics  and  Astronomy  in  Dick- 
inson College  since  1895. 

C.  E.  Leinbarger,  A.B.,  teacher  in  Lake 
View  High  School,  Chicago,  since  1896. 

J.  L.  Alarkley,  Ph.D.,  jmiior  professor 
of  Mathematics  in  University  of  Michi- 
o^an  since  1904. 

J.  H.  Musser,  M.D.,  professor  of  Clin- 
ical Medicine  in  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania since  1899.  President  of  the 
American  Medical  Association  in  1905. 

A.  G.  Rail,  AI.S.,  superntendent  of  the 
Moravian  Parochial  Schools,  Bethlehem, 
Pa.,  since  1892. 

Jacob  E.  Reighard,  Ph.B.,  professor 
of  Zoology  in  the  University  of  ^lichigan 
since  1895. 

A.  H.'^Roth,  M.D.,  first  assistant  in 
Ephtholmology,  University  of  Micliigan, 
since  1905. 


J.  T.  Rorer,  Ph.D.,  professor  of  Math- 
ematics in  the  Boys  Central  High  School, 
Philadelphia,  since  1895. 

J.  T.  Rothrock,  M.D.,  professor  of  Bot- 
any in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania 
since  1879.  Commissioner  of  Forestry  of 
Pennsylvania  from  1893  to  1904. 

R.  L.  Slagle,  Ph.D..  professor  of  Chem- 
istry, South  Dakota  State  College,  1895- 
'97;  president  South  Dakota  School  of 
Mines,  1897-1906;  president  South  Da- 
kota State  College  since  1906. 

C.  W.  Waidner,  Ph.D.,  associate 
physicist.  Bureau  of  Standards,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.,  since  1904. 

Lightner  Witmer,  Ph.D.,  professor  of 
Psychology,  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
since   1904. 

L.  A.  Youtz,  Ph.D.,  professor  of  Chem- 
istry in  Lawrence  University  since  1902. 


The  Pennsylvania  Germans  in  Loudoun 
County,  Virginia 


HE  first  white  people  to  locate 
in  Loudoun  county.  \  ir- 
ginia,  as  actual  settlers  came 
in  1732.  The  honor  seems 
about  equally  divided  be- 
tween the  English  who 
came  up  from  Jamestown  and  located  at 
Leesburg;  the  Germans,  who  came  from 
Pennsylvania  and  established  the  German 
settlement,  and  the  Quakers,  who  also 
came  from  Pennsylvania  and  located  at 
Waterford.  At  that  early  period  it  was  a 
part  of  Prince  William  county.  In  1742 
Fairfax  county  was  created  and  named 
after  Lord  Fairfax,  the  sixth  Baron  of 
Cameron.  In  1757  Fairfax  county  was 
divided  and  Loudoun  county  was  cre- 
ated and  named  after  Lord  Loudoun,  a 
prominent  officer  in  King  George's  army, 
and  afterwards  commander-in-chief  of 
the  British  forces  in  the  American  colo- 
nies, and  Colonial  Governor  of  \'irginia 
from  1758  to  1762. 

That  portion  of  Loudoun  county,  \*ir- 
ginia,  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  Catoctin 
]\Iountains,  on  the  west  by  the  Short  Hill 


Mountains,  on  the  north  by  the  Potomac 
River  and  on  the  south  by  the  village  of 
Morrisonville,  is  known  far  and  wide  as 
the  German  settlement.  The  Germans 
who  located  in  Loudoun  county,  Virginia, 
belonged  to  that  mighty  host  who  were  in 
the  front  rank  of  the  battle  against  tyr- 
anny and  superstition  that  had  devastated 
some  of  the  fairest  portions  of  Germany 
and  that  finally  culminated  in  the  Ref- 
ormation that  liberated  men's  souls  as  well 
as  their  bodies. 

The  Germans  did  not  come  to  America 
for  worldly  gain,  but  for  a  home,  where 
they  could  dwell  under  their  own  vine  and 
fig-tree,  with  none  to  molest  or  make  them 
afraid.  Probably  no  nationality  gets  as 
much  comfort  out  of  the  home  as  the 
Germans  do.  To  them  the  home  was  the 
nucleus  around  which  grcAV  the  state  that 
later  developed  and  broadened  into  the 
Nation ;  hence  the  Germans  were  nation- 
builders  as  well. 

Whence  Came  the  Pioneers? 
This  liberty-loving  people  who  located 


126 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


in  Loudoun  county,  Virginia,  had  proba- 
bly sojourned  in  Pennsylvania  for  a  few- 
years,  or  they  may  perhaps  have  come 
direct  from  Germany  with  the  determina- 
tion to  locate  in  Virginia.  It  has  been 
claimed  by  some  that  the  Germans  of  Lou- 
doun county  came  from  Fanquier  county, 
Virginia,  and  originally  belonged  to  that 
ill-fated  band  of  German  pilgrims  who 
came  over  with  DeGrafifenried  in  1710 
and  located  in  New  Berne,  North  Caro- 
lina, where  the  treacherous  Tuscarora  In- 
dians, who  were  totally  ignorant  of  the 
peaceful  habits  of  the  Germans,  fell  upon 
them  and  massacred  men,  women  and 
children.  Those  that  escaped  became  dis- 
heartened, sailed  north,  and  a  remnant 
after  various  misfortunes  established  Ger- 
mantown  in  Fauquier  county,  Va.,  where 
they  built  a  church  in  17 18,  with  Henry 
Haeger  as  pastor.  Some  of  their  de- 
scendants are  to  be  found  there  to  this 
day.  The  claim  that  some  of  them  went 
north  and  established  the  German  settle- 
ment of  Loudoun  county,  Virginia,  has 
some  adherents,  but  it  is  not  regarded  by 
historians  as  reliable.  Germantown  in 
Fauquier  county  is  about  forty  miles  from 
the  German  settlement  in  Loudoun  coun- 
ty ;  the  methods  of  farming  differ  widely 
in  each  locality ;  besides,  there  is  no  sim- 
ilarity in  names. 

There  has  also  been  a  tradition  that  the 
German  Hessians  who  came  over  during 
the  Revolutionary  War  established  the 
German  settlement  of  Loudoun  county, 
but  it  is  impossible  to  reconcile  history 
with  tradition,  as  the  settlement  was  es- 
tablished nearly  fify  years  before  that 
period. 

The  only  record  of  any  Revolutionary 
Hessians  in  Loudoun  county  was  a  very 
few  prisoners  guarded  at  Nowlands 
Ferry  in   1780. 

That  the  Germans  of  Loudoun  county 
came  from  Pennsylvania  can  not  be 
doubted.  In  the  first  place,  many  of  the 
names  in  Berks  and  York  counties,  Penn- 
sylvania, are  the  same  as  those  in  Lan- 
doun  county,  Virginia. 

There  is  a  perfect  chain  of  German 
settlements  from  Philadelphia,  Pennsylva- 
nia, to  Loudoun  county,  Virginia.  The 
methods  of  farming  and  the  old  style  log- 
houses  are  to  be  found  in  both  sections. 


and  a  line  of  communication  has  ahvays- 
been  kept  up  between  the  German  settle- 
ment and  Berks  and  York  counties,  Penn- 
sylvania, by  way  of  the  old  Alonocacy^ 
road. 

The  Hon.  Yardley  Taylor,  a  Quaker, 
who  ranked  high  as  an  educator  and  a. 
civil  engineer,  who  represented  Landoun 
county  in  the  Legislature  of  Virginia,  who 
served  the  county  as  surveyor  1850  to 
1857,  and  w^ho  compiled  and  published- 
the  only  history  and  map  of  Loudoun 
county  that  was  ever  prepared,  spent 
much  time  in  the  German  settlement,  and 
talked  with  many  whose  parents  were- 
born  in  Germany  and  Pennsylvania,  get- 
ting positive  information  in  regard  to- 
their  early  history  and  the  causes  that 
induced  them  to  locate  in  Virginia. 

It  was  a  substantial  compliment  and  a 
recognition  of  the  value  and  accuracy  of 
the  Taylor  map,  that  when  the  Union 
forces  under  General  Geary  crossed  the 
Potomac  River  into  Virginia  in  1861,  the 
General  secured  a  copy  of  this  map  and 
closely  consulted  it  in  his  movements  of 
the  army,  and  filed  the  same  with  the  War 
Department  as  part  of  his  report.  After 
the  war,  when  the  official  records  were 
printed  and  an  atlas  of  the  operations  of 
the  army  made,  this  map  became  a  part 
of  the  official  records,  and  was  published 
as  plate  VTI  of  the  War  Atlas. 

The  emigration  of  the  Germans  froni 
Pennsylvania  to  Virginia  was  hastened  by 
the  Indian  raids  in  the  Colebrook  Valley 
and  the  attacks  in  Falkner's  Swamp  and 
other  settlements,  the  burning  of  cabins 
and  grain,  the  driving  oft'  of  stock  and 
the  murdering  of  the  settlers  being  un- 
bearable. Governor  Gordon  had  prom- 
ised protection  to  the  settlers,  but  was  not 
provided  with  means  to  successfully  put 
down  these  Indian  raids,  which  continued 
at  intervals  for  over  two  years.  In  the 
meantime,  glowing  accounts  had  come 
from  the  Shenandoah  and  Loudoun  Val- 
leys of  Virginia,  setting  forth  the  fertility 
of  the  soil,  and  as  a  result  about  one  hun- 
dred German  families  left  Pennsylvania 
and  located  in  Virginia. 

Names  of  Early  Settlers. 

It  is  impossible  to  give  a  correct  list  of 
the  early  settlers,  but  the  following  names 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA  GERMANS  IN  LOUDOUN  COUNTY,  VA. 


127 


are  believed  to  represent  all  the  German 
families :  Abel,  Arnold,  Armes,  Axaline, 
Arment,  Baker,  Bartlett,  Beatty,  Beamer, 
Brown,  Best,  liolin.  IJoycr,  Booth,  Beck, 
Cooper,  Camphcr.  Crim,  Cruze,  Cordell, 
Clapham,  Ciitshaw,  Conrad,  Cole,  Cogsil, 
Cams.  Crumbakcr.  Davis,  Darr,  Dill, 
English,  Evcrhart,  Eamich,  Ery,  Fry, 
Fawley,  Frazier,  Filler,  Gabpur,  George, 
Goodhart,  Grubb,  Garrett,  Gatewood, 
Green,  Heater,  Hickman,  Householder, 
Houck,  Hoy,  Houser,  Hefner,  Jacobs, 
Kemp,  Kern,  Kuntz,  Kalb,  Lovett,  Len- 
hart.  Long,  Lov,  Miles,  Mann,  Magaha, 
Martin,  Mock, 'Mull,  Mill,  Myers,  Nice- 
warner,  Owens,  Parmer,  Potterfield,  Pax- 
son,  Prinz.  Potts,  Ramey,  Ropp,  Roller, 
Ruse,  Robinson,  Ridgeway,  Rust,  Rhod- 
erick,  Rodifer,  Roule,  Ritchie,  Sando, 
Spring,  Shutt,  Slater,  Stoneburner, 
Snoots,  Stone,  Seitz,  Shipman,' Schneider, 
Souer,  Shawen,  Stocks,  Stouts,  Swank, 
Sanbower,  Stoutsenberger,  Shry,  Stream, 
Sander,  Swope,  Shomaker,  Taylor,  Trita- 
poe,  Titus,  Thrasher,  Virts,  Vickers,  Vin- 
cel,  Williams.  Wenner,  Whitmore,  Weiss, 
Wire.  Wine.  Wired,  Walkman,  Wilt, 
Working,  Wunder,  Wolford,  Yeakey. 

Practically  all  branches  of  industry 
were  represented,  thus  giving  the  enter- 
prise a  permanence  that  guaranteed  suc- 
cess. There  were  carpenters,  blacksmiths, 
wagonmakers,  shoemakers,  tanners,  fur 
dressers,  weavers,  loommakers,  millers, 
clockmakers,  silversmiths,  kettlemakers, 
cabinetmakers. hatters,  tailors,  boatmakers, 
chairmakers.  distillers  and  preachers.  The 
forest  was  rapidly  cleared,  log  houses 
were  erected  and  a  system  of  small  farm- 
ing inaugurated.  The  first  sheep  in  the 
county  were  brought  by  the  Germans. 
Early  Industries. 

Machinery  was  limited  to  the  hand 
loom  and  spinning-wheel.  The  fair 
daughters  were  experts  at  spinning,  and 
supplied  yarn  for  stockings  and  wove 
blankets  for  bedding  and  woolens  for  win- 
ter clothing.  ]\Iany  specimens  of  their 
handiwork  are  still  to  be  found  amongst 
the  oldest  settlers.  Probably  the  most 
artistic  and  durable  is  the  counterpane  or 
coverlet.  Many  of  these,  which  were 
woven  at  least  seventy-five  years  ago,  are 
still  to  be  found  on  their  beds.  Of  course, 
few  of  these  are  produced  in  recent  years. 


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TAYLORTOWN     MILL  ON  CATOCTIX     CREEK. 
Erecied  in   1800. 

as  the  hand  loom  is  rapidly  disappearing. 

The  blacksmith  was  an  important  per- 
sonage in  those  days,  the  hardware  store 
being  a  dream  of  the  future.  He  made 
by  hand  all  building  nails,  hinges,  knives 
and  forks,  spoons,  axes,  hatchets,  hoes, 
shovels,  fish-hooks  and  knitting  needles. 
All  cooking  was  done  in  the  fireplace,  and 
the  blacksmith  was  called  upon  to  make 
those  long-handled  frying  pans  with 
handle  about  four  feet  long,  to-  keep  the 
housewife  from  being  cremated  while  pre- 
paring breakfast.  In  addition  to  his  im- 
portant duties  as  blacksmith,  he  was  also 
the  neighborhood  dentist.  When  he  fast- 
ened his  Herculean  grip  on  a  tooth,  he 
always  brought  it  out,  a  piece  of  the  jaw- 
bone sometimes  coming  with  it. 

The  schoolmaster  was  a  man  of  im- 
portance in  those  primitive  days.  In  the 
absence  of  the  minister  he  would  generally 
fill  the  pulpit  by  reading  sermons  or  ex- 
horting. He  was  a  good  woodchopper, 
and  was  given  ample  encouragement  at 
the  neighboring  woodpile.  He  was  sel- 
dom accused  of  sparing  the  rod  to  spoil 
the  child.  His  usefulness  as  a  teacher 
was  largely  measured  by  his  ability  to 
sharpen  a  goose  quill  pen,  steel  pens  not 
being  invented  until  years  after  the  Revo- 
lutionary War. 

When  the  Germans  came  to  Loudoun 
county  in  an  organized  capacity  as  actual 
settlers,  it  was  a  vast  unbroken  forest,, 
but  there  was  substantial  evidence  that 
explorers  had   penetrated   the   wilderness 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


(.KKMAX   J<KL-uKi\JED  CHURCH. 
Lovettsville,  Va.    Erected  in  1819. 

many  years  earlier.  As  early  as  1667, 
Captain  Henry  Bath,  a  German  explorer 
and  Indian  trader,  had  traveled  from  the 
tidewater  on  the  Potomac  River  crossing 
the  Allegheny  Mountains  to  the  Ohio 
River,  and  passing  through  this  section. 
At  that  period  \'irginia  was  rich  in  furs, 
and  attracted  the  trappers  and  traders. 
Catoctin  Creek,  the  largest  stream  in  the 
county,  was  the  home  of  the  beaver.  A 
few  adventurous  spirits,  Germans,  who 
followed  trapping  for  a  living  made  their 
abode  on  that  creek  and  reaped  a  rich 
harvest. 

By  rigid  economy,  characteristic  of  the 
Germans,  the  settlers  soon  became  pros- 
perous, their  wants  being  few  and  easily 
supplied.  Corn  and  wdieat  yielded  well, 
and  stock  multiplied  rapidly.  The  forest 
was  filled  with  game,  and  the  streams 
fairly  swarmed  with  fish.  The  forest  was 
filled  with  grapes,  berries  and  nuts,  liter- 
ally the  land  flowed  with  milk  and  honey. 
Tobacco  was  also  a  staple  crop.  The 
land,  new  and  rich,  yielded  a  superior 
article  that  could  be  marketed  more  easily 
than  grain,  and  served  two  purposes — as 
a  crop  and  as  a.  currency.  A  goodly 
portion  of  grain  and  fruits  was  made  into 
spirituous  liquors,  more  from  necessitv 
than  preference,  as  it  was  more  easily 
marketed  than  grain.  Hie  festive  revenue 
officer  was  yet  unborn.  There  were  eight 
stills  in  the  German  settlement,  and  all 
did  a  good  business ;  yet,  habitual  drunk- 
enness was  unknown. 


The  Potomac  River,  forming  the  north- 
ern border  of  the  German  settlement,  fur- 
nished an  outlet  for  the  surplus  products 
of  the  soil  by  boat  to  Alexandria,  one  of 
the  earliest  ports  in  the  American  Colo- 
nies, at  whose  wharves  could  be  seen  the 
sailing  vessels  of  many  countries. 

Rumsey's  Steamboat. 

It  was  on  the  Potomac  River,  at  Shep- 
ardstown,  that  James  Rumsey,  a  Bohem- 
ian German,  invented  and  built  the  first 
steamboat,  and  in  the  fall  of  1783  demon- 
strated that  fact  to  the  world  by  a  trial 
trip  in  presence  of  many  invited  friends. 

James  Rumsey  afterwards  visited  Lon- 
don to  perfect  his  invention,  where,  while 
engaged  in  building  a  new  steamboat,  in 
1786,  he  was  stricken  with  fever  and  died. 

Rumsey's  trial  trip,  performed  two 
years  before  Fitch's  maiden  effort  in 
steamboats,  and  eighteen  years  before 
Fulton  launched  his  craft  on  the  Hudson, 
was  witnessed  by  George  Washington, 
who  gave  the  following  testimonial : 

I  have  seen  the  model  of  Mr.  Rumsey's  boat 
constructed  to  work  against  the  stream,  ex- 
amined the  powers  upon  which  it  acts,  been  eye- 
witness to  an  actual  experiment  in  running 
water  of  some  rapidity,  and  give  it  as  my 
opinion  (although  I  had  little  faith  before) 
that  he  has  discovered  the  art  of  working 
boats  by  mechanism  and  small  manual  assist- 
ance against  rapid  currents,  that  the  discovery 
is  of  vast  importance,  may  be  of  greatest  use- 
fulness in  our  inland  navigation,  and  if  it  suc- 
ceeds (of  whicli  I  have  no  doubt),  that  the 
value  of  it  is  greatly  enhanced  by  the  sim- 
plicity of  the  works,  which,  when  seen  and  ex- 
plained, may  be  executed  by  the  most  com- 
mon mechanic. 

Given    under    my   band    at    the    town   of 
Bath,   County   of  Berkley,   in  the   State  of 
Virginia,   this  7th  day  of  September,   1784. 
Go.    Washington. 

Surrounding    Conditions. 

While  the  success  of  the  German  settle- 
ment, of  course,  was  due  to  the  untiring 
industry  of  the  people,  yet  that  success 
was  materially  aided  by  surrounding  con- 
ditions. 

The  first  arsenal  in  the  United  States 
was  established  in  the  year  1790,  at  Har- 
per's Ferry,  six  miles  from  the  settlement. 
The  supplies  being  drawn  from  the  coun- 
try around,  a  splendid  market  was  cre- 
ated for  everything  imaginable, — flotir, 
meal,    corn,    beef,    bacon,    butter,    eggs. 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA  GERMANS  IN  LOUDOUN  COUNTY,  VA. 


129 


poultry,  I'eather,  lumber  and  other  articles ; 
and  the  Germans  were  not  slow  in  pro- 
ducing that  which  sold  best.  Labor  also 
commanded  good  wages,  and  many  of  the 
German  mechanics  secured  employment 
there,  and  one  of  them  invented  the  ma- 
chine to  turn  the  crooked  gun-stock  or 
any  other  crooked  piece  of  wood,  such  as 
axe  handles. 

The  building  of  the  Chesapeake  and 
Ohio  Canal  was  another  enterprise  that 
created  an  additional  market.  This  water- 
way traversed  the  northern  border  Of  tlu 
German  settlement  for  about  ten  mik'<. 
A  little  later  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Rail 
road,  one  of  the  first  railroads  in  the 
United  States,  paralleled  the  Chesapeake 
and  Ohio  Canal  along  the  border  of  the 
settlement,  and' proved  a  lasting  blessing" 
to  the  people.  On  the  fourth  of  July, 
1828,  ground  was  first  broken  on  the 
Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Canal  by  Charles 
Carroll,  of  Carrollton,  Maryland,  and  on 
the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  by  John 
Ouincy  Adams,  then  President  of  the 
United  States. 

These  public  improvements  not  only 
brought  a  market  to  the  very  doors  of  the 
German  settlement,  but  created  a  new  de- 
mand for  land.  Before,  land  could  be 
bought  at  from  ten  to  twenty  dollars  per 
acre,  but  after  the  canal  and  railroad  had 
been  completed  the  same  land  brought 
from  twenty  to  fifty  dollars  per  acre. 

There  was  great  excitement  about  the 
year  1800  over  the  discovery  of  gold 
along  a  stream  emptying  into  the  Potomac 
River  about  one  mile  above  the  Bruns- 
wick bridge.  There  is  an  old  tradition 
that  copper  tools  were  unearthed  at  these 
mines,  by  the  early  settlers,  that  were  sup- 
posed to  have  belonged  to  a  pre-historic 
race. 

There  is  also  an  old  marble  quarry  on 
the  Ca;octin  Creek  near  Taylortown. 
There  ir;  practically  no  timber  in  the  set- 
tlement, the  land  having  been  cleared  for 
cultivati  Dn  years  ago,  and  being  a  rolling 
surface  vith  but  few  rocks,  almost  every 
acre  is  susceptible  of  cultivation.  The 
settlemer  t  is  particularly  noted  for  numer- 
ous publ'c  roads,  running  almost  around 
-each  farm.  Probably  no  section  in  the 
United  Spates  has  such  a  network  of 
bighwavo. 


TANKERVILLE  CHURCH.      KKFX'TED  IN  180.5. 

As  early  as  1766  there  was  a  thickly- 
settled  community  around  Thrasher's 
store.  In  18 16  a  postoffice  was  estab- 
lished, with  Elias  Thrasher  as  postmaster. 
By  1824  quite  a  village  had  grown  up, 
which  was  renamed  Newtown,  changed 
to  Lovettsville  in  1840,  which  name  has 
been  retained  since. 

The  settlement  has  had  rather  a  slow 
growth  for  the  last  fifty  years,  the  popu- 
lation in  i8co  having  been  almost  as  large 
as  it  is  at  present.  As  in  all  rural  sections, 
the  young  people  have  been  attracted  to 
the  cities.  The  settlement  lost  heavily  also 
in  population  from  1830  to  the  War  of 
the  Rebellion,  on  account  of  the  cheaper 
lands  in  the  West,  especially  Ohio.  The 
farms  in  the  settlement  are  nearly  all 
small,  averaging  perhaps  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  acres.  It  is  doubtful  if 
there  is  a  single  farm  containing  five 
hundred  acres. 

Loyalty  of  the  Germans. 

The  Germans  of  Loudoun  county,  like 
all  other  Germans  in  the  American  colo- 
nies, were  intensely  loyal  to  the  cause  of 
liberty,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  show  their 
faith  by  their  works.  Armend's  legion 
(German),  recruited  by  authority  of  Con- 
gress in  the  summer  of  1777.  and  com- 
posed of  those  who  could  not  speak  Eng- 
lish, contained  many  (jcrmans  from  Lou- 
doun county. 

That  the  Germans  of  Loudoun  county 
were  opposed  to  slavery  was  evidenced 
both  by  precept  and  example.     Probably 


130 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


^^^n| 

llC^r 

^'^^^^%^. 

■ 

SHINAR  CHURCH.      ERECTED  IN  1895. 

not  more  than  one  dozen  slaves  were 
owned  in  the  settlement ;  nor  were  they 
politicians,  and  comparatively  few  of 
them  ever  held  office,  but  they  seldom 
failed  to  vote,  and  to  this  day  a  larger 
vote  is  cast  in  the  German  settlement  (ac- 
cording to  population)  than  in  other  por- 
tions of  the  county,  and  while  they  gen- 
erally vote  the  Republican  ticket,  their 
love  for  liberty  is  too  strong  to  be  par- 
tisan. 

When  the  question  of  secession  con- 
fronted them  in  i86i,  they  were  emphatic 
in  their  opposition  to  the  movement,  and 
later  when  compelled  to  take  sides  you 
could  count  upon  the  fingers  of  your  left 
hand  those  who  entered  the  Rebel  army, 
while  many  of  them  followed  the  flag  of 
the  Union — the  Stars  and  Stripes. 

In  September,  1862,  when  the  Confed- 
erates for  the  first  time  invaded  Mary- 
land, they  supposed  the  Marylanders 
were  eager  to  rally  to  their  standard,  and 
it  has  always  surprised  them  that  they 
did  not,  but  the  explanation  is  easv.  Gen- 
eral Lee,  the  Rebel  commander,  entered 
Frederick,  the  Germany  of  Maryland,  and 
issued  that  famous  proclamation  declar- 
ing that  he  had  brought  liberty  and  pro- 
tection to  their  homes — while  his  soldiers 
were  busy  in  plundering  their  storehouses 
and  driving  off  their  stock.  His  call  on 
the  Marylanders  to  enlist  und'er  the  ban- 
ner of  the  Rebellion  fell  upon  deaf  ears, 
the    German    love    for    liberty   being   too 


strong  to  be  so  easily  deceived.  There 
were  too  many  Barbara  Fritchies  in  Fred- 
erick. Probably  not  more  than  a  baker's 
dozen  of  the  Germans  responded,  while 
fully  ten  thousand  of  them  enlisted  under 
the  Union  banner. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  impressive  and 
patriotic  exercises  in  the  German  settle- 
ment is  their  observance  of  Memorial 
Day.  From  all  over  the  settlement  people 
come  to  Lovettsville  with  wagonloads  of 
choicest  flowers  and  well-filled  baskets  of 
provisions  to  take  part  in  this  sacred  serv- 
ice, which  is  held  in  the  New  Jerusalem 
Lutheran  church  cemetery.  Probably  in 
no  other  place  in  the  United  States  is  the 
day  so  universally  celebrated.  The  Ger- 
man Reformed  and  Lutheran  churches  vie 
with  each  other  in  the  proper  observance 
of  the  day,  making  it  truly  a  Memorial 
Day.  After  strewing  nature's  choicest 
flowers  on  the  graves  of  their  sacred  dead, 
they  gather  around  the  rostrum  and  listen 
to  prayer,  song  and  appropriate  address 
by  their  pastors  and  other  distinguished 
speakers,  and  all  join  in  singing: 

"My  Country,  'tis  of  thee, 
Sweet  land  of  liberty. 
Of  thee  we  sing." 

Prominent    "Sons." 

Several  }-oung  men  who  belonged  to 
the  German  colony  of  Loudoun  went 
West  to  "grow  up  with  the  comitry,"  and 
have  exerted  more  than  a  passing  influ- 
ence in  the  States  of  their  adoption :  W. 
E.  Shutt,  late  U.  S.  Attorney,  Southern 
District  of  Illinois ;  Mr.  Wolford,  who 
was  a  member  of  Congress  from  Ken- 
tucky ;  Attorney  General  Axalim  of  Ohio ; 
Emerson  Haugh,  the  novelist,  "jMississip- 
pi  Bubble"  being  his  masterpiece ;  Robert 
A.  Fry,  of  Paris,  portrait  painter,  who 
died  several  years  ago. 

The  Lutheran  Church. 

It  is  a  historical  fact  that  wherever  the 
Germans  located  a  settlement  thr  church 
and  schoolhouse  followed  rapidly  the  fam- 
ily dwellings.  While  the  first  authentic 
record  of  the  organization  of  vhe  New 
Jerusalem  Lutheran  church  is  dated  1765, 
it  is  quite  probable  that  the  church  was 
organized  earlier. 


THE  PEXXSVLVAXIA  GERMANS  IN  LOUDOUN  COUNTY,  VA. 


131 


The  Rev.  John  Casper  Stover,  one  of 
the  earlier  missionaries  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  in  America,  and  in  1735  pastor 
of  Hebron  church  in  Madison  county, 
Virginia,  in  his  ''Lutheran  Church  in  \^ir- 
ginia."  pubhshed  in  Hanover,  Germany, 
in  1737,  states  that  he  visited  the  congre- 
gations in  the  German  settlements  in 
Prince  William  •  county  (as  it  was  then 
called),  Winchester,  Woodstock,  Stras- 
burg  and  Fredericksburg.  Of  course,  his 
visit  to  Loudoun  county  was  in  the  in- 
terest of  the  Lutheran  Church,  although 
nothing  is  said  about  organizing  a  con- 
gregation, but  the  fact  that  he  visited  the 
German  settlement  is  evidence  that  a  nu- 
cleus was  found  there  which  later  crystal- 
lized into  the  New  Jerusalem  church. 

But  little  progress  seems  to  have  been 
made  with  the  Lutheran  Church  in  Lou- 
doun county  until  about  1765.  when,  un- 
der the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Schwerdfeger, 
a  log  church  and  school  house  were  erect- 
ed on  the  ground  now  occupied  by  the 
New  Jerusalem  church  and  cemetery,  the 
land  originally  donated  by  Lord  Fairfax. 
This  seems  to  have  been  the  beginning  of 
regtilar  church  services  by  stated  pastors, 
and  continued  ever  since.  This  church 
had  brief  pastorates  of  Rev.  Hartwick  and 
Rev.  Sartorius. 

The  Rev.  John  Andreas  Krug  was  the 
pastor  at  Frederick,  Md.,  and  supplied 
the  church  in  the  German  settlement.  A 
pious,  popular  preacher  of  most  excellent 
qualities,  he  was  the  first  pastor  who  really 
put  the  church  on  a  solid  basis,  serving 
it  faithfully  for  over  twenty  years.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  J.  G.  Graeber,  an 
elderly  man,  who  soon  relinquished  the 
charge.  In  1800  the  old  log  house  was 
found  to  be  too  small  for  the  rapidly  in- 
creasing congregation,  and  a  stone  struc- 
ture, 40  X  60  ft.,  was  erected — a  grand 
church  for  that  day,  with  arched  ceiling, 
a  gallery  on  each  side,  and  aisles  paved 
with  dressed  stone.  Above  the  door  was 
the  inscription  "Dei  Gloria  1802."  In 
1805  Rev.  F.  W.  Jasensky  was  called, 
who  remained  only  one  year.  Rev.  Dan- 
iel F.  Schaefifer,  D.D.,  was  called  in  1807, 
who  also  remained  but  one  year,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  John  Martin  Sackman. 

Many  of  the  young  people  left  the 
church  during  his  pastorate  on  account  of 


T^OVETTSVILLE  LUTHEKAN  CHURCH. 

German  preaching.  Finally  the  pastor 
resigned,  in  1830,  giving  away  to  English 
preaching. 

Following  him  the  congregation  was 
served  since  1830  successively  by  Rev. 
Abraham  Reck,  to  1832;  Rev.  M.  Blum- 
enthal,  dismissed  the  same  year ;  Rev. 
Daniel  J.  Hauer,  to  1847;  Rev.  P.  Wil- 
lard,  to  1849 ;  Rev.  C.  Stortzman,  to  1853 ; 
Rev.  Wm.  Jenkins,  to  1857;  Rev.  J.  B. 
Anthony,  1858;  Rev.  Richardson,  from 
i860  to  1873  ;  Rev.  A.  J.  Buhrman,  to 
1876;  Rev.  P.  H.  Miller,  to  1888;  Rev. 
Daniel  Schindler,  to  1890;  Rev.  McLinn, 
to  1896;  Rev..  Luther  Hess  Waring,  to 
1899;  Rev.  Dr.  Asa  Richard,  to  the  pres- 
ent. Rev.  Hauer  was  a  strong  and  ag- 
gressive preacher,  a  strict  disciplinarian 
and  an  untiring  worker.  During  Rich- 
ardson's pastorate  the  church  was  decor- 
ated and  the  seats  were  arranged  in  cir- 
cles, an  innovation  to  which  protests  were 
raised,  on  the  charge  that  it  made  the 
church  look  too  much  like  a  theatre. 
Space  does  not  permit  reference  to  many 
interesting  details  in  the  life  of  this 
church. 

This  church  has  been  one  of  great  in- 
fluence in  the  settlement.     From  the  very 


132 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


beginning  it  has  always  been  a  beacon 
light  to  this  part  of  the  State.  In  1840 
there  were  over  four  hundred  members ; 
in  1870,  five  hundred ;  the  communicants 
on  the  rolls  of  the  church  now  number 
over  six  hundred.  It  is  exceedingly  doubt- 
ful if  there  is  as  large  a  membership  in 
any  rural  church  in  the  United  States.* 
The  influence  of  this  church  is  not  con- 
fined to  Virginia  alone,  but  permeates 
portions  of  West  Virginia  and  Maryland. 
The  membership  extends  from  one  to  ten 
miles  of  the  church.  Should  the  pastor 
get  into  his  buggy  and  start  to  visit  his 
congregation,  traveling  ten  miles  a  day 
'and  visiting  ten  persons  a  day,  it  would 
take  him  more  than  two  months  to  visit 
his  people,  and  he  would  have  traveled 
over  six  hundred  miles. 

Dr.  Richard  very  kindly  placed  at  the 
disposal  of  the  writer  copies  of  early 
church  records  which  materially  lessened 
his  labors  and  largely  contributed  to  the 
value  of  this  sketch  of  the  New  Jerusalem 
church. 

The  Reformed  Church. 

A  history  of  the  churches  of  the  Ger- 
man settlement  is  simply  a  history  of  the 
people  themselves.  The  church  was  prob- 
ably organized  the  first  few  years  after 
settlement,  being  conducted  at  first  with 
but  little  organization,  preaching  services 
being  held  at  the  homes  of  the  first  settlers 
and  later  at  he  school  houses.  In  fact, 
the  school  houses  were  also  churches  or 
rather  meeting  houses.  Many  old  deeds 
read  to  liave  and  to  hold  for  school  and 
preaching  services.  The  first  house  erect- 
ed for  this  purpose,  about  1775,  stood 
where  the  ice  house  now  stands,  on  the 
parsonage  ground  adjoining  the  Re- 
formed church  cemetery.  The  date  of 
the  organization  of  this  church  is  un- 
known, but  there  was  a  nucleus  around 
which  the  early  ministers  rallied  long  be- 
fore the  church  was  erected.  The  earliest 
records,  like  those  of  the  Lutheran 
church,  were  destroyed  by  fire. 

One  of  the  early  founders  of  the  Re- 
formed Church  in  America,  the  Rev. 
Michael  Schlatter,  visited  the  ( iernian  set- 

*We  wonder  whether  tlie  author  is  mistaken  in 
this  estimate.  We  should  like  to  hear  from  our 
readers.  Where  is  the  largest  rural  church  in  the 
United    States? — Ed. 


im 

m  ■'■""  m^ 

LOVETTSVILLE  REFORMED  CHURCH. 

tlement  and  preached  to  the  congregation 
May  14,  1748.  This  pioneer  left  German- 
town,  Pennsylvania,  May  3,  on  horse- 
back, traveling  by  way  of  Lancaster  and 
York,  Pennsylvania,  and  Frederick, 
Maryland,  crossing  the  Potomac  River 
below  Shepardstown  into  Virginia.  He 
visited  Winchester,  Strasburg,  Wood- 
stock and  New  Germantown  in  Rocking- 
ham county,  preaching  to  congregations 
doubtlessly  previously  organized,  and  re- 
turning crossed  the  Blue  Ridge  at  Snick- 
ers Gap,  arriving  at  the  German  settle- 
ment and  preaching  May  14,  1748,  and 
resting  for  the  night  with  Mr.  Wenner, 
the  grandfather  of  the  venerable  W.  W. 
Wenner,  where  a  marriage  was  solemn- 
ized between  a  Mr.  Wenner  and  a  Miss 
Shoemaker,  probably  by  Rev.  Schlatter. 
It  has  been  claimed  that  the  first  school 
teacher  in  the  settlement  was  a  Wenner. 
The  first  established  Reformed  preacher 
was  Rev.  Charles  Lange,  stationed  at 
Frederick  and  supplying  the  church  at 
Lovettsville.  On  his  first  visit,  in  August, 
T767,  he  was  entertained  by  Deacon 
Shoemaker,  one  of  the  early  pillars  of  the 
cliurch.  Rev.  Lange's  pastorate  closed 
in  May,  1768.  Thirty-five  persons  were 
confiriued  during  that  period.     There  was 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA  GERMANS  IN  LOUDOUN  COUNTY,  VA. 


133 


no  church  building,  services  being  held 
at  the  residence  of  Deacon  Shoemaker. 

After  Lange.  the  following  Reformed 
ministers  preached  at  Lovettsville :    Rev. 

Fred.   L.   K ,   to    1784;   Rev.    Henry 

(iiesv.    to    1796;    Rev.    Jacob    Schneider, 

:  Rev.   Dan  AX'a^ner,   from   1804  to 

1 8 10;  Rev.  Jonathan  Helfenstein,  to  1829. 
For  a  few  years  the  charge  was  irregu- 
larlv  supplied.  Rev.  Steven  Staley,  from 
1833  to  1840;  Rev.  G.  W.  Willard,  1840 
to  ?;  Rev.  George  Henry  Martin,  1849 
to  1865:  Rev.  Henry  Nissler,  1865  to 
1873:  Rev.  Henry  St.  John  Rinker,  1873 
to  1890;  Rev.  T.  K.  Cromer,  1891  to 
1895;  Rev.  Lewis  T.  Lampe,  1896;  Rev. 
James  R.  Lewis,  the  present  pastor,  since 
1906. 

Their  old  church  building  being  deemed 
unsafe,  the  congregation  recently  decided 
to  build  in  the  village  of  Lovettsville,  and 
through  the  untiring  efiforts  of  Dr.  Lewis 
a  new  brick  church  was  erected.  While 
it  is  not  a  large  church,  it  is  finely  ar- 
ranged and  quite  attractive  in  appearance. 

D>octor  Lewis  is  popular  both  in  his 
church  and  as  a  citizen.  The  German 
Reformed  church  has  exerted  an  influ- 
ence throutrhout  the  settlement  that  has 


been  shared  by  all  and  has  joined  most 
heartily  with  other  churches  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  a  better  Christian  life 
amongst  all  classes  and  conditions  of  men. 

The  writer  is  under  many  obligations 
to  Dr.  Lewis  for  so  kindly  allowing  him 
access  to  old  church  records  for  valuable 
material  relating  to  the  history  of  the 
Reformed   church   in   Lovettsville. 

The  Methodists  and  Presbyterians  also 
have  churches  in  Lovettsville. 

This  article  deals  largely  with  the  past, 
but  the  Germans  of  Loudoun  county  live 
in  the  present.  The  records'  of  their  early 
churches  were  all  written  in  German,  and 
that  tongue  was  taught  in  their  schools; 
in  fact,  they  all  spoke  German.  It  is 
doubtful  if  there  is  a  person  in  the  settle- 
ment today  that  can  speak  the  mother 
tongue,  and  nothing  would  be  as  unpopu- 
lar as  an  effort  to  have  German  taught 
in  the  public  school.  The  hand  loom 
and  spinning  wheel  are  stored  in  the 
garret ;  the  old  German  Bible  of  their 
grandfather's  day  has  been  closed  many 
years,  and  the  American  Revised  edi- 
tion is  used  instead,  and  everything  that 
pertains  to  a  progressive  Christian  civil- 
ization is  apparent  on  every  hand. 


The  eighth  annual  meeting  of  the  Bucks 
Count}'  Historical  Society  was  held  Jan.  21,  in 
the  handsome  new  building  of  the  society,  which 
was  dedicated  last  summer.  There  was  a  large 
audience  present  from  all  parts  of  Bucks  and 
adjoining  counties,  and  many  from  Philadelphia 
and  New  Jersey,  whose  ancestors  were  Bucks 
Countians.  Reports  of  officers  showed  the 
society  to  be  in  good  financial  condition,  with 
a  membership  of  770. 

The   officers   elected    were : 

President — General  W.  W.  H.  Davis,  Doyles- 
town. 

Vice  presidents — Henry  C.  Mercer,  Doyles- 
town ;  John   S.  Williams,  Solebury. 

Secretary  and  treasurer — C.  D.  Hotchkiss. 

Librarian — Warren   S.   EI3',   Doylestown. 

Trustees — General  W.  W.  H.  Davis,  Captain 
William  Wynkoop.  Newtown,  and  Miss  Mary 
L.   Dulx)is,  Doylestown. 

Captain  William  Wynkoop  read  a  paper  on 
"Bucks  County  in  Our  Nation's  Historj'." 
Former  Judge  Harman  Yerkes,  gave  some 
"Historical  Reminiscences,"  which  dwelt  on 
pro-slavery  days.  He  introduced  an  aged 
woman  named  Giles,  of  Buckingham,  who  gave 
an  account  of  "Big  Ben"  Jones,  a  giant  negro, 


who  escaped  from  his  master  and  after  a  bold 
struggle  was  returned  to  his  slave  State.  He 
was  purchased  by  a  popular  contribution  of 
$600  and  returned  to  this  county,  where  he 
afterwards  resided. 

Henry  G.  Bryant,  a  member  of  the  Phila- 
delphia Geographical  Society,  delivered  an 
address  on  his  experiences  in  exploring  inteioir 
Labrador  and  his  discovery  of  the  grand  falls 
of  that  country,  which  are  twice  the  heiglit  of 
Niagara  Falls. 

"Survivals  of  Ancient  Pottery"  was  the 
subject  of  an  address  bj^  Henry  C.  Merger. 


The  Annual  Meeting  ai  the  Lehigh  County 
Historical  Society,  was  held  on  Friday  Evening, 
February  7,  1908. 

After  the  election  of  officers,  biographical 
sketches  of  the  following  deceased  members 
were  read :  F.  W.  Koch,  A.  S.  Shimer,  Mrs. 
Robert  Iredell,  Jr.,  Prof.  H.  A.  Kline,  Rev. 
F.  J.  F.  Schantz,  D.  D.,  and  H.  A.  Schuler. 

Rev.  Dr.  J.  A.  W.  Haas,  President  o,f 
Muhlenberg  College,  addressed  the  Society  on 
"What  Local  History  Contributes  to  General 
Historv." 


134 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 

The    Home 


This  department  is  in  charge  of  Mrs.  H.  H.  Funk,  of  Springtown,  Pa.  to  whom  all  communications  for  it 
should  be  addressed.  Contributions  relating  to  domestic  matters— cooking,  baking,  house-work,  gardening, 
flower  culture,  oldtime  customs  and  ways  of  living,  etc.,  etc.— are  respectfully  solicited  Our  lady  readers  are 
specially  requested  to  aid  in  making  this  department  generally  interesiiog. 


"  Pennsylvania-Dutch  "  Recipes. 

Pennsylvania  Dutch  Recipes  is  the  name  of 
a  booklet  isstied  by  The  Dutch  Recipe  Co., 
Easton,  Pa.  (Price,  20  cents.)  The  follow- 
ing is  the  foreword  : 

This  book  is  a  collection  of  plain  recipes 
for  cooking  and  baking,  selected  from  reci- 
pes in  dail}-  use  among  the  housewives  of 
the  Pennsylvania-Dutch  settlements.    These 
women  are  renowned  for  their  good  cook- 
ing and  economical  household  management. 
Many  of  these  recipes  have  been  in  use  for 
years,  so  to  those  who  live  where  this  book 
is   published   it   contains   nothing   now.      It 
is  to  carry  the  blessings  of  good,  wholesome 
and  cheap  cooking  to  other  parts  that  this 
book   has   been    printed ;    and   that    it   may 
fulfil    its   mission,    is   the    earnest    hope    of 
The   Publishers. 
We  take  pleasure  in  quoting  a  few  of  these 
recipes.     If  the  good  cooks  and  bakers  in  our 
large  family  wish  to  make  use  of  other  recipes 
given  in  the  booklet  equally  as  good  as  those 
quoted,  they  will  do  well  to  send  twenty  cents 
to  the  publishers  for  a  copy  of  the  book  itself, 
containing  65  recipes. 

Dutch  Cake. — One  cup  sugar,  one-half  cup 
equal  parts  butter  and  lard,  one  cup  milk,  one 
egg,  two  teaspoonfuls  baking  powder  four  cups 
flour ;  place  in  pie  tins,  indent  top  with  finger, 
place  butter,  cinnamon  and  sugar  in  holes  and 
bake  till  brown.     Oven  not  too  hot. 

Quick  LigJit  Cake. — Three  cups  flour,  three 
teaspolonfuls  baking  powder,  one  teaspoonful 
salt,  butter  size  of  an  egg,  one  cup  brown 
sugar ;  rub  well  together  like  pie  dough  and 
add  one  cup  milk.  Bake  in  hot  oven.  This 
recipe  is  excellent.  Try  it  when  you  are  in  a 
hurry. 

Buterniiiich  Cooka. — Ten  cups  flour,  six  cups 
sugar,  six  eggs,  pinch  of  salt,  two  teaspoonfuls 
of  soda,  two  cups  buttermilk,  one  cup  butter, 
one  cup  lard.  Bake  in  moderate  oven.  These 
should  become  brown  on  top. 

Soft  Ginger  Bread. — One-half  cup  sugar,  one 
cup  molasses,  one-half  cup  butter,  one  teasopon- 
ful  each  of  ginger,  cloves  and  cinnamon,  add 
flour  to  stiffen,  and  bake  in  moderate  oven. 
Try  with  straw  before  taking  out  of  oven. 

Apeas. — Three  cups  sugar,  one  cup  butter, 
one  cup  milk,  two  eggs,  three  cups  flour,  two 
teaspoonfuls  l)aking  powder.  Roll  thin,  cut 
into  shapes  and  bake  in  hot  oven. 

Parker  House  Rolls. — Boil  one  pint  milk, 
when  luke  warm  add  one-half  cup  sugar,  one- 
half  teaspoonful  salt,  one  cup  yeast.  Mix  one- 
half  cup  butter  with  two  quarts  of  flour,  add  to 


above.     Knead   at   night,   let   rise    till   morning, 
then   form  into  rolls  and  bake  when  light. 

Eyelet  Embroidery. 

Eyelet  embroidery,  the  favorite  needlework  of 
our  ancestors,  which  came  back  to  us  several 
seasons  ago,  still  holds  first  place  and  undoubt- 
edly will  not  soon  again  "go  out."  The  fact 
that  the  work  is  pretty,  wears  well  and  comes 
from  the  laundry  as  beautiful  a  piece  of  work 
as  it  was  when  first  made,  convinces  us  that 
it  will  be  popular  for  generations  to  come. 

If  we  look  thro  grandmother's  linen  chest 
we'll  be  sure  to  find  some  fragment  of  this 
self-same  eyelet  work,  and  we  are  simply  adapt- 
ing old  ideas  to  new  uses.  Then  it  was  mostly 
applied  to  lingerie  garments,  perhaps  a  narrow 
strip  of  insertion  or  a  two-inch  flounce  at  a 
petticoat  or  a  scallop  with  an  inch  or  two-inch 
design  on  a  spare  set  of  pillow  bowlsters.  The 
consideration  for  this  kind  of  work  being  an 
average  of  25  cents  a  yard,  which  was  con- 
sidered a   fair  price. 

The  designs  were  few  and  mostly  original,  the 
accomplishment  of  the  most  talented  artist  in 
the  neighborhood.  They  were  copied  and  then 
passed  on  from  friend  to  friend. 

Now  the  designs  are  many  and  selecting 
them  is  entirely  diliferent.  We  go  to  an  art 
store  and  choose  any  design  we  want  or  call 
for  an  original  design  which  is  generally  traced, 
or  buy  the  material  ready  stamped,  and  are 
well  paid  for  the  work  if  done  neatly.  We  do 
not  only  embroider  lingerie  garments,  but  the 
most  elaborate  dresses  have  eyelet  embroidery 
for  the  only  trimming;  then  we  have  eyelet 
hats,  eyelet  parasols,  eyelet  doilies,  centerpieces, 
etc.,  so  that  the  work  has  become  so  popular 
that  in  most  every  home  some  article  of  eyelet 
embroidery  can  be  found.  For  any  child  tbat 
can  sew  can  learn  to  do  this  kind  of  needle- 
work, only  let  it  be  remembered  .that  the  value 
and  quality  of  the  work  depend  entirely  upon 
the  neatness  of  the  stitches. 

To  do  this  work  a  stiletto  is  necessary.  It 
is  used  to  punch  holes  in  a  round  dot  or  circle. 
The  oblong  leaves  or  petals  should  be  slit  down 
their  centers,  from  tip  to  base.  This  method 
is  also  employed  for  the  narrow  leaves  and 
petals. 

When  the  figures  are  large  it  may  be  neces- 
sary to  cut  a  small  piece  out  of  the  center 
of  the  leaf  or  petal. 

When  this  is  the  case,  fold  the  leaf  down 
the  center,  from  tip  to  the  base,  and  clip  out 
a  piece  of  the  material  on  the  fold.  Do  not 
cut  quite  to  the  end  of  the  tip  of  the  figure. 


LITERARY  GEMS 


135 


Literary  Gems 


Note.— The  following-  lines  on  Contentment  were  found  in  a  collection  of  papers  and 
i',lippini>-s  that  our  late  editor  had  made  for  use  in  tlie  paj^-es  of  this  maj^'azine.  Seeminf,'-ly 
the  translation  had  been  made  shortly  before  his  death.  Thou<jh  the  orij^-inal  words  may 
not  be  his, -they  express  a  liappy  state  of  mind  and  soul  which  Mr.  bchuler  enjoved  which 
Earth  can  neither  give  nor  take. 


Zufriedenheit. 

Treund,  ich  bin  zufrieden,  gch'  es  wie  es  will! 
Unter  meincm  Dache  Icb'  ich  froh  und  still. 
Mancher     Thor     hat     alles,     was     sein     Herz 

begchrt ; 
Doch  ich  leb'  zufrieden — das  ist  Goldes  wert. 

Leuchten  keine  Kerzen  mir  beim  Abendmahl, 
Blinken  keine  Weine  mir  in  dem  Pokal : 
Hab'   ich,  was  ich  brauche,   nur  zur   Zeit   der 

Not, 
Siisser  schmcckt  im  Schweissc  mir  mein  taglich 

Bret. 

■Gcben  auch  Palriste  mir  mein  Obdach  nicht, 
Auch  in  mciner  Hiitte  scheint  das  Sonnenlicht. 
Wo  der  Frieda  wohnet,  schlaft  man  frisch  und 

froh, 
Sei's   auf  Federbetten   oder  auf  dem   Stroh. 

Schallet  auch  mein  Name  nicht  ins  feme  Land, 
Zieret  mich  kein  Titel,  Stern  und  Ordensband : 
Nur  ein  Herz,  das  edel,  sei  die  grosste  Lust ; 
Nur  zum  Gliick  des  Bruders  atme  meine  Brust. 

Keine   Pyramiden   zieren  einst  mein   Grab, 
Und  auf  meinem  Sarge  prangt  kein  Marschall- 

stab. 
"VVo  der  Friede  wohnet  auf  dem   Leichentuch, 
Ein   paar   Freunde   weinen — o,   das   ist  genug! 


Contentment. 

TRANSLATION     BY     H.     A.     S. 

Friend,   I  am  contented,  whatsoe'er  befall! 
I   in  humble  cottage  live  at  peace  with  all. 
Many  a  fool  has  all  his  heart  desires,  but  I 
Have  content— a  blessing  gold  can  never  buy. 

At  my  supper-table  tapers  do  not  shine. 
Nor  in  silver  goblet  sparkles  ruddy  wine. 
Give  me  but  what's  needful ;  simple  fare  with 

health 
Sweeter  tastes  than  all  the  dainty  bits  of  wealth. 

The'  in  lordly  palace  I  may  never  dwell. 
Sunshine  Hoods  my  lowly  cabin  just  as  well. 
Where    peace    lingers,    softly    rest.s    the    weary 

head, 
Be  of  eiderdown  or  simple  straw  the  bed. 

Tho'  my  name  resound  not  into  lands  afar, 
Tho'  I  bear  no  title,  wear  no  belt  nor  star : 
Be  a  noble  manhood  e'er  my  greatest  joy, 
To  promote  my  brother's   w^eal  my  chief  em- 
ploy. 

Tho'  no   shaft  of  marble  rise  upon  my  grave, 
Nor  above  my  coffin  martial  banners  "wave : 
Let  sweet  peace  within  my  simple  shroud  abide, 
Friends,  a  few,  stand  weeping — I  am  satisfied! 


"WIE  DE  LEUT  DES  DUHNE. 


BY  GOTHE  VON  BERKS. 


Ich    hab   vergange    Owets   g'hockt, 
Un  hab  mei  Kupp'  well  g'henkt, 

Un   hab   die   Welt   en    Stund   betracht, 
Un  an  die  Lent  gedenkt. 

Do  laafe   Mensche   uf   die   Strosse, 

All   priichtig   a'   geduh ; 
Sie  trage  vun   de   Schenste   Kleeder 

Un   von    de    feinste    Schuh. 

Die  Manner   drinke  ihr   Bier 

Un    schmoke    viel    Cigars, 
Die    Weibsleut    esse    ihr    Eis    Cream, 

Un  rcide  in  die  Cars. 

Viel   vun  die  Manner   schaffe  net, 

Vediene   wenig   Geld ; 
Sie  lewe  juscht  wie  annere  Leut 

In  unscr  reiche  Welt. 

Nau  ich  schaff  fleiszig  alle  Dag 

Un    krieg    en    guter    Loh, 
3ch   trag  kens   vun   die   feinste   Kleeder 

Un    nix    wie    commene    Schuh. 


Ich   hab  mei   Schulde   all   bezahlt 

Un  hab  noch  Geld  danewe, 
Doch  kann  ich  net  so  viel  verspende, 

Un   so   groszartig  lewe. 

No  hab  ich  zu  mir  heemlich  g'saat, 
Fer    was    muss    ich    so    spare? 

Warum  kann  ich  net  ah  so  lewe 
Un   Dag   und   Nacht   rumfahre? 

No    bin    in   en    Schuh    Store   gauge 

Do  ware  deire   Schuh ; 
Ihr   misst,   hab   ich   zum    Schuhmann   g'sagt, 

En    grosse    Bisznes    duh. 

Ja!    sagt   er   's   kumme   Viel   do   rei, 

Un   Wenig  duhne  bleiwe. 
Sie  wolle  vun   de  Schonste  Schuh, 

No  solle  mir's  ufschreiwe. 

Sie  sage  wohl:  am  nachst  Piih-Dag 

Bezahle   mir's  im   Stohr, 
Es  is   verleicht  ah  wohr,   fer  Viel 

Hen  ken   Pah-Dag  im  Johr. 


136 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


No  bin   ich   uf   die   Strosse   geloffe 

Zu    em    hertschaff'ge    Mann, 
Der   is   mir    schnell   engege   kumme 

Mit  seiner  ^lillich  Kann. 

Well,    John,    wie   geht's    den    scheene    Morge? 

Hab  ich  zum  Bauer  g'sagt, 
Die  Kann  is  ja  wahrhaftig  voll, 

Du   hoscht    en    schwere    Load. 

Ich !  sagt  der  John,  die  Kann  is  all 

Voll  gute  siesze  Millich, 
Es  sin  viel  Weibsleit  an  die  Haiiser, 

Fer  kaafe  sin  sie  willich. 

Die   Manner   hen   ket   Erwet  nau, 

Sie   sin   im   grosze   Streik, 
Un    ihre    Buwe    reide    rum 

Uf  ihrem  Tandem  Beik. 

Die   Weibsleit   wolle   Millich   hawe, 

Sie  stehne  hie  un  bettle, 
Sie  sage  wann   der   Streik  verbei  is, 

Dann    wolle    sie's   Bill    settle. 

Ja !    sagt  der  John,  no  ziege  sie 

Fort   in   en   annere   Blatz. 
No  kann  ich  gucke  fer  mei  Geld, 

Un  bin  juscht  so  viel  kerz. 

Ich  bin  no  am  a  Haus  vorbei, 

Do  is  en  Mann  raus  kumme ; 
Der  hot  sei  Maul  gebutzt  un  g'sagt, 

Er  het  en  paar  genumme. 


No  hat  er  mir  eweil  geklagt 

Sei  Loll  war  ganz  zu  klee, 
Die    Koschte   ware   viel    zu    grosz, 

Er  kennt's  schier  net  aussteh. 

Der  letscht  Mann,  dasz  ich  g'sehne  hab, 

Het  gern  en  Office  g'hat ; 
Er  hot  g'sagt   dasz   er  het  viel  g' spent 

LTn's  het  ihn  nix  gebat. 

Ich   hab   ihm   sterr   in's   G'sicht   geguckt, 
Un  hab  ihm  grad  dert  g'sagt 

Heescht    du    dich    en    Republiken 
Oder   en    Demokrat? 

Er  sagt  er  war  schon  oft  geloffe, 
Viel  fer  die  Party  g'schpent, 

Un  war  des   County  oft  getrawelt 
Von  Anfang  bis  zu  End. 

Des    County   is   mir'n   Offis    schuldig. 

En   gutes   Amt,   gewiss, 
Es  macht  mir  ah  net  juscht  viel  aus 

Von   weller   Party   's   is. 

Nau  wann  ich's  Amt  fer  drei  Johr  het. 
No   debt   ich   mei   Geld   sewe : 

Die  Hiilft  dervun  bezahlt  mei  Schulde, 
Vom   iwrig   kann   ich   lewe. 

Nau  sehn  ich  wie  die  Leut  des  duhne, 
Ich  branch  nau  nimme  denke : 

Unnothige  Bills  bezahle  sie. 
Die  nothige  bleiwe  henke. 


DER  HEXEDOKTOR. 

BY     CHARLES     C.     MORE^     PHILADELPHIA.     PA. 


Beim  Sollv  Schtrunk  oder  "Schtruwel" 
Schtrunk,  wie  die  Leit  ihn  drowa  in  Grebsdahl 
gheese  hen,  hots  gar  nimmi  recht  geh  welle. 
Sei  gleene  Bauerei,  wo  friiher  ihn  un  sei  Frau 
so  schee  erniihrt  hot,  is  ufen  ort  wie  ausge- 
backt  un  hinnerschich  gauge.  Es  is  ihm  nix 
meh  druf  gewachse,  as  wie  Ungraut  un 
Schulde. 

Es  is,  wie  gsat,  alles  letz  gauge  beim  Solly. 
Sei  Fenze  hen  norjets  meh  schteh  wolle,  un 
hen  sich  hiegelegt,  un  die  Bord  an  der  Gebeier 
hen  sich  obgschalt  un  sin  runner-komme  for 
der  Fenze  Kumpanie  zu  halte.  Die  eenzigscht 
Kuh.  as  er  noch  ghat  hot,  hot  die  menscht  zeit 
uf  der  Schtrose  gelege,  weils  Falder  es 
glenscht  Loch  in  der  Fenz  war,  un  weils  kee 
weed  meh  uf  der  Felder  gewe  hot.  Uni  sei 
Druwel  noch  greeser  zu  mache,  hot's  der  Solly 
mit  em  Glage  iwer  Gnocheweh  griet  un  do  hot 
er  dann  of  course  alsemol  un  all  Gebot  widder 
en  Schmaler  drinke  misse,  for  sich  zu  kure  un 
sich  "couragement"  zu  gewe,  wie  er  als  gsat 
hot. 

Die  Leit  meege  now  juscht  grad  iwers  Drinke 
.sage  was  sie  welle,  awer  wann  mer's  mol  so 
recht  in  de  Gnoche  hot  un  mcr  fiehlt  as  wie 
wann  mer  so  ufen  ort  wie  Zahweh  im  Greiz 
het,  do  geht  juscht  nix  iver  so'u  guter  Gargel- 
wischer,  abordich  wann  mer  "Couragement" 
brauch,  Ei,  die  Doktere  gewe's  em  jo,  un  den- 


noh  Tcharge  sie  em  noch  en  Dahler  for's  em 
zu  verrote.  Frieher  hen  als  der  Solly  un  sei 
Mary  gut  minanner  schteiere  kenne ;  se  ware 
allebeet  fleizig  un  die  alt  hot  net  meh  mit  ihm 
gscholte,  as  wie's  bei  eener  Frau  nothwennig 
is,  wo  die  Hosse  in  der  Haushalting  abbehalte 
will.  Awer  zitter  as  der  Solly  agfange  hot  iwer, 
Gnocheweh  zu  glage  un  sich  "couragement"  im 
Uerthshaus  zu  hole,  do  hot  ewa  der  Grieg  so 
zu  sage  immer  reddy  bei  ihm  am  Feierherd 
g'hockt.  Sei  Frau  hot  mit  im  gezankt  wonn 
ihr  die  Arwet  net  recht  geh  hot  welle,  un  alles 
im  Haus  verhuddelt  war,  un  er  hot  mit  ihr 
gezankt  wonn  ihm  die  Arwet  zu  viel  zu  schaffe 
gemacht  hot.  So  hen  sie  nanner  die  Schuld 
an  allem  Elend  gewa  un  hen  mit  nanner  rum 
g'fochte,  for  sich,  mit  sich  selwer  zu  fridener 
zu  mache.  Im  Zanke  war  awer  der  Solly  sei 
Lebdog  kee  match  gewest  for  sei  Mary,  un  de 
meh  as  sie  mit  nanner  gezankt  hen,  de 
schlechter  hot  der  Solly  ausgemacht.  "Soen 
scharfe  Weiwerzung,"  hot  er  als  gsat,  "is  about 
es  eenzigscht  Ding,  as  scharfer  werd,  demeh 
as  se  geust  werd."  Het  er  awer  alsemol  bei 
so'me  Rally  der  Frau  recht  lang  wedderbart 
ghalte,  anschtatt  glei  nunner  zu  backe,  hets 
viele  meh  bei  ihr  gebat;  do  het  sie  gemeent, 
sie  het  mol  widder  en  grosr  Battel  gwonne  un 
war  denno  viel  zufridener  un  mit  meh  Muth  an 
die  Arwet  gauge.     Awer  der  Solly  is  for  com- 


LITERARY  GEMS 


137 


nion  wie  so'n  gcgcrbder  Hund  abgschliche  un 
is  naus  in  die  Scheier  ufs  Ewerden,  wo  er  iwer 
sei  Druwel  un  sci  Gnocheweh  nohdenke  hot 
kenne,  ohnc  wciter  von  seiner  Frau  geboddert 
zu  sei  as  vvit-  ihre  zornige  Worde  zu  here,  die 
vtie  beese  llunimele  um  die  Scheier  rum  gfloge 
sin. 

Weil  die  I'Vau  denno  nieniand  nieh  ghat  hot 
for  mit  zu  zanke,  un  sie  all  die  scheene  Worde 
as  sie  als  for  ihn  eigschtudirt  hot,  net  abringe 
hot  kenne,  hot  sie  ewa  ah  der  muth  verlore  un 
is  nuf  uf  der  Schpeicher  for  iwer  ihrer  Druwel 
zu  kunsiddere  Es  gebt  now  doch  nix  uf  der 
Welt  ivers  Hiehocke  un  Kunsiddere,  wann  mer 
Druwel  un  Sorge  hot.  Es  helft  juscht  about 
arrig  meh  Druwel  un  Sorge  zumache.  De 
mehner  Druwel  as  mer  hot  de  meh  vergeszt 
mer  doch  der  alt.  Es  is  juschtement  as  wie 
wann  mer  em  Gaul  noch  en  Sockvoll  Korn  uf 
der  Buckel  legt,  so  as  er  die  annere  Seek  net 
so  schpiert.  Odder,  mer  welle  sage,  es  is  die 
gut  alt  hamebadische  Kur — Gift  gege  Gift, 
juscht  ufen  annere  weg.  Beim  Solly  un  seiner 
Frau  hots  nei  Gift  wohl  nets  alte  Gift  ver- 
driwe — es  hots  zugedeckt  grad  wie  so  en  dinne 
Haut  uf  em  Gschware  awer  der  Gschwiire  war 
doch  noch  dort  un  hot  helfe  der  alt  Druwel 
graser  zu  mache,  weil  es  ihm  die  Graft  un  der 
wille  genomme  hot,  ihn  drunne  zu  halte.  Er 
is  dann  ah  ufkomme  wies  Unkraut  in  ihrem 
Garte  un  so  war's  of  course  ah  kee  wunner,  as 
alles,  wie  mer  so  sagt,  zum   Deiwel  gange  is. 

So  hot  dann  der  Solly  sei  Friede  uf  em 
Ewerden  gsucht,  wo  er  seim  Gnocheweh  besser 
abworte  hot  kenne,  un  wo  er  nau  schon  sei 
"Couragement"'  imm  Demijohn  ghalte  hot  weil 
es  ihm  zu  viel  Druwel  war,  so  oft  noch  em 
Wertshaus  zueeh.  Un  sei  Frau  hot  sich  mit 
Schelte  mied  gemacht  un  mit  kunsidere  ab- 
gschafft  un  alle  beed  hen  uf  ihre  Weg  Schtarig 
un  Kraft  gsucht — for  nix  zu  duh.  Unner  so 
Umstande  wares  dann  of  course  ah  kee  Wun- 
ner, as  bei  ihm  der  Karrich  im  Dreck  schtecke 
is  blieve.  Ihr  Kuh  is  annere  Leit  in  der 
Schade  gange  un  hot  Fechterei  gemacht ;  ihre 
Hinkel  hen  nimmi  gelegt  un  alle  gebot  is  ihm 
en  Sau  verreckt  un  des  bissel  milch  as  sie  griet 
hen,  war  die  menscht  Ziet  bitter,  un  forn 
wecksel  hot  die  Kuh  drucke  gschtanne. 

All  die  Sache  sin  em  Solly  un  seiner  Frau 
lang  ordlich  vorkomme.  Sie  hen  nimmi  driwe 
noh  gedenkt  was  for  Druwel  sie  ghot  hen,  awer 
wo  er  all  her  komme  kennt.  Bei  dem  viele 
kunsidere  sin  sie  ee  dag  uf  der  sam  gedanke 
kumme — der  erscht  uf  den  sie  in  finf  johr  mit 
nanner  eenig  ware.  Sie  ware  verhext,  grad 
fair   play   verhext. 

Anschtatt  sich  awer  nau  neier  Druwel  dat 
druf  hie  zu  mache,  hen  sie  sich  arrig  gfreet,  as 
sie  endlich  mol  hinner  all  die  Ursach  von  ihrem 
alte  Druwel  komme  sin.  Well  en  Freed  wars 
juscht  ah  net,  es  war  about  die  seem  sort  satis- 
faction, as  en  mensch  fiehlt,  wo  sich  von  eem 
bar  seeft  un  denno  em  anner  in  die  Klubbe 
schpringt. 

War  der  Solly  allec  verhext  gewest,  hat  sei 
Frau  sich  eens  in  die  Fauscht  gelacht  un  hets 
ihm  allee  gebot  unner  de  nas  gerieve ;  war  die 


Frau  allee  verhext  gewest,  do  war  ewa  der 
Solly  mit  seim  Druwel  un  seim  Gnocheweh  nuf 
ufs  Ewerden  un  het  gedenkt,  sie  mecht's 
juscht  allee  ausfechte.  Awer  sie  ware  allebeed 
verhext  un  do  hen  sie  of  course  schon  mit  nan- 
ner Friede  shliese  mise,  for  sich  gege  der 
gcmeinsamc  Feind  zu  brotekte.  Der  Mensch  is 
ewa  nau  mol  so;  er  is  glei  ready  en  deel  von 
seim  Druwel  auf  anner  Schultere  abzulade, 
awer  sei  Pureed  will  er   for   sich   alee. 

Du  Liver  Himmel,  was  is  do  net  alles  geduh 
warre,  for  selli  Hex  auszufinne!  Die  halft  zeit 
hot  der  Besem  iwer  zwerrich  vor*  der  Kiche- 
diehr  gelege.  En  Hex  kann  net  iwer  en  Besem 
schritte  un  wann  ebber  ins  Haus  kommt  un 
der  Besem  ufliebt,  dan  is  sei  die  Hex.  Dann 
hen  sie  gliedige  Kohle  ins  wasser  gschmisse  un 
hen  dennoh  die  nachbore  gewatscht  for  sehne 
wer  verbrennte  Finger  odr  wehe  Lefts  het. 
Dann  is  ah  der  Solly  mit  me  Holzschlegel  un 
Keitel  rum  gelufe  un  hot  Schtumpe  un  Poschte 
ufgsucht  for  den  Keitel  mit  drei  schtreech  nei 
zu  schlage.  Hot  er  so  eener  gfunne,  dennoh 
hot  er  gewort  for  sehne  wer  in  der  nachbar- 
schaft  bletzHch  gschtarwe  is.  Oder  er  hot  ale 
nagel  aus  em  Kerrich-hof  dohr  gezoge  un  hot 
sie  geboge  un  urns  Haus  rum  gelegt,  awer  sis 
neimand  in  der  nachbarschaft  lahm  gange. 

All  die  Wohrheetsager  un  Hexedoktor  in 
der  ganze  Gegend  hen  sie  besu«ht  un  aus- 
gfrogt  un  hen  sich  Mittel  gewa  losse,  awer  es 
hot  -alles  nix  gebot.  Die  Sei  sin  ewa  dod  gange 
wie  friher ;  die  Kuh  hot  als  noch  die  same 
Capers  gemacht  un  in  Schpeit  von  all  die 
Greize  am  Butterfas  is  der  Butter  entweder 
gar  net  zamme  gange  oder  war  schlecht.  Es 
war  nau  about  die  zahscht  Hex  as  sei  lebdag 
uf  der  Welt  war! 

Ee  Marje  is  der  Solly  in  die  Scheier  kumme 
un  do  hot  die  Kuh  mit  de  Hinnere  bee  im 
Fudderdrog  gschtanne  un  hot  sei  beschter  Rock, 
wo  noch  oweds  dervor  im  Hof  uf  der  Lein 
ghanke  hot,  uf  der  Herner  ghat.  Sei  hots 
gsettelt.  •  Er  war  nau  gebaund,  selle  Hex  aus- 
zuUnne  un  wans  sei  ganze  Bauerei  koschte  deet. 
Er  hot  vome  Wohretsager  oder  Gedankeleser 
m  der  Schtadt  ghert  ghat  as  me  gebottener 
Kandidat  sei  Gedanke  noch  der  Lekschen  ge- 
lese  hawe  soil.  Vom  Nachbar  hot  er  en  Fuhr- 
werk  geiehnt  un  mit  zwanzig  Dahler  im  Sack, 
about  all's  Geld  as  er  noch  ghat  hot,  is  er  mit 
semer  Frau  nach  der  Schtadt  gfahre  for  seller 
Brofesser  von  der  He.xedoktorie  zo  sehne.  Ihr 
het  sell  Paar  sehne  selle,  wie  es  darrich  die 
Schtadt  gange  is.  Der  Solly  is  forneher  un  sei 
Frau  about  zwanzig  Schritt  hinnenoh. 

Awer  sie  ware  jo  ah  net  noch  der  Schtadt 
komme  for  sich  zu  weise.  Sie  hen  Bisness 
ghat. 

An  een  Schtrose  eck  hen  zwee  junge  Man- 
ner gschtanne,  denne  mers  shone  uf  en  hunnert 
Schritt  ahgsehne  hot,  os  sie  Gnep  hinnich  de 
Ohre  ghot  hen.  Uf  die  is  der  Solly  zu,  un 
hot  sie  gfrogt,  wo  seller  arrig  Gedankeleser 
un  Wohretsager  Avohne  deet. 

Eens  von  der  Kerls  hot  weil  gekunsiddert  un 
denno  gfrogt,  was  er  mit  ihm  wot.  Der  Solly 
(Conclusion  in  April  Number) 


-T38 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 

EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT 


Editor  and  Pulilisher 

H.   W.  KRIEBEL. 

Ea^t  Greenville,  Pa. 

The  Pexnsylvania-German  is  an  illustrated  monthly 
■magazine  devoted  to  the  biography,  history,  genealogy, 
folklore,  literature  and  general  interests  of  German 
and  Swiss  settlers  in  Pennsylvania  and  other  States, 
and    of    their    descendants. 

Price,  per  year,  $1.50,  in  advance;  single  copies, 
15  cents.  Foreign  postage,  25  cents  a  year  extra. 
Club-rates  furnished  on  application.  Payments 
credited    by    mail. 

Discontinuance. — The  magazine  will  be  sent  until 
order  to  discontinue  is  received.  This  is  done  to 
accommodate  the  majority  of  subscribers,  who  do 
not    wish    to    have   their   files   broken. 

Notice   of    Expiration    of    subscription    is    given    by 


As.'iociate  Editors 
Mrs.  H.  H.  FUNK,    Springtown,  Pa 
E.  S.  GERHAKD,  A.  M..  Trenton.  N.  J 
using     red     ink     in     addressing     the     wrapper     of     the 
magazine.  _  ' 

Contributions. — Carefully  prepared  articles  bearing 
on  our  field  are  invited  and  should  be  accompanied 
with  illustrations  when  possible.  No  attention  will 
be  given  to  unsigned  articles,  nor  will  we  be  re- 
sponsible for  the  statements  and  opinions  of  con- 
tributors. Unavailable  manuscripts  will  not  be  re- 
turned unless  stamps  are  sent  to  prepay  postage. 
Contributions  intended  for  any  particular  number 
should  be  in  the  editor's  hands  by  the  twenty-fifth  of 
the     second     preceding     month. 

Advertising  Rates  will  be  furnished  by  the  pub- 
lisher _upon    request. 


A  Fitting  Monument. 

S  stated  elsewhere,  we  regard 
the  issues  of  this  magazine 
pubhshed  during  the  years 
1906  and  1907  as  a  fitting 
monument  to  our  departed 
and  lamented  editor,  Henry 
A.  Schuler.  He  was  the  prime  mover  in 
the  purchase  of  the  magazine  from  its 
founder  and  former  publisher.  Rev.  Dr. 
P.  C.  Croll.  He  gave  material  aid  in 
making  it  what  it  is  at  present.  This 
means  that  he  gave  unselfishly  to  the 
cause,  his  time,  some  cash,  the  benefit  of 
his  long  editorial  experience  and  literary 
training.  His  heart  was  in  the  work,  and 
there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  our 
readers  would  still  enjoy  the  benefits  of 
his  connection  with  the  magazine  had  his 
life  been  spared.  We  both  felt  that  our 
prospects  were  more  favorable  than  at  any 
previous  time,  and  were  looking  forward 
hopefully  to  a  prosperous  year  when 
death  so  suddenly  and  unselfishly  snatched 
him  from  the  side  of  his  associate. 

We  feel  that  we  can  best  honor  the 
memory  of  Mr.  Schuler  as  editor  by  car- 
rying forward  with  all  the  strength  and 
means  at  our  command  the  work  he  so 
unselfishly  helped  to  extend  and  carry 
forward.  We  shall  regard  it  a  personal 
favor  if  all  will  stand  firmly  by  the  maga- 
zine and  give  it  their  moral  and  financial 
support.  We  may  say  in  passing  that  the 
many  encouraging  letters  received  give 
strong  hope  that  we  may  count  on  re- 
ceiving such  help.  By  a  united  and 
■  ceaseless  efifort  the  magazine  can  be  built 


up  and  be  made  an  honor  to  the  people 
whose  name  it  bears,  a  benefit  to  its  sup- 
porters, a  service  to  coming  generations 
and  thus  an  honor  to  him  who  gave  so 
much  for  it. 

New  Subscribers. 

The  life  of  most  periodicals  depends  on 
the  number  of  copies  regularly  paid  for. 
To  build  up  the  circulation  is  therefore 
one  of  the  best  ways  of  aiding  a  magazine, 
and  right  here  is  where  each  can  help 
the  good  cause  along.  Not  all  can  be 
contributors,  but  all  can  be  workers  when 
it  comes  to  the  question  of  winning  new 
friends.  Some  have  responded  nobly  to 
our  former  appeals ;  many  not.  It  would 
be  a  great  help  if  each  one  would  make 
it  his  business  to  secure  at  least  one  new 
subscriber  before  long.  Were  each  read- 
er to  get  but  two  new  subscribers  a  year, 
the  next  half  decade,  the  magazine  would 
experience  a  wonderful  forward  stride. 
It  could  be  made  much  larger,  much  better 
and  thus  more  valuable,  and  hence  much 
cheaper  at  the  existing  rates. 
Correspondence  Invited. 

We  desire  to  repeat  here  also  what  has 
been  said  before,  that  we  welcome  cor- 
respondence and  criticism.  We  are  far 
from  posing  as  infallible  or  omniscent. 
From  the  very  nature  of  the  case  one  man 
as  editor  can  not  have  the  knowledge  or 
have  access  to  the  sources  of  knowledge 
possessed  by  a  wide  circle  of  intelligent 
readers  nor  can  he  by  unconscious  cere- 
bration or  psychic  telepathy  determine 
what  a  friend  a  hundred  or  a  thousand 
miles   awav   is   thinking.      If   vou   notice 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT 


139 


or  think  of  anything  we  ouj^ht  to  know — 
misstatements,  omissions,  poor  workman- 
ship, sources  of  information,  possible 
new  subscribers  or  whatnot — sit  right 
<lovvn  and  drop  us  a  few  lines. 
A  Joke  Book  Suggested. 
In  his  address  before  the  Lehigh  Coun- 
ty Historical  Society,  President  Haas,  of 
Muhlenberg  College  suggested  that  the 
society  issue  a  joke  book,  giving  a  col- 
lection of  witty  sayings,  jokes,  puns,  etc., 
-current  in  the  community.  We  believe  the 


suggestion  a  good  one,  and  hope  the 
members  of  the  society  will  begin  to  make 
record  of  expressions  they  hear  to  be 
submitted  later  to  a  compiler.  Why  not? 
Other  societies  could  with  profit  take  up 
such  work.  Such  collections  would  be  a 
valuable  contribution  to  folklore.  While 
these  collections  are  forming  we  welcome 
contributions  along  this  line.  H  you  hear 
a  good  characteristic  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man joke,  let  us  have  it,  and  we  will  pass 
it  along  to  our  readers. 


Clippings  from  Current  News 


Rev.  Thos.  C.  Leinbach,  one  of  the  most 
Avidely  known  Reformed  ministers  in  Berks 
<count\-,  Pennsylvania,  has  roimded  out  a  pas- 
torate of  nearly  47  years.  During  this  pastor- 
ate he  confirmed  850  people,  baptized  826  per- 
sons, conducted  435  funerals  and  officiated  at 
more  than  200  weddings.  He  is  the  father  of 
four  sons,  three  of  whom  are  Reformed  min- 
isters. 

During  a  fourteen  year  pastorate  of  a  charge, 
•comprising  the  Mt.  Joy  and  Harney  churches,, 
near  Hanover,  Pa.,  Rev.  Mr.  Minnick  delivered 
2,281  sermons  and  addresses,  baptized  326  in- 
fants, officiated  at  127  funerals  and  married 
140  couples  and  received  455  persons  into  the 
•church.  A  remarkatle  feature  of  his  long  min- 
istry is  that  'he  never  missed  a  single  service 
on  account  of  illness. 

Nearly  a  score  of  years  ago,  Mr.  Knaub 
•was  a  prominent  contractor  and  builder  and 
also  conducted  a  box  factory  at  Yoe,  York 
•county.  Pa.  He  became  involved  in  financial 
difficulties  and  failed  in  business.  Becoming 
discouraged,  he  left  Iiis  wife  and  several  chil- 
dren and  started  out  a  poor  man  to  make  his 
way  abroad.  He  located  near  Pittsburg  and 
then  he  left  that  section  and  his  relatives  did 
not  hear  from  him  until  shortly  after  last  New 
Year's  day,  when  his  brother,  Henry  Knaub, 
was  surprised  to  receive  a  long  letter  from 
liim.  In  this  letter  he  states  that  he  is  located 
in  Los  Angeles.  Cal.,  and  that  he  has  amassed 
a  big  fortune  and  that  in  a  year  or  two  he  ex- 
pects to  return  to  York  county,  fix  up  his  finan- 
cial matters  and  live  a  retired  life.  He  says  he 
is  interested  in  a  score  or  so  of  gold,  copper  and 
lead  mines  in  California,  Utah  and  Mexico,  and 
that  he  has  property  and  cash  to  the  extent  of 
one  and  one-half  million  dollars. 

The  annual  statement  of  the  Sinking  Fund  of 
Pennsylvania  shows  that  at  the  close  of  the 
fiscal  year  1906  the  net  State  debt  was 
$78,14.6.28  and  the  gross  debt  $3,346,167.02, 
whereas  at  the  close  of  the  recent  fiscal  year  the 
net  debt  was  $102,318.14,  but  the  gross  debt  had 
heen  reduced  to  $2,727,817.02,  or  nearly 
$1,000,000  less.  The  total  assets  held  by  the 
-commissioners  are  $2,625,298.88. 


The  Schiller  statue  which  the  German 
citizens  of  Cleveland  will  erect  in  that  city,  has 
been  completed  in  Berlin.  The  bronze  figure 
is  a  little  over  seven  feet  high.  It  shows  the 
poet  seated  in  an  arm  chair.  Speaking  of  the 
work,  a  Berlin  paper  says:  "The  new  Schiller 
statue  for  the  United  States  does  much  credit 
to  the  sculptor,  Herman  Matzen,  and  its  crea- 
tion gives  us  in  the  fatherland  renewed  proof — 
although  that  was  never  required — of  the 
loyalty  of  our  American  brothers  to  the 
literature  of  Germany.  The  German  who  gO€s 
to  America  becomes  an  American  in  all  that 
the  word  implies,  but  even  unto  the  third  gene- 
ration he  is  usually  loyal  to  German  poetry 
and  German  song." 

A  Science  Hall  Building  at  North  Western 
College,  Naperville,  Illinois,  has  been  made  a 
reality  and  is  nearing  completion  by  the 
handsome  donation  of  $25,000  by  Dr.  Goldspohn, 
an  alumnus.  The  building  when  completed 
will  cost  $30,000.  The  furnishing  of  the 
buildhig  will  probably  cost  an  additional  amount 
of  $8,000.  Not -enough  but  a  considerable  sum 
has  been  secured  for  this  purpose,  bv  contri- 
butions from  Young  People's  Alliances  and 
by  private  gifts.  Dr.  Goldspohn  is  a  highly 
respected  physician  in  Chicago. 

Tilghman  Stattler,  the  oldest  Odd  Fellow 
m  the  Lehigh  Valley,  who  has  been  a  member 
of  Lehigh  Lodge,  No.  83,  of  Allentown.  for 
nearly  sixtj'-five  years  and  never  drew  a  dollar 
in  sick  benefits,  celebrated  his  90th  birthday 
anniversary  recently  with  a  family  reunion. 
He  is  the  pioneer  carriage  builder  of  Allentown. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Engineers' 
Club  of  Philadelphia,  in  Januarv,  Professor  H. 
W.  Spangler,  of  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania, was  chosen  President,  at  the  recent 
opening  of  their  new  club  house  and  the  cele- 
bration of  the  thirtieth  anniversary  of  the  origin 
of  the  club. 

More  than  seven  hundred  men  were  present 
which  was  the  largest  social  event  in  the  history 
of  the  club.  Those  present  included  five  hun- 
dred and  fifty  engineers  and  members  of  the 
club,  the  balance  being  invited  guests. 


140 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Organized  in  1887  by  a  few  local  engineers, 
the  club  now  has  a  membership  of  590,  includ- 
ing some  of  the  most  famous  engineers  and 
scientists  in  America.  There  are  only  four 
men  wiio  have  so  far  gained  the  distinction  of 
being  elected  as  honorary  members.  These 
are:  Rear  Admiral  George  W.  Melville,  U.  S. 
N.  (retired)  ;  William  Price  Craighill,  U.  S.  A. 
(retired)  ;  Benjamin  F.  Isherwood,  U.  S.  N. 
(retired)  ;  J.  Fritz,  mechanical  engineer 
(retired). 

With  a  two-day  celebration  which  ended 
January  26,  the  Lehigh  Saengerbund  observed 
its  50th  anniversary  in  Allentown,  Pa.  The 
jubilee  began  with  a  reception  to  the  Junger 
Mannerchoir,  of  Philadelphia,  fo'llowed  in  the 
evening  by  a  banquet  at  the  Hotel  Allen.  The 
following  afternoon  2,000  people  attended  a 
concert  at  the  Lyric  Theatre  in  which  the 
Saengerbund  was  assisted  by  the  Junger 
Maennerchor,  the  Easton  Concordia,  the 
Lehighton  Germania  and  the  Lincoln  Solo 
Quartet,  of  New  York. 

Ira  D.  Shaw,  in  charge  of  the  industrial 
educational  work  of  the  Kensington  Y.  M. 
C.  A.,  has  called  a  meeting  of  mill  owners  at 
the  Manufacturers'  Club,  Philadelphia,  Penn- 
sylvania, for  ^March  16,  to  discuss  the  question 
whether  the  present  apprentice  system  produces 
executives.  He  holds  to  the  contrary,  saying 
that  it  does  not  turn  out  a  well-rounded 
mechanic,  but  a  specialist  in  a  particular  branch. 
He  says :  "At  the  present  time  Germany  is 
producing  the  best  workmen,  and  o^wners  of  our 
mills  are  beginning  4o  employ  them  as_  superin- 
tendents, managers  and  foremen.  This  is  due 
to  the  general  all  round  efficiency  of  the  Ger- 
man workman,  who  has  an  industrial  equipment 
which  our  native  workman  does  not  have  on 
account  of  the  specialization  in  work  here.  As 
a  consequence  the  German  takes  the  advanced 
positions,  although  the  native  ability  of  our 
men  is  superior.  This  same  general  efficiency 
has  forced  the  German  product  to  the  first  place 
in  foreign  countries,  notably  in  South  America, 
and  if  we  wish  to  secure  the  suoremacy  or  a 
substantial  foothold  in  this  foreign  trade  we 
must  begin  to   compete." 

Mrs.  Christian  Schaeffer,  of  Yoe,  York 
County.  Pa.,  recently  celebrated  her  ninety- 
fourth  birthday.  She  came  to  America  from 
Germany,  when  three  years  old,  being  brought 
over  by  her  parents,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph 
Spayd,  who  arrived  at  Baltimore.  Later  she 
came  to  York  county,  and  has  lived  in  this 
vicinity  all  her  life,  most  of  it  being  spent  in 
and  around  Muddy  Creek  Forks.  Fluency  of 
speech,  retentive  memory,  good  health  and  the 
ability  to  eat  and  sleep  well  are  some  of  the 
blessings  which  characterize  Mrs.  Schaeffer's 
old  age.  Her  eye-sight,  too,  is  remarkably 
good,  the  use  of  glasses  in  sewing  or  reading 
being  unnecessary. 

Mrs.  Schaeffer  has  carefully  preserved  her 
wedding  bonnet,  which  she  keeps  in  one  of 
the  old  time  boxes.  This  bonnet  was  made  fifty 
years  ago. 


Mrs.  Schaefi'er  recalls  the  little  schoohng- 
she  was  able  to  get,  being  compelled,  along- 
with  other  members  of  the  family,  to  work 
on  the  farm.  She  spent  many  days  in  the 
harvest   field,   cutting  grain   with   a   sickle. 

By  the  will  of  Mathias  N.  Forney  of  New 
York  city,  his  estate  estimated  to  be  -worth 
about  $300,000  is  left  in  charge  of  a  large 
trust   company. 

]\Ir.  Forney,  who  was  a  native  of  Hanover, 
Pa.,  accumulated  this  through  his  inventions, 
and  by  investment  in  real  estate  in  the  city  of 
New  York.  He  was  the  inventor  of  what  is 
known  as  the  Forney  locomotive,  which  was 
in  use  almost  exclusively  on  the  elevated  lines 
in  New  York  city  and  Chicago,  from  1875  to 
1900,  until  the  electric  engines  were  substituted 
for   the   steam   locomotive. 

W.  B.  K.  Johnson,  one  of  the  leading  nursery 
men  of  Pennsylvania,  died  in  Allento)vvn,  Jan. 
22,  aged  70  years.  He  made  his  fortune  in  the 
early  70s,  when  he  made  trips  to  Cuba  and 
South  America,  importing  ship  loads  of  parrots 
to  the  United  States  and  selling  them  at  great 
profit.  He  was  an  authority  on  fruit  growing, 
and  was  long  on  the  staff  of  both  the  Penn- 
sylvania and  National  Agricultural  Departments. 
In  his  large  nurseries,  near  Allentow-n,  he  had 
more  than  a  million  trees. 

Abrah.\m  Shimer  Knecht,  for  over  half  a 
century  a  practitioner  of  law  in  Northampton 
county,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  the  oldest 
members  of  the  Northampton  bar,  died  Jan.  28. 

Ex-Judge  William  J.  Baer,  aged  82,  died 
Jan.  28th.  He  was  a  son  of  the  late  Solomon 
Baer  and  was  born  in  Berlin,  Somerset 
county,  January  28,  1826,  and  admitted  to  the 
Somerset  bar  in  1849.  He  is  survived  by  his 
wife,  Elizabeth  Baer,  and  four  daughters. 

His  brother  is  George  F.  Baer,  presiden  tof 
the  Reading  companies.  In  his  prime.  Judge 
Baer  was  one  of  the  leading  lawyers  of  the 
State,  and  a  younger  contemporary  of  Judges 
Jeremiah  S.  Black  and  F.  ]\I.  Kimmell.  His 
services  in  the  constitutional  convention  of  1872 
gave  him  a  State-wide  reputation.  He  defeated 
John  Cessna  in  the  fight  of  1881  in  the  strong 
Republican  Bedford-Somerset  district.  Judge 
Baer  was  the  pioneer  developer  of  the  Somerset 
coal  region,  and  the  first  president  of  the  Somer- 
set and  Cambria  Railroad,  a  subsidiar}'  corpora- 
tion of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio,  which  com- 
paratively is  the  largest  soft  coal  carrying  road 
in  the  United  States.  He  owned  80,000  acres  of 
land,  and  founded  the  town  of  Ursinia. 

Charles  Buffington  Fager,  Sr.,  M.  D., 
died  at  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  on  January  17,  1908 
Doctor  Fager  was  66  years  old:  he  was  born  at 
Harrisburg,  March  31,  1841.  He  was  graduated 
from  the  Sfedical  Department  of  the  LIniversity 
of  Pennsylvania  in  1864.  He  had  a  large 
practice  at  Harrisburg,  where  he  was  a  school 
director  for  many  years  and  was  president  of 
the  board  for  several  terms.  Doctor  Fager 
always  took  an  active  interest  in  the  school! 
work'  of   the   city   and    even    after   he    left    the 


CLIPPINGS  FROM  CURRENT  NEWS 


141 


hoard  he  visited  the  schools  to  watch  the  pitpils 
at  their  work.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Dauphin  County  Historical  Society,  of  the 
Pennsylvania  German  Society,  a  director  in  the 
Harrisburg  National  Bank  and  a  director  in 
the  West  llarrisburg  Market  House  Company. 

Dr.  Andrew  Boelus  Brumbaugh  of  Hunt- 
ingdon. Pa.,  died  at  the  hospital  of  Dr.  Price 
in  Philadelphia  where  he  underwent  an  opera- 
tion for  appendicitis,  aged  71  yrs.,  5  mos.  and 
17  days.  Dr.  Brumbaugh  was  the  son  of  Jacob 
and  Rachel  Brumbaugh  and  is  survived  by  a 
son  Gains,  ]\Iarcus,  of  Washington,  D.  C,  and 
a  daughter,  Mrs.  Cora  Silverthorne,  of  Coal- 
port,  Pa. 

Graduating  from  the  U.  of  P.  in  18O6  the 
young  doctor  returned  to  Huntingdon  where 
he  practiced  for  more  than  40  years.  He  was 
one  of  the  founders  of  Juniata  College  and 
a  member  of  many  medical  boards  and  learned 
societies. 

Charles  Hermaxv,  a  native  of  Lynn  town- 
ship, Lehigh  count}-,  a  Past  President  of  the 
American  Society  of  Civil  Engineers  and  a 
number  of  engineering  clubs,  died  at  Louisville, 
Ky.,  at  the  age  of  jS  years.  Mr.  Hermany 
was  the  typical  example  of  the  progressive 
Pennsylvania  German  boy,  who  by  presistent 
determination  as  a  poor  farmer's  son,  climbed 
from  the   foot  of  the  ladder  to  become  one  of 


the  formost  civil  engineers  in  this  country,  and 
was  honored  by  his  professional  brethren  by 
making  him  president  of  the  American  Society 
of  Civil   Engineers. 

Born  in  Lynn  township,  October  9,  1830,  Mr. 
Hermany  was  the  son  of  Samuel  and  Salome 
(Wannemacher)  Hermany.  His  father  and 
mother  were  of  French,  German  and  English 
extraction,  whose  ancestors  came  to  Lehigh 
county  in  1720  and  1740.  He  attended  the  dis- 
trict school  and  attended  two  terms  at 
Minerva  Seminary,  Easton,  when  his  finances 
became  exhausted  and  he  returned  to  'his 
father's  farm,  where  he  worked  in  the  summer 
time  and  taught  school  during  the  winter  for  a 
period  of  three  years.  While  employed  on  the 
farm  <it  odd  times,  he  practiced  civil  engineer- 
ing in  his  father's  fields  and  studied  persistently 
his  favorite  subject  at  every  possible  oppor- 
tunity. 

In  May.  1853,  he  determined  to  go  West, 
and  located  at  Cleveland,  O.,  where,  in  a 
year's  time,  he  became  first  assistant  to  the  City 
Engineer.  Hearing  of  an  opening  at  the  works 
of  the  Louisville  Water  Company,  he  went  to 
that  place  in  1857  and  became  first  assistant 
to  T.  R.  Scowden,  the  chief  engineer  of  the 
works.  January  i,  1861,  Mr.  Hermany  be- 
came the  chief  engineer  and  superintendent  of 
the  works,  a  position  which  he  held  until  the 
time  of  his  death,  a  period  of  47  years. 


Chat  with  Correspondents 


Words  Well    Deserved. 

Our  lamented  editor  was  accustomed  to  hold 
'friendly  chats  with  his  correspondents  in  this 
<:olumn.  It  may  not  be  out  o.f  place  to  record 
here  a  few  estimates  of  the  man  coming  from 
friends,  some  of  whom  knew  him  only  through 
this  magazine. 

I  was  sorr\-  to  see  the  announcement  of 
death  of  Editor  Henry  A.  Schuler.  Just 
as  he  had  reached  the  age  when  there  are 
given  glimpses  of  the  results  of  life,  he 
was  called  into  "The  Undiscovered  Coun- 
try'," "where  lie  those  happier  hills  and 
meadows  low,"  and  where,  no  doubt,  he 
"Schwebt  im  Wink  durch  tausend  Sonnen- 
fernen." 

Am  exceedingly  sorrj-  to  hear  of  the 
death  of  ^Nlr.  H.  A.  Schuler.  His  editorial 
work  will  be  a  lasting  monument  to  him. 
I  have  learned  to  like  the  man  though  I 
have   never    seen    the   man. 

Have  just  read  with  the  deepest  regret 
an  account  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Schuler  in 
a   paper  now   lying  before  me. 

I  herewith  express  m}-  heartfelt  sym- 
pathy with  you  because  of  the  death  of 
our  mutual  friend  Editor  Henry  A.  Schuler, 
and  especially  because  you  were  so  unex- 
pectedly deprived  of  your  competent  and 
faithful  co-laborer  in  a  noble  cause.  He 
was  a  most  modest,  unassuming  brother, 
but  able  and  efficient  in  his  line  of  work. 
He  was   a  good     true   man. 


I  was  greatly  shocked  some  time  ago 
to  note  the  death  of  our  mutual  friend, 
Mr.  Schuler.  Let  me  assure  you  that  I 
mourn  his  demise  and  sympathize  with  you 
in  the  trials  it  may  bring  to  your  life  and 
business    relations. 

The  sad  intelligence  of  the  untimely  and 
unexpected  passing  away  of  our  mutual 
friend,  Henry  A.  Schuler,  reached  us  on 
Wednesday,  and  we  were  greatly  shocked 
to  learn  of  his  sudden  death.  It  came  to 
us  like  a  thunderbolt  from  a  clear  sky,  as 
we  had  no  intimation  whatever  of  his  brief 
but  fatal  illness.  It  seems  hard  to  realize 
that  our  old  and  valued  friend,  quiet,  un- 
assuming, somewhat  reserved,  but  always 
ready  with  a  kind  word  or  friendly  act  to 
help  and  cheer  his  less  fortunate  fellow 
travelers  along  life's  great  highway  is  no 
longer  with  us,  will  never  greet  us  here 
again.  I  sincerey  mourn  his  untimely 
death  as  a  personal  loss,  while  to  the  great 
cause  of  The  Pennsylvania-German  his 
death  leaves  a  vacancv  not  easilv  to  be 
filled. 

The  First  White  Man  in  the  State. 
A  clipping  appeared  under  the  above  heading 
in  our  January  issue  which  has  called  forth 
the  correspondence  given  herewith.  The  first 
letter  was  received  from  the  librarian  of  a  pub- 
lic library;  the  reply  is  from  Mr.  C.  F.  Heverly, 
Editor  and  Publisher  of  the  Bradford  Star, 
Towanda,  Pa.  If  any  reader  can  disprove  the 
position    taken    by    Mr.    Heverly,    we    shall    be 


142 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


pleased  to  supplement  this  note  in  a  subsequent 
issue. 

I  notice  in  the  January  (1908)  issue  of 
The  Pennsylvania-German  under  "Clip- 
pings from  Current  News,"  the  statement 
that  at  a  meeting  of  the  Bradford  County 
Historical  Society  a  Mr.  Heverly  "made 
the  startling"  statement  that  according  to 
reliable  information  recently  unearthed  by 
himself,  the  first  white  man  to  set  foot  in 
the  State  of  Pennsylvania  was  Stephen 
Brule.  .  .  Hitherto  it  was  supposed  that 
Conrad  Weiscer  had  been  the  first  white 
man  to  visit  Bradford  County." 

I  recollect  seeing  some  such  item  in  the 
local  papers,  but  considered  that  it  was 
owing  to  carelessness  on  the  part  of  the 
editor  that  such  a  statement  was  reprinted. 

Etienne  Brule's  journey  in  Pennsylvania 
is  known,  I  believe,  by  most  school  boys, 
and  accounts  of  it  appear  in  the  most  ordi- 
nary books,  like  Jenkins'  "Pennsylvania — 
Colonial  and  Federal"  (1903)  ;  Meginness' 
"Otzinachson"  (1889);  "History  of  the 
Susquehanna  and  Juniata  Valleys"  (1884), 
etc.,  etc. 

It  is  possible  that  Mr.  Heverly  may  have 
come  across  some  additional  details  of 
Brule's  expedition,  but  I  cannot  refrain 
from  calling  your  attention  to  the  absurdity 
of  the  statement  as  printed ;  because  such 
ridiculous  claims  of  historical  research 
should  not  be  perpetuated  by  being  reprint- 
ed in  magazines  avowedly  devoted  to  his- 
tory. 

Such  exhibitions  discredit  the  work  of 
County  Historical  Societies  as  truly  as  they 
themselves  are  lamentable;  and  at  this 
time,  when  Pennsylvania  is  making  an  ef- 
fort to  perpetuate  her  history  through  the 
medium  of  various  societies,  it  is.  I  think, 
important  to  take  a  very  firm  stand  against 
such  canards  as  the  one  to  which  you  have 
given  wide  publicity  under  the  title  "The 
First  White  Man  in  the  State."  I  can 
hardly  refrain  from  adding  that  Conrad 
Weiser  was  born  in  1696,  and  that  even 
if  Brule  was  left  out,  the  fact  still  remains 
that  Cornelis  Hendrickson  astended  the 
Delaware  up  to  the  Schuvlkill  river  in 
1616. 

I  have  vour  verv  kind  letter  of  the  6th 


inst.,  also  copy  of  The  Pennsylvania- 
German,  for  which  please  accept  my  sin- 
cere thanks.  The  matter  to  which  you  calB 
my  attention  I  see  is  an  extract  from, 
newspaper  comment  on  an  address  ("Ad- 
vent of  the  White  Man  into  Bradford- 
Count")  delivered  by  me  before  the  Brad- 
ford County  Historical  Society,  on  Nov. 
23.  I  am  not  responsible  for  the  comment,, 
but  in  my  remarks  I  did  say  that  "the  first 
white  man  to  visit  what  is  now  Bradford 
County  was  Stephen  Brule  in  1615,  who,  it 
is  believed,  was  the  first  white  man  to  set 
foot  upon  the  soil  of  Pennsylvania."  And 
I  stand  by  my  declaration  until  proofs  have 
been  furnished  to  the  contrary.  I  am 
aware  that  fanciful  stories  have  been  writ- 
ten about  Spanish  Hill,  in  this  county,  and 
other  points  in  Pennsylvania,  which,  if  we 
were  to  accept  without  historic  investiga- 
tion, would  bring  the  white  man  into 
Bradford  county  five  hundred  years  before 
Brule  came.  I  have  read  a  number  of 
these,  among  them  the  capture  of  the  three 
Dutch  traders  by  the  Carantouannais  while 
on  the  warpath  against  the  Mohawks  in 
1614..  Some  writers  have  tried  to  make  it 
appear  that  these  Dutchmen  were  brought 
to  Carantouan  (the  Indian  village  on  the 
upper  border  of  Bradford  county).  Butter- 
field  in  his  work  on  "Brule's  Discoveries 
and  Explorations,"  and  other  recent  writers 
disprove  such  theory,  and  assert  "these 
Dutchmen  never  saw  any  part  of  Penn- 
sylvania." But  even  were  it  true  (although 
no  proofs  have  been  furnished)  that  the 
Dutchmen  were  brought  to  Carantouan,  it 
would  be  a  mere  trifling  circumstance  of 
no  historic  value,  as  the  Dutchmen  were 
captives  in  an  unknown  country  against 
their  will.  In  the  case  of  Brule  it  was 
different.  He  had  a  purpose  in  coming 
into  this  territory  and  proved  himself  a 
genius  and  intrepid  explorer. 

I  am  not  informed  as  to  the  wise  critic,, 
given  as  "the  librarian  of  a  public  library." 
His  sermon  would  have  more  weight,  had 
he  imparted  some  of  his  superior  knowl- 
edg-e  in  informing  the  public  what  white 
man  visited  Pennsylvania  prior  to  1615,  and 
furnished  the  proofs  thereto. 


Genealogical  Notes  and  Queries 


The  Nationality  of  Daniel  Boone. 

ANSWER  TO  QUERY  XXXVI. 
In  answer   to  our  query  respecting  the   an- 
cestry of-  Daniel  Boone,  published  in  the  Janu- 
ary issue,  the  following  replies  were  received : 
I    see    in    The    Pennsylvania-German 
that    you   make    inquiry   about    the    Boone 
famil}'.     The   early   Boones  were   English. 
Some   of  the   first   here   intermarried   with 
the  Lincolns.     But  at  the  present  day  those 
in  Berks  might  be  classed  as  Pennsylvania- 
German.     Manv  of  them  arc  three-fourths 


Pennsylvania-German  blood  now.  One  of 
the  amusing  features  of  their  history  is 
that  because  Daniel  Boone's  father's  name 
was  Squire,  he  is  often  confounded  with  his 
brother  George  Boon,e  Esq..  or  Squire- 
Boone  as  he  is  called. 

In  your  January  number  you  desired  to 
have  information  relating  to  Daniel  Boone. 

Daniel  Boone,  the  Kentucky  pioneer,  the 
fourth  and  sixth  child  of  Squire  and  Sarah. 
(Morgan)  Boone,  born,  October  22,  I734^ 
in  Exeter  township,  Berks  county. 


GENEALOGICAL  NOTES  AND  QUERIES 


143 


Squire  Boon,  son  of  George  Boon,  of 
Philadelphia  county,  married  Sarah  Mor- 
gan, July  23,  1720.  George  Boone  the 
father  came  from  Brandvvinch,  near  Exeter, 
in  Devonshire,  ahout  1717. 

The  minutes  of  the  Gwynedd  Friends 
Monthly  Meeting,  dated  31st  of  loth  month 
(December)    1717,    refers    as    follows: 

"George  Boone,  senior,  produced  a  cer- 
tificate of  his  Good  Life  and  Conversation 
from  the  Monthly  (Meeting)  att  Callump- 
ton,'  in  Great  Brittain,  wh  was  read  &  well 
rec'd." 

He  died  in  Berks  county,  February  2, 
1740,  aged  78  years.  His  wife,  Mary,  died 
aged  72  years.     Both  are  buried  at  Oley. 

Schwartz  Descendants. 

In  answer  to  Query  XXXIII  (see  Nov., 
1907,  issue)  the  following  data  are  gleaned 
from  a  ^letter  written  by  Dr.  J.  C.  Shuman, 
Akron,  Ohio,  to  Prof.  Oscar  L.  Schwartz : 

All  the  Swartzes  living  in  and  about 
Troxelville,  Snyder  county,  are  descend- 
ants of  Henry  Swartz,  who  came  to  the 
vicinity  from  Berks  county,  1800-1810.  He 
owned  a  tract  of  land  east  of  the  village 
and  donated  three  acres  or  sold  the  same 
to  the  Lutheran  and  Reformed  congrega- 
tions for  a  consideration  of  67  cents  (?)  — 
the  land  to  be  used  for  church  and  burial 
services  exclusively  and  none  but  the  Ger- 
man language  to  be  used  in  preaching. 
The  old  church  building  is  gone,  but  the 
burial  ground  is  still  used,  being  about  half 
filled  with  graves.  The  church  was  named 
"St.    Heinrich's   Kirch." 

Henry  Swartz  had  four  sons  and  three 
daughters : 

1.  Daniel — Died  1852-8-24,  aged  63  yrs., 

9  mos.,  24  days.     Married  to  Eve  , 

who   died   1875-7-13,  aged  80  yrs.,    i   mo., 

10  days. 

2.  George     (well    known    as    "Squire" 


Swartz) — Died   1873-2-17,    aged   T]  yrs.,   2 
mos.,  24  days. 

3.  Thomas — Who  is  supposed  to  have 
died  in  Ohio. 

4.  John — Who  is  supposed  to  have  died 
in  Ohio. 

5.  Elizabeth  (single) — Died  1S47-5-15 
aged  40  yrs.,  11  mos.,  18  days. 

6.  Catherine  (wife  of  Andrew  Fetter- 
olf) — Died  1869-6-15,  aged  71  yrs.,  5  mos., 
7  days. 

7.  Sarah  (wife  of  Peter  Fetterolf, 
brother  of  Andrew) — Died  1874-3-18,  aged. 
74  yrs.,  5  mos.,  21  days. 

Montgomery's  History  of  Berks  County  gives 
the  following  data : 

In  1759  George  Swartz  paid  tax  in 
Roscomb-Mano   township. 

In  1759  Nicholas  Swartz  paid  tax  in 
Longswamp  township. 

In  1759  Daniel  Swartz  paid  tax  in  Long- 
swamp  township. 

In  1759  Ludwig  Schwartz  paid  tax  in 
Tulpehocken    township. 

In  1759  Henry  Schwartz  paid  tax  in 
Heidelberg  township. 

In  1758  Frederick  Schwartz  paid  tax  in 
Heidelberg  township. 

In  1759  Leonard  Swartz  paid  tax  in 
Bethel    township. 

In  1808  Adam  Swartz  was  assessed  in 
Mahantongo    township. 

In  1808  Ludwig  Swartz  was  assessed  in 
Mahantongo    township. 

In  1765  Leonard  Swartz  bought  271 
acres  of  land  in  Bethel  township. 

In  1748  Nicholas  Schwartz  contributed 
toward  the  erection  of  a  church  in  Long- 
swamp  township. 

In  1761  Nicholaus  Schwartz  signed  a 
petition  for  the  erection  of  Longswamp 
as  a   township. 

It  was  supposed  that  "St"  Henry  had 
one  brother  who  stayed  in  Berks  county 
when   Henry  left. 


Reviews  and  Notes 

BY  PROF.  E.  S.  GERHARD,  TRENTON.  N.  J. 


Corpus  Schwenckfeldianorum.    Vol.  I.     Dr. 
Chester  D.  Hartranft,  Hartford  Theologi- 
cal  Seminary,  Editor-in-Chief;  Otto  Bern- 
hard  Schlutter,  Hartford  Theological  Semi- 
nary :    Rev.    E.    E.    S.    Johnson,    Hartford 
Theological    Seminary     Associate    Editors. 
LXX,    661    pp.;    half    calf.      Breitkopf    & 
Hiirtel,   Leipzig,   1907. 
This  is  the  long  expected  first  volume  of  a 
forthcoming   complete  edition    of   the   writings 
of    Caspar    Schwenckfeld,    the    publication    of 
which  has  been  undertaken  by  the   Schwenck- 
f elders  in  America.     The  project  to  gather  and 
publish      Schwenckfeld's      scattered      writings, 
many  of  which  were  well-nigh  inaccessible,  be- 
gan almost  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago.     It  was 
at  the   Memorial    Day   services   in    1884,   which 
year,   by    the    way.   marked   the    150th    anniver- 


sary of  the  landing  of  the  Schwenckfelders  in 
America,  that  Dr.  Hartranft  himself  suggested 
the  advisability  of  such  an  undertaking.  The 
prime  movers  of  this  project  are  Pennsylvania- 
Germans;  and  all  things  considered  the  project 
is  probably  without  parallel  in  American  his- 
tory. 

Caspar  Schwenckfeld  von  Ossig  was  a 
Silesian  nobleman,  and  was  born  in  1490.  He 
studied  at  several  of  the  leading  German  uni- 
versities of  his  day,  and  acquired  an  educa- 
tion which  surpassed  by  far  that  possessed  by 
many  noblemen  of  that  time.  After  leaving 
the  university  he  entered  the  service  of  some 
of  the  minor  courts  of  Silesia,  and  finally  he  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  Duke  of  Liegnitz. 
While  at  this  court  he  joined  in  an  active 
propaganda   of  the  principles  of  the   Reforma- 


144 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


tion.  His  views  of  the  Sacraments  soon  in- 
curred for  him  the  displeasure  of  the  other 
reformers,  especially  of  Luther.  Finding  that 
his  letters  and  writings  contained  strong  anti- 
Lutheran  "heresies,"  both  Catholics  and  Luther- 
ans urged  the  Duke  to  dismiss  him  from  the 
court. 

In  order  not  to  bring  those  into  danger  who 
had  befriended  him.  chief  of  whom  was  Fred- 
erick II,  Schwenckfeld  in  1529  went  into  volun- 
tary exile  for  the  rest  of  his  life.  He  took  up 
his  abode  in  many  of  the  foremost  and  most  . 
historic  cities  of  South  Germany,  but  persecu- 
tion followed  him  wherever  he  went.  He  was 
exiled  from  no  less  than  a  half  a  dozen  cities; 
and  after  having  dragged  out  the  life  of  an 
exile  for  thirty  years  he  died  at  Ulm,   1561. 

At  his  death  his  4,000  adherents  were  found 
scattered  throughout  Germany.  In  1720  a  com- 
mission of  Jesuits  was  sent  among  them  to 
convert  them  by  force.  The  sufferings  they 
■endured  can  only  be  imagined,  recorded  they 
can  never  be.  Many  of  them  fled  to  Saxony, 
then  to  America.  Those  who  fled  to  America 
settled  in  Berks  and  Montgomery  counties, 
Pa.  Here  their  followers,  numbering  not  a 
thousand  members,  have   resided  to  this  day. 

If  the  first  volume  is  to  indicate  the  general 
tenor  and  scope  of  the  work  in  its  entirety, 
then  one  may  well  rest  assured  that  it  will  be 
marked  by  analytical  outline,  exhaustive  treat- 
ment, and  consummate  scholarship.  A  con- 
templation of  the  first  volume  leaves  the  re- 
gret that  the  entire  work  is  not  completed. 
It  has  already  won  the  favorable  opinion  of  the 
learned  in  Germany,  who  have  watched  the 
project  with  an  eye  and  mind  noted  for  keen- 
ness. 

The  Advertisement  and  Introduction  are  fol- 
lowed by  Schwenckfeld's  earliest  letters,  ar- 
ranged in  chronological  order  and  discussed 
under  the  captions  of  Bibliography.  Text, 
Translation,  Language,  History,  Theology.  The 
Introduction  sets  forth  Schwenckfeld's  position 
as  a  Reformer,  together  with  the  main  tenets 
of  his  system  of  theology.  It  may  not  be  ex- 
haustive, but  it  is  extremely  interesting  and 
suggestive.  One  could  wish  sometimes  for  a 
fuller  explanation  and  statement  of  the  Ref- 
ormation by  the  Middle  Way ;  but  a  discus- 
sion of  this  phase  of  history,  we  believe,  is 
to  appear  in  a  later  volume,  together  with  a 
biography  of  Schwenckfeld. 

This  Introduction  does  more  to  place 
Schwenckfeld  in,  the  true  historical  light  and 
perspective  than  anything  that  has  been  done 
for  him  through  the  centuries.  It  is  not  only 
the  most  interesting  part  of  the  volume,  but 
it  is  also  the  most  important.  Man\'  of  the 
principles  for  which  Schwenckfeld  stood  now 
seem  so  simple  and  self-evident  that  one 
thinks  that  the  world  could  never  have  existed 
without  them  ;  but  things  were  vastly  different 
in  an  age  in  which  a  man  was  ])randcd  a  heretic 
and  was  outlawed  for  maintaining  them.  The 
Introduction  also  shows  a  most  fundamental 
grasp    of    Reformation    history. 

A  great  deal  of  credit  has  always  bi-'cn  justly 
.given    to    Luther    for    his    influence    in    giving 


form  to  Modern  High  German.  It  has  become 
evident  of  late,  however,  that  Schwenckfeld  did 
equally  as  much  in  forming  and  developing 
the  language.  This  is  just  another  instance 
wherein  Schwenckfeld's  work  and  infltience 
have  been  ignored  and  credit  due  him  given 
to  others.  To  substantiate  this  claim  one  finds 
a  treatise  on  the  language  of  each  document, 
and  also  a  vocabulary.  All  this  shows  scholarly 
work  of  the  most  painstaking  kind.  One  might 
be  inclined  to  think,  however,  that  one  treatise 
on  the  language  and  a  vocabulary  at  the  end 
of  the  volume  mig'ht  have  been  sufficient.  The 
manv  repetitions  that  naturally  occur  make  for 
bulk,  hardly  for  information  and  distinction. 
Neither  is  one  edified  very  much  by  such  a 
notice  in  the  vocabulary:  "gemaciit.  see  sub 
macheii." 

One  can  hardly  refrain  from  saying  a  few 
words  about  the  technique  of  paragraph 
structure.  The  paragraphs  in  the  Introduction 
and  in  the  various  discussions  are  of  an  inordi- 
nate length.  It  is  not  difficult  to  find  para- 
graphs four  pages  long,  and  the  pages  are  not 
small,  either.  One  knows  no  parallel  in  the 
history  of  modern  writing.  To  read  page 
after  page  unbroken  by  paragraphs  is  like  trav- 
eling a  long  road  that  has  no  turn ;  either 
process  is  tiresome.  This  peculiarity  may  be 
explained  by  saying  that  the  editor  wrote  out 
of  the  fullness  of  his  heart  and  in  his  en- 
thusiasm forgot  some  of  the  technique  of  para- 
graphing. It  might  be  said  of  him  what  has 
been  said  of  Milton :  that  his  periods  are 
pages  long,  and  that  he  only  stops  when  he  is 
out  of  breath. 

It  seems  almost  crtiel  to  speak  of  the  marks 
of  imperfection  in  so  admirable  a  piece  of 
work.  One  should  appreciate  the  difficulty  the 
editors  undoubtedly  had  in  getting  the  German 
printers  to  read  and  understand  an  English 
proof-sheet.  However,  one  is  in  doubt  some- 
times whether  to  attribtite  an  error  like  "syl- 
labation"  to  typography,  misspelling  or  to  the 
desire  or  need  for  coining  a  new  word.  "Im- 
panational"  is  manifestly  a  new  word,  coined 
because  it  was  needed.  Errors  found  in  words 
and  phrases  like  "compent"  and  "a  set  of  men 
were"  must  be  shared  by  printer  and  writer 
alike. 

Dr.  Hartranft  writes  out  of  a  profound 
knowledge  of  his  subject.  It  is  no  exaggera- 
tion to  say  that  there  is  today  no  one  in  Europe 
or  America  who  knows  as  much  about 
Schwenckfeld  as  he  does.  His  interesting  his- 
torical style  is  accompanied  by  an  uncommon 
breadth  of  view,  which  will  enable  him  to  se- 
cure eventually  for  Schwenkfeld  the  place  he 
deserves  both  in  History  and  in  Theology.  It 
has  been  surmised  that  the  publication  of  the 
Corpus  will  cause  a  re-adjustment  of  things 
historical   and  theological. 

It  is  hoped  that  through  this  undertaking 
the  great  Silesian  Reformer,  who  was  out- 
rageously vilified  in  his  own  age,  unmerci- 
fully ignored  in  succeeding  ages,  and  woe- 
fully unknown  to  the  present,  may  yet  receive 
the  justice  that  has  been  due  him  for  three 
hundred  vears. 


Vol.  IX  APRIL,  1908  No.  4 

The  Mayors  of  a  Typical  Pennsylvania 
German  City 

(Allentown,  Pa.) 

RV     WILLIAM     L.     IIARTMAX,   ALLENTOWX,    I'A. 


SAMUEL  McEOSE. 

ITH  Allentown.  Pa.,  as  the 
city  in  question,  "The 
Mayors  of  a  Typical  Penn- 
sylvania-German City""  have 
proven  an  interestino-  and 
profitable  study.  Allentown 
was  created  a  city  by  Act  of  the  State 
Legislature,  approved  by  Governor  John 
W.  Geary,  on  March  12.  1867.  In  the 
forty-one  years  since  elapsed,  sixteen  men 
have  sat  in  the  ]\Iayor"s  chair.  They  were 
nearly  evenly  divided  as  to  politics.  Seven 
were  Republicans  and  nine  Democrats. 
Five  were  business-men,  and  as  many 
were  doctors.  Three  were  lawyers  and 
one  each  a  banker,  hotelkeeper  and  civil 
engineer.  The  men  whom  they  defeated 
for  election  were  nine  business-men.  two 
lawyers,  two  doctors,  a  hotelkeeper,  a 
banker,  and  a  veterinarv  surgeon. 


COL.  T.L  .HM.\X  11.  OOOIJ. 

Eighteen  elections  for  3>Iayor  have  been 
held  in  Allentown.  Republicans  have 
served  eight  terms  and  a  fraction  and 
Democrats  eleven  terms  and  a  fraction. 
Two  mayors  died  in  office. 

One  mayor  was  five  times  a  candidate 
for  the  office  and  was  successful  three 
times.  Two  men  tried  three  times  and 
were  each  elected  twice.  Two  other  men 
served  each  two  full  terms.  One  man 
filled  the  chair  only  three  months,  becom- 
ing mayor  c.v  officio  on  the  death  of  the 
elected  incumbent,  he  having  been  presi- 
dent of  Select  Council  at  the  time.  This 
same  man  was  defeated  twice  at  the  polls. 
One  mayor  was  defeated  once  before 
being  elected. 

The  first  mayor  of  Allentown  was 
Samuel  McHose,  elected  on  the  third  Fri- 
day   of    March.    1867,    over    Robert    E. 


148 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


THEODOKK  r.  YEAGER,   M.  D 

Wright,  Sr.,  lawyer,  by  a  vote  of  974  to 
881.  Mr.  McHose  was  of  Scotch-Irish 
descent  on  his  father's  side  and  of  Ger- 
man origin  in  the  distaff  Hne.  He  was 
born  on  Febrnary  15.  1816,  and  died 
April  21,  1893.  Air.  AIcHose  was  a 
mason  and  contractor.  He  built  nearly 
every  blast-furnace  and  rolling-mill  in  the 
Lehigh  Valley,  and  later  engaged  in  the 
fire-brick  business.  He .  was  a  national 
delegate  to  the  Lincoln  and  Grant  Conven- 
tions and  served  in  Councils  1858-59, 
1865-66  and  1884-86,  being  president  of 
the  last  two. 

Col.  Tilghman  H.  Good  was  elected 
mayor  in  1869,  1871  and  1874,  and  was 
defeated  in  1873  and  1876.  He  \yas  of 
Swiss  ancestry,  born  in  South  Whitehall, 
Lehigh  county,  Oct.  6,  1830.  He  died  at 
Reading.  July  18,  18S7.     Col.  Good  was 


COL.  EnWAKI)  I!.  VOUNO. 


HERMAN  SCHUMAN 

a  shoemaker,  hotelkeeper,  banker  and 
soldier.  He  was  landlord  of  the  Allen, 
the  American  and  the  Fountain  House  in 
Allentown,  and  of  the  Grand  Central  at 
Reading.  He  captained  the  "Allen  Rifles" 
before  and  after  the  Civil  War,  and  com- 
manded the  Forty-seventh  Regiment,  P. 
v.,  from  1861  to  1864  in  the  Carolinas, 
at  Key  West,  in  the  Red  River  campaign 
and  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  After  the 
war  he  rose  to  the  command  of  the  Fourth 
Regiment,  N.  G.  P.,  and  was  in  command 
at  the  Reading  riots  of  July,  1877.  In 
1858  he  served  in  the  State  Legislature. 

Theodore  Conrad  Yeager,  M.D.,  born 
April  I,  1828,  was  elected  mayor  over 
Col.  Good  in  1873,  ^^d  died  in  office  Jan- 
uary 14,  1874.  He  was  of  German  de- 
scent, a  grandson  of  Rev.  Johann  Conrad 
Yeager.  and  son  of  Rev.  Joshua  Yeager, 
pioneer  Lutheran  pastors  in  Lehigh  coun- 
ty, who  together  served  a  number  of  con- 
gregations in  and  about  Allentown  for 
ninety-two  years.  Dr.  Yeager  was  a 
jeweler ,  attained  to  his  profession  in  i860, 
was  medical  inspector  of  Lehigh  county 
in  i860;  assistant  surgeon  of  the  Fifty- 
first  regiment,  P.  V.,  in  1863  ;  professor 
of  chemistry  and  botany  at  Muhlenberg 
College,  and  deputy  collector  of  revenue 
in  Grant's  administration. 

When  Dr.  Yeager  died  in  office  Herman 
Schuon.  president  of  Select  Council,  be- 
came mayor  c.v  officio,  and  served  until 
March  following,  when  Col.  Good  was 
elected  again.  Mr.  Schuon  was  born  in 
Wiirttemberg.  Germany.  February  22, 
■    1835,   and   is    still    living,    though    feeble 


THE    MAYORS    OF    ALLENTOWN 


149 


ALFUEDJ.  MARTIN,  M.  D. 

with  rlieuniatism.  He  came  to  America 
in  1854,  soon  settled  in  Allentown  as  bar- 
tender for  John  G.  Schimpf.  whom  he 
succeeded  in  business.  He  kept  the  Le- 
high and  the  Jordan  Hotels  and  a  grocery- 
store.  He  served  once  in  Common  Coun- 
cil and  twice  in  Select  Council.  Mr. 
Schuon  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
Lehigh  Sangerbund  fifty  years  ago,  and 
was  one  of  the  committee  to  buy  the  Allen 
Fire  Company's  Amoskey  fire-engine. 

Col.  Edward  B.  Young  was  the  Cen- 
tennial Mayor  of  Allentown.  filling  the 
oflice  from  1876  to  1878.  He  was  a 
Pennsylvania-German,  and  on  his 
mother's  side  was  a  great-grandson  of 
Rev.  Abraham  Blumer,  who  while  pastor 
of  Zion  Reformed  church  in  1777  had  the 
Liberty  and  Christ  Church  bells  concealed 
under  the  chancel,  to  save  them  from  fall- 
ing into  the  hands  of  Lord  Howe's  British 
forces  when  they  occupied  Philadelphia. 
Born  September  6,  1836,  Col.  Young  died 
December  30,  1879.  He  was  a  hardware- 
dealer,  served  in  Select  Council,  was  a 
lieutenant  in  the  Civil  War,  served  on 
the  staffs  of  Governors  Hartranft  and 
Hoyt.  was  a  delegate  to  the  Hayes  conven- 
tion in  1876,  and  helped  to  organize  the 
Grand  Army  Post  that  perpetuates  his 
name. 

The  city's  sixth  mayor  was  Alfred  j. 
Martin,  M.  D.,  a  Pennsylvania-German 
by  descent,  scion  of  a  large  and  widely 
known  family  of  physicians,  descended 
from  Dr.  Christian  Frederic  Martin,  who 
came  to  America  with  the  Lutheran  patri- 
arch    Muhlenberg,    and    settled    at    the 


ED  ,VIN  O    MARTIN.  M.  D. 

Trappe.  Dr.  Martin  was  born  March  23, 
1837,  and  died  December  8,  1896.  He 
was  graduated  from  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania  in  1857.  became  prison- 
physician,  coroner's  physician,  a  director 
of  the  Allentown  National  Bank,  a  trustee 
of  St.  Luke's  Hospital  at  South  Bethle- 
hem, a  founder  of  tlie  Livingston  Club, 
candidate  for  presidential  elector  in  i88o[ 
and  a  member  of  the  County,  Valley  and 
State  Medical  Societies. 

Edwin  G.  Martin,  lALD.,  cousin  of  the 
above,  served  two  terms,  from  1880  to 
1884.  He  was  born  October  3,  1836,  was 
graduated  from  the  University  of  Penn- 
•  sylvania  in  1856,  and  died  August  30, 
1893.  Dr.  Martin  was  coroner  from  i860 
to  1862.  He  was  surgeon  of  the  twentv- 
seventh  regiment  in  1863  and  of  the 
Fourth  regiment,  N.  G.  P.     He  was  ac- 


EDWARD  s.  e:eii,:er. 


150 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


WERNER  KNAUSS  RUHE. 

tively  identified  with  local  business-inter- 
ests.' He  was  the  first  president  of  the 
Lehigh  A'alley  Trust  and  Safe  Deposit 
(Company,  president  of  the  Board  of 
Trade,  a  trustee  of  Muhlenberg  College, 
the  AUentown  College  for  Women  and 
the  Norristown  Insane  Asylum,  a  prison- 
inspector,  a  founder  of  the  Livingston 
Club  and  the  only  Allentonian  who  be- 
came Grand  Commander  of  the  Knights 
Templar  of  Pennsylvania. 

Edward  S.  Shinier  was  Allentown's 
eighth  Mayor,  serving  from  1884  to  1886. 
He  was  a  Pennsylvania-German,  descend- 
ed in  the  sixth  generation  from  Daniel 
Scheimer.  Two  villages  in  adjoining- 
counties,  Lehigh  and  Northampton,  bear 
the  family-name.  He  was  born  July  13, 
1832,    and   died    ]\Iarch    13,    1902.      [Nlr. 


COT..  SAMUEL   V.  LEHR. 


HENRY  \V.  ALLISON. 

Shimer  was  a  merchant  and  later  a  real- 
estate  and  insurance  agent.  He  was  a 
director  of  the  Millerstown  Bank,  the  Mil- 
lerstown  Iron  Company  and  the  Allen 
Fire  Insurance  Company,  and  one  of  the 
original  trustees  of  Muhlenberg  College. 
In  1894  ^^^-  Shimer  tried  unsuccessfully 
for  the  State  Senatorship,  and  in  1897 
for  Alderman  of  the  Fifth  \\'ard  in  a 
triangular  contest. 

\\'erner  Knauss  Ruhe,  another  Penn- 
sylvania-German, was  elected  Mayor  in 
1886.  Born  in  1842.  he  became  a  printer 
on  the  AUentown  Democrat  under  his 
father  in  1859.  He  became  part  pro- 
prietor of  The  Daily  City  Item  in  1865, 
and  was  later  at  the  head  of  the  Allen- 
town  Hardware  Works.  He  helped  to 
buy  the  Columbia  fire-engine,  was  elected 
chief  engineer  of  the  Fire  Department 
in  1872,  was  a  dirctor  of  the  AUentown 
National  Bank  and  the  Allen  Fire  Insur- 
ance Company,  and  served  twice  as  a  sol- 
dier in  Civil  War  emergencies.  IMr.  Ruhe 
died  February  6,  1904. 

Henry  W.  Allison  served  AUentown 
twice  as  Mayor,  from  1888  to  1890  and 
from  1893  to  1896,  and  was  unsuccessful 
in  1899.  He  was  born  July  8.  1846,  at 
Catlettsburg,  Ky.,  and  is  still  actively  in 
business  as  general  manager  of  the  Allen 
town  Rolling  Mills,  with  which  he  has 
been  connected  since  coming  to  Allen- 
town  in  1875.  Mr.  Allison  started  m 
the  iron-business  in  his  native  state  in 
1861,  and  in  1866  went  to  Hazleton, 
where  for  nine  \ears  prior  to  coming  to 
AUentown  he  was  with  A.  Pardee  &  Co., 


THE    MAYORS    OF    ALLENTOWN 


ISI 


FREDE.  LEWIS. 


coal  operators.  He  was  the  first  presi- 
'clent  of  the  Livingston  Ckib. 

x^nother  Pennsylvania-German  became 
Allentown's  eleventh  IMayor  in  the  person 
■of  Col.  Samuel  D.  Lehr,  who  was  elected 
in  1890.  Born  May  30.  1838,  Col.  Lehr  is 
•still  actively  engaged  as  a  civil  engineer, 
which  profession  he  learned  in  his  boy- 
hood, spending  four  years  on  the  engineer- 
corps  of  the  Allentown  and  Auburn  R.  R. 
For  twenty  years  succeeding  18O9  he  was 
City  Engineer,  and  he  served  in  Coinicils 
from  1897  to  1901.  He  is  also  president 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Loan  and  Building 
Association.  In  1862-63  he  served  in 
South  Carolina  as  captain  of  Co.  B,  176th 
Regt.,  P.  V.  and  was  later  recruiting- 
agent.  In  1869,  he  organized  the  Allen 
Continentals,  later  Co.  B,  Fourth  Regt., 
N.  G.  Pa.,  and  rose  to  the  colonelcy  of 
the  regiment  1885  to  1890. 

The  people  of  Allentown  took  Fred  E. 
Lewis  twice  as  their  Mayor,  from  1896  to 
1899  and  again  from  1902  to  1905.  He 
is  of  the  Lewis  family  so  long  identified 
with  the  iron-industry  in  Allentown.  his 
grandfather  having  been  one  of  its 
pioneers.  Mr.  Lewis  was  born  Feb.  6, 
1864.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  Feb. 
8.  1888.  Mr.  Lewis  has  been  president  of 
the  Merchants  National  Bank  since  its 
inception  in  1903.  was  an  organizer  of  the 
Lehigh  Telephone  Company  and  the 
-■Mlentnwn  and  South  .Allentown  Bridge 
Company,  [he  \\cyM(<uv  Cement  Block 
Compau}-.  and  the  Allcnlcjwn  Sand  and 
■Coal  Company.     1  !e  lias  l)cen  president  of 


CAPTAIN  JAMES  L.  SCHA ADT. 

the  Board  of  Trade  and  has  been  active 
as  a  volunteer  fireman.  ^Ir.  Lewis  as- 
pired twice  without  avail  to  the  Republi- 
can nomination  for  Lieutenant  Governor 
of  the  State. 

Captain  James  L.  Schaadt.  of  Penn- 
s\  Ivania-German  lineage,  was  Mayor  dur- 
ing the  busy  days  of  1899  to  1902.  He 
was  born  in  North  Whitehall,  Lehigh 
comity.  Dec.  21.  1856,  was  graduated 
from  Muhlenberg  College  in  1874  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1878.  Mr.  Schaadt 
was  county  solicitor  from  1888  to  1891, 
district  attorney  from  1892  to  1895,  and 
Democratic  county  chairman  three  years. 
He  entered  die  National  Guards  as  a 
private  in  1878.  rose  through  the  several 


ALFKEI)  J.  YOST.  M.  D. 


152 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


C.  D.  SCHAEFFER,  M.  D. 

grades  to  regimental  quartermaster  and 
was  captain  of  Co.  B,  Fourth  Regiment, 
from  1890  for  five  years,  commanding  his 
company  at  the  Homestead  riots  in  1892. 

Alfred  J.  Yost,  M.  D.  was  elected 
Mayor  in  1905.  Like  most  of  his  pre- 
decessors, Dr.  Yost  was  a  Pennsylvania- 
German.  Born  Aug.  13,  1870,  he  fol- 
lowed in  the  footsteps  of  his  father,  Dr. 
Martin  L.  Yost,  and  after  graduating 
from  Muhlenberg  College  in  1890,  won 
his  diploma  in  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania in  1893.  He  served  two  terms  as 
coroner  from  1893  to  1899.  Dr.  Yost  was 
a  son-in-law  of  a  former  Mayor,  W.  K. 
Ruhe.  During  his  incumbency,  Dr. 
Yost's  health  failed  and  he  was  advised 
to  go  to  Denver,  Col.,  which  he  did  in 
September,  1905,  returning  to  Allentown 
March  11,  1907.  The  change  of  climate 
effected  no  permanent  benefit  and  he 
passed  away  April  16,  1907.  Dr.  Yost 
was  a  Director  of  the  Citizens  Deposit  and 
Trust  Co.,  of  Allentown. 

During  the  period  of  Mayor  Yost's 
absence  from  Allentown,  City  Councils 
elected  that  other  sturdy  scion  of  Penn- 
sylvania-Germandom,  Charles  David 
Schaefifer,  M.  D.,  acting  Mayor.  Dr. 
Schaefifer  was  born  in  Berks  county,  Nov. 
4,  1864,  was  graduated  from  the  Kutz- 
town  Normal  School,  from  Franklin  and 
Marshall  College  in  1886,  and  from  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania  in  1889.  He 
has  served  as  president  of  the  Board  of 
Health  and  is  a  director  of  the  Allentown 
National  Bank.  Dr.  Schaeffer  has  been 
with  the  Allentown  Hospital  since  its  be- 


HARRY  GIBSON  STILES. 

ginning  in  1898  as  a  trustee  and  as  sur- 
geon-in-chief. He  is  an  active  member  of 
local  and  general  medical  societies,  and  is 
widely  known  as  a  skilled  and  successful 
physician  and  surgeon.  April  22,  1907, 
City  Councils  unanimously  elected  Dr. 
Schaefifer  as  Mayor  for  Dr.  Yost's  un- 
expired term. 

Harry  Gibons  Stiles,  AUentown's  new- 
est Mayor,  assumed  his  office  on  the  first 
Monday  of  April  in  this  year.  He  won 
out  at  the  Democratic  Primaries,  Janu- 
ary 25th,  over  four  competitors  by  a 
plurality  of  120,  and  was  successful  at  the 
election,  February  i8th,  by  a  plurality  of 
778  over  former  Mayor  Fred  E.  Lewis. 
Mr.  Stiles  is  a  son  of  the  late  John  D. 
Stiles,  who  was  a  leading  lawyer  of  the 
Lehigh  County  Bar.  and  who  served 
thrice  in  Congress.  Born  in  Allentown, 
December  16,  1856,  Mr.  Stiles  was  gradu- 
ated from  the  local  High  School,  June  30, 
1874,  studied  at  Muhlenberg  College  and 
at  Harvard  Law  School.  He  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  April  14,  1879.  In  1884 
he  was  nominated  a  Presidential  Elector. 
He  served  as  District  Attorney  of  Lehigh 
County  during  the  three  years  following 
1889.  In  1894  he  was  elected  to  the  State 
Senate  and  was  re-elected  four  years  later. 
He  is  an  active  member  of  the  Rescue 
Hook  and  Ladder  Company  No.  8. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  Allentown  has 
been  signally  fortunate  in  its  mayors.  All 
have  been  conspicuous  and  prominent 
men,  and  have  contributed  to  the  success, 
growth  and  prosperity  of  one  of  the  most 
progressive  cities  of  Pennsylvania. 


REV.    REVERE    FRANKLIN    WEIDNER,    D.D..    LL.D. 


1 53 


Rev.  Revere  Franklin  Weidner,  D.  D.,  LL.  D. 


EV  K. 


(See  Frontispiece  Portrait; 


\  the  front  rank  of  the  schol- 
ars and  hterary  men  who 
hail  from  Lehigh  County, 
Pennsylvania,  stands  Revere 
Franklin  Weidner,  son  of 
William  P.  Weidner  and  his 
wile  Eliza  A.,  iicc  Blank,  who  was  born 
at  Center  X'alley,  November  22nd,  185 1. 
At  the  age  of  six  he  was  sent  to  Dr.  Gre- 
gory's Academy  at  Allentown,  Pa.,  where 
he  studied  for  five  years,  rapidly  acquiring 
the  common  branches  of  education  and 
making"  remarkable  progress  for  one  so 
young  in  the  Classical  Languages  and 
Mathematics. 

At  the  end  of  this  period  the  Academy 
passed  into  the  charge  of  the  Rev.  W.  R. 
Hufford  and  was  afterward  merged  into 
a  military  school  under  the  Rev.  M.  L. 
Hufford.  This  military  school  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Muhlenberg  College.  Through 
all  these  changes  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
continued  in  attendance  and  made  remark- 
able progress,  astonishing  his  teachers 
by  the  thoroughness  and  the  encyclopedic 
character  of  his  studies. 

When  ^Muhlenberg  College  was  opened 
he  entered  as  a  Junior  and  was  graduated 
at  the  head  .of  his  class  in  1869.  During 
his  Senior  year  he  was  employed  as  tutor 
by  the  college  authorities  and  faithfully 
attended  to  his  duties  of  this  office  in  con- 
nection with  his  regular  studies. 

After  completing  his  studies  at  Muhlen- 
berg College,  he  entered  the  Theological 
Seminary  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Church  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1873.  During  his 
Seminary  course  his  indefatigable  energy 
did  not  exhaust  itself  on  the  prescribed 
Theological  course  alone,  although  it  was 
prosecuted  with  conscientious  fidelity  and 
devotion,  but  opportunity  was  found  for 
extensive  reading  and  private  tutoring  in 
his  favorite  branches.  Mathematics  and 
the  Classical  Languages. 

In  the  autuhin  of  the  year  of  his  gradu- 
ation from  the  Seminary,  Doctor  Weidner 


was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the  English 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  at  Phillips- 
burg,  N.  J.,  which  he  faithfully  served  as 
pastor  until  1877.  In  the  year  1875  ^i^ 
was  elected  Professor  at  Muhlenberg  Col- 
lege and  until  the  end  of  his  pastorate  at 
Phillipsburg  in  1877  he  carried  the  work 
of  a  full  professorship  in  addition  to  the 
arduous  labors  of  a  growing  parish.  Dur- 
ing this  period,  impressed  with  the  needs 
of  his  German  brethren.  Doctor  Weidner 
established  the  German  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Congregation  of  Phillipsburg, 
and  served  it  in  connection  with  his  own 
parish  until  they  were  able  to  call  a  pastor 
of  their  own. 

The  hand  of  Providence  is  plainly 
evident  in  the  men  under  whose  potent  in- 
fluence Doctor  Weidner  fell  In  the  most 
formative  period  of  his  life.  During  his 
college  course  he  was  greatly  impressed 
by  that  prince  of  Greek  professors.  Dr. 
Muhlenberg,  and  by  his  beloved  professor 
of  Mathematics,  the  Rev.  E.  L.  Kuhns. 
During  his  seminary  course  he  basked  in 
the  genial  presence  of  the  great  theologian 
and  philosopher,  Doctor  Krauth.  In  1877 
he  was  called  as  an  assistant  of  Doctor 
Seiss.  of  Philadelphia,  one  of  the  foremost 
pulpit  orators  of  his  time  and  one  of  the 
most  prolific  theological  writers  America 
ever  produced.  For  two  years  Dr.  Weid- 
ner served  as  Doctor  Seiss's  assistant  and 
experienced  to  the  full  the  privileges  and 
the  blessings  which  proximity  to  an  ex- 
alted character  always  brings. 

In  1879  Dr.  Weidner  accepted  a  call  to 
the  young  St.  Luke's  English  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Church  of  Philadelphia  and  laid 
the  foundations  wide  and  deep  upon  which 
has  risen  one  of  the  strongest  and  most 
aggressive  congregations  in  the  city  of 
Philadelphia. 

By  his  indefatigable  activity  in  every 
department  of  work  he  undertook,  by  the 
variety  and  the  extent  of  his  theological 
studies,  by  the  conscientious  thoroughness 
manifest  in  all  his  work,  as  a  writer  for 


154 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


The  Lutheran,  by  the  pubUcation  of  a 
commentary  on  St.  Mark,  and  by  his 
abihty  as  a  teacher  and  preacher.  Dr. 
Weidner  by  this  time  gave  unmistakable 
evidence  of  possessing  an  internal  call  to 
.a  theological  professorship.  The  validity 
of  this  call  was  publicly  recognized  when, 
in  1881,  he  was  called  as  professor  of 
Hebrew  and  Biblical  Exegesis  of  the  Old 
and  the  New  Testaments  in  the  Augustana 
Swedish-English  Theological  Seminary  at 
Rock  Island,  Illinois. 

When,  in  1891,  the  Theological  Semi- 
nary of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church 
at  Chicago,  Illinois,  was  established  by  the 
sainted  Dr.  Passavant,  Dr.  Weidner  was 
unanimously  called  to  be  its  President  and 
first  professor,  and  until  1894  he  carried 
the  work  of  his  professorships  both  at 
Chicago  and  at  Rock  Island  and  served  as 
l)astor  of  a  thriving  mission  in  Chicago. 
During  the  period  of  his  professorship  at 
Rock  Island  and  for  several  years  at 
Chicago,  he  was  associated  with  the  late 
President  W.  R.  Harper  and  D wight  L. 
Moody  in  Chautauqua  work  during  the 
summer  vacations.  For  eight  years  he 
was  associated  with  Dr.  Harper  and  lec- 
tured at  Chautauqua,  N.  Y.,  and  else- 
where on  Advanced  Hebrew,  Beginners 
Greek,  Advanced  Greek  and  English 
Bible.  He  helped  to  organize  and  set  in 
successful  operation  summer  schools  at 
Mt.  Gretna,  Pa.;  Glen  Park,  Col; 
Boulder,  Cal.,  and  elsewhere.  For  a  num- 
ber of  years  he  gave  lectures  on  the  Eng- 
lish Bible  in  the  Moody  Institute  at  Chi- 
cago, and  at  Northfield,  Mass. 

Since  1894,  when  Doctor  Weidner  laid 
down  his  work  at  Rock  Island,  he  has 
given  his  undivided  attention  to  the  Semi- 
nary of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church 
at  Chicago.  This  institution  is  unique 
among  the  theological  seminaries  of  the 
land  in  that  it  was  established  without  the 
promise  of  financial  support  on  the  part 
of  any  individual  or  Synod.  This  Semi- 
nary has  never  known  what  it  means  to 
rely  upon  material  support  in  the  way 
of  an  endowment  fund.  Under  the  clear 
and  positive  conviction  that  a  School  of 
the  Prophets  was  needed  in  the  Metropolis^ 
of  the  West,  Dr.  Passavant  followed  the' 
clear  indications  of  Providence  and 
n])cned   the   school    looking   to   the   great 


Head  of  the  Church  to  supply  the  men 
and  the  means.  In  the  same  spirit  this 
work  has  been  carried  on  with  increasing 
success  until  now  there  are  more  students 
in  attendance  at  this  Seminary  than  at  any 
other  English  Seminary  in  the  Lutheran 
Church ;  and  the  influence  of  this  institu- 
tion is  making  itself  felt  in  its  graduates 
and  by  its  spirit  and  methods,  from  ocean 
to  ocean. 

To  this  Seminary  Doctor  Weidner  has 
given  the  best  years  of  his  life.  Not  only 
has  he  carried  the  full  work  of  a  Presi- 
dent and  Professor,  but  he  has  also  been 
compelled  to  devote  much  precious  time* 
and  energy  "to  serve  tables."  The  money 
needed  to  carry  on  the  work  of  the  insti- 
tution has  largely  come  through  his  influ- 
ence and  by  his  solicitation.  These  ardu- 
ous labors  and  multitudinous  anxieties 
finally  undermined  his  magnificent  physi- 
cal constitution  and  brought  on  attacks  of 
paralysis  in  the  summers  of  1903  and 
1904.  However,  this  affliction  could  not 
quench  his  ardor  for  work,  and  when 
others  would  have  given  up  in  despair,  the 
subject  of  our  sketch  seemed  to  be  spurred 
on  to  greater  efforts  and  to  the  accom- 
plishment of  tasks  supposed  to  demand  the 
vitality  of  the  robust.  In  spite  of  his  ill- 
ness, he  has  regularly  attended  to  his 
duties  in  the  class  room,  he  has  almost 
uninteruptedly  continued  his  literary 
work,  and  has  made  such  encouraging 
progress  in  his  fight  for  health  as  to  en- 
courage his  friends  in  the  hope  of  many 
more  years  of  usefulness  on  his  part. 

Doctor  Weidner  has  been  elected  to  the 
membership  of  many  of  the  learned  socie- 
ties of  Europe  and  xA.merica  and  received 
the  title  of  S.T.D.  from  Carthage  Col- 
lege, Illinois,  in  1888;  D.D.  from  Muhlen- 
berg College  in  1894,  and  LL.D.  from 
Augustana  College  in  the  same  year. 

Not  only  is  Doctor  Weidner  known  as  a 
scholar,  Seminary  President  and  Instruc- 
tor of  the  first  order,  but  also  as  a  most 
prolific  writer  of  theological  works,  coA^er- 
ing  both  the  Old  and  the  New  Testaments 
and  representing  almost  every  great  de- 
partment oi  theology.  These  works  are 
partly  original  and  partly  translated  and 
adaptations  of  the  best  works  of  European 
scholars  so  as  to  make  available  for  the 
use   of   the   American    Eiii^lish    Lutheran 


REV.    REVERE    FRANKLIN    WEIDNER,    D.D.,    LL.D. 


155 


Theologian  the  treasure  of  German  theol- 
ogy. By  his  literary  activity  alone  Doctor 
Weidner  has  accomplished  a  work  for 
which  the  American  Lutheran  Church 
owes  him  a  standing  debt  of  gratitude. 
When  we  contemplate  the  stupendous 
literary  work  this  eminent  servant  of  the 
Church  has  still  under  way,  and  the  other 
tasks  of  like  character  which  he  has  laid 
out  for  himself,  sentiments  of  unbounded 
admiration  make  themselves  felt,  and  the 
sincere  hope  spontaneously  arises  that  he 
may  live  to  see  the  accomplishment  of  his 
cherished  desires. 

='=When  Dr.  W.  was  at  college,  1^67-70, 
he  was  a  book-devourer,  and  during  the 
summer  vacations  he  would  lug  home 
Latin  books  to  dig  through.  He  was  at 
chat  time  a  big,  rosy-cheeked,  country- 
looking  boy,  who  took  his  turn  at  baseball, 
but  was  more  useful  than  ornamental  on 
occond  base. 

It  is  not  just  to  speak  of  his  career  as 
a  "struggle"  in  one  sense,  because  his 
justly  proud  and  loving  farmer- father 
kept  him  in  funds.  But  Revere,  as  I  call 
him,  had  to  do  his  own  studying.  He 
read  widely  and  talked  and  wrote  of  what 
he  read,  thus  turning  to  cash  all  his  liter- 
ary investments.  His  rule  has  been  to 
study  the  literature  of  every  subject  ex- 
haustively, to  buy  lavishly  all  the  books  in 
the  second-hand  stores  in  the  large  cities, 
through  New  York  importers,  or  directly 
from  Germany.  Hence  he  is  always  im- 
porting such  new,  up-to-date  books  as  he 
needs,  regardless  of  cost.  Then  to  suck 
them  dry!  Then  to  write  and  print  (in 
recent  years)  his  own  text-books!  And 
then  to  cart  the  authorities  that  he  does 
not  need  to  the  second-hand  dealers, 
where  he  always  gets  the  highest  and  pays 
the  lowest  prices, — for  he  thoroughly  un- 
derstands book-values  and  buying !  Thus 
some  thousands  of  books  have  passed 
through  his  hands. 

He  wrote  well  in  his  college  days,  but. 
shortly  after  that,  improved  his  style  by 
his  English  studies  under  Dr.  March,  his. 
teaching  of  English  literature  at  Muhlen- 
berg and  his  great  care  in  composition- 
writing  and  re- writing.  His  -written  style 
is  very  good,  clear,  choice,  rich.     As  a 

*The  followine  very  excellent  poitiaituie  was  made 
by  Rev.  W.  K.  Frick,  of  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin. 


speaker  he  is  all  animation — a  regular 
steam-engine  in  trousers,  as  was  Joseph 
Cook,  whom  Weidner  resembles  in  build, 
appearance  of  his  bushy  head  and  beard, 
and  in  influence. 

Among  theological  professors  in  Chi- 
cago, few  have  greater  influence.  He  is 
a  leader  of  the  orthodox,  the  watch-dog  of 
orthodoxy.  He  keeps  an  eye  on  the 
"Higher  Criticism"  fellows  out  here,  and 
in  his  Institute  and  Chautauqua  lectures, 
etc.,  hits  them  right  and  left. 

He  is  a  reservoir  of  learning.  Really, 
the  fellow  seems  to  be  without  limit  in 
his  knowledge  of  details  and  systems.  A 
few  years  ago  he  could  give  you  the  vari- 
ous readings  in  the  Greek  New  Testa- 
ment and  the  authority  for  each. 

He  is  an  enthusiastic  drill-master  in  the 
class-room,  and  on  the  lecture-platform 
everybody  knows  he  knows  it  all — not,  of 
course,  from  original  reflection,  though 
his  powers  of  philosophizing  are  of  high 
order,  but  knows  it  all  in  the  sense  of 
knowing  what  everybody  of  note,  from 
creation  down  to  last  evening's  last  mail 
has  held  and  argued  on  any  point  under 
discussion — a  real,  up-to-date  encyclo- 
pedia. 

Then,  he  is  systematic  in  the  marshaling 
of  facts — as  systematic  as  the  Dewey 
classification  of  libraries.  x\nd  he  knows 
where  to  condense,  how  to  select,  what 
to  illumine  and  illustrate,  how  to  state  the 
error  strongly,  how  to  overturn  it  fairly. 
His  class-room  sees  a  running  fire  of 
questions,  answers.  Scripture  texts — -he 
must  have  several  thousands  at  his 
tongue's  end — and  all  the  while  the  pro- 
fessor keeps  his  good  humor  and  his  ani- 
mated air. 


His  lecturing  is  inspiring,  and  he  can 
get  more  hard  work  out  of  men  than 
three  ordinary  men.  Mark  you — hard 
work !  He  works  and  he  makes  them 
want  to  work.  And  the  way  he  drags 
them  through  Scripture !  Imagme  a  field 
that  is  plowed  u])  and  down,  crosswise 
and  from  corner  to  corner,  and  then  sub- 
soiled  ;  that  is  his  way  of  teaching.  It 
leads  men  to  "cultivate"  the  Bible. 

He  is  a  splendid  host,  if  he  doesn't  know 
music,  excepting  two  tunes,  one  of  which 
is  America  and  the  other  isn't — he  is  not 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


quite  certain  which  isn't.  Well,  he  k;io\vs 
men.  He  can  talk  of  books  in  all  tongues — 
his  fad  is  Ruskin — and  of  the  sciences, 
and  joke  now  as  he  couldn't  at  college, 
and  get  out  of  men  all  that  is  in  them,  and 
make  every  student  believe  he  is  his  best 
uncle  or  even  his  own  father,  and  draw 
the  people  of  lowly  mind,  like  in  his 
Chicago  parish,  and  hobnob  w^ith  the 
spectacled  D.D.'s  and  LL.D.'s,  the  chaps 
in  clean,  hammer  coats  with  big  check- 
books. He  is  the  man  to  endow  our  Semi- 
nary and  he  is  at  it ;  as  prolific  of  plans  as 
a  railroad  president,  and  as  bland  as  an 
insurance  agent. 

At  the  Theological  Seminary  he  was 
the  best  man  in  our  class  of  ^y^)-  Finding 
too  little  for  him  to  do  at  the  Seminary,  he 
tutored  two  or  three  rich  young  sprigs 
and  thus  kept  his  hand  in  teaching,  and 
yet  read  more  books  than  half  the  rest  put 
together.    He  was  "A  No.  i''  in  Hebrew. 

I  do  not  recall  that  he  was  especially 
illustrious  in  dogmatics,  but  when  he  got 
to  Phillipsburg  he  took  to  studying  exe- 
getical  commentaries  and  when  he  came  to 
Philadelphia  in  '78,  he  had  a  habit  in  that 
line  and  a  stock  of  knowledge  in  technical 
criticism  that  commanded  the  respect  of 
Drs.  Krauth,  Mann,  Spaeth,  and  Seiss, 
with    whom   he   associated    on    terms    of 


scholarly  friendship  —  I  almost  said 
equality. 

He  has  done  more  tlian  any  of  our 
Philadelphia  Seminary  men  to  popularize 
knowledge  and  yet  he  has  learning  suffi- 
cient to  admit  him  to  universities.  I  know 
that  Ire  has  withstood  the  earnest  solicita- 
tions of  his  friend,  Dr.  Harper,  of  the 
Chicago  University,  to  accept  one  of  the 
$5.cx)0  chairs  at  that  institution. 

Does  he  betra}'  an}'  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man characteristics?  Well,  he  is  not  slow, 
not  even  on  a  bicycle.  He  seems  to  want 
the  earth,  for  his  journeys  have  been  wei:t 
to  Denver,  and  east  to  Leipzig.  His  books 
sell  all  over  the  country  and  he  has  offers 
from  London  Houses. 

Does  his  speech  betray  him?  Yes  and 
no.  He  is  too  scholarly  to  be  tripped  up 
on  mispronounciations,  but  ;  there  is  a 
suggestion  of  something  Pennsylvanian  in 
his  inflections  when  he  becomes  animated. 

Paint  him  with  red  cheeks  and  great 
black  beard  creeping  up  to  his  eyes,  and 
black,  lively,  sympathetic  eyes,  and  a  body 
of  large  proportions.  Paint  him  as  very 
friendly,  and  a  worker  who  can  teach 
eight  hours  a  day,  write  letters  eight 
hours,  talk  to  students  eight  hours,  work 
on  books  eight  hours  and  yet  go  to  bed  at 
10.30  and  get  up  at  6.00! 


Rev.  Elmer  Frederick  Krauss,  D.  D. 

BY  REV.  OSWIN  F.  WAAGE,  PEXXSBURG,  PA. 
(See  Frontispiece  Portrait) 


HE  world  needs  and  is  inter- 
ested in  strong  men — strong 
physically,  financially,  polit- 
ically, morally  and  educa- 
tionally,— men  of  power  in 
every  sphere  of  life.  The 
world  admires  and  almost  deifies  human 
greatness.  The  men  who  have  compelled 
the  world's  attention  have  Ijeen  men  of 
mental  and  moral  muscle.  A  man's  value 
to  the  world  and  to  himself  depends  on 
the  cultivation  of  his  intellect.  There  is 
the  world's  false  estimate  of  greatness, 
and  there  is  God's  estimate.  Great  means 
"great  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord."  That 
is  gold  that  will  stand  the  test.  No  man 
is  regarded  great  who  spells  "God"  with 


a  litde  "g,"  or  "myself"  with  a  big  "M." 
True  greatness  is  moral  goodness. 
Greatness  can  be  expressed  iji  terms  of 
character  only.  The  true  standard  by 
which  human  achievements  are  gauged, 
is  Christian  character,  faith,  purity  and 
trust  in  God.  Strong  men  are  made  by 
the  education  they  receive,  by  their  les- 
sons in  abstinence  and  self-denial.  A 
strong  man  is  characterized  by  two 
diings  chiefly. — by  the  purpose  of  his  life 
and  the  strength  he  brings  to  bear  upon 
it.  True  greatness,  likewise,  consists  in 
laying  all  that  we  are  and  possess  at  the 
feet -of  Jesus,  and  devoting  all  to  His 
service  an  glory. 

The  Rev.  Professor  Elmer  F.  Krauss, 


REV.  ELMER  FREDERICK  KRAUSS,  D.D. 


157 


D.D.,  was  born  in  Kraussdale,  Lehig-h 
county,  Pa.,  Sept.  7,  1862.  His  parents, 
both  living-,  are  Mr.  Isaac  V.  Krauss  and 
wife,  Theodora  R..  daughter  of  Rev. 
Frederick  and  Angeline  W'aage.  On  his 
father's  side  he  is  descended  from  the 
Schvvenkfeldians,  who  came  to  America 
early  in  the  eighteenth  century  and  settled 
in  eastern  Pennsylvania,  a  people  charac- 
terized by  their  evangelical  mysticism, 
their  genuine  piety,  and  their  ardent  love 
for  learning.  His  maternal  grandfather 
was  the  Rev,  Frederick  W'aage,  who  en- 
joyed the  instruction  of  Claus  Harms  in 
the  University  of  Kiel,  Denmark,  and 
who  came  to  America  in  18 19,  studied 
theology  under  the  Rev.  Dr.  F.  W.  Geis- 
senhainer,  and  served  pastorates  in  Penn- 
sylvania  successfully   for  fifty   years. 

It  is  a  very  valuable  privilege  to  be 
closely  descended  from  families  distin- 
guished for  intelligence,  faith  and  piety. 

Prof.  Krauss  early  realized  that  a  hu- 
man soul  without  education  is  like  marble 
in  a  quarry,  which  shows  none  of  its 
inherent  beauties  until  the  skill  of  the 
polisher  brings  out  the  colors,  makes  the 
surface  shihe,  and  discovers  every  orna- 
mental vein  that  runs  through  the  body 
of  it.  Aristotle  tells  us  that  a  statue  lies 
hid  in  a  block  of  marble.  What  sculpture 
is  to  the  marble,  education  is  to  a  human 
soul.     Education  brings  out  the  statue. 

God  blessed  Mr.  Krauss  with  fine  men- 
tal gifts  and  talents.  "To  whom  much 
is  given,  of  him  doth  God  require  the 
more."  He  did  not  permit  these  powers 
of  mind  to  slumber,  but  by  hard  study 
and  application  he  trained  and  disciplined 
his  intellectual  faculties  for  useful  work 
in  the  Church.  After  sharpening  and 
polishing  his  tools  he  put  them  to  a  proper 
use  also.  All  these  he  consecrated  and 
dedicated  to  the  service  and  praise  of 
God  in  His  Church,  and  thus  he  proves 
himself  to  be  a  profound  student,  a  clas- 
sical thinker,  a  brilliant  scholar,  and  an 
enthusiastic  churchman.  God  opened  for 
him  a  field  of  usefulness  so  as  to  apply 
the  given  talents  and  endowments  to  the 
glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  men.  He 
reached  the  prominent  positions  he  at 
present  occupies  not  through  favors  and 
influences  of  friends,  but  on  account  of 
his  unusual  gifts  and  attainments.    These 


that  are  most  un\vorth_\-'of  honor  are  hot- 
test in  the  chase  of  it ;  whilst  the  con- 
sciousness of  better  deserts  bids  men  sit 
still  and  stay  to  be  importuned.  God 
chooses  whom  He  wills,  and  raises  from 
the  dust  him  whom  the  people  will  place 
at  their  head. 

Until  twelve  years  of  age,  Prof.  Krauss 
attended  the  public  schools  of  Krauss- 
dale, his  home.  At  this  age  he  entered 
Perkiomen  Seminary  of  Pennsburg,  Pa., 
then  already  a  good  school,  and  at  pres- 
ent one  of  the  best  institutions  in  the 
State.  In  this  institution,  and  in  the 
Normal  and  Academic  Department  of 
Muhlenberg  College,  Allentown,  Pa.,  con- 
ducted by  the  Rev.  A.  R.  Home,  D.D.,  he 
prepared  for  College.  After  teaching  pub- 
lic schools  for  two  years,  from  1877  to 
1 879,  he  entered  the  Freshman  Class  of 
Muhlenberg  College,  and  was  graduated 
in  1884  with  first  honors  and  the  valedic- 
tory. He  also  received  the  first  German 
prize  offered  to  the  Senior  Class. 

In  the  summer  of  1884  he  entered  the 
Lutheran  Theological  Seminary  at  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.,  graduating  from  this  Insti- 
tution in  1887. 

In  June  of  this  year  he  was  ordained 
to  the  oflfice  of  the  holy  ministry  of  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  by  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Ministerium  of 
Pennsylvania. 

In  the  summer  of  1885,  he  attended  the 
Hebrew  Summer  School,  conducted  by 
Prof.  William  R.  Harper  at  West  Phila- 
delphia,  Pa. 

The  long  vacation  of  1886  was  spent 
in  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  where,  under  the 
direction  of  the  Rev.  A.  J.  D.  Haupt, 
Prof.  Krauss  served  the  newly-organized 
Trinity  Alission  in  West  St.  Paul.  This 
experience  opened  his  eyes  to  the  vast 
territory  of  his  beloved  Zion  in  the  West, 
and  infused  into  him  the  spirit  of  this 
rapidly  expanding  empire,  with  all  its 
spiritual  needs  and  latent  possibilities  for 
the  Kingdom  of  God. 

Homestead,  Pa.,  was  Prof.  Krauss' 
first  regular  field  of  labor  in  the  min- 
istry of  the  Lutheran  Church.  He  en- 
tered upon  this  work  in  July,  1887,  and 
served  this  parish  to  the  year  1893.  In 
connection  with  this  parish  he  also  served 
the     newlv-organized     Missions     of     the 


IS8 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Pittsburg  Synod  at  Braddock  and  Mc- 
Keesport. 

In  1893  he  accepted  a  call  to  the  St. 
John's  English  Evangelical  Lutheran 
church  at  Minneapolis,  Alinnesota.  In 
the  year  1894,  owing  to  illness  in  his  fam- 
ily on  account  of  the  rigid  climate,  he  was 
compelled'  to  give  up  his  work  in  the 
Northwest  when  it  was  most  promising, 
and  yielded  to  the  summons  of  the  First 
Evangelical  Lutheran  church  at  Leech- 
burg,  Pa.,  which  congregation  he  served 
for  five  years  and  five  months. 

During  his  college  course  Dr.  Krauss 
distinguished  himself  in  mathematics  and 
the  classical  languages.  During  the  thir- 
teen years  of  his  pastoral  life  he  did  not 
neglect  his  Greek  New  Testament.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  to  avail  himself  of 
the  advantages  of  the  correspondence 
courses  offered  by  the  Seminary,  and 
amid  the  distracting  cares  and  duties  of 
a  large  parish,  he  persisted  in  doing  sys- 
tematic  work   in  his   favorite   branches. 

In  June,  1903,  his  Alma  Mater, 
Muhlenberg  College  of  Allentown,  Pa., 
bestowed  upon  him  the  degree  of  Doc- 
tor of  Divinity.  This  is  an  honor  both 
to  Mr.  Krauss  and  the  College.  During 
his  college  course  he  had  received  the 
Degrees  in  Course  of  A.B.  and  A.M. 

In  pursuance  of  a  unanimous  call  by 
the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Lutheran 
Theological  Seminary  of  Chicago,  111., 
Prof.  Krauss  entered  upon  his  duties  as 
Professor  of  New  Testament  Exegesis, 
May  I,  1900,  where  up  to  the  present  time 
he  has  proved  himeslf  to  be  the  right  man 
in  the  right  place.     He  is  master  of  his 


department,  and  fulfills  the  duties  of  his- 
professorship  with  enthusiasm  and  en- 
ergy, and  impresses  upon  his  students  his 
two  great  characteristics  of  precision  and 
tlwroiigJuwss. 

In  his  family  life  Dr.  Krauss  has  ex- 
perienced the  usual  lot — sunshine  and 
shadow.  On  Oct.  2y,  1887,  he  married 
Miss  Irene  Hartzell,  of  Allentown,  Pa.,, 
daughter  of  Mr.  George  Hartzell.  For 
more  than  fifteen  years  they  lived  hap- 
pily together  in  wedlock.  Five  children 
were  born  to  them,  three  sons  and  two 
daughters,  of  whom  one  son,  Winfred, 
eight  years  old,  departed  to  the  better 
world.  Shortly  after  this  first  family 
sorrow,  the  mother  was  taken,  who  de- 
parted this  life  January  7,  1903,  leaving 
the  husband  and  father  wath  four  small 
children. 

On..  Sept.  20,  1904,  he  married  Miss 
Emma  A.  King,  of  Pittsburg,  who  is  now 
sharing  w^ith  him  the  weal  and  woe  of 
family  life. 

Dr.  Krauss  is  now  in  the  prime  of  life, 
doing  excellent  work  for  God  in  His 
Church.  The  past  is  the  promise  of  the 
future.  If  God  spares  his  life  and  health, 
greater  things  may  be  expected.  Blest  of 
God  with  brilliant  talents  consecrated  to 
the  service  of  Jesus  Christ  and  His 
Church,  what  may  not  the  coming  years 
have  in  store  for  him !  May  God's  bene- 
diction rest  upon  him  and  his  labors  in 
the  past  and  in  the  future ;  and  may  he  in 
the  end  receive  the  well-earned  and  well- 
deservd  laudation — "Well  done,  thou 
Sfood  and  faithful  servant." 


Lynn  Township  and  Its  Professional  Men 

I'.V     F.     C.     SICU'-ERLING,   M.l).,   ALLENTOWN,   PA. 


YXX  township  is  situated  in 
the  extreme  northwestern 
part  of  Lehigh  county, 
I'ennsylvania.  Its  natural 
northern  boundary  is  the 
Blue  mountains,  with  the 
well  known  "Bock  Effcl"  and  "Bora 
Felsa"  looming  up  prominently  on  the 
horizon  and  separating  it  from  Carbon 
and  Schuylkill  counties.  Along  the  east 
and  south  it  is  touched  bv  the  sister  town- 


ships— Heidelberg,  Lowhill  and  Weisen- 
berg.  Berks  county  forms  part  of  the' 
southern  and  also  the  western  boundary. 
The  township  is  divided  by  a  moun- 
tainous ridge  known  as  the  Schochary,  a 
name  supposed  to  be  of  Indian  origin. 
This  ridge  extends  its  whole  length  from 
east  to  west,  terminating  in  the  "Donat's 
Kopf."  And  surely  it  looks  a  well  kept 
"Kopf."  with  its  broad  tilled  fields  reach- 
ing to  the  verv  summit.     This  ridge  also. 


LYNN  TOWNSHIP 


159 


divides  the  townsliiji  politically,  the  north- 
ern section  with  the  villai;:;es  of  Tripoli, 
Mossersville,  Lynnport,  Jacksonville, 
Wanamakers.  New  Slatedale  and 
Steinsville  ■  the  southern  with  Lynnville 
and  Stines  Corner,  and  known  as  the 
Lynnville  district. 

The  township  is  well  drained — on  the 
east  by  the  Jordan  creek  trowing  into 
the  Lehigh  river,  and  on  the  west  by 
the  Ontelaunee  creek  passing  on  into  the 
Schuylkill  river.  These  two  streams  take 
their  origin  each  from  a  separate  sand 
spring  near  the  foot  of  the  Blue  moun- 
tains on  a  parallel  line  about  one  mile 
apart. 

The  soil  in  the  northern  section  is  of 
slate  formation,  and  the  rest  sandstone 
or  gravel.  Along  the  Ontelaunee  and 
the  valleys  it  is  foimd  to  be  particularly 
fertile,  while  with  the  skillful  use  of  lime 
and  other  fertilizers  most  of  the  land  has 
reached  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 

Scenery. 

In  1844  the  first  slate  quarry  was 
opened  and  operated  in  the  northern  sec- 
tion, near  Lynnport.  Since  then  a  profita- 
ble number  of  quarries  have  been  in 
operation.  From  this  time  dates  the  be- 
ginning of  real  activity  and  money-mak- 
ing in  the  entire  township.  The  Berks 
and  Lehigh  railroad,  built  in  the  early 
seventies,  runs  through  the  whole  length 
of  this  section.  Here  also  are  located 
many  very  fine  farms.  There  is  an  espe- 
cially beautiful  stretch  of  land  lying  along 
the  foot  of  the  mountain  between  Lynn- 
port and  Steinsville.  The  characteristic 
features  of  the  Lynnville  district,  which 
is  entirely  a  farming  community,  may  be 
said  to  be  its  two  beautiful  valleys.  The 
"Bachmaii's  Dalil."  (Valley)  formerly 
called  ''Miller's  Dalil"  extending  east 
from  Lynnville  for  three  miles  to  the 
foot  of  the  Schochary,  and  the  "Kistler's 
Dahl/'  due  west  for  about  six  miles,  each 
accompaniel  by  its  winding  stream  of 
crystal  waters  zig-zagging  through  the 
green  meadows,  with  roads  seemingly  as 
solid  as  a  pike,  though  much  softer  to 
the  tread  of  the  horses'  hoofs.  The  roads 
may  be  somewhat  narrow  at  many  places, 
but   that   onlv   brings    the   breath   of   the 


DONATS  KOPP. 

many  wild  flowers  nearer  to  the  passer- 
by. A  stranger  going  the  way  for  the 
first  time  remarked,  "Surely  this  is  the 
roadster's  paradise."  On  either  side  you 
see  the  substantial  large  stone  houses, 
built  after  the  German  style  of  archi- 
tecture, with  large  gardens  usually  hav- 
ing ornamental  box  paths  running- 
through  them,  the  whole  surrounded  by 
a  white-washed  paling  fence.  Close  by 
are  the  immense  Swiss  barns  generally 
painted  red,  with  the  straw  stack  in  the 
center  of  the  barn-yard — so  high  as  to 
almost  hide  the  '  strangely  artistic  stars 
painted  on  the  front  of  the  big  barn.  At 
the  foot  of  the  stack  the  herd  of 
sleek  cattle,  for  which  Lynn  township  is 
noted  among  the  cattlemen,  restfully 
chew  the  cud. 

Drive  on  towards  the  setting  sun,  with 
the  "Donaf's  Kopf"  to  your  right,  the 
broad  flat  P'innacle,  in  front  of  you,  and 
the  "Spifca  Berg"  to  your  left  without 
smoke  stacks  or  deafening  city  noises, 
and  no  stranger's  praises  seem  too  good 
for  your  native  soil.  Or  take  the  ride  by 
way  of  the  "Rhode  Shtross"  beyond 
Stines  Corner.  Woods  are  on  both  sides 
and  berries  galore,  making  better  pies 
than  berries  grown  anywhere  else.  Wait 
until  April  to  drive  out  along  the 
Schochary  Road  to  Aaron  Kistler's ! 
There  the  shy  little  arbutus  becomes  so 
friendly  that  it  spreads  itself  over  the  soft 
moss  in  regular  sheets  and  the  trees  on 
either  side  bend  towards  each  other 
across    the    road,    forming   a    continuous 


i6o 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


DANIEL  KISTLER  FA  RM. 

green  canopy  under  which  you  pass.  The 
hill  at  the  end  of  the  woods  is  very  steep ; 
better  turn  and  go  back  the  same  way — 
unless  your  horse  is  a  good  climber  and 
you  are  anxious  for  a  refreshing  drink. 
There  is  a  long  moss-covered  watering 
trough  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  with  fresh 
spring  water  gushing  into  it.  If  the  glass 
or  shining  tin  cup  is  not  in  sight,  take 
the  cocoanut  shell.  A  draught  of  that 
water  well  pays  all  the  effort  made  to 
get  it. 

Inhabitants. 

Lynn  township  was  confirmed  in  the 
courts  of  Lehigh  county  in  1735.  It 
contains  about  24,200  acres  of  land  of 
which  17,157  acres  are  under  cultivation, 
6,230  acres  are  unseated  and  872  remain 
timber  land.  The  assessed  valuation  of 
real  estate  is  $1,081,596.  The  amount  of 
money  on  interest,  $180,859,  with  875 
taxable  inhabitants. 

The  first  settlers  were  mostly  Swab- 
ians  and  Palatinates.  The  present  gener- 
ation is  all  native  born,  and  as  pure  and 
typical  a  Pennsylvania-German  type  as 
may  be  found.  It  is  interesting  to  note 
how  the  "Dahls"  (Valleys)  have  re- 
ceived their  names  from  the  fact  of  cer- 
tain families  having  resided  there.  For 
instance,  the  "Kistler's  Dahl"  has  kept 
its  name  from  1735  to  tne  present  time 
— every  farm  for  a  stretch  of  about  three 
miles  having  been  owned  and  occupied 
by  a  Kistler  and  being  handed  down  from 
father  to  son  from  one  generation  to  an- 
other. 

The  inhabitants  number  between  2,400 


and  2,500,  of  which  554  are  school  chil- 
dren. Twenty  schools  are  provided  for 
these  children,  paying  their  teachers  an 
average  salary  of  $38.95  (1906).  Lynn 
township  claims  the  reputation  of  pre- 
senting fewer  bills  of  indictment  before 
the  court  and  of  applying  for  less  poor 
county.  Its  people  have  always  been 
honest,  law-abiding  and  God-fearing. 
They  multiplied,  grew  strong,  and  the 
Lord  blessed  them.  They  adhered  to  the 
Reformed  and  Lutheran  faiths  and 
worshiped  in  three  union  churches, 
located  at  Jacksonville,  New  Tripoli  and 
Lynnville.  served  faithfully  on  the  Re- 
formed side  for  27  years  by  the  late  Rev. 
J.  N.  Bachman  and  on  the  Lutheran  side 
for  37  years  by  the  late  Rev.  H.  S. 
Fegley.  These  two  men  also  took  a  great 
interest  in  the  educational  welfare  of  the 
community.  Much  credit  is  due  them 
for  their  active  interest,  advice  and  kind 
encouragement  in  all  matters  pertaining 
to  the  welfare  of  the  community.  In  two 
of  these  churches  the  old  custom  of  sep- 
arate sittings  is  still  observed.  As  you 
enter  you  find  the  lower  compartment  or 
church  proper  divided  into  five  sections. 
The  young  married  women  occupy  the 
center  pews,  the  elderly  ladies  the  right, 
the  young  women  and  girls  the  left.  The 
officers  of  the  church  are  seated  to  the 
left  of  the  pulpit  and  the  old  men  to  the 
right.  On  the  three  galleries  you  will 
see  the  young  men  and  boys  to  the  right, 
the  married  men  to  the  left,  and  the  choir 
in  the  rear  facing  the  pulpit.  At  funerals 
the  family  always  sit  together,  and  all 
the  men  keep  on  their  hats  during  the 
entire  service.  The  sharp  lines  drawn  by 
these  customs  are  fast  disappearing,  and 
it  will  not  be  long  before  they  will  be  a 
thing  of  the  past. 

The  old  time  custom  of  feasting  at 
funerals  still  kept  up  in  some  sections  of 
Lynn  is  being  criticised.  At  the  recent 
funeral  of  the  oldest  member  of  the  Lynn- 
ville congregation,  225  persons  took  din- 
ner at  the  village  hotel.  This  was  largely 
due  to  the  fact  that  the  present  genera- 
tion is  all  native-born,  and  through  inter- 
marriage all  are  related. 

Industries. 
Of  late  years  the   raising   of  potatoes 


LYNN  TOWNSHIP 


i6r 


forms  the  largest  source  of  income — the 
soil  being  speciallx"  a(lai)te(l  to  this  crop ; 
ooo  bushels. 

In  the  early  years  before  the  soil  had 
reached  the  present  state  of  high  cultiva- 
tion, the  principal  source  of  income  was 
from  apple  whiskey,  better  known  as 
apple  jack.  Xearly  every  other  farm 
"had  its  own  distillery  in  which  the  apples 
raised  on  the  farm  were  distilled  into 
whiskey.  This  contained  intoxicating 
properties  to  which  many  of  the  older 
people  can  well  testify. 

Twice  a  year,  in  the  spring  and  fall, 
the  farmers  took  this  product  to  the 
Philadelphia  and  Baltimore  markets  in 
their  large  white  covered  wagons  drawn 
by  two  or  four  sturdy  horses,  with  the 
teamster  sitting  on  the  sadel  gliaiil 
(saddle  horse),  with  the  /^-h/>  //;/t^  (jerk 
line)   in  his  hand. 

Very  often  from  ten  to  twenty  teams 
would  be  in  line.  To  go  on  such  a  trip 
required  a  ftill  week  and  often  marked  an 
epoch  in  many  a  life.  The  writer  well 
remembers  as  a  boy  going  with  his  father 
on  one  of  his  semi-annual  trips  to  Phila- 
delphia, with  a  load  of  country  store  pro- 
duce to  exchange  for  general  merchan- 
dise. Prominent  stopping  places  for  the 
night  were  Sunneytown  and  Flourtown. 
Here  the  farmers  stopped  each  one  hav- 
ing a  "zivcrcJi  sock"  (saddlebag)  well 
filled  with  victuals  for  the  trip.  At  bed- 
time those  not  so  fortunate  as  to  procure 
a  bed,  brought  in  their  feed  sacks  for  a 
head  rest  and  slept  on  the  bar-room  floor. 
Early  in  the  morning  they  were  all  up 
and  a  jolly  set  they  were.  Do  zvar  ein 
;grossc  HcrUchkcit.  (Here  there  was 
high  glee.)  The  first  thing  was  a  morn- 
ing bitters,  an  apple-jack,  at  a  cost  of 
three  cents,  with  a  common  cigar  thrown 
in.  This  was  all  the  revenue  the  land- 
lord received  from  many  of  his  guests. 

On  the  return  trips  the  farmer  would 
bring  house-hold  necessaries,  including 
salt.  To  go  on  horseback  to  Baltimore 
for  salt  only  was  not  unusual.  Indeed, 
the  older  people  used  to  tell  of  a  farmer 
walking  to  Baltimore  for  a  peck  of  salt. 
In  spring  many  teams  would  go  to  Havre 
de  Grace  and  bring  back  a  load  of  shad  to 
distribute  amongst   their   neighbors. 

Previous  to  a  trip  of  this  kind,  a  good 


JONAS  BACHMAN  FARM. 

honest  farmer  once  went  to  a  neighbor- 
ing distillery  for  his  four  barrels  of 
whiskey  to  take  to  market.  He  went 
awa}'  early  in  the  morning  and  was  long 
in  coming  home.  His  good  spouse 
Maricha  became  uneasy,  thinking  he 
might  have  had  an  accident.  He  finally 
came  in  at  high  noon.  Maricha  met  him 
in  the  yard  and  said:  "Well,  Haniics,  du 
zvarst  aver  long."  (Well,  John,  you 
stayed  long.)  When  he  stepped  from 
the  wagon  he  staggered  and  fell.  Maricha 
came  to  his  aid  and  said,  "Nil,  Hannes, 
wasisdann?  Bist  diikrank"?  "Achneh, 
Maricha,  sei  net  bang,  es  is  net  schlini. 
Des  is  en  diinners  ding.  Ich  hab  den 
ganza  zveg  do  ruff  iif  deiii  Spiuide  kockt 
iin  des  Jiot  mich  schzvindlich  gcniacht. 
'Maricha^,  geschzvind  Jieb  die  Gheil,  es 
geht  alles  in  grin  gel  nun."  (What  is 
wrong,  John,  are  you  sick?  Oh,  no, 
Maricha,  do  not  be  alarmed ;  my  condi- 
tion is  not  serious.    This  is  a  d thing. 

I  sat  all  the  way  on  the  bung  and  became 
dizzy.  Maricha,  be  quick  and  hold  the 
horses,  things  are  going  around  in  a 
circle.) 

Early  Schools. 

Prior  to  1813,  the  children  received 
their  meager  education  in  the  "Kirche 
Shoola"  or  "Gamcinda  Shoola"  (church 
schools),  with  the  German  Psalter  as  the 
main  text-book.  The  Testament  was  also 
used.  Reading,  writing  and  arithmetic 
was  about  all  the  curriculum  comprised, 
and  the  boys  were  expected  to  apply 
themselves  more  diligentlv  to  their  studies 


l62 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


than  their  sisters.  Distance  was  also  a 
great  obstacle  to  the  girl's  education. 
Her  chief  accomplishment  was  to  make' 
the  spinning-wheel  hum  and  have  a  chest 
full  of  tine  household  linens,  marked  with 
her  initials. 

Sometimes  an  English  newspaper 
would  appear  in  the  hands  of  a  grown 
pupil,  and  be  used  for  the  reading  lesson. 
That  was  quite  a  special  branch,  and 
not  many  would  attempt  to  study  it.  To 
procure  teachers  for  the  schools  in  those 
days  was  a  difficult  matter.  Sometimes 
the  first  German  who  came  along  and 
could  read  was  induced  to  stay.  He 
would  have  a  real  good  time  boarding 
around  and  enjoying  the  apple  jack  at 
every  opportunity. 

In  1795  the  Tripoli  church  had  an 
able  teacher  in  Mr.  Jacob  Salem.  This 
school  was  also  taught  successfully  for 
many  years  by  the  church  organist,  Mr. 
Friederich  Schmidt.  In  181 3  the  first 
English  school  in  the  upper  end  of  the 
county  was  opened  at  New  Tripoli.  It 
was  organized  and  incorporated  as  the 
Saegersville  English  School  Society,  so 
called  because  Mr.  Saeger  had  donated 
the  land  for  church  and  school  purposes. 
On  the  27th  of  March,  1812,  Mr.  David 
Mosser  and  IMr.  Daniel  Saeger  were  ap- 
pointed a  committee  on  resolutions.  In 
April,  1813,  David  Mosser,  George  Sitt- 
ler,  John  Sittler,  George  Tryne  and 
Henry  Mantz  were  elected  trustees. 
Stocks  were  issued  and  sold  at  ten  dol- 
lars per  share.  In  the  constitution  was 
the  following  clause :  "Resolved,  that  as 
long  as  timber  grows  and  water  flows  no 
German  shall  be  taught  in  this  house." 

.\  stone  house  wa?  built  and  school 
opened  on  the  first  of  December,  1813. 
The  length  of  term  was  three  months 
from  the  first  of  December  to  the  first  of 
March. 

The  first  teacher  was  an  Englishman 
who  had  an  iron-clad  rule  that  all  con- 
versation in  and  around  the  school 
grounds  must  be  strictly  English,  and 
that  all  scholars  must  say  "Good-night" 
when  the  school  was  dismissed  for  the 
day.  The  oldest,  tallest  and  best  English 
scholar  one  evening,  on  leaving,  said  at 
the  door :  "Good  night,  shool  master,  to- 
morrow I  coulds  not  come.     I  must  help 


drash,  but  the  other  week  I  come  widder 
and  bring  two  of  my  bruder's  peoples 
mit." 

This  school  was  well  patronized,  and 
scholars  came  from  long  distances.  My 
father,  Joshua  Seiberling,  and  Peter 
Miller,  both  of  Lynnville,  attended  the 
school  for  three  successive  winters,  with- 
out missing  a  day,  walking  six  miles 
daily. 

The  school  was  kept  up  every  winter 
until  1838,  when  the  present  public  school 
system  was  adopted  and  schools  were  es- 
tablished. A  teacher  who  taught  in  and 
around  Tripoli  used  to  give  the  following 
.story.  All  classes  came  out  and  formed 
in  a  line  to  recite  their  lessons.  In  the 
ABC  class  the  pupils,  each  having  a 
whalebone  pointer  in  his  hand,  named 
one  letter  at  a  time  in  rotation.  In  a 
certain  class  the  O  came  to  the  tallest  boy, 
who  had  boots  on,  which  was  considered 
a  great  luxury  at  that  time.  He  got 
stuck,  and  the  teacher  said,  "next."  The 
"next"  pupil  happened  to  be  the  smallest 
boy  in  the  class.  He  sized  up  the  large 
boy  from  head  to  foot  and  said :  "So  en 
grosser  karl,  schun  stivvel  azu  iind  kann 
der  O  noch  net.  Do  deht  ich  niich  azver 
scheinma."  (Such  a  big  fellow.  Boots 
on,  and  don't  know  the  O.  I'd  be 
ashamed  of  myself.) 

Recent   Schools. 


LYNNVILLK   SCHOOLHOUSE 

Early  in  the  seventies  the  real  intellec- 
tual era  of  Lynn  commenced.  Parents 
began  to  realize  the  importance  and  ne- 


LYNN   TOWNSHIP 


163 


cessity  of  i:;iviiii^  their  sons  ami  daughters 
a  liberal  education.  They  were  convinced 
that  an  intelligent  mind ;  a  faithful,  sym- 
pathetic heart;  a  healthy  body,  and  self- 
respect  were  the  best  "crbsclwff"  (herit- 
age) they  could  give  them.  In  the  fall 
of  1875.  teachers  were  scarce.  At  the 
suggestion  of  'Sir.  J.  U.  Knauss,  at  that 
time  the  efficient  superintendent  of  the 
Lehigh  County  Public  Schools,  the  writer 
went  to  the  Keystone  State  Normal 
School  at  Kutztown  to  secure  a  teacher. 
On  inquiring  for  a  Mr.  Wilder,  a  young 
man  rather  shabbily  dressed  limped  into 
the  principal's  office.  He  was  a  native  of 
Sumpter,  South  Carolina,  where  he  had 
enlisted  in  a  confederate  regiment  in 
1 86 1,  at  the  age  of  16  years.  After  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg  he  deserted,  with  a 
Union  bullet  in  his  right  hip  joint  as  a 
trophy.  On  the  offer  of  additional  salary 
and  free  board  as  an  inducement,  he 
agreed  to  teach  the  Lynnville  school  for 
the  winter  term  of  live  months.  His  first 
term  being  a  marked  success,  he  opened, 
in  the  spring,  a  select  school  for  a  nine 
weeks'  term,  with  fifty-two  scholars  en- 
rolled. The  school  was  called  the  Young 
Lynnville  Normal.  The  scholars  were 
mostly  young  men  who  had  taught  dur- 
ing the  winter,  and  others  who  wished  to 
prepare  for  teaching.  A  debating  so- 
ciety was  organized  which  met  every  Fri- 
day evening.  This  was  well  attended  and 
very  popular.  The  boys  made  strenuous 
efforts  at  oratory.  To  "murder  and  kill" 
a  historical  character  during  the  debate 
was  only  the  beginning  of  the  attack ;  not 
to  be  prepared  to  act  as  judge  for  the 
debate,  was  an  excuse  given  with  all  due 
seriousness. 

At  the  end  of  each  term  a  grand  en- 
tertainment was  given.  If  the  school- 
house  was  too  small,  the  exercises  were 
held  in  the  church.  On  these  occasions 
Superintendent  Knauss  and  Reverends 
Bachman  and  Fegley  always  took  an 
active  part.  Mr.  Wilder  taught  this 
school  for  four  years,  in  the  meantime 
reading  law.  He  passed  a  satisfactory 
examination,  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and 
finally  drifted  to  his  native  state. 

In  1878  the  Miller's  \^alley  district  se- 
cured the  services  of  Mr.  Alvin  Rupp, 
the  present  superintendent  of  the  Lehigh 


LYNNVILI.K   HOTEL. 

County  Public  Schools.  Mr.  Rupp 
taught  the  regular  school  and  select  terms 
for  a  number  of  years  with  great  success. 
The  healthy  stimulus  for  education  ere-, 
ated  at  that  time  has  been  far-reaching 
in  its  results. 

There  was  a  time  when  the  parents  did 
not  hesitate  to  send  the  sons  to  school. 
But  with  the  daughters  it  was  different. 
The  progressive  mother  of  a  large  fam- 
ily, on  being  approached  to  send  her 
daughters  to  school,  said:  "Ich  zceJis 
zvas  sel  mchnt.  JJ'anii  die  Mad  in  de 
Shoot  geh  solle  iiii  summer  dann  is  die 
zvoll  net  gespunna  un  die  strimp  net  ge- 
strickt  bis  der  zciiiter  bei  kumpt."  (I 
know  what  that  means.  If  the  girls  go 
to  school  in  sinnmer,  the  wool  will  not 
be  spun  and  the  stockings  will  not  be  knit 
when  winter  comes.)  Since  that  time  a 
granddaughter  has  received  a  Normal 
Diploma  and  is  now  preparing  to  enter  a 
college.  During  this  intellectual  awaken- 
ing, many  of  the  old  customs  and  ideas 
changed.  The  family  doctor  found  thie 
broom-stick  laid  across  the  door  less  fre- 
quently by  the  superstitious.  Hexcri, 
spookeri,  braucheri,  Welsch  korn  metcha, 
ladicerg-porties,  bhmisock  spiele  (witch- 
craft, spooks,  powwowing,  corn  husking 
matches,  applebutter  parties  and  games) 
and  the  like  were  less  and  less  frequently 
heard  of.  Instead,  books  appeared  and 
musical  instruments  were  introduced  into 
many  homes,  thereby  reviving  the  natural 
musical  instinct  native  to  the  German. 
Sewing  machines  also  appeared  in  the 
early    seventies,    and    with    the   introduc- 


l64 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


tion  of  these  accomplishments,  the  cuUi- 
vation  of  flax  ceased. 

The  first  graded  school  of  the  township 
was  opened  atiNew  Tripoli,  in  1882; Lynn- 
port,  Steinsville  and  Lynnville  soon  fol- 
lowing. Against  building  the  New 
Tripoli  schoolhouse  there  was,  unfortu- 
nately, a  strong  opposition  party.  They 
prosecuted  the  school  board;  a  law  suit 
followed,  which  as  a  consequence  created 
a  good  deal  of  ill-feeling  for  the  time 
being.  The  court  decided  in  favor  of 
the  school-board,  and  gave  them  authorit}- 
to  build. 

The  voung  men  who  taught  at  L}-nn- 
ville  after  Mr.  Wilder  were  A.  C.  Wuch- 
ter,  Chas.  C.  Boyer,  H.  M.  Fusselman, 
Wm.  Werner,  Wm.  Mosser,  Gill,  Gable, 
C.  E.  and  W.  U.  Kistler.  About  this 
time  a  general  school  enthusiasm  sprang 
up  through  the  whole  township,  and  se- 
lect schools  were  conducted  at  Tripoli, 
Lynnport  and  Steinsville.  Among  the 
teachers  at  those  schools  were  W.  H. 
Ranch,  J.  F.  Moyer,  J.  J.  Reitz,  C."  B. 
Schneder,  A.  M.  Meerschaum,  J.  G. 
Schucker,  John  Waidlich,  Geo.  M.  Lutz, 
C.  E.  Creitz,  Irvin  Bachman,  Preston 
Bahler  and  others. 

Many  of  the  boys  prepared  in  these 
schools  to  enter  the  Freshman  and  Sopho- 
more classes  in  the  different  colleges 
which  they  later  attended.  For  the  last 
thirty-seven  years  the  public  schools  of 
Lynn  were  taught  exclusively  by  their 
own  people,  one-third  of  the  teachers 
being  ladies. 

Professional  Men. 

The  result  of  this  educational  energy 
credits  Lynn  township  with  having  raised 
more  professional  men  within  the  last 
35  years  than  any  other  township  in  the 
county,  and  a  great  number  of  successful 
business  men  scattered  all  over  the  LTnited 
States.  The  following  are  the  names  of 
the  boys  from  the  different  districts,  and 
the  places  where  they  are  now  located : 
Tripoli   District — 

Rev.  O.  P.  Smith,  Pottstown,  Pa. 

Lawyer  John  Ulrich,  Tamauqua,  Pa. 

Dr.   Nelson   Kistler,   Allentown,    Pa. 

Rev.   Albert   Ebert,   Tripoli,    Pa. 

Rev.  Wm.  Mosser,  Bethlehem,  Pa. 

Dr.   Geo.    Krauss,    Philadelphia,    Pa. 

Rev.   Wm.   Reimert,   Missionary  in   China. 

Lawyer   Francis   Gildner,   Allentown,    Pa. 


Teacher  Augustus  Oswald.  Hokendauqua, 
Pa. 

Ralph  I\liller,  with  the  Baldwin  Locomo- 
tive Works,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

J.    O.    Fenstermaker,   V.    S.,    Michigan. 

Lynnport  District — 

Dr.   D.   W.   Fohveiler,  Lynnport,   Pa. 
Rev.  C.  E.  Creitz,  Reading. 
Rev.  J.  J.  Reitz,  Cherryville,  Pa. 
Rev.    Irvin    Bachman,   Mauch   Chunk,    Pa. 
Dr.   Robt.   E.   Fohveiler,  Allentown,   Pa. 
Dr.  Milton  Hartman,  Fleetwood,  Pa. 
Dr.  C.  O.  Henry,  Allentown,  Pa. 
Prof.  L.  H.  Sheetz,  Weissport,  Pa. 

Steinsville  District — 

Rev.    John    Waidelich,    Sellersville,    Pa. 

Rev.  A.  C.  Wuchter,  Gilberts,  Pa. 

Dr.  Phaon  Hermany,  Mahanoy  City,  Pa. 

Rev.  Donat,  

Dr.   Jas.   Long,  Royersford,   Pa. 

Dr.    Jacob    Klingeman,    Nebraska. 

Lawyer  Howard  Greenawald,  Reading,  Pa. 

Lawyer  Geo.  M.  Lutz,  Allentown,  Pa. 

Rev.  Geo.  Lutz,  Pennsburg,  Pa. 

Dr.  Jas.  Fetherolf,  Stockerton,  Pa. 

Dr.  Geo.  Fetherolf,  V.  S.,  Reading,  Pa. 

Dr.  Chester  Kistler,  Reading,  Pa. 

Dr.  Wm.  Fetherolf,  Steinsville,  Pa. 

Dr.  O.  K.  Hoppes,  Dentist,  Tamauqua,  Pa. 

Lynnville  District — 

Dr.  M.  J.  Holben,  Slatington,  Pa. 
Dr.  A.  P.  Fetherolf,  Allentown,  Pa. 
Dr.  P.  O.  Bleiler,  Allentown,  Pa. 
Dr.  A.  O.  Bleiler,  Frackyille,  Pa. 
Dr.   W.    K.    Kistler,   Lehighton,    Pa. 
Dr.  W.   P.  Kistler,  Allentown,  Pa. 
Dr.   John   Kistler,    Shenandoah,    Pa. 
Dr.   Douglas   Kistler,   Wilkes-Barre,   Pa. 
Dr.  Jacob  Kistler,  Lehighton   (deceased). 
Dr.  Jas.  Kistler,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
Dr.   Edwin   Eshelman,   Parryville,    Pa. 
Dr.  J.  A.  Kressly,  Tripoli,  Pa. 
Dr.  Geo.  F.  Seiberling,  Allentown,   Pa. 
Dr.  Jesse  Kistler,  Germansville,  Pa. 
Dr.    Francis    Brobst,    Reading,    Pa. 
Dr.   Daniel   Brobst,   Reading,   Pa. 
Dr.   Emanuel   Howeter,  deceased. 
Prof.  Geo.  Miller,  Stanford  University,  Cal. 
Lawyer  Edwin  Mosser,  Chicago,  111. 
Rev.  Jas.  M.  Bachman,  Lynnport,  Pa. 
Rev.  Peter  Bachman,  Allentown,  Pa. 
Rev.  Adam  Bachman,  Sdiaefiferstown,  Pa. 
Rev.  O.  P.  Shelhammer,  York,  Pa. 
Rev.   W.   U.    Kistler,    Pennsburg,   Pa. 
Rev.  C.  E.  Kistler,  Reading,  Pa. 
Dr.  Allen  Kistler,  Lehighton,   Pa. 
Dr.  Wm.   Howeter,  Stroudsburg,   Pa. 
Dr.  Wm.  Howeter,  V.  S.,  Reading,  Pa. 
Druggist  John  Krause,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Lawyer  Wilson   Wert,  Allentown,   Pa. 
Dr.  C.  A.  Bachman,  dentist,  Emaus,  Pa. 
Rev.   Geo.    Greenawald,    Sellersville,    Pa. 
Dr.  Owen  Snyder,  V.  S.,  Lehighton,  Pa. 
Dr.  Elias  Snyder,  V.  S.,  Orwigsburg,  Pa. 
Dr.    Edwin    Wissner,    Mantzville,    Pa. 
Rev.  Jonas  Henry,  Topton,  Pa. 


LYNN   TOWNSHIP 


165 


Home  Life. 

To  keep  up  this  educational  pace  the 
township  high  school  should  appear.  The 
physical  features  of  the  township  seem  to 
be  the  principal  cause  of  delay  in  estab- 
lishing these.  Daily  mails  were  estab- 
lished, through  the  influence  of  the  late 
W.  H.  Sowden,  during  his  second  term 
in  Congress,  in  1886.  Rural  Free  De- 
livery Routes  arc  also  established  in  the 
township.  These  increased  mail  facilities 
distribute  about  four  hundred  daily 
papers  through  the  township  every 
morning,  many  reaching  the  people  be- 
fore breakfast.  The  people  of  Lynn  are 
well  posted  on  the  domestic  and  general 
markets,  and  are  in  close  touch  with  the 
current  events  of.  the  day.  They  discuss 
the  doings  and  undoings  of  the  last  State 
Legislature;  of  the  ''Capitol  Graft;''  the 
amazing  appropriations,  and  the  Execu- 
tive, Legislative  and  Judicial  salary  in- 
creases. The  farmers  debate  and  ask  the 
question :  Where  does  our  increase  come 
in?  Their  only  answer  is  on  increased 
taxation  on  everything  they  own  and  on 
everything  they  buy. 

The  Pennsylvania-Germans  are  noted 
for  their  thrift  and  frugality;  their  Ger- 
man dialect  is  called  "vicious  Dutch," 
and  their  distinctive  modes  and  customs 
are  considered  odd,  but  let  the  stranger 
amongst  them  need  aid  or  one  of  their 


own  people  become  afflicted  or  distressed, 
and  the  true  humane  disposition  of  these 
people  will  be  manifested  by  their  deeds 
in  a  quiet,  eiTectual  way. 

There  are  in  Lynn  township  all  kinds 
of  people,  as  everywhere  else,  but  to  hive 
entered  for  40  years  the  majority  of  those 
homes,  with  their  white-washed  walls  and 
spotless  rag-carpet  brightened  by  gay 
colored  woolen  stripes  and  fragrant  with 
the  sweetest  of  perfume  that  of  cleanli- 
ness, to  have  mingled  with  so  many  of 
almost  saint-like  disposition,  and  to  have 
accepted  their  hospitality,  which  knows 
no  bounds,  is  ground  for  holding  the 
people  in  the  highest  esteem. 


BOILING  APPL'i]  BUTTER. 


Elizabeth's  Mad  Ride 

BY  MRS.  ELLA  ZERBEY  ELLIOTT,  POTTSVILLE,  PA. 


"Old  Schuylkill  Tales.' 


HE  Pennsylvania -Germans, 
whose  ancestors  were  exiled 
from  their  homes  in  the 
beautiful  valley  of  the  Rhine 
and  Neckar  by  furious 
religious  and  political  perse- 
cution, did  not  find  life  in  their  adopted 
home  one  on  a  bed  of  roses.  The  Miller 
and  the  Stout  families  originatd  in  Alsace 
and  Loraine.  During  the  many  fierce 
wars,  in  which  these  provinces  were  made 
a  mere  football  by  the  contending  forces 
of  the  Romans,  Gauls  and  Germans,  they 
migrated     farther    north    to    the    Rhine 


Palatinate,  which  was  then  one  of  two 
divisions  of  an  independent  State  of 
Germany.  x\gain  they  migrated  from  the 
region  of  the  Schwalm  River  to  Switzer- 
land from  where  they  embarked  for  the 
United  States  of  America  in  1754. 

The  story  of  the  Rhine  Pfalz  is  one  of 
great  interest.  There  is  no  region  or 
country  on  the  globe  that  has  witnessed 
so  many  bloody  conflicts  as  the  Palatinate 
on  the  Rhine.  The  Romans  struggled 
for  more  than  five  centuries  to  subdue  the 
Germans  only  to  leave  them  unconquered 
and  when  the  Romans  withdrew,  the  rich 


i66 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


vallev  was  coveted  by  European  nations. 
The  'crimes  committed  in  the  Palatinate 
fanaticism  and  political  persecution  are 
unparalleled  in  the  history  of  human 
savagery.  And  this  region  continued  to 
be  the  theatre  of  conflict  after  the  great 
exodus  of  the  German  Palatines,  which 
took  place  in  the  last  half  of  the  eighteenth 
century. 

The  German  emigrants  to  New  lork 
who  had  sufl:ered  untold  miseries  with 
internal  difficulties  in  the  Schoharie 
Vallev,  with  regard  to  the  settlement  of 
their 'lands  and  the  titles  to  them,  had 
again  taken  wing;  and  many  of  them 
turned  under  the  leadership  of  John 
Conrad  Weiser  and  his  son,  Conrad,  to 
Pennsylvania.  It  was  about  1754-1/56 
when  the  large  influx  of  the  Pfalzisch 
Germans  came  to  Pennsylvania  and  set- 
tled in  Berks  County,  which  has  since 
been  subdivided  into  Berks,  Dauphin, 
Lebanon,  Schuylkill  and  parts  of  other 
counties. 

The  Millers  and  the  Stouts  came  over 
with  the  great  exodus.  The  lands  in  the 
vicinitv  of  the  sites  of  Womelsdorf,  Read- 
ing, Bernville.  Tulpehocken  and  along  the 
fertile  Schuylkill  Valley  were  soon  taken 
up  bv  the  settlers.  The  families  settled 
first  'near  Tulpehocken,  where  both  An- 
drew Miller  and  EHzabeth  Stout  were 
born,  the  former  in  1756.  The  Stouts 
were  represented  in  the  five  full  com- 
panies that  enlisted  from  the  German 
settlers  for  immediate  service  after  the 
adoption  of  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence, in  1776,  and  the  Millers,  too,  had 
sons  that  took  the  field  and  rendered 
conspicuous  aid  during  the  early  part  of 
the  war,  at  the  close  of  which  the  two 
families  with  several  others  removed  to 
Bear  Creek,  east  of  what  is  now  Auburn, 
between  the  Blue  Mountain  and  the  Sum- 
mer Berg. 

John  Lesher.  brother-in-law  of  John 
Wilhelm  Pott,  operated  a  forge  and  small 
furnace  on  Pine  Creek  and  there  was 
another  near  the  site  of  Auburn ;  and  here 
the  men  of  the  Miller  and  Stout  families 
worked  when  not  employed  on  their  farms. 
The  women  occupied  themselves  with 
the  milking  of  the  cows,  churning  and 
making  butter  and  raising  the  hemp  from 
which  was  spun  the  flax  that  afterward 


made  the  coarse,  soft  linen  that  formed 
the  bed  sheets,  towels  and  linen  underwear 
of  the  families,  some  of  which  is  still 
cherished  among  their  descendants  as  the 
most  precious  of  heirlooms.  They  also 
manufactured  on  rude  looms  the  coarse 
homespun  cloths,  dyed  them  with  home- 
made colors  and  fashioned  them  into  the 
clothes  their  families  wore.  Those  were 
busy  times,  but  not  unhappy  ones. 

No  more  beautiful  country  exists  any- 
where than  that  included  in  the  tract  from 
Bear  Ridge  and  the  Summer  Berg  to  the 
Old  Red  Church  below  Orwigsburg.  All 
aroiuid  were  primeval  forests.  The 
silvery  Schuylkill  uncontaminated  b}' 
coal  washings  glistened  in  the  distance. 
The  roads  through  the  forests  were  mere 
bridal  paths  and  the  first  slow,  gradual 
taming  of  the  wilderness,  the  rolling  hills 
to  the  edges  of  the  Blue  Mountain,  the 
advance  from  the  low  log  cabins,  the 
scattered,  scratch-farms  to  the  first  dwell- 
ings and  farms  of  greater  pretentions  as 
the  rich  country  grew  in  wealth  and  ambi- 
tion, made  a  picture  that  excites  the  live- 
liest imagination. 

It  was  past  the  noon  mark  on  the  sun- 
dial at  the  little  low  farm  house  on  Bear 
Ridge,  when  Elizabeth  Stout  completed 
the  chores  for  the  morning.  The  milk  in 
the  spring-house  was  all  skimmed,  the 
low  floor  and  huge  hearth  swept  up  with 
the  birch  broom,  the  linen  bleaching  on 
the  meadow  had  been  turned  and  wet 
anew,  the  blue  delf  china  after  the  noon- 
ing was  washed  and  spread  on  the  great 
mahogany  dresser.  Elizabeth's  deft 
fingers  soon  bound  up  her  abundant 
brown  hair  with  the  snood  that  confined 
it ;  she  slipped  into  her  short  bright  brown 
cloth  skirt,  red  pointed  bodice  with  sur- 
plice of  bright  green,  a  concoction  of 
colors  she  had  made  with  home-made 
d\'es  and  fashioned  and  copied  the  dress 
from  the  picture  of  a  grand  dame  she 
had  once  seen. 

Her  sleeves  just  reached  the  elbow, 
disclosing  a  pair  of  plump  and  shapely 
arms  that  would  have  been  the  envy  of 
anv  city  belle.  Her  stockings  were  bright 
red,  knitted  by  her  own  nimble  fingers. 
Her  feet  were  encased  in  a  pair  of  heavy 
shoes,  for  she  must  save  the  pretty  low 
slippers   adorned  with   the  huge  buckles 


ELIZABETH'S    MAD    RIDE 


167 


that  had  remained  among  the  few  reHcs 
of  the  struggle  under  General  Washing- 
Ion  at  X'alley  Forge,  and  which  were 
^iven  her  by  her  fatiier.  She  had  worn 
.the  buckles  at  various  times  on  her  bodice, 
.at  her  waist,  and  now  on  her  slippers, 
which  were  safely  encased  in  the  saddle 
"bags,  together  with  a  new  cream  cheese 
and  some  brodwurst  tied  firmly  in  snowy 
cloths  and  destined  for  a  gift  to  the 
mother  of  the  friend  Elizabeth  was  about 
io  visit. 

She  knotted  a  gay-colored  "kerchief 
.about  her  bare  neck  and  tied  with  its 
.single  plain  black  ribbon  over  her  hair  the 
white  turned  back  half  hood  and  half  sun- 
"bonnet  or  Normandy  cap  she  wore;  and 
adding  the  snowy  white  linen  spencer  for 
evening  wear  on  her  bosom  and  a  few 
trinkets  and  necessaries  to  the  little  stock 
of  clothing  in  the  saddle  bags,  her  prepar- 
ations were  complete.  The  black  mare 
whinnied  when  she  saw  her  approach  with 
riding  paraphernalia  in  hand,  and  per- 
mitted herself  to  be  caught  without  any 
.remonstrance. 

What  a  picture  Elizabeth  was !  One 
that  Joshua  Reynolds  would  not  have  dis- 
dained to  copy.  Just  eighteen  and  above 
medium  height,  well-developed  and  yet 
with  not  an  ounce  of  superfluous  flesh  on 
her  lithe  form,  well-rounded  limbs  and 
well-knit  body.  Large  soft  brown  eyes, 
rosy  cheeks,. pearly  teeth,  smooth  skin  that 
the  bright  green  and  red  in  her  raiment 
lighted  brilliantly  and  harmonized  with. 

She  was  soon  in  the  saddle  and  can- 
tered off,  waving  her  hand  to  her  mother 
who  sat  at  her  spindle  in  a  little  building 
near  the  farm  house,  where  the  maid  of 
all  work  was  busily  engaged  in  paring  and 
stringing  apples  for  drying,  and  a  little 
farther  on  her  father,  with  such  scanty 
help  as  he  could  gather,  was  with  the 
yokels  engaged  in  shocking  the  late  corn. 

A  few  miles  of  swift  riding  along  the 
ledge  brought  her  to  the  river,  which  was 
soon  forded.  There  were  no  wandering 
nomads  to  disturb  the  peacefifl  soliloquy 
of  the  traveler.  The  Indians  were  quieted 
down,  at  least  for  a  time,  and  Fort  Leba- 
non, the  old  log  fortress  of  defense 
against  the  red-skinned  marauders,  looked 
<leserted  as  she  cantered  by. 

Xature  was  lavish  to  that  vallev.     The 


huge  mountains  were  dim  with  the  fall 
haze,  and  looked  blue  and  golden  and  red- 
tinted  in  the  bright  rays  of  the  sun.  The 
early  sumacs  had  turned  blood  red  and 
the  golden  maples  painted  the  landscape 
with  their  dying  beauty  and  brilliant 
splendor.  The  horse  sped  easily  along 
the  path,  and  Elizabeth,  aroused  by  the 
beauty  of  the  scene,  broke  into  the  well- 
known  Lutheran  hymn,  "Ein  feste  Burg 
ist  Unser  Gott,"  and  sang  the  words  to 
the  close,  the  mountains  re-echoing  the 
song  of  praise  of  the  German  nut-brown 
maid.  Then  she  dismounted  and  bathed 
her  face  in  a  running  mountain  stream. 
Shaping  a  cup  from  a  huge  wild  grape 
leaf,  she  drank  and  gave  the  mare  a  loose 
rein  that  she,  too,  might  slake  her  thirst. 
Drawing  a  small  porcelain  picture,  that 
hung  suspended  about  her  neck  by  a  nar- 
row black  velvet  ribbon,  from  her  bosom, 
she  adjusted  her  white  Normandy  cap, 
and  taking  a  sly  peep  at  herself  in  the 
limpid  water,  she  kissed  the  picture  and 
mounted  the  mare,  who  neighed  with  de- 
light at  the  prospect  of  once  more  start- 
ing toward  the  bag  of  oats  she  knew 
awaited  her.  The  picture  was  that  of 
Andrew  Miller,  and  they  were  betrothed. 

The  sun  was  already  hanging  low  in 
the  horizon  when  they  entered  the  heart 
of  the  forest  through  which  their  path 
lay.  The  great  oaks  cast  gigantic  shad- 
ows over  the  entrance,  but  the  fragrant 
pines  were  well-blazed  and  the  pathway 
plain,  and  Elizabeth  was  a  brave  girl  and 
there  was  nothing  to  fear ;  but  she  well 
knew  that  they  must  make  haste  if  they 
would  make  the  clearing  near  the  mill  be- 
low the  Red  Church  before  dark,  where 
her  friend  Polly  Orwig  lived,  and  where 
the  corn  husking  would  take  place  that 
evening.  And  where  she  expected  to  see 
her  affianced,  Andrew  Miller,  who  had 
assisted  at  the  raising  of  the  new  barn  as 
was  the  custom  in  those  days,  and  the 
husking  was  given  in  honor  of  the  new 
building. 

Elizabeth  kept  the  mare  at  as  brisk  a 
pace  as  she  could  through  the  tangled 
luiderbrush  and  morass.  She  thought  of 
Andrew,  how  sturdy  he  was :  surely  of 
all  the  suitors  for  her  hand  she  had  the 
finest,  the  best  looking  man  and  the  best 
informed'.      Thev   had   been   lovers    from 


i68 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


their  childhood,  companions  always,  but 
this  brotherly  affection  had  deepened  into 
something  more  intense,  something  that 
fairly  frightened  her  when  she  recalled 
how  he  had  looked  when  he  told  her  of 
all  the  girls  around  and  about  the  country 
she  was  the  handsomest.  Bot  her  mother 
had  told  her,  "it  was  a  sin  to  think  of 
one's  looks,"  and  had  prompdy  removed 
the  high  stool  from  in  front  of  the 
dresser,  in  the  top  of  which  was  a  huge 
looking  glass,  when  Elizabeth  attempted 
to  see  for  herself  if  there  was  any  truth 
m  the  assertion. 

The  shadows  grew^  longer,  the  squirrels 
and  rabbits  scampered  hurriedly  across 
the  path,  the  late  birds  had  sought  tlicir 
nests,  and  the  occasional  screech  of  the 
panthers  and  other  wild  animals  added 
not  a  little  to  her  apprehensions  about 
the  lateness  of  the  hour,  and  the  little 
mare  seemed,  too,  to  be  disquieted  r..nd 
nervous.  The  superstitions  of  the  coun- 
try arose  in  her  mind  and  she  knew  that 
they  were  nearing  a  little  clea'ing  in  the 
forest  where  lived  a  German  refugee  who 
was  accused  of  witchcraft  and  who  was 
said  to  have  the  power  of  turning  himself 
into  a  white  cat  and  at  times  the  wood 
was  filled  with  a  gathering  of  the  felines, 
who  would  fill  the  air  with  tiieir  snarling 
and  screeching. 

Hark!  there  was  the  sor.nd  slie  had 
often  heard  described  but  bad  forgotten 
about.  A  frightful  yell.  Surely  the  man 
would  not  hurt  her.  Had  not  her  father 
carried  him  food  in  the  ox  sled  in  the  dead 
of  winter  that  he  might  not  starve  and 
had  he  not  always  been  kind  to  her  when 
he  came  to  borrow  the  few  necessary 
things  for  his  existence,  which  he  never 
returned. 

There  it  was  again.  Yes !  and  on  that 
tree  a  white  object  with  fiery  green  eyes. 
It  was  the  witch !  She  dared  not  look 
again !  There  was  a  scream,  a  dull  thud  ; 
she  looked  over  her  shoulder  and  saw  a 
white  cat  perched  on  the  haunches  of  the 
mare.  Trembling  with  fear  that  each 
moment  would  be  her  last,  Elizabeth  gave 
the  mare  the  rein  and  leaning  forward 
clasped  her  arms  about  her  neck,  knov.ing 
full  well  that  the  little  beast  would  do  her 
best — she    needed    no   urging;    and   then 


she  closed  her  eyes  and  prayed  and  prayed 
and  waited. 

On  and  on  they  sped.  The  soft  green 
moss  yielded  to  the  hoofs  of  the  mare  and 
made  the  riding  heavy.  But  Black  Bess 
went  as  she  never  did  before,  as  if  know- 
ing her  pretty  mistress'  life  was  the  stake 
for  which  she  was  fleeing.  From  her 
nostrils  came  huge  flecks  of  foam,  her  fet- 
locks and  sides,  were  wet  wdth  sweat,  and 
from  her  haunches  dripped  drops  of  livid 
red  blood  from  the  clawing  of  the  white 
cat  on  her'  back. 

Elizabeth  could  feel  the  hot  breath  of 
the  creature,  but  beyond  an  occasional  un- 
earthly yell  and  fresh  clawing  of  the  mare 
it  made  no  effort  to  harm  her.  What  a 
mad  ride  it  was !  Tam  O'Shanter's  was 
a  mild  one  in  comparison  to  it.  Would 
the  clearing  never  be  reached  ?  It  seemed 
ages  to  the  trembling  girl,  and  again  she 
closed  her  eyes  and  prayed  and  feebly 
stroked  the  mare's  ears.  At  length  she 
heard  a  soft  snort  in  response.  The  clear- 
ing was  in  sight,  like  a  silvery  rift  in 
the  clouds,  a  light  in  the  gathering  dark- 
ness. The  Old  Red  Church  would  soon 
be    arrived    at,    and    the    witches    hated 

churches  and  perhaps  . 

Just  then  a  dark  figure  loomed  up  as 
they  emerged  from  the  wood.  It  was 
her  betrothed,  Andrew  Miller,  who  came 
out  to  meet  her.  He  caught  the  bridle  of 
the  exhausted  and  panting  mare,  the 
white  cat  gave  a  parting  screech  and 
disappeared  in  the  wood,  and  Elizabeth 
fell  fainting  into  his  arms.  When  she  re- 
covered he  hinted  at  wild  cats,  but  the 
trembling  Elizabeth  would  hear  nothing 
of  them.  "Who  ever  heard  of  a  wild  cat 
acting  that  way?"  said  she.  But  being  a 
sensible  girl  she  consented  to  keep  her 
adventure  a  secret  until  the  morrow,  for 
well  she  knew  that  the  story  of  a  witch 
so  near  would  mar  all  the  pleasure  of  the 
merry  party. 

The  husking  was  a  great  event  in  a 
country  bereft  almost  of  entertainment  for 
the  younger  people,  and  it  was  the  first 
one  of  its  kind  held  in  that  part  of  the 
State.  The  trick  of  finding  a  red  ear  and 
then  exacting  a  kiss  from  your  partner 
was  new  to  her,  and  from  the  frequency 
with  which  Andrew  exacted  the  forfeit 
she  suspected  him  of  having  secreted  some 


ELIZABETH'S    MAD   RTDE 


i6g 


of  the  tell-tale  Indian  cereal  on  his  person, 
but  he  gave  no  sign.  And  the  supper, 
how  good  it  was,  and  how  hungry  they 
all  were  and  how  they  enjoyed  it! 

Elizabeth  left  for  home  in  the  bright 
sunlight  on  the  morrow,  accompanied  by 
Andrew,  who  walked  all  the  way  by  her 
side.  But  not  without  Elizabeth's  having 
first  confided  to  Polly  the  story  of  her  ad- 
venture with  the  white  cat.  Polly,  too, 
decided  it  was  a  witch,  but  thought  the 
witch  meant  her  no  harm,  but  good  luck, 
as  the  wedding  was  to  take  place  at 
Christmas.  And  a  witch  the  white  cat  has 
remained  through  successive  generations 
as  each  in  turn  hands  the  narrative  to  the 
next. 

XoTK. — Andrew  Miller  and  Elizabeth 
Stout  were  married  December  25th,  1786. 


They  raised  a  large  family  of  boys  and 
girls,  among  whom  was  a  daughter,  Han- 
nah, who  was  married  to  Andrew 
Schwalm  in  18 19,  at  Orwigsburg,  and 
from  whom  are  descended  a  large  line 
of  that  name  and  other  leading  families 
residing  in  Old  Schuylkill,  Pottsville  and 
elsewhere  throughout  the  country.  The 
John  and  Joseph  Schwalm,  Wm.  E. 
Boyer,  Frederick  Haeseler  and  Wm.  M. 
Zerby  families,  are  descendants  of  An- 
drew Schwalm  and  Hannah  Miller. 
Elizabeth  Stout  was  the  great-great- 
grandmother  of  the  children  of  the  pres- 
ent generation  of  the  above  mentioned.  In 
the  list  of  taxables,  returned,  Reading, 
Berks  county,  about  1780,  occurs  the 
name  of  Andrew  Schwalm,  Tulpehocken. 


German  Surnames 


BY    LEONHARD    FELIX    FULD,     M.A.,    LL.M.,    COLUMBIA   UNIVERSITY,   NEW  YORK  CITY. 


Chapter  VI. 
WING  considered  the  first 
great  class  of  family  names, 
— those  which  express  the 
trade  or  office  of  their  pos- 
sessor,— we  shall  now  turn 
our  attention  to  the  second 
great  class  of  family  names, — those"  ex- 
pressing personal  characteristics.  We 
know  that  this  method  of  designating  men 
and  women  is  an  old  and  ancient  custom, 
not  only  from  our  consideration  of  the 
ancient  Latin  names  (z'ide  supra)  but  also 
from  such  characters  in  German  history 
as  Karl  dcr  Dickc,  Karl  dcr  Kahle,  Otto 
dcr  Rofhc,  and  the  four  Henrys — Hein- 
rich  der  Hciligc,  Hcinrich  der  Stolze, 
Hcinrich  dcr  ScJnvarae  and  Hcinrich  dcr 
Ziinkcr.  We  know  furthermore  that 
these  names  were  not  always  compliment- 
ary, for  Kaiser  IVensel  was  called  Der 
Faille,  Landgraf  Lttdwig  von  Thilringcn, 
Der  Unartige,  and  Eberhard  von  Wur- 
tcniburg,  Der  Greiner  (Handelsucher). 
^loreover.  similar  names  were  applied  to 
the  inhabitants  of  dififerent  localities.  In 
Alsace  the  people  of  Illzach  were  called 
Mondfdnger.  those  dwelling  along  the 
banks  of  the  Rhine  RJicinscJinakcn,  and 
those  of  Silesia  E'Selsfrcsser.    As  we  can 


see  from  the  examples  given  above,  there 
are  two  principal  ways  in  which  these 
family  names  expressing  personal  char- 
acteristics arise.  The  most  natural  method 
of  expressing  a  personal  characteristic  is 
by  adding  an  adjective  and  an  article  to 
the  Christian  name,  as  Otto  der  Rothe. 
These  phrases  then  gradually  became 
fixed,  and  the  fact  that  sons  often  inherit 
personal  characteristics  from  their  fathers 
helped  in  this  process.  Gradually  the 
article  was  discarded  and  the  adjective 
either  in  an  inflected  or  an  uninflected 
form  remained  as  the  family  name.  It 
was  thus  that  we  got  the  two  forms  of 
the  adjective  as  family  names, — Weisse 
and  Weiss,  Grothe  (Grosse)  and  Groth 
{Gross),  Krause  and  Kraiis,  Lange  and 
Lang.  Yet  the  number  of  names  belong- 
ing to  this  class  is  smaller  than  might  ap- 
pear upon  first  examination.  For  many 
names  that  seem  to  belong  to  this  group 
are  Old  High  German  names  and  so 
really  belong  to  another  class.  Examples 
of  such  names  are  Guth  (Old  High  Ger- 
man Good)  and  Jung  (Old  High  German 
Jungo).  Similarly,  the  name  Voll  does 
not  mean  "one  who  is  full,"  but  is  de- 
rived from  the  Old  High  German  Fulko. 
Whether  the  name  Rohde  owes  its  orisrin 


170 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


to  the  fact  that  its  possessor  had  red  hair 
or  whether  it  is  derived  from  the  Old 
High  German  Hrodo,  is  a  matter  which 
is  still  disputed  among  philologists.  Of 
names  derived  from  compound  adjectives 
we  may  mention  the  flattering  names 
Gottegetred,  Unverzagt  and  W  oho  gen 
(Wohler::ogen),  and  the  censuring  names 
Tollkiilin,  Umschcidcn  (Unbescheiden) 
and  Uiigcfug. 

The  second  way  in  which  these  family 
names  denoting  personal  characteristics 
were  formed  was  by  calling  the  person  by 
the  name  of  his  principal  characteristic. 
These  names  are  therefore  substantives. 
We  may  mention  the  following  names  as 
belonging  to  this  class, — Fras  (Frcsser), 
Schad  (Rdnbcr),  Slcvcre  {Schldfer), 
Mancsse  ( Mensch  cnfrcsscr ) ,  Boncce 
{Bohnenfresser),  FlciscJifrcsscr,  Holt- 
freter  {Hohfresser)  and  Spcckdter 
(Speckcsser).  To  this  group  belong  also 
the  compounds  of  Mann,  Biedennann  and 
Grossman,  the  abstract  names  Frischninfh 
and  Sanftleben  and  the  prepositional  com- 
pounds Ohncsorge  (Ansorgc)  and 
Woltcuiate  {JVoJd  ::u  Mass).  Closely 
analogous  to  the  above  names  are  the 
names  of  animals,  given  to  men  because 
their  friends  thought  that  they  possessed 
the  predominant  characterisitcs  of  those 
animals.  We  may  mention  the  names 
Heinrich  der  Lozve  and  Albrecht  dcr  Bar. 
The  article  was  gradually  discarded  in 
these  names  as  in  the  case  of  the  names 
mentioned  above. 

Of  the  names  denoting  personal  char- 
acteristics of  which  we  have  thus  far 
made  mention,  some  express  corporeal 
characteristics  and  others  incorporeal 
characteristics.      It    is    but    natural    that 

BY  BRISCOE  GOODHART,  WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 

many  of  those  expressing  corporeal  char- 
acteristics should  be  derived  from  the 
common  nouns  denoting  the  various  parts 
of  the  human  body.  Yet  it  must  be  ap- 
parent to  the  reader  that  a  simple  common 
noun  such  as  mnnd  or  haar  cannot  readily 
be  used  as  a  personal  name,  because  it 
does  not  serve  to  distinguish  one  person 
from  another.  Hence  we  must  find  an- 
other derivation  for  these  two  German 
names.  The  surname  Mnnd  does  not 
mean  "month,"  but  "protection,"  since  it 
is   derived   from  the   Old   Higli   German 


Munto  (cf.  Vornmnd),  and  the  name 
Haar  is  derived  from  the  Old  High  Ger- 
man Haro,  meaning  Hccr.  On  the  other 
hand,  compound  words,  one  element  of 
which  is  the  name  of  a  part  of  the  body, 
do  serve  very  w^ell  to  distinguish  men 
from  each  other,  and  we  therefore  find  a 
very  large  number  of  these  surnames.  The 
following  are  a  few  of  those  worthy  of 
mention  in  this  connection : 

Compounds  of  Haupt  (head),  Breit- 
haupt,  RanchJiant  (Rauh),  Wollenhaupt. 

Compounds  of  Kopf  (head),  Gross- 
kopf,  Rothkopf,  JVittkopf. 

Compounds  of  Haar  (hair),  Flachs- 
haar,  Gcelhaar  (Gelb). 

Compounds  of  Bart  (beard),  Rothbart, 
Spitzbart,  Weissbart. 

Compounds  of  Bein  (leg),  Einbein, 
Krnnimbcin,  Langbein. 

Compounds  of  Fnss  (foot),  Lcichtfnss, 
Schnialfuss,  Stollcrfoth. 

We  know  how  natural  it  is  to  give  men 
these  names,  because  we  still  employ  such 
nicknames  as  Flachskopf,  Rothkopf, 
Grossniaul  (of  a  woman)  and  Stele  fnss 
(of  an  invalid). 

This  group  of  names  shows  a  striking 
parallelism  between  the  German  names 
and  the  Latin  names : 

Longius — Lange. 

Crisp  us — Kranse. 

Pauilns — Klein. 

Plautns— Plat:; fnss  ( Piatt) . 

Niger — Schzvarc. 

Capita — Grosskopf. 

Yet  the  German  names  never  reached 
such  a  low  plane  as  the  Latin  names,  part- 
ly because  the  German  language  contains 
so  many  "Satznamen."  The  tendency  to 
form  long  compound  words  from  which 
these  Satznamen  are  derived  is  peculiarly 
German.  The  following  are  some  very 
early  Satznamen  Habedanc  (Danksag- 
luig — Thanksgiving),  Rumelaut  (Out- 
law), Vergissnieinnit.  Denekaninicli, 
Fiilldenmag  (a  glutton).  Hebdeninann. 
'Jagdcntenffel,  Reckdendegen,  Strdchden- 
bart,  Ble'hebauch,  Rnerdendreek,  Beiss- 
hart,  Lnginsloch,  SpahrkriUnlein,  Merk- 
enauzve  (Merk  genau)  and  Pluckebudle 
(Robber).  These  names,  which  belong  to 
the  Middle  High  German  period,  have 
been  taken  from  the  works  of  Klara  Hatz- 
erlin,  Sebastian  IJrant  and  Feschart.    The 


GERMAN    SURNAMES 


number  of  these  Satznamen  was  greatly 
increased  in  the  New  High  German 
period,  and  indeed  it  is  being  increased 
among  the  lower  classes  of  the  people  at 
the  present  day.  Among  the  New  High 
German  Satznamen  are  the  following : 
Mabeivichts,  Storenfricd,  IVagchals, 
Tluniichfgitt,  Lcbczi'olil.  StcUdichcin,  Vcr- 
^issuicinnicJit,  Gcdcnkcmcin,  Trostein- 
jamkeit,  TnitziiachtigaU,  IVciidunmntJi. 
Most  of  these  Satznamen  are  family 
jiames  only,  yet  the  four  which  follow  are 
personal  names, — Lehcrecht,  Trangott, 
Fi'irclitegott  and  Krcuzivendedich.  The 
last  of  these  names  was  generally  given 
.to  a  child  when  several  of  his  brothers  and 
sisters  had  died. 

Considering  next  the  Satznamen  which 
are  family  names  we  find  that  they  origi- 
nated generally  among  soldiers,  robbers 
and  other  convivial  persons,  and  we  must 
therefore  not  be  surprised  to  find  many 
names  in  this  class  which  seem  coarse  to 
us  today.  These  Satznamen  may  be  di- 
vided into  three  classes:  (a)  Those  com- 
pounded of  two  words  (verb  and  adjec- 
tive, or  verb  and  preposition),  such  as 
Bleihtreu  and  Trinkaus.  (b)  Those  com- 
pounded of  three  words  (verb,  article  and 
object  substantive),  such  as  Hassdciipfliig, 


Jagdcntcufel  and  IVagcnhals.  (^c)  Those 
compounded  of  four  words,  as  Haltauf- 
dcrhcide  {Highwayman) ,  Springs f eld  and 
Blcibimhaus.  Some  of  these  Satznamen 
express  good  qualities,  but  most  of  them, 
as  may  be  seen  from  the  above  examples, 
express  weaknesses  and  vices.  Among 
those  that  denote  bravery  or  an  excess 
of  bravery  are  Hancnschild,  Klubcschedcl, 
Schiitlcspcr  (English,  Shakespeare), 
Ziickseisen,  and  the  many  compounds 
with  Teufel, — Fressenteiifcl,  lagctcufel, 
Schlagenteiifel,  and  the  Low  German 
Bitdcndihvcl  (Beisse  den  Teufel).  The 
three  names  Raufsciscn,  Haberccht  and 
Hcbcnstrcit  also  belong  to  this  group.  Of 
the  vices  expressed  by  these  Satznamen 
the  one  most  often  mentioned  and  referred 
to  is  that  of  drunkenness.  Kehrein,  Such- 
enii'irth,  Findekeller,  Schmeckebicr  and 
Schluckbier  are  all  very  expressive  in 
their  meaning.  The  name  Hasscnknig 
stands  peculiarly  isolated  in  this  group. 
This  class  of  names,  expressing  personal 
characteristics,  is  beyond  doubt  the  most 
interesting  of  all.  In  them  we  see  the  joy- 
ful and  brotherly  spirit  of  the  German 
people,  and  this  always  arouses  our  sym- 
pathy and  our  interest. 


Pennsylvania  German  Folklore 

BY  LUCY  FORNEY  BITTENGER,  SEWICKLEY,  PA. 


ECENTLY  I  have  been  in- 
vited to  give  lectures  on  the 
history  and  characteristics  of 
the  Pennsylvania-Germans 
befort  two  organizations  of 
women :  Tlic  Tzvcntictli 
Century  Club  of  Pittsburg  and  The 
Woman's  Club  of  Sewickley,  which  invi- 
tation has  given  me  the  opportunity  of 
saying  many  things  about  the  German 
settlers  of  Pennsylvania  unknown  to  most 
of  my  hearers,  l3Ut  which  would  not  be 
new  to  the  readers  of  this   magazine. 

In  speaking  of  Pennsylvania-German 
characteristics,  I  laid  stress  on  their  kind- 
liness whic  hso  often  leads  to  acts  of 
helpfulness  toward  a  sick  or  suffering 
neighbor ;  upon  tlieir  honesty,  which 
makes  the  word  of  many  a  Dunker  or 
Mennonite  as  good  as  his  bond  and  leads 


bankers  to  inquire  of  the  church  connec- 
tion of  such  a  one,  knowing  that  if  he  is 
unable  to  meet  his  obligations,  the  breth- 
ren will  do  it  for  him;  and  their  polite- 
ness-—not  formal  courtesy  indeed,  but  the 
civility  which  springs  from  real  warmth 
of  heart,  such  as  is  evinced  by  the  pleasant 
fashion  of  saying  "Good  morning"  on 
entering  a  store  before  beginning  to  trans- 
act business,  or  greeting  the  people  on 
passing  upon  the  road. 

Regarding  their  folk-lore,  the  church 
year,  tho'  not  observed  by  all  German 
sects,  yet  affords  a  thread  upon  which  to 
hang  the  following  observations,  made 
chiefly  in  York  and  Adams  counties, 
Pennsylvania.  I  should  be  glad  to  have 
them  corrected,  confirmed  or  supple- 
mented by  observers  in  other  parts  of  the 
countrv. 


w 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


In  the  Advent  season,  ghosts  are  be- 
lieved to  be  especially  abundant,  contrary 
to  the  description  in  Hamlet : 

"Some  say,  tliat  over  "gainst  that  season  comes 
Wherein  our  Saviour's  birth  is  celebrated, 
The  bird  of  dawning  singeth  all  night  long; 
And  then,  they  say,  no  spirit  dare  stir  abroad  :_ 
...  So  hallowed  and  so  gracious  is  the  time." 

A  child  born  on  Christmas  Day  can 
see  ghosts — a  belief  which  "George 
Schock"  has  made  use  of  in  one  of  her 
delightful  tales,  "The  Christmas  Child." 

One  day's  observation  of  this  festival 
does  not  satisfy  the  Pennsylvania-German 
heart;  there  must  be  "Second  Christmas" 
also.  It  used  to  be  the  custom  for  small 
boys  to  go  about  as  Belsiiicklcs  during 
the  week  preceding  the  festival — ^masked 
and  begging  for  cakes  and  nuts,  but  this 
seems  to  have  died  out,  and  the  children 
wdio  used  to  come  on  Christmas  Day  and 
Second  Christmas  for  a  gift  of  cakes  and 
oranges,  have  also  diminished  in  num- 
bers. The  gracious  custom  of  offering 
cakes  and  wine  to  all  callers  at  the  holi- 
dav  time  is  less  observed,  I  think. 

St.  Matthias'  Day  (Feb.  24)  has  a 
weather  proverb  attached  to  it  which  has 
been  quoted  in  your  pages ;  as  I  have 
heard  it,  it  runs: 

"Matheis  bricht  Eis ;  findt  er  keins,  so  macht 
er  eins." 

(When  he  finds  ice,  he  breaks  it;  when  he 
finds  none,  he  makes  it.) 

For  Candlemas  the  hymn  is : 

"Lichtmess,  spinn  vergess." 

On  Fastnacht  (Shrove  Tuesday)  the 
proper  thing  is  to  eat  doughnuts,  v^hich 
obtain  thence  their  "Dutch''  name  of  Past- 
nacht  Kuche  or  more  commonly  just 
fastnachts. 

Good  Friday  is  believed  to  be  always 
rainy.  "Today  the  Lord  died,  so  for 
common  it  rains,"  said  old  Mommy  S — 
to  me,  and  this  simple  way  of  speaking 
is  very  usual.  I  have  heard  thaf  when 
the  news  of  President  Lincoln's  death  v.'as 
received  in  a  York  county  village  on  the 
Saturday  preceding  Easter  (Stille  Sams- 
tag),  a  man  who  was  laying  pavement, 
when  told  that  all  business  was  to  be 
suspended,   said:     "Yesterday  the   Lord 


Jesus  Christ  died,  and  nobody  stopped 
work :  today  the  president  is  dead,  ana  we 
shall  all  quit  work.  I  ain't  a-going  to 
do  it."  And  he  laid  pavement  all  day 
as  a  protest  against  this  superior  honor  to 
the  memory  of  a  mere  earthly  ruler.  \^ery 
few  of  the  older  Pennsylvania-Germans 
will  eat  meat  that  day ;  tliis  is  just  as  true 
of   Protestants  as  Catholics. 

The  Easter  observance  of  giving  col- 
ored eggs,  and  the  childish  fable  of  the 
Easter  rabbit  who  lays  the  brightly-dyed 
eggs  have  passed  into  English  communi- 
ties. The  egg-picking,  when  the  boys  try 
the  relative  hardness  of  their  eggshells 
(and  to  the  victor  belongs  the  spoil)  is 
confined  to  German  parts  of  the  country. 
Easter  Monday  used  to  be  a  great  holi- 
day which  the  country  people  mainly  ob- 
served, as  once  described  to  me,  by 
"sweethearts  walking  the  streets  hand-in- 
hand  and  eating  ginger-cakes" ;  it  is  now 
less  honored,  for  country  people  take 
more  holidays  than  formerly,  even  among 
the  hardworking  Pennsylvania-"Dutch." 

The  belief  that  Ascension  Day  will  be 
particularly  fair  seems  to  rest  upon  the 
conviction  that  Christ  kissed  the  clouds 
which  received  him,  and  is  the  converse 
of  the  Good  Friday  superstition ;  these 
ideas  are  very  often  correct — that  is,  as 
to  the  weather  upon  these  days  and  on 
"Alattheis." 

Another  superstition  is  that  any  one 
who  sews  on  Ascension  Day  will  have 
her  sacrilegious  industry  punished  by 
being  struck  by  lightning  within  the  year. 
I  wonder  if  this  is  not  a  relic  of  the  old 
Teutonic  mythology  in  which  Thursday 
(the  day  of  the  week  upon  which  the 
feast  of  the  Ascension  must  fall)'  is  dedi- 
cated to  Thor,  the  god  of  thunder  and 
lightning,  wdio  might  thus  appropriately 
punish  the  non-observance  of  his  day. 

The  practice  of  "branching,"  or  "pow- 
wowing," has  not  received  much  investi- 
gation at  the  hands  of  scientific  folk- 
lorists ;  I  believe  it  well  merits  it.  From 
the  little  which  I  can  collect  about  it,  the 
practice  belongs  to  the  category  of  the 
so-called  white  magic — the  benevolent 
kind.  It  is  often  used  by  very  pious 
people  who  regard  it  strictly  as  a  Divine 
gift — like  the  charism  of  healing  in  the 
early  Church.     The   formulas  are  texts 


PEXXSYLVAXIA  GERMAN  FOLKLORE 


173 


of  Scripture,  such  as  Jas.  5:14,15,  and 
the  Gloria  Patri ;  no  money  should  be 
taken  for  practicing"  the  art,  tho'  a  pres- 
ent may  be  given  after  relief  by  the  grate- 
ful patient.  It  can  only  be  taught  "cross- 
ways,"  as  I  have  heard  it  expressed — 
that  is,  by  a  man  teaching  a  woman,  or  a 
woman  a  man ;  neither  can  instruct  one 
of  the  same  sex.  " Branching, "  or  in 
English  "conjuring,"  for  a  sickness  is  also 
practiced  among  persons  of  German  de- 
scent in  North  Carolina ;  it  is  not  peculiar 
to  the  Pennsylvania-Germans.  And  it 
is  always  made  a  mystery  of,  and  not 
spoken  about  willingly.  Most  of  its  prac- 
titioners are  specialists,  only  "using"  for 
some  one  trouble :  thus  one  person  can 
cure  "Wildfeuer"  (erysipelas)  j  another, 
diseases  of  the  eyes,  and  so  on. 

The  influence  of  the  moon's  phases  and 
the  zodiacal  si^ns  is  still  regarded :    thus. 


shingles  will  curl  and  fences  tumble  down 
if  not  made  "in  the  dark  of  the  moon" — 
or  the  light — I  forget  which.  Students 
of  the  Wissahickon  Hermit  community 
will  remember  how  these  learned  men 
cast  horoscopes  for  the  new-born  children 
of  their  Germantown  neighbors.  And 
there  used  to  be  in  the  possession  of  a 
relative  an  old  "hunnert-johrige  kalenner," 
which  set  forth  the  characteristics  and 
fate  of  children  born  throughout  the  19th 
century  under  the  various  signs  of  the 
zodiac.  It  also  told  of  the  favorable  and 
unfavorable  aspect  of  the  planets  as  to 
kingdoms  and  rulers,  but  as  it  continued 
to  prophesy  regarding  the  Holy  Roman 
Empire,  the  Kingdom  of  the  Two  Sicilies 
and  other  defunct  realms  during  the  en- 
tire century,  one's  confidence  in  its  occult 
knowledge  was  somewhat  shaken. 


Hanjoerg  Kistler  and  His  Descendants 


BV  REV.   JOHX  KISTLER.  CARLISLE,  PA. 


^^■■^X  the  excellent  history  of  the 
^1    I  Kistler     family,     by     Rev. 

^1  X  Charles  E.  Kistler.  of  Read- 
^Jmi^^  ing.  Pa.,  which  appeared  in 
the  j\Iay,  1906,  issue  of  The 
Pexxsvlvania-G  e  r  m  a  X, 
the  author  states  that  Abraham  Kistler, 
born  December  20th,  1761,  was  the  son 
of  John  Kistler,  one  of  the  oldest  sons  of 
John  George  Kistler,  who  was  the  pro- 
genitor of  the  Kistler  family  in  the  United 
States. 

The  above  named  Al^raham  Kistler 
moved  to  Cumberland  (now  Perry) 
county,  Pennsylvania,  before  1793.  In 
1814  we  find  that  he  owned  four  hundred 
acres  of  land  near  Elliottsburg,  Perry 
county.  His  wife's  name  was  Mary  Loy, 
daughter  of  ]\Iichael  Loy.  Their  children 
were  Jacob.  Abraham.  John,  William, 
Samuel  and  Susan,  born  in  the  order  as 
given. 

I.  Jacob  Kistler.  who  was  born  ]\Iarch 
II,  1 79 1,  married  Catherine  Brickley, 
born  in  1795.  They  removed  to  Seneca 
county.  New  York,  in  the  year  1820. 
Here  they  became  possessors  of  a  very 
beautiful   farm  near  Seneca  Lake.   Here 


the  wife  died  December  30.  18 14,  and  the 
husband  Jacob  died  September  11,  1867. 
To  them  were  born  seven  children — Anna 
Maria  and  Susanna,  both  of  whom  were 
unmarried,  and  died  at  the  ages  of  31  and 
^^  respectively  of  typhoid  fever.  Mar- 
garet became  the  wife  of  Jonathan  J. 
Alleman,  a  farmer ;  and  Sarah  married 
Melancdion  B.  Chamberlain,  a  farmer. 
Elizabeth  became  the  wife  of  Jeremiah 
Odell,  a  Methodist  minister.  Caroline 
was  married  to  Charles  D.  Chamberlain, 
a  farmer.  Catherine  became  the  wife  of 
Ambrose  M.  Lester,  cashier  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Seneca  Falls,  N.  Y. 

II.  Abraham  Kistler  was  married  to 
Christiana  Stambaugh,  a  sister  of  Daniel 
Stambaugh  who  was  the  first  sheriff  of 
Perry  county.  Their  children  were 
Mary,  married  to  Reuben  Jacoby ;  Wil- 
liam, married  to  Elizabeth  Smith  ;  Eliza- 
beth, married  to  John  Kell ;  Susanna,  mar- 
ried to  Robert  VVillis ;  Catherine,  married 
to  James  G.  Messimer ;  Jacob,  married  to 
Lydia  Kell ;  John,  married  to  Anna 
Wertz ;  Abraham,  married  to  Adeline 
Wetzel ;  and  Emma,  married  to  Henry 
Snvder. 


174 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


III.  John  Kistler  was  born  January  14, 
1800.  He  was  married  to  Salome  Tress- 
ler  (originally  spelled  Dressier),  who  was 
a  sister  of  Colonel  John  Tressler.  Salome 
Tressler  was  born  Alay  2^^,  1798,  and  lived 
to  the  ripe  age  of  84.  John  Kistler  died 
at  the  age  of  86.  Both  are  buried  at  Loys- 
ville,  Pennsylvania,  in  the  Lutheran 
church-yard.  They  were  blessed  with  ten 
children  as  follows:  Mary  who  married 
W.  W.  Snyder,  a  miller  and  farmer,  to 
whom  were  born  seven  children — Cather- 
ine, who  was  married  to  John  Minnick. 
To  them  w^ere  born  ten  children — Eliza- 
beth, married  to  Daniel  Garland,  who  was 
a  school  teacher  and  farmer  and  who 
served  three  years  in  the  Seventh  Penna. 
cavalry  during  the  Civil  War :  To  them 
were  born  five  children — John  Kistler 
Garland,  who  is  a  druggist  in  Harrisburg, 
Pa.  Samuel  Luther  a  school  teacher  and 
a  prosperous  farmer  until  his  accidental 
death  on  his  farm  in  Kansas,  in  1902. 
Sarah  Ida,  wife  of  John  Wertz,  who  died 
in  1889,  at  her  home  in  Alanitou  Springs, 
Colorado.  Rev.  Daniel  Frank  Garland,  D. 
D.  graduate  of  Pennsylvania  College  and 
Seminary,  and  pastor  of  the  First  Luther- 
an Church,  Dayton,  Ohio,  and  Anna 
Salome,  who  died  at  the  age  of  six  years. 

David  Kistler,  the  fourth  child  of  John 
and  Salome,  was  married  to  Susanna  Rice. 
They  had  seven  children,  Loyd,  George 
and  William,  all  prosperous  farmers  near 
Waterville,  Kansas;  Rev.  John  Luther, 
graduate  of  Pennsylvania  College,  Pro- 
fessor of  Hebrew  and  Exegesis,  in  the 
Hartwick  Seminary,  New  York,  for  the 
past  twenty-eight  years ;  David  Alban, 
graduate  of  Carthage  College,  and  a  suc- 
cessful real  estate  broker  in  New  York 
City  ;  Susan  Rice  Chester,  a  missionary  to 
India,  for  sixteen  years,  the  wife  of  Rev. 
Dr.  Chester,  who  died  in  India,  and  Sarah, 
the  wife  of  Mr.  Fulton,  a  farmer  of 
western  Kansas. 

David  Kistler,  was  married  a  second 
time,  his  second  wife's  name  being  Maria 
Anderson.  To  this  union  there  were  ten 
children,  all  of  whom  died  early  in  life, 
except  Lincoln,  a  successful  contractor 
living  in  Kansas ;  Rebecca,  now  Mrs. 
Dobbs,  of  Williamsport,  Pa. ;  Mary, 
Howard  and  Blanche,  living  at  home. 
Samuel  Kistler,  the  fifth  child  of  John 


and  Salome,  was  married  to  Margaret 
Weibley  and  resides  in  Hastings,  Ne- 
braska. They  have  three  sons.  Sarah., 
became  the  wife  of  Rev.  George  Rea,  a. 
Presbyterian  minister,  to  whom  were 
born  five  children — George,  a  business 
man  in  Denver,  Colorado ;  Dr.  James  L.,  a 
prominent  physician  of  Scranton,  Pa. ; 
Carrie  married  to  Mr.  Barbour,  of  St. 
Louis,  who  died  in  Denver,  Colorado,  some 
years  since ;  Kate,  married  to  John  Rob- 
erts, an  artist  of  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  who  died 
early  in  her  married  life ;  and  Sara,  the 
wife  of  J.  H.  Ambruster,  district  passen- 
ger agent  of  the  Lehigh  A'allev  R.  R.,. 
Roselle,  N.  J. 

Rev.  John  Kistler  was  born  at  Loys- 
ville.  Perry  County,  Pa.,  November  12^ 
1834.  He  was  educated  at  the  Loysville 
Academy  and  at  Pennsylvania  College, 
Gettysburg,  Pa.,  and  Susquehanna  Uni- 
versity. From  the  latter  place  he  was 
graduated  in  1862.  During  that  same 
year  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Catherine  McCoy,  of  Duncannon,  Pa.,  to 
whom  was  born  one  son,  Harry  Luther, 
who  is  now  living  in  Pueblo,  Colorado. 
In  May,  1863,  he  went  to  Muhlenberg 
Lutheran  Mission,  Liberia,  Africa.  His 
wife  followed  in  1864,  where  she  died  in 
1866.  Ill  health  compelled  him  to  return 
from  Africa  in  1867  and  for  two  years 
thereafter  he  had  charge  of  the  Soldiers 
Orphans'  Home  at  Loysville,  Pa.  He 
organized  the  Lutheran  Churches  in  the 
years  following  at  Tyrone,  Pa.,  and  at 
Bellwood.  Pa.,  where  he  preached  for 
eight  years.  From  1877  to  1883  he  served 
the  Upper  Strasburg  charge  in  Franklin 
county.  In  1884,  he  removed  to  Carlisle 
and  served  a  charge  near  that  city  for  a 
number  of  years.  In  1895  he  organized 
the  church  at  Lemoyne,  Pa.,  and  served 
this  congregation  for  three  years,  since 
which  time  he  has  lived  a  retired  life  in 
Carlisle.  December  19,  1871  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Sarah  Swoyer,  of  Newville, 
Pa.,  to  whom  were  born  three  children — 
Sara  W.,  Fredericka  S.,  and  Charles 
Reucl.  All  have  been  educated  in  the 
schools  of  Carlisle,  Irving  and  Dickinson 
Colleges.  Sara  was  married  to  Prof. 
Glenn  V.  Brown,  of  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  resides  in  Philadelphia. 
Andrew  Tressler  Kistler,  born  in  Janu- 


HANJOERG  KISTLER  AND  HIS  DESCENDANTS 


175" 


ary  26.  1837,  giadnated  from  Pennsyl- 
vania Collei^e  and  Gettysburg  Seminary, 
and  for  a  time  he  taught  school.  For  a 
number  of  years  he  has  lived  a  retired 
life  at  liis  home  in  Perry  county.  He  was 
a  meml)er  of  Co.  B,  77th  regiment,  Penna. 
A'ol.    He  is  unmarried. 

William  died  in  childhood. 

Rebecca  married  Rev.  George  M. 
S«ttlemyer,  a  Lutheran  minister..  Their 
home  has  been  for  many  years  in  Des 
Moines,  Iowa.  Their  children  are  Mary, 
a  physician,  who  is  also  married  to  a 
physician  and  lives  at  LaCrosse,  Wis. ; 
Samuel,  a  stock  farmer ;  William,  a  mail 
carrier  ;  Emma,  formerly  a  missionary  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church  to  Japan ;  George, 
a  machinist ;  Charles,  a  missionary  of  the 
Disciple  Church  at  Nanking,  China  ;  Anna, 
now  married  and  living  in  Des  Moines 
and  Alice,  at  home.  These  children  were 
all  educated  at  Drake  University,  Des 
Moines. 

I\'.  W^illiam  Kistler,  a  farmer,  lived  at 
Elliottsburg,  Perry  county.  Pa.,  and  was 
married  to  Mary  Fusselman.  They  were 
blessed  with  eight  children — Abraham, 
married  to  Elizabeth  Smith;  John,  mar- 
ried to  ]\Iary  Gray ;  Alary,  married  to 
John  Smith :  Jacob,  married  to  Ellen 
Rheem :    ^^'illiam.    married    to    Elizabeth 


Davis ;  Susanna,  married  to  Samuel 
Rheem ;  David,  married  to  Mary  Bistline, 
and  Joseph,  married  to  Mary  Richard. 

V.  Samuel  Kistler  was  married  to 
Miss Kline.  They  had  seven  chil- 
dren— four  boys  and  three  girls.  Their 
oldest  son,  William,  lived  in  Philadelphia 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  was  a  soldier 
in  the  Civil  War.  One  of  his  sons  is  a 
physician  in  Johnstown,  Pa.  Their  sec- 
ond son,  John,  lived  at  Blain,  Pa.  One 
of  his  sons,  Milton  S.,  a  graduate  of  Dick- 
inson College,  and  formerly  a  teacher,  is 
now  engaged  in  real  estate  business  in 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  Their  other  children 
were  Jacob,  Abraham,  Mary,  Carrie  and 
Margaret. 

There  are  a  number  of  Kistlers  in 
North  Carolina,  evidently  the  descendants 
of  John,  son  of  John  George,  as  my  father 
often  told  me  his  father  had  a  brother 
who  emigrated  to  North  Carolina  before 
1800.  In  their  early  history  the  Kistlers 
were  generally  tillers  of  the  soil,  but  many 
of  their  posterity  have  turned  to  the  pro- 
fessions and  to  business  engagements. 
Among  the  Kistler  descendants  there  are 
many  doctors,  lawyers,  professors  and 
ministers.  As  a  class  they  are  thrifty, 
energetic,  progressive  and  upright  in  their 
lives. 


The  Lutheran  Congregation  of  Heidelberg 


BY  AI.  A.   GRUBER,  WASHINGTON,  D.   C. 


HE  Lutheran  congregation  in 
Heidelberg  township,  Berks 
county.  Pa.,  named  St. 
Daniel's  church,  and  locally 
known  as  "Corner  Church" 
or  "Eck  Kirch,"  was 
level.  This  ridge  extends  in  a  winding  or 
zigzag  course  from  Womelsdorf  east- 
ward to  Spring  Creek  and  skirts  th? 
northern  side  of  the  depression  of  land 
through  which  runs  the  Berks  and  Dau- 
phin Pike,  the  longest  slope  of  the  ridge 
toward  the  pike  being  about  a  mile.  The 
church  is  several  feet  lower  than  any  mid- 
way between  the  eastern  and  western 
limits  of  the  church  land,  which  limits  are 
among  the  highest  of  the  ridge. 

At   the   time   of   the    founding   of   the 
church,    I'lerks   countv  had  not  been  or- 


ganized, and  Heidelberg,  which  included 
the  later  subdivisions  of  North  and  Low- 
er Heidelberg  and  which  had  no  all 
around  definite  boundaries,  was  a  part  of 
Lancaster  county. 

The  church  received  the  name  Saint 
Daniel  at  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of 
the  second  building  in  1814.  The  des- 
ignation "Corner"  or  "Eck"  is  said  to 
have  originated  not  so  much  from  the 
location  of  tiie  building  as  from  the  fact 
that  the  corners  of  a  number  of  farms 
center  about  the  church. 

On  May  30,  1751,  the  congregation 
came  in  possession  of  three  adjoining 
tracts  of  land — Yz  acre  from  John  Artz, 
Yz  acre  from  Michael  Schauer  (Shower), 
and  ^  acre  from  Abraham  Lauck.  This- 
land  was  received  in  trust  for  the  con- 


^76 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


ST.  DANIEL'S    CHURCH. 

gregation  by  John  Beyer  and  Frederick 
Weiser,  five  shiUings  being  paid  for  each 
tract,  the  payments  being,  .no  doubt,  re- 
quired to  render  the  transaction  valid. 
The  deeds  for  these  tracts  were  acknowl- 
edged June  8,  175 1,  before  Conrad 
Weiser,  one  of  the  Justices  of  the  Peace, 
of  Lancaster  county,  who  on  December 
10,  1 75 1,  gave  a  receipt  in  full  for  three 
pounds  for  executing  six  deeds  in  con- 
nection with  the  church  land.  , 

The  declaration  of  Trust,  in  case  of  the 
half  acre  received  from  John  Artz,  shows 
that  the  land  was  "to  be  for  the  Benefit, 
Use,  and  Behoof  of  the  poor  of  the  said 
Dutch  Lutheran  Congregation  at  Heidel- 
berg afored  forever,  and  for  a  place  to 
erect  a  house  of  religious  worship  for 
the  use  and  service  of  said  congregation 
and  if  occasion  shall  require,  for  a  place 
to  bury  their  dead." 

The  rent  to  the  Lord  of  the  fee  for  that 
half  acre  was  the  proportionate  part  of 
three  bushels  of  good  winter  wheat,  this 
"being  the  rent  prescribed  for  193  acres  of 
which  the  half  acre  had  been  a  part  and 
which  was  granted  by  indenture  of  Nov. 
30,  1747,  to  John  Artz,  by  William  Allen, 
and  Margaret,  his  wife. 

Other  tracts  of  land  were  acquired  by 
the  congregation  as  follows:  August  21, 
1773,  53  perches  from  George  Lauck  for 
40  shillings,  Ludwig  Fisher  and  Henry 
Fidler,  acting  as  trustees;  May  20,  1813, 
150  perches  from  Ludwig  Fisher,  for  5 
shillings,  Leonard  Stub.  Matthias  Wen- 
rich,  Matthias  Miller,  and  John  Ernst, 
"being  the  elders  of  the  church  :  April  2, 


1847,  one  acre  and  96  perches  from  John 
L.  Fisher,  the  trustees  being  Daniel  Wen- 
rich  and  Henry  Fidler;  August  27,  1866, 
one  acre  from  Joseph  Wenrich,  the  trus- 
tees being  Daniel  Moyer  and  William 
Stump;  April  7,  1880,  four  acres  from 
Adam  S.  Valentine,  part  of  the  former 
estate  of  David  Bechtel,  the  trustees  being 
John  B.  Stump,  Israel  S.  Gruber,  and 
Adam  Briegel;  and  April  i,  1901,  seven 
acres  from  Mary  E.  Brown,  the  trustees 
being  Adam  G.  Stump,  Nathan  R.  Wen- 
rich,  and  G.  Frank  Roether. 

These  9  tracts  form  one  piece  of  land 
consisting  of  almost  17  acres.  On  the 
Artz  tract  appears  to  have  been  erected 
the  first  church  building,  the  greater  part 
of  the  old  graveyard  being  also  located 
thereon.  The  second  and  present  edifice 
is  principally  on  the  Ludwig  Fisher  tract, 
while  a  second  graveyard  occupies  part 
of  the  John  L.  Fisher  and  Wenrich  tracts. 
The  Valentine  tract  contains  the  ceme- 
tery. 

On  May  24,  1751,  a  contract  was  made 
by  John  Beyer  and  Michael  Schauer, 
members  of  the  congregation,  with 
Andrew  Dietz  and  John  Michael  Dietz, 
masons  of  Lancaster  county,  for  the 
mason  work  of  the  first  church  building, 
the  walls  thereof  to  have  dimensions  as 
follows :  Length  40  feet,  breadth  36  feet, 
height  20  feet.  One  shilling  6  pence, 
Pennsylvania  currency,  was  to  be  paid 
for  each  perch  of  masonry,  and  double 
pay  allowed  for  the  foundation.  Andrew 
Rieger  and  John  Ermendraudt,  were  the 
witnesses  to  this  contract.  The  first 
church  edifice  was,  therefore,  a  stone 
structure  and  not  a  wooden  or  log  build- 
ing as  has  been  commonly  supposed. 

A  simple  agreement  was  also  made  on 
June  29,  1 75 1,  by  the  same  two  church 
members,  with  Frederick  Kobel,  who  was 
to  make  the  door  frames,  eight  window 
frames,  and  a  gallery  of  two  pews  deep 
on  the  long  side  and  of  three  pews  deep 
on  the  short  side  of  the  church ;  also  to 
erect  a  stairway,  set  the  purlins  for  the 
rafters,  and  construct  a  vestibule  on  the 
outside  of  the  door.  For  this  work  he 
was  to  receive  1 1  pounds  Pennsylvania 
currency.  The  witnesses  to  this  agree- 
ment were  Henrv  Baier  (Bover)  and 
Carl  Pisch(?). 


THE  LUTHERAN  CONGREGATION  OF  HEIDELBERG 


177 


Another  contract  was  made  on  June  18, 
1753,  for  whatever  carpenter  work  was  to 
"  be  done  in  the  church,  with  Christian 
Betz,  master  joiner,  who  was  to  receive 
24  pounds  Pennsylvania  currency,  also 
the  nails  and  glue  needed.  The  contract- 
ing party  consisted  of  the  members  of  the 
congregation,  whose  names  are  given  as 
follows :  Simon  Binetsch,  Johann  Georg 
Lauck,  Michael  Schauer,  Johannes  Artz, 
Matthias  Wenrich,  Jacob  Mauntz, 
Henrich  Fiedler,  Adam  Schauer, 
Johannes  Beyer,  Johannes  Beyer,  Jr., 
Henry  Beyer,  Phillipp  Ermentraud,  Peter 
Feg,  Leonhard  Peg,  Henrich  Gruber,  and 
Jost  Hetterich — 16  members — the  first 
eight  of  whom  signed  the  contract. 

Another  similarly  worded  contract  is 
signed  by  Christian  Betz,  and  attested  by 
John  Nicholas  Kurtz,  the  pastor  at  that 
time. 

The  corner-stone,  of  this,  the  first, 
building  was  laid  in  1751. 

The  second  building,  which  is  also  the 
present  edifice,  is  a  stone  structure,  52 
feet  long  and  46  feet  wide,  and  was  built 
during  1814  to  181 7,  the  corner-stone 
having  been  laid  J\Iay  i,  1814,  on  which 
occasion  the  church  received  the  name 
Saint  Daniel.  The  building  committee 
consisted  of  8  members,  the  names  being 
given  as  follows :  Heinrich  Bennetsch, 
Heinrich  Gruber,  Georg  Gruber,  Johan- 
nis  Ernst,  Peter  Spang,  Johannis  Palm, 
Wilhelm  Roether  and  Jonathan  Minnig. 

In  1849,  this  edifice  was  remodeled  at 
an  expense  of  $1,342.59,  the  building 
committee  for  the  purpose  having  been 
John  L.  Fisher,  David  Wenrich  and 
David  Kehl. 

Until  August  5,  1876,  the  Lutherans 
had  entire  control  of  the  church,  but  on 
that  date  "permission  was  given  to  a  Re- 
formed congregation,  by  the  St.  Daniel's 
Lutheran  congregation  of  Heidelberg 
township,  in  consideration  of  the  sum  of 
one  dollar  per  annum  to  have  a  right  to 
worship  and  hold  religious  services  in  the 
building  the  same  as  the  Lutheran  con- 
gregation now  does." 

The  Reformed  held  the  first  services  in 
the  church  on  Dec.  25,  1876,  and  con- 
tinued worshipping  therein  for  28  years ; 
but  having  erected  a  fine  and  suitable 
house  of  worshio  of  their  own  in  Robe- 


sonia,  their  last  services  in  St.  Daniel's 
church  occurred  on  February  19,  1905, 
since  which  time  the  church  is  again 
entirely  Lutheran.  Rev.  Thomas  Calvin 
Leinbach  was  the  Reformed-  pastor  dur- 
ing that  time. 

The  Lutheran  ministers  that  served  the 
church  since  its  organization  are  as  fol- 
lows : 

(i)  Rev.  John  Nicholas  Kurtz,  born 
in  October,  1722,  in  Germany,  and  died 
May  12,  1794,  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  where 
he  is  also  buried.  He  landed  at  I'hiladel- 
phia  January  15,  1745,  was  ordained  at 
Philadelphia,  Aug.  14,  1748,  at  the  first 
meeting  of  the  Pennsylvania  Synod,  and 
was  the  first  minister  ordained  by  that 
body.  He  had,  however,  been  preaching 
as  a  licentiate  from  the  time  of  his  arrival 
in  America.  From  December,  1746,  to 
April,  1770,  he  served  the  congregations 
of  the  Tulpehocken  district,  to  which  St. 
Daniel's  church,  was  added  at  its  organ- 
ization. 

From  Tulpehocken  he  went  to  York, 
Pa.,  where  he  labored  until  Oct.  6,  1789, 
when  he  removed  to  his  son.  Rev.  John 
Daniel  Kurtz  in  Baltimore. 

He  was  married  Dec.  9,  1747,  to  Anna 
Elizabeth  Seidel,  of  New  Hanover,  Pa., 
by  Rev.  Henry  jMelchior  ]\Iuhlenberg. 
They  had  nine  sons  and  three  daughters. 

He  was  a  remarkably  earnest  preacher 
and  denounced  infidelity  and  wickedness 
in  tones  and  language  that  were  truly  ap- 
palling, on  which  account  he  was  some- 
times styled  "a  son  of  thunder"  and 
"Preacher  of  the  Law."  Som.e  authori- 
ties declare  him  to  have  been  the  most 
learned  and  best  practical  preacher  of 
his  day. 

(2)  Rev.  Christopher  Emanud  Schulze, 
born  Dec.  25,  1740,  in  Germany,  and  died 
March  11,  1809,  at  the  parsonage  of  the 
Tulpehocken  (Christ)  church,  above 
Stouchsburg,  Pa.,  in  the  graveyard  of 
which  church  he  and  his  wife  lie  buried. 
He  was  the  son  of  John  Andrew  Schulze 
and  wife  Amelia.  Rev.  Schulze  arrived 
at  Philadelphia,  Oct.  24,  1765,  having 
been  ordained  as  minister  just  before  his 
departure  for  America. 

For  the  first  five  years  he  labored  in 
Philadelphia.  He  then  received  and  ac- 
cepted   a    call    from    the    Tulpehocken 


1/8 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


CEMETERY,  ST.  DANIEL' S  CHURCH. 

charge,  to  which  place  he  removed  in 
February,  1771,  where  he  lived  and  la- 
bored for  38  years,  St.  Daniel's  church 
having  been  part  of  that  charge. 

He  was  married  in  1766  to  Eva  Eliza- 
beth, daughter  of  Rev.  Henry  Melchior 
Muhlenberg.  They  had  9  children,  four 
surviving  the  father.  One  of  them  was 
John  Andrew  Alelchior  Schulze  (July  19, 
1775-Nov.  18,  1852),  who  was  ordained 
as  a  Lutheran  minister,  June  9,  1800,  and 
assisted  his  father,  but  on  account  of  a 
rheumatic  affection  left  the  ministry  in 
1802.  This  son  was  elected  Governor  of 
Pennsylvania  in  1823.  and  in  1826  re- 
elected by  a  vote  of  72,000  to  his  oppo- 
nent's 1,000. 

(3)  Rev.  Daniel  Ulrich,  born  Aug.  10, 
1789,  near  Annville,  Lebanon  county,  Pa., 
and  died  June  2,  1855.  at  Pittsburg,  Pa., 
while  on  a  visit  out  there.  He  and  his 
wife  are  buried  in  the  graveyard  at  the 
Lutheran  (  Christ )  church  above  Stouchs- 
burg,  Pa.  He  was  licensed  to  preach  in 
1809,  made  a  deacon  May  24.  181 5.  and 
ordained  June  12,  1816.  From  1809  to 
181 1  he  had  charge  of  the  Lykens  Valley, 
Pa.,  field,  but  during  the  latter  year  be 
accepted  a  call  to  the  Tulpehocken 
charge,  where  he  had  been  elected  after 
a  struggle  of  some  time. 

At  the  close  of  1851,  he  gave  up  all 
his  congregations  excepting  St.  Daniel's 
church  and  Xewmanstown,  serving  St. 
Daniel's  from  181 1  to  Sept.  25,  1853,  a 
period  of  42  years. 

Jie    married    Elizabeth,    daughter    of 


John  Weidman,  Esq.,  and  had  two  sons-, 
and  one  daughter. 

(4)  Rev.  Thomas  TheopJiiliis  Jaeger,. 
born  Aug.  29,  1826,  in  Greenwich  town- 
ship, Berks  county.  Pa.,  and  died  May 
13,  1888,  being  buried  in  Charles  Evans 
Cemetery,  Reading,  Pa.  He  was  the  son. 
of  Rev.  Gottlieb  F.  J.  Jaeger  and  wife,. 
Mary  Jane. 

Rev.  T.  T.  Jaeger  received  a  regular 
candidate's  license  June  21,  1848,  and  was 
ordained  Alay  29,  1850.  At  one  time  or 
another  during  the  40  years  of  his  min- 
istry, he  was  the  pastor  or  regular  supply 
of  some  30  congregations,  24  or  25  of 
which  were  in  Berks  county.  Pa.,  the- 
more  noted  of  the  latter  being  Rehrers- 
burg  (Union),  Alleghany,  Plow  (or 
Forest),  Womelsdorf,  iMillersburg,  Sink- 
ing Spring,  North  Heidelberg,  Bern, 
Reed's,  St.  Daniel's,  Shoemakersville, . 
Belleman's,  xA.lsace,  St.  Michael's,  Oley, 
Spiess's,  Zion  in  Perry,  Hamburg,  Kis- 
singer's, and  Shaker's. 

He  served  St.  Daniel's  church  from 
Nov.  12,  1853,  the  date  of  his  election, 
to  January  17,  1864,  when  he  delivered 
his  farewell  sermon. 

On  Dec.  4,  1849,  ^^e  was  married  to 
Aliss  Mary  Palsgrove,  of  Mercersburg, 
Pa.,  and  had  10  children,  7  of  whom  died 
in  infancy. 

(5)  Rev.  Henry  Seipel  Miller,  born 
Oct.  30,  1801,  near  Allentown,  Pa.,  and 
died  Aug.  29,  1887,  at  Phoenixville,  Pa., 
being  buried  at  Norristown,  Pa.  He  was 
the  son  of  Peter  Miller  and  wife  (a 
daughter  of  Conrad  Seipel).  Rev.  Miller 
was  licensed  in  1823  and  ordained  in 
1829.  His  first  charge  was  in  Bucks 
county,  Pa.,  where  he  remained  15  years; 
he  then  served  at  the  Trappe  and  con- 
nected congregations  for  14  years,  at 
Norristown  almost  2  years,  and  at  Leba- 
non 9  years.  Then,  from  January  to 
July,  1864  (one-half  year),  he  had  charge 
of  St.  Daniel's.  Geigertown  and  Plow  (or 
Forest).  After  that  he  preached  in 
Chester  county.  Pa.,  until  1875.  He  was 
active  as  a  pastor  52  years  and  was  in  the 
ministry  64  years,  the  length  of  his  min- 
istry, in  the  Lutheran  church,  being  ex- 
ceeded only  by  the  65  years  of  Rev.  God- 
frey  Dreyer   and   the   72   years   of   Rev,- 


THE  LUTHERAN  CONGREGATION  OF  HEIDELBERG 


179 


John  Daniel  Kurtz,  son  of  Rev.  John 
Nicholas  Kurtz. 

Rev.    Miller    married ( i )     Aliss 

Camilla  Clemens  on  March  28,  1823,  with 
whom  he  had  two-  sons  and  two 
daughters,  one  of  the  sons  being  a 
preacher  and  each  of  the  daughters  a 
wife  of  a  preacher;  and  (2)  Miss  Eliza 
Davis,    of    Easton,    Pa.,    on    Januarv    3, 

(6)  Rcz\  Aaron  Fuifrock  became  pas- 
tor of  St.  Daniel's  church  in  the  summer 
or  fall  of  1864  and  served  it  and  the  con- 
nected congregations  until  the  close  of 
1891,  a  period  of  27  years,  when  he  re- 
tired from  active  work  in  the  ministry. 

He  was  the  son  of  Peter  Finfrock  and 
wife  (nee  Meckley)  ;  and  according  to  a 
certificate  of  baptism  which  came  to  light 
since  Rev.  Finf rock's  death,  he  was  born 
Aug.  I,  1825,  in  Pintram  Hundred,  Fred- 
erick county,  Alaryland,  and  was  bap- 
tized by  Rev.  ^lelsheimer,  although  it 
was  generally  supposed  that  the  year  of 
his  birth  was  1829,  and  appears  as  such 
on  the  tombstone  that  marks  his  grave 
in  Charles  Evans  cemetery,  Reading,  Pa. 
He  died  Oct.  29,  1902,  in  Reading,  to 
which  city  he  removed  in  1896,  having 
lived  in  Womelsdorf,  Pa.,  since  1865. 
He  was  licensed  in  the  fall  of  1858  by 
the  Synod  of  Maryland,  and  on  Sept.  5, 
1859,  was  ordained  by  the  West  Penn- 
sylvania Synod,  he  having  been  called  in 
May  of  that  year  to  the  Dillsburg,  Pa., 
charge,  which  he  served  until  1864,  when 
he  removed  to  Berks  county.  Pa. 

He  was  very  conscientious  in  his  work, 
and  detested  all  forms  of  hypocrisy  and 
crying  evils,  frequently  evincing  surprise 
at  their  existence  in  the  "enlightened  nine- 
teenth century." 

He  was  never  married. 

(7)  Rev.  William  Wilherforce  Kraiii- 
lich,  born  January  22,  1866,  at  Kutz- 
town,  Pa.,  the  oldest  son  of  Rev.  Benja- 
min E.  Kramlich  and  wife,  Sophia 
(Bieber).      He    was    ordained    May    26, 

1891,  and  assisted  his  father  during  the 
remainder  of  that  year.  He  was  then 
called  to  the  Womelsdorf  parish,  which 
included  St.  Daniel's  church,  where  he 
preached   his   first   sermon   January    31, 

1892,  and  served  until  Oct.  27,  1901,  the 
date  of  his  last  sermon. 


(8)  Rc:\  Oscar  Erzi'in  Pflucgcr,  born 
March  11,  1861,  in  Allen  township, 
Northampton  county,  Pa.,  son  of  James 
Levin  Pflueger  and  wife  Elizabeth 
(Keim).  He  was  ordained  June  7,  1887; 
was  pastor  of  the  Beavertown  parish  in 
Snyder  county.  Pa.,  1887-89;  of  Lykens 
Valley  parish,  1889-1902;  and  in  Novem- 
ber, 1902,  became  the  pastor  of  the  Wom- 
elsdorf parish,  which  comprises  Zion's 
(Womelsdorf),  St.  Daniel's  (Fleidel- 
berg),  St.  John's  (Host),  and  Zion's 
(Womelsdorf),  St.  Daniel's  (Heidel- 
berg), St.  John's  (Host),  and  Zion's 
(Strausstown,  known  also  as  Blue 
]\Iountain  Church),  and  which  he  is  still 
serving.  He  preached  his  first  sermon 
at  St.  Daniel's  church  November  9,  1902. 
He  married  June  14,  1887.  Ella  C, 
daughter  of  Rev.  Owen  Leopold. 

During  the  interim  of  one  year  be- 
tween Revs.  Kramlich  and  Pflueger,  St, 
Daniel's  church  was  supplied  by  Rev. 
John  William  Early,  of  Reading,  Pa.,  an 
authority  on  local  church  history,  the 
author  of  "Lutheran  Ministers  of  Berks 
County,  Pa."  and  a  willing  help  and  refer- 
ence in  matters  of  all  local  history  and 
genealogy. 

During  the  interim  of  several  months 
in  1770  between  Revs.  Kurtz  and 
Schulze,  ministers  of  other  congrega- 
tions preached  occasional  sermons  at  St. 
Daniel's  church,  as  is  shown  by  entries 
in  the  church  record  as  follows  (transla- 
tions) : 

(i)  "On  June  16,  1770.  there  was  paid 
7s.  6d.  to  Rev.  Hellmuth,  of  Lancaster, 
who  preached  here."  This  must  have 
been  Rev.  Justus  Henry  Christian  Hel- 
muth,  born  in  Germany,  ]\Iay  16,  1745, 
and  died  at  Philadelphia,  Feb.  5,  1833, 
who  was  pastor  at  Lancaster,  Pa.,  from 
1769  to  1779. 

(2)  "On  July  II,  1770,  there  was  paid 
5s.  to  Rev.  Krug.  who  preached  here." 
This  was,  no  doubt.  Rev.  John  Andrew 
Krug,  born  in  Saxony,  ^larch  19.  173'^ 
and  died  at  Frederick,  ]Md.,  ]^larch  30, 
1796,  who  was  pastor  of  Trinity  church, 
Reading,  Pa.,  and  connected  congrega- 
tions   from    April    22,    1764.    to    Easter, 

1771- 

(3)  "On  Aug.  24,  1770,  there  was 
paid  7s.  6d.  to  Rev.  Schmit,  who  preached 


i8o 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


here."  This  might  have  been  Rev.  John 
Frederick  Schmidt,  born  in  Germany, 
January  9,  1746,  and  died  May  16,  181:2, 
who  was  pastor  at  Germantown,  Pa., 
from  1769  to  1785. 

Nothing  has  been  found  of  record  as 
to  who  supphed  St.  Daniel's  church  from 
1809  to  181 1,  between  Revs.  Schulze  and 
Ulrich ;  but  it  is  supposed  that  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Beates  (written  also  Betis  and  Petis) 
acted  as  supply  for  at  least  pari  of  the 
time,  as  he  was  pastor  for  several  years, 
from  the  summer  of  1810,  of  th«  War- 
wick (Brickerville)  parish,  which  in- 
cluded Womelsdorf  and  was  part  of  the 
large  charge  that  had  been  served  by 
Rev.  Schulze. 

Of  the  eight  regular  pastors  of  the 
Lutheran  congregation  of  Heidelberg, 
during  a  period  of  157  years,  the  first 
three  round  out  a  full  century;  while  the 
four  of  longest  service  cover  all  but  30 
years. 


From  a  beginning  of  a  few  members, 
shown  as  16  male  members  in  1753,  the 
congregation  has  increased  to  almost  800 
of  both  sexes ;  and  the  dozen  surnames 
of  the  earliest  members  have  multiplied 
to  more  than  12  dozen — about  one  sur- 
name for  ever  year  of  the  congregation's 
existence.  Those  first  dozen  surnames  are 
still  borne  by  persons  living  in  the  coun- 
ty, but  only  half  of  them  appear  among 
the  names  of  the  present  members  of  the 
church. 

Possibly  three-fourths  of  the  member- 
ship can  trace  in  their  veins  the  blood  of 
persons  who  were  members  of  that 
church  prior  to  the  Revolutionary  War ; 
and  fully  one-half  of  those  who  belong  to 
the  church  today  are  included  under  three 
dozen  surnames,  all  of  them  known  to 
Tulpehocken,  Heidelberg  or  Bern  120 
years  ago. 


The  Germans 

FROM    THE    HARTFORD    COURANT  OF  JANUARY    l6,    I908. 


iERMAN  RIDDER'S  address 
last  evening  in  Charleston, 
S.  C.,  brought  out  the  Ger- 
man relations  to  this  country 
with  vivid  force.  The  occa- 
sion itself  was  inspiring  for 
a  master  of  historical  detail.  It  was  the 
142nd  anniversary  dinner  of  the  German 
Friendly  Society,  and  thus  Mr.  Ridder's 
thoughts  naturally  turned  back  to  1766. 
At  that  date  "The  Courant"  was  only  two 
years  old,  but  already  there  was  for  those 
times  what  Mr.  Ridder  describes  as  "d. 
large  German  population"  in  Charleston. 
This  is  clear  enough,  for  there  must  be 
German  people  before  there  can  be  Ger- 
man societies ;  but  Mr.  Ridder  gives  the 
dates.  Michael  Kalteisen,  the  founder  and 
first  president  of  this  Friendly  Society, 
was  born  in  Wachtelsheim,  in  Wiirttem- 
berg,  in  1729,  and  by  1762  he  was  estab- 
lished in  business  in  Charleston.  Four 
years  later  he  and  fifteen  of  his  country- 
men organized  the  society  ;  and  this  society 
grew  so  that  it  had  one  hundred  members 
at  the  time  of  the  American  Revolution 
and  was  financially  able  to  advance  two 


thousand  pounds  as  an  aid  in  the  common 
proceedings  against  the  English  crown. 
Mr.  Kalteisen  did  more  than  this.  He 
was  influential  in  organizing  the  German 
Fusiliers  on  July  12,  1775,  w^hich  Mr. 
Ridder  with  proper  pride  declares  to  be 
"the  oldest  military  organization  in  this 
country,"  and  served  as  second  lieutenant 
of  the  company.  In  1779  the  German 
Fusiliers  took  part  in  the  siege  of  Savan- 
nah, their  captain  being  killed  in  the  same 
assault  in  which  Pulaski  fell.  Kalteisen  in 
English  would  be  Coldiron ;  and  the  name 
was  well  deserved  by  a  man  who  founded 
two  organizations  to  serve  the  purposes  of 
his  time — one  social,  and  one  military — 
both  of  which  have  turned  out  to  be  in- 
stitutions by  lasting  until  this  day. 

We  are  not  going  any  further  into  Mr. 
Ridder's  historical  matter,  interesting  as  it 
all  is,  except  to  say  that  the  first  German 
arrived  in  what  is  now  South  Carolina 
nearly  a  hundred  years  before  Michael 
Kalteisen  got  in  his  fine  organizing  work. 
Mr.  Ridder  says  that  Johann  Lederer, 
who  was  a  scholar  as  well  as  explorer 
was  "the  first  white  man  who  set  foot  on 


THE   GERMANS 


i8i 


the  soil  of  South  Carohna."  During  1669 
and  1670  he  made  three  exploring  tours 
from  Virginia  into  the  Carolinas,  penetrat- 
ing as  far  as  tlie  Santee  River.  It  was 
only  ten  years  later — 1680 — when  "the 
tide  of  German  emigration  to  America 
commenced  its  flow." 

After  a  lapse  of  two  centuries  and  a 
quarter  we  still  say  "Germans"  and 
"Americans"  and  "German-Americans." 
It  is  the  persistence  of  historical  tradition, 
we  fancy — supported,  however,  by  that 
difference  of  language  which  turns  men  of 
the  same  race  and  blood  into  different 
peoples.  Mr.  Ridder  is  the  accomplished 
editor  of  the  "New  York  Staats-Zeitung," 
an  old  and  influential  newspaper  which 
is  printed  in  the  German  language.  Mr. 
Ridder  is  also  one  of  our  most  capable 
American  citizens.  In  both  capacities 
he  is  a  foremost  man  of  the  United  States, 
and  no  doubt  he  is  equally  proud,  and  very 
likely  equally  tenacious,  of  both  relations. 
Yet  the  Germans  as  Germans  were  here 
before  this  land  became  a  political  country^, 
and  their  hand  was  steady  and  unfailing 
in  all  those  efforts,  whether  of  the  council 
chamber  or  of  the  battlefield,  that  trans- 
formed us  all  from  colonials  into  citizens 
of  a  free  and  sovereign  nation.  Baron 
Friedrich  Wilhelm  von  Steuben,  the  great 
inspector  general  of  the  Revolution  who 
drilled  and  disciplined  the  brave-liearted 
but  unsoldierly  men  of  Valley  Forge  into 
a  fighting  army,  could  say  to  Washington, 
as  Washington  in  a  more  responsible  field 
could  say  to  him,  with  reference  to  the 
makings  of  this  sovereign  land,  "we  did 
it."  The  German  did  not  come  late  or 
casually ;  he  was  here  with  the  first, 
and  he  has  been  here  all  along,  doing 
exactly  the  same  work  and  of  the  same 
fine  quality  as  the  most  capable  of  those 


who  acknowledge  no  other  name  than  that 
of  American.  It  is  the  slip  of  a  cog  in  the 
historical  nomenclature  that  has  not  per- 
petuated his  work  in  its  truly  independent 
and  masterly  light.  It  was  probably  while 
thinking  of  all  this  that  Mr.  Ridder  was 
led  to  say : 

Comparatively  few  Americans  realize  how 
large  a  place  numerically  the  German  element 
holds  among  the  American'  people.  But  when 
it  is  recalled  that  the  United  States  census 
shows  that  more  than  50  per  cent,  of  the  in- 
habitants of  the  United  States  have  Gennan 
blood  in  their  veins  it  is  easy  to  see  how  much 
reason  we  have  to  be  proud  of  America's 
achievements,  for  we  have  had  a  conspicuous 
share  in  them.  Briefly  I  have  called  attention 
to  some  of  the  things  Germans  have  done  for 
this  country,  from  its  very  earliest  days.  The 
sturdy  German  immigrant  fought  nobly  for 
liberty  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  He  helped 
lay  the  foundation  for  our  great  country  of 
today.  It  is  a  regrettable  fact  though  that 
very  few  Americans  are  aware  of  these  things. 
I  am  sure  that  the  historical  facts  I  have  in- 
corporated in  this  address  will  be  new  to  most 
Americans.  Why  is  this?  Simply  because 
American  historians  have  failed  to  give  to  the 
German  element  the  credit  that  is  their  due  for 
establishing  and  developing  this  country.  If 
we  are  to  have  an  honest  and  thorough  record 
of  American  achievement  from  the  early  days 
to  the  present  time  the  history  of  the  United 
States  must  be  rewritten,  so  that  credit  shall  be 
given  to  the  German  element  for  their  part. 
In  this  connection  I  want  to  emphasize  the 
fact  that  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  our 
school  books  should  be  revised  so  that  the 
youth  of  the  land,  so  many  of  whom  are  of 
our  own  blood,  may  not  grow  up  wholly  ignor- 
ant of  what  German-Ameripans  have  done  to 
upbuild   this   nation. 

Mr.  Ridder  has  reason  for  his  sug- 
gestion ;  but  he  also  should  have  the  satis- 
faction of  knowing  that  he  himself  is 
taking  no  uninfluential  part  in  correcting 
that  common  point  of  view  whose  histori- 
cal narrowness  he  deplores  as  a  true 
American  of  the  German  stock. 


l82 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


The  Home  Department 

This  department  is  in  charge  of  Mrs.  H.  H.  Funk,  of  bprinstown.  Pa.  to  whom  all  communications  for  it 
should  be  addressed.  Contributions  relating  to  domestic  matters— cookli.g.  baking,  house-woik.  gardening, 
flower  culture,  oldtime  customs  and  ways  of  living,  etc.,  etc.— are  respectfully  solicited  Our  lady  readers  are 
pecially  requested  to  aid  in  making  this  department  generally  intercstiag. 


Easter  Customs. 

Many  of  the  ancient  customs  of  Easter  were 
curious  and  are  amusing  to  the  present  genera- 
tion, though  many  add  beauty  and  solemnity  to 
the  occasion.  Flowers  cultivated  as  the  Easter 
lily  or  hyacinth  as  well  as  the  crocus  and 
tulip  which  spring  forth  into  beauteous  bloom 
to  welcome  the  day  of  a  resurrected  Christ 
are  a  fitting  emblem  of  the  everlasting  life.  In 
some  parts  of  Germany  the  Easter  tree  repeat- 
ing the  Christmas  tree  is  in  favor  but  the  Penn- 
sylvania Germans  have  not  accepted  it  but  have 
instead  the  Easter  egg  and  "Oster  Haas"  which 
have  been  handed  down  to  the  present  time. 
The  Easter  trees  in  Germany  were  decorated 
with  eggs  of  every  bright  hue  that  were  blown 
clear  then  filled  with  dainties,  sometimes  gilded 
and  suspended  by  narrow  ribbons. 

In  England  there  was  an  ancient  custom  of 
dividing  two  great  cakes  in  the  church  upon 
Easter  Day  among  the  young  people,  but  it  was 
looked  upon  as  a  superstitious  relic,  and  Parlia- 
ment ordered  in  1645  that  the  parishioners 
should  abandon  that  custom,  and  with  the 
money  formerly  spent  that  way  buy  bread  for 
the  poor  of  the  parish. 

Among  the  modern  Greeks,  a  small  bier 
prettily  decked  with  orange  and  citron  buds, 
jasmine  flowers  and  bows,  was  placed  in  the 
church,  with  a  Christ  crucified  rudely  painted 
on  board  for  the  body.  The  people  in  the 
evening,  and  before  daybreak  were  suddenly 
awakened  by  the  blaze  and  crackling  of  a  large 
bonfire,  with  singing  and  shouting  in  honor 
of  the  Resurrection. 

Easter  Day  is  set  apart  for  visiting  in  Russia. 
The  men  go  to  each  other's  houses  in  the  morn- 
ing and  introduce  themselves  by  saying, 
"Jesus  Christ  is  risen."  The  answer  is,  "Yes, 
He  is  risen."  The  people  then  embrace,  give 
each  other  eggs,  and  drink  a  great  deal.  They 
present  a  colored  red  egg  to  the  priest  of  the 
parish  on  Easter  morning.  The  common  people 
carry  one  of  these  red  eggs  in  their  hands  upon 
Easter  Day,  and  three  or  four  days  after.  They 
use  it  in  token  of  the  Resurrection,  whereof 
they  rejoice. 

The  use  of  eggs  on  Easter  Day,  sometimes 
called  Pasche,  or  paste  eggs,  has  come  down  to 
the  present  time.  Eggs  were  held  by  the 
Egyptians  as  a  sacred  emblem  of  the  renovation 
of  mankind  after  the  Deluge.  The  Jews 
adopted  them  to  suit  the  circumstances  of  their 
hi.story  as  a  type  of  their  departure  from  the 
land  of  Egypt ;  they  were  also  used  in  the  feast 
of  the  Passover. 

Hyde,  in  his  description  of  Oriental  sports, 
tells  of  one  with  eggs  among  the  Christians  of 
Mesopotamia  on  Easter  Day,  and  forty  days 
afterward:  "The  sport  consists  in  striking  their 
eggs  one  against  another,  and  the  egg  that  first 


breaks  is  won  by  the  owner  of  the  one  that 
struck  it.  Immediately  another  egg  is  pitted 
against  the  winning  eg?'  and  so  on  till  the  last 
egg  wins  all  the  others,  which  their  respective 
owr::rs  shall  before  have  won." 

In  Germany,  sometimes  instead  of  eggs  at 
Easter,  an  emblematical  print  is  occasionally 
presented.  One  of  these  is  preserved  in  the 
print-room  of  the  British  ^Museum.  Three  hens 
are  represented  as  upholding  a  basket,  in  which 
are  placed  three  eggs  ornamented  with  repre- 
sentations illustrative  of  the  Resurrection  ;  over 
the  center  egg  the  "Agntis  Dei,"  with  a  chalice 
representing  faith ;  the  other  egg  bearing  the 
emblems  of  charity  and  hope. 

Easter  Day  has  always  been  considered  by 
the  church  as  a  season  of  great  festivity. 

While  many  Easter  novelties  spring  up  from 
year  to  year,  colored  eggs  are  with  us  still, 
"dyed  with  onion  skins,  manufactured  dyes  or 
various  other  preparations.  We  used  to  color 
eggs  with  calico  of  fast  colors  by  tying  them  in 
the  print  and  boiling  them. 

The  calico  would  come  out  of  the  ordeal  pure 
and  spotless,  and  the  egg  would  be  a  thing  of 
beauty  in  dots  and  leaves  and  twigs. 

Apple  Dumplings. 

In  response  to  the  request  of  an  interested 
Hartford,  Connecticut  reader  we  give  the  fol- 
lowing receipt  for  apple  dumplings. 

Steamed  Dumplings. 

^lix  up  a  dough  with  i  quart  flour,  i  quart 
sour  cream,  i  teaspoonful  soda  and  a  pinch  of 
salt ;  or,  make  a  baking  powder  biscuit  dotigh — 

1  quart  of  flour,  into  which  a  lump  of  butter 
the   size   of   an   egg   is   worked,   pinch   of   salt 

2  level  teaspoonfuls  of  baking  powder,  milk 
enough  to  make  a  stiff  batter.  Peel  and  cut  in 
halves  sour  apples,  remove  the  cores  and  fill 
with  sugar  and  a  small  lump  of  butter ;  place 
the  halves  together  again.  Roll  the  dough  thin 
and  cut  in  pieces  large  enough  to  wrap  around 
each  apple,  pressing  the  ends  firmly  together. 
If  boiled  have  water  boiling  and  kept  boiling 
while  dumplings  are  in,  covered  with  a  tight 
cover  and  they  will  be  ready  to  serve  in  15 
minutes  if  steamed.  They  must  remain  in  the 
steamer  at  least  30  minutes,  when  done  the 
dough  will  be  raised  and  spongy,  and  they  are 
ready  to  serve  with  cream  and  sugar. 

Baked  Dumplings. 

Prepare  apples  the  same:  use  baking  powder 
biscuit  dough  or  a  rich  pie  pastry,  bake  in  a 
greased  dish  slowly  and  when  nicely  browned 
they  are  ready  for  the  table. 

If  any  of  our  readers  have  any  favored 
receipts  for  this  standard  German  dish  other 
than  the  above  we  will  be  pleased  to  hear  from 
them. 


LITERARY  GEMS 


183 


Literary  Gems 

DIE  MUTTERSCHPROCH 

BV     REV.     A.     C.     WUCHTEK,     GILBERT,     PA. 


Die  Mutterscliprocli !    die  Muttcrschproch  ! 

Wie  scheh  un  tzart  sie  is  ; 
Wer  net  fcrwildert,  ausg'art, 

Dor  liebt  sie,  j-ah  g'wiss ! 
S'kunit  net  ufF  land  un  farwa  aw, 

D'heem.  dert  ivver'm  saeh  ; 
Hut's  Kind  die  Mutter  um  d'hals — 

Die   Mutterschproch   is   scheh. 

Dert  wuh   die  palma  dufticli  sin, 

Wuh's   imnier   summer   is ; 
Dert  sin  aw  menscha,  grawd  wie  doh, 

Mit  hertz  un  seel,  g'wiss. 
Sie   hen   aw   ihra   mutterschproch 

Kan's  nimmond  schunscht   ferschteh, 
Ach !  wan  sie  schwetza,  glawbscht  du's  net, 

Die  Mutterschproch  is  scheh. 

*     Dert  wuh  nix  is  wie  ice  un  schnee, 

Ini  land  wuh's  nordlicht   schpielt — • 
Dert  hut's  aw  leit  os  menscha  sin 

Un's  hertz  fer  on'ra  fiehlt. 
Sic  bob'la,  ach !  so'n  schproch  wie  sel — 

Sie  kenna's  gute  ferschteh ; 
Sie  lacha,  heila — s'is  wie's  is. 

Die  ^Mutterschproch  is   scheh. 

\\'an  aw  die  welt  so'n  Babel  is, 

Untzaehlich  menscha  drin, 
S'kumt  net  uff  land  un  schprocha  aw, 

S'is  doch  eh  hertz  un  sinn. 
S'is  wunnerbar,   die  menschaschproch, 

Des  nonner  recht  ferschteh ; 
Soil's  recht  in's  hertz  un  lehwa  nei — 

Die   Mutterschproch  is   scheh. 


Es  hawpt  am  mensch  is  doch  der  mensch, 

S'is   net   die   schproch,   net's   geld. 
Is   leib   un   seel   g'trennt,   was   bleibt 

Wie  biss'l  schtawb  uff's  feld? 
Wer  laebt  un  liebt  hut  pflicht  erfillt, 

Kan's  hertz  aerscht  recht  ferschteh; 
Druni    is   's   wohr,    wohrhaftich    wohr, 

Die  Mutterschproch   is  scheh. 

Der    Pennsylvanie    Deitsch    hut    aw 

Sei   platz   un   Gottesrecht, 
Wan  aw   der  Yankee  lacht  un   schpott, 

D'  hals  sich  schier  ferbrecht. 
Wer  reita  will  uff  dohta  geil, 

So'n  narr,  den  lusst  m'r  geh; 
Ich    schteh   d'bei,   ich   schwaer   d'bei, 

Die  Mutterschproch  is  scheh. 

S'hnt   freilich   dehl   die   schemma   sich 

Wan  ebber  "Dutchy"  sawgt; 
Ich  gaebt  ken   lew}',  hie  un  har, 

Fer  den  wuh  schpott,  wuh  klawgt. 
Wie's  haest:  Wan's  mohl  an's  schterwva  geht, 

Kennscht    alia    schproch    ferschteh, 
Bei'm   letschta   seiftzer — Gott,   sei   dank! 

Die   Mutterschproch   is   scheh. 

Drum  tzwischa  Gott  un  tzwischa  mensch 

Was  hut  die  schproch  tz'  duh? 
Grick  ehner'n   schenner  pletz'l  dert 

Geht's  in  die  ewich  ruh? 
Kumt  alles  aw  uff   Shibboleth 

Bei'm  Jordan  ivvergeh? 
Week  mit  so  dummhait,  ewich  week — 

Die  Mutterschproch  is  scheh. 


THE  HEART 

The  following  poem  is  in  Upper  Austrian  dialect  by   Frederick  Kaiser.     The    translation    is    by    Col.    T.    C. 
Zimmerman,  editor  of  the  Reading  Times: 


BV    FREDERICK    KAISER. 

's  Herz  is  a  g'spassigs   Ding, 

Oft  gar  so  schwar,  oft  gring, 

Oft   is   so  miiuserlstill. 

Oft  hammert's  wie  a  Miihl — 

Oft  thut's  am  wohl,  oft  wieder  schmerzen : 

Drum  glaub'  i  in   mein'  Sinn, 

's  sitzt  was  Lebendig's  drin 

Ganz  tief  im  Herzen. 

's   kann   sogar  dischkaricrn, 

Mit   an   a   dischbadiern ; 

I   bans  oft  gar   nit   g'fragt 

Und  's  hat  mir  do  was  g'sagt. 

Das  thut  am  kruseln  so  und  schlagen. 

's  sein  kani  Worter  zwar, 

's  redt  aber  deutli  klar, 

's  thut  am  Alles  sagen, 

Und  nur  durch's  Schlagen. 


BY    T.    C.     ZIMMER.MAX. 

The    heart    is    a    curious    thing. 

Oft   sad,  oft   light  of  wing, 

Oft,  mouselike,  'tis  so  still, 

Oft  hammers  like  a  mill — 

Oft  pleasure  gives,  with  pain   returning; 

Therefore  do   I  believe, 

Something  in  it  doth  live — 

So  deep   its  yearning. 

Discourse   it  e'en  can   do. 

Dispute  with   oneself,  too ; 

Oft  have  I   nothing  sought. 

Yet   me   its   answer   brought. 

Inspired  it  was  with  fear,  and  beating; 

No   words  employed  to  teach. 

And  yet  how   clear   its   speech; 

It  tells  one  everything 

Only  by  beating. 


l84 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Jetzt  ^lancher  sagt :    O  mein ! 

Wie  kann  das  mogli  sein? 

Der   plauscht    sich    selber   an,' 

A   bissel   g'spiirt   er's    schon. 

Er  mag  sich  d'  Wahrheit  selbst  nit  sagen, 

Do  hilfts  nit  g'schamig  sein, 

Der  droben  schaut  hinein, 

Dos  thul;  dos  Schlagen 

Am  Jeden  sagen. 

's  gibt  Viel,  dos  gar  nit  hor'n, 

Wann   d'   Schliig  rebellisch   wern. 

Bei  do  is  Herz  ganz  weg, 

Is  nit  am  rechten  Fleck. 

Und   erst   ganz    spat   in    alten   Tagen 

Dan  gspiirn  sie's  zentnerschwar 

Was  friiher  war  ganz  laar — 

In  alten  Tagen 

Thut's  well  dos  Schlagen. 

Woher  dos  Schlagen  kiimmt, 

Das  wass  ma  halt  mit  b'stimmt. 

I  man  und  bild  mir  ein, 

's   wird   unser    Schutzgeist    sein, 

Der  thut  nit   seinen   Fliigerln    schlagen, 

Und  wann  ma  genga  drauf, 

Tragt  er  die  Seel  hinaiif, 

Thut  fiir  an  Jeden 

Da  drobnet  reden. 


Now,  many  a  one  will   cry, 

How  can  this  be? — Oh  my! 

Deceive  himself  may  he, 

And  quickly   felt   'twill  be ; 

F"rom  himself  may  he  the  truth  be  keeping,. 

Ashamed,  no  help  'twill  be, 

Within  the  heart  sees  He ; 

This  does  the  beating, 

To  each  one  speaking. 

There  are  some  who  fail  to  hear 
When  the  beats  rebellious  are ; 
With  such  the  heart's  quite  gone. 
At  th'  right  place  there  is  none. 
And  not  till  late  in  life,  that's  fleeting, 
They   feel  a  weight   so   sore 
Where   naught  had  been   before; 
As  age  is  fleeting 
It    pains,    this    beating. 

From  whence  these  beatings  come 

Exactly    knows   no    one ; 

It  must,  I  think,  you'll  see. 

Our  guardian-angel  be. 

That  with  his  snow-white  wings  is  beating; 

And  when  life's  end  we  mourn, 

The   soul's  by   him   upborne. 

For   each   good's    seeking 

Above  he's  pleading. 


EIN  FRUHLINGSLIED  VON  DR.  M.  LUTHER 


Die  beste  Zeit  im  Yohr  ist  mein, 
Do  singen  alle  Vogelein ; 
Himmel  und  Erden  ist  der  voll; 
Viel  gut  Gesang  da  lautet  wohl ! 

Voran  die  liebe  Nachtigall 
Macht  Alles  frohlich  iiberall 
Mit  ihrem  lieblichen  Gesang', 
Desz  musz  sie  immer  haben  Dank. 


Vielmehr  der  liebe  Herre  Gott, 
Der  sie  also  erschaffen  hat, 
Zu  seim  die  rechte  Sangerin, 
Der  Musicer  ein'  Meisterin. 

Dem  singt  und  springt  sie  Tag  und  Nacht,! 
Sein's  Lobes  sie  nicht  miide  macht; 
Den  ehrt  und  lobt  auch  mein  Gesang, 
Und   sagt   ihm   einen   eVv'gen   Dank. 


DER  HEXEDOKTOR. 

BY  CHARLES  C.  MORE,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
(Concluded  from  the  March  Number.] 


hot  ihm  denno  sei  Druwel  geglagt  un  sei  Frau 
hot  alsemol  Paar  wart  neigschmisse,  wo  sie 
gemeent  hot  er  deets  net  recht  verzehle.  _ 

Do  druf  hen  die  zwee  manner  weil  mitnan- 
ner  gepischpert  un  denno  hot  eener  gsat,  er 
war  da  verry  Kerl  as  der  Solly  suche  deet,  un 
er  set  mit  ihm  kumme.  Die  kerls  hen  ihm  un 
sei  Frau  in  en  Schtub  gfiehrt  un  dert  hot  eener 
gsat,  es  deet  awer  finf  Dahler  koschte,  for  aus- 
zufinne  wie  em  Solly  sei  Feind  heese  deet. 

Der  Solly  hots  Geld  bezahlt  un  der  Wohret- 
sager  hot  sich  uf  en  Sofa  glegt  un  sei  Freind 
hot  ihn  eischlofe  mache.  So'n  Wahrhetsager 
schlafe  mache  is  net  so'n  leichte  Arwet  wie 
mer  denkt. 

Wos  hot  nau  net  seller  Kerl  gschtrambelt  bis 
er  ein  gschlafe  war !  Wie  er  awer  wider  wacker 
worre  is,  hot  er  gsat,  er  het  em  Solly  sei  Feind 
gsehne;  er  deet  "John"  heese.     Der  Solly  hot 


denno  ah  wisse  welle,  wie  er  mit  em  Zuname 
heese  deet,  awer  der  Kerl  hot  do  gemeent,  ja 
wann  er  ah  noch  sell  wisse  wet  mist  er  ewa 
noch  finf  Dahler  bezahle,  weil  er  net  afforde 
kennt  zwee  mol  die  Wohrhet  sage  for  finf 
Dahler ;  sell  deet  ihn  zu  arrig  schtreene.  Der 
Solly  hots  Geld  bezahlt  un  der  Kerl  is  wider 
an  die  Arwet.  We  er  uf  gschtanne  is,  hot  er 
gemeent,  des  war  en  arrige  Sach !  er  kennt 
net  do  alles  raus  sage ;  er  wet  liewer  der  Name 
uf  en  Babier  schreiwe  un  des  Babier  derft  der 
Solly  erscht  der  heem  lese.  Er  hot  ah  dennoli 
der  Solly  ihm  in  die  Hand  nei  verschpreche 
mache  as  er  gar  nix  meh  zu  duh  hawe  wet  mit 
dem  Kerl  im  Babier  un  sei  hot  der  Solly  of 
course  ah  gern  geduh.  Dennoh  hot  die  Frau 
ah  wisse  welle  was  ihr  die  ganz  zeit  die  milich 
gerinne  un  der  Butter  so  schlecht  mache  deet. 
Der    Wohretsager    hot    awer    gemeent    for    all 


DER  HEXEDOKTOR 


i8s 


sell  zu  verrote  mist  cr  awer  zchn  Dahlc  hawc. 
Er  hots  Geld  gried  iin  is  zum  dritte  mol  ei- 
gschlofe.  Wie  er  ufgschtanne  is,  hot  er  ge- 
meent  er  mist  cs  Mittel  for  selle  Hex  aus  der 
Abodek  hole ;  nn  is  nans  gange.  Wie  er  zurick 
is  komme,  hot  er  ebbcs  ins  Rabier  gevvickelt 
ghat :  des  hot  er  der  Fran  hiegreecht  un  hot 
gsat  sie  mist  davon  recht  flcisig  mit  hees  was- 
ser  brauche.  Sie  set  ihr  Butter  fas  inwennich 
un  auswcnnich  demit  recht  wiische  wie  ah  ihre 
milch  heffe,  dann  set  sie  ihre  Glecder  un  dann's 
ganze  Haus  von  Owe  bis  unne  damit  aus- 
wjische  un  wan  sie  sel  geduh  het  wet  er  in- 
schure,  as  sie  kcc  Druwcl  mit  der  milich  oder 
der  Hex  het.  Seller  Biindel  derft  sie  awer  ah 
erscht  dehecm  uf  mache.  Dann  hot  er  sie  wider 
naus  uf  die  Schtros  gfiehrt. 

Uf  em  Heemweg  hot  der  Solly  iwer  all  die 
name  in  der  Nachbarschaft  noh  gsimilirt,  awer 
er  hot  net  uf  en  John  komme  kenne  im  er  hot 
schiergor  net  warte  kenne  bis  er  deheem  war. 
Wie  die  leit  hccm  kumme  sin  hen  sie  ihre 
Babiere  mit  nanner  uf-gemacht.  En  Fluch  as 
bald  es  ganze  Haus  zamme  gschittelt  hut  is 
em  Solly  ausgeglitscht  wie  er  in  seim  Babier 
gleese  hot,  "Dei  greeschter  Feind  heest  Demi- 
john"! Un  sei  Frau  is  schier  onmachtig  vom 
Schtuhl  gsunke  wie  en  Handbarscht  un  paar 
shtick  Seef  aus  ihrem  Bundel  uf  der  Boden 
gerollt  sin,  mit  me  Zittel  mit  de  warde,  "Recht 
fleisig  brauche."  Ei  so'n  Rascal  vome  Hexe- 
doktor !  Leit  so  zu  insulte  un  denno  noch 
Geld  davor  abzunemme !  Die  Frau  hots  of 
course  em  Solly  gegunt,  as  ihm  mols  Heffel, 
wege  seim  Saufe  vome  annere  Mann  uf  ge- 
deckd  is  warre ;  un  er  hot  sich  heemlich  gfreet, 
as  sie  mol,  wege  ihre  Schlappigkeet  en  Hack 
griet  hot,  awer  so  ebbes  von  sich  selwer  zu 
here,  sel  hot  gar  deivelisch  weh  geduh ! 

Die  Frau  het  net  viel  um  ihre  zehn  Dahler 
gewe,  awer  do  vor  ihrem  ]\Iann  so  nunner  ge- 
duh zu  sei.  sell  hot  sie  gar  schterns  wiedig  ge- 
macht.  Sie  hot  now  wohl  eigsehne,  as  ihr 
Herrschaft  im  Haus  in  Gfahr  war  un  das  ebbes 
geduh  werre  mist,  weil  der  Solly  nau  eenige 
Zeit  komme  kennt  un  so  recht  heemdickish 
frage :  "Wie  war  nau  sel  mit  sellere  Hand- 
barscht?" wann  sie  mol  so  bissel  basse  wet. 
So  Manner  is  ennihau  net  am  beschte  zu  draue, 
geh    mer   juscht    eweg! 

Vor  der  Sake  von  ihrem  eegne  Friede  hot 
sie  dann  ah  grad  Schtreit  mit  em  Solly  ah- 
gfange.  Der  Battel  hot  awer  ah  desmol  net 
lang  ahghalte,  weil  der  Solly,  wie  immer,  nun- 
ner gebiickt  un  is  naus  ufs  Ewerden  for  iwer 
den   neie   Druwel    nohzudenke. 

Er  hot  nau  gfiehlt  as  er's  ganz  un  gor  verlore 
ghat  hot.  Ei !  die  Mary  kennt  ihm  nau  seller 
verdollt  Demi  John  eenige  zeit  unnich  die  Nas 
reiwe  so  gschwind  as  er  sei  Maul  im  Haus  uf 
mache  deet.  So  Weiwer  hen  ewe  kee  ver- 
schtand !  Wann  sie  mol  ebbes  vome  Kerl 
wisse  dann  .sarge  sie  devor  as  er's  net  vergesst. 

Sei  Frau  is  uf  der  Schpeicher  nuf  for  iwer 
ihre  Sorge  un  der  Insult  vom  Hexedoktor  zu 
kunsidere. 

In  jedem  mensch  wohnt  was  mer  heest  en 
Koboldche  oder   schelmischer  Geescht  der  nix 


dhut  as  die  Leit  vexe  un  for  Narre  halte.  Er 
hot  ebbes  uf  en  ort  wien  forbiges  Glas,  un 
demno  wie  cr  en  mensch  fichle  mache  will  hebt 
er  ihm  sell  Glas  vor  die  Augc.  Soil  cr  draurig, 
verschtimt  un  nider  gschlage  fiehle,  so  lost  er 
ihn  darichs  schwarze  Glas  gucke;  soil  er 
schtreitig,  zornig  un  heroisch  sei,  hebt  er  ihm 
es  rote  Glas  vor.  Soil  er  awer  herrlic'h,  lusch- 
tig,  zufride  un  froh  sei,  so  lost  er  ihn  darichs 
blaue  Glas  gucke.  So  macht  er  ihm  nidcr- 
gschlage,  herrlich,  freindlich,  schtreitig,  zu- 
draulig,  mistrauisch  oder  eenige  weg  fiehle  wie 
er  will,  un  der  Mensch  bild  sich  ei,  es  war  alles 
werklich  grad  so,  wie  er's  darrich  sel  Glas  ali- 
guckt.  Deelmos  geht  awer  ah  der  glee 
Schluri  dra  un  last  der  mensch  darrich  zwee 
Farwe  uf  eemol  gucke  un  denno  wees  er  gor  net 
recht  wie  er  fiehlt.  Dann  geht  der  glee  Deihenker 
awer  ah  dra  un  macht  der  Mensch  arrig  oft 
ganz  annersch  fiehla,  wie  er  gern  fiehla  deel, 
Mecht  er  mol  so  recht  luschtig  sei,  losat  er  ihm 
sei  Freed  darches  schwarze  Glas  ahgucke,  is 
er  mol  so  recht  draurig  do  hebt  er  hns  bloe 
Glas  vor  die  Aage  un  der  arm  Deiwel  musz 
denno  zu  all  seim  Fiend  lache  un  freelich  sei. 

Well  wie  der  Solly  drowe  uf  dem  Ewerden 
un  sie  Frau  drowe  uf  em  Schpeicher  ghockt 
hen  vor  iwer  ihre  Druwel  noihzudenka  un 
gebrowirt  hen  so  rec'ht  arrig  nidergeschlage 
Geesichter  ihne  es  schwarz  Glas  von  die  Aage 
gerisse  un  hen  ihms  blaue  Glas  hie  ghowe  so 
as  der  liewe  bloue  Himmel  ihm  recht  luschtig 
grad  ins  Herz  nei  gelacht  hot.  Oh,  ihr  gleene 
Deiwel  ihr  ! 

Mer  breiche  net  zu  wisse  was  die  Leit  alles 
gedenkt  hen,  awer  ihre  gschichter  hen  lang 
net  so  bees  geguckt  wie  schunst  als  bei  so 
gelegenheite.  Uf  eemol  is  awer  der  Solly  uf 
gschtanne,  hot  die  Fauscht  niwer  noch  em 
Haus  gschittelt  un  hot  gsat : 

"Wart  du  juscht,  ich  will  dir  schon  weise 
as  ich  eenige  Dag  noch  meh  vome  Mann  bin 
as   du   sei   Lebdags  werscht!" 

Mit  sellem  is  er  von  Ewerdenn  runner  mit 
em  Demijohn  in  der  Hand;  er  war  nau  ge- 
baund,  kee  schritt  meh  weiter  zu  saufe  for  sei 
Gnocheweh  un  sei  Couragement  ufzuhalte,  ne 
net  wann  er  grad  uf  em  Blacke  schterwe  mist!" 
Im  Keehschtall  hot  er  der  demijohn  wedder  die 
Mauer  gschmisse  as  die  Scherwe  un  der  Whiskey 
in  der  Luft  rum  gfloge  sin. 

Drowe  uf  em  Speicher  is  about  es  sam  Ding 
vor  ganga,  juscht  uf  en  annere  Weg.  Die  Frau 
hot  sich  nau  vorgenomme  zu  schaffe  uns  Haus 
sauwer  zu  halte  grad  for  ihr  ]Mann  zu  schpeite. 
Er  derf  ihr  net  nosage  as  sie  dreckig  un 
schlappig  war  un  wann's  alle  Hexedokter  un 
alle  Deiwel  in  der  Welt  behaupte  deete. 

"Wart  juscht,"  hot  sie  gsat  un  hot  ihre 
Fauscht  niwer  noch  der  Schweier  gschittelt 
"du  kannst  nau  alt  un  grau  werre,  bis  ich  mich 
wieder  hiehock  un  mich  wege  deiner  Fauliieet 
un  Sauferei  druwel :  die  Leit  solle  nau  sehne 
as  ich  ah  noch  schaffe  kann  wie  ich  frieher 
gschafft  hab,  awer  merke  lass  ich's  dich  net ;  nee 
un   wann   ich   uf  der   Nas   lei." 

So  hen  sie  alle  beed  sich  vorgenomme  nau 
for   Schpeit  recht  zu  schaffe,  grad  wie   sie  so- 


^86 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


lang  for  schpeit  nix  geduh  hen  awer  jo  nix 
nanner  merke  lasse.     .  ,     ^         ,  w^^^ 

Seller  owed  sin  sie  ni's  Bett  ohne  en  Wort 
mit  aanner  zu  schwatze.  Am  nachste  Morge  sin 
sie  vor  Dag  ufgschtanne  un  hen  sich  an  die 
aVwet  gemacht,  awer  hen  so  geduh  as  vvann  sie 
go^mx^m  Sinn  hetten.  Mit  seller  Handberscht 
un  Seef  is  dee  Frau  erscht  mol  an  s  Haus- 
butze  gange  un  der  Solly  hot  die  Bord  am 
Haus  un  an  der  Scheier  ahgenagelt,  denno  hot 
er  sich  an  die  Fensze  gemacht  un  eb  zwei 
Woche  rum  ware,  hen  all  die  Poschte  wider 
crrad  gschtanne  un  die  Kuh  'hot  sich  abgeblogt 
for  naus  zu  kumme  as  sie  schier  gar  narnsch 

^  Die  ganz  Zeit  hen  sie  awer  so  geduh  as  wann 
gar  nix  abardiches  vorgeh  deet  un  wann  sie 
|ar  nix  von  nix  wisse  deeten.  Wann  als  der 
Solly  ins  Haus  komme  is,  dann  hot  die  JMary  s 
cror  net  gsehne,  wie  er  umhergeguckt  un  so 
recht  zufridde  gschmunzelt  hot  weil  a  les  so 
schee  un  sauwer  war.  Un  die  Mary  is  als  naus 
un  juscht  vor  der  Scheir  ebbes  uf  die  Fenz 
ghenkt,  so  as  sie  sehne  hot  kenne  wie  der  Solly 
mit  seinere  Erwet  ausmacht  un  der  Solly  hot 
als  gpiffe  un  weit  iwer's  Land  geguckt  as  wie 
wann  er's  gar  net  wisse  deet  as  die  Mary  hm- 
nich  ihm  schteh  deet.  . 

So  sin  noch  und  noch  arrig  ordliche  Sache 
ghappent;  die  Kuh  is  als  Morgets  un  owets 
lemolke  warre,  un  die  Mary  hot  gar  net  denke 
kenne  wer's  geduh  hot;  war  nau  des  net  ord- 
lich?  Un  em  Solly  sei  Gleeder  hen  sich  ge- 
butzt  un  Lecher  dra  sin  zuganga  un  Gneb  sin 
dra  gwachsa  un  er  hot  sie  doch  iver  en  Schtuhl 
g'henkt  ghat  wie  er  ins  Bett  is— sell  war  nau 
noch  ordlicher! 

So  hot  nau  eens  ebbes  geduh  for  s  anner  zu 
bliese  un  jedes  hot  gebrowirt  net  zu  schtreite— 
sell  war  nau's  ordlichst  von  all!  Of  course  der 
Solly  hot  jusht  seinere  Frau  weise  welle  as  er 
■en  j\Lnnn  sei  kann  wann's  sei  muss;  un  die 
Mary  hut  ihm  juscht  weise  welle,  as  er  sie 
juscht  so  wennig  biete  kennt  im  verschtenmg 
sei  as  wie  im  Schtreite— sell  war  all. 

Ee  Marge— es  war  en  herrlicher  Pingscht 
merge,  is  Sollv  frie  uf  gschtonne— er  hot  sich 
vorgenomme  ghat  an  sellen  jMarge  recht  ufzu- 
macha  mit  der  Marv  wie  es  sei  sett  zwischig 
gheirte  Leit.  Sie  sin  am  e  Pingscht  Marge 
getraut  warre,  un  hen  ihre  Hochzig  reid  noch 
der  Schtadt  gemacht,  un  er  hot  gfiehld  us  wie 
wann  er  widder  die  Hochzig  iwer  feiere  wet, 
weil  es  doch  gar  zu  schee  war  widder  so  im 
Friede  zu  lewe  wie  selle  mols.  Awer  er  hot 
net  recht  gewisst  wie  er  afange  sett  un  is  naus 
an  die  Scheier  vor  en  recht  scheeni  Spiech  eizu- 
schtudirc  vor  der  Mary  zu  sage,  wie  es  ihm 
um's  Hcrz  war.  Es  hot  ihn  bissel  lang  ge- 
nomme  vor  die  rechte  Worte  zsamme  zu  henke, 
awer  er  hot  alles  fei  drunner  ghat,  wie  er  ins 
Haus  zurick  is. 

In  der  Kich  hot  er  die  Mary  erwischt  \yie 
sie  vorm  Schpiegel  gschtanne  hot  un  hot  sich 
en  rotes  Band  um  der  Hals  gebunne :  sie  hut 
sich  ah  en  frisch  geweschener  Frack  ageduh 
ghat  un  Bkimme— Pingschtblumc,  Dulleblume, 
Ycilche  un  grad   so   was  zu  finne   war,   uf  der 


Disch  gschtellt  ghat  weil  sie  such  vorgenomme 
hot  ghat  der  Solly  froge  ihr  zu  verzeihe  vor  all 
der  Druwel  as  sie  ihm  gemacht  hot — an  dem 
Pfingscht  marge  wo  sie  gheirt  hen,  wot  sie  wid- 
der des  rechte  Ding  zum  Solly  duh,  un  ihre 
Bocke  ware  aus  excitement  rot  wie's  band  um 
ihre  Hals  un  ihre  Aage  hen  geleicht  wie  juscht 
enere  Frau  die  Aaage  leichte  kenne,  as  sie 
recht  Glick  im  Herz  hot.  Grad  so  hot  sie  ge- 
guckt wie  der  Solly  sie  als  sehne  is  kumme, 
un  wie  der  Solly  in  die  kich  kumme 
is  und  hot  sie  so  do  schte  sehne  war's  ihm 
grad  as  wie  wann  er  widder  uf  die  Freierei 
komme  deet  un  sei  scheeni  spiech  iver  die  er 
sich  so  abgeplogt  ghat  hot  is  dort  hie  gfloge  wo 
die  Dischtle  wachse — er  hot  ken  wort  raus  ge- 
braclit  un  wann  er  ghenkt  warre  wer  davor, 
er  hot  juscht  die  Arm  ufgemacht  un  gsat 
"Mary?" 
"Solly!" 

Sell  war  about  alles  as  die  Mary  sage  hot 
kenne,  denno  hen  sie  sich  in  de  arm  gelege  un 
hen  sich  enanner  gebusst  as  es  en  rechte  Schand 
war — Annihau  so  hot  die  Mammi  Schofleichter 
gsat  as  grad  am  Fenster  vorbeigange  is  un  dem 
Dreiwe  a  weil  zugschene  hot.  "As  die  Leit  sich 
net  schemme"  hot  sie  gsat  "so  verdollt  keesich 
zu  sei."  Awver  dabei  hot  sie  die  Lefts  g'schleckt 
as  wie  wann  sie  selwer  net  juscht  so  arrig  viel 
dagege  het  ahmol  so  keesich  zu  sei  un  net  juscht 
die  Schofleichtern  alle,  nee,  eenig  ebber  as 
gsehne  hot  wie  glicklich  un  herrlich  die  Leut 
iwer  ihre  zwette  Hochzich  ware,  der  het  ah 
gern  en  Hand  in  so'me  Bosse  mitgeschpielt,  ja 
un  wann's  der  Parre  selwer  geweest  wer,  uf 
em  Weg  noch  der  Kerrich  vor  sei  Pingscht- 
breddig  zu  halte. 

Un  denno  erscht's  Brekfescht !  Es  war  wul 
juscht  Brot  un  Wasser  un  Schmierkees  un 
Kaffe,  awer  was  war  brot  un  was  war  Butter 
un  Schmierkees !  Un  wie  hot  sich  der  Solly 
neigelosst,  un  wie  hot  ihm  die  j\Iary  Brot 
gschmiert  un  wie  hot  er  gesse !  un  wie  Jiot  er 
als  mit  der  Faust  uf  der  Disch  geglopt  un  be- 
haupt,  er  het  die  bescht  glee  Frau  uf  weit  un 
breet  un  so  Butter  un  Brot  kennt  juscht  kenn 
anneri  Frau  im  ganze  County  mache  un  sie 
mecht  grad  her  kumme  wu  sie  wet.  Lhi  wie  hot 
die  Mary  ihm  als  es  Maul  zughove  un  ge- 
bluscht  un  gemeent  er  deet  sie  noch  ganz  ei- 
bildisch  mache  mit  so'me  Geschwetz  un  wie  hot 
sie  ihm  denno  allmol  en  Buss  gewa  as  er's 
gsat  hot  un  grad  weil  er's  gsat  hot ! 

Un   die  gleene   Koboltche   hen   sich   die   far- 
wige    Glesser    in    der    Sack   geschteckt    un    die 
Leit  ufgschdift  in  ihren   Herz  drin  zu  singe : 
Drucke  Brod  in  Friede  gesse, 
Schmackt  viel  besser  as  en  Schmaus 
Von  em  allcbeschte  Esse, 
Wann  der  Schtreit  is  Gast  im  Haus. 
Es  sin  nau  etliche  Johre  vergange  zitter  sel- 
1cm     schene     Pins-sciitdag     un     em     Solh'     sei 
Baucrei  blieht  widder  wie  devor.     Er  hot  wid- 
der finf  Kieh  un  zwee  Geul,  un  en  Mad  weil 
sei  Frau  die  Erwet  nimmie  allee  duh  kann.     Er 
geht  mit  Gardesach  un  Butter  un  so  sach  eemol 
die  Woch  noch  der  Schtadt  un  koinnu  widder 
gut  vorra. 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT 


i87 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT. 


Editor  :xnd  Publisher 

H.  W.  KRIEI3EL, 
East  Greenville,  Pa. 

The  Pennsylvania-German  is  an  illustrated  monthly 
nnagazine  devoted  to  the  biography,  history,  genealogy, 
■folklore,  literature  ami  general  interests  of  German 
^nd  Swiss  settlers  in  Pennsylvania  and  other  States, 
and    of    their    descendants. 

Price,  per  year,  $1.50,  in  advance;  single  copies, 
15  cents.  Foreign  postage,  25  cents  a  year  extra. 
"Club-rates  furnished  on  application.  Payments 
credited    by    mail. 

Discontinuance. — The  magazine  will  be  sent  until 
order  to  discontinvie  is  received.  This  is  done  to 
accommodate  the  majority  of  subscribers,  who  do 
iiot    wish    to    have   their    files    broken. 

Notice   of    Expiration    of    subscription    is    given    by 


Associate  Editors 
Mrs.  H.  H.  FUNK,  Springtown,  Pa 
E.  S   GERHARD,  A.  IVI.,  Trenton.  N.  J 

using  red  ink  in  addressing  the  wrapper  of  the 
magazine. 

Contributions. — Carefully  prepared  articles  bearing 
on  our  field  are  invited  and  should  be  accompanied 
with  illustrations  when  possible.  No  attention  will 
be  given  to  unsigned  articles,  nor  will  we  be  re- 
sponsible for  the  statements  and  opinions  of  con- 
tributors. Unavailable  manuscripts  will  not  be  re- 
turned unless  stamps  are  sent  to  prepay  postage. 
Contributions  intended  for  any  particular  number 
should  be  in  the  editor's  hands  by  the  twenty-fifth  of 
the     second     preceding     month. 

Advertising  Rates  will  be  furnished  by  the  pub- 
lisher   upon    request. 


A  "Credit." 

For  many  of  the  cuts  in  "Mayors  of 
Allentown"  we  are  indebted  to  H.  H. 
Xnerr,  Printer,  Allentown,  Pa. 

A  Request. 

As  a  reminder  it  may  be  in  place  to  re- 
peat the  words  used  by  Prof.  D.  H. 
Bergey,  M.D.,  special  editor  in  intro- 
•ducing  our  symposium  on  "The  Pennsyl- 
•vania-German  in  the  Field  of  Science". 
He  said  among  other  things : 

It  .s  the  desire  of  the  special  editor  and  of 
the  publisher  to  make  this  sj-mposium  as 
comprehensive  and  accurate  as  possible.  .  .  . 
It  is  desired  that  all  scientists  as  well  as  others 
interested  in  the  subject  will  forward  to  the 
special  editor  or  to  the  publisher  the  names 
-of  such  as  are  known  to  be  of  Pennsylvania- 
German  descent,  who  have  been  engaged  in 
scientific  pursuits  or  are  now  engaged  in 
scientific   work. 

Look  over  the  articles  in  the  February 
and  ]\Iarch  issues,  and.  if  you  notice  the 
■omission  of  any  names  that  should  be 
mentioned,  kindly  report  the  same  at  once. 

A  Few  Corrections. 

In  the  January  number  p.  38  Hurrah 
for  der  Winter  is  credited  to  "E.  D."'  Rev. 
A.  C.  Wuchter  claims  it  as  one  of  his 
pieces  and  we  believe  our  good  brother. 
How  the  change  in  credit  was  made  we 
are  unable  to  tell,  as  our  late  editor  Mr. 
Schuler  prepared  the  "copy"  for  the  Janu- 
ary issue  and  we  do  not  know  where  he 
got  the  selection. 

Another  item  in  the  same  issue  respect- 
ing "The  First  \\'hite  Man  in  the  State," 


of  the  history  of  which  we  can  not  give 
definite  information,  led  to  an  exchange 
of  letters  which  will  presumably  close  it- 
self in  the  following  communication : 
The  James   V.   Brown   Library 

Willi  AM  SPORT,  Pa.,  March  11,   1908. 
Mr.  H.  W.  Kriebel, 

Editor  "The  Pciuisylvania-Gcrman," 
East  Greenville,   Penna. : 

Dear  Sir — As  I  am  "the  librarian  of  a 
public  library"  referred  to  in  your  March, 
1908,  "Chat  wit*h  correspondents,"  I  trust  you 
will  be  kind  enough  to  print  this  letter  in  your 
next   issue   over   my   signature. 

First — I  did  net  criticise  the  statement  that 
Etienne  Brule  was  the  first  white  man  to  enter 
Pennsylvania.  It  is  correct,  or  at  least  cannot 
successfully  be  refuted  with  the  evidence  at 
present  at  our  command.  Personally  I  am 
inclined  to  think  it  never  will  be  refuted. 

Second — I  did  object  to  the  statement,  that 
Mr.  Heverly  "made  the  startling  statement  that 
according  to  reliable  information  recently  un- 
earthed by  Jiimself,  the  first  white  man  to  set 
foot  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  was  Stephen 
Brule.  .  .  .  Hitherto  it  zvas  supposed  that 
Conrad  JVeiser  had  been  the  first  white  man 
to  I'^isit  Bradford  County."  (The  italics  are 
mine.) 

Apparently,  from  Mr.  Heverly's  letter,  he 
did  not  make  such  a  statement,  contenting 
himself  with  a  simple  statement  of  the  priority 
of  Mr.  Brule's  visit,  so  that  an  apology-  is  due 
Mr.  Heverly  from  the  newspaper  which  in- 
correctly reported  his  remark — a  report  which, 
owing  to  the  death  of  the  late  Mr.  Schuler, 
was  copied  imedited  in  your  journal. 

1  can  lay  claim  to  no  "superior  knowledge," 
but  as  anonymity,  like  Carlyle's  patriotism,  "is 
tlie  last  refuge  of  scoundrels,"  I  dislike  to  have 
its  shadow  thrown  over  me.  I  regret  exceed- 
ingly that  Mr.  Heverly  should  have  misun- 
derstood my  letter  and  still  more  that  he 
should  have  been  misrepresented  in  the  press. 
\'ery   truly  yours, 

O.  R.  Howard  Thomson. 


i88 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Clippings  from  Current  News 


—Prof.  H.  E.  Jacobs,  D.  D.,  of  Mt.  Airy 
Theological  Seminary,  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  has 
been  elected  president  of  the  American  Society 
of  Church  Histor3^ 

— The  superintendents'  department  of  the 
State  Educational  Association  at  its  conference 
in  February  elected  the  following  officers : 

President,  E.  AI.  Rapp,  Berks  county;  first 
vice-president,  Mattie  i\I.  Collins,  Cameron 
county;  second  vice-president,  Charles  W. 
Stine,  York  county;  secretary,  J.  H.  Landis, 
Montgomery  county. 

— A  granite  monument  is  being  erected  for 
Garret  E.  Brownback,  the  creameryman  of 
Lintield,  to  mark  the  last  resting  place  of  the 
progenitors  of  the  Brownback  tamily  in  Am- 
erica. The  stone  will  bear  the  names  of  the 
members  of  the  Brownback  family,  in  all  be- 
tween 1700  and  1800  names.  It  weighs  eight 
tons,  and  will  stand  about  seven  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  ground.  In  1683  Garret  Brown- 
back and  his  wife,  Mary,  came  to  America  from 
Germany.  They  settled  in  Chester  county, 
near  Parkersford.  The  monument  will  be  plac- 
ed in  the  old  part  of  the  burying  ground  at 
Brownback's    Church,    near    Parkerstord. 

—Initial  steps  were  taken  February  17  toward 
the  establishment  of  a  Valley  Forge  Museum 
of  American  History,  at  Washington  Merhorial 
Chapel,  Valley  Forge,  when  the  Daughters  of 
the  American  Revolution  opened  an  exhibit  of 
the  relics  of  American  wars  in  the  parish  house 
of  All  Saints'  Episcopal  Church,  Norristown, 
Pa. 

— Judge  Schwartz,  of  the  Montgomery 
County  Court,  was  recently  one  of  the  busiest, 
hardest  workers  at  a  bread  and  cake  sale  given 
by  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society  of  his  church.  He 
is  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school,  and 
his  wife  is  president  of  the  Ladies'  Aid  So- 
ciet}',  and  thus  it  came  to  pass  that  the  judge 
walked  the  streets  of  Norristown  with  a  mar- 
ket basket  on  his  arm  gathering  bread,  cake 
and  candy  for  the  entertainment. 

—J.  O.  K.  Robarts,  of  Phoenixville,  Pa., 
calls  attention  to  the  indisputable  fact  that 
historic  Paoli  Field  is  in  a  most  deplorable 
condition,  resulting  from  gross  neglect.  Fences 
have  disappeared,  rotting  trunks  and  branches 
of  trees  lie  around,  people  drive  across  the 
ground,  buildings  are  dilapidated  and  rusty- 
looking,  altogether  a  positive  reflection  upon 
the  idea  of  patriotism  and  an  object  of  re- 
proach. 

— Baron  speck  von  Sternberg,  the  Kaiser's 
Ambassador  to  the  United  States  at  the  laying 
of  the  corner  stone  of  the  new  club  house  of 
the  German  Society  of  Tampa,  Florida,  recently 
took  occasion  to  refer  to  the  lasting  friendship 
which  has  existed  between  his  nation  and  this 
since  the  days  of  Frederic  the  Great,  and  to  en- 
large upon  the  great  parts  played  by  natives  of 
the  Fatherland  and  their  descendants  in  the 
formation  of  American  history. 

— About  400  of  Washington's  representative 


German  citizens  assembled  at  the  Germar^ 
Orphan  Asylum,  near  Anacostia,  a  few  weeks- 
ago  to  participate  in  the  annual  mctzcl  suppc. 

The  Dictcci  suppc  was  one  of  the  celebrations 
of  the  early  German  settlers,  when  the  pork 
for  winter  consumption  was  killed  and  the 
villagers  gathered  for  a  feast  and  merrymaking. 
These  events  are  commemorated  by  the  Ger- 
mans of  Washington  by  meeting  at  the 
orphanage  once  a  year,  when  the  inmates  and 
guests  are  served  an  old-fashioned  dinner,  such 
as  was  -the  custom  in  the  Fatherland. 

The  right  of  teachers  to  wear  Dunkers' 
garb  in  the  school  room  will  be  tested  in  the 
courts.  Several  of  the  public  school  teachers 
of  Mt.  Joy  district  (.Lancaster  county)  are 
members  of  the  Dunker  religious  faith  and 
wear  dress  indicating  that  fact.  A  resident  of 
the  township  named  Stager  objected  on  the 
ground  that  the  teachers  violated  an  act  of 
Assembly  of  1895,  prohibiting  the  wearing 
of  any  dress,  emblem  or  mark  to  designate 
membership  in  a  religious  sect.  Notice  was 
served  on  the  directors  to  suspend  the  offend- 
ing teachers,  but  the  board  refused  to  act,  and 
they  have  now  been  prosecuted  by  Stager,  the 
case  being  brought  before  Justice  of  the  Peace 
J.  H.  Epler,  of  Elizabethtown.  The  justice  has 
returned  the  case  to  court. 

— One  of  the  proudest  mothers  in  the  Key- 
stone State  is  Mrs.  Sarah  Dierolf,  of  Gilberts- 
ville,  because  of  her  family  of  nine  sons  and 
daughters,  who  have  been  termed  born  agricul- 
turists of  the  Keystone  State. 

Mrs.  Dierolf  is  75  years  old.  The  progeny 
of  the  live  sons  and  four  daughters  are  so 
widely  scattered  that  there  are  farmers  either 
by  name  Dierolf  or  descendants  of  Dierolf  all 
over  the  Eastern  part  of  the  State  as  each  of 
the  sons  and  the  daughters  is  the  parent  of 
large  families  with  one  or  two  exceptions. 

Every  one  of  them  was  raised  on  a  farm  and 
being  true  to  their  early  training  they  remained 
agriculturists.  Now  they  own  their  own  farm 
and  make  a  success  of  farming.  The  mother, 
though  75  years  old  worked  daily  in  the  corn- 
field the  past"  season,  husking  corn  just  as  she 
used  to  do  when  the  boys  were  in  knee  pants 
and  the  girls  in  short  dresses. 

— N.  A.  Gobrecht,  Altoona,  Pa.,  has  in  his 
possession  a  German  Bible,  printed  at  Zurich, 
Switzerland,  by  Emanuel  and  Johann  Rudolff, 
printers,  1729.  It  was  brought  over  by  John 
Christopher  Gobrecht  the  ancestor,  born  Octo- 
ber, 1733,  at  Angerstein,  Hanover,  Germany; 
landed,  September  ii,  1753,  at  Philadelphia 
from  the  ship  "Queen  of  Denmark,"  Geo. 
Parish,  captain;  settled  in  Bucks  county; 
studied  theolog^'  under  Rev.  John  George 
Alsentz,  and  wis  licensed  1764  as  the  first 
'  Reformed  student  under  the  care  of  Coetus 
in  Pennsylvania;  died  at  Hanover  in  1815.  He 
has  also  another  German  Bible  printed  by  Chris- 
topher Sauer,  Germantown,  Pa.,  1763,  having 
family  record  of  John   Beecher  and  Elizabeth 


CLIPPINGS    FROM   CURRENT   NEWS 


189 


Keplinger,  the  ancestors  of  the  numerous 
Beecher  families  in  Adams  and  York  counties, 
Pa.  John  Beecher  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, died  in  his  90th  year,  August  1838,  and 
was  buried  at  Arendtsville,  Pa.  This  Bible 
comes  to  N.  A.  Gobrecht  by  his  wife  who  is  a 
Beecher  descendant  of  the  third  generation. 
Both  German  Bibles  are  in  good  condition  and 
are  in  the  hands  of  a  worthy  member  of  the 
Pennsylvania-lGerman  Society  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  are  cherished  by  him  as  family  heirlooms. 
— Owen  Wister  ought  to  take  to  heart  the 
fallowing  editorial  note  taken  from  an  exchange. 
Does  he  blame  the  "Pa.  Dutch"  for  what  Boston 
is  doing? 

Boston,  that  city  of  austere  men  and 
spectacled  women,  has  the  unique  distinc- 
tion of  deliberately  choosing  one  of  its 
officials  from  the  very  cell  in  which  he  was 
undergoing  imprisonment  for  crime.  At 
the  municipal  election  in  that  city,  James  M. 
Curley,  who  was  serving  a  two  months' 
sentence  in  the  county  jail  for  conspiracy 
against  the  United  States,  was  triumphantly 
re-elected  an  alderman  from  the  seven- 
teenth ward ;  the  convict  conducted  his 
campaign  from  his  cell.  The  crime  for 
which  Curley  was  committed,  was  falsely 
personating  a  friend,  in  a  civil  service  ex- 
amination. It  seems  that  the  gratitude  of 
the  alderman's  constituents  must  have  been 
greater  than  their  moral  discrimination. 
But  in  other  sections  of  the  country,  there 
are  men  holding  public  office  who,  in  the 
opinion  of  many  people,  ought  to  be  occupy- 
ing prison  cells ;  but,  before  this  Boston 
episode,  it  was  not  supposed  that  there 
were  many  people  who  believed  the  con- 
verse of  the  proposition  to  be  true. 
— Dr.  H.  A.  Klock,  of  ^lahanoy  city,  died 
February  3. 


— David  B.  Bechtel,  a  portrait  painter,  died 
at  his  home,  at  1033  Cooper  street,  Camden, 
New  Jersey,  on  Sunday,  February  2,  aged  75 
years.     He  was  born  in  Bethlehem,  this  State. 

— Mrs.  Susan  H.,  wife  of  Prof.  David  S. 
Keck,  of  Normal  Hill,  adjoining  Kutztown, 
died  on  Monday  afternoon,  February  3. 

Deceased  with  her  husband  spent  two  years 
at  Albuquerque,  New  Mexico,  where  they 
taught  school  on  an  Indian  reservation.  Mrs. 
Keck  was  a  well  educated  woman,  an  able 
instructor  and  highly  esteemed  by  everybody 
that  knew  her. 

— The  Rev.  John  Kring  Seyfirt,  a  leader  in 
the  United  Evangelical  Church  and  licensed 
preacher  since  1866,  fell  over  dead  in  his  home, 
Allentown  Pa.  He  was  70  years  old.  In  his 
career  he  served  fully  40  congregations  in 
Eastern  Pennsylvania,  and  was  one  of  the  most 
widely  known  clergymen.  During  the  last  ten 
years  he  suspended  active  preaching  work  and 
became  a  real  estate  operator  in  this  city. 

— William  A.  Kelker,  of  Harrisburg,  his- 
torian collector  of  Indian  relics,  amateur  weather 
observer,  died  suddenly  of  heart  failure  Satur- 
day February  15.  He  was  a  son  of  the  late 
Rev.  F.  F.  Kelker,  and  a  brother  of  State 
Archivist  Luther  R.  Kelker.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Dauphin  county  Historical  Society  and 
of  the  Pennsylvania-German  Society. 

— Mrs.  Amelia  Sheatz  von  Steuben,  mother 
of  State  Treasurer-elect  John  O.  Sheatz,  died 
at  her  home,  Allentown,  Pa.,  February  27,  from 
heart  disease  and  dropsy,  in  her  82d  year.  She 
had  been  in  ill  health  the  last  11  years.  She 
survived  both  her  husbands — Mr.  Sheatz's 
father,  who  was  a  blacksmith  at  Mechanics- 
ville,  Lehigh'  county,  and  Augustus  von 
Steuben. 


Chat  with  Correspondents 


A  Little   Pleasantry. 

The  "Dutch"  like  fun.     They  say  : 
"A  wenig  g'schpas  dann  un  wann 
Werd  geliebt  vun  jederman." 
or, 

"A  little  nonsense  now  and  then 
Is  relished  by  the  best  of  men." 
We  feel  sure  the  kindliest   feelings  actuated 
our   correspondent   in   preparing   the    following 
and  believe  that  Professor  Hart  will  enjoy  the 
same  as  much  as  any  one. 

One    Albert    B.    Hart,    Ph.D., 
Lately  roasted  the  Dutch  to  a  T ; 

On   his   "off"   'he   came   down 

To  old  Lancaster  town. 
And,  of  course,  knew  it  all,  don't  you  C? 

'N    Professor   'gnennt   Albert    B.    Hart, 
Hut  mol  g'sagt  's  die  "Dutch"  sin  nix  wart. 

D'r  M.  A.  Gruber  derno 

Gebt  'r  'n  gut  Knock  out  blow 
^I'r  haert  nimme  meh  von  d'r  Yankee  so  smart. 


aiTTci^   LET 

Al.ttKT 


Dialect  Publications. 

A  correspondent  says : 

I  suppose  there  is  no  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man journal  published  which  is  written 
entirely  in  the  Pennsylvania-German  lan- 
guage ? 

No.      We    are    not    aware    that    a   periodical 


I  go 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


has  been  or  is  being  issued,  written  entirel}'  in 
the  dialect.  If  any  one  knows  of  such  a  pub- 
lication we  shall  be  thankful  for  a  statement 
of  the  facts.  A  considerable  number  of  local 
papers  contain  about  a  column  each  issue  in 
the  dialect,  some  of  them  plate  matter.  Do 
you  know  of  such  papers.  If  you  do,  will 
you  let  me  know  ?  We  hope  some  day  to  pre- 
pare an  article  on  this  subject. 

The  "Himmelsbrief." 

The  note  respecting  the  "Himmelsbrief" 
brought  a  number  of  communications.  If  you 
have  any  of  these  interesting  prints,  kindly 
give  us  a  chance  to  examine  them.  If  you  can 
furnish  facts  about  them,  so  much  the  better. 
We  e.xpect  to  prepare  an  article  on  the  sub- 
ject,   hence    this    request. 

Canvassers  Suggested. 

The  following  words  from  subscribers  need 
no  explanation.  I  want  each  and  every  reader 
to  regard  himself  an  appointed  canvasser.  Put 
the  blue  offer  slips  in  circulation  and  talk  mag- 
azine  in    season   and   out   of   season : 

Your  favor  to  hand,  and  I  am  greatly 
obliged  to  you  for  your  kind  offer,  and 
accept  it  vvith  many  thanks.  I  am  in- 
interested  in  your  enterprise,  and  hope 
you  may  have  great  success.  If  each  one 
interested  would  speak  a  good  word  for 
your  magazine,  it  would  soon  flourish  as 
it  deserves  to  do. 

I  saw  a  number  of  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
mans at  the  banquet  last  night  to  whom 
I  talked  magazine,  and  I  hope  to  be  able 
to  persuade  at  least  some  of  then.)  to  take 
it.  I  am  really  surprised  to  find  how 
many  intelligent  Pennsylvania-iGermans, 
who  are  lovers  of  magazine  literature,  are 
still  ignorant  of  the  existence  of  your 
periodical,  and  do  believe  that  if  they 
were  properly  approached  would  not  hesi- 
tate to  give  you  their  names.  Why  not 
send  out  canvassers  and  thoroughly  ex- 
plore the  field  in  order  to  acquaint  more 
people  with  the  work  you  are  doing  to 
preserve  the  folk-lore  and  history  of  our 
people? 

The  Wasser  Shditz. 

The  following  question  and  description  re- 
mind the  editor  of  his  boyhood,  barefoot  ex- 
periences in  stubble  fields  as  a  v.'asscr  trdger 
(water  carrier).  The  Shditz  we  lugged  around 
ten-acre  fields  had  a  lid,  and  no  cock.  For 
the  sake  of  the  history  we  hope  readers  will 
give  us  the  English  term  and  a  description  of 
the  vessel   used. 

May  I  ask  your  readers  the  English 
term    for    U'asscr-shditc' 

This  is  a  vessel  used  when  I  was  a  boy 
on  the  farm  in  Bucks  countv  to  supply 
water  to  the  field  laborers.  It  is  carved 
out  of  a  solid  log  of  sassafras  wood,  meas- 
uring about  12  to  14  inches  in  heighth, 
7  or  8  inches  across  the  bottom,   tapering 


to  the  top,  which  measures  about  6^/2  inches- 
across,  having  a  wire  bail  attached  similar 
to  a  wooden  bucket.  In  the  centre  of  the 
top   is   a   tin    spout,   an   inch   in   diameter,. 

closed  with  a  cork. 

The  "Sale  List"  Again. 

We  are  pleased  to  make  room  for  this  be- 
lated explanation  of  a  number  of  terms  in  use- 
150  years  ago,  notes  on  the  same  subject  having 
appeared  in  the  February  issue.  Thanks,. 
Brother  Grubb. 

Bnist  happen  or  Brust  Lappz.  is  a  ves't. 
My  grandfather  Bertolet  always  wore 
double-breasted  vests,  and  I  never  heard 
him   call   them  anything  but  Brust  Lappa. 

Camasol,  usually  called  a  Jl'amuius  is 
a  short  sack-coat  reaching  about  to  the 
hips,  straight  front,  buttoned  tight  to  the 
neck,  with  either  a  band  or  a  narrow 
stand-up  collar — usually  the  former. 

leil  Tuck  is  oil  cloth.  The  body  was 
made  of  flaxen  cloth — Grob  Werk.  This 
was  usually  tacked  up  to  some  smooth  sur- 
face, the  barn  door  or  the  side  of  the 
threshing  floor,  and  was  painted  or  covered. 
with  paint  and  coat  after  coat  of  paint 
being  added  until  the  desired  thickness  was 
obtained.  After  being  sufficiently  hardened 
it  was  laid  as  a  floor  covering  and  was 
called  Ochl  Tuck.  Usually  the  paint  was- 
all  of  one  color  and  that  a  sort  of  drab. 
Sometimes  it  was  painted  in  squares. 

Statzvagcn — Stadt  JVaga,  is  the  wagon 
used  to  take  marketing  to  the  city  market. 
It  was  called  the  huckster  or  Markt  Waga. 

Boll,  is  fla.x  before  it  was  braked.  The 
tow  of  first  hackling  was  called  Bol-iverk. 
Bol-mehl  was  what  is  now  called  middlings 
only  that  it  was  re-bolted  and  often  used 
for  baking.  In  the  early  days  of  ni}^  boy- 
hood my  mother  used  this  Bol-nichl  or 
Grob-mchl  as  we  used  to  call  it  sometimes,, 
to  bake  Blatta-Kucha. 

Cabuts-rock,  was  frequently  called  a 
Kntt.  This  was  a  coat  made  like  a  ladies' 
waist  with  a  band  around  the  neck  and  a 
wide  belt  at  the  waist  with  a  skirt  from^ 
the  belt  to  about  half  way  to  the  knees. 

Stipfcl — Stifcl — Sticfel — Stivel  are  boots. 
In  Montgomery  county  it  was  Stivel.  In 
Lebanon  and  surrounding  counties  it  was 
Stieifcl. 

.  JVaga — Winn,  is  a  screw  jack  a  heavy 
piece  of  wood  or  block  with  a  screw  and  a 
cog-wheel  inside  and  turned  with  a  crank  to 
lift  the  wagon  from  the  ground  sufiiciently 
high  to  remove  the  wheel  for  greasing.  All 
teamsters  and  hucksters  carried  one  of 
these  with  them  for  use  on  the  road.  They 
were  also  made  with  a  block  on  the  ground 
on  which  rested  a  post  with  a  lever.  This 
■  was  more  convenient  but  too  unhandy  to- 
carry  and  was  always  found  in  the  wagon- 
shed  ready  for  use. 

Kninniet  is  a  horse  collar  to  which  were- 
fastened  the  hames  of  the  harness. 

N.  B.  Grubb.. 


PENNSYLVANIA    HISTORICAL    SOCIETIES 


191 


Pennsylvania  Historical   Societies 


The  Wyoming  Society. 

— Wilkcs-Barrc  was  in  gala  attire  Februarj- 
II  and  12,  in  celebration  of  the  one  hundredth 
anniversary  of  the  first  use  of  anthracite  coal 
commercially.  On  February  11,  1808,  Judge 
Jesse  Fell,  a  pioneer  in  the  Wyoming  Valley, 
successfully  burned  anthracite  or  "stone  coal," 
as  it  was  then  disdainfully  called,  in  an  open 
grate  and  thus  proved  its  value  for  commer- 
cial purposes.  Fifty  years  to  a  day  after 
Judge  Fell's  discovery,  the  Wyoming  Historical 
Society  was  organized  in  the  tavern  where 
Judge  Fell's  experiments  were  tried.  That  so- 
ciety has  been  in  continuous  existence  since 
its  organization,  and  had  charge  of  the  com- 
memorative  exercises. 

A  meeting  of  the  society  was  held  in  the  His- 
torical Society's  rooms  in  the  afternoon  of  Feb- 
ruary II,  at  which  the  election  of  officers  was 
held  and  the  secretary  reported  that  the  en- 
dowment fund  had  reached  the  sum  of  $40,000. 

The  Schuylkill  County  Society. 

The  Historical  Society  of  Schuylkill  county 
recently  suffered  .the  loss  by  death  of  its  presi- 
dent and  founder,  the  Hon.  D.  C.  Henning. 
The  exceptional  progress  which  this  society 
has  made  in  the  few  years  since  its  organiza- 
tion was  in  large  measure  due  to  his  executive 
ability  and  his  enthusiasm  in  the  work. 

Judge  Henning's  interest  in  local  history  ex- 
tended beyond  the  limits  of  his  own  county.  It 
was  his  firm  conviction  that  the  importance  of 
the  border  warfare,  during  the  French  and 
Indian  War,  all  alone  the  range  of  the  Blue 
Mountains,  and  the  part  borne  by  the  German 
settlers  in  that  warfare,  has  not  been  generally 
understood  or  recognized.  He  wrote  a  number 
of  articles  on  the  subject  and  had  planned 
others.  He  also  had  hoped  to  see  the  sites  of 
the  frontier  Indian  forts  suitably  marked  by 
the  State,  believing  this  to  be  a  long  step 
toward  giving  a  proper  idea  of  the  significance 
of  those   forts  in   their  day. 

The  newly-elected  president  of  the  society 
is  Mr.  William  H.  Newell,  who  has  been  one 
of  its  most  active  members  from  the  begin- 
ning. With  him  are  associated  most  of  the 
former  officers,  so  that  the  work  is  expected  to 
be  continued  without  any  serious  break. 

This  society  has  issued  some  valuable  pub- 
lications. In  its  last  number  the  principal 
article  was  on  The  Fossil  Flora  of  the  South- 
ern Anthracite  Coal  Field,  prepared  by  Mr. 
Claude  Unger,  of  Pottsville,  and  approved  by 
Prof.  White,  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution. 
The  society  has  under  consideration  publishing 
in  permanent  form  in  the  near  future  some  of 
the  Blue  Mountain  Tales  written  some  years 
ago  by  its  former  president  and  published  in 
one  of  the   Pottsville  newspapers. 

In  its  membership  and  in  its  finances  thsi  so- 
ciety is  in  a  flourishing  condition,  and  as  it 
has    a    large    field    of    local    hstory    heretofore 


almost  neglected,  there  is  no  reason  why  good 
results  should  not  be  realized. 

The  York  County  Society. 

Ac  the  annual  meeting  of  the  York  County 
Historical  Society  the  old  officers  were  re- 
electecT,  as  follows  :  President,  Robert  C.  Bair ; 
Vice-President,  Capt.  W.  H.  Lanius ;  Treas- 
urer, Prof.  A.  Wanner ;  Secretary,  Charles  A. 
Hawkins;  Corresponding  Secretary,  ]\Iiss  Lena 
T.  Root;  Trustees,  Dr.  E.  F.  Jefifers,  George 
P.   Smyser  and  J.   A.   Dempwolf. 

On  suggestion  of  the  curator,  a  committee, 
consisting  of  Rev.  C.  E.  Walter,  D.D.,  Prof. 
C.  M.  Ehrenfeld  and  Capt.  J.  C.  Hoffman,  was 
named  to  arrange  a  program  and  select  persons 
to  prepare  special  papers  to  be  read  at  future 
meetings. 

Papers  were  read  and  discussions  participated 
in.  It  was  stated  that  there  are  many  who  are 
able  to  reveal  a  rich  store  of  hitherto  unpub- 
lished historical  facts,  and  that  it  would  be 
well  to  delve  into  the  humor  and  poetry  of 
this  community  of  the  days  of  long  ago. 

The  Montgomery  County  Society. 

The  Historical  Society  of  Montgomery 
County,  Pa.,  held  its  twentj'-seventh  annual 
meeting,  in  the  society's  rooms,  Norristown, 
Pa.,  February  22,  1908,  with  President  Joseph 
Fornance  in  the  chair.  The  meeting  was  well 
attended,  and  a  lively  interest  manifested  in 
the  business  before  the  meeting.  The  Librarian, 
Wm.  Summers,  reported  a  number  of  dona- 
tions to  the  library,  and  the  purchase-  of  the 
first  three  volumes  of  the  First  Census  of  the 
United  States. 

The  report  of  the  Treasurer,  recording  scien- 
tific observations  made  by  Peter  Legaux  of 
Montgomery  county,  and  published  in  an  agri- 
cultural journal  1815,  was  presented  by  I.  C. 
Williams,    Esq. 

An  interesting  paper  was  read  by  Mr.  John 
C.  MacNeilis,  of  Norristown,  on  "Lieutenant 
Charles  Franklin  Rand,  M.D.,  Volunteer  No.  i, 
in  an  army  consisting  of  2,777,304  men." 

A  paper'  on  '"^Nlatson's  Ford,"  the  first  of  a 
series  on  the  Fords  of  the  Schuylkill,  was 
given  by  Mr.  S.  Gordon  Smythe,  of  West 
Conshoh'ocken.  Mr.  Smythe's  paper  was  a 
valuable  contribution  to  the  local  history  of 
Conshohocken   and  nearby  vicinity. 

The  following  officers  were  elected  to  serve 
the  ensuing  year :  President,  Joseph  For- 
nance; Vice-Presidents,  Rev.  A.  A.  Marple, 
Henry  W.  Kratz,  Rev.  Thomas  R.  Beeber; 
Recording  Secretary,  Frances  Fox;  Corre- 
sponding Secretary.'  ^Irs.  A.  Conrad  Jones; 
Treasurer,  Willoughby  H.  Reed ;  Librarian, 
William  Summers;  Library  Committee,  I.  P. 
Knipe,  S.  Gordon  Smvth.  Katharine  Geiger, 
M.  L.  ]\Iarch,  Irvin  C.  Williams;  Trustees, 
Samuel  Jarrett,  Ashlev  P.  Hunter,  Mrs.  Tacy 
Cresson,  William  W.  Potts,  W.  H.  Weber. 


392 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Reviews  and  Notes 


BY  PROF.  E.  S.  GERHARD,  TRENTON,  N.  J. 


— Mr.  Reginald  Wright  Kaufifman  has  a  few- 
lines  of  epigrams  in  the  February  issue  of 
The  Smart  Set,  entitled,  "From  a  Man's  Note 
Book."  These  epigrams  are  pointed,  and 
sparkle  with  practical  philosophy  like  those  in 
his   "Bachelor's   Guide  to    ^Matrimony." 


,£/ 


jS/ 


— Miss  Selina  S.  Gerhard  was  born  and 
raised  in  Montgomery  county.  Pa.  She  had 
an  interesting  article  in  the  January  issue  of 
The  S chzvcnckf eldxan ,  the  official  organ  of  the 
Schwenckfelder  Church  in  America.  The 
article  is  entitled,  "The  History  of  the  Erlau- 
terung,"  this  is  a  vindication  for  Schwenckfeld. 

Caspar  Schwenckfeld  was  a  Silessian  noble- 
man;  he  was  born  in  1489  and  died  in  1561. 
He  was  a  reformer,  and  he  was  also  a  contem- 
porary of  Luther.  His  followers,  who  were  in 
1734  driven  to  America  by  religious  persecu- 
tion, are  known  as  Schwenckfelders.  His  views 
of  the  Sacraments  soon  brought  upon  him  the 
displeasure  of  the  other  reformers,  and  of  these 
Luther  was  the  most  annoying  and  abusive. 

Schwenckfeld  has  been  iTiisrepresented  and 
ignored  by  theologians  and  historians  alike  e\'er 
since  the  days  of  the  Reformation.  And  over 
one-hundred  years  ago  his  adherents  in  America 
•decided  to  do  something  to  defend  his  name  and 
fame  and  to  make  known  to  the  world  his  doc- 
trine and  their  own  history.  The  same  was 
published  in  a  book  entitled,  "Erlauterung  fiir 
Caspar  Sshwenckfeld ;"  or,  "A  Vindication  for 
Caspar  Schwenckfeld." 

The  article  in  question  recounts  the  difficul- 
ties encountered  in  the  publication  of  this  book, 
written  by  Christopher  Schultz,  the  most  noted 
and  learned  Schwenckfeld  scholar  of  his  day. 
Carl  Ehrerfried  Heintze,  of  Germany,  super- 
vised the  printing  of  the  book  in  Germany, 
in  the  year  1771.  The  correspondence  that  took 
place  between  these  men  is  still  extant  in  manu- 
script form.  The  aspiring  author  may  have  his 
troubles  with  an  unsympathetic  publisher  and 
■with  a  still  more  unsympathetic  public,  but  he 
experiences  very  few  of  the  troubles  and  dis- 
appointments that  cluster  around  the  making 
-of  this  book. 

— James  M.  Swank,  General  Manager  of 
the  American  Iron  and  Steel  Association,  con- 
nected with  the  association  since  1873,  must 
dream  of  numbers  and  see  columns  of  figures 
in  'his  waking  hours.  His  Annual  Statistical 
Reports,  a  copy  of  which  reached  us  through 
his  courtesy,  contain  statistics  galore  of  the 
iron  and  steel  industries  of  the  United  States, 
Canada,  Great  Britain  and  some  other  coun- 
tries, and  statistics  also  of  the  coal,  coke  and 
.shipbuilding   industries   of   the    United    States. 


To  embody  and  clothe  an  almost  endless  ar- 
ray of  figures  in  smooth-flowing  English  sen- 
tences, page  after  page,  requires  literary  skill, 
though  the  product  would  not  be  classified  as 
belonging  to  Belles  Lettres.  Mr.  Swank  is  an 
honor  to  his  Pennsylvania-German  ancestry, 
and  is  proud  of  it.  Why  not? 
.^  ^^ 
— Mr.  John  Luther  Long's  world  famous 
story,  "Madame  Butterfly,"  has  been  dramatized 
by  David  Pelasco,  and  has  been  played  very 
successfully  at  the  Lyric  theater  in  Philadel- 
phia. It  contains  some  beautiful  scenes  of 
Japanese  life,  and  also  scenes  that  demand  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  temperamental  emotion 
and  of  the  expression  of  it. 

— Mr.  J.  G.  Rosengarten,  of  Philadelphia, 
Pa.,  read  a  paper  on  "German  Archives  as 
Sources  of  German-American  History"  before 
the  Pennsylvania-German  Society,  October, 
1907,  which  later  appeared  in  German-American 
Annals.  We  have  before  us  a  reprint.  The 
paper  points  out  many  unexplored  sources  of 
historjr  in  England  and  Germany  bearing  on 
what  the  early  Germans  did  for  our  country. 
The  author  says :  "United  effort  cannot  fail 
to  open  archives  hitherto  closed,  and  to  obtain 
from  public  and  private  sources  much  of  value 
and  interest  for  a  better  knowledge  of  our 
German  settlers  and  immigrants  and  their 
homes  and  ancestors  and  local  surroundings." 


jS/ 


je/ 


— A  paper  was  read  by  Captain  J.  H.  Bassler, 
of  Myerstown,  Pa.,  before  the  Lebanon  County 
Historical  Society,  October,  1907,  entitled,  "The 
Color  Episode  of  the  149th  Regiment,  P.  V.,  in 
the  First  Dav's  Fight  at  Gettysburg,  July  i, 
1863." 

The  paper,  issued  in  pamphlet  form,  has  the 
following  introductory  words : 

"This  paper  is  dedicated  to  the  memory  of 
Henry  G.  Brehm,  Color  Sergeant  of  the  149th 
Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  who  in  the 
first  day's  fight,  at  Gettysburg,  was  detached 
with  his  colors  to  deceive  the  enemy  and  draw 
away  from  the  regiment  a  destructive,  enfilad- 
ing battery  fire.  He  was  never  recalled;  and 
his  heroic  efforts  to  save  his  colors  against 
hopeless  odds,  after  the  brigade  was  flanked 
out  of  its  position,  and  his  escape  practically 
cut  off,  stands  unparalleled  in  the  histor\'  of 
that  great  battle. 

"The  color  sergeant,  Brehm,  and  his  guards 
— Friddell,  Lehman,  Spayd,  Hummel  and  Hoff- 
man, all  Lebanon  county  boys,  have  been  placed 
in  a  false  light,  and  their  captain  aims  to  see 
to  it  that  'his  'men  are  not  robbed  of  their 
well-earned  laurels  by  antagonistic  claims  un- 
supported by  evidence.'  " 


REV.  DR.  ABRAM  R.  HORNE 
(See  page  195) 


PROF.  AAROX  S.  CHRISTINE 
(See  page  200 


DAVID  W.HESS 
(.See  page  !.'0l) 


PROF.  HENRY  SYLVESTER  JACOBY,  C.  E. 

(See  page  22-2) 


Vol.  IX  MAY,  1908  No.  5 

Picturesque  and  Historic  Durham  Valley 


nV     ASIIER    L.     HESS,     PHILADELPHIA. 


OCATED  in  the  extreme 
northern  part  of  Ikicks 
county,  in  Springfield  and 
Durham  townships,  watered 
by  Cook's  creek  and  several 
branches,  this  valley  is  sup- 
posed by  scientists  to  have  been  the  bed 
of  a  river  before  the  Glacial  Period.  The 
Alluvial  deposits  existing'  in  many  places, 
— vast  accumulations  of  various  sized 
boulders,  ridges  of  gravel  and  sand,  de- 
posits of  drift, — would  prove  the  correct- 
ness of  this  theory.  The  valley  extends 
into  New  Jersey,  continuing  as  far  as 
Raritan,  and  deposits  of  a  similar  charac- 
'ter  may  be  traced  the  entire  distance. 

Rev.  Dr.  Abram    R.  Home. 

(S   e  Fi'onlispiece  P  rr.il) 

The  creek  originally  called  Schook's 
or  "Squook''  creek,  also  known  as  Dur- 
ham creek,  was  noted  for  its  abundance 
of  speckled  trout, — the  Fisher's  paradise. 
Its  principal  source  is  in  the  Rocky  Val- 
ley, a  district  in  the  west  end  of  Spring- 
field township,  Bucks  county,  near  the 
village  of  Fairmount  (Passer  P.  O.), 
where  innumerable  mammoth  rocks  of 
the  Trap  species  abound,  used  extensive- 
ly in  the  manufacture  of  Belgian  blocks 
for  street-paving  purposes.  Taking  an 
easterly  course,  the  creek  traverses  a  rich 
and  beautiful  valley,  full  of  historic  in- 
terest. Its  w^ater  furnishes  power  for  a 
number  of  mills  scattered  along  its  course. 
Within  two  miles  from  its  source  we 
come  across  an  old-fashioned  wooden 
bridge  on  the  road  leading  from  Pleasant 
Valley     to     Quakertown.     near     which, 


standing  back  from  the  road,  is  an  old 
stone  house,  which  is  "said  to  be  the  oldest 
house  now  standing  in  the  township, 
erected  in  the  year  1736,  as  indicated  by 
the  inscription  on  a  stone  in  the  west 
gable-end.  The  arched  segments  over 
the  door  and  window-frames  indicate  an- 
tiquity, as  does  the  front  door,  which  is 
in  two  parts,  upper  and  lower,  similar  to 
stable  doors  in  large  barns.  This  house 
was  the  birthplace  of  the  late  Rev.  Dr. 
Abram  R.  Home,  of  Allentown,  Pa.,  born 
March  24,  1834,  whose  name  and  face 
was  familiar  in  his  day  to  every  Penn- 
sylvania-German in  eastern  Pennsylvania ; 
famous  as  a  lecturer,  teacher  and  preach- 
er,— a  born  orator.  He  began  his  career 
by  teaching  public  school  from  1850  to 
1854,  when  he  began  to  study  for  the 
ministry,  entering  the  Lutheran  Seminary 
at  Gettysburg,  graduating  from  that  in- 
stitution in  1858.  The  same  year  he  estab- 
lished the  Bucks  County  Normal  and 
Classical  School  at  Quakertown,  Pa., 
which  he  conducted  for  about  five  years. 
Some  time  afterwards  he  became  princi- 
pal of  an  academy  at  McEwensville,  Pa. 
He  was  pastor  of  St.  Mark's  Lutheran 
church,  in  Williamsport,  from  1865  to 
1872,  and  during  four  years  of  that  period 
he  also  served  as  superintendent  of  public 
schools  of  the  same  city.  He  was  prin- 
cipal of  Kutztown  State  Normal  School 
from  1872  to  1877;  also  principal  of  the 
Academic  department  of  Muhlenberg 
College  at  Allentown,  Pa.,  from  1877  to  • 
1882.  He  was  also  the  author  of  several 
books  in  the  Pennsylvania-German  dia- 
lect, and  was  editor  of  the  National  Edu- 
cator from  the  time  he  established  it,  in 


196 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


B  R THPL     CK  OF  REV.  DR.   A  \  RAM  K.  HORNE. 


i860,  until  his  death,  which  occurred  De- 
cember 23,  1902,  at  the  age  of  68  years, 
after  an  exceptionally  brilliant  and  useful 
career.  His  memory  lives  and  is  cher- 
ished in  the  hearts  of  all  those  who 
knew  him.  His  body  rests  in  Fairyiew 
Cemetery,  Allentown,   Pa. 

Soldiers  of  the  Revolution. 

About  one-half  mile  down  the  valley 
from  the  Home  homestead  may  be  traced 
the  banks  of  an  old  mill-race,  leading  to 
an  old  stone  building,  formerly  a  wool- 
carding  (fulling)  mill,  erected  some  time 
prior  to  the  Revolutionary  War  by  Wil- 
liam Bryan,  whose  son,  John  S.  Bryan, 
was  Brigadier  General  of  Bucks  County 
Militia,  and  also  served  as  Associate  Judge 
of  the  county  for  one  term.  He  was  born 
August  I2th,  1814,  and  died  June  30th. 
1863.  Josiah  Bryan,  an  ancestor,  was 
Captain  of  6th  Company,  3rd  Battalion, 
Pennsylvania  Militia,  of  sixty  men  from 
Springfield  township  in  the  Revolutionary 
War,  mustered  into  service  May  6th, 
1777.  Following  is  the  muster-roll  as  it 
appears  in  the  Pennsylvania  Archives, 
containing  many  familiar  names  whose 
•descendants  still  reside  in  the  district : 

First  Lieut.,  Chris.  Wagoner;  Second  Lieut., 
Adam  Beidelman ;  Ensign,  Michael  Ruth ; 
Privates,  Michael  Fackenthal,  Philip  Hess, 
George  Buntin,  Chris.  Mench,  Philip  Correll, 
Daniel    Deal,    Michael    Deal,    Martin    Brown, 


Peter  Hedrick,  George  Weber,  Peter  Gruber, 
Elias  Shwarz,  Peter  Ziegler,  David  Gary,  Jacob 
Erdman,  Cassmir  Henys,  John  Mench.  Ru- 
dolph Kroman,  Wollery  Lutz,  John  Moyer, 
John  Folk,  Nicholas  Buck,  Tensis  Hartzel, 
Adam  Mench,  John  Metzgar,  Fred.  Kirch, 
Adam  Shoog,  Philip  Mann,  John  Young,  Adam 
Frankenfitld,  Peter  Ruth,  Matt.  Reinhart, 
George  Ruth  (Jr.),  Henry  Huber,  Philip 
Trevy,  Moses  Buntin,  Chas.  Eichlin,  John 
Folmer,  Sebastian  Horn,  Casper  Metzgar,  John 
Woolslager,  Isaac  Wirebach,  John  Mann,  Jacob 
Baron,  Yest  Smith,  Daniel  Wignere,  Henry 
Aflerbache,  Peter  Shoog,  Andrew  Sigafoos, 
John  Esterle,  Benedict  Strome,  Francis  Smith, 
Chas.  Diel,  Fred  Konig. 

Captain  Samuel  Dean  also  served  in 
the  Continental  Army  during  the  Revo- 
lutionary War,  enlisting  as  a  private  in 
Captain  Abraham  Miller's  Company,  re- 
cruited at  Mount  Bethel,  Northampton 
county,  in  1775.  The  following  year  he 
was  appointed  Lieutenant  of  Col.  Hart's 
Battalion  Flying  Camp,  and  on  April  9, 
1777,  was  promoted  to  Captain.  He  died 
September  12th,  1817,  aged  69  years,  and 
his  body  rests  in  the  old  part  of  the  Evan- 
gelical burying  ground  at  Springtown. 
His  descendants,  some  of  them  bearing 
the  same  name,  lived  in  Springtown  for 
many  years  after  his  death. 

Pleasant  Valley. 

Continuing  our  journey  northward,  be- 
fore reaching  Pleasant  Valley,  casting  the 
eye  in  a  northwesterly  direction,  distant 
about  one-half  mile  or  more,   in  a  little 


PICTL'RESQU1<:  AND   HISTORIC   DURHAM    VALLFA' 


197 


.I'KiN'GFiEM)  Mt::cTiXc;  H  )rsi:: 


grove.  (leli;i"ht  fully  located  on  hi^h 
,e:round,  may  be  seen  a  low  stone  build- 
ini^. — the  old  Mennonite  meeting-house, 
the  first  one  in  the  township,  erected  in 
1780.  This  locality  was  the  battleground 
where  the  Anglo-Saxons,  who  were  the 
earliest  settlers,  and  the  Germans  who 
arrived  at  a  later  period,  had  a  peaceful 
contest  for  the  mastery.  The  former 
cafne  up  the  Delaware  and  Durham  val- 
leys, while  the  latter  followed  the  valley 
of  the  Perkiomen,  and  here  they  met,  each 
colony  striving  for  supremacy.  The  Ger- 
mans finally  proved  to  be  the  masters,  for 
today  very  few  of  the  English  descendants 
are  to  be  found  in  the  township,  while 
thrift,  industry  and  frugality,  the  charac- 
teristic traits  of  the  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
mans, made  this  little  valley  one  of  the 
most  fertile  and  productive  in  this  part  of 
the  state. 

At  Pleasant  \'alley,  the  creek  intersects 
with  the  old  I'hiladelphia  and  Bethlehem 
"Great  Road,"  and  is  crossed  by  a  pic- 
turesque stone  arch  bridge,  erected  in 
1797.  The  road  was  completed  north  to 
Iron  Hill,  a  point  two  miles  beyond  Hel- 
Icrtown  in  1738.  and  was  continued  to 
I'ethlehem  and  Nazareth  in  1745.  In 
1763  a  weekly  stage  line  was  established 
by  one  George  Klein,  between  IJethlehem 
and   Philadlphia,  leavin-:^  Sun   Inn  at  the 


former  place  every  Monday  morning,  and 
"King  of  Prussia"  Inn,  Race  street,  near 
Third,  Philadelphia,  every  Thursday 
morning.  At  Pleasant  Valley  is  located 
an  old,  well-preserved  stone  mansion,  used 
during  Revolutionary  days  as  a  hotel.  In 
it.  General  LaFayette  was  entertained 
when  on  his  way  to  the  army  hospital  at 
Bethlehem  in  September,  1777,  after  the 
Battle  of  Brandywine,  where  he  had  been 
wounded.  Tradition  has  it,  that  Gen. 
Washington  had  also  been  a  guest  in  this 
house  on  one  occasion.  Nearby  is  located 
Apple's  mill,  erected  about  the  year  1805 
by  Paul  Apple,  who  was  born  Sept.  13th, 
1759.  and  died  Nov.  25th,  1827.  His 
father,  John  Apple,  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, May  i8th,  1726,  and  was. one  of 
the  early  settlers  in  Springfield  township, 
where  he  died  September  ist,  1805.  His 
remains  lie  buried  in  "Apple's  Church" 
burying  ground  (land  which  he  originally 
owner),  at  Lcithsville,  Pa.  His  youngest 
son.  Andreas  Apple,  born  Dec.  9th,  1791, 
was  Associate  Judge  of  Bucks  County  for 
two  terms.  He  was  also  First  Lieutenant 
in  Captain  Samuel  Flack's  company  of 
Militia  of  100  men  from  Springfield  town- 
ship in  the  "War  of  1812,"  stationed  at 
Marcus  Hook,  Pa.,  mustered  into  service 
October  loth,  1814.  The  muster-roll  also 
contains  manv  familiar  names.     Andreas 


198 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Apple  was  also  Captain  of  a  company  of 
home  militia  for  some  years  afterwards. 
He  died  Nov.  20th,  1875,  and  was  buried 
at  Springfield  church. 

Springfield  Church. 
One  mile  northward  along  the  "Old 
Road"  is  located  historic  "Springfield 
church."  The  present  building,  which  is 
the  third  of  stone,  was  erected  in  1872 ; 
the  previous  one  in  1816;  and  the  first 
one  in  1763.    The  old  corner-stone,  meas- 


The  ground  was  purchased  from 
Christian  Schug,  who  came  from  Ger- 
many in  1739,  and  the  place  was  first 
known  as  "das  Schuggen-haiis."  The 
church  was  founded  in  1745.  The  build- 
ing used  for  worship,  from  that  time  to 
1763  was  said  to  be  of  logs  with  a  brick 
floor  which  w'ere  made  in  Europe.  Rev. 
J.  C.  Wirz  became  the  first  Reformed 
pastor  in  1745.  Rev.  Johann  Michael 
Enderlein  was  the  first  Lutheran  pastor 


SPRINGFIELD  CHUKCH. 


urmg 

walled 

quaint 


115^2x18  inches,  which  has  been 
in  the  present  structure,  bears  this 
inscription  of  initials  and  date : 


c  iTaa  X 


D 


B 


installed  in  1763.  Springfield  church 
bears  the  distinction  of  being  the  "mother" 
church  of  the  surrounding  county.  From 
it,  sprang  at  least  six  of  the  neighboring 
church  organizations.  There  is  an  exten- 
sive grave-yard  attached,  wherein  a  great 
many  of  the  earliest  settlers  lie  buried ; — ■ 
the  inscriptions  on  the  tomb-stones  in 
many  cases  have  been  almost  entirely  ob- 
literated. 

Church  discipline  in  those  early  days 
was  rather  lax  as  compared  with  the 
present  age.  One  of  the  preachers  named 
Eyerman  who  became  the  pastor  in  1771, 
had  aciuired  a  taste  for  the  inebriating 
cup  and  became  slightly  intoxicated  occa- 


PICTURESQUE  AND  HISTORIC  DURHAM   VALLEY 


199 


sionally.  The  official  board  finally  de- 
cided to  recjuest  from  him  his  resignation. 
When  he  preached  his  farewell  sermon, 
he  had  prepared  a  list  of  names  of  diose 
members  who  had  presented  him  with 
provisions  or  gifts  of  any  kind  during 
his  pastorate.  This  he  read  in  a  very 
sneering  and  sarcastic  tone,  that  before  he 
concluded  the  reading  of  the  names,  he 
suddenly  stepped  down  from  the  sugar- 
bowl  pulpit  on  account  of  the  commotion, 
and  was  in  the  act  of  leaving  the  church, 
when  on  his  way  out  one  member  whose 
name  he  had  just  mentioned  as  having 
given  him  ")iitr  cin  lialvcr  loeb  brod" 
(only  half  a  loaf  of  bread),  repUed  "Un 
dcs  zvar  tsu  fid  fur  dich  schbaits  buh" 
(and  this  was  too  much  for  you,  you 
rogue),  and  catching  hold  of  his  coat  tail, 
ripped  it  off  completely.  Before  reaching 
the  door  the  reverend  gentleman  turned 
saying, — "£/zr  vii'ist  niir  incin  yahr's  loh' 
aber  dock  batsalcn,  fi'ir  ich  haba  cs  papier 
in  mcin  tasha"  (you  must  pay  my  year's 
salary  for  I  have  the  paper  in  my  pocket), 
smiting  his  breast  pocket.  Some  time 
afterwards  he  met  several  of  the  mem- 
bers at  the  hotel,  it  is  said,  who,  over- 
powering him,  threw  him  down  upon  the 
floor,  took  the  document  (a  contract) 
from  his  pocket,  and  thrust  it  into  the 
stove,  and  there  the  matter  ended. 

Another  very  ludicrous  incident  oc- 
curred some  time  afterwards.  Ludwig 
Nuspeckel,  born  in  Germany,  April  14, 
1730,  came  to  America  in  1752  and  set- 
tled in  Springfield  township,  and  was 
well-to-do,  but  he  had  a  son,  Philip,  who 
became  wayward,  and  in  his  latter  days 
roamed  about  from  place  to  place,  sort 
of  a  harmless,  good-natured  fellow, 
spending  his  time  in  idleness  and  became 
addicted  to  drinking.  He  was  a  member 
of  Springfield  church,  and  whenever  at- 
tending services  invariably  took  the  same 
seat,  and  in  case  the  church  was  crowded 
and  his  favorite  seat  occupied,  he  would 
sit  in  the  lap  of  the  occupant  and  spit 
tobacco  juice  until  the  holder  of  the  seat 
would  gladly  vacate  it.  On  one  occasion 
he  went  to  church  intoxicated  and  becom- 
ing tired  of  the  sermon,  he  broke  out  in  a 
loud  guttural  voice,  "A-a-hcm!  Halt  dei 
maul  init  dcim  gablabblc,  mcr  zvella  eimol 
singa"    (A-a-hcm!     Shut    up    with    youi" 


babbling,  let  us  sing),  and  immediately 
commenced  one  of  his  favorite  songs. 
Th€  preacher  requested  the  deacons  and 
elders  to  remove  him  from  the  church. 
When  they  got  him  to  the  door,  looking 
back  he  continued  by  saying,  "Ich  wer 
dcr  azv  nirnmc  nei  kuiiiina"  (I  am  not 
going  in  there  again).  The  matter  was 
overlooked,  and  no  action  was  ever  taken 
against  him  for  disturbing  religious  serv- 
ices, while  the  utterances  have  been  used 
as  by-words  in  the  community  for  many 
years. 

Old  Mills. 

Follow^ing  the  creek  eastward,  about 
one-half  mile  from  Pleasant  Valley,  we 
find  Hawk's  Mill,  formerly  known  as 
Sam  Mann's  Mill.  The  first  building 
which  was  mill  and  dwelling  combined 
under  one  roof,  and  is  said  to  be  part  of 
the  present  structure,  was  erected  by  Elias 
Beidelman.  in  1759,  who  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, Sept.  27th,  1707.  He  came  to 
America  in  1730,  and  died  Oct.  28th, 
1781. 

Cressman's  Mill,  a  mile  further  east,  is 
also  an  old  landmark,  having  the  water- 
wheel  on  the  outside,  which  was  custom- 
ary in  olden  times,  erected  no  doubt  over 
a  hundred  years  ago. 

Springtown. 

Nearing  this  point  the  valley  becomes 
picturesque ;  Rocky  Ridge  looms  up  close 
by ;  near  the  top  of  which,  a  little  to  the 
left  of  the  road  at  this  point,  is  a  mass  of 
rocks  of  immense  size,  piled  on  top  of 
each  other  to  a  height  of  about  forty 
feet,  as  if  placed  there  by  human  hands. 
From  the  top  a  magnificent  view  of  the 
valley  may  be  obtained.  From  the  east 
side,  the  top  stones  resemble  a  human  face 
somewhat;  from  the  north  side  a  human 
skull.  The  village  of  Springtown  nestled 
at  the  foot  of  a  range  of  hills  may  be 
seen  in  the  distance.  This  is  the  oldest, 
as  well  as  the  largest,  village  in  the  town- 
ship. One  authority  claims  that  the  post- 
office  was  established  in  1806;  another 
authority  has  it  1819.  It  was  so  named 
on  account  of  the  numerous  springs 
found  within  its  li:nits.  Here  we  find 
traces  of  the  redmen.  Tradition  has  it, 
that  an   Indian  village  existed  here,  and 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


SKUl.L  HO(_K 

also  a  burying  ground  along  the  little 
run  near  the  schoolhouse.  Many  speci- 
mens of  arrow-heads  and  other  of  their 
implements  have  been  picked  up  in  this 
vicinity. 

The  "Walking  Purchase." 
Two  of  the  famous  "walkers,"  Mar- 
shall and  Yates,  of  the  historic  "Indian 
Walk"  or  "Walking  Purchase,"  passed 
through  here  on  the  afternoon  of  Sep- 
tember 19th,  1737,  and  shared  hospitali- 
ties with  one  George  Wilson,  an  Indian 
trader,  who  located  here  in  1728  and 
opened  a  store,  and  who  was  the  first  and 
only  white  settler  at  the  place  at  that 
time.  The  "walkers,"  three  in  number, 
with  their  attendants  on  horse-back 
started  from  Wrightstown,  Bucks  county, 
at  sunrise ;  one  of  them,  Jennings  by 
name,  dropped  out  before  the  noon  hour 
of  the  first  day,  his  health  prematurely 
shattered.  Yates  was  overcome  with 
fatigue  early  on  the  second  day,  stumbled 
and  fell  into  a  creek,  and  when  rescued 
was  entirely  blind ;  he  died  three  days 
later  from  the  awful  strain.  Marshall, 
an  experienced  hunter  and  trapper,  con- 
tinued on  with  the  aid  of  his  compass, 
until  he  was  called  to  "halt"  by  his  at- 
tendants, after  reaching  a  point  near 
where  the  town  of  Mauch  Chunk  now 
stands,  havig  covered  a  distance  of  86 
miles  in  one  and  one-half  days  (eighteen 
hours).  The  Indians  were  very  much 
displeased,   and   declared    that   it   was    a 


''rtni"  instead  of  a  '■'iralk,^* 
as  agreed  upon,  saying.  —  "No 
sit  down  smoke,  —  no  stop 
shoot  squirrel,  but  lun,  luiv 
all  tlayl"  Marshall  never 
received'the  promised  reward, 
five  pounds  of  m.oney  and  500 
acres  of  land,  from,  the  "land 
grabbers,"  John  and  Thomas 
Penn,  and  the  injustice  of  the 
deal  caused  blood-shed  from 
that  time  forth.  The  mas- 
sacres at  Gnadenhutten  (now 
Lehighton)  and  \\'yoming 
were  the  direct  results  of  this 
disgraceful  transaction.  Mar- 
shall died  in  1779,  aged  about 
So  years  and  his  body  rests  in 
a  private  burying-ground  in 
Tinicum  town  ship,,  Bucks  coun- 
ty, near  Erwinna.  The  year  following 
"the  walk"  (1738)  Stephen  Twining  pur- 
chased a  tract  of  land  from  Casper 
Wistar,  a  land  speculator  of  Philadelphia, 
who  was  the  first  land-holder  in  what  is 
now  Springtown,  and  erected  a  grist-mill, 
which  was  the  first  one  in  the  township. 
It  occupied  the  same  site  where  Funk's 
mill  now  stands.  ^On  ]\Iay  2"/,  1763, 
Twining  sold  500  acres,  including  the 
mill,  to  Abraham  Funk  for  ^1570  lawful 
money  of  Pennsylvania.  The  mill,  with 
part  of  the  tract,  has  remained  in  posses- 
sion of  the  Funk  family  ever  since. 

Prof.  Aaron  S.  Christine. 

(See  Frontispiece  Poriiait) 

A  branch  valley,  about  three  miles  long, 
extending  eastward  from  a  gap  in  the 
hills  at  Leithsville,  Saucon  township, 
joins  Durham  valley  at  this  place,  where 
also  a  strong  tributary,  fed  by  numer- 
ous springs,  empties  into  the  creek,  from 
whence  its  course  is  due  east,  parallel  with 
a  range  of  hills  immediately  north,  known 
as  the  south  spur  of  the  Lehigh  moun- 
tains, called  "Schzvoiva  Bcrig."  The 
southern  slope  of  the  hill  is  gracefully 
dotted  with  farmhouses.  Among  them, 
about  a  mile  distant  from  Springtown,  is 
a  small  low  stone  house  which  was  the 
birthplace  of  the  late  Prof.  Aaron  S. 
Christine,  born  October  28th,  1833,  who 
was  one  of  the  foremost  and  ablest  teach- 
ers of  his  time ;  the  result  of  his  labors 
were    visible    on    every    hand    for    many 


PICTURESQUE  AND  HISTORIC  DURHAM   VALLEY 


years  after  his  death.  He  was  a  graduate 
of  JMillcrsvillc  State  Normal  School,  and 
became  Instructor  of  Penmanship  in 
Prof.  A.  R.  Home's  Classical  School  at 
Ouakertovvn,  in  1858.  Resigninj^  that 
position,  he  began  teaching  public  and 
private  schools  at  Springtown  and  vicin- 
ity for  some  years,  during  which  period 
lie  also  established  and  conducted  a  large 
Sunday  School.  In  1864  he  became  prin- 
cipal of  Carbon  Academy  at  Lehighton, 
Pa.,  serving  in  that  capacity  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  !May  31st,  1868, 
while  yet  in  the  prime  of  his  life,  leaving 
a  name  and  memory  that  will  only  be  for- 
gotten when  those  who  received  instruc- 
tion under  his  tutorship  s'.iall  have  passed 
awav. 


time  of  the  transfer,  another  Ziegenfuss 
erected  a  mill  on  the  north  side  of  the 
creek,  nearly  opposite,  but  owing  to  a  dis- 
pute arising  about  the  use  of  the  water 
which  was  decided  in  favor  of  Mr.  Houpt, 
this  mill  fell  into  disuse.  Later  on  Mr. 
Houpt  erected  the  ])resent  building,  which 
has  not  been  operated,  however,  for  a 
number  of  years.  His  son,  John  Houpt 
Jr.,  born  July  25,  1795,  was  a  machinist 
and  an  inventor.  He  invented  a  number 
of  improvements  in  steam  engines,  some 
of  which  are  in  use  at  the  present  time. 
A  condenser  for  marine  steam-engines, 
also  improvements  in  steam-generators, 
and  improvements,  in  steam  condensers 
are  some  of  his  principal  achievements. 
He  died  October  31,  1885,  aged  90  years. 


HOUPFS  Or>D  MILL 


Houpt's  Old  Mill. 

A  short  distance  further  on  in  the  val- 
ley, we  find  Houpt's  old  abandoned  mill, 
all  moss-covered,  nestling  beside  a  lime- 
stone bluff,  forming  a  very  pleasing  pic- 
ture. The  first  mill  was  erected  by  An- 
drew Ziegenfuss.  who  came  from  Ger- 
many with  his  father,  Hans  Jacob  Ziegen- 
fuss. in  1738,  when  only  15  years  of  age. 
Finding  the  capacity  of  the  mill  inade- 
quate, he  erected  the  second  mill  of  stone 
a  few  rods  further  east,  which  he  sold 
about  1790  or  '95  to  John  Houpt,  Sr., 
who  was  born  in  the  township  June  12, 
1767,  and  died  Aug.  25,  1851.    About  the 


David  W.  Hess. 

(See  Fronlispieee  Portrait) 

Residing  near  by,  and  a  close  friend  of 
Mr.  Houpt,  was  the  late  David  W.  Hess, 
who  was  born  at  Springtown,  September 
i8th.  1820,  and  died  March  ist  1905. 
He  devoted  almost  his  entire  life  to  ed- 
ucational work,  and  was  altogether  a 
self-made  man,  and  a  model  instructor. 
He  loved  books,  and  "burned  the  mid- 
night oil,"  thereby  gaining  an  education 
far  beyond  the  average  student.  In  his 
younger  days  he  taught  public  school,  and 
singing    school.      In    1864   he    opened    a 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


private  school,  which  he  conducted  for 
about  five  years,  principally  for  such  who 
wished  to  acquire  a  higher  education 
with  a  view  of  becoming  teachers ;  very 
many  following  that  vocation  became 
proficient  through  his  instruction.  He 
was  by  profession  a  surveyor  and  con- 
veyancer, and  a  magnificient  penman  ;- 
documents  executed  by  his  hand  had  the 
appearance  of  print,  and  were  admired  by 
all  who  saw  them.  His  fame  as  a  mathe- 
matician, botanist  and  mineralogist  was 
widely  known,  and  for  a  number  of  years 
he  gave  private  instructions  to  many 
young  people  in  these  branches.  Being  a 
close  Bible  student  he  also  furnished  much 
Scriptural  knowledge  by  distributing 
home-written  instructions,  but  in  his  latter 
years,  failing  eyesight  forced  him  to 
abandon  these  pursuits.  Many  of  our 
prominent  people  received  their  early 
training  at  his  hands,  and  the  work  of 
this  plain  unassuming  man  lives  after 
him. 

"  Buckwampum." 

"Buckwampum,"  so  named  by  the 
Indians,  signifying  "a  swamp  on  a  hill," 
a  peak  about  a  mile  or  so  south  of  this 
point,  rearing  its  conical  shaped  head 
high  above  the  surrounding  hills,  was  an 
Indian  retreat,  and  so  charmed  and  at- 
tracted were  they  by  the  abundance  of 
wild  fruit,  berries,  game  and  numerous 
springs  of  pure  water,  that  they  were  loath 
to  leave  the  spot,  and  continued  to  abide 
there  until  shortly  before  the  beginning 
of  the  Revolutionary  War.  The  old- 
fashioned  bread-baskets  made  from  twist- 
ed rye  straw  and  oak  splints  were  made 
in  the  neighborhood  by  an  Indian  named 
Tuckemony.  He  and  his  family  resided 
in  Haycock  tomnship  about  one-half  mile 
east  of  Stony  Garden.  He  is  described  as 
having  been  a  tall,  erect  Indian,  well 
domesticated,  and  deserves  to  be  remem- 
bered as  the  last  one  of  his  tribe  living  in 
.  this  region. 

Durham  Township. 

Leaving  Springfield  Township  which 
was  organized  in  1743,  tlte  valley  extends 
into   Durham   Township   which   was   not 


organized  until  1775,  although  settlers 
had  taken  up  their  abode  in  the  district 
more  than  fifty  years  previous.  In  the 
valley  of  Durham  stood  one  of  the  first 
Iron  Furnaces  in  Pennsylvania.  "Cole- 
brookdale"  furnace  near  Pottstown  erect- 
ed in  1720  antedates  it  several  years. 
Durham  Furnace  was  put  in  blast  in  1727, 
and  was  owned  by  Richard  Backhouse. 
From  1774  to  1779  it  was  operated  by 
George  Taylor,  a  member  of  the  Con- 
tinental Congress,  and  one  of  the  signers 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  He 
lived  at  Easton  where  he  died  in  1781  and 
his  body  rests  in  the  Lutheran  Grave-yard 
at  that  place.  The  Furnace  stood  on  the 
same  spot  that  the  Durham  Flour  Mill 
now  occupies.  From  old  records  we  learn 
that  the  amount  of  iron  produced  in 
twenty-four  hours  averaged  about  three 
tons.  The  blast  was  produced  by  a  huge 
leather  bellows,  operated  by  water  power. 
The  course  of  the  race  can  still  be  easily 
traced  a  considerable  distance  up  the 
creek.  In  constructing  the  bellows  it  re- 
quired 12  sheets  of  thin  sheet-iron,  24 
alum-dressed  sheepskins,  and  15  pounds 
of  glue,  as  shown  by  old  records.  Most 
of  the  cannon-balls  and  camp-kettles  used 
by  the  Continental  Army  were  cast  at  this 
furnace.  Also  the  great  chain  that  was 
stretched  across  the  Hudson  River  at 
West  Point  during  the  Revolution  as  a 
blockade  against  the  British  Fleet.  The 
links  weighed  250  pounds  each.  The 
chain  was  fastened  on  huge  blocks  at 
each  end  and  was  buoyed  up  in  the  stream 
by  huge  logs  pointed  at  the  ends  to  lessen 
the  weight  at  the  fastenings.  The  British 
succeeded  in  breaking  the  chain,  and  it 
was  never  replaced.  About  one-half  mile 
further  east  along  the  creek  are  the  ruins 
of  an  old  forge  and  bloomary,  which  was 
known  as  the  second  furnace.  The  third 
furnace  stood  on  the  same  site  that  the 
present  furnace  occupies,  it  being  the 
fourth,  located  in  a  ravine  just  beyond  a 
sharp  bend,  forming  a  striking  picture. 
The  old  Philadelphia  and  Easton  road, 
known  at  present  as  the  Durham  Road, 
was  begun  in  1693,  and  opened  north- 
ward from  Philadelphia  in  sections  at 
various  intervals,  was  completed  to  Dur- 
ham village  in  1745,  and  extended  to 
Easton  in  1755.    About  the  year  1745  the 


PICTURESQUE  AND   HISTORIC   DURHAM   VALLEY 


203 


nURHAM  FQKN'ACE. 


road  leading"  from  Durham  Furnace  west- 
ward through  the  valley  was  built  to  a 
point  about  a  mile  beyond  Springtown 
where  it  intersects  with  the  Philadelphia 
and  Bethlehem  Road. 

General  Daniel  Morgan. 

About  a  mile  east  of  the  village  of  Dur- 
ham along  the  creek  on  the  site  of 
Laubach's  lime-kilns,  once  stood  a  stone- 
house  which  was  the  birth-place  of  Gen- 
eral Daniel  Morgan,  of  Revolutionary 
fame, — the  hero  of  the  Cowpens,  South 
Carolina  on  January  17th  1781.  He  was 
also  a  participant  at  the  age  of  19  in 
General  Braddock's  expedition  against 
the  French  and  Indians  at  Fort  Duquesne 
on  July  9th  1755  resulting  in  disastrous 
defeat,  where  Braddock  fell  mortally 
wounded.  Morgan  emigrated  to  Virginia 
early  in  life,  taking  up  his  residence  in 
Charleston,  from  where  he  entered  upon 
his  military  career.  He  served  one  term 
in  the  Continental  Congress  from  the 
state  of  Virginia.  He  died  July  6  1802 
and  his  remains  lie  buried  at  Winchester, 
Virginia.  His  father  James  Morgan  was 
a  laborer  at  the  Durham  Furnace  for 
many  years,  and  about  the  year  1780  be- 
came Iron  Master,  or  Superintendent. 

A  natural  feature  of  interest  in  Durham 
is  the  Cave,  vulgarly  called  ''Deivel's 
Loch,"  near  where  the  creek  empties  into 
the  Delaware  River ;  a  large  and  wonder- 


ful cavern,  originally  about  150  feet  long, 
about  15  feet  high  and  30  to  40  feet  wide. 
It  was  discovered  in  a  lime-stone  quarry 
many  years  ago,  and  has  been  visited  by 
thousands  of  tourists  and  relic  collectors, 
so  that  the  original  beauty  of  the  stalag- 
mites suspended  from  the  top  of  the  in- 
terior has  all  been  destroyed.  The  cave 
slopes  from  the  entrance  towards  the  rear 
end  where  may  be  seen  a  pool  of  clear 
water  evidently  a  spring,  having  a  sub- 
terranean outlet  no  doubt  into  the  creek  or 
Delaware  River,  and  where  frequently 
during  the  hot  months,  both  man  and 
beast  go  to  slake  their  thirst,  and  find  a 
cool  retreat. 

The  Delaware  River. 

"Rattlesnake"  Hill,  so  called,  is  an  emi- 
nence on  the  south  side  of  the  valley, 
facing  Delaware  River,  abounding  in  vast 
quantities  of  rich  iron  ore,  with  which  the 
furnace  is  partly  supplied.  On  the  South- 
eastern slope  of  the  hill,  about  one-half 
mile  or  so  distant  from  the  furnace  are 
located  the  ruins,  or  remnants  of  the 
famous  Jasper  Quarries,  at  one  time 
operated  by  the  Shawnee  Indians  in  the 
manufacture  of  implements  for  their 
general  use.  Traces  of  the  site  of  their 
workshop  near-by  are  still  plainly  visible, 
while  to  this  day  at  every  plowing,  some 
of  t'.u'ir  imp'cmenls  are  turned  up.     The 


204 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


DEr>AWARE  NORROWS 


Indian  village  occupied  the  flat  immedi- 
ately north  of  Durham  Cave  along  the 
.river  shore,  including  the  town-site  of 
Riegelsville.  Leaving  the  cave  and  follow- 
ing the  road  southward  a  short  distance,  a 
very  pleasing  picture  presents  itself  to 
view. — "the  first  glimpse  of  the  Dela- 
ware," causing  one  to  stop  and  allow  the 
eye  to  feast  for  a  few  moments.  Looking 
southward  in  the  distance  a  little  to  the 
left,  may  be  seen  what  appears  to  be  the 
top  of  a  range  of  hills;  these  are  the 
"Delaware  Narrows."  or  the  Palisades  of 
the  Delaware. — a  short  distance  from 
Kintnersville.    At  this  point  the  Delaware 


makes  an  abrupt  turn  eastward,  and  the 
formation  of  the  ledge  of  rock  strata 
rising  perpendicular,  perhaps  300  feet  or 
more  compose  the  Narrows,  which  were 
evidently  worn  by  the  action  of  the  water, 
causing  the  river  to  make  the  bend  re- 
ferred to,  the  process  of  which  no  doubt 
consumed  long  periods  of  time.  The 
sight  is  so  picturesque  that  it  is  well  worth 
a  visit.  The  Doylestown  &  Easton  Trol- 
ley cars  pass  through  Kintnersville,  the 
nearest  point  of  access.  The  same  line  of 
cars,  and  also  the  Ouakertown  &  Eastern 
R.  R.  from  Ouakertown  pass  within  fifty 
vards  of  Durham  Cave. 


The  leading  agricultural  county  in  the 
United  States,  as  gauged  by  the  value  of 
the  products  of  its  farms,  is  Lancaster 
county,  Pa.,  the  value  of  the  farm  pro- 
ducts of  this  county  exceeding  $10,000,- 
000  each  year.    There  are  but  thirty-four 


counties  in  the  United  States  which  pro- 
duce more  than  $5,000,000  per  annum 
in  farm  products  and  of  these  thirty- 
four  counties  more  than  one-sixth — 
Berks,  Chester,  Lancaster,  Montgomery 
and  York — are  in  Pennsylvania. 


PEi\NSYLVANLVS  PART  IN  THE  WINNING  OF  THE  WEST 


205 


Pennsylvania's  Part  in  the  Winning 
•  of  the  West 


Note. — We  reprint  on  request  tlie  following 
extracts  from  an  address  delivered  before  the 
Pennsylvania  Society  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  De- 
cember I2th.  1901,  by  Horace  Kephart.  Li- 
brarian   of   the    St.    Louis    Mercantile   Library. 

The    Wedge    of    Civilization. 

MKRICAX  -settlement  ad- 
vanced toward  the  Miss- 
issippi in  the  shape  of  a 
wedge,  of  which  the  enter- 
ing edge  was  first  Reading, 
in  Pennsylvania,  then  Lan- 
caster, then  the  Slienandoah  X'alley,  then 
Louisville,  and  finally  St.  Louis.  When 
the  second  census  of  the  L'nited  States 
was  taken,  in  1800.  nearly  all  the  white 
inhabitants  of  our  country  lived  in  a  tri- 
angle formed  by  a  diagonal  southwest- 
ward  from  Portland,  Maine,  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Tennessee  river,  here  meeting  an- 
other diagonal  running  northwestward 
from  Savannah,  with  tJie  Atlantic  for  a 
base.  Central  and  western  New  York, 
northern  Pennsylvania,  and  all  the  terri- 
tory north  of  the  Ohio  river,  save  in  its 
immediate  vicinity,  were  almost  uninhab- 
ited by  whites,  and  so  were  Georgia,  Ala- 
bama and  Mississippi.  Yet  the  state  of 
Kentucky  had  half  as  many  people  as 
Massachusetts,  and  Tennessee  had  al- 
ready been  admitted  into  the  L'nion. 

The   Hardest   Way   West. 

As  a  rule,  geographical  expansion  pro- 
ceeds along  the  lines  of  least  resistance, 
following  the  natural  highways  afforded 
by  navigable  rivers  and  open  plains.  It 
is  easily  turned  aside  by  mountain  chains, 
dense  forests,  and  hostile  natives.  Espe- 
cially was  this  true  in  the  days  before 
railroads.  Rut  the  development  of  our 
oldei  west  shows  a  striking  exception  to 
this  rule ;  for  the  entering  wedge  was 
actual}'  driven  through  one  of  the  most 
rugged,  difficult  and  inhospitable  regions 
to  be  1  lund  along  the  whole  frontier  of 
the  British  possessions. 


This  fact  is  strange  enough  to  fix  our 
attention ;  but  it  is  doubly  strange  when 
we  consider  that  there  was  no  climatic, 
political  nor  economic  necessity  for  such 
defiance  of  nature's  laws.  We  can  see 
why  the  Mississippi  should  have  been  ex- 
plored from  the  north,  rather  than  from 
its  mouth,  because  Canada  was  settled 
before  Louisiana,  and  it  is  easier  to  float 
downstream  than  to  pole  or  cordelle 
against  the  current.  But  why  was  not 
the  west  entered  and  settled  through  the 
obviously  easy  course  of  the  Mohawk 
valley  ? 

New    York's    Opportunity. 

Beyond  this  valley  were  gentle  slopes, 
and  many  a  route  practicable  for  settlers 
into  the  rich  country  of  Ohio.  The  cen- 
tral trail  of  the  Iroquois,  beaten  smoother 
than  a  wagon-road,  ran  straight  west 
from  Albany,  through  the  fairest  portion 
of  New  York,  to  the  present  site  of  Buf- 
falo, and  thence  followed  trie  southern 
shore  of  Lake  Erie  into  Ohio.  Where  it 
crossed  the  Genesee,  the  old  war-trail  of 
the  Senecas  branched  off  to  the  south, 
passing  behind  the  furthermost  ramparts 
of  the  x\lleghanies,  to  the  forks  of  the 
Ohio.  Moccasined  feet  traveling  over 
these  trails  for  centuries  had  worn  them 
from  three  to  twelve  inches  into  the 
ground,  so  that  they  were  easy  to  follow 
Oil  the  darkest  night.  These  were  only 
two  of  several  well-marked  routes  from 
ancient  Albany  to  the  new  west.  It  was 
to  this  easy  communication  with  the  coun- 
try beyond  the  Appalachians  that  the  Iro- 
quois owed  their  commanding  position  on 
the  continent. 

Pennsylvania's    Difficulties. 

On  the  other  hand.  Pennsylvania  and 
the  southern  colonies  had  no  easy  access 
to  the  west.  Nature  herself  had  bidden 
these  people  to  rest  content  In  their  tide- 
water   regions,    and    frowned    upon    any 


206 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


westward  expansion  by  interposing  the 
mighty  barriers  of  the  Blue  Ridge  and 
the  xMleghanies.  rising  tier  beyond  tier 
in  parallel  chains  from  northern  Penn- 
sylvania to  Alabama.  Few  trails  crossed 
these  mountains.  From  base  to  summit 
they  were  clad  in  dense  forest,  matted 
into  jungle  by  luxuriant  undergrowth. 
No  one  knew  what  lay  beyond  them,  nor 
how  far  through  this  "forest  savage, 
harsh,  impregnable,"  a  traveller  must  bore 
until  he  reached  land  fit  for  settlement. 
It  was  well  known,  however,  that  the 
.trans-Alleghany  region,  whatever  might 
be  its  economic  features,  was  dangerous 
ground.  The  Indians  themselves  could 
not  occupy  it,  for  it  had  been  for  ages 
the  common  battle-ground  of  opposing 
tribes.  Any  savage  met  within  its  con- 
fines wr.s  sure  to  be  upon  the  warpath 
against  any  and  all  comers.  Kentucky 
was  indeed  "the  dark  and  bloody 
ground,"  and  he  who  entered  took  his  life 
in  his  hand,  be  he  white  or  red. 

Thus  the  chances  of  success  in  anv 
westward  movement  were  in  favor  of 
New  York  and  New  England,  and 
against  Pennsylvania.  Yet  it  was  the  lat- 
ter that  did  the  work.  Central  and  west- 
ern New  York  remained  a  wilderness  un- 
til Missouri  was  settling  with  Americans. 
New  England  took  little  or  no  part  in 
western  affairs  until  after  the  revolution, 
when,  the  west  having  been  won,  ]\Iassa- 
chusetts  and  Connecticut,  calmly  over- 
stepping New  York  and  Pennsylvania, 
laid  thrifty  hand  upon  the  public  domain 
north  of  Pittsburg  and  west  to  the  Miss- 
issippi. 

How   the    West    was    Entered. 

We  have  seen  that  the  west  was  actu- 
ally entered  by  the  most  difficult  and  hos- 
tile route,  and  this  in  spite  of  political 
and  economic  reasons  for  choosing  a 
more  northerly  and  easier  line  of  advance. 
I  do  not  remember  that  this  has  ever  be- 
fore been  pointed  out ;  but  it  is  a  fact  of 
deep  significance,  for  it  determined  what 
should  be  the  temper  of  the  great  west, 
and  what  should  be  its  course  of  develop- 
ment. 

The  wedge  of  settlement  was  driven 
through  the  heart  of  the  Alleghanies  be- 
cause there  dwelt  at  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tains a  people  more  aggressive,  more  dar- 


ing, and  more  independent  than  the  tide- 
water stock.  This  people  acted  on  its  own 
initiative,  not  only  without  government 
aid,  but  sometimes  in  defiance  of  govern- 
ment. It  won  to  the  American  flag  not 
only  the  central  west,  but  the  northwest 
and  southwest  as  well ;  and  it  was,  for  the 
most  part,  the  lineal  descendants  of  these 
men  who  first,  of  Americans,  explored  the 
far  west,  and  subdued  it  for  future  settle- 
ment. 

This  explains  why  Missouri,  rather  than 
the  northern  tier  of  new  states,  became  in 
its  turn  the  vanguard  and  outpost  of  civil- 
ization, as  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  had 
been  before  her,  and  Virginia  and  Penn- 
sylvania before  them.  It  explains  why, 
when  mountain  and  forest  barriers  had 
been  left  behind,  and  the  vast  western 
plain  offered  cottntless  parallel  routes  of 
travel  to  the  Rockies,  such  routes  were 
not  itsed,  but  all  the  great  trans-continental 
trails,  whether  to  Santa  Fe,  California,  or 
Ore2:on,  focussed  for  half  a  century  at  St, 
Louis  or  Independence.  It  explains  why 
the  majority  of  our  famous  scouts  and 
explorers  and  Indian  fighters  were  men 
whose  strain  went  back  to  the  Shenan- 
doah valley  or  the  Yadkin,  and  why  most 
of  them  cottid  trace  their  descent  still 
further  back  to  Pennsylvania,  mother  of 
western  pioneers. 

The   First   Pioraeers. 

In  his  fascinating  histor\-  of  "The 
\\'inning  of  the  West,"  Theodore  Roose- 
velt says  that  "The  two  facts  of  most  im- 
portance to  remember  in  dealing  with  our 
pioneer  history  are,  first,  that  the  western 
portions  of  Virginia  and  the  Carolinas 
were  peopled  by  an  entirely  different 
stock  from  that  which  had  long  existed 
'a  the  tidewater  regions  of  those  colonies  ; 
and  secondly,  that  except  for  those  in  the 
Carolinas  who  came  from  Charleston 
j  comparatively  few],  the  immigrants  of 
this  stock  were  mostly  from  the  north, 
from  their  great  breeding-ground  and 
nursery  in  western  Pennsylvania." 

We  find  here  an  interesting  problem. 
How  came  it  to  pass  that  a  community 
of  Quakers,  non-resisting,  intensely  do- 
mestic, circumspect,  loathing  everything 
that  smacked  of  adventure,  should  have 
formed  the  "breeding-ground  and  nursery"' 
of  as  warlike,  and   restless,  and   desper- 


PEXXSYLVANLVS  PART  IN  THE  WINNING  OF  THE  WEST 


207 


ately   venturesome   a   race  as   this   world 
has  seen  ? 

We  have  a  favorite  saying  that 
"America  is  an  asylum  for  the  oppressed 
of  all  nations."  But  America  was  not 
always  so.  Scarcely  had  the  Puritans 
landed  at  Plymouth  before  they  began 
seeking  heretics.  The  Cavaliers  of  the 
south,  more  tolerant  of  venial  sins,  ad- 
mitted other  sects  to  their  Canaan,  but 
on  condition  that  they  pay  tithes  to  sup- 
port an  episcopal  clergy.  In  most  of  the 
colonies  a  Catholic  was  little  better  than 
a  witch,  and  likely  to  be  attainted  with 
treason  as  well.  If  to  a  heretical  creed  the 
unlucky  immigrant  added  a  foreign 
tongue,  this  stamped  him  as  a  boor,  and 
his  case  was  hard  indeed.  But  the  Quak- 
ers "unlike  many  other  martyrs,  did  not 
become  persecutors  in  turn."  Pennsyl- 
vania was  an  asylum  for  the  oppressed. 

The  Pennsylvania-Germans. 

And  in  Europe  there  w^ere  many  op- 
pressed. .About  the  time  that  the  Quakers 
began  to  settle  Pennsylvania — say  in  1682 
or  16S3 — an  immigration  of  Germans  set 
into  this  region  from  the  Rhine  valley 
and  the  high-lands  of  south  Germany  and 
Switzerland.  These  were  the  fore-run- 
ners of  an  immense  tide  of  persecuted 
Germans  which  soon  swept  into  the 
Quaker  territory,  by  invitation  of  Penn, 
and  established  a  new  ethnic  division  of 
our  people,  to  be  known  thenceforth  as 
Pennsylvania-Dutch.  They  were  not 
Dutch,  and  repudiated  the  name ;  but  it  is 
now  as  well  Americanized  as  "corn"  for 
maize,  or  "buffalo"  for  bison,  and  is  not 
without  justification  on  linguistic  and 
ethnological  grounds. 

These  Germans  were  the  very  type 
and  pattern  of  husbandmen.  Shrewdly 
picking  out  the  fertile  limestone  valleys 
at  the  foot  of  the  Alleghanies  they  soon 
monopolized  the  whole  farming  region 
from  Easton  on  the  Delaware,  past  Allen- 
town.  Reading,  Lebanon,  Lancaster,  and 
York.  This  crescent  formed  at  the  time 
the  western  frontier  of  Pennsylvania.  It 
was  the  Quakers'  buffer  against  the 
Indians.  It  w^as  the  westernmost  settle- 
ment of  British  subjects  in  America. 
These  "Dutchmen"  were  not  mere  In- 
dian traders.  They  had  come"  to  stay: 
and   thev   did   stav,   stanch   possessors  01 


the  soil,  and  founders  of  a  new  father- 
land. 

But  there  was  another  reason  than 
limestone  soil  why  the  early  Germans  pre- 
ferred the  frontier.  The  society  of  our 
seaboard  was  aristocratic,  no  less  in  New 
England  than  in  Pennsylvania  and  Vir- 
ginia. The  Pennsylvania-Dutch  were 
nothing  if-  not  Democratic,  in  a  social 
sense;  so  they  tarried  not  on  the  seacoast. 

Some  of  them  had  at  first  settled  in 
New  York,  but  they  soon  became  dis- 
contented with  the  treatment  they  re- 
ceived from  aristocratic  proprietors  and 
officials,  who  regarded  them  as  mere 
beasts  of  burden,  and  they  mo-\^ed  in  a 
body  into   Pennsylvania. 

The   Scotch-Irish. 

Shortly  after  this  tide  of  German  im- 
migration set  into  Pennsylvania,  another 
and  very  different  class  of  foreigners  be- 
gan to  arrive.  These  were  the  Scotch- 
Irish,  or  Ulstermen  of  Ireland.  When 
James  I.,  in  1607,  confiscated  the  estates 
of  the  Irish  in  six  counties  of  Ulster,  he 
turned  them  over  on  long  leases  to  a 
body  of  Scotch  and  English  Presby- 
terians. The  career  of  these  immigrants 
was  at  first  prosperous,  though  neces- 
sarily turbulent.  But  as  their  leases  be- 
gan to  expire,  persecutions  followed  that 
proved  unbearable,  and  the  Scotch-Irish 
began  emigrating  to  America.  As 
Froude  says,  "In  the  two  yeavs  that  fol- 
lowed the  Antrim  evictions,  thirty  thou- 
sand Protestants  left  Ulster  for  a  land 
where  there  was  no  legal  robbery,  and 
where  those  who  sowed  the  seed  could 
reap  the  harvest." 

The  early  Scotch-Irish  were  a  brave 
but  hot-headed  race,  as  might  be  ex- 
pected of  a  people  who  for  a  century  h'ad 
been  planted  amid  hostile  Irish,  and  lat- 
terly had  suft'ered  the  persecutions  of 
Charles  I.  Justin  Winsor  describes  them 
as  having  "all  that  excitable  character 
which  goes  with  a  keen-minded  ad- 
herence to  original  sin,  total  depravity, 
predestination,  and  election,"  and  as  see- 
ing "no  use  in  an  Indian  but  to  be  a  tar- 
get for  their  bullets."  On  one  occasion 
they  even  took  up  arms  against  the  Quak- 
ers, and  marched  to  chastise  them  in  Phil- 
adelphia. "The  Quakers,"  says  Fisher, 
"were  readv  for  them,  and  had  no  hesi- 


^c^ 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


tation  in  fortifying  Philadelphia;  for  the 
chance  of  a  shot  at  a  Scotch-Irish  Presby- 
terian was  too  much  for  their  scruples 
of  religion." 

Neither  did  the  Scotch-Irish  at  first 
assimilate  with  the  Germans.  The  latter, 
wherever  colonized  by  themselves,  were  a 
plodding,  undemonstrative,  rather  thick- 
witted  folk,  close-fisted,  and  taking  little 
interest  in  public  affairs  that  did  not  con- 
cern either  their  church  or  their  pocket- 
t)Ooks.  They  were  slow  to  anger,  and 
would  take  a  good  deal  of  abuse,  but 
tenacious  of  their  rights,  and  could  fight 
like  bulldogs  when  aroused.  The  Scotch- 
Irish  were  quick-witted  and  quick- 
tempered, rather  visionary,  imperious  and 
aggressive.  I  mention  these  traits  of  the 
early  immigrants  because  they  had  much 
to  do  with  the  events  that  followed.  And 
I  do  not  wish  it  to  be  thought  that  we  are 
gathered  merely  to  sing  the  praise  of  our 
ancestors.  Mutual-admiration  societies 
are  a  nuisance  and  a  bore.  If  we  are  to 
get  any  good  out  of  history,  we  must  face 
the  truth  in  all  its  phases,  whether  it  be 
complimentary  to  ourselves  or  not. 

The  Scotch-Irish  being  by  tradition  and 
habit  a  border  people,  puslied  to  the  ex- 
treme western  fringe  of  settlement.  They 
were  not  over-solicitous  about  the  quality 
■of  soil.  When  Arthur  Lee,  of  Virginia, 
was  telling  Doctor  Samuel  Johnson  of  a 
colony  of  Scotch  who  had  settled  upon  a 
particularly  sterile  tract  in  western  Vir- 
ginia, and  had  expressed  his  wonder  that 
they  should  do  so,  Johnson  replied.  "Why. 
sir,  all  barrenness  is  comparative ;  the 
Scotch  wall  never  know  that  it  is  barren." 

So  it  was  that  these  people  became,  in 
turn,  our  frontiersmen.  Immediately  they 
began  to  clash  with  the  Indians,  and  there 
followed  a  long  series  of  border  wars, 
waged  with  extreme  ferocity,  in  which  it 
is  sometimes  hard  to  say  which  race  was 
most  to  blame.  One  thing,  however,  is 
certain ;  if  any  race  was  ordained  to  ex- 
terminate the  Indians,  that  race  was  the 
Scotch-Irish. 

Pennsylvania's   March  Southwestward. 

When  the  land  west  of  Susquehanna 
was  first  opened  for  settlement,  the  Ger- 
mans did  not  fancy  it,  because  the  soil 
was  rocky  and  poor.  The  Scotch-Irish 
entered  the  mountains,  but  even  thev  were 


not  attracted  in  large  numbers  by  such 
rugged  country.  The  chief  overflow  of 
Pennsylvania  emigrants  passed  south- 
westward  into  western  Maryland  and  the 
Shenandoah  valley.  Fertile  bottom-lands 
lay  in  this  direction,  and  the  Germans 
were  not  slow  to  find  them.  The  first 
house  in  western  Virginia  was  erected  by 
the  Pennsylvania-German  Joist  Hite, 
who  established  a  colony  of  his  people 
near  the  future  site  of  Winchester.  A 
majority  of  those  settled  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  Shenandoah  valley  were  Penn- 
sylvania-Germans. "So  completely  did 
they  occupy  the  country  along  the  north 
and  south  branches  of  that  river,"  says  a 
local  historian,  "that  the  few  stray 
English,  Irish,  or  Scotch  settlers  among 
them  did  not  sensibly  affect  the  homo- 
geneousness  of  the  population."  Here,  as 
in  Pennsylvania,  the  Germans  sought  out 
the  rich  bottom-lands  and  settled  on  them 
for  good,  while  the  Scotch-Irish  pushed 
a  little  to  the  west  of  them  and  occupied 
more  exposed  positions.  There  were  rep- 
resentatives of  other  races  along  the 
frontier,  English,  Huguenots.  Irish — even 
some  Quakers  were  among  them ;  but  the 
Germans  and  Scotch-Irish  predominated. 
Among  those  who  made  this  long 
"trek"  from  Pennsylvania  southwestward 
were  the  ancestors  of  David  Crockett, 
Samuel  Houston,  John  C.  Calhoun, 
"Stonewall"  Jackson,  and  Abraham  Lin- 
coln. 

Settlement   of   Western   Carolina. 

As  the  Germans  were  prolific,  liked 
large  farms,  and  were  steadily  recruited 
from  the  old  country,  they  were  always 
furnishing  a  surplus  of  young  men  and 
new-comers  to  people  the  west.  They 
were  not  so  much  given  to  individual  en- 
terprise as  the  Scotch,  but  it  was  not  un- 
usual for  them  to  form  a  colony  and  flit 
to  some  distant  Eden,  setting  upon  it  like 
a  swarm  of  bees.  In  this  manner  there 
went  on  a  gradual  but  sure  progress  of 
northern  peoples  across  the  Potomac,  up 
the  Shenandoah,  across  the  Staunton,  the 
Dan,  and  the  Yadkin,  even  to  Savannah. 
The  proportion  of  Pennsylvania-Dutch  in 
this  migration  is  commonly  underestimat- 
ed. The  archivist  of  North  Carolina,  the 
late  Wilham  L.  Saunders.  Secretary  of 
State,  says  that  "to  Lancaster  and  York 


PENNSYLVANIA'S  PART  IN  THE  WINNING  OF  THE  WEST 


20g 


counties,  in  Pennsylvania,  North  Carolina 
owes  more  of  her  population  than  to  any 
other  known  part  of  the  world,"  and  he 
adds,  "never  were  there  better  citizens, 
and  certainly  never  better  soldiers."  He 
calls  attention  to  the  interesting^  fact  that 
wlien  the  \orth  Carolina  boys  of  Scotch- 
Irish  and  PVnnsylvania-Dutch  descent 
followed  Lee  into  Pennsylvania  in  the 
Gettysburg  campaign,  they  were  return- 
ing to  the  homes  of  their  ancestors,  by 
precisely  the  same  route  that  those  an- 
cestors had  taken  in  going  south. 

A  Distinct  People. 

I  dwell  somewhat  upon  the  manner 
in  which  the  western  part  of  the  southern 
colonies  was  peopled,  because  it  was  from 
this  region  that  the  trans-AUeghany  move- 
ment began,  and  from  which  came  the 
great  majority  of  our  pioneers.  Ken- 
tucky was  settled  from  Virginia,  and 
Tennessee  from  Virginia  and  Carolina ; 
but  these  settlers  were  mostly  of  Pennsyl- 
vania origin.  So  when  we  speak  of  the 
\'irginians  who  settled  Kentucky,  or  the 
Carolinians  who  founded  Tennessee,  or  of 
Morgan's  \'irginia  riflemen  in  the  revolu- 
tion, we  should  not  confound  them  with 
the  typical  Virginians  or  Carolinians  of 
the  coast.  They  were  neither  Cavaliers  nor 
Poor  Whites,  but  a  radically  distinct  and 
even  antagonistic  people,  who  are  appro- 
priately called  the  Roundheads  of  the 
South.      Aristocracv   was   their   bugbear. 

The   Far   West. 

They  had  little  or  nothing  to  do  with 
slavery,  detested  the  state  church,  loathed 
tithes,  and  distrusted  all  authority  save 
that  of  conspicuous  merit  and  natural 
justice.  "There  is  but  one  thing  I  fear  on 
earth,"  remarked  one  of  them  to  the 
French  traveller  Collot,  "and  that  is  what 
men  call  their  laws  and  their  justice." 
The  intense  individualism  of  our  pioneers 
was  the  first  distinctive  characteristic  that 
they  developed.  It  entered  their  blood 
the  very  moment  they  landed  on  American 
soil. 

The    Man    of    the    West. 

Both  the  Scotch-Irish  and  the  Germans 
were  clannish  people  so  long  as  they  re- 
mained in  compact  settlements  of  their 
own.  They  merely  perpetuated  each  its 
Own  type.     But  when  the  more  adventur- 


ous spirits  of  both  races  struck  out  for 
themselves  and  became  pioneers  in  nev^^ 
lands,  they  were  forced  to  amalgamate. 
In  the  extreme  frontier  settlements  there 
was  more  intermarrying-  than  historians 
have  credited.  That  it  produced  a  better 
type  than  either  forebear  is  plain  enough 
to  those  who  study  family  records.  These 
two  human  ores  were  picked  from  far 
distant  mines.  The  one  was  hard  and 
the  other  tough.  Fate  cast  them  together 
into  the  glowing  crucible  of  wilderness 
life,  and  they  fused,  and  ran  together,  and 
were  cast  into  a  new  form  of  manhood. 

Even  where  blood  was  not  crossed,  a 
generation  of  frontier  life  changed 
Scotchman  and  German,  Englishman  and 
Huguenot,  alike  into  a  new  and  distinct 
character — the  Man  of  the  West.  The 
romantic  and  hazardous  career  of  the 
backwoodsmen  bred  in  them  a  peculiar 
combination  of  daring  and  shiftiness,  ac- 
tivity and  cool  endurance.  Theirs  was 
the  satisfaction  of  overcoming  trial  and 
peril,  and  it  made  them  a  masterful,  self- 
confident  people.  They  had  a  scorn  of 
conventions  and  of  restraint.  Law,  to 
them,  \v<xs  no  law  unless  it  was  based 
upon  tlie  pnmal  rights  of  man. 

And  the  wilderness  itself  reacted  upon 
these  men  and  stamped  upon  them  some- 
thing of  its  own  openness,  naturalness, 
simplicity.  As  the  pelage  and  habits  of 
animals  vary  with  the  climate,  and  new 
traits  of  character  arise  from  change  of 
environment,  so  the  child  of  civilization 
turned  out  upon  the  wilderness  to  fight 
singly  against  strange  odds,  develops 
qualities  unknown  among  those  who  lead 
a  tamer  existence.  Pioneers,  at  the  start, 
are  made  of  no  common  clay.  The  weak- 
lings of  society  are  eliminated  from 
frontier  life.  None  but  bold  and  san- 
guine spirits  dare  embark  in  such  adven- 
ture ;  none  but  the  hardy  and  self-reliant 
can  endure  its  vicissitudes.  The  faint- 
hearted and  irresolute,  the  torpid  and  ef- 
feminate, must  seek  quieter  asylums.  We 
have,  then,  at  first  muster  a  picked  class 
of  men,  active,  self-centered,  buoyant, 
plucky  to  the  backbone,  whipped  on  by 
hazard  and  spurred  by  the  explorer's 
zeal.  The  utter  freedom  and  loneliness  of 
forest  life  then  tend  to  accentuate  person- 
alities   that    the    friction   of   cities    might 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


abrade  to  a  level  sameness.  The  abrupt 
change  of  habits,  the  recovery  of  lost  arts 
of  wildcraft.  the  invention  of  fresh  ex- 
pedients, the  imperative  call  upon  dormant 
faculties  that  civilized  man  is  unconscious 
of  possessing,  bring  out  new  character- 
istics, as  muscles  commonly  unused  be- 
come conspicuous  in  a  Sandow. 

It  was  thus  that  the  Man  of  the  West 
was  born  and  nurtured  in  the  Appalachian 
valleys.  And  to  this  wild  life  of  the 
border,  more,  perhaps,  than  to  any  other 
feature  in  our  history,  may  be  traced  those 
traits  of  sleepless  vigilance  and  restless 
energy  that  are  the  most  distinctive  traits 
of  American  character  today.  Wherever 
you  meet  an  American,  whether  on  land 
or  sea,  in  the  arctics  or  the  tropics,  he  is 
marked  from  all  other  races  by  his  cease- 
less activity.  "To  the  true  American," 
says  Sargeant,  "repose  is  stagnation  and 
rest  a  bore.  His  nature  demands  occupa- 
tion of  an  exciting  kind.  The  man  who 
loafs,  the  tramp  and  the  flaneur,  who  is 
the  fashionable  variety  of  the  species,  are 
all  anomalies  in  our  civilization ;  they 
exist,  but  under  protest ;  they  are  freaks, 
not  types ;  sports,  and  not  the  natural 
growth  of  our  soil." 

Pennsylvanians  in  Kentucky. 

Boone  was  not,  as  many  believe,  the 
first  white  man  to  enter  Kentucky.  He 
was  not  even  the  first  Pennsylvanian  to 
do  so.  About  I'^e  year  1738  a  German 
from  western  Vir  i.iia,  John  Peter  Sail- 
ing, was  captured  by  Indians  and  carried 
through  Kentucky  and  Illinois  to  Kas- 
kaskia.  He  returned  to  become  one  of  the 
founders  of  a  new  commonwealth.  Doc- 
tor Thomas  Walker  and  companions  from 
Virginia  explored  a  part  of  Kentucky  in 
1748.  In  1 75 1,  Boone's  neighbor  on  the 
Yadkin,  Christopher  Gist,  made  a  more 
thorough  exploration  of  this  region.  Gist 
was  soon  to  become  the  pioneer  of  ex- 
treme western  Pennsylvania,  and  from 
there  to  serve  as  guide  for  young  George 
Washington  on  his  perilous  mid-winter 
march  to  Ohio.  His  brother  was  grand- 
father of  Frank  P.  Blair  of  Missouri. 

^^  1 755'  ^  woman  of  Pennsylvania 
birth,  Mary  Draper  Ingles,  whose  father 
had  established  the  first  settlement  west  of 
the  Alleghany  divide,  and  who  was  her- 
self the  first  American  bride  west  of  the 


mountains,  was  captured  by  the  Indians 
and  carried  within  the  future  bounds  of 
Kentucky,  Ohio,  and  Indiana.  She  was 
the  first  white  woman  known  to  have  seen 
that  region.  She  finally  escaped,  after 
suffering  extraordinary  hardships. 

Two  years  before  Boone  entered  Ken- 
tucky, two  hunters  from  Pittsburg,  who 
had  been  in  the  Illinois  country,  came  as 
far  south  as  where  Nashville  now  stands. 
These  were  James  Harrod,  who,  on  June 
16,  1774,  made  the  first  settlement  in  Ken- 
tucky, and  Michael  Steiner  (Stoner),  a 
Pennsylvania-Dutchman  who  soon  be- 
came famous  in  frontier  annals  as  a 
scout  and  Indian  fighter.  Another  great 
scout  of  the  same  race,  Kasper  Mansker 
or  Mansco,  came  with  the  Long  Hunters 
to  Kentucky  in  1769;  as  an  Indian  fighter 
he  soon  won  laurels  second  only  to  those 
of  Simon  Kenton.  Kenton,  who  was  a 
Scotch-Irishman  from  western  Virginia, 
went  to  Fort  Pitt  down  the  Ohio  river 
and  into  Kentucky  in  1771.  He  became  a 
comrade  of  Boone,  and  proved  one  of  the 
most  reckless  dare-devils  on  the  border, 
but  a  matchless  scout,  and  gave  valuable 
service  to  the  infant  commonwealth. 

Boone  first  visited  Kentucky  on  a  hunt- 
ing expedition  in  1769,  accompanied  by  a 
few  neighbors  from  Carolina.  After  en- 
joying six  months  of  incomparable  hunt- 
ing, they  were  scattered  by  Indians,  Boone 
and  his  brother  alone  remaining.  After  a 
year  of  this  life,  the  brother  started  home- 
ward to  procure  supplies,  and  Boone  spent 
the  next  three  months  alone  in  the  wilder- 
ness, with  neither  salt,  sugar,  nor  flour, 
and  without  daring  to  light  a  campfire  at 
night. 

In  1773,  acting  as  the  agent  of  a  land- 
speculator  named  Henderson,  he  attempt- 
ed to  found  a  colony  in  Kentucky ;  but  hi* 
party  was  routed  by  the  Indians,  and  his 
eldest  son  was  slain.  In  the  following- 
year  occurred  the  Indian  outbreak  known 
as  Lord  Dunmore's  war,  in  which  the 
great  chiefs  Cornstalk  of  the  Shawnees 
:md  Logan  of  the  Iroquois  were  pitted 
against  such  frontiersmen  as  Boone 
and  Kenton,  Robertson,  Sevier.  Shelby,. 
Cresap,  and  George  Rogers  Clark.  It 
was  at  the  conclusion  of  this  war  that 
Logan  delivered,  extemporaneously,  that 
eloquent    speech   that   has    been    admired 


FENNSYLVANIA'S  PART  IN  THE  WINNING  OF  THE  WEST 


w-th    shamed     face    by     t^enerations    of 
Americans. 

The  Founding  of  Transylvania. 

It  was  not  until  1775  tliat  Boone  suc- 
ceeded in  colonizinf;^  Kentucky.  His  sec- 
ond movenient  was  made  in  flat  defiance 
of  the  British  government.  The  royal 
governor  of  North  Carolina,  hearing  of 
the  project,  issued  a  proclamation  de- 
nouncing it  as  "a  lawless  undertaking," 
"an  infraction  of  the  royal  prerogative," 
and  as  sure  to  incur  "His  Majesty's  dis- 
pleasure, and  the  most  rigorous  penalties 
of  the  law."  This  menace  was  soon  re- 
peated by  Lord  Dunmore  of  Virginia. 

Boone  and  his  associates  calmly  ignored 
both  the  governors  and  their  king,  and 
straightway  proceeded  about  their  busi- 
ness. Collecting  his  axemen  at  the 
Watauga  settlement,  Boone  started  to 
hew  through  trackless  forests  and  cane- 
brakes  that  Wilderness  Road  to  the  Ken- 
tucky river  that  for  many  years  was  to  be 
the  chief  highway  of  western  immigration. 
Working  shoulder-to-shoulder  with  him 
was  his  old  Yadkin  neighbor.  Col.  Richard 
Callaway,  the  veteran  Indian  fighter  who 
was  ere  long  to  be  killed  and  scalped  at 
Boonesborough,  but  whose  sons,  inter- 
marrying with  the  Boones,  were,  with 
them,  to  be  the  first  American  settlers  of 
western  Missouri.  Boone  was  soon  to  be 
joined  by  the  fathers  of  two  other  famous 
Missourians,  Doniphan  of  the  Mexican 
war,  and  Thomas  H.  Benton,  and  by  a 
man  who  ere  long  should,  leave  a  deeper 
impress  upon  western  history  than  Boone 
himself,  that  great  Virginian  of  Cavalier 
blood  but  backwoods  training,  George 
Rogers  Clark. 

Fighting  the  Indians  as  they  went,  and 
losing  several  of  their  party,  the  axemen 
chopped  their  way  to  the  Kentucky  river. 
Here,  three  days  after  the  battle  of  Lex- 
ington, the  fort  of  Boonesborough,  capi- 
tal of  the  colony  of  Transylvania,-  was  be- 
gun. It  was  not  until  the  following  Au- 
gust that  these  "rebels  of  Kentuck"  heard 
of  the  signing  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, and  celebrated  it  with  shrill 
warwhoops  around  a  bonfire  in  the  center 
of  their  stockade. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  first  two 
settlements  in  Kentucky,  those  of  Harrod 
at   Harrodsburg.  and   Boone  at  Boones- 


borough, were  made  by  Pennsylvanians, 
and  that  the  third,  at  St.  Asaph's  was 
made  by  a  man  of  Pennsylvania  descent. 
Gen.  Benjamin  Logan. 

The  Easy  Way  West. 

I  have  remarked  that  New  England 
took  no  interest  in  the  west  until  afler  the 
revolution.  In  fact,  her  attitude  toward 
the  trans-Alleghany  people  was  coldly 
critical,  and  at  times  even  hostile.  When 
Kentucky  and  Tennessee  began  to  grow 
with  unprecedented  vigor,  and  were  look- 
ing to  the  Mississippi  as  the  natural  out- 
let for  their  commerce,  the  commercial 
element  of  New  England  began  to  talk  of 
shutting  them  off  from  the  Mississippi 
and  compelling  them  to  market  their  pro- 
ducts in  the  east — thus  doing  unto  the 
west  precisely  w^hat  England  had  done 
ainto  them. 

But  there  were  some  shrewd  Yankees 
who  saw  signs  of  promise  in  the  west. 
Among  them  were  Rufus  Putnam  and 
Benjamin  Tucker.  The  latter  had  been  ap- 
pointed surveyor-general  under  the  federal 
geographer,  and  was  assigned  to  duty  in 
the  Ohio  country.  He  went  as  far  west 
as  Pittsburg,  but  found  the  Indians 
troublesome,  and,  having  no  taste  for 
personal  adventures  among  them,  returned 
for  reinforcements.  While  in  Pittsburg 
he  heard  much  about  the  salubrity  and 
natural  resources  of  Ohio,  and  without 
seeing  the  country  for  himself,  went  back 
to  New  England  full  of  a  project  to 
colonize  Ohio  with  Yankee  farmers.  He 
revealed  the  scheme  to  Putnam,  who 
heartily  fell  into  it,  and  the  two  then 
started'  what  would  now  be  called  a 
"boom."* 

The  Far  West. 

If  the  Marietta  venture  w^as  our  first 
great  land- job,  it  was  not  the  last.  The 
heroic  age  of  the  central  west  soon  passed 
awav.  Men  were  no  longer  wanted  to 
assert  their  independence  of  kings  and 
castes,  nor  to  hew  their  own  way  into  the 
wilderness  and  make  laws  for  themselves. 

Those  in  whom  the  old  pioneer  spirit 
survived  were  "crowded  out."  First 
among   the    Kentuckians   to   leave    were 


•The  author  here  describes  how  the  Ohio  Company 
of  New  England  was  formed  and  "perpetrated  what 
McMaster  calls  'the  first  great  land-job  of  the  re- 
public'   This  was  the  easiest  way  west." 


^12 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Boone  and  his  sons,  the  Callaways,  the 
Coopers,  and  others  of  the  old  stock 
around  Boonesborough  who  were  to 
Americanize  the  frontier  of  Missouri. 
After  Boone  went  Henry  Von  Phul,  and 
other  Kentuckians  of  Pennsylvania  stock 
who  were  among  the  first  American  resi- 
dents of  St.  Louis.  After  him  went  also 
the  father  of  Kit  Carson, — and  Kit  him- 
self was  accompanied  by  many  another 
youngster  who  in  later  times  was  to  leave 
his  name  on  some  peak  or  pass  or  valley 
of  the  far-distant  Rockies.  Indeed,  if  we 
call  the  roll  of  American  scouts,  explor- 
ers, trappers,  Indian  fighters  of  the  far 
west — of  the  men  like  John  Colter,  Robert 
McClellan,  John  Day,  the  Sublettes,  Jim 
Bridger,  I3ill  Williams,  Joe  Meek,  Kit 
Carson,  and  their  ilk,  who  trapped  and 
fought  over  nearly  every  nook  and  cran- 
ny of  the  far  west,  from  the  Canadian 
divide  to  the  "starving  Gila" — we  shall 
find  that  most  of  them  were  of  the  old 
Shenandoah-Kentucky  stock  that  made 
its  first  trail  from  Pennsylvania  across 
the  Appalachians. 

A    Tribute    to    the    Pioneers. 

"The  country  beyond  the  Alleghanies," 
says  the  historian,  "was  first  won  and 
settled  by  the  backwoodsmen  themselves, 
acting  under  their  own  leaders,  obeying 
their  own  desires,  and  following  their  own 
methods.  They  were  a  marked  and  pe- 
culiar people.  The  good  and  evil  traits 
in  their  character  were  such  as  naturally 
belonged  to  a  strong,  harsh  and  homely 
race,  which,  with  all  its  shortcomings, 
was  nevertheless  bringing  a  tremendous 
work  to  a  triumphant  conclusion.  The 
backwoodsmen  were  above  all  things 
characteristically  American ;  and  it  is  fit- 
ting that  the  two  greatest  and  most  typical 
•of  all  Americans  should  have  been  re- 
spectively a  sharer  and  an  outcome  of 
their  work.  Washington  himself  passed 
the  most  important  years  of  his  life  head- 
ing the  westward  movement  of  his  people. 


Clad  in  the  traditional  dress  of  the  back- 
woodsmen, in  tasselled  hunting-shirt  and 
fringed  leggings,  he  led  them  to  battle 
against  the  French  and  Indians,  and 
helped  to  clear  the  way  for  the  American 
advance.  The  only  other  man  who  in  the 
American  roll  of  honor  stands  by  the  side 
of  Washington,  was  born  when  the  dis- 
tinctive work  of  the  pioneers  had  ended ; 
and  yet  he  was  bone  of  their  bone  and 
flesh  of  their  flesh ;  for  from  the  loins  of 
this  gaunt  frontier  folk  sprang  mighty 
Abraham  Lincoln." 

It  is  more  than  a  coincidence  that  this 
tribute  to  the  Man  of  the  West  should 
have  come  from  one  who  himself  is  pass- 
ing through  the  gamut  of  American  pos- 
sibilities ;  from  one  who,  clad  in  buckskin 
and  with  rifle  in  hand,  has  known  the  stir- 
ring life  of  a  western  frontiersman,  and 
who  today  leads  the  nation  to  new  and 
wider  destinies  ;  from  that  most  American 
of  present-day  Americans,  Theodore 
Roosevelt. 

We  have  seen  that  it  took  a  peculiar 
people  to  win  the  west ;  that  their  chief 
peculiarity  was  a  passion  for  independ- 
ence ;  that  they  went  west  to  realize  it, 
where  old  laws  and  customs  had  not  been 
established ;  that  they  chose  the  hardest 
and  most  perilous  route ;  and  that  they  did 
so  because  easier  trails  could  be  entered 
by  first  bowing  to  aristocracy  and  accept- 
ing servile  positions. 

In  the  old  days  Pennsylvania  fostered 
man's  high  desire  for  independence  until 
it  grew  strong  enough  to  overturn  the 
ancient  order  and  dared  make  a  new  and 
better  one.  But  she  did  more  than  this. 
Into  the  worn-out  body  of  society  she 
breathed  the  new  spirit  of  justice  toward 
all  and  of  malice  toward  none.  She  first 
made  it  tolerable  for  men  of  all  creeds 
and  conditions  to  dwell  peaceably  to- 
gether. And  not  the  west  only,  but  all 
the  world,  owes  to  our  mother-state  this 
pioneer  example  of  mutual  forbearance 
and  brotherly  love. 


FREDERICK    VALENTINE    MELSIIEIMER 


213 


Frederick  Valentine  Melsheimer 


I'.Y    GF.ORC.K    K.    PROWKLL,    YORK,    PA. 


( )  record  the  achievements  of 

Tan  early  investigator  in  the 
field  of  science  is  always  an 
interesting  task.  It  is  my 
province  to  narrate  in  this 
paper,  in  a  brief  way,  all  that 
I  could  learn  of  a  pioneer  student  of 
American  entomology,  who  resided  nearly 
a  quarter  of  a  century  in  Hanover.  York 
county,  Pa.,  where  he  was  also  a  success- 
ful clergyman  and  author. 

His  Early  Life  in  Germany. 

Frederick  Valentine  Melsheimer  was 
born  at  Regenborn  in  the  Dukedom  of 
Brunswick,  Germany,  Sept.  25,  1749. 
John  Sebastian  Melsheimer,  his  father, 
was  well  versed  in  natural  history,  and 
during  the  thirty  years  that  he  served  as 
superintendent  of  forestry  for  the  Duke 
of  Brunswick,  was  a  student  of  botany, 
and  the  medicinal  virtues  of  the  herbs, 
plants  and  trees  of  his  native  country. 

Among  the  books  of  his  library  was  the 
exhaustive  work  written  by  Dr.  Leonard 
Fox.  the  renowned  physician  of 
Tuebingen,  ancf  printed  at  Basle,  in  1543. 

It  was  through  the  inspiration  derived 
from  his  surroundings  in  early  boyhood 
that  Frederick  Valentine  Melsheimer  be- 
came interested  in  the  study  of  natural 
science.  His  father  placed  him  in  a  school 
at  Holzminden  in  1756,  at  the  age  of 
seven.  Here  he  remained  several  years, 
acquiring  the  rudiments  of  his  education. 
When  he  returned  to  his  home,  among 
the  native  groves  and  forests  of  the  Duke, 
he  met  another  young  man  of  studious 
habits  who  afterward  won  distinction  in 
the  field  of  science.  This  v^as  A.  W. 
Knoch.  with  whom  Melsheimer  kept  up 
friendly  relations  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  Together  they  studied  the  elements 
of  botany  and  the  birds  and  insects,  so 
abundant  around  the  picturesque  home  of 
Melsheimer's  parents. 

In  1769.  at  the  age  of  20.  young  Alels- 
heimer  entered  the  University  of  Helm- 
staedt.  where  he  continued  his  scientific 
studies  and  obtained  a  classical  education. 


He  also  prepared  for  the  ministry,  and 
in  1775  was  ordained  a  clergyman  in  the 
Lutheran  Church.  The  following  year  he 
was  appointed  chaplain  of  the  Brunswick 
Dragoons,  auxiliary  troops,  and  came 
with  them  to  Quebec.  Alelsheimer  wrote 
a  diary  of  this  journey  across  the  ocean, 
from  the  time  of  leaving  Wolfenbiittel, 
in  his  native  country,  until  his  arrival  at 
Quebec,  July  i,  1776.  This  journal  was 
published  during  the  latter  part  of  that 
year  by  Justus  Heinrich  Koeber.  at  Min- 
den,  Germany. 

Begins   the  Study   of  American  Entomology. 

Soon  after  his  arival  in  Canada,  Mel- 
sheimer left  the  military  service,  and 
migrated  through  the  northern  frontier, 
to  the  Moravian  settlement  at  Bethlehem, 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  met  some  friends 
who  had  lately  emigrated  from  Germany. 
On  June  3,  1779,  he  was  married  to  Mary 
Agnes  Mann,  of  Bethlehem,  by  whom  he 
had  eleven  children.  The  same  year  he 
became  pastor  of  five  Lutheran  churches 
in  the  region  now  embraced  in  Dauphin 
county.  Pennsylvania.  He  moved  to 
Manheim,  Lancaster  county,  and  in  1785 
to  New  Holland,  in  the  same  county, 
meantime  serving  as  pastor  of  several 
churches  in  the  northern  part  of  Lan- 
caster county.  During  this  period  he  be- 
gan the  study  of  American  entomology. 
His  devotion  to  this  line  of  original  work 
amused  rather  than  interested  some  of  his 
parishioners  when  they  observed  him 
coming  to  their  place  of  worship,  with 
some  new  species  of  bug.  beetle  or  butter- 
fly that  he  had  found  on  his  way  to  this 
country  church.  But  it  was  a  pleasant 
pastime  to  "Prediger"  Melsheimer,  as  well 
as  a  profitable  occupation  for  his  leisure 
hours.  Some  of  these  newly  found  speci- 
mens, unknown  in  his  Fatherland,  he  sent 
across  the  ocean  to  his  friend.  Dr.  Knoch, 
in  Germany. 

His   RelaticLis   to   Franklin    College, 
Lancaster,  Pa. 

In  early  colonial  days  the  German  set- 
tlers who  wanted  to  educate  their  sons  for 


214 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


the    learned    professions,    sent    them    to 
European  institutions.     Benjamin  Frank- 
lin, who  had  always  been  a  friend  of  the 
German  settlers  in  this  country,  secured 
a  charter  from  the  authorities  of  Pennsyl- 
vania for  the  establishment  of  a  college 
for  their  benefit.     This  charter  was  ob- 
tained March   ii,   1787,  and  the  college 
was   to   be    founded   at   Lancaster.      Ten 
thousand  acres  of  land  in  the  mountain 
districts  of  Pennsylvania  were  granted  by 
the  legislature  as  part  of  an  endowment 
for  this  institution.    The  corner  stone  for 
the  college  was  laid  at  Lancaster,  June  16, 
1787,  with  imposing  ceremonies.    Among 
the  trustees  were  General  Thomas  Mifflin, 
Justice  Thomas  McKean,  Dr.  Benjamin 
Rush  and  Robert  Morris.    The  college  as 
then   originated   had   an    English    and    a 
German  department.     Rev.  Henry  Ernst 
Muhlenburg,     then     the     most     learned 
botanist  in  America,  was  chosen  president 
of     the     college.       Frederick     Valentine 
Melsheimer,  was  called  from  his  pastorate 
at   New   Holland  to   take  charge   of  the 
German    department    of    the    institution. 
One-third  of  the  trustees  were  Lutherans, 
one-third    German    Reformed,    and    the 
other    third    represented    other    religious 
denominations.    The  faculty  worked  with 
zeal  and  earnestness  in  order  to  build  up 
an  institution  for  the  benefit  of  the  Ger- 
mans in  this  country.    Benjamin  Franklin, 
after  whom  the  college  was  named,  was 
then  in  the  declining  years  of  his  remark- 
able career.     The  lands  given  to  the  col- 
lege by   the   State   Legislature  of   Penn- 
sylvania did  not  yield  any  revenue.     This 
was  an  obstacle  in  the  way  of  success. 
Muhlenberg  retired  from  the  presidency 
and   Melsheimer  was  chosen  the  second 
president.     He  earnestly  appealed  to  his 
German  friends  to  contribute  to  its  finan- 
cial support,  and  was  an  able  instructor. 
At  one  time  he   reported   an   attendance 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty  students.    On 
account  of  a  lack  of  funds  the  institution 
never  prospered  as  a  college,  and  after- 
ward became   P'ranklin  Academy,  which 
eventually  under  a  new  charter  was  in- 
corporated as  Franklin  college  until  1853, 
when   Marshall   college  at    Mercersburg, 
fovmded  in  1836  by  the  German  Reformed 
church,   was   removed   to   Lancaster  and 


the  new  institution  became  Franklin  and 
Marshall  college. 

Becomes  the  Pastor  of  St.  Matthew's 
Church,  Hanover,  Pa. 

August  19,  1789,  Rev.  Melsheimer  was 
called  to  the  pastorate  of  St.  Matthew's 
church  at  Hanover,  Pa.,  founded  in  1740 
and  the  second  Lutheran  congregation 
west  of  the  Susquehanna  river.  He  con- 
tinued in  this  position  until  his  death. 

It  was  during  his  ministerial  labors  at 
Hanover  that  Frederick  Valentine 
Melsheimer  won  distinction  in  the  field  of 
science.  On  January  16,  1795,  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  American  Philo- 
sophical Society  at  Philadelphia,  the  fore- 
most scientific  body  of  that  time  in  this 
country.  He  enlarged  his  collection  of 
American  insects,  classified,  arranged  and 
mounted  them,  and  exchanged  specimens 
with  his  scientific  correspondents  in 
Europe. 

Prof.  A.  W.  Knoch,  the  eminent  en- 
tomologist of  Germany,  in  a  book  dedi- 
cated to  Melsheimer  and  published  in 
1 80 1,  acknowledged  the  receipt  of  700 
specimens  of  American  insects  from 
Melsheimer.  A  copy  of  this  book  is  now 
in  the  museum  at  Harvard  University. 

Published   the   First  Book  on   American 
Entomology. 

It  was  in  1806  that  Melsheimer  wrote 
a  book  on  entomology.  The  title  page  of 
this  volume  reads  as  follows : 

"A  Catalogue  of  Insects  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, by  Fred.  Val.  Melsheimer,  Minister 
of  the  Gospel,  Hanover,  York  county, 
Pa.,  printed  for  the  author  by  W.  D. 
Lepper,  1806." 

The  preface  reads  thus  : 

"I  hereby  offer  to  the  Friends  of  Natural 
History  a  Catalogue  of  Insects,  in  the  Collec- 
tion of  which  I  have  spent  my  Hours  of  Re- 
creation for  some  Years  past.  To  the  best 
of  my  Knowledge  I  have  but  few  Pre- 
decessors in  the  United  States  in  this  Under- 
taking. For  this  Reason  I  may  calculate 
the  Indulgence  of  the  experienced  Naturalist, 
in  case  some  slight  Errors  should  be  found  in 
it.  It  is  an  undeniable  fact  that  Entomology 
has  been  considerably  extended  by  Americin 
Insects;  but  there  are  many  non-descript 
Genera  and  species,  to  be  met  with  lij'  an  ob- 
servant Naturalist,  which  fully  repay  the 
Trouble  of  his  Exertions.  Hence  arise  the 
urgent  Requests,  and  Invitations  of  European 
Naturalists ;  hence  the  ardent  Desire  to  possess 
American     Insects,    and    this    is    likewise    the . 


FREDERICK   VALENTINE    MELSHEIMER 


215 


strongest  Inducement  for  American  Entomo- 
logists to  make  themselvvs  more  intimately  ac- 
quainted with  the  Production  of  their  Country. 
Should  the  present  Undertaking  meet  the 
Approbation  of  tlie  PViends  of  Natural  History 
in  t'he  United  States,  then  this  Catalogue  will 
be  continued   from  1  ime  to  Time. 

"The  Subscriber  at  the  same  time  is  willing, 
if  approved  of,  to  exchange  such  insects,  as  he 
possesses  in  duplo,  for  others  which  are  want- 
ing in  his  Collection.  Should  there  be  any 
Friends  of  Natural  History,  who  wish  for  a 
Collection  of  Insects,  I  am  inclined  to  supply 
them  with  one  Subject  of  each  Species  at  the 
Rate  of  Five  Dollars  per  Hundred. 

"In  the  Classification  of  my  Collection  I  have 
followed  the  System  of  Fabricius ;  although  I 
wish  it  to  be  known,  that  I  am  much  indebted 
for  the  Arrangement  relative  to  Classification 
to  the  Instructions  of  Professor  Knoch  in 
Brunswick  in  Germany,  with  whom  I  have 
corresponded  for  many  years  past.  With 
Pleasure  I  should  have  made  some  Observa- 
tions on,  and  given  a  short  Descrip'tion  of  some 
of  the  most  important  Subjects,  if  Time  and 
other  Occupations  had  permitted.  Probably  it 
may  be  done  in  a  Supplement  to  the  Catalogue 
now  contemplated  to  be  published. 

"Hanover,  York  County,  State  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, August,   1806. 

"FRED.    VAL.    MELSHEIMER, 
"Minister  of  the  Gospel." 

This  little  book,  of  sixty  pages,  was  the 
pioneer  work  on  the  science  of  Ento- 
mology in  this  country,  and  gave  occasion 
for  the  renowned  scientist,  Thomas  Say, 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  Academy  of 
Natural  Sciences  at  Philadelphia  and  the 
author  of  the  work  on  "American  Ento- 
mology" published  in  1824,  to  designate 
Melsheimer  the  "Father  of  American  En- 
tomology." 

The  Contents   of  This  'Rare  Book. 

Dr.  E.  A.  Swartz,  of  the  Bureau  of 
Entomology  at  Washington,  D.  C,  in 
1895  wrote  an  extended  review,  showing 
the  position  of  this  work  and  its  import- 
ance to  natural  science.     He  says  : 

"This  book  was  intended  to  contain  a  cata- 
logue of  the  insects  of  North  American  which 
were  then  known  to  the  science  of  entomology. 
It  has  been  frequently  referred  to  in  both 
European  and  American  scientific  literature. 
It  contains  a  classification  of  1363  species  of 
American  insects  and  many  points  of  interest 
that  deserve  to  be  rescued  from  oblivion.  Dr. 
Hagen  says  that  of  the  1363  species  only  205 
are  now  surely  known,  hut  from  the  copy  of 
the  catalogue  before  me  I  find  that  more  than 
twice  tiiat  number  can  be  identified.  This  copy 
kindly  presented  to  me  by  Mr.  B.  P.  Mann  is 
that  used  by  F.  V.  Melsheimer,  and  contains 
numerous  manuscript  corrections  and  additions, 
partly  made  by  the  author  and  partly  made  In 


his  eldest  son,  the  Rev.  J.  F.  Melsheimer,  the 
correspondent  of  Thomas  Say.  The  latest  of 
these  additions  dates  from  the  year  1825.  A 
few  notes  and  an  index,  written  previously  to 
1834,  are  from  the  hand,  writing  of  Dr.  F.  E. 
Melsheimer. 

"Melsheimer  was  not  only  a  collector  of 
specimens,  but  paid  considerable  attention  to 
food  habits  and  modes  of  occurrence.  He  sent 
many  of  his  American  specimens  to  corres- 
pondents in  Europe,  especially  to  Prof.  A.  W. 
Knoch,  of  Brunswick,  Germany.  These  speci- 
rnens  were  accompanied  by  notes  of  explana- 
tion. A  few  of  these  notes,  but  certainly  not 
the  most  interesting  ones,  were  published  by 
Knoch  in  his  'Neue  Beytraege'  referred  to  by 
Illiger.  In  Melsheimer's  catalogue  are  found 
many  names  of  coleoptera  derived  from  those 
of  the  food  plants  and  it  is  to  be  regretted 
that  only  a  few  of  them  could  have  been  re- 
tained. 

"Not  the  least  interesting  feature  of  the  cata- 
logue are  Melsheimer's  references  to  economic 
entomology.  As  a  matter  of  course  the  list 
of  injurious  coleoptera  was  not  as  formidable  at 
the  beginning  of  this  century  as  it  is  now. 
Some  of  the  most  destructive  species  had  not 
yet  been  brought  over  from  Europe  at  that 
time,  and  many  of  our  native  species  were  not 
so  injurious  then  as  they  are  now.  They  are 
simply  enumerated  in  the  catalogue,  and  some 
of  them  are  not  mentioned  at  all ;  or,  at  least, 
they  cannot  be  recognized  among  the  manu- 
script names.  The  scientific  names  of  those 
species  which  Melsheimer  considered  as  espe- 
cially injurious  are  accompanied  by  the  popu- 
lar names,  while  footnotes  refer  to  the  nature 
of  the  damage,  or  even,  in  two  instances,  rec- 
ommend remedial  measure." 

Dr.  Carl  Zimmerman,  the  distinguished 
scientist,  in  order  to  find  out  all  that 
could  be  learned  of  F.  V.  Melsheimer, 
visited  Hanover  before  railroads  were 
extended  to  that  town.  From  his  manu- 
script diary  I  have  taken  the  following: 
_  "From  York,  Pennsylvania,  I  walked 
eighteen  miles  southwest  to  Hanover,  where  I 
arrived  January  7,  1834.  Introduced  to  Mr. 
Lange,  the  editor  of  the  Hanover  Gazette, 
I  was  informed  by  him  that  the  elder  Mels- 
heimer had  died  twenty  years  before.  Mr. 
Lange  had  been  well  acquainted  with  him,  and 
the  widow  and  several  children  are  still  liv- 
ing in  the  town." 

Two    Sous     Become     Entomologists. 

Rev.  John  F.  Melsheimer,  who  suc- 
ceeded his  father  as  pastor  of  St.  Mat- 
thew's Lutheran  church,  had  died  Feb. 
14,  1829,  or  five  years  before  Zimmer- 
man's arrival  at  Hanover.  Rev.  Mels- 
heimer had  been  prepared  for  the  min- 
istry under  the  instruction  of  his  father. 
He  was  an  eloquent  preacher  in  the  Eng- 
lish and  German  languages.     He  took  up 


2l6 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


the  study  of  entomology  witli  liis  father, 
and  continued  it  during  tlie  remainder  of 
his  life,  keeping  up  a  continuous  corre- 
spondence with  Thomas  Say,  of  Phila- 
delphia, whom  he  had  frequently  met. 
Many  of  the  letters  written  by  Say  to 
Rev.  John  F.  Melsheimer  and  his  father 
were  afterwards  presented  by  Frederick 
Ernst  Melsheimer  to  the  Academy  of 
Natural  Science  at  Philadelphia.  They 
had  recently  been  published  by  Mr.  Wil- 
liam J.  Fox,  the  entomologist  of  that  in- 
stitution. They  relate  to  species  of  in- 
sects, newly  discovered  by  these  ento- 
mologists. 

After  the  death  of  John  F.  Melsheimer, 
the  collection  of  insects,  made  by  him- 
self and  his  father,  came  into  the  posses- 
sion of  his  brother,  Frederick  Ernst  Mels- 
heimer, who  had  studied  medicine  and 
was  graduated  from  the  University  of 
Maryland.  He  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  medicine  at  Davidsburg,  in  York 
county. 

When  Dr.  Zimmerman  heard  of  this 
he  drove  to  Dover  township  to  visit  Dr. 
Melsheimer.  He  found  that  he  lived  in 
a  plain  home  in  the  center  of  a  grove  of 
native  trees  and,  in  his  diary,  Zimmer- 
man  savs : 

"I  found  his  wife  at  the  spinning  wheel.  The 
reception  was  indeed  a  cordial  one,  and  when 
he  heard  that  his  father's  book  was  well  known, 
and  was  mentioned  in  German,  English  and 
French  works,  which  he  never  dreamed  of,  he 
became  animated  and  talked  with  great  inter- 
est on   entomological  matters  and  books." 

Zimmerman  wondered  at  this,  and  soon 
found  that  Dr.  Melsheimer  himself  was 
a  devotee  of  the  science,  as  well  as  his 
deceased  father  and  brother.  They 
looked  over  the  collection  of  specimens 
which  were  kept  in  good  order,  and  all 
the  labels  of  his  father's  hand-writing 
were  correctly  attached. 

Twice  more,  in  1839,  Dr.  Zimmerman 
visited  IMelsheimer,  in  company  with 
Rev.  D.  Ziegler,  of  York,  who  then  began 
to  turn  his  attention  to  entomology. 

The    Melsheimer    Collection. 

It  was  in  i860  that  Dr.  Melsheimer 
came  into  correspondence  with  Prof. 
Louis  Agassiz,  the  great  naturalist  and 
founder  of  the  Museum  of  Comparative 
Zoology  at  Harvard  University.  This 
correspondence  led  to  a  description  of  the 


Melsheimer  collection  of  insects,  which 
induced  Agassiz  to  visit  Davidsburg,  and 
in  1864  he  sent  a  representative  to  Mels- 
heimer and  purchased  the  entire  collec- 
tion and  immediately  sent  it  to  his 
museum  at  Harvard. 

In  his  annual  report  to  the  trustees  of 
the  museum  at  Harvard  for  the  year  1864, 
Prof.  Agassiz  says : 

"The  museum  has  obtained,  with  the  Gray- 
Fund,  the  extensive  type  collections  of  insects 
from  Dr.  F.  E.  Melsheimer  and  Rev.  Daniel 
Ziegler,  of  York  county,  Pennsylvania.  The 
former  of  these  was  the  first  considerable  col- 
lection ever  brought  together  in  the  United 
States,  and  was  commenced  more  than  80 
years  ago  by  Frederick  V.  Melsheimer.  Most 
of  the  oldest  of  these  specimens,  notwithstand- 
ing their  age,  are  in  a  fine  state  of  preserva- 
tion." 

Prof.  H.  A.  Hagen,  who  succeeded 
Agassiz  as  the  curator  of  the  museum, 
describes  the  IMelsheimer  collection  re- 
ceived at  Harvard  as  follows : 

"The  Melsheimer  collections  when  pur- 
chased filled  41  wooden  boxes  lO^  x  14  inches 
and  2  inches  high,  each  one  lined  inside  with 
Helianthus  pith.  It  contained,  netto,  5,302  spe- 
cies, with  14,774  specimens.  Of  this  number, 
2,200  species  belonged  to  the  United  States ; 
1,894  species  from  Europe;  422  from  Brazil; 
8  from  Mexico;  9  from  West  Indies;  4  from 
Siberia ;  China,  74 ;  Java,  8 ;  Africa,  39 ; 
Australia,  14.  The  other  insects  were 
Hymenoptera,  148  species;  Hemniptera,  28; 
European   Deptera,  90;   Lepidoptera,  none. 

"The  collection  shows  that  the  Alelsheimtrs 
in  their  investigations  corresponded  with  scien- 
tists in  foreign  countries  and  exchanged  speci- 
mens. 

"The  collection  mentioned  above  as  procured 
by  Agassiz  was  made  by  the  elder  Melsheimer 
and  his  son,  John  F.  Melsheimer.  A  few, 
however,  were  added  by  Dr.  Melsheimer." 

I  saw  this  collection  at  Harvard  in 
1886  when  Prof.  Hagen  was  in  charge 
of  the  musetim.  He  was  then  engaged  in 
taking  the  s])ecimens  out  of  the  original 
boxes  in  which  the  Melsheimers  had 
placed  them,  and  putting  them  with  other 
entomological  specimens  in  the  museum. 
This  work  was  afterward  completed  by 
his  successor.  Prof.  Henshaw,  who 
showed  me  the  entire  collection  in  1898. 
Every  speciiuen  is  labeled  in  the  hand- 
writing of  the  elder  Melsheimer  and  his 
son,  John  F.  Melsheimer,  so  as  to  dis- 
tinguish the  identity  of  the  person  who 
made  the  collection. 

Dr.  Frederick  Ernst  Melsheimer  was 
president  of  the  American  Entomological 


FRF.DERICK    VALENTINE    MPZLSHEIMER 


217 


Society  in  1853.  The  object  of  this  so- 
ciety was  to  publish  the  known  coleoptera 
of  the  United  States.  Rev.  Daniel  Zieg- 
ler  and  Dr.  Melshcimer  were  co-laborers 
in  this  important  work,  and  the  book  was 
soon  after  published  and  is  now  very 
valuable  in  scientific  circles.  This  work 
was  revised  h\  the  late  I'rof.  S.  S.  Halde- 
man  and- J.  L.  LeConle  in  1853,  ^"<^1  pub- 
lished by  the  Smithsonian  Institution  at 
Washington. 

Dr.  Frederick  Ernst  Melsheimer  was 
the  third  of  the  name  who  acquired  fame 
in  the  science  of  entomology.  He  was 
also  interested  in  the  science  of  astrono- 
my, having  a  mounted  telescope  in  front 
of  his  house  with  which  he  entertained 
his  visitors  looking  through  it  at  the  sun, 
moon  and  stars.  He  died  at  Davidsburg, 
March  10,  1873.  ^t  the  age  of  91  years. 
He  was  succeeded  in  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine by  his  son,  Dr.  Edward  Melsheimer, 
who  died  at  Davidsburg  a  few  years  ago. 

Frederick  Valentine  Melsheimer,  the 
founder  of  the  family  in  America,  ob- 
tained a  liberal  education,  and  was  a  man 
of  scholarly  attainments.  He  published 
his  first  book  in  America  at  Hanover, 
Pa.,  in  1797.  This  work  is  an  account 
of  a  theological  controversy  which  he 
had  with  Rev.  Father  Brosius,  pastor  of 
the  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  situ- 
ated on  the  Conewago  creek,  near  Han- 
over. He  wrote  and  published,  at  Han- 
over, in  1809,  a  work  on  "Christian 
Worship   and   the   Beauty   of   Holiness," 


and  "The  Truth  of  the  Christian  Re- 
ligion," published  at  l^rederick.  Maryland^ 
in  1811. 

Melsheimer  as  a  Scholar. 

The  clear  and  forcible  statement  in  the 
preface  of  Melsheimer's  work  on  ento- 
mology shows  that  its  author  was  well 
versed  in  the  English  language.  His 
other  books  were  all  printed  in  German,, 
in  which  he  excelled,  both  as  a  scholar 
and  a  rhetorician.  He  obtained  a  thor- 
ough education  in  the  institutions  of  his 
native  land,  and  was  a  student  of  science 
and  theology  during  his  entire  profes- 
sional career.  In  polemical  literature  he 
excelled,  because  he  wrote  in  calm  de- 
liberation, and  with  an  intelligent  com- 
prehension of  the  meaning  of  the  words 
he  used  to  express  his  thoughts.  This 
faculty  made  him  strong  in  debate,  and 
forceful  in  argument.  His  published  con- 
troversy with  Rev.  Brosius  is  a  model 
of  its  kind  of  literature.  In  his  last  work, 
"The  Occupation  of  the  Heart  with  God,"" 
^Melsheimer  writes  with  rhythmic  beauty 
of  language,  and  with  a  fervency  of  tone 
and  spirit  that  evinces  a  character  of 
loftiest  devotion  and  the  deepest  rever- 
ence. A  lingering  sickness  prevented  him 
from  completing  the  second  part  of  his 
work  on  entomology.  He  was  one  of  the 
ablest  of  the  early  Lutheran  clergymen 
in  America,  and  an  intimate  friend  of 
the  Muhlenbergs,  who  controlled  a  large 
and  beneficial  influence  among  the  Ger- 
man settlers  of  Pennsvlvania. 


Himmelsbrief 


X  the  February  issue  of  The 
Pennsylvania-German,  a 
correspondent  asked  for  a 
"Hinimclsbricf."  This  re- 
quest called  forth  a  number 
of  letters  to  the  editor,  the 
gist  of  which  is  submitted  herewith. 

Copies  of  "Himmelsbrief"  were  re- 
ceived from  Philadelphia  and  from  Le- 
high, Berks,  Montgomery,  Carbon  and 
Lebanon  counties,  representing  at  least 
ten  different  editions.  Prof.  Fogel's  com- 
munication shows  that  the  letters  are  also 
procurable  in  York  and  Lancaster. 


The  copies  that  came  under  our  observ- 
ation may  be  classified  as 

A — The    Meckelburg    Letter. 

This  letter — a  broadside  ii>2  by  8 
inches,  with  border,  was  printed  by  Hein- 
rich  Kapp  in  the  year  1725,  in  "Kollen." 
We  give  a  copy  of  the  letter  at  the  end 
of  this  article. 

B The   St.   Germain   Letter. 

CJf  this  letter  three  different  editions  of 
the  same  text  came  to  our  hand.  These 
are  broadsides  measuring  respectively  14 
by  18,  ioy2  by  15^  and  12  by  18  inches. 
Each    is    surrounded    bv    an    ornamental 


2l8 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


border.     The  "letter"  is  followed  by  88 
lines  of  exhortative  and  devotional  poetry. 
A  translation  of  the  letter  will  be  found  at 
the  end  of  this  article. 
C — The    Magdeburg   Letter. 

Of  this,  copies  of  three  German  editions 
were  received  containing  the  same  text 
which  is  quoted  by  Prof.  Fogel.  The 
oldest  of  these  is  a  broadside  seemingly 
without  border,  of  which  the  print  meas- 
ures 6/4  by  Gy?  inches. 

The  most  elaborate  edition  is  a  cloth- 
mounted  broadside  14^  by  19  inches, 
lithographed  by  A.  KoUner,  Philadelphia. 
The  border  and  some  of  the  words  are 
printed  in  blue  and  gold.  As  ornaments, 
two  flying  angels,  a  standing  Christ  and 
two  eyes  with  balances  are  used.  Prof. 
Fogel  quotes  this  letter  in  his  communi- 
cation. 
D — The  Holsteiner  Letter. 

The  copy  submitted,  an  English  trans- 
lation entitled  "House  and  Charm 
Writing,"  is  a  recent  print,  judged  by 
paper  and  type.  The  text  varies  widely 
from  that  given  by  Prof.  Fogel.  Some 
of  the  variations  affect  only  the  phrase- 
ology, others  the  idea  conveyed;  of  the 
latter  the  following  is  an  illustration.  The 
sentence  in  the  letter  quoted  by  Prof. 
Fogel :  "Who  does  not  believe  in  it  may 
copy  it  and  tie  it  to  the  neck  of  a  dog  and 
shoot  at  him,  he  will  see  this  is  true,"  is 
in  the  place  of  the  following  in  the  other 
letter:  "Who  will  not  believe  this  take 
note  of  him  and  hang  him  for  a  day 
and  shoot  him  so  that  he  will  learn  that 
it  is  true"  (a  rather  severe  and  drastic 
method  of  argument). 

E — Himmelsbrief  of   1815. 

The  Pennsylvania  Historical  Society  li- 
brary has  in  its  collection  of  broadsides, 
one  published  in  1815  measuring  13^  by 
153^  inches,  and  opening  wii-h  these 
words :  "HIMMELS-BRIEF  nach 
■welchcn  sick  jedcr  khigc  Haus-Vater  mit 
seiner  Familie  rich  ten  soil  nni  einsf  an 
den  art  cu  konunen  I'on  ivoher  dicser 
Brief  an  alle  niensch:n.  wes  sfandes  sie 
sind  gercdet  ist,  nemlich  in  den  Him- 
inel."  A  section  of  33  lines  follows,  be- 
ginning with  the  words.  "Also  gebietet 
der  Hrrr  des  Hininicls  nnd  der  Erde." 
'"Ein    Schon    Gcbct"    takes    up    18    lines. 


Four  stanzas  of  8  Hues  each  end  the  "let- 
ter." 

A  lack  of  space  does  not  permit  a  fuller 
discussion  of  these  letters.  We  have  only 
referred  to  those  that  came  under  our  im- 
mediate observation.  But  even  these  are 
evidence  that  there  has  been  a  widespread 
circulation  of  these  broadsides.  We  must 
not  forget,  however,  in  passing  that  the 
fads  and  fancies,  the  isms  and  ologies,  the 
superstitions,  rampant  today  are  not  con- 
fined to  the  "Dutch"  nor  to  Pennsylvania. 

We  give  herewith  several  communica- 
tions bearing  on  the  subject.  The  first 
of  these  is  by  Prof.  E.  M.  Fogel,  Ph.D., 
of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  who 
is  thoroughly  versed  on  this  and  kindred 
subjects. 

THE  "HIMMELSBRIEF." 

E.   M.  FOGEL,_PH.D.,  UNIVERSITY  OF  PENNSYLVANIA. 

The  "Himmelsbrief,"  or  "letter  of  Jesus 
Christ,"  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  purports  to 
have  been  written  by  Christ  himself  or  by  the 
archangel  Michael.  It  is  an  earnest  admoni- 
tion to  sinful  man  to  repent — and  it  is  in  this 
very  admonition  that  we  can  see  strong  traces 
of  the  primitive  "heidcntum"  (heathenism)  of 
the  Germans  under  the  garb  of  Christianity, 
for  the  spirit  throughout  the  entire  "letter"  is 
not  that  of  love,  but  has  much  of  the  martial 
setting  of  the  Old  Saxon  Heiland.  This  is 
particularly  the  case  with  the  "letter  sent  to 
Mechelburg  in  the  country  of  Brittania." 

I  am  firmly  of  the  opinion  that  we  have  in 
all  of  the  "letters"  a  strong  Christian  setting 
to  an  old  heathen  Zauher-  or  Scgens-formel 
(powwowing  formula).  For  we  know  that 
many  of  the  powwowing  formulas  still  extant 
among  the  Pennsylvania-Germans  can  be  traced 
back  to  their  originals  in  the  manuscripts  of 
the  Middle  Ages  found  in  the  old  German 
cloisters.  But  what  has  the  powwowing  form- 
ula to  do  with  the  "Himmelsbrief"?  It  shows 
that  the  Himmelsbrief  is  closely  related  to 
the  powwowing  formula,  and  the  powwowing 
formula  is  easily  traced  back  to  the  ninth  and 
tenth  centuries.  Among  these  may  be  men- 
tioned the  Merseburger  Zaubcrspri'ichc,  the 
Lorscher  Bienenscgcn  of  the  ninth  century  and 
the  Wiener  Hundscgen  of  the  tenth  century, 
and  on  English  soil  the  Anglo-Saxon  Sprucii 
gegen  Hcxenschuss* 

The  essential  difference  between  the  "Him- 
melsbrief" and  the  powwowing  formula  is  that 
the  former  is  used  to  ward  off  hell,  disease 
and  disaster,  while  the  latter  is  used  principally 
in  either  curing  disease  or  effecting  a  charm. 
The  former,  moreover,  is  to  be  circulated  as 
much  as  possible,  but  the  latter  loses  its  charm 
unless  communicated  by  and  to  persons  of 
opposite  sex,  and  usually  in  a  whisper. 

Both    of    these    are    also    closely    related    to 
such   books   as:    Sixth  and  ScvcntJi   Books  of 
*Cf.    Kogel,   Litteratur  Geschiclite    i.    i.  p.   93. 


HIMMELSBRIEF 


219 


Mvscs;  Eighth  and  Ninth  Books  of  Moses; 
Albert  us  Magnus;  Hohmann's  Long  Lost 
Friend,   etc.,   etc. 

There  are  many  versions  of  the  Himmcls- 
brief,  among  them  being:  the  Magdeburger, 
the  Holsteiner,  the  Neu-Ruppiner,  the  Meckel- 
Tjurger,  the  St.  Germainer  and  others.  The 
Magdeburger  is  probably  the  commonest 
throughout  the  Pennsylvania-German  district, 
altho  the  Holsteiner  can  be  bought,  t'.  g.,  in 
Allentown,  Reading,  Lancaster  and  York. 

To  give  the  reader  some  idea  of  the  "letter" 
I  shall  here  give  only  several  specimens,  for 
want  of  space.  The  English  version  given  be- 
low is  a  very  poor  translation,  the  German 
version   being   the    Magdeburger. 

EIN  BRIEF 

so  VON 

GOTT 

selbsten  geschrieben  und  zu  Magdeburg 
niedergelassen  worden  ist. 

Er  war  mit  goldenen  Buchstaben  ge- 
schrieben und  von  Gott  durch  einen  Engel 
gesandt  worden ;  wer  ihn  abschreiben  will 
den  soil  man  ihn  geben,  wer  ihn  verachtet, 
von  dem  weichet  DER  HERR. 

Wer  am  Sonntag  arbeitet,  der  ist  ver- 
flucht.  Dennoch  gebiete  ich,  dasz  ihr  am 
Sonntag  nicht  arbeitet,  sondern  andachtig 
in  die  Kirche  gehet,  aber  euer  Angesicht 
nicht  schmiicket ;  ihr  soUt  nicht  fremdes 
Haar  tragen,  und  sollt  nicht  Hoffart 
treiben :  von  eurem  Reichthum  sollt  ihr 
den  Armen  geben,  reichlich  mittheilen  und 
glauben  dasz  dieser  Brief  mit  meiner 
eigenen  Hand  geschrieben  und  von  Christo 
selbsten  ausgesandt  sey,  und  dasz  ihr  nicht 
thut  wie  das  unverniinftige  Vieh ;  ihr  habt 
sechs  Tage  in  der  Woche,  darinnen  sollt 
ihr  cure  Arbeit  verrichten,  aber  den  sieben- 
ten  (namlich  den  Sonntag)  sollt  ihr  heil- 
igen :  werdet  ihr  das  nicht  thun,  so  will 
ich  Krieg,  Hunger,  Pestilenz  und  Theur- 
ung  unter  euch  schicken  und  euch,  einem 
jeden,  er  sey  wer  er  wolle,  Jung  und  Alt, 
Klein  und  Grosz,  dasz  ihr  am  Samstag  nie 
spat  arbeitet,  sondern  ihr  sollt  cure  Siinden 
bereuen,  auf  dasz  sie  euch  mogen  vergeben 
werden.  Begehret  auch  nicht  Silber  und 
Gold,  treibet  nicht  Fleischeslust  und  Be- 
gierden ;  denket  dasz  ich  euch  gemacht 
habe  und  wicder  zernichten  kann. 

Freuet  euch  nicht.  wenn  euer  Nachbar 
arm  ist.  habt  vielmehr  mitleiden  mit  ihm, 
so   wird   es   euch   wohl   gehen. 

Ihr  Kinder!  ehret  Vater  und  Mutter,  so 
wird  es  euch  wohl  gehen  auf  Erden.  Wer 
dies  nicht  glaubt  und  halt,  der  ist  ver- 
dammt  und  verloren.  Ich,  Jesus,  habe 
dieses  selbsten  mit  meiner  eigenen  Hand 
•geschrieben.  wer  es  widerspricht.  und 
lastert.  derselbe  Mensch  soli  keine  Hiilfe 
von  mir  zu  erwarten  haben,  wer  den  Brief 
hat  und  ihn  nicht  offenbaret,  der  ist  ver- 
rtucht  von  der  christlichen  Kirche,  und 
wenn   eure   Siinden   noch   so  grosz   wiiren, 


sollen  sie  euch,  wo  ihr  herzlich  Reue  und 
Leid  habt,  vergeben  werden. 

Wer  es  nicht  glaubet,  der  soil  sterben 
und  in  der  Holle  gepeinigt  werden,  auch 
ich  werde  am  jiingsten  '1  age  fragen  um 
eurer  Siinden  willen,  da  ihr  mir  dann  ant- 
worten   miisset. 

Und  derjenige  Mensch,  so  diesen  Brief 
bei  sich  tragt,  oder  in  seuiem  Hause  hat, 
dem  wird  kein  Donnerwetter  Schaden  zu- 
fiigen,  er  wird  fijr  Feuer  und  Wasser 
sicher  sem  und  wer  ihr.  otfenbaret  vor  den 
menschen  kindern  der  wird  seinen  Lohn 
haben  und  frohliches  Abscheiden  aus  dieser 
Welt  empfangen. 

Haltet  meinen  Befehl,  den  ich  euch 
durch  meinen  Engel  gesandt  habe.  Ich 
wahrer  Gott  vom  Himmelsthron,  Gottes 
und  Maria  Sohn.     Amen. 

Dies  ist  geschehen  zu  Magdeburg  im 
Jahre   1783. 

In  the  name  of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and 
the  Holy  Ghost,  as  Christ  stopped  at  the 
Mount,  sword  or  guns,  shall  stop  whoever 
carries  this  letter  with  him!  He  shall  not 
be  damaged  through  the  enemies'  guns  or 
weapons,  God  will  give  strength !  that  he 
may  not  fear  robbers  or  murderers  and 
guns,  pistols,  sword  and  musket  shall  not 
be  hurt  through  by  the  cannon  of  angel 
Michael.  In  the  name  of  the  Father,  the 
Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost.  God  be  with 
you  and  whosoever  carries  this  letter  with 
him  shall  be  protected  against  all  danger, 
and  who  does  not  believe  in  it  may  copy 
it  and  tie  it  to  the  neck  of  a  dog  and  shoot 
at  him  he  will  see  this  is  true.  Whosoever 
has  this  letter  shall  not  be  taken  prisoner 
nor  wounded  by  the  enemy.  Amen.  As 
true  as  it  is  that  Jesus  Christ  died  and 
ascended  to  heaven  and  suffered  on  earth 
by  the  living  God,  the  Father,  the  Son, 
the  Holy  Ghost,  I  pray  in  the  name  of 
Christ's  blood,  that  no  ball  shall  hit  me, 
be  it  of  gold,  silver,  lead  or  metal.  God 
in  Heaven  may  deliver  me  of  all  sins  in 
the  name  of  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

This  letter  was  found  in  Holstein,  1724, 
where  it  fell  from  heaven;  it  was  written 
with  Golden  letters  and  moved  over  the 
Baptism  of  Madagmery  and  when  they 
tried  to  seize  it,  it  disappeared  until  1791. 
That  everybody  may  copy  it  and  communi- 
cate it  to  the  world  then  it  is  further  writ- 
ten, whoever  works  on  Sunday  he  shall  be 
condemned ;  neither  shall  you  not  work 
on  Sunday  but  go  to  cluirch  and  give  the 
poor  of  your  wealth  for  vou  shall  not  like 
the  reasonless  animal.  I  command  you  si.\ 
days  you  shall  work  and  on  the  seventh 
day  you  shall  listen  to  the  holy  word  of 
God,  if  you  do  not  do  so  I  will  punish  you 
with  hard  times,  epidemics  and  war.  I 
command  you  that  you  shall  not  w(5rk  too 
late  on  Saturday.  Let  you  be  rich  or  poor, 
you    shall    pray    for    your    sirs    that    they 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


may  be  forgiven.  Do  not  swear  by  his 
name,  do  not  desire  gold  or  silver,  do  not 
fear  the  intrigues  of  men,  and  be  sure  as 
fast  as  I  can  crush  you.  Also  be  not  false 
with  your  tongue,  respect  father  and 
mother,  do  not  bear  false  witness  against 
your  neighbor,  and  I  will  give  you  good 
health  and  peace,  but  he  who  does  not  will 
not  believe  in  it  he  shall  not  have  happi- 
ness or  blessing.  If  you  do  not  convert 
yourself  you  certainly  will  be  punished  at 
the  day  of  judgment  when  you  cannot  ac- 
count for  your  sins.  Whoever  has  this 
letter  in  his  house  no  lightning  shall  strike 
it  and  whosoever  carries  this  letter  shall 
bring  forward  fruits,  keep  my  command- 
ments which  I  have  sent  to  you  through 
my  angels  in  the  name  of  my  son  Jesus 
Christ.     Amen. 


The  followinjT^  lines  come  from  a  well 
and  favorably  known  editor  and  pub- 
lisher : 

In  response  to  a  request  in  the  February 
number  of  The  Pennsylvania-German  I  wish 
to  state  that  I  am  familiar  with  the  document 
which  has  been  employed  extensively  to  fool 
and  rob  overcredulous  and  superstitious  people. 
I  have  been  in  possession  of  a  copy  of  the 
"Letters  from  Heaven"  for  many  years,  and 
have  seen  it  in  numerous  families  in  eastern 
Pennsylvania. 

This  letter  claims  to  have  been  written  by 
the  Lord  Himself  in  heaven  with  golden  let- 
ters, and  let  down  from  heaven  in  the  city  of 
Magdeburg,  Germany,  in  the  year  1783.  As  a 
matter  of  course  it  was  at  first  printed  in 
German,  but  is  now  also  printed  in  English 
and  peddled  through  the  country  and  sold  to 
foolish  people.  I  will  not  mention  any  of 
the  several  firms  which  now  publish  this  docu- 
ment, or  that  would  be  calculated  to  advertise 
a  humbug.  But  it  is  said  that  publishers  lend 
themselves  to  encourage  a  fraud,  and  all  for 
the  love  of  money.  I  presume  they  do  this 
upon  the  principle  that  business  is  business 
and  that  in  business  anything  is  legitimate 
which  makes  money.  I  know  that  some 
of  those  engaged  in  this  traffic  are  church 
members. 

The  writer  has  known  people  who  lield  this 
letter  in  the  highest  veneration  or  as  a  com- 
munication coming  directly  from  God.  In 
the  beginning  it  is  stated  that  whoever  dis- 
regards the  letter  will  be  forsaken  of  t-he 
Lord.  The  contents  bear  the  strongest  evi- 
dence of  fraud.  The  admonitions  are  crude 
and  in  some  instances  ridiculous.  The  lan- 
guage is  very  simple,  such  as  the  most  com- 
mon people  employ  in  speaking  to  their  chil- 
dren. 

In  the  beginning  it  is  stated  that  the  letter 
was  written  by  God;  in  the  body  Jesus  is  made 
to  say'that  He  wrote  it  with  His  own  hand. 
Then  follows  the  warning  that  whoever  con- 
tradicts or  blasphemes  it  will  be  condemned 
by    the    Christian    Church.      Whoever    doubts 


this  shall  die  and  be  tortured  in  hell.  A  large 
part  of  the  Letter  is  taken  up  with  the  admoni- 
tion to  observe  the  Sabbath,  as  if  there  were 
no  other  commandments.  People  are  admon- 
ished never   to   work   late   on    Saturday. 

Finally,  the  Letter  states  that  whoever  car- 
ries it  with  him  or  keeps  it  in  his  house  shall 
sustain  no  damage  from  lightning,  and  will  be 
free  from  fire  and  water ;  and  whoever  will 
reveal  the  Letter  to  the  people  will  have  his 
reward  and  shall  depart  from  the  world  with 
joy.  The  last  sentence  is:  "This  was  done 
at  Magdeburg  in  the  year   1783." 

Such,  in  short,  are  the  contents  of  this  won- 
derful Letter  from  Heaven.  That  many 
eagerly  buy  it  and  value  it  highly  is  only  evi- 
dence of  ignorance  and  superstition  among  our 
people. 


A  widely  known  physician  of  Lebanon 
county  forwarded  these  lines : 

Editor  Pennsylvania-German  :  When  1 
saw  your  "want"  in  the  February  number  of 
The  Pennsylvania-German,  I  at  once  pro- 
cured the  loan  of  two  copies  of  the  Himmels- 
Brief,  which  I  found  within  a  stone's  throw 
of  my  house,  and  I  inclose  a  translation  of 
both.  The  one  is  much  older  than  the  other, 
which  was  "let  down  at  Magdeburg,"  and  be- 
sids  the  "letter"  proper  it  contains  a  "prayer" 
and  a  lengthy  poem  which  I  have  not  trans- 
lated. I  have  quite  often  seen  framed  copies 
hanging  on  the  walls  of  the  living  rooms  and 
sleeping  apartments  of  my  patients,  and  when- 
ever I  spoke  scoffingly  of  them,  my  jests  were 
received  by  the  owners  with  a  reproving  cold- 
ness  of  manner ! 

Where  the  letter  is  printed  I  am  not  able 
to  say,  though  I  presume  it  can  be  bought  at 
any  bookstore  where  German  religious  litera- 
ture is  sold. 

The  copies  which  I  have  seen  were  bought 
from  peddlers  or  tramps,  and  were  presumably 
made    "to    sell." 


The  following  is  the  St.  Germain  letter 
as  translated  by  our  Lebanon  correspon- 
dent. 

A  LETTER   FROM   HEAVEN 

Which  was  written  in  golden  letters,  and 
which  is  to  be  seen  in  St.  Michael's  Church 
at  St.  Germain,  where  it  hovers  over  the  bap- 
tismal font.  When  one  tries  to  grasp  the 
letter  it  moves  away,  but  when  one  wishes  to 
copy  the  same  it  approaches  and  spreads  itself 
out.  In  this  wise  it  has  fceen  distributed  all 
over    the    world. 

Teach  me  that  I  keep  ni}-  commandments. 
Give  to  me,  my  son,  thy  heart. 

Thus  I  command  you.  that  on  Sunday  ye 
do  no  work  on  your  estate  nor  any  other 
work,  but  that  ye  diligently  go  to  churcli  and 
pray  devoutly.  Ye  shall  not  curl  your  hair 
nor  practice  the  vanities  of  the  world,  and  of 
your   wealth   ye   shall   give   to   the   poor.     And 


HIMMELSBRIEP 


ye  shall  believe  that  this  letter  through  my 
divine  hand  has  been  sent  out  by  Jesus  Christ ; 
and  ye  shall  not  act  like  irrational  beasts.  I 
have  given  you  six  days  in  which  to  perform 
your  work,  and  on  Sunday  ye  shall  early 
proceed  to  church  to  hear  the  holv  sermon  and 
listen  to  God's  word.  If  ye  will  not  do  this 
1  will  punish  ye  with  Pestilence,  War  and 
Hard  Times.  1  command  you  that  on  Satur- 
days ye  labor  not  late,  and  that  on  Sundays 
ye  go  to  church  early  with  others,  young  and 
old,  and  there  devoutly  ask  and  pray  that  your 
sins  be  forgiven  you.  Swear  not  in  anger  by 
my  name,  covet  not  silver  and  gold,  and  yearn 
not  after  HesJily  lusts  and  desires.  As  easily 
as  I  created  you,  so  suddenly  can  I  destroy 
you.  No  one  shall  kill  another,  and  with 
your  tongues  be  not  false  to  your  neighbors 
behind  their  backs.  Rejoice  not  in  your  riches. 
Honor  your  father  and  mother ;  speak  not  with 
false  witness  against  your  neighbors  and  I  will 
^ive  you  health  and  peace.  Whoe\~er  believeth 
not  this  letter  and  regulateth  not  his  conduct 
by  it,   shall   have  neither   luck  nor  blessing. 

This  letter  shall  be  copied  by  one  for  an- 
other, and  if  you  do  this,  be  your  sins  as  mani- 
fold as  the  sands  on  the  seashore,  as  numer- 
ous as  the  leaves  of  the  forest,  or  the  stars 
in  the  heavens,  they  shall  be  forgiven  you. 

Believe  wholly  what  this  letter  says  and 
teaches  you,  for  whoever  doth  not  believe  it 
shall  die.  Repent  of  your  sins  or  else  ye 
will  be  eternally  tormented,  and  I  shall  ask 
ye  on  the  Judgment  Day  concerning  your  sins 
and  you  will  have  to  answer.  Whoever  has 
this  letter  in  his  house  or  whoever  carries  it 
•on  his  person,  shall  not  suffer  damage  by 
lightning,  and  it  will  protect  him  from  fire  and 
water.  The  married  woman  who  carries  this 
letter  with  her  shall  bear  happy  and  handsome 
children.  Keep  my  commandments  which  I 
have   sent   to   you   through   niv   angel    Gabriel. 

A  beautiful  Christian  Prayer  to  be  used  at 
all    hours : 

O,  Father,  Son  and  Spirit,  in  essence  One 

Three-fold  in  name,  to  thee,  and  thee  alone. 

My  heart  in  love  and  adoration  swells, 

O  God,  whose  joy  above  in  heaven  dwells. 


The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  Mechel- 
Ijurg  letter : 

Dast  ist  die  Copey  der  griindlichen  Ab- 
.schrift  des 

HEILIGEN     ERZ-EXGELS     SANCT 
MICHAELS  BRIEF. 

Ich  wahres  Jesus  Gottes  Sohn  Amen.  Hier 
hebet  sich  an  das  Gebeth,  welches  Gott  selbst 
geschrieben  hat  und  dem  der  heilige  Engel 
St.  Michael  gesendet  hat  zu  Mechelburg  in 
dem  Land  Brittania.  Dieser  Brief  hanget  vor 
St.  Michaels  Bild,  und  niemand  weisz  woran 
•er  hanget,  er  ist  mit  GiJldenen  Buchstaben 
.geschrieben,  und  wer  ihn  angreifen  will  dem 
weichet  er,  wer  ihn  aber  abscheiben  will,  zu 
dem  neight  er  sich  und  thut  sich  selber  gegen 
ihn  auf. 


Dieweil  Gott  die  Welt  also  geliebt  hat, 
dasz  er  seines  eingebohrnen  Sohns  nicht 
verschont  hat,  wilHglich  dargeben  in  den 
bittern  Todt.  dardtirch  das  menschliche 
Geschlecht  zu  erlosen. 

Titul  unsers  einigen  lirlosers  und  Selig- 
machers,  der  Allmachtige  Jesu  Christi, 
allerweisester,  allerweiseste,  aller  durchlauch- 
tigste  und  uniiber-windlichste,  Fiirst  und  Herr 
Jesus  Christus,  wahrer  Gott  von  Ewigkeit, 
gekronter  Kaiser  der  himmlischcn  Herr- 
scharen,  erwahlter  Konig  zu  Sion  uhd'  des 
ganzen  Erbodens,  zu  aller  Zeit  Mehrer  der 
heiligen  Christi.  KLrchen.  einiger  Hoher 
Priester  und  Erzherzog  der  Ehren,  Her- 
zog  des  Leben,  Margraf  zu  Jerusalem,  Land- 
graf  in  Judaa,  Burggraf  in  Galiaa,  Fiirst  des 
Friedens,  Graf  zu  Bethlehem,  P'reyherr  von 
Nazareth,  Obrister  Kriegsheld  seiner  streiten- 
den  Kirchen,  Ruter  der  hollischen  Pforten, 
Triumphier-Herr,  Sieg  herr  und  Ueber- 
winder  der  Tods  Siinden  und  des  Teufels; 
Herr  der  Herrlichkeit  und  Gerechtigkeit, 
Pfleger  der  Witwen  und  Waisen,  Trost  der 
Armen  und  Verriibten,  Richter  der  Lebendi- 
gen  und  der  Todten  und  des  Himml.  Vaters 
geheimster  und  vertrautester  Rath.  Unser 
allergnadigster  Herr,  Herzallerliebster  und  ge- 
treuer  Gott  und  Herr.  Titul  und  Namen  der 
allerseligsten  Jungfrau  Maria  und  Mutter 
Gottes.  Der  allheiligsten  groszmachtigsten 
und  iiberwindlichsten  turstin  und  Frau  Jung- 
frau Maria.  Eine  gekronte  Kaiserin  des  him- 
mlischen  Reichs,  Groszherscherin  der  englisch- 
en  Herrscharen,  gebohrne  Konigin  in  Jerusa- 
lem Israel,  Churfiirstin  des  gelobten  heil. 
Landes,  Herzogin  aus  Judaa,  Grafin  zu  Loretto, 
Freyfrau  zu  Bethlehem,  triumphirte  Zerknir- 
scherin  der  alten  Schlangen,  gewaltige  Ueber- 
winderin  der  Heiden,  siegreiche  Verwiisterin 
der  gan.Tcn  Welt.  Jungfrauliche  Gespons  und 
Mutter  des  Allerhochten,  unser  nach  Gott  aller- 
gnadigste    Kaiserin    und    Frau. 

Gedruckt  zu  Kollen  bey  Heinrich  Kapp,  im 
Jahr   Christi,    1725. 


Note. — The  foregoirg  section  beginning  with  "Titul" 
is  set  in  two  half-measure  paragraphs,  between  which 
is    placed    a    cross    with    wording    as    follows: 


Jesu 

*  *  # 


Sohn 


Christi 


Gottes 


MERKE  AN,  DAS  IST.  DAS  IST 
DAS  GEBOT,  DAS  GOTT  SELBST 
GESAGT  UND  GEOFFENBARET 
HAT. 

Wer  am  Sonntag  arbeitet,  der  ist  meinem 
Geboth  ein  Abtretter,  ihr  soUt  zur  Kirche 
gehen   und  mit   Andacht  bethen,  auch   sollt  ihr 


Ty 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


verbringen  gute  Werke  und  was  ihr  die  ganze 
Woche  versaumt  habt,  sollt  ihr  am  Sonntag 
biissen  und  Gott  um  Gnad  bitten,  ihr  sollt 
am  Sonntag  keine  Hoflfart  der  Welt  treiben, 
am  Sonntag  sollt  ihr  arme  Lent  Wittwen  und 
Waisen  oder  reisende  Leute  soeisen  und 
tranken  und  ihr  sollt  glauben,  dasz  ich  Jesus 
Christus  diesen  Brief  selber  mit  meiner  eigener 
Hand  geschrieben  und  euch  gesandt  habe,  dasz 
ihr  nicht  thun  sollt  wie  die  unverniinftige 
Thier.  Ich  hab  euch  in  der  Wochen  sechs 
Tag  zu  arbeiten  und  den  Sabbath  zu  Feyern 
gegeben,  auch  sollt  ihr  am  Sonntag  friih  zur 
Kirchen  gehen,  Gottesdienst  und  Predigt  zu 
horen,  sonsten  werd  ich  euch  strafen.  Ihr  sollt 
am  Samstag  nach  Bethzeit  nimmer  arbeiten 
wegen  meiner  Mutter  Maria,  ihr  sollt  am 
Sonntage  friih  zur  Kirchen  gehen,  ihr  seyd 
gleich  jung  oder  alt  und  mit  Andacht  beten 
fiir  cure  Siinden,  damit  sie  euch  vergeben  wer- 
den,  schwore  nicht  bey  meinem  Namen  oder 
meinem  Blut,  auch  sollt  ihr  euern  Nachsten 
nicht  verachten  und  sonst  keine  falshce  Kund- 
schaft  geben,  ihr  sollt  nicht  todten  weder  mit 
dem  Schwert  noch  mit  der  Zungen,  hinterrucks 
begehret  nicht  Silber  oder  Gold  mit  Ungerech- 
tigkeit,  freuet  euch  nicht  iiber  euer  Giiter  oder 
Reichtum,  verachtet  nicht  die  armen  Leut, 
liebet  euern  Nachsten  als  euch  selbsten,  Ehre 
Vater  und  Mutter,  so  giebt  euch  Gott  die 
Gesundheit  Frieden  und  langes  Leben  auf 
Erden  und  wer  das  nicht  recht  glaubt,  der 
wird  verlohren  und  verfiucht  und  ich  sage 
euch  durch  meinen  Mund  dasz  ich  diesen  Brief 
selber  mit  meine;i  eigenen  Hiinden  geschrieben 


hab  und  wer  es  nicht  glauben  will  und  wider- 
sprichts  der  wird  von  der  Christlichen  Kirchen 
verlassen  und  nimmer  keine  Hiilf  von  mir 
haben.  Dieser  Brief  soil  auch  von  einem  Haus 
zu  dem  anddern  abgeschrieben  werden  und 
wenn  der  so  viel  Simden  gethan  hiitte,  so  \'4el 
als  Sand  am  Meer  liegt,  so  viel  as  Sterne  am 
Himmel  sind,  so  viel  Laub  und  Gras  auf 
Erden  steht,  beichtet  er  es  und  thut  Busz,  hat 
Reu  und  Leid  ijber  seine  Siinden  und 
Missethaten,  so  werden  sie  ihm  vergeben,  wer 
mein  Geboth  verachtet  und  das  nicht  glauben 
will,  der  wird  eines  bosen  und  jahen  Todes 
sterben.  Bekehret  euch  vor  dem  Bosen,  sonst 
werdet  ihr  gepeinigt  in  der  Hollen,  ich  werde 
euch  fragen  am  jiingsten  Gericht  von  wegen 
euren  groszen  Siinden  und  ihr  werdet  keine 
Antwort  geben  konnen,  darum  haltet  mein 
Geboth,  die  ich  euch  gesagt  hab  durch  meinen 
heiligen  Engel  St.  Michael  und  wer  diesen 
Brief  in  sein  Haus  hat,  dem  kann  der  bose 
F"eind  kein  Schaden  zufiigen,  der  ist  versichert 
vom  Blitz,  Donner,  Hagel,  Wasser  und  Feuers- 
Nothe,  vor  alien  bosen,  sichtbaren  und  unsicht- 
baren  Feinden.  Der  ist  behiitet  und  bewahret 
vor  allem  Uebel  des  Leibes  und  der  Seelen,. 
und  wann  eine  schwangere  Frau  diesen  Brief 
bey  sich  hat,  deren  kann  nicht  mislingen  in 
der  Geburt,  sie  kann  leicht  gebahren  und. 
bringt  eine  liebliche  Frucht  auf  der  Welt,  das 
Kind  wird  lieb  gehalten  von  alien  Leuten, 
darum  gebiethe  ich  euch,  dasz  ihr  mein  Gebot 
haltet,  die  ich  wahrer  Jesus  Christus  Gottes 
Sohn  selber  geschrieben  hab. 


Henry  Sylvester  Jacoby 

(See  Froniispiece    Portniii) 


HE  subject  of  this  sketch  is 
of  Pennsylvania-German  de- 
scent. He  is  a  son  of  Peter 
L.  and  Barbara  Jacoby, 
both  of  German  descent,  and 
was  born  on  April  8,  1857, 
in  Springfield  township.  Bucks  county. 
Pa.  His  paternal  ancestor  emigrated  to 
Pennsylvania  from  Germany  prior  to 
1750.  Comparatively  little  is  known  of 
him.  His  wife.  Elizabeth,  survived  him. 
Henry  Sylvester  Jacoby  was  reared  on 
the  farm.  He  attended  public  school  dur- 
ing the  winter  sessions  and  during  the 
summer  months  attended  the  private 
school  of  David  \V.  Hess  for  eight  years. 
He  was  also  a  student  in  the  Excelsior 
Normal  Institute  at  Carversville.  Bucks 
county,  during  the  terms  of  1870-72.  and 
in  the  preparatory  department  of  Lehigh 
University  during   1872-73.     He  entered 


Lehigh  University  in  1873,  and,  after 
completing  a  four  years'  course  in  civil 
engineering,  was  graduated  in  1877  with; 
the  degree  C.  E.  During  1878  he  was 
stadia  rodman  on  the  Lehigh  Topograph- 
ical Corps  of  the  Second  Geological  Sur- 
vey of  Pennsylvania.  From  November, 
1878,  to  November.  1879,  '"^^  was  engaged 
on  surveys  of  the  Red  River,  Louisiana, 
with  the  United  States  Army  corps  of 
Engineers  under  Major  W.  H.  H.  Ben- 
yaurd.  From  November,  1879,  to  March, 
1885,  he  served  as  chief  draughtsman  in 
the  United  States  Engineer's  office  at 
Memphis.  Tenn.  From  May,  1885,  tO' 
August,  1886.  he  was  book-keeper  and 
cashier  for  G.  W.  Jones  &  Co.,  whole- 
sale druggists  in  Memphis.  From  Sep- 
tember, 1886.  to  June,  1890,  Prof.  H.  S, 
Jacoby  was  instructor  in  Civil  Engineer- 
ing in  his  alma  mater,  Lehigh  University. 


HENRY  SYLVESTER  JACOBY 


225 


In  September,  1890,  he  was  elected  as- 
sistant professor  of  Bridge  Engineering 
and  Graphics  at  Cornell  University,  and 
was  promoted  to  an  associate  professor- 
ship in  the  same  department  in  1894.  He 
was  made  full  professor  of  Bridge  En- 
gineering in  Cornell  in  1900,  and  has 
since  filled  that  position. 

Prof.  Jacoby  is  also  a  member  of  a 
number  of  scientific  organizations.  In 
August,  1887,  he  was  admitted  a  mem- 
ber of  the  American  Association  for  the 
Advancement  of  Science,  and  was  made 
a  fellow  of  this  organization  in  1894;  he 
was  elected  secretary  of  Section  "D"  in 
1895  and  vice-president  and  chairman  of 
Section  "D"  (Mechanical  Science  and 
Engineering),  in  1901.  He  became  an 
associate  of  the  American  Society  of  Civil 
Engineers  on  November  5,  1890,  and  in 
August,  1894,  a  member  of  the  Society 
for  the  Promotion  of  Engineering  Edu- 
cation, of  which  body  he  was  secretary 
;from  1900  to  1902.  He  is  chairman 
of  the  Standing  Committee  on  Wooden 
Bridges  and  Trestles  of  the  American 
Railway  Engineering  and  Maintenance  of 
Way  Association.  This  is  an  association 
of  important  railway  officers  connected 
with  engineering  and  maintenance  of  way 
and  structures,  and  professors  who  in- 
vestigate these  subjects  theoretically. 


Prof.  Jacoby  has  contributed  numer- 
ous articles  on  Engineering  and  kindred 
subjects  for  periodicals  devoted  to  that 
science.  He  is  the  author  of  the  follow- 
ing publications:  "Notes  and  Problems 
in  Descriptive  Geometry"  (1892)  ;  "Out- 
lines of  Descriptive  Geometry"  (Part  i,. 
1895;  Part  II,  1896;  Part  III,  1897);. 
"A  Text  Book  on  Plain  Lettering" 
(1897).  He  is  joint  author  with  Prof. 
Mansfield  Merriman  of  Lehigh  Uni- 
versity of  a  "Text  Book  in  Roofs  and 
Bridges"  in  four  volumes  (1890- 1898),. 
embracing  the  following  branches :  Part 
I,  "Stresses  in  Simple  Trusses"  (1888), 
entirely  rewritten  in  1904;  Part  II,. 
"Graphic  Statics"  (1890),  enlarged  in 
1897;  Part  III,  "Bridge  Design"  (1894), 
rewritten  in  1902 ;  Part  IV,  "Higher 
Structures"  (1898).    Prof.  Jacoby  served 

as  editor' of  the  Journal  of  the  Engineer- 
ing Society  of  Lehigh  University  from 
1 887- 1 890. 

Prof.  Jacoby  was  married  ^on  May  18, 
1880,  to  Laura  Louise  Saylor,  daughter 
of  Thos.  S.  and  Emma  A.  Saylor,  of 
Bethlehem,  Pa.  They  are  the  parents  of 
three  children,  John  Vincent,  Hurlbut 
Smith  and  Freeman  Steel,  all  of  whom- 
reside  with  their  parents  in  Ithaca,  N.  Y. 


The  Squire  and  Katrina 


BY  MRS.  ELLA  ZERBLY  ELLIOTT,  POTTSVILLE,  PA. 


OLD  SCHUYLKILL  TALES." 


free. 


HE  'Squire  had  quite  a  his- 
tory. He  was  born  in  Ger- 
many and  was  the  last  to 
come  over  and  join  the 
family,  who  had  all  pre- 
ceded him  to  the  land  of  the 
and    settled    at    Orwigsburg.      The 


old  father  and  mother,  two  daughters  and 
three  sons.  One  of  the  daughters  married 
a  German  Evangelical  minister,  the  other 
a  farmer,  and  settled  in  Illinois.  One  of 
the  sons  was  a  well-known  Orwigsburg 
doctor,    the    other    a    leading    Pottsville 


practitioner.  The  family  seemed  to  lean 
toward  the  practice  of  medicine  and 
among  the  descendants  of  the  next  gene- 
ration, four  followed  in  the  footsteps  of 
their  sires  and  were  doctors.  Of  the 
present  generation,  at  least  two  have  flung 
out  their  shingles  with  more  yet  to  be 
heard  from. 

Military  conscription  into  the  German 
army  was  the  cause  of  their  immigration 
to  America.  The  sons  had  no  inclination; 
for  military  life  and  they  fled  the  country. 
The  'Squire,  however,  was  28  years  old 


^24 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


when  he  came.  He  hked  his  native 
country  and  would  not  have  migrated  to 
America,  but  for  the  importunities  of  his 
family. 

He  was  educated  in  Hanover,  Prussia, 
where  he  went  to  the  common  schools, 
where  school  opened  at  seven  o'clock  in 
the  morning  and  continued  until  seven  at 
night,  the  children  taking  their  luncheons 
with  them.  He  often  related  having  seen 
Princess  Victoria,  niece  of  William  IV, 
and  afterward  Queen  of  Great  Britain, 
going  to  and  fro,  from  the  same  school 
building.  Victoria  was  the  daughter  of 
Edward.  Duke  of  Kent,  the  fourth  son 
of  George  the  Third,  and  was  born  in  the 
Kensington  palace.  Her  education  was 
superintended  by  the  Duchess  of  Kent. 
The  Guelphs  were  of  the  Hanoverian 
order  of  Knighthood,  founded  in  1815, 
by  George  IV,  and  the  orphan  princess 
was  very  strictly  raised.  She  came  in  a 
plain  carriage  daily  to  the  school  house, 
attended  by  a  servant  in  plain  livery. 
After  entering  the  building  by  a  private 
■entrance,  she  remained  until  her  recita- 
tions were  made  and  then  retired.  The 
'Squire  was  wont  to  say  that,  the  royal 
scholar  was  very  ordinary  looking  and 
very  modest  and  unpretentious  in  her 
manner.  She  wore  her  thick  dark  hair  in 
the  "Gretchen"  plaits  common  to  the 
school  girls  of  her  age,  and  there  was 
nothing  to  distinguish  her  from  any  other 
German  school  girl,  except  her  method  of 
coming  to  the  school. 

Mechanism  and  electricity  in  telegraphy 
were  experimented  upon  from  the  time 
of  the  ancient  Greeks  and  Romans,  down. 
One  Ersted,  in  1819,  discovered  that  a 
delicately  suspended  magnetic  needle  has 
a  tendency  to  place  itself  at  right  angles 
to  a  conductor,  through  which  a  current 
Steinhill  in  his  experiments,  as  a  helper, 
ofvoltaic  electricity  is  passing.  Ampere 
needles,  as  many  as  there  were  letters  in 
the  alphbet,  came  next  in  1820.  Then 
Gaus  and  Weber,  at  Gottingen  perfected 
the  invention.  But  it  remained  for  Stein- 
hil  to  make  the  first  perfect  instrument, 
July,  1837.  It  operated  for  12  miles  and 
had    three    stations. 

The  'Squire  was  a  young  man,  not 
much  more  than  a  boy,  and  he  assisted 
Steinhill  in  his  experiments,  as  a  helper, 


and  in  the  outcome  of  which  he  was  most 
intensely  interested.  The  'Squire  had 
been  educated  by  the  Government  for  its 
clerical  service,  and  had  passed  the  rig- 
orous examination.  He  had  a  foothold 
among  the  clerical  force  at  the  lower 
roi'.nd  of  the  ladder,  but  promotion  would 
follow  through  civil  service  rules  and  a 
pension  would  come  at  the  end  of  a  long 
and  faithful  service.  His  life  was  mapped 
out  for  him,  and  yet  the  'Squire  aban- 
doned it  all,  and  settled  in  West  Bruns- 
wick township,   below   Orwigsburg. 

Homer  called  beauty  a  glorious  gift  of 
nature,  Ovid  said  it  was  a  favorite  be- 
stowed by  the  Gods,  but  x\ristotle  affirmed 
that  beauty  was  bette*-  than  all  the  letters 
of  recommendation  in  the  world ;  and  cer- 
tain it  was  that  Katrina's  beauty  was  her 
recommendation  in  the  eyes  of  the  'Squire. 
He  had  no  thought  of  marrying,  but  here 
he  was  in  a  new  world,  all  his  old  hopes 
and  ambitions  cast  aside,  and  nothing  to 
take  their  places ;  he  was  lonely  and 
needed  a  tonic  to  brace  him  up.  He 
found  it.     He  fell  in  love  with  Katrina. 

He  was  twenty-eight  and  she  seventeen, 
and  it  was  no  luke-warm  attachment,  but 
a  genuine  love  affair.  The  Germans  as  a 
rule  are  a  sentimental,  warm-hearted, 
romantic  race,  and  the  attachment  inspired 
was  one  that  lasted  a  lifetime,  and  many 
are  the  stories  told  of  it  in  the  family. 

The  'Squire  tilled  his  broad  acres  after 
a  fashion,  but  he  was  no  farmer,  and 
never  could  take  kindly  to  tilling  the 
ground.  He  had  a  fulling  mill,  a  clover 
mill,  acted  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  the 
township,  school  director,  tax  collector 
and  was  a  general  factjtum  for  the  public 
business  of  the  vicinity.  He  was  surveyor 
of  the  roads,  laid  out  fields,  and  did  much 
writing  of  deeds  and  abstracts,  for  those 
were  the  days  when  there  were  no  printed 
legal  forms  and  everything  was  written. 

In  everything  he  undertook,  Katrina 
was  his  encouragement.  She  attended  to 
all  the  business  about  the  homestead  and 
managed  the  hands  about  the  farm.  After 
twenty- seven  years  of  hard  and  unrequited 
labor,  the  family  removed  to  Pottsville, 
where  a  fortunate  investment  in  property 
gilded  the  golden  years  of  their  old  age 
with  the  crowning  success  which  the  re- 


THE  SQUIRE  AND  KATRINA 


225 


suits  of  their  hard  and  incessant  labor  had 
refused  to  yield. 

What  a  pleasure  it  was  to  visit  that  old 
farm.  Favored  nephews  and  nieces  (the 
former  some  of  the  leading  professional 
and  business  men  of  Pottsville)  recall 
with  pleasure  the  memory  of  their  ex- 
perience there.  When  the  'Squire  met 
them  and  after  the  German  fashion  kissed 
them  he  told  them  they  were  welcome,  and 
they  were.  What  fishing  and  boating  on 
the  mill-dam  and  creeks  followed.  The 
haying,  cheei^ying  and  berrying.  The 
table  in  harvest,  when  helpers,  children 
and  all  sat  down,  some  twenty  persons 
together,  and  the  plenty  and  home-cooking 
served  on  that  table.  The  singing  school, 
the  Sunday  School  entertainment  at  the 
Red  Church,  where  the  boys  went  upon 
one  occasion. 

It  was  on  the  picnic  style  and  served 
on  tables  in  the  church.  They  called  it  a 
"feast,"  and  bread,  butter,  ham,  pickles, 
•cheese.  sausage,cakes  and  lemonade  were 
served  as  a  sort  of  a  reward  of  merit  in 
attendance.  The  boys  were  hungry  and 
ate  only  as  hungry  boys  can.  They  were 
helped  and  helped,  and  still  they  ate,  when 
one  of  the  church  wardens  took  them  by 
the  shoulders,  and  said : 

'T  guess  you  have  eaten  enough,  boys. 
Get  away  now  and  leave  something  for 
some  of  the  rest ;"  and  they  obeyed. 

There  was  the  red  ear  at  the  husking 
bee,  the  apple-butter  stirrings,  the  candy 
puUings,  skating  and  sledding  during  the 
winter  and  the  game  of  "shinny"  on 
skates,  on  the  ice.  Is  it  any  wonder  that 
the  girls  and  boys  of  the  olden  days  say, 
"there  are  no  times  like  the  old  times." 

Katrina,  too,,  was  an  original  character, 
and  the  best  of  entertainers.  No  visitor 
was  allowed  to  go  away  hungry.  Her 
chicken  and  waffles,  fried  oysters  and 
cooking  were  noted,  and  nothing  delighted 
her  more  than  when  visitors  showed  their 
appreciation  of  them  by  eating  heartily. 
(The  maid  of  all  work  was  known  as 
■"Long  Ann."  Her  name  was  Ann 
Long.)  When  she  reached  her  eightieth 
milestone,    her    granddaughters    tendered 


her  a  birthday  reception.  Always  hand- 
some, she  looked  regal  at  that  age  as  she 
sat  in  a  high-backed  chair,  clad  in  a  heavy 
black  satin  gown  and  surrounded  by  palms 
and  growing  tlowers,  the  gifts  of  her 
children  and  friends.  She  received  her 
guests  of  the  various  branches  of  the 
family,  a  hundred  or  more  in  number 
(whilst  her  granddaughters  poured  tea 
into  the  small  lacquered  china  cups,  and 
served  tiny  wafers)  with  the  same  calm 
dignity  that  always  characterized  her 
actions.  Approached  by  a  nephew,  a 
well-known  physician,  he  said : 

"Well,  Aunt  K ,  how  are  you  en- 
joying it  all?" 

"Not  at  all,"  she  answered.  "I  am 
ashamed  of  such  poor  stuff.  If  they 
would  only  have  left  me,  I  would  gladly 
have  roasted  a  turkey  and  fried  oysters, 
so  that  you  would  have  had  something 
good  to  eat." 

Once  upon  talking  to  a  favorite  niece, 
whilst  they  lived  in  the  country,  she 
descanted  upon  "how  much  better  the 
'Squire  would  have  it  had  he  remained  in 
Germany.  He  would  not  have  had  to 
work  so  hard." 

"But  think  of  it,  Aunt  K "  said 

the  niece,  "then  you  would  never  have 
seen  him." 

Nothing  non-plussed,  she  answered: 
"Well,  it  would  not  have  mattered,  if  it 
would  have  been  for  his  good.  I  would 
have  been  willing." 

All  things,  even  the  ideal  married  life 
must  have  an  end.  One  day  the  'Squire 
came  home,  complained  of  a  cold  and  not 
feeling  well.  Nothing  serious  was  thought 
of  it.  After  several  days  about  the  house, 
he  asked  for  a  dish  of  oysters.  He  could 
eat  not  more  than  one  or  two.  He  beck- 
oned to  his  faithful  wife  to  remove  the 
dish.  When  she  drew  near  he  placed  his 
arms  around  her  neck,  and  whispered : 

"Have  we  not  loved  each  other  always 
and  to  the  end?"    She  said  "Yes." 

Trying  to  disengage  herself  from  his 
embrace,  he  fell  back  on  the  pillow,  limp 
and  insert.  The  Darby  and  Joan  attach- 
ment was  dissolved,  the  'Squire  was  dead. 


226 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


The  Maternal  Grandmother  of  George 
Washington 

BY  JOHN  STOTSENUURG    NEW  ALBANY,    IND. 


LL  the  writers  and  historians 
who  undertake  to  give  us  a 
list  of  the  ancestors  of  Geo. 
Washington,  dwell  at  length 
upon  the  paternal  side ;  and 
they  even  trace  or  attempt 
to  trace  the  long  line  of  the  Washingtons 
back  to  Odin,  the  founder  of  Scandinavia, 
B.  C.  70,  involving  a  period  of  eighteen 
centuries  and  including  fifty-five  genera- 
tions. They  all  overlook  or  else  discard 
the  fact  that  on  the  maternal  side,  the 
Washington  genealogy  is  sufifered  to  re- 
main in  obscurity. 

The  people  of  the  United  States  are 
much  more  interested  to  know  that  all 
the  virtue,  wisdom,  sagacity  and  good 
qualities  becoming  to  a  woman,  were  not 
only  inherited  from  but  instilled  into  the 
heart  and  mind  of  Mary  Ball,  the  mother 
of  Washington,  by  her  mother,  until  the 
year  1721  when  that  mother  died  after 
first  committing  her  to  the  care  and  tute- 
lage of  Major  George  Eskridge,  a  capable 
and  trustworthy  guardian. 

If  I  were  to  ask  the  general  reader  and 
especially  the  A'-^'pia  reader  who  was 
George  Washingt  )n's  grandmother,  on 
the  mother's  side  and  what  become  of  her 
after  Colonel  Ball's  death,  and  whether 
she  was  buried  on  the  soil  of  the  Old 
Dominion  and  if  so  in  what  county,  and 
whether  her  grave  is  marked  by  any 
monument,  I  doubt  if  any  of  them  could 
answer  these  questions  correctly.  Even 
Washington  himself  in  a  letter  to  Sir 
Isaac  Head  stated  that  he  had  never  paid 
any  attention  to  the  subject  of  his  an- 
cestry. 

Hayden  in  his  book  on  Virginia  geneal- 
ogies, a  recognized  authority,  writing  of 
Joseph  Ball,  the  grandfather  of  George 
Washington  says : 

''Of  Colonel  Ball,  very  little  is  known.  He 
was  a  man  of  prominence  in  his  county  and 
parish,  a  lieutenant  colonel  and  a  vestryman. 
But  his  name  has  become  interesting  to  Ameri- 
cans as  that  of  the  grandfather  of  General 
Washington.      It   is  proven   that   he   was   twice 


married  and  that  the  mother  of  Washington 
was  his  only  child  b}-  his  second  marriage; 
but  the  history  of  his  first  and  second  wife 
is  more  or  less  traditional." 

While  Hayden's  statement  may  be  true 
as  to  the  first  wife,  the  facts  as  brought 
to  light  by  the  Rev.  George  W.  Beale,  of 
Heathsville,  Virginia,  show  that  tradition 
has  been  at  fault  as  to  the  second  wife. 

By  the  first  wife,  Elizabeth  Rogers, 
Colonel  Ball  had  five  children — Hannah, 
married  to  Raleigh  Travers ;  Elizabeth, 
married  to  the  Rev.  John  Carnegie ; 
Esther,  married  to  Raleigh  Chinn ;  Anna, 
married  to  Colonel  Edwin  Conway,  and 
Joseph,  who  married  Frances  Ravens- 
croft.  This  son  and  all  the  sons-in-law 
were  prominent  and  influential  men  in 
the  colony  of  \'irginia,  and  their  de- 
scendants have  been  distinguished  lead- 
ers in  public  affairs,  especially  in  the 
States  of  \"irginia  and  Kentucky.  There 
was  living  in  Lancaster  county,  Virginia,, 
at  the  time  of  the  death  of  the  first  wife, 
Elizabeth  Ball,  which  occurred  prior  to 
the  year  1707,  a  widow  named  Mary- 
Johnson,  an  emigrant  from  England. 
Mrs.  Johnson  had  two  children  to  sup- 
port and  care  for — John  and  Elizabeth 
Johnson.  After  the  death  of  his  wife, 
according  to  Moncure  Conway,  in  his; 
"Washington  and  Mount  Vernon,"  Col- 
onel Ball  employed  Mrs.  Johnson  as  his 
housekeeper.  But  whether  that  relation 
existed  or  not,  she  was  married  to  Colonel 
Ball  in  the  year  1706,  and  then  and  there- 
after until  her  husband's  death,  she  pre- 
sided as  the  wifely  housekeeper  at  Epping 
Forest,  the  name  of  Colonel  Ball's  planta- 
tion in  Lancaster  county,  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  June,  171 1.  The  only 
issue  of  this  marriage  was  Mary  Ball, 
born  in  the  year  1707,  who  became  the 
wife  of  Augustine  Washington,  and  the 
mother  of  the  pater  patriae. 

Vp  to  the  time  of  Mr.  Beale's  discov- 
ery of  the  acttial  facts,  the  tradition  in 
X-'irginia  was  that  Mary  Johnson  Ball, 
the  second  wife,  went  back  to   England 


THE  MATERNAL  GRANDMOTHER  OF  GEORGE  WASHINGTON 


227 


with  her  daug'hter.  Elizabeth  Johnson, 
and  the  further  tradition  was  that  her 
maiden  nan/e  was  Montague,  because,  as 
one  historian  asserts,  some  of  the  tomb- 
stones in  the  White  Chapel  churchyard, 
an  old  colonial  church  in  I.ancaster  coun- 
ty, Virginia,  show  the  intermarriage  of 
Montagues  and  Balls. 

But  unfortunately  for  these  traditions, 
in  only  one  short  year  after  Colonel  Ball's 
death.  Washington's  grandmother  was 
again  married,  to  Captain  Richard  Hewe, 
who  had  been  her  former  husband's  busi- 
ness manager.  Accompanied  by  her  chil- 
dren, Elizabeth  Johnson  and  little  Mary 
Ball,  she  removed  from  the  Epping  For- 
est mansion  to  the  Hewes  plantation  in 
St.  Stephen's  parish  in  Northumberland 
county.  Virginia.  This  change  of  resi- 
dence occurred  in  the  year  1712,  when 
Washington's  mother  was  about  four 
years  old.  Captain  Hewes  died  in  the 
year  171 3,  as  is  shown  by  the  inventory 
of  his  estate  filed  in  the  Northumberland 
County  Court  by  his  widow  Mary  Hewes. 
The  mother  of  Washington  resided  with 
her  widowed  mother  on  the  Northumber- 
land fami  until  the  death  of  Mrs.  Hewes 
in  the  year  1721.  Elizabeth  Johnson, 
Mary's  half-sister,  also  resided  there  until 
her  marriage  with  Samuel  Bonum,  of 
Cople  parish,  Westmoreland  county,  Vir- 
ginia, the  owner  of  a  large  plantation  on 
Bonum's  creek,  an  estuary  of  the 
Potomac   river. 

That  Mary  Hewes  was  very  fond  of 
her  daughter,  and  that  Mary  Ball's  train- 
ing and  womanly  qualities  as  displayed  in 
after  life  were  mainly  due  to  her  mother's 
care  and  affection :  and  that  the  facts 
above  related  are  founded  upon  the  rock 
of  truth  and  not  upon  unstable  and  illu- 
sory tradition  will  appear  from  a  perusal 
of  the  mother.'s  will  as  probated  in  West- 
moreland county,  on  July  28th,  1721. 

In  the  will  she  specifically  bequeaths  to 
her  daughter,  Mary  Ball,  a  number  of 
articles  of  personal  property,  with  a  re- 
mainder in  all  the  real  estate  of  the  tes- 
tatrix. 

Mary  Ball's  half-brother,  John  John- 
son, named  with  Major  Eskridge  as  a 
joint  executor  of  his  mother's  will,  by 
his  own  will  also  probated  in  Westmore- 
land county,  likewise  indicated  his  great 


regard  and  esteem  for  Washington's 
mother  by  the  following  item  in  his  own 
will : 

"Imprimis.  I  give  and  bequeath  unto  my 
sister  Mary  Ball,  all  my  land  in  Stafford  which 
my  father-in-law  Richard  Hewe  gave  me,  to 
the  said  Mary  Ball  and  her  heirs  lawfully  to 
be  begotten  of  her  body  forever." 

The  affectionate  regard  for  Washing- 
ton's mother  evinced  by  her  mother  and 
her  half-brother  John  Johnson  was  also 
shared  by  Samuel  Bonum,  the  husband 
of  Mary  Ball's  half-sister  Elizabeth 
Bonum,  for  in  his  last  will  probated  in 
Westmoreland  county,  February  22nd, 
1726,  occurs  the  following  bequest : 

"I  give  to  my  sister-in-law,  Mary  Ball,  my 
young  dapple  gray  riding  horse." 

Where  the  remains  of  Mary  Hewes 
and  of  her  daughter  Elizabeth  Bonum 
rest  no  one  in  Virginia  seems  to  know. 

The  burial  place  of  Mildred  Warner 
Washington,  the  paternal  grandmother 
of  George  Washington,  has  been  traced, 
but  no  attention  has  been  paid  by  any  of 
the  patriotic  Washington  associations 
formed  in  America  to  the  finding  and 
preservation  of  the  tombs  of  the  ma- 
ternal grandmother  of  Washington  and 
her  half-sister  Elizabeth  Bonum.  In- 
deed, what  became  of  Elizabeth  Bonum, 
no   one   seems   to   know. 

And  yet  to  the  maternal  solicitude  of 
Mary  Hewes  and  training  by  her  of 
Mary  Ball  as  well  as  the  sisterly  regard 
of  Elizabeth  Bonum,  the  republic  is  main- 
ly indebted  for  the  strength  of  charac- 
ter, the  sweetness  of  disposition  and  cor- 
rectness of  deportment  which  ennobled 
Mary  Ball.  We  magnify  and  extol  the 
deeds  of  our  statesmen  and  mighty  men 
of  valor  and  we  give  them  grand  funer- 
als, eloquent  eulogies  and  towering  monu- 
ments, but  nevertheless,  as  George  Elliot 
says 

"the  growing  good  of  the  world  is  partly  de- 
pendent on  unhistoric  acts;  and  that  things  are 
not  so  ill  with  you  and  me  as  they  might  have 
been  is  half  owing  to  the  number  who  lived 
faithfully  a  hidden  life  and  rest  in  unvisited 
tombs." 

Perhaps  the  awakened  zeal  of  the 
Colonial  dames  of  Virginia  and  the  ener- 
gies of  the  Mount  Vernon  Regents  may 
cause  the  burial  places  of  these  noble 
women  to  be  found  and  appropriate  hon- 
ors paid  to  their  tnemory. 


228 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


The  Home  Department 

This  department  is  in  charge  of  Mrs.  H.  H.  Funk,  of  Springtown,  Pa.  to  whom  all  communications  for  it 
should  be  addressed.  Contributions  relating  to  domestic  matters— cooking,  baking,  house-work,  gardening, 
flower  culture,  oldtime  customs  and  ways  of  living,  etc.,  etc.— are  respectfully  solicited  Our  lady  readers  are 
specially  requested  to  aid  in  making  this  department  generally  interesting. 

Cake  Receipts 

The  following-  receipts  printed  in  Germam  were  submitted  to  this  department.  I  have 
endeavored  to  translate  them  correctly,  but  further  than  thislcan  assume  no  responsibility. 
These  i-eceipts  are  printed  in  German  on  a  single  sheet  and,  as  I  understand,  can  be  pur- 
chased in  this  form  from  A.  F.  Christ,  Kutztown,  Pa. — Editor,  Home  Department. 


Gold  Cake. 

One  and  one-half  cups  sugar,  Yz  cup  butter, 
the  yelk  of  seven  eggs,  i  cup  of  sour  cream, 
Yi  teaspoon  baking  soda;  flavor  to  suit  the 
taste. 

White  Cake. 

One  pound  white  sugar,  i  pound  flour,  lo 
oz.  good  butter,  J^,  teaspoon  cream  of  tartar, 
I   teaspoon  soda. 

Soda  Cake. 

One  cup  butter,  4  cups  flour,  i  cup  milk,  i 
pound  sugar,  i  teaspoon  soda,  2  teaspoons 
cream    of    tartar. 

Lemon  Custard. 

One  cup  white  sugar,  i  cup  water,  i  table- 
spoon flour,  I  lemon,  3  eggs,  i  tablespoon  but- 
ter. 

Nothing   Cake. 

One  and  one-half  cups  flour,  ^  cup  milk,  i 
cup  white  sugar,  i  tablespoon  butter,  i  egg,  Yz 
teaspoon  soda,  i  teaspoon  cream  of  tartar 
mixed  in   flour. 

French  Loaf. 

One    lb.    white    sugar,    i    lb.    flour,    Y2    lb. 
raisins,  8  eggs,  Y2  lemon  or  nutmeg. 
Lemon  Pie. 

One-half  cup  butter,  i  cup  white  sugar,  4 
eggs,  2  small  crackers,  2  lemons,  Y2.  cup  milk; 
beat  batter  to  a  cream  adding  sugar  last;  mix 
well  and  beat  thoroly. 

Notation  Cake. 

One  cup  butter,  2  cups  white  sugar,  2Y2  cups 
flour,  5  eggs. 

Loaf   Jumbles. 
Two  cups  white  sugar,   i   cup  butter,   i   cup 
tnilk,    Y2/  teaspoon    soda,   4   eggs   well   beaten ; 
flour  enough  to  make  a  stiff'er  batter  than  for 
a  pound  cake. 

Marble  Cake. 
The  white  of  four  eggs,  i  cup  white  sugar, 
Yi  cup  butter,   Y2   cup  sour  milk,   Yz  teaspoon 
soda,  2   cups   flour. 

Sponge  Cake. 
Five  eggs,  1X2  cups  flour,  i  cud  white  sugar; 
beat  sugar  and  eggs  well,  and  add  the  rest. 
Shwenkfelder  Cake. 

One  pint  milk,  i  pint  yeast,  i  pound  white 
sugar,  6  eggs,  i  pint  lard. 

Apiece  Cakes. 

One    lb.    white    sugar,    Yi-    lb-    butter,    i    cup 


cream  or  milk,  4  eggs,  i  teaspoon  soda  and  a 
fkinch  of  nutmeg. 

Cocoanut  Jumbles. 

One  egg,  3  cups  white  sugar,  i  cup  butter, 
I  cup  cream,  i  teaspoon  soda,  i  cocoanut 
grated,  5  cups  flour;  roll  the  jumbles  in  sugar. 
Jumbles. 
One  lb.  white  sugar,  3  eggs,  i  cup  good  sour 
cream,  i  small  teaspoon  soda,  flavor  to  taste ; 
the  batter  must  not  too  stiff. 

Railroad   Cake. 

One-half  cup  butter,  3  cups  white  sugar, 
4  cups  flour,  3  eggs,  i^.  teaspoons  baking 
powder. 

Lady  Cake. 

One-half  lb.  butter,  6  eggs,  i  cup  milk,  i  cup 
flour,  I  teaspoon  soda  mixed  in  milk,  i 
teaspoon  cream  of  tartar  in  flour,  i  pack  corn- 
starch ;  mix  butter  and  sugar  to  a  cream,  add 
eggs  well  beaten  and  stir  batter  well.  (Quan- 
tity of  sugar  lacking  in  original). 
Composition  Cake. 

One  lb.  loaf  sugar,  i  lb.  butter,  7  eggs,  Y2.  pt. 
sour  cream,  i  teaspoon  soda,  raisins  to  one's 
judgment. 

Dark  Paste. 

The  yelk  of  four  eggs,  i  cup  brown  sugar, 
Y2  cup  molasses,  Y2  cup  butter,  Y2  teaspoon 
soda,  Y2  teaspoon  cream  of  tartar,  2  cups 
flour. 

Cocoanut  Cake. 

One    cup   butter    51/2    cups    flour,    3    eggs,    : 
teaspoon  soda,  i  lb.  pulverized  sugar. 
Eimsdale   Cake. 
Six  cups  sugar,  3  cups  butter,  2  cups  butter- 
milk,   10  cups  flour,.  7   eggs,   i   teaspoon   soda, 
nutmeg  and  raisins  to  one's  judgment;  cream 
the  butter  and  sugar  together  then  add  butter- 
milk and  eggs  and  lastly  the  soda. 
Measure   Cake. 
One  cup,  sugar,  3  eggs,  i^  teaspoon  soda,  8 
cups  flour,  I  teaspoon  cream  of  tartar. 
Perkins  Cake. 
One  cup  sugar,  i  cup  milk,  i  pt.  flour,  i  egg, 

1  teaspoon  cream  of  tartar,  Y2\  teaspoon  soda, 

2  oz.  butter. 

Spice   Cakes. 
One  qt.  molasses,   i   pound  sugar,  ^  pound 
lard,   and  spices  to   suit   the  taste.      (Quantity 
of  flour  and  soda  lacking). 


LITERARY  GEMS 


229 


Literary  Gems 


The  Editor: 

Enclosed  herewith  you  will  find  a  translation  of  "Asleep  in  Jesus"  which  I  offer  for  publication  in  the 
"Penn^ylvaiiia-C^icrman"    at    your    discretion. 

The  translation  was  undertaken  in  response  to  a  suggestion  of  one  of  your  ministerial  readers  who  ex- 
pressed a  strong  desire  to  have   it  for  use  as  a  German   funeral   hymn. 

With  very  best  wishes,  I   am,  Yours  truly, 

W.  F.  MORE, 
Bethany  Orphans'   Home,   VVomelsdorf,   Pa.,   Feb.      5,    1908. 


SCHLAFEND   IN  JESU. 

Schlafend    in    Jcsu  I     Sel'gcr    Schlaf: 
Niemals  zum   Weinen   wacht  man   auf: 
Die   Ruh    die    still   und   ungestort 
Der  letzte  Feind  nicht  brechen  wird. 

Schlafend  in  Jesu !    Es  sei  mein 
Fiir  solchen  Schlaf  bereit  zu  sein : 
Zu  singen  froh,  mit  Zuversicht, 
Der  Tod  nun   stachellos  mir  ist. 

Schlafend  in  Jesu !    Frieden's  Nacht 
Nach  der  man   wonnevoll  erwacht : 
Kein  Furcht  und  Weh  betriibt  die  Stund 
Die  meines  Heiland's  Kraft  madht  kund. 

Schlafend  in  Jesu!    Es  sei  hier 
Solch'   wonnevolle  Zufiucht   mir: 
Dann  bin  ich  sicherlich  bewahrt 
Bis  Gott  mich  ruft  zur  Himmelfahrt. 

Schlafend  in  Jesu !    Wenn  auch  weic 
Verwandten  Graber  sind  zertreu't, 
So  ist  doch  Dir's  ein  sel'ger  Schlaf 
Aus  dem  Du  wach'st  mit  Freuden  auf. 


ASLEEP  IN  JESUS. 

Asleep   in  Jesus!   blessed   sleep! 
From  which  none  ever  wakes  to  weep ; 
A  calm  and  undisturbed  repose, 
Unbroken  by  the  last  of  foes. 

Asleep  in  Jesus!    O  how  sweet 
To  be  for  such  a  slumber  meet; 
With  holy  confidence  to  sing, 
That  death  hath  lost  bis  renowned  sting. 

Asleep  in  Jesus!  peaceful  rest, 
Whose  waking  is  supremely  blest; 
No  fear,  no  woe,  shall  dim  the  hour 
Which  manifests  the  Saviour's  power. 

Asleep  in  Jesus!    O,  for  me 

May  such  a  blissful  refuge  be; 

Securely  shall  my  ashes  lie. 

And  wait  the  summons  from  on  high. 

Asleep  in  Jesus!   far  from  Thee 
Thy  kindred  and  their  graves  may  be ; 
But  thine  is  still  a  blessed  sleep, 
From  which  none  ever  wakes  to  weep. 


DIE   MAMI   SCHLOFT. 

BY     REV.     ADAM     STUMP,     YORK,    PA. 


Die  Nacht  is  doh,  die  Drauer-nacht : 
Es  haengt  en   Flor  uf  meinra  Dhier: 

Die  mami   schloft !    Der   Welt  ihr   Pracht 
Is  ganz  vergange,  sag  ich  dir! 

Ihr  Aug  hot  mich   es  erst  erschaut, 
Erst   haw'   ich   ihra   Stimm   erhoert; 

Uff  sie  haw'  ich  die  Welt  gebaut, 
Ihr  Lewe  war  mir  alles  wert. 

Die  welt   scheint  lehr  un'  ohne  Lust, 
Wann  m'r  amohl   die  Mamm  verliert ; 

Des   Kindheits-kisse   ufif   ihra   Brust 
Werd  uns  dann  nimme  meh  verziert! 

Was  Weh  gedu,   an   jener   Zeit, 
Hot    sie    jo    immer    gut   gemacht : 

Mir    sin   verbei   an   an'ra   Leit, 
Bis   sie   gekisst  un'   driwwer  g'lacht. 

Die    Draehne    hot    sie    abgewischt: 
Des  Weihne  war  uns  glei  verbei; 

Die    Sonn  hot   g'scheint   in   ihrem   G'schicht- 
Ach,  jetz  kann   es  net  meh  so  sei! 

Die  Wolke  mache  'n  dunkle  Nacht, 
-Der   Mond   verstect   sich   im   Verdries. 


Oh,  sei  doch  still,  mach  gar  ke  Yacht, 
Die  Mami  schloft,  sie  schloft  so  siess! 

Der  Dag  war  lang,  die  Arwet  schwer. 
Die  Pilger-reis  war  hart  un'  weit, 

So  mied  war  sie,  un'  matt,  so  sehr. 
Die  Ruh  is  siess  in  Ewigkeit! 

Des  Scheide  awwer  duht  uns  weh, 
Es  fehlt  doh  eens,  es  fehlt  so  viel! 

M'r  seht  es  net,  m'r  heert's  net  meh — 
Des  Hertz  hot  Schmertz !   Des  Grab  is  kiel! 

Doch,  Feierowet  is  jo  doh, 

Die  Mami  leid  in  ihrem  Bett, 
Im    Kaemmerli    schloft    sie    recht    froh, 

Dann   week  sie  net,  oh   week   sie  net! 

M'r  sagt's  net  gem :  m'r  muss  es  du ; 

Des    Herz,   es  haengt   an   seinem   Gut — 
M'r   gukt  noch   ee'   Mohl — Jetz   mach   zu! 

Die    Draehne    nemme    mir    den    Muth ! 

Ihr  Aug  is  zu,  ihr  Mund  schweigt  still, 

Un'  kalt  is  ihra  Herzens-quell. 
Dann,  gute  Nacht!    Mach's  wie  m'r  will — 

Doh  muss  m'r   saga — "Ferrawell"  ! 


230 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


EM  SAM  SEI  KINNER. 

BY    HOWARD   S.    PAULES,    'o8,    MUHLENBERG    COLLEGE,    ALLENTOWN,    PA. 


Sam    is    my    nama,    weescht   du's    net, 

Ich    hab    drei    grossa    Meed. 
My    Sohn   der   John   gate   in   die   College, 

Sel  is  was  mich  so  freht. 

EHe  Betzy,  eens  vun  meina  Meed 

Die   halt   sich   recht  gut  drah, 
Am  Rev.   Letz  hot  sie  so  freht, 

Sie  gebt  an  Parras-Frah. 

Da  Lizzie  gehts  noch  zimlich  schlecht, 

Sie  bringt  feel  sotta  bei, 
Shier   anich  ebbes  is  ihra  recht, 

Dehl  zeita  hot  sie  drei. 

Die  bescht,   die   liebscht   un   ah   de  sc'hancht 
Vun  meina  Meed  heest  Hannah.    . 

Of  course,  sie  is  wol  ah  die  glenscht, 
Wit  du  sie  lerna  kenna? 

Es   kumma   so   feel   Buva  bei, 

Deel  grossa  un  deel  gleena. 
Ich   denk  es  kann  net  onersht  sei 

Sie    weila    my    Meed    seena. 

Die   Mammie   sagt   es   waer   net   so, 

Sie  kamta  for  zam  John. 
Doch    si.,    deel    shiergar   immer    do, 

Sie  kumma  net   for   fun. 

Ich   geb    die    Hannah    nat   garn   har, 
Sie  kennt  noch  schenner  warra. 

Doch   liebt  sie  now   der   Dr.   Brow, 
Ich  wot   sie  grecht   an   Parra. 

My  Frah  meent  ah  es  waer  recht  schee 

Wann   yeders   vun   da   Meed — 
Die  Gross   so  well  as   we  die   Klee — 

An   Parra   heira   daht. 

Now  hav  ich  gschwetzt  vun  mina  Meed, 

Ich    bin    an    schlimmer    Mon. 
Doch   is   mer's   alls   noch   net    ferlade, 

Eich    sag    ich    vun    meim    John. 

Ich   denk   es  kent   bout   finf  yahr   sei — 

Yah  es  is   sure  net  may — 
Do   kummts   em   John   uf  a   mol   ei 

For   noch    der   College   geh. 


Of  course  ich  hab  der  John  no  gfroght, 
Was   wit   du    don   mol   warra? 

Es  hot  ihn  no  so  shier  gabloght. 
No  secht  er,  "Ei  an  Parra." 

Der  John  is  noch  da  College  fart, 

Now  wees  er  feel,  feel  sacha. 
Er  sacht  deel  Dings  waer  deivalish  hart 

So    hen    sie'n    lerna    mocha. 

Ferzela   dut   er   mir   vun    Greece, 
Vun    Rome    un    vun    Deitschland. 

Er  secht  die  Weibsleit  warra  siess 
Un  maant  es   waer  ken   shandt. 

Now  waas  er  alles  vun  da  Zeit 

Shiergar  vun  fonna  ah. 
Er    kennt    so    shiergar    alia    Leit, 

Un  winscht  er  het  an  Frah. 

Der  John  gteicht  now  die  Lizzie  Blose, 
Sie  weert  an  grummie  Brill. 

Of  course,   die   Welt   is  arrick  gross, 
Er  kon  hie  ga  woo  er  will. 

Die   Betzy,   Lizzie   un  die    Hannah, 

Die  sin  now  nimmie  my. 
Du  datscht  sie  now  shier  gar  nat  kenna, 

Sie  gooka  all  so  fei. 

Da  Mammie  ihra  Wunch  is  war, 

Dass   het   ich   net   gedenkt. 
Un   yeders   now    vun   mina    Meed 

Die   hot'en    Parra   falengt. 

Mir  sin  of  course  now  kristlich  warra, 

Un  lava  errick   schee. 
Es  hut  yeders  vun  da  Meed  an  Parra. 

Ich  winsch  mir  yoh  nat  may. 

Die  Lizzie  Blose  is  now  em  John, 

Sie  helft  ihm  venich  liega. 
Er  secht  es  predlicha   ware   fun, 

Doch  kent  er   sich  badricha. 

Doch   wella   mir   mit   nonner  hoffa 

Mer  greea  bol   feel   Geld. 
Un  das  y«ders  in  der   Himmel  kommt 

Am  end  vun  dara  Welt. 


EPPES  UEBER  PENNSYLVANISCH-DEUTSCH. 


Note. — The  following  was  written  by  Prof.  I.  D. 
Rupp,  and  appeared  in  "Der  Deutsche  Pionier"  in 
1870.  Our  dialect  students  will  be  interested  in  the 
various  renderings  given  of  part  of  the  story  of 
the   Prodigal    Son. 

Ich  hab  gedenkt,  es  mocht  angenehm  sei, 
Eppes  wege  des  deutschc  Dialect  oder  Mundart 
zu  schreiwe  in  Pennsylvanisch-Deutsch.  En 
Deutscher   Professor  hot  g'sat : 

"Es  ist  erstaunlich,  -wie  man  sich  so  hiiufig 
iiber  die  Composition  der  deutsch-ipennsylvan- 
ischen    Mundart    den    Kopf    zerbrechen    mag. 


Das  Deutsch-Penn.sylvanische  ist  die  Mundart 
der  deutschen  Volksstamme,  welche  sicli  in 
Pennsylvanien  awsiedelten,  nichts  Anderes." 

Das  pennsylvanisch-deutsch,  is  e  sort  von 
Mixture  aus  de  verschiedene  Mundarte,  was 
die  erstc  deutsche  Settlers  g'schwjitzt  hen.  E 
^eder  hot  e  Zeitlang  sei  eegene  Dialect 
g'schwatzt,  noch'er  is  e  gemixte  Sproch  daraus 
worre ;  appartig  wo  sie  unner  enanner  g'settelt 
hen.  Die  erste  Einwanner  ware  von  ver- 
schiedene Lanner  von  drausze — sie  sin  komme 


LITERARY  GEMS 


231 


aus  Wertemherg,  Baiern,  Bade,  Westphalen, 
jElsas,  Schwobeland,  Pfaltz,  Crisheim,  Crefeldt, 
aus  der  Schweitz,  von  Bern,  Zurich,  Basel, 
Uri,  Freiburg,  Thurgau,  u.  s.  f.  Um  zu  weise, 
wie  uf  die  Art,  e  sort  vonere  neue  Dialect  vvorre 
is,  will  ich  de  G'schicht  von  verlorne  Soh,  wie 
en  jeder  sie  verzehlt  hot,  bevor  die  Dialects 
sin  gemixt  worre,  un  das  Pennsylvanisch-< 
Deutsch  d'raus  worre  is.  Noch  un  noch  hen 
sie  a  noch  englische  Worter  mit  nei  gemixt, 
wie  mirs  bis  nau  noch  kann  sehe. 

Der  Schwob,  daheini  und  wie  er  erst  ins 
Land  komme  is,  hot  die  Geschicht  so  verzehlt : 
A  Mann  hat  zwee-on  Siihn  g'hott,  und  der 
yiing'r  unter  ihnen  hiit  zunim  Vater  g'sot; 
gieb  ni'r  Vater  de-an  Thail  d'r  Giiter  de-an  mier 
a  Mai  trifft.  Un  d'r  Vater  hat  'ni's  Orbthail 
g'  gc-an.  Und  nach  we-anig  Tage  hat  d'r 
jitng'r  Alls  z'samed  g'nommen,  und  ischt  inn 
•a  Land  zohn  des  weitweg  ischt,  und  dot  hat 
a  sein  Vermogen  durchbroc'ht  mit  wohlliistig'm 
Lebe.  Wie  a  aber  als  d's  Sein  hat  verthann 
g'hott,  ischt  a  gro-asse  Hungers-noath  im  se-ale 
Land  entschtande  un  hat  ang'hobt  z" 
horget,   u.    f.   w. 

Der  aus  Eichstadt,  in  Baiern,  uf  die  Art : 
Oina  zwoy  Sehn  g'hat,  un  da  Kloin  hiit  zum 
Bota  gesagt :  gib  mir  Doll  da  Giieta  de-a  mi 
a.  mal  trifft.  Da  Bota  hat  Zoch  ansananda 
g'macht.  Iz  hat  da  Kloin  alles  z'Geld 
g'macht,  isz  in  d'  Welt  nausganga,  un  hat 
Sach  alles  vathun.  Wi-a  mit  farti  is  g'wesen, 
isz  in  den  Land  an  grasze  komnia  un  ear  hat 
gar   nicks   g'hatt. 

Der  aus  Paderborn,  Westphalien  :  N'  Minsch 
hadde  tween  Siinne,  un  de  jiingeste  unner  enen 
sprak  tom  Vaer :  Chiff  mi  Vaer,  dat  Deil  von 
den  Chodern,  dat  mi  gehored,  un  he  chaff  em 
dat  Chod.  Un  nich  lange  dernach  snorde  de 
jungeste  Sunn  Alles  to  sammen,  un  trop  fern 
over  Land,  un  dafiilvest  brochte  sin  Chod 
dorch  met  Prassen.  As  'he  nu  all  dat  Sine  ver- 
tehrt  hadde,  keim  'ne  chranti  Diirung  doreh 
datsiilvige  chanze  Land,  un  et  fenk  em  an  to 
darwen. 

Der  Wiirzburger :  A  gwissar  Mo  hot  zwu 
Sughotta  ;  dar  Jiin'gera  vun  ihna  hot  zu'm  g'sogt : 
Vottar,  gatt  mer  mei  Dee!  unsarsch  Varmuga's. 
Un  za  hot  ar  hartersch  mit  ihna  g'deelt.  Noch 
a  por  Doga  hot  dar  jungara  Su  olles  ziisanmia 
g'packt,  is  in  a  weits  Land  gareest,  unn  hot 
durch  a  ludarli's  Laba  sei  Varmiiga  olles 
durgabracht.  Do  ar  un  farti  war,  is  im  namliga 
selbar  hot  og'fanga  bittara  Mangel  za  leidan. 

Ich  konnt  noch  me  Exempel  gewe.  Zum 
Schlusz  will  noch  hinzusetzen,  dasz  wo  mei 
Groszvater  sich  erst  g'settelt  hat,  do  ware  die 
Deutsch  und  Schweitzer  aus  verschiedene  Ge- 
gende  draus.  Schon  im  Johr  1728,  sin  viele 
aus  Straszburg  in  Pennsylvania  kommen,  un 
hen  sich  um  was  jetzt  Lebanon  g'settelt.  Pred- 
iger  un  Schulmeister  hen  sie  mitgebrocht.  Der 
Prediger  war  der  Johann  Caspar  Stover,  ge- 
bore  in  Straszburg  urns  Johr  1700 — er  g'storl>e 
den   i.^ten  May,   1799.     Im  Johr  1726  sin  anner 


aus  der  Pfaltz  komme,  un  urns  Johr  1743,  sin 
e  grosze  Zahl  aus  der  Schweitz  komme,  un 
hen  sich  dort  g'settelt.  Die  erste  Settler  hen  a 
enjeder   sei   particulare   Dialect   g'schwatzt. 

Der  Straszburger  hat  gesagt :  A  Mann  hett 
zwey  Sohn  g'hett,  un  d'r  Junge  dervon  hatt 
zum  Vatter  g'sait :  Gib  mir  den  Theil  der 
Gieter,  der  mir  mit  der  Zit  zufalle ;  und  er 
hat  ihm  ihm's  Guet  getheilt.  Nit  lang  derno 
hat  er  sijn  Vermoge  im  Lumpelebe  v'rputzt. 
Wie  er  nix  mehr  g'hatt,  isch  e  Hungersnoth  in 
dem  ganze  Land  gewese,  un  er  hiitt  aug'fange 
Noth  ze  lijde. 

Der  aus  der  Ober-Pfaltz:  A  mal  hot  oana 
zwei  Sii  g'hat,  und  da  Jingst  davo  hot  zo  san 
Vodan  g'sagt :  Vota,  gi  ma  man  Irbthol.  Eiz 
hot  as  Vonmongunta  si  Jisdolt.  Und  etiichi 
Teg  dano-u  is  da  jingst  Su  mit  Sack  und  Pack 
weit  wak  in  a  fremds  Land  zong,  und  hot  durt 
mit  lata  Liederlikeit  sa  ganz  Voumong  vouth- 
uo-un.  Eiz  wei  a-r-alles  voulumpt,  g'hat  hot, 
is  m  .selln  Land  a  gfo-ussi  Hungas-no-uth  a 
g'riss'n,  und  do-u  ist  'n  ano-adi  ganga. 

Der  Schweitzer  au'sm  Canto  Uri  :  Es  het  a 
Maa  zwee  Buoba  ghah.  Der  Jinger  het  zum 
Dadi  gseit :  Gib  mer  d's  Bitzli  was  kehrt.  Und 
er  bed  nes  beeda  theilt.  Eiswegs  het  der 
Jinger  d'  Saachli  zemma  gpackt,  isch  dermit 
i  d'Freudi  g'reest  und  hets  lah  aagah.  Wo 
ar  hetalls  verputzt,  ischt  i  selbes  Land  a  Theiri 
choh  und  ar  het  seilber  niid  meh  ghah.  Der 
Schweitzer  aus'm  Canton  Zug :  E  Man  'htt 
zwee  Siih  ghah.  De  Jimger  unterne  het  zum 
Vater  gseit :  Vater,  gimmer  der  Theil  vom 
Vermoga,  wat  mer  breicht.  Und  er  het's  Ver- 
moge unterne  vertheilt.  I  wenig  Tage  dernoch 
lies  d'r  jnger  Suhn  alls  zsamme-gnoh  und 
ischt  furtzogen  ine  witi  Landschaft;  dert  her 
sis  Vermoge  dureputzt  und  es  liederlis  Lebe 
gfiiohrt.  Woner  alls  verthoh  gha  ghed  se-n- 
ischt  im  selbe  Land  e  griiiiszligi  Thiiiire  et- 
stande,  und  er  het   aagfange   Noth  lide. 

Der  Schweitzer  aus'm  Unterland  im  Canton 
Freiburg:  As  escht  a  Maa  gsi,  er  hat  zwee 
Sohn  ghabe.  Der  Jongera  derva  sect  zum 
Atto :  Atto !  gob  mer  doch  mi  Theel  Guet 
unsa  I  Druuf  theelt  ne  d'r  Att  d'Erbschaft  us. 
Na  wenige  Tage  packt  der  Jonger  Sohn  alls 
zsiimme^  reesst  e-n-as  fremds  Lann  o  verbotzt 
sis  Mettele  dorch  as  liederlichs  Lebe.  Da 
wener  alls  hatt  verhodlet  ghabe,  escht  a  grosLC 
Hungersnoth  em  selbe  Lann  astande,  dasz  er 
schier   hatt    miisse    va    Monger    sterbe. 

Schier  e  jeder  kann  vorstelle  dasz  noch  und 
noch,  wo  die  Einwanner  unner  enander  ge- 
settelt  war,  das  jetzige  pennsylvanische 
Deutsch,  uf  so  enne  Art  erstanne  is:  un  wo 
Englische  unner  ihne  g'wohiit  hen,  a  noch  un 
noch  engliche  Worter  sin  eing-mixt  worre.  Der 
Prediger  Miililenberg  hot  schon  in  Johr  1745 
an  Halle  g'schriewe :  "Die  Teutsche,  welche 
meistens  in  Chester  Grasschaft,  sind,  und  bei 
den  Englischen  wohnen,  reden  halb-Teutsch, 
und   halb-Englisch." 


232 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT. 


Editor  and  Piiblisher 

H.  W.  KRIEBEL, 
East  Greenville,  Pa. 


Associate  Editors 
Mrs.  H.  H.  FUNK,  Springtown,  Pa. 
E,  S  GERHARD,  A.  M.,  Trenton,  N.  J. 


The  Pennsylvania-Ger.man  is  an  illustrated  monthly 
magazine  devoted  to  the  biography,  history,  genealogy, 
folklore,  literature  and  general  interests  of  German 
and  Swiss  settlers  in  Pennsylvania  and  other  States, 
and    of    their    descendants. 

Price,  per  year,  $1.50,  in  advance;  single  copies, 
15  cents.  Foreign  postage,  25  cents  a  year  extra. 
Club-rates  furnished  on  application.  Payments 
credited    by    mail. 

Discontinuance. — The  magazire  will  be  sent  until 
order  to  discontinue  is  received.  This  is  done  to 
accommodate  the  majority  of  subscribers,  who  do 
not    wish    to    have   their    files    broken. 

Notice   of    Expiration    of    subscription    is    given    by 


using  red  ink  in  addressing  the  wrapper  of  the 
magazine. 

Contributions. — Carefully  prepared  articles  bearing 
on  our  field  are  invited  and  should  be  accompanied 
with  illustrations  when  possible.  No  attention  will 
be  given  to  unsigned  articles,  ror  will  we  be  re- 
sponsible for  the  statements  and  opinions  of  con- 
tributors. Unavailable  manuscripts  will  not  be  re- 
turned unless  stamps  are  sent  to  prepay  postage. 
Contributions  intended  for  any  particular  number 
should  be  in  the  editor's  hands  by  the  twenty-fifth  of 
the     second     preceding     month. 

Advertising  Rates  will  be  furnished  by  the  pub- 
lisher   upon    request. 


Tombstone    Inscriptions. 

E  hope  to  be  in  position  be- 
fore long  to  begin  the  pub- 
Hcation  of  original  docu- 
ments and  records  as  called 
for  by  a  correspondent  on 
another  page.  Saying  this, 
we  are  not  unmindful  of  the  fact  that  his 
■proposition  is  accompanied  by  practical 
difficulties  with  regard  to  expense,  avail- 
able space  in  the  magazine,  abundance  of 
material,  various  family  lines  represented 
among  our  readers,  etc.  In  view  of  these, 
limiting  conditions  must  be  strictly  ad- 
hered to  in  the  undertaking  if  confusion 
and  a  deluge  of  material  are  to  be  avoided. 

Scheme    Proposed. 

We,  therefone,  submit  for  friendly  criti- 
cism, in  a  preliminary  way,  the  following 
scheme  for  the  publication  of  "tombstone 
inscriptions"  as  one  of  the  lines  of  original 
records.  We  invite  suggestions  as  to  de- 
sirable changes  of  the  scheme  as  here 
outlined. 

A — We  offer   to  print  in   separate  lists  tomb- 
stone  inscriptions  of  persons  who  died 

1  Prior  to    1800,  and 

2  Between  1800  and  1850,  the  former  being 
given  preference,  without  regard  to  geo- 
graphical  location  or  church   connection. 

B — In   each   list   will   be  given  briefly — ' 
I  Location  and   hi.story  of  cemetery, 


2  Condition  of  cemeterj-, 

3  Condition  of  graves  and  stones  (number 
of  marked  and  unmarked  graves  and  of 
illegible   inscriptions). 

C — For  the  '"inscriptions"  we  will  adopt,  as  far 
as  possible,  essentially  the  scheme  indi- 
cated by  the  following  model  (using  type 
of  the  same  size)  : 

Smith,  Sarah,  w.  of  John,  dau.  of 
Peter  and  Susan  Klotz,  b.  1731-4-12,  m. 
1760-2-8,  d,  1 790-9-6 ;  aged  — y.  — m, 
—  d.     (Noteworthy  data,  e.  g.,  "born  in," 

"died  of  .,'"  "a  first  settler  of  ," 

etc. 

A    Suggestion. 

We  shall  be  pleased  to  receive  com- 
munications from  our  subscribers  on  the 
subject. 

A — Stating  what  changes,  if  any,  are 
desirable  in  the  scheme  as  given. 

B — Giving  name  and  location  of  ceme- 
teries the  inscriptions  of  which  you  wish 
to  see  in  print,  and  the  name  and  address 
of  the  proper  party  with  whom  to  corre- 
spond on  the  subject. 

C — Submitting  for  publication  tran- 
scripts of  whatever  available  material  may 
be  in  hands  of  subscribers. 

The  publisher  realizes  that  single- 
handed  he  can  not  accomplish  very  much 
in  the  field,  and  that  by  the  help  of  sub- 
scribers the  "tombstone  inscriptions"  can 
be  made  a  valuable  feature  of  the  maga- 
zine. We  look  to  you  for  direction  and 
assistance  in  the  undertaking. 


GENEALOGICAL   NOTES   AND   QUERIES 


235 


Genealogical  Notes  and  Queries 


Ancestors    of    Daniel    Boone. 

Answer  to  Query  No.  XXXVl,  January    1908. 

The  immediate  ancestors  of  Daniel  Boone 
formed  a  small  settlement  near  Exeter,  Eng- 
land, where  they  nearh'  all  followed  a  pastoral 
life.  George  Hoone  emigrated  to  America  with 
his  wife,  Marv,  in  1717,  bringing  with  them 
eleven  children,  but  few  other  goods,  for  the 
family  were  extremely  poor.  Of  the  nine  sons 
in  this  family,  the  names  of  only  three  are  pre- 
served in  history,  viz. :  James,  John  and  Squire, 
the  latter  being  the  father  of  Daniel  Boone 
(the  hero  of  Kentucky  in  after  years).  George 
Boone  settled  in  Berks  countj'.  Pa.,  where  he 
obtained  a  tract  of  land  and  founded  a  small 
settlement  which  in  honor  of  his  birthplace  he 
called,  Exeter.  It  is  also  related,  though  with 
no  better  authority  than  tradition,  that  he  also 
pre-empted  the  ground  on  which  Georgetown, 
in  the  District  of  Columbia,  is  situated,  that  he 
located  the  town  and  gave  to  it  his  name.  This, 
of  course,  is  tradition. 

Squire  Boone  married  in  Pennsylvania,  Mary 


Morgan  about  year  1732,  and  resided  at  Exe- 
ter, Berks  county.  Pa.,  on  the  original  home 
of  his  father.  They  had  seven  sons  and  four 
daughters,  as  follows :  Daniel,  James,  Squire, 
Edward,  Jonathan,  George  and  Samuel,  Mary, 
Sarah,  Hannah,'  Elizabeth.  Daniel's  Uncle 
James,  a  schoolmaster,  left  a  memorandum  in 
a  book  to  the  efifect  that  Daniel  Boone  was 
born  July  14,  1734;  about  1750  or  1751  his 
father  moved  from  Exeter  to  a  spot  on  the 
Yadkin  River  10  miles  from  what  is  now 
known  as  Wilkesboro,  Wilkes  county,  North. 
Carolina. 

Daniel  Boone  married  Rebecca  Bryan,  a 
neighbor's  daughter,  and  had  nine  children — 
James  (born  1756),  Israel,  Nathan,  Daniel, 
Jesse,  Rebecca,  Susan,  Lavina  and  Jemima. 
Eive  years  after  his  marriage,  Daniel  was  still 
living  on  the  Yadkin,  following  the  same  pur- 
suits as  his  father — hunting,  trapping  and  cul- 
tivating a  garden  patch.  Daniel  Boone  died 
September,  1820,  and  w^as  buried  at  Frankfort, 
Ky.,    aged    86    years. 


Clippings  from  Current  News 


— Miss  Susie  Stoneseifer,  of  Hanover,  Pa., 
recently  finished  a  patchwork  quilt  after  50 
years  of  sewing.  This  now  famous  quilt 
is  a  nine-square  design,  6  by  7  feet  in  size, 
and  contains  patches  of  fabrics  made  scores 
of  years  ago.  A  remarkable  feature  of  her 
accomplishment  is  that  she  did  the  sewing 
with  the  same  needle  and  in  the  same  house, 
a  quaint  one-and-one-half-story  structure,  built 
by  her  father,  and  which  is  familiar  to  all 
visitors    to    Hanover. 

— After  much  searching  and  many  vicissi- 
tudes, the  Pennsylvania  Society  of  the  Colonial 
Dames  has  managed  to  recover  and  replace 
all  the  old  milestones  along  the  Lancaster 
pike — At  the  late  annual  meeting  of  the  society, 
held  in  the  banquet  room  of  Indeoendence 
Hall,  -Mrs.  Francis  B.  Gummere,  historian, 
reported  that  the  old  landmarks  had  been 
returned  to  their  original  positions,  through 
the  efforts  of  the  society. 

— William  P.  Schell,  of  Bedford,  who  was 
Speaker  of  the  House  at  Harrisburg  in  1853 
and  Auditor  General  of  Pennsylvania  from 
1878  to  1881,  celebrated  his  eighty-sixth 
birthday  recently.  Though  long  past  the  period 
when  men  cease  to  be  active  in  affairs,  Mr. 
Schell's  life  is  a  contradiction  on  that  score. 
He  still  gives  council  to  his  clients,  writes  for 
the  newspapers,  takes  an  active  part  in 
municipal  affairs,  and  does  his  work  so  well 
that  men  hunt  him  up  and  keep  him  busy, 
so  that  he  hasn't  time  to  think  of  the  fact  that 
he  is  a  mighty  old  man. 

— An  accidental  examination  of  records  of 
admissions  to  the  York  County  Almshouse 
reveals  the  fact  that  Miss  Mena  Miller,  an 
inmate,    familiarly    known    as    "Old    Meeny," 


is  probably  the  oldest  person  in  Pennsylvania. 
Her  age,  computed  from  the  records,  is  130 
years.  She  is  very  much  wrinkled  and  bent, 
but  still  retains  sufficient  activity  to  attend 
church  services  every  Sunday.  Until  two  years 
ago  she  walked  to  Baltimore  almost  every 
spring. 

It  has  been  generally  accepted  that  "Old 
Meeny"  was  the  most  aged  inmate  of  the  in- 
stitution, but  no  one  ever  before  took  the 
trouble  to  verify  conjectures  regarding  her  age> 
The  record  book  of  admission,  examined  lately, 
shows  her  to  have  been  82  years  old  when  she 
entered  the  institution,  in  i860.  At  that  time 
her  mind  was  quite  clear,  and  it  is  believed 
the  information  she  gave  was  correct. 

The  woman  was  born  in  some  part  of  Ger- 
many, and  the  record  shows  that  she  was. 
about  2"]  years  old  when  she  came  to  America.. 
She  landed  at  New  York  and  lived  for  years 
as  a  servant  with  families  in  West  Chester, 
Pa.,  and  about  Philadelphia.  She  had  been 
in  this  county  44  years  when  admitted  to  *the 
York  county  almshouse. 

— ^In  Ephrata  township,  Lancaster  county. 
Pa.,  live  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Michael  Keller,  who 
have  enjoyed  the  blessings  of  wedded  life  68 
years. 

Mr.  Keller  is  88  years  old  and  Mrs.  Keller 
86.  Both  were  born  and  reared  in  this  town- 
ship. In  1840  they  were  married,  and  they 
have  lived  around  this  section  ever  since.  To 
them  were  born  twelve  children,  and  five  sons 
and  five  daughters  are  still  living,  scattered 
from  their  home  i.ooo  miles  beyond  the  Miss- 
issippi River.  Besides  the  ten  surviving  chil- 
dren there  are  70  grandchildren,  95  great- 
grandchildren and  a  number  of  great-great- 
grandchildren. 


234 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Up  to  within  a  few  years  ago  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Keller  led  a  life  of  active  farming,  which  ac- 
counts for  their  good  health  up  to  this  time. 
They  are  prominent  in  the  Baptist  Brethren 
church,  and,  regardless  of  their  age,  are  still 
most  active  members.  Both  retain  good  sight, 
and  it  is  nothing  unusual  to  see  Mrs.  Keller 
using  the  finest  cambric  needle. 

— Despite  the  handicap  of  a  hundred  years 
and  the  fact  that  he  has  steadfastly  refused 
to  take  medicine.  David  Deatrick,  of  Elizabeth, 
Ind.,  who  last  June  celebrated  his  looth  birth- 
day anniversary,  is  a  remarkably  well-preserved 
man  for  his  years.  With  the  exception  of  his 
defective  hearing,  he  retains  all  of  his  faculties, 
and  has  been  able  to  walk  about  the  house,  and 
occasionally  to  the  home  of  his  son,  half  a 
mile  away.  Twenty  years  ago  he  received  his 
second  sight,  and  is  able  to  read  the  finest 
print    without    the    aid    of    glasses. 

— At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Ohio  State 
Archaeological  and  Historical  Society,  held  at 
Columbu.s,  O.,  Wednesday,  February  26th, 
1908,  Rev.  Wm.  H.  Rice,  D.D.,  of  Gnaden- 
huetten,  was  elected  one  of  five  Trustees  of 
the  Association.  Dr.  Rice  was  elected  a  Life 
Member  of  the  Association  in  February,  1899, 
at  the  first  annual  meeting  immediately  after 
the  celebration  in  the  fall  of  1898  of  the 
-Gnadenhuetten  Centennial.  The  proceedings 
at  the  Centennial,  including  Dr.  Rice's  histori- 
cal oration  on  the  life  and  work  of  the  Rev. 
John  Heckewelder,  were  printed  in  full  in  the 
Society's  Magazine. 

—During  many  years  the  erection  of  a  monu- 
ment to  the  memory  of  Col.  Conrad  Weiser 
has  been  agitated  in  Berks  county.  He  was 
Juried  in  an  old  orchard  upon  his  farm  near 
Womelsdorf.  There  is  no  enclosure,  and  cattle 
have  often  roamed  over  his  grave.  Only  an 
ordinary  tombstone  marks  his  place  of  burial. 

The  Patriotic  Sons  of  America  have  recently 
undertaken  to  erect  a  Weiser  monument  in  the 
town  of  Womelsdorf.  The  sum  of  $500  is 
already  pledged.  Increased  interest  in  Conrad 
Weiser  has  been  manifested  during  the  past 
few   years. 

— Rev.  Dr.  Daniel  Eberly,  of  Hanover,  Pa., 
who  was  recently  reappointed  chaplain,  with 
the  rank  of  captain,  of  the  Eighth  Regiment, 
Third  Brigade,  National  Guard  of  Pennsylva- 
nia, by  Governor  Stuart,  is  the  senior  ranking 
chaplain  in  the  State  Guard,  his  services  cov- 
ering a  continuous  period  of  thirty-two  years. 

The  venerable  chaplain  has  been  on  duty 
at  all  the  great  strikes  in  Pennsylvania,  and  is 
one  of  the  best-known  men  in  the  Guard.  He 
served  in  the  Civil  War  and  is  a  member  of 
Major  Jenkins  Post,  No.  99,  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic,  of  Hanover. 

Rev.  Dr.  Eberly  is  a  retired  clergyman  of 
the  United  Brethren  Church.  He  is  a  gradu- 
ate of  Brown  University  and  a  classmate  of 
the  late  Secretary  of  State  John  Hay. 

— At  the  thirty-eighth  meeting  of  the  School 
Directors'  Association  of  Montgomery  count}-, 
at  Lansdale,  Pa.,  former  Governor  Pcnny- 
pickcr,   in   .^pi-aking  alxjut   education,  said : 


We  are  losing  sight  of  many  of  the  old 
standards  which  used  to  guide  our  lives 
and  those  of  our  forefathers.  Women  of 
today  forget  a  great  many  of  the  arts  of 
their  mothers  and  grandmothers.  Few  of 
the  girls  nowadays  care  to  know  how  to 
boil  a  ham.  Every  household  or  home  in 
the  old  days  was  the  foundation  of  all 
that  was  good  and  useful  in  life.  People 
nowadays  want  to  live  in  cities,  and  when 
they  get  there  want  to  put  up  in  apart- 
ment houses.  They  don't  want  the  labor 
or  trouble  of  keeping  their  own  homes. 
Among  the  people  nowadays  the  men  all 
want  to  go  to  Pittsburg  and  raise  big  for- 
tunes. Then  they  want  to  buy  yachts  and 
many  things  much  worse  than  yachts,  and 
then  to  have  a  good  time.  It  is,  therefore, 
very  difficult  to  tell  the  improvements  by 
the  effects  of  education.  « 

— The  Reformed  church  building  at  Fifteenth 
and  Race  streets,  Philadelphia,  was  formally 
dedicated  Friday  afternoon,  March  20.  Rev. 
James  Crawford  presided  at  the  services  in 
Christ  Reformed  church.  Green  'street  above 
Fifteenth  street,  at  2  o'clock.  Rev.  Wilson  F. 
More,  superintendent  of  the  Bethany  Orphans' 
Home,  made  the  invocation,  and  Rev.  J.  H. 
Bomberger,  of  Cleveland,  offered  the  prayer. 
Addresses  were  made  by  Rev.  Dr.  Edmund 
R.  Eschbach,  president  of  the  Board  of  Home 
Missions;  Rev.  Albert  E.  Truxal,  of  the  Pub- 
lication Board;  Rev.  James  I.  Good,  of  the 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions ;  the  Rev.  Rufus 
W.  Miller,  secretary  of  the  Sunday  School 
Board. 

At  4  o'clock  services  were  held  in  the  new 
building,  at  which  Rey.  Conrad  Clever  pre- 
-^ided.  The  principal  addresses  were  delivered 
by  Rev.  John  S.  Stahr,  Rev.  A.  E.  Dahlman, 
of  Buffalo;  Rev.  Charles  G.  McCauiey,  Rev. 
Mr.  Miller  and  Rev.  J.  Philip  btem.  i^etters 
trom  President  Roosevelt  and  Governor  ^jtuart 
were  reafl. 

The  new  building  is  a  seven-story  brick  and 
steel  structure  erected  at  a  cost  of  $130,000. 

— The  dense  ignorance  making  possible  news 
items  like  the  three  which  we  quote  herewith 
is  in  itself  a  sufficient  reason  for  the  existence 
of  this  magazine,  and  ought  to  spur  on  "Dutch- 
men" to  collect  and  publish  the  data  showing 
that  i^ood  has  come  out  of  despised  Pennsyl- 
vania-'Germany,  and  thus  disproving  the  flip- 
pant sneers  of  those  who  ought  to  know 
better. 

Berks  county  scrapple  has  been  given  a  boom 
by  an  inquiry  .sent  to  Luther  R.  Seiders,  a 
Civil  War  veteran,  of  Reading,  by  Editor 
McElroy,  of  the  National  Tribune,  Washing- 
ton, asking  for  a  recipe  how  to  make  it.  It 
was  referred  to  Congressman  Rothermel,  who 
says  that  .scrapple  is  an  unknown  quantity  on 
Washington  breakfast  tables. — Kutztown  Pa- 
triot. 

Once  more  the  quiet,  staid  Penn.sylvania- 
Gcrmans  have  demonstrated  that  it  is  difficult 
to  get  ahead  of  them  in  the  matter  of  agri- 
cultural and  household  economy.  The  United 
States    Consul    at    Bordeau,    France,    sent    an 


CLIPPINGS  FROM  CURRENT  NEWS 


235 


•elaborate  report  to  the  State  Department  in 
Washington,  telling  of  the  discovery  in  Italy 
•of  a  method  of  preserving  eggs  indefinitely  by 
•covering  them  with  a  thin  coat  of  lard.  The 
report  was  published  by  the  Government,  with 
the  announcement  that  it  "is  regarded  as  im- 
portant, as  it  is  asserted  that  100  eggs  can 
thus  be  preserved  with  four  cents'  worth  of 
lard  and  an  hour  of  time."  Immediately  the 
information  came  from  Lancaster  that  this 
method  of  preserving  eggs  had  been  in  use  for 
generations  among  the  Pennsylvania-Germans. 
— Town  and  Country. 

Since  its  establishment  the  Department  of 
Agriculture  has  cost  Uncle  Sam  more  than 
$200,000,000.  It  has  given  employment  at  dif- 
ferent times  to  57,500  .separate  and  distinct  ex- 
perts, professors  and  muckrakers,  and  has  is- 
sued 17,675  pubhcations,  varying  in  size  from 
elegant  three-volume,  half-levant,  hand-tooled 
treatises  on  the  boll  weevil  to  puny  six-page 
pamphlets  on  sheep  ticks,  barbed  wire  and 
horse-radish.  And  yet  in  all  these  busy  years 
and  with  all  this  lavish  expenditure,  it  has 
done  nothing  whatever  to  investigate  or  im- 
prove the  queen  regnant  of  delicatessen — sauer- 
kraut. In  all  its  multitude  of  publications,  in- 
deed, there  appears  but  one  lonesome  reference 
to  the  gentle  herb,  and  that  consists  of  an 
obscure  footnote,  couched  in  the  following  lan- 
guage, to  wit :  "Sauerkraut  made  of  purple 
cabbage  is  said  to  be  good  for  the  complexion." 
— Baltimore   Sun. 

— Mr.  Allen  H.  Gangewer,  a  well  known 
lawyer,  died  Alarch  i,  in  Philadelphia.  Mr. 
Gangewer  was  born  in  Allentown,  Pa.,  Sept. 
3,  1849.  His  paternal  great-grandfather  was 
a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  his  father,  Henry 
W.,  was  a  conveyancer  and  justice  of  the  peace 
and  one  of  the  earliest  Republicans  in  Allen- 
town  and  Northampton  county.  Pa.  Mr. 
Gangewer  was  educated  at  Mount  Bethel,  Pa., 


under  Jonathan  Moore,  and  in  various  private 
schools  there  and  in  Allentown.  He  also  at- 
tended Columbian  College  at  Wa.shington, 
D.  C,  for  a  time,  and  was  graduated  from 
the  law  department  of  that  institution  and 
admitted  to  the  bar  as  attorney  and  counselor 
in  the  District  of  Columbia  in  1870.  Sooh 
afterward  he  went  to  Florida,  was  admitted 
to  practice  in  that  State  on  certificate,  and 
became  a  law  partner  of  Judge  Alva  A.  Knight, 
of   Jacksonville. 

While  there  he  was  ofifered,  at  the  hands  of 
the  Governor,  the  position  of  judge  of  the 
courts  of  Jackson  county,  but  declined  the 
honor.  Returning  to  Washington  in  the  fall 
of  1871,  he  resumed  practice  there,  and  the 
next  year  removed  to  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  where 
he  was  soon  admitted  to  the  bar  of  that  city 
and  also  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

—The  Rev.  Dr.  Luther  E.  Albert,  for  53 
years  pastor  of  Trinity  Lutheran  church,  Ger- 
mantown,  died  March  6.  The  aged  pastor  was 
one  of  the  most  prominent  men  in  the  Gen- 
eral Synod  of  the  Lutheran  church,  and  had 
been  treasurer  of  the  Pastors'  Fund  for  30 
years.  Trinity  church  was  his  first  and  only 
charge.  Three  years  ago  he  retired  from  active 
pastoral  duties,  becoming  pastor  emeritus  of 
the  congregation.  He  was  succeeded  by  the 
Rev.    Dr.    Luther    De    Yoe. 

Dr.  Albert  was  born  in  Manchester,  in  1828, 
the  son  of  the  Rev.  John  Jacob  Albert,  also  a 
Lutheran  minister.  During  his  long  career  he 
held  many  important  positions  in  the  Church, 
becoming  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Board  of 
Publication,  of  the  college  board  of  Pennsyl- 
vania College,  Gettysburg,  and  of  the  board  of 
directors  of  the  Gettysburg  Thelogical  Semi- 
nary. He  was  also  a  member  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Bible  Society. 


Chat  with  Correspondents 


We  take  pleasure  in  submitting  to  our 
readers  the  following  letters  received  from 
highly  esteemed  subscribers.  Letters  like 
these  are  always  welcomed  and  will  be 
inserted  in  the  magazine  if  space  permits. 
Comment  on  the  contents  of  the  letters  is 
not  necessary. 

Allentown,   Pa.,  March  6,   1908. 
Mr.  H.  W.  Kriebel, 

East  Greenville,   Pa. : 

Dear  Sir — -Allow  me  please  to  say  a  few 
words  in  reference  to  that  distinguished  and 
learned  Pennsylvania-German,  Prof.  Samuel 
Steadman  Haldenian.  Dr.  Jordan  has  given 
the  readers  of  The  Pennsylvania-German 
a  very  interesting  sketch  of  this  gentle  and 
kindly  man  whom  the  writer  of  this  had  the 
pleasure  of  per.sonally  knowing ;  but  he  has 
failed  to  tell  us  of  his  standing  as  an 
archaeologist.       As     brilliant     as     he     was     in 


biological  science  and  natural  history,  so  also 
did  he  stand  in  the  front  rank  as  an  exponent 
of  the  fascinating  science  of  archaeology.  His 
numerous   papers   attest   this   fact. 

The  magnificent  collection  of  prehistoric  ob- 
jects gathered  by  him  in  his  lifetime  can  be 
seen  in  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  at 
Philadelphia,  where  they  will  remain  for  all 
time.  Very  respectfully, 

A.   F.  Berlin. 

Washington,  D.   C,  March  21,   1908. 
H.  W.  Kriebel,  Esq., 

East  Greenville,  Pa.  : 
As  a  man  sincerely  interested  in  these  people 
(the  Pennsylvania-Germans),  and  anxious 
that  their  true  character  be  known,  I  am  very 
desirous  that  so)nc  one  of  them  -write  a  story 
exemplifying  their  characteristics  in  the  proper 
light,  so  as  to  vindicate  them  from  the  slander- 
ous and.  in  many  instances,  unwarranted  rep- 
resentations   shown    in    Mrs.    Martin's    "Tillie, 


236 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


the  Mennonite  Maid."  I  admit  there  are  traits 
of  character,  peculiar  to  the  average  man,  in 
their  modes  of  Hving,  etc.,  but  where  is  there 
a  people  free  from  such?  And  is  it  proper 
to  parade  such  seeming  defects  before  the  pub- 
lic as  the  rule  and  not  the  exception  in  the 
Pennsylvania-Germans?  I,  for  one,  want  to 
enter  my  protest  against  such  action. 

While  no  doubt  Mrs.  Martin  meant  well  in 
her  story-  and  many  of  her  articles  are  indeed 
true  to  life,  and  the  novelist  too  has  the  liberty 
to  exaggerate  or  even  produce  entirely  ficti- 
tious characters.-  yet  insofar  as  this  is  done, 
the  true  object  of  fiction  is  lost.  We  need  only 
to  turn  to  the  greatest  of  all  fiction  writers, 
Dickens,  when  he  says  the  highest  praise  he 
ever  received  was  when  certain  schoolmasters 
threatened  to  prosecute  him  for  slander  in  de- 
picting so  truthfully  their  doings  in  "Nicholas 
Nickelby."  Now.  Air.  Kriebel,  don"t  you  think 
something  could  be  produced  to  set  us  right 
in  the  eyes  of  the  people?  We  certainly  are 
not  lacking  in  all  the  requisites  that  go  to 
make  us  reputable,  progressive,  loyal  and 
worthy  citizens  of  this  grand  country. 

I  am  not  drawing  on  a  vivid  imagination  in 
writing  this,  but  an  experience  of  ten  years  in 
the  public  schools  of  Lebanon  and  Lancaster 
counties,  observation  extending  from  "ante 
bellum  daA's"  and  a  residence  in  this  city  for 
a  quarter  century,  should  certainly  not  be  void 
of  some  facts  in  regard  to  this  matter.  Pardon 
this    long    letter. 

Very    sincerely, 

(Dr.)   H.  H.  Seltzer. 

Fort   Wm.   McKinley, 
Philippines,  Jan.  26,   1908. 

Friend  Kriebel. — Can  you  find  room  for  a 
little  gossip  in  yotir  magazine?  I  am  sending 
you  a  renewal  of  subscription,  and  want  to 
tell  you  a  little  of  what  the  arrival  of  The 
Pennsylvania-German  means  to  me,  many 
thousand  miles  away  from  the  home-land  and 
the  mother-tongue.  It  brings  back  to  me 
memories  of  many  years  ago  in  Pennsylvania- 
German  land.  In  nearly  every  issue  there  is 
some  reference  to  incidents  that  takes  me 
back  in  spirit  to  the  places  that  have  become 
dear  to  every  true  Pennsylvania-German.  How 
many  of  your  readers  remember  the  "Eiile- 
Hof,"  that  rocky  patch  of  .sterile  ground, 
strewn  with  huge  boulders  that  remain  as 
souvenirs  of  a  geological  period  ages  ago? 
The  road  from  Sellersville  to  East  Greenville 
passes  through  this  region  which  at  twilight 
used  to  have  for  me  all  the  weirdness  of  the 
rnost  celebrated  haunted  spots  in  European 
history. 

Along  i\\t"Berg-Stros"  (Ridge  Road)  were 
the  famous  "Tausend  Aker" — monument  of  the 
attempt  of  some  misguided  German  from  the 
old  country  to   found  a  colony. 

The  "Schmtz  Dcrr"  (Nace's  place)  was 
not  far  from  here,  called  so  because  of  the 
flat  roof  which  in  those  days  departed  so  much 
from  custom  in  the  matter  of  roof  as  to  call 
for    special   comment. 


How  many  times  have  I  heard  my  father  say 
as   we   approached    Sumnevtown : 

"O    Sumneytown,   du   arme   stadt, 
Hust  nix  als  butter-brod,  und  des  net  satt!" 

In  after  years,  1880,  I  lived  for  some  months 
in  Sumneytown  preparing  for  my  entrance  ex- 
amination to  the  United  States  Military  Acad- 
emy at  West  Point,  and  we  surely  had  much 
more  than  bread  and  butter,  but  the  old  rhyme 
clings   to   my   memory. 

If  Mr.  Hartzell.  under  whom  I  then  studied, 
is  still  in  the  land  of  the  living,  I  hope  this 
may  reach  him  and  convey  a  testimonial  of 
regard  to  a  veteran  educator  of  Pennsylvania- 
German    land    from    one    of   his    old    pupils. 

While  stationed  at  Fort  Niagara,  New  York, 
in  1897,  I  noticed  among  the  graves  of  soldiers 
of  the  war  of  1812  the  following  inscription: 

"Here   lies  poor   Snow, 

Full  six  feet  deep. 
Whose  heart  would  melt 

When  caused  to  weep. 
Though    winter's    blast 

May  chill  his  frame. 
Yet  death's  cold  grasp 

Can't  dim  his  fame." 

It  is  an  old  tradition  in  our  family  that  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Snow  went  as  substitute 
in  1812  for  my  great-grandfather,  Nicholas 
Steier  (who  lies  in  the  old  "Sechs-eckig" 
church  (St.  Paul's)  cemetery  near  Penns- 
burg. 

It  was  said  that  one  morning  after  a  light 
fall  of  snow  this  recruit,  Snow,  went  to  the 
first  sergeant  of  the  company  and  told  him  he 
was  going  back  to  Pennsylvania-German  land, 
as  he  had  enough  of  soldiering. 

The  first  sergeant  reported  the  fact  to  the 
captain  in  the  following  terms:  "Der  Schiiee 
geht!"  The  captain,  who  supposed  the  ser- 
geant was  making  unnecessary  conversation 
^out  the  rapidly  melting  snow,  said :  "Ei^ 
du  Narr,  lasz  ihn  gch."  Snow,  therefore,  was 
not  prosecuted  for  desertion,  and  evidently 
lived  to  receive  a  flattering  eoitaph  for  more 
glorious  deeds. 

In  closing,  for  fear  I  may  take  too  much 
space,  I  wish  to  add  my  mite  in  favor  of  not 
forgetting   our   mother-tongue. 

Some  of  the  young  people  seem  to  be  in  the 
same  fix  as  the  young  girl  who  after  two 
weeks  of  English  in  a  city  came  back  and  said 
to  her  mother : 

"I  can  not  speak  this  dutch  no  more, 
This    English    always    stost    mir    vor." 

I  have  met  her  kind  in  my  travels. 

I  care  not  w-hat  its  value  may  be  intrinsically 
as  a  language  or  mundart,  it  is  the  tongue  in 
which  our  mothers  soothed  our  childish  fears ; 
in  which  we  said  otir  first  prayer,  and  in 
which  many  of  us  received  the  last  message 
from  the  mothers  now  gone  to  their  rest. 


CHAT   WITH   CORRESPONDENTS 


^2,7 


With     best     wishes     for    continued     success, 
I   am,  Very   sincerely. 

Hknry   D.   Styer,  Major,  U.  S.  Army. 

An  esteemed   subscriber  sends  the   following 
from  Arkansas : 

I  also  hope  to  see  Thk  Pknnsylvania- 
German    spread   out   some — in   the   line   of 
genealogy  particularly — giving  more  of  old 
town  records,  vital  statistics,  tombstone  in- 
scriptions, etc..  translated.     Its  value  as  a 
reference  will   increase  greatly,  and  bound 
volumes     will     be     more     eagerly     sought. 
Such  a  departure  ought  to  cost  but   little. 
Merely     an      individual      suggestion,      Mr. 
Editor,   but   perhaps   worth   your  consider- 
ation. 
Thanks    for    the    suggestion.      We    wish    and 
hope  to  do  more  in  the  line  suggested  by  you. 
Just    now    we    feel    like   the    overgrown   youth 
whose  garments  fail  to  grow  as  his  body  grows. 
Our  ideas  and  field  of  vision  have  grown,  but 
we  feel  too  poor  to  cut  our  garments  accord- 
ingly.    With  all  the  departments  of  the  maga- 
zine going,  we  feel  crowded,  but  like  the  father 
of   a   large    family   have   no   children   to   spare. 
Our  hope  is  to  add  more  pages  to  the  maga- 
zine,   get    more    help    to    push    our    work    and 
make  the  magazine   in   reality   as   in   dream   as 
broad   as   the   activities   of   our   noble    German 
forbears  and  brothers  ,  gathering  the  data  p'Jge 
t)y   page    from    which    historians    coming    after 
us   will  glean   for  their  masterpieces   and  thus 
collecting  the   materials   for   a  monument   to  a 
people  of  whom  their  sons  and  daughters  need 
not  be  ashamed.     To  use  a  slang  phrase,   we 
must  "get  a  move  on"   and  build  up  the   sub- 
scription  list.      If   all    who    read   the   magazine 
would  do  what  some  have  done,  secure  half  a 
■dozen    new    subscribers,    fnany    improvements 
could  and  would  be  made,  and  the  e.Kpansion 


to    which   our    brother    refers    would    naturally 
follow. 

The  following  jokes  are  submitted  for  the 
Pennsylvania-German  "Joke  Book."  We  hope 
to  recei\'e  many  others. 

We  have  all  of  us  read  of  "tongue 
twisters"— Mother  Goose's  "Peter  Piper," 
"She  sells  sea  shells,"  etc.  It  is  related 
of  old  "Henner"  that  on  the  departure  of  a 
Reading,  Pa.,  that  on  the  departure  of  a 
number  of  his  friends  after  a  pleasant 
evening  spent  at  his  'hospitable  home,  he, 
wishing  to  extend  an  invitation  to  them  to 
call  occasionally  with  the  familiar  ex- 
pression, "Kuinm  olle  gebut,"  unwittingly 
got  his  tongue  tzmsted  and  called  out,  to 
their  intense  amusement,  "Kumm  olle — 
Bc'Gut."  The  same  slip  happened  to  a 
farmer  of  Montgomery  county,  who  called 
on  his  neighbor  and  asked  him  to  mend  his 
fences,  for,  said  he.  "Die  Ki'ih  kumme  alle 
Bcgut    (alle   gebut)    in    >nei  Fcldcr." 

A  physician  brought  up  in  an  English 
community  and  practicing  his  profession 
in  a  German  section,  having  occasion  to 
ask  a  patient  for  a  pin,  said,  "Geb  mer 
}iiol  en  Stii'cl."  On  another  occasion, 
wanting  to  examine  a  patient's  tongue,  he 
said,   ''Streck   mol  del  Deicksel  raus." 

The  minister  of  a  certain  church  be- 
fore entering  his  pulpit  made  it  a  custom 
to  stand  before  the  chancel  a  moment  in 
silent  prayer,  and  thus  incidentally  turned 
his  face  towards  a  livery  stable  back  of 
the  church  building.  One  of  the  deacons 
of  the  church  being  asked  by  a  member  of 
another  church  why  the  pastor  always 
turned  around  to  face  mules  in  praying, 
replied,  "Your  minister  need  not  turn 
around." 


Pennsylvania  Historical  Societies 


Historical  Society  of  Frankford. 

The  stated  meeting  of  the  Historical  Society 
of  Frankford,  Philadelphia,  was  held  Tuesday 
evening,  March  17,  1908.  After  the  transac- 
tion of  routine  business,  papers  were  presented 
and  read  on  the  following  subjects: 

A  paper  on  the  history  of  an  old  ante-Revo- 
lutionary mansion  in  our  neighborhood  known 
as  Port  Royal.  It  was  built  by  Edward  Stites, 
a  shipping  merchant,  who  came  from  Ber- 
inuda  to  Philadelphia  about  1760,  and  named 
the   place   after   his    native   town    in    Bermuda. 

A  paper  on  the  old-fashioned  flower  gardens 
of    Frankford,    which    have    passed    away. 

A  paper  on  the  history  of  an  old  building 
known  as  the  Academy,  which  a  hundred 
^fears  ago  was  used  as  a  town  hall,  a  school, 
3.S  a  place   of   worship  on   Sunday,   and   as   a 


common  meeting  place  of  the  people,  the  cellar 
of  which  served  for  many  years  as  a  jail.  The 
Supreme  Court  of  Pennsylvania  met  in  it  in 
1799,  during  the  prevalence  of  yellow  fever  in 
the  city. 

Also  a  paper  containing  a  complete  history 
of  the  old  Swedes  Mill  in  Frankford,  with  a 
brief  of  title,  from  the  time  of  its  purchase  by 
William  Penn  from  the  Swedes  in  1686  to  the 
present  time.  This  was  the  mill  to  which 
Lydia  Darrah  caine  for  flour,  during  the  Revo- 
lution, and  here  found  means  to  apprise  Wash- 
ington at  Valley  Forge  of  the  intended  attack 
of  Lord  Howe,  which  she  discovered  by  over- 
hearing a  conversation  in  her  house,  in  which 
Lord    Howe    was   quartered. 

These  were  all  the  papers  presented.  _ 

The  Society  has  issued  a  42-page  pamphlet, 


238 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Vol.  I,  No.  5,  of  papers  read  before  the  society, 
entitled :  "Frankford  Soldiers  Who  Enlisted 
in  the  Civil  War."" 

The   Lebanon   County   Historical   Society 

Was  organized  January  14,  1898,  for  "the  dis- 
covery, collection,  preservation  and  publication 
of  the  history,  historical  records  and  data  rela- 
tive to  Lebanon  County,  the  collection  and 
preservation  of  books,  newspapers,  maps, 
genealogies,  portraits,  paintings,  relics,  en- 
gravings, manuscripts,  letters,  journals  and 
any  and  all  material  which  may  establish  or 
illustrate  such  history ;  the  collection  of  data 
relative  to  the  growth  and  progress  of  popu- 
lation, wealth,  education,  agriculture,  arts, 
manufactures  and  commerce  of  the  county,  and 
in  addition  thereto,  the  compilation  of  the  tra- 
ditions and  folklore  of  the  county,  and  the 
acquisition  by  donation,  purchase,  or  loan,  of 
tools,  appliances  and  objects  of  antiquarian 
interest." 

It  holds  stated  meetings  bi-monthly,  viz: 
on  the  third  Friday  of  February,  April,  June, 
August,  October  and  December,  in  its  rooms 
in  the  Court  House,  Lebanon,  at  2  o'clock, 
P.  M.,  where  it  has  also  established  a  Li- 
brary and  Museum  for  its  collection  of  Books, 
Relics,    Curios    and    Antiques. 

It  has  published  three  volumes  of  papers, 
comprising  ^i  titles,  and  aggregating  1303 
pages. 

For  the  accoinmodation  of  matter  for  which 
no  room  could  be  found  in  its  regular  proceed- 
ings, the  society  has  provided  for  a  series  of 
"Notes  and  Queries,"  covering  documents, 
records,  facts,  incidents,  data,  etc.,  of  a  local 
and  general  character,  hitherto  unpublished 
and  worthy  of  permanent  record,  to  aid  the 
historian,   genealogist   and   biographer. 

The  members  of  the  Society,  as  well  as 
others,  are  invited  to  contribute  to  this  de- 
partment, and  no  one  need  be  deterred  from 
doing  so  under  the  idea  that  what  may  be 
offered   is   unimportant   or   of  trifling   value. 

Submission  of  questions  at  the  regular  meet- 
ings, or  during  the  intervals,  is  invited,  and  if 
not  answerable  on  the  spot  will  be  assigned  to 
members  for  reply. 

Matter  intended'  for  these  Notes  and  Queries 
should  be  sent  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Society. 

The   Kittochtinny   Historical  Society. 

The  birth  of  this  Society  is  due  to  Rev. 
Samuel  A.  Martin,  D.D.,  president  of  Wilson 
Female  College  at  that .  time,  and  now  Presi- 
dent of  the  Shippensburg  State  Normal  School. 
In  response  to  his  invitation,  a  number  oS 
gentlemen  assembled  at  his  residence  in  the 
college  grounds  on  the  evening  of  February  3, 
1898,  to  consider  the  question  of  organizing 
a  Society  for  the  purpose  of  securing,  collating 
and  preserving  the  historical  incidents,  legends 
and  traditions  of  the  Cumberland  Valley  from 
its  first  settlement.  Such  an  organization  was 
effected,  and  the  name,  "The  Kittochtinny  His- 
torical    Society,"     adopted,     and     the     Society 


launched.  The  first  meeting  was  held  Feb- 
ruary 24,  1898.  the  Society  being  entertained 
by  Dr.  S.  A.  Martin,  Philadelphia  avenue.  A 
paper  was  read  by  B.  L.  Maurer,  Esq.,  oa 
"The  Old  Churchyard,"  the  burial  ground  of 
the  Falling  Spring  Presbyterian  church,  in  this- 
place,  and  which  was  part  of  an  ancient  Indian 
burial  ground.  The  Society  held  its  meetings 
monthly,  except  for  the  months  of  June,  July 
and  August.  At  the  fifth  meeting,  on  Septem- 
ber 22,  1898,  an  interesting  paper  was  read  by 
the  Hon.  M.  A.  Foltz,  on  "The  German  In- 
fluence in  Pennsylvania,  with  special  reference 
to  Franklin  County."  This  paper,  as  well  as- 
all  the  others  that  preceded  it,  were  very  en- 
tertaining and  instructive — as  are  those  that 
followed. 

The  first  officers  of  the  Society  were :  Presi- 
dent, Hon.  Judge  Jno.  Stewart;  Vice-Presi- 
dents, Rev.  S.  A.  Martin,  D.D.,  Hon.  M.  A. 
Foltz;  Secretary,  B.  L.  Maurer  (deceased); 
Treasurer,  H.  A.  Riddle;  Executive  Commit- 
tee, Major  Chauncy  Ives,  John  G.  Orr,  Dr. 
Johnston  McLanahan,  Col.  James  R.  Gilmore 
and  Wm.  Alexander,  Esq. ;  Original  Members,. 
Prof.  M.  R.  Alexander,  Wm.  Alexander,  Esq.,. 
James  W.  Cree  (deceased),  Rev.  T.  A.  Craw- 
ford, D.D.,  Hon.  M.  A.  Foltz,  Col.  James  R. 
Gilmore,  D.  O.  Gehr,  Esq.,  Major  Chamicey 
Ives,  Rev.  James  Kennedy,  D.D.,  Thomas  B. 
Kennedy,  Esq.,  Morehead  C.  Kennedy,  B.  L. 
Maurer,  Rev.  S.  A.  Martin,  D.D.,  Johnston 
McLanahan,  AI.D.,  John  M.  McDowell,  Esq.,. 
Jno.  S.  Mcllvaine,  Capt.  W.  N.  N.  Mackey, 
Frank  MeHaffey,  Esq.,  John  G.  Orr,  Hon.  A. 
Nevin  Pomeroy,  Dr.  (^eo.  F.  Piatt,  H.  A, 
Riddle,  Hon.  John  Stewart,  Joshua  W. 
Sharpe,   Esq.,    Edward    B.   Weistling. 

Elected  1898-99— Rev.  J.  F.  Boyd  (deceased),. 
T.  J.  Brereton,  Hon.  W.  Rush  Gillan,  Wm.  S. 
Hoerner,  Esq.,  John  Montgomerv,  M.D.,. 
Charles  F.  Palmer,  M.D.,  R.  W.  Ramsey,  M.D.^ 
Hon.  D.  Watson  Rowe,  F.  H.  Shumaker  (de- 
ceased),  John    O.    Skinner,   M.D. 

Non-Resident      Members — Capt.      John      H. 
'Walker,  Fannettsburg,  Pa.;  Benjamin  F.  Nead,. 
Esq.,    Harrisburg,    Pa. 

Honorary  Members — Geo.  O.  Seelhamer,, 
Esq.;   John   M.   Cooper,   Esq.    (deceased). 

There  have  been  many  accessions  to  the 
Society  since  the  first  year  of  its  existence, 
and  a  number  of  removals  by  death.  The 
papers  read  before  the  Society  for  the  year 
ending  March  i,  1899,  have  been  published 
in  book  form,  and  also  from  March,  1901,  to 
February  1905,  likewise  -from  February  1899, 
to  February,  1901.  The  papers  read  since 
February  1903,  are  now  in  press.  As  yet  the 
Society  has  no  pemianent  home,  the  meet- 
ings are  held  at  the  homes  of  its  members. 
An  effort  is  on  foot  to  secure  a  room  for  the 
depository  of  maps,  charts,  books  etc.,  now  in 
possession  of  the  Society. 

The  tenth  anniversary  celebration  of  the 
Society,  held  February  25  1908,  was  attended 
by  the  wives,  daughters  and  sweethearts  of 
the  members  and  over  one  hundred  invited 
guests.  There  was  no  set  program  of  exercises 
but  a  general  social  good  time.     In  an  address 


PEI^NSYLVAxNIA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETIES 


239 


on  "The  Work  of  the  Society."  Hon.  M.  A. 
Foltz,  an  ex-president  of  the  Society  showed 
that  during  the  ten  years'  existence  of  the 
Society  papers  had  been  read  on  the  following 
subjects : 

The  Red  Man  and  Colonial  Period,  6 
papers. 

The  Early  Highways,  2  papers. 

The    Barrens,    2    papers. 

Our  Mineral  Wealth,  2  papers. 

Early   School   Days,   Etc.,  3  papers. 

The  Scotch-Irish,  10  papers. 

The  Germans,  4  papers. 

Chambersburg  and  Its  Founders  2  papers. 


The  Revolutionary  W'ar,  2  papers. 
The  Whiskey  Insurrection,  2  papers. 
Traditions  of  an  Early  Day,  5  papers. 
One  Hundred  Years  Ago,  3  papers. 
Statesmen,  Soldiers,  Theologians,  8  papers. 
Old  F"amilies,  2  papers. 
Relating  to  Insurrections,  3  papers. 
Editors  and  Publishers,  2  papers. 
Some  of  Our  Poets,  2  papers. 
Village  and  Township  Sketches,  2  papers. 
Other  Local  Subjects,  15  papers. 
In  all   about  80  papers  have  been   prepared 
and  read  by  34  writers. 


Reviews  and  Notes 

BY  PROF.  E.  S.  GERHARD,  TRENTON.  N.  J. 


Elsie  Singmaster.  Miss  Singmaster  was 
born  and  raised  in  Macungie,  Pa.,  but  of  late 
years  she  has  made  her  home  in  Gettysburg, 
Pa. 

She  very  frequently  contributes  short  stories 
to  many  of  the  first  class  magazines.  "The 
Unconquerable  Hope,"  in  the  Atlantic  Monthly, 
is  her  latest  contribution  at  this  writing.  It 
is  a  story  of  the  missionary  field.  We  believe 
that  she  has  written  stories  that  are  just  a 
little  clearer  in  outline  and  a  little  stronger  in 
characterization.  The  reader  may  at  times  be 
a  little  perplexed  in  his  efforts  to  know  who  is 
missionary,  who  is  not,  and  who  is  going  to 
be.  Nevertheless,  the  story  is  interesting;  it 
is  animated  with  the  hope  that  alone  will 
work  for  good  in  the  missionary  field,  where 
Hope,  as  in  Pandora's  jar  of  old,  is  often  the 
only  thing   left. 

The  Board  of  Trade  of  Worcester,  Mass., 
issues  a  monthly  magazine  that  began  its 
eleventh  volume  with  the  issue  for  January, 
1908.  The  following  announcements  are  made 
in  the  prospectus : 

In  beginning  Volume  XI  of  the  Worcester 
Magazine  it  will  be  seen  that  the  size  and 
make-up  are  entirely  changed.  It  is  the 
purpose  of  the  Committee  on  Publication 
of  the  Board  of  Trade  to  include  in  the 
magazine  a  review  of  local  current  events ; 
to  present  each  month  an  article  treating 
in  an  exhaustive  manner  the  various  phases 
of  Worcester's  civic  development.  It  is 
also  planned  to  present  each  month  an 
article  on  some  academic  question  by  an 
able  writer.  Special  numbers  will  be  issued 
during  the  year  devoted  to  seasonable  sub- 
jects, in  which  will  be  exploited  certain 
phases  of  Worcester  institutions.  In  the 
line  of  illustrations,  Worcester  people  in 
the  public  eye,  new  manufacturing  plants, 
new  manufacturing  plants,  new  tools  and 
machine  devices,  invented  by  Worcester 
genius,  important  current  events,  prominent 
residences,  business  blocks  and  public 
buildings  will  be  included,  and  in  amateur 
■  photography  the  field  will  be  developed. 
Paragraphs  of  industrial  notes  and  gen- 


eral items  of  interest  from  manufacturers 
and  builders,  relating  to  their  business, 
which  is  of  general  importance,  are  so- 
licited. A  list  of  members  of  Worcester 
Board  of  Trade  and  their  business  connec- 
tions will  be  published,  and  also  a  list  of 
things  made  in  Worcester  will  be  tabu- 
lated, all  of  which  will  give  the  outside 
world  a  much  more  definite  idea  of  the 
importance  of  Worcester  as  a  manufactur- 
ing center. 

The  following  is  self-explanatory : 

Dear  Sir — Noting  a  short  biography  in- 
December  Pennsylvania-German  of  W. 
J.  Hoffman.  M.D.,  I  submit  his  contribu- 
tions to  the  magazines  relative  to  the 
Pennsylvania-Germans : 

''Gshicht  fun  da  alia  Tsaitd  in  Pensil- 
fani."  (In  Proceedings  American 
Philosophical  Soc.,  Vol.  32.) 
"Grammatic  Notes  and  Vocabulary,"' 
"Folk-Medicine."  (In  Proceedings- 
Soc,  Vol.  26.) 
"Folk-Lore;'  Pages  125-135,  Vol.  i ; 
"Folk-Lore,"  Pages  23-35,  Vol.  2; 
"Tales  and  Proverbs,"  Pages  191-203,. 
Vol.  2.  ■  (In  Journal  of  American 
Folk-Lore.) 

Yours,         _  E.  M.  E.      . 

Physical    Diagnosis   According   to   the   Induc- 
tive Method.     By  Dr.  Howard  S.  Anders. 
445  pp.  D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  New  York  and 
London,  1908. 
Dr.   Anders  is  one  of  the  prominent  young 
physicians  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.     In  addition  to 
attending   to   a   large   practice   he   is   connected 
with     several     hospitals     and     with     Medico-^^ 
Chirurgical  College. 

He   has  the   distinction   of  having  given   out 

the   first    original    treatise    that    has    ever   been 

published.     It  is  the  first  time  that  a  scientific 

treatise  has  been  given  out  that  treats  of  the 

inductive   method   in   detecting   diseases.      It   is 

a   contribution   to   medical   science. 

History  of  Old  Germantown.     By  Dr.  N.   H.. 

Keyser,     C.      Henry     Kain.     and     others.. 

Horace     F.     McCann.     Germantown,     Pa.,. 

1908. 


240 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


This  is  a  meritorious  historical  work;  it 
may  well  be  greeted  by  e\^ry  friend  of  Ger- 
man-American historical  investigation.  Vari- 
ous writers  have  written  on  this  subject;  but 
the  present  ones  seem  to  have  had  access  to 
rich  and  original  material.  Historical  reminis- 
censes  of  the  keenest  interest  are  found,  and 
with  them  are  united  fine  biographical  sketches. 

Das  Buch  Des  Lebens  von  Karl  Knortz. 
Cloth.  311  pp.  Klinkhardt  &  Bierman, 
Leipzig,    1908. 

Prof.  Karl  Knortz  is  one  of  the  best  known 
of  German  Americans.  He  is  a  champion  of 
German  nationality  in  this  country.  As  a 
writer  he  is  well  known  by  his  Studies  in 
Literature,  and  History  of  American  Litera- 
ture (both  in  German).  He  has  translated 
Longfellow's  Evangeline,  Hiawatha,  and  Miles 
Standish;  Whittier's  Snowbound,  and  Whit- 
man's Leaves  of  Grass.  He  has  taught  school 
in  Detroit,  Cincinnati,  and  in  New  York. 

The  contents  of  this  book  have  been  collected 
from  all  the  literatures  of  the  world.  Prof. 
Knortz  searched  among  all  philosophers  and 
poets  of  ancient  and  modern  times  for  answers 
to  the  great  questions  of  life,  questions  which 
arise  in  the  innermost  soul  of  every  person  in 
his  quiet  moments  of  sober  reflection.  Con- 
sequently the  book  is  not  so  much  a  collection 
of  ma.xims  as  an  actual  book  of  life;  it  has 
something  to  give  to  each  one,  whatever  his 
comprehension  of  things  may  be,  who  has  ar- 
rived at  some  mental  ripeness  and  who  has 
made  his  way  to  a  higher  observation  of  life. 

The  book  is  divided  into  three  main  parts: 
Guiding  Principles;  Many  Gifts  and  one 
Spirit;  From  the  Seat  of  the  Scorner.  The 
book  is  indeed  rich  in  its  contents  both  in 
quantity   and   in   quality. 

Justice    to    the    Jew.      By    Rev.    Madison    C. 

Peters.     Revised   edition.     Cloth ;   244  pp. 

Price,  75c.     The  McClure  Company,  New 

York,  1^08. 
Rev.  Madison  C.  Peters  was  born  in  Lehigh 
•county.  Pa.  He  graduated  from  Muhlenberg 
College,  and  also  from  fVanklin  and  Alarshall 
College ;  and  later  from  Heidelberg  Theological 
Seminary.  He  was  for  eleven  years  pastor  of 
a  Reformed  church  in  New  York.  Then  he 
resigned  to  become  a  Baptist  clergyman  in 
Brooklyn  and  later  in  Baltimore.  Recently  he 
Jias  started  a  mission  in  New  York  City  by 
holding  services  in  a  theater  or  tabernacle, 
thinking  that  in  this  way  he  can  reach  the 
people    better. 

He  is  the  author  of  a  number  of  books, 
among  which  are  The  Jew  as  Patriot;  Empty 
Peivs;  The  Great  Hereafter;  Will  Our  Re- 
public Livef  The  first  edition  of  "Justice  to 
the  Jew"  was  published  in  1899.  The  book 
met  with  great  success,  despite  some  of  its  im- 
perfections. At  that  time  the  material  neces- 
sary to  write  such  a  book  was  not  as  plentiful 
as  now.  The  desire  to  correct  the  imperfec- 
tions of  the  first  edition  and  to  avail  himself 
of    this    new    material    prompted    the    author 


to  bring  forth  this  new  edition.  There  is  an 
interesting  Introduction  to  it  written  by  Oscar 
S.  Strauss,  Secretary  of  Commerce  and  Labor. 
Mr.  Strauss  is  the  first  Jew  to  become  a 
member  of  the  Cabinet.  Some  of  the  chap- 
ters have  very  significant  titles,  '"Jews,  not 
Jewels,  in  the  Discovery  of  America;"  "Money 
and  the  Jews ;"  etc. 

Those  who  have  heard  Rev.  Peters  in  the 
pulpit  will  find  the  same  fearlessness  of  ex- 
pression in  the  book.  The  style  is  impassioned, 
the  author  hesitates  not  to  express  his  convic- 
tions with  a  feeling  of  indignation  at  the  in- 
justice done  to  the  Jew.  There  are  frequent 
outbursts  of  oratory;  the  following  may  well 
be  taken  as  the  finest  piece  of  writing  in  the 
book  : 

"They  were  lusty  and  vigorous  before 
Babylon  or  Nineveh  reared  their  temples 
to  the  sky ;  they  were  learned  before 
Rameses  I  cut  his  hieroglyphics  on  the 
obelisks  of  EgA'pt ;  they  were  skilled  archi- 
tects before  the  Pharaohs  dreamt  of  laying 
the  first  stones  of  the  pyramids ;  they  were 
warriors  skilled  in  arms  before  the  Grecian 
hosts  swooped  down  on  the  plains  of  Troy ; 
they  had  cities  before  Romulus  and 
Remus  traced  the  walls  of  imperial  Rome ; 
and  they  had  poets,  bards,  philosophers 
and  scholars  before  the  blind  beggar-man 
of  Scios  lisped  his  numbers  in  the  myrtle 
groves  of  Greese.  They  have  seen  As- 
syria, Carthage,  Babylonia,  Greece,  and 
Rome  sink  under  the  ruins  of  their  own 
magnifience ;  they  have  witnessed  the 
ascent  of  the  Crescent  and  looked  on  the 
rise  of  the  Cross,  and  through  all  they 
have  kept  their  eyes  calmly,  steadil}'  on 
the  Star  of  Israel,  whose  light  burns  as 
bright  today  as  when  it  first  rose  over  the 
Eastern  hills  and  shone  down  on  the 
Shepherd  Kings  of  Chaldea,  and  though 
they  have  lost  their  country  they  still  look 
to  the  Star  of  Jacob  to  guide  them  back 
to  the  inheritance  that  should  be  theirs." 
And  this  is  fine  writing. 

The  book  is  not  supposed  to  be  exhaustive 
in  its  treatment,  but  it  is  highly  interesting 
and  suggestive.  It  is  full  of  seed  for  thought ; 
many  startling  facts  are  disclosed;  volumes 
could  be  written  on  these  alone.  And  although 
the  book  is  not  exhaustive  one  does  yet  expect 
a  somewhat  fuller  discussion  of  the  Dreyfus 
affair,  an  incident  which  aroused  the  indignation 
of  the  civilized  world,  and  which  was  one 
of  the  most  strongly  marked  of  anti-semitic 
feelings  of  recent  years. 

The  book  is  handsomely  gotten-up,  is 
reasonable  in  price  and  attractive  in  title. 
These  characteristics  should  command  the  at- 
tention of  every  person  who  in  his  prejudice 
and  bigotry  is  blind  to  the  virtues  and  com- 
mendable traits  of  a  despised  and  hounded 
race.  His  frugality  commends  itself  to  the 
extravagant  and  riotous  living  of  America  of 
today ;  and  his  humility,  industry,  and  tenacity 
commend  themselves  to  her  irreverence, 
fickleness,  and  contemptible  indiffereno :. 


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Vol.  IX  JUNE,  1908  No. 

Literary  Opportunities  in  Pennsylvania- 
Germany 


WELL  known  writer  on 
American  literature  once 
crystallized  the  thonjht  that 
Seems  to  be  animatin'^  a 
great  many  men  of  letters  of 
today,  in  these  words  :  "With 
Mary  E.  Wilkins  and  Sarah  Orne  Jewett 
exploring  the  nooks  and  corners  of  Xew 
England,  with  James  Lane  Allen  inter- 
preting the  life  of  Kentucky,  and  Thomas 
Nelson  Page  that  of  Virginia,  with  ]\Iary 
Alurfree  revealing  the  secrets  of  the  Ten- 
nessee mountains,  with  Hamlin  Garland 
doing  angry  honor  to  the  western  farmers' 
toil,  with  Mary  Halleck  Foote  portraying 
that  wild  mining  life  whose  prose  epic 
was  begun  by  Bret  Harte  in  'The  Luck  of 
Roaring  Camp.'  the  length  and  breadth  of 
the  land  are  finding  speech."  And  in 
saying  that.  Katherine  Lee  Bates  does 
just  what  almost  every  other  literary  man 
or  woman  has  done  in  all  times — forgets 
or  ignores  the  fact  that  such  a  place  as 
Pennsylvania  and  such  a  people  as  the 
Pennsylvania-Germans  are  in  existence 
and  worth  serious  or  sensible  considera- 
tion. 

Perhaps  we  should  not  be  surprised 
that  the  richness  of  tradition,  sentiment 
and  romance,  which  is  being  so  conspicu- 
ously overlooked,  has  not  inspired  some 
modern  "wizard  of  the  pen"  when  we  are 
gravely- informerl  by- a  certain  professor 
of  literature  that  the  Pennsylvania-(ier- 
mans  were  non-literary — and  that.  too.  in 
the  face  of  the  late  Dr.  Seidensticker's 
classification  of  thousands  of  titleg.  wdiich 
emanated  from  American  printing  offices 
alone  during  the  first  century  of  (German 
})rinting.  not  to  speak  of  the  books  im- 
])orte(l  by  the  early  Germans  and  their 
descendants  ;  or  when,  by  some  mischance 
a  character  from  Pennsylvania  (iermanv 


has  been  clumsily  introduced  into  a  story, 
he  is  made  to  create  the  impression  that 
he  is  a  boor  aixl  that  he  lacks  all  those 
lofty  qualities  and  all  that  keen  sense  of 
humor,  sometimes  rather  grim,  with 
which,  for  instance.  Maclaren  has  en- 
dowed and  glorified  the  hard  headed 
denizens  of  his  Drumtochty.  George  W. 
Cable.  F.  Hopkinson  Smith.  Ruth  Mc- 
Enery  Stuart  and  others  have  many  a. 
cheery  word  to  say  of  those  elusive  things- 
called  types  of  this  or  that  people  or  com- 
munity ;  the  Creole,  the  plantation  negro^ 
the  Virginian,  the  Yankee,  the  Scotch- 
Irishman,  and  even  the  Chinese-American, 
all  have  their  loving  friends  to  advertise- 
them  in  the  world  of  letters,  and  when 
otherwise  intelligent  and  fair-minded 
people  get  to  telling  and  believing  the 
truth  about  the  Pennsylvania-German  and 
his  picturesque  language  and  customs,, 
there  will  be  a  wonderfully  rich  addition 
to  our  literature. 

Superficially,  perhaps,  the  Pennsyl- 
vania-German would  hardly  strike  one  as 
being  a  particularly  romantic  character ; 
on  slight  acquaintance  it  would  seem  that 
he  was  of  the  clay  that  could  be  used  to 
the  best  advantage  in  the  manufacture  of 
pie  plates  or  applebutter  crocks,  or  some 
other  unattractive  ware — and  that  is  the 
allegorical  association  in  which  he  is 
usually  presented.  That  some  delicate 
creation  whose  color,  symmetry  and  deco- 
ration at  once  arrest  attention  and  demand 
admiration  can  be  fashioned  from  such 
plastic,  is  almost  entirely  unthought  of. 
Ihtt  modern  idealism  and  realism  have 
shown  us  that  much  can  be  done  with  clay, 
even  if  it  be  common,  as  intelligent  read- 
ers of  Hall  Caine's  most  successful  books 
will  readily  recognize,  and  so  we  may  con- 
h  lentlv  look  forward  to  the  not  far  dis- 


244 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


tant  day  when  our  own  every  day  heroes 
of  Soudieastern  Pennsylvania  will  be  tak- 
ing the  same  proud  place  in  current  lit- 
erature that  many  of  their  neighbors  have 
filled  in  the  political  and  military  history 
■of  the  country.  With  one  quiet  little  vil- 
lage in  Pennsylvania-Germany  alone,  pro- 
ducing the  president  of  the  first  American 
congress  under  the  constitution,  a  major- 
general  in  the  Revolutionary  army  and  a 
United  States  senator,  the  foremost 
American  botanist  and  an  eminent  littera- 
teur, a  governor  and  an  auditor-general 
of  the  State,  a  member  of  Congress  and  a 
treasurer  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia — to 
say  nothing  of  others  in  the  public  service 
Avho  were  identified  with  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  village — it  is  not  reasonable 
to  believe  that  the  conditions  under  which 
they  developed  would  be  entirely  barren 
of  themes  for  very  pretentious  literary 
effort. 

Some  day  when  the  Maclaren  of  Penn- 
sylvania-Germany comes  to  translate  its 
life  into  English  for  us,  the  hearts  of  the 
people  will  be  touched  by  stories  of  in- 
finitely greater  tenderness  and  pathos  and 
human  sympathy  than  those  in  the  Bonnie 
Briar  Bush  and  Auld  Lang  Syne  collec- 
tions, and  those  who  live  in  the  land  or 
who  have  heard  of  it  will  wonder  why  its 
literary  value  was  not  appreciated  long 
ago.  The  rugged  characters  with  which 
Dr.  Watson  has  populated  his  thinly  dis- 
guised Drumtochty  are  not  comparable 
with  those  real  men  and  women  of  a 
particular  locality  which  anyone,  without 
the  aid  of  the  glasses  of  an  enthusiast, 
could  readily  identify  in  the  Perkiomen 
region. 

It  is  only  about  thirty  miles  from  Phila- 
delphia to  this  "Glen" — to  appropriate 
Maclaren's  place  name — and  what  a  view 
of  it  one  gets  as  he  climbs  the  hill  which 
bounds  it  on  the  south !  A  picture  of 
surpassing  loveliness  is  spread  out  on 
gigantic  canvas,  the  panorama  stretching 
away  up  to  and  beyond  the  Blue  Moun- 
tains, while  the  horizon  on  either  hand  is 
gradually  lost  in  the  distance.  Down  in- 
to the  valley  that  opens  up  almost  at  one's 
feet,  leads  the  road,  past  a  great  house  on 
the  right  which  sheltered  the  ancestors  of 
a  long  line  of  illustrious  men,  one  of  them 
a   colonel   in   the   Revolution,   another   a 


DOORWAY  TO  FARM  HOUSE. 

brigadier-general  and  another  a  major, 
wdiile  many  illustrious  folk  of  later  times 
are  proud  to  trace  their  origin  to  the 
sturdy  old  pioneer  and  his  wife  who 
kindled  a  hearth  fire  there  nearly  a  cen- 
tury and  a  half  ago. 

Down  the  hill  a  little  further  the  road 
crosses  a  bridge  which  a  headless  woman 
haunts  at  midnight.  On  an  eminence  to 
the  left  is  the  village  church,  the  God's 
acre  surrounding  it  whitened  with  the 
memorials  of  many  a  former  generation. 
The  village  itself,  a  real  Pennsylvania- 
German  Drumtochty,  is  just  ahead — and 
the  visitor  can  be  left  there  in  good  com- 
pany to  work  out  his  own  comparisons 
and  his  own  satisfaction  with  a  most  fas- 
cinating neighborhood. 

When  the  romancer  of  the  future  comes 
to  idealize  the  characters  ot  our  Glen — 
for  such  the  Perkiomen  region  in  general 
may  be  appropriately  designated — what 
sublime  figures  he  will  make  of  those 
pioneer  ministers  who  came  to  a  wilder- 
ness to  break  the  bread  of  life  to  their 
congregations,  and  whose  daily  devotion 
and  work  suggests  a  strong  dash  of  the 
martyr  spirit  in  the  men.  History  is  silent 
on  many  points  in  the  career  of  a  certain 


LITERARY  OPPORTUNITIES 


245" 


Youn^^  theologian  who  came  to  this  sec- 
tion in  1793,  but  there  is  more  than 
enough  known  to  frame  a  hero  upon,  at 
any  rate.  The  story  of  "His  Mother's  Ser- 
mon" lacks  some  of  the  beauty  and  ro- 
mance that  might  be  introckiced  into  our 
counterpart  of  it,  were  the  right  man  to 
tell  it.  Our  John  Carmichael  was  a  Uni- 
versity graduate,  his  course  of  study 
having  led  him  through  Giessen  and 
Gottingen.  after  which  he  engaged  in 
teaching ;  later  he  took  charge  of  a  couple 
of  village  churches  in  Germany. 

Hearing  of  the  death  of  his  mother  and 
finding  it  impossible  to  return  to  his  home 
on  account  of  the  wars  and  rumors  of  war 
which  were  then  distracting  Germany,  he 
decided,  in  his  grief,  to  abandon  his  pros- 
pects for  advancement  in  the  Fatherland, 
and  go  to  x\merica.  He  landed  in  Phila- 
delphia, from  Rotterdam,  in  the  fall  of 
1793.  In  Philadelphia  he  was  directed  by 
ecclesiastical  brethren  to  go  to  a  church 
in  our  Glen  that  was  in  need  of  a  pastor. 
He  went  there  and  when  he  appeared  be- 
fore them  the  exacting  Germans  who 
composed  the  flock  murmured.  "What 
does  that  youth  know ;  what  can  he  teach 
us,"  they  said.  But  the  stripling  could 
teach  them  something,  for  his  first  sermon 
electrified  them,  and  he  became  their  pastor 
without  further  objection.  There  was  no 
parsonage  for  the  young  minister  so  the 
householders  drew  lots  to  decide  where  he 
should  live.  The  man  who  drew  the  long- 
est straw  got  the  minister — and  a  son-in- 
law  ;  for  the  farmer  had  a  comely  daugh- 
ter and  she  married  the  young  parson. 
The  names  of  their  children  and  their 
children's  children  to-day  have  high  and 
honored  places  in  the  religious,  civil  and 
political  annals  of  the  country. 

In  1807.  the  minister  heard  from  a  Jew- 
peddler  who  came  from  his  native  place 
that  the  mother  whom  he  mourned  was 
still  alive  and  well ;  it  was  an  aunt  by  the 
same  name  who  had  died,  not  the  mother. 
He  made  arrangements  at  once  for  her 
coming  to  this  country  and  after  a  separa- 
tion of  fifteen  years  the  mother  who  had 
given  so  good  a  man  to  this  country  was 
greeted  by  the  son  as  one  risen  from  the 
dead.  The  labors  of  that  minister's  life 
broadened  the  domain  of  the  "Kingdom" 
in  this  countrv,  and  the  whole  story,  which 


is  entirely  a  true  one,  is  a  most  strikin,^ 
exemplification  of  the  words,  "God  moves 
in  a  mysterious  way  his  wonders  to  per- 
form." And  the  scene  of  the  young  min- 
ister's trial,  his  romance,  his  life's  great 
happiness,  is  in  the  peaceful  valley  that  is 
still  musical  with  "the  Perkiomen,  singing 
all  the  day." 

And  another  striking  parallel  between 
the  history  of  those  clerical  heroes  of 
Alaclaren's  fancy  and  those  of  its  counter- 
part near  us  is  to  be  found  in  the  record 
of  two  ministers,  father  and  son.  whose 
combined  pastorates  in  the  service  of  the 
same  church  extends  over  a  range  of 
seventy  years — from  1829  until  the  pres- 
ent. Going  back  to  the  early  days  of  the 
father's  ministry,  some  of  the  difficulties 
of  his  parish  work  can  hardly  be  appre- 
ciated ;  and  considering,  too,  the  critical 
audiences  to  which  he  had  to  preacli.  his 
devotion  to  his  charge  under  all  circum- 
stances, makes  his  life  appear  as  a  very 
clear  exposition  of  the  word  consecration. 
Those  who  knew  the  father  tell  enough 
of  the  details  of  his  earnest  and  noble  life 
to  lead  one  to  think  there  will  be  little 
need  of  idealizing  it ;  the  plain  truth  will 
be  sufficiently  absorbing. 

But  apart  from  its  many  analogies,  our 
"Glen"  has  a  charm  that  is  not  dilated 
upon  in  the  stories  of  the  place  across  the 
seas.  For  instance,  it  was  one  of  the  first 
homes  in  America  of  those  thousands  of 
sectarians  from  the  Rhine  country,  who, 
oppressed  with  varying  degrees  of  bitter- 
ness in  their  native  land,  gladly  accepted 
the  invitation  of  Penn  and  the  glittering- 
prospects  of  religious  freedom  in  his 
"Elysium."  Their  early  ancestors  in  the 
Netherlands  had  been  relentlessly  perse- 
cuted ;  indeed,  one  writer  has  said  that 
even  the  sufferings  of  the  primitive 
Christians  did  not  compare  with  the  name- 
less horrors  to  which  these  Mennonite 
martyrs  submitted.  Among  the  methods 
by  wiiich  many  of  them  met  death  calmly 
and  unflinchingly  it  is  recorded  that  some 
were  buried  alive ;  others  were  burned ; 
some  were  torn  on  the  rack ;  others  were 
hung.  But  still  the  survivors  clung- 
tenaciously  to  their  own  interpretations 
of  the  Scriptures  and  these  they  carried 
with  them  into  new  homes  in  the  Palati- 
nate— where,  as  just  observed,  they  were 


246 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


not  left  undisturbed  in  their  enjoyment  of 
religious  life — and  thence  to  the  new- 
world. 

A  substantial  stone  farm  house  and  an 
ancient  mill  along  the  banks  of  a  small 
tributary  to  the  Perkiomen  are  two  of  the 
tangible  relics  "stranded  upon  this  dis- 
tant shore  of  time"  that  still  remind  us  of 
a  most  distinguished  exponent  of  the  faith 
of  Menno  Simons  who  came  to  the  Glen 
in  1 7 19,  and  who  gave  up  the  wonderfully 
busy  life  he  led  in  it  in  1760,  when  his 
neighbors  carried  his  body  out  of  his  old 
home  and  buried  it  in  a  quiet  spot  be- 
neath the  trees  somewhere  on  the  broad 
acres  he  had  reclaimed  from  the  wilder- 
ness. A  reference  to  what  was  accom- 
plished by  this  great  man — for  so  he  will 


cation  of  that  "noblest  specimen  of 
colonial  bibliography."  the  so-called  Mar- 
tvr  Book  printed  at  the  Ephrata  cloister 
in  1748.  Any  one  of  his  occupations 
would  probably  be  considered  fairly  good 
employment  for  the  average  man  of  this 
generation,  and  to  say  that  the  world  was 
the  better  for  Henry  Funk's  having  lived 
in  it,  is  simply  a  very  mild  way  of  stating 
a  plain  truth  for  all  people. 

The  peculiar  views  of  those  primitive 
sectarians — of  whom  the  various  divisions 
of  the  ]\Iennonites  or  Mennists,  the 
Dunkers  and  the  Schwenkfelders  are  the 
most  familiar  examples  to-day — yet  thrive 
in  Pennsylvania  Germany,  for  their  ex- 
ponents still  possess  the  fundamental  and 
cardinal    virtue   of    attending    largely    to 


HISTORIC  FLOURING  MILL. 


be  considered  when  people  commence  to 
read  and  weigh  history  aright — will  be  of 
interest ;  he  was  a  deep  scholar ;  he  was  a 
preacher  in  the  Mennonite  church  and  for 
some  years  a  bishop  in  that  organization ; 
he  was  a  miller;  he  looked  after  a  large 
farm;  he  was  the  author  of  two  books, 
one  of  which  was  published  in  1744.  and 
ran  through  at  least  five  editions,  while  the 
other  one,  published  three  years  after  his 
death,  was  meritorious  enough  to  run 
through  three  editions,  being  reprinted 
in  Switzerland  in  1844,  and  again  in 
Pennsylvania  (Lancaster)  in  1862;  and 
he  was  the  leading  spirit  in  the  translation 
from  Dutch  into  German,  and  the  publi- 


their  own  affairs.  It  is  this  aloofness 
from  the  rest  of  the  world  that  is  respon- 
sible to  a  very  great  degree  for  the  com- 
parative lack  of  popular  knowledge  of 
and  sympathy  for  their  beliefs.  A 
Dunker — a  man  well  known  for  his  strict 
business  integrity  and  entire  freedom  from 
cant  and  hypocrisy — was  asked  once  if 
he  intended  going  to  the  World's  Fair  at 
Chicago.  "World's  Fair!"  he  repeated, 
with  particular  emphasis  on  the  first  word; 
"World's  Fair!  Would  people  go  to  a 
Christian's  Fair?"  Even  the  denomina- 
tion of  the  great  enterprise  was  enough 
to  condemn  it  in  his  judgment,  as  it  was 
apparently   linked   in   his   mind   with   the 


LITKRARY  OPPORTUXITIES 


247 


other  two  elements  of  that  well  known 
trio,  the  world,  the  tiesh  and  the  devil. 
That  was  enough  to  raise  a  doubt  as  to 
its  morality  and  so  he  stayed  at  home  and 
got  no  sympathy  for  his  conscientious 
antagonism — from  the  gentiles,  at  least, 
who  laughed  at  his  novel  arraignment  of 
the  Exposition. 

When  the  story  of  Harra  Jake  ^loyer's 
public  confession  for  the  sin  of  having 
knelt  in  prayer  with  strangers  to  his  ow^n 
faith  became  noised  abroad,  it  was  told 
with  many  an  embellishment  by  those  who 
could  not  or  would  not  understand  that  a 
IMennist's  religion  and  principles  are  only 
covered    by    his    plain    garl) — thev    are 


lUit  apart  from  these,  our  (ilen  has  an 
abiding  interest.  Here  are  vales  thronged 
with  ghosts ;  here  "spooks"  hold  high  car- 
nival in  dismantled  powder  mills  and 
abandoned  houses  and  barns ;  here  live 
princes  of  story  tellers  who  can  spin  yarns 
about  the  shadowy  denizens  in  a  st}-le  that 
will  almost  curdle  the  blood ;  here  still 
lingers  a  belief  in  charms,  one  of  wdiich, 
from  the  "seventh"  book  of  Moses,  when 
rightly  employed  will  make  the  user  of  the 
incantation  invisible  to  his  pursuer  and 
invulnerable  to  the  bullets  from  his 
enemy's  gun.  An  old  man  who  lived 
long  beyond  the  allotted  three  score  and 
ten   tried    and   proved   its   efficacy    many 


AN  OLD  MILL 


planted  very  deeply  in  his  breast.  We  read 
the  pathetic  account  of  Lachlan  Campbell 
and  his  erring  daughter,  and  in  spite  of 
ourselves  we  admire  the  superhuman 
courage  of  the  old  man  as  he  puts  his  duty 
to  the  Kirk  above  all  fatherly  affection  for 
the  girl.  Yet  the  incident  has  been 
matched  and  surpassed  over  and  over 
again  in  the  annals  of  our  own  Drum- 
tochty.  Many  an  unrepentant  sinner 
there,  unheedful  of  the  warnings  of  his 
brethren,  has  felt  the  heavy  hand  of  the 
"ban"  laid  upon  him ;  the  members  of  his 
own  family,  his  companions,  his  old  asso- 
ciates in  the  meeting,  have  avoided  him 
until  in  his  terrible  isolation  he  has  been 
.  brought  to  a  sincere  sorrow  for  his  sin 
and  he  has  made  full  atonement  for  it. 


a  time  in  his  checkered  career  as  bandit, 
bounty  jumper  and  in  other  capacities 
that  encouraged  him  to  keep  as  remote 
from  the  public  eye  as  possible.  Failure 
to  grasp  the  gravity  of  a  situation  and  to 
promptly  call  the  abracadabra  to  his  aid 
once  resulted  in  his  disappearance  from 
society  for  a  dozen  years  while  he  kept  an 
engagement  with  a  state  official.  One  of 
his  strong  points  was  his  adroitness  in 
evading  definite  mention  of  the  profession 
that  made  his  name  a  household  terror  in 
days  gone  by. 

It  does  not  require  any  amount  of 
mental  gymnastics  to  get  one's  self  in 
sympathy  with  the  manifold  delights  and 
peculiarities  of  nature  and  character  in  the 
Perkiomen  region.    C)ne  needs  but  to  find 


248 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


that  comfortable  seat  on  the  long  "hoh- 
kist"  (wood  chest)  at  the  side  of  the  great 
fireplace ;  in  the  opposite  corner  of  the 
kitchen  is  an  eight-day  clock  that  has 
ticked  away  time  for  four  generations  of 
the  family  ;  in  another  corner  is  a  triangu- 
lar cupboard  and  on  its  shelves  is  an  ex- 
quisitely patterned  tea-set  which,  with  the 
clock,  has  been  the  wedding  portion  of 
great-grandmother,  grandmother,  mother 
and — the  daughter  is  still  young,  buxom 
and  unmarried.  The  fire  roars  up  the 
chimney ;  the  logs  crackle  and  sparkle  as 
if  to  add  to  the  heat  of  the  controversv 
— such  as  most  of  these  Pennsylvania- 
Germans  are  always  willing  to  engage 
m — which  rages  over  the  property  of  a 
snaven  face  and  a  "wordly"  dress.  There 
in  the  Old  Testament  of  the  Bible  which 
an  ancestor  brought  from  Nuremberg 
many  generations  ago,  the  argumentative 
Dunker  points  out  the  incontrovertible 
lojric  which  tears  the  useless  buttons  from 


coat  sleeves,  and  makes  a  shame  of  fancy 
necktie  patterns  and  other  such  frivolities. 
But,  as  has  been  suggested  before  all 
these  incidents  and  phases  of  a  wonder- 
fully quaint  life  and  times  need  but  the 
few  touches  of  an  artist  to  give  thenx 
perspective,  to  make  them  finished  pic- 
tures ;  all  the  ready-made  plots  which 
abound  there  need  but  the  casting  of  a. 
master  to  make  them  into  most  captivating; 
comedies  or  tragedies  as  the  case  may  be. 
And  until  the  artist  or  the  master  takes 
full  cognizance  of  Pennsylvania-Germany^ 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land  are  not 
finding  speech — although  it  is  refreshing 
to  note  that  such  writers  as  Nelson  Lloyd 
and  other  contributors  to  our  current 
magazine  literature  are  making  highly 
appreciated  additions  to  its  vocabulary. 
Let  us  hope  that  the  Washington  Irving 
of  Pennsylvania-Germany  will  soon  come 
to  the  life  and  character  of  our  neighbors 
in  their  real  proportions ! 


The  Conway  Cabal  at  York,  Pennsylvania, 

1777-1778 


BY  DR.  I.  H.  BKTZ.  YORK.  PA. 


VERY  school  history  used  by 
American  school  boys  makes 
mention  of  the  Conway 
Cabal  the  headquarters  of 
whose  intrigues  was  in  a 
house  in  York  which  is  still 

standing  and  is  in  an  excellent  state  of 

preservation.       How    all    this    occurred 

forms  an  intereseting  story. 

The  brilliant  showing  at  Lexington  and 

Concord : 

"Where   the    embattled   farmers   stood 
Who  fired  the  shot  heard  'round  the  world." 

was  followed  by  Bunker  Hill  which  was 
really  a  victory  in  disguise.  This  cul- 
minated in  the  famous  siege  of  Boston 
the  outcome  of  which  convinced  the 
Crown  that  the  Americans  would  fight. 
But  the  British  army  sought  a  new 
point — New  York  and  forced  the  Ameri- 
can army  to  retreat  across  New  Jeresy. 
Philadelphia  the  seat  of  government  was 
now  the  objective  point  of  the  British. 
The  bold  attack  made  by  Washington 


on  Trenton  and  the  battle  at  Princeton 
for  a  time  frustrated  this  intention.  But 
the  British  after  a  time  sought  a  new 
point  of  approach  by  way  of  Chesapeake 
Bay — the  Delaware  being  obstructed — 
and  then  marched  overland  through 
southeastern  Pennsylvania.  In  trying 
to  impede  their  advance  the  battle  of  the 
Brandywine  occurred  which  led  the  way 
to  the  British  occupation  of  Philadelphia 
shortly  afterwards.  Washington  in  en- 
deavoring to  retrieve  his  fortune,  made  a 
well  planned  attack  on  the  British  at 
Germantown  which  must  have  succeeded 
but  for  strange  luiforeseen  circumstances. 

Congress  left  Philadelphia  shortly  after 
the  battle  of  Pirandywine  and  after  passing 
through  several  places  it  assembled  in 
Lancaster  for  a  single  day  but  retired 
to  York  where  it  remained  till  the  evacua- 
tion of  Philadelphia  the  following  June 
1778. 

The  loss  of  New  York  and  Philadel- 
phia, the  depreciation  of  the  currency  and 
the  sufferings  at  Valley  Forge  furnished 


THE  CONWAY  CABAL 


2^C> 


material  for  criticism  which  was  laid  at 
the  door  of  the  Commander-in-Chief, 
George  Washington.  On  the  other  hand 
the  success  of  our  arms  at  Saratoga  af- 
forded some  relief  but  it  was  interrupted 
by  a  strong  opposition  wholly  to  the  dis- 
advantage of  Washington. 

The  origin,  growth  and  history  of  the 
Cabal  is  shrouded  in  much  obscurity  as 
regards  its  details — and  it  also  contains 
many  missing  links.  Had  the  project 
succeeded  or  been  successful  in  its  out- 
come w-e  would  then  probably  have  come 
in  full  possession  of  its  minutest  details. 
When  the  project  failed  its  memory  be- 
came unpopular  and  the  lips  of  those  who 
could  have  spoken  at  first  hand  became 
sealed.  Those  who  had  reduced  their 
knowledge  to  writing  destroyed  their 
papers  and  journals  largely,  or  they  were 
destroyed  by  their  descendants  by  express 
directions  it  is  believed.  None  had  a 
direct  full  knowledge  excepting  those  who 
were  involved  in  the  conspiracy.  Those 
who  were  unfriendly  to  its  aims  were  not 
admitted  to  its  councils.  Those  who  were 
in  partial  sympathy  with  its  intentions 
were  pretty  well  known.  Some  were 
probably  only  partially  involved,  if  that 
expression  is  allowed.  Had  the  con- 
spiracy not  collapsed  so  suddenly  their 
attitude  would  probably  have  been  more 
pronounced. 

The  first  Board  of  War  was  or- 
ganized June  1 2th,  1776.  Its  head 
was  John  Adams,  its  secretary  was 
Richard  Peters.  Its  other  members 
were  Roger  Sherman,  Benjamin  Har- 
rison, James  Wilson  and  Edward  Rut- 
ledge.  This  board  occupied  the  lower 
story  of  James  Smith's  law  office  in 
York.  Smith  was  also  a  member  of  the 
Congress. 

Later,  Nov.,  1777,  a  new  board  was  ap- 
pointed with  General  Horatio  Gates  as 
its  head,  who  requested  that  James  Wil- 
kinson should  be  made  its  Secretary.  He 
was  notified  by  President  Laurens 
to  come  to  York,  but  owing  to  subsequent 
developments  he  did  not  serve  in  this 
capacity  except  for  a  brief  time  after  his 
averted  duel  at  York  with  Gates,  after 
which  he  resigned.  The  members  ap- 
pointed by  the  new  board  were  Thomas 
^lifflin,  Timothy  Pickering,  Col.  Robert  B. 


Harrison,  Francis  Dana,  Jonathan  Bay- 
ard Smith,  Joseph  Trumbull  and  Richard 
Peters.  General  Gates  came  to  York 
January  19th,  1778.  The  members  were 
not  to  be  taken  from  the  list  of  the  Con- 
gressmen. The  board  as  now  constituted 
was  opposed  to  Washington,  after  the 
resignation  of  several  of  its  members. 
General  Gates  now  rented  the  house  on 
Market  street  east  of  Water.  He  occu- 
pied the  house  with  his  family  and  made 
this  dwelling  the  office  of  the  Board  of 
War.  Mrs.  Gates  being  a  woman  of 
wealth  and  prestige  made  their  brief  sta^ 
in  York  a  social  success. 

While  the  different  elements  which 
formed  the  Cabal  were  somewhat  diverse 
in  character  subjectively,  yet  objectively 
their  aims  were  directed  towards  one  per- 
son— Washington.  He  it  was  who  stood 
in  the  way  of  those  who  had  special  ob- 
jects in  view.  A  positive  character  who 
sees  his  duty  and  performs  it  without  fear 
or  favor  is  sure  to  arouse  a  host  oi  warm 
friends  as  well  as  a  swarm  of  bitter  ene- 
mies. The  council  and  assembly  of  Penn- 
sylvania renewed  to  Congress  their  wish 
that  Philadelphia  might  be  taken  and  the 
British  army  driven  away.  To  this 
project  Congress  lent  a  favorable  ear. 
Other  projects  of  activity  were  proposed,, 
but  came  to  nothing.  Individuals  here 
and  there  may  be  quoted  whose  opinions 
and  attitude  to  Washington  reflect  any- 
thing but  credit  upon  themselves  in  the 
light  of  subsequent  events. 

The  question  arises — Why  should  this 
secret  intrigue  be  termed  the  "Conway 
Cabal"? 

The  three  men  who  aspired  to  succeed 
Washington  as  commander-in-chief  of 
the  army  were  Thomas  Conway,  Horatio 
Gates  and  Charles  Lee.  All  were  of  for- 
eign birth  and  all  had  seen  service  in 
other  lands.  All  three  presumed  to  re- 
gard Washington  as  deficient  in  mili- 
tary talents  and  ability. 

Conway,  who  was  of  Irish  birth,  had 
served  for  years  in  the  armies  of  France. 

Our  representatives  in  that  country  ex- 
tended great  encouragement  to  such  for- 
eigners as  were  willing  to  enter  our  serv- 
ice. Probably  none  came  wath  greater 
expectations  than  Conway.  He  aspired 
to  high  rank  at  the  beginning,  and  it  is 


250 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


believed  that  he  already  had  in  view  the 
highest  command  in  the  army.  He 
sought  Washington  very  early  at  JNIor- 
ristown.  and  by  his  manner  and  matter 
impressed  him  very  unfavorably. 

Instead  of  receiving  the  commission  of 
major  general  at  the  'hands  of  Congress 
he  first  only  had  the  degree  of  brigadier 
general  conferred  upon  him.  Washing- 
ton took  occasion  to  comment  upon  his 
e.xpectations  and  aspirations  very  unfav- 
orably which  incurred  the  malignant 
enmity  of  Conway.  Still  he  made  friends 
of  a  large  number  of  army  officers,  Con- 
gressmen and  individuals  in  private  life. 
Coming  at  a  period  which  had  been  fol- 
lowed by  disaster  which  had  called  forth 
the  unsparing  criticism  of  men  in  public 
life  he  was  an  enemy  not  to  be  despised. 

Gates  had  been  an  officer  Avith  W^ash- 
ington  in  the  ill-fated  Braddock  expedi- 
tion in  1755.  For  some  years  he  and 
Charles  Lee  had  been  neighbors  in 
Berkeley  county.  Virginia. 

Undoubtedly  Gates  was  a  less  daring 
and  open  schemer  than  Conway.  For  a 
time  at  least  the  three  aspirants  were  in- 
dependent in  their  hopes  and  aims.  Of 
Gates  it  may  be  said  that  he  accompanied 
\\"ashington  to  Boston  and  was  appointed 
adjutant  with  the  rank  of  brigadier  gen- 
eral. He  professed  great  devotion  to 
\\'ashington,  yet  he  early  suggested  to 
Congress  that  "a  committee  be  appointed 
to  watch  him."  He  was  appointed  to  the 
command  of  the  Northern  army  the  fol- 
lowing year.  By  a  strange  course  of 
fortuitous  circumstances  he  received  all 
the  credit  for  the  result  of  this  campaign, 
for  which  he  also  received  great  adula- 
tion for  the  moment,  which  served  to 
impress  him  with  self-importance. 
Charles  Lee  proved  himself  a  true 
prophet  when  he  said  to  him  after  his 
appointment  to  the  Southern  army,  which 
was  defeated  so  disastrously  at  Camden: 
"Take  care  that  you  do  not  exchange 
Northern  laurels  for  Southern  icillozi's:" 

Of  Lee  it  may  be  said  that  he  was  sec- 
ond in  command  of  the  Army.  First  he 
also  revered  and  praised  Washington. 
Four  months  later  he  lamented  his  "fatal 
indecision"  and  called  him  a  blunderer. 
In  another  month  he  wrote:  "A  certain 
great  man  is  most  damnablv  deficient." 


Lee  now  was  captured.  It  is  said  that 
while  a  prisoner  he  drew  up  a  plan  for 
the  English  general  showing  how 
America  could  be  conquered.  His  ad- 
vance and  retreat  at  Monmouth  and  the 
burning  indignation  of  Washington  need 
not  be  enlarged  upon.  Others  of  his  acts 
are  open  to  a  greater  charge  than  ineffi- 
ciency. Like  Conway  he  would  gladly 
have  succeeded  \\'ashington. 

Conway  was  guilty  of  speaking  disre- 
spectfully of  W^ashington  face  to  face  by 
maintaining  the  facts  set  forth  in  his  letter 
to  Gates.  The  latter  was  not  so  frank, 
but  hedged  and  equivocated,  and  thus 
aroused  the  animus  of  Wilkinson,  a  mem- 
ber of  his  staff,  who  later  called  him  to 
account  by  challenging  him  to  mortal 
combat. 

Wilkinson  was  a  private  in  the  first 
company  of  riflemen  which  left  York 
July  I,  and  reached  Boston  July  25,  1775. 
This  was  the  first  company  to  reach  that 
place  from  west  or  south  of  the  Hudson 
river. 

Singularly,  all  three  of  these  aspirants 
to  the  highest  honor  took  part  in  duels : 
Conway  with  Cadwallader ;  Gates  with 
Wilkinson  and  Lee  with  Col.  John 
Laurens. 

Two  of  them.  Gates  and  Conway, 
wrote  contrite  letters  to  Washington.  Lee 
passed  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  ob« 
scurity.  It  may  be  remarked  that  Con- 
way, Gates  and  Lee  would  not  have 
been  fitting  successors  to  Washington. 
They  lacked  judgment  and  moral  prin- 
ciple. Lacking  caution  and  discretion 
they  would  have  speedily  wrecked  the 
fortune  of  the  Colonies. 

These  were  the  men  who  were  inter- 
ested in  the  success  of  the  Cabal  directly. 
Conway  being  the  boldest  and  most  out- 
spoken, was  naturally  assigned  to  the 
leadership,  although  in  its  later  stages 
Gates  became  the  standard-bearer  of  the 
Cabal. 

Of  the  members  of  Congress  who  fav- 
ored the  Cabal,  the  most  active  and  out- 
spoken, though  far  from  being  the  ablest, 
may  be  mentioned  James  Lovell,  of 
Massachusetts.  Already  as  early  as 
Nov.  17th,  1777,  he  wrote  to  Gates, 
threatening  Washington  "with  the 
mighty  torrent  of  public  clamor  and  ven- 


THE  CONWAY  CABAL 


251 


geance,"  and  adding  "How  different  your 
conduct  and  your  fortune ;  this  army  will 
be  totally  lost  unless  you  come  down  and 
collect  the  virtuous  band  who  wish  to 
fight  under  your  banner."  After  Gates 
was  appointed  president  of  Board  of 
War,  Lovell  wrote:  "We  want  you  in 
dift'erent  places ;  we  want  you  most  near 
Germantown.  Good  God.  what  a  situa- 
tion we  are  in !  How  different  from  what 
might  have  been  justly  expected!"  This 
is  a  specimen  of  some  of  the  correspond- 
ence which  remains  of  that  stormy  period, 
to  which  may  be  added  extracts  from 
others. 

While  John  Adams  was  not  a  member 
of  the  Cabal,  yet  his  opinion  of  Wash- 
ington's ability  could  not  have  been  any- 
thing but  very  moderate  in  the  light  of 
such  queries  as :  "Would  Washington 
ever  have  been  commander  of  the  revo- 
lutionary army  or  president  of  the  United 
States  if  he  had  not  married  the  rich 
widow  Custis  ?"  The  most  he  could  say 
for  him  to  Knox  was  that  he  was  an 
"amiable  gentleman."  He  also  expressed 
himself  as  "sick  of  Fabian  systems." 

In  writing  of  the  thanksgiving  for  the 
Saratoga  Convention,  he  said :  "One 
cause  of  it  ought  to  be  that  the  glory  of 
turning  the  tide  of  arms  is  not  imme- 
diately due  to  the  commander-in-chief.  If 
it  had  been,  idolatry  and  adulation  would 
have  been  unbounded." 

William  Williams,  of  Connecticut, 
agreed  with  Jonathan  Trumbull  that  the 
time  had  come  when  "a  much  exalted 
character  should  make  way  for  a  general," 
and  suggested  if  this  was  not  done  "vol- 
untarily," those  to  whom  the  public 
looked  should  "see  to  it." 

Abram  Clark,  of  New  Jersey,  thought . 
"We  may  talk  of  the  enemy's  cruelty  as 
•we  will,  but  we  have  no  greater  cruelty  to 
complain  of  than  the  management  of  oui 
army." 

Jonathan  D.  Sargent  asserted  that  "we 
want  a  general;  thousands  of  lives  and 
millions  of  property  are  yearly  sacrificed 
to  the  insufficiency  of  our  commander- 
in-chief." 

Richard  Henry  Lee  agreed  with  Gen- 
eral Mifflin  that  Gates  was  needed  "to 
procure  the  indispensable  changes  in  our 
army." 


Other  Congressmen  inimical  to  Wash- 
ington were  Samuel  Adams,  William 
Ellery,  Eliphalet  Dyer,  Roger  Sherman, 
Samuel  Chars,  Francis  Lightfoot  Lee, 
Elll)ridge  Gerry  and  Henry  Marchant. 

P)Ut  no  one,  not  even  Conway,  exceeded 
Benjamin  Rush  in  virulent  opposition  to 
Washington.  He  had  been  a  member  of 
the  previous  Congress,  and  a  signer  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence.  Rush, 
it  is  maintained,  had  tried  to  remove  Dr. 
Shippen  from  the  directorship  in  his  own 
favor.  Washington  stigmatized  the 
prosecution  as  one  originating  in  bad  mo- 
tives. Rush  became  his  bitter  enemy  as 
long  as  he  lived. 

He  wrote  anonymous  letters,  one  to  the 
governor  of  \'irginia,  with  request  that 
the  letter  be  burnt.  Instead,  Patrick 
Henry  sent  it  to  Washington,  who  recog- 
nized the  handwriting,  remarking  that 
"we  have  caught  the  sly  old  fox  at  last." 
Another  was  written  to  the  president  of 
the  Congress,  Henry  Laurens.  The  son 
of  the  latter.  Col.  John  Laurens,  was  a 
most  devoted  friend  of  Washington,  and 
belonged  to  his  military  family.  He 
wrote  letters  to  his  father,  and  also  came 
to  York  and  laid  the  true  state  of  affairs 
before  him,  and  convinced  him  accord- 
ingly. 

Rush  tried  hard  in  ^Marshall's  Life  of 
Washington  to  prevent  his  name  as  ap- 
pearing among  his  enemies. 

Mifflin  had  been  the  first  man  appointed 
on  Washington's  staff  and  was  promoted 
by  him  to  be  quartermaster  general. 
Patrick  Henry  said  that  Mifflin  bore  sec- 
ond part  in  the  Cabal.  It  is  claimed  he 
had  neglected  his  duties  as  quartermaster 
general,  but  was  elected  to  office  in  the 
newly-appointed   Board   of  War. 

In  the  army  Sullivan,  who  was  second 
in  command,  expressed  himself  heartily 
in  Conway's  favor,  and  pronounced  him 
the  best  officer  in  its  ranks.  This  he  did 
in  the  face  of  Washington  and  his 
brother  officers  who  were  faithful  to  him. 

At  the  same  time,  Wayne  expressed  his 
purpose  "to  follow  the  line  pointed  out  by 
the  conduct  of  Lee.  Gates  and  Mifflin." 

Conway  had  the  audacity,  on  foreseeing 
that  Gates  was  to  preside  at  the  Board  of 
War,  to  offer  to  form  a  plan  for  him 
for  the  instruction  of  the  armv. 


252 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


But  if  Washin^on  had  his  enemies, 
he  also  had  his  friends.  Among  those 
who  stood  by  him  were  such  Congress- 
men as  Laurens,  Harrison.  Robert  Mor- 
ris, Dr.  Joseph  Jones,  Charles  Carroll, 
Gouverneur  Morris,  Rudedge  and  others. 
In  the  army  were  Greene,  Knox,  Alex- 
ander Hamilton,  LaFayette  and  John 
Laurens.  Joseph  Reed,  who  was  one  of 
his  aids,  it  is  claimed  was  two-faced.  It 
is  claimed  that  Gouverneur  Morris  gave 
the  casting  vote  in  the  Congress  which 
saved  Washington  from  being  arrested 
at  Valley  Forge.  It  is  related  that  Wil- 
liam Duer,  of  New  York,  was  on  a  bed 
of  sickness  when  this  vote  was  to  be 
taken,  and  a  litter  had  been  prepared  to 
take  him  to  the  Congress  by  his  physician 
at  his  earnest  request,  even  though  the 
event  would  prove  fatal  to  him  later. 
Happily,  the  arrival  of  Morris  obviated 
this  necessity,  but  the  fact  shows  how 
closely  the  lines  were  drawn.  It  is  also 
related  that  the  re-election  of  Richard 
Henry  Lee  and  Samuel  Adams  was  at- 
tended with  great  doubt,  owing  to  the 
part  they  took  in  the  matter  in  question. 

This  event  and  the  incident  which  oc- 
curred at  the  famous  banquet  in  the  old 
house  on  Market  near  Water  street,  at 
which  Conway,  Gates  and  Lafayette  were 
present,  had  great  influence  upon  the  for- 
tunes of  the  Cabal.  When  the  wine  be- 
gan to  work  and  the  toasts  were  all  ut- 
tered, Lafayette  proposed  a  toast  which 
had  not  yet  been  given — one  to  the  com- 
mander-in-chief ! 

The  confusion  which  it  produced  in 
the  ranks  of  the  conspirators  served  to 
impress  Lafayette  that  his  surmises  as  to 
the  intrigue  were  well  founded.  Not- 
vvidistanding  he  was  appointed  as  the  head 
of  a  northern  expedition  to  Canada,  he 
stipulated  that  DeKalb  should  be  second 
in  command  instead  of  Conway,  and  that 
he  himself  should  be  subject  to  the  com- 
mander-in-chief. How  this  project  came 
to  naught  owing  to  lack  of  men  and 
means  to  be  provided  for  the  expedition 
by  Congress  is  a  matter  of  history. 

But  nothing  tended  so  directly  and 
speedily  to  the  downfall  of  the  Cabal  as 
the  difficulity  that  began  between  Wil- 
kinson and  (iates  soon  after  the  surren- 
der of  Burgoyne.     Instead  of  communi- 


cating the  report  to  Washington,  who  was 
entitled  to  receive  it.  Gates  despatched 
his  aid  Wilkinson  to  York  to  report  to 
the  Congress.  He  was  a  young  man  of 
twenty  years  of  age. 

He  left  Albany  Oct.  20th,  and  reached 
Easton  Oct.  24th,  where  he  stopped  one 
day.  The  following  day  he  proceeded 
towards  Reading,  which  he  reached  on 
the  evenmg  of  October  27th. 

At  Reading  he  dined  with  Lord  Stirl- 
ing, who  had  been  wounded  at  Brandy- 
wine.  One  of  the  guests  at  dinner  was 
James  Monroe,  future  President  of  the 
United  States. 

Wilkinson  here  inadvertently  revealed 
the  plot  to  remove  Washington  from  the 
head  of  the  army.  He  then  proceeded 
to  Reading  and  dined  with  Mifflin.  Here 
he  met  several  members  of  Congress  from 
New  England.  He  was  delayed  here  sev- 
eral days  by  swollen  rivers.  He  arrived 
at  York,  Oct.  31st.  The  news  of  the  sur- 
render had  preceded  him  for  some  days. 
Still  it  was  proposed  by  Congress  to  pre- 
sent Wilkinson  with  a  sword.  W'ither- 
spoon,  in  his  broad  Scotch,  dryly  re- 
marked :  "I  think  ye'd  better  give  the  lad 
a  pair  of  spurs." 

Another  delegate  responded :  "And  a 
whip,  so  that  he  may  bring  official  news 
more  promptly  another  time." 

Wilkinson  remained  in  York  till  Nov. 
9th.  He  was  made  a  brigadier  general 
by  brevet.  He  returned,  going  by  way 
of  Washington's  headquarters.  Washing- 
ton sent  a  letter  of  congratulation  to 
Gates  for  the  success  of  our  arms,  but 
remarked  that  he  was  sorry  that  he  re- 
ceived the  information  indirectly,  thus  ad- 
ministering a  well-merited  rebuke  to 
Gates. 

But  the  bombshell  thrown  in  the  camp 
of  the  conspirators  was  that  when  Wilkin- 
son revealed  the  secrets  of  the  Cabal  he 
communicated  the  contents  of  a  letter  re- 
ceived by  Gates  from  Conway.  Lord 
Stirling  informed  Washington  of  the  cir- 
cumstance. Washington  sent  a  letter  to 
Conway  which  read : 

"Sir  :  A  letter  I  received  last  night  con- 
tained the  following  paragraph:  'In  a  letter 
from  General  Conway  to  General  Gates  he 
says',  "Heaven  has  determined  to  save  your 
country  or  a  weak  general  and  bad  counsellor 
would  have  ruined  it." 


THE  CONWAY  CABAL 


253 


"I  am  Sir.  vour  Humble  Servant, 

"GEORGE    WASHINGTON." 

Conway  did  not  know  what  to  make  of 
this  startling'  note.  He,  however,  went 
toldly  to  Washington  face  to  face  and 
stood  by  his  letter,  and  boasted  of  it  after- 
wards to  Mifflin. 

The  latter  wrote  to  Gates,  warning  him 
that  an  extract  from  one  of  his  letters 
had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  Washington. 

(Jates  replied  to  Mifflin  that  he  exer- 
-cised  the  greatest  care  in  the  security  of 
his  correspondence.  He  blamed  Alex- 
ander Hamilton,  a  friend  of  Washington, 
who  had  visited  him  for  abstracting  it. 

He  then  sent  a  copy  of  the  letter  to 
Congress,  so  that  body  might  assist  in 
finding  the  culprit,  which  in  reality  was 
to  arouse  still  greater  prejudices  against 
Washington.  The  latter  discerned  the 
purpose  and  wrote  to  Gates : 

"Your  letter  came  to  my  hands  a  few  days 
ago,  and  to  my  surprise  informed  me  that  a 
copy  of  it  had  been  sent  to  Congress,  for  what 
reason  I  find  myself  unable  to  account,  but  as 
some  end  was  doubtless  intended  to  be  assured 
ly  it  I  am  led  under  the  disagreeable  necessity 
of  returning  my  answer  through  the  same 
channel,  lest  any  member  of  that  honorable 
hody  should  harbor  an  unfavorable  suspicion 
of  having  practiced  some  indirect  means  to 
come  at  the  contents  of  the  confidential  letters 
l)etween  you  and  General   Conway." 

In  this  letter  he  further  detailed  how 
Wilkinson  had  talked  at  Reading  when 
imder  the  influence  of  wine,  and  that  he 
had  written  the  before  mentioned  letter 
to  Conway,  to  let  him  know  his  attitude 
"was  known.  Much  more  to  the  same 
€fifect  was  mentioned  in  the  letter.  The 
revelations  to  both  parties  was  a  complete 
surprise. 

Gates  had  a  ray  of  hope  that  Washing- 
Ion  had  no  information  excepting  that  em- 
"braced  in  the  extract  of  the  letter  written 
iy  Conway. 

Gates  now  attempted  to  make  Wilkin- 
son the  scape-goat,  and  wrote  again  to 
Washington,  denying  his  intimacy  with 
Conway,  and  declared  he  had  secured  but 
a   single   letter    from   him. 

He  declared  that  the  letter  contained 
no  such  paragraphs  as  that  which  Wash- 
ington had  been  informed.  The  informa- 
tion that  Wilkinson  revealed  he  declared 
'was  a  villainous  slander  and  falsehood. 

In  a  previous  letter  Gates  had  admitted 


the  existence  of  several  letters  which  he 
had  received   from  Conway. 

But  Washington  sent  a  stirring  reply 
which  put  Gates  in  a  very  unconlfortabfe 
position  from  which  he  could  not  extri- 
cate himself. 

Wilkinson  now  heard  of  the  matter,  and 
was  filled  with  rage  that  his  own  honor 
should  be  impugned.  Some  time  had 
elapsed  before  he  became  cognizant  of 
the  foregoing  facts.  Having  been  noti- 
fied by  President  Laurens  to  come  to 
York  to  assume  his  duties  as  secretary  of 
Board  of  War,  he  came  from  the  Hudson 
in  February  in  a  sleigh  to  Reading,  and 
from  thence  to  Lancaster  on  horseback. 

At  Reading  he  became  acquainted  with 
the  facts  as  detailed.  He  sent  a  messen- 
ger on  ahead  with  a  letter  to  Gates.  He 
said : 

"What  motive,  Sir,  could  induce  me  to  in- 
jure you  or  General  Conway — you  my  boasted 
patron,  friend  and  benefactor,  he  a'  stranger 
of  whom  I  entertained   favorable  sentiments?" 

Gates  replied  offensively,  and  intimated 
Wilkinson  could  have  any  satisfaction  he 
desired.  Wilkinson,  in  his  memoirs,  says 
he  repaired  to  York,  arriving  by  twi- 
light, February  23rd.  He  at  once  went  to 
a  friend  to  deliver  a  challenge  to  Gates. 
The  latter  entreated  him  not  to  enter 
upon  this  sure  road  to  destruction.  An- 
other friend  to  whom  he  turned  was  more 
willing.  He  carried  the  challenge  to 
Gates'  house.  He  was  met  at  the  door- 
way by  Gates.     The  latter  said: 

"All  right.  Sir.  We  will  meet  tomorrow 
morning  at  8  A.  M.  at  the  rear  of  the  Episcopal 
church." 

They  met  at  the  time  appointed,  but 
through  the  interposition  of  mutual 
friends  the  duel  was  averted.  The  prin- 
cipals shook  hands,  and  it  was  agreed 
that  Wilkinson  should  assume  his  duties 
as  secretary  next  day.  He  found  Gates 
barely  civil.  The  other  members  of  the 
board  were  agreeable.  He  resigned  a  few 
days  afterwards,  and  w^ent  to  \'alley 
Forge,  where  he  met  Lord  Stirling  and 
Washington,  and  recounted  to  them  his 
difficulties  with  Gates. 

Wilkinson  returned  to  the  Northern, 
army.  Gates  was  also  ordered  to  return 
to  the  North  in  April.  The  army  was 
near  Kingston  on  the  Hudson.  Wilkin- 
son decided  to  meet  his  opponent  again 


254 


THE    PENXSYLVAXIA-GERMAN 


and  challenged  hini.  The  duel  took  place 
near  St.  Clair's  headquarters  on  the  Hud- 
son. September  4th.  1778.  Captain  John 
Carter,  of  Virginia,  acted  as  second  to 
Wilkinson,  and  Thaddeus  Kosciusko,  the 
Polish  nobleman,  was  second  to  Gates. 
In  the  duel  tlint-lock  pistols  were  used. 

At  the  first  shot  Wilkinson  fired  in  the 
air,  while  Gates'  pistol  flashed  fire  in 
the  pan  and  did  not  discharge. 

They  charged  their  pistols  again,  and 
when  the  order  was  given  Wilkinson  fired 
but  missed  his  aim.  Gates  refused  to  fire. 
When  the  order  was  given  the  third  time, 
Wilkinson  fired  but  missed,  and  the  flint- 
lock of  Gates  again  flashed.  The  seconds 
now  interposed,  and  the  principals  shook 
hands.  After  the  duel  Gates  signed  a 
certificate  that  Wilkinson  behaved  like  a 
gentleman  in  the  encounter  at  York. 
Upon  request.  Wilkinson  refused  to  sign 
a  similar  certificate  concerning  the  con- 
duct of  Gates  at  York.  Wilkinson  then 
challenged  Gates  to  another  duel,  but 
Gates  refused,  and  the  two  men  never 
again  became   friends. 

While  the  Cabal  at  times  gave  evidence 
of  its  existence  as  late  as  1779,  its  back- 
bone was  broken.  Gates  retired  from  the 
army  in  1778.  June  13th,  1780,  he  was 
called  by  Congress  to  take  command  of 
the  army  of  the  South,  in  which  com- 
mand he  was  routed  at  the  battle  of  Cam- 
den. He  was  succeeded  by  Greene,  and 
suspended  from  duty.  His  only  son  died 
about  this  time.  His  wite,  too,  lost  her 
large  fortune.  He  returned  to  Virginia, 
but  in  1790  came  to  Xew  York,  where 
he  died  in  1806,  at  the  age  of  78  years. 


Wilkinson  became  commander-in-ichief 
of  the  army  in  1796-98,  and  again  1800- 
I  2. 

Wayne  had  an  honorable  career,  and 
rendered  important  services  later.  ]\Iiftlin 
held  many  important  offices  later,  and 
served  as  Governor  of  Pennsylvania. 

Conway  returned  to  Europe  and  died 
some  years  later  in  obscurity  in  London. 

Undoubtedly  many  of  the  public  men 
who  took  part  against  Washington  did 
so  from  honest  motives.  As  the  result 
showed,  they  were  mistaken. 

vGates  and  others  later  endeavored  to 
show  that  the  Cabal  had  only  an  imag- 
inary existence,  but  the  evidence  at  hand 
shows  that  it  was  a  reality. 

As  an  episode  in  our  history,  it  is  in- 
teresting, and  could  its  full  details  be 
traced,  it  would  form  a  most  fascinating 
chapter  in  the  history  of  the  country  dur- 
ing its  gravest  peril. 

Boston,  Philadelphia  and  York  are 
three  localities  in  which  the  most  interest- 
ing and  important  events  relating  to  the 
Revolution  occurred.  Boston  has  its 
Faneuil  Hall,  where  Liberty  was  cradled ; 
Philadelphia  has  its  Independence  Hall, 
where  Independence  was  declared,  but 
York  at  this  time  has  no  reminder  in  the 
way  of  a  public  building,  save  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Conway  Cabal,  where  Lib- 
erty was  imperiled  in  the  darkest  and 
most  trying  period  of  the  Revolution. 
Happily,  the  danger  passed  by.  Had  it 
been  otherwise,  York  would  have  had 
the  unenviable  notoriety  of  having  been 
the  spot  where  Liberty  was  sacrificed  and 
defeated  bv  machination  and  self-interest. 


HISTORY  OF  ST.  LUKE'S  REFORMED  CHURCH,  TRAPPE,  PA. 

History  of  St.  Luke's  Reformed  Church, 

Trappe,  Pa. 

nv   Rl-:\".  S.  L.  MESSINGEK,  S.T.D.,  TK.MTli,  i'A. 


Early    Local    Records. 

X  account  of  iIil'  lack  of  early 
local  records,  it  has  been  im- 
possible, until  within  recent 
years,  to  write  a  correct 
history  of  the  older  Re- 
formed churches  in  this 
country.  This  church  has  one  very  old 
book,  the  first  pa:ies  of  which  contain 
statements  of  monies  received  and  paid 
out.  beginning;'  with  the  month  of  June, 
1755,  and  ending  with  June,  1838.  This 
book  contains,  also,  records  of  baptisms, 
marriages  and  deaths  from  1760  to  1826. 
()n  a  page  near  the  middle  of  the  book 
are  recorded  the  names  of  the  members 
of  the  class  confirmed  by  Dr.  Guldin  in 
May,  1826.  Finally,  near  the  end  of  the 
book  are  lists  of  members,  made  for  the 
years  1813,  181 7  and  t8i8.  All  writings 
are  in  the  German  language  until  the 
year  1826,  when  the  English  language  be- 
gan to  be  used.  These  are  all^  the  early 
local  records  of  the  church  in  existence. 

Fortunately,  however,  we  are  now  no 
longer  dependent  upon  these  meager 
statements  for  information  concerning  the 
beginnings  of  this  church.  There  have, 
at  last,  been  made  accessible  facts  which 
are  of  inestimable  value  to  those  desiring 
the  possession  of  a  history  of  their  church 
which  may  be  as  correct  and  full  as  it  is 
possible  to  have  it.  For  this  information 
we  are  indebted  chiefly  to  the  historical 
researches  made  bv  Prof.  James  I.  Good, 
D.D..  Prof.  Wm.'  J.  Hinke,  D.D.;  and 
Mr.  Henry  S.  Dotterer. 

In  the  preface  to  the  minutes  of 
Coetus  (the  name  by  which  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Reformed  Church  in  Penn- 
sylvania was  known  for  forty-five  years 
in  the  eighteenth  century),  published  by 
the  authority  of  the  Eastern  Synod  in 
1903,  Prof.   Hinke  says: 

"The  Coetus  stood  in  clo.-e.st  connection  with 
the  Reformed  Church  of  Holland.  To  the  un- 
selfish liberality  of  the  Holland  Church,  the 
Reformed  Church  of  Pennsylvania  owes  not 
only  its  existence,  l)-.it  also  the  preservation  of 


its  official  records.  In  return  for  the  manv 
acts  of  kindness  received  from  Holland,  the 
Coetus  of  Pennsylvania  was  expected  to  send 
yearly  reports  of  the  meetings  and  of  the  prog- 
ress of  its  work  to  Holland."  [These  records 
were  most  carefully  preserved  in  the  archives 
of  the  Church  of  the  mother  country.]  "The 
gathering  of  so  many  documents,  from  such 
widely-separated  sources,  has  'been  attended 
wiih  mucn  expenditure  of  money  and  labor. 
It  was  only  made  possible  by  the  liberality  and 
zeal  of  Dr.  J.  I.  Good,  who  deserves  the  grati- 
tude of  the  church   for  his  unselfish   labor." 

Dr.  Good,  himself,  says : 

"For  nearly  twenty  years  I  had  been  ransack- 
ing Germany  and  Switzerland  to  find  materials 
for  the  basis  of  the  history  of  our  Church  in 
America.  But  the  missing  Coetus  minutes, 
eluded  me.  Finally  I  learned  that  there  were 
some  records  about  Pennsylvania  at  Amster- 
dam. In  July,  1895,  I  visited  Amsterdam  and. 
arranged  to  have  the  portfolio  of  Pennsylva- 
nia papers  copied.  But  when  they  came  to 
me  the  next  winter  I  was  greatly  disappointed, 
because  of  the  many  missing  Coetus  minutes — 
only  two  came  to  hand.  In  the  meantime,  Mr.. 
Henry  S.  Dotterer,  of  Philadelphia,  had  gone 
abroad  for  researches  connected  with  the 
■Perkiomen  Region.'  He  wrote  to  me  that  at. 
The  Hague,  in  the  archives  of  the  General 
Synod,  I  might  find  many  interesting  docu- 
ments, as  he  had  gone  over  them  cursorily  in 
his  work.  I  visited  The  Hague  in  the  summer 
oi  1896,  when  the  courteous  keeper  of  the 
archives  laid  before  me  the  books  and  the 
bundles  of  the  Pennsylvania  correspondence. 
There,  at  last,  were  the  long-sought  Coetus 
Minutes.  I  was  dazed.  It  was  the  embarrass- 
ment of  historical  riches.  What  Mayer  and 
Harbaugh  and  other  historians  of  our  Church 
had  long  sought  for,  but  never  found,  I  was 
permitted  to  be  the  first  of  her  ministers  to  see." 

Dr.  Good  then,  in  1897,  sent  Prof. 
Hinke  to  Holland  to  copy  them,  himself 
going  in  1898;  and  by  1899  the}-  had 
copied  virtually  the  whole  of  the  Holland 
records,  making  about  4,000  pages.  The 
total  expense  of  copying,  translating,  etc.^ 
amounted  to  about  $4,000,  "which,  how- 
ever," says  Dr.  Good,  "I  cheerfully  paid 
if  thereby  I  could  serve  our  Church,  that 
her  early  history  might  be  cleared  of  mis- 
takes, false  traditions,  and  mere  surmises, 
and  be  placed  on  the  solid  basis  of  fact."" 

When    and    by    Whom    Organized. 

]^^-om  these  Minutes  of  the  Coetus,  and'. 


256 


THE   PEXXSYLVAXIA-GHRMAN 


from  Dr.  Good's  ''History  of 
the  Reformed  Church  in  the 
TJiiited  States,"  I  have  gath- 
ered much  information  for  this 
■sketch.  In  these  are  published 
the  facts  discovored  in  the 
archives  of  Holland.  Until 
these  facts  were  published,  it 
had  not  been  known  when 
and  by  whom  the  Refornied 
■Congregation  in  Providence 
township  (now  St.  Luke's, 
Trappe,)  was  organized.  It 
had  been  supposed  that  the 
■date  of  its  founding  was  Oct. 
i8,  1742;  and  that  its  founder 
was  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter. 
.This  is  the  date  given  in  pub- 
lished histories  of  Montgoni- 
<ery  county.  But  the  date  is 
.manifestly  incorrect  as  far  as 
it  relates  to  Schlatter,  for  it  is 
now  known  that  he  did  not 
come  to  this  country  until  the 
year  1746.  "He  was  appointed 
l>y  the  deputies  of  the  Synods 
of  North  and  South  Holland, 
May  23,  1746,  to  go  to  Amer- 
ica and  organize  the  German 
churches  of  Pennsylvania.  On 
August  I,  1746,  he  arrfved  at 
Boston,  and  on  September  6, 
of  that  year,  he  arrived  at 
Philadelphia  where  he  was 
^velcomed  by  the  Reformed 
congregation."  From  Schlatter's  own 
"diary  we  learn  that  he  did  preach  at 
Trappe,  then  called  Providence,  in  a  barn, 
on  Oct.  18,  1746.  His  own  statement  is: 
■"When  on  the  i8th,  I  returned  to  Provi- 
dence, I  preached  there  in  a  barn,  since 
the  poor  congregation  there  has  hitherto 
not  been  able  to  build  a  church."  Ikit 
this  was  about  four  years  after  the  or- 
;ganization  of  the  congregation.  And  as 
that  takes  us  back  to  a  date  five  years 
prior  to  the  organization  of  the  Coetus, 
Ave  can  obtain  no  information  about  the 
founding  of  the  church  from  the  minutes 
of  that  body.  But  the  recent  discoveries 
Avhich  I  have  mentioned  have  made  ac- 
cessible the  numerous  reports  and  letters 
of  the  Rev.  John  Philip  Boehm  to  the 
church  in  Holland. 

From    tiiese    it   appears   that    the    true 
elate  of  the  founding  of  the  congregation 


REV.  S.  L.  MESSINGER,  A.  M.,  S.  T.  D. 
Piistor  since  .1:  nuary  1.  Ig97. 

is  Novembtr  17,  1742.  Boehm's  state- 
ment is :  "At  the  first  communion  cele- 
brated there  on  November  5,  1743.  19 
communicants  were  present."  But  he 
a:so  reports  a  communion  there  in  the 
spring  of  1743,  with  32  communicants. 
I'his  makes  it  clear  that  the  first  com- 
munion was  in  the  fall  of  the  preceding 
year,  and  that  Boehm  intended  to  write 
1742  instead  of  1743.  And  it  must  be  re- 
membered that  he  followed  the  Old 
Calendar.  The  New  Calendar  was  not 
introduced  in  Pennsylvania  until  Septem- 
ber, 1752,  when  eleven  days,  from  Sep- 
tember 3  to  13.  were  dropped,  leaving 
the  number  of  days  in  that  month  only  19. 
Thus,  in  order  to  get  the  exact  equivalent 
of  November  5,  1742,  according  to  the 
New  Style,  we  tuust  add  twelve  days  to  it. 
This  would  make  the  correct  date  of  the 
founding  of  this  church,  November  17, 
1742. 


HISTCRV  OF  ST.  LL'KE-S  REFORMED  CHURCH,  TRAPPE.  PA. 


257 


Interesting  Statements. 

A  few  of  the  tabular  statements  in 
lioehm's  own  language  may  be  found  in- 
:teresting.  In  une  of  these,  showing  the 
communions  held  in  the  spring  of  1743, 
is  this  concerning  the  Providence  congre- 
gation : 

"tl"    4    April,    in    Thounship    Providenz    bey 

ciner  ncu  versamnKilten  gemeine,  communienten, 

]\Iaiins    Persohnen    19 

Weibs    Per.'iohnen    1 ;; 

Gantz   Summa  3.3" 

That  is,  "On  the  4th  of  April,  in  Provi- 
dence township,  in  a  newly-gathered  con- 
gregation, there  communed  :  Men,  19  ; 
women.  13;  total,  32." 

In  the  report  for  the  spring  of  1744, 
the  following  appears : 

"dn  3  May.  Auff  das  Herran  Himmelfahrt, 
'bey  der  Neu  versammelten  Gemeinde  aui^ 
Providenz,  alsvo  bey  dem  ersten  Abendmahl— 
19  tommunient,  communienten   dissmabl  63."' 

That  is,  "On  the  3rd  of  May.  the  day 
of  the  Lord's  Ascension,  in  the  newly- 
gathered  congregation  at  Providence, 
where,  at  the  first  communion  ...  19 
communed,  this  time  the  communicants 
numbered  63."  He  stated  also  that  the 
■communion  services  at  Providence  on 
]May  3,  1744.  were  held  in  a  barn — "in 
einer  Scheuer." 

Thus  it  is  clear  that  the  congregation 
was  organized  by  Rev.  John  Philip 
Boehm,  and  that  it  worshiped  for  a  num- 
iDer  of  years  in  a  barn.  Mr.  Boehm  was, 
in  fact,  the  founder  of  the  Reformed 
Church  in  this  country.  He  began  preach- 
ing in  and  about  Philadelphia  as  early  as 
1720.  He  organized  many  new  congre- 
gations, and  became  a  sort  of  overseer 
of  the  Reformed  of  Pennsylvania.  "His 
territory  extended  from  Egypt,  near  Al- 
lentown,  west  to  Tulpehocken  and  Lan- 
caster, and  south  to  Philadelphia."'  On 
the  day  previous  to  that  on  which  he 
died,  he  held  services  in  the  Egypt  con- 
gregation, Lehigh  county.  He  died  sud- 
denly on  May  i,  1749;  and  his  remains 
:are  buried  under  the  southeast  corner  of 
the  church  that  bears  his  name  at  Blue 
Bell.    Montgomery   countv. 

Some  information  about  the  growth  of 
the  Trapi^e  congregation  is  found  in  the 
private  diary  of  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter, 
recently  j)ub!ished  in  the  Journal  of  the 
Presbyterian     Historical     Society,       Re- 


ferring to  his  visit  on  October  18,  1746, 
he  states : 

"T  made  known  my  instructions  in  the  pres- 
ence 01  JJom.  Boehm,  and,  since  ihey  nave  re- 
solved to  unite  with  Falkner  Swamp  and  share 
with  tnem  one  nnnister,  wno  w:li  preach  one 
Sunday  here  and  the  next  at  Falkner  bwamp, 
42  men  obligated  themselves  to  co.itnuute 
toward  the  saiary  of  the  pastor  the  sum  ot  12 
pounds  and  some  wheat.  The  people  belonging 
to  both  congregations  were  not  all  present,  and 
many  have  not  subscribed  anything,  nence  1 
have  been  assured  that  they  can  ana  will  raise 
40  pounds,  Pniladelphia  currency.  Dom. 
.\lucnienberg,  who  is  tlie  Lutheran  pastor  at 
these  two  places,  intormed  me  that  tlie  Re- 
formed are  as  strong  as  tne  Lutherans." 
iirection    of    First    iL-hurch    Building. 

During  the  ministry  of  Boehm  the 
question  ui  erecting  a  cnurch  building  had 
come  up  for  consideration.  In  Schlatter's 
diary  or  December,  1746,  is  the  following 
statement :  "There  are  everywhere  more 
churches  than  necessary  for  these  congre- 
gations, except  at  Providence,  where  a 
church  is  to  be  built  in  the  spring.  "  This 
statement  is  so  positive  and  definite  that, 
until  proof  can  De  furnished  to  the  con- 
trary, it  should  be  accepted  as  a  fact  that 
the  first  Reformed  church  building  was 
erected  at  Trappe  in  the  spring  ot  1747, 
and  not  in  1755,  as  is  commonly  sup- 
posed. And  there  is  nothing  on  which 
10  base  this  supposition,  as  tar  as  1  have 
been  able  to  learn,  except  the  fact  that 
the  local  records  to  wnich  1  have  re- 
ferred began  in  1755. 

The  Rev.  John  L'liilip  Leydich  arrived 
in  this  country,  at  Philadelphia,  on  Sep- 
tember 15,  1748;  and  was  installed  by 
Air.  Boehm  as  his  successor  in  the  charge 
then  consisting  of  the  congregations  at 
Falkner  Swamp,  W'itp^n  and  Providence 
(Trappe).  In  the  last  letter  which  he 
wrote  to  Holland,  on  December  2,  1748, 
Boehm  says : 

"Shortly  afterward  came  my  dear  and  kind 
brother,  the  Rev.  John  Philip  i^eydich.  who  was 
found  to  be  suitable  to  take  my  place.  At  the 
Coetus  of  this  year  Dom.  Leydicli  willingly 
accepted  his  call  to  F'alkner  Swamp  and  Provi- 
dence. Coetus  comtnissioned  me  to  install 
Lorn.  Leydich,  which  was  carried  out  on  Oc- 
tober i6th,  at  Falkner  Swamp." 

Schlatter  reports  the  installation  as  hav- 
ing taken  place  on  October  9.  The  new 
pastor  resided  at  Falkner  Swamp.  "It  is  a 
family  tradition  that  when  the  new  pastor 
with  his  wife  and  two  infant  children 
for  the  first  time  threaded  his  wav  through 


-!58 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


the  forest,  over  the  stony  road,  the  vehicle 
which  held  them  was  jolted  so  violently 
that  the  voung  w'lie,  accustomed  to  the 
comforts  of  travel  in  Europe,  burst  into 
tears  and  besought  her  husband  to  forego 
his  purpose  to  make  Falkner  Swamp  his 
future  home  and  the  new  world  his  field 
of  labor.  The  good  dominie,  however, 
did  not  falter,  and  said  cheerily  to  his 
helpmeet:  'Ei,  mamma,  ht  dieses  nicht 
das  gelobte  Land?'"  (Why,  mother,  is 
uot  this  the  promised  land?) 

Representation  at  Coetus. 

This  church  was  represented  at  the 
first  Coetus,  whose  sessions  were  held  in 
Philadelphia,  in  1747,  by  John  Herpel,  as 
the  delegate  elder  from  this  charge ;  and 
he  again  represented  the  charge  at  the 
Coetus  of  1748.  Later  the  charges  were 
reconstructed  so  as  to  make  Leydich's 
charge  consist  of  the  congregations  at 
Falkner  Swamp,  Providence  and  East 
Vincent.  As  the  Coetus  Minutes  of  1749, 
1750  and  1751  are  lost,  nothing  is  known 
about  the  trappe  congregation  during 
those  vears.  It  is  known  from  letters, 
however,  that  the  third  Coetus  opened  its 
sessions  at  Lancaster,  on  September  27, 
1749,  with  a  "well  arranged  and  edifying" 
sermon  by  Leydich.  On  account  of  a 
bitter  controversy  among  the  ministers, 
Leydich  and  the  delegate  elder  from  the 
Trappe  church  withdrew  from  the  Coetus 
at  its  opening,  in  1752.  He  was  its  presi- 
dent in  1757  and  1760;  and  its  secretary  in 
1753,  1756  and  1768. 

in  the^Coetus  minutes  of  1753  is  found 
the  following: 

"Upon  the  petition  made  by  Elder  Abraham 
Sayler  to  our  Coetus  in  the  name  of  the  con- 
gregation at  Providence  (which  until  the  pres- 
ent was  regularly  served  by  Do.  Leydich  every 
four  weeks),  whether  an  arrangement  could 
not  be  made  whereby  the  congregation  there 
could  be  supplied  every  fortnight.  Our  Coetus 
has  considered  it  advantageous  to  supply  the 
congregation  at  Providence  in  turn,  both  by 
Do.  Leydich  and  Do.  Steiner.  In  accordance 
with  this  arrangement,  divine  services  will  be 
heild  every  two  weeks  at  Providence." 

The  pastor's  salary  at  that  time  is  stated 
to  have  been  40  pounds  a  year. 

In  1754  there  is  a  reference  to  a 
parochial  school  at  Trappe,  for  in  that 
year  the  schoolmaster  at  Providence  was 
given  two  pounds  and  ten  shillings  from 
.the  Holland  donations. 


Early  Growth. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that,  for  a  number 
of  years,  no  statistics  are  given  of  the 
Trappe  congregation  separate  from  those 
reported  to  the  Coetus  of  the  whole 
charge.  But  those  summarized  statistics 
show  that  the  churches  under  the  care  of 
Pastor  Leydich  grew  and  prospered.  In 
the  record  of  1761  is  found  this  beautiful 
statement : 

"At  Falkner  Swamp  and  Providence  a  sweet 
peace  exists  between  Do.  Leydich  and  his  con- 
gregations." 

In  1763,  Leydich  reports  22  families  at 
Providence.  In  1766,  Rev.  Leydich's- 
charge  consisted  of  the  congregations  at 
"Providence,  Upper  Milford  and  across- 
the  Schuylkill." 

This  last  named  was  "Coventry,  now 
Brownback's  where  Leydich's  ministry 
began  in  May,  1766."  At  this  time  the 
Trappe  congregation  seems  to  have  be- 
come very  weak,  there  having  been  re- 
portd  only  11  families.  From  this  time 
on  there  is  no  reference  to  this  congrega- 
tion in  the  minutes  of  Coetus  until  the 
year  1772,  when,  after  a  statement  relating: 
to  the  strength  of  certain  churches,  and 
their  inability  to  pay  a  newly-called  pas- 
tor the  salary  promised  him,  Coetus- 
passed  the  following  resolution : 

"Rcsok'cd,  The  congregation  at  Trappe  shall 
again  unite  with  Worcester  and  Witpen,  and 
recognize  and  accept  Do.  Gebhard  as  its  min- 
ister, and  also  contribute  according  to  its  abil- 
ity to  his  temporal  support  and  the  salary- 
promised.  To  this  end  Brother  Leydich  shalF 
give  up  this  congregation." 

This  action  of  Coetus  seems  to  have 
been  ignored  by  the  church  at  Trappe_ 
Leydich  remained  the  pastor,  and  reported 
to  the  Coetus  as  such  the  next  year,  and. 
the  following  years,  ending  with  his  re- 
port of  1783.  He  died  on  January  4^ 
1784,  aged  68  years.  "His  grave-stoner 
in  Frederick  township,  Montgomery 
county,  bears  the  text,  2  Timothy  2 :3,. 
'Levdich  was  a  good  soldier  of  Jesus. 
Christ.'  " 

The  struggling  condition  of  the  Trappe 
congregation  during  the  latter  part  of 
Leydich's  pastorate  was  due,  in  a  meas- 
ure, to  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  While, 
the  American  army  was  encamped  at: 
Valley  Forge,  the  church  was  used  as  a: 
hospital  for  sick  and  wounded  soldiers.. 
From  March  28,  1784,  to  April  9,  1787,. 


HISTORY  OF  ST.  LUKE'S  REFORMED  CHURCH,  TRAPPE,  PA. 


259 


Rev.  John  Herman  Wvnckliaus  was  the 
pastor.  He  arrived  in  Philadelphia  just 
two  weeks  prior  to  the  date  of  the  com- 
mencement of  his  pastorate  here,  having 
traveled  over  the  ice  to  the  shore  from 
a  vessel  frozen  fast  in  Delaware  Bay,  and 
thence  overland  to  the  city.  He  died  in 
1793'  o"l^'  35  years  old.  No  statistics 
relating  to  this  church  alone  are  found  in 
the  Coetal  records  for  the  years  of  this 
pastorate. 

For  a  period  of  26  years,  the  congrega- 
tion seems  to  have  been  wathout  a  regular 
pastor,  and  was  supplied  by  the  pastors  of 
neighboring  churches.  It  is  written  in  the 
pastoral  register  of  the  church  that  Rev. 
Frederick  William  A'andersloot,  Jr.,  be- 
came pastor  on  November  11,  1813,  and 
served  until  December  29,  18 18.  Several 
baptisms  by  him  are  recorded  in  the  oldest 
church  record  of  the  congregation.  In 
the  first  year  of  his  pastorate,  there  were 
fifty  communicant  members ;  and  in  the 
last  year,  seventy-five. 

He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Lebrecht 
Frederick  Herman,  D.D.,  who  served  un- 
til the  year  1820. 

New   Building   Erected. 

From  1820  to  1841,  Rev.  John  C. 
Guldin.  D.D.,  a  son-in-law  of  Rev.  Dr. 
L.  F.  Herman,  was  the  pastor.  During 
his  pastorate,  in  the  year  1835,  a  new 
church  edifice  was  erected  on  the  site  of 
the  first  log  building.  On  Whitmonday 
of  that  year,  a  series  of  resolutions  was 
drawn  up  relative  to  the  proposed  new 
building.     Number  5  of  this  series  reads : 

"Rcsokrd,  That  this  church  shall  be  called 
'St.  Luke's  Church.'  " 

Before  that  time  it  had  been  called  the 
Reformed  church  at  Trappe,  or  Provi- 
dence. The  corner-stone  was  laid  in  con- 
nection with  services  held  on  the  13th  and 
14th  days  of  August ;  and  it  was  dedi- 
cated on  December  13,  1835,  at  the  close 
of  services  held  from  the  nth  to  the  I3th> 
inclusive.  The  cost  of  this  building,  in- 
cluding the  payment  of  $101. 87/^  for  a 
piece  of  ground  additional  to  the  old  lot, 
w^as  $1,815.23!  1  This  does  not  include 
the  great  amount  of  labor  and  materials 
given  gratuitously  by  the  members.  A 
new  constitution  was  adopted  by  the  con- 
gregation on  December  12,  1835.  It  is 
recorder!   that   the    church    formed   itself 


into  a  missionary  society,  and  introduced 
the  monthly  concert,  in  1837;  a  temper- 
ance society  was  organized  in  1840;  the 
Sabbath  School  society  was  organized  on 
April  20.  1840;  and  a  tract  society  was 
organized  on  the  same  date.  Dr.  Guldin 
resigned  on  March  26.  1841.  During  his 
pastorate  the  church  was  greatly  strength- 
ened, both  numerically  and  spiritually. 
He  died  in  New  York  City  on  February 
18,  1863,  aged  63  years. 

Rev.  Jacob  William  Hangen  was  ten-  / 
dered  a  call  on  April  2y,  1841.  He  ac- 
cepted the  call  and  served  as  pastor  until 
his  death,  on  January  23,  1843.  aged  ;^y 
years.  His  remains  lie  buried  in  St. 
Luke's  cemetery,  w^here  the  congregation 
placed  a  marble  slab  to  his  memory. 

Remarkable    Progress. 

The  Rev.  Andrew  S.  Young  was  called 
on  June  10,  1843,  and  began  his  pastoral 
labors  here  on  July  13,  1843.  Fo''  several 
years  this  church  had  stood  in  connec- 
tion with  the  East  Vincent  and  Brown- 
back's  churches,  and  what  was  called  the 
second  church  of  Coventry — now  called 
St.  Matthew's — as  constituting  a  pastoral 
charge.  In  Young's  pastorate,  steps  were 
taken  looking  toward  a  division  of  the 
charge,  and  the  formation  of  a  charge 
composed  of  St.  Luke's  and  the  East  Vin- 
cent churches.  This  was  accomplished, 
and  went  into  effect  with  the  beginning  of 
the  next  pastorate.  At  a  meeting  of  the 
Consistory,  held  on  July  23,  1844,  Rev. 
Mr.  Young  resigned  the  pastorate,  giving 
as  his  reason  for  so  doing  the  poor  con- 
dition of  his  health.  His  resignation  w^ent 
into  effect  about  December  31,  1844.  He 
died  at  Allentown  on  February  15,  1848. 
During  the  pastorate,  efforts  were  made 
to  raise  money  for  the  erection  of  a  wall 
around  the  cemetery. 

A  call  was  given  the  Rev.  John  R. 
Kooken  on  October  4,  1844.  He  accepted 
the  call  and  entered  upon  the  pastorate 
about  Januarv  i,  1845.  and  resigned  it  on 
Alay  15.  1847.  ^ir.  Alfred  B.  Shenkle, 
a  student  in  ^^larshall  College,  was  elected 
to  become  the  pastor.  He  accepted  the 
call  afterward  tendered  him,  and  became 
the  pastor  about  July  i.  1847.  I"  this  re- 
lation he  continued  until  April  i,  1867 — 
a  period  of  nearly  twenty  years. 

This  period  of  the  congregation's  life 


26o 


THE    PEXXSYLVAXIA-GERMAN 


r 


ST.  LUKE-S  HKFORMED  CHIJWJH. 


was  one  of  remarkable  numerical  and 
spiritual  progress.  The  membership  \va^ 
increased  until,  at  one  time,  it  numbered 
about  3C0.  And  the  communicants  al 
the  Lord's  Supper  of  April  4,  1858,  and 
July  21.  1S61,  are  recorded  as  number- 
ing 2CO — the  largest  number  ever  coin- 
muning  at  one  time  u;itil  the  ninth  yeai 
of  the  present  pastorale.  From  the  last 
date,  however,  there  was  a  gradual  de- 
crease in  the  number  of  communicants 
until,  toward  the  close  of  the  pastorate, 
fewer  than  100  came  to  the  Lord's  table. 
A  charter  of  the  church  was  procured  in 
1849. 

The  Rev.  H.  H.  W.  Hibshman.  D.D., 
became  the  pastor  on  Oct.  15,  1867.  The 
charge  had  now  again  been  divided — this 
congregation  becoming  a  pastoral  charge 
by  itself.  Shortly  after  the  beginning  of 
this  pastorate,  the  ground  on  which  the 
parsonage  and  the  present  church  build- 
ing stand  was  purchased  from  Mrs.  Det- 
wiler  for  the  sum  of  $700.  A  building 
committee  was  appointed ;  and  the  par- 
sonage now  in  use  was  erected.  The  pas- 
torate of  Dr.  Hibshman  closed  in  July, 
1869.  He  died  April  11.  1896.  and  his 
remains  lie  in  St.  Luke's  cemetery. 

Erection   of   Present   Building. 

An  overture,  signed  by  ninety  members 
of  the  congregation,  was  presented  to  the 
consistory,  probably  in  December,  1869, 
asking  an   early   oi)pc)rt unity  to  vote   for 


Rev.  Dr.  J.  H.  A.  Bomberger,  with  a  view 
to,  having  him  become  the  next  pastor. 
The  request  was  granted,  and  Dr.  Bom- 
berger was  installed  as  pastor  on  April  i, 
1870.  He  served,  in  connection  with  his 
work  as  President  of  Ursinus  College, 
until  October  i,  1883, — ^  period  of  thir- 
teen years  and  six  months.  During  this 
pastorate,  in  the  year  1874,  the  present 
church  edifice  was  erected  at  a  cost  of 
about  $8,coo.  As  a  preacher.  Dr.  Bom- 
berger stood  upon  a  towering  eminence 
in  the  Reformed  Church.  Through  splen- 
did natural  endowments  and  high  attain- 
ments, he  accomplished  in  his  ministerial 
services  an  amount  of  work  far  beyond 
the  limits  of  what  is  possible  to  others. 
In  many  homes  of  the  present  member- 
ship still,  his  voice  and  presence  are 
remembered  in  love.  He  died  August  19, 
1890,  and  his  earthly  remains  were  buried 
in  Trinity  Reformed  Church  Cemetery, 
Collegeville. 

Rev.  Henry  T.  Spangler.  D.D.,  became 
pastor  on  April  i,  18S4.  The  congrega- 
tion grew  and  prospered  under  his  min- 
istry. A  Young  People's  -  Society  was 
organized,  and  became  a  large  body  of 
organized  participants  in  literary  and 
musical  exercises,  and  in  all  the  varied  ac- 
tivities of  the  church.  Better  methods 
were  introduced  into  every  branch  of 
church  work.  Strongly  prompted  by  a 
sense  of  duty  to  take  up  financial  work 


HISTORY  OF  ST.  LUKE'S  REFORMED  CHURCH,  TRAPPE,  PA. 


261 


INri-.K  V  K  OK  ST.  LUKES   KKFOi^MED  rHL'KrH. 


for  Ursinus  College,  he  presented  his  res- 
ignation to  the  Consistory.  It  was  re- 
luctantly accepted,  and  went  into  efifect 
on  October  i,  1886,  when  the  Rev.  J.  H. 
Shumaker,  D.D.,  became  the  pastor. 

In  1887,  extensive  repairs  and  improve- 
ments were  made  upon  the  church,  when, 
also,  two  Sunday  School  rooms  were 
added  to  it. 

Being  without  a  pastor  once  more,  in 
the  summer  of  1889,  and  the  work  left  in 
a  crippled  condition,  the  congregation 
called  Dr.  Spangler  to  become  its  pastor 
a  second  time.  He  accepted  the  call,  and 
assumed  the  duties  of  the  pastorate  on 
December  i.  1889.  In  January,  1890,  the 
Yoimg  People's  Society  was  organized 
into  a  Young  People's  Society  of  Chris- 
tian Endeavor, — Dr.  Spangler  thus  being 
the  founder  of  this  organization.  The 
first  heating  furnace  was  placed  in  the 
cellar  of  the  parsonage  at  the  beginning 
of  this  term  of  service.  The  special  ob- 
ject for  his  taking  the  pastorate  a  second 
time  having  been  accomplished,  and  the 
College  strongly  needing  his  services,  he 
was  led  to  close  his  work  as  pastor  on 
<  )ctober  7,    1890. 

Recent    Improvement    of    the    Property. 

Rev.  Edwin  C.  Hibshman  was  the  pas- 
tor from  January  1,  1891,  to  October  1, 
1896.  During  this  pastorate  98  new 
members  were  added  to  the  church.  The 
parsonage  was  repaired  and  enlarged  by 
the  addition  of  a  kitchen,  and  equipped 
with    modern    conveniences ;   and    a    new 


parsonage-barn  was  erected.  A  Junior 
christian  Endeavor  Society  was  organ- 
ized in  1896. 

A  call  was  tendered  the  present  pastor, 
the  writer  of  this  sketch,  in  November, 
1896,  while  he  was  serving  as  pastor  of 
a  neighboring  charge.  He  began  his 
labors  here  on  January  i,  1897.  The  pres- 
ent enlarged  and  improved  condition  of 
the  cemetery  was  begun  by  the  purchase 
of  additional  ground  and  the  erection  of 
a  wall  around  it,  in  the  year  1899.  In 
1901,  the  property  was  improved  by 
grading  and  paving  the  side-walk  in  front 
of  the  church  and  parsonage.  The  next 
year,  a  beautiful  wall  was  erected  along 
the  street  in  front  of  these  buildings,  and 
a  Home  Department  was  added  to  the 
Sunday  School.  In  1904,  the  church  was 
renovated  on  both  the  inside  and  outside, 
the  parsonage  was  improved  in  the  same 
way,  and  a  large  Estey  pipe  organ  was 
installed  in  the  church, — all  costing  about 
$4,000.  Beautiful  and  costly  pulpit  furni- 
ture was  placed  in  the  church  on  Septem- 
ber 3,  1906.  The  pastor  preached  his 
eleventh  anniversary  sermon  on  the  first 
Sunday  in  January,  1908.  The  member- 
ship of  the  church  numbered  360  on 
May  I,  1908.  224  having  been  received 
during  the  present  pastorate. 

Thus  is  briefly  sketched  the  165  years' 
history  of  St.  Luke's  Reformed  church 
at  Trappe.  What  hallowed  associations 
of  affection,  of  friendship,  and  of  wor- 
ship cluster  around  this  sacred  spot ! 


262 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Pennsylvania-Germans  as  Teachers  of  Science 
in  Private  Secondary  Schools 

BV    FRANK    K.    WALTER,    STATE   LIBRARY,    ALBANY,    N.    Y. 


ITH  the  exception  of  the  pub- 
Uc  schools,  the  most  numer- 
OLis  class  of  educational  in- 
stitutions has  been  the  pri- 
vate secondary  school.  The 
slow  development  of  the 
public-school  system  and  the  late  growth 
of  the  public  high-school  idea  in  the 
state,  made  the  private  academy  and  pre- 
paratory school  more  of  a  necessity  in 
Pennsylvania  than  in  some  of  the  neigh- 
boring states.  Even  before  the  establish- 
ment of  the  public  school  system,  attempts 
were  made  to  provide  free  public  instruc- 
tion by  subsidizing  academies  and  female 
seminaries,  and  numerous  state  grants 
had  been  made  to  such  schools.  In  re- 
turn, free  instruction  to  a  specified  num- 
ber of  poor  children,  the  number  ranging 
from  three  to  ten,  was  required  by  the 
state  from  each  school.  Between  1784 
and  1837,  fifty-eight  such  grants  were 
made,  and  eleven  others  were  incorporated 
without  state  aid.  In  1838,  a  bill  was 
passed  giving  state  aid  to  universities  and 
colleges  and  "to  each  Academy  and 
Female  Seminary  now  incorporated,  or 
which  may  be  incorporated  by  the  Legis- 
lature, maintaining  one  or  more  teachers 
capable  of  giving  instruction  in  the  Greek 
and  Roman  classics,  mathematics  and 
English  or  English  and  German  litera- 
ture, and  in  which  at  least  fifteen  pupils 
shall  constantly  be  taught  in  either  or  all 
of  the  branches  aforesaid." 

Before  the  close  of  the  session  at  which 
the  bill  was  passed,  charters  were  issued 
to  nine  academies  and  twenty-seven  fe- 
male seminaries  were  credited  with  1,430 
academies  and  thirty-seven  female  semi- 
naries were  receiving  a  total  of  $48,298.31 
in  state  aid.  Statistics  covering  this 
period  are  very  meagre,  but  in  1840  it 
was  estimated  that  these  academies  had 
2,465  students  in  attendance,  and  the  fe- 
male seminaries  were  credited  with  1.430 
students.  In  1843  the  amount  of  state 
aid  was  reduced,  and  in   1844  all   state 


aid  was  withdrawn.  The  resulting  mor- 
tality among  the  subsidized  schools  was 
great. 

INIany  of  the  better  schools  survived, 
and  a  considerable  number  of  them  are 
still  in  existence.  The  old  college  pre- 
paratory or  "Grammar  schools"  which 
had  already  been  long  established,  for  the 
most  part  continued  the  even  tenor  of 
their  way.  New  schools  sprang  up  from 
time  to  time  and  flourished  or  died  as 
their  excellence  or  their  environment  de- 
cided their  fate.  The  schools  of  the 
Pennsylvania-German  section  seem  to 
have  been  quite  as  hardy  as  those  in  any 
other  part  of  the  state. 

It  is  impossible  to  obtain  even  the  names 
of  the  hundreds  of  private  schools  which 
have  at  one  time  or  another  been  estab- 
lished in  the  state.  Many  met  an  untimely 
death  when  state  aid  was  withdrawn.  As 
the  larger  and  better  equipped  State  Nor- 
mal Schools  increased  in  number,  scores 
of  private  schools  were  absorbed  by  these 
larger  state  aided  schools.  At  least  eight 
of  the  present  normal  schools  are  lineal 
descendants  of  older  academies.  The 
growth  of  the  public  high  school  in  the 
last  ten  or  fifteen  years  has  practically 
finished  the  weeding  out  of  all  private 
secondary  schools  which  are  not  of  su- 
perior excellence  or  which  do  not  meet 
the  particular  need  of  some  particular 
locality  or  class  of  people.  After  all  these 
vicissitudes  it  is  rather  surprising  to  find 
in  the  report  of  the  Superintendent  of 
Public  Instruction  of  Pennsylvania  for 
1907  the  names  of  88  private  secondary 
schools  then  reporting,  exclusive  of 
orphan  and  industrial  schools  and  the 
preparatory  departments  of  several  col- 
leges. 

Any  attempt  to  consider  the  course  of 
study  of  this  class  of  schools  is  seriously 
handicapped  by  the  lack  of  uniformity  in 
the  practice  of  these  schools,  nor  indeed, 
was  a  close  approach  to  uniformity  de- 
sired.      From    the    "grammar    school," 


PENNSYLVAXIA-GERMAXS  AS  TEACHERS  OF  SCIENCE 


26j 


-which  confined  itself  to  fitting  for  college 
^nd  the  denominational  academy  a  female 
seminary  founded  to  perpetuate  some 
system  of  religious  belie t  and  embracing 
in  its  course  of  study  collegiate  as  weil 
as  secondary  subjects,  we  descend  by  all 
intermediate  stages  to  the  ephemeral 
schools  usually  conducted  during  the 
summer  vacation  by  some  teacher  or  col- 
lege student  for  the  double  purpose  of 
improving  his  private  finances  and  of 
"cramming"  public-school  teachers  to 
pass  the  county  examinations. 

The  amount  of  natural  science  taught 
varied  greatly.  Only  within  the  past 
few  years  has  natural  science  been  a  sub- 
ject generally  required  for  admission  to 
college.  For  this  reason,  the  college  pre- 
paratory schools  for  ihe  most  part  camily 
Ignored  any  serious  instruction  in  science 
until  the  growth  of  technical  schools,  the 
increased  interest  in  science  as  a  means 
of  culture,  the  teaching  of  elementary  sci- 
ence in  the  normal  scnools  as  a  prepara- 
tion for  nature-siudy  work,  and  the  in- 
stallation of  laboratories  in  public  high 
schools  forced  the  college  preparatory 
school  to  make  similar  provision  for  sci- 
■entific  training. 

The  academies,  which,  until  within  the 
past  twenty  or  thirty  years  had  consid- 
ered themselves  more  or  less  independent 
of  the  college,  did  about  as  they  pleased 
in  the  matter  of  teaching  science,  in  gen- 
eral, instruction  in  natural  science  was 
provided  in  the  larger  schools,  although 
It  was  usually  of  such  a  nature  as  not  to 
require  a  large  or  expensive  equipment  of 
apparatus.  In  his  "Sketch  of  an  English 
School"  (1749)  Franklin  suggests  a  sort 
•of  nature  study  for  the  younger  boys  and 
the  study  of  Natural  Philosophy  by  the 
Sixth  Class.  Dr.  Rush,  in  his  essay,  "On 
the  Alode  of  Education  Proper  in  a  Re- 
public" (1786)  says:  "Between  his  four- 
teenth and  eighteenth  years  he  (the  boy) 
should  be  instructed  in  grammar,  oratory, 
criticisms,  the  higher  branches  of  mathe- 
matics, chronology,  history,  government, 
the  principles  of  agriclilture  and  manu- 
factures, and  everything  else  that  is  neces- 
sary to  qualify  him  for  public  usefulness 
or  private  happiness."  This  rather  com- 
prehensive program  was  to  be  preceded 
by  courses  in  natural  history  and  geog- 
raphy.     In   spite   of   the   high   authority 


of  Franklin  and  Rush,  their  suggestions 
were  not  followed. 

Astronomy  early  found  a  place  in  the 
academy  course.  "Natural  philosophy," 
often  including  astronomy,  followed  soon 
after.  The  fame  of  Rittenhouse  and 
Franklin,  and  the  growing  spirit  of  in- 
vention, promoted  interest  along  these 
lines.  Laboratory  practice  was  exceed- 
ingly limited,  and  the  main  reliance  was 
placed  on  a  text-book,  illustrated  charts, 
and  a  few  experiments  by  the  teacher 
in  the  presence  of  the  class.  Botany 
rather  early  found  a  place  in  the  course 
of  study,  especially  in  the  female  semi- 
naries. It  was  largely  confined  to  simple 
plant  analysis  and  the  preparation  of 
artistically  arranged  private  herbaria.  In 
the  decades  of  1870  and  1880.  the  great 
progress  of  scientific  knowledge  began 
to  make  itself  felt  in  schools  of  all  grades. 
Simple  lessons  in  science  began  to  give 
unity  to  the  older  disconnected  "object 
lesson."  Books  like  Hooker's  Child's 
Book  of  Nature,  Mrs.  Fisher's  Fairyland 
of  Science  and  Kingsley's  Madam  Hozv 
and  Lady  Why  found  a  prominent  place 
in  school  libraries,  and  were  widely  read. 
Secondary  schools  began  to  give  brief 
courses  in  physiology,  geology,  botany 
and  other  sciences  not  before  taught  in 
these  schools.  Many  schools  which  other- 
wise made  no  particular  provision  for  nat- 
ural science  secured  lecturers  on  physi- 
ology and  hygiene.  Brief  text-books  on 
science  had  a  wide  use.  Dr.  J.  Dorman 
Steele's  Fourteen-zveeks  Series  was 
among  the  most  popular,  and  is  even 
yet  used  in  some  places.  Commissioner 
E.  E.  Brown  cites  the  case  of  a  high 
school  student  in  Illinois  who  in  his  senior 
year  studied  Natural  Philosophy,  Zoology, 
Civil  Government,  Essay  Writing,  As- 
tronomy, Physiology,  Universal  History, 
Mental  Philosophy  and  Chemistry.  Such 
intellectual  orgies  were  not  unknown  in 
Pennsylvania.  Time  has  brought  moder- 
ation, and  while  at  present  more  schools 
are  teaching  more  natural  science  than 
ever  before,  the  work  is  better  systema- 
tized and  more  adequately  treated. 

Just  what  part  Pennsylvania-Germans 
have  played  in  the  development  of  scien- 
tific instruction  in  private  schools  is  ex- 
tremely difiicult  to  determine.  The  short 
life  of  many  private  schools   makes   the 


264 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


culleclion  of  data  very  uncertain.  Of 
manv  schools,  no  printed  catalogues  or 
circulars  exist;  the  publications  of  othc-s 
are  to  be  found  only  in  private  or  local 
libraries.  As  has  been  shown,  names  of 
teachers  of  science  are  rarely  to  be  found 
in  early  catalogues.  Even  in  those 
schools  which  had  scientific  courses,  in 
many  cases  nothing  is  given  but  a  list  of 
names  of  members  of  the  faculty  without 
any  mention  of  the  subject  taught.  Even 
where  subjects  are  mentioned  we  are  not 
on  entirely  safe  ground,  for  some  teachers 
are  appointed  to  classes,  others  achieve 
classes,  while  some  have  uncatalogued 
classes  thrust  upon  them.  The  variety 
of  subjects  the  secondary  teacher  was 
and  still  is  expected  to  teach  is  in  many 
cases  both  humorous  and  pathetic,  and 
the  chaiige  of  subject  is  almost  kaleido- 
scopic in  rapidity  and  variety.  Conse- 
quently, gaps  in  catalogue  files  are  almost 
certain  to  cause  errors  both  of  omission 
and  inclusion.  This  difficulty  is  increased 
by  the  very  uncertain  tenure  of  office  in 
many  schools.  The  frequent  change  in 
faculty  makes  it  difficult  for  even  the 
present  faculty  of  a  school  to  tell  much 
about  their  predecessors  of  a  few  years 
before. 

Surnames  are  a  very  uncertain  help. 
The  amalgamation  of  English,  Germans 
and  Scotch-Irish  makes  it  unsafe  to  de- 
pend on  any  name  not  clearly  German 
in  origin.  Any  list  based  on  surnames 
is  therefore  very  likely  to  omit  many 
who  are  at  least  partly  of  German  de- 
scent. For  these  reasons,  no  attempt  has 
been  made  to  compile  even  an  approxi- 
mately complete  list  of  names  of  those 
who  are  and  have  been  teachers  of  sci- 
ence in  private  schools. 

Files  of  catalogues  of  more  than  two 
hundred  academies  and  preparatory 
schools  of  Pennsylvania,  and  a  few  of 
the  leading  schools  of  other  states,  have 
been  examined.  Assuming  this  as  a  rep- 
resentative basis,  it  does  not  appear  that 
the  Pennsylvania-perman  has  been  espe- 
cially in  evidence  as  a  teacher  of  science ; 
nor.  on  the  other  hand,  does  it  appear 
that  the  schools  in  Pennsylvania-Cierman 
districts  have  shown  any  marked  defi- 
ciency in  keeping  pace  with  the  progress 
of  scientific  teaching.  The  same  condi- 
tions whicli  were  cited  by  Dr.  Jordan  in 


The  Pennsylvania-German  for  Feb- 
ruary, iyo8,  as  hindering  the  study  ot 
biology  are  naturally  of  considerable  ef- 
fect in  checking  general  scientific  study. 

As  the  scientific  studies  in  secondary, 
schools  have  been,  until  recent  years, 
subordinated  to  mathematics  and  the  clas- 
sics, and  as,  even  yet,  they  are  so  subordi- 
nated in  many  preparatory  schools,  it  is 
natural  that  tlie  ambitious  teadier  has 
often  chosen  to  teach  mathematics  and. 
the  classics  rather  than  natural  science. 
Few  schools  are  without  German  najnes 
on  their  lists  of  teachers,  and  it  is  na 
discredit,  but  rather  the  contrary,  that 
the  teachers  of  mathematics  and  the  hu- 
manities are  more  numerous  than  those 
of  physics  or  chemistry,  wliich  are  tlie 
two  sciences  most  generalh'  taught  in 
the  schools  under  consideration, 

Xevertheless,  the  following  vers-  incom- 
plete list  of  teachers  in  Pennsylvania  pri- 
vate schools  is  conclusive  evidence  that 
the  Pennsylvania-German  can  teach  ele- 
mentary science  when  he  chooses  to  do 
so,  and  the  sdiools  represented  on  the 
list  prove  that  his  ability  to  do  so  has  been 
recognized  in  institutions  in  no  way  under 
Pennsylvania-Germaai  influence  or  con- 
trol :* ' 


*()n  account  of  missing  nmnbers  in  the  files  of 
catalogues,  it  is  more  than  probable  that  many  have 
not  heen  given  credit  for  their  fnll  terra  of  scientific 
teaching. 


AcKERMANN,  William  A.  Algebra,  General 
History,   Science.     Easton  Academj-,   1894- 

"95- 
Bechdolt,   AnoLF    J..    A.M.     Natural    Science. 

Mercersburg  College,  i874-'75. 
BiEBER,   Hekbekt    W.,    A.B.      Mathematics   and 

Science.        Albright      Collegiate      Institute, 

1895-95. 
Bkunnek,    Samuel    Umstead.      Bookkeeping, 

Penmanship,     Mathematics,    'Natural     Sci- 
ences, etc."     North  Wales  Academy,  18S8- 

1900. 
BuTZ^  J.  TRKirHLEK.  M.D.,  D.D,S.    Physiology. 

Allentown  College  for  W^omen.   i903-"o6. 
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Institute    (  Selinsgrove),   i890-'9i. 
DvsiNc.EK',  J.    IIakrv,  A.B.     Mathematics  and 

Natural    Science.      Mifflin   Academy,    1896- 

'97. 

EcKMAN,  Emiev  J.  Physiology  and  Grammar. 
Chelten  Hills  Boarding  and  Day  School, 
1 897- '98. 

Ehrenfkliv  Charles  H.,  .•X.M.,  Ph.D.  Chem- 
istry and  Physics.  York  Collegiate  Insti- 
tute,   1891-1906. 


PENNSYLVANIA-GEK.MAXS  AS  TEACHERS  OF  SCIEXCE 


26= 


EiSiCNH.>KT,  LuTHEK  P.,  A.B.  Mathumatics 
and  Ivatural  Science.  Fennsyivania  Col- 
lege  Preparator}-   Dept.,   iHyb-  97. 

FoEKiNG,  hmwAKU  AUGUSTUS,  B.:3.  !Mathe- 
matics  and  Physics.  Bethlehem  Prepara- 
tory   School,    1699-1901. 

Frank,  Cvkille.  Natural  Sciences,  Psychology 
and   Ethics.     Metzgar   College,   ifi99-i90o. 

Fran  KEN  FIELD,  Ik.\  F.  Natural  Science  a. id 
the  English  branches.  Franklin  and  Mar- 
shall   Academy,    1 901 -'02. 

F"ky,  J.  M.  Science,  .Mathematics,  Track  Ath- 
leiics.     Abington  iTiends  Scnool,   1906-0/. 

Gakvek,  M.  M.,  B.S.  Natural  Science.  .Mer- 
cer.-burg  College,   1879-80. 

Gass.man,  Howard  M.  Mathematics  and 
Physics.      Ursinus   Academy,    1897-99- 

Gerh.\kii,  Elizabeth  H.  Alathematics  and  Sci- 
ences. Allentown  College  lor  Wome.i, 
igob-'o7. 

Gerhard,  Hannah.  English  and  Elementary 
Science.     Ursinus  Academy,   i907-'o8. 

Groff,  George  G.,  M.D.  Lecturer  on  Hygiene. 
Keystone    Academy,    1890-1907. 

Grosh,  Mrs.  Charles  W.  i^iLcrature  and 
Science.    Linden  Hall  Seminary,  1699-1900. 

Gruver,  VV.  Shuman.  Algeb.a,  General  rtis- 
tory  and  Science.  Eastuii  Acadv-'mv,  1895- 
'96. 

Hariz,  Thomas  C,  A.M.  ^kithematics,  Chem- 
isir\-,  etc.  Alissionary  iusinuie,  beans- 
grove,   i690-'9i. 

Haktman,  Edwin  AT,  A.^L  Mathematics  and 
Science,  i89S-"99.  nistory,  Uermaii  and 
Natural  Science,  1900-1901.  Franklin  and 
Marshall   Academy. 

H El -M bach,  J  a. vies  E.  Physiology  and  Hygiene. 
Perkiomen   Seminary,   1894-95. 

Hercher,  at  K.  W.,  A.B.  .vlauiematics  and 
Science.  Susquelianna  Collegiate  Institute, 
igo3-'04. 

Hering,  VV.  T.,  B.S.  German,  ^Lithematics 
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Flax  Culture  and  its  Utility 

BY  REV.  ELI  KELLER,  D.D.,  ALLENTOWN,  PA. 


Introduction. 

HE  history  of  flaxculture  is 
worldwide,  and  as  to  time — 
equally  long.  It  is  generally 
supposed  that  Egypt,  along 
the  banks  of  the  noted  Nile, 
where,  under  the  control  of 
Iui,t;laiid,  the  same  culture  is  still  largely 
found,  was  the  original  home  of  flax. 
Some,  however,  go  a  long  step  further, 
and  find  that  home  on  the  elevated  plains 
of  Central  Asia,  where  originally  stood 
the  cradle  of  the  human  family.  The 
great  want  of  our  first  parents  was  not 
nurture  (so  far  as  known),  but  clothing 
for  their  nakedness,  for  which  stands  emi- 
nently flax,  with  its  linen.  In  a  higher 
sense,  as  found  in  Scripture,  linen  stands 
for  purity  and  holiness.  The  dress  of 
Egyptian  priests  was  made  of  linen,  and 
they  were  not  allowed  to  enter  the  temples 
except  in  garments  of  linen.  The  dres.s, 
of  state  in  which  Pharaoh  arrayed 
Joseph ;  the  sheets  in  which  mummies 
were  wrapped,  and  which  formerly  were 
held  to  be  some  kind  of  cotton  fabric, 
have  been  proved  by  microscopic  exami- 
nation to  consist  of  linen.     Linen  in  gen- 


eral was  highly  valued  and  much  used 
among  the  Jews.  The  veil  of  the  temple ; 
the  holy  garments  of  the  priests,  and 
those  of  the  choirs  of  the  Levites,  as  also 
the  over-garments  of  the  kings,  were 
made  of  it.  In  the  Jewish  mode  of  burial 
much  linen  was  used.  Lazarus  came 
forth  from  his  grave  with  such,  and  even 
the  Lord  himself.  Linen  made  of  flax 
was  used  for  many  other  purposes  the 
world  over,  as  is  still  the  case.  Linseed- 
oil  also  is  and  was  of  great  utility. 

We,  however,  desire  to  write  concern- 
ing flaxculture,  not  as  found  in  other 
lands,  but  as  it  was  found  here  fifty  and 
many  more  years  ago,  among  our  Penn- 
sylvania-Germans. Flax,  together  with 
its  culture,  was  doubtless  brought  over 
by  our  ancestors  from  Germany,  Switzer- 
land, Holland  and  other  countries.  Flax 
and  wool  the  year  round  served  them 
well.  Their  flax  came  not  from  the  Nile, 
but  from  the  Rhine,  to  be  cultivated  along 
the  Delaware  and  the  Susquehanna. 

That  flaxculture  vvas  early  found  here 
among  our  ancestors  can  not  be  doubted. 
Here  in  Lehigh  county,  in  Powder 
Vallev     on     the     Indian     creek,     above 


FLAXCULTURE   AND    ITS    UTILITY 


267 


Yeakel's  mill,  was  a  factory  erected  spe- 
cially for  cleaning  flax  by  water-power. 
The'  building    itself    disappeared    many 
years  ago,  but  marks  of  the  dam  and  tail- 
race  are  well  marked,  and  a  few  of  the 
older   citizens   remember   the   place.      In 
Berks   county,   on   the   Branch   creek,   at 
]\Iensch's  grist  and  sawmill,  the  like  work 
Avas  early  done.     More  than  thirty  years 
ago,  an  old  swingle-machine,  badly   de- 
caved,  stood  at  the  roadside  by  the  saw- 
mill, and  both  were  abandoned  long  ago. 
Another  indisputable   proof  of  this  is 
found  in  the  oldest  weaver-shops  scattered 
over  our   country.     Aside  of  the   hand- 
looms,  up  against  the  ceiling,   were   for 
many  years  still  hanging  the  tacklings  for 
Aveaving  the  finest  linens.    Those  tacklings 
were  home-made,  and  of  fine  linen,  oiled 
with     linseed-oil.       The     corresponding 
reeds  were  no  doubt  from  the  South,  but 
likely  manufactured  in  our   State.     The 
American  Cyclopaedia  (\'ol.  YII)  has  a 
valuable    article    on    flaxculture,    which 
gives    statistics    of    its    value,    commerce, 
etc.     France,  Belgium,  Ireland  and  Scot- 
land are  mentioned — also  Massachusetts, 
Georgia,  Kentucky,  Ohio  and  Indiana — 
but   our   own    grand    Keystone    State    is 
silently    passed    over.      At    this    we    are 
neither  surprised  nor  do  we  make  com- 
plaint.    Our  ancestors  in  their  time  had 
to    care    for   themselves    and    their    own 
families,  which  they  also  did  most  faith- 
fully.   Their  time,  in  summer  and  winter, 
■was  fully  taken  up.     Of  all  their  work, 
flaxculture  and  manufacture  was  the  most 
severe  and  long-continued — not  only  for 
men  and  women,   but  also   for  children. 
Thus  had  they  neither  time  nor  much  in- 
clination to  enter  with  their  products  the 
markets  of  the  world.    They  believed  and 
practiced  the  admonition  of  St.  Paul :   'Tf 
any  provide  not  for  his  own,  and  specially 
for  those  of  his  own  hoyise,  he  hath  de- 
nied the  faith,  and  is  worse  than  an  in- 
fidel." 

Selecting  Soil  and  Sowing  Seed. 

Flaxculture,  requires  a  good  and  well- 
cultivated  soil,  which  should  be  moist  yet 
not  wet,  therefore  well  drained.  The  time 
to  sow  the  seed  is  early  in  spring,  yet 
should  the  soil  be  sufficiently  dry  and 
warm,   which   should   be  ploughed   deep 


either  late  in  the  fall  or  early  in  spring. 
Flax  is  exhaustive  to  the  soil;  which 
should  therefore  be  well  fertilized  with 
fine  stable  manure  or  compost.  Before 
sowing,  the  ground  should  be  well  har- 
rowed, often  and  well,  so  as  to  be  thor- 
oughly pulverized.  The  seed  was  sowed 
broadcast — three  pecks  to  the  acre,  which 
yielded  from  six  to  twelve  bushels  of  seed 
to  the  acre  and  from  one  to  two  tons  of 
fiax  in  the  rough.  When  the  seed  was 
sown,  it  was  once  more  harrowed,  but 
only  lightly,  and  across  the  former  har- 
rowing. 

Growth,    Bloom    and    Ripening. 

The  springing  flax  dift'ers  from  wheat, 
rye  and  many  other  plants,  which  must 
endure  the  frosts  of  winter,  hence  nestle 
closely  to  the  ground  till  spring  appears — 
scarcely  having  appeared,  flax  hastens 
heavenward.  It  soon  grows  to  its  full 
height,  two  to  three  feet.  Its  straight 
stems  without  branches,  except  near  the 
top,  which  are  covered  with  small  alter- 
nate, lanceolate  leaves,  like  those  of  the 
feaplant.  At  the  top  several  neat  branches 
appear  on  each  stalk,  four  to  six  inches 
long,  on  which  the  seed-vessels  are 
formed — globules  which,  when  full 
grown,  are  of  equal  size  as  large  as  buck- 
shot. When  flax  begins  to  bloom,  the 
leaves,  having  performed  their  mission', 
turn  pale  and  drop  away — the  woody 
stalks,  called  boon,  become  entirely  hol- 
low and  assume  a  rich  yellow  color. 

In  the  month  of  June,  also  called  the 
month  of  roses,  flax  blooms.  Its  color 
is  a  most  beautiful  blue,  as  if  reflecting 
the  heavens  above.  Indeed,  we  then  had 
in  our  blessed  land,  and  on  the  farms — 
"the  Red,  White  and  Blue" — the  Red  on 
the  cloverfields,  not  the  alfalfa  of  our 
present  day,  but  the  old-fashioned  clover 
given  to  the  cows  and  bumblebees ;  the 
IVhitc  on  our  hills  in  the  buckwheat  fields, 
not  the  Japanese  of  our  day,  but  the  in- 
expressibly sweet  of  that  day,  given  to 
the  bees  and  the  bugs :  the  Blue  as  if  the 
blue  sky  with  its  bright  stars  had  been 
retiected  in  a  quiet  pond  of  pure  water. 
No  wonder  that  a  blooming  field  of  flax 
has  been  used  in  burlesque  on  the  good 
Suabians,  as  attempting  therein  to  take  a 
swim. 


2tS 


THE   PEXXSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Each  flax-burr  contains  ten  seeds  in 
five  separate  apartments,  which,  when 
ripening,  turn  into  a  beautiful  brown 
color.  So  smooth  and  tender  are  these 
flax  seeds,  that  one  can  be  placed  in  an 
inflamed  human  eye  without  beingi^  felt, 
speedily  taking  away  pain  with  the  cause 
of  it,  as  we  often  experienced. 

Harvesting. 

The  gathering-in  of  flax,  like  many 
other  harvests,  required  watchfulness.  As 
soon  as  ripe,  like  chestnuts,  the  seed- 
vessels  begin  to  open  and  shed  the  seed, 
with  this  difference — that  the  former 
open  on  all  sides,  and  the  latter  only  on 
one. 

In  harvesting,  at  the  end  of  June  or  be- 
ginning of  July,  no  sickle  or  scythe,  no 


handled,  later  on  t'le  same  day  to  be  tied, 
in  bundles  and  hauled  into  the  barn.  The 
bands  were  made  of  rye-straw,  thrashed 
with  the  flail.  A  band  was  stretched  on 
the  ground,  the  required  amount  of  hand- 
fuls  laid  on  top.  then  tied  as  a  bundle 
and  est  up.  In  loading  the  same  on  the 
wagon,  the  heads  were  put  to  the  outside, 
so  as  not  to  suffer.  The  same  care  was 
also  taken  in  the  barn  at  unloading. 

A  certain  woman  was  pulling  flax, 
when  a  man  passing  by  said  to  her :  "Is 
not  your  flax  rather  short?"  Her  answer 
was :  "Yes,  it  is ;  but  we  agreed  that  it 
would  do  for  children's  clothing."' 

Thrashing. 

Flachsbritsche  (batting)  was  done  in 
the  barn,   on   the   thrashingfloor.   with   a 


PULLING  FLAX. 


hook  or  hoe,  was  needed.  It  was  hard 
on  the  hands,  and  on  the  backs.  Hence 
old  people,  as  a  rule,  were  excused,  and 
the  boys  and  girls  stood  in  cheerful  ranks 
jHilling  flax.  The  swath  for  one  was 
from  three  to  four  feet  wide,  but  if  any 
one  for  any  reason  whatever  reached 
across  the  line,  no  offence  was  taken  or 
given.  There  were  no  sheaves  made,  but 
"handfuls" — with  a  few  stalks  for  each 
tied  up.  and  set  up  in  apparently  hollow 
Indian-like  huts,  to  dry  out  and  ripen 
more  fully.  The  heads  of  these  handtuls 
were  e.s]:)ecially   well  cared   for  in   being 


home-made  bat.  The  object  was,  to  crush 
the  brittle  seed-bolls  and  remove  the  seed. 
The  bat  was  a  solid  piece  of  scantling, 
well  planed,  with  a  crooked  handle.  A 
bright,  sunny  day  was  chosen,  and  the 
bundles  set  out  close  together  in  the  hot 
sun.  Two  or  three  bundles  at  a  time 
were  laid  along  the  barnfloor,  with  the 
roots  against  the  boarded  side,  and 
thinned  to  the  breadth  of  a  hand  in  thick- 
ness. Several  heavy  boards  were  laid 
along  near  the  roots,  to  keep  the  flax  at 
its  place.  Handling  the  bat  had  to  be 
practiced,  so  as  to  strike  straight  down. 


FLAXCULTURE   AND    ITS    UTILITY 


25g 


-and  avoid  being  jarred.  The  flax  was 
well  batted  on  both  sides  and  shaken  out, 
then  straightened  at  the  roots  a-^ainst  the 
side  of  the  barndoor,  laid  on  a  band  an.d 
tied  up  with  special  care.  Uoth  ends  of 
the  band  were  twisted  and  "tied  under  the 
knee" — a  pointed  hickory  stick  was  then 
inserted  as  a  lever,  and  another  twist  and 
turn  given,  ar.d  the  finishing  touch  was 
a  solid  knock  with  the  lever  (called 
kncvcl)  on  the  double  knot.  These 
bundles  could  be  laid  by  in  a  dry  p'.ace 
for  years,  and  suffered  no  injury;  on  the 
contrary,  their  value  would  even  be  in- 
creased. 


This  retting  was  done  by  the  intiuence 
of  the  sun  on  the  one  part,  and  dew  and 
rain  on  the  other — these  silent  forces  con- 
tinuallv  changing.  Should  the  grass  grow 
up  and  interfere,  the  rows  of  flax  were, 
with  long,  smooth  poles,  turned  over, 
row  after  row,  from  one  side  of  the 
meadow  to  the  other,  the  flax  to  remain 
on  the  top  of  the  grass.  The  test  of 
this  retting  process  was,  to  take  a  small 
bunch  of  flax  and  break  it  with  the  hands  ; 
if  the  filaments  separated  freely  and  easily 
from  the  boon,  the  work  was  done.  The 
flax  was  thtn  easily  and  quickly  gathered, 
tied  up,  and  hauled  back  to  the  barn,  or 


THRASHING  FUAX. 


This  was  a  work  for  the  big  boys  only, 
and  those  who  fail  to  see  it  evidently 
.never  had  a  hand  in  it. 

Retting    Flax     (Flachsretza) . 

Before  flax  could  be  braked,  it  had  io 
be  retted — that  is,  the  boon  of  the  stalk 
had  to  be  made  brittle,  so  as  to  be  broken 
up  and  removed  entirely.  To  accomplish 
this,  the  bundles  were  hauled  to  a  dry 
part  of  the  meadow,  and  spread  in  long, 
thin  rows,  side  by  side,  on  the  ground. 
This  was  not  done  near  the  barnyard, 
lest  the  chickens,  with  their  spurs  and 
busv .  claws,    make   bad    work   of   it. 


some  good  dry  shed,  ready  for  the  process 
of  braking. 

Flaxbrakingf    (Flachsbrccha). 

This  part  of  flaxcleaning  was  the 
worst  of  all.  and  only  strong  men  could 
di  it  well.  The  flax  had  to  be  heated  with 
fire,  which  had  to  be  verv  carefully 
guarded.  A  ])!ace  was  therefore  selected 
awav  from  the  building,  and  not  exposed 
to  the  wind  ( Brcchloch).  This  instru- 
ment used,  called  the  brake,  was  made 
throughout  of  the  best  whiteoak  wood. 

The  fire  dared  not  flare  up,  since  right 
above  it,  three  or  four  feet,  the  flax  was 


270 


THE   PENXSYLVAXIA-GERMAN 


spread  on  croppoles.  The  favorite  fuel, 
therefore,  was  dry  stumps  gathered  from 
the  fields,  two  or  three  years  after  their 
clearing. 

The  breaking  was  done  by  handfuls. 
Two  sticks  of  strong  <wood  were  tied  to- 
gether at  the  ends  with  a  strong  rope  or 
leather  strap,  about  nine  inches  apart ; 
with  these  the  flax  near  its  roots  was 
firmly  held  together  by  the  left  hand ; 
whilst  the  right  hand  operated  the  brake 
at  a  lively  rate. 

A  man  at  this  work  might  have  been 
compared  to  a  big  dog  sitting  over  a 
bone,  trying  with  his  strong  teeth  to  break 
it,  then  lick  up  at  his  leisure  its  sweet 
marrow — or  to  a  pheasant  in  the  lonely 
woods,  sitting  on  some  old  log,  doing  its 
own  "Drumming" — at  the  first  slowlv  and 


dinner,  the  clapping  of  the  brake  was 
heard  from  near  and  far,  and  the  smoke 
of  the  fire  found  its  way  slowly  across 
the  fields. 

Flaxswingling  (Flachschwinga). 

This  work  was  not  so  hard  as  the 
former,  nor  did  it  need  fire  and  smoke. 
It  was  generally  assigned  to  the  boys 
and  girls.  If  the  weather  was  cold  or 
blustery,  it  was  attended  to  in  a  shed  or 
vacant  stable.  The  big  bundle  of  flax 
mentioned  before  was  brought  near  and 
opened,  and  the  swinglestock  located.  A 
stock  was  a  smooth  perpendicular  boards 
nailed  at  the  lower  end  to  a  heavy  block, 
to  keep  it  firm  and  upright.  The  upper 
end  of  it  was  shaved  almost  to  an  edge, 
and  rounded  otif ;  so  that  the  left  hand. 


BRAKING  FLAX. 


solemnly,  then  more  and  more  quickly, 
down  to  the  end. 

The  top  end  of  the  handful  being  well 
broken,  and  knocked  out  on  the  brake, 
the  other  end,  though  the  harder,  could 
be  managed  more  easily.  About  one-half 
of  the  weight  was  thus  knocked  to  the 
winds — the  good  part  nicely  straightened 
out  and  slightly  twisted  so  as  to  keep 
by  itself — then  laid  out  on  two  bands  for 
binding  up. 

This  work  of  a  day  was  commenced 
about  day-break,  and  continued  till  sun- 
set. At  evening  the  fire  was  carefully  ex- 
tinguished and  about  a  dozen  flax-bundles 
were  carried  by  the  weary  and  dusty  man 
in  one  large  double-bound  bundle  to  the 
barn.     All  day  long,  except  the  time  of 


holding  the  flax,  could  rest  firmly  against 
it.  The  swingling,  also  called  scutching, 
was  done  with  the  right  hand,  by  means- 
of  a  wooden  knife  about  i8  inches  long. 
It  had  a  handle,  and  was  double-edged,, 
all  smooth,  and  edges  were  rounded  in 
every  part.  The  object  was,  to  remove 
every  particle  of  the  boon ;  whilst  the  left 
hand  held  the  flax  firmly,  the  right  hand 
belabored  first  one  then  the  other  end — 
in  a  gentle  and  careful  way.  The  flax 
then  began  to  show  its  peculiar  rich  gloss. 
Being  again  somewhat  twisted,  it  was 
laid  by,  later  to  be  bound  up.  In  the  per- 
formance of  this  whole  work,  old  and' 
well-worn  clothes  were  used,  and  the 
faces,  especially  around  the  eyes,  oftem 
assumed  a  strange  appearance — hence  a. 


FLAXCULTURE   AND   ITS   UTILITY 


271 


smile,  or  occasionally  even  a  laugh,  could 
at  times  not  well  be  suppressed. 

Flaxhatcheling   (Flachshechia). 

This  work  was  generally  done  by  a 
lady,  and  done  on  the  garret  of  the 
dwelling-house.  A  hatchel  was  made  of 
sharp  steel  teeth  set  upright  and  in  rows 
in  a  small  board,  like  a  comb.  The  nails 
were  about  three  inches  long  in  the  clear, 
and  highly  polished.  Three  of  these 
hatchels  belonged  together  as  a  set,  and 
each  differed  from  the  others.  All  were 
screwed  on  a  lengthy  trestle.  The 
coarsest  (a  small  one)  was  used  to  re- 
move the  leavings  of  the  seedvessels.  The 
tow  removed  was  in  German  called 
"Bollhokc"  (that  is,  hooks  left  from  the 
bolls),  and  was  useless.  The  second 
hatchel  reir>oved  a  large  quantity  of  tow 
called  "coarse."  The  third  removed  what 
was  fine.  What  was  left  was  called  par 
excellence  flax  or  "line." 

The  flax  left  was  doubled  up  and 
twisted  like  a  screw  run  out  to  a  fine 
point.  With  a  cord  run  through  the 
points,  as  we  were  accustomed  to  string 
the  speckled  trout,  the  bundles  were 
strung  up  and  hung  along  the  exposed 
rafters  in  large  bundles.  There  were 
these  difterences,  however,  we  strung  the 
fish  at  the  heads  and  the  flax  at  the  tails, 
and  the  bundles  of  fish  were  generally 
smaller. 

Spinning    (Schpinna). 

Spinning  commenced  early,  and  lasted 
all  winter.  Two  or  even  three  wheels 
were  employed  in  a  family,  and  it  was 
considered  the  work  of  the  women.  The 
wheels  employed  were  of  one  order,  ex- 
cept that  the  distaff  for  flax  was  dift'erent 
from  the  simple  fork  used  for  spinning 
tow.  In  the  morning,  long  before  day, 
and  late  in  the  evening,  the  low,  gentle 
humming  of  those  wheels  was  heard.  The 
mechanism  of  the  wheel  was  double — 
one  belt,  or  cord,  spun  the  thread,  and 
the  other  carried  it  on  the  spool  by  means 
of  hooks  on  two  revolving  wings.  The 
thread  on  the  spool  could  not  regulate 
itself,  hence  the  spinner  now  and  then 
had  to  stop  a  moment  and  transfer  the 
thread   to   another   hook,    further   off   or 


FLAXSWIXGJ.llSlG. 


nearer  by,  as  the  case  might  be.  Slacken- 
ing the  motion  on  the  treadle,  she  would' 
qnckly  lay  her  one  hand  deftly  on  the- 
flyer,  as  if  she  tried  to  catch  a  living  bird,, 
but  just  as  soon  again,  all  was  in  full 
motion.  If  the  thread  would  tear  (whichi 
was  seldom)  the  lower  end,  like  a  little- 
flash,  disappeared  through  the  eyes  of  the- 
spindle,  and  had  to  be  mended.  All  the 
spools  being  well  filled,  the  reel  was  put 
to  use,  which  generally  was  on  Saturdays, 
W'hen  there  was  no  school,  and  one  of  the 
boys  or  girls  would  hold  the  spools  by- 
means  of  a  smooth  stick,  for  which  dis- 
tinction all  were  eager.  It  was  amusing; 
to  see  the  spools  run,  and  the  thread  fly,, 
and  hear  the  reel  at  the  end  of  every  cut 
give  a  crack,  as  with  a  horsewhip ;  that 
meant — stop !  every  time  !  The  skeins  011 
the  reel  had  less  or  more  cuts,  according 
to  the  quality  of  the  yarn — coarse  or  fine. 
W^hen  the  second  day  of  February 
came  (candlemas)  spinning  was  ended, 
according  to  an  old  rule : 

"Lichtmess,  's  Spinne  ver^esz 
Bei  Tag,  zu  Xacht  Esz." 

Flaxspinning  has  always  been  consid- 
ered one  of  the  finest  and  most  honorable 
attainments  among  women  (Eccl.  31  :i3). 
To  this  day  no  machinery  can  spin  aSs 
fine  a  thread  as  can  a  good  spir.ner. 


;272 


THE   PEXXSYLVAXIA-GERMAN 


FLAXHATCHKLING 


Conclusion. 

This  whole  subject,  to  my  mind,  is  in- 
♦exhaustible.  I  will,  therefore,  throw  out 
for  those  having  interest  in  the  same  a 
few   final   remarks. 

The  finest  and  best  yarn  of  flax  was 
boiled  with  woodashes,  then  washed  in 
a  brook  of  pure  water,  and  hung  on  a 
dine  to  dry.  When  fully  dry.  it  was  wel] 
"beaten  on  a  bench  and  made  ready  for 
the  weaver.  Some  of  it  was  doubled  and 
twisted,  for  dift'erent  purposes :  sewing 
thread,  pigeon-  and  fishnets.  This  first 
class  of  flaxyarn  was  also  used  for  all 
manner  of  knitting.  When  woven,  the 
-cloth  was  bleached,  and  used  for  sheeting, 
tablecloths,  shirting,  etc. 

The  yarn  made  of  the  finer  tow  was 
also  washed.  Some  of  it  was  colored 
with  the  bark  of  the  white  walnut-tree, 
also  called  butternut  by  reason  of  its  rich 
nuts.  The  color  was  brown  and  durable. 
It  was  used  as  the  warp  of  linsey-woolsey, 
its  woof  being  wool,  of  the  same  color, 
which  was  worn  extensivelv  during 
winter.  Of  such  cloth,  excellent  hunting- 
skirts  were  made,  being  the  color  of  dead 
leaves  in  fall  and  winter. 

Cloth  of  the  coarser  tow  was  used  for 
"bags,  wagon  coverings,  etc.  Tow  was  at 
that  time  used  for  kindling  fire.  A  hand- 
ful of  tow  closely  pressed,  and  held  over 
an  old-fashioned  flint-firelock,  with  a  little 
gunpowder  on  the  pan,  would  strike  fire 
with  a  flash — and  no  crack.  Tow  was 
also  largelv  used  as  wads  in  smoothbored 


guns,  in  shooting  small  game.  In  rifle- 
shooting,  the  b:iUe:s  were  wadded  with 
linen  cloth  greased  with  tallow. 

The  seed  of  flax  has  special  value,  by 
reason  of  its  fine  oil.  Flaxseed,  boiled 
in  sweet  milk,  i^^  an  excellent  emollient 
poultice,  for  all  manner  of  inflammations. 
Linseed  oil,  mixed  with  lime-water,  is 
largely  applied  as  a  good  remedy  for 
scalds  and  burns.  This  oil,  taken  in- 
ternally, is  a  gende  laxative. 

To  secure  the  oil  from  the  flaxseed  re- 
quires special  mills  with  unique  machin- 
ery, hard  to  describe.  (Jil-mills  were 
built  here  in  Pennsylvania  long  ago.  The 
first  process  is  to  crush  the  seed  with  two 
ponderous  stones,  rounded  and  yoked 
closely  together  like  oxen — rolling  slowly 
around  on  their  edges,  on  a  small  space. 
The  seed  is  thus,  under  the  weight  of  sev- 
eral tons,  reduced  to  a  fine  pulp.  This 
grinding  suggests  poor  blind  Samson 
among  the  Philistines. 

The  next  process  is  to  roast  this  pulp, 
and  bring  the  oil  thus  to  a  flowing  con- 
dition. 

The  third  and  main  process  is  to  separ- 
ate the  oil,  which  is  done  by  pressure  pro- 
duced by  pounding  (olichschlagc).  This 
poundin_2  is  on  a  series  of  blocks  of  the 
hardest  wood,  mainly  wedge-shaped,  set 
l)erpendicularly  in  a  special  trou^^h.  cut 
out  of  the  solid  he  art  wood  of  a  large 
white  oak  log.  Corresponding  to  those 
blocks  are  perj^endicular  tiiubers,  raised 
up  by  a  horizontal  and  slowly-revolving 
large   shaft,   wiiii   a    single   cog   to   each 


FLAXCULTURE   AND   ITS    UTILITY 


273 


weight,  and  dropped  on  said  blocks  with 
unerring  precision.  Those  weights  rise 
and  fall  continually,  unless  hung,  the  one 
or  the  other,  high  up  with  its  own  rope, 
as  was  Haman  the  Agagite.  The  pulp  in 
a  warmed  condition,  having  been  filled 
into  small  bags  of  coarse  and  strong  linen 
cloth,  was  placed  between  said  blocks. 
This  process  requires  considerable  time, 
the  pure  and  sparkling  linseed-oil  mean- 
Avhile  finding  its  way  through  a  pipe  be- 
neath into  a  tin  vessel.  The  noise  thus 
made,  especially  by  the  varied  sounds  of 
the  pounding,  reminds  one  of  a  chime  of 
tells  in  the  tower  of  some  church,  filling 
the  air  all  aromid  with  solemn  and  mighty 
sounds. 

\Vheii  the  pounded  pulp  is  removed 
from  the  bags,  it  might  be  supposed  use- 
less or  nearly  so ;  like  apple-pomace  after 
having  been  well  pressed.*  Such  is  not 
the  case,  but  quite  the  contrary.  It  ap- 
pears in  neat  dark  cakes,  resembling  old 


honey-combs  from  a  beehive — or  rather, 
bv  reason  of  their  thickness,  well  burned 
tilings.  These  oil-cakes  bear  on  all  sides 
the  marks  of  the  very  threads  in  which 
the  pounding  had  to  be  endured.  The 
final  process  is,  to  reduce  these  hard  oil- 
cakes into  a  coarse  meal,  which  is  done 
by  grinding  them,  after  being  roughly 
broken.  The  millstone  used  is  not  the 
famous  French-Burr  stone,  but  a  rough 
native  one.  This  oil-meal  is  a  most  ex- 
cellent food  to  feed  and  fatten  cattle.  The 
little  precious  oil  still  left  enters  seemingly 
the  very  bones  and  marrow  of  the  cattle, 
the  horns  on  their  heads  and  hoofs  on 
their  feet — even  the  very  hair  on  their 
hides  become  smooth  and  glossy — and 
this  is — no  deception! 

*Local  historiars  say  that  at  one  time  these  oil 
cakes  were  regarded  valueless  and  thrown  out  of  the 
mills  as  waste.  The  cattle  of  one  tf  the  millers  along 
the  Perkiomen  discovered  a  food  value  in  these,  helped 
themselves,  became  sleek  and  smooth-haired  and  more 
profitable  to  the  owner.  Investigation  followed,  and 
another  valuable  source  of  income  was  developed  out 
of  what  was  regarded  a  waste. — Ed. 


Ezra  E.  Eby  the  Historian  and  His  Work 

BV    REV.    A.    B.    SHERK,    TOROXTO,    CAXADA. 


Note. — In  the  following  sketch  I  give  a  brief 
outline  of  the  life  of  Ezra  Eby  and  of  his  work. 
My  aim  is  to  bring  to  the  notice  of  the  readers 
of  The  Pennsvlvani.\-German  the  great  work 
^Ir.  Eby  did  as  the  historian  of  one  small 
branch  of  the  great  Pennsylvania  family.  His 
history  is  a  repository  of  facts  gathered  from 
the  antecedents,  the  life  and  experience  of  those 
families  who  came  from  the  State  of  Pennsyl- 
vania to  the  wilderness  of  Upper  Canada  at 
the  earliest  dawn  of  the  last  century.  He  has 
told  the  story  of  their  adventures,  their  diffi- 
culties and  their  success ;  and  he  has  told  the 
story  as  no  one  else  has  told  it.  We  are  sure 
an  years  to  come  his  work  will  be  more  highly 
<ippreciated  than  it  is  at  the  present  time.  An 
iiccomplished  scholar  of  this  city,  and  personal 
friend  of  the  writer,  said  of  Eby's  history : 
Jt  Tt'ill  be  iiiz-aluah!c  to  the  future  liistorian. 
Sketch   of  Life. 

WISH  to  call  the  attention  of 
the  readers  of  The  Penx- 
svlvaxia-Germax  to  Ezra 
E.  Eby,  the  historian  of 
Waterloo,  Canada.  Outside 
of    his    native    country    his 

nanif  >ccms  to  be  but  little  known.     Mr. 

I^bv  was  bcrn  near  the  town  of  Berlin, 


August  9th,  1850.  His  grandfather,  Rev. 
Ben.  Eby,  was  the  first  bishop  of  the 
Mennonite  Church  of  Waterloo.  He 
came  from  Lancaster  county.  Pa.,  in 
1806,  took  up  the  land  on  which  he  spent 
the  rest  of  his  days,  and  soon  after  he 
settled  here,  founded  the  village  of  Berlin. 
The  village  has  become  a  town  of  14.000, 
is  the  most  German  town  in  the  Dominion 
of  Canada,  and  one  of  its  chief  manufac- 
turing centres. 

Mr.  Ebv  had  excellent  school  advan- 
tages. He  got  a  good  start  in  the  public 
school  near  his  early  home  in  the  country. 
From  the  public  school  he  went  to  the 
High  School  of  Berlin,  where  he  had  a 
long  course  of  training.  He  also  attended 
the  St.  Jerome  College  of  that  town  (a 
Roman  Catholic  institution).  He  went 
to  the  last  named  school  to  get  the  benefit 
of  a  special  course  of  instruction  in  Ger- 
man. German  was  his  mother  tongue, 
but  he  was  equally  at  home  in  German 
and  English.     He  qualified  for  the  pro- 


274 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


fession  of  teaching,  held  a  provincial  cer- 
tificate, and  taught  in  his  native  county  of 
Waterloo  between  twenty  and  twenty-five 
years. 

'Mr.  Eby  was  also  a  printer,  and  fol- 
lowed the  trade  over  three  years.  The 
Ebys  took  kindly  to  the  types.  His  uncle 
Henry  did  fine  business  as  a  printer  and 
publisher  a  number  of  years,  and  his  uncle 
Peter  followed  the  trade  nearly  all  his 
days. 

Mr.  Eby  was  a  fine  type  of  a  man,  and 
w^ithal  a  devoted  Christian.  He  was  un- 
assuming, frank  and  cordial  in  social 
life.  A  friend  who  knew  him  intimately 
writes  thus :  "He  was  remarkably  afifable, 
unusually  cheerful,  pleasant  and  afifec- 
tionate."  But  his  useful  career  came  to 
an  end  all  too  soon,  for  on  the  31st  day 
of  July,  1901,  he  passed  over  to  the 
great  majority.  His  body  rests  in  the 
Mennonite  cemetery  af  Berlin,  on  the 
farm  first  owned  by  his  grandfather, 
Bishop  Ben  Eby.  His  early  death  was 
greatly  lamented,  and  was  a  great  loss  to 
the  cause  of  historical  knowledge. 
Mr.    Eby    as   an   Author. 

Having  given  a  brief  sketch  of  the  life 
of  jVIr.  Eby,  we  will  now  look  at  his  work 
as  an  author.  His  first  production  in  the 
field  of  authorship  was  "A  History  of  the 
Eby  Family" ;  but  his  great  w'ork,  the 
work  by  which  he  will  be  specially  re- 
membered, was  his  "Biographical  His- 
tory of  Waterloo."  It  was  issued  in  two 
large  quarto  volumes,  printed  and  pub- 
lished at  Berlin,  the  home  of  the  author. 
It  must  have  taken  years  to  get  the  data 
and  collect  the  material  for  this  invaluable 
work.  Pjut  he  belonged  to  one  of  the 
historic  families  of  the  Waterloo  colony, 
his  whole  life  was  spent  in  the  very  heart 
of  this  colony,  so  that  he  had  ample  op- 
portunity to  get  acquainted  with  all  the 
principal  facts  and  circumstances  of  the 
early  settlements.  The  author  says 
"events  and  facts  have  been  obtained  from 
the  descendants  of  the  early  settlers  and 
from  parties  in  Pennsylvania,  from  the 
manuscripts  of  the  late  Rev.  Ben  Eby, 
Bishop  of  the  Alennonites,"  etc.  He  went 
to  Pennsylvania  and  other  places  to  make 
himself  fully  acquainted  with  the  early 
history  of  the  ancestors  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania settlers.  Pie  seemed  to  be  urged 
to  his  work  by  an  irresistible  impulse.  His 


wife  would  sometimes  remonstrate  with 
him  and  say :  "Ezra,  the  children  and  I 
should  get  the  attention  and.  time  you 
are  giving  to  this  history."  His  reply 
would  be :  "This  work  must  be  done, 
it  must  be  done."  He  began  writing  his 
history  1894,  and  had  it  ready  for  the 
press  in  eighteen  months.  This  was  a 
truly  Herculean  task  in  so  short  a  time. 
But  his  fate  was  that  of  most  authors — 
much  hard  work  and  small  pay.  I  am 
told  he  escaped  pecuniary  loss,  with  noth- 
ing for  his  years  of  toil.  His  book  is 
the  only  large  work  that  has  as  yet  been 
written  on  the  Pennsylvania  settlements 
in  Canada,  and  it  only  deals  with  the 
\Vaterloo  district. 

Eby's    History. 

The  title  page  of  Eby's  History  is  as 
follows:  "A  Biv^graphical  History  of 
Waterloo  Township,  and  other  Town- 
ships of  the  County,  being  a  history  of 
the  early  settlers  and  their  descendants, 
mostly  of  Pennsylvania-Dutch  origin,  as 
also  much  other  published  information 
chiefly  of  a  local  character." 

Mr.  Eby  introduces  us  to  the  early 
settlers  of  Waterloo  by  saying:  "These 
pioneers  were  all  of  one  faith,  and  spoke 
the  same  dialect,  known  as  the  Pennsyl- 
vania-Dutch." By  "one  faith"  he  means 
they  were  all  ^lennonites.  In  after 
years  Waterloo  became  the  stronghold  of 
the  Mennonite  denomination  in  Canada, 
and  remains  so  today. 

Cause   of  Migration. 

The  question  now^  naturally  comes  to 
us.  Why  did  these  Pennsylvanians  choose 
Canada  as  a  suitable  country  to  which  to 
migrate,  when  there  was  so  much  terri- 
tory in  the  United  States  waiting  for  the 
settler?  We  give  Mr.  Eby's  answer: 
"The  oubreak  of  the  American  Revolu- 
tion caused  a  somewhat  lack  of  harmony 
among  these  people.  Some  sympathized 
with  the  British,  and  for  conscience's  sake 
could  not  justify  the  doings  of  the 
Colonial  party,  while  others  (American 
born)  were  strongly  advocating  in  favor 
of  the  independence  of  the  thirteen  colo- 
nies. This  struggle  was  probably  the 
cause  of  the  migration  to  Canada  of  the 
first  representatives  of  this  class"  ("Penn- 
sylvania-Dutch")— Preface  p.  2.  Mr. 
Eby  is  right  in  saying  that  loyalty  to 
Great    Britain    started    the    Pennsylvania 


EZRA   E.  EBY 


275 


migration  to  Canada ;  but  many  of  those 
who  came  later  on  came  because  they 
learned  it  was  a  goodly  land  in  which 
to  build  up  a  house.  Political  considera- 
tions did  not  enter  into  their  calculation. 
There  is  another  reason  that  did  not 
suggest  itself  to  the  historian  of  Water- 
loo, why  tlie  Pennsylvanians  chose  Can- 
ada, viz :  the  institution  of  slavery.  When 
the  colonies  gained  their  independence, 
slavery  held  sway  over  the  north  as  well 
as  the  south.  Some  of  the  U.  E.  Loyal- 
ists who  fled  to  Canada  at  the  close  of  the 
Revolution  brought  their  slaves  with 
them.  The  first  parliament  of  Upper 
Canada  met  in  1792,  under  Governor 
Sincoe ;  and  at  its  second  session,  in  1793, 
they  passed  an  emancipation  bill,  and  so 
this  Province  was  the  first  county  on  the 
continent  to  free  the  black  man.  Many 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Mennonites,  in  the 
closing  years  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
found  it  necessary  to  leave  the  old  set- 
tlements and  press  into  new  districts ;  but 
they  wanted  a  country  free  from  the 
curse  of  slavery,  and  the  only  country  in 
America  at  that  time  was  the  wilderness 
of  the  north.  To  it  they  came  in  large 
numbers. 

Mr.  Eby  has  traced  the  history  of  the 
Waterloo  colony   from  its  beginning  till 
near  the  end  'of  the  nineteenth   century. 
t  His  book  has  two  divisions. 

Early    Settlers. 

The  first  part  is  entitled  a  "History  of 
Waterloo:"  This  part  of  his  book  gives 
the  names  of  the  families,  what  part  of 
Pennsylvania  they  came  froni.  where  they 
located,  the  struggles  through  which  they 
passed,  and  the  final  success  they 
achieved.  "The  first  to  come  to  Waterloo 
were  Joseph  Sherk  and  Samuel  Betzner, 
who  came  here  in  1800  frqm  Franklin 
coimty,  Pennsylvania.  In  the  following 
year  came  the  Bechtels,  Beans,  Kinseys, 
Clemens,  Shupes,  Livergoods  and  Sur- 
arus.  In  1807  came  the  Baumans,  Ebys, 
Erbs.  Snyders,  W'ebers  and  later  the 
]\Iartins.  Hallmans,  Groffs.  Detwilers, 
Shoemakers,  Kolbs,"  etc.  The  Brickers 
are  omitted  in  the  above  list.  I  mention 
this  because  of  the  active  part  one  of 
them  took  in  the  early  history  of  Water- 
loo. They  were  among  the  earliest 
settlers,   coming  here  in   1803. 


The  first  settlers  were  mostly  located 
on  the  Grand  River,  about  75  miles  from 
its  mouth.  This  river  is  one  of  the  finest 
in  Ontario,  and  empties  into  Lake  Erie 
about  40  miles  west  of  Buffalo.  At  the 
close  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  the 
British  Government  gave  the  "Six  Na- 
tion" Indians  a  reservation  on  this  river. 
The  reservation  at  first  was  a  strip  six 
miles  wide  from  the  mouth  of  the  river 
to  its  source  near  the  Georgian  Bay,  a 
distance  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  at 
least.  Waterloo  township  was  originally 
a  part  of  this  reservation,  but  had  passed 
into  the  hands  of  speculators.  From 
these  speculators  the  first  settlers  in 
Waterloo  bought  their  land. 

The  name  Waterloo  was  at  first  ap- 
plied to  the  township,  but  a  village  sprang 
up  at  an  early  day,  which  took  the  same 
name.  The  village  is  now  a  town  of  over 
four  thousand,  and  retains  the  old  name. 
More  than  half  a  century  ago  four  other 
townships  were  grouped  with  \yaterloo, 
and  formed  into  a  county  to  which  the 
name  Waterloo  was  given.  The  whole 
county  is  largely  made  up  of  descendants 
of  Pennsylvania  and  European  Germans. 
The  Pennsylvania  element  predominates 
in  the  country,  the  European  element  in 
the  towns  and  villages.  The  county  of 
Waterloo  is  the  great  centre  of  German- 
dom  in  the  Dominion,  and  is  one  of  the 
most  prosperous  and  wealthy  sections  in 
the  Province  of  Ontario.  We  might  say 
it  is  to  this  Province  what  Lancaster 
county  is  to  the  State  of  Pennsylvania. 

An   Unexpected   Trial. 

We  must  go  back  again  to  the  first 
days  of  W^aterloo.  An  unexpected  trial 
awaited  the  young  colony.  They  found 
that  the  land  on  which  they  had  settled 
and  for  which  they  had  paid  was  under 
mortgage.  The  mortgage  covered  the 
whole  township,  and  amounted  to  twenty 
thousand  dollars.  This  was  a  big  sum  of 
money  a  century  ago.  The  discovery  was 
made  in  1803.  when  the  colony  was  three 
years  old,  and  cast  a  gloom  over  the 
whole  district.  After  making  many  in- 
quiries as  to  what  was  to  be  expected, 
and  taking  counsel  among  tlie  settlers, 
they  turned  their  thoughts  for  help  to 
their  brethren  in  Pennsylvania.  Thev  se- 
lected Samuel  Bricker  and  Josepli  Sherk 


276 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


as  a  committee  to  visit  the  old  home,  lay 
their  difficulty  before  the  churches,,  and 
ask  help.    They  first  went  to  the  Menno- 
iiite  churches  of  Cumberland  and  Frank- 
lin counties,  but  got  .no  encouragement. 
Joseph    Sherk    returned   to   his   home   in 
Canada,    utterly    disheartened.       Samuel 
Ericker,  who,  during  a  long  life,  never 
l<new  what  it  was  to  give  up,  decided  to 
visit   his    brethren    in    Lancaster    county. 
At  first  he  was  repulsed  here,  but  the  re- 
pulse only  served  to  make  him  more  de- 
termined to  push  his  case.     He  showed 
the   dilemma   of   the   Canadian   brethren, 
and  knowing  the  ability  of  the  Lancaster 
brethren  to  give  the  needed  help,  he  urged 
the  matter  with  such  feeling  and  force  as 
to  W'in   his  case.     This   took  place  at  a 
-church  meeting  calle'^  to  give  Bricker  a 
lieariiig.     Mr.  Eby  says  "this  ever-to-be- 
rememlDered  meeting  was  held  at  the  resi- 
<lence  of  John  Eby   (old  'Hannes'  Eby), 
brother  to  Benjamin  Eby  who  came  here 
a    few    years    later,"    and    was    the    first 
bishop    of    the    Mennonite    churches    of 
Waterloo.     After  some  debate,  the  meet- 
ing   unanimously    decided    to    help    the 
brethren  in  distress.     A  joint  stock  com- 
pany was  formed,  and  the  stock  was  all 
subscribed  before  the  meeting  adjourned. 
S.  Bricker  and  Daniel  Erb,  who  also  be- 
came  a   resident   of  Waterloo,   were   se- 
lected   to    carry    the    money    to    Canada. 
■"The     company     entrusted     them     with 
$20,oco,  all  in  silver  dollars.    This  money 
was  put  in  a  strong-box  and  conveyed  on 
what    was    called     a    buggy     (a     leicht 
plasier  weggli)    over  five  hundred  miles 
through  forests  and  swamps  to  Canada, 
where  it  was  paid  to  the  proper  parties. 
The    buggy    was    presented    to    Samuel 
Bricker  by  the  shareholders  of  the  new 
company.      In    May    of    the    same    year, 
Bricker,   with  his   assistant,   Daniel   Erb, 
left  for  the  new  home  in  Canada,  carry- 
ing with  them  the  large  sum  of  money." 
The  following  incident,  by  the  way,  came 
to    my    knowledge    quite    lately.      When 
Bricker  and  Erb  crossed  the  Niagara  river 
into   Canada,   near    Bufifalo,   they   lodged 
with  Christian  Hershey,  one  of  the  first 
Pennsylvania    settlers    on    the    Niagara 
frontier.     They  asked  for  a  safe  room  in 
which   to   place   the   money.     The   room 
was  given,  and  the  money  carried  to  it 
in  bags. 


The  difficulty  was  soon  adjusted,  and 
the  dark  cloud  that  had  for  months  rested 
upon  the  Waterloo  colony  was  removed. 
But  what  a  venture  for  two  unarmed  men 
to  carry  so  large  an  amount  t5f  money 
such  a  distance.  It  shows  their  pluck 
and  courage,  and  it  also  shows  the  per- 
fect confidence  that  the  Lancaster  breth- 
ren had  in  the  uprightness  and  integrity 
of  the  two  brethren.  Bricker  and  Erb 
even  refused  to  accept  remuneration  for 
their  time  and  expense — a  proof  of  their 
generosity  and  kindness  of  heart. 

Growth  of  Waterloo. 

This  trying  experience  in  the  early  his- 
tory of  Waterloo  caused  a  temporary 
backset  to  the  young  colony,  but  it  was 
only  temporary.  Indeed,  it  served  as  an 
advertisement,  for  after  the  difficulty  was 
adjusted  there  was  a  greater  rush  than 
before  to  the  rich  farm  lands  that  were 
put  on  the  market.  The  war  of  1812  put 
another  check  to  the  growth  of  Waterloo ; 
but  as  soon  as  the  war  was  ended,  migra- 
tion was  renewed  and  continued  for 
many  years,  and  although  Waterloo  was 
the  youngest,  it  became  the  largest  Penn- 
sylvania colony  in  Canada.  The  help  that 
that  the  Waterloo  pioneers  came  hun- 
the  Lancaster  brethren  gave  their  Can- 
adian brethren  in  their  time  of  great  need 
was  the  means  of  forming  a  strong  bond 
between  the  two,  and  it  still  has  its  influ- 
ence, after  the  lapse  of  a  ceritury. 

Some  of  those  who  came  to  Waterloo 
with  the  new  migratory  impulse  brought 
considerable  money.  Mr.  Eby  says :  'Tn 
1807,  a  large  company  left  Lancaster 
county  for  Canada,  and  arrived  at  George 
Eby's,  Berlin,  on  the  21st  day  of  June, 
.  This  company  brought  half  a  bar- 
rel of  gold  and  silver  from  Lancaster 
county  to  pay  for  the  township  of  Wool- 
wich, which  was  also  purchased  by  a 
company."  Woolwich  joins  Waterloo  on 
the  north,  and  is  quite  as  German  as 
Waterloo.  "This  money  gave  them  con- 
siderable trouble  on  the  way.  as  by  some 
means  it  became  known  that  they  had 
considerable  money  with  them,  and  many 
times  they  were  in  danger  of  being 
robbed"  (p.  41).  From  the  above  it  may 
be  seen  that  Pennsylvania  not  only  con- 
tributed some  of  her  best  citizens  to  the 
building  up  of  Canada,  but  also  much 
gold  and  silver.     But  Canada  has  paid 


EZRA  E.  EBY 


277 


back  the  debt  a  hundred  fold,  for  she  has 
given  milHons  of  her  best  citizens  and 
great  treasures  in  money  for  the  develop- 
ment and  enrichment  of  the  United  States. 
It  is  a  fact  that  we  must  not  overlook 
dreds  of  miles,  most  of  the  way  through 
the  forest,  yet  so  far  as  we  can  learn,  no 
one  died  by  sickness  or  accident  on  the 
way.  And  in  the  colony  that  they  founded 
they  did  not  forget  the  God  of  their 
fathers.  They  had  meetings  for  worship 
at  the  homes  of  the  families  almost  from 
the  first.  Their  first  house  of  worship 
was  built  at  Berlin  in  1813,  on  the  Bishop 
Eby  farm.  It  was  built  of  log;  the  second 
one.  built  some  years  later,  was  a  large 
frame  building,  and  now  a  fine  brick 
church,  modern  in  architecture,  with  all 
the  conveniences,  occupies  the  same  spot. 
In  connection  with  tl\e  church  grounds 
there  is  a  large  cemetery,  in  which  the 
bodies  of  many  of  the  old  Waterloo 
pioneers  are  resting,  ?nd  a  very  large 
number  of  their  descendants.  Eby's  His- 
tory has  pictures  of  the  log  and  the  frame 
churches.  The  Eby  church  at  Berlin  must 
be  regarded  as  one  of  the  historic  spots 
in  the  Waterloo  colony  and  in  Ontario. 
The  Waterloo  pioneers  also  provided 
schools  for  their  families  from  the  verv 
beginning  of  their  settlement.  The  public 
schools  have  had  no  better  friends  in  this 


country  than  the  Pennsvlvania-Germans. 

Biographical    History. 

The  second  part  of  Eby's  History  is 
called  a  "Biographical  History  of  Water- 
loo." We  venture  only  a  few  remarks 
on  this  part  of  the  work  of  the  Waterloo 
historian.  What  he  gives  here  is  mostly- 
family  history,  and  does  not  have  a  very 
special  interest,  except  to  the  immediate 
descendants  of  the  families.  In  the 
"Biographical  History"  we  have  the 
names  of  no  less  than  one  hundred  and 
forty-two  families.  The  counties  in 
Pennsylvania  from  which  the  families 
came  are  given,  and  also  the  time  when 
they  came.  Franklin,  Lancaster.  Bucks, 
Berks..  Montgomery,  etc.,  were  the  coun- 
ties that  sent  the  largest  number  of 
settlers  to  Waterloo.  Mr.  Eby  not  only- 
gives  the  names  of  the  first  setders,  but 
also  the  names  of  their  de.scendants  down 
to  the  third  and  fourth  generation,  in  the 
case  of  many  families.  This  enabled  him 
to  give  a  genealogical  tree  of  each  of  the 
original  settlers;  and  the  branches  on 
some  of  the  trees  bear  the  names  of 
other  nationalities.  As  a  rule,  the  families 
of  other  nationalities  were  incorporated 
with  the  Pennsylvanians,  and  are  reck- 
oned as  belonging  to  them.  In  most  cases 
they  learned  to  speak  the  Pennsylvania 
dialect. 


The  Pennsylvania-German  in  Minnesota 

BY   REV.    A.   J.   D.    HAUPT,   PITTSBURG,   PA. 


Note. — The  author  of  this  sketch  is  of  a 
noted  family,  and  made  his  mark  in  the  state 
of  which  he  writes.  His  father,  Gen.  Herman 
Haupt,  was  for  many  years  professor  of  higher 
mathematics  in  Pennsylvania  College,  Gettys- 
burg. One  of  his  brothers,  Prof.  Lewis  AI. 
Haupt,  was  for  25  years  in  the  chair  of  civil 
engineering  and  higher  mathematics  at  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania,  and  another 
brother  was  assistant  professor  in  physiology 
in  the  same  institution.  His  brother,  C.  Edgar 
Haupt,  is  assistant  to  Bishop  Edsall  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  in  Southern  Minnesota,  un- 
der the  title  of  Archdeacon.  He  is  himself  a 
graduate  of  the  Universitv  of  Pennsylvania, 
labored  with  signal  success  in  St.  Paul  twenty- 
four  years,  until  called  to  the  important  position 
of  Superintendent  of  the  Lutheran  Inner-Mis- 
sion at  Pittsburg.  We  hope  to  receive  from 
him  a  sketch  of  his  illustrious  father. 


HE  great  and  fertile  state  of 
Minnesota  with  its  beauti- 
ful lakes,  its  noted  rivers,  its 
abounding  streams,  its  vast 
forests  and  rich  mines,  be- 
gan to  attract  the  attention 
of  the  white  man  but  a  little  over 
half  a  century  ago,  the  territory  of  Minne- 
sota having  been  opened  inider  President 
Taylor's  administration  in  1849  when  he 
appointed  a  Pennsylvania  boy,  Alexander 
Ramsey  of  Harrisburg,  as  the  first  terri- 
torial governor.  From  that  day  to  this 
the  staimch  PennsyTvania  German  blood 
has  been  flowing  into  the  state  adding- 
solidity    and    conservatism    to    the    rapid 


278 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


growth  and  wonderful  progress  which  has 
marked  ^linnesota's  development.  It 
would  be  an  interesting  but  truly  difificult 
task  to  trace  the  sons  of  dear  old  Pennsyl- 
vania as  they  have  scattered  over  the  state 
from  north  to  south  and  from  east  to 
west.  We  find  them  in  the  Twin  Cities, 
St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis,  the  great  Gate- 
ways to  the  Northwest ;  in  Duluth,  the 
''Zenith  City"  to  the  north,  on  the  shores 
of  the  far  famed  "Gitchie  Ghumi ;"  or 
big  sea  water  along  the  Red  River  of 
the  North,  and  in  the  more  populous 
cities  and  towns  along  our  southern 
boundary.  As  in  the  old  Keystone  State 
herself,  so  here,  we  find  all  nationalities 
and  their  descendants  represented,  yet 
the  German  element  is  right  in  the  front 
ranks.  I  do  not  know  of  a  single  Penn- 
sylvania-German who  is  not  making  him- 
self felt  in  the  business  and  professional 
world.  Prominent  as  bankers,  merchants, 
lawyers,  doctors  and  ministers  of  the 
Gospel  we  find  the  names  of  those  who 
have  been  born  and  raised  on  Pennsyl- 
vania soil  and  have  come  to  Minnesota 
to  take  their  places  among  the  leaders  of 
this  illustrious  "North  Star  State." 
Time  and  space  will  permit  of  only  an 
*'angenblick"  at  some  of  these  illustrious 
sons  of  Old  Pennsylvania  who  have 
come  from  the  good  old  German  stock. 
Alexander  Ramsey,  the  first  territorial 
governor  and  afterwards  the  great  war 
governor  of  the  state,  was  a  son  of  a 
Scotch-Irish  father  and  Elizabeth  Kelker, 
a  Pennsylvania-German  mother ;  and  the 
dear  old  governor  was  never  ashamed  of 
his  German  blood  or  his  power  to  use 
fluently  the  German  tongue.  Governor 
Ramsey  was  born  in  Dauphin  county  near 
Harrisburg,  was  Mayor  of  St.  Paul  from 
i855-'57,  elected  governor  of  the  state 
from  '6o-'64,  while  still  governor,  was 
elected  to  the  U.  S.  Senate,  which  office 
he  held  until  1875.  In  1879  President 
Hayes  appointed  him  Secretary  of  War, 
and  he  held  many  other  prominent  places 
in  the  state  and  nation.  He  was  married 
also  to  a  Pennsylvania  girl,  Anna,  the 
daughter  of  Judge  Michael  E.  Jenks  of 
Bucks  Co. 

But  time  is  passing*  on  and  has  carried 
many  of  these  great  and  good  Pennsyl- 
vania-Germans    to     their     eternal     rest. 


Among  those  still  with  us  we  may  call 
attention  to  Frederick  A.  Donahower,  of 
St.  Peter,  formerly  of  Reading,  Pa.  and 
born  in  Chester  Co.,  a  prominent  banker 
and  citizen  whose  son  William  was  attor- 
ney general  of  the  state.  Captain  Jerry 
C.  Donahower,  now  of  St.  Paul,  a  brother 
of  F.  A.  was  noted  for  his  bravery  during 
the  war  of  the  Rebellion  and  distinguished 
himself  at  Chattanooga.  He  was  for 
some  years  U.  S.  ^larshall  and  has  held 
several  important  political  positions.  The 
Rev.  George  H.  Trabert,  D.D.,  now  of 
Minneapolis,  the  first  English  Lutheran 
Missionary  to  the  Northwest,  was  edu- 
cated at  Gettysburg  and  Philadelphia 
and  was  for  many  years,  pastor  at 
Ephrata,  Lebanon  and  other  places.  He 
is  now  pastor  of  one  of  the  finest  churches 
in  Minneapolis  and  has  been  president 
of  the  North  West  English  Lutheran 
Synod.  His  son  Charles  L.  Trabert  has 
risen  to  the  foremost  ranks  as  a  business 
man,  as  associated  with  the  C.  A.  Smith 
Timber  Co.,  one  of  the  largest  lumber  and 
timber  firms  in  the  North  West. 

Several  of  the  foremost  men  in  the 
medical  profession  in  the  state  point  to 
Pennsylvania  as  their  native  state  and 
are  not  ashamed  of  their  German  blood. 
Dr.  J.  E.  Schadle  of  St.  Paul,  stands  in 
the  front  ranks  of  rhinologists  or 
specialists  on  the  nose  and  throat.  He 
has  invented  several  instruments  which 
have  greatly  advanced  the  cure  of  nose, 
throat  and  lung  diseases ;  and  has  finally 
discovered  the  true  cause  and  subse- 
quently the  cure  for  that  dread  disease, 
hay  fever.  Dr.  John  L.  Rothrock,  also 
of  St.  Paul,  was  born  in  Mifflintown  and 
graduated  at  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. He  has  an  enviable  reputation 
and  is  frequently  called  by  the  lead- 
ing physicians  and  surgeons  of  the 
city  in  final  consultations.  Then  there 
are  the  iKstlers  of  Minneapolis  and 
St.  Paul,  and  the  Weisers.  descend- 
ants of  the  famous  Reuben  Weiser,  in 
New  Ulm  and  Windom ;  with  brothers 
in  the  commercial  lines,  Spencer  B.  at  St. 
James  and  C.  Leon  at  St.  Paul.  Dr.  J. 
L.  Schoch,  born  in  Snyder  county,  is 
located  at  New  Ulm  in  active  practice, 
but  he  is  also  director  of  a  bank  and  presi- 
dent of  a  milling  company  with  interests 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  IN  MINNESOTA 


279 


in  several  seed  companies  and  U.  S. 
pension  examiner. 

The  Hon.  Chas.  C.  TIaupt,  born  at 
Wilkes  Barre,  Pa.,  educated  at  Franklin 
and  Marshall  College;  after  24  years  of 
practice  at  the  bar,  has  risen  to  the 
position  of  U.  S.  District  Atty,  which 
position  he  has  held  for  the  last  6  years. 

Oscar  E.  Holman,  Esq.,  of  Allentown, 
has  also  risen  to  prominence  as  Cor- 
poration attorney  of  the  City  of  St.  Paul, 
and  for  the  past  several  years  as  presi- 
dent of  its  school  board.  C.  L.  Bech- 
hoefer  of  Woodbury,  Pa.,  is  filling  the 
position  of  U.  S.  Commissioner  in  St. 
Paul  since  1899,  and  Geo.  F.  Longsdorf, 
is  a  skillful  editor  in  one  of  the  largest 
law  publishing  houses  in  the  west. 

Among  the  educators  of  the  state  Rev. 
Professor  J.  P.  Uhler,  Ph.D.,  formerly 
of  Easton  Pa.,  has  risen  to  the  front 
ranks.  A  graduate  of  Keystone  Normal 
at  Kutztown  and  Lafayette  College,  he 
has  held  a  professorship  in  the  Gustavus 
Adolphus  College  at  St.  Peter  for  over 
25  years  and  is  now  the  vice-president. 


The  Rev.  John  Sander,  L.  H.  D.,  born 
in  Lycoming  Co.,  and  graduated  at 
jMuhlenberg  college,  was  for  8  years  pro- 
fessor of  Latin  and  German  in  Gustavus 
Adolphus  college  and  was  then  chosen 
by  both  parties,  as  the  superintendent  of 
schools  of  Nicollet  county. 

Time  fails  to  write  of  all  the  prominent 
business  men  in  the  state,  though  we 
would  like  to  mention  them  all  by  name ; 
suffice  it  to  say  that  the  very  spirit  of 
enterprise  which  led  them  to  leave  their 
old  home  surroundings  and  to  launch  out 
into  a  new  and  untried  field,  has  carried 
them  ever  onward  to  success.  The  steady, 
conservative,  determined  brain  and  brawn, 
so  characteristic  of  the  German  race,  is 
almost  sure  to  win  out  in  the  end.  In  law 
and  in  Gospel,  in  war  and  in  peace,  in  the 
manufactories  and  in  the  arts ;  the  Penn- 
sylvania-German had  not  been  the  laggard 
in  the  race.  If  not  actually  "Der  Haupt- 
man,"  the  leader,  he  has  not  been  far  be- 
hind in  the  onward  march  of  progress,  in 
every  art  and  industry,  in  every  profession 
or  trade. 


Die  Alt  Heemet 


BY    H.    M. 


Heit  kumme  mer  noch  emol  z'rick 
An's   alt   blockhaus   nachst    an   der   Krick, 
Der  Platz  wu  unser  Heemet  war 
Schun  lenger  z'rick  wie  sechzig  Johr. 

Die  Heemet  vun  die  alte  Leit, 

Do  bleiwe  mer  en  korze  Zeit 

Der    Platz   noch   emol   meh   zu    sehne, 

Doch  dut's  ehm  leed  un  bringt  de  Threne. 

Die  Fenscht're  un  die  breede  Bleck, 
Die  Risse  g'schmeert  mit  Lette  Dreck, 
Der   gross   alt   Schornstee   an   de   Wand, — 
AVie's  war,  is  uns  noch  wohl  bekant. 

Der  Wasserschtock  w-ar  nachst  am  Haus, 
Es  Wasser  lahft  die  Schpout  dick  raus; 
Es  war  so  kleehr,  so  frisch  un  sees, 
Summers  so  kehl   for  Hend  un  Fiess. 

In   unser   Draame,   oft   so   lout, 
Lahft's  Wasser  aus  de  moosig  Schpout; 
Noh  schtrekt  mer's  Maul  ah  wieder  hie 
For'n  drink,  viel  seeser  wie  der  Wei. 

Nau  schtehne  mer  im  greene  Hof 
Wu  sin  als  schprunge  nanner  noch 
De  wilde  Buwe  un  de  Meed, 
Un  hen  als  g'schpielt  mit  greschte  Freed. 


Wann  kummt   der    Pihwie   im  Abbrill, 
Un  greischt  sercht  Mol  der  Wipperwill 
So  lout  es  schallt  am  Berg  hel  naus, 
Noh  nemmt  mer  als  die  schuh  schnell  aus. 

Barfieszig  sin  mer  dorch  die  Welt 
Bis  kummt  der  Schnee  un  Winter  Kelt; 
Sell    war   beiweit   de   herrHscht    Zeit 
Im  Lewe  vun  uns  junge  Leit. 

Der  Winter  kolt,  hot  katt  sei  Schier 
Vun  gute  Zeit  un   gross   Plessier; 
Am  Christdag  war'n  Hwwerfluss 
Vun  Keschte  un  vun  Hickerniss. 

Es  war  merkwerdig   shee  un   nice 

Zu  schleifa  uf'm  Schnee  un  Eis ; 

De  Schpelling-Schul,  for  Meed  un   Buwe, 

War'n  Freed  dass  kummpt  direct  vun  Owe. 

Dann  war  ken  Truwel  un  ken  Sorge, 

Exsept  bal  alle  Winter  Morge 

Meete  mer,  als  brave  Schuler, 

Der   zornich   Meeschter-un   sei  Ruhler. 

Nau  sommelt  all'e  wenig  Schterk 
Mer  krattle  nuf  den  hoche  Berg; 
Noh,  weil  mer  Birch  un  Theelaub  kawe 
Ken  nVr  shee  uf  Brush  Valley  schaue. 


28o 


THE   PEXXSYLVANIA-GERMAX 


"En  King  vun  all  dass  ich  survey" 
Sin  mer,,  so  hoch  do  in  de  Heh ; 
Um  unser  Fies  rum  leit  die  Welt 
Un  Stolzer  fehle  mer  wie'n  Held. 

Du  sheene  Valley,  lang  un  breed, 
Dei   Buwe  un  die  heebsche  IMeed, 
Dei  fettes  Vieh  un  gutes  Esse, 
Sin  Sache  wu  mer  nie  vorgesse. 

Ach,  weil  mer  uf  dem  Felze  hucke 
Un  uf  die  greene  Felter  gucke, 
Gedanke  kumme  vun  die  Zeit 
Wu  mer  nocli  ware  junge  Leit. 

Die  Felter  un  die  schatte  Beem, 
Un  Heiser,  sin  noch  zimlich  sehm ; 
Die  Bauer  schaffe  wie  zufore, 
Juscht  wie  sie  hen  for  sechzig  Johr. 

Her  juscht  Mol  die  Hahne  krehe, 
Un  seh  der  Hinkelwoy  dart  schwehe ; 
Un  guck  juscht  Mol  wie  selle  Kroppe 
So  schlicic'm  Bauer  sei  Welschkorn  ruppe ! 

Die  Zuckercamp  die  Krick  weit  drowe 
War'n  Freed  for  all  uns  junge  Buwe; 
Des  Maul,  des  wessert  jo  bis  Heit 
For  Zucker-g'schleck  vun  selle  Zeit. 

Oftmols,  wann  lahft  des  Zuckerwasser 
Zu  schnell,  noh  schtort  mer's  in  die  Fesser; 
Noh  hen  mer  g'fei'rt  Dag  un   Nacht, 
Un  hen  ah  zimlich  fleisich  g'schafift. 


Wann  er  Mol  hot   sei  Fiddleboge 
Ewwer  sei  alte  Geig  gezoge, 

Noh   hen   mer   Schlechte   schun   g-elacht 
Un    hinne    rum    viel    G'schpuchte    g'macht. 

Mer  ware  g'wiss  gern  bei  ehm  s'wesst. 

En  manche   Schtund  hen  mit  ehm  g'schwetzt ; 

Zu   junge   Leit   war   er   so   kind, 

Sie   ware   immer   ah   sei   Freind. 

Der  lohfing  Platz  for  lange  Johr 
War   owe    draus   an's    Wolfe    Schtohr ; 
Dart   hem'r   als   g-ekauft   vum   Schteffy 
Parr   cent   wert   Grundniss   odder   Tatfy. 

Der  gut  alt   Mann  war'n   Schlower   Klerk^ 
Die    Bisness    war    net    sei    Handwerk ; 
Er   schteht   net   uf   for'n    Trifel,    kleh — 
Oft  winscht  mer  mecht   zu'm   Deifel   geh. 

Du  Appel  Baam  am  Weg  schtick  z'rick. 
Ganz  nachst  an's  Korman's  Scheierbrick, — 
Wie  manchmol   kummpt's  ehm  in   Gedanke 
Wie   shee   dei   Eppel    dart  hen  g'hanke ! 

Wie  oft  hen  mer,  vun  hehschte   Gippel, 
Dei  Eppel  g'fetcht  mit   Schtee  un   Knippel — 
So  Zeit'e  wann  der  schlau  alt  Mann 
Dei   Eppel   gar   net   watsche   kann ! 

En   Meil   links   drunne   an   der   Krick 
Is   noch   die   Sink,   un's   Schnoke-Ech ; 
Dart   sin   mer   hie   Seeswartzle   grawe, 
For   wilde   Plaume  un   for   Drawwe. 


Dehl  Nachte  sin  mer,  juscht  wie  Tramps, 

Als    selwer    an    die    Zuchercamps 

Un  hen  uns  Zucker  ausgerehrt, 

Wann  Niemand  schunsht  hot  interfered. 


Im   Summer  wann  die   Sunne  Hitz 

Ehm   brent   wie    BHtz,   un   bringt   der   Schwit?, 

Sin   mer   in's   Schnoke-Eck,   zu   suche 

Die  kehle   Schatte  vun   de  Buche. 


Doch,  g'fahrlich  war's,  noch  unser'in  Sinn 
So  weit  im  dunk'le  Busch  dart  drin  ; 
Oft  hen  gehoot  die  grosse  File, 
Noh  war's  ehm  bang  genunk  zu  heile. 

En  Panther  hen  mer  g'hert,  gewiss, 
Ee  Owed,  nachst  an's  Korman's  Wiss; 
Insching  hen  uns  in  .\engste  g'halte- 
Sie  mechte  ehm  die  Kep  verschpalte. . 

Der  Meyers'  Dom,  noch  unser  Noschen, 
War  gresser  wie  die  Atlantic  Ocean  ; 
Dart  war's,  im  Summer,  G'spass  ru  deife, 
Plessier,  im  Winter,  druf  zu  schleife. 

Dart  hen  mer  Buwe  g'lernt  zu  Schwimme, 
L'n  hen  ah  g'hatt  ganz  gute  Schtimme, 
Mer  hen  geblocht  un  lout  gelacht 
I'-s  schallt  ganz  dorch  die  Nochberschaft. 

Die   Felter  z'rick  vum   roht   Gebei 
War'm  Onkel  Rub  sei  Bauerei, 
]'"n  manchcr  Dag  hen  mer  dart  g'schafift 
In  flitz  un  Scliwitz  bis  dunkel  Nacht. 

Net  weit  vun  selle  Eppel  Beem 
War    als    der    Onkel    Chek    deheem ; 
Er  hot   verzehlt   die  beschte   Schtories 
Vun   Washington   un   vun   die   Tories. 


Am  Weg  schtick  draus  schteht's  alt  Schulhaus, 
Dart   hen  mer   g'schtudied,   ewweraus, 
Zu  lerne   schreiwe  un  zu   leese — 
Un  wie  mer  kennt  der  Deiwel  raise ! 

DerMeeschter  hot  die  Tricks  vorschtunne, 
Un  hot  ah  g'wist  wie'n  Schul  zu  runne ; 
Mit  Gerdde  hot  er  uns  getriewe 
Un  Le  rning  in  die  Bickel  g'riewe. 

Nau  eile  mer  dem  Kerchhof  zu 
Wu  leie  viel  in  ewig  Ruh 
Vun  unser  Friend  un  alt  Kumrade 
Dief  drunne  in  der  kehle  Erde. 

'S   scheint   dorch   der   Duft   vun   viele  Johre 
Schalk  lout  die  Glock  in  unser  Olire ; 
Es  scheint  nau  kummet  langsem  her 
Die  traurig  Leicht  un  dodes  Fuhr. 

Mer  herre  wiedcr  singe  do; 
"Nun  bringen  mir  den  Leib  zur  Ruh;"' 
Un  herre  schpreche  an  dem  Grab ; 
"Asche  zu  Asche,  Staub  zu  Staub." 

Die  Freind  wu  sin  schun  lang  vergrawe 
Do  in  dem  greene   Hof,  mer  glawe, 
Un    denke,    dass   es   meeglich    wer 
Sin  ietzt.  unsichtbar.  um  uns  her. 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT 


281 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT. 


Editor  iitifi  Piiblisher 

H.  VV.  KRIEUEL. 
East  Greenville,  Pa. 


Associate  Editors 
Mrs.  H.  H.  FUNK,  Sprintrtown,  Pa. 
E.  S.  GERHARD,  A.  M.,  Treritori,  N.  J. 


The  Pennsylvania-German  is  an  illustrated  monthly 
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Advertising  Rates  will  be  furnished  by  the  pub- 
lisher   upon    request.    • 


Clippings  from  Current  News 


— The  cornerstone  of  the  Moravian  Home 
for  aged  Women,  which  is  being  erected  at 
Lititz,  Pa.,  was  laid  in  April.  The  services 
were  in  charge  of  the  Rev.  Ernest  F.  Hagen, 
pastor  of  the  Moravian  church  and  the  Rev. 
Charles  D.  Kreider,  principal  of  Linden  Hall 
Seminary. 

— 'Horace  Trumbauer  of  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
has  been  notified  by  Commissioner  of  the  In- 
terior Lawrence  H.  Grayhame  that  his  plans 
for  a  new  penitentiary,  to  be  built  by  the 
municipality  of  San  Juan,  Porto  Rico,  have 
been   awarded   the   first   prize. 

The  prison  will  consist  of  a  building  measur- 
ing 300  by  600  feet.  The  exterior  will  be  of 
stone. 

— The  Pennsylvania  Society  of  the  Spokane 
country  held  its  first  banquet  at  Spokane, 
Wash.!^  on  March  24.  William  H.  Acuff, 
formerly  of  Montgomery  County,  the  president 
of  the  Society,  was  toastmaster,  and  Rev.  Dr. 
Ulysses  F.  Hawk,  formerly  of  Lehigh  County, 
gave  the  invocation.  George  B.  Dres'her, 
formerly  of  Montgomery   County,  is  secretary. 

— Superstitious  people  in  Boyertown  and 
vicinity  declare  that  every  Monday  night  a 
white  donkey  with  a  headless  man  seated  on  its 
back  passes  through  the  town  and  although  the 
stronger  minded  residents  frown  on  such  talk 
it  will  not  be  downed.  The  superstitious  ones 
declare  that  they  have  seen  the  apparition  and 
some  are  afraid  to  venture  out  on  Monday 
nights    for    fear    of    it. 

They  say  the  inan  is  one  of  the  opera  house 
fire  victims  and  regard  his  appearance  as  a 
portent    of    another    disaster. 

— 'Crown  Prince  Frederick  W'illiam.  follow- 
ing the  requirement  of  the  House  Hohenzollern 
that  each  Prince  shall  be  skilled  in  some  trade, 
is  becoming  an  adept  in  wood  turning.  He 
surprised  his  suite  recently  by  ordering  that 
a  lathe  be  set  up  in  one  of  his  rooms,  and  later 
he  spent  the  morning  turning  out  chair  legs. 
He  worked  at  the  machine  in  his  shirt  sleeves, 
and  when  the  electricity  failed  he  summoned 
•   an  adjutant  to  help  him  turn  the  lathe. 


Emperor  William  is  a  cabinet'maker,  his 
father  was  a  bookbinder  and  his  grandfather 
was  a  turner. 

— Benjamin  West's  famous  painting,  "The 
Death  of  General  Wolfe,"  though  the  subject 
of  spirited  bidding,  went  under  the  hammer 
for  $450  at  Davis  &  Harvey's  auction  rooms, 
Philadelphia,  Pa.  The  price  was  $250  above 
that  paid  for  it  by  its  former  owner,  ex- 
Governor  Pennypacker.  A.  G.  Steel  was  the 
purchaser. 

Always  regarded  as  the  masterpiece  of  the 
artist,  the  painting  remained  in  his  family 
until  1898  when  e.x-Governor  Pennypacker 
purchased  it  in  London. 

The  sale  of  the  painting  was  the  feature 
of  an  auction  of  autograph  letters,  caricatures, 
broadsides  and  historical  papers,  all  of  them 
being  part  of  ]\Ir.  Pennypacker's  collection. 
West's  "Death  of  Cicero''  went  for  ^2;^,  while 
an  Atwood  oil  portrait  of  Lincoln  was  sold 
for   $140. 

— Prof.  Charles  Zueblin,  of  the  department 
of  sociology  in  the  University  of  Chicage,  has 
been  selected  by  Mrs.  Quincy  Adams  Shaw, 
of  Boston,  to  take  active  charge  of  a  new 
charitable  scheme.  It  is  the  intention  of  Mrs. 
Shaw,  who  is  the  daughter  of  the  late  Louis 
Agassiz,  to  establish  self-supporting  settlement 
houses  in  various  sections  of  Boston. 

She  already  has  set  aside  a  trust  fund  of 
$2,000,000  to  carrj'  out  this  project,  and  has 
indicated  that  this  amount  will  be  increased 
to  $5,000,000.  Professor  Zueblin  has  been  in- 
structed to  go  over  the  ground  and  as  fast  as 
a  new  center  is  established  the  movement  will 
be   extended. 

— A  library  with  a  brisk  circulation,  so 
brisk  indeed  as  to  cause  some  astonishment 
when  its  comparatively  rural  location  is  con- 
sidered, is  the  Washington  County  Free  Library 
at  Hagerstown,  Md.  This  institution,  with  its 
unique  book-wagon  and  door-to-door  delivery 
and  collection  of  books,  has  more  than  once 
received  honorable  mention  in  "The  Dial"; 
and  it  now  appears  that  its  fair  fame  has  spread 


282 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


far  bevond  the  limits,  not  only  of  Maryland, 
but  of' the  United  States.  When  the  librarian 
of  the  Yamaguchi  (Japan)  Public  Library 
asked  our  government  for  the  latest  informa- 
tion concerning  the  best  means  of  reaching 
country  districts  with  library  books,  he  was  re- 
ferred" to  this  Hagerstown  library  as  a  model 
for  his  study.  This  and  many  other  interesting 
facts  are  set  forth  in  the  1906-7  report  of 
the  library,  wherein  is  announced  the  remark- 
able achievement  of  having  circulated  91,856 
volumes  with  a  total  of  18,095  with  which  to 
do  it — an  average  of  more  than  five  lendings  per 
volume.  Besides  the  central  building,  there 
are  seventy-one  deposit  stations  throughout 
the  county;  thirty-nine  schools  are  also  in  re- 
ceipt of  books;  and  the  book-wagon  visited 
fifteen  of  the  remoter  villa'ges.  The  Report, 
with  its  eight  attractive  illustrations,  is  a  credit 
to  the  library. 

— Rev.  A.  A.  DeLong,  who  has  been  the 
pastor  of  the  United  Evangelical  Church  of 
Mount  Joy,  has  retired  from  the  ministry  on 
account  of  illness,  after  being  in  the  ministry 
thirty-six  years.  He  served  charges  at  Mount 
Joy,  AUentown,  Shamokin,  Easton,  Mahanoy 
City,  Weissport,  Millersville,  Lykens,  Annville, 
Terre  Hill,  Orwigsburg  and  Mohnton.  At 
Shamokin  he  added  200  new  members  to  the 
church  and  at  Mohnton  he  erected  a  fine  church 
building.  He  is  widely  known  as  a  popular 
camp  meeting  preacher. 

Rev.  Mr.  IDeLong  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil 
War,  being  a  member  of  the  Seventy-eighth 
Regiment.  He  took  part  in  the  battles  of  the 
Wilderness,  Petersburg,  Spottsylvania,  Cold 
Harbor  and  North  Anne  Rivers.  He  took 
part  in  the  Grand  Review  in  Washington  and 
was  a  guard  at  the  second  inauguration  of 
President   Lincoln. 

— Belated  tribute  is  to  be  paid  the  memory 
of  Betsy  Ross,  reputed  maker  of  the  first 
flag  containing  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  by  the 
erection  over  her  last^  resting  place  of  a 
massive  mausoleum,  according  to  plans  now 
maturing  under  the  direction  of  the  Junior 
Order  of  United  American  Mechanics.  While 
this  order  was  the  originator  of  the  plan, 
other  patriotic  organizations,  including  the 
Patriotic  Order  Sons  of  America,  the  Daugh- 
ters of  Liberty,  are  co-operating  and  it  is  ex- 
pected that  not  less  than  $100,000  will  be  ex- 
pended in  marking  the  lonely  grave. 

In  an  obscure  corner  O'f  Mount  Moriah 
Cemetery,  near  the  Sixty-third  street  and 
W^oodland  avenue  entrance,  is  a  roughly  kept 
and  grass-grown  mound,  marking  a  grave. 
The  dilapidated  headstone,  with  its  inscriptions 
almost  illegible  from  the  ravages  of  time  and 
the  elements,  gives  information  that  three 
bodies  are  buried  there,  those  of  John  Clay- 
poole,  who  died  on  August  3,  181 7,  aged  65 
years ;  Elizabeth  Claypoole,  his  wife,  who  died 
on  January  30,  1838,  aged  84  years,  and  James 
Champion,  who  died  two  weeks  later.  Eliza- 
beth Claypoole  was  the  Betsy  Ross  of  flag 
fame. 

— In  the  Betsy  Ross  Flag  House,  239  Arch 
street,    Charles    Vexildomus    Weisgerber,    the 


only  child  ever  born  within  the  historic  place, 
celebrated  his  sixth  birthday  anniversary,  en- 
tertaining fifteen  friends.  Everything  was  done 
in  Colonial  style,  the  boy  wearing  a  suit  made 
of  an  American  flag,  and  the  guests  sipping 
their  biscuits  from  Colonial  china.  Even  the 
ice  cream  was  colored,  white  and  blue. 

The  young  host  received  his  guests  in  the 
room  where  Washington  inspected  the  national 
emblem.  National  airs  were  sung  and  quota- 
tions from  eminent  patriots  were  recited.  The 
climax  to  the  "Colonial  party"  came  when  the 
host  distributed  souvenir  Easter  baskets,  each 
one  holding  a  bunny  surrounded  with  red, 
white  and  blue  eggs,  and  tied  with  a  ribbon 
of  the  same  colors. 

Master  Weisgerber  has  figured  in  many  pa- 
triotic exercises.  Only  a  year  ago  he  recited 
excerpts  from  addresses  of  famous  Americans, 
at  a  celebration  in  the  Francis  Scott  Key  Home 
in  Washington,  and  in  June  he  will  again  speak 
at  the  same  place  in  commemoration  of  Flag 
Day.  President  Roosevelt  and  Admiral  Dewey 
will  be  amongst  his  hearers,  as  they  have  ac- 
cepted invitations  to  be  present. 

The  little  "flag  boy"  is  the  son  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Charles  H.  Weisgerber,  custodians  of  the 
Betsy  Ross  House.  It  has  been  mainly  through 
their  efforts  that  the  old  building  is  still  pre- 
served  in   its    natural    simplicity. 

— The  veterans  of  National  First  Defenders' 
Association  held  their  forty-seventh  annual  re- 
union at  Pottsville,  April  18.  Of  the  original 
530  Pennsylvanians  who  first  responded  to  the 
call  of  President  Lincoln  for  volunteer  troops 
at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  there  are  but 
131  living  today.  The  eldest  is  Jeremiah  Sei- 
ders,  of  Reading,  aged  82  years,  and  the 
youngest,  Samuel  Garrett,  of  Washington, 
D.   C,   in  his   sixties. 

There  were  but  thirty  veterans  in  attendance 
at  the  reunion,  the  rest  of  the  survivors  being 
unable  to  leave  their  homes.  The  survivors  of 
the  five  companies  of  defenders  number  as 
follows  :  Allen  Rifles,  of  AUentown,  13  ;  Logan 
Guards,  of  Lewistown,  29;  Ringgold  Artillery, 
of  Reading,  20;  National  Light  Infantry,  of 
Pottsville,  31;  Washington  Artillerists,  of 
Pottsville,  34. 

F.  B.  Bannan,  of  Pottsville,  was  elected 
president;  Henry  Eisenbise,  Chester,  treasur- 
er, and  E.   D.  Smith,   Pottsville,   secretary. 

— 'Lancaster  county  is  the  place  for  long  lives. 
The  following  figures  were  furnished  to  "The 
Lutheran"  by  a  ministerial  correspondent.  Look 
at  the  record  for  1907.  Of  the  1,727  deaths,  31 
reached  90  years  or  over ;  265,  80  or  older,  and 
457  attained  the  Psalmist's  three  score  and  ten, 
or  overshot  that  mark.  The  facts'  are  really 
surprising;  296  exceeded  four  score,  or  one  out 
of  every  six ;  753,  or  almost  half,  outlived  "the 
days  of  our  years,"  and  lived  on  the  borrowed 
time  beyond  70.  While  113  died  in  their  20's, 
265  passed  away  in  their  8o's.  While  116  were 
reported  dead  in  their  30's,  457  attained  their 
70's.  Only  134  left  us  in  the  splendid  period  of 
the  40's,  and  but  305  in  the  uphill  road  of  the 
6o's.  The  average  age  of  the  whole  number 
was  over  60  years.     We  Lancaster  county  pas-    * 


CLIPPINGS  FROM  CURRENT  NEWS 


283 


tors  are  so  accustomed  to  burying  people  of 
a  good  old  age,  "that  come  to  their  grave  like 
a  shock  of  corn,  gathered  in  in  his  season,"  that 
those  of  an  ordinary  span  of  life  seem  to  us 
cut  down  in  their  youth.  Centenarians  are 
found  here  and  there,  and  in  the  records  of  this 
one  year  there  were  individuals  who  had 
reached  99  and  95,  two  were  98,  and  four  were 
94.  If  we  are  found  a  little  slow  at  times,  it  is 
because  there  are  so  many  aged  persons  among 
us,  who  must  be  considered  in  setting  the  pace 
for  our  procession.  All  this  only  proves  that 
Lancaster  county  is  the  spot 
"Where  healthy  body  and  contented  mind 

Attend  the  people  in  their  daily  life; 
Where  men  in  wholesome  toil  enjoyment  find, 
And   ilength    of    days    results    from    lack    of 

strife." 
—Dr.  I.   H.  Betz,  of  York,  Pa.,  contributed 
an  article  on  "Milleriteism  in  York  County  in 
1843"    to    The   Gazette,   York,   April   26,    from 
which   we  quote  the   following: 

"Pennsylvania  is  generally  regarded  as  a 
conservative  state,  in  which  no  innovations  are 
made  suddenly,  especiailly  in  existing  institu- 
tions. But  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  its 
population  was  largely  anchored  to  time  hon- 
ored beliefs,  yet  the  matter  in  its  first  stages 
being  considered  in  connection  with  those  be- 
liefs, considerable  headway  was  made  in  the 
new   direction   almost  unconsciously. 

"Philadelphia  and  the  eastern  counties  of  the 
state  were  largely  invaded.  Much  interest  and 
excitement  was  aroused.  Lancaster  county 
had  meetings  at  various  points  and  towns 
which  abound  in  its  limits.  Manheim  and 
Landisville  had  stirring  meetngs  and  enthusi- 
astic adherents.  We  have  been  informed  by 
an  eye  witness  that  on  the  23d  of  October,  in 
the  afternoon,  the  sky  darkened  and  a  great 
storm  arose,  which  threw  down  some  insecurely 
built  chimneys.  Some  of  the  skeptical  had 
their  fears  aroused,  and  began  to  think  that 
after  all  'there  might  be  something  in  it.' 

"Before  the  time  set  for  the  'end,'  meetings 
were  held  in  York  by  Himes  and  Litch,  but 
while  they  appealed  to  a  limited  number,  no 
large   effects    were   visible. 

"Dr.  Thomas  Gorgas,  of  Yocumtown,  in  the 
upper  end  of  the  county,  seemed  to  be  one  of 
the  first  adherents  of  Milleriteism  in  that  sec- 
tion. His  zealous  utterances  and  the  general 
interest  in  the  excitement  led  a  number  of 
others  to  embrace  these  views.  They  as  a  class 
were  religious,  and  people  of  standing  and 
character.  Middletown,  in  Dauphin  county, 
across  the  river,  had  another  retinue  of  fol- 
lowers. On  the  day  agreed  upon  for  the  'end,' 
about  100  persons  from  Middletown  and  the 
surrounding  country  joined  with  those  from 
York  county,  went  to  the  summit  of  the  'Hill 
Island'  in  the  river,  and  there  awaited  the 
momentous  'coming,'  which,  however,  failed 
to  come  as  predicted." 

— Ferdinand  Schumacher,  known  as  the 
"Oatmeal  King  of  America,"  from  having 
founded  the  breakfast  food  business  in  this 
country,  died  suddenly  at  his  home,  Akron, 
Ohio,  April  16,  aged  82.  He  retired  from 
business    some    years    ago,    after    having    dis- 


posed of  his  large  interests  to  the  American 
Cereal  Company,  now  the  Quaker  Oats  Com- 
pany. He  came  to  America  from  Germany 
in  1850,  and  in  1856  he  began  the  manufacture 
of  oatmeal  in  this  city  on  a  small  scale.  The 
business  grew  until  several  large  mills  were 
erected. 

Schumacher  also  was  prominent  as  being  an 
original  prohibitionist.  He  gave  large  sums 
for   educational    and   charitable   purposes. 

— Jacob  Konhaus,  oldest  and  one  of  the 
wealthiest  citizens  of  Mcchanicsburg,  died  April 
13,  in  his  95th  year.  He  had  been  a  lifelong 
resident  of  Cumberland  county,  being  one  oJt 
the  most  enterprising  farmers  of  the  county. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Octogenarian  As- 
sociation, which  comprises  all  the  old  men  in 
the  town  80  years  and  over.  Each  jear  they 
hold  a  reunion  and  banquet.  Four  of  the 
members    have    died    during    the    year. 

— Captain  John  Buyers,  who  died  at  Selins- 
grove  on  April  13,  was  a  grandson  of  Colonel 
Hunter,  of  'historic  Fort  Augusta.  He  was  81 
years  f  age,  and  as  a  hneal  descendant  of 
the  military  leader  who  was  so  important  a 
factor  in  the  Kest  Branch  Indian  history, 
factor  in  the  West  Branch  Indian  history,  has 
always  had  a  peculiarly  interesting  personality. 
He  was  born  and  reared  in  Sunbury.  He 
raised  a  company  of  soldiers  when  the  Civil 
War  broke  out,  and  it  was  made  a  part  of 
the  Forty-eighth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers.  He 
was  made  its  captain,  and  served  with  dis- 
tinction during  part  of  the  war.  In  l86g 
Captain  Buyers  purchased  the  island  in  the 
river  below  the  Shamokin  dam,  which  has  since 
been  known  as  Buyers'  Island.  He  farmed  it 
for  17  years,  and  in  1886  moved  to  Selins- 
grove,  where  he  passed  the  remainder  of  his 
life. 

— John  Frederick  Unger,  long  a  prominent 
Philadelphia  businessman,  died  on  April  il, 
at  his  summer  home  at  Ontelaunee,  near  Lees- 
port,  Berks  county.  He  was  a  son  of  the 
long  deceased  Thomas  Unger,  and  was  born 
at  the  Unger  place  between  Macungie  and 
East  Texas,  76  years  ago.  Albert  Unger,  who 
recently  retired  from  farming  the  homestead 
farm,  is  a  brother.  He  moved  to  East  Texas. 
The  older  brother  who  just  died  was  identi- 
fied in  surveying  railroads,  and  later  engaged 
in  the  preserving  business  in  Philadelphia,  and 
was  very  successful.  He  was  one  of  the 
prominent  members  of  the  Union  League  dur- 
ing the  Civil  War,  and  took  a  leading  part 
in  the  proceedings  of  the  Pennsylvania-German 
Society.  Frederick  W.  Unger,  author  and 
traveler,  is  a  son.  Three  daughters  also  sur- 
vive, one  of  them  being  the  wife  of  Rev. 
Edwin  A.  Gernant,  a  former  pastor  of  Zion 
Reformed  church,  Allentown,  now  residing  at 
Towanda. 

— Former  Senator  John  B.  Warfel,  of  Lan- 
caster, who  with  the  late  J.  M._  W.  Geist 
founded  the  Lancaster  "AVtc  Era,"  and  who 
for  years  was  a  prominent  figure  in  journal- 
istic" circles,  died  April  19,  after  a  protracted 
illness,  aged  seventy-seven  years. 

He  graduated  in  law  from  Columbia  College 
in   1867,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  shortly 


284 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


afterwards.  The  same  year  he  was  appointed 
assessor  of  the  Ninth  Internal  Revenue  Dis- 
trict. Since  1869  he  has  served  continuously  as 
a  member  of  the  Lancaster  School  Board,  serv- 
ing  several   terms   as   president. 

In  1869  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate 
on  the  Republican  ticket,  and  was  twice  re- 
elected. In  1876  he  was  a  Republican  Presi- 
dential elector.  Since  1872  he  was  a  trustee 
of  the  Millersville  State  Normal  School.  For 
many  years  he  was  connected  in  an  ofificial 
capacitv  with  the  Home  for  Friendless  Chil- 
dren, the  Stevens  Industrial  School,  the  Long 
Asylum  for  Indigent  Women  and  the  Society 
for   the    Prevention  of   Cruelty   to   Animals. 

— Bishop  J.  M.  Levering,  D.D.,  of  Bethlehem, 
Pa.,  died  April  4,  aged  59  years,  i  month  and 
15  days.  Coming  from  old  Moravian  lineag~e, 
he  was  born  the  son  of  Lewis  Alexander  and 
Sophia  Theresa  (Hauser)  Levering  on  Feb- 
ruary 20.  1849,  in  Hamburg,  Hardin  count.v, 
Tennessee,  but  soon  removed  with  his  par- 
ents to  West  Salem,  III,  and  later  to  Olney, 
III.,  where  he  prepared  for  college.  He  gradu- 
ated from  the  ^Ioravian  Theological  Semi- 
nary in  Tune,  1874,  taught  one  term  in  Nazar- 
eth Hall,  and  was  ordained  a  Deacon  on  De- 
cember 20,  1874,  at  Bethlehem,  Pa.  He  was 
ordained  a  Presbyter  at  Nazareth,  Pa.,  on  May 
21,  1S76,  and  was  consecrated  a  Bishop  at 
Bethlehem,  Pa.,  on  September  30,  1888.  He 
served  the  following  congregations :  Uhrichs- 
ville,  Ohio,  i875?i879;  Lake  Mills,  Wi.s.,  1879- 
1883;  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  1883-1901.  On  June  9, 
1903,  after  two  years  temporary  retirement  on 
account  of  ill  health,  he  was  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Provincial  Elders'  Conference,  and 
chosen  President  of  that  body  by  his  colleagues. 
His  greatest  literary  work  is  the  History  of 
Bethlehem,  which  is  the  most  philosophical"  ex- 
position of  the  genesis  of  Moravianism  in 
America  in  existence. 

— -Abraham  Harley  Casscl.  a  widely  known 
Pennsylvania-German  bibliophile,  died  April 
23,  near  Harleysville,  ]\Iontgomery  county.  Pa. 
He  was  born  of  Dunker  parents,  Sept.  21,'  1820, 
in  Tovvamensing  township,  Montgomery  coun- 
ty. His  love  for  books,  the  ruling  passion  of 
his  life,  manifesting  itself  in  his  boyhood  days, 
was  discouraged  by  his  father,  who  allowed 
him  to  go  to  school  the  first  and  last  term  for 
a  period  of  six  weeks  when  he  was  eleven 
j-ears  old.  In  spite  of  this,  he  studied  and  in 
time  became  a  successful  .school  teacher,  and 
began  to  pay  attention  to  early  German  litera- 
ture. 

After  his  marriage  he  moved  to  a  farm  in 
Lower  Salford  township,  about  a  mile  west  of 
Harleysville,  and  there  he  lived  until  his  death. 
Sustained  only  by  his  slender  earnings  as  a 
teacher  and  a  farmer,  he  pursued  his  task  of 
rescuing  a  lost  literature.  Often  he  made  long 
journeys  in  search  of  books.  He  obtained 
copies  of  virtually  every  known  product  of  the 
German  press  in  America,  including  complete 
sets  of  the  Sauer,  Ephrata  and  Franklin  im- 
prints. The  second  floor  of  his  farmhouse  was 
fitted  up  as  a  librarj',  and  there  his  treasures 
were    carefully    arranged    on    shelves    and    in 


drawers.  There  were  books,  oamphlets  and 
newspapers,  some  of  them  more  than  300  years 
old.  In  all  there  were  50,000  titles  in  the  col- 
lection, and  for  many  years  this  farm  house 
library  was  a  rich  storehouse  of  information 
for  those   engaged   in   historical   research. 

Mr.  Cassel's  eyesight  failed  some  years  ago, 
and  being  no  longer  able  to  enjoy  the  compan- 
ionship of  his  books,  he  arranged  for  the 
preservation  of  his  collection  by  transferring 
part  of  it  to  the  Pennsylvania  Historical  So- 
ciety, of  Philadelphia,  and  the  remainder  to 
Juniata  College,  Himtingdon.  Pa.  The  latter 
is  the  principal  educational  institution  of  the 
Church  of  the  Brethren  (Dunker),  of  which 
Mr.  Cassel  has  been  a  life-long  member.  The 
Cassel  books  are  maintained  as  a  separate  col- 
lection in  the  libraries  of  the  two  institutions. 

In  the  struggle  in  behalf  of  popular  education 
and  the  dissemination  of  culture  among  the 
masses,  no  man  in  IMontgomery  county  per- 
formed a  nobler  service  than  Abraham  Harley 
Cassel,  and  it  was  largely  because  of  his  efforts 
that  the  prejudice  against  higher  education 
which  once  existed  among  some  branches  of 
the  Pennsylvania-Germans  has  been  overcome. 

For   the   Joke   Book. 

— 'A  certain  woman  was  pulling  flax,  when 
a  man  passing  by  said  to  her :  "Is  not  your 
flax>  father  short?''  Her  answer  was:  "Yes,  it 
is ;  but  we  agreed  that  it  would  do  for  chil- 
dren's clothing." 

— A  monument  stands  in  the  public  square, 
Allentown,  Pa.,  in  line  with  Hamilton  street, 
on  which  trolley  tracks  are  laid,  necessitating 
the  curving  of  the  tracks  at  that  ooint.  A  lady 
on  entering  a  car  asked :  "Will  this  car  go 
straight  out  Hamilton  street?"  The  reply  was: 
"No,  it  will  not  go  through  the  monument." 

— A  hired  girl  having  toothache  was  work- 
ing barefooted  on  a  cement  floor,  to  whom  her 
mistress  said :  "Put  on  3-our  shoes  if  you  have 
toothache."  The  barefooted  toiler  said :  '7r/z 
habs  zahii'ch  net  in  da  Zelni."  (I  have  no 
toothache  in  my  toes.) 

— A  man  who  had  but  recently  buried  a  lov- 
ing wife  poured  out  his  grief  to  a  minister, 
who  comforted  him  by  saying:  "IVann  jusht 
mei  Fraa  mol  stcrva  dclit ;  no  kcnnt  icli  au 
si>iga,  'Freu  dich  sehr  o,  meine  Seel.'  (O  that 
my  wife  might  die,  then  could  I  sing,  "Greatly, 
O    My   Soul,   Rejoice.") 

— A  \oung  minister  conducted  a  funeral  and 
a  marriage  service  in  immediate  succession. 
Being  slightlv  confused,  he  said  at  the  close  of 
the  latter :  "Es  zccrd  nan  en  Gclcgcnhcit  gcive 
den  Leichman  zu  seline."  (Opportunity  will 
now   be  given   to  view   the   remains. ) 

— The  bright  boy  raised  in  an  English  com- 
munit}-,  spending  his  vacation  with  his  German 
cousins,  said,  in  speaking  about  the  calves  of 
his  leg^s  (Wada)  :  "Ich  liab  fetta  Kelver,"  and 
could  not  understand  why  his  friends  laughed. 

— We  frequently  read  of  certain  very  con- 
servative old-timers  who  never  rode  on  a  rail- 
way-train t)r  trolley.  They  were  generally 
models  of  contentment  from  whom  we  may 
derive    a    lesson.      They    were    happv    in    their 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


28s 


rural  home?,  and  never  cared  for  innovations; 
they  looked  wilh  a  crethilous  e\e  (in  certain 
modern  city  improvements. 

On   on.e  occasion.   Old   Jerry   G and   his 

wife,  from  bt.\vond  Bismarck,  indulged  in  the 
luxury  of  a  drive  to  Lebanon,  to  visit  a  rela- 
tive. During  the  afternoon  a  fire-alarm  was 
sounded.  Old  Jerry  was  sitting  at  the  win- 
dow when  a  fire-engine  came  tearing  down  the 
street  emitting  a  dense  cloud  of  .smoke.  Never 
having  seen  a  fire-engine  before,  he  called  to 
his  wife:  "Koom !  Gswind!  Mommiel  do 
kumt  d'r  Deufel  uf'nV  Spinn-Rawd !"  (Come 
quickly,  mother ;  here  comes  the  devil  on  a 
spinning-wheel. ) 

— Sollie   1) was  an   extremely   backward 

young  man.  He  was  employed  on  a  farm 
near  Sinking  Spring.  There  is  a  story  in  which 
he   figures   prominently,  to   the   eflfect   that   one 


day  he  happened  to  "drop  in"  at  a  house 
where  dinner  was  about  to  be  served.  1  he 
lady  of  the  house  said :  "Koom,  Sollie,  hock 
dich  hie  un  nem  'n  Stiick"  (Come,  Sollie,  sit 
down  and  take  a  bite.)  "Ach,  nay!"  said  Sollie, 
slowly  and  bashfully,  "Ich  bin  net  yusht  so 
hungrich"  (Oh,  no!  I  am  not  hungry)  and 
sat  down  on  the  porch-bench.  After  a  little 
while,  seeing  the  good  things  disappearing  from 
the  table,  and  his  appe;ite  meanwhile  making 
itself  felt,  he  finally  called  out  to  the   lady  of 

the  house:    "Sag!     Mrs.   B ,  wos  husht  du 

fordich   g'sagt?''     (Say,   ^Irs.   B ,   what   did 

you  say  a  while  ago?) 
— "Ich  hab  g'sawt  zu  mei  Schatz  in  Berks  Co., 
Gleichst  du  mich,  O  mei  Madel,  so  froh?" 
"I   can   tell  j-ou   dis  much — 
You  geh  week  wis  your  Dutch, 
I  speak  besser  English,  you  know." 


Chat  with  Correspondents 


Spelling   of   the    Dialect. 

A   subscriber  and  contributor  asks : 

May  1  ask  why  in  the  last  issue  but  one 
(February  issue,  p.  94)  you  spell  the  word 
brief  "brcef'/   Now  ''Biicf"  is  a  good  word 
in   German   as   well   as   in    English,   and   it 
has  a  somewhat   similar  meaning   in   both, 
while  "brccf"  is  not  found  in  any  language. 
.    .    .    .    And  by   the   way,   why   does   Mr. 
More    spell   the   dialect  word    lor   "klcinc" 
(small)  "glee" :'   I  would  say,  glae — phonet- 
ically— after  the  Scotch,  pernaps ! 
In   reply   to   these  questions   we   wish   to  say 
that    the    late    editor    of    this    magazine,    Mr. 
Schuler,   defined  his  position   in   regard   to   the 
spelling  of  dialect  words,  "not  to  dictaie  rules, 
but   merely  to   suggest   what   in   our   judgment 
is    the    proper    or    best    way    of    spelHng    the 
Pennsylvania-German."     As  editor,  he  assumed 
the    liberty    of    critici'sing    and    changing    the 
spelling    used    by    some    contributors,    and    at 
times   gave   ofTence   thereby. 

We  are  inclined  to  the  view  that  in  a  maga- 
zine like  ours  each  contri'butor  should  be  al- 
lowed to  use  his  own  impelling,  idioms,  etc., 
in  dialect  contributions  for  the  reason  that  in 
this  way  dialect  articles  become  more  faith- 
fully representative  and  more  valuable  histori- 
cally. We  shall  be  pleased  to  receive  expres- 
sions of  opinion  on  the  subject. 

Origin  of  Dark  Eyes  and  Bow  Legs 
Who   can    tell    us    where   the    dark   eyes   and 
complexions    and    bowlegs    of    some    Germans 

come    from — Italy.    Spain,    France    or    ? 

Many  readers  would  doubtless  be  glad  to  read  a 
full  answer  to  the  following  communication : 

Hudson,  N.  Y.,  April,  22,  1908. 
Editor  of  the  Pennsvlv.\ni.\-German  ; 

De.\r  Sir — In  a  very  interesting  article  by 
Mrs.  Elliott,  of  Pottsville,  in  the  April 
number  of  "The  Pennsylvania-German," 
allusion  is  made  to  the  frequent  crossing 
of  the  provinces  of  Alsace  and  Lorraine  by 
"Contending  forces  of  the  Romans,  Gauls 
and  Germans"  and  to  the  long  struggle 
for     more     than     four     centuries     of     the 


Romans  with  the  Germans  of  the  Rhine. 
The  allusion  has  interested  me,  for  it  fits 
in  with  a  favorite  belief  of  my  own,  that 
the  dark  faces,  more  French,  Italian  or 
even  Spanish  than  German,  which  are 
often,  very  often,  encountered  among  the 
Pennsylvania-Germans,  come  from  Latin, 
rather  than  from  Teutonic  ancestors.  I 
shall  be  glad,  if  some  one  through  your 
magazine,  can  give  some  mformation  as  to 
where  the  dark  eyes  and  coinplexions  of  so 
many  Pennsylvania- Palatinate  Germans 
come  from.  One  sees  them  frequently 
among  the  Baden  and  Bavarian  people, 
but  seldom,  if  ever,  so  far  as  niy  ex- 
perience goes,  among  the  Prussians  or 
Saxons.  Aly  own  belief  has  been,  that  as 
the  Palatinate  has  been  for  a  thousand 
years  or  more,  crossed  and  re-crossed 
"by  Roman  and  Frencii  armies,  these  have 
left  behind  them  (like  all  armies)  invalid 
soldiers  who  have  married  among  the 
people ;  hence  the  Palatinate  German  is 
probably  not  German  only,  but  Italian, 
French  and  possibly  Spanish  in  a  con- 
siderable degree.  I  have  the  pleasure  of 
observing  the  Pennsylvania-Germans  for 
long  periods  in  and  about  Lebanon.  Allen- 
town,  Lancaster,  and  in  the  Cuni'berland 
Valley ;  and  I  have  never  failed  to  find 
most  puzzling  and  interestmg  specimens 
of  the  Pennsylvania-German  who  look 
very  much  like  Hebrews  or  Italians,  French 
or  Spaniards,  even.  Where  does  the  dark, 
and  I  mav  add,  often  very  handsome  type 
come  from?  It  is  not  surprising  among  the 
Lefevres  or  Lebos  who  are,  I  fancy,  of 
French  Swiss  blood;  or  among  such 
families  as  the  Omets,  into  whose  family 
my  grandmother's  grandfather.  Dr.  John 
Adam  Franks  of  Frankfort-on-the  Main, 
and  an  ofiicer  of  the  Colonial  and  Revolu- 
tionary armies  married;  his  second  wife 
having  been.  Julianna  Omet  of  the  Cum- 
berland  Valley. 

There    is   another    characteristic    I    have 


286 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


noticed  as  largely  prevailing  among  the 
Pennsylvania-'Germans,  and  among  Pala- 
tinate families  still  resident  on  the  bank 
of  the  Hudson.  Tire  men  are  slightly 
bow-kneed,  not  enough,  however,  to  be  a 
defect;  on  the  contrary,  there  is  a  sugges- 
tion of  manliness  and  power  in  the  arched 
bone.  But  why  should  that,  in  an  ob- 
servable degree 'be  a  Palatinate  inheritance? 
The  "Sioux"  Indians  are  slightly  bow- 
kneed,  which  they  attribute  to  their  con- 
stant riding  on  their  ponies.  The  "Wood 
Indians"  are  not  so  (like  the  Chippeway). 
Have  the  Palatinates  ever  been  notably 
equestrian?  I  can  not  avoid  saying  in  this 
connection,  that  both  among  the  dark  and 
the  lighter  varities  of  the  Pennsylvania- 
German,  I  have  often  observed  not  only 
the  most  remarkable  personal  beauty,  of  the 
robust  and  animal  kind,  but  of  the  more 
refined  and  spiritual  type.  Some  of  the 
most  beautiful  spiritual  faces  that  adorn 
my  walls  are  of  those  of  Pennsylvania- 
German  friends. 

I  have  noticed  also,  both  among  the 
Palatinates  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  the 
Hudson,  the  common  characteristics  of 
notable  gentleness  of  manners  and  a  cer- 
tain sweetness  of  disposition.  There  must 
be  exceptions,  of  course ;  but  a  fierce 
Palatinate  German,  I  have  never  yet  en- 
countered. Can  any  of  your  readers  give 
me  the  rationale  of  the  facts  of  which  I 
speak? 

Very  truly  yours, 
(Rev.)  Theodore  Myers  Riley. 


Original    Records    Wanted, 

We  hope  many  subscribers  will  follow  the 
example  set  by  our  reader  in  Ohio.  State  defi- 
nitely what  particular  data  are  wanted,  and 
we  will  do  what  we  can  to  secure  the  desired 
information.  This  department  is  maintained 
for  the  benefit  of  our  readers.  The  more 
questions  and  answers  and  suggestions  are 
made,  the  more  valuable  the  "Chat"  will  be- 
come. 


Cincinnati,,  O.,  April  ii,  190S. 
Mr.  H.  W.  Kriebel, 

East  Greenville,  Pa. : 
Dear  Sir — I  enclose  herewith  my  check 
which,  as  I  understand,  pays  subscription 
covering  the  year  now  due.  There  are 
always  portions  of  The  Pennsvlv.^nia- 
German  interesting  to  me,  and  yet,  I  find 
nothing  in  any  of  the  biographical  or  pedi- 
gree testimony  which  has  personal  interest. 
It  seems  to  me  that  there  are  many  inter- 
esting points  in  the  earh'  Mennonite  settle- 
ments and  other  denominational  groups  of 
the  Germans  who  settled  near  Philadelphia 
on  the  Schuylkill,  taking  in  the  counties  of 
Chester,  Lancaster,  Berks  and  Montgom- 
ery that  would  be  of  much  interest  for 
the  ancestry  of  so  many  Germans  through- 
out the  country,  as  connected  with  the  early 
history  of  these  counties.  There  is  a  little 
stone  church  on  Main  street  in  Phoenix- 
ville,  and  a  church  3'ard,  which  I  have 
visited  that  is  connected  with  the  very 
early  history  of  the  place,  and  now  belongs 
to  the  Lutheran  church,  and  originally  was 
dedicated  by  an  ancestor  of  mine  to  the 
]\Iennonite  church,  and  of  which  he  was 
a  minister.  My  great  difficulty  in  tracing 
out  any  of  the  ancestral  conditions  con- 
nected with  these  early  people  has  been 
an  inabilitv  to  get  hold  of  the  early  church 
records,  especially  of  the  Mennonites;  they 
must  exist  in  some  form  somewhere  in 
these  early  settlements,  so  that  a  person 
would  be  enabled  to  get  marriage,  bap- 
tismal and  death  records.  I  know,  of 
course,  that  there  can  be  much  interest 
found  in  the  church  records  of  some  of 
the  other  early  denominations.  Have  you 
anyone  making  a  study  of  this  branch  of 
the  early  German  history?  It  is  the  only 
way  which  occurs  to  me  whereby  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  early  women  and  wives  can 
be  obtained,  for  under  the  laws  of  Penn- 
sylvania there  is  no  early  court  record  of 
the  domestic  relations,  including  marriage 
licenses,    etc. 

Yours  very  truly, 

AI.    L.    BUCKWALTER. 


Genealogical     Queries 


XXXIX. 
Sheaff,    Klugh    and    Hinkle    Records. 

W'ANTED — Family  records  of  the  following 
families :    Sheaff,  of  Lancaster,  and  Klugh  and 
Hinkle,   of   Maystown,   Lanca.ster   county. 
Minnie   F.   Mickley, 
Allentown,    Pa. 
Mickleys  R.  F.  D. 

XXXVIII. 
Inquiry   About   Randolph    Miller. 

The    following    inquiry,     addressed     to     the 
Editor,   is  referred   to  ouf_  readers   for  reply: 
Can    you    give    me    any    information    re- 


garding Randolph  M'iller,  who  married 
Susanna  Clever,  who  was  killed  by  Indians. 
They  settled  at  Millerstown,  now  called 
Annville.  They  are  ancestors  of  my 
mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Fannie 
Seigrist  (aLso  Seachrist).  They  were  Lu- 
therans, and  on  my  father's  side  (Orth) 
IVIoravians.  Any  information  ?.l>out  them 
you  may  happen  to  know  will  h^  greatly 
appreciated    by   me. 

Very   truly   yours, 

Mrs.  G.  C.  Seibert, 
29   Highland   Terrace, 

Orange,  N.  J. 


PEXXSYLVAXIA    HISTORICAL    SOCIETIES 


287 


Pennsylvania  Historical  Societies 


Bucks    County    Historical    Society. 

The  records  of  the  Bucks  County  Historical 
Society  show  that  219  papers  were  presented 
and  read  by  ninety-six  different  authors,  papers 
having  been  presented  at  the  Doylestown  meet- 
ing July  20,  1S80,  and  the  last  one  at  the 
Doylestown  meeting,  January  21,  1908. 
Hamilton   Library    Association. 

The  annual  report  of  the  president  of  the 
Hamilton  Library  Association,  the  historical 
organization  of  Cumberland  county,  for  the 
year  ending  Dec.  31,  1907,  shows  that  inter- 
est in  the  work  of  the  association  is  increasing. 
The  association  has  a  building  of  its  own  built 
of  brick,  two  stories  high,  but  lacks  a  fireproof 
vault.  The  association  hopes  during  the  cur- 
rent year  to  prepare  a  bibliography  of  Cumber- 
land county  :n  line  with  the  plans  and  recom- 
mendations of  the  Federation  of  the  Historical 
Societies  of  Pennsylvania. 
Society   for   the   History   of   the   Germans   in 

Maryland. 

The  twentj'-second  annual  report  of  the 
secretary  of  the  Society  for  the  year  ending 
January  21,  1908.  shows  that  nine  monthly 
meetings  were  held  during  the  year,  at  which 
the  attendance  has  been  encouraging.  We 
quote  the   following : 

Numerically,  the  present  membership 
calls  for  more  than  a  passing  notice,  as  at 
no  time  in  the  society's  history  has  it 
been  so  low  in  numbers,  and  that,  too, 
seemingly,    from    no    other    cause    than    a 


pas.'^ing  indifference  to  the  duties  incum- 
bent upon  all  who  are  able  to  aid  in  de- 
veloping the  large  and  exceptionally  in- 
teresting fields  in  the  special  domain  of 
historic  research  in  which  this  society  has 
heretofore  achieved  such  notable  renown. 
The  Secretary,  in  the  twenty-first  annual  re- 
port,   said : 

There  is  no  valid  reason  whatever  why 
this  society,  like  sister  societies  elsewhere, 
should  not,  in  a  community  like  ours,  have 
an  active  membership  running  itp  into  the 
hundreds   and   extending   the    scope   of   its 
activities    into    the    counties    of    the    State, 
especiallv  Frederick,  Washington  and  Car- 
roll. 
In  spite  of  these  words,  the  society  had  at  the 
close  of  the  twenty-second  year  a  membership 
of   only   forty-one,    where    it    should   have   had 
ten    times    this    number.      All    honor    to    the 
faithful  ones  who  labor  on,  though  those  who 
might  will  not   respond  and  assist ! 

Swatara  Collegiate  Institute,  Jonestow^i, 

Lebanon  County,  Pa. 
This  is  the  title  of  an  illustrated  pnper  read 
before  the  Lebanon  County  Historical  Society 
and  reprinted  by  the  author,  Simon  J.  Woelfly, 
of  Jonestown.  The  paper  gives  a  copy  of  the 
constitution  of  the  institute,  as  incorporated  in 
1859,  and  traces  briefly  the  history  of  the  school 
until  the  building  was  sold  in  1879  to  be 
converted  into  an  orphans'  home,  since  which 
time  it  has  served  as  a  church  home  for  chil- 
dren in  need,  and  friendless. 


Reviews  and  Notes 

BY  PROF.  E.  S.  GERHARD,  TRENTON,  N.  J. 


Luther's     Large     Catechism.     Translated     by 
Prof.  John  Nicholas  Lenker,  D.D.     Cloth, 
154   pp.      Price.   40c.     The    Luther    Press, 
Minneapolis,   Minn. 
This  is  Part  Second  of  Luther's  Catechetical 
Writings,   Vol.    I,    and   constitutes   Book   2   of 
the    Christian    Educational    System.      Prof.    A. 
G.  Voigt,  D.D.,  in  the  Preface  calls  the  large 
Catechism    "a  book   not   to   be   read   and   laid 
aside,  but  to  be  reread  and  meditated   upon." 
In   its  new   dress  the   catechism   will   be   wel- 
comed  by   Lutherans,   and   will   enter   upon   a 
new  period  of  usefulness. 

Mitteilungen  des  Deutschen  Pionier-Vereins 
von  Philadelphia.  Siebentes  Heft,  1908. 
Contains  articles  on  Christopher  Ludwig  the 
Baker,  The  German  Theatre  in  Philadelphia 
during  the  Civil  War,  The  First  German  News- 
paper in  Philadelphia,  The  German  Immigra- 
tion Society  of  Philadelphia,  Origin  of  the 
German   Day. 

The  College  Student,  March.  1908,  had  an  in- 
teresting article  by  Rev.  Dr.  Joseph  Henry 


Dubbs  on  "Reminiscences  of  Childhood." 
The  American  Catholic  Historical  Re- 
searches, April,  1908,  gives  "The  Story  of 
Commodore  John  Barrj-,  the  Father  of  the 
American  Navy."  96  pp.  By  the  Editor,  Mar- 
tin I.  J.  Griffin, 
a  supplement. 

Deutsch- Amerikanische  Ges  :hichts-blatter. 
Vol.  VIII,  No.  2,  April,  1908,  gives  among 
other  interesting  matter  articles  on  the  first 
settlers  of  Westphalia,  ]\Io.,  the  German  pio- 
neers of  Quincy,  111.,  pioneer  life  in  Ohio,  and 
the  defence  of  Baltimore  in  the  War  of  1812- 
'14.  The  valuable  history  of  the  Germans  and 
German  descendants  in  Illinois  is  continued  as 
a  supplement. 

Deutsche  Erde.  Zeitschrift  fiir  Deutschkunde. 
Beitrage  zur  Kenntnis  deutschen  Volk- 
stums  allerorten  mid  allerseiten.  Unter 
Mitwirkung  der  Centralkommission  fiir 
wissenschaftlicheLandeskundevom  Deutsch- 
land.     Herausgegeben  von  Paul  Langhans. 


288 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Gotha :  Justus  Perthes.  Published  bi- 
monthly. 
As  indicated  by  its  title,  this  magazine  is 
devoted  to  the  scientific  study  of  the  German 
people;  their  language,  customs  and  institu- 
tions. The  first  issue  for  1908  contains,  among 
other  interesting  things,  "The  Boundary  of  the 
German-Romance  Languages  in  Tyrol  and 
Vorarlberg" ;  "Types  of  Dwelling  Houses  in 
the  German  Empire";  "The  Names  of  the 
German  Settlements  in  Rio  Grande  do  Sul." 
This  is  a  magazine  of  world-wide  interest  and 
influence.  Among  its  contributors  are  three 
Americans — Professors  Franke  and  Coebel.  of 
Harvard  L'niversity,  and  Prof.  Learned,  of 
the  University   of  Penn. 

Die    Glocke.     Monatshefte   fiir   die    Deutschen 
in   Amerika.     This   is   a   monthly,   devoted 
to  Literature,  Art  and  Science,  and  to  the 
Advanceinent      of      German      pursuits      in 
America.      "Die    Glocke"    Publishing    Co., 
Chicago,  111.     $3  per  annum.     March,  igo8. 
This  is  a  high-class  magazine ;  on  the  whole, 
it    is    the    finest    and    most    artistic    American- 
German   magazine  that   has   thus    far   come   to 
our   notice.      Its   contributions   come    from    the 
Fatherland,  from  the  eastern  part  of  the  United 
States    and    from    the    Great    Northwest.      In 
addition  to  poems,   one  of  which   is  about  the 
disaster  of  the  North  Collingwood  School,  and 
sketches,   is   a  prize   essay,   "What   are   the   In- 
veterate Evils  of  German   Society  in  America, 
and  How   Can  They  be  Removed?"   by  Georg 
von   Skal,   New  York.     "The    Political   Testa- 
ment   of    Frederick    the    Great,"    by    Dr.    C. 
Spanger,   and  "Women   Organizations   in   Ger- 
many."    There  is  also  a  little  romance  in  three 
parts,    entitled    "Die    Kinder    Chicagos"     (The 
Children   of  Chicago). 

Allentown,  Pennsylvania,  Illustrated.  Pub- 
lished and  distributed  by  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce. 
This  is  a  finely-illustrated  portfolio  of  the 
metropolis  of  the  picturesque  and  fertile  Le- 
high Valley.  It  shows  the  progressive  spirit 
of  the  men  who  conduct  its  business  enter- 
prises, enterprises  which  place  this  city  second 
in  the  State  in  the  silk  industry,  and  which 
show  that  Allentown  manufactures  38  per 
cent,  of  all  the  cement  manufactured  in  the 
United  States.  It  also  has  the  largest  lumber 
plant  under  one  roof  in  America ;  it  has  the 
largest  county  fair  in  the  United  States.  And 
what  is  still  more  commendable,  this  city  has 
a  lower  tax-rate  than  anv  other  citv  in  the 
State. 

German    Immigration    to    Pennsylvania.      An 
address   delivered   l)y    Benjamin    K.    Focht, 
at    the    Hummel    Family   Reunion    held    at 
Packer's    Island.    Northumberland    county. 
Pa.,  Aug.  28,  1907. 
.  Mr.  Focht  is  a  native  of  Lewi.'^burg,  Pa.     He 
is  a  Representative  of  the   Seventeenth   Penn- 
sylvania District  in  the  LTnited  States  Congress. 
The  pamphlet  is  the  outgrowth  of  an  address 
delivered  at  a  family  reunion,  those  "localisms" 
and  "provincialisms"  that  are  found  with  great 
frequency   in   the   country   during   the   summer 


months.  The  article  is  suggestive  and  instruc- 
tive. But  why  an  article  dealing  with  German 
immigration  to  Pennsylvania  should  begin  with 
the  origin  of  the  German  people  is  rather  diffi- 
cult to  tell ;  the  reason  for  their  coming  from 
the  Palatinate  to  Pennsylvania  is  germane  to 
the  topic,  and  is  clearly  stated. 
The  Pennsylvania  Society  Year-Book,  1908. 
It  contains  the  proceedings  of  1907,  and 
especially  those  of  the  Ninth  Annual  Fes- 
tival held  at  the  Waldorf->Astoria,  New 
York,  Dec.  12,  1907. 
At  this  dinner  His  Excellency,  Edwin  H. 
Stuart,  Governor  of  Pennsylvania,  was  the 
guest  of  honor.  His  address  and  the  addresses 
of  Hon.  James  M.  Beck,  of  His  Excellency 
the  Governor  of  New  York,  of  the  Hon.  Henry 
A.  Fuller  and  the  Hon.  Samuel  W.  McCall 
are  recorded,  together  with  other  notable  facts. 
On  the  whole,  such  a  volume  forms  a  valuable 
contribution  to  history  that  is  no  less  local 
than  it  is  national;  for  Pennsylvania  can 
proudly  boast  of  many  of  the  most  important 
events  that  embellish  the  pages  of  history.  This 
Society  should  appeal  to  every  patriotic  Penn- 
sylvanian.  Its  proceedings  as  found  in  the 
Year-Book  are  obtainable  in  no  other  form  or 
publication. 

Onkel    Jeff's    Reminiscences    of    Youth    and 

other  poems  by  Thos.  J.  B.  Rhoads,  M.D., 

1906.     400   pages. 

This  is   the   second  volume   of   Dr.   Rhoads' 

poems    written    under    the    assumed    name    of 

"Onkel  Jeff,"  who  is   familiarly  known   as  the 

poet  of  old  Berks.     Dr.  Rhoads  is  a  practicing 

physician    in    Box^ertown,    Pa. 

Some  of  the  poems  are  in  the  Pennsylvania- 
German  dialect.  It  seems  as  though  these  were 
the  finest  in  art  and  the  most  expressive  in 
thought.  Of  course,  these  appeal  only  to  the 
"initiated" ;  onh'  to  those  who  are  to  the 
"manner  born."  It  is  only  to  such  that  "Lat- 
werk-Koche  fer  Alters"  means  anything.  It 
is  a  theme  that  can  be  written  about  nowhere 
else. 

However,  when  one  takes  up  the  English 
poems  one  is  inclined  to  believe  that  quality  has 
been  sacrificed  for  quantity.  Poems  like  "That 
Trolley  Muddle"  and  "The  Burning  Question," 
based  on  the  coal  famine  of  1903,  may  be  good 
verse,  but  they  really  lack  the  lofty  inspiration 
of  poetry.  There  is  such  a  thing  as  the  poetry 
of  the  commonplace,  but  not  commonplace 
poetry ;  to  speak  of  commonplace  poetry  is  a 
contradiction  in  terms.  Any  production  that 
deserves  the  name  of  poetry  stands  above  the 
commonplace.  There  is  grave  danger  that  many 
of  the  poems  in  this  volume  would  be  classed 
as  commonplace  poetry,  because  they  lack 
poetic  conceptions  and  expressions,  and  a  poeti- 
cal vocabulary,  one  of  the  fundamental  requi- 
sites in  the  mechanism  of  a  poem.  On  the 
other  hand,  one  dare  not  be  blind  to  the  poeti- 
cal merits  of  such  poems  as  "There  is  Life  in 
Death"  and  "The  Dear  Old  Home,"  and  a 
few  others ;  these  seem  to  stand  aloof  from 
the  rest  in  just  the  very  things  which  the  others 
seem  to  lack. 


ABRAHAM  HARLEY  CASSEL 
(See  page  303  ) 


Vol.  IX 


JULY,  1908 


No.  7 


The  Burning  of  Chambersburg,  Pa. 


BY  REV.  DR.  G.  C.  SEIBERT. 


XoTE. — Reverend  George  Carl  Seibert, 
Ph.D.,  D.D.,  the  author  of  this  paper,  was  born 
in  Wetter,  near  Marburg,  Germany,  February 
28.  1828.  In  the  spring  of  1S62  he  came  to 
America  on  the  recommendation  of  John  Peter 
Lange,  the  editor  of  Lange's  Commentary,  and 
at  the  solicitation  of  Prof.  Philip  Schaff,  to 
assume  the  professorship  of  the  Greek  language 
and  literature  in  St.  James  College,  Maryland. 
On  arrival  he  found  the  buildings  occupied  by 
Fitz  John  Porter  as  military  headquarters,  and 
the  student  body  disbanded.  The  following 
year  he  entered  the  Christian  ministry,  and 
subsequently  filled  charges  at  Chambersburg, 
Hagerstown  and  Newark,  N.  J.  In  1869,  at 
the  opening  of  Bloomfield  Seminary,  he  became 
professor  of  Greek  Exegesis  and  Systematic 
Theology,  a  position  he  filled  to  the  time  of  his 
death  in  1902.  The  paper,  prepared  at  the 
time  for  publication  by  the  American  Tract  So- 
ciety, has  not  appeared  in  print  before.  Our 
readers  are  indebted  to  the  widow  of  Dr. 
Seibert,  of  Orange,  N.  J.,  for  the  pleasure  of 
reading  this  interesting  s'ketch. — Editor. 
Introduction. 

HEX  on  the  last  day  of  July, 
1864,  the  town  of  Cham- 
bersburg had  been  burned 
by  the  rebels  we  read  in  the 
Xew  York  papers  accounts 
of  the  disaster,  by  which, 
as  I  sliall  prove,  the  facts  in  the  case  were 
misrc presented.  We  read,  that  not  more 
than  205  rebels  had  entered  that  town  and 
that  6000  inhabitants  had  allowed  them 
to  burn  their  homes  and  to  lay  their  town 
in  ruins.  By  such  statements  the  deeply 
afflicted  people  of  that  town  were,  either 
from  is^norance  or  something  worse, 
represented  to  the  world  abroad  as  mis- 
erable cowards,   who  had  not  hi'art  and 


courage  enough  to  defend  their  homes 
and  firesides  against  so  small  a  number  of 
rebels.  Great  injustice  has  been  done  in 
this  way  to  the  poor  sufferers  of  Cham- 
bersburg, who  had  become  so  suddenly 
houseless  and  homeless.  A  town  lying 
in  ashes  has  been  slandered  and  vilified. 

Thus  it  has  become  a  matter  of  justice 
to  a  wronged  and  suffering  community  to 
bring  the  facts  in  the  case  to  light,  just 
as  they  were  and  to  state  them  fully  to  the 
public. 

Having  been  a  resident  of  Chambers- 
burg for  some  time,  having  visited  the 
place  a  few  days  after  its  destruction, 
having  learned  the  facts  connected  with 
the  burning  of  the  place  from  trustworthy- 
friends,  having  compared  carefully  their 
narratives  with  the  accounts  of  some  suf- 
ferers, given  in  different  papers,  I  feel 
as  far  as  the  matter  is  concerned  perfectly 
able  to  give  you  a  truthful  description  of 
the  sad  event  bv  which  the  impressions 
made  on  your  minds  by  Xew  York  papers 
may  be  correcte  1. 

Rut  as  I  have  to  trive  it  in  English.  I 
feel  exactly  like  the  boy  who  is  for  the 
first  time  skatinj.  ()n  the  usual  way 
home  he  marched  firmly  and  boldly  on, 
but  now,  as  he  is  on  the  ice  he  totters  and 
sta^'S'ers  and  tumbles  down.  Xo  wonder, 
I  think,  if  I  do  once  and  again  the  same. 
Two  years  and  a  half  aero  I  crossed  the 
Atlantic  perfectly  is^norant  of  your  ex- 
cellent lan:rua2'e,  and  when,  some  weeks 
after  mv  arrival,  Rev.  Dr.  Schaff  took  me 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


along  to  hear  a  lecture  he  was  going  to 
deliver  on  political  atheism,  in  English,  I 
listened  to  the  English  words  of  my  friend 
exactly  like  the  boy  of  a  Suabian  farmer, 
who  was  sitting  in  the  shade  of  a  cherry 
tree  and  listened  attentively  to  the  song  of 
a  nightingale,  wondering,  what  in  the 
world  the  little  creature  might  mean  to 
say. 

Well.  I  hope  some  patience  and  for- 
bearance on  your  part,  and  earnest  efforts, 
to  skate  as  straight  as  possible  on  my 
part  will  make  all  rlglit. 

The   Town  of  Chambersburg  Before   It   Was 
Destroyed. 

Cumberland  Valley  is  one  of  the  finest 
A^alleys  of  southern  Pennsylvania.  It 
extends  from  the  Susquehanna  river  on 
the  north,  to  the  Potomac  river  on  the 
south  and  is  bordered  east  and  west  by 
two  ridges  of  mountains,  branches  of  the 
Alleghenies.  which  form  two  parallel 
lines,  running  from  north  to  south.  The 
valley  is  about  20  miles  wide,  has  a  very 
fertile  soil  and  is  settled  principally  by 
farmers.  A  railroad  runs  through  the 
valley  from  Harrisburg  on  the  Susque- 
hanna to  Hagerstown  in  Maryland.  It 
connects  the  principal  towns  of  the  valley : 
Mechanicsburg,  Carlisle,  Shippensburg, 
Chambersburg  and  Greencastle.  Among 
these  Chambersburg  was  after  Carlisle 
the  best  situated  and  finest  town  of  the 
valley. 

It  was  founded  in  the  year  1764  just 
100  years  before  it  was  destroyed.  Three 
brothers  of  the  name  Chambers  were  the 
first  settlers.  They  were  of  Scottish 
descent,  but  they  came  from  Ireland. 
Their  ancestors  had  left  the  Scotch  High- 
lands under  James,  and  had  settled  in  the 
county  of  an  Irish  Count,  whose  land 
had  been  confiscated  by  the  English 
crown,  on  account  of  high  treason  of  its 
owner.  The  brothers  Chambers  gave  the 
name  to  the  place.  They  were  brave  and 
pious  men.  The  first  building  they  erect- 
ed was  a  house  devoted  to  the  worship  of 
God.  They  fought  and  defeated  the 
Indians  many  times  and  one  of  them. 
Colonel  Benjamin  Chambers  w^as,  as  we 


are  told,  the  protector  of  all  the  settlers 
in  the  valley,  their  leader  in  war  and  their 
judge  in  the  time  of  peace.  He  was  the 
leading   and   ruling   spirit   of   the   valley. 

The  place  which  was. selected  by  these 
first  settlers,  shows  that  they  were  men  of 
soioid  judgment.  There  is  a  creek  run- 
ning from  the  eastern  ridge  of  mountains 
in  a  straight  line  westward,  but  when  it 
reaches  about  the  middle  of  the  valley 
it  takes  at  once  a  southern  course,  the 
ridge  of  hills  on  the  opposite  side  causes 
this  change.  The  creek  has  here  a  heavy 
fall,  favorable  to  mills  and  factories.  It 
has  a  very  pure  and  cool  water,  which, 
even  in  the  warmest  summer  da}-s,  never 
gives  out,  because  it  is  supplied  by  ricli 
and  mighty  springs  of  limestone  moun- 
tains. 

Just  in  the  bending  of  this  creek.  100 
years  ago,  the  plan  of  the  new  town  was 
laid  out.  Certainly  then  Col.  Chambers 
did  not  expect  that  the  place  would  have 
so  sad  a  centenary  celebration  as  it  had. 
that  white  men  and  Christians  would 
wantonly  destroy  the  homes  and  firesides 
of  peaceful  citizens,  their  fellowmen. 

The  number  of  the  first  settlers  of 
Chambersburg  increased  very  fast  when 
the  war  of  independence  was  over.  Many 
German  families  came  over  then  from  the 
fatherland  and  settled  in  that  beautiful 
Cumberland  Valley.  Their  descendants 
own  still  a  great  number  of  those  fine 
farms,  which  you  see  in  the  valley,  It 
seems  that  these  German  settlers  were  an 
earnest,  industrious  and  religious  set  of 
people.  There  were  certainly  neither  as 
many  wicked  men  or  infidels  among  them 
as  there  are  among  the  German  popula- 
tion of  these  eastern  cities. 

Thus  the  town  of  which  I  speak  was 
inhabited  by  citizens  partly  of  Scotch- 
Irish,  partly  of  German  descent.  They 
ntmibered  6,000.  There  was  hardly  a 
very  poor  man  among  them.  The  most 
of  them  were  well  off,  some  were  rich. 
The  beautiful  brick  buildings  of  the  place, 
the  magnificent  court  house,  the  town  hall, 
the  printing  office  "of  the  German  Re- 
formed church,  the  Franklin  hotel  and  the 
buildings  of  the  bank  of  Chambersburg 
by  which  the  diamond  was  surrounded, 
testified  that  wealth,  not  poverty  and 
misery,  was  prevailing  in  Chambersburg. 


■mi-:  HL'RXLNG  OF  CHAAIBKRSBURG 


293 


Chambersburg    Three    Times    Visiied    by    the 
Rebels    and    Yet    Defenseless. 

Clianibersburg  has  been  visited  by  the 
reljels  three  times.  In  the  fall  of  1862 
Stuart  came  on  his  celebrated  cavalry 
raid.  I  saw  him  and  his  men,  as  they 
passed  throui^i'h  Mercersburg".  Soldiers 
like  them  I  never  had  seen  before.  The\ 
looked  like  robbers  and  hi^ihwaymen  so 
raL^.^ed  and  dirty  they  were.  And  that 
was  still  in  the  ijolden  age  of  the  Con- 
federac>- ;  how  may  they  look  today ! 
Stuart  destroyed  the  railroad  depot,  but  did 
very  little  harm  to  the  people.  He  had  to 
hasten  away  because  our  men  were  on  his 
heels.  In  the  summer  of  1863  we  had  the 
invasion  by  Lee's  army.  They  occupied 
Chaml^ersburg  for  abotit  two  weeks, 
emptied  the  stores  and  warehouses,  robbed 
the  citizens  of  their  money  and  clothing 
and  did  a  great  deal  of  harm.  I  saw  the 
whole  arm_\'  pass  through  the  town  toward 
(iettysburg  and  had  an  opportunity  to 
notice  what  a  skillful  kind  of  robbers  and 
thieves  the  rebels  are.  Whilst  a  regiment 
is  marching  through  the  streets,  some 
gentlemen  stand  at  the  door  of  a  house 
looking  at  the  train.  At  once  some  rebel 
soldiers  leave  their  rank,  take  ofT  the  hats 
of  these  gentlemen  and  bid  them  in  the 
most  friendly  manner  good-by. 

( )r  a  soldier,  who  is  barefooted,  orders 
a  citizen  to  take  off  the  boots  and  to  sup- 
ply himself.  The  farmers  lost  their 
horses,  wagons  and  grain,  but  theii 
houses  and  barns  were  not  destroyed. 
The  battle  of  Gettysburg  compelled  the 
rebels  to  leave,  (skedaddle). 

Since  the  first  of  July,  1864..  the  citizens 
of  Chambersburg  and  the  farmers  of  the 
valley  were  again  kept  in  constant  uneasi- 
ness. The  news  came  that  the  enemy  was 
again  on  the  border.  The  Cumberland 
valley  was  open,  no  military  force  was 
there  to  resist  an  invasion. 

True.  General  Couch  was  in  command 
of  the  department  of  the  Susquehanna 
to  which  the  Cumberland  valley  belongs, 
but  he  had  under  his  control  not  more 
than  a  company  of  45  men.  stationed  near 
Mercersburg  at  a  gap  of  the  mountains 
called  the  Corner,  and  two  small  cannon. 
Several  Pennsylvania  regiments,  which 
had  previously  been  organized  for  the 
defence  of  the  borrler.  ha(l  been  summonefl 


by  the  Secretary  of  War  to  Washington 
when  Ewell  threatened  this  city,  and  to 
the  army  of  the  F^otomac  after  the  battle 
in  the  wilderness. 

There  was  but  one  Union  general  near 
enough  to  prevent  the  rebels  from  execut- 
ing their  nefarious  design  on  Chambers- 
burg. This  man  was  General  Averill. 
He  had  retreated  before  the  rebels  to- 
wards Pennsylvania  and  was  encamped 
Friday,  the  29th  of  July,  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Greencastle  ten  miles  from 
Chambersburg.  When  there  was  no 
longer  any  doubt  that  the  rebels  were 
moving  toward  Chambersburg  General 
Couch  tried  several  times  to  inform 
Averill  of  the  danger.  But  the  first  two 
messengers  could  not  find  Averill ;  the 
third  succeeded  in  finding  him  after  mid- 
night in  the  woods.  Averill  now  discov- 
ered that  he  had  been  fianked  by  the 
enemy,  but  promised  to  come  to  Cham- 
bersburg and  protect  the  town.  He  had 
about  2,500  cavalrymen,  but  the  horses 
of  his  men  were  worn  out  from  long 
marches  and  fatigue.  When  the  morning 
of  that  unfortunate  day  broke.  Averill 
started  for  Chambersburg,  but  instead  of 
laking  the  direct  road,  by  which  he  could 
have  reached  the  place  in  about  two  hours, 
he  went  far  around,  in  order  to  prevent 
the  enemy  from  flanking  him  again,  and 
reached  Chambersburg  in  the  afternoon  of 
that  day,  when  the  town  was  already 
lying  in  ruins,  or  standing  still  in  flames. 

The    Rebels    Arrive    and    Set    the    Town    on 
Fire. 

In  the  evening  of  the  29th  of  Julv  a 
Union  horseman  came  galloping  into  the 
town  and  brought  the  news,  that  the  rebels 
had  crossed  the  Potomac  earlv  in  the 
morning  in  three  different  divisions  and 
that  3.000  rebel  cavalry,  who  had  crossed 
the  river  at  Clear  Springs  were  moving 
fast  towards  Chambersburg.  This  news 
brought  anxiety  into  every  house  and 
every  heart.  ^Merchants  packed  up  their 
goods  and  sent  them  once  more  away. 
They  had  done  so  many  times  before. 
Those  inhabitants,  who  had  money  under 
their  control,  took  it  to  a  place  of  safetv, 
owners  of  horses  sent  them  off.  Fright- 
ened women  talked  together  and  told  each 
other  the  brutal  actions  of  rebels  during 
their  last  invasion  into  Marvland.  Whilst 


294 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERiMAN 


AFTER  THE  F[RE,  MAIN  ST.  SOUTH  FROM  PUBLIC  SQUARE.  NOW  MEMO'flAL  HALL 


scores  of  boxes  and  trunks  and  packages 
were  conveyed  to  the  cars,  a  gallant 
Union  officer  of  Gen.  Couch's  stafif, 
Lieutenant  McLean  took  about  20  men. 
the  provost  guard,  and  placed  two  can- 
non on  the  western  ridge  of  hills,  from 
whence  the  rebels  were  expected,  in  order 
to  prevent  them  from  entering  the  town  at 
night  and  capturing  the  cars.  A  heavy 
mist,  hanging  over  the  valley,  favored 
his  enterprise  and  concealed  the  small 
number  of  his  men.  When  the  rebels 
came,  it  was  about  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning — they  were  so  suddenly  and  un- 
expectedly greeted  by  cannonballs  from 
the  hills  before  them,  that  they  stopped 
advancing,  until  the  mist  had  settled. 
Thus  the  goods,  stored  up  in  the  railroad 
cars,  could  be  sent  away  safely  to  Harris- 
burg. 

Meanwhile  in  town  the  hours  of  that 
night  passed  slowly  by.  Nobody  was  able 
to  sleep ;  all  were  up  and  lookmg  anx- 
iously for  the  dawn  of  the  morning  and 
ior   the   things   to   come.      Although   the 


people  expected  to  witness  a  great  deal  of 
rebel  atrocities,  I  may  well  say  that 
nobody  expected  to  see  on  that  very  day 
the  town  lying  in  ashes  and  ruins. 

When  the  day  broke  Lieutenant  Mc- 
Lean and  his  brave  men  left  the  hills  and 
went  to  the  cars,  in  order  to  escape  cap- 
ture by  the  rebels.  The  same  was  done 
by  General  Couch,  and  we  cannot  blame 
him  for  that,  for  without  men  the  best 
general  is  of  no  avail. 

Thus  the  town  was  at  the  mercy  of  the 
rebels.  And  it  had  not  to  wait  long  for 
them. 

The  rebels  having  been  interrupted  in 
their  entrance  into  the  town  until  daylight, 
employed  their  time  in  planting  two  bat- 
teries on  the  western  ridge  of  hills  in 
commanding  positions  and  gettmg  up 
their  whole  column  fully  three  thousand 
strong.  As  soon  as  the  mist  settled  and 
the  doomed  town  came  in  their  full  view, 
they  fired  some  half  a  dozen  shots  over  the 
place,  by  which  the  citizens  were  informed 
of  their  presence.     After  that  for  a  little 


THE  BURNING  OF  CHAMBERSBURG 


295 


•while  stillness  reigned,  no  repi}-  coming 
from  the  town.  Immediately  thereafter 
the  rebel  skirmishers  advanced  slowly  and 
cautiously  like  hunters  who  are  hunting  a 
deer.  They  entered  the  town  by  almost 
every  street  and  alley,  running  out  west 
and  southwest,  investing  them  simultane- 
ously, halting  at  the  corner  of  almost 
every  house,  until  the  forward  command 
was  again  given.  They  found  their  way 
clear  and  no  enemy  in  front  to  resist  their 
entrance.  Having  reached  the  diamond 
of  the  town,  they  sounded  a  signal  and 
at  once  a  regiment  of  cavalry  830  strong, 
■entered  the  town.  It  was  the  8th  Virginia 
•cavalry  regiment  under  the  immediate 
command  of  General  McCausland.  Gen- 
eral Bradly  Johnson  was  with  him,  and 
also  the  notorious  Major  Harry  Gilmore. 

Plundering    Promptly    Commenced. 

McCausland  entered  the  Franklin  Hotel 
and  took  his  breakfast  there.  In  the 
meantime  his  soldiers  occupied  every 
street  and  corner  of  the  town  and  com- 
menced at  once  plundering  and  pillaging. 
Hats,  caps,  boots,  watches,  clothing, 
silverware  and  everything  of  value  were 
appropriated  from  individuals  on  the 
streets  without  ceremony,  and  when  a  man 
was  met.  whose  appearance  indicated  a 
full  purse,  a  pistol  would  be  presented  to 
his  head  with  the  order  to  "Deliver." 
This  was  done  with  a  dexterity  that  would 
have  done  credit  to  the  accomplishments 
of  Rinaldo  Rinaldini,  the  notorious  Italian 
robber.  Citizens  were  stopped  on  the 
pavements  and  ordered  to  take  off  their 
boots  and  coats  and  to  deliver  and  if  they 
did  not  obey  at  once,  they  were  threatened 
with  instant  death.  Many  of  them  were 
insulted  in  the  most  disgraceful  manner. 
Colonel  Stiii>ibaui!:;h  for  instance  was  met 
on  the  street  b\"  a  squad  of  rebels.  They 
arrested  him  and,  with  pistols  presented  to 
his  head,  ordered  him  to  procure  some 
whiskey.  Stumbaugh  refused,  for  the 
very  good  reason,  that  he  had  none  and 
could  get  none.  Then  he  was  insulted  by 
the  rebels  in  every  possible  way,  was 
called  a  scoundrel  and  beaten  even  into 
the  face.  "I  have  been  in  the  service  of 
my  country,  and  if  General  Rattles  was 
present,  you  would  not  dare  to  insult  me," 
Stumbaugh  said  to  the  men  who  were 
abusing  and  insulting  him.   "Whv,  whv?" 


the  rebels  asked.  He  answered;  'T  cap- 
tured him  at  Shiloh  and  treated  him  like  a 
soldier."  A  rebel  Major  present  who  had 
been  under  Battles,  heard  the  word,  in- 
quired into  the  circumstances,  and,  when 
he  found,  that  Colonel  Stumbaugh's  state- 
ments were  correct,  he  ordered  his  prompt 
release  and  withdrew  the  entire  rebel  force 
from  that  part  of  the  town,  where  the 
colonel's  house  stood. 

The    Orders. 

After  breakfast  McCausland  had  the 
Courthouse  bell  rung,  to  convene  the 
citizens.  But  a  few  appeared.  These 
were  approached  by  captain  Fitzhugh, 
one  of  McCausland's  staff  who  produced 
and  read  a  written  order,  signed  by 
General  Jubal  Early,  directing  the  com- 
mand to  proceed  to  Chambersburg, 
demand  a  tribute  of  100,000  dollars  in 
gold  or  500,000  in  Northern  currency  and 
if  this  sum  was  not  paid  in  half  an  hour 
to  burn  the  town  in  retaliation  for  the 
burning  of  six  houses  in  the  Shenandoah 
Valley  by  General  Hunter.  The  citizens 
stated,  that  they  were  not  able  to  raise 
so  large  a  sum  of  money  within  half  an 
hour's  time,  and  that  the  demand  could 
not  be  made  in  good  faith.  They  further 
remonstrated  against  the  monstrosity  of 
burning  a  whole  town  of  6,000  inhabi- 
tants, in  retaliation  for  the  six  houses 
named.  They  believed,  that  the  threat  was 
only  made  to  frighten  them  into  the  pay- 
ment of  the  money  and  did  not  think,  that 
it  would  be  carried  out.  But,  alas,  the 
order  was  carried  out  very  quickly.  Cap- 
tain Fitzhugh  immediately  issued  his  order 
to  his  men,  barrels  of  kerosene  oil  and 
matches  were  secured  and  in  less  than  half 
an  hour  the  main  part  of  the  town  was 
enveloped  in  flames. 

No  time  was  given  to  remove  women 
or  children,  the  sick  or  even  the  dead. 
No  notice  of  the  kind  was  communicated 
to  any  one ;  but  the  work  of  destruction 
was  at  once  commenced.  The  rebel 
slaveholders  regard  themselves  as  a 
superior  kind  of  human  beings- Southern 
cavaliers-they  boast  of  their  civilized 
warfare ;  but  if  Kentucky,  if  Missouri, 
if  the  city  destroyed  by  Quantrell  would 
not  tell  it,  the  history  of  Chambersburg 
would  tell  it  to   future  generations,  that 


296 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


they  acted  like  savages.  Xo  wonder,  as 
their  commander  was  McCausland,  who 
was  called  a  brute  by  some  of  his  own 
men.  And  something  like  that  the  man 
must  be  in  reality,  for  he  had  made  to 
his  officers  the  awful  proposition,  to  set 
the  town  on  fire  during  the  night. 

When  two  weeks  before  Rev.  Edwards, 
a  Lutheran  minister  of  Hagerstown,  asked 
McCausland  from  which  state  he  came, 
he  answered :  /  am  from  hell.  You  may 
well  imagine,  that  such  a  man  did  not 
show  any  clemency  to  Union  men,  w.ho 
were  at  his  mercy.  And  the  burning  was 
really  executed  in  the  most  ruthless  and 
unrelenting  manner.  The  rebels  divided 
into  squads  and  fired  every  other  house 
and  often  every  house,  if  there  was  any 
prospect  of  plunder.  Such  a  squad  would 
approach  a  house,  break  open  the  door 
with  iron  bars,  enter  the  parlor,  order 
the  inhabitants  to  leave  at  once,  cut  the 
fi;ie  furniture  into  pieces,  make  a  wood 
pile,  pour  on  kerosene  oil  and  kindle  it 
with  a  niatch.  In  many  cases  five  or  ten 
minutes  were  asked  by  the  families  to 
secure  some  clothing,  ^but  were  refused. 
INIany  families  had  the  utmost  difficulty 
to  get  themselves  and  their  children  out  in 
time  and  not  one-half  had  so  much  as  a 
change  of  clothing  with  them.  Some  who 
had  gathered  up  some  clothing  in  haste 
iccre  not  allozved  by  the  rebels  to  take 
these,  but  were  threatened  with  instant 
death,  if  they  did  not  cast  them  away  and 
flee.  Feeble  and  helpless  Zi.'omen  were 
treated  like  brutes — told  insolently  to  get 
out  or  burn  ;  and  even  the  sick  and  dying 
were  not  spared.  Several  sick  persons 
had  to  be  carried  out,  ivhilst  the  red  flames 
licked  their  couches.  Xo  one  was  spared 
save  by  accident. 

The  widow  and  fatherless  cried  and 
plead  in  vain,  that  they  would  be  home- 
less. A  rude  oath  would  close  all  hopes 
of  mercy  and  they  would  fly  to  save  their 
lives.  The  old  and  infirm  who  tottered 
before  them,  were  thrust  aside,  and  the 
torch  applied  in  their  presence  to  hasten 
their  departure.  Some  women,  who  at- 
tempted to  quench  the  fire,  were  told  with 
harsh  words  and  curses  to  stop  that  or 
to  die  on  the  spot.  One  lady  had  a  pail 
of  water  which  she  had  brought  to  ex- 
tinijuish  the  fire  thrown  in  her  face. 


In  many  instances  the  soldiers  de- 
manded owners  to  ransom  their  property. 
Some  frightened  women  paid  them  sums, 
but  when  the  rebels  had  received  the 
money,  they  set  nevertheless  the  houses 
on  fire. 

Robbing. 

Whilst  the  rebels  were  engaged  in 
firing  the  houses,  they  robbed  and  pillaged 
to  their  hearts'  content.  They  entered 
every  room  of  the  house,  rifled  the 
drawers  of  every  bureau,  appropriated 
money,  jewelry,  watches,  silver  spoons, 
plates,  candlesticks,  pitchers  and  any 
other  valuables,  and  often  would  present 
pistols  to  the  heads  of  inmates,  men  and 
women,  and  demand  money  or  their  lives. 
(3ne  rebel  accepted  five  dollars  from  a 
frightened  old  lady,  to  carry  her  trunk  to 
a  place  of  safety,  ivhcre  he  coolly  broke  it 
open  and  helped  himself  to  the  most 
valuable  part  of  the  contents.  She  asked: 
"X^ow,  sir,  is  that  Southern  chivalry,"  and 
received  for  reply :  "Take  that  back,  or 
I  shall  blow  out  your  brains."  But  she 
did  not  take  it  back  and  did  not  have  her 
brains  blown  out.  It  was  sad  to  see  ladies 
escaping  from  their  houses  w'ith  nothing 
but  a  few  photographs  of  their  departed 
parents  or  children.  Mr.  AlcCullom,  a 
Catholic  priest,  was  sitting  on  the  porch 
of  his  house,  when  some  rebels  ap- 
proached asking  him  to  deliver  his  watch. 
He  obeyed  and  was  comforted  by  one  of 
the  robbers :  "Pray  only  and  the  holy 
virgin  will  give  you  another." 

Incidents   of   the   Burning. 

It  is  impossible  to  state  all  the  many 
incidents  which  occurred  in  the  burning 
of  the  town.  Every  family  had  their  own 
tale  to  tell.  The  blow,  by  which  they 
were  struck,  was  so  sudden,  so  un- 
expected, that  the  kindling  of  the  fire  in 
their  houses  was  the  first  warning  of 
danger  most  of  them  had. 

When  the  house  of  Mrs.  Watson  was 
entered  by  the  rebels,  she  earnestly  re- 
monstrated against  the  burning  of  her 
house  and  when  the  rebels  cut  her  fine 
furniture  into  pieces,  she  said  "Now,  you 
do  not  act  like  soldiers  but  like  scoundrels 
and  thieves."  The  rebels  fired  the  room, 
hurled   the    scolding   woman    into   it   and 


THK  BURNING  OF  CHAMBERSBURG 


297 


AFTER  THEF  R  ■,  SOUTH  FROM  MARKET  aT   BAPTIST  CHURCff.  NOW.  G.  A.  R.  HALL  ON  ENIMENCE 


locked  the  door  on  the  outside.  She 
would  have  perished  in  the  flames,  if  not 
her  daughters  had  rescued  her  by 
bursting  in  the  door  before  her  clothing 
took  fire. 

Another  lady  was  sitting  on  her  rocking 
chair,  when  the  rebels  entered  and  ordered 
her  harshly  to  leave.  The  lady  answered, 
this  is  my  house  and  I  shall  not  leave  it, 
and  this  is  my  rocking  chair  and  I  shall 
)iot  get  lip.  1  he  rebels  let  her  alone  for  a 
few  moments,  but  when  they  had  kindled 
the  fire,  one  of  them  poured  some  powder 
under  the  rocking  chair,  on  which  the 
lady  was  sitting.  Then  she  rose  at  once 
and  fled  as  quickly,  as  possible.  Mrs. 
Lindsay,  a  very  feeble  lady  of  nearl\- 
eighty  years,  fainted,  when  the  rebels 
fired  her  house,  and  zcas  left  to  be  de- 
voured by  the  tlaines.  Fortunately  Mr. 
Reed,  a  cousin  of  the  old  lady,  reached 
the  house  in  time.     He  carried  her  out 


of  the  burning  house,  put  her  in  a  carriage 
and  pulled  it  away  through  the  street, 
while  the  flames  rising  from  the  houses 
on  the  right  and  left,  were  kissing  each 
other  over  their  heads.  Mr.  Wolfkill,  an 
old  man  of  more  than  80,  was  prostrated 
by  sickness,  so  that  he  was  utterly  unable 
to  be  out  of  bed.  When  the  rebels  en- 
tered the  room,  in  which  he  was  lying,  he 
requested  and  entreated  them,  to  be  spared 
a  horrible  death  in  the  flames  of  his  own 
house ;  but  they  fired  the  buildmg.  The 
flames  approached  already  the  bed  of  the 
poor  old  man,  when  some  good  neighbors 
broke  in  the  window  and  carried  him 
away    safely. 

Mrs.  Knss  the  wife  of  a  jeweller  in 
Main  street,  lay  dead  and  was  going  to 
be  buried  on  that  very  morning,  when  the 
rebels  entered  the  town.  Neighbors  and 
friends  were  assembled  in  the  house  to 
attend    the    funeral.     There    thev    stood 


298 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


around  the  open  coffin.  The  rebels  en- 
tered, were  shown  the  dead  body  and  re- 
quested to  spare  the  house.  The  soldiers 
went  back  without  setting  the  house  on 
fire,  but  when  they  came  on  the  street,  an 
officer,  halting  on  horseback  before  the 
"house,  cried  out  "Boys,  remember 
Hunter"  and  back  they  went  to  do  the 
work.  They  allowed  only,  that  a  grave 
was  dug  in  the  yard,  where  the  poor 
woman  was  hurriedly  buried.  Soon  after, 
the  ruins  of  her  house  fell  on  her  grave. 
The  little  child  of  that  woman  was  at  the 
point  of  death.  Mrs.  Shryock,  a  friend 
of  the  dead  mother  took  the  baby  and 
-Stepping  out  of  the  burning  house  pre- 
sented it  to  the  officer,  saying:  "Here  is  a 
dving  baby  which  we  have  saved  from  the 
house,  you  have  fired.  Is  your  revenge 
sweet?"  Shocked  at  the  sight  of  the  pale 
and  dying  child,  the  man  burst  into  tears 
and  answered:  "No,  madam."  He  fol- 
lowed Mrs.  Schryock  some  distance  and 
leaning  down,  asked  her  earnestly: 
"Madam,  can't  I  save  something  for 
you?"  Her  answer  ,was :  "No  sir,  it  is 
too  late ;  I  have  lost  all." 

Mrs  Dennig,  a  good  old  widow  lady 
.living  on  the  Northwest  corner  of  the 
Diamond,  got  the  first  warning  of  the 
•danger  when  three  sides  around  her  home 
were  on  fire.  The  forth  is  enclosed  with 
an  iron  fence.  An  attempt  to  cross  the 
fence  burns  her  hands  very  badly,  she  sits 
down  in  the  middle  of  her  narrow  lot, 
around  her  she  folds  a  piece  of  old  carpet, 
dipped  in  water,  to  shelter  her  person 
against  the  heat.  An  old  negro  creeps 
down  by  her  side,  and  helps  to  moisten  the 
carpet.  Her  face,  though  covered,  is  blis- 
tered by  the  intense  heat.  Now  and  then 
God  sends  a  breath  of  wind  to  drive  the 
fiot  air  away  and  allows  her  to  take  breath. 
Indeed,  it  was  a  martyrdom  at  the  stake, 
those  two  hours  amid  the  flames.  Only 
after  she  was  rescued  did  the  sight  of  her 
ruined  home  open  the  fountain  of  tears. 
■"Don't  cry,  Missus,"  said  Peter  the  old 
negro ;  "the  Lord  saved  our  lives  from  the 
fire."  Many  instances  of  similar  sufifer- 
ings  could  be  added,  but  it  would  take  too 
much  time,  to  mention  even  the  most  in- 
teresting cases. 

Good    Men    Among    the    Rebels. 

Although    the    conduct    of    the    rebel 


soldiers  was  barbarous  in  the  extreme ;  al- 
though some  drunken  wretches  were  seen 
dancing  with  hellish  joy  upon  the  furni- 
ture and  articles  of  value ;  although  their 
oaths  and  foul  language  were  heard  in  the 
houses  and  on  the  streets ;  although  they 
did  everything  to  add  to  the  terror  and 
confusion  of  the  panic-stricken  people : 
there  were  some  good  men  even  among 
these  cruel  rebels.  There  was,  for  in- 
stance, a  surgeon  by  the  name  Abraham 
Budd.  He  had  some  relatives  living  in 
Chambersburg,  went  to  see  them  early 
in  the  morning,  and  took  breakfast  with 
them.  He  did  not  know  anything  of  the 
order  to  burn  the  town.  Whilst  he  was 
conversing  with  his  relatives,  somebody 
came  in  and  told  what  the  rebels  were 
going  to  do.  Budd  assured  all  present 
that  they  were  far  from  doing  anything 
like  burning  the  town.  In  the  midst  of 
his  assurances,  the  flames  broke  out  al- 
most in  every  part  of  the  town.  When 
Budd  saw  the  fire,  he  grew  pale,  wept 
like  a  child  and  denounced  the  atrocity 
of  his  commander.  He  took  no  part  in 
the  work  of  destruction  whatever,  but  as- 
sisted some  unfortunate  ones  in  escaping 
from  the  flames. 

Captain  Baxter,  formerly  of  Baltimore, 
peremptorily  refused  to  participate  in  the 
burning,  but  assisted  many  people  to  get 
some  clothing  out  of  the  houses.  He 
asked  a  citizen,  as  a  special  favor,  to 
write  to  his  friends  in  Baltimore  and  ac- 
quit him  of  the  hellish  work. 

Surgeon  Richardson,  another  Baltimor- 
ean,  gave  his  horse  to  a  lady  to  get  some 
articles  out  of  the  burning  town,  and  pub- 
licly deplored  the  sad  work  of  McCaus- 
land.  When  asked  who  his  commanding 
officer  was,  he  answered :  "Madam,  I  am 
ashamed  to  say  that  General  McCausland 
is  my  commander." 

Captain  Watts  declared,  that  he  would 
lose  his  own  commission  rather  than 
burn  out  defenceless  people.  He  allowed 
the  citizens  to  use  the  fire  engines  and 
with  his  command  aided  to  arrest  the 
flames.  Afterward,  when  the  rebels  left, 
one  of  their  men  was  seen  handcufifed. 
Passing  by  he  recognized  a  lady,  whose 
house  was  saved  by  his  efforts,  and  ad- 
dressed her:  "Madam,  your  house  is 
saved,   but   my  commission  and   perhaps 


THE  BURNING  OF  CHAMBERSBURG 


299 


my  life  are  lost."  It  was  Captain  Watts. 
Other  officers  and  a  number  of  privates 
displayed  also  evidences  of  their  humanity. 
A  rebel  officer,  who  gazed  at  the  awtul 
spectacle  of  the  burning  town,  was  wring- 
ing his  hands  and  crying  loudly  :  "O,  God, 
must  I  live  to  witness  such  a  scene. 
Horrible,  horrible !  O,  God,  have  mercy 
upon  us." 

Houses  Saved. 

The  principal  part  of  the  town,  the 
entire  body  of  it  was  burned.  Only  the 
outskirts  are  left.  The  number  of  houses, 
destroyed  by  the  fire,  is  539.  Among 
these  are  all  the  principal  buildings  of  the 
place,  the  Court  House,  Bank,  Town  Hall, 
•German  Reformed  Printing  establishment, 
every  store  and  hotel  in  town  and  every 
mill  and  factory.  2,500  persons  were 
made  homeless  and  thrown  out  of  wealth 
and  comfort  into  poverty  and  misery. 
But  two  small  churches  were  burnt.  The 
rebels  believed,  that  they  were  churches 
of  negroes,  and  for  this  reason  the  two 
churches  -were  destroyed.  For  a  similar 
reason  they  destroyed  the  beautiful  farm 
of  Mr.  Mcllvaine,  county  superintendent 
■of  Public  Schools. 

When  the  rebels  learned,  that  Mr.  Mc- 
llvaine had  taught  negroes  too  they  set 
his  house  on  fire  and  were  going'  to  kill 
him.  But  he  escaped  unhurt.  You  see 
what  a  crime  it  is  in  the  eyes  of  rebels, 
to  think,  that  the  poor  colored  people  are 
worthy  to  be  instructed. 

Some  persons  succeeded  in  saving  their 
homes.  An  Irish  zcoDian  who  was  living 
in  a  remote  part  of  town,  gave  one  of  the 
houseburners,  who  entered  her  house  such 
.a  sound  thrashing  with  a  heavy  broom, 
that  the  invader  retreated  and  left  the 
work  of  destruction  to  be  performed  by 
others. 

The  wife  of  a  clergyman  recognized  one 
of  the  soldiers,  who  were  going  to  fire 
her  house,  as  a  man  who  had  been  in  the 
hospital  of  Chambersburg  the  previous 
-summer  after  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  and 
whom  she  had  fed  more  than  once. 
She  asked  the  man :  "Well,  sir,  are  you 
going  to  reward  my  services  by  burning 
my  house"  ?  The  man  recognized  her  too 
and  frankly  declared  that  he  would  not  be 
.-so  base  as  to  destroy  her  house. 

) 


In  the  eastern  part  of  the  town  is 
standing  still  on  a  hill  the  beautiful  resi- 
dence of  J\Ir.  McLcUan,  a  lawyer,  but  no 
relative  to  the  general.  The  house  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  very  large  garden.  To  this 
garden  many  of  the  homeless  inhabitants 
had  fled.  There  they  were  sitting  on  the 
hill  and  gazing  at  the  scenes  of  horror 
before  them.  They  hoped  that  this  part 
of  the  town  at  least  would  be  spared.  But, 
alas  !  A  squad  of  rebels  comes  out  of  town, 
in  order  to  fire  these  outskirts,  mostly 
houses  of  poor  laborers.  Then  Mrs.  ]\Ic- 
Lellan  steps  forward  and  laying  one  hand 
on  the  rebel  officer  and  pointing  with  the 
other  to  the  frightened  and  weeping  women 
and  children,  assembled  on  the  hill,  she  ad- 
dresses him :  "Sir,  have  you  at  home  a 
wife  and  children"?  "Yes,  Mam  !  Whv?" 
"Well,  for  the  sake  of  these,  I  entreat  you, 
spare  the  houses  of  the  poor  people  who 
live  on  this  street.  You  may  burn  our 
house,  we  can  get,  perhaps,  another;  but 
if  you  burn  the  houses  of  those  poor, 
helpless  people,  they  will  be  ruined  for 
their  lifetime."  The  rebel :  "I  have  my 
orders  and  must  execute  them."  Mrs. 
McLellan:  "But  when  you  and  I  and  all 
of  us  shall  meet  before  the  great  Judge 
in  Heaven,  can  you  justify  this  act"?  He 
made  no  reply,  but  ordered  his  command 
away  and  that  part  of  the  town  was 
saved,  saved  by  a  noble  and  Christian 
lady,  who  was  pleading  on  that  day  better 
on  the  street,  than  her  husband  ever 
pleaded  at  the  bar. 

The    Scene 

that  followed  the  incendiary  work  can 
hardly  be  described.  The  day  was  sultry 
and  calm,  not  a  breath  stirring,  and  each 
column  of  smoke  rose  black,  straight  and 
single ;  first  one  and  then  another  and 
another,  until  the  columns  blended  and 
commingled.  Then  one  tall  black  column 
of  smoke,  hanging  like  clouds  over  the 
doomed  town,  rose  up  to  the  very  skies. 
Long  streams  of  flames,  twisting  them- 
selves into  a  thousand  fantastic  shapes 
passed  up  through  the  clouds  of  smoke, 
whilst  the  roar  and  crackling  and  crash 
of  falling  timbers  and  walls  broke  upon 
the  still  air  with  a  fearful  dissonance, 
whilst  the  cries  and  shrieks  of  women  and 
children,  the  screams  and  sounds  of  agony 


300 


THE  pennsylvania-gi:rman 


of  burnin.^  arnmals,  hogs  and  cows  and 
horses  made  ihe  welkin  horrid  with 
sounds  of  woe. 

Through  the  streets,  which  were  soon 
filled  with  smoke,  were  the  people  running 
in  every  direction ;  mothers  with  babies  in 
their  arms  and  surrounded  by  their  fright- 
ened little  ones ;  children  crying  for  their 
parents  and  parents  anxiously  seeking  their 
missing  children,  from  whom  they  had 
been  separated  in  the  confusion.  Air. 
Shrvock  lost  his  iitde  boy  aged  about  ten 
and'  did  not  find  him  till  the  next  day 
at  Shippensburg,  whither  he  had  walked 
a  distance  of  eleven  miles.  The  aged  and 
sick  and  dving  were  carried  through  the 
streets,  wdiilst  on  both  sides  the  houses 
were  in  flames.  Indeed,  had  not  the  day 
been  perfectly  calm,  many  must  have 
perished. 

Tne  people,  driven  from  their  homes, 
fled  either  eastward  to  that  hill,  on  which 
McLellan's  house  is  situated,  or  North  to 
the  old  Presbyterian  cemetery.  There  on 
the  graves  of  their  fathers  and  mothers 
thousands  of  people  assembled,  there 
little  cliildren  cried  "To  go  home"— the 
home  that  was  destroyed ;  old  men,  sitting 
(jn  the  graves,  wept  over  the  town,  in 
which  thev  had  lived  for  three  quarters 
of  a  century,  citizens  looked  on  with  dis- 
mav  upon  the  destruction  of  their  lifelong 
labor  and  industry.  There  on  the  grave- 
yard, in  the  midst  of  death  one  little  life 
was  added  to  the  wretched  throng. 

Every  minute  more  persons  arrive. 
There  comes  a  negro,  dressed  in  zcoinan's 
cloihiii!^  and  carrying  on  his  head  a 
featherbed,  by  which  his  face  and  hands 
were  covered.  In  this  way  the  smart 
fellow  saved  his  life. 

There  comes  a  lady,  who  has  wrapped 
a  Union  flag  around  her  shoulders.  She 
has  taken  it  from  the  hands  of  a  rebel, 
who  was  going  to  throw  it  into  the  fire. 
The  emblem  of  her  country's  honor  is  the 
only  thing,  she  has  saved  from  destruc- 
tion. She  was  determined,  that  the  flag 
should  become  her  shroud,  ere  it  should 
fall  into  the  hands  of  the  foe. 

How  Did  the  People  of  Chamber«burg  Bear 

their  dreadful  fate?  This  question  may 
well  be  asked  here.  The  answer  is: 
They  bore  if  admirably.  No  selfishness 
was"  api)arent ;  every  one  was  willing  to 


AFTER  THE  FIRE.  ROSEDALE  SEMINARY.  SITE 
OF  PRESENT  ROSEDaLE  OPERA  HOUSE. 


assist  his  neighbor.  It  is  true,  that  women 
and  even  men.  wdio  lost  everything,  wept 
bitterly  ;  but  no  one  lost  hope  and  confi- 
dence in  God. 

A  rebel  officer  stopped  Mr.  Shryock 
saying:  "Sir,  cannot  a  little  money  be 
raised  to  satisfy  that  brute  McCausland ; 
a  very  little  money  would  save  this  end  of 
the  town."  Mr.  Shryock  answered: 
"And  if  ten  cents  would  do  it,  they  would 
not  be  given." 

When  a  lady,  well  known  to  me,  the 
mother  of  a  large  family  of  children,  was 
ordered  to  leave  her  large  and  beautiful 
mansion  at  once,  the  children  burst  into 
loud  weeping.  "I  am  ashamed  of  you," 
said  the  mother,  "if  you  let  these  men  see 
you  cry.  Do  not  give  them  that 
pleasure."  And  every  child  wiped  away 
the  falling  tears  and  bravely  marched  out 
of  the  doomed  home.  Thus  the  people 
of  Chambersburg  showed  the  rebels, 
that  they  could  destroy  their  homes  but 
not  their  hope  and  honor.  Fullgrown 
men,  forgetful  of  themselves,  sobbed  over 
the  destitution  of  those  they  loved  ;  and 
selfsacrificing  women  strove  to  comfort 
those  of  weaker  hearts.  I  know  of 
persons,  who  saved  property  of  others, 
w'hilst  their  own  was  burning  to  ashes. 

When  the  rebels  had  finished  their  work 
of  destruction,  they  left  the  town.  The 
news  had  come  in,  that  Averill  was  fast 
approaching.    This  news  chased  them  off. 

At  2  P.  M.,  the  L'nion  forces  advanced 


THR  BURNING  OF  GHAMBERSBURG 


301 


through  the  town.  The  citizens  cheered 
the  ckisty  soldiers,  but  no  cheers  came 
from  their  Hps,  as  they  rode  through 
smoke  and  flames  and  the  intense  heat  of 
the  smouldering  ruins.  One  repeated  ex- 
clamation of:  "My  God!"  was  all  that 
was  heard  and  then  as  they  passed  the 
flag  staff  in  the  centre  of  the  town  each 
one  shouted :  "Remember  Chambers- 
burg."  And  so  they  exclaimed  and  so 
ihey  shouted,  as  they  dashed  at  a  trot 
through  the  town. 

The  people  then  returned  to  their 
homes,  but  alas,  they  found  them  lying 
in  ruins.  It  was  saddening  to  see  the 
sudden  change  in  circumstances.  C)ne  01 
the  most  prominent  citizens  went  with 
his  family  to  the  house  of  his  hostler, 
another  to  the  residence  of  his  negro 
servant.  The  next  day  it  was  a  still 
more  sorrowful  sight,  to  see  refined  ladies 
flock  to  the  church  to  draw  Government 
rations  and  receive  articles  of  second- 
hand clothing  sent  up  by  the  charity  of 
persons  residing  along  the  line  of  the 
Cumberland  X'alley  Railroad.  It  was 
hard  an  eyewitness  says,  to  eat  the  bitter 
bread  of  charity,  but  this  mortification  was 
borne  with  the  same  heroism,  with  which 
the}-  looked  upon  the  sacking  and  burning 
of  the  dear  old  town. 

Retribution. 

Several  of  the  rebels  who  participated 
in  the  burning  of  Chambersburg,  were 
sent  suddenly  to  their  last  account. 

An  officer  whose  papers  identify  him 
as  Major  Boiven.  8th  Virg.  cavalry  was 
conspicious  for  his  brutality  and  robberies. 
He  went  from  house  to  house  extorting 
money  from  the  inmates.  Thus  he  got 
too  far  south  of  the  firing  parties  and  was 
still  engaged  in  the  robbing  business, 
when  his  fellow  robbers  had  left  the  town. 
He  was  captured  by  several  citizens  in  the 
midst  of  his  brutal  work  and  brought  to 
the  centre  of  the  burning  town.  Now  the 
fellow  cried  and  wept  like  a  child  and 
begged  the  citizens  to  spare  his  life.  But 
the  town  was  still  burning  all  around  and 
it  was  taxing  humanity  rather  too  much 
to  save  a  man,  who  had  added  the  boldest 
robbery  to  atrocious  arson.  Whilst  the 
rebel    was    still    pleading    for   his    life,    a 


citizen,  who  was  just  losing  five  houses 
by  the  fire  shot  at  him,  but  the  bullet 
passed  through  the  rebel's  face,  without 
killing  him.  Then  the  desperate  man 
rushed  out  of  the  throng  and  took  refuge 
in  the  open  cellar  of  one  of  the  burning 
houses.  There  with  the  intense  heat 
blistering  him,  he  entreated  still  the  people 
that  stood  on  the  street,  to  spare  his  life. 
But  as  soon  as  became  out  of  the  burning 
cellar,  which  gave  him  a  foretaste  of 
what  was  to  come,  five  bullets  finished  his 
life.  He  was  buried  like  a  dog.  The 
people  expected,  that  they  had  freed  the 
world  from  Harry  Gilmore,  but  in  this 
they  were  mistaken.  True,  we  cannot 
justify  that  act  from  a  Christian  stand- 
point, but  we  may  well  confess,  that  under 
similar  circumstances,  in  the  full  view  of 
our  burning  and  desolated  homes,  we 
would  have  pardoned  him  neither. 

When  the  rebels  were  retreating  to- 
wards Loudon  Captain  Cochran,  quarter- 
master of  the  nth  Virginia  cavalry,  tied 
his  horse  to  a  fence  and  lay  down  to  take 
a  nap.  He  was  awakened  by  Mr.  Thomas 
Doyle  of  Loudon,  who  had  followed  the 
retreating  enemy,  to  pick  up  stragglers. 
Cochran  was  well  armed  with  sword  and 
pistols,  but  he  was  taken  so  suddenly,  that 
he  had  no  chance  to  use  them.  Mr.  Doyle 
gave  him  just  fifteen  minutes  to  live,  that 
he  might  pray.  The  rebel  entreated  him 
piteously  to  spare  his  life,  but  Mr.  Doyle 
answered :  "You  have  not  shown  any 
mercy  to  the  poor  people  of  Chambers- 
burg, therefore  you  cannot  expect  any 
from  their  neighbors.  The  foe  who  burns 
and  robs  citizens  who  have  not  taken  arms 
against  him,  must  die !"  And  holding  in 
the  left  his  watch  in  the  right  his  revolver 
he  shot  the  rebel  dead,  as  soon  as  the 
fifteen  minutes  expired.  He  found  on  his 
person  $815  in  greenbacks,  all  stolen  from 
citizens  of  Chambersburg. 

Averill.  who  followed  the  rebels,  as  fast 
as  possible,  picked  up  several  stragglers. 
Fifteen  ot  them  were  shot  by  our  soldiers 
near  McConnelsburg  in  retaliation  for  the 
burning  of  a  town,  which  had  given  to  the 
rebels  no  provocation  whatever. 

The  rebels  recrossed  the  Potomac  near 
Hancock,  but  on  the  17th  of  August  they 
were  attacked  by  Averill  near  Moorefield 
and  utterly  defeated.     ( )n  the  evening  of 


302 


THE    P7.XN'SYLVANIA-GERMAN 


AFTER  THE  FIRE.  COURTHOUSE    N.  E. 
CORNER  MEMORIAL  SQUARF 


that  clay  many  of  the  townburners  lay  dead 
on  the  ground.  420  rebels  were  captured  ; 
among  them  was  Bradley  Thomson.  As 
he  had  done  once  before,  he  escaped ; 
during  the  night.  McCausland  himself 
escaped  capture  only  by  the  swiftness  of 
his  horse. 

There  is  something  like  a  divine 
Nemesis  to  be  seen  even  in  wars  like  this. 

We  had  a  war  in  Germany  which  lasted 
thirty  years.  It  was  a  war  of  the  Catholic 
south  against  the  Protestant  north.  The 
most  successful  and  distinguished  General 
of  the  Catholics  was  Tilly.  He  had  won 
about  twenty  battles.  But  when  he  des- 
troyed in  1 63 1  the  city  of  Magdeburg  and 
allowed  his  brutal  soldiers  to  kill  16,000 
men,  women  anrl  children  on  that  one  day, 
good  fortune  deserted  him  at  once. 

He  was  defeated  by  Gustavus  Adolfus. 
the  Protestant  king  of  Sweden,  near 
Leipzic  in  the  same  year,  was  driven  out 
<^i  northern  Germany,  was  defeated  again 
and  again,  saw  his  glory  dissipated  like 
a  cloud  of  smoke  in  the  air  and  died  in 
1632,  confessing,  that  the  blood  shed  of 
Magdeburg  had  pursued  him  like  a 
demon  and  had  not  allowed  him  any 
more  to  win  a  victory.  And  now  has  not 
the  same  happened  to  General  Early? 
He  is  the  man  who  wrote  the  order,  to 
burn  Chambersburg,  he  is  responsible  for 
all  that  was  done  by  his  men. 


All  of  you  know,  that  Early  has  been 
defeated  three  times  since  his  order,  to 
burn  out  peaceable  citizens,  was  executed. 

There  is  a  man  in  the  Union  army  of 
the  name  Philip  Sheridan  whom  all  of 
you  know,  all  of  you  honor  and  love ;  he 
has  paid  General  Early  his  reward  for  the 
destruction  of  Chambersburg  and,  a*;  a 
generous  Yankee,  he  has  paid  it  three  times 
within  thirty  days ;  at  Winchester  on 
Fishers  hill  and  near  Cedar  Creek. 
Sheridan  has  so  utterly  destroyed  th*" 
military  glory  of  Early  that  the  town 
burner  looks  today  exactly  like  one  of 
the  broken  chimneys  amid  the  ruins  of 
Chambersburg. 

Conclusion. 

One  more  remark,  and  I  have  done. 
Perhaps  you  are  inclined  to  think,  that  a 
spirit  of  retaliation  is  prevailing  among 
the  poor  homeless  sufferers  of  Chambers- 
burg. But  this  is  not  the  case,  as  I  am 
able   to    state. 

Retaliation  can  do  no  good  to  our 
people,  but  a  great  deal  of  harm  and  after 
all,  it  is  morally  wrong,  whatever  provoca- 
tion may  be  given  from  the  other  side  r 
Such  were  the  words  I  heard,  when  I 
visited  the  place. 

The  people  of  Chambersburg  have  gone 
farther  and  have  draw^i  up  a  petition,  \n 
which  they  earnestly  implore  the  govern- 
ment in  Washington  to  prevent  anything 
of  that  kind  on  the  part  of  our  army. 
All  honor  to  such  people !  They  have 
learned  the  word :  Vengeance  is  mine  and 
I  will  repay,  says  the  Lord. 

Rebellion,  says  an  old  proverb,  is  like 
the  God  Saturnus ;  it  devours  its  own 
children.  And,  lo !  it  has  almost  eaten  up 
slavery  and  is  going  to  devour  its  first- 
born son  Jeff.  Davis  just  now  for  break- 
fast. 

Breakfast  of   Saturnus   Rebellion. 

Breakfast  generally  takes  place  in 
the  morning  so  this  will  be  the  morning 
of  a  beautiful  sunny  day  of  national  life,, 
where  slavery  shall  be  done  awav.  the 
Union,  having  been  baptized  in  the  heart 
blood  of  thousands  of  her  best  sons  be 
reestablished  and  this  beautiful  countr> 
be  forever  as  it  was. 

The    land    of    the    free 

And    the   home   ot   the   brave. 


ABRAHAM  HARLEY  CASSEL 


303 


Abraham  Harley  Cassel 

An   Appreciation 

(SEE  FRONTISPIECE  PORTKAIT) 
BY  HON.  SAMUEL  \V.  PENNYPACKER,   SCHWENKSVILLE,   PA. 


FARM  HOUSE  OF  ABRAHAM  HARLEY  CASSEL 


R.  ABRAHAM  H.  CASSEL, 

who  died  at  his  farm  near 
Harleysville,  in  Montgom- 
ery county,  Pa.,  within  the 
last  month,  in  the  eighty- 
eighth  year  of  his  age,  was  a 
man  of  exceptional  character  and  more 
than  ordinary  usefulness.  He  was  in  every 
sense  a  fitting  representative  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Dutch  race.  His  paternal  fore- 
fathers, who  were  of  prominence  in  the 
Mennonite  Church,  lived  in  the  Palati- 
nate on  the  Upper  Rhine,  came  to  Penn- 
sylvania in  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth 
century  and  brought  with  them  many 
manuscripts  of  the  sufferings  of  the  peo- 
ple there  at  the  time  of  the  French  in- 
vasion. These  manuscripts,  some  in  verse, 
Mr.     Cassel     still     j^reserved.       On     his 


mother's  side  he  was  a  descendant  of 
Christopher  Sower,  the  famous  German- 
town  printer,  whose  publication  house 
produced  between  1738  and  1778  over 
two  hundred  and  fifty  books  and 
pamphlets,  and  who  has  the  great  distinc- 
tion of  having  printed  the  Bible  three 
times  and  the  Testament  seven  times  be- 
fore either  of  them  ever  appeared  in 
English  in  America.  No  doubt  the  knowl- 
edge of  this  descent  and  the  family  tales 
of  the  work  and  consequence  of  Sower,, 
had  the  most  important  influence  upon 
the  life  of  Mr.  Cassel. 

Early  in  his  career  he  began  to  gather 
the  books  and  other  publications  from 
the  Sower  and  Ephrata  presses,  and  with 
the  utmost  industry  and  zeal  he  continued 
in  the  pursuit  until  he  had  made  a  fairly 


304 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


complete  collection  of  the  works  relating 
to  the  Germans  of  Pennsylvania.  In  a 
sense  he  may  be  said  to  have  preserved 
their  literature.  The  verse  of  Johannes 
Kelpiiis  the  Hermit  of  the  Wissahickon, 
in  which  volume  is  inserted  a  portrait  of 
Kelpius  by  Christopher  Witt,  believed  to 
be  the  earliest  portrait  in  oil  in  America, 
now  in  the  library  of  the  Historical  So- 
ciety of  Pennsylvania,  owes  its  preserva- 
tion to  the  care  of  Mr.  Cassel.  The  Men- 
nonites,  Dunkers  and  Schwenkfelders  are 
especially  indebted  to  him,  since  his  as- 
sociations and  his  tastes  led  him  to  give 
especial  attention  to  investigations  and  re- 
searches concerning  them,  and  he  had 
written  much  which  illustrates  their  lives 
and  their  creeds.  Without  the  training 
which  comes  from  education  in  the  school 
and  lacking  in  all  that  the  world  calls  cul- 
ture, he  possessed  both  native  refinement 
and  intellectual  acuteness.  Through  his 
accjuaintance  with  certain  phases  of  at- 
tractive and  obscure  information,  he  was 
brought  into  relations  with  many  men  of 
wide  erudition  and  influence,  and  he  never 
failed  to  secure  their  respect. 

When  Mr.  E.  B.  Tylor,  the  learned  pro- 
fessor of  archaeology  at  Cambridge  Uni- 
versity in  England,  of  world-wide  fame, 
came  to  America  some  years  ago,  one  of 
the  men  with  whom  he  sought  an  inter- 
view  was    Mr.   Cassel.     A   litterateur  of 


distinction  wrote  this  acrostic  concerning 
his  labors  and  successes : 

Alone  he  started  at  the  break  of  day, 

Before  the  stars  had  set,  and  ere  the  sun 
Rose  o'er  the  hill-tops  to  make  plain  the  way. 
And  wearied  oft,  he  stopped  and  asked  each 
one : 
"Had  aught  been  heard  of  where  his  treasure 

lay  ?" 
At    which    the    heedless    answered,    laughing, 

"Nay." 
Men  sordid  said :    "'Twere  better  to  have  done 
His  search  wherein  no  profit  could  be  won." 
Cheered  by  fond  memories  of  men  long  dead, 
At  last  in  garrets  where  the  spiders  wove. 
Secure    he    found    the    "Christopher    Saur"    he 
sought, 
So.  while  the  twilight  gathers  round  his  head, 
Each  hour  more  precious  grows  his  treas- 
ure trove. 
Like  joys  by  some  hard  self-denial  bought. 

Numerous  biographical  sketches  of  him 
have  been  printed  at  various  times,  one 
of  them  in  Au^e's  Montgomery  County 
Biograpli.es.  In  person  he  was  slender, 
inclined  to  be  tall,  and  the  want  of  hair 
on  his  head  was  compensated  for  by  a 
long,  white  beard.  For  many  years  of 
his  life  he  had  difficulty  both  in  hearing 
and  seeing.  A  consistent  member  of  the 
Dunker  meeting,  he  was  always  attentive 
to  its  observances  and  interested  in  its 
welfare.  His  long  life  was  full  of  useful 
deeds  of  benefit  to  those  around  him,  and 
helpful  as  an  example  to  all. 


A    Biographical    Sketch 


EV    EDWARD    VV.    HOCKER,    PENNSBURG.    PA. 


E  who  knows  of  the  splendid 
educaiional  facilities  which 
the  Pennsylvania-C-erman 
country  now  offers  finds  it 
difficult  to  realize  that  four- 
score years  ago  there  were 
fathers  in  this  region  who  "made  it  a 
point  of  conscience  to  bring  up  their  chil- 
dren in  pious  ignorance."  The  Penn- 
sylvania-German farmers  of  that  time, 
to  a  large  extent,  had  forgotten  the  glori- 
ous literature  of  their  ancestors.  They 
clung  with  extreme  tenacity  to  their  Ger- 
man dialect,  but  the  old-time  German  in- 


tellectual spirit  did  not  appeal  to  them. 

They  forgot  that  in  1743,  in  German- 
town,  Christopher  Saur,  the  pioneer  Ger- 
man printer,  had  published  the  first  Bible 
in  America,  forty  years  before  it  was 
printed  in  English  anywhere  on  the  con- 
tinent. They  forgot  that  Saur  and  his 
son,  making  all  the  paper  and  ink  which 
they  used,  had  issued  more  than  200 
works  in  German,  some  goin^  through 
six  or  seven  editions.  They  forgot  that 
the  German  Brethren  of  the  Ephrata 
Cloister  had  translated  and  published  the 
"Martvr  Book"  of  the  Mennonites,  a  folio 


ABRAHAM  HARLEY  CASSEL 


305 


<.f  15CX3  pages,  and  the  greatest  literary 
ur.dertaking  in  America  prior  to  the  Rev- 
ohition.  They  forgot  that  of  the  produc- 
tions of  Jjenjamin  Frankhn's  famous 
printing  estabhshment  fifty  or  sixty  works 
— probably  half  of  all  he  issued — had  been 
in  Cernian,  that  being  necessary  to  supply 
the  demand  among  the  German  settlers 
-f :  r  food  for  their  minds. 

Those  Pennsylvania-German  failmers 
cf  eighty  years  ago  forgot  that  their  an- 
cestors had  suppHed  the  intelligence  of 
the  Province,  that  there  were  many  uni- 
versity men  among  the  first  German  set- 
tlers, that  few  of  them  signed  their  names 
wiih  a  cross,  although  that  was  common 
amcnaj  the  English  settlers,  and  that  when 
Thomas  Jefiferson  wanted  the  Declaration 
of  Independence  translated  into  all  the 
languages  of  Europe,  he  summoned  Peter 
JNIider.  the  leader  of  the  German  monks 
£.t  Ephrata.  to  assume  the  task. 

The  first  three  deca  les  of  the  nineteenth 
century  were  the  dark  ages  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania-Germans. Happily,  since  then 
a  great  change  has  been  wrought.  For 
many  years  the  Pennsylvania-Germans 
have  been  among  the  leaders  in  education- 
iil  matters.  And  one  of  the  men  most 
instrumental  in  ringing  in  the  new  era 
v.as  born  in  those  dark  ages  in  a  little 
farm  house  in  Towamencin  township. 
^Montgomery  county.  His  name  was 
Abraham  Harley  Cassel.  and  the  day  of 
his  birth  was  September  21.  1820. 

Through  his  mother  this  boy  was  a 
lineal  descendant  of  that  Christopher  Saur 
who  had  printed  the  first  Bible,  and  the 
hooklove  of  his  ancestor,  dormant  through 
several  generations,  came  again  to  life  in 
this  boy.  From  his  earliest  years  the  love 
of  books  was  the  ruling  passion  of  his 
life. 

But  in  the  home  of  this  boy  books 
Avere  rarely  seen,  for  the  father  believed 
that  reading  led  to  idleness.  And  so  he 
irowned  upon  the  boy's  yearning  for 
iDOokish  things.  But  there  was  a  village 
doctor  with  a  clearer  vision,  who  encour- 
a2:ed  the  boy  and  loaned  him  books  from 
his  little  library.  To  thwart  the  lad's  am- 
"bitions,  the  father  gave  him  endless  tasks 
en  the  farm,  so  that  nearly  all  his  time 
v.as  occupied  in  labor.  When  he  sought 
to  read  in  the  kitchen  at  night,  the  light 


was  denied  him.  A  sympathetic  store- 
keeper gave  him  a  pound  of  candles,  but 
the  father  discovered  the  boy  reading  late 
at  night  in  his  attic  bedroom,  and  there- 
after he  had  to  go  to  bed  in  the  dark. 

A  Yankee  peddler  heard  the  story  of 
the  boy's  struggles,  and  urged  him  to 
await  his  next  visit,  saying  he  had  heard 
of  an  invention  in  France  whereby  candles 
could  be  lighted  without  the  aid  of  the 
flame  from  the  stove,  and  he  intended  to 
investigate  the  invention.  After  a  time  he 
returned  with  a  box  of  matches,  the  first 
ever  brought  into  that  township.  Had  the 
other  folk  seen  those  matches,  probably 
they  would  have  laug^hed  scornfullv  at 
them  or  denounced  them  as  one  of  those 
new-fangled  notions  that  should  not  be 
tolerated,  because  what  is  good  enough 
for  the  fathers  should  be  good  enough 
for  the  sons.  But  the  boy  manifested  one 
of  the  traits  that  led  to  his  ultimate  tri- 
umph— a  readiness  to  make  use  of  every 
legitimate  advantage  that  develops  as  a 
result  of  the  research  and  the  progress 
of  the  day.  He  paid  25  cents  for  seventy- 
five  matches,  hid  them  in  an  old  desk, 
and  thereafter  he  had  light  whenever  he 
so  desired. 

When  the  boy  had  advanced  so  far  that 
he  was  ready  to  begin  the  study  of  pen- 
manship, he  again  encountered  an  array 
of  discouragements.  Pens  were  made  of 
goose-quills  in  those  days.  But  there  were 
no  geese  on  the  farm.  The  boy  therefore 
went  out  into  the  barnyard,  and.  after 
an  exciting  chase,  captured  an  old  rooster 
and  pulled  out  a  big  tail-feather.  Of  this 
he  tried  to  make  a  pen.  Several  times  he 
attempted  to  cut  the  feather  with  his 
father's  razor.  Then  when  the  father 
shaved  the  next  time,  the  operation  proved 
rather  painful,  and  he  solemnly  repri- 
manded his  good  wife  for  using  the  razor 
to  pare  her  corns.  Then  the  bov  .used 
a  clumsy  butcherknife  to  make  the  pen, 
but  as  he  did  not  know  that  it  was  neces- 
sary to  cut  a  slit  at  the  point,  the  result 
when  he  wrote  looked  as  though  the 
rooster  himself  had  stepped  into  the  ink 
bottle  and  then  marched  over  the  paoer. 

The  bov's  persistencv  attracted  the  at- 
tention of  several  wealthv  men.  who  of- 
fered to  pay  for  his  education.  But  the 
father's  answer  was :  "If  you  give  a  child 


3o6 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


learning,  then  you  fit  him  for  forging, 
counterfeiting  or  for  any  other  wicked- 
ness that  an  unlearned  man  would  not  be 
capable  of  doing."  Finally,  after  much 
pleading,  the  father  said :  "Well,  go  to 
school,  and  if  it  leads  you  to  evil,  the 
fault  is  not  mine." 

So  the  boy  went  to  school  for  the  first 
time  when  he  was  ii  years  old.  The 
term  continued  six  weeks,  and  that  was 
the  extent  of  the  education  which  he  ob- 
tained within  the  walls  of  a  school  house. 

Every  cent  he  got  he  spent  for  books, 
but  never  was  he  permitted  to  bring  them 
into  the  house.  Hiding  his  treasures  in 
the  barn  he  secretly  pursued  his  studies 
in  mathematics,  geometry  and  English 
and  German  literature. 

When  the  parents  learned  that,  despite 
their  opposition,  the  boy  managed  to  ob- 
tain books,  they  deprived  him  of  suitable 
clothing,  ordering  him  to  clothe  himself 
with  the  few  cents  he  earned  by  selling 
roots  and  herbs.  But  rather  than  be 
without  books  he  went  barefoot  and 
ragged. 

Most  boys,  if  subjected  to  treatment 
such  as  that  boy  in  Towamencin  had  to 
endure,  would  run  away.  But  this  boy 
never  ran  away  from  difficulties.  He 
seemed  to  realize  from  the  beginning  that 
his  life's  mission  lay  among  his  own  peo- 
ple. And  that  is  the  noblest  feature  of 
the  whole  struggle ;  for  while  he  might 
have  attained  many  desires  of  his  heart 
with  far  greater  ease  elsewhere,  he  chose 
to  remain  at  home  and  fight  the  prejudices 
that  prevailed. 

So  the  lad  struggled  on,  and  eventually 
he  became  a  school  teacher.  In  that  ca- 
pacity he  achieved  fame  for  his  thorough- 
ness of  instruction,  for  his  heart  was  in 
his  work  and  he  inspired  his  pupils  with 
the  zeal  for  knowledge  with  which  he  was 
imbued.  Students  came  to  him  from  a 
distance,  and  he  was  the  first  person  in 
the  township  who  was  able  to  make  a 
living  the  year  round  by  teaching. 

Now  he  also  had  better  opportunity  to 
gratify  his  love  for  books.  He  "boarded 
around,"  as  teachers  did  in  those  times, 
and  thus  in  many  families  he  discovered 
the  fine  old  volumes  of  the  early  German 
printers,  often  stored  away  in  garrets  or 
piled  in  barns.    The  farmers  usually  were 


glad  to  let  him  take  away  these  seemingly 
useless  relics  of  a  bygone  age — the  glori- 
ous age  of  German  literature  in  America. 
And  so  the  young  teacher  gathered  these 
neglected  books,  bringing  to  light  many 
an  important  work  of  which  the  historians 
and  literary  men  of  the  time  knew  almost 
nothing. 

Abraham  Harley  Cassel  was  then  en- 
tering upon  his  life's  work  of  restoring 
a  lost  literature  and  of  gathering  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  libraries  that  one 
man  has  ever  collected. 

Although  he  had  found  the  path  which 
his  feet  were  destined  to  follow,  he  still 
met  obstacles.  He  had  decided  never  ta 
marry,  and  had  resisted  all  the  charms  of 
the  other  sex  with  eminent  success,  until 
one  day  in  his  22d  year,  when  he  met 
his  ideal  in  a  manner  thoroughly  ro- 
mantic. A  girl  stopped  at  the  Cassel 
home  to  get  a  drink  of  water  and  ask 
the  way  to  a  nearby  place.  Abraham  ex- 
perienced unusual  delight  in  complying 
with  her  requests,  and  when  she  had  de- 
parted he  became  aware  of  such  a  pe- 
culiar feeling  of  all-goneness  that  he  real- 
ized that  he  was  effectually  and  unalter- 
ably in  love. 

Thus  far  the  episode  did  not  vary- 
greatly  from  what  might  occur  today. 
But  in  the  subsequent  proceedings  there 
was  a  difference.  The  youth  of  1908- 
would  learn  the  girl's  name  within  an 
hour,  take  her  to  a  picnic  w^ithin  a  week,, 
buy  enormous  quantities  of  ice  cream  and 
soda  water  for  her  throughout  a  sum- 
mer season,  and  then  pay  a  preacher  ta 
make  her  his  truly  own  in  October.  But 
this  young  Dunker  in  1842  was  more 
sedate.  He  realized  the  grave  character 
of  the  situation,  and  he  went  to  his  room,, 
fell  upon  his  knees  and  prayed  for  di- 
vine guidance.  Then  he  fasted  to  subdue 
his  wild  passion.  But  prayer  and  fasting 
seemed  all  in  vain.  "The  more  I  prayed,"" 
he  remarked,  "the  more  enamoured  I  be- 
came." 

Naturally  enough,  his  parents  opposed 
his  desire  to  marry.  A  "book  fool"  such 
as  he  had  no  right  to  think  about  matri- 
mony, they  reasoned.  But  in  Cassel's 
bosom  a  still  small  voice  seemed  to  say 
over  and  over,  "You  must  marry  her.'* 
At  last,    feeling  justified   by  the   Bible's 


ABRAHAM  HARLEY  CASSEL 


307 


admonition,  Cassel  resolved  to  "leave 
father  and  mother  and  to  cleave  to  a 
wife." 

Soon  after  his  marriage  Cassel  and  his 
wife  moved  to  the  farm,  in  Lower  Sal- 
ford  township,  above  Harleysville,  where 
he  made  his  home  until  his  death  on  April 
2;^  last. 

Without  the  help  of  any  funds  other 
than  the  money  he  earned  by  farming  or 
by  teaching  school,  he  gathered  his  re- 
markable library  in  his  little  farmhouse. 
There  were  complete  sets  of  the  works  of 
Saur,  Franklin,  the  Ephrata  press  and  the 
other  early  printers.  There  were  fifty  dif- 
ferent translations  and  editions  of  the 
Bible.  There  were  books,  newspapers, 
pamphlets  and  manuscripts,  many  of  them 
300  or  400  years  old.  In  all  there  were 
50.000  items  in  this  great  collection,  and 
for  many  years  it  served  as  a  storehouse 
of  information  for  scholars  and  writers 
who  were  studying  the  history  of  the 
settlement  of  the  country. 

As  the  feebleness  of  age  overtook  him, 
Mr.  Cassel  made  arrangements  for  the 
preservation  of  his  books  when  he  should 
be  no  more.  Fifteen  years  ago  he  sent 
3000  volumes  of  theological  works  to 
Mount  ]\Iorris  College,  Mount  Morris,  111. 
Juniata  College.  Huntingdon.  Pa.,  after- 
ward obtained  about  16,000  volumes,  and 
the  Pennsylvania  Historical  Society  ac- 
quired 3000  volumes.  The  two  last 
named  institutions  maintain  the  Cassel 
collections  separately  in  their  libraries. 
Mr.  Cassel  also  made  donations  of  books 


to  Bridgewater  College,  in  V:r:;inia,  and 
to  Ashland  College,  in  Ohio. 

Mr.  Cassel  sold  all  the  books  remaining' 
in  his  collection  to  M.  G.  Brumbaugh, 
superintendent  of  the  public  schools  of 
Philadelphia.  Dr.  Brumbaugh  allowed 
the  books  to  remain  in  Mr.  Cassel's  home 
until  his  death,  hesitating  to  deprive  the 
aged  booklover  of  his  treasures  even 
though  failing  eyesight  made  it  impossible 
for  him  to  read. 

In  telling  of  the  great  men  of  the  land, 
it  is  customary  to  recount  the  achieve- 
ments of  military  leaders  who  have  won 
fame  upon  the  battlefield  or  of  the  mag- 
nates of  commercial  life  who,  beginning- 
with  little,  have  amassed  mdlions.  The 
lives  of  such  men,  no  doubt,  present  much 
that  is  valuable  and  admirable.  But  no 
hero  of  the  battlefield  ever  showed  greater 
courage  and  no  millionaire  ever  exhibited 
greater  persistency  than  did  this  humble 
Pennsylvania-German  lad  in  his  obscure 
combat  with  the  powers  o'f  ignorance  and 
prejudice.  It  is  not  simply  the  fact  that 
Cassel  gathered  a  remarkable  library 
which  makes  him  a  great  man,  but  it  is 
because  of  his  unswerving  devotion  to  a 
high  ideal  amidst  sordid  surroundings, 
because  of  his  determination  not  to  go 
with  the  crowd  when  the  crowd  went 
wrong,  because  of  his  resolve  to  make  the 
best  possible  use  of  the  mind  and  the 
soul  with  which  he  had  been  endowed, 
that  the  life  of  Abraham  Harley  Cassel 
stands  as  an  inspiration  for  evervone  who 
has  at  heart  the  progress  of  the  com- 
munity wherein  he  lives. 


The  Germans  in  Franklin  Co.,  Pa. 


Note. — Hon.  M.  A.  Foltz,  of  Chambersburg, 
read  a  very  interesting  paper  before  The 
Kittochtinny  Historical  Society,  Sept.  22,  1898, 
on  "The  German  Influence  in  Pennsylvania : 
With  Special  Reference  to  Franklin  County." 
The  following  copious  extracts,  reprinted  by 
permission,  will  interest  our  readers,  and  l>ear 
strong  testimony  to  the  value  and  influence  of 
the  German  element  in  Pennsylvania. 

E  are  citizens  of  no  mean 
county.  Our  land  has  been 
peopled  by  our  race  only  an 
hundred  and  sixty-eight 
years,  but  in  that  time  it  has 
given   to  the   public   service 


men  who  have  occupied  a  greater  luimber 
of  eminent  .positions  than  has  any  other 
county  in  the  Union.  Settled  almost  at 
the  same  time  by  the  Scotch-Irish  and 
Germans  the  two  peoples  have  become 
intermingled  so  that  it  is  difficult  now  to 
tell  in  many  instances  where  one  ancestry- 
has  predominance  over  the  other.  But 
the  majority  of  our  citizens  are  of  Ger- 
man descent.  This  was  not  so  at  first. 
The  Scotch-Irish  were  the  more  nu- 
merous. They  were  of  the  energetic, 
restless    temperament    that    made    them 


3o8 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


brave  and  eager  warriors,  astute  politi- 
cians and  progressive  citizens.  The  Ger- 
mans made  less  rapid  entry  upon  the 
lands.  They  were  as  intelligent  as  their 
neighbors  though  not  so  intellectual ;  they 
were  not  fond  of  war  and  fought  only 
when  they  must ;  they  were  plodding  and 
frugal,  delighting  in  rich  crops  and  com- 
fortable homes,  and  while  they  hurrr^d 
forward  their  material  advancement  less 
quickly  than  the  Scotch-Irish  they  made 
it  much  more  secure.  In  the  earlv  his- 
tory of  the  county  they  do  not  figure 
much  except  as  honest,  prosperous 
farmers.  They  were  not  regarded  with 
the  same  sense  of  equality  by  the  Scotch- 
Irish  as  later  and  they  were  kept  in  the 
background  in  governmental  affairs.  We 
have  no  evidence  that  they  fretted  much 
because  of  this ;  they  were  satisfied  to 
build  homes,  when  they  could  do  so  in 
peace,  and  establish  that  solid  founda- 
tion which  the^v  have  always  laid  everv- 
where  in  their  communities. 

In  1736  the  "German  Settlement"  at 
Grindstone  Hill  was  begun;  in  the  same 
year  Germans  settled  in  Greene  township ; 
in  1737  Samuel  Bechtel  was  a  resident  of 
Path  Valky.  And  so  the  list  might  be 
continued.  There  were  not  many  Ger- 
mans here  in  the  earliest  years,  but  among 
them  were  those  whose  descendants  have 
been  prominent  for  years  in  the  county. 
In  addition  to  those  named  were 
the  Schneiders,  Piscackers,  Ledermans, 
Kolps,  Bechtels,  Gabriels,  Ringers,  Stein- 
ers,  Sensenys,  Radebaughs,  Bonbrakes 
and  Wolfls,  all  before  1745.  After  that 
the  influx  was  very  great.  It  is  not  our 
purpose  to  trace  the  individual  early 
settlers  or  to  enumerate  them.  That  has 
been  done  in  the  several  histories  of  the 
county.  The  desire,  now,  only  is  to 
tell,  in  as  concise  form  as  possible,  of  the 
influence  the  Germans  had  upon  our 
county's  history  in  her  educational  and 
religious  development  and  in  agricultural, 
mechanical  and  commercial  aspects  and 
to  refer  to  the  part  they  played  in  state- 
craft and  war. 

The  logical  place  of  beginning  is  with 
the  churches,  because  the"  church  was  a 
part  of  the  German  and  because  it  led  to 
the  schools,  church  schools  at  first  and 
secular    afterward.      The    Germans    who 


have  had  most  impress  upon  this  coun- 
ty's history  were  members  of  the  Re- 
formed. Lutheran,  Alennonite.  Dunker, 
River  Brethren,  United  Brethren,  and 
Seventh  Day  Baptist  churches. 

•  Less  than  a  dozen  years  after  the  first 
settlement  of  the  county  there  were  Re- 
formed and  Lutheran  families  in  the  vic- 
inity of  Shady  Grove  and  Grindstone 
Hill  who  formed  themselves  into  small 
congregations  for  the  purpose  of  worship 
and  who  were  visited  by  missionary  pas- 
tors. In  1748  Michael  Schlatter,  the 
great  Reformed  missionary,  visited  the 
county  and  preached  to  many  families. 
In  1752  the  German  Baptists  organized 
the  Antietam  congregation  near  Waynes- 
boro. In  1765  Rev.  John  George  Bager, 
of  Conewago,  York  county,  began  visit- 
ing the  Lutherans  of  this  section  and  or- 
ganized the  Grindstone  Hill  congregation. 
At  the  same  time  the  Reformed  congrega- 
tion of  Grindstone  Hill  was  organized. 
In  1770  the  St.  John's  Lutheran  congre- 
gation was  established  here  by  Rev.  John 
George  Young,  of  Hagerstown,  who 
preached  in  German.  In  1773  Besore's 
(now  Salem)  Reformed  congregation 
near  Waynesboro  was  organized  by  Rev. 
Jacob  Weymer,  of  Hagerstown,  and 
worshipped  in  a  log  school  house.  In 
1775  John  Peter  Miller  organized  the 
Snow  Hill  Seventh  Day  Baptist  cong^re- 
gation  in  Quincy  tp.,  where  the  doctrines 
of  the  church  had  been  preached  ten 
years  previously.  In  1776  the  Reformed 
and  Lutheran  people  built  their  union 
house  of  worship  at  Grindstone  Hill  and 
as  early  as  1785  they  had  their  "old  log 
church"  in  Greencastle ;  in  1784  or  1785 
Zion's  Reformed  congregation  of  Cham- 
bersburg  was  established  by  Rev.  Jacob 
Weymer.  In  1792  Rev.  Jonathan 
Rahauser  was  the  Reformed  pastor  in 
Mercersburg.  In  1800  Rev.  John  Ruth- 
ruft'  was  the  first  Lutheran  pastor  in  Mer- 
cersburg and  Waynesboro.  althou2:h  both 
congregations  had  been  organized  long 
before.  The  Mennonites  in  Greene  town- 
ship held  services  in  the  homes  of  their 
members  from  the  time  of  their  arrival 
here  until  1804.  when  the  present  church 
north  of  Chambersburg  was  erected  with 
Peter  Lehman  as  first  pastor.  Before 
the  close  of  the  last  centurv  there  was  a 


THE  GERMANS  IN  FRANKLIN  COUNTY 


309 


Reformed  congregation  at  Ouincy  and  at 
the  beginning  of  the  present  century  the 
Reformed  and  Lutheran  people  held  ser- 
vices in  one  building.  In  1795  Rev. 
Christian  Newcomer  and  Rev.  Geo.  A. 
Guething  preached  the  United  Breth- 
ren doctrines  in  Rocky  Spring  and  Cham- 
bersburg  and  their  labors  resulted  in  the 
formation,  some  years  afterward,  of 
several  congregations.  About  1820  the 
first  Reformed  Mennonite  Minister, 
Christian  Frantz,  came  here  from  Lan- 
caster county  and  began  organizing  a 
congregation  near  Waynesboro.  In  1830 
the  River  Brethren  established  several 
congregations  in  the  county. 

The  scholarly  influennce  of  the  Re- 
formed clergymen,  the  aggressive  and 
progressive  pastorates  of  the  Lutheran 
and  the  strong,  enthusiastic  congregations 
of  the  LTnited  Brethren  growing  with  un- 
precedented rapidity  are  recognized,  while 
no  class  of  people  have  surpassed  or  do 
surpass  the  Alennonites.  German  Baptists, 
River  Brethren,  Dunkers  and  Seventh 
Day  Baptists  as  prosperous,  orderly,  God- 
fearing citizens  who  enrich,  materially 
and  spiritually,  every  community  in  which 
they  make  their  residence.  The  in- 
fluence of  the  Reformed  church  has  been 
greatest  of  all  the  churches  of  the  coun- 
ty. Marshall  college  at  Mercersburg  and 
the  Reformed  Theological  Seminary  there 
have  been  presided  over  by  the  theological 
thinkers  and  writers  who  hold  high  places 
in  their  distinctive  world.  SchafT  and 
Ranch  and  Harbaugh  and  Gerhart  and 
Appel  constituted  that  powerful  body  of 
theplogians  who  gave  to  the  Christo- 
logical  principle  its  great  importance  in 
the  church  doctrines  of  to-day,  and  the 
impress  of  the  college  as  a  mere  educa- 
tional institution  will  never  be  erased. 
Had  Franklin  county  given  nothing  to 
the  world  except  the  teachings  of  Mer- 
cersburg's  theologians  she  would  have 
made  a  rich  contribution. 

Eager  for  education  as  their  ancestors 
were  it  was  to  be  expected  that  the  Ger- 
mans of  a  half-century  and  more  ago 
would  be  quick  to  embrace  the  opportu- 
nities offered  by  the  free  school  system 
No  class  of  people  in  this  county  has 
given  it  more  support  and  none  has  con- 
tributed   more    laro-elv    to    the    ranks    of 


school  teachers,  while  of  the  ten  super- 
intendents of  schools  in  the  county  since 
1854  seven  have  been  of  German  descent. 

The  newspaper  is  called  the  great  ed- 
ucator and  here  again  the  German  has 
been  the  controlling  power.  In  the  early 
history  of  the  county  there  were  German 
papers  printed  here.  At  one  time  two 
such  weekly  publications  were  issued. 
The  late  Judge  Henry  Ruby,  in  a  hisiori- 
cal  sketch,  said :  "There  were  but  few 
families  in  town  and  country  that  did 
not  then  understand  the  German  lan- 
guage, which  accounts  for  two  weekly 
papers  being  sustained  in  that  language." 
Judge  Ruby  in  this  statement  proves  two 
things,  the  quick  ascendency  of  the  Ger- 
man influence  in  the  county  and  the  in- 
telligence of  the  German  residents,  for 
newspapers  are  always  a  test  of  the  intel- 
lectual character  of  a  community. 

The  Germans  were  not  numerically  as 
strong  at  the  Franklin  county  bar  in  the 
earlier  days  as  their  neighbors  the 
Scotch- Irish,  but  they  have  given  to  it  a 
number  of  eminent  attorneys.  Hon, 
Jere  S.  Black  and  Hon.  F.  M.  Kimmell 
were  two  of  our  President  Judges  of 
Pennsylvania-German  antecedents.  Four 
associate  justices,  Jacob  Oyster.  Henry 
Ruby,  John  Huber  and  David  Oakes  were 
Germans.  To-day  37  of  the  49  practic- 
ing members  of  the  bar  are  of  German 
ancestry,  among  them  those  counted  the 
leading  practitioners. 

A  like  condition  exists  as  regards  the 
medical  profession.  The  German  prac- 
titioners were  not  so  numerous  in  early 
days  as  they  are  now,  when  they  are  in  a 
majority  in  the  county,  but  Germans 
were  at  the  head  of  the  profession  here 
for  many  years.  One  of  the  first  physi- 
cians in  Chambersburg  was  Dr.  Andrew 
Baiim,  a  graduate  of  German  universi- 
ties ;  the  first  physician  in  Waynesboro 
was  a  German,  Dr.  John  Oelig,  who  es- 
tablished himself  there  in  1790.  and  his 
descendants  are  still  in  the  practice  of 
the  profession.  Doubtless  there  were 
other  pioneer  physicians  who  were  Ger- 
mans. The  "healing  art"  has  had  here 
many  exponents  through  whose  veins 
flowed  the  careful,  thoughtful,  patient 
German  blood.  They  cannot  be  enum- 
erated.     On    this    occasion    let    us    refer 


3IO 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


only  to  the  brilliant  Senseny  and  schol- 
arly Lane  families  each  of  which  gave 
to  our  county  a  number  of  our  best 
physicians,  Dr.  Adam  Carl  and  Dr.  J.  L. 
Suesserott,  whose  names  and  skill  will 
long  be  remembered  and  whom  the  pro- 
fession will  always  class  as  the  ablest  of 
their  time.  Their  students  were  many 
and  are  still  in  active  and  leading  prac- 
tice in  various  communities. 

Many  of  the  men  Franklin  county  has 
sent  to  represent  her  in  Congress  and  the 
State  Legislature  have  been  Germans, 
and  Joseph  Snively  was  one  of  her  repre- 
sentatives in  the  Constitutional  Conven- 
tion of  1837.  Hon.  W.  S.  Stenger  was 
Congressman  and  Secretary  of  the  Com- 
monwealth. Hon.  George  W.  Brewer 
and  Hon.  W.  U.  Brewer  represented  the 
county  in  the  Senate. 

The  list  of  Germans  who  have  filled 
county  offices  is  much  too  lengthy  for 
recitation  here.  This  much  can  be  said 
with  reference  to  it,  that  while  men  of 
German  birth  were,  in  the  early  history 
of  our  county,  not  frequently  nominated 
to  office,  they  have  not  been  ignored 
during  the  past  three-quarters  of  a  cen- 
tury and  for  a  long  time  have  held  the 
majority  of  the  public  places  at  the  dis- 
posal of  their  fellow-citizens.  That  the 
•Germans  were  a  long  time  in  arriving  at 
the  office-holding  estate  was  not  due  to 
lack  of  ability  or  integrity,  but  to  the 
■circumstances  that  they  were  at  first  in  a 
minority  and  that  for  many  years  the 
Mennonites  and  Dunkers  and  their 
brethren  took  no  part  in  politics  and 
could  not  be  induced  to  accept  an  office 
or  even  to  vote — a  condition  which  ex- 
ists to-day  to  a  less  extent. 

In  the  domain  of  agriculture  the  Ger- 
mans of  Franklin  county  have  been 
easily  pre-eminent.  They  have  the  most 
productive  lands  and  the  most  acres, 
they  study  their  crops  as  a  lawyer  his 
cases,  they  are  quickest  to  introduce  new 
machinery,  they  have  the  best  homes 
and  the  biggest  barns,  they  have  the 
most  patience  and  the  most  industry ; 
the  sleekest  and  the  strongest  horses 
that  pull  loads  of  grain  to  our  elevators 
are  those  of  the  Mennonites  and  Dunkers 
and  River  E>rethren  or  their  children ; 
the  fattest  and.  the  best  butter  producing 


cows  and  the  ones  that  carry  home  pre- 
miums from  every  agricultural  fair  at 
which  they  are  exhibited  are  owned  by 
the  same  class  of  people. 

A  well-known  Mennonite  of  Greene 
township  said  the  other  day:  "My 
grandfather  came  here  in  1792.  The 
slate  lands  were  too  high  in  price  for 
him  to  buy — they  were  occupied  by  the 
Scotch-Irish  who  found  them  easiest  to 
work — and  he  bought  a  farm  here  in  the 
limestone  region,  where  the  land  was 
considered  very  poor  and  was  cheap." 
It  is  not  necessary  to  tell  this  society  of 
the  relative  values  of  the  limestone  and 
slate  lands  of  the  county  now,  nor  to  de- 
note the  cause  of  the  difference. 

A  Franklin  covuity  public  man  of 
Irish  descent  has  this  to  say  of  the  Ger- 
mans in  Letterkenny  and  Lurgan  town- 
ships :  "They  were  all  or  nearly  all  in- 
dustrious and  economical.  They  found 
the  soil  apparently  exhausted,  and  build- 
ings and  fences  dilapidated.  Indeed,  to 
this  day  an  insufficient  fence  is  called  an 
Irish  fence.  The  Germans  made  rails  in 
the  winter  and  as  soon  as  the  snow  was 
gone  fence-making  was  in  order,  then 
deeper  plowing,  more  thorough  cultiva- 
tion in  every  way,  then  lime-burning  and 
liming  the  land  without  stint,  thus  en- 
abling them  to  grow  clover  and  thereby 
enriching  the  land.  More  recently,  un- 
derdraining  and  the  use  of  commercial 
fertilizers  have  brought  these  acres  from 
among  the  poorest  to  among  the  best  in 
the  county,  and  instead  of  the  small, 
dilapidated  dwellings  and  straw-roofed 
barns  of  eighty  years  and  less  ago  we 
have  comfortable  farm  houses  well  fur- 
nished and  commodious'barns,  well  filled." 

The  late  John  B.  Kauffman  used  to 
tell  that  the  Germans  who  had  "in  great 
measure  taken  the  place  of  the  old 
pioneer"  in  Letterkenny  township,  were 
not  always  looked  upon  with  favor,  and 
that  one  ot  these  pioneers  once  "Won- 
dered, reverently  of  course,  'what  God 
Almighty  meant  in  making  the  Dutch- 
man and  letting  him  have  the  best  of  the 
land  beside.  '  "  The  German,  however, 
onlv  took  that  which  was  left  in  many 
sections. 

That  which  they  purchased  a  century 
ago  is  principally  in  German  possession 


THE  GERMANS  IX  ERAXKLIX  COUXTY 


311 


now  (in  many  instances  never  having 
passed  from  the  family)  and  thousands 
■of  acres  which  they  then  looked  upon, 
we  doubt  not,  with  envy  that  was  not 
covetousness,  are  now  owned  by  their 
<lescendants.  Their  history  has  been  a 
slow  but  always-growing  acquisition  of 
territory,  and,  with  it.  of  respect  from 
their  fellows. 

Among  the  settlers  in  Letterkenny 
township  after  the  Revolution  were  a 
number  of  Hessians,  who  became,  all  ac- 
counts say.  good  citizens  and  industrious 
farmers,  and  whose  descendants  are, 
many  of  them,  among  our  best-knowx. 
people. 

The  Germans  have  built  up  l^rankliu 
county's  greatest  manufactories,  after  in- 
Tenting  the  machinery  that  is  sent  from 
them  to  nearly  every  country  on  the 
^lobe.  In  our  early  history  there  were 
busy  Germans,  too,  and  they  did  the 
hulk  of  the  manufacturing.  They  built 
the  "Dutch  ovens"  which  are  yet  seen, 
they  operated  flouring  and  saw  mills,  flax 
and  flax-seed  oil  mills;  in  1794  Anthony 
Snyder  made  the  first  scythe  and  sickles 
on  West  King  street  along  the  Conoco- 
cheague.  In  the  same  year,  1794.  Jacob 
Dechert  manufactured  hats  in  Chambers- 
burg.  About  1800  Jacob  Heyser  made 
copper  kettles  and  other  copper  goods 
here ;  in  1810  Jacob  Dechert  was  followed 
in  the  manufacture  of  hats  by  James 
\\'right  in  Chambersburg,  and  Jacob 
Kreps  and  John  Weitzel  in  Greencastle ; 
in  1812  John  and  Thomas  Johns  began 
forging  sickles  and  scythes  in  "Kerrs- 
town ;''  about  the  same  time  or  perhaps 
•earlier  Thomas  Johns  and  William  Ferry 
made  augurs ;  Philip  Shall  constructed 
cards  for  fulling  mills,  and  George  Faber 
followed  him  at  a  later  period  on  West 
Market  street ;  in  1820  Jacob  Smith  man- 
ufactured tacks  "by  hand."  and  in  1821 
Christian  Etter  began  making  cut  nails  in 
•ChamBersburg.  In  1838  the  first  sleeping 
car  ever  used  on  any  railroad  was  con- 
structed for  the  C.  \'.  R.  R.  from  plans 
made  by  Philip  Berlin,  at  one  time  Super- 
intendent, and  the  first  cab  on  a  locomo- 
tive was  the  design  of  Daniel  Hull,  an 
engineer,  and  placed  on  an  old  Franklin 
railroad  locomotive  by  Jacob  Shafer.  who 
resides  vet  on  West  Market  street. 


In  few  inland  counties  in  the  State  do 
the  wheels  of  trade  turn  with  busier  hum 
than  in  Franklin.  With  the  exception  of 
the  C.  \'.  R.  R.,  the  Chambersburg  Engi- 
neering Company's  shops  and  some  lesser 
establishments,  every  manufactory  is  the 
product  of  German  ingenuity  and  capital 
and  is  directed  by  men  of  German  an- 
cestry. George  Frick  and  Peter  Geiser 
were  farmer  boys  before  they  invented 
the  Frick  steam  engine  and  the  Geiser 
separators,  and  they  and  their  German 
colleagues  built  up  the  Waynesboro  estab- 
lishments, which  today  have  on  their  pay- 
rolls more  than  a  thousand  people.  The 
Landis  Universal  Grinder,  which  has  a 
world-wide  reputation,  was  a  German  in- 
vention, and  Germans  control  its  con- 
struction in  big  shops  in  Waynesboro.  So 
also  is  the  American  Manufacturing 
Company,  of  the  same  place,  under  Ger- 
man management. 

For  years  two  of  Chambersburg's  lead- 
ing industries  were  paper  and  straw 
board  mills.  The  first  straw  boards  man- 
ufactured in  America  were  made  by  Geo. 
A.  Shyrock,  at  Hollywell.  He  practically 
"invented"  the  paper  board.  A  cousin 
called  his  attention  to  the  fact  that  straw 
acted  upon  by  potash  was  converted  into 
a  substance  closely  resembling  the  pulp  out 
of  which  the  ordinary  wrapping  paper 
was  made.  Mr.  Shyrock  immediately 
began  experiments,  and  in  1829  produced 
straw  paper  and  straw  boards,  the  very 
first  ever  used  as  a  staple  article  anywhere 
in  the  world.  A  Franklin  county  Ger- 
man had  again  given  something  new  to 
the  world's  commerce  and  his  successors 
in  the  business  and  also  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  rag  paper,  in  which  Mr.  Shyrock 
had  been  engaged  before  he  evolved  the 
strawboard.  were  the  German-descended 
Heysers. 

It  would  have  been  a  pleasing  work, 
had  time  permitted,  to  have  given  in  this 
paper  some  detailed  testimony  to  the 
patriotism  of  the  Germans  of  Franklin 
county  when  war's  "alarum"  has  been 
sounded.  They  were  on  the  frontier  of 
the  settlements  before  the  Revolution,  and 
bore  the  brunt  of  the  Indians'  attacks, 
they  were  part  of  the  English  army  in  the 
French  and  Indian  War.  and  they  fought 
for  freedom  along  with  their  Scotch-Irish 


312 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


neighbors  in  the  Revolutionary  struggle. 
In  the  Whiskey  Insurrection  they  formed 
part  of  Franklin  county's  quota  of  281 
men,  and  in  the  War  of  1812  they  were 
conspicuous.  By  this  time  they  had  dem- 
onstrated to  the  satisfaction  of  their  neigh- 
bors their  executive  ability  and  their  cour- 
age, that  v^as  dauntless,  and  they  held 
many  of  the  commissioned  offices.  Jere- 
miah Snider  was  a  colonel ;  Henry  Reges, 
Andrew  Oakes,  Jacob  Stake  were  cap- 
tains ;  Jeremiah  Senseney,  John  Musser, 
John  Small,  John  Snider  and  others  were 
lieutenants,  and  there  were  scores  of  pri- 
vates. One  of  the  Bonbrake  families 
which  radiated  from  Grindstone  Hill  is 
said  to  have  given  to  the  American  army 
seven  sons  during  this  struggle.  In  the 
Mexican  War  the  majority  of  the  Frank- 
lin countians  who  participated  were  Ger- 
mans, the  records  show.  In  the  Civil 
War  the  number  of  Germans  who  enlisted 
from  this  county  was  far  in  excess  of 
any  other  nationality.  We  meet  many 
of  them  daily,  and  we  remember  those 
who  sleep  under  the  folds  of  the  flag.  The 
roll  of  Company  C  of  the  Eighth  Regi- 
ment is  made  up  almost  entirely  of  Ger- 
man names. 

And  not  only  in  Franklin  county  has 
the  influence  of  our  Germans  been  felt. 
In  large  numbers  they  have  gone  to  the 
Western  States  and  there  have  been 
chosen  to  many  public  ofifices  and  have 
been  foremost  in  the  development  of  the 
territory.  The  Pennsylvania-German  in 
the  West  is  an  institution  of  which  the 
mixed  population  there  is  exceedingly 
proud,  and  to  which  it  bows  in  acknowl- 
ment  of  intelligence  and  ability  in  many 
directions. 

Such  has  been  and  is  a  record  of  the 
Germans  who  have  found  their  active 
sphere  in  this  county.  It  is  not  com- 
plete, I  know,  and  there  are  many 
additions  that  can  be  made  to  it  by  mem- 
bers of  German  families.  It  is  my  hope 
that  this  paper  will  lead  to  the  examina- 
tion of  old  papers  and  records  and  to  the 
reviving  of  traditions  that  will  set  forth 
in  much  fuller  manner  the  great  influence 
of  the  German  brain  and  brawn  and  char- 
acter upon  this  county.  This  paper  is 
merely  the  frame  upon  which  the  more 
finished  history  may  be  hung.    To  it  must 


be  added  the  stories  of  the  personal 
achievements  of  the  Gernians  and  their 
effect  upon  the  current  of  local  events. 
It  will  take  a  long  time  to  give  it  that 
roundness  which  it  lacks  now  only  for 
the  want  of  an  historian,  but  it  will  some 
day  have  this  and  then  there  will  be  a 
richly  treasured  heritage  for  us.  It  will 
be  the  record  of  an  honest  people,  loving 
God  and  loving  education,  who  came  to 
this  county  to  settle  on  the  poorest  lands 
and  who  have  acquired  possession  of  the 
most  productive  farms  and  most  profit- 
able business  houses,  who  taught  good 
citizenship,  who  at  first  were  scorned  but 
who  by  merit  and  despite  much  jostling 
acquired  ascendency  at  the  bar,  in  the  pul- 
pits, in  medicine  and  in  the  school  rooms ; 
who  fought  for  their  country  with  brav- 
ery and  with  never  a  protest. 

It  is  a  record  that  must  deepen  the  rev- 
erence of  German  descendants  for  their 
sturdy  fathers,  and  excite  the  admiration 
of  those  who  are  "without  the  pale."  And, 
let  me  bear  testimony,  not  the  least  tribute 
we  olTer  must  be  to  the  good  German 
mothers — those  noble  women  who  spun 
the  flax  and  bound  the  grain,  who  shared 
in  joys,  who  soothed  the  fever  and  made 
less  bitter  the  draught  of  disappointment, 
who  reared  the  children  and  taught  them 
the  Ten  Commandments  and  the  trusting 
evening  prayer,  "Ein  Feste  Burg"  and 
our  own  "America" ;  who  impressed  the 
lessons  of  thrift  that  was  not  cupidity,  of 
ambition  that  crushed  not  the  competitor, 
and  of  love  for  home  and  family  that  has 
given  Pennsylvania  and  Franklin  county 
their  greatest  strength.  Modest  as  they 
have  always  been,  they  have  never  been 
able  to  veil  their  worth,  and  the  impetu- 
ous Scotch-Irishmen  have  sued  for  their 
hands  and  their  tender  love  with  a  per- 
sistency that  has  borne  excellent  fruit. 
Today  there  are  few  families,  whose  an- 
cestors came  here  in  bygone  days,  which 
lack  the  German  mother,  and  the  best 
aspirations  of  lives  well-spent  are  those 
that  are  attributed  to  her  implanting. 
Wife  and  counsellor,  mother  and  guide, 
wealth-maker  and  home-maker,  she  is  the 
best  product  of  the  German  race.  We 
owe  much  to  our  fathers :  Our  fathers 
owe  their  all  to  the  German  mother. 


THE  MATERNAL  GRANDMOTHER  OF  WASHINGTON 


M3 


The  Maternal  Grandmother  of  Washington. 

BY    REV.     HORACE    EDWIN    HAYDEN,    M.A.,    WILKES-BARRE,    PA. 


THE  article  under  this  title  from 
the  pen  of  Mr.  John  Stot- 
senburg,  of  New  Albany, 
Inch,  published  in  the  May 
number  of  The  Pennsyl- 

vanixS.-German,     does     me 

such  injustice,  I  am  sure  unintentionally, 
that  I  ask  as  a  subscriber  the  publication 
of  this  article  in  reply. 

Mr.  Stotsenburg  quotes  just  ten  lines 
in  his  paper,  p.  226,  from  my  book  "Vir- 
ginia Genealogies,"  which  book  he  evi- 
dently had  neither  read  nor  seen,  as  he 
does  not  give  the  correct  title  of  the  work. 
And  yet  he  gives  part  of  two  columns  of 
The  Pennsylvania-German  from  my 
book  as  coming  from  the  pen  of  my 
friend.  Rev.  G.  W.  Beale. 

The  only  facts  given  by  him  as  discov- 
ered by  Mr.  Beale  in  connection  with 
Washington's  maternal  grandmother,  are 
her  third  marriage  to  Captain  Richard 
Hughes,  and  her  career  with  him ;  facts 
which  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  discern 
in  the  chaotic  condition  of  the  Lancaster 
county  records  under  the  reconstruction 
clerk  when  I  visited  there  in  1885. 

As  everything  concerning  Washing- 
ton's grandfather  and  grandmother  is  in- 
teresting, I  beg  you  will  give  the  follow- 
ing pages  in  full,  as  they  were  never 
printed  elsewhere  than  in  my  "Virginia 
Genealogies,"  now  out  of  print : 

COLONEL  JOSEPH^  BALL  (IVil- 
liain^),  of  "Epping  Forest,"  Lancaster 
county,  Va.,  b.  England.  May  24.  1649; 
came  to  Va.  in  his  infancy  ;  d.  "Epping 
Forest,"  June,  1711  ;  will  dat.  June  25; 
pro.  Lancaster  county,  July  11,  171 1. 

He  m.  (L),  it  is  said,  in  England,  cir. 
1675,  Elizabeth  Rogers,  or  Elizabeth 
Romney,  dau.  of  William  Romney,  of 
London,  who  d.  prior  to  1703.  He  m. 
(H.),  1707-8,  Mary  Johnson,  widow, 
of  Lancaster  county,  Va.,  b.  in  England ; 
d.  Lancaster  county,  Va.,  17 — . 

Of  Colonel  Ball  very  little  is  known.  He 
wa.s  a  mnn  of  prominence  in  his  county  and 
parish,  a  Lieut.  Colonel  and  a  vestryman.     But 


his  name  has  become  interesting  to  Americans 
ington.  Lieut.  Colonel  Joseph  Ball  received  a 
as  that  of  the  grandfather  of  General  Wash- 
grant  of  land  1704. 

It  is  proven  that  he  was  twice  married,  and 
that  the  "mother  of  Washington"  was  his' only 
child  by  his  second  marriage,  but  the  history 
of  his  first  and  second  wife  is  more  or  less 
traditional.  This  sketch  differs  from  all  ac- 
cepted authorities  on  the  subject,  therefore  a 
careful  consideration  of  the  following  reasons 
for  Its  deductions  is  asked.  The  letter  of  Col. 
James  Ball,  of  "Bewdley,"  gives  the  name  of 
the  first  wife  as  ''Rogers."  The  twelve  or 
more  charts  of  the  family  which  I  have  ex- 
amined show  a  common  origin  in  that  letter. 
These  uniformly  give  the  name  as  "Rogers" 
Before  publishing  his  "Washington  and  Mt. 
Vernon,"  Mr.  M.  D.  Conway  consulted  me  on 
the  matter.  As  I  had  not  then  digested  and 
arranged  my  data,  I  could  only  give  Mr.  C. 
the  above  facts.  Since  then  I  have  re-written 
the  "Ball  family"  and  extended  mv  researches 
with  the  following  results : 

There  is  no  record  of  Col.  Ball's  marriages 
among  the  marriage  bonds  of  Lancaster, county, 
nor  do  I  find  any  mention  of  the  name  of  the 
first  wife  in  the  county  or  church  books.  The 
Letter  Book  of  Joseph  Ball,  19,  son  of  Col. 
Joseph  Ball  by  his  first  wife,  and  a  lawyer  of 
London,  covering  the  seventeen  years'  from 
1743  to  1760,  with  many  other  papers,  is  still 
preserved  in  the  hands  of  his  descendant,  Miss 
Downman,  of  Washington.  These  papers  show 
that  he  had  given  much  attention  to  the  sub- 
ject of  his  ancestry  while  in  London.  Most 
of  the  early  Ball  wills  given  in  these  pages 
are  from  copies  obtained  by  him  and  his  son- 
in-law,  Rawleigh  Downman.  No  mention  of 
the  maiden  name  of  his  mother  occurs  in  these 
papers.  But  there  is  among  his  descendants  a 
tradition  that  Joseph  Ball's  first  wife  was 
named  Elisabeth  Romney  or  Ruinney.  A  tra- 
dition so  trusted  that  the  name  Romney  occurs 
frequently  in  this  line  in  memory  of  his  first 
wife.  It  is  to  the  kindness  of  her  gt.  gt.  gt.  gr. 
dau.,  Miss  Julia  Romney  Downman,  that  I 
owe  the  privilege  of  examining  the  papers  of 
Joseph  Ball. 

It  is  stated  that  Col.  Ball  resided  in  England 
until  his  first  wife's  death.  If  that  is  cor- 
rect, his  children  by  his  first  marriage  were 
born  in  England.  This  would  also  place  his 
wife's  death  prior  to  1703.  Col.  Ball's  second 
wife,  Mrs.  Mary  Johnson,  was  born  in  Eng- 
land, as  appears  from  the  statement  of  her 
niece,  Mrs.  Shearman,  that  she  was  an  English 
woman.  By  her  first  marriage  she  had  a 
daughter,  Elizabeth  Johnson,  named  in  Col. 
Bali's  will.     The  date  of  his  second  marriage 


314 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


is  bastd  on  the  fact  that  Mary  Ball,  his 
daughter  by  this  union,  died  in  her  82d  year, 
_Aug.  25,  1789,  which  places  her  birth  at  1707-8; 
and  also  on  a  deed  recorded  in  Lancaster  coun- 
ty-, from  Col.  B.  to  his  son  Joseph  for  two 
tracts  of  land,  721  and  200  a.,  which,  should  his 
son  d.  s.  p.,  was  to  pass  to  his  daughters.  This 
•deed,  dated  Feb.  7,  1707,  states  that  at  that 
date  lie  had  no  zvife.  The  witnesses  were 
James  Ball  and  John  Robertson.  He  names 
in  this  deed  his  daughters,  Mrs.  Hannah 
Travers,  Mrs.  Anne  Conway,  Mrs.  Chinn  and 
Mrs.  Jo.  Carnegie.  That  he  married  the 
widow  Johnson  in  Lancaster  county  appears 
from  a  deed  recorded  in  that  county  February 
12,  1703,  from  Col.  B.  to  his  son-in-law,  Raleigh 
Chinn,  of  190  a.,  witnessed  by  George  Frick 
and  Mary  Johnson. 

While  preparing  the  Conway  Family  history, 
my  friend,  Mr.  R.  AL  Conway,  suggested  that 
this  witnessing  of  the  deed  of  1703  by  Mary 
Johnson  might  indicate  that  she  was  at  that 
time  Col.  Ball's  "housekeeper."  This  was 
merely  a  hypothesis  of  Mr.  C,  and  based,  as 
he  wrote  me,  on  no  possible  evidence  beyond 
her  presence  at  the  making  of  the  deed.  I  re- 
gret to  see  that  Mr.  Moncure  D.  Conway,  in 
his  "Washington  and  Mt.  Vernon,"  p.  xiv., 
gives  this  hypothesis  as  a  fact,  and  regards  it 
as  a  proof  of  "the  plebeian  origin"  of  Wash- 
ington's grandmother.  It  is  not  easy  to  see 
how  the  position  of  a  "housekeeper"  at  that 
date,  or  at  the  present  time,  can  be  arbitrarily 
accepted  as  indicating  a  plebeian  origin. 

Mrs.  Ann  Shearman,  who  was  a  child  when 
Col.  Joseph  Ball,  her  grandfather  died,  and 
of  whom  Col.  James  Ball  made  inquiry  about 
Mrs.  Johnson,  gave  no  indication  that  the 
widow  held  any  position  in  the  Ball  family 
before  she  became  the  wife  of  Col.  Joseph 
Ball.  The  signature  of  Mary  Johnson,  as  wit- 
ness to  the  deed  of  1703,  proves  no  more  than 
does  the  signature  of  George  Frick,  the  other 
witness.  Many  of  the  old  deeds  of  those  times 
were  witnessed  by  the  Clerk  of  the  County 
Court,  showing  that  the  deeds  were  often 
executed,  signed  and  witnessed  in  the  Clerk's 
office,  possibly  by  any  person  or  friend  at 
-hand.     Many  such  witnesses  made  their  mark. 

Mr.  Conway  suggests  (Mag.  Am.  His.  XVH., 
197 — note)  that  Col.  Ball's  deeds  to  his  children 
prior  to  his  second  marriage  "look  as  if  he 
were  conciliating  his  family."  It  was  custom- 
ary at  that  day,  when  the  law  of  primogeni- 
ture prevailed,  and  the  wife's  estate  was  by 
marriage  merged  into  the  estate  of  her  hus- 
band and  entirely  in  his  control,  for  the 
widower  to  make  some  settlement  for  the  chil- 
dren by  the  first  wife,  prior  to  his  second  mar- 
riage. This  appears  especially  in  the  case  of 
Col.  Edwin  Conway.  If  the  "conciliation"  was 
supposed  to  be  necessary  on  the  hypothesis  that 
he  was  about  to  marry  his  "housekeeper" 
against  the  wishes  of  his  children,  the  same 
might  apply  to  Col.  Conway's  marriage. 

There  is  some  reason  to  believe  that  Mrs. 
Mary  Johnson  was  of  Montague  lineage,  and 
if  so,  that  George  Washington,  her  illustrious 
grandson,  is  descended  from   Drogo  de  Mon- 


tacuto,  who.  b.  cir.  1040,  accompanied  Wil- 
liam the  Conqueror  to  the  shores  of  Britain, 
and  founded  the  great  Montague  family  of 
Eng'land.  That  the  Montagues  of  Virginia, 
who  descended  from  Peter  Montague,  who 
came  to  Virginia  1621,  can  justly  claim  such 
lineage,  has  been  demonstrated  by  Mr.  Geo. 
W.  Montague,  of  Amherst,  Mass.,  in  his  "Mon- 
tague   Genealogy,"    p.    641. 

Capt.  G.  W.  Ball,  who  has  so  efficiently 
aided  me  in  the  Ball  famil\',  writes  me  that  in 
his  manuscript  of  the  family  of  Joseph  Ball 
there  is  a  pencil  interlineation  made  nearly  fifty 
years  ago  of  the  name  of  "Montague"  in  con- 
nection with  Mrs.  Mary  Johnson.  Hon.  Rob- 
ert L.  Montague,  at  one  time  Lieut.  Governor 
of  Virginia,  wrote  in  1849  to  I\Ir.  Wm.  H. 
Montague,  of  Boston,  that  "the  tradition  has 
been  handed  down  in  our  family  that  George 
Washington  was  of  Montague  blood  through 
his  mother  or  grandmother.  The  tombstones 
in  White  Chapel  church  yard,  an  old  colonial 
church  in  Lancaster  county,  clearly  proves  the 
intermarriages  of  the  IMontagues  and  Balls." 

Peter  Montague,  the  head  of  the  Virginia 
line,  was  a  Burgess  from  Lancaster  coimty 
1651-1658.      (Hen.   I,  431.) 

It  is  a  significant  fact  that  Washington  used 
as  his  common  seal  the  Montague  crest.  In 
1792,  when  Sir  Isaac  Heard  wrote  to  the  Presi- 
dent making  inquiry  into  the  Washington 
pedigree,  and  enclosing  Washington  Arms, 
General  Washington  replied :  "The  arms  en- 
closed in  your  letter  are  the  same  that  are  held 
by  the  family  here,  though  I  have  also  seen, 
and  have  used,  as  you  may  perceive  by  the 
seal  to  this  packet,  a  Hying  griffin  for  the 
crest." 

An  examination  of  Burke's  Armory  will 
show  that  the  crest  of  the  English  Washington 
family  is  "out  of  a  ducal  coronet,  a  raven  unth 
lifings  endorsed  ppr,"  or,  *'a»  eagle  zvith  wings 
endorsed  sa."  The  crest  of  the  Montague  fam- 
ily is  "out  of  a  ducal  coronet  gu  a  griffin's 
head  belozv  tzi'o  zvings,  or."  The  "ducal  coro- 
net" is  simply  a  "crest-coronet,"  and  does  not 
indicate  ducal  descent.  Mr.  M.  D.  Conway, 
in  his  "Washington,"  etc.,  goes  fully  into  the 
discussion  of  the  Washington  Arms.  He  does 
not  refer  to  the  Montague  tradition,  but  at- 
tributes the  griffin  crest  to  the  German  Wash- 
ington family,  and  considers  it  a  legitimate 
Washington  crest. 

Children,  first  marriage : 

15.  i.     Hannah,3  b. — ,   1683?  m.  ante   1707, 

Raleigh  Travers. 

16.  ii.     Elizabeth,    b.  — ,     168- ;     d.     before 

1711;  m.  ante  1710,  Rev.  John 
Carnegie,  ordained  and  licensed 
for  the  Church  in  Va.  by  the  Ld. 
Bishop  of  London,  Oct.  26,  1700. 
Is  not  mentioned  by  Dashiell.  Had 
— i.  Joseph,  minor,  in  1711. 
*I7.  iii.  Esther,  b.  — ,  1685;  d.  May,  1751 ; 
m.  ante  1703,  Raleigh  Chinn. 
18.  iv.  Anne.  b. — ,  1686??  m.  — ,  1704, 
Colonel  Edwin  Conway. 


THE  MATERNAL  GRANDMOTHER  OF  WASHINGTON 


315 


"♦ip.  V.  Joseph,  b.  Va.  Mar.  11,  1689;  d.  Jan 
10,  17C0;  m.  Dec.  3.  1709,  Frances 
Ravenscroft. 

Second  marriage  : 

*20.  vi.  Marv,  b. — ,  1707-8;  d.  Aug.  25,  i7Sg. 
X  82;  m.  Mar.  6,  1730-1,  Augus- 
tine Washington. 

The  above  extract  from  "V'irg-inia 
•Genealogies"  shows  how  large  a  part  of 
my  own  statements  printed  1891  Mr. 
Stotsenburg  has  incorporated  into  his 
.article  without  any  credit  to  me.  It  also 
corrects  several  important  errors  that  re- 
flect on  both  Mrs.  Mary  Johnson  and 
her  daughter  Mary  Ball. 

Since  D.  J.  Lossing  wrote  his  historical 
fiction,  called  "Mary  and  Martha  Wash- 
ington," in  which  he  made  the  distin- 
guished mother  of  Washington  born  out 
■of  laicfid  zvcdiock,  every  writer  down  to 
Marian  Harlan  has  repeated  the  error, 
that  Mary  Ball  was  born  1706.  One  ex- 
ception must  be  noted :  Mrs.  Roger  A. 
Pryor.  in  her  "Mother  of  Washington," 
has  given  the  correct  date  of  Mary  Ball's 
birth  from  my  book.  Mr.  Stotsenburg 
makes  her  born  1707.  He  also  commits, 
as  serious  an  error  when,  on  p.  226,  he 
makes  Mrs.  Mary  Johnson  marry  Col.  J. 
P.  Ball  1706.  A  careful  reading  of  the 
paragraph  above,  beginning,  "It  is  stated 
that  Col.  Ball  resided  in  England,"  etc., 
will  show  that  Col.  Joseph  Ball,  by  deed 
dated  February  7,  1707,  conveying  two 
tracts  of  land  to  his  son,  Joseph  Ball,  dis- 
tinctly states  that  at  that  date  (  Feb.  7, 
1707),  he  had  no  n'ife;  the  exact  words 
are,  "at  this  date  I  have  no  wife."  It  is 
•certain  that  he  was  then  preparing  to  mar- 
Ty.     But  supposing  him  to  have  married 


that  spring,  say  March,  April  or  ]\Iay,  it  is 
not  reasonable  to  place  the  birth  of  Mary 
Ball,  their  only  daughter,  earlier  than  De- 
cember, 1707,  or  as  I  give  it  above, 
1707-8,  which  corresponds  with  the  rec- 
ord that  Mary  Ball  Washington  "died 
Aug.  25,  1789,  in  the  82d  year  of  her 
age,"  which  means  that  she  had  passed 
her  8 1st  birthday — hence  bom  1707- 1708. 

I  am  sure  that  Mr.  Stotsenburg  has 
made  his  errors  innocently.  But  for 
many  years  Washington's  grandfather, 
grandmother  and  mother  have  been  more 
the  subject  of  speculative  writing  than  of 
real  historical  research.  I  do  not  wonder 
when  Lossing,  an  historian,  has  set  the 
pace  by  his  romances.  It  is  well  to  state 
here  that  no  reliable  connection  has  yet 
been  made  between  Col.  Wm.  Ball,  of 
Virginia,  and  any  Ball  family  in  England. 
Col.  Joseph  Ball's  son,  living  in  London, 
failecl  entirely  to  discover  any.  So  did 
M.  D.  Conwav.  a  member  of  Marv 
Ball's  family.  So  did  Mr.  Wm.  Ball  Dod- 
son,  and  so  did  I  fail  entirely  to  find  any 
trace  of  the  English  line  of  Col.  Wm. 
Ball. 

No  portrait  of  Mary  Ball  exists  except 
Lossing's  fictitious  portrait.  No  proof 
exists  of  any  marriage  of  Col.  Wm.  Ball's 
sons  in  England.  The  Ball  Family  His- 
tory, covering  100  pages  of  mv  "Vir- 
ginia Genealogies,"  has  been  proven  step 
by  step  by  documents  and  family  records. 
So  far,  the  only  correction  made  to  that 
record  is  in  the  way  of  new  discoveries 
like  Mary  (Johnson)  Ball's  third  mar- 
riage and  the  record  of  her  life  as  Airs. 
Hughes. 


.3i6 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


An  Historic  Pilgrimage  Along  Mountain 

By-Ways 


BY   ASA    K.  McILHANtY,  BATH,  PA. 


N  Wednesday  morning,  July 
24,  1907,  a  party  of  nine 
longing  for  a  lone  country 
drive,  made  the  necessary 
arrangements  and  started, 
by  coach,  for  points  of  in- 
terest along  the  Blue  mountains.  This 
merrv  crowd  included  Rev.  Dr.J. E.Smith 
and  the  writer,  both  friends  lO  The  Penn- 
svlvania-German  and  subscribers  since 
its  first  issue.  As  early  as  6.30,  we  are 
ready.  There  is  a  gentle  breeze  and  a 
clear  sky.     On  rolls  our  coach. 

Bath,  founded  in  1737,  by  Daniel 
Craig,  President  Roosevelt's  Scotch-Irish 
ancestor,  is  soon  left  behind.  Two  miles 
to  the  north,  we  cross  our  own  winding 
stream  whose  waters  have  turned  the 
wheels  of  over  a  dozen  grist-mills,  in  the 
past  hundred  years.  The  Indians  named 
it  the  Monoquasy,  signifying,  "a  stream 
with  several  large  bends,"  the  largest  of 
which  is  eight  miles  long.  It  rises  in 
Moore  township,  flows  soudi  through 
Bath  and  the  eastern  part  of  the  Irish 
settlement,  and  empties  into  the  Lehigh  at 
Bethlehem,  (^n  its  west  bank,  at  the 
latter  place,  is  the  site  of  the  Continental 
hospital  burial  grounds  where  lie  interred 
the  remains  of  upwards  of  five  hundred 
officers  and  privates  of  the  Revolutionary 
army.     From  the  south,  we  approach 

Chapman  Quarries. 

The  first  view  that  greets  the  eye  is 
that  of  mammoth  banks  of  refuse  slate, 
which  have  been  taken  out  of  deep  quar- 
ries, and  being  of  a  quality  unfit  for 
dressing,  the  mark  of  condemnation  is 
placed  upon  it.  The  town  derives  its 
name  from  William  Chapman,  who  was 
born  in  1816,  on  the  battlefield  of 
Waterloo — his  mother  having  gone  there 
to  attend  upon  her  wounded  husband. 
Chapman  is  said  to  have  discovered  the 
slate  deposits  in  this  region,  and  upon 
acquiring  the  land  for  a  dollar  in  money, 


and  a  pint  of  gin,  formed  a  company  and 
amassed  a  snug  fortune.  Quarrying  and 
preparing  the  slate  for  market  is  very 
interesting  to  a  person  who  has  not  seen 
the  mode  of  operation.  The  manufac- 
tured slate  is  of  a  hard-vein  variety,  and 
has  been  used  on  the  roofs  of  many 
prominent  public  buildings.  Leaving  che 
slate  region,  we  pass 

Cross  Roads  and  Klecknersville. 

At  the  latter  place  is  a  large  creamery 
owned  by  a  stock-company,  and  judging 
from  the  number  of  farmers'  teams 
loaded  with  milk-cans,  is  doing  a  thriving 
business.  Passing  the  old  Santee  home- 
stead, we  come  to  that  of  Conrad  Dieter, 
situated  on  the  top  of  a  hill.  On  both 
sides  of  the  road  are  seen  bountiful  crops 
of  rye,  just  harvested,  the  finest  being  on 
Henry  Bilheimer's  farm.    Entering 

Point  Phillips, 

the  tavern  sign  informs  us  that  this 
hostelry  is  run  by  H.  P.  Morey.  The 
original  name  of  the  village  and  one  still 
used  is  Chubbsville,  just  because  old 
Philip  Gross  who  ran  things  here  with  a 
high  hand,  way  back  in  the  thirties,  sold 
a  customer  a  glass  of  whiskey  in  which 
swam  a  small  chub.  When  asked  to  ex- 
plain how  this  happened, he  admitted  dilut- 
ing his  liquor  with  water  taken  from  a 
spring  in  his  cellar.  But  we  dare  not  ding- 
er too  long.  Just  ahead  of  us  is  the  Hock- 
andauqua.  which  is  an  Indian  word  mean- 
ing, "searching  for  land" — white  settlers 
being  observed  by  the  red  men.  Along 
this  stream,  a  week  ago,  we  gathered 
great  groups  of  the  beautiful  rhododen- 
dron, many  of  them,  quite  full  of  the 
broad  clusters  which  are  set  in  bouquet 
fashion  among  the  dark  and  glossy  green 
leaves.  It  is  these  leaves  that  tell  even 
the  most  uninitiated  that  the  rhododen- 
dron is  a  relative  of  the  laurel.  Both  are 
members  of  the  heath  family.  So  is  the 
trailing  arbutus.     It  is  known  as  the  bay 


AN  HISTORIC  PILGRIMAGE 


317 


and  rose  tree — hence  its  name.  Even  the 
tiny,  scrawny  New  England  variety,  the 
Rhodora,  inspired  Emerson  to  write — 

Rhodora?   If  the  sages  ask  thee   why 
This   charm    is   wasted   on   the   earth   and   sky, 
Tell  them,  dear,  if  eyes  were  made  for  seeing, 
Then   Beauty   is   its   own   excuse   for   being. 

What  would  the  Sage  of  Concord  have 
written,  had  he  seen  these  voluptuous 
beauties,  growing  in  impenetrable 
thickets,  along  the  dark  recesses  of  a 
hidden  stream,  as  we  saw  them  ? 

For  the  past  five  or  six  years,  many 
carloads  of  these  plants  have  been  dug 
up.  along  the  Blue  Alountains  and  shipped 
to  stock  the  estates  of  millionaires  in  the 
south,  and  along  the  Hudson.  One  of  the 
principal  purchasers  has  been  George 
A'anderbilt  who  has  transplanted  them  by 
the  thousands  on  his  estate  at  Biltmore. 
But  we  would  caution  the  owners  of  prop- 
erties that  you  are  robbing  your  lands  of 
the  very  thing  that  makes  them  attractive. 
They  are  such  slow  growers  that  many  a 
bush  reaches  the  age  of  twenty-five  years 
before  it  is  eight  feet  high.  Save  the 
beautiful  in  nature ! 

But  we  must  continue  on  our  journey, 
and  begin  to  ascend  the  Blue  or  Kitta- 
tinny  mountains — the  Indians  supposing 
they  had  no  end,  hence  the  name.  Half 
^vay  to  the  top  is  the  famous 

Burrcwes   Spring, 

the  source  of  the  Hockandauqua.  which 
enters  the  Lehigh  at  Alliance.  The  flow 
of  water  from  this  spring  is  great ;  and, 
it  is.  no  doubt,  fed  by  an  immense  under- 
ground reservoir.  An  old  Indian  chief 
often  referred  to  it  as  the  "big  spring  on 
the  mountains." 

There  are  associations  connected  with 
this  place  worth  mentioning,  for  here  was 
once  the  residence  of  Capt.  Eden  Bur- 
Towes.  Traces  of  his  dwelling  may  still 
be  found,  and  also  spots  of  ground  in- 
dicating that  they  were  once  under  culti- 
vation. Tradition  says  he  had  a  large 
peach  orchard  here.  We  cannot  under- 
stand vhat  reallv  persuaded  Capt.  Bur- 
Towes  to  build  his  home  at  this  place, 
unless  he  believed  in  the  words  of 
Seneca — "Where  a  spring  rises  or  a  river 
flows,   there  shru'd   we   build   altars   and 


offer  sacrifices."  Capt.  Burrowes  served 
throughout  the  Revolutionary  War,  in  the 
first  regiment  N.  J.  continental  line.  He 
enlisted  in  December,  1776,  as  a  sergeant, 
and  was  retired  November,  1783,  as  first 
lieutenant.  He  was  an  original  member 
of  the  X.  J.  state  society  of  the  Cincinnati, 
and  died  here  in  Moore  township.  Feb. 
26,  1825,  in  his  seventy-second  year.  His 
son  "Cash,"  Burrowes  was  six  feet  six 
inches  tall,  and  is  still  remembered  by 
many  old  residents.  He  is  buried  at 
Moorestown.  Having  tasted  of  the  ex- 
cellences of  the  spring  we  wander  on.  A 
stone's  throw  from  this  spot,  two  years 
ago,  we  came  across  a  big  rattlesnake 
stretched  out  in  the  public  road.  How 
we  admired  its  brilliant  colors,  and  then 
tried  to  kill  it.  At  first  it  did  not  seem 
to  move,  which  may  be  from  the  fact  that 
they  are  considered  blind  in  the  month  of 
August.  It  made  free  use  of  its  rattlers, 
the  sound  reminding  us  of  a  locust's  cry 
or  the  noise  of  a  distant  mowing  machine. 

Climbing  to  the  top  of  the  mountains, 
altitude  1620  A.  T.,  we  have  a  pic- 
turesque view  of  a  large  portion  of  North- 
ampton and  Monroe  counties. 

This  notch  in  the  mountains  is  known 
as  Smith's  Gap.  and  it  was  here,  in  1737, 
that  Marshall  the  pioneer  of  the  walking 
purchase,  and  one  of  Penn's  friends, 
crossed  the  mountain.  We  succeeded  in 
finding  three  species  of  wintergreen  in 
bloom  ;  of  these  the  Pyrola  minor  or  small 
wintergreen  nods  gracefully  by  the  road- 
side and  shows  its  beautiful  white  waxen 
bells,  from  which  emanates  a  slight 
fragrant  scent.  The  Pyrola  rotundi folia 
or  pear-leaved,  wintergreen.  one  of  the 
commonest  of  the  pyrolas,  and  often  mis- 
taken for  lilies-of-the-valley  growing  wild. 
The  Pyrola  umbellata  or  spotted  winter- 
green. Pursh  the  eminent  American 
botanist  who  traveled  through  this  region, 
in  1807.  on  a  tour  of  investigation,  sepa- 
rated the  last-named  specie  from  the 
genus  Pyrola,  making  it  constitute  a  new 
family  by  the  name  of  Chimaphila. — "A 
lover  of  winter."  Its  leaves  are  lance- 
shaped  with  rather  distant  saw-teeth  and 
beautifully  mottled  with  white  along  its 
veins. 

At  9.20.  we  enter  Monroe  countv.  and 
descending  the  mountains  greatly  admire 


3i8 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


a  corruption  of  the  Indian  Pochkapockla 
the  many  roadside  ferns,  even  the  com- 
mon polypody  of  which  Thoreau  wrote  so 
charmingly,  which  grows  best  on  the  flat 
surface  of  a  large  bowlder  covered  with 
a  thick  bed  of  moss. 

Along  the  woodland  borders  is  heard 
the  sharp,  petulant  cry  of  the  chewink  ; 
in  the  denser  part  of  the  woods,  the  tire- 
less song  or  whistle  of  the  indigo  bunting  ; 
while  further  on,  the  highholder  is  also 
in  evidence. 

At  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  a 
finger-board  tells  us  we  are  four  miles 
from  Little  Gap,  nine  from  Wind  Gap, 
six  from  Point  Phillips,  one  from  Kunkle- 
town.  Turning  our  horses'  heads  in  the 
direction  of  the  last  place  named,  we 
linger  for  a  short  time  by  the  banks  of  the 
Aquaschicola,  which  is  another  Indian 
monument,  in  name,  meaning,  "Where 
we  fish  with  the  bush-net."  Its  waters 
are  very  clear,  and  hold  tribes  of  the  wary 
trout.  This  stream  originates  at  Ross- 
land  and  empties  into  the  Lehigh  at 
Lehigh  Gap. 

Crossing  the  bridge,  we  come  to  a 
Memorial  stone,  erected  by  the  Moravians, 
in  1 90 1,  to  mark  the  site  of 

Meniologameka, 

which  recalls  the  heroic  missionary  efforts 
of  the  Indian  village,  nearly  one  hundred 
and  sixty  years  ago.  It  existed  from 
1749  to  1755. 

From  another  hill  we  can  see 

Kunkletown, 

and  before  reaching  the  post-office,  are 
compelled  to  cross  another  creek  with  an 
Indian  name, — the  Buckwha.  It  is  gen- 
erally called  Frantz's  creek  and  flows 
into  the  Aquaschicola  at  Little  Gap.  A 
large  dam  is  built  in  this  stream,  and 
furnishes  the  power  for  the  brick-works, 
which  now  employ  but  a  dozen  men, 
though  a  few  years  ago  gave  work  to  an 
hundred.  Kunkletown  is  the  terminus  of 
the  Chestnut  Ridge  railroad,  and  the 
central  point  in  Eldred  township,  which 
years  ago  was  known  as  the  strong  Dem- 
ocratic precinct  with  no  Republican 
voters..  The  church  sets  on  a  hill  to  the 
north.  The  cascade  in  Mixsell's  creek, 
where  the  water  falls  almost  vertically 
over  hard,  gray  slate,  is  beautiful.     J.  G. 


THE  SITE  OF  MENIOLAGOMEK A  NEAR 
KUiNKLETO\\N    PA. 

Fellencer  is  the  hotel  proprietor.  Before 
leaving  this  locality,  we  might  state  that 
there  is  one  thing  commendable  to  the 
hotel-keepers  all  along  our  route;  and 
that  is  that  they  furnish  houses  for  the 
homes  of  the  purple  martins.  This  bird  is 
of  an  extremely  sociable  disposition  and 
dwells  by  preference  where  man  hashis- 
habitation,  rarely  being  seen  far  from 
settlements.  They  arrive  in  April,  com- 
ing north  from  Cuba  and  Mexico,  and 
leave  in  August.  Bird-lovers  have 
identified  them,  and  year  after  year,  they 
come  back  to  -the  spot  that  is  their  home 
and  that  was  built  for  their  pleasure. 

We  follow  the  road  to  the  north,  pass 
the  homes  of  the  Borges,  Frables  and 
Heffelfingers  until  we  reach  the  very  sum- 
mit of  Weir  Ridge.  Here  is  seen  one  of 
the  prettiest  sights  of  the  countryside — 
a  buckwheat  field  in  bloom. — a  sheet  of 
pure  white,  rippling  and  dimpling  as  the 
breeze  stirs  it,  and  musical  with  the  hunt 
of  countless  honey  bees.  Dropping  down 
the  steep  wooded  declivity,  we  get  our 
first  view  of  the  far-famed 

Pleasant    Valley 

the  land  of  green  hills,  fertile  fields  and 
running  waters.  The  principal  object  in 
the  peaceful  view  is  a  great  red  mill  stand- 
ing on  the  banks  of  a  little  brook  that  falls 
innto  the  F'ohopoco  creek.     This  w^ord  is 


AN  HISTORIC  PILGRIMAGE 


319^ 


— "two  mountains  bearing  down  upon 
each  other,  with  a  stream  intervening." 
It  is  now  exactly  noon.  We  cross  the 
Weir  creek,  a  branch  of  the  aforenamed, 
and  arrive  in 

Gilbert's. 

We  repair  to  the  home  of  Roger 
Kresge  and  become  the  guests  of  his 
daughter,  who  is  a  teacher  in  the  Bath 
schools,  and  with  whom  we  are  acquaint- 
ed. Lunch  is  served  in  the  woods,  and 
by  the-  side  of  a  spring.  Mr.  Kresge 
pointed  to  a  spot  only  a  few  fields  dis- 
tant, where  Fort  Norris  was  built.  It 
was  erected  through  the  efforts  of  Benja- 
min Franklin,  in  1756,  and  lay  midway 
between  Fort  Hamilton,  in  Stroudsburg, 
and  Fort  Allen  in  Weissport.  This  fort 
was  named  after  Isaac  Norris,  Speaker 
of  the  Assembly,  he  who  directed  that 
there  should  be  cast  on  the  State  House 
bell  of  1752  the  wOrds,  ''Proclaim  liberty 
throughout  all  the  land  to  all  the  inhabi- 
tants thereof."  The  ground  on  which 
Fort  Xorris  stood  is  now  the  property  of 
Charles  Frable,  it  being  a  part  of  the 
original  Serfass  tract.  It  stood  "on  the 
high  road  toward  the  Minisinks" ;  that  is, 
on  the  road  to  what  is  now  Stroudsburg. 
Gilberts  is  a  pretty  village  of  about  a 
dozen  homes.  Here  is  located  Salem 
church,  and  the  Polytechnic  Institute, 
with  Prof.  Feltham  as  principal.  The 
hotel  is  run  by  AI.  Gregory,  and  the  store 
by   Alahlon   H.   Kresge. 

About  two  hundred  yards  west  of  the 
village,  and  near  the  roadside,  is  a  gran- 
ite monument,  seven  feet  by  four  feet, 
with  the  inscription.  "The  site  of 

Wechquetank 

a  Moravian  Indian  mission  station,  1760- 
1763."  It  is  situated  on  the  banks  of  the 
same  brook  that  Edward  Marshall  drove 
his  axe  into  the  stump  of  a  wild  cherry  _ 
tree,  to  mark  the  end  of  that  famous 
swindle — the  walking  purchase.  And  it 
was  of  Edward  ^Marshall  that  Frederick 
Hoeth.  Jacob  Weiss  and  a  few  others 
bought  land  to  begin  a  settlement  in  this 
region  that  the  Indians  called  Wechque- 
tank. Hoeth  owned  a  large  part  of  the 
land  and  built  the  mill  in  1750.  In  De- 
cember of  1755,  the  Tioga  Indians,  flour- 


ishing the  bloody  scalps  of  the  murdered 
martyrs  of  the  Mahoning,  attacked  and 
burned  the  little  settlement,  murdered 
Hoeth,  his  wife,  his  son-in-law,  and  car- 
ried his  daughters  into  captivity.  In  1760, 
this  devastated  little  settlement  was  pur- 
chased by  the  Aloravian  church,  and  in 
October  of  that  year,  Bernard  Adam 
Grube  settled  there  with  a  small  colony 
of  Christian  Indians.  This  settlement 
was  abandoned  in  1763. 

But  it  is  time  to  move  onward.     By 
3  o'clock,  we  are  in 

Brodheadsville 

named  for  General  Brodhead,  a  son  of  the 
first  settler,  and  an  Indian  fighter  of  noted 
ability.  At  a  time,  he  had  charge  of  a 
garrison  on  the  West  Branch,  and  in  1780- 
commanded  Fort  Pitt.  Brodheadsville  is 
situated  in  a  level  country,  and  in  the 
heart  of  Pleasant  \'alley.  Its  homes  are 
surrounded  by  well-kept  lawns,  and  many 
set  back  from  the  main  driveway.  The 
Fairview  Academy  is  under  the  princi- 
palship  of  Prof.  Kunkle,  and  like  the  in- 
stitution at  Gilberts,  prepares  young,  men 
and  women  for  teaching  and  for  college. 
Northward  a  short  distance  is  Lake 
Mineola,  which  lies  in  the  midst  of  a 
series  of  typical  knob-like  moraine  hills. 
It  has  neither  inlet  nor  outlet  that  is  vis- 
ible, but  is  fed  by  springs  which  rise  from 
beneath  its  surface.  The  Indian  interpre- 
tation is  "beautiful  water."  Leaving  to- 
our  left  the  hostelry  kept  by  E.  Everitt, 
a  mile  eastward  a  signboard  informs  us 
that  it  is  one  mile  to  Effort  and  five  miles 
to  McMichaels.  Who  does  not  love  the 
old-fashioned  country  sign-post?  It  is  a 
token  of  your  fellow-man's  regard  for 
you,  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land,  and 
such  as  it  has  to  give  it  gives  freely.  We 
soon  come  to 

Mcllhaney 

which  is  beautifully  nestled  in  a  rich  agri- 
cultural community,  close  to  McMichael's 
creek.  The  village  was  named  for  Thos. 
M.  Mcllhaney,  Esq.,  who  for  many  years 
was  an  honored  citizen  of  Monroe  county, 
and  an  uncle  to  the  writer.  None  of  the 
family  ever  lived  here.  "Bill"  Dotter,  of 
Pocono  fame,  is  the  accommodating  land- 


.320 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


lord.  His  barroom  is  very  attractive;  the 
walls  and  ceiling  are  covered  with  fine 
paintings,  indicating  surrounding  scen- 
ery, made,  no  doubt,  by  some  eminent 
city  artist  while  summering  here.  To  the 
north  flows  the  beautiful  McMichael's 
creek.  It  rises  in  the  Pocono  mountains 
and  flows  into  Brodhead  creek,  at 
Stroudsburg.  In  its  waters  live  the 
speckled  trout  and  the  edible  terrapin. 
Only  a  few  days  ago,  a  lone  fisherman, 
Joseph  Harps,  while  angling  for  bass,  was 
startled  by  an  animal  swimming  up  to 
him.  It  was  a  full-grown  beaver,  a  col- 
ony of  which  now  exist  on  the  West  farm. 
Taking  the  Wilkes-Barre  turnpike  and 
steering  southeastwardly  some  three  miles 
past  the  Serfasses  and  Altemoses.  we 
reach 

Lake  Poponoming 

the  Indian  translation  being,  "where  we 
are  grazing."  It  is  generally  called  Say- 
lor's  lake. 

Here  is  a  shrine — the  rolling  wood- 
land slopes  down  to  the  side  of  the  lake, 
which  affords  a  fine  view  upon  entering. 
Near  the  water's  edge  stand  bushes  cov- 
ered with  hundreds  of  wild  roses.  Look 
at  them !  Is  there  a  daintier  flower  of 
the  summer-time?  Indeed,  Lehigh  Hunt 
was  right  when  he  sang. 

Whatever    of    beauty 

Yearns   and   yet   reposes, 
Blush,    and    bosom,    and    sweet    breath. 

Took  a   shape   in  roses. 

The  lake  is  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water, 
being  from  thirty  to  forty  feet  in  depth. 
On  its  borders  are  numerous  tents  oc- 
cupied by  sojourners  from  all  parts  of 
the  country.  Bathing,  wading,  boat-rid- 
ing, swimming,  gathering  pond  lilies,  and 
fishing  for  the  calico  and  black  bass, 
perch  and  catfish,  contribute,  in  part,  to 
their  daily  enjoyment. 

After  supper  we  start  for  home. 
Passing  the  Lake  Poponoming  Inn,  C. 
F.  Williamson,  proprietor,  we  enter 

Saylorsburg. 

Here  is  the  mammoth  plant  of  the 
Blue  Ridge  Brick  Works.  The  Lake 
House,  an  up-to-date  hotel,  is  kept  bv 
Anthony  Heller.    The  place  is  named  for 


the  old  Saylor  family,  who  were  the  mer- 
chants here  for  many  years.  Further  on 
is  Cherry  Valley. 

In  travelling  through  the  country,  a 
tree-lover  will  notice  that  there  are  more 
kinds  of  oaks  than  one.  There  are  those 
whose  trunks  are  comparatively  white 
and  whose  leaves  have  trim,  rounded 
lobes ;  and  there  are  others  whose  boles 
are  quite  dark,  and  the  leaves  of  such 
usually  have  jagged  lobes  terminating 
in  bristles.  These  are  the  rough  distinc- 
tions between  the  two  great  groups  into 
which  the  oak  family  is  separated,  --the 
white  and  the  black.  The  whites  are  the 
aristocrats  of  their  race.  To  their  class 
belonged  the  European  oak  of  antiquity, 
fabled  to  have  been  born  of  the  lightning. 
Jove's  own  tree  and  Thor's,  the  sacred 
tree  of  the  Druids.  Of  the  white  oak 
tribe,  too,  are  the  famous  trees  of  Eng- 
lish history,  beloved  by  a  nation  not  only 
for  their  many  cherished  associations,  but 
for  their  lusty  vigor,  which  makes  them 
a  type  of  sturdy  fidelity  and  soundness 
of  heart ;  and  white  was  our  famous 
American,  the  Charter  Oak  of  Hartford, 
familiar  to  all  school  children. 

But  it  will  soon  be  dark ;  so  we  move 
onward.  Crossing  the  railroad  is  a  field, 
near 

Ross    Common 

in  which  is  a  little  cemetery,  containing 
not  more  than  a  thousand  square  feet ; 
a  graveyard  where  lie  at  rest  the  remains 
of  the  members  of  the  Ross  family,  who 
at  one  time  owned  nearly  all  the  land 
north  of  the  Wind  Gap  of  the  Blue  moun- 
tains. The  township  of  Ross  was  named 
in  memory  of  the  owners  of  the  property, 
which  we  presume  embraced  all  or  nearly 
all  of  the  township.  The  word  "com- 
mon" means  "manor"  or  "home,"  hence 
Rosscommon  can  be  interpreted  as  the 
"Ross  hpme."  On  this  manor  they  estab- 
lished a  graveyard,  around  which  they 
built  a  stone  wall  between  four  and  five 
feet  high.  Within  this  inclosure  are  a 
dozen  graves,  about  half  of  them  marked 
with  monuments,  three  being  marble 
bo.xes  that  cover  the  entire  grave.  Be- 
neath one  of  these  repose  the  remains  of 
"John  Ross,"  Esq.,  an  Associate  Justice 
of  the  Supretne  Court  of  Pennsylvania, 
who  was  born   Feb.   24.   1770,  and  died 


AX  HISTORIC  PILGRIMAGE 


3-' I 


Jan.  31,  1834."  Beside  the  grave  of 
jLid^e  Kuss  is  that  of  his  wife,  "Mary 
K.OSS,  burn  1774,  and  died  in  1845."  ^■^"" 
other  grave  similarly  marked  is  that  of 
'■'ihomas  i<.oss,  of  Easton,  who  was  born 
in  1707,  and  died  in  1815."  The  Ross 
family  lias  no  living  representative  in  this 
vicinity.  Passing  the  hotel  where  JMine 
Host  iX'einieyer  holds  sway,  and  the  Ross- 
common  springs,  whose  waters  have  ef- 
fec;;ed  some  wonderful  cures,  we  come 
to  the  Mountain  Glen  hotel,  situated  on 
the  very  mountain  top.  and  near  the  coun- 
ty line.  This  is  the  I  find  Gap.  the  name 
given  to  the  cut  through  the  mountains, 
the  crest  of  which  has  an  altitude  of  1450 
feet,  A.  T.,  but  the  gap  simimit  is  only 
978  feet.  Here  are  the  Stony  Gardens, 
the  Indian  Rock  and  the  Sullivan  road. 
For  General  Sullivan,  in  1779,  with  an 
armv  of  two  thousand  five  hundred  men, 
on  his  way  to  drive  the  British  and  In- 
dians from  Wyoming,  passed  through 
here.  In  his  journal  for  June  18,  he 
wrote.  "The  whole  O'f  the  aforementioned 
troops  warned,  by  firing  of  a  cannon, 
marched  together,  with  the  pack-horses 
and  baggage- wagons,  at  4  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  on  the  way  to  Wyoming.  The 
road  for  this  day's  niarch  was  good.  En- 
camped at  Heller's  tavern"  (WV-odlev 
Ho-:^e). 


We  are  now  in  the  borough,  a  long- 
drawn-out  town  of  the  same  name,  and 
after  a  two-mile  drive,  reach  the  other 
end  called  Woodley.  This  tavern  stand, 
known  as  Stotz's,  and  prior  to  that  for 
a  long  time  as  Hellers,  occupies  the  place 
where  a  public  house  had  been  erected  as 
early  as  1752,  deriving  its  resources  from 
the  travel  which  passed  its  doors  along 
the  new  Minisink  road  through  the  Wind 
Gap. 

A  few  miles  to  the  south,  we  cross  an- 
other stream  of  water — the  Bushkill, 
which  is  a  Dutch  word,  signifying  "bushy 
stream."  It  enters  the  Delaware,  in 
Easton. 

Past  the  Stotz  and  Reph  farms,  the 
Clearfield  hotel  and  the  Fehr,  Seifert  and 
Remaley  homesteads,  brings  us  to 

Moorestown 

named  for  a  Revolutionary  soldier.  Near 
it  stands  the  old  church,  now  handsomely 
remodeled,  where  the  beloved  pastors, 
Rev.  Dr.  J.  E.  Smith  and  Rev.  W.  J. 
Andreas,  attend  to  the  spiritual  wants  of 
these  good  people. 

At  II  o'clock  we  arrive  at  our  homes 
in  Bath,  somewhat  tired,  having  travelle'^ 
forty-five  miles,  and  all  having  spent  2i 
dav  long  to  be  remembered. 


VIKW  OF  SAVLORS  LAKK.   LOOKING  NORTHWARD 


322 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


The  Blickensderfer  Family 


Note.  Tn  preparing  these  notes  we  made 
use  of  the  "History  of  the  Blickensderfer  Fajii- 
ily  ill  America  by  Jacob  Blickensderfer,"  copies 
of  which  "may  be  had  on  application  to  M.  T. 
Blickensderfer,   Lebanon,   Mo.      Price,   50  cents 

TRADITION  says  the  Blick- 
ensderfers  originally  came 
from  Switzerland,  being  dis- 
ciples of  Alenno  Simons, 
and  were  expelled  from 
that  country  on  account  of 
their  religious  tenets.  There  is  an  old 
place  in  Switzerland,  near  the  city  of 
Zug.  called  Blickensdorf,  but  it  is  now 
only  a  small  hamlet.  However,  the  fact 
of  the  existence  of  this  old  dorf  of  this 
name  and  the  fact  that  many  Blickens- 
derfers  still  reside  in  this  vicinity,  lends 
credence  to  the  tradition. 

The  earliest  known  authentic  informa- 
tion of  the  Blickensderfer  family  in 
America  is  contained  in  the  land  titles 
in  the  archives  of  the  city  of  Speyer. 

February  12,  17 16,  Ulrich  Schneider 
received  permission  of  the  Electoral 
Palatinate  Court  to  convey  the  same  to 
"Anabaptist"  Blickensderfer,  or  Pleick- 
ensdoerffer,  as  the  name  is  there  written. 
This  "Anabaptist"  had  six  sons,  of  whom 
five  emigrated  to  America  and  one  re- 
mained on  the  Kohlacher  estate  in  Ger- 
many. The  names  of  those  that  migrated 
were  Christian,  John,  Jacob,  Ulrich  and 
Jost. 

Christian  Blickensderfer,  born  1724, 
married  1748  and  migrated  in  1753  with 
his  family  to  America,  accompanied  by 
his  youngest  brother,  Yost.  After  re- 
maining about  a  year  and  a  half  in  the 
vicinity  of  Philadelphia,  he  removed  to 
Lancaster  county  and  settled  on  a  farm 
near  Lititz,  where  he  resided  until  the 
spring  of  1761.  when  he  moved  to  Lititz, 
where  he  remained  until  his  death.  He 
was  a  farmer  with  but  little  patrimony, 
most  of  which  was  expended  in  reaching 
America,  but  earned  his  support  largely 
by  teaming,  from  the  exposure  incident 
to  whicli  he  in  later  years  became  an  in- 
vali  1.     He  was  twice  married,  had  nine 


children,  of  whom  four  died  in  infancy. 

John  Blickensderfer  migrated  to  Penn- 
sylvania from  Germany  in  1749,  accom- 
panied by  a  younger  brother,  Ulrich.  He 
probably  remained  some  time  in  Eastern. 
Pennsylvania  and  finally  drifted  to  West- 
ern North  Carolina.  Very  little  is  known 
of  him  or  his  descendants. 

Jacob  Blickensderfer  migrated  to 
Pennsylvania,  1748,  unaccompanied  by 
any  other  member  of  his  family.  Tra- 
dition says  that  soon  after  his  arrival  in 
America  he  went  west  and  lived  among 
the  Indians,  nothing  being  heard  from 
him  for  some  years,  when  he  suddenly 
appeared  among  his  brothers  in  Eastern 
Pennsylvania  dressed  in  full  Indian  cos- 
tume, hunting  shirt  and  breech  cloth,  so 
transformed  in  appearance  that  none  of 
them  would  acknowledge  him  to  be  their 
brother.  He  did  not  remain  long,  but 
hankering  after  the  freedom  of  forest  life,, 
again  went  West  among  the  Indians,  and 
was  never  heard  from  again,  how  and 
where  his  life  was  terminated  being  un- 
known. 

Ulrich  Blickensderfer  came  to  Penn- 
sylvania, 1749.  He  is  known  to  have- 
been  in  Lancaster  and  York  counties, 
Pennsylvania,  and  Frederick  county,  Md., 
but  before  the  Pontiac  war  (1763)  he- 
had  located  in  Bedford  county.  Penn- 
sylvania. From  this  place  he  was  sev- 
eral times  driven  bv  the  Indians,  once 
with  the  loss  of  his  oldest  son,  killed 
by  them.  During  the  Indian  disturb- 
ances he  remained  some  time  with  his 
relatives  in  Maryland,  but  subsequently 
returned  to  Bedford  county,  where,  as  far 
as  is  known,  he  continued  to  reside  for 
the  remainder  of  his  life.  His  children 
resided  in  Pennsylvania,  Maryland.  New 
York,  Kentucky  and  Ohio. 

Yost  Blickensderfer  came  to  Pennsly- 
vania  1753.  He  seems  to  have  spent  some 
time  in  various  places  before  he  acquired' 
land  in  Frederick  county,  Maryland,  mak- 
ing his  home  near  where  Wolfsville  is 
located. 

Oi     the     descendants     of     these     five 


THE  BLICKRNSDERFHR  FAMILY 


323 


brothers,  the  iininii^raiits.  the  followin,:^- 
notes  may  be  of  interest : 

Jacob,  son  of  Christian,  died  of  camp 
fever  contracted  while  furnishing"  sup- 
plies to  the  hospital  of  Revolutionary  sol- 
diers at  Lititz,  where  he  lies  buried. 

Christian,  son  of  Christian,  movcvi  to 
Tuscarawas  county,  Ohio,  where  he  had 
purchased  nearly  i,2CO  acres  of  land,  and 
where  he  lived  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

William,  a  grandson  of  Christian,  en- 
gaged in  the  navigation  of  flatboats,  or 
"broadhorns,"  as  they  were  termed,  on 
the  ( )hio  and  Mississippi  rivers,  then  one 
of  the  principal  methods  of  transporting 
the  products  of  the  West  to  a  market. 
These  boats  were  built  on  the  upper 
waters  of  the  Ohio  and  its  affluents,  laden 
with  tiour  and  other  products,  and  in  the 
spring  of  the  year,  when  the  streams 
were  in  flood,  floated  to  New  Orleans, 
where  both  lading  and  boats  were  sold. 

Levi  Miller,  a  great-grandson  of  Chris- 
tian, served  as  a  missionary  among  the 
Indians  in  Kansas.  One  of  his  sons 
served  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  dur- 
ing the  Civil  War,  and  was  four  times 
wounded.  One  of  the  daughters  married 
Joseph  Romig,  a  missionary  among  the 
Indians.     Another  married  John  H.  Kill- 


buck,  a  Delaware  In  lian  e.lucated  at  Xaz- 
areth. 

George  C.  Blickensderfer.  son  of 
Nathan,  and  great-great-grandson  of 
Christian,  born  1850,  has  made  the  fam- 
ily name  known  far  and  wide  as  the  in- 
ventor of  a  typewriter  and  the  president 
of  a  large  firm  manufacturing  the  same 
located   at   Stamford,   Conn. 

Jacob  Blickensderfer,  author  of  the 
family  history  from  which  these  notes  are 
gleaned,  a  great-grandson  of  Christian,, 
was  educated  at  Nazareth,  Pa.  He  en- 
tered the  railroad  service  and  served  as- 
chief  engineer  of  the  Pan  Handle  road, 
on  the  Union  Pacific,  chief  engineer  of  the- 
Atlantic  &  Pacific  road,  in  the  govern- 
ment service.  He  was  one  of  the  original 
incorporators  of  the  Union  Pacific  rail- 
road, and  located  the  line  west  of  the 
Green  River.  He  also  located  and  super- 
intended the  construction  of  the  Oregon- 
Short  Line  railway  and  a  number  of  lines- 
in  Nebraska,  Kansas,  Colorado  and  Wy- 
oming. 

Descendants  of  the  five  brothers  are  to- 
be  found  in  many  of  the  States  of  the 
Union,  and  have  made  their  way  to 
Alaska,  England  and  Africa. 


Pioneer  Home  Life 


NoTK—The  following  lines,  quoted  from 
"The  Gernhardt  Family  History,"  give  a  pic- 
ture of  home  life  among  the  early  settlers. 
Although  the  author  says  that  this  history 
was  written  only  for  the  Gernhardt  kindred, 
we  feel  sure  "outsiders"  will  enjoy  the  de- 
scription. 

HE  first  act  of  our  forefather 
after  he  had  made  a  suffi- 
cient clearing  on  his  claim 
doubtless  was  to  construct  a 
cabin  of  logs,  and  to  fill  up 
the  interstices  with  sticks 
and  mud.  The  floor,  if  not  at  first  mere- 
ly of  clay  pounded  down  smooth  and 
hard,  was  probably  made  of  hewn  plank, 
and  the  roof  may  even  have  been  thatched 
with  long  straw,  but  later  on  laid  with 
boards   or   split   shingles,   and   the  heavy 


doors  were  hung  on  big  woyden  hinges. 
There  were  probably  two  rooms  on  the 
ground  floor,  and  a  half-story  loft  above, 
where  the  children  slept  when  old  enough 
to  climb  up  the  stairs  or  ladder.  In  the 
kitchen,  in  the  partition  wall,  we  think 
ive  see  an  immense  fire-place,  constructed 
in  a  massive  stone  chimney,  where  the 
cooking  was  done,  and,  if  it  could  be 
had,  a  swinging  iron  crane  from  which 
to  suspend  the  kettles  over  the  fire.  The 
fire  was  produced  with  steel,  flint  and 
punk,  as  matches  were  then  not  yet  in- 
vented. Until  prepared  to  make  tallow 
candles,  they  burnt  hog's  lard,  or  fat  of 
some  wild  animals,  in  little  boat-shaped 
iron  or  tin  lamps ;  or  perhaps  at  first 
used    pitch-pine    knots    and    splinters    to 


324 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


make  light.  But  they  did  not  want  light 
very  long,  as  they  had  no  daily  papers  to 
read,  and  the  general  habit  was  to  retire 
early  and  enjoy  sound  and  refreshing 
sleep  after  working  hard  all  day. 

For  sweeping  Rosine  had  splint-brooms 
made  of  hickory  saplings.  For  coffee 
they  substituted  roasted  beechnuts,  chest- 
nuts, peas,  rye,  or  corn.  No  time  was 
lost  in  planting  an  orchard,  and  as  soon 
as  they  had  apples  then  came  the  greatly 
esteemed  luxury  of  cider,  apple-butter, 
dried  apples,  apple  pie,  and — foolish 
E.sau !  to  give  his  birthright  for  a  beef- 
steak, if  he  could  have  had — "Schnits  and 
Knepp." 

The  furniture  of  our  ancestors  was 
doubtless  at  first  of  the  simplest  descrip- 
tion, most  of  it  very  likely  made  by  Hein- 
rich  himself.  A  great-granddaughter 
now  living  in  Lehigh  county  has  a  rock- 
ing-chair that  she  says  her  father  willed 
to  her  as  the  chair  made  by  his  grand- 
father (Heinrich),  and  this  is  unques- 
tionable evidence  that  our  forefather  pos- 
sessed considerable  mechanical  aptness. 
Later  on  as  prosperity  permitted,  and 
the  family  increased,  various  unpreten- 
tious conveniences  were  added  to  the 
household  outfit.  What  an  event  in  their 
plain,  simple  and  economical  domestic 
life  when  they  became  the  happy  pos- 
sessors of  a  stove !  Think  of  it !  A 
stove !  And  no  doubt  it  was  one  of  the 
old-fashioned  ten-plate  stoves,  invented 
by  the  philosophic  Benjamin  Franklin, 
who — as  has  so  often  happened — married 
the   girl   that   at   first  made   fun  of  him. 


And  what  would  dear  old  Mother  Rosine 
think  if  she  were  to  wake  up  out  of  her 
last  long  sleep  and  see  the  latest  improved 
cooking  stoves  and  ranges,  the  convenient 
extension  tables,  the  elegant  sideboards, 
cushioned  chairs,  superb  chamber  suites, 
grand  carpets,  lace  curtains,  as  well  as 
the  organs  and  pianos,  that  many  of  her 
numerous  descendants  have  now  ?  And 
what  would  she  say,  if  she  stood  there 
in  her  cabin  door,  as  of  old,  in  her  gown 
of  flax,  and  barefooted,  even  if  it  were 
on  a  cool  autumn  day,  and  saw  a  whole 
train  of  her  female  descendants  coming 
to  pay  her  their  respects,  dressed  in  ele- 
gant skirts,  handsome  coats,  exquisite 
furs  and  muffs,  patent  leather  shoes  and 
"loves  of  bonnets,"  now  so  common?  It 
was  still  after  her  day  in  Northampton 
county  that  ladies — real  ladies,  we  have 
been  told — -would  wear  silk  dresses 
(when  they  could  afford  it),  and  walk 
miles  to  church  and  carry  their  shoes, 
and  then,  to  appear  more  presentable,  or 
respectable,  or  fashionable,  but  hardly 
more  comfortable,  just  before  reaching 
the  place  of  worship  put  their  shoes  on 
their  feet.  The  shoemakers  then  often 
traveled  from  house  to  house  to  make 
and  mend  shoes ;  and,  because  the  shoes 
were  well  made,  of  honest  leather,  and 
were  tenderly  taken  care  of,  would  last  a 
long  time.  This  reminds  me  that  I  once 
saw  a  Pennsylvania-German  have  on  a 
pair  of  calfskin  boots  that  he  had  then 
been  wearing  for  forty-three  years. 
They  were  his  wedding  boots,  and  were, 
of  course,  only  worn  at  "dress-parade." 


— The  Daily  Princetonian  said  recently: 
■"During  the  last  eight  years  the  names  of  228 
schools  having  had  first  and  second  group  men 
in  the  Freshman  and  Sophomore  classes,  have 
appeared  in  the  University  catalogues.  These 
schools  represent  29  States  of  the  Union,  and 
in  all  618  men  are  mentioned  as  being  in  the 
first  or  second  groups.  Perkiomen  Seminary 
heads  the  list  of  schools  with  six  first  and 
twenty-four  second  group  scholars,  and  this  is 
especially  remarkable  when  it  is  considered  that 
only  51  men  from  the  Seminary  have  been  in 
attendance  at  Princeton  since  1895."  Perkio- 
men Seminary  is  in  a  Pennsylvania-German 
community,  is  controlled  by  a  Board  of 
Trustees  of  whom  all  can  talk  the  dialect,  and 
is  attended  by  a  student  body  of  whom  many 
have    German   blood   coursing   in   their   veins. 

— 'The  committee  on  arrangements  for  the 
Hess   family  reunion  decided  to  hold  the  ne.xt 


annual  family  reunion  at  the  usual  place,  Dor- 
ney  Park,  near  .A.llentown,  on  Saturday,  -A.ug. 
2^.  It  is  expected  the  attendance  will  exceed 
that  of  last  year,  which  was  estimated  to  num- 
ber upwards  of  900  persons. 

The  Hesses  were  among  the  earliest  settlers 
in  Eastern  Pennsylvania,  and  the  descendants 
are  quite  numerous.  The  first  emigrant  by  that 
name  on  record  at  the  port  of  Philadelphia 
was  Samuel  Hess,  who  came  with  a  colony 
from  Switzerland  in  171 2  and  settled  in  Lan- 
caster county.  He  reared  a  large  family.  From 
that  time  until  1774,  when  the  Revolutionary 
War  broke  out,  40  immigrants  from  Germany 
by  the  name  of  Hess  landed  at  Philadelphia. 
Among  them  was  Nicholas  Hess,  who  settled 
at  Springtown,  Bucks  county,  in  1741,  and 
whose  numerous  descendants  reside  principally 
in  Bucks,  Northampton,  Lehigh  and  Berks 
counties. 


Lrn-:RARY  gems 


325 


Literary  Gems 


BRIEF   AN    "DER   DEUTSCH   PIONIER. 


N    AI.TKR    PKNNSYLVANIEK. 


Note. — These  lires  were  written  over  20  years  ago, 
by  Edinund  Daniel  Leisenring,  publisher  and  editor, 
of  Allentown,  Pa.,  and  appeared  in  Der  Deutsche 
Pionier,    May,    188-'. 

In  dei'm  Biichel  wo  allenebot  gedruckt  wird 
und  wo  ich  alsemol  zu  lese  krieg,  unncrntmmt 
sicli  'n  Kerl  von  Ohio,  Pennsjdvanisch  Deutsche 
Briefe  zu  schreiwe,  for  dene  hochgtlernte 
Deutsche  Leser  zu  weise,  wie  mir  do  in  Penn- 
sylvany  schwiitzte,  Wann  seller  Kerl  von 
Penn.sylvany  kommt,  dann  hat  er  sein  Vater- 
und  Muttersproch  ziemlich  sauwer  vergesse, 
oder  hot  sein  Lebdag  nicks  davon  verstanne, 
vor  sein  Pennsylvanisch-Deutsch  is  so  wenig 
recht.  as  wann's  Schwowwe-Deutsch  war  ;  und 
er  macht's  grad  wie  schier  all  die  Annere  die 
unser  Sproch  schreiwe  wolle- — er  verhunzt  sie, 
dasz  'n  Schand  is.  Do  in  Ost-Pennsylvany  sin 
mir  eppes  stolz  uf  unser  Sproch  und  glawe, 
dasz  sie  schoner,  weecher  und  herzlicher  is, 
wie's  ganz  Hochdeutsch,  sonst  hatte  m'r  net  so 
lang  behalte  und  so  gut  druf  achtgewe,  wie 
m'r  hen,  und  for  des  macht's  uns  bos,  wann 
sie  noch  abartig  im  Druck  so  arg  verduckert 
wird.  Unser  Sproch  hen  m'r  beahrt  for  unser 
Familiesproch  Ixil  hunnert  und  fuffzig  Johr, 
und  sie  in  hoche  Ehre  g'halte  zum  Andenke 
an  unser  Vorvater,  die  von  der  Palz  und  an- 
nere deutsche  Lanner  riiwer  kommen  sind,  do 
g'settelt,  so  gelebt  und  geliebt  und  ferchterliche 
Strapatze  ausg'stanne  hen.  Es  is  wohl  der- 
vverth,  dasz  m'r  ihr  Andenke  heilig  halte,  weil 
sie  mit  unaussprecliHche  Miihseligkeite,  in  Noth 
und  Elend  und  Armuth  des  ganz  ostlich  von 
Pennsylvany  zu  prachtige  Bauereie  gemacht 
und  uns  zur  Erbschaft  hinnerlasse  hen.  For 
des  wolle  m'r  unser  Sproch  net  Verdorwe,  net 
driiwer  g'spott  und  net  zum  g'spasz-  und  Zerr- 
bild  gemacht  hawe,  wie  sich's  etliche  so  Rotz- 
lofFel  von  Schulmeister,  Zeidungsschreiwer,  die 
selber    nicks    wisse,    unernummer    hen. 

Sellemols  in  de  Johre  1725  bis  '40  rum,  wo 
unsere  Alte  des  Land  in  dem  Dheel  vom 
Staat  ufgtnunmie  hen.  hot's  noch  net  so  viel 
von  dene  Fratzhanzelcher  g'hat,  wo  unser 
Sproch  mit  englische  Worte  verhunze,  die  sie 
selwer  net  verstehne,  wie  heutzutag;  sellemols 
hot  keen  junger  Kerl  der  Name  von  seine 
Eltere  verleegelt  und  uf  so'n  Art  g'schriewe, 
dasz  m'r  meene  sollt,  er  dhat  von  Englische 
oder  Eirische  abstamme,  statt  von  Deutsche 
es  miiszt  sich  dann  zugetrage  hawe  dasz  so  'me 
Kerl  sein  Vater  oder  Groszvater  "n  Gaul 
g'stohle  oder  Epper  gemordt  hatte  und 
g'hangt  worre  war,  dasz  er  sich  mit  sei'ni  Name 
hot  schjime  miisse  und  deswege  'n  verannert 
hot.  Und  do  mocht  ich  euch  froge,  ihr  Leut, 
wo  die  Name  von  ihre  "V^ireltere  verleegelt  hen. 
tor    was    dhut    ihr    (le>?      Hen    euer    Altvatvr 


Schoof  gstohle,  falsch  Geld  ausgewe,  Mord 
bagange,  Oder  so  eppes,  dasz  ihr  euch  .schame 
muszt  mit  Ihre  Name?  Oder  is  es  'n  gr5szere 
Ehr,  von  Einsche  oder  Englische  abzustamme 
as  von  Deutsche?  Sellemols  hen  die  Leut  in 
dere  Gegend  noch  all  deutsch  zu  nanner  ee- 
schwatzt-der  Parre,  der  Schulmeester,  die 
Kinner,  und  der  Dadi  und  die  Mammi.  Und 
die  Mad  und  Weiwer  wo  zu  sellere  Zeit  von  de 
Insche  gemordet  oder  g'stohle  und  in  die  weit 
Wildnisz  genumme  worre  sin,  sin  in  dere 
bproch  beklagt  und  bedauert  worre  sella  viele 
Uhausend  wo  begrawe  sin  uf  dene  viele  alte 
Kirchhof  im  ostliche  Pennsylvany— 'n  Dheel 
schun  hunnert  und  verzig  Johr— war'n  alle 
Blut  von  unserm  Blut,  getreue  sorgsamme 
Vorfahre,  Eltere  G'schwister  und  Bekannte 
Niemand  braucht  sich  zu  schame.  ihre  Name 
zu  trage,  und  er  hot  net  nothwendig  sein 
Name  anners  zu  buchstabire,  so  dasz  m'r  net 
wees,  wo  er  herkommt.  Selle  Alte  verdiene 
dasz  m  r  ihr  andenke  bewahre,  und  wann  m'r 
des  in  Worte  bringt,  is  es  Pennsvlvanisch- 
Deutsch.  Doher,  und  weil  m'r  Vater  und  Mut- 
ter, Groszvater  und  Groszmutter,  die  '^o  viel 
for  uns  erschafft  und  so  viel  gelitte  hen,  aach 
noch  im  Tode  ehre  wolle,  estemire  m'r  unser 
Sproch  so  hoch  und  sin  Pennsylvanisch- 
Deutsch  gebhwe  bis  uf  der  heutig  Dag— weil's 
ihr  Sproch  war. 

Ich  hatt  wohl  noch  manches  iiwer  die  Sach 
zu  bemerke,  awer,  das  Ding  wird  m'r  zu  lang 
Awer  selle  Mannsleut  und  Weibsleut,  wo  so- 
gern  uwer  Pennsylvanisch-Deutsch  und  unser 
Volk  schreiwe— so  gar  Bucher  schreiwe,  mocht 
ich  herzhch  bitte,  statt  so  ferchterlich  uwer  uns- 
zu  luge,  liewer  die  Finger  ganz  darvon  zu 
losse.  Was  ihr  schreibt  und  druckt.  sin  juscht 
Aumahme  und  beileiwe  keen  korrekt  Bild  vom 
Charakter  der  Pennsylvanisch-Deutsche.  Euer 
G'schreib  is  'n  elendig  Zerrbild.  ihr  treiwe 
Narrheite  und  Spott  mit  uns  und  unsere  Wege, 
und  dhate  gleiche  die  Welt  weisz  zu  mache' 
Ost-Pennsylvany  war  mit  lauter  Narre  ufge- 
baut.  'S  net  wohr,  dasz  der  Pennsvlvanier  'n 
Vertel  so  viel  Englisch  in  seiner  Sproch 
schwatzt  wie  ihr  schreibt,  und  er  braucht  a  net 
viel  narrische  Worte,  wie  ihr  ihm  beilegt. 
Unsere  Zeidunge,  unser  Gottesdienst,  Lieder^ 
Bibel  und  Gebetbiicher  sin  hochdeutsch,  wie 
annere,  und  do  konne  die  Leser  vom  "Pionier^ 
und  annere  Schrifte  sich  an  de  Finger  abzahle, 
dasz  sie  ang'fuhrt  sin.  Ich  hatt  vielleicht  des 
netemol  g'schriwe,  wann  ich  net  dene  KerLs. 
wo  uns  alsfort  durch  'n  falsche  Brill  angrrdfe^ 
hatt  'n  Muster  gewe  wolle,  was  werklich  Penn- 
sylvanisch-Deutsch  hetszt. 


325 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


The    American 


RV    PROF.    CHARLES    K.    MESCHTER^    LEHIGH    UNIVERSITY. 


(The   First.) 

For   me   alone   Great    Spirit   makes 

The  fishes  in  the  mountain-lakes, 

And   me   the   dainty   deer    He   brings 

"Whene'er  at  it  my  arrow  sings. 

The   herds   of   bison   on   the   plain 

Are   mine,   my   wealth   their    shaggy   mane; 

Thereof   I   make   my   wigwam   walls. 

Thereof  the  garb  which  o'er  me  falls. 

I   live   Out-doors ;   here  is   no   law 

But  love  of  brown-cheeked,  black-haired  squaw, 

And   where   the   lofty   cat'ract   sprays, 

The  dusky,  wily  pappoose  plays, 

"While  oth-ers  up  the  eld  trees  creep 

To  snatch  the  forest  birds  asleep. — 

My   soul  endures  but  in  the  wild; 

•Great  Spirit,  help  thy  Indian  child! 


(The    Second.) 

My   buildings   loom    (the   sun    is   hid) 
Like    Kufu    Fs    Great    Pyramid; 
My    methods    are    continuous    rush. 
Which  would  make  ancient  Cheops  blush. 
Four  walls  that  almost  touch  my  face 
Compress  me  in  my  business  place ; 
And  here,  the  Midas  of  today, 
I  turn  to  gold  this  earth  of  clay. 
Gold   is  the  twentieth   century's   sprites 
Which  pale  th'  entire  Arabian  Nights; 
And  every  person  looks  in  awe 
To  money  as   the  only   law. — 
I    know    not,    care    not,    struggle    rife, 
If  life  be  strife  or  strife  be  life. 


IN  DER   ERNT. 


Im  Erntfeld  war's  net  so  wie  nau, 

Mit   Patent-Machine; 
Es  war'n   grosse   Companie 
Un  juscht   ehn   rechte  Jubilee, 

En   Dagloh   so   verdiene ; 
M'r  hot   so  viel  dazu  gelacht, 
Es  hot   die   Erwet   leichter   g'macht. 

Die    Brentice-Buwe    aus    d'r    Schtadt 

Sin  ah  als  kumme  ernte ; 
Sie  hen  zwee  Woche  Frerheit  g'hat 
Von  Handwerks-erwet  in  der  Schtadt — 

So  halber  ausgelernte; 
Erscht  ware  sie  als  matt  und  bleech, 
Doch  uf  zu  alle  Deiwelstreech. 

Sie  ware  Morgets  artlioh   faul — 

Un  sin  net  friih  ufgschtanne; 
Im  Bett  hen   sie  sich   rumgedreht. 
Bis   sie  als  g'hort   hen   dass   die   Meed 

Schun  rapplle  mit  de  Banne; 
Un  sell  war  auch  die  enzig  Jacht 
Die  faule  Stadkerls  uf  hot  gewacht. 

Dann  wann's  mohl  bald  Mittag  war, 

Hot's  Mittaghorn  geblohse; 
Des  hot   sie  widder  ufgeriihrt — 
Was  hen  die  Schtadtkerls  als  geschiert, 

Wie  freiheitsfrohe  Franzose ; 
So'n  Appetit  for's  Mittagesse ! 
Was   hen   die    Schtadtkerls    doch   als   gesse! 

Unn    wann    sie's    Horn    geblohse    hen, 

.    Dann   hot   der   Wasser   g'heilt ; 

Wie   g'schwind   war    Sichel,   Reflf   und    Sens 

Un   Rcchc   g'hanke   uf   der   Fenz, 


Und  heemzus  hen  mer  g'eilt ; 
Nord  wann  m'r  als  sin  kumme  so, 
Was  war  der  Wasser  als  so  froh! 

Noch   Mittag  war'n   Schtund   for  Ruh, 

Irti   Schatte   dort   so   kiihl ; 
Die  Alte  hen  ihr   Peife  g'schmohkt, 
Die  Buwe  hen   die  Meed  geplogt, 

Oftmohls  schier  gar  zu  viel; 
Sie  hen  ebmohls  net  kenne  ruhe, 
Die  so  unru'hige  knause  Buwe. 

Es   ware   als   zweh   Extra-Ihms — 

'S  is  wohr — es  is  ken  Drahm; 
Es  zehe  Uhr  und  vier  Uhr  Schtiick, 
Hen  mir  oft  gesse  an  der  Griick, 

Am   alte   Kerschebaum. 
Un  's   hot  uns  besser  g'schmackt   dort   draus. 
As  Bescht  am  Disch  im  feinschte  Haus. 

Was  hen  die  Meed  uns  als  gebrocht 

In  selle  grosse  Korb? 
Ei,  frische  Week  und   Brod  und  Flesch, 
Butter  und  Pickels,  Milch  und  Kas, 

Und  Kersche-Pei   so  merb; 
Un's  war  nichts  bess'res  in  der  Welt, 
As  so  en  Esse  draus  im  Feld. 

Sell  war'n  schone  Companie, 

Lebhafte  junge  Lent; 
Die  Meed  hen  g'recht  und  g'lacht  und  g'sunge. 
Die   Buwe   hen   ihne  nochgebunne — 

Ich  wott's  war  noch  so  heut. 
O !  was  en  Companie  alleweil — 
Zwee  Mann,  zwee  Esel  und  zwee  Geil ! 


LITERARY  GEMS 


327 


Wie    lonesome    ist's    ini    Iirntft-ld    nau ! 

Doch  geht  die  Erwet  schmarter ; 
'S   wind  nichts  meh  g'maht  nau  mit  der  Sens, 
As  juscht  eh  Gemaht  so  an  der  Fenz 

Der  Reaper  drin  zu  schtiirte ; 
Mir  sin  als  all  urns  Schtiick  rumgange, 
Bis  mir  den  alte  Has  hen  g'fange. 


Von  Weitem  hot's  als  viel  geguckt 

As    vvie'n    Trupp    Schneegans ; 
Der  Reaper  macht'n  grosse  Jacht, 
Doch,  was  hot  als  die  Music  g'macht? 

Es  Blohshorn  und  die  Sens ; 
Un  wann  mer  hen  die  Sense  g'schlifife, 
Nord  hen  die  Vogel  des  argscht  g'pifife. 


DER    VIERT    JULY. 

BY  LEE  L.  GRUMBINE. 


^\'as  e'n   Larme !    Was   e'n   Schwarme ! 
Me'nt's  gans  Volk  is  'uf  der  Stross, 
Was  e'n  Stuerme !    Was  e'n  Larme ! 
Waere'n    tausend    Teufel    los ! 
'Uf   alle    Seite   knallt's, 
In  alle  Ecke  schallt's, 
Schreckliches  Geschrei !  Geht  alles  druf  un'  drei : 
Schreckliches  Geschrei !    'uf  der  viert  July  ! 


Was  wird's  g'luffe,   was   wird's  g'sufife, 

Hi'  un'  hervon   Kneip  zu   Kneip, 
All  getroffe — un'  sie  hoti'e 

'S  is  noch  Piatz  in  ihrem  Leib ! 
'Uf    alle    Seit    Getrunke, 
In  alle  Ecke  g'stunke — 
Wieste  Sauferei,  sie  schiitte's  'raus  un'  ei, 
Wieste  Siiuerei,  'uf  der  viert  July ! 


Was  es  niacht !    Un'  was  e'n  Jacht ! 

Was  es  donnert,  was  es  blitzt ! 
Was  es  kracht,  wie  'f  der  Schlacht, 
Pulver    pufft    un'    Feuer    spritzt. 
"Uf   alle    Seite   knallt's. 
In  alle  Ecke  schallt's, 
Grosse   Hutlerei !     Do   sin  mer  all   dabei, 
Machtig  Hutlerei,  'uf  der  viert  July! 


Was   sie  blose,   was  sie   stose 
'Uf  der  Musik-instrumente, 
Wie   der  grosse  Teddy   Roose- 
Velt  un'  an'eri  Presidente, 
Des  dumme  Volk  zulerne 
Mit   Strefe   un'   mit   Sterne, 
M'r  schi.isst  die  Freiheit  ei',  mit  Pulver  und  mit 

Blei, 
Un'    macht    die    Heide    frei,    mit    Zwang    un' 
Heuchelei. 


Was    Gewimmel !      Was    Getiimmel ! 
Gar    ke'    Ruh    die    ganse    Nacht; 
Schlof   ke'    Kriimmel ;    liewer    Himmel, 
Was  es  iiwerall   rum   kracht  I — 
'Uf    alle    Seite    knallt's. 
In   alle    Ecke    schallt's. 
Schlimme    Schiisserei — in    alle   Ohre   'nei. 
Schlimme   Schiisserei.  'uf  der  viert  July! 


Was    f'r'n    Sach,    des   wiest    Gekrach? 

Warum    des    literlich    Werwese? 
Du  Liewer!   ach !   Is  net  e'n  Schmach 
E'n  Last  a'gstifift  vom  alte   Bose? 
Verstor  doch  net  die  Tode — 
Die  gute  Patriote — 
Mit  all  dem  laut  Geschrei!    Ihr  Land  sin  sie 

getreu, 
Dem   Elend   sin   sie    frei, — 'uf   der   viert   July ! 


Wiest   Gelang   die  gans   Nacht   lang, 

Klocke   klingle,   Horner  blose; 
Was  e'u   Zwang  bei'm   gross   Gedrang, 
Gute   Sache   un'    Gottlose ; 
'Uf  alle  Seite  knallt's. 
In  alle  Ecke  schallt's, 
Rechte  Teuflerei !    'S  macht  m'r  Abscheu, 
Schlechte  Teuflerei, — 'f  der  viert  July! 


Draus    im    Land    do    branch    Niemand 

Die  lange  Nacht  durch  aus  zuwache ; 
Meh  Verstand,  's  Vieh  halt's  e'n  Schand 
So  'n  heftig's  Luderlewe  mache; 
'S   is   alles   still  un'   sachte 
'S   g'ebt    ke'    so    wieste   Jachte, 
'Uf  der  Bauerei  magt  ich  liewer  sei, 
Bei  de  Kiih  un'  Sau  'uf  der  viert  July! 


Grosse    Hitz !     Was    eun    G'schwitz ! 
'Uf  un'   ab   die  Lent   rum   renne; 
Pulver    SchiJtz — Donner-blitz  ! 
Hawe    Gelt    fur    zuverbrenne! 
'Uf  alle    Seite   knallt's, 
In  alle  Ecke  schalt's, 
Verfluchte  Lumperei !    Ich  wot  sie  waer  verbei ! 
Verfluchte  Lumperei,  'uf  der  viert  July! 


Hasslich    Larme!     Garstig    Schwarme! 
G'schiiss,   Gekrach,   Geknall,   Geblos ! 
Kreislich    Stiirme  !     Gott    erbarme ! 
'S  is  e'n  tausend  Teufel  los! 
'Uf   alle    Seite   knallt's. 
In  alle  Ecke  schallt's 
Schreckliches   Geschrei. — wieste   Hutlerei, 
Gott  lob!    die  Lumperei  is  nochemol  verbs'* 


328 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT. 


Editor  and  Publisher 

H.  W.  KRIEBEL, 
East  Greenville.  Pa. 


.A.ssociaie  Editors 
Mrs.  H.  H.  FUNK,  s^pringtown.  Pa. 
E.  S.  GERHARD.  A.M.,  Trenton,  N.  J. 


The  Pennsylvania-German  is  an  illustrated  monthly 
magazine  devoted  to  the  biography,  history,  genealogy, 
folklore,  literature  and  general  interests  of  German 
and  Swiss  settlers  in  Pennsylvania  and  other  States, 
and    of    their    descendants. 

Price,  per  year,  $1.50,  in  advance;  single  copies, 
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order  to  discontinue  is  received.  This  is  done  to 
accommodate  the  majority  of  subscribers,  who  do 
not    wish    to    have   their    files   broken. 

Notice   of   Expiration    of   subscription   is   given   by 


using  red  ink  in  addressing  the  wrapper  of  the 
magazine. 

Contributions. — Carefully  prepared  articles  bearing 
on  our  field  are  invited  and  should  be  accompanied 
with  illustrations  when  possible.  No  attention  will 
be  given  to  unsigned  articles,  nor  will  we  be  re- 
sponsible for  the  statements  and  opinions  of  con- 
tributors. Unavailable  manuscripts  will  not  be  re- 
turned unless  stamps  are  sent  to  prepay  postage. 
Contributions  intended  for  any  particular  number 
should  be  in  the  editor's  hands  by  the  twenty-fifth  of 
the     second     preceding     month. 

Advertising  Rates  will  be  furnished  by  the  pub- 
lisher   upon    request. 


Clippingjs  from  Current  News 


— The  Philadelphia  Record  is  publishing  a 
series  of-  brief  papers  on  Pennsylvania  captains 
of  industry,  which  contained,  during  May, 
sketches  of  Charles  M.  Schwab  and  Charles  H. 
Cramp,  two  noted  representatives  of  the  Teu- 
ton  stock. 

— Professor  C.  A.  Marks,  the  well  known 
musician,  of  Allentown,  Pa.,  contributed  an 
article  on  Sunday-school  Music  to  The  Lu- 
theran of  May  21,  in  which  he  called  "the 
grand  old  German  choral  the  foundation  of 
the  greatest  school  of  sacred  music  that  ever 
existed." 

— A  granite  die  and  base  has  been  erected 
to  the  memory  of  Major  Peter  Hartman,  at 
the  old  Pikeland  Cemetery,  West  Pikeland 
township,  Chester  count\^  Pa.  Peter  was  an 
officer  all  through  the  Revolution.  His  second 
wife,  Margaret  Metzler  Schreiber,  is  buried  by 
his  side.  Memorial  exercises  were  held  on 
Sunday,  May  31,  at  10  a.  m.,  at  the  graves. 
His  children  were  George  Hartman,  Peter 
Hartman,  Jacob  Hartman,  Moses  Hartman, 
Benjamin  Hartman,  Catharine  Ralston  and 
Margaret   Griffith. 

— Perkasie,  Bucks  county,  Pa.,  has  a  five- 
generation  group  of  citizens  in  Mrs.  Sarah 
Freed  and   descendants  of  hers. 

— In  Warrington  township,  near  Rossville, 
York  county.  Pa.,  there  are  four  generations 
of  the  same  family  living  in  the  same  home : 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Solomon  Glatfelter,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wesley  Glatfelter  (the  former  the  second 
generation),  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  E.  Glatfelter 
(the  former  the  third  generation)  and  their 
son. 

— The  Rev.  Dr.  J.  D.  Shindel,  of  Allentown, 
Pa.,  recently  resigned  as  pastor.  Doctor 
Shindel's  father  and  grandfather  were  each  in 
the  ministry  40  years,  he  himself  42  years  and 
his  son  nine  years. 


— Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  Hoover,  of  LTnionville, 
Center  county,  recently  celebrated  the  fiftieth 
anniversary  of  their  wedding,  all  their  nine 
children  being  in  attendance. 

— In  the  announcement  of  the  award  of 
Fellowships  and  Scholarships  for  the  year  1908- 
'09,  made  by  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania,  there  occur  more 
than  25  good  German  names. 

— Major  Clark,  of  the  Bureau  of  Immigra- 
tion, read  a  paper  before  the  Anthropological 
Society  of  Washington,  recently,  in  which  he 
combated  the  pessimistic  view  of  those  who 
think  that  the  great  influx  of  foreigners  in  this 
country  will  injure  the  racial  type.  Tke 
Teutonic  element,  he  declared,  will  remain  the 
backbone  of  the  nation. 

— After  an  existence  of  eighty  years,  The 
Bauern  Freund,  a  German  weekly  newspaper 
published  in  Pennsburg,  Pa.,  recently  discon- 
tinued publication,  and  thus  brought  to  an 
end  German  journalism  in  Montgomery 
county. 

— For  the  benefit  of  the  poor  boys  of  Philadel- 
phia, the  Christian  Settlement  Association  of 
the  University  of  Penn.sylvania  will  establish 
a  permanent  summer  camp,  on  a  farm  of  64 
acres,  along  Swamp  Creek,  in  the  upper  end 
of  Montgomery  county,  Pa.  During  the  pres- 
ent year  the  settlement  will  send  out  to  the 
Camp  at  least  three  relays  of  boys  of  from 
twenty  to  thirty  each,  and  also  one  group  of 
men  and  two  of  girls,  at  a  total  cost  of  about 
$2,000. 

— One  of  the  columns  from  the  old  State 
house  at  Harrisburg  will  figure  for  all  time 
in  a  memorial  at  Jersey  Shore,  being  now  a 
soldiers'  and  sailors'  monument,  erected  with 
money  sub.scribed  by  the  citizens  and  com- 
munitv,    the    school    children    having    taken    an 


CLIPPINGS  FROM  CURRENT  NEWS 


329 


active  part.  It  was  dedicated  on  May  30th.  and 
Adjutant  General  Thomas  J.  Stewart  was  the 
orator  of  the  day.  The  shaft  was  secured  for 
this  purpose  t)y  Captain  P.  D.  Bricker,  former 
chief  clerk  to  the  auditor  general.  The  granite 
base  and  the  bronze  life-size  figure  which  sur- 
mounts it  were  provided  out  of  the  funds 
raised  by  the  people.  The  monument  is  in 
honor  of  the  soldiers  and  sailors  of  the  Civil 
and  Mexican  Wars. 

— During  one  of  the  most  severe  storms  that 
has  visited  Philadelphia  in  years,  the  spire  of 
the  historic  old  Christ  church  was  struck  by 
lightning,  May  22,  and  damaged  by  fire  to  the 
extent  of  $15,000. 

The  famous  old  church  was  erected  under 
a  provisional  charter  granted  by  King  Charles 
II  to  W^illiam  Penn  for  the  erection  of  the 
province  of  Pennsylvania  in  1695,  and  its 
threatened  destruction  drew  thousands  to  the 
scene. 

Old  Christ's  was  the  church  of  President 
Washington,  President  Adams,  Benjamin 
Franklin,  Betsy  Ross,  the  Marquis  de  Lafay- 
ette, members  of  the  Continental  Congress 
and  Revolutionary  heroes,  over  whose  graves 
in  the  churchyard  the  firemen  tramped  and 
dragged  long  lines  of  hose  to  save  the  structure. 

The  church,  as  it  now  stands,  was  rebuilt  in 
1727,  after  the  style  of  St.  Martin  in  the 
Field,  London,  with  a  square  belfry  and  tower- 
ing  spire. 

In  the  belfry  were  eight  chimes  that  were 
rung  with  the  liberty  bell  to  announce  the  sign- 
ing of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  These 
bells  were  carefully  covered  by  heavy  tarpaulin 
by  the  firemen  to  prevent  damage  during  the 
blaze. 

The  spire  was  surmounted  by  a  mitre  in 
replica  of  that  worn  by  Bishop  William  White, 
the  first  bishop  of  the  United  States,  .whose 
grave  is  before  the  chancel  rail  in  the  church. 
The  mitre  was  destroyed  and  fell  with  the  spire, 
tearing  a  great  hole  in  the  roof.  Before  the 
bishop's  mitre  was  placed  on  the  spire  it  was 
surmounted  by  a  crown  of  King  George  in 
replica,  which  was  destroyed  by  a  bolt  of 
lightning   some   time   after   the   Revolution. 

Every  precaution  was  taken  to  prevent  the 
destruction  of  the  historic  pews,  church  fur- 
nishings and  records.,  and  they  were  covered 
by  canvas  and  rubber  blankets.  Because  of 
the  extreme  height  at  which  the  fire  started, 
the  firemen  had  great  difficulty  in  reaching  the 
blaze,  which  burned  for  nearly  two  hours. 
Before  the  flames  were  subdued  they  had 
burned  the  .spire  nearly  down  to  the  belfry. 

— .\t  the  recent  session  of  the  German  Re- 
formed General  Synod  at  York,  Pa.,  Rev.  A. 
Stapleton  had  on  exhibition  a  collection  of 
rare  books  pertaining  to  the  early  period  of 
that  Church  in  .■\merica,  among  them  three 
Heidelberg  Catechisms,  which  are  the  only 
copies  known  of  these  issues.  The  first  is  a 
Sauer  issue  of  1755,  which  is  seven  years  older 
than  any  other  American  issue  known.  The 
second  is  a  Cist  publication  (Philadelphia), 
1/88,  and  besides  the  catechism  contains 
Lampe's   ''U'culicits   Milili" — its   first    supposed 


issue  in  America.  The  third  is  a  Carlisle  print 
of  1808,  the  first  issue  of  the  Heidelberg  Cate- 
chism west  of  the  Susquehanna. 

Another  interesting  work  of  Mr.  Stapleton 
is  a  book  in  manuscript  of  876  pages,  contain- 
ing several  distinct  works  on  mysticism.  This 
book  is  of  great  age,  and  is  bound  in  Gothic 
manuscript  vellum,  the  writing  of  which  may 
be  a  thousand  years  old.  The  book  evidently 
once  belonged  to  Heyndrick  Pannebecker,  an- 
cestor of  Governor  Pennypacker,  as  it  con- 
tains in  his  handwriting  the  following  in  Latin: 
"Hcindrick  Pannebecker  habeat  virtuosum 
Uxorum." 

— John  G.  Dengler  has  taught  47  terms  in  51 
years  in  Berks  county  rural  schools,  and  all 
but  one  of  these  in  Oley  township.  Mr.  Deng- 
ler took  great  interest  in  the  Civil  War,  and 
while  reading  the  history  of  John  Brown's  ex- 
periences in  Kansas,  he  was  convinced  that 
slavery  was  wrong.  In  the  spring  of  1861 
he  started  his  subscription  school,  as  usual, 
when  one  morning  he  heard  that  Fort  Sumter 
had  been  fired  on,  and  that  the  President  had 
called  for  75,000  volunteers.  A  few  minutes 
later  Professor  Dengler  arose  from  his  seat 
behind  the  old  teacher's  desk,  and  addressed 
his  pupils,  saying :  "Take  your  books  and  go 
home  with  them.  I  will  respond  to  the  call 
of  the  President." 

Immediately  the  young  teacher  enlisted  under 
Captain  Isaac  Schroeder,  and  at  the  expira- 
tion of  three  months  he  returned  home  to  the 
Oley  hills.  He  was  at  once  engaged  as  a 
teacher  for  the  coming  school  term,  but  he 
was  so  much  interested  in  the  cause  of  liberty 
and  his  country  that  before  the  time  arrived 
for  the  school  term  to  begin,  he  had  placed 
his  resignation  before  the  school  lx)ard  and 
enlisted  for  three  years  as  a  gunner  in  the  Fifth 
United  States  Artillery  under  Captain  James 
McKnight,  and  served  in  many  heavy  battles 
during  his  term  of  enlistment. 

— The  house  in  which  Paul  Revere  lived 
when  he  made  his  famous  ride  from  Boston 
to  Lexington  has  lately  been  restored  to  its 
original  condition,  and  was  opened  on  April 
i8th,  the  anniversary  of  the  ride.  It  is  now 
a  memorial  museum,  containing  relics  of  the 
Revolutionary  goldsmith,  steel  engraver  and 
copper  founder.  It  is  supposed  that  a  part  of 
the  building  was  erected  in  1686.  It  was, 
therefore,  an  old  house  when  Revere  bought 
it  in  1770.  The  part  of  Boston  in  which 
it  stands  is  now  occupied  largely  by  Italians, 
who  receive  valuable  lessons  in  American  his- 
tory from  close  association  with  the  home  of 
the  noted  patriot. 

— We  quote  the  following  from  The  Moravian 
of  Mav  27  : 

"MORAVIANS— STRONG   IN   NORTH- 
AMPTON    COUNTY." 

A  particularly  violent  case  of  insanity  caused 
a  man  to  commit  a  particularly  atrociou.s  mur- 
der in  Nazareth.  Pa.,  known  far  and  wide  as 
one  of  several  places  in  the  State  settled  by 
Moravians  in  early  days.  The  murderer  be- 
longs to  a  coterie  who  call  themselves  "Holy 
Rollers." 


^30 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


A  prominent  city  p:iptr,  usually  very  care- 
ful as  to  the  truth  of  its  news,  takes  occasion, 
in  connection  with  this  matter,  to  assert  that, 
"nowhere  else  in  t"he  United  States  are  there 
so  many  religious  bodies  or  sects  as  are  found 
in  Lancaster,  Berks,  northern  Montgomery. 
Lehigh  and  Northampton  counties."  Especially 
delicious  is  the  following  as  to  grammar,  spell- 
ing and  content : 

"WITCHES    AND    DEVIL    CHASERS." 

Many  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  section  of 
Northampton  county  around  Nazareth  ^believe 
in  witches  and  devil-chasers.  It  is  really  a 
hot-bed  of  superstition,  as  are  upper  Lancaster 
and  lower  Berks  counties.  For  not  only  do 
some  of  the  inhabitants  believe  in  devil  chasing, 
but  there  are  others  who  actually  believe  in 
witchcraft,  and  women,  believing  themselves 
witches,  who  for  $2  will  put  a  "hoodoo"  on 
human  beings,  in  which  they  as  well  as  their 
patrons  profoimdly  believe.  Witch  dances  are 
held  on  a  hill  known  as  Hexukopje,  or  Witches' 
Hill,  in  which  men  and  women  participate, 
and  rises  similar  to  those  of  the  ancient  Druids 
are  observed.  The  Northampton  witches  claim 
to  have  been  initiated  in  their  art  by  the  devil 
disguised  as  a  "big  black  man."  In  such  a 
superstition-ridden  country  the  fanaticism  of 
the  Bachmans  (the  murderer)  and  the  Smiths 
becomes  more  explicable." 

The  religious  conditions  of  eastern  Pennsyl- 
vania are  far  from  ideal,  but  the  violent  draw- 
ing of  the  long  bow  does  not  improve  matters. 

The  article  under  discussion  does  not  directly 
blame  religion  for  the  excrescences  of  which 
it  complains.  It  closes  with  the  enumeration 
of  thirty-nine  different  '"sects"  which  flourish 
in  eastern  Pennsylvania.  The  Moravians  are 
referred  to  in  the  words  which  stand  at  the 
head  of  this  editorial.  We  are  not  particularly 
hurt  by  our  enumeration  under  the  head  of 
"sects."  We  have  seen  it  often.  Our  Episco- 
palian and  Lutheran  friends  possibly  resent  it 
more  than  we  do ;  for  they  stand  in  the  same 
category.  But  "Holy  Rollers,"  "Devil  Chasers" 
within  a  few  thousand  ems  of  "Moravian,"  is 
just  a  little  too  much  even  for  the  humblest 
Moravian.^.  We  respectfully  ask  the  news- 
paper in  question  hereafter  to  separate  these 
words  by  nothing  less  than  a  hundred  thousand 
ems,  if  it  will  ever  be  necessary  again  to  men- 
tion "Davil  Chasers"  and  "Moravians"  in  the 
same    issue ! 

— The  Xortli  American  of  May  27  had  an 
illustrated  article  on  "Jackies  from  Reading 
and  Vicinity  Who  are  Amoung  Men  Who 
Sailed  with  Evans,"  from  which  we  clip  the 
following : 

"Ever  since  the  Revolutionary  War  Berks 
county  has  been  prominent  in  the  military  af- 
fairs of  the  nation.  During  the  fight  for  lib- 
erty, its  loyal  sons  were  among  the  first  to 
come  to  the  defense  of  their  country.  During 
the  Civil  War,  First  Defenders  of  Berks  county 
were  the  ones  who  first  reached  Washington  to 
defend  the  capital. 

"The  sons  of  Berks  county,  through  whose 
veins  flows  the  Pennsylvania-German  blood, 
have  always  been   ready  to  defend  their   flag. 


either  on  land  or  on  sea,  and  they  have  re- 
sponded as  readily  to  the  call  during  times 
of   peace   as   during  times  of   war. 

"Evidences  of  the  loyalty  of  Berks  county 
young  manhood  is  found  by  the  fact  that 
thirty-seven  jackies,  who  are  with  Uncle  Sam's 
Pacific  fleet,  claim  old  Berks  as  their  home. 
Thirty-one  of  these  men  are  natives  of  Read- 
ing, and  in  most  cases  their  parents  reside 
here.  Six  of  them  hail  from  the  rural  com- 
munities." 

—The  pioneer  of  Berks  county  'squires  is 
William  Y.  Shearer,  who  has  conducted  the 
office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  ever  since  1864, 
holding  the  office  for  44  years.  Not  only  is 
he  himself  a  pioneer  justice,  but  the  Shearer 
family  is  a  pioneer  justice  family.  His  great- 
great-grandfather,  Christopher  Shearer,  came 
to  America  from  Germany  when  he  was  17 
years  old,  and  located  in  Reading,  where  he 
was  justice  of  the  peace  80  years  ago,  having 
his  otifice  at  the  corner  of  the  present  Eighth 
and    Penn    streets. 

John,  a  son  of  Christopher,  and  grandfather 
of  the  present  justice,  conducted  the  isame 
office  for  many  years  in  Bern  township,  where 
William  Y.  is  now  holding  court.  He  in  turn 
was  succeeded  by  William  Shearer,  an  uncle 
of  the  present  official,  who  held  the  office 
until  1864,  when  it  was  passed  over  to  the 
aged  present   magistrate. 

In  addition  to  attending  to  the  disputes  be- 
tween people  of  his  bailiwick,  Mr.  Shearer  is  a 
surveyor,  and  has  determined  the  boundaries 
between  practically  all  the  farms  in  Bern  and 
adjoining  townships,  besides  having  written 
most  of  the  deeds,  wills  and  legal  documents 
that  his  fellow-citizens  made  during  the  44 
\-ears.  For  40  years  he  clerked  at  every  sale 
held  in  the  community,  but  lately  relinquished 
this  part  of  the  usual  justice's  task.  Mr, 
Shearer  is  79  years  old,  and  is  one  of  a 
family   of    13   children. 

— Rev.  James  Daniel  Woodring,  D.D.,  presi- 
dent of  Albright  College,  Myerstown,  Pa.,  died 
April  28,  of  anemia,  at  the  age  of  53  years.  He 
was  born  near  Allentown,  Pa.,  graduated  from 
Muhlenberg  College  in  1878,  entered  the  active 
ministry  in  1879,  became  field  secretary  of  Al- 
bright College  in  1901,  and  its  president  in  1902. 
During  his  services  in  the  ministry  he  received 
into  church  membership  almost  800  persons  on 
confession   of   faith. 

— Prof.  Samuel  E.  Wolf  died  at  Indiana,  Pa., 
May  18.  He  was  born  in  a  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man settlement  in  Center  township,  Indiana 
county,  April  14,  1832.  He  became  a  school 
teacher  in  1849,  established  the  Marion  Insti- 
tute in  1856,  of  which  he  was  principal  until 
18' I,  was  County  Superintendent  of  Schools 
from  1871  to  1881,  and  after  which  he  con- 
tinued his  educational  labors  until  1897,  round- 
ing out  half  a  century  in  the  educational  world. 
In  i896-'97  he  taught  a  school  which  was  ten 
miles  from  his  home,  and  yet  went  back  and 
forth  every  school  day  except  ten  of  the  worst, 
leaving  home  in  the  morning  at  four  o'clock, 
reaching  the  school  house  at  seven,  and  making 
his  own  fires.     It  is  said  that  in  manv  families 


CLIPPINGS  FROM  CURRENT  NEWS 


331 


of  Indiana  county  Ik-  taught  three  generations 
of  children. 

— The  mother  of  ex-State  Senator  M.  C. 
Henningvr,  of  Lehigh  county,  died  May  i,  at 
her  residence  in  Emaus,  of  general  debility, 
at   the   age   of  86  ^-ears. 

Mrs.  Henninger  came  of  fig'hting  ancestors. 
Her  great-grandfather  on  her  maternal  side 
was  John  Koehler,  who,  as  a  private  in  Cap- 
tain Dreisbach's  company,  fought  through  the 
Revolutionary  war.  Her  grandfather,  Conrad 
Marcks,  was  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  Fries 
rebellion,  in  the  enforcement  of  the  House 
tax  law.  This  law,  passed  on  March  4,  1798, 
was  looked  upon  as  especially  burdensome  and 
unjust  by  the  people  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania, 
and  contained  a  provision  directing  the  asses- 
sors to  measure,  count  and  register  the  panes 
of  glass  in  each  and  every  house,  and  make 
their  number  and  size  the  basis  of  a  direct 
tax  for  Government  revenue. 

The  insurrectionary  movement  against  the 
Jiouse  tax  broke  out  in  Milford  townshio.  Bucks 
county,  in  the  fall  of  that  year.  The  head 
and  front  of  it  was  John  Fries,  and  one  of 
his  most  active  lieutenants  was  Marcks.  It 
was  at  the  latter's  house  that  Fries  and  his 
company  rendezvoused  on  March  6,  1799,  and 
on  the  seventh  they  marched  to  Bethlehem, 
where  they  released  a  lot  of  prisoners  in 
charge  of  United  States  Marshal  Nichols. 

President  Adams  sent  several  companies  of 
soldiers  to  the  Milfords  and  stamped  out  the 
Tebellion.  Fries  and  Mrs.  'Henninger's  grand- 
father and  several  others  of  the  leade;-s  were 
arrested,  taken  to  Easton,  tried  for  high  treason 
and  condemned  to  death;  but  were  later  par- 
doned by  President  Thomas  Jefferson. 

Mrs.  Henninger's  father,  Jacob  Marcks,  was 
a  sergeant  in  Captain  Rinker's  companv  in 
the    War   of    1812. 


FOR  THE   JOKE   BOOK. 

— In  Sunday-school,  pupils  were  singing  a 
hymn  in  which  there  occurred  in  the  refrain 
the  words,  'Tn  the  Cross,  in  the  Cross."  A 
little  tot  joining  in  the  singing  sang  lustily, 
"Diiidaglas,    Dindaghis." 

—A  little  boy  in  school,  having  trouble 
to  remember  the  letter  "R,"  scratched  it  out. 
In  reciting  he  would  call  out  the  letters  as 
he  followed  the  teacher's  pointer,  "M,  N,  O,  P, 
Q,  Ausdedatzt,  S,  T."  (Ausdedatzt— ausge- 
kratzt — scratched   out.) 

— Little  Henry  S.,  who  after  wards  became 
the  tall  Henry  S.,  was  promoted  in  school  to 
the  German  New  Testament  class.  He  found 
trouble  in  pronouncing  the  proper  names,  and 
hesitated  one  day  as  he  came  across  the  name 
Caiaphas.  An  older  pupil  by  his  side  prompted 
him  by  pronouncing  the  word.  He  failed  to 
catch  all  the  sounds  and  made  a  guess  at  the 
sticker  by  saying  "Coffee  Pass." 
^^  — A  familiar  repartee.  "Bist  nunner  g'falla?" 
"Gewis  net  nuf."  "Hust  der  weh  geduh?" 
"Gewis  net  gut."  "Soil  ich  der  Dokter  hohla?" 
"Gewis  net  der  Butcher?" 

— Mr.  Schneider  became  Mr.  '  Taylor  and 
spoke  English.  In  showing  a  litter  of  pigs 
one  day,  he  said:  "I  pulled  up  these  walkers 
on  play  water."  (Ich  habe  die  Lafer  ufgezoge 
uf  Spiel  wasser.) 

We  wish  to  repeat  what  has  been  stated 
in  these  pages  before  at  various  times,  that 
these  pages  are  open  to  all  our  readers  for 
the  free  discussion  of  any  theme  relevant  to  our 
general  aid.  Quench  not  the  spirit  if  you 
feel  prompted  to  ask  a  question  or  write  out 
your  opinion  on  some  subject  for  the  benefit 
of  our  readers.  What  seems  to  you  common- 
place and  unimportant  perhaps  may  be  of 
vital   significance  and   importance  to  others. 


Chat  with  Correspondents 


Cheering    Words. 

A  letter   from   the   Philippine   Islands  brings 
these  cheering  words : 

"I   am  trying  to   round  up  all  the  true- 
blue   Pennsvlvania-Germans   out  here." 
Thanks,   Major   H.   D.  S. 

From    an    educator    in    Virginia    came    the 
following : 

"I  am  reading  the  numbers  of  The 
Pennsylvania-Germ.\n  with  increasing 
interest,  and  am  trying  to  get  others  inter- 
ested  Whatever  I  can  do  will  be 

for  the  purpose  of  helping  on  what  I  con- 
sider an  excellent  and  worthy  publication." 

A  lady  Tfader  in   New  Jersey  says : 

■"I    £njoy    reading    the    magazine    very 


much.      Each   number    seems    to    I)e    more 
interesting  than  the  last." 
A   Philadelphia   subscriber  writes : 

"Kindly   discontinue   my   subscription   to 
your   magazine.    ...    I    am   receiving   so 
many  worthy  magazines  and  have  such  an 
embarrassment  of  periodical  riches  I  must 
curtail  somcii'liere." 
In  reply  to  our  letter  stating  that  a  renewal 
of  the  subscription  would  be  a  great  favor,  a 
remittance   "with   best   wishes"   from   this   sub- 
scriber   reached    us    in    a    few    days.      Dear 
Reader,  if  you  must  curtail,  do  not  withdraw 
your    friendly   aid   and   good   wishes   from    the 
only  popular  magazine  in  its  field.     If  you  have 
decided  to  curtail,   follow   t'he  example  of  our 
worthy  Philadelphia  brother.    We  need  you  and 
want    you    to    stick    to    The    Pennsvlv.^nia- 
German. 


33-i 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GER-MAN 


Travelling   Expenses. 

Dr.  Julius  F.  Sachse,  of  Philadelphia,,  fur- 
nished from  his  own  collections  the  following 
account  of  somebody's  travelling  expenses. 

Our  tourist  was  evidently  a  rule  unto  him- 
self in  spelling,  and  apparently  omitted  one 
item  of  37  cents  in  transcribing  his  account. 
Were  he  to  make  the  trip  from  Williamsport 
to  Philadelphia  in  our  day,  he  could  sup  and 
attend  the  theater  in  the  former  place,  go  to 
bed  before  midnight  and  arise  from  sweet 
slumbers  to  eat  his  breakfast  in  the  latter  place, 
and  the  State  would  see  to  it  that  his  fare 
would  not  exceed  one-third  of  w^hat  he  paid 
for  stage  hire. 

TRAVLLING    EXPEXCESS    FOR    THE    YEAR     l822 

August  th  2/  went  to  Muncy. 
Stage  Hire  from  Philidelphia  to  Readmg  $3.50 

From  Reading  to  Northumberland 4-62 

From   Northumberland  to  Muncy 2.25 

Breackfaste    at    Norristown 37 

Supper  and  Lodging  at  Carter's  F 37 

Breackfast  and   Dinner    5° 

Supper   Breackfast   and   Lodging 62 

$12.23 
Stage  hire  from  Williamsporte  to  North- 
umberland   • $-2-^5 

Supper   Lodging  and   Breackfast 56 

Halifax   Supper  and  Lodging 45 

Staoe  hire  from  Sunbury  to  Harrisburgh     4.00 

Harrisburgh  to  Lanckister 2.50 

Supper   and  Lodging    56 

From  Lanckister  to  Philadelphia 5-00 

Breackfa.st   and   Porters  carriage 52 

$16.21 
Twenty-eight  Dollars  and 
forty    four    Cents 

Tombstone  Inscriptions. 

While  we  are  investigating  the  desirability 
and  feasibility  of  printing  tombstone  inscrip- 
tions, we  will  greatly  appreciate  letters  ex- 
pressing the  opinion  of  readers  respecting  the 
subject  in  general  or  anv  of  the  three  points 
referred  to  by  the  librarian  of  a  public  library : 

"The  printing  of  tombstone  inscriptions  is 
certainly  feasible ;  its  desirability  would  depend, 

First,  on  how  far  you  would  be  able  to  print 
ones  of  historical  value,  rather  than  ones  to 
piece  together  genealogical  records  of  unim- 
portant  families. 

Second,  on  the  systematizing  by  families  or 
sections  of  such  records. 

Third,  on  cumulative  indexing  of  such  rec- 
ords. 

Grammar   and    Dictionary    Suggested. 

The  following  letter  touches  on  a  very  im- 
portant subject,  and  ought  to  call  forth  a 
number  of  communicatious.  There  are  un- 
doubtedly many  persons  "of  Pennsylvania- 
German  descent  whose  interest  in  the  life,  lan- 
guage and  customs  of  their  ancestors  is  keen, 
l)ut  who  are  unable  to  obtain  means  of  learn- 
ing it   themselves"    (words  of   correspondent). 


By  way  of  suggestion  we  might  ask  whether 
our  readers  would  deem  it  advisable  to  print 
with  our  dialect  selections  an  interlinear  trans- 
lation, or  a  free  translation  in  parallel  columns 
or  a  glossary  of  terms  at  end  of  each  article. 
While  the  dialect  has  been  dving  the  last  hun- 
dred years  and  still  shows  considerable  vitality, 
the  time  is  coming  when  it  will  be  a  thing 
of  the  past,  of  history.  We  who  may  should 
give  permanent  form  and  existence  to  its 
beauties  and  variations,  and  make  its  study 
by  others  a  possibility.  While  the  province  of 
this  magazine  is  not  grammar-  and  dictionary- 
making,  we  shall  find  pleasure  in  encouraging 
the  work  of  others. 

New    York    State   Library, 
Albany^  N.  Y.,  Alay  6,  1907. 
Mr.    H.   W.   Kriebel, 

East  Greenville,  Pa.  : 
Dear  Sir — The  lists  of  unfamiliar  words 
in  old  sale  bills,  which  you  have  been  pub- 
lishing in  The  Pennsylvani.\-German, 
have  suggested  what  appears  to  me  to  be  a 
real  need  in  the  way  of  anything  like  an 
adequate  dictionary  or  grammar  of  Penn- 
sylvania-German. The  disintegration  of 
Pennsylvania-German  communities,  the  re- 
moval of  their  members  to  widely-separated 
localities,  and  the  gradual  disappearance  of 
the  spoken  dialect,  makes  the  need  increas- 
ingly  acute. 

Thanks  to  periodicals  like  your  own,  and 
the  interest  aroused  by  the  Pennsylvania- 
German  Society,  the  literature  of  Pennsyl- 
vania-German is  increasing,  and  the  student 
of  the  future  will  be  fairlv  well  supplied 
with  texts.  However,  unless  aids  in  the 
form  of  grammar  and  dictionaries  are  pro- 
vided, much  of  this  literature  must  un- 
avoidably become  unintelligible  as  the  num- 
ber of  those  who  speak  the  dialect  de- 
creases. The  excellent  grammatical  works 
of  Prof.  Haldeman  and  Dr.  Learned  are 
no  longer  readily  accessible,  while  Dr. 
Home's  word-list  never  purported  to  be  in- 
tended for  scholarly  use  or  to  be  inclusive 
in  vocabulary. 

It  is  laudable  to  attempt  to  perpetuate 
the  memories  of  our  ancestors  by  collect- 
ing specimens  of  the  language  they  used. 
It  can  be  no  less  laudable  or  necessary  to 
increase  the  chances  of  such  perpetuation 
by  providing  means  to  make  intelligible 
such  literature  to  those  of  Pennsylvania- 
German  descent  who  can  no  longer  speak 
the  language  their  fathers  spoke.  The 
Pennsylvania-German  Society  has  proved 
that  the  power  of  doing  sustained,  scholar- 
ly historical  work  is  still  present  among 
the  people  of  Pastorius,  Beissel  and  Miller. 
It  cannot  be  doubted  that  the  ability  to  do 
creditable  philological  work  is  also  present, 
if   the    desire,   too,   is   present. 

If  you  could,  through  your  magazine,  call 
attention  to  the  need  of  works  of  this  kind, 
I  feel  sure  you  would  give  considerable  im- 
petus to  a  most  worthy  undertaking. 
Very  truly, 

F.  K.  Walter. 


PENNSYLVANIA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETIP:S 


333 


Pennsylvania  Historical  Societies 


York   County   Hisloriial  Society. 

According  to  rtport,  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful meetings  ever  held  by  the  York  County 
Historical  Society  met  May  14.  made  interest- 
ing by  the  large  and  enthusiastic  attendance 
and  by  the  paper  read  by  Rev.  Clinton  E. 
Walters,  D.D..  on  '"Old-Time  Gleanings."  In 
this  paper  the  writer  dwelt  on  the  natural  his- 
tory collection  of  the  birds  and  animals  which 
haunt  York  and  vicinity,  on  the  valuable  col- 
lection of  books  which  the  society  possesses, 
on  the  engravings  of  William  Wagner,  who, 
in  a  competition,  won  out  over  all  his  com- 
petitors by  his  design  and  motto  of  the  State 
of  Iowa.  The  speaker  dwelt  also  on  the  his- 
tory of  the  fire  companies  of  the  city. 

Lancaster  County  Historical  Society. 

Prof.  Albert  Bushnell  Hart's  article  on  the 
Pennsylvania- Dutch,  which  appeared  in  the 
November  issue  of  The  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man, was  made  tht  subject  of  a  paper  by 
Frank  R.  Diffenderfer,  which  was  read  before 
the  Lancaster  County  Historical  Society,  Feb- 
ruary 7.  We  hope  to  reprint  the  notes  or  re- 
marks on  the  article  made  by  Mr.  Dififenderfer, 
who  says  respecting  the  same :  '"There  is  so 
much  in  it  that  requires  notice  that  if  all  the 
objectionable  points  were  carefully  commented 
upon,  another  article  of  almost  equal  length 
would  be  required." 

Bucks  County  Historical  Society. 

An  interesting  collection  of  old  Quaker  hats 
and  bonnets  has  been  deposited  in  the  museum 
of  the  Bucks  County  Historical  Society,  by 
Comly  Walton,  of  Hatboro.  There  are  two 
of  beaver,  one  straight  rimmed  and  another 
of  a  later  period  with  a  rim  slightly  curved. 
Of  the  bonnets,  one  is  drab  and  very  old,  and 
two  are  of  a  later  date.  The  oldest  of  the 
hats  and  bonnets  have  been  in  existence  nearly 
a  century,  but  they  are  still  in  excellent  state 
of  preservation. 
The  Historical  Society  of  Schuylkill  County. 

Vol.  II,  No.  2,  of  the  publications  of  this 
society  contains  :  Resolutions  on  the  Death  of 
Hon.  D.  C.  Henning,  Early  Annals  of  Potts- 
ville.  Bill  of  Sale  of  Henry  Boyer's  Vendue 
(1757),  Bill  of  Sale  of  John  Bonawitz's  Vendue 
(1B28),  and  Early  School  Days  in  Lower 
Schuylkill  County. 
The   Historical   Society   of  Berks   County. 

The  "Transactions"  of  this  society  ,Vol.  II, 
No.  3,  embracing  papers  contributed  to  the 
society  during  the  year  1907,  has  been  re- 
ceived. Covering  96  pages,  it  contains  the 
President's  address  and  papers  on  the  Hiester 
Homestead  in  Germany,  Incidents  and  Remi- 
niscences by  Major  S.  E.  Ancona,  Dedicatory 
Address  at  Unveiling  of  the  Conrad  Weiser 
Memorial  Tablet,  and  the  Intrt)duction  of  the 
^lorse  Telegraph  into  Reading. 


The  Presbyterian  Historical  Society. 

This  society  aims  "'to  collect  and  preserve 
the  materials  for  and  to  promote  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  history  of  the  Reformed  churches 
of  America  of  the  Presbyterian  Order."  At 
the  close  of  the  last  year  the  society  had  204 
contributing  members  and  47  life  members. 
Its  headquarters  are  in  the  Witherspoon  Build- 
ing, Philadelphia.  Pa. 

The  list  of  officers  includes  the  following: 
President  2  Vice-Presidents,  8  Honorary  Di- 
rectors, Corresponding  Secretary,  Recording 
Secretary,  Honorary  Librarian,  Treasurer,  Cur- 
ator of  Gallery  and  Museum,  an  Executive 
Council  of  35,  Solicitor  and  8  Local  Chairmen. 

The  society  publishes  a  journal,  holds 
meetings,  and  is  building  up  an  interesting 
and  valuable  museum.  It  has  an  endowment 
fund  of  over  $8,000,  beside  a  building  fund 
of  $15,000.  and  reports  cash  balances  in  eight 
accounts   amounting   to   over   $2,600. 

One  of  the  most  valuable  contributions  to  its 
legitimate  objects  made  by  the  Societv  during 
1907  was  the  completion  of  the  Francis 
Makemie  Memorial.  The  society  found  the 
private  cemetery  of  this  chief  founder  of  or- 
ganized Presbytery  in  America  a  scene  of 
desolation  in  a  remote  spot  on  the  "Old  Vir- 
ginia Shore."  The  society  transformed  a 
scene  of  desolation  into  a  beautiful  tract  of 
three  acres,  "xMakemie  Memorial  Park,"  cleared 
up.  leveled,  graded  to  be  ornamented  and  sown 
with  grass,  having  a  monument  seventeen  feet 
high,  the  granite  base  surmounted  by  a  granite 
statue   of    Francis    Makemie. 

The    New    England    Historical    Genealogical 
Society. 

The  New  England  Historical  and  Genealogi- 
cal Register  gives  in  its  issue  for  April,  190S, 
No.  246,  Vol.  LXII,  as  a  supplement,  the  pro- 
ceedings at  the  annual  meeting  of  this  society, 
from  which  the  following  is  gleaned : 

The  policy  of  the  society  from  its  very 
earliest  days  has  been  to  gather  a  library  of 
New  England  local  history  and  genealogy,  and 
to  publish  genealogical,  historical  and  bio- 
graphical data.  Throughout  its  later  years 
it  has  pursued  its  dual  policy  with  vigor,  on  the 
one  hand  concentrating  its  energii?s  upon  a 
genealogical  library,  a  library  especially  com- 
plete in  all  that  pertains  to  New  England 
families,  their  origin,  their  annals  while  resi- 
dents here,  and  their  emigrations  to  other  sec- 
tions of  the  country,  with  their  later  history 
in  their  new  homes ;  on  the  other  hand,  utili'-^ing 
its  forces  and  influences,  both  directly  and  in- 
directly, for  the  increase  of  publications  of 
permanent  value  to  the  descendants  of  the 
settlers    of    New    England. 

The  list  of  officers  includes  the  following: 
President,  six  Vice-Presidents,  Recording  Sec- 


3M 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


retary.  Corresponding  Secretary,  Treasurer,  Li-* 
brarian,  a   Council   of  six   members. 

Officers  and  Committees  are  appointed  by 
the  Council  as  follows :  Historian,  Editor  of 
Publications,  Committees  on  Finance,  Real 
Estate,  Library,  Heraldry,  Publications,  Papers 
and  Essays,  to  Assist  the  Historian,  English 
Research,  Epitaphs,  Collection  of  Records,  Con- 
solidated Index,  Sale  of  Publications,  Increase 
of  Membership. 

The  report  of  the  Treasurer  for  the  year 
ending  December  31,  1907.  shows  total  receipts 


of  cash  during  the  year  amounting  to  $25,- 
096.77  and  resources  aggregating  $358,548.79^ 
including  the  society's  building  valued  at  $65,- 
488.90. 

Space  does  not  permit  us  to  give  additional 
details  of  the  reports  made.  Our  New  Eng- 
land brethren  have  been  on  the  ground  many 
more  years  than ,  we  Germans,  and  should 
therefore  naturally  lead  us  of  Pennsylvania- 
Germany.  How  long  will  it  take  us  "Dutch- 
men" to  make  an  equally  good  showing? 


Genealogical     Queries 


XXXIX. 
Martin  Stupp  and  George  Daniel  Schneider. 

In  answer  to  Genealogical  Notes  and 
Queries,  Question  XXXV,  I  will  state,  that 
^lartin  Stupp,  also  spelled  Stup,  was  an  early 
settler  from  the  Schoharie,  N.  Y.,  to  the  Tul- 
pehoccon.  His  will,  which  was  probated 
March  18,  1755,  was  entered  by  Peter  Stein 
and  Samuel  Weiser,  on  oath  of  Conrad 
Weiser,  in  Berks  county  court  house.  Among 
names  of  settlers  in  Tulpehoccon  who  came 
fro  mthe  Schoharie  was  that  of  Martin  Stupp. 

To  my  mind  there  is  no  doubt  that  George 
Daniel  Schneider  was  also  a  Schoharie  settler, 
before   coming   to   Berks   county. 
Respectfully, 

William  J.   Dietrich. 

XL. 
Kidzmiller. 

On  the  old  graveyard  of  the  Trinity  Re- 
formed (Tulpehocken)  church,  at  the  line  of 
Berks  and  Lebanon  counties,  is  a  gravestone 
(the  oldest  in  the  cemetery)  on  which  appears 
the   following  inscription  : 

Her    licht    den    gestorben 
Johannes    Kidzmiler 

ist   geboren    1669 

den  26  Febr.    Storb 

1745 

XLl. 
Birthplace    of    Peter    Loucks? 

Mr.  H.  W.  Kkiebkl, 

East  Greenville,  Pa. : 
De.'XR  Sir — Can  you  direct  me  to  some  one 
of  whom  I  might  be  able  to  get  the  informa- 
tion as  to  what  town,  or  place,  my  great-grand- 
father came  from.  He  sailed  from  Rotterdam 
and  landed  at  New  York,  Sept.  20th,  1738.  His 
name  was  Peter  Loucks  (or  Laucks),  and  in- 
formation will  be  thankfully  received. 
Yours    truly, 

AuGU.STU.s   Loucks, 
43    N.    Hartlv    St., 
York,   Pa. 


XLII, 
The   Bare   Family. 

D.  M.  BARE,  ROARING  SPRINGS,  PA. 

I  lately  read,  with  much  interest,  in  your 
excellent  magazine,  an  article  by  Samuel  Baer, 
Ph.D.,  of  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  a  history  of  the 
Baer  family,  with  which  he  and  other  promi- 
nent Pennsylvanians  are  connected.  With 
your  permission,  I  will  give  a  short  history 
of  the  Bare  family,  with  which  I  am  connected, 
hoping  through  the  medium  of  your  journal  ta 
be  able  to  connect  our  family  with  some  of 
the  somewhat  numerous  families  of  that  name 
that  are  now  living  in  Lancaster  and  York 
counties. 

My  great-grandfather  Jacob  Baer  was  mar- 
ried to  Barbara  Schelman.  Grandfather 
Johannes  Baer  was  born  in  Lancaster  county, 
in  1749,  and  was  married  to  Anna  Maria 
Beistein,  who  was  born  in  Darmstadt,  Ger- 
many. 

Johannes  Baer  lived  in  Leacock  township, 
Lancaster  county.  Pa.,  and  in  1770  bought 
two  tracts  of  land,  aggregating  167  acres,  in 
Newberry  township,  York  county.  Pa.,  and 
during  the  next  twenty  years  bought  some  250 
acres,  mostly  adjoining  his  previous  purchases. 

We  have  no  record  as  to  when  he  moved  to 
York  county,  but  presume  it  was  pretty  soon 
after  his  marriage,  in  1772.  He  died  in  New- 
berry township,  in  1799,  and  his  wife  Anna 
Maria  died  at  the  same  place  in  182=;.  They 
had  eleven  children,  three  of  whom  died  young, 
and  their  second  son,  Henry,  was  never  mar- 
ried. Their  son  John,  married  to  Catharine 
Grubb,  lived  and  died  on  part  of  the  old  home- 
stead. Jacob  was  married  to  Mary  Epply, 
They  also  lived  and  died  upon  part  of  the  old 
farm.  George  married  Elizabeth  Krape.  They 
moved  to  Rebersburg,  Center  county.  Pa.,  and 
lived  and  died  there.  Barbara  was  married 
to  Christian  Musse,  and  lived  in  York  county. 
Daniel  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Mathias, 
daughter  of  Peter  Mathias  of  York  county. 
Pa.  Daniel  moved  to  Huntingdon  county,  Pa., 
in  1831,  and  died  at  Roaring  Springs.  Pa.,  in 
1869. 

Anna  was  married  to  Henry  Miller.  Benja- 
min   was   married    to    Catherine    Mathias,    and 


GENEALOGICAL  NOTES  AND  QUERIES 


33S 


moved  to   Huntingdon   county,   in    18,32,   where 
he  died   in    1845. 

Some  of  the  information  given  above  was 
obtained  from  a  family  Bible,  still  in  posses- 
sion of  one  branch  of  our  family,  and  was 
written  by  Johannes  Baer  himself,  sometime 
between  1792  and  1799.  He  died  in  the  latter 
year.  (The  balance  of  the  information  has 
been  obtained  from  the  York  county  records.) 
He  writes  his  name  in  his  Bible  "Baer,"  but 
we  find  it  written  '"Behr"  in  several  of  his 
deeds  on  record  in  York  county.  We  find 
further  that  in  a  petition  to  the  York  county 
court,  ]\Iary  "Bear"  asked  the  court  to  appoint 
John  Nichols  guardian  of  some  of  her  minor 
heirs,  and  from  thifc  time  on  we  find  it  written 
''Bear"  more  frequently  than  any  other  way. 
At  present,   and   I   think   for   more   than   fifty 


years  past,  a  majority  of  the  descendants  of 
Johannes  Baer  have  written  it  "Bare."  In 
this  connection,  I  will  yet  mention  a  Jacob 
Bear,  who  owned  property  in  Newberry  and 
Fairview  townships,  York  county,  who  was 
contemporaneous  with  our  Johannes  Baer,  and 
who  we  are  inclined  to  think  was  his  lirother, 
but  of  this  we  are  not  certain.  He  had  three 
sons — Emanuel,  Jacob  and  Englehart.  and  five 
daughters — Susannah,  married  to  Peter 
Schrieber;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Christian  Burger; 
Barbara,  wife  of  Samuel  Johnston;  Catherine, 
wife  of  Jacob  Wolf,  and  Anna,  wife  of  Arnold 
Spink,  of  Wrightsville,  York  county.  Pa. 

Perhaps  some  of  the  readers  of  your  journal 
may  be  able  to  give  us  some  additional  in- 
formation tending  to  connect  us  with  other 
families  of  the  same  name. 


Reviews  and  Notes 


BY  PROF.  E.  S.  GERHARD,  TRENTON.  N.  J. 


The  Schwenckfeldian   for  May  has  an  article 

entitled,      "Christopher      Kriebel,      the 

Schwenckfelder  Catechist,"  by  A.  A.  Seipt. 

Mr.  Seipt  is  a  native  of  Montgomery  county. 

Pa.      He   is   a   graduate   of   the    University   of 

Pennsylvania;  a  year  ago  he  received  his  Ph.D. 

degree    from   the    same   institution.     He    is    at 

present  engaged  in  teaching  in  Delaware,  Ohio. 

Christopher   Kriebel   was   born   in    Silesia   in 

1720,  and  came  to  America  in   1734.     He  was 

one   of   the    foremost    Schwenckfelders   of  his 

day ;    he   did   much    to   organize   the    religious 

work  among  these  people  and  to  establish  their 

Church. 

The  Atlantic  Monthly  for  April  contained  a 
good,  interesting  story  entitled,  "The 
County   Seat,"   b}'   Elsie    Singmaster. 

The  scene  is  laid  in  Millerstown  (Macungie), 
Miss  Singmaster's  native  home,  and  Allentown, 
Pa.  It  narrates  the  experiences  of  the  Kuhnses, 
a  family  consisting  of  husband,  wife  and  two 
children,  who  decided  to  leave  Millerstown; 
this  place  is  too  slow  for  them.  So  they  give 
vent  to  their  disgust  and  move  to  Allentown. 
But  things  are  not  in  the  county  seat  as  they 
expected  to  find  them.  The  story  ends  just 
as  one  thinks  it  will  from  the  very  beginning 
— they  move  back  again  to  Millerstown. 

This  is  one  of  the  best  short  stories  with  the 
scene  among  the  Pennsylvania-German  people 
that  has  come  to  our  notice  for  a  long  time. 
It  is  absolutely  simple,  and  therein  lies 'its  art. 
The  characters  are  few,  and  they  are  well 
delineated,  especially  Mrs.  Kuhns,  who  may 
well  be  taken  for  a  typical  Pennsylvania-German 
housekeeper.  On  the  whole,  the  story  is  a 
fitting  rebuke  to  the  workmanship  and  artistic 
temperament  of  those  writers  who  say  they 
cannot  idealize  the  Penn.sylvania-iGerman 
people. 

Alltaegliches — ein    Kcnversations    und    Lese 


buch.      By    M.    B.    Lambert,    Boys'    High 
School,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.    In  Heath's  Mod- 
ern Language  Series.     Cloth ;  260  pp.    75c. 
D.   C.   Heath  &   Co.     Boston.      1908. 
Prof.     Lambert     was     born     and     raised     in 
Northampton   county.    Pa.     He   is  a   graduate 
of    Lafayette    College,    Easton,    Pa.      He    was 
for  some  years  engaged  in  surveying;   of  late 
he   has   been   connected   with   the   German   De- 
partment, Boys'  High  School,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
He  has  also  edited  several  German  texts :    Der 
Prozess      (Benedix)      Minna     von      Barnhelm 
(Lessing). 

This  book  marks  a  new  departure  in  the 
teaching  of  German.  As  a  reader  it  is  new  in 
subject-matter.  The  author  has  availed  him- 
self of  the  principle  that  the  thmgs  and  affairs 
of  daily  occurrence  are  the  ones  that  interest 
pupils  the  most ;  and  so  the  exercises  found  in 
it  are  made  up  entirely  of  the  school-life  and 
the  home-life  of  the  pupils.  The  book  also 
embodies  the  universal  idea  that  a  language, 
to  be  of  any  practical  use,  must  be  made  a 
living  language ;  that  is,  it  must  become  a  part 
of  the  individual  ;  the  two  must  grow  up  to- 
gether. And  these  advantages  can  best  be 
secured  by  practice  in  conversation.  The  book 
has  a  resourceful  vocabulary.  There  are  also 
some  exercises  to  be  re-translated  into  German. 
A  series  of  questions  accompanies  each  Ger- 
man exercise;  these,  of  course,  are  only  sug- 
gestive ;  it  is  not  at  all  likely  that  any  teacher 
will  follow  them  in  toto.  But  they  form  an  ex- 
cellent basis  for  conversational  drill,  which 
is   the  main   purpose  of  the  book. 

The   Life   and    Works   of   Christopher    Do:k, 

America's  Pioneer  Writer  on  lulucation, 
with  a  translation  of  his  works  into  the 
English  language  by  Martin  G.  Brum- 
baugh, Ph  D,,  LL.D.,  Superintendent  of 
Schools,    Philadelphia;    with    an    introduc- 


336 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


tion    by    Hon.    Samuel    W.    Pennypacker, 
LL.D.,  ex-Governor  of  the  Commonwealth 
of  Pennsylvania.     Cloth  bound,  gilt  top  and 
stamp ;    2T2    pp.      Price,    $5.00    net.      Only 
1,000  copies  have  been  printed.     J.  B.  Lip- 
pincott    Company,    Philadelphia    and    Lon- 
don.     1908. 
Christopher    Dock,    "the    pious    schoolmaster 
of    the    Skippack,"    came     from    Germany    to 
Pennsylvania  between  the  years  1710  and  1714. 
The  supposition  is  that  he  came  here  to  farm, 
but  his  pious  spirit  may  have  induced   him  to 
devote   himself   to    the   education    of    the    chil- 
dren of  his  neighbors,  and  in  this  undertaking 
he   was   encouraged   by   Christopher    Saur,   the 
veteran    publisher    and    printer.      About    1718 
he  opened  a   school  in   Skippack,   Montgomery 
county,    Pa.      This    school    was    continued    for 
ten  years.     It  is  needless  to  say  that  his  com- 
pensation   was    less    than    meager.      He    next 
bought    100  acres  of   land   from   the    Penns   in 
Salford  township,   Montgomery  county,   where 
he    spent    the    greater    part    of    his    life. 

He  next  conducted  a  school  in  Bebber's 
township  (Skippack  and  Perkiomen),  and 
here  in  1750  he  wrote  his  Schnlc-ovdnung  and 
also  the  several  articles  which  Saur  printed  in 
his  Geistliclies  Magasicn.  We  also  find  that 
he  taught  school  in  Germantown  for  four 
summers.  Here  he  happened  to  have  among 
his  pupils  the  only  son  of  Christopher  Saur, 
the  printer. 

Such,  in  short  is  the  meagre  life-history  of 
this  pious,  conscientious,  and  unobtrusive 
.schoolmaster.  His  noblest  traits  were  love 
and  service.  Like  the  Master  himself,  he 
meant  to  serve,  not  to  be  served  ;  and  he  served 
for  the  love  of  service.  It  is  evident  that  his 
controlling  power  was  love,  not  force.  He 
treated  the  children  with  love,  and  so  they 
loved  and  feared  him,  and  also  loved  one 
another. 

Dock's  method  of  teaching  early  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  elder  Saur,  who  was 
greatly  impressed  by  his  son's  superior  teacher. 
So  he  urged  Dock  to  write  a  treatise  on  organ- 
izing and  conducting  a  school.  Dock  was 
averse  to  this,  but  by  using  a  little  diplomacy 
he  finally  wrote  what  turned  out  to  be  his 
Schidc-ordnung;  it  was  completed  in  1750,  but 
it  was  not  to  be  printed  during  the  lifetime 
of  the  author.  For  a  while  the  manuscript 
was    forgotten    and    almost    lost. 

The  ScliHlc-ordnimg  may  well  be  termed 
the  first  treatise  on  education  written  in 
Americt.  It  gives  the  finest  account  of  a 
colonial  .school.  It  is  simple  and  original. 
'I  here  are  no  vague,  psychological  di.scussions 
on  the  theory  and  practice  of  teaching;  no  im- 
practicable, impossible,  high-handed  theories. 
The  instruction  of  today  is  far  remote  from 
the  simple  but  effective  teaching  of  Dock, 
which  made  for  a  religious  life,  noble  char- 
acter and  solid  worth,  essentials  often  badlv 
lacking  in  modern  education.  The  subjects 
were  few  and  simple.  No  text-books  are  men- 
tioned ;  in  fact,  the  only  book  mentioned  is 
the  Bible.  The  pupils  were  instructed  in  the 
four  R's,  not  three:    reading,  'riting,  'rithmetic, 


and  religion.  The  first  three  subjects  have 
been  neglected  in  the  scuffle  for  so-called  higher 
education,  while  the  last  named,  to  the  detri- 
ment of  the  race,  it  seems,  is  no  longer  toler- 
ated  in   the   public   schools. 

Christopher  Dock  anticipated  the  present 
time  by  no  less  than  one  hundred  years.  He 
speaks  of  having  "monitors''  in  his  school, 
whose  duty  it  was  to  note  the  order  of  the 
room  while  he  himself  attended  to  the  indi- 
vidual instruction  of  the  pupils.  Is  this  much 
different  from  what  is  today  called  the 
Batavian  system?  It  was  his  idea,  and  he  also 
put  it  into  practice,  that  the  teacher  should 
take  the  place  of  the  parent ;  this  is  a  very 
common  idea  of  today.  He  was  vastly  more 
concerned  about  the  welfare  of  the  children 
who  were  brought  under  his  care  than 
thousands  of  parents  are  about  their  own  off- 
spring. 

If  conscientiousness  ever  distinguished  a 
teacher,  then  Christopher  Dock  is  that  teacher. 
It  was  his  custom  to  go  down  on  his  knees 
every  evening  after  school  and  ask  for  guid- 
ance. It  was  in  such  an  attitude  that  he  was 
found  one  evening  in  autumn,  in  1771.  He 
did  not  come  back  from  school  that  evening ; 
a  search  was  made  and  he  was  found  in  his 
school-room  on  his  knees,  dead,  with  the  roll 
of  his  pupils  spread  before  him.  "Thus  ended 
in  prayer  for  his  pupils  a  life  singularly  sweet 
and  unselfishly  given  to  the  welfare  of  those 
whom  he  believed  God  had  divinely  appointed 
him  to  teach." 

He  also  composed  many  hymns,  some  of 
which  have  considerable  merit.  He  compiled 
rules  of  conduct  for  his  pupils;  many  of  these 
rules  now  seem  almost  laughable.  These  hymns 
and  rules  of  conduct  and  other  Schriftcn  ap- 
pear in  Saur's  Gcistlichcs  Magazicn,  to  which 
Dock  occasionally   contributed. 

The  introduction  by  ex-tGovernor  Penny- 
packer  is  rather  short,  but  it  is  decidedly  ap- 
propriate and  suggestive.  Mr.  Pennypacker, 
by  the  way,  made  the  first  translation  into 
English  of  the  Sclmlc-ordnung;  and  he  was  in 
all  probability  the  first  to  bring  to  light  many 
of  the  facts  of  Dock's  life. 

Dr.  Brumbaugh  has  put  under  obligation 
everyone  who  may  hereafter  write  about  the 
history  of  education  in  this  country ;  for  we  do 
not  believe  that  any  one  can  write  on  this 
subjict  in  the  future  without  reckoning"  with 
the   "pious   schoolmaster   on   the   Skippack." 

The  book  is  a  fine  piece  of  press  work;  it 
reflects  credit  upon  the  publishers  for  the 
artistic  make-up;  and  upon  the  author  and 
editor  and  translator  for  the  apt  and  appro- 
priate arrangement  and  for  the  strict  adher- 
ence to  the  truth  of  the  original.  Good,  racy 
Emglish  may  occasionally  have  been  sacrificed 
to  preserve  the  quaintness  of  the  original ;  but 
it  is  believed  that  most  readers  will  look 
upon  this  as  a  charm  and  not  a  defect. 

The  book  is  also  a  fitting  and  noble  memorial 
to  the  memory  of  America's  pioneer  •'.riter  on 
education  ;  it  bestows  upon  him  the  honor  that 
has  been  due  him  for  more  than  a  hundred 
years. 


p:dgar  fahs  s.mith 

(See   patje  S4(i) 


Vol.  IX 


AUGUST,  1908 


No.  8 


A  Journey  over  the  Route  Travelled  by  Rev.  F.  A.  C. 
Muhlenberg  in  His  Trips  to  Shamokin,  1777. 


BY  REV.  J.   W.  EARLY,  A.  M.,  READING,  PA. 


T  need  scarcely  be  remarked 
that  at  the  present  day  that 
route  is  seldom  taken.  Now 
when  people  go  to  Shamo- 
kin, Sunbury  or  Selins- 
grove,  or  any  part  of  the 
section  then  known  as  Shamokin,  they 
generally  travel  via  Port  Clinton,  Tama- 
qua,  Mahanoy  City,  Ashland,  etc.,  or  else 
via  Lebanon,  Harrisburg,  Millersburg, 
Georgetown  and  Herndon.  These  have 
become  the  usual  routes.  A  traveller 
could  not  well  reach  the  chief  points 
along  the  Old  Shamokin  road  in 
any  other  way  than  by  private  convey- 
ance, i.  e.,  with  a  team,  or  an  automobile. 
He  might  still  reach  them  afoot,  or  as 
Rev.  IMuhlenberg  did,  on  horseback. 

But  supposing  ourselves  on  such  a 
journey  bent,  it  might  be  best  for  us  to 
start  from  Reading,  not  only  because  it  is 
the  capital  of  Berks,  but  because  it  was 
the  real  starting  point,  or  the  terminus, 
as  the  case  might  be,  of  the  Oid  Tulpe- 
hocken,  or  the  Old  Shamokin  Road.  It 
had  also  been  the  home  of  Conrad  Weis- 
er.  a  considerable  time  before  his  death. 
He  himself  had  passed  away  between 
eleven  and  twelve  years  before  these  trips 
were  made.  The  real  starting  point  of 
Rev.  Muhlenberg  was  Weiser's  former 
home,  also  the  place  of  his  burial. 


Having  secured  a  proper  team,  let  us 
set  out  from  the  middle  of  the  square, 
where  the  old  court  house  stood,  just  be- 
yond Conrad  Weiser's  store,  where  the 
Weiser  tablet  has  been  placed,  at  the  in- 
tersection of  Market  and  Callowhill 
streets,  now  Fi^th  and  Penn.  It  will  re- 
quire but  a  short  time  to  cross  the  Penn 
street  bridge,  having  the  P.  R.  R.  depot 
to  our  right.  This  brings  us  to  the  newly 
incorporated  borough  of  West  Reading, 
which  ought  properly  to  be  a  part  of  the 
city  itself.  We  now  pass  under  the  via- 
duct of  the  Belt  Line.  Beyond  the  aban- 
doned toll-gate  we  enter  the  borough  of 
Wyomissing,  another  suburb  incorporated 
in  recent  years.  We  might  almost  fear 
that  if  Reading  does  not  soon  enlarge  its 
boundaries,  it  will  be  invested  by  a  cor- 
don of  small  boroughs,  so  that  when  it 
becomes  necessary  it  cannot  expand. 

Next  we  come  to  the  bridge  crossing 
the  P.  &  R.  R.  R.,  and  pass  to  the  north 
of  it.  Then  we  drive  along  Penn  avenue 
of  Springmont,  a  suburb  of  a  score  or 
more  houses,  laid  out  some  eight  or  ten 
years  ago,  too  near  the  city  to  grow  rapid- 
ly and  too  far  from  it  to  become  a  part 
of  it  in  the  immediate  future. 

We  now  enter  the  village  of  Sinking 
Spring,  said  to  owe  its  name  to  the  fact 
that  a  fine  spring  at  the  head  of  a  branch 


340 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


of  the  Cacoosing  sinks  into  the  ground, 
and  soon  again  appears  as  a  small,  limpid 
rivulet  and  pursues  its  course  with  other 
branches  to  the  Tulpehocken. 

But  we  will  have  no  time  for  historical 
research  here.  So  we  simply  point  out 
the  old  eight-cornered  school  house,  with 
the  graveyard  alongside,  marking  the  spot 
where  the  original  Welsh  settlers  had  at- 
tempted the  establishment  of  a  Baptist 
congregation.  This  is  a  town  of  2,000  or 
2,500  inhabitants,  and  is  not  incorporated. 
It  is  one  of  the  oldest  towns  of  the  coun- 
ty. It  has  a  number  of  churches,  as  well 
as  a  number  of  taverns  to  accommodate 
thirsty  travellers,  as  well  as  some  of  the 
inhabitants. 

Werners  ville 

Three  miles  further  on  we  come  to 
Wernersville,  which  has  been  built  up  en- 
tirely as  the  result  of  the  construction  of 
the  Lebanon  Valley  Railroad.  It  has  a 
Lutheran  church  and  a  Reformed  Sun- 
day-school chapel.  The  latter  was  erected 
mainly  because  the  church  (Hain's)  is  too 
far  away  for  the  children  of  the  town  to 
attend  it.  This  village  has  stolen  a  march 
on  its  more  populous  neighbor  to  the 
east  by  securing  a  bank.  It  tried  to  gain 
another  advantage  by  securing  an  incor- 
poration as  a  borough.  In  that  it  failed. 
But  that,  too,  will  come  in  time. 

Robesonia 

Three  miles  further  on,  eleven  miles 
beyond  Reading,  is  Robesonia,  another 
village  owing  its  origin  and  growth  to 
the  Lebanon  Valley  Railroad.  It  has  only 
two  churches,  both  erected  in  recent 
years,  within  its  borders — the  Reformed 
and  Evangelical.  Nearly  a  mile  to  the 
north  is  the  "Corner"  or  St.  Daniel's 
church  (Lutheran),  the  first  church  in 
this  vicinity  which  grew  out  of  the  origi- 
nal Tulpehocken  church.  It  was  organ- 
ized by  Rev.  J.  W.  Kurtz  in  1750.  The 
congregation  also  has  a  chapel  in  the 
town,  in  which  English  services  are  held. 
Still  further  to  the  left,  beyond  the  rail- 
road, is  the  furnace  bearing  the  same 
name  as  the  town.  Somewhere  in  its 
vicinity,  possibly  between  it  and  the  Con- 


rad Weiser  homestead,  is  the  ore  mine 
bequeathed  by  Fr.  Weiser  to  his  sons 
Conrad,  John  and  Peter,  "3  acres  in  fee 
to  hold  in  common  containing  an  ore 
mine,  a  part  of  the  tract  of  150  acres  of 
the  plantatiori  devised  to  Conrad,  which 
3  acres  I  direct  my  executors  not  to  sell." 
Whether  this  ore  mine  was  ever  developed 
or  whether  it  is  still  worked  the  writer 
has  not  learned.  Apparently,  it  has  been 
lost  sight  of. 

Conrad  Weiser 

Nearly  two  miles  further  on,  a  short 
field's  breadth  to  our  left,  about  half  a 
mile  east  of  Womelsdorf,  is  the  old 
Weiser  plantation,  on  which  was  erected 
the  house  in  which  Conrad  Weiser  lived. 
He  lies  buried  immediately  west  of  the 
farm  house  in  an  old  orchard,  which  has 
almost  entirely  disappeared,  the  old  apple 
trees  having  nearly  all  been  uprooted  in 
the  great  storm  which  .passed  over  that 
section  in  1904.  The  house  had  also 
been  unroofed,  but  was  repaired  again. 
Last  fall,  the  old  two-room  stone  build- 
ing in  which  Weiser  himself  had  lived  was 
destroyed  by  fire.  Now  there  is  nothing 
left  to  mark  his  former  home  but  the 
plain  marble  slab  on  his  grave  in  the 
southwest  corner  of  the  orchard.  Un- 
fortunately, some  one  tried  to  restore  the 
wife's  tombstone,  or  rather  the  inscrip- 
tion on  it,  so  as  to  make  her  appear 
younger  than  some  of  her  own  children. 
She  was  probably  about  30  years  older 
than  the  date  of  birth  on  the  tombstone 
would  indicate. 

It  was  to  this  place  that  the  Indians 
came  to  visit  their  White  Brother.  Al- 
though not  so  in  name,  this  was  really 
the  capital  of  the  Province  of  Pennsyl- 
vania for  many  years.  Not  only  was  its 
occupant  the  counsellor  and  adviser  of 
the  Proprietaries  and  the  Governor,  but 
it  was  also  the  place  whence  its  Indian 
Policy  emanated,  and  to  which  the  Indian 
chiefs  came  to  lodge  their  complaints.  It 
was  the  place  they  always  visited  first 
even  before  calling  on  the  authorities,  to 
have  their  wrongs  redressed.  Here  they 
were  always  courteously  received  and 
kindly  treated.  They  felt  that  they  would 
always   find   an   advocate   and  a   spokes- 


A  JOURNEY 


341 


man    here.      But    in    an    evil    hour,    this 
hitherto  firm  friend  of  the  Indians  forgot 
that  a  man  can  not  successfully  act  as 
the  paid  attorney  or  as  the  counsel  of  two 
opposing  interests,  and  accepted  a  fee  of 
2,000  acres  of  the  best  land  still  belonging 
to  the  Indians,  his  former  clients,  to  se- 
cure a  treaty  at  Albany,  by  which  this 
most  fertile  section  of  Pennsylvania,  still 
belonging  to  the   Indians,  was  ceded  to 
the  Proprietaries.     From  that  day  on,  his 
great  influence  began  to  wane.     In  fact, 
he  seems  to  have  been  hated  by  these  ig- 
norant pople  almost  as  intensely  as  he 
was  loved  by  them  before.     They  even 
assented  to  having  a  price  set  on  his  head ; 
they  endeavored  to  secure  his  person  and 
sought  to  destroy  members  of  the  family. 
We  have  not  time  to  enter  upon  a  dis- 
cussion   of   the    reasons    why    this    man 
who,  almost  up  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
occupied  a  position  as  prominent  in  the 
affairs    of    Pennsylvania,    possibly    even 
more  prominent,  than  that  of  Benjamin 
Franklin,  has  not  been  brought  forward 
and  honored  more  among  his  people  since 
that  time.    This  one  grave  mistake  would 
hardly  account  for  the  great  difference 
For    Franklin    was    not    without    faults 
equally  grave.     This  alone  could  there- 
fore not  account  for  it.    But  the  fact  that 
for  many  years  there  was  a  tendency  and 
a    disposition   to    praise    everything    that 
came  from  New  England,  and  to  decry 
everything  of   German  or  native  origin, 
might  serve,  in  large  part,  to  account  for 
the  difference.     Franklin  came  from  Bos- 
ton, and  Weiser  was  of  the  same  blood  as 
his  German  neighbors.     But  in  addition 
to   all  these  things,   we   apprehend   very 
seriously   that   the-  efforts   of   writers   to 
claim  honors  that  did  not  really  belong  to 
the  man,  and  where  he  did  not  really  de- 
serve them,  had   more  to   do   with  this 
than  any  one  thing  besides.    For  we  hap- 
pen to  know  that  there  is  nothing  which 
the   native    Pennsylvanian   resents    more 
readily  and  more  vigorously  than  an  ef- 
fort to  deify  a  man  and  to  ascribe  to 
him   qualities    and   perfections    which   he 
cannot  claim,  and  which  he  does  not  pos- 
sess.    Even  New  Englanders  might  de- 
mur if  some  one  should  insist  that  Daniel 
Webster  be  held  up  as  an  apostle  of  tem- 


perance, and  that  this  be  set  forth  as  his 
great  claim  to  pre-eminence.  Can  we 
therefore  wonder  that  plain  and  simple 
Pennsylvanians  merely  shrug  their 
shoulders  and  refuse  to  become  enthusi- 
astic over  this  gifted  man,  when  writers 
and  speakers  insist  that  he  shall  be  hon- 
ored above  all  other  things? 

These  statements  are  not  meant  so 
much  as  a  criticism  of  Conrad  Weiser, 
But  they  are  intended  as  a  protest  against 
the  mode  of  eulogizing  men  of  that  kind 
which  is  frequently  adopted.  This  mode 
seems  to  be  a  sort  of  imitation  of  our  pro- 
fessional funeral  orators,  who  are  not  sat- 
isfied with  the  statement  of  facts.  For 
generally  they  have  none  to  state.  It  is 
only:  "Now  the  good  man  is  gone.  The 
loving  husband  is  no.  more,"  although  his 
wife  and  children  may  have  been  in  mor- 
tal terror  of  him  when  he  came  home 
drunk.  Now  we  hold  that  it  is  not  neces- 
sary to  speak  untruth  when  speaking  of 
the  dead.  It  is  really  the  most  uncharit- 
able thing  that  can  be  done.  Conrad 
Weiser  might  justly  have  prayed  as  it  is 
said  Frederick  the  Great  did :  "Lord, 
save  me  from  my  friends,  with  my  ene- 
mies I  can  settle  myself." 

Womelsdorf 

But  we  continue  our  journey.  Unfor- 
tunately, the  road  leading  from  Weiser's 
residence  through  the  northeast  corner  of 
Womelsdorf  to  the  old  Tulpehocken  or 
Reed's  church  has  been  closed,  or  moved, 
in  laying  out  the  town.  We  therefore 
follow  the  turnpike  to  the  middle  of  the 
borough,  where  we  turn  northward.  At 
the  next  street  we  turn  to  the  northwest, 
towards  Rehrersburg.  To  our  right,  on 
a  commanding  eminence,  is  Zion's  church, 
not  yet  erected  when  F.  A.  C.  Muhlen- 
berg started  on  his  trip.  In  the  ceme- 
tery adjoining,  a  number  of  the  Weisers 
lie  buried.  About  half  a  mile  northwest 
of  the  town  we  cross  the  Tulpehocken, 
leaving  the  old  Tulpehocken  church 
(Reed's),  which  had  passed  through  its 
stormy  period  between  thirty  and  forty 
years  before  his  time,  about  a  mile  to  our 
left.  A  little  more  than  a  mile  further 
north,   we   find   a   handboard,   telling   us 


342 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


that  Charming  Forge,  one  of  the  early 
iron  works  of  the  State,  is  located  two 
miles  further  east — also  on  the  banks  of 
the  Tulpehocken,  a  power  house  for  the 
generation  of  electricity  for  Womelsdorf 
now  occupying  the  site.  Several  miles 
further  on  we  pass  Host.  Nearly  a  mile 
north  of  this  point  is  the  Host  church, 
where  Rev.  Stoy,  preacher  and  physician, 
a  pioneer  of  the  Reformed  church,  lies 
buried. 

Without  desiring  to  settle  any  vexed 
questions  for  our  neighbors,  we  will  state 
that  a  scrap  of  paper  among  the  old  docu- 
ments of  the  Belleman's  church  says  that 
after  Rev.  Stoy,  then  still  in  the  active 
ministry,  returned  from  Philadelphia,  he 
settled  at  the  original  Reformed  Tulpe- 
hocken church,  and  from  there  served 
this  one  (Belleman's).  To  us  this  would 
indicate  that  Rev.  Stoy,  as  well  as 
others,  regarded  the  Host  as  the  original 
Reformed  church.  All  this  might  pos- 
sibly indicate  that  after  Rev.  Peter  Miller 
had  been  immersed,  his  adherents  turned 
towards  the  Host,  and  the  followers  of 
Rev.  Boehm,  who  were  not  on  the  best 
terms  with  them,  went  westward  to  Trin- 
ity, across  the  Lebanon  county  line.  But, 
in  all  probability,  these  matters  will  always 
remain  in  doubt. 

Rehrersburg 

Travelling  four  miles  farther,  we 
reach  Rehrersburg,  laid  out  by  Gottfried 
Rehrer.  We  shall  not  stop  to  speak  of 
its  quaintly  named  streets, — Gottfried, 
Jacobs,  Magdalena,  Rehrer,  Maria, 
Brown,  etc.  This  was  Rev.  Muhlenberg's 
first  stopping  place.  It  was  then  known 
as  Atolheo.  Rev.  John  Casper  Stoever 
also  calls  it  Adelhoch.  He  seems  to  have 
been  of  the  impression  that  it  was  so 
called  on  account  of  its  celebrated  posi- 
tion,— Eagle's  Heights  or  Eagle's  Point. 
But  the  original  church  record  clearly 
states  that  the  church  is  located  on  the 
•'Bieber  Creek  and  Tolheo,"  possibly  to 
distinguish  it  from  that  in  Rockland  on 
the  Bieber  creek,  a  branch  of  the  Mana- 
tawny.  This  stream  enters  the  Little 
Swatara  and  flows  "ad  Tolheo." 

After  leaving  this   point   and  passing 


through  Millersburg,  not  then  in  exist- 
ence, we  reach  Fort  Henry,  five  miles 
further  on,  also  known  as  Busses'  Fort 
and  Fort  Dietrich  Six.  At  that  time  al- 
ready it  was  in  a  very  dilapidated  con- 
dition. Rev.  Muhlenberg's  opinion  seems 
to  have  been  that  these  forts  did  very 
little  for  the  real  sa_fety  of  the  people.  It 
is  located  to  the  right  of  the  road. 

The  Blue  Mountains 

We  have  now  reached  the  first  moun- 
tain, or  the  first  range  of  the  Blue  Moun- 
tains. At  that  time  the  road  was  still  in 
very  primitive  condition,  very  little  more 
than  a  bridle  path.  There  was  a  climb  of 
about  two  miles.  But  the  beauty  of  the 
outlook  from  this  lofty  point,  however, 
seems  to  have  repaid  the  travellers  for 
their  toil  in  the  steep  ascent.  He  tells 
us  they  had  a  full  view  of  Heidelberg, 
Tulpehocken  and  the  Muehlbach  region. 
This  includes  all  of  Berks  west  of  the 
Northkill  and  the  Cacoosing,  and  eren 
parts  of  Lebanon  county.  But  this  is  not 
the  only  fine  view  overlooking  the  Leba- 
non Valley.  To  say  nothing  of  the  view 
from  the  tower  on  Mt.  Penn,  revealing 
the  beauties  of  the  Schuylkill  Valley  to 
the  Port  Clinton  gap  to  the  north  and 
then  of  the  Lebanon  Valley  for  almost  an 
equal  distance  to  the  west, — 'that  from 
the  summit  of  the  ridge  at  the  St.  Daniels, 
or  that  from  the  south  side  "of  the  Gravel 
ridge  north  of  Palmyra,  taking  in  the 
Lebanon  Valley  from  the  vicinity  of 
Schaefl^erstown  to  Hummelstown,  and 
from  the  northern  side,  showing  the 
Swatara  Gap,  the  Indiantown  Gap,  the 
Manada  Gap,  with  all  the  intervening  ter- 
ritory, we  find  views  which  are  hardly 
surpassed  in  beauty  anywhere.  Not  in 
Pennsylvania  certainly,  unless  it  should 
be  from  the  ridge  south  of  Georgetown  in 
Northumberland  county,  from  which  can 
be  seen  not  only  a  large  part  of  that 
county,  but  the  Shamokin  Ridge  near 
Lewisburg,  and  parts  of  Lycoming, 
Union  and  Snyder.  Possibly  the  view 
from  the  Muncy  Hills,  between  Exchange 
and  Montoursville,  would  be  regarded  as 
finer  still,  and  that  from  the  southern 
slopes  of  the  Alleghenies  between  Tivoli, 


A  JOURNEY 


343 


passing  by  the  other  lake  to  Eaglesmere, 
might  satisfy  those  who  cannot  afford  to 
go  to  Switzerland,  or  to  the  west  to 
gratify  their  desires  for  grand  scenery. 

The  next  eight  or  ten  miles  prove 
rather  nneventful,  as  we  simply  pass  the 
valley  of  Big  Swatara,  lying  between  the 
two  mountains.  It  was  here  that  Henry 
Hartman,  as  far  as  can  be  ascertained 
the  first  victim  of  the  Indian  butcheries 
within  the  limits  of  the  present  Schuylkill 
county,  was  found  murdered  on  the  30th 
of  October,  1755,  just  fifteen  days  after 
their  first  onslaught,  at  New  Berlin,  then 
also  claimed  to  be  in  Berks,  where  Bar- 
bara and  Regina  Leininger  were  taken 
captives. 

Pinegrove 

We  now  reach  Pinegrove,  one  of  the 
first  towns  to  spring  into  prominence 
through  the  coal  trade.  Its  size  hardly 
comports  with  its  prominence,  or  enter- 
prise. It  is  doubtful  whether  its  popu- 
lation exceeds  1,500  or  2,000.  Yet  its 
main  street  is  paved  with  vitrified  brick, 
and  its  citizens  are  prominent  in  county 
affairs.  The  evidences  of  thrift  and  pros- 
perity are  found  on  all  sides.  It  is  but  a 
short  distance,  between  two  and  three 
miles,  from  this  point  to  Cherryville,  an- 
other little  village  along  the  route.  Here 
the  valley  between  the  mountains  gen- 
erally is  very  narrow.  Just  north  of  this 
place  is  the  Second  Mountain,  where  the 
Swatara  has  cut  a  gap  through  the  steep 
mountain.  It  was  somewhere  in  this  vi- 
cinity that  Rev.  Muhlenberg  found  the 
"Capes"  which  seemed  so  terrible  to  him 
— either  here  or  at  Jeff"s  Peak,  a  litde 
further  on  at  Lorberry  Junction.  Al- 
though the  driving  road  and  the  railroad 
are  almost  parallel  from  Pinegrove  to 
Tremont,  passing  through  a  mining  sec- 
tion all  the  way,  no  breakers,  shafts  or 
slopes  come  into  view  by  either  route. 
The  wells  or  springs  so  much  admired  are 
either  enclosed  in  private  grounds,  or  else 
have  passed  away. 

Tremont 

Tremont,  the  next  town,  seems  more 


compactly  built  than  Pinegrove.  Judg- 
ing from  the  number  of  churches  it  main- 
tains, it  should  be  fully  as  large,  if  not 
considerably  larger.  A  somewhat  re- 
markable fact  is,  that  while  Pinegrove, 
where  you  enter  these  mountains,  is  580 
feet  above  sea-level,  Tremont,  nine  miles 
further  north,  is  but  762.5,  or  180.5  ^^^t 
higher,  while  the  highest  point,  Keeffers, 
is  1464  feet. 

Leaving  Tremont,  we  pas.s  through 
Donaldson,  another  thriving  village  a 
short  distance  beyond,  as  well  as  the  min- 
ing patches,  West  End  and  Good  Spring, 
a  station  on  that  branch  of  the  P.  &  R. 
railroad  running  to  Brookside  and  Tower 
City. 

Through  the  Rausch  Gap,  sometimes 
also  called  Bear  Gap,  we  now  descend 
into  the  Pine  Creek  and  the  Deep  Creek 
Valleys,  north  of  the  Broad  Mountain, 
and  forming  the  eastern  extension  of  the 
Lykens  Valley.  It  was  here,  somewhere 
between  Sacramento  and  the  Klinger's 
Gap,  that  Rev.  Muhlenberg  and  his  com- 
panion, Conrad  Weiser,  Jr.,  spent  the 
night  and  in  the  early  morning  set  out 
to  complete  their  journey.  It  was  in  this 
valley,  now  dotted  with  fertile  fields  and 
marked  by  every  evidence  of  thrift  and 
comfort,  that  they  saw  those  majestic  pine 
trees,  which  they  thought  might  furnish 
masts  for  a  navy.  These  have  long  since 
disappeared,  but  the  banks  of  the  creek 
are  still  covered  with  pines.  It  is  alto- 
gether likely  that  the  name  of  the  stream 
is  derived  from  this. 

Klinger's  Church 

A  few  miles  more  brings  us  to 
Klinger's  church,  one  of  the  oldest  places 
of  worship  in  this  section,  supposed  to  be 
among  those  organized  by  Rev.  Enterline, 
contemporaneous  with  the  Muhlenbergs. 

The  gap  through  the  Mahontongo 
Mountain  also  bears  the  name  Klinger's. 
At  its  northern  entrance  we  find  Klingers- 
town.  Some  forty  years  ago  it  was  the 
rendezvous  of  a  notorious  gang,  dreaded 
throughout  all  that  section,  until  broken 
up  by  the  strong  arm  of  the  law.  Five 
miles  to  the  left  is  Uniontown, — the  P.  C. 
Pillow — located  on  a  little  semi-circular 


344 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


knoll  of  arable  land  north  of  the  moun- 
tain. 

Travelling  due  north,  several  miles  be- 
yond Klingerstown,  we  cross  the  Jacob's 
Ridge  (Jakob's  Hoeh).  on  which  the 
Jacob's  Well,  referred  to  by  F.  A.  C. 
Muhlenberg,  was  located.  As  we  de- 
scend, we  pass  through,  or  over  "Huf- 
land,"  said  to  be  so  called  because  the  road 
is  shaped  like  the  letter  S,  and  there  is 
the  appearance  of  a  returning  or  backing 
over  the  same  route, — a  sort  of  switch- 
back in  the  driving  road. 
■  A  few  miles  further  on,  we  reach  the 
Schwartz's  tavern  and  the  Schwartz's 
farm,  as  well  as  the  Schwartz's  church. 
It  was  here  they  met  Mr.  Fisher,  Senior. 
This  was  his  tract.  The  part  of  the  farm 
lying  furthest  northeast  is  where  Jacob 
Fisher.  Sr.,  then  resided.  In  the  orchard 
back  of  the  barn  his  remains,  as  wdl  as 
those  of  some  of  his  descendants,  rest. 
This  is  evidendy  the  place  where  Rev. 
Muhlenberg,  upon  his  return  journey, 
stopped  and  baptized  the  two  children. 

The  present  farm-house  is  located  from 
300-500  yards  north  of  the  old  Tulpe- 
hocken  Road,  and  about  the  same  distance 
from  Schaeffer's,  formerly  Schwartz's 
tavern. 

The  Weiser  Lands 

The  greater  part  of  the  land  between 
this  farm  and  the  Susquehanna  seems  to 
have  belonged  to  the  "Weiser  lands," 
mentioned  in  Muhlenberg's  report  of  his 
second  trip.  These  tracts  must  have  been 
immense.  Frederic  Weiser,  son  of  Con- 
rad, in  his  will  refers  to  a  tract  of  300 
acres  at  Wecancsco  creek,  i.  e.,  in  the 
Lykens  Valley,  either  near  Elizabethville. 
or  between  it  and  Millersburg,  Dauphin 
county,  which  he  bought  of  Caspar  Reed, 
and  likewise  to  his  "share  of  1,200  acres 
around  the  big  lick  in  Lancaster  county, 
between  McRees'  place  and  Fisher's 
place,"  "which  I  hold  in  partnership  with 
Wm.  Scull  and  others."  This  last  tract, 
as  described,  must  have  been  between  the 
western  limit  of  the  Fisher,  afterwards 
the  Schwartz's  farm,  somewhere  near 
Smith's  tavern,  and  Herndon.  It  would 
certainly  be  highly  mterestmg  to  know 


where  this  "big  lick"  was, — whether  it 
was  along  one  of  the  springs  or  rivulets 
in  the  "Mush  Valley,"  whether  it  was  at 
"Bull  Run,"  or  whether  it  was  along  the 
rocky  steeps  on  the  north  bank  of  the 
Mahanov,  some  two-thirds  mile  east  of 
Herndon.  He  (F.  M.)  also  tells  that  he 
had  "a  share  in  land  about  four  miles 
back  of  the  Isle  of  Cue."  This  must  have 
been  between  Salem  and  Pawling's  Sta- 
tion in  Snyder  county,  west  of  the  Sus- 
quehanna. 

But  let  us  resume  the  journey.  Between 
two  and  three  miles  north-northwest 
from  the  Fisher's  place,  we  come  to 
Smith's  tavern,  now  in  the  hands  of  other 
parties.  About  300-400  yards  to  the  east, 
on  the  "Schwohe-crick"  road,  leading  di- 
rectly east  to  Ashland,  is  St.  Peter's 
church,  also  dating  back  to  Enterline's 
period.  Some  hundreds  of  yards  west- 
ward, on  this  same  road,  is  the  parson- 
age of  the  Mahanoy  district.  At  the 
forks  of  the  road,  where  we  turn  west- 
ward, is  Tressler's  store,  at  one  time 
owned  by  Wm.  Wiest,  of  Uniontown. 
Immediately  north  of  the  parsonage  is  the 
railroad  station.  Otto,  and  about  half  a 
mile  north  on  the  Old  Tulpehocken  road, 
which  we  have  here,  is  Pumping  Station 
on  the  oil  lines.  We  are  now  only  about 
four  miles  from  the  Susquehanna.  It 
was  therefore  easy  for  our  travellers  to 
reach  it  in  an  hour.  Iji  a  short  time  we 
reach  the  high  rocky  hills  on  the  south? 
side  of  the  Mahanoy.  The  writer  for- 
merly thought  it  strange  that  nothing  was 
said  about  crossing  this  stream,  but  a  re- 
examination of  Rev.  F.  A.  C.  Muhlen- 
berg's statements  has  convinced  him  that 
in  saying  that  they  crossed  the  "Mahon- 
aier  Gebirge,"  these  hills  and  not  the 
"Line  Mountain,"  which  extends  to  the 
Susquehanna,  about  half  a  mile  north  of 
the  mouth  of  the  Mahanoy,  are  meant. 

The  Susquehanna 

But  keeping  a  due  westerly  course,  we 
soon  reach  the  Susquehanna,  either  by  a 
rather  steep  descent  to  the  village  of  Hern- 
don, or  by  an  easier  road  immediately 
north  of  it,  and  north  of  Ziegler's  Island. 
Here,  about  half  a  mile  above  the  piers 


A  JOURNEY 


345 


of  the  abandoned  bridge  and  crossing 
of  the  raih'oad  to  Port  Treverton,  we  can 
easily  cross  the  Susquehanna  in  a  row- 
boat,  if  we  are  afoot  or  in  a  fiat  if  we 
choose  to  take  our  team  along. 
This  will  bring  us  to  the  northern 
part  of  Port  Trevorton,  where  Caspar 
Reed's  hotel,  at  which  our  travel- 
lers stopped  before  going  up  to 
B.  Weiser's  farm,  was  evidently  located. 
As  the  Isle  of  Que  is  between  one  and 
two  miles  long,  it  is  difficult  to  decide 
where  we  shall  find  this  youngest  son  of 
the  interpreter  at  home.  But  as  Rev.  F. 
A.  C.  Muhlenberg  makes  the  distance 
from  Caspar  Reed's,  evidently  the  upper 
end  of  Port  Trevorton,  six  miles,  and  as 
the  distance  to  Selinsgrove  is  seven  miles, 
— as  he  only  mentions  the  Middle  Creek^ 
we  are  inclined  to  think  that  it  was  near 
the  southern  end  of  the  island,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  present  Middle  Creek,  just 
a  little  beyond  "Burns,"  ^m  the  opposite 
side  of  Penn's  Creek  of  the  present  day. 

If  time  permitted,  we  would  like  to  ex- 
tend our  trip  to  the  northern  end  of  the 
island  where  the  Penn's  Creek  formerly 
emptied  into  the  Susquehanna,  when  the 
Maine  Mill  stood,  thirty  or  forty  years 
ago.  There  we  would  like  to  pass  to  the 
west  shore  of  the  present  Penn's  Creek,  to 
call  on  Mr.  Howard  Schnure,  who  now 
owns  a  part  of  the  Weiser  tract,  and  who 
has  in  his  possession  very  interesting 
documents  and  relics,  among  others  the 
warrant  for  the  survey  of  the  2000  acres 
for  Conrad  Weiser,  and  2000  for  Rich- 
ard Peters,  for  negotiating  the  treaty  of 
Albany, — ^the  stump  of  a  tree  which  stood 
where  the  rescue  party  from  Ft.  Augusta 
was  attacked,  and  which  marked  the  line 
of  the  Albany  purchase,  which  originally 
stood  about  one-fourth  of  a  mile  north  of 
the  present  Lewisburg  and  Sunbury  rail- 
road. It  would  also  be  pleasant  to  stop 
at  the  First  Evangelical  Lutheran  church, 
of  which  the  writer  himself  was  pastor 
several  years,  nearly  forty  years  ago,  and 
where  Conrad  Weiser,  the  son  of  Philip, 
and  members  of  his  family,  as  well  as 
members  of  the  Fisher  family,  lie  buried. 

It  would  also  be  pleasant  to  travel  five 
miles  further  north  and  take  a  view  of 
Fort  Augusta,  where  the  D.  A.  R.  have 


set  up  a  boulder  with  a  tablet,  and  view 
the  outlines  of  the  fort,  still  distinctly  vis- 
ible, with  its  magazine  in  good  state  of 
preservation.  .It  certainly  is  a  nutter  of 
regret,  that  this  boulder  with  tablet,  was 
placed  outside  of  the  lines  of  the  fort, 
which  can  still  be  traced.  It  would  also 
be  interesting  to  visit  the  Councilman  of 
Sunbury  and  his  good  wife,  at  present 
the  owners  of  the  site,  and  view  the  relics, 
— among  others  the  miniature  fort,  repre- 
senting the  original  stockade  very  finely. 
It  would  also  be  pleasant  to  visit  the  ceme- 
tery, just  back  of  the  fort,  where  some 
of  the  prominent  men  of  those  days  lie 
buried. 

It  would  be  equally  pleasant  to  stop  at 
the  yard  of  B.  Weiser  and  attend  the 
services  conducted  by  F.  A.  C.  Muhlen- 
berg under  the  shade  of  boughs  and  trees, 
while  he  preached  and  administered  the 
communion  to  a  large  number,  and  bap- 
tized fifteen  children  placed  in  a  row. 

It  will  be  unnecessary  to  come  back 
over  this  route,  for  the  points  are  the 
same. 

We  should  like  also  to  accompany  Rev. 
F.  A.  C.  Muhlenberg  on  his  second  trip 
to  the  same  point  from  the  20th  to  th* 
25th  of  November  of  this  same  year,  al- 
though we  admit  that  this  trip  would 
hardly  be  as  pleasant  as  the  former.  For 
he  was  overtaken  by  a  snow  storm.  The 
first  trip  was  considerably  longer  than 
the  second,  being  extended  from  June  25 
to  July  2nd,  a  full  week,  of  the  same  vear, 
1771. 

A  few  things  may  be  worthy  of  note : 
That  apparently  he  did  not  call  at  Casp<ir 
Reed's  at  all  on  his  second  trip ;  that  the 
time  spent  at  Selinsgrove,  or  rather  on 
the  Isle  of  Que,  which  may  possibly  have 
been  the  eastern  part  of  the  town,  but 
more  likely  was  near  the  mouth  of  Penn's 
Creek,  or  rather  Middle  Creek,  was  very 
brief ;  that  he  was  accompanied  by  his 
uncle,  F.  Weiser,  who  did  not  return 
with  him ;  that  on  their  trip  northward 
they  crossed  both  the  Susquehanna  and 
the  Mahanoy,  for  he  says  their  lives  were 
in  danger  in  crossing  the  "Alachonay" ; 
that  in  all  probability  they  crossed  from 
the  head  of  Line  Mountain  directly  to  the 
island,  or,  what  is  equally  probable,  that 


346 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


they  crossed  at  Fisher's  Ferry  and  passec; 
along  the  head  of  the  mountain. 

It  is  also  doubtful  whether  he  passed 
through  VVomelsdorf  at  all  on  his  second 
trip.  It  is  almost  certain  that  he  did  not 
do  so  on  his  return :  for  he  tells  us  he 
reached  Schaefferstow;:  at  midnight, 
which  he  seems  to  have  been  anxious  to 


reach.  By  travellin;^  immediately  south 
from  Millersburg,  in  Berks,  on  his  return 
from  Alvira,  Schaefferstown,  Fisher's 
home  at  that  time,  he  travelled  fully  fifty 
miles  to  reach  Schaefferstown.  To  have 
gone  via  Womelsdorf  would  have  made 
it  about  fifty-five  miles,  perhaps  even 
more. 


Edgar  Fahs  Smith,   Vice  Provost,  University 

of  Pennsylvania. 


BY  ALLEN  J.  SMITH 
(See  Frontispiece  Portrait) 


Note.— This  article  appeared  in  Old  Penn 
Weekly  Revicii.',  which  reprinted  it  from  this 
vear's  'Dental  Alumni  Annual. 

ORN  in  York,  Pa.,  1854;  par- 
ents, Gibson  Smith  and 
Susan  E.  (Fahs)  Smith; 
married,  1879,  Margie  A. 
Gruel,  of  Gettysburg. 

The  writer  of  this  sketch 

first  had  the  honor  of  introduction  to 
Edgar  Fahs  Smith  in  the  early  winter  of 
i863-'64,  when  the  Vice-Provost  was  a 
small  boy  of  some  nine  years  of  age,  and 
when  the  writer  himself  was  of  still  more 
tender  age,  and  of  practically  no  experi- 
ence of  men  and  things  of  this  world. 
The  introduction  was  perforce  a  favor- 
able one,  and  could  not  well  be  avoided 
on  either  side.  It  was  followed  by  some 
years  of  more  or  less  intimate  association 
and  collaboration,  broken  when  the  elder 
brother  in  1872  went  to  college;  and  at 
least  a  one-sided  feeling  of  regard  and 
respect,  verging  upon  worship,  developed 
within  the  association,  that  of  the  urchin 
for  his  big  brother,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  the  youngster's  life  was  often 
jeopardized  and  painful  bruises  inflicted 
by  accidental  upsets  from  the  old  baby- 
coach  when  the  Vice-Provost  ran  des- 
perate foot-races  with  other  boys  and 
other  coaches  and  at  their  infantile  con- 
tent. My  own  recollections  of  the  period 
are  not  vivid,  but  I  am  informed  that  in 
a  passive  way  I  took  part  in  some  of  the 
early  chemical  investigations  of  my 
brother,  as  when,  one  rainy  morning  long 
-ago,  he   was   "projikin'   'round"   on   the 


high  chimney  shelf  in  the  old  kitchen  of 
our  home  and  managed  through  fault  of 
technique  to  upset  a  box  of  washing-blue 
upon  my  white  head,  and  then  attempted 
to  wash  it  out,  lest  visible  evidence  of 
his  adventures  be  borne  to  the  central 
office.  It  would  not  wash  out,  and  I  re- 
mained for  weeks  a  prominent  figure  in 
the  local  landscape  from  the  efforts  of  the 
embryo  chemist.  Memory  would  not, 
however,  attach  much  of  discredit  to  the 
boy  at  that  or  later  periods.  In  point  of 
fact,  he  escaped  most  of  the  discredits, 
and  transferred  them  with  his  old  school 
books,  outgrown  coats  and  bad  habits,  as 
occasional  profanity  and  the  use  of  to- 
bacco, to  his  corporal's  guard  of  a 
brother.  To  the  latter  he  seemed  always 
quite  right  and  hopelessly  unattainable  in 
the  neat  precision  (not  at  all  ladylike, 
however),  with  which  he  invariably  car- 
ried out  his  performances.  His  shoes  al- 
ways shone ;  and  he  religiously  spread 
a  neat  little  white  handkerchief  upon  the 
porch  before  trusting  his  immaculate 
trousers  to  its  possibly  dusty  surface 
when  he  sat  before  the  front  door  of 
evenings,  as  was  the  custom  in  the  old 
time  in  those  days.  His  books  were  well 
covered  and,  although  in  constant  use, 
their  pages  were  spotless ;  and  the  urchin 
brother,  who  w^as  myself,  was  permitted 
to  handle  them  only  after  a  thorough  pre- 
liminary washing  of  hands.  He  rarely 
urgently  required  a  trouncing,  but  ob- 
tained it  without  difficulty  when  actually 
in  need,  and  always  accepted  it  with 
proper  resignation  in  the  spirit  in  which 


EDGAR  FAHS  SMITH 


347 


it  was  administered  and  without  very 
much  distribution  of  woe.  In  other 
words,  he  was  that  sort  of  a  good  boy 
that  is  not  so  very  "ood  that  he  dies 
young,  but  decent,  wliolesome  and  just 
good  enough  to  be  worth  while. 

He  would  have  been  successful  under 
any  conditions — his  natural  bent  toward 
reasonable  precision  and  method  guaran- 
teed that ;  but  the  measure  of  his  suc- 
cess he  owes  in  particular  to  two  persons 
— his  mother  and  his  old  teacher,  Dr. 
George  W.  Ruby,  principal  of  the  York- 
County  Academy  for  nearly  a  genera- 
tion. Night  by  night,  by  the  light  of  an 
old-fashioned  fat  lamp,  his  mother  had  the 
boy  work  out  and  recite  to  her  all  his 
lessons  for  the  following  day,  and  no  half 
acquaintance  with  the  tasks  was  acknowl- 
edged or  allowed.  The  innate  aim  for 
thoroughness  was  formed  into  a  reality 
at  his  mother's  side,  and  what  power  of 
analysis  and  memory  nature  gave  him 
was  educated  into  a  habit  of  easy  prac- 
tice. No  teacher  in  any  school  with  whom 
the  writer  has  ever  come  into  contact 
sufificiently  to  warrant  an  expression  of 
opinion  possessed  as  fully  as  Dr.  Ruby 
that  magnetic  power  of  encouragement 
of  his  pupils  which  makes  for  success 
in  the  pedagogue ;  and  this,  added  to  a 
wide  and  masterful  acquaintance  and  ap- 
preciation of  the  classics  and  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  sciences,  made  of  the  acad- 
emy an  ideal  preparatory  school.  It  was 
here  that  in  association  with  a  coterie 
of  kindred  spirits  Dr.  Smith  established 
and  for  several  years  was  in  turn,  or  all 
at  one  time,  editor,  contributor,  composi- 
tor, pressman  and  financial  agent  of  a 
youthful  publication  known  as  Our  Ef- 
fort— a  short-lived  effort,  dying  promptly 
when  the  boys  who  built  it  up  passed 
from  the  old  school  into  college.  Dr. 
Smith  in  this  experience  learned  suffi- 
ciently the  trade  of  printing  to  have 
been  repeatedly  accepted  in  holidays  to 
do  substitution  and  special  work  as  com- 
positor or  proofreader  in  the  office  of 
one  of  the  important  publishing  houses 
of  the  town ;  and  his  claim  to  be  a  typo- 
thete  fits  well  the  man  who  has  sat  in 
Frankhn's  old  chair  in  the  Philosophical 
Society,  and  worked  as  he  has   for  the 


glorification    of   the    university    Franklin 
founded. 

He  left  these  influences  in  his  eighteenth 
year  to  enter  college,  possessed  of  such 
intimate  acquaintance  with,  and  facility 
in,  the  classics  as  to  be  granted  exemp- 
tion from  further  studies  in  these 
branches  in  Pennsylvania  College  and 
sufficient  collateral  attainments  to  insure 
his  immediate  and  unconditioned  enroll- 
ment in  the  Junior  Class,  and  with  ac- 
quired habits  of  work  and  an  ability  to 
prosecute  advanced  studies,  worth  all  of 
a  collegiate  course  in  themselves.  With 
such  preparation  and  from  his  own  bent 
of  mind  he  needed  but  little  urging  to 
undertake  special  work  in  the  scientific 
branches,  and  soon  found  therein  his 
proper  field  of  study.  Graduated  with 
the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Science  in  1874 
at  Gettysburg,  he  thereafter,  upon  the 
recommendation  of  the  professor  of 
chemistry  at  Gettysburg,  Dr.  Samuel  P. 
Sadtler,  later  of  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania, went  to  Germany  and  spent  two 
years  in  the  laboratories  of  Wohler  and 
Huebner,  graduating  with  the  highest 
honors  of  his  year  and  the  degrees  of 
M.A.  and  Ph.D.  in  1876  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Gottingen.  In  the  fall  of  1876 
he  became  assistant  in  chemistry  in  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania,  under  Dr.  F. 
A.  Genth,  and  continued  in  this  position 
for  five  years,  building  up  an  asset  of  ad- 
miring friends  among  the  students, 
which  later  largely  determined  his  recall 
to  the  chair.  In  188 1  he  became  profes- 
sor of  natural  and  applied  science  in 
Muhlenberg  College,  in  Allentown,  re- 
signing this  position  in  1883  to  accept  a 
similar  chair  in  Wittenberg  College,  at 
Springfield,  Ohio.  In  1888  he  left  the 
latter  institution  to  assume  his  present 
chair,  at  the  time  separate  from  the  chairs 
of  organic  chemistry  and  of  metallurgical 
chemistry,  which  have  since  been  merged 
with  it.  The  growth  of  the  chemical 
teaching  in  the  University,  the  building  of 
the  Harrison  Laboratory,  the  endowment 
of  the  chair  in  perpetuity,  Professor 
Smith's  success  in  educating  a  long  list 
of  eminent  practical  chemists  and  teach- 
ers of  chemistry,  his  accomplishment  of 
notable    analytical    work,    of    advanced 


348 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


work  in  pure  inorganic  chemistry  (in- 
cluding here  his  contributions  upon  atomic 
weights  and  comple^f  inorganic  acids), 
his  development  of  electro-chemical  sep- 
arations, are  all  well  known  and  need 
not  be  detailed  or  particularly  commented 
upon  in  this  place.  His  work  speaks  for 
itself  and  is  widely  acknowledged  and 
valued  in  the  chemical  world,  and  has 
brought  to  him  a  large  return  of  well- 
deserved  honors.  In  1893  he  was  ap- 
pointed one  of  the  jury  of  awards  in  the 
Columbian  Exposition  in  Chicago ;  in 
1895  he  was  president  of  the  American 
Chemical  Society;  in  1896,  and  in  five 
years  subsequently,  he  served  by  presi- 
dential appointment  upon  the  National 
Assay  Commission;  in  1898  he  was  vice- 
president  of  the  American  Association  for 
the  Advancement  of  Science;  in  1899  be- 
came a  member  of  the  National  Acad- 
emy of  Sciences ;  in  1902  was  made  ad- 
viser in  chemistry  upon  the  board  of 
the  Carnegie  Institution  ;  in  1903  became 
president  of  the  American  Philosophical 
Society,  and  held  this  office  until  1907, 
when  he  declined  re-election ;  and  his 
membership  list  included  a  long  group  of 
scientific  associations  abroad  as  well  as 
in  this  country.  In  1899  the  honorary 
degree  of  Sc.D.  was  conferred  upon  him 
by  the  University  of  Pennsylvania ;  in 
1904  the  University  of  Wisconsin  be- 
stowed the  degree  of  LL.D.,  the  same 
honor  being  repeated  in  1906  by  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania  and  by  Pennsyl- 
vania College. 

It  is  to  his  work  as  Vice-Provost  of  the 
University,  however,  that  Pennsylvania's 
gratitude  and  admiration  most  go  out, 
both  to  the  man  and  to  the  official.  Called 
to  this  position  in  1899,  he  entered  upon 
this  side  of  his  life  when  the  internal  or- 
ganization of  the  University  was  ap- 
proaching the  phase  of  consolidation  and 
unification  of  the  multiple  schools  of 
which  it  is  made  up.  The  general  up- 
building of  the  material  side  of  the  in- 
stitution and  the  establishment  of  its 
many  important  departments  and  schools 
had  proceeded  to  a  high  degree  under 
the  energy  and  capable  guidance  of  Pro- 


k^ost  Pepper  and  his  devoted  and  self- 
sacrificing  successor,  Dr.  Harrison ;  but 
internally  the  University  was  essentially 
1  conglomerate.  There  has  been  no  one 
man  who  has  worked  with  equal  single- 
minded  purpose  to  this  end  of  unification, 
3r  who  has  accomplished  more  for  the 
establishment  of  a  loyal  Pennsylvania 
spirit,  both  among  the  faculty  and  in  the 
general  student  body,  than  Dr.  Smith.  He 
has  brought  to  this  work  an  unselfish, 
self-sacrificing  devotion ;  and,  carrying 
with  it  all  his  heavy  work  as  teacher,  has, 
by  his  sympathetic  consideration  of  men 
and  purposes,  his  keen  and  correct  appre- 
:iation  of  persons  and  policies,  his  effi- 
ciency in  aid  wherever  assistance  or  guid- 
ance was  needed,  welded  the  student 
masses  into  a  corporate  unit  with  an  un- 
swerving loyalty  to  the  whole  institution, 
and  has  in  nearly  equal  degree  done  the 
same  service  for  the  various  faculties. 
His  power  of  concentration,  of  rapid  and 
effective  accomplishment  in  the  great 
number  of  details  demanding  his  atten- 
tion, the  never-flagging  energy  of  his  ef- 
forts and  his  generous  and  lovable  per- 
sonality are  the  characteristics  which 
have  made  this  possible  and  made  of  him 
a  marked  man  and  an  ideal  to  thousands 
of  his  colleagues  and  students.  The 
man's  work  is  unfinished  and  is  going  on. 
There  is  no  dearth  of  men  under  his  per- 
sonal training,  no  want  of  proof  of  his 
continued  scientific  ability,  and  year  by 
year  the  results  of  his  work  among  the 
University  populace  for  the  glorification 
and  strengthening  of  the  school  become 
more  and  more  striking.  He  is  distinctly 
"a  man  who  does  things"  ;  and  it  is  no 
simple  wish  but  an  earnest  prayer  that 
the  end  of  his  days,  the  close  of  his  work, 
and  the  fullness  of  credit  thereof,  may 
be  afar. 

,  This  is  an  estimate  the  writer  is  frank 
to  acknowledge  may  bear  the  bias  of  a 
brother's  pen ;  but  such  as  it  is,  it  is 
sincere — and,  were  it  not  for  the  kinship 
(which  for  the  nonce  is  a  misfortune), 
there  would  be  no  subtraction,  but  an 
easy  temptation  to  add  to  and  mutiply 
these  words. 


GERMAN  SURNAMES 


349 


German  Surnames 


BY     LEONARD     FELIX     FULD,     M.A.,     LL.M.,     COLUMELAl  UNIVERSITY,  NEW  YORK  CITY. 


Chapter  \'II. 

Surnames   of  Locality. 

Note. — Chapter  VI  of  this  series  of  papers 
appeared  in  The  Pennsylvania-German  for 
April,   1908. 

HE  third  division  of  the  Ger- 
man family  names  consists 
of  those  which  are  derived 
from  the  name  of  the  locaUty 
where  its  possessor  Hved. 
That  noblemen  early  took 
the  name  of  their  estate  or  of  the  town 
in  which  they  lived  as  a  part  of  their 
personal  names,  we  know  from  such 
literary  characters  as  Heinrich  Von 
Vddckc,  Hartmann  Von  Auc,  and 
I'l^alther  Von  Der  Vogeln'cidc.  We  know 
also  from  the  history  of  German  literature 
that  the  nobles  were  not  the  only  persons 
to  take  such  names,  for  Conrad  who  was 
onlv  a  "burgerlicher  Meister"  was  known 
as  Conrad  Von  IViirzburg.  The  family 
names  derived  from  the  place  of  origin 
may  be  divided  into  two  classes,  viz., — 
those  that  are  the  names  of  general  locali- 
ties and  those  that  are  the  names  of  par- 
ticular cities  or  towns.  E^xamining  first 
the  former  of  these  two  classes,  we  shall 
take  as  our  monument  Shiller's  Tell.  In 
this  poem  Schiller  has  taken  actual  Swiss 
names  found  in  Tschudi.  Hence  we 
know  that  such  names  as  Hans  Auf  Dcr 
Mancr,  Torg  Ini  Hofc,  and  Burkhart  Am 
Bi'ihcl,  although  they  appear  very  strange 
to  us  were  once  actual  family  names. 
Similar  family  names  are  I'on  Dcr  An, 
Ani  Endc  (one  living  at  the  extremity  of 
a  town),  Aus  Den  Werd  (from  the 
island),  Bebn  Born,  Vor  Dcni  Baum, 
Achterm  Boil  (behind  the  hill  ),  Unter 
Dcr  IVcidcn,  and  ::nin  Stcg.  Later  the 
preposition  was  generally  dropped  from 
these  names  except  in  the  case  of  the 
names  of  persons  of  noble  rank.  There 
remained  also  a 'few  naines  in  which  the 
preposition  was  joined  to  the  substantive 
as,  for  example,  Anibach,  Imhoz'c, 
Zumbnsch,   J^ornibauni   and  Auffcnbcrg. 


In  a  few  cases  slight  corruptions  have 
occurred  in  this  process  of  transformation 
as  in  Trcmohlcin  from  the  High  German 
zur  Miihlen  Anstcrmiihlc  from  Aiis  Der 
Miihlcn,  AustchniiiJdc  froin  Ab  Tlior. 
Only  a  very  few  names  have  retained  the 
preposition  unaffixed  to  the  substantive. 
Of  the  names  other  than  titles  of  nobility 
in  Von  which  have  retained  an  unaffixed 
preposition  we  may  mention  Aus'm 
IVcrth,  Ten  Brink  (Low  German  for 
zum  Hiigel),  sum  Bild  and  znr  Linde. 

The  second  great  class  of  family  names 
expressing  place  of  origin,  which  as  we 
have  stated  above  consists  of  the  names 
of  cities  and  towns,  originated  as  early 
as  the  thirteenth  century  and  as  in  the 
case  of  the  names  which  we  have  just  con- 
sidered, these  were  also  first  used  with  the 
German  preposition  Von  or  the  Latin  De. 
Gradually  however  the  prepositions  fell 
into  disuse.  The  class  of  family  names 
derived  from  the  names  of  cities  and 
towns  is  the  largest  of  which  mention  is 
made  in  this  paper.  It  is  so  large  that 
the  limits  of  the  present  paper  prevent 
us  from  doing  more  than  making  a  few 
general  remarks  regarding  it.  This  same 
class  of  names  presents  such  great  diffi- 
culties to  the  philologist  that  many  have 
pondered  long  over  the  derivati(^n  and 
meaning  of  a  family  name  and  have  at  last 
found  the  solution  of  their  problem  in  a 
geographical  dictionary.  Among  the 
suffixes  most  frequently  found  in  this 
class  of  names  may  be  mentioned  the 
following : — 

All  as  in  Fi'irstcnait. 

Baiim  as  in  Bccrbamn. 

Burg  as  in  Hombiirg. 

Eck  as  in  Vicrcck. 

Hain  as  in  Roscnhain. 

Hansen  as  in  Mollenhauscn. 

Hofcn  as  in  Aldcnhorcn. 

Leben  as  in  Alslcbcn. 

Stadt  as  in  Karlstadt. 

Stein  as  in  Lanenstcin. 

JValde  as  in  Schivachcnzvalde. 


350 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Bach  as  in  Blumcnhach. 

Berg  as  in  Lichtenberg. 

Dorf  as  in  Holtzendorf. 

Feld  as  in  Bienenfeld. 

Hans  as  in  Brockhaus. 

Hdm  as  in  Althcun. 

Hols  as  in  Buchoihoh. 

Rode  as  in  B  enter  ode,  Aimer  ot  and 
Beckerath. 

Stedt  as  in  Bodenstedt. 

Dahl  as  in  Kiichendahl. 

Beck   (Low  German)   as  in  Mollen- 
beck. 

Bri'ck  as  in  Delbriick. 

Dorp    (Low  German)    as  in  Olden- 
dorp. 

Hagen  as  in  Hnndeshagen. 

Thai  as  in  Fried  en  thai. 

Hiiscn  as  in  IVachenhusen. 

Horst  as  in  Scharnhorst. 

Hof  as  in  Bierhof. 

Wald   as    in  Arnszvald. 
as  well  as  the  endings  Born,  Biisch,  Pels, 
Furth,  Horn  and  Ingen. 

Not  only  is  our  difficulty  in  explaining 
these  family  names  which  are  the  names 
of  cities  or  towns  due  to  the  fact  that  their 
number  is  almost  infinite,  since  there  is 
hardly  a  town  which  has  not  given  rise 
to  one  or  more  family  names,  but  our  dif- 
ficulty in  this  matter  is  increased  by  the 
fact  that  a  name  may  be  said  to  be  de- 
rived from  the  name  of  a  place  and  may 
also  be  explained  by  its  direct  connotation. 
Thus  the  name  Roth  may  have  three  pos- 
sible meanings,  viz:  (a)  It  may  belong 
to  our  first  great  class  of  names, — the 
old  German  names, — and  be  derived  from 
the  Old  German  name  Hrodo.  (h)  It  may 
belong  to  our  second  great  class  of  names, 
— names  expressing  personal  character- 
istics,— and  thus  mean  a  man  having  red 
hair,  (c)  It  may  belong  to  our  third 
great  class  of  names, — names  derived 
from  place  of  origin, — and  thus  originate 
from  a  town  which  bore  this  name.  We 
must  deal  with  a  similar  difficulty  in  the 
case  of  such  names  as  Hahn,  Baum, 
Habicht,  Krans,  Nagel,  Wohlgemuth, 
etc.  But  in  the  case  of  names  ending 
in  er,  we  can  more  easily  recognize  the 
fact  that  they  belong  to  this  class  of  names 
derived  from  the  names  of  towns,  for  just 
as  when  a  stranger  came  to  a  town  he 


was  at  first  called  by  the  name  of  the 
town  from  which  he  came,  as  Johann  von 
Berlin,  so  he  was  later  called  Johann 
Berliner.  Of  North  German  names  be- 
longing to  this  group  we  may  mention 
the  following: 

Those  in  Aner  as  Kronaner. 

Those  in  Berger  as   Frankenberger. 

Those  in  Dorfer  as  Rudorfer. 

Those  in  Hauser  as  Steinhauser. 

Those  in  Hofer  as  Sandhofer. 

Those  in  Stddter  as  Hochstddter. 

Those  in  Backer  as  Speckbacher. 

Those  in  Briicker   as    Haarbriicker. 

Those  in  Ecker  as  Bernecker. 

Those  in  Heinier  as  Sinsheirner. 

Those  in  Inger  as  Ehinger. 

Those  in  Steiner  as  Buchsteiner. 

Those  in  Becher  as  Isselbecher. 

Those  in  Burger  as  Hamburger. 

Those  in  Egger  as  Biichegger. 

Those  in  Hofer  as  Frauenhofer. 

Those  in  Roder  as  Bluinroder. 

Those  in  Thaler  as  Rliemthaler. 
Of  South  German  names  we  may  mention 
those  ending  in  Hagener,  Lebener,  Seer, 
IV alder,  Kofer,  Oder  and  Eder.  But  in- 
asmuch as  this  class  of  family  names  was 
not  of  such  frequent  occurrence  in  South 
Germany  as  in  North  Germany,  we  do 
not  meet  with  names  compounded  with 
these  South  German  suffixes  so  fre- 
quently. 

To  sum  up,  we  have  three  ways  of 
forming  names  derived  from  th^  names 
of  cities  and  towns  and  these  threi  meth- 
ods are  illustrated  by  the  name  of  the 
printer  of  Basel,  which  was  variously 
written  as  Von  Amerbach,  Amerbach  and 
Amerbacher.  This  class  of  names  is  dis- 
tinguished also  by  the  fact  that  they  are 
generally  of  three  or  four  syllables,  al- 
though a  few  names  which  are  derived 
from  monosyllabic  names  of  towns  con- 
tain but  two  syllables ;  such  are  Wiener, 
Ulnier  and  Lindner.  Nor  is  it  always 
possible  to  refer  a  family  name  of  this 
class  to  the  name  of  the  town  from 
which  it  is  derived,  for  not  only  have 
many  of  the  old  towns  which  have  given 
rise  to  family  names  died  out,  but  in 
other  cases  the  family  names  have 
changed  so  much  from  the  names  of  the 
towns  whence  they  are  derived  that  it  is 


GERMAN  SURNAMES 


351 


impossible  to  establish  the  connection  be- 
tween them  to-day. 

One  separate  class  of  names  belonging 
to  this  general  class  of  names  derived 
from  the  names  of  towns  is  that  formed 
by  the  titles  of  nobility.  These  titles  are 
of  two  kinds, — those  formed  with  the 
preposition  von  and  the  name  of  the  town, 
as  Hartniann  von  dcr  Oiizve  and  Freiherr 
von  Attinghausen  (in  Tell),  and  those 
formed  with  the  name  of  the  town  plus 
the  siitifix  cr,  as  Hartmann  der  Omvaere 
and  Dcr  .Ittinghdnser.  Of  these  two 
kinds  of  titles  of  nobility,  only  those 
formed  with  the  preposition  von  have 
survived,  and  this  preposition  von  is  now 
so  generally  recognized  in  Germany  as  a 
sign  of  nobility  that  it  is  now  added  to 
family  names  which  are  in  no  way  con- 
nected with  the  names  of  towns.  Hence 
we  must  bear  in  mind  that  such  names 
as  von  Hermann,  von  Schmidt,  von 
Schultz,  etc..  are  from  the  philological 
point  of  view  pure  nonsense.  The  Aus- 
trian?, on  the  other  hand,  have  formed 
their  titles  of  nobility  in  a  more  scientific 
manner.  When  they  wish  to  raise  to  the 
peerage  a  man  whose  name  was  not  de- 
rived from  the  name  of  a  town,  they  first 
manufactured  the  name  of  a  town  from 
his  name  by  the  addition  of  a  sufifix.  Thus 
to  beknight  Knhn,  they  called  him  Herr 
Kiihn  von  Kiihncnfcld,  Plank  was  called 
Herr  Plank  von  Plankburg,  and  Braun, 
Hcrr  Braun  von  Braniitlial.  It  did  not 
trouble  these  men  in  the  least  that  there 
were  no  towns  in  existence  bearing  these 
names.  The  most  logical  way  of  express- 
ing titles  of  nobility  is  probably  that  in 
which  the  title  of  nobility  is  formed  in 
such  a  way  that  it  expresses  the  reason 
why  the  man  was  beknighted.  Examples 
of  such  names  are  the  historical  German 
names  of  Schubert  von  dem  Kleefelde 
and  Esc  her  von  der  Linth.  In  England 
this  manner  of  forming  titles  is  combined 
with  the  original  manner  of  forming  titles, 
for  although  the  titles  given  to  noblemen 
are  generally  the  names  of  places,  vet  they 
are  the  names  of  the  places  where  thev 
won  thir  renown. 

While  some  names  such  as  Amthor 
are  derived  from  the  location  of  a  man's 
house,  we  have  a  large  number  of  names 


which  are  derived  from  the  names  of  the 
houses  themselves.  It  may  seem  strange 
to  us  today,  when  even  many  of  our 
streets  bear  numbers  instead  of  names 
and  all  of  our  houses  bear  numbers,  that 
there  could  ever  have  been  a  time  when 
houses  bore  names.  Yet  until  the  be- 
ginning of  the  eighteenth  century  sucb 
was  the  s:eneral  custom  in  almost  all 
countries  of  the  world,  and  remnants  of 
this  custom  are  found  in  America  today 
in  the  case  of  the  country  residences  of 
millionaires  and  the  large  office  buildings 
and  apartment  houses  in  the  cities. 
Houses  were  generally  given  either  the 
name  of  the  town  from  which  their  pos- 
sessors had  emigrated  to  the  town  in 
which  they  n-^w  resided,  or  they  were 
given  the  name  of  some  animal,  pbnt 
or  tool  in  some  way  connected  with  the 
calling  of  the  owner.  Moreover,  the  name 
of  the  house  was  not  written  on  the  door, 
since  most  people  at  that  time  could  not 
read,  but  was  painted  upon  a  sigr,  hung 
in  front  of  the  house.  Thus  we  find 
houses  having  in  front  of  them  signs  de- 
picting a  lily  or  a  white  dove.  It  is  in- 
teresting to  note  how  some  of  these 
houses  derived  their  names.  The  housv. 
whicn  was  called  Die  IVeisse  Taube,  for 
example,  was  so  called  because  when  its 
owner  came  to  take  possession  of  it  he 
found  a  white  dove  perched  upon  ihe 
roof.  Among  the  names  of  houses  which 
we  find  in  Germany  are  the  following: 
cum  Saphir,  Lembechen  (Lammchen), 
van  me  Krannen  (Vom  Kranich),  van 
me  Hane,  ad  Stellam  (Zum  Stern),  cer 
Tannen,  cer  Sonnen.  ser  Rosen,  zem 
Haiipt,  zem  Trackel  (Zum  Drachen). 

Many  German  names  have  been  de- 
rived from  these  names  of  houses.  As 
may  be  seen  from  the  abo\  e  examples, 
these  personal  names  consisted  at  first 
'of  two  words, — the  prepositions  von  or 
zu  and  a  noun.  Gradr.ally,  however,  the 
preposition  was  dropped  and  the  noun 
alone  remained,  excepting  in  the  one 
name  Molf enter,  where  a  trace  of  the 
preposition  still  remains,  since  this  name 
was  derived  from  zum  Olf enter  (Ka- 
meel).  To  this  class  of  names  derived 
from  the  names  of  houses  belongs  also 
that  large  group  of  family  names  which 


352 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


are  the  names  of  animals  and  flowers.  The 
most  common  of  these  names  are  the  fol- 
lowing: Schaf,  Zicgc.  Stier,  Wolf, 
Fuchs,  Hase,  Hirsch,  Rch,  Rehbcin, 
Rehfitss,  Vogel,  Brachvogcl,  Schreivogcl, 
Adlcr,  Geier,  Folk.  Ha/in.  Rose,  Rosen- 
bliit,  Rosenstiel,  Rosenstock,  Rosen:m'eig. 
The  most  'humorous  examples  which  this 
class  of  names  furnishes  are  Schlaraffe, 
RicdcscJ  (Reitesel).  Riiigcltaubc,  A'acliti- 
gall,  Bratfisch,  Backfisch,  Kdsczvunn, 
Pcfcrsilic,      Slccrrctfig,      Voglbccr      and 


BoJincnblncst  (Bliite).  But  we  must  re- 
member that  not  all  German  names  which 
are  the  names  of  animals  and  nlants  be- 
long to  this  class.  Many  of  those  ap- 
parently belonging  to  this  class  are  in 
reality  derived  from  Old  German  names. 
Examples  of  such  names  are  Strauss 
Strudolf.  Hcring  from  Hero,  Rcgen 
from  Regino,  and  Bock  from  Burkhart. 
Similarly  the  names  Bar,  Ross  and 
Scln^'an  belong  to  the  class  of  family 
names  derived  from  Old  German  names. 


The  Mohr  Family 


BY    RICHARD   G.    MOHR,    MULBERRY,    IND. 


MONG  the  many  emigrants 
that  left  their  homes  in 
Southern  Germany  early  in 
the  eighteenth  century  were 
Herman  Mohr  and  his  wife 
Susanna.  Tradition  states 
that  they  came  from  Wurtemberg,  and 
that  Herman's  brother  Jacob  came  from 
Manheim  in  Baden.  This  seeming  dis- 
crepancy as  to  place  probably  arises  from 
the  fact  that  many  of  the  early  emigrants 
from  Germany  went  to  Manheim  as  their 
starting  place  for  America.  Tradition 
states  also  that  three  brothers  came  to 
America — Herman,  Jacob  (a  baker)  and 
a  third  whose  name  is  unknown. 

The  date  of  migration  of  Herman 
Mohr  is  not  definitely  known,  some 
placing  it  as  early  as  1727,  others  between 
1740  and  1744.  Johan  Herman  Mohr 
arrived  in  Philadelphia,  Oct.  20,  1744,  in 
the  ship  Phoenix,  William  Wilson,  cap- 
tain, from  Rotterdam.  Whether  he  was 
the  Herman  Mohr  husband  of  Susanna 
has  not  been  determined. 

Herman  Mohr  lived  for  a  while  a  short 
distance  north  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  after 
which  he  moved  into  what  is  now  called 
Lehigh  county,  and  settled  on  the  land 
later  called  the  Musselman  farm,  one-half 
mile  north  of  Fogelsville,  Pa. 

In  1760  Herman  Mohr  bought  from 
William  Mory  a  tract  of  land  consisting 
of  400  acres  located  near  Fogelsville,  Pa. 


On  part  of  this  tract  are  now  located  the 
cement  mill  and  stone  quarry.  He  lived 
on  this  homestead  for  17  years,  when 
he  died  in  1777  and  was  buried  "within 
sight  of  his  house." 

He  had  a  large  family.  Nine  sons 
reached  the  age  of  maturity,  the  names 
of  whom,  according  to  their  births,  are : 
Frederick.  Jacob,  John,  Herman,  Henry, 
Nicholas,  Peter,  William  and  Christopher. 
AH  these  sons  except  Nicholas  married, 
and  lived  in  Lehigh  county  and  became 
the  heads  of  large  families.  The  de- 
scendants of  Herman  Mohr  are  very 
numerous,  numbering  probably  several 
thousand ;  most  of  whom  live  in  Lehigh 
county,  while  some  of  them  are  scattered 
through  dififerent  States. 

The  following  is  a  brief  sketch  of  the 
nine  sons  and  their  children : 

(i)  Frederick  Mohr  (1745-1819), 
born  at  Skippack,  was  a  soldier  of  the 
Revolutionary  War.  He  lived  and  was 
buried  near  Friedensville,  Pa.  The  names 
of  his  children  are :  Jacob,  Frederick, 
Peter,  John,  Mrs.  Barbara  Kurtz,  Mrs. 
Catharine  Koch  and  IMrs.  Leith.  Among 
the  numerous  descendants  of  Frederick  I 
now  living  are  Mrs.  Dr.  W.  B.  Erdman, 
Macungie,  Pa. ;  Titus  L.  Mohr,  Centre 
Valley,  and  Thomas  K.  Mohr,  Allentown, 
Pa.,  the  last  of  whom,  now  81  years  old, 
is  a  well-preserved  man  and  carried  on 


THE  MOHR  FAMILY 


353 


an  extensive  business  prior  to  the  panic 
of  '73. 

(2)  Jacob  Mohr  (1746-1839),  who 
lived  near  New  Texas,  Lehigh  county, 
was  married  to  Anna  M.  Stettler,  with 
whom  he  Hved  in  married  hfe  55  years. 
They  had  13  children,  namely,  Christo- 
pher, John.  Jacob,  Daniel,  Herman, 
Polly,  Mrs.  Han  Georg  Blank,  Mrs.  Han 
Georg  Andreas,  Mrs.  Mosser,  Mrs.  John 
Danner,  Benjamin,  and  two  others. 
Among  the  descendants  are  Rev.  Wm. 
Mohr  and  Capt.  Levi  Smoyer,  Atty. 
Mrs.  John  Danner  (Susanna)  became  the 
oldest  of  all  the  Mohrs  of  whom  we  have 
record,  reaching  the  age  of  96.  She  was 
the  grandmother  of  Dr.  V.  S.  Wieand, 
present  sheriff  of  Lehigh  county,  Pa. 

(3)  John  Mohr  lived  near  Fogelsville 
on  the  Willoughby  Fogel  farm,  which  his 
wife  inherited  (she  being  a  Fogel).  His 
children  were  Benjamin,  John,  Jacob, 
Henry,  Daniel.  David,  Deborah  and  Mrs. 
Friedrich  Walbert. 

(4)  Henry  Mohr  (1756-1843)  lived 
near .  Fogelsville,  and  had  ten  children, 
namely,  Solomon,  Peter,  William,  Jacob, 
Henry,  John,  Jonathan,  Mrs.  Peter  Buch- 
man.  Mrs.  Adam  Litzenberger  and  one 
more. 

Among  the  numerous  descendants  of 
Henry  Mohr  I  now  living  are  Dr.  Eugene 
Mohr,  of  Alburtis,  Pa.,  and  Wm.  H. 
Mohr  of  Allentown,  Pa. 

(5)  Nicholas  was  a  teamster  in  the 
Continental  Army.  At  the  battle  of 
Brandy  wine  Creek,  in  1777,  many  of  the 
teamsters  had  to  retreat  by  driving 
through  the  creek,  whose  swift  current 
carried  wagons  and  horses  down  stream: 
While  Nicholas  was  in  the  act  of  cutting 
his  harness  to  save  his  horses,  he  \vas 
drowned. 

(6)  Peter  Mohr  had  one  son  named 
Gottlieb,   who   was   raised   by   his   uncle, 


Herman  II.  Squire  Daniel  Mohr,  of  the 
Flats,  was  one  of  his  descendants.  Frank 
Mohr,  of  Allentown,  Pa.,  is  a  descendant. 

(7)  William  Mohr  located  at  Old 
ZiOnsville,  Pa.  His  children  were  David, 
Henry,  John,  Andrew,  Mrs.  Reuben 
Smoyer,  Mrs.  Henry  Stettler,  Mrs.  Chris- 
tian Fisher,  Mrs.  Jacob  Shimer  and  Mrs. 
John  Walter,  whose  husband  was  the  vet- 
eran school  teacher  of  Lehigh  and  Berks 
counties,  later  of  Mulberry,  Ind.^  where 
he  died. 

(8)  Christopher  Mohr  lived  for 
some  time  near  Old  Zionsville,  Pa.,  and 
ivas  for  many  years  a  prominent  "forc- 
migcr"  (precentor)  of  both  Lutheran  and 
Reformed  denominations  at  that  place. 
He  moved  later  to  Huntingdon  county, 
Pa.,  where  he  died  in  1827.  His  children 
are  Jacob,  John,  Christopher,  William, 
Margaret,  Mrs.  Val.  Stonebraker,  Mrs. 
Betsy  Van  Clew,  Peter,  Susanna,  Mrs. 
Conrad  Fleck  and  Abraham. 

(9)  Herman  Mohr  H  (1754-1840) 
lived  on  the  old  homestead  near  Fogels- 
ville, Pa.  My  father,  Herman  IV,  de- 
scribed him  as  a  very  stout  and  broad- 
shouldered  man,  with  the  strength  of  a 
"modern  Hercules."  He  was  a  noted 
singer.  He  had  four  children,  namely 
Henry,  Herman  HI,  Mrs.  Peter  Zimmer- 
man and  Mrs.  Isaac  Haas.  A  grandson 
of  Henry  is  Dr.  E.  O.  M.  Haberacker,  of 
Altoona,  Pa. 

Herman  Mohr  III  was  born  in  1786, 
and  lived  on  the  old  homestead.  In  1832 
he  fell  from  a  house  he  was  assisting  in 
building,  and  broke  his  back,  which 
caused  his  death  after  five  months  of 
severe  suffering.  He  had  fourteen  chil- 
dren, of  whom  the  youngest,  Herman 
Mohr  the  fourth,  is  the  father  of  the 
writer.  He  is  now  in  his  eightieth  year, 
and  lives  with  his  son-in-law,  John  Geh- 
man.  in  Pennsburg,  Pa. 


354 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


The  Smith  Family 


Note. — The  following  interesting  data  ap- 
peared in  The  Christian  Advocate,  recently. 
The  Germans  have  made  their  liberal  contri- 
bution to  this  "mighty  family,"^  Penna.  Ar- 
chieves,  Second  Scries,  Vol.  XT! I  has  in- 
dexed over  two  hundred  references  to  Schmidts 
and  over  one  hundred  to  Smiths.  GopsiU's 
Philadelphia  Business  Directory  1906  has  over 
twelve  columns  of  names  of  Smiths  of  whom 
many  arc  undoubtedly  of  German  ancestry. 
Peniisvlvania  had  twenty-eight  "Smiths"  as 
State  Legislators  from  1870  to  1904  and  from 
1789  to  1904  sent  eight  Smiths  to  Washingfon 
as  members  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 
The  reference  to  the  change  of  names  recalls 
the  case  of  Mr.  Feuerstein  of  Pennsylvania 
who  became  a  "Flint"  as  he  migrated  South- 
ward and  a  "Gun"  as  he  later  went  west. 

ESLIE'S  Weekly  of  January 

L16  devotes  several  columns 
to  "The  Greatest  Family  on 
Earth,"  the  sub-title  being 
"Something  About  the 
Smiths."      The   writer    says 


that  for  three  centuries  prior  to  Captain 
John  Smith,  of  Virginia  fame,  the  Smiths 
flourished  in  England.  Forty  years  be- 
fore this  country  was  discovered  many 
Smiths  emigrated  to  France  and  Spain. 
The  list  of  Smiths  whose  names  are  en- 
shrined in  the  national  biographies  of 
America  and  England  contains  more  than 
five  hundred.  The  number  of  living 
Smiths  of  distinction  i3  almost  as  large. 
The  New  York  Telephone  Directory  con- 
tains the  names  of  six  hundred  Smiths. 
If  all  the  Smiths  in  the  directories  were 
put  together  "one  would  have  a  roster  as 
long  as  that  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,"  of  which  John  C.  Smith,  of 
Chicago,  has  been  one  of  the  department 
commanders.  He  goes  on  to  quote  them 
and  says  that  while  F.  Hopkinson  Smith 
is  the  many-est  sided  Smith,  Joseph  F. 
Smith,  the  President  of  the  Mormon 
Church,  is  the  most  married  Smith;  and 
another  Joseph  Smith  is  the  head  of  the 
Reorganized  Mormon  Church,  who  is 
only  decently  married.  He  specifies  as 
great  men  in  this  country,  not  now  living, 
S.  F.  Smith,  author  of  "My  Country,  'Tis 
of  Thee ;"  three  Generals  Smith  in  our 
Union    and    Confederate    armies ;    Gerrit 


Smith,  the  philanthropist,  and  his  living 
grand-nephew,    Gerrit    Smith,    a    widely 
known  musical  composer  and  the  founder 
of  the  Manuscript  Society  of  Composers. 
We  can  add  a  little  to  this : 
Professor   Ernest   Bradford  Smith,   of 
the  University,  of  Pennsylvania,  just  be- 
fore he  married  had  his  name  changed  to 
Ernest    Smith    Bradford,    thinking    that 
there  were  too  many  people  bearing  the 
name  of  Smith.     This  reminds  us  of  a 
circumstance.        The      Hon.      Frederick 
Smyth,   Governor  of   tlie   State   of    New 
Hampshire    and    Mayor    of    Manchester, 
also  occupying  some  office  of  honor  under 
the  United  States  government,  was  a  self- 
made  man.     He  changed  his  name  from 
Smith  to  Smyth.     A  brother  of  his  sold 
wood  to  a  man.  and  on  being  asked   (as 
he  came  from  the  same  town  which  was 
honored    in   being   the   governor's   birth- 
place)   whether    he    was    related    to    the 
mayor  (as  he  then  was)  he  said:    "When 
Fred  Smyth   (pronouncing  the  'y'  long) 
and   I    were  boys   and   had  holes   in  the 
knees   of  our  trousers   and   went  to   the 
country   school,   we   were  brothers ;   you 
can  make  what  you  please  out  of  us  now." 
Many  a  change  has  been  made.     Mr. 
Durant,   the   founder   of   Wellesley   Col- 
lege, was  a  Smith ;  and  when  we  crossed 
the   Atlantic    and    sat   at   the   table    with 
Lord  Strathcona,  the  present  High  Com- 
missioner for  Canada,  he  was  then  known 
as     Sir     Donald     A.     Smith,     principal 
founder    of   the    Canadian    Pacific    Rail- 
road,   and    a    noted    philanthropist.      He 
said  that  he  had  been  in  coinpany  with 
three   men,   all   originally   named    Smith, 
and  he   was  the  only  one   who  had   re- 
tained the  name.     One  of  the  other  two, 
William    Smith,    was    a   member   of    the 
Legislature  of  California  when  it  was  a 
territory.      He    made    up    his    mind    to 
change  his  name  from  William  Smith  to 
Amor  de   Cosmos.     When  the  bill   was 
presented  in  the  Legislature,  which  was 
for  the  most  part  drunk  at  the  time  (as 
it    was    near   the    adjournment),    a    wag 


THE   SMITH  FAMILY 


355 


moved  that  his  name  be  changed  to 
Amor  de  Maginniss,  and  according  to 
Sir  Donald  A.  Smith,  the  report  was  that 
the  only  thing  that  prevented  the  motion, 
as  amended,  from  carrying,  was  the  cast- 
ing vote  of  the  Speaker,  who  was  still  in 
possession  of  his  head.  De  Cosmos  had 
some  brains  and  rose  to  the  position  of 
Premier  of  British  Columbia ;  afterward 
he  sought  to  be  a  prominent  factor  in  the 
government  of  Canada,  but  he  encoun- 
tered too  much  opposition  from  Sir  John 
JMacDonald,  the  unconquerable,  after 
which  he  grew  melancholy  and  believed 
people  united  to  kill  him  ;  barricaded  his 
house  and  sank  into  insanity — of  which 
there  was  no  doubt  a  germ  in  him  or  he 
would  not  have  conceived  such  a  name. 
Nevertheless,  Smith  is  as  good  a  name 
as  any  other,  and  any  good  man  q^n  give 
it  a  distinguishing  fame.  Smith  is  as 
nimierous  .in   other  languages  as   in  our 


own.  When  surnames  had  to  be  taken 
they  were  taken  from  trades  or  colors  and 
all  things  animate  and  inanimate ;  and  as 
there  were  more  smiths  than  any  other 
sort  of  mechanics,  that  name  appeared  in 
all  the  local   settlements. 

The  English  "Who's  Who"  for  1907 
has  no  less  than  thirtjy'-two  columns  of 
living  Englishmen  named  Smith,  Smyth, 
Smythe  or  Smijth.  The  American 
"Who's  Who"  has  forty-seven  columns  of 
biographies  of  persons  bearing  the  name 
in  its  varied  forms. 

The  Minutes  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  show  two  hundred  and  fifty- 
five  ministers  by  the  name  of  Smith  now 
living.  The  record  made  by  Nathan 
Bangs,  coming  down  to  1840,  shows 
ninety-nine  preachers  named  Smith  who 
had  entered  the  ministry  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  this  country  since 
its  beginning. 


Battalion  Day 


BY  GEORGE  MAYS,  M.D.,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


O  clearly  had  the  War  of  In- 
dependence demonstrated 
the  efficiency  of  the  citizen 
soldier  that  the  young  re- 
public wisely  concluded  not 
to  maintain  a  large  standing 
arm}-  in  time  of  peace,  but  in  order  that 
the  government  might  more  readily  mo- 
bilize its  forces  without  seriously  antag- 
onizing public  sentiment.  Congress  passed 
certain  laws  requiring  every  able-bodied 
man  between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and 
forty-five,  with  the  exception  of  those  who 
held  important  positions  under  the  general 
government  and  the  higher  officials  of 
the  State,  to  do  military  duty  at  least 
once  a  year,  or  pay  a  fine  of  fifty  cents. 
This  insignificant  task,  however,  was  not 
imposed  so  much  with  the  view  of  ob- 
taining any  proficiency  in  the  manual  of 
arms  as  to  remind  every  able-bodied  citi- 
zen of  what  the  government  might  de- 
mand of  him  in  the  event  of  war ;  and, 
altho  we  know  that  the  wisdom  of  the 
militia  act  was  questioned  by  many  at  the 


time,  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  fact 
that  it  did  have  a  tendency  to  keep  alive 
and  stimulate  more  or  less  the  martial 
spirit  of  the  people.  Admitting  also  that 
its  social  feature  more  than  the  military 
display  offered  attractions  which  the 
people  welcomed  from  year  to  year  with 
considerable  enthusiasm,  nevertheless 
there  was  a  "Pride,  pomp  and  circum- 
stance of  glorious  war,"  about  the  muster 
which  gave  rise  to  patriotic  discussion 
long  after  it  was  over,  and  in  that  way 
the  military  instinct  was  not  permitted 
to  slumber  for  a  time  at  least. 

The  fact  that  the  country  was  in  the  en- 
joyment of  a  peace  that  had  every  indica- 
tion of  being  permanent,  and  that  the 
sword  had  been  turned  into  a  plowshare 
and  the  spear  into  a  pruning  hook,  did  not 
lessen  the  importance  of  the  injunction  to 
be  prepared  for  war,  for  the  history  of  the 
world  records  no  instance  of  a  nation  that 
succeeded  in  remaining  at  peace  indef- 
initely with  the  rest  of  mankind,  a  fact 
which  I  regret  to  say  asserted  itself  only 


3S6 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


too  forcibly  at  a  later  period  of  our  own 
history. 

Prof.  Andrews,  in  his  popular  History 
of  the  United  States,  says,  "At  the  North 
the  muster  or  general  training  day  was 
for  secular  entertainment  the  day  of  days, 
when  the  local  regiment  came  out  to  per- 
fect and  reveal  its  skill  in  the  manual  and 
evolution  of  the  line.  Sideshows  and  a 
general  good  time  constituted  for  the 
crowd  its  chief  interest." 

Granting  that  the  muster  accomplished 
very  little  in  the  way  of  preparing  the 
citizen  for  war,  and  that  a  "general  good 
time"  was  all  the  people  looked  forward 
to,  the  marching  and  countermarching  of 
troops  on  feet,  the  graceful  movements  of 
the  cavalry  company  with  its  gaudy  uni- 
forms and  prancing  steeds,  the  rattle  of 
musketry,  the'  music  of  fife  and  drum,  and 
above  all,  the  grand  old  flag  floating  at  the 
head  of  the  line,  all  had  such  an  inspiring 
effect  upon  the  spectators  as  well  as  the 
participants  that  no  doubt  many  on  that 
day  resolved  that  let  come  what  may  they 
could  be  found  ever  ready  to  respond  to 
the  call  to  defend  the  stars  and  stripes 
under  which  and  for  which  so  many  of 
their  ancestors  had  fought,  bled  and  died 
in  the  struggle  for  freedom. 

The  laws  which  governed  this  branch 
of  the  military  service  were  passed  as 
early  as  1792,  but  differed  very  materially 
from  the  militia  acts  of  England  and  Ger- 
many. It  is  supposed  that  the  militia  law 
of  England  extended  as  far  back  as  the 
time  of  the  Saxons,  but  not  until  the 
reign  of  Edward  III  did  it  become  an  im- 
portant factor  to  the  government,  in  help- 
ing to  break  up  insurrections  in  the 
provinces  and  the  levying  of  troops  to 
repel  invasion,  or  for  the  purpose  of 
making  conquests  abroad.  In  Germany, 
where  it  is  called  the  Landwehr,  the 
militia  system  today  is  considered  a  most 
valuable  adjunct  to  the  regular  army,  and 
there  have  been  times  when  it  no  doubt 
proved  sufficiently  powerful  to  save  the 
nation  from  defeat.  Of  course  the  Ger- 
man system  is  much  more  elaborate  and 
strict  than  probably  that  of  any  other 
country,  and  carries  with  it  obligations, 
in  the  way  of  training  and  time  of  service, 
which  in  a  government  like  ours  could 
not  be  enforced.     In  Germanv  everv  man 


is  subject  to  military  duty  after  arriving 
at  the  age  of  twenty  and  no  one  can 
escape  service  who  is  physically  able  to 
carry  arms,  but  in  this  country  the  law  is 
no  longer  enforced,  and  during  its  opera- 
tion very  little  responsibility  was  attached 
to  it.  The  government  itself  failed  to  com- 
ply with  the  provisions  of  the  law,  which 
called  for  accoutrements  and  arms  for 
all  who  were  enrolled,  otherwise  no  doubt 
greater  interest  and  pride  would  have 
manifested  themselves,  for  a  soldier  with- 
out regulation  uniform  and  musket  would 
naturally  get  tired  and  disgusted  very 
soon  in  being  obliged  to  do  duty  in  the 
garb  of  a  citizen,  especially  if  his  time 
of  service  lasted  a  number  of  years  as  is 
the  case  with  the  Landwehr  of  Germany. 

However,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the 
militia  of  this  country  had  so  little  train- 
ing and  no  regular  equipment,  there  are 
numerous  instances  on  record  where  they 
proved  decidedly  helpful  to  the  state  as 
well  as  to  the  general  government.  The 
"Whiskey  Insurrection"  of  1794  was 
quelled  by  the  militia,  and  in  the  war  of 
1812,  it  is  now  conceded,  they  did  much 
better  than  was  formerly  supposed,  altho 
it  is  alleged  that  state  and  national  dispute 
at  the  time  hindered  their  efficiency.  But 
the  greatest  service  the  militia  rendered 
was  during  the  CivilWar,  in  which  they 
were  really  the  mainstay  of  the  govern- 
ment ;  in  fact,  the  regular  army  consti- 
tuted but  a  small  portion  of  the  fighting 
forces,  and  without  the  citizen  soldier 
could  never  have  proved  successful.  On 
every  battle-field  of  that  war  the  volunteer 
or  citizen  soldier  left  the  impress  of 
military  achievement  that  astonished  the 
world  and  forever  silenced  the  critics 
who  before  that  claimed  that  the  pro- 
fessional soldier  must  always  be  consid- 
ered the  bulwark  of  the  nation.  It  is 
probable,  however,  that  the  citizens  of  no 
other  country  could  have  accomplished 
what  the  militia  of  this  government  did 
during  the  Rebellion. 

As  already  stated,  the  militia  had  no 
permanent  or  regular  organization,  and 
in  most  instances  the  officers  in  command 
knew  very  little  about  military  tactics, 
which  I  have  no  doubt  accounts  for  the 
burlesque  descriptions  and  caricatures 
presented  at  battalion  day.     Few  of  the 


BATTALION  DAY 


357 


men  carried  guns,  the  greater  portion 
being  armed  with  pistols  that  had  sticks 
inserted  into  the  barrel,  while  some  had 
nothing  but  canes  for  the  evolution.  Being 
without  arms  and  uniforms,  the  reader 
can  easily  imagine  what  a  motley  crowd 
the  militia  must  have  been,  but  it  was  the 
fault  of  the  authorities  who  should  have 
recognized  the  necessity  of  living  up  to 
the  letter  of  the  law.  As  it  was,  it  could 
hardly  help  but  make  those  dutiful  citizens 
an  object  of  unfavorable  comment,  but 
even  that  does  not  justify  any  one  to 
ridicule  their  appearance,  and  hold  them 
up  to  still  greater  contempt.  One  his- 
torian, in  writing  about  battalion  day, 
allowed  his  imagination  to  carry  him  far 
beyond  the  limit  of  truth,  and  represents 
the  men  as  carrying  rakes  and  pitchforks 
and  dressed  in  all  sorts  of  fantastical  cos- 
tumes, which  all  who  saw  any  of  the 
parades  must  know  to  be  untrue,  for  the 
simple  reason  that  the  commanding  officer 
would  not  have  tolerated  such  foolish 
exhibitions,  even  if  some  did  make  the 
attempt.  The  officers  as  a  rule  took  pride 
in  the  muster  and  tried  to  make  the  line 
look  as  respectable  as  possible.  The  writer 
alluded  to  illustrates  his  book  with  another 
scene  which  represents  an  elephant  in  the 
act  of  routing  the  men  and  scattering 
them  in  all  directions,  but  who  ever  heard 
of  elephants  forming  a  part  of  the  muster  ? 
The  only  elephants  then  in  the  country 
belonged  to  large  shows  which  never  ex- 
hibited in  the  smaller  towns,  at  least  not 
on  battalion  day.  Besides,  if  I  mistake 
not,  the  entire  command  was  under  the 
control  of  an  officer  sent  either  by  the 
Governor  or  the  United  States  army 
whose  duty  it  was  to  inspect  the  troops, 
and  surely  they  would  not  have  permitted 
such  tomfoolery  during  parade.  I  had  the 
good  fortune  to  be  present  on  several  oc- 
casions, but  never  noticed  anything  wrong 
except  the  absence  of  uniforms  and  proper 
arms. 

I  have  no  doubt  the  forlorn  appearance 
of  the  militia  at  tirst  sight  suggested  very 
little  hope  or  confidence,  but  a  closer  in- 
spection soon  revealed  the  fact  that  un- 
derneath the  mask  la}'  dormant  a  power 
that  with  proper  development,  could 
readily  be  converted  into  fighting  material 
as  brave  and  efficient  as  any  professional 


soldier — material  which  could  be  relied 
upon  whenever  the  nation's  life  was 
threatened.  It  was  a  common  saying 
during  the  Civil  War  that  the  outfit  of  a 
rebel  cavalryman  consisted  of  a  collar  and 
pair  of  spurs,  yet  we  all  know  how 
valiantly  he  fought  to  turn  the  tide  of 
battle.  My  readers  have  also  heard  of  the 
comparison  of  the  militia  to  "Fallstafif's 
Recruits,"  but  if  any  one  were  to  offer 
such  an  insult  to  American  citizenship  in 
my  hearing,  I  should  quickly  let  him 
know  that  the  thrashing  which  the  Red 
Coats  received  during  the  Revolution 
would  probably  be  a  tame  aflfair  when 
compared  with  the  defeat  an  English 
or  any  other  army  would  suffer  if  ever 
another  attempt  was  made  to  conquer  the 
people  of  this  country,  and  by  just  such 
raw  material  as  the  citizen  soldier.  I 
admit  that  American  patriotism  does 
sometimes  indulge  in  extravagant  dreams 
of  military  conquest,  but  nevertheless  its 
latent  power  has  long  ago  won  the  respect 
and    admiration    of    the    civilized    world. 

The  evolutions  of  the  day  differed  so 
little  from  what  the  reader  has  often 
witnessed  that  I  shall  not  occupy  space  to 
present  them  in  detail,  but  can  not  dis- 
miss this  part  of  my  subject  without  some 
allusion  to  a  few  of  the- characters  who 
occupied  the  most  conspicuous  place  at  the 
muster. 

The  color-bearer  of  the  Schaeffers- 
town  Fencibles,  a  volunteer  company 
which  was  looked  upon  in  my  boyhood 
days  as  one  of  the  most  popular  organi- 
zations in  the  state,  had  lost  his  left 
arm  in  an  explosion  during  a  fourth  of 
July  celebration,  but  he  had  no  difficulty 
in  managing  the  flag,  and  his  jealous  care 
of  Old  Glory  often  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  the  spectators.  In  fact,  he  was 
inflated  with  the  importance  of  his  posi- 
tion that  one  could  readily  perceive  as  he 
marched  at  the  head  of  the  line  that  he 
considered  himself  entitled  to  as  much 
honor  as  the  hero  of  many  battles,  altho 
he  had  never  smelt  powder  except  on 
battalion  day.  He  could  neither  write 
nor  read,  but  would  relate  such  horrible 
stories  of  war  that  his  friends  often 
wondered  how  he  got  possession  of  them. 
No  doubt  his  memory  retained  what  he 
had  heard  from  others,  and  his  imagina- 


358 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


tion  helped  to  paint  the  scenes  of  blood 
and  carnage  in  still  more  vivid  colors,  for 
he  had  the  reputation  of  being  a  most  ac- 
complished prevaricator,  and  delighted  in 
creating  false  impressions.  He  was  a 
born  soldier,  however,  and  if  it  had  not 
been  for  the  loss  of  an  arm  I  have  no 
doubt  he  would  have  been  among  the  first 
to  enlist  during  the  late  war,  in  spite  of 
his  age.  He  was  decidedly  aggressive  and 
so  exceedingly  stubborn  that  he  would 
very  seldom  yield  to  the  opinion  of  his 
neighbors,  a  quality  which  is  hardly  com- 
mendable except  in  a  soldier  during  battle 
where  it  would  be  apt  to  lead  him  to  keep 
on  fighting  after  everyone  else  had  given 
up  all  hope  of  success.  His  soldierly 
bearing  even  when  not  on  duty,  and  his 
deep  interest  in  military  matters  plainly 
indicated  that  his  proper  sphere  was  the 
army  instead  of  a  carpenter  shop. 

The  captain  who  commanded  the  militia 
in  my  time  was  probably  a  more  unique 
character  than  the  color-bearer,  and  al- 
ways appeared  on  battalion  day  in  a 
queer-looking  uniform  which  seemed  to 
have  defied  every  rule  and  regulation  of 
the  army,  and  no  doubt  suggested  much 
of  the  burlesque  description  I  have  al- 
luded to.  He  was,  however,  very  much 
flattered  by  the  position,  and  certainly 
tried  his  best  to  infuse  some  life  into  the 
proceedings  on  muster  day.  Many  amus- 
ing stories  are  in  circulation  concerning 
his  official  work,  and  it  is  said  that  on  one 
occasion,  as  he  was  trying  to  execute  the 
command  to  step  three  paces  to  the  rear 
in  his  attic,  he  accidentally  fell  down  stairs 
and  almost  broke  his  neck.  His  wife, 
hearing  the  fall,  hastened  to  his  relief, 
and  wanted  to  know  how  the  accident 
happened,  when  he  replied,  "Gch  zvck,  du 
ivesht  en  drcck  wc  cs  im  greek  hehr  geht," 
(Go  away,  you  know  nothing  of  the  for- 
tunes of  war).  At  another  time  while 
looking  down  the  line  and  seeing  one  of 
the  men  whose  aldermanic  proportions 
protruded  some  distance  in  advance  of  the 
rest,  not  being  able  to  find  any  command 
in  his  military  vocabulary  to  correct  the 
error,  he  shook  his  head  for  a  moment 
and  called  out  at  the  top  of  his  voice, 
"The  man  with  the  big  base  drum  will 
step  one  pace  to  the  rear."  The  order 
was   instantly   obeyed,   but   provoked   so 


much  laughter  that  one  of  the  bystanders 
stepped  forward  and  asked  him  to  repeat 
the  command,  which  of  course  could  not 
be  done  but  satisfied  the  captain  that  he 
was  fully  capable  of  meeting  an  emer- 
gency, and  possessed  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant requisites  in  the  qualifications  of 
a  military  leader.  Owing  to  the  fact  that 
the  militia  had  no  permanent  organization, 
he  held  no  commission  from  the  state  or 
general  government,  but  nevertheless  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  his  office  faithfully 
and  promptly. 

No  sooner  had  the  parade  been  dis- 
missed than  citizen  and  soldiers  flocked 
to  the  booths  where  refreshments  of  all 
kinds  were  served,  after  which  the  places 
of  amusement  absorbed  the  balance  of  the 
day.  Lindsey,  the  renewed  showman  of 
the  period,  with  his  show  attended  the 
muster  regularly,  and,  in  the  character  of 
Wofifelbach,  managed  to  afford  amuse- 
ment after  a  fashion  .  A  favorite  perfor- 
mance was  his  representation  of  a  scene 
from  Mephistopheles  where  he  drags 
Heinrich  below,  and  just  as  the  two  dis- 
appear he  invariably  selected  some  ac- 
quaintance in  the  audience,  and,  address- 
ing him  by  name,  hollered  out,  "Kumsht 
ail  bol"  (Coming  soon?)  which  caused  the 
people  to  roar,  but  had  a  bad  effect  upon 
the  victim  of  the  joke,  who  we  are  told 
sometimes  made  an  attempt  to  get  square 
with  the  perpetrator  after  the  show  was 
over.  His  great  specialty,  however,  was 
to  spell  stove-pipe  with  an  elbow,  and.  oh, 
how  he  would  sweat  and  twist  himself  to 
get  around  the  elbow.  I  can  still  hear 
the  stutterings  and  see  the  apparent 
struggles  of  the  fellow  as  he  went  through 
the  silly  act.  The  man  had  no  education, 
but  no  doubt  possessed  some  ability  as  a 
comedian,  and  enjoyed  considerable  popu- 
larity among  the  rural  people  of  Eastern 
Pennsylvania. 

Battalion  day  is  forgotten  except  by  the 
older  people  who  still  love  to  revert  to  its 
primitive  demonstrations  amid  the  pomp 
and  circumstance  of  modern  military  dis- 
play, and  to  the  men,  who  left  the  plow 
and  workshop  on  that  day  to  show  their 
loyalty  and  willingness  to  serve  the 
country  in  peace  as  well  as  in  war,  be  all 
the  honor  and  glory. 


SUMNEYTOWN,   PA. 


359 


Sumneytown,  Pa. 

(Concluded  from  issue  for  February,  1908.) 


BY  REV.   J.    L.    ROUSH,  SUMNEYTOWN,   FA. 


Note. — For  the  material  used  in  the  prepar- 
ation of  this  sketch  I  am  indebted  to  Mr. 
Edwin  M.  Benner,  of  Sumneytown,  whose 
courtesy  and  kindness  I  hereby  most  gratefully 
acknowledge. 

Care   of  the   Poor. 

RIOR  to  the  year  1808,  when 
the  Montgomery  County 
Almshouse  was  opened  for 
the  reception  of  paupers,  it 
had  been  the  custom  in 
Marlborough  township  to 
provide  for  the  support  of  the  poor  by 
means  of  a  tax.  Two  persons  were  annu- 
ally elected  as  overseers,  who  were  re- 
quired, at  the  expiration  of  their  term  of 
office,  to  make  a  report  to  the  judges  of 
the  Philadelphia  County  Court,  when  the 
funds,  remaining  in  their  hands  after  set- 
tlement, were  ordered  to  be  paid  to  their 
successors. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  note  that  from 
1749  to  1808,  it  was  customary  to  sell  the 
paupers  at  public  sale,  generally  for  one 
year,  to  the  lowest  bidder,  the  township 
paying  for  their  support.  The  following 
is  a  copy  of  the  record  of  the  overseers  for 
March  22.   1794. 

"Die  Condition,  oder  Kauf-Bedingungen  des 
Sebastian  Gotz  ist  wie  folgt,  namlich :  Vors 
Erste  soil  derjenige  so  ihn  kauft  ihn  bekosti- 
gen  so  wie  es  recht  und  billig  ist,  auch  soil  er 
ihm  Weschen  und  Flicken,  auch  muss  er  ihn 
kleiden  wie  es  recht  und  billig  ist,  allein  die 
Kleider  muss  das  Taunship  bezahlen  und  im 
fall  er  solle  Krank  und  bettlagerich  werden  so 
muss   das   TaunsTiip   dafiir   gut   thun. 

LuDwiG  Ache, 

B.A.LSER     RiEL, 

Overseers  of  the  Poor. 
Obgemeldeter    Sebastian    Gotz   ist   heute  als 
den  22  Mertz  an  .\ndreas  Ried  verkauft  wor- 
den   fiir  die  sum  von  £16,  4  Shilling." 

The  Sumneytown  Bridge. 

The  old  stone  bridge  which  spans  the 
Swamp  Creek  just  below  the  village, 
along  the  Spring  House  and  Sumney- 
town turnpike,  was  the  first  structure  of  its 


kind  erected  in  the  township  and  probably 
the  first  one  in  this  part  of  the  county. 
As  the  Swamp  Creek  often  becomes  a 
raging  torrent  and  its  bed  is  deep  and 
dangerous,  the  peril  frequently  en- 
countered by  travelers  and  teamsters  in 
crossing  that  stream  induced  the  early 
settlers  to  apply  to  the  court  of  Philadel- 
phia coimty  for  aid  in  the  erection  of  a 
bridge.  The  desired  help  was  granted  by 
the  court,  but  before  the  work  could  be 
undertaken,  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolu- 
tion and  the  consequent  call  for  troops 
and  funds  caused  the  project  to  be 
abandoned. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  another 
effort  was  made  to  procure  assistance, 
and  on  March  27,  1787  a  petition,  signed 
by  many  of  the  citizens  of  the  upper  part 
of  the  county,  was  presented  to  the 
Court  of  Quarter  Sessions,  at  Nor- 
ristown,  with  the  request  that  $800 
be  appropriated  by  the  county  for 
the  construction  of  the  bridge.  The 
petition  was  granted  and  the  amount 
asked  for  appropriated  with  this  provision, 
however,  that  the  petitioners  should  obli- 
gate themselves  for  the  completion  of  the 
bridge  without  any  further  cost  to  the 
county.  In  conforming  to  the  action  of 
the  court,  the  county  commissioners, 
Benjamin  Markley  and  Henry  Cooken, 
recommended  that  Messrs  Daniel  Hiester, 
Christian  Scheid  and  Henry  Schneider 
be  appointed  as  managers  to  superintend 
the  work.  When  the  building  operations 
were  under  way,  it  was  discovered  that 
the  amount  of  labor  and  material  needed 
in  its  construction  was  considerably  in 
excess  of  the  original  estimate,  while  the 
sum  of  money  secured  through  private 
subscriptions  was  much  less  than  had 
been  anticipated.  Another  appeal  was 
then  made  to  the  county,  but  when  the 
court  refused  to  grant  any  further  aid,  the 
spaces  between  the  pillars  were  covered 
with  planks  and  the  bridge  was  then  made 


36o 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


passable.  In  this  condition  it  remained 
for  forty-four  years,  or  until  1833,  when 
the  county  commissioners  built  the  arches 
and  completed  the  structure  at  an  addi- 
tional cost  of  $1275.  The  entire  cost  to 
the  county,  outside  of  private  subscrip- 
tions, was  $2575. 

The  Macoby  Bridge,  at  Green  Lane, 
was  built  in  1838,  while  that  at  Per- 
kiomenville  was  erected  in  1839.  The 
former  cost  $3368,  and  the  latter  $11,291. 

Earliest  Public   Roads. 

When  the  first  settlers  arrived  in  this 
locality  they  made  their  way  through  the 
forests  as  best  they  might,  with  ax  in 
hand  cleaning  roads  for  themselves.  But 
with  the  increase  in  the  population  came 
also  the  need  for  greater  public  con- 
veniences. To  provide  better  facilities 
for  travel  and  the  transportation  of  goods, 
the  inhabitants  of  this  region  came  to- 
gether and  laid  out  the  first  public  high- 
way. It  led  from  beyond  New  Goshen- 
hoppen,  through  Sumneytown  and  North 
Wales  to  Philadelphia.  It  was  known  as 
the  Maxatawny  road,  the  greater  part  of 
which  is  now  owned  and  kept  in  repair 
by  the  Greene  Lane  and  Goshenhoppen, 
and  the  Spring  House  and  Sumneytown 
turnpike  companies.  It  was  the  custom 
then,  as  now,  to  lay  out  roads  by  order  of 
the  court,  but  the  exact  time  when  the 
road  was  granted  is  not  known.  It  must, 
however,  have  been  prior  to  the  year  1735, 
at  which  time  a  second  road,  from 
Macungie  to  Sumneytown,  afterward 
known  as  the  Geryville  turnpike,  was 
opened. 

This  latter  road  was  laid  out,  on  Aug. 
16,  by  Robert  Thomas,  John  Roberts, 
Hugh  Evans  and  Jon.  Jonson,  viewers, 
after  application  had  been  made,  on  the 
25th  of  the  preceding  March,  to  the  Gov- 
ernor of  the  State  and  the  City  Council  of 
Philadelphia. 

These  roads  were  not  only  the  earliest, 
but  also  the  most  important  public  high- 
ways in  this  section.  They  were  used  by 
the  local  industries  to  transport  the 
powder  to  the  coal  mines,  and  the  flour, 
oil  and  iron  to  the  market.  The  farmers, 
also,  around  Maxatawny,  Macungie, 
New  Goshenhoppen  and  Hosensack  fol- 
lowed these  roads  in  taking  their  farm 
products  to  Philadelphia,  and  in  bringing 


on  their  return  goods  for  the  country  mer- 
chants. Almost  daily  numbers  of  fine  four 
and  six  horse  teams  might  been  seen  pass- 
ing through  the  village.  Most  of  them 
used  the  old,  cloth-covered  Conestoga 
wagons,  with  a  feeding  trough  attached  to 
the  rear  end  of  the  body,  a  tool  box  at  the 
side,  and  sometimes  a  tar  bucket  swinging 
from  the  axle  underneath.  Some  of  the 
teamsters  from  the  vicinity  of  Hosensack 
attracted  no  little  attention  by  the  bells 
which  swung  in  a  frame  fastened  to  the 
harness  of  their  horses,  and  which  kept 
up  a  constant  tinkling  as  the  team  moved 
along.  Each  teamster  was  generally  sup- 
plied with  feed  for  his  horses,  provisions 
for  himself  and  blanket  for  a  bed.  The 
last  named,  when  not  in  use.  was  rolled 
up  and  fastened  in  the  top  of  his  wagon. 
As  Sumneytown  was  one  of  the  inter- 
mediate points  along  the  route,  it  became 
a  favorite  and  noted  stopping  place  for 
the  night.  When  evening  came  and  the 
teams  arrived,  the  horses  were  stabled  and 
fed,  or  if,  as  it  sometimes  happened,  alt 
the  stable  room  was  taken,  the  horses 
were  tied  to  the  feeding  trough  fastened 
on  the  wagon  pole,  and  left  there  for  the 
night,  while  their  master  betook  himself  to 
the  bar-room,  sat  down  on  one  of  the 
benches  at  the  long  table,  and  with  the 
contents  of  his  knapsack  spread  before 
him,  ate  his  supper.  At  such  times  the 
guests  each  received  a  gill  of  liquor 
measured  for  them  by  the  landlord  as  the- 
modern  method  of  serving  drinks  was 
then  not  in  vogue.  As  the  evening  wore 
on  the  teamsters  unrolled  their  blankets, 
spread  them  on  the  bar-room  floor,  and' 
made  themselves  comfortable  for  the 
night.  When  the  tavern  was  crowded  the 
rows  of  sleeping  guests  were  often  so- 
dense,  that  only  a  narrow  space  was  left 
between  the  lines  of  up-turned  feet  for 
late  comers  to  pass  through.  The  early 
morning  hours,  at  such  stopping  places, 
witnessed  a  scene  of  unusual  activity  and 
commotion  until,  when  men  and  horses 
were  ready  for  the  road,  each  teamster, 
with  a  loud  cracking  of  his  long  snake- 
like whip,  set  out  for  his  respective  desti- 
nation. With  the  decline  of  the  local  in- 
dustries, and  the  advent  of  the  railroads 
these  teams,  once  the  pride  of  the  region^ 
gradually  disappeared  from  the  roads. 


SUMNEYTOWN,  PA. 


361 


An   Early   Railroad   Survey. 

That  the  construction  of  the  Perkiomen 
Railroad  had  been  contemplated,  many 
years  before  the  road  was  built,  is 
evidenced  by  the  fact  that,  as  early  as 
1835,  a  corps  of  engineers  had  been  en- 
gaged in  surveying  a  line  beginning  at 
Norristown  and  extending  along  the 
Perkiomen  to  some  point  on  the  Lehigh 
river.  The  surveyors  had  made  consider- 
able progress  when  their  work  was  sud- 
denly terminated,  owing,  it  was  thought, 
to  connection  with  the  following  event. 

Near  midnight,  on  December  18  of 
that  year,  five  young  men,  assistant  engi- 
neers, together  with  their  driver,  came  to 
the  Sumneytown  Hotel,  then  kept  by  Mr. 
John  Hartranft.  Immediately  after  their 
arrival  they  began  to  quarrel  with  the 
proprietor  about  some  difficulties  which 
had  arisen  several  weeks  before,  at  which 
time  they  had  been  furnished  with  board 
and  lodging.  The  party  became  abusive 
and  finally  made  threats  of  violence,  when 
one  of  the  inmates  of  the  house,  believing 
Mr.  Hartranft's  life  to  be  in  danger,  called 
in  a  neighbor,  named  Williams,  to  give 
aid  in  case  of  necessity.  The  ruffians  then 
smashed  a  door  and  forced  themselves 
into  another  apartment.  In  the  hand-to- 
hand  encounter  which  followed,  through 


his  efforts  to  prevent  further  violence, 
Mr.  Williams  received  several  knife 
thrusts  in  his  abdomen,  at  the  hands  of 
one  of  his  assailants.  Mr.  Hartranft 
quickly  aroused  the  villagers,  but  when 
they  came  upon  the  scene  the  murderer 
and  his  companions  had  fled,  and  their 
victim  lay  weltering  in  his  own  blood. 
Several  physicians  were  speedily  sum- 
moned, but  neither  effort  nor  skill  could 
avail  to  save  the  life  of  Mr.  Williams,  who 
died  the  next  day. 

The  arrest  and  imprisonment,  at  Nor- 
ristown, of  the  persons  implicated  in  the 
murder  soon  followed,  and  their  trial  be- 
gan on  February  24,  1836.  It  continued 
until  the  evening  of  March  4,  when  the 
jury,  after  an  absence  of  only  a  few  min- 
utes returned  with  a  verdict  of  not  guilty. 
The  result  of  the  trial  was  a  surprise  to 
the  community  and  continued  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  to  be  the  cause  of  much  dis- 
satisfaction. 

With  the  acquittal  of  the  young  men, 
the  survey  of  the  railroad  was  abandoned, 
and  some  of  the  older  people,  who  were 
acquainted  with  the  circumstances  be- 
lieved that  if  the  unfortunate  event  at 
the  hotel  had  not  occurred,  the  whistle  of 
the  locomotive,  in  the  Perkiomen  V'alley, 
would  have  been  heard  at  an  earlier  date. 


The  Underground  Railroad 


BY  DR.  I.   H.  BETZ,  YORK,  PA. 


T  was  in  York  county,  it  is  be- 
lieved, where  the  term  "un- 
derground railroad"  origi- 
nated. Slave-owners  in  the 
pursuit  of  fugitives  found 
that  when  they  reached  the 
river  the  bondman  disappeared  as  mys- 
teriously as  though  "the  ground  had 
swallowed  him  up."  In  their  perplexity, 
the  pursuers  exclaimed,  "There  must  be 
an  underground  road  somewhere."  The 
expression  struck  the  popular  fancy,  and 
was  incorporated  into  the  literature  of  the 
day. 

in  1804  one  of  the  first  kidnapping 
cases  recorded  in  the  history  of  the  move- 
ment took  place  at  Columbia,  when  the 
mother  of  Stephen  Smith,  who  later  be- 


came a  well  known  lumber  merchant  at 
Columbia,  was  sought  to  be  forcibly  taken 
from  the  house  of  General  Boude  to  her 
mistress'  home  at  Paxtang,  near  Harris- 
burg,  Pa.     It  created  great  excitement. 

As  early  as  1688  the  Friends  and  Men- 
nonites  had  sent  a  protest  from  German- 
town  to  the  yearly  meeting,  which  has 
become  historic.  Some  of  the  signers 
were  Holland  Dutch  or  Low  Germans. 
The  Friends  in  England,  in  1727,  de- 
clared that  slavery  was  a  practice  "not 
to  be  commended  nor  allowed."  In  Penn- 
sylvania they  continued  to  take  advanced 
ground  until  in  1776  they  excluded  slave- 
holders from  membership  in  their  society. 

In  1786  a  society  existed  in  Philadel- 
phia for  succoring  fugitives  who  reached 


362 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


there,  of  which  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  then  a 
young  man,  was  the  ruling  spirit  and  its 
President.  By  a  strange  coincidence, 
Washington  became  the  first  sufferer  of 
prominence  at  its  hands.  While  he  took 
his  loss  philosophically,  yet  he  also  signed 
the  first  Fugitive  Slave  Law  in  1793.  But 
the  law  was   found  inefficient. 

Since  the  North  Star  was  found  im- 
movable, it  was  hoped  that  the  British 
Crown  might  be  induced  to  declare  Can- 
ada no  longer  a  "Mecca  of  Freedom." 
But  Britain  stood  firm  in  the  maintenance 
of  the  principle  declared  by  Lord  Mans- 
field that  "as  soon  as  a  slave  set  his  foot 
on  British  soil  he  was  free." 

Turning  to  our  own  halls  of  Congress, 
efforts  were  made  for  a  more  stringent 
law,  which  failed  until  the  second  Fugi- 
tive Slave  Law  of  1850  was  enacted  and 
went  into  force,  of  which  the  author  was 
Senator  John  Mason,  of  Virginia. 

Meantime,  the  hegira  towards  the 
Promised  Land  of  Freedom  had  increased 
to  such  an  extent  that  it  was  estimated 
that  between  one  and  two  hundred 
thousand  fugitives  had  left  slavery  for 
freedom  in  a  period  of  seventy-five  years. 
During  this  period  the  work  of  aiding 
fugitives  had  become  extended,  organized 
and  systematized. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  last  century, 
Columbia,  Pennsylvania,  became  an  ob- 
jective point  in  the  work  of  the  Under- 
ground Railroad. 

To  John  Wright,  a  grandson  of  the 
original  settler  bearing  that  name  be- 
longs the  credit  of  first  establishing  "sta- 
tions" at  distances  of  ten  miles  apart,  in 
eastern  Pennsylvania.  The  work  of  aid- 
ing fugitives  was  one  attended  with  ex- 
hilaration and  excitement,  but  it  was  also 
attended  with  danger  to  property  and  per- 
son. It  required  sagacity,  quickness  of 
perception  and  foresight.  It  required 
means,  sympathy  and  benevolence  with- 
out public  applause  or  hope  of  reward. 

Its  abettors  and  workers  were  hated 
and  despised  by  those  whose  loss  was 
their  gain.  The  North  contained  multi- 
tudes who  regarded  them  with  distrust 
and  ill-concealed  aversion.  But  thev 
looked  upon  slavery  as  the  sum  of  all 
villainies  and  the  crime  of  all  crimes. 
Thev  believed  in  aiding  rather  than  talk- 


ing. The  work  grew  and  in  a  decade  had 
extended  from  the  Susquehanna  to  the 
Delaware.  Stations  had  multiplied  from 
and  to  which  "freight  was  shipped."  Like 
our  modern  fast  express  trains  their  best 
runs  were  made  at  night,  when  the 
"track"  was  clear  and  free  from  obstruc- 
tion. The  nomenclature  of  the  road  was 
stricdy  adhered  to.  Thus  there  was  a 
president  and  superintendent.  There 
were  stockholders  but  no  dividends  ex- 
cept as  righteous  actions  offered  full  satis- 
faction. There  was  no  watering  of  stock. 
but  concentration  of  purpose.  There 
were  "passengers"  and  "stations."  But 
there  was  also  a  "walker's  express,"  and 
when  there  was  congestion  of  trafiic 
"Shank's  mare"  was  pressed  into  service. 
The  station  masters  and  conductors  were 
men  "wise  as  serpents"  and  "harmless  as 
doves."  Family  carriages,  even  funeral 
processions,  draymen's  carts  or  railwav 
cars  with  hidden  compartments  or  with 
innocent-looking  store-boxes  were  made 
available  for  transportation.  Signs  and 
passwords,  with  mystic  raps,  in  the  dead 
of  night  were  given  and  duly  interpreted 
by  the  initiated. 

The  work  was  democratic  in  character, 
and  made  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence more  than  a  "glittering  generality." 
The  work  was  made  doubly  dangerous  by 
spies  and  paid  emissaries." 

Every  neighborhood  had  its  informers 
who  for  reward  became  aiders  and  abet- 
tors to  the  "gentlemen  of  propertv  and 
standing."  Many  fugitives  were'  thus 
overtaken  and  reclaimed,  and  those  who 
were  found  to  have  aided  or  assisted  them 
were  heavily  mulcted  in  fines,  damages 
and    costs. 

There  were  several  types  of  stockhold- 
ers in  the  Underground  Railroad.  By 
far  the  largest  number  were  those  who 
considered  slavery  an  evil,  and  would 
fain  have  seen  it  extinguished,  but  their 
respect  for  law  and  order  made  them 
loath  to  interfere  with  it  directly.  Still 
their  influence  even  thus  far  counted  for 
much.  Another  type  were  certain  of  the 
non-resistant  sects  who  considered  it 
their  duty  to  alleviate  suffering  and  dis- 
tress when  directly  appealed  to  bv  fleeing 
fugitives  or  by  those  fugitives  who  had 
been  befriended  and  had  been  sent  from 


THE  UNDERGROUND  RAILROAD 


363 


other  places.  Beiii^  law-abidiiiix  citizens 
accordinf^  to  the  strict  letter  and  intention, 
they  could  take  no  part  in  initiating:;  meas- 
ures to  cause  or  carry  out  projects  to 
aid  fleeing  fugitives  in  opposition  thereto. 
They  drew  the  line  at  visible  distress  and 
suffering.  Others  were  guided  by  what 
they  termed  the  "Higher  Law."  If  man- 
made  laws  or  interpretations  were  in  op- 
])osition  thereto,  so  much  the  worse  for 
them.  It  was  doubtless  for  this  reason 
that  the  Pennsylvania-Cjcrman  population 
was  not  near  so  fully  representee!  in  this 
work  as  that  of  the  English  and  other 
nationalities.  Still  there  were  some  very 
conspicuous  workers  among  the  Penn- 
sylvania-Germans, who  were  unwearied 
in  their  labors  and  sacrifices  in  the  cause. 
Then  there  was  a  type  of  men  and 
women  who  took  their  lives  in  their  hands 
and  "bearded  the  lion  in  his  den."  Some 
of  these  people  became  martyrs  by  their 
devotion  to  humanity  and  liberty.  Who 
has  not  heard  of  Captain  Jonathan 
Walker,  "the  man  with  the  branded 
hand" ;  of  Captain  Daniel  Drayton  and 
Rev.  Charles  T.  Forrey.  who  perished 
in  prison  ;  of  Calvin  Fairbanks,  who  suf- 
fered over  seventeen  years  in  prison  and 
received  35,000  stripes.  The  list  is 
swelled  by  Alanson  Ci.  Work,  Seth 
Concklin  and  Rev.  Elijah  P.  Lovejoy. 

Of  these  who  were  unharmed  and  suc- 
cessful, there  was  the  well  known  Josiah 
Henson,  Dr.  Alexander  M.  Ross,  of  Can- 
ada, who  later  became  a  man  of  inter- 
national reputation  with  Harriet  Tuo- 
man,  who  went  to  the  South  nineteen 
times,  bringing  away  more  than  200  bond- 
men, women  and  children.  Her  story 
reads  like  a  romance. 

Then  there  was  the  militant  type,  who 
believed  that  slavery  should  be  attacked 
on  its  own  ground  by  pen  and  sword  or 
with  "Beecher's  Bible"  which  was  a 
euphonious  term  for  Sharp's  rifle.  There 
were  men  like  the  slave  Nat  Turner, 
Elijah  P.  Lovejoy  and  the  hero  of  the 
plains  of  Kansas  and  of  Harper's  Ferry. 
It  was  John  Brown's  aim  to  make  slavery 
doubly  insecure  and  unprofitable,  and 
thus  lead  to  its  eventual  abolition.  But 
every  one  worked  as  he  or  she  was  able, 
leaving  the  results  to  the  approbation  of  a 
good  conscience. 


Many  of  the  Friends  of  the  southeast- 
ern counties  of  Pennsylvania  were  found 
in  this  army  of  liberation.  Some  men  of 
color  took  a  conspicuous  part,  notably 
among  whom  were  James  Forten,  Robert 
Purvis  and  William  Still,  of  Philadelphia ; 
Stephen  Smith  and  William  Whipper,  of 
Columbia,  and  William  E.  Goodridge,  of 
York,  and  Ezekiel  Baptiste,  of  the  north- 
ern part  of  the  county.  The  last  four 
especially  were  men  of  wealth  and  busi- 
ness standing.  William  Wright  and  Joel 
Wierman  and  Amos  Griest  held  the  out- 
posts in  Adams  county.  The  wife  of 
Joel  Wierman  was  a  sister  of  Benjamin 
Sundy,  the  co-laborer  with  Garrison. 
Goodridge,  in  York,  harbored  Osborn 
Perry  Anderson,  one  of  the  fleeing  men 
with  John  Brown  at  Harper's  Ferry. 
After  a  few  weeks  secretion  in  his  promi- 
nent building  in  Centre  Square,  he  sent 
him  to  William  Still,  at  Philadelphia. 
Still  had  previously  received  Francis  J. 
Alerrian,  who  had  taken  the  train  at  Scot- 
land, Franklin  county,  Pa.  Captain  Cook, 
who  belonged  to  the  Owen  Brown  party, 
after  sending  Merrian  by  train,  made 
their  way,  mostly  by  night,  to  northwest- 
ern Pennsylvania.  Cook,  however,  was 
captured  at  Mont  Alto  and  sent  back  to 
Charlestown  and  executed.  The  same  fate 
befell  Haslitt,  who  was  overtaken  and 
confined  in  Carlisle  jail  for  ten  days  and 
then  sent  to  Virginia.  York  county, 
being  on  the  border  was  crossed  by 
many  fugitives.  From  York  they  were 
sent  in  various  directions.  Some  were 
sent  to  Columbia  and  from  thence  to  the 
well  known  Daniel  Gibbons  in  Lancaster 
county.  Others  were  sent  to  Middletown 
Ferry,  in  charge  of  "Black  Isaac,"  who 
saw  his  charges  safely  across  the  river. 
Others  were  sent  to  Wright  and  Wier- 
man, in  Adams  county,  who  sent  them 
across  into  the  Cumberland  Valley,  where 
they  came  into  charge  of  the  Woods, 
W'eakleys  and  John  Harder,  at  Carlisle, 
who  transported  them  safely  across  Har- 
risburg  bridge.  On  the  Wrightsville  and 
Columbia  sides  of  the  river  were  the  Mif- 
flins  and  others.  In  the  northern  part  of 
York  county  were  the  Lewises,  the  Gar- 
retsons  and  the  Wickershams,  all  of 
whom  were  earnest  and  enthusiastic  in 
the    work.      From    here    many    fugitives 


364 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


were  sent  across  the  South  Mountain  to 
Boiling  Springs,  in  Cumberland  county, 
to  Daniel  Kauffman,  who  was  appre- 
hended in  the  work,  which  cost  him 
$5,000.  The  immediate  trouble  arose 
through  a  number  of  fugitives  being 
found  and  apprehended  on  his  premises. 
He  hid  many  of  the  fugitives  on  Island 
Grove,  a  peculiar  thicket  on  the  Yellow 
Creek. 

He  died  a  few  years  ago  at  an  ad- 
vanced age.  He  was  a  Pennsylvania- 
German,  as  his  name  indicates.  Several 
tragic  events  occurred  in  York  county 
and  vicinity.  The  Christiana  tragedy  is 
well  recalled.  Goodridge's  cars  trans- 
ported several  of  the  chief  participators 
to  Philadelphia,  from  whence  they  were 
sent  to  Canada.  The  shooting  of  a  negro 
in  the  northern  part  of  York  county  in 
1830,  as  he  jumped  from  a  third  story 
window,  is  still  recalled.  The  notorious 
Prigg  case,  in  which  the  United  States 
Supreme  Court  decided  that  State  officers 
were  freed  from  taking  part  in  fugitive 
slave  cases,  occurred  on  York  county 
soil  in  1842.     There  is  a  wealth  of  ma- 


terial   still    preserved   bearing   upon   this 
phase  of  our  county's  history. 

But  very  little,  if  any,  was  handed 
down  from  records  made  at  the  tin■^e. 
More  or  less  complete  records  have  been 
made  of  Underground  Railroad  oper- 
ators. That  in  Siebert's  History  em- 
braces about  3,000  names,  of  which  about 
one-half  are  credited  to  Ohio.  Each 
county  in  19  States  has  its  names  credited. 
However,  many  names  are  omitted,  and 
some  wrongly  credited,  to  the  writer's 
knowledge.  The  Susquehanna  and  the 
Ohio  rivers  particularly  were  the  dividing 
lines  between  the  two  warring  sections. 
The  literature  of  that  period  is  becoming 
scarce,  and  has  largely  passed  into  the 
hands  of  private  collectors  and  large  li- 
braries for  preservation. 

The  slavery  question  for  the  time  over- 
shadowed all  other  reforms,  which  got  lit- 
tle hearing  as  long  as  this  was  in  the  fore- 
ground. It,  however,  was  an  educator 
to  later  reformers.  Taken  all  in  all,  it 
was  an  episode  in  our  history  the  like  of 
which  we  will  not  witness  again. 


Extracts  from  the  Justice  Docket  of 
Jno.  Potts  of  Potts  Town 

BY  REV.  N.  B.  GRUBB,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


Judgment : 

Witnesses : 

John  Zell 
Lawrence  Garret 
Robert  McFarlan 
David  Thomas. 


Wm.    Dewees,    Quitancc 
against 
Samuel  McCulloch 
Jonathan    Palmer  )- 

Richard  Roberts 

John  or  Jacob,   who  lives  at  Phineas 
Roberts. 

Who  stand  Convicted  of  the  Breaking  of  Act  of  Assembly  for  casting  and 
Drawing  of  Sein  in  the  River  Schuylkill  Between  Sun  Set  on  Saturday  &  Sun  rise 
on  the  following  Monday.  Penalty,  £5  o.  o.  each  man  and  costs  of  su-it.  Received 
the  sum  of  £20.  from  P.  Roberts  &  paid  it  to  Lawrence  Garret  who  acknowledges 
the  Receipt  of  the  same  by  his  signing. 

(Signed)  Lawrence  Garret, 

May  8th,  1771.  Overseer  of  the  Poor  of  Blockley  Township. 

Phineas  Roberts  paid  the  cash   for  the  whole 
Justice,    S.20 
Costs  .25 


45  shillings 


EXTRACTS  FROM  THE  JUSTICE  DOCKET 


365 


William    Dewees,    Quit. 

against 

Phineas  Roberts 


David  Thomas,   Quit. 

against 
Nathan   Levering  & 
Jacob  Wvncoob 
May  8th,    1771. 


David  Thomas,  Quit, 
against 
Hugh  Crawford  & 
Lewis  Smith 


Samuel    McCuUoch    &    Jonathan    Pahner    say 

)  that  they  obey  the  orders  of  Phineas  Roberts  who 

-  gave  them  General  orders  to  fish  &  that  they  fished 

)  agreeable  to  his  orders  on  the  time  prohibited  by  the 

Act  of  Assembly. 

Jacob  Kirk  saw  Nathan  Levering  about  break 
of  the  day  &  Jacob  Wyncoob  in  the  fishing  boat  with 
I  the  Net  in  the  Boat  who  told  them  they  had  caught 
I  between  300  or  400  Shadd.  Convicted  and  to  pay 
y  each  Man  £5.  for  fishing  contrary  to  the  law. 
I  N.  Levering  paid  the  cost.  Justice  6  shil. 

Costs      6  shil. 


12 

Convicted  of  fishing  contrary  to  Act  of  Assem- 
]  bly.  To  pay  £5  Each  and  Costs  of  Suit.  Nathan 
I  Levering  paid  the  fine  to  the  Overseer  of  the  Poor, 
I  Lewis  Smith  paid  the  fine  to  the  Overseer  of  the 
J  Poor  of  Roxbury  township.  Hugh  Crawford,  one 
of  the  Overseers  of  the  Poor  of  Roxburv. 

s  d 
6.0 
5-8 


Cost,  H.  Crawford,  Justice 
Costs 


y 


II. 8 

Lewis  Smith,  Cost,  Justice     6.  o 

Costs      6.  o 


12.  o 


I  do  hereby  acknowledge 
to  have  received  fines  for 
H.  Crawford,  N.  Levering 
&  Lewis  Smith  in  the  above 
suit. 

(Signed) 

Hugh  Crawford, 
Overseer   of  the  Poor   for 
Roxbury  Township. 
May  8,  1771. 

Order  to  Jno.  Bell  Overseer  of  the  Highways  of  Plymouth  Township  to 
Remove  a  fishing  Dam  in  the  River  Schuylkill  adjoining  the  said  Township  & 
make  Returns  to  next  Court  of  Quarter  Session,  July  5,  1770. 

Signed  by  "'  Wm.  Dewees, 

Jno.   Potts. 

Appeared  the  ist.  May  1771  David  Jones  &  Jno.  Williams  &  Qualified 
to  serve  as  Overseers  of  the  Poor  the  Ensuing  year  to  the  best  of  their  Skill  and 
Knowledge. 

Benedict  Millinger  Bound  to  Isaac  Sponn.  Shoemaker,  for  the  Term  of  Two 
Years  &  Eleven  Months  to  learn  the  art  and  Mystery  of  a  Cordwainer  to  be  found 
in  all  necessaries  &  at  the  Expiration  to  receive  a  New  Suit  of  apparel  worth  Ten 
Pounds  &  a  Hammer  &  Pincers  &  the  said  apprentice  to  pay  for  the  care  of  his 
Chute  (Church)  August  ist,  1773. 
August  31st,  1 77 1 

Mary  Meravind  Daughter  of  Philip  Meravind  Bound  apprentice  before  me 
with  the  Covenant  of  her  said  fadier  to  serve  Wm.  Levering  &  his  wife  Margaret 
for  the  Term  of  Thirteen  Years  &  six  Months,  the  said  Master  &  Mistress  to  find 
her  Meat  Drink  Apparel  Washing  &  within  the  Term  to  Learn  her  to  Read  in  the 
Bible  &  at  the  End  to  give  her  one  New  Suit  of  Cloathes  &  her  Old  ones. 
August  31st,   1 77 1 

Philip  Meravind  son  of  Philip  Meravind  Bound  apprentice  before  me  to  learn 
the  Trade  of  Wagoner  with  the  Covenant  of  his  said  father  to  serve  Wm.  Levering 
<&  his  wife  Margaret  for  the  Term  of  Nine  Years  &  four  months  the  said 
Master  &  Mistress  to  find  him  Meat  Drink  Washing  and  Lodging  &  to  Learn 


366  THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 

him  to  read  in  the  Bible  &  write  &  Cypher  unto  the  Rule  of  Three  &  to  give  him  at 
the  End  One  New  Suit  of  Cloathes  besides  the  Old  ones. 

Jno.  Johnson  before  me  promises  &  Engages  to  give  Mary  Johnson  no 
future  Cause  of  harm  or  Complaint  by  any  Violent  &  111  Usage  of  any  kind 
May    nth,    1771. 

(Signed)     Jno.   Johnson. 
Complaint  from  H.  Shingle  of  Petty  Larceny  in  that  a 
Lamb  wandered  of  Deft  who  appears  &  Confesses  the 
The  King  I  fact.     Fred'k  Antes  and  John  Potts  adjudge  him  to  pay  a 

agt  V  fine  of  twenty  shillings  to  the  Governor,  make  amends  to 

John    Kinch         )  the  Complainant  &  pay  the  cost  of   Prosecution.     John 
Shellenberg,  his  Master  performs  the  judgment  June  19^ 
1772 
Received  twenty  shillings  from  John  Potts  the  fine  above  mentioned. 
By   me  (Signed)  John    Brooke, 

Oz'crseer  of  A^ezv  Hanover  Tozvnship. 
Judgment  against  the  Plaintitt.     No  cause  of  Action 
to  pay  cost. 
Jacob  Grubb         ]  Com't        5s  ^d> 

ag't  I  My   cost    3     3 

Elizabeth  Miller    f  Evidence    2     o 

Oct.   27th,   1770       I  Ditto  I     o 


lis  8d 

Convicted   of   stealing   a   calk   skin   the   property   of 

The  King  )  Nick.  Bunn  Value  4  shilling  for  which  he  is  adjudged  to 

ag't  y  receive  fifteen  lashes  on  the  Bare  Back,  make  restitution 

Wm.  Floid  )  to  the  party  injured  and  pay  cost  of  Prosecution,  which 

sentence  is  complied  with  April  23rd,  1773  Before  Sam'l 

Potts  &  Jno.  Potts. 

Philip  Freet  son  of  Philip  Freet  bound  Apprentice  to  Jno.  Crown  for  the  Term 

of  Seven  years  four  months  and  three  weeks.    To  be  taught  at  school  two  months 

per  annum  until  he  shall  receive  six  months  schooling  &  also  send  to  the  Minister 

to  be  instructed  in  order  to  take  the  Sacrament.     At  the  expiration  of  the  Term  to 

receive   from   said   Master   six   pounds   in  Cash   in   lieu   of   his   freedom    sute   of 

Cloth  &  one  new  pair  of  shoes  &  a  good  new  pair  of  stockings,  besides  the  old 

ones,  or  a  good  sute  of  apparel  at  the  Option  of  the  said  Philip  Freet  &  also  a 

Grubbing  Hoe  an  ax  &  a  pair  of  Maul  Rings  &  two  Iron  Wedges.    May  12th,  1773 

Committed  for   forging  and  Counterfeiting  Seventy 
The  King  ]  Maryland   Bills   of   Eight   Dollars   &   passing  &   altering 

ag't  !  a  counterfeited  Maryland  Bill  of  Eight  Dollars,  knowing 

Patric  Kelly  &      I  the  same  to  be  Counterfeited. 

Thomas  Collen       1  Thomas   Cullen   &   Conrad   Shunk   in   £50.   each   to 

give  Evidence. 

Sebastian  Keely  in  £50.  to  give  Evidence 
June  13th,  1773. 

Exclusive  of  the  above  Bill  mentioned  a  Bundle  of  Eight  Dollar  Bills  contain- 
ing sixty-nine  in  number  was  found  on  search  in  the  Cloath  of  Thos.  Collen  &  a 
parcell  of  small  money  in  Maryland  &  Pennsylvania  Bills  &  a  parcell  of  Dollars 
and  small  silver  containing  fifteen  Dollars  &  twelve  quarter  parts  of  a  Dollar 
&  a  small  crooked  piece  of  silver  &  an  English  Shilling  of  Charles  II. 

Note. ■>— The  Docket  from   which  tlie  above    memoranda    are    taken    is    in  possession    of    Rev.    N.     B.    Grubb, 
Philadelphia,    Pa. 


AN  IMMIGRANT'S  LETTER 


367 


An  Immigrant's  Letter,  1734 


Note. — The  original  of  the  following  letter, 
written  by  David  Seipt,  was  in  the  possession 
of  the  late  John  F.  Hartranft,  iby  whose  direc- 
tion a  translation  was  made  for  the  late  A.  H. 
Seipt,  of  which  this  is  a  copy. 

Germantown,  Dec.  20,  1734. 

THE  grace  of  God  be  with  you. 
To      my     faithful     brother 
David  Scibt: 

Most  worthy  and  dearly 
loved  brother  and  sister — I, 
my    wife    and    my    children 


and  other  good  friends  send  you  kindly 
and  heartfelt  greetings,  wishing  you  the 
grace  and  peace  of  God  Almighty  in  spir- 
itual  and   temporal   things. 

Dearly  loved  brother,  it  is  but  reason- 
able that  I  should  write  you  a  detailed  ac- 
count of  the  long  and  distant  journey 
which  we  have  (Thank  God)  safely  end- 
ed and  tell  you  how  uneasy  I  was  that 
this  was  not  done  upon  the  first  oppor- 
tunity. It  happened  through  the  neglect 
of  a  certain  person  who  had  promised 
me  to  notify  me  (as  I  was  not  in  Phila- 
delphia) when  the  mail  would  be  gath- 
ered. 

As  an  account  of  our  journey  from 
our  company  in  general  has  been  sent 
to  our  brethren  remaining  in  Germany 
and  our  Fatherland  Silesia  (which  if 
safely  carried  has  no  doubt  reached  you 
ere  this)  I  will  restrict  myself  to  what 
concerns  and  befell  me,  my  wife  and  chil- 
dren. You  are  already  acquainted  with 
all  that  transpired  between  home  and  our 
arrival  upon  the  banks  of  the  river  Mense 
in  Holland.  Upon  leaving  Helfort,  the 
last  city  in  Holland,  we  encountered  con- 
siderable though  not  unusually  high 
winds.  Though  no  danger  was  appre- 
hended, the  ship  was  mightily  rocked  by 
the  waves,  which  produced  the  usual  un- 
pleasant sensations  of  seasickness,  to 
which  nearly  all  the  passengers  suc- 
cumbed. I  was  not  much  affected,  but 
mother  (Judith)  suffered  pretty  severely. 
Our  oldest  son  Christopher  was  likewise 
but  slightly  affected,  but  the  most  com- 
plete victim  was  Casper  our  youngest 
son ;  for  several  days  he  was  quite  un- 
able to  sit  up  or  to  take  any  food.     But 


he  as  well  as  the  rest  of  us  mended  be- 
fore reaching  Plymouth,  England,  after  a 
voyage  of  about  six  days.  (Of  the  time, 
however.  I  am  not  quite  sure,  but  the 
Account  of  Travel  will  show  it.)  Here  a 
heavy  toll  is  exacted  so  we  were  detained 
twelve  days  while  the  captain's  cargo 
was  inspected.  Of  our  things  nothing 
was  examined  but  a  chest.  At  8  .A.  M., 
July  29,  we  left  Plymouth,  but  owing  to 
very  little  and  that  contrary  wind  we 
were  unable  to  proceed  more  than  a 
quarter  or  at  most  half  an  English  mile 
when  we  again  cast  anchor  and  waited 
for  a  more  favorable  wind  which  sprang 
up  in  the  evening  and  launched  us  in  the 
great  sea  or  ocean  also  called  the  world 
sea  for  it  encircles  the  whole  earth  and 
is  so  deep  it  cannot  be  sounded  with  lead 
and  line.  Here  we  enjoyed  five  or  six 
days  of  very  fair  wind,  when  again  the 
wind  rose  and  the  passengers  were  pros- 
trated, my  wife  and  youngest  son  as  usu- 
al being  the  severest  sufferers.  I  and 
my  oldest  son  Christopher  were  not  sick 
in  the  least  all  of  the  ocean  voyage,  and 
the  whole  time  enjoyed  good  appetites. 
When  perhaps  half  way  over  Judith  was 
taken  ill  and  for  fourteen  days  suffered 
alternate  chill  and  fever  with  violent  head- 
ache and  heaviness  in  the  limbs  but  was 
better  before  we  reached  land  on  Sept. 
22  (new  method).  The  first  days  after 
our  arrival  I  enjoyed  good  health,  but  the 
next  fourteen  was  confined  to  bed  and 
suffered  great  heaviness  in  the  limbs,  but, 
thanks  to  God,  am  well  again.  The  rest, 
however,  have  been  very  well  since  our 
arrival,  except  Judith,  who  was  confined 
to  bed  for  two  days  and  suffered  likewise 
with  heaviness  which  with  her,  however, 
is  a  rather  deeprooted  complaint  of  old. 
In  the  Fatherland  we  often  heard  and 
spoke  of  the  ocean  and  its  wild  moods,  in 
the  Scriptures  and  other  instructive 
books  often  read  of  it.  until  I  imagined 
it  very  diflficult  if  not  impossible  to  cross 
it;  no  doubt  if  God  chooses  to  punish, 
danger  accompanies  the  attempt  but  far 
removed  from  its  shores  one  is  apt  to 
exaggerate  its  terrors.     If  fair  winds  pre- 


368 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


dominated,  which  they  do  not,  naviga- 
tion would  be  very  pleasant ;  yet  for  the 
most  part  it  cannot  be  regarded  agreeable, 
though  its  dangers  be  less  than  imagined, 
one  unaccustomed  to  the  water  encoun- 
ters many  unpleasantnesses  that  make  him 
long  for  the  land. 

We  encountered  many  contrary  winds, 
but  only  eight  hours  of  veritable  storm ; 
the  journal  of  the  voyage  will  give  the 
day.  Though  loss  of  life  was  not  immi- 
nent, the  necessity  of  tightly  closing  the 
ship  caused  great  inconvenience  to  the 
many  passengers  and  might  have  resulted 
in  serious  sickness  if  the  good  and  merci- 
ful God  had  not  stilled  the  wind  and 
waves  and  brought  us  safely  to  our  de- 
sired haven. 

Now  with  reference  to  this  country  I 
must  say  that  though  much  was  said  of 
its  advantages  in  Germany  and  much 
written  from  here  to  there  in  praise  of  it, 
I  find  it  to  fall  short  of  representation  in 
many  respects.  It  is  true  a  good  work- 
man receives  good  wages,  but  on  the 
other  hand  their  number  prevents  their 
finding  steady  employment.  Likewise  the 
day  laborer  receives  probably  twice  the 
wages  received  in  Saxony  or  Silesia,  but 
not  the  amount  of  work. 

Bread,  it  is  true,  is  not  much  dearer 
than  in  Saxony  (much  wheat  bread, 
mostly  hearth-baked,  is  used  here),  but 
most  other  edible  grains  bring  double 
their  price  in  Germany.  Meat  is  not 
dear,  and  much  is  used ;  but  all  that  serves 
for  clothing  is  pretty  high  priced.  He 
who  comes  to  this  country  with  some 
money  and  devotes  himself  to  amassing 
wealth  may  be  successful.  But  to  do  so 
is  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  the  Bible  as 
well  as  our  teachings  which  warn  us 
against  such  things.  We  do  not  yet  know 
if  the  spinning  industry  can  be  intro- 
duced and  made  self-supporting;  the 
Scholtzes  intended  to  make  an  effort  to  es- 
tablish it.  Spinning  can  be  secured  in 
the  country,  as  the  people  here  hire  their 
flax  spun  as  they  do  the  tow  in  Ger- 
many. Farm  land  is  not  so  easy  to  se- 
cure as  one  thought.  There  is  plenty  of 
it,  to  be  sure,  but  money  is  needed  for 
its  purchase,  as  very  little  can  be  had 
cheap.  Yet  we  will  not  suffer  want,  and 
with  God's  help  we  will  certainly  be  able 


to  earn  necessaries.  Nor  is  building  so 
easy  as  imagined.  In  Philadelphia  a 
thousand  dollars  will  not  build  much,  but 
in  the  country  would  be  more  efficient ; 
there  they  do  not  build  large  houses,  but 
in  Philadelphia  everything  is  built  a  la 
mode  and  handsomely  as  also  in  Ger- 
mantown,   where   I   am  living. 

In  what  pertains  to  the  clergy  and  the 
advancement  of  Christianity,  I  cannot 
give  much  praise  to  this  land,  for  the 
kingdom  of  this  world  has  here,  too,  its 
adherents,  and  the  Prince  of  this  world 
has  full  swing;  and  though  there  is  ap- 
parent peace  and  liberty,  it  is  not  so  easy 
as  one  would  think  to  provide  for  true 
peace ;  so  that  a  true  Christian  might  be 
constrained  to  exclaim  with  our  dear 
cousin  Martin  John,  blessedly  asleep  in 
Jesus : 

O   world   of  thine   I'm   weary, 
In  thee  no  peace  is  found. 
For  which  my  soul  doth  thirst; 
For  it  from  thee  I  turn, 
My  soul  with  love  doth  burn, 
For  Christ  the  Prince  of   Peace. 

Verily  Christ's  words  will  be  fulfilled 
that  in  these  last  days  not  much  good  will 
be  found  upon  the  earth.  Lately  we  in- 
quired of  a  man  who  was  visiting  us  if 
the  aurora  was  seen  here.  He  answered 
no  and  wished  me  to  describe  it ;  upon  our 
doing  so,  he  assumed  it  a  sign  of  the  last 
days,  and  expressed  the  opinion  that  the 
end  of  the  world  was  not  far  ofif.  quoting 
as  a  convincing  proof  the  fulfillment  of 
Christ's  words,  "Then  if  any  man  shall 
say  unto  you,  Lo  here  is  Christ,  believe  it 
not."  He  seemed  to  be  a  quite  logical  and 
observant  man,  and  went  on  to  say  that 
here  in  Philadelphia  there  are  so  many 
and  various  religions  each  claiming.  Here 
is  Christ,  here  is  Christ,  and  that  appar- 
ently all  nations  are  inflamed  with  pride 
and  godlessness  and  claiming  all  these 
things  as  indications  of  the  end.  Here  in 
the  city  of  Philadelphia,  where  I  have 
been  eight  weeks,  very  luxurious  living 
is  indulged  in,  and  the  extravagance  is 
not  less  than  in  Germany.  In  the  coun- 
try you  may  find  some  very  clever  people, 
particularly  among  the  Mennonites  and 
Anabaptists,  nevertheless  much  heed  is 
paid  to  style  and  many,  especially  the 
young    people,    are    very    light-minded. 


AN  IMMIGRANT'S  LETTER 


369 


Liberty  of  conscience  is  certainly  allowed 
here,  each  may  do  or  leave  undone  as  he 
pleases.  It  is  the  chief  virtue  of  this  land, 
and  on  this  score  I  do  not  repent  my  im- 
migration (particularly  as  it  was  neces- 
sary), and  hope  and  pray  God  to  make  it 
serve  to  the  praise  of  his  name  and  the 
eternal  welfare  of  me  and  mine.  But  for 
this  freedom,  I  think  this  country  would 
not  improve  so  rapidly,  though  it  is  great- 
ly to  be  deplored  that  many  misuse  it  by 
leading  bad  and  unthankful  lives.  It  is 
a  great  boon  to  those  who  employ  it  to 
the  praise  and  in  the  love  of  God. 

Aly  dear  brother,  if  indeed  I  cannot  in 
temporal  and  spiritual  things  give  this 
land  the  unqualified  praise  some  have 
done,  and  though  here,  too,  is  found  the 
corruption  consequent  upon  the  wretched 
fall  of  our  first  parent  Adam,  yet  there 
are  many  who,  realizing  their  own  sinful 
nature,  are  not  prepared  to  follow  their 
own  devices,  but  through  the  help  and 
grace  of  God  endeavor  to  resist  the  evil 
and  avail  themselves  of  Christ's  merUs 
for  their  own  shortcomings.  So  if  trouble 
or  war  should  befall  you,  it  would  give 
me  and  mine  much  pleasure  to  have  you 
come  here. 

I  trust  the  dear  and  faithful  God  will 
care  for  us  in  body  and  soul.  I  would 
also  like  to  have  our  sister  Susan  with 
us,  if  it  should  be  her  will  to  come.  Re- 
ports have  been  circulated  of  great  dis- 
tress in  Germany  on  account  of  the  war, 
and  I  would  like  to  have  reliable  news 
concerning  the  state  of  affairs.  My  dear 
mother-in-law  did  not  complete  the  jour- 
ney undertaken  with  us,  but  after  an 
illness  of  five  weeks,  and  having  lost  all 
consciousness  for  the  last  ten  days,  she 
breather  her  last  upon  the  banks  of  the 
Delaware.  My  heart-loved  brother,  how 
it  pains  me  that  we  are  so  widely  separ- 
ated, your  own  heart  will  tell  you,  for  I 
am  persuaded  that  you  feel  as  I  do. 

Though  thousands  of  miles  lie  between 
us,  my  spirit  often  lingers  with  you  ;  in- 
deed, I  may  say  not  a  day  passes  without 
thoughts  of  you.  I  beg  you  will  always 
keep  in  remembrance  me  and  mine,  nor 
forget  us  in  your  prayers,  and  I  will  do 
the  same  for  you,  God  strengthening  me 
in  my  weakness  with  His  help  and  grace. 


Dear  brother,  it  w'ould  give  me  much 
pleasure  if  the  dear  Lord  were  to  allow 
us  to  meet  again  upon  earth,  but  I  would 
like  to  spare  you  the  long  and  toilsome 
journey;  still  if  you  were  to  incur  any 
opposition  in  religious  or  secular  strife, 
I  would  much  rather  that  you  would 
come  here,  the  dear  Lord  would  lighten 
and  make  bearable  all  hardships,  as  He 
did  for  us.  Dear  brother,  we  cannot 
know  that  we  will  see  each  other  again, 
even  should  you  conclude  at  once  to 
come,  for  life  is  uncertain  and  you  have 
often  thought  you  would  not  live  long ;  as 
for  myself,  most  of  my  years  have 
passed,  though  I  can  and  must  add  that 
I  am  now  hearty  and  well  (Thanks  to 
God  for  his  mercy),  yet  1  perceive  many 
symptoms  which  indicate  that  my  life 
will  not  be  long,  therefore  nothing  is  more 
necessary  than  to  be  daily  prepared  for 
death  (for  we  have  here  no  abiding  city) 
and  to  pray  that  the  Lord  will  transplant 
us  into  the  land  of  the  living  where  will 
be  no  alternation. 

Now,  dear  brother,  if  you  conclude  to 
come  you  might  buy  some  seeded  bread ; 
if  you  come  down  the  Elbe,  buy  it  at 
Magdeburg,  where  the  best  is  to  be  had ; 
that  is  likewise  the  best  way  to  take,  and 
then  at  Altoona  you  can  have  the  bread 
sliced  and  baked  the  second  time  to  take 
with  you  on  shipboard.  We  cannot  com- 
plain that  the  fare  on  board  was  short; 
on  the  contrary,  those  who  had  not  great 
appetites  had  bread  left,  but  it  was  un- 
seeded, and  would  not  suit  every  one, 
though  not  unpalatable. 

But  it  is  well  to  be  prepared  with  some 
seeded  bread  (Zwie-back)  out  of  which 
if  needed  you  could  make  soup.  Dried 
fruit,  apples,  plums  or  pears,  are  like- 
wise useful.  You  should  provide  your- 
self with  some  wine  and  brandy.  We 
got  some  in  Holland,  and  found  it  very 
useful.  You  might  buy  it  in  Rotterdam; 
wine  and  brandy  are  cheaper  there  than 
in  Haarlem.  If  you  should  come,  bring 
with  you  an  iron  stove,  too.  They  are 
dear  here,  are  better  than  earthen  ones 
that  do  not  last  so  long,  and  are  very  high 
priced.  I  do  not  know  where  to  tell  you 
to  buy  it,  but  you  can  find  out  by  in- 
quiry ;  the  people  of  the  Palatinate  gen- 


370 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


erally  bring  them  with  them,  and  I  think 
they  buy  them  in  Rotterdam  or  they 
bring  them  with  them  out  of  their  own 
country — I  cannot  tell  certainly.  A  whole 
stove  (or  oven)  consists  of  five  plates, 
which  can  be  divided  into  two,  if  desired, 
and  the  cost  lessened.  You  might  also 
bring  a  kettle,  copper  is  very  dear  here ; 
if  you  buy  it  in  Holland,  you  can  care 
for  it  well  enough  on  shipboard.  On 
those  large  vessels  much  or  little  to  load 
is  of  no  consequence ;  a  grubbing  hoe,  a 
rasp,  one  or  two  engraving  tools  and  an 
auger  like  a  ladder  or  scale  auger,  if 
they  are  not  too  cumbersome  for  you. 

My  dear  brother,  I  hope  you  will  get 
some  idea  from  this  letter  what  things 
are  like  here.  I  have  inquired  well  into 
all  I  have  written  about,  and  hope  noth- 
ing I  have  said  is  untrue.  I  commend 
you  and  Susanna  to  the  protection  and 


fatherly  care  of  the  Triune  God,  and  with 
many  heartfelt  good  wishes  for  you  both, 
hope  this  may  find  you  in  life  and  well. 
Please  greet  our  cousin  George  and  give 
them  our  good  wishes  ;  the  same  to  all 
our  good  friends,  particularly  to  Abraham 
Wagner. 

If  you  should  have  money  you  must 
bring  no  silver  with  you,  for  gold,  cop- 
per and  paper  are  used  here.     I  should 

like   to   have   our   ;   bees   are   not 

dear  here. 

The  ship  passengers  were  very  friend- 
ly toward  us,  and  had  great  patience  with 
us. 

The  most  of  the  time  it  was  a  little 
warm,  so  that  many  of  us  were  out  on 
deck. 

The  sailors  have  no  leisure ;  they  are 
always  at  work. 


''The  Pennsylvania  Dutch" 

A  Few  Observations 

BY  FRANK  R.  DIFFENDERFER,    LITT.  D.,  LANCASTER,  PA. 


Note. — We  reprinted  in  the  issue  of  Novem 
ber,  1907,  an  article  by  Professor  Albert  Bush- 
nell  Hart  on  "The  Pennsylvania-Dutch,"  which 
called  forth  responses  that  appeared  in  the 
issues  for  January  and  February,  1908.  Frank 
R.  Dififenderfer,  Litt.D..  read  a  paper  before 
the  Lancaster  County  Historical  Society,  Feb- 
ruary 7.  1908,  from  which  we  quote  the  fol- 
lowing observations.  The  notes  are  numbered 
as  in  Mr.  Diffenderfer's  article.  We  indicate 
page  and  paragraph  in  article  of  November 
(1907)    to  which  the  notes  apply. 

NTRODUCTION.  T  h  e 
following  paper,  written  by 
Albert  Bushnell  Hart, 
Professor  of  History  in 
Harvard  University,  author 
of  a  number  of  historical 
works,  and  editor  of  a  recently  completed 
series  of  historical  volumes,  has  resulted 
in  the  publication  of  more  criticisms  and 
protests  by  various  writers  in  Pennsyl- 
vania than  any  similar  production  of 
which  we  have  any  knowledge.  There  is 
no  doubt  Professor  Hart  meant  to  be 
fair  to  the  people  of  whom  he  writes — he 
is  himself  a  Pennsylvanian — but,  as  all 
his  information,   or  misinformation,  was 


derived  at  second  hand,  and  is  not  the 
result  of  personal  knowledge  or  experi- 
ence except  in  so  far  as  he  was  able  to 
gather  it  during  a  ten  days'  visit  to  Lan- 
caster county,  it  was  hardly  to  be  ex- 
pected that  he  would  be  as  correct  in  his 
statements  and  as  reliable  in  his  deduc- 
tions as  could  be  desired.  The  result  has 
been  that  his  article,  while  not  without 
a  certain  value,  is  nevertheless  regarded 
as  too  unfair  to  be  allowed  to  pass  un- 
questioned. Indeed,  there  is  so  much  in 
it  that  requires  notice  that  if  all  the  ob- 
jectionable points  were  carefully  com- 
mented upon,  another  article  of  almost 
equal  length  would  be  required.  As  that 
is  impossible,  only  some  of  the  most 
important   ones  are  noted. 

I-  (P-  539'  Par.  2.)  Professor  Hart 
expresses  surprise  that  the  German  immi- 
grants and  their  descendants  have  not 
been  absorbed  by  the  other  nationalities 
around  them.  Today  fully  75  per  cent, 
of  the  people  of  Lancaster  county  are 
German  or  of  German  descent.  Is  it  a 
wonder  that  25  per  cent,  of  English  and 


A  FEW  OBSERVATIONS 


3/1 


Welsh  and  Irish  have  not  absorbed  them  ? 
The  wonder  rather  is  that  a  people  so 
virile  and  "stout  in  children"  have  not 
absorbed  the  numerically  inferior  races 
around  them.  Nor  is  it  correct  to  say 
the  German  element  in  the  State  has  "re- 
ceived very  few  accessions  from  Germany 
since  the  American  Revolution."  It  has 
received  thousands. 

2-  (P-  539,  Par.  3.)  First  and  fore- 
most, Pennsylvanians  object  to  Professor 
Hart's  persistence  in  calling  those  Penn- 
sylvanians of  German  descent  "Pennsyl- 
vania-Dutch." He  explains  why  he  does 
so,  but  the  fact  that  they  are  not  Dutch 
is  admitted  by  himself,  and  yet  through- 
out his  paper  he  persists  in  this  offense 
against  taste  and  truth. 

3-  (P-  539.  Par.  4-)  Here  again 
Prof.  Hart  has  fallen  into  error.  His 
attempt  to  divide  the  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
mans into  "six  main  varieties,"  accord- 
ing to  their  religious  beliefs,  is  a  mis- 
take. They  differ  in  ^heir  forms  of  be- 
lief, and  in  that  only.  They  are  one  in 
point  of  nationality,  and  the  dialects  they 
speak  is  the  same.  But  to  say,  as  he 
does,  the  German  Lutherans  are  one 
"variety"  and  the  German  Baptists  an- 
other, is  wholly  wrong. 

4-  (P-  539,  Par.  4.)  Perhaps  Prof. 
Hart  deviates  from  the  actual  facts  most 
widely  in  trymg  to  tell  what  language  or 
dialect  the  Pennsylvania-Germans  speak. 
"A  barbarous  compound  of  German  and 
English  words  in  German  idiom"  is  what 
he  terms  it.  If  his  acquaintance  with  the 
Pfalzisch  and  South  German  dialects  was 
more  intimate,  he  would  never  have  writ- 
ten those  words.  Here  is  an  example 
from  a  South  German  poem,  in  which  all 
the  words  are  such  as  are  daily  used  by 
the  average  Pennsylvania-German: 

Wan    die    Beem    un'    Hecke 
Gansvoll  Veggie  hucke, 

Un'  die  Deckel  schnecke 
Aus  der  Hausen  gucke, 
Dan    isch    Frijohr    worre. 

But  this  branch  of  the  subject  is  so 
clear  as  to  require  no  further  demonstra- 
tion.   The  authorities  are  over-whelming. 

5.  (P.  540,  Par.  5.)  This  is  a  mis- 
statement.   There  are  not  many  Pennsyl- 


vania-Germans who  do  not  understand 
English.  In  Lancaster  county  nearly  all 
of  them  take  English  newspapers,  and 
read  them,  too.  What  he  means  when 
he  says,  "The  Pennsylvania-Dutchman" 
— we  are  certain  he  did  not  see  one  dur- 
ing his  visit  to  Lancaster  county — "does 
not  favor  too  much  education  for  voung 
people,"  we  do  not  know,  but  we  do 
know  that  all  their  children  go  to  English 
schools  and  many  of  them  to  Normal 
Schools,  and  themselves  become  teachers. 
He  speaks  about  "Dutch"  colleges.  Well, 
we  never  heard  of  them,  but  we  do  know 
that  Muhlenberg,  Franklin  and  Marshall, 
Dickinson  and  Pennsylvania  Colleges  are 
very  largely  patronized  by  Pennsylvania- 
German  students.  That  does  not  look  as 
if  the  fathers  were  afraid  "of  too  much 
education." 

6.  (P.  540,  Par.  7.)  A  few  amends 
are  made  in  the  above  paragraph — a  few 
bouquets  thrown  to  our  "Pennsylvania- 
Dutchmen,"  but  with  a  qualification.  The 
barns  are  set  above  the  farmhouses.  Nine 
times  out  of  ten  the  modern  farmhouse  is 
a  stone  or  brick  building,  of  ample  pro- 
portions, comfortable  and  invitmg,  and 
often  with  hot  and  cold  water,  steam 
heat  and  other  modern  fancies.  There  is 
none  better  anywhere,  and  very  few  so 
good. 

7.  (P.  542,  Par.  I.)  It  is  true  that 
the  Mennonites  refused  to  take  up  arms 
in  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  on  prin- 
ciple, but  it  is  incorrect  to  call  them 
Tories.  They  were  called  "Non-Asso- 
ciators,"  but  they  paid  their  war  taxes 
like  the  rest,  and  there  is  only  one  in- 
stance in  which  trouble  arose  during  that 
war  in  Lancaster  county.  As  a  fact,  the 
German  element  in  Pennsjdvania  was  as 
loyal  to  the  Patriot  cause  as  any  other 
nationality.  The  muster  rolls  of  the  nine 
regiments  raised  in  Lancaster  county 
during  the  Revolution  show  a  very  large 
proportion  of  German  names.  When,  on 
May  25,  1776,  Congress  ordered  the  en- 
listment of  an  exclusively  German  regi- 
ment in  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland, 
Pennsylvania's  quota  was  filled  by  July 
17,  and  an  extra  company  thrown  in,  by 
way  of  good  measure,  we  suppose. 

8.  (P.  542,  par.  4.)     Our  author  gets 


372 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


his  denominations  mixed  up  in  this  para- 
graph. The  Donegal  and  the  Leacock 
■churches  are  not  Episcopal,  but  Pres- 
byterian. The  Scotch-Irish,  who  were  a 
very  prominent  portion  of  the  early  set- 
tlers, were  almost  to  a  man  Presbyter- 
ians. 

9.  (P.  542,  par.  5.)  Nowhere  in  his 
very  readable  article  does  Prof.  Hart 
stray  more  widely  from  the  actual  facts 
than  here.  It  is  true  that  for  fifty  years 
after  the  settlement  of  the  province,  the 
Germans  were  not  prominent  in  the  af- 
fairs of  Pennsylvania.  There  were  very 
good  reasons  for  it.  In  the  first  place, 
the  Government  was  in  English  hands. 
The  language  was  English.  The  busi- 
ness of  the  Courts  and  the  Provincial 
Assembly  was  all  English.  They  were 
handicapped  by  their  language.  But  an- 
other factor  was  equally  potent  in  keep- 
ing them  out  of  politics  and  office.  They 
were  aliens,  without  the  rights  of  citi- 
zenship. They  dwelt  in  the  Province, 
but  it  was  by  sufferance,  and  they  were 
therefore  excluded  from  taking  a  part  in 
public  affairs.  As  early  as  172 1  they 
asked  for  naturalization,  but  it  was  denied 


them.  In  1724  permission  was  given  to 
bring  such  a  bill  before  the  General  As- 
sembly. But  it  required  that  they  should 
declare  under  oath,  before  a  magistrate, 
the  extent  of  the  wealth  and  the  nature 
of  their  religion.  Governor  Keith  reject- 
ed it  because  its  requirements  were  un- 
just, contrary  to  the  rights  guaranteed 
Englishmen  under  the  English  constitu- 
tion, and  he  would  not  sign  it.  In  1729 
it  came  up  again,  and  a  naturalization  bill 
was  passed  on  October  14,  which  re- 
ceived the  assent  of  Governor  Gordon  in 
1729-30.  At  once  105  were  naturalized, 
and  among  them  were  eight  of  the  sign- 
ers to  the  petition  for  the  erection  of  Lan- 
caster county.  To  say  that  the  Germans 
have  not  been  leaders,  we  refer  to  the 
list  of  our  Governors  since  the  forma- 
tion of  our  State  government.  Governors 
Snyder,  Hiester,  Shulze,  Wolf,  Ritner, 
Bigler,  Shunk,  Hartranft,  Beaver,  Stone 
and  Pennypacker  show  that  the  Germans 
have  given  the  Commonwealth  twelve 
Governors  since  1789.  If  space  allowed, 
an  equal  record  could  be  shown  for  them 
socially,  in  finance  and  as  captains  of  in- 
dustry. 


Marriage  Superstitions 


BY     MRS.     H.     H.    FUNK. 


Since  time  immemorial  certain  signs,  omens 
and  superstitions  cling  to  the  marriage  cere- 
mony. They  are  found  among  all  nations  and 
in  all  climates,  many  dating  back  to  the  time 
whence  the  memory  of  man  runs  not  to  the 
contrary.  Even  in  our  own  day  we  have  not 
lost  sight  of  many  of  them,  and  where  was 
there  ever  a  bride  who  did  not  at  least  in- 
wardly cherish  every  so  considered  happy 
omen?  Few,  indeed,  are  the  couples  who 
are  dauntless  enough  to  be  joined  on  Friday, 
and  all  have  the  utmost  respect  for  the  old 
shoe.  Was  there  ever  a  bride  who  did  not 
rejoice  when  the  wedding  day  dawned  bright 
and  clear,   remembering  the  old  adage, 

"Blessed  is  the  bride  upon  whom  the  sun  doth  shine," 

and  all  will  agree  that  the  wedding  trousseau 
is  not  complete   without 

"Something   borrowed,   something  blue, 
Something  old,   something  new, 
And  a  piece  of  silver  in  one  shoe"; 

and  all  are  equally  certain  that 


"To  change  the  name  and  not  the  letter 
Is  a  change  for  the  worse  and  not  the  better." 

It  is  Strange  how  these  superstitions  are 
handed  down  from  generation  to  generation, 
and  how  impotent  reason  and  common  sense 
are  to  do  away  with  their  hold  upon  the 
human  mind.  Say  what  we  will,  we  are  by 
nature,  if  not  by  education,  more  or  less 
given  to  superstitious  cautiousness. 

In  the  earliest  times  among  the  Jews  the 
fourth  day  of  the  week  was  considered  the 
unlucky  day  for  maidens  to  wed,  and  the  fifth 
for  widows.  The  Romans  also  believed  that 
certain  days  were  unfavorable  for  the  per- 
formance of  the  marriage  rite.  June  was  con- 
sidered the  most  propitious  month  for  matri- 
mony, while  May  was  to  be  especially  avoided, 
as  it  was  supposed  to  be  under  the  influence 
of  spirits  inimical  to  happy  households.  For 
"Married    in    May,    you'll    rue   the    day." 

This  superstition  prevailed  for  centuries  in 
Italy,  and  also  is  even  now  prevalent  in  some 
parts  of  England.     There  was  at  one  time  a 


MARRIAGE   SUPERSTITIONS 


373 


prejudice  in  England  against  marrying  on 
"Innocents'  Day,"  the"  twenty-eighth  day  of 
December,  said  to  commemorate  Herod's  mas- 
sacre of  the  children.  It  has  always  been 
thought  unlucky  to  marry  in  Lent,  even  among 
people  outside  of  the  Established  Church.  An 
old  line  runs, 

"Marry  in  Lent,  and  you'll  live  to  repent"; 

another   says : 

"Who  marries  between  ye  sickle  and  ye  scythe  will 
never    thrive." 

As  for  days,  it  was  at  one  time  believed  that 
all  those  who  married  on  Tuesdays  and  Thurs- 
days would  be  assured  of  happiness ;  but  later 
on  a  well-known  rhyme  tells  us : 

"Monday    for    wealth, 
Tuesday  for  health, 

Wednesday   the   best   day   of   all! 
Thursday    for    crosses, 
Friday  for  losses, 

Saturday  no  luck  at  all.  ' 

Aside  from  the  mere  time  for  the  ceremony, 
omens  are  almost  numberless.  During  the 
Middle  Ages  it  was  considered  ill-luck  if  the 
bridal-party,  in  going  to  the  church,  met  a 
monk,  a  priest,  a  dog,  a  cat,  a  hare,  a  lizard  or 
a  serpent ;  while  all  would  go  well  if  a  wolf, 
a  spider  or  a  toad  were  encountered.  In  Eng- 
land it  is  held  to  be  unlucky  for  a  bride  to 
look  in  the  glass  after  she  is  completely 
dressed,  before  she  goes  to  the  church ; 
so  a  glove  or  some  other  article  is  put  on 
after  the  last  look  has  been  taken  in  the  mir- 
ror.    This  omen  is  well  known  in  America. 

Among  the  Romans  signs  were  looked  for 
with   great   care,    and    no   marriage   was   cele- 


brated without  an  oracle  being  first  consulted. 
And  after  the  consultation  every  trivial  occur- 
rence was  looked  upon  as  an  omen.  Since 
then  every  country,  every  community  almost, 
has  had  its  own  particular  superstitions.  For 
instance,  it  is  considered  the  unhappiest  of 
omens  if  a  couple  are  disappointed  in  getting 
married  on  the  day  fixed.  In  another  locality 
no  bride  nor  groom  goes  to  the  altar  without 
a  pinch  of  salt  in  the  pocket ;  while  in  still 
another  it  is  considered  the  height  of  ill-luck 
for  a  person  to  go  in  at  one  door  and  out  at 
the  other  before  and  after  the  ceremony,  and 
among  the  various  curious  superstitions  in 
other  parts  is  one  to  the  effect  that  a  bride  will 
be  unhappy  in  her  marriage  if  she  does  not 
weep  on  her  wedding-day;  still  another,  that 
the  newly-wedded  pair  must  be  driven  from 
the  church  by  gray  horses,  to  insure  felicity. 

To  America  many  superstitions  have  been 
brought  by  immigrants.  Among  our  German 
citizens  there  are  many  of  these  quaint  cus- 
toms and  superstitions  to  be  found  attending 
the  ceremony.  It  is  curious  to  reflect  that 
even  while  enlightened  people  discard  all  other 
superstitions,  those  relating  to  matrimony  ap- 
pear to  hold  full  sway.  While  they  may  not 
be  believed  in,  they  are  yet  given  much  con- 
sideration. 

An  ancient  rhyme  runs  as  follows : 

"Married  in  white,  you  have  chosen  all  right. 
Married  in  gray,  you  will  go  far  away. 
Married  in  black,  you  will  wish  yourself  back. 
Married  in   red,  you  had  better  be  dead. 
Married  in  blue,  you  will  always  be  true. 
Married  in  green,  ashamed  to  be  seen. 
Married  in  pink,  your  spirits  will   sink. 
Married  in  pearl,  you  will  live  in  a  whirl. 
Married  in  yellow,  ashamed  of  the  fellow. 
Married  in  brown,  you  will  live  out  of  town." 


Dialect  Selections 

POE'S  RAVEN. 

(A  Pennsylvania-German  Version.) 

BY   H.   L.   FISHER. 
Der   Krabb. 


Es  war  mitternacht  un  schaurig, 

Ich    war   schlafrig,   mud.    un   traurig 

Uewer   fiel    so    alte   Biicher 

Foil   so   gans    fergess'ne   Lehr; 

Un   ich    hab   so   halwer    g'schlummert — 

Hot's    uf    emol    so   gebummert — 

So  wie's  macht   wans  bissel   dunnert — 

Das  es  rappelt  an  der  Dheer ; 

"  'S    isch   en    B'sucher,"    sag   ich   zu   mer 

Selwert,  "Kloppt  an  meiner  Dheer — 

Des,  allee,  isch's  was  ich  hor." 

Un   so  wie  ich  mich  erinner 
War's   so   a' fangs  in  'em  Winter.' 
Un   en  jede  gliihend   Zinder 
Macht    sei    Geischtli    uf'em   Floor, 
Un  ich  hab  gewiinscht  's  war  morge, 
Awwer  do  war  nix  zu  borge 


Aus    de    Biicher — nix    as    Sorge — 
Sorge  for  die  lieb  Lenore; 
Ach,  das  sie  noch  bei  mir  war! 
Engel  hen   sie  g'nennt  Lenore 
Do  genennt,   doch,   nimmermehr. 


Un  ich  war  so  halb  im  Zweifel — 
Hinner'm    Umhang   huckt    der   Deufel, 
Un    es    war    mer    iingschterlich, 
Schauderig    un    schrecklich    weh, 
Juscht   as  wan   mit   jedem    Droppe 
Blut   mei   Herz   dhet   schtarker   kloppe— 
Denk    ich,    "do    will    ener    schtoppe 
Uewer  nacht — feleicht  ah   zwee — 
Denk    ich,    alter,    du    magscht    kloppe, 
Oder  magscht  dei's  Weges  geh — 
Juscht    so    isch's    un    gaarnix    meh." 


374 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Gleimol,  awwer,  fass  ich  Herze — 
Denk  ich  will  des  Ding  ferkerze — 
Sag   ich,    "alter,"    oder    "alti, 
Kann    des   kloppe   net    ferschteh ; 
Awwer   ich   war   schweer   im  Kop,   un 
Wie  du  so  bischt  kumme  kloppe, 
Hat   mer   konne   Hoor   ausroppe, 
Wan    ich's    so   hat   konne    schtoppe — 
Juscht  des  kloppe,  un  net  meh  :" 
Dan  mach  ich  die  Dheer  uf,  weit — 
Do  war  nix  as  Dunkelheit. 

Dief  in   Dunkelheit  geguokt, 

Un   ich  hab  geglaabt  es  schpookt ; 

Zweifelt   haw    ich,   halb   getraamt 

Wie  ich  nie  net  hab  zufoor. 

Nie  so  schtill  as  wie  es  jetz  war, 

Nie  so  dunkel  as  es  jetz  war, 

Un  des  eenzig  Wort   das  g'schwatzt  war, 

War   's  gepischpert   Wort,   "Lenore" ! 

Hab's  gepischpert  un  net  meh : 

Un  der  Echo,  leis  "Lenore" 

Haw  ich  ghort,  un  des  allee. 

Dan  ware's  wider  schtill  un  schtumm, 

DoCh,   so  g'sohwindt   ich   dreh   mich   urn. 

Haw   ich's   wider   hore    kloppe, 

Bissel   lauter  as  zufoor ; 

Sag  ich  zu  mer   selwert,   "O. 

Ebbes  kloppt  am  Fenschter,  do, 

Awwer,  halt  e'mol,  bei  Jo, 

Ich  geh  dr'a  un  fissedir ; 

Braaf  mei  Herz,  ich  hab  die  Kunscht, 

Deufelsdreck   un    Hexeschmier" — 

'S  war  der  Wind  un  gar  nix  simscht ! 

Nagschtens,   mach   ich   uf  der  Laade, 
Bat's  nix,  thut's   doch  a'h  ke'   Schade; 
Un  zum   Fenschter   nei  gedapt 
Kummt  so  'n  alter  schwarzer  Krabb ! 
Sagt  ke'  Wort — net'mol  "wie  geht's?" 
Net  wie  macht's  un  net  wie  schteht's? — 
Gar  net  zaud'rig  un  net  blod. 
Htickt    sich    owig    mei    Kammer-dheer — 
Uf  en  Bield,  dort  in  der  Hoh — 
Juscht    dort   owig    der    Schtuwwe-dheer, 
Huckt  der  Fogel,  un  net  mer. 

Doch.    so   schterns  carjose   Sache 

Hen  mich  halwer  lache  mache ; 

Huckt  er  dort   as  wie  en   Parre, 

Owig   meiner    Schtuwwe-dheer ; 

Sag    ich,    "alter    schwarzer,    g'schorner, 

In   der   alte   zeit-geborner — 

Was    wees    ich,    feleicht    ferlorner — 

'S    wunnert   mich    so    artlig   sehr, 

Weer  du  bischt  wu  kummscht  du  heer, 

Sag  mer,  sag  mer,  wie  du  heescht :" 

Sagt   der    Fogel,    "Nimmermehr." 

Gans  erschtaunt  war  ich  zu  hore 

So  en   Fogel  mir   so  lehre ; 

Doch,   die   Antwort,   in   dem,  meen  ich, 

War  juscht  ken  so  grosse  Lehr. 

Un  en  jede  muss  es  eeg'ne 

Das  noch  kenner   so  en   Sege 


G'hat  hot  in   seim  ganse  Lewe — 
So  en  Fogel — so  en  Ehr — 
Fogel    Oder    Dhier    uf    Bilder. 
Owig  seiner  Schtuwwe  Dheer, 
Mit    dem    Naame,    "Nimmermehr." 

Huckt  er  awwer,  dort  allenig 

Sagt  mer   awwer,  doch  so  wenig — 

Juscht   e'   Wort,  as  wan   sei   Seel 

In  den  Wort  ferborge  weer ! 

Un   er   sagt   ke   anner   Wort — 

Schtumm  un  schtimmlos  huck't  er  dort ; 

Sag  ich,  "Manche  Freund  sin  fort, 

Un   sie   kumme   net   meh   heer; 

Un  bis  Morge  gescht  du  a'h, 

Wie  die  Hoffning  un  die  Ehr." 

Sagt    der    Fogel,    "Nimmermehr." 

Un   ich   hab  mich   frisch   ferwunnert 

Uewer  so  en  dunkle  Antwort : 

"Ohne  Zweifel  was  er  predigt" 

Sag  ich,   "isch  sei  ganse  Lehr, 

Die  er  fon  seim  Meeschter  g'lernt  hot 

Den,   en   Ungliick,    fleicht,   ferzornt   hot — 

F'lorne  Frucht  die  er  geerndt  hot. 

Bis  sei  Kummerlascht  so  schweer  war, 

Un   sei   Trauerlied   un  Lehr  war, 

'S    melancholisch,    sehr    un    schweer, 

"Nimmermehr!   ach,   nimmermehr!" 

Denk  ich,   du   wit   mich   betriige 

Mit  so  schwarze  Fogelsliige; 

'S  hot  mich  g'lachelt,  un  ich  huck  mich 

Foor  den  Fogel  an  die  Dheer; 

Huck  mich    uf   en    Sammet   kisse 

Uf  en  Schtuhl— so  haw  ich  miisse — 

Denk  ich,  doch,  jetz  will  ich  wiisse 

Meh    fon    der    Fogel's   lehr — 

Was  der  grimmig,  schrecklich  Fogel 

Der    mer    prophezeit    doheer, 

Meent    mit    seinem    "Nimmermehr." 

Wunner    als,    un    roth    beizeite. 

Was  des  Ding  mocht  foor  bedeute, 

Weil    sei    helle.    schwarze    Aage 

Hen  mei  Herz  geriihrt  so  sehr; 

Des,   un   meh,   mocht   ich   doch   wiisse — 

Schweigend  huck  ich  uf  meim  Kisse — 

Allunruhig  war  mei  G'wisse, 

Weil   die    Helling   schtrahlt,   ung'fahr 

Nimmer  iiwer  die  Begleeding 

Wu,  so  wie  ich  ofters  hor, 

Sie  geruhgt  hot,  nimmermehr. 

Dan  hot's  g'scheint  as  wan  die  Luft 

Schweerer  war  un   siisz  mit   Duft; 

Un  ich  hor  gans  leise  trappe 

Kumme  uf'm   Carpet,  heer; 

"Ungliicks   Menscli" !    haw   ich  gekrische, 

Faule  Fisch  sin  do  derzwische! 

Ruh,  ach  Ruh,  "haw  ich  gekrische, 

Un   fergess  sie  immermehr ! 

Drink,  ach  drink  en — Hahneschwanzli. 

Un  fergess  sie  immermehr !" 

Kreischt  der  Fogel,  "NIMMERMEHR!" 


DIALECT   SELECTIONS 


375 


Falsch    Propheet,   du,   ohne   Zweifel, 
Ungliicks  Fogel,  oder   Deufel. 
Mich  zu  ketzere  un  zu  quale — 
Wu  der  Deufel  kummst  du  heer? 
Waruni    dhuscht    du    mich    besuche? 
Was  hoscht  du  bei  mir  zu  suche? 
Wit  mich   in    die    Mell   ferlUiche 
Mit   deim   ewig  "nimmermehr  ?" 
Sag  mer's,  oder  geh  fon  mir — 
Hot's    in — York— -ken    Hexeschmier? 
Sagt   der   Fogel,   "Nimmermehr!" 

Falsch  Propheet  un  alles  boses 

Was  du  bischt — der   Deufel   wees  es; 

Bei    des    Himmelsblo,    do    ovvwe — 

Allem  gut  un   schlechts — ich   schweer — 

Week  mit  all  so   Ungliicks-mensche — 

Greisch  ich — ^weck  mit  Forcht  un  Engschte, 

Ruh,  ach  Ruh !   in  den  Nepenthe, 

Un    fergess    die    Trauer  schwerer 

Drink,  ach  drink,  en  Hahneschwanzli 

Un   fergess   sie  immermehr 

Greischt   der   Fogel,   "Nimmermehr!" 


Jetz,    will    ich    der   ebbes   saage — 

"Naus   mit   dir,   du   Ungliicks  plaage — 

Mach  dich  wider  z'riick  ins  Wetter 

Un    des    Hellehunde    Heer. 

Loss   zuruck   ken   schwarze   Feder 

Lugscht  as  wie  des  Dunnervvetter 

Flieg  zu  deine  falsche  Gotter, 

P'on    dort   owig   meiner   Dheer : 

Nem    dei    Schnawwel    aus    meim    Herz- 

Schies  dich  mit  meim  alte  Givehr!" 

Sagt   der   Fogel,   "Nimmermehr." 

Un   der   Ketzer   isch   net  g'floge — 
Miickt  alsnoch  so  schwarz  dort  owe, 
Uf  dem  Pallas-bild,  dort— 
Juscht   dort   owig  meiner   Dheer; 
Un  sei  schwarze  Aage  sehn  ich 
Foil   fon   Deufels  g'schafte  meen  ich 
Un  die  Lampehelling,  schtromig, 
Schmeist   sei    Schatte   um   mich   heer — 
Un  mei   Seel  fon  aus  dem  Schatte, 
Der  so  schweebt  do  um  mich  heer 
Heebt  sich  nimmer,   NIMMERMEHR! 


DER  GAPENSCHENDA   MERDER. 

VOM     A     AAGAZEIGA     SELWER     VERZEHLT. 


Ob  des  nau  schur  so  ghappend  is?  Huh, 
war  ich  dann  flet  selwer  wie  mer  Lahkerls  saga 
"en  Eiwitness"  heh?  Des  Ding  war  so, — 
Darrich  so'n  "Act  of  Assembly"  wie  mer  Lah- 
kerls es  heesen,  is  en  Schtick  vom  ewera  Deel 
von  lesdown  County  gschnitta  warra,  un  aus 
sellem  Schtick  hen  mer  Kerls  Peil  County 
gemacht.  Die  Sach  is  so  gschwind  ganga,  as 
mer  herly  Zeit  hen  ghat  for  uns  reddy  zu 
macha.  Was  ewa  denno  so  die  Hedkerls  im 
County  wara,  wie  ich  un  e  Deel  annera,  sin 
denno  grad  nuf  zum  Governier  mit  sora  Pe- 
tischen  un  hen  uns  gschwind  appeinta  lassa  for 
County  Officers.  Ich  war  eener  von  da  County 
Commisheners,  der  Daniel  S.  Blind  war  der 
Judge  un  der  Philip  Leichtkop  un  der  Samuel 
K.  Schwenker  waren  die  soschieet  Judges — ewa 
so  Kerls  as  da  Judge  ufen  ort  wie  seconda. 
Wie  mer  heem  komma  sin,  hen  mer  gschwind 
en  Haus  gelehnt  forn  Courthaus  un  die  County 
offices  un  weil  die  Schtuwa  so  glee  warn,  do 
hen  mer  offischels  als  unser  Turn  nehma  missa 
for  in  die  Schtuwa  for  die  County  bisness  zu 
duh.  Well,  sis  ai.es  recht  ganga.  Im  Abril 
hen  mer  der  erscht  Term  von  aa  Cowrt  ab- 
holta  wella,  un  darricH  di  Winter  hen  mer  so 
im  Courthaus  rum  gnockt  um  mitnanner  ge- 
blaudert,  wie  ewa  so  offischels  duhna,  un  hen 
nanner  geinstruckt,  was  zu  duh,  wann  Bisness 
komma  deet.  Do  ee  Dag  kommt  da  Bill  Fris- 
sel,  so'n  halbgscheiter  Niirrischer  in  unsera  of- 
fis  un  secht,  as  er  en  Nigger  dodt  gschlaga  het, 
un  er  wet  nau  ah  davor  ghenkt  werra.  Ich 
un  der  Sherrif  Binder  hen  ihn  grad  gepackt  un 
die  Hend  uf  da  Buckel  gebunna,  un  wie  da 
Frissel  gemeent  hot,  des  wer  net  notwennig.  er 
deet  jo  net  darrich  geh,  hawichs  ihm  geex- 
pleened,  so  misten  mer  Lahkerls  offischeeta 
•weils  according  zu  da  Lah  wer.     En  deel  von 


da  annera  Kerls  hen  ihn  in  da  Keller  ver- 
schtecka  wella,  bis  es  County  en  Reward  abieta 
deet  forn  zu  fanga,  awer  da  Frissel  hot  sei  ah 
net  duh  wella,  weil  er  bang  war,  mer  deeten 
dennoh  en  annera  Kerl  fanga  un  henga,  un 
dennoh  weer  er  haus.  Well,  weil  der  Judge 
un  sei  Seconds  grad  in  da  Court  schtub  warn 
un  gewort  hen  for  Bisness  for  da  Abril  Term 
azufanga,  sin  mer  mit  em  Frissel  nuf  un  ich 
hab  die  Kees  geriport.  Der  Judge  hot  mit 
seinera  Seconds  gepiscbpert,  un  hot  denna  gsat, 
des  wer  en  guti  Kees  for  die  County  bisness 
zu  naugereeta,  un  hot  dann  der  Shenfif  ge- 
ordert  da  Frissel  eizuschperra,  un  die  Evi- 
dence  vor   die    Court   zu   bringa. 

Well,  denno  hab  ich  gsat ;  as  according  zu 
da  Lah  proceedens,  mist  erscht  en  Jury  her, 
for  da  Prisoner  for  die  Court  zu  iver  binna  un 
da  Judge  hot  dennoh  da  Court  creier  geordert, 
en  Jury  zamma  zu  sucha,  weil  noch  kee  Jury- 
lischt  gemacht  war.  Es  war  im  Abril,  un  die 
Shad  sin  arrig  schtarrig  da  Rewer  ruf  kom- 
ma, un  weils  Fischa  so  gut  war  da  war  die 
Menschta  von  da  Populeeschen  ofkors  fischa 
ganga,  un  da  Court  creier  hot  sich  die  Bee 
schier  ablafa  missa  bis  er  en  Jury  zamma  gried 
hot,  un  da  hen  ich  un  er  un  noch  drei  annera 
officers  uf  die  Jury  geh  missa,  juischt  for  mol 
da  County  bisness  en  Schtert  zu  gewa.  Well, 
mer  sin  eigschwora  warra,  dann  hot  der  Judge 
da  Treiel  uf  da  negschta  Marja  agsat  un  hot 
uns  geinsiruct,  mit  em  Coroner  naus  za  geh, 
for  da  Nigger  zu  investigeeta.  Ich  hab  die 
Jury  noch  sella  seem  Dag  naus  ans  Heller's 
Kop  genomma,  un  da  Sheriff  hot  so  lang  da 
Frissel  in  da  Keller  gschperrt  un  hot  sich 
mitera  Flint  an  die  Dehr  ghockt,  weil  er  en 
Eidie  ghot  hot,  as  die  Lah  sei  so  inschpecta 
deet    von    ihm.      Mer    hen    unser    Rieport    uf- 


376 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


gried  for  da  neegschta  Marja,  un  noch  de  seem 
Nacht  hen  mer  en  Ben  ufem  Garret  eigericht 
for  em  Frissel  ■  sei  Prison  un  da  Frissel  hot 
selwar  helfa  Bord  nuf  draga.  Er  hot  wul 
gemeent,  so  unkoshta  macha  wer  en  Sind  un 
en  Schand,  avver  ich  hab's  ihm  geexpleened,  as 
die  Lah  verlange  deet,  as  wan  mer  en  Prisoner 
hawa  wet,  do  mist  mer  ah  en  Jeel  hawa,  forn 
nei.  Ei  juscht  about  zwee  Wocha  davor,  hot 
unser  Nacht  watchman  en  Geilsdieb  gfanga, 
un  weil  er  kee  Platz  ghat  hot  for  ihn  nei  zu 
duh,  hot  er  ihn,  will  ich's  Deiwels  sei,  die 
ganz  Nacht  mt  sich  rum  gfiehrt,  so  as  er 
net  darrich  geh  hot  kenna.  Well  nau  so  ebbes 
basst  doch  net  zu  da  Dignity  un  die  Impor- 
tence  vom  a  County ! 

Am  neegshta  Marja  is  da  Treiel  aganga ; 
die  Court  schtub  war  voll-gshtoppt,  weil  juscht 
about  30  Leit  nei  gekennt  hen,  besides  die 
Jury  un  die  Court-haus  officers.  Der  Judge 
hot  die  Mieten  zu  order  rufa  lossa,  vom  Court 
crier  un  denno  hen  er  un  sei  Seconds  gewort 
bis  der  Sheriff  der  Frissel  aus  em  Garret  gholt 
hot,  denno  hot  der  Judge  gsat,  da  Sheriff  set 
da  Prisoner  an  da  Bar  schtella,  un  do  will  ich 
iwer  der  Damm  geh,  wann  sei  Kameel  net  nuf 
geht  un  em  Judge  ins  Ohr  pischbert  er  het  en 
Bottel  im  Sack,  ob  er  net  em  Frissel  en  Schmal- 
er  dert  raus  gewa  set  for  Zeit  zu  schpara,  es 
wer  gewiss  drei  vertil  Meil  bis  ans  Werts- 
haus.  Well,  da  Judge  hot  sich  die  Lefts 
gschleckt  un  hot  em  Sheriff  gsat,  wan  er  net 
so'n  schterns  guter  Kerl  wer,  dann  deeter  ihn 
$10  feinda  for  contemt  von  da  Court,  er  het 
net  sei  gemeent  "vor  da  Bar  Schtella"  in  da 
Lah,  sei  wer,  en  Prisoner  vor  da  Judge  bringa. 
Der  Sheriff  hot  der  Frissel  gschwind  ufschtep- 
pa  macha  un  da  Judge  hot  ihm  gfrogt  eber  en 
Lahyer  het   for   in   zu   difenda. 

"Ich  branch  kee  Lahyer,"  secht  der  Frissel; 
"Selhe  unkoschta  kenna  mer  Schpara."  "Du 
muscht  awer  gedifend  sei,"  secht  da  Judge. 
"Sis  net  notwennig.  For  was  dann  do  dem 
County  so  Exschpenses  macha,"  secht  da  Fris- 
sel. "Well,  awer  die  Lah  dimands,"  secht  da 
Judge.  "Ich  will  awer  kenner,"  secht  der 
Frissel,  "ich  Schmeiss  mich  in  dera  Kees  uf 
die  Ignorance  von  da  Court."  "Uf  die  was?" 
greischt  da  Judge  un  reisst  sich  die  Brill  iver 
die  Aaga  for  zu  seena  eb  er  ah  recht  ghert 
het. 

Do  bin  ich  aus  da  Jurybox  gschteppt  un  hab 
zum  Judge  gsat  da  Prissoner  het  kee  Lerning 
un  kee  Edicaschen  un  nix,  un  deet  gewiss  "In- 
telligence von  da  Court"  meena,  juscht  er 
kennts  net  recht  saga ;  un  do  greischt  da  Court 
creier  hinnich  mer :  "Silence  in  da  Court  hous !" 
wul  ah  juscht  for  zu  browira  ober's  a  recht 
saga  kennt ;  awer's  hot  mich  verzernt  un  ich 
hob  ihm  gsat  ob  er  net  wissa  deet,  wie  ma  zum 
a  County  Commischener  schwetza  deet.  dann  is 
der  wiedig  warra  un  hot  "Silence  in  the  Court !" 
gegrischa  un  hot  gemeent,  as  wann  in  da  Court- 
schtub  gegiist  werra  misst  wer  er  do  for  z^ 
zutenda.  "Wo  sin  die  Zeiga?"  fragt  da  Judge. 
"Mer  breicha  do  kee  Zeiga,"  secht  der  Frissel. 
"For  was  dann  noch  Zeiga-geld  do  weg- 
schmeisa?" 


"Well,"  secht  der  Judge,  "wo  is  dann  em 
Coroner  sei  Riport?"  Do  bin  ich  ufgschteppt 
un  hob  gsat,  "Judge  ich  hab  die  Jury  un  da 
Coroner  naus  genommen  ans  Diller's  Kop,  wo 
die  dodt  Leicht  leid  un  mer  hen  die  Con- 
dischen  von  da  surroundans  beguckt.  Seller 
nigger  is  dodt :  er  lied  in  da  Schtross  so  bissel 
nard,  nordoscht  mit  em  Kop,  un  sied,  sied- 
wescht  mit  da  Bee;  er  lied  meh  uf  eenera  seit 
fon  da  Schtross  as  ufdn  annera — erbaut  5  Fuss 
6  Zoll  eeweg,  un  7  Fuss  6  ZoU  da  anner ;  er 
hot  blooa  Oweralls  a,  as  mit  da  Bee  in  seinera 
Schtivel  schtecka,  en  bloo  wolla  Hem  un  en 
schwarzen  Rock  un  en  Kap  leid  newig  ihm, 
un  sei  Maul  is  halb  uf." 

"Well,  wo  is  er  geinjured — ewa.  Weegeduh?" 
"Well,"  sag  ich,  "mer  hen  net  dra  gedenkt  for 
zu  gucka,  awer  er  is  schur  genung  dodt ;  sei 
kenna   mer    schwera." 

Denno  frogt  da  Judge  da  Frissel,  "Du 
sechscht  du  hetscht  seller  Nigger  dodt 
gschlaga,  as  draus  ans  Diller's  Kop  uf  da 
Schtross  leid?"  "Yes,  sir;  sei  hav  ich!"  "For 
was  hoscht  du  ihn  dodt  gschlaga?"  "Well,  ich 
will  der  Erscht  sei  as  in  unserem  County  ghenkt 
warra  is,  un  dann,  ah  for  da  County  officers 
ebbes  zu  duh  gewa,  as  en  pubHc  schpiriter 
Mann,  un  dann  ah  noch  so  as  die  Leit  von  mer 
schwetza — ich  muss  mer  doch  uf  ee  weg  en 
Nama  macha." 

"Hot  der  Nigger  dir  ebbes  in  da  weg  ge- 
legt?" 

"Oh,  nee.  net  juscht  abardicli — er  hot  juscht 
gemeent  er  kennt  mich  leddera.  sei  war  all." 
"So,  dann  hen  er  gfochta?"  "Well,  ich  haben 
bissel,  awer  er  net,  ennyhau  het  genung  for 
mich  fechta  zu  macha.  Er  hot  mer  juscht  die 
Chance  gewa,  for  ihm  eens  nei  zu  halta  ;  denno 
hot  er  sich  hieglegt  un  hot  sick  da  kop  ufen 
Schtee  gschlage  un  bissel  gezawelt  un  denno 
war  er  dodt,  huh!"  un  da  Frissel  hot  ganz 
ge-disgust   geguckt. 

"Wie   is   der   Schtreit   aganga?" 

"Well,  mer  hen  nanner  ageguckt,  er  hot  nix 
gsat,  un  ich  hab  nix  gsat,  juscht  geguckt  hen 
mer,  un  so  hot  ee  wart's  anner  gewa — es  war 
alles  ganz  friedlich  bis  die  Fechterei  vorbei 
war." 

"So  gschtehsht  du's  ei  das  du  da  Nigger 
dodt  gschlaga  hoscht?" 

"Ei,  of-kors!"  "Well,  dann  bischt  du  inol 
schur   gilty  un   kannscht's  net  leegela!" 

"Ich    duh    jo    ah    net!" 

"All  reit !  Nau  gentleman  of  da  Jury,"  secht 
denno  da  Judge  zu  uns,  "do  is  da  Bill  Frissel  as 
content  er  het  da  Nigger  dodt  gschlaga,  as  ehr 
an's  Dillers  Kop  uf  da  Schtross  leia  hen  sehna, 
un  accordin  zu  da  Lah  un  da  Evidence  is  set 
Mard  im  heechschta  Grad.  un  mit  aut  Defal- 
keeschen  oder  ebbes  so,  un  er  muss,  of  Kors 
ghenkt  werra,  nau  was  sagen  ihr,  gilty  odder 
not    gilty?" 

"Gilty!"    hen    mer    all    gsat. 

"Well,  nau.  Prisoner,"  secht  der  Judge  zum 
Frissel.  "Hoscht  du  eenig  ebbes  zu  saga  for 
was  du  net  ghenkt  werre  setscht?" 

"No,  sir;  sell  is  ja  grad  was  ich  will!" 

Well  dan,  hot  der  Judge  ihn  ewa  gsentenst 


DIALECT   SELECTIONS 


Z17 


wie  mer  Lahkerls  duhna  un  hot  dennoe  zum 
Sheriff  gsat,  "Do  is  der  Bill  Frissel  dooly  ge- 
konnvickt  un  gekondemt  warra  for  zu  henka, 
nan  duh  dn  do  dei  Dooty." 

"Die  County  Commissioners  kenna  nau  von 
da  Tjury  runner  um  mit  em  Sheriff  die  Prepar- 
eechens   niacha    for    die    Kxecuschan." 

Well  mer  hen  da  Frissel  denno  nuf  uf  da 
Garret  gskpert  un  am  neegschta  Alarga  sin 
mer  drei  Commissiners  nunner  noch  Jesdown 
County  forn  Galga  zu  lehna,  awer  sie  hen  $800 
hawa  wella  for  uns  da  Galga  mit  ihrem  Sheriff 
zu  lehna !  denno  sin  mir  ins  anner  County 
ganga  un  dert  hen  sie  $750  for  da  Galga  hawa 
wella  ohna  da  Sheriff'.  So  hen  mer  unsera  Geil 
zwee  Wocha  lang  schier  die  Beh  abgeridda, 
awer  iweral  hen  sie  so  viel  for  ihra  Galga  hawa 
wella,  as  es  unser  County  ufgebroka  het,  for 
eener  zu  lehna. 

All  die  weil  hot  da  Sheriff  em  Frissel  sei 
Essa  ausem  Wertshaus  gholt  un  ob  mer's  recht 
gmerkt  hen,  war's  County  $36  Koscht  geld 
beim  Wert  schuldig ;  un  weil  mer  noch  gor  kee 
County  Taxa  gekoHect  hen  ghat,  hen  mer  Com- 
misschoners  selli  Bill  aus  em  Sack  bezahlt; 
well,  mer  hen  net  recht  gewisst  eb  mer  sei 
Lewes  unser  Geld  widder  griega  odder  nett,  un 
do  hen  mer  gediseid  es  wer  wolfeller  da  Frissel 
net  zu  henka,  un  ich  bin  zu  ihm  for  die  Sach 
zu    Compermeisa. 

Ich  hab  gsat,  "Nau  Bill  die  Henkerei  do 
koscht  ennyhau  $1000  un  sell  kenna  mer  alleweil 
net  uf  niacha;  nau  will  ich  dir  en  guti  Propo- 
sischen  macha.  Mer  nehmen  dich  nunner  an 
da  Rewer  verseefen  dich  uf  die  vedderscht 
mannier;  des  wer  net  so  deier  un  halt  juscht  so 
long." 

"No.  sir;  bei  kennera  Meening  net?"  greischt 
der  Frissel ;  "sei  is  net  im  Griement :  der  Judge 
hot  gsat,  'Hang  ad  da  nek  till  your  ded,  ded, 
ded!'  Sei  hot  er  drei  mol  gsot,  un  wann  en 
Judge  ebbes  drei  mol  secht  un  noch  dazu  uf 
English,  dann  is  es  die  Lah  un  die  Consti- 
tuschen,   un   ich   verdefendier   mich   dert   druf. 

Un  ich  kann's wasser  net  verdraga.    Un 

ich  appiel  an  die  Supriem  Court."  Well,  sei  hot 
mich  denno  ah  verzernt,  un  hab  gsat,  "Was 
verschtehscht  dann  du  von  da  Lah  un  da  Con- 
stituschen  wie  mer  Kerls  inn  da  Lah;  un  wer 
bischt  dann  du  as  du  do  die  Ehr  hawa  wid  for's 
erscht  in  unserem  County  ghenkt  zu  werra? 
Du  bischt  jo  gar  nix  ge-eshteimirt.  Ja,  wann 
du  nau,  wella  mer  saga,  en  County  Officer, 
odder  ieven  en  Lahyer.  odder  en  Dokter,  odder 
en  Parra,  odder  so  ebbes  warst,  dann  wod  ich 
nix  saga,  awer  du  bischt  jo  gar  nix,  as  en 
eegasinnischer  Kerl,"  un  bin  runner  un  hob 
die  Sach  griport,  un  dann  hen  mer  aus  ge- 
macht,  da  Frissel  kennt  in  seinera  Ben  ver- 
hungra  wann  er  wed.  Da  Sheriff  hot  ihm  kee 
Essa  meh  Nuf  gedraga,  awer  was  duht  der 
verdollta  Kerl?  er  macht  die  Diehr  uf  un  geht, 
holts  der  Deiwel  selwer  ans  Wertshaus  essa, 
un  geht  dann  grad  widder  zurick  in  sei  Ben 
un  schliest  sich  ei. 

Well,  mer  hen  dem  arrangement  weil  zu- 
sehna,   bis   der    Wert   widder   en   Bill    for   $36 


eighandt  hot ;  dann  bin  ich  zum  Judge  un  hab's 
ihni  geexpleened  as  mer  gedeceid  hetta  da 
Frissel  net  zu  henka  wann  es  so  deier  wer,  er 
wer  jo  selli  exschpenses  net  wert.  un  het  kee 
Bisness  ghat  uns  so  Unkoschta  ufzulada  un 
unser  County  mist  jo  vom  Sheriff  ausverkaft 
werra,  un  es  deet  ihm  jusht  recht  gscheena, 
wann  er  net  ghenkt  werra  deet,  un  der  Judge 
is  ah  zu  der  Concluschen  komma  as  er"s  net 
wert  wer,  un  hot  da  Frissel  in  da  neegschta 
Court  en  Leifterm  in  da  Tjail  gewa.  Der 
Frissel  hot  dan  deiwelisch  gedobt  wie  er  selli 
Sentenz  ghert  hot.  Er  wed  satisfactchen  hawa 
un  er  deets  County  for  Damages  reschta  un  da 
Judge  for  false  pertens  packa  un  so  on.  Well, 
mer  hen  ihn  gedischtert  so  gut  wie  mer  ge- 
kennt  hen,  un  hen  ihn  ewa  sei  Essa  hola  lossa 
wie  davor.  Well,  denno  hen  mer  ihm  agebotta, 
er  sed  aus  brecha  un  darrich  geh.  Sei  hot 
er  net  gewollt,  er  wed  net  zu  all  dem  Druwel 
geh,    sich   henka   zu   lossa   for   nix. 

"Awer  Bill,"  hawich  gsat,  "wie  due  weescht, 
der  Judge  hot  dich  Commuted,  wie  mer  Kerls 
von  da  Lah  saga,  un  sis  net  da  wert,  as  du  do 
en  Fuss  machscht.  Mer  hetten  dich  verleicht 
ghenkt,  awer  now  duhnmer's  vor  Schpeit  net. 
Nau  wann  ich  dich  wer,  deet  ich  grad  parbes 
darrich  geh." 

"Was !  un  all  den  Druwel  for  nix  hawa  \ 
No,  sir ;  net  beima  Karb  voll !  Ich  will  mei 
Recht,  sei  is  was  ich  will.  Der  Judge  hot  mer 
sei  Wart  gewa  un  according  zu  der  Lah  muss 
er's   halta ! 

"Ja,  awer  er  hot  net  gewisst  os  es  so  deier 
wer  un  as  mer  noch  kee  Geld  in  der  Trescheri 
hen.  Du  bischt  uns  ah  viel  zu  gschwind  iwer 
da  Hals  komma.  Nau  will  ich  dir  saga,  wann 
ich  dich  wer  deet  ich  fart  geh ,  mer  gewa  dir 
noch  $10  uf  da  weg." 

"No,    sir!" 

"$20!" 
.  "No,    sir!" 

"$30!" 

"No,  Sir !  Du  weescht  velleicht  net  as  ich 
dich  fanga  lossa  kennt  for  mich  do  zu  breiba 
un  zu   corrupta  we's  in  der  Lah   secht." 

Wie  der  Frissel  so  gschwetzt  hot.  bin  ich 
grad  nunner  un  hab  die  annera  County  Com- 
missiners gholt  un  hab  ihna  gsat  mer  kennten 
do  in  en  deiwelischer  Druwel  nei  komma,  un 
denno  sin  sie  ah  bang  warra,  un  mer  hen  em 
Frissel  $50  agebotte  un  verschprocka  ihm  $2 
die  woch  zu  schicka  wann  er  juscht  darrich 
geh  deet. 

Well,  noch  vielen  Schwetza  un  bettela  hot 
er  gsat  er  wet  uns  desmol  da  Faver  duh  un 
darrich  geh,  wann  mer  ihm  $200  cash  nunner 
gewa,  un  ihm  $2  die  woch,  ennyheu  zwee 
Johr  lang  schicka,  un  dann  noch  verschprecha 
as  wann  mol  ebber  ghenkt  set  warra  im  Coun- 
ty as  mer  ihm  die  erscht  chance  gewa  deeten. 

Mer  hen  ihm  6  Monat  selli  Penschen  von 
$8  da  Monat  gschickt  bis  mer  mol  ee  dag 
ghert  hen  as  er  for  Geilschtehla  ghenkt  wer 
warra. 

For  was  as  mer  net  selwer  en  Galga  gebaut 
hen?     Huh,  mer  hen  gar  net  dra  gedenkt. 


378 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT. 


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Inscriptions"  in  The  Pennsylvania- 
German  to  which  we  have  referred 
before,  has  called  forth  considerable  cor- 
respondence and  opened  a  very  large  field 
— in  its  entirety  too  large  for  the  maga- 
zine, even  if  devoted  to  the  subject  ex- 
clusively. 

Should  it  become  possible  to  undertake 
the  proposed  printing  of  inscriptions,  it 
would  be  highly  desirable  in  our  opinion, 
-.to  aim  at  least  at  the  following: 


1.  To  list  all  burying  grounds  in  the 
older  counties  of  Pennsylvania,  classified 
by  township — ownership,  location  and 
condition  of  each  being  noted. 

2.  To  give,  if  recorded,  the  date  of 
birth  and  of  death  and  the  age  of  the 
departed,  supplemented  by  other  note- 
worthy data  given  on  the  marker. 

3.  To  supplement  the  data  of  the 
markers  by  relevant  matter  from  church 
records,  etc.,  and  to  note  the  lineal  con- 
nection between  the  departed  and  promi- 
nent descendants. 

The  proposition  appeals  to  us  as  merit- 
ing the  hearty  interest  and  endeavor  of 
both  publisher  and  subscribers  of  this 
magazine.  Comparatively  little  is  being 
done  by  County  Historical  Societies  along 
this  line.  Individuals  have  by  themselves 
toiled  and  gathered  valuable  data,  but 
these  are  not  in  position  to  carry  on 
concerted  work,  being  unknown  to  one 
another,  and  having  no  convenient  med- 
ium for  periodic  publication.  We  are 
vain  enough  to  say  that  if  due  support 
is  given  by  its  patrons,  The  Pennsyl- 
vania-German can  be  made  quite  ser- 
viceable in  this  direction. 

A  few  suggestions  may  be  in  place. 
If  the  printing  is  undertaken  it  must  be 
on  a  broader  basis  than  a  mere  record- 
ing of  inscriptions  as  found  on  markers. 
We  can  not  undertake  the  printing  of  in- 
scriptions and  crowd  the  matter  into  the 
48  pages  issued  monthly  at  present.  The 
work  done  ought  to  be  in  such  shape  and 
make-up  as  to  permit  of  its  being  bound 
in  separate  form.    This  can  easily  be  ac- 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT 


379 


coinplished  by  printing  the  matter  as  a 
supplement  to  the  magazine  with  separate 
paging,  headhnes,  etc.,  making  detach- 
ment and  separate  binding  convenient. 

As  publisher  we  feel  helpless  in  the 
matter,  and  must  rely  to  a  great  extent  on 
the  support  and  encouragement  to  be 
given  by  subscribers.  If  they  enter 
heartily  into  the  project-  its  success  will 
be  assured.     If  they  withhold  their  sup- 


port the  scheme  can  not  be  undertaken. 
We  must  enter  unitedly  upon  a"  steady 
campaign  to  give  the  magazine  a  wider 
circulation  between  now  and  next  Janu- 
ary, when  we  should  like  to  begin  the 
printing  of  these  inscriptions  by  adding 
eight  supplementary  pages  to  the  maga- 
zine, if  possible,  uniform  in  size  and  form 
with  the  magazine  pages  printed  in 
8-point  t'vpe. 


Clipping's  from  Current  News 


— According  to  William  J.  Campbell,  the 
Betsy  Ross  story  is  a  fake  beyond  question, 
and  she  did  not  design  the  American  flag. 
The  Betsy  Ross  house,  239  Arch  street,  Phila- 
delphia, will  therefore  receive  no  special  laur- 
els during  Founders'  Week  next  October. 

— Scranton's  Memorial  Day  celebration  this 
year  was  made  a  memorable  one  by  the  dedi- 
cation and  presentation  to  the  city  of  the  hand- 
some Everhart  museum  of  science  and  natural 
history — the  gift  of  Dr.  Isaiah  F.  Everhart. 
This  gift,  with  its  endowment  of  $101,000  and 
the  collection  it  will  contain,  involves  an  ex- 
penditure on  the  part  of  the  donor  of  a  quarter 
of  a  million  of  dollars. 

— The  223d  anniversary  of  the  old  Pennypack 
meeting  house,  on  Penn3'pack  Creek,  near 
Bustleton,  Pa.,  was  celebrated  June  7  by  up- 
wards of  1. 000  descendants  of  the  founders 
of  the  church.  It  is  the  second  oldest  place 
of  worship  in  the  United  States,  having  been 
founded  in  1685  by  seven  Welsh  Baptists,  who 
fled  to  America  to  escape  persecution. 

Regular  services  were  discontinued  many 
years  ago,  quarterly  meetings  and  later  yearly 
meetings  having  been  held  since  for  the  sake 
of  historical  interest.  The  descendants  of  the 
old  members  are  scattered  through  various 
sections  of  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey  and 
Delaware   in    the    vicinity   of    Philadelphia. 

—  Prof.  Brandi,  of  Berlin  University,  has 
issued  a  long  statement  maintaining  his  con- 
tention against  numerous  critics  that  the  aver- 
age educated  American  speaks  English  as  cor- 
rectly and  as  purely  as  the  average  educated 
Englishman,  and  attributes  this  fact  to  the  bad 
educational  system  in  England,  which  is  de- 
voted almost  e.xclusively  to  the  classical  lan- 
guages. 

He  points  out  that  Cambridge  University  has 
no  chair  of  modern  English,  and  asserts  that 
America  is  far  and  away  ahead  of  England 
in  the  cultivation  of  English  and  all  modern 
languages,  instancing  the  study  of  English  at 
Harvard  and  of  German   at   Philadelphia. 

— York,  Pa.,  with  a  population  of  not  more 


than  50,000,  has  a  capital  of  more  than  $15,- 
000.000  invested  in  more  than  500  manufac- 
tories, and  challenges  any  city  of  its  size  to 
show  a  variety  of  industries  equally  great. 

— Andrew  Carnegie,  at  the  banquet  given  by 
German- American  physicians  in  New  York  to 
Professor  Koch,  said  he  would  glaaly  part 
with  one  of  his  millions  if  he  could  get  at 
once  full  possession  and  use  of  the  German 
language.  Those  who  are  born  of  German 
parents  are  often  ashamed  of  their  nationality, 
and  make  no  effort  to  retain  the  use  of  the 
language  of  their  fatheirs.  The  example  of  the 
Scotchman  ought  to  inspire  the  German  to 
hold   fast   to   his   mother   tongue. 

— ^Lutherans  from  every  part  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  from  other  States,  to  the  number 
of  over  2,500  visited  the  Lutheran  Theological 
Seminary  at  ISIt.  Airy,  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  June 
3^  and  took  part  in  the  dedication  of  the  new 
Krauth  Memorial  Library  erected  at  a  cost 
of  nearly  $100,000  as  a  memorial  to  the  late 
Charles  Porterfield  Krauth,  professor  of 
Systematic  Theology  in  the  seminary,  and  also 
for  many  years  vice-provost  of  the  University 
of   Pennsylvania. 

— September  23  is  the  175th  anniversary  of 
the  founding  of  Christ  Lutheran  church,  York. 
Pa.,  which  is  the  i7::rther  of  all  Lutheran 
churches  west  of  the  Susquehanna.  A  perma- 
nent organization  has  been  effected  among 
Lutheran  pastors  and  Sunday  school  superin- 
tendents of  York  to  perfect  plans  for  the 
celebration  of  the  ewnt.  According  to  the 
records,  only  four  Lutherans  had  settled  in 
the  neig'hborhood  prior  to  1731.  By  1733  there 
were  24  w^ho  were  organized  into  a  church  by 
Rev.  John  Casper  Stoever,  September  23  of 
that  year. 

—Rev.  Dr.  J.  D.  Schindel,  a  Lutheran  min- 
ister for  41  j'ears,  died  June  2j,  in  Allentown, 
Pa.  His  great-great-grandfather,  John  Peter 
Schindel,  was  a  pioneer  missionary  in  North- 
umberland, Union  and  Snyder  counties  from 
1812  to  1853.  .  His  father.  Rev.  Jeremiah 
Schindel,    served    many   congregations    in    Le- 


38o 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


high  county.  He  was  born  January  ii,  1841. 
graduated  from  Pennsylvania  College,  1864 ; 
from  Lutheran  Seminary,  Philadelphia,  1867, 
and  ordained  the  same  year.  He  served  vari- 
ous congregations  until  Ascension  Day  this 
year.  He  filled  various  offices  of  trust  and 
responsibility,  and  was  beloved  by  all  who 
knew   him. 

— Dr.  Draper,  State  Superintendent  of  Pub- 
lic Education  in  New  York,  regrets  to  state 
that  in  the  important  matter  of  industrial  edu- 
cation, the  United  States  have  to  follow  the 
lead  of  Germany.  He  mentions  the  fact  that 
the  labor  unions  in  Germany  are  heartily  in 
favor  of  those  schools  wliich  are  training 
artisan  apprentices,  whilst  the  more  than  selfish 
policy  of  our  labor  unions  is  to  reduce  the 
number  of  apprentices.  Dr.  Draper  thinks 
that  the  manner  in  which  this  thing  is  treated 
in  Germany  by  the  Kaiser's  Government  looks 
like  "oure  democracy."  The  New  York  Su- 
perintendent, in  order  to  show  what  industrial 
training  is  doing  for  a  nation  which  cannot 
boast  of  inexhaustible  natural  resources  Hke 
those  we  have,  says  that  Germany's  exports  in 
1906  amounted  to  $1,079,520,000,  whilst  the 
trade  value  of  manufactured  articles  exported 
from  the  United  States  in  the  same  year  was 
$686,023,000. 

— It  is  pointed  out  in  a  French  contemporary 
that  it  is  exactly  a  hundred  years  since  the 
first  Hthographic  press  was  installed  in  France. 
The  invention  is  ascribed  to  Alois  Senefelder, 
German  dramatist  and  author,  of  Mimich,  who 
in  1796  accidentally  discovered  that  calcareous 
stones  possess  the  property  of  retaining  the 
impression  made  by  thick  ink  and  transmitting 
it  to  paper  pressed  on  their  surface.  Sene- 
felder, however,  did  not  realize  the  importance 
of  his  discovery,  and  some  years  elapsed  be- 
fore the  invention  was  put  to  practical  use. 
It  became  partially  known  in  England  about 
1801,  but  its  general  introduction  is  credited 
to  Mr.  Ackermann,  of  London,  about   1817. 

— At  their  General  Conference  held  at  Des 
Moines,  Iowa.  June  3-ti,  he  German  Baptist 
Brethren  among  other  important  business 
changed  the  name  of  the  sect  to  "Church  of 
the  Brethren." 

—With  a  formal  artillery  salute  by  tlie 
United  States  regulars  and  an  efifectivc.  cere- 
mony by  a  color  guard  of  the  Sons  01  thv 
Revolution,  Bush-Brown's  handsome  eque;  irian 
statue  of  the  famous  Revolutionary  he.o.  An- 
thony Wayne,  was  unveiled  at  Valley  Forge 
Park,  June  20.  Miss  Lydia  Bush-Brown,  the 
sculptor's  daughter,  pulled  the  string  which 
unveiled  the  statue. 

The  bronze  statue  is  of  heroic  size,  showing 
the  soldier  on  horseback.  The  pedestal  is  of 
Missouri  red  granite,  being  among  the  first  to 
be  used  for  this  purpose  in  the  Eastern  States. 
The   Legislature   in    1905   appropriated   $30,000 


for  the  purpose.  This  was  later  increased 
by  $1,000  for  expenses  incident  to  the  dedica- 
tion. The  members  of  the  Statue  Commis- 
sion are  Lieutenant-Colonel  John  P.  Nicholson 
and  Richard  'M.  Cadwalader,  of  Philadelphia, 
and  John  Armstrong  Herman,  of  Harrisburg. 

The  granite  base  of  the  statue  bears  the 
following    inscription  : 

"Lead  me  forward." 

— Wayne    at     Stony     Point. 

Chairman    of  the   Ciester  County   Committee,    1774. 

Deputy   to    the    Provincial    Convention,    1774. 

Member  of  the  Assembly,    1774,   1784-1785. 

Delegate   to   the   Provincial   Convention,    1775. 

Member    of    the    Committee    of    Safety,    1775-1776. 

Member  of   the   Council   of   Censors,    1783. 

Member  of  the  Pennsylvania  Convention  to  Ratify 
the    Constitution,    1787. 

Born    in    Chester    County,    Pa.,    January    i,    1745. 
Died    at    Presq'    Isle,    Pa.,    December    15,    1796. 

ANTHONY  WAYNE. 

Colonel  Chester  County  Battalion  of  Minute  Men, 
July    21,    1775. 

Colonel  Fourth  Pennsylvania  Infantry  Battalion, 
January    3,     1776. 

Brigadier  General  Continental  Army,  February  21, 
J 777.    to    November    3,    1783. 

Breveted     Major     General     September     30,     1783. 

"Resolved  unanimously,  That  the  thanks  of  Con- 
gress be  presented  to  Brigadier  General  Wayne  for 
his  brave,  prudent  and  soldierly  conduct  in  the  spirited 
and  well-conducted  attack  on  Stony  Point;  that  a 
gold  medal  emblamatical  of  this  action  be  struck 
and    presented    to    Brigadier    General    Wayne." 

Major  General  and  Commander-in-Chief  United 
States  Army,  March  5,  1792,  to  December  15,   1796. 


— Red  Rose  day  was  observed  by  the  Zion 
Lutheran  church  of  Manheim,  Pa.,  June  14. 
This  custom  originated  in  1772,  when  Baron 
Steigel  presented  to  the  church  a  site  for  a 
church' building  by  a  deed  that  exacted  for 
the  plot  an  annual  rental  of  one  red  rose,  pay- 
able in  June  on  demand.  A  red  rose  was  for- 
warded to  the  oldest  direct  heir  of  Baron 
Steigel  living — 'Miss  Mary  Horning,  living  in 
Connecticut.  The  Tulpehocken  Reformed 
church,  near  Myerstown,  held  similar  services. 
The  services  were  well  attended,  but  there 
was  no  representative  of  the  Wistar  heirs  pres- 
ent, and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Welker  went  to  Phila- 
delphia for  the  purpose  of  making  payment  to 
one  of  the  heirs  of  a  red  rose  for  the  ground 
rent,  as  provided  in  the  original  grant,  and  a 
white  rose  in  payment  of  the  annual  rental  of 
the  new  church  pipe  organ,  presented  by  the 
Wistar  heirs,  as  provided  by  a  resolution  adopt- 
ed by  the  Tulpehocken  congregation. 

—The  attempt  to  settle  the  First  Defender 
controversy  by  having  Adjutant  General  Stew- 
art compile  an  official  history  in  favor  of  the 
Washington  Artillerists  and  National  Light 
Infantry,  Pottsville;  Ringgold  Light  Artillery. 
Reading;  Allen  Infantry,  Allentown,  and 
Logan  Guards,  Lewistown,  mustered  April  18, 
1861,  is  proving  a  task  of  greater  proportions 
than  the  Legislature  contemplated  when  it 
passed  the  resolution  of  authority.  The  War 
Department  at  Washington  has  no  records,  and 
has  never  been  able  to  gather  any,  and  it  falls 
upon    General    Stewart    to    secure    the    proof. 


CLIPPINGS   FROM   CURRENT   NEWS 


381 


To  this  end  he  has  been  busily  engaged  in  se- 
curing affidavits,  tales  ancf  narratives  of  the 
survivors  of  the  five  organizations,  a  number 
of  whom  are  still  active  in  life  and  have 
lively    recollections. 

What  organization  really  constituted  the  first 
defenders  in  the  Civil  War  from  the  Keystone 
State  is  an  involved  issue.  Worth  Infantry- 
men and  the  York  Rifles,  both  of  York,  lay 
claim  to  share  the  honor,  because  coincident 
with  the  mustering  of  the  other  commands 
their  services  were  accepted,  and  they  pro- 
ceeded to  guard  the  Northern  Central  Railway, 
fully  armed  and  equipped,  while  the  rival  com- 
panies are  said  to  have  gone  to  Washington 
unarmed  and  merely  to  camp.  The  York  com- 
panies were  awarded  State  medals  on  their 
published  record  of  1861,  after  the  other  com- 
mands had  been  similarly  honored. 

General  Stewart  expects  to  have  the  proof 
ready  for  pubHcation  before  the  next  Legisla- 
ture  meets,   and    well   verified. 

— An  event  of  great  significance  during 
commencement  week  at  Franklin  and  Mar- 
shall College,  Lancaster,  Pa.,  was  the  dedica- 
tion of  the  new  Academy  building,  on  Wednes- 
day, June  10,  at  2  p.  m.  The  principal  ad- 
dress in  connection  with  the  exercises  was 
delivered  by  Dr.  J.  D.  Mofifat,  president  of 
Washington  and  Jefferson   College. 

The  building  has  just  been  completed  at  a 
cost  of  a  little  more  than  $100,000.  It  is 
probably  the  finest  of  its  kind  in  the  State, 
and  will  compare  favorably  with  those  of  any 
school  of  its  kind  in  the  country.  Its  erec- 
tion was  made  possible  in  part  by  a  gift  of 
$37oOO  from  Mr.  Carnegie.  It  is  substantially 
built  of  red  brick,  on  colonial  lines,  and  finished 
in  hard  wood  throughout.  It  is  about  215  feet 
long,  running  north  and  south,  and  has  two 
wings,  40  by  75  feet,  and  a  chapel  built  west 
from  the  center,  seating  over  three  hundred 
versary  celebration,  which  is  now  attracting 
boys. 

— The  program  of  Philadelphia's  great  anni- 
versary celebration  which  is  now  attracting 
attention  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  will  con- 
tinue for  one  entire  week,  as  follows : 

Sunday,    October    4 — Religious    Day. 

Monday,  October  5 — Military  Day.  Parade  of  2St00o 
troops. 

Tuesday,  October  6 — Parade  of  Police  and  Fire 
Departments  of  city  and  State.  Assembly  of  clergy 
in    Friends'    Meeting   House. 

Wednesday,   October   7 — .\11   Day   Industrial   Parade. 

Thursday,  October  8 — Naval  Day.  Review  of  13 
United     States    and    foreign    war    vessels. 

Friday,    October    9 — Historic    Pageant. 

Saturday,  October   lo,  Knights  Templar  Day. 

President  Roosevelt  will  be  asked  to  take 
part  in  the  celebration  of  "German  Day"  on 
October  6,  when  the  corner-stone  of  a  $60,000 
monument  to  commemorate  the  settlement  of 
Germantown  will  be  laid  in  Vernon  Park.  Dr. 
Charles  J.  Hexamer,  president  of  the  National 
German-American  Alliance,  has  appointed  a 
committee  to  wait  on  the  President  and  invite 
him  here.  The  committee  will  be  augmented 
by  representatives  of  the  Germantown  Business 
Men's  Association. 


The  celebration  w^ill  be  one  of  the  largest 
demonstrations  ever  held  in  this  city.  Gover- 
nors of  several  States  and  representatives  of 
Emperor  William,  who  has  promised  to  send 
a  German  battleship  here  to  represent  his  coun- 
try, have  been  invited  to  take  part  in  the 
exercises. 

FOR   THE   JOKE  BOOK. 

A  young  farmer  had  been  elected  as  deacon, 
and  he  knew  it  would  be  his  duty  to  take  up 
a  collection  in  church.  Being  very  bashful  by 
nature,  he  thought  he  woulct  have  a  little  prac- 
tice beforehand.  He  attached  his  hat  to  a 
pole  and  passed  it  around  among  his  cattle  in 
the  stable.  One  of  the  cows,  not  understand- 
ing the  deacon's  purpose,  became  very  much 
e.xcited,  but  the  deacon  said :  "Du  brauchst  net 
bos  werre.     Es   is  just  wer  will." 

Pat  and  Hans  frequently  travelled  from 
Newberry  to  Williamsport  together  on  the 
same  trolley  car.  Both  were  good-natured,  fun- 
loving  and  popular,  but  the  former  gradually 
grew  jealous  of  the  latter  because  he  was 
monopolizing  the  car  talk  and  received  more  at- 
tention than  he  himself.  Pat,  therefore,  deter- 
mined to  squelch  Hans,  laid  his  plans  and 
bided  his  time.  The  opportune  moment  finally 
presented  itself  in  a  lull  after  a  hearty  laugh, 
and  Pat  said:  "Hans,  they  say  a  Dutchman  is 
a  hog  turned  inside  out."  Hans  replied  at 
once:  I  never  heert  dat  before,  but  I  ofden 
heert  dat  a  Irishman  was  a  Nikker  turned 
inside  oud."  The  shrieks  and  roars  that  fol- 
lowed proved  to  Pat  that  he  had  missed  the 
mark,  and  he  got  otif  at  the  next  street  crossing 
a   defeated   and   crestfallen   Irishman. 

The  following  dialogue  occurred  some  time 
ago  in  Center  Market,  Washington.  D.  C, 
where  Mrs.  M and  a  lady  friend — ^former- 
ly residents  of  Pennsylvania — 'went  to  purchase 
a  few  eatables.  Happening  to  spy  a  favorite 
dish  known  all  over  Pennsylvania-Germandom 
— though  rarely  seen  in  Washington — she 
asked  the  attendant  at  the  stand : 

"How  much  is  the   Pon-Haas?" 

"What's   that,    madam?" 

"How  much  is  the  Pon-Haas?" 

"Excuse  me,  madam,  but  I  do  not  under- 
stand what  you  mean." 

"Pon-Haas!     Th^'^e  it  is,"  said  Mrs.  M , 

pointing  to  it. 

"Oh!  that!  We  call  that  scrapple  down 
here.     Where  are  you   from,  lady?" 

"Well,  at  home  in  Pennsylvania  it  was  al- 
ways  called    Pon-haas." 

"I  thought  you  came  from  either  Pennsyl- 
vania or  Alaryland,"  laughingly  answered  the 
clerk.  Several  other  men  nearby  who  heard 
the   conversation  joined   in   the   laugh   also. 

"The  scrapple  is  twenty  cents  a  pound,  lady. 
How  much  will  you  have?" 

"Not  any,  thank  you,"  rep>lied  Mrs.  M — — , 
with  a  little  show  of  indignation,  as  she  hastily 
retreated  without  her   Pon-Haas. 


382 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Chat  with  Correspondents 


Note. — About  the  same  time  we  received  the  follow- 
ing letter,  a  dialect  contribution  with  phonetic  spelling 
reached  us,  accompanied  by  the  words;  "All  1  ask  is 
that  you  use  my  exact  orthography,  and  do  not  de- 
stroy the  spelling  so  as  to  suit  so^mebody  else."  We 
shall  be  pleased  to  hear  from  our  readers  on  the 
subject.  Shall  we  insist  on  uniformity  of  spelling 
conforming  to   German   orthography? 

Erie,  Pa.,  June  15,  1908. 
Editor  of  The  Pennsylvania-German: 

My  parents  spoke  Pennsylvania  German  only. 
In  fact,  I  was  privileged  and  spoke  both  High 
German  and  Pennsylvania-German  most  of  my 
life.  Besides,  aside  from  practicing  medicine, 
their  study  has  been  my  principal  diversion 
these  twenty-five  years.  So  much  in  explana- 
tion to  your  readers  for  the  presumption  of 
this  brief  article. 

All  other  dialects  of  the  German  language 
are  necessarily  spelled  according  to  its  own 
peculiar  orthography.  So  are  the  dialects  of 
all  other  languages  spelled  in  conformity  to 
their  respective  orthography.  Why  not  the 
Pennsylvania-German?  Because  so  many 
writers  are  only  conversant  with  the  English 
orthography?    Yes,  this  is  it. 

You  are  inclined  to  the  view  that  in  a  maga- 
zine like  yours,  each  contributor  should  be  al- 
lowed to  use  his  own  spelling,  idioms,  etc.  May- 
be he  should,  but  I  say  he  should  not.  Mixed  as 
our  Pennsylvania-German  is,  it  nevertheless 
preserves,  pure  and  undefiled,  innumerable, 
genuine  High  German  idioms,  which  writers 
familiar  with  English  only,  continually  per- 
vert. This  should  not  be.  Hence  where,  to  say 
the  least,  the  German  spelling  would  improve 
the  comprehension  of  the  writer  in  deoicting 
his  individual  idioms  or  that  of  some  locality,  I 
should  think  it  was  not  only  the  editor, s  pre- 
rogative, but  his  duty  to  make  the  change. 

Nor  are  personal  idioms  of  interest  histori- 
cally excepting  to  him  who  was  acquainted  per- 
sonally with  the  character.  One  man's  freaks 
do  not  constitute  a  dialect,  much  less  an  idiom. 
Here  the  line  should  be  drawn. 

Provincialisms  are  at  once  interesting  to  all. 
They  are  inherent  in  all  dialects,  and  their  vari- 


ations in  different  localities  constitute  the  in- 
trinsic interest  in  Pennsylvania-German.  And 
let  me  remind  your  contributors  that  the  great 
idioms  of  all  languages  are  everywhere  the 
same.  Those  in  a  position  to  know,  must 
agree  with  me  in  saying  that  the  idioms  of 
Pennsylvania-German,  as  a  dialect  of  High 
German,  are  no  exception. 

In  cur  English  orthography  one  never  knows 
by  the  number  and  character  of  consonants, 
what,  of  the  various  vowel  sounds,  to  give  the 
vowel  in  a  given  syllable  or  word.  In  German, 
excepting  a  few  monosyllables  which  every  one 
who  speaks  it  pronounces  correctly,  the  vowels 
have  a  fixed  and  definite  sound.  Hence  you 
cannot  go  so  far  wrong  in  its  pronounciation. 
Few  of  the  German  vowels,  most  of  the  diph- 
thongs and  all  of  the  modified  vowels  have  no 
equivalent  in  English.  Yet  nearly  all  are  pe- 
culiar to  Pennsylvania-German,  and  to  do 
them  justice  in  English,  is  (excuse  the  expres- 
sion)   absurd  and  ridiculous. 

I  always  admired  Mr.  Daniel  Miller,  pub- 
lisher, Reading,  Pa.,  for  excluding  from  his 
beautiful  collection  and  publication  of  a  hand- 
some volume  most  of  what  did  not  conform 
to  the  German  orthography.  Anyhow,  in  in- 
stances of  doubt  orthographically,  my  advice 
is  to  give  the  English,  and  not  the  German,  the 
benefit  of  the  doubt.  Writers  do  themselves  no 
honor  by  making  Pennsylvania-German  a 
worse  mongrel  than  it  is  in  reality.  Instead, 
its  dialect  ought  to  be  brought  more  to  a 
recognized  standard. 

There  are  to-day  upwards  of  one  hundred 
million  people  speaking  German,  and  none 
equally  and  justly  as  proud  of  their  mother 
tongue.  No  sooner  can  a  German  read,  when 
the  study  of  dialects  becomes  a  fascination;  and 
instead  of  my  remarks  deterring  your  English 
contributors,  I  would  remind  them  that  over 
and  above  all  the  European  dialects,  our  Ger- 
man in  Pennsylvania  is  studied  and  enjoyed 
with  most  assiduity  and  aviditv. 

J.  W.  Seip,  M.D. 


Genealogical     Queries 


QUERY  XLIII 

Changing  of  Names. 

A    subscriber    in    Eustis,    Florida,    writes    as 
follows : 

During  the  past  winter  a  resident  of 
Philadelphia  spent  some  months  in  our 
town ;  and  during  his  stay,  made  the 
statement  that  Wm.  Penn  ofYered  grants 
of  land  to  our  ancestors  who  changed 
their  names,  as  for  instance  the  "Yeagers" 


to    "Himter"    also    the    "Zimmermans"    to 

"Carpenter"',  etc. ;  we  all  know  many  cases 

of    this    kind.      My    father    was    for    many 

years  in  the  Land  Department  of  Penna. ; 

I    never    heard    him    mention    it.      Is    it    a 

fact   that   Wm.    Penn   made   such   offer   to 

our  ancestors? 

We    believe    the    "resident    of    Philadelphia" 

to  be  mistaken.    If  any  reader  can  furnish  data 

bearing   on   the   question   we   shall   be   pleased 

to  hear   from  him. 


GENEALOGICAL    NOTES    AND    QUERIES 


385 


QUERY  XLIV 
The  Fornwald   Family. 

S.    E.    Fornwald,    Danville,    Pa.,    writes    as 
follows : 

"I  would  like  some  data  that  would 
supply  the  connecting  link  between  Jacob 
Vornwald,  who  came  to  this  country  in 
1750,  Peter  Fornwald  born  in  or  near 
Reading,  Pa.,  in  1771.  I  would  also  like 
to  gtt  some  information  as  to  the  Melroy 
family.  My  grandfather,  Michael  Forn- 
wald, wet  and  married  Jane  Melroy  in 
Philadelphia,  but  we  have  been  unable  to 
find  any  information  as  to  her  family." 
or  near  Reading,  Pa.,  in  1771.  I  would 
also  like  to  get  some  information  as  to 
the  Melroy  family.  My  grandfather, 
Michael  Fornwald,  met  and  married  Jane 
Melroy  in  Philadelphia  but  we  have  been 
unable  to  find  any  information  as  to  her 
family." 

QUERY  XLV 
Beiteman  Muster  Roll 
Can  some  reader  of  The  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man   say    where    may    be    found    the    original 


muster  roll  of  Capt.  Frederick  Beitenman's 
Company  of  militia,  referred  to  in  Dodderer's 
"Perkiomen  Past  and  Present,"  Vol.  II,  page 
186? 

Can  some  reader  give  a  list  of  newspapers, 
if  any,  in  the  Middle  or  Southern  States  that 
publish   genealogical    data? 

Wm.  W.  Neifert, 
Room  738,  Conn.   Mutual   Bldg., 
Hartford,  Conn. 

QUERY  XLVI 
Frantz  and  Fricker  Family 

Can  any  one  give  me  any  information  about 
the  Frantz  family  or  the  Fricker  family? 
Anthony  Fricker,  an  innkeeper  of  Reading, 
married  Margaret  Weiser,  a  daughter  of  Con- 
rad Weiser.  Their  daughter  Margaret,  who 
lived  to  be  104  vears  old,  married  John  Frantz 
(1781-1834),  of  Reading.  Any  information 
concerning  the  early  history  of  these  families 
will  be  greatlv  appreciated  by 

William  G.  Murdock, 
Attornev-at-Law, 

Milton,  Pa. 


Pennsylvania  Historical  Societies 


The  Pennsylvania-German  Society 

has  just  issued  Vol.  XVII  of  its  proceedings 
and  addresses,  containing  a  report  of  the  an- 
nual meeting  held  at  Allentown,  November  2, 
1906,  and  pipers  on  The  Pennsylv.\nia-Ger- 
man  in  the  Revolutionary  War  1775-1783  and 
The  Gun  Makers  of  Old  Northampton.  We 
will  review  the  volume  in  the  next  issue. 

The  Historical  Society  of  Frankford 

held  its  last  stated  meeting  for  the  Spring, 
May  26,  1908.  This  society  has  an  active 
membership  and  corps  of  officers  and  is  doing 
good  work  in  collecting  data  relating  to  the 
local  history  of  the  community.  Vol.  i,  No.  6, 
of  Papers  Read  before  the  Society  a  reprint 
of  139  pages  from  The  Frankford  Gazette 
contains  interesting  papers  on  A  Sketch  of 
the  Life  of  Wm.  Welsh,  A  Sketch  of  the  Life 
of  Mrs.  William  Welsh,  Frankford's  First 
Schools  and  School  Masters  and  The  Public 
Schools. 

The    Pennsylvania    Federation    of    Historical 
Societies. 

In  a  neat  pamplet  of  2)^  pages  S.  P.  Heil- 
man.  M.D.,  Secretary,  has  published  the  Acts 
and   Proceedings  of  the  Third   Annual   Meet- 


ing of  Pennsylvania  Federation  of  Historical 
Societies,  January  2,  1908.  There  are  given 
in  order : 

Officers  1908,  Standing  Committees,  Societies 
(constituting  the  federation),  Proceedings  of 
the  Third  Annual  Meeting,  Statistics,  Treas- 
urer's Accounts,  Reports  of  Committees. 

The  Secretary  deserves  special  mention  and 
credit  for  the  tabulated  statistics  of  the  mem- 
bers for  the  year  ending  January  2nd.  1908. 
This  gives,  with  respect  to  each  Society,  of- 
ficers with  their  Addresses,  Number  of  mem- 
bers, Number  of  meetings,  titles  of  publications. 

The  last  named  subdivisio.n.  a  bibliographical 
table  of  the  Societies  for  1907,  containing  over 
150  titles,  is  a  unique  and  very  valuable 
feature  of  the  publication,  and  will  make  it  sig- 
nificant and  invaluable  historically,  ibeing  the 
first  annual  showing  of  the  kind  in  the  State 
of   Pennsylvania. 

These  societies  report  a  membership  of  over 
8,000.  There  ought  to  be  five  times  as  many 
members  all  active,  alert,  giving  some  time, 
labor  and  means  to  the  preservation  of  the 
historic  data  of  the  Old  Keystone  State.  Re- 
cording and  making  accessible  the  details  of 
our  history  will  help  to  give  Pennsylvania  the 
place  it  merits  historically  in  the  sisterhood  of 
States. 


384 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Reviews  and  Notes 

BY  PROF.  E.  S.  GERHARD.  TRENTON.  N.  J. 


Bishop  Joseph  Long,  the  Peerless  Preacher. 

By  R.  Yeakel.  Evangelical  Publishing 
House,.  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

Joseph  Long,  the  subject  of  this  biographical 
sketch,  was  born  in  1800,  in  Dauphin  Co.,  Pa., 
near  the  Swatara  river,  and  not  far  from  Har- 
risburg.  His  grandfather  emigrated  from  Ger- 
many in  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, and  settled  in  the  above-named  vicinity. 
When  Mr.  Long  was  only  five  vears  old,  his 
parents  moved,  to  Allegheny  county,  Pa., 
and  settled  near  Pittsburg;  and  in  1817  they 
joined  the  great  emigration  movement  for  the 
West  and  settled  in  Ohio.  In  a  great  religious 
revival  that  passed  over  this  community  in  the 
next  few  years,  Joseph  Long  became  a  convert 
to  the  Evangelical  faith.  He  was  a  faithful 
church  worker ;  he  was  soon  appointed  ex- 
horter,  and  later  bishop. 

The  rest  of  the  book  is  tedious  and  uninter- 
esting reading.  It  is  entirely  devoid  of  any- 
thing like  a  literary  style ;  a  large  part  reads  as 
though  it  had  been  taken  directly  from  some 
chronicle  or  record  of  events.  The  third  and 
last  part  contains  extracts  of  sermons  and  ad- 
dresses. The  sermons  of  course  read  as  all 
printed  sermons  do — that  is,  ndbody  reads 
them,  because  they  lack  vigor,  vitality,  and 
inspiration. 

The  book,  however,  has  some  interest  from 
an  historical  view-point ;  it  recounts  the  trials 
and  troubles,  the  dangers  and  privations  inci- 
dent upon  travel  in  that  wild  and  uncivilized 
region  of  the  '30's  and  '40's.  "The  course  of 
Empire"  has  moved  westward  since  those 
days. 

Bishop  Long  was  a  self-made  man ;  and  un- 
doubtedly he  was  a  remarkable  man  and 
possessed  considerable  power  as  a  minister. 
He  suffered  many  privations  and  sacrificed 
much  for  the  nobleness  of  the  cause  he  served. 
The  Strenuous  Career;  or,  Steps  to  Success. 
By  the  Rev.  IMadison  C.  Peters.  Illustrat- 
ed.   239  pp.    Laird  and  Lee,  Chicago,  1908. 

A  biographical  account  of  Rev.  Peters  was 
given  in  the  April  issue  of  The  Pennsyl- 
vania-German  Magazine,   1908. 

In  writing  this  book  Rev,  Peters  very  likely 
wrote  from  personal  experience;  he  himself 
began  at  the  bottom  of  ''he  ladder ;  conse- 
quently what  he  has  to  say  may  have  a  practi- 
cal value.  The  book  has  been  written  by  one 
who  was  in  the  "firing  line,"  not  by  the  literati 
in  the   study. 

Oddly  enough,  the  book  has  been  dedicated 
to  the  three  Straus  Brothers  of  New  York 
City,  one  of  whom  is  a  member  of  the  Presi- 
dent's Cabinet,  This  shows  the  regard  the 
Rev.  Mr,  Peters  has  for  the  Jew  and  his 
achievements,  and  his  contempt  for  the  in- 
justice that  has  been  heaped  upon  him,  as 
shown  in  his  book  entitled,  "Justice  to  the 
Jew," 

There  is  decidedly  more   style  to  this  book 


than  there  is  to  Rev.  Peters'  former  book, 
'■Justice  to  The  Jew,"  which  except  for  several 
pages,  almost  lacks  the  element  style.  The 
illustrations  seem  original ;  but  they  are  not 
very  well  executed.  They  look  rather  unique 
for  a  book  of  this  kind. 

The  books  on  success  and  self-help  are 
numberless,  and  they  neatly  all  read  alike. 
But  here  is  one  that  is  not  only  different  in 
title,  but  to  some  extent  different  from  the  rest 
in  the  nature  of  its  contents.  Chapters 
headed  like  the  following  show  its  practical 
helpfulness :  The  Age  of  The  Trained  Man ; 
Country  Boy  vs.  City  Bre.d  Men ;  Does  a  Col- 
lege Education  Pay?  Self-Supporting  at  Col- 
lege. 

Lead-Glazed    Pottery.      Part   First    (Common 
Clays),     By    Edwin    Atlee    Barber.    A.M., 
Ph.D,,  Curator  of  the  Pennsvlvania  Museum 
and    School    of    Industrial    Art,    Philadel- 
phia.      Copiously     illustrated.       Net,     90 
cents.      Doubleday,    Page    and    Co.,    New 
York,  1907. 
This  book  belongs  to  one   of   the   series  of 
Primers   of   Art   issued   by    the    above    named 
publishers.       It      includes      the      Plair    Glazed 
Pottery;  Sgraffito,  or    Incised,    Pottery;    Slip- 
decorated,      or      Slip-painted,      Pottery;      and 
Modelled,  or  Moulded  Pottery.     It  contains  an 
historical    sketch,    review   of    process,    and    an 
accurate    description   of   the   various    kinds    of 
ware  produced  in  the  different  counties. 

It  can  readily  be  said  that  nearly  all  the 
pottery  of  this  kind  made  iuthe  United  States 
was  made  by  the  Pennsylvania^Germans. 
When  the  Germans  settled  in  Pennsylvanict 
they  brought  the  art  of  decorating  pottery 
with  them.  Their  potteries  were  erected  almost 
entirely  in  the  counties  of  Bucks  and  Mont- 
gomery, Among  those  who  manufactured 
sgrafiitto  pottery  we  find  the  names  of  Georg 
Hiibener,  whose  pottery  was  somewhere  in  the 
upper  part  of  Montgomery  count}'.  Andrew 
Headman,  who  had  a  small  pottery  in  Bucks, 
Co.,  and  David  Spinner  one  of  the  foremost 
potters  of  Bucks  Co,  The  old  pottery  was 
situated  on  Willow  Creek,  Milford  Township; 
and  Johannes  Neesz  (Nase)  who  had  a  pottery 
near  Tylersport,  Montgomery  county.  Among 
those  who  manufactured  slip  decorated  pottery 
are  found  the  names  of  Benjamin  Bergey, 
Charles  Headman,  and  John  Leidy,  who  had 
a  pottery  at  Souderton,  Montgomery  county. 

This  book  is  the  first  comprehensive  and 
authoritative  work  on  the  subject.  It  contains 
a  fine  tribute  to  the  decorative  art  of  the 
Pennsylvania-Germans,  who  are  here  again 
the  pioneers  as  they  are  in  many  other  in- 
stances. The  book  is  handsomely  illustrated; 
it  is  in  itself  a  work  of  art.  It  is  interesting, 
instructive  reading,  and  contains  all  available 
information  for  those  who  are  interested  in 
this  subject  and  wish  to  identify  specimens. 


GLATTFELDER 


GLATTFELDER  CHURCH 


Vol.  IX 


No.*9 


SEPTEMBER,  1908 

The  Ancestral  Home  of  the  Pennsylvania- 
Germans 

BY  PROF.   J.   F.   L.   RASCHEN,  LAFAYETTE  COLLEGE,  EASTON,  PA. 

(Read  before  the  Nortlxampton  Co.  Historical  Society,  Easton,  Pa.,  June  6th,  ipo8). 


HE  long  line  of  German  im- 
migrants in  the  colony  of 
Pennsylvania  begins  with 
the  advent  of  Daniel  Francis 
Pastorius  in  August,  1683. 
As  the  agent  of  what  may 
properly  be  called  the  first 
real  estate  company  in  this  Common- 
wealth, the  Frankford  Company,  this  in- 
teresting and  able  man,  together  with  the 
thirteen  families  from  Crefeld  and  Kriegs- 
heim,  who  came  two  months  after  his  ar- 
rival, became  the  founder  of  the  pioneer 
German  community,  Germantown.  After 
the  coming  of  these  first  colonists  immi- 
gration from  Germany  for  a  considerable 
time  was  but  small  and  sporadic,  and 
the  landing  of  forty  German  people  in 
1694  was  considered  an  extraordinary 
event.  These  new-comers  were  a  band 
of  pietists  under  the  direction  of  Johann 
Kelpius,  who  selected  the  banks  of  the 
beautiful  Wissahickon  as  a  site  for  their 
hermit  colony. 

Not  until  1 710  came  the  first  large  in- 
flux of  Germans  into  Pennsylvania. 
These  were  several  hundred  of  Menno- 
nites  from  Switzerland,  and  they  made 
their  way  into  Lancaster  county,  which 
became  their  new  home.  But  a  year  before 
the  arrival  of  these  Swiss  about  three 
thousand  Palatines  had  landed  in  New 
York,  having  been  directed  there  by  the 


British  Government.*  These  Palatines 
first  settled  along  the  Hudson  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  present  Saugerties,  but 
soon  became  dissatisfied  with  their  con- 
dition, and  in  I7i2-'i3  began  an  exodus 
into  the  valleys  of  the  Mohawk  and  the 
Schoharie.  After  ten  years  of  residence 
there  33  families  of  these  Palatines  left 
their  homesteads  and  under  great  hard- 
ships and  many  privations  carved  their 
way  through  the  wilds  of  northern  New 
York  to  reach  the  headwaters  of  the  Sus- 
quehanna. Having  come  to  this  river 
they  floated  down-stream  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Swatara  Creek,  then  followed  that 
stream  and  finally  located  in  the  district 
of  the  Tulpehocken,  forming  the  nucleus 
of  the  German  settlers  in  Berks  county. 

Six  years  prior  to  this  settlement,  in 
17 1 7,  between  six  and  seven  thousand 
Palatines  and  Swiss  who  had  landed  in 
Philadelphia,  excited  considerable  alarm 
among  the  English-speaking  colonists, 
who  feared  the  consequences  of  this 
foreign  invasion.  But  when,  contrary  to 
their  expectation,  the  foreigners  did  not 
continue  to  flock  in  in  large  numbers  and 
their  fear  of  being  overrun  proved 
groundless,  their  excitement  subsided. 

But    this    was    only    an    intermission 


*Out  of  a  total  of  15,000  that  came  to  England  to 
go  to  Pennsylvania,  8.500  were  Palatines.  Cp.  Pro- 
ceedings of  Pennsylvania-German  Society,  Vol.  VII, 
p.   411. 


388 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


which  resembled  the  calm  that  portends 
the  storm.  For  by  1726  the  migratory 
spirit  was  reviving  in  Germany  and  be- 
ginning with  that  year  a  host  of  Germans 
began  to  pour  into  the  colony.  Naturally 
the  fear  and  the  excitement  of  1717  re- 
vived also,  and  the  Provincial  Council 
took  steps  for  the  preservation  of  the 
colony  as  a  British  province  by  requir- 
ing from  every  foreigner  upon  his  arrival 
a  declaration  of  his  allegiance  and  sub- 
mission to  the  king  of  Great  Britain,  and 
of  his  fidelity  to  the  Proprietary  of  Penn- 
sylvania. The  same  resolution  further- 
more provided  that  the  masters  of  vessels 
importing  foreigners  should  prepare  and 
furnish  to  the  authorities  a  list  of  passen- 
gers, their  occupations,  and  places  from 
which  they  came.  By  this  measure  there 
have  been  placed  within  reach  of 
students  of  colonial  history,  and  those  of 
Pennsylvania-German  history  especially, 
documents  of  incalculable  value  for 
tracing  processes  in  the  history  of  colon- 
ization in  this  State. 

German  emigration,  as  has  been  shown, 
was  not  very  numerous  between  the 
years  1683  and  171 7,  The  total  number 
of  immigrants  was  probably  not  exceed- 
ing five  hundred.  Larger  by  far  was 
the  number  of  those  who  came  between 
17 1 7  and  1727,  a  period  not  marked  by 
a  steady  influx  of  great  numbers.  For 
this  period  12,000  may  be  considered  a 
conservative  figure.  Thus  the  total  num- 
ber of  Germans  who  settled  in  Penni- 
sylvania  from  1683  until  1727,  forty- 
four  years,  approaches  13,000.  Allowing 
for  the  natural  growth  and  increase  of 
those  who  settled  here,  the  figures  of 
Professor  Kuhns,  who  estimated  that  the 
total  German  population  at  the  end  of 
1727  was  15,000  or  at  the  most  20,000, 
appear  correct. 

Mention  has  been  made  that  the  bulk 
of  newcomers  were  Palatines  and  Swiss. 
Now  the  lists  of  passengers  furnished  to 
the  council  from  1727  to  1734  classed 
all  the  immigrants  as  Palatines.  After 
1754  these  lists  no  longer  furnish  infor- 
mation regarding  the  former  place  of 
residence  of  the  immigrant.  But  the  of- 
fical  records  between  1734  and  1754  show 
that   the   immigrants   had   been   for   the 


greater  part  inhabitants  of  the  Palatinate 
and  of  Switzerland.  The  provinces 
bordering  on  these  lands,  such  as  Alsace, 
Swabia,  and  Hesse  and  other  German 
states,  were  represented,  but  in  much 
smaller  numbers.  Thus  in  point  of  time 
and  of  numbers  the  Palatines  may  justly 
claim  priority  among  their  fellow-coun- 
trymen. The  preponderance  of  their  in- 
fluence is  furthermore  established  by  the 
fact  that  their  customs  and  manners,  and 
above  all,  their  native  dialect,  the  chief 
element  in  the  Pennsylvania-German 
vernacular,  have  prevailed  over  every 
other  until  the  present. 

Time  will  not  permit  a  consideration  of 
the  ancestral  home  of  any  of  the  German 
peoples  that  flocked  to  this  common- 
wealth, save  that  of  the  Palatines.  Their 
priority  has  been  fully  established,  and 
while  the  others  truly  merit  our  thought- 
ful regard,  we  shall  only  be  able  to  take 
a  little  journey  to  the  home  of  the  Pala- 
tines on  the  Rhme. 

By  the  name  Palatinate  we  commonly 
understand  the  region  on  the  left  bank 
of  the  Rhine  situate  between  Mayence 
and  Spires.  This,  the  Palatinate  on  the 
Rhine,  or  the  Rheinpfalz,  is  distinguished 
from  the  Upper  Palatinate  in  Southern 
Germany.  During  the  various  periods  of 
German  history  the  territorial  extent  of 
the  two  has  frequently  changed  so  that 
the  name  Palatinate  does  not  always  sig- 
nify exactly  the  same  territory.  Refer- 
ring particularly  to  the  Rhenish  Palati- 
nate, it  may  suffice  to  know  that  the 
region  designated  by  that  name  today  is 
not  as  extensive  as  the  Palatinate  of 
the  days  of  Pastorius.  All  these  terri- 
torial changes  to  which  the  land  in  ques- 
tion has  been  subjected  may  be  referred 
to  one  or  more  of  the  following  causes : 
conquest  by  the  enemy,  the  favoritism  of 
Emperors  or  the  extinction  of  the  ruling 
line.  Today  the  Palatinate  is  a  Bavarian 
government  district  extending  over  about 
2,288  square  miles  (5928  qkm),  with  a 
population  of  730,000  inhabitants,  58  per 
cent  of  whom  are  Protestants.  Since 
1 81 5  it  has  been  incorporated  in  the  king- 
dom of  Bavaria,  while  in  its  palmy  days 
its  sovereign  rulers,  the  Electors,  decided 
the  fate  of  Emperors  and  Empires. 


THE  ANCESTRAL  HOME  OF  THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMANS 


389 


During  the  reign  of  the  Emperor 
Charlemagne  the  district  of  the  present 
Palatinate  was  in  the  hands  of  feudal 
lords.  Its  inhabitants  were  the  descend- 
ants of  Franks  and  Alemanni,  the  name 
Palatinate  being  entirely  unknown  then. 
When  the  great  empire,  after  the  death 
of  Lothair  came  to  be  parceled  out,  Louis 
the  German  took  the  eastern  section  of 
the  vast  domain,  including  the  territory 
along  the  right  bank  of  the  Rhine,  and 
that  portion  on  its  left  bank  which  is  situ- 
ated around  Mayence,  Worms  and  Spires. 
This  strip  was  given  him,  it  is  said,  on 
account  of  the  wine,  and  approximately 
it  is  the  same  strip  that  bears  the  name 
Palatinate  today.  So  from  that  day,  in 
870,  when  Germany  launched  out  on  her 
career  as  a  nation  these  lands  have  formed 
a  part  of  German  soil. 

When  the  Holy  Roman  Empire  of  the 
German  nation  was  established.  Otto  I, 
the  Great,  created  the  offices  of  the  pals- 
graves :  the  one  in  Franconian  territory, 
the  other  in  Saxon  lands.  Each  of  these 
tribes  was  subject  to  its  own  code  of 
laws,  and  the  palsgraves  were  appointed 
to  administer  justice  according  to  the  code 
in  vogue  in  their  territory.  Duke  Eber- 
hard  of  Franconia  was  appointed  to  exer- 
cise this  authority  as  palsgrave  in  the 
territory  along  the  Rhine.  Already  at 
the  coronation  of  this  emperor  in  936  the 
Franconian  duke  had  been  one  of  the  six 
powerful  vassals  who  were  then  consti- 
tuted arch-officers  of  the  empire,  to  act 
at  and  serve  the  emperor  at  every  high 
function.  But  these  real  offices  became 
titulary  and  honorary  through  the  Golden 
Bull  of  Charles  IV.  At  the  imperial  diet 
at  Metz,  in  1356,  this  powerful  monarch 
conferred  upon  the  archdignitaries  of  the 
empire,  since  they  had  risen  to  such  power 
and  influence,  the  rights  and  privileges 
which  they  had  usurped.  At  this  time  he 
also  bestowed  upon  the  palsgrave  of  the 
Rhine  the  dignity  of  the  electoral  office 
in  the  college  of  the  dukes  that  elected  or 
deposed  the  emperor.  For  having  con- 
ferred this  honor  the  emperor  received  a 
strip  of  land  from  the  new  Elector. 

Originally  the  palsgraves  resided  at 
Aix-la-Chapelle,  the  capital  of  the  em- 
pire.    In   1155  the  palsgrave  Conrad  of 


Hohenstaufen  transferred  his  residence 
from  the  imperial  city  to  the  then  insig- 
nificant castle  Heidelberg.  The  town 
Heidelberg  thereby  rose  to  prominence 
and  power,  and  by  the  founding  of  its 
university  in  1386  grew  to  such  fame  that 
its  name  is  known  in  every  land. 

Beginning  with  the  days  of  Otto  I,  the 
land  of  the  palsgraves  on  the  Rhine,  prob- 
ably then  already  assuming  the  name 
Palatinate,  continued  not  always  under 
the  sway  of  the  descendants  of  its  ruler. 
Frequently  the  favoritism  of  the  emperor 
or  the  extinction  of  one  line  would  bring 
the  Palatinate  under  the  rule  of  a  new 
dynasty.  This  accounts  for  the  fact  that 
Hohenstaufen  princes  and  Bavarian 
dukes  alternated  with  princes  from  the 
Rhenish  Palatinate  in  exercising  the  of- 
fice of  Elector. 

An  important  epoch  begins  with  1414, 
when  the  sons  of  Ruprecht  II  founded 
the  four  lines :  Kurpfalz,  Sulzbach,  Sim- 
mern,  and  Mossbach.  They  did  not  in- 
tend a  division  of  the  Palatinate,  but 
rather  aimed  to  keep  it  intact  as  an  elec- 
torate. Therefore  they  agreed  that  in  the 
event  of  the  extinction  of  the  first  line 
the  land  should  fall  to  second,  and  so  on. 
This  agreement  was  sanctioned  by  the 
Emperor  Sigismund  in  1414,  and  subse- 
quently in  1434.  Though  apparently  di- 
vided, the  Palatinate  was  nevertheless  one 
sovereignty. 

As  the  Palatinate  was  one  of  the  bor- 
derlands of  the  German  empire,  fair  and 
fertile  and  prosperous,  it  began  to  dis- 
turb the  peace  of  covetous  French  mon>- 
archs.  And  when  this  German  land 
would  remain  German,  their  vindictive 
spirit  would  not  down  until  by  utter  de- 
vastation the  flourishing  plain  had  been 
laid  waste,  and  the  pride  of  the  people  had 
been  trodden  under  foot  and  ruined.  The 
begipning  of  the  terrible  devastations  falls 
in  the  time  of  the  Thirty  Years  War. 
The  events  that  led  up  to  this  are  briefly 
as  follows : 

When  the  efforts  of  the  Reformation, 
inaugurated  by  Martin  Luther,  were  ex- 
tended to  the  Palatinate  they  were  not  op- 
posed or  checked  by  its  Roman  Catholic 
ruler  Louis  V  (1508- '44).  His  son.  Otto 
Henry  (1545-1559),  the  art-loving  prince 


390 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


who  added  the  beautiful  Renaissance 
structure  to  the  castle  at  Heidelberg,  was 
a  Lutheran  and  favored  the  Reformation. 
♦  By  introducing  the  ideas  of  Melanchthon 
in  the  University  he  made  this  the  "Reper- 
to-Carola,"  one  of  the  foremost  seats  of 
the  new  humanistic  studies  in  Germany. 
Also  by  his  gifts  of  valuable  manuscripts 
he  enriched  the  town  library. 

And  as  easily  as  the  doctrines  of  the 
Reformation  seemed  to  take  root  there 
the  tenets  of  the  Reformed  Church  came 
to  be  accepted  in  the  Palatinate.  Freder- 
ick III,  of  the  Simmern  line,  was  greatly 
interested  in  the  controversy  of  the  two 
religious  parties.  Their  discussions  were 
carried  on  in  Heidelberg  during  the  years 
1560  and  1 56 1,  and  when  they  were  over 
he,  though  he  had  previously  signed  the 
articles  of  the  Augsburg  Confession,  em- 
braced the  doctrines  of  Calvinism.  This 
resulted  in  the  framing  of  the  Heidelberg 
Catechism,  the  elaboration  of  which  was 
entrusted  to  the  eminent  divinity  schol- 
ars Boquinus,  Olevianus,  Ursinus  and 
Tremellius.  This  great  document  was 
completed  in  1563  and  then  offered  for 
acceptance  among  the  Palatines.  By  the 
Religious  Peace  of  Augsburg  in  1555,  a 
cessation  of  hostilities  between  Catholics 
and  Protestants  was  effected,  but,  strange 
to  relate,  by  the  adoption  of  the  principle 
cuius  regio  eius  religio  (i.  e.,  the  religion 
of  the  ruler  shall  be  that  of  the  people), 
that  assembly  became  responsible  for  the 
expatriation  of  thousands,  the  breaking 
up  of  families,  and  the  destruction  of 
flourishing  lands. 

Bearing  in  mind  this  maxim,  cuius 
regio  eius  religio,  we  can  readily  under- 
stand why  there  have  been  so  many  re- 
ligious disturbances  in  the  Palatinate. 
Now  Frederick  HI  was  favorable  to  the 
Reformed  Church,  he  was  tolerant  and 
benevolent.  During  his  reign  refugees 
from  Holland  and  from  France,  the 
Huguenots,  were  made  welcome  by  him 
and  given  permission  to  settle  in  the 
Palatinate.  They  mainly  located  in 
Frankenthal  near  Mannheim.  But  the 
tolerant  Frederick  was  succeeded  by 
Louis  VI,  a  Lutheran,  who  reintroduced 
the  Lutheran  doctrine  and  consequently 
discharged  the  Reformed  clergy.     He  in 


turn  was  followed  by  a  Calvinist,  Johann 
Casimir,  who,  of  course,  restored  the 
status  quo.  As  he  was  the  guardian  of 
the  son  of  Louis  he  had  his  ward  care- 
fully trained  in  the  tenets  of  the  Re- 
formed Church.  So  when  the  latter  as 
Frederick  IV  came  to  power  he,  naturally, 
upheld  the  religious  views  in  which  he 
had  been  reared.  This  same  Elector, 
though  an  incapable  drunkard,  in  161 5 
became  the  head  of  the  Evangelical 
Union,  that  miHtant  force  which  repre- 
sented Protestant  Germany  during  the 
Thirty  Years  War. 

The  man  who  plunged  the  Palatinate, 
and  incidentally  all  Germany,  into  the 
disaster  of  the  great  war,  was  Frederick 
V.  In  1619  this  unfortunate  Elector 
Palatine  accepted  the  crown  of  Bohemia, 
and  foolishly  engaged  in  war  with  the 
house  of  Austria  at  a  time  when  he  was 
impecunious  and  unable  to  carry  on  a 
long  struggle  against  so  strong  a  foe. 
Retribution  came  swiftly  and  terribly.  He 
was  deprived  of  his  new  crown,  put  to  the 
ban,  robbed  of  his  lands,  which  became 
the  object  of  spoliation  of  the  hordes  of 
Spaniards  under  Spinola.  His  poor  sub- 
jects were  forced  into  the  acceptance  of 
the  Catholic  faith  or  were  killed. 

Spinola  had  merely  been  the  forerun- 
ner of  Tilly  and  the  Spaniard  Cordova. 
They  mercilessly  ravaged  the  province 
from  one  end  to  the  other.  In  1622 
Heidelberg  was  given  over  by  Tilly  for 
three  days  to  be  plundered.  While  the 
castle  escaped  almost  without  injury,  the 
splendid  library  was  despoiled  and  car- 
ried off  to  enrich  the  Vatican.  This  mis- 
ery in  the  Palatinate  did  not  end  until 
the  long  war  was  brought  to  its  close  in 
1648,  for  the  Romanists  who  controlled 
the  Palatinate  ruled  with  a  rod  of  iron. 

Hardly  had  the  land  begun  to  recover 
from  the  atrocities  and  distress  of  the 
terrible  war  which  had  decimated  its  pop- 
ulation, laid  waste  cities,  prostrated  agri- 
culture, and  commerce,  when  the  cry  of 
war  again  rang  out  through  the  land.  This 
time  France  was  the  aggressor.  She  had 
demanded  that  the  Elector  Palatine, 
Charles  Ludwig,  should  ally  himself  with 
her  against  the  Emperor.  The  German 
prince  refused  to  stoop  to  such  low  pro- 


THE  ANCESTRAL  HOME  OE  THE  PEXXSYLVANIA-GERMAXS 


391 


cedure.  The  French  king,  Louis  XIV, 
thereupon  directed  his  general  Turemie 
to  ravage  the  Palatinate.  This  great  gen- 
eral in  1674  seized  Phillipsburg  and  then 
began  that  series  of  barbarities  through- 
out the  land  that  is  among  the  most  in- 
human in  the  annals  of  history.  The 
unfortunate  and  helpless  Elector  was 
watching  the  burning  of  towns  from  his 
castle,  he  sent  a  personal  challenge  to  his 
great  adversary,  but  it  availed  him  little, 
the  ruthless  destruction  went  on  till  one 
of  the  fairest  provinces  of  Germany  was 
reduced  to  charred  ruins  and  barren 
wastes.  The  ill  treatment  of  the  inhabi- 
tants answered  to  the  spoiling  of  their 
lands.  Turenne  spent  all  July  devastating 
all  that  part  of  the  Palatinate  which  lies 
on  the  right  bank  of  the  Rhine;  August 
he  devoted  to  that  on  the  left.  And  as 
if  they  wished  to  heap  insult  upon  injury, 
the  peace  commissioners  at  Nymwegen 
exacted  from  the  impoverished  Elector 
the  payment  of  150,000  Gulden,  and  the 
surrender  of  some  of  his  lands.  It  is 
no  wonder  that  he  died  of  grief  (1680). 

It  was  under  his  son  and  successor, 
Charles,  that  the  first  Palatines,  from 
Kriegsheim  near  Worms,  in  1683,  set  out 
for  Pennsylvania. 

When  Charles  died,  in  1685,  the  suc- 
cession fell  to  Philip  William  of  the 
Neuburg  line,  who  were  Roman  Catho- 
lics. At  this  juncture  the  French  mon- 
arch Louis  XIV,  the  disturber  of  the 
peace,  believed  the  moment  opportune 
for  the  acquisition  of  a  fair  province.  He 
promptly  denied  the  right  of  Philip  Wil- 
liam to  the  succession,  and  demanded  the 
Palatinate  "for  his  brother  Philip,  in  the 
right  of  his  wife,  the  sister  of  the  de- 
ceased Elector."  A  storm  of  protest 
arose  throughout  Germany,  and  her 
princes  formed  the  league  of  Augsburg 
for  the  defense  of  the  claims  of  Philip 
William. 

That  same  year  the  French  king,  in- 
cited by  his  mistress,  Mme.  de  Maintenon 
revoked  the  edict  of  Nantes,  and  thereb} 
caused  the  exodus  of  the  hundred 
thousands  of  Huguenot  artisans,  scholars 
and  clergy  that  were  among  the  flower 
of  the  nation.  In  spite  of  interdict.  the> 
fled   to   Holland   and   England   and    the 


Palatinate.     Against  the  latter  the  wrath 
of  the  king  and  of  his  mistress  was  incited 
because  of  the  harboring  of  so  many  of 
his   fugitive  subjects.     So  another  cam- 
paign of  extermination  was  planned,  and 
came  to  be  executed  in  the  year   1689. 
The  order  from  the  king's  mistress  was 
"to  burn  the  Palatinate,"  and  the  French 
general  Montclas  carried  out  orders  lit- 
erally.   From  Cologne  to  Worms  extend- 
ed  a   line   of   smoking   ruins,    and   men 
intent  upon   rescuing  their  little   posses- 
sion were  put  to  the  sword.    This  eclipsed 
the  atrocities  of  Turenne's  campaign  in 
1674.     Like  his  unfortunate  predecessor, 
the  Elector  stood  on  the  walls  of  his  castle 
in  Mannheim.     There  he  counted  in  one 
day    23    towns    and    villages    in    flames. 
Rapine,  murder,  wanton  destruction  were 
wrought  everywhere  by  these  hyenas  of 
war.     No  wonder  that  the  league,  seeing 
the  pillage  and  havoc  brought  about  by 
the  French,  at  the  diet  of  Ratisbon,  in 
1689,     formally    declared    war    against 
France  and  expelled  every  French  agent 
from  the  country,  and  branded  her  the 
foe  of  all  Christendom  who  was  far  worse 
than   the   Turk.      This    declaration   pro- 
voked the  fury  and  wrath  of  the  French 
king,  and  breathing  slaughter  his  bands 
in  1692  invaded  the  Palatinate  again.  This 
time     they     fiendishly     destroyed     and 
wrecked  the  casde  at  Heidelberg.     None 
whose  moral  sense  is  not  atropihied  can 
look  upon  that  work  of  wreckage  at  this 
castle  without  having  his  blood  mount  in 
his  cheeks  at  the  thought  of  the  wanton 
destruction  caused  by  a  base  fiend. 

The  war  was  drawn  out  until  1697, 
having  for  its  scene  the  various  parts  of 
the  Palatinate.  But  before  it  ended,  a 
new  Elector  had  come  into  power.  This 
was  John  Williams,  an  ardent  Romanist. 
By  endeavoring  to  coerce  his  subjects  into 
accepting  Romanism,  he  added  to  the 
miseries  incident  to  the  depredations  of 
war  the  sufferings  of  religious  persecu- 
tion. And  these  tribulations  did  not  cease 
until,  in  1705,  Prussia  and  Brunswick 
called  a  halt.  By  an  agreement  reached 
then,  the  Protestants  were  declared  eligi- 
ble for  public  office;  to  the  Reformed 
were  given  five-sevenths  of  all  the  church 
buildings,   while  to  the  Lutherans  were 


392 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


restored  all  those  edifices  which  they  had 
held  since  1624. 

Then  came  the  war  of  the  Spanish  Suc- 
cession, keeping  all  Europe  astir,  and  the 
Palatinate  again  became  the  scene  of  con- 
flict and  war,  and  therefore  of  suttermg. 
The  French,  in  search  of  their  foes,  tra- 
versed the  land,  and  where  they  went 
they  ravaged  it.  In  1707  Marshal  Villars 
led  an  army  of  French  troops  through 
the  Palatinate  with  the  intention  of  repeat- 
ing the  horrors  of  1689.  Charred  ruins 
and  impoverished  subjects  again  were  the 
result  of  the  visitation  of  his  inhuman 
soldiers. 

In  the  midst  of  such  trials,  with  what 
feelings  did  the  Palatines  look  upon  the 
past?  Had  not  their  sojourns  in  their 
ravaged  land  been  full  of  anxiety  and 
fears?  Who  will  charge  them  with  dis- 
loyalty when  they  resolutely  set  their  faces 
towards  the  West,  in  the  hope  of  finding 
a  better  land  where  reigned  peace  and 
quiet,  and  where  there  was  liberty  of  con- 
science? 

Only  such  potent  reasons  as  were  ad- 
vanced by  the  emigrant  Palatines  in  their 
addresses  to  the  Queen  of  England  in 
1708  can  explain  the  fact  of  their  de- 
parture from  their  native  land  on  the 
Rhine.  And  along  this  riyer,  the  largest 
and  best  navigable  stream  of  Germany, 
had  stood  their  native  hearths.  Here  on 
this  great  highway  of  commerce  their 
ancestors,  ever  since  the  crusades,  had 
seen  vessels  freighted  with  the  products 
of  the  south  and  the  east  destined  for  the 
great  marts  along  this  majestic  river, 
Mayence  and  Cologne.  Of  all  German 
cities  these  Rhenish  towns  were  the  first 
to  rise  to  wealth  and  independence.  And 
in  them  the  merchants  and  craftsmen  es- 
tablished themselves  by  virtue  of  their  in- 
dustry and  thrift,  so  that  there  arose  a 
new  patriciate  which  began  to  displace 
the  baronial  or  imperial  governors  of  the 
cities.  The  air  of  independence  which 
was  perceptible  in  the  cities  seemed  also 
to  hover  about  the  villages,  some  of  which 
are  situated  in  a  district  that  has  appro- 
propriately  been  called  the  garden  of  Ger- 
many. There  on  the  strip  between  the 
Necicar  and  the  Main,  favored  by  a  uni- 
formly mild  climate,  the  rich  soil  yields 


abundant  harvests,  and  in  consequence  of 
this  it  has  attracted  a  large  population. 

Here,  too,  the  inhabitants  were  the  first 
to  construct  their  cities  close  to  the  Rhine, 
in  view  of  its  advantage  to  shipping  in- 
terests up  and  downstream.  So  they 
reared  Worms  and  Spires  and  the  two 
Rhenish  ports  Mannheim  and  Ludwigs- 
hafen.  Even  the  other  towns,  a  little 
more  inland,  gained  a  great  advantage 
over  the  towns  and  cities  of  other  parts 
of  Germany  by  their  close  proximity  to 
the  great  coal  districts  on  the  River  Ruhr, 
and  because  of  the  shipping  facilities  af- 
forded by  the  Rhine. 

The  traveler  on  the  Rhine  today  looks 
with  pleasure  upon  the  peaceful  and 
prosperous  land  as  it  greets  his  eyes.  As 
he  turns  his  looks  to  the  east  he  views 
the  mountains  and  spurs  of  the  Black 
Forest  and  of  the  Odenwald,  while  to 
the  west  he  sees  the  Hardt  and  the  hills 
of  the  Westrich.  And  in  this  varied 
region  lie  scattered  the  many  prosperous 
towns  and  villages,  like  so  many  jewels, 
over  which  castles  and  ruins,  old  in  song 
and  story,  seem  to  be  keeping  watch  from 
their  precipitous  heights. 

A  study  of  the  type  and  character  of 
the  Palatines  develops  the  fact  that  they 
combine  in  themselves  some  of  the  char- 
acteristics of  the  Alemanni  and  the 
Franks.  Their  vernacular  is  partly  Fran- 
conian,  partly  Alemannic,  for  like  the 
former  they  say  "er  isz"  and  like  the 
latter  "du  bischt."  Still  their  disposition 
leans  toward  that  of  the  Franks,  who  are 
gay,  alert,  quick  and  energetic.  The 
things  that  have  aided  in  making  this 
characteristic  are  the  lively  traffic  to  which 
they  have  been  accustomed,  the  mildness 
of  the  sky  under  which  they  live,  also  the 
use  of  the  light  country  wine.  Especially 
str*iking  are  their  thrift  and  energy.  Their 
fields  yield  harvests  of  grain  and  fruit, 
of  tobacco  and  hops  that  are  second  to 
none  in  Germany ;  and  the  output  of  their 
factories  in  textures,  yarns,  leather,  chem- 
icals and  machinery  is  among  the  finest, 
as  respects  quality. 

The  energy  of  the  Palatine  is  indomit- 
able. When,  scarcely  ten  years  after  the 
Thirty  Years  War,  the  fields  throughout 
Germany  lay  waste  and  untilled,  the  Pala- 


THE  ANXESTRAL  HOME  OF  THE  PENxNSYLVANIA-GERMANS 


393 


tine  farmer  was  calmly  reaping  his  har- 
vest of  grain.  This  spirit  of  enterprise 
and  energy  probably  accounts  for  the 
Palatine's  instinct  for  money-getting.  It 
is  a  trait  which  one  of  their  poets  refers 
to  in  these  words  : 

Mar  is  uff  darre  Welt — frailich  aach  Gotl  zu 

ehrn — 
Jo  doch   for  sunscht  nix  do,  als   for  ze  prof- 

fedeern. 

It  has  been  observed  that  the  inscrip- 
tions of  the  houses  of  the  Palatines  dififer 
from  those  of  other  parts  of  Germany, 
in  that  the  note  of  the  religious  is  less 
expressed  in  them.  This,  a  close  observer 
remarks,  is  in  full  accord  with  their  prac- 
tical view  of  life,  which,  while  not  de- 
spising the  future,  rather  clings  to  the 
realities  at  hand  and  leaves  the  things 
hoped-for  and  unreal  to  take  care  of 
themselves. 

The  arrangement  of  the  houses  in  the 
Palatine  villages  displays  a  certain  care- 
lessness. Now  one  sees  a  clump  of  them 
arranged  in  straight  order,  city-fashion, 
then  again  in  promiscuous  style.  In  front 
of  them  they  usually  display  the  finest  of 
potted  flowers,  so  that  a  walk  through  the 
village  streets  resembles  a  walk  through  a 
flower  garden.  This  may  be  said  of  even 
the  smallest  and  poorest  village  in  the 
Westrich  district.  One  feature  the  Pala- 
tine of  our  day  has  not  been  willing  to 
part  with  is  the  old-fashioned  double 
housedoor,  with  its  upper  and  lower 
wings.  Frequently  leaning  on  the  lower 
door,  while  the  upper  is  swung  back,  he 
looks  from  his  snug  home  out  into  the 
fields  or  the  streets  before  him,  and  likes 
to  chat  from  here  with  his  neighbors  as 
they  pass  by.  This  house,  his  castle,  is 
also  an  index  to  his  character.  Spacious, 
with  pointed  gable,  its  bright  and  large 
windows  afford  an  unobstructed  view 
within ;  so  is  his  nature,  frank  and  open. 
And  in  this  he  differs  greatly  from  his 
neighbors  up  the  Rhine  or  in  Swabia. 
Their  character,  shy,  unobstrusive,  reti- 
cent, is  intimated  by  the  arrangement  and 
structure  of  their  houses,  which  are  less 
cheerful,  darker,  provided  with  small 
and  narrow  windows.  In  the  vinegrow- 
ins:  districts  of  the  Palatinate  the  vines  are 


often  planted  close  to  the  house  so  as  to 
form  an  arbor,  and  under  this  in  the 
circle  of  the  family  or  of  friends  they 
spend  the  delightful  summer  evenings. 

Like  in  so  many  parts  of  Germany  the 
peasants  of  the  districts  where  the  hub- 
bub and  influence  of  the  city  does  not 
intrude,  they  here  also  wear  a  peculiar 
costume,  especially  on  holidays  and  festive 
occasions.  It  is  of  interest  to  note  that 
the  color  scheme  frequently  displayed  is 
indicative  of  the  denomination  of  the 
wearer.  So  the  peasants  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  parts  display  more  blue,  green 
and  red  in  their  garb,  while  the  Protest- 
ant communities  show  a  preference  for 
more  sombre  colors,  chiefly  black. 

As  is  the  energy  of  the  Palatine  so  is 
his  speech ;  if  anything,  he  is  ready  at 
repartee.  In  this  he  distinguishes  him- 
self from  the  less  talkative  Swabian.  One 
word  with  him  begets  another  and  he 
often  thinks  it's  better  to  talk  nonsense 
than  not  to  talk  at  all.  In  passing  a 
tavern  one  may  frequently  hear  a  noise 
that  is  akin  to  a  brawl ;  entering,  one 
would  find  a  group  of  people  assembled 
peacefully,  though  not  calmly  discussing 
their  crop  of  tobacco  or  the  weather. 
There  is  a  spirit  of  joviality  and  playful- 
ness that  crops  out  now  and  then,  that 
makes  the  Palatine  youth  attempt  to  show 
off  as  "Schlitzohrig,"  i.  e.,  to  play  the 
rogue,  who  by  his  cleverness  has  succeed- 
ed in  giving  the  constable  the  sUp  but 
before  doing  so  has  been  marked  by  a 
cut  or  slit  in  the  ear.  It  is  a  spirit  of 
roguishness  that  points  to  a  happy  dis- 
position, one  that  is  full  of  optimism. 

Having  come  in  contact  with  the  teem- 
ing life  of  the  Rhenish  plain  for  these 
centuries,  the  Palatines  have  learned  to 
value  culture  and  education  and  today 
one  finds  among  the  lower  classes  of 
society  an  intelligence  not  ordinarily 
found  among  those  of  humble  station. 
Here  indeed  do  we  find  a  people  gifted 
with  a  vivid  imagination  as  can  be  seen 
from  the  legends  and  stories  which  they 
have  woven  around  the  prominent  cities 
and  places  or  men  in  their  midst.  Who 
has  not  heard  of  the  Nibelungenlied.  that 
grandest  of  all  German  epics,  the  lofty 
song  to  fidelity  and  lovaltv?     Its  scenes 


394 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


have  for  a  background,  the  old  German 
town  of  Worms,  and  the  Hvely  imagina- 
tion of  the  people  has  woven  that  beauti- 
ful garland  of  stories  around  the  charac- 
ters of  Siegfried,  Kriemhilde  and  Gunther 
and  Hagen,  which  makes  the  poem  one 
of  the  few  great  epics  in  the  world's  lit- 
-erature.  Again,  in  the  Palatine  town  of 
Kreuznach  about  1510  lived,  as  the  rector 
of  the  Gymnasium,  the  famed  Doctor 
Johann  Faustus,  His  mysterious  travels, 
his  boastful  assertions  and  charlatan 
tricks  gave  rise  to  that  flood  of  stories 
.and  legends  which  made  the  name  of 
Faust  the  best  known  throughout  the 
Middle  Ages.  And  this  was  the  charac- 
ter that  furnished  to  the  greatest  poet  of 
modern  times,  Goethe,  the  subject  for  his 
grandest  and  life-work,  Faust. 

A  people  with  such  an  imagination  can- 
not fail  to  be  alive  to  those  things  that 
make  for  advancement  and  culture. 

It  is  a  Palatine  city.  Treves,  that  en- 
joys the  distinction  of  being  the  oldest 
city  on  German  soil,  being  founded  as 
early  as  56  B.  C.  In  fact,  the  Rhinelands 
were  the  first  into  which  the  Romans  car- 
ried their  civilization  when  they  came  to 
Germany.  This  was  important,  for  it 
meant  the  establishment  of  villas,  amphi- 
theatres, baths,  palaces,  viaducts,  etc. 
The  uncivilized  Germans  thus  became  ac- 
quainted with  Roman  art  and  decorations 
in  an  unexpected  manner.  And  when,  a 
few  centuries  after  the  Christian  influence 
had  swept  aside  the  supremacy  of  Rome, 
his  art  began  to  take  shape  in  those  struc- 
tures which  form  the  nuclei  of  ancient 
cathedrals ;  in  tombstones  such  as  can  be 
seen  at  Treves,  and  in  monumental  in- 
scriptions in  Cologne,  most  of  this 
Roman-Christian  art  was  destroyed  dur- 
ing the  time  of  the  Great  Migrations, 
and  not  until  the  time  of  Charlemagne 
was  there  an  attempt  to  revive  the  arts. 
His  plans  to  revive  the  ancient  Roman 
Empire  with  all  its  splendor  are  responsi- 
ble for  the  erection  of  magnificent  pal- 
aces at  Aix-la-Chapelle  and  Ingelheim, 
and  of  fine  churches  such  as  we  see  in 
Hochst. 

No  doubt  these  beginnings  encouraged 
the  Franconian  tribes  along  the  Rhine 
in  the  loth  century  to  develop  their  own 


ideas  of  art,  and  in  doing  so  they  were 
far  in  advance  of  the  artists  of  Swabia 
and  Saxony.  With  the  fragments  of 
Roman  and  Christian  art  before  them 
there  developed  artificers  with  consider- 
able manual  skill,  and  the  style  of  the 
structures  w^hich  they  reared  for  houses 
of  worship  followed  that  of  the  Roman 
basilica.  But  soon  they  developed  the  style 
of  architecture  known  as  Romanesque. 
Pillars  and  columns  were  connected  by 
rounded  arches,  and  the  doors  and  win- 
dows were  made  to  terminate  in  that  man- 
ner. In  order  to  form  a  harmonious  con- 
necting link  between  the  column  and  the 
arch  above  it,  they  introduced  the  cubical 
capital.  They  showed  individuality  and 
good  taste  in  using  alternate  courses  of 
stone  of  different  colors  in  their  edifices, 
thereby  breaking  the  monotony  of  the 
dark  sandstone.  And  when,  in  the  nth 
century,  the  cities  rose  to  wealth,  they 
were  enabled  to  extend  their  churches, 
and  then  began  also  the  construction  of 
vaulting  in  advance  of  all  other  parts  of 
Germany. 

The  art  of  the  gold  and  silversmiths  be- 
gan to  come  into  use  in  the  decoration  of 
the  churches  almost  simultaneously  with 
that  of  the  painters  in  enamel.  But  above 
all  did  their  mural  painters  add  to  the 
embellishment  of  the  interior  by  the  works 
of  their  brush. 

To  what  an  extent  structural  art  has 
been  developed  along  the  Rhine  is  seen 
in  such  edifices  as  the  Cologne  Cathedral, 
the  Strasburg  Minster,  which  are  among 
the  finest  and  largest  edifices  in  the  wodd ; 
also  in  those  smaller  cathedrals  which 
number  among  the  best  and  grandest 
monuments  of  German  Medieval  x^rt  to 
be  seen  in  Speyer  and  Wonns  and 
Mayence.  What  mighty  sermons  in  stone 
these  must  have  been  to  the  Palatines 
when  they  beheld  these  structures  tower- 
ing heavenward !  The  novelty  of  their 
style  lies  in  the  arched  roofs,  and  among 
those  of  the  middle  Rhine,  in  the  columns 
that  serve  as  supports  which  are  differ- 
ently shaped  than  those  which  bear  the 
arcades.  The  former  are  also  placed 
more  closely  together. 

When,  in  the  12th  and  13th  centuries, 
Cologne  became  the  chief  artcenter,  its 


THE  ANCESTRAL   HOME  OF  THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAXS 


395 


influence  began  to  extend  to  every 
Rhenish  town  and  then  developed  that 
style  which  inappropriately  has  been 
named  the  traditional  style,  as  if  it  had 
been  the  forerunner  of  the  Gothic  style. 
In  reality,  this  style  is  "the  final  and  most 
ornate  manifestation  of  Romanesque 
architecture."  Its  embellishments  are  the 
result  of  consummate  skill ;  its  color  ef- 
fects are  of  the  most  pleasing  character. 
To  heighten  the  decorative  effect,  galleries 
were  introduced  immediately  under  the 
roof;  and  by  placing  a  frieze  of  dark 
slabs,  edged  by  a  light  color  stone  directly 
under  this  gallery  the  eft'ect  of  light  and 
shade  was  greatly  heightened.  Round 
and  fanshaped  windows,  enclosed  in  a 
pointed  arch ;  columns,  of  different  color 
than  the  wall,  portals  decorated  with 
several  columns  and  the  door  space  above 
filled  with  sculpture,  all  these  are  the  dis- 
tinguishing marks  of  the  Romanesque 
style. 

Nor  were  these  Rhenish  people  as 
ready  to  take  up  the  early  Gothic  style 
as  it  began  to  tiourish  in  France.  Not 
until  the  year  1250  do  we  find  that  this 
style  gained  acceptance  in  Germany.  And 
it  was  the  Rheinland  again  that  began  its 
development.  In  Cologne  there  arose 
the  church  of  St.  Gereon,  in  Treves  the 
Church  of  Our  Lady,  in  Strasburg  St. 
Thomas'.  But  in  accepting  the  new  form 
the  Germans  were  not  mere  copyists ;  they 
took  the  idea,  but  developed  it  indepen- 
dently of  their  models,  and  improved  upon 
them.  So  we  have  in  the  facades  and 
towers  of  the  Cologne  Strassburg  cathe- 
drals an  emanation  of  the  German  mind. 
One  of  the  superb  minor  Gothic  churches 
in  the  Palatinate  is  St.  Catherine's,  at 
Oppenheim.  Partially  destroyed  in  1689, 
it  has  been  recently  restored. 

When  the  Renaissance  style  came  from 
France  in  the  sixteenth  century,  it  gained 
less  ground  in  Germany  than  the  Gothic. 
The  cause  for  this  seems  to  lie  in  the 
wars  which  swept  over  German  territorv^ 
and  in  the  rule  of  ecclesiastical  princes. 


But  here  and  there  we  find  secular  princes 
who  built  their  castles  in  this  style ;  "the 
most  sumptuous"  example  of  the  German 
Renaissance  being  the  castle  at  Heidel- 
berg. Among  others  might  be  mentioned 
the  porch  of  the  Rathaus  of  Cologne. 

As  one  views  the  churches  along  the 
Rhine  it  is  noticeable  that  the  prevailing 
style  is  the  Romanesque :  low  walls,  small 
windows,  a  square  nave  bay.  To  be 
sure,  their  square  eastern  termination,  and 
their  apses  appear  a  little  clumsy.  But 
no  greater  pride  attaches  to  these  than 
to  the  magnificent  Gothic  edifices  like 
the  cathedrals  of  Strasburg  and  Cologne. 
They  are  thoroughly  German,  and  the 
latter  undisputably  is  the  finest  and  most 
perfect  example  of  Gothic  architecture  in 
existence,  and  is  "the  most  magnificent 
and  most  stupendous  edifice  raised  by  the 
hand  of  man  to  the  service  of  the  Cre- 
ator." 

Our  visit  to  the  land  of  the  Pala- 
tines has  been  made.  Were  they  "hewers 
of  wood,  and  carriers  of  water,"  as  has 
been  thoughtlessly  said?  In  leaving  be- 
hind them  a  land  upon  which  was  the 
smile  of  heaven,  so  that  the  fields  in  their 
season  yielded  their  rich  increase ;  where 
past  generations  through  industrious  ac- 
tivity had  seen  the  rise  of  prosperity  and 
advancement  in  their  midst ;  where,  like 
a  beacon-light,  stood  the  famous  univer- 
sity, sending  its  light  into  every  corner 
of  the  favored  province ;  where  every 
church  edifice  and  castle  throughout  the 
land  impressed  upon  the  mind  ideas  of 
the  lofty  and  of  the  beautiful,  shall  we 
say  these  Palatines  were  an  ignorant  class 
who  would  find  the  wilds  of  the  American 
forests  a  delightful  place  for  an  abode? 
As  we  look  at  the  land  of  their  birth, 
and  then  rehearse  the  story  of  their  strug- 
gles in  this  new,  adopted  country,  the 
story  of  their  success  thrills  us  and  fills 
us  with  awe  and  admiration.  Truly,  if 
ever  we  had  a  right  to  say  that  their  im- 
migration has  been  their  and  our  gain, 
that  time  is  now. 


396 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


The  Glattfelder  Family 

BY   S.    F.    GLATFELTER,   YORK,    PA. 


A'lONG  the  many  trustworthy 

A  families  who  forsook  their 
homes  in  scenic  Switzer- 
land in  exchange  for  the 
possibilities  of  success  in  the 
new  world  was  that  of  Cas- 
par Glattfelder,  a  native  of  Glattfelden, 
located  on  the  river  Glatt.  a  tributary  of 
the  Rhine — from  whence  the  name  arises. 
He  was  a  direct  descendant  in  the  sixth 
generation  of  Adam  Glattfelder  who  was 
married  to  Verena  Legi  July  29,  1570,  a 
record  of  which  has  been  found  at  the 
church  in  Glattfelden  by  Emil  Glattfelder, 
a  native  (now  professor  in  a  school  in 
Zurich),  and  a  descendant  of  the  same 
family,  a  branch  remaining  in  their  origi- 
nal country  and  town  for  upwards  of 
three  hundred  years. 

Casper  Glattfelder,  the  father  of  a 
very  numerous  family,  a  son  of  Felix, 
was  baptized  July  25,  1709,  married  to 
Elizabeth  Laufer,  April  3,  1731,  and 
landed  in  Philadelphia  at  the  age  of  33 
years,  with  his  wife  and  two  sons,  Solo- 
mon and  Johannes  (John),  and  two 
daughters — Margaretta  and  Anna.  He 
qualified  August  30,  1743.  Following 
the  general  trend  of  many  other  Swiss 
immigrants  who  were  at  that  time  wend- 
ing their  way  to  the  interior  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, Casper  Glattfelter  with  his  fani- 
ily  pursued  his  westward  journey. 

Prospecting  for  a  number  of  years  for 
a  satisfactory  location,  he  reached  a  point 
about  five  miles  southwest  of  York  in 
Codorus  (now  Springfield)  township,  in 
Lancaster  (now  York)  county.  Here  he 
selected  127  acres  about  the  year  1750, 
which  he  improved,  receiving  a  warranty 
deed  from  the  governor  of  Pennsylvania 
twenty  years  later.  These  holdings  were 
increased  until  his  possessions  consisted 
of  about  200  acres,  which  remained  in  the 
family  for  140  years.  For  twenty-five 
years  it  was  owned  by  Casper  himself. 
After  his  death  his  son  Felix  owned  it 
for  40  years,  during  which  time  241 
acres  more  were  added.    After  the  death 


of  Felix,  his  two  sons,  John  and  Philip, 
owned  it  twenty-nine  years.  It  is  sup- 
posed it  was  divided,  Philip  owning  the 
original  homestead.  At  the  death  of 
Philip,  his  widow  retained  it  for  46  years, 
dying  at  the  age  of  86  years,  after  which 
P.  H.  Glatfelter,  of  Spring  Forge,  who 
was  a  grandson  of  Philip,  had  best  inter- 
est of  the  original  home  for  ten  years.  It 
is  now  owned  by  a  Mr.  Lentz.  The  en- 
tire property  of  441  acres  as  owned  by 
Felix,  the  son  of  Casper,  is  at  present 
subdivided  into  25  parcels. 

Casper  died  some  time  in  March,  1775, 
at  the  old  homestead,  thirty-two  years 
after  his  arrival  in  thi&  country.  The 
appraisement  of  his  earthly  belongings, 
which  was  made  by  Barnhard  Zeigler 
and  Carl  Diehl,  April  8th,  1775,  and 
which  amounted  to  297  £,  gs.  and  6  d., 
was  recorded  May  20,  by  Conrad 
Swartz  and  Felix  Glatfelter,  his  execu- 
tors. 

To  comprehend  the  undaunted,  per- 
sistent .perseverance  of  these  early  pio- 
neers one  needs  to  take  into  considera- 
tion the  fact  that  the  town  of  York  was 
laid  out  1 74 1,  and  that  by  1749  there 
were  6,000  people  within  the  present  area 
of  York  county,  practically  a  forest,  with 
Indian  trails,  instead  of  public  roads,  lead- 
ing into  the  surrounding  hills. 

The  country  to  be  explored  and  se- 
lected for  a  home  was  a  veritable  wilder- 
ness, to  subdue  which  required  courage 
and  endurance,  a  characteristic  predomi- 
nant in  subsequent  generations  of  this 
family.  The  land  selected  has  since  been 
invaded  by  the  N.  C.  R.  R.  Co.,  whose 
tracks  are  laid  within  fifty  feet  of  the 
present  buildings, — a  stone  house  built 
by  a  son  of  Casper,  and  the  original 
Holstein  barn  built  by  Casper  himself, 
and  enlarged  by  later  additions.  The 
original  house,  which  was  log,  with  stone 
basement  built  over  a  fine  spring  of  run- 
ning water,  stood  several  hundred  feet 
to  the  rear  of  the  present  buildings  in 
the  gulch   between   the  house  and  barn,. 


THE  GLATTFELDER  FAMILY 


397 


.  ^a«s- ■■-..'..  I ',i./ 


'M 


1^-C'V: 


■j,^u»sm 


GLATTFELDER    HOMESTEAD. 


where  traces  of  its  foundation  can  still 
be  found.  Glatfelter  station  was  a  part 
of  the  original  farm  lying  at  the  base  of 
a  fertile  little  valley,  which  bore  much  re- 
semblance to  the  home  county  in  Switzer- 
land. It  was  here  that  four  more  sons 
were  added  to  the  family — Felix,  Henry, 
Michael  and  John. 

No  records  have  been  found  to  confirm 
the  belief  that  daughters  were  born  to 
them  while  in  this  country.  The  four 
last  born  sons  fought  for  freedom  in  the 
Revolutionary  War.  The  spirit  of  loyalty 
to  home  and  country  of  subsequent  gen- 
erations of  these  liberty-loving  people 
was  again  demonstrated  by  the  many 
heroes  who  fought  both  in  the  War  of 
1812  as  well  as  in  the  late  Civil  War. 

It  is  generally  conceded  that  all  of 
the  Glatfelters  now  traced  to  twenty- 
seven  States  of  the  Union,  the  District 
of  Columbia  and  Mexico  have  their  ori- 
gin in  Casper  Glattfelder.  A  great  deal 
of  difficulty  has  been  encountered  in  de- 
termining all  the  members  who  right- 
fully belong  to  this  large  family,  inas- 
much as  the  name  has  been  perverted  in 
some  instances  beyond  recognition.  The 
original  name  Glattfelder  has  been  spelled 
Klotfelter,  Clodfelter  Clotfelder.  Clot- 
felter.  Glatfelter.  Gladfelter  and  Glot- 
felty.  The  Glotfeltys  are  the  descend- 
ants of  Solomon,  the  oldest  son  of  Casper 


Glattfelter,  who  moved  to  Grantsville, 
Md.,  and  in  1795  to  Elk  Lick  (Salisbury), 
Somerset  county,  Pa.,  where  he  died  in 
1818,  aged  81  years.  He  was  the  father 
of  a  large  family  all  of  whom  spell  their 
name  Glotfelty.  Less  than  a  year  ago 
this  branch  was  not  considered  a  part  of 
the  original  family,  which  then  numbered 
over  1,000  families,  or  between  5,000  and 
6,000  souls,  all  placed  in  their  known 
position  on  the  family  tree.  The  writer 
had  the  pleasure  of  visiting  some  of  these 
people,  and  among  other  papers  found 
one  over  a  hundred  years  old,  an  agree- 
ment between  Solomon  Glattfelder  and 
his  neighbor,  in  which  he  binds  his  son  to 
his  neighbor  for  a  trifling  consideration, 
until  he  is  21  years  old.  The  instrument 
is  (^rawn  up  in  German,  and  apparently 
by  <jne  very  illiterate,  inasmuch  as  the 
orthography  and  composition  are  very 
faulty,  the  name  itself  being  spelled  Glot- 
feltv  and  again  Clofty.  The  signature  by 
Solomon  is  written  Glattfelder,  proving 
beyond  a  doubt  that  he  knew  his  narne 
and  spelled  it  right.  My  supposition  is 
thai  a  nick-name  was  started  that  was 
never  shaken  oft'  until  the  real  name  was 
forgotten  and  lost  sight  of. 

In  1783  there  were  five  taxable  Glat- 
felters in  York  county,  as  follows,  whose 
valuations  were:  John. 240  acres.  £184; 
Michael,    132    acres.    £120;    Henry,    146 


398 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


acres,  £126;  Felix,  200  acres  £125;  Cas- 
per, no  acres,  £20.  Solomon,  the  oldest 
son,  had  then  already  moved  into  Mary- 
land, and  was  not  assessed  in  York 
county. 

In  1800  the  assessments  were:  John, 
240  acres,  $516;  tax,  $1.96.  Michael, 
132  acres,  ^2T,y;  tax,  $1.96.  Henry,  160 
acres,  $346;  tax,  $1.32.  Felix,  200  acres, 
valued  at  $1,330;  tax.  $5.40;  Casper,  140 
acres,  at  $245;  tax,  $1.07. 

In  the  year  1800  there  were  only  five 
taxable  Glatfelters  in  York  county.  In 
1907  there  were  235  in  the  county,  repre- 
senting influence  and  wealth,  and  filling 
every  honorable  vocation  in  the  various 
walks  of  life. 

It  is  more  than  probable  that  10,000 
souls  can  be  traced  to  Casper  Glattfelder 
through  the  development  of  eight  gener- 
ations, and  as  many  more  whose  identities 
are  lost  in  the  female  branch  of  the  fam- 
ily. It  is  a  problem  whether  any  other 
family  record  can  be  produced  in  the 
United  Staes  so  numerous  from  one  par- 
ent as  that  of  Casper  Glattfelder. 

The  honor  of  collecting  at  tliis  late  day 
the  record  of  Casper  Glattfelder  belongs 
to  Jonathan  Glatfelter,  the  father  of  Dr. 
N.  M.  Glatfelter,  of  Missouri,  the  family 
historian,  who  was  born  in  1803  in 
Springfield  township,  York  county.  His 
memory  enabled  him  to  relate  the  early 
history  of  his  grandfather  Casper  to  the 


doctor  in  1859,  thus  forming  a  nucleus 
upon  which  all  subsequent  history  has 
been  worked  out.  Among  the  able  as- 
sistants to  the  doctor  were  Granville  Glat- 
felter, Luther  Glatfelter,  S.  F.  Glatfelter 
and  Rev.  Adam  Stump,  of  York  county ; 
Lewis  K.  Glatfelter,  of  Neiman,  Pa. ; 
James  Gladfelter,  of  Mt.  Jov,  Pa. ;  and 
Milton  N.  Glatfeher,  of  Elk  Lick,  Pa. 
To  the  writer  it  was  left  to  trace  the  fam- 
ily to  its  origin  in  old  Switzerland.  He 
was  ably  assisted  by  Emil  Glattfelder,  a 
descendant  of  the  family,  now  a  teacher 
in  Canton  Zurich,  and  Rev.  Edwin 
Yeagli,  who  was  pastor  for  twenty-eight 
years  in  the  same  old  church  at  Glatt- 
felden,  where  these  sacred  family  rec- 
ords are  still  intact,  pointing  to  Adam 
Glattf elder's  wedding  in  the  year  1570. 
The  church  has  been  remodelled  and  a 
tower  added  to  it.  But  the  original  walls 
are  still  intact  that  sheltered  the  fore- 
fathers in  their  worship  while  they  lived 
and  their  family  records  while  dead  for 
centuries.  Many  incidents  must  be  left 
untouched,  for  want  of  space,  and  many 
more  facts  will  be  developed  m  the  prog- 
ress of  time. 

Annual  reunions  are  being  held  on  the 
old  Glattfelter  farm,  where  thousands  of 
members  of  this  great  familv  gather  from 
all  parts  of  the  United  States  to  learn 
more  of  the  history  and  genealogy  of 
the  family. 


SWISS  AND  HOLSTEIN  BARNS. 


The  reader  will  have  noticed  that  the 
author  of  the  above  article  speaks  of  a 
Holstein  barn.  In  answer  to  an  inquiry 
respecting  the  meaning  of  the  term  the 
author  wrote : — "The  Holstein  barn  is  an 
architectural  production  of  Northern  Ger- 
many, constructed  of  wood  and  stone 
on  the  order  of  our  so-called  bank 
barns — except  that  the  front  roof  was 
much  longer  than  the  rear.  The  name  is 
significant  of  its  construction  (Holtz  und 
Stein).     The  Swiss  barn  was  built  with- 


out a  basement  of  stone,  the  wood  start- 
ing on  the  ground  and  the  building  being 
smaller  in  its  proportions."  The  author 
makes  the  terms  Holstein  barn  and  bank 
barn  synon}-mous.  We  know  that  in 
some  sections  farmers  call  the  bank  barns, 
Swiss  barns.  We  would  be  pleased  to 
hear  from  our  readers  on  the  meaning 
of  the  term  Swiss  barn.  As  the  term  is 
used  in  your  section  is  a  Swiss  barn  a 
bank  barn  or  not  ?  Was  is  en  Schweitzer 
Scheuer  ? — Editor. 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


399 


Philip  H.  Glatfelter 


BY   REV.   AMOS  A.    PARR,   LOCK   HAVEN,    PA.,    HIS    PASTOR    FOR    I5    YEARS, 
JULY,    1890,    TO    JULY,    1905. 


S 


iHILIP  H.  GLATFELTER 
was  born  in  Spring  Garden 
township,  York  county,  Pa., 
on  the  29th  day  of  August, 
1837.  He  departed  this  hfe 
at  his  home  in  Spring  Grove 


(Spring  Forge  P.  O.),  York  county.  Pa., 
at  about  4  P.  M.,  on  the  nth  day  of  July, 
1907. 

He  was  a  son  of  Charles  and  Louisa 
(Fishel)  Glatfelter,  and  was  a  descendant 
from  Casper  Glatfelter,  who  came  from 
Glattfelden,  Canton  Zurich,  Switzerland, 
in  1743,  and  settled  in  Springfield  town- 
ship, York  county.  His  mother  was  of 
German  descent. 

At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  "York 
county's  foremost  citizen,  manufacturer, 
philanthropist,  churchman  and  wealthiest 
resident."  The  world  loves,  honors  and 
respects  strong  men,  and  Mr.  Glatfelter 
was  a  strong  man  physically,  morally, 
politically,  financially  and  religiously.  To 
his  strength,  industry,  integrity,  genius 
for  work,  strict  adherence  to  duty  and 
business,  force  of  character  and  persever- 
ance is  due  alone  the  fact  that  he  rose 
from  an  humble  beginning  to  the  achieve- 
ment of  the  splendid  success  that  so  abun- 
dantly crowned  his  noble  life. 

Early   Life. 

This  was  spent  on  his  father's  farm,  a 
short  distance  south  of  York,  within  sight 
of  the  city.  His  early  education  was  ob- 
tained by  attending  the  yearly  four 
months'  term  of  public  school  in  his  na- 
tive township.  Evidently  he  made  the 
best  of  those  early  years  of  training.  As- 
sisting in  the  cultivation  of  his  father's 
farm  he  grew  to  manhood.  He  inherited 
a  strong  and  vigorous  constitution,  and 
the  years  spent  on  the  farm  meant  the 
further  development  of  his  physical 
powers.  His  home  training  was  inducive 
to  the  habits  of  industry,  perseverance 
and  enterprise  that  characterized  all  of 


his  life  and  work.  The  foundation  prin- 
ciples for  future  greatness  were  well  laid 
in  this  formative  period  of  life. 

At  the  age  of  20  this  ambitious,  active, 
stirring  young  man  left  the  farm  and 
entered  the  employ  of  Loucks  &  Hoffman, 
Paper  Mills,  Maryland.  Here  he  thor- 
oughly learned  the  art  of  paper-making. 
Often  he  told  the  writer  of  the  hard  work 
he  performed  during  the  years  when  he 
was  learning  his  trade  and  fully  faying 
the  foundation  for  his  future  success  as 
a  manufacturer.  He  was  always  ready 
to  do  extra  work,  and  frequently  under- 
took tasks  that  others  refused  or  felt  in- 
competent to  perform.  His  tact,  good 
judgment,  willingness,  activity  and  abil- 
ity to  do  and  see  the  right  thing  won  the 
confidence  of  his  employers,  and  his  ad- 
vancement was  rapid.  He  became  a 
master  of  his  trade.  He  remained  with 
this  hrm  for  about  six  years. 
As  a  Manufasturer. 

Here  he  was  a  prince.  He  occupied 
one  of  the  first  places  not  only  in  his  na- 
tive county  and  State,  but  in  the  entire 
country.  His  successful  career  as  a  man- 
ufacturer began  in  the  year  1863,  when 
he  purchased  the  paper  mill,  at  Spring 
Grove,  and  all  of  its  interests,  for  the 
sum  of  $14,000.  The  capacity  of  the  mill 
at  that  time  was  about  1500  pounds  per 
dav.  Lnprovement,  enlargement,  expan- 
sion became  the  watchword  of  Mr.  Glat- 
felter from  the  very  beginning  of  his  as- 
suming ownership.  By  1868  the  output 
was  4000  pounds  daily.  In  1874  new 
buildings  were  erected  and  new  machin- 
ery installed  at  a  cost  of  $200,000.00.  In 
1880-81  the  business  had  grown  to  such 
proportions  that  the  mill  was  again  en- 
larged and  the  largest  paper  machine  in 
the  world  from  the  year  1881  to  1887 
was  found  in  the  mill  of  Mr.  Glatfelter, 
erected  by  the  Pusey  &  Jones  Co.,  of 
Wilmington,  Del. 


400 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


It  was  about  this  time  that  Air.  Glat- 
felter  thoroughly  investigated  the  process 
of  making  paper  from  wood,  and  being 
firmly  convinced  that  this  would  become 
the  nevv  process,  the  mill  was  changed  to 
meet  this  deamnd,  and  so  when  the  start 
of  the  enlarged  plant  was  made  in  1881, 
jack  pine  and  poplar  wood  were  used 
in  the  manufactured  product. 

It  is  related  that  when  George  W. 
Childs,  proprietor  of  the  Philadelphia 
Ledger,  in  1887,  needed  a  sheet  of  paper 
ninety-four  inches  wide  to  accommodate 
the  large  printing-press  that  he  had  in- 
stalled, the  only  place  where  he  could  get 
such  a  sheet  was  at  the  mill  of  Mr.  Glat- 
felter,  and  for  many  years  he  furnished 
the  paper  for  that  and  other  leading 
dailies  of  the  State.  The  making  o"f 
paper  for  newspapers  was  discontinued 
in  1893,  and  book,  lithograph  and  blank 
book  paper  was  manufactured.  Because 
of  the  high  grade  of  this  kind  of  paper, 
the  mills  at  Spring  Grove  have  become 
famous  all  over  the  United  States.  The 
mills  were  enlarged  and  improved  from 
time  to  time  until  at  the  death  of  Mr. 
Glatfelter  they  covered  five  acres,  and 
had  a  daily  capacity  of  90,000  pounds. 
In  1906  the  business  was  incorporated 
under  the  name  of  P.  H.  Glatfelter  Com- 
pany, and  capitalized  at  $1,000,000.00. 

In  1891,  Mr.  Glatfelter  became  the 
president  and  principal  owner  of  the  York 
Manufacturing  Company,  at  York,  cap- 
italized at  $100,000.00.  By  the  applica- 
tion of  the  same  business  energy,  perse- 
verance and  honesty  that  characterized 
him  in  the  manufacture  of  paper,  this 
plant  was  increased  and  enlarged  until  at 
the  death  of  its  president  and  principal 
owner,  the  capital  stock  amounted  to 
about  $1,500,000.00,  and  employed  at 
times  more  than  1,000  men,  paying  out 
yearly  over  a  half-million  dollars  in 
wages.  The  output  of  the  plant  consists 
almost  entirely  of  ice  and  refrigerating 
machinery,  and  is  the  largest  manufac- 
turing establishment  of  its  kind  in  the 
world.  Mr.  Glatfelter  was  also  the  presi- 
dent of  the  Carroll  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, at  Baltimore,  and  a  director  of  the 
Hanover  Wire  Cloth  Company.  There 
were  other  interests  that  demanded  his 


time  and  business  ability.  Mr.  Glatfelter 
was  fitted  in  every  way  to  manage  the 
large  manufacturing  establishments  under 
his  control.  His  splendid  judgment,  hon- 
est business  principles,  keen  insight  into 
conditions,  and  unswerving  perseverance, 
not  only  fitted  him  to  manage  large  in- 
terests, but  also  drew  to  him  men  of 
worth  who  honored,  trusted  and  respected 
him.  To  the  writer  he  said  that  until 
his  business  amounted  to  over  a  half-mil- 
lion dollars  a  year  he  bought  all  the  ma- 
terial, sold  all  the  product,  superintended 
his  mill  and  kept  his  own  books.  He  was 
the  very  soul  of  honor  in  all  his  business 
affairs.  Standing  with  him,  near  his  mill, 
at  one  time  he  told  the  writer  that  if  he 
knew  there  was  one  dishonest  brick  in 
it.  he  would  pull  down  the  entire  estab- 
lishment to  get  that  brick  out.  He  de- 
served to  succeed,  for  he  was  worthy. 

As    a    Citizen. 

Spring  Grove  is  a  beautiful  Uttle  town, 
clean  and  well  kept.  The  town  owes  its 
establishment,  growth,  development, 
beauty  and  prosperity  to  Mr.  Glatfelter. 
He  was  not  only  its  foremost  citizen, 
public-spirited  and  progressive,  but  one 
of  the  best  of  the  county  and  State.  He 
always  took  a  deep  interest  in'  everything 
that  promoted  the  welfare  of  the  town, 
community  and  the  country.  He  served 
as  Chief  Burgess,  and  for  some  years  as 
a  member  of  council,  and  progress  char- 
acterized all  that  he  did.  Believing  that 
temperance  and  sobriety  help  men  mor- 
ally, spiritually  and  financially,  he  erected,^ 
at  his  own  expense,  in  Spring  Grove,  the 
Aldine  hotel,  at  a  cost,  with  its  complete 
furnishings  and  up-to-date  equipnients,  of 
about  $35,000.00.  Here  ample  provision 
was  made  for  the  entertainment  of  the 
public.  This  he  did  for  the  good  of  the 
town,  and  community,  and  the  men  he 
employed ;  and  hence  for  more  than  25 
years  there  has  been  no  open  bar  in 
Spring  Grove.  _..He_was  one  of  the  or- 
ganizers of  the  Spring  Grove  National 
Bank,  and  a  director  from  its  beginning 
to  his  death. 

As   a   Philanthropist   and   Patron   of 
Education. 

Although  Mr.  Glatfelter's  schooling 
was   limited  to  the  training  he   received 


PHILIP  H.  GLATFELTER 


401 


in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town- 
ship, he  was  exceedingly  well  versed  in 
matters  politically,  educationally,  ecclesi- 
astically, financially,  etc.  He  was  a  care- 
ful reader.  He  had  a  good  mind  and  a 
capacity  to  solve  difficult  questions  that 
puzzled  many  others  who  had  the  advan- 
tage of  him  in  schooling.  He  was  a  firm 
patron  of  education,  and  proved  his  in- 
terest by  his  gifts.  In  1880,  when  his 
town  erected  a  school-building  at  a  cost 
of  $1,200.00,  he  willingly  furnished  the 
half  of  the  money  from  his  own  pocket. 
The  large,  handsome  and  commodious 
school  building  that  now  occupies  such 
an  eminent  place  overlooking  the  town 
was  largely  his  gift  to  the  people.  It 
stands  today  as  one  of  his  monuments  of 
love  for  education,  and  the  uplifting  of 
youth.  In  1888  he  was  elected  to  mem- 
bership in  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Penn- 
sylvania College  at  Gettysburg,  and 
served  in  that  capacity  until  the  time  of 
his  death.  For  six  years  he  was  the 
honored  president  of  that  body.  His  gifts 
made  possible  the  college  of  today.  He 
was  her  most  liberal  patron  for  many 
years.  One  of  his  last  acts  was  a  gift  of 
$10,000.00  to  her.  He  also  served  the 
Theological  Seminary  at  Gettysburg  as 
a  director  for  many  years,  and  took  a 
deep  interest  in  her  advancement.  He 
was  one  of  the  building  committee  under 
whose  direction  the  commodious  new 
building  was  erected.  To  this  he  was 
a  most  liberal  contributor.  He  was 
also  much  interested  in  the  education  of 
young  men,  and  there  are  perhaps  a  score 
of  men  today  who  owe  their  education  to 
him.  He  believed  in  putting  money  in 
flesh  and  blood  for  higher  development 
and  achievement.  He  was  also  a  liberal 
contributor  to  some  of  the  educational  and 
industrial  institutions  of  the  South  for 
the  betterment  of  the  negro  race.  He 
manifested  great  interest  in  the  Orphans' 
Home  at  Loysville,  Pa.,  and  by  the  gifts 
of  large  sums  of  money  and  tons  of 
paper  for  the  printing  establishment 
there,  proved  and  demonstrated  his  love 
for  that  cause.  He  was  also  a  ready  and 
willing  contributor  to  all  of  the  benevo- 
lent Boards  of  his  own  and  other 
churches.  He  has  more  money  invested 
in  the  Lutheran  churches  of  his  county 


than  any  other  of  her  citizens.  His  gifts 
did  not  stop,  however,  with  his  own  de- 
nomination. He  could  not  be  narrow  in 
his  philanthropic  work,  and  hence  any 
object  of  worth  claimed  his  attention  and 
generosity. 

It  is  more  than  fitting  that  at  this  place 
we  incorporate  the  action  taken  by  the 
Trustees  of  Pennsylvania  College  at  their 
late  meeting  in  June.  The  minute  was 
prepared  by  Rev.  C.  M.  Stock,  D.D.,  of 
Hanover,  Pa.,  one  of  the  valued  friends 
of  Mr.  Glatfelter,  and  a  co-laborer  with 
him  in  the  affairs  of  the  college. 

"Although  no  building  or  professorship  or 
even  college  prize  bears  his  name,  the  memory 
of  Philip  H.  Glatfelter  is  associated  with  this 
educational  institution  in  a  way  most  precious 
and  unique.  He  was  the  large,  constant,  cheer- 
ful, modest  giver  of  hard  cash  during  so  long 
a  time  that  years  before  his  death  he  easily 
stood  in  the  very  forefront  of  the  financial 
benefactors    of    Pennsylvania    College. 

"His  was  a  rare  personality.  He  w-as  the 
very  embodiment  of  honor,  and  honest,  open 
and  fair  dealing.  Among  his  business  asso- 
ciates he  was  universally  recognized  as  a 
master.  His  ability  in  afifairs  was  transcend- 
ent. His  capacity  for  mental  solution  was 
wonderful.  His  success  in  his  undertakings 
and  projects  was  pre-eminent.  His  knowl- 
edge of  men  and  motives  was  of  the  nature 
of  accurate  intuition.  Ordinary  mortals  could 
only  surmise  as  to  the  stature  of  this  giant. 
But  such  as  were  admitted  to  his  confidence 
and  knew  him  well,  crowned  him  in  their 
judgment  as  one  of  the  greatest  of  men.  That 
this  estimate  is  but  sober  truth  is  proven  by 
the  fact  tliat  those  business  interests  which 
were  more  intimately  the  creatures  of  his 
heart  and  brain  and  purse,  to  wit :  the  manu- 
facture of  paper,  the  manufacture  of  ice  ma- 
chines, and  the  manufacture  of  wire  cloth, 
stand  todav  among  the  very  first  in  this 
country   and   in   the   world. 

"The  hall-mark  of  true  greatness  is  humility. 
Philip  H.  Glatfelter  had  that  token.  He  who 
oronounced  the  unerring  eulogium  upon  the 
character  of  John,  saving,  that  among  those 
born  of  women  there  had  not  arisen  a  greater, 
would  teach  men  to  the  end  of  time  that  to 
be  humble  is  to  be  exalted.  Xo  matter  in 
what  presence,  our  brother  was  swift  to  hear 
and  slow  to  speak,  but  when  moved  to  speech 
his  words  were  pearls  of  wisdom. 

"His  religion  was  beautiful.  Towards  his 
Maker  he  had  the  heart  of  a  little  child.  His 
unceasing  and  most  liberal  benefactions  were 
for   the    sole   purpose   of   honoring   God. 

"Philip  H.  Glatfelter  was  elected  a  member 
of  this  board  of  trustees  at  the  regular  annual 
meeting  in  1888.  He  was  elected  president 
of  the  board  June  12th,  1900,  and  served  in 
that  capacity  most  faithfully  until  the  time  of 
his   resignation,    September    17th,    1906.      Dur- 


4/02 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


ing  all  his  active  membership  in  this  board 
he  was  most  attentive  to  the  discharge  of 
every  duty.  He  entered  into  eternal  rest 
July    nth,    1907. 

"i.  Resolved,  That  this  board  hereby  re- 
cords its  appreciation  of  the  great  worth  of 
this    departed   member. 

"2.    Resolved,    That    this    minute    be    spread 
in   full  upon  the  records,  and  a  copy  thereof 
be  sent  to  the   family  of  the  deceased." 
As    a    Christian. 

As  his  pastor  and  close  friend  for 
fifteen  years,  it  gives  us  pleasure  to  bear 
testimony  to  his  true  worth  as  a 
Christian.  He  loved  his  God  and  his 
Saviour,  and  was  anxious  and  willing  to 
be  led  by  the  Holy  Spirit  into  "all  truth 
and  righteousness."  He  was  an  humble, 
modest,  consecrated,  devoted  and  faithful 
member  of  the  Lutheran  Church  of  the 
General  Synod.  For  many  years  he  was 
found  regularly  at  three  services  of  the 
church,  on  the  Sabbath,  and  sometimes 
at  the  fourth.  He  took  the  most  heart- 
felt interest  in  all  things  religious  and 
spiritual.  He  loved  his  church  and  the 
whole  Church  of  Christ,  and  her  growth 
and  prosperity  were  his  delight.  Many 
a  time,  as  we  talked  with  him  of  the 
things  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  he  re- 
vealed to  us  the  depth  and  power  of  his 
faith  in  Him  whom  he  had  accepted  as  his 
personal  Saviour.  To  know  him  was  to 
respect  his  religion.  His  Christian  life 
was  one  of  inward  depths  rather  than  of 
outw^ard  demonstration.  Many  of  his 
munificent  benfeactions  were  not  known 
to  his  friends.  When  St.  Paul's  Lu- 
theran church,  of  which  Mr.  Glatfelter 
was  a  charter  member,  was  erected  in 
Spring  Grove  in  1879-80,  at  a  cost  of 
about  $i5,ooo.cx),  three- fourths  of  it  was 
paid  by  himself  and  family.  When  the 
splendid  parsonage  was  erected  in 
1892-93,  about  $7,500.00  of  the  cost  of 
$8,000.00  was  contributed  by  himself  and 
son  William.  The  massive  and  beautiful 
church  that  is  being  completed  at  this 
time   was   planned  by  him.     When   it  is 


completed,  at  a  cost  that  will  exceed  $60,- 
000.00,  it  will  stand  as  a  monument  and 
memorial  of  his  whole-hearted  love  for 
Christ  and  'His  kingdom.  His  life  is  a 
splendid  example,  to  others,  of  the  power 
of  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ. 

A    Final    Word. 

In  1861  Mr.  Glatfelter  married 
Amanda  E.  Loucks,  of  West  Manchester 
township,  York  county.  His  wife,  with 
three  daughters. — Mrs.  C.  E.  Moul,  Alel- 
lie  L  and  L.  Romaine, — ^and  one  son, — 
William  Lincoln, — survive  him.  The  son 
and  father  were  partners  in  business  for 
more  than  a  score  of  years.  The  son  has 
succeeded  to  the  management  of  the  large 
business  affairs  in  which  they  were  mu- 
tually interested. 

On  the  morning  of  the  15th  of  July, 
the  body  of  Mr.  Glatfelter  was  laid  to 
rest  in  the  cemetery  at  Spring  Grove.  A 
great  multitude  from  all  parts  of  the 
county  and  many  from  a  distance  had 
come  to  pay  their  last  tribute  of  respect 
to  one  who  was  worthy.  "Everything 
connected  with  the  burial  services,"  said 
one  who  was  present,  "was  in  fine  taste, 
most  simple  as  had  been  the  life  of  the 
man."  At  the  public  services,  held  after 
the  burial.  Rev.  J.  A.  Singmaster,  D.D., 
President  of  the  Theological  Seminary  at 
Gettysburg,  made  the  address,  most  fit- 
tingly basing  his  remarks  on  H  Samuel 
3  138,  "Know  ye  not  that  there  is  a  prince 
and  a  great  man  fallen  this  day  in  Israel  ?" 
The  speaker  said  that  Mr.  Glatfelter  was 
great  in  Endoivmcnt,  Achievement  and 
Personal  Character. 

In  the  work  accomplished,  the  good 
done  and  influence  exerted,  Mr.  Glat- 
felter will  live  on  to  bless  future  genera- 
tions. "Though  dead  he  yet  speaketh." 
"Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the 
Lord:  Yea.  saith  the  Spirit  that  they 
may  rest  from  their  labors  and  their 
works  do  follow  them." 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


403 


Country  Funerals  and  Mortuary  Customs 

of  Long  Ago. 


BY    DR.     T.     P.     MEYER,    LOCK    HAVEN,    PA. 


^ANY  years  have  gone  by  since 
the  days  of  my  childhood, 
during  which  the  years 
seemed  so  long,  and  passed 
so  slowly,  and  I  kept  wish- 
ing that  I  was  a  man,  as  tall 
and  strong  as  my  father.  Well,  the  years 
kept  steadily  on,  coming  and  going,  till 
I  found  myself  as  tall  as  my  father,  but 
never  attained  his  Herculean  strength. 
Each  succeeding  year  seemed  to  pass 
more  rapidly  than  its  predecessor,  and 
soon  I  began  to  look  back  to  the  "days 
of  long  ago" ;  many  scenes  and  incidents 
come  vividly  to  my  mind,  but  none  more 
strikingly  than  my  father's  cabinet  and 
undertaking  shop,  wherein  my  brother 
Ed.  (E.  H.  Meyer,  Cedar  Rapids,  la.,) 
and  I  inherited,  or  picked  up,  the  trade 
of  cabinet-making  and  coffin-making,  and 
soon  were  ('boy)  undertakers  and  funeral 
directors. 

For  many  years  father  was  the  only 
coffin-maker  and  undertaker  for  miles 
around ;  we  always  made  the  coffins  as 
needed,  and  to  measure. 

Immediately  following  a  death, 
mounted  couriers  were  sent  out  to  carry 
the  sad  news  with  the  date  of  the  funeral 
to  friends  far  and  near ;  and  friends  not 
so  notified  considered  themselves  slighted. 
Then  four  men  of  the  neighborhood  were 
selected  as  "grave  diggers,"  who  repaired 
to  the  "grave  yard,"  dug  the  grave,  at- 
tended the  funeral  as  pall-bearers,  and 
made  the  interment. 

Notice  of  the  death  and  age  of  the  de- 
ceased was  also  at  once  sent  to  the  bell- 
man of  the  church,  who  would  ring  the 
church-bell  for  some  time,  and  then  after 
a  pause,  distinctly  "toll"  the  number  of 
years  the   deceased  had   lived. 

A  measure  was  taken  for  the  coffin,  a 
stick  cut  the  length  of  the  body,  and 
brought  to  the  shop;  on  the  arrival  of  a 
measure,  all  other  work  was  laid  aside, 
and  the  coffin  was  made,  working  day  and 
night,   or   on   Sunday,   as   the   individual 


cases  required.  The  coffins  in  those  days 
were  all  solid  walnut  or  cherry,  raised 
and  hinged  lid,  polished  wax  finish,  that 
shone  like  marble,  a  black  paint  band 
around  the  base  outside ;  for  a  long  time, 
no  lining  or  upholstering,  but  later  lined 
and  upholstered  in  white  or  cream  col- 
ored silk.  -- «i«t 

In  those  days  a  person  could  "afford 
to  die,"  as  coffins  were  charged  for  by 
the  foot,  ranging  from  one  dollar  to  one 
dollar  and  a  half  per  foot ;  a  coffin  for 
a  grown  person,  six  feet  long,  therefore 
cost  from  six  to  nine  dollars,  which  in- 
cluded also  the  undertaking  and  funeral 
attendance.  The  same  service  would  now 
run  to  fifty  or  sixty  dollars.  The  super- 
stitious people  of  the  community  insisted 
that  our  shop  was  haunted :  they  had  seen 
flashes  of  light  at  the  windows,  late  at 
night,  and  heard  strange  and  terrible 
noises  inside.  A  very  neighborly  feeling 
prevailed  in  those  rural  districts  in  those 
days  ;  the  people  were  very  helpful  dur- 
ing sickness  in  a  family,  and  immediate- 
ly following  a  death  the  neighbors  would 
come  "en  masse"  and  offer  their  services 
free,  to  make  "preparations  for  the  fu- 
neral" :  men  and  boys  to  rearrange  the 
stables,  improvise  pole  stalls  in  the  barn 
floor  and  along  the  fences,  so  that  many 
horses  could  be  speedily  fed ;  they  would 
also  kill  the  "fatted  calf"  and  decapitate 
chickens  by  the  score ;  improvise  tem- 
porary tables,  to  seat  a  multitude,  gather 
in  the  dishes  of  the  neighborhood,  and 
serve  as  hostlers  and  horse-feeders  on  the 
day  of  the  funeral.  The  ladies  would  be 
busy  as  bees,  baking  bread,  pies  and 
cakes,  stewing  and  roasting,  and  after  the 
funeral  cortege  had  left  the  home,  usually 
on  the  third  day  of  preparation  for  the 
great  dinner,  still  greater  activity  was 
manifest,  so  that  on  the  return  of  the 
funeral  train,  all  the  tables  might  be 
ready,  with  all  the  good  things  ready  set. 

There  were  no  hearses  in  those  days: 
the    dead    were    carried   to    the     "grave 


404 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


"PENNSYLVANIA    WAGON.  • 
THE   HEARSE  OF   OUR   PENNSYLVANIA    ANCESTORS. 


yards"  in  the  great  "Pennsylvania 
wagons" ;  deep  frame  "English  bed,"  ca- 
pacity six  tons,  a  canvas  cover  so  high 
that  a  plug-hat  man  could  walk  upright 
in  it,  and  drawn,  on  funeral  occasions,  by 
from  two  to  five  horses,  usually  four ;  the 
driver  invariably  sitting  on  the  "nigh 
wheel,"  or  "saddle  horse,"  a  "black 
snake"  cart-whip  in  his  right  hand  and 
hanging  over  his  shoulder,  driving  with 
his  left,  with  a  single  or  "jerk  line,"  as 
it  was  called ;  now  and  then  calling  loudly 
to  his  horses,  by  name,  and  fiercely 
cracking  his  "black  snake"  whip. 

Bundles  of  straw  were  put  in  the 
wagon  bed ;  the  coffined  dead  was  packed 
in  the  straw,  on  which  also  there  would 
sit  fifteen  or  twenty  persons  to  take  care 
of  the  "cadaver,"  as  well  as  to  be  con- 
veyed to  the  funeral. 

The  rigs  of  a  funeral  train  consisted 
largely  of  "truck  wagons,"  "Dearborn 
wagons,"  two  horse  wagons  in  various 
conditions  of  wear  and  dilapidation,  with 
straw  in  the  beds  to  sit  on,  or  boards 
laid  across  the  box  for  seats ;  -all  the 
wagons  sitting  full.  Long  trains  of  these 
heavy,  lumbering,  springless  wagons,  on 
the  rough,  stoned  roads,  made  a  loud, 
rumbling,  dreadful  noise  never  heard  in 
these  later  years. 

As  the  hour  of  a  funeral  drew  nigh, 
the  church  bell  man  would  watch  for  the 
coming  of  the  funeral  train,  and  on  its 
approach  toward  the  grave  yard,  would 
toll  the  bell  till  the  funeral  company 
reached  the  grave. 

The  great  Pennsylvania  wagon  was 
met  at  the  church  yard  gate  by  the  grave 


diggers  with  the  bier,  a  great  oak  frame, 
with  four  legs,  large  and  strong  enough 
to  carry  a  ton. 

The  people  riding  with  the  dead  in  the 
great  wagon,  like  escaping  animals 
jumped  out  of  the  open  end-gate ;  the 
dead  was  drawn  out,  placed  on  th'e  bierj 
and  carried  to  the  grave  by  the  grave  dig- 
gers, and  let  down  into  tTie  grave ;  one  of 
the  grave  diggers  crouched  down,  rolled 
forward,  striking  a  hand  on  each  side  of 
the  grave,  deftly  swung  himself  down 
into  it ;  the  rough-box  lid  boards,  to  lie 
Crosswise,  numbered  with  large  red  chalk 
figures,  were  handed  to  him  and  placed ; 
after  which  he  was  yanked  out  of  the 
grave  by  his  fellows,  and  the  service  went 
on ;  as  the  minister  said,  "earth  to  earth," 
a  great  shovelful  of  clods  and  stones 
thundered  on  the  cofifin  case  that  made 
one  shudder ;  "Dust  to  dust"  came,  and 
the  awful  rumble  of  clods  and  stones 
again  shocked  the  nerves  of  friends  and 
strangers.  "Ashes  to  ashes," — it  was  the 
same.  The  burial  service  ended,  the  four 
grave  diggers  flew  into  action,  a  real  race 
in  shovelling.  The  grave  was  soon  filled 
and  the  people  went  into  the  church  for 
the  regular  services,  during  which  the 
men  among  the  friends  would  sit  with 
their  hats  on,  a  rude  custom,  now  obso- 
lete in  that  section.  At  the  conclusion  of 
the  services,  the  minister,  by  request,  in- 
vited the  friends  to  "return  with  the  fam- 
ily to  the  house  of  mourning  for  refresh- 
ments" ;  and  great  throngs  would  accept 
this  invitation,  some  driving  miles  out  of 
the  way  to  be  refreshed,  at  the  expense  of 
the  stricken  familv. 


COUNTRY  FUNERALS  AND  MORTUARY  CUSTOMS 


405 


Upon  the  return  of  the  funeral  train, 
the  hostlers  took  charge  of  the  teams, 
marked  with  chalk,  in  corresponding  fig- 
ures, horses  and  wagons  as_  they  be- 
longed. The  throng  of  people,  with  lev- 
ity and  jest,  hurried  forward  and  quickly 
surrounded  the  tables,  and  eating  com- 
menced, and  continued  till  every  hollow 
gormand  of  the  community  was  filled  up 
to  the  chin. 

It  often  occurred  to  my  boyish  notion, 
and  I  have  not  changed  my  mind  much 
since,  that  all  the  gormands  and  glut- 
tons of  the  community  were  banded  and 
pledged  not  to  miss  an  opportunity  to  be 
filled  and  "refreshed"  at  these  funeral 
banquets. 

Notes   and   Comments. 

Undertaking  in  those  days  was  simple ; 
embalming  and  the  ice  box  were  un- 
known, and  in  consequence  we  had  some 
very  gruesome  jobs  to  go  through  with, 
in  the  hot  summer  weather.     During  a 

hot   season.    Miss   R ,    a   stout,   very 

plump  young  lady  of  24  or  25,  died  rather 
suddenly,  and  the  "measure"  for  the  cof- 
fin was  brought  to  our  shop,  with  a  re- 
quest that  the  coffin  be  made  and  deliv- 
ered as  soon  as  possible,  body  was  al- 
ready in  bad  shape.  We  went  to  work 
in  earnest,  and  made  great  progress. 
Some  hours  later,  a  man  rushed  into  the 
shop,  with  orders  to  hurry  or  we  would 
have  to  make  a  larger  coffin.  We  finished 
the  coffin,  and  father  hurried  out  with  it ; 
he  soon  returned,  and  reported  the  coffin 
hardly  large  enough.  Very  early  next 
morning  a  messenger  came  in  haste  to 
ask  father,  the  "undertaker,"  to  hurry 
to  the  house,  that  the  coffin  was  bursting. 
We  got  out  the  wagon,  and  father  hur- 
ried over,  and  .on  reaching  the  place 
found  the  coffin  bound  with  ropes  from 
end  to  end.  He  tore  off  these  ropes  and 
"twist  sticks,"  but  he  evidently  had  some 
misgivings,  for  he  immediately  took  the 
body  on  the  wagon,  and  at  a  two-forty 
clip,  drove  to  the  graveyard,  five  miles 
away,  and  the  body  was  buried  at  once, 
but  the  funeral  services  were  held  at  the 
appointed  time.  I  was  about  fifteen,  while 
my  brother  Ed  was  five  years  younger, 
but  we  insisted  on  relieving  father  of 
work  an3  trips  in  the  undertaking  line. 


We  finished  a  coffin  for  Mrs.  G- 


m 

the  evening  of  a  hot  summer  day,  and 
father  said,  "This  coffin  should  be  taken 
out  tonight  and  the  body  laid  in,  but  I 
am  tired."  I  said,  "Brother  Ed  and  I 
will  take  it  down,  and  do  the  work."  At 
the  time  there  were  a  number  of  young 
people  (boys  and  girls)  in  the  shop,  and 
some  one  suggested  that  all  go  to  the 
wake,  and  carry  the  coffin  with  us,  since 
it  was  only  a  mile  away,  if  we  took  a 
straight  cut  through  the  woods.  We  start- 
ed, taking  the  route  through  the  woods, 
a  lantern-bearer  leading.  We  soon  found 
that  we  had  undertaken  quite  a  job.  We 
reached  the  house  late  in  the  night,  about 
tired  out.  From  this  on,  my  brother  and 
I  were  to  go  it  alone.  I  took  up  one 
end  of  the  coffin,  and  he  the  other ;  we 
were  ushered  into  the  room  of  the  dead, 
and  the  door  closed  behind  us.  Here  we 
found  conditions  absolutely  new  to  us. 
The  effluvium  in  that  room  was  intoler- 
able. I  was  determined  to  finish  the 
work ;  we  set  the  coffin  close,  and  I  re- 
moved the  lid,  then  drew  the  cloth  off 
of  the  face  of  the  dead,  and  had  a  knock- 
out shock.  The  lady  had  died  of  cancer 
of  the  face,  which  was  nearly  all  gone. 
Such  a  sight !  I  held  my  breath  and 
turned  away.  I  looked  at  my  brother ;  h^ 
had  both  his  hands  over  his  mouth  and 
nose,  his  shoulders  were  jumping  up  and 
down,  and  his  eyes  wildly  blinking.  I 
quickly  dragged  the  coffin  to  a  side,  and 
we  fled.  On  our  return,  father  inquired: 
"What  success  ?"  I  said :  "Nothing  -to 
brag  on ;  it  was  too  much  for  us ;  I  am 
of  the  opinion  that  you  had  better  go 
down  yourself  early  in  the  morning." 

Oncej  after  a  very  hard  day  in  the  shop, 
we  finished  a  coffin  and  a  burial  case,  for 

a    Mrs.    G near    Rebersburg,    three 

miles  away,  late  in  the  evening,  and  father 
remarked  that  the  coffin  should  be  taken 
down  that  night ;  but  the  weather  was 
bad ;  a  great  blizzard  had  been  raging  all 
day ;  a  foot  of  snow  had  fallen,  and  drift- 
ed terribly,  so  that  the  roads  were  scarce- 
ly passable. 

I  said  that  I  and  Brother  Ed  would 
take  it  down,  and  put  the  old  gentleman 
in  it.  The  night  was  not  dark;  a  foot  of 
unbroken  snow  lay  on  the  ground.     Wc 


4o6 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


started  out  in  a  sleigh,  the  coffin  lying 
crosswise  in  front  of  us,  and  sticking  fai 
out  on  each  side. 

We  found  the  roads  badly  drifted,  and 
we  had  not  gone  far,  when  the  sleigh 
upset,  and  coffin  and  boys  fell  out ;  we 
thought  this  was  very  funny.  We  righted 
the  sleigh,  loaded  up,  and  soon  were  on 
the  move  again.  Then  we  got  along 
fairly  well,  till  we  left  the  main  road, 
turned  into  a  narrow  lane,  which  led  to 
the  house,  half  a  mile  distant,  and  was 
terribly  drifted. 

The  sled  went  over  again,  and  boys  sr.-i 
coffin  went  into  the  fence  corner.  We 
righted  the  sleigh,  put  the  coffin  on  length- 
wise ;  I  rode  on  the  high  side  of  the  sled 
while  my  little  brother  drove,  and  we 
soon  reached  the  barnyard  of  the  place. 

We  took  the  coffin  on  our  shoulders 
and  waded  through  the  unbroken  snow- 
to  the  back  door  of  the  house,  where  wf 
saw  a  light ;  I  rapped  at  the  door,  the 
upper  half  of  which  opened.  (The  dooi 
was  a  double  board  door,  upper  and  lowei 
halves  swinging  separately,  like  the  old 
style,  double  horse-stable  doors.)  An  old 
lady  (the  new  widow),  unkempt  and 
negligee,  with  a  tallow  candle  in  one  hand 
leaned  out  over  the  lower  half  door,  and 
very  gruffly  demanded,  what  do  you 
want?  We  told  her,  and  she  opened  the 
lower  door,  and  let  us  in,  and  led  the 
way  to  the  dead.  We  set  the  coffin  down, 
and  I  removed  the  lid ;  reached  over  and 
drew  the  sheet  off  the  dead  man.  When 
I  did  this,  the  bereaved  and  sorrowing 
widow  rushed  up  to  me,  and  shouted; 
"What  are  you  about?"  I  told  her  we  in- 
tended to  lay  the  old  gentleman  in  the 
box.  "No  you  won't,"  she  yelled ;  "you 
get  out  of  this  as  quick  as  you  can,  or  I 
will,  etc.,  !  ! !"  I  looked  at  her,  and 
plainly  saw  that  she  meant  business.  What 
else  could  we  do  but  get  out ;  for  there 
were  only  two  of  us  against  this  bereaved 
sorrowing,  frizzle-headed,  ferocious 
fighting  little  old  lady,  "a  host  in  her- 
self." the  only  person  we  saw  in  that  Gott 
vcrgcsscna  Blots.  (God  forsaken  place.) 

She  said:  "Tell  John  Meyer"  (my 
father)  "that  he  must  not  send  boys  tc 
do  the  work  that  belongs  to  him." 

We  went  home  and   reported    (poorj 


progress  to  the  senior  undertaker,  be- 
cause "old  Rosina"  put  us  out  before  we 
got  her  husband  "boxed." 

No  Quarantine. 

In  times  of  sickness  among  those  rural 
people,  it  mattered  not  if  the  ailment  was 
typhoid,  spotted  or  scarlet  fever,  measles, 
erysipelas  or  diphtheria,  the  neighbors 
would  come  and  go  during  the  da}',  and 
in  the  evening  they  would  come  in,  by 
reliefs  to  watch  with  the  sick  at  night. 
It  was  a  common  occurrence  that  when 
school  children  were  stricken  with  any 
of  these  highly  contagious  diseases,  the 
teacher  would  go  to  the  house  of  the  sick 
pupils,  watch  with  them  all  night,  and 
go  on  with  his  school  next  day. 

There  was  no  segregation  of  the  sick, 
from  the  rest  of  the  family ;  Xo  quar- 
antine of  the  house ;  no  fumigating  of  the 
house  following  sickness  or  death  in  a 
family  from  any  contagious  disease. 

It  is  a  well  known  fact,  that  in  the  early 
history  of  the  valley,  in  sporadic  cases  of 
smallpox,  people  went  out  and  in ;  neigh- 
borly calls  were  made,  and  parents  took 
their  children  to  the  house  so  afflicted,  so 
that  they  might  take  smallpox,  and  get 
through  with  it  while  young.  And  going 
still  further,  they  would,  with  scab  direct 
from  the  body  of  the  smallpox  patients, 
inoculate  their  children,  and  each  other. 
with  the  true  virus  of  this  loathsome  and 
dangerous  disease. 

Those  were  the  days  of  "inoculation," 
in  which  the  people  then  believed,  and 
which  was  a  custom  of  some  merit ;  but 
it  has  been  entirely  superseded  by  the 
better  general  preventive — vaccination. 

America,  at  the  time  of  the  coming  of 
the  whites,  seems  to  have  been  the  home 
of  smallpox  in  epidemic  form ;  whole 
tribes  of  the  original  inhabitants,  the  In- 
dians, were  entirely  wiped  out  by  this 
pest.  This  was  notably  the  case  with  the 
once  powerful  "Mandan  tribe." 

When  the  Pilgrims  landed  in  Massa 
chusetts,  they  found  that  a  "pestilence" 
had  destroyed  the  tribe  of  Indians  which 
had  lived  around  Narragansett  Bay 
where  *he  settlement  was  made.  This 
"pestilence"  was  found  to  have  been 
smallpox.  \^accination  was  then  un- 
known, and  smallpox,  uncontrolled,  swept 


COUNTRY  FUNERALS  AND  MORTUARY  CUSTOMS 


407 


the  country ;  and  yet,  our  ancestors,  at  2 
much  later  clay,  seemed  to  invite  the  com- 
ing and  spread  of  this  loathsome  and 
dangerous  pest.  To  this  day,  with  all  the 
precautions  of  vaccination  and  segrega- 
tion, Pennsylvania,  with  its  6,000  to  8,000 
cases  annually,  is  the  hot-bed  for  small- 
pox in  the  United  States,  having  more 
cases  than  any  ten  States  of  the  country, 
perhaps  more  than  all  of  them,  and  more 
than  England,  France  and  Germany  put 
together.  In  these  countries  vaccination 
has  been  compulsory  for  years,  and  small- 
pox is  almost  unknown. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  valley,  no  quar- 
antine was  observed  during  any  sickness, 
and  public  funerals  were  held  over  several 
victims  of  yellow  fever,  among  the  Meyer 
relatives,  which  resulted,  to  some  extent, 
in  a  spread  of  this  dreadful  malady, 
causing  a  number  of  deaths ;  but,  for- 
tunately, no  epidemic  resulted. 


Considering  the  foregoing,  it  is  a  won- 
der that  epidemic  and  depopulation  did  not 
result. 

In  those  early  days  there  was  no  regu- 
lar physician,  and  the  grandmothers  did 
the  doctoring;  the  garret  of  every  house 
was  well  supplied  with  bundles  of  fresh 
dried  herbs,  which  furnished  tea  for  all 
ailments ;  the  people  were  stronger  then, 
and  their  average  "tenure  of  life"  was  as 
high  as  it  is  now. 


Note. — It  would,  perhaps,  be  well  to  say  here, 
that  the  funeral  and  burial  customs  given  in 
the  foregoing  article  prevailed  generally 
throughout  Central  Pennsylvania,  from  its 
first  settlement  for  many  years ;  and  in  rural 
districts  to  about  1850,.  when  improvements 
were  instituted ;  progress  thenceforward  was 
rapid,  until  first-class  and  up-to-date  service 
was   given. 

The  customs  and  incidents  given  in  the  fore- 
going are  located  in  the  eastern  portion  of 
Centre   countv. 


The  Pennsylvania-German  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary War 


BY  H.  M.   M.  RICHARDS,  LEBANON,  PA. 


Note. — We  give  elsewhere  a  review  of 
Richards'  The  Pennsylvania-German  in  the 
Revolutionary  War,  1775-1783.  It  has  seemed 
to  us  desirable  to  make  available  to  our  readers 
the  exact  language  of  some  of  the  claims  made 
by  the  author,  and  therefore  by  permission 
reproduce  the  following  paragraphs.  We  re- 
gret that  we  can  not  give  fuller  extracts. 

AD  it  not  been  for  the  brave 
stand  which  the  Germans  of 
Pennsylvania   made   against 
the  onslaught  of  the  savage 
during  the  French  and  In- 
dian   War,    notwithstanding 
their   own   sad   and   terrible 
experience,    there    would    have    been    no 
Revokrtionary    War    and    no    resulting 
freedom.      (Page  3.) 

The  German  immigration  to  Pennsyl- 
vania was  far  in  excess  of  that  to  any 
other  colony.  So  great  was  their  num- 
erical strength  that  they  became  a  con- 
trolling factor  which  was  bound  to  guide 
all  movements  in  any  desired  direction, 
when  once  called  into  play.  It  is  said 
that   the   greatest    mistake   made   by   the 


English  government  was  its  refusal  to 
allow  representation  and  to  give  an  au- 
thoritative standing  to  the  German  ele- 
ment of  the  Province.  It  is  claimed  that, 
had  such  been  done,  so  great  would  have 
been  their  content  with  the  existing  condi- 
tion of  affairs  that  they  would  never  have 
been  tempted  to  ask  for  a  larger  free- 
dom, and,  with  non-cooperation  on  their 
part,  the  consent  of  Pennsylvania  could 
never  have  been  secured  to  a  separation 
from  the  mother  country,  and  the  Declar- 
ation of  Independence  would  have  be- 
come an  impossibility.  With  the  knowl- 
edge we  possess  of  the  German  character 
this  suggestion  opens  up  a  most  attract- 
ive line  of  thought,  but,  fortunately,  one 
of  no  practical  value. 

An  interesting  part  of  our  subject  rests 
in  the  fact  that  many  of  the  German 
tolonists  of  Pennsylvania  had  conscien- 
tious scruples  against  bearing  arms. 
Their  doctrine,  like  that  of  the  English 
Quakers,  was  one  of  non-resistance. 
They  tied   from  the  persecutions   of  the 


408 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Fatherland  that  they  might  enjoy  this 
very  liberty  in  Pennsylvania.  In  spite  of 
scoffing,  fines,  imprisonments  and  burden- 
some taxes,  even  here  in  their  adopted 
country,  they  adhered  to  their  doctrine 
of  peace,  to  the  extent  even  of  soliciting 
the  government  to  legally  excuse  them 
from  bearing  arms.  Amongst  those  hold- 
ing this  belief,  in  especial,  were  the 
Moravians,  Alennonites,  Dunkers, 
Schwenkfelders,  and  others  of  like  char- 
acter. Even  these  never  swerved  from 
their  duty  and,  in  various  ways  which  will 
appear  later,  proved  their  loyalty  to  the 
full  measure  of  laying  down  their  Hves 
for  their  country  in  more  than  one  in- 
stance. 

In  numbers,  these  non-resisting  settlers 
formed  no  small  proportion  of  the  whole. 
If,  then,  the  estimate  which  has  been 
made,  be  correct  that  one-half  of  those 
from  Pennsylvania,  who  served  during 
the  Revolution,  had  German  blood  in  their 
veins,  how  much  greater  the  honor  to  be 
accorded  the  Pennsylvania-German,  who 
did  bear  arms,  for  his  services  at  that 
time. 

In  the  pages  to  follow  it  is  proposed 
to  show,  in  brief,  that  the  Pennsylvania- 
Germans  were  the  "First  Defenders"  of 
the  Revolution,  that  without  the  Penn- 
sylvania-Germans there  would  have  been 
no  Declaration  of  Independence ;  that,  by 
his  valor,  the  Pennsylvania-German  saved 
the  cause  and  its  army  from  destruction 
at  Long  Island,  that  without  him  there 
would  have  been  no  means  of  holding 
the  American  army  at  Valley  Forge  nor 
of  "bottling  up"  the  British  in  Philadel- 
phia, and  that,  finally,  whenever  and 
wherever  called  upon  to  do  his  duty  he 
never  failed  to  respond  nobly.    (Page  15.) 

In  despair  of  converting  the  Assembly 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  success  in  any 
other  way,  John  Adams,  on  May  10,  of- 
fered a  resolution  in  Congress  recom- 
mending that  the  colonies  should  estab- 
lish a  "government  sufficient  to  the 
exigencies  of  affairs."  Because  of  objec- 
tions raised  to  this  wording,  on  May  15 
Mr.  Adams  presented  a  preamble,  which 
was  really  a  substitute,  to  the  effect  that, 
"the  respective  Assemblies  and  Conven- 
tions of  the  United  Colonies,  where  no 
government  sufficient  to  the  exigencies  of 


their  affairs  has  been  hitherto  established, 
to  adopt  such  government  as  shall,  in  the 
opinion  of  the  representatives  of  the 
people,  best  conduce  to  the  happiness  and 
safety  of  their  constituents  in  particular, 
and  America  in  general." 

This  measure  was  the  true  Declaration 
of  Independence,  because  that  of  July  4 
followed  as  a  mere  form  and  matter  of 
course.  It  was  aimed  against  the  Charter 
of  Pennsylvania,  which,  from  that  hour, 
was  doomed,  together  with  the  Assembly, 
not  by  its  own  act  but  by  the  greater  force 
of  Congress,  which  it  was  unable  to  resist. 
The  passage  of  this  resolution  meant  a 
popular  convention,  in  which  all  classes 
should  be  represented,  and  a  government 
in  Pennsylvania,  for  the  first  time,  "of  the 
people,  by  the  people  and  for  the  people." 
In  due  time  delegates,  from  all  the  coun- 
ties, were  selected  to  meet  in  conference 
in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  on  Tuesday, 
the  1 8th  day  of  June.  At  this  conference 
the  Pennsylvania-German  at  last  was 
given  a  voice  in  the  governmental  affairs. 
He  held  the  balance  of  power.  If  his 
voice  were  uttered  in  favor  of  independ- 
ence it  would  become  a  fact,  if  not,  a  fail- 
ure. To  his  honor  be  it  now  said,  how- 
ever tardily,  that  every  man  recorded  his 
vote  for  freedom,  and  it  was  the  Penn- 
sylvania-German who  made  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence  possible  on  July  4, 
1776.     (Page  42.) 

It  consisted,  first,  of  an  ash-colored 
hunting  shirt  of  coarse  linen  or  linsey- 
woolsey.  Buck-skin,  which  was  too  hot 
for  summer  weather,  was  worn  during 
the  winter.  The  shirt  had  a  double  cape 
and  was  fringed  along  the  ■  edges  and 
seams.  Around  the  waist  it  was  secured 
by  a  belt,  usually  of  wampurh,  in  which 
were  thrust  the  ever  useful  tomahawk  and 
skinning  knife,  commonly  called  "scalp- 
ing-knife."  Some  of  the  men  wore  buck- 
skin breeches,  others  preferred  leggings 
of  the  same  material,  reaching  above  the 
knees,  and  an  Indian  breech-clout,  thus 
leaving  the  thighs  naked  for  better  sup- 
pleness in  running.  Captain  Morgan, 
himself,  wore  a  breech-clout  during  the 
terrible  mid-winter  march  through  the 
Maine  wilderness  to  Quebec,  his  bare 
thighs  exposed  to  the  elements  and 
lacerated  by  thorns  and  bush.     The  head 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  IN  THE  REVOLUTIONARY  WAR 


409 


dress  was  a  soft  round  hat,  often  made 
of  skins,  with  a  feather  in  it.  On  the  feet 
were  worn  buck-skin  moccasins,  orna- 
mented with  squaw-work  in  beads  and 
stained  porcupine  quills.  Shoulder  belts 
supported  the  canteen,  bullet-pouch  and 
powder-horn.  The  only  insignia  to  dis- 
tinguish the  officers  were  the  crimson 
sashes  worn  by  them  over  the  shoulder 
and  around  the  waist.  Some  of  the  latter 
preferred  to  carry  rifles,  like  their  men, 
doing  away  with  the  sword  to  which  they 
were  entitled.     (Page  83.) 

Todav  the  interior  of  eastern  Penn- 
sylvania stands  unequalled  for  its  home- 
like beauty,  its  fertile  and  highly  culti- 
vated fields,  its  agricultural  and  mineral 
wealth,  and  for  its  multitudinous  indus- 
tries. 

While  not  to  the  same  extent,  yet  to 
the  same  degree,  this  truth  held  good 
during  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  was 
fully  appreciated  by  the  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  American  army,  and  by  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States. 

It  matters  not  how  brave  the  soldiers 
of  an  army  may  be,  nor  how  excellent 
the  arms  with  which  they  carry  on  their 
warfare,  if  they  be  without  food  and 
munitions  their  efforts  are  of  no  avail. 
It  was  the  great  need  of  these  which 
prolonged  the  War  for  Independence,  the 
lack  of  them  would  have  caused  ignomi- 
nious defeat. 

There  was  but  one  colony  of  the  thir- 
teen which  strove  to  cast  off  the  yoke  of 
Great  Britain,  that  was  so  situated  as  to 
enable  it  to  furnish,  in  sufficient  quantity 
and  variety,  all  the  supplies  needed  by  the 
troops,  and  that  colony  was  Pennsylvania, 
and  there  was  but  one  part  of  this  colony 
from  which  these  supplies  could  be  ade- 
quately secured,  and  that  was  the  part 
occupied  by  its  Pennsylvania-German 
citizens. 

Had  they  been  even  luke-warm  in  their 
patriotism,  or  had  they  utterly  refused 
to  part  with  their  hard-earned  possessions, 
as.  with  the  example  of  others  before 
their  eyes,  they  might  well  have  done, 
nothing  but  dire  disaster  would  have^been 
the  result.  The  effort  to  attain  independ- 
ence would  have  been  an  utter  and  speedy 
failure. 


Because  the  Pennsylvania-Germans  did 
open  wide  their  hearts,  homes  and  hands, 
generally  without  reward  or  recompense, 
without  thanks,  without  praise,  without 
even  a  suitable  acknowledgment  of  their 
deeds  in  the  histories  which  their  own 
descendants  are  taught  in  their  own 
schools,  we  are  what  we  are  today,  the 
greatest  republic  on  the  face  of  the  earth, 
or  in  the  history  of  the  world. 

The  darkest  dayS  of  the  Revolution 
came  in  the  years  1776,  1777,  and  1778, 
with  the  defeat  at  Long  Island,  the 
capture  of  Fort  Washington,  the  defeat 
of  Brandywine,  the  capture  of  Philadel- 
phia, and  the  miscarriage  of  all  plans 
at  Germantown.  It  was  then  that  our 
noble  fore-fathers,  without  food,  and 
starving,  without  clothing,  and  freezing, 
still  clung  to  the  cause  for  which  they 
were  willing  to  lay  down  their  lives ;  it 
was  then  that  Washington,  with  the  feeble 
remnant  of  his  army,  while  chased  about 
like  the  hunted  hare,  watched  his  oppor- 
tunity to  strike  a  feeble  blow  here  and 
there ;  it  was  then  that  men  were  d^ing, 
by  the  score,  on  the  bleak  hills  of  Valley 
Forge,  and  it  was  during  these  dark  days 
of  these  dark  years  that  the  American 
army  found  its  refuge  on  the  borders  of 
the  Pennsylvania-German  counties  of  our 
state,  from  which  it  drew  its  supplies  of 
all  characters,  and  to  which  it  sent  its  sick 
and  wounded  to  be  nursed  back  to  Ufe. 

Not  only  were  these  supplies,  which 
could  have  been  obtained  from  no  other 
source,  given,  at  that  time,  cheerfully 
and  unsparingly,  but,  at  all  times  of  the 
war,  the  same  good  work  was  kept  up  in 
the  same  manner,  even  though  under 
different  conditions. 

The  crucial,  and  most  constantly  ac- 
tive, period  of  the  Revolution,  was  that 
from  the  winter  of  1776  to  the  summer 
of  1778,  when,  in  connection  with  the 
operations  relating  to  the  capture  and 
evacuation  of  Philadelphia,  the  American 
army  was  tramping  up  and  down  the 
Schuylkill  valley,  or  operating  in  its  n.ear 
vicinity.   - 

Its  camps  were  almost  constantly  on 
Pennsylvania-German  farms,  and  when 
the  troops  disappeared  from  one  camp 
to  occupy  another,  with  them  disappeared 


410 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


everything  which  represented  months  of 
weary  toil  on  the  part  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania-German owners,  whether  crops 
already  harvested  in  the  barns,  or  those 
still  in  the  field,  whether  grain  and 
vegetables  for  food,  hay  for  forage,  or 
straw  for  bedding.  And  this  was  not 
because  soldiers,  in  all  wars,  are  accus- 
tomed to  prey  upon  the  property  of  others, 
but  because  the  soldiers  of  the  Revolution, 
and  the  horses  of  the  Revolution,  were 
hungry  men  and  hungry  animals,  with- 
out even,  at  times,  the  necessities  of  life. 

Worse  even  than  the  pangs  of  hunger 
were  the  sufferings  of  half-naked  and 
bare-footed  men,  when  exposed  to  the 
pitiless  cold,  and  it  is  not  to  be  wondered 
at  that,  as  her  husband  lost  the  fruits  of 
his  labor  in  the  field,  so  was  the  Penn- 
sylvania-German matron  called  upon  to 
sacrifice  the  fruits  of  her  labor  at  the 
loom,  in  the  form  of  blankets  and  cloth- 
ing- 

The  plague  of  locusts  was  but  a  tnfle 

to  the  visitation  of  the  American  army. 
The  former  left  something,  but  the  latter 
nothing,  and  it  was  no  small  sacrifice 
which  the  Pennsylvania-Germans  made 
when  they  thus  sustained  the  soldiers  of 
Washington's  army  during  the  summer 
and  fall  of  1777. 

This  service,  however,  fell  but  to  the 
few,  and  gave  but  a  temporary  relief  to 
those  in  need.  A  systematic  effort  be- 
came necessary  for  continued  sustenance. 
To  that  end  committees  were  appointed, 
which  were  on  continual  duty  during 
1777  and  part  of  1778,  some  to  collect 
blankets  and  clothing,  others  to  gather 
forage,  and  others  to  procure  food  sup- 
lies.  Almost  literally  from  door  to  door 
went  their  emissaries  throughout  the  Ger- 
man counties,  accompanied  by  wagons  in- 
to which  the  donations  were  loaded  and, 
as  filled,  forwarded  to  the  army. 

Beyond  these  came  the  regular  supplies 
tor  the  troops,  procured  in  the  regular 
way  by  purchase,  even  if  paid  for  in  a 
depreciated  and  almost  worthless  cur- 
rency. Of  these  the  Hour  came  from  the 
Pennsylvania-German  mills,  and  the  can- 
non, with  their  cannon-balls,  largely  from 
Pennsylvania-German  foundries  and  fur- 
naces. 


As  though  all  this  were  not  sufficient, 
even  the  paper  needed  to  make  cartridges 
was  furnished  by  the  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
mans, and  it  was  no  small  sacrifice  and 
loss  to  them,  as  well  as  ourselves  at  this 
day,  when,  for  that  purpose,  the  govern- 
ment seized  the  unlDound  leaves  of  the 
"Martyr  Book",  published  by  the  theoso- 
phic  community  at  Ephrata,  at  that  time 
the  greatest  work  of  its  kind  ever  at- 
tempted on  this  continent,  and  carried 
them  off  in  two  wagons  guarded  by  six 
soldiers. 

The  extent  of  these  sacrifices  on  the 
part  of  the  Pennsylvania-Germans,  and 
the  actual  quantity  of  material  thus  sup- 
plied by  them,  will  never  be  known,  but 
we  do  know  that,  by  them,  the  army  was 
kept  together,  arid  the  independence  of 
our  country  assured.     (Page  449.) 

Without  even  considering  the  many 
records  which  have  already  been  laid  be- 
fore the  reader,  the  true  patriotism  of 
the  Pennsylvania-Germans,  and  the  depth 
of  their  loyalty  to  the  cause  of  independ- 
ence, would  be  sufficiently  shown  by  the 
fact  that,  at  the  most  trying. period  of  a 
most  trying  conflict,  when  others  were 
plotting,  some  even  turning  traitors,  and 
many  openly  disloyal,  so  much  so  that  the 
brave  and  true  men,  who  held  firmly  to 
the  cause,  were  almost  driven  to  despair, 
it  was  to  the  Pennsylvania-Germans  they 
turned  their  eyes,  without  a  question  as  to 
their  unswerving  faithfulness,  and  it  was 
to  their-safe  keeping  they  committed  their 
own  bodies,  with  the  archives  and  proper- 
ty of  the  government.  Not  only  were  the 
Pennsylvania-German  counties  a  place  of 
refuge  for  the  members  of  the  Continental 
Congress,  and  other  officials,  when  forced 
to  flee  from  Philadelphia,  but  they  were 
a  veritable  place  of  safe-keeping  for  the 
enemies  of  the  country  who  had  been 
made  prisoners  of  war.  There  were  no 
tories  among  the  Pennsylvania-Germans, 
and  the  authorities  knew  it.     ( Page  486. ) 

So  with  our  Pennsylvania-German  an- 
cestors. They  were  not  perfect  any  more 
than  was  Washington.  Indeed,  among 
their  number  could  doubtless  have  been 
found  some  who  were  far  from  being 
such.  But,  considering  them  as  a  whole, 
and    overlooking    the    mere    unimportant 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN   IN  THE  REVOLUTIONARY  WAR 


411 


frailties  of  weak  human  nature  incident 
to  all  peoples,  whatever  their  nationality, 
we  feel  justified  in  asking  where,  in  the 
history  of  the  Revolution,  are  found  those 
who  have  done  more  for  their  country, 
who  have  given  more  to  their  country,  and 
who  have  undergone  greater  sacrifices  of 
all  descriptions?  And  this  was  done 
quietly,  unostentatiously,  and  often  amidst 
much  calumny  and  persecution.  They 
were   true   American   patriots    and    truly 


unselfish.  They  did  not  seek  for  the 
"high  places,"  but  were  content  to  take 
a  "lower  room"  and  wait  until  the  time 
should  come  when  their  worth  might  be 
recognized,  and  they  would  be  summoned 
to  "go  up  higher."  That  time  has  already 
come,  and  if,  in  this  imperfect  and  in- 
complete narrative,  the  author  has  aided, 
even  to  a  small  extent,  in  accomplishing 
this  object,  he  will  consider  himself  amply 
repaid    for   his   labor.      (Page    514.) 


The     Pennsylvania-German    as  Geologist    and 

Paleontologist 

BY    PROF.     H.    W.    SHIMER.    BOSTON,    MASS. 
(Edited  by  Prof.  D.  H.  Bergey,  M.  D.,  Philadelphia,  Pa.) 


NE  of  the  hardest  questions 
for  the  historian  to  solve  is 
that  of  the  various  contri- 
butions which  each  of  the 
elements  of  a  nation  has 
furnished  towards  the  for- 
mation of  its  national  char- 
acter, life  and  literature.  That  question 
will  be  particularly  pertinent  when  applied 
to  the  agglomerative  race  now  forming 
on  the  American  continents.  In  North 
America  practically  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth  are  represented,  with,  however,  a 
vast  preponderance  of  English.  Germans, 
French,  Scandinavians.  Irish,  Scotch, 
Hollanders,  Italians  and  Spanish. 

The  full  influence  of  any  nation  upon 
the  new  race-stock  will  be  the  sum  total 
of  its  influence  upon  each  of  the  beliefs, 
the  arts,  the  sciences,  the  myriad  and  one 
directions  along  which  thought  and  feel- 
ing travel.  What  makes  the  solution  of 
the  problem  especially  difficult  is  the  in- 
termarriage among  the  individual  repre- 
sentatives of  the  different  nations.  It  is 
comparatively  easy  to  pick  out  a  few 
prominent  traits  of  some  nation  and  trace 
them  in  a  mixed  descendant,  as  the  vi- 
vacity due  to  the  French  mother,  the  pa- 
tience and  perseverance  to  the  German 
father ;  but  with  the  numberless  less 
prominent  traits  which  go  to  make  up  an 
individual's  character,  this  is  by  no  means 
simple.  Nor  is  it  a  simple  matter  to 
know  where  in  the  ancestral  tree  to  place 


the  credit  for  success,  for  frequently  suc- 
cess is  due  only  to  the  union  of  two 
traits,  neither  of  which  alone  could  be 
successful.  Thus  success  may  follow  the 
union  of  a  perseverance  so  exaggerated 
as  to  give  an  inability  to  adapt  one's 
self  to  new  circumstances  and  a  vivacity 
so  accentuated  as  to  produce  a  "rolling 
stone."  So,  when  a  person  bearing  an 
English  or  a  German  name  has  made  a 
success  in  any  line  of  work,  it  is  not  safe 
to  give  the  credit  for  it  to  his  English 
or  German  ancestry  without  first  knowing 
what,  if  any,  foreign  elements  have  en- 
tered into  his  ancestral  tree.  It  is  neces- 
sary to  know,  also,  the  environment  amid 
which  both  he  and  his  ancestors  lived ; 
for  we  all  know  how  great  an  influence 
association  with  others  has  upon  each  of 
us,  and  especially  how  great  is  the  effect 
of  an  intellectual  or  non-intellectual  at- 
mosphere, a  scientific  or  a  non-scientific, 
an  optimistic  or  a  pessimistic.  Success 
will  usually  be  found  to  be  due  to  a  union 
of  diverse  elements,  and  not  to  an  ac- 
centuation of  any  one. 

The  Pennsylvania-Germans  are  noted 
for  their  very  strong  family  ties.  This 
led  them  not  only  to  settle  in  colonies,  but 
to  maintain  that  colonial  life  by  the  settle- 
ment of  the  rising  generations  near  the 
older.  The  natural  result  was  the  reten- 
tion of  their  original  language,  and  this 
again  was  aided  by  the  churches  and 
schools  which  were  established  by  them 


41. 


'HE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


immediately  upon  settlement  in  any  place. 
Since  the  majority,  however,  of  the  set- 
tlers of  the  American  colonies  spoke  the 
English  tongue,  that  naturally  became  the 
dominant  language  and  literature.  Each 
colony  of  Pennsylvania-Germans,  being 
thus  by  the  accident  of  speech  and  letters 
separated  from  its  neighbors,  developed 
those  traits  which  it  had  brought  over 
with  it,  and  was  but  slightly  affected  until 
the  last  two  or  three  generations  by  con- 
tact with  the  world  outside  its  own.  Now 
encouraged  by  leaders  from  among 
themselves,  they  are  beginning  to  take  a 
pride  in  speaking  and  writing  pure  Eng- 
lish, in  minghng  with  and  learning  from 
all  others.  Yet  through  this  very  act  they 
are  taking  a  greater  pride  than  ever  in 
their  Pennsylvania-German  ancestry  and 
in  cultivating  those  traits  which  made 
them  loved  and  successful, — respect  for 
the  rights  of  others,  prompt  payment  of 
all  obligations,  very  great  patience  and 
perseverance,  with  a  genius  for  method 
and  order,  and  an  incomparable  thrift. 

Thus  it  was  not  strange  that  neither 
the  virtues  nor  letters  of  these  people  were 
appreciated  or  even  known  by  the  sur- 
rounding people,  speaking  and  reading 
with  the  English  tongue,  this  result  being 
due  as  much  to  the  conservatism  of  the 
former  as  to  the  prejudice  of  the  latter. 
Nothing  is  more  natural  than  the  distrust 
of  those  whose  language  and  customs  dif- 
fer from  one's  own.  Nor  is  it  strange 
that  through  the  intermarriage  of  the 
Pennsylvania-Germans  only  with  their' 
own  people,  there  should  have  resulted 
an  accentuation  of  certain  traits,  some  to 
be  lamented,  others  to  be  proud  of;  nor 
that  the  want  of  mingling  with  others  of 
diverse  views  should  have  made  them 
narrow.  Though  such  conditions  are  to 
be  deplored,  they  are  yet  largely  responsi- 
ble for  certain  traits  which  to  the  scien- 
tist especially  are  of  great  value.  The 
Pennsylvania-German  is  very  religious, 
and  was  noted  for  his  literal  interpreta- 
tion of  the  Bible ;  it  was  his  final  court 
of  appeal  in  all  vexed  questions,  he  con- 
tinually searched  it  for  truth,  and  was 
ruled  by  his  interpretation  of  it.  This 
trait  of  very  deep  and  sincere  personal 
honesty, — to  do  right  because  to  him  it 
is  right  and  not  because  it  is  policy,  makes 


him  a  thoro  scientist  when  his  final 
court  of  appeals  becomes  truth  in  a  con- 
crete form. 

The  primary  qualities  which  make  the 
farm,  both  land  and  buildings,  of  the 
Pennsylvania-German  easily  distinguish- 
able from  that  of  his  non-German  neigh- 
bor, are  the  very  qualities  which  will  be 
of  inestimable  value  to  him  as  an  investi- 
gating scientist.  The  intuitive  genius  for 
order  whch  has  a  place  for  everything 
and  always  has  everything  in  its  place,  the 
inexhaustible  patience  and  perseverance, 
the  stick-to-itiveness  which  doesn't  know 
how  to  stop  before  the  work  undertaken 
is  accomplished,  are  the  qualities  which 
will  make  the  rising  generations  as  suc- 
cessful in  any  new  line  of  work  as  their 
parents  were  in  the  old. 

Notwithstanding  the  very  heavy  handi- 
cap arising  from  a  foreign  tongue  and  a 
lack  of  broadening  environment  under 
which  the  Pennsylvania-German  has  la- 
bored, he  has  yet  given  to  this  country  a 
very  large  number  of  scientists,  including 
a  goodly  number  of  geologists  and  pale- 
ontologists. Through  the  gradua'l  re- 
moval of  this  handicap  and  a  consequent 
intermarriage  with  types  of  other  races, 
we  may  look  for  an  increasing  number 
of  eminent  workers  in  this  line.  For  here, 
as  elsewhere,  union  means  strength ;  new 
blood  brings  new  qualities,  a  strength  and 
an  adaptability  much  needed.  Yet  the 
principal  traits  which  will  make  the 
Pennsylvania-German  successful  in  geol- 
ogy as  they  made  his  forefathers  on  the 
farm  are  an  unquenchable  love  for  truth, 
and  inexhaustible  patience  and  persever- 
ance and  an  intuitive  genius  for  method 
and  order, — traits  partly  brought  over 
with  him  and  partly  developed  through 
his  colonial  life  in  this  country. 

The  following  list  of  Pennsylvania- 
German  geologists  and  paleontologists 
who  have  become  known  through  their 
writings  as  original  workers,  is  without 
doubt  very  incomplete,  and  must  be  re- 
garded as  merely  a  preliminary  list.  It 
is,  however,  sufficient  to  show  that  the 
Pennsylvania-Germans  have  produced 
some  very  eminent  men  in  these  lines,  and 
that  they  extend  from  very  early  times 
to  the  present.  It  shows,  too,  that  as  a 
rule  the  Pennsylvania-German  enters  life 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  AS  GEOLOGIST  AND  PALEONTOLOGIST 


413 


late ;  he  usually  graduates  from  college 
and  takes  his  higher  degrees  later  than 
the  average  person.  Yet  this  fact  is  not 
to  be  deplored,  for  he  then  has  a  depth 
of  experience  and  a  maturity  of  judg- 
ment which  enables  him  to  do  careful  and 
excellent  work  immediately  upon  entering 
his  chosen  field. 

One  of  the  earliest  and  best  known 
workers  in  geology  in  this  country  was 
Timothy  Conrad,  born  in  Philadelphia  in 
1803.  For  a  time  he  engaged  in  pub- 
lishing and  printing,  but  later  turned  to 
natural  history  studies  and  especially  to 
paleontolog}'.  As  one  of  the  first  w^orkers 
in  paleontology  his  name  appears  as  the 
author  of  very  many  species  of  fossils. 
He  is  universally  recognized  as  having 
been  one  of  the  greatest  of  American 
conchologists. 

Samuel  Steadman  Haldeman  was  born 
in  Locust  Grove,  Pennsylvania,  August 
12,  1812.  In  1836  he  was  assistant  to 
H.  D.  Rogers  in  the  geological  survey 
of  New  Jersey,  and  in  1837  on  the  Rogers 
survey  of  Pennsylvania  he  filled  the  posi- 
tion of  astronomer.  From  1851  to  1855 
he  was  professor  of  natural  history  in  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1869  he 
became  professor  of  comparative  philol- 
ogy in  the  same  university,  and  this  posi- 
tion he  held  till  his  death  in  1880.  Like 
many  of  the  older  workers  in  science,  he 
was  most  broadly  educated  and  extremely 
versatile.  His  works  number  some  30  in 
philology  and  120  on  various  natural  sci- 
ence subjects.  A  full  and  interesting 
biography  has  already  appeared  in  The 
Pennsylvania-German  for  February, 
1908,  in  the  article  on  "The  Pennsylvania- 
German  as  Biologist." 

Rev.  Thomas  Conrad  Porter  was  born 
January  22,  1822,  at  Alexandria,  Hunt- 
ington county,  Pennsylvania.  His  mother, 
Maria  Bucher,  w^as  a  Pennsylavnia-Ger- 
man.  He  was  graduated  from  Lafayette 
College  in  1840  with  the  degree  of  A.B., 
and  from  Princeton  Theological  Seminary 
in  1844.  After  this  he  preached  till  1849, 
when  his  interest  in  natural  science  led 
him  to  accept  a  professorship  in  Marshall 
College,  then  at  Mercersburg,  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  he  still  retained  his  position 
after  its  removal  to  Lancaster  and  its  con- 
solidation with  Franklin  College.    In  1866 


he  became  professor  of  biology  and  geol- 
ogy in  Lafayette  College.  He  received 
the  degree  of  D.D.  from  Rutgers  in  1865 
and  of  LL.D.  from  Franklin  and  Mar- 
shall in  1880.  He  died  April  27,  1901. 
Most  of  his  original  work  was  done  in 
botany,  though  he  may  yet  be  ranked  as 
a  geologist. 

One  of  the  earlier  geological  workers 
was  Dr.  Joseph  Leidy,  world  famous  as 
a  vertebrate  paleontologist.  He  was  born 
in  Philadelphia,  September  9,  1823,  and 
died  in  Philadelphia  August  30,  1891. 
He  was  educated  as  a  physician,  and  aftef 
holding  several  positions  in  chemical  and 
anajtomical  work  became  full  professor 
of  anatomy  in  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania in  1853.  In  1871  he  was  appointed 
professor  of  natural  history  in  Swarth- 
more  College.  He  was  one  of  the  first 
American  scientific  workers  to  take  up 
the  study  of  vertebrate  fossils,  and  at 
various  times  he  was  prominently  identi- 
fied with  the  early  Hay  den  and  other 
western  geological  and  geographical  sur- 
veys. The  vertebrate  fossils  collected  by 
Kitchell's  survey  of  New  Jersey  in  1854- 
1856  were  placed  in  the  hands  of  Leidy 
for  identification,  as  were  also  many 
Cretaceous  vertebrate  remains  from  Kan- 
sas. To  him  w^as  given  the  work  of  de- 
scribing the  vertebrate  fossils  collected  in 
one  of  the  explorations  in  the  Bad  Lands 
of  Nebraska,  and  thus  to  him  fell  the 
honor  of  first  describing  the  now  well 
known  Oreodon,  an  animal  having  much 
in  common  with  both  the  present  deer 
and  pig. 

Dr.  J.  S.  Diller,  born  in  Plainfield, 
Pennsvlvania,  August  27,  1850,  received 
his  B'.S.  from  Harvard  in  1879,  and 
studied  in  Heidelberg  from  1880  to  1883. 
Since- Ihat  time  he  has  been  geologist  on 
the  United  States  Geological  Survey.  He 
has  done  extremely  important  work  in 
general  geology  and  in  petrography,  and 
has  been  the  recipient  of  many  scientific 
honors.  He  is  associate  editor  of  the 
American  Journal  of  Science.  His 
stratigraphic  and  petrographic  work  in- 
cludes much  on  certain  regions  in  Cali- 
fornia and  elsewhere  on  the  Pacific 
coast. 

A.  E.  Lehman  was  born  in  Lebanon, 
Pennsylvania.  May  23,  1851,  and  received 


414 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


his  education  from  public  school  and  pri- 
vate instruction.  From  1874  to  1886  he 
served  as  geological  engineer  and 
assistant  geologist  on  the  second  survey 
of  Pennsylvania  under  J.  P.  Lesley,  and 
for  seven  years  as  assistant  chief  and  later 
as  chief  engineer  on  various  railroads. 
Since  1889  he  has  been  consulting  engi- 
neer in  Philadelphia,  and  is  a  member 
of  the  board  of  civil  service  examiners 
and  of  the  department  of  municipal  en- 
gineering. 

Professor  W.  H.  Sherzer  was  born  in 
Franklin,  Ohio,  September  6,  i860.  He 
received  in  succession  from  Michigan 
University  the  degrees  of  B.S.,  1889; 
M.S.,  1890,  and  Ph.D.,  1901,  and  studied 
in  Berlin  for  one  year.  He  became  in- 
structor in  geology  and  paleontology  at 
Michigan  University  in  1891,  and  pro- 
fessor of  natural  science  in  Michigan 
State  Normal  College  in  1892,  which  po- 
sition he  holds  at  present.  He  has  writ- 
ten much  on  glacial  studies  and  on  the 
geology  of  Michigan.  His  paleontologi- 
cal  work  includes  studies  on  fossil  corals. 

Dr.  G.  R.  Wieland  was  born  in  Center 
county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1865.  In  1893 
he  received  the  degree  of  B.S.  from 
Pennsylvania  State  College,  and  in  1900 
Ph.D.  from  Yale  University.  He  has 
also  carried  on  studies  at  Gottingen. 
Since  1898  he  has  been  occupied  in  pale- 
ontological  research  at  the  Yale  Univer- 
sity Museum,  and  has  engaged  in  various 
explorations  in  the  northwest  for  Yale 
University  and  for  the  American  Museum 
of  Natural  History.  He  has  contributed 
largely  to  geological  journals,  his  more 
important  work  being  in  paleobotany  and 
evolution,  especially  as  it  is  applied  to 
plants.  His  special  subjects  of  research 
include  living  and  fossil  cycads.  Creta- 
ceous turtles  and  geological  climate  in  its 
relation  to  the  evolution  of  plants  and 
animals. 

John  Eyerman,  of  Easton,  Pennsyl- 
vania, was  born  in  Easton,  January  15. 
1867.  His  life  from  1884  to  1896  was 
spent  in  study  at  Lafayette  College,  Har- 
vard and  Princeton  Universities  success- 
ively. From  1887  to  1892  he  was  asso- 
ciated with  Lafayette  College  as  lecturer 
on     determinative     mineralogy.        From 


1888  to  1898  he  was  associate  editor  of 
The  A)iierican  Geologist,  and  now  fills 
that  position  on  the  Journal  of  Analytical 
Chemistry.  He  is  member  or  fellow  of 
many  American  and  English  scientific  so- 
cieties, and  his  research  has  embraced 
many  subjects  in  geology  and  paleontolo- 
gy. He  has  contributed  much  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  mineralogy  of  Penn- 
sylvania. 

Dr.  Charles  P.  Berkey  was  born  at 
Goshen,  Indiana,  March  25,  1867.  He 
received  the  degree  of  B.S.  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Minnesota  in  1892 ;  M.  S.  in 
1893,  and  Ph.D.  in  1897.  He  was  in- 
structor in  mineralogy  in  the  same  insti- 
tution from  1893  to  1903.  when  he  be- 
came instructor  in  geology  at  Columbia 
University,  which  position  he  holds  at 
present.  Since  1908  he  has  been  an  as- 
sistant on  the  state  geological  surveys  of 
Minnesota  and  Wisconsin,,  and  is  also  at 
present  one  of  the  geological  experts  on 
the  New  York  City  water  board.  He  has 
published  much  on  the  origin  of  clays 
and  on  glacial  deposits.  One  of  his  im- 
portant contributions  is  the  geology  of 
the  Tarrytown  (New  York)  quadrangle. 

George  Steiger  was  born  in  Columbia, 
Pennsylvania,  May  2y,  1869.  He  re- 
ceived the  degrees  of  B.S.  and  M.S.  from 
Columbia  University  in  1890  and  1892. 
His  work  has  lain  along  the  chemical  lines 
of  geology,  and  especially  has  concerned 
the  structure  of  certain  silicates  and  their 
substitution  products.  Since  1892  he  has 
been  chemist  on  the  United  States  Geolog- 
ical  Survey. 

Dr.  Frederick  Ehrenfeld  was  born  in 
West  Brownsville,  Pennsylvania,  January 
8,  1872.  He  took  his  A.B.  at  Witten- 
burg  in  1893  ^""^  Ph.D.  at  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania  in  1898.  He  was  for  a 
time  connected  with  the  York  Collegiate 
Institute  of  Pennsylvania,  and  is  now  in- 
structor in  geology  and  mineralogy  at 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  His 
main  work  is  in  stratigraphic  geology. 

Oscar  H.  Hershey,  of  Berkeley,  Cali- 
fornia, was  born  in  Blue  Rock,  Pennsyl- 
vania, March  2j,  1874.  Since  1904  he 
has  been  engaged  in  examining  mines  in 
Nevada.  Stratigraphic  geology  has  been 
his  principal  subject  of  research,  especial- 


THE  PENNSYLVAXIA-GERMAX   AS  GEOLOGIST  AND  PALEONTOLOGIST    415 


ly  that  of  the  Tertiary  and  Quaternary 
periods,  including-  much  glacial  geology. 
He  is  a  very  prolific  writer,  and  has  pub- 
lished  much   on  the   Klamath   region  of 


California,  the  later  geology  of  southern 
California,  and  the  stratigraphy  of  the 
Ozark  mountains  and  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama. 


The  Hassinger  Church 


BY   A,   K.  GRIFT,  MIDDLEBURG,  PA. 


The  Formative  Period. 

ORTHUMBERLAND  coun- 
ty  was   formed   March    12, 
1772,  out  of  parts  of  Berks, 
Cumberland  and  Bed- 
ford counties.    Union  coun- 
ty     was      separated      from 
Northumberland  by   act  of 
March    22,    181 3.      Snyder    county    was 
formed  out  of  the  southern  half  of  Union 
county  by  act  of  March  2,  1855. 

Middleburg  became  the  county  seat,  lo- 
cated in  Franklin  township.  Two  miles 
west  from  the  county  seat,  and  one  mile 
north  from  Paxtonville,  is  located  this  old 
and  interesting  church  property  with  its 
sacred  burial  grounds  ("Gottes-Ocker") 
on  high  and  dry  ground.  The  scenery 
southward  appears  grand,  overlooking 
part  of  the  noted  Middlecreek  Valley ; 
north  and  east  of  the  church  is  a  high 
limestone  ridge  called  bv  the  old  settlers 
"The  Church  Hill"  (-'Kirche  Berg"). 
Along  this  ridge  east  and  west  the  origi- 
nal public  road  leading  to  Middleburg 
was  located.  This  road  was  since  va- 
cated and  a  new  road  located  a  little 
farther  south  on  more  level  ground,  thus 
eliminating  two  steep  hills. 

Pioneers  Buried  in  the  Cemetery. 

In  the  old  cemetery  attached  to  this 
church  many  thousands  of  the  departed 
people  of  the  valley  and  hundreds  of  our 
ancestors,  the  pioneers  of  this  locality, 
are  laid  to  rest.  Among  these  are  the 
following:  Christopher  Royer,  who  was 
born  in  the  Rhine  Pfaltz.  South  Germany, 
in  1748.  He  was  the  great-grandfather 
of  Amelia  Royer,  wife  of  the  writer ; 
John  Yost  Kern,  born  at  Freischbach, 
Germany,  in  1746,  he  being  the  great- 
grandfather of  the  writer  on  the  maternal 


side ;  John  Adam  Gift,  great-grandfather 
of  the  writer,  was  born  in  Germany  in 
1750;  Jacob   Hassinger,   born  Aug.    10, 
1762,  died   1821  ;  John  Hassinger,  born 
Nov.  14,  1764,  died  May  12,  1810;  Abra- 
ham Hassinger,  born  in  1750.    These  are 
the  progenitors  of  all  the  Hassingers  in 
Pennsylvania,   and   the   Western   States. 
Christ's   church   is   familiarly  known  as 
Hassinger's   church,  -naraed    from   these 
pioneers.    Paul  Bowersox  came  over  from 
Germany  in  1740.     He  is  the  ancestor  of 
all  the  Bowersoxes.     John  Conrad  Bubb 
(Bub,  Bob)  was  born  Feb.  5,  1740,  died 
in  February,  1809,  being  the  ancestor  of 
the  Bubb  branches  in  Pennsylvania  and 
Western  States.     John  Frederick  Bolen- 
der,  born  March  17,  1761,  died  January 
13,    1832,   ancestor   of   all  the   Bolender 
families;  Michael  Swengel   (Schwengel) 
was  born  Julv   13,   1744,  died  April   i, 
1 85 1,  the  ancestor  of  all  the  Swengels  m 
this  localitv.    John  Jacob  Steininger,  born 
Feb.  15,  1776,  died  Oct.  13,  1847.     He 
was  the  progenitor  of  the  numerous  Stein- 
inger   families   in    Pennsylvania.      Jacob 
Walter  was  born  in  Germany,  January 
15,  1729,  and  died  Jan.  23,  1809.     He  is 
the  pioneer  of  all  the  Walter  branches  in 
Pennsylvania.     He  took  much  interest  in 
church     matters.       Rev.     John     Conrad 
Walter,  a  Lutheran  minister,   was  born 
Nov.  30,  1775,  in  Germany,  died  August 
10,  1819. 

The  Organization. 

Previous  to  1785  a  band  of  earnest  and 
devout  Lutheran  and  German  Reformed 
Christians  assembled  from  time  to  tmie 
for  worship.  Their  meetings  were  held 
mostly   from  house  to  house. 

By  the  financial  aid  and  other  assistance 
rendered  bv  the  members  of  the  two  con- 


4i6 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


HASSINGER'S    CHURCH. 
SECOND   BUILDING   ERECTED   1779 TAKEN   DOWN    1871. 


gregations,  there  was  erected  a  log  build- 
ing for  a  house  of  worship,  where  for  a 
number  of  years  services  were  held.  This 
building,  however,  was  never  dedicated. 
Those  who  preached  in  this  rude  struc- 
ture were  Revs.  Shellhart,  Josansky  and 
Espy  of  the  Lutherans,  and  Revs. 
Rahausen,  Hensel  and  Geistweit  of  the 
German  Reformed.  During  the  existence 
of  this  humble  house  of  worship,  the 
Indians,  who  were  still  numerous  in  these 
wilds,  would  occasionally  prowl  around  in 
the  neighborhood,  so  that  the  people  in 
this  sparsely  settled  valley  were  almost 
continually  kept  on  their  guard,  for  fear 
of  an  Indian  surprise.  When  there  were 
services  in  the  little  log  church,  the  gun 
and  hunting  knife  were  indispensable 
articles  to  the  male  members,  and  were 
taken  with  them  to  the  church ;  often 
the  minister  was  armed. 

Tradition  says,  and  it  is  well  verified, 
that  on  a  Sunday,  while  the  people  were 
engaged  in  worship  in  the  log  church 
(and  this  time  no  guard  was  stationed 
at  the  door),  a  party  of  marauding  In- 
dians, on  a  murderous  expedition,  ap- 
peared. A  few  of  the  bolder  ones  creeping 
stealthily  among  the  brushes  made  theiV 
way  up  to  the  church,  and  securely  barri- 


cading the  door,  piled  up  a  heap  of  com- 
bustible material  against  the  building, 
evidently  with  the  intention  of  burning 
the  church  and  destroying  the  occupants. 

Fortunately,  however,  before  the  torch 
was  applied,  it  happened  that  Lese 
Reager,  an  old  hunter  and  trapper,  was 
on  horseback  hunting  on  the  top  of  the 
ridge,  north  of  the  church.  Seeing  the 
Indians,  but  unperceived  by  them  on  ac- 
count of  the  intervening  timber  and  brush, 
he  rode  back  and  forth  discharging  his 
gun  as  fast  as  he  could  load,  and  at  the 
top  of  his  voice  gave  commands,  as 
though  he  was  in  charge  of  a  company 
of  soldiers.  This  had  the  desired  effect; 
the  Indians  quickly  retreated  towards  th« 
wilds  of  Shade  Mountain  on  the  south  of 
the  valley.  Mr.  Reager  immediately  un- 
barred the  church  door.  The  reader  may 
imagine  that  the  members  looked  upon 
Mr.  Reager  as  their  great  hero  and  liber- 
ator. 

A  few  years  later,  the  Stuck  family 
was  murdered  by  the  Indians  about  five 
miles  east  from  the  church. 

The    Second    Church    Building. 

The  old  log  church  now  becoming  too 
small  and  uncomfortable  to  accommodate 
the   increasing   membership,   in  the   year 


THE   HASSINGER  CHURCH 


417 


1 79 1  preparations  were  made  to  build  a 
new  church,  and  between  that  year  and 
1798  the  building  was  erected  on  a  site  a 
little  to  the  southwest  of  the  old  log 
house.  This  was  a  large,  two-story, 
square,  double-hewed  log  structure,  with 
a  very  high,  oval  board  ceiling,  inside 
painted  light  blue,  finished  inside  with 
high  galleries  on  the  east,  south  and  west 
sides.  On  the  north  side  was  a  small  or- 
nate pulpit  and  a  sounding  board  above 
perched  on  a  high  round  post,  with  a 
flight  of  steep  stairs  for  the  preacher  to 
ascend  and  descend.  At  the  base  of  the 
pulpit  to  the  southward,  facing  the  audi- 
ence, was  a  large  square  altar ;  toward 
the  westward  near  the  front  of  the  stairs, 
within  easy  communication  with  the 
preacher  in  the  pulpit,  was  a  space  sur- 
rounded by  a  nice  railing  with  a  door, 
and  seat  inside  for  the  leader  {vorsinger) 
of  the  congregational  singing,  and  his  as- 
sistants, if  any  were  employed.  This 
church  had  a  seating  capacity  of  five  hun- 
dred people.  In  this  same  year,  1798, 
the  church  was  dedicated  as  Christ's 
church.  Rev.  Geistweit,  Reformed  pas- 
tor, and  Rev.  Shultz,  Lutheran,  invited 
from  abroad,  conducted  the  services  on 
this  occasion. 

About  the  year  1807,  this  building  was 
weather-boarded  and  painted  white. 

The   Pastors. 

The  regular  pastors  officiating  in  this 
church  from  time  to  time  on  the  Luther- 
an side  were :  Revs.  Enterline,  Herbst, 
1802-04;  John  Conrad  Walter,  i8o5-'i9; 
J.  P.  Shindel,  Sr.,  1820.  Supply:  J.  W. 
Smith,  i82i-'3i  ;  William  German,  1831- 
'38;  J.  P.  Shindel,  Jr.,  i838-'6i  ;  C.  G. 
Erlenmeyer,  i864-'7i. 

On  the  Reformed  side  were :  Rev. 
Geistweit,  i793-'94;  W.  Adams,  i8o7-'o9; 
Israel  Gerhart,  i8i3-'2o;  Rev.  Felix, 
i820-'25 ;  Daniel  Weiser,  i825-'29;  Hen- 
rv  Bassler,  i829-'35 ;  Frederick  Herman, 
1835;  E.  H.  HoflFheims,  i838-'40;  A.  B. 
Casper,  i840-'48;  W.  G.  Hackman, 
i848-'58;  G.  W.  Shultz.  i858-'63;  L.  C. 
Edmonds,  i863-"65 ;  C.  F.  Hoflfmeier, 
1865-70;  J.  T.  Seiple.  i870-'73. 

After  the  death  of  Rev.  John  Conrad 
Walter,  Nov.  30,  1819.  a  faithful  Luther- 
an minister,  the  congregation  extended  a 


cordial  invitation  to  Father  Rev.  J.  P. 
Shindel,  Sr.,  to  succeed  their  beloved 
pastor.  He  could  not,  however,  leave  his 
.  congregation  at  Sunbury,  Pa.,  but  prom- 
ised to  preached  for  them  until  they  could 
get  a  regular  pastor.  This  he  did  until 
Rev.  J.  W.  Smith  became  their  pastor,  as 
stated  above. 

Rev.  J.  P.  Shindel,  Jr.,  took  charge  of 
this  church  in  1838,  as  already  noted. 

He  states  that,  having  commenced  his 
labors  among  these  people,  he  found  them 
kind  and  affectionate,  and  that  in  the 
course  of  his  ministrations  he  had  the 
great  satisfaction  of  receiving  many  mem- 
bers, instructing  many  catechumens,  and 
baptizing  many  children.  After  Rev. 
Shindel,  Jr.,  quit  preaching  in  1861,  Rev. 
Dr.  H.  Zeigler  and  students  of  the  Mis- 
sionary Institute,  now  Susquehanna  Uni- 
versity at  Selinsgrove,  Penna.,  supplied 
the  pulpit. 

The   Third   Church. 

In  1872,  the  old  Lutheran  members  of 
the  General  Council  and  the  German  Re- 
formed determined  to  build  a  new  Re- 
formed church.  They  tore  down  the  old 
two-story  gallery  church,  using  much  of 
the  old  material  in  the  construction  of  the 
third  church.  Part  of  the  money  was  se- 
cured by  the  sale  of  the  tract  of  land,  two 
miles  west,  as  already  noted.  The  new 
church  was  built  on  the  same  spot  where 
the  old  church  stood,  on  ground  donated 
by  deed  by  Joseph  Simon  and  his  wife, 
more  fully  stated  above.     . 

Corner-stone  Laying  and  Dedication. 

The  corner-stone  was  laid  with  impos- 
ing ceremonies  on  Trinity  Sunday,  in 
May,  1872,  when  the  following  ministers 
were  present :  C.  G.  Erlenmeyer,  Luther- 
an, and  A.  B.  Casper,  T.  J.  Seiple  and 
L.  C.  Edmonds  on  the  Reformed  side. 

On  the  second  day  of  February,  1873, 
this  church  was  dedicated  and,  like  its 
predecessor,  the  church  retained  the 
original  name  as  Christ's  Evangelical  Lu- 
theran and  German  '  Reformed  L^nion 
church.  The  dedication  sermon  was 
preached  by  Rev.  H.  H.  Bruning,  a  vis- 
iting Lutheran  pastor  from  Selinsgrove; 
Revs.  J.  C.  Bucher,  D.D.,  of  Lewisburg;. 
L.  C.  Edmonds,  of  Beaver  Springs,  and 


4i8- 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


T,  J.  Seiple,  the  pastor  in  charge,  all  on 
the  Reformed  side,  took  part  in  the  dedi- 
catory services.  In  1901  the  outside  of 
the  building  was  painted  white,  the  in- 
side was  also  beautifully  painted,  papered 
and  nicely  decorated.  The  seats  are  well 
arranged,  the  interior  arrangement 
throughout  is  churchly.  It  will  seat 
about  five  hundred  people.  The  regular 
pastors  preaching  in  this  church  from 
time  to  time  have  been  as  follows : 

Revs.  D.  M.  Stetler,  i874-'87;  O.  E. 
Pflueger,  iSSj-'Sg ;  J.  M.  Wetzler,  1889- 
'94;  O.  S.  Scheirer,  i894-'96;  C.  D. 
Zweier,  1897-1900;  E.  E.  Seiger,  1900- 
'02 ;  D.  C.  Kaufman,  igo2-'oy ;  and  O. 
Reber,  present  pastor,  all  were  Lutheran 
ministers. 

Split  in  the  Church. 

In  1 87 1 -'72,  the  General  Synod  mem- 
bers of  the  Lutherans  withdrew  from  the 
General  Council  Lutherans  and  erected 
their  own  church,  leaving  the  latter  in 
full  possession  of  the  old  church  property. 
The  General  Synod  members  at  once  se- 
lected a  lot,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  west  from 
the  old  church,  containing  one  acre,  which 
was  donated  by  Mr.  Allen  Schoch  for 
church  and  cemetery  purposes,  and  for 
the  exclusive  use  of  the  Evangelical  Lu- 
theran congregation. 

The  church  was  built  under  the  super- 
vision of  a  building  committee  consisting 
of  Messrs.  John  S.  Hassinger,  x\llen 
Schoch  and  Henry  H.  Shaeffer.  The 
corner-stone  was  laid  in  May,  1871,  on 
which  occasion  there  were  present :  Rev. 
Dr.  Peter  Born,  of  Selinsgrove,  Pa.,  and 
Rev.  S.  P.  Orwig,  the  pastor.  In  the 
fall  of  1872  the  church  was  finished  and 
ready   for  dedication. 

At  the  dedicatory  services,  the  ministers 
present  were :  Revs.  W.  H.  Gottevalt  and 
S.  P.  Orwig,  pastor.  This  church  also 
adopted  the  old  name,  and  was  dedicated 
as  Christ's  Evangelical  Lutheran  church. 
This  place  of  worship  is  a  neat  brick 
structure,  two  stories  high,  thirty-eight 
by  fifty  feet,  and  will  seat  about  three 
hundred  and  fifty  people.  The  church 
cost  about  three  thousand  dollars.  The 
following  named  ministers  have  been 
regular  pastors  of  this  congregation: 
Revs.    Samuel    P.   Orwig,    i87i-'73;    G. 


Roth,  1874-75;  J.  D.  Kendall,  i875-'76; 
I.  H.  Irwine,  i877-'8i  ;  J.  C.  Brodfuhrer, 

Oct.    15,    1881  ;   A.    H.    Spangler, 

i882-'83;  Samuel  P.  Orwig,  1884- '90; 
Dr.  L.  P.  Neff,  1890- '94;  D.  E.  McLain, 
1895-1901  ;  W.  K.  Diehl,  i90i-'o7;  E.  H. 
Leisenring,  D.D.,  1908 — . 

Rev.   John   Conrad   Walter. 

Rev.  John  Conrad  Walter  was  born  in 
Germany,  November  30,  1775,  and  when 
three  years  old  came  with  his  parents  to 
this  country  and  settled  in  Tulpehocken, 
near  Womelsdorf.  He  learned  the  trade 
of  shoemaking  when  a  young  man.  While 
attending  preaching  under  Rev.  Williarn 
Hendel,  D.D.,  a  Reformed  minister  at 
Womelsdorf,  who,  like  his  father,  had  a 
wonderful  gift  of  prayer,  being  fluent,  full 
of  unction,  and  peculiarly  impressive,  he 
was  so  deeply  impressed  during  one  of 
his  prayers,  and  drawn  so  near  to  the 
Saviour,  that  he  afterwards  had  no  peace 
of  mind  until  he  decided  to  devote  him- 
self to  the  work  of  the  ministry.  He 
afterwards  called  on  Dr.  Hendel,  when 
passing  through  Womelsdorf,  and  grate- 
fully informed  him  of  the  circumstances. 

He  at  once  placed  himself  under  the 
instruction  of  a  minister  (Rev.  Her- 
baugh),  either  at  Lebanon  or  Reading. 
He  took  a  thorough  course  of  study  in 
Theology  during  this  time.  He  was  an 
apt  student  in  Didactic  and  Homiletic 
Theology,  as  was  found  in  his  manu- 
scripts ;  Latin,  Greek,  and  even  Hebrew, 
were  freely  used.  He  prepared  the 
brothers,  John  George  and  John  William 
Heim,  for  the  ministry,  the  latter  being 
under  his  instruction  for  five  years. 

Rev.  Walter  was  about  29  years  of  age 
when  he  completed  his  studies,  and  took 
charge  in  1804  of  Selinsgrove,  Salem, 
Freeburg,  Grubb's,  Liverpool,  St. 
Michael's  in  Pfoutz's  Valley,  and  in  1805 
of  Christ's  known  as  Hassinger's  church, 
and  in  1807  of  Adamsburg  and  Musser's 
Valley  churches,  and  in  1810  of  the 
charge  at  Fremont. 

About  this  time  his  parents  moved  from 
Tulpehocken  to  a  point  south  of  Free- 
burg, in  what  is  known  as  Firestone  Val- 
ley. 

Rev.  Walter  was  married  to  Miss  Cath- 


THE  HASSINGER  CHURCH 


419 


arine  Ulch,  of  Pfoutz's  Valley,  on  October 
2'],  1807. 

Rev.  Walter  was  a  Lutheran  minister, 
a  fluent  and  forceful  orator.  From  1805 
to  the  time  of  his  death  he  served  the 
old  two-story  Gallery  church  at  Has- 
singer's.  He  resided  at  Middleburg,  Pa., 
where  he  died  on  Aug.  10,  1819,  of  in- 
termittent fever ;  his  age  was  43  years,  8 
months  and  10  days.  His  remains  rest 
in  the  old  cemetery  at  Christ's  Lutheran 
and  Reformed  Union  church,  commonly 
known  as  Hassinger's  church.  His  grave 
is  close  to  the  church,  and  is  marked  by 
a  fine  high  tombstone  with  proper  inscrip- 
tions. His  funeral  sermon  was  preached 
by  Rev.  J.  P.  Shindel,  Sr.,  of  Sunbury, 
Pa.  Text:  Heb.  13:7.  Rev.  Walter's 
funeral  was  very  largely  attended.  By 
actual  count  there  were  1,500  people  pres- 
ent from  his  eight  congregations,  and 
other  friends:  He  had  labored  in  the 
ministry  only  thirteen  years,  and  was  yet 
in  the  prirne  of  life  and  in  the  midst  of 
his  usefulness,  and  was  beloved  by  all 
who  knew  him,  when  the  Lord  took  him 
home. 

Rev.  J.  P.  Shindel,  Sr. 

Rev.  John  Peter  Shindel,  Sr.,  was  born 
in  Lebanon,  Pa.,  Oct.  3,  1787.  He  was 
a  son  of  John  Peter  and  Margaret 
(Menges)  Shindel.  Mrs.  Shindel  was  a 
sister  to  Jacob  Menges,  who  lived  near 
Freeburg,  Pa.,  where  Robert  Packniche 
afterwards  lived.  Jacob  was  the  father 
of  Washington  Menges,  of  Freeburg,  and 
the  Hon.  E.  R.  Menges,  of  Bristol,  In- 
diana. Rev.  Shindel  studied  theology 
with  Rev.  George  Lochman,  D.D.,  and 
was  licensed  to  preach  the  Gospel,  May 
24,  181 2,  at  the  meeting  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Synod  at  Carlisle,  Pa.,  and  was 
at  once  called  to  the  Sunbury  charge, 
which  at  that  time  embraced  the  terri- 
tory from  Lykens  Valley  to  Shamokin 
and  Catawissa,  Pa.,  nearly  fifty  miles  in 
extent.  He  at  once  moved  to  Sunbury 
and  commenced  his  labors  July  4,  1812. 
Thus  while  he  was  serving  the  congrega- 
tions on  the  east  side  of  the  Susquehanna 
river.  Rev.  John  Conrad  Walter  was  serv- 
ing those  on  the  west  side  of  that  river. 
Thev  at  once  became  warm  friends,  and 


their  friendship  never  abated  while  they 
lived. 

In  many  of  the  churches  in  which  Rev. 
Shindel  commenced  his  labors,  he  con- 
tinued to  preach  up  to  July  2,  185 1,  nearly 
40  years. 

After  Rev.  Walter's  death,  which  oc- 
curred Aug.  10,  1819,  the  eight  congre- 
gations which  he  had  served  so  well  ur- 
gently invited  Rev.  Shindel  to  become 
their  pastor.  Although  he  sympathized 
very  much  with  these  congregations,  he 
could  not  accept  this  call,  on  account  of 
his  congregations  across  the  river  in 
Northumberland  county,  but  consented  to 
supply  their  pulpits  with  the  help  of  his 
student,  J.  W.  Smith.  After  Rev.  Smith 
had  finished  his  theological  studies  and 
was  licensed  to  preach,  he  took  charge  of 
Rev.  John  Conrad  Walter's  congregations 
in  1821. 

Rev.  John  Peter  Shindel,  Sr.,  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Susan  McCuUoch.  Eleven 
children  were  born  to  them : 

1.  Jeremiah,  who  was  also  a  Lutheran 
preacher,  and  served  churches  in  Colum- 
bia, and  afterwards  in  Lehigh  county, 
and  died  in  Allentown,  Pa.,  in  1870.  He 
also  served  in  the  State  Senate  and  was 
a  Chaplain  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion. 

2.  Solomon,  who  represented  Dauphin 
county  in  the  Legislature  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  died  in  Sunbury  in  1862. 

3.  John  Peter,  Jr.,  was  a  Lutheran 
minister,  and  died  in  Middleburg  in  1888. 

4.  Louisa  was  married  to  Gideon  Leis- 
enring.    She  died  at  Selinsgrove  in  1853. 

5.  Susan  was  married  to  Samuel 
Gobin,  and  died  in  Sunbury  in  1878. 

6.  Anna  Maria  married  Benjamin 
Hendricks,  and  died  in  Sunbury  in  1877. 

7.  Jacob  G.  L.,  a  druggist  in  Selins- 
grove, died  there  January  24,  1898.  He 
was  elected  and  served  five  years  as  As- 
sociate Judge  of  Snyder  county. 

8.  Daniel  W.  was  a  physician  in  Sun- 
bury, Pa.,  now  deceased. 

9.  Isaac  Newton,  also  a  physician,  died 
in  Selinsgrove,  Pa. 

10.  Martin  Luther  was  first  a  lawyer 
and  afterwards  became  a  Lutheran 
preacher  and  had  a  charge  in  Danville, 
Pa.,  where  he  died. 

11.  Philip  Melancthon  died  in  Sun- 
bury. 


420 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Rev.  Father  Shindel,  Sr.,  also  had  three 
grandsons  in  the  Lutheran  ministry : 
Rev.  Jacob  D.  Shindel,  son  of  Rev.  Jere- 
miah Shindel,  residing  at  Allentown,  Pa. ; 
Rev.  James  C,  son  of  Judge  Jacob  G.  L. 
Shindel,  preaching  at  Kansas  City,  Mb. ; 
Rev.  E.  H.  Leisenring,  D.D.,  a  son  of 
Louisa  Leisenring,  nee  Shindel,  now 
(1908)  preaching  in  Middleburg,  Pa. 

A  granddaughter,  Lizzie  Hendricks, 
was  married  to  Hon.  Simon  P.  Wolver- 
ton,  a  prominent  attorney  of  Sunbury, 
Pa. ;  and  a  grandson,  Gen.  J.  P.  Shindel 
Gobin,  has  become  a  prominent  lawyer  at 
Lebanon,  Pa.  He  served  with  distinc- 
tion in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  and  in 
the  State  Senate  and  later  as  Lieutenant- 
Governor  of  Pennsylvania. 

Rev.  J.  P.  Shindel,  Sr.,  died  in  Sun- 
bury,  Oct.  26,  1853,  aged  66  years  and 
23  days. 

His  wife,  Susan,  died  March  14,  1870, 
aged  81  years.  Both  are  buried  in  the 
old  cemetery  at  Sunbury,  Pa.  Rev. 
Shindel  was  a  faithful  and  efficient  min- 
ister for  forty-one  years.  But  he  now 
rests  from  his  labors,  and  his  works  do 
follow  him.     Peace  to  his  ashes. 

Rev.    J.    P.    Shindel,    Jr. 

Rev.  John  Peter  Shindel,  Jr.,  was  bom 
in  Lebanon,  Pa.,  July  25,  1810.  He  was 
baptized  by  Rev.  George  Lochman,  D.D., 
and  was  confirmed  by  his  father  at  Sun- 
bury, Pa. 

His  education,  beyond  a  common 
school  education,  was  principally  re- 
ceived from  his  father,  with  a  view  of 
entering  the  holy  ministry.  He  preached 
his  first  sermon  on  Nov.  11,  1832,  at 
Little  Mahanoy,  and  during  the  autumn 
and  winter  he  preached  for  his  father  in 
his  several  charges. 

He  was  married  to  Miss  Sophia  Young, 
of  Sunbury,  Pa.,  in  September,  1833.  I" 
1834  he  accepted  a  call  from  Little  Ma- 
hanoy, where  he  preached  until  1838. 
During  the  same  time  he  also  preached 
for  a  small  congregation  at  Hallow  Run, 
or  Conrad's  school  house.  In  June,  1835, 
he    commenced    preaching    at    Hessler's 


church  at  Kratzerville,  and  also  collected 
a  small  congregation  at  Shamokin  Dam, 
which  he  served  in  connection  with 
Kratzerville.  In  1838  he  accepted  a  call 
from  three  congregations,  viz. :  Black  Oak 
Ridge,  Beaver  Dam  and  Christ's,  known 
as  Hassinger's  church,  which  formed  a 
charge  in  connection  with  Hessler's 
church  at  Kratzerville. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Synod,  in  Philadelphia,  in  1838,  he  was 
licensed  to  preach,  as  he  had  previously 
only  preached  as  a  student  of  his  father, 
and  under  his  supervision.  On  August 
30,  1838,  he  moved  with  his  family  to 
near  Middleburg,  Pa.,  where  he  resided 
for  some  time,  when  he  moved  into  Mid- 
dleburg, where  he  lived  in  his  own  home 
until  his  death.  He  was  ordained  at  the 
meeting  of  Synod  at  x-Mlentown,  Pa,, 
May  22,  1839,  after  which  he  added  the 
congregation  at  Laurelton,  Union  county, 
and  at  Centerville,  on  October  28,  1839. 
He  had  now  seven  congregations  in  his 
charge.  When  St.  Peter's  church  at 
Globe  Mills  was  built,  in  1840,  he  or- 
ganized a  congregation  there  and 
preached  for  them  until  1853,  during 
which  time  the  congregation  had  grown 
to  175  members.  After  having  been  sup- 
plied by  others  for  several  years,  he  was 
recalled  June  21,  1856,  and  continued  to 
serve  them  until  May,  1866,  having  thus 
served  this  congregation  for  23  years. 
He  also  organized  and  served  congrega- 
tions at  Samuel's  church  in  Decatur 
township,  Mifflin  county.  He  also  served 
the  churches  at  Troxelville,  Pa.,  and 
Beavertown.  He  labored  in  most  of  these 
congregations  until  December,  1868,  when 
he  retired  from  the  active  duties  of  the 
ministry,  having  preached  36  years.  The 
summary  of  his  ministerial  labors  irt 
these  congregations  is  as  follows :  Ser- 
mons preached.  2,650;  lectures  delivered, 
1,031;  baptisms,  3,229;  funerals,  636; 
marriages,  1,044;  communion  services, 
162;  catechumens,  2,097;  miles  traveled 
in  charges,  49,116;  miles  traveled  to 
Svnods,  2. 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


421 


Naturalization  Paper  of  Adam  Miller 


From    William    and    Mary    College    Quarterly,    Vol.  IX,   No.   2,  October,    1900. 


Elkton,  Va.,  Aug.  2,  1900. 
To  Editor,  IVilliam  and  Mary  College  Quar- 
terly Historical  Magazine : 
I  inclose  you  a  copy  of  the  naturalization 
paper  of  Adam  Miller.  I  have  copied  it  ex- 
actly as  to  spelling,  punctuation  and  capitaliza- 
tion. 

This  paper  proves  beyond  doubt  that  Adam 
Miller  was  the  first  white  man  to  build  on 
this  side  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  as  he  came  in 
1726.  The  Hites  came  to  Winchester  in 
1732;  the  Lewises  settled  near  Staunton  also 
in  1732;  so  Adam  Miller  was  the  first  white 
settler  in  the  valley  on  the  Shenandoah,  as  this 
old  naturalization  paper  proves;  and  the  land 
on  which  he  located  is  still  in  possession  of  his 
descendants. 

Sincerely, 

Lizzie  B.  Miller. 


WILLIAM  GOOCH  ESQ.  His 
Majesty's  Lieutenant  Gov- 
ernor and  Commander  in 
Chief  of  the  Colony  and 
Dominion  of  Virginia. 
To  all  to  zvhom  these  Presents  Shall  come 
Greeting. 
whereas  by  one  x*\ct  of  Assembly  made 
at  the  Capitol  the  23d  October  in  the  year 
1705  for  the  better  Settling  and  peopling 
this  His  Majesty's  Colony  and  Dominion 
rt  is  Enacted  that  it  shall  and  may  be 
Lawful  for  the  Governor  and  Com- 
mander in  Chief  of  the  Colony  and 
Dominion  for  the  time  being  by  a  public 
Instrument  or  Letters  Patents  under  the 
broad  Seal  thereof,  to  Declare  any  Alien 
or  Aliens  Foreigner  or  Foreigners  being 
already  ^ttled  or  Inhabitants  of  this  Col-« 
ony  or  which  shall  hereafter  come  to  Set- 
tle Plant  or  Reside  therein  upon  His  or 
theirs  taking  the  oaths  therein  prescribed 
and  subscribing  the  Test  to  be  to  all  en- 
tents  and  purposes  fully  and  completely 
naturalized  and  that  all  persons  having 
Such  public  Instruments  or  Letters  Pat- 
ents shall  by  virtue  of  this  Act  have  and 
Enjoy  to  them  and  their  Heirs  the  same 


Immunities  and  Rights  of  and  unto  the 
Laws  and  Priviledges  of  this  Colony  and 
Dominion  as  fully  and  amply  as  any  of 
His  Majesty's  Natural  Born  Subjects 
have  and  Enjoy  within  the  same  an  as  if 
the  had  been  born  within  any  of  His 
Majesty's  Realms  and  Dominions  Pro- 
voided  that  nothing  therein  contained  Shall 
be  construed  to  Enable  or  Give  power  or 
Priviledge  to  any  Foreigner  to  Do  or 
Execute  any  manner  of  thing  which  by 
any  of  the  Acts  made  in  England  con- 
cerning His  Majesty's  Plantations  he  is 
Disabled  to  Do  or  Execute, 

and  adam  Miller  born  at  Shresoin  in 
Germany  having  Settled  and  Inhabited 
for  fifteen  years  past  on  Shenandoa  in 
this  Colony  and  now  made  Application 
to  me  for  the  benefit  of  Naturalization 
and  before  me  taken  the  oaths  prescribed 
by  Law  and  Subscribed  .the  Test  I  Do 
hereby  pursuant  to  the  said  authority  De- 
clare the  said  Adam  Miller  to  be  to  all  in- 
tents and  purposes,  fully  and  compleatly 
Naturalized  and  to  have  and  Enjoy  to 
him  and  his  Heirs  the  same  Immunities 
and  Rights  of  and  unto  the  Laws  and 
Priviledges  of  this  Colony  and  Dominion 
as  fully  and  amply  as  any  of  His 
Majesty's  Natural  Born  Subjects  have 
and  Enjoy  within  the  same,  and  as  if  he 
had  been  born  within  any  of  His 
Majesty's  Realms  and  Dominions  accord- 
ing to  the  aforesaid  act.  saving  always  in 
such  matters  and  things  which  by  the 
Laws  of  England  concerning  the  Planta- 
tion he  is  Disabled, 

Given  under  my  hand  and  the  Seal  of 
the  Colony  at  Williamsburg  this  13th  day 
of  March  1741I2  in  the  15th  year  of  the 
Reign  of  our  Sovereign  Lord  King 
George  the  Second  By  the  Grace  of  God 
King  of  Great  Brittain  &c. 

William  Gooch, 


422 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


The  Home 


THE  OLD  CREPE  SHAWL. 

BY    MRS.    H.    H.    FUNK. 

The  mentioning  of  the  crepe  shawl  to  the 
dear  old  grandmother  that  has  passed  her 
four  score  years,  makes  her  countenance  shine 
and  her  memory  recall  many  pleasing  inci- 
dents connected  with  the  wearing  of  this 
treasured  article  of  clothing.  Well  does  she 
remember  her  mother  and  grandmother  wear- 
ing it  and  treasuring  it  to  be  finally  bestowed 
on  some  favorita  heir  in  whose  home  it  may 
be  carefully  preserved  in  the  bureau  drawer 
as  a  cherished  heirloom  unless  cut  up  and  put 
to  other  purposes. 

While  this  favorite  shawl  was  worn  chiefly 
by  the  wealthier  housewives,  in  some  instances 
those  in  less  fortunate  circumstances,  by  mak- 
ing sacrifices  and  stinting  themselves  in  various 
ways,  acquired  the  means  to  get  the  coveted 
wrap  and  getting  it  to  be  in  style  for  the  rest 
of  their  lives. 

Each  spring  and  fall  for  successive  years 
found  the  wearer  of  the  crepe  shawl  with  the 
large  scooped  Leghorn  bonnet  known  as  the 
Poke  bonnet,  in  style  for  all  special  occasions. 
After  the  season  was  over  the  shawl  was  care- 
fully preserved  and  laid  by.  Little  dici  our 
grandmothers  think  they  were  treasuring  their 
shawls  for  the  present  generation,  not  only 
to  be  worn  as  a  shawl  but  to  be  converted  by 
graceful  drapings  into  a  fascinating  opera  cloak 
or  a  handsome  evening  wrap  so  arranged  that 
the  heirloom  is  left  unharmed  by  vandal 
scissors  and  the  wearer  can  feel  that  she  really 
has  a  handsome  wrap  without  too  much  having 
been  sacrificed.  The  most  effective  shawl  was 
two  j'ards  square  with  a  deep  fringe  six  to 
twelve  inches  wide  the  more  elaborate  ones 
having  artistic  designs  in  embroidery  either  in 
border  or  corner  sprays. 

Amusing  incidents  have  been  related  as  to 
how  some  in  limited  circumstances  came  in 
possession  of  the  coveted  article.  One  old 
lady  worked  for  seventy-five  cents  a  week  and 
by  practising  strict  economy  and  self-denial 
finally  saved  enough  to  purchase  a  $20  shawl, 
negotiations  being  conducted  through  an  uncle, 
a  merchant,  who  brought  it  from  "The  Stadt" 
(meaning  the  city  of  Philadelphia)  at  whole- 
sale figures. 

In  another  instance  a  mother  in  ordi- 
nary circumstances  could  not  get  her  husband 
to  purchase  the  coveted  article  until  he  was 
anxious  to  sell  a  parcel  of  land  and  needed  the 
signature  of  his  companion  to  complete  the 
deed.  Fate  whispered,  "Now  is  your  chance," 
and  she  declined  to  sign  her  name  until  her 
husband  went  and  bought  her  a  handsomely 
emibroidered  crepe  shawl  which  became  the 
envy  of  the  whole  community.    Another  mother 


stinted  herself  by  saving  what  little  was  left 
from  the  butter  and  eggs  she  sold  until  she 
acquired  enough  to  get  the  shawl  which  was 
also  brought  along  by  a  friend  from  "The 
Stadt" — these  articles  not  being  for  sale  at  the 
local   markets   of  trade. 

The  crepe  shawl  was  later  followed  by  the 
silk,  which  was  also  a  handsome  wrap,  and  less 
costly,  enabling  each  to  become  the  possessor 
of  one.  It  is  a  satisfaction  to  the  few  that  still 
possess  shawls  to  know  they  can  again  be  made 
use  of  and  prized  as  highly  by  the  wearer  as 
they  were  a  generation  ago. 

THE    OLD    MERRY-GO-ROUND. 

BY   GEORGE  MAYS,   M.  D. 

But  the  chief  attraction  of  the  day  was 
the  Merry-go-round,  or  Flying  Horse  as 
it  was  known  then,  and  I  fancy  I  can  yet 
hear  the  operator  call  out  at  short  inter- 
vals, ''Here  is  a  larry  coach  for  en 
jiaar,'^  (Here  is  an  empty  coach  for  a 
pair.)  I  was  too  young  to  venture  to 
ride  around  the  circle,  but  kept  my  eyes 
and  ears  open,  and  often  wondered  why 
the  couples  in  the  coaches  indulged  in 
such  strange  antics  as  they  were  being 
whirled  through  space,  but  as  I  grew 
older  and  wiser,  I  soon  "learned  the  full 
significance  of  those  demonstrations.  It 
is  alleged  that  the  Merry-go-round  really 
was  responsible  for  more  than  one  love 
entanglement  on  muster  day,  and,  taking 
the  excitement  of  the  ride  and  suscepti- 
bility of  youth  into  consideration,  I  am 
ready  to  endorse  the  report.  The  young 
people  at  that  time  had  little  opportuni- 
ty to  indulge  in  holiday  amusement,  and 
whenever  they  did  meet,  under  such 
favorable  auspices  Dan  Cupid  had  no 
difficulty  in  sealing  the  contract  between 
some  love-sick  swain  and  his  sweetheart. 
Modern  society  no  doubt  would  condemn 
such  short  and  impetuous  courtships,  but 
I  am  glad  to  say  that  the  matrimonial 
contracts  of  that  period  very  seldom  end- 
ed in  a  divorce  court  as  so  many  of  them 
do  nowadays,  which  ought  to  show  that 
they  were  looked  upon  as  sacred  and 
binding  until  death  stepped  between. 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


423 


Literary  Gems 


THE   REAPER    AND    THE    FLOWERS. 


DAR  SCHNITTER  UND  DIE  BLUMME. 


BY    HENRY    WADSWORTH    LONGFELLOW. 

There  is  a  Reaper,  whose  name  is  Death, 

And,  with  his  sickle  keen. 
He  reaps  the  bearded  grain  at  a  breath, 

And  the  liowers  that  grow  between. 

"Shall  I  have  naught  that  is  fair?"  saith  he; 

"Have   naught   but   the   bearded   grain? 
Though  the  breath  of  these  flowers  is  sweet  to 
me, 

I  will  give  them  all  back  again." 

He  gazed  at  the  flowers  with  tearful  eyes, 
He  kissed  their  drooping  leaves ; 

It   was   for   the   Lord   of   Paradise 
He  bound  them  in  his   sheaves. 

"My  Lord   has  need  of  these   flowerets  gay," 

The  Reaper  said,  and  smiled ; 
"Dear   tokens  of   the   earth   are   they. 

Where  He  was  once  a  child. 

"They  shall  all  bloom  in  fields  of  light, 

Transplanted  by  my   care, 
And    saints,    upon    their    garments    white. 

These  sacred  blossoms  wear." 

And  the  mother  gave,   in  tears  and  pain. 
The   flowers   she  most  did  love ; 

She  knew  she  should  find  them  all  again 
In  the  fields  of  light  above. 

O,  not  in  cruelty,  not  in  wrath 

The  Reaper  came  that  day ; 
'Twas   an    angel    visited    the    green    earth. 

And  took  the  flowers  away. 


translation  by  charles  calvin   ziegler, 
St.   Louis,   Mo. 

Es  is  'n  Schnitter — dar  Dod  heesst  aer — 
Sei   Sens  hot   'n   scharfer  Schnitt; 

Die  zeitig  Frucht  refft  ar  hi'  un  haer 
Un  die  Blumme  dekschwische  mit. 

"Soil  ich  nix  scheenes  hawwe?"  saagt  aer; 

"Die    zeitig   Frucht — is    sel   all? 
Dar  Geruch  vun  de  Blumme  liew'  ich  wol  sehr, 

Doch   gew'   ich   sie   widder   bal." 

Mit  Dhrahne  hot  ar  die  Blumme  aa'gschaut 

Un  gekusst  ihre  Blatter   siiss; 
Er  nemmt  sie — 's  waar  ihm  aa'vertraut 

Bei'm    Harr   vum    Paradies. 

"Meim  Harr  sin  die  Blumme  lieb  un  waerth," 
Saagt  dar  Schnitter,  un  schmunzelt  gaar; 

"Sie  sin  ihm  Aa'denke  vun  der  Aerd 
Wu  aer  en  Kind  mol  waar. 

"Ich  blanz   sie  aus — un   sie  blihe   fart 

Im  'me  Gaarte  himmlisch  schee, 
Un  die  Heilige  draage  die  Blumme  dart 

Uf   Kleeder   weiss   wie    Schnee." 

Un  die  Mutter  gebt  ihre  Blumme, — dhut's  wol 

Mit  Dhrane  un  mit  Schmarz ; 
Awwer  dass  sie  sie  widder  all  sehne  soil 

Des   glaabt    sie   in   ihrem    Harz. 

O,  net  mit  Grobheit,  net  in  Zarn 
Is  dar  Schnitter  zu  uns  kumme ; 

Ar   is  'n   Engel  g'schickt   vum   Haarn, 
Daer    nemmt    unser    liew6    Blumme. 


SCHNITTER   MIT   DER  SENS. 

FROM     GERMAN     MAGAZINE — AUTHOR     NOT     MENTIONED. 


Es  ist  ein  Schnitter,  heiszt  der  Tod, 
hat  Gewalt  vom  groszen  Gott, 
heut  wetzt  er  das  Messer, 
es  schneidt  schon  viel  besser, 
bald  wird  er  drein  schneiden, 
wir  miissens  nur  leiden 
Hiit  dich  schones  Bliimelein 

Was  heut  noch  griin  und  frisch  da  steht, 
wird  morgens  weggenmaht ; 
die  edel   Xarcissel, 
die    englische    Schliissel, 
die  schon  Hyazinth, 
die  tiirkische   Bind, 
Hut  dich  schones  Blumelein. 


Viel   hundert   tausend  ungezahlt 
da  unter  die  Sichel  hinfallt; 
rot   Rosen,  weisz  Liljen, 
beid  wird  er  austilgen; 
ihr  Kaiserkronen 
man   wird   euch   nicht   schonen, 
Hiit  dich  schones  Bliimelein. 

Das  himmelfarbe  Ehrenpreis, 
die  Tulipan  gelb  und  weisz, 
die  silberne  Glockchen, 
die  guldene   Flockchen, 
senk  alles  zur  Erden ; 
was  wird  nur  draus   werden? 
Hilt  dich  schones  Blumelein. 


424 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Ihr  hubsch  Lavendal  und  Roselein, 
ihr  Pappeln  grosz  und  Klein, 
ihr  stolze  Schwertiljen, 
ihr  krause  Basiljen, 
ihr  zarte  Violen, 
man  wird  euch  bald  holen, 
Hiit  dich  schones  Bliimelein. 

Aus  Seiden  ist  der  Fingerhut, 
aus  Sammet  das  Wohlgernut, 
noch   ist   er   so  blind, 
nimmt  was  er  nur  findt, 
kein    Sammet,   kein    Seiden 
mag  ihn   vermeiden. 
Hiit  dich  schones  Bliimelein. 

So    view    Maszlieb    und    Rosmarin 
schwelkt   unter   der   Sichel   hin, 
Vergiszmemnit 
du  muszt  auch  mit. 


und   du    Tausendschon 
man    laszt    dich   nit    stehn. 
Hiit  dich  schones  Bliimelein. 

Er  macht  so  gar  kein  Unterschied, 
geht  alles  in  einem  Schnitt, 
der    stolze    Rittersporn 
und  Blumen  im  Korn, 
da  liegens  beisammen, 
man  weisz  kaum  den   Namen, 
Hiit  dich  schones  Bliimelein. 

Trutz,  Tod !    Komm  her,  ich  forcht  dich  nit, 
trutz !    komm    und   tu    ein    Schnitt, 
wenn  er  mich  verletzet, 
so   werd    ich   versetzet, 
ich    will   es   erwarten 
in  himmlischen  Garten, 
Freu  dich  schones  Bliimelein. 


DER    OLMECHTICH    DAWLER. 

BY     SOLLY     HULSBUCK. 


De  weld  iss  nimme  we  se  wore 

En  hunert  yohr  tsurick, 
'S    wart   olles   heitsadawgs   gadu 

Bi   law  und  'rithmetick. 
De  leit  sin  hoch  im  geisht  awfongs,_ 

(Mer   sawga  ols  ''high  kickers,") 
Und  dorch  aweck  in  olle  eck 

Gaid  oljes  now  bi  figgers. 


5  dawler  kusht  en  fish  gart, 

2  "  ■'  "  shnoor, 

3  "           "  "  jug-ful    bait, 
5        "           "  "  foor: 

15  dawler  lungt  net 

Farn'  fishing-trip.     "Sis  nuch 
15  dawler  fine,  und  sell's 

30  dawler  im  luch. 

Mer    kon   sich   net   enjoya   mae, 

Und  larnt  ken  neiya  trick, 
Unless   mer   gaid    aweck    fun    hame. 

Und  weist  si  'rithmetick. 
Far'n    grosser    figger    mocha    now 

(Des  wissa  narra  aw), 
Nemt's  blendi  geld  far  dorch  de  weld. 

Sell    iss    awfongs   we    law. 


10  dawler  gebt  mer'm  lawyer, 
10       "       nuch  datsu, 
20       "       "mileage," 
10       "       tseiga  lu : 

50  dawler  far'n  lawsuit, 

Und  derno  nuch  far  gude  glick, 
50    dawler    kushta, — sell's 

100  dawler  im  gnick. 

Der  dawler  iss  olmechtich  now, 

j\Ier  salt's  uf  olle  hond, 
Ehr  dreibt  dale  leit  em  divel  tsu, 

Und  dale  gons  fu'm  farshtond. 
Far'n  groser  figger  mocha  doh 

Sin    sair    feel    leit   druf   ous, 
Im  haikshta  shtyle,  und  oil  de  well 

Ken  brode  und  male  im  hous. 

60  dawler  far  glaider, 

20        "        far'n  hoot, 

20        "        far  shu  und  shtrimp — 

100  dawler  dood! 

100   dawler    dart   derfun, 

(Far  ehr  hut's  uf  barig's  grickt), 

000  is  wos  ehr  wart  iss  uf  em  hoof 
Bi  law  und  'rithmetick. 


Am   guten   Alien 

Im  Treuen  halten, 

Am    kraft'gen    Nesen 

Sieh   stiirken  und  freuen, 

Wird  Niemand  gereuen. 

Das  Meine  mein,  das  Deine  dein, 


So  sagt  die  Menge. 
Das  Meine  mein,  das  Dein  mein 

So   sagtder   Bose. 
Das  Deine  dein,  das  Meine  dein, 

So  sagt  der  Gute. 


LITERARY  GEMS 


425 


DE    COLLEGE    BOOVA. 

BY   GOTTLIEB   BOONASTIEL. 


Note. — We  are  informed  by  the  author  that  these 
lines  were  written  at  the  request  of  the  late  Dr. 
Atherton,  then  President  of  Pennsylvania  State  Col- 
lege, and  he  thought  so  much  of  the  article  that  he 
requested  to  have  it  translated  into  English  for  the 
benefit    of    young    graduates. 

We  mer  ols  in  de  shool  gonga  sin  wore's  far- 
shtonna  os  mer  net  usht  shool  laerning  greeked 
hen,  awer  aw  avvenich  farshtond  mit  ei-g'num- 
ma.  Es  is  nimmy  so  heitza-dawgs.  Now,  es 
arsht  OS  de  professor  in  unsera  colleges  wissa 
welia  is  we  wide  os  mer  joompa  con,  we  good 
OS  mer  bolia  shpeela  con,  un  we  long  os  mer 
si  hore  woxa  con  lussa  eb  mer  blind  waerat. 
De  arsht  lesson  os  mer  derno  greeked,  is 
laerna  der  "college  yell"  gevva,  un  es  naixt  os 
mer  wase  doot  der  boo  shtae  mit  em  mowl 
uff  we  en  omshel  un  greished  we  en  Holenner, 

"Zip!       Bang      Boom! 

'Rah!     'Rah!     'Rah! 
Hinkle    Tzae    un    Reeva    Blude, 
Grudda  Hore  un  Dowva  Millich. 

Epsilorum   Boof!" 

un  all  so  dihenkersa  norrheita  os  nemond  wase 
wos  es  is,  awver  yader  ebber  farshtaed  os  der 
boo  shunt  nei  g'shtart  is  far  en  farflompts  kolb 
fun  sich  maucha.  De  leit  gooka  tsu  un  sawga. 
"De  boova  saya  era  wilder  hovver,"  awver  der 
druvvel  is  se  saya  der  hovver  so  deef  os  are 
farfowled  in  budda.  Won  se  derno  en  holb 
yohr  fun  hame  sin  hen  se  oUes  galaernt  os  so 
rutsnawsa  wissa  kenna  waega  reshpectfulla  leit 
insulta,  un  se  maena  es  ware  shmardt  far 
awrmy  u-shuldiche  maid  blackgarde  waega  era 
dressa,  un  leit  b'shimpa  waega  era  doom- 
heit.  Se  shmoka  oil  grosse  pifa  wile  sell  se 
gooka  maucht  we  toughs,  un  won  se  in  de  kars 
cooma  don  muss  yaders  tswae  sitz  tsu  sich 
selver  hovva  won  shunt  meede  oldte  wiver  im 
gong  shta  missa  un  bublin  haeva.  Now, 
sawg  mere  amohl,  doona  se  de  socha  laerna 
in  era  shool  bicher.  Won  se  doona,  ware's 
en  gooder  blan  en  collection  uff  nemma  far 
ena  nia  bicher  kawfa  os  aw  awenich  ebbes 
sawga  we  mer  sich  badrawga  set  in  coombany. 
Es  doot  waricklich  seema  os  der  karl  woo  es 
loudsht  schwetza  con,  de  sktinkisht  pife  shmoka 
un  hut  de  lengshta  hore  is  es  mensht  aw-g'name 
by  eena,  se  explaina  de  socha  mit  em  argument 
OS  se  mista  exercise  hovva.  Farmoodlich. 
Awver  farwass  saega  se  net  huls  un  bowa 
pushta  fense.  Awver  sell  ware  giishoft,  un 
shofifa  is  gaega  de  rule. 

Avi'ver  des  is  net  de  rule  by  da  boova  arlae. 
Gook  amohl  on  unser  maid.  Yohra  tzurick 
hen  se  ols  laerna  bocka  un  bigla,  un  shtricka 
un  vvesha.  Now  missa  se  hem-shticha,  em- 
broidera,  rufFla  un  flounsa  maucha  os  em  usht 
net  warem  holdt  awver  sin  en  farflompte  nui- 
sance. W^on  se  hira  don  missa  se  grawd  en 
mawd  hovva — so  gor  tzwae — aney  far  de  arawet 
do  un  de  onner  far  ufif  se  ocht  gevva.  Won 
der  mon  net  en  bank  hut  don  muss  are  de  naws 
ufif  em  shlife-shtae  hovva  bis  se  tsu  der  con- 
clusion  coomed  os  se  en  mon  g'hired  hut  os 


se  net  enara  con  un  derno  gaeds  on  de  divorce 
court  un  der  deivel  locht  si  feisht  full  we 
en  pudding  os  are  hut. 

Unner  denna  conditions  daid  ich  suggesta 
OS  oil  de  colleges  en  post-graduate  course 
uft  graichta  far  de  shtudents  farshtond  laerna 
won  se  'mohl  olles  wissa  os  se  in  da  colleges 
laerna  kenna,  un  de  idea  hut  sich  suggest  tsu 
mere  der  onner  dawg  we  der  Sammy  Mulbar- 
ger  hame  cooma  is  fun  der  college  Des 
barshtly  wore  fier  yohr  in  de  shool.  Der 
Mike,  SI  pap,  hut  usht  ae  suit  glader  g'hot  de 
gons  tzeit  OS  der  boo  in  der  shool  wore,  un 
SI  mommy  wore  far  dri  yohr  net  weider'fun 
hame  os  ons  Gretzinger's  greitz-wake,  wile  se 
ken  glader  hut  g'hot  far  gae  b'soocha.  Der 
Semmy  is  der  ansicht  boo.  Are  wore  ols  en 
aw-g'nammer  younger  mon,  awver  de  college 
hut  si  kup  so  full  laerning  g'macht  os  ken 
blotz  mae  wore  far  forshtond,  un  es  arsht  os 
are  gadoo  hut  wore  sei  dawdy  retza  wile  er  net 
recht  English  schwetza  con,  un  der  mommy 
sawga  OS  are  sich  shemma  daid  si  college  chums 
cooma  lussa  ene  saena,  wile  die  gons  nuch- 
bershoft  tsu  doom  ware.  Are  hut  oil  si  mail 
fun  Schweffletown  greeked,  tswae  mile  ob,  wile 
er  g'sawd  hut  de  Hawsa  Barrick  pusht-office 
ware  tsu  "insignificant."  Are  hut  de  boova 
nimmy  gakent  os  mit  erne  ufif  ga-woxa  sin 
un  Soondawgs  room  gadraveled  hummel 
neshter  soocha.  In  fact,  are  wore  unich  em 
shodda  baum  guhucked  en  gonser  dawg  un 
novels  g'laesa,  si  finger-negel  gabutzed,  si  pife 
g'shmoked  un  si  hore  ous  da  awga  gawished. 
Si  dawdy  hut  mich  g'frogt  far  advise  wos  are 
mit  dem  boo  do  set.  Ich  bin  nows  ons  house- 
eck  un  ene.  long  _ba-gooked  unich  em  shodda 
baum ;  derno  bin  ich  tzurick  un  hob  eme  dare 
advise  gevva :  "Fong  ene  un  bin  ene  ufif  en 
huvvel-bonk  os  we  en  oldt  mooder-shofe ;  derno 
greek  en  hecka-share  un  nem  si  belse  fum 
kup ;  schnide  de  longa  negle  fun  sina  finger  un 
mauch  ene  se  fressa ;  shtrip  en  kelsich  hem  iv- 
ver  si  kup  un  a  pawr  over-alls  ivver  si  fees; 
drae  si  g'sicht  nuch  em  welshkern  feldt  un 
derno  shtell  dich  hinnich  ene  mit  der  fawr- 
gaishel    un   greish : 

"Zip!     Bang!     Boom! 

'Rah!     'Rah!     'Rah! 
Hinkle    Tzae    un     Reeva     Blude, 
Grudda  Hore  un   Dowva  Millich. 

Epsilorum   Boof!" 

un  won  are  sich  net  raiked  don  hock  eme  in 
de  flank  un  ich  insure  dich  di  druvvel  is  om 
end." 

Der  naizt  morga  eb  ich  ufif  wore  hov  ich  hara 
der  oldt  Mike  der  "college  yell"  gevva.  un  de 
fure  is  g'shtart  nuch  em  welsh-karn  feldt.  Ich 
hob  ene  der  naixt  dawg  g'frogt  we's  gonga  is 
un  are  hut  g'sawd : 

"Boonastiel,  du  bist  en  filossifer.  De  post- 
graduate course  hut  my  Sam  olles  g'larndt  os 
are  fargessa  hut  in  fier  yohr,  un  safed  mere  en 
knecht.  Wos  sawgsht?  Mere  shtarta  en  post- 
graduate course  om  Barrick  far  uxa  brecha? 


420 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT. 


Editor  and  Publisher 

H.  W.  KRIEBEL, 
East  Greenville,  Pa. 


Associate  Editors 
Mrs.  H.  H.  FUNK,  Springtown,  Pa 
S.  GERHARD,  A.  M.,  Trenton,  N.  J 


The  Pennsylvania-German  is  an  illustrated  monthly 
inagazine  devoted  to  the  biography,  history,  genealogy, 
folklore,  literature  and  general  interests  of  German 
.and  Swiss  settlers  in  Pennsylvania  and  other  States, 
and    of    their    descendants.  ^ 

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using  red  ink  in  addressing  the  wrapper  of  the 
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Contributions. — Carefully  prepared  articles  bearing 
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Contributions  intended  for  any  particular  number 
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Advertising  Rates  will  be  furnished  by  the  pub- 
lisher   upon    request. 


Clippings  from  Current  News 


— At  the  meeting  of  the  National  Educational 
Association  in  Cleveland  Ohio,  School  Super- 
intendents Schaeffer  and  Brumbaugh  took  a 
prominent  part  in  the  exercises. 

— Former  Attorney  General  W.  U.  Hensel, 
according  to  newspaper  report,  spent  his 
vacation  at  home  writing  up  the  interesting 
things  to  be  seen  in  a  trolley  ride  through 
the  eastern  part  of  Lancaster  county.  He 
claims  Lancaster  county  alone  can  furnish 
enough  picturesque  scenery  and  interesting 
pioneer  history  to  supply  a  month  of  continu- 
ous reading.  Our  pages  are  open  for  contri- 
butions from  his  faultless  pen. 

—^Heidelberg  Castle  in  Germany,  begun  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  thirteenth  century, 
partially  destroyed  by  Tilly  in  1622,  restored 
after  peace  of  Westphalia,  in  1648,  sacked 
in  1674,  1688,  and  1693,  restored  in  1718, 
struck  by  lightning  and  partially  burned  1764, 
since  which  time  it  has  been  unoccupied — one 
of  the  most  famous  of  Europe's  old  ruins,  is 
to  be  restored. 

— ^Rev  Adam  Stump,  D.D.,  is  chairman  of 
a  committee  to  publish  a  history  of  the  Luth- 
eran church  in  York  county.  Pa.,  in  connection 
with  the  celebration  of  the  175th  anniversary  of 
the  founding  of  Lutheranism  west  of  the 
Susquehanna   river. 

— The  city  of  Vienna  has  purchased  the 
house  in  which  Franz  Schubert  was  born,  and 
intends  to  preserve  it  in  its  present  condition 
as  long  as  possible.  The  price  paid  was  $4400- 
The  house  is  one  of  the  old  fashioned  one 
story  type  of  buildings,  which  are  fast  disap- 
pearing from  modern  Vienna.  The  front  is 
utterly  devoid  of  any  attractive  feature,  but 
there  is  a  little  court  behind  with  wooden 
galleries  and  a  garden,  on  the  steep  hillside. 

— Edwin  A.  Abbey's  eight  paintings  in  the 
State  Capitol  at   Harrisburg,  Pa.,  were  placed 


in  position  in  July.  It  is  said  that  the  king 
of  England  expressed  disappointment  that  the 
pictures  which  were  painted  in  England  should 
be  allowed  to  be  taken  away. 

Of  the  eight  paintings  four  are  lunettes, 
each  forty  feet  across.  In  one  of  these, 
"Science  Revealing  the  Treasures  of  the 
Earth,"  the  figure  of  Science  is  accompanied 
by  Fortune  and  Abundance.  She  points  with 
her  spear  to  the  depths  below  the  earth,  where 
men  are  seen  climbing  down  into  the  treasure 
mine.  The  glow  of  sunset  gives  color  to  the 
scene.  The  "Spirit  of  Vulcan,"  representing 
"the  Genius  of  the  Workers  in  Iron  and  Steel," 
shows  workmen  toiling  in  the  glare  of  a  metal 
furnace,  with  the  allegorical  figure  of  Vulcan 
above.  "The  Spirit  of  Religious  Liberty"  is 
portrayed  by  three  figures  flying  ahead  of  red 
sailing  ships  in  a  heaving  blue  sea.  The  fourth 
lunette,  entitled  "The  Spirit  of  Light,"  is 
typical  of  the  petroleum  industry  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. Numerous  white  forms  stream  up  from 
the  earth  bearing  lights  in  their  outstretched 
hands.  Brilliant  coloring  marks  all  the  paint- 
ings. 

There  are  also  four  medallions  between 
the  lunettes.  They  are  entitled  "Religion," 
"Law,"  "Science"  and  "Art,"  the  idea  in  each 
being  expressed  by  an  appropriate  figure. 

— ^President  George  F.  Baer,  of  the  Read- 
ing Railway,  and  his  wife  have  donated  to 
Reading  for  park  purposes  a  tract  of  ^2  acres 
of  woodland.  The  deed  for  the  land  was  sent 
to  Mayor  Rick,  with  this  note  from  Mr.  Baer: 

I  am  sending  you  herewith  deed  of  Mrs. 
Baer  and  myself  for  a  tract  of  land  containing 
32  acres  and  41  perches,  which  we  intend  as  a 
gift  to  the  city  for  park  purposes.  Yours  very 
truly, 

GEORGE  F.  BAER. 

Mayor  Rick  replied,  thanking  the  donors  and 
stating  that  he  would  have  the  deed  referred 


CLIPPINGS  FROM  CURRENT  NEWS 


427 


to  Councils,  to  have  the  property  accepted  in 
formal  manner.  Through  the  effects  of  Mr. 
Baer  the  park  system  of  Reading  has  become 
one  of  the  finest  in  the  country.  He  is  pres- 
ident of  the  Park  Board  and  takes  a  deep 
interest   in   everything  pertaining  to   it. 

— ^June  30,  was  Roebling  Day  in  Trenton, 
N.  J.  There  was  dedicated  a  handsome 
memorial  statue  in  honor  of  John  A.  Roebling, 
designer  of  the  Brookljoi  and  other  suspension 
bridges  and  founder  of  the  great  Roebling 
Company,  of  Trenton.  The  statue  is  a  memor- 
ial from  the  citizens  of  Trenton  and  the  chil- 
dren of  the  engineer.  By  order  of  the  Mayor 
all  the  city  offices  were  closed  at  noon,  and 
much  of  the  business  of  the  city  was  suspended 
this  afternoon.  A  feature  of  the  occasion  was 
a  street  parade  by  more  than  6000  of  the 
Roebling  employees,  both  from  the  city  and  the 
new  town  of  Roebling-on-the-Delaware. 

More  than  two  hundred  of  the  best  singers 
of  the  city,  including  the  members  of  the 
United.  German  Singing  Societies,  dhanted 
choruses  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Cary 
Hoffmann,  and  instrumental  music  was  fur- 
nished by  nine  bands. 

—August  is  the  banner  Family  Reunion 
month  in  eastern  Pennsylvania.  The  following 
list  compiled  by  "Town  and  Country"  ap- 
peared in  a  number  of  local  papers : 

August  I — Spare,  Zieber's  Park;  Lambert, 
Rittersville,  Lehigh  county;  FoUweiler,  Neffs- 
viUe. 

August  4 — Krause,  Sand  Spring  Park,  Le- 
high county. 

August  6 — Hall,  Harper's,  Northampton 
county ;  Hallman,  Plymouth  Park,  Montgomery 
county. 

August  8 — Gehman,  Zieber's  Park;  Wot- 
rong,  Sand  Spring  Park;  Baer,  Kutztown; 
Shimer,  Oakland,  Northampton  county;  Hock- 
man,  Bedminster,  Bucks  county ;  Lutz,  Moun- 
tain, Berks  county. 

August  II — Shierer,  Neffsville ;  Grim,  Kutz- 
town. 

August  12 — Bittner  and  Werley,  Neffsville; 
Ri,tter,  Dorney  Park,  Lehigh  county;  Wotring, 
Sand   Spring   Park. 

August  13 — Peter,  Neffsville,  Saul,  Temple, 
Berks  county. 

.\ugust  15 — Knauss,  Waldheim,  Lehigh 
county;  Rohrbach,  Hancock.  Berks  county; 
Haas,  Neffsville ;  Heinly,  Kutztown ;  Gery, 
Siesholtzville,  Berks  county. 

August  18— Trexler,  Kutztown. 

August  19 — Klotz,  Neffsville;  Kistler,  New 
Tripoli,  Lehigh  county. 

.\ugust  22 — Hess,  Dorney  Park. 

August  26-^Harrold  family,  Cadwalader 
Park,  Trenton. 

August  2-] — Boyer,  Black  Bear  Park ;  Berks 
county. 

August  29 — Bertolet,  Ringing  Rocks; 
Kriebel,  Zieber's  Park;  McKinstry,  Ivyland, 
Bucks  county;  Michener-Worthington,  Tohick- 
on  Park,  Bucks  county ;  Moyer,  Perkasie  ;  Hel- 
ler, Island  Park,  Northampton  county;  Diet- 
rich, Kutztown;   Sensening,   Neffsville;   Rentz- 


heimer,     Hellertown;     Furry,    Carsonia     Park, 
Reading. 

— The  Bavarian  Volksfest-Verein,  of  Phil- 
adelphia, Pa.,  had  its  thirtieth  annual  outing 
the  latter  part  of  July.  Many  quaint  customs 
of  the  fatherland  were  reviewed.  Bavarian- 
Americans  clad  in  the  costumes  of  the  peasants 
in  the  fields  of  the  fatherland  were  present  in 
great  numbers.  Some  were  clad  in  the  peas- 
ant holiday  garb  ablaze  with  color,  and  yet 
others  in  the  white,  bespangled  street  clothes. 
The  sound  of  the  native  music  was  in  the  air 
and  those  assembled  enjoyed  the  outing  as 
only  a  Germanic  people  can. 

— That  the  observance  of  Founders'  Week 
in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  will  form  the  greatest 
municipal  celebration  that  has  ever  been  held 
in  the  United  States,  is  the  firm  belief  of  its 
Executive  Committee.  The  committee  gives 
two  reasons  for  its  belief:  first,  Philadelphia 
is  the  only  municipality  to  celebrate  its  two 
hundred  and  twenty-fifth  anniversary;  second, 
by  reason  of  its  many  notable  and  historic 
features. 

For  example,  the  committee  points  to  the 
following  historical  events,  whose  celebration 
will  so  greatly  enhance  the  week's  prognam : 

The  rejection  of  the  cargo  of  tea  that  was 
brought  here  from  England  on  the  ship  Polly, 
which  occurred  some  thirty  days  prior  to  the 
notable   Boston  Tea   Party. 

The  introduction  of  steam  as  a  motive  power 
for  boats,  exhibited  at  Arch  Street  wharf,  on 
the  Delaware  River,  on  August  22,  1787, 
twenty-one  years  before  Robert  Fulton 
launched  his  first  boat  on  the  waters  of  the 
Hudson   River. 

These  facts,  together  with  the  Bill  of  Rights, 
the  Declaration  of  Independence,  the  framing 
of  the  Constitution,  the  establishment  of  the 
first  post  office  and  the  first  United  States 
Mint,  the  printing  of  the  first  English  Bible, 
with  American  imprints,  the  printing  of  the 
first  book  on  education,  the  first  paper  mill  in 
the  United  States,  the  first  spinning  janney 
and  the  first  carpet  and  oilcloth  makers,  have 
been  incentives  for  the  Executive  Committee  to 
prepare  a  program  of  religious,  military,  muni- 
cipal, industrial,  educational,  naval  and  his- 
toric features. 

— The  Pennsylvania-Germans  are  very  prom- 
inent at  the  meeting  of  the  Pennsylvania  Bar 
Association,  at  the  Hotel  Cape  May,  this  week, 
says  the  Cape  May  Star,  of  June  27th.  Among 
the  "Dutchmen"  none  ranks  higher  than  Hon. 
G.  A.  Endlich,  of  the  Common  Pleas  bench, 
of  Berks.  Though  one  of  the  most  youthful 
looking  of  the  40  odd  judges  who  attended 
the  meeting,  he  is  old  enough  to  have  been 
upon  the  bench  for  nearly  20  \-ears. 

Aside  from  his  local  reputation  in  his  county 
and  State  as  a  judge,  he  is  always  a  prominent 
figure,  by  reason  of  his  contributions  to  legal 
literature,  which  have  made  him  universally 
known  in  all  countries  where  the  English 
system  of  jurisprudence  prevails. 
"  Judge  Endlich  is  the  author  of  "The  Law 
of    Affidavits    of    Defence    in    Pennsylvania," 


428 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


"The  Law  of  the  Rights  and  Liabilities  of 
Married  Women,"'  "Endlich  on  the  Construc- 
tion of  Statutes,"  and  various  other  text 
books  of  the  law,  besides  being  a  prolific  con- 
tributor to  law  periodicals. 

His  home  district  has  been  very  loyal  to 
him,  and  very  appreciative  of  his  services,  as 
was  shown  by  the  fact  that  on  the  occasion 
of  his  last  election  he  was  the  unanimous 
nominee  of  both  the  Democratic  and  Republi- 
can parties,  and  received  the  whole  vote  of 
his    judicial    district. 

Apropos  of  Judge  Endlich's  legal  fame,  a 
member  of  the  Bar  Association,  in  extolling 
the  wide  influence  of  Pennsylvania  jurisprud- 
ence, made  mention  of  the  fact  that  last  year 
while  on  a  trip  abroad  he  had  his  local  pride 
considerably  swelled  by  hearing  Judge  End- 
lich's book  on  the  "Construction  of  Statutes," 
quoted    in   the    British   House   of   Commons. — 

The  Lutheran. 
— The  recent  death  of  William  D.  Zehner, 
former  superintendent  of  the  Lehigh  Coal  and 
Navigation  Company,  and  for  36  years  in  that 
position,  marked  an  epoch  in  anthracite  coal 
mining,  for  he  was  considered  by  all  who  knew 
him  the  greatest  operator  of  the  anthracite 
region  of  his  time. 

If  Mr.  Zehner  "made  the  company,"  he  gave 
his  life  for  its  creation.  He  was  53  years  in  its 
employ,  36  as  superintendent.  He  loved  the 
company.  He  was  a  man  of  one  idea,  and  he 
sacrificed  everything  for  its  realization.  He 
never  took  a  vacation,  but  was  always  on  duty, 
even  in  the  case  of  a  mine  fire,  when  he  was 
found  unconscious  from  the  smoke. 

—William  Jacob  Miller,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
died  Wednesday,  July  22,  aged  75  years.  Mr. 
Miller's  death  occurred  at  Columbia,  Pa.,  at 
the  residence  of  his  son.  Rev.  Dr.  Edgar  Grim 
Miller,  pastor  of  the  first  English  Lutheran 
Church  of  that  city.  Mr.  Miller  had  been  in 
poor  health  for  some  years  and  was  visiting 
Columbia  to  recuperate.  Mr.  Miller  was  well 
known  as  one  of  the  firm  of  Beates  &  Miller, 
wholesale  druggists  at  Third  and  Branch 
streets  from  1854  to  1882,  and  later  of  509 
Market  street,  and  was  in  business  there  until 
1898,  when  he  retired.  He  was  treasurer  and 
for  several  years  president  of  the  Lutheran 
Publication  Society.  He  was  a  trustee  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Bi'ble  Society  and  of  the  Phila- 
delphia Bible  Society.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Philadelphia 
City  Missions,  and  his  longest  service  as  an 
officer  was  as  a  member  of  the  Church  Council 
of  St.  Matthew's  Lutheran  Church  for  nearly 
fifty  years.  He  was  for  several  terms  president 
of  the  Philadelphia  Drug  Exchange. 

Mr.  Miller  is  survived  by  his  widow,  Mary 
Grim  Miller,  and  two  sons.  Rev.  Dr.  Edgar 
Grim  Miller,  of  Columbia,  Pa.,  and  Rev.  Wil- 
liam J.  Miller,  Jr.,  prominent  in  Christian 
Association  work  and  now  pastor  of  the  Luth- 
eran  Mission  in  West   Philadelphia ;   also  two 


daughters,  Mrs.  Henry  H.  Saylor,  of  East 
Orange,  N.  J.,  and  Mrs.  Ada  G.  Delk,  wife  of 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Edwin  Heyl  Delk,  pastor  of  St. 
Matthew's  Lutheran  Church,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

FOR  THE  JOKE  BOOK. 

"Wie  geht's?"  said  the  polite  German  as  he 
entered  the  restaurant.  "Wheat  cakes"  yelled 
the  Irish  waiter.  "Nein,  Nein,  Nein"  said  the 
former.  "And  bedad  ye  kin  be  thankful  if  ye 
git  three,"  said  the  Irishman. 

Sam  w-as  met  by  Jake  in  an  alley  returning 
home  with  a  pair  of  shoes  from  the  cobbler. 
Jake  called  the  shoes  Alleygaiters  (Alligators). 
Sam  enjoyed  the  joke.  At  the  supper  table 
Sam  related  the  event  and  said  Jake  called  my 
shoes  "crocodiles."  He  laughed,  his  wife  didn't 
and  she  could  not  see  anything  funny  in  the 
remark.     Jake  said  he  couldn't  either. 

Jake,  the  only  living  child  of  Mike  and  Rachel 
Gramley  was  a  habitual  grumbler,  whose 
mother  gave  him  needed  instruction  one  morn- 
ing as  he  was  on  the  point  of  going  to  board 
with  his  city  cousins.  Old  enough  to  profit  by 
parental  advice  he  decided  to  heed  his  mother's 
counsel,  and  stop  his  fault-finding.  At  the 
dinner  table  of  his  city  hostess  he  tried  to  be 
nice,  and  said :  "Mutter,  du  hosht  en 
schoner,  guter  tish.  Dei  booter  isch  auch  goot 
was  dafoon  ist."  The  dark  frown  on  her  face 
showed  him  that  he  had  made  a  mistake  and  he 
hastened  to  add:  "So  wie  er  is."  He  looked 
around  for  a  new  boarding  place. — Flousa- 
weber. 

— The  public  may  not  know  the  good  story, 
which  has  been  a  joy  for  many  a  long  day 
among  musicians,  which  tells  how  a  celebrated 
conductor,  admired  and  beloved  by  every  one 
who  knows  him,  accused  his  wife  in  broken 
English  of  conduct  the  reverse  of  admirable, 
to  put  it  mildly.  He  was  refusing  an  invita- 
tion to  an  afternoon  party  for  her  on  the  plea 
of  her  delicate  health,  but  he  evidently  got  a 
little  mixed  during  his  explanations,  for  he 
made  the  following  astounding  statement, 
which  was  news  indeed  to  the  world  in  general : 
"My  wife  lies  in  the  afternoon.  If  she  does 
not  lie,  then  she  swindles!" 

N.  B. — "Schvvindeln"  is  the  equivalent  in 
German    for    "feeling   giddy." 

— An  eastern  woman  whose  husband's  busi- 
ness obliged  him  to  remove  to  Milwaukee  soon 
showed  herself  an  earnest  member  of  a  local 
German  class.  She  had  learned  to  read  the 
language  a  little,  but  for  a  long  time  was  unable 
to  master  the  pronunciation. 

One  day  the  question  was  put  to  her,  'Are 
you  not  glad  you  are  able  to  learn  German?" 

The  query  was,  of  course,  i«  German,  and 
the  answer  was,  "Ja,  gewiss"  ("Yes,  cer- 
tainly"). 

When  the  easterner  was  called  upon  to  an- 
swer she  upset  the  class  by  doing  so  in  this 
wise: 

"Ya  ;    gee   whiz!" — Lippincott's. 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


429 


Chat  with  Correspondents 


"A  SPICY  POEM". 

We  heartily  welcome  U.  B.  S.  as  one  of  our 
new  subscribers.  We  hope  he  may  find  time 
some  day  to  give  us  a  "story"  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania-Germans whom  he  has  met  as  he 
"travelled  the  west  from  one  end  to  'tother." 

Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa,  July  14,   1908. 
H.  W.  Kriebel,  Publisher, 

East  Greenville,  Pa., 
Dear  Sir — A  notice  in  The  Lehigh 
Register-  prompted  me  to  send  you 
twenty-five  cents  for  four  consecutive  num- 
bers of  The  Pennsylvania-German,  and 
I  now  enclose  $1.50  to  renew  my  subscrip- 
tion for  a  magazine  which  I  have  learned 
to  prize  very  highly.  The  April  number 
alone  is  worth  a  }-€ar's  subscription  to  me. 
The  engravings  and  short  biographical 
sketches  of  Allentown's  mayors  recalled 
the  fact  that  one  of  them,  Werner  K. 
Ruhe,  editor  of  The  Allentozvn  Democrat, 
wrote  a  rather  spicy  poem  on  the  occasion 
of  my  marriage  in  Iowa,  in  April,  1874,  a 
copy  of  which  I  will  enclose.  Another 
mayor,  Col.  S.  D.  Lehr,  was  captain  of  Co 
B,  176th  Regiment,  Pa.  Infantry,  of  which 
I  was  the  youngest  member.  I  subsequent- 
ly served  nearly  two  years  in  the  western 
army.  In  January,  1866,  I  returned  to  Al- 
lentown  and  became  a  student  in  the  Allen- 
town  Military  and  Collegiate  Institute. 
My  seat  mate  was  a  boy  of  fourteen. 
Revere  F.  Weidner,  whose  portrait  and 
biography  appeared  in  the  April  number. 
That  God  may  continue  to  bless  him  in  his 
laudable  and  successful  endeavors  to 
advance  the  cause  of  education  and  Christ- 
ianity is  the  wish  of  his  old  schoolmate  and 
seat  mate.  U.  B.  S. 

What    a    glorious    country    the    far    west 

must  be, 
With  its  great   rolling  prairies   so   expan- 
sive and  free; 
Where  cities  spring  up  like  grass  from  the 

ground, 
Where   health    and   prosperity   always   are 

found. 
Where    forests   give    way   to    the    farmer's 

strong  arm. 
Where  hundreds  of  acres  make  but  a  small 

farm. 
To  the  millions  of  Europe  'tis  a  haven  of 

rest, 
The  modern   Eureka — that  charming  "out 

west." 

And    you've    been    there,    Uriah,    one    trip 

after   another. 
You've    traveled    the   west    from    one    end 

to    'tother, 
And    you've    looked    at    the    country    with 

critical   eye. 
To  find  the  best  place  to  locate,  the  best 

place  to  buy, 


If  in   land   or   a   wife  you   should   wish   to 

invest. 
And  in  the  latter  we  now  know  that  your 

choice  was   "out   west." 
But   it's   rough   on   the   girls  of  your   own 

native   State, 
To  go  two  thousand  miles  to  secure  you  a 

mate, 
Though  that  she  was  worth  going  for  well 

do    we    know. 
And   our   hope   is   that   through   life   you'll 

both   make   things   "go," 
May  3'our   life  be   a   pathway   of   sunshine 

and   flowers. 
May  the  years  pass  away  in   life's  bright, 

golden    hours, 
With    health    and    prosperity   may   you    be 

blest. 
And  never  regret  the  union  of  hearts  "out 

west." 

A    LARGER    MAGAZINE    WANTED. 

Miss  M writes  as  follows : 

Tombstone    records,    original    marriage 
records  and  birth  records  would  be  of  great 
value  to  your  magazine  as  well  as  to  its 
readers.    I  think  each  number  of  the  maga- 
zine is  better,  and  I  agree  with  the  letter 
by  Dr.  H.  H.  Seltzer,  let  us  give  the  best 
there  is  to  give  when  we  speak  or  write 
of  the  early  settlers  of  Pennsylvania.     We 
know  there  must  have  been  a  great  crude- 
ness    in    pioneer    life    it    cannot    be    other- 
wise— but  do  not  accentuate  it.    .    .    I  agree 
with    every    letter    asking    to   enlarge    and 
improve  the  historical  value  of  the  maga- 
zine— it    is   the   only   one   of   its   kind   and 
when    we   think   that    Pennsylvania  people 
are     in     every     state    of    the     Union,     in 
Honolula      and      the      Philippines      (The 
"Dutchman"  is  ubiquitous — Ed. )  let  us  give 
them  the  best  from  home — old  home  stories, 
church      records,      genealogical      sketches, 
tombstone  records,  deeds,  wills,  birth  and 
death  records,  etc. 
To  this  letter  we  can  only  say  that   we  are 
trying  to  do  all   we   can  to   give  our   readers 
an  entertaining,  valuable,  instructive  magazine. 
We  are  not  giving  all  that  could  and   should 
be  given,  for  the  simple  reason  that  we  cannot. 
With  more  subscribers  it  will  be  our  pleasure 
to  enlarge  the  departments  now  running  and  to 
add  new  features.     The  question  is  up  to  the 
subscribers   themselves.     If  each   one  were  to 
secure   but    two   new    subscribers   before    New 
Year's  we  could  have  a  larger  magazine  next 
year    and    the    publisher    would    not    have    to 
worry     so    much     about    the    paying    of    the 
printers  bills.     We  hereby  appoint  our  readers 
a  committee   of  the   whole   to  hustle   for   new 
subscribers.     You  who  read  this  are  one  of  the 
committee.     What  will  you  do  tow^ards  making 
the  larger  magazine  possible? 


430 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Pennsylvania  Historical  Societies 


The  Bradford  County  Historical  Society 

has  just  issued  its  "Annual  No.  2."  It  contains 
the  following  papers,  "Advent  of  White  ^lan 
Into  Bradford  County,"  "Indian  Towns  at 
North  Towanda,"  "The  Connecticut  Claim  and 
Its  Importance  in  our  History,"  "Conrad 
Weiser,"  "History  of  Smithfield  Township," 
"Some  Wyalusing  Pioneers,"  "Our  First 
Judge,"  "Bradford  County  Pioneers,"  "Date  of 
Organization  and  Settlement  of  the  Counties  of 
Pennsylvania." 

The  reports  show  that  regular  monthly  meet- 
ings are  held  by  the  society  with  an  average 
attendance  of  fifty  persons.  Markers  are  being 
established  throughout  the  county  to  designate 
points  of  historic  interest.  Over  fifty  essays 
have  been  submitted  by  pupils  of  Grammar 
and  High  School  grade  on  township  or  county 
history  in  competition  for  prizes.  Considerable 
additions  have  been  made  to  the  library  and 
museum.  The  annual  enables  even  a  stranger 
to  live  over  again  some  of  the  thrilling  events 
in  the  history  of  the  county. 

We  quote  the  following  words  from  the 
first  paper :  "The  first  white  man  to  visit  what 
is  now  Bradford  county,  was  Stephen  Brule, 
a  Frenchman,  who  was  an  explorer  and  in- 
terpreter for  Samuel  Champlain.  The  next 
year,  1606,  he  went  down  the  Susquehanna 
to  the  sea,  being  the  first  white  man  ever  to 
perform  this  journey,  and  is  believed,  was  the 
first  white  man  to  set  foot  upon  the  soil  of 
Pennsylvania."  The  Secretary  of  the  Society 
wrote  under  date  of  July  30  that  this  "asser- 
tion was  criticised  by  some,  but  to  present 
writing  has  not  been  successfully  controverted." 
If  any  reader  can  present  data  to  disprove  the 
claim  made  respecting  Brule,  we  hope  they 
may   be   forthcoming. 

The    Chester    County    Historical    Society 

and  the  Chester  Chapter,  Daughters  of  the 
American  Revolution  on  Tuesday  July  14  dedi- 
cated a  metal  marker  erected  at  Point  Look- 
out, Valley  Forge,  where  sentinels  of  the  Con- 
tinental Army  stood  guard  during  the  winter 
of  1777-8  to  protect  wagon  trains  and  a  marker 
at  the  famous  "Stargazers'  Stone,"  set  up  by 
Mason  and  Dixon,  the  surveyors,  and  now  on 
the  farm  of  Henry  E.  Harlan,  near  Em- 
breeville. 

The  Star-Gazers'  Stone  was  erected  in  1764 
by  Mason  and  Dixon  in  the  process  of  locating 
the  boundary  line  that  bears  their  names,  be- 


tween Pennsylvania  and  Maryland.  The 
agreement  between  the  Penns  and  Lord  Balti- 
more provided  that  this  line  should  be  fifteen 
miles  south  of  the  southernmost  point  of  the 
City  of  Philadelphia  (South  street,  then  Cedar 
street).  Having  first  determined  the  exact 
latitude  of  this  latter  point,  they  proceeded 
westward  thirty-one  miles  and  there  set  up 
this  so-called  Star-Gazers'  Stone  in  precisely 
the  same  latitude.  From  this  stone  they 
measured  southward  the  required -fifteen  miles, 
which  gave  them  the  latitude  of  the  boundary 
line. 

After  completing  their  survey  of  the  bound- 
ary line,  Mason  and  Dixon  returned  to  the 
Star  Gazers'  Stone  and  measured  thence  a  de- 
gree of  latitude  southward.  This  is  the  only 
time,  it  is  said,  such  a  measure  was  ever 
actually  run  on  the  surface  of  the  earth,  all 
the  other  calculations  of  its  length  having  been 
by  a  process  of  triangulation. 

The  Historical  Society  of  Frankford 

has  issued  Vol.  I,  No.  7,  of  "Papers  Read"  re- 
printed from  "The  Frankford  Gazette."  The 
table  of  contents  lists  the  following  articles — 
The  First  School  House  in"  Frankford,  Recol- 
lections of  Frankford,  1855,  i^73>  Minutes  of 
Meeting  Held  March   17,   1908. 

We  quote  the  following  from  the  first  paper : 
"The  schools  of  this  period,  and  we  must  bear 
in  mind  that  this  was  before  the  Revolution, 
were  furnished  with  desks  and  benches  made 
by  the  local  carpenter.  A  high  desk  upon  a 
raised  platform  for  the  master  at  one  end  of 
the  room,  and  against  the  walls  a  continuous 
sloping  shelf  about  three  feet  from  the  floor, 
long:  backless  benches,  upon  which  the  children 
sat  in  front  of  it  with  a  line  of  other  smaller 
benches  for  the  little  children,  all  artistically 
carved  with  the  jackknives  of  the  scholars. 
The  middle  of  the  room  would  be  an  open 
space  for  the  classes  to  stand  when  reciting. 
There  would  be  a  large  deep  fireplace  to  ac- 
commodate plenty  of  wood  which  was  carried 
in  by  the  scholars.  John  Trumbull,  who  at- 
tended a  Colonial  school  just  before  the  Revo- 
lution, describes  the  schoolmaster  as  follows: 
'He  wore  a  three-cornered  hat,  his  coat  de- 
scended in  long  square  skirts  to  the  calves  of 
his  legs ;  he  wore  white  silk  stockings  with  low 
shoes  with  large  buckles,  and  a  gray  wig  falling 
in  rolls  over  his  shoulders.  He,  wore  tortoise 
shell  spectacles  and  carried  a  gold  headed 
cane.'  " 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


43r 


Genealogical     Queries 


ANSWER  TO  QUERY  XLI 

Peter  Laux   (Loucks,  Laucks,  Loux). 

James  B.  Laux,  of  221  West  135th  street, 
New  York  City,  is  gathering  family  data.  I 
think  he  mentions  the  place  the  Laux  family 
came  from. 

The  earliest  date  I  know  of  in  this  country 
is  Peter  Laux,  who  had  a  warrant  of  land  in 
Lancaster  county.  Pa.,  Nov.  3,  1738,  of  150 
acres.  Can  you  tell  me  the  names  of  his  chil- 
dren, etc.  ? 

Miss  M.  F.  Mickley, 
Mickley's  R.   F.   D., 
Allentown,    Pa. 


QUERY  XLII-  BICKEL  FAMILY 

I  desire  to  communicate  with  anybody  named 
Bickel,  Beckel  or  Bockel,  or  anyone  descended 
from  people  of  that  name — ^with  the  object  of 
forming  a  family  genealogy.  Any  information 
on  this  subject  will  be  thankfully  received. 

I  am  descended  from  Tobias  Bockel  who 
with  his  brother  Frederick  came  to  Pennsyl- 
vania in  1736.  Their  descendants  are  quite 
numerous.  But  my  interest  is  not  confined  to 
these  two  immigrants  alone. 

Any  information  I  have  in  my  possession- 
is  available  to  people  interested. 

Paul  J.  Bickel, 
Wavnesboro,   Pa. 


Reviews  and  Notes 

BY  PROF.  E.  S.  GERHARD,  TRENTON,  N.  J. 


Money    and    Prices.      By    E.    W.    Kemmerer, 
Ph.D.,    Assistant     Professor    of     Political 
Economy    in    Cornell    University.      Vol.    i 
of    the    new    Cornell    Studies    in    History 
and  Political  Science.     160  pp.     $1.25  net. 
Henry  Holt  &  Co.    1907. 
Prof.    Kemmerer's    father    was    a    Pennsyl- 
vania-German,  and   was  born   at   Fennersville, 
Pa.,  near  the  Delaware  Water  Gap.    His  grand- 
father and  grandmother  were  among  the  first 
settlers  in   Slocum   Hollow,  which  is  now  the 
city    of    Scranton,    Pa.    Prof.    Kemmerer    is    a 
graduate    of    Wesleyan    University,    Connecti- 
cut ;   he  was  for  several  years  the  director  of 
the     currency     of     the      Philippines ,    and     is 
managing    editor    of    The   Economic    Bulletin, 
published  quarterly  by  the  American  Economic 
Association. 

This   treatise   was    submitted   to   the    faculty 
of    Cornell    University    for    the    Ph.D.    degree. 
It  is  very  likely  one  of  the  most  scholarly  and 
most  analytical  treatises  ever  made  of  monetary 
science,   and   especially   of   the  quantity   theory 
of  money.     Prof.   Kemmerer   was   for   several 
years  director  of  the  currency  of  the  Philippine 
Islands;   he  thus  had  an  opportunity  to  study 
the    money    question    outside    of    the    United 
States.     The  book  is  of  importance  to  all  who 
are  interested  in  monetary  science. 
Selections   From   Boileau.      By   Oscar   Kuhns, 
Professor     of     Romance     Languages     in 
Wesleyan  University    (Connecticut)    Mod- 
ern Language  Series.     142  pp.     50c.     D.  C. 
Heath  &  Co.,  Boston.     1908. 
Prof.   Oscar   Kuhns  was  born   in   Columbia, 
Lancaster  Co.,  Pa.     He  graduated  from  Wes- 
leyan  University  in   1885,  after  which  time  he 
studied  in  several  foreign  universities.     He  is 
the  author  of  a  number  of  books,  among  which 
the    most    notable    are    "German     and    Swiss 


Settlements  in  Pennsylvania,"  and  "Dante  and 
the  English  Poets."  He  has  also  edited  a  num- 
ber of  texts  in  the  Modern  Language  Series. 

Nichola  Boileau-Despreaux  was  born  in 
Paris,  1636  and  died  there  in  1711.  He  was 
a  famous  Fr.ench  critic  and  poet.  Upon  his 
works  and  especially  upon  his  Art  Poetique 
rest  the  theories  of  the  Classical  Literature  of 
France.  His  influence  upon  the  literature  of 
France  was  as  wholesome  as  it  was  immense. 

The    editor    of   the    text    was    happy    in    his 
selections    in    choosing    The    Art    of    Poetry, 
Satires,    Epistles,    Various    Poems,    and    The 
Heroes  of  Romance;  though  some  might  have 
selected  the  eighth  Satire  instead  of  the  fifth. 
The  text  is  well  annotated,  and  with  its  critical  ' 
introduction  it  makes  a  fine,  scholarly  text. 
Pennsylvania-German    Society.      Proceedings 
of    the    meeting    held    at    Allentown,    Pa.,. 
Nov.    2,    1906.      Vol.    XVII.      Illustrated. 
600  pp. 

This  volume  in  addition  to  the  address  of 
welcome  and  the  responses,  and  an  account  of 
business  routine  contains  and  article  by  H.  M. 
M.  Richards,  Secretary  of  the  Society,  on 
"The  Pennsylvania-Germans  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  (1776-1785)" ;  and  one  by  Wil- 
liam Jacob  Heller  on  "The  Gunmakers  of  Old 
Northampton." 

The  article  entitled  "The  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
mans in  the  Revolutionary  War"  is  for  the 
most  part  interesting  and  instructive  reading; 
whatever  smacks  of  a  compilation  is  due  to 
the  nature  of  the  subject.  The  writer  of 
this  article  has  undoubtedly  spent  a  great 
deal  of  painstaking  effort  to  bring  out  his 
production ;  and  his  labors  are  surely  well 
repaid. 

It  is  not  strange  that  in  so  large  a  piece  of 
work   with   so   manv   items   and   themes   all   in 


432 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


one  volume  there  should  be  some  errors  and 
mistaken  ideas.  There  is  a  "mix-up"  in  the 
arrangement  of  the  pages  in  the  first  part  of 
the  volume,  and  the  cut  found  on  page  32  is 
reproduced  on  page  312.  These  are  minor 
matters,  however,  ,  when  compared-  with  the 
further  statements  that  Christopher  Schultz 
was  a  Mennonite,  and  that  he  was  a  Justice 
of  the  Peace  in  Berks  county,  Pa.,  from  1777- 
1784.  Let  it  be  said  once  and  for  all  that 
Christopher  Schultz  was  a  Schwenkfelder  and 
not  a  Mennonite.  He  was  the  scholar  and  the 
man  of  eminence  among  the  Schwenkfelders  of 
the  eighteenth  century.  And  nothing  has  been 
found  in  the  records  of  Berks  county  to  show 
that  he  was  ever  a  Justice  of  the  Peace.  (See 
Vol.  XHL  Proceedings  of  the  Pennsylvania- 
German   Society,  page   172. 

On  the  whole  it  is  an  acceptable  tribute  to 
the  valor  and  patriotism  of  the  Pennsylvania- 
Germans  during  the  Revolution ;  and  not  the 
least  significant  part  is  the  account  of  the 
Non-Combatant  Patriots,  pages  339-359. 

The  Gunmakers  of  Old  Northampton  is  a 
readable  enthusiastic  paper.  It  gives  an  in- 
teresting account  of  the  work  of  the  "artisans 
of  the  backwoods"  who  supplied  the  weapons 
of  war  in  order  to  maintain  their  country's  in- 
dependence. 

The  volume  is  a  valuable  contribution  to  his- 
tory. There  is  a  great  deal  of  unwritten  his- 
tory, which  is  only  too  frequently  of  more  im- 
portance than  the  history  that  is  uritten  to 
order.  These  two  papers  should  be  made 
the  compulsory  reading  of  future  historians. 
The  contents  of  this  volume  bring  out  still 
more  incidents,  unrecorded  and  unpublished, 
that  show  how  the  Pennsylvania-German  in 
his  modest  and  unostentatious  manner  has 
stood  in  the  bulwark  of  his  country's  liberties, 
and  has  never  yet  for  well  nigh  two  hundred 
years  received  the  credit  that  is  due  him  for 
his  achievements  both  in  peace  and  in  war. 

The    Romance    of    the    Reaper.      By    Herbert 
N.    Casson,    author    of    The   Romance    of 
Steel.    Illustrated  from  photographs.    184  pp. 
Price    $1.10,    postpaid.      Doubleday,    Page 
&  Co.,  New  York.     1908. 
It  is  doubtful  whether  there  is  another  agri- 
cultural machine  that  has  such  a  romantic  his- 
tory behind  it  as  the  reaper.     And  the  author, 
true  to  his  theme,  has  held  on  to  its  romantic 
side.      He   says   that   he    spent    six   months    in 
investigating   the   story   of   the  origin   and   de- 
velopment  of  the   reaper ;   we  are   inclined   to 
believe   that    he   could    well    have   spent    three 
times  the  amount  of  time,  and  his  book  would 
still  be  as  romantic  and  interesting  as  it  is. 

Many  episodes  have  been  omitted,  and 
though  these  may  have  only  a  "local  setting" 
they  would  still  add  greatly  to  the  interest  of 
the  story.  What  has  become  of  the  old  Buck- 
eye, the  old  Empire,  and  the  old  Excelsior, 
and  the  old  Benjamin  Yeakel,  machines  that 
made  the  hillsides  rattle  with  their  noisy  gear- 


ing ?  The  latter  was  an  improvement  on  the 
Hussey  machine,  was  made  in  Lehigh  county, 
Pa.,  and  was  for  many  years  the  leading,  if  not 
the  only,  machine  in  Eastern  Pennsylvania. 

And  there  is  another  machine  that  should 
receive  mention — it  has  been  entirely  omitted 
in  the  narrative ;  it  is  quite  likely  that  the 
author  has  never  heard  of  it^The  Hubbard 
Gleaner  and  Binder.  It  was  invented  by  a  man 
by  the  name  of  Hubbard,  and  was  manufac- 
tured at  Norristown,  Pa.,  approximately  be- 
tween the  years  1870-1890.  This  machine  fol- 
lowed the  reaper,  or  rather  the  self-rake  (not 
dropper),  and  by  means  of  sprocket  wheels 
picked  up  the  sheaf  and  bound  it  with  wire ; 
some  bound  with  twine.  It  thus  had  a  place 
between  the  self-rake  and  the  self-binder.  It 
was  manufactured  extensively  for  some  years, 
but  with  the  perfection  of  the  automatic  har- 
vester it  was  soon  discarded.  It  might  also  be 
of  interest  to  know  more  about  the  cumber- 
some harvester  that  bound  the  grain  with 
long  rye  straw.  There  was  such  a  machine, 
but  we  never  saw  it  work  in  the  field. 

No  claim  can  "be  instituted  that  the  Penn- 
sylvania-German had  any  direct  hand  in  the 
invention  of  the  reaper,  but  he  is  surely  entitled 
to  more  consideration  ancj  recognition  in  ts 
development  than  what  is  conceded  to  him. 

In  speaking  of  the  progress  and  development 
of  the  country  during  the  30's,  the  author  says 
that  the  "telegraph  was  still  a  dream  in  the 
brain  of  Morse"  (i)  There  are  facts  to  show 
that  the  telegraph  was  an  actuality  even  before 
Morse  ever  dreamed  of  a  telegraph.  As  early 
as  1831  Prof.  Henry,  of  Albany  Academy,  and 
later  of  Princeton,  with  -his  intensity  mag- 
net and  by  stringing  a  mile  and  a  half  of  wire 
around  his  room  at  the  Academy,  operated 
the  armature  of  the  first  sounding  telegraph  of 
any  kind.  And  in  Princeton  he  again  stretched 
his  wire  around  his  lecture  room  and  from 
there  across  the  campus  to  his  residence.  But 
the  case  cannot  be  argued  any  further  here. 
That  Morse  invented  the  telegraph  is  one  of 
the  many  "mock  pearls"  of  history  that  need 
to  be  smashed ;  and  this  one  can  be  smashed. 

The  author  occasionally  just  misses  being 
extravagant  in  style  as  when  he  speaks  of 
"guillotining  wheat,"  and  when  he  says  that 
"McCormick  was  the  thin  edge  of  the  wedge 
that  split  into  fragments  the  agricultural  ob- 
stacles to  social  progress."  An  excessive  use  of 
such  expressions  becomes  cloying.  On  the 
other  hand,  we  admire  the  way  the  author 
gives  a  concrete  value  to  his  figures,  as  when 
he  says  that  the  International  Harvester  Com- 
pany, with  ts  25,000  employees  and  42,000 
salesmen,  supports  as  many  families  as  live 
in  Utah  and  Montana.  The  book  is  highly 
interesting  and  instructive  reading  from  end 
to  end  ;  it  is  fascinating,  written  on  a  romantic 
subject  in  a  romantic  style.  We  believe  that 
the  author,  by  the  expenditure  of  more  time 
and  still  more  effort,  could  produce  an  ad- 
mirable history  of  the  reaper   industry. 


GODLOVE  S.  ORTH 


Vol.  IX 


OCTOBER,  1908 
Godlove  S.  Orth 


No.^10 


CCORDING  to  Egle's  "Penn- 
sylvania Genealogies,"  "Bal- 
zer  or  Balthaser  Orth,  born 
j\Iay  5,  1703,  emigrated 
from  the  Palatinate,  Ger- 
many, to  Lebanon  township, 
Lancaster,  now  Lebanon 
county,  Pa.,  about  the  year  1730.  On  the 
right  bank  of  the  Danube,  about  fifteen 
miles  east  of  Vienna,  is  the  village  of 
Orth,  containing  about  three  thousand  in- 
habitants. In  the  year  1170,  Hartneid 
von  Orthe  purchased  the  village  and  es- 
tate surrounding  it,  founded  a  church  and 
erected  a  castle.  It  remained  in  the  fam- 
ily for  several  successive  generations, 
when  the  proprietor,  about  the  close  of 
the  seventeenth  century,  sold  out  and  re- 
moved to  Moravia,  one  of  the  northern 
provinces  of  Austria.  The  family  can- 
not be  traced  from  Moravia  to  the  Rhine." 
Three  hundred  acres  of  land  were  war- 
ranted to  Balzer  Orth  in  Lebanon  town- 
ship, Lebanon  county,  Pa.,  Nov.  25,  1735, 
where  he  resided  many  years.  He  died 
October  20,  1788,  and  lies  buried  in  the 
Hebron  church  yard,  near  Lebanon,  Pa. 
A  line  of  illustrious  sons  and  daugh- 
ters has  sprung  from  this  pioneer  repre- 
sented in  the  Orth,  Gloninger,  Krause, 
Riley,  Witman,  Albright  and  other  fam- 
ilies. 

Among  these  was  Godlove  Steiner 
Orth  (the  subject  of  this  sketch),  a  great- 
grandson  of  Balzer.  who  was  born  April 
22,  181 7,  in  Lebanon  county.  Pa.,  and 
died   December   16,    1882,   in  LaFavette, 


Indiana.  That  he  may  be  claimed  in  the 
great  family  of  Pennsylvania-Germans  is 
shown  by  the  fact  that  when  in  his  public 
life  as  Minister  to  Vienna,  he,  upon  his 
first  presentation  to  the  Emperor,  was 
able  to  carry  on  conversation  in  German. 
According  to  Egle,  "After  a  short  con- 
versation the  Emperor  asked :  'Tell  me 
in  what  part  of  Germany  were  you  born?' 
Mr.  Orth  replied,  'Not  in  Germany,  but 
in  Pennsylvania,  in  the  United  States.' 
'But.'  said  the  Emperor,  'you  speak  the 
pleasing  accent  of  the  Rhine.'  "  What 
was  experienced  by  Mr.  Orth  has  been 
the  repeated  experience  of  many  others, 
Pennsylvanians  by  birth,  in  the  home  of 
their  German  fatherland. 

Eulogists  have  pronounced  Mr.  Orth 
a  man  of  great  kindness  of  heart,  a  man 
of  strong  convictions,  a  good  neighbor 
and  an  obliging  friend ;  a  loving,  tender 
father;  a  true,  affectionate  husband,  the 
soul  of  truth,  a  diplomat,  a  soldier  and 
statesman ;  a  cool,  courageous,  manly 
man.  having  the  record  of  faithful  public 
service,  unmarred  by  a  strain  of  dis- 
honor, beneficial  to  his  country,  of  high 
honor  to  himself,  a  safe  counselor,  a 
patriotic  citizen,  an  able  and  faithful  pub- 
lic servant. 

These  words  are  a  full  justification  for 
printing  this  sketch.  The  following  en- 
comiums pronounced  in  the  House  of 
Representatives,  January  31,  1883,  are 
gleaned  from  "Memorial  Addresses  on 
the  Life  and  Character  of  Godlove  S. 
Orth.  Published  bv  Order  of  Congress." 


436 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


The  readers  of  the  magazine  are  under 
obHgations  to  Mrs.  Alice  S.  Seibert 
(widow  of  Rev.  Dr.  George  C.  Seibert), 
great-great-granddaughter  of  Balthaser 
Orth,  for  the  loan  of  papers  making  the 
preparation  of  this  paper  possible. 

Remarks    by    Mr.    Browne,    of    Indiana. 

Godlove  S.  Orth  was  born  near  Leba- 
non, in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  April 
22,  1817.  He  was  a  descendant  from  the 
Moravian  family  which  emigrated  from 
one  of  the  Palatinates  of  the  old  German 
Empire  to  the  colony  of  Pennsylvania 
about  the  year  1725,  under  the  auspices 
of  Count  Zinzendorff,  the  celebrated  mis- 
sionary. His  grandfather.  Balthazer 
Orth.  was  an  ardent  patriot  in  the  Revo- 
lution, acted  as  provost-marshal  for  his 
district,  and  drafted  members  of  his  own 
family  for  service  in  the  colonial  army. 
The  Hessian  prisoners  captured  at  Tren- 
ton were,  by  the  orders  of  Washington, 
put  into  his  custody,  and  he  imprisoned 
them  in  the  old  stone  church  of  the  Mor- 
avians, still  standing  at  Lebanon.  His 
ancestry  lie  in  the  adjacent  church-yard, 
now  awaiting  some  Old  Mortality  with 
his  chisel  to  reproduce  the  epitaphs  on 
their  moss-covered  tombstones. 

Mr.  Orth,  after  securing  such  an  edu- 
cation as  could  be  obtained  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  his  native  State,  took  an 
irregular  course  of  instruction  at  the 
Pennsylvania  College  at  Gettysburg.  He 
located  there,  read  law  in  the  office  of 
Hon.  James  Cooper,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  March,  1839.  The  great  West 
was  developing  very  rapidly  at  this  time, 
and  to  an  enterprising  and  ambitious 
young  man  it  was  an  inviting  field.  He 
was  attracted  by  the  activities  and  op- 
portunities of  that  growing  section,  and 
soon  after  his  admission  to  the  bar 
crossed  the  Alleghanies  and  found  a  home 
by  the  beautiful  Wabash,  at  LaFavette, 
where  he  continued  to  reside  until  "the 
wheels  of  his  weary  life  stood  still."  Here 
he  at  once  entered  upon  the  practice  of 
law,  and,  young  as  he  was,  by  his  learn- 
ing and  integrity  soon  won  a  lucrative 
business  and  a  place  in  the  front  rank  of 
the  profession.  He  took  an  active  part 
in  the  famous  and  exciting  campaign  of 


1840,  and  secured  at  a  bound  a  position 
of  prominence  in   Indiana  politics. 

In  1843  the  \\'higs  of  Tippecanoe  coun- 
ty nominated  him  as  their  candidate  for 
the  State  Senate,  and  although  the  county 
was  Democratic  he  was  triumphantly 
elected.  Though  one  of  the  youngest, 
he  was  one  of  the  ablest  of  the  Senate, 
and  so  well  did  he  perform  his  part  that 
before  the  close  of  the  term  he  was  chosen 
president  of  that  body  by  a  most  com- 
plimentary vote.  He  thus  became  acting 
lieutenant-governor.  He  remained  in  the 
Senate  from  1843  to  1850,  and  was,  dur- 
ing a  portion  of  this  period,  chairman  of 
the  committee  on  the  judiciary,  a  position 
tendered  him  by  a  Democratic  presiding 
officer  as  an  evidence  of  the  high  esti- 
mate placed  upon  his  integrity  and  learn- 
ing by  his  political  opponents.  In  1848 
he  was  a  candidate  for  Presidential 
elector  on  the  Taylor  and  Fillmore  ticket, 
and  took  an  active  part  in  the  memorable 
campaign  of  that  year. 

For  ten  years  subsequent  to  the  close 
of  his  service  in  the  State  Senate  he  de- 
voted himself  almost  exclusively  to  his 
profession.  He  did  not  again  appear  in 
public  life  until  the  slave  power  revolted 
against  national  authority  and  proclaimed 
its  purpose  to  forcibly  destroy  xne  Union. 
After  several  of  the  discontented  States 
had  mustered  for  battle,  when  either  a 
compromise  or  peaceful  separation  of  war 
seemed  inevitable,  the  general  assembly 
of  \'irginia  invited  all  the  States  to  a 
peace  conference  to  meet  at  Washington 
on  the  4th  of  February,  1861.  The  object 
of  this  meeting,  as  announced  by  Vir- 
ginia, was  to  adjust,  if  possible,  the  pend- 
ing struggle  by  an  amendment  of  the 
Constitution,  giving  further  security  to 
the  rights  of  the  people  of  the  slave-hold- 
ing States.  Indiana  promptly  responded 
to  this  kindly  invitation,  and  Mr.  Orth 
was  appointed  by  Governor  Morton  one 
of  its  five  commissioners  to  this  peace 
congress.  His  associates  were  Caleb  B. 
Smith,  Pleasant  A.  Hackleman.  E.  W.  H. 
Ellis  and  Thomas  C.  Slaughter — names 
now  canonized  in  the  hearts  of  our  people. 

Mr.  Orth  was  more  a  listener  than  a 
talker  or  an  actor  in  that  congress.  He 
soon  became  convinced  that  an  honorable 


GODLOVE  S.  ORTH 


437 


The  Orth  Homestead 


(Near  l^ebanon.  Pa.) 


adjusitnient  was  hopeless  ;  that  the  mal- 
contents who  inaugurated  the  rebellion 
would  accept  but  separation  on  terms  that 
would  bind  for  all  time  the  free  States 
to  the  juggernaut  of  the  slave-masters, 
to  the  juggernaut  of  th  eslave-masters. 
To  such  conditions  he  knew  his  people 
would  never  submit.  He  believed,  more- 
over, that  the  Constitution  as  it  was,  cor- 
rectly interpreted  and  honestly  enforced, 
gave  ample  protection  to  the  institutions 
of  the  South.  Although  anti-slavery  in 
his  sympathies,  and  sternly  opposed  to 
what  he  believed  to  be  the  encroachments 
of  slavery,  he  stood  for  the  enforcement 
of  law,  and  was  one  of  those  who,  if  the 
law  demanded  it,  "would  nave  given  Shy- 
lock  a  verdict  for  the  pound  of  flesh  al- 
though he  had  to  take  it  from  his  own 
bosom." 

When  the  peace  congress  adjourned 
Mr.  Orth  was  convinced  that  war  could 
not  long  be  averted,  and  upon  his  return 


home  he  addressed  his  people  on  the  situ- 
ation, forecasting  with  remarkable  accur- 
acy the  future  of  the  country.  He  pointed 
out  to  them  the  imminence  of  the  danger 
confronting  them,  and  exhorted  them  to 
meet  it  with  a  courage  that  neither  sacri- 
fice nor  suffering  could  subdue  or  dis- 
hearten. 

The  war  opened,  and  from  its  begin- 
ning he  championed  the  cause  of  the  na- 
tion with  all  the  zeal  and  enthusiasm  of 
his  nature.  In  every  phase  of  that  fear- 
ful conflict — in  victory,  in  defeat — he 
gave  the  Union  his  active  support,  and 
from  the  first  gun  at  Charleston  Harbor 
until  the  surrender  at  Appomattox  he 
insisted  that  a  vigorous  and  aggressive 
war  policy  was  the  price  of  peace  and 
union. 

Air.  Orth  had  but  a  brief  experience  in 
the  military  service.  When,  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1882,  Indiana  was  threatened 
with  an  invasion  on  its  southern  borders, 


438 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


he  responded  to  the  call  of  the  governor, 
and  putting  himself  at  the  head  of  a  com- 
pany of  his  fellow-citizens,  reported  for 
duty.  He  was  sent  to  the  Ohio  River 
and  put  in  command  of  the  ram  Hornet 
He  continued  on  duty  until  the  emergency 
that  called  him  into  service  was  over 
when  he  returned  to  his  civil  pursuits. 

He  was  elected  a  Representative  in 
Congress  in  October,  1862,  and  first  took 
his  seat  here  on  the  4th  of  March  follow- 
ing. He  was  returned  by  his  district  to 
the  Thirty-ninth,  Fortieth,  Forty-first,  by 
the  State  at  large  to  the  Forty-third,  and 
again  by  his  district  to  the  Forty-sixth 
and  Forty-seventh  Congresses,  having  at 
the  time  of  his  death  seen  fourteen  years 
of  service  as  the  trusted  representative  of 
a.  most  intelligent  constituency.  No  man 
could  command  unwaveringly  without 
possessing  real  merit. 

His  services  here  began  in  the  most 
eventful  epoch  in  our  history.  The  Re- 
public was  in  the  agonies  of  a  most  cruel 
civil  war.  Its  expenses  were  enormous, 
and  the  generosity  of  its  expenditure  of 
money  was  only  paralleled  by  the 
profligacy  with  which  a  heroic  soldiery 
poured  out  their  blood.  Taxation 
seemed  to  have  reached  its  uttermost 
limit,  and  yet  our  revenues  fell  far  below 
the   demands   of   the   times. 

The  Treasury  was  empty,  our  finances 
in  disorder,  but  the  war  went  on,  increas- 
ing in  magnitude,  and  intensifying  in  bit- 
terness, until  the  coolest  and  wisest  dared 
not  predict  its  duration,  its  results  to  our 
civilization  or  our  democratic  system  of 
government.  The  friends  of  the  Union 
were  divided  in  their  councils,  and  some 
began  to  lose  hope  of  success.  Gloom 
over-shadowed  every  household.  There 
was  sadness  and  sorrow  about  every 
hearth-stone.  "Every  shore  had  its  tale 
of  blood  and  its  record  of  suiTering." 

The  dead  lay  on  every  hillside  and  in 
everv  valley,  by  the  waters  of  the  Ohic 
and  under  the  shade  of  the  magnolia  and 
the  cedar  of  the  South.  The  roar  of  hos- 
tile guns  mingled  with  the  moans  of  the 
dying  and  the  agonizing  sobs  of  bereaved 
sisters  and  mothers.  It  was  under  such 
sad  surroundings  Mr.  Orth  assumed  the 
duties  of  Representative.     That  he  con- 


scientiously and  fearlessly  did  the  work 
assigned  him  is  a  part  of  the  record  of 
those  troublous  times. 

After  the  war  he  had  to  grapple  tht 
new  and  perplexing  questions  of  recon- 
struction, and  here,  too,  he  proved  him- 
self equal  to  each  occasion,  never  forget- 
ting the  cause  of  freedom  and  ever  having 
an  eye  to  the  glory  of  his  country. 

He  served  on  several  of  the  most  im- 
portant committees  of  the  House,  and 
among  them  the  Committee  on  Freed- 
men,  the  Committee  on  Private  Land 
Claims,  the  Committee  on  Ways  and 
Means,  the  Committee  on  Reform  in  the 
Civil  Service,  and  the  Committee  on  For- 
eign Affairs.  He  brought  to  the  dis- 
charge of  his  committee  work  an  intel- 
ligent industry  which  won  for  him  the 
respect  and  confidence  of  his  associates 
and  a  position  of  influence  in  the  House. 
While  on  the  Freedmen's  Committee  he 
matured  and  reported  several  measures 
for  the  protection  of  that  large  and 
friendless  multitude  which  the  war  was 
daily  transforming  from  chattels  into 
men.  As  a  member  of  the  Committee 
on  Foreign  Afifairs  he  was,  when  that 
question  was  before  the  country,  opposed 
to  according  belligerent  rights  to  Cuba, 
and  on  behalf  of  a  minority  of  the  com- 
mittee presented  a  report  embodying  his 
views,  which  was  sustained  by  the  House 
and  indorsed  by  the  country. 

Mr.  Orth  advocated  every  advance 
movement  of  his  party.  He  was  in  the 
fullest  sympathy  with  the  emancipation 
policy  of  Lincoln,  and  recorded  his  vote 
for  the  amendment  abolishing  slavery. 
He  also  zealously  supported  the  Four- 
teenth Amendment,  and  followed  these 
measures  to  their  logical  conclusion  by 
aiding  to  put  the  ballot  into  the  hands  of 
the  newly-made  freeman.  On  the  sub- 
ject of  human  rights  his  views  were 
radical.  He  hated  oppression,  and  was 
intolerant  of  what  he  regarded  caste  legis- 
lation. He  combated  the  anti-Chinese 
legislation  of  this  Congress  because  he 
thought  it  an  attack  on  liberty. 

Upon  the  adjournment  of  the  Forty- 
third  Congress  President  Grant  tendered 
him  the  position  of  United  States  Minister 
to    Vienna,   which   he   accepted.      While 


GODLOVE  S.  ORTH 


439 


abroad  he  was  chosen  by  the  ahnost 
unanimous  voice  of  the  Republican  party 
its  candidate  for  governor  of  Indiana 
He  resigned  his  mission  in  compliance 
with  the  request  of  his  friends,  to  make 
the  race  for  that  office.  During  the  can- 
vass he  withdrew  from  the  ticket  because 
of  local  opposition  to  his  candidacy 
which  he  was  induced  to  believe  would 
imperil  the  success  of  his  party.  His 
long  term  of  service,  his  party  promi- 
nence, his  aggressive  character,  his  un- 
compromising devotion  to  principle,  and 
his  firm  adherence  to  his  convictions 
made  him  a  conspicuous  mark  for  his 
enemies.  Eminence  in  any  walk  of  life, 
and  especially  in  politics,  invites  criticism 
and  censure. 

He  lives  to  little  purpose  who  is  without 
foes.  It  is  unfortunate  that  in  our  politi- 
cal warfare  we  are  apt  to  justify  the  ass- 
assination of  private  character  if  it  pro- 
motes partisan  success.  If  party  end? 
require  it,  we  too  often  remorselessly 
murder  a  good  man's  name.  But  the 
fame  of  him  of  whom  I  speak  is  safe 
from  defamation  now.  He  is  beyond  the 
reach  of  reproach.  After  a  third  of  ? 
century  of  public  life,  after  ample  oppor 
tunities  for  amassing  wealth,  Mr.  Orth 
died  comparatively  poor.  If  he  had 
faults,  venality  was  not  one  of  them. 
His  frugal,  temperate  and  unostentatious 
habits,  his  disregard  of  wealth,  vindicate 
his  character  from  such  an  imptuation 
and  rebuke  those  who  calumniated  it. 

It  was  my  good  fortune  to  know  Mr. 
Orth  somewhat  intimately  for  a  score  of 
years.  He  was  of  a  sunny  nature,  and 
had  a  cheerful  word,  a  genial  smile,  and 
a  hearty  greeting  for  all.  No  man  ever 
had  friends  more  devoted  and  self-sacri- 
ficing than  he.  He  had  a  personal  mag- 
netism which  attracted  men  and  held 
them.  They  stood  by  him  in  every  vicis- 
situde of  his  fortune.  No  assault  upon 
his  record  or  his  honor  weakened  their 
faith  or  caused  them  to  falter  in  their 
friendship.  It  was  thought  that  at  times 
he  was  unduly  sensitive  and  tcx)  quick  to 
suspect  ofTense ;  but  if  this  was  a  weak- 
ness it  arose  from  "that  chastity  of  honor 
that  felt  a  stain  as  a  wound."  No  life  is 
wholly  faultless  ;  his  had  its  frailties ;  but 


when  the  account  of  its  deeds  here  is 
made  up  there  will  be  found  a  large  bal- 
ance on  the  heavenward  side.  He  was 
self-reliant,  and  prosecuted  his  work  with 
an  energy  that  deserved  success  if  it  did 
not  always  achieve  it.  As  a  thinker  and 
a  speaker  he  was  aggressive  but  intoler- 
ant ;  urging  his  point  with  the  zeal  of  an 
enthusiast,  he  freely  accorded  honesty  of 
purpose  and  conviction  to  those  who  com- 
bated his  opinions.  His  language  was 
simple,  his  manner  earnest,  his  illustra- 
tions well  chosen.  There  was  no  at- 
tempt at  display — no  straining  after  ef- 
fect. He  sometimes  festooned  h  is  thought 
with  an  apt  quotation,  and  g-'ave  point 
to  his  logic  by  an  appropriate  anecdote. 
A  man  of  convictions  and  integrity  of 
purpose,  before  forming  an  opinion  he 
examined  the  facts  and  only  accepted  con- 
clusions after  trying  the  foundations  upon 
which  they  were  made  to  rest. 

Mr.  Orth  was  in  declining  health  for 
some  time  before  his  death.  At  the  close 
of  the  last  session  of  this  Congress  he 
visited  Berkeley  Springs,  hoping  by  rest 
and  recreation  to  regain  his  wasted 
strength  and  be  ready  for  the  labors  of 
this  session.  He  did  not  find  the  relief 
he  sought,  but  returned  home  an  invalid 
Notwithstanding  his  feeble  and  broken 
condition,  his  party  friends  again  ten- 
dered him  the  Congressional  nomina- 
tion. He  accepted  the  race  and  attempted 
to  make  a  canvass,  but  disease  had  so 
impaired  his  health  that  he  was  unable 
to  address  the  people,  and  he  did  little 
more  than  appear  at  a  few  of  the  political 
meetings  held  in  his  district.  I  saw  him 
for  the  last  time  at  the  close  of  the  cam- 
paign. It  was  apparent  then  that  the 
end  was  near;  within  a  few  months  dis- 
ease had  made  sad  inroads  upon  the  vigor 
of  both  his  body  and  mind.  He  was  mak- 
ing a  manful  struggle  to  rally  his  decay- 
ing energies,  but  the  brightness  of  his 
life  was  fading  away  and  the  gloom  of 
the  evening  fast  gathering  about  him. 
Within  a  brief  month,  at  his  old  home, 
with  friends  and  family  about  him,  death 
closed  the  scene,  terder  hands  bore  his 
remains  to  the  churchyard  and  laid  them 
forever  away.  He  sleeps  now  all  regard- 
less of  life's  struggle  or  its  storms. 


440 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


While  his  countrymen  linger  around  his 
grave  their  aspirations  will  ascend  to  Heaven 
that  a  kind  Providence  may  grant  our  be- 
loved country  many  more   such  men. 

These  are  his  words  spoken  at  the  bier 
of  Thaddeus  Stevens.  I  repeat  them 
and  here  by  his  new-made  grave  express 
the  hope  that  the  future  of  our  free  and 
prosperous  Repubhc  may  be  blessed  with 
many  such  men  as  Godlove  S.  Orth. 
Now — 

Let  us  breathe  a  prayer  above  his  sod 
And  leave  him  to  his  rest — and  God. 

Remarks  by  Mr.  Calkins,  of  Indiana. 

Mr.  Speaker :  In  the  few  remarks  I 
am  about  to  submit  upon  the  life  and 
character  of  my  dead  colleague  I  shall 
omit  any  extended  reference  to  his  public 
career,  which  has  been  so  fitly  epitomized 
by  my  colleague  (Mr.  Browne).  At  the 
time  of  his  death  there  were  few  men 
better  known  in  the  State  of  India  than 
Mr.  Orth.  He  began  his  public  career 
quite  young,  and  passed  with  amazing 
rapidity  through  many  grades  of  political 
life.  He  never  attained  the  full  measure 
of  his  ambition ;  but  his  aspirations  were 
not  higher  than  his  merit  deserved.  That 
he  did  not  entirely  succeed  is  not  a  fault 
for  he  was  always  willing  to  make  per- 
sonal sacrifices  that  the  principles  for 
which  he  struggled  might  obtain.  He 
was  personally  popular,  and  held  his 
friendships  with  a  firm  grasp.  His  public 
speeches  were  earnest  and  sincere  and 
his  manner  unostentatious  and  attractive 
His  language  was  fluent  and  well  chosen. 
and  his  zeal  was  fervid  and  impressive. 
He  was  bold  in  expression,  plausible  in 
public  action,  and  pathetic  in  appeal.  He 
never  apologized  for  public  action,  nor 
took  refuge  in  silence  from  public  assault 
He  never  placated  an  enemy  at  the  ex- 
pense of  a  friend,  nor  did  he  resort  to 
doubtful  expediences  at  the  sacrifice  of 
principle. 

The  basis  of  his  political  action  was 
that  of  absolute  justice,  and  his  motto 
was  "that  it  were  better  to  fail  in  the 
right  than  to  succeed  in  the  wrong." 
Politically  he  was  a  thorough  disciplina- 
rian, and  his  remarkable  success  in  that 
field  was  largely  attributable  to  the  solid 
phalanxes  of  his  personal  following. 


He  had  enemies  in  his  owui  party  as 
all  men  of  decided  and  large  individuality 
must  have,  but  he  possessed  the  skill  of 
maintaining  them  in  line  without  driving 
them  from  the  party  of  their  choice. 

He  maintained  his  party  leadership  in 
his  own  Congressional  district  for  a 
quarter  of  a  century,  and  when  he  died 
was  serving  his  seventh  'term  in  this 
House. 

He  did  not  escape  harsh  criticism ;  but 
he  lived  to  place  his  triumphant  vindica- 
tion in  the  permanent  records  of  his 
country  which  he  served  so  long  and 
faithfully. 

As  a  citizen  he  had  the  respect  of  those 
who  knew  him  best,  without  regard  to 
party  affiliations.  As  a  neighbor  he  was 
obliging,  and  as  a  friend' he  was  firm  and 
true. 

His  rank  as  a  lawyer  when  he  left  the 
bar  to  enter  politics  was  fully  up  to  the 
standard  of  the  best  lawyers  of  the  state. 
He  was  generous  and  charitable,  and  gave 
for  the  love  of  giving  and  not  for  the 
love  of  praise.  He  was  gentle  in  dis- 
position, and  anxious  to  add  to  the  sum 
of  human  joy."  He  did  good  deeds  from 
choice  and  not  for  personal  advantage. 
He  had  a  kind  word  for  all,  and  was  bes1) 
pleased  when  making  others  happy.  He 
had  strong  religious  convictions,  but  they 
were  not  hampered  by  narrow  construc- 
tions or  uncharitable  dogmatisms.  The 
best  trait  of  his  character  was  found  in 
his  domestic  relations ;  he  was  a  loving 
husband  and  a  kind,  indulgent  father. 

His  public  career  was  remarkable,  and 
fitly  illustrates  many  of  the  rare  quali- 
ties which  he  possessed.  While  in  health 
he  never  was  defeated  for  a  popular 
office  at  the  hands  of  the  people.  When 
first  a  State  Senator  he  was  one  of  its 
youngest  mentbers  and  was  chosen  presid- 
ing officer.  In  this  field  he  first  won  his 
reputation  as  a  skillful  parliamentarian, 
and  often  on  the  floor  proved  himself  a 
quick  and  ready  debater. 

He  was  appointed  one  of  the  peace 
commission  in  1861.  He  performed  the 
delicate  and  arduous  duties  of  that  place 
with  signal  ability.  His  heroic  devotion 
to  the  doctrine  of  an  inseparable  union  of 
promises,   did   much   to   secure  the   line 


GODLOVE  S.  ORTH 


441 


of  policy  which  the  Administration  after- 
ward adopted.  He  was  in  thorough  sym- 
pathy with  Governor  Morton  in  the  arm- 
ing and  equipping  of  troops,  and  sup- 
ported the  vigorous  prosecution  of  the 
war  for  the  suppression  of  the  rebelhon. 
lie  never  doubted  the  righteousness  of 
the  L'nion  cause,  nor  despaired  of  final 
victory  for  our  arms.  He  was  not  dis- 
heartened at  reverses,  nor  did  he  Bag  in 
his  zeal  for  the  Union  in  the  darkest 
hour  of  the  rebellion. 

He  gave  to  his  country  his  services  a< 
a  volunteer  and  risked  his  life  for  its 
preservation.  His  services  in  the  House 
during  the  war  were  one  continued  line  of 
devotion  to  his  country,  and  all  his  public 
acts  bespoke  his  smypathy  and  love  for 
the  volunteer  soldier. 

His  long  service  in  the  House  bears 
testimony  to  his  ability  as  a  statesman. 
He  did  not  often  speak  in  debate,  but 
when  he  did  he  commanded  attention 
from  his  fellow  members.  He  distin- 
guished himself  while  at  the  head  of  the 
Committee  on  Foreign  Afifairs ;  he  famil- 
iarized himself  with  our  foreign  policy, 
and  was  the  author  of  a  bill  to  perfect 
our  cOunslar  and  diplomatic  system.  He 
mastered  the  details  of  this  department 
and  was  recognized  authority  on  all  ques- 
tions affecting  it.  He  was  thoroughly 
American  in  sentiment,  and  was  imbued 
with  the  idea  of  the  equality  of  all  civi- 
lized people  before  the  law.  He  des- 
piced  caste  and  took  no  pleasure  in  the 
shallow  pretenses  of  foreign  courts,  and 
\\dien  he  represented  our  country  at  the 
court  at  Vienna  he  was  ambitious  to 
represent  the  model  Republic  in  the 
simplicity  of  pure  democracy,  without 
being  offensive.  All  who  knew  him  in 
that  position  will  bear  testimony  to  his 
signal  triumph. 

While  at  the  head  of  the  Committee  on 
Foreign  Affairs  he  became  possessed  of 
many  of  the  secrets  of  the  unwritten 
history  of  this  country  which  happened 
during  that  time.  His  version  of  the 
acquisition  of  the  Territory  of  Alaska  by 
this  country  was  new  and  interesting.  I 
am  not  able  to  recite  it  with  sufficient 
accuracy  to  venture  to  give  it  here.      I 


have  no  doubt  that  when  the  history  of 
the  lives  of  Mr.  Seward  and  Mr.  Sumner 
are  rewritten  in  all  their  details  the  pur- 
chase of  Alaska  by  this  country  will  not 
be  an  uninteresting  chapter,  especially  if 
the  true  reason  is  given  as  understood 
by  Mr.  Orth.  I  regret  that  the  occasion 
did  not  arise  while  Mr.  Orth  was  living 
which  would  have  given  him  the  oppor- 
tunity to  state  his  version  of  this  matter. 
Mr.  Orth  was  my  friend.  I  have 
known  him  from  my  childhood.  From 
his  lips  I  have  received  many  words  of  en- 
couragement. He  was  in  full  sympathy 
with  the  men  who  labor  and  toil.  He  be- 
gan life  himself  in  poerty,  and  knew  what 
it  was  to  succeed  in  spite  of  it.  He  ap- 
preciated the  burdens  which  honest  toil 
demands,  and  rejoiced  at  the  success 
which  triumphed  over  it.  He  was  a 
lover  of  liberty,  a  friend  of  the  op- 
pressed, and  an  advocate  of  universal 
freedom. 

His  last  sickness  was  painful ;  but  he 
bore  the  tedious  approach  of  death  with 
patience  and  resignation.  He  looked 
death  in  the  face  without  a  shudder  and 
calmly  awaited  its  triumph.  When  the 
cold  waters  were  gathering  about  him 
and  the  power  of  speech  was  fading  away 
he  clasped  the  hands  of  those  dear  to 
him  and  whispered,  "Happy."  Thus 
peacefully  he  passed  away ;  and  he  is  as 
far  from  us  today  as  the  patriarchs  and 
those  who  "perished  before  the  flood". 

As  one  of  the  members  of  the  com- 
mittee of  this  House  I  attended  his  funeral 
at  his  home  in  LaFayette,  Indiana.  The 
day  was  inclement,  but  this  did  not  deter 
a  multitude  of  people  from  his  own  neigh- 
borhood as  well  as  from  all  the  principal 
points  in  his  old  Congressional  district, 
and  delegations  from  different  parts  of  the 
State,  from  paying  their  last  tribute  of 
respect  to  his  memory.  All  that  is  mortal 
of  our  dead  colleague  lies  in  the  beautiful 
cemetery  adjoining  the  city  where  he 
lived  so  long  and  whose  people  he  loved 
so  well.  The  verdure  of  spring  will  deco- 
rate his  grave.  Loving  hands  will  strew 
flowers  there.  These  will  fade  and  wither, 
but  the  monuments  he  has  erected  by  his 
public  acts  will  survive  forever. 


442 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Remarks    by    Mr.    Holman,    of    Indiana. 

As  a  member  of  this  House,  Air.  Orth, 
while  not  active  in  the  current  business. 
was  attentive,  careful,  and  prudent,  gen- 
erally, and  on  party  questions  always, 
co-operating  with  the  body  of  his  politi- 
cal friends.  While  not  at  anytime  the 
leader  of  his  party  in  the  House,  he  was 
at  all  times  one  of  its  representative  men 
and  influential  in  its  counsels.  In  debate 
his  commanding  and  dignified  presence, 
deep  and  pleasant  voice,  and  earnestness 
of  manner  arrested  attention.  His  style, 
if  not  brilliant  or  impassioned,  was  per- 
suasive, earnest,  and  forcible.  He  was 
not  the  master  of  superior  analytical 
power,  'but  was  clear  and  lucid  in  the 
statement  and  generalization  of  the  mat- 
ter of  debate.  His  speeches  were  care- 
fully prepared,  logical  in  arrangement, 
and  elevated  in  sentiment. 

I  think  Mr.  Orth  was  not  a  severe 
student.  His  was  not  the  patient  and 
self-denying  industry  that  questions  the 
ages  for  the  secrets  of  the  origin  and 
institutions  of  government.  He  lived  in 
the  generation  of  which  he  was  a  part; 
he  loved  the  society  of  men,  studied  the 
living  age,  and  kept  abreast  with  its  cur- 
rent history,  and  was  well  informed  on  al) 
questions  of  our  domestic  and  foreign 
policy. 

But  the  social  qualities  of  Mr.  Orth 
charmed  me  more  than  his  talents  and 
intellectual  culture.  Who  that  knew  him 
and  enjoyed  his  friendship  will  ever  forget 
his  clear,  kindly  eye,  the  cheerful  and 
honest  smile  that  lit  up  his  strong  Ger- 
man face,  and  his  warm  and  manly  greet- 
ing? In  social  intercourse  Mr.  Orth  was 
.amiable,  confiding,  and  cordial.     He  felt 


no  distrust  and  was  incapable  of  decep- 
tion. His  temper  was  jovful,  generous, 
and  hopeful.  In  the  society  of  his  friends 
his  spirits  were  buoyant,  even  at  times 
overflowing  with  good  humor  and  pleas- 
antly, but  never  coarse  or  inconsiderate 
of  the  feelings  of  others,  and  his  language 
as  chaste  as  that  of  a  refined  woman.  He 
was  a  man  of  kind  and  generous  sym- 
pathies, gentle  and  considerate;  while 
easily  aroused  by  a  sense  of  injustice, 
and  aggressive  in  defense,  he  was  in- 
capable of  harboring  a  spirit  of  resent- 
ment or  revenge.  The  very  amiability  of 
his  disposition  at  times  seemed  to  detract 
from  the  strength  of  his  character  and 
made  him  vaciliate  under  the  importuni- 
ties of  his  friends. 

Godlove  S.  Orth,  after  a  service  in 
public  life,  State  and  national,  prolonged 
beyond  the  usual  e.xperience  of  our  coun- 
try, is  dead;  a  voice  that  has  so  often 
filled  this  Qiamber  is  forever  silent ;  a 
heart  that  has  throbbed  with  high  ambi- 
tion and  generous  emotions  for  so  many 
years  is  forever  still :  a  hand  so  warm 
and  true  in  its  grasp  of  friendship  is  dust 
and  ashes.  But  he  still  lives :  all  of  our 
friend  that  commanded  our  love  or  in- 
spired our  admiration  lives  in  memory, 
survives  in  the  realm  of  the  infinite  and 
immortal.  I  had  known  him  more  than 
thirty  years,  and  had  served  with  him 
many  years  in  this  Chamber,  and  with 
the  record  of  his  public  services  before 
me,  dififering  as  we  had  always  on  the 
leading  measures  of  Government,  I  am 
rejoiced  that  I  can  say,  in  the  severity 
of  truth,  "that  record  is  one  of  faithful 
public  service,  unmarred  by  a  stain  of 
dishonor,  beneficial  to  his  country,  of 
high  honor  to  himself". 


'1  HE    PENNSYLVANIA-GRRMAN 


44  3 


i 


The  house  in  center,  built  by  Pastorius,  the 
founder,  stood  on  Main,  north  of  present  High  street. 
The  house  to  the  left,  built  1748  by  Daniel  Pastorius, 
grandson  of  the  founder,  was  known"  as  Green  Tree 
Inn.  The  house  to  the  right,  built  in  1796  by  Daniel 
Pastorius,  great-grandson  of  the  founder,  was  moved 
first    to    open    High    street,    and    later    to    its    present 


situation  on  High  street.  In  the  center  is  the  old 
town  seal.  On  the  right  are  the  Holmes  map  and 
the  William  Penn  and  the  old  court  seals.  On  the 
left  are  the  first  map  of  Germantown  and  the  Pastorius 
and  Germantown  ?eals.  The  plate  was  engraved  by 
Max  Zeitler,  Philadelphia,  of  whom  souvenir  cards 
may  be  ordered. 


Old  Germantown 


Note.  It  seems  fitting  while  Philadelphia  is 
celebrating  Founders'  Week  to  give  in  The 
Pennsylvania-German  a  few  data  relating  to 
"Old  Germantown,"  a  historic  place  dear  and 
holy  to  ever}-  loyal  American  of  Teuton  stock. 
We  have  therefore  prepared  the  following  lines 
made  up  almost  exclusively  of  extracts  from 
"The  Guide  Book  to  Historic  Germantown," 
prepared  by  Charles  F.  Jenkins;  "Watson's 
Annals ;"  "Old  Historic  Germantown,"  by  Dr. 
Keyser,  and  "The  Settlement  of  Germantown." 
by  Hon.  S.  W.  Pennypacker.  We  heartily  rec- 
ommend these  books  to  all  who  desire  to  learn 
more  of  old  Germantown.  We  hope  in  later 
issues  to  give  fuller  details  of  the  history  of 
this  community,  and  to  call  attention  to  the 
important  part  played  by  the  early  German 
settler  and  his  descendants  in  the  development 
of   Philadelphia. 


HE  settlement  of  Germantown 
in  1683  was  the  initial  step 
in  the  great  movement  of 
people  from  the  regions  bor- 
dering on  the  historic  and 
beautiful  Rhine,  extending 
from  its  source  in  the  moun- 
tains of  Switzerland  to  its  mouth  in  the 
lowlands  of  Holland,  which  has  done  so 
much  to  give  Pennsylvania  her  rapid 
growth  as  a  colony,  her  almost  unex- 
ampled prosperity,  and  her  foremost  rank 
in  the  development  of  the  institutions  of 
the  country. 

Germantown  was  laid  out,  October  24. 
1683.  by  Francis  Daniel  Pastorius.  who 
had  reached  Philadelphia,  August  16  pre- 
ceding, and  was  followed  October  6  by 
thirteen  Crefelders  with  their  families, 
constituting  thirty-three  persons. 


444 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Germantovvn  covered  originally  5,700 
acres,  distributed  as  follows :  To  Pastori- 
us  himself,  200  acres ;  to  Jiirian  Harts- 
f elder,  150  acres;  to  Pastorious  as  agent 
for  the  Frankfort  Company,  5,350  acres. 

This  land  was  distributed  geographi- 
cally (using  present  day  terms)  on  both 
sides  of  Germantown  Avenue  extending 
from  Stenton  Avenue  to  Wissahickon 
Avenue,  as  follows  :  ( i )  Germantown 
(proper),  2,750  acres  from  Wayne  Junc- 
tion to  Sedgwick  Street.  (2)  Cresheim, 
884  acres  from  Sedgwick  Street  to  Aler- 
maid  Lane.  (3)  Somerhausen,  900  acres 
from  Mermaid  Avenue  to  Rex  Avenue. 
(4)  Crefeldt,  1,166  acres  from  Rex  Ave- 
•  nue  to  North  Western  Avenue.  The 
settlement  around  the  Dunker  ^  Church 
was  known  for  a  time  as  Beggarstown. 

The  Charter  of  Germantown,  in  Wil- 
liam Penn's  own  handwriting,  issued  in 
London,  August  12,  1689,  passed  under 
the  great  seal  of  the  province,  and  was 
recorded  ]\Iay  30,  1691.  In  the  year  1707 
the  charter  was  lost  for  want  of  a  due 
election,  officers  not  having  been  found 
willing  to  serve.  Germantown  continued 
to  manage  its  own  affairs  until  1854,  when 
Philadelphia  and  its  many  suburbs  were 
consolidated  under  one  municipal  govern- 
ment. 

The  main  thoroughfare  of  German- 
town,  known  variously  as  the  Great 
Road,  Germantown  Road,  or  German- 
town  Avenue,  is  said  to  follow  an  old 
Indian  trail,  and  was  years  ago  called  the 
worst  road  in  the  United  States.  Time 
was  when  at  the  breaking  up  of  the  win- 
ter, as  well  as  at  some  other  times,  it  was 
impassable  for  wheel  carriages.  On  ac- 
count of  this,  most  of  the  marketing  going 
through  the  place  to  Philadelphia  was  car- 
ried on  horseback  with  side  panniers  and 
hampers,  and  the  most  of  the  horses  were 
ridden  by  women.  The  horses  would  en- 
ter the  mud  to  their  knees  at  every  step, 
and  were  not  able  to  progress  faster  than 
two  or  three  miles  an  hour.  The  avenue 
was  piked  in  1800-01,  forming  part  of 
the  (jermantown  and  Perkiomen  Turn- 
pike with  a  toll-house  at  Rittenhouse 
Street. 

The  road  has  been  of  great  importance 
from  the  beginning.     It  was  one  of  the 


main  highways  connecting  Philadelphia 
with  the  interior  counties,  along  which  in- 
ward and  outward  commerce  was  carried. 
Thousands  of  the  immigrants  into  the 
province  wended  their  weary  ways  along 
this  highway  to  the  untrodden,  unex- 
plored wilderness  to  found  homes,  and  be- 
come nation  builders.  As  early  as  1748, 
a  noted  traveller  stated  that  the  inhabi- 
tants were  so  numerous  that  the  street 
was  always  full. 

In  fancy  we  see  companies  of  Indians 
trailing  along,  erecting  their  tents  or  huts 
in  some  favorite  spot  to  make  and  sell 
baskets,  ladles  and  fiddles.  We  see  the 
longbearded,  strange  Ephrata  brethren  in 
single  file,  with  staff  in  hand,  coming  and 
going,  dusty,  begrimed  perchance.  We 
see  women  carrying  produce  on  their 
heads,  men  pushing  wheelbarrows  to 
market  six  miles  away,  husband  and  wife 
riding  to  church,  funerals,  and  visits,  both 
on  one  horse,  the  wife  sitting  on  a  pillion 
behind  the  man.  We  see  the  mighty  men 
of  the  nation  a  century  ago  and  more 
walking  in  the  cool  shade  or  being  con- 
veyed in  stage  coach  or  carriage  of  state. 
Then  already  more  than  500  wagons  were 
known  to  pass  a  certain  point  in  one 
day.  It  has  been  estimated  that  at  least 
9,000  wagons  were  engaged  in  carrying 
trade  between  Philadelphia  and  the  vari- 
ous counties,  most  of  which  must  have 
passed  along  this  road. 

The  houses  at  first  were  of  but  one 
story,  so  low  that  a  man  six  feet  high 
could  readily  touch  the  eaves  of  the  roof. 
The  gable  ends  were  turned  to  the 
streets.  The  roofs  were  high  and  hipped, 
forming  a  low  bed  chamber.  All  the 
original  houses  had  pent  roofs  or  rain- 
sheds  projecting  over  the  door  and  win- 
dows of  the  first  floor.  Most  of  the 
houses  were  built  of  stone,  with  log 
frames,  the  interstices  being  filled  with 
wottles,  river  rushes  and  clay  intermixed. 
They  were  at  first  plastered  on  the  in- 
side with  clay  and  straw  mixed,  finished 
with  a  coat  of  lime  plaster.  The  doors 
were  divided  in  the  middle  to  keep  out 
stray  animals,  but  with  the  upper  portion 
open  to  admit  air  and  light.  On  either 
side  of  the  front  door  were  little  benches, 
the  windows  were  small,  usually  swinging 


OLD  GF-RMAXTOWN 


445 


OLD  (_,ERMANTO\VN 


•on  hinges.  In  early  days  the  village  was 
noted  for  the  sombre  colorin;.;-  of  the 
houses,  the  solidity  and  air  of  comfort 
surrounding  them,  the  rows  of  trees  along 
the  streets,  the  orchards  and  spacious 
farm  buildings  in  the  rear.  The  appear- 
ance of  the  town  was  thoroughly  Ger- 
man, and  continued  so  through  the  period 
of  the  Revolution.  Even  the  language 
of  conversation  among  the  inhabitants 
was  mainly  in  German  until  even  a  later 
date. 

Germans  as  a  people  are  known  for 
their  thrift  and  industry.  The  settlers  of 
Germantown  were  no  exception  to  this 
rule.  They  were  farmers,  and  early  be- 
came manufacturers.  In  1692  Richard 
Framme  wrote : 

"The  Germantown  of  which  I   spoke  before, 
Which  is  at  least  in  length  one  mile  or  more. 
Where    live    High    German    people    and    Low 

Dutch. 
Whose   trade   in    weaving   cloth   is   much." 

In  1760  Rev.  Andrew  Barnaby  wrote: 
"The  Germantown  thread  stockings  are  in 
high  estimation,  and  the  year  before  last 
I  have  been  credibly  informed  there  were 
manufactured  in  that  town  alone  above 
60,000  dozen  pairs." 

Later,  \\'atson  wrote:  "The  earliest  set- 
tlers used  to  make  good  lin'ens  and  vend 
them  in  Philadelphia.  They  were  distin- 
guished even  till  modern  times,  for  their 
fabric  of  Germantown  stockings.  The 
linen  sellers  and  weavers  used  to  stand 
with  the  goods  for  sale  on  the  edge  of 
the  pavement  in  Market  street,  on  the 
North  side,  near  to  Second  Street  corner." 

The  first  paper  mill  in  the  United  States 
was  erected  1690,  on  a  branch  of  the 
Wissahickon,  by  a  company  of  which  Wil- 
liam Rittenhouse  was  the  most  important 


member  and  the  paper-maker.  The  build- 
ing, with  contents,  was  washed  away  dur- 
ing a  freshet  in  1700,  and  was  replaced  by 
a  more  substantial  buflding  in  1702,  which 
in  turn  was  followed  by  a  third  and  later 
by  a  fourth,  in  1780.  Only  a  few  founda- 
tion stones  are  left  to  mark  the  place 
where  the  mills  stood.  In  17 10  a  second 
paper  mill  was  erected,  known  as  the 
DeWees  mill.  Still  later  other  parties 
erected  mills  situated  also  on  the  Wissa- 
hickon.  The  first  grist  mill  about  Ger- 
mantown was  erected  by  Richard  Town- 
send,  in  1683,  on  ]\Iill  creek,  about  a  mile 
east  of  ^Market  Square.  Concerning  this 
mill,  Townsend  said :  "As  soon  as  Ger- 
mantown was  laid  out  I  settled  my  tract 
of  land,  which  was  about  a  mile  from 
thence,  where  I  set  up  a  barn  and  a  corn 
mill,  which  was  very  useful  to  the  coun- 
try around.  But  there  being  few  horses, 
people  generally  brought  their  corn  upon 
their  backs  many  miles.  I  remember  one 
had  a  bull  so  gentle  that  he  used  to  bring 
the  corn  on  his  back." 

Saw  mills  and  tanneries  were  erected 
at  a  very  early  date,  and  Germantown  be- 
came quite  a  noted  market  for  hides, 
leather  and  shoes,  the  latter  being  shipped 
in  large  quantities  to  adjoining  States. 
The  fur  hat  business  was  also  quite  an 
extensive  one  as  early  as  1800. 

In  1739  Christopher  Sauer  began  to 
issue  the  first  German  newspaper  in 
America.  The  first  Bible  in  any  Euro- 
pean language  printed  in  America  was 
issued  by  Sauer  in  1743.  In  1770  he 
printed  the  first  book  in  America  on  the 
subject  of  education.  The  first  type  cast 
in  America  was  made  also  by  the  Sauers, 
about  the  year  1772. 


446 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


THE  JOHNSCJN  HOUSK. 


One  of  the  leading  causes  which  led  the 
first  settlers  of  Germantown  fo  come  to 
America  was  religious  persecution  by  the 
established  Church.  They  were  a  peace- 
loving  and  industrious  people,  and  it  be- 
came a  burning  desire  to  make  a  home  in 
a  land  where  they  could  worship  God  ac- 
cording to  the  dictates  of  their  consci- 
ences, and  where  they  might  be  free  from 
military  despotism  and  at  liberty  to  en- 
joy the  fruits  of  their  own  industry.  The 
religious  life  in  Germantown  evidently  be- 
gan with  the  first  settlers  when  they  met 
together  to  worship  God  in  their  rudely 
constructed  homes.  The  first  denomina- 
tion in  Germantown  were  the  Alenno- 
nites.  There  is  evidence  that  there  was 
a  building  erected  for  public  worship  by 
these  sturdy  pioneers  in  Germantown  as 
early  as  1686.  In  one  of  his  letters  to 
Europe,  Pastorius  says :  "Wir  haben  al- 
hier  zu  Germantown  1686  ein  Kirchlein 
fiir  die  Gemeinde  gebauet."  Of  this  the 
late  Henry  S.  Dotterer  wrote:  "It  was 
built  for  the  Gemeinde  (the  community). 
Gemeinde,  it  is  true  is  in  America  usually 
understood  to  mean  a  religious  society  or 
congregaton,  but  in  Germany  the  word 
means  primarily  a  political  district  com- 
prising in  its  limits  a  State  Church.  A 
Gemeinde  there  comprehends  all  the  in- 
habitants of  the  district,  irrespective  of 
their  church  connections.  The  govern- 
ment of  Germantown  was  set  up,  by 
special  permission  from  Penn,  upon  the 
lines  then   and   still  in  vogue  in  the  vil- 


lages or  dorfs  of  Germany.  So  it  hap- 
pened that  Pastorious  caused  the  erection 
of  a  Kirchlein  fuer  die  Gemeinde — a 
small  church,  not  for  any  particular  de- 
nomination, there  being  no  State  Church 
in  Pennsylvania,  but  for  the  use,  of  the 
community  in  general."  All  the  preach- 
ing was  in  German  until  i8go. 

The  Quakers  were  the  first  to  erect  a 
place  of  worship,  a  log  meeting  house  in 
Germantown.  probably  prior  to  1683.  In 
1705  a  stone  meeting  house  was  erected, 
which  stood  until  181 2,  when  a  new  one 
was  built.  The  present  meeting  house 
was  erected  in  1871, 

The  Mennonites  built  a  log  meeting 
house  in  1708,  replaced  by  the  present 
stone  church  in  1770. 

The  Lutherans  held  services  as  early  as 
1694,  although  not  organized  until  1730. 
and  without  a  church  edifice  until  1737. 
In  1845  the  German-speaking  Lutherans 
built  a  church  of  their  own.  The  present 
St.  Michael's  church  was  built  1896. 

Followers  of  the  Reformed  Church 
were  gathered  for  worship  as  early  as 
1 7 10.  They  built  a  ,';mall  stone  church 
on  Market  Square  in  1732,  John  Bechtel 
becoming  pastor.  The  building  was  en- 
larged in  1762.  In  1856  the  congregation 
joined  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

The  Dunker  Church  dates  back  to  17 19. 
The  Dunkers  worshipped  in  private 
houses  until  1732,  when  Christopher  Saur 
erected  a  new  house,  the  second  story  of 
which  was  so  arranged  that  the  partitions- 


OLD  GERMANTOWN 


447 


THE  ROBERTS  MILL,  BUILT  BY  RICHARD  JOHNSON. 


could  be  swung  open  to  make  a  large  au- 
dience room.  A  stone  meeting  house  was 
erected  in  1770.  This  church  has  been 
remodeled  and  enlarged. 

2<*Iethodism  has  been  established  in  Ger- 
mantown  since  1773.  Rev.  Harry  Boehm, 
a  German,  was  preaching  in  Germantown 
in  1803,  and  induced  the  people  to  erect  a 
church,  himself  giving  his  year's  salary, 
$100. 

In  1809  the  Presbyterians  organized 
and  dedicated  their  first  church  building 
in  1 81 2.  There  was  preaching  in  Ger- 
mantown by  Protestant  Episcopal  clergy- 
men as  early  as  1760,  but  no  church 
building   was   erected   until    1818. 

There  were  Roman  Catholics  in  Ger- 
mantown as  early  as  1690,  but  they  had 
no  place  of  worship  until  185 1. 

Germantown,  beside  being  a  place  of 
great  interest,  was  the  scene  of  a  battle 
during  the  Revolutionary  war.  After  the 
Battle  of  Brandy  wine,  in  1777,  the  British 
army  occupied  Philadelphia,  the  main 
body  of  the  troops  being  located  at  Ger- 
mantown. Washington,  with  the  Ameri- 
can troops,  at  the  same  time  had  retreated 
into  Mont2:omery  county.  He  resolved  to 
strike  a  blow  at  the  British,  and  moved 
his  troops  towards  Germantown.  October 
3.  On  the  evening  of  this  day  the  march 
was  taken  up  with  the  idea  of  attacking: 
the  British  the  followin"'  morninsf.     The 


eventful  day  broke,  the  attack  was  made, 
and  a  battle  raged  until  10  o'clock. 
Through  misunderstanding  and  an  unu- 
sually heavy  fog,  the  Americans  were 
providentially  repulsed,  and  they  re- 
treated. Had  they  won  the  day,  they 
might  have  occupied  Philadelphia,  to  be 
captured  by  Howe,  resulting  in  the  fail- 
ure of  the  American  Revolution.  The 
Americans  lost,  in  killed,  wounded  and 
prisoners,  1073,  the  British  521. 

Germantown  abounds  in  historic  asso- 
ciations. We  can  but  hint  at  the  riches 
in  store  for  the  sightseer  and  student  of 
history  by  giving  a  few  of  the  many 
names    of   noted  persons  and  places. 

Stenton,  erected  by  James  Logan, 
Penn's  able  and  faithful  secretary.  The 
house  was  occupied  by  Washington  in 
1777. 

The  Ottinger  house,  where  Captain 
Douglas  Ottinger.  inventor  of  the  Ot- 
tinger life  car,  was  born,  who  equipped  in 
1849  eifeht  life-saving  stations  on  the  New 
Jersey  coast. 

The  Lower  Germantown  burial  ground, 
where  repose  the  remains  of  many  of  the 
early  families  of  Germantown.  and  their 
descendants.  Christian  Frederick  Post, 
the  noted  Moravian  missionary,  lies  buried 
here. 

The  site  of  Thomas  Kunder's  home,  a 
dver  bv  trade,  the  ancestor  of  the  Con- 


448 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


FIRST  DUN'KER  CHURCH. 


rad  and  Conard  families  and  of  Sir  Sam- 
uel Cunard,  the  founder  of  the  Cunard 
Steamship   Line. 

Philip  R.  Freas,  the  founder  of  the 
Germantown  Telegraph. 

Gilbert  Stuart,  a  resident  while  he 
painted  the  famous  portrait  of  Washing- 
ton. 

John  Bringhurst,  one  of  the  first  to  en- 
gage in  the  building  of  the  "Germantown" 
wagon. 

Christopher  Sauer's  home  and  printing 
establishment. 

The  Friends'  meeting  house. 

Louisa  M.  Alcott,  who  was  born  in 
Germantown,  her  father  living  here  for  a 
time,  but  moving  away  two  years  after  the 
birth  of  his  illustrious  daughter. 

The  Market  Square,  now  a  park,  origi- 
nally an  acre  of  ground  reserved  from  the 
Frankfort  Company's  land,  around  which 
had  been  clustered  the  market  house,  the 
Fellowship  Fire  Engine  house,  the  prison, 
the  stocks,  the  public  scales,  the  Indians 
on  their  way  to  the  city,  the  Paxlang 
boys,  the  monument  erected  in  1883  by 
Germantown  to  her  soldiers  in  the  Civil 
W^ar. 

Count  Zinzendorf  and  the  school  for 
young  women  which  he  opened. 

Market  Square  Presbyterian  Church, 
originallv  built  bv  the  German  Reformed 


Church  in  1733. 

Whitfield,  who  preached  here  in  1739. 

The  Germantown  Academy,  founded 
1760. 

Christopher  Ludwig,  the  Baker  Gen- 
eral to  the  American.  Army. 

Kelpius  and  Dr.  Christopher  Witt,  the 
survivor  of  the  Wissahickon  hermits,  a 
physician,  botanist,  scholar,  musician,  as- 
tronomer and  lover  of  nature. 

The  Mennonite  meeting  house,  erected 
1770.  of  which  W^illiam  Rittenhouse,  the 
original  paper  maker  in  the  colonies,  was 
the  first  pastor. 

The  Upper  Burying  Ground  of  Ger- 
mantown, where  are  buried  many  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Germantown,  and  their 
descendants,  the  oldest  grave  in  which 
being  that  of  Cornelius  Tyson,  who  died 
in  1716. 

The  Chew  house,  known  as  Clivenden, 
and  with  the  grounds  pointed  out  as  the 
Battle  Ground  of  Germantown. 

The  ^lichael  Billmyer  house,  occupied 
by  this  celebrated  German  printer,  and 
where   he   carried   on   his   trade. 

The  church  of  the  Brethren  or  Bunk- 
ers,   part    of   the   building   having   been  \ 
erected   1770. 

St.  Michael's  Lutheran  church,  organ- 
ized  1737. 

Lutheran   Theological     Semmarv,    Mt. 


OLD  GERMANTOWN 


449 


ST.  MICHAEI/S  EVANGELICAL  LUTHERAN  CHURCH. 


Airy,  occupying  the  place  of  the  summer 
residence  of  Chief  Justice  WilHam  Allen. 

The  Wakefield  Mills. 

The  Old  York  Road. 

The  De  Benneville  Cemetery. 

Thomas  Godfrey,  the  inventor  of  the 
quadrant. 

The  birthplace  of  David  Rittenhouse, 
Pennsylvania's  great  astronomer. 

The  Monastery,-  erected  1746  upon  the 
site  of  a  log  cabin  used  as  community 
house  by  German  enthusiasts,  and  called 
the  Kloster. 

We  can  best  close  these  lines  by  quot- 
ing the  following  paragraphs  from  the 
concluding  chapter  of  Pennypacker's 
"Settlement  of  Germantown" : 

"There  are  many  features  about  the 
settlement  of  Germantown  which  make  it 
an  event  not  only  of  local  but  of  national 
and  cosmopolitan  importance.  Regarded 
from  the  point  of  view  of  the  introduc- 
tion into  America  of  the  results  of  Euro- 
pean learning  and  cultivation,  it  is  be- 
lieved that  no  other  settlement  on  this 
side  of  the  Atlantic,  certainly  neither 
Jamestown,  Plymouth  nor  Philadelphia, 
had  so  large  a  proportion  of  men  who  had 
won  distinction  abroad  in  literature  and 
polemics. 


"In  Germantown  were  begun  the  weav- 
ing of  linen  and  cloth,  and  the  manufac- 
ture of  paper.  The  great  carpet  and  other 
woolen  industries  of  the  State,  and  the 
publishing  houses  and  newspapers  of  the 
country  may  alike  look  back  to  the  clover 
leaf  of  this  ancient  burgh,  with  its  motto, 
"Vinum  Linum  et  Textrinum,"  with 
something  of  the  same  feeling  that  in- 
spired the  crusader  of  the  middle  ages 
when  he  gazed  upon  the  cross.  At  Ger- 
mantown began  the  inflow  into  America 
of  that  potent  race  which,  under  the  great 
Hermann  in  the  battle  in  the  Teutoberger 
wald,  overthrew  the  power  of  Rome, 
which  in  the  sixth  century  conquered  and 
colonized  England  and  now  supplies  her 
kings,  which  in  the  sixteenth  century,  un- 
der the  lead  of  Luther,  confronted  the 
Pope,  and  which  has  done  so  much  to  en- 
rich strengthen  and  liberalize  the  state  of 
Pennsylvania  and  to  establish  those  com- 
monwealths in  the  west  where  in  the  fu- 
ture will  rest  the  control  of  the  nation. 

"The  settlement  of  Germantown  then 
has  a  higher  import  than  that  new  homes 
were  founded  and  that  a  new  burgh,  des- 
tined to  fame,  though  it  was  builded  on 
the  face  of  the  earth.  It  has  a  wider 
significance  even  than  that  here  was  the 


450 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


beginning  of  that  immense  immigration 
of  Germans  who  have  since  flocked  to 
these  shores.  Those  burghers  from  the 
Rhine,  better  far  than  the  pilgrims  who 
landed  at  Plymouth,  better  even  than  the 
Quakers  who  established  a  city  of  broth- 
erly love,  stood  for  that  spirit  of  univer- 
sal toleration  which  found  no  abiding 
place  save  in  America.  Their  feet  were 
planted  directly  upon  that  path  which 
leads  from  the  darkness  of  the  middle 
ages  down  to  the  light  of  the  nineteenth 


century,  from  the  oppressions  of  the  past 
to  the  freedom  of  the  present.  Holding 
as  they  did  opinions  banned  in  Europe, 
and  which  only  the  fulness  of  time  could 
justify,  standing  as  they  did  on  what  was 
then  the  outer  picket  line  of  civilization, 
they  best  represented  the  meaning  of  the 
colonization  of  Pennsylvania  and  the 
principles  lying  at  the  foundation  of  her 
institutions  and  of  those  of  the  great  na- 
tion of  which  she  forms  a  part." 


Four  Hundred  Miles  Overland 

for 
Salome   Heckewelder. 

BY    WILLIAM    H.    RICE,    D.  D.,  GNADENHUTTEN,  OHIO. 


Rice — Heckewelder  :      Alarried    on 
Thursday,  29  September,   1808,  by  the 
Rev.  George  G.  Mueller,  in  the  Mor- 
avian  church,   at   Gnadenhiitten,   Ohio, 
Joseph  Rice,  of  Bethlehem,  Northamp- 
ton   county,    Pennsylvania,    and    Ann 
Salome  Heckewelder,  second  daughter 
of    the    Rev.    John    Heckewelder    and 
Sarah    Ohneberg    Heckewelder. 
A  father's    (Owen  Rice  2nd)   Journal 
of    his    son's     (Joseph    Rice)     wedding 
Journey    from    Bethlehem,   Northampton 
Co.,    Pa.,    to    Gnadeihiitten,    Ohio,    and 
how     they     brought     home     the     bride. 
(Translated    from   the   original    German 
manuscript.) 

W^^^^^E  left  Bethlehem  Monday 
morning,  September  12th,  in 
the  mail  stage  for  Philadel- 
phia, where  we  arrived  in 
the  evening.  Wednesday, 
the  14th,  we  left  in  the  mail 
stage  for  Pittsburg,  with 
one  through  fellow  passenger,  Mr.  Bell, 
a  resident  of  Steubenville,  Ohio  and  two 
passengers  for  Lancaster,  which  city  we 
reached  at  5  p.  m.  After  taking  in  two 
more  passengers  at  Lancaster,  the  stage 
drove  10  or  12  miles  farther,  and  brought 
us  to  a  stopping  place,  where  we  had  verv 
comfortable  quarters  for  the  night. 

"Thursday,  the  15th,  we  passed  through 


Elizabethtown,  Middletown  and  Harris- 
burg.  Two  passengers  for  Carlisle 
joined  us  at  this  point.  We  crossed  the 
Susquehanna  (a  mile  in  breadth)  in 
twenty  minutes.  After  a  ride  over  most 
excellent  roads,  which  led  through  Car- 
lisle and  Shippensburg,  we  reached  Cham- 
bersburg  after  night-fall. 

"Before  breakfast,  Friday,  the  i6th,  we 
started  on  our  passa j-e  over  the  first 
mountain  range.  The  road  was  very 
stony  and  rough,  there  was  some  rain 
and  a  dense  fog.  We  breakfasted  on  the 
other  side  of  the  mountain.  For  the  next 
sixteen  miles  our  stage  coach  was  drawn 
by  six  horses  over  rough  and  steep  moun- 
tain roads;  it  was  dark  when  we  reached 
our  quarters  for  the  night. 

"We  started  at  3  o'clock,  Saturday 
morning,  the  17th,  and  after  a  six  miles' 
ride,  crossing  the  Juniata  river,  we 
reached  Bedford.  Here  we  met  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Zachary  Biggs,  of  Steubenville. 
They  were  on  their  wedding  journey,  hav- 
ing been  married  at  the  bride's  home,  in 
Chester  county.  They  were  accompanied 
by  the  bride's  sister,  Miss  Wilson,  who 
had  been  at  the  Lititz  Boarding  School, 
a  pupil  of  Miss  Polly  Heckewelder,*  to 
whom    she    was    greatly    attached.      The 


FOUR  HUNDRED  MILES  OVERLAND 


451 


three  were  to  be  our  pleasant  traveling 
companions  for  the  rest  of  the  journey 
to  Steubenville.  All  this  day  our  road 
lay  across  the  Alleghenies.  We  often  got 
down  from  the  stage  to  foot  it,  at  places 
where  tire  road  was  very  steep  in  ascent 
and  descent.  By  5  o'clock  that  evening 
we  reached  Somerset,  where  we  rested 
over  Sunday. 

"Monday  morning,  the  19th,  we  had 
an  early  start,  and  by  5  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  we  reached  Greensburg.  On 
the  road  to  Greensburg  we  met  our  well- 
known  friend  and  Bucks  county  neighbor, 
Henry  Stauffer,  who  was  in  charge  of 
four  wagon  loads  of  "store-goods,"  for 
Pittsburg  merchants.  Mr.  Stauffer  was 
greatly  surprised  on  meeting,  so  unex- 
pectedly, some  of  his  Northampton 
county  neighbors  in  these  parts.  I  had/  a 
walk  of  several  miles  with  him,  in  friendly 
conversation.  We  came  across  fine 
peaches  and  apples  in  all  this  neighbor- 
hood, in  which  many  Germans  have  set- 
tled, many  of  whom  have  very  fine 
farms. 

"It  was  court  week  at  Greensburg  (the 
county  seat  of  Westmoreland  county) 
and  this  brought  many  people  to  town,  as 
also  an  elephant,  which  had  been  brought 
into   town   for   exhibition. 

"We  were  very  glad  to  meet  our 
friend,  Mr.  Ross,  of  Pittsburg,  who  is  a 
very  good  friend  of  the  Rev.  John  Hecke- 
welder. 

"In  spite  of  rain  and  rough  roads,  we 
reached  Pittsburg  by  5  o'clock  Tuesday 
afternoon,  September  20.  Wearied  by 
our  long  stage  traveling  of  300  miles,  we 
concluded  that  instead  of  going  farther 
by  stage,  via  Washington  and  Charles- 
ton, we  would  take  passage  on  a  river- 
boat  on  the  Ohio  to  Steubenville,  a  ride 
of  75  miles.  The  captain  of  a  keel-boat 
and  flat-boat  laden  with  merchandise  for 
Kentucky  agreed  to  take  us  for  eight 
dollars.  We  laid  in  provisions  for  six 
persons,  and  left  Pittsburg  early  Wednes- 
day morning.  The  wind  being  against 
us,  we  only  made  29  miles  that  day.  We 
were  put  ashore  for  our  night  lodging  at 

•Johanna  Maria  Heckewelder,  eldest  daughter  of  the 
Rev.  John  and  Sarah  Ohneberg  Heckwelder,  was  born 
at  Salem,  Ohio,  April  i6,  1781,  and  died  at  Bethlehem, 
Pa.,  September  19,  1868,  aged  87  years,  5  months  and 
3   days- 


a  miserable  inn.  Our  sleeping  apart- 
ments, on  the  second  floor  or  loft,  we 
reached  by  a  ladder  set  up  against  the 
outside  of  the  house.  Mr.  Bell  and  my 
son,  Joseph,  slept  by  the  chimney  fireplace 
downstairs. 

"We  made  an  early  start,  Thursday, 
September  22,  and  after  nightfall  reached 
the  Ferry  House  Landing,  about  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  from  Steubenville.  The 
boatmen  helped  us  to  unload  our  luggage, 
and  after  a  ride  of  about  a  mile  we 
reached  very  pleasant  quarters  at 
Steubenville. 

"On  Friday  morning,  after  much  in- 
quiry and  persuasion,  my  son,  Joseph, 
with  the  aid  of  Mr.  Bell,  finally  secured 
the  services  of  a  man  with  a  team  of  two 
horses.  We  needed  one  more  horse. 
Finally  Joseph  caught  sight  of  a  donkey 
at  leisure  in  a  door-yard.  The  use  of  this 
donkey  was  given  him,  on  the  sole  condi- 
tion that  he  return  it  in  safety  when  done 
with  it,  Mr.  Biggs  going  his  security. 
Thus  equipped,  we  left  Steubenville  at  3 
o'clock  Friday  afternoon,  and  rode  six- 
teen miles  to  New  Salem,  a  village  of 
eight  log  houses,  where  we  stopped  for 
our  night's  lodgings.  Next  morning 
early,  we  rode  three  miles  for  breakfast 
at  the  house  of  a  nice  German  family  who 
had  a  fine  farm.  The  sky  was  overcast, 
and  there  was  a  dense  fog ;  on  the  way 
we  were  overtaken  by  a  fierce  thunder 
storm,  from  which  vfe  sought  refuge  in 
a  small  house  by  the  roadside.  At  i 
o'clock  on  Saturday  afternoon  we  reached 
our  last  stopping  place  before  Uhrich's 
mill,  some  thirteen  miles  beyond.  But  as 
the  weather  was  very  threatening,  we  con- 
cluded to  wait  until  morning. 

"After  a  supper  of  corn,  milk  and  po- 
tatoes, we  were  shown  to  very  uncomfort- 
able quarters  for  the  night.  The  arrival 
of  a  familv  of  emigrants,  with  a  number 
of  children,  during  the  night,  did  not  add 
much  to  our  comfort. 

"Sunday  morning.  September  25.  we 
made  our  way  through  morasses  and 
swollen  creeks  to  Uhrich's  Mill,  whichwe 
reached  by  10  o'clock.  We  at  once 
crossed  the  Stillwater  in  a  canoe,  and  had 
an  excellent  breakfast  at  the  house 
of   the   Uhrich    family.      Young   brother 


452 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Uhrich  then  rode  with  us.  some 
six  miles  farther,  to  Gnadenhiitten,  where 
we  arrived  in  the  afternoon,  about  1.30 
o'clock,  just  as  the  people  of  the  neigh- 
borhood were  gathering  for  the  German 
preaching  service.  We  were  welcomed 
with  great  cordiality  and  love  by  Brother 
and  Sister  Heckewelder,  as  also  by 
Brother  and  Sister  Mueller,  of  Beer- 
sheeba. 

"As  the  hour  for  the  afternoon  service 
was  at  hand,  it  was  resolved  that  the  be- 
trothal of  my  son,  Joseph,  and  Miss  Anna 
Salome  Heckewelder*  should  be  at  once 
consummated,  so  that  the  bans  might  be 
published  at  this  last  public  Sunday  serv- 
ice before  the  wedding,  according  to  the 
laws  of  Ohio.  This  was  all  attended  to 
within  the  space  of  half  an  hour  after  our 
arrival. 

"Our  driver  and  his  teaiti  were  sent 
back  to  Steubenville.  On  Monday,  the 
26th.  Brother  Heckewelder  rode  with  us 
to  Goshen,  eight  miles  north  of  Gnaden- 
hiitten, on  the  Muskigum,  where  we  paid 
a  very  delightful  visit  at  the  house  of  the 
venerable  Brother  David  Zeisbergert  and 
wife,  and  Brother  and  Sister  Benjamin 
Mortimer.  After  a  good  dinner  and 
"vesper,"  we  returned  to  Gnadenhiitten 
with  a  saddle-bag  full  of  most  excellent 
peaches.  Joseph  went  with  Thomas 
Heckewelder  on  a  few  miles'  ride  to  New 
Philadelphia,  which  has  been  made  the 
county  seat  of  Tuscarawas  county  within 
a  few  years. 

"On  Tuesday,  under  escort  of  the  Rev. 
G.  G.  Mueller,  the  pastor,  we  visited  the 
English  settlement  Beersheba,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  river  from  Gnaden- 
hiitten. The  English-speaking  settlers 
are  pleasantly  fixed  in  cozy  log  houses, 
some  of  them  two-stories,  on  well  kept 
farms.  Some  of  the  settlers  are  very 
well-to-do. 

"Wednesday,  the  28th,   was  given   up 

*Ann  Salome  Heckewelder  was  the  second  daughter 
of  the  Rev.  John  Heckewelder.  She  was  born  at  the 
Moravian  Mission  Station,  New  Gnadenhutten,  near 
Fort  Detroit,  August  13,  1784.  The  site  of  New 
Gnadenhutten  is  included  in  the  corporate  limits  of 
the  health  resort,  Mt.  Clemens,  on  the  Huron  River, 
Clinton    county,    Michigan. 

tThe  venerable  missionary,  the  Rev.  David  Zeis- 
berger,  departed  this  life  about  eight  weeks  after  this 
visit,  in  the  88th  year  of  his  pilgrimage,  November 
17,  1808.  The  body  lies  buried  in  the  old  Goshen 
graveyard,  amongst  his  Indian  brethren,  according  to 
his  dying  request. 


to  a  visit  with  Brother  Heckewelder  to 
the  two  farms  of  the  Messrs.  Colver.  The 
land  is  very  fertile  and  well  wooded; 
among  the  trees  are  a  number  of  sugar 
maples.  They  make  more  sugar  than 
they  need  for  their  own  use.  With 
Brother  Mueller  I  also  called  today  on 
Mr.  Itskins,  who  was  formerly  engaged 
as  a  successful  merchant  in  Baltin]ore. 
He  is  a  native  of  Germany,  and  takes  a 
fancy  to  farming. 

"Thursday,  the  29th,  was  the  wedding 
day  of  Joseph  and  Salome.  Amongst  the 
many  guests  from  all  that  neighborhood 
were  the  Rev.  Ben j amine  Mortimer  and 
the  Rev.  Abraham  Luckenbach,  from 
Goshen.  The  most  of  the  numerous  com- 
pany of  guests  in  attendance  were  enter- 
tained at  the  house  of  brother  Hecke- 
welder. 

"After  the  wedding  the  newly-married 
couple  accompanied  Brother  and  Sister 
Mueller  to  Beersheba.  The  following 
day,  Friday,  the  bride  and  bridegroom 
rode  to  Goshen,  to  say  farewell  to  our 
Brother  and  Sister  David  Zeisberger  and 
the  other  Goshen  friends. 

"The  next  day,  Saturday,  was  likewise 
given  up  by  the  young  couple  to  farewell 
calls  at  the  houses  of  the  many  very 
good  friends  of  Salome  in  .and  around 
Gnadenhutten. 

"On  Sunday,  October  2d,  we  were 
invited  to  the  celebration  of  the  holy  com- 
munion with  the  English  congregation  at 
Beersheba  church,  whither  we  rode  under 
escort  of  Miss  Susan  Heckewelder,T  Sa- 
lome's youngest  sister.  It  was  an  oc- 
casion of  blessed  refreshment  to  our 
hearts. 

"Thejime  for  our  start  on  our  return 
to  Bethlehem  had  been  fixed  for  Monday, 
October  3d.  But  the  copious  rains  and 
swollen  creeks  compelled  a  postponement 


tSusan  Heckewelder.  the  third  and  youngest 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  John  Heckewelder,  subsequently 
married  Christian  I.uckenbach.  of  Bethlehem,  Pa. 
They  are  the  parents  of  Henry  B.,  J.  Edward,  Reuben 
O.,  Cecilia' and  Lucinda  (Traeger)  Luckenbach.  none 
of  whom  survive,  and  the  grandparents  of  Francis 
E.  and  Maurice  C.  Luckenbach.  of  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  and 
Mrs.  Adelaide  Luckenbach  Hanimann,  of  Philadelphia: 
of  the  late  Joseph  H.  Traeger  and  Mrs.  Louise  Traeger 
Myers,  of  Bethlehem;  of  the  late  Mrs.  Hannah  Luck- 
enbach Taylor,  of  Morrisville,  Pa.:  of  Mrs.  Martha 
Luckenbach  Leibfried,  of  Bethlehem.  Pa.,  and  of  Mrs. 
Mary    Luckenbach    Kinsey,    of    Ephvaim,    Wisconsin. 


FOUR  HUNDRED  MILES  OVERLAND 


453 


until  Friday,  October  7th.  After  ten- 
derest  leave-taking,  we  started  in  a  wagon 
drawn  by  two  horses,  a  team  hired  for 
the  occasion  by  Father  Heckewelder, 
which  was  to  carry  us  to  Pittsburg  for 
twenty  dollars.  Just  before  starting,  I 
was  greatly  delighted  to  receive  a  letter 
from  the  dear  folks  at  Bethlehem. 

"We  overnighted  at  Brother  Uhrich's 
house. 

"On  Saturday,  October  8th,  we  left 
soon  after  8  o'clock,  in  company  with 
Brother  Abraham  Luckenbach,  who  was 
to  be  our  traveling  companion  to  Bethle- 
hem. After  going  about  a  mile,  our 
driver's  team  could  not  go  any  farther ; 
but  he  was  unwilling  to  give  up.  He 
worked  his  way  during  the  next  six  hours 
about  three  miles  farther,  through 
morasses  and  thickets,  through  which  it 
was  necessary  to  cut  a  way.  Joseph,  Sa- 
lome and  myself  footed  it,  going  on  ahead. 
We  led  one  of  the  horses,  whose  place  in 
the  team  had  been  taken  by  our  Steuben- 
ville  donkey.  We  waited  several  hours 
in  a  house  along  the  roadside  until  the 
wagon  caught  up.  At  last  it  came,  hav- 
ing had  one  upset ;  but  the  team  could  not 
go  any  farther. 

"Joseph  now  started  to  ride  back  to 
Gnadenhiitten  for  a  fresh  team.  Salome 
and  myself  started  back  to  Uhrich's,  some 
four  miles  ofif,  afoot.  Brother  Lucken- 
bach, who  had  been  with  the  wagon  in  all 
its  trouble,  unhitched  the  donkey  and  rode 
back  to  Uhrich's,  without  a  saddle.  We 
reached  Uhrich's  in  the  evening,  all  tired 
out,  having  lost  one  entire  day  going  four 
miles  and  return. 

"Brother  Uhrich,  who  had  been  away 
from  home  on  our  two  previous  visits, 
arrived  home  just  as  we  came,  on  his  re- 
turn from  Charlestown.  The  driver  and 
team  which  had  brought  him  were  now 
to  come  us  in  good  stead. 

"Joseph  arrived  early  Saturday  morn- 
ing Avith  a  new  driver  and  a  fresh  team 
from  Gnadenhiitten.  We  started  imme- 
diately after  breakfast,  and  by  i  o'clock 
that  afternoon  we  reached  our  yesterday's 
stopping-place.  There  we  found  our 
.  wagon.  The  driver  had  spent  the  night 
in  the  woods.  We  took  out  our  provi- 
sions and  the  fodder  for  the  horses,  and 
after  refreshment  of  man  and  beast,  we 


rode  seventeen  miles  farther,  in  rain  and 
fog,  until  we  reached  our  former  pleasant 
halting-place,  the  farm  house  of  the  Ger- 
man settlers  who  had  entertained  us  over 
night  September  24th  on  our  way  out.. 
Salome  prepared  coffee  for  supper  and 
for  breakfast ;  our  plentifully  stocked 
lunch-basket  supplied  the  rest. 

"Early  on  October  loth  we  started  out 
for  a  twenty  miles'  ride  to  Steubenville, 
The  weather  was  fine,  and  we  reached  that 
pretty  town  about  2  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon. During  our  stay  here  we  called  on 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Biggs  and  Miss  Wilson. 
We  were  delighted  to  meet  Mr.  Johnson 
and  M  r.Jennings  here ;  both  of  them  are 
very  good  friends  of  Brother  Hecke- 
welder, at  whose  house  in  Gnadenhiitten 
they  have  been  frequent  visitors,  and  they 
are  well  acquainted  with  Salome.  Mrs. 
Jennings,  whom  we  also  met  here,  is  a 
sister  of  Miss  Wilson  and  Mrs.  Biggs. 
We  took  tea  with  the  family. 

"Mr.  Johnson  took  me  to  see  the  fine 
brick  mansion,  newly  built,  of  Mr, 
Wales,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  out  of 
town.  Mr.  Ross,  of  Pittsburg,  and  Mr. 
Wales  owned  the  plot  on  which  Steuben- 
ville has  been  built,  and  laid  out  the  town 
about  eight  years  ago.  Our  faithful 
donkey  friend  was  returned  to  its  owner 
today.  Brother  Luckenbach  started  afoot 
for  Pittsburg  today.  We  left  early  next 
day,  October  nth.  crossing  the  Ohio 
within  a  mile  from  Steubenville,  and  made 
thirty   miles   that   day. 

"On  this  day's  trip  Salome,  whose 
horse  in  crossing  a  creek  had  stopped  to 
drink  and  had  burst  his  saddle  girth,  slid 
off,  saddle  and  all,  into  the  water.  But 
she  was  not  at  all  hurt.  There  was  a 
house  near  at  hand,  whose  good  people 
gave  her  an  opportunity  to  put  on  dry 
clothing.  She  was  soon  ready  to  ride 
on,  in  the  best  of  spirits. 

"Our  quarters  that  night  were  poor. 
After  an  early  start,  Tuesday,  October 
i2th,  we  overtook  Brother  Abraham 
Luckenbach.  After  a  six  miles'  ride  over 
a  wretched  road,  we  reached  the  Monon- 
gahela  river,  and  about  10  o'clock  that 
morning  we  were  in  Pittsburg. 

"The  rest  of  Tuesday,  and  all  of  Wed- 
nesday, the  13th,  we  spent  in  Pittsburg. 
It  is  a  lively  place.     Extensive  business 


454 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


and  manufacturing  are  carried  on.  We 
visited  Mrs.  Butler  and  her  dai:ghter, 
Mrs.  Mason,  who  spent  several  years  at 
the  Bethlehem  boarding  school. 

"We  also  called  on  Mr.  Addison's  fam- 
ily,* and  took  tea  at  their  house.  She  has- 
a  family  of  eight  children.  Two  of  her 
daughters  have  attended  the  Bethlehem 
boarding  school.  (Eliza,  class  of  1797; 
Ann.  class  of  1800.) 

"Five  o'clock  Thursday  morning,  the 
14th,  we  left  Pittsburg  in  the  mail  coach, 
having  Mrs.  Park,  a  lady  friend,  as  our 
fellow  passenger ;  and  we  made  Greens- 
burg  by  5  o'clock  that  evening.  Friday 
the  15th,  starting  at  3  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, we  made  54  miles,  and  overnighted 
within  sixteen  miles  of  Bedford.  Satur- 
day, the  1 6th,  we  started  at  3  o'clock 
a.  m.,  with  six  horses  to  the  coach,  and 
made  eighteen  miles  before  breakfast. 
(Sunday,  the  17th,  was  rest  day.)  On 
the  1 8th,  we  passed  over  the  last  one  of 
the  steep  mountain  roads.  The  ascent 
on  the  west  side  was  four  miles,  and  the 
descent  on  the  east  side  diree  miles.  Jo- 
seph and  myself  footed  it  across  this 
mountain  road.  We  reached  the  pretty 
town  of  Chambersburg  by  5  o'clock  Mon- 
day afternoon,  about  a  fourteen  hours' 
ride. 

"Tuesday  morning,  at  2  o'clock,  we  left 
Chambersburg,  and  in  the  course  of  our 
day's  trip  of  84  miles  we  passed  through 
Shippensburg,  Carlisle,  the  Susquehanna 
river,  Harrisburg,  Middletown  and  Eliza- 
beth, reaching  Lancaster  by  9  o'clock  at 
night.  We  had  had  good  roads  and  had 
changed  horses  seven  times  in  a  trip  of 
nineteen  hours. 

"Brother  Luckenbach.f  who  had  ridden 


*The  family  of  Judge  Alexander  Addison,  of  Pitts- 
burg. 

tThe  Rev.  Abraham  Luckenbach,  several  times 
mentioned  in  tliis  diary,  was  a  native  of  Lehigh  county, 
Pennsylvania.  He  was  born  May  5,  i777-  In  1797 
he  became  a  teacher  in  Nazareth  Hall,  the  celebrated 
Moravian  Classical  Institute  for  Boys,  at  Nazareth, 
Pa.  In  1800  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Moravian 
Church  as  a  Missionary  among  the  Indians,  in  which 
he  served  for  forty-three  years.  He  served  at  Goshen, 
Tuscarawas  county,  where  he  was  married  and  his 
children  were  born.  He  edited  the  second  edition  of 
the  Hymn  Book  in  the  Delaware  Indian  language,  pub- 
lished by  David  Zeisberger.  He  was  the  author  of 
"Select  bcripture  Narratives  from  the  Old  Testament," 
in  the  Delaware  Indian  language.  A  daughter,  dying 
in  infancy,  was  laid  to  its  grave-rest  in  the  old  Goshen 
graveyard,  where  the  body  of  tlie  illustrious  Zeisberger 
rests.  His  other  two  daughters, — Belinda,  marriei! 
Professor  Wm.  T.  Roepper,  and  Lucy  .\nn  married 
Simon    Ran,    of    Bethlehem,    Pa.      Both    Mr.    and    Mrs. 


my  son's,  Joseph's,  horse  all  the  way  from 
Pittsburg,  had  reached  Lancaster  oite  day 
aliead  of  us. 

"Brother  Blickensderfer,  of  Lititz,  hav- 
ing been  apprised  of  our  expected  ar- 
rival at  Lancaster  Tuesday  evening,  came 
to  Lancaster  early  W^ednesday  morning 
to  meet  us.  He  took  us  to  Lititz.  On 
the  road  between  Lancaster  and  Lititz  we 
met  the  carriage  of  Brother  Loskiel|  and 
Paulus  en  route  for  Yorktown. 

"At  Lititz  we  'had  a  good  time' 
{that en  zvir  uns  recht  znel  su  gut) 
amongst  our  relatives  and  friends." 

Here  the  pen  of  the  diarist  ceases  from 
further  labors.  In  those  days,  amongst 
many  of  the  Moravians  of  Eastern  and 
Central  Pennsylvania,  to  reach  Lititz  was 
like  reaching  Bethlehem :  in  either  place 
was  HOME.  When  the  Rices  got  to  Lititz 
they  felt  themselves  at  home. 

Joseph  Rice  (the  oldest  son  of  the 
writer  of  this  diary,  Owen  Rice,  2nd, 
Moravian  merchant  of  Bethlehem,  Pa.) 
was  the  grandson  of  the  Rev.  Owen  Rice, 
of  Haverford,  West  Wales,  and  Eliza- 
beth, his  wife,  who  came  to  Bethlehem 
in  1742,  members  of  the  "First  Sea  Con- 
gregation" of  Moravian  emigrants.  Jo- 
seph Rice  was  within  one  week  of  his  23d 
birthday  anniversary  when,  in  1808,  he 
accompanied  his  father  on  this  six  weeks' 
trip  to  Gnadenhiitten.  Tuscarawas  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  to  marry  Ann  Salome  Hecke- 
welder,  the  second  daughter  of  the  Mor- 
avian missionary,  the  Rev.  John  Hecke- 
welder,  the  founder  of  Gnadenhiitten  as  a 
church  settlement  of  whites  in  1798.  Be- 
sides filling  the  church  ofifice  of  Rgent  in 
charge  of  the  Reservation  of  12,000  acres 
of  land  in  the  Tuscarawas  valley,  he  filled 
the  responsible  civic  positions  of  Post- 
master, Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  Asso- 
ciate Justice  of  the  County  Court. 

On  his  return  to  Bethlehem  in  p8io. 
Mr.  Heckewelder  built  him  a  home  on 
Cedar  street,  still  standing,  where  he  spent 
the  last  thirteen  years  of  his  life  in  liter- 
ary labors  and  among  the  trees  and  flow- 
ers of  his  own  planting,  dying  in  the  80th 
year  of  his  pilgrimage.  January  31.  1823. 

Rau  are  still  living  at  a  ripe  old  age,  over  gn  years 
old,  in  the  home  of  their  youth.  Tlieir  o-ly  son, 
Eugene  A.  Rau,  is  his  father's  successor  in  the  man- 
agement   of    the    far-famed    Rau's    Drug    Store. 

tBi'hop  George  H.  Loskiel,  author  of  the  history  of 
Moravian    Indian    Missions   from    1740   to    179"- 


POUR  HUxXDRED  MILKS  OVERLAND 


455 


eig-hty-five  years  ago.  Next  March  12th 
it  will  be  166  years  that  John  Hecke- 
welder.  son  of  the  Rev.  David  Hecke- 
v^^elder.  of  Bedford,  England,  formerly  of 
Moravia,  was  born. 

Owen  Rice,  2nd.  the  writer  of  this 
diary,  was,  at  the  time,  in  charge  of  the 
Bethlehem  Moravian  Congregation's 
Mercantile  establishment,  in  the  building 
which  then  stood  on  the  site  where  the 
Eagle  Hotel  now  stands.  He  was  an  ap- 
pointee of  the  church  authorities,  and 
himself  ex-officio  a  member  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  Overseers  (Aufseher  Col- 
legium), who  administered  the  municipa' 
affairs  of  the  town.  His  wife,  Elizabeth 
Eyerie,  of  Nazareth,  bore  him  five  sons, — 
Joseph.  Owen  3d,  Jacob,  John  and  Wil- 
liam. Their  oldest  son.  Joseph  Rice,  mar- 
ried Salome  Heckewelder,  as  the  above 
diary  reveals.  Their  union  was  blessed 
with  six  children,  of  whom  the  oldest,  a 
daughter,  Mary  Ann  Rice  Herman,  died 
in  the  90th  year  of  her  age,  in  1900,  a 
resident  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  hav- 
hig  survived  all  her  brothers  and  sisters. 
Their  oldest  son.  James  Alexander  Rice, 
merchant,  of  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  who  died 
1850.  was  the  father  of  Rev.  Wm.  H 
Rice.   D.D.,   the  pastor  of  the   Gnaden- 


hiitten  Moravian  church  since  1897,  and 
of  Joseph  A.  Rice,  merchant,  of  Bethle- 
hem, Pa. 

The  names  of  the  sons  and  daughters 
of  Joseph  and  Ann  Salome  (Hecke- 
welder) Rice  are:  Mary  Ann,  who  mar- 
ried John  Herman,  of  Philadelphia,  whose 
only  surviving  daughter  is  Miss  Nellie 
Herman,  of  Bethlehem;  Eliz.\.  who  mar- 
ried William  Luckenbach,  of  Bethlehem. 
Their  children  are :  Josephine,  r)\ven  A., 
Joseph  R.,  William  D.,  Mrs.  Caroline  L. 
Lehman,  Mrs.  Ellen  L.  Nagel,  Mrs. 
Sophie  L.  Maxwell,  Mrs.  Frances  L. 
Krause,  Miss  Ann  Salome  Luckenbach. 

J.\MES  Alexander  Rice,  who  married 
Charlotte  Josephine  Leibert  (daughter  of 
Joseph  and  Rebecca  Nitschmann  Leibert, 
ol  Bethlehem).  Their  children:  Wil- 
liam Henry,  Joseph  Alexander,  Rebecca 
Nitschmann.  "Maria  Louisa. 

John  Heckewelder  Rice,  who  mar- 
ried Clarissa  Mies.  Their  children: 
Thomas.  J.  Frederick,  Mary  A.,  J.  Au- 
gustus. 

Sarah  Louisa,  who  married  the  Rev. 
Edward  Rondthaler,  of  Nazareth.  Their 
children  :    Edward,  Mary,  Howard. 

Owen  Joseph  Rice,  who  died,  un- 
married, in  1846. 


German  Surnames 


«Y  LEONARD  KELIX  KU.M).  M.   A..  LL.  M.,  COLUMBUb  UNIVERSITY.  NEW  YORK  CITY. 


Chapter  VHL 

Foreign  Influences. 

HERE  remains  for  us  to  con- 
sider in  this  the  last  chapter 
of  our  paper  the  foreign  and 
extraneous  elements  in  the 
G  e  r  m  a  n  family  names. 
These  foreign  elements  con- 
sist of  two  kinds  :  The  first 
class  consists  of  the  Jewish  names  and 
the  second  of  the  various  changes  which 
German  names  have  undergone,  because 
their  possessors  washed  to  translate  them 
into  a  foreign  tongue  or  imitate  the  spell- 
ing or  pronunciation  of  a  foreign  lan- 
guage. 

Considering    first    the    Jewish    family 
riames  we  find  that  the  Jews  took  family 


names  later  than  any  other  people  in 
Germany.  Most  of  them  indeed  had  no 
family  names  until  they  were  compelled 
to  take  them  by  the  Edict  of  1812. 
Among  the  various  classes  of  Jewish 
family  names  we  may  mention  the  fol- 
lowing: (i)  Biblical  personal  names 
used  as  family  names,  such  as  Aloses, 
Jacob,  Siwou  and  .■Abraham.  Sometimes 
with  a  dialectic  variation  as  Heiinan  (for 
Hcman)  and  sometimes  with  a  patro- 
nymic variation,  as  Jacobs,  Jacobv  and 
Jacobsoii.  (2)  Personal  names  express- 
ing noble  personal  characters,  as  Froeh- 
li'ch,  Edel,  Freundlich  and  Tren,  together 
with  names  of  animals  which  possess  noble 
characters,  such  as  Hirsch,  Wolf  and 
Adlcr.      (3)    Names    derived    from    the 


456 


THE  GLATTFELDER  FAMILY 


names  of  places,  as  Cassel  and  Falken- 
stein,  together  with  the  derivatives  Fried- 
lander,  Wronker,  Exiner  and  Meseritzer. 
Most  of  these  Jewish  family  names  which 
are  derived  from  the  names  of  places  are 
derived  from  the  names  of  places  in  the 
east    of    Germany,    especially    in    Posen. 
(4)  By  far  the  most  characteristic  Jewish 
names  are  those  names  which  have  been 
selected  by  the  Jews  because  they  sounded 
well.      Reference    is    here    made    to    the 
numerous  compounds  of  Gold  and  Silver, 
-uch   as    Golde,    Goldmann,    Goldenherg, 
Goldstein,  Goldnmrk,  and  Siilberstein,  to 
the    compounds    of    Lozven,    Rosen    and 
Lilien,   such   as  Lozcenberg,   Lozvcnthal, 
L  0  zi.'  e  n  s  t  e  in,    Rosendorf,    Rosenthal, 
Rosenblatt  and  Lilienthal.     It  is   almost 
needless    to    say    that    such    names    as 
Veil  chenfeld,     Frauenfeld,     Cohnfeld, 
Cohnheim,  Aronbach  and  Lezmnthal  are 
for  the  most  part  not  derived  from  the 
names    of    towns.      There    are    no    such 
towns   in    Germany    and   the   Jews   took 
these  names  simply  because  they  sounded 
well.    There  are  almost  no  Jewish  names 
in    Germany    derived    from    the    names 
of  occupations    (except  the  name  Gold- 
sr.hmidt),  hardly  any  old  German  names 
and  almost  no  Christian  names.    Consid- 
ering the  Jewish  names  as  a  whole  we 
find  that  although  they  are  artificial  they 
are  extremely  beautiful.     To  show  how 
artificial  these  names  are,  we  may  mention 
that  from  the  name  Israeliten  we  get  the 
names    Israel   and   Litten    (abbreviation 
Litt),  that  Kahn  and  Hahn  are  variations 
of  the  name  Gohn   (priest)   and  that  in 
Austria  the  Jews  when  they   could  find 
no  other  names,   even  took  such  names 
as  Pulverbestandtheil   and   Kanalgeruch. 
Considering  next  the  changes  in  Ger- 
man names  due  to  translations  or  to  at- 
tempted translations  into  foreign  tongues, 
we  find  that  there  are  six  foreign  lan- 
guages which  have  thus  affected  German 
names.     These  languages  are  the  Latin, 
the   French,   the   Italian,  the   Polish,   the 
Magyar  and  the  English.     We  shall  con- 
sider  their   influence   in   this   order.      At 
the  time  of  the  Renaissance  in  the  fifteenth 
and  sixteenth  centuries,  it  was  the  custom 
among  scholars  in  their  slavish  imitation 
of  the  classical  to  go  even  so  far  as  to 


translate  their  names  into  Latin  and  to  a 
lesser  extent  into  Greek.  The  case  of  Dr. 
Tweis  Olearius  mentioned  in  the  banquet 
scene  of  the  first  act  of  Goethe's  Gotz 
von  Berlichungen  is  an  illustration  in 
fiction  of  this  custom.  Thus  the  German 
Lnts  was  translated  Lucius;  Knrc,  Cur- 
tius;  Kopflin,  Capito;  Fischer,  Piscator; 
H  ab  e  r  ui  an  n,  Avenarius ;  Holsinann, 
Xylander;  and  Hausschein,  Oecolampa- 
dius.  The  Greek  names  since  they  had 
four,  five  or  six  syllables  had  a  truly 
classical  sound,  but  the  Germans  did  not 
consider  a  trisyllabic  Latin  name  as  suffi- 
ciently classical  in  sound  and  so  Piscator 
was  changed  to  Piscatorius  and  Sartor  to 
Sartorius.  Some  of  these  attempted 
translations  into  Latin  were  exceedingly 
fantastic  and  comical ;  thus  Mosmann,  son 
of  Schmidt,  called  himself  Fabronius 
(Faber  Aomus-Mnsen  Schmid),  Hose- 
mann  was  translated  O^iander,  Schnees- 
ing,  Chiomusus;  Eckhard,  Eucharius; 
Kistemaker,  Chelopoeus.  Other  Latin 
names  manufactured  at  this  time  and 
which  can  no  longer  be  translated  into 
German  or  English  are  Chesnccophorus, 
Gueinmis,  Heineccius,  and  Cocceti  (from 
German  Koch).  Later  the  descendants 
of  some  of  these  men  retranslated  their 
Latin  names  into  German,  as  Pistorins  to 
Becker,  Episcopius  to  Bischoff  and 
Mclissander  to  Bienemann.  But  most 
of  these  Latin  names  have  remained  to 
this  day.  Fortunately  men  today  seldom 
translate  their  German  names  into  Latin, 
yet  even  this  still  occurs  sometimes 
among  scholars.  Thus  in  the  nineteenth 
century  Ohler  was  translated  into 
Olearius,  Sillig  into  Siligiiis,  Wunderlich 
into  Vnnderiliciiis;  Poppo  into  Pom- 
poniius,  and  Mitschcrlich  into  Mida- 
schcrilix. 

In  modern  days  German  names  are 
translated  into  French,  Italian,  Polish, 
Magyar  and  English,  but  by  using  the 
word  "translate"  we  do  not  always  mean 
actual  translation.  Frequently  there  is 
no  translation  at  all,  but  only  imitation. 
Thus  the  German  name  Solger  was  trans- 
lated into  the  French  Saulier,  the  German 
Nagler  into  the  French  Naguiller,  Witzel 
into  Ficelle,  Vogler  into  Fouclair  and 
Dessauer   into  Dessoir.     Frequently  the 


GERMAN   SURNAMES 


457 


"translation"  consists  only  of  the  addition 
of  an  accent  or  a  change  in  spelling. 
Examples  of  such  translations  into 
French  are  Hoppe,  Ndgle,  Schultse, 
Salingre  and  Lederer.  While  actresses 
generally  translate  their  names  into 
French,  operatic  singers  generally  trans- 
late theirs  into  Latin.  Thus  Stiegele  be- 
comes Stighelli,  Criiwell  becomes  Cruvelhi, 
and  Rodcr  becomes  Rodani.  When  Ger- 
man names  are  translated  into  the  Polish 
the  transformation  is  accomplished  gen- 
erally either  by  the  addition  of  a  suffix 
or  by  a  mere  change  in  spelling.  Thus 
Feldniann  is  changed  to  Feldmanoivski, 
Kraiithofcrto  Krauthofski  or  Krantozvski, 
Schumann  to  Szuman,  Schrciher  to 
Szratber  and  Schulz  to  Szulc.  These 
transformations  are  all  the  more  remark- 
able because  the  Polish  are  despised  in 
Germany.  The  change  from  the  Polish 
to  the  Magyar  is  generally  accomplished 
by  a  mere  change  in  spelling,  as  Hunfalvy 
for  Hundsdorfer,  Toldy  for  Schedel, 
Szontagh  for  Sonntag.  In  America  the 
change  is  accomplished  by  an  actual 
translation  as  Smith  for  Schmidt,  by  a 
partial  translation  as  Greenhaum  for 
Griinbanm,  or  by  a  mere  transformation 
as  Rosecrans  for  Rosckranz. 

We  cannot  conclude  our  consideration 
of  German  family  names  without  con- 
sidering the  large  number  of  Slavonic, 
French  and  Italian  names  found  in  Ger- 
many. We  shall  therefore  briefly  consider 
how  these  foreign  names  came  into  Ger- 
many and  also  the  underlying  principles 
of  the  Slavonic,  French  and  Italian  family 
names.  The  Germans  at  the  time  of  the 
Great  Migrations  moved  to  the  west  of 
Germany,  and  then  the  Slavs  came  in  and 
occupied  the  east  of  Germany.  Most 
Slavonic  names  are  derived  from  the 
names  of  places,  as  Naugard  from 
Novgorod  (Neucnbcrg).  Most  of  these 
Slavonic  names  derived  from  the  names 
of  places  end,  as  do  the  names  of  the 
places  from  which  they  are  derived,  in 
the  Suffix  in  (accented),  as  Ccunmin, 
Schwerin  and  Stojentin,  in  the  suffix. 
Itz,  as  Bobhitz,  Dcuntz,  and  Nemitz,  or  in 
the  suffix  ozv,  as  Flatow,  Grabozu,  and 
Vangeroii.'.  Frequently  the  suffix  ski 
(sky),  meaning  "the  man  from ,"  is 


added  to  the  name  of  the  place,  as 
Grabowski  from  Grabow,  Kaminsky  and 
Lc^sinsky.  In  addition  to  the  family 
names  derived  from  the  names  of  places, 
the  Slavs  have  also  some  family  names 
derived  from  personal  names.  These 
names  are  of  three  classes  :  ( i )  those 
truly  Slavonic  as  the  large  class  of  names 
ending  in  the  suffix  Slav  (famous),  as 
Miczzijslav  (famous  for  his  sward).  (2) 
those  derived  from  Christian  names,  as 
Pawelek  from  Paulns,  Piotr  from  Petrus. 
(3) names  derived  from  the  names  of  oc- 
cupations, as  Woita  (Schulze)  and 
Pigorsch  (Backer). 

French  names  were  introduced  into 
Germany  by  the  Protestants  who  were 
driven  from  France  by  the  revocation  of 
the  Edict  of  Nantes  in  1685,  and  by  the 
fugitives  who  came  to  Germany  from 
France  at  the  time  of  the  French  Revolu- 
tion. Examples  of  French  family  names 
found  in  Germany  are  Savigny,  Michelet, 
Caniere  and  Du  Bois-Reymond.  Some 
of  these  French  names  have  become  par- 
tially Germanized  as  Boitelet  into  Budlee, 
Geneola  into  ScheUack  and  Boudemont 
into  Butt  1)1  an.  Italian  names  were  intro- 
duced into  Germany  by  painters,  sculp- 
tors, caterers,  and  the  like,  who  crossed 
the  Alps.  Italian  names  are  of  three 
kinds,  viz:  (i)  those  ending  in  a,  as 
Cotta,  Salva,  and  Bonewcndura  (Bona- 
ventura).  (2)  those  ending  in  o,  as 
Delmonico,  and  (3)  those  ending  in  /,  a 

plural   form,  meaning  "one  of  the  

family,"  as  Bontivegni,  Marsegli,  Sparag- 
napani,  Bertinetti,  Mazzetti,  Marcsi,  and 
Repetti.  We  have  deemed  it  advisable 
to  give  this  brief  survey  of  foreign  names 
found  in  Germany  because  of  the  fact 
fhat  they  are  met  with  daily  and  thus 
form  an  integral  part  of  the  great  mass 
of  German  family  names. 

We  have  now  completed  our  examina- 
tion of  the  German  surnames.  We  have 
seen  that  their  foundation  consists  of  the 
Old  German  names  expressive  of  noble 
qualities  and  characteristics,  and  that 
upon  these  names  as  a  foundation  have 
been  added  the  Christian  names  and  the 
family  name  of  occupation,  of  personal 
characteristics  and  of  place  of  origin.  We 
have  examined  the  comical  nature  of  the 


458 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


family  names  expressing  personal  char- 
acteristics, and  we  have  noticed  the  ten- 
dency on  the  part  of  Germans  in  a  foreign 
country  to  translate  or  transform  their 
names  into  the  language  of  that  country, 
— a  tendency  which  is  the  cause  of  much 
sadness  and  chagrin  to  the  loyal  German. 
We  have  traced  the  development  of  names 
from  the  personal  names  to  the  family 
names,  and  the  subsequent  development 
of  the  family  names.  The  question  now 
naturally  arises:  Will  there  be  any  fur- 
ther development  in  this  branch  of  the 
language,  or  will  the  family  names  as 
they  exist  today  continue  to  exist  un- 
changed in  the  future.  The  answer  to 
this  question  must  be  that  the  body  of 
German  family  names  will  continue  to 
change  as  long  as  the  human  race  exists. 
There  are  three  causes  which  tend  to 
make  changes  in  the  realm  of  family 
names,  viz. :  ( i )  Families  will  die  out, 
and  with  them  their  names  will  become 


extinct.  (2)  Names  will  continue  to  be 
changed  through  the  influence  of  dialects, 
foreign  languages  and  personal  tastes ; 
and  (3)  New  family  names  will  be 
formed.  In  Spain  it  is  today  the  custom 
for  each  child  to  have  as  its  surname  a 
name  which  is  a  compound  formed  from 
the  surname  of  its  father  and  the  surname 
of  its  mother.  Thus,  if  Miss  Smith  mar- 
ries Mr.  Brown  in  Spain,  the  surname  of 
their  children  will  be  Smith-Brown.  A 
circumstance  pointing  to  a  more  general 
adoption  of  this  custom  in  the  near  future 
is  the  fact  that  among  the  richer  classes 
in  America  today  the  mother's  surname  is 
now  generally  given  to  the  child  as  a 
middle  name.  And  with  the  advance  of 
woman's  rights  which  is  bound  to  come 
during  the  present  century,  there  is  a 
strong  probability  that  this  Spanish  cus- 
tom will  become  more  generally  known 
and  followed. 


Pennsylvania  Dutch  or  German? 


Pittsburg,  Pa..  Aug.  31,  1908. 
To  the  Editor  of  THE  PENNSYLVA- 
NIA-GERMAN, East  Greenville,  Pa.: 


KAR  SIR.— The  recent  paper 

Dby  Professor  Hart  on  the 
Pennsylvania  -  Dutch  has 
cussion  and  some  ire  and  in- 
provoked  considerable  dis- 
dignation.  We  Pennsylva- 
nia-Dutch (I  stick  to  the 
term  despite  Dr.  Dififenderfer's  objec- 
tion) are,  I  greatly  fear,  over-sensitive 
and  much  lacking  in  a  saving  sense  of 
humor.  Now  it  would  appear  that  most 
of  us  gladly  accept  all  comments  which 
set  us  forth  in  a  favorable  light  and  be- 
come indignant  and  wrathful  when  any 
adverse  criticisms  are  made  even  when 
made  in  a  kindly  spirit  by  a  friendly  critic. 
At  the  risk  of  appearing  disloyal  to  my 
own  people,  I  must  say  I  protest  against 
much  that  appears  in  your  journal,  on  the 
ground  that  it  fails  in  making  a  true  esti- 
mate of  our  people,  customs,  worth,  and 
of  their  aspirations,  their  character  and 
their  influence.  I  would  like  to  raise 
warning  note  that  we  must  be  accurate, 


fair  and  careful  before  anything  else. 
I  fear  The  Pennsylvania-German  is 
too  much  an  organ  of  a  Pennsylvania- 
Dutch  mutual  admiration  society.  It  ap- 
pears to  be  true  of  all  peoples  of  kindred 
stock  who  form  associations  or  publish 
journals  that  they  fall  into  the  habit  of 
greatly  over-estimating  themselves.  Do 
we  not  often  smile  at  the  splendid  list  of 
virtues  which  the  New  Englander  at- 
tributes to  the  people  of  his  own  blood  ? 
And  have  not  the  Virginians,  in  spite  of 
their  splendid  historical  record,  over- 
lauded  themselves?  Societies  of  Scotch- 
men. Hibernians,  Englishmen,  etc.,  all 
appear  to  fall  into  the  same  habit.  So  it 
is  healthful  and  very  desirable  for  a  people 
to  have  an  estimate  from  one  coming  from 
outside ;  although  such  criticisms  are  apt 
to  call  forth  a  shower  of  counter-criti- 
cisms and  sometimes  of  abuse,  as  in  the 
case  of  those  made  by  Professor  Hart. 

Leaving  these  general  observations  and 
coming  to  Professor  Hart's  article  on  the 
Pennsylvania-Dutch,  which  I  read  with 
the  keenest  pleasure  as  coming  from  a 
cultured,  educated  man,  who  wrote  in  a 
kindlv,      sympathetic      way,      apparently 


PENNSYLVANIA  DUTCH  OR  GERMAN 


459 


without  prejudice,  and  whose  observa- 
tions stand  for  what  they  are  worth — 
those  of  an  educated,  cultured  man  giv- 
ing his  impressions  of  a  country  and 
people  which  he  had  obtained  after  a 
brief  observation.  And  ever  since  Pro- 
fessor Hart  has  written,  the  critics  have 
been  on  his  trail,  accepting  all  that  he 
says  in  praise  of  the  Pennsylvania-Dutch, 
and  discarding  all  that  is  the  reverse  of 
this.  Shall  we  warn  future  critics : 
"Come  and  sing  our  praises  and  recite 
our  virtues,  and  we  will  not  notice 
whether  your  opportunities  for  observa- 
tion have  been  scant  or  ample.  But  re- 
member! No  adverse  criticisms!" 
■  I  propose  to  make  a  few  comments  on 
some  of  the  most  temperate  and  courteous 
of  these  criticisms  of  Professor  Hart's 
article.  I  refer  to  those  by  Dr.  Diffen- 
derfer.  published  in  the  August  number 
of  your  journal ;  and  in  doing  so  I  will 
following  the  notation  adopted  by  Dr. 
Dififenderfer  in  writing. 

2.  Why  object  to  the  term  Pennsyl- 
vania-Dutch? True,  it  is  inaccurate,  and 
was  a  name  at  first  given  in  derision ;  but 
it  is  a  name  which  has  become  firmly  es- 
tablished. By  accepting  it  with  a  smile, 
we  will  soon  convert  it  into  a  term  which 
will  be  entirely  free  from  reproach.  This 
has  happened  to  the  word  Quaker  ;  at  first 
given  in  reproach,  it  is  now  accepted  by 
members  of  the  Society  of  Friends  every- 
where, and  carries  with  it  no  slur  or  re- 
proach. The  same  is  true  of  the  word 
Mugwump ;  and  other  examples  could  be 
cited.  So  here  a  little  sense  of  humor 
would  save  us  from  becoming  too  serious 
about  a  small  matter.  In  my  boyhood 
days.  I  did  not  like  this  term  Pennsyl- 
vania-Dutch ;  but  for  many  years  I  have 
always  accepted  the  term,  and  often  re- 
ferred to  myself  as  a  Pennsylvania-Dutch- 
man, and  have  even  gone  so  far  as  to 
occasionally  speak  of  my  native  place  as 
being  in  the  "pie  belt"  of  Pennsylvania. 
It  is  beside  the  point  to  argue  for  the 
inaccuracy  of  the  term.  And  if  this  were 
to  be  taken  up,  is  it  quite  accurate  to  call 
the  people  of  eastern  Pennsylvania  whose 
ancestors  spoke  German,  F^ennsylvania- 
German?  My  ancestors  on  my  mother's 
side     spoke     German,     but     came     from 


Switzerland,  and  not  Germany.  My 
father's  ancestors  came  from  Germany. 
xAm  I  a  Pennsylvania-German,  or  a  Penn- 
sylvania-Schweitzer, or  am  I  a  Pennsyl- 
vania-Schweitzer-German? No;  1  ac- 
cept the  common  designation  and  call 
myself  a  Pennsylvania-Dutchman.  To 
hear  some  of  the  arguments,  one  vvould 
think  it  was  a  disgrace  to  be  Dutch. 
Granted  the  term  Pennsylvania-Dutch  to 
be  inaccurate,  were  the  Dutch  not  a 
splendid  people?  Is  it  such  a  very  great 
disgrace  for  those  of  German  blood  to 
be  mistaken  for  Dutch  ?  I  recall  a  little 
story  which  illustrates  the  envy  and  rival- 
ry existing  between  Norwegians  and 
Swedes,  and  which  makes  my  point  clear. 
On  a  crowded  street  an  impatient  driver 
bellowed  out  to  a  driver  ahead  of  him, 
using  a  volley  of  oaths,  "Get  out  of  there, 
you  Norwegian  scoundrel !"  The  Swede, 
turning  on  his  seat,  quickly  called  out. 
"No,  not  Norwegian,  Swede!"  I  for 
one  cannot  see  that  we  are  so  much  su- 
perior to  the  Dutch  people  that  we  are 
disgraced  by  being  called  Dutch.  So, 
coming  back  to  my  original  point,  I  hold 
that  we  have  made  too  much  fuss  and 
been  too  serious  over  the  term  Pennsyl- 
vania-Dutch. Let  us  smilingly  accept  the 
term  and  be  cheerful  over  it,  and  we  will 
get  on  much  better. 

4.  I  asked  a  friend,  a  physician  born  in 
Switzerland,  if  he  could  read  examples  of 
Pennsylvania-Dutch  dialect  given  in  the 
August  number.  He  made  them  out 
readily,  and  told  me  they  differed  very 
little  from  the  (ierman  dialect  to  which  he 
was  accustomed  in  the  old  country,  except 
that  they  contained  a  very  considerable 
number  of  EngHsh  words  with  slight  Ger- 
man modification,  and  that  with  his 
knowledge  of  the  dialect  he  quite  agrees 
with  Professor  Hart  in  characterizing 
Pennsylvania-Dutch  as  a  "barbarous 
compound  of  German  and  English  words 
in  German  idiom."  So  if  Professor  Hart 
is  ignorant  of  the  German  dialect  spoken 
bv  the  Pennsylvania-Dutch,  as  Dr.  Dif- 
fenderfer  supposes,  yet  here  we  have  at 
least  one  man  who  is  thoroughly  familiar 
with  it.  and  who  agrees  with  Professor 
Hart. 

5.  There  may  not  now  be  many  Penn- 


460 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


sylvania-Dutch  who  do  not  understand 
English ;  but  there  are  still  a  very  large 
number  who  speak  Pennsylvania-Dutch 
by  preference  and  understand  it  better 
than  they  do  English.  x\nd  in  my  boy- 
hood days,  thirty  years  ago,  there  were  a 
very  large  number  who  understood  only 
Pennsylvania-Dutch. 

The  statement  of  Professor  Hart  that 
the  Pennsylvania-Dutchman  "does  not 
favor  much  education  for  young  people" 
is  challenged.  But  is  it  not  true,  if  we 
accept  the  ordinary  definition  of  educa- 
tion and  consider  the  observation  in  the 
light  in  which  it  was  evidently  made — as 
applied  especially  to  these  Pennsylvania- 
Dutch,  who  still  employ  the  Pennsylva- 
nia-Dutch dialect  in  their  ordinary  con- 
versation? 

The  English  were  leaders  and  the  Ger- 
mans were  followers  in  the  early  days.  Is 
it  not  a  striking  commentary  of  the  force 
and  virility  of  the  English  that  they 
should  have  named  Lancaster  town  and 
county  and  many  of  its  streets  and  most 
of  its  townships  and  filled  the  offices  and 
finally  made  their  language  that  of  our 
people  when  they  were  in  such  a  small 
minority  ?  A  thorough  Pennsylvania- 
Dutchman,  I  greatly  honor  and  admire 
the  English. 

I  shall  not  longer  dwell  upon  the  com- 
ments of  Professor  Diffenderfer.  But 
lest  I  should  be  mistaken  for  an  Ishmael- 
ite,  I  will  say  that  I  speak  with  deep  feel- 
ing when  I  express  my  conviction  that  we 
Pennsylvania-Dutch  have  very  much  to 
be  proud  of.  Personally  I  shall  be  most 
happy  if  I  can  retain  and  my  children 
retain  those  most  sterling  virtues  which 
belong  to  the  Pennsylvania-Dutch ;  and 
these  virtues  as  I  see  them  are:  Industry, 
great  industry,  which  appears  to  me  as 
the  cardinal  virtue  from  which  all  others 
flow ;  strict  honesty ;  fidelity  to  the  mar- 
riage vow  and  family  relation  ;  great  re- 
spect for  the  rights  and  feelings  of  others  ; 
and,  finally,  a  deep,  genuine  and  reverent 
religious  spirit. 

What  are  the  things  that,  according  to 

my  conception,  they  lack,  as  compared  to 

, these?    If  the  language  of  many  today  is 

a  "barbarous  compound  of  German  and 

English,"  it   is  passing  away   now  more 


rapidly  than  ever,  and  will  probably  be  al- 
most extinct  in  100  years.  Education^ 
book-learning,  etc.,  is  of  small  account  as 
compared  to  the  real  knowledge  which 
enables  the  Pennsylvania-Dutch  farmer  to 
operate  his  farm  well  and  get  ahead  each 
year ;  and  while  knowledge,  love  of  books, 
architecture,  music,  etc.,  are  ennobling, 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  in  many  cases 
such  culture  is  coupled  with  moral  infer- 
iority ;  or,  to  put  it  in  another  way,  it  is 
doubtful  if  they  strengthen  character. 
The  Pennsylvania-Dutchman  is  sometimes 
narrow  and  often  superstitious  and  some- 
times penurious ;  but  take  all  these  things 
and  weigh  them  in  the  balance  with  his 
virtues,  and  he  must  be  accorded  a  very 
large  balance  on  the  right  side.  More- 
over, he  comes  from  a  good  race;  he  has 
good  inheritance ;  he  has  a  foundation 
stock  zvhich  can  he  built  upon  at  any 
time.  He  is  like  a  rough  gold  nugget, 
which  may  remain  idle  for  centuries,  but 
which  is  capable  of  taking  a  polish  at  any 
time,  and  which  was  always  gold,  even 
before  it  was  polished. 

For  example,  America's  greatest  sur- 
geon, Prof.  Samuel  Gross,  raised  on  the 
farm,  spoke  Pennsylvania-Dutch  as  a  boy, 
and  only  learned  English  when  he  was 
thirteen  years  old.  Many  other  illustra- 
tions could  be  given  if  it  were  necessary. 
The  Pennsylvania-Dutchman  here  differs 
from  the  negro,  for  example,  w'ho  may  re- 
quire 25,000  years  or  more  of  evolution 
to  come  up  to  the  present  standard  of  the 
Pennsylvania-Dutch,  whose  stock  is  that 
of  the  best  of  the  white  races.  The 
sterling  virtues  for  which  the  Pennsylva- 
nia-Dutch stand  seem  to  me  to  shine  forth 
with  great  lustre  in  these  days,  when  a 
craze  for  money  and  a  love  of  luxury, 
etc.,  have  demoralized  the  country  so 
largely.  All  honor  to  the  Pennsylvania- 
Dutchman  ;  but  let  us  estimate  him  fairly, 
and  let  us  not  be  so  thin-skinned  as  to 
raise  such  a  fuss  when  a  kindly  and 
friendly  critic  comes  in  our  midst  and 
publishes  some  comments  on  us  which 
are  not  complimentary ;  and  let  us  culti- 
vate a  saving  sense  of  humor.  And  let 
us   invite   Prof.   Hart   back  again. 

(Dr.)  Theodore  Diller. 


PENNSYLVANIA  DUTCH  OR  GERMAN 


461 


Note. — The  foregoing  letter  is  placed  in  the 
main  bodj-  of  the  magazine  rather  than  in  the 
Editorial  Department,  on  account  of  its 
length.  We  thank  the  Doctor  for  his  com- 
munication, and  bid  Prof.  Hart  welcome  to 
the  use  of  our  pages  in  replying  to  the  criti- 


cisms of  his  paper  expressed  by  subscribers. 
The  proverbial  "Latchstring"  of  our  editorial 
sanctum  is  out  at  all  times  for  all  who  de- 
sire to  express  themselves  on  any  line  of 
thought  relevant  to  the  specific  field  of  the 
magazine. — The  Publisher. 


German  Supplanters 

hy  p.  h.  bkaver,  montandon,  pa. 


N  the  fifth  of  November,  1768, 
Thomas  and  Richard  Penn, 
descendants  of  the  original 
proprietor  of-  the  Province 
of  Pennsylvania,  purchased 
from  the  Six  Nations  at 
Fort  Stanwix  (now  Rome,  N.  Y.,)  the 
remainder  of  the  land  of  Buffalo  Valley, 
Union  county.  Pa.  As  one  of  the  in- 
centives of  this  purchase,  it  may  be  stated 
that  as  early  as  the  year  1764  the  officers 
of  the  first  and  second  battalions  of  the 
•province  who  served  under  Colonel 
Bouquet,  made  an  agreement  with  each 
other,  in  writing,  at  Bedford,  Pa.,  "That 
they  would  apply  to  the  Proprietaries  of 
the  Province  for  a  tract  of  land  suffi- 
ciently extensive  and  conveniently  situ- 
ated, whereon  to  erect  a  compact  and 
defensible  town;  and  also  to  accommo- 
date us  with  a  reasonable  and  commodi- 
ous plantation;  which  lands  and  lots  of 
ground,  if  obtained,  we  do  agree  shall 
be  proportionately  divided  according  to 
our  several  ranks  and  subscriptions,"  etc. 
Signed  by  Lieutenant-Colonels  Tur- 
butt,  Francis  and  Asher  Clayton,  Major 
John  P.  DeHaas,  Captains  Jacob  Kern, 
John  Procter,  James  Hendricks,  John 
Brady,  William  Piper,  Timothy  Green, 
and  Samuel  Hunter ;  Adjutant  First  Bat- 
talion Henry  Watson,  Adjutant  Second 
Battalion  Conrad  Bucher,  Captains 
William  Plunket  and  James  Irvine,  Lieu- 
tenant Daniel  Hunsicker,  Ensigns  Mc- 
Meen  and  Piper,  and  others. 

They  appointed  Colonel  Francis,  Capt. 
Irvine  and  others  commissioners  to  act 
for  all  the  officers.  These  commissioners 
made  application  to  the  proprietaries  on 
the  30th  of  August,  1765,  in  which  they 
proposed  to  embody  themselves  in  a  com- 
pact settlement,  on  some  good  land,  at 
some  distance  from  the  inhabited  part  of 
the  Province,  where,  by  their  industry, 
they   might   procure   a   comfortable   sub- 


sistence for  themselves,  and  by  their 
arms,  union  and  increase  become  a  pow- 
erful barrier  to  the  Province.  They 
further  represented  that  the  land  already 
purchased  did  not  afford  any  situation 
convenient  for  their  purpose  ;  but  the  con- 
fluence of  the  two  branches  of  the  Sus- 
quehanna River  at  Sunbury  did,  and  they 
therefore  prayed  the  proprietaries  to  make 
the  purchase  aforesaid  and  make  them 
a  grant  of  forty  thousand  acres  of  arable 
land  on  the  west  branch  of  the  Susque- 
hanna River.  Lieutenant  Thomas  Wig- 
gins and  Ensign  J.  Foster,  who  were  ab- 
sent from  Bedford  when  the  agreement 
was  signed,  were  subsequently  admitted 
into  the  officers." — Linn. 

On  the  third  of  February,  1769,  those 
commissioners,  who  managed  this  land 
grant  for  the  officers  of  the  first  and 
second  battalions  of  the  military  force 
of  proprietaries  met  the  Governor  in  his 
office  and  obtained  an  order  allowing 
them  to  take  up  twenty-four  thousand 
acres,  to  be  divided  among  th  m  in  dis- 
tinct surveys  on  the  water  ci  the  west 
branch  of  the  Susquehanna  from  the 
junction  northward,  each  three  hundred 
acres  to  be  seated  with  a  family  within 
two  years  from  the  time  of  survey,  paying 
£5  sterling  per  hundred,  and  one  penny 
per  acre,  etc. 

The  names  of  the  officers  in  whose 
favor  the  order  of  survey  issued  were 
Colonel  Francis,  Major  DeHaas,  Cap- 
tains Irvine,  Plunket,  Hunter,  Kern, 
Green,  Hausegger,  Sems,  Hendricks, 
Brady,  Piper  and  Bucher,  Lieutenants 
Stewart,  Wiggins,  Hayes,  Nice.  Hun- 
sicker, Oskey  and  McAllister,  Ensigns 
Piper,  McMeen,  Morrow,  Steine  and 
Foster ;  and  the  order  was  signed  by 
John  Lukens,  Surveyor  General,  and 
directed  to  William  Scull  and  William 
Maclay. 

Bv   advertisement   dated   February  23, 


462 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


the  land  office  was  open  to  receive  appli- 
cations for  lands  in  the  "New  Purchase," 
on  the  third  of  April.  "So  long  a  day 
was  fixed  to  give  the  back  inhabitants 
time  to  repair  to  the  office."  Meanwhile, 
surveys  were  made  on  special  orders  for 
the  proprietaries  or  their  friends,  says  Mr. 
Linn. 

On  the  1 8th  of  February,  1769,  Wil- 
liam Maclav  made  his  first  survey  in 
person  on  the  west  side  of  the  West 
Branch  River,  and  William  Lukens 
made  the  surveys  on  the  east  side  of  the 
same  river,  from  the  present  town  of 
Northumberland  north  and  eastward. 
Those  "officer  lines,"  established  by  those 
surveys  for  the  Pennsylvania  Proprietary 
Governors,  have  been  for  140  years  and 
still  remain  leading  "landmarks"  in  this 
part  of  the  State.  It  may  be  noted  here 
that  this  surveyor,  William  Maclay,  se- 
cured a  section — a  solid  square  section  of 
640  acres  of  the  very  choicest  limestone 
land  in  the  heart  of  Buffalo  Valley,  that 
remained  in  the  family  a  long  time.  Was 
this  William  Maclay  our  first  United 
States  Senator?  His  brother,  Hon.  Sam- 
uel Maclay,  owned  the  above  described 
tract  of  land  later,  and  lived  on  it  to 
the  time  of  his  death,  Oct.  5,  181 1,  and 
is  buried  on  the  place. 

Samuel  Maclay  was  our  eighth  United 
States  Senator,  and  served  from  1803  to 
1808,  besides  filling  other  important 
State  offices  and  trusts. 

The  27,000  acres  of  Pennsylvania  pro- 
prietary lands  allotted  to  the  "officers" 
operated  as  a  great  incentive  to  other 
settlers  of  the  "lower  counties"  of  the 
State  of  English,  Irish  and  Scotch  de- 
scent, and  of  Presbyterian  affiliation  and 
communion,  who  began  to  sell  their  hold- 
ings elsewhere  and  move  into  the  new 
promised  land  on  the  West  Branch  River 
above  Sunbury.  As  early  as  1773  these 
pioneers  began  to  organize  Presbyterian 
churches  in  the  rural  districts. 

On  March  31,  1772,  the  new  county 
of  Northumberland  was  organized  from 
parts  of  Lancaster,  Cumberland,  Berks, 
Bedford  and  Northampton.  From  this 
date  the  whole  new  settlement  was  within 
the  new  county,  and  which  was  then  for 
some  years,  territorially,  the  largest  in  the 


province,  with  Fort  Augusta,  or  Sha- 
mokin,  renamed  Sunbury,  as  the  county 
seat.  This  was  an  important  consumma- 
tion, and  it  promoted  the  feeling  of  se- 
curity in  and  among  the  inhabitants  along; 
the  frontier  settlements  north  and  west- 
ward, having  the  seat  of  civic  county 
authority  so  much  nearer  to  the  settlers. 
This  section  of  the  State  was  being  rap- 
idly settled  through  the  influence  of  those 
officers  of  English  descent  by  Irish  and 
Scotch  and  Scotch-Irish  church  people 
from  the  time  of  the  "officers"  survey  in 
1769  to  1800,  with  varying  ebbs  and 
floods,  until  perhaps  three-fourths  of  all 
the  arable  land  was  "possessed"  or  owned 
by  the  people  of  Scotch-Irish  and  English 
extraction,  and  their  churches  were  the 
leading  and  the  most  populous  ones  in 
this  section. 

Gradually,  however,  the  towns  began 
to  grow  in  size  and  importance,  and  other 
attractions  and  better  schools  were  main- 
tained there,  and  less  manual  labor  was 
exacted  in  the  town  than  on  the  farm. 
Presbyterian  churches  were  also  organ- 
ized and  built  in  the  leading  towns,  and 
drives  of  six  to  fifteen  miles  to  places  of 
worship  on  Sunday  morning  became  less 
attractive  and  more  and  more  a  weekly 
task,  and  expense  from  year  to  year.  As 
a  result  the  aged  began  to  retire  from 
the  farm,  and  the  young,  too,  from  school 
to  the  professions,  instead  of  back  to  the 
monotonous  plow,  axe,  grubbing-hoe, 
manure  fork,  post  digger,  garden  spade, 
early  rising  and  late  and  long  hours  of 
honest,  upright,  hard  manual  labor.  Then 
again,  there  were  other  people  who  heard 
of  good  land  up  here  in  the  mountain 
section  of  the  State  who  were  not  of 
English,  Irish  and  Scotch  descent,  and 
who  were  also  from  the  "lower  counties," 
who  came  in  to  spy  out  the  land  on 
the  upper  reaches  of  the  Susquehanna, 
and  they  had  money  in  hand  for  a  "snap'' 
in  land  if  they  found  it,  and  it  is  an  in- 
controvertible fact  that  not  a  few  but 
manv  of  those  who  came  up  into  these 
fertile  interior  valleys  did  find  both  land 
to  suit  them  and  owners  willing  to  sell 
it  to  them,  at  much  lower  prices  than 
were  ruling  in  the  older  counties  down 
the     State,     east    and    southward     from 


GERMAN    SUPPLANTERS 


463 


NorthuniberlaiKl  county.  This  influx  of 
settlers  of  German  descent,  for  such  it 
was,  from  the  then  older  counties  of  the 
State  has  been  in  progress  pretty  steadily 
for  perhaps  seventy-five  years,  with  the 
result  that  the  sturdy,  thrifty,  laborious 
element  of  German  ancestry  has  displaced 
the  other  element  of  the  early  days  in  the 
rural  portion  of  this  section  of  the  State. 
The  relations  as  to  national  descent  has 
in  the  course  of  time  on  the  farms  been 
compietely  reversed,  and  the  German  has 
supplanted  the  English-Scotch-Irish  ele- 
ment entirely  as  practical  farmers. 

These  are  some  of  the  changes  time 
evolved  in  church  locations  and  shifting. 
The  first  churches  were  nearly  all  built 
in  rural  places,  and  were  given  the 
names  of  streams  and  valleys,  and  as 
towns  were  started  and  built  up,  the 
houses  of  worship  were  more  and  more 
built  and  rebuilt  in  the  towns  until  now  it 


is  a  rare  sight  to  see  a  new  church  house 
erected  in  a  country  place  with  not  even 
a  small  town  or  village  around  about  it 
to  justify  the  venture.  The  Presby- 
terian church  is  still  vigorous  in  this  sec- 
tion, but  chiefly  in  the  larger  towns,  and 
there  is  much  more  of  German  mixture 
in  it  than  there  was  in  the  early  days.  In 
some  localities  it  has  absorbed  largely 
of  the  Reformed  church  members,  and 
in  other  places  the  reverse  practice  has 
obtained,  but  mainly  from  congregational 
dissensions  and  antagonisms  of  a  personal 
nature. 

Inter-marriage  between  descendants  of 
different  nationalities  seems  to  have  much 
influence  toward  the  entire  obliteration 
of  national  antagonisms,  of  which  many 
have  fallen  under  my  personal  observa- 
tion. Denominational  antagonisms  are 
mollified  in  the  same  way  in  thousands  of 
instances. 


First   Audience   given    by    Congress   to   the 
French  Minister  to  the  United  States 


HE  treaty  of  alliance  and  com- 
merce between  France  and 
the  United  States,  signed 
February  6,  1778,  was  of 
prime  importance  to  the 
cause  of  American  liberty. 
The  following  lines  give  a 
vivid  description  of  the  ceremony  ob- 
served at  the  first  audience  given  to  Mon- 
sieur Gerard,  Minister  Plenipotentiary 
from  the  French  King  to  the  United 
States  by  Congress.  The  lines  are  found 
in  the  London  Annual  Register  of  1778, 
and  have  been  furnished  by  J.  Henri 
Wagner,  of  Washington.  D.  C.  The 
words,  while  they  instruct  and  entertain, 
will  remind  the  reader  of  the  invaluable 
service  rendered  by  France,  and  may  well 
be  pondered  in  connection  with  the  cele- 
bration carried  on  this  month  by  the  city 
in  which  the  audience  was  given. 

Philadelphi.-k,  August  11  (1778). 

Last  Thursday  being  the  day  appointed 

by   Congress   for  the   audience   of   Sieur 

Gerard.    Minister    Plenipotentiary    from 

his  most  Christian  Majesty,  that  ^Iinister 


received  audience  accordingly.  In  pur- 
suance of  the  ceremonial  established  by 
Congress,  the  Hon.  Richard  Henry  Lee, 
Esq.,  one  of  the  delegates  from  Virginia, 
and  the  Hon.  Samuel  Adams,  Esq..  one 
of  the  delegates  from  ]\Iassachusetts-bay, 
in  a  coach  and  six,  provided  by  Congress, 
waited  upon  the  Minister  at  his  house. 
In  a  few  minutes  the  ^linister  and  the 
two  delegates  entered  the  coach,  Mr.  Lee 
placing  himself  at  the  Minister's  left 
hand,  on  the  back  seat,  Mr.  Adams  occu- 
pying the  front  seat ;  the  Minister's  char- 
iot being  behind,  received  his  secretary. 
The  carriages  being  arrived  at  the  state 
house  in  this  city,  the  two  members  of 
Congress,  placing  themselves  at  the  !Min- 
ister's  left  hand,  a  little  before  one  o'clock, 
introduced  him  to  his  chair  in  the  Con- 
gress chamber ;  the  President  and  Con- 
gress sitting: — the  Minister  being  seated, 
he  gave  his  credentials  into  the  hands  of 
his  Secretary,  who  advanced  and  deliv- 
ered them  to  the  President.  The  Secre- 
tarv  of  Conjjress  then  read  and  trans- 
lated them ;  which   being  done.   Mr.  Lee 


464 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


announced  the  i\Iinister  to  the  President 
and  Congress ;  at  this  time  the  President, 
the  Congress,  and  the  Minister,  rose  to- 
gether; he  bowed  to  the  President  and 
the  Congress ;  they  bowed  to  him ;  where- 
upon the  whole  seated  themselves.  In  a 
moment,  the  Minister  rose  and  made  a 
speech  to  Congress,  they  sitting.  The 
speech  being  finished,  the  Minister  sat 
down,  and,  giving  a  copy  of  his  speech 
to  his  Secretary,  he  presented  it  to  the 
President.  The  President  and  Congress 
then  rose,  and  the  President  pronounced 
their  answer  to  the  speech,  the  Minister 
standing.  The  answer  being  ended,  the 
whole  were  again  seated,  and,  the  Presi- 
dent giving  a  copy  of  the  answer  to  the 
Secretary  of  Congress,  he  presented  it  to 
the  Minister.  The  President,  the  Con- 
gress, and  Minister,  then  again  rose  to- 
gether ;  the  Minister  bowed  to  the  Presi- 
dent, who  returned  the  salute,  and  then 
to  the  Congress,  who  also  bowed  in  re- 
turn ;  and,  the  Minister  having  bowed 
to  the  President,  and  received  his  bow,  he 
withdrew,  and  was  attended  home  in  the 
same  manner  in  which  he  had  been  con- 
ducted to  the  audience. 

Within  the  bar  of  the  House,  the  Con- 
gress formed  a  semi-circle  on  each  side 
of  the  President  and  the  Minister :  The 
President  sitting  at  one  extremity  of  the 
circle,  at  a  table  upon  a  platform,  ele- 
vated two  steps ;  the  Minister  sitting  at 
the  opposite  extremity  of  the  circle,  in  an 
arm  chair,  upon  the  same  level  with  the 
Congress.  The  door  of  the  Congress 
chamber  being  thrown  open,  below  the 
bar,  about  200  gentlemen  were  admitted 
to  the  audience,  among  whom  were  the 
Vice-president  of  the  Supreme  Executive 
Council  of  Pennsylvania,  the  Supreme 
Executive  Council,  the  Speaker,  and 
members  of  the  House  of  Assembly,  sev- 
eral foreigners  of  distinction,  and  officers 
of  the  army. 

The  audience  being  over,  the  Congress 
and  the  Minister,  at  a  proper  hour,  re- 
paired to  an  entertainment  given  by  Con- 
gress to  the  Minister ;  at  which  there 
were  present,  by  invitation,  several  for- 
eigners of  distinction,  and  gentlemen  of 
public  character.  The  entertainment  was 
conducted  with  a  decorum  suited  to  the 


occasion,  and  gave  perfect  satisfaction  to 
the  whole  company. 

In    Congress,    August    6,    1778. 

According  to  order,  the  honourable  the 
Sieur  Gerard  being  introduced  to  an  au- 
dience by  the  two  members  for  that  pur- 
pose appointed,  and  being  seated  in  his 
chair,  his  Secretary  delivered  to  the 
President  a  letter  from  his  most  Christian 
Majesty,  which  was  read  in  the  words  fol- 
lowing : 
Very  Dear  Great  Friends  and  Allies  : 

The  treaties  which  we  have  signed  with  you, 
in  consequence  of  the  proposals  of  your  Com- 
missioners made  to  us  in  your  behalf,  are  a 
certain  assurance  of  our  affection  for  the 
United  States  in  general,  and  for  each  of  them 
in  particular,  as  well  as  of  the  interest  we 
take,  and  constantly  shall  take,  in  their  happi- 
ness and  prosperity.  It  is  to  convince  you 
more  particularly  of  this,  that  we  have  nomi- 
nated the  Sieur  Gerard,  Secretary  of  our  Coun- 
cil of  State,  to  reside  among  you  in  the  quality 
of  our  Minister  Plenipotentiary;  he  is  the  better 
acquainted  with  our  sentiments  towards  you, 
and  the  more  capable  of  testifying  the  same  to 
you,  as  he  was  entrusted  on  our  part  to  ne- 
gotiate with  your  commissioners,  and  signed 
with  them  the  treaties  which  cement  our  union. 
We  pray  you  to  give  full  credit  to  all  he  shall 
communicate  to  you  from  us,  more  especially 
when  he  shall  assure  you  of  our  affection  and 
constant  friendship  for  you.  We  pray  God, 
very  dear  great  friends  and  allies,  to  have  you 
in    his    holy    keeping. 

Your    good    friend    and    ally, 

(Signed)  Louis. 

Versailles,  March  28,  1778. 

(Undersigned)        Gravier  De  Vergennes. 

(Directed) 
To  our  very  dear  great  Friends,  the  President 
and  Members  of  the  General  Congress  of 
North  America. 

The  Minister  was  then  announced  to 
the  President  an^  the  House,  whereupon 
he  arose  and  addressed  Congress  in  the 
speech,  which,  when  he  had  finished,  his 
Secretary  delivered  the  same  in  writing  to 
the  President  as  follows  : 
Gentlemen  : 

The  connexion  formed  by  the  King,  niy 
master,  with  the  United  States  of  America,  is 
so  agreeable  to  him,  that  he  could  no  longer 
delay  sending  me  to  reside  among  you,  for  the 
purpose  of  cementing  it.  It  will  give  his 
Majesty  great  satisfactory  to  learn,  that  the 
sentiments,  which  have  shown  forth  on  this 
occasion,  justify  that  the  confidence  with  which 
he  hath  been   inspired,  by  the  zeal   and  char- 


FIRST   AUDIENCE  GIVEN 


46s 


acter  of  the  Commissioners  of  the  United 
States  in  France,  the  wisdom  and  fortitude 
which  have  directed  the  resohitions  of  Con- 
gress, and  the  courage  and  perseverance  of 
the  people  they  represent ;  a  confidence  which 
you  know,  gentlemen,  has  been  the  basis  of 
that  truly  amicable  and  disinterested  system, 
on  which  he  hath  treated  with  the  United 
States. 

It  is  not  his  Majesty's  fault  that  the  engage- 
ments he  hath  entered  into  did  not  establish 
your  independence  and  repose,  without  the 
further  effusion  of  blood,  and  without  aggra- 
vating the  calamities  of  mankind,  whose  hap- 
piness it  is  his  highest  ambition  to  promote, 
and  secure.  But,  since  the  hostile  measures 
and  designs  of  the  common  enemy  have  given 
to  engagements,  purely  eventual,  an  immediate, 
positive,  permanent,  and  indisoluble  force,  it  is 
the  opinion  of  the  King,  my  master,  that  the 
allies  should  turn  their  whole  attention  to  fulfil 
those  engagements  in  the  manner  most  useful 
to  the  common  cause,  and  best  calculated  to 
obtain  that  peace  which  is  the  object  of  the 
alliance. 

It  is  upon  this  principle  his  Majesty  hath 
hastened  to  send  you  a  powerful  assistance, 
which  }-ou  owe  only  to  his  friendship,  to  the 
sincere  regard  he  has  for  every  thing  which 
relates  to  advantage  of  the  United  States,  and 
to  his  desire  of  contributing  with  efficacy  to 
establish  \-our  repose  and  prosperity  upon  an 
honourable  and  solid  foundation.  And, 
further,  it  is  his  expectation  that  the  principles, 
which  may  be  adopted  by  the  respective  govern- 
ments, will  tend  to  strengthen  those  bonds  of 
union,  which  have  originated  in  the  mutual 
interest   of   the   two  nations. 

The  principal  object  of  my  instructions  is, 
to  connect  the  interests  of  France  with  those 
of  the  United  States.  I  flatter  myself,  gentle- 
men, that  my  past  conduct  in  the  affairs  which 
concern  them,  hath  already  convinced  you  of 
the  determination  I  feel  to  endeavor  to  obey 
my  instructions  in  such  manner  as  to  deserve 
the  confidence  of  Congress,  the  friendship  of 
its  members,  and  the  esteem  of  the  citizens  of 
America.  Gerard. 

To  which  the  President  was  pleased  to 
rettirn  the  following  answer : 

Sir, — The  treaties  between  his  most  Chris- 
tian Majesty  and  the  United  States  of  America, 
so  fully  demonstrate  his  wisdom  and  magna- 
nimity, as  to  command  the  reverence  of  all  na- 
tions. The  virtuous  citizens  of  America  in 
particular  can   never   forget  his  beneficent   at- 


tention to  their  violated  rights;  nor  cease  to 
acknowledge  the  hand  of  a  gracious  Providence 
m  raismg  them  up  so  powerful  and  illustrious 
a  friend.  It  is  the  hope  and  opinion  of  Con- 
gress, that  the  confidence  his  Majesty  reposes 
in  the  firmness  of  these  States  will  receive  ad- 
ditional strength   from  every  day's  experience. 

This  assembly  are  convinced.  Sir,  that,  had  it 
rested  solely  with  the  most  Christian  King, 
not  only  the  independence  of  these  States  would 
have  been  universally  acknowledged,  but  their 
trJinaiiility  fully  established.  We  lament  that 
lust  of  domination,  which  gave  birth  to  the 
present  war,  and  hath  prolonged  and  extended 
the  miseries  of  mankind.  We  ardently  wish 
to  sheathe  the  sword,  and  spare  the  further  ef- 
fusion of  blood;  but  we  are  determined,  by 
every  means  in  our  power,  to  fulfil  those  event- 
ual engagements  which  have  acquired  positive 
and  permanent  force  from  the  hostile  designs 
and  measures   of  the  common   enemy. 

Congress  have  reason  to  believe,'  that  the 
assistance  so  wisely  and  generously  sent,  will 
bring  Great  Britain  to  a  sense  of  justic'e  and 
moderation,  promote  the  common  interests  of 
France  and  America,  and  secure  peace  and 
tranquility  on  the  most  firm  and  honourable 
foundation.  Neither  can  it  be  doubted,  that 
those  who  administer  the  powers  of  govern- 
ment within  the  several  States  of  this  Union, 
will  cement  that  connexion  with  the  subjects 
of  France,  the  beneficial  effects  of  which  have 
already  been  so  sensibly  felt. 

Sir,  from  the  experience  we  have  had  of 
your  exertions  to  promote  the  true  interests 
of  our  country,  as  well  as  your  own,  it  is  with 
the  highest  satisfaction  Congress  receive,  as  the 
first  Minister  from  his  most  Christian  Majesty, 
a  gentlemen,  whose  past  conduct  affords  a 
happy  presage  that  he  will  merit  the  confidence 
of  this  body,  the  friendship  of  its  members,  and 
the  esteem  of  the  citizens  of  America. 

Henry  Laurens,  Pres. 
In    Congress,    Aug.   6,    1778. 

The  Secretary  of  Congress  then  deliv- 
ered to  the  Minister  a  copy  of  the  fore- 
going reply,  signed  as  above ;  whereupon 
the  Minister  withdrew,  and  was  conduct- 
ed home  in  the  manner  in  which  he  was 
brought  to  the  House. 

Extract  from  the  minutes. 

Charles  Thomson.  Sec'y. 


466 


'HE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


The  Home  Department 


Edited  by  Mrs.  H.  H.  Funk,  Springtown,  Pa. 


NoTE.^rhe  Editor  of  the  Home  De- 
partment is  anxious  to  know  why  it  is 
that  not  more  letters  from  readers  giving 
their  views  on  the  various  subjects  prop- 
erly coming  under  this  department  are 
received. 

The  long  winter  evenings  will  soon  be 
with  us  when  we  have  more  spare  mo- 
ments to  read  than  during  the  hot  summer 
months,  and  we  are  preparing  for  better 
things  than  we  have  yet  offered  our 
readers. 

You,  dear  reader,  can  do  much  to  make 
this  possible  and  at  the  same  time  help 
along  this  worthy  magazine.    Good,  inter- 


esting letters  are  always  welcomed,  and 
this  winter  we  hope  to  have  a  record 
breaker  in  this  department ;  these  we 
promise  to  cut,  trim  and  fit  according  to 
the  most  approved  style. 

Let  us  hear  from  you,  make  requests, 
ask  questions,  anything  to  show  your  ap- 
preciation and  interest.  This  department 
has  a  wide  scope,  and  an  exchange  of 
ideas  and  information  wih  awaken  a 
greater  interest  all  around  and  prove  a 
source  of  information. 

We    believe    our    readers    will    enjoy 
reading  and  trying  the  following  recipes. 
— Editor,  Home  Department, 


Some  German  Desserts 

FROM    THE   woman's    HOME   COMPANION. 


The  contrast  between  the  German  Suss- 
speisen  (sweet  food)  and  our  own  desserts  is 
great.  We  are  accustomed  to  manj'  dainties 
of  which  the  Germans  have  never  heard,  while, 
on  the  other  hand,  they  have  a  large  number 
of  sweet  dishes  that  are  unknown  to  most 
American  cooks,  both  professional  and  amateur. 
Nevertheless,  Crisp  Tart  (Krachtorte),  Par- 
sons' Caps  (Pfaffenkappen),  German  Sponge 
Cake  (Sandtorte) ,  as  well  as  a  number  of 
other  cakes  and  tarts,  can  be  made  in  this 
country  quite  as  easily  as  in  their  native  land. 

The  Germans  divide  what  we  call  desserts 
into  four  section.'' — th".t  is,  stewed  fruits  and 
compotes;  all  possiu  ?  varieties  of  cold  and  hot 
puddings,  creams  ai.d  jellies;  cakes,  pastry  and 
fancy   tartlets. 

Fruit  of  every  kind  that  grows  in  the  country 
is  both  cheap  and  plentiful,  and  is  usually  of 
good  quaHty.  Almost  all  the  ladies  understand 
the  art  of  preserving  fruit  in  jars,  bottles  or 
cans  for  winter  use,  but  they  seldom  make  it 
into  "jam." 


Thick  Milk  {Dicke  Milch)  is  a  famous 
Teutonic  dish,  very  simple  and  inexpensive, 
which  deserves  to  be  specially  mentionetl.  •  It 
is  usually  served  in  summer  as  a  supper  food. 
The  following  simple  instructions  show  how 
this  dish  is  prepared : 

Place  the  milk  while  it  is  fresh  in  a  very 
clean  stone  jar,  and  keep  it  in  a  cool  cellar  for 
three  or  four  days.  At  the  end  of  that  period 
it  will  have  become  a  solid  mass.  The  cream 
should  then  be  carefully  removed  from  the 
top,  and  the  set  milk  should  be  turned  into  a 
bowl.      Powdered   sugar   and   powdered    cinna- 


mon are  mixed  with  grated  cake  crumbs,  and 
are  placed  in  the  milk  when  it  is  ready  for  the 
table. 


A  kind  of  Souffle  Omelet  {JVeiner  Melil- 
spcise) — Three  tablespoonfuls  of  flour,  three 
tablespoonfuls  of  powdered  sugar,  five  yolks 
and  three  whites  of  eggs,  one-fourth  of  a  pint 
of  cream,  one  and  one-half  tablespoonfuls  of 
butter,  grated  lemon  rind,  custard  sauce.  Work 
the  sugar  and  butter  to  a  cream ;  add  the  yolks 
of  eggs,  one  at  a  time,  and  beat  up  vigorously 
until  quite  light  and  creamy.  Add  the  cream, 
and  about  one  teaspoonful  of  lemon  rind.  Beat 
the  whites  of  eggs  to  a  stifif  froth  and  mix 
with  the  flour  carefully  into  the  above.  Put  the 
combination  into  a  well-buttered  flat,  round 
cake  tin,  and  bake  in  a  moderate  oven  for  forty 
minutes.  Turn  out  on  a  hot  dish,  dredge  well 
with  powdered  sugar,  pour  around  some  hot 
custard,   and    serve   hot. 


Brown  Bread  Pudding  (Schicarsbrod 
Aniianf) — ^Eight  ounces  of  dry  brown  bread 
crumbs,  one  tablespoonful  of  pounded  cinna- 
mon, two  tablespoonfuls- of- shredded  almonds,, 
one  cupful  of  fresh  or  preserved  cherries,  four 
tablespoonfuls  of  granulated  sugar,  one  gill 
of  cream,  one  lemon,  four  eggs.  Butter  a 
plain  cake  tin  or  pudding  mold.  Strew  the 
shredded  almonds  in  the  bottom  and  sides  of 
th'e  .mold.  Place  all  the  dry  ingredients  into 
a  bowl,  and  add  half  the  lemon  rind,  grated 
or  finely  chopped,  also  the  juice  of  half  a 
lemon.  Separate  the  yolks  of  eggs  from  the 
whites,  and  stir  the  yolks  into  the  above.    Work 


THE   HOME   DEPARTMENT 


467 


in  the  cream  ;"mix  thoroughly.  Stoi>e  the  dier- 
ries,  cut  up  somewhat  small,  and  add.  Whisk 
the  whites  of  eggs  to  a  stiff  froth,  adding  a 
pinch  of  salt  before  commencing  to  whisk. 
Mix  these  carefully  with  the  mixture ;  put  them 
in  the  mold,  and  bake  in  a  moderately '  hot 
oven  for  about  thirty-five  or  forty  minutes. 
Turn  out  onto  a  hot  dish,  dredge  over  with  a 
mixture  of  ground  cinnamon  and  sugar,  pour 
around   it    some   cold    fruit,   and    serve. 


Butter  Cake  {Butter  Kuchen) — One  solid 
cupful  of  butter,  two  cupfuls  of  tlour,  four 
heaping  tablespoon fuls  of  powdered  sugar,  one 
egg.  two  yolks  of  eggs  (as  well  as  the  whole 
egg),  shredded  almonds,  granulated  sugar,  cin- 
namon. Work  the  butter  and  powdered  sugar 
to  a  cream;  beat  up  the  yolks  and  whoJe  egg; 
add  to  the  ingredients  already  named.  Work 
in  the  flour.  Incorporate  about  one  teaspoon- 
ful  of  powdered  cinnamon  to  flavor  the  mix- 
ture. Butter  and  flour  a  number  of  small, 
square-shaped  tartlet  pans;  fill  them  with  the 
mixture,  and  strew  over  with  shredded  almonds 
and  granulated  sugar.  Bake  in  an  oven  of 
moderate  heat  for  about  twenty  minutes;  take 
out,  let  cool  a  little,  and  turn  out  onto  a 
sieve    to    become    cold. 


Chocolate  Drop  Cakes  (Chocoladen- 
brodchen) — One-ihalf  cupful  of  grated  choco- 
late, one- fourth  of  a  tabkspoonful  of  butter, 
one  dessertspoonful  of  potato  flour,  two  whites 
of  eggs,  wafer  paper.  I  Mix  the- chocolate  with 
the  flour,  stir  in  the  oiled  butter,  beat  the 
whites  of  eggs  to  a  stiff  froth,  and  work  care- 
fully into  the  chocolate,  etc.  Put  the  wafer 
paper  on  a  slightly  greased  baking  sheet.  Di- 
vide the  mixture  into  little  hej^ps,  and  place 
them  about  three-fourths  of  an  inch  apart 
on  the  paper.  Dredge  with  sugar  and  bake  in 
a  slow  oven  for  twelve  minutes.  Cut  out  the 
"drops,"  or  cakes,  with  the  wafer  paper  at- 
tached by  means  of  a  round  paste  cutter,  and 
place  them  on   a   sieve   to  cool. 


Open  Custard  Tart  (OstciHaden) — Ingredi- 
ents for  the  crust  are  two  cupfuls  of  flour, 
one  small  ^g,  a  pinch  of  salt,  two  tablespoon- 
fuls  of  butter,  one  and  one-half  tablespoonfuls 
of  sugar.  Ingredients  for  the  custard  are  one 
cupful  of  cream,  three  heaping  tablespoonfuls 
of  powdered  sugar,  three  eggs.  Vanilla  or 
cinnamon  for  flavoring. 


Prepare  the  paste  in  the  usual  manner,  and 
roll  it  out  about  one-fourth  of  an  inch  thick; 
line  some  greased  cake  or  pastry  rings,  place 
on  a  greased  baking  tin  with  the  paste,  pinch 
the  edges  well  and  smooth  the  bottom  and 
sides  evenly,  so 'as  to  hffld  the  cream  and  to 
prevent  blistering  during  baking.  For  the 
custard,  beat  up  the  eggs,  add  the  sugar,  mix 
well,  and  pour  in  the  cream.  Fill  up  the  lined 
pastry  rings  with  this  preparation,  and  bake 
the  tarts  in  a  fairly  quick  oven. 

Another  way  of  making  these  tarts  is  to 
pick  the  bottom  of  the  lined  rings,  fill  them 
with  rice  or  dried  peas,  and  then  bake  them. 
When  done,  take  out  the  contents,  pour  in  the 
custard,  prepared  with  hot  cream,  and  bake 
again  in  a  slow  oven  for  fifteen  minutes. 


Cream  Pudding  (Rahm  Pudding) — Work 
up  three  yolks  of  eggs  with  three  tablespoon- 
fuls of  sour  cream ;  add  one  rounded  table- 
spoonful  of  sugar,  one-half  teaspoonful  of 
ground  cinnamon,  a  pinch  of  salt  and  one  cup- 
ful of  bread  crumbs  (soft  and  white)  or 
cake  crumbs.  Beat  up  three  whites  of  eggs 
to  a  stifT  froth,  and  mix  with  the  above.  Fill 
a  buttered  pudding  tin  or  bowl,  cover  with 
buttered  paper,  and  steam  or  boil  for  forty- 
five  minutes.  Unmold  and  serve  with  wine 
sauce  or  hot  custard  or  vanilla  sauce. 


Cold  Chocoi-ate  Pudding  (Kalte  Chocoladt 
^/>me)^-One-fourth  of  a  cupful  of  grated 
chocolate,  one-fourth  of  a  pint  of  milk,  two 
tablespoonfuls  of  sugar,  three  whole  eggs,  one 
yolk  of  egg  in  addition,  two  tablespoonfuls 
of  flour,  two  rounded  tablespoonfuls  of  butter, 
vanilla.  Put  the  chocolate  and  flour  into  a 
small  stew  pan ;  mix  in  the  milk,  and  work  to 
a  smooth  paste ;  add  the  butter,  and  stir  over 
the  fire  long  enough  to  leave  the  sides  and 
bottom  of  the  pan  quite  clean,  then  add  the . 
sugar,  and  let  the  paste  cool  a  little.  Work  in 
the  yolks  of  eggs  one  at  a  time.  Add  enough 
vanilla  essence  to  flavor.  Whisk  the  whites 
of  eggs  to  a  stiff  froth,  and  mix  carefully  into 
the  above  preparation.  Pour  the  whole  into 
a  pudding  bowl  or  well-buttered  mold,  steam 
or  boil  for  an  hour  and  thirty  minutes ;  unmold, 
and  serve  when  cold.  (If  baked,  this  recipe 
makes  a  satisfactory  chocolate  cake.)  As  a 
pudding  it  may  be  served  hot,  if  desired,  with 
custard. 


468 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Liteary  Selections 

JOY. 

BY    CHARLES    K.    MESCHTER,    LEHIGH    UNIVERSITY. 

The  world  of  woe 
Was  long  ago : 
The  good  and  gay 
Are  here  today :    ■ 
So  live  and  love, 
Heart  fixed  above. 
The  world  is  old, 

The  world  is  young. 
And  we  are  bold 

And  croon  our  song. 

THE  OLD  WAY  OF  THRASHING. 

BY  H.  L.   FISHER,  YORK,  PA. 


Mit   Flegel  hen   m'r's   Korn  getrosche — 

Mit    Ohlehaut    gebunne ; 
So   oft  as   a'ner   drowe   war 
Am   Owerden — so   hooch,   schiergar — 

Wump!  war  d'r  anner  drunne, 
Un  fon'm  alte  Keschte-wald 
Hot's  als  die  Antwort  s'rick  geschallt. 

Es  war'n  harte  Aerwet  g'wesst, 

Un  wenig  Loh   f'rsproche; 
Doch,    was    die    Kerls    so    eifrich    schaffe! 
Sie  vvisse  das  im  Eisehaffe, 

Die  Damp'knop  eifrich  koche; 
Olwas  'n  g'sunter   Abbedit, 
Bringt   harte    Aerwet    immer  mit! 

So  hen  m'r  als  es  Korn  getrosche — 

D'r  Waze  mit  de  Gaul; 
M'r  hen  sie  g'ritte — lang  drufrum, 
Herrjeh!  was  war  m'r  doch  so  dumm! 

So  geht's  net  alleweil; 
Die  Dreschmaschine !   sel  macht  wie's  kummt, 
Das  Dresche  nau  gans  annerscht  brummt. 

Wie's  fertig  war,  war's  Schtroh  so  scho 
Un    weech,    du   glaa/bscht   m'r's   net; 

Un  O !   was  leichte,  weeche  Schprau ! 

Du  weescht  jo  nix,  ich  sag  d'r's  nau, 
Es  war  ken  besser  Bett ; 

Eweck  mit   'Mattress'   un  mit  'Schprings,' 

Un  all  so  deu'r  hochmiitig  Dings. 

D'r  Bettschtrick  war  fon  Hanf  gemacht 

Un  dunners  hart  gedreht; 
M'r  hen'n  uf  die  Zappe  g'hangt, 
Un  hen'n  g'schtreckt,  du  hatscht  gedankt 

Es  war'n  Geige-sait; 
Un  wan  m'r  hot  so  druf  gedrummt 
Dan  hot's  wie'n   Bass-geig  Sait  gebrummt. 

Was  hen  m'r  als  so  ruhich  g'schloofe, 

Uf   selle   alte   Better! 
Da  wieschter,  rauher  war  die  Nacht, 
Da  besser  hot's  em   schloofe  g'macht, 

Do  war's  em   net   um's   Wetter; 
Wan  der  alt  Schornschte  noch  dort  war, 
Dan  war  ken  Druwel  un  ken  G'fohr. 


So  did  the  threshers  thresh  the  rye — 
Thump,    thump!    thump,    thump!    the    live- 
long day ; 

And,  still,  I   see  the  brawny  wrist 

And   supple   elbow's   skillful   twist, 
In    that   expert,    peculiar    way, 

That  made  the  grain  like  spray  ascend, 

And  then  in  rattling  showers  descend. 

Thus,   faithfully  the  threshers   toiled 
And  hardly  earned  their   meagre  pay, 

Which,  with  the  potluck  threshers  got, 

Was,  at  the  most,  a  tithe  of  what 
They  threshed  out  on  a  winter-day; 

Yet,   what  cared  they   for  golden   weaJth, 

With   labor's   joy    and   robust   health? 

So  threshed  they  not  the  treasured  wheat — 
With  eelskin-coupled  hickory  flail; 

The  patient  horses   tramped   it   out 

While  lazily  they  walked  about. 
All  tied  and  tethered  nose  to  tail; 

Nor  could  the  drowsy  rider  keep. 

In  endless  rounds,  from  going  to  sleep. 

On  such  a  bed  of  wheaten  straw. 

Or  trodden  chafif,  as  soft  as  down, 
Weary  of  labors,  hale  with  joys. 
The  farmers  and  the  farmer's  boys, 

And  buxom  girls  in  woolen  gowns. 
Enjoyed   an   undisturbed   repose. 
Dreaming  of  sweethearts,  or  of  beaus. 

In  bedsteads,  humble,   neat   and  plain. 

Braced  up  with  sturdy,  hempen  cords, 
As  tight  as  old  Jo's  fiddle-strings — 
Without  a  mattress,  slats,  or  springs, 

We,  romping,  rustic,  rural  lords 
Reclined  and  slept  and  dreamed  and  snored, 
While  wintry  storms  around  us  roared. 

There,  in  those  humble  beds  we  slept, 
Without  a  pain  or  earthly  care ; 

Without  a  carpet  on  the  floor; 

With   rusty  horse-shoe  o'er  the   door, — 
A  door   supported  by  a  chair — 

We   felt  nor   feared  an  earthly  ill. 

Nor  witch,  nor  bogle,  ghost  nor  de'il. 


LITERARY  SELECTIONS. 


469 


JUBILEE  ODE. 


The  following  poem  was  written  and  read  at  the 
last  commencement  at  Wooster  University,  Ohio,  by 
Dr.  Harvey  Carson  Grumbine,  Professor  of  Englisk 
Literature  in  that  institution.  The  writer,  a  Penn- 
sylvania-German among  the  Buckeyes,  is  a  son  of  E. 
Grumbine,    M.D.,   of    Mt.    Zion,   Pa. 

O   year   of  joyous  jubilee, 

Wooster  is  free ! 
From  near  and  far 

And  ail   the  world  around 
To  the  utmost  star 

Let  the  happy  news  resound — 

"Wooster  is  free  !■" 

O  let  the  tidings  run 

Merrily  'round  the  world, 
Swift    as    the    fleeting    sun, 

Bright  on  his  shafts  impearled — 
"Wooster  is  free!" 
O  tell   it  to  her   sons, 

Go,  tell   it  to  her   daughters 

Beyond  the   farthest  waters, 
E'en  where  the  Jordan  runs! 
In  the  distant  palmy  isles 

Within  the  tropic  seas ; 

Beyond  the  Hebrides 
And  Caucasus'  defiles; 
In    stupefied    Cathay, 

In   Hindustan  and  Ind;   ' 
In  every  heathen   way 

Where   lies   the    fetter   mind — 
Break  forth,  O  Golden  Day, 

And    say, 
"Wooster  is  free. 
Ye  shall  be  free, 
And  God  shall  reign  to  Eternity!" 

His  truth,  like  living  light. 
Shall  spread  from  pole  to  pole ; 
His  choral  anthems  roll 
Beyond  the  bounds  of  sight. 
Lo,    Light    and    Love    with    Honor,    Truth, 

These  blessed  four. 
Children  of  immortal  youth, 
Angelic  spirits  of  the  Lord, 

Shall  multiply  for  evermore, 
Singing  their  Maker's  word 
And  calling  forth  to  all  the  seas  and  lands, 
"In  triumph,  all  ye  people,  clap  your  hands— 
Wooster  is  free!" 

This  anthem  'benedight 
The  organ  of  the  soul 
Swelling,  roll  on  roll. 
Discourses  in   delight. 
O  listen  with  the  inner  ear 

And  hear ! 
O  lift  a  loving  eye  and  see 
The  vision  of  our   Deity — 
It    is    our    jubilee! 

And  offer  up 

To    Him    our    cup. 
Filled   full  and  o\'«r-brimming 
With   joys   the  saints  are  hymning! 


"Lo,   Wooster   is   free  I 
Love  and  Honor,  Light  and  Truth — 
These  four. 
As  of  yore, 
Shall  run  from  shore  to  shore, 
And  gather  in  the  youth 
To  nurture  them  for  liberty — 
For  Wooster  is  free ! 

Henceforth 
The   sons   and   daughters   of   the   North, 
The  Golden  West,  the  Homeland  East, 
Prisoners  of   hope   released. 
Shall  come  in  search 
Of   Alma   Mater — Mother   Church — 
Shall    go    elate 

The  loyal  children  of  the  Church  and  State  1 
For  Wooster  is   free!" 

O  listen  while  again  the  choral  throng 

Chant  forth  in  numbers  sanctified  and  strong: 

"Yea,   Wooster   is    free! 
Shod   with   fire.   His   flaming   Word, 
By    love    and    duty    spurred. 
His  holy  messengers  shall  go 
From  tropic  heat  to  polar  snow 
To  spread  abroad  the  truth ; 
His  valiant  youth 
Shall   walk  with   Science 
In  meet   reliance 
Upon  the  dictate  of  His  laws; 
Patience   with   reverence   shall   pause 
To   press    from    fact    to   primal    cause  i 

And    humbly    walk    with    God 
Where  thunderbolts  obey  His  nod — 
Where  stars  of  night 
Whisper   the   secrets   of   His  might. 
No  sun  shall  dim 

Its  light  to  those  in  search  of  Him; 
No    planet    roll 

In  vain  for  them  who  read  His  scroll. 
The  farthest  bound 
Of  thought  profound 
Shall  flame  across  the  glowing  page 
And  thrill  the  bosom  of  the  sage! 

ReHgion,  Science,  eye  to  eye,  ■ 

Shall  read  -the  riddles  of  the   sky,  ' 

And  Art  with  hallowed  feet  explore 
The  myst'ries   of  earth's   darkest   shore. 
Dame  Nature,  veiled  with  beauty,  shall  reveal 
The  fount  of  wisdom  and  the  joys  that  heal-r 
"For  Wooster  is  free!" 

So  rise  the   strains  of  heavenly  gratitude 
To   Him   who   is   the   Giver  of  all   good; 
To   God,  the  Father  of  all   righteousness, 
And  Christ,  our  Saviour,  nailed  upon  the  tree 
That    we,    defiled,   might    undefiled   be 
And  cured  forever  of  our  sins'  distress. 
O   join,  ye  people,  all  ye  people  join 
And  chant  a  prayer  unto  our  Lord  divine — 
A  prayer  of  praise  and  joyous  jubilee 
To  Him  who  gave  that  Wooster  might  be  freet 


470 


THE'  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


DE   LEAB   SCHWATAR. 


BY    REV.     \VM.    GERHARDT,    D.D. 


We  uft,  yaw  uft.  denk  Ich  tsurick, 
Un  wend  en  saensuchtsfuller  blick 
On  dich,  du  woondershaena  crick, — 
Du  leab  Schwatar. 

We  uft  hov  Ich,  in  summertseit, 
En  stund  on  deiner  bank  ferweilt 
In  stiller  ruh  un  heiterkeit, — 
Du  leab  Schwatar. 

Besides  bin  Ich  awe  hin  gagonga, 
Um  don  un  won  dy  fish  tsu  fonga 
Dee  in  deim  deefa  wasser  pronga, — 
Du  leab  Schwatar. 

Un  won  Ich  ging  my  Porra's— pflichta 
In  londes  g'maena  tsu  ferrichta, 
So  bin  Ich  uft  iver  deina  bricka, — 
Du  leab  Schwatar. 

Un  note  won  Ich  tsurick  gakaert, 
Un  plain  dy  rousend  wosser  g'haert, 
So  war  Ich  shure  de  haemet  waert, — 
Du  leab  Schwatar. 

So  war  aes  leider  "long  ago," 
Now  is  aes  awver  nimmy  so, 


Wo   sinn   sella   guta  tseita,  wo? 
Du  leab  Schwatar. 

Now  haer  Ich  net  dy  sanftes  laucha, — 
De  moosic  de  dy  wella  maucha — • 
De  nimmer  schlofa — immer  waucha, — 
Du  leab  Schwatar. 

So  weit  fon  deer. — now  olt  un  gro 
Bin  Ich,  du  crick,  y^Xz  nimmy  so ! 
We  Ich  sell  tseita  war,  ah  !   no, 
Du  leab  Schwatar. 

Du  auver  bleibscht  de  saem  shae  crick ; 
Dy  wosser  lauft  yo  youscht  so  quick 
Won  Ich  noch  Lebanon  gook  zurick, 
Du  leab  Schwatai. 

Gern  mecht  Ich  dich  noch  aemole  sae. 
On   deiner  bank  widder   wondla  gae. 
We   in    fergongona   zeita    shae, — 
Du  leab  Schwatar. 

En  aunera  strom  waerd  Ich  bald  sae, 
Ivver  daen  moos  Ich  gaewislich  gae ; 
Hilf  Gott  bleib  bei  immer  meh. 
Good-by€,    du    leab   Schwatar. 


MEI'  ERST'  BLUGGES. 


BY    J.    W.    SEIP,    M.D.,    ERIE,    PA. 


Ich  war  erst  zwolf  Jahr,  awer  grosz  un'  stark 
for  mei'  Aelt.  Ich  bin  just  kle  'uf  die  Weld 
kumme,  un'  war  zu  spot  gebore,  sunst  war  ich 
groszer  un'  alter  gewest.  Ich  war  g'rad'  fiinf 
Jahr  alt  wie  der  Abe  Lincoln  g'schosse  is' 
warre. 

IVIer  hann's  als  's  Stiickle  vom  Neuland 
g'he'se".  'S  war  just  e'n  klee  Stiick  Grund — 
was  net  Stee  un'  Stmnbe  ware ;  so  'n  grummer 
Hals  zwische  zwe  Wasserlocher.  net  weit  vom 
Bio  Berg.  Gansz  genau  wo's  leid,  darf  ich  net 
augewe ;  es  dhaat  zu  beriihmt  warre.  Die  Leut 
ware  noch  im  Standt  un'  dhate's  St.  Jakob's 
Feld  he'se'.  Die  viele  Stee  die  mir  davon  un' 
um  die  Wasserlocher  g'fahre  hiinn,  mache  's 
schon  merkwiirdig  genung.  Fer  die  Stee  all 
runner  namme  hatt's  'n  Chinese  Wall  drum 
g«macht,  un'  war  nix  vom  Feld  iiwerich  ge- 
bliwe   wie  'n   Loch. 

Es  hot  meh  Seite  un'  Ecke  g'hatt.  wie  ich 
spiiter  aus'g'fun'e  hab,  in  der  Millersville 
Normal  Schul,  das  wie  im  Brooks'  geometry 
a'gewe  sin.  Wie  sell  so  sei  hott  konne  wes 
ich  heut'  noch  nett.  Mei'  friiherer  P'reund  un' 
Schulme'ster,  J.  Fred.  Bachman,  von  Daniels- 
ville,  der  nau  Landmesser  un'  Friedensrichter 
doft  is,  kennt's  gewisz  ausrechle.  Wer's  wisse 
will    kann    ihm    jo    schreiwe. 

Die  Geil   ware  grosz   un'   sin   gansz   langsam 


'gauge'  wie  Ochse.  Sie  hann  miisse'.  Alle 
zwansig  Schritt  hot  der  Blugg  e'n  fester  Stee 
getrofife ;  wann  sie  schnell  'gauge'  ware,  stark 
wie  sie  ware,  hatte'  sie  alles  verrisse.  Die 
groszte  von  de'  lose  Stee  hann  just  der  Blugg 
'rausg'schmisse'.  Sell  war  nett  so  schlimm. 
Awer  wann  ich  gedenkt  hab' — wie  scho'  dasz 
nau  die  Stee  iiwer's  Wennbrett  rolle  un"  rable 
dahde, — bumbs !  Zur  Abwechsel  war's  d'esmol 
net  just  e'n'  Stumbe  oder  e'n'  werzel,  awer 
'e'n  fester  Stee  unner  'em  Grund.  Sell  war  oft 
schlimm  fer  mich.  Der  Blugg  hot  mich  oft 
umg'schlage'.  Bis  owets  ware  mei'  Ribbe  ganz 
bio.  Sell  war  all  nix ;  awer  dann  is'  er  alse- 
mol  so  fest  ware  dasz  ich  i'n  'uf  die  Seit'  drehe 
hab'  miisse  um  i'n  wi'dder  los  zu  kriege'. 
Domit  is'  viel  Zeit  verlore  'gauge',  un'  hot  mich 
alsemol  e'n  "Donnerwetter"  sage  mache. 

Im  Nochmidag  is'  e'ns  von  unsre  faule  Noch- 
bare  iiwer  mei'  Blugges  geloddeld  komme  un' 
hot  geme'nt  er  konnt  de'  ganze  Dag  dort  blugge 
un'  'braucht  ke'n  so  Worte  brauchc.  E'mol 
rum  hot  ihm  gedu.  Mit  Stumbe  un'  Stee  zu- 
samme'  (ich  hab  's  gezahlt),  hot  's  die  Geil 
zwanzig  mol  g'stobt,  un'  allemol  "I  never  saw 
the  Ifke"  g'sagt.  Er  war  just  so  de'.:tsch  wie 
ich  au',  un'  ich  hab'  mich  Mann  genug  g'fielt 
ihm  zu  sage'  dasz  er  just  English  genug  ge- 
wiszt  hat'  dozumol  um   neunzeh'  mol  zu  liige'. 


LITERARY  SELECTIONS. 


471 


Wic  mei'  Vater-  die  G'.schicht'  ausg^'fua'c'  hot 
we's  ich  heut'  noch  net;  awer  dasz  er  mir  Or- 
feige  g'ewe  hot  deswege,  vergesse  ich  nie. 

Der  Nochbar  hot  bcsser  gewiszt  wie  mir  eb- 
bes  zu  dhu.  Sogar  ohne  weidere  Worte  is'  er 
glei"  weider  'gange'.  Ich  denk  's  hot  ihm  ei'- 
geleucht  dasz  Buwe  g'fahrlich  sin'  wo  's  so 
viel  Siee  hot. 

Es  war  e'n  wa-rmer  Dag  un'  die  Geil  sin  sehr 
g'schwitzt.  Ich  hab'  sie  oft  bissel  steh'  miisse 
losse.  Alir  war's  au'  ganz  recht.  Es  hot  mir 
au'  Zeit  'gewe  zu  ruge  un'  iiwer  mei'  harte 
Erwet  zu  denke.  "Turning  the  stubborn 
glebe"  war  nie  e'n  HebHngs  G'schaft  von  mir. 
Spater  hab'  ich  ziemhch  immer  e'n  klee  Buch 
no'  getrage.  Hab'  e'n  manche  Aufgabe  'uf  'em 
Bkiggsgranndel  un'  Fudertrog  gelernt  um  iiwer 
mei'  Kreuz  un'  Elend  'uf  de'  Bauerei  zu 
komme'. 


Seller  erst  Vormidag  is's  sclion  hart  genung 
'gan'jc  bis  'es  Horn  zu  Middag  geblose  hot. 
Nochmidags  noch  harter ;  un'  seller  Owet  hab' 
ich  net  'ut's  Horn  gewart.  Ich  war  au'  zu 
miid  r.och  weider  mache'.  Dann  au'  meiner 
Ansicht  no'  hab'  ich  e'n  Dags  Erwet  gedhu 
g'hat. 

Selle  Nacht  hat'  ich  e'n  hiiszlicher  Dra'm. 
Ich  h:'.b'  so  viel  Geil  im  Blugg  g'hat  wie  die 
Circus-Leut  in  ihre  Wage.  Bin  die  ganz  Nacht 
iiwer  nix  wie  Stee  un'  Stumbe  'gauge'  mit 
meine'  viele  Geil  im  Blugg.  Alles  war  Geil, 
Stee  un'  Stumbe  so  weit  dasz  ich  hab'  sehne 
konne.  So  hot's  mir  gemacht  bis  gege  Morge ; 
dann  hot  mich  mei'  Mutter  g'hort  und  'ufge- 
weckt.  E'n  Drank  bittere  Thee  hot  mei' 
Dra'm   kurirt.      Spater   is   mei'    Blugge   besser' 


DE  SCIENTISTS  UN  DE  HEXADUCKTER. 


BY  T.    H.   HAKTKR,   BELLEFONTE,   PA. 


My  Geleebde  Freiiid — Es  muss  em  warick- 
lich  boll'  bong  si  far  ous  em  house  gae  won  mer 
laesed  fun  oil  dos  uns  ivvercooma  sull.  LTnser 
scientists  sin  boll  inera  gloss  mit  da  Tseiner 
(Gypsies)  un  da  hexa-duckter.  Olles  gaed 
tsu  groond  won  mer  se  haerd.  Aner  sawgt  de 
weldt  ware  om  uff-drickla  un  in  a  pawr  yohr 
daida  mere  oil  fardoshta.  En  onera  sawgt  oil 
unser  nochkimling  daida  farsowfa  ;  dos  es  huls 
ware  boll  oil  fun  unsera  bnrga  g'hocked  un 
derno  daids  wasser  drivva  runner  sheese  un 
uns  oil  aweck  schwemma  we  umensa  innera 
wesh-schissel.  En  onerer  sawgt  de  hitz  fun 
der  soon  daid  olla  dawg  wennicher  warra ; 
unser  cola  un  huls  ware  boll  oil  uff  g'used 
un  derno  daida  mere  farfreera ;  un  en  onerer 
sawgt  de  weldt  daid  olla  dawg  naicher  on  de 
soon  cooma  un  anes  fun  denna  dawg  daida 
mere  kups-fedderst  ni  folia  un  oil  ferbrenna. 
Awver  des  is  net  oil.  Ufif  ollem  eck  shtaid 
en  porra  un  yader  hut  en  agener  glawva  un 
sawgt  uns  won  mer  net  tsu  sinera  karrick 
kara  don  daida  mere  oil  farlora  gae.  Won  de 
socha  oil  so  sin  don  sin  mere  gawiss  g'schwisha 
em  difel  un  em  deefa  sae.  un  de  woo  nimmy 
shp-inga  kenna  daida  besser  laerna  tsu  schwim- 
ma. 

Ich  un  de  Polly  hen  unser  mind  ufif 
g'mauched  dos  wos  is,  is  recht;  un'  wos 
coomed,  coomed  anyhow.  Dos  de  weldt  is 
shtorrick  om  besser  wara.  un  ware  recht  laebed 
un  recht  denkt  dare  doot  recht  shtariva.  Won 
Ich  sawg  dos  de  weldt  om  besser  wara  is  don 
sawg    Ich    wos    Ich    broofa    con. 

Dorrich  de  ledsi.t  hoyet  wore  Ich  a  p^wr 
d-'wg  drows  by  em  oldta  Sammy  Sendapetzer 
ufif  sinera  bowerei,  un  es  ding  hut  sich  ea- 
broofed  tsu  minera  sntisfaction.  Es  lend  is 
nuch  oil  dart,  de  felder  sin  es  s-^m°.  de-  '^hlt 
tzooker  baum  shtaid  nuch  im  eck  fum  shire- 
feldt,  awver  de  schwart?:  huddle  un  de  wasser 


shtitz,  woo  ols  unich  em  hoy-wishly  g'shtonna 
hut,  is  nimmy  dart. 

Un  ware  con  mere  sawga  os  es  net  besser 
is  oony  de  huddle?  Feel  fun  da  oldta  siffer 
woo  now  ufT  em  township  sin  odder  sich  dote 
g'suffa  hen  laerna  "schnoodla"  in  der  hoyet 
un  im  arn-feldt.  Se  sawga  mere  der  licker  is 
nimmy  so  goot  os  are  ols  wore.  Des  con  oil 
so  si.  Ich  hob  ganunk  gadrunka  far  wissa,  un 
Ich  hob  nuch  der  arsht  druppa  tsu  drinka  os 
mer  net  schlechta  gadonka  in  der  kup  hut.  Ich 
hob  shunt  uft  gawoonered  we's  gooka  daid 
won  der  Kitzeldarfer  oil  de  sififer  os  are  ga- 
maucht  hut  in  en  showfenshter  setza  daid  for 
si  arawet  wisa,  we  en  shoe-macher  si  shoe. 
Dart  ware  der  Billy  Bixler  mitera  naws  we  en 
rhode-reeb,  der  Mike  Hetzel  mit  sime  aenda 
bae — es  onner  hut  are  farlora  we  are  g'sufifa 
wore  un  is  unich  de  train  g'folla.  Der  Sam 
Seeshuls  woo  im  norra-house  is ;  der  Bill 
Boombernickel  woo  sich  g'henked  hut  we  are 
der  poker  g'hot  hut ;  en  dutzent  onera,  un 
hinna  on  ena  oil  daid  der  Boonastiel  shtae  mit 
sina  farissna  glaeder,  un  de  pawr  cent  haeva 
in  sinera  tziddericha  bond — olles  os  mae  doh 
ih  fun  da  tzwae  boweria  woo  are  farsufifa  hut. 
Heit  is  ken  huddle  mae  im  feldt,  ken  drom 
mae  on  sex  cent  de  gwart;  ken  farsomling 
mae  woo  j-ader  ebber  g'sufifa  is  worra  os 
schlooka  hut  kenna.  Der  "goot"  drom  is  oil 
gadrunka.  Are  is  fardt — awver  es  goot  os 
are  gadoo  hut  is  tzimlich  oil  im  grawb,  in  der 
jail,   uff   em   township   odder   im   norra-house. 

De  weldt  is  besser  un  shtorrick  om  besser 
wara.  Der  telephone  mauched  uns  oil  ae  grosse 
fomilia,  un  onshlotz  fnm  ei-shponna  un  en 
holver  dawg  fohra  far  ous-finna  we  en  gronka 
nuchber's  fraw  is.  lawfed  ins  eck,  glingled  en 
bell  on  sawgt,  "Hello,  we  is  de  Betz  den 
morga?"  Ols   widder, 

Gottlieb  Boon.x.stif.i.. 


472 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT. 


Editor  and  Publisher 

H.  W.  KRIEBEL, 
East  GreenTille,  Pa. 

The  Pennsylvania-German  is  an  illustrated  monthly 
magazine  devoted  to  the  biography,  history,  genealogy, 
folklore,  literature  and  general  interests  of  German 
and  Swiss  settlers  in  Pennsylvania  and  other  States, 
and    of    their    descendants. 

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Associate  Editors 
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E.  S.  GERHARD,  A.  M.,  Trenton,  N.  J. 

using  red  ink  in  addressing  the  wrapper  of  the 
magazine. 

Contributions. — Carefully  prepared  articles  bearing 
on  our  field  are  invited  and  should  be  accompanied 
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turned unless  stamps  are  sent  to  prepay  postage. 
Contributions  intended  for  any  particular  number 
should  be  in  the  editor's  hands  by  the  twenty-fifth  of 
the    second    preceding    month. 

Advertising  Rates  will  be  furnished  by  the  pub- 
lisher   upon    request. 


Clippings  from  Current  News 


— 'Renovo  celebrated  Old  Home  Week  dur- 
ing the  first  days  of  September.  Geo.  L. 
Sch-.eider,  J  Howard  Snyder,  Jas.  L.  Ever- 
hai.  and  W.  C.  Noll,  as  chairmen  of  various 
committees,  helped  to  plan  the  demonstrations. 

— Lack  of  patronage  of  the  German  theatre 
in,  Milwaukee  is  instanced  by  the  New  York 
World  as  proof  of  the  Americanization  of  that 
city  of  strong  Teutonic  influences.  The  aban- 
donment of  the  mother  tongue  was  inevitable, 
though  it  has  been  longer  delayed  in  Mil- 
waulcee  than  in  St.  Louis,  Cincinnati  and 
other  cities  of  large  German  population. 

— Mrs.  Elizabeth  Hunt,  Brooklyn's  oldest  in- 
habitant, recently  celebrated  her  io8th  birth- 
day anniversary.  She  was  born  in  Lancaster, 
Pa.,  August  31,  1800,  and  when  12  years  old 
moved  with  her  parents  to  New  York.  Her 
husband  has  been  dead  for  fifty  years.  Her 
descendants  include  two  sons  and  several 
grandchildren   and   great-grandchildren. 

At  her  last  birthday  anniversary  she  was  able 
to  join  in  the  festivities,  but  in  the  last  few 
months  she  has  become  so  feeble  th&t  she  is 
permitted  to  see  no  one  outside  of  her  family. 

-^-Preparations  are  being  made  for  a  fitting 
celebration  of  the  one  hundred  and  fiftieth  an- 
niversary of  the  erection  of  the  old  Sun  Hotel, 
of  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  and  the  event  promises  to 
be  one  of  historical  importance,  with  social 
features  of  a  character  that  will  bring  together 
many  of  the  best-known  bojiifaces  of  the  State. 
This  hotel  has  undergone  many  changes  since 
the  first  primitive  building  was  constructed,  but 
in  those  early  days,  like  Robinson  Crusoe, 

It  was   monarch  of  all   it  surveyed. 

For   its   right  there  was  none  to  dispute. 

—Dr.  L.  Ryder  Evans,  of  Pottstown,  Pa., 
delivered  an  address  on  "The  Pennsylvania- 
Germans"  before  the  alumni  of  the  Penn  Hall- 
Spring  Mills  Academy,  Center  county.  Pa.,  in 
which  he  said  among  other  things:  "In  this 
my  native  county,  the  prolific  mother  of  gov- 
ernors, statesmen,  jurists,  physicians,  ministers 
and  educators,  there  rises  before  me  in  mem- 
ory a  long  list  of  worthies  who  have  left  their 


impress  indelibly  upon  the  community  in  which 
they  lived  and  wrought  and  taught."  Our 
readers  in  Center  county  will  confer  a  great 
favor  by  sending  us  sketches  of  some  of  their 
prominent  sons  anc  historic  communities.  Let 
us   hear   from   you. 

— The  centennial  of  the  Lutheran  church  at 
Rehrersburg,  Berks  county,  Pa.,  was  held  Aug. 
9th.  This  church  was  built  in  1808.  The  first 
church  had  been  built  in  1757.  In  that  year  its 
records  were  commenced.  We  are  told  that  the 
book  was  purchased  1757  by  the  deacons  then 
in  office,  for  the  use  of  the  "Evangelical  Lu- 
theran congregation  on  the  Bieber  creek  ad 
Toloheo."  One  year  ago  this  congregation  cele- 
brated the  sesqui-centennial  of  the  erection  of 
their  first  church.  This  is  a  rare  thing  in  this 
country.  And  yet  the  congregation  is  un- 
doubtedly somewhat  older.  Hall,  Nachr,  de- 
clare positively  that  Rev.  J.  N.  Kurtz  held  serv- 
ices here  regularly  from  1750  on.  Rev.  John 
Casper  Stoever's  baptismal  record  shows  that 
he  performed  from  fifty  to  sixty  baptisms  be- 
fore 1757  at  Atolhoe,  as  he  calls  it. 

— ^.'Vmong  the  papers  found  by  the  heirs  of 
James  Hardcastle,  the  aged  Middletown  re- 
cluse, hidden  away  in  secluded  corners  of  the 
old  house,  are  documents  showing  Joseph 
Hardcastle,  the  paternal  ancestor  of  the  aged 
man,  to  have  been  a  poet  of  considerable  note. 

In  verses  there  were  found  many  historical 
sketches  of  all  portions  of  the  county,  and 
even  many  of  his.  business  l.etters  were  written 
in   rhyme. 

One  poem,  complete  in  about  30  stanzas,, 
gives  a  detailed  report  of  the  drowning  of 
Lydia  Hollingsworth,  in  Darby  Creek,  near 
Darby,  a  matter  of  Delaware  county  history, 
and  the  terrible  grief  of  her  lover,  David  Lewis, 
who  escaped  from  the  flooded  creek  in  watch- 
ing the  fate  of  the  girl,  whose  long  flowing 
hair  caught  in  the  limbs  of  a  tree  and  held 
her  until  she  was  released  by  death.  This 
accident  occurred  in  a  flood  in  1798  and  the 
poem   bears  the   date  of    1802. 

— Francis  B.  Lee,  a  New  Jersey  historian,, 
classified    a    storm    coming    the    last    week    in; 


CLIPPINGS  FROM  CURRENT   NEWS 


473 


August  as  the  historic  'sour  pear  rain."  He 
said  that  was  the  name  of  the  storm  in  old 
colonial  days,  and  that  Jersey  folk  who  made 
it  a  business  of  keeping  weather  records 
agreed  that  the  storm  comes  each  year  with 
harldy  an  exception,  and  has  done  so  since 
early  colonial  days.  The  "sour  pear  rain" 
takes  its  name  from  the  fact  that  it  appears 
late  in  August,  when  the  sour  pears  are  ripe. 
In  eastern  Pennsylvania  some  predict  rain 
during  the  week  when  the  quince  trees  are 
in  bloom.  The  Pennsylvania-German  wel- 
comes accounts  of  Weather  Prognostications 
among   Pennsylvania-Germans. 

— Epler"s  church  history  in  Berks  county, 
Pa.,  dates  back  l8o  years  when  the  Reformed 
congregation  organized  in  1728,  first  worship- 
ping in  a  log  church  until  1788,  when  a  stone 
church  was  erected,  which  stood  until  185 1, 
when  the  present  brick  edifice  was  erected. 
The  Lutheran  history  dates  from  1825,  when 
Rev.  Mr.  Engel  was  the  first  pastor.  A  Union 
Sunday-school  was  organized  in  1875.  An  Old 
Home  Day  was  celebrated  by  church  and 
school  August  8,  attended  by  many  former 
members. 

— Governor  Stuart  uttered  the  following 
words  in  an  address  at  Mt.  Gretna,  Pa. 
"Pennsylvania  employs  33,000  teachers  in  her 
public  schools.  Her  system  of  training  teach- 
ers has  attracted  wide  attention.  Graduates  of 
her  schools  are  sought  after  and  are  to  be 
found  holding  important  positions  in  the  school- 
rooms of  many  States.  For  example,  at  a  re- 
cent meeting  of  the  State  Teachers'  Associa- 
tion of  New  Jersey,  the  president,  the  vice- 
president  and  the  secretary  were  graduates 
from  Pennsylvania  public  schools.  At  one  of 
their  associations  some  one  objected  to  this  in- 
flux from  the  Keystone  State,  whereupon  a 
Pennsylvanian  asked  all  present  who  were  from 
Pennsylvania  to  rise.  Only  two  remained 
seated.  This  shows  how  the  work  of  Penn- 
sylvania's schools  is  appreciated  in  other 
States. 

Teachers,  in  their  practice  of  their  profes- 
sions, may  not  receive  as  much  financial  return 
as  merchants,  or  enjoy  as  much  honor  as 
Judges  or  Congressmen,  but  they  have  the  con- 
sciousness that  they  inspired  most,  if  not  all, 
of  those  who  have  attained  eminence  among 
their  fellow-men.  They  shape  the  destinies 
of  the  nation  by  their  moulding." 

— Faithful  students  abound  in  all  parts  of  the 
land,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  anywhere  in  this 
country  or  abroad  there  pan  be  found  a  pupil 
with  a"  record  for  school  attendance  equal  to 
that  of  Miss  Mary  E.  Refsnyder,  of  Glenside, 
Pa.  Miss  Refsnyder  is  probably  the  world's 
champion  in  that  particular  respect,  as  she  went 
to  school  regularly  for  twelve  years  and  never 
missed  a  single  session.  She  belongs  to  a 
class  of  twenty-one,  which  graduated  not  long 
ago  from  the'  Cheltenham  High  School.  In 
addition  to  the  regular  diploma  which  was  fur- 
nished to  all  the  members  of  the  class,  she 
received  a  certificate  from  the  board  of  school 


directors  setting  forth  the  facts  regarding  her 
long  and  unbroken  school  attendance.  This 
document  showed  that  Miss  Refsnyder  entered 
the  primary  grade  on  September  ist,  1896,  and 
was  present  at  both  sessions  of  school  every 
day  until  her  graduation  on  June  19th  last. 
Her  extreme  punctuality  was  only  one  of  her 
good  traits,  for  she  is  a  young  lady  of  ex- 
cellent ability,  who  stood  high  in  her  class, 
and  who  is  expected  to  go  forward  and  win 
fresh  laurels  in  the  educational  race. — From  a 
New  York  Paper. 

— Emperor  William  of  Germany  has  been 
credited  with  being  perhaps  the  ablest  and  best 
informed  royal  personage  in  Europe.  His  in- 
tellectual capacity  seems  to  have  been  trans- 
mitted to  his  fourth  son.  Prince  August,  who 
has  just  passed  his  examination  and  received 
the  degree  of  doctor  in  the  science  of  govern- 
ment at  the  University  of  Strasburg.  The 
prince's  papers  were  marked  "very  good," 
which  was  all  the  more  to  his  credit  because  he 
had  completed  the  three  years'  course  of  study 
in  two  years.  This  is  said  to  be  the  first  time 
that  a  member  of  the  Hohenzollern  family  has 
taken  the  degree  of  doctor.  The  Emperor  some 
years  ago  came  near  sending  the  prince  to 
Harvard  University  for  a  course  of  study, 
but  the  plan  fell  through.  Two  years  ago  the 
prince  was  denied  permission  to  marry  his 
cousin.  Princess  Alexandra,  of  Schleswig- 
Holstein,  because  he  had  not  finished  his  uni- 
versity studies.  It  is  expected  that  his  imperial 
father  will  now  consent  to  the  wedding. 

— Ethan  Allen  Weaver,  a  historian  of  Ger- 
mantown,  has  been  endeavoring  to  trace  the 
ancestry  of  John  W.  Kern,  Democratic  candi- 
date for  vice-president.  Mr.  Weaver  writes 
as   follows : 

"In  a  recent  letter  Mr.  Kern  informs  the 
writer  that  his  paternal  emigrant  ancestor  emi- 
grated from  Pennsylvania  to  Franklin  county, 
Virginia,  and  mentions  further  that  the  names 
Adam,  Nicholas  and  Jacob  have  always  been 
well  known  and  frequently  used  Christian 
names  in  his  branch  of  the  family. 

"One  Jacob  Kern,  of  Northampton  County, 
Pa.,  was  an  officer  of  provincial  troops  in  the 
French  and  Indian  trouble,  and  one  of  the 
numerous  Nicholas  Kerns,  whom  it  takes  a 
Philadelphia  lawyer  to  analyze  into  their 
proper  familv  groups— was  a  prominent  colonel 
of  militia  in 'the  Revolutionary  War.  Another 
Jacob  Kern,  whom  some  of  our  elder  citizens 
may  remember,  was  colonel  of  State  militia 
eariv  in  the  nineteenth  century,  and  a  leader 
of  the  Democratic  Party,  in  the  30s.  and  for 
some  time  lieutenant  of  the  commonwealth. 
He  resided  at  Bath,  Pa."  . 

—That  worthv  and  useful  organization,  the 
Quill  Club  of  New  York,  whose  membership 
includes  manv  prominent  men,  lately  elected 
as  its  president  the  Rev.  Dr.  George  U.  Wen- 
ner,  one  of  the  best  known  leaders  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  in  the  United  States.  Dr. 
Wenner  is  the  widely  known  and  esteerned 
pastor    of    a    congregation    on    the    East    Side, 


474 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


which  he  himself  began  to  collect  while  he 
was  yet  a  theological  student,  and  which  he 
has  been  serving  ever  since  his  graduation 
from  the  theological  seminary.  Next  October 
'this  church  will  celebrate  its  fortieth  anniver- 
sary. Dr.  Wenner's  prominence  in  religious 
work  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  he  has  been 
since  1904  president  of  the  synod  of  New  York 
and  New  Jersey,  that  he  is  vice-president  of 
the  New  York  Federation  of  Churches,  and  a 
member  of  the  executive  committees  of  the 
American  Tract  Society,  the  Evangelical  Alli- 
ance, Lutheran  Seamen's  Commission,  and 
National  Federation  of  Churches.  For  twenty- 
five  years  he  has  been  chairman  of  the  litur- 
gical committee  of  the  general  synod  of  the 
Lutheran  Church.  He  is  at  present  specially 
interested  in  advocating  a  system  of  week-day 
instruction  in  religion,  and  on  this  subject 
he  is  to  submit  a  report  to  the  Federal  Council 
of  the  Churches  of  America,  which  meets  in 
Philadelphia  next  December.  It  is  sure  to 
be  listened  to  with  respect  and  to  bear  good 
fruit,  for  the  doctor  is  an  earnest  man  and 
able  persuader. — Leslie's  Illustrated   Weekly. 

— The  old  town  of  Rathenow,  in  the  sandiest 
part  of  Brandenburg  province,  is  furnishing 
eight  million  spectacle  glasses  and  other  optical 
articles  to  the  world's  trade.  The  citizen  who 
started  this  industry  in  the  town  was  Lutheran 
pastor,  J.  E.  Duncker,  who  was  forced  by  his 
small  salary  to  do  something  besides  preacn- 
ing.  This  was  a  hundred  years  ago.  1  he 
pastor's  sons  continued  the  business;  today 
one-third  of  the  inhabitants  earn  their  bread 
in  the  optical  workshops. 

— ^Consular  Agent  John  B.  Brewer,  at  Wies- 
baden, describes  the  further  activity  of  a  Ger- 
man firm  of  chemists,  which  he  says  has  ac- 
complished a  new  invention  for  the  small- 
grained  iron  ores ;  a  new  power  gas  from 
bituminous  coal,  and  the  distribution  of  heat 
throughout  cities. 

A  German  company,  which  originated  a 
new  hydrogen  process  especially  adapted  for 
military  aeronautics,  has  discovered  a  series 
of  other  processes  related  to  their  new  water- 
gas  system  that  are  likely  to  play  an  important 
part  in  great  American  industries.  Their  ef- 
forts were  especially  fruitful  in  the  iron  and 
steel  industries. 

Above  all,  it  is  claimed  that  they  have  suc- 
ceeded in  welding  steel  pipes  of  large  dimen- 
sions, such  as  neither  the  Mannesmann  nor 
any  other  existing  works  can  produce  by  their 
methods;  at  least  not  at  the  same  rate  of 
economy  and  quality. 

The  welding  is  done  at  high  speed,  while 
labor  and  other  costs  are  reduced  to  a  miri- 
mitm.  The  textile  strength  in  the  weld  as 
compared  with  the  strength  of  the  plate  is 
90  to  95  per  cent.,  which  is  rather  remarkable. 

It  is  stated  that  the  Japanese  navy  has 
adopted  the  new  German  system  for  the  weld- 
ing of  their  military  masts  on  war  ships,  etc., 
n:  d    that,    after    the    same    system,    a    British 


welding  company  has  been  formed  this  spring 
at  Glasgow. 

Astonishing  results  have  also  been  obtained 
by  the  firm  in  question  in  a  peculiar  iron- 
briquetting  method  especially  adapted  for  the 
conversion  of  fine  grained,  dustlike  iron  ores 
like  those  of  the  Masaba  range.  As  is  known, 
these  ores  can  now  be  worked  in  the  blast 
furnaces  only  by  a  very  inconvenient,  waste- 
ful, and  therefore  expensive  system.  By  the 
new  German  hydrogen  gas  process,  however, 
they  are  converted  into  extremely  hard  and 
porous  lumps,  in  which  the  contents  of  pure 
iron  are  not,  as  with  other  briquetting  meth- 
ods, diminished  and  deteriorated  by  admixtures, 
but  rather  increased  and  chemically  improved. 

The  chemists  are  also  the  inventors  of  an 
apparatus  for  making  an  absolutely  tar-free 
producergas,  or,  more  correctly,  a  power  gas 
from  bituminous  coal.  Thereby  they  have 
solved  another  important  technical  problem 
in  supplying  a  new  fuel  and  thereby  giving  a 
new  and  many-sided  use  to  the  gas  motor, 
especially  in  those  large  industries  where  here- 
tofore it  had  been  operated  almost  exclusively 
b}'  the  blast-furnace  gases,  anthracite  proving 
too  expensive. 

It  is  understood  that  still  another  feature 
of  their  industrial  program  is  the  general  econ- 
omical distribution  of  heat  throughout  whole 
cities  and  districts  from  one  central  point. 

— James  N.  Ermentrout.  President  Judge 
of  the  Berks  County  Court,  which  is  the  Twen- 
ty-third Judicial  District,  and  one  of  the  best 
known  jurists  in  Pennsylvania,  died  August  19 
of  a  stroke  of  apoplexy. 

Judge  Ermentrout  was  on  the  Berks  bench 
for  twenty-two  years.  He  was  born  in  Read- 
ing on  (Dctober  25,  1846.  His  first  position 
of  importance  was  as  professor  of  languages 
at  the  Tuscarora  Academy,  in  Juniata  County. 
Incidentally,  he  studied  law.  and  when  21 
years  of  age  was  admitted  to  the  Berks  bar. 

In  1859  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his 
brother,  the  late  Congressman  Daniel  Ermen- 
trout. He  was  elected  Additional  Law  Judge 
of  the  Berks  court  for  a  term  of  two  years 
on  January  4,  1886.  and  upon  the  retirement  of 
Judge  Hagenman  in  1890,  deceased,  became 
the  President  Judge. 

He  was  renominated  in  1895,  and  was  re- 
elected over  his  Republican  opponent  by  a 
plurality  of  5006  votes  out  of  24,889  cast.  He 
was  again  nominated  in  1905,  and  after  a 
spirited  contest  was  again  elected,  his  opponent 
being  D.  Nicholas  Schaeffer. 

In  1899  Judge  Ermentrout's  friends  made  a 
strong  effort  to  nominate  him  for  the  Supreme 
bench.  At  the  convention  in  Harrisburg  Judge 
Mestrezat  secured  the  nomination.  Judge 
Ermentrout  being  second  highest  of  the  ten 
candidates. 

Judge  Ermentrout  took  a  deep  interest  in 
•Democratic  politics.  He  knew  political  condi- 
tions 'in  every  township  and  borough  of  athe 
county,    ard    in    every    ward    in    the    city.      He 


CLIPPINGS  FROM  CURRENT   NEWS 


475 


.had  many  friends  among  both  parties.  He 
was  frequently  called  to  preside  over  cases  in 
other  counties  of  the  State,  and  was  regarded 
as  a  competent  and  able  judge.  He  leaves  a 
l)rother,  Dr.  Samuel  C.  Ermentrout,  and  a 
sister,    Mrs.    Elizabeth    Bertolet. 

Judge  Ermentrout  came  of  a  family  that 
has  contributed  in  no  small  degree  in  the  mak- 
i«g  of  the  history  of  Berks  county,  its  members 
having  occupied,  with  distinction,  leading  places 
in  all  the  learned  professions  and  skilled  avoca- 
tions. The  Ermentrout  line  in  this  country 
e.xtends  back  to  the  great-great-grandfather  of 
the  Judge,  John  Ermentrout,  a  resident  of  the 
Palatinate  in  Germany,  who  was  one  of  that 
band  of  Palatinates,  the  story  of  whose  suf- 
ferings and  struggles  forms  one  of  the  strong- 
est and  is  one  of  the  heroic  and  remantic 
•episodes  of  the  settlement  of  the  new  world. 

— In  the  death  of  the  Rev.  George  F.  Gard- 
ner, of  Allentown,  Pa.,  which  occurred  on 
Monday  night,  August  third,  the  Ministerium 
•of  Pennsylvania  loses  another  of  its  faithful 
and  honored  veterans.  Next  to  the  late  Rev. 
John  Schmidt  of  Reading,  he  was  the  oldest 
member  of  that  body,  having  reached  the  age 
of  eighty-one  years  and  three  months.  He 
belongs  to  a  class  of  pastors  who  do'  their 
work  so  quietly  and  modestly  as  to  attract 
little  attention  while  they  live.  It  is  only  when 
they  have  passed  away  that  what  they  were 
and  what  they  did  becomes  generally  known. 
Their  monument  is  their  work,  quietly,  modest- 
ly, faithfully  done. 

The  deceased  was  an  effective  preacher,  an 
■earnest  student,  thoroughly  grounded  in  the 
faith,  and  an  almost  ideal  pastor,  devoted  to 
his  people  with  self-sacrificing  love.  He  moved 
among  the  humble  and  forsaken  with  a  heart 
full  of  sympathy  and  became  to  them  a  veri- 
table father.  He  was  seldom  heard  on  the 
floor  of  Synod,  not  because  he  lacked  know- 
ledge or  interest  or  practical  wisdom,  but  be- 
cause he  was  modest  and  humble.  His  in- 
tense devotion  to  his  people,  combined  with  a 
broad  human  sympathy,  made  him  known  and 
recognized  in  Allentown,  the  scene  of  his 
pastoral  labors  for  thirty  years,  as  a  man  of 
God  and  a  citizen  to  whom  the  whole  com- 
munity could  lay  claim. 

"Father  Gardner,"  as  he  was  affectionately 
called,  was  led  into  the  ministry  through  the 
kindly  suggestion  and  solicitation  of  the  late 
Dr.  Krotel,  whose  organist  he  was  in  Salem 
Church.  Lebanon,  Pa.,  and  under  whom  he  was 
at^  least  in  part  prepared.  He  was  born  in 
Wuertemberg,  Germany,  April  14,  1827,  and 
came  to  this  country  in  1849.  He  at  once 
studied  English  and  soon  acquired  a  speaking 
knowledge  of  it.  He  tutored  for  a  while  in 
a  private  family,  and,  as  he  was  a  musician 
of  no  mean  ability,  became  organist  in  Salem 
Church,  as  noted  above,  until  his  ordination 
at  Reading  in  1853,  the  year  in  which  the 
Ministeriurn  again  se-entered  the  General 
Synod.  Fis  first  parish  was  at  Manayunk, 
Phila..  where  he  served  three  years.  He  be- 
came pnstor  in  Trentor,  N.  J.,  in   1856,  where 


he  labored  ten  years.  Because  of  a  throat 
affection,  he  resigned  and  became  the  superin- 
tendent of  the  Orphans'  Home  at  German- 
town  in  1873,  where  he  remained  five  years. 
In  1877  he  became  pastor  of  St.  Peter's  Church, 
Allentown,  where  he  did  his  most  efficient  work, 
until  compelled  by  advancing  years  to  re- 
linquish active  pastoral  duties  in  1905. — The 
Lutheran. 

For  the  Joke   Book. 

— John  S.,  aged  14,  like  all  boys  needed 
parental  admonition.  Being  lectured  one  time 
on  speaking  hastily,  he  was  told  by  his  father, 
to  think  thrice  before  he  spoke.  One  winter's 
night  his  father  was  sitting  with  his  back  to- 
wards the  stove  whch  was  red  hot.  His  coat 
became  ignited,  and  John  seeing  this  and  re- 
membering the  parental  injunction  to  think 
three  times  before  speaking  said :  "Dady,  ich 
denk,"  a  short  pause,  "Dady,  ich  denk,"  another 
short  pause,  "Dady,  ich  denk  dei  ruck  brennt." 
(Father,  I  think  your  coat  burns.) 

— Little  Mary  Fijzer  is  one  of  the  most 
energetic  pupils  in  the  schools  of  M .  Com- 
ing from  a  Slav  home  in  a  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man community  to  an  English  school  the  dif- 
ficulties that  beset  her  path  are  equaled  only 
by    her    eagerness. 

Recently  the  teacher  asked  the  class.  "Chil- 
dren, what  is  hot,"  expecting  to  call  out  the 
expression,  "The  stove  is  hot." 

"Au,  Teacher,  I  know,"  said  Mary.  "It  is 
too  beeg  a  waram." 

— 'Hans,  the  ruralist,  was  in  search  of  a  horse, 
says  an  exchange : 

"I  have  the  very  thing  you  want,"  said  Len- 
nox, the  liveryman,  "a  thorough-going  road 
horse.  Five  years  old,  sound  as  a  quail,  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars,  cash  down. 
He  goes  ten  miles  without  stopping." 

"Not  for.  me,"  he  said,  "not  for  me.  I 
voldn't  gif  you  five  cents  for  him.  I  lif  eight 
miles  out  in  de  country,  and  I'd  half  to  walk 
back  two   miles." 

— Danny  G .  was  a  boy  who  liked  to  roam 

about  the  farm  and  hunt  duck  eggs  along  the 
stream  and  eggs  that  the  hens  laid  in  out-of- 
the-way  places.  As  he  found  the  eggs  he  would 
place  them  in  his  large  straw  hat  which  he  care- 
fully put  on  his  head  again,  and  trudge  on 
to  the  house.  Once  when  he  came  to 
the  house  after  one  of  these  jaunts  his 
father  not  knowing  his  manner  of  carrying 
eggs  and  wishing  to  compliment  his  boy,  in 
greeting  him  clapped  his  hands  down  on  the 
boy's  head  in,  his  rough  way,  and  at  once  the 
eggs  ran  down  over  the  boy's  face  and  clothes. 
The  mother  seeing  this  and  thinking  he  was 
hurt  screamed.  "Fi  dawdy !  du  hoscht'n  im 
Hjirn  ferschlagga."  (Why.  father,  you  have 
mashed  his  brain.) 

— Jerry  N did  not  like  to  acknowledge 

he  was  a  "dutchy."  although  it  was  written  all 
over  him', — consequently  he  spoke  English  only. 
On  one  occasion  wishing  to  inform  his  friend 
that   Loudermilch's   farm   adjoins   his   own,  he 


470 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


»aid  "Och,  yes,  Loudermilclis  live  next,  his 
bnd  and  my  land  humps  togcddcr!" 

-  Atv^ur  fnrtv  vt-ars  ago  when  railroad  travel 

•..  manv.  a  young  minister 

■hrough  Reading,  on  their 

1  :u   train  stopping  at  the  outer 

with  a  child  in   her  arms  and 

;,..    ..> . wing  her  in  "goose  style"  came 

into  the  same  coach  and  were  seated  in  the 
wat*  in  front.  I^ch  of  the  six  children  had 
a  pretzel,  for  which  Reading  was  noted,  one 
in  each  hand.  All  seemed  rather  impatient 
that  when  thry  were  ready  the  train  did  not 
at  oner  start.  One  of  the  children  would  re- 
l-.  .'.dlv  ask.  "Gene  mir  net  ball  ab?"  (Won't 
.•.  -:a'rt  soon?)  Finally  when  the  train  did 
s;..::.  onr  of  them  asked.  "Gene  mer  now?" 
( .\re  we  going  now)  to  which  the  mother  re- 
plied. "Yer,  now  gene  mer."  (Yes,  now  we 
are  going.)  The  train  was  to  attach  another 
car  from  Allentown.  and  backed  on  another 
track  to  get  it.  At  this  backward  movement  of 
the    train    several    of    the    children    sang    out, 


"Hi  Mam,  mer  gene  ycf  widder  zariick,  verwas 
gene  mer  dan  zariick?"  (Mother,  we  are  going 
back;  why  do  we  go  back?)  The  mother  then 
replied,  "Ei,  sie  hen  eppes  vergesse.  Wan  sie 
eppes  vergessa  gene  sie  immer  widder  zariick 
es  zu  holle."  (They  forgot  something;  when- 
ever they  forget  anything  they  return  to  get  it.) 
The  young  bride  now  a  grandmother  still 
laughs  about  this  incident. 

— "Was  zeit  is  es,  Annie?"  frogt  die 
Meeschtersfrah.  (W^hat  time  is  it,  Annie, 
asked  the  landlady?)  "Ich  kann  schur  net' 
saga,"  sacht  die  Maad.  "Die  Uhr  hot  gstopt.", 
( I  can  not  say.  said  the  girl,  the  clock  has 
stopped,)  "Was,  sie  hot  gstopt?  Ich  denk, 
die  muss  bal  emol  gebutzt  werra."  (What,  it  has 
stopped?  I  think  it  must  be  cleaned  before 
long.)  "Ach  nee,  ich  hab  sie  da  Marga  erscht 
gebutzt.  Ich  hab  sie  finf  Minutta  in  Saefa- 
wasser  gsokt  un  no  haw  ich  sie  all  ivver  ge- 
berscht."  (Oh,  no,  I  cleaned  it  this  morning 
1  soaked  it  five  minutes  in  soapy  water  andi 
then  scrubbed  it  all  over.) 


Chat  with  Correspondents 


NoTt  The  following  lines  from  a  subscriber  in 
Schuylkill  countjr.  Pa.,  are  encouraging.  The  precept 
•I  ihc  end  i*  enforced  t>^  the  example  following  the 
letter  We  ho;>e  to  receive*  other  communications  on 
the    variation*    in    the    u»e    and    significance   of    words. 

Ml   H   W   Kkikbfl, 

I'ubluhcr,  P ennsylvanui-G erman : 

Dear    Sir — A    Pennsylvania-^Serman    whose 
heart  beats  warm  for  his  own  people,  and  who 
i»  therefore  interested  in  knowing  more  about 
their    history    and   character,    cannot    but    like 
the  magazine  Pennsylvania-German.     I  like 
It— the  whole  of  it.     I  like  best  that  part  which 
doe»   juMice   to   the    Pennsylvania-Germans   in 
hi«orv.  and  thus  takes  a  .step  on  winning  for 
■   their  rightful  place  in  history,  which 
•hu.s  far  not  been  .iccorded  them,  has 
i.  .1  .  w.,  ,«-cn  recojtnized  by  many  of  our  own 
K»n»   and    daugtitcrs    who   yi-t    lay   claim    with 
witnr   .!rv':.r   ..f  justice  to  a   liberal   education. 
^^^'  e  of  us,  sons  and  diughters  of 

Vvni'  ■>rman^  origin,     subscribers     to 

Tilt  rt.N.ssvi.vANiA-GtHMAN.  should  do.  is  to 
a»»i»t  ihi»  excellent  publication  by  sending  in 
to  It*  editors  whatever  matter  of  general  in- 
leresl  may  come  our  way  We  hid  von  God- 
«(>rrd 

Soma     Curious     Local     U»*     or     Meaning     of 

PanntyUania-Garman    Word*. 

I  A  Mcui  rvrning  gathering,  called,  where 
I  was  reared,  "a  party, '  was  called  in  Bucks 
coanty  near  Tnimbauersvillc,  where  I   resided 


a  few  years,  "en  crusht."     And  people  used  the' 
verb  "crushte." 

2.  In  the  same  community,  they  called  a 
"drive-way"  into  a  field,  closed  by  bars  or 
rails,  "en  fahrt" ;  while  where  I  was  reared  we 
called  it  "en  falter." 

3.  Where  I  was  reared,  "nix-nutzig"  meant 
mischievous.  At  Turbotville,  Northumberland 
county,  people  used  it  in  the  sense  "in  poor 
health."  .A  person  would  say,  "Ich  bin  recht 
nix-nutzig,"  and  mean  by  it,  "I  am  in  quite 
poor  health." 

Note. — The  following  was  received  from  a  sub- 
scriber. We  are  glad  to  insert  the  same  here,  and 
hope  other  subscribers  will  remember  us  in  like  man^ 
ner. 

A  few  days  ago  we  received  a  copy  of  the 
Montgomery  Adler,  published  at  Pottstown, 
Pa.,  bearing  date  of  June  8,  1827,  Vol.  I,  No. 
21.  A  few  extracts  from  its  columns  for  The 
Pf.nnsvlvania-German  may  be  of  interest  to 
its  readers.  We  follow  with  market  prices 
as  they  then  existed  in  Pottstown  and  Phila- 
delphia : 


Article.  Per.     Pottstown 

'J""^''    Pound 

I  ork    " 

Ham    •< 

I ard ;;;; •• 

I'rschlit   (?)    '//_ 

F-Bgs 

Wool   (cleaned) 

f;iue  ■■  .. 

""P^     ■''■'■  "                 .15^ 


Phila. 


•  13 

•15 

04 

.04 

10 

.1 1 

08 

.10 

10 

•13 

07 

.09 

37 

•35 

.20 

CHAT    WITH    CORRESPONDENTS 


477 


Flax    " 

Sole   Leather " 

Upper   Leather " 

Coal    Bushel 

Oats   

Corn    

Wheat   

Rye    " 

Salt    " 

Potatoes^ " 

Clover   Seed " 

Flax    Seed '" 

Timothy    Seed 

Wheat    Flour Barrel 

Rye    Flour 

Rye   Whiskey Gallon 

Apple    Whiskey 

Hickorr   Wood Cord 

Oak    Wood 

Plaster   Paris Ton 


.40 

•so 

1. 10 

•6S 

.60 

•50 

7.00 

1. 00 

4.28 

6.00 

4-50 

■34 

•33 

6.00 

3.00 

6.00 


The    West — As    It   Was   Not    Long    Ago   and 
as  It  Now  Is. 

I  have  seen  the  time  when  no  other  means 
of  transportation  was  seen  on  the  Ohio  river 
but   the    canoe. 

I  was  present  when  the  introduction  of  the 
keel  boat  was  lauded  a  wonderful  improve- 
ment. 

I  remember  when  the  arrival  of  a  barge  in 
Pittsburg  was  considered  a  most  remarkable 
incident. 

I  know  when  persons  rode  from  Natches  to 
Pittsburg  in  four  months,  and  then  boasted  as 
though   thev  had   sailed  around   the   world. 


I  know  the  time  when  no  man  would  risk 
going  on  the  Allegheny  river  in  a  boat. 

r  remctTiber  the  time  when  persons  who  could 
boast  having  been  in  New  Orleans  were  looked 
upon  as  a  wonder. 

I  remember  well  when  the  banks  of  the 
Ohio  river  were  a  wildernis,  and  New  Orleans 
was    separated    from    the    American    World. 

I  have  seen  two  large  cities  rise  up  in  the 
West — one  a  mercantile  and  the  other  a  manu- 
facturing cit>'. 

I  have  lived  to  see  a  revolution  in  mechan- 
ism that  made  Pittsburg  and  New  Orleans 
neighbors. 

I  remember  the  time  when  it  was  consid- 
ered as  great  a  risk  to  travel  from  Pittsburg 
to  Cincinnati  as  it  now  is  to  East  India.  Today 
it  is  but  a  pleasure  trip  of  a  few  days. 

I  have  seen  vessels  of  300  tons  going  from 
New  Orleans  to  Cincinnati  in  fifteen  days,  and 
I  hope  to  see  the  time  when  the  trip  can  be 
made  in  ten  days. 

All  these  things  have  I  seen  with  mme  own 
eyes,  and  my  neighbors  still  consider  me  a 
young  man. 

Erfindung. 

Mr.  Thomas  Wreit,  of  Cincinnati,  invented 
a  machine  to  cut  lathe.  The  machine  is  run 
by  steam,  and  cuts  3,000  feet  half-inch  regular 

thickness   in   one  hour. 


Pennsylvania  Historical  Societies 


Annals  of  Iowa  for  July  (190S)  contains,  be- 
side the  Editorial  Department,  papers  entitled 
Reminiscences  of  John  H.  Charles,  Old  Let- 
ters, and  First  Nomination  of  Abraham  Lin- 
coln. 

Mr.  John  H.  Charles,  a  son  of  John  and 
Elizabeth  (Kauffman)  Charles  (descended 
from  Heinrich  Karl,  a  Swiss  immigrant  of 
1734),  was  born  in  Lancaster  county,  Pa., 
1826,  lived  in  Ohio  until  1850,  when  the  gold 
fever  tempted  him  to  go  West. 

He  arrived  in  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  Dec.  i, 
1856,  the  first  plot  of  which  was  made  m 
1854,  and  died  there  Dec.  i,  1904-  He  got  to 
the  place  when  the  population  numbered  but  a 
few  hundred,  and  saw  it  increase  to  40,000. 
His  reminiscences  make  very  interesting  read- 
ing. 

The  Lancaster  County  Historical  Society 
has  i-ued  Vol.  XII.  No.  6.  of  "Papers  Read," 
containinng  a  sketch  of  "The  Great  Conestoga 
Road."  prepared  by  H.  Frank  Eshleman,  Esq. 
The  paper  traces  the  laying  out  and  opetiing 
of  the  road  from  Philadelphia  to  Rock  Hill 
on  the  Conestoga  River.  1683  to  I734-     The  ac- 


companying copyright  map  gives  in  compact 
form  details  of  the  various  early  roads  in 
southeastern  Pennsylvania  between  the  Schuyl- 
kill and  Susquehanna  rivers.  The  society  de- 
serves great  credit  for  the  valuable  historical 
work  it  is  doing. 
The    Historical    Society    of    Berks   County. 

The  next  meeting  of  the  Historical  Society 
of  Berks  county  will  be  held  in  the  rooms  of 
the  association 'in  Reading,  on  Tuesday  even- 
ing, September  8.  During  the  recent  years 
this  association  has  manifested  renewed  life 
and  energ>-.  It  is  not.  however,  supported  by 
the  intelligent  citizens  of  our  county  as  it 
should  be.  As  one  of  the  older  counties  of 
the  State,  our  county  has  a  history  which  is 
replete  with  interesting  incidents,  many  of 
which  are  not  nearly  so  well  known  as  they 
should  be,  while  there  are  many  things  which 
await  the  labors  of  the  devoted  investigator  to 
make  their  details  and  relations  as  clear  as 
might  be  desired. 

The  membership  of  the  Society  is  not  nearly 
so  large  as  the  intelligence  of  the  community 
and  the  importance  of  the  work  which  the  asso- 
ciation   has    undertaken,    demands. 


478 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


On  more  than  one  occasion  we  have  re- 
marked how  that  Pennsylvania  has  not  re- 
ceived its  meed  of  historic  no;:ce,  and  that 
this  is  largely  due  because  we  Pennsvlvania- 
Germans  have  not  concerned  ourselves  about 
our  local  history.  The  family  reunions,  of 
which  so  many  have  been  held' in  our  beauti- 
ful park,  indicate  that  many  are  beginning  to 
concern  themselves  about  these  things.  Now 
is  the  time  to  join  the  society  and  help  the 
movement  along.— Kuictoiun  Patriot. 

The    Lehigh    County    Historical    Society 

recently  issued  its  first  volume  of  proceed- 
ings, being  a  book  of  252  pages,  finely  printed 
and  well  illustrated,  which  contains  much  mat- 
ter of  historical  interest.  Its  contents  show 
that  Allentown  and  Lehigh  county  are  inter- 
esting historically,  and  that  concerted  efiforts 
are  being  made  to  preserve  the  facts  of  his- 
tory in  tangible,  permanent  form. 

Included  in  the  book  are  these  papers: 
"William  Allen,  the  Founder  of  Allentown, 
and    His    Descendants,"    by    Charles    Rhoads 
Roberts,    23   pages. 

"A  Bit  of  Lehigh  County  History,"  by  Al- 
fred Berlin,  six  pages. 

"Sketches  of  Some  Settlers  of  Lehigh  Coun- 
ty Prior  to  1790,"  by  C.  R.  Roberts,  12  pages. 
"A  Few  Notes  of  the  Lenni  Lenape  or  Dela- 
ware Tribe  of  Indians,"  by  A.  F.  Berlin,  eight 
pages. 

"History  of  the  Reformed  Congregation  of 
Egypt  Church,"  by  C.  R.  Roberts.  31  pages. 

"History  of  the  Lutheran  Congregation  of 
Egypt  Church,"  by  Rev.  J.  D.  Schindel,  D.D., 
21  pages. 

"The  Egypt  Church,"  by  Rev.  Dr.  Schindel, 
19  pages. 

"The  Hampton  Furnace,"  by  Henry  A. 
Schuler,  12  pages. 

"Allentown  and  Its  Vicinity  About  Sixty 
Years  Ago,"  by  Rev.  F.  J.  F.  Schantz,  D.D., 
31  pages. 

"Some  Indian  History  of  the  Lehigh  Valley  " 
by  John  W.  Jordan,  LL.  D.,  of  Philadelphia, 
13  pages. 

"Revolutionary  Patriots  of  Allentown  and 
Vicmity,"  by  C.  R.  Roberts,  8  pages. 

"The  Mayors  of  Allentown,"  by  Wm.  L. 
Hartman,  14  pages. 

The  book  contains  all  the  proceedings  from 
the  inception  of  the  societv  in  Jannuary,  1904, 
up  to  the  last  meeting.  A  list  of  the"  active 
members  is  given  and  the  charter  is  included. 
The  book  has  been  complied  by  Chas.  R. 
Roberts,   the  secretary. 

The  General  Council  Historical  Society. 

•  Onring  the  past  forty  years  the  General 
Council  has  been  making  history  very  rapidly 
Those  who  have  followed  the  various  opera- 
tions of  this  body  will  readily  agree  with  this 
statement.  Meanwhile,  the  entire  Lutheran 
Church  in  this  country  has  taken  a  very  promi- 
nent place  among  the  Protestant  churches  in 
America.  In  every  sphere  of  activity  there  has 
been  a  remarkable  progress  in  many  portions  of 


history .  \v  ho  IS  making  notes  of  this  progress  ? 
\\ho  :s  preserving  the  data  necessary  for  a 
thorough  and  complete  history  of  the"  Church 
in  this  country.^  Several  brief  historical  works 
have  been  pubhshed  but  they  are  necessarily 
incomplete,  because  of  the  fact  that  they  are- 
brief.  Ihe  time  seems  ripe  for  a  more  active 
prosecution  of  the  work  of  gathering,  preserv- 
ing, and  formulating  the  historical  material  of 
the  past  some  of  which  has  been  collected 
but  much  of  which  is  in  danger  of  becoming 
lost  This  IS  true  of  the  history  of  the  Church 
at  arge ;  but  it  is  equally  true  of  the  Gen- 
eral Council.  The  writer  of  these  lines  has. 
recently  been  engaged  in  collecting  the  his- 
torical facts  connected  with  the  first  forty 
■^Zl  °.V^^  .Council's  existence,  and  has  found 
much  that  is  interesting  and  valuable,  and 
much  that  should  be  carefully  preserved  in 
better  shape  than  in  loose  copies  of  minutes, 
of  the  proceedings  of  conventions.  At  one 
time  an  effort  was  made  to  organize  a  society 
within  the  Council  for  the  purpose  of  preserv- 
ing valuable  documents  and  of  keeping  a  record 
of  the  operations  of  the  Council;  but  this 
project  went  only  as  far  as  the  framing  of  a' 
constitution,  and  there  it  ended. 

r^'    .the    fourth    convention    of    the    General 
Council,  held  at  Lancaster,  Ohio,  in   1870,  the- 
President  appointed  a  committee  to  prepare  "a 
plan  for  the  preservation  of  the  documents  of 
the  General  Council."     In  the  eleventh  session 
of  that  convention  the  committee,  of  which  the- 
Kev.    Dr.    Seiss    was    the    chairman,    reported 
a  plan  for  the  preservation  of  valuable  papers 
and  documents,  and  in  connecfion  with  the  plan 
proposed,   that   "a   committee   be   appointed   ta 
digest  a  plan  for  the  formation  of  a  Historical 
society  in  connection  with  the  General  Coun- 
cil, __and  to  report  said  plan  at  the  next  meet- 
ing    of  the  body.     The  Rev.  H.  W.  Roth  was 
appointed    the    committee,    and    at    the    next 
convention    he    proposed    the    organization    of 
a    society   and    suggested   the   aim   and    sphere 
ot   activity   of  the  proposed  organization,   rec- 
ommending  the    appointment   of   a    committee 
to    prepare    a    suitable    constitution.      At    the 
Akron  Convention,  in  1872,  the  committee  ap- 
pointed  at   the  previous  convention,   and   con- 
sisting of  Revs.    H.   W.   Roth,    W.   A    Passa- 
vant,  D.D..  and  H.  E.  Jacobs,  reported  a  con- 
stitution   for    the    proposed    historical    society, 
which   was   received   and   printed   in   the   min- 
utes,  for  acton   at  the  next  convention,   when 
It  was  considered  by  sections,  amended,  adopt- 
ed, and  printed  in  the  minutes  of  the  conven- 
tion, held  atErie,  Pa.,  1873.     With  this  action 
ended  the  history  of  the  Historical  Society. 

the -organization  was  to  be  known  as  "The 
Historical  Sodety  of  the  General  Council  of 
the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  in  North 
America."  Its  object,  as  set  forth  in  this  docu- 
ment, was  to  be  the  following: 

"It  shall  be  the  aim  of  this  Society  to 
awaken  and  encourage  historical  inquiry;  to 
establish  and  maintain  in  the  dty  of  Philadel- 


PENNSYLVANIA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETIES 


479 


phia.  Pa.,  a  depository  of  books,  synodical  min- 
utes, proceedings  of  conferences  and  other 
church  assemblies,  charters,  judicial  decisions, 
legal  repor-ts,  pamphlets,  periodicals,  manu- 
scripts, portraits,  views,  etc.,  especially  per- 
taining to  the  history  and  condition  of  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  in  America,  to 
put  forth  historical  publications  for  the  eluci- 
dation of  such  history,  and  to  collect  and  pre- 
serve all  works  written  by  Lutherans  or  by 
others  for  or  against  our  Evangelical  faith  and 
usages." 

The  meetings  are  to  be  held  in  connection 
with  the  meetings  of  the  Council ;  the  histori- 
cal material  collected  by  the  society  is  to  be 
kept  at  the  Philadelphia  Seminary  or  some 
other  secure  and  suitable  place;  a  historian 
should  be  appointed  whose  special  duty  it  is 
to   "present   an   annual   report   of  the   transac- 


tions of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  in 
America  for  the  year" ;  and  Synods  shall  ap- 
point historians,  "whose  duty  it '  shall  be  to 
make  annual  report  of  the  work  and  growth 
of  the  Church  within  his  own  synodical 
bounds."' 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  aim  of  the  So- 
ciety is  a  comprehensive  one,  and  the  con- 
stitution wisely  makes  provision  for  the  col- 
lection and  preservation  of  historical  material 
of  great  value  in  connection  with  the  history 
of  our  Church.  The  question  has  suggested 
itself  to  the  writer.  Why  not  revive  this  organ- 
ization, and  through  it  endeavor  to  preserve 
much  valuable  material  now  scattered  in  min- 
utes of  synods  and  church  periodicals,  and  in 
constant  danger  of  being  lost?  Let  those  who 
are  willing  to  cooperate  in  this  matter  inform 
"The  Lutheran." — The  Lutheran. 


Reviews  and  Notes 


BY  PROF.   E.  S.  GERHARD,  TRENTON,  N.   J. 


The    Struggle    for    American    Independence. 

By  Sydney  George  Fisher.     Two  volumes; 

illustrated.      Crown    octavo,   576   pp.   each. 

Cloth,  gilt  top.  -$4XiQ  net,-per.  set.     J.   B.- 

Lippincott  Company,  Philadelphia.  1908. 
This  narrative  of  the  Revolution  is  written 
in  accordance  with  an  historical  method  intro- 
duced several  years  ago  of  writing  history  as 
related  by  contemporaries.  The  present  age  is 
trying  to  get  at  the  heart  of  things,  at  their 
source,  at  the  original..  The  author  of  this 
work  has  brought  to  light  a  great  deal  of  docu- 
mentary evidence  which  historians  have  here- 
tofore ignored. 

The  writer  must  have  spent  some  ^-ears  in 
digging  out  old  dusty  records,  letters  and 
pamphlets ;  and  he  must  have  tried  hard  to 
make  sense  out  of  obscure  documents ;  but  he 
has  produced  a  history  that  is  exciting,  in- 
teresting, and  not  infrequently  exasperating; 
but  it  is  doubtful  whether  it  is  exhaustive,  con- 
vincing, or  infallible.  It  is  written  in  a  clear, 
fluent  style ;  it  is  entirely  different  from  the 
usual  narrative  of  the  Revolution. 

It  may  be  that  it  is  a  rather  "torified"  view 
of  the  Revolution.  After  having  read  the  his- 
tory one.  is,  led  to  believe  that  the  Revolution 
was  after  all'  not  the  "grand"  and  glori'ous 
achievement  it  is  usually  pictured  to  have  been  ; 
that  the  whole  performance  on  the  part  of  the 
Americans  was  unmanly,  unpatriotic,  and  un- 
American — may  one  say  disgusting?  The  cause 
has  been  belittled,  at  least  the  way  it  was  main- 
tained ;  the  soldiers  must  have  been  marauders, 
and  the  fighting,  a  sort  of  guerilla  warfare — to 
exploit  England's  system  of  colonial  govern- 
ment? 


True,  the  writer  has  given  his  sources  page 
by  page,  and  consequently  his  propositions  are 
not  so  easily  dismissed.  But  probably  the 
sources  cannot  always  be  accepted  as  given. 
It  is  also  noteworthy  that  some  more  available 
sources"  might  have  beeft  •consulted'  to  advan- 
tage. 

It  is  said  that  many  of  the  Pennsylvania- 
Germans,  who  held  the  same  religious  beliefs, 
as  the  Quakers,  were  neutrals;  and  further- 
more, that  a  loyalist  (tory)  regiment  was 
raised  among  the  Pennsylvania-Germans,  and 
that  in  Pennsylvania  the  patriots  and  the  tories- 
are  supposed  to  have  been  evenly  balanced. 
The  writer  gives  no  source  for  the  remark 
that  many  of  the  Pennsylvania-Germans  were 
neutrals;  and  the  remark  that  there  was  a 
tory  regiment  raised  among  them  is  based  on 
a  statement  in  Stedman's  "American  Revolu- 
tion." This  writer,  in  speaking  of  the  sub- 
duing of  western  Florida  by  American  forces, 
says:  "This  irruption  of  the  Americans,  to- 
gether with  the  hostile  intentions  of  Spain,  was 
the  cause  of  a  reinforcement  being  sent  to 
Pensacola  (by  the  British)  ...  It  consisted 
of  a  regiment  of  Germans,  and  the  Maryland 
and  Pennsylvania  regiments  of  provincials." 
Rather  venturesome  to  call  these  Germans 
Permsylvania-Germ«jis.  ,  It  is.  to  be  noted  also 
that  Stedman  was  an  Englishman  who  served 
under  Howe,  Clinton  and  Cornwallis.  This 
fact   does   surely  not   strengthen   the   evidence. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  is  enough  evidence 
to  show  that  the  Pennsylvania-German  of  the 
Revolution  deserves  more  credit  for  the  part 
he  took  in  his  country's  cause  than  to  be  called 
simply  a  neutral,  and  a  loyalist.  But  these 
narrow  limits  will  not  admit  of  details,  hardly 


48o 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


of  general  statements.  It  would  be  well  for 
the  reader  to  take  up  the  17th  volume  of  the 
Proceedings  of  the  Pennsylvania-German  So- 
ciet.v  for  an  account  of  "The  Pennsylvania- 
German  in  the  Revolution,"  by  H.  M.  M. 
Richards,  Secretary  of  the  Society.  This  is 
a  worthy  contribution  to  history,  and  goes  far 
to  correct  the  ignorance  concerning  the 
achievements  of  these  people  during  the  War 
for  Independence.  The  reader  will  find  there 
muster  rolls  and  roster  of  the  different  com- 
panies and  regiments  in  detail ;  a  list  ot  pris- 
oners sent  to  Pennsylvania-German  cities  for 
safe-keeping;  lists  of  the  inmates  of  the  hos- 
pitals; and  lists  of  the  things  furnished  by 
the  different  counties  by  family,  store  and  mill. 

The  Pennsylvania-Germans  were  the  first  in 
the  Revolution  to  respond  to  their  country's 
call  to  arms.  When  Congress,  on  June  14, 
1775,  three  days  before  the  battle  of  Bunker 
Hill,  authorized  six  companies  of  expert  rifle- 
men to  be  raised  in  Pennsylvania,  two  m 
Maryland  and  two  in  Virginia,  Capt.  Nagel's 
company  of  Pennsylvania-Germans,  starting 
from  Reading,  were  the  first  to  reach  Cam- 
bridge (July  18)— "The  First  Defenders  of  the 
Revolution."  They  went  with  Arnold  through 
the  pathless,  snowbound  forest  of  Maine,  and 
stood  before  the  fortifications  of  Quebec  in  the 
horrible  winter  of  1775-17/6.  The  battle  of 
Long  Island  was  fought  mainly  by  Pennsyl- 
vania-German soldiers,  and  though  a  defeat, 
due  to  the-  blunders  of  the  officers,  these  valor- 
ous soldiers  saved  the  American  army  from 
total  annihilation.  One  may  not  stop' to  tell 
of  the  horrors  which  4,000  or  more  captives 
of  that  battle  suffered  in  the  British  prison 
ships.  Joseph  Heister,  one  of  the  prisoners, 
was  afterwards  governor  of   Pennsylvania. 

The  brave  and  patriotic  Pulaski's  legion  was 
recruited  from  among  Pennsylvania-Germans. 
This  was  the  legion  that  carried  the  memor- 
able banner,  renowned  in  story  and  in  song, 
made  by  the  Moravian  Sisters  at  Bethlehem! 
Von  Heer's  light  dragoons  and  Morgan's  rifle- 
men were  Pennsylvania-Germans;  and  so  was 
"Mollie  Pitcher"  (Maria  Ludwig)  from  Car- 
lisle, Pa.  And  noblest  of  all  was  the  Pennsvl- 
vania-German  regiment  (not  loyalists  this 
time).     And   so  one  might   continue. 

\  distinction  should  be  made  between  neu- 
trality and  non-resistance.  The  non-combatant 
force  of  these  people  in  the  Revolution  per- 
formed a  work  as  noble  and  as  patriotic  as 
those  who  stood  in  line  of  battle.  And  if  they 
refused  to  bear  arms  because  of  religious  prin- 
ciples (and  thev  had  none  other K  ?o  much 
the  greater  the  nobleness  of  their  character ; 
they  assisted  the  cause^  by  ways  and  means  as 
important  as  they  were  numerous.  All  the 
hospitals  of  any  consequence  were  at  Bethle- 
hern,  Easton,  Allentown,  Reading,  Lancaster, 
Lititz.  and  Ephrata.  It  is  not  necessary  to  say 
that  all  these  cities  are  Pennsylvania-German 
strongholds.  "The  whole  story  is  one  of  self- 
denial  and  devotion  in  the  interest  of  human- 
ity."    There  is  no  grander  tale  nf  the  war. 


It  dare  be  said  that  here  among  the  simple 
folk  was  found  the  rear-guard  of  the  Revo- 
lution. Not  one  of  the  colonies  had  been 
drained  as  heavily  as  Pennsylvania.  Except 
when  it  fled  to  Princeton,  (Zongress  had  its 
residence  on  Pennsylvania  soil ;  it  was  here 
that  the  patriot  army  encamped  almos^  con- 
stantly from  1776-1778.  It  was  the  seat  of 
the  rnilitary  equipment  of  the  entire  country. 
Here  was  the  mineral,  and  here  were  (and 
still  are)  five  of  the  richest  counties  in  the 
United  States.  And  the  officers  of  the  war 
knew   it. 

Consequently  here  were  the  foundries  and 
furnaces  that  furnished  the  ammunition.  Near- 
ly all  the  cannon  balls  and  camp  kettles  used 
by  the  American-  soldiers  were  cast  at  the 
Durham  Iron  Furnace,  the  second  oldest  in 
the  State.  The  Great  Chain,  with  its  250-pound 
links,  that  was  stretched  across  the  Hudson 
at  West  Point,  was  constructed  here.  Gen. 
Alorgan,  the  hero  of  Cowpens,  was  born  and 
raised  within  a  stone's  throw  of  the  old  fur- 
nace ;  and  his  father  was  a  day  laborer  at  the 
furnace.  Here  were  the  gunsmiths  who  made 
the  deadly  rifle  which  put  fear  into  the  breast 
of  the  redcoats.  Here  are  the  fertile  fields, 
stretching  from  the  sprawling  waters  of  the 
sluggish  Susquehanna  to  those  of  the  noble 
Delaware,  that  yielded  the  grain.  Here  were 
the  mills,  the  like  of  which  could  never  be 
found  in  the  world,  that  furnished  the  flour. 
And  here  were  the  (jerman  housewives  who, 
with  the  ceaseless  treadles  of  their  spinning- 
wheels,  furnished  material  to  clothe  the  army. 
And  all  they  have  ever  received  were  ravished 
crops  and  empty  barns,  wounded  soldiers  and 
British  prisoners,  worthless  money  and  the  ig- 
nominy of  years.  Is  it  for  this  that  the  Penn- 
sylvania-German is  called  a  neutral?  Is  it 
for  this  that  he  is  called  a  loyalist — a  tory? 
History  as  it  occurred  is  one  thing,  and  the 
way  it  is  recorded  is  something  vastly  different, 
and    not    infrequently    very    unjust. 

It  is  not  meant  for  one  moment  that  "The 
Struggle  for  American  Independence"  should 
have  been  written  to  exploit  the  achievements  of 
the  Pennsylvania-Germans  ;  but  they  are  at  least 
entitled  to  the  gratitude  and  recognition  which 
their  labors  merit,  and  which  they  have  in 
this  instance  not  received.  "Because  the 
Pennsylvania-'Germans  did  open  wide  their 
hearts,  homes  and  hands,  generally  without  re- 
ward or  recompense,  without  thanks,  without 
praise,  without  even  a  suitable  acknowledg- 
ment of  their  deeds  in  the  histories  which  their 
own  descendants  are  taught  in  their  own 
schools,  we  are  what  we  are  today,  the  greatest 
republic  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  or  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  world." 

Mr.  Fisher  has  written  an  illuminating  nar- 
rative of  the  Revolution.  It  remains  to  be  seen 
what  effect  it  will  have  on  the  conventionally 
written  school  histories.  It  is  written  in  a  fas- 
cinating style,  withotit  spleen  but  also  without 
sympathy.  It  is  the  work  of  an  investigator 
whose  business   it   is   to   deal   with   facts. 


THE  CHURCH  AT  ELSOFF.  GERMANY.     (See  pase  497.) 


Vol.  IX 


NOVEMBER,  1908 


Regulars  and  Militia 


No.  11 


Note. — The    following    interesting    j.rticle    is 
taken   from   Fisher's   Olden   Times. 

,HESE  military  terms  were  ap- 
plied as  soubriquets  to  the 
two  classes  of  wagoners :  to 
those  who  followed  the  busi- 
ness regularly  and  exten- 
sively, the  term  "Reg'lars" 
was  applied  in  the  spirit  of 
respect  and  compliment.  To  the  farmers, 
or  common  country  teamsters  who  drove 
Conestogas,  and  whose  trips  were  short, 
few,  and  occasional,  the  term  "Militia" 
was  applied  derisively  by  the  Regulars. 
A  prosperous  and  successful,  or  rather 
lucky,  regular  (such  as  "old  'Tine  Elliot, 
of  Franklin  county),  was  usual  the  owner 
of  several  teams,  one,  the  principal  and 
finest  of  which  he  drove,  himself,  in  the 
van  of  the  procession,  his  hired  drivers 
bringing  up  the  rear.  The  difference  be- 
tween these  two  classes  of  teams  and 
teamsters  was  very  apparent.  A  "Reg- 
lar"  never  drove  less  than  five  horses, 
generally  six,  and,  in  case  of  emergency, 
seven.  His  harness  (or  gears)  were  not 
so  heavy  arid  clumsy  as  those  of  the 
^'Militia."  Every  horse  had  his  housing 
of  deer-skin  or  other  suitable  material 
trimmed  with  heavy  red  fringe ;  and  the 
bridle  head-stall  with  bunches  of  bright- 
colored  ribbon.  Bell-teams  were  compar- 
atively common ;  each  horse,  except  the 
saddle-horse,  being  furnished  with  a  full 
set,  trimmed  with  ribbons  of  various 
bright  colors.     The  horses  were  placed 


in  military  order,  "rank  and  size" ;  the 
heavier  pair  nearest  the  wheels ;  the  next 
in  size  at  the  end  of  the  tongue,  and  the 
lightest  and  gayest  at  the  lead,  or  end 
of  the  (fifth)  chain. 

The  wagons  used  by  the  "Reg'lars" 
were  heavy,  high-wheeled,  broad-tread^ 
furnished  with  the  patent-locking  ma- 
chine, or  brake,  so  many  improved  varie- 
ties of  which  are  now  in  use.  (The 
original  patentee  of  which  was  John  W. 
Davidson,  of  Brownsville,  Fayette  county. 
Pa.,  Dec.  31,  1828.)  The  bed,  or  body, 
of  the  wagon  was  long,  rather  deep,  and 
somewhat  galley-shaped  ;  painted  a  deep 
blue,  and  furnished  with  sideboards  of 
a  bright  red  color.  The  "Reg'lar"  carried 
neither  fed  nor  "grub,"  but  depended  on 
the  jolly  host  of  the  old-time  nin  for 
both.  He  took  great  pride  in  his  team, 
and  much  jealousy  and  rivalry  prevailed- 
among  them  as  to  the  strength  and  beauty 
of  their  horses  and  the  loads  they  could 
haul.  Many  beautiful  teams  there  were. 
Sometimes  a  whole  team  of  one  color — 
iron  or  dapple  grays,  blacks  or  bays  of 
fine  blood  and  groom.  Even  the  noble 
horses  themselves  seemed  at  times  to 
manifest  a  certain  instinctive  conscious- 
ness of  the  pride  taken  in  them  by  their 
owner  or  driver,  and  when  he,  proudly- 
enthroned  in  the  saddle,  drew  the  long- 
rein  on  his  prancing  leader,  flourished  his 
famous  London  whip,  making  the  sharp 
snapping  silk  tingle  in  their  ears,  the 
faithful  wagon-dog  the  while  leaping  and 


484 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


yelping  encouragement  in  advance,  every 
horse  sprang  into  the  harness,  stretching 
every  trace  to  its  utmost  capacity,  and 
moving  the  ponderous  load  steadily  for- 
ward with  an  ease  and  grace  that  was 
simply  grand  and  beautiful,  when  the 
train  consisted,  as  it  often  did,  of  as  many 
as  a  dozen  teams,  all  thus  moving  on- 
ward in  steady  procession. 

The  wagon-beds,  or  bodies,  were 
arched  with  six  or  eight  stately  bows,  the 
middle  or  lowest  being  midway  between 
the  ends,  and  the  rest  rising  gradually  on 
either  side  to  front  and  rear,  so  that  the 
end  ones  were  nearly  of  equal  height ;  and 
over  all  these  was  stretched  the  great 
strong  hempen  cover,  well  corded  down 
at  the  sides  and  ends.  In  the  red  side- 
boards, white  covers  and  blue  beds  were 
proudly  shown  the  tri-color  of  the  Nation- 
al ensign.  Not  infrequently  the  loads 
were  up  to  the  bows,  and  as  many  as 
60  to  80  hundred  pounds,  or  3  or  4  tons, 
were  hauled  at  a  load.  By  the  annual 
report  of  President  Roberts  to  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad  Company,  just  pub- 
lished, the  total  amount  of  tonnage  car- 
ried in  1887  was  over  106,000,000.  On 
the  main  line  and  branches  east  of  Pitts- 
burg the  through  and  local  freight  was 
over  30,000,000  tons.  At  an  average  of 
three  and  one-half  tons,  this  would  make 
8,571,425  old-time  wagon-loads;  and  al- 
lowing six  trips,  or  twelve  loads,  a  year 
to  a  team,  the  number  of  such  teams  re- 
quired to  be  continually  going  to  carry 
this  (30,000,000  tons  of)  freight  would 
be  714,285 ;  and  allowing  60  feet  space 
for  each  team,  would  make  a  caravan 
nearly  8,000  miles  in  length,  and  compris- 
ing at  least  714,285  men  and  3,511,000 
horses ;  add  to  all  these  the  increased 
amount  of  travel  even  by  the  stage-coach 
alone,  and  then  imagine  the  scene !  Even 
so  early  as  1836  there  were  four  daily 
lines  of  stages  running  between  Philadel- 
phia and  Pittsburg,  yet  (as  we  learn  from 
The  Ledger  of  March  25th  of  that  year) 
there  was  so  much  travel  between  the 
two  places  that  the  names  of  passengers 
had  to  be  booked  from  one  to  two  weeks 
in  advance  to  secure  seats.  But  nozv,  in- 
stead of  four  lines  of  stages,  there  are 
over  two  hundred  arrivals  and  departures 


daily  of  immense  trains  of  cars,  many  of 
them  filled  with  passengers,  at  Broad 
Street  Station ;  each  train  drawn  by  a 
single  horse,  under  whose  ponderous  iron 
hoof  the  earth  trembles,  and  whose  shrill 
neighings  rend  the  welkin  and  echo  and 
re-echo  among  the  hills,  the  mountains 
and  the  valleys  of  the  land  of  Penn. 

On  the  lines  east  of  Pittsburg  and 
Erie,  alone,  54,733,927  passengers  were 
carried  in  1887 ;  having  no  certain  knowl- 
edge as  to  the  number  of  stages  that  con- 
stituted a  line,  I  can  but  guess  at  how 
many  it  would  have  required  to  carry 
54,000,00  of  passengers  annually.  Al- 
lowing, however,  that  a  single  coach 
made  thirty  trips  a  year,  it  would  require 
90,000  old-time  coaches  to  do  the  work. 
Allowing  one  driver  and  four  horses  to 
each  coach,  it  would  require  as  many 
drivers  as  coaches,  and  360,000  horses. 
Imagine  either  this  state  of  things  from 
day  to  day,  or  the  many  millions  of  people 
that  were  carried  by  rail  to  and  from 
the  National  Centennial  in  a  period  of 
six  months,  making  their  trips  to  and 
from  it  the  old-time  way,  and  maintain 
our  gravity  if  we  can. 

Even  as  it  was  half  a  century  ago,  the 
"immense"  amount  of  wagon-hauling, 
stage,  and  other  travel,  driving,  etc.,  on 
the  then  great  turnpike  roads,  required 
and  supported  an  equally  immense  system 
of  inns  or  taverns,  stores  and  shops  along 
the  routes,  creating,  altogether,  an  un- 
broken scene  of  animation,  rude  gaiety 
and  prosperity,  but  with  which  the  exist- 
ing state  of  things  along  these  once  great 
thoroughfares  is  in  sad  and  silent  con- 
trast: take,  e.  g.  the  section  between 
Chambersburg  and  Pittsburg;  St. 
Thomas,  London,  McConnellsburg, 
Bloody  Run,  The  Crossings.  Bedford, 
Raystown,  Stuckey's  (or  the  forks), 
Stoystown,  Somerset,  Greensburg, 
Ligonier,  and  other  places  that  used  to 
be  full  of  life,  stir  and  bustle;  these 
gradnallv  fell  into  comparative  dullness, 
dilapidation  and  decay,  as  the  great  lines 
of  railway  and  canals  approached  com- 
pletion, grass  and  weeds  grew  in  the  turn- 
pike ruts,  and  the  merr\'  old-time  taverns 
became  the  dullest  and  gloomiest  places 
in  the  land.    In  the  great  stone  chimneys^ 


REGULARS  AND  MILITIA 


485 


and  the  spacious  hearths  around  which 
many  a  tale  was  told,  song  was  sung, 
fiddle  and  dance  were  heard,  echoed  only 
the  lonely  chirp  of  the  cricket.  Betweert 
the  towns  and  villages  named  were  many 
wagon-taverns,  where  tables  were  set 
that  would  do  honor  to  any  age  or  coun- 
try. The  names  of  some  of  these  I  re- 
call :  Winter's,  Bratton's,  Brindle's,  Von- 
dersmith's,  Scotts  (in  London),  Schaef- 
fer's,  Mrs.  Fasenacht's,  Mrs.  Gilchrist's, 
Stuck's,  Stuckey's,  Chenowith's,  Sattler's, 
Hutchman's,  and  so  on.  There  was  one 
somewhere  in  the  Glades,  on  the  Alle- 
gheny Mountains  (the  region  of  the  only 
perfect  butter  ever  made),  the  name  of 
which  I  have  forgotten ;  but  from  the 
circumstance  that  the  proprietor  had  some 
half-dozen  light-haired  daughters,  it  was 
known  among  the  jolly  wagoners  as  "the 
flax  patch." 

All  wagoners,  "Reg'lars"  and 
"Militia,"  carried  their  beds  with  them. 
These  consisted  of  rough  mattresses, 
coarse  blankets,  coverlets  or  robes,  but 
no  pillows.  At  bed-time  they  were  un- 
rolled and  spread,  side  by  side,  upon  the 
bar-room  floor ;  and  if  the  occupant  ap- 
preciated the  luxury  of  a  pillow,  he 
readily  found  it  on  the  back  of  an  in- 
verted chair  placed  under  the  head  of  his 
bed.  Now,  imagine  him  of  the  "Militia," 
the  driver  of  his  team  of  four,  seeking 
repose  on  his  home-spun,  hastily  impro- 
vised, but  far  more  clean  and  comfortable 
bed,  among  half  a  dozen  or  more  of  the 
"Regulars."  But  the  scene  must  be  left 
to  the  imagination  of  those  who  are  for- 
tunate enough  to  enjoy  the  pleasures  of 
memory.  All  that  has  been  said  of  wag- 
oning, driving  and  traveling  on  the  vari- 
ous turnpikes  between  Chambersburg  and 
Pittsburg  is  true  of  that  part  of  the  great 
National  Turnpike  between  Cumberland 
and  Wheeling.  Mr.  Day,  in  his  Pennsyl- 
vania Historical  Collections,  remarks : 
"The  travel  and  wagon  transportation  on 
the  National  Road  gives  great  life  and 
bustle  to  Uniontown.  Scarcely  an  hour 
passes  when  a  stage-coach  may  not  be 
seen  passing  through  the  town.  The 
property  invested  in  these  passenger  lines 
is  immense.  Some  idea  may  be  formed 
of    its    importance    that    one   proprietor, 


during  the  recent  suspension  of  specie 
payments,  is  said  to  have  kept  in  circu- 
lation and  in  good  credit  about  $500,000 
worth  of  shinplasters  along  the  line  of 
the  road."  I  have  a  pleasant  memory 
of  passing  through  Uniontown  by  stage, 
about  the  time  of  which  Mr.  Day  wrote. 
The  grand  old  tally-ho  was  crowded  with 
passengers,  and  the  moment  it  stopped  in 
front  of  the  hotel  it  was  besieged  by  a 
swarm  of  juvenile  venders  of  maple- 
sugar.  The  competition  was  ferocious. 
Each  boy's  sugar  was  the  best  and 
cheapest,  but  so  far  as  I  could  judge, 
it  was  all  one  price  and  all  one  quality — • 
all  equally  good  and  all  equally  cheap. 
Uniontown  is  in  the  midst  of  the  maple- 
sugar  camps. 

One  important  feature  of  the  times 
remains  to  be  noticed — 'the  great  tide 
of  foreign  German  immigration  west- 
ward. Thousands  and  tens  of  thous- 
ands of  families  annually  passed 
through  from  the  eastern  cities  to  Ohio, 
Indiana,  and  Illinois;  the  latter  being 
then  regarded  as  "the  far  West."  In 
many  instances  one  or  more  of  these 
families  were  provided  with  a  wagon 
which  they  brought  with  them  from  the 
Vaterland,  and  in  which  they  transported 
their  meagre  household,  bed,  and  other 
clothins:  and  such  members  of  their  fam- 
ilies  as  were  unable  to  travel  on  foot. 
These  wagons  were  small  and  light,  con- 
structed almost  exclusively  of  wood,  with- 
out paint,  and  drawn  by  one  or  two 
horses.  An  ordinary  muslin  cover 
stretched  over  a  few  rude  bows  afforded 
a  slight  protection  from  sun,  wind'  and 
rain  to  those  who  were  huddled  together 
under  it.  The  rest  trudged  alongside 
through  dust  or  mud,  many  of  them 
begging  their  way,  whilst  hundreds 
and  thousands  of  Thalers  were  snugly 
stowed  away  in  the  little  Kafifern 
(chest)  on  the  wagons,  or  concealed  on 
their  persons.  The  great  mass  of  them, 
however,  took  through  passage,  at  least 
to  Pittsburg,  or  Wheeling,  on  the  great 
road-wagons  of  the  "Regulars;"  some- 
times to  the  exclusion  of  other  loading, 
but  frequently  "topped  out"  the  usual 
freight  with  bedding,  women,  and  chil- 
dren, while  those  who  were  able,  trudged 


4S6 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


alongside  or  behind.  And  what  a  gro- 
tesque group  of  humanity  was  a  wagon- 
load  of  German  immigrants !  The  males 
in  their  short  blue  coats  and  pants,  pro- 
fusely trimmed  with  legendary  gilt  but- 
tons ;  their  clumsy,  heavy-nailed  boots 
and  shoes,  their  little,  flat,  blue-cloth  caps, 
and  their  enormous,  long-stemmed  grace- 
fully curved  pipes,  ahvavs  in  their  mouths 
and  nearly  always  in  a  blast.  The  females 
in  their  short  gowns,  long,  heavily-ribbed 
stockings,  or  (if  in  summer)  bare  limbs, 
heavy  wooden  shoes,  and  their  little 
borderless  but  neatly  quilted  caps ;  these, 
with  their  children  of  various  ages  and 
sizes,  sitting  or  rather  hanging,  with  their 
lower  limbs  greatly  exposed  out  over  the 
sides  of  the  wagons,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  unmentionable  scenes  which  sudden 
emergencies  or  pressing  necessities  fre- 
quently occasioned  while  the  caravan  was 
halting  to  rest  and  water  in  a  town,  a 
'village  or  at  an  intermediate  tavern.  Yet, 
many  of  these  German  immigrants  and 
hundreds  of  thousands  are  now  among 
the  worthiest  and  wealthiest  citizens  of 
our  great  and  growing  West. 

It  was  in  the  mountainous  parts  of  the 
state,  e.  g.  between  the  Cumberland  Valley 
and  Greensburg  which  is  traversed  by 
five  distinct  mountain  ranges,  viz :  the 
Tuscaroras,  Ray's  Hill,  Alleghenies, 
Laurel  Hills,  and  Chestnut  Ridge,  where 
a  long  train  of  these  wagons  appeared, 
either  from  mountain  height  or  distant 
vale,  most  picturesque  and  beautiful. 

It  used  to  be  a  common  saying,  though 
not  strictly  true,  that  taverns  on  these 
turnpikes  were  only  "a.  stone's  throw 
apart."  Certain  it  is,  however,  they  were 
in  many  localities  within  sight  from  each 
other,  not  including  those  in  villages,  few 
of  which  had  less  than  two  or  three.  A 
reference  to  the  variety  and  peculiarity 
of  their  signs  may  amuse  the  younger, 
x>r  refresh   the  older  reader.     Many  of 


these  signs  were  quite  handsomely  painted 
on  disks,  or  fields,  in  size  about  four  by 
five  or  six  feet,  suspended  in  frames, 
mounted  on  stout  sign-posts,  from  twenty 
to  twenty-five  feet  high.  From  the  lower 
end  of  the  main  board,  was  suspended 
the  (movable)  "tail-board,"  bearing, 
usually  in  glaring  gilt  letters,  the  land- 
lord's name.  Occasionally  there  were  to 
be  seen  the  superadded  words,  "Stage 
Office"  "Pasture  for  Droves,"  or  "Stab- 
ling for  (ico  or  150)  Horses."  Each 
landlord  or  proprietor  had  the  disk  or 
field  of  his  sign  embellished  with  a  painted 
bust  of  his  favorite  hero.  Among  these, 
Washington,  of  course  was  chief,  but 
Lafayette,  Lee,  Gates,  Wayne  and  other 
Revolutionary  generals,  and  Hancock, 
Adams,  Jefferson,  Madison,  Monroe, 
Franklin,  and  other  great  statesmen, 
were,  in  this  way,  common  enough.  The 
war  of  1812  had,  however,  brought  to  the 
front  a  new  batch  of  celebrities  worthy 
of  all  honor ;  chiefly  among  whom  was 
Jackson,  who  was  almost  deified,  es- 
pecially by  the  Democrats,  during  and 
after  his  great  success  as  a  statesman. 
Nevertheless,  the  bold  and  commanding 
figures  of  Scott,  Harrison,  McDonough, 
and  Perry  graced  many  an  old-time 
tavern-sign  as  it  swayed  and  screeched  in 
the  wintry  blasts  that  swept  the  hills,  the 
mountains  and  the  valleys  of  our  grand 
old  state.  On  not  a  few  signs,  as  also  on 
the  sides  of  the  great  old  tenplate  stoves 
of  the  period,  was  to  be  seen  the  gallant 
ship  Lawrence,  encircled  with  the  undy- 
ing words  of  her  brave  commander, 
"Don't  give  up  the  ship !"  Besides  all 
these  there  were  the  sign  of  the  Bear,  the 
Bull's  Head,  the  Eagle,  the  Swan,  the 
Rising  Sun,  the  Globe,  the  Blue  Ball,  the 
Barley-Sheaf,  Cross-Keys,  Plough,  etc., 
a  few  of  which  still  remind  us  of  the  days 
that  were. 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


487 


TRI.NlTY  REFORMED  CHURCH,  MULBERRY,  INDIANA. 

A  Pennsylvania  German  Settlement  in  Indiana. 


BY  REV.   D.   B.   SHUEY,   SUGAR  GROVE,   OHIO. 


ORE  than  sixty  }ears  ago 
several  families  emigrated 
from  the  Lehigh  Valley  in- 
to the  new  and  densely 
wooded  country  in  the  west- 
ern part  of  Clinton  and  the 
eastern  part  of  Tippecanoe 
counties  in  the  state  of  Indiana.  Among 
these  were  the  Millers  and  Lechlitners 
whose  descendants  still  live  in  the  same 
district  and  retain  largely  the  same 
customs  and  language  prevailing  in 
Lehigh  and  Northampton  counties  in 
Pennsylvania. 

These  were  followed  by  others  and 
these  again  by  others  who  mostly  were 
■of  kin  to  each  other.  Hence  this  com- 
munity is  so  thoroughly  a  Pennsylvania- 
German  settlement  at  this  time  that  it 
could  well  be  taken  for  a  part  of  Lehigh 
county.  Hardly  any  of  them  have  lost 
the  use  of  the  Pennsylvania  German 
language    though    all    of    them    use    the 


English  language  fluently.  One  need  not 
be  surprised  to  find  people  meeting  each 
other  and  addressing  each  other  in  the 
language  of  their  Pennsylvania  ancestors, 
nor  when  they  go  to  the  store  to  make 
purchases  to  use  the  same  language  which 
is  so  commonly  used  among  them. 

There  are  still  a  number  living  in  this 
community  who  came  in  the  early  days 
when  they  emigrated  the  whole  distance 
by  team.  It  usually  required  some  five 
or  six  weeks  to  make  the  trip  from  Allen- 
town  to  this  new  settlement  in  Indiana. 
Now  some  of  these  same  people  make  an 
excursion  to  their  relatives  in  Lehigh 
county,  visiting  them  leisurely  and  re- 
turn to  their  western  homes  in  the  same 
time  it  formerly  required  to  make  a  single 
trip. 

More  than  fifty  years  ago  Israel  Smith, 
now  residing  in  Mulberry,  with  a  number 
of  others,  made  this  long  and  wearisome 
trip  by  the  wagon  route.     He  recounted 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


his  experiences  to  the  writer  a  few  years 
ago,  and  it  was  certainly  an  interesting 
story.  Of  course  there  was  a  good  public 
highway  from  Allentown  to  Harrisburg 
thence  through  the  mountains  to  Pitts- 
burg, but  it  was  a  monotonous  way  of 
travelling  day  after  day,  and  often 
through  long  stretches  of  timherland,  with 
limited  accommodations  for  entertain- 
ment on  the  way.  It  is  even  difficult  now 
for  us  to  picture  to  ourselves  such  a  trip. 
The  trip  from  Pittsburg  to  Indianapolis 
was  also  made  on  good  reads,  but  from 
the  latter  place  to  their  journey's  end  it 
was  mud,  mud,  mud.  and  the  horses  some- 
times were  unable  to  pull  the  load  and 
the  assistance  of  the  other  teams  was  re- 
quired. One  day  the  axle  of  their  wagon 
broke  down,  and  when  they  found  a  shop 
to  have  it  repaired  the  wheelwright  had 
the  chills  and  fever  so  bad  that  he  could 
not  work.  The  courage  of  Israel  Smith 
failed  not  and  he  said  to  the  owner  of  the 
shop  "let  me  have  a  piece  of  timber  and 
the  use  of  your  tools  and  I  will  try  and 
make  an  axletree."  He  succeeded,  at 
least  to  the  extent  that  the  rest  of  the  trip 
could  be  made  with  the  wagon  thus  re- 
paired. 

When  the  journey  was  ended  they 
found  themselves  in  the  timber  so  dense 
that  there  was  not  even  room  to  put  up 
a  shanty  without  first  felling  some  trees. 
They  went  courageously  to  work  and 
felled  the  trees  and  as  there  was  no  sale 
for  timber .  in  those  days  the  logs  were 
rolled  together  on  piles  and  burned. 
There  was  many  a  "jolly  log  rolling"  in 
those  days  and  property  was  destroyed 
that  would  now  bring  its  thousands  upon 
thousands  of  dollars. 

The  land  is  level  and  since  the  timber 
is  cleared  away,  and  in  later  years  has 
been  drained  with  tile,  the  country  cer- 
tainly look  like  a  vast  garden  spot,  and  is 
now  readily  selling  at  prices  ranging  from 
one  hundred  and  ten  to  one  hundred  and 
fifty-five  dollars  per  acre  for  farms  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Mulberry. 

One  and  one-half  miles  east  of  the  west 
Clinton  county  line  is  a  place  where  seven 
public  roads  from  different  directions 
meet.  At  this  place  was  a  blacksmith 
shop  and  a  little  grocery  forty-five  years 


ago.  This  seemed  a  good  place  for  a 
town,  and  soon  some  houses  were  erected 
there.  When  the  town  was  to  be  named, 
those  residing  there  could  not  agree  on 
a  suitable  name.  Some  one  pointed  out 
a  large  mulberry  tree  and  suggested  its 
name  for  the  town,  which  met  with  favor, 
and  ever  since  the  place  is  called  Mul- 
berry. It  has  now  about  i,ooo  inhabi- 
tants, and  is  one  of  the  cleanest  and  most 
attractive  places  to  be  found  anywhere. 
The  town  is  not  incorporated,  but  has  ce- 
ment sidewalks  and  sewer  drainage 
throughout  the  whole  town.  The  citizens 
have  done  this  voluntarily,  and  thus 
beautify  their  homes. 

Mulberry  has  three  new  brick  church 
buildings — the  Lutheran,  Reformed  and 
Methodist.  The  Lutheran  was  likely  the 
first  organization,  one  and  a  half  miles 
north  of  Alulberry,  now  called  Fair 
Haven.  The  Reformed  worshipped  with 
them  until  about  1859,  when  a  Reformed 
congregation  was  organized,  but  both 
congregations  used  the  same  church 
building,  which  was  located  in  Mulberry, 
until  about  twelve  years  ago,  when  the 
Lutherans  sold  out  their  interest  in  the 
property  and  erected  a  new  church  build- 
ing, and  a  few  years  later  the  Reformed 
erected  a  modern  church  building  with 
Sunday  School  and  class  rooms,  and  with 
cement  floor  basement  under  the  whole 
building. 

So  thorovighly  Pennsylvania-German 
have  these  two  congregations  been  that 
not  only  can  most  of  their  members  use 
that  language,  but  the  majority  of  their 
pastors  have  been  from  eastern  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  most  of  these  from  Lehigh 
county.  During  the  last  thirty  years  the 
Lutheran  pastors  have  been  Revs.  M.  J. 
Stirewalt,  J.  J.  Kuntz,  George  Harter,  C. 
K.  Drumheller,  J.  Wesner,  A.  J.  Reichert 
and  W' .  J.  Seiberling,  the  present  pastor. 
The  pastors  of  the  Reformed  church  have 
been  Revs.  S.  Nevin  L.  Kessler,  Madison 
C.  Peters,  W.  H.  Xanders,  John  Kessler, 
Paul  I.  Deppen,  Maurice  Sampson,  D.  B. 
Shuey  and  the  present  pastor  is  Rev.  J.  P. 
Bachman,  who  lately  came  from  Allen- 
town. 

These  Pennsylvania-German  people  oc- 
cupy the  eastern  portion  of  Tippecanoe, 


A  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN  SETTLEMENT  IN  INDIANA 


489^ 


a  large  part  of  Clinton  and  the  southern 
portion  of  Carroll  counties,  and  they  seem 
to  be  well  satisfied  to  stay  together.  Dr. 
M.  F.  Koons  and  Dr.  A.  M.  Yundt,  both 
from  Allentown,  are  partners  in  their 
practice  of  medicine.  The  Mulberry 
State  Bank  has  D.  H.  Yundt,  from  Allen- 
town,  as  its  president,  and  his  nephew, 
A.  I.  Yundt,  is  tlie  cashier.  Charles  B. 
Fretz,   from  Allentown,   is  the  township 


trustee,  and  has  all  the  business  of  the 
township  in  his  hands,  employing-  the 
school  teachers,  paying  their  salaries, 
looking  after  the  school  and  road  inter- 
ests in  general.  They  have  the  concen- 
trated system  of  schools,  since  they  built 
their  fine  new  brick  high  school  building 
four  years  ago  in  Mulberry.  A  number 
of  the  country  schools  have  been  closed, 
and  the  children  are  hauled  to  the  Mul- 


SCHOOL  BUILDING,  MULBERRY,  INDIANA. 


berry  schools  at  the  expense  of  the  dis- 
trict. Mulberry,  not  being  incorporated, 
is  a  part  of  the  township,  and  thus  saves 
the  town  government  expenses. 

Mulberry  has  its  own  mutual  telephone 
system  for  the  town  and  the  country 
around  extending  nearly  ten  miles  in  ev- 
ery direction.  .Phaon  Steckel  is  Presi- 
dent of  the  Company ;  A.  M.  Yundt,  Vice- 
President  ;  George  Yundt,  General  Man- 
ager, and  Levi  Kratzer,  operator  of  the 
switchboard,  and  all  of  these  come  from 
Lehigh  county.  One  of  the  largest 
farmers'  mutual  fire  insurance  companies 
in  the  State  has  its  office  in  Mulberry,  and 
Francis  H.  Yundt,  from  Lehigh  county, 
is  its  treasurer.     Mulberry  has  a  large 


steam  flouring  mill  owned  by  a  company,, 
but  its  general  manager  is  a  son  of  a 
Pennsylvania-German,  and  the  saw  mill, 
where  $75,000  is  paid  out  annually,  is 
owned  by  Chas.  Ziegler,  whose  father 
and  mother  came  from  Lehigh  county. 
Henry  J.  Butz,  born  in  Lehigh  county,  is 
the  treasurer  of  Carroll  county,  and  is  now 
serving  his  second  term.  Albert  J.  Bayne 
and  Percy  Ruch,  the  only  lawyers  Mul- 
berry has,  are  sons  of  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man parents. 

The  Reformed  church  has  four  congre- 
gations in  this  neighborhood,  and  the 
large  majority  of  its  members  are  either 
from  Lehigh  county  or  the  children  of 
Lehigh  countians.    Thev  are  so  much  in- 


490 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


ter-married  that  the  four  congregations 
are  really  but  one  great  "Freundschaft" 
(relationship).  The  Mulberry  Reformed 
church  has  tvventy-eight  members  by  the 
name  of  Miller,  and  twenty-one  by  the 
name  of  Yundt,  The  St.  Luke's  con- 
gregation has  twenty-three  members  by 
the  name  of  Ruch. 

It  might  interest  the  readers  to  have 
the  names  of  some  of  the  persons  who 
came  from  eastern  Pennsylvania  and 
■now  have  families  in  this  Indiana  settle- 
ment: Harrison  Antrim,  Alfred  Burk- 
halter,  Reuben  Burkhalter,  George 
Bucks,  Eli  Brandt,  William  Balser,  Jo- 
seph Bolyard,  Lewis  Baer,  Robert  Clen- 


denning,  Thomas  DeLong,  Monroe 
Dieter,  Ezra  Frankinfeld,  Charles  B. 
Fretz,  Jacob  E.  Foster,  Solomon  Fahr- 
inger,  John  Fenstermaker,  Mrs.  Tobias 
Gable,  Mrs.  B.  F.  House,  Frank  Hun- 
sicker,  Amandus  Hall,  Levi  Kratzer, 
Wm.  Kerschner,  Mrs.  Mary  Kyger, 
Moses  Lechlitner,  and  the  large  Miller 
family,  .R.  G.  Mohr,  Lewis  Moyer,  J.  H. 
Newhard,  Edward  Ohl,  Ephraim  Rothen- 
berger,  Daniel  Ruch,  Israel  and  Moses 
Smith,  J.  H.  Steckel,  Allen  J.  Troxel, 
Reuben  Troxel,  Joseph  Weidner,  Cor- 
nelius Walter,  Tilghman  Wenner,  the 
Yundt  family,  and  many  others. 


Canaling 


BY  DR.    I.   H.    BETZ,    YORK,    PA. 


HE  settlement  of  the  States 
west  of  the  AUeghenies  was 
made  with  great  difficulty  a 
little  over  one  hundred  years 
ago.  The  prospectors  most- 
ly went  there  on  foot  with 
their  trusty  rifles.  The 
lountry  was  still  inhabited  by  savages, 
who  were  hostile  to  the  white  man.  The 
savages  had  their  trails,  which  were  fol- 
lowed by  traders  and  others  during  the 
"pack  horse"  era.  Ohio  and  Indiana 
were  densely  timbered,  and  the  work  of 
cleaning  the  land  and  erecting  cabins  was 
laborious. 

In  early  periods  the  work  of  bringing 
supplies  from  the  eastern  States,  with  the 
difficult  methods  of  communication, 
seemed  impossible.  No  people  ever  made 
greater  sacrifices  or  suffered  more  hard- 
ships in  the  earlier  settlement  of  the  coun- 
ty than  did  these  people.  If  we  examine 
the  early  county  histories  of  these  States, 
which  contain  the  portraits  of  many  of 
the  old  settlers,  we  are  impressed  with 
the  traces  of  suffering  stamped  upon  their 
countenances,  which  never  became  ef- 
faced, and  which  reminds  one  of  those 
who  peopled  western  Kansas  some  years 
ago.  The  pack-horse  era  was  supplanted 
by  the  canal  a  number  of  years  later. 
This  was  a  slow  method  of  travelling", 


not  more  than  30  miles  being  accom- 
plished in  a  day  and  night  on  combina- 
tion boats.  What  were  known  as  packet 
boats  made  faster  time.  The  history  of 
early  travel  and  navigation  in  our  in- 
terior is  full  of  interest,  but  we  will  mere- 
ly give  a  brief  outline  of  the  route  trav- 
eled over  in  this  particular  journey.  As 
early  as  1827,  surveys  were  made  for  a 
line  of  transportation  from  Philadelphia 
to  Pittsburg,  and  also  from  various  points 
to  Lake  Erie.  A  railroad  was  contem- 
plated from  Philadelphia  to  Columbia, 
and  two  years  later,  in  1829,  surveys  were 
made  to  extend  this  railroad  to  York. 
The  railroad  along  the  river  bank  from 
Columbia  to  Harrisburg  was  among  the 
first  built.  Blocks  of  sandstone  were  first 
used  for  laying  the  rails  upon,  but  were 
found  to  be  too  solid  and  unyielding,  and 
were  replaced  by  wooden  ties.  The 
writer's  father  furnished  large  numbers 
of  these  stone  blocks.  The  Cumberland 
Valley  Railroad  was  built  a  little  later, 
and  first  had  bar  strip  rails,  spiked  on 
wood  sleepers.  These  sometimes 
"snaked"  up  and  penetrated  the  floor  of 
the  car,  proving  fatal  to  passengers. 

A  railroad  was  surveyed  to  cross  the 
Allegtieny  mountains  from  Hollidaysburg 
to  Johnstown,  a  distance  of  36  miles.  The 
canal  extended   later  continuously   from 


CANALING 


491 


Columbia  to  Hollidaysburg,  which  is  six 
miles  from  the  present  city  of  Altoona. 
This  link  of  railroad  was  a  portage  by 
which  the  boats  were  loaded  up  and  taken 
across  the  mountain,  where  the  canal  was 
again  resumed  at  Johnstown,  and  the 
journey  completed  by  canal  to  Pittsburg. 
From  thence  the  canal  boats  were  towed 
by  steamboats  down  the  Ohio  river  to 
Beaver  Falls,  where  the  canal  was  re- 
sumed and  the  trip  in  this  particular  in- 
stance terminated  at  Massilon,  Ohio. 

From  Columbia  along  the  east  bank  of 
the  Susquehanna  the  first  division  of  the 
canal  was  known  as  the  Susquehanna  di- 
vision, which  terminated  at  the  junction 
with  t^-'e  Juniata  division,  which  extended, 
by  way  of  Harrisburg,  a  distance  of  46 
miles.  The  Juniata  division  proceeded  by 
way  of  Duncan's  Island  up  the  Valley  of 
the  Juniata  by  way  of  Newport,  Mifflin- 
town,  Lewistown  and  Huntingdon  to 
Hollidaysburg,  a  distance  of   128  miles. 

The  Portage  railroad  across  the  Alle- 
ghenies  was  completed  in  1834.  Its  high- 
est point  was  2,700  feet  above  sea  level. 
The  neighboring  hills  were  only  200  feet 
higher  than  its  highest  point.  The  road 
had  five  inclined  planes  ascending  from 
the  east  side  and  five  descending  on  the 
west  side.  These  planes  were  very  steep, 
even  more  so  than  those  of  Pike's  Peak. 
However,   they  were   much   shorter. 

In  1835  the  canal  boats  were  so  con- 
structed that  they  could  be  taken  in  sec- 
tions and  hauled  over  the  mountain  on 
trucks  without  disturbing  cargo  or  pas- 
sengers. The  rails  were  secured  to  stone 
sleepers  20  inches  square,  which  were 
sunk  in  the  ground.  The  trucks  were  run 
into  a  basin  at  Hollidaysburg,  and  the 
boats  were  floated  upon  them.  They 
were  then  drawn  up  the  planes  by  sta- 
tionary engines.  The  time  required  to 
cross  from  one  side  to  the  other  was  about 
twenty-four  hours,  although  at  times  the 
trip  was  made  in  twelve  hours.  Strong 
chains  were  used  for  traction.  Sometimes 
fearful  accidents  happened,  just  as  they 
did  on  the  cable  cars  later  at  Kansas  City 
and  elsewhere.  Express  trains  on  the 
Pennsylvania  railroad  now  run  a  closely 
parallel  distance  in  a  trifle  of  over  an 
hour. 

This  Portage  road  was  bought  by  the 


P.  R.  R,  Co.  in  1854,  and  discontinued 
in  1855.  The  road  was  massively  con- 
structed, as  the  remains  of  parts  undis- 
turbed show.  Charles  Dickens  travelled 
on  the  old  Pennsylvania  Canal  from  Har- 
risburg to  Pittsburg,  and  gives  a  humor- 
ous account  of  the  journey  in  his  "Ameri- 
can Notes"  of  1842.  But  such  a  journey 
must  be  personally  experienced  at  first 
hand  to  be  interesting. 

The  journey  which  we  are  now  describ- 
ing began  at  Columbia,  on  May  2nd,  1848, 
by  taking  the  boat  at  sundown  at  Colum- 
bia. The  boat  was  a  combination  freight 
and  passenger  craft.  It  was  drawm  by 
two  mules,  which  were  ridden  by  what 
was  known  on  the  towpath  as  the  "canal- 
boat  boy."  The  towpath  was  an  adja- 
cent roadway  travelled  by  the  mules. 
These  boys,  being  no  longer  under  par- 
ental influence,  were  matchless  in  cursing 
and  swearing.  Like  Huckleberry  Finn, 
they  "chawed  terbacker"  and  laid  them- 
selves in  the  hot  sun  if  opportunity  of- 
fered. Then  there  was  a  captain,  a 
steersman  and  a  cook.  The  boats  had 
large  oars,  which  at  times  were  used  by 
the  boatmen  to  aid  the  speed  of  the  boat 
or  to  overcome  difficulties.  The  locks 
along  the  canal  were  numerous.  These 
were  necessary  to  overcome  the  inequali- 
ties produced  by  the  dififerences  of  level. 
Of  course,  to  pass  through  them  required 
some  time.  When  two  boats  met,  the 
right  of  way  often  led  to  disputes  if  it 
led  to  nothing  worse.  The  trouble  first 
began  with  the  drivers,  who  cut  lines,  re- 
sulting in  a  free  fight  all  around.  In 
fact,  it  was  believed  that  the  canal  and 
its  surroundings  contained  a  harder  crowd 
than  could  be  found  elsewhere. 

The  first  night  on  the  "raging  canal" 
was  a  novelty,  and  naturally  not  as  much 
sleeping  was  done  as  later  in  the  journey. 
The  running  to  and  fro  over  the  upper 
surface  of  the  boat  by  the  men,  the  flash- 
ing of  lanterns  and  the  cries  and  answers 
by  the  lock-tenders,  with  the  rushing  of 
the  waters  and  the  ringing  and  swaying 
of  the  boat  against  the  walls  of  the  lock 
were  suggestive  of  a  new  environment. 
Morning  came  and  breakfast  also.  After- 
wards the  deck  afforded  fine  views  of  the 
surrounding  country.  Between  Middle- 
town  and  Harrisburg  we  passed  the  place 


492 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


at  which,  it  is  said,  originated  the  much 
quoted  phrase,  "nigger  in  the  wood-pile." 
Passing  on,  in  the  forenoon  we  came  to 
the  then  small  town  of  Harrisburg,  which 
at  the  time  contained  between  five  and 
six  thousand  inhabitants.  The  slow  prog- 
ress of  the  boat  afforded  good  opportuni- 
ties for  observation. 

As  we  passed  on,  the  scenery  became 
wilder  and  grander.  The  damages  done 
by  the  great  flood  of  1846,  with  its  high 
waters,  the  marks  of  which  were  still  vis- 
ible, were  an  interesting  sight  for  ob- 
servation and  comment.  The  flood  had 
greatly  injured  the  canal. 

The  people  who  lived  along  canals  were 
often  rough,  rude  and  boisterous.  This 
was  the  day  of  low  prices  and  cheap  liv- 
ing. Eggs  were  sold  at  4  cents  per 
dozen,  butter  at  a  fip  (6>4  cents)  per 
pound ;  young  spring  chickens  sold  as 
low  as  a  fip  per  head.  When  Chirles 
Dickens  made  the  trip  on  the  packet  boat, 
he  left  Harrisburg  on  Sunday  afternoon, 
and  reached  Hollidaysburg  on  Wednes- 
day evening,  being  about  one-half  the  time 
consumed  by  section  boats.  Here  it  was 
generally  necessary  for  the  section  boats 
to  remain  until  their  turn  came  to  be 
taken  over  the  Portage.  In  the  journey 
we  are  describing,  two  days  and  one  night 
were  consumed  in  waiting  for  the  turn. 
Near  Hollidaysburg  a  great  reservoir  ex- 
isted for  feeding  the  canal.  The  reser- 
voir at  Johnstown  was  that  which  later 
destroyed  the  town,  in  1889. 

The  journey  from  Harrisburg  to  Hol- 
lidaysburg afforded  much  opportunity 
for  viewing  the  country,  the  people,  the 
towns  and  the  scenery.  The  latter  was 
grand  and  rugged.  Children  are  natur- 
ally democratic,  and  if  opportunity  offers 
will  speedily  become  acquainted,  without 
a  thought  being  given  to  rank  or  station. 
So  it  was  in  this  case.  But  the  staid  deni- 
zens of  the  east  speedily  found  they  were 
no  match  for  the  wild  and  woolly  free 
spirits  of  the  rude  sons  of  the  north  and 
west.  Thev  therefore  contented  them- 
selves with  drinking  in  the  mountain  scen- 
ery that  was  a  novelty  to  their  view.  The 
rate  of  travel  did  not  average  more  than 
6.  mile  an  hour,  and  time  would  have  hung 
heavy  upon  their  hands  except  for  this 


change  of  natural  scenery,  and  its  pan- 
oramic eft'ects,  which  were  never  effaced^ 
Modern  travel  in  railway  cars  is  too- 
rapid  to  make  the  abiding  impression  that 
the  old-time   canal   boat   did. 

During  the  trip  one  individual  lost  his 
life  during  the  night  by  falling  into  a 
lock  and  drowning.  It  was  generally 
thought  that  whiskey  was  responsible  for 
this  occurrence.  Many  boats  were 
passed,  as  the  canal  then  monopolized  the 
bulk  of  the  business,  the  railroad  not  yet 
being  extended  westward.  The  packet 
boats,  which  passed  rapidly,  as  it  seemed, 
had  their  decks  occupied  by  a  crowd  who 
were  hilarious  and  full  of  song  and 
music.  Many  of  them  were  foreigners, 
and  sang,  "The  Deutsch  Coompany  ish 
de  be'-.ht  Coompany."  It  was  estimated 
that  in  1835  50,000  tons  of  freight  and 
20,000  passengers  were  passed  over  the 
canal  and  the  Portage  during  that  season 
alone.  The  canal  boat  of  Jesse  Chris- 
man  was  the  first  transported  across  the 
mountains  on  peculiar  trucks.  This  was 
speedily  made  general. 

The  planes  on  the  Portage  averaged  an 
elevation  of  as  much  as  734  feet  eleva- 
tion to  100  feet.  They  were  mostly  a 
half-mile  in  length,  and  the  rise  ranged 
from  150  to  300  feet.  The  ascent  from 
Hollidaysburg  to  the  summit  was  a  dis- 
tance of  1 0^/4  miles,  and  the  rise  was  1398 
feet.  The  descent  from  the  summit  co 
Johnstown,  in  a  distance  of  26)2  miles, 
was  1 171  ft.,  the  highest  point  being  2,700 
feet  above  sea  level.  Columbia,  at  the 
canal,  was  214  feet  above  sea  level ;  there- 
fore the  rise  from.  Columbia  to  Hollidays- 
burg was  nearly  1200  ft.,  which  had  to  be 
overcome  by  locks,  probably  more  than 
100  in  number. 

In  crossing  the  Alleghenies  the  first 
part  of  the  night  was  spent  in  the  ascent; 
and  descending  to  Johnstown  consumed 
the  after  part  of  the  night  and  the  follow- 
ing forenoon.  At  Johnstown  the  canal 
was  resumed.  The  work  of  arranging  the 
boats  to  resume  their  journey  by  canal 
was  interesting  to  witness. 

Four  cars,  containing  7,000  pounds  of 
freight  each,  had  been  drawn  by  the  sta- 
tionary engine  and  lowered.  The  chain 
seemed  to  be  ever  in  motion,  and  seemed 


CANALING 


493 


in  appearance  much  like  a  large  country 
sausage,  from  the  elevated  point  of  view 
•of  the  observer.  Four  of  the  same  weight 
were  let  down  on  the  opposite  side  on  the 
second  track  at  the  same  time.  A  tunnel 
of  over  nine  hundred  feet  in  length  was 
passed  through  in  the  course  of  the  road. 
A  similar  tunnel  had  been  passed  through 
in  the  course  of  the  road.  A  similar  tun- 
nel had  been  passed  through  by  the  canal. 
The  railway  tunnel  was  20  feet  in  width 
and  19  feet  in  height. 

The  next  stop  was  at  Pittsburg,  which 
-consumed  a  day  and  night  before  begin- 
ning the  river  journey.  The  wharf  was  a 
busy  scene,  with  the  numerous  steamboats 
it  being  the  stage  of  high  water.  A 
very  fine  military  funeral  concourse 
passed  close  by,  which  was  that  of  sev- 
eral Mexican  war  heroes,  who  were  killed 
in  the  numerous  actions  near  the  city  of 
Mexico. 

Beaver  was  forty  miles  below  Pitts- 
"burg.  The  journey  by  canal  boat  on  the 
river  was  a  novelty,  since  the  speed  of  the 
canal  boat  was  rapid,  compared  with  its 
usual  movement.  The  wharf  at  Pitts- 
"burg  was  a  busy  place,  and  always  crowd- 
•ed.    Much  poverty  was  witnessed.   Many 


children  as  well  as  women  came  there  to 
pick  up  on  the  wharves  what  was  thrown 
out  by  the  'boat  crews.  Such  poverty  as 
that  had  never  been  witnessed  by  the  well- 
fed  people  of  Lancaster  and  other  Penn- 
sylvania counties. 

At  Beaver  the  canal  was  resumed,  this 
time  by  the  packet  boat,  and  the  more 
rapid  passage  was  agreeable  by  previous 
contrast.  The  voyage  through  the  level 
country  of  Ohio  seemed  more  monoton- 
ous, although  the  constant  change  was 
agreeable.  The  boat  passed  through 
Akron,  Canton,  and  the  stop  was  made 
at  Massilon,  still  about  fifty  miles  from 
the  destination.  The  journey  was  then 
made  by  teams,  the  first  night  being 
passed  at  Wooster. 

The  second  evening  landed  the  passen- 
gers at  their  destination,  the  journey  cov- 
ering a  distance  of  400  miles,  and  requir- 
ing from  May  2nd  to  May  i8th,  a  period 
of  16  days.  Ten  years  later  the  return 
journey  from  Mansfield,  Ohio,  to  Harris- 
burg,  Pa.,  was  made  in  18  hours,  and  the 
time  now  made  from  New  York,  by  way 
of  Philadelphia,  to  Chicago  has  been 
placed  on  a  16-hour  basis  for  more  than 
double  the  distance. 


Will  and  Inventory 

of 
Casper  Glattfelder 


Note. — The  September  issue  of  The  Penn- 
sylvania-German contained  a  sketch  of  the 
Glatfelder  family,  descendants  of  the  immi- 
grant Casper  Glattfelder.  Throug'h  the  kind- 
ness of  S.  F.  Glatfelder,  of  York,  Pa.,  we  are 
able  to  give  herewith  copies  of  the  will  of  said 
Casper  and  of  the  inventory  of  his  personal 
property.  We  believe  our  readers  will  be  in- 
terested in  the  terms  of  the  will  and  in  the 
prices  quoted  in  the  inventory.  We  would  be 
pleased  to  receive  other  old  documents  of  simi- 
lar nature  for  publication. 


THE  WILL 

In  the  name  of  God,     Amen. 

Casper  Glattfelder  of  Codorus  Twp.,  in 
York  Co.,  so  is  this  my  last  will  and 
testament — 

1st  My  son  Felix  Glattfelter,  shall 
have  my  plantation  for  three  hundred 
pounds.  Eighty  pounds  in  hand  and  then 
one  year  free,  afterwards  yearly,  every 
year  fifteen  pounds,  until  the  plantation 
is  paid. 


494 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


2nd  After  my  decease  my  wife  shall 
be  gently  cared  for,  She  shall  have  one 
cow,  the  best  bed;  (But  Felix  Glattf elder 
shall  keep  in  fodder  the  cow  as  his  own 
cattle),  one  iron  pot,  one  copper  kettle 
Her  spinning-  wheel,  two  pewter  dishes, 
one  Bucking-tub,  two  buckets,  one  chest, 
six  spoons,  two  plates,  one  lamp,  i  box 
iron — 

3rd  All  spin  stuff  that  is  in  the  house. 
be  the  same  Spun,  or  not,  Shall  remain  in 
the  estate,  and  the  charges  of  the  weaving, 
shall  be  paid  out  of  the  estate. 

4th  After  my  decease  my  wife  shall 
have  her  widow-seat,  on  the  plantation  as 
long  as  she  lives,  she  shall  be  maintained 
out  of  the  plantation. 

5th  She  shall  have  eight  bushels  of 
wheat,  two  Bushels  of  rye  and  half 
Bushel  of  salt  yearly,  one  pair  of  Shoes, 
one  hundred  weight  of  pork  yearly.  Five 
pounds  of  wool,  one  quarter  of  an  acre 
of  flax. 

6th  I  bequeath  unto  Solomon  my 
eldest  son  fifteen  pounds,  and  ten  pounds 
he  did  or  receive  of  his  master,  which 
should  belong  to  his  father,  because  he 
had  not  his  age,  I  therefore  bequeath  unto 
him,  one  english  shilling  for  all  his  heredi- 
tary right  and  inheritance  which  he  has  to 
seek  of  us. 

7th  I  bequeath  to  Anna  mv  best 
daughter  twenty  pounds  for  her  heredi- 


\ffn^^^,      Ovi-<iA     JUli^Uff-'   A 


mil ^^^jtattttmamiimtm  W'-  -  ■  -^  ^_^ 


>-*<-^^AC-«- 


•.^^^^^P^ 


tt-^fVi^ 


Signature  op 

CASPPIR  GLATTFELDER. 


tary  right  and  inheritance  that  she  has 
nothing  further  to  seek  of  my  estate  and 
no  further  portion  of  my  others 

8th  I  bequeath  unto  Casper  my  young- 
est son,  the  large  Bible,  exclusive  of  his 
other  share.  And  that  they  shall  divide  all 
the  books  with  each  other,  and  none  can 
or  shall  be  sold  at  the  vendue, 

9th     Felix  Glattfelder  shall  have  the 
plantation  forever,  and  all  the  right  and 
title  whatsoever  unto  the  plantation  be- 
longing.    This  is  my  last  will  and  testa- 
ment.    But  if  I  should  recover  again  I 
can  do  with  the  land  as  I  please.     I  live 
or  die.  this  is  my  last  will  and  testaments 
CASPER  GLATTFELDER      [seal] 
Executors  Conrad  Swartz 
Felix  Glatfelter 
Witnesses 

Jacob  Krout. 

Johannes  Hildebrand. 

Henry  Walter. 

THE  INVENTORY. 

An  inventory  of  all  and  singular  the 
goods  and  chatties.  Rights  &  Credits  of 
Casper  Glattfelter  Late  of  York  County 
Deceased  set  forth  by  the  Hand  of  Con- 
rad Swartz  &  Felix  Glattfelter  executors 
of  the  last  will  &  testament  of  the  de- 
ceased and  approved  the  8th  day  of  April 
A.  D.  1775,  viz, 
To  the  deceased  wearing  ap- 
parel    i     4  15  9 

To  a  sword  &  a  smith  vise ....       o     76 

To  a  coffee  mill  &  scales o  12  6 

To  sundries  in  a  basket o     80 

To  4  augurs   i   drawing  knife 

&  chisle   o     60 

To  I  chisle  an  addz  &  a  hatchet  o  70 
To  I  Hackle,  an  ax,  i  broad  ax 

&   sundries    o  lo  6- 

To  Saddler  leather o     56' 

To  a  hand  saw  and  shoe  leather  026- 
To  a  frame  saw  and  a  shovel.  040 
To  5  bell,  2  Pitch  forks  &  2 

dung  forks   o     8  O' 

To  4  maul  rings  &  2  wedges.  046- 
To  I  mans  saddle  &  i  Riding 

Cushion   oiio 

To  I  Iron  hook  &  a  three  fork.  026 
To  I  half  bushel  &  3  old  scythe      046 


WILL  AND  INVENTORY  OF  CASPER  GLATTFELTER 


495 


To  I  hundred  weight  Bacon.  .  i  13  o 

To  5  potts  of  lard o  12  6 

To  17  pewter  plates  &  8  spoons  0150 

To  2  pewter  dishes  &  platter.  o  60 
To  2  pans  Iron  ladles  &  a  flesh 

fork    o  76 

To  I  iron  pot  &  3  cedar  pails .  .  066 

To  15  bags I  30 

To  8  sickles  &  sundries o  46 

To  2  old  pistols o  30 

To  I  spinning  wheel  &  2  glass 

windows    o  83 

To  a  Table 0150 

To  a  Razor  &  Box  &  i  candle 

stick o  33 

To  I  wagon  10  10  o 

To  15  lbs  of  woolen  yarn  &  5 

lbs   of   heckled   hemp i  15  o 

To  I  log  chain.  20  harrow  teeth 

&  I  tar  box  o  14  9 

To  3  old  plow  Colters  &  a  bas- 
ket with  sundries    o  83 

To  4  collars  &  geers 2  00 

To  I  grindstone,  i  cutting  box 

&  knife    o  19  o 

To  I  Bucking  tub,  i  iron  kettle 

&  2  barrels   o  12  o 

To  2  Double  barrel  casks.  ...  o  76 

To  160  lbs  of  broken  hemp.  . .  2  10  o 

To  Sundry  small  articles  ....  o  10 
To  a  Fan   (or  windmill)   &  5 

bridles    2  14  6 

To  a  black  bull   2  00 

To  I  Heiffer i  17  o 

To  4  calves 3  10  o 

To  I  cow   3  00 

To  I   Do    3  00 

To  I    Do  3  8  6 

To  I    Do  3  26 

To  I    Do 3  16  o 

To  I  Heififer    i  10  o 

To  I       Do      I  12  o 

To  I       Do      I  90 

To  I       Do      I  6  6 


To  14  sheep  &  8  Lambs 5  10  Q 

To  I   mare    15     00 

To  I  Bay  horse 13     00 

To   I     Do  Light  bay 20     o  O 

To   I   Rone  Mare    22     o  ©• 

To   I   mare  colt   10  10  O 

To  I  Gray  mare  &  colt 20     00 

To  2   Ploughs   with  the  tack- 
lings  I   10  o 

To  3  Hemp  brakes,  &  i^  Bu 

hemp    seed    o  16  6 

To  3  Bushels  of  Buckwheat  &  3 

pecks  flax  seed    0150 

To  I  Featherbed  &  a  bedstead .        150- 
To  I         Do  Do     .  .        I   17  o 

To  I  Blanket  &  Do     .  .       i   10  o- 

To  I  Bushel  &  >^  of  salt 06a 

To    10  head   of   swine 200 

To  90  Bushels  of  wheat 22  10  o 

To  6  Cow  chains  &  sundries.  .        i     i  6- 
To  I  Bond  Due  by  Valentine 

Lore 8  14  o 

To  I  Do  Do  by  Mathias  Pope  15     00 

To  I  Do  Do  by  Francis  Grove  12     00 
To  I  Promisary  note  of  Jacob 

Kraft  6     00 

To  a  Book  debt  due  by  Peter 

Drexler    511^ 

To  a  Do  by  Jacob  Henry.  ...       o  10  O 

To  a  Do  by  Jacob  Krout o     50 

To  a  Do  by  Henry  Korfman.  .        6  14  9 

To  a  Do  by  Charles  Diehl 13  16  o 

To  a  Do  by  Henry  Alt i    10  o 

To  cash 18  18  o 

Total  amount   £297     9  6 

BARNHART  ZEIGLER, 

CARL  DIEHL, 

Appraisers. 

CONRAD  SWARTZ, 
FELIX  GLATFELTER, 

Executors. 
Sworn  to  May  20,  1775. 


496 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


The  Hiester  Homestead  in  Germany 

By  Isaac  Hiester,  Esq.,  Reading,  Pa. 


Note. — This  paper,  read  before  the  Historical 
Society  of  Berks  County  by  request,  and  issued 
"by  the  author  in  pamphlet  form,  is  reprinted 
1)y  permission.     See  frontispiece  illustration. 

N  the  early  settlement  of  that 
part  of  Pennsylvania  which 
is  now  included  within  the 
limits  of  Berks  county  a 
large  portion  of  the  popula- 
tion was  drawn  from  those 
parts  of  Germany  bordering 
on  or  near  the  river  Rhine.  A  descrip- 
tion of  a  neighborhood  and  homestead 
from  which  some  of  those  persons  emi- 
grated therefore  may  be  valuable  be- 
•cause  typical  of  others  and  thus  having 
a  personal  interest  for  many  of  our 
people.  Moreover,  such  -a  description 
may  be  useful  in  stimulating  other  per- 
sons to  investigations  like  "those  which 
have  proved  so  interesting  in  this  case. 

The  Hiester  family  in  America  is  de- 
scended from  three  brothers.  John,  the 
eldest,  emigrated  in  1732  and  was  fol- 
lowed in  1737  by  Joseph  and  Daniel  who 
sailed  in  that  year  in  the  ship  St.  Andrew 
from  Rotterdam.  The  family  records  in 
Daniel  Hiester's  prayer  book  describe  the 
three  brothers  as  sons  of  John  and  Cath- 
arine Hiester  and  their  birthplace  as  the 
villace  (dorf)  of  Elsoff  in  the  countv 
(grafschaft)  of  Wittgenstein,  in  the 
province  of  Westphalia. 

Westphalia  is  one  of  the  western  prov- 
inces of  Prussia  near  to  but  not  bordering 
on  nor  traversed  by  the  Rhine  and  it  is 
■quite  probable  that  the  course  of  the  emi- 
grants was  first  to  the  Rhine  and  down 
that  river  to  Rotterdam  where  they  em- 
barked for  America.  Wittgenstein  is 
situated  in  the  extreme  southeastern  cor- 
ner of  Westphalia  adjoining  the  provinces 
of  Hessen  and  Nassau  and  is  on  the  hi2:h 
altitude  of  the  slope  of  a  picturesque  chain 
of  mountains  called  Rothhaaro-ebir'^^e 
•wliich  forms  the  watershed  dividing  the 


sources  of  the  Lenne  flowing  westward 
into  the  Rhine  from  the  sources  of  the 
Eder  flowing  eastward  into  the  Weser. 
The  ancient  Schloss  of  Wittgenstein  is 
in  the  southern  part  of  the  county  in  the 
suburbs  of  the  town  of  Laasphe  and  was 
formerly  the  depository  of  the  records 
of  the  county,  but  the  town  of  Berleburg 
further  to  the  north  and  the  seat  of  the 
prince  of  Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg 
now  has  the  records  relating  to  that  por- 
tion of  the  county  in  which  Elsoff  is  situ- 
ated. 

The  railroad  connecting  Marburg  with 
Kreuzthal  near  Siegen,  on  which  only 
local  trains  and  second,  third,  and  fourth 
class  cars  are  run,  connects  at  Erndte- 
bruck  with  a  branch  road  terminating  at 
Raumland.  From  this  point  the  traveler 
completes  his  journey  to  Berleburg  in  a 
mail  coach  of  the  familiar  bright  yellow 
color  of  the  Kaiserliche  Post  with  a 
coachman  in  regulation  uniform  who 
wears  a  high  feather  in  his  hat  and  who 
announces  his  approach  to  the  waiting 
villagers  by  blowing  a  curved  brass  horn. 

Berleburg,  the  capital  of  this  part  of 
the  county,  is  a  town  of  about  2000  in- 
habitants situated  in  the  picturesque  valley 
of  the  Eder.  The  most  importanc  feature 
of  the  place  is  the  Schloss  of  the  prince 
of  Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg,  built  on 
high  ground  above  the  town.  The 
Schloss  was  originally  erected  in  1585  as 
appears  by  the  date  on  a  stone  bearing 
the  family  coat  of  arms  placed  over  the 
entrance  of  the  gateway  of  the  outer  walls 
and  is  imposing  and  extensive  with  num- 
erous wings,  towers  and  outbuildings.  It 
contains  a  museum  and  a  library  of  inter- 
esting and  valuable  manuscripts.  It  evi- 
dently has  been  frequently  renovated  and 
modernized  and  appears  to  be,  as  it  doubt- 
less is,  the  comfortable  home  of  a  culti- 
vated and  refined  family  whose  presence 
in  the  Schloss  is  indicated  in  roval  fashion 
by  the  floating  of  a  flag  over  the  central 


THE  HIESTER   HOMESTEAD 


497 


portion  of  the  Schloss.  The  park  imme- 
diately adjacent  and  belon2;ing  to  the 
Schloss  covers  possibly  thirty  or  forty 
acres  and  romantically  descends  to  and 
crosses  a  little  stream  which  feeds  a  lake 
within  the  grounds.  The  park  is  well 
wooded  and  tastefully  embellished  with 
shrubbery  and  flowers  and  is  kept  in 
excellent  condition.  It  is  open  to  the 
public  during  certain  hours  every  day. 

A  drive  of  about  twelve  miles  from 
Berleburg  over  the  excellent  roads  of  the 
German  Empire  through  a  well-cultivated 
and  well-watered  country  takes  the 
traveler  first  past  extensive  slate  quarries, 
then  through  quaint  little  villages  peopled 
by  the  peasants  who  toil  in  the  fertile 
valley  of  the  Eder,  apd  after  passing 
several  toll  gates  finally  climbs  the  moun- 
tains from  the  top  of  whidi  ElsoiT,  a 
village  of  six  hundred  inhabitants,  may  be 
seen  nestling  in  the  heart  of  the  surround- 
ing hills.  The  view  from  the  top  of  the 
ridge  before  descending  the  mountains  to 
reach  the  village  by  a  road  which  almost 
returns  upon  itself  to  make  the  descent 
discloses  a  collection  of  about  a  hundred 
houses  closely  grouped  with  the  handsome 
school  house  on  a  high  point  on  the 
further  side  of  the  village  and  the  spire 
of  the  church  gracefully  rising  in  the 
back'jround  constituting  a  most  attractive 
and  beautiful  picture. 

The  old  church  with  the  spire  at  one 
end  and  a  recessed  chancel  at  the  other 
is  supposed  to  date,  at  least  in  some  of 
its  parts,  from  about  the  year  looo.  The 
form  of  the  chancel  clearly  indicates  that 
it  existed  in  pre-Reformation  times.  In 
other  respects  the  form  and  furnishings 
of  the  church  are  not  different  from  those 
of  our  Reformed  churches  except  for  the 
presence  of  two  candles  on  the  altar.  A 
stone  in  the  middle  of  the  aisle  near  the 
entrance  to  the  sanctuary  marks  the  grave 
of  a  former  pastor  of  the  church  who  died 
in  1669.  The  churchyard  surrounding 
the  church  building  is  well  filled  with 
graves,  most  of  them  unmarked,  and  of 
the  few  stones,  as  far  as  observed,  none 
record  a  death  earlier  than  1849.  On  one 
side  of  the  churchyard  is  the  recendy  con- 
structed parsonage  where  Pastor  Lang- 
hofT  and  his  hospitable  wife  extended  the 


writer  a  most  warm  welcome  in  a  charm- 
ing home  replete  with  every  evidence  of 
comfort  and  refinement. 

The  most  interesting  feature  in  con- 
nection with  the  church,  of  course,  was 
the  official  records  of  baptisms,  marriages, 
and  burials.  These  as  well  as  the  account 
books  of  the  church  have  been  preserved 
complete  from  1649  ^ncl  are  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  pastor. 

The  early  books,  as  might  be  expected, 
are  well  worn  and  the  ink  has  turned 
brown  and  as  the  entries  are  in  German 
script  not  always  easily  legible  and  are 
arranged  in  chronological  order  without 
any  index  their  examination  is  not  easy. 
It  was,  therefore,  with  much  satisfaction 
that  without  a  very  long  search  the  fol- 
lowing record  was  found  of  the  baptism 
of  John  the  eldest  brother,  who  was  the 
father  of  Governor  Joseph  Hiester : 

Elsoff  den  8.  Januar  ao.  1708  hat  Johann 
Jost  Hiister  Anna  Katharina  Eheleut  ein 
Sohnlein  taufen  lassen.  Dessen  Gevattern  sind 
gewcsen  Johannes  Closs,  der  Mutter  lediger 
Bruder  und  Anna  Barbara,  Jost  Hiister's  ehl. 
Tochter.  Das  Kind  is  Johannes  genannt  wor- 
den. 
— ^w'hich  translated  is  as  follows : 

Elsofif,  the  8th  of  January,  1708,  John  Jost 
Hiister — Anna  Katharine,  married  people,  had 
a  son  baptized  whose  sponsors  were  John 
Closs,  the  mother's  single  brother,  and  Bar- 
bara. Jost  Hiister's  lawful  daughter.  The 
child   was   named   John. 

The  entry  is  interesting  as  giving  the 
maiden  name  of  the  ancestor's  wife. 

Later  followed  the  record  of  the  bap- 
tism of  other  children  as  follows,  the  last 
being  the  grandfather  of  the  writer's 
grandfather : 

Elsoff  den  12.  Mai  ao.  1709  hat  Johannes 
Hiister  Katharina  Eheleut  zwei  Kinder,  Zwil- 
linge,  ein  Magdlein  und  ein  Sohnlein  taufen 
lassen.  Das  ^lagdlein  ist  Anna  Gerdraut  ge- 
nannt  worden   und   der   Bub  Johann    Daniel. 

Elsoff  *  *  *  Mai  ao.  1710  hat  Johannes 
Hiister  und  Anna  Katharina  Elizabeth  Eheleut 
ein  Sohnlein  taufen  lassen  *  *  *  Das  Kind 
ist   Johann   Jost   genannt   worden. 

Elsoff  den  i.  Marz  ao.  171 1  hat  Jost  Hiister 
Katharina  Eheleut  einen  junger  Sohn  taufen 
lassen.  Das  Kind  is  Matheus  genannt  wor- 
den. 

Elsoff  den  7.  Februar  ao.  1712  hat  Jost 
Hiister  Anna  Katharina  Eheleut  ein  Tochter- 
lein  taufen  lassen  *  *  *  Das  Kind  ist  Anna 
Katharina  genannt  worden. 

Elsoff  den  7.  Januar  ao.  1713  hat  Johannes 
Hiister    und    Anna    Katharina    Eheleut    einen 


498 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Sohnlein    taufen   lassen.     Dessen   Gevatter   ist 
gewesen    Johannes    Daniel,    der    Mutter    noch 
lediger  Gesell.     Das  Kind  ist  Johannes  Daniel 
genannt   worden. 
— which  translated  are  as  follows : 

ElsotT,  12  May,  1709,  John  Hiister — Kathar- 
ine, married  people,  had  two  children,  twins,  a 
young  son  and  a  young  daughter,  baptized. 
The  girl  was  named  Anna  Gertrude  and  the 
boy   John    Daniel. 

Elsoflf,  *  *  *  May,  1710,  John  Hiister  and 
Anna  Katharine  Elizabeth,  married  people,  had 
a  son  baptized.  The  child  was  named  John 
Jost. 

Elsoff,  I  March,  171 1,  Jost  Hiister — Kathar- 
ine, married  people,  had  a  young  son  baptized. 
The  child  was  named  Matthew. 

Elsoff,  7  February,  1712,  Jost  Hiister — Anna 
Katharine,  married  people,  had  a  young 
daughter  baptized.  The  child  was  named 
Anna  Katharine. 

Elsoff,  7  January,  1713,  John  Hiister  and 
Anna  Katharine,  married  people,  had  a  young 
son  baptized  whose  sponsor  was  John  Daniel, 
the  mother's  single  brother.  The  child  was 
named  John  Daniel. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  original 
speUing  of  the  name  was  Hiister,  the  "u" 
having  an  umlaut.  As  the  umlaut  could 
not  be  preserved  in  English  and  "u" 
without  the  umlaut  would  be  differently 
pronounced  it  seemed  expedient  to  the 
early  members  of  the  family  in  America 
to  change  the  spelling  to  the  present  form 
in  order  as  nearly  as  possible  to  preserve 
the  original  pronunciation. 

Elsoff  appears  to  have  had  its  beginning 
upon  a  highway  which  was  laid  out  along 
the  banks  of  a  stream  about  eight  or  ten 
feet  wide.  This  stream  therefore  now 
winds  through  the  centre  of  the  town  and 
the  road  on  its  banks  crossing  from  one 
side  to  the  other  is  the  main  street.  The 
streets,  of  varying  widths  and  devious 
courses,  average  not  more  than  twenty 
feet  in  width.  They  are  usually  paved 
with  irregular  stones,  have  no  sidewalks, 
and  are  lined  on  either  side  by  the  houses, 
barns,  yards,  and  out-buildings  of  the  in- 
habitants who  are  chieflv  occupied  in 
tilling  the  neighboring  fields.  The  houses 
are  built  by  first  erecting  a  framework  of 
timbers  a  foot  or  two  feet  apart  and  filling 
in  the  spaces  between  them  with  bricks 
of  various  kinds  so  that  the  timbers  are 
visible  on  the  sides  of  the  house.  The 
furniture  of  the  houses  is  of  the  plainest 
character  and  except   a  clock   which   is 


usually  found  in  the  living  room  there  is 
little  comfort  or  luxury.  Along  the  cross 
timber  over  the  doorway  is  generally  an 
inscription  often  running  across  the  entire 
front  of  the  house  and  giving  the  date 
of  the  building,  the  name  of  the  owner, 
and  sometimes  a  text  or  pious  and  rever- 
ential expression.  On  one  of  the  houses 
the  following  inscription  appears : 

Durch  Gottes  hilfe  erbaut  von  Johannes 
Jacob  Hiister  und  Christina,  seine  Ehefrau, 
und  auch  von  Johannes  Jacob  Kuhn  und  Dor- 
othea, dessen  Ehefrau,  aufgerichtet  25.  Mai, 
1810. 
— which  translated  is  as  follows : 

Built  through  the  help  of  God  by  John  Jacob 
Hiister  and  Christina,  his  wife,  and  also  by 
John  Jacob  Kuhn  and  Dorothea,  his  wife. 
Erected  25  May,  1810. 

The  house  is  at  present  occupied  by 
Jacob  Hiister  Vokels,  a  descendant  of  one 
of  the  builders,  with  his  wife  and  family. 

In  another  part  of  Elsoff  standing 
about  fifty  feet  back  from  the  street  is  a 
house  which  forms  with  its  barn  and  other 
buildings  a  court  and  which  is  said  to 
have  long  been  known  as  the  Hiister 
homestead  and  to  have  been  occupied  by 
the  family  until  1834.  The  property  now 
belongs  to  and  is  occupied  by  a  man  of 
the  name  of  Althouse  who  rrjarried  a 
woman  named  Marburger,  whose  mother 
was  a  Hiister.  The  barn  by  its  date  ap- 
pears to  have  been  built  in  17 18  and  the 
present  house  in  1792  but  neither  bears 
the  name  of  the  builder.  In  the  posses- 
sion of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Althouse,  however, 
is  an  ancient  Hiister  family  Bible.  This 
book  is  an  immense  volume  containing 
in  German  the  Old  and  New  Testaments 
and  the  Apocrypha  and  was  printed  in 
Frankfort  in  1699.  The  family  record 
was  kept  on  the  fly-leaves  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  volume.  Most  unfortunately 
the  first  of  these  fly-leaves  containing  the 
record  has  been  completely  torn  out  with 
the  exception  of  a  narrow  margin  ranging 
in  width  from  a  half  inch  to  an  inch  along 
the  length  of  the  page.  On  the  margin 
the  last  word  or  two  of  each  line  of  the 
original  writing  can  be  seen  and  about 
half  way  down  the  page  appears  the  word 
"America"  which  formed  the  ending  of  a 
line  at  that  point.  The  second  page  of  the 
record  is  intact  and  begins  in  1785  with 


THE  HIESTER  HOMESTEAD 


49S> 


the  family  record  of  John  Jost  Hiister 
and  Christina,  his  wife.  It  may  very 
probably  be  conjectured  that  this  collec- 
tion of  buildings  was  the  original  home- 
stead or  "Stammhaus"  as  the  Elsofif 
people  call  it  and  that  the  Bible  contains 
the  record  kept  by  the  father  of  the  three 
brothers  who  emigrated  to  America  and 
whose  departure  was  noted  on  these 
pages. 

The  community  dwelling  in  Elsoff  is 
evidently  a  typical  farming  community 
of  Germany  composed  of  industrious, 
thrifty,  and  hardy  people.  Although 
there  seem  to  be  no  wealthy  persons 
among  them,  there  are,  as  the  pastor  de- 
clares, no  poor  and  some  are  reputed  to 
have  accumulated  considerable  property. 
Many  of  their  names,  such  as  Marburger, 
Althouse,  Zacharias,  Schaeffer,  Gast,  and 
others  have  a  familiar  sound  to  a  resident 
of  Berks  county  and  the  sign  of  Louis 
Kraemer  looms  up  prominently  over  a 
place  of  business.  Their  German  is  full 
of  expressions  which  suggest  Pennsyl- 
vania German  idioms.  Taken  all  in  all, 
the  traveler  who  finds  himself  transported 
to  a  remote  hamlet  across  the  Atlantic 
whence  his  ancestors  removed  nearly  two 
centuries  ago  has  novel  sensations  as  he 
walks  among  the  mountains  and  along  the 
streams  and  even  in  the  very  buildings 
where  they  lived  and  worked  and  wor- 


shipped and  hears  the  present  dwellers 
there,  some  of  whom  are  undoubtedly  his 
kindred,  using  the  same  dialect  and  call- 
ing their  acquaintances  by  the  same  fam- 
ily names  which  from  his  birth  he  has 
been  accustomed  to  hear  \n  his  western 
world. 

From  an  historical  point  of  view  a  visit 
to  Elsoff  is  most  valuable  and  edifying-. 
The  lapse  of  two  centuries  has  made  little- 
change  and  the  visitor  gains  an  impressioiB 
of  the  appearance  and  conditions  of  the 
place  as  they  existed  in  detail  when  the 
Hiester  brothers  emigrated.  The  situa- 
tion and  size  of  the  little  town,  the  char- 
acter, location,  and  number  of  buildings^ 
the  furniture  of  the  houses,  the  dress^ 
language,  and  occupation  of  the  inhabi- 
tants, are  exhibited  as  they  were  in  those- 
days.  The  scenes  from  which  the  early- 
emigrants  departed  to  try  their  fortunes; 
and  bear  their  part  in  the  building  up  of 
the  new  country  are  really  present  to  the 
eye  of  the  modern  traveler.  The  nev\r 
country  to  which  the  emigrants  came  iife 
the  course  of  its  development  has  beem 
so  changed  from  the  state  in  which  they 
found  it  that  imagination  only  can  paint 
it  but  the  town  which  they  left  stands  to- 
day as  it  stood  then,  a  finished  picture  of 
that  era  untouched  by  the  energy  a£ 
modern  life. 


David  Schultz: 
An  Old  Time  "Bush  Lawyer" 


Note. — This  paper  was  read  by  the  publisher 
of  the  magazine  before  the  Montgomery  County 
Historical  Society,  at  the  meeting  at  Perkiomen 
Seminary,  Pennsburg,  October  24,  1908. 

IMONG  the  old  tombstones  in 
the  cemetery  of  the  New 
Goshenhoppen  Reformed 
Churcr  near  East  Green- 
ville. Pa.,  is  one  with  the 
simple  inscription  in  Ger- 
man : 


DAVID  SCHULTZ, 

died    1797 
Aged  79  years  7  months. 

The  date  and  age  show  that  the  persot* 
thus  commemorated  must  have  lived 
through  eventful  and  stirring  times — the- 
periods  of  settlement  and  home  buildings 
of  this  community,  the  French  and  Indiam 
War,  the  Revolution,  the'  Declaration  o£ 
Independence,  the  Establishment  of  the- 
United   States,   the   Fries   Rebellion,  thfe 


50O 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Whiskey  Insurrection,  truly  the  very 
moulding  days  and  years  of.  the  world's 
grandest  and  most  glorious  Republic. 

That  his  life  was  not  uneventful,  unim- 
portant or  insignificant  may  be  mferred 
from  the  following  words  written  by  the 
late  Rev.  Dr.  C.  Z.  Weiser  a  local  his- 
torian and  pastor  of  note  of  the  com- 
munity : 

"We  have  abundant  records  to  show  that  he 
had  been  the  recognized  scrivener,  conveyancer, 
sur\'eyor  and  general  business  agent  for  the 
frontier  settlers  scattered  over  a  wide  district 
in  Eastern  Pennsylvania  as  far  down  as  1797." 

It  will  be  well  for  us  the  living  to  pause 
a  moment  and  review  the  eventful  days 
of  his  life. 

David  Schultz  the  subject  of  our  sketch 
a  son  of  George  Schultz  and  Anna  Hueb- 
ner  was  born  September  13,  1717  and 
spent  the  first  few  years  of  his  life  in  Har- 
persdorf,  Silesia,  Germany,  and  thus  in  a 
Schwenkfelder  community  that  had  ex- 
perienced trials  and  persecutions  for 
many  a  decade  and  that  at  the  very  time 
of  his  birth  heard  the  first  distant  rumb- 
lings of  a  storm  that  was  destined  in  the 
near  future  to  break  with  unwonted  fury 
over  their  heads.  For  it  had  been  decided 
by  the  powers  ruling  at  the  time  to  make 
Catholics  of  the  few  Schwenkfelders  liv- 
ing in  Harpersdorf  and  the  surrounding 
community  and  investigations  inspired  by 
this  decision  were  being  held  at  the  time. 

Two  years  later  two  Jesuits  mission- 
aries arrived  at  Harpersdorf  with  full 
power  to  execute  these  plans.  From  1719 
to  1725  the  Schwenkfelders  submitted  to 
a  '  religious  oppression  that  gradually 
grew  worse  but  when  the  breaking  point 
had  been  reached  and  they  could  endure 
no  longer  they  began  to  flee  by  night, 
abandoning  homes,  kindred  and  all  and 
taking  naught  with  them  but  sorrow  and 
poverty  as  one  of  their  writers  expressed 
himself.  Thus  it  came  to  pass  that  the 
father  of  David  Schultz  migrated  with 
his  family  from  Silesia  to  Hennersdorf 
near  Goerlitz,  Saxony  in  1726.  The  fami- 
ly subsequently  moved  to  Herrnhut  in 
1730,  to  Berthelsdorf  in  1731  and  to 
Pennsylvania  in  1733. 

Of  the  incidents  of  the  migration  from 
Berthelsdorf  to  Philadelphia  we  may  note 
th^  following,  gleaned  from  an  interesting 


account  of  the  journey  written  in  all 
probability  by  the  subject  of  our  sketch 
at  the  time  a  youth  of  less  than  16  years, 
(Vide,  Pa.  Mag.  of  History  and  Biogra- 
phy, Vol.  3,  No.  2)  :  A  party  of  13  left 
Berthelsdorf,  Sunday,  April  19,  1733  at 
noon  and  took  passage  on  the  Elbe  river 
at  Pirna,  April  21,  passing  ^Magdeburg 
April  29  and  arriving  at  Hamburg,  May 
8.  The  following  day  they  took  ship  for 
Amsterdam  where  they  arrived  a  week 
later,  May  16.  Here  the  company  of  13 
grew  to  19  who  left  on  a  small  vessel  for 
Rotterdam  June  16  where  they  arrived  at 
2  P.  ]\I.  the  following  day.  June  24  the 
company  set  sail  for  Philadelphia  on  the 
brigantine  called  Pennsylvania  Merchant, 
John  Stedman,  captain. 

Space  and  time  forbid  our  giving  the 
details  of  the  ocean  voyage  which  is  de- 
scribed at  considerable  length  by  our 
youthful  chronicler. 

^^'e  can  merely  glean  the  following : 

The  ship  carried  only  155  tons  and  had 
over  300  persons  on  board,  causing  much 
crowding.  In  spite  of  this  however  only 
10  deaths  occurred  on  the  voyage  accord- 
ing to  the  Schultz  record.  The  day  after 
embarking  the  ship  did  not  make  much 
progress  as  it  was  towed  by  sailors  in  the 
boat.  July  13  Plymouth  was  reached 
where  they  stayed  a  week  and  the  captain 
took  in  fresh  water  and  provisions  and 
settled  the  toll. 

Thirteen  vessels  were  seen  after  leaving 
Plymouth  and  before  entering  the  Dela- 
ware river.  Storms  and  calms,  favorable 
and  contrary  winds  interchanged.  Once 
"a  violent  storm  arose  during  the  night ;  a 
bolt  was  wrenched  off  from  one  of  the 
window  shutters  and  a  terrible  quantity 
of  water  poured  into  the  ship.  In  the 
morning  the  waves  were  fearful,  like 
rocky  cliffs  and  high  mountains.  The 
noise  of  their  roaring  was  horrible.  It 
was  a  spectacle  aiwful  to  behold." 

We  may  well  believe  that  the  "thanks 
and  praise"  in  following  words  were 
sincere  and  heartfelt,  written  on  Septem- 
ber 28  after  the  company  had  been  95 
days  on  the  deep. 

"In  the  afternoon  we  arrived  safe  and  sound 
in  Philadelphia.  Thanks  and  praise  to  the- 
Lord   for  this  blessing!     At  9- o'clock   in  the 


DAVID  SCHULTZ 


SOI 


morning,  my  brother  George  Scholtze  came 
to  us  having  journeyed  twelve  miles  in  a 
boat  to  meet  our  company.  He  brought  us 
apples,  and  peaches,  and  wheaten  bread  and 
staid  with  us  on  the  ship  till  we  reached  Phila- 
delphia." 

In  the  company  of  19  to  which  our 
diarist  refers  there  were  the  widow  Anna 
Krause  with  two  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters. George  SchuUz,  his  wife  and  their 
son  David,  and  John  and  Gottlob  Klemm. 
Melchior,  hu.>^band  of  Anne  Krauss,  died 
at  Harlem,  Holland,  May  28.  So  much 
for  the  journey  as  described  by  young 
David  Schultz. 

Records  show  that  a  George  Schultz 
paid  August  20,  1735  in  full  for  150  acres 
of  land  "as  on  a  branch  of  the  Perkeam- 
ing"  23£  5s  od  and  interest  for  14  months 
i£  I2S  3d  and  December  24  in  full  for 
150  acres  near  "Cowissioppin"  23^  5s  od 
and  interest  for  17  months  i£  i8s  6d. 
These  two  records  warrant  us  in  saying 
that  about  July  i,  1734  George  Schultz, 
Sr.  (in  all  probability  the  father  of 
David)  acquired  300  acres  of  land  some- 
where in  the  Goshenhoppen  Valley.  Seem- 
ingly he  began  to  build  a  house  at  this 
time  for  we  find  that  Georeg  Bonish  made 
the  following  entry  in  his  diary,  October 
1734.  shortly  after  the  Schwenkf elders 
with  whom  he  came  to  Pennsylvania  had 
landed  in  Philadelphia : 

"kam  George  Schultz  zu  mir  und  hielt  an  ob 
ich  nicht  koennte  das  neue  Haus  untermauern 
der  keller  auch  und  den  Schornstein  hinaus 
fuehren.  Da  Ich  den  25  October  hinauff  in 
Busch  bin  30  Englische  meilen  von  German- 
town  allwo  der  Balzer  Hoffman  mein  hand- 
langer  war." 

(George  Schultz  came  to  me  and  asked  me 
to  build  foundations  to  his  house,  and  make 
his  cellar  and  chimney.  October  25  I  went  up 
into  the  woods  30  miles  from  Germantown, 
where  Balzer  Hoffman  was  my  assistant. — 
Translation  by  H.  W.  K.) 

IMelchior  Kriebel  wrote  the  following 
words  to  his  friends  in  Germany,  Nov. 
1735:  "Die  gebrueder  George,  Melchior 
and  Christoph  Scholtze  wohnen  3  meilen 
hoeher  als  der  alte  George  Scholtz." 

These  notes  enable  one  to  locate  the  300 
acres  as  being  in  the  Goshenhoppen  Val- 
ley. The  writer  greatly  regrets  that  it  is 
is  impossible  for  him  at  this  time  to  give 
fuller  details  respecting  the  location  and 
final  disposition  of  the  300  acres. 


It  is  altogether  likely  that  David  spent 
the  next  few  years  with  his  father  and 
there  made  preparations  for  his  future 
life  of  usefulness.  One  is  rather  sur- 
prised to  find  that  in  1736  when  but  a 
stripling  of  less  than  19  years,  David  and 
his  brother  George  "  "merchant"  of  the 
city  of  Philadelphia  bought  260  acres  of 
land  for  yoi  which  they  held  until  1757 
when  they  sold  the  tract  to  their  brother 
Melchoir  for  25o£. 

From  a  MS  of  about  80  pages  in  the 
handwriting  of  David  Schultz,  rescued 
from  destruction  in  Boston,  Mass.  by  the 
Hon.  S.  W.  Pennypacker  it  is  seen  that 
during  1740  and  1741  he  was  copying 
writings  of  a  religious  and  devotional  na- 
ture, psalms,  Christmas,  morning  and 
evening  hymns,  etc. 

From  the  nature  of  the  hymns  copied 
one  infers  that  he  probably  was  not  in  full 
harmony  with  the  views  of  Schwenkfel- 
ders  on  religious  questions  and  doctrines. 
If  his  mother  Anna  Huebner  was  related 
to  him  he  may  believe  that  David  was 
influenced  by  the  views  of  Dr.  Melchior 
Hubner,  who  lived  in  Frederick  township 
from  his  migration  in  1734  to  his  death 
in  1738  and  who  was  known  as  a  Restora- 
tionist.  an  admirer  of  the  English  vision- 
ary Jane  Leade  and  an  outspoken  enemy 
of  false  spirituality.  None  of  the  family 
of  his  father  seems  to  have  connected 
himself  by  membership  to  the  Schwenfel- 
ders  as  a  religious  body. 

How  David  Schultz  prepared  for  and 
when  he  began  to  practice  his  life  work 
the  writer  is  not  prepared  to  say  but  ac- 
cording to  Rev.  Dr.  C.  Z.  Weiser  he  was 
largely  engaged  in  surveying  and  convey- 
ancing as  early  as  1743  at  the  age  of  25. 
In  our  day  this  might  be  regarded  a  late 
date  to  begin  one's  work,  in  his  day  with 
the  meager  advantages  and  appliances  it 
must  be  regarded  remarkable. 

David  Schultz  married  Anna  Rosina, 
daughter  of  Abraham  Beyer,  October  29, 
1745-  That  he  prospered  in  his  business 
may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  in  May 
1749  he  bought  180  acres  60  perches  of 
land  for  J2£  3s  lying  in  Upper  Hanovet 
township  and  East  Greenville,  Pa.  The 
price  paid,  $1.06  per  acre,  suggests  unim- 
proved land.    If  such  an  inference  is  war- 


302 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


ranted  we  may  well  believe  that  the  sum- 
Tner  of  1749  was  spent  in  house  building-, 
garden  making  and  breaking  the  virgin 
soil. 

While  he  was  serving  his  fellowmen  far 
-and  near  his  wife  doubtless  had  a  general 
■oversight  of  the  work  at  home.  In  the 
performance  of  such  duty  it  came  to  pass 
-that  June  13,  1750,  while  the  husband 
■A\'as  not  at  home,  she  had  occasion  in  hay- 
making to  ask  a  servant  Hans  Ulrich 
Seller  to  be  more  attentive  to  his  work. 
That  night  was  her  last.  The  servant 
crept  stealthily  into  her  bedroom  while 
she  slept,  mortally  wounded  her  by  stab- 
bing and  fled.  The  morning  light  found 
3ier  a  corpse.  The  husband  entered  the 
following  words  of  bitter  grief  in  his 
Almanac  Diary : 

O   Ungliick   und   Jammer ! 
.Mein  hertzlich  geliebte  und  getreue  Frau 
.Anna   Rosina   ist   von   unserm    eigenen 
!Serven    Hans   Ulrich    Seller,   erbarmlich 
•«rmordet  und  erstochen  worden 
5n  der  Nacht  gegen  Morgen  den  14  Juni — 

Ach  Gottl 
"Was    filer    Elend    und    Hertzeleid 
1st  nun  ueber  mich   kommen 
Avas  fuer  Angst  und  Noth  hat 
Tnich  betroffen.     Ach   erbarme   dich  ueber 
unsere  unsterbliche  seelen. 
(O  misfortune  and  misery.     My  dearly  beloved 
and   faithful  wife  Anna  Rosina  was  cruelly 
stabbed  and  murdered  by  our  own  servant 
Hans  Ulrich  Seller  towards  morning  of  June    14. 

O  God 
■what  distress  and  affliction  has  come  over 
me — what  anguish  and  pain  have 
fcefallen  me.     O   have  mercy  on  our   undying 
.souls. 

—Translation   by   H.   W.    K.) 

Hans  Ulrich  Seller  was  a  Redemption- 
cr,  a  German  immigrant  whose  ship  pas- 
sage had  been  paid  by  David  Schultz's 
father-in-law  Abraham  Beyer  for  whom 
he  was  to  work  a  certain  length  of  time 
to  pay  ofif  the  indebtedness.  Being  dis- 
contended  and  of  a  surly  disposition  the 
servant  was  taken  into  the  family  of  the 
son-in-law  in  the  hope  that  a  change  in 
his  disposition  might  follow. 

He  was  caught  soon  after  the  murder, 
imprisoned,  tried,  convicted  and  Nov.  14 
following  executed. 

June  27,  1758  David  Schultz  was  mar- 
ried to  Elizabeth  Lar,  a  union  that  was 
blessed  with  four  daughters.  Of  these 
-Magdalene  was  married  to  Samuel  Lo- 


bach,  founder  of  Lobachsville,  Berks  Co.,. 
Pa.,  Anna  was  married  to  Abraham  Clem- 
mer,  Mary  was  married  to  Henry  Keck  of 
which  union  the  Kecks  living  near  East 
Greenville  are  descendants.  Rosina 
was  married  to  Jacob  Hillegass 
(der  Grosz)  who  was  a  merchant  in 
Pennsburg.  Among  his  descendants  are 
Irwin  Drehs  of  Pensburg,  the  late  Mrs. 
George  Carl  of  Hoppenville,  Mrs.  Roberts 
of  East  Greenville,  the  Kehls  of  East 
Greenville  and  vicinity. 

Respecting  the  family  connections  of 
David  Schultz  we  may  note  in  this  con- 
nection the  following:  His  father  George 
was  a  brother  of  Melchior  Schultz  the 
father  of  the  three  brothers  George,  Mel- 
chior and  Christopher,  the  last  named  be- 
ing the  Rev.  Christopher  Schultz,  or- 
ganizer of  the  Schwenkfelder  church, 
minister  and  writer. 

His  brothers  were  Melchior,  George 
and  Christopher.  Melchior  was  a  mer- 
chant in  Harlem,  Holland  and  is  probably 
the  Melchoir  Schultz  mentioned  in  the 
Hallesche  N achrichten  in  connection  with 
certain  financial  transactions.  He  arrived 
in  Philadelphia  June  28,  1735.  He  was 
married  and  had  four  children,  Anna 
married  to  Adam  Hillegass,  David  and 
two  Catherines,  the  first  of  whom  died  in 
infancy,  and  tthe  second  was  married  to 
Andrew  Maurer.  He  owned  considerable 
land  in  Upper  Hanover  township  west  of 
Red  Hill  and  probably  lies  buried  on  the 
Schultz  plot  now  under  cultivation  near 
Dr.  J.  G.  Mensch's  mill. 

His  brother  George  for  a  time  a  mer- 
chant in  Philadelphia  lived  in  Frederick 
county  Maryland  1757,  was  married  and 
left  heirs.  Christopher  a  twin  brother  of 
George  was  probably  the  Christopher  of 
whom  David  gives  the  following  data, — 
June  14,  1733  he  went  to  Altoona,  arriv- 
ing there  June  30.  He  reached  Amster- 
dam July  18,  found  deBerty  August  14 
with  whom  he  left  Amsterdam  for  East 
India  Oct.  16. 

May  7,  1767  David  Schultz  sold  102 
acres  of  his  land  to  Philip  Siesholtz  keep- 
ing the  eastern  portion  of  78  acres.  This 
was  retained  by  him  to  his  death  in  1797 
and  by  the  family  until  1804  when  it  was 
sold  to  a  son-in-law  Henry  Keck  whose 


DAVID  SCHULTZ 


503 


grandson  Henry  Keck  owns  a  portion  to- 
day including  the  ground  where  the  old 
log-house  stood,  torn  down  a  few  years 
ago. 

A  conception  of  the  significence  and 
value  of  the  life  of  David  Schultz  may  be 
formed  by  considering  certain  phases  of 
his  activity  in  fuller  detail. 

Rev.  Dr.  C.  Z.  Weiser  after  an  exami- 
nation of  some  of  his  work  gave  utter- 
ance to  the  folloowing  in  1883 : 

"He  retained  copies  of  all  his  wills,  agree- 
ments, surveys,  and  official  doings  neatly  and 
often  ornamentally  executed,  by  which  it  is 
easy  to  catch  a  good  sight  of  farms  and  dis- 
tricts as  well  as  of  names  and  owners  and 
families  more  than  one  hundred  years  ago. 
To  any  one  with  an  antiquarian  taste,  these 
views  are  of  immense  satisfaction. 

We  can  not  lay  over  our  hand,  as  yet,  on 
what  may  be  regarded  as  his  earliest  records; 
but  in  1743  he  is  largely  engaged  in  surveying 
and  conveying.  For  weeks  he  seems  to  have 
been  engaged  in  surveymg  lines,  extending  over 
what  is  now  embraced  by  the  counties  of 
Northampton,  Lehigh,  Berks  and  Chester. 
Hardly  a  road  laid  out  during  a  period  of 
fifty  years,  in  which  our  David  Schultz  had  not 
been  connected  either  as  actual  surveyor  or 
scribener.  We  question  whether  a  single  farm 
could  be  named  of  which  he  had  not  been  asked 
to  frame  a  draft.  Nor  does  there  appear  that 
a  bond,  agreement  or  any  instrument  was  neces- 
sary to  pass  which  the  ubiquitous  Squire  had 
not  been  present  to  witness  and  which  (his) 
hand  had  not  drawn.  And  these  were  numer- 
ous. The  Utopian  idea  that  our  sires  neither 
needed  nor  wanted  binding  instruments  of 
writing  is  an  airy  fancy,  or  Squire  Schultze 
could  not  have  been  kept  so  very  busy  for 
fifty  years.  He  was  the  mediator  between 
parties  and  the  courts,  the  counsellor  and  ad- 
viser in  all  manner  and  disputes  for  miles 
around  his  centre.  Not  another  personage 
proved  himself  more  useful  and  efficient  to  the 
settlers  at  that  day,  saving  their  hundreds  of 
dollars  and  as  many  miles  of  travel  to  Phila- 
delphia. As  he  kept  himself  well  booked  in 
legal  forms  and  in  constant  communication 
with  a  competent  attorney,  his  directions  and 
adjustments  for  the  most  part  stood  the  test. 
In  this  way  he  came  to  be  regarded  as  an  au- 
thority far  and  near,  against  which  it  was  not 
well  to  run.  With  all  his  engagements  in  secu- 
lar affairs  and  matters  of  law  he  preserved 
his  moral  character  and  Christian  principles 
untarnished  if  we  may  judge  of  this  matter 
from  his  literary  remains." 

David  Schultz  kept  an  Almanac  Diary 
or  Journal  respecting  which  the  late  Hen- 
ry S.  Dotterer  said  by  way  of  introduc- 
tion to  his  publication  of  the  Journal, — 

In  the  next  number  of  The  Perkiomen  Re- 
gion we  shall  commence  the  publication  of  a 


MS.  of  extraordinary  historical  interest.  It  re- 
lates especially  to  the  early  settlements  at  Gosh- 
enhoppen — Old  and  New,  Falkner  Swamp, 
Hereford,  Hosensack,  Great  Swamp,  Cole- 
brookdale  and  Salford;  but  in  a  wider  sense  it 
furnishes  a  great  amount  of  authentic  informa- 
tion regarding  the  Colonial  period,  its  people 
and  their  interests.  It  is  the  Journal  kept  for 
a  series  of  years  by  David  Schultze,  immigrant, 
colonist,  surveyor,  scrivener,  law  adviser,  a 
resident  of  Upper  Hanover  township,  in  the 
Perkiomen  Valley.  In  his  journal  three  lan- 
guages are  employed — German,  English  and 
Latin. 

These  notes  indicate  a  wide  scope  of 
interests  on  the  part  of  the  diarist.  The 
d  tails  of  farming  operations  are  noted, 
his  professional  services  in  laying  out 
roads,  or  townships  or  surveying  farms, 
in  settling  disputes,  in  writing  agreements, 
in  clerking  sales  ;  he  noted  the  happenings 
among  his  neighbors,  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances, the  political  life  and  changes 
about  him,  the  affairs  and  interesting  data 
of  foreign  countries,  the  movements  oi 
heavenly  bodies  even. 

Of  these  annual  notes,  those  for  the 
years  1733,  1750,  1752,  1756,  1757,  1759, 
1768,  1769,  1774,  1780,  have  been  brought 
to  light.  What  has  become  of  the  others 
of  which  there  must  have  been  quite  a 
number  the  writer  has  no  knowledge. 

In  the  French  and  Indian  War  which 
meant  cruel  death,  horrible  suffering,  the 
wanton  distribution  of  property  to  so 
many  a  brave  settler  on  the  frontier, 
neither  he  nor  his  nor  any  of  his  immedi- 
ate friends  were  called  upon  in  person  to 
suffer,  owing  to  geographical  location,  the 
frontiersmen  serving  as  a  buffer  between 
revengeful  Indians  and  the  oldest  settled 
portions.  But  he  was  not  unmindful  of 
his  obligation  in  the  premises.  His  home 
served  as  a  depot  of  supplies  in  shot  and 
powder.  He  helped  to  collect  and  for- 
ward food  and  raiment  for  the  sufferers 
at  Bethlehem.  He  joined  his  neighbors 
in  equipping  wagons  to  be  used  in  haul- 
ing needed  supplies  to  Bedford.  He 
helped  to  raise  troops,  and  served  as  a 
joint  trustee  with  Jacob  Levan  in  provid- 
ing funds  for  the  "Maxetawnie  and  AI- 
lemangel  Freyen  Wacht"  on  duty  from 
April  3,  to  May  ii,  1756  at  a  total  outlay 
of  about  $280.  In  a  letter  dated  January 
18,  1756,  addressed  to  Robert  Greenway 
he  expressed  himself  in  these  words : 


504 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


God  knows  what  will  become  of  the  Province 
if  no  stopp  can  be  put  to  the  incursions  of  these 
cruel  monsters  until  next  spring  and  Summer 
when  the  woods  are  green. 

As  the  Country  is  so  populous,  numbers  of 
Troops  and  Volunteers  may  be  raised  to  op- 
pose the  Barbarians,  without  having  the  City 
Militia  necessary  for  our  Assistance  who  prob- 
ably with  the  Lower  Parts  of  the  Province 
may  expect  hot  work  enough  from  the  Sea 
Side  if  a  war  breaks  out  with  the  French. 

Provision  I  think  could  likewise  be  had 
enough  in  the  Country  as  yet,  without  getting 
any  from  Town — But  the  Assistance  the  Coun- 
try People  expects  from  their  Capital  is ;  Good 
Orders  from  their  magistrates,  Arms,  Ammuni- 
tion and  Money,  which  last  Commodity  is  in- 
expressible scarce  and  without  which  no  war 
nor  defence  of  a  Country  can  be  carried  on 
with   effect. 

Though  we  hope  affairs  may  soon  go  better. 
Since  we  Hear  that  a  good  number  of  Com- 
panies are  intended  to  be  raised,  each  to  con- 
sist of  fifty  men  and  each  man  to  have  45 
shillings  per  month  besides  provision.  Some  of 
them  are  already  marched  to  the  frontiers. 
But  as  this  will  require  a  very  large  sum  of 
money  to  hold  it  out  but  one  single  year,  yet  it 
will  be  better  to  spend  triple  so  much  as  the 
sum  alreadv  granted  for  the  Purpose  Then 
to  permit  those  Beast-like  Creatures  to  turn 
the  Province  into  its  former  State  of  Wilder- 
ness—Since it  will  be  easier  to  defend  a  Prov- 
ince than  to  reconquer  one  after  taken  once 
by   the  Enemy. 

David  Schiiltz's  will,  drawn  up  by 
himself  1794,  will  illtistrate  his  literary 
style  and  his  careftil  and  tender  fore- 
thought for  his  own  household.  We  quote 
in  full: 

In   the  name  of  God.    Amen. 

As  T  David  Schultze  Senior  of  Upper  Han- 
over Township  in  the  County  of  Montgomery 
and  State  of  Pennsylvania  Yeoman,  find  my- 
self in  an  advanced  age  and  in  a  weakly  Condi- 
tion of  Health,  but  of  Sound  Mind  and  Mem- 
ory Thanks  be  to  God.  So  do  I  on  this  Thir- 
teenth Day  of  October  in  the  year  of  our  Lord 
One  Thousand  Seven  Hundred  and  Ninety 
Four  make  publish  and  ordain  this  my  Last 
Will  and  Testament  and  first  of  all  recommend 
my  Soul  into  the  Hands  of  Almiorhty  God  that 
gave  it.  And  as  to  my  worldly  Estate,  I  here- 
by dispose  of  the  Same  in  the  following  Man- 
ner— That  is  to  Say,  Imprimis:  I  give  and  be- 
queath to  my  beloved  Wife  Elisabeth,  my  Bed 
with  the  Bedstead  and  Curtain  and  what  be- 
longs to  it  and  Two  Chests  and  the  Drawers 
and  the  Clock  in  the  Store  Room,  and  also 
further  the  equal  Third  Part  of  all  my  Cattle, 
Kitchen  Furniture,  Household  Goods  and  of  my 
other  personal  Estate  whatsoever  except  as 
herewith  mentioned.  And  it  is  my  Will  That 
She  Shall  have  her  full  Right  of  Dower  for  to 
remain  to  live  on  the  Premises  of  my  Planta- 


tion and  to  get  and  receive  Yearly  for  her 
Subsistence  all  such  Articles  as  usual  in  Grain, 
Pork,  Beef  and  of  the  orchard  and  Garden 
Products  and  one  cow  to  be  held  for  her  and 
to  be  provided  with  firewood  and  otherwise 
by  all  means  as  far  as  to  be  Sufficient  and 
necessary  for  her  Support  at  her  own  Choice 
and  at  the  Discretion  of  impartial  chosen  Per- 
sons. So  as  it  will  Suit  and  be  deemed  equit- 
able to  get  and  enjoy  the  same  Yearly  during 
all  her  Life  Time  or  Widowhood:  wether  my 
Plantation  be  kept  by  any  of  my  Children — or 
be  Sold  to  any  Body  else — and  further  it  is  my 
will.  That  all  such  Articles  of  Household 
Goods  as  my  Two  oldest  Daughters,  Magda- 
lena  and  Anna  have  got  for  their  Marriage 
Portion.  That  shall  also  be  given  to  each  of 
my  Two  Youngest  Daughters,  i\Iary  and 
Rosina,  at  any  time  when  they  desire  it.  And 
I  further  give  and  bequeath  to  my  Two 
Youngest  Daughters  as  to  Mary  the  Sum  of 
Fifteen  Pounds  and  to  Rosina  the  Sum  of  Ten 
Pounds  in  hard  Money  of  Pennsylvania  for 
having  Stayed  with  us  and  worked  Some 
Years  Longer  Than  any  of  my  eldest  Daugh- 
ters have  done  to  receive  the  same  after  the 
Time  when  my  personal  Estate  Shall  have  been 
sold —  And  relating  such  of  my  Books  as  my 
Family  will  choose  to  Keep,  I  bequeath  those 
to  my  wife  and  four  children  in  five  equal. 
Shares  to  divide  them  at  their  own  Discretion 
who  may  sell  the  Remainder  by  Public  or 
Private  Sale,  and  further  it  is  my  Will  that 
Such  Articles  as  Grain,  Pork  and  all  other 
sorts  of  Provisions  and  the  fodder  for  the 
Cattle  nor  the  Linnens.  Flax  and  what  may 
be  required  for  Cloathing  Shall  not  be  ap- 
praised but  kept  by  my  Family  for  their  com- 
mon use.  And  as  relating  my  Messuage 
Plantation  and  Land  Situated  in  Upper  Han- 
over Township  aforesaid  and  containing 
about  Seventy  Eight  acres  of  land  Being  Part 
of  One  Hundred  and  Eighty  acres  for 
which  I  have  got  a  deed.  Dated  on  the  Six- 
teenth Day  of  May  Anno  One  Thousand  Sever» 
Hundred  and  forty  nine  and  out  of  which  I 
have  sold  the  Remainder  Several  Years  ago. 
It  is  my  Will.  That  my  Said  Wife  and  Chil- 
dren may  remain  to  live  on  the  said  Premises 
and  to  Manage  the  Same  for  their  common 
LTse  and  Benefit  as  well  as  they  can  and  to  rent 
out  Some  of  Fields  as  it  will  suit  them.  And 
in  that  case  to  Keep  all  my  Cattle,  household 
Goods,  and  Tools  by  the  appraisement  as  long 
as  it  may  Suit  them.  But  when  they  give  it  up. 
Then  it  is  my  Will  That  any  of  my  Children 
whom  it  shall  suit  best  Shall  have  a  Right  ta 
to  accept  hold  and  Keep  the  Same  under  the 
Conditions  of  the  above  recited  Yearly  Sub- 
sistence of  my  Wife,  and  for  such  a  Price  as 
They  then  may  agree  about  it  among  them- 
selves. In  which  case  I  give  and  bequeath  to 
my  Wife  the  Sum  of  Fifty  Pounds  for  her 
further  support  during  Life.  Which  said  Sum 
is  to  be  taken  from  the  first  Payment  to  be 
made  for  the  Premises.  But  in  case  none  of 
my  Children  should  wish  to  buy  and  Keep  the 


DAVID   SCHULTZ 


505 


Same  Then  it  is  my  Will  That  all  the  Residue 
of  my  Personal  Goods  may  be  Sold  by  public 
Vendue.  And  then  I  hereby  fully  impower 
and  authorise  my  hereunto  named  Executor  or 
the  Survivor  -of  them  to  Sell  m}-  Said  Planta- 
tion and  Land  with  the  Appurtenances  there- 
unto belonging  to  any  Body  else  in  the  best 
Manner  and  on  Such  Conditions  as  They  can 
and  for  me  and  in  my  Name  &  Stead  to  Sign, 
Seal,  Execute  and  deliver  a  Dted  for  the  said 
Premises  to  the  Buyer  thereof —  And  if  then 
my  said  Wife  Elisabeth  Should  intend  not  to 
remain  to  live  on  the  same,  not  to  reserve 
thereof  any  articles  for  her  Yearly  Subsistence 
as  above  recited.  Then  I  hereby  pive  and  be- 
queath to  my  said  Wife  the  Use  and  Interest  of 
the  equal  Third  Part  of  the  Consideration  for 
which  my  said  real  Estate  Shall  be  sold,  to  re- 
ceive the  Same  Yearly  for  her  Support  and  her 
Sul)sistence  during  all  her  Life  Time  or 
Widowhood.  But  if  she  Should  marry  again. 
Then  She  is  to  receive  only  the  equal  half 
Part  of  the  Said  Interest  during  her  Life  Time 
and  after  Death  the  said  principel  Sum  Shall 
fall  back  to  all  my  children  to  be  divided  to 
them  in  equal  shares.  And  it  is  also  my  will 
That  the  Sum  of  One  Hundred  Pounds  be 
taken  from  the  first  Payment  of  the  Said  whole 
Consideration  for  the  use  of  my  wife  and  the 
Remainder  from  the  next  four  Terms  of  Pay- 
ments so  as  to  be  the  equal  Third  Part  of  her 
use  as  aforesaid.  And  after  all  Costs  and 
charges  shall  have  been  paid  Then  I  give  and 
bequeath  the  amount  of  all  the  Residue  of 
my  Estate  to  my  hereunto  named  four  Daugh- 
ters— as  to  Magdalena  the  wife  of  Samuel 
Lobach.  And  to  Anna  the  wife  of  Abraham 
Clemmer  and  to  Alary  and  to  Rosina  Shultze 
— as  to  each  of  them  the  equal  fourth  part  and 
Share  thereof  and  each  of  them  is  to  re- 
ceive the  equal  fourth  Part  of  any  Sum  of 
Money   as   the   Same    Shall   be   got   in   though 


not  under  fifteen  Pounds  at  once  as  in  Part  of 
his  due  share  to  begin  first  from  the  oldest  to 
the  youngest  except  they  agree  about  it  other- 
wise among  themselves.  And  further,  if  any 
of  my  younger  Daughters  Should  die  unmar- 
ried or  intestate  Then  it  is  my  Will  That  such 
Child's  Share  of  and  on  my  Estate  Shall  be 
equally  divided  to  my  Wife  and  my  Surviving 
Children  in  equal  Shares.  And  I  hereby  nomi- 
nate constitute  and  appoint  my  said  Wife  Elisa- 
beth and  my  Son-in-law  Samuel  Lobach  to  be 
the  Executors  of  this  my  Last  Will  and  Testa- 
ment and  desire  that  all  may  be  done  held  and 
performed  according  to  the  true  Intent  and 
meaning  hereof.  And  I  declare  ratify  and  con- 
firm this  and  no  other  to  be  my  Last  Will  and 
Testament  In  Witness  whereof  I  the  said 
David  Shultze  Senior  have  hereunto  Set  my 
Hand  and  Seal  dated  on  the  Day  and  Year  as 
first  above  written  To  hold  all  the  Said  Leg- 
acies to  my  above  named  Heirs  and  Children 
and  to  their  heirs  and  assigns  for  Ever 

DAVID  SCHULTZE  SENIOR 
[se.\l] 
Signed    Sealed    Published    and    delivered   by 
the  Said  David  Shultze  Senior  as  his  Last  Will 
and  Testament  in  the  Presence  of  us  the  Sub- 
scribers 
JOHN  SCHLEIFFER 
JOHN  SCHELL 

The  world  today  will  not  classify  David 
Schultz  as  a  great  man,  but  if  disinter- 
ested, sacrificial  service  of  others,  if  min- 
istering to  the  want  of  fellowmen,  if  sow- 
ing good  which  others  reap  has  merit 
and  deserves  recognition,  his  name  will 
be  placed  high  in  the  list  of  worthies  of 
his  community  and  state. 


A  German  Cradle  Song 


3y  rev.  p.  C.  CROLL,  D.  D..  LEBANON.  PA. 


It  is  Longfellow,  who  in  his  "The  Birds 
of  Killingworth"  gives  us  this  happy  pas- 
sage: 

"'Tis  always  morning  somewhere,  and  above 
The  wakening  continents,  from  shore  to  shore, 
Somewhere  the  birds  are  singing  evermore." 

By  a  slight  modification  this  beautiful 
sentiment  may  be  adapted  for  our  pur- 
pose, thus : 

'Tis  always  evening  somewhere,  and  within 
The    enslumbering   continents,    from    shore    to 

shore. 
Mothers  are  somewhere  singing  evermore. 


And  it  is  the  cradle-song  they  sing. 
What  a  lullaby  chorus  if  all  the  crooning 
mothers  that  sing  their  slumber-songs 
could  be  heard  simultaneously  and  in  one 
place !  What  a  Babel  of  tongues  could 
thus  be  made  to  blend  in  one  harmony  of 
loveli'est  sentiment.  This  volume  of  sweet 
melody  would  all  be  attuned  to  the  sopo- 
rific cadence  of  the  cradle's  measured 
creak  and  timed  by  the  baton  of  universal 
mother-love.  What  a  circle  of  soothing 
slumber-pfeons  is  actually  and  daily,  or 
rather  nightly,  encircling  the  very  globe 
along  the  zone  known  as  Hushaby  Street. 


5o6 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Into  this  chorus  every  fond  mother  from 
the  Lapland  snows  and  Esquimaux  isles 
of  the  north,  where  babes  are  wrapped  in 
bear  furs  and  seal  skins,  to  the  sunny 
south  of  the  tropics,  where  negro  mam- 
mies swing  their  dark  and  bare  skinned 
piccaninnies  in  their  wicker  stringed  bam- 
boo hammocks  to  the  tune  of  "Mammy's 
Little  Honey-boy,"  pours  in  the  vial  of 
sweet  and  silvery  song.  As  Hesperus 
pushes  his  car  westward,  latitudmally 
around  the  globe  lighting  the  stars  in  the 
Heavens  from  the  orient  to  the  Occident, 
there  follows  in  his  trail  this  earth-en- 
swathing  chorus  of  mother-love  and  lulla- 
by. From  the  Flowery  Kingdom  it  leaps 
the  Korean  and  the  China  Seas,  through 
the  Chinese  and  the  Indian  Empires,  it  re- 
sounds in  the  Moslem's  realm,  and  where 
once  the  holy  angels  of  God  hovered  to 
welcome  and  hush  the  Babe  of  Bethlehem, 
the  Gloria  in  Excelsis  is  re-echoed  by  ten 
thousand  modern  Madonnas,  with  their 
Syriac  cradle-songs. 

Then  the  song-cyclone  leaps  into  the 
islands  of  the  Mediterranean  and,  spread- 
ing north  and  south,  sweeps  both  the  con- 
tinents of  Europe  and  Africa.  As  the 
birds  sing  largely  the  same  tune  in  every 
land,  so  the  crooning  mothers  of  all  the 
multitudinous  homes  of  these  thickly  set- 
tled countries  sing  the  same  sentiment 
whether  the  lullaby  rhymes  be  in  Turkish 
or  Russian ;  Greek  or  Latin ;  German  or 
Swiss ;  French  or  Spanish ;  Danish  or 
Scandinavian ;  Dutch  or  Scotch ;  English, 
Irish  or  Welsh.  It  is  everywhere  a  rock- 
aby,  hushaby  coodle-doon  air.  Whatever 
the  dialect  or  tongue,  it  is  mother-love, 
"dealt  out  in  nightly  doses  of  song  melody 
to  the  tired  kings  and  queens  of  the 
cradle.  And  this  song  current  seems  to 
have  gained  volume  and  force  by  its  pas- 
sage across  the  Atlantic  and  ever  sweeps 
this  western  hemisphere  from  end  to 
end.  The  different  nationalities  that  set- 
tled these  western  lands  packed  their  na- 
tive lullabys  within  their  hearts,  or  their 
emigrant  chests,  when  they  sailed,  and 
every  folk  has  here  perpetuated  its  songs 
in  its  mother  tongue.  The  poetic  flame 
has  been  fanned  in  this  particular  realm 
by  a  hundred  gifted  rhymsters  and 
laureates  of  the  nursery  so  that  to  the 


original  stock  have  been  added  the  ef- 
fusions of  J.  G.  Holland,  Henry  Van 
Dyke,  Samuel  F.  Smith,  Eugene 
Field,  Whitcomb  Riley,  Lincoln  HuUey, 
James  T.  White,  William  S.  Lord,  Sam- 
uel E.  Mann,  Frederick  W.  Pangborn, 
Celia  Thaxter,  Ella  Higginson,  E.  Pauline 
Johnson,  Endora  S.  Burnstead,  Mrs. 
Mary  W.  Donnan  and  scores  upon  scores 
of  others.  It  is  a  worthy  body  of  litera- 
ture and  an  interesting  study  would  it 
make  to  write  upon  in  a  separate  treatise. 
But  I  am  now  writing  for  readers  in 
whose  veins  courses  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man blood,  and  I  want  to  present  to  them 
the  lullaby  song  which  their  mothers  used 
to  sing  when  they  lay  helpless  babes  in 
her  bosom.  It  may  be  quite  a  while  ago. 
Many  and  eventful  years,  lying  between 
this  and  that  day,  may  have  effaced  the 
words  and  the  tune  from  memory.  So 
they  are  both  to  be  here  reproduced.  The 
singer  of  that  day  may  herself  have  been 
hushed  to  sleep  on  the  restful  bosom  of 
our  Common  Mother.  She  may  have 
been  tucked  in  by  a  coverlet  that  changes 
from  an  emerald  green  in  summer  to  a 
wooly,  flaky,  snowy  white  in  winter.  Oft 
she  folded  you,  my  gentle  reader,  to  her 
breast  and  rocked  and  crooned  the  song 
here  given,  till  your  weary  head  nodded 
and  your  tired  eye-lids  closed  and  your 
little  form  hung  limp  in  her  loving  arms. 
It  was  the  softest,  the  sweetest  and  the 
safest  couch  you  ever  slept  in.  Oh !  how 
often  you  have  longed  since  to  go  back  to 
that  nook  in  Paradise  and  live  over  again 
the  happy  experience  just  for  a  single 
night.  With  Elizabeth  Akers  Allen  you 
have  doubtless  frequently  sighed  and 
prayed:  ,    ' 

"Backward,   turn  backward,   O  Time   in  your 

flight ; 
Make  me  a  child  again,  just  for  tonight! 
Mother,  come  back  from  the  echoless  shore, 
Take  me  again  to  your  heart  as  of  yore; 
Kiss  from  my  forehead  the  furrows  of  care, 
Smooth  the  few  silver  threads  out  of  my  hair; 
Over  my  slumbers  your  loving  watch  keep; 
Rock  me  to  sleep,  Mother,  rock  me  to  sleep!" 

Would  you  like  to  hear  again  the  slum- 
ber song  your  mother  sang?  Then  let 
me  call  upon  the  twin  agents  of  your 
Memory  and  Imagination  and  let  them 


A   GERMAN    CRADLE   SONG 


507 


clear  the  palimpsest  parchment  of  your 
soul  of  its  later  writings  and  there  will  ap- 
pear the  record  of  early  days.  There  will 
be  a  nursery  scene  with  a  cradle  and  a 
trundle-bed  in  it.  Twilight  draws  its  cur- 
tain, woven  of  the  roseate  sunset  and  the 
shadowy  night,  and  somewhere,  caught 
within  the  folds  and  the  drapery  of  this 
vesper  robe  there  comes  back  to  you  your 


own  dear  mother,  her  face  wreathed  in 
the  smile  and  peace  of  an  angel.  Then, 
when  all  voices  have  been  hushed,  there 
begins  to  echo  again  within  your  soul  the 
notes  of  a  sweet  lullaby,  in  a  voice  so 
gentle,  so  mellow,  so  soft  and  tender  that 
it  makes  you  dream  of  heaven.  And 
these  are  the  words  and  this  the  tune  your 
mother  sang : 


5 


AIR. 


^ 


Fine. 


KZIK 


i 


Da  Capo. 


m 


y-ir 


^ 


WEIST    DU   WIE    VIEL   STERNEN 
STEHEN? 

Weiszt  du,  wie  viel  Sterne  stehen. 
An  Dem  blauen  Himmels-/elt? 

Weiszt  du,  wie  viel  Wolken  gehen, 
Weit  bin  iiber  alle  Welt? 

Gott   der   Herr  hat  sie  gezahlet, 

Dasz  ihm  auch  nicht  eines  fehlet, 

An  der  ganzen  groszen  Zahl, 

An  der  ganzen  groszen  Zahl. 

Weiszt  du,  wie  viel  Miicklein  spielen, 

In    der    heiszen    Sonnengluth? 
Wie  viel  Fischlein  auch  sich  kuhlen. 

In  der  hellen  Wasserfluth? 
Gott  der  Herr  rief  sie  mit  Namen, 
Dasz  sie  all  in's  Leben  kamen, 
Dasz  sie  nun  so  frohlich  sind, 
Dasz   sie   nun   so   frohlich   sind. 

Weiszt   du,   wie   viel    Menschen    fruhe 

Stehn  aus  ihrem  Bette  auf, 
Dasz  sie  ohne  Sorg'  und  Muhe, 

Frohlich   sind  im   Tageslauf? 
Gott  im  Himmel  hat  an  alien 
Seine    Lust,    sein    Wohlgefallen, 
Kennt  auch  dich  und  hat  dich  lieb, 
Kennt  auch  dich  und  hat  dich  lieb. 


DO  YOU  KNOW  HOW  MANY  STARS? 

Do  you  know  how  many  stars 

There  are  shining  in  the  sky? 
Do    you    know    how    many    clouds 

Ev'ry  day  go  floating  by? 
God  the  Lord  their  number  knoweth, 
For  each  one  His  care  He  showeth, 
Of  the  bright  and  boundless  host. 
Of  the  bright  and  boundless  host. 

Do  you  know  how  many  birdies 

In  the  sunshine  sing  all  day? 
Do  you  know  how  many  fishes 
In  the  sparkling  water  play? 
God  the  Lord  who  dwells  in  heaven, 
Name  and  life  to  each  has  given, 
In    His   love   they   live   and   move. 
In   His   love   they   live   and   move. 

Do  you  know  how  many  children 

Go  to  little  beds  at  night? 
And  without   a   care  or   sorrow 

Wake   again   with   morning   light? 
God  in  heav'n  each  name  can  tell, 
Knows  us  too  and  loves  us  well. 
He's  our  best  and  dearest  Friend, 
He's  our  best  and  dearest  Friend. 


Note  by  Editor. — We  heartily  thank  Rev. 
Dr.  Croll  for  singing  this  cradle-song  over 
again  for  us.  The  music  as  printed  above  is  a 
facsimile  taken  from  Weber's  Pennsylvania 
Choral  Harmony,  1859  (Fifth  Edition;  With 
Additions  and  Improvements),  a  book  of  400 


pp.,  7  by  12  inches.  Grandfathers  who  heard 
pious  mothers  sing  these  trustful,  peaceful 
lines  see  their  grandchildren  revel  in  our  mod- 
ern Sunday  papers  instead.  What  will  the 
harvest  be? 


So8 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


VIEW  NEAK  CORXI.NG,  PA.,  LOOKING  SOUTHWARD. 


A  Glimpse  of  the  Perkiomen  Valley 

By  RKV.  M.  M.  ANDERSON',  PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


EXXSYLVAXIA  is  the  most 

P  resourceful  State  of  the 
Union.  If  it  is  true  that  she 
has  ills  to  be  remedied,  she 
has  such  a  wealth  of  nature, 
in  minerals  almost  inex- 
haustible, in  farming  lands 
rich  in  abundant  harvests,  and  in  natural 
scenery  in  which  nature  has  lavished  a 
wealthy  hand.  The  foot-hills  of  the  Blue 
Ridge  Mountains  are  so  conveniently 
near  to  the  metropoHs  of  the  State  that 
a  ride  of  two  hours  on  a  Reading  local 
will  bring  you  to  the  cooling  breezes  of 
the  hills  and  make  one  forget  the  suffo- 
cating heat  of  the  city.  The  pure  ozone 
from  these  heights  fill  the  lungs  and  puri- 
fy the  blood,  while  an  increased  appetite 
has  the  tendency  to  make  him  a  new 
creature.     The  writer  is  located  on  one 


of  these  hills,  fifty  miles  from  Philadel- 
phia, overlooking  the  valleys  of  the 
Hosensack  and  Perkiomen  creeks.  Na- 
ture has,  indeed,  been  generous  to  this 
part  of  God's  world.  Standing  on  this 
hill,  high  above  Corning  station,  the  pros- 
pect opens  at  your  feet  like  a  monstrous 
fan,  but  the  encircling  hills  give  you  the 
impression  of  a  huge  wash-bowl.  Should 
there  be  any  danger  of  the  water  in  the 
bowl  spilling  over,  the  fear  is  destroyed 
by  another  rim  appearing  higher  up,  and 
as  you  still  lift  the  eye,  there  rises  another 
rim  farther  in  the  distance.  How  far  off, 
we  cannot  say.  At  sea  it  is  said  that  the 
rim  of  the  horizon  on  the  watery  waste  is 
20  miles  away,  so  here  the  vision  in  al- 
most any  direction  is  lengthened  to  a 
compass  of  20  or  30  miles.  The  village 
of  Palm  lies  directly  before  you  two  miles 


A  GLIMPSE  OF  THE  PERKIO.MEN  VALLEY 


509 


VIEW  NEAR  CORNING,  PA.,  LOUKING  WESTWARD. 


.away,  and  while  no  one  has  told  us  of  the 
origin  of  the  name,  yet  it  is  not  hard  tD 
see  before  you  a  lar;,e  hand. 

The  wrist  is  at  Palm,  the  thumb  extends 
up  the  Hosensack  cresk,  while  the  four 
fingers  togetler  form  the  Perkiomen  Val- 
ley. The  pahnist  in  her  art  would  have 
no  difficulty  in  tracing  the  lines  of  char- 
acter from  this  beautiful  scene.  Rows  of 
beautiful  trees  which  outline  the  ramifica- 
tions of  leading  roads,  the  graceful  curves 
of  what  appears,  from  this  elevation,  as  a 
child's  toy  railroad,  lines  of  thrift  in  well 
cultivated  farms,  stretches  of  forest  which 
have  so  far  escaped  the  woodman's  axe, 
and  the  substantial  buildings  of  the  thrifty 
Germans,  make  a  scene  easily  to  be  inter- 
preted by  the  novice.  Far  up  the  oppo- 
site receding  hill,  the  same  kaleidoscopic 
effect  in  changing  scenery  is  produced 
•every  day.  No  two  days  are  alike.  The 
different  shades  of  green,  the  changing 
cornfields,  the  golden  harvest  fields  whose 
waving  grain,  like  the  billows  of  the 
ocean,  play  games  of  tag  before  the  sum- 
mer breezes,  while  the  brown  furrows  fol- 
low the  feet  of  the  sturdy  plowman.  It 
IS    this    constant    change    and    lack    of 


monotony  which  make  t':is  part  of  the 
Stare  to  differ  from  city  life  and  the 
works  of  man.  Kcre  the  valley  is  a  busy 
hive  of  sowing,-  and  reaping  during  the 
spring  time,  summer  and  autumn,  and 
with  Nature's  help  the  fall  and  winter 
are  made  gorgeous  by  the  magic  fin;ers 
of  nature. 

A  few  congenial  spirits  have  purchased 
a  part  of  Corning  heights  from  }>ir.  H.  T. 
Schell,  a  good  representadve  of  the 
Pennsylvania-German  stock.  Here  we 
have  erected  bungalows  and  hide  awa) 
during  July  and  August  from  the  heat 
and  worry  of  city  life.  With  good  air, 
water  and  food  for  the  body  and  the 
aesthetic  beauty  for  the  soul,  w^e  ought  to 
be  thoroughly  renewed  for  better  work 
in  the  months  to  come.  These  things  tone 
up  the  constitution.  In  securing  title  for 
this  location,  we  dealt  with  the  heirs  of 
the  original  owners  who  took  title  from 
the  government.  Mr.  Schell  is  the  fifth 
generation  from  his  ancestry  who  dealt 
with  the  colonial  Government  in  settling 
this  part  of  Pennsylvania  by  the  Pennsyl- 
vania-Dutch. The  seventh  generation  now 
resides  upon  the  soil  of  his  fathers.     In 


510 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


such  there  is  a  spirit  of  contentedness  and 
thrift  worthy  of  imitation.  A  Httle 
repartee  which  took  place  between  the 
present  owners  and  Mr.  Schell  proved 
that  the  Pennsylvania-Dutchman  is  no 
dullard.  We  said,  "Mr.  Schell,  your 
price  is  too  high.  The  hills  are  poor  for 
farming  purposes,  having  been  impover- 
ished to  make  a  rich  valley."  "Veil,"  was 
the  reply ;  "I  know  dot.  Shust  look  at  der 
view."  "Yes,"  we  replied,  "but  Mr. 
Schell,  that  view  is  not  yours  ;_^  it  is  God's, 
and  you  have  no  right  to  sell  what  belongs 
to  God."  For  a  whole  day  this  seemed  to 
stump  the  keen  German,  but  at  evening 
time  he  had  his  answer.  "You  say  dot 
der  view  ist  God's.  Veil,  I  know  do,  but 
He  give  it  to  me  and  I  sell  it  to  you." 
That  answer  closed  the  bargain.     Very 


few  people  in  the  city  can  believe  that  so- 
near  to  them  there  is  such  magnificent 
scenery,  or  a  people  differing  from  them, 
so  much  in  their  customs,  language  and 
laws.  Yet  they  are  kind  to  us  and  help 
to  make  our  lives  happy  and  comfortable. 
If  "Aunt  Jane  of  Kentucky"  could 
stand  on  this  summit  and  survey  this 
patch  work  of  scenery,  and  in  her  remi- 
niscent mood  rehearse  the  story  of  toil 
and  the  story  of  the  Teutonic  blood  which 
settled  these  valleys  and  hills,  we  would 
have  a  readable  story  interesting  to  alL 
Nearly  every  German  home  in  these  val- 
leys can  bring  forth  the  treasures  of  past 
days  in  quaint  articles  of  furniture  or  bits 
of  tradition  which  link  us  to  the  days  o£ 
long  ago. 


HE  green  hills  and  dales  of 
P  e  n  n  s  y  1  V  ania-Germany 
abovnid  in  myriad  pictur- 
esque views  of  wide  ex- 
tending mosaic  landscapes 
or  choicest  closely  confined 
miniatures,  rich  in  history 
and  the  records  and  traditions  of  noble 
deeds  that  quietly  and  unostentatiously 
have  helped  to  make  up  the  sum  of  our 
State  and  National  greatness.  Among 
these  the  Perkiomen  Valley  nestling  close- 
ly to  or  straying  away  to  a  distance  from 
the  stream  that  gives  it  its  name  is  not 
the  least.  The  hundreds  of  summer  va- 
cation boarders  that  have  come  to  love 
its  rusticity  and  make  the  valley  echo  by 
their  joyous  and  free  good  cheer  bear 
testimony  to  this. 

In  the  views  presented  by  Rev.  Ander- 
son, the  one  on  page  508  shows  the  Mill- 
hill    gap   through    which   the    Perkiomen 


slowly  snakes  its  silvery  shining  way  intO' 
the  Goshenhoppen  Valley.  On  page  509 
one  faces  the  setting  sun  and  looks  over 
the  famous  Butterthal  (Butter  Valley), 
the  Catholic  settlement  at  Bally,  to  the  hills 
of  lower  Berks   (Alt  Barricks). 

The  writer  makes  a  good  guess  at  the 
etymology  of  the  name  Palm.  We  un- 
derstand the  name  was  given  by  the  late 
Benjamin  Gerhard,  the  village  merchant 
at  one  time,  who  tenderly  nurtured  and 
cared  for  a  palm  tree  nestling  at  the 
foot  of  a  wall. 

We  give  these  views  by  way  of  sug- 
gestion, and  hope  our  good  friends  the 
subscribers  will  take  the  hint  and  let  us- 
have  glimpses  of  the  charming  scenery 
of  Picturesque  Pennsylvania  with  which, 
they  are  familiar,  the  views  accompanied 
by  choice  and  meaty  bits  of  history,  tra- 
dition and  anecdote  illustrating  the  life 
of  the  community.    Let  us  hear  from  you. 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 

Col.  Washington  A.  Roebling 

BY    REV.    P.    C.    CROLL,    D.D.,    LEBANON,    PA. 


S" 


Note. — John  A.  Roebling,  son  of  Polycarp,  a 
humble  contented  shopkeeper,  was  born  June, 
1806,  in  Mulhausen,  Germany,  came  to  America 
in  1831,  and  helped  to  found  the  village  of 
Germania,  afterwards  called  Saxonburg,  25 
miles  from  Pittsburg,  Pa.  Here,  in  1840,  he 
opened  the  first  mill  in  America  to  make 
stranded  wire  rope,  transferred  to  Trenton,  N. 
J.,  in  1848  an  industry  that  in  60  years  has  de- 
veloped into  the  world's  greatest  single  manu- 
factory of  wire  and  wire  rope,  operated  by  the 
John  A.  Roebling's  Sons  Company,  covering 
at  Trenton  with  its  buildings,  yards  and 
tracks  35  acres,  employing  over  6,000  men, 
reaching  its  trade  through  half  a  score  of 
branch  offices,  on  the  products  of  whose  mills 
the  sun  never  sets.  What  Trenton  thought  of 
John  Augustus  Roebling  may  be  judged  by 
the  inscription  on  the  monument  to  him  dedi- 
cated June  30,  1908,  in  Trenton  :  "Designer  of 
and  Builder  of  Many  Suspension  Bridges, 
Founder  of  Trenton's  Greatest  Industry,  an 
Energetic  Worker,  Inventor  and  Man  of  Af- 
fairs, Devoted  to  His  County,  in  Whose  Prog- 
ress He  Had  Unswerving  Faith,  A  Patron  of 
Art  and  Sciences,  and  Benefactor  of  Mankind." 

The  three  sons,  Charles  G.,  Ferdinand  W. 
and  Col.  Washington  A.,  inherited  many  of  the 
thrifty  traits  of  their  famed  father.  The  last 
named,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  not  actively 
identified  with  the  business  of  the  firm,  on 
account  of  ill  health  contracted  during  the 
building  of  the   Brooklyn  bridge. — Publisher. 

THAT  man  can  never  be  with- 
out fame  who  has  con- 
structed one  of  the  great 
wonders  of  the  world,  and 
he  need  not  fear  ever  being 
forgotten — even  tho  he 
should  have  no  monument 
to  commemorate  his  life,  other  than  the 
marvelous  creation  of  his  own  hands  and 
brain.  This  is  emphatically  true  concern- 
ing the  builder  of  the  great  Brooklyn 
Bridge,  which  is  recognized  to  be  the 
greatest  engineering  marvel  of  aJl  the 
ages;  all  the  greater  because  built  in  the 
most  utilitarian  age  of  the  world  and 
devoted  to  the  utilitarian  purposes  of 
mankind,  millions  of  whom  annuallv 
make  practical  use  of  it.  What  was  said 
of  the  great  architect  of  St.  Paul's  Cathe- 
dral of  London,  might  with  equal  fitness 
be  said  by  the  two  cities  of  New  York 
and    Brooklyn,    concerning    Washington 


A.  Roebling:    "Would  you  see  his  monu- 
ment, look  around." 

Altho  it  is  but  twenty-five  years  since 
the  completion  of  that  marvelous  struct- 
ure and   the   memorable  opening  of   the 
bridge  to  the  public,  at  which  occasion 
the  two  great  cities  which  it  connects  kept 
gala  day,  or  gala  week    (ushered  in  by 
one  of  Brooklyn's  famous  "Children's  hol- 
idays,   and    followed    by    the    ceremonial 
transfer   of  the   public   structure   by   the 
special  bridge-trustees  to  the  official  heads 
of  the  two  now   connected   cities   in  the 
presence  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States  and  his  cabinet,  the  Governor  of 
the    State   and   the   officials   of   the   twa 
great  cities,  amid  the  playing  of  bands^ 
song  of  children,  flying  of  flags  and  gay 
festoons,  the  display  of  brilliant  fireworks 
and  dazzling  electric  lights  at  night  and 
in  the  presence  of  such  throngs  of  people 
as  made  it  one  of  the  most  memorable  of 
days   this  twin-metropolis  had  ever  wit- 
nessed) the  Bridge  has. already  served  to 
bring  about  a  municipal  union  which  at 
the  time  enlisted  the  chief  attention  of  the 
legislature  of  the  State  and  stirred  with 
enthusiasm  the  citizens  of  the  two  cities 
under  the  watchword  of  a  "greater  New 
York."    The  use  of  the  bridge  these  years 
has  taken  the  poetic  dream  of  Brooklyn's 
poet — Will  Carleton — as  expressed  in  his 
fine  poem*  on  the  occasion  of  the  bridge's 
opening  to  public  traffic,  out  of  the  plane 
of  poetic   fancy  into  the  plane  of  prac- 
tical realities.     Of  course,  the  man  who 
fabricated  the  wedding  ring  and  made  the 
nuptials  of  those   wooing  cities   possible 
was   the    eminent    engineer.    Col.    Wash- 
ington A.  Roebling,  who  on  the  day  the 
celebrated  betrothal  took  place,  was  con- 
fined   to    his    room    from    an    attack    of 
Caisson-fever,  contracted  in  its  construc- 
tion. 

High  praise  has  been  given  to  this 
mighty  achievement  and  to  the  engineer- 
insT  skill  of  its  builders.  The  Hon.  Abram 
S.  Hewitt,  in  his  masterly  oration  on  the 

*The    Marriage    of    the    Continent    King    and    the 
Island    Queen. 


5f2 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


day  of  its  opening,  said  that  it  "stands 
before  us  as  the  sum  and  epitome  of  hu- 
man knowledge :  as  the  very  heir  of  the 
ages ;  as  the  latest  glory  of  centuries  of 
patient  observation,  profound  study,  and 
accumulated  skill,  gained  step  by  step  in 
the  never  ending  struggle  of  man  to  sub- 
due the  forces  of  nature  to  his  control 
and  use ;  the  crowning  glorv  of  an  age 
memorable  for  great  industrial  achieve- 
ments, and  which  in  no  previous  period 
of  the  world's  history  could  have  been 
built." 

As  may  be  imagined.  The  Pennsyl- 
vania-German is  proud  to  own  the  race 
kinship  of  a  man,  whose  inventive  and 
mechanical  skill,  whose  genius  and  per- 
severance against  all  odds,  and  whose 
constant  supervision,  made  this  mightiest 
mechanical  and  engineering  feat  of  the 
world  a  possibility.  The  claim  of  Mr. 
Roebling's  being  a  Pennsylvania-German 
is  based,  of  course,  upon  his  descent  from 
German  parentage  and  his  birth  within 
the  limits  of  the  Keystone  State.  Tech- 
nically speaking,  he  may  not  belong  to 
this  class,  who  are  generally  distinguished 
in  our  day  as  the  descendants  of  earlier 
German  settlers  in  Pennsylvania,  gener- 
ally of  the  eastern  part  of  the  State,  and 
who  are  today  either  using  or  are  familiar 
with  that  peculiar  dialect  commonly 
known  by  the  name  of  "Pennsylvania- 
Dutch."  As  Mr.  Roebling  was  born  in 
the  western  part  of  the  State,  and  his  par- 
ents emigrated  from  the  fatherland,  but 
in  this  century  we  presume  he  knows  but 
little  of  the  language  or  those  peculiar 
customs  which  distinguish  the  descend- 
ants of  his  ancestral  countrymen,  now  oc- 
cupying the  rich  estates  of  those  early 
settlers  of  eastern  Pennsylvania,  but,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  of  his  closer  rela- 
tionships to  the  fatherland  and  his  greater 
isolation  from  the  technical  Pennsylvania- 
Dutchman,  he  is  all  the  same  a  true  speci- 
men of  the  German-born  Pennsvlvanian. 
and  hence  this  claim  of  racial  brotherhood 
is  correctly  founded.  We  are.  therefore, 
proud  to  include  the  sketch  of  so  distin- 
guished a  career  in  this  brilliant  array  of 
leading  lights  among  a  class  still  too  little 
known  and  appreciated  by  the  American 
public. 


Washington  Augustus  Roebling  was 
born  in  Saxonburg,  Butler  county,  Pa., 
i\Iay  26,  1837.  His  father,  Jno.  A.  Roeb- 
ling, who  was  a  native  of  Saxony,  Ger- 
many, and  a  famous  civil  engineer,  deter- 
mined, on  settling  in  this  country,  in  1831, 
to  devote  himself  to  agricultural  pursuits 
and  the  building  of  a  village  for  fron- 
tiersmen, and  hence  laid  out  and  named 
the  town  in  which  his  son  was  born.  But 
soon  the  demands  of  the  stirring  life  in 
the  new  world,  in  the  form  of  gigantic 
internal  improvements  that  called  for  the 
building  of  railroads,  the  opening  of 
canals  and  other  water  ways,  and  the 
bridging  of  streams  called  forth  this 
skillful  genius  from  his  rural  haunts. 
Hence  he  soon  is  found  in  the  forefront 
of  all  those  great  enterprises,  which  his 
adopted  State  has  undertaken  in  the  first 
half  of  the  century,  such  as  improvements 
in  canal  and  slack  water  navigation,  the 
surveying  of  lines  of  railroad,  cr  for  in- 
stance, of  the  Pennsylvania  sysiem  from 
Harrisburg  across  the  Allegheny  moun- 
tains to  Pittsburg,  and  the  construction 
of  bridges.  This  led  him  into  the  manu- 
facture of  iron  and  steel  wire,  needed  in 
the  construction  of  suspension  bridges, 
which  came  to  be  his  greatest  and  crown- 
ing lifework.  He  made  the  finest  speci- 
mens of  suspension-bridge  wire  ever  pro- 
duced in  the  United  States,  and  in  the 
year  1844--I.5  ^''^^1  charge  of  and  success- 
fully completed,  despite  the  ridicule  of  the 
engineering'  profession,  the  wir,e-cable, 
wooden-truck  suspension  bridge  across 
the  Alle':2:hany  river  at  Pittsburg.  He 
next  built  the  suspension  bridge  over  the 
Monongahela  river  at  Pittsburg,  which 
was  followed  by  four  similar  structures 
on  the  line  of  the  Delaware  and  Hudson 
Canal,  and  then  the  marvelous  suspension 
bridge  across  the  Niagara,  near  the  Falls. 
Upon  the  latter  he  was  occupied  from 
1 85 1  to  '55.  it  being  the  first  bridge  of 
its  kind  capable  of  bearing  the  weight  of 
railroad  trains,  and  long  regarded  the 
wonder  of  the  world.  Other  bridges 
built  by  Mr.  Roebling,  Sr.,  were  a  sec- 
ond bridge  spanning  the  Alleghany  at 
Pittsburg,  and  one  connecting  Cincinnati, 
O.,  with  Covington,  Ky.  His  marvelous 
success  in  this  department  of  the  engi- 


COL.  WASHINGTON   A.   ROEBLING 


513 


neering  science  led  to  his  selection,  in 
1868,  as  chief  engineer  of  the  East  River 
bridge,  connecting  New  York  and  Brook- 
lyn. He  lived  to  complete  his  general 
plans,  which  were  approved  by  the  au- 
thorities, but  he  met  with  an  accident  that 
caused  his  death,  ere  the  work  was  be- 
gun. His  son,  who  had  meanwhile,  by 
technical  training  and  personal  assistance, 
become  equally  skilled  in  this  branch  of 
the  science  that  made  his  father  famous, 
was  now  providentially  placed  in  a  posi- 
tion to  complete  the  great  engineering  feat 
and  win  for  himself  a  reputation  that 
seems  impossible  either  to  fade  or  to  have 
eclipsed.  But  we  must  briefly  recount  the 
incidents  of  his  life  previous  to  the  under- 
taking of  this  crowning  work. 

The  boyhood  life  of  such  a  man  as 
W^ashington  A.  Roebling  can  easily  be 
imagined,  when  we  remember  the  busy 
life  of  his  father,  whose  library  must  have 
been  strewn,  during  the  tender  and  im- 
pressible years  of  his  son,  with  mechani- 
cal drafts  and  cuts  and  blue-prints  and 
literature  all  bearing  on  the  great  special- 
ty of  civil-engineering,  and  whose  person- 
al superintendence  of  much  of  the  con- 
structive work  of  his  own  brain-products 
gave  the  son  the  opportunity  to  gain 
that  practical  knowledge  of  the  science, 
in  which  from  early  youth  he  was  skilled, 
and  which  brought  him  his  great  fame. 
To  this  home-school,  where  a  kindly 
father  became  the  best  of  preceptors,  was 
added  the  thorough  training  in  the  tech- 
nique of  the  science,  which  can  best  be 
acquired  at  schools.  Accordingly  young 
Roebling  took  a  course  at  the  Rensselaer 
Polytechnic  Institute  of  Troy,  N.  Y., 
from   which   institution   he   graduated   in 

1857- 

The  young  fledgling  from  this  poly- 
technic school  did  not  need  to  wait  long 
to  put  his  acquisitions  into  practical  use, 
for  his  father  was  then  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Alleghany  Suspension  Bridge, 
in  which  undertaking  the  former  fur- 
nished valuable  assistance.  Shortly  after 
the  completion  of  this  task  the  Civil  War 
broke  out,  and  this  opened  up  a  new  path 
to  the  young  engineer. 

The  war  record  of  Mr.  Roebling  is 
very  creditable,  and  the  years  thus  spent 


cannot  have  been  much  of  an  interrup- 
tion to  his  more  peacefully  inclined  pur- 
suit. This  record  has  been  briefly  sum- 
marized as  follows :  He  enlisted  as  a 
private  in  the  Sixth  New  York  Artillery. 
He  served  with  this  battery  for  one  year, 
and  the  remainder  of  the  war  he  was  em- 
ployed on  stafif  duty.  He  participated  in 
the  Patterson  campaign  in  the  Shenan- 
doah Valley.  He  was  at  Ball's  BlulY  with 
Gen.  Stone  and  on  the  lower  Potomac 
with  Gen.  Hocker,  fighting  the  Shipping 
Point  batteries  during  the  winter  of  1861- 
'62.  Gen.  Hocker's  command  was  then 
transferred  to  the  Peninsula,  and  after 
the  evacuation  of  Yorktown  Col.  Roeb- 
ling was  transferred  to  Gen.  McDowell's 
staff,  and  built  a  suspension  bridge  across 
the  Rappahannock  for  the  use  of  the 
army.  He  took  part  in  the  pursuit  of 
Gen.  Stonewall  Jackson  thro  the  Valley, 
and  went  with  the  cavalry  reconnoissance 
to  Louise  County,  returning  to  Culpepper, 
which  he  found  in  the  hands  of  the  ene- 
my. He  was  on  Gen.  Pope's  staff  at 
South  Alountain  and  Antietam,  thro  the 
campaign  which  ended  in  the  second  bat- 
tle of  Bull  Run.  During  this  time  he 
built  a  suspension  bridge  across  the 
Shenandoah,  at  Harper's  Ferry.  He  was 
on  duty  at  General  Headquarters  during 
the  battle  of  Chancellorsville.  At  this 
time  he  used  to  ascend  every  morning  in 
balloons  to  reconnoiter  the  enemy.  From 
a  balloon  he  was  the  first  to  discover  and 
announce  that  General  Lee  was  moving 
off  toward  Pennsylvania,  which  march 
was  halted  at  Gettysburg.  He  served  on 
engineering  duty  in  the  second  corps  from 
Aug.,  1863.  to  March,  1864,  during  which 
time  he  took  part  in  the  movement  on  Cul- 
pepper and  Rapidan,  the  combat  at  An- 
tietam, the  skirmish  at  Bull  Run  and  the 
battle  of  Keddy's  Ford.  He  served  on 
staff  dutv  with  the  Fifth  Corps  from 
March,  i'864,  to  Jan.  i,  1865.  In  the 
Richmond  campaign  he  was  at  the  battles 
of  the  Wilderness.  Spottsylvania.  North 
Anna,  Be'thseda  Church,  Cold  Harbor, 
White  Oak  Swamp,  the  assault  on  Peters- 
burg, the  Petersburg  mine  assault,  Wel- 
don'Road,  Peeble's  Farm,  Chapel  House 
and  Hatcher's  Run.  His  last  duty  as  a 
soldier  was  assisting  in  the  destruction  of 


514 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Weldon  Road,  December,  1864.  Col. 
Roebling  served  with  distinction  and  hon- 
or in  the  army  of  the  Potomac,  receiving 
three  brevets  for  gallant  conduct,  and  in 
January,  1865,  he  resigned  his  commis- 
sion to  assist  his  father  in  the  completion 
of  the  Cincinnati  and  Covington  Bridge." 

Now  that  he  was  free  again  to  devote 
his  entire  time  to  the  one  special  work  of 
his  chosen  profession  he  became  his 
father's  most  reliable  assistant.  He  at 
once  took  almost  entire  charge  of  the 
bridge  work  at  Cincinnati,  from  the  spin- 
ning of  the  first  cable  wire  till  the  last 
piece  of  the  superstructure  was  in  posi- 
tion. And  now  the  way  was  being  opened 
for  the  great  crowning  work  of  his  life. 
His  father  had  already  been  engaged  in 
preparing  plans  for  the  great  East  River 
Bridge,  to  the  successful  completion  of 
which  the  brilliant  names  of  father  and 
son  will  be  forever  linked.  The  son  to 
fit  himself  still  further  for  the  enormous 
undertaking,  went  to  England,  France 
and  Germany  to  see  and  study  up  all  that 
might  be  learned  on  the  particular  and 
essential  subject  of  pneumatic  founda- 
tions, before  undertaking  the  critical  task 
of  sinking  the  foundations  of  the  greatest 
bridge  yet  constructed,  while  the  father 
was  busy  upon  the  plans.  He  remained 
in  Europe  a  year,  during  which  time  he 
inspected  all  the  important  engineering 
works  in  progress  there,  and  made  a  spe- 
cial study  of  the  manufacture  of  steel, 
at  the  great  works  of  M.  Krupp  at  Essen 
as  well  as  the  most  important  ones  in 
England. 

Now  he  felt  himself  equipped  for  the 
great  undertaking,  and  accordingly  re- 
moved to  Columbia  Heights,  Brooklyn, 
where  he  might  be  personally  near,  and  in 
constant  sight  of  the  work  that  came  to 
occupy  the  next  fourteen  years  of  his 
life.  But  alas !  before  the  first  stroke  of 
active  constructive  work  was  made  his 
father  had  met  with  a  sudden  and  painful 
accidental  death,  so  that  in  July,  1869, 
he  finds  himself  not  only  deprived  of  his 
riper  experience  and  genius,  but  bur- 
dened with  the  three-fold  task  of  the  set- 
tlement of  his  father's  estate,  the  care  of 
his  wire  manufacturing  business,  some 
years  previously  established  in  Trenton, 


N.  J.,  and  the  sole  management  of  the 
most  gigantic  engineering  undertaking  in 
all  the  world's  history,  the  plans  of  which 
had  as  yet  been  only  more  generally 
formed,  but  of  which  not  a  single  detail 
had  been  considered.  Yet  he  set  himself 
confidently  to  work,  personally  giving  ev- 
ery detail  closest  and  most  critical  atten- 
tion. Perhaps  the  task  with  which  was 
connected  most  intense  anxiety  was  the 
sinking  of  the  caissons.  While  this  tedi- 
ous work  was  in  progress,  it  is  said  that 
he  never  left  Brooklyn  even  for  an  hour, 
visiting  the  work  at  all  hours  of  the  day 
and  night.  By  his  coolness,  foresight 
and  quick  comprehension  of  the  best  way 
out  of  any  unexpected  difficulties,  he  sev- 
eral times  averted  a  serious  panic  among 
the  men  when  slight  accidents  and  "blow 
outs"  occurred.  His  excessive  devotion 
to  the  work,  joined  with  the  fact  that  he 
spent  more  hours  of  the  twenty-four  in 
the  compressed  air  of  the  caissons  than 
any  one  else  wore  out  his  strength,  and 
one  afternoon  in  the  spring  of  1872,  Col. 
Roebling  was  brought  up  out  of  the  New 
York  caisson  nearly  insensible,  and  all 
one  night  his  death  was  hourly  expected 
by  the  anxious  friends  who  watched  by 
his  bedside.  In  a  few  days  he  rallied  and 
was  back  on  the  work  again.  He  was 
too  weak,  however,  to  labor  as  he  had 
done  before,  and  after  the  foundation  of 
the  New  York  pier  was  completed,  in 
July,  1872,  he  spent  two  or  three  weeks 
at  Saratoga  and  Richfield  Springs.  He 
returned  to  the  scene  of  his  labors  some- 
what better  after  this  little  rest  but  all 
summer  and  autumn  he  was  obliged  to 
stay  at  home  for  a  few  days  at  a  time.  In 
December  he  found  himself  too  weak  and 
ill  to  go  down  to  the  bridge  anymore. 
Fearing  that  he  might  not  live  to  finish 
the  work  hmiself,  and  knowing  how  in- 
complete the  plans  and  instructions  for 
the  bridge  still  were,  he  spent  the  whole 
winter  writing  and  drawing,  and  the 
papers  written  while  he  was  too  sick  to 
leave  his  room,  contain  the  most  minute 
and  exact  directions  for  making  the  cables 
and  the  erection  of  all  complicated  parts 
which  compose  the  superstructure.  In 
the  spring  of  1873  the  physicians  attend- 
ing upon  him  insisted  that  his  one  chance 


COL.  WASHINGTON  A.  ROEBLING 


SIS 


of  life  was  to  get  away  from  his  work ;  so 
he  went  to  Germany  and  spent  six  months 
at  Weisbaden.  Writing  so  much  in  his 
enfeebled  condition  had  weakened  his 
eyes.  He  was  too  weak  to  carry  on  a 
long  conversation  with  his  assistants,  and 
probably  no  great  project  was  ever  con- 
ducted by  a  man  who  had  to  work  under 
so  many  disadvantages.  It  could  never 
have  been  accomplished  but  for  the  un- 
selfish devotion  of  his  assistant  engineers. 
Each  man  had  a  certain  department  in 
charge,  and  they  united  with  all  their 
energies  to  have  their  work  properly  done 
according  to  Col.  Roebling's  plans  and 
wishes,  and  not  to  carry  out  any  pet  the- 
ory of  their  own  or  for  their  self-glorifi- 
cation. 

Altho  greatly  prostrated  and  so  weak- 
ened as  to  confine  him  to  his  house,  the 
gallant  man  clung  to  life  and  to  his  task 
with  such  heroic  tenacity  that  for  ten 
years  previous  to  the  completion  of  the 
bridge  his  house  was  made  the  ofBce, 
where  all  the  plans  for  the  bridge  were 
discussed  and  perfected,  and  from  whence 
he  observed  its  construction.  He  directed 
his  work  from  his  sick  room  from  1873 
to  the  completion  of  the  bridge  in  1883. 
And  even  the  plans  underwent  many  im- 
portant changes  made  by  himself  since  he 
had  become  too  feeble  to  direct  the  active 
operations  in  person.  There  is  scarcely 
a  feature  in  the  whole  work  of  the  bridge 
that  did  not  present  new  and  untried  prob- 
lems. For  instance,  while  sinking  the 
New  York  caissons  it  was  found,  when 
deep  enough  to  begin  the  foundation 
masonry,  that  below  it  was  a  bed  of  boil- 
ing quicksand  with  an  irregular  ledge  of 
rock  underneath  of  a  depth  varying  from 
four  to  twenty  feet.  To  have  gone  down 
to  the  rock  and  levelled  off  the  whole 
foundation  would  have  involved  an  ex- 


pense of  an  additional  half  nillion  and  a 
probable  sacrifice  of  hundreds  of  lives 
and  another  year  of  time.  He  there- 
fore took  the  bold  step  of  stopping  within 
a  few  feet  of  the  bed  rock  and  leaving  an 
intervening  cushion  of  sand  to  distribute 
the  pressure.  The  result  has  justified  his 
view  of  the  matter.  Similar  alternatives 
and  newly  contrived  plans  had  constantly 
to  be  provided.  All  these  new  problems 
he  soon  solved,  if  not  always  with  ease, 
yet  always  satisfactorily.  Yet  no  one  who 
has  not  studied  the  mechanism  of  the 
bridge  in  its  minutiae  can  properly  con- 
ceive of  the  many  constantly  recurring 
problems,  occasioned  by  so  many  new 
features  first  introduced  into  the  struct- 
ure of  this  bridge,  and  because  of  its 
gigantic  proportions,  which  all  confront- 
ed this  master  builder,  the  solution  of 
which,  however,  bears  such  glorious  testi- 
mony to  the  greatness  of  his  genius. 

Since  the  completion  of  this  bridge.  Col. 
Roebling  has  devoted  his  time  to  directing 
his  wire  business  at  Trenton,  N.  J.,  where 
he  now  resides,  and  to  the  pursuit  of  his 
health;  He  has  written  and  published,  be- 
sides various  pamphlets  on  professional 
subjects,  a  work  on  "Military  Suspension 
Bridges."  The  personal  characteristics 
of  the  man  are  given  as  follows : 

"In  personal  appearance  Col.  Roebling 
is  about  five  feet  ten  inches  in  height.  He 
is  a  blonde  of  the  German  type ;  has  large, 
expressive  gray  eyes,  and  his  counte- 
nance does  not  to  any  great  extent  show 
the  ravages  of  the  caisson  disease.  While 
he  is  unpretentious  in  manner,  his  person- 
ality is  marked  by  strong  individuality  and 
self-composure.  The  Colonel  is  a  man 
of  versatile  attainments,  being  a  good 
classical  scholar,  a  fine  Hnguist,  an  ex- 
cellent musician  and  a  mineralogist  with 
hardly  a  superior  in  this  country." 


Si6 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


The  Home  Department 

Edited  by  Mrs.  H.  H.  Funk,  Springtown,  Pa. 
APPLEBUTTER  BOILING. 

BY  THE  EDITOR. 


"With  the  arrival  of  Fall,  with  it's  sere  and 
."yellow  leaf,  when 

"The  frost  is  on  the  Punkin 
And  the  corn  is  in  the  shock," 

vcomes  the  annual  applebutter  boiling — that  art- 
'icle  of  diet  so  dear  to  the  palate  of  ev-ery 
Pennsylvania-German — an  article  which  they 
.alone  are  capable  to  serve  up  to  the  "queen's 
taste,"  and  with  it  are  revived  many  pleasant 
memories  of  by-gone  days,  especially  of  the 
lime  when  before  the  aid  of  modern  machinery 
the  process  was  far  more  laborious  and  lengthy. 

With  the  introduction  of  modern  power  cider 
presses,  apple  paring  machines  and  the  like 
the  time  required  for  the  production  of  this 
toothsome  article  has  been  materially  short- 
ened. 

In  the  good  old  times  one  day  was  set  aside 
ioT  the  gathering  of  the  apples,  the.  choicest 
jsweet  apples  being  reserved  for  the  "schnitz." 
These  were  taken  to  the  house,  where  the 
'women  folks  set  to  work  to  prepare  the 
■"schnitz"  during  the  afternoon  or  generally  in 
the  evening,  the  women  of  the  neighboriiood, 
by  previous  invitation,  arrived  to  lend  their 
aid  in  this  laborious  work,  and  have  a  jolly 
good  time  in  general — the  young  folks  in  par- 
iicular. 

Early  the  following  morning  the  men  folks 
■fleft  for  the  local  cider  press,  which  had  been 
arranged  for  previously.  Here  the  apples  were 
crushed  to  a  pomace  or  pulp,  between  two 
large  wooden  rollers  operated  by  a  horse  trav- 
•eling  in  a  circular  path.  The  apple  pulp  was 
then  carried  to  the  press,  where  it  was 
packed  in  tiers  on  a  flat  bed  with  rye  straw — 
later  followed  by  a  slotted  bin,  and  pressure 
applied  by  the  aid  of  a  large  screw  and  weights. 
After    the    pressure    had    been    applied    for    a 


length  of  time  the  pulp  was  taken  out,  re- 
packed and  again  pressed  so  as  to  get  out  all 
of  the  juice.  Cider  making  required  practi- 
cally a  day,  instead  of  a  few  hours  as  now. 
As  soon  as  the  cider  reached  the  home  the 
boiling  process  began.  Huge  copper  kettles 
hanging  over  roaring  fires  were  filled  with 
the  cider,  kept  at  a  boiling  point,  the  scum 
removed  as  it  formed,  until  the  cider  was 
boiled  down  to  about  half  the  quantity.  After 
the  cidar  had  boiled  for  several  hours,  one  of 
the  kettles  was  prepared  for  the  final  boiling. 
This  kettle  was  equipped  with  a  stirring  appar- 
atus consisting  of  a  revolving  corn  husk  brush 
operated  with  a  crank-movement  by  the  aid  of  a 
long   wooden   handle. 

To  the  cider  in  this  kettle  were  added  the 
apples  by  the  bucketful,  the  boiling  was  then 
kept  at  low  point,  keeping  the  mass  simmer- 
ing until  the  apples  were  all  added,  and  then 
boiled  until  smooth,  this  taking  the  greater 
part  of  a  day  and  night,  usually  a  time  of  fes- 
tivity and  mirth,  all  looking  forward  to  the 
applebutter  boiling  as  a  jolly  occasion  instead 
of   a   task. 

After  the  apples  had  all  been  put  in,  some 
added  spices,  including  cinnamon,  allspice, 
cloves  or  sassafras  root,  the  boiling  was  con- 
tinued sometimes  for  several  hours,  until  after 
repeated  tastings,  it  was  found  satisfactory  to 
the  taste,  and  did  not  "cry,"  the  cider  settling 
at  the  side  of  the  dish,  then  it  was  considered 
ready  to  be  dipped  out  into  earthen  crocks  and 
carried  on  the  attic  where,  the  next  morning, 
after  it  had  cooled,  it  was  covered  with  paper 
and  there  to  remain  until  needed  for  the  table. 

Applebutter  is  still  being  boiled  in  some  dis- 
trcts,  although  more  modern  methods  are  being 
employed,  making  the  task  far  less  laborious 
than  in  earlier  times. 


A  subscriber   from   Nebraska  writes  as   fol- 
lows under  date,  October  9: 

I  am  sending  you  three  of  my  great- 
grandmother's  recipes  as  samples.  The 
supply  is  large,  and  you  can  have  all  you 
■want.  I  find  that  most  of  her  cooking 
■was  done  before  the  fire  and  in  the  brick 
oven,  and  alas !  there  is  no  good  substi- 
tute for  the  brick  oven.     The  translations 


my  grandmother  made  are  very  free,  and 

are  full  of  minute  directions  that   I   have 

eliminated   in   making   copies   for  you.      If 

you   use   these,    I   prefer   not   to   have   my 

name  mentioned.     I  want  to  be  of  use  to 

the    magazine. 

Thanks !     We    shall    use    what    you    sent    in 

the    December    number,    and    hope    to    receive 

many  others  from  you.     We  trust  others  will 

follow  the  example  of  our  Nebraska  sister. 


LITERARY   SELECTIONS. 


S17 


Liteary  Gems 


WHEREVER  IT  MAY  BE. 


BY  REV.    A.    C.    WUCHTER,    GILBERT,    PA. 


Wherever  it  may  be, 

The  skies  are  just  the  same, 
The  clouds  float  on  the  azure  sea, 

Like  pinnacles  of  flame, 

With  e3'es  of  burning  gold 

The  stars  look  down  on  me, 
And    so   God's   wondrous   love   unfold, 

Wherever  it  may  be. 

Bright  o'er  the  eastern  hills 

The  sun,  as  vi^ont  of  yore. 
Breaks  forth  in  glorious  pomp  and  thrills 

The  waking  world  once  more. 

The   eye  that   speaks   to   eye, 

The    love    that    smiles  on   me 
Is  like  the  raindrops  from  the  sky. 

Wherever  it  may  be. 

The  heart  that  throbs  with  pain. 
The  tears  that  pearl  and  fall, 
From    one    mysterious    fountain    drain 
Their   sorrow,   love   and  all. 


O  heart !   now  loving,  true, 
Now   like  the  Upas-tree, 
Thou  art  the  same,  as  skies  are  blue,     - 
Wherever    it    may   be. 

The  babe  that  lies  enshrined 

Upon  its  mother's  breast, 
The  gaffer  with  his  years  inclined 

Low   sinking   into   rest, 

One  common  tale  unfold 

Of    ruthless    destiny. 
And    so    life's    varied   tale    is    told 

Wherever  it  may  be. 

Wherever   it   may  be, 

The  wide  world  o'er  and  o'er, 
There's  One  who  loves  and  cares  for  me» 

And  so  I  ask  no  more. 

Whatever  else  betide. 

To  Him  alone  I  flee, 
None  else   so   dear  to  me  beside,  ,. 

Wherever  it  may  be. 


MEI   DROM. 


BY  C.  C.   MOREj  PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


Ich    kenn    en    Platz,    der's    weit,    weit    fort, 

Der  weg  dort  hie  is  lang  un  schwer, 
Es  schteht  en  Schloss  im  Newel  dort, — 

En   Scheingebei'   un  lewe  leer ; 
Dort  haust  en  Geischt,  en  gleener  Gnom, 
Er  macht  >vie  mer's  verdient  en  Drom 
Ja,  grod  wie  mer's  verdient,  en  Drom ! 

Du  nehmsht  ihm  juscht  dei  winsche  hie, 
Dei  Sorge  un  dei  Hofl^ning  ah, 

Er  schpint  en  Goldgeweb  um  sie 
Mit  all  dei  schtiller  Sehnsucht  dra. 

Er  kennt  dei  Herz,  er  sehnt  es  jo, 

Un  macht  dir  ah  den  Drom  denoh, 

Ja,  wie  es  is,  den  Drom  denoh. 

Ich  bin  mol  an  dem  Schloss  vorbei, 
Im  Herz  es  scheenscht  Bild  von  der  Welt, 

Un  bin   zu   dem  Drommacher  nei, 
Un  hab  en  Drom  dazu  beschtellt. 

Der  Drom — is  alles  schunscht  vorbei. 

Is    nau    immer    un    ewig   mei, 

Ja,  immer  bleibt  der   Drom  nau  mei. 

Wie  Gott  sel  Drombild  hot  gemacht, 

Hot  Wahrheet,  Sanftmut,  Lieb  und  Rei 
Er   sich   aus   seiner   Bruscht   gebracht, 


Un  hot  es  in  sel  weese  nei. 
Vom  allerbescht  von  Sich  en  Dehl — 
Es    scheenscht    vom    Himmel    in    ihr    Aag, 
Es  bescht  vom  Himmel  in  die  Seel. 

In    Seiner  weisheet   hot   der   Herr, 
Sel   weese   gschickt   in   unsere   Welt, 

In  Seiner  Absicht  hot  ah  Er 
Es  mir  an  meine  Seite  gschtelt, 

Doch    hot    Er's    bald    genomme    noh,        .    , 

Un   ich   bin   so   verlosse   do, 

Ja,  verlore  un  verlosse  do.  < 

Doch   is   mir   ah    als   gor   so   weh, 

Un   will   des   Herz   mir   breche   schier, 
Wann  ich  dann  juscht  sel  Bild  aseh 

Lebt  die  Hofifning  widder  uf  in  mir; 
Es   is   mei   Lewe,    Licht    un    Schtab, 
Die  eenzigscht  Zuflucht  as  ich  hab 
Der   eenzigscht   Droscht   as   ich   noch   hab. 

Los  mir  mei  Drom,  ich  brauch  ihn  doch, 

Foi;  anner  hot  er  jo  kee  wert, 
Er's  juscht  for  mich,  ich  will  ihn  noch, 

Mir  is  er  alles  uf  der  Erd. 
Leg  der  Drom  zu  mir  in's  Grab,  ' 

Er  is  ja  alles  was  ich  hab, 
Gewiss,  er's  alles  was  ich  hab. 


5i8 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


KRIEGS  LIED. 


AUFGESETZT  VON  SAMUEL  SCHEDEL  IM  JAHR  1814. 


The   following  lines,   furnished  by  a  Dauph 
or  imagined,  of  a  soldier  about  to  leave  home 
War  with  Great  Britain.    We  should  be  pleased 
and    hope    we    may    receive    information    from 

Jetzo   musz   ich   weg  von   euch, 

Und  musz  ab  maschiren  ; 
IVIusz  werden  den  Soldaten  gleich ! 

AIuss  lernen  exerciren. 
Ich    musz    fort    nach    Canada; 
Es  ist  gut  dasz  mir  keine  Fra' 
Und  kein  Kind  nacht  weinet, 
Weil   es    schmerzlich    scheinet. 


in   County  subscriber,  portray  the  feelings,  real 

for  a  possible  field  of  battle  during  the  Second 

to  know  something  about  the  author  of  the  lines, 

our    subscribers.      Who   was    Samuel    Schedel? 

— Editor. 

Herr  lasz  deine  Engelein 

Ueber  mich   ja   wachen ! 
Wenn  ich  bei  der  finstern  Nacht 

Auf  der  Erd  musz  schlafen. 
Ach  Herr  schlag  eine  Wagenburg, 
Um  mich  her   dasz   nicht   dadurch 
Unser   Feind  kann   dringen, 
Um  mich  zu  verschlingen. 


Vater,   Alutter,   insgesammt, 
Briider    und    ihr    Schwestern, 

Kommt  und  reicht  mir  eure  Hand 
Noch   ein   Mai  zum  letzten, 

Und  ihr  Schwager  kommt  herbei, 

Freunde  und  auch  Ihr,  Geschwey; 

Wenn  ihr  mich  woUt  sehen 

Nach  den  Grenzen  gehen. 

Wehmuthsvoll  werdet  ihr  alle  blicken 
Nach  mir,  und  empfinden  Schmerz ; 

Wenn  ich  denk'  an  euch  zuriicken. 
So   will    Schmelzen   mir   mein    Herz, 

Wenn  ich  auf  der  Wache  steh' 

Und  kein   Mensch  mehr  um  mich   seh' 

Bei  kalten  Regenstiirmen, 

Gott,    du   dich   erbarmen. 

Hitz'  und  Kalt'  musz  ich  ausstehen,  • 
Und  kann  oft  nicht   schlafen, 

Wenn  ich  ja  von  fernen  hor' 
Die   Kanonen    krachen  ; 

Weis    nicht    welchen    Augenblick 

Mich  eine  Kugel   von   Geschick. 

O,  mein  Gott,  so  steh  mir  bei. 
Mache  mich  von  Siinden  frei ! 
Wenn  ich  dann  musz  sterben, 
Meine   Seele  nicht  verderben. 


Wenn  sich  ja  gleich  Seel'  und  Herz, 

Von  einander   scheiden. 
Ware  es  doch  kein  solcher  Schmerz 

Segen  das  zu  heiszen. 
Als    wenn    Eltern   und    ihr    Kind 
Die  ja  stets  beisammen   sind, 
Sollen  und  miiszen  scheiden, 
Und  zum  Krieg  bereiten. 


Eltern    denket    auch    an    mich  1 
Wenn  ich  euch  thu'  schreiben 

Ihr  sollt  mir  ja  ewiglich 
Im  Gedachtnisz  bleiben. 

Habe  ich  euch  was  Leids  gethan 

Halt  ich  um  Verzeihung  an, 

Denn  es  kann  geschehen 

Dasz   Ihr  mich  nicht  mehr   sehen. 


Gute  Nacht  will  ich  euch  geben : 
Gute  Nacht  fiir  das  letzte  Mai, 
Gute  Nacht  fiir  dieses  Leben ! 
Gute  Nacht  ihr  Freunde  all' 
Gute  Nacht  fiir  diese  Zeit 
Als   in   jene   Ewigkeit, 
Hoffe    ich    wird    es    geschehen 
Dasz  wir  einander  wieder  sehen. 


MONTGOMERY  COUNTY  PIES. 


BY   REV.    WILLIAM    BARNES   LOWER. 


You  may  talk  about  the  cookies 

That  your  mother  used  to  make, 
Of  the  doughnuts  and  the  dumplings 

And  the  good  old  ginger  cake, 
But   you'll    smile   a    little   broader 

And   you'll   wink  the   other   eye. 
When  you've  had  about  a  quarter 

Of  Montgomery  County   Pie. 

You  may  talk  and  get  expansive 
On  the  things  your  dear  wife  cooks, 

How   she  carries  all  the  recipes 
In  ker  head  and  not  in  'books, 


But  your  fond  ejaculations 
Will  be  found  somewhat  awry, 

Unless  she's  used  to  making 
Old   Montgomery  County  Pie. 

Some  may  want  the  fancy  dishes- 
Ices,  cream-puflfs  and  eclairs. 

Or  delight  in  sumptuous  dinners. 
With  their  strenuous  biU-of^fares, 

But   give   me   a   country   table 
For  variety  and  size, 

In  good  old  Montgomery  County, 
With  its  big  old-fashioned  Fief. 


LITERARY   GEMS 


519 


EN  THANKSGIVING  SHTORY. 


BY   SOLLY    HULSBUCK. 


Chapter  I. 

De  nocht  wore  shtill.  Tswae  yunga  leit,  en 
bu  und  en  maidel,  der  Yuckel  und  de  Belz,  hen 
fonna  uf  em  gate  gliunka  im  dreebsawl.  Der 
moon  wore  hoch  im  himmel  we  en  groser  galer 
karpsa  kustard,  und  der  hund  wore  in  si'm 
nesht.  Im  house  wora  de  olda  leit  shun  lung  in 
der  ruh.  Es  wore  ken  sound  fun  ken'ra  ord 
egcept  olle  gabut  en  dull,  deef  gabuller  we  der 
shol  funera  dynamite  oxbloshun  wun  der  olt 
mon    g'shnarixt    hut. 

"Yah,  mi  leeva  Betz,"  sawgt  der  Yuckel,  mit 
era  botch  in  sinera  botch  und  era  kup  uf  si'm 
hartz,  "Ich  mus  gae.''  Ehr  hut  de  saima  warta 
shun  tswonsich  mohl  dafor  g'sawt  g'hot,  ovver 
des  wore  en  farawel  meeting,  und  si  fees  sin 
eig'shlofa  eb  ehr  g'shtairt  iss  warra.  "Now 
mus  Ich  gae,"  hut  ehr  g'sawt,  "ovver  Ich  mane 
mi  hartz  fershpringt.  Wun  Ich  denk,  doh  sin 
mer  now : 

Tswae  grout-kep  uf  em  saima  shtuck, 
Tswae  mice  im  mush-male  sock, 

Tswae  bull-frock  uf  em  saima  bluck, 
Tswae    gens    in    ainera    flock. 


house.  De  leit  hen  ene  ga-glicha  wile  ehr 
g'seem'd  hut  sheffich  si,  und  un  der  saima  tseit 
gude-gookich.  Der  blotz  hut  erne  g'folla,  und 
der  besser  das  ehr  bakond  iss  warra,  der  mae 
maid  hut  ehr  g'funna  das  eme  aw  g'folla  hen, 
bis  de  Betz  endlich  sheer  gons  fergessa  wore. 
Si  airshta  brief  hen  ols  aw-g'fonga  :  "Mi  leeva, 
seeza  Betz !"  ovver  sex  moonet  dernoch  wore's, 
"Mi  leever  freindt !"  und  now  hut  ehr  ni- 
g'shtairt  mit  plain  "Miss  Betz."  Es  weist 
jusht  we  g'shwint  das  mer  si  beshta  freind 
fargest  wun  olles  gude  gaid.  Ehr  iss  un  korda 
pairties  gonga,  in  de  opery  heiser,  hut  fina 
glaider  gawora  und  wore  in  so  holb-gabocka 
"society,"  und  de  Betz  wore  derhame  im  dreeb- 
sawl ....  Ovver  amohl  ae  dawg  hut's  en 
axident  gevva  das  der  Yuckel  sheer  fardich 
gamocht  hut.  Si  links  bae  wore  farbrucha, 
und  si  rechter  awrm  wore  ga-crush"d.  Doh 
hut  ehr  onnera  maid  nimme  noch  shpringa  ken- 
na,  imd  aw  bechudes  kenne  mae  dricka.  Derno 
hut  ehr  widder  un  de  Betz  gadenkt.  Es  iss 
kurius,  ovver  es  nemt  farcoomen  en  grose  um- 
glick  udder  en  barter  shtrofe  far  dale  leit  tsu 
sich  selver  bringa  und  widder  guder  farshtond 
in  se  du.  So  hen  se  der  Yuckel  uf  en  stretcher 
und  hame  g^'shickt. 


Doh  sin  mer  bi'nonner,  es  mawg  si  far's  letsht 
mohl.  Morya  mus  Ich  fart  mi  waig  mocha  in 
der  weld  und  mi  glick  broveera.  Doh  der- 
hame kon  mer  net  ganunk  fardeena  far  der 
price  funera  umberell  uflaiga  far  en  rahericher 
dawg.  Ich  gae  en  monich  mile  aweck,  mi  leeva 
Betz,  ovver  Ich  denk  immer  tsurick  on  de  guda 
tseita  das  mer  g'hot  hen  mit  'nonner.  Wun 
Ich  gude  ous  moch  und  war  reich,  coom  Ich 
un  de  olt  hamet  doh  und  dress  dich  in  seida. 
Derno  bisht  du  shtulz  mit  di'm  leever  oldar 
Yuckel,  und  mer  bowa  en  grose,  bocka-shtan- 
ich  house  mit  glaider  und  wosser  klossets  dr'in, 
und  doona  nix  das  bills  batsawla  far  unser 
blaseer.  Und  now  mus  Ich  b'gleedich  gae.  Geb 
mer  yusht  nuch  amohl  en  buss —  *  *  *  — so ! 
Farawell!"  Ehr  iss  fart.  De  Betz  iss  in's 
house  und  gabrillt  das  de  draina  drip-drop, 
drip-drop  dorrich  der  shprow-sock  garunna  sin 
und  oil   de   wunza   farsufTa. 

Chapter  II. 

Der  Yuckel  hut  arwet  g'funna  un  mae  blotz 
net  en  hunnert  mile  aweck  und  iss  fleisich  draw. 
Der  lu  wore  net  grose  um  shtairt,  ovver  ehr 
hut  datsu  g'shtucka,  und  es  wore  net  lung  bis 
ehr  mae  grickt  hut,  und  derno  ols  mae,  und 
olle  mohl  das  se  si  lu  ga-rais'd  hen,  hut  ehr 
der  Betz  g'shriwa  waiga  sellem  bocka-shtanich 


Chapter  III. 

De  Betz  wore  um  depot  drei  shtund  eb  de 
drain  cooma  iss.  De  guda  engel  wotsha  immer 
ous  far  em  wun  mer's  gor  net  egshpect.  We 
se  der  Yuckel  obgalawda  hen  iss  es  olt  leeb 
ous-gabrucha  we  fire  inera  pulfer-meel,  und  es 
airsht  hilf  das  ehr  grickt  hut  wore  en  warmer, 
louder  buss  fun  der  Betz  das  em  de  awra  tsu- 
g'shlogga  hut.  Si  puis  iss  grawd  besser  warra, 
ehr  hut  awfonga  shnoufa  we  en  heevier  goul 
pore  minuta,  und  derno  hut  ehr  gabrillt  we 
de  Betz  hut  um  farawel.  Awga  wosser  frisht 
em  immer  uf  we  de  Summer  showers  de 
blooma  doona.  Es  iss  en  guda  sign,  wun  mer 
letz  gadu  hut  und  kon's  ob-wesha  mit  drouer- 
icha  awga  wosser.  In  sex  wucha  wore  der 
Yuckel  un  der  gricka,  und  in  tswae  moonet 
hut  ehr  de  Betz  widder  dricka  kenna  das  se 
gagrext  hut.  Es  iss  olles  shae  ivver  g'shwetzt 
warra,  und  far  de  shtory  kartz  mocha, — se  hen 
de  huchtsich  b'shtelt  far  Thanksgiving.  Es 
wore  en  shicklicher  dawg.  Se  hen  de  fet  gons 
g'shlocht  und  en  grosa  tseit  g'hot.  De  Betz 
wore  donkbawr  das  der  Yuckel  es  bae  und  der 
awrm  farbrucha  grickt  hut,  und  der  Yuckel 
wore  donkbawr  das  es  so  narrisha  weib's-leit 
gebt  das  mae  mon  olles  fargevva  kenna.  _  Ich 
hob  shun  gadenkt,  bis  neksht  Thanksgiving 
dawg  kent  de  Betz  donkbawr  si  wun  ehr  yusht 
si  fardihenkerter  hols  farbrucha  het. 


520 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT. 


Editor  and  Publisher 

H.  W.  KRiEbEL, 
East  Greenville,  Pa. 

The  Pennsylvania-German  is  an  illustrated  monthly 
magazine  devoted  to  the  biography,  history,  genealogy, 
folklore,  literature  and  general  interests  of  German 
and  Swiss  settlers  in  Pennsylvania  and  other  States, 
•nd    of    their    descendants. 

Price,  per  year,  $1.50,  in  advance;  single  copies, 
15  cents.  Foreign  postage,  25  cents  a  year  extra. 
Club-rates  furnished  on  application.  Payments 
credited    by    mail. 

Discontinuance. — The  magazine  will  be  sent  until 
order  to  discontinue  is  received.  This  is  done  to 
accommodate  the  majority  of  subscribers,  who  do 
not    wish    to    have   their    files    broken. 

Notice   of   Expiration    of   subscription   is   given   by 


Associate  Editors 
Mrs.  H.  H.  FUNK,  apringtown.  Pa. 
E.  S.  GERHARD,  A.  M.,  Trenton,  N.  J. 

using  red  ink  in  addressing  the  wrapper  of  the 
magazine. 

Contributions. — Carefully  prepared  articles  bearing 
on  our  field  are  invited  and  should  be  accompanied 
with  illustrations  when  possible.  No  attention  will 
be  given  to  unsigned  articles,  nor  will  we  be  re- 
sponsible for  the  statements  and  opinions  of  con- 
tributors. Unavailable  manuscripts  will  not  be  re- 
turned unless  stamps  are  sent  to  prepay  postage. 
Contributions  intended  for  any  particular  number 
should  be  in  the  editor's  hands  by  the  twenty-fifth  of 
the     second     preceding     month. 

Advertising  Rates  will  be  furnished  by  the  pub- 
lisher   upon    request. 


A  Few  Suggestions. 

HE  gradual  drawing  to  a 
close  of  the  current  calen- 
dar year  suggests  the 
propriety  of  stating  a  few 
things  editorially  bearing  on 
the  publication  of  The 
Pennsylvania-G  e  r  m  an 
the  coming  year. 

We  may  say  in  a  word  that  the  prece- 
dent set  by  the  work  of  the  past  three 
years  will  be  our  general  guide  the  com- 
ing year.  This  renders  unnecessary  the 
making  of  advance  announcements  in  de- 
tail of  what  we  expect  to  offer  in  the 
line  of  reading  matter.  We  may  say,  how- 
ever, that  we  are  in  position  to  give  a 
more  valuable  and  more  interesting  maga- 
zine than  before. 

The   New   Department. 

The  proposed  printing  of  tombstone  in- 
scriptions or  mortuary  records  opens  a 
new  field  that  will  make  the  magazine  in- 
creasingly valuable.  While  the  proposi- 
tion to  print  is  a  tentative  one,  the  pub- 
lisher sincerely  hopes  the  subscription  list 
will  warrant  the  undertaking  of  the  pub- 
lication. This  will  be  but  one  of  a  num- 
ber of  forward  steps  that  are  contem- 
plated. If  this  scheme  meets  due  en- 
couragement, we  hope  to  take  up  bap- 
tismal and  marriage  records  the  same 
way.  What  some  subscribers  think  of 
our  plans  is  .cliown  by  the  following : 

Tombstone  inscriptions  from  the  older  ceme- 
teries are  of  invaluable  use  to  genealogical  re- 
search, and  any  person  who  places  such  data 


in  type  where  it  becomes  accessible  in  the  larger 
libraries  does  a  public  good  and  assists  pos- 
terity. 

In  reply  to  your  favor  will  say  that  in  my 
opinion  it  would  be  an  exceedingly  difficult  task 
to  obtain  old  tombstone  inscriptions  accurately 
at  this  late  day.  In  many  of  the  old  ceme- 
teries where  I  have  been  the  inscriptions  prior 
to  1800  are  next  to  impossible  of  being  de- 
ciphered. 

If  the  records  could  be  accurately  obtained, 
it  would  be  a  most  interesting  and  valuable  ad- 
dition to   local   history. 

I  note  with  interest  your  proposition  to  com- 
mence the  publishing  of  tombstone  inscriptions, 
and  hope  that  they  will  prove  an  interesting 
feature  of  your  magazine  for  the  ensuing 
months.  The  oldest  cemeteries  here  have  been 
abandoned  and  dismantled  by  the  simple  ex- 
pedient of  laying  the  tombstones  flat  and  cov- 
ering them  with  earth,  so  that  I  am  afraid 
there  will  not  be  much  to  offer,  but  I  will  look 
around  and  may  possibly  be  able  to  contribute 
something.  With  best  wishes  for  a  long  and 
prosperous  life  for  your  paper,  believe  mt. 

I  think  your  decision  to  add  tombstone  in- 
scriptions as  a  regular  feature  of  the  magazine 
is  a  very  commendable  procedure.  I  also 
think  it  an  excellent  idea  to  add  eight  pages 
to  the  paper  and  devote  the  additional  pages 
to  genealogical  information.  The  Pennsyl- 
vania-German should  become  the  medium  of 
communication,  the  storehouse  of  information 
and  the  preserver  of  data  for  genealogists  of 
German  descent. 

Of  course,  I  have  not  had  any  idea  of  com- 
pensation for  the  writing  of  an  article  for  a 
magazine  devoted  to  such  subjects/  as  those 
fostered  by  your  publications.  Local  and  spe- 
cial history  is  not  written  for  pay,  but  from 
the  love  of  the  subject.  Witness  the  enclosed 
circular  relating  to  a  work  in  which  many  are 
interested,  and  for  the  preparation  and  publica- 
tion of  which  I  have  spent  much  money,  but 
half  of  which,  if  so  much,  can  I  expect  to  re- 
cover for  my  pocket.  I  shall  be  well  content 
at  that,  for  without  such  aid  the  work  would 
not  have  been  accomplished. 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT 


521 


Editorial  Assistance. 

We  feel  happy  and  honored  to  be  afcle 
to  announce  that  we  wiU  have  the  follow- 
ing valuable  editorial  assistance  the  com- 
ing year : 

Rev.  J.  A.  Scheffer,  A.M.,  of  Allen- 
town,  Pa.,  who  has  had  more  than  ten 
years'  experience  in  publishing  and  edit- 
ing papers,  will  assist  in  editing  and 
proofreading. 

Prof.  E.  S.  Gerhard,  of  Trenton,  N.  J., 
who  has  shown  his  ability  as  a  reviewer, 
will  conduct  Reviews  and   Notes. 

Mrs.  H.  H.  Funk,  of  Springtown,  Pa., 
will  conduct  the  Home  Department,  and 
is  planning  a  series  of  illustrated  papers 
on  early  home  life. 

Prof.  Leonard  Felix  Fuld,  M.A., 
LL.M.,  of  Columbia  University,  who  has 
shown  his  skill  and  knowledge  by  writ- 
ing the  valuable  series  of  papers  on  Ger- 
man surnames  for  the  magazine,  has  con- 
sented to  give  through  the  pages  of  the 
magazine,  on  receipt  of  25  cents  through 
us,  the  history  and  signification  of  any 
surname  requested. 

The  inimitable  "Gottlieb  Boonastiel" 
will  discuss  topics  of  current  interest  in 
his  unique  dialect. 

Remittance  Requested. 

Our  method  of  addressing  piagazines, 
sending  out  expiration  noti^s  and  ac- 
knowledgments of  receipts  4^  money  will 
be  changed  l^egni"r?tn^,.,wit^  the  issue  for 
January,  1909,  after  wh{|K'4site  of  expir- 
ation of  subscription  witf  be  noted  in  con- 
nection with  the  n^'e  of  the  address. 
Those  whose  subscfiptions  are  of  '\vill  be 
due  shortly  will  find  this  paragraph 
marked   with    a  blue   pencil.      Thev   can 


save  us  time,  labor,  money  and  confer 
a  great  favor  by  sending  in  their  remit- 
tances at  their  early  convenience,  and  at 
least  by  Dec.  20,  when  we  expect  to  have 
our  mailing  list  put  in  type  for  use  in 
mailing  the  January  issue.  , 

A    Request. 

Esteemed  Reader: — Will  you  not  for 
the  sake  of  the  cause  this  magazine  stands 
for,  consider  yourself  a  committee  of  one 
to  get  new  subscribers  ?  The  subscription 
ofifers  we  make  are  liberal,  and  will  give 
you  a  good  commission.  We  know  well 
that  the  magazine  is  not  ideal ;  we  know 
equally  well  that  with  more  financial 
means  at  our  disposal  we  can  make  it 
larger  and  better.  Men  properly  spend 
thousands  to  rear  stately  shafts  as  me- 
morials. Is  not  a  periodical  publication: 
worthy  of  consideration  as  a  monument,, 
and  therefore  worthy  of  liberal  and  hearty 
support?  Men  spend  freely  to  enjoy  rich 
banquets  and  the  accompanying  eloquent 
flow  of  soul.  Why  not  regard  The 
Pennsylvania-German  as  a  banquet 
board  where  men  and  women  the  year 
through  may  enjoy  free  speech,  free  flow 
of  soul?  Invite  your  friends  to  join  our 
company  and  enjoy  the  good  things  with, 
us. 

A   New  Name? 

Shall  we  give  the  magazine  a  new 
name?  If  so,  what  shall  it  be?  The 
term,  "The  Pennsylvania-German'"'  is 
for  some  reasons  objectionable.  A  re- 
spected Ohio  subscriber  has  suggested, 
"The  Pennsylvania-German  Magazine." 
If  a  change  is  made,  the  new  name  should 
be  short,  suggestive,  distinctive.  Who 
has  suggestions  to  ofifer? 


Clippings  from  Current  News 


— After  six  years'  delay  it  is  now  hoped  soon 
to  erect  a  tablet  over  the  spot  where  the  Indian 
chief  Tammany  is  supposed  to  be  buried.  The 
tablet  was  provided  in  1902  by  the  Historical 
Society  of  Bucks  county,  but  the  man  who 
owned  the  ground  where  the  grave  is  situated 
refused  to  permit  its  erection  unless  the  so- 
ciety bought  the  land  immediately  surrounding 
the  grave.  As  the  society  had  no  money  for 
the  purpose,  it  abandoned  the  project.  Re- 
cently the  site  of  the  grave  was  sold,  and  the 
new  owner  is  expected  to  consent  to  the  erec- 
tion of  the  memorial. 

The  supposed  grave  of  Tammany  is  a  few 
miles  northeast  of  Doylestown,  the  county  seat 


of  Bucks  county.  It  is  close  to  a  spring  on 
the  banks  of  the  Neshaminy  creek  in  New 
Britain    township. 

Without  a  doubt  a  famous  Indian  was  buried 
there  about  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury. Whether  or  not  he  was  the  sachem 
known  as  Tammany  may  never  be  positively  de- 
cided. 

— The  world-famous  collection  of  butterflies 
and  moths,  comprising  between  75,000  and 
100.000  specimens  of  the  late  Herman  Strecker, 
of  Reading,  Pa.,  has  been  sold  by  his  widow, 
Mrs.  Eveline  E.  Strecker,  to  the  Field  Museum 
of   Natural    Historj^,   of   Chicago,    for   $20,000. 


522 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


It  is  one  of  the  greatest  collections  in  America. 

— The  Schwenkfelder  Church  celebrated  their 
Memorial  Day  services,  September  24  (ob- 
served each  year  since  1734)  in  the  Krauss- 
dale  Church,  near  East  Greenville,  Pa.  The 
speakers  were  Rev.  E.  E.  S.  Johnson,  Assist- 
ant Editor  of  the  Corpus  Schwenkfeldianorum, 
Rev.  H.  K.  Heebner,  Rev.  R.  J.  Gottschall, 
Rev.  Dr.  E.  F.  Krauss,  of  Chicago;  Dr.  E.  C. 
Richardson,  Librarian  of  Princeton  University; 
Ex-Governor  Pennypacker  and  the  pastor.  Rev. 
Dr.  O.  S.  Kriebel.  A  unique  feature  of  the 
services  is  the  lunch  of  bread,  butter  and 
applebutter  served  at  the  noonday  recess,  fol- 
lowing an  old  custom. 

— Col.  T.  C.  Zimmerman,  editor  of  The  Read- 
ing Times  since  1869,  retired  from  active  jour- 
nalism Sept.  12,  1908,  when  the  control  of  the 
Times  passed  to  the  management  of  Messrs. 
Henry  W.  Shoemaker  and  G.  Scott  Smith, 
previously  proprietors  of  the  Daily  Record  of 
Bradford,  Pa.  The  following  words  are  taken 
from  "A  History  of  the  Newspapers  of  Read- 
ing" :  "As  to  the  personnel  of  the  Times, 
Thomas  C.  Zimmerman  has  been  its  editor 
since  1869,  and  both  by  reason  of  his  editorial 
and  literary  work  has  become  the  most  widely 
known  among  the  newspaper  workers  of  the 
city,  having  a  justly  earned  reputation  through- 
out the  State  and  far  beyond  the  State  as  a 
finished  and  graceful  writer  and  as  the  posses- 
sor of  a  high  order  of  poetic  talent,  both  by 
reason  of  his  original  productions  and  through 
his  translations  from  the  German,  which  have 
earned  for  him  just  praise  from  the  best  liter- 
ary critics." 

— The  Reformed  churches  in  Germany  are 
gathering  funds  towards  the  John  Calvin  monu- 
ment at  Geneva,  to  be  unveiled  on  July  loth, 
1909,  the  four  hundredth  birthday  of  the  Re- 
formed reformer,  and  also  for  the  creation  of 
a  "Calvin  Fund"  for  the  encouragement  of  the 
study  of  Calvin  and  Calvinism  in  Germany. 
The  reigning  Prince  of  Schaumburg-Lippe  is 
the  honorary  president  of  the  Calvin  Commit- 
tee. 

— Prof.  Daniel  D.  Luckenbill,  formerly  of 
Souderton,  Pa.,  now  an  instructor  in  the  Chi- 
cago University,  sailed  on  the  North  German 
Lloyd  steamship  Princess  Irene  for  Naples, 
Italy.  From  Naples  the  journey  will  be  con- 
tinued to  Jerusalem  by  the  way  of  Constanti- 
nople, Alexandria  and  Joppa. 

Mr.  Luckenbill  has  been  appointed  Assistant 
Director  of  the  American  School  of  Classical 
Languages  at  Jerusalem,  to  assist  Dr.  Harper, 
also  a  University  of  Chicago  instructor.  One 
American  university  takes  charge  of  this  school 
each  year  and  appoints  men  out  of  its  faculty 
to  take  charge  of  it.  Mr.  Luckenbill's  knowl- 
edge of  the  Semitic  language  secured  him  this 
position.  This  classical  school  was  founded  by 
American  schools  for  the  purpose  of  coming 
into  closer  contact  with  the  people  whose  an- 
cestors used  these  languages  and  have  handed 
down  not  only  the  languages,  but  many  facts 
and  traditions  which  are  of  great  value  to  those 


interested  in  the  ancient  languages,  and  which 
cannot  be  obtained  except  by  residence  among 
the  people.  Frequent  tours  into  the  hill  coun- 
tries about  Jerusalem  will  be  made,  and  many 
photographs  of  the  places  visited  will  be  taken. 
The  party  will  be  absent  about  nine  months. 

— Grand  Army  men  dedicated  a  Soldiers' 
Memorial  Hall  costing  over  $7,000,  raised  by 
popular  subscriptions  and  entertainments,  Sept. 
10,  at  Middleburg,  Snyder  county.  Pa. 

The  list  of  speakers  included  Congressman 
Benjamin  K.  Focht,  of  Lewisburg;  Charles  A. 
Suydam,  of  Phila  lelphia ;  Major  General  J.  P. 
S.  Gobin,  of  Lebanon,  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  E.  H. 
Leisenring,   of   Middleburg. 

The  hall  is  twenty-two  by  thirty  feet  in  di- 
mensions, and  twenty  feet  in  height.  It  is 
built  of  granite  and  brick,  and  contains  one 
room.     The  inside  is  lined  with  white  marble. 

Six  memorial  windows  add  to  the  beauty  of 
this  structure,  which  faces  to  the  north.  Those 
to  the  east  show  a  stack  of  muskets,  repre- 
senting the  infantry;  a  portrait  of  Abraham 
Lincoln  and  field-pieces  for  the  cavalry.  The 
western  series  include  a  sabre  and  carbine, 
symbolic  of  the  cavalry;  a  profiile  of  former 
Governor  Andrew  Gregg  Curtin  and  an 
anchor  suggestive  of  the  navy.  The  Pennsyl- 
vania coat-of-arms  is  in  the  transom  over  the 
massive    oak    doors. 

On  the  white  marble  tablets  covering  the  in- 
terior will  be  carved  the  1,600  names  of  all  the 
Snyder  county  soldiers  who  enlisted  in  the 
Civil  and  Spanish-American  Wars;  also  the 
names  of  all  who  lived  on  what  is  now  Snyder 
county  soil  and  served  in  the  Revolution,  the 
War  of   1812  and  the  Mexican  War. 

Arrangements  will  be  made  to  preserve  the 
records  and  belongings  of  the  five  Grand  Army 
posts  in  Snyder  county,  when  the  members 
shall  have  passed  away. 

— All  of  the  Lutheran  churches  of  York,  Pa., 
held  a  week's  celebration  in  commemoration  of 
the  175th  anniversary  of  Lutheranism  west  of 
the  Susquehanna  River.  The  Lutheran  min- 
isters preached  to  their  congregations  telling  of 
the  founding  of  the  Church  and  of  its  growth 
to  the  present  time. 

The  records  show  that  Lutheranism  in  York 
dates  back  to  September  21,  1733.  An  old  hog- 
skin  covered  book  now  in  the  possession  of 
Rev.  G.  W.  Enders,  pastor  of  the  Christ  Lu- 
theran church,  known  as  "the  Mother  Church 
of  Lutheranism,"  gives  something  of  the  or- 
ganization of  the  first  Lutheran  congregation. 

The  first  pastor  of  the  congregation  was  a 
young  theological  student,  who  came  from  Ger- 
many, Rev.  Johannes  Kasper  Stoever.  He 
founded  some  thirty  or  forty  churches.  Since 
that  time  eleven  ministers  have  served  Christ 
Lutheran  congregation. 

Two  hundred  Lutheran  churches  have  been 
born  out  of  this  old  Mother  Church.  There 
are  twelve  flourishing  churches  in  York  and 
about  sixty-five  in  the  county.  The  total  value 
of  these  is  estimated  to  be  worth  $1,250,000. 


CLIPPINGS   FROM   CURRENT   NEWS 


523 


Many  churches  in  Maryland  and  Cumberland 
county  trace  their  origin  to  Christ  Lutheran. 
About  loo  ministers,  it  is  said,  have  gone  out 
of  the  old  bee  hive  church. 

— Zion  Lutheran  congregation,  of  Old  Zions- 
ville,  Lehigh  County,  celebrated  the  150th  an- 
niversary of  the  building  of  its  first  church, 
Sept  13,  1908.  Reverends  M.  O.  Rath,  George 
Druckenmiller,  I.  B.  Ritter,  J.  O.  Henry,  W.  N. 
Kopenhaver,  W.  U.  Kistler  and  the  pastor, 
D.  C.  Kauf?man,  took  part  in  the  exercises  held 
in  the  forenoon,  afternoon  and  evening. 

The  first  minister  of  the  congregation  was 
Rev.  Schaeffer,  but  of  him  all  record  is  lost. 
The  first  church  record  was  made  by  Rev. 
Jacob  Friederich  Schertlein,  pastor  from  1758 
to  1760.  The  next  nine  years  are  blank  as  to 
the  pastor's  name.  Rev.  Jacob  Van  Buskirk 
was  pastor  from  1769  to  1793  and  again  from 
1797  to  1800,  Rev.  G.  F.  Ellison  filling  m  the 
intervening  four  years.  Rev.  I.  P.  F.  Krauss 
served  from  1800  to  1803.  In  the  next  live 
years  Revs.  Ferdinand  Geissenhainer,  Heinrich 
Hever,  Jacob  Roller  and  Frederick  Plitt  filled 
the' pulpit.  Thereafter,  in  order,  came  the  fol- 
lowing: 180S-1817,  Rev.  H.  Heiney;  1817-1819, 
Rev.  Henrv  G.  Stxjcker ;  1819,  Rev.  W.  F. 
Mendsen;  1819-1848,  Rev.  Benjamin  German; 
1848-1851,  Rev.  William  German;  1851,  Rev. 
A.  L.  Dechant  (Reformed),  as  supply;  1852- 
i8s7,  Rev.  Jacob  Vogelbach ;  1857,  Rev.  William 
Rath  to  his  death,  July  2,  1889.  His  son.  Rev. 
Mvron  O.  Rath,  was  his  assistant  from  1877  to 
1889,  and  succeeded  to  the  pastorate  until  1894. 
Then  came  Re\:^  I.  B.  Ritter  until  1907,  when 
Rev.  D.  C.  Kaufman,  the  present  pastor,  was 
called  from  Beavertown. 

A  feature  that  distinguished  the  celebration 
was  the  hospitality  displayed  by  the  people  of 
the  congregation  in  providing  dinner  and  sup- 
per of  an  unusually  bounteous  character  for 
every  one  who  attended  the  services.  A  table 
at  which  a  hundred  persons  could  stand  had 
been  erected  under  the  trees  at  the  side  of  the 
church,  and  on  this  were  placed  the  best  things 
from  the  larders  of  the  Pennsylvania-German 
housewives.  Among  the  good  things  were: 
Fried  chicken,  cold  beef,  cold  veal,  ham,  bo- 
logna, smoked  sausage,  potato '  salad,  potato 
chips,  sweet  potatoes,  pickled  tongue,  pickled 
beets,  pickled  beans,  pickled  cabbage,  chow- 
chow,  tomatoes,  celery,  pies,  cakes,  doughnuts, 
cheese  and  various  kinds  of   fruit  and  jelly. 

—The  i6oth  anniversary  of  the  organization 
of  the  Longswamp  Reformed  Church,  Berks 
county,  was  celebrated  September  27,  with  three 
special  services,  under  the  direction  of  the 
pastor,  the  Rev.  William  L.  Meckstroth. 

A  remarkable  feature  in  the  history  of  this 
congregation  is  that  members  of  four  succeed- 
ing generations  of  the  Helffrich  family  held 
the  pastorate  for  more  than  a  century.  The 
Rev.  John  H.  HelflFrich  was  pastor  from  1775 
until  1780,  and  again  Jrom  1791  until  his  death 
in  1810.  His  son,  the  Rev.  John  Helffrich,  then 
served  from  1816  until  1852.  Then  came  the 
Rev.  Dr.  William  A.   Helffrich  and  the  Rev. 


Nevin    Helffrich.     .The   latter   died   in    1907. 

— In  Germany,  Switzerland  and  German 
Austria  they  have  found  a  method  of  abating 
the  tramp  nuisance  which  is  diametrically  op- 
posed to  the  American  practice.  A  recent  bul- 
letin of  the  Department  of  Commerce  and 
Labor  touches  upon  this  experiment. 

The  idea,  which  Prussia  purposes  to  put  into 
effect  throughout  the  entire  kingdom,  is  that 
of  a  temporary  home  for  workingmen  without 
any  of  the  odium  of  pauperism  attaching  to  it. 
Hitherto  these  home  shelters  have  been  main- 
tained chiefly  by  trades  unions,  religious  socie- 
ties and  private  philanthropies.  They  give  a 
workingman  lodging  at  a  very  low  cost,  or  in 
exchange  for  labor.  The  development  of  this 
idea  which  has  been  undertaken  by  the  authori- 
ties is  a  system  of  relief  stations  scattered  over 
the  country  in  such  manner  as  to  be  in  walk- 
ing distance  of  one  another.  The  length  of 
time  that  a  man,  who  is  tramping  in  search 
of  work,  may  stay  in  each  one  is  strictly  lim- 
ited. At  the  same  place  is  maintained  a  bul- 
letin of  information  as  to  the  direction  in 
which  employment  is  likeliest  to  be  found.  The 
plan  is  said  to  have  obviated  the  tramping  evil 
almost   entirely. 

— The  shoemaker,  William  Voight,  who  in 
a  second-hand  captain's  uniform  led  away  a 
dozen  or  so  soldiers,  captured  the  townhouse 
of  Koepenick  near  Berlin,  possessed  himself 
of  its  funds  and  put  the  officials  under  arrest — 
that  astonishing  adventurer  has  been  pardoned 
from  the  prison  at  Tegel.  He  had  served  twen- 
ty months  of  his  four  years'  sentence,  and  had 
behaved  himself  in  jail,  so  that  the  Kaiser, 
who  had  been  greatly  amused  by  his  perform- 
ance, granted  him  pardon  on  his  sole  request. 
Moreover,  it  is  said  by  a  Berlin  correspondent 
of  the  London  Morning  Post,  the  mails  bring 
him  letters,  the  express  also  is  burdened  with 
communications,  and  there  are  numerous  tele- 
grams, mostly  in  congratulation,  but  many  from 
music  hall  managers  who  want  him  for  vaude- 
ville— ^which  is  as  great  a  craze  in  Germany  as 
it  is  in  America,  it  would  seem.  And  beyond 
that,  Voight  need  never  cobble  a  shoe  again,  for 
a  woman  recently  died,  bequeathing  him  100 
marks  (about  $24)  monthly  for  life.  He  will 
buy  a  farm  with  a  large  sum  of  money  con- 
tributed from  all  parts  of  Germany  after  his 
arrest,  and  immediately  placed  to  his  account 
in   a   bank. 

The  people  who  contributed  "from  all  parts 
of  Germany"  to  make  Voight  comfortable  for 
life,  and  the  "lady,"  as  she  is  called,  who  left 
him  a  legacy  for  the  same  purpose,  were  ani- 
mated, one  may  suppose,  by  the  constantly 
growing  feeling  against  militarism  in  its  ob- 
noxious daily  manifestations.  That  the  matter 
amused  the  Kaiser,  and  that  he  treated  it,  with 
much  wisdom,  as  a  superlative  joke,  is  not  in- 
consistent with  this  view.  He  does  well  not  to 
make  a  martyr  oi  this  very  calculating  traitor. 
The  cobbler  Voight  is  a  personage  of  the  twen- 
tieth century. 

— 'Chancellor   Buelow   gave  a   most  unusual 


524 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


attention  to  a  single  magazine  article  when,  in 
an  interview  recently,  lie  declared  that  the 
anonymous  article  in  the  English  Quarterly 
Reviczu  on  the  German  invasion  of  England 
was  preposterous  and  that  Germany  would  de- 
clare for  peace  and  the  regulation  of  arma- 
ments— after  the  German  navy  was  completed 
—in  1913. 

But  the  Quarterly  article  deserved  all  the  at- 
tention the  German  premier  gave  it.  Plainly 
written  by  an  expert^  some  expert  familiar 
with  the  military  and  diplomatic  situation,  and 
acquainted  with  the  secret  international  agree- 
ments of  the  day,  this  article  summed  the  rea- 
sons which  have  created  a  German  war  scare 
in   England. 

Germany,  this  article  held,  is  now  dominant 
in  Europe.  Its  population  is  one-half  larger 
than  that  of  any  other  country  but  Russia,  and 
its  war  resources  on  land  proportionally 
stronger.  As  for  Russia,  it  will  have  no  army 
or  navy  for  twenty  years.  On  land,  having 
this  superiority,  Germany  intends  to  gather  in 
all  the  German  half  of  Austria  and  to  control 
the  lesser  lands  and  peoples— Hungary,  Rou- 
mania,  Servia,  Bulgaria  and  Greece,  to  the 
Aegean.  It  will  annex  or  control  Switzerland, 
Holland  and  Belgium,  and  bring  the  three 
Scandinavian  countries  within  its  influence.  Its 
relations  with  Turkey  and  Morocco  give  it 
friends   and   influence   in    the    Moslem   world. 

This  dominance  in  Europe  can  only  be  won 
after  a  blow  is  struck  at  England  and  the  Ger- 
man fleet  will  in  five  years  have  enough  Dread- 
noughts to  risk  battle  with  the  English  fleet  in 
the  North  Sea  whenever  England  is  engaged 
elsewhere  and  English  naval  strength  divided. 
The  fleet  pushed  aside  for  three  days,  and 
100,000  men  could  be  landed  in  England,  train- 
ing for  this  sea  movement  being  yearly  prac- 
ticed in  German  coast  maneuvers,  from  which 
foreigners   are   jealously   excluded. 

— Rev.  Philip  Pfatteicher,  one  of  the  fore- 
most men  in  the  Ministerium  of  Pennsylvania, 
died  suddenly  at  his  home  in  Easton,  Pa.,  re- 
cently, aged  '72  years.  He  was  born  on  the 
i8th  "of  September,  was  married  on  the  same 
date,  and  died  the  same  date.  Two  sons — 
Ernest,  of  Philadelphia,  and  Carl,  a  professor 
at  Lafayette  College, — are  minist':rs.  The  only 
daughter  is  married  to  Rev.  Wm.  Stabler,  a 
minister  located  at  New  Germantown,  N.  Y. 
Rev.  Mr.  Pfatteicher  had  been  pastor  of  the 
German  Lutheran  congregation  at  Easton  since 
i860.  His  widow  is  the  sister  of  the  Rev. 
Adolph  Spaeth,  president  of  Mt.  Airy  Semi- 
nary. 

— Rev.  Dr.  S.  H.  Hoover,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  ministers  in  the  Philadelphia  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Conference,  died  early  in  Sep- 
tember in  Philadelphia,  Pa.  For  more  than 
forty  years  Dr.  Hoover  has  been  a  conspicu- 
ous figure  in  the  Methodist  church  in  and 
around  Philadelphia.  He  was  born  in  Wash- 
ington, and  after  a  course  of  study  at  Dick- 
inson College,  in  Carlisle,  Pa.,  he  entered  the 
TheologicafCollege  at  Concord,  N.  H.  After 
graduation  he  was  appointed  professor  of  Latin 


and  Greek  in  Fort  Edward  Institute,  N.  Y.,. 
where  he  became  affiliated  with  the  Troy  Con- 
ference. Soon  after  [his  he  was  transferred- 
to    the    Philadelphia    Conference. 

— Rev.  J.  F.  Yerge'r,  born  in  Montgomery 
county,  Pa.,  April  27,  1836,  died  in  Polk  county^ 
Iowa,  Sept.,  1908.  The  East  Peni\sylvania 
Conference  of  the  Evangelical  Association  li- 
censed him  as  a  prcdcher  in  1864.  Since  1866- 
he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Iowa  Confer- 
ence, where  he  served  without  interruption 
forty-four  years,  his  last  sermon  having  been 
delivered  but  six  hours  before  his  death.  The- 
privations  and  sacrifices  of  his  early  ministry 
were  in  keeping  with  pioneer  times,  when  noth- 
ing was  thought  too  great  or  too  severe  to  do- 
and  endure  for  the  Lord.  One  of  his  first 
years  he  lived  in  a  garret  with  his  family,, 
traveled  a  circuit  of  ninety  miles,  and  received- 
$90  as  salary.  On  another  occasion  he  forded 
a  river  swollen  to  the  width  of  nearly  one 
mile,  and  many  places  four  feet  deep,  having: 
his  family  with  him  in  the  buggy,  and  many 
other   lesser    hardships    marked    his    pathway. 

FOR  THE  JOKE  BOOK. 

— A   German   professor,   on   retiring   for   the- 
night  at  a  hotel,  instructed  the  bell-boy  to  call, 
him    at    a    certain    hour.      In    some    way,    the- 
clothing  of  the  professor,  while  being  brushed,, 
got  mixed  with  the  uniform  of  a  young  lieu- 
tenant,  who  occupied  the  room  adjoining  his. 
The  professor  in  due  time  donned  the  soldier's- 
uniform  and  started  on  his  day's  journey.  After 
a   while   he   examined   his   clothing,   a   puzzled. 
look    crept   over   his    face,    and   he    said    to    a. 
friend,    "That    stupid   bell-boy    seems    to    have 
waked  up  the  lieutenant  instead  of  me." 

— Rev.    Z.    went    to    B to   officiate   at    a 

funeral.  A  boy  who  was  sent  to  the  station 
to  convey  him  to  the  house  of  mourning  failed . 
to  recognize  him,  and  was  on  the  point  of 
going  away  when  the  minister  introduced  him- 
self to  him.  The  boy  said,  "Bist  du  en  Pfarra?' 
Wann  ich  draus  gewest  waer  Pfarra  zu  schiesa 

hatt  ich  dich  verd 1  sei  net  gedroffa."    (Are- 

you  a  minister. .    Had  I  been  out  gunning  for 
ministers,   I   would  not  have  hit  you.) 

— Rev.  ,  asking  a  boy  the  way  to  Hel- 

lertown,  received  the  reply :    "Are  you  a  min- 
ister   that    tries    to    show    people    the    way    to- 
heaven,  and  does  not  know  the  way  to  Heller- 
town  ?" 

— A  Pennsylvania-German,  on  hearing  that 
he  had  been  elected  township  supervisor,  be- 
came so  elated  that  he  exclaimed :  "Hurrah 
for   Chackson !     Dere's    no    telling    where    dis- 

d n  ding  vill  schtop.     I'll  be  pound  it'll  be 

no  rest  now,  till  de  make  me  Gofernor!" 

— Rev.  W ,  on  hearing  boys  on  the  street 

swear,  reprimanded  them.  Young  America 
took  off^ense  at  the  reproof  and  replied:  "Min- 
ister, I  have  heard  you  swear  also."  The  min- 
ister was  puzzled  at  this  unexpected  answer,, 
and  asked  when  and  where  he  had  been  swear- 
ing. The  boy  in  the  street  said,  "In  church,, 
in    the   pulpit,   you    said    sacrament." 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 

Genealogical  Notes  and  Queries 


525 


QUERY  XLVIII. 
WOMELSDORFF   FAMILY. 

P.  E.  Womclsdorff,  Philipsburg,  Pa.,  desires 
information  about  the  Womelsdorffs  and 
Nunneniachers  who  settled  in  Berks  County 
prior  to  1764,  and  were  by  marriage  connected 
with   Conrad  Weiscr's   family. 

SENSEMAN  FAMILY  TREE. 

At  the  annual  reunion  of  the  Senseman  fam- 
ily, held  at  New  Kingstown,  Cumberland  coun- 
ty, Pa.,  in  August,  one  of  the  attractions  was 
a  family  tree  three  and  one-half  by  seven  feet, 
drawn  by  C.  M.  Senseman,  of  New  York, 
showing  1,500  descendants  of  John  Senseman 
(1754-1817)  and  his  wife,  Justina  Kimmel 
(1760- I 843). 

GLATFELTERS  IN  THE  WAR. 

Glatfelters  who  served  their  country  in  the 
Civil  War  form  an  interesting  chapter  of  the 
history  of  the  Glatfelter  family.  Granville  Glat- 
felter,  of  York.  Pa.,  and  Dr.  Noah  Glatfelter,  of 
St.  Louis,  have  devoted  considerable  time  to  the 
compilation  of  a  Glatfelter  roster.  As  far  as 
known,  the  Glatfelters  who  responded  to  the 
call  to  duty  in  defense  of  the  flag  were  as  fol- 
lows : 
ALBERT   GLATFELTER,   served  in   Co.   E, 

34th  Illinois  infantry;  now  resides  at  Marys- 

ville,  jMo. 
DAVID  GLATFELTER,  served  in  Co.  K,  86th 

Illinois    infantry;    died    in    hospital;    widow 

lives  at  Emporia,  Kan. 
GEORGE    GLATFELTER,    served    in    36th 

Iowa  infantrv  from  1862  to  1865 ;  is  living. 
DAVID  GLATFELTER,  served  in  6th  Iowa 

infantry;    was    killed    at    Missionary    Ridge, 

Tenn.,   1863 :   was  three  vears  in   war. 
WILLIAM  K.  GLATFELTER,  served  in  iSth 

Iowa  infantry;  died  in  hospital  at  Springfield, 

Mo.,  in   1862.     (The  last  three  named  were 

brothers.) 
WILLIAM    GLADFELTER,    Clinton    county. 

Pa. ;  enlisted  in  1861 ;  was  killed  in  battle  of 

the  Wilderness  in   1864. 
AMOS    D.    GLATFELTER,    served    in    nth 

Pennsylvania  cavalry  from  March  11,  1864,  to 

Aug.   13,   1865;   died  in   1898. 
JOSEPH  A.  GLATFELTER,  Loganville,  Pa., 

served  in  Co.  D,  87th  Pennsvlvania  infantrv, 

1861   to  1864. 
JOHN  E.  GLATFELTER,  served  in  Co.  C, 

i6th   Pennsvlvania  infantry,  1862  to  1863. 
DAVID  B.  GLATFELTER,  sergeant,  Co.  D, 

i66th   Pennsvlvania  infantrv,   1862  to   1863. 
JESSE  GLATFELTER.  corporal.  Co.  D,  i66th 

Pennsylvania  infantry;  re-enlisted  and  served 

as  a  regular  in  the  company  of  Captain  Mc- 

Gowan,  of  Marvland. 
SOLOMON    GLATFELTER,   private   in    Co. 

D,  i66th  Pennsvlvania  infantrv,  1862  to  1863. 
WILLIAM  M.  GLATFELTER,  private  in  Co. 

D,  i66th  Pennsvlvania  infantry,  1862  to  1863. 
.  WILLIAM  GLATFELTER,  private  in  Co.  C, 

i66th  Pennsylvania  infantry,  1862  to  1863. 


JOHN  GLATFELTER,  private  in  Co.  D, 
i66th   Pennsylvania  infantry,   1862  to  1863. 

LEO  GLATFELTER,  served  in  Co.  G,  103d 
Pennsylvania  volunteer  infantry;  enlisted 
April  4,   1865.  ^ 

SAMUEL  GLATFELTER,  enlisted  July, 
1864,  in  Co.  D,  195th  Pennsylvania  volun- 
teer infantry;  re-enlisted  April  3,  1865,  in 
Co.   A,  77th    P.   V.   I. 

JACOB  GLATFELTER,  enlisted  in  1864  in  3d 
Pennsylvania  cavalry;  60th  Pennsylvania  vol- 
unteers for  one  vear. 

GEORGE  GLATFELTER,  enlisted  in  1864  in 
3d  Pennsylvania  cavalry ;  60th  Pennsylvania 
volunteers  for  one  year. 

JOHN  K.  GLATFELTER,  enlisted  February, 
1864,  in  Co.  E,  7th  Pennsylvania  cavalry;  80th 
P.  V.  for  three  years. 

CHARLES  GLATFELTER,  enlisted  in  Co. 
K,  200th  P.  V.  I.,  in  1864,  for  one  year. 

JOHN  E.  GLATFELTER,  served  in  Co.  E, 
nth   Pennsvlvania  cavalrv. 

NOAH  M.  GLATFELTER,  M.D.,  enlisted  in 
2d  Pennsylvania  militia,  1862 ;  also  served  as 
assistant  surgeon  in  U.  S.  volunteers  from 
1864  to   1867. 

URBANUS  GLOTFELTY,  served  in  7th 
Pennsylvania  reserves,  39th  Pennsylvania  vol- 
unteers; was  killed  in  battle  of  Gains'  Mills, 
June  27,  1862. 

JACKSON  BOYER,  served  in  24th  Iowa  in- 
fantry;   died    in    service,    1863. 

LEVI  BUPP,  died  in  service  while  a  prisoner. 

JOHN    STROMAN.   served  in   Civil   War. 

ISAAC  STRO:\IAN  (brother  of  John),  served 
in  Civil  War. 

JONATHAN  M.  GLATFELTER,  enlisted  in 
August,  1864,  in  Co.  H.  200th  Pennsylvania 
volunteers;  served  11  months;  was  wounded 
in  the  storming  of  Petersburg,  Va.,  April 
2,   186^. 

J.  H.  AILSMAN.  husband  of  Harriet  A.  Glat- 
felter, served  in  9th  ^laryland  infantry ;  died 
in  Libbv  prison. 

HARMON  GRIFFITH,  served  in  Civil  War. 

WTLLIAM  GLOTFELTER,  Dayton,  Ohio, 
I2th  Ohio  infantry;  promoted  to  captain; 
was  wounded  in  battle  of  Antietam ;  later  re- 
enlisted  for  three  years;  was  elected  sheriff 
of  Green  county,  Ohio ;  died  of  wound  re- 
ceived in  war. 

FRANKLIN  GLOTFELTER,  served  in  Civil 
War ;   no   record. 

NELSON  GLOTFELTY,  enlisted  Aug.  14, 
1863,  on  board  the  gunboat  Benton ;  mustered 
out  Nov.  14,  1864. 

JACOB  GLOTFELTY,  served  in  3d  Iowa  cav- 
alry from  Feb.  20,  1864,  to  Aug.  25,  1865. 

STUTESMAN  FAMILY. 
John   Jacob    Stutesman    was   one .  of   the    53 

"Palatinates"  who  with  their  families  came  to 

America    in    the    ship    "Adventurer,"    Captain 

John    Davies,   from   Rotterdam   via    Plymouth, 

England. 

He  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  England 

at   Philadelphia,   Pa.,  Oct.  2,   1727.     This  oath 


526 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


was  required  of  all  males  "foreigners,"  over  age 
or  married  men,  and  was  obligatory.  As  no 
other  Stutesman  or  Stutsman  appears  on  any 
of  the  lists,  it  is  quite  certain  that  there  were 
no  grown  sons  in  this  family  at  that  time. 

It  is  presumed  that  he  was  the  father  of 
Abram    Stutesman,   born   in   Durkhein,   on   the 

Rhine,  Germany,  who  with  his  wife,  Mary  

(also  born  in  Durkhein),  settled  together  with 
other  Dunkards  (known  as  Palatinates)  f:om 
Pennsylvania,  in  and  near  Hagerstown,  ]Mary- 
land,  prior  to  1730,  and  where  their  three 
sons   (Jacob,  Abraham  and  David)   were  born. 

David  Stutesman,  born  about  1740,  was  twice 
married:  First  wife  (name  wanted)  left  him 
seven  children,  viz — Jacob,  Nicholas,  Susan, 
Hannah,  Elizabeth,  David  and  Catherine.  His 
second  wife,  Anne  Nesbitt  (father  born  in  Ire- 


land, but  mother  was  born  In  Pennsylvania), 
bore  him  ten  children,  viz — Jacob,  Fanny, 
Nathaniel  (b.  Hagerstown,  Feb.  11,  1785), 
Jonathan,  Mary  Ann,  Daniel,  Abraham,  Anna, 
Samuel  and  Sally  (Sarah). 

The  Stutesmans  were  Dunkers  or  German 
Baptists ;  they  left  Durkhein  on  account  of  re- 
ligious principles,  and  came  to  America  to  en- 
joy freedom  of  religious  thought.  Their  re- 
ligion kept  them  from  taking  part  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary War.  Slavery  was  the  most  difficult 
question  that  met  them  in  Maryland;  because 
of  it,  they  removed  to  Brownsville,  Pa.,  from 
whence,  between  1S04  and  1808,  they  moved  to 
Dayton,  Ohio,  and  its  vicinity.  The  old  grave- 
yard at  Brookville,  Ohio,  contains  many 
gravestones  all   spelled   as   Stutesman. 


Pennsylvania  Historical  Societies 


Presbyterian   Historical  Society. 

The  Journal  of  this  Society  for  September, 
1908,  contains  articles  on  "The  Centenary  of 
the  Town  Steeple  of  Frederick,  Maryland,"  by 
Rev.  E.  R.  Eschbach,  D.D.,  a  sketch  of  James 
Duncan  Ferguson  (1837-1906),  and  the  third 
part  of  a  paper  on  "The  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Monmouth  County." 

Lebanon   County    Historical    Society. 

Rev.  Dr.  P.  C.  Croll  read  a  paper  before 
the  Society,  February  21st,  1908,  on  "Lebanon 
County  Imprints  and  Bibliography"  since  pub- 
lished as  Vol.  IV,  No.  6,  a  copy  of  which  is 
before  us.    The  author  gives  the  following: 

1  List  of  Lebanonana. 

2  Places  of  (jerman  Printing  Arranged  in 
the  Order  of  First  Issues  (Seiden- 
stecher). 

3  Analysis  or  Very  Brief  Description  of  the 
Different  Works  Locally  Issued. 

4  Partial  List  of  Books  and  Periodicals 
Published  by  the  Report  Publishing  Co., 
of  Lebanon  ;  Rev.  G.  Holzapfel,  of  Cle- 
ona ;  Isaac  Iba,  of  Schaefferstown. 

5  Bibliography  of  Lebanon  County — 
A  Newspapers  of  Lebanon  County. 
B  Maps,  Charts  and  Atlases. 

c  Annuals. 

D  Publications    of   the    Lebanon    County 

Historical   Society. 
E  The  So-called  "Paper  Books." 
F  Publications    in    Book    and    Pamphlet 
Form  Pertaining  to  Lebanon  County. 
We  quote  the  following  from  the  pen  of  the 
author : 

Lebanon  County  has  never  been  without 
this  powerful  enlightening  agency  (the 
printing  press).  Years  before  the  settle- 
ments on  the  Quittapahilla.  the  Swatara, 
the  Tulpehocken  and  the  Mill  creeks  were 
elevated  into  a  separate  county,  the  print- 


ing press  had  been  set  up  in  this  frontier 
town  of  Lebanon.    Its  issues  began  to  shed 
light    and    develop    order    from    the    very 
dawn  of  the  nineteenth  century.     It  will  be 
our    interesting   and   pleasant   task   in   this 
paper  to  set  before  you  and  this  generation 
a  complete  list  of  these  early  publications, 
and  briefly  describe  the  early  Lebanon  im- 
prints. 
Rev.  Dr.  Croll  has  performed  a  distinct  serv- 
ice to  the  cause  of  historic  lore  in  our  State  by 
preparing   this   paper.     We   hope   each   county 
historical  society  will  make  up  similar  bibliog- 
raphies of  their  counties  if  not  already  made. 

The  Historical  Society  of  Berks  County. 

Annually  the  Historical  Society  of  Berks 
County  makes  a  pilgrimage  to  some  spot  whose 
history  dates  back  to  the  earliest  settlements. 
This  year  the  historians  went  to  Oley  town- 
ship, one  of  the  richest  agricultural  districts  in 
the  county  or  in  the  entire  State,  and  a  region 
noted  for  its  prosperous  farmers,  who  are  pay- 
ing more  tax  on  money  at  interest  than  those 
of  any  other  township  in  the  county,  and  whose 
historic  spots  are  still  well  preserved.  The 
Mecca  for  this  pilgrimage  was  the  home  of 
Daniel  W.  Moyer,  who  lives  in  the  old  Colonial 
structure  that  was  the  first  Moravian  church 
and   school   in   Berks   county. 

Historically,  the  Moyer  homestead  is  one  of 
the  most  interesting  in  Eastern  Pennsylvania, 
having  been  erected  in  1742,  while  the  first 
Moravian  representative  to  visit  Oley,  accord- 
ing to  the  extensive  researches  conducted  by 
Daniel  Miller,  of  this  city,  was  in  1737.  when 
Bishop  A.  G.  Spangenberg,  accompanied  by 
Christopher  Wiegner,  of  Skippack,  came  there 
and  preached  in  the  houses  of  Jonathan 
Herpdes  and   Abraham  Bertolet. 

This  old  church  building  is  practically  today 
as  it  was  in  1742  or  1743,  when  it  was  erected, 
except    that    on    the    three    sides    it    has    been 


PENNSYLVANIA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETIES 


527 


weather-boarded,  but  the  northern  side  is  still 
in  its  original  state.  The  first  and  second  floors 
are  now  divided  into  four  rooms  each,  while 
the  attic  is  all  in  one.  In  the  centre  of  the 
building  stand  two  immense  chimneys,  and  on 
their  fireplaces  the  cooking  was  done  for  sorne 
50  scholars,  who  150  years  ago  received  their 
instructions   here.     In   this   primitive   building, 


31    by  41    feet,  church   services  were  held  for 
many  years,  and  a  school  conducted. 

At  the  request  of  the  society,  Mr.  Daniel 
Miller,  of  Reading,  Pa.,  prepared  a  historic 
sketch  of  the  early  Moravian  settlements  in 
Berks  county,  which  was  read  on  this  occasion, 
and  which  we  will  print  in  The  Pennsylva- 
nia-German. 


Reviews  and  Notes 


BY  PROF.   E.   S.  GERHARD,  TRENTON,  N.   J. 


Ancient   History  and  the  Bible.     By  Rev.  J. 

M.  Reimensnyder,  D.D.,  author  of  "Rea- 
son, Historv  and  Religion,"  and  pastor  of 
Trinity     Lutheran     Church,     Milton,     Pa. 
Cloth,   i6mo.     35c.     The  Lutheran   Publi- 
cation   Society,    Philadelphia.      1908. 
This  is  an  admirable  handbook  for  Bible  stu- 
dents and   teachers.     It   contains   a   review  of 
the  most  important  chronological  "data  of  the 
Bible,  a  genealogy  of  the  patriarchs  before  and 
after  the  Deluge,  with  the  significance  of  their 
names.     It   also   contains  the   great   covenants 
of  the  Bible. 

Strayed  Souls.      By   George   Schock,   in   Har- 
per's   Monthly    Magazine    for    September, 
1908. 
George  Schock  (pseudonym)   is  of  Pennsyl- 
vania-German parentage,  and  was  born  in  Cen- 
treport,  Berks  county,   Pa.     He  is  a  writer  of 
short  stories,  and  is  a  frequent  contributor  to 
the  leading  magazines. 

'^Strayed  Souls"  is  just  what  its  title  indi- 
cates— the  strayed  souls  of  Christian  Ruh  and 
Bellamira,  two  wanderers,  lover. s  The  "stray- 
ness"  of  the  story  is  finely  maintained,  and 
nowhere  better  than  at  the  end  in  the  mys- 
terious disappearance  of  both. 

The  story  is  written  in  an  ornate  style,  with 
the  scene  "laid  in  the  Pennsylvania-German 
country. 

Bible  Gems.     Selected  and  arranged  by  Rev. 
P.   C.   Croll,  D.D.,  Lebanon,   Pa.,   founder 
of  The  Pennsylvania-German  Magazine. 
Paper,  i6mo.,  243  pp.    50c.    Lutheran  Pub- 
lication Society.  Philadelphia.     1908. 
This    is    a   collection    of    some    of    the    most 
beautiful  and  most  stirrng  words  and  passages 
of  the  thirty-six  inspired  writers.     These  pas- 
sages of  the' Bible  are  taken  out  of  their  natural 
setting  and  are  arranged  so  as  to  forrn  complete 
literary  selections  with  appropriate  titles.     The 
literary  beauty  of  the  Bible  could  not  be  better 
enhanced  than  by  this  simple  arrangement  and 
selection.      School   children    frequently   commit 
so-called  "memory  gems"  that  are  undesirable, 
if  not  disgusting,  because  of  their  insipid  vapor- 
ings  of  sentimentality;  they  furnish  a  sorrow- 
ful   contrast    to    these    powerful    passages    of 
Scripture,  which  would  be  just  as  easy  to  learn, 
and  which  would  afford  the  young  people  far 
more  strength  and  grace. 

The  book  affords  magnificent  selections  for 


reading  and  speaking.  Here  is  poetry,  here  is 
oratory,  that  challenges  the  poetry  and  the  ora- 
tory found  in  any  secular  literature.  It  is  hoped 
that  it  will  do  a  great  deal  to  further  the  liter- 
ary study  of  the  Bible,  if  nothing  more.  It  is 
also  believed  that  it  is  worthy  of  a  more  sub- 
stantial binding,  and  that  it  would  be  welcomed 
in  it. 

Heavenward.     A  Guide  for  Youth.     By  Rev. 
Junius     B.     Remensnyder,     D.D.,     LL.D., 
Author  of  "Six  Days  of  Creation,"  "Per- 
sonality of  Luther,"  etc.     Revised  edition. 
Cloth,    12    mo. ;    135    pp.      50c.      Lutheran 
Publication  Society,  Philadelphia.     1908. 
This  book  is  what  its  title  indicates — a  guide 
for  youth  setting  out  for  the  better  life  and  the 
better    country.      It    puts    him    on    his    guard 
against  the  perils  that  may  beset  him,   and  it 
instructs   him   how   to  overcome   them.     It   is 
the  Christian's  way  Heavenward  and  not  alone 
the  Moralist's. 

Studies  in  Religious  Nurture.     By  Rev.  A.  B. 
Bunn    Van    Ormer,    Ph.D.,    Instructor    in 
Psychology'   and    Ethics,    Ursinus    College. 
Cloth,  291   pp.     $1.00.     Lutheran   Publica- 
tion Society,  Philadelphia.     1908. 
This  is  a  timely  piece  of  work;  it  forms  a 
valuable   contribution   to  the   literature  of  the 
subject  that  is  at  present  uppermost  in  matters 
educational. 

It  states  some  facts  and  pedagogical  princi- 
ples that  are  worth  reiterating.  There  is  a 
tendency  prevalent  to  ignore  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  and  to  act  as  though  the  problern 
of  religious  nurture  were  entirely  in  man's 
hands.  It  is  a  mistake  to  keep  from  children 
the  greater  literature  with  the  idea  that  they 
cannot  fully  comprehend  it.  They  will  grow 
into  its  significance.  When  there  is  a  high  de- 
gree of  interest  awakened  by  external  devices 
we  may  suspect  the  teaching  to  be  dead  and 
formal. 

The  book  consists  of  a  series  of  articles  pre- 
pared for  presentation  at  conventions  and  for 
publication ;  but  there  is  a  continuity  of  thought 
and  purpose  running  through  the  entire  book 
that  justifies  the  title.  It  shows  a  knowledge 
of  the  growth  and  mental  development  of  the 
child  from  a  sound  psychological  and  peda- 
gogical viewpoint;  and  also  a  knowledge  of  the 
Hterature  on  this  ever-important  subject  of 
child  growth. 


528 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Sudermann's  Dramen.     Vortrag,  gehalten  un- 
ter  den  Auspizien  der  germanitischen   Ge- 
sellschaft  von  Amerika.     Von  Karl  Knortz, 
North  Tarrytown,  N.  Y.     Verlag,  Richard 
Miihlmann,  Halle.     1908. 
A  biographical  account  of  Prof.  Knortz  and 
his    work    appeared    in    The    Pennsylvania- 
German   for   May,   1908. 

Hermann  Sudermann  is  a  German  dramatic 
poet,  born  in  East  Prussia  in  1857.  He  is  a 
disciple  of  Ibsen,  the  late  Norwegian  dramatist, 
whose  influence  on  literature  has  not  been  con- 
sidered altogether  the  best  and  the  most  whole- 
some. Among  Sudermann's  best  known 
plays  are  Die  Ehre  ("Honor"),  Sodom's  Ende 
("Sodom's  Downfall").  These  are  social 
satires,  and  in  picturing  this  phase  of  life  is 
found  the  dramatist's  strongest  power.  Still 
other  plays  of  his  are :  Es  Lebe  des  LcDcn 
("The  Joy  of  Life"),  Johannis  ("John  the 
Baptist"). 

Prof.  Knortz's  lecture  is  one  of  the  most 
scholarly  and  most  analytically  extended  dis- 
courses of  Sudermann's  art  and  work  given  in 
this  country.  He  brings  out  the  poet's  fail- 
ings and  limitations — revels  a  little  too  much 
in  the  social  mire,  and  he  is  a  poet  of  limited 
range  of  power — he  does  not  attempt  weighty, 
important  problems.  He  no  less  discusses  his 
merits  and  abilities  manifest  in  his  admirable 
technique  and  in  his  powerful  conception  of 
mankind  in  its  more  sombre  aspect. 

A  Quiver  of  Arrows.  By  Louise  A.  Weitzel. 
Cloth;  illustrated;  half  tone;  244  pp.  Ex- 
press Printing  Co.,  Lititz,  Pa.     1908. 

By  far  the  most  of  these  poems  were  previ- 
ously published  in  the  local  papers  of  Lititz 
and  Lancaster. 

The  authoress  is  a  native  of  Lititz,  Pa.  As 
we  understand,  these  poems  have  been  written 
under  very  trying  circumstances;  but  very  like- 
ly they  were  just  the  kind  that  often  arouse 
the  poetic  strain.  She  wrote  them  while  tak- 
ing care  of  an  aged  and  helpless  mother.  She 
is  conscious  of  their  imperfections,  and  by 
this  acknowledgment  she  does  disarm  the 
critics,  for  in  such  an  instance  it  is  rather  cruel 
to  criticize,  unless  favorably. 

There  is  something  poetic  about  the  whole 
book,  even  in  the  very  title — "A  Quiver  of  Ar- 
rows," which  was  beautifully  suggested  by 
Longfellow's  poem.  The  subjects  cover  a  wide 
field,  probably  a  little  too  wide;  for  it  is  usually 
dangerous  to  fake  practical  questions  of  the 
day.  Even  Whittier  did  not  always  succeed 
with  them,  and  when  he  did  passing  well,  the 


rhetorical  effect  is  frequently  greater  than  the 
poetical.  So  we  think  that  "A  Warning"  (sug- 
gested by  the  Presidential  election  of  1900) 
was  not  happily  chosen.  It  seems  rather 
strained,  and  we  would  hardly  know  how  to 
define   "fossil   retrogression." 

Many  of  the  poems  possess  more  than  ordi- 
nary merit.  Of  the  several  bearing  on  local 
history,  "The  Bells  of  Linden  Hall'  'is  as  good 
as  any  poem  in  the  book.  There  is  a  swing 
to  it  that  makes  it  the  most  spirited  of  all  the 
poems ;  it  might  be  improved,  however,  by  alter- 
ing the  last  stanza  or  by  omitting  it ;  like  the 
striking  of  a  false  note,  it  jars  the  music  of 
the  whole  piece.  It  is  a  pity  that  "The  Old 
Cloister  at  Ephrata"  has  not  fared  as  well. 
The  poetic  conceit  of  calling  October  dreamy 
and  tender  is  rather  erroneous ;  these  are  more 
the  attributes  of  spring,  while  October,  turn- 
ing things  to  brown  and  gold,  suggests  reality 
and  maturity.  When  we  come  to  the  following 
line : 

"Soon   we  reached  a  stile  and  over  climbing  landed  in 
green    clover," 

we  have  very  likely  reached  one  of  the  most 
commonplace  lines  in  the  collection. 

There  is  music  in  "Spring  Melodies"  (from 
the  German),  in  "A  June  Song,"  and  in  "A 
Song  of  Labor,"  which  is  written  in  the  metre 
of  "Locksle}^  Hall,"  and  it  reads  with  a  great 
deal  of  the  intensity  of  that  poem ;  but  the 
"saiu"  and  the  "screeching  factory  whistle" 
screech  a  little  too  much. 

The  most  expressive  and  most  suggestive  line 
of  the  whole  collection  is  the  second  line  in 
the    opening    stanza    of    "My    Birthday" : 

"Once    more    the    annual    day    comes    round 

When    Life    and    I    first    met.'' 

There,  that's  poetry. 

As  suggested  by  the  writer  herself,  the  col- 
lection of  poems  would  naturally  be  improved 
if  they  were  arranged  in  some  classified  order ; 
and  may  we  also  add,  if  they  were  critically 
revised.  The  ingredients  of  poetry  seem  to 
be  here — a  fairly  mellow,  poetic  vocabulary,  and 
a  poetical  conception  of  things ;  but  it  is  evi- 
dent that  there  is  need  of  a  better  knowledge 
of  the  art  of  expression  and  of  the  technique 
of  poetry. 

The  book  should  receive  wide  recognition. 
It  is  hoped  that  the  writer  will  not  cease  until 
she  has  brouarht  some  more  of  her  poems  be- 
fore the  public. 


MARY  BALL  WASHINGTON, 
The   A-'other  of   George   Washington. 

See  P.ige  5^1, 


Vol.  IX 


DECEMBER,  1908 


No.  12 


How  Christmas  Is  Observed  by  the  Moravians 


BY    LOUISE    A.    WEITZEL,    LITITZ,     PA. 


I 


T   seems  hardly  necessary   at 
this  late  date  to  preface  an 
article  with  the  above  title 
with  a  historical  sketch  of 
the    Moravian    Church. 
Though  comparatively  small 
in  numbers,  the  Church  has 
wielded  so  large  an  influence  in  the  world, 
by  reason  of  its  long  history,  its  schools, 
its  world-wide  missions,  its  rich  hymnol- 
ogy,  that  there  is  at  the  present  day  no 
man  who  can  call  himself  truly  educated 
who  does  not  know  what  the  Moravian 
Church  is,  where  it  originated  and  what 
doctrinal  position  it  holds.     The  church 
of   John   Amos   Comenius,    the   educator 
whom  all  the  world  honors ;  Count  Zin- 
zendorf.    the    poet,    saint    and    reformer ; 
Peter     Boehler,    the    evangelist ;     David 
Zeisberger,    the    missionary,    and    many 
others,  perhaps  equally  distinguished  for 
culture,  piety  and  self-sacrifice,  and  only 
less  known,  needs  no  apology  for  existing^ 
if  it  does  not  count  its  members  by  the 
million.     Suffice  it  to  say  for  the  benefit 
of  those  few  who  may  still  ask,  "Who  are 
the    Moravians?"    that    it    was    the    first 
Protestant  Church  organized  (1457),  the 
first  Protestant  Church  to  publish  a  hymn 
book  (1501),  the  first  to  engage  in  mod- 
ern missionary  work  (1732),  the  first  to 
go  to  the  most  hopeless,  most  degraded 


and  what  are  recognized  as  the  dying" 
races  of  the  world,  with  the  Gospel  of 
Peace,  the  first  to  open  a  school  for  girls 
in  America  (Germantown,  May  4,  1742), 
the  first  to  preach  the  now  popular  doc- 
trine of  church  federation,  and  last,  but 
not  least,  the  only  Church  which  has  con- 
tinued as  one  organic  whole,  a  true  Unity 
of  the  Brethren,  throughout  the  world, 
having  never  been  split,  divided  and  sub- 
divided by  internal  dissensions  and  fac- 
tions. 

There  is,  however,  a  class  of  people 
who,  while  not  altogether  ignorant  con- 
cerning the  Moravians,  had  possibly  bet- 
ter be  so,  as  their  sole  knowledge  seems 
to  consist  in  a  perverted  notion  that  they 
are  a  peculiar  sect  holding  fast  to  certain 
ridiculous  and  antiquated  customs  that 
should  be  relegated  to  the  oblivion  of  the 
past.  To  such  I  would  say  that,  in  the 
first  place,  the  Moravians  are  not  a  sect, 
and  in  the  second  place,  their  customs 
are  no  more  absurd  than  those  of  some 
other  denominations,  and  those  who  un- 
derstand their  real  meaning  never  regard 
them  otherwise  than  with  admiration  and 
respect. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  these  articles  to  de- 
scribe the  customs  considered  peculiar  to 
the  Moravian  Church. 

These    customs    naturally    are    to    be 


532 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


studied  to  the  best  advantage  in  the 
smaller  towns  and  villages.  Modern  city 
life  of  necessity  lops  off  many  excres- 
cences and  levels  the  Churches  down  to 
one  uniform  plane.  So  in  order  to  enjoy 
a  Moravian  Christmas  we  must  go  to 
one  of  the  original  Church  settlements, 
either  in  Germany,  England  or  America. 
I  shall  choose  the  one  I  am  most  familiar 
with,  and  in  which  my  life  has  been  spent, 
namely,  Lititz.  situated  in  Lancaster 
county,  Pennsylvania. 

Lititz  was  named  by  Count  Zinzendorf 
in  1756,  in  honor  of  an  estate  called  Lititz 
in  Bohemia,  one  of  the  strong  seats  of 
the  early  Church,  and  means  "Wild"  or 
""raging"  in  the  Bohemian  language,  hence 
the  castle  by  the  raging  Adler.  The  Lititz 
creek,  however,  by  the  way,  is  not  a  rag- 
ing torrent,  but  a  very  quiet,  well-behaved 
stream !  The  village  was  built  on  land 
•donated  in  1754  by  George  Klein,  a 
farmer  who  was  converted  by  the  Count's 
preaching.  Till  1850,  when  it  was  deemed 
no  longer  practicable.  Lititz  was  an  ex- 
clusive settlement.  The  church  (built 
1 786- "87),  the  parsonage  (1763),  the 
Sisters'  House,  now  a  part  of  Linden 
Hall  (1758),  the  Brothers'  House,  now 
used  by  the  Sunday-school,  King's 
Daughters  and  various  organizations 
0759- '60),  Linden  Hall  Seminary 
{1794),  and  about  a  dozen  of  the  original 
dwelling  houses,  constructed  of  stone  or 
logs,  although  somewhat  altered  and  re- 
modeled, still  remain,  and  are  always  ob- 
jects of  great  interest  to  the  antiquarian, 
the  historian  and  the  architect.  Lititz  has 
grown  from  one  street  to  a  busy  manu- 
facturing town  of  2,800  inhabitants,  but 
the  Moravian  element  is  still  strong,  and 
the  Moravian  customs,  with  some  modi- 
fications, still  remain  in  force. 

Christmas  among  the  Moravians  is  not 
confined  to  one  service  or  possibly  one 
day.  In  my  childhood  we  always  spoke 
of  Christmas  week.  There  was  first,  sec- 
ond and  even  third  Christmas  Day,  and 
we  children  never  considered  Christmas 
really  ended  until  New  Year's  Eve,  and 
as  for  the  Christmas  tree,  that  often  re- 
mained in  its  place  until  nearly  Easter 
(when  it  came  early),  while  the  decora- 
tions in  the  church  were  not  removed 
until  Lent. 


The  first  thing  on  the  program  was 
the  preparation  for  Christmas,  sometimes 
for  weeks  beforehand.  The  women  of  the 
household  were  busy  baking  the  cakes.  In 
large  families  whole  wash  baskets  full  of 
ginger  cakes  were  baked,  mold  cakes  rep- 
resenting all  kinds  of  animals,  as  well  as 
men  and  women,  in  shape.  Some  baked 
two  kinds,  brown  and  white,  ginger  cakes 
and  pepper  nuts.  The  wealthier  people 
also  baked  fruit  cake  and  perhaps  sand 
tarts.  Now  we  have  scotch  cakes,  nut 
cakes  of  all  kinds,  kisses,  etc.  The  mold 
cakes  are  losing  their  popularity,  and  the 
cakes  are  becoming  fewer  in  quantity, 
while  there  is  much  more  variety. 

Then  the  Christmas  tree  must  be  made. 
This  was  often  quite  a  complicated  affair. 
Fathers  and  children  went  to  the  woods 
for  trees  and  moss.  The  moss  had  to  be 
obtained  before  the  ground  was  frozen 
and  placed  in  the  cellar.  Many  of  the 
trees,  or  rather  "putzes,"  the  trees  form- 
ing only  the  background,  were  large  in 
size,  and  represented  natural  scenery, 
mountains,  caves,  water  falls,  lakes,  as 
well  as  grottoes,  farm  yards,  etc.  They 
were  models  of  artistic  skill.  Quite  a 
number  of  the  village  people  were  famous 
for  their  skill  in  this  respect,  and  would 
often  help  their  less  gifted  neighbors  to 
build  the  putz.  When  it  was  made  it 
must  be  admired,  and  it  was  one  of  the 
customs,  which  have  gone  out  of  date 
since  the  advent  of  the  numerous  fac- 
tories, that  young  and  old,  boys  and  girls 
and  children  went  about  in  larger  or 
smaller  companies  on  Christmas  Eve, 
Christmas  Day,  New  Year's  Eve  or  any 
time  during  the  afternoons  or  evenings 
in  Christmas  week  to  see  Christmas  trees. 
The  most  hospitable  of  the  people  usually 
treated  the  sight-seers  (they  were  all 
friends  and  relatives  in  those  days)  to 
cakes,  apples,  and  the  adults  also  to  home- 
made wine  or  cider.  Although  the  Christ- 
mas tree  has  diminished  in  size,  and  is 
no  longer  an  object  for  exhibition,  it  is 
still  found  in  every  household  where  there 
are   children. 

Children  knew  nothing  of  Santa  Claus 
in  my  childhood  days.  It  was  the  German 
Christ  Kindle  that  we  looked  for.  and 
our  idea  was  that  he  came  through  the 
door  or  window,  and  not  down  the  chim- 


now  CHRISTxMAS   IS  OBSERVED  BY  THE  MORAVIANS 


533 


ney,  a  much  more  rational  method,  by  the 
way  !  We  not  only  hung  up  stockings, 
but  placed  boxes  or  baskets  for  the  recep- 
tion of  our  gifts,  on  or  near  the  window 
sill. 

As  regards  the  church  services,  there 
was  much  preparatory  work  to  be  done. 
It  was  decided  at  the  "Dienerliebesmahl," 
or  lovefeast  held  for  all  those  in  any  way 
employed  in  the  service  of  the  church, 
from  the  minister  to  the  sexton,  on  the 
first  Sunday  in  Advent  that  the  church 
was  to  be  decorated  and  a  committee  was 
appointed  for  that  purpose.  After  that 
the  young  men  went  to  the  woods  for  a 
wagon  load  of  evergreen,  chiefly  hemlock 
and  ground  laurel,  and  the  young  folks 
were  busy  every  evening  for  a  whole  week, 
tying  the  greens  for  festoons.  The  decor- 
ation always  was  and  still  is  very  elabor- 
ate. Sometimes  a  large  painting,  a  trans- 
parency, and,  of  late,  electric  lights,  add 
to  its  etTectiveness. 

The  children  in  the  Sunday-school  prac- 
ticed their  hymns  and  recitations,  and  the 
choir  and  orchestra  were  busy  going  over 
the  grand  old  compositions  of  the  masters, 
many  of  them  Moravian  composers,  whose 
works  exist  only  in  manuscript. 

In  one  household  the  wax-tapers  were 
being  made,  and  this,  too,  was  quite  a 
critical  task,  as  everything  was  done  by 
hand.  The  last  sister  who  made  them  did 
this  work  for  thirty  years.  For  the  last 
five  years  they  have  been  obtained  from 
Bethlehem,  another  old  Moravian  settle- 
ment, where  the  genuine  article  can  still 
be  procured.  These  candles  were  also 
purchasd  by  the  members  of  the  church 
to  light  up  their  Christmas  trees,  and 
Mother  Weitzel  was  always  sure  of  a 
welcome  when  she  appeared,  about  a  week 
before  Christmas,  with  her  basket  of^  fra- 
grant, yellow  tapers.  Whether  the  neces- 
sary pennies  were  forthcoming  or  not,  the 
children  always  got  their  candles.  The 
trimming  of  these  tapers  with  white  paper, 
specially  folded,  cut  and  curled,  makes 
another  pleasant  evening's  pastime  for  the 
Sunday-school  teachers  and  the  Ladies' 
Sewing  Society. 

The  first  church  service  was  held  at  6 
o'clock  on  Christmas  eve,  but  of  late 
years  at  has  been  deemed  wise,  on  ac- 
count of  the  size  of  the  congregation,  to 


hold  two  services,  exactly  alike,   for  the 
smaller  children  at  4  o'clock  and  for  the 
older   children   and   adults   at   7   o'clock^ 
For   many  years   the  same   program,   or 
"Psalm,"  as  it  used  to  be  called,  has  been, 
rendered,  because  it  would  be  difficult  to^ 
arrange  anything  more  beautiful  or  appro- 
priate.    With  the  exception  of  the  Scrip- 
ture story  of  the  Nativity,  and  prayer,  it  is 
entirely  a  service  of  song  by  choir,  chil- 
dren and  congregation.    The  hymn  tunes 
are  all  Moravian  tunes,  known  in  Germam 
as    "chorales."     The   old   Moravians   do- 
not  love  the   rag-time  music  of  modern; 
psalmody.    The  choir  sings  "Stille  Xacht"' 
or  "Silent  Night,"  by  Gruber,  often  with- 
out   organ    accompaniment;    "Sanctus,"' 
from  Mozart's  12th  Mass;  "Benedictus," 
from    Haydn's    6th    Mass ;    "Praise    the 
Lord,  the  Lord  Most  Glorious,"  by  J.  C. 
Bechler    (a     Moravian    composer)    ,an(l 
"Mache   Dich   Auf,"   by   Reissiger,   with 
orchestral  accompaniment.     Moravians  at 
Lititz   have,   by   the   way,   always   had   a 
well  trained  choir  and  orchestra,  although 
no  one  but  the  organist,  who  is  also  the 
choir  leader,   receives  any  remuneration. 
One  hymn  that  is  sung  the  world  over  by- 
Moravian  children  at  Christmas  time,  be 
it    in    Alaska    or    Jamaica,    is    "Morning- 
Star,"  the  tune  to  which  was  composed  by 
the  Rev.  F.  F.  Hagen,  the  father  of  the 
pastor  of  the  Lititz  congregation.    This  is 
sung  antiphonally  by  choir  and  children^ 
as  also  the  Te  Deum. 

During  the  service  small  raised  cakes, 
powdered  with  pulverized  sugar  and 
sweetened  coffee  in  small  mugs  are  served 
to  all  present  by  young  men  and  women 
especially  appointed,  who  serve  at  all  the 
love  feasts  and  are  known  as  "dieners" 
to  this  day,  possibly  because  the  English 
translation,  "servant,"  is  not  as  palatable 
to  Americans ! 

During  the  singing  of  the  last  selection 
by  the  choir,  lighted  candles  are  distrib- 
uted among  the  children,  typifying  Chrifit, 
the  Light  of  the  W'orld.  As  the  words- 
"Mache  Dich  auf,  werde  Licht"  are  ut- 
tered, the  dieners  enter  the  door  to  the 
left  of  the  pulpit  with  wooden  trays,  upon 
which  the  burning  candles  are  placed  in 
groups  of  fifty,  in  upright  position.  The 
sudden  entrance  of  this  flood  of  light  has 
a  beautiful  effect,  and  evervbodv  awaits. 


S34 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


the  moment  with  deUghted  anticipation, 
■especially  the  children,  the  infants  crowing 
with  pleasure.  After  another  hymn  is 
sung  the  congregation  is  disimssed  and 
the  tapers  are  put  out. 

On  Christmas  Day  a  sermon  is 
preached  at  lo  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
preceded  by  the  Christmas  liturgy.  The 
choir  orchestra  usually  render  several  se- 
lections, and  an  offering  is  taken  for  the 
poor  of  the  congregation. 

In  the  evening  the  Sunday-school  chil- 
dren render  a  cantata  and  receive  boxes 
of  candy  and  oranges. 

This  service  was  introduced  of  late 
years  and  resembles  those  in  other 
churches,  save  only  that  there  never  is  any 
mummery  connected  with  it,  as  Moravians 
do  not  take  to  the  Santa  Claus  idea.  They 
do  not  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  Christmas 
is  the  birthday  of  Christ,  and  all  the  cus- 
toms point  to  and  elucidate  the  important 


point  that  He  is  the  supreme  Giver  and 
Gift. 

Christmas  gifts  are  popular  among  the 
Moravians,  and  Christmas  Day  or  second 
Christmas  is  also  usually  the  occasion  for 
a  good  dinner  and  family  reunion.  Lititz 
is  always  favored  with  an  influx  of  vis- 
itors at  Christmas,  especially  of  old  Mor- 
avians who  have  moved  to  or  are  em- 
ployed in  other  towns  and  cities,  that  is 
not  equalled  at  any  other  time.  Non- 
Moravians  also  feel  themselves  drawn  by 
these  beautiful  customs,  and  declare  there 
is  no  place  like  Lititz  at  Christmas  time. 
While  some  of  the  customs  have  neces- 
sarily been  affected  by  the  spirit  of  com- 
mercialism apparent  everywhere,  it  must 
be  confessed  that  the  genuine  dyed-in-the- 
wool  Moravian  is  not  strongly  influenced 
as  yet  by  this  spirit,  which  doubtless  ac- 
counts for  the  nameless  charm  which 
Lititz  always  possesses  for  strangers. 


Christmas  in  a  German  Pastor's  Home. 


BY  ELIZABETH  KADELBACH,    BERLIN,    GERMANY. 


Note. — Miss  Kadelbach  contributed  an  article 
on  Easter  observances  in  Germany  to  the  May 
Pennsylvania-German,  1907. 

THE  more  Christmas  is  made  a 
family  festival,  the  most 
beautiful  commemorative 
festival :  the  more  difficult  it 
becomes  for  one  to  say  any- 
thing about  it.  Christmas 
recollections  are  like  a 
"sweet  poem,"  learned  from  the  lips  of 
dear  parents,  each  stanza  rich  in  sunshine 
and  true  love  of  long  ago.  Is  not  the 
same  true  of  our  grand  old  German 
Christmas  hymns?  Not  perfect  in  music, 
they  also  are  rather  reminders  of  many 
beautiful  Christmas  festivals  in  the  home 
of  parents,  a  greeting  from  the  happy 
days  of  yore.  As  one  can  relate  best 
what  has  been  experienced  I  may  perhaps 
be  permitted  to  relate  a  few  things  about 
the  never-to-be-forgotten  beautiful  Christ- 
mas festivals  in  the  Langenoels  pastorate. 

.   "Brich    an    du    schones   Morgenlicht, 
Das  ist  der  Alte  Morgen  nicht, 
Der  taglich   wiederkehret ! 


Ein  ewig  festes  Liebesband 
Halt  jedes  Haus  und  jedes  Land 
Und  alle  Welt  umfangen." 

— Max  von  Schenkendorf. 

But  before  the  sun  beamed  forth  on 
Christmas  morning  the  glad  expectant 
children's  voices  had  long  been  roused: 
the  rejoicing  was  scarcely  to  be  suppress- 
ed that  the  evening  would  end  all  secrets, 
that  at  last  the  long  expected  Christmas 
tree  would  shine.  In  no  house  does 
Christmas  begin  earlier  than  in  a  pastor's. 
In  October  already  are  begun  the  prepara- 
tions for  giving  gifts  to  the  poor  :  the  pas- 
tor's children  seek  to  earn  Christmas 
money  for  themselves  by  raking  leaves  in 
the  garden,  by  picking  fruit,  by  running 
errands,  by  all  kinds  of  small  services, 
each  deed  payable  by  a  penny  at  least. 
For  besides  father  and  mother,  grand- 
parents, perhaps  brothers  and  sisters,  sev- 
eral closely  related  friends,  the  servant 
and  housedog,  there  are  a  few  young  play 
and  school  comrades  to  be  remembered 
with  gifts.     Even  if  the  moneys  earned 


CHRISTMAS  IN  A  GERMAN  PASTOR'S  HOME 


535 


are  often  quite  small  and  insignificant  the 
secrets  connected  therewith  are  immea- 
suraibly  great.  With  what  indescribabe 
pride  are  father  and  mother  requested  not 
to  look  into  this  or  that  drawer  or  with 
what  pride  does  the  childheart  swell  when 
"the  grown  sister."  "the  big  brother," 
have  to  submit  themselves  to  orders  and 
may  not  look  into  everything  as  disres- 
pectfully as  usual.  I'or  weeks  it  was  the 
happiest  hour  of  the  whole  day  when 
father  came  from  the  studyroom  to  the 
living  room  and  all  Christmas  labors  and 
surprises  had  to  be  laid  speedily  aside  and 
father  seated  himself  at  the  piano  and  sang 
with  mother  and  us  children  the  Christ- 
mas hvmns :  "O  du  frohliche,  O  du  se- 
lige."  ''Stille  Xacht,  heilige  Nacht,"  "Mor- 
gen.  Kinder,  wird's  was  geben,"  "O  Tan- 
nenbaum,  O  Tannenbaum."  How  oft 
were  the  parents  asked  to  relate  how 
Christmas  was  observed  when  they  were 
young!  While  we  could  easily  see  that 
Christmas  in  the  parsonage  at  Seiffers- 
dorf,  in  the  chorister-house  at  Probsthayn 
must  have  been  very  nice,  it  could  not 
have  been  as  nice  and  agreeable  as  that  in 
our  parsonage.  In  this  we  five  happy 
Christmas-filled  children  were  q;uite 
agreed. 

Finally  came  the  last  week  before 
Christmas  with  its  burdens  for  great  and 
small.  What  hopes  and  anticipanons  were 
wrapped  up  in  the  shining  Christmas  tree  ! 
How  well  did  father  relate  the  Christmas 
story  and  tell  of  God's  love  that  knows 
no  difiference  between  rich  and  poor,  high 
and  lowly,  but  has  embraced  all  in  the 
true  Father's  heart.  And  how  inexhausti- 
ble was  the  mother's  goodness  of  heart  to 
find  the  true  comfort  and  courage  giving 
word  for  each  child,  each  poor  man.  each 
oppressed  woman.  Before  the  distribu- 
tion was  ended  and  each  loving,  well  con- 
sidered gift  was  packed,  in  which  of 
course  the  whole  church  had  taken  part, 
there  were  no  poor,  each  had  felt  a  breath 
of  Divine  love  through  human  love.  For 
them  too  the  Christmas  tree  had  shone, 
for  them  it  was  decorated  by  many  gen- 
erous loving  hands. 

Yes !  the  German  fir  tree,  the  Christmas 
tree,  the  Christ  tree !  What  worlds  of 
shining  recollections  rise  up  in  the  mind 
of  each  who  has  had  the  advantage  of 


growing  up  in  a  sunny  home,  rich  in  love. 
The  German  sailor  in  the  most  distant 
waters  sees  to  it  that  he,  though  removed 
thousands  of  miles  from  home,  may  with 
his  comrades  light  the  Christmas  tree  so 
that  in  its  rays  he  may  in  spirit  see  more 
clearly  the  distant  parental  home  with  its 
dear  ones.  How  the  German  soldier  at 
home  in  the  barracks  rejoices  in  his  tree, 
sings  his  hymns  with  clear  voice  and  full 
breast.  Our  brave  warrioi  m  South 
Africa  insists  that  in  whatever  form  the 
Christmas  tree  burns  before  him,  and  re- 
calls the  distant  dear  ones,  it  tells  him  of 
the  light  shining  for  all  that  would  bring 
joy  and  love  to  every  one.  No  German 
vessel  sets  sail  near  Christmas  time  with- 
out its  Christmas  tree.  And  as  our  Em- 
peror insists  that  for  the  royal  family  nine 
Christmas  trees  must  shine  in  order  that 
each  member  of  the  family  may  have  his 
tree,  and  each  attendant  and  servant  must 
likewise  have  his  tree,  no  German  who  has 
kept  heart  and  mind  clean  and  sound  is 
so  poor  that  he  does  not  have  his  own 
Christmas  tree  even  if  it  consists  in  reality 
of  only  a  large  potato  in  which  several  fir 
twiglets  have  been  stuck  decked  with  a 
few  small  bright  lights  and  a  few  silver 
threads,  "Angel's  Hair." 

Concerning  the  origin  of  the  fir  tree 
there  is  still  disagreement  on  the  question 
whether  its  roots  reach  back  to  the  gray 
heathenism  of  our  Germanic  ancestors  and 
to  their  "Baldur  cultus"  that  contained  in 
itself  so  many  characteristics  preparatory 
to  Christianity  or  an  outgrowth  of  the 
Weihnachts  blockes  (Christmas  block) 
that  played  so  important  a  part  in  con- 
nection with  the  solstitial  festivals  because 
its  ashes  made  fields  fruitful  on  which  it 
was  strewn  and  cured  toothache  and  other 
ailments.  It  first  appeared  in  Strassburg 
and  today  its  rays  reach  as  far  as  the  Ger- 
man tongue  is  heard. 

How  rich  are  the  poesy,  legend  and 
story  clinging  to  the  Christmas  tree !  One 
of  our  young  Berlin  writers  has  added  a 
legend  of  this  fir  tree  the  conclusion  of 
which  may  be  introduced  here.  After  re- 
lating how  the  Lord  Jesus  praised  and 
even. blessed  the  figtree  and  v'ine  for  their 
fruit  and  cursed  the  trees  that  bore  no 
fruit  it  is  stated  that  the  vine  and  figtree 
vainly  and  haughtily  prided  themselves  in 


536 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


the  word  of  Jesus  while  the  fir  tree  was 
distressed  that  he  bore  only  fir  knots.  The 
latter  started  forth  and  finally  after  weary 
wandering  came  to  the  Lord  to  whom  he 
expressed  his  fear  and  pain  and  from 
whom  he  received  the  following  comfort- 
ing words : 


"Wissc  dass  seit  Beginn  der  Welt 
Ein  jeglichen   Fluch  einen   Segen  enthalt, 
Und  dass  in  jeglichen  Segen sspruch 
Verborgen   liegt   ein   heimlicher   Fluch. 
Ich  will  dir  das  kostlichste  Ende  bereiten, 
Dein   Opfertod   soil   Segen   verbreiten : 
Kein  Winterschlaf  soil  dich  traurig  umschliessen, 
Du   sollst   ein   doppeltes   Leben   geniessen. 
Und  auf  deinen  zierlichen  Zweigen 
Sollen   die   schonsten    Friichte   sich   zeigen, 
Soil   man   Lichter  und   Zierrat   schaun ! 
Freilich— erst  wenn  du  abgehau  n  ! — 
Sei  wie  ein   Held  der  fiir  andere  leidet, 
Der  in  bliihender  Jugend  strahlend  verscheidet ! 
Damit  dein  Leben,  das  kurze-doch  reiche, 
Meinem    irdischen    Wandel    gleiche ! 
Du  sollst  ein   Bote  des  Friedens  sein  ! 
Dti   sollst   glanzen   wie   im    Heiligenschein ! 
Den  Kindern  sollst  du  Freude  verkiinden  ! 
Den  Siinder  aus  seinen   Siinden ! 
Gesang  und  Jubel  soil  dich  umtonen  ! 
Mein    lieblichtes    Fest    sollst    du    lieblich    ver- 

schonen ! 
So  bist  du  von  alien  Biiumen  hinieden 
Der  gesegnetste — !    Zieh  hin  in  Frieden." 

— Max  MoUcr. 

On  Christmas  evening  a  great  deal  had 
to  be  done,  to  the  sick  small  trees  and  gifts 
were  to  be  carried,  all  kinds  of  mysterious 
trips  had  to  be  made  but  the  hours  seemed 
mercilessly  long.  Finally,  finally,  the  bells 
rang  for  "Christnacht"  a  plain  and  simple 
service  which  our  father  always  made  an 
excellent,  true  children  festival  service  and 
which  therefore  gladdened  the  hearts  of 
the  parents  with  ours.  Having  returned, 
all  hands  aided  to  quickly  prepare  supper ; 
more  quickly  than  on  any  other  occasion 
during  the  year  were  eating  and  drinking 
attended  to.  Never  was  the  children's 
readiness  to  help  the  older  ones  so  great 
as  in  these  last  hours  before  the  distribu- 
tion of  gifts. 

When  we  five  children  were  finally  sent 
into  father's  dark  study  our  simple  pres- 
ents for  our  parents  pressed  closely  in 
our  arms,  how  delicious  it  was  to  catch 
each  sound  coming  from  the  living  but 
now  Christmas  room  until  finally  die  bell 


sounded.  At  the  door  of  the  room  shin- 
ing most  brightly  father  and  mother  re- 
ceived us,  back  of  them  the  Christmas  tree, 
beside  them  the  gift-table  richly  laden  with 
presents,  before  them  faces  of  five  children 
beaming  with  joy  and  gratitude.  How 
through  such  recollections  one's  heart  is 
made  glad  and  sad  after  many  years! 
The  unpacking  of  the  gifts,  the  fellow  re- 
joicing over  the  gifts  of  others,  how  at 
once  time  vanishes  with  the  swiftness  of 
arrows.  For  very  joy  the  Christmas  tree 
remained  unnoticed  until  father's  tones 
were  heard  reminding  us  of  the  tree  and 
almost  as  of  itself  the  hymn,  "O  Tannen- 
baum,"  sounded  forth. 

The  superstitious  customs  of  the  middle 
ages  have  really  disappeared  entirely  from 
the  German  home,  or  to  speak  with  more 
exactness  all  those  questions  respecting 
the  future  have  been  transferred  to  the 
evening  of  Sylvester  day,  the  last  evening 
in  the  old  year.  As  final  remnants  there  still 
remain  the  different  well  established 
Christmas  dishes  or  preparations.  In 
Saxony  and  Thuringia  herring  salad  is 
eaten  on  Christmas  evening  in  order  that 
one  may  have  money  the  whole  year 
through.  In  "Mark"  (Brandenburg) 
pigshead  and  lungsausage  in  cabbage  are 
eaten  as  being  a  peculiarily  salutary  dish. 
In  Silesia  we  have  for  dinner  Silesian 
"Himmelreich."  made  up  of  por-k,  stewed 
fruit  and  a  sort  of  potato  dumpling:  in  the 
evening  carp  in  gingerbread  sauce,  a  sort 
of  poppy  dumpling  and  pancakes  are  the 
general  favorite  dishes  after  the  distribu- 
tion of  gifts.  The  Christmas  cake,  a  long 
sugared  bread  containing  raisins  is  still  a 
reminder  of  the  Christchild  from  Heaven. 
The  wonderful,  ornamented  gingerbread 
often  decorated  with  figures  of  animals  are 
remains  of  the  period  of  Germanic  hea- 
thenism. 

In  many  countries  the  claim  is  still  made 
that  on  Christmas  ni^ht  between  eleven 
and  twelve  animals  speak  and  foretell  the 
future,  but  as  peculiar  dangers  threaten 
the  listener  very  few  make  this  personal 
experience.  Many  families  as  was  done 
of  yore  for  the  old  Geriuanic  "Loan  Bach- 
ta"  leave  their  table  set  for  the  angels  in 
order  that  they  may  faithfully  guard  the 
sick  and  the  voung  in  the  house. 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


537 


Old  Time  Stock  Droving  From  Ohio. 


BY    DR.    I.    H,    BETZ,    YORK,    PA. 


HE  droving  we  will  consider 
in  this  article  will  embrace 
the  business  as  it  existed  be- 
fore the  days  of  rapid  trans- 
it, after  which  shipment  of 
stock  came  into  vogue. 
The  period  extended  over 
a  quarter  of  a  century  or  more,  or  from 
1830  to  1855,  when  through  lines  of  rail- 
way were  established,  when  droving  on 
foot  came  to  an  end.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered that  the  source  of  cattle  production 
has  been  changed  several  times  during 
the  settlement  of  the  country,  but  we  shall 
only  consider  a  single  period. 

Until  1840  the  population  of  our  coun- 
try did  not  exceed  20  millions.  Our 
cities  were  not  the  great  metropolitan 
centres  they  have  since  become ;  the  subur- 
ban population  was  still  in  the  ascendancy. 
Alanufactures  were  still  in  a  rudimentary 
stage.  Machinery  on  a  large  scale  was 
still  unknown  to  any  great  extent,  and 
such  labor  as  has  since  its  advent  been 
thus  performed  was  then  accomplished  by 
hand  labor.  The  demand  for  home  labor 
was  then  very  large,  and  no  other  avenue 
was  open  to  it.  The  cattle,  sheep  and 
horses,  beyond  those  supplied  by  home 
production,  were  driven  from  the  West, 
which  term  was  then  chiefly  applied  to 
Ohio. 

Ross  and  Pickaway  counties,  in  that 
State,  chiefly  furnished  the  cattle,  which 
were  brought  in  droves  from  the  south- 
ern and  eastern  portions  of  the  State.  The 
Western  Reserve,  which  extended  one  de- 
gree over  northern  Ohio,  furnished  the 
sheep  and  the  wool  which  was  offered  in 
the  general  market.  Horses  were  brouq:ht 
in  droves  from  different  parts  of  the  State 
to  Pennsylvania.  At  times  turkeys  were 
taken  in  droves  to  points  from  which  they 
were  later  taken  by  different  methods  of 
transportation,  when  dressed  for  the  mar- 
ket. 

To  take  a  trip  west  of  the  .Mle^henies 
in  that  day  was  a  greater  undertaking 
than  to  go  to  any  point  of  the  American 


possessions  would  be  today.  Many  men 
walked  to  Ohio  even  as  late  as  1847.  ^^ 
recall  at  least  one  individual  who  did  that 
during  that  year  who  today  is  a  man  of 
wealth  and  also  a  man  of  note  in  the  busi- 
ness world  over  the  whole  Union.  Men 
who  made  the  journey  on  foot  at  times 
returned  with  from  three  to  six  horses, 
which  netted  them  a  handsome  profit  and 
expenses.  In  that  day  men  travelling  on 
horseback  were  in  the  habit  of  carrying 
considerable  sums  of  money,  smce  no 
other  method  was  available.  Some  of 
these  travellers  carried  guns  for  self- 
protection,  as  highwaymen  were  on  the 
lookout  for  such  travellers.  Spots  are 
still  pointed  out  where  men  were  overcome 
and  murdered  for  their  money,  in  the 
more  sparsely  settled  regions.  There  were 
Joseph  Thompson  Hares  and  John  A. 
Murrells  in  those  days,  and  they  commit- 
ted many  shocking  murders  in  their 
careers.  Another  well  known  character 
in  Central  Pennsylvania  was  Lewis  the 
Robber. 

Many  who  settled  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illi- 
nois and  other  Western  States  went  by 
turnpike  through  Pennsylvania,  or  by 
canal  so  far  as  it  extended.  Daring  the 
'50's  from  morning  till  night,  from  May 
to  October,  there  was  a  continuous  throng 
of  white  covered  wagons,  which  passed 
over  the  National  Road  to  settle  in  Indi- 
ana, Michigan,  Wisconsin  and  other 
States  of  the  great  West,  This  was  truly 
an  invasion,  but  that  was  the  manner  in 
which  many  of  those  States  got  their  in- 
habitants. In  fact,  all  roads  leading  to 
the  West  were  one  continuous  stream  of 
white  covered  wagons.  Ohio  and  Indiana 
were  heavily  timbered  States ;  oak,  hick- 
ory, beech,  iron,  dogwood,  the  sugar 
maple  (utterly  unlike  our  eastern  maple) 
grew  there,  at  times  forming  great  sugar 
camps.  The  process  of  rendering  the  pro- 
duct, w^ith  the  accompanying  social  fea- 
tures, in  itself  would  make  interesting 
reading. 

Much  timber  was  necessarilv  destroyed. 


538 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


for  the  purpose  of  clearing  the  land.  One 
method  was  to  girdle  the  majestic  oaks, 
which  speedily  caused  them  to  die.  The 
trees  were  then  felled  so  that  in  falling 
crosswise  they  might  be  consumed  by  fire 
which  was  applied.  At  times  the  trees 
were  set  on  fire  while  they  remained 
standing.  This  was  a  grand  sight  at 
night.  The  process  of  log-rolling  pre- 
vailed at  times,  with  quilting  parties  at 
the  same  time.  It  must  be  remembered 
that  the  settlers  of  new  countries  are  ex- 
tremely sociable  and  democratic.  Class 
distinctions  in  earlier  days  are  unknown, 
and  every  one  is  a  unit  for  the  public 
good. 

At  the  same  time  the  well  known 
^'Johnny  Appleseed"  planted  the  "Re- 
serve" with  apple  trees  of  natural  fruit 
which  made  the  "Reserve"  one  of  the  most 
noted  apple  sections  in  the  country.  The 
original  stock  of  people  on  the  Reserve 
was  chiefly  of  New  England  origin.  The 
New  England  Yankee  has  always  been  a 
believer  in  popular  education,  which  bore 
good  fruits  in  years  to  come,  and  made 
Ohio,  like  Virginia  in  the  past,  "the 
mother  of  Presidents." 

The  Western  Reserve  originally  was  a 
tract  largely  devoted  to  pasturage  of  in- 
numerable flocks  of  sheep,  the  washing 
and  shearing  of  which  required  much 
labor  during  the  early  period  of  the  sum- 
mer. 

Both  local  and  eastern  buyers  were  on 
the  ground  to  buy  up  droves,  which  were 
driven  to  the  eastern  markets.  This  be- 
came a  noted  business.  There  were  many 
buyers  of  small  lots  which  were  disposed 
of  to  larger  buyers.  To  move  a  drove  of 
sheep  from  Ohio  to  eastern  Pennsylvania 
required  from  forty  to  fifty  days.  To  de- 
liver a  drove  at  its  destination  in  good 
condition  required  judgment  and  skill, 
with  added  experience.  The  average  drive 
was  about  eight  miles  per  day.  In  hot 
weather  a  drove  declined  rapidly,  and 
great  care  was  necessary.  Under  such 
circumstances  not  more  than  three  miles 
per  day  were  made.  If  the  weather  was 
cool  and  the  stock  in  good  condition,  as 
high  as  fifteen  or  more  miles  were  cov- 
ered, but  this  was  very  unusual. 

A  drove  of  sheep  embraced  from  800  to 
i,3(X)  or  more  head.    A  boy  or  man  was 


required  at  the  head  of  the  drove  to  lead 
the  bell  sheep.  As  a  rule,  from  three  to 
five  men  were  necessary  to  forward  a 
drove.  Hotels  were  numerous  along  the 
drove  roads,  averaging  one  for  every  mile. 
The  farmers  all  along  the  drove  roads,  or 
adjacent  to  them,  made  it  a  business  to 
supply  pasture  for  the  numerous  droves 
that  passed  through.  As  many  as  from 
three  to  five  droves  stopped  at  a  single 
tavern  over  the  night.  The  droves,  of 
course,  were  pastured  on  the  fields  of  the 
neighboring  farmers.  One  of  the  boss 
drovers  went  on  ahead  during  the  after- 
noon to  make  arrangements  for  pasture 
and  inn  accommodations.  After  inspect- 
ing the  pasture,  which  was  bargained  for 
per  head  at  a  certain  number  of  cents,  he 
then  went  back  and  met  the  drove.  The 
farmers,  from  former  experience,  were 
sometimes  suspicious  of  drovers  as  re- 
garded the  number  of  sheep  given  in. 
On  turning  the  sheep  into  the  field 
through  bars,  it  was  customary  to  leave 
one  or  two  of  the  lower  bar  rails  in  place, 
so  that  the  sheep  would  jump  over  them 
in  squads,  thus  rendering  it  possible  for 
the  owner  of  the  ground  to  estimate  the 
number.  Sometimes  sharp  arguments 
arose  on  these  points. 

Sheep  generally  pasture  close  to  the 
ground,  so  that  if  possible  the  field  was 
first  let  to  a  drove  of  cattle,  which  pasture 
severely.  After  this,  rainfall  was  neces- 
sary to  lengthen  the  grass  for  other 
droves.  The  farmers  thus  did  a  nice 
business  in  any  neighborhood.  They  gen- 
erally frequented  the  taverns,  and  thus 
business  was  lively  all  around. 

Some  trouble  was  at  times  experienced 
by  drovers  from  individuals  who  ruthless- 
ly attempted  to  drive  through  their  flocks. 
In  some  cases  sheep  were  injured  or  dis- 
persed. The  drovers  as  a  rule  were  reso- 
lute men,  and  an  individual  who  offended 
in  this  manner  paid  dearly  for  his  temer- 
ity, and  often  became  a  sadder  and  a 
wiser  man. 

But  as  a  rule  drovers  were  looked  upon 
as  pursuing  a  useful  calling,  and  also  one 
whose  benefits  were  mutual.  Much 
trouble  was  experienced  in  passing 
through  towns,  at  cross  roads  or  angular 
avenues. 

Streams  were  welcome  to  the  drovers, 


OLD  TIME  STOCK  DROVING  FROM  OHIO 


539 


as  the  flock  slaked  their  thirst  eagerly. 

Sheep  generally  weighed  from  75  to  100 
pounds  each,  among  what  were  known  as 
stock  sheep.  At  times  the  sheep  would 
be  driven  in  large  sections  on  large  scales. 
Thits  by  weekly  weighing  a  good  tab  could 
be  kept  on  the  condition  of  the  sheep. 
During  the  day  it  was  necessary  to  rest 
the  droves  at  favored  spots.  Leisurely 
stops  were  made  at  favorable  watering 
points.  It  was  also  necessary  to  avoid 
becoming  mixed  up  with  the  numerous 
droves  on  the  road.  Sheep  were  generally 
marked.  Some  had  a  prominent  letter 
stamped  upon  them,  and  thus  the  separa- 
tion was  made  without  difficulty.  The 
grazing  with  coolness  of  the  night,  espe- 
■cially  on  the  tableland  of  the  Alleghenies, 
invigorated  the  drove  for  the  following 
day.  Passing  over  Laurel  Ridge,  in 
western  Pennsylvania,  it  was  necessary 
to  guard  the  sheep  against  eating  the 
poisonous  leaves  of  the  laurel,  which  grew 
there  in  profusion.  With  the  closest 
watchfulness  a  number  of  sheep  would 
likely  succumb  to  the  poison. 

The  dust  stirred  up  by  a  drove  of  sheep, 
especially  where  light  dust  prevailed,  was 
very  distasteful  and  disagreeable  to  the 
people  living  along  the  roads,  and  espe- 
cially those  living  in  towns. 

To  bring  a  drove  to  the  eastern  markets 
in  better  condition  than  when  the  start 
was  made,  was  a  piece  of  rare  good  for- 
tune. 

Already  in  the  Cumberland  \^alley 
drovers  from  the  eastern  markets  ap- 
peared and  bought  many  droves,  the 
drovers  returning  home  by  stage  or  by 
canal,  or  by  a  mixed  passage. 

At  times  while  on  the  road,  a  stampede 
occurred.  If  the  drove  stampeded  and 
the  leader  was  a  small  boy,  the  drove 
would  follow  the  bell  sheep  over  the  head 
of  the  boy.  and  leave  him  in  the  lurch, 
hatless  and  coatless,  and  covered  with 
dust.  He  bent  himself  to  the  occasion, 
and  did  not  rise  until  the  last  sheep  had 
jumped  over  and  cleared  him. 

Droving  afforded  great  means  of  ob- 
servation for  laying  in  a  good  stock  of 
knowledge  for  future  application  and 
usefulness.  A  daily  journal  under  such 
circumstances  was  a  useful  compend  in 
the  years  to  come  for  reference  and  re- 


freshment of  the  memory.  Drovers  grew 
wide-awake,  alert  and  quick-witted.  They 
were  looked  upon  with  doubt  and  askance, 
and  in  return  extended  the  compliment. 
But  the  days  which  knew  them  know  them 
no  more. 

The  baa!  baa!  of  the  drove  was  an- 
noying to  the  uninitiated,  until  they  be- 
came accustomed  to  the  sound,  when  it 
became  ingrained  and  passed  into  the  con- 
dition of  a  second  nature. 

The  boss  drovers  and  possibly  one  of 
the  hands  were  mounted  on  horseback, 
and  if  a  stampede  or  straying  occurred 
the  animals  became  so  habituated  to  the 
work  of  rounding  up  that  they  materially 
assisted  in  the  work  without  urging.  The 
sheep  also  seemed  to  form  an  attachment 
for  the  horses,  and  thus  the  animals  mu- 
tually reacted  upon  each  other. 

Those  who  follow^ed  droving  became 
addicted  to  the  business,  and  could  hardly 
form  new  attachments  to  any  other  call- 
ing. There  was  constant  change  of  scene 
and  conditions,  and  new  contingencies 
presented  themselves. 

When  the  mountains  were  crossed  and 
the  country  became  more  open  and  in- 
viting, the  anxiety  and  welfare  for  the 
drove  was  in  great  part  removed,  espe- 
cially if  all  had  gone  well  up  to  the  pres- 
ent. 

Dealing  in  sheep  became  a  second  na- 
ture. The  social  quality  and  shrewdness 
served  the  buyer  and  drover  in  good  stead. 
To  buy  on  foot  or  to  sell  in  that  manner 
was  better  than  to  buy  or  sell  by  weight, 
as  many  dealers  found  to  their  sorrow. 
Sheep  were  fattened,  as  a  rule,  for  the 
market  after  being  brought  from,  or  by 
the  drove  after  its  arrival  in  the  East. 
To  fatten  and  drive  eastward  would  have 
impeded  locomotion,  and  also  would  have 
been  a  positive  loss. 

From  southern  Ohio  came  the  droves 
of  cattle,  hundreds  in  number.  The 
drovers  in  this  case  were  a  different  class 
of  men.  They  generally  wore  what  was 
termed  "a  red  womas."  They  were  un- 
kempt, unshorn  and  unshaven.  As  a 
rule  they  were  morose  men.  especially  on 
rainy  days,  when  they  cried  out :  "Forty 
cents  a  day  and  no  dinner."  It  must  be 
remembered  during  the  '30's  and  '40's 
forty  cents  a  day  was  the  pay  for  laborers 


S40 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


for  a  day's  work.  Haymaking  was  pai.l 
at  the  rate  of  seventy-five  cents  a  day, 
and  cradling  or  "taking  up"  after  a 
cradle  was  $1.25.  Some  men,  however, 
made  as  many  as  forty  days  in  haymaking, 
wheat  and  oats  harvest.  This  will  show 
the  duration  and  hard  work  on  the  farm 
in  former  days. 

Cattle  travelled  rapidly,  and  "stock 
cattle,"  as  they  were  known,  were  in  no 
danger  from  rapid  travelling  even  in  hot 
weather.  Stock  required  an  abundance 
of  water  during  hot  weather,  with  free 
access  to  it. 

Droving  horses  required  tact  and  care. 
They  travelled  rapidly,  but  to  take  them 
over  long  distances  required  careful 
grooming,  regularity  of  feeding,  and  a 
good  night's  rest. 

The  careful,  experienced  man  desired 
to  bring  his  stock  to  the  eastern  market 
in  good,  saleable  condition.  If  it  was  not 
in  condition,  the  expense  of  bringing  it 
to  the  standard  very  speedily  diminished 
the  profits. 

Droving  turkeys  required  ability  of  a 
difi^erent  character.  To  bring  a  drove  to- 
gether required  tact  in  selection  and  pur- 


chase. Today  in  the  extreme  westerm 
States  poultry  of  all  descriptions  is  shipped 
on  a  single  car.  It  would  not  be  wise  tO' 
put  them  all  together,  as  disagreement 
would  be  sure  to  arise  in  this  miscel- 
laneous family.  The  cars  contain  suc- 
cessive decks,  which  are  filled  with  chick- 
ens, turkeys,  geese,  ducks,  guinea  fowls,, 
etc.     Such  a  carload  is  a  novelty. 

During  the  period  when  railroads  were 
few  and  their  lines  were  not  extended, 
the  procedure  of  droving  to  certain  points 
was  necessary.  Even  dressed  fowls  could 
not  be  transported  except  by  wagon. 
Turkeys  would  drive  well  with  a  turkey 
led  by  a  judicious,  quick-witted  boy.  The 
mode  of  travel  was  slow,  and  on  wet  days 
the  procession  was  a  lugubrious  ones. 
Short  days  were  necessary.  Early  feed- 
ing for  the  night,  with  the  digestive  pro- 
cess in  action  on  the  roost,  was  a  require- 
ment. The  turkey,  if  driven  too  long, 
naturally  became  uneasy,  and  was  on  the 
lookout  for  a  roosting  place.  Thereupon 
the  prudent  driver  would  defer  to  the 
habits  of  the  fowl.  To  keep  the  drove  in 
good  condition  was  a  prime  necessity. 

But  those  times  have  passed  by  never 
to  return,  under  changed  conditions. 


It  will  be  observed  that  the  signers  of 
the  above  protest    (Ciermantown   Protest 
against  the  holding  of  slaves,  1688)  were 
not  English  Quakers.    All  were  doubtless 
known   as   German   Quakers.     Three   of 
them  were  Hollanders  and  one  was  a  Ger- 
man— 'the   two   Opden   Graefifs,    Gerhard 
Hendricks  and  Pastorius.     All  but  Pas- 
torius  were  originally  Mennonites.    It  will 
be  further  observed  that  the  protest  was 
not  favorably  received  by  any  of  the  meet- 
ings of  English  Friends  to  which  it  was 
submitted.       To     claim     credit     for     the 
Friends    for    making    the    first    protest 
against  slavery,  if  by  that  phrase  is  meant 
the  English  Quakers,  is  therefore  wholly 
inaccurate.      The    credit   belongs    to    the 
three    Hollanders    and    the    one    German 
above    mentioned,    of    whom   three    were 
Mennonites    before    they    were    Quakers. 
That   many   of   the   English    Quakers   of 
Pennsylvania    were    slaveholders   has    al- 
ready been  shown  in  this  chapter ;  and  it 
has    also   been    shown    that    the    frequent 


efforts  that  were  made  at  the  Yearly  Meet- 
ings of  Friends  to  secure  a  declaration 
that  Friends  should  not  hold  slaves  were 
unsuccessful  until  1758 — seventy  years 
after  the  German-town  protest ;  and  it  has 
been  further  shown  that  it  was  not  until 
1776  that  the  Yearly  Meeting  declared 
that  all  negroes  held  in  slavery  by  Friends 
should  be  set  at  liberty.  English  Quakers, 
therefore,  as  a  class  did  not  oppose  slav- 
ery, but  permitted  it  among  their  own 
membership,  even  if  they  did  not  distinctly 
approve  it.  The  credit  of  the  first  pro- 
test in  this  country  against  slavery  right- 
fully belongs  to  Pastorius  and  his  friends, 
and  this  protest  was  made  against  the 
practice  of  the  English  Quakers  them- 
selves in  buying  and  holding  slaves.  It 
was  written  when  the  English  and  Welsh 
Quakers  formed  a  large  part  of  the  popu- 
lation of  the  province,  probably  a  major- 
ity.— From  Swank's  Progressive  Pennsyl- 
vania. 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


S4I 


A  Portrait  of  Mary  Ball  Washington, 

By  W.  LANIER  WASHINGTON,  NEW    YORK. 

SEE  FRONTISPIECE. 


Note.-  Our  readers  may  well  feel  themselves 
Jiighly  honored  in  being  made  the  recipients  of 
•the  following  interesting  and  valuable  historical 
•commnnication  from  Mr.  W.  Lanier  Washing- 
ton, of  New  York,  a  descendant  of  the  mother 
•of  George  Washington.  In  behalf  of  our 
magazine  family  we  hereby  thank  Mr.  Wash- 
ington for  the  signal  favor  shown.  Waiving 
the  question  of  the  genuineness  of  the  por- 
trait, a  matter  we  are  not  competent  to  judge, 
we  desire  to  express  the  hope  that  in  some 
way  provision  may  be  made  by  which  the  por- 
trait may,  sooner  or  later,  through  some  public 
institution  become  accessible  to  those  interest- 
ed. Communications  on  the  subject  will  t)e 
appreciated. 

HE  two  articles  which  have 
appeared  in  the  May  and 
July  numbers  of  The 
Pennsvlvania-Ge  r  m  a  k 
on  "The  Maternal  Grand- 
mother of  Washington,"  the 
first  by  Judge  Stotsenburg 
and  the  latter  an  answer  by  Rev.  Horace 
Edwin  Hayden,  should  renew  interest  in 
a  subject  that  has  not  been  particularly 
discussed  of  late. 

In  the  last  paragraph  of  Dr.  Hayden's 
article,  he  states:  "No  portrait  of  Mary 
Ball  exists  except  Lossing's  fictitious  por- 
trait." And  this  leads  me  to  call  atten- 
tion to  a  portrait  that  is  now  in  my  pos- 
session, for  the  authenticity  of  which  I 
will  ofTer  the  following,  and  leave  it  to 
the  judgment  of  those  qtialified  to  pass 
upon  it,  as  to  whether  my  portrait  of  the 
mother  of  Washington  is  what  it  is  repre- 
sented and  what  I  am  inclined  to  believe 
it  to  be ;  that  is,  a  genuine  and  authentic 
portrait  of  Mary  Ball  Washington,  the 
mother  of  General  Washington,  painted 
from  life  by  Adolph  Ulric  Wertmiiller,  the 
Swedish  portrait  painter  who  visited  the 


United  States  in  i784-'86-(  ?),  who 
painted  at  that  time  the  well  known  Wert- 
miiller portrait  of  Washington,  and  ac- 
cording to  the  history  in  my  possession 
also  made  this  well  executed  portrait  of 
Mary  Washington. 

Eor  upward  of  sixty  years  after  Wert- 
miiller made  this  portrait  it  was  not 
known,  except  perhaps  by  certain  mem- 
bers of  the  Ball  family,  and  not  until  about 
1850  was  it  found  and  recognized  by  no 
less  an  authority  than  the  well  known  art 
historian,  Dr.  Spooner,  author  of  the 
"Dictionary  of  Painters  and  Engravers," 
and  the  restorer  of  Boydell's  "Shakes- 
peare Gallery." 

Dr.  Spooner,  while  in  Fredericksburg, 
Virginia,  at  that  time  became  acquainted 
with  some  of  the  Ball  family,  and  learned 
through  a  member  of  this  family  of  the 
existence  of  a  portrait  of  Mary  Ball 
Washington,  which  had  been  cut  from  its 
frame,  rolled  up,  packed  away  in  a  trunk 
and  kept  in  a  garret  for  many  years. 
When  Dr.  Spooner  saw  it  he  at  once  rec- 
ognized it  as  the  work  of  an  artist  of  ex- 
ceptional ability  and  through  tradition 
and  comparison  of  method  and  technique, 
was  able  to  his  own  satisfaction  to  identi- 
fy it  as  the  work  of  Adolph  Wertmiiller, 
and  after  considerable  persuasion  suc- 
ceeded in  securing  it. 

Upon  the  death  of  Dr.  Spooner,  it  be- 
came the  property  of  his  widow,  who  died 
in  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  about  1885.  She  be- 
queathed it  to  her  sister,  the  wife  of  Judge 
Henry  P.  Townsend,  of  609  Madison 
Avenue,  New  York  City.  Airs.  Town- 
send  in  turn  gave  it  to  Dr.  Albert  A. 
Davis,  of  149  East  Sixty-third  street, 
New  York  City,  to  be  delivered  after  her 
death,  and  a  few  months  prior  to  Dr. 
Davis'  death  in  1905,  he  placed  it  in  my 
hands,  with  a  certificate  as  to  the  facts  set 
forth  above. 


542 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


This  portrait  of  the  mother  of  Wash- 
ington now  hangs  in  mv  home  in  New 
York  City.  The  size  of  the  canvas  is 
i8x2i^  inches,  and  taking  away  the 
feminine  head-dress,  a  cap  of  some  soft 
white  material,  the  face  bears  so  striking 
a  resemblance  to  General  Washington  as 
to  remove  all  doubts  as  to  its  being  a  por- 
trait of  his  mother. 

It  is  remarkable  that  the  existence  of 
this  portrait  of  the  mother  of  Washing- 
ton in  her  mature  years  has  been  passed 
over  so  lightly  and  with  so  little  criticism. 
In  the  Nczv  York  World  of  Sunday,  ]\Iay 
7,  1893,  there  appeared  a  crude  reproduc- 
tion of  it,  the  only  reproduction  that  I 
have  ever  seen,  which  accompanied  an 
article  by  "Nym  Crinkle." 

At  that  time  this  portrait  hung  in  Judge 
Townsend's  home,  and  "Nym  Crinkle,"  in 
describing  it,  says : 

"We  had  to  light  the  chandelier  to  see  it 
adequately,  and  the  moment  we  did  we  saw 
looking  down  at  us  out  of  the  coiffeur  the  well 
known  characteristics  of  brow  and  mouth  and 
visual  breadth  which  have  made  the  face  of 
Washington  familiar  to  the  world.  There 
could  be  no  mistake ;  here  was  the  maternal 
mould,  in  which  the  firmness,  the  hauteur,  the 
equipoise  of  judgment  of  the  Father  of  His 
Country  had  been  shaped  *  *  *  j(-  ^^g  v^oW 
preserved  in  color  and  texture  and  represented 
a  woman  of  about  fifty-five  or  sixty  years  of 
age,  dressed  in  the  costume  of  the  latter  part 
of  the  eighteenth  century.  The  face,  which  is 
presented  in  full,  is  in  low  tone,  but  admirably 
handled,  and  is  remarkable  for  its  character  no 
less   than    its    simplicity   of   treatment." 

The  portrait  has  been  carefully  relined, 
but  Judge  Townsend  has  stated  that  when 
the  artist  Wertmiiller  went  to  the  house 
of  Mary  Washington  to  make  his  studies, 
he  could  get  no  canvas,  and  was  com- 
pelled to  make  his  own  out  of  a  piece  of 
old  ticking,  which  he  mounted  and  pre- 
pared. 

Edward  Everett  saw  this  portrait,  and 
knew  its  history,  and  was  so  thoroughly 
convinced  as  to  its  genuineness  that  he  in- 
terested himself  in  an  efifort  to  have  it 
placed  in  Mount  V^ernon,  but  Dr.  Spooner, 
who  then  owned  it,  had  intended  to  place 
it  in  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  and  had 
already  taken  the  matter  up  with  that  in- 
stittition  which  is  so  rich  in  the  possession 
of  relics  of  General  Washington,  but  b^th 
Mr.  Everett  and  Dr.  .Spioncr  died  before 


either  scheme  was  completed. 

It  is  also  known  that  Story  the  sculp- 
tor used  this  portrait  for  a  sculptured 
group.  Efforts  were  made  to  secure  it 
at  one  time  for  the  Metropolitan  Museum 
of  Art  in  New  York  City,  and  for  the 
New  York  City  Hall,  but  these  appar- 
ently failed,  for  it  has  remained  in  private- 
hands  until  by  strange  chance  it  has  come 
into  the  possession  again  of  a  descendant 
of  Mary  Ball. 

With  regard  to  the  artist  Wertnmller^ 
from  an  old  catalogue  of  an  exhibition  of 
his  paintings  at  Murray  street,  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Broadway,  New  York  City,  which 
is  dated  181 5,  it  is  shown  that 

"Adolph  Ulric  Wertmiiller,  a  native  of  Stock- 
holm, where  his  father  was  a  respectable 
apothecary.  He  was  a  celebrated  limner,  mem- 
ber of  the  academies  of  painting  and  sculpture 
at  Stockholm,  and  of  the  former  academy  of 
painting  at  Paris.  He  obtained  also  a  title  of 
professor  in  Sweden.  Having  learnt  the  art  at 
home,  he  went  to  France  for  improvement,  par- 
ticularly by  a  Swedish  painter  settled  in  Paris. 
There  he  continued  many  years  and  acquired 
considerable  property  in  money,  but  suffered 
great  loss  in  the  Revolution  by  the  general  con- 
vulsion of  the  finances.  In  May,  1794  (?), 
he  arrived  from  Spain,  in  a  Swedish  autueta 
he  arrived  from  Spain,  in  a  Swedish  vessel,  at 
Philadelphia,  and  remained  there  until  autumn 
1796  (?).  He  then  went  back  to  France  to- 
settle  his  affairs,  lived  the  greatest  part  of  the 
time  at  Stockholm,  sustained  another  heavy 
loss  by  the  failure  of  a  principal  merchant 
there,  and  returned  to  Philadelphia,  November, 
1800.  *  *  *  *  Mr.  Wertmiiller  deceased  in 
Philadelphia  about  the  year  1812.  His  portrait 
of  the  illustrious  Washington  was  much  ad- 
mired, and  has  been  frequently  copied.  In  his 
Dandc,  he  gave  a  distinguished  specimen  of  his 
professional  talents." 

It  would  please  me  very  much  to  hear 
from  those  competent  to  pass  judgment 
as  to  their  opinion  or  conclusions  as  to 
the  genuineness  of  my  portrait,  and  I 
shall  be  pleased  to  give  ample  opportunity 
to  any  one  interested  to  inspect  and  study 
it  carefully  at  my  home  at  1700  Broad- 
way, New  York.  .  


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GF.RMAN 


543 


THK  MATERNAL  GRANDMOTHKR 


OF 


George   Washington. 


CV   HON.  JOHN    11.   STOTSriNBURG,    NEW    ALBANY,    IND. 


IXCE  the  publication  of  the 
article  entitled  as  above,  in 
The  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man,— an  article  which  at- 
tracted much  attention,  es- 
pecially in  Virginia,  many 
communications  have  been 
received  bearing  on  the  subject. 

One  relates  to  the  burial  place  of  Mary 
Ball  Hevves,  the  grandmother  of  Wash- 
ington ;  and  the  writer  suggests  that  Mrs. 
Hewes  was  buried  in  the  old  graveyard 
at  Epping  Forest,  in  Lancaster  county, 
close  to  the  site  of  the  old  home.  If  such 
was  the  fact,  the  church  records  of 
Wicomico  parish,  in  Northumberland 
County,  or  of  one  of  the  churches  in  Lan- 
caster county,  and  probably  White 
Chapel,  of  which  the  Rev.  Lawrence  R. 
Combs  is  the  rector,  ought  to  verify  the 
statement. 

Another  letter  states  that  Elizabeth 
Bonum,  the  widowed  half-sister  of  Wash- 
ington's mother  was  married  to  Lewis 
Lanier  either  in  Screvin  county,  Georgia, 
or  in  North  Carolina.  The  Lanier  name 
is  an  honored  name,  both  in  State  a4id 
Nation.  Members  of  that  family  have 
faithfully  and  honestly  served  the  Re- 
public in  troublous  times. 

Another  epistle  claims  that  Elizabeth 
Bonum,  after  the  death  of  her  husband, 
Samuel  Bonum,  was  married  to  a  Mr. 
MuUikin. 

Another  maintains  the  theory  that  Mrs. 
Bonum  married  an  Anderson ;  that  her 
daughter  by  that  marriage  became  the 
wife    of    a    Mr.    Powell,    one    of    whose 


daughters  was  married  to  Moses  Ijussell, 
in  Fairfax  county,  X'irginia,  and  that  a 
daughter  by  that"  marriage  was  married 
to  a  gentleman  named  Maddox. 

Weems,  in  his  "Life  of  George  Wash- 
ington," seems  to  connect  the  Bussell  fani- 
ily°with  the  father  of  his  country,  for  he 
states  that  when  George,  who  was  then 
eleven  years  old,  was  at  Mr.  Hobby's 
school,  'the  boys  of  the  school  were  di- 
vided into  two  bands  or  armies,  one  under 
the  leadership  of  George  Wkshington. 
and  the  other  under  the  leadership  of 
William  Bussell. 

Another  correspondent  states  that  the 
farm  on  which  Samuel  Bonum,  the  hus- 
band of  Mary  Ball's  half-sister,  lived, 
was  situated  on  the  borders  of  West- 
moreland county,  near  the  Northumber- 
land line.  A  little  river,  called  the  Yeo- 
comico,  divides  the  two  counties.  About 
two  miles  up  the  shore  from  the  river's 
mouth,  and  on  the  west  side,  is  Bonum's 
creek;  and  the  old  English  mansion, 
lately  torn  down,  stood  on  a  hill  about 
fifty  vards  from  the  Potomac  river. 

All  these  and  kindred  communications 
show  how  important  it  is  to  preserve  fam- 
ily records,  and  how  valuable  such  a 
magazine  as  The  Pennsylvanl\-Ger- 
MAN  is  to  all  men  and  women  who  are 
seeking  to  trace  their  ancestry.  Heretofore, 
the  tradition  has  prevailed  that  Washing- 
ton's maternal  grandmother  and  her 
daughter  Elizabeth  had  made  their  home 
in  England  after  Colonel  Ball's  death, 
when  in  fact  they  had  remained  hi  Vir- 
ginia and  were  married  to  substantial  yeo- 
men in  that  great  State. 


544 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


German-American  Failure. 


By  ALFIIED  P.  SCHULTZ,   M.  D.,  MONTICELLO,  N.  Y. 


Note. — The  following  letter,  received  in  the 
course  of  editorial  correspondence  conducted 
by  Associate  Editor  Prof.  E.  S.  Gerhard,  is 
published  by  permission.  The  Postscript  is 
drawn  from  a  letter  received  by  the  Editor 
subsequently  to  the  letter  received  by  the  As- 
sociate Editor.  We  are  glad  to  welcome  Dr. 
Schultz  into  our  growing  family, 'and  hope  to 
hear  from  him  again.  The  letter  touches  upon 
an  interesting  subject,  and  will  doubtless  prove 
thought-awakening  to  our  readers. 

MoNTicELLO,  N.  Y.,  August  23,  1908. 

Prof.  E.  Schultz  Gerhard, 

Trenton,  N.  J. : 

Dear  Sir — Your  letter  of  August  19th 
at  hand.  This  gives  me  once  more  the 
opportunity  to  express  my  opinion  con- 
cerning the  subject  I  have  most  at  heart 
— the  German-Americans  (men  of 
American  birth  and  German  descent). 

A  great  langtiage  is  a  sacred  heirloom ; 
it  has  influenced  the  soul,  the  brain  of 
the  race  for  many  thousand  generations 
more  powerfully  than  all  other  factors. 
We  know  that  children  resemble  their 
parents,  we  know  that  the  instincts  are 
hereditary  (no  eagle  is  born  with  the  in- 
stincts of  the  dove),  trivial  characteristics 
even,  as  the  gait,  the  handwriting,  shrug 
of  the  shoulder,  etc.,  are  frequently  in- 
herited, yet  we  deny  that  so  powerful  a 
factory  as  the  mother  tongue  has  heredi- 
tary influence. 

I  hold  that  a  great  race  cannot  throw 
ofif  its  mother  tongue  without  becoming 
worse  than  it  was  before.  There  are  in 
America  at  least  20,ooo,coo  people  of 
German  blood ;  they  produced  in  the  coun- 
try's history  not  one  distinguished  states- 
man, not  one  distinguished  military  or 
naval  leader,  not  one  great  writer,  not  one 
eminent  scientist,  not  one  eminent  musi- 
cian ;  and  is  the  German  not  a  great  race  ? 
Consider  German  art,  German  science, 
German  literature,  German  philosophy, 
German  music,  German  cultural  activity 


in  every  line.  Is  the  poverty,  the  mental 
sterility  of  the  American-born  descendants 
of  Germans  not  truly  amazing?  There 
are  less  than  200.000  persons  of  German 
descent  in  the  Baltic  provinces  of  Russia; 
for  human  progress  these  200,000  are 
vastly  more  important  than  the  20,000,- 
000  descendants  of  Germans  in  America. 
Who  of  German-Americans  is  the  equal 
of  Prof.  V.  Bergmann,  Prof.  v.  Leyden, 
Prof.  Harnack,  Hermann  Graf  Kaiser- 
ling,  Prof.  Uexkuell,  not  mentioning 
others?  Who  can  deny  that  in  compari- 
son with  the  Germans  the  German- 
Americans  are  degenerate?  The  German- 
American  societies;  do  they  not  (a  few 
exceptions  granted)  diligently  shun  the 
pursuit  of  intellectual  culture.  There  are 
wealthy  German-Americans.  Prof.  Goebel 
writes: 

"Es  faellt  mir  schwer  es  zu  sagen,  aber  es 
muss  heraus :  Der  reiche  Deutsch-Amerikaner 
ist  mit  wenig  ruehmlichen  Ausnahmen  ein 
elender  Knauser,  der  an  seinem  Besitz  mit 
hitziger  Zaehigkeit  festhaelt  und  ihn  lieber 
lachenden  Erben  als  einem  gemeinruetziger 
Zwecke  hinterlaesst.  Vergleichen  wir  die  unge- 
zaehlten  Millionen  die  reiche  Amerikaner,  ein- 
em Pflichtgefuehl  folgend,  mit  fuerstlicher  Frei- 
gebigkeit  an  Wohltaetigkeits  und  Erziehungsan- 
stalten  geschenkt  haben  mit  dem  was  ebenso 
reiche  Deutsch-Amerikaner  je  weggegeben 
haben,  dann  ergreift  uns  das  Gefuehl  ekler 
Scham.  Und  mit  diesem  schaebigen  Knauser- 
tum  geht  nicht  sclten  der  Mangel  an  geistigen 
Interressen  Hand  in  Hand;  ja  im  Vergleich  zu 
dem  grossartigen  Bildungsstreben  des  Ameri- 
kaners  ist  der  Deutsch-Amerikaner  im  Durch- 
schnitt  geistig  tot.  Schon  damals  war  die  ekel- 
hafte  Erscheinung  im  Deutschamerikanischen 
Volksleben,  der  protzende  Emporkoemmling 
nicht  selten,  der  auf  geistige  Bestrebungen  und 
ihre  Vertreter  mit  Verachtung  herabsieht  und 
dem  kaum  der  Geistliche,  unter  Androhung 
ausgesuchter  Hoellenstrafen,  einen  Dollar 
abringt." 

(It  is  disagreeable  to  say  it,  but  the  utterance 
should  be  made :  the  rich  German- American  is, 
with  few  noteworthy  exceptions,  a  miserable 
niggard    who    cleaves   to    his    possessions   with 


GERMAN  AMERICAN  FAILURE 


545 


fervid  tenacity,  and  prefers  to  leave  the  same 
to  smiling  heirs  rather  than  to  the  general 
welfare.  If  we  compare  the  countless  millions 
given  with  princely  generosity  by  rich  Ameri- 
cans in  obedience  to  a  sense  of  duty,  to  benevo- 
lent and  educational  institutions  with  what  has 
been  given  by  equally  rich  German-Americans, 
a  feeling  of  nauseous  shame  lays  hold  of  us. 
And  hand-in-hand  with  this  shabby  niggardli- 
ness, there  goes  not  infrequently  an  absence  of 
interest  in  intellectual  matters;  indeed,  in  com- 
parison with  the  magnificent  educational  ef- 
forts made  by  the  American,  the  average  Ger- 
man-American is  dead.  P-ven  then  already  the 
otTensive  appearance  in  German- American  life 
of  the  in.solent  upstart  was  not  rare  who  looked 
down  with  contempt  upon  spiritual  efiforts  and 
its  representatives,  and  from  whom  the  min- 
ister, under  threat  of  direst  evil,  with  difficulty 
wrung  a  dollar. — Traiisiatio>i  by  Editor.) 

Where  in  the  world  is  there  a  more 
.C^reedy,  a  more  brainless,  a  more  miserly, 
in  short  a  moj-e  dis;T,"usting  pack  of  (I 
nearly  made  the  mistake  to  say  of  men) 
individuals,  caricatures  of  humanity,  who 
think  evidently  that  a  full  purse  and  a 
full  stomach  make  a  man,  when  in  fact 
they  make  only  a  greedy  beast.  Why 
have  Americans  of  German  descent  not 
been  as  fruitful  in  good  works  as  Germans 
or  as  Americans  of  Anglo-Saxon  descent 
(V.  history  of  politics,  of  art,  of  science, 
of  literature,  of  music,  etc.)  ?  This  is  the 
answer,  by  betraying  their  mother  tongue, 
they  rendered  their  normal  development 
impossible.  The  rapidity  with  which  they 
discarded  tlieir  mother  tongue  has  not 
made  them  better  citizens ;  it  has  made 
them  less  able  citizens.  There  is  no  reason 
whatsoever  for  discarding  the  mother 
tongue  of  the  race  in  the  acquirement  of 
the  English  language.  The  cultivation 
of  the  mother  tongue  alone  will  enable 
the  Americans  of  German  descent  to  be- 
come the  equals  of  Germans  or  of  Anglo- 
Saxon  Americans.  No  great  race  can 
discard  its  mother  tongue  without  becom- 
ing inferior.  In  the  book  "Race  or 
Mongrel"  (Page  &  Co.,  Boston),  I  have 
endeavored  to  prove  my  position. 

Men  who  do  not  love  their  mother 
tongue  are  depraved  individuals ;  their 
absorption  is  not  a  gain,  but  a  clear  detri- 
ment to  the  country. 

Very  sincerely   yours, 
ALFRED  P.  SCHULTZ,  M.D. 

P.  S. — Es   kann    wolil    nicht    bcstritten 


vvcrden,  dass  unter  den  Deutsch-Ameri- 
kanern,  den  Pennsylvania-Deutschen  der 
crste  Platz  zukommt.  Der  Grund  ist 
nicht  schwer  zu  finden.  Sie  hatten  odei 
entwickelten  einen  gewissen  (sthr  be- 
rechtigten)  Stolz  auf  ihre  Abstammung. 
hueteten  ihre  j\Iutters])rache,  und  es 
wohnten  ihrcr  viele  beisammen.  Diese 
l>edingungen  verhinderten  die  ganz  plan- 
lose  Vermischung  die  in  vielen  Plaetzen 
vor  sich  geht.  Dass  eine  planlose,  unbe- 
schraenkte  Vermischung  M  e  n  s  c  h  e  n 
deutschen  Blutes,  mit  Slawen  (viele  der- 
selben  sind  halb  und  viertel  Mongolen), 
mit  Lateinern  (viele  derselben  sind  mit 
Negerblut  belastet),  oder  mit  dem  ^lisch- 
JNIasch  Menschen  (mixtum  decomposi- 
tum)  Sued-Amerika's,  die  Nachkommen 
der  Deutschen  verschlechtern  muss,  ist 
doch  ganz  klar.  (Den  Angelsachsen  droht 
dieselbe  Gefahr).  Die  pflege  der 
deutschen  Sprache  mit  der  englischen. 
genuegt  urn  schrankenlose  Vermischung 
zu  verhindern. 

Wer   deutsch   und   englisch   kann   dem 
steht  die  Kultur  der  ganzen  Welt  zur  Ver- 
fuegung.     Die  groessten  und  tiefsten  Ge- 
danken  sind  in  diesen  zwei  Sprachen  ge- 
dacht   worden ;  wer  nicht  deutsch   kann, 
kann  in  vielen  W^issenschaften  nicht  auf 
der  Hoehe  der  Zeit  bleiben,  c.  B.  Chemie, 
Aledizin,   Philosophic.     Jede  Philosophic, 
die   mehr   sein   will  als   ein  blosses  Ver- 
nuenfteln,    die    mehr    als    Luftschloesser 
Systeme  flicken  will  muss  an  Kant,  den 
groessten  aller  Denker  anknuepfen,  und 
wer    des    Deutschen    nicht    maechtig   ist, 
kann    Kant    ueberhaupt   nicht   verstehen. 
Der    Deutsch-Amerikaner    dem    die    eine 
dicser    Sprachen    so   lieb   und    wert    sein 
soUte   wie   die   andere,   kann   mit   diesen, 
die  Kultur  der  ganzen  Welt  umklaminern. 
Die    Deutsch-Amerikaner    koennten    sich 
zum     hoechsten     Geschoepf     der     Erde 
emporschwingen,  wenn  sie  wollten  ;  dass 
sie    es     bis     jetzt    leider     nicht     wollten 
brauche  ich  nicht  darzulegen.     Es  ist  evi- 
dent.   Dass  das  deutsche  l^lut  ebenso  gut 
ist   wie  das  englische  beweist   die  Welt- 
geschichte,    beweist    die    Geschichte    der 
Kunst,  der  Literatur,  der  Wissenschaften, 
der  Musik,  des  Handels. 

(It   can    not   be   gainsaid    that   among 
German-Americans      the      Pennsvlvania- 


546 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Germans  occupy  the  first  place.  The  rea- 
son is  not  hard  to  find.  They  had  or  de- 
veloped a  certain  (quite  justifiable)  pride 
of  ancestry,  preserved  their  mother 
tongue  and"  many  of  them  lived  com- 
pactly together.  These  conditions  pre- 
vented the  quite  purposeless  intermixture 
that  is  occurring  in  many  places.  That 
a  purposeless  uncircumscribed  mixing  of 
German  blood  with  Slavs  (many  of  whom 
are  half  or  quarter  Mongolian)  with 
Latins  (many  of  whom  are  burdened  with 
Negro  blood)  or  with  the  nondescript 
people  of  South  America  (mixtum  de- 
compositum)  must  cause  the  degeneration 
of  the  descendants  of  the  Germans  is  quite 
evident.  (The  same  danger  threatens  the 
Anglo-Saxons.)  The  use  of  the  German 
language  with  the  English  is  sufficient  to 
prevent  unrestrained  mixture. 

The  culture  of  the  whole  world  is  at 
the  command  of  him  who  understands 
English  and  German.     The  greatest  and 


deepest  thoughts  have  been  thought  in 
these  languages.  He  who  does  not  under- 
stand the  German  can  in  many  branches 
of  knowledge  not  keep  abreast  of  the 
times,  e.  g.  Chemistry,  Medicine,  Phil- 
osophy. Each  philosophy  that  aims  to  be 
more  than  mere  sophism,  that  aims  to  do 
more  than  patch  aircastle  systems,  must 
tie  to  Kant,  the  greatest  of  all  thinkers, 
and  he  who  is  not  master  of  German  can 
not  understand  Kant.  The  German- 
American,  to  whom  the  one  language 
should  be  as  dear  as  the  other,  can  with 
these  embrace  the  culture  of  the  whole 
world.  German-Americans  might  lift 
themselves  to  the  highest  among  men  if 
they  wished  to,  that  up  to  the  present  they 
have  not  tried  I  need  not  prove.  It  is 
evident.  That  German  blood  is  as  good 
as  English  is  shown  by  the  history  of 
the  world,  the  history  of  art,  literature, 
the  sciences,  music  and  trade. — Transla- 
tion by  Editor.) 


A  road  of  national  importance,  usually 
styled  the  National  Road,  but  sometimes 
the  Cum'berland  Road,  was  undertaken  by 
the  Government  of  the  United  States  in 
1806.  with  the  patriotic  object  of  opening 
a  highway  between  the  East  and  the  West, 
and  thus  aiding  in  more  strongly  cement- 
ing these  two  sections  of  our  country.  The 
road  was  planned  to  pass  westward  from 
Cumberland  through  Maryland,  Pennsyl- 
vania and  Virginia  to  a  point  gn  the  Ohio 
river,  afterwards  fixed  at  Wheeling,  and 
thence  into  Ohio  and  eventually  farther 
west,  thus  realizing  the  early  dream  of 
Washington,  who  had  for  many  years  be- 
fore his  death  advocated  a  closer  union 
of  the  East  and  the  West  through  the  cre- 
ation of  transportation  facilities  between 
these  sections.  Work  on  the  construction 
of  this  road  was  commenced  at  Cumber- 
land in  181 1,  and  the  road  was  finished 
to  Wheeling  and  opened  to  the  public  in 
1818,  a  distance  of  112  miles,  of  which 
241/2  miles  were  in  Maryland,  75^  were 
in  Pennsylvania,  and  12  were  in  Virginia. 


now  West  Virginia.  It  was  40  feet  wide 
at  its  narrowest  point,  and  80  feet  at  its 
widest.  The  road  in  Pennsylvania  passed 
through  Somerset,  Fayette,  Westmore- 
land and  Washington  counties.  After 
1 8 18  it  was  extended  into  Ohio,  Indiana 
and  Illinois.  Until  after  1850  it  was  a 
much  used  thoroughfare,  both  for  passen- 
gers and  freight,  and  it  accomplished  all 
the  desirable  results  which  had  originally 
been  claimed  for  it.  After  1850  its  use, 
which  had  gradually  been  yielding  to  the 
competition  of  the  canals  and  railroads, 
and  also  to  the  competition  of  steamboat 
navigation  on  the  Ohio,  rapidly  declined, 
except  for  local  purposes,  and  for  these 
purposes  parts  of  it,  especially  in  Penn- 
sylvania, are  still  kept  in  good  condition, 
although  no  longer  under  the  care  of  the 
United  States.  The  influence  of  the  Na- 
tional Road  in  the  development  of  the 
country  west  of  the  Alleghenies  has  been 
very  great. — From  Swank's  Progressive 
Pcnnsxhania. 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


547 


Early   Days  of   The 
Keystone  State  Normal  School 

BV  FRANK  S.   KKKBS,  SUPT.  MODEL  SCHOOL,   K.    S.    N.    S.,    KLTZTOWN,    PA. 


it  T 

THi;  ■■  NUKMAL-  IN    l.Aiv.^i    I  .A  1  .-> 


I   I  mDl:   iffi  lEi    LI 
UPPI 


OME  years  ago,  a  gentleman 
from  Massachusetts,  trav- 
tlliny  on  a  passenger 
coach  on  the  East  Penn 
Railroad  through  the  beau- 
tiful East  Penn  Valley 
with  its  comfortable  vil- 
lages and  farmhouses,  its  large  barns, 
and  its  well-tilled  productive  farms,  as  he 
passed  almost  within  the  shadow  of  the 
Keystone  State  Normal  School,  remarked 
that  it  was  a  pity  that  such  a  beautiful 
country  should  have  come  into  the  pos- 
session of  such  a  boorish,  uncultured 
class  of  people  as  the  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
mans. 

As  if  Providence  had  prepared  this 
country  for  these  people  as  He  had  led  the 
Children  of  Israel  to  the  Chosen  Land! 
As  if  it  were  not  really  the  reverse, — that 
these  selfsame  despised  "Pennsylvania- 
Dutch"  had  not  through  years  of  hardest 
toil,  the  gravest  dangers  from  Indians, 
and  by  the  severest  self-denial,  made  the 
wilderness  blossom  as  a  rose!  As  if  the 
ancestors  of  these  same  "Dutchmen"  had 
not  contributed  money  and  quantities  of 
grain  when  that  Yankee's  ancestors  were 
starving  in  P)Oston  on  account  of  the 
"Boston  Port  Bill"!  As  if  re-inforce- 
ments    of    "Dutchmen"    from    Pennsyl- 


vania had  not  be.^n  among  the  first  to 
reach  Washington's  army  at  Cambridge !: 
As  if  Pennsylvania  had  not  contributed 
more  soldiers  to  the  War  of  1812  than  all 
the  New  England  States  together,  ex- 
cepting Massachusetts !  As  if  Pennsyl- 
vania had  not  contributed  to  the  Mexican 
War  almost  two  and  a  half  times  as  many 
men  as  Massachusetts  !  As  if  troops  from 
Pennsylvania  had  not  been  the  first  to 
reach  Washington  in  1861  ! 

While  the  mutterings  of  the  greatest 
civil  war  of  all  ages  were  being  heard  in 
i860,  through  the  efiforts  of  the  late  Rev. 
J.  S.  Herman.  Prof.  Henry  R.  Nicks 
opened  what  was  known  as  Fairview 
Seminary  in  the  fine  home  now  occupied 
by  Col.  Thos.  D.  Fiste'r.  The  capacity  of 
this  building  soon  proved  insufificient  for 
the  needs  of  the  increasing  number  of 
students;  and  in  1863,  while  the  country 
was  in  the  throes  of  war,  when  our 
State  had  been  invaded,  when  the 
government  was  in  great  peril,  a 
number  of  "Pennsvlvania-Dutchmen"  (O, 
take  notice  Mr.  Yankee!),  "dunib  Pcnn- 
sylvanv.a-Dutchmcn  ''  bought  five  acres  of 
ground  and  erected  thereon  where  the 
Principal's  office  now  stands  a  building- 
costing  $4, TOO.  and  named  it  "The  Maxa- 
tawny     Seminary."    Among    the     many 


548 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


*'dumb  Dutchmen"  who  were  penurious 
enough  to  subscribe  money  for  this  build- 
ing and  the  subsequent  normal  school 
buildings  for  the  benefit  of  the  com- 
munity at  large  were  the  following,  who 
constituted  the  first  board  of  trustees  of 
the  Normal  School: 

Lewis  K.  Hottenstein,  Pres.  Board  of 
Trustees;  David  H.  Hottenstein,  Sec. 
Board  of  Trustees;  Lesher  Trexler,  M. 
D.,  Pres.  Board  of  Stockholders;  Jonas 
Hoch,  Sec.  Board  of  Stockholders ;  Chas. 
Gerasch,  M.  D.,  Treasurer;  Henry  Bu- 
shong,  Egidius  Butz,  Daniel  Dietrich, 
Rev.  J.  S.  Ermentrout,  David  Fister,  John 
H.  Fogel,  Jonas  Hoch,  Edward  Hotten- 
stein, J\I.  D.,  J.  Glancy  Jones,  Rev.  B.  E. 
Kramlich,  Diller  Luther,  M.  D.,  Jonas 
Miller,  Ulrich  Miller,  Rev.  H.  R.  Nicks. 
H.  H.  Schwartz,  Esq.,  David  Schaeffer, 
Adam  Stein,  Lesher  Trexler,  M.  D.,  J. 
D.  Wanner,  Esq. 

The    Buildings. 

As  tinie  rolled  on,  new  buildings  were 
needed  and  erected, — a  central  building  in 
1865,  a  girls'  building  in  1880,  a  chapel 
building  in  1887,  a  boys'  wing  in  1891,  a 
new  central  building  in  1893,  a  laundry 
and  kitchen  in.  1895,  a  new  .Alodel  School 
building  in  ipoo,  a  gymnasium  in  1907, 
and  a  new  infirmary,  which  is  at  this 
writing  in  process  of  construction.  These 
buildings,  with  their  superb  modern  equip- 
ments, representing  an  expenditure  of  at 
least  half  a  million  dollars,  are  convincing 
arguments  of  the  fallacy  of  the  Yankee'^s 
reasoning. 

No  student  of  ye  olden  times  would 
feel  satisfied  with  this  sketch  unless  spe- 
cial mention  were  made  of  an  emergency 
building  that  once  occupied  a  space  north- 
east of  the  principal's  quarters.  In  Dr. 
Home's  administration  it  was  found  about 
New  Year  that  the  great  number  of  new 
students  could  not  be  housed  the  following 
spring,  and  therefore  a  frame  building 
was  erected.  Prof.  D.  S.  Keck,  then  a. 
senior,  dug  the  first  spadeful  of  ground 
the  latter  part  of  February,  1874,  and  by 
March  23.  the  opening  of  the  spring  term, 
the  building  was  ready  for  occupancy. 
Ex-judge  R.  H.  Koch,  of  Pottsville, 
Schuylkill  County,  was  at  that  time  as- 


The  "Normal''  of  to  D.w. 


EARLY  DAYS  OF  THE  KEYSTONE  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL 


549 


sistant  professor  of  mallK'inatics  at  the 
Normal,  and  was  quartered  in  the  build- 
ing; and  as  his  father  was  a  miller  by 
trade,  the  building  was  named  "Koch's 
Mill."  After  iVof.  Koch  left  the  Normal, 
it  became  affectionately  known  as  "The 
Old  Mill."  After  rendering  valuable  serv- 
ice for  many  years,  it  was  sold  and  moved 
to  Lyons  for  a  cigar  factory.  Several 
years  ago  it  was  destroyed  by  fire. 

The  Principals. 

In  i865  Maxatawny  Seminary  became 
the  Keystone  State  Normal  School,  and 
the  Rev.  John  S.  Ermentrout,  a  brother 
of  the  late  Judge  James  X.  Ermentrout, 
became  the  first  principal.  During  his  ad- 
ministration there  arose  two  factions  in 
the  board  of  trustees,  and  as  a  result. 
Prof.  Ermentrout  successfully  opposed 
the  re-election  of  Dr.  A.  N.  Raub,  a  very 
popular  teacher,  to  the  position  of  English, 
on  the  ground  that  Dr.  Raub's  conduct 
had  been  opposed  to  Prof.  Ermentrout's 
policies.  The  following  year,  1871,  Prof. 
Ermentrout  left  the  school,  taking  oppor- 
unity,  in  an  address  to  the  assemblage  of 
students  and  visitors  at  commencement, 
to  deliver  such  scathing  invective  against 
the  board  of  trustees  that  several  members 
of  that  body  walked  out  of  the  chapel  be- 
fore the  close  of  the  speech.  Several 
years  later  Prof.  Ermentrout  again  be- 
came a  member  of  the  school's  faculty. 

The  vice-principal,  Prof.  N.  C.  Schaef- 
fer.  a  young  man  of  about  twenty -one 
years  of  age,  presided  over  the  affairs  of 
the  school  until  about  Christmas,  when 
Dr.  A.  R.  Home,  superintendent  of 
the  schools  of  Williamsport,  Pa.,  was  in- 
stalled as  principal.  Under  Dr.  Home, 
the  school  grew  rapidly  in  numbers,  but 
in  1877,  owing  to  some  difficulties  with 
the  board  of  trustees,  Dr.  Home  left 
school,  and  Dr.  N.  C.  Schaeffer,  then  a 
teacher  at  F.  &  INI.  College,  Lancaster, 
was  chosen  principal. 

The  Model  School  Strike. 

Several  weeks  before  the  close  of  the 
spring  term  of  1877,  when  it  was  known 
that  Dr.  Home  had  not  been  re-elected, 
the  seniors  adopted  a  novel  plan  of  forcing 
the  trustees   to   re-elect  him.     Knowing 


that  no  normal  school  can  legally  exist 
without  a  Model  School,  the  members  of 
the  graduating  class  determined  to  refuse 
to  teach  in  that  department  until  the 
trustees  would  bow  to  their  demands. 
Accordingly,  one  morning  only  one  senior 
reported  for  duty  in  the  Model  School. 
Prof.  D.  S.  Keck,  the  superintendent  of 
the  Model  School,  promptly  drafted  into 
service  a  number  of  juniors,  and  a  day  or 
two  later  the  strikers  appeared  and  hum- 
bly asked  to  be  re-instated. 

At  this  time  the  school  was  face  to  face 
with  the  greatest  crisis  in  its  existence. 
Dr.  Home  was  exceedingly  popular  with 
the  students,  aiid  many  left  to  attend  other 
normal  schools.  So  great  was  this  de- 
fection that  the  next  year's  graduating 
class  numbered  only  ten  members.  How- 
ever, realizing  the  seriousness  of  the  situa- 
tion at  once,  those  students  and  teachers 
who  were  loyal  to  Dr.  Schaeft'er  held  an 
impromptu  meeting  in  chapel  on  the  com- 
mencement day  when  Dr.  Home  left,  and 
then  and  there  openly  pledged  their  sup- 
port to  the  new  principal. 

Ll^nder  the  sixteen  years  of  Dr.  Schaef- 
fer's  administration,  the  school  prospered 
greatly.  The  principal  strove  to  surround 
himself  with  a  strong  faculty,  and  the  last 
senior  class  graduated  during  his  term, 
instead  of  ten  members,  numbered  ninety- 
three. 

LTpon  Dr.  Schaeffer's  appointment  as 
State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruc- 
tion, the  vice-principal.  Dr.  G.  B.  Handi- 
er, was  elected  principal.  In  1899,  Dr.  A. 
C.  Rothermel,  the  vice-principal,  was 
elected  principal,  a  position  that  he  is  still 
holding.  In  the  last  two  administrations 
the  progress  of  the  school  in  efficiency  and 
numbers  has  been  consantly  increasing, 
and  the  last  year  witnessed  the  largest  en- 
rollment, 951  students,  in  the  history  of 
the  school. 

The   French   Commission. 

The  Centennial  Year  was  noted  for  two 
principal  events,  as  far  as  the  school  was 
concerned.  A  commission  of  four  or  five 
educators  sent  by  the  French  Government 
visited  the  Normal  School  in  their  tour 
of  inspection  of  American  educational  in- 
stitutions.    The   leading   citizens    of   our 


550 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


PROF.  JOHN  S.  ERMENTROUr. 

town  vied  with  one  another  in  tendering 
the  noted  foreigners  a  cordial  reception 
and  taking  them  to  different  points  of  in- 
terest. In  fact,  as  a  result  of  their  stren- 
uous exertions  in  pointing  out  some  of  the 
beauties  of  nature  in  and  about  Crystal 
Cave,  it  is  said  that  some  of  the  Ameri- 
cans were  almost  overcome  by  their 
labors,  but  these  efforts  were  fully  com- 
pensated by  the  enthusiastic  appreciation 
of  their  Gallic  guests,  and  a  night's  re- 
pose. 

The  Monument. 

The  second  crowning  feature  of  1876 
was  the  erection  of  the  monument  which 
for  a  long  time  stood  in  front  of  the  build- 
ing, but  is  now  located  in  the  Kutztown 
Park.  The  funds  were  raised  by  popular 
subscription,  and  on  the  day  of  its  un- 
veiling, July  4th,  all  roads  led  to  Kutz- 
town. 

The  chief  burgess  of  the  town,  upon 
whom  devolved  the  duty  of  delivering  the 
presentation  speech,  although  a  successful 
business  man,  felt  scarcely  equal  to  the 
task  of  writing  a  speech  suitable  for  the 
momentous  occasion,  and  hence  turned  to 
Col.  T.  D.  Fister  for  advice.  "If  you  will 
promise  not  to  show  the  paper  to  anyone," 


said  the  accommodating  Colonel,  'T  will 
write  you  a  speech  that  will  make  you  a 
national  reputation."  That  promise  being 
given,  the  Colonel  soon  handed  his  honor 
:he  manuscript  which  was  to  be  committed 
to  memory,  and  the  introduction  of  which 
consisted  of  these  startling  lines  : 
■'\  on  would  scarce  expect  one  of  my  age 
To  speak  in  public  on  the  stage." 
A  few  days  before  the  time  for  the 
dedication,  either  too  exultant  over  the 
prospect  of  achieving  a  "national  reputa- 
tion" so  easily,  or  doubting  the  appropri- 
ateness of  the  Colonel's  literary  produc- 
:ion  to  the  occasion  in  question,  the  chief 
burgess  showed  the  address  to  the  Prin- 
cipal, Dr.  A.  R.  Home,  who  was  scheduled 
lO  deliver  the  speech  of  acceptance  and 
-hat  person  promptly  condemned  the  pro- 
posed speech  and  substituted  one  of  his 
own  manufacture  as  more  suited  to  the 
occasion.  However,  owing  to  the  short 
space  of  time  intervening,  the  burgess's 
memory  proved  treacherous  in  the  midst 
of  his  address,  and  after  a  vain  search 
through  his  pockets  for  the  manuscript, 
which  he  had  inadvertently  left  at  home, 
his  embarrassment  was  relieved  by  Dr. 
Home,  who  came  forward  at  the  psycho- 
logical moment  with  his  speech  accepting 
the  monument  in  the  name  of  the  Normal 
School. 

The    Students. 

The  first  students  were  nearly  all  boys. 
Quite  a  number  of  thesa  had  been  soldiers 
in  the  Civil  War,  and  in  several  instances 
wounds  received  in  the  service  caused 
them  to  turn  from  other  occupations  to 
professional  work  as  means  of  earning  a 
livelihood.  A  few  of  these  were  Major 
W.  L.  Guinter,  J.  M.  Van  Zandt,  Isaac 
Bobst,  Henry  Meyer,  Isaac  Fry,  Albert 
Eertolet,  and  J.  T.  Wilder, — the  last 
named  a  Confederate  from  South  Caro- 
lina, who  was  wounded  in  the  hip  in 
Pickett's  charge  at  Gettysburg. 

Since  there  were  few  positions  in  the 
public  schools  then  open  to  lady  teach- 
ers, and  since  the  average  Pennsylvanian's 
ideas  of  female  education  were  at  that 
time  expressed  by  the  present  German 
Emperor's  opinion  of  the  occupations  for 
women — viz.,  Kirche,  Kiche  und  Kinder 


EARLY  DAYS  OF  TilE  KICYSTONE  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL 


551 


— it  is  not  surprising  that  during  the  win- 
ter term  of  1878  there  were  only  two  lady 
students  boarding  at  the  school.  For 
years  the  lady  students  were  in  the  hope- 
less minority.  .About  1883  one  of  the 
literary  societies  had  but  two  lady 
boarders  during  the  winter  term.  How- 
ever, as  years  went  by,  the  number  of 
lady  students  increased,  until  this  year's 
senior  class,  the  Class  of  1909,  contains 
124  members,  about  "^2  per  cent,  of  whom 
are  girls.  In  the  present  middle  class  the 
proportion  of  males  is  greater. 

The  Pennsylvania-German's  position  in 
reference    to    female    education    in    those 
days  was  exemplified  in  a  conversation  a 
number  of  years  ago  between  our  present 
principal  and  a  gentleman  who  brought 
his  son  to  school.   In  answer  to  a  question 
by  the  principal,  the  gentleman  replied : 
"Yes,   1  have  a  daughter  at  home,  but 
I   do  not   expect  to   send   her   away   to 
school."     "Why  not?"  queried  the  prin- 
cipal.    "O,  it  isn't  worth  while ;  she  will 
be    married    anyway."    "What    kind    of 
husband  do  you  want  for  your  daughter  ?" 
asked    the    principal.    "Why    the    very 
best,"  replied  the  man.    "Then,"  rejoined 
the  principal,  "give  your  girl  a  good  edu- 
cation and  she  can  have  her  choice  of  a 
husband, — a  lawyer,  a  doctor,  a  minister, 
a  business  man, — in  other  words  a  man  of 
culture  and   refinement,   who  will   make 
your  daughter  a  nice  companion  and  a 
good  home.     Give  her  no  education  and 
she   must  find  her  life  companion   from 
among  the  ignorant  and  perhaps  vulgar 
class."     "You  are  right,"  exclaimed  the 
parent,  "I  had  never  thought  of  that.    My 
daughter  shall  go  away  to  school."     She 
has  since  been  graduated  from  this  insti- 
tution. 

Literary  Societies. 

The  Philomathean  Literary  Society  was 
the  first  one  organized ;  but  recognizing 
the  necessity  of  a  second  society  as  a 
stimulus  to  the  former,  nine  students  pre- 
pared a  paper  of  withdrawal  from  the 
Philo  Society.  This  paper  was  presented 
at  a  regular  meeting  in  Sept.,  1865,  and 
the  nine  persons  withdrew  in  a  body,  and 
going  to  a  small  recitation  room  organized 
the     Keystone     Literary     Society,     with 


Samuel  A.  Baer  as  president.  In  later 
years  each  society  received  a  hall  devoted 
to  literary  purposes  exclusively,  and  these 
halls  have  been  equipped  and  ornamented 
by  their  respective  societies  at  an  expense 
of  many  hundreds  of  dollars.  Each  so- 
ciety possesses  a  library  which  is  acces- 
sible to  members  of  either  society,  but  the 
sessions  of  each  society  are  open  to  mem- 
bers of  that  society  only. 

The  Final  Examinations. 

In  the  early  days  the  final  examinations 
were    conducted    by    four    persons — the 
State  Superintendent  or  his  deputy,  two 
city  or  county  superintendents,   and  the 
principal  of  the  Normal  School.     Candi- 
dates  for   graduation  were  examined  in 
all  the  branches  of  the  course,  and  the 
examinations    were,    as    far    as    possible, 
oral.    All  the  students  and  the  entire  ex- 
amining board  were  in  one  room.     There 
were  also  present  many  visitors,  some  who 
looked  as  wise  as  owls,  but  like  those  birds 
were  shrewd  enough  to  hide  their  wisdom 
(  ?)   behind  an  impenetrable  and  imper- 
turable  screen  of  silence.    A  student  was 
ordered  to  rise,  and  an  examiner  fired  a 
broadside  of  questions  at  him.     After  the 
first  examiner  had  exhausted  his  ammuni- 
tion, another  examiner  turned  his  machine 
gun  upon  the  devoted  disciple  of  Socrates. 
If  said  student  survived  the  ordeal,  he  got 
his  diploma ;  but  in  one  instance  at  least, 
the    examining   board    ran   away    to   the 
station  without  announcing  the  results  of 
the   examination.      The    anxious    seniors 
managed  to  creep  into  the  office  window 
and  lo !  there  were  but  four  diplomas  and 
there   had   been   five   persons   examined ! 
Who,    O !    who    was    the    unlucky    one  ? 
Several  of  the  seniors  rushed  to  the  depot, 
ostensibly  to  bid  farewell  to  the  examiners, 
but  really  to  try  to  find  out  "where  they 
were  at,"  and  by  skillfully  directing  the 
conversation  they  elicited  the  desired  in- 
formation. 

Social  Affairs. 

The  social  side  of  the  school  in  the 
early  days  was  hardly  all  that  could  be 
desired.  One  very  important  reason  was 
the  decided  lack  of  members  on  the  fe- 
male   side   of   the   house.      Besides,    the 


552 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


catalogue  said :  "The  ladies  and  gentle- 
men are  required  to  treat  each  other  with 
due  politeness,  but  no  conversation  be- 
tween students  of  opposite  sex  will  be  al- 
lowed in  the  halls  or  recitation  rooms, 
neither  will  members  of  one  sex  be  al- 
lowed to  trespass  upon  the  grounds  re- 
served for  the  other."'  This  regulation, 
if  strictly  enforced,  cut  off  pretty  nearly 
all  opportunity  for  being  sociable.  But 
"there  is  many  a  slip  'twixt  the  cup  and 
the  lip."     For  example  : 

Those  of  us  whose  hair  is  gray  and 
those  who  have  none  at  all  will  remember 
the  long  porch  running  along  the  rear  of 
the  old  central  building,  and  the  well  (O, 
blessed  memory!)  that  was  located  at  the 
boys'  end  of  the  porch.  It  was  remark- 
able how  thirsty  the  ladies  became,  and 
how  often  they  had  to  come  to  the  pump 
to  replenish  their  pitchers.  And  although 
wireless  telegraphy  was  then  undreamt  of, 
there  existed  a  kind  of  telepathy  that 
promptly  drew  down  to  the  pump  very 
agreeable  bipeds  of  the  masculine  per- 
suasion, and  what  wonderful  discussions 
took  place,  covering  all  the  fields  of  art, 
literature,  science,  and  sometimes  war ! 
How  slowly  the  procession  moved  back 
along  the  porch,  the  swain  gallantly  car- 
rying the  pitcher  for  his  lady ! 

But  this  bright  side  sometimes  turned 
into  a  shadow  instantly,  as  a  certain  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  of  Maxatawny  can  cer- 
tify if  he  cares  to ;  for  this  individual  upon 
seeing  two  such  devoted  couples  billing 
and  cooing  at  the  old  pump,  suddenly 
opened,  the  windows  of  the  heavens 
through  the  medium  of  a  pitcher  of  water. 
Shrieks  from  the  ladies  and  more  strenu- 
ous exclamations  from  the  men  rent  the 
air,  and  an  immediate  search  for  the  ras- 
cal brought  no  light  upon  the  subject. 

A  fence  along  the  pavement  enclosed 
the  front  campus,  and  a  fence  running  at 
right  angles  to  that  pavement  back  to  the 
building  effectually  shut  off  the  boys' 
yard  from  the  girls' ;  and  while  the  dear 
creatures  disported  themselves  upon  the 
lawn,  that  part  was  the  sanctum  sanc- 
torum which  was  forbidden  to  the  com- 
mon herd  (us).  However,  at  least  one 
fellow  got  there.  One  warm  evening  two 
ladies  (one  now  the  wife  of  the  State  Su- 


RKV.  DR.  AHKAM  R.  HORNE. 

perintendent  of  Public  Instruction)  sat 
under  a  tree  near  this  dividing  fence. 
They  were  attired  in  cool  white  dresses, 
the  zephyrs  rustled  through  the  leaves  and 
played  with  their  tresses,  the  feathered 
songsters  in  the  trees  were  caroling  their 
last  notes  preparatory  to  tucking  away 
their  little  heads  among  their  feathers  and 
going  to  sleep,  and  all  was  too  perfectly 
lovely  for  anything.  A  senior  perceiving 
this  exemplification  of  "peace  on  earth, 
good  will  towards  men,"  and  not  having 
the  fear  of  his  Satanic  Majesty  before  his 
eyes,  went  into  another  student's  room, 
and  seizing  a  glass  of  water,  by  a  dextrous 
move  of  his  hand,  suddenly  transformed 
the  tranquil  scene  into  a  duet  of  screams, 
a  rushing  of  feet,  and  a  rustling  of  skirts 
— "Only  this  and  nothing  more." 

At  a  sociable  in  the  early  70's,  the  small 
number  of  lady  students  was  entirely  in- 
adequate for  the  purpose,  and  a  committee 
of  two  boys  suddenly  conceived  the  bril- 
liant idea  of  asking  the  steward  to  allow 
the  waitresses  in  the  dining-room  to  par- 
ticipate. The  committee  entered  the 
steward's  office  and  presented  their  re- 
quest to  that  worthy.  Glancing  at  the 
clock,  he  declared  that  he  would  not  let 


EARLY  DAYS  OF  THE  KEYSTONE  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL 


553 


the  waitresses  attend,  as  there '  was  not 
time  enough  for  them  to  get  ready.  At 
this  one  of  the  boys  said :  "Steward,  if  I 
were  one  of  those  girls,  I  think  I  would 
do  as  I  please."  "The  h — 11  you  do !"  ex- 
claimed the  irascible  steward ;  "if  you 
don't  shut  up,  you  will  go  out  pretty 
d n  quick  !"' 

The  Wonderful  One-Hoss  Dray. 

The  fame  of  Kutztown  is  not  quite  so 
world-wide  as  that  of  Ancient  Troy ;  but 
then,  Kutztown  is  not  quite  so  old.  We 
can  not  boast  of  a  wooden  horse,  nor  in- 
deed are  our  limits  circumscribed  by  great 
walls  of  stone ;  yet  old  Troy  is  not  "in  it" 
alongside  of  us.  All  we  need  in  order  to 
put  that  ancient  city  in  the  shade  is  a 
modern  A'ergil,  who  would  sing,  not 
"Arma  virumque  cano,"  but  "Arma  viros- 
que  cano."  for  our  town  can  most  certain- 
ly boast  with  that  ancient  warrior  that 
every  citizen  is  a  stone  in  its  wall  of  de- 
fense.    One  illustration  will  suffice: 

Late  in  the  fall  of  1890,  when  the  boys' 
wing  of  the  Xormal  School  was  in  pro- 
cess of  erection,  a  number  of  students 
silently  stole  out  of  the  dormitories  at 
the  ghostly  hour  of  twelve,  attached  a 
long  rope  to  a  cart  standing  near  the 
building,  and  rushed  down  the  main  street 
of  town.  The  noise  awakened  the  citi- 
zens, who  imagined  that  it  was  the  hose 
carriage  on  its  way  to  a  conflagration. 
One  of  these  citizens,  a  publisher  promi- 
nent in  this  part  of  the  State,  enacted  the 
role  of  that  ancient  hero,  Aeneas ;  for 
while  he  had  no  helpless  parent,  Anchises, 
to  bear  through  the  flames,  he  issued 
forth  valiantly,  clad  not  indeed  in  a  suit  of 
armor,  but  carrying  in  each  hand,  in  lieu 
of  a  sword  and  spear,  a  wooden  bucket. 
Hastily  rushing  in  the  direction  of  the 
tumult,  the  proprietor  of  our  "Commoner" 
breathlessly  inquired  of  another  citizen, 
"Ulrich,  where  is  the  fire?"  The  answer 
was,  "There  is  no  fire."  "Donnerwetter !" 
ejaculated  the  disappointed  fireman,  and 
he  reluctantly  turned  his  formidable  fire- 
extinguisher  homeward. 

In  the  mean  time  the  raiders  had  de- 
scribed the  "orbis  terrarum,"  and  brought 
the  cart  back  into  the  orchard  behind  the 
school ;  but  when  they  singly  and  in  pairs 


essayed  to  re-enter  the  school,  as  they 
groped  their  way  through  the  dark  halls, 
flashes  of  light  from  matches  in  the  hands 
of  teachers  on  guard  suddenly  illuminated 
the  surroundings  and  disclosed  the  iden- 
tity of  the  prowlers.  To  make  matters 
worse,  the  Vice-Principal,  Dr.  G.  B. 
Hancher  (the  Principal  was  absent  from 
school),  after  seeing  that  the  pickets  were 
securely  posted,  like  Regulus,  determined 
to  carry  the  war  into  Africa  by  going  out 
in  search  of  the  missing  links  in  the  chain 
of  intellectual  development.  One  student, 
mistaking  the  professor  for  one  of  his  fel- 
low-raiders, rushed  up  to  him  and  was 
dragged  to  a  lamp-post  on  the  campus  and 
identified.  Several  others  hiding  in  the 
dark  drive-way  under  the  unfinished 
building,  upon  his  approach  rushed  over 
a  pile  of  debris  and  over  a  mortar-box, 
while  one,  now  a  disciple  of  Blackstone, 
fared  so  roughly  in  his  flight  that  for  days 
he  diverted  his  pompadour  about  ninety 
degrees  from  its  accustomed  angle  to 
cover  abrasions  of  the  cuticle  in  that  vi- 
cinity. 

Another,  now  also  a  limb  of  the  law, 
succeeded  in  climbing  through  the  un- 
finished building  into  the  main  building. 
It  so  happened  that  just  that  day  the 
window  through  which  he  passed  had 
been  ornamented  with  a  liberal  coat  of 
red  and  white  paint,  and  at  daybreak  next 
morning,  "Mirabile  dictu" !  he  discovered 
that  the  blue  color  of  his  trousers  had 
mysteriously  vanished,  and  that  instead 
his  nether  extremities  had  the  night  be- 
fore become  suddenly  encased  in  the  na- 
tional colors,  although  perhaps  not  dis- 
tributed altogether  with  the  same  regu- 
lar order  as  exhibited  on  "Old  Glory." 

Anniversaries  of  the  Literary  Societies. 

In  the  olden  days  the  present  course  of 
entertainments,  consisting  of  lectures, 
recitals,  concerts,  etc.,  by  famous  speak- 
ers, reciters,  and  musical  organizations, 
was  unknown  and  undreamt  of,  neither 
were  there  the  frequent  sociables  of  the 
present  day.  Excepting  the  Thanksgiv-  . 
ing  sociable  and  Commencement,  the  only 
other  social  events  were  the  anniversaries 
of  the  two  literary  societies — Philo  Anni- 
versary at  the  end  of  the  fall  session,  and 


SS4 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


Keystone  Anniversary  at  the  end  of  the 
winter  term ;  and  since  these  good  things 
came  so  rarely,  the  events  were  looked 
forward  to  with  a  great  deal  of  antici- 
pation as  the  crowning  glory  of  the  ses- 
sion. Hundreds  of  old  students  wended 
their  way  back  to  their  alma  mater  to  at- 
tend the  annual  anniversary  of  the  so- 
ciety of  which  they  had  been  members, 
and  many  glad  reunions  occurred  after 
the  exercises. 

A  peculiar  feature  of  the  program  was, 
that,  as  soon  as  a  speaker  or  essayist  had 
concluded  his  or  her  part  of  the  anniver- 
sary program,  an  usher  strode  up  the 
aisle  of  the  old  chapel  in  all  his  glory, 
bearing  in  his  arms  all  the  presents  that 
friends  from  home  or  the  school  had  sent 
to  the  principal's  office  for  said  student, 
and  deposited  them  at  the  side  of  the  per- 
former's chair.  The  performer  who  re- 
sided near  the  school  and  thus  had  many 
friends  and  neighbors  in  the  audience, 
usually  was  the  recipient  of  armfuls  of 
gifts;  but  he  whose  home  .was  located 
eighty  or  more  miles  away  was  not  so 
bountifully  remembered.  But  other  ex- 
pedients were  occasionally  resorted  to,  as 
was  the  case  at  Philo  Anniversary,  twen- 
ty-three years  ago.  One  of  the  speakers, 
short  of  stature  but  of  ample  magnitude 
laterally,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  he  rep- 
resented 200  pounds  avoirdupois,  advanced 
to  the  front  of  the  platform ;  and  accord- 
ing to  rule,  first  carefully  placing  his  feet, 
— "heels  'together,  toes  at  an  angle  of 
forty-five  degrees," — inclined  his  body 
forward,  by  way  of  greeting,  to  the  ut- 
most degree  which  his  tight  bifurcated  se- 
clusions permitted  without  imminent 
danger  of  catastrophe,  and  having  recov- 
ered himself,  began  a  masterful  discourse 
upon  the  sterling  qualities  of  fat  men,  in 
the  course  of  which  this  modern  Demos- 
thenes electrified  his  audience  with  a 
prophetic  remark,  never  before  heard  but 
later  demonstrated  to  be  entirely  correct, 
"That  the  fat  man  is  bound  to  make  his 
mark,  either  in  the  legislative  halls  or  in 
the  dining-room." 

At  the  close  of  this  famous  speech,  an 
usher  in  regalia  ostentatiously  strode  up 
the  aisle  with  an  armful  of  presents  for 
the    silver-tongued    orator,    who,    upon 


weighing  the  boxes  (empty)  in  his  hand 
and  noting  their  suspicious  lightness,  made 
a  remark  sotto  voce,  to  the  usher,  entirely 
too  inflammable  for  these  pages. 

Anniversaries  were  seized  upon  by  all 
the  eager  gallants  as  an  opportunity  to  es- 
cort some  fair  damsel  to  the  exercises, 
and  this  tendency  occasionally  furnished 
decided  sensations.  A  certain  individual, 
after  debating  with  himself  for  weeks 
Hamlet's  Soliloquy,  "To  be  or  not  to  be," 
finally  decided  "To  be."  After  investing 
in  a  generous  supply  of  hair  grease 
(bear's  oil  made  of  hog's  fat),  a  la  Pappy 
Dikeman,  and  borrowing  a  quantity  of 
musk  from  two  no-account  dudes,  he  sal- 
lied forth  in  quest  of  a  black-haired, 
"much  bangs"  (as  a  Spanish  student 
said),  dark-eyed  gazelle,  with  nose  tilted 
slightly  heavenward, — one  of  the  clashing 
beauties  depicted  those  days  in  illustrated 
newspapers ;  but  alas !  the  fates  did  not 
seem  propitious,  and  "Barkis  was  not  wil- 
lin',"  for  she  said  she  had  made  other 
arrangements,  and  so  the  writer's  cake 
suddenly  became  all  dough. 

Heat  and  Light. 

The  early  manner  of  heating  the  rooms 
was  by  means  of  a  small  stove  placed  in 
every  room. .  Later  a  hot  air  furnace  was 
installed  in  the  basement,  and  the  danger 
from  stoves  eliminated.  One  of  the  ob- 
jections to  hot  air  was  that,  on  a  cold, 
windy  day,  all  the  heat  came  up  in  the 
rooms  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  building 
from  the  wind,  and  on  the  windward  side 
there  came  up  the  flues  what  one  of  the 
students  termed  "cold  heat."  Hence,  in 
winter  few  persons  inhabited  the  rooms 
facing  northwest,  almost  the  whole  school 
living  on  the  other  side.  Later,  as  new 
buildings  were  erected,  steam  heating  was 
introduced,  and  a  separate  boiler  house 
built,  so  that  there  are  no  longer  any 
fires  in  the  building. 

Another  source  of  great  danger  was  the 
kerosene  lamp  that  furnished  light  in 
every  room  and  in  the  halls.  At  ten 
o'clock  at  night,  every  light  was  extin- 
guished, and  the  halls  were  dark  as  Ere- 
bus. To  enforce  this  rule,  every  teacher 
in  charge  of  a  hall  patrolled  his  "baili- 
wick" at  ten  o'clock;  and  if  a  light  was 


EARLY  DAYS  OF  THE  KEYSTONE  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL 


555 


found  burning  in  a  room,  he  rapped  on 
the  door  and  called  "Lights  out!"  Upon 
a  certain  occasion,  two  new  students,  in- 
terpreting the  order  literally,  brought  the 
lighted  lamp  and  put  it  into  the  hall. 

A  certain  student,  who  stammered  and 
lisped  considerably,  arranged  his  mirror 
in  such  a  way  that  it  reflected  the  light 
of  the  moon  through  the  transom  above 
the  door.     The  teacher,   in   making  his 


rounds,  noticed  the  bright  transom,  and 
thinking  that  the  light  had  just  been 
turned  down  until  he  would  go  to  his 
room,  rapped  on  the  door  and  passed  on. 
Later  he  came  back  again,  and  seeing 
the  transom  still  illuminated,  rapped  again 
and  called  sharply,  "Lights  out!"  To 
which  the  student  responded :  "L-1-lights 
ith  ou-ou-out !  D-d-do  you  exthpect  me-me 
to  t-t-take  a  c-c-club  and  knock  out  the 


556 


THE  PEXNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


REV.  DR.  G. 

m-m-moon  ?"    Electric  lights  from  power 
generated  by  the  school's  own  plant  have 
displaced  those  inconvenient  necessities. 
Y,  M.  C.  A.  and  Reading  Rooms 

In  1887  two  very  important  events  took 
place.  One  was  the  establishing  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  to  which 
nearly  all  the  students  now  belong.  These 
organizations  have  done  a  remarkable 
amount  of  good.  Indeed,  I  consider  it  an 
impossibility  for  anyone  to  estimate  the 
benefit  that  has  accrued  through  them, 
not  only  to  the  students  and  the  Normal, 
but  also  to  the  public  school  pupils  who 
come  under  the  inHuence  of  our  gradu- 
ates. 

Another  important  event  was  the 
founding  of  a  reading  room.  Up  to  that 
date,  if  a  student  wanted  to  read  a  daily 
paper,  he  had  to  subscribe  for  it,  and 
there  were  no  magazines  or  other  peri- 
odicals available  for  a  student's  use.  Now 
there  are  two  reading  rooms,  one  for  boys, 
the  other  for  girls,  with  many  daily  pa- 


B.  HANCHER. 

pers,  and  all  the  best  magazines,  and  all 
are  free,  to  every  student. 

The  Old  Dining-Room. 

In  the  basement  of  the  central  building, 
underneath  what  was  then  the  chapel,  was 
located  the  dining-room.  The  long,  nar- 
row tables  extended  entirely  across  the 
room,  each  table  seating  thirty  persons — 
fourteen  along  each  side  and  one  at  each 
end.  Instead  of  chairs,  every  student  was 
perched  upon  a  four-legged  stool  with  a 
round  seat  about  eight  inches  in  diameter 
and,  of  course,  no  back.  When  the  bell 
in  the  cupola  rang  for  meals,  all  the  boys 
assembled  in  the  chapel,  and,  at  a  signal 
from  the  teacher  in  charge,  marched  down 
stairs,  two  by  two,  into  the  dining-room. 
The  few  ladies  entered  by  a  rear  stairway. 

Breakfast  consisted  of  cold  meat,  fried 
potatoes,  oatmeal,  bread,  butter,  molasses, 
and  coffee.  A  breakfast  of  steak  and 
dressing,  as  we  get  daily  now,  would,  if 
not  previously  announced,  likely  have  re- 
sulted in  a  panic  or  occasioned  heart  fail- 


EARLY  DAYS  OF  THE  KEYSTONE  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL 


557 


558 


THE    PEXXSVLVANIA-GL'RMAN 


UR    A.  C.  KOTUEKMKL. 

ure.  The  supper  was  dilto,  minus  the 
oatmeal.  Coffee  was  poured  by  the  wait- 
resses after  students  had  been  seated,  and 
no  sujar  bowl  or  cream  pitcher  was  seen 
on  the  table,  save  for  the  oatmeal,  as  the 
coffee  had  been  doctored  with  the  la;t- 
mentioned  ingredients  in  the  kitchen. 

The  few  girls  were  seated  on  one  si.le 
of  the  table  ami  the  boys  on  the  other 
side.  Many  tables  had  no  girls.  A  b:)y 
who  had  a  girl  on  the  other  side  of  t'^" 
table  was  said  to  have  an  "opposite."  Af- 
finities usually  found  places  at  the  table 
opposite  each  other,  and  a  prcttv  girl  nev- 
er lacked  an  opposite.  But  occasionally  a 
girl  hove  in  sight  who  had  neither  you.h 
nor  "personal  pulchritude"  to  recommend 
her,  but  moreover  possessed  a  mighty  ef- 
fective weapon  of  offense  and  defence — 
her  tongue.  If  some  poor  fellow  was 
roped  in  to  take  the  seat  opposite  her. 
after  a  few  meals,  his  seat  would  be  vi- 
cant,  and  the  "deserter"  would  be  found 
ensconced  in  some  retired  seat  at  the 
farther  end  of  the  dining-room.  Whf^n 
such  a  lady  student  was  present  in  t'ne 
dining-room,  the  principal  was  never  at 
loss  to  find  a  seat  for  a  visitor  or  a  new 


student.  If  some  lady's  opposite  left  be- 
fore the  close  of  the  term  and  another 
boy  took  his  place  at  the  table,  that  lucky 
"John"  received  an  ovation  as  soon  as 
he  left  the  dining-room,  by  being  seized 
by  the  other  students  and  hoisted  into- 
the  air  amid  the  shouts  of  all  assembled. 

Conclusion. 

The  foregoing  are  only  a  few  of  the 
conditions  that  confronted  the  student  of 
thirty  or  forty  years  ago.  Lack  of  space 
precludes  the  mention  of  others.  Such 
things  as  the  old  wooden  blackboards  sup- 
ported upon  upright  pieces  of  wood,  the 
rough  home-made  seats  that  adorned  (  ?) 
the  classrooms  and  tilted  at  a  moment's 
notice,  the  old  laundry  with  its  gray  horse 
as  its  motive  power,  the  total  absence  of 
cold  and  hot  water,  bathrooms,  and  toilet 
rooms  in  the  building,  the  old  wooden' 
bed  for  two,  with  its  rope  and  chaff-bag^ 
the  uncarpeted  dormitories,  the  lack  of 
electric  b.i  s.  are  mentioned  only  to  ac- 
quaint students  of  the  present  day  with 
the  advantages  they  enjoy.  Yet  the  stu- 
dents of  the  old  regime  have  won  fame  in 
manv  spheres  of  activity.  Men  like  Dr. 
X.  C.  Schaeffer  and  Dr.  T.  M.  Balliet 
have  achieve  1  national  reputations  as  edu- 
cators ;  and  many  of  the  2,44.2  members 
of  the  alumni,  as  well  as  many  of  an 
equally  lar^e  number  who  received  their 
education  here  but  were  not  graduated, 
arc  occupying  positions  of  great  responsi- 
bi  :tv  and  influence  in  the  educational 
world.  Take  up  a  catalogue  of  the  school 
pnd  you  will  see  that  there  are  graduates 
found  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific, 
and  the  Philippines,  from  Texas  to- 
Michigan, — men  who  have  become  emi- 
nent in  other  professions,  such  as  law,, 
medicine,  theology,  politics,  or  in  business. 
The  influences  for  good,  the  mental  and 
moral  training  meted  out  to  students  who 
in  turn  have  influenced  the  people  of  the 
localities  where  they  reside  and  the  pupils 
whom  thev  taught,  the  standard  of  right 
living  and  good  citizenship  that  the  for- 
mer students  have  assisted  to  establish,, 
and  the  intelligent  homes  over  which 
many  of  them  preside,  are  living  monu- 
ments to  the  wisdom  and  generosity  of 
the  men  who  established  this  Normal 
School  and  the  State  which  has  assisted 
in  maintaining  it. 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GI'RMAN 


559 


The    Shoemaker    Family 


OF 


Shoemakersville,  Pa. 


BY   MRS.    CHARLES   SHOEMAKER  MOIIR,  READING,  PA. 


HE  Shoemaker  family  is  one 
of  the  oldest  in  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania,  its  ancestry 
dating  back  to  pre-Revolu- 
tionary  times.  Jacob  Schu- 
macher (now  Shoemaker), 
Georg  Wertmiiller,  Isaac 
Dilbeck,  Tunes  Kunders,  Arents  Klincken, 
Denis  Kundore  or  Conrad,  arrived  from 
Cresheim,  Germany,  on  the  good  ship 
America,  with  Francis  Daniel  Pastorius 
and  party,  on  the  sixteenth  of  August, 
1682,  and  settled  in  what  is  now  German- 
town.  Pastorius  located  where  he  laid 
out  Germantown  the  same  year  in  which 
he  and  his  party  arrived  in  Philadelphia ; 
the  land  of  the  Germantown  settlement 
having  been  taken  up  by  them  on  Oc- 
tober 12,  1682.  The  town  formed  by  this 
company  consisted  of  thirteen  families,  but 
in  less  than  five  years  fifty  houses  had 
been  erected.  Pastorious  had  an  interview 
with  Conrad  at  Crefelt,  Germany,  April 
12,  on  his  way  to  America.  The  first  re- 
ligious meeting,  by  Quakers,  or  Friends. 
was  held  at  this  same  Conrad's  house,  in 
Germantown.   1683. 

Out  of  their  German  homes,  these  emi- 
grants carried  the  teachings  of  their 
fathers.  It  was  because  of  the  hatred  of 
tyranny  by  these  early  settlers,  and  their 
love  of  home  and  country,  that  thev 
sought  an  asylum  here.  It  was  because  of 
this  that  the  blood  of  these  early  emi- 
grants came  to  be  among  the  first  that 
flowed  into  the  veins  of  the  new  Christian 
Commonwealth.  The  first  protest  against 
slavery — a  public  protest — was  written  by 
that  noble-spirited  German  Quaker. 
Francis  Daniel  Pastorius,  in  1688.  and 
signed  by  him  and  a  few  of  his  fellow 
countrymen.  Of  Pastorius  Whittier  has 
sung  in  his  "Pennsylvania  Pilgrim,"  and 
of  him  his  race  is  proud. 

This  company  of  emigrants,   German- 


town  Quakers  under  the  Germantown 
charter  of  1690,  headed  by  Pastorius, 
bought  25,000  acres  of  land  from  William 
Penn.  Pastorius  was  appointed  attorney 
for  the  company.  Jacob  Schumacher 
(Shoemaker)  was  made  sheriff  of  Ger- 
mantown in  1690.    He  married  Margaret 

.      Their   children   were   Georg, 

Thomas,  Susanna  and  Jacob,  Jr.  In  171 5 
Changton  Monthly  Meeting  issued  a  cer- 
tificate recommending  Jacob  Schumacher, 
a  merchant,  and  his  family  to  Philadel- 
phia Monthly  Meeting.  About  this  time 
he  moved  to  Philadelphia.  He  was  17 
years  old  when  'he  came  to  this  country, 
a  brother  of  Georg  and  Peter  Schu- 
macher, and  died  in  1722. 

Sarah  Shoemaker,  oldest  daughter  of 
Georg  and  Sarah  Shoemaker,  arrived  in 
the  colony  some  months  in  advance  of 
her  mother  (a  widow),  brothers  and  sis- 
ters, having  accompanied  her  uncle.  Peter 
Schumacher,  in  the  ship  Frances  and  Dor- 
othy, which  arrived  at  Philadelphia.  Oc- 
tober  16,   1685. 

The  marriage  certificate  of  her  brother 
Georg  Shoemaker  and  Sarah  Wall  is  in 
the  custody  of  the  Historical  Society  of 
Pennsylvania.  Georg  was  a  very  suc- 
cessful farmer  or  "planter,"  as  he  was 
denominated  in  early  deeds.  He  became 
the  possessor  of  large  landed  estates,  and 
was  also  a  tanner,  his  vards  being  lo- 
cated on  the  east  side  of  York  Road,  south 
of  Tacony  Creek. 

Isaac,  a  brother  of  Georg  and  Sarah 
Shoemaker,  born  in  Germany  in  1669, 
when  a  young  man,  moved  from  Chelten- 
ham to  Germantown,  where  his  uncle, 
Peter  Shoemaker,  had  settled  in  1685. 
Here  was  established  the  well  known  Ger- 
mantown branch  of  the  Shoemaker  fam- 
ily. Isaac  Shoemaker  became  a  man  of 
note,  not  only  locally,  but  in  the  country 
at  large,  serving  as  sheriff  of  the  county 


56o 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


\. 


-  / 


OLD  STUNK    viAN.sKjN   HUILT  BY  HENKY  ShOEMA  KEK.   IJtW 


in  i695-'96,  and  as  burgess  in  1706. 

We  learn  from  the  minuLes  of  the  Pro- 
vincial Council  that  "Isaac  Shoemaker  and 
his  cousin,  Peter  Shoemaker,  were  au- 
thorized to  arrange  with  workmen  to  build 
a  prison  house  and  put  up  stocks  as  soon 
as  possible."  Isaac  Shoemaker  was  en- 
gaged in  business  as  a  tanner,  his  yards 
being  on  ]\Iain  street  (now  GermanLown 
avenue),  east  of  the  present  Coulter 
street. 

That  he  was  a  progressive  citizen  and 
interested  in  the  moral  and  intellectual 
welfare  of  tlie  community,  may  be  in- 
ferred from  the  fact  that  he  contributed  to 
the  fund  for  the  erection  of  a  Friends' 
Meeting  House  in  Germantown  in  1706, 
and  was  a  patron  of  the  famous  school 
established  by  Francis  Daniel  Pastorius, 
the  greatest  scholar  of  his  time  in  Penn- 
sylvania. 

The  home  of  Isaac  Shoemaker  was  near 
the  corner  of  Main  street  (now  German- 
town  avenue)  and  Shoemaker  Lane  (now 
Penn  street).  This  home  remained  in 
the  possession  of  the  Shoemaker  family 
for  over  a  century,  until  1843,  vvhen  it 
was  razed. 


Jacob  Shoemaker,  Jr.,  and  Elizabeth 
Roberts  were  married  "2  mo.  24  day 
1724."  He  was  appointed  sheriff  of 
Philadelphia   from    1770   to    1772. 

Henry  and  Carl  (Charles,  Sr.)  sons  of 
Jacob  Shoemaker,  Jr.,  moved  from  Ger- 
mantown, Cheltenham  Parish  or  Town- 
ship, to  Shoemakersville  (then  a  dense 
forest,  almost  an  unbroken  wilderness) 
about  the  year  1765,  where  Henry  built 
the  first  stone  house  in  1768.  He  after- 
ward sold  it  to  his  brother  Charles  Sr., 
who  occupied  it  until  death. 

In  the  living  room  of  the  old  home, 
still  in  good  condition,  are  painted  these 
words : 

"Gott  segne  dieses  House 
Und  alles  was  do  geht  ein  und  ous ; 
Gott   allein   die   Ehr." 

These  words  were  covered  over  with 
whitewash  for  many  years,  until  finally  in 
scraping  off  the  lime  they  were  brought 
to  light  again. 

A  marble  tablet  is  built  into  the  gable 
end  of  the  house,  upon  which  is  inscribed, 
"H  &  C.  S.  1768." 

Charles   Shoemaker,   Sr.,   was  born   in 


THE  SHOEMAKER  FAMILY 


561 


^r"' 

WEIDENSCHOLLEN. 


Germantown  in  1735.  and  died  in 
Shoemakersville  in  April,  1820.  He 
married  Maria  Kepner,  daughter  of 
Benedict  Kepner,  a  niiller  of  Bern 
township  (now  Bern  Station),  owner 
of  a  mill,  tannery,  150  acres  of 
land,  two  horses,  five  head  of  cattle 
and  four  sheep.  The  old  mill  is  still 
standing  but  is  not  used.  After  the  death 
•of  Charles  Shoemaker,  Sr.,  his  wife, 
Maria,  moved  to  her  daughter  Sophia, 
married  to  Jacob  Huey,  of  "Weidenshol- 
3en,"  a  beautiful  home  east  of  Leesport. 
This  home,  owned  later  by  Adam  Huey 
Gernant,  is  now  the  property  of  John  Un- 
ger,  father-in-law  of  Rev.  Edwin  Gernant, 
of  Towanda.  Henry  and  Carl  Shoemaker 
frequently  went  to  Europe,  and  on  one  of 
these  trips  brought  a  pipe  organ  with  them 
for  the  stone  mansion  at  Shoemakersville. 
The  Shoemaker  family  were  farmers,  tan- 
ners, merchants  and  statemen.  During 
iRevolutionary  days  the  men  were  away 
from  home  attending  to  aflFairs  relating  to 
their  country — the  women  in  their  absence 
mobly  taking  their  places.  A  tannery  was 
owned  and  operated  by  the  brothers  Hen- 
ry and  Carl,  Sr.,  situated  on  the  east  bank 
of  the  Schuylkill  river  at  Shoemakersville. 
The  women  pounded  the  bark  for  the  tan- 
nery with  stones.  In  1765  Charles  Shoe- 
maker, Sr,„  bought  of  William  Penn  large 


tracts  of  land,  a  part  of  which  was  situat- 
ed in  Windsor  township,  Berks,  county,  a 
part  in  Buffalo  Valley,  Union  county  and 
a  part  near  Shamokin.  To  this  last  men- 
tioned property  their  branded  cattle  were 
taken  for  grazing  in  spring  and  brought 
home  in  the  fall. 

Charles  Shoemaker,  Sr.,  also  owned  all 
the  land  near  Orwigsburg  where  the 
Schuylkill  County  Almshouses  now  are. 
This  property  was  later  owned  by  his  son 
Charles,  Jr.,  the  first  judge  of  Schuylkill 
county.  Orwigsburg  then  being  the  coun- 
ty seat.  Charles  Shoemaker,  Sr.,  exerted 
a  large  influence  in  politics  and  business 
in  the  upper  section  of  Berks  county.  He 
represented  the  county  in  the  Provincial 
Conference  and  also  in  the  Constitutional 
Convention  of  1776.  He  was  appointed 
in  1777  as  one  of  the  Justices  of  the  Peace 
of  the  county  for  seven  years,  and  at  the 
expiration  of  his  term  was  re-appointed, 
serving  till  the  adoption  of  the  Constitu- 
tion of  1790.  He  also  officiated  as  a  Judge 
of  the  Courts  from  1785  to  1790. 

The  State  Assembly  in  December,  1777, 
appointed  and  empowered  him  to  solicit 
and  take  subscriptions  for  the  Continental 
Loan.  This  service  required  a  large  mea- 
sure of  ability  to  fulfill  the  duties  required. 
He  was  successful  in  obtaining  quite  a 
number  of  subscriptions  from  various  citi- 


562 


THE    PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


VIICW  OF  Si:OEMAKERSVlLLE.  PA. 


zens  of  Berks  county  to  carry  on  the  war. 
At  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War 
much  loss  was  suffered  by  farmers  and 
merchants  from  non-redemption  of  the 
loans  they  had  made  their  country  in  its 
extremity ;  these  good  people  showed  their 
patriotism  in  deeds  instead  of  words. 

Charles  Shoemaker,  Sr.,  acted  as  one 
of  the  Commissioners  who  assembled  at 
New  Haven,  Conn.,  November,  1777,  to 
regulate  the  price  of  commodities  in  the 
Colonies.  He  represented  the  covmty  in 
the  General  Assembly  for  twelve  years — 
1792  to  1801  and  in  1810  and  1812  and 
was  in  the  Senate  for  four  years — 1813  to 
1817.  He  died  in  April,  1820,  after  living 
in  retirement  for  several  years.  His  sur- 
viving children  were  five  sons  and  three 
daughters :  Samuel,  Charles,  Jr.,  Jacob 
3rd.,  Benjamin,  John,  Sophia,  married 
to  Jacob  Huey,  of  "Widenshollen,"  East 
Leesport ;  Catharine,  married  to  Jacob 
Dunkel ;  Mary,  married  to  Benjamin  Kep- 
ner. 

Charles  Shoemaker.  Jr.,  born  at  Shoe- 
makersville  June  19,  1779,  married  Eliza- 
beth Kershner  of  Windsor  township  No- 
vember 22,  1801.  October  i79i;to  1800 
he  served  as  Representative,  from  Berks 
county  and  again  in  1809  and  181 1.  He 
was  elected  Senator  in  181 2.  He  served 
in  the  War  of  181 2  as  Quarter  ]\Iaster  of 
the  Brigade  of  Pennsylvania  Troops  com- 
manded by  Brigadier  -General  John  Ad- 
dams.  He  died  November  8,  1822,  while 
serving  as  Associate  Judge  of  Berks 
county. 


The  children  of  Charles  Shoemaker,  Jr. 
and  his  wife,  Elizabeth  Kershner  Shoe- 
maker, were:  Sophia,  born  June  26,  1802, 
died  July  15,  1807;  Elizabeth,  born  Janu- 
ary 8,  1804;  Susanna,  born  November  21, 
1806,  died  July  14,  1891  ;  Joseph,  born  De- 
cember, 1807;  Hannah,  born  June  20, 
1810,  died  September  28,  1879;  Sarah, 
born  June  10,  181 1,  died  February  5,. 
1885;  Charles,  born  July  30,  1813;  Ed- 
ward, born  May  8,  1816;  Rebecca,  born 
October  20,  1817;  Sophia,  born  January^ 
20  1820;  James  Monroe,  born  January, 
15,  1822,  died  June  31.  1823. 

The  first  hotel  in  Shoemakersville,  a 
large  log  house,  was  built  by  Charles' 
Shoemaker.  Jr..  and  conducted  by  him 
many  years.  The  famous  Coleman  Line 
Stage  Coach,  operating  stage  lines  from 
Philadelphia  to  Womelsdorf,  Lebanon,. 
Harrisburg.  Lancaster.  Allentown,  Eas- 
ton.  Sunbury  and  other  towns,  in  1828 
established  a  daily  sta2;e  from  Pottsville 
via  Reading  to  P^hiladelphia  and  made 
Shoemakersville  one  of  their  stopping" 
places. 

Charles  Shoemaker.  Jr..  later  built  a 
brick  house  opposite  the  inn  into  which 
he  moved  with  his  family  where  he  died. 
His  wife  left  Shoemakersville  with  her 
nine  children  and  moved  to  her  old  home,, 
then  occu])ied  by  her  brother.  John  Kersh- 
ner and  family.  Years  later  when  her 
youngest  daughter.  Sophia,  was  married 
to  Charles  Huev  Mohr,  of  Mohrsville.  she 
went  to  live  with  her  at  jMohrsville  where 
she  died  May  24,  1849.     She  was  buried 


THE  SHOEMAKER  FAMILY 


565 


In  1812  Col.  George  Shoemaker  discov- 
ered coal  in  Schuylkill  county  and  took 
twelve  wagon  loads  of  the  same  to  Phila- 
delphia where  he  tried  to  sell  it,  telling 
people  that  it  would  burn  longer  than 
wood  and  give  greater  heat.  He  sold  two 
loads  but  was  denounced  as  an  nnpostor 
and  was  obliged  to  give  away  the  re- 
mainder. 


at  Zion's  Church  by  the  side  of  her  hus- 
band and  among  his  people.  Mrs.  Sophia. 
K.  Mohr,  of  Mohrsville,  Pa.,  and  her  sis- 
ter, Mrs.  Rebecca  W.  Seidel,  of  Shoemak- 
crsville.  Pa.,  are  the  last  survivors  of  that 
generation.  The  latter  owns  the  old  Shoe- 
maker mansion  and  a  great  great  grand- 
daughter of  the  original  owner  now  oc- 
cupies the  old  stone  house  built  in  1768^ 


The  Home  Department 

BY   MRS.    H.    H.   FUNK,   SPRINGTOWN,   PA. 


In  laying  tlie  plans  for  the  year  1909,  the 
Editor  of  the  Home  Department  has  not  lost 
sight  of  the  shortcomings  during  the  past,  and, 
profiting  by  past  experience,  will  endeavor  to 
make  the  page  allotted  mean  more  to  every 
reader  of  The  Pennsylv.\nia-German  than  it 
ever  did  before,  and  to  this  end  the  hearty  co- 
operation of  subscribers  is  earnestly  solicited. 

The  Home  Department  never  had  a  brigliter 
or  better  outlook  for  the  future,  more  interest 
has  been  created,  and  better  plans  are  at  hand. 

The  real  object  of  the  department  is  to  recall, 
chronicle  and  perpetuate  the  events  of  home 
life  among  the  pioneer  Pennsylvania-Germans. 

Our  plans  as  laid  down  are  not  iron-bound, 
and  we  stand  ready  to  deviate  therefrom  upon 
request  of  readers  for  special  articles  or  for 
contributions. 

One  of  our  contemplations  is  a  series  of  il- 
lustrative articles  on  Early  Household  Utensils, 
on  which  we  especially  solicit  information  and 
data. 

Let  us  join  hands  and  united  make  this  page 
indispensable  to  the  magazine.  Write  up  old 
stories  on  early  life  in  the  household,  little  hap- 
penings, receipts,  or  kindred  matter  as  they 
impressed  and  appealed  to  \ou.  One  incident 
will  awaken  another;  one  receipt  will  recall 
another;  therefore  let  us  join  heart  and  hand 
and  work  onward  and  upward  to  the  mutual 
advantage  of  all   concerned. 

GERMAN   SERVANTS. 


They  Are  Most  Obliging  and  Inclined  to  Be 
Confidential. 

A  German  lady  whose  uncle  at  one  time 
occupied  an  important  dip'omatic  post  in  Lon- 
don, told  me,  says  a  writer  in  the  London 
Mail,  that  her  aunt  was  immensely  surprised 
to  find  that  every  one  of  her  English  serv- 
ants knew  his  or  her  work,  and  did  it  without 


supervision,  but   that   none  of  them   would   do> 
anything  else. 

This  lady,  not  knowing  English  ways,  used 
to  make  the  mistake  at  first  of  asking  a  serv- 
ant to  do  what  she  wanted  done  instead  of 
what  the  servant  had  engaged  to  do,  but  she 
soon  found  that  the  first  housemaid  would 
rather  leave  than  fill  a  matchbox  it  was  the 
second  housemaid's  "place"  to  fill,  and  what 
surprised  her  most  was  to  find  that  her  Eng- 
lish friends  sjanpathized  with  the  housemaids, 
and  not  with  her.  "We  believe  in  everyone 
minding  his  own  business,"  they  said. 

In  most  German  households  there  is  no  such 
thing  as  the  strict  division  of  labor  insisted  on 
here.  Your  cook  will  be  delighted  to  make  a 
blouse  for  you,  and  j'our  nurse  will  turn  out 
the  dining-room,  while  your  chambermaid  will 
take  the  child  for  an  airing  if  you  order  it  so 
They  are  more  human  in  their  relation  to  their 
employers.  The  English  servant  fixes  a  gulf 
between  herself  and  the  most  democratic 
mistress.  The  German  brings  her  intimate 
joys  and  sorrows  to  a  good  herrschaft,  and 
expects    their    sympathy. 

When  a  girl  has  bad"  luck  and  engages  with 
a  bad  herrschaft  she  is  worse  ofif  than  in 
England,  because  she  is  more  in  the  power 
of  her  employers  and  of  the  police  than  she 
would  be  here.  She  has  to  have  a  "dienst- 
buch,"  an  official  book,  in  which  her  age  and 
personal  appearance  are  registered.  In  this 
book  her  employers  write  her  character.  It  is 
under  the  control  of  the  police,  and  has  to  be 
shown  to  them  when  she  leaves  and  when  she 
enters  a  situation.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to 
say  that  when  a  girl  does  anything  seriously- 
bad  and  her  employers  record  it  in  the  book, 
the  book  gets  "lost."  Then  the  police  inter- 
fere and  make  it  extremely  disagreeable  for  the 
girl. 

A  friend  told  me  that  in  the  confusion  of  a 
removal  her  own  highly  valued  servant  hist  her 
"dienstbuch,"  or.  rather,  my  friend  lost  it,  for 
employers  usually  keep  it  while  a  girl  is  in  their 


564 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


service;  and,  though  she  took  the  blame  on 
herself  and  explained  that  the  book  was  lost 
the  police  were  most  offensive  about  it.  Ger- 
mans have  often  told  me  that  servants,  as  a 
■class,  have  good  reason  to  complain  of  police 
insolence  and  brutality. 

I  have  in  my  possession  the  exact  copy  of 
the  entries  in  a  "dienstbuch"  that  belonged  tc 
a  girl  who  had  been  in  several  situations.  None 
of  them  tel  lanything  of  her  qualities  and 
knowledge,  but  one  mistress  complains  that 
Anna  Schmidt's  behavior  did  not  please  her. 
Anna  Schmidt's  present  mistress  assured  me 
that  this  meant  that  a  son  of  the  house  had 
annoyed  the  girl  with  his  attentions,  and  she 
liad  in  consequence  treated  him  with  some 
Tjrusquerie.  But  when  English  servants  write 
to  the  papers  and  ask  to  have  the  "dienstbuch" 
system  here  I  always  wonder  how  they  would 
like  their  failings  or  their  misfortunes  sent 
with  them  from  place  to  place  in  black  and 
white;  every  fresh  start  made  difficult  and 
every  bad  trait  recorded  against  them  as  long 
a.s  they  earn  their  daily  bread. 

There  is  no  give  and  take  of  personal  char- 
acter in  Germany.  Ladies  do  not  see  the  last 
Jady  with  whom  a  girl  has  lived.  They  ad- 
vertise or  they  go  to  a  registry  office,  where 
servants  are  waiting  to  be  engaged.  In  Ber- 
lin every  third  house  seems  to  be  a  registry 
office,  and  you  hear  as  many  complaints  of  the 
people  who  keep  them  as  you  hear  here.  So 
the  Government  has  set  up  a  large  public  reg- 
istry in  Charlottenburg,  where  both  sides  can 
:get  what  they  want  without  paying  fees. 

Wages  are  much  lower  in  Germany  than  here. 
Some  years  ago  you  could  get  a  good  cook  for 
from  £7  to  £12,  but  those  days  are  past.  Now 
you  hear  of  a  general  servant  getting  from  £10 
to  £12,  and  a  good  plain  cook  from  £15  up- 
ward. These  are  servants  who  would  get  from 
i£22  to  £30  in  England  and  more  in  America. 
But  the  wages  of  German  servants  are  supple- 
mented at  Christmas  by  a  system  of  tips  and 
presents  that  is  neither  one  of  free  gift  nor  of 
businesslike  payment.  Germans  groan  under 
it,  but  every  nation  knows  how  hard  it  is  to 
depart  from  one  of  these  traditional,  indefinite 
customs. 

In  a  household  account  book  that  a  friend 
showed  me,  I  found  the  following  entry: 
""Christmas  present  for  the  servant,  30  marks 
in  money.  House  linen,  9m.  5opf.  Pin  cushion, 
im.  5pf.  Five  small  presents.  In  all,  42  marks. 
Was  not  contented."  My  friend  told  me  that 
German  servants  now  expect  to  get  a  quar- 
ter of  their  wages  in  money  and  presents  at 
Christmas.  House  linen  is  often  given,  be- 
cause a  German  girl  in  service  is  always  sav- 
ing with  might  and  main  for  her  wedding 
outfit.  In  Germany  the  bride  buys  both  furni- 
ture and  linen,  and  in  the  poorer  classes  about 
£30  is  considered  sufficient  for  this  purpose. 

Domestic  servants  in  Germany  also  come 
tinder  the  law  that  obliges  all  persons  below  a 
certain   income   to  provide    for  their   old   age 


The  post  office  issues  cards  and  stamps,  and 
one  of  these  stamps  must  be  dated  and  affixed 
to  the  card  every  Monday.  Sometimes  the  em- 
ployers buy  the  cards  and  stamps  and  show 
them  at  the  post  office  once  a  month ;  sometimes 
they  expect  the  servant  to  pay  half  the  money 
required.  Women  who  go  out  by  the  day  get 
their  stamps  at  the  house  they  work  in  on 
Mondays.  If  a  girl  marries  she  may  cease  to 
insure,  and  may  have  a  sum  of  money  toward 
her  outfit.  In  that  case  she  will  receive  nc 
old  age  pension.  But  if  she  goes  on  with  her 
insurance  she  will  have  from  15  to  20  marks 
a  month  from  the  State  after  the  age  of  70. 

In  cases  of  illness,  employers  are  legally 
bound  to  provide  for  their  domestic  servants 
during  the  term  of  notice  agreed  on.  At  least 
this  is  so  in  Prussia,  and  the  term  varies  from 
a  fortnight  to  three  months.  Most  house- 
holders in  Germany  subscribe  to  an  insurance 
company  that  provides  medical  help,  sends  a 
patient  to  an  infirmary  when  necessary,  and 
even  pays  for  wine  and  food  ordered  by  its 
own  doctors. 

A  German  kitchen  is  marvelously  bright  and 
clean,  but  it  is  not  so  comfortably  furnished  ar 
an  English  kitchen,  nor  will  a  German  servant 
as  a  rule  set  the  table  for  tidy  kitchen  meals 
Her  morning  meal  will  consist  of  coffee  and 
rye  bread  without  butter,  but  in  the  middle 
of  the  morning  she  will  e.xpect  a  second  break- 
fast of  meat  or  sausage.  She  will  be  allowed 
coffee  and  beer  or  wine  with  her  meals,  but  not 
tea,  and  except  for  the  scarcity  of  butter  in 
middle  class  households  she  will,  as  a  rule,  live 
very  well. 

Some  years  ago  German  servants  made  no 
attempt  to  dress  like  ladies,  and  even  now 
what  they  do  in  this  way  is  a  trifle,  compared  to 
the  extravagant  get-up  of  an  English  cook  or 
parlormaid  on  her  Sunday  out.  A  German  girl 
is  not  ashamed  of  being  a  servant,  and  on  week 
days  she  goes  to  market  with  a  large  basket  and 
an  umbrella,  but  without  a  hat.  In  Hamburg 
girls  who  waited  at  table  used  to  wear  light 
cotton  gowns  with  elbow  sleeves,  but  nowa- 
days Hamburg  has  adopted  our  English  livery 
of  a  black  gown  with  a  white  cap  and  apron. 
In  most  German  cities  maidservants  wear  what 
they  please,  and  I  have  myself  dined  with 
people  whose  silver,  glass  and  food  were  irre- 
proachable, while  the  young  women  who  waited 
on  us  wore  decollete  tartan  blouses,  large,  cheap 
lace  collars  and  brooches  of  sham  diamonds. 
Some  ladies  keep  smart  white  aprons  to  lend 
their  servants  on  state  occasions,  but  the  laciest 
apron  will  not  do  much  for  a  girl  in  a  sloppy 
colored  blouse  and  a  plaid  necktie  with  floating 
ends. 

But  these  same  girls  who  dress  so  abomi- 
nably always  have  stores  of  strong,  neat  body 
linen  and  knitted  stockings.  A  girl  knits  the 
stockings  herself  as  she  stands  at  the  street 
door  on  summer  evenings  and  gossips  with  her 
friends. 


THE    PENXSYLVANIA-GERMAN  565 

Literary  Selections 

DOT  LONG-HANDLED  DIPPER. 

BY    CHAS.    FOLLEN    ADAMS,    AUTHOR    OF    LEEDLK    YAWCOB    STRAUSS. 


Der  boct  may  sing  off  "Der  Oldt  Oaken  Bookit," 

Unci  in  schveetest  langvitch  its  virtues  may  tell; 
Und  how,  vhen  a  poy,  he  mit  eggsdasy  dook  it, 

Vhen  dripping  mit  coolness  it  rose  vrom  der  veil. 
I   don"d  take  some  schtock  in  dot  manner  off  trinking! 

It  va.s  too  mooch  like  horses  und  cattle,  I  dink. 
Dherc  vas  more  sadisfactions,  to  my  vay  off  dinking, 

Mit  do'  long-handled  dipper,  dot  hangs  py  der  sink. 

"How    schveet   vrom    der   green    mossy    brim    to    receive    it" — 

Dot   vould   soundt   pootv   goot— eef   it   only   vas   true— 
Der  vater  schbills  ofer,  you  petter  pclieve  it ! 

Und  runs  down  your  schleeve.  und  schlops  indo  your  shoe. 
Dhen  down  on  your  nose  comes  dot  oldt  iron  handle, 

Und  makes  your  eyes  vater  so  gvick  os  a  vink. 
I  tells  you  dot  bookit  it  don'd  hold  a  candle 

To  dot  lone-handled  dipper,  dot  hangs  py  der  sink. 

How  nice  it  musd  been  in  der  rough  vinter  veddher, 

Vhen  it  settles  righdt  down  to  a  coldt,  freezing  rain, 
To  haf  dot  rope  coom  oup  so  light  os  a  feddher, 

Und  find  dot  der  bookit  vas  proke  off  der  shain. 
Dhen  down  in  der  veil  mit  a  pole  you  go  fishing, 

Vhile  indo  your  back  cooms  an  oldt-fashioned   kink  ; 
I  pet  you  mine  life  all  der  time  you  vas  vishing 

For   dot  long-handled  dipper,  dot  hangs  py  der  sink. 

How  handy  it  vas  schust  to  turn  on  der  faucet, 

Vhere  der  vater  flows  down  vrom  der  schpring  on  der  hill! 
I  schust  vas  der  schap  dot  vill  always  endorse  it, 

Ozsbecially   nighdts   vhen   der   veddher   vas   chill. 
Vhen  Pfeiffer's  oldt  veil  mit  der  schnow  vas  all  cofered, 

Und  he  vades  droo  der  schnow  drift  to  get  him  a  trink, 
I  schlips  vrom  der  hearth,  vhere  der  schiltren  vas  hofered, 

To  dot  long-handled  dipper,  dot  hangs  py  der  sink. 

Dhen  gife  oup  der  bookits  und  pails  to  der  horses; 

Off  mikerobes  und  tadpoles  schust  gife  dhem  dheir  fill! 
Gife  me  dot  pore  vater  dot  all  der  time  courses 

Droo  dhose  pipes  dot  run  down  vrom  der  schpring  on  der  hill. 
Und  eef  der  goot  dings  off  dis  vorld  I  gets  rich  in, 

Und  frendts  all  aroundt  me  dheir  glasses  schall  clink, 
I  schtill  vill  remember  dot  oldt  country  kitchen, 

Und  dot  long-handled  dipper  dot  hangs  py  der  sink. 


366 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 
DE   NOCHT   FOR   KRISTDAWG. 

FROM    THE    HAWTHORNE    PRESS^   ELIZABETHVILLE,  PA. 


''S    wore    de    nocht    yusht    for    Kristdawg    und 

gons  dorrich's  lond 
Wore    der    grose-hartzich    Sanda    Clans    recht 

glide  bakond ; 
Mit  harsh  in  si'm  shHdda  hut  yaders  gawist 
Ware  der  frei  gavich,  leebHch  olt  Sanda  Clans 

iss. 
Der  wind  hut  ga-piffa,  dorrich  si  lung,  weiser 

bawrd, — 
<(Ehr  iss  nemohls  tsu'm  barber,  sell  lint  ehr  ols 

g'shpawrd. ) 
XJnd   der   shpcck   uf   si'm   dick-sock — mer   hen"s 
shun    badrocht, 

Dare  wibbled  und   wobbl'd   wunever  ehr  locht, 
Und  ehr  locht  in  si'm  shlidda,  mit  der  wi'p  in 

der  bond, 
\Ji   de   nocht   ynsht    for   Krishtdawg,   und   gaid 

dorrich's    lond. 

Es  hons  wore  gons  slitill,  net  en  sound  hut  mer 

g'haerd. 
Far   der   Sanda   Clans   coomt   net   wnn   ehr   iss 

farshtaird. 
De  kinner   sin   immer  sell  tseit  free  in's  ,nesht, 
Und    fraelich    gabaid    und    druf   g'shlofa    recht 

fesht ; 
De  grose  und  glaina   sin  oil   nf-amohl 
Orrick  gude  und  brawf  warra  und  olles  wore 

wohl, 
Far  de  mommy  hut  g'sawt  das  d'er  Sanda  net 

shtupt 
•Un   heiser   das  nix-nutzich   kinner   dr'in   hut. 

Seller  owet  hty  yaders  si  shtrump  ous-gadu 
XJnd   uf  g'henkt   um   shonshta,   und   nnf   in    de 

ruh ; 
Der  Sam  und  der  Bill  und  der  Hons  und  der 

Jeck, 
Hen   de   shtrimp  ous   und   uf  g'henkt,   und   'no 

wore  de  Beck, 
De  Betz  und  de  Sally,  de  Mag  und  de  Liz, 
En  gonsa  roy  samples  fun  shtrimp, — yahr,  ga- 

wiss ! 
-Der   Mike   und   der   Ike   und   der   Joe   und   der 

Jim, 
Und  der  Moses  und  Aaorn,  de  wu  tswilling  sin. 

"We  der  Sanda  Claus  cooma  iss,  sawgt  ehr  mohl, 

"Whew  I 
Ich  wase  miner  sex  now  sheer  net  wos  tsadu ; 
Ich  will   se  gairn  filla  ovver,  Whew !   Ich  bin 

bung 
De    shtrimp    wora   net    in    der    wesh    far    shun 

lung. 
AVun   Ich   candy  doh   ni   du,  gude  schmockich 

und  seez, 
Grickt  der  choclawd  und  tsugar  der  flavor  fun 

fees." 
So  gookt  ehr  de  roy  nous  und  shtreicht  un  si'm 

bawrd, 
Und  examined  de  shtrimp,  grose  und  glae,  olle 

ord. 

■"Well,  de  leit  doh  sin  awrem,  und  geld  immer 
kartz, 


Ovver  en  drupli  so  kinner  mocht  reichdum  im 

hartz," 
Hut  ehr  g'sawt  tsu  sich  selver,  "Ovver  leeb  iss 

ken  geld, 
Und.  gaid  net  im  hondle  we  cash  in  der  weld." 
Sell  g'sawt,  draid  ehr  rum  und  tsu'm  shonshta 

grawd   nous, 
Un  coomt  mit  mer  mechticher  bund'l  in's  hous. 
Mer    het    sheer    gadenkt    'sis    en    gramer    das 

coomt, 
L^nd     net     der     olt     Sanda     Clans     wu     tsu'm 

shonshta  rei  jnmpt. 

Si   sock  nf-gamocht,  hut  ehr  yaders  en  pawr 
Fun   der   beshta   shtore-kawfta   wul-shtrimp   uf 

der  floor, 
Derno     hut     ehr     tsugar     und     grundniss     ni- 

g'shteckt 
Far  der  Sam  und  der   Bill  und  der  Hons  und 

der   Jeck. 
Ehr's  grawd  un  der  roy  nous  tsu  der  Betz  era 

shtrump 
L^nd   dart   bletzlich    g'shtupt ;    sawgt    ehr,   "Du 

leever   grund ! 
Des  iss  dnch  ken  shtrump,  es  gookt  yoh  we  en 

sock," 
Und  grawd  datsn  ni  gaid  es  ivverich  fu'm  pock. 

Und  mit  dem  das  de  Betz  so  grose  feesich  iss, 
Hut  ehr'n  gons  frisher  bund'l  rei  g'hold  far  de 

Liz, 
Und  de  Beck  und  de  Sally,  de  Mag  und  der 

Jim 
Hen   keshta  aw   grickt  mit  fish-warrum  dr'in, 
Und   tsugarna   gile  und   dol-bubba  mit  hawr, 
Und  es  fee  das  im  Noah  si  shif  amohl  wore; 
Der    Mike   und   der   Ike   und   der   Joe   hen   en 

drum, 
Shad-harner  und  bicher  mit  pickters  dr'in  rum. 

Ear's  letsht  wore  de  tswilling,  der  bund'l  wore 
lair ; 

Wun  de  tswilling  "nix  hen  sin  se  base  das  en 
bear ; 

So  hut  der  Olt  Sanda  Claus  recht  hart  ga- 
denkt— 

Wos  kon  ehr  der  tswilling  nuch  gevva  far'n 
g'shenk ! 

Ehr  iss  grawd  datsn  nous,  und  glei  iss  ehr 
cooma 

Und  pawr  millich-gase  un  de  veek  aw-gabunna. 

Oh,  wos  iss  der  Krishtdawg  en  fraelicha  tseit, 

Mit  leeb  und  gude  willa  bi  oil  unser  leit, 

Mit    em    grose-hartzich    Sanda    Claus,    harlich 

und  froh, 
Un  en  oldar  welsh-hawna  im  uflfa  grawd  doh! 
Und    wos    en   blaseer    wun    der    Sanda    Claus 

coomt, 
Far    de    kinner    mit    tsugar    und    keshta    im 

shtrump!. 
Uf    de    nocht    yusht    for    Krishtdawg,    'sis   oil 

gude  bakond, 
Coomt  der  frei-gavich  Sanda  Clauds  und  gaid 

dorrich's  lond. 


LITERARY  SELECTIONS 
STILLE  NACHT,   HEILIGE  NACHT! 


567 


Stille  Nacht,  hcilige  Nacht! 
Alles  schlaft,  einsam  wacht 
Kur  das  traute,  hochhcilige  Paar, 
Das  in   Stalle   zu  Bethlehem   war 
||Bei  dem  himmlischen  Kind.|| 

Stille   Nacht,  heilige   Nacht ! 
Hirtcii  wird's  kund  gemacht ; 
Durch  der  Engcl  Hallelujah 
Tout  es  laut  von  fern  und  nah  : 
llJesus  der  Rctter  ist  da.|| 


Stille  nacht,  heilige   Nacht! 
Gottes  Sohn  ! — O  wie  lacht 
Licb"  aus  deinem  holdseligen  Mund, 
Da  uns  schliiget  die  rettende  Stund', 
llChristus    in    deiner    Geburt.|| 

Stille  Nacht,  heilige  Nacht! 
Erd,   erwach   aus  dem   Schlaf, 
Hoch  erton'  in  melodischcn  Klang, 
Hoch  zum  Himmel  dein  Jubelgesang: 
MFriede  auf  immer  der  Welt. 1 1 


O   DU  SELIGE! 

O  du  selige, 

O  du   frohliche, 
Gnadenbringende  Weihnachtszeit ! 

Welt  ging  verloren  ; 

Christ  ward  geboren  : 
Freuc  dich,  freue  dich,  O  Christenheit ! 

O  du  selige, 

O  du  frohliche, 
Priedenbringende  Weihnachtszeit ! 

Christ  ist  erschienen, 

Uns  zu  versiihnen  : 
Freue  dich,  freue  dich,  O  Christenheit ! 

O  du  selige, 

O  du  frohliche, 
Xebenbringende   Weihnachtszeit ! 

Konig  der  Ehren 

Dich    will    ich    horen : 
Freue  dich,  freue  dich,  O  Christenheit ! 


O   TANNENBAUM! 

O  Tannenbaum,  O  Tannenbaum ! 
Wie  treu  sind  deine  Blatter! 
Du  griinst  nicht   nur   zur   Sommerzeit, 
Nein  auch  ini  Winter,  wenn  es  schneit ! 
O  Tannenbaum,  O  Tannenbaum ! 
Wie  treu  sind  deine  Blatter! 

O  Tannenbaum,  O  Tannenbaum ! 

Du   kannst  mir  sehr  p-efallen  ! 
Wie   oft  hat  mich   zur    Weihnachtszeit 
Ein  Baum  von  dir  so  hoch  erfreut ! 
O  Tannenbaum,  O  Tannenbaum ! 

Du   kannst  mir  sehr  gefallen ! 

O  Tannenbaum,  O  Tannenbaum ! 

Dein  Kleid  will  mich  was  lehren ! 
Die  Hoffnung  und  Bestandigkeit 
Giebt  Trost  und  Kraft  zu  jeder  Zeit! 
O  Tannenbaum,  O  Tannenbaum ! 

Das  will  dein  Kleid  mich  lehren! 


O  LITTLE  TOWN  OF  BETHLEHEM! 


BY    PHILLIPS    BROOKS. 


'O  little  town  of  Bethlehem, 

How  still  we  see  thee  lie; 
Above  thy  deep  and  dreamless  sleep 

The  silent  stars  go  by : 
Yet  in  thy  dark  streets  shineth 

The  everlasting  Light ; 
The  hopes  and  fears  of  all  the  years 

Are  met  in  thee  tonight. 

For  Christ  is  born  of  Mary ; 

And  gathered  all  above, 
"While  mortals  sleep  the  angels  keep 

Their  watch  of  wondering  love. 
O  morning  stars,  together 

Proclaim  the  holy  birth ; 
And  praises  sing  to  God  the  King, 

And  peace  to  men  on  earth. 


How  silently,  how  silently, 

The  wondrous  gift  is  given ! 
So  God  imparts  to  human  hearts 

The  blessings  of  His  heaven. 
No  ear  may  hear  His  coming, 

But  in  this  world  of  sin, 
Where  meek  souls  will  receive  Him  still, 

The  dear  Christ  enters  in. 

O  holy  Child  of  BethleU.n, 

Descend   to   us,   we  pray ; 
Cast  out  our  sin,  and  enter  in, 

Be  born  in  us  to-day. 
We  hear  the  Christmas  angels 

The  great  glad  tidings  tell; 
O  come  to  us,  abide  with  us,  ; 

Our  Lord   Emmanuel. 


S68 


THE    PEXXSYLVAXIA-GERMAN 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT. 


Editor  and  P  blisher 

H.  W.  KRIEBEL, 
East  Greenville,  Pa. 

The  PennsvlvaniaCkrman  is  an  illustrated  monthly 
magazine  devoted  to  the  biography,  history,  genealogy, 
folklore,  literature  and  general  interests  of  German 
and  Swiss  settlers  in  Pennsylvania  and  other  States, 
mnd    of    their    descendants. 

Price,  per  year,  $1.50,  in  advance;  single  copies, 
15  cents.  Foreign  postage,  25  cents  a  year  extra. 
Club-rates  furnished  on  application.  Payments 
credited    by    mail. 

Discontinuance. — The  magazine  will  be  sent  until 
order  to  discontinue  is  received.  This  is  done  to 
accommodate  the  majority  of  subscribers,  who  do 
not   wish    to   have   their   files   broken. 

Notice  of   Expiration   of   subscription   is   given   by 


Associate  Editors 
Mrs.  H.  H.  FUNK,  Springtown,  Pa. 
E.  S  GERHARD,  A.  M.,  Trenton,  N.  J. 

using  red  ink  in  addressing  the  wrapper  of  the 
magazine. 

Contributions. — Carefully  prepared  articles  bearing 
on  our  field  are  invited  and  should  be  accompanied 
with  illustrations  when  possible.  No  attention  will 
be  given  to  unsigned  articles,  ror  will  we  be  re- 
sponsible for  the  statements  and  opinions  of  con- 
tributors. Unavailable  manuscripts  will  not  be  re- 
turned unless  stamps  are  sent  to  prepay  postage. 
Contributions  intended  for  any.  particular  number 
should  be  in  the  editor's  hands  by  the  twenty-fifth  of 
the     second     preceding     month. 

Advertising  Rates  will  be  furnished  by  the  pub- 
lisher   upon    request. 


ITH  the  issue  of  this  number 
of  The  Pennsylvania- 
German  there  is  brought  to 
a  close  another  year  in  the 
history  of  the  magazine, 
with  its  hopes  and  fears,  its 
successes  and  faiktres. 
Contrary  to  the  practice  of  the  last  two 
years,  the  title  page  and  index  are  issued 
with  this  number.  It  is  believed  that  the 
change  will  be  an  acceptable  one.  For  the 
convenience  of  the  subscribers  we  give 
also  a  list  of  the  leading  ^articles  that  have 
appeared  in  The  Pennsylvania-Ger- 
man from  the  first  issue  to  the  present. 

We  realize  that  the  magazine  has  fallen 
short  of  the  aim  placed  before  it  at  the 
beginning  of  the  year.  The  lamented 
death  of  our  esteemed  associate,  Mr. 
Henry  A.  Schuler,  shattered  many  of  the 
plans  we  together  had  laid.  The  lack  of 
sufficient  income  from  the  magazine  has 
interfered  with  our  efforts  and  prevented 
the  accomplishment  of  certain  desirable 
improvements.  Though  conscious  of  our 
shortcomings,  and  often  dismayed  and 
cast  down,  we  are  not  discouraged,  and 
face  the  future  hopefully  and  determined, 
God  willing,  to  add  a  larger,  more  inter- 
esting and  more  valuable  volume  to  the 
magazine  the  coming  year. 

Not  the  least  of  our  rewards  during  the 
past  year  has  been  the  pleasant  acquaint- 
anceship and  bond  of  friendship  that  has 
been  formed  with  subscribers  and  con- 
tributors. Many  a  cheering  word  has 
reached  us,  many  a  helpful  service  has 
been  rendered  us  that  has  often  caused  a 
wish  for  wings  that  might  carry  us  to 
our  friends,  and  thus  enable  us  to  say  in 


spoken  words  what  the  printed  word  can 
never  express.  To  the  host  of  our  friends 
that  have  in  any  way  aided  us  during  1908 
in  the  publication  of  the  magazine,  we 
hereby  express  our  hearty  and  sincere 
thanks.  Without  the  comfort  and  aid  thus 
given,  The  Pennsylvania-German 
could  not  have  lived.  Again  we  thank 
you  all  for  all  favors. 

We  may  be  permitted  to  say  that  dur- 
ing the  year  the  sense  of  the  needs,  the  im- 
portance and  significance  of  the  field  we 
occupy  has  grown  upon  us.  The  history 
of  the  German  element  in  our  country 
remains  to  be  written.  While  master 
minds  have  wrought  and  toiled,  and  much 
has  been  brought  to  light  and  given  its 
value,  still  more  remains  unsaid  that 
ought  to  be  expressed.  People  are  not 
quite  as  ready  as  formerly  to  deny  their 
German  ancestry  or  to  apologize  for  their 
forebears.  The  day  is  not  far  distant  when 
the  sons  of  Teuton  stock  on  American 
soil  will  lift  alo-ft  proud  heads  and  say: 
"We  are  scions  of  one  of  the  noblest 
people  that  ever  trod  God's  earth."  If 
The  Pennsylvania-German  can  help 
to  bring  this  about,  it  will  not  have  lived 
in  vain. 

Changes  in  the  interest  of  economy  and 
efficiency  will  be  made  in  the  editing, 
make-up  and  mailing  of  the  magazine  the 
coming  year.  One  of  the  most  important 
of  these  is  that  eight  pages  will  be  added 
each  month  under  the  general  head, 
Genealogical  Records,  devoted  to  early 
death  records  as  found  on  tombstones, 
and  in  church,  pastors',  newspaper  and 
private  records.  This  will  not  in  any  way 
curtail  the  popular  element  of  the  maga- 


EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT 


569 


zine,  and  will  accommodate  in  part  at 
least  the  students  of  genealogy.  Details 
will  be  given  in  the  January  number.  We 
shall  be  pleased  to  receive  suggestions 
from  subscribers  respecting  changes 
which  in  their  judgment  ought  to  be 
made. 

We  invite  and   solicit  the  hearty  sup- 


port of  each  subscriber  the  coming  year. 
We  need  your  aid.  We  need  also  lots  of 
new  friends,  and  hope  you  will  help  us  to 
get  them.     Finally, 

A   MERRY  CHRISTMAS 

and 
A    HAPPY   NEW    YEAR 


Clippings  from  Current  News 


—On  Saturday,  October  loth,  1908,  the  land- 
ing of  Gerhardt'  Brownbaugh  in  America  was 
celebrated  at  Brownback  Reformed  Church, 
East  Coventry  township,  Chester  county.  Pa. 
Garret  Brownback,  of  Linfield,  Pa.,  the  only 
descer.dant  that  ever  bore  the  name  of  Ger- 
hardt in  the  large  family  of  descendants,  pre- 
sented them  with  a  beautiful  memorial  stone, 
bearing  the  names  of  four  generations  of  his 
descendants. 

William  H.  (Brownback)  Mosteller,  M.D.,  of 
Phoenixville,  presented  the  memoirs  of  Ger- 
hardt Brownbaugh  to  the  family. 

Both  of  these  descendants  were  fulfilling 
their  promises  to  members  of  the  great  family 
who  have  gone  to  meet  their  fathers. 

Garret  Brownback  promised  his  father,  Jesse 
Brownback  to  erect  this  memorial  stone,  and 
Dr.  William  H.  Mosteller  promised  Miss  Mary 
Brownback,  deceased,  to  present  the  history 
on   this  occasion. 

The  monument  is  a  touching  tribute,  and  its 
presentation  a  beautiful  scene.  To  see  his  de- 
scendants one  hundred  and  fifty-one  years  after 
his  death  gathered  about  his  long  silent  tomb, 
entering  into  a  reverential  spirit  for  the  im- 
mortal, in  a  beautful  and  well  prepared  service 
for  the  occasion,  was  most  inspiring. 

— At  the  annual  reunion  of  the  Grubb  family 
in  the  Union  Meeting  House  at  Parkerford, 
Chester  county,  a  memorial  stone  was  un- 
veiled at  the  grave  of  the  Grubbs  first  an- 
cestor in  America,  Henry  Grubb  and  his  wife. 
A  dozen  States  were  represented  at  the  reunion, 
and  from  Canada  a  large  delegation  of  the 
Grubb  clans  came.  Former  Governor  Penny- 
packer  made  an  address.  He  paid  high  tribute 
to  the  sturdy  Pennsylvania-German  stock  with 
which  the  Grubbs  are  associated,  and  which  has 
been  so  notable  a  feature  in  this  Common- 
wealth's   progress   and    achievements. 

— The  British  Secretary  of  Trade  is  publish- 
ing a  series  of  reports  on  the  economic  condi- 
tion of  the  laboring  classes  in  Great  Britain, 
Germany  and  France.  The  second  volume  con- 
tains reports  on  that  subject,  the  data  having 
been  gathered  in  a  German  cities  with  a  total 
population  of  nine  millions.  The  reporter 
found  that  the  German  workman  works  longer 
than  the  British  and  gets  smaller  wages,  but 
spends  less  for  victuals  and  house-rent,  al- 
though he  does  not  have  less  comfort  than  his 
British   brother.      The    German    workman,    the 


reporter  says,  saves  more  than  the  British, 
and  is  also  healthier,  eating  less  meat  but  more 
vegetables,  and  consuming  much  more  milk. 

— It  may  be  interesting  to  note  the  publication 
by  the  Burrowes  Brothers,  Cleveland,  Ohio,  of 
a  dc  luxe  edition  of  John  Heckewelder's  "Nar- 
rative of  the  Mission  of  the  United  Brethren 
among  the  Delaware  and  Mohegan  Indians, 
from  its  Commencement  in  the  year  1740  to  the 
close    of   the   year    1808." 

The  book,  one  of  the  two  principal  publica- 
tions from  Heckewelder's  pen,  was  published  by 
McCarty  &  Davis,  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  in  1820. 
The  original  manuscript,  now  the  property  of 
Mr.  W^illiam  Elzey  Connelley,  of  Topeka,  Kan- 
sas, has  been  reprinted  exactly  as  written,  with 
valuable  historical  notes  by  Mr.  Connelley.  The 
book  is  a  quarto,  and  costs  thirty  dollars.  Only 
162  copies  have  been  printed.  It  contains,  be- 
sides the  "Narrative,"  the  author's  report  of  the 
Expedition  to  the  Wabash  Indians,  with  whom, 
at  Port  Yincennes,  under  commission  of  the 
United  States  Government,  General  Rufus  Put- 
nam and  himself  concluded  a  treaty  in  the  fall 
of  1792.  In  the  spring  of  1793  he  again  was 
a  member  of  a  Commission  of  the  Government 
to  treat  with  the  Miami  Indians  at  Detroit. 

— -According  to.  the  report  of  Dr.  Nathan  C. 
SchaefFer,  State  Superintendent  of  Public  In- 
struction for  the  year  ending  June  i,  1908,  there 
are  2,580  school  districts  in  the  State,  33,171 
schools,  7488  male  teachers,  26.525  female 
teachers  and  1,231,200  pupils.  The  average 
number  of  pupils  in  daily  attendance  last  year 
was  951,670. 

The  cost  of  school  houses,  purchasing  build- 
ings, renting,  etc.,  during  the  year  was  $5,717,- 
844.  The  wages  of  teachers  amounted  to  $17,- 
600,342.93.  The  cost  of  text  books  for  the  year 
was  $1,006,491.05,  and  the  cost  of  other  school 
supplies  $884,757.15.  The  maintenance  expenses 
of  the  schools  were  $8,661,481.06.  The  total  ex- 
penditures for  all  purposes  were  $34,970,916.94. 
The  estimated  value  of  school  property  is  $90,- 
363,211.57. 

— A  committee  of  citizens  of  Gettysburg, 
headed  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Singmaster,  ex-Senator 
D.  P.  McPherson,  ex-Judge  McClean  and  Madi- 
son Garvin,  waited  upon  Governor  Stuart  to  ask 
him  to  include  in  his  next  annual  message  and 
to  urge  the  celebration  of  the  semi-centennial  of 
the  battle  of  Getty.sburg  in  1913.  Governor 
Stuart  promised  to  give  the  matter  careful  con- 
sideration. 


570 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


—The  assertion  is  made  that  the  town  of 
Port  Clinton,  along  the  Reading  system,  has 
turned  out  more  railroad  men  than  any  town 
in  Pennsylvania,  or  probably  in  the  United 
States,  for  its  size.  The  population  is  fewer 
than  1,000.  The  town  has  furnished  men  to  the 
railroad  service  for  76  years,  or  since  the  Little 
Schuylkill  Railroad  was  built  m  1832,  from 
Port  Clinton  to  Tamaqua.  Of  the  names  given, 
:about  150  compose  various  families,  there  being 
groups  of  two,  three,  four  and  five  brothers, 
sons  and  cousins.  It  is  notable  that  many  of 
these  men  climbed  to  places  of  trust  and  dis- 
tinction in  the  railroad  world.  Among  them 
are  John  B.  Warrington,  now  superintendent 
■of  the  Philadelphia  divison  of  the  Reading; 
Harry  D.  Rarick,  assistant  trainmaster  at 
Broad  Street  Station;  David  Raybolt,  yard- 
master  at  Belmont;  Joseph  Geatly,  yardmaster 
at  West  Falls;  A.  A.  Kerlin,  collector  for  the 
.Schuylkill  Canal,  and  Captain  A.  C.  Huckey, 
Avho  held  a  position  under  Frank  Thomson 
-when  he  was  superintendent  of  the  Philadel- 
phia and  Erie  division  and  later  connected 
with  the  United  States  railway  mail  service. 

— Former  Governor  Pennypacker  was  the  first 
offical  in  the  State  to  make  suggestions  to  the 
legislature  to  frame  appropriate  laws  for  hus- 
banding the  natural  resources  of  the  State  and 
place  a  small  tax  on  coal,  coal  oil  and  gas,  for 
the  benefit  of  good  roads.  President  Roosevelt 
followed  and  took  up  the  subject  for  the  whole 
country. 

— ^The  German  Society  of  Pennsylvania  has 
issued  a  supplementary  catalogue,  covering  the 
acquisitions  to  the  library  since  1879,  which 
include  the  latest  literary  publications.  Dr. 
Karl  Detley  Jessen  wrote  the  preface  of  _  the 
catalogue.  Liberal  arrangements  are  provided 
for  the  use  of  the  library  by  non-members. 

— ^Dr.  August  Wilhelm,  of  Prussia,  had  no 
■easy  time  of  his  studies  in  the  University  of 
Strassburg.  He  had  little  of  that  what  is  en- 
thusiastically called  "student's  life."  He  had  a 
strict  taskmaster  in  Count  Dohna,  professor  of 
political  science  at  Koenigsberg,  who  by  order 
of  the  Emperor  supervised  his  studies  and  made 
liim  work  as  if  his  daily  bread  depended  upon 
his  success  in  the  university.  Fairy  princes  and 
princesses  are  not  tolerated  in  the  Hohenzollern 
house.  Prince  August  Wilhelm  of  Prussia  is 
not  the  only  German  prince  having  "made  his 
doctor"  in  course.  Prince  Max  of  Baden  is  a 
doctor  of  law.  Prince  Ludwig  Ferdinand  of 
Bavaria  is  an  M.D.,  and  a  very  skillful  sur- 
geon, whilst  Duke  Karl  Theodore  in  Bavaria 
is  known  all  over  Europe  as  an  eminent  ocu- 
list. Prince  Max,  a  brother  of  the  King  of 
Saxony,  is  a  C.L.D.  and  a  D.D.,  and  professor 
of  church  laws  and  liturgies  in  the  R.  C.  uni- 
versity of  Fribourg  in  French  Switzerland ;  he 
is  a  priest.  Prnce  Julius  Ernst  sur  Lippe  is  a 
doctor  of  law,  and  two  princes  of  the  old  house 
of  Reuss  in  Thuringia  are  doctors  of  philosophy 
and  make  themselves  useful  to  the  Fatherland. 

— The  Reformed  Ministerial  Association  of 
the  Lehigh  Valley  held  its  October  meeting  at 
Kemp's  Inn,   a  mile   from  Kutztown.     Kemp's 


Inn  was  founded  in  1765  by  a  Mr.  Kemp,  and 
the  present  proprietor  is  the  fifth  in  direct  line 
of  descent  from  the  founder  of  the  hostlery. 
The  present  building  was  erected  in  1795.  Fol- 
lowing the  business  session,  the  ministers  were 
taken  to  a  nearby  field,  to  see  what  is  said  to 
be  the  largest  oak  tree  in  Pennsylvania.  The 
diameter  of  the  spread  of  the  branches  is  T2 
feet,  and  seven  of  the  pastors,  touching  fingers, 
just  reached  with  their  outstretched  arms 
around   the   base. 

— To  complicate  the  mooted  question  as  to 
whether  John  Jacob  Mickley  or  Frederick 
i^easer  took  the  Liberty  Bell  to  Allentown,  Pa., 
to  be  hid  under  the  pulpit  floor  of  Zion  Re- 
formed church  when  Lord  Howe's  forces  occu- 
pied Philadelphia  in  the  dark  days  of  1777, 
along  comes  a  claim  for  Captain  Philip  Gable 
as  having  had  a  part  in  the  removal  of  the 
precious  relic  of  freedom.  The  Mickley  and 
Leaser  descendants  have  long  advanced  and 
held  tenaciously  to  the  claim  on  behalf  of  their 
forebears.  The  State  has  appropriated  $1,000 
for  a  memorial  to  Mickley,  which  is  to  be 
affixed  to  a  granite  boulder  in  front  of  Zion 
church.  The  Leaser  descendants  have  organ- 
ized and  arranged  for  a  memorial  over  his 
grave   near   Jacksonville. 

The  Gable  claim  reached  Allentown  in  a  let- 
ter to  a  friend  from  Percival  Kemmerer  Gable, 
of  the  Rambo  House,  of  Norristown.  Mr. 
Gable  has  prepared  a  history  of  the  Gable  fam- 
ily and  has  traced  the  family  tree  to  Johann 
Philip  Gable,  of  Rabach,  Germany,  who  came 
to  America  in  1739.  His  son,  Philip  Gable,  was 
a  captain  of  Philadelphia  county  militia  in  the  ■ 
Revolutionarv  War,  and  was  the  great-grand- 
father of  P.  K.  Gable. 

Ex-Judge  A.  Brower  Longaker  is  quoted  as 
authority  for  the  statement  that  Captain  Gable 
was  commissioned  by  General  Washington  to 
remove  the  bell  from  Philadelphia  to  Allen- 
town and  back  again. 

— On  Saturday  and  Sunday,  Oct.  31  and 
November  i,  the  one  hundredth  anniversary 
of  the  dedication  of  the  pipe  organ  in  the  his- 
toric Reformed  and  Lutheran  Zion  or  Red 
Church  in  Schuylkill  county,  near  Orwigsburg, 
was  celebrated.  On  Sunday  morning  the  ser- 
mon was  preached  by  Rev.  J.  A.  Schaeffer, 
Reformed  pastor,  and  in  the  afternoon  Rev. 
H.  A.  Weller  delivered  a  historic  address. 
In  the  evening  Rev.  Mr.  Schaeffer  will  deliver 
a  thanksgiving  address.  The  pipe  organ  still  in 
use  in  the  church  was  dedicated  Oct.  16,  1808, 
and  has  been  used  by  the  congregations  for  100 
years.     The  organ  was  made  in  Quakertown. 

— In  a  speech  October  24,  at  the  annual  ban- 
quet of  the  faculty  of  the  Northeast  Manual 
Training  School,  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  Dr.  Martin 
G.  Brumbaugh,  superintendent  of  schools,  re- 
iterated his  position  that  an  appropriation  of 
$5,000,000,  instead  of  $2,500,000,  should  be  made 
for  school   purposes. 

"When  I  know  as  I  do  know,"  he  said,  "that 
there  are  thousands  of  school  children  in  Phila- 
delphia who  are  prevented  from  obtaining  the 
amount   of  instruction   which   they   should  re- 


CLIPPINGS  FROM  CURRENT  NEWS 


5/1 


ceiye  now,  because  of  inadequate  school  facili- 
ties, and  when  I  know  that  there  are  more 
thousands  who  are  forced  to  receive  instruc- 
tion in  rented  buildings,  which  are  unfit  for 
school  purposes ;  when  1  know  that  there  arc 
but  four  per  cent,  of  the  pupils  graduated  from 
the  grammar  schools  who  enter  the  higher 
schools,  when  at  least  ten  per  cent,  should 
come  up  to  the  high  schools  of  the  city,  1  de- 
mand more  strongly  than  ever  that  the  appro- 
priation should  be  doubled. 

"The  child  of  wealthy  parents  can  go  any 
distance  for  his  .schooling,  but  the  poor  man's 
son  must  find  a  high   school   nearer  home. 

"We  must  have  an  appropriation  of  not  less 
than  $5,000,000.  instead  of  $2,500,000,  if  this 
condition  of  affairs  is  to  be  remedied.  'I  hat  is 
my  position,  and  will  be  as  long  as  I  live,  or 
until  I  get  the  money." 

— That  men  do  not  think  alike  on  the  vac- 
cination question  is  quite  evident.  At  a  recent 
national  anti-vaccination  conference  in  Phla- 
delphia,  Dr.  Rudolph  Straube  .sent  the  follow- 
ing challenge  to  Doctor  Dixon,  State  Health 
Commissioner  : 

"In  order  to  settle  this  question  of  immunity 
from  smallpox  between  you  and  me,  by  means 
of  this  open  letter  I  challenge  you  to  a  test. 
You  have  undoubtedly  been  vaccinated  time 
and  again ;  hence  in  your  estimation  you  are 
immune.  I  have  never  been  vaccinated,  but 
claim  immunity  from  smallpox  by  reason  of 
pure  blood  and  a  good  constitution.  I  will 
stake  my  normal  health  against  your  vaccine 
scars -in  defying  smallpox,  and  challenge  you  to 
occupy  the  same  bed  with  me,  at  the  same  time, 
with  a  smallpox  patient  lying  between  us.  Thus 
we  shall  prove  the  honesty  of  our  convictions 
and — perhaps  something  more. 

"If  your  belief  is  from  your  heart,  and  not 
from  your  mouth  alone,  you  will  accept  this 
challenge." 

State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction 
Dr.  Nathan  C.  Schaeffer  says  in  his  last  an- 
nual report : 

"The  State  Commissioner  of  Health,  Doctor 
Dixon,  ascertained  that  in  9,851  schools  there 
were  50,817  unvaccinated  children  in  attend- 
ance. The  total  number  of  schools  in  the  State 
is  33,171-  These  figures  show  that  the  prog- 
ress of  those  who  framed  the  law  excluding 
unvaccinated  children  from  schools,  and  who 
hoped  thereby  to  make  vaccination  universal, 
has  not  been  realized. 

"No  one  has  been  willing  to  undertake  the 
task  of  ascertaining  how  many  children  have 
been  deprived  of  their  education  because  there 
is  no  one  to  vaccinate  them,  but  if  in  the  com- 
munities where  the  vaccination  law  is  enforced 
one  asks  how  many  children  are  out  of  school 
the  estimates  vary  from  2  to  25  per  cent,  of 
those  of  school  age.  If  to  these  were  added 
the  thousands  of  unvaccinated  children  who  are 
now  at  school,  and  whom  the  law,  if  enforced, 
would  exclude  from  school,  the  total  would 
represent  an  array  of  children  growing  up  in  ig- 
norance and  illiteracy  equal  to  those  whose  con- 
dition   mcned    Governor    George    Wolfe    and 


Thaddeus  Stevens  to  make  their  famous  fight 
for  free  schools. 

"The  boy  who  cannot  read  and  write  the 
English  language  intelligently  is  prevented  by 
law  from  going  to  work  until  he  reaches  the 
age  of  16  years.  If  he  is  not  vaccinated  he 
cannot  be   forced  to   attend   school. 

"1  he  Supreme  Court  has  ruled  that  directors 
can  be  held  responsible  for  the  enforcement  of 
the  vaccination  laws.  The  law  expressly  im- 
poses the  penalty  upon  the  person  in  charge 
of  the  school.  This  has  sometimes  led  to  con- 
flicts between  con.scientious  teachers  and  di- 
rectors hostile  to  vaccination,  b.ither  the  pen- 
alty for  refusal  or  neglect  to  vaccinate  should 
be  laid  upon  the  persons  in  parental  relation 
or  scMiie  provision  should  be  made  unde."  which 
it  will  be  lawful  to  give  the  unvaccinated  child 
an  education. 

"At  present  it  is  unlawful  for  any  unvacci- 
nated child  to  attend  any  public,  private,  par- 
ochial or  Sunday  school.  That  nearly  every 
pastor  and  Sunday  school  superintendent  in  the 
State  has  become  a  law-breaker  for  the  sake 
of  giving  children  moral  and  religious  training 
is  evidence  of  defective  legislaton." 

— An  unusually  interesting  ceremony  took 
place  in  Hain's  Reformed  Church,  Werners- 
ville.  Pa.,  October  4,  when  Charles  I.  and  Miss 
Leah  K.   Hain  were  united  in  wedlock. 

It  was  the  first  wedding  ceremony  ever  per- 
formed in  Hain's  Church. 

Intermarriages  between  members  of  the  Hain 
family  have  been  recorded  as  follows:  Benja- 
min S.  to  Elizabeth,  Sunday,  July  14,  1805; 
Isaac  to  Elizabeth,  Sunday,  Jan.  26,  1806; 
Daniel  to  Mary,  Sunday,  Feb.  12,  1826;  Joseph 
to  Mary.  Thursday,  Oct.  27,  1836;  Frederick 
to  Sarah,  -Tuesday.  Jan.  17,  1843;  David  L. 
to  Sarah,  Thursday,  Sept.  23,  1858;  Lewis  J. 
to  Ellen,  Saturday,  Dec.  7,  1889;  Charles  I.  to 
Leah  K.,  Sunday,  Oct.  4,  1908;  Daniel  Hain 
to  Polly,  about  1798;  William  Hain  to  Anna, 
about    1808. 

George  Hain,  the  ancestor,  was  a  prominent 
settler  in  this  locality.  He  was  a  man  of  re- 
markable energy,  and  became  a  large  land 
owner.  He  purchased  in  1735,  920  acres;  in 
1741,  190  acres;  in  1742,  292  acres,  and  in 
1743.  320  acres.  The  original  homestead  was 
on  the  Hill  farm,  one  mile  west  of  Werners- 
ville.  He  had  seven  sons,  Peter,  Adam,  George, 
Frederick,  John,  Henry,  Christian  and  Casper, 
and  two  daughters,  Sybilla  and  Elizabeth  Ger- 
trude. 

The  first  and  earliest  date  of  the  Hain  line- 
age is  171 1,  when  Elizabeth  Gertrude,  daughter 
of  George  and  Veronica  Hain,  and  wife  of 
William  Fischer,  was  born.  Some  of  the  chil- 
dren of  George  and  Veronica  may  have  been 
born  earlier,  but  there  is  no  record  of  the  same. 

—Rev.  Charles  H.  Mutschler  died  in  Wilkes- 
Barre,  Oct.  7,  at  the  age  of  68  years.  He  served 
his  country  during  the  Civil  War,  takine  promi- 
nent part  in  several  notable  battles.  In  1878 
he  entered  the  Christian  ministry,  and  served 
pastorates  at  Johnstown,  Dushore,  Sunbury, 
Mainville  and  Wilkes-Barre,  Pa.  At  the  last 
named  place  he  had  labored  nearly  seven  years. 


572 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


He  was  president  of  Wyoming  Classis  and  of 
Wilkes-Barre  Ministerial  Association  at  ttie 
time   of   his   death. 

Joseph  C.  Bucher,  who  for  20  years  wa 
President  Judge  of  the  Courts  of  Snyder  and 
Union  counties,  died  October  17,  aged  72  years^ 
After  his  defeat  for  re-election  ni  189 1  he  was 
fppointed  solicitor  of  the  Peiinsylvan.a  Railroad 
Company.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1808^ 
In  1894  Jugde  Bucher  was  nominated  by  ttie 
Democrats  for  Congressman-at-large,  but  de- 
clined on  the  plea  of  professional  engagements. 
Three   sons   and  one   daughter   survive. 

—John  J.  Ziegler,  senior  member  of  the  hrm 
of  Ziesler  Brothers,  shoe  manufacturers,  Fhila- 
delphia,  Pa.,  died  October  28,  of  heart  disease. 
Mr  Ziegler  is  survived  by  his  widow,  Mrs. 
Mary  Ziegler;  three  sons  and  three  daughters. 
He  was  born  in  Chester  county,  on  June  n, 
1833  In  i860  he  established  the  shoe  business 
wh=ch  bears  his  name.  Associated  vyith  him 
were   his   brothers,   William    and   Lewis. 

Mr  Z'egler  was  first  vice-president  of  the 
Seventh  National  Bank  for  years  prior  to  its 
merger  with  the  Fourth  National  Bank,  lie 
was  a  member  of  the  Manufacturers'  Club,  a 
member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Spring 
Garden  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  a 
member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Metho- 
dist Hospital.  ,    ,     ,        , 

—Miss  Carol  H.  Beck,  one  of  the  best  known 
historical  portrait  p-.inters  in  America,  died, 
after  a  short  illness.  Miss  Beck,  who  was  a 
sister  of  former  United  States  Attorney  James 
M  Beck,  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  man- 
agers of  fellowships  of  the  Philadelphia  Acad- 
emy of  Fine  Arts,  and  well  known  as  a  critic 
and  authority  on  art.  She  studied  in  Pans, 
Dresden  and  Madrid.  At  the  request  of  An- 
drew Carnegie  she  painted  William  Penn  in 
armor  for  the  Pennsylvania  society  in  New 
York,  and  produced  several  subjects  for  Skibo 
Castle.  Her  works  adorn  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania,  the  Masonic  Temple  in  Philadel- 


phia, Wesleyan   College,  the   Capitols   at    Har- 
risburg  and  Trenton,  N.  J. 

FOR  THE  JOKE  BOOK. 

— The  following  was  found  among  the 
papers  of  a  German  pastor  of  eastern  Penn- 
sylvania :  One  of  the  most  remarkably  un- 
satisfactory expositions  of  Scripture  on  record 
is  that  of  the  colored  preacher  who  was  trying 
to  throw  light  on  the  miracle  of  the  loaves  and 
fishes.  He  confusedly  said:  "My  beloved 
friends,  de  greatest  ob  all  miracles  was  'bout 
de  loaves  and  fishes.  Dere  was  5,000  loaves- 
and  2,000  fishes,  and  de  twelve  'postles  had 
to  eat  dem  all,  an' — an'  de  miracle  was  dat 
dey  didn't  bust." 

— '"You  have  a  short  memory,"  suggested  Mr. 

,  attorney,   to  a  witness  in  a  court  trial 

at  Reading,  Pa. 

"Well,  that's  because  I  am  a  short  man,"  was- 
the    reply. 

— Rev.   B had  two  daughters,  S.  and  E. 

At  family  worship  one  evening.  Miss  E.  was 
leading  in  prayer,  when  a  sound  from  the 
cellar  gave  evidence  that  a  rat  had  been  caught 

in  the  trap.     Miss  S.   said :    "Dabber  L ■_ — 

sag  Amen;  es  is  en  Rat  in  der  Fall."  (Quick, 
L say  amen,  there  is  a  rat  in  the  trap.) 

• — The  literal  strictness  of  German  rules  and 
regulations  has  always  been  a  matter  of  amuse- 
ment to  other  nations  which  do  not  insist  so 
rigidly  on  the  letter  of  the  law.  A  writer  in 
the  IVashington  Star  recently  told  a  story  il- 
lustrating this  point.  Two  men,  Schmidt  and 
Krauss,  met   one  morning  in   the   park. 

"Have  you  heard,"  said  Schmidt,  "the  sad 
news  about  Muller?" 

"No,"  said  Krauss.     "What  is  it?" 

"Well,  poor  Muller  went  boating  on  the  river 
yesterday.  The  boat  capsized  and  he  was 
drowned.     The  water  was  ten  feet  deep." 

"But  couldn't  he  swim?" 

"Swim?  Don't  you  know  that  all  persons 
are  strictly  forbidden  by  the  police  to  swim  in 
the  river?"- — Youth's  Companion. 


Chat  with  Correspondents. 


We  give  herewith  a  few  self-explana- 
tory items.  We  hope  next  year  to  receive 
and  print  many  more  communications 
from  subscribers  than  this  year. 

A  Correction. 

I  am  sorry  I  missed  one  name  in  the  list  of 
descendants  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Susan 
Heckewelder  Luckenbach,  who  was  married  to 
Christian  Luckenbach.  V.  page  452,  Footnote. 
Please  insert  the  note  below  in  the  November 
number  of  Editorialana,  and  oblige.  Good-by. 
Yours  very  sincerely, 

Wm.  H.  Rice. 

♦The  name  of  Mrs.  Helen  Luckenbach 
Krause,  of  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  should  be  added 
to  the  list,  at  the  end  of  Footnote,  p.  452,  sec- 
ond column.     She  is  the  daughter  of  J.  Edward 


Luckenbach  and  Catharine  Bender  Luckenbach, 
his   second   wife. 

A  Correction. 

Mr.   H.  W.   Kriebel,  Editor,  etc., 
East  Greenville,   Pa. : 

Dear  Sir — I  herewith  enclose  M.  O.  for  $2.50 
in  payment  of  my  subscription  to  The  Penn- 
sylvania-German for  1909,  and  shall  continue 
the  same  rate  hereafter,  as  my  contribution  to 
the  publication  of  the  death  records.  This  is 
not  a  charitable  bequest,  for  I  am  certain  the 
information  I  shall  get  from  those  records  will 
be  of  more  value  than  the  $1.00  per  year. 

And  now,  Mr.  Editor,  let  me  call  your  atten- 
tion to  several  inexcusable,  and,  to  an  old 
soldier,  most  aggravating  errors  in  the  short 
sketch  of  the  military  record  of  Col.  Wash.  A. 
Roebling,  on  page  513  of  the  November  num- 
ber of  the  magazine : 


CHAT  WITH  CORRESPONDENTS 


573 


1st.     Tlie  writer  means  Gen.  Hocikcr  and  not 
•Genl.  Hockcr. 

2d.     Col.  Roeblinji  was  not  "on  Gen.   Pope's 
-staff   at    South    Mountain    and    Antietani.    thro 
the  campaign  which  ended  in  the  second  battle 
■of  Bull  Run."     Gen.  Pope,  or  rather,  a  p  irt  of 
his  army,  fought  the  brittle  of  Cedar  Mountain, 
a  few  weeks  prior  to  the  second  battle  of  Bull 
Run.      Gen.    AlcClellan    fought    the    battles    of    t' 
South  Mountain  and  Antietam  after  the  second    f^ 
Bull   Run,   and   after   Gen.    Pope   had   been    re-    'fS 
lieved  of  command.  -  jV 

3d.  The  battle  of  Antietam  was  fought  in  .'.'^1 
September,  1862,  and  not  between  Aug.,  1863,  ,,i',j 
.and   March,    1864.  J' 

4th.     Keddys  Ford  should  be  Kellys  Ford.     W 

Col.  Roebling  may  have  been  on  Gen.  Pope's  A, 
staff  and  also  in  the  battles  mentioned,  but  not  !i* 
at  the  time  mentioned.  Gen.  Pope  was  not  at  J,t 
the  battles  of  South  Mountain  and  Antietam.  '\'l 

I  have  not   written  this   for  publication,  and  !v 
yet   it   is  certainly   very  wrong  to  permit   such   ' 
misstatements,   which    the   reader   may   take   as    ; 
facts,     to     go     unchallenged.       "Hocker"     and 
"Keddy"  may  be  misprints,  but   the   record   of 
Col.  Roebling,  otherwise,  is  ver}-  misleading,  to 
say  the  least. 


Ger 


tovernors. 


The  following  list  of  Governors  of  German 
ancestry  was  incidentally  brought  out  in  con- 
nection with  Superintendent  N.  C.  Schaeffer's 
excellent  paper  at  the  recent  annual  meeting 
of  the  Pennsylvania-German  Society,  in  Lan- 
caster, Pa.  Our  subscribers  can  doubtless  sup- 
plement the  list  by  adding  other  names.  By 
the  way,  a  list  of  defeated  candidates  of  Ger- 
man ancestry  would  be  interesting.  Who  can 
suggest   names? 

Pennsylvania  —  Snyder,  Hiester,  Schulze. 
Wolf,  Ritner,  Slumk,  Hartranft,  Beaver, 
Pennypacker,    (Porter,  Finley?) 

New  York — Leisler,  Bouck,  Peter  Minuet. 

Missouri — Folk. 

Minnesota — Ramsey. 

Colorado — Buchtel. 

Kansas — Hoch. 

California — Bigler. 

Idaho — Shoup. 

Georgia — Schley. 

Index  Provided.  "^    — -^ 

From  Prof.  John  W.  Wayland,  Ph.D., 
author  of  The  German  Element  of  the  Shenan- 
doah r alley  of  Firginia. 

A  few  days  ago  I  mailed  you  a  copy  of 
my  Index.  This  I  am  supplying  to  persons 
who  purchased  my  book  without  the  index 
at  30  cents  a  copy.  I  also  have  a  few- 
copies  of  the  book  with  the  index  included, 
Ijound  in  cloth,  at  $2.25 ;  and  a  very  few 
in  paper,  with  the  index  separate,  for  $1.50 
for  both.  If  you  will  kindly  make  a  state- 
ment that  will  help  me  dispose  of  the  few 
"books  I  have  yet  on  hand,  I  shall  be 
obliged. 


"Tombstone   Re:cris    Not   Wanted." 

By  a  Berks  county  subscriber  : 

Not  more  family  and  tombstone  records 
(but  more  articles  that  are  purely  Penn- 
sylvania-German— that  is,  of  interest  to 
Penn.sylvania-Germans,  such  as  folklore, 
the  origin  of  words,  meaning  of  words, 
synonyms,  etc.),  is  what  we  want. 

From  a  Virginia  subscriber : 

I    favor  printing  the   Mortuary  Records. 

From  an    Indiana   subscriber: 

It   would   be   hard   to   improve   upon   the 
make-up    and   contents   of   your   magazine. 
The  New  Department  idea  is  a  good  one. 
Pennsylvania  Dutch  or  German  ? 

Editor  of  The  Penxsvi.v.\ni.'\-Gf.rm.\n  : 

I  never  dreamed  that  an  issue  would  ever  be 
seriously  raised  among  Pennsylvanians  of  Ger- 
man extraction  as  to  the  correctness  or  aptness 
of  the  expression,  "Pennsylvania-German." 
There  is  absolutely  no  ethnological  or  glotto- 
logical  warrant  for  the  expression,  "Pennsyl- 
vania Dutch."  There  are  New  ,York  Dutch, 
African  Dutch  and  Batavian  Dutch,  but  no  dis- 
tinctive Pennsylvania  Dutch,  unless  great  liberty 
is  allowed  in  the  use  of  the  term. 

I  am  a  stickler  for  the  correct  use  of  words. 
I  shall  ever  insist  on  it  that  a  spade  be  called 
a  spade,  and  have  little  patience  with  those  who 
would  argue  that  some  other  name  might  not 
detract  from  the  intrinsic  value  of  that  useful 
implement.  1  he  question  is  not  whether  we 
Pennsylvanians  of  German  extraction  are  better 
or  worse  than  the  Dutch,  but  whether  we  are 
Dutch.  The  Dutch  are  all  right,  so  long  as 
they  can  boast  of  their  Roosevelts;  but  that 
does  not  make  us  Dutch,  who  are  such  neither 
in  language  nor  by  descent. 

The  expression,  "Pennsylvania-Dutch,"  is 
utterly  senseless,  a  misnomer  absolutely  inex- 
cusable from  any  philological  standpoint.  It  in- 
volves the  misuse  of  a  term  that  cannot  be  justi- 
fied even  on  the  ground  of  communis  error,  for 
the  mistake  is  common  only  to  those  who  use 
language  ignorantly  or  recklessly. 

I  venture  to  say,  too,  that  we  Pennsylvania- 
Germans  are  strictly  within  our  rights  when 
we  sternly  and  emphatically  object  to  any  mis- 
representation of  facts  touching  our  history, 
character  or  life,  as  a  people,  no  matter  whether 
such  misrepresentation  be  the  result  of  ignor- 
ance or  malice.  Any  perversion  of  the  truth 
is  hateful  to  a  truth-loving  people.  It  certainly 
is  a  false  modesty  that  keeps  a  per.son  silent 
for  fear  of  having  his  motive  impugned,  when 
important  facts  of  history  affecting  him  per- 
sonally   are    misrepresented. 

What  the  honest  Pennsylvania-German  par- 
ticularly desires  and  demands  is  the  truth,  the 
whole  truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth,  in  mat- 
ters pertaining  to  the  people  with  whom  he  is 
racially  identified.  He  is  no  apologist  for  any 
ignorant  or  wilful  misstatement  of  facts  with 
reference  to  himself  or  his  race. 
Yours    trulv, 

A.'  S.  BRENDLE. 

SCH.\F.FFERST0WN,    P.\. 


S74 


THE   PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


The  Destruction  of  Chambersburg. 

I  have  read  very  carefully  Rev.  D.  Seibert's 
terrible  account,  in  your  number  for  July,  of 
the  burning  of  Chambersburg,  Pa.,  1864,  by  the 
Confederate  State  troops,  acting  under  orders 
from  Gtn.  Jubal  A.  Early,  C.  S.  A. 

The  heart-rending  tale  of  D.  Seibcrt  is  ex- 
ceeded in  pathos  only  by  the  published  narra- 
tives of  the  fearful  sufferings  of  the  homeless 
and  impoverished  people  of  Columbia,  South 
Carolina,  burned  by  order  of  Gen.  W.  T.  Sher- 
man, in  1865,  when  Sherman  wrote  Hallech  : 
"The  15th  Corps  enters  Columbia  tomorrow, 
and  you  know  that  when  they  do  their  work 
they   do   it   well." 

The  burning  of  these  two  towns  were  acts 
of  retaliation — Columbia  for  the  burning  of 
Chambersburg  (the  one  onjy  town  burned  by 
the  Confederate  troops  during  the  entire  war)  ; 
and  Chambersburg  in  retaliation — for   what? 

Chambersburg  suffered,  July  30,  1864,  in  re- 
taliation, Urst,  for  the  destruction  wrought  by 
Gen.  W.  T.  Sherman  in  his  raid  of  February, 
1864  (six  months  before  Chambersburg  was 
touched),  from  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  to  Meridian, 
Miss.  With  20,000  men  he  invaded  that  sec- 
tion, burned  wholly  or  in  part  the  towns  of 
Meridian,  Canton  and  Okalona,  Miss.,  and,  ac- 
cording to  a  Federal  officer,  "burning  10,000 
bales  of  cotton.  2,000,000  bushels  of  corn,  run- 
ning off  8,000  slaves  worth  fully  $=;.ooo,ooo,  and 
destroying  fifty  million  dollars  ($50,000,000) 
worth  of  property."  Second,  for  the  destruc- 
tion, m  June,  1864  (six  weeks  before  Cham- 
bersburg),   by    General    David    Hunter,    U     S 


Army,  of  the  public  buildings  and  private 
houses  of  Lexington,  Virginia,  and  elsewhere 
during  his  raid  to  Lvnchburg,  Va.  General 
H.  W.  Hallech  wrote  Hunter  at  the  time: 
"Grant  says  that  he  wants  your  troops  to  eat 
out  Virginia  clear  and  clean  as  far  as  they  go, 
so  that  crows  flying  over  it  for  the  balance  of 
the  season  will  have  to  carry  their  provender 
with  them."  (Official  Records  Union  and  Con- 
federate  Armies,    Serial    No.   71,   page   366.) 

I  repeat  Chambersburg  was  the  only  town 
destroyed  or  burned  by  the  Confederates.  The 
record  on  the  other  side  is  iij   fearful  contrast. 

Within  the  limits  of  the  Confederate  States 
the  United  States  Army  burned  wholly  or  in 
part  F"redericksburg,  Va. ;  Williamstown  and 
Hamilton,  North  Carolina;  Donaldson  and 
Louisport,   La. 

In  General  Sherman's  march  to  the  sea,  1865, 
he  destroyed  wholly  or  in  part  fourteen  towns 
in  South  Carolina,  viz. :  Robertsville,  Gra- 
hamsville,  McPhersonville,  Blackville,  Barn- 
well, Orangeburg,  Lexington,  Winsboro,  Cam- 
den, Lancaster,  Chesterfield,  Cheran,  Darling- 
ton and  Charleston.  Hallech  wrote  Sherman 
he  hoped  that  "when  he  entered  Charleston  he 
would  burn  it  to  the  ground,  and  sow  it  with 
salt"  ! 

As  the  old  proverb  runs,  it  docs  "depend 
on  whose  ox  is  being  gored."  The  "Civil  War" 
is  now  over ;  and  four  decades  have  passed 
since  it  ended,  hctzi'ccn  the  soldiers;  but  it  is 
well  to  remember  the  old  adage,  audi  alteram 
partois  (hear  the  oth;r  side). 

(Rev.)  HORACE  EDWIN  HAYDEN, 
Late  C.   S.  A. 


Pennsylvania  Historical  Societies 


The   Montgomery   County   Historical   Society 

held  its  annual  outing  and  reunion  at  Penns- 
burg,  October  24.  The  morning  was  devoted 
to  a  tour  of  historic  places  in  the  Upper  Per- 
kiomen  Valley.  Almost  one  hundred  members 
were  conveyed  on  coaches  and  carriages  from 
Palm  throuo-h  the  famous  "Butterthil"  (Butter 
Valley)  to  B.illy,  where  the  Catholic  and  Alen- 
nonite    Churches    were    vi.'^ited. 

The  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  the  Most 
Blessed  Sacrament,  in  Bally,  just  across  the 
line  in  Berks  countv,  with  the  exception  of  St. 
Joseph's  Church,  Philadelphia,  is  the  oldest 
Catholic  church  in  Eastern  Pennsylvania. 
Jesuits  founded  this  Goshenhoppen  mission  in 
1742.  The  walls  of  the  original  chapel  were  in- 
corporated in  the  present  structure,  and  the 
founder.  Father  Schneider,  is  buried  in  the 
church.  The  first  bell,  as  well  as  records  and 
other  relics  of  the  founders,  are  preserved. 

Returning  toward  Pennslnirg,  the  party 
stopped  at  the  Washington  SchwenkfeldeV 
Church,  where  many  of  the  pioneer  Schwenk- 
felders  are  buried,  and  visited  also  the  New 
Goshenhoppen  Reformed  Church,  a  mile  north- 
west of  Pennsburg.  The  congregation  was 
founded  nearly  two  centuries  ago.  Rev.  George 
Michael  Weiss  is  buried  in  the  cemetery,  and 
many  of  the  first  settlers  in  the  Goshenhoppen 
region  rest  there. 


The  company  then  went  to  Perkiomen  Semi- 
nary. After  luncheon  and  an  examination  of 
a  rare  historical  collection,  the  following 
papers  were  read  : 

"Early  Churches  of  the  Goshenhoppen 
Region,"  Rev.  C.  M.  deLong ;  "David  Schultz, 
an  Old-Time  'Bush  Lawyer',"  Howard  W. 
Kriebel ;  "The  Krauss  Family  as  Organ 
Builders,"  Rev.  William  U.  Kistler ;  "Schwenk- 
felder  Historical  Research,"  Rev.  Elmer  E.  S. 
Johnson. 

The  Society  adjourned  highly  pleased  with 
the  day's  outing. 

Annual    Meeting   of   the   Moravian   Historical 
Society. 

The  annutd  meeting  of  this  society  was  held 
October  14,  in  Nazareth,  Pa.  Vice-President 
Abraham  S.  Schropp  presided.  After  routine 
business  had  been  disposed  of,  the  reports  of 
the  Treasurer  and  of  the  Executive  Commit- 
tee were  communicated  by  the  Secretary  and 
Treasurer,  Mr.  Frank  Kunkel.  The  former 
showed  that  the  finances  of  the  Society  are  in 
good  condition.  The  Secretary  reported  the 
membership  of  the  Society  as  105  life  members 
and  241  active  and  associate  members;  total, 
346.  During  the  year,  7  members  died.  4  with- 
drew, 3  were  dropped;  a  loss  of  14.  Eighteen 
new  members  were  added  to  the  list,  making 
a  net  gain  of  4. 


PEXXSYLVANIA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETIES 


57> 


The  election  of  officers  resulted  as  follows: 
President,  Joseph  "A.  Rice;  Vice-Presidents, 
Rev.  luigene  Leihert,  Rev.  Edward  T.  Kluge, 
Rev.  Wm.  H.  Rice,  Rev.  M.  W.  Leibert,  Rev. 
A.  D.  Ihaeler,  Rt.  Rev.  C.  L.  Moench,  Wm. 
H.  Jordan,  Aliraham  R.  Keck.  Abraham  S. 
Schropp,  C.  Otto  Brunncr ;  Secretary  and 
Treasurer,  I-'rank  Kunkel ;  Librarian,  Rev.  Ed- 
ward T.  Kluge;  Board  of  Managers,  Gran- 
ville Henry,  Augustus  H.  Leibert,  Wm.  V. 
Knauss,  Rev.  lienry  A.  Jacobson,  Frank  C. 
Stout ;  Library  Committee,  Rev.  Paul 
deSchweinitz,  Rev.  John  Greenfield,  John  W. 
Jordan,  Abraham  S.  Schropp,  John  F.  Bardill, 
Theo.  Kampmann  ;  Publication  Committee,  Al- 
bert G.  Ran,  Rev,  W.  i\.  Schwarze,  H.  J. 
Meyers;  Graveyard  Committee,  G.  .\. 
Schneebeli,  S.  R.  Odenwelder,  Frank  H.  Mar- 
tin.    H.  H.  Hacker. 

Lehigh   County    Historical    Society. 

A  very  interesting  meeting  of  the  Lehigh 
County  Historical  Society  was  held  on  a  Satur- 
day recently  in  the  church  at  Mickley's.  A  num- 
ber of  important  historical  works  were  donated 
to  the  society  during  the  past  few  months,  for 
which  a  vote  of  thanks  was  passed. 

Rev.  Thomas  H.  Krick.  the  pastor  of  the 
Reformed  congregation,  read  a  history  of  the 
church  and  congregations,  and  Miss  Alinnie  F. 
Mickley  read  a  paper  on  the  founders  of  the 
church. 

After  the  meeting  the  members  of  the  so- 
ciety were  the  guests  of  Mrs.  Joseph  P.  Mickley, 
and  viewed  the  many  curios  collected  by  the 
late  Lieutenant  Commander  Joseph  P.  Mickley, 
of  the  L^nited  States  Navy. 

Snyder   County   Historical   Society. 

An  effort  will  be  made  to  revive  the  almost 
extinct  Snyder  County  Historical  Society.  This 
organization  obtained  legal  existence  Feb.  28, 
1898,  by  the  granting  of  a  charter  by  the  Court 
of  Common  Pleas  of  Snyder  count}'. 

Several  meetings  were  held.  A  room  in  the 
Court  House  was  secured  for  story  books, 
newspapers  and  other  things  of  historical  value. 


A  great  many  newspapers  have  been  put  into 
this  room.  Some  county  newspapers  of  fifty 
years  ago  are  among  the  collection.  Books  of 
considerable  value  have  been  received,  but  all 
have  been  put  together  in  a  jungled  mass,  that 
in  its  present  condition  is  of  no  value  whatever,, 
because  it  is  not  accessible. 

After  holding  several  meetings,  it  was  im- 
possible to  get  an  attendance  at  the  quarterly 
gatherings  of  the  society,  and  they  were  discon- 
tinued. 

.Several  thousand  newspapers  have  been  col- 
lected, but  to  be  of  any  value  they  must  be 
bound  up  in  a  systematic  form.  Shelves  and 
cases  should  be  built  and  the  data  put  in  shape 
for  preservation  and  consultation. 

Some  money  should  be  provided  by  private 
contribution  or  by  appropriation  by  the  County 
Commissioners  for  these  purposes.  Unless 
something  is  done  promptly,  the  collections  of 
a  decade  will  be  lost. — The  Middlcburg  Post. 

We  hope  Brother  Wagenseller  will  "stick,"" 
and  not  quit  until  the  Historical  Society  is  in 
a  flourishing  condition.  Would  it  not  be  a  good 
plan  to  hold  a  Society  Rally  Day,  and  get  a  few 
lively  speakers  from  a  distance  to  plead  the 
cause? 

The    "Deutsche    Pionier   Verein" 

of  Philadelphia,  in  its  latest  publication,  gives 
a  sketch  of  F.  A.  C.  Muhlenberg,  by  Oswald 
Seidensticker  (published  in  the  "Belletrisches 
Journal,"  1889),  a  history  of  the  German 
theater  in  Philadelphia  since  the  Civil  War,  by 
C.  F.  Huch,  and  a  summary  of  the  contents 
of  the  first  issue  of  the  "Philadelphischen  Zeit- 
ung." 

Lancaster  County  Historical  Society. 

The  society  held  its  first  fall  meeting,  Sept.  4. 
Various  matters  were  discussed,  after  which 
Frank  R.  Diffenderfer's  interesting  and  valuable 
paper  on  "The  Loyalists  of  Lancaster  County"" 
w^as  read  by  Mrs.  A.  K.  Hostetter.  The  society 
is  awake,  does  good  work,  and  makes  the 
papers  read  immediately  available  by  issuing" 
them  in  brochure  form. 


Reviews  and  Notes 


The    Old    Regime.      By    Elsie    Singmaster,    in 
77k'  Atlantic  Monthly  for  October,  190S. 
The  scene  of  this  story  is  laid  in  Millerstown 
(Macungie).   Pa.     It   presents  a  vivid   descrip- 
tion of  an  old-time  district  school,  with  all  the 
commotion   incident   to   the  opening  day,   when 
each   pupil    is   anxious   to   be'  first   in   order   to 
have  the  choice  of  seats.     The  story  is  written 
in  the  author's-  usual  simplicity  of  style  and  de- 
scription.    It  must  be  of  interest  to  all  who  hftve 
attended  the  district  school  of  "ye  olden  time" 
•and  who  retain  any  memories  of  it. 
History    of    Egypt    Church.       By    Charles    R. 
Roberts,    Secretary   of   the   Lehigh    County 
Historical  Society,  and  Rev.  J.  D.  Schindel, 
'        D.D.     Read   before   the    Hi-^torical    Society 
of  said  County.     72  pp. ;  cloth,  55c ;  paper, 
27e.    Allentown,  Pa.     1908. 
The    publication    contains    a    history    of    the 


Reformed  congregation  of  Egypt  Church  by- 
Charles  Rhoads  Roberts,  and  a  history  of  the 
Lutheran  congregation  of  the  same  church  by 
Rev.  J.  D.  Schindel.  The  church  is  one  of 
the  oldest  in  this  section  of  the  country:  its- 
organization  dates  back  to  the  year  1733.  It 
contains  an  account  of  the  erection  of  the  dif- 
ferent church  buildings,  and  also  biographical 
sketches  of  the  many  castors  that  have  served 
the  two  congregations  for  the  past  one  hundred, 
and   seventy-five   years. 

Of  local  interest  as  the  publication  necessarily 
is,  it  yet  contains  a  great  deal  of  historical  in- 
formation that  is  of  interest  to  a  wider  circle. 
It  is  a  laudable  attempt  to  preserve  local  his- 
tory. It  also  possesses  some  literary  merit  in- 
that  it  is  written  in  a  style  that  deviates  front 
the  usual  chronologizing  of  events  incident  upon 
many   publication   of  a   similar  nature. 


576 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN 


History   of   the   York   Rifle   Company.      From 
1776-1908.      By    Augustus    Loucks.      Illus- 
trated.    Cloth,  120  pp.     York,  Pa.     1908. 
This  is  an   historical   account  of  one  of  the 
■oldest  and  most  popular  military  companies  in 
American    history.      It    dates    its    organization 
from  June,  1775,  with  Michal  Doudel  as  Cap- 
tain.   The  Company  performed  important  serv- 
ices  during  the  Revolution. 

The  men  who  composed  the  original  com- 
pany have  been  termed  enlisted  volunteers. 
They  are  said  to  have  actually  enlisted  and 
bound  themselves  to  military  service  for  one 
year  of  their  own  accord,  without  the  require- 
ment or  even  the  request  of  the  State  or  of 
■•Congress.  The  Company  took  part  in  most 
of  the  important  battles  of  the  Revolution. 
They  were  a  terror  to  the  British ;  they  are  de- 
scribed by  John  Adams  as  "the  most  expert 
marksmen  in  the  world." 

The  Company  disbanded  in  1783,  but  it  was 
re-organized  again  in  1790,  and  helped  to  sup- 
press the  "Whiskey  Insurrection"  in  western 
Pennsylvania.  It  was  permanently  organized 
in  1834.  Just  as  the  members  of  this  com- 
pany were  the  first  to  respond  to  their  coun- 
try's call  in  '76,  so  the  members  of  '61  were 
among  the  first  to  rusli  to  the  defense  of  the 
Union.  The  York  Rifle  Company  was  in  the 
regiment  that  was  fired  upon  by  the  mob  while 
marching  through   the  streets  of  Baltimore. 

The  work  is  hardly  more  than  a  compilation 
•of  the  contents  of  messages,  reports  and  reso- 
lutions, and  the  very  nature  of  the  subject  may 
make  it  so.  However,  one  could  think  that 
the  account  might  have  been  turned  into  a  little 
more  of  an  historical  discourse  and  literary 
•work. 

iReligiour.   Education   and   the   Public   School. 
An   American    Problem.      By   Rev.   George 
U.  Wenner,  D.D.,   President  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Lutheran  Synod  of  New  York  and 
New  Jersey.     Cloth,  163  pp.    75c,  net.    Bon- 
rell.   Silver  &   Co.,   New   York.      1907. 
The    subject    of    religious    education    in    the 
public  schools  is  discussed  more  and  more   in 
proportion   as  the   need   thereof  becomes  more 
apparent.     That   it   is   a   necessity   few   will   be 
-willing  to  dispute  or  deny.     The  most  difficult 
part  of  the  problem  is  how   to  form  a   modus 
■operandi  that  is  practical  and  effective  and  that 
-will    at    the   s?me    time    be    satisfactory   to    the 
public  with  its  heterogeneous  views  on  educa- 
tion  and   religious   training. 

"Religious  Education  and  the  Public  School" 
is  a  highly  commendable  treatise  on  this  sub- 
ject. Rev.  Dr.  Wenner  starts  out  to  show  from 
historical  narrative  that  the  public  school  of 
today  is  the  child  of  the  Christian  school  of 
old;  and  that  religious  instruction  belongs  to 
the  family  where  it  was  found  in  early  Chris- 
tian history.  It  seems  that  the  nature  of  all 
instruction  in  historic  times  was  religious,  or 
at  least  that  religion  formed  the  larger  part 
of   the    instruction. 

It  is  the  practicability  of  Dr.  Wenner's 
scheme  that  is  of  the  most  importance,     He  is 


aware  of  the  "lions  in  the  way";  he  answers 
some  of  the  objections  that  may  arise.  The 
task  of  religious  instruction  is  not  consigned 
to  the  public  schools,  these  are  overcrowded ; 
neither  is  it  possible  to  conduct  the  work  so 
as  to  make  it  acceptable  to  Jew  and  to  Gentile, 
to  caiiiOiic  anu  ..j  i^ro.e.-tant ;  and  Lhurch 
and  State  should  be  kept  apart.  And  the  Sun- 
day School  does  not  meet  the  requirements, 
pedagogical  or  otherwise ;  it  does  not  reach  all 
the  children,  because  the  attendance  is  volun- 
tary, and  that  means  that  it  is  a  matter  of 
great  imcertaint}-.  One  is  also  inclined  to  be- 
lieve that  the  religious  instruction  acquired  at 
Sunday  School  may  not  go  very  far ;  the  Sun- 
day School  has  become  something  of  a  place 
for  diversion  and  recreation,  and  a  place  for 
women  and  the  "little  folks."  And  the  par- 
ochial   school   is   considered   un-American. 

The  next  best  resort,  then,  is  a  week-day 
Sunday  School,  say  on  Wednesday  afternoon. 
This  plan  does  not  involve  the  closing  of  the 
public  schr. jIs  on  ih  t  •  'tcr  :cv..  ard  thn-^  turn 
the  non-church  children  into  the  street.  It 
simply  asks  that  all  children,  who  by  the 
consent  of  their  parents  attend  the  church 
school  and  bring  certificates  of  attendance,  shall 
be  e.xcused  from  their  absence  from  the  pub- 
lic school.  It  proposes  to  have  the  course  of 
study  of  the  latter  so  arranged  that  those  who 
are  absent  have  nothing  to  make  up. 

Dr.  Wenner  expects  the  Boards  of  Educa- 
tion to  take  the  first  step.  This  is  somewhat 
doubtful;  the  initiative  must  rather  come  from 
the  thoughtful.  Christian  people  themselves.  It 
is  also  to  be  feared  that  the  very  people  for 
whom  this  arrangement  is  made  are  just  the 
people  who  will  care  the  least  about  the  matter. 
The  children  who  need  to  be  driven  to  the 
public  school  by  the  truant  officer  and  who  pay 
no  attention  to  the  Sunday  school,  "the  non- 
church  children."  are  just  the  ones  that  need 
the  instruction  the  worst.  And  yet,  who  dares 
to  compel  them  to  take  their  "dose"  without 
raising  the  cry  of  State  interference?  But  this 
is  the  fault  of  the  public,  of  the  times,  and  not 
of  Dr.  Wenner's  scheme.  The  time  will  come, 
sooner  or  later,  when  something  radical  will 
have  to  be  done  with  undisciplined  and  unre- 
strained young  America  if  this  country  is  ex- 
pected to  last.  It  is  seen  in  all  epochs  of  his- 
tory thnt  wherever  respect  for  religion  was 
dead,  that  for  the  established  forms  of  govern- 
ment died  also.  But  whatever  is  done  must  be 
done  in  a  legal  constitutional  manner,  because 
we  have  a  Congress  of  four  hundred  men  who 
make  laws,  and  a  Supreme  Court  of  nine  men 
who  set  them  aside ! 

The  book  contains  h  course  of  study  and 
also  a  catechetical  form.  It  seems  practicable 
and  highly  suggestive,  even  though  it  is  not 
to  be  adopted  in  its  entirety.  It  is  written  in 
a  very  simple  style;  on  the  whole,  it  i=  the 
simplest  and  fairest  presentation  of  this  mooted 
perplexing  question  that  has  yet  appeared,  and 
it  may  go  far  toward  solving  this  distinctly 
''.American  problem." 


Xeablng  Hrticles 


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