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A POPULAR MAGAZINE OF
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EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
H. W. KRIEBEL
LITITZ, PA.
VOL. XII
JANUARY- DECEMBER, 1911
THE EXPRESS PRINTING CO.
PRINTERS
LITITZ, PENNA.
(Sty?
Vol. XII
JANUARY, 1 9 1 1
No. 1
The Meaning of Lancaster County's Two Hundred
Years of History. 1710-1910
By H. Frank Eshleman, Esq., Lancaster, Pa.
Delivered September 8, 1910, at Willow
Street, Lancaster County, Pa., on the occa-
sion of observance of the 200th anniversary
of the first settlement in Lancaster County.
ANCASTER County was
conceived i n Godliness
and honest toil. Her
foundation was laid upon
the two great bed-rocks
of religion and agricul-
ture. Uppermost in the
minds of her earliest pio-
neers were these two noble activities.
To practice these, they came to the
virgin forests of the Pequea and of the
Conestoga 200 years ago'. And these
virtues are our best possessions today.
Exponent of free religion and fertile
farms, this county has remained their
most vigorous nursery in America,
ever since — their most thriving center
through two centuries.
THE RELIGIOUS MEANING
What has been the religious mean-
ing of our 200 years? Religious fervor,
transplanted here, flowered out into
religious freedom — religious love, ri-
pened into religious liberty. Bruised by
the barbarous iron heel of an arrogant
state church — filled with the horrors of
religious bigotry — satiate with, and
stung by the memory of the traditions
and trials and turmoils and torments
and the tortures, suffered by them-
selves and their ancestors for centuries,
for conscience' sake, these pious pio-
neers would not deny to any other
soul, an equal freedom with their own,
to worship God. And thus all creeds
took root, at once, and flourished here.
An English visitor to our country in
its infancy in 1744 wrote, "The relig-
ions that pervail here are hardly to "J
numbered" (An. Susq., p. 344)
The Mennonites planted their relig-
ion here in 1710 — the Presbyterians,
Quakers and Episcopalians theirs in
1710 — the Reformed theirs in 1722 at
Heller's — the Ephrata Dunkers, theirs
in 1726 — the Amish, theirs in 1733 —
the Catholics, theirs in 1740 — (9 L.,
213 et. seq.) — the Jews, theirs in 1742,
(3 L., 165) — the Moravians, theirs the
same year (9 L., 226) — Dunkards and
Baptists, theirs equally early as most
these — the Methodists, theirs some
time afterwards — the United Brethren,
the Reformed Mennonites, the Evan-
gelical, United Evangelical, the Church
of God, the Swedenborgen, and a score
of others, theirs in quick succession,
until in modern times three dozen dif-
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
ferent creeds flourish here. And all,
from the beginning, prospered and
now prosper in peace and harmony to-
gether.
From first to last, ours have been a
reverential, religious people. And
thus today within this county's con-
fines there is a higher percentage of
communicants than in any other sec-
tion of America and a far greater
number of active religious creeds and
sects than in any other equal area on
the face of the earth: While in our
country as a whole, about one-third of
the population are churchmen — in this
county the proportion is nearly half.
While in all America there are 186 re-
ligious denominations, Lancaster
County alone has 35 of them (U. S.
Bulletin of Religions, 1906). Those
whose views did not and do not now
coincide with the creeds of established
churches quickly and freely invented
and now invent creeds of their own —
deeply religious, their religious crav-
ing must be satisfied. Thus practically
all here, "belong to church".
From their earliest days the r e-
ligious forces of this county have made
themselves a center of Gospel radia-
tion to other fields — a motherland of
church power and influence through-
out wide regions. The Mennonites
quickly spread their faith and creed
foss the Susquehanna into the Cum-
j ,rland and down the Shenandoah ;
and before the Revolution established
the Virginia church. In the early days
of the nineteenth century, from this
county they went and planted their
standard in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois
and over wide fields in Canada ; and af-
ter the Civil War, established their
phase of the doctrine of peace in Kan-
sas and the West.
The Presbyterians of Donegal early
carried the Gospel beyond the Alle-
ghenies — the Presbyterians of Octo-
raro planted their banners in Catholic
Maryland — the Presbyterians of Peq-
uea flanked out to Leacock and Little
Britain and became the field where
Rev. Robert Smith in his 42 years of
preaching" and teaching became the
theological giant and the first great
peer of Presbyterianism in this region
of America. Through Robert Smith,
"Old Pequea" sent forth a score of
Presbyterian preachers, east and west,
among them Waddell, McMillan and
the junior Smiths, who also preached
and taught and developed religious
schools and laid the foundations of
Jefferson, Sydney, Union and Prince-
ton Colleges, (9 L. 252).
The Reformed and Lutherans, long
before the Revolution founded differ-
ent German religious schools, made
scores of ministers and by that means
laid the foundation on which to erect,
at the close of that war, Franklin, and
later Marshall College, the busy
breeder of a yearly score or two of
powerful preachers throughout more
than a century, bringing the bread of
life to thousands throughout Eastern
America.
The Moravians missionized whites
and Indians alike from the earliest
days. Other churches also flung out
their powers far and wide beyond the
county. Thus through all her history
Lancaster County has stood in con-
spicuous pre-eminence for religious
activity and earnestness — religious ra-
diation and energy.
Of religious Lancaster County as a
whole we may observe that, the great
body of its Christians were and are to-
day believers in the literal meaning of
the Bible ; accept in simplicity its
humble, homely teachings and give no
ear to the "new thought", the higher
criticism or the higher cults and cul-
ture. They have never tried to explain
away the Gospel or make a pleasant or
only probable Hell.
Again observe that practically the
whole of our people are still wedded
to the belief not only that religion is
part of the common law of the land,
but that God ought to be in all our
political constitutions and that belief
in the Savior ought to be one of the
qualifications in all who hold public
office and discharge public trusts as in
LANCASTER COUNTY'S TWO HUNDRED YEARS OF HISTORY
the ancient times of Penn. It is not the
law today. But Lancaster County
would vote that it should be the law,
seeing the onslaught made against the
Gospel in the schools and the lowering
by the law of the religious qualifica-
tions, in those to whom the people
delgate high trusts.
And again observe, in all our numer-
ous religious sects that while Lu-
therans, Reformed, Catholics, Menno-
nites were enemies of one another in
Switzerland and Germany and some of
them delighted in the blood and tor-
ture of others there, the moment they
landed here they all dwelt in. peace and
ever since have so dwelt. Toleration
rules on every hand; and its brighten-
ing dawn, apace is growing toward the
coming rising sun-burst of a universal
church.
Then, too, a great tenet of our early
pioneers was that religion should be
free from any sort of governmental in-
terference— that church must be sepa-
rate from state. So determined were
they in this that they even held for a
time that a true churchman may not
take part in affairs of state. They had
seen and felt the horrors of the state
favoring one church and punishing
another and they would have none
of it. They would not agree that any
but God should be obeyed in religious
affairs. This belief they have held
through nearly 400 years, from the
time their remote ancestors in Switzer-
land in 1532 asserted it against the
government, 250 years before the doc-
trine appeared in our Federal and State
Constitutions. (Ernst Miiller's Bern-
ischen Taufer, p. 34).
Finally meditate upon the marvel
that the despised doctrine of nonresis-
tance, a corner stone of the belief of
four great rural Lancaster County
churches, for centuries thought to be a
doctrine 100 years behind the times, is
now recognized as an ideal 50 vears
ahead of the times and the glorious
goal toward which all the giant na-
tions of our world are bending- their
most conscientious and anxious ener-
gies today.
Such is the religious meaning of Lan-
caster County's history.
THE AGRICULTURAL MEANING
Our country has held on to agricul-
ture. The first settlers did not take up
little lots of gardens and cultivate
them ; they took up great tracts and
made them huge gardens — a commu-
nity of them took up whole valleys —
they made the horizon their boundary
line. The Swiss and Germans quickly
took up the good land of Lancaster
County — the Irish-Scotch were too
busy holding the frontier and holding
office. In the first four years 60,000
acres or nearly 100 square miles of
land were surveyed for applicants on
the Pequea and the Conestoga (Tay-
lor Papers, 3,323) ; and in 1719 before
the end of ten years the proprietary
surveyors reported that there was very
little land left on the Conestoga and
Pequea (Do. 2,920 and 2,932). Swiss
and Germans came to Lancaster
regions thick and fast. By 1724 there
were over 1,200 in the Conestoga sec-
tion alone, (9 L.. 151). So many of
these transforming farmers came here
that by 1718 the Quaker authorities at
Philadelphia were jealous and fearful
of them overwhelming all others and
carrying the province away from Eng-
land and putting it under the dominion
of the German empire (2 V., 217 and
220).
Our county for about 150 years has
been known as the garden spot of
America. Eighty odd years ago a
careful writer declared that this coun-
ty was even then "proverbial in Penn-
svlvania for fertility of soil and excel-
lence of tillage", (4 H., p. 50). All
thanks to the careful early German
farmer.
Agricultural development by 1781
had brought the assessed value of Lan-
caster County about $700,000 (2 H.,
78), to $6,700,000 in 1814, (2 H., 12),
and to $28,700,000 (Gord. Gaz.) in 1830,
or double that of Bucks County, more
than double that of Chester, three times
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
that of Montgomery or four times that
of York at the same time (Do.). It was
valued that year at one-sixth of all
Pennsylvania exclusive of Philadel-
phia, at over one-half of the state west
of the Susquehanna and was equal to
all of the state west of that river, ex-
cepting York, Adams, Huntingdon,
Fayette, Westmoreland and Washing-
ton Counties (Do.). And finally in
1830 Lancaster County having one-
fiftieth of the area of Pennsylvania,
and one-sixteenth of the population
excluding Philadelphia) had one-sixth
of the wealth of the entire state omit-
ting Philadelphia (Do.). This wealth
was largely cultivated land and this is
largely true today. Therefore, our im-
perial county, through all this time has
been supreme mistress of agriculture
in America, excelling all other counties
today in that particular.
In her agricultural c-ops and dairy
products in our modern day this coun-
ty holds the banner, standing first in
amount and variety in all America
with an annual value of over $17,000,-
000. of which her tobacco is worth over
three million dollars, her corn four
millions and her wheat nearly half as
much. And this monumental year of
1910 her crop is nearly $20,000,000 on
her $73,250,000 rural land and live
stock valuation ; a gross income of 27
per cent. (Assessment for iqio). Her
produce market is the most famous in
any rural section of our nation and
has been so since the days of Witham
Marshe in 1744. Her cattle market
ranks next only to those of Baltimore,
Philadelphia, Buffalo and New York
in all Eastern United States.
Our county stands for ownership of
farms as against the tenant system.
This alone will maintain the dignity of
farming. Yet that love of the native
acres of our childhood, that patriot-
ism for the homestead, has lately suf-
fered here in common with the general
trend of agrarian tenancy, so general
in the South, and so growing in the
West. We are far behind New Eng-
land farmeis in their tenacious hold
and their happy homing upon, and
their loving hope for the land upon
which they were born and upon
whose bosom they expect to die. But
nowhere, in the New England or any
other section have we stronger love of
and fidelity to the ancestral home
than here on this remarkable ten
square miles of land making up the
original settlement, which we cele-
brate today. And this ancient patri-
mony of the pioneers belting five
miles across two townships, sending
from one side of its civilization a blaz-
ing beam of advice and example today
like a mighty search light to us on the
other side across 200 years of experi-
ence, of toil and of progress, should re-
new in us our love and determination
to hold, possess and pass on to our line
and kin, the acres that come to us from
goodly Godly ancestors.
Three-fifths of our farms in Lancas-
ter County are yet farmed bT7 the own-
ers who live on them. This still ranks
higher than in the central states where
more than half of the farms are in
tenants' hands, or in the South where
less than one-third of them are farmed
bv owners. When the West and
South shall be as old as Lancaster
County, at the rate tenants are now
taking hold in those states, they will
not be able to show a record of nearly
two-thirds of their farms operated by
the owners as we do now. But while
our county has a large percentage of
her farms in tenants' hands, it wisely
has onl - 12 per cent, rented out to
tenants for monev rent, who pay the
rent and then frequently ruin the farm
by robbing it ; while the counties of
Berks and Bucks and Chester and
Montgomery and Delaware have re-
spectively 16, 18, 22, 28 and 36 per
cent, of their farms let out on money
rent — the system that gives the ten-
ant no incentive to stay very long on a
farm and care for it and keep it up ;
but rather to rob it and go — "to skin
it and skip". (Census of 1900).
As to tenant farming our county
stands for that more provident system
LANCASTER COUNTY'S TWO HUNDRED YEARS OF HISTORY
of tenancies (or in many cases only em-
ployment of a manager) on shares,
thus giving the owner voice in the con-
trol and care of the farm and the ten-
ant an incentive to remain upon it for
a term of years and keep or build it up.
For this our county has stood in
agriculture. And from the early days of
the last century until a decade or two
ago the ideal of the patriarch farmer
was to secure a farm for each of his
boys to live and work and spend their
lives upon ; and marry his daughters to
sons of other farmers who had the
same purposes for their boys.
THE PATRIOTIC MEANING
Lancaster County's patriotism,
through 200 years can only be under-
stood, its meaning can only be known
after thorough study — its quality can
only be appreciated when the deeper
springs of human action are explored.
In the earliest days family was its
unit — the large family its charm, and
glory — the home community its ulti-
mate object. Family love was its cen-
ter— community love its circumfer-
ence. The pious pioneer Teutons
loved the family, the community —
they loved the land whereon the fam-
ily, the community dwelt. They would
not be tenants on that beloved land —
they would own the land. And thev
did. Their patriotism was devotion to
their families, faith and honesty among
neighbors — duty towards rulers — to
Caesar what was Caesar s and to God
what was God's. They believed that
these ideals sincerely lived were better
patriotism than wild, extravagant and
often empty public eulogies on the
flag, by those who froth and foam and
shout, but who are not fit for a politi-
cal trust, who would take advantage of
a neighbor or cheat the public. And
they were right.
National glory did not appeal to our
pioneers. "Our Country" to them
<vas:
"The little world of sights and
sounds,
Whose girdle was the parish bounds".
But they were not disloyal. Not that
they loved Mother Britain or even
Pennsylvania less, but Pequea and
Conestoga more. That was the key-
note character of their patriotism.
They did not fight in war; but they
never shirked a tax. They never
builded forts nor entered armies^; but
they furnished the strongest sinews a
state can use in war — great grarfaries
of food; and they provided the guaran-
tees of a peopfe's prosperity in peace —
bounteous material w e a It h a n d
strength and resource. And while the
Swiss and German and Quaker farm-
ers plowed, the gallant Scotchman
stood armored on the frontier and pro-
tected the homes and herds of the val-
levs. That was his patriotism.
But neither the German, Swiss,
Scotch nor English sons of Lancaster
County were wanting in national spirit
and patriotism when the needs of the
English empire, their nation, d e-
manded it, even though it was only the
adopted and not the native nation of
the Swiss and Germans. When Spain
and France began to war on Mother
England, the valley of the Conestoga
was the first spot in the province to
rouse herself; and in 1744 raise and of-
ficer a company of soldiers to defend
against the French. In Earltown, in
the heart of a German settlement,
Thomas Edwards this year was cap-
tain to raise the first company of asso-
ciators (5th A-1-3). Of the 400 men
demanded by the king from Pennsyl-
vania in 1746 to join in reducing the
French in Canada, Lancaster County
led all other sections in numbers (Do.
6 to 16). In the associators of 1748
when our county had less than 4.000
men (5 H., 115) two regiments with
a total of 33 companies organized
themselves for the defense of home and
of Britain (5th A-1-22 & 25), a mass
of perhaps 2,000 associators. In the
French and Indian wars, beginning in
1754 'when there were perhaps 4,500
men in the county (5 PL, 115), she fur-
nished thirteen companies and their
company and regimental officers (5th
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
A-1-57) ; and also scores of teams and
hundreds of wagon loads of provisions.
During the Revolutionary war when
there were about 5,500 men in the
county (4 H., 12), there were 30 com-
panies of soldiers, large numbers of
whom saw service and most of whom
volunteered in the beginning of the
war — about 2,500 men (E. & E, 33-69) ;
and the first life given in battle for in-
dependence by Pennsylvania was that
of William Smith, of Lancaster Coun-
ty (Do., 40). And in the Civil war this
county furnished about 12,000 soldiers
to help to teach the world that a re-
public cannot be dismembered and
that a slave was not a chattel, but that
God also "breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life and he became a liv-
ing soul".
Going back again to the Revolution-
ary war, no more numerous or enthu-
siastic meetings were held anywhere
than in our county, against British
barbarity, which stirred Lancaster
County patriotism to its bottom. All
shades of feeling were represented
here; the meaning of the Revolution
was studied by all and in all its
aspects.
All must admit that in its character
and essence the war for Independence
was insurrection, rebellion, secession ;
but it was. justified by the abuse and
tyranny of the British government.
Thus it was not treason, because Bri-
tain declared us outlaws and public
enemies, and herself thereby broke the
compact which bound us to her as
part of the nation. This view the lead-
ers for independence held. But there
were other views. Independence thus,
was early, the hope of some, the dream
of many and the fear and regret of
others.
Allegiance to government also wore
a different hue to different elements of
our county in the time of the Revolu-
tionary war. Each was attracted by
his own particular favorite part of the
spectrum. In that spectrum the im-
portant tint to one class was the pur-
ple of royalty and empire — to another
class, the blue of truth and loyalty to-
the established government; while to-
others the warm enthusiastic red of
freedom and independence appeared.
The German's sense of duty long
prevented many of his race from ris-
ing in rebellion against the established
government. Though he was not na-
tive born, but only an adopted son of
the British empire, he felt that she had
accepted him on the honor of his
promised allegiance; and he stood by
her while her own native Scotch and
English sons — scions of a race for
hundreds of years, bred and taught un-
der her laws, protected by her majes-
tic arm, bone of her bone and flesh of
her flesh — were waging a war of rebel-
lion and secession against her throne.
The German believed that "the powers
that be, are ordained of God" (Rom.,
13-1). He knew that in the French
and Indian war he was fighting his
government's enemies ; but in the
Revolutionary war he must fight
against his own adopted government.
But we are considering Lancaster
County's patriotism as a whole. Thus
considered she did notable and noble
services in the cause of independence.
We have stated the number of soldiers
she lent to the cause.
One of the first pledges which
thousands of our county's citizens ap-
proved and subscribed to, right after
Lexington was the pledge, "We do
most solemnly agree and associate un-
der the deepest sense of our duty to
God and country, ourselves and our
posterity — to defend and protect the
religious and civil rights of this and
our sister colonies, with our lives and
our fortunes against any power to de-
prive us of them".
Lancaster County companies were
among the first in the field. They took
part in the Long Island campaign — in
New York and in New Jersey and in
the battles of Brandywine, German-
town and Monmouth.
July 11, 1775, our county furnished
two companies of expert riflemen out
of nine in the entire province (E. & E.r
LANCASTER COUNTY'S TWO HUNDRED YEARS OF HISTORY
39) and they joined Washington at
Cambridge. She sent a company up
the Kennebec to Canada (Do., 40 &
41) — a company in the Pennsylvania
line with Wayne to Georgia (Do.) —
She sent the Lancaster Rifle company
under Captain Ross to Cambridge — in
addition to Smith and Ross'companies
she had Hamilton and Henry Miller's
companies at Battle of Long Island
(Do., 47) — she had five companies in
Colone 1 De Haas' Battalion (Do., 48)
— she had one company, that of Cap-
tain Brisbon of Leacock in the second
battalion under Colonel Arthur St.
Clair, who saw service at Three
Rivers, Crown Point and Ticonderoga
(Do., 49) — she had Captain Hubley's
company in the Third regiment under
Col. Shee, who fought in the Battle of
Long Island and were largely taken
prisoners at Fort Washington.
When the "Flying Camp" of 10,000
men was ordered raised and 13,800
militia from New York, Pennsylvania
and Maryland — in a meeting at Lan-
caster, eleven battalions of associators
were raised in our county. Our county
also furnished two companies amount-
ing to 200 men in Samuel Atlee's
Musketry battalion (Do., 54). It fur-
nished Grubb's Lancaster County
Company of about 100 men in Miles'
regiment (Do., 54) and many men in
two more companies of the regiment,
a fair number of whom were Germans.
These were in the battles of Marcus
Hook and Long Island. It furnished
the Lancaster County Independent
Company to guard prisoners, (Do.,
56). In the 10th regiment we had
Captain Weaver's company, (Do., 56).
In the 12th regiment we had two com-
panies under Captains Chambers and
Herbert, (Do., 57). And in the New
nth regiment Lancaster County had
one company (Do., 58). This, as we
have said before, aggregates 30 com-
panies, making 2,000 to 2,500 men, or
over one-third of the men of the coun-
ty at that time.
In the Civil War not less than 12,000
Lancaster County men enlisted in the
cause of preserving the Union and de-
stroying slavery — and German, Eng-
lish, Irish, Scotch and all won equal
glory.
But the patriotism of peace is more
beautiful than the patriotism of war,
and in this patriotism our county has
no superior on earth. It is shown in
its love of the land itself whereon we
were reared and how we care for and
cultivate it — how we stick to it and re-
fuse to roam to other spheres. It is
shown in the sense of duty to the home
township and the home county; and
the willingness to discharge that duty
faithfully. It is a patriotism bred of
justice and not of jingoism — animated
by justice, and fed and nurtured by
justice.
THE POLITICAL MEANING
In its infant years this county al-
ways stood politically with the country
party of the province and against the
proprietary or city party. Our earliest
county politics, too, largely followed
the cleavage of nationality, the align-
ment being Germans and Quakers
against Scotch Irish and English. This
remained true a hundred years. Scotch
and English signed the petition for the
erection of the county and the two pe-
titions opposing it were, likely, almost
entirely signed by Germans.
In the beginning the Germans took
very little political interest in the
county affairs. They were not natural-
ized and at first did not care to be
naturalized. But a little later they be-
came very active. In 1732 a body of
them were charged with disloyalty to
the county and with a friendliness to-
ward an invasion by Maryland.
A few years later no party could
have been more politically patriotic to
our county than they. They were a
power in politics then.
In 1737 by their help the highest
successful candidate for the Assembly
here received 755 votes. (A. W. M.,
October 6, 1737), and in 1738 he re-
ceived 1,016 votes. (Do., October 5,
1739). Our Germans joined forces
with the Quakers about this time (4
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
St. L., 471) and stood firmly with them
for years against the Scotch Irish and
English. With the Quakers they
formed the anti-war party against Gov-
ernor Thomas and they polled a ma-
jority vote here in 1739 (A. W. M.,
October 4, 1739). In 1742 they threw
all their strength into the field and
helped the Quakers to defeat Gover-
nor Thomas' new war party in this
county by a vote of 1,480 to 362
(Penna. Gaz., October 7, 1742). And
in 1749 the Germans of this county,
under the leadership of Christian
Herr, assisted by the Quakers, entire-
ly controlled the election that fall, (4
V., 122) ; and they were so zealous in
exercising the franchise as to succeed
in getting 2,300 tickets in the ballot
box, though during the day there were
not over 1,000 different voters at the
polls, according to witnesses. This "re-
peating", however, many witnesses
also denied. But while they took this
interest in politics they could not or
did not desire to hold office themselves
during some years to come, except
certain township officers.
Then came on the Frcneh and In-
dian wars and party politics was for-
gotten. When peace was restored
political feeling against the proprie-
tary grew stronger in Lancaster
County. Then came on the Stamp
Act, the Boston Port Bill and the pre-
liminaries of the Revolutionary war
and this again made political partisan
matters unimportant.
When party lines re-appeared in
Lancaster Countv at the close of the
Revolutionary war, those lately most
zealous in the war, having extrava-
gant notions of and hopes for unre-
strained liberty, and detesting federal
interference with local or state affairs
as a tyranny like that of England,
whose galling bonds they had just
broken, gradually gathered into one
political party ; and those who were
conservative, who feared that the new
liberty might insidiously lead t o
license and disintegration, unless re-
strained by strong central federal
power, gravitated into an opposite
party. And these two political views
were held in our county throughout
the years of the Confederation during
the period of adopting the National
Constitution and during a decade af-
terwards.
These reasons have made it a politi-
cal paradox in our county that the ele-
ment in it, which today largely take
no part in politics, one hundred and
twenty-five years ago, by taking an ac-
tive part, made the county, first a
Federal, then an Anti- Masonic, then
a Whig, and ever since a Republican
stronghold The same German race in
Berks County, adhering to opposite
principles and to a different church,
made that county Democratic during
more than a century. Early Lutherans
and Reformed, took active part in the
Revolutionary war and opposed the
Federal Constitution of 1787 because
they felt it did not give enough of the
freedom they fought for and would be
oppressive as British rule had been ;
while the Mennonites of Lancaster
County favored a conservative posi-
tion, did not see nor fear any danger
of tvranny in the new constitution and
voted numerously with the Federalists
to support it.
Thus Lancaster County remained a
"Federal" county down to 1800 inclus-
ive, electing a Federalist congressman
by 400 majority that autumn, while
the state electors voted strongly for
Jefferson for president at the same
time, and while the state was strongly
Democratic from the beginning. Only
from 1 80 1 to 1804, inclusive, when
the state was from three-fourths to
nine-tenths Democratic or "Jefferson",
did Lancaster County yield from 200
to 600 Democratic majority (Intelli-
gencer). In 1805 the county went
back to the Federal, now called locally
the Federal Constitution party by
nearly 1,700 majority and remained
there with two insignificant excep-
tions in 1810 and 181 1 until the sus-
pension of the Federalist party in the
times of anti- Masonry in 1829, vary-
LANCASTER COUNTY'S TWO HUNDRED YEARS OF HISTORY
ing in its Federalist strength from a
small majority to two-thirds at times,
while the state was from 60 to 75 per
cent. Democratic; and in 1811, 1S24
and 1826 respectively, 93, 90 and 98
per cent. Democratic (Smull). From
1828 to 1835 our county was anti-Ma-
sonic by large majorities ( Intelli-
gencer and Smull) while the statr,
except in 1828, remained Democratic.
The commonwealth remainec! in the
Democratic column, with the excep-
tion of the small Whig majorities of
400 and 1,400 respectively in 40 and
48, and the large "Know Nothing"
majority of 12,000 in '55 until the
slavery agitation in 1838 brought it
permanently (with exceptions), into
the Republican ranks. But the county
in all this time (without exception) re-
mained the firm opponent of Democ-
racy, generally by large majorities,
either under the political party name
of Federalist, anti-Masonic, Whig or
Know-Nothing party, where it has
remained by great majorities invar-
iably ever since, reaching its high-
water mark of Republicanism in the
majorities of 17,000 for McKinley in
1896 and of 19,000 for Roosevelt in
1904, the state also being strong Re-
publican, except in the few modern
well-known instances of 1862-67-74-
77-82-90 and 1906.
As to popular interest in politics
here at home two observations are per-
tinent. First, from the beginning until
now one-fourth of our people never
have and do not now, exercise the
right to vote no.r take any other inter-
est in political concerns. In the early
days of 1737 and 8, when there were
about 2,600 men entitled to vote in our
county (5 H., 115), the successful can-
didate in the first year received 755
votes (A. M. W., October 6, 1736 and
October 5, 1738) and the opposition
did not poll 400 votes either year, so
that only about half of the voters
voted. In 1742 when there were fully
3,000 voters in Lancaster County, the
successful candidate received 1,480
votes and his opponent 362, a total of
about 1,800 votes or three-fifths, leav-
ing two-fifths not voting, even though
that fight was one of the hottest
known in years (Pa. Gaz. October 7,
1742). In 1749, while about 2.300 bal-
lots nvere cast, witnesses affirmed that
only 1,000 persons voted out of a list
of 4,600 voters in the county, (4 \ '.,
122 and 126). Even if 2,000 were pres-
ent at the polls and voted that was
less than half. In 1795 under the date
of September 9th, our "Lancaster
Journal" laments that the people show
a very little interest in suffrage and
political affairs generally. And in our
modern days in only the most strenu-
ous elections do three-fourths of our
now 46,000 voters go out and vote.
Second, from the earliest days to the
present time our people as a whole
have been and are inclined to be polit-
ically very contented and to place
great faith and confidence in political
leaders. This is the condition in all
nationalities represented in our coun-
ty. It seems also to exist alike in the
rank and file of both dominant and mi-
nority political parties locally. There
is not now and seldom has been much
questioning and revolting from the
choice of candidates which such lead-
ers make, nearly all classes of our peo-
ple having been and being now willing
to trust the political fortunes of the
county to political specialists — a coun-
ty leader and various local statesmen.
We are and have been thus a people
easily managed politically and in this
are in strong contrast with many coun-
ties where the plebiscite is suspicious,
not inclined to accept that in which
they took no part ; and where the peo-
ple are more generally given to the
same independent political thought
that a sagacious man exercises in
business.
This is not a truly healthy political
attitude, and our county has been sur-
prisingly fortunate in escaping as
many of the political evils as we have
escaped which this lethargy freely
breeds. The local press over one hun-
dred years ago complained that, "For
10
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
several years an inexcusable neglect to
vote has been shown and the result
has been shown that a few have hith-
erto directed elections and the voice of
the people is not generally heard"
(Lancaster Journal, September 9,
1795).
The truth of history compels us to
state that the non-resistant church-
men, made up of four distinct sects in
our county (or some of them) took
part in politics and in voting in earlier
times to an extent that surprises us
today. While from the first the Ger-
mans took part in politics to the ex-
tent of voting they did not hold im-
portant offices until about 1750, when
Emanuel Zimmerman led off in this
departure. But since the Germans en-
tered upon office holding in earnest, af-
ter the close of the Revolution, they
have held on to all of them ever since.
About 1755 the proprietor ordered
that the Scotch-Irish shall henceforth
go to the Cumberland and the Ger-
mans hold forth here (15 H., 71).
To sum up the political meaning of
o;ir county in its 200 years we may
say : our earliest generations of the
county believed in plain simple agra-
rian government, of few officers and of
economical fees and salaries — they
stood against military exploitation —
they believed in the principle of laissez
/aire, and tenaciously hold to it today
— in the days of the Revolution a cer-
tain portion of our people believed in
political preservation as far as consis-
tent with the gospel of peace — but the
masses were very zealous for indepen-
dence— they have believed and voted
that liberty should be exercised con-
servatively under a strong federal gov-
ernment, which individuals and states
should gladly recognize as supreme as
the necessary strong protector of all —
later generations stood consistently for
stimulation of home industry against
cheaper foreign labor bv a tariff — and
in this present day she is still firmly
anchored to that political principle by
which she aims to keep her agricul-
tural wealth the great basis on which
to develop her industries, by the pro-
tective tariff.
INDUSTRIAL AND FINANCIAL MEANING
Four words sum up our county's in-
dustrial history — variety, excellent ,,
energy and honesty. And four words
also sum up the quality of our finan-
cial history — conservatve, safe, sane
and sound. Of the industries, we have
discussed agriculture, and we now
turn our thoughts to other branches.
The earliest manufacture was that
of meal and flour, Christopher Schlegci
having a mill on Little Conestoga in
1714 (12 L., 20). And Atkinson's,.
Graeff's, Stehman's and Taylor's mills
quickly followed. Minerals were re-
ported about Conestoga in 1707 (2 C,
403 & 5) and John Cartlidge, of that
place, found iron ore near there also '.1
1721 (12 L., 20). In 1722 a deposit of
copper also was said to be found in
Lancaster County (3 C, 160) the
nickel mines of the Mine Ridge and
the silver mines of the Pequea and the
iron mines in many parts were opened
before the Revolutionary war. The
Elizabeth furnace was started in 1750
by John Huber, a German, the first
one in Lancaster County (Swank,
"Iron & Steel" for 1883, p. 23). Martic
Forge began in 1755 and Windsor
about the same time. Flax and hemp
stock and even cordage were manufac-
tured here as earlv as 1732 and ship-
ped to Philadelphia (A. W. M.). Glass
was manufactured by Stiegel and also
by the American Flint Glass Manufac-
torv, of Manheim, in this county, in
1772 and some time before, (Pa. Gaz.,
March 17, 1773). Saddles, pack sad-
dles and guns were made before 1754
in Lancaster, which was described by
a traveler at that time as a town of 500
houses, 2,000 people, who were mak-
ing money (6 H., 29). The Octoraro
was earlv lined with mills, trip ham-
mer, etc.
In 1770 and before, an elaborate tex-
tile manufacture was carried on here
by our industrious German mothers,
God bless them. In the year, May 1st,
1769, to May 1, 1770, cotton, woolen
LANCASTER COUNTY'S TWO HUNDRED YEARS OF HISTORY
11
and linen goods, consisting of clothing,
bed clothing, curtains, etc., of thirteen
varieties, made by the women of Lan-
caster, reached 28,000 yards reported,
with materials in the looms for 8,000
yards more and many yards more not
reported at all, as the Germans feared
it was sought for taxation. One good
mother alone, while at the same time
she was proprietor of one of the princi-
pal hotels in the town wove 600 yards
herself (Pa. Gaz., June 14, 1770).
RAW SILK PRODUCTION
And in silk production in 1772 in
Pennsylvania for the greatest number
of cocoons and best reeled silk, Lan-
caster County led the entire state,
(Philadelphia City included) in quan-
tities and quality, Widow Stoner her-
self having raised 72,800 cocoons, Cas-
par Falkney 22,845 cocoons and Cath-
arine Steiner 21,800 cocoons, all of
them Germans living in this county.
Chester and Philadelphia County and
City fell far behind (Pa. Gaz., March
17. 1773).
In 1780 according to the assessment
list there were in Lancaster, then a
town of 3.000 people, 35 different kinds
of manufactures, including woolen,
silk, cotton and flax weaving. In the
Revolutionary war we manufactured
the most famous and farthest-carrying
rifles in the world. In 1830, there were
hundreds of manufactures in the coun-
tv, among which 7 furnaces, 14 forges,
183 distilleries, 45 tan yards, t>2 fulling
mills, 164 grist mills, 8 hemp mills, 87
saw mills, 9 breweries, 5 oil mills,
5 clover mills. 3 cotton factories, 3
potteries, 6 carding engines, 3 paper
mills, 1 snuff mill, 7 tilt hammers, 6
rolling mills and one or more nail fac-
tories (Gord. Gaz., p. 230). And thus
it has gone on increasing until a few
years ago, on the ideal of small factor-
ies, and many of them in which many
men of small capital gave employment
each to a score of his neighbors.
Small factories until lately were
humming by the thousands in our
county and large ones by the score.
But sad to relate, as to the small in-
dustries, the relentless hand of giant
monopolies has crushed and broken
most of the small concerns to pieces,
and in their stead has established'
branches of corporations. This has
exchanged an independent for a de-
pendent industrialism in our county.
Through all its ages and stages of
manufacture until this last decade, the
county stood for and splendidly exem-
plified the small industrial business
man employing his happy contented
neighbors, turning out honest home-
made goods, in which it took an hon-
est delight and pride.
Her industries have always been
steady and stable ; and in prosperity
and panic she has marched onward
not flinching before the shock of finan-
cial disaster, throughout the land that
in many othcer towns and counties,
have laid proud industries in the dust.
Her watches are found throughout all
the lands — there is not a people who
do not smoke her cigars and hardly a
spot on the earth where her umbrellas
do not protect from storm. Her con-
fectionery runs annually upward of a
million dollars in value — her watches
over a million — her cigars and smok-
ing and chewing tobacco two millions
and a half and her umbrellas nearly
four million dollars a year. Her silk,
cotton and iron manufactures are vast
important industries. Our little city
of 41.000 people ten years ago in-
creased her industrial strength from
1890 to 1900, from 599 manufacturing
plants to 738 — with capital increased
from $8,000,000 to $10,000,000, wage-
earners from 7,300 to 9,300 — wages
paid from $2,000,000 to $3,000,000 and'
product value from Si 1. 500.000 to $16.-
500,000.. And in these last ten years
there has been a corresponding in-
crease.
A SHIP FROM LANCASTER
In commerce as early as 173 1 there
is mention of a ship from Lancaster
arriving at New York with goods like-
lv laboriously taken down Conestoga
and Susquehanna then loaded on
ships. (Pa. Gaz., January 5, 1731). Our
12
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
county did her part in 1792 to 1794 in
building the first turnpike to Philadel-
phia at a cost of $465,000 (Gordon, p.
229), the first turnpike in America;
and from 1775 to i860 she built her
share of the system of canals and turn-
pikes that in that day were the best in
the world. And now she is well in the
van again with the greatest rural trol-
ley system in the state. These were
her efforts in commerce and transpor-
tation.
In finances the progress of her Ger-
mans and their growing competence
attracted the jealous English eyes of
the government at Philadelphia before
their valleys felt the spell of German
agriculture a score of vears, (C R. &
V.). By 1830 when they had brought
the county's land to be worth $24,,ooo,-
'ooo this county's citizens had $4,000,-
000 of money at interest, while Ches-
ter and Bucks Counties each fifty years
older had respectively only $400,000
and $250,000 of money at interest. And
our county stood as a fair second to
Philadelphia itself. She had more
money at interest, even at that early
date than all the rest of Pennsylvania,
excepting Philadelphia.
And best of all every cent of our sav-
ings was honest ; gotten by honest toil
■and honest methods in agriculture and
manufacture and not by speculation in
false inflated values, spurious stocks,
representing a plant only on paoer and
in the imagination of oiW swindlers.
And again in our present day the fi-
nancial strength of this county has
'grown so that there are returned to the
"assessors $27,000,000 of money at in-
terest, which omits fully $10,000,000
more. There are many millions in our
manufacturing plants. There are 46
banks and trust companies in operation
in our county, with assets of over $40,-
000,000 or perhaps an average of $1,-
000.000 each. These institutions have
increased from $29,600,000 to $40,000,-
'ooo in seven vears, about 33 per cent.
and the stock of several of them sells
from 300 to 500 per cent, of par.
THE EDUCATIONAL MEANING
The educational history of our coun-
ty needs explanation more than de-
fense. Early English writers were ac-
customed to criticize our county's edu-
cation. They forget that in 1734 there
was a German school in Lancaster ( 5
H., 22). From 1745 to 1780 there were
parochial and private schools (Riddle,
10). In 1746 the Moravian school was
flourishing (Do., 9).. In 1748 there was
a large school of English, Irish and
German pupils here, which continued
till 1788, (Do,, 10). In 1752 the county
had the famous Rock Hall school and
also others of importance (Lane. Gaz.,
June 29, 1752). Robert Smith had his
Presbyterian school in operation then
at Pequea and there were similar ones
in Southern and Western Lancaster
County The Germans had their church
schools very early, too, and these pre-
pared the way for Franklin College, in
1787 and afterwards Marshall. Then
too, there was and is Yeates school,
also started in 1780. About the be-
ginning of the 19th century came on
the famous Lancastrian schools, the
public school system a decade later
and a very progressive system since.
There was compulsory public payment
for the schooling of poor children as
early as 1819 (4 H., 295), and under
it (before the days of the regular com-
mon school system), Lancaster Coun-
ty paid annually $6,500 as a contribu-
tion (3 PL, 165).
One thing is evident : Lancaster
County from the beginning was con-
cerned about two qualities in the edu-
cation it gave to its sons and daugh-
ters— that it should be practical and
that it should be moral and indeed re-
ligious. They were wiser than we. in
that the moral culture which true edu-
cation should give, we make inferior
to the purely intellectual ; and the re-
ligious we are absolutely afraid of.
Their education was practical. The
primary popular end of education as
we see it today everywhere is to en-
able the children to succeed well in
life, to gain a competence, a standing,
LANCASTER COUNTY'S TWO HUNDRED YEARS OF HISTORY
13:
an estate, a large estate, a million, if
possible. We may boast that modern
education has aims higher than these
sordid ones ; but it is not true as a
practical condition. So too, 150 or
200 years ago our pioneers gave them-
selves that kind of education which
conditions demanded — an education
that enabled them to succeed. And
they did succeed. They cleared their
farms and by 1830 had $4,000,000 at
interest. None of the older and alleged
more intellectual counties could show
more than one-tenth of that result.
Their education in the country was
necessarily, a study of the soil and
how to make it crop well — a study of
how to turn the crops into the best
market — the cultivation of strong re-
liable judgment and how to meet duty
as it comes to them. In this they had
the best kind of education. In the
town the education must be that of
trade and manufacure and the early
t<n\n of Lancaster showed marvelous
results in that line.
The education of our county's pio-
neer ancestors was deeply moral and
religious. They did not try to make
brilliant scoundrels, but noble men.
They would have a man that you
could trust, one who had moral back-
bone, to stand against the temptation
of dishonesty and cupidity. They pre-
ferred to make a man rather than a
scholar. We make the mistake in
modern davs of giving the pupil stor-
age capacity at the sacrifice o f
strength ; we make the children bins
instead of bulwarks. Our remote an-
cestors never made that mistake. They
saw that children should be taught
moral back-bone as well as mathemat-
ics— goodness as well as" geography —
honor and honesty, as well as history
and Godliness as well as grammar.
The two great text books of our
grandfathers' and our great-grandfa-
thers' times were the P>ible and the
newspaper. There is no better source
in all the universe of an education
than these.
Our countv has had about 275 news-
papers in her time, 175 in the town
and later citv and about 100 in the
countrv. This record exceeds any
similar community of 160,000 people,
anvwhere in the world. These papers
began as early as 1743, and they be-
came numerous at once, and even be-
fore the year 1800 there were over a
score of them printed. Who can say
in the face of this that our county was
not an early educated county? All
read the papers and the papers con-
tained the most practical knowledge
to be had. It was the education suited
to their needs and it made our county
early a great prosperous people. Every
modern student of the early newspa-
pers of Colonial time knows they con-
tained much home and foreign geog-
raphy, history, finance, philosophy and
other learning.
Our forefathers feared not a stern
morality and rigid rectitude in their
courses of study. In the schools of
those days, the Bible was taught as
one of the text-books. And they
taught it Gospels and all too. It is
only lately that Ave found out that
teaching boys and girls to love the Sa-
vior of the world is opposed to Amer-
ican liberty. God bless the brave old
forefathers. They remembered that it
was their Christian forefathers who
colonized America, fought for it and
handed it down to them. They re-
membered that Christianity did more
for America than the Constitution and
the law ever did. And what men the
rod and the Bible made in our grand-
fathers' time! To steal a cent was as
wicked to them as to steal a hundred
thousand dollars. You could have put
anyone of them into a bank as presi-
dent or cashier and he would never
have thought of robbing it and going
to Canada. He would never have
taken it to gamble in stocks. You
never would have found one of them
form monopolies and crush out weaker
men. Nay, thus strong they stood as
proof against the waves of the ham-
mering sea.
14
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Men gravitated to them with all
their troubles and had them settled by
the simple rule of right, from which
they never appealed. Why was this
so? Because in their schools the chief
branch of their curriculum was char-
acter-building-, and the products of
their commencements were men rather
than scholars weak in moral manhood
and bravery.
The genius and spirit of a free gov-
ernment may be against the Bible or
religious training in schools ; but our
forefathers did not think so. They
studied the Bible and in doing so the
government gained vastly more in
good, noble patriotic men than it ever
could have gained by any other means.
Let us reflect, when we incline to
ridicule our county's lack of polite edu-
cation in primitive days, that, taking-
it all in all their education may have
been better and truer and of more
real service to God and man than our
own. I for one, unalterably stand for
moral and religious culture in the
common schools, even at the sacrifice
of some of the purely intellectual, be-
cause it is that kind of education that
will make better heads of families, bet-
ter neighbors, better citizens. And
that, in the last analysis, is the su-
preme object of every state.
EXPLANATION
An. Susq. means Annals of the Susquehannocks, etc.
9 L-. etc., means Vol. 9. Lancaster County Historical
society Proceedings, etc.
2 V., means Vol. 2 Votes of Assembly, etc.
4 H., etc. means Vol. 4. Hazard's Register, etc.
Gord. Gaz., means Gordon's Gazette of Pennsylvania.
5th-A-l etc., means 5th series Penna. Archives, Vol. 1,
etc.
E. & E.etc. means Evans & Ellis History of Lancaster
county.
A. W. M.. means American Weekly Mercury.
4 St. L.. etc. means Vol. 4, Statutes at Large.
Smull means Smull's Handbook.
Pa. Gaz.. means Pennsylvania Gazette.
2 C etc., means 2 Colonial Records, etc.
Lane. Gaz., means Lancaster Gazette.
"As a further illustration of the
progress of the English language in
some parts of Pennsylvania thirty
years ago, as well as of the progress in
reform, we here give a copy of the
action adopted at a temperance meet-
ing held in one of the townships of
Lancaster County December, 185 1, and
now on file in the Quarter Session?
office at Lancaster, Pa.
"Consiteration of the Neberhood of
township, Lancaster County.
December 26th, 1851, about morality
temberense & Religions,
"1. Resol'n that made an aplica-
tion for a publig Hous in our neber-
hood for instans we have five publig
housses on our small township an one
in the neberhood, three on the Swamp
and travelers is very few of Strengers.
"2. Resol'n that the aplicand is near
the church and meting hous and it was
alrety drunken feller on meetings and
made Disturbens and the taverns is
about one meil of.
"3. Resol'n that aboud eighteen
years back we hat a publick LIous very
near by the Ablicand and it was a great
trubel for the neberhood about trunk-
ers and Disturbens.
"4. Resol'n that we understand that
the Aplicand has a back patition we
know there is many single men and
with famiiles in the patition, Some will
suner go to the tavern as to mill, wife
and chilter has no bred."
(From Appel's "The Beginnings of
the Theological Seminary of the Re-
formed Church in the LJnited States",
page yy, 1886.)
15
A Study of a Rural Community
By Charles William Super, Ph. D., LL. D. Athens, Ohio
NOTE. — The author is Ex-president of the
Ohio University. Formerly professor of
Greek and Dean of the College of Liberal
Arts ibidem. Translator of Weil's Order of
Words in the Ancient Languages compared
with the Modern; Author of a History of the
German Language; Between Heathenism
and Christianity; Wisdom and Will in Edu-
cation; A Liberal Education, and numerous
Monographs on historical and philosophical
subjects.
ANY a time and oft" dur-
ing the latter half of my
life, when I have listened
to a pioneer relating some
of the experiences of his
early years, I have felt a
keen regret that he did
not take the trouble to
commit them to paper. What a chasm
lies between us and a hundred, even
fifty years ago ! This statement is not
only true of our own country, but of al-
most every civilized and uncivilized
land. History is nothing more than
the intertwined biography of many in-
dividuals. Hardly any man was so in-
significant that he did not contribute
something to the forward movements
that have distinguished the last two
generations from all that have pre-
ceded. What would some of us epigoni
not give if we could obtain a minute
record of the conditions out of which
our remote ancestors migrated in the
old country and of the immediate
causes that led them to turn their
backs forever upon the land that gave
them birth ! There can not be manv
of us who are without an eager curios-
ity to know the particulars- of the
journey on terra firma on the other
side and on this; the vexations and
hardships of the voyage in the slow-
going sailing vessels ; the feelings of
the immigrants as they contrasted the
conditions of a thickly settled and
highly cultivated country with the re-
gions in which the inhabitants were
few and the farm-houses still fewer.
If they were strangers to the language
as well as to the people, there is an
added interest to their thoughts and
feelings. Such reflections and other
of a like kind have engendered in me
the desire to do unto others, in this
respect, what I earnestly wish they
had done unto me. As we are all pio-
neers, in a sense, of those who shall,
in the course of human vicissitudes,
come after us, I have endeavored to
rescue from utter oblivion the men
and the affairs of a community that I
learned to know more intimately than
anv other. While we find here some
traits that are exhibited in the earliest
historic records there are other primi-
tive characters that were almost en-
tirely obliterated. Perhaps the most
marked of the latter, to him who com-
pares the old world with the new was
the disposition to ignore ancestry and
nationality. The fusion of races was
so complete that only once in a while
one might hear a faint echo of the all-
pervading primitive belief that a
man's social status and individual
merit should be judged by that of his
father or grandfather. Here were ex-
cellent opportunities for seeing the pro-
cess by which the American type has
been evolved through the commingling
of many different European nation-
alities. The young man was most es-
teemed who had "made good", no mat-
ter whether his forebears had come
from Germany, or England, or Ireland,
or Scotland. During the last three or
four decades our cities have become
the principal alembic in which this
transformation has been wrought. Rut
up to this period the rural regions
played no inconspicuous part in the
process of fusion. I am fully persuaded
that I have written without prejudice
for or against any individual, sect or
party. If T have fallen into minor er-
rors, it has been because I was not
able to divest myself of the limitations
which are the heritage, to a greater or
16
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
less extent, of all who wear the human
form. So much by way of prelimi-
naries.
There is much good sense in the
philosophy of a friend who expressed
himself in this wise : "I have no pride
of ancestry although I can trace my
family record back through nearly
seven generations. And while it con-
tains no prominent names it is per-
haps as clear of deeds that I should
wish to have undone as that of many
persons who make larger pretensions.
Why should a man be 'puffed up'
about a matter over which he has no
control? If his forebears have been rep-
utable people and have performed
their part in life's drama creditably, it
is all the more reason why he should
endeavor to surpass them in deserving
well of his generation. If, on the con-
trary, they have been nobodies, so
much the better for him if he succeeds
in making himself somebody". It de-
tracts much from the value of a his-
tory or a biography if it is written un-
der either a personal or a national
bias. Albeit, such books are far more
popular than those written from the
strictly judicial standpoint. Let every
man be judged by what he is, not by
the nation to which he belongs or the
ancestors from whom he descended.
I
If we wish to ascertain the contents
of a man's mind we must study his
thoughts as expressed in words and
actions. If we desire to gain a like
knowledge of a group of individuals
we have to examine their modes of
speech ; their social, political, and re-
ligious organization. But as every
group in every civilized country is
part of a larger whole many of the
minor-group impulses are not free to
develop without coming into conflict
with larger ones. Certain modifica-
tions of the psyche of these groups
necessarily take place owing to exter-
nal pressure so that it is not at liberty
to pass into tangible results. There is
hardly a phase of mental activity in
which this does not occur to a Greater
or less extent. What we call civiliza-
tion is an unending series of compro-
mises. For instance, a law that makes
education compulsory does not always
compel; very frequently it does not.
Similarly a prohibition statute is not
equally effective over the whole terri-
tory where it is in force. To say, there-
fore, that no ardent spirits are drunk
in a certain community because none
of its members has a craving for it,
would in almost all cases be erroneous.
The historian, the publicist, and even
the ethnologist, deal with larger
masses as homogeneous ; the scientist
who scrutinizes more closely finds a
good deal of diversity. Where the
political organization under which a
community lives is of such a character
to allow free play among its individ-
uals and groups constituting it, it fre-
quentlv happens that several groups
cooperate at one time for the purpose
of attaining certain ends, but oppose
one another at other times when other
ends are sought. Hence an equally
powerful psychic force may produce
important results, or it may produce
no results.- A psychic like a physical
energy may augment another or nullify
it. A history of civilization is there-
fore nothing more than a setting-forth
of the results of cooperating and con-
flicting forces and energies. A com-
munitv that is not ruled by the pre-
scriptive tyranny of public opinion
which enforces uniformity of conduct,
as is the case with all primitive tribes,
nor governed by the written law of an
autocratic ruler, but where the activity
of the individual is comparatively un-
trameled, affords an interesting study
both to the psychologist and the so-
ciologist.
II
It was my destiny to spend about a
score of years in a rural community in
southcentral Pennsylvania. There was
no incorporated village within easy
reach ; and as two country "stores"
with a post-office attachment supplied
the local need's in purchasable articles
as well as furnished' a- medium of com-
A STUDY OF A RURAL COMMUNITY
17
munication with the outside world, the
town population was something apart.
Many of my father's neighbors knew
as little of urban life as if they had
dwelt in a desert. To live in town
was., in a sense, to live in another
sphere of existence, while those whose
daily avocation was trade were fre-
quently designated by epithets that
were neither elegant nor complimen-
tary. When in later years I set myself
to analyze the psyche of these people
in the light of my reminiscences, I
formed some curious and perhaps not
uninteresting conclusions. To set
forth the salient facts in some sort of
order and to intersperse them with an
occasional reflection is the purpose of
the present booklet.
Similar conditions have within recent
years been dealt with to a considerable
extent in works of fiction. Fiction,
however, in order to be readable, must
bring upon the stage extremes rather
than average types. The writer of
fiction is under constant temptation to
follow the lead of the imagination into
paths where fact dare not accompany
him. Besides the domain of fiction is
limitless while the realm of fact is
comparatively circumscribed. A dozen
writers of fiction, when dealing with
the same conditions, may represent
them under a dozen different phases.
On the other hand, no matter how
many scientific observers labor in the
same field their conclusions must be
reciprocally corroborative, the only
difference being such as arises from
the difference in the perspicacity of the
observers. The principal characters
of carefully constructed novels are a
composite of the salient traits of a
number of different persons. The men
and women of real life are rarely so
good or so bad as the dramatic per-
sonae of fiction. It is the extremes that
are interesting; to make his work en-
tertaining and therefore popular is the
chief aim of the novelist. This state-
ment holds good not only of novels,
but of the drama and of poetry. The
overwhelming majority of mankind
belong to the commonplace class ; they
therefore rarely exhibit traits that at-
tract attention. But the very fact that
they are so numerous makes them im-
portant to the student of men as he
meets them at least three hundred and
sixty four days in the year.
Ill
In the days of my boyhood I learned
lttle about the early life of my grand-
parents although I was with my
grandfather almost every day for sev-
eral years. Persons of limited educa-
tion are never continuously and co-
herently communicative, and I never
thought of asking the questions that
would have given me the information
I should have welcomed so heartily in
later years. I was no wiser than my
age: why should I be? Life with most
people is a thing of course as well as
its environment. Few persons except
the mature student of manners and
customs give such matters any
thought. The historian can not offer
us much light because he can not ob-
tain the indispensable data. So it
remains for the writer of fiction to fill
out as best he may the framework con-
structed by the historian. The diar» of
one soldier who spent the gloomy win-
ter of '77-8 at Valley Forge would give
us more insight into the prevailing o m-
ditions, the thoughts and feeling that
filled the breasts and engaged the at-
tention of the privates, than all the
records that have thus far been made
public. Perhaps it has been because we
know so little of the common man that
the world lias hitherto made such slow
progress, lie is submerged for the rea-
son that he does not insist in putting
his head above the current of every-
day life and making a loud as well as
a persistent noise. It is a curious and
paradoxical fact that although all
civilization rests upon the tiller of the
soil he is the last to profit thereby and
irets the smallest part of the gains. Be
the cause what it may, he is usually
stolid, indifferent, conservative — what-
ever you choose to call his most prom-
inent traits. Nowhere has he elevated
18
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
himself, When his condition has been
bettered it has been due to pressure or
encouragement from without. Most of
my father's neighbors were content if
at the end of the year they found them-
selves no worse off than they were at
the beginning; if it found them materi-
ally better off they were elated. Yet I
am sure they got as much out of life —
and probably a great deal more, sub-
jectively— than ninety-nine out of a
hundred of the millionaires which our
era has produced by thousands. I do
not recall the names of more than one
or two men who were chronic pessi-
mists. A misfortune might now and
then temporarily depress one here, an-
other there ; but its effects were gener-
ally transient. Nor can I recall any old
person who objected to being reminded
of the fact. On the contrary, persons
sometimes spoke of themselves as old,
who were hardly entitled to the predi-
cate, for the same reason that the
"knightly Nestor of Gerenia" was fre-
quently prompted to remind his hear-
ers that he had reigned over three gen-
erations of men, consequently was
wiser than all of them. It was taken
for granted that youth was an era of
indiscretion and, in a sense, of expia-
tion that must be passed through as a
sort of earthly purgatory. I never
heard any one excuse the peccadilloes
of youth by quoting the maxim that
"boys will be boys" ; certainly no one
ever though of saying "girls will be
girls".
IV
My memory has preserved with
varying distinctness reminiscences of
three generations : that which was,
roughly speaking, contemporary with
my grandfather ; that which was about
the age of my father; and that which,
more or less intimately, constituted my
own associates. I shall designate them
respectively as One, Two and Three.
Number One embraced a few pioneers
born in the eighteenth century, inured
to the hardships and privations of first
settlers. They were for the most part
wholly illiterate, rough in manner and
coarse in speech, not so much from in-
nate vulgarity, though some of them
were vulgar enough, as from igno-
rance. Not unfrequently their limited
vocabulary furnished but one name for
a thing and that was usually the most
expressive term. They called a spade
a spade because to call it an agricul-
tural implement would have been a
phrase outside of the range of their
vocabulary; if used by any one now
and then it led to ambiguity. They
were for the most part very poor, hav-
ing managed to gain a bare livelihood.
Their farms had to be paid for wholly
or in part by their children with whom
they passed their declining years. The
houses they lived in were usually
rough log structures ; such a thing as
personal comfort was unknown. It
needs to be kept in mind, however, that
"comfort" is both a relative and a
modern term. Millions of people live
in comparative comfort under condi-
tions which to others would be intoler-
able. The domestic environment of
Englishmen in the days when their
country is said to have earned the
epithet "merry" was of such a charac-
ter that it would now be considered fit
only for semi-barbarians. There is hard-
ly a laboring man in any Germanic
country today that does not have at
command more of those things now re-
garded as indispensable than the noble-
men of a few centuries ago. When any
of their number died he was just as
likely as not to be laid to rest in the cor-
ner of some field where the plow-share
or bushes and brambles would before
many years obliterate all traces of the
little mound above his remains or the
perishable mark placed upon it. Much
of the country was still covered with
woods while agriculture was carried on
in a primitive fashion. Nothing was
grown for sale or indeed could be sold
save cereals and live stock except on
special occasions when butter, eggs,
and perhaps a few other commodities
might be disposed of at a ridiculously
low price. Such indispensable articles
as salt had to be brought a long dis-
A STUDY OF A RURAL COMMUNITY
19
tance. Some of these old-time farmers
had not even a wheeled conveyance, but
hauled their grain from the fields on
sleds.1 Number Two had not been
upon the stage of action long before
considerable improvement was evi-
dent. They cleared much additional
land, gradually paid for their farms,
some of them even accumulating a lit-
tle money. They were less illiterate,
most of them being able at least to
read if not to write. It must be con-
fessed however that not a few of those
who could read did not find the printed
page a source of much enlightenment,
still less of pleasure. I remember one
man who was elected to membership
in a school-board who could not even
write his name. Yet he was a man of
a good deal of general information.
It is probable that his lack of this
particular qualification was known to
but few of the voters. With the wom-
en the case was much worse ; many
of them were entirely illiterate. Upon
this generation fell the responsibility
of administering the public school svs-
ten which now began to be more
widely extended. It was however
done in a perfunctory way with slight
comprehension of the interests in-
volved. It was regarded as of more
importance that the teacher should be
a stern ruler than an efficient instruc-
tor. Brawn counted for much more
than brain. He who "licked" oftenest
and hardest was accounted as the most
capable by many of the patrons. I
should however be unjust to some of
the young men who taught the schools
of our neighborhod if I did not declare
my belief that they were quite the
ec|nals in attainments and pedagogical
skill of many who have "in these last
days" taken the places once ocupied by
them. There were, moreover, no
schools in our community that had a
bad reputation. Children were to be
kept in the schoolroom six full hours
each day, a recess being regarded as a
loss of time, engaged in reading, writ-
ing, and ciphering. No schoolhouse
had a playground. Why should it
have? Children were not sent to
school to find amusement. Most of
them fooled away too much time in
play at home. Although not all par-
ents were uncompromising believers in
the necessity of stifling the play-in-
stincts of children, the suppression-
ists were considerably in the majority.
V
Most of the dwelling-houses were
erected near a spring, although in some
cases the water was supplied from a
well bv means of a pump or windlass
and bucket. Not a few houses were
located in the most absurd and out-of-
the-wav places. They had hardly a
yard of level ground about them. Their
inhabitants did not seem to care
whether they lived or merely existed.
It has often been remarked that the
idea of comfort is modern, that we do
not find it even today in the lower
strata of civilization anywhere. This
fact wras substantiated by many of my
father's neighbors. The schoolhouses
were never built with a view to con-
venience in getting water and were al-
wavs without any sort of outbuildings.
However, the pupils were never wor-
ried about the difficulty of obtaining
something to drink. The farther they
had to go for it the better they liked it.
Most of them seemed to think that all
the time they could filch from school
hours and lessons was clear gain.While
this assertion does not hold good of
all, it is true of at least five out of six.
I have not the slightest doubt that all
the pupils except the very dullest could
have learned all there was to be learned
in these country schools between the
age of six and fourteen, or in about
thirty-two months; some even in less.
I have often wondered to what extent,
if any, most of these people who could
neither read nor write, or who at least
lacked the latter accomplishment,
would have been benefitted by it. It
would have been a convenience — hard-
ly more. A majority of those who
could read had too little general
knowledge to discriminate between
what was probable and what was man-
20
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
ifestly false. They were in the same
condition with the Irishman who de-
clared that a statement he had just
made was true because he had seen it
in print. These illiterates, however,
like all of their kith that I have since
met with were generally careful to
conceal their ignorance ; or they em-
ployed a sort of euphemism when they
could not help admitting it. I dis-
tinctly recall one man who was a tvp-
ical specimen, about the age of my
father. Me was a skillful undertaker,
and a much-sought auctioneer on ac-
count of his ready wit, shrewdness,
suave manner, and honesty. After do-
ing some business with him at differ-
ent times I went to him for his bill.
Upon my asking for a receipt he re-
plied : "You write the receipt. I don't
sign my name; I just make my mark".
And he did not live on a farm either.
If he had said squarely : "I can't write"
there would not have been any need of
more words. What the people read
rarely brought into their lives any
knowledge that changed their opinions
in the slightest degree. As to the wom-
en, few of them felt the necessity of
writing anything urgently enough to
overcome the inconvenience to which
they were almost certain to be put.
When once in a while a few lines were
to be written or a signature affixed to
a document, there was usually a search
for pen and ink, sometimes also for pa-
per. "When found, the former was
scarcely usable and the latter almost
any color except the desired one. Most
of the denizens of the region doubtless
had relations elsewhere, as they were
not aborigines ; but those who were so
distant that they could not be visited
in a day or two were few in number. If
relatives lived so far away that they
had to be communicated with by letter
the ocean might as well have rolled be-
tween them except for the cost of the
epistle, as more than one a year rarely
passed back and forth. The first gen-
eration and a large proportion of the
second possessed the virtue of pa-
tience, if patience be a virtue under all
circumstances ; if not, that asinine
quality which we call stolidity. Few
aspired beyond the sphere of their
present activities. They sought to bet-
ter their condition, in a way, but not to-
move out of their sphere. In summer
they rose with the birds and retired
when they retired. As there were no
birds in winter to set them an example
their work-day was somewhat ex-
tended into the darkness of the even-
ing, but rarely farther than eight
o'clock. Thus the days and the years
passed monotonously away until one
here and another there was laid to his
final rest. Sometimes his or her place
remained vacant ; sometimes another
appeared on the scene who could fill it.
VI
When I was about ten years old my
father started me to school in the Fall
with a Kirkham's Grammar in my
hands, the study of which he desired
me to begin. I felt very much embar-
rassed to be seen with such a book as
I knew the older boys would make fun
of me for my presumption. This sub-
ject was supposed to be proper for ma-
ture pupils only, although even of
these a verv small number cared to
"waste" their time upon it. The event
proved that my fears were well
founded : my untimely choice, al-
though it was not really my choice,
was the butt of many malicious re-
marks. Four months of twenty-two
days constituted the usual winter
term, school being kept on alternate
Saturdays. The wages paid, so far as
I can recollect, was about twenty-five
dollars per month. This was consider-
abb- more than the prevailing rate in
many parts of the State. There were
more benighted regions than ours. To
be able to spell well was considered
the greatest accomplishment. That the
expert did not know the meaning of
half the words he could spell correct-
ly and could not write a grammatical
sentence except by accident did not de-
tract from its supposed value. When
the six directors in couples made their
usual round of the schools, as they
A STUDY OF A RURAL COMMUNITY
21
generally did once each winter, they
inspected the copy-books, heard the
more advanced pupils spell, — voila
tout. The great winter events of this
and most other communities in our
part of the world were the spelling-
school, except when they were eclipsed
by an occasional revival. Among other
things they gave the young people far
and near an excuse for coming to-
gether. There could be more social
intercourse because there was less con-
straint than at a preaching service.
What is the psychology of the spell-
ing-school? There must be some rea-
son for its existence from its social
features. Perhaps this is the explana-
tion. The rural school was assumed to
stand for intellectual development ;
but his development was confined
within very narrow limits. Grammar,
as I have said, was hardly studied at
all. Reading and writing were sup-
posed to be necessary only to a limited
extent ; the- could moreover be
acquired in a comparatively short
time. Besides none of these subjects
afforded scope for a contest and could
be judged by experts only. But every
one knew when a word was correctly
spelled or could easily find out. So the
institution was developed as a sort of
natural outgrowth of existing condi-
tions, intellectual and social. Skill in
spelling was taken to be the basis of
elementary education. As the drill
was conducted it led to nothing; but
the exercise had some inherent inter-
est and so was kept uo. The best spel-
ler was regarded as the best scholar,
and vice versa. This was generally the
case, but not always. Moreover, the
abilitv to spell was regarded as a gift,
not something to be gained by indus-
try or systematic effort. Tt will thus
be seen if there was any intellectual
activitv at all it could hardly move any
other direction than it did. Nobody
seems to have taken the trouble to con-
sider whether the game was worth the
chase, but there was no other game
within the preserve. As dictionaries
were virtually unknown, nobodv
missed them. Then too even a small
one cost a dollar and its purchase en-
titled needless expense, or at least ex-
pense that could be avoided. Accord-
in^11"-, if a word was not defined in the
Speller or Reader, no one knew what
it meant. Once in a while there was
a little dancing during recess, although
only in the form of a cotillion. This
brought down the wrath of the older
members of the community on the
teacher who had permitted it. It has
often struck me as singular that this
kind of amusement was so vigorously
and universally condemned. So far as
I know this attitude is not shared by
the native Germans. At any rate in
Germany almost all the young people
dance and are passionately fond of it.
Evidently Puritan rigorism had com-
pletely overslaughed the sentiments
which the Teutonic immigrants must
have brought Avith them. Dancing was
deliberate frivolity, and for this reason
seems to have been particularly obnox-
ious. Herein, as also in the keeping of
the Sabbath, New England influence
was paramount. No farmer, whatever
might be his private views, would
have risked his reputation by doing
any work on Sunday, even under
stress of the most pressing necessitv.
This state of mind was fostered by the
current devotional literature and by
the school-books in use although it
was not generated by them. Xew Eng-
land Puritanism, perhaps supported
somewhat by German Pietism, held
the masterv over men's minds. I do
not think Quaker influence was felt in
the slightest degree, although the lo-
cality is not much more than a hundred
miles west of Philadelphia.
VII
"When I began to attend the pub-
lic school a series of Readers was
just coming into vogue. Some of the
elder pupils still read from any volume
that could be picked up about the
premises, the New Testament being
perhaps the most common. In the
other text-books there was no uniform-
ity. In arithmetic everv scholar used
22
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
what he had or the teacher could in-
duce him to borrow or buy. But this
lack of uniformity made little differ-
ence. Each individual worked by him-
self and called upon the "master" to
aid him in solving such problems as
were too tough for him. Not a few of
our neighbors regarded the public
school as an unnecessary burden. It
compelled them to pay taxes for some-
thing they did not want and for which
they saw no use. Nevertheless, the
attendance, at least in midwinter, was
tolerably regular. If, as happened now
and then, .a school teacher boarded
with a family he was expected to
spend his evenings with the rest of the
household in the general living-room,
that being usually the only one in
which there was a fire. He was not
supposed to have any lessons to pre-
pare, it being assumed that when he
received his certificate he had learned
all that was necessary for him to
know. In fact he often thought so
himself. It rarely occurred to any one
that an ambitious boy might want to
enlarge his knowledge in order to fit
himself for some higher vocation than
his present humble one. Of course,
the boarder was also expected to take
his part in the usual platitudes that
were the order of the evening in such
a group. I am often amused when I
think of the importance attached to
the position of teacher by the com-
munity in general. That he had fre-
quently been an older pupil in the
school he afterward taught did not de-
tract from his dignity. In truth out-
siders from a distance were not looked
upon with much favor. When once
installed in his office of master he was
to be implicity obeyed. If he failed to
assert himself with sufficient vigor he
might not be employed the following
winter, but I do not recall that any
one was dismissed before the end of
term as was sometimes done in other
localities. The proverbial English re-
spect for law was deeply ingrained in
the mind of our community. As the
teacher had been hired by the direc-
tors in virtue of their legal authority,
he had the law on his side. I should
also add that I never heard a board of
directors accused of yielding to im-
proper influences, especially of a pe-
cuniary kind. Their judgment was
sometimes impugned, their honesty
never.
VIII
There are few things upon which
many members of this community
placed a lower value than upon a
book. Even schoolbooks must be kept
at the lowest numerical limit although
the cost might be a mere trifle. This
point of view was well exemplified by
a remark I once heard a young farmer
make. Something was said in his
presence about books. Thereupon he
exclaimed, half to himself, half to the
bystanders, that he had read his book
two or three times and believed he
would buy another. I was a small boy
and had no right to ask questions un-
der such circumstances; but I have of-
ten wished since that I knew what that
particular book was. Most of the
young people, but especially the girls,
supposed that" their education was
completed about the time they became
eighteen or twenty years of age. To
assume that they still had something
to learn was a reflection upon them
that could not be endured and must
be resented. The round of domestic
activities had been gone through many
times ere this age was attained and
there was neither room for nor need of
innovations. A young woman had
made her reputation, good, indiffer-
ent, or bad, by the time she became of
age and all desire for progress ceased.
That a task might be better, or more
neatly or more expeditiously per-
formed in some other way than the ac-
customed routine was not to be admit-
ted. While the young men were, gener-
ally speaking, less adverse to new ideas
and new ways of doing things, many
did take kindly to them. To make the
environment conform to its human
center was too much like trying to
make one's self grow so as to fit his
clothes rather than to make the clothes
fit the wearer. When I consider how
A STUDY OF A RURAL COMMUNITY
23
much the young- people of my times
were expected to do, and that they nev-
ertheless managed to find time for what
to them was recreation, I realize how
strong is the play-instinct in youth. It
may be true in a measure that all work
and no play makes Jack a dull boy;
the probability is that Jack is naturally
dull if he does not find time for play.
We often worked almost "from sun to
sun" six days in the week, then walked
two, three, or even five miles, to a Sun-
day School or a preaching service in
order to make a break in the monotony
of our weekday routine. If two or three
boys got together by accident or design
there was probably some kind of a ball
game, or a wrestling match, or some-
thing of the sort. There was in vogue
such a variety of ways of playing ball
that two boys or any larger number
could get up a game. At spelling-
school or at a "singing" there was
usually a recess of an hour, or nearly
so. Then the company always got
"mixed". If the night was favorable
there might be a "tig-ring" out of
doors. If not, there was usually some
sort of game indoors in which all could
take part. I have already mentioned
that once in a while there might be a
little dancing and what its effect was
sure to be. The music was always some
ditty that was sung, it being assumed
that if no fiddle was used the harm was
not quite so serious because the per-
formance did not show deliberate tres-
pass and premeditated perversity. Al-
though the life of the community was
serious enough, not all the young peo-
ple took it so at all times. As almost
the only opportunities for young peo-
ple of opposite sex to become ac-
quainted with each other were singing
and spelling schools or preaching ser-
vices these gatherings were the chief
promoters of love-matches. If a young
man took a fancy to a young lady of
the neighborhood he usually asked her
permission to escort her home from
some evening meeting. If she ac-
cepted his company two or three times
in succession he was regarded as her
"feller". Under such circumstances it
was held to be no small achievement if
some other fellow could "cut out" a
rival, that is, take the accustomed
place of the party of the first part in
escorting the fair maiden home. It
was not regarded as good form for a
young lady even to receive these slight
remarks of favor from more than one
young man at a time. When she with
her escort arrived at the parental dom-
icile she was expected to invite him in.
If she did not, it was to be taken as a
hint that his future civilities were not
desired. Sometimes she might refuse in
in public to receive his attentions, in
which case the victim was said to "get
a sack". If a young man's attentions
to their daughter were agreeable to her
parents they permitted the young peo-
ple to have a room to themselves. In
such cases he might remain until late
at night, or even until early morning,
without causing unfavorable comment.
If a young man visited a young woman
at stated times, or accompanied her
both to and from any evening perform-
ance, it was regarded as an admission
of an engagement, although engage-
ments were rarely announced in any
formal or public manner until the
wedding day was set. Divorces and
separations were virtually unknown.
One married couple that had lived to-
gether for more than a quarter of a
century and had brought up a large
family decided that their incompati-
bility made it necessary for them to
separate. My father learned of the criti-
cal condition of affairs and visited the
hostile couple. After talking with
both parties almost an entire day he
succeeded in persuading them to re-
consider their decision, secured some
pledges from each part-" as to the fu-
ture, and the matter ended. They lived
together until death parted them. It
was the only case of the kind that
came to my notice.
LJohx) Ridd Bays in Lorna Doone: "I followed the
tracli Oil the side of the bill, from the farm-yard
where the sled marks are, for we have no wheels
upon Exmoor yet. nor ever shall. I Buppose; though
a dander headed man tried it last winter, and broke
bis axle piteously, and was nigh to break his neck."
This was about 1685.
24
Traits and Characteristics
NOTE. — The following extracts constitute
about one-fourth of the matter in a series of
papers which appeared in the Germantown
Independent- Gazette last September and
October. We regret that lack of space for-
bids our giving the articles in full.
We believe, with one of the correspon-
dents in this issue, that "Affirmation, nega-
tion, discussion, solution; these are the
means of gaining or attaining TRUTH." For
this reason the pages of THE PENNSYL-
VANIA-GERMAN are open for the frank ex-
pression of thought by our readers and we
cheerfully make room for this and similar
articles, responsibility for contents resting
on the author and not on the magazine —
Editor.
CONSIDERABLE comment,
both commendatory and
condemn atory, has
greeted a recent article
on the Pennsylvania Ger-
man dialect, appearing
originally in the Book
News Monthly and then
reprinted in the Independent-Gazette.
The article aroused the literary critic
of the Pennsylvania German, a maga-
zine published in Lititz. The critic
declares that the article deals in gen-
eralities and that the writer doesn't
know what he is
words to that effect
In taking up so comprehensive a
subject as the Pennsylvania German
dialect and attempting to cover it in
about 3000 words, it might be expected
that the article would be somewhat
general and would deal with the most
conspicuous tendencies rather than
with exceptions to the rule.
The critic quotes exceptions to dis-
credit the generalities. This is pain-
fully apparent, for in nearly every in-
stance that he attempts to make a cor-
rection he cites from the history and
customs of the Schwenkfelders.
* * * *
The interest shown in the article on
the Pennsylvania German dialect leads
to the belief that it might be worth
while to write something further in
this and succeeding issues of the Inde-
talking about — or
pendent-Gazette, about the traits and
peculiarities of this people. They have
been the subject of some adverse criti-
cism in recent years.
-■>,: * * *
Thrift is the dominating motive of
life in the land of the Pennsylvania
Germans.
It was their thrift that led the Ger-
man immigrants of the eighteenth
century to seek out the fertile farm-
lands of interior Pennsylvania, where
their descendants have since dwelt.
Their thrift kept the Pennsylvania-
Germans isolated from English-speak-
ing neighbors, resented the introduc-
tion of innovations that might tend
toward extravagance, preserved their
ancient customs and their distinctive
dialect, made poverty almost impossi-
ble in their communities and gave them
a reputation not only for conservatism,
but also for probity.
There are few idlers in the land of
the Pennsylvania Germans.
The seal of ancient Germantown. the
first German settlement in America,
shows a clover leaf on the three lobes
of which are symbols of three indus-
tries— a cluster of grapes, a distaff of
flax and a weaver's reel. The Penn-
sylvania Germans long ago forsook
Germantown, but in their settlements
further up the State they still pay
homage to- the multiform guiding spirit
of industry.
On the farms there is work for every-
one from sunrise until long after sun-
set. The men till the fields and care
for the live stock. The women cook,
bake, wash and mend, not only for the
members of the family, but for several
hired men as well, and they also attend
to the milking, the care of the poultry
and the cultivation of a kitchen garden.
In the small towns a similar un-
ceasing round of industry prevails.
Often husband and wife and every
child old enough to escape the require-
ment of the compulsory education law,
TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS
:!.".
are employed in a cigar factory, a silk
mill or at some other work.
The proprietor of a big butchering
establishment in one of the Pennsyl-
vania German boroughs — burgess of
the town and a typically "prominent
citizen" — had a son, an interesting lad
of 15, who one day was accidentally
killed by the discharge of a rifle with
which he was shooting rats in the
slaughter house. When the coroner
and th^ newspaper man visited the
home there were tearful scenes. The
father, amidst sobs, told how fine a boy
the lad was. But the feature upon
which he seemed to lay. most stress
was this : "Why he was my best sau-
sage maker. He could turn out more
sausage than any of the regular butch-
ers."
The tragedy was heartrending, but
the light in which the father viewed
the lost son — chiefly as a help in mak-
ing money — was the saddest part of
the tragedy. Nevertheless it was
typical of the Pennsylvania German
attitude toward children.
* * # *
The importance of education as an
aid to thrift is recognized, and comfort-
able, well-built school houses are com-
mon. Good teachers are sought who
can give an adequate return for the
salary paid them. The members of the
school board may not know a Latin
root from an isosceles triangle, and
they may conduct their official deliber-
ations in a dialect which scarcely can
be written, but they are shrewd enough
not to permit an incompetent man or
woman to teach their children.
Pennsylvania Germans understand
that educaton has a money value. Dr.
Nathan C. Schaeffer, State Superin-
tendent of Public Instruction, and
himself a Pennsylvania German, fre-
quently has delivered an address be-
fore teachers' institutes and at com-
mencements showing by statistics just
what an education is worth in dollars
and cents to a young man starting out
in life.
So many a lad from the farms
•'works his way" through one of the
colleges of the German counties —
Muhlenberg, in Allentown ; Ursinus, in
Collegeville; Franklin and .Marshall,
in Lancaster; Pennsylvania, in Gettys-
burg, or Susquehanna, in Selinsgrove.
* * * *
In attempting to refute the charge of
unprogressiveness, the defenders of the
Pennsylvania Germans are wont to cite
certain Germans and descendants of
Germans in Pennsylvania, who at-
tained distinction in various fields of
human activity. It has been asserted,
however, in these controversies that no
Pennsylvania German ever rose to
national eminence either in politics,
science, art or any profession or busi-
ness. Certainly there is no Pennsyl-
vania German who can be placed
alongside of Carl Schurz, the foreign-
born German.
If the Pennsylvania Germans of to-
day could produce a Muhlenberg, a
Pastorius or a Steuben, doubtless they
would be less subjected to adverse
criticism.
* * * *
Their predominant trait of thrift is
strikingly apparent in the church life
of the Pennsylvania Germans.
They are religious and few families
have not at least nominal membership
in some church. On Sunday the
churches, particularly in rural parishes,
are crowded. Yet congregations that
independently support a minister are
the exception. Two to six congrega-
tions constitute the charge of a clergy-
man, and each has a membership no
smaller than that of the average -ell-
sustaining congregation of the cities.
Orilv when the membership of a rural
church approaches one thousand in
numbers is it deemed advisable to con-
stitute it into an independent parish.
Morover man}- congregations are un-
willing to fix a stated salary for their
pastor. They give him "was fallt" —
26
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
"what falls." That is, collections are
taken twice or four times during- the
year for the pastor, and he is expected
to be content with "what falls".
Naturally clergymen are reluctant to
-respond to a call accompanied bv a
financial arrangement of that kind. A
Lehigh County Lutheran parish of
several congregations where the "was
fallt" rule prevailed had been unable to
find a pastor for a long time. Finally
the president of the conference at-
tended a meeting of the church council
and urged the members to agree upon
a salary for the pastor. But the presi-
dent of the council responded thus in
German :
"We think our way is better. When
the Lord gives us a good harvest, then
we give a good collection ; and when
the harvests are poor, then we must
give less."
"Yes," responded the conference
president, "but look how your pastor
is handicapped. You are dealing with
the kind Father in heaven, but your
pastor is dealing with a lot of hard-
fisted, stingy Pennsylvania Dutch-
men."
* * * *
One of the most valued privileges
connected with church membership is
that of having the church bell rung at
death and of obtaining burial in the
churchyard. In these communities it
is a disgrace to be buried without the
tolling of the bell, and the preaching of
a long discourse in the church. In-
deed so many persons contribute a dol-
lar or two to a church yearly just to
assure themselves of honorable burial
that the clergymen allude to this class
of church members as "graveyard
Christians."
This privilege is cherished so highly
that church members moving to the
large cities where churches have no
burial grounds are reluctant to connect
themselves with those churches; and
even though there be a church of their
own faith but a few minutes' walk
from their home they refuse to join it,
but go yearly forty or fifty miles into
the country to attend communion ser-
vices and contribute a small sum to
maintain membership in the church of
their childhood.
Of the thousand members of a Re-
formed congregation in the Perkiomen
Valley, one hundred live in Philadel-
phia, forty-five miles away; and a
Lutheran congregaton in the same
region has so many members in Phila-
delphia that the pastor formerly held
a special communion annually in the
city for these long-distance parishion-
ers.
^c ^c ^c Iji
The funeral is an occasion when the
Pennsylvania German's thrift is not
overtly manifested. Indeed sometimes
it seems as though a lifetime had been
spent in skimping and saving merely
for the sake of culminating in a splen-
did funeral.
Funerals are the principal social
events in most of the rural districts.
They afford the best and often the
only occasiojn for a reunion of relatives
widely separated, and they give every-
one in the community an opportunity
to become better acquainted with one
another and to partake of one of those
feasts for which the Pennsylvania Ger-
man housewives are famous.
As soon as the church secton is
notified of a death he tolls the bell.
Most churches have a code of bell ring-
ing whereby the number of strokes in-
dicates the sex of the person who has
died. Then the age is tolled. Possessed
of these facts, the listener, who gen-
erally knows of everyone in the vicin-
ity who is sick, is readily able to guess
for whom the bell is ringing.
The funeral takes place about a
week after death, not only that all
friends living at a distance may ar-
range to be present, but also because
it is considered disrespectful to the
dead to "hurry him underground."
* * * *
Traditions and superstition are im-
portant factors in the life of the people
of Pennsylvania German communities,
for both are esteemd to be conducive
TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS
27
to thrift. Customs that helped the fore-
fathers to lead happy and contented
lives it is felt, ought to serve the same
purpose for their descendants. Super-
natural powers exercise potent influ-
ence over the weal and the woe of the
people; therefore the supernatural
should be heeded and studied.
Since the success of the farmer de-
pends to such a great degree upon the
weather, much stress is laid upon
weather predictions, and curious meth-
ods of prognostication, coupling keen
observation of nature with abject
superstition, have gained acceptance.
Every community has its weather
prophet, who is looked upon as an
oracle and is consulted in regard to the
planting of crops and the favorable
dates for holding church festivals, pic-
nics and country fairs. His only rival
in foretelling the weather is the alma-
nac, long accepted as an infallible
household guide.
Faith in a multitude of weather
"signs" abides, though often they are
contradictory. If the breastbone of
the goose be dark, indicating a severe
winter, while at the same time angle
worms remain near the surface of the
earth, portending a mild winter, a
charitable excuse is made for one or
the other; and if the almanac happens
to miss it occasionally in its "about
this time" department, the trustful
ones say, "There are exceptions to all
rules," and go on believing.
* * * *
Pennsylvania Germans demand thrift
in government. Andrew Jackson is
their political ideal, and it is an exag-
geration based on the true feelings of
the people which asserts that in Berks-
County many votes are still cast for
"Old Hickory" at every Presidential
election.
Their influence in politics was much
more pronounced early in the nine-
teenth century than now. At that time
they elected a succession of Govern-
ors ; and though Francis Parkman de-
scribed them as "dull, Dutch Govern-
ors," they were firm advocates of pub-
lic education at a time when the estab-
lishment of common schools was the
foremost issue.
;(: ^ >jt :■;
Through their thrift these sturdy
Pennsylvania Germans have contrib-
uted not a little to the material pros-
perity of the State wherein they live.
It is not their inclination to bask in
the glamour of public admiration. On,
the contrary there is a tendency among
them to remain secluded in their rural
communities and to avoid using the
common speech of the country.
So long as this propensity dominates
them, their influence upon the life of
the world is of little consequence. But
from their towns and villages many
boys have gone forth to the large cities ;
and when contact with varied phases of
humanity has overcome the ancestral
clannishness, then the sterling honesty
■ and the rugged common sense that are
their heritage have equipped them to
become leaders in many walks of life..
^28
The Pennsylvania Germans Once More
By E. Schultz Gerhard, Trenton, N. J.
1 1 E writer of "A Defiant
Dialect : Pennsylvania
German in Fiction", first
published in "The Book
News Monthly" and re-
printed in several other
publications, took excep-
tions to the remarks made
about the article by the present writer
in the September issup of this maga-
zine. The writer referred to happens
to be, so we are told, associate editor of
the "Independent- Gazette" (Phila.).
In a series of articles or sketches in this
"paper about the Pennsylvania Ger-
mans he replies to the criticisms to
which reference has been made.
Seemingly he does not refute the
criticisms made by the reviewer who
accused him of making unwarranted
assumptions and sweeping statements
that are not trne. But he seems to take
exceptions to the fact that the present
writer happens to be a Schwenk-
felder, and that h e quotes from
Schwenkfeld history and custom, and
accuses him of basing "his estimate of
the race upon his own people", which
•accusation is unwarranted. These
people were not used to disprove these
statements because they are Schwenk-
felders, but because they are Pennsyl-
vania Germans.
^ This editor thinks Pennsylvania-
Germandom is so large that the few
Schwenkfelders do not count. If that
is true, then why does he mention
them at all? But Pennsylvania-Ger-
mandom is not so large and the
Schwenkfelders are not so few in num-
ber that they can be treated as a negli-
gible quantity. It has been estimated
that the Pennsylvania Germans com-
prise only one-third of the State's
populaton ; if so, then these people are
not so few that they can needs be
ignored. And when it comes to prov-
ing or disproving the truthfulness of
'general statements, they cannot be
ignored. AYhat is not true of a part
cannot be said of the whole. If his
sweeping statements are disproved by
quoting Schwenkfeld history and cus-
tom, they are disproved, and that is all
there is to it. Instances from other
sects might be cited were it deemed
necessary. And when he claims "that
in taking up so comprehensive a sub-
ject as the Pennsylvania German dia-
lect and attempting to cover it in about
3,000 words it might be expected that
the article would be somewhat general,
he begs the question. No logical pro-
cess is known whereby the truthful-
ness of the statement made is estab-
lished by the length of the article.
But it is not only a matter of prov-
ing or disproving a statement but of
saying what is true and what is not
true. If he has been to the Schwenk-
felder church services and seemingly
knows all about them, why does he say
the dialect is still the prevailing
speech" in the church service when it
is not? And there are a great many
churches regardless of denominations
where no German is used at all. He
thinks "in the singing it is apparent
that in spite of the fact that the con-
gregation demands German services,
the number who can read the German
of the hymnbooks is rather limited";
but it is rather a poor criterion that
would judge a people's attainments by
their ability to read the words to the
music they sing.
We will sav nothing more about the
schools established by the Schwenk-
felders or by other denominations :
but Ave should like to refer the writer
to the November issue of this maga-
zine for igio and to the educational
numbers of 1907.
The publishing of "A Defiant Dia-
lect: Pennsylvania German in Fic-
tion" induced its author to write in
the "Independent-Gazette" something
more "about the traits and peculiarities
THE PENNSYLVANIA GERMANS ONCE; MORE
29*
of these people. They have been the
subject of some adverse criticism of
recent years". True, but what he him-
self writes about them will hardly
serve as a vindication.
In showing- that "thrift is the domi-
nant motive of the life in the land of
the Pennsylvania-Germans", he tells
how on a certain occasion (one still re-
calls the incident) a butcher's son in
one of the Pennsylvania German bor-
oughs shot himself accidentally while
shooting rats in the slaughter house.
'We are told that the father's chief la-
ment was that his boy was "his best
sausage maker", and that "he could
turn out more sausages than any of
the regular butchers". Such a re-
mark is deplorable, likewise the atti-
tude that provoked it. But when the
writer goes on to say that such an at-
titude is "typical of the Pennsylvania
German attitude toward children", our
commiseration turns into uncompro-
mising resentment.
In writing about these people this
writer commits the same unpardonable
fault that scores of other writers com-
mit. An example of some question-
able act or attitude of mind is held up
before the world as being "typical" of
these people. Sweeping generalities
embodying the charge are applied to
the whole people when there is no
truth in the matter. We wish to state
for the benefit of this city editor that
a wise man said over a hundred years
ago that he did "not know the method
of drawing up an indictment against a
whole people". But he may not be
aware of that. The fact is that you can
prowl around in any corner of any
class of people in any community of
this big country and find situations,
traits, types, peculiarities, and customs
that are just as ludicrous, as eccentric
and as unpleasant as anything ever
found among these people.
And here is a case in point. A few-
years ago a farmer in Iowa (and he is
not a Pennsylvania German) came to
the village bank a few days after he
had buried his wife. One of the clerks
(known personally to the writer)
spoke consolingly to him about his be-
reavement. "Yes", said the farmer, "I
would rather have lost my best cow".
It will of course be said that it is not
necessary to go to far-off Iowa to find
a solitary incident to discredit any-
thing said about the Pennsylvania-
Germans. But it shows that not all the
fool things are said and done by these
people; the incident from Iowa is but
one of many that could be cited were
it necessary. And in the second place
we insist that it would be every bit as
fair, as just, and as reasonable to say
that the farmers of Iowa think more of
their cows than of their wives as it is
to accuse these people of using and
treating- their children like chattel, like
sausage machines because this man
made such a remark. To say that this
butcher's remark is "typical" of the
Pennsylvania German attitude toward
children is uncalled for and unjust — it
is an insult.
If it were universally true, as this
writer tries to tell, us, that these people
use their children only as machines, as
"hewers of wood and drawers of
water"; that they think of them only in
mercenary terms, for the money that
is in them, then why is it that they
have been foremost in educational af-
fairs, that they established one of the
first public school systems, and have
founded and are maintaining- the va-
rious educational institutions men-
tioned in "A Defiant Dialect" ? Thanks
to these noble-minded people, they do
not seem as narrow-minded as some of
the writers who pen some mean and
"measly" account of them.
He laments the fact that there are
no longer men, as he thinks, like Pas-
torius, Muhlenberg, and Steuben: if
the Pennsylvania- I rermans of today
could produce men like these "doubt-
less they would be less subject to ad-
verse criticism". Just how and why
we are not told.
Have these people ceased to make
progress because of the lack of men
like them? As i<>r the military services
."30
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
■of the men mentioned and that is what
has made two of them at least con-
spicuous, there are a Custer, a Hart-
ranft, and a Beaver, of these later days
whose services have been equally val-
iant, and of whose record the Com-
monwealth may well be proud. And
as for Steuben, with due respect and
appreciation for what he did for the
American Cause, one can hardly see
why the Pennsylvania Germans of to-
day should be pitted against him any
more than against a thousand other
Germans in American history. Steuben
was in no sense a Pennsylvania Ger-
man and had no affiliations with them.
The charge is unjust.
It would be equally fair to accuse
the Pennsylvania Germans for not
producing any other notable character
in history: a Plato, a Caesar, a Na-
poleon, a Locke or a Newton, or who
not Why does the writer in the "In-
dependent-Gazette" not castigate the
age for not producing more great men?
In fact where are the great men of the
day, who stand head and shoulder
above the common mass? Where are
the great ppets and men of letters, the
great philosophers, scientists and
statesmen, such as graced the closing
decades of the previous century? If it
is true, as has been said, that the
twentieth century has dawned upon a
mediocre race, then presumably the
Pennsylvania-German is to blame !
Did the Pennsylvania German gov-
ernors, some of whom were highly
educated, who were influential in
bringing the Public School System to a
successful issue, and who ruled the
Commonwealth for half a century, not
accomplish anything? even though
Parkman calls them the "dull Dutch
Governors" ? And by the way, it is not
necessary to try to take a sort of um-
brage behind New England opinion re-
garding the Pennsylvania Germans ;
even New England has a few things to
learn from the "dumb Dutch". We
will refer the writer and reader to
former issues of this magazine for ac-
counts of scientists and other noted
men among these people. To come to
more recent times, do men like Dr.
Schaeffer, Dr. Brumbaugh, and Rev.
Dr. Kriebel (if it is permissible to
mention a Schwenkfelder) stand for
anything ?
If this man would look around a lit-
tle he would find that "Dr. Schaeffer,
State Superintendent of Public In-
struction and one time president of
the National Educational Association,
has no superior as State Superinten-
dent, and that he is considered "one of
the great educators of the world to-
day". He would find that Dr. Brum-
baugh stands in the foremost rank as
City Superintendent ; and that a lead-
ing County Superintendent has said
that Dr. Kriebel of Perkiomen Semi-
nary "has aroused all south-eastern
Pennsylvania to greater activity in the
cause of education". Numerous in-
stances could be cited, but the forego-
ing is deemed sufficient to correct
wrong impressions.
Of course, no one can write about
the Pennsylvania Germans without
saying something about superstition,
witchcraft, pow-wowing, and whatever
else has to do with the supernatural ;
Nearly every superstition that is laid
to the charge of these people can be
traced to customs in vogue in the old
country centuries ago ; in fact many
are embodied in the folklore of the
Teutonic race and are traceable to the
Druids of old. They are characteristic
of the Teutonic race whether English
or German, and not at all necessarily
Pennsylvania German. And as to the
foretelling of the weather, why, the
world is ' full of "ground hogs" and
"goose bones", and the number of peo-
ple who foretell the weather thereby is
legion. These facts are common prop-
erty; it is not necessary to hold these
people up as a spectacle.
And as for the pow-wowing, well,
anything will do for the "Pennsyl-
vania Dutch" ; otherwise the practice
is termed Christian Science, this
sounds bigger. Christian Science! it
is neither Christian nor scientific. It
THE PENNSYLVANIA GERMANS ONCE MORE
31
reminds one of Bryce's "Holy Roman
Empire", which, it has been said, is
neither holy^ nor Roman, nor an em-
pire.
It seems, however, that this writer
overreached himself when he writes,
"Tradition and superstition are impor-
tant factors in the life of the people of
Pennsylvania . German communities,
for both are esteemed to be conductive
to thrift Supernatural powers ex-
ercise potent influences over the weal
and woe of the people; therefore the
supernatural should be heeded and
studied"; and "Hex or witch doctors
and men and women who pow-wow to
cure various ailments flourish in some
rural districts and also in the cities,
though they are not more numerous in
proportion to the population than for-
tune tellers and similar charlatans else-
where".
It was said once before that the
writer who wrote what is quoted above
did not know what he was writing
about ; the charge may stand and the
reader may form his own conclusions.
It is the greatest wonder that they
have not yet been accused of having
brought about the Salem Witchcraft !
From such an account one might form
the idea that all the credulous and su-
perstitious people, all the witch doc-
tors, charlatans, and all those who are
in league with the Prince of Darkness
are found among the Pennsylvania
German people; and that there is not a
single, clear, clean, hallowed thought
among them !
He has much to say about the thrift-
iness of the people, and imputes some
sinister motives *to them because of it.
Even when mentioning their interest
in education he is anxious to have it
understood that it is done chiefly for
the money that is in it. We are ex-
pressly informed that Dr. Schaeffer
"frequently has delivered an address
before teachers' institutes and at com-
mencements showing by statistics just
what an education is worth in dollars
and cents to a young man starting out
in life". This may all be true; but it
need not be dwelt upon what special
emphasis as being a sort of sinister
motive. Are these the only people who
realize the money value of an educa-
tion that they need to be branded with
the dollar mark? Is it the only thing
they see in it, as he would like to have
it understood? Has he never heard any-
one but a Pennsylvania German bring
out the money value of an education?
Is it not the money value of an educa-
tion, the bread and butter theory, that
is foremost everywhere, where even
the Pennsylvania German is entirely
unknown? Of course no one sees the
money value in any project and strives
for it but the Pennsylvania German !
If he tries to save a dollar or to earn
one he is mean, "close", stingy and
x sordid! Why may he not be allowed
to earn a dollar or save one without
bringing a lot of opprobrious terms
upon himself? Nothing is said of the
scheming scoundrel who amasses his
means by unprincipled methods, who
robs a bank (politely termed embez-
zling!) who steals a railroad or a city's
franchises, and carries the manhood of
his fellow citizens in his vestpocket.
This fellow is a privileged character,
and the state is honored in spending
some more money on him.
It might be well if lawless, flippant
and indifferent young America were
taught a few things in regard to
honesty, sobriety, and thrift ; taught
some respect for the domestic virtues,
the beauty of family life and hallowed-
ness of the home, and a reverence for
things sacred. The Pennsylvania
German's honesty, frugality and con-
tentment stand out in noble contrast to
the social pollution, scandal and dis-
contentment: just so many sores in the
life, of the nation. "The State owes
much", to quote from a different writ-
er, "to the solid character of this ele-
ment in her population, who have
illustrated in their lives the develop-
ment of an uncommon respect for law,
the establishment of ideal homes, the
adornment of ever)'- sphere of private
and public service, and. . . .the building
::i'
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
up and perpetuating of a system of
husbandry that has drawn from the
depth of earth's mighty productivity a
steady and luxuriant return that has
not only enriched the State and pro-
moted the general welfare, but beauti-
fied her broad acres until it may be
said, they blossom as the rose." It is
worth while for penny-newspaper
scribblers to sneer at her thrift.
In speaking of innovations, an inci-
dent is cited from the Perkiomen Val-
ley where some members of a congre-
gation wished to place a bathtub in the
parsonage during the pastor's absence
on vacation. The majority of the mem-
bers objected and the project failed.
It is given to understand, of course
that it was because of their thrift
and unwillingness to incur seemingly
unnecessary expenses. The cleanliness
of these people will not permit of im-
peachment ; and if the writer in the
"Gazette" will look around he will find
just as many bathtubs, hot and cold
water conveniences, and steam and hot
water heating in the rural communities
of these people as anywhere else.
Just what the writer meant by say-
ing, "Andrew Jackson is their political
ideal" is not quite certin ; except, prob-
ably that some Pennsylvania-Germans
are democratic and that thus their
political god is Jackson. At any rate
it is an old historical expression for-
merly applied to Berks County, but
now without significance or applica-
tion. Whoever would wish to know
why Lancaster County is strongly re-
publican and Berks County strongly
democratic, while the Pennsylvania
German element in each is in the
majority will do well to read Mr. Esh-
leman's address at the 200th Anniver-
sary of the arrival of the Swiss Menno-
nites in Lancaster County.
Xor does he convince the reader that
the Pennsylvania Germans are more
'indifferent to political matters than
formerly when he says: "Their influ-
ence in politics was much more pro-
nounced early in the. nineteenth cen-
tury than now. At that time they
elected a succession of governors."
They have elected governors since.
And at the last election they surely
were alive when they came out for re-
form with their independent vote, but
which was snowed under by the politi-
cal fraud of Philadelphia and Pitts-
burg.
Some of the points taken up by the
writer in the "Gazette" are almost too
small to be made a matter of further
comment, but there has been too much
of this of late. This sort of thing has
been growing the last ten or fifteen
years. Every now and then some
writer thinks he is acting "smart" if he
can make these people seem ridiculous.
More than one writer is "doing" these
people by exposing their weaknesses
and peculiarities at the expense of
their virtues and redeeming qualities,
and by catering to the morbid curi-
osity of a spectacular-loving American
public that delights in over-drawn and
grotesque scenes, because he knows it
"takes".
The statements made by the writer
in the " Independent- Gazette" are in
the main true; but they are false, abso-
lutely false, because of what is left un-
said. He has not credited these
people with a single noble commend-
able trait without besmirching it and
trailing it in the mud. There is a lack
of proportion which a fairminded and
unprejudiced writer would obviate.
These people have their weaknesses
and faults : they are not better than
other people, but they are as good and
deserve to be treated as such, but
which treatment was not accorded
them in the " Independent-Gazette".
And through it all there is a tendency
to belittle and everr to. ridicule that is-
un called for.
33
Frederick William Henry Ferdinand von Steuben
NOTE.— Address of C. J. Hexanier, Ph. D.,
LL. D., President of the National German
Alliance. Unveiling of the Steuben Statue,
Washington, D. C, December 7th, 1910.
HE second half of the eigh-
teenth century was es-
pecially significant and
important in the political
and cultural development
of mankind. Its momen-
tous events occurring in
rapid succession, its great
men, its bloody wars, its heroes from
the Frederick the Great on a throne
down to the lowest ranks of the com-
mon people, and its scientists, scholars
and thinkers of all nationalities formed
in vast array the advent of a new era.
The portending signs and events
found their culmination in the French
Revolution, that gigantic broom that
swept the cobwebs from the brains of
men and removed by one fell stroke
the accumulated rubbish of many cen-
turies. The Zeitgeist breathed the
equality of man, equal rights and
liberty for all. The seeds of coming
nations were then sown and a new or-
der of things was evolved.
The events leading to the revolution
of the American Colonies, and finally
culminating in the founding of our re-
public were some of the many in-
fluences which gave rise to the social
upheaval in Europe. On the other
hand the excesses of the Reign of Ter-
ror exerted a beneficient influence in
moderating opinions in our young re-
public ; people learned that liberty did
not mean license and that our consti-
tution stands for a masterful expres-
sion of the will of a free people under
salutary self-control.
Among the many valuable services
of Benjamin Franklin and the "Father
of his Country", must be mentioned
that they recommended Baron von
Steuben to Congress. The genius of
Washington, with his knowledge of
men and things intuitively grasped the
true spirit of military discipline, not
only would it become a great help to
the army and its officers, and enable
him to win battles, but also felt that its
influence would reach far into the fu-
ture, when, after laying aside their
arms, soldiers would again go about
their peaceful pursuit, and the golden
lessons of fidelity and discipline where
every part works for the benefit of the
whole, would finally spread through-
out the broadest strata of the nation.
This was achieved, and was due in a
great measure to "Washington's Right
Arm", Baron von Steuben.
Flow deep the sympathies of the best
of the German people were at the time
for the American colonists in their
struggle for freedom, can be gleaned
from Schiller's newspaper articles, and
his "Kabale und Liebe" scourges the
utter rottenness of the system1 where-
by German princelings sold their sol-
diers as mercenaries to England.
Franklin, when he met Steuben in
France, immediately recognized that
he had before him an officer who not
only followed the struggle of the
American Colonies with keen interest,
but who also prayed for their success.
The best proof of Steuben's sentiments
is contained in the letter which he ad-
dressed, from Portsmouth, to the Con-
gress of the United States, in which he
states that the only motive bringing
him to this hemisphere is his desire to
serve a people making such a noble
fight for their rights and freedom. He
does not crave titles nor money. I lis
only ambition, in entering our ranks as
a volunteer, is to acquire the confi-
dence oi" tlie Commanding General of
our armies and to accompany him
through all his campaigns, as he did
the King of Prussia during the Seven-
Years' War. lie would like to attain
with his life's blood the honor that at
some future day his name may be en-
rolled among the defenders of our
liberty.
34
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Though it is to be presumed that
Steuben's biography is well-known, I
feel it my duty to limn by a few
sketches the career of this extraordi-
nary man.
Among European officers of our War
of Independence Frederick William
Henry Ferdinand von Steuben is un-
doubtedly the foremost in military
knowledge. He rendered services to
our nation which for actual value leave
those of others far behind, although
STATUE OF GEN. von -STEUBEN
Unveiled Dec. 7, 1910
COURTESY OF GAELIC AMERICAN
some may be better known to our peo-
ple through the glamour of romance
and deeds of a more spectacular dis-
play.
He was born on November 15, 1730,
at Magdeburg, the son of the Prussian
Captain von Steuben, a descendant of
an old and noble family, which for
generations had produced famous sol-
diers. He entered the Prussian Army
at the early age of 14, was wounded at
the Battle of Prag, serving in the
Volunteer Battalion of von Mayr. and
fought throughout the Seven -Years'
War. At Kunersdorf he was again
wounded and taken prisoner. He be-
came adjutant to General von Hiilsen.
Fighting at one time against the
French, at another against the Rus-
sians and Austrians, and so dis-
tinguished himself that in 1762 he be-
came captain of the staff and personal
adjutant of the King. Later he com-
manded a cavalry regiment. He re-
signed his commission in 1763.
After several years of service as
court marshal to the Prince of Hohen-
zollern-Hechingen, while a general in
the army of the Markgrave of Baden,
he again met, on a visit to Paris, in
December, 1777 his friend St. Germain,
French Minister of War. The latter
advised him to go to America. Benja-
min Franklin at that time our ambas-
sador to France, did likewise, and re-
joiced when he found that it did not
require much persuasion. Steuben was
considered an authority on military
matters. As a member of the staff of
Frederick the Great he had actively
and carefully studied the commissary
departments. He had seen how to. pro-
vision and keep armies in an efficient
state of health, and knew how to
handle large military bodies. In short,
he was "A past master of all the
sciences of war, had acquired his
knowledge at the most famous high
school of those times, and what was
more, he had proved himself worthy
and distinguished".
He no doubt felt that among the
American patriots he would find excel-
lent raw material, "Free men fighting
for libertv, willing and capable of en-
during every hardship that would lead
them to victorv". The masses of re-
cruits needed vigorous measures to
make them valuable. And in Steuben
lived the enthusiasm of the creator,
the master, whose heart and soul was
in his work. We can in truth call him
the "Father of the American Army".
Like a father he rejoiced in the pro-
gress of his men. He started his work
with a number of picked men, and in
FREDERICK WILLIAM HENRY FERDINAND VON STEUBEN
35
a fortnight his company knew how to
bear arms and had a miltary air, knew
how to march, and to form in columns,
to deploy and execute manoeuvres
with excellent precision.
Well could the Secretary of War at
the time write that all congratulated
themselves on the arrival of such a
man, experienced in military matters.
His services were the more valuable
because the want of discipline and in-
ternal order in our army was generally
felt and greatly regretted. The general
state of affairs on the arrival of Steu-
ben can be gleaned from Steuben's
notes, which are preserved in the
archives of the Historical Society of
New York.
The army was divided into divisions,
brigades and regiments, commanded
hv major-generals, brigadier-generals
and colonels. Congress had stipulated
the number of soldiers for a regiment
and a company ; but the constant flood
and tide of men having enlisted for 6
or 9 months, made the condition of a
regiment or a company problematical.
The words company, regiment, brigade
or division meant nothing, as thev cer-
tainly offered no standard for figuring
the strength of a corps or of the army.
The number of men in them was so
changeable that it was impossible to
arrange a .manoeuvre. Often a regi-
ment was stronger than a brigade ;
Steuben saw a regiment of 30 men and
a company which consisted of a cor-
poral. Records were badly kept, re-
liable reports were impossible, and
conclusive evidence could not be
gained where the men were and
whether the money due them had been
actually paid. Officers employed two
and some even four soldiers as body
servants.
Military discipline did not exist.
Regiments were made up at random,
some had 3 others 5, 8 and 9 sub-divi-
sions ; the Canadian regiment even had
21.
Every colonel used the system he
personally preferred, one used the
English, another the French, and a
third the Prussian regulations. Only
on the march unanimity of system
reigned : "They all used the single file
march of the Indians'.'
Furloughs and discharges were
granted without the knowledge of
higher officers. When the troops were
in camp, the officers did not stay with
them, but lived apart, sometimes sev-
eral miles away, and in winter went to
their homes. Often but four officers
remained with a regiment. The officers
thought that their duties consisted in
attending guard mount and to head
their troops in battle.
Soldiers did not know how to use
their weapons, had no confidence in
them, and used their bayonets as spits
to broil their food, when they had any.
Uniforms could easily be described
because the troops were almost naked.
The few officers who had military
coats at all, had them of any kind,
color and cut. Steuben states that at
a "dress parade" he saw officers in
sleeping gowns, which had been made
from old woolen blankets and bed-
spreads.
Such a thing as the proper adminis-
tration of a regiment none knew. The
consequence was that chaotic disorder
reigned everywhere and the results ob-
tained were ludicrously inadequate in
proportion to the sums expended.
Just as little as the officers knew the
numbers of men at their command, as
little did they know about the weap-
ons, ammunition and equipment of
their troops. No one kept records or
accounts, except the army contractors
who supplied the different articles.
A terrible scarcity of money reigned
all over the country. The British had
put large quantities of counterfeit pa-
per money in circulation, which
brought with it an enormous devalua-
tion ; 400 to 600 dollars were asked for
a pair of shoes, and it took a "month's
pay of a common soldier to buy a
square meal".
. We must recall these facts in order
to estimate at its full value Steuben's
great sacrifice in remaining at his post.
36
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
One not of the moral calibre of Steu-
ben would have precipitately fled from
the service, for neither pecuniary nor
social advantages were to be gained by
serving: the colonies.
The horrors of the camp of Valley
Forge, where he was first sent, are
known to every school child. Steuben
showed himself worthy of the trust
imposed in him. Washington had ap-
pointed him Inspector General, and
soon Steuben showed the stuff he was
made of, bringing order out. of chaos,
introducing an excellent system of ac-
counts and strict military discipline.
He could not speak English well, but
in spite of this handicap he succeeded
in the difficult task for a foreigner, of
making himself beloved with a 1 1
classes. He introduced like systematic
regulations, held daily reviews, per-
sonally inspected everything and made
himself familiar with every detail.
Droll incidents, of course, took place,
the men made mistakes in manoevring,
the Baron made bad breaks in English,
his volleys of French and German
were in vain, and though he swore in
three languages that did not help mat-
ters, but soon Steuben's good common
sense and generous heart would assert
itself and he would call his adjutant to
scold these dunces ("Dummkdpfe" ). in
reality to explain in plain English what
he wanted the men to do. It was his
big and generous heart which soon
made him a universal favorite, for he
not only enforced strict discipline, but
he also' scrupulously looked after the
welfare of every soldier. He investi-
gated everything, the reports of phy-
sicians, the condition of the sick, the
treatment the men received by their
officers, the quarters and provisions
given to his men, and finally he was
always with them. Up at break of day.
always active, never tiring, he accom-
panied his men to their marches and
participated in their hardships and in
camp he arranged their amusements.
His tact and sound judgment were ap-
parent everywhere, the military tactics,
of the school of Frederick the Great
were applied to the conditions of the
American troops and their surround-
ings. He was not a blind follower of
mlitary customs and superannuated
formulas, as one might have easily
been led to expect. His instructions
were fitted to local conditions and,
therefore, were appreciated ; the of-
ficers strove zealously to emulate his
example. Soon raw recruits were
transformed into active and able parts
of Washington's war machine.
Thus Steuben in spirit as well as in
fact became "the drill master of the
Continental Army", an unselfish and
faithful helper. Esteemed by Wash-
ington, who well knew that Steuben
was worthy the order of merit and
faithfulness his former master had be-
stowed upon him.
Steuben was not a stickler for forms,
not a mere "drill sergeant", but a
broad-minded man, head and shoulders
above most of those of his time who
had taken up the "art of war" as a pro-
fession.
He possesed the genius of a great
military organizer, creating armies out
of nothing, "stamping them out of the
ground". Thus in Virginia, in the win-
ter of 1780 and 1781, after the unfortu-
nate battle of Camden, S. C, Steuben
was sent with General Greene "to
create an army". In spite of great dif-
ficulties, such as demoralization, ignor-
ance of military discipline and the per-
vading tendency to "plunder" he suc-
ceeded so well, that Arnold's maraud-
ing invasion was halted and Lafayette
could score successes. With a strong
hand, by hard personal application, he
broke the prejudice of officers who
thought it beneath them to personally
teach common soldiers. This born
aristocrat showed his fellow officers
how democratic he was at heart, work-
ing to achieve results, and knowing no
social barriers to accomplish them. His
example was contagious, and jealous
opponents were silenced by the excel-
lent results of Steuben's methods.
General Steuben wrote to Sullivan
that Baron Steuben sets all a truly
FREDERICK WILLIAM HENRY FERDINAND VON STEUBEN
37
noble example. He is a past master in
everything, from the big manoeuvre
down to the smallest detail of the ser-
vice. Officers and soldiers alike admire
in him a distinguished man who held a
prominent place under the great Prus-
sian monarch, and who now, notwith-
standing this fact, condescends with a
grace wholly his own, to drill a small
body of 10 or 12 men as a "drill mas-
ter". Under his leadership extraordi-
nary progress had been made towards
order and discipline within the whole
army. The great change which be-
came everywhere apparent, caused
Washington to report to Congress that
he would not be doing his duty if he
should longer keep silent in regard to
the high merits of Baron von Steuben.
His ability and knowledge, the never
tiring zeal with which he labored since
he entered his office, constituted an
important gain for the army.
The results of Steuben's "drilling"
were forcibly shown at the Battle of
Monmouth, when Lee's lines, through
incompetence or treachery, were break-
ing in confusion and defeat seemed
certain, then Steuben, by Washing-
ton's command, brought the impend-
ing flight to a standstill and led the re-
united lines against the fire of the
enemy. A splendid example of disci-
pline and mutual confidence between
leader and troops. Alexander Hamil-
ton, an eye witness, declared that he
then for the first time became aware
of the overwhelming importance of
military training and discipline. Dis-
cipline and drill had saved the day for
the cause of liberty and had proved to
the American army that it was able to
cope on an ecpial footing with the
drilled armies of the enemy.
That Steuben was a master of mili-
tary science using his own ideas, is
clearly shown by the rules and regula-
tions he issued under extraordinary
difficulties during the winter campaign
of 1778 and 1779. He was the inventor
of the formation of light infantry, a
lesson to be learned even by his former
master, Frederick the Great, who
studied the American war closelv and
adopted the system in his own army,
then the model of the world, blindly
followed by all the armies of Europe.
Steuben's regulations were used for
generations after his death, until new-
inventions and conditions made
changes necessary.
In Washington's council of war
Steuben's word was of great influence
and often heeded. In the archives of
the Historical Society of New York
his carefully drawn plans of campaign
are still to be found.
At the siege of Yorktown he was
the only American general who had
previously participated at sieges, at
Prag and Schweidnitz, and so it hap-
pened that he was in command, his
troops occupying the most advanced
trenches, when Cornwallis raised the
white flag of surrender. Washington
in the army order of the next day
specially mentions that to brave Steu-
ben belonged a great part of the credit
of victory.
After peace had been declared and
the army was disbanded, Washington
commended, in his own handwriting,
the extraordinary services which Gen-
eral Steuben had rendered the Amer-
ican cause.
Washington was the moving spirit,
the soul of the great fight for freedom,
but to Steuben must be awarded the
credit of having been the power which
supplied that master spirit with the
means. Clear-sighted historians do
not hesitate to designate Steuben as
the most valuable man Europe gave
America in our fight for freedom.
As has been said. "His system of re-
views, reports and inspections gave ef-
ficiency to the soldiers, confidence to
the commander, and saved the treas-
ury not less than $600,000".
Congress considered Steuben's ser-
vices too valuable to discharge him af-
ter peace was declared, and it was
Steuben who worked out the plans for
the establishment of our small stand-
ing army and the foundation of our
military academy. In spite of strong
38
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
opposition his recommendations re-
ceived the support of Washington, and
Congress adopted them. The military
academy he suggested is today none
other than the nation's famous Mili-
tary Academy at West Point. Steu-
ben's plans included professorships of
history, geography, international law,
oratory, the fine arts, etc. He held that
an officer should have a liberal educa-
tion, and the best moral and physical
training obtainable.
When in 1784 the place of Secretary
of War became vacant, Steuben ap-
plied for it, believing that he could
serve his country well. Political
cliques and intrigues shelved his as-
pirations, the thread-bare excuse for
the want of a better one, that he was
a "foreigner" to whom such an impor-
tant post should not be entrusted, was
put forward ; such was the gratitude of
our republic after a great war, in
which Steuben had so forcibly proved
his fidelity and force of character.
He keenly took this disappointment
to heart, and in March, 1784 tendered
his resignation. Congress accepted it
on August 15th, with the resolutions
that the thanks of the United States be
expressed to him for the great zeal and
the efficiency he had displayed in every
position entrusted to him, and pre-
sented him with a gold-handled sword,
as a sign of high appreciation of his
character and merits. The States of
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
and Virginia made him grants of land.
In trying to procure reimbursements
for the large sums he had advanced
during the war he, however, experi-
enced endless trouble and annoyances.
Other men had come to the front and
supported the claims of generals they
favored. Finally, at a session, when
some opponents even argued in favor
of repudiating the contracts made in
good faith, Representative Page arose
and told how Steuben had offered us
his sword under generous terms, and
had rendered us such essential services
that one should blush for Congress, if
the views of certain members were
adopted. That it was unworthy of
Congress to split hairs about the
meaning of the terms of contracts, and
that he did not weigh them according
to the amount of money involved, for
he considered the services of the dis-
tinguished veteran more valuable
than the highest sum, which could pos-
sibly be awarded him.
Returning into private life Steuben
became a public-spirited citizen of the
highest type. He probably gave the
first impulse to the founding of the
"Order of the Cincinnati", and was
one of the original members of this
patriotic society. He was elected a
regent of the University of New York,
and at all times kept in touch with all
questions, civil or military. The Ger-
man Society of New York reveres in
him one of its founders, and he was its
president until his death. This society
had been founded in 1784, to aid Ger-
man immigrants on similar lines as the
German Society of Pennsylvania
founded 20 years before.
Steuben could enjoy but a short time
the annual pension of $2500, finally
granted him in 1790, and the land
grant of the State of New York. He
had retired to his farm in the summer
of 1794; as usual he went to spend the
hot season under the oak trees that
shaded his simple hut, occupying his,
time with agricultural pursuits and
scientific studies, when he was sudden-
ly stricken. The brave warrior and
noble citizen was never fully to re-
cover. He died shortly after his 64th
birthday, on November 28th, 1794.
On Oneida's heights, deep within an
old forest reservation, we find a mas-
sive monument of gray stones on
which the mosses and lichens fondly
cling. Here rest the mortal remains of
Steuben, the father of the American
Army.
We honor ourselves in honoring the
memory of our great dead !
The great oaks about his grave will
fall in the course of time, time wiH also
crumble this statue into dust, but as
long as the American Nation exists the
memory of Steuben will endure!.
39
Indian Chiefs of Pennsylvania
By Cyrus H. Williston, B. S., Shamokin, Pa.
CAPTAIN NEW-CASTLE KANUKUSY
HE trail of fire and blood,
spread by the Delawares
and other Indians,
through the fertile valley
of the Minisink, was the
direct outcome of fraud
perpetrated upon them
by the whites.
One of the most notorious of these
frauds was the famous "Walking
Purchase", which has been referred to
before in these sketches. It will be
necessary to refer again briefly to it.
The treaty upon which this "pur-
chase" was based, was the so-called
treaty of 1686. Such a treaty has
never been found and perhaps never
existed.
The whites however claimed that by
virtue of such a treaty, they had set-
tled upon the lands in eastern Penn-
sylvania.
The famous "walk" had its origin in
the fact that the boundaries of this
land had never been determined, and
at this time they wished to settle this
much disputed question.
There had been councils held at
Durham in 1734; at Pennsbury in 1735
and at Philadelphia in 1737, at which
places treaties had been made.
By these treaties it was agreed that
the boundaries should be determined
by white-men, walking a day and a
half in a northwestern direction,
starting from a tree in Wright's-town,
upon the bank of the Delaware River.
While the negotiations were in
progress, the Proprietaries were busy
making a preliminary survey to see
how far it would be possible to go in
a day and a half.
In this experimental "walk" the best
course was selected and the trees
blazed, so that no time would be lost
in seeking a trail.
Three men noted for their great en-
durance were .selected ; Edward Mar-
shall, James Yates, and Solomon Jen-
nings.
The actual walk can best be de-
scribed in the words of Thomas Fur-
niss, who was a spectator.
"When the walkers started I was a
little behind, but was informed that
they proceeded from a chestnut tree,
near the turning out of the road from
Durham to John Chapman's, and
being on horseback overtook them be-
fore they reached Buckingham, and
kept company for some distance be-
yond the Blue Mountains, though not
quite to the end of the journey".
"Two Indians attended whom I con-
sidered, as deputies, appointed by the
Delawares, to see the walk honestly
performed".
"One of them repeatedly expressed
his dissatisfaction therewith".
"The first day of the 'walk' before
we reached Durham Creek where we
dined with one Wilson a trader, the
Indian said the 'walk' was to have
been made up the river, and complain-
ing of the unfitness of his shoe-packs
for traveling, said he expected Thomas
Penn would have made him a present
of some shoe."
"After this some of us that had
horses, and let the Indians ride by
turn ; yet in the afternoon of the same
day, and some hours before sunset, the
Indians left us, after often calling to
Marshall and forbid him to run."
"At parting they appeared dissatis-
fied and said they would go no farther
with us, for as they saw that the walk-
ers would pass all the good land, they
did not care how far they went."
"It was said we traveled twelve
hours the first day, and it being in the
latter end of September, or the begin-
ning of October, to complete the time,
were obliged to walk in the twilight."
"Timothy Smith, then Sheriff o*
Buck5 held his watch frit to that
40
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
utes before we stopped, and the walk-
ers having a piece of the rising-
ground to ascend, he called out to
them, and bid them pull up."
"Immediately upon hearing that the
time was out Marshall clasped his
hands about a saplin to support him-
self. The Sheriff asked him what was
the matter, and he said, that if he had
gone a few poles farther, he must have
fallen."
"On our return home we were con-
scious that the Indians were dissatis-
fied with the walk, a thing which the
whole company seemed to be sensible
of and frequently expressed them-
selves to that purpose. And indeed the
unfairness practiced in the walk, both
in regard to the way where, and the
manner how, it was performed, and
the dissatisfaction of the Indians con-
cerning it, were the main topic of con-
versation in our neighborhood for
some considerable time after it was
done."
"At twelve o'clock the second day
the 'walk' was ended."
The "walkers" crossed the Lehigh
River at Jone's Island, a mile below
Bethlehem, passed the Blue Moun-
tains at Smith's Gap in Moore Town-
ship, Northampton County.
It had been agreed that a line should
be drawn to the Delaware at the end of
the "walk".
The Indians claimed, and justly,
that it should be drawn to the nearest
point, which was nearly opposite Bel-
videre, New Jersey.
The Proprietaries claimed that the
line should be drawn at right angles to
the line of "walk". The whites had
their way and the boundary reached
the Delaware River at Port lervis, N
Y.
The end of these affairs was war.
which ended in the Delawares being-
driven westward, and they joined the
French against the English. This and
other frauds so embittered the Dela-
wares. that they were eager to take up
the hatchet against the English.
Teedyuscong, puffed up b v the
Adopted."'1 ]h,avinS the welfare of his
nation at heart, made them a willing
leader.
After the fall of Braddock the smoul-
dering wrath of the Indians burst forth
in all its fury; so bitterly and desper-
atelv did they fight for their wigwams
and hunting grounds that it was im-
possible for the whites to find any one
to approach them in the capacity of
messenger.
Paxinosa, at the instigation of the
whites, had tried to stem the tide of
battle ; but in vain.
The Delawares told him that if he
tried a^ain to interfere they would
"knock him on the head", a threat
which he knew they meant, because he
sent word to the whites that he could
do nothing- more to help end the
struggle.
The Indians favored the French,
more than they did the English, prin-
cipallv, because the French wished
onl - to trade with them, and to Chris-
tianize them, while on the other hand,
the English settlers, built towns ;
turned the hunting grounds into farms,
and crowded out the Native hunters.
Hostilities broke out first in the
neighborhood of Fort Cumberland,
where the Delawares and Shawanese
ravaged both sides of the Potomac.
At this time several persons were
murdered and scalped at Mahanoy or
Perm's Creek. Then the enemy crossed
the Susquehanna and killed many peo-
ple from Thomas McKee's down to
Hunter's Mill. After this, about the
first week in November Great Cove
was reduced to ashes and numbers
murdered or taken prisoners.
Ravages followed in Northampton
County, laying waste the country to
within twenty miles of Easton.
To meet barbarity with barbarity
the Lieutenant-Governor obtained an
offer from Commissioners Fox, Hamil-
ton, Morgan to offer a reward for the
scalps of male Indians over ten years
of age, $130.00, for the scalp of every
Indian woman $50.00, while for every
male prisoner $150.00; for every female
prisoner $130.00.
INDIAN CHIEFS OF PENNSYLVANIA
41
Matters had now reached such a
stage that the whites were willing to
hold a parley with the red-men, but
they could find no one willing to act as
messenger.
Some one must be found willing to
risk life itself, that negotiations might
be begun.
It is at this point that the name of
Newcastle appears in history.
In the memorials of the Moravian
Church we read of "Kanuksusy a na-
tive of the Six Nations acting in the
capacity of messenger to the dissatis-
fied Indians in the war of 1756.
"When a child he had been pre-
sented to William Perm, by his par-
ents at Newcastle."
This young Indian boy had been
educated by Penn, as if he had been his
own child, and as the sequel will show
he amply justified the hopes of his
adopted parents.
August 1755, Governor Morris pub-
liclv conferred upon him the name of
Newcastle addressing him as follows :
"In token of our affection for your par-
ents, and in the expectation of your
being a useful man in these perilous
times, I do, in the most solemn man-
ner, adopt you by the name of "New-
castle", and order you to be hereafter
called that name".
In April 14th 1756, Newcastle ac-
companied by Jagrea, a Mohawk ; Wil-
liam Laquis, a Delaware, and Augus-
tus, alias George Rex, a Moravian In-
dian, undertook an embassy to Wyo-
ming, bearing these words to the In-
dians there ; "If you will lay down your
arms, and come to terms ; we, the Eng-
lish, will not farther prosecute the
war".
In June, 1756 Newcastle in company
with John Pompshire, Thomas Stores,
and Joseph Michty, was sent by the
Governor, with an invitation to the
Delawares, Shawnese, Monseys and
Mohicans, to meet him in a conference.
Newcastle and his friends arrived at
Bethlehem June 12th, where they were
detained by the news that certain In-
dians had left New Jersey on a raid.
This dangerous mission to Diahoga
(Tioga) was successful, and brought
about a meeting between the Governor
and Teedyuscong at Easton, following
July.
After his return from Diahoga
(Tioga), Newcastle spoke to the Gov-
ernor July 18th, 1756, as follows:
"Brothers, the Governor and Council.
As I have been entrusted by you, with
matters of the very highest concern I
now declare to you, that I have used all
my abilities in management of them,
and that, with the greatest cheerful-
ness. I tell you, in general, matters
look well. I shall not go into particu-
lars. Teedyuscong will do this at a
public meeting, which he hopes will be
soon.
The times are dangerous : numbers
of enemies are in your borders the
swords are drawn and glitter all
around you.
I beseech you, therefore, not to de-
lay in this important affair; say where
the council is to be kindled ; come to a
conclusion at once ; let us not waste a
moment, lest what has been done,
prove ineffectual".
"Brothers the times are very pre-
carious, not a moment is to be lost
without the utmost danger to the good
cause we are engaged in".
The Delaware King (Teedyuscong)
wants to hear from your own mouths
the assurance of peace and good-will,
given him, by me in your name; he
comes well disposed to make you the
same declarations. The Forks (Eas-
ton) is supposed to be the place of
meeting; what need of any alteration?
Let us tarry not. but hasten to him."
In reply the Governor thanked him
for his advice, and assured him that
they would hasten with all possible
speed to the Forks, at the same time
expressing to Newcastle the obliga-
tions which they felt toward him, on
account of the delicate mission, which
had just successfully ended.
From time to time, in the evolution
of the human race, great men appear,
do their work, then depart to that
42
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
"bourne" from which no traveler re-
turns.
The life of Newcastle was such a
life. When his work as intermediary
between the blood-thirstyTeedyuscong
and his white foes, was finished, he
contracted the small-pox.
During the council of November
17th, 1756, the news came that New-
castle was dead. The man, who by
his bravery and tact, had stopped the
ravages of the death-dealing- savages,
had himself fallen a victim to death.
The news was received by the coun-
c i 1 with consternation. Governor
Denny arose and addressed the mem-
bers as follows, "Since I set out I
have heard of the death of several of
our Indian friends by smallpox, and in
particular of the death of Captain
Newcastle. He was very instrumental
in carrying forward this work for
peace. an
"I wipe away your tears; I take the
grief from your hearts ; I cover the
graves, eternal rest be with their
spirits."
After the condolence made on Cap-
tain Newcastle's death, Teedyuscong
made an address, as is usual, to the
other Indians, on this mounful occa-
sion ; they continued silent for some
time, then one of the oldest arose and
made a funeral oration, after which,
Teedyuscong expressed to the Gover-
nor the great satisfaction it gave him,
at his condoling the death of Captain
Newcastle, who he said was a good
man, and had promoted the work of
peace with great care. His death had
put him in mind of his own duty, as it
should all of us.
The illness of Captain Newcastle
was of three weeks' duration, he hav-
ing been taken sick about October 29th
d died about November 17th, 1756.
Public Inns and Modern Hotels
The Gazette, York, Pa., of December 6,
contained an interesting article by George
R. Prowell under the above heading from
which we quote the following:
THE GREEN TREE
The Green Tree, later known as States
Union, was one of the famous hostelries of
York during the early days of wagoning to
the west and south. It stood upon the site
of the City hotel on West Market street, be-
tween Newberry and Penn streets. This
hotel was opened in 1820. The best known
proprietor was Charles Strine, who con-
ducted it for many years. On one side of
the sign, which hung on a post in front of
the tavern, was the painting of a green tree.
On the other side was a team of six horses,
drawing a large Conestoga wagon. Few
places were better known to wagoners dur-
ing the first half of the last century than
this tavern. Farmers from a distance, who
took their grain and produce to Philadelphia
and Baltimore, brought with them, on their
return, goods and merchandise which were
unloaded and stored in a warehouse adjoin-
ing this tavern, under the supervision of
Charles Strine.
In the yard to the rear of the building, and
on the street in front, large numbers of
covered wagons could be seen at the close
of each day. Some farmers and regular
teamsters in those days wagoned as a busi-
ness from Philadelphia to Baltimore to
Pittsburg, Wheeling and other points along
the navigable Ohio river. Each wagoner
had with him his "bunk" on which he slept.
In winter this was spread out on the floors
of the hotel, which was then full of lodgers.
In the summer they slept in their wagons in
the open air, in the barn or in the house.
Their horses were tied to the rear or sides
of the wagon during the night, and ate out
of the feed box, a necessary appendage to
every wagon. The teamster had with him
feed for his horses. All he had to buy was
what he ate. An economical teamster would
go from York to Baltimore with a team of
four horses and return after having spent
only fifteen shillings or about $2 in Penn-
sylvania money. He stopped by the way-
side to ask the time of day, if he wished to
know it, and used a hickory stick for a
cane, as he trod beside his faithful horses.
The scenes and incidents here described
occurred before the time of railroads, for it
was then that the Green Tree Inn, under
Charles Strine, was known far and wide.
The goods stored in his warehouse were
loaded on other wagons and conveyed west-
ward to waitng merchants.
43"
A Petition by the Moravians During the American
Revolution
The following "Petition and Representa-
tion" was copied from a manuscript found
in a Schwenkfelder home, in all probability-
made over a hundred years ago. The fact
that it was thus preserved shows interest
in the subject and illustrates the community
of interest that existed between the
Schwenkfelders and the' Moravians during
the Revolutionary War. The following note
by Mr. A. R. Beck, historian, of Lititz, Pa.,
throws' light on the petition:
This is a petition presented in 1778
by Bishop Ettwein to congress in ses-
sion at York, and to the Assembly of
Pennsylvania, at Lancaster asking to
have the Moravians excepted from the
requirements of the Test Act of 1777.
Perhaps you would like to add the fol-
lowing extract from the Diary of the
Lititz Moravian Church? 'December 4th,
1778; With joy and thankfulness we
learn from the Philadelphia newspa-
pers that the severity of the formed
Test Act has been mitigated, and that
our memorial has been granted by the
Assembly; namely, that we need not
take the Oath, nor pay the penalty of
non-conforming — but we are denied the
right of suffrage and cannot hold office
or serve on a jury — all of which privi-
leges w e never troubled ourselves
about.' "
TO THE HONORABLE THE REPRESEN-
TATIVES OF THE FREEMEN OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
THE PETITION AND REPRESENTA-
TION OF THE UN [TED BRETHREN SET-
TLED IN THIS STATE AT BETHLEHEM,
NAZARETH, LITITZ, EMAUS, GNADEN-
HUTTEN AND OTHERS IN UNION WITH
THEM.
HUMBLY SHEWETH
HAT the United Brethren
settled in Pennsylvania
with no other view but to
propagate the Gospel
among the Heathen, to
enjoy full Liberty of
Conscience, and to lead
under the mild Laws of
this Land a qiliet and peaceable Life
in all Godliness and Honesty.
When about thirty years ago the
Brethren Church received several invi-
tations to settle in some other parts of
the English domains, narticularly in
North Carolina, they found it neces-
sary, to apply by their Deputies to the
King and Parliament of Great Britain
to grant unto the Brethren's Church
the same Privileges in the other Parts
of the Realm as they enjoyed in Penn-
sylvania viz., that their Affirmation
might be taken instead of an Oath, and"
that they might be free from all per-
sonal Service in War. After a full and
strict Enquiry about the Origin, Doc-
trine and Praxin or Discipline of said
Church, an Act of Parliament passed
in the Year 1749, to encourage the
United Brethren to settle more in
America, in which both of the said
Priviledges were under certain Regu-
lations granted and secured unto them.'
Encouraged by the Charter of this
Province & bv said Act of Parliament
most of the United Brethren now on
this Continent came from Germany to-
enjoy these Favours with their Chil-
dren and Childrens Children consider-
ing them as a Precious Perl and Inher-
itance of greater Worth than any other
Thing or Things they had.
For LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE,
many of them have suffered Persecu-
tion in other countries, many have left
their Houses and Homes, their dear-
est Relations and many other Bless-
ings on Account of it ; here they lived
very quiet and happy in their several
Settlements under the English Govern-
ment until the breaking out of trie-
present unhappy War.
As they could and would not act
against their peaceable Principles and
would not join the Associators in
learning the Use of Arms, their Peace
has been quite disturbed, and they
have been treated very unfriendly,
being excluded from the Rights of
Freemen, disqualified for Elections,
denied Justice against Thieves and'
Robbers, for no other Reason but for
insisting, not to give up their Privi-
44
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
ledges or the Exercise of their Liberty
of Conscience. They were fined and
fined again, for not exercising- in the
Use of Arms. They have been en-
rolled, drafted with the several Classes,
and in Northampton County exorbi-
tant Fines exacted from them, and no
Disability of Estate accepted; The
Justice of the Peace signed Warrants
to commit their Bodies to the common
Gaol if they did not pay the Fines ;
Tl;eir Houses, Workshops and other
Property was invaded, and they to
•their great Loss and Damage turned
out of their Trades.
All this and more they bore with Pa-
tience as a Part of publick Calamity,
for the sake of Peace, and not to give
Offense or to make more trouble to the
Government.
_ But as lately a Number of their So-
ciety have been carried to Prison with-
out Law and for no other Reason but
their Unwillingness to take the Test.
And as bv an Act of Assembly all of
the Brethren, who conscientiously
scruple to take the prescribed Oath,
find themselves subjected to the same
treatment, and to be dealt with as
Enemies of the Country; We thought
it our Duty to break Silence and to
make a true Representation of our
Case Praying for Patience and For-
bearance with us ; as we are not free in
our Heart and Mind to abjure the
King, his Heirs & Successors for sev-
eral weighty Reasons, but particularly
on Account of our Union and Con-
nexion with the Brethren's Church and
her Calling to propagate the Gospel
among the Heathen; a great many
of the Brethren don't know how soon
one or the other may be called into the
Service of a Mission under the English
Government, for our Settlements have
-originally that Destination to be Nur-
series of Missionaries.
We have the highest Awe and Ven-
eration for an Oath or Affirmation be
Yea what is Yea, and No what is No."
If our Mouths should say Yea and
the Heart Nay, we should be Hypo-
crites and give false Witness.
And tho' every one of us shall give
Account of himself to God, and we are
not to judge one another yet to him
that esteemeth any Thing to be un-
clean, to him it is unclean, and Char-
ity obliges us, not to offend one of our
Brethren for whom Christ died.
Now as the greater Part of the
United Brethren cannot and will not
take the prescribed Oath, why should
You denv unto .them Constitutional
Liberty of Conscience? why should
the}' be punished for it with Imprison-
ment, Fines, and Confiscation of" other
Estates? before you find them guilty
of treasonable Practices against this or
the other States : which by the Mercy
of God will never be the case; for they
hold themselves in Conscience bound
to seek the Good of the Land where
they sojourn, and are willing to do it
in every honest Way. And none will
scruple solemnly to promise : "That he
will not do any Thing injurious to this
State or the United States of America,
and that he will not give any Intelli-
gence, Aid or Assistance to the British
Officers or Forces as War with this
and the other States."
If one singly or several jointly act or
do anything against this declaration,
let him be tried and punished as others
who have taken the Test.
We will by the Grace of God seek
the Wrellfare of this Country as long as
we live in it.
But it is our humble Request, That
you may protect our Persons and
"Property against all Violence and Op-
pression ; to let us have the Benefit, of
the Law; to grant us also Relief in Re-
gard to the Execution of the Militia
Law, and not to force any of us to act
against our Conscience and Moral Ob-
ligations.
Let us continue quiet and peaceable
in the Places where Providence has
placed us, which are dedicated to God
for the Advancement of Religion and
Virtue, and which have been such ap-
proved Testimonies of the Brethrens
being industrious useful members of
Society; permit us to serve the Public
A PETITION BY THE MORAVIANS
45.
in our useful Callings unmolested.
If you have your Reasons to exclude
us from the Rights of Freemen of this
State, grant us to enjoy a Tolerance as
peaceable Strangers.
We have no Arms and will bear
none against this State or the other
states ; We desire no Posts of Profit or
Honour ; we never refused to pay
Taxes laid upon us.
If we have no Right, we pray for in-
dulgence and Mercy. Blessed are the
Merciful, for they shall receive Mercy.
But if we are not heard, and any one
of the United Brethren, by the Opera-
tion of Your Laws, suffers Imprison-
ment or the Loss of his Property, we
declare before God and Men : That we
do not suffer as headstrong willful or
disobedient Persons and Evildoers, but
for Conscience Sake, and must leave
our Cause to the righteous Judge over
all.
We the Subscribers, Bishops
and Elders of the United Brethren
settled in Pennsylvania beg Leave
to recommend this Petition and
Humble Representation unto a.
kind and serious Consideration,
and to grant to us and our People
such Relief as the House finds,
meet and consistent with Justice
and Mercy, and your Petitioners-
will ever pray.
French Soldiers in Revolutionary War
The article entitled "French Soldiers
in Revolutionary Wrar", by "Histori-
cus", in the December issue of your
valuable magazine, calls for a correc-
tion on my part as well as further dis-
cussion to prevent your readers from
getting a wrong impression or con-
ception of the number of French sol-
diers and sailors who took part in the
American struggle for freedom from
the English yoke.
My inquiry concerning this list was
based on a newspaper article published
at about the time of the unveiling of
the statue of Washington in France in
the summer of this year (1910). It
was stated in this article that a copy
of the list was placed in the plinth of
the pedestal of this statue.
When I asked you concerning this
list I said: "List of 46,000 names of
French soldiers who came to America
with Lafayette." I did not intend to
convey the idea that all of these came
to America at the same time or in
company with Lafayette, but meant
the entire number of French subjects
who participated in the Revolution.
If "Historicus" will procure from the
Superintendent of Documents, "Senate
Document No. yf, 58th Congress, he
will revise or change his opinion "that
it is extremely improbable that such a
list is in existence". Furthermore, if
he considers the findings and endorse-
ment of this list by "such a representa-
tive and authoritative body as The
National Society Sons of the American
Revolution sufficient, he will not con-
sider this list, which has been re-
printed by the United States Govern-
ment, "as fictititous and unreal as the
feast of the Barmecide", and "so singu-
lar a piece of misinformation".
This Society caused to be submitted
to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the
text of the following resolution which
had been passed at one of its meetings:
"Whereas in consequence of resolution
adopted by the National Society Sons of the
American Revolution at its annual congress
in New York City on May 1, 1900, on the
proposition made by the Illinois State-
society on the initiative of Judge Paul
Wentworth Linebarger and M. Henri Merou,.
a report has been made to the general
board of managers and the executive com-
mittee of the National Society, which shows
that an exceedingly advantageous and ef-
fective work has been accomplished in
Fiance in ascertaining the names and ser-
vices of the many thousands of French
sailors and soldiers who assisted the colo-
nists in the war of the American Revolution.
Therefore, be it
46
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
" liesolved, That the national executive
committee of the Society of the Sons of the
American Revolution hereby tenders its ap-
preciative congratulations and warm thanks
for their untiring efforts in the direction
stated, to
" 'THE MINISTRIES FOR FOREIGN AF-
FAIRS, OF WAR, AND OF PUBLIC IN-
STRUCTION of the French Republic;
'To His Excellency Jules Cambon, ambas-
sador of the French Republic at Washing-
ton;
'To His Excellency- Gen. Horace Porter,
ambassador of the United States in Paris;
'To M. Leon Bourgeois, deputy, former
premier minister of the French Republic;
'To the Franco-American Commission,
Hon. Henri Merou, president, honorary
member of the Illinois Society Sons of the
American Revolution, upon whose initiative
the work was undertaken;
'Hon. Edward MacLean, United States
vice-consul in Paris; Col. Chaille-Loug, and
Major Huntingdon, appointed, on the propo-
sition of His Excellency General Porter, by
His Excellency M. Delcasse, minister for
Foreign affairs of the French Republic;
'To M. Blade, consul- general of France,
sous-directeur at the Ministry for Foreign
affairs at Paris ;
'To M. F. Clement-Simon, attache at the
Ministry for Foreign affairs at Paris;
'To Judge Paul Wentworth Linebarger,
member of the Illinois Society Sons of the
American Revolution;
'To Capt. Samuel Eberly Gross, secretary-
general of the National Society of the Sons
of the American Revolution ;
'To the members of the committee of pub-
lication, M. Lacour-Gayet, professor of
history at the Superior School of the Navy
of Paris, and M. Henri Breal, advocate of the
court of appeals of Paris, and to all others
who have co-operated in forwarding the ex-
cellent work accomplished.' "
The alphabetical index of names ap-
pended to this list comprises pp. 361-
453 of the document, each page aver-
aging over 500 names, therefore "this
myth of 40,000 Frenchmen coming to
this country" becomes a significant
fact, although, as previously stated,
they did not all come at the same time
Lafavette did.
Even this authentic list of approxi-
mately 46,000 names is incomplete. In
the Introduction to this document it is
stated :
" * , before placing the work of the com-
mission under the eyes of readers, it is not
without utility to remark how incomplete is
the list. In the first place, all the docu-
ments which should figure here were not
found; our lists, those of the fleets, contain
nearly all the sailors who had effectually
taken part in that campaign, but those of
the infantry comprise only about one-half
of those who actually fought in the United
States ; the documents about the troops
garrisoned on each ship notably have not
been established in an absolute manner and
are not included in this work, and each ship
of d'Estaing's fleet, as that of de Grasse, had
on board 100 to 150 infantry men; also the
documents concerning the legion Lauzun,
companies of artillery and engineers, and
the company of the regiment Grenoble, have
not been found.
These researches deal only with the direct
and official participation of France in the
American war. On the one side the rolls of
the French ministerial departments from
which the lists have been taken exclusively,
and which will be found in ths volume, give
no indication of volunteer inscriptions,
nevertheless numerous, which preceded
governmental interference; on the other
hand, it is not only the French fleets which
have figured in American waters, nor only
the French armies which fought on Ameri-
can soil, which have contributed to the en-
franchisement of America, but all the
French fleets and armies which struggled
against England at the same time. The
exploits of Suffren, for example, in the
Indian Ocean, contributed, perhaps, as much
as those of which the Cheasapeake was the
theater, to achieve the final result. Also, at
the same time that d'Estaing had set sail
for America the French fleet sustained on
the coast of Europe against English fleets
splendid combats, of which the duel of the
Belle Ponle and the Aretlmsc and the com-
bat at Ouessant remain famous episodes,
and which, in weakening Great Britain, gave
great aid to the colonies in their efforts for
liberty.
In our desire to include in this publica-
tion only troops which have fought either in
the waters or on the soil of America, we
have excluded the fleet of Count de Guichen,
who fought in the Antilles and was there in
constant contact with the fleets whose oper-
ations were being carried on on the other
side of the Atlantic. The names of all the
French soldiers and sailors engaged in that
war would have been given here if we had
not been obliged to circumscribe the
limits."
And it is to France we are indebted
for the preservation of documents con-
taining these names, for it is further
stated in the Introduction : "A search
made at the War Department at
Washington disclosed the fact that
that Department did not possess any
FRENCH SOLDIERS IN REVOLUTIONARY WAR
47
document containing any special or in-
dividual indication concerning the
French sailors or soldiers who had
taken part in the war."
It is also to France that thanks are
due for our realization of emancipation
from England's misrule, even though,
in our present-day strength and "hol-
ier-than-thou" attitudes, we sometimes
forget that this was made possible only
by the help and loyalty of that nation
and her more than 50,000 liberty-lov-
ing subjects.
The raison d'etre for the compilation
of this list, as well as a concise his-
torical sketch of France's alliance and
participation in the war for American
independence could, I believe, be best
accomplished and presented to the
readers of The Pennsylvania-German
by the reprint, in its entirety, of the
Introduction to this List ("Les Com-
battants Francais de la Guerra Ameri-
caine, 1778-1783"). "Lest we forget",
I would suggest that, sometime when
you are "short" on "copy", give us an
installment of it. I firmly believe that
a reading of this Introduction would
bring about in the mind of the reader
a truer conception and fuller realiza-
tion of the great debt we owe to
France in the great stride America
made toward Liberty, Equality and
Fraternity when England was con-
quered, and that it would again revive
the latent "spirit of '76" in many
prone to neglect things historical,
genealogical, etc. in the strife for more
material matters.
To "Historicus" I would say that
this is not written in a controversial
spirit. I give him due credit for "call-
ing" me and the Magazine in the in-
terests of Truth. Men are brought
together, it is said, first to differ, and
then to agree. Affirmation, negation,
discussion, solution ; these are the
means of gaining or attaining Truth.
Yours respectfully,
A. E. BACHERT.
Wagner's Dogs
Wagner, the great musical composer, had
several dog friends. At one time, in Vien-
na, he had a dog named Pol, and, at anoth-
er time, one called Leo, whom he had saved
from starvation. But his greatest dog friend
was "Peps" who was his companion for
thirteen years.
Wagner used to say that Peps helped him
to compose his famous opera, "Tann-
hauser".
He said that while he was at the piano
singing, Peps, whose place was generally
at his master's feet, would sometimes spring
on the table and howl piteously, and then
the musician would say to him, "What, it
does not suit you?" and then, shaking the
dog's paw, he would say, quoting Puck,
"Well, I will do thy bidding gently".
If Wagner stayed too long at his work,
Peps would remind him that it was time for
a walk. He writes in one of his letters, "I
am done up, and must get into the open air.
Peps won't leave me in peace any longer."
At the time when almost all the musical
world had turned against him, he would
sometimes, in his walks with the dog, de-
claim aloud against his foes. Then the dog
would rush backwards and forwards, bark-
ing and snapping as if helping his master to
defeat his enemies.
When Wagner returned home from an ex-
cursion to some other city, Peps would al-
ways receive a present as well as the other
members of the family.
"Peps received me joyfully," he writes to
a friend, after one of these excursions.
"But then I have bought him a beautiful
collar, with his name engraved on it."
When the time can for the little life to be
ended, Wagner scarcely left the dying dog's
side. He even put off two days an impor-
tant journey, because of Peps' illness and
death.
He writes afterwards to his friend, Prae-
ger:
"He died in my arms on the night of the
ninth, passing away without a sound, quiet-
ly and peacefully. On the morrow we buried
him in the garden beside the house. I cried
much, and since then I have felt bitter pain
and sorrow for the dear friend of the past
thirteen years, who even worked and walked
with me — and yet there are those who
would scoff at our feeling in such a matter."
— Our Dumb Animals.
48
Early Berks County Tombstone Inscriptions
By Louis Richards, Esq., Reading, Pa.
Pres. Berks County Historical Society
Berks County, Pa., settled over two cen-
turies ago, is one of the oldest counties of
the state, standing seventh in order of date
of erection, (1752) and remaining unchanged
in territory since 1811 when Schuylkill was
formed out of Berks and Northampton
counties. Its pioneer families and their
posterity have played a not unimportant
part in our country's history, the details of
which are gradually being brought to light.
In this study the marriage, the birth and
death records are of great value, not the
least of which are the tombstone inscrip-
tions, supplying data in many cases not
otherwise obtainable.
Mr. Richards, beginning the work some
thirty years ago, rendered an invaluable
service to the cause of history by transcrib-
ing, preserving and preparing for the press,
transcripts of the oldest tombstone inscrip-
tions of practically all the burying grounds
of the county. Whilst the list as here pre-
sented is not exhaustive, but only partial
without definite circumscribing limits, it
serves as a unique index to the names of the
pioneer families of the whole county, by
preserving many inscriptions that if not
now will soon be illegible, and becomes for
the genealogical student a rich mine of
family history.
If any of our readers are in position to give
definite information respecting the bury-
ing grounds noted in this transcript of in-
scriptions they will confer a great favor by
letting us know in what condition these
grounds are at this time and whether there
is extant a transcript of all the inscriptions,
and if so where obtainable. We will also
be glad to be informed of the location of
all other burial grounds in the county not
included in this list.
We can not forbear quoting here what Mr.
Richards said in the January 1909 issue of
"The Pennsylvania- German".. "I have fre-
quently suggested to our country clergy
that they would be rendering an important
service to their people by inducing a few
young men of their congregations to under-
take the work of copying the more ancient
tombstone inscriptions in the church burial
grounds for the purpose of having them
transcribed into the church records. Though
the suggestion was invariably approved, I
have yet to hear of a single instance in
which it has been carried into effect." If
any such transcripts have been made we
would like to be so informed. — Editor.
ALBASY TOWNSHIP
Old Burying Ground near Wessnersville
Kliek, Johannes, b. 29 Oct 1715; d. 23
March 1781. Magdalena, wife of, b. 23 April
1724; d. 23 April 1790.
Zimmerman, Henry, b. 22 Horning 1722; d.
14 Dec. 1789.
Wessner, Johannes, b. 8 May 1723; d. 23
Aug. 1794.
Beinhard, Johan, b. 9 April 1719; d. 7 Dec.
1799; 80 y. 9 m. Magdalena, wife of, b. 13
May 1723; d. 21 Feb. 1802; 78 y. 9 m. 25 d.
Ley, Matthias, b. 22 Feb. 1?06; d. 26 Aug.
1785. Ley, Maria, b. 27 Feb. 1711; d. 14 Dec.
1786. Leyrin, Susanna Berndheis, d. 25 June
1774; 10 y. 11 m. 6 d.
Wasener, Thomas, d. 27 May 1805; 63 y.
3 m. 2 d.
Gliiek, Henry, b. 1755; d. 1804.
Brancher, Christian, b. 1 July 1744; d. 10
Feb. 1822; 78 y. 7 m. 7 d.
Kistler, William, b. 30 April 1757; d. 26
Dec. 1821. Christena, wife of, born Shol-
lenberger, b. 4 April 1773; d. 16 Dec. 1838.
Church between Wessnersville and Fetter-
olfsville
Steirwald, Andreas, b. in Fleishbach,
Hanau, 20 Feb. 1766; d. 4 Feb. 1822.
Fedterolf, Jacob, b. 16 Feb. 1742; d. 6 April
1823; 81 y. 1 m. 21 d. Catharine, wife of, b.
12 May, 1760; d. 10 Jan. 1849; 88 y. 7 m.
28 d.
Opp, Conrad, b. 2 Feb. 1770; d. 1 Jan.
1843; 72 y. 10 m. 30 d.
Brobst, Matthias, b. Mar. 1736; d. Dec.
1792; 56 y. 8 m.
Church above Union Iron Works
Reickelderft'er, Heinrich, b. 26 Oct. 1716;
d. 10 June 1800; 83 y. 4 m. 2d.
Beichelderffer, Catharine, b. 1727; d. 1793.
Reichelderft'er, Michael, b. 13 Hornung
1749; d. 28 Hornung 1822; 73 y. 13 d.
Correll, John, b. 1 Nov. 1788; d. 27 March
1867; 88 y. 3 m. 26 d.
Petri, Jacob, son of Valentin, b. 28 March
1754; d. 1 May 1826; 72 y. 1 m. 3 d.
Kunst, Anna Margaretta, b. 1723; d. 1790.
Schmidt, Johan Heinrich, b. 1774; d. 1777.
Anna Maria, b. 1719; d. 1767. Catharine, b.
1728; d. 1748.
Bally, David, b. Aug. 1761; d. 11 Aug.
1828; 67 y.
Shoemaker, Henry, b. 5 Nov. 1771; d. 5
March 1822.
Kreitz, John Adam, b. 13 Sept. 1737; d. 2
March 1816; 79 y. 7 m. 27 d.
EARLY BERKS COUNTY TOMBSTONE INSCRIPTIONS
49
Schmidt, Jacob; b. 11 Jan. 1741; d. 17 Aug.
1811.
Lenhart, Jacob, b. 1792; d. 1825.
Schmidt, Michael, b. 29 March 1771; d. 13
July 1825.
Correll, Paul, b. in Nov. 1745; d. 19 July
1825; 80 y. 8 m.
Bentiel, Samuel, b. 12 Jan. 1742; d. 7 Dec.
1831; 89 y. 10 m. 25 d.
Reiuhart, Audreas, b. 18 March 1756 ; d. 10
May 1837; 81 y. 1 m. 23 d.
Schmidt, John, b. 27 Feb. 1767; d. 15 Nov.
1839; 72 y. 8 m. 17 d.
Reagan, Amelia, wife of George W; b. Jan.
29, 1840; d. July 11, 1863; 23 y. 5 m. 12 d.
Kelly, Sarah, d. Nov. 26, 1838; 77 y.
Reagan, Mary, wife of George W., b. 23
May 1793; d. 4 Dec. 1864.
Faust, Rebecca, wife of Isaac, b. 10 Feb.
1827; d. 17 Sept. 1882; 55 y. 7 m. 7 d.
Levan, Benjamin, b. Feb. 27, 1813; d. Nov.
17, 1878; 65 y. 8 m. 21 d.
ALSACE TOWNSHIP
Shalters' Church Ground
Sliilt, Christian, b. 27 Oct. 1779; m. 1803
Elizabeth Schmehl, d. 2 June 1861; 81 y. 7
m. 6 d.
Beittelmau, Dietrich, b. June 1709; d. 16
Feb. 1793; 83 y. 8 m.
Speiss' Church
Hassler, John, d. Jan. 10, 1S26; 41 y. 12 d.
Susanna Hassler, wife of, b. Oct. 11, 1787;
d. June 30, 1858; 70 y. 8 m. 19 d.
Schlinglof, George, b. 29 March 1749; d.
29 June 1815; 66 y. 3 m.
Genser, John, b. 27 Dec. 1755; d. 6 March
1841; 83 y. 2 m. 9 d.
Kemerer, Ludwig, b. 16 April 1765; d. 16
March 1824.
Snyder, Jacob, b. 12 Oct. 1717; d. 17 April
1S23.
Babb, George, b. 29 March, 1741; d. 6 April
1814.
Babb, Sophia, b. 9 June 1735; d. 6 Nov.
1809.
Mill, Jolian Jacob, b. 21 May 1750; d. 9
Feb. 1809; 58 y. 8 m. 19 d.
Bar, Paul, b. 6 May 1747; d. 4 Dec. 1822;
75 y. 6 m. 22 d.
Knabb, Johannes, b. 26 Jan. 1779; d. 29
Sept 1844; 65 y. 8 m. 3 d.
Becker, Magdalena, b. 15 Dec. 1750; d. 12
Nov. 1823; 72 y. 8 m. 27 d.
Mary, wife of John Dehart, b. 24 Apl. 1778;
d. 2 Dec. 1859; 81 y. 7 m. 9 d.
Feger, Theobold, b. 25 Oct. 1769; d. 17
July 1790.
Feger, Paul, b. 22 Jan. 1737; d. 6 July
1790.
Maier, Matheus, b. 31 May 1778; d. 23
April 1867; 88 y. 11 m. 22 d.
Leinbaeh, Daniel, Sr., b. 19 Jan. 1746; d.
8 April 1817; 71 y. 2 m. 2w. 5 d.
Leinbaeh, 3Iaria Magdalena, wife of; b.
29 Dec. 1769; d. 3 Dec. 1837; 67 y. 11 m. 5 d.
Hoch, Joseph, b. 24 Sept. 1770; d.6 Sept.
1835; 64 y. 11 m. 13 d.
Christian, John, b. 1 Jan. 1730; d. 3 Aug.
1817.
AMITY TOWNSHIP
St. Paul's Church Ground ,.\inityville
Ludwig, Michael, d. 15 March 1806; 61 y.
1 m. 10 d. Susanna, wife of, d. 5 July 1818;
67 y. 11 m. 12 d.
Ludwig, Michael, d. 5 July 1818; 67 y. 11
m. 12 d.
Kahn, Ann, wife of Jacob, b. 12 Dec.
1798; d. 24 Oct. 1866; 67 y. 10 m. 12 d.
Stepleton, Johannes, b. 29 Sept. 1751; d.
17 May 1820; 68 y. 7 m. 19 d.
Kline, Jacob, b. 4 May 1734; d. 29 Dec.
1814; 80 y. 7 m. 25 d.
Rhodes, John, d. 19 Oct. 1767.
Womelsdorf, Daniel, d. 6 Nov. 1759; 58 y.
6 m.
Sands, Othniel, d. 2 Sept. 1831; 75 y. 5 m.
8 d.
Greiner, Philip, b. 14 Dec. 1754; d. 26 Sept.
1823; 68 y. 9 m. 12 d.
Kern, Michael, b. 4 May 1757; d. 11 Feb.
1850; 92 y. 9 m. 7 d.
Sarah, George, b. 1745; d. 1 Aug. 1823; 78
y-
Motzer, Johannes, b. 2 Jan. 1716; d. 27
June 1793; 77 y. 5 m. 26 d.
Boyer, Henry, b. 24 Aug. 1791; d. 20 Oct.
1878; 87 y. 1 m. 26 d.
Baum, John F., M. D., d. 28 Jan. 1850; 58
y. 8 m. 17 d.
Ludwig, Michael, d. Dec. 17S4; 77 v. 4 m.
21 d.
Van Bied, Heinrich, b. 10 March 1722; d.
Oct. 1790; 68 y. 7 m. 16 d.
Van Beed, Jacob, son of Henry Van Reed,
b. 15 March 1758; d. Jan. 1839; 80 .y 9 m.
27 d.
Lndwig, .Michael, d. March 15. 1806; 61 y.
1 m. 1 d. Susanna Ludwig, wife of, d. July
5, 1818; 67 y. 11 m. 12 d.
Bower John, b. 13 Aug. 1 7 J 7 : d. 21 Jan.
1777; 49 y. 5 m. 8 d.
Ann, wife of Jacob Halm. b. 12 Dec. 1798;
d. Oct. 24, 1866: 67 y. 10 m. 12 .1.
Stapleton, Johannes, b. 29 Sept. 1751; d.
17 May 1820; 68 y. 7 in. 19 d.
Kline, Jacob, b. 4 May 1734; d. 29 Dec.
1814; 80 y. 7 m. 25 d.
Rhodes, John, d. 19 Oct. 1767.
Womelsdorf, Jacob, d. 27 February 1805;
71 y. S m. 27 d.
Womelsdorf, Catharine, d. 20 April 1803;
62 y. 4 in. 23 d.
Womelsdorf, Daniel, h 6 Nov. 1759; 58 y.
6 m.
Siinds, Othniel, d. 2 Sept. 1831; 75 y. 5 m.
8 d.
Greiner, Philip, b. 14 Dec. 1754; d. 26
Sept. 1823; 68 y. 9 m. 12 d.
50
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Kern, Michael, "Revolutionary patriot", b.
4 May 1757; d. 11 Feb. 1850; 92 y. 9 m. 7 d.
I,<> rah. George, Esq., b. 1745; d. 1 Aug.
1823; 78 y.
Motzer, Johannes, b. 2 Jan. 1716; d. 27
June 1793; 77 y. 5m. 3 w. 5 d.
Boyer, Henry, b. 24 Aug. 1791; d. 20 Oct.
1878; 87 y. 1 m. 26 d.
Baum, Dr. John F., d. 28 Jan. 1850; 58
y. 8 m. 17 d.
Darrah, Mark, M. D., son of Thomas and
Eleviah Darrah, d. May 7, 1850; 50 y.
Morlatton Church Ground, Douglassyille
llobesou, Andrew, d. 19 Feb. 1719-20; 66.
Robeson, Moses, d. 19 Oct. 1792; 71 y. 3
m. 14 d. Christiana Robeson, wife of, d. 5
March 1800, 73 y. 1 m. 27 d.
Robeson, Samuel, b. 9 Dec. 1765; d. 11
Oct. 1821; 55 y. 10 m. 2 d. Hannah Robe-
son, wife of, b. 8 Oct. 1775; d. 8 March 1824;
48 y. 5 d.
Kelso, John, b. in Donegal, Ireland, May
1779; d. 6 Nov. 1877; in 98 y. Isabella, wife
of, d. 13 May 1886; 82 y. 2 m. 5 d.
Kelso, George, d. 19 May 1870; 70 y.
Jones, Peter, d. 1739; 46 y.
Hulings, Marcus, d. 2 April 1757 ; 70 y.
Hulings, Peter, son of Marcus and Mar-
garetta Hulings; d. 17 Aug. 1739; 18 y.
Finey, John, d. 3 Sept. 1734; 21 y.
Finey, Joseph, d. 17 March 1730; 11 y.
Warren, James, d. 7 April 1776.
Warren, Hannah, d. 26 Dec. 1782.
Wamback, Jacob, b. 25 Dec. 1797; d. 27
Aug. 1859; 61 y. 8 m. 2 d. Hannah, wife of,
b. 12 Oct. 1794; d. 3 April 1857; 62 y. 5 m.
21 d.
Kerlin, William, b. 13 Aug. 1783; d. 27
Sept. 1868.
Jones, William, M. D., d. 2 May 1858; 51
y. 1 m. 22 d.
Armstrong, Ann, wife of Rev. John Arm-
strong, d. 12 Oct. 1804; 34 y.
Kantian, Renjamin, b. 15 March 1770; d.
Oct. 1816. Sarah Bannan, wife of, b. April
5, 1762; d. 17 Nov. 1825.
May, Dr. Thomas, son of James and
Bridget May, d. 28 Aug. 1829; 42 y. 1 m. 13 d.
May, Thomas, b. 28 Dec. 1811; d. 10 April
1889.
Jones, Jonas, Jr., d. 23 April 1799 ; 65 y.
Jones, Jonas, Sr., d. 27 Jan 1777; 77 y.
Ingles, Joseph, b. 14 Feb. 1767; d. 17 April
1833; 66 y. 2 m. 3 d.
Ingles, John, d. 19 Dec. 1803; 85 y.
Ingles, Elizabeth, d. 21 Sept. 1819.
Douglass, George, b. 14 Feb. 1767; d. 17
April 1833; 66 y. 2 m. 3 d. Mary Douglass,
wife of, b. 25 Dec. 1773; d. 24 Sept. 1848; 74
y. 8 m. 29 d.
Douglass, George, b. 25 Feb. 1726; d. 10
March, 1799; 73 y. 13 d.
Douglass, Mary B., b. 25 Aug. 1730; d. 12
Oct. 1798; 68 y. 1 m. 18 d.
Schunck, Johannes, d. 20 April 1827; 69 y.
11m. 20 d. Elisabeth Schunck, wife of, d. 28
March 1826; 66 y. 17 d. (Parents of X5ov.
Shunk.)
Kahn, Jacob, b. 8 Oct. 1790; d. 17 Sept.
1864; 73 y. 11 m. 9 d.
Rahn, Jacob, d. 3 Dec. 1823; 59 y. Cath.
wife of, d. 26 March 1845; 79 y. 7 m. 7 d.
Yocom, Peter, d. 13 July 1794; 76 y.
Tea, Richard, b. 1732; d. 1809; 77th y.
Tea, Ann, d. in 68th y.
Bird, William, Esq., d. 16 Nov. 1762; 55 y.
Bird, James, d. 21 Aug. 1780; in 21 y.
John, Philip, d. 22 Oct. 1741; 38 y.
Umstead, John, d. Dec. 1815; 85 y.
Ludwig, Michael, M. D., b. 23 Jan 1793 ; d.
I June 1857; 64 y. 4 m. 8 d. Mary Ludwig,
wife of, b. 19 Jan. 1800; d. 31 Aug. 1823; 23
y. 7 d. 12 m.
McKenty, Henry, son of Hugh and Ann
McKenty, b. 24 Oct. 1795; d. 18 June 1868;
72 y. 7 m. 24 d. Eleanor, wife of Henry
McKenty, b. 15 Jan. 1801; d. 18 Feb. 1884;
83 y. 1 m. 13 d.
McKenty, Jacob Kerlin, son of Henry and
Eleanor, b. Jan. 19, 1827; d. 3 Jan. 1866.
West, Ruth, b. Sept. 12, 1786; d. Sept 12,
1857; 7 y.
Leaf, George L., b. April 18, 1806; d. Aug.
19, 1838.
Douglass, Amelia, wife of, b. Oct. 8, 1804;
d. 4 June 1888.
Bell, Hannah, wife of John, b. 29 July
1794; d. 13 Nov. 1881; 87 y. 3 m. 14 d.
Walton, Albertson, b. in Byberry Twp.,
Bucks Co., 2 Feb. 1796; d. 24 Jan. 1885; 88 y.
II m. 2 d. Kate Walton, wife of, d. 17 May
1794; 89 y. 12 d.
Unistead, John, b. 16 Nov. 1799; d. 16
Sept. 1876. Hannah, wife of, d. Oct. 24,
1871; 61 y. 2 m. 10 d.
Umstead, John, b. 21 Oct. 1770; d. 2 Oct.
1826; 55 y. 11 m. 11 d.
Umstead, Elizabeth, b. 8 Oct. 1773; d. 14
Oct. 1831; 58 y. 6 d.
Kerlin, Jacob, b. 10 Jan. 1776; d. 4 Jan.
1832; 55 y. 11 m. 23 d. Hannah, wife of, b.
27 March 1776; d. 31 March 1853; 77 y. 4 d.
Kerlin, John, d. 24 March 1821; 68 y. 2 m.
29 d. Eleanor, wife of, d. 31 Aug. 1823; 67
y. 3 m. 15 d.
Kerlin, John, d. 19 March 1812; abt. 90 y.
Elizabeth, wife of, d. Oct. 1822 in 94th y.
Stuard, Daniel, b. 14 April 1794 ; d. 8 April
1854; 59 y. 11 m. 25 d.
Stanley, Susannah, b. 8 July 1800; d. 25
June 1853.
Russell, Joseph, b. 8 Feb. 1787; d. 7 May
1862 Elizabeth, wife of, and dau. of
Peter and Cath. Reifsneider, b. 6 May 1788;
d. 17 Dec. 1855.
Tocum, Jonas, b. 15 Oct. 1793; d. 27 Oct.
1834. Anna, wife of, b. 19 April 1796; d. 17
March 1881; 85 y.
Allison, Catharine, b. 1789 ; d. 20 Jan. 1883
in 94th year.
Roth, Maria Esther, b. 25 Feb. 1765 ; d. 17
July 1765; 6 m. 3 w. 2 d.
Lerergood, John, d. 1 Aug. 1805; 56 y.
EARLY BERKS COUNTY TOMBSTONE INSCRIPTIONS
51
Levergood, Christiana, b. Nov. 18, 1755; d.
23 Dec. 1832; 77 y. 1 m. 15 d.
Leopold, Charles, b. 5 Aug. 1801; d. 19
Dec. 1874.
Leopold, Lydia, b. 29 March 1806; d. 10
March 1884.
Elizabeth, dau. of William and Mary Lake,
d. 2 March 1788; 20 d.
Samuel, son of William and Elizabeth
Lake, d. 18 March 1778; 16 y. 7 m.
Unistead, John, d. 24 June 1815; 86 y.
Elizabeth, wife of, d. 6 Sept. 1811; 76 y.
Kirst, George, b. 24 June 1735; d. 16 Oct.
1807; 72 y. 3 m. 22 d. Elizabeth, wife of, b.
7 March 1741; d. 12 Nov. 1809; 68 y. 8 m.
5 d.
Kerst, Samuel, son of George and Mary
Kerst, b. 13 Jan. 1798; d. 8 May, 1859; 61 y.
3 m. 22 d.
Kerst, Samuel, d. 11 Dec. 1825; 46 y. 3 m.
Long, William, d. 7 May 1825 in 47th y.
Jones, Peter, b. 10 Oct. 1749; d. 24 Nov.
1809; 60 y. 1 m. 14 d.
Margaret, wife of Nicholas Bunn, d. 4
Nov. 1801; 77 y.
Yocom, John, d. 14 Oct. 1823; 73 y. 19 d.
Hannah, wife of, d. 1 May 1794; 44 y. 11 m.
Yocom, Mary, d. 27 Dec. 1794; 75 y.
Yocom, Peter, d. 13 July 1794; 76 y.
Yocum, Moses, b. 14 June 1753; d. 12 Feb.
1824; 71 y. 7 m. 28 d.
Yocom, Susanna, b. 15 Nov. 1757; d. 15
Jan. 1833; 76 y. 2 m.
Yocom, John, b. 6 Aug. 1799; d. 6 May
1869; 69 y. 9 m.
Yocom, Elizabeth, b. 5 Feb. 1806; d. 3
Jan. 1882; 75 y. 10 m. 28 d.
Jones, Samuel, b. 3 Jan. 1782; d. 26 Sept.
1864; 82 y. 8 m. 23 d. Elizabeth, wife of, b.
26 Feb. 1789; d. 19 Jan. 1849; 58 y. 10 m.
15 d.
Brower, Abraham, b. 7 May 1783; d. 5 Nov.
1834; 51 y. 5 m. 28 d.
Brower, Mary, b. 6 April 1785; d. 30 Oct.
1834; 49 y. 6 m. 20 d.
Kerlin, John, b. 23 July 1792; d. 31 May
1833; 40 y. 10 m. 8 d
Lear, Henry, d. 17 Oct. 18—; 77 y. 6 m.
23 d.
Lear, Catharine, d. 31 July 1807; 73 y. 2
m. 7 d.
Bunn, Mary, wife of Jacob, and dau. of
Henry and Catharine Lear, b. 11 Oct. 1761;
d. 16 July 1836; 74 y. 9 m. 5 d.
Jones, Mary, wife of Jonas, d. 11 Sept.
1772; 68 y.
Jones, Susannah, d. 20 July 1824; 94 y.
Jones, Phoebe, d. 27 Oct. 1826; 86 y,
Jones, Mary, d. 30 Sept. 1805; 78 y.
Jones, Jonathan, son of Nicholas and
Rachel, b. 2 March 1778; d. 23 April 1840;
62 y. 1 m. 21 d. Hannah, wife of, and
dau. of Peter and Cath. Jones, b. 9 Sept.
1770; d. 29 Dec. 1851; 81 y. 3 m. 20 d.
Jones, Nicholas, d. 28 March 1829; 41 y.
Jones, Nicholas, d. 15 Oct. 1826; 90 y.
Kirkhon*, Margaret, wife of Jacob H., b. 19
May 1794; d. 10 June 1885; 91 y. 22 d.
Lord, Joseph, d. 21 Nov. 1860 in 67th y.
Lord, Mary, b. 24 March 1783; d. 13 Sept.
1858; 75 y. 5 m. 19 d.
Pair, Elizabeth, b. 22 Dec. 1800; d. 25 Aug.
1878; 71 y. 8 m. 9 d.
Jones, David, b. 1 March 1786; d. 4 Nov.
1829.
Moser, John, d. 14 Sept. 1822; 52 y.
Fisher, Nicholas, d. 5 Dec. 1856; 61 y. lid.
Warren, Eliza beth, wife of Jacob, b. 16
July 1773; d. 24 Aug. 1855; 82 y. 1 m. 8 d.
Turner, Peter, b. 18 Aug. 1797; d. 20 May
1841; 43 y. 9 m. 12 d.
Jones, Ezekiel, b. 2 April 1792; d. 27 Mav
1876; 84 y. 1 m. 25 d.
Jones, Eleanor, b. 5 Sept. 1797; d. 18 June
1876; 78 y. 9 m. 13 d.
Kerlin, William, b. 13 Aug. 1783; d. 27
Sept. 1868.
Kerlin, Catharine, b. 12 Oct. 1795; d. 4 Oct.
1881.
Krouse, Henry, 1797-1862. Mary, wife of,
1802-1869.
/ Yocom, Samuel, d. 7 Jan. 1885; 81 y. 9 m.
27 d. Ann Yocom, wife of, d. 20 May 1889;
84 y. 8 m. 22 d.
v/Yocom, Daniel, b. 13 May 1795; d. 30
March 1861; 65 y. 10 m. 13 d. Magdalena
Yocum, wife of, b. 16 June 1780; d. 26 July
1856; 76 y. 1 m. 10 d.
BERN TOWNSHIP
Bern Church Ground
Hiester, Johau Christian, son of John and
Catharine, b. 18 Sept. 1798; d. 7 Nov. 1867;
69 y. 1 m. 19 d. Jost son of same, b. 11
Dec. 1795; d. 10 Nov. 1871; 75 y. 10 m. 29 d.
Hiester, Daniel, b. 14 Jan. 1789; d. 27
March 1862; 73 y. 2 m. 13 d.
Hiester, Daniel, b. 1 Jan. 1712; d. 7 June
1795; 82 y. 5 m. 7 d. Catharine, wife of, d.
17 Aug. 1789; 72 y. 11 m. 7 d.
Hiester, Jacob Bailsman, son of Gabriel
and Elizabeth, b. 28vNov. 1785; d. 17 May
1817; 33 y. 6 m. 11 d.
Hiester, William, Esq., b. 10 June 1757; d.
13 July 1822; 65 y. 1 m. 3 d.
Hiester, Anna Maria, wife of, b. 28 Dec.
1758; d. 4 Oct. 1881; 63 y. 9 m. 6 d.
Staudt, Abraham, b. 25 Jan. 1737; d. 9
Oct. 1824.
Seydel, Michael, b. 28 Oct. 1761; d. 24
Feb. 1837; 75 y. 3 m. 26 d.
Stanim, Nicholas, b. 22 April 1752; d. 6
Oct. 1828.
Stamm, Frederick, b. 18 Sept. 1759; d. 9
Dec. 1827.
Heber, Thomas, b. 1746; d. 27 Aug. 1825;
77 y.
KantYman, Jacob, b. 1777; d. 1822.
Stamm, Werner, b. 172S; d. 4 Oct. 1812;
84 y.
Kersebner, Philip, b. 31 Aug. 1766; d. 7
Dec. 1831.
52
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
AlthOuse, Daniel, b. 25 July 1742; d. 7 Oct.
1812; 70 y. 14 d.
Kirschner, Peter, b. 17 April 1747; d. 11
Sept. 1809; 62 y. 5 m.
Bentzle, Jolm George, b. 8 Oct. 1740; d. 2
Jan. 1802.
Klein, Johannes, b. 16 Jan. 1734; d. 16 Jan.
1795; 61 y.
Staudt, Mathias, b. 1772; d. 1802.
Doudor, Jacob, b. 25 July 1720; d. 12 May
1789.
Gernant, George, b. 10 June 1716; d. 17
Jan. 1793; 78 y. 5 m. 7 d.
Ermentrout, Maria Margaretta, b. 1 June
1744; d. 1 June 1784; 40 .y
Kieser, Jacob, b. 1755; d. 1815.
Feieli, Michael, b. 1708; d. 13 June 1812.
Miesse, John Daniel, b. 28 Jan. 1743; d. 3
April 1818; 75 y. 2 m. 5 d.
Eckert, John, b. 27 June 1754; d. 27 Nov.
1826; 72 y. 5 m. Barbara (born Gernant)
wife of, b. 26 March 1754; d. 30 Sept. 1S23.
Hiester, John, b. 23 Sept. 1754; d. 17 Nov.
1821.
Hiester, ('apt. Johann, b. 15 July 17S3; d.
12 March 1851; 67 y. 7 m. 28 d.
Schneider, Conrad, b. 22 June 1722; d. 4
Dec. 1811; 89 y. 10 m.
Epler's Church Ground
Kikker, Keinrich, b. 21 May 1722; d. 10
April 1810: 87 y. 10 m. 21 d.
Margaretta, wife of (born Steiner) b. 29
Sept. 1725: d. 29 Oct. 1808.
Graff, Frederick, b. 30 Dec. 1762; d. 7
March 1818; 56 y. 2 m. 16 d.
Kieser, Johannes, b. 27 Feb. 1776; d. 12
Dec. 1818.
Althaus, Peter, b. 3 Feb. 1755; d. 23
March 1839.
Moser, Weyerle, b. 1731; d. 1810.
Staudt, Michael, b. 11 Nov. 1742; d. 14
Aug. 1807.
Metier, George, b. 3 Feb. 1724; d. 5 Jan.
1795.
Herbein, Peter, b. 1747; d. 1821.
Emrich, John Leonard, b. 16 June 1751;
d. 8 May 1816: 64 y. 10 m. 22 d.
Zacharias, Daniel, b. 24 Feb. 1734; d. 15
Oct. 1800; 66 v. 9 m. 15 d.
Hohon, Philip Jacob, b. 6 Sept. 1739; d. 9
Jan. 1815.
BERN UPPER
Klein Family Burying Ground
Becker, Johannes, b. 4 Oct. 1785; d. 10
March 1854. Elizabeth, wife of, b. 24 Aug.
1775; d. 22 Sept. 1838.
Klein, Abraham, b. 4 March 1783; d. 20>.
April 1853; 70 y. 1 m. 16 d. Barabara, wife
of, b. 27 Oct. 1784; d. 22 March 1861; 76 y.
1 m. 26 d.
Saint Michael's Church
Schneiderin, Elizabeth, b. 5 Aug. 1758; d.
Aug 1766, "durch ein donnerschlag".
Kelchner, John, b. 25 Nov. 1736; d. 28 Dec.
1801; 65 y. 1 m. 3 d.
Faust, Ludnig, b. 12 Jan. 1760; d. 27 April
1806.
Schlappig, Daniel, b. 22 Nov. 1723; d. 29
June 1794; 70 y. 2 m.
Schartel, Johann, b. 17 Jan. 1738; d. S
July 1800; 61 y. 5 m. IS d.
Henne, Joh. Conrad, b. 10 Oct. 1731; d. 21
Jan. 1820; 88 y. 3 m. 11 d.
Kauffman, Adam, b. 1764; d. 1824.
Wagner, Christoph, b. 1735; d. 1799.
Althaus, Joseph, b. 1757.
Bennille Church
Geis, John A., b. 12 Jan. 1762; d. 18 Dec.
1822.
Adam, George, b. 1725; d. 1784.
Bros s man, Johan, b. 9 Aug. 1768;-' d. 10
April 1830.
Filbert, Johannes, b. 26 April 1781; d. S
Jan. 1811.
Winter, Christoph, b. 25 Dec. 1759; d. 2
Aug. 1808.
Belleman George, b. 28 Oct. 1739; d. 2
Feb. 1813.
Fiegel, Melchoir, b. July 1754; d. 26 July
1822.
Haag, Johan George, b. 9 July 1758; d. 2
/Jan. 1845; 86 y. 5 m. 23 d.
Reber, Yalentin, b. Dec. 1742; d. 12 May
1818.
Haas, John Peter, b. 4 March 1750: d. 12
July 1816.
Strauss, Albrecht, b. 16 July 1760: d. 7
April 1832.
BETHEL TOWNSHIP
Millersburg Church
Wagner, John Geo., b. 5 Jan. 1770; d. 5
Oct. 1833; 63 y. 9 m.
Cmbenhauer, Frantz, b. 23 Oct. 1751; d.
31 March 1812.
Levick, Elizabeth, wife of Samuel, b. 29
June 1798; d. 7 May 1866.
Bordner, Jacob, b. 15 Nov. 1754; d. 6 Jan.
1837.
Schuy, Johannes, b. IS Sept. 1760; d. 13:
Sept. 1835.
53
a
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
O, Muttersproch, du bist uns lieb "—A. S.
-n
ON PER LUMPA PARTY
(A. C. W.)
(No. 2)
Doh bringt noh die Bollie cider,
Frisch fum Uncle Dilly Schneider;
Hen 'n g'schmotzt un noh g'drunka,
Mit 'm mauleck noch g'wunka,
Noh geht's ob os wie fun forna,
Butza 's maul un aw die dorna.
"'Well, ich mehn s'waer ivverdrivva,
S'macht em nerfich, meiner sivva,"
Mehnt die Leisy ivverm schneida
Om 'a schtick so alter seida,
"Alles lawft boll uff d' schtrossa,
Alta, yunga, klebna, grohsa,
Dehl die wolla saef ferkawfa,
Sin schun morgets frieh am lawfa;
Dehl hen nohdla, patent schnolla,
Weschbloh, schpella, schwohwafolla,
Brackets, hofta, schmier, m'nilla,
Droppa, liniment un pilla,
Yehders will sich ebbes kriega —
Glawb bei henk os dehl noch liega,
Ehns het gaern so 'fancy dishes',
Ehns 'n rug — ken fiesz-obwisches —
Des 'n 'lounge' un sel 'n 'rocker',
S'macht em nerfich, so 'n g'tzocker,
Denk der Jim muss aw ons lawfa,
Phosphate udder gips ferkawfa,
Paris-grie deht aw daich nemma,
Meiner sex, waer's net fer's schemma
Gengt ich selwer mohl ans trotta,
Deht ferleicht doch ebbes botta,
Kennt sel geld noh tzomma schpaara
Fer a bissel trolley fahra.
"Denk mohl drah die Peggy Wisman
Kummt doh yetz tzum dockt'r Kisman,
Hut so patent bloschter g'hotta,
S'war so , waescht, uff muslin-blotta,
Duht 'on alles, scheh explaina
Deht sich ehns im rick ferschtraina,
Wan ehns kalt het uff d' niera,
Wut's em nargets recht borriera ;
Rummadis un dicka ohd'ra —
Yah, g'wiss, es tziegt ken blohd'ra,
Waescht, m'r waermt's aerscht gut am feier.
Besser nemmscht dehl, 'skummt net deier."
""Sapperlott! was mehnscht don, Peggy?
Bloschter kawfa! Peif'm Jecky!"
Fongt der dockt'r aw mit lacha,
""Des sin mohl so weibsleit socha,
Doh kennts hehsa: Ei, Ken wunner,
Dockt'r, nemm die schind'l runner,
Now huscht tzeit die leis tz' scherra
Won die weibsleit dockt'r werra!
Well, wie .fiel huscht ausg'peddelt,
Huscht schun's township ausg'tzettelt?"
'Neh', sawgt noh die Peggy drivver,
Schmeist die awga rivver, nivver,
'Hob ge'mehnt doh aw tz' fonga,
War net weiters rum noch gonga,
Deht der dockt'r aw dehl nemma
Dent's em helfa bei de fremma;
S'deht em bissel courage gevva
Fer's tz' recommenda evva!
Wut m'r's gonsa ding fertzaehla,
Net'n ehntzich wort ferfaehla
Kennt m'r aw noch meaner sawga
Wie sie g'flucht hut — so im mawga —
Wie der dockt'r nix g'numma
Un g'lacht hut: Won's yuscht krumma
Beh un bickel grawd kennt tziega
Noh war's aw d'wert's tzu kriega'.
Ivver dem war's middawg warra,
Yah, un's aergscht is noch, der porra
War uff b'such ons dockt'rs kumma,
Hut's gons wehsa eig'numma,
Hut noch helfa g'schposs tz' macha
Ivver'm essa fer tz' lacha
Won'r heem kaemt tzu der alta —
Meiner sex! ich het die folta
Aus'm schortz m'r rausg'bissa —
Well, m'r sut au besser wissa
Os wie patent bloschter pedd'la,
Noch bei'm dockt'r, sel dehts settla!
"Well", mehnt noh die kleh Malinda,
S'wara ken so grohsa sinda,
S'kumt druffaw wie's aw tz' fonga
Wie's on's Ditza leicht is gonga;
'Cut g'mehnt is net fersindicht,
Obg'duh net uffg'kindicht'.
Hen, waescht, kranka kinner g'hotta,
Elms war nix meh wie so'n schotta,
Hen g'mehnt es deht'na schterwa
Wara bang, ferleicht deht's arwa,
Hen paar weibsleit g'froogt fer Kocha,
Buhwa b'schtellt far's grawb tz' mocha,
Notice g'schickt tzum porra Walda
Fer die leicht am mittwoch holta,
Noh wert's kind uff ehmol besser,
Lacht schun wie der lawdamesser
Kumma is fer noch'm gucka —
Well, er hut mohl g'schpaut so drucka:
'Leicht an's Ditza! Leicht an' Ditza!
Des soil yoh der hund awsch])ritza!
Dreisich yohr schun leit b'grahwa,
Muss m'r ebbes so noch glahwa?'
'Liehwer droscht, wie kom'r's wissa',
Hut die Alt noh heila missa.
'Well', mehnt noh der lawdamesser,
'S'is wie's is, m'r wehs net besser,
Obg'duh net uffg'kindicht.
(To be continued)
54
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
NOTE. — The following lines, written by
L. A. Wollenweber more than forty years
ago, will serve as a sample of the dialect at
that time. — Editor.
WIE MER SEI FRA PROBIRT
Net weit fun Ephrata in Lancaster County
wo der Weg noch Schonau un Reinholdsville
zugeht, do wohnt e Bauer, der schun ziem-
lich viel Johre uf em Buckel hot, der war
sei lebelang e spassiger Dingerich un hot
in der Schul schun manch Kepers gamacht.
Seller Bauer hot in der Nochberschaft die
Margereth F. gesparkt, un wie er uf Aelt
war, un die Margereth net lang for's heire
meh warte wollt, musst der junge Kerl, for
die Margareth net zu verliere, zum Parre
Friedrich gehn, un ihn bestelle, dasz er die
junge Leut zusamme schmied.
Er war gern noch e Zeitlang ledig ge-
bliebe, weil er die Margereth in ihrem
Wesen noch net so recht gekennt hot, ob sie
a ebbes nutz war, dann er hot immer ge-
hort, dasz es lange Zeit nemnit, for e Weibs-
mensch recht kenne zu lerne. Was wollt
er aber mache, die Margereth hot ebe ihren
Kopf ufgesetzt un gesagt, "Wann du jetzt
ke Anstalt machst for zu heire, da magst du
von mir bleibe".
Well, sie gehn am e schone Samstag Obed
zum Parre, der schun for sie prapert (vor-
bereitet) war, weil er gedenkt hot, do gebt's
emol ebbes Rechtes, hab so e schlechte Be-
lohnung for mei viele Muhen, dann in
manche gegende in Pennsylvanien wore die
Parre schlecht bezahlt, was egentlich e
Schand ischt, un do freie sie sich, wenn also
emol e Hochzeit kummt un e fiinf Daler Not
fallt. Er hot sei Stub ufgefixt die Biewel un
die Lithurgie zerrecht gelegt, un war fertig,
for des Heirathsbisznisz abzumache. Der
Henn un die Margereth habe a net lang uf
sich warte losse, sie ware in der rechte
Zeit do, un der Parre hot gleich angefange
und sei Sach besser gemacht als sei Lebtag.
Wie Alles fertig, un der Henn un die Mar-
gereth Mann un Fra ware, gebt der Henn
for sei Lohn e fest zusamme gewickeltes
Papier bedankt sich un sagt dem geistliche
Herr goodbye.
Wie die Hochzeitleut fort ware, geht der
Parre gleich an's ufwickle, er wickelt uf un
wie er alles ufgewickelt hot, find er in dem
Bundel e Elfpensstiick un e Zettel, do war
druf geschriewe:
"Wann's gut geht koinin ioh s' nachst Jolir
wieder."
Dasz der arme Parre, der fiinf Daller
erwartet hot, unwillig worre ischt, kann sich
Jeder leicht denken, un er ischt mit schwer-
em Herze in's Bett.
Grad war e Johr verfiosse un die sam
Stund, wo der Henn un die Margereth, ge-
traut worre sin, do klopts am Parre seiner
Thiir. Er macht uf un vor ihm steht e junger
Baure-Kerl mit einem Barl vora beste Lan-
caster County Mehl. Er sagt: "Guten Abend,
Herr Parre, do bring ich e Fasz Flour un e
Brief, goodbye". Der Parre rollt 's Fasz in
de Hausgang geht an's Licht un macht de
Brief uf, um zu sehne, wer der gute Christ
ischt, der ihm das Mehl schickt. Wie er de
Brief ufmacht, da rollt e 2V2 Doller Gold-
stuck heraus, was de arme Mann ganz zit-
terich gemacht hot. Er hebt's uf es war
ganz neu, un er hot net gut genug gucke
kenne, danne e Landparre un en e Gold-
stuck die komme net oft zusamme. Jetzt
fangt er aber an zu lese, un in Brief steht:
"Lieber Parre!
Do selrick ich Euch e 2% Dollerstiiek un e
Barl ruin beste Flaur. Mei Margereth ischt
meh werth wie en Elfpens, un wann se so
fort macht komm ich 's nachst Johr wieder.
Henn.''
Wer war froher als der arme Parre Fried-
rich? Wie in der Welt die Zeit so schnell
vergeht, war des Johr a bald herum un der
Parre hot die Zeit gewatscht un ischt der-
hem gebliebe. Es was grad die Stund, wo
er die junge Leut getraut, do hert er e
Fuhrwerk, er machtt's Fenster uf, do steht
der sam jung Bauer mit dem Mehlbarl un a
mit dem Brief. Im Brief war desmol a Fiinf
daler Not un zu lese war:
"Lieber Parre!
Ich bin recht zufriede in meiuer Haus-
haltung, es schafft Alles gut. Do Schick ich
Euch a Fiinfdaler >'ot, weil mei Fra die
Margreth viel werth ischt; war sie nixnntzig
geworde, do wiir des Elfpensstiick zu viel for
sie gewese, dasz ich Euch in so viel Pa-
piercher gewickelt, nach der Trauung ge-
gebe hah."
Im dritte Johr war's sam Ding, fiinf Daller
un e Barl Mehl, un der Henn hat fortge-
macht bis uf de heutige Tag, wann der
Parre Friedrich net gestorbe war. Der Henn
ischt jezt ener vun de wohlhabigste Bauern
in Cocalico: er hot sechs Buwe die sehn als
wollte sie Bam ausreisze, un sei drei Mad,
die mache seiner Margereth, die dick un
fett ischt, viel Fred.
A Good Record
Quakertown, Pa., with a population of
4000 sends fifty young people to a score of
preparatory, business and Normal Schools,
Colleges and Universities. A correspondent
of a local paper says: This "strongly dis-
proves the statement of certain persons and
magazines that endeavor to represent the
Pennsylvania Germans as an ignorant
class".
55
REVIEWS AND NOTES
By Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N. J.
Ex-Governor Pennypacker has gathered
nineteen of his historical papers and ad-
dresses together into one volume, issued by
William J. Campbell, Philadelphia. Some of
the addresses are published here for the
first time, while others were previously
printed in the Pennsylvania Magazine of
History.
He is an alert historian, deeply versed in
the antique lore of his native state; no one
is better qualified to defend her proud posi-
tion. No matter what the object may be it
is always the greatness of the Common-
wealth that is uppermost in his mind. The
volume is aptly titled "Pennsylvania in
American History".
The addresses on the Pennsylvania Ger-
mans should go far to remove the prejudice
that has been heaped upon these people and
should serve as a just vindication of their
commendable traits.
THE ART OF THE SHORT STORY— By
George W. Gerwig, Ph. D. Extension
Lecturer in English Literature, Univer-
sity of Pittsburg. Cloth; 124 pp. 75c.
postpaid. Percy Publishing Company,
North Side, Pittsburg, Pa. 1909.
A number of books bearing on the short
story appeared during the last two years,
and not the least significant among them is
"The Art of the Short Story". One of its
commendable traits, and it has many, is its
condensation.
The writer traces the beginnings of this
form of literary art from Boccaccio and
Chaucer to the present day, as found among
French, English, and American writers. This
part of the book may be merely a sketch and
not an elaborate discussion, but the essen-
tials are all brought out, and a due sense of
proportion is maintained. The writer then
passes on to a discussion of the main ele-
ments of this modern literary product: plot,
human interest, character, dramatic inten-
sity, and theme. The discussion of these
principles constitutes the main part of the
book, a chapter being devoted to each one
of them. He is also the first one to point
out that these principles were developed in
an almost chronological order. It is a
thought-provoking book; it contains the
writer's own opinions and convictions upon
literary matters.
The book is the outcome of a course of
lectures, but it is not for that reason either
academic or technical, but rather popular
and practical ; but it is not popular without
being scholarly. It is suggestive both to
the reader and to the writer of short stories.
It is written in a clear, terse, style. It
shows a comprehensive understanding of the
essentials of the short story, and a not com-
mon quality of discrimination and analysis.
It closes with an inspired prophecy as to
the future of the short story in America.
THE LITTLE KING— A Story of the Child-
hood of Louis XIV King of France — By
Charles Major, author of "When Knight-
hood was in Flower", "Dorothy Ver-
non", "A Gentle Knight of Old Branden-
burg", etc. Cloth; illustrated; 249 pp.
Price $1.50. The Macmillan Company,
New York. 1910.
This is a charming story about Louis XIV,
King of France. It is arranged and written
for boys and girls, but it has a great deal of
fascination for "grown-ups", for it tells of
royalty in the making, and that there is an
intensely human side to the world's great
rulers. It also affords an insight into the
extravagant and luxuriant life at court that
brought on the "deluge" after the King's
death.
The boy Louis XIV is the hero of the
story; the royal lad is observed from all
sides. Some of the adventures picture him
as a dignified royal character, and others
show him as a plain every-day boy without
his crown and robes of office. The person
nearest and dearest to him is Sweet Mam'-
selle, his affectionate nurse. They have
many a jolly time, and they also have their
sorrows together. It is when he has laid
his crown aside and steals out for a romp
with his nurse that he is at his best. Chil-
dren who have never seen a king, and many
never will, may feel decidedly intimate and
friendly with "Fourteen", as one of the little
girls in the street called him. There are
amusing incidents, and others are so pathet-
ic that they arouse the feelings of the young
people to a remarkable degree. It is an ad-
mirable book for boys and girls.
UNDER THE OPEM SKY— By Samuel Chris-
tian Schmucker, Ph.D. Professor of
Biology, Pennsylvania State Normal
School, West Chester, Author of "A
Study of Nature". Cloth, gilt top; illus-
trated; 308 pp. Price $1.50. J. B. Lip-
pincott Company, Philadelphia, 1909.
This is a charming book about God's
great out-of-doors, written by one who
56
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
knows the out-of-doors not from books but
from observing nature.
The author divides the subject into
seasons, and these into the corresponding
months; and then he describes the thousand
and one things found 'in forest, field and
glen. He shows thier purpose in nature, and
how they happened to be what they are and
as they are. Some remarkable facts are
found here: facts which only the keen ob-
server and interpreter of nature knows —
why apples have a core; that bees are the
only insects attracted by blue flowers; how
the white walnut should be eaten; what is a
berry? etc.
There are also a few things which the
reader may be inclined to question. One of
them is that squirrels are becoming more
numerous. This statement will hardly be
borne out by the reports of gunners, and by
the fact that the forests are disappearing so
rapidly. And it is not quite certain whether
the idea is a mistaken one that claims that
a person with a sensitive skin need only
pass to leeward of poisonous ivy wet with
■dew, or on a foggy, sultry day, in order to
be poisoned, results obtained from the
physiological laboratory • notwithstanding.
Personal experience tells many people dif-
ferently; but lack of space will not allow
the giving an account of them here. The
book is written in a pleasant, fresh style.
It will be read by both lovers of books and
lovers of nature. It will be enjoyed in-
doors as well as out-of-doors by ajl who
have an interest in things under the open
sky. It might just as well be termed a
classic as Burroughs' "Birds and Bees".
It is illustrated with a number of beauti-
ful full-page and marginal pictures by the
wife of the author. The publishing house
has also shown artistic taste in the make-
up of the book, especially in presenting the
open pages as a unit and in binding the
book in such a fresh-looking cover.
THE SCALES OF JUSTICE— By George L.
Knapp, with illustrations in color by
the Kinneys. Cloth; 307 pp. Price
$1.50. J. B. Lippincott Company, Phila-
delphia. 1910.
Here is a new sort of mystery story, a
detective novel of a new type. It has for its
base the "third degree as it is actually
practiced". It is hoped, however, that the
instance described in the book is an excep-
tional one, for it is virtually inconceivable
that such should be the cruel and corrupt
practice in police courts everywhere. It is
only fair to say that the great majority of
policemen are brave and honest fellows;
they are kind and considerate enough when
they start in on the work, but it tends to
make them hard and brutal.
It is also strange that the law and the
pclice force should work with a different
object in view. The law presumes a crimi-
nal innocent until he is proved guilty,
while the police presume he is guilty until
he is proved innocent. And the latter in
order to bring about his admission of guilt
through confession will resoi't to all sorts of
torture to extort a confession; hence the so-
called "third degree".
The evil practices resulting from this
"sweating" an accused person have brought
this method into disrepute. A Senate com-
mittee was appointed to investigate it.
Some of the states have passed bills to
abolish it; and the American Academy of
Political and Social Science has undertaken
to probe it. The police departments of the
cities deny the existence of such a process.
The police commissioner cf a large city says
"this third degree system is an imaginary
something derived from the brain of some
bright news writer there is absolutely
no torture nor punishment, physical or men-
tal, and nothing except clever arguments
and the presentation of facts or correct im-
pressions". And yet there are men who
have passed through the degree that say
that they would rather hang than pass
through again. If the book presents the
"system" as it actually exists then there is
reason for doubting the remarks of the com-
missioner quoted above. And again, the
book seems to show that the provision of
the law which states that the accused cannot
be compelled to testify against himself is a
dead letter in many police courts.
The story is one of thrilling mystery and
increditable brutality. The mystery, the
killing of Harteley, is well sustained until
the end. The reader is not only surprised
but even shocked to find that Kern, the
hero, a reporter of fine journalistic abili-
ties through whose efforts the doomed man
is acquitted, is himself the slayer of Harte-
ley for vengeance sake because he ruined
his (Kern's) father. At first this seems to
mar the artistic treatment of the story, and
yet it may be in keeping with the ltle:
"The Scales of Justice", which are not al-
ways balanced, in police courts or else-
where.
Mr. Knapp is a newspaper man from Den-
ver; he has written his story in the unaf-
fected vernacular of the prairie newspaper.
He holds his pen well in restraint and fre-
quently spares the feelings of the reader.
There is a cleverness and snap to the style
that distinguishes the experienced journal-
ist. The book should go far in winning re-
cruits to a movement for abolishing the
"third degree".
EC
HISTORICAL NOTES AND NEWS
57
NOTE.— This Department should have
notes from the various "Historical Socie-
ties" in Pennsylvania. Will not our readers
who are members of such societies see to it
that news items are sent us regularly of
their stated meetings, etc.
"Stories of Old Stumpstown"
This is the title of a book of 152 pages by
Dr. E. Grumbine, the Persident of the Leba-
non County Historical Society, which has
just been issued from the press. It was
originally written for the Society, but the
writer has had a limited number of copies
printed as an Author's Edition, which con-
tain besides the historical portions, a
"Story of the Early Settlers of Monroe
Valley", a letter descriptive of his visit to
Strassburg and Paris, and also some poetry
in both the English language and the Penn-
sylvania German vernacular.
The little volume is finely embellished
with pictures of places, preachers, school-
masters and others, who had part in the life
of the village of Fredericksburg in the
"olden time".
A kind reviewer has spoken of the book
in the following language: "It certainly is
a mine of information and a treasure-house
of entertainment for all who have, or have
had, any interest in Fredericksburg. It is
beautifully written, and the illustrations are
not the least valuable feature of the
volume."
Any person desiring a copy will have it
send postpaid by remitting One Dollar and
a quarter ($1.25) to
DR. E. GRUMBINE,
Mt. Zion, Pa.
The Steamboat "Wyoming'' on the Upper
Susquehanna
NOTE— The AVyalusing Rocket of Oct. 26,
1910, contained an article by Edward
Welles, Esq., on Isaac Dewel, "a picturesque
character, a gentle and conscientious, but
somewhat crack-brained tinker", from
which we quote the following:
"Some of your readers may remember the
famous steamboat "Wyoming", built at
Tunkhannock somewhere in the early fifties,
and commanded by Captain Converse, for
the navigation of the upper Susquebanna.
Now the steamer was all right, and the cap-
tain the right man to pilot her where there
was any moisture; but good mother Nature,
her right intent being conceded, had made
the grand mistake of omitting the water,
where she had made the waterway. Genera-
tions of men, from Richard Caton of Balti-
more at the end of the eighteenth century,
ill) or down to Colonel Wright, the Luzerne
congressman, in the last quarter of the
nineteenth, had determined that the Sus-
quehanna was and should be, a navigable
stream. The one had lands upon her banks
that he wished to sell; the other had con-
stituents whose votes were desirable. And
so, on paper, the river became a navigable
waterway; and Congress paid the bills.
But in the case of the steamer "Wyoming"
it was found, greatly to the surprise — not to
say chagrin — of her sanguine projectors,
that she obstinately declined to sail up the
rapids, where the bed-gravel was dry. Here
was Isaac's opportunity. Captain Converse
was in his eyes a hero, a man of exalted
position; nevertheless he resolved to beard
the lion in his den; but to do it with due
reverence, and the greater safety to himself,
he committed his thoughts carefully to
paper, and the United States mails. Did the
Captain think that the mere lack of water
in a riffle should be allowed to put a check
upon the majestic up-stream progress of
the great stern-wheeler WYOMING, able to
stem the tide with a cargo of no less than
fifty tons? Let the poor inventor give the
great navigator a quiet hint. Simply length-
en the radial arms of the great paddle-wheel
by a matter of six or eight inches beyond
the blades, and there you are! When the
water in the riffles is too shallow, or too
rapid, the projecting arms will take claw-
hold of the gravel as the wheel revolves,
and up she goes, let the channel be wet or
dry! How very simple a matter, when you
are brought to think of it!
Isaac's letter was well indicted and well-
written; for he was not illiterate, and wrote
a fair hand. He showed me his letter and
the Captain's reply. This was carefuly and
considerately framed to avoid injury to the
inventor's feelings. But of course he could
give the absurd scheme no encouragement;
and so poor Isaac lost one of his few life-
chances for gathering fame."
Mixed Blood
A. E. Bachert, Tyrone, Pa., has in his
veins Danish, French, Swiss, German,
Scotch and American Indian blood, all of
which he shows in his bookplate, a singular
combination of heraldic devices designed by
himself and reproduced with description in
the >evv England Craftsman of December,
1910.
58
d:
GENEALOGICAL NOTES AND QUERIES
Conducted by Mrs. M. N. Robinson. Contributions Solicited. Address, The Penna. German, Lititz, Pa.
□
QUERY 1
Family of Jacob Kline
Jacob Klein, living near Lincoln, Lancas-
ter County, Pa., died about 1813 or 1815
leaving several children. The undersigned
would like to know place of burial and get
data about the wife and descendants of said
deceased.
A. S. KLEIN,
R. D. 4 Hamburg, Pa.
QUERY 2
Where Did Henry Weidner Live?
Henry Weidner, born 1717, the founder of
the Penna. -German settlement on the South
Fork Valley, N. C, lived for a time in either
Berks or Lancaster County. He was mar-
ried to Mary Mull who had brothers named
John, Peter and Abram, the last of whom
married Mary Paff. The undersigned is de-
sirous of learning Weidner's place of resi-
dence in Pennsylvania.
G. M. YODER,
Hickory, N. C.
QUERY 3
Eight Generations of Flnke-Fluck Family
One of our readers, Lee M. Fluck, stands
fifth in the following line of Flucks of Hill-
town, Bucks County, Pa. Johann Fluke
(migrated from the Palatinate 1730), Fred-
erick, John (Fluck) Tobias, Lee M., Hiram
M., Henry, Norman. Who can give us a
list of nine or ten American generations of
a German immigrant?
(In answer to Queries in December num-
ber.)
Kline Family
Recorder's Office, Lancaster, Book X, p.
412.
Doorthea Kline, executrix of Michael
Kline of Warwick Township. Deed signed
by her and
George, wife of Christiana.
Leonard, wife of Barbara.
Frenia, wife of Michael Quigell.
Catharine, wife of Geo. Will.
Magdalena, wife of Adam Reist.
Margaret, wife of George Bowman.
Dorothea, wife of John Bowman.
Susanna, wife of John Brown.
Barbara, wife of Geo. Giger.
Nicholas, David, Michael, Jacob.
Land granted by Patent Nov. 14, 1753.
Recorded Nov. 16, 1781.
P. 235. Will of Michael Kline of Lancas-
ter.
Wife, Mary.
Children:
Mary, wife of John Landis.
George, Jacob, Henry, Charles.
Elizabeth, wife of Robert McClure.
Margaret, deceased wife of John Leonard.
Michael, deceased, one daughter, Mary
Eliza.
Will signed Aug. 1, 1827.
Proved Sept. 2, 1828.
Roth Family
Will of Philip Roth. Book G, page 227, of
Earl Township.
Wife, Maria Margaretha.
Children :
John, Jacob, Philip, Henry, George.
Catharine, wife of David Ream.
Maria.
Susanna, wife of Martin Bowman.
Will signed July 3, 1785.
Proved Feb. 5, 1797.
Will of George Roth. J, p. 218.
Wife, Thoratea.
Children:
Daniel, Jacob, Margratha, Mary, Sara, Fri-
drig, Lodwig.
Dated May 21, 1782.
Not signed. Offered for probate Aug. 16,
1782.
Recorder's Office. Q. 3, page 746.
George Roth and Susanna his wife of
Lancaster sell a house in the borough
March 17, 1804.
M. N. ROBINSON.
Among the few Indian relics in Pennsyl-
vania was a large flat stone on a farm in
Washington County, upon which had been
carved various curious Indian hieroglyphics
that had attracted wide attention from Revo-
lutionary times. This stone was blown re-
cently with dynamite by the owner of the
farm to rid himself of the annoyance caused
by so many visitors to tre stone. With the
fragments he built a smoke house.
— From Swank's Progressive Pennsylvania.
59
THE FORUM
The P-G Open Parliament, Question-Box and Clipping Bureau — Communications Invited
d:
MEANING of names
By Leoulmrd Felix Fuld, LL.M., Ph.D.
EDITORIAL NOTE.— Dr. Fuld has kindly
consented to give a brief account of the der-
ivation and meaning of the surname of any
reader who sends twenty-five cents to the
Editor for that purpose.
63. SUMNEY
The original English surname was SUM-
MONER, which was applied to the Sheriff
or other county officer who summoned the
posse, the jurymen, etc. This name was
corrupted in speech and in spelling to SUM-
NER and this was modified to SUMNEY by
the use of the genitive ending to denote the
son.
64. BEST
BEST is one of the comparatively few
complimentary English surnames. It was
applied to him who was considered in every
respect best. Its etymology is interesting.
Derived from the verb BEAT it was origi-
nally spelled BEATEST and indicated the
man who could beat all others. The best
fighter was at that time considered the best
man but later the surname was given a
wider connotation.
65. EVERLY
EVERLY is believed to be a corruption of
EVER and LICH. LICH means like and
EVER is derived from the Latin of VERRES
meaning a pig. The primary meaning of
EVERLY was undoubtedly somewhat com-
plimentary. "Strong as a boar pig." Later
however it was also applied as a nickname
meaning a man who is like a swine.
Acknowledgment
We have the honor to acknowledge receipt
from a Tennessee correspondent of two
copyrighted cards gotten up by the
"King's Daughters of Memphis". The one
booms Memphis; the other notes the his-
toric fact that Dan Emmet's "Dixie" was
made famous by Herman F. Arnold, living
in Memphis today, who on the suggestion of
his wife orchestrated it for a band to be
played at the inauguration of Jefferson
Davis. The latter card gives pictures of
Mr. and Mrs. Arnold in 1859 and today, of
Jefferson Davis and of the original manu-
script of "Dixie". Address will be fur-
nished on application.
Making Drafts, Fascinating
M. A. Gruber, Washington, D. C, is de-
voting his spare time to "the preparation of
a draft of the original tracts of land taken
up by the first settlers in the townships of
Heidelberg and North Heidelberg, Berks
County, Pa. and of adjoining properties".
He says, "It is an extremely fascinating oc-
cupation for those interested in genealogy
and local history".
Magazine Exchange
For ten cents each per issue we will in-
sert under this head notices by subscribers-
respecting back numbers of The Pennsyl-
vania- German under "Wanted" and "For
Sale". In answering state price and condi-
tion of copies.
WANTED — Vol. I, No. 3 and 4. Nathan
Stein, Alameda, California.
Vol. I and Vol. VI. W. J. Dietrich, Allen-
town, Pa., 534 N. 7.
Value of the Dialect
One of our subscribers who came as a
stranger on business into a Penna.-German
community writes as follows about his ex-
perience :
"After my first 'Volley' of 'Penna. -Dutch'
my reputation was made among them and I
was met with handshakes, kindly invitations
and expressions, such as, 'Mere wissa does
du all recht bischt, weil du schwedscht und
huscht actions geraud wie unser leit', etc.,.
etc., I surely 'felt at home' among them."
A Rare Relic
W. H. Calhoun, a Sunbury jeweler, has on
exhibition in his window one of the finest
relics of the Susquehanna valley. The relic
is a necklace of two strands of opalescent
beads and a bronze medallion and is the
property of Rev. E. M. Gearhart.
The necklace was dug up on Blue Hill,
opposite Sunbury, and corresponds exactly
to the description of one of the treaty neck-
laces given by the British to Chief Shikel-
limy. The owner however does not claim
this to be the necklace in question in as
much as Shikellimy's visiting card does not
accompany the relic, but authorities both of
state and national reputation who have ex-
amined the necklace and medallion are of
the unbiased opinion that this is in reality
the necklace of which British history tells.
— Middleburg Post.
•60
T I ! E PE.WS YLVAX I A-GERMAN
The German in Evidence
Leslie's Weekly of November 17 made ref-
erence to the following — Chicago's Tribute
to a German Poet, the superb monument of
Goethe; the Isthmian Commission: Lieut.
Col. W. L. Sibert, Col. G. W. Goethals, Col.
W. C. Gorgas; Prof. Reinhard A. Wetzel of
the College of the City of New York who
weighed the world and wants to weigh a
sunbeam; Rear Admiral Schley; Stellan
Hammerstein: Judge Peter S. Grosscup;
General Zollikoffer; John S. Huyler; the
Baron Steuben Monument.
be looked for as last winter, with the excep-
tion that the cold will not be so prolonged
into the late spring. — Hanover Record-
Herald.
An Old Subscriber Writes
"I wish I could send you some subscrib-
ers for your very good magazine, but in
this country that is almost impossible. I
enclose a few names— the best that I know
' — but even these will not likely take your
paper. They have been weaned away from
the old state with its language and cus-
toms."
Query. Who has been doing the wean-
ing? Should not an effort be made to win
"back in affection — if not in body — our sons
and daughters?
A Subscribers Poetic Testimonial
The Pennsylvania-German
Is the magazine I read.
I close scan its pages
Relating many a heroic deed,
Of the early German fathers
Who struggled and who toiled,
To make a home for those they loved;
Whose aim could not be foiled.
The Irish, Scotch and English
Despised the thrifty race,
Who made their acres blossom
Supported by God's grace.
MARK HENRY.
The "Caterpillar" Prophet
Henry Hershey, of near Spring Grove,
predicts that the people can look for a cold
spell of weather, with much snow and ice
'from now until the latter part of February.
After that a mild condition will prevail all
through March and the forepart of April,
and then another short snap of cold weather
before summer opens.
He bases his calculations on the large
gray, woolly caterpillars, which can be seen
crawling in the late fall along public roads
and railroad tracks, and says that their
condition in color is an almost infallible
sign. This year the caterpillars are black
from the head beyond the middle, then they
are light in color for a short distance and
end with a black spot over the tail. Last
year the black spot over the tail was much
larger, and a similar weather condition may
Last of Historic Toll Road
At a stockholders' meeting held at the
offices of the Lehigh Valley Transit Com-
pany, in Allentown it was unanimously
voted to dissolve the famous old Chestnut
Hill & Spring House Road Company. This
company, chartered by a special act of the
Legislature in 1804, thus died a natural and
unregretted death, its disease being modern
progress. It extends through Springfield
and White Marsh townships, this county,
and had rights of way through Ambler,
Flourtown and Fort Washington.
In looking over the old records it was
found that the road had originally been
chartered to be 60 feet wide and was bound
to have 32 feet of macadam. Even as far
back as 1804 the cost of construction was
$71,000, and a glance at the minutes showed
that during the 106 years of its existence
upward of $525,000 had been expended in
maintenance. — Register.
No Race Suicide
Recently there were laid to rest near
Macungie, Pa., the remains of Catharine,
widow of Enoch Rohrbach, aged 97 years, 2
months and 10 days. Deceased was a
daughter of Martin Miller and his wife
Elizabeth, and was born in Berks County.
Five children preceded her in death. There
survive the following: Seven children —
Sophia Kemerer, of Powder Valley ; Eliza-
beth Eschbach, of Dale; Mary Ann Nuss, of
Sigmund; Jeremiah, of Griesemersville;
James, of Sigmund; George, of Macungie;
Alfred, of Sigmund; — besides the 12 children
she had 78 grandchildren, 155 great-grand-
children and 17 great-great-grandchildren,
or 259 descendants.
The greatest mother in the world, per-
haps, is Mrs. Jane Morris, 86 years old, re-
siding in Jackson County, near the foothills
of the Cumberland mountains, in Kentucky.
Mrs. Morris was born and reared in the
mountains, has little education and, until a
few years ago, had never been outside of
her immediate vicinity, there being up to
that time no railroad in Jackson County.
Mrs. Morris' claim to greatness lies in the
fact that she can boast of a total of 518
descendants, nearly all of whom are living
and none of whom ever has been accused of
crime.
Aunt Jane, as she is called, is now very
feeble. — Baltimore Sun.
THE FORUM
61
The Kaiser in the Making
The German "gymnasium" is not very un-
like the ordinary type of public schools in
America and Scotland, so writes Mr. Sydney
Brooks in McClure's Magazine. In the gym-
nasium at Cassel the German Kaiser spent
three years of his boyhood, a diligent but
not a brilliant pupil, ranking tenth among
seventeen candidates for the university.
Many tales are told of this period of his
life, and one of them, at least, is illuminat-
ing.
A professor, it is said, wishing to curry
favor with his royal pupil, informed him
overnight of the chapter in Xenophon that
was to be made the subject of the next
day's lesson.
The young prince did what many boys
would not have done. As soon as the class-
room was opened on the following morn-
ing, he entered and wrote conspicuously on
the blackboard the information that had
been given him.
One many say unhesitatingly that a boy
capable of such an action has the root of a
fine character in him, possesses that chival-
rous sense of fair play which is the nearest
thing to a religion that may be looked for
at that age, hates meanness and favoritism,
and will, wherever possible, expose them.
There is in him a fundamental bent toward
what is clean, manly and aboveboard.
Boyhood Dreams of Judge Grosscup
Mark Twain is authority for the state-
ment that you cannot tell how far a frog
can jump by looking at him.
Neither can you forecast the future of a
boy by his appearance.
A biographer of Judge Peter Grosscup,
the distinguished federal judge of Chicago,
tells some interesting things concerning the
life of the judge.
His parents were primitive Germans and
members of the religious sect known as-
Amish. They were poor, too poor to send
their five children to school. Both the moth-
er and the girls worked in the fields, and
Peter alone got some schooling.
Peter was a tall, awkward youth, with a
mop of black hair, untrimmed, after the
Amish fashion; a protuberant nose and
thick lips.
Even today Judge Grosscup is not a hand-
some man, though distinguished looking.
Moreover, Peter would not work. He was
a dreamer of dreams that nobody under-
stood. But his mother said:
"If the Lord doesn't feel to make Peter
work I don't feel to do it."
Which argued rare philosophy in the
mother, who, with a mother's insight, saw
something unusual in her awkward son.
Peter disappeared from the neighborhood,
and the next that was heard from him he
had graduated at college with honors and
was studying law.
Somewhere within the uncouth Amish lad
was a divine yeast that caused him to rise
in the world.
It is good to add that when the judge be-
came prosperous he took very good care of
his people.
There is this to be said:
If you aspire to a prophet's reputation
be not swift to predict the future of a
freckle faced country youth.
There may be a Lincoln inside of him!
And further- — ■
With the career of Judge Grosscup before
him, the poor boy who aspires to distinction
may well take hope.
And further still —
It is your business and mine to see that
the door of opportunity remain wide open
to the poor and ambitious youth. — Exchange.
Wild pigeons were very numerous
when Penn first visited his province.
Janney quotes the following' account of
them : "The wild pigeons came in such
numbers that the air was sometimes
darkened by their flight, and flying low
those that had no other means to take
them sometimes supplied themselves
by throwing at them as they flew and
salting up what they could not eat ;
they served them for bread and meat
in one. They were thus supplied, at
times, for the first two or three years,
by which time they had raised suf-
ficient out of the ground by their own
labor." Proud says that the wild
pigeons were knocked down with long
poles in the hands of men and boys.
Wollenweber gives a humorous ac-
count of the commotion caused in
Berks County about the middle of the
last century by an immense flock of
wild pigeons. The pigeons created "a
dreadful noise" just before daylight
which greatly excited the fears of the
superstitious, who believed that a great
calamity was impending.
— From Swank's Progressive Penn-
sylvania.
62
(Founded by Rev. Dr. P. C. Croll, 1900.)
H. W. KRIEBEL, Editor and Publisher
THE EXPRESS PRINTING COMPANY, Printers
LITITZ, PENNA.
Editor of Review Department, Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N. J.
Advisory Editorial Board:— I. H. Betz, M. D, York, Pa. ; Lucy Forney Bittinger, Sewickley,
Pa.; A. Y. Casanova. Washington, D. C. ; Rev. P. C. Croll, D. D., Beardstown, 111.; Prof.
G. T. Ettinger, Allentown, Pa.; Prof. Oscar Kuhns, Middletown. Conn.; Daniel Miller,
Reading, Pa.; Gen. John E. Roller, Harrisonburg, Va. ; Prof. L. S. Shimmel, Harrisburg,
Pa. ; Rev. A. C. Wuchter, Paulding, Ohio.
The Pennsylvania-German is the only, popular, illustrated, monthly magazine of biography, genealogy,
man and Swiss settlers in Pennsylvania and otherhistory, folklore, literature, devoted to the early Ger
states and their descendants. It encourages a restudy of the history of the Germans in America ; it res-
cues from oblivion the record of the deeds of those gone before; it unearths, formulates and disseminates
a wealth of historic material of great moment in the right interpretation of our American life; it meets
the necessity of having a repository for historical contributons and a medium for the expression of opin-
ion on current questions pertaining to its field. It aims to develop a proper regard for ancestry, to
create interest in family history, to promote research along genealogical lines, to unite descendants where-
ever found, to facilitate a scientific, philological study of its dialect; it makes generally accessble to the
future historian the precious incidents of German life and achievements in America, and incidentally be-
comes an eloquent, imperishable monument to a very important element of the citizenship of the United
States.
PRICE. Single Copies 20 cents; per year $2.00
payable in advance. Foreign Postage, Extra : to
Canada, 24 cents: to Germany, 36 cents.
SPECIAL RATES to clubs, to canvassers, on long
-term subscriptions and on back numbers. Ask for
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Volume Twelve
The current issue marks the begin-
ning of Volume Twelve of the maga-
zine. We count ourselves fortunate in
being able to give our readers such
good things as a first course. We hope
to make all the following courses
equally rich.
The Special Dialect Department
Our "Announcement for 191 1" calls
for a special "Dialect Department"
•edited by Prof. E. M. Fogel of the
University of Pennsylvania in which
the dialect will be treated scientifically
from a literary and historic standpoint,
and a phonetic notation will be used.
The following lines from Professor
Fogel account for the non-appearance
of the initial article of the department
in the January number. We anticipate
interesting and valuable discussions. y
"I shall have to prepare a paper for
the annual meeting of the Modern
Language Association, to be held in
December in my city and another for
the annual meeting- of the American
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
63
Folk Lore Society two days later in
Providence, R. I., so that I shall have
no time before Jan. I to write anything
definite for the P.-G. 1 hope after that
to be able to have a little more time
and thus do something for you. It
will do no harm to delay a month or
so, will it? I am going to take up the
phonetic notation again, during the
Xmas holidays." ,
Yours,
E. M. FOGEL.
Variations in Use of Dialect
It is very desirable to record in The
Pennsylvania-German dialect varia-
tions coming to the notice of our
readers. To facilitate such work it is
respectfully suggested that all who
can, make note of the differences ob-
served by them in the dialect articles
appearing in this department and sub-
mit the results for compilation. That
such variations exist becomes very
evident to those who change their
place of residence as the Editor did.
If all who are interested in the history
of the dialect will act on this sug-
gestion interesting and valuable results
can be secured. Those who do so will
confer a favor by notifying us.
Our Mail Bag
Our mail bag has been particularly
interesting of late — checks, greetings,
manuscripts, exchanges, discontinu-
ance notices being our daily fare. Our
list of "subscriptions received" indi-
cates in part how widely scattered our
family is. A fellow editor expresses
his feelings about the magazine in
these words :
"I enjoy every number of your val-
uable publication. It is full of interest
to me, valuable and meaty."
A genealogist and warm friend of
the magazine gives utterance to her
good wishes in words of cheer —
"I send you the season's greetings
and the best of wishes for the coming
year to the magazine and to you.
Here's health and happiness, comfort
and peace, success and usefulness in
full measure and running over."
A prominent lawyer writes :
"I have been a subscriber for your
magazine for some time and have en-
joyed it very much."
Words like these are a great reward
and inspiration to contributors and
friends who help so nobly in the up-
building of the magazine. They
should incite all to do still better work
this year.
Sinking into Oblivion
According to newspaper report the
worthy Superintendent of Public In-
struction of Pennsylvania, Nathan C.
Schaeffer, said at a teachers' institute :
"Roosevelt, in a recent work, said
that the Pennsylvania Germans during
the Revolutionary period who forged
to the front dropped their dialect.
Those who retained it sank into ob-
livion."
We are unable to verify the state-
ment at present, but it is so wide of
the mark that we can not believe that
the language has been reported cor-
rectly. Oblivion is the state of being
blotted out from memory. To main-
tain that all the Pennsylvania German
families of the Revolutionary period
who did not drop their dialect have
been blotted out from memory is so
perposterous-, unfounded and manifest-
ly unjust to a large class of prominent
citizens of our country that a refuta-
tion becomes unnecessary. The state-
ment, like an empty bag, can not stand
on its own base and we are not ready
to believe that our own President
would attempt to bolster it up. Sin mid
we call a roll of worthies of. our Nation
of the past fifty years we would doubt-
less find a goodly number of "im-
mortals" who themselves or whose
parents and grandparents spoke the
dialect. As we write, the names of
Governors. Ministers, Professors, Mis-
sionaries, Physicians, Judges, School
Superintendents. Principals and Presi-
dents of Educational Institutions come
to mind. Perikomen Seminary may be
64
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
cited as an example in this connection.
It is located in a Pennsylvania German
community, was founded by men who
spoke the dialect, is presided over by a
Board of Trustees who can use the
dialect, has always had teachers and
pupils conversant with the dialect. The
work done there, as in many other edu-
cational institutions in Eastern Penn-
sylvania, will save the names of many
of its participants for centuries from
oblivion. Our ex-President probably
did not say what is attributed to him ;
if he did he should not have done so,
and should either prove the statement
or withdraw it.
SUBSCRIPTIONS HAVE BEEN PAID by the persons
the year given— "12— 10" signifying December, 1910
PENNA.
Louisa Miller — 8 — 15
Elmer Bitting — 12 — 11
Charles Wagner — 12 — 11
Marv E. Kerschner — 12 — 11
Mrs." C. S. Mohr — 12 — 11
D. N. Schaeffer — 12 — 11
H. C. Desh — 12 — 11
J. D. Geiger — 12—11
A. A. Schlegel — 12 — 14
J. M. Lamberton — 12 — 11
J. I. Lenhart — 12 — 11
J. G. Rosengarten — 12 — 11
H. M. M. Richards — 12 — 11
O. F. Reinhard — 12 — 11
F. P. Krebs — 12 — 11
Pa. State Lib. — 12 — 11
Phila. Free Lib. — 12 — 11
P'b'g Carnegie Lib. — 12 — 11
N. Y. Public Lib. — 12 — 11
C. F. King — 12 — 11
Asa K. Mcllhaney — 12 — 11
H. K. Heebner — 12 — 11
C. F. Huch — 12 — 11
A. M. Treffinger — 12 — 11
M. G. Brumbaugh — 12 — 14
T. J. B. Rhoads — 12 — 11
Theodore Diller — 12 — 11
A. D. Glenn — 12 — 11
Miss E. E. Ellmaker — 12 — 11
Lottie Bausman — 12 — 11
Rev. J. J. Reitz — 4 — 11
H. S. Brinser — 12 — 11
C. S. Wieand — 12 — 11
W. A. Schall — 12—11
J. B. Scheetz — 12 — 11
T. H. Krick — 12 — 14
H. K. Kriebel — 12 — 11
E. A. Weaver — 12 — 11
W. H. Wotring — 12 — 11
J. R. Hoffman — 12 — 11
C. B. Laux — 12 — 11
C. Elder — 12 — 11
A. Stapleton — 12 — 11
F. D. Bittner — 12 — 11
W. B. Beyer — 12 — 11
A. J. Croman — 12 — 11
E. A. Jacobv — 6 — 14
A. B. Wagner — 12 — 11
C. Penrose Shirk — 12 — 11
N. C. Schaeffer — 12 — 11
H. W. Rupp — 12 — 11
W. E. Rex — 12—11
L. G. Heilman — 12 — 11
W. Feglev — 12 — 11
W. C. Armor — 12—11
J. H. DeLong — 6 — 15
E. W. Miller— 12 — 11
A. R. Brubaker — 12 — 11
J. W. Ellmaker — 12 — 11
E. K. Schultz — 12 — 11
J. K. Schultz — 2 — 12
J. H. Werner — 12 — 11
H. H. Shipe — 12 — 11
J. F. Kocher — 12 — 11
H. K. Deischer — 12 — 11
J. W. Polster — 12 — 11
W. Brower — 12 — 11
F. Xeimever — 12 — 12
E. L. Klopp — 12 — 14
C. Moser 4 — 15
J. Frank Sallade — 8 — 11
G. R. Oberholtzer — 12 — 11
Mrs. J. L. Mover — 12 — 11
Rev. O. E. Pflueger — 12 — 11
Mrs. E. S. Anders — 12 — 11
H. E. Gerhard — 6 — 11
L. S. Lonkert — 12 — 11
Lee M. Fluck — 6 — 11
Albright College — 12 — 11
W. K. Kistler — 12 — 11
Mrs. M. Chidsev — 12 — 11
J. G. Zern — 12 — 11
E . R. Deatrick — 12 — 14
F. A. Muschlitz — 12 — 11
T. A. J. Schadt — 12 — 11
W. M. Kopenhaver — 12 — 14
A. S. Klein — 8 — 11
H. E. Kram — 12 — 11
D. Nothstein— 12 — 11
Mrs. M. Saul — 3 — 11
Elmer Stauffer — 6 — 11
X. W. Reichard — 6 — 11
I. Z. Backnstose — 6 — 11
P. Hermany — 6 — 11
Jennie Kline — 12 — 10
S. E. Wertman — 12 — 11
M. \. . Mervine — 8 — 15
S. T. Bleam — 12 — 11
W. E. Zerbe — 12 — 11
T. P. Wenner — 12 — 11
F. E. Reichard — 12 — 11
A. R. Beck — 12 — 11
A. Loucks — 12 — 11
Laura Heckert — 12 — 11
D. B. Missemer — 12 — 11
G. E. Brownback — 8 — 12
F. M. Hartman — 12 — 11
J. K. Schultz — 12 — 11
J. A. Beaver — 12 — 14
J. R. Porter— 12 — 11
Ida P. Boyer — 6 — 11
J. H. Miller — 6 — 15
J. H. Snvder, Jr. — 12 — 11
E. Bertolet — 12 — 11
M. B. Smover — 12 — 14
George Kriebel, Jr. — 12 — 11
W. Scheirer — 12 — 14
Rebecca Miller — 12 — 11
A. E. Burkholder — 12 — 11
H. L. Haldeman — 12 — 14
J. J. Hauser — 3 — 12
O. F. Ettwein — 4 — 10
A. F. Hostetter — 12 — 11
John H. Boltz — 12 — 11
W. M. Zechman — 12 — 11
X. L. Getz — 12 — 11
E. M. Herbst — 12 — 11
C J. Bloss — 8 — 15
W. H. Ebright — 12 — 14
XEW YORK
State Lib. — 12 — 11
M. B. Lambert — 12 — 11
F. R. Getz — 12 — 11
E. K. Martin — 12 — 11
D. W. Nead — 1 — 12
named, to and including month of
CALIFORXIA
S. P. Bowman — 12—11
C. S. Eichelberger — 12 — 11
Nathan Stein — 12 — 11
C. B. Taylor — 12 — 11
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
E. E. Shott — 12 — 11
G. M. Brumbaugh — 12 — 11
W. H. Beck — 12 — 11
C. C. Curry — 12 — 11
OHIO
G. K. Leonard — 12 — 11
Sarah D. Young — 12 — 11
C. Benninghofen — 12 — 11
W. S. Gottschall — 12 — 11
MASSACHUSETTS
C. E. Metzler — 12 — 11
A. F. Sickman — 12 — 11
Worcester Pub. Lib. — 12 — 1
MARYLAXD
Louisa G. Miller — 12 — 11
Mrs. D. P. Miller— 12— 11
MICHIGAN
C. A. Lightner — 12 — 11
J. F. Schaeberle — 12 — 11
CANADA
D. B. Hoover — 12 — 11
COLORADO
Menn. Sanitarium — 12 — 11
GEORGIA
G. C. Jones — 12 — 11
HAWAII
H. C. Mohr — 12 — 11
ILLINOIS
Emma Rittenhouse — 12 — 11
MAINE
R. R. Drummond — 12 — 11
MINNESOTA
Minn. Hist. Soc-
-12 — 11
XEBRASKA
Mrs. A. S. Tibbets — 10-
NEW JERSEY
J. P. Wies — 12 — 11
G. C. Roth — 12 — 11
XORTH CAROLINA
F. R. Yoder — 8 — 11
PANAMA
W. H. Kromer — 12 — 11
PHILLIPINE ISLANDS
C. C. Hillegass — 12 — 11
VIRGINIA
John E. Roller — 12 — 11
WISCONSIN
Hist. Lib.— 12— 11
To Dec. 31, 1910.
-12
Vol. XII
FEBRUARY, 1911
A Study of a Rural Community
By Charles William Super, Ph. D., LL. D. Athens, Ohio
No. 2
(CONTINUED FROM JANUARY ISSUE)
IX.
H. MEYER tells us in his
Deutsche Volkskunde
that in Germany the lot
of the aged who are no
longer able to render any
service is often a hard
one and that they some-
times take the harsh
treatment they receive at the hands of
their children as perfectly natural,
since one who can not work is of no
use. I never saw any ill-feeling of
this kind. If parents were regarded
as burdensome and vexatious by their
children the circumstance was care-
fully concealed or only manifested it-
self on occasions of extreme provoca-
tion. The aged were almost without
exception treated with kindness and
consideration. The young and middle
aged seemed to realize unconsciously
that the same fate was in store for
many of them and that in treating
those far advanced in life considerately
they were doing as they would be done
by. It was one of the amiable traits
of these people and one in which there
was no difference in nationality. So
generally was the claim of a parent to
just treatment recognized that if a
suspicion arose that there was an ex-
ception, it soon became the talk of the
neighborhood and the adverse com-
ments were always severe. Nor did it
make any difference whether the
parents left any property to their
children or not. In the case of renters,
or even of those who owned small
farms the unavoidable mode of living
from hand to mouth made it impossi-
ble to accumulate anything worth
while for old age. Sometimes parents
made advance provision for their un-
productive years by assigning all or
most of their property to one of their
children with the proviso that they
were to be supported as long as they
lived.
X.
While thus portraying number Two
I have unavoidably invaded the realm
of number Three. I therefore go back
a generation again. It is somewhat
curious that several score of families
holding such diverse opinions on many
things cooperated harmoniously in
political administration. They pos-
sessed in a high degree the instinct
for government. Bitterly as the war
between the States was opposed
by about half the people I heard
really treasonable sentiments ex-
pressed by one young man only. He
declared that if he were drafted into*
the army he would not go; that the
66
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
South could never be conquered, and
therefore he might as well be killed at
home.2 Some members of number
Two could not speak English, while to
some German was an unknown tongue.
The ethnology of this region was char-
acterized by a commingling of Penn-
sylvania Germans and Scotch-Irish in
nearly equal numbers, the- former
slightly predominating. There were
a few families of native Germans, but
I believe no native Scotch or Irish.
Although in politics the Democrats
were the most numerous there were a
good many Whigs and later more Re-
publicans. Fremont had some adher-
ents. Knownothingism made some
stir and had a few friends but more
enemies. It was not simply the
younger men who were attracted by
the new political doctrines, but some
who were no longer young. It would
be interesting to know what motives
led to the acceptance of the new ideas
that were in a sense in the air. It was
certainly no mercenary one, for the
last thing everybody thought of was to
make profit out of his political opin-
ions. That the adherents of the vari-
ous factions and parties were very
hostile towards each other goes with-
out saying. When two men holding
opposing views came together the
subject that was uppermost in each
one's mind was generally not men-
tioned. Every man read only what
favored his own views : to put into his
hands arguments from the other side
was tantamount to a direct insult.
When the war of secession was im-
pending, petty acts of violence were
here and there committed as the result
of conflicting opinions. To some the
war meant the forcible deprivation of
the South of its slaves to which the
people of that region had as good a
right as those of the North had to
their horses. Does not the constitution
of the United States affrm and confirm
this fact? But it was in matters of re-
ligious belief that the greatest diver-
sity obtained. There were some so-
called Seceders who, though compara-
tively few in numbers, were somewhat
important on account of their social
standing and their comparative intelli-
gence. They had no church edifice
within the region 1 now have in my
mind's eye. When there was occasional
preaching in one several miles distant
none of the faithful were absent
though they might have a long journey
to make. Sometimes they held services
in a schoolhouse. In fact these build-
ings were called into requisition for
many different purposes, and were
freely opened to any one who wanted
to use them. No member of this de-
nomination would listen to a sermon
by a preacher of any other. If any of
them attended the funeral of a neigh-
bor he remained outside of the house,
no matter how inclement the weather,
while the preaching was in progress,
if there was any. At their services
only versified psalms were sung while
both their sermons and their prayers
were inordinately long. Yet the hearts
of these stern sectarians were more
tender than their heads ; their practice
was kindlier than their creed. They
were good neighbors, always ready to
help those in distress without regard
to religious belief. It remains to be
said that their church has long since
gone to ruin, nothing now being left
except the stone walls. I doubt
whether one member remains in the
community. Then there were Luth-
erans of the Old School and Lutherans
of the New who disliked each other as
much as they disliked outsiders. The
former, as well as those known by the
name of Reformed, were likewise ex-
clusive in their church attendance.
When a preacher of the New School
conducted revival services after the
fashion of the Methodists he was bit-
terly denounced by his older corelig-
ionists. It was almost an unheard of
event for a member of the Old School
Lutherans or of the Reformed denomi-
nation to enter a building where any
other preacher than one of their own
was holding forth. Albeit, not one of
their number probably, could have
given a reason for the exclusiveness.
In this respect the Seceders were
A STUDY OF A RURAL COMMUNITY
67
somewhat better informed. But these
conditions too passed gradually away.
The emotional side of religion was
represented by the United Brethren
and the Evangelical Association, the
latter having a church edifice near my
home, although subsequently the
Lutherans erected one still nearer; it
•was however intended to be somewhat
of a union affair. They emphasized
instantaneous conversion which they
held to be the only condition for en-
trance into the kingdom of grace. By
means of their fervent appeals they
not unfrequently received accession
from the younger members of families
that were very hostile to their methods
of procedure. Both these organiza-
tions, for the most part, derided an
educated ministry, holding that the
sole requisite was a "call". I remem-
ber however one man who began to
preach in response to what he believed
to be a divine inspiration. He did not
continue long, although he had for
some time a considerable number of
adherents. Some of his irreverent
neighbors declared that he must have
answered a call intended for some one
else. There were persons, on the
other hand, who could not see why a
young man should seek an education
unless he purposed to enter the min-
istry. The immersionists were rep-
resented by the Dunkers and the
Winebrennerians. Neither saw any
merit in an educated ministry. In fact
the preachers of the former were all
farmers. They built no churches and
held their services in schoolhouses and
barns. I recall one minister who
boasted of his lack of education. He
told his auditors, among other things,
that he never studied a sermon ; that
the Lord directed him what to say
upon any text he might happen to
select. Religious services were gen-
erally well attended, notwithstanding
the exclusiveness of some of the farm-
ers and the indifference of others. It
was an occasion on which the older
people could meet together and ex-
change views with one another. If
the services were held in the evening
or in a grove, the young people had a
particular incentive for attending.
Once in a while in winter there were
long continued revival services. The
occasion when people could meet each
other besides preaching and prayer-
meetings in private houses, were the
not unfrequent raising of a dwelling
house or barn, the repairing of roads,
and for the women a "quilting". Per-
haps the fact that in this community
the nationalities as well as the creeds
were so much mixed had the effect of
toning down the salient features of
each whether for good or evil.
XI.
Many of the farmers of German ex-
traction were incredibly superstitious.
Thev believed in omens and charms;
they saw nightly visions, "spooks" as
they called them. They heard mys-
terous voices. They would neither
plow, nor reap, nor plant, nor sow, nor
cut down a tree, nor even build a pig-
sty when the moon was unpropitious.
Friday was especially tabooed ; in that
day nothing must be done that could
be left undone; above all, no new work
or enterprise must be entered upon.
They beheld men without heads and
dogs that were headless. They be-
lieved in amulets and other prophylac-
tics against ill-luck. When their cattle
fell sick some one who could "pow-
wow" was usually the first person sent
for. If one killed a cat it meant the
death of a cow. They believed in
witchcraft although I do not recall any
person who had the reputation of be-
ing a confirmed, or professional witch
or wizard. Perhaps every one was
credited with the ability to practice the
malign art when so disposed. I ought
to add that I never heard a man ex-
press a belief in witchcraft and only a
few Aery ignorant women. Even with
these it was rather the faint echo of an
old-time tradition than a firmly held
creed./ That this represented a stage
of progress beyond that reached by the
old world and portions of the new is
evident when we recall that in 1793 a
woman was executed in Posen for be-
68
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
ing a witch and that so late as 1836 a
reputed witch was drowned near
Dantzic. In Mexico a witch was
burned in i860 and another in 1873,
probably the last victim in the whole
world. It is however well known that
the peasants of continental Europe
have not quite shaken off the belief in
the malevolent influence and diabolical
power of some old women. They re-
fused absolutely to bring" any of their
beliefs and superstitions to the test of
experiment or to submit their theories
to investigation. "What my father be-
lieved I believe" always put an end to
the discussion. I remember that one
woman in particular wras reputed to be
potential in powwowing" for "wild fire"
(ervsipelas). I do not know whether
she ever cured a patient, but it was be-
lieved she could do so. Doubtless if
the remedy failed to produce the de-
sired effect it was owing to some
counter charm that nullified it like the
one mentioned in Erckmann-Chatrian's
Waterloo. When Joseph Bertha was
summoned to report for the draft, aunt
Gredel clandestinely slipped a piece of
cord into his pocket. When in spite of
it he drew a fatal number she declared
that his enemy Pinacle was responsible
for the failure of the spell to work.
Perhaps the most terrifying omen was
the howl of a dog at night without any
apparent cause. It was supposed to
be an infallible portent of a death in
the family. The stoutest heart was
not altogether proof against an un-
canny feeling.3
The source of this blind credulity is
not far to seek. These conservatives
were simply a relic of the Middle Ages
transferred to the nineteenth century.
They read no books even if they could
read, except once in a while a manual
of devotion or an almanac. They
knew very little English and were thus
cut off from all sources of knowledge
through that medium. In this respect
as in many others their knowledge was
scarcely distinguishable from ignor-
ance. They could only half under-
stand a sermon when preached by an
educated German. They had not the
slightest desire to learn English be-
yond the merest smattering because it
served no particular purpose, entailed
unnnecessary exertion and brought in
no money. They went to preaching to
listen if not to understand. If any one
in their presence broached a subject
that might be called scientific they
turned away as if insulted. Almost the
only American ideas they had imbibed
were political ; but how they came by
them they could not tell unless it was
by inheritance. A question was usually
disposed of by reference to a few catch
phrases that meant nothing when
taken out of their connection. To
change an opinion once entertained
was a crime of which few cared to be
guilty. Ears had they but they heard
not ; eyes had they but they saw not.
To affirm that the world is a sphere
was to fly in the face of the evidence
of one's senses. Lightning rods must
not be placed upon buildings since if
God wished to send a bolt of destruc-
tion his will must not be thwarted. Life
insurance was for the same reason not
to be thought of. It was even a ques-
tion whether it was not sacrilege to
insure a house or a barn. It should be
added however that these ideas were
held by comparatively few persons.
Furthermore, a careful study of the
conditions prevailing in parts of the
Keystone State nearer the eastern
boundary than the region 1 am now
considering has convinced me that the
people were a good deal more be-
nighted, or at least that there were
more people of the benighted class. If
the data were not easily accessible to
substantiate the fact one would be
prompted to declare that it would be
impossible for the inhabitants of one
of the most fertile regions of the earth
to remain stationary intellectually for
almost one hundred and fifty years. I
doubt whether one can find such con-
servatism, to us a mild term, anywhere
else in a region surrounded by an active
commercial and business life and on a
fertile soil. The French Canadians
are somewhat akin ; but they have long
A STUDY OF A RURAL COMMUNITY
69
been almost shut off from the rest of
the world, live on a comparatively bar-
ren soil and have against them a rigor-
ous climate. With most of these people
to be economical was the one essential
of life. The Will to save was as strong"
a psychic force as the Will to live.
With increasing prosperity they might
build a better house or a more com-
modious barn ; but it never entered into
their heads that the things of the mind
had any claims upon them. The im-
pulse to save dominated all their
actions; what they were saving for did
not for the most part, influence their
conduct, if indeed it ever occupied their
thoughts. Very few of them had any
object in life except to acquire as much
as possible and to spend less. They
had no philosophy of life, nor any con-
ception of duty toward themselves as
rational beings. While their gains
were relatively small, the amount
made no difference. They saw no use
in reading a newspaper or a book once
in a while, if they could read at all.
The idea of self-development never
entered their heads. If they bu ikied a
larger barn it was a matter of profit
since their cattle and the necessary
provender could be better cared for.
The farmers almost without exception
treated their livestock well especially
their horses. When they did otherwise
it was due to scarcity of provender
caused by drouth. There was only one.
farmer in our community who mal-
treated his horses by overworking and
underfeeding them. At that time no
law existed against such acts or it
would probably have been invoked
against him. In the olden time the
horned cattle with a few sheep that
browsed with them, were often turned
loose in summer to shift for them-
selves. Sometimes they strayed so far
into the woods that they failed to re-
turn in the evening; then some boy
about the premises was dispatched to
hunt them up. If they could leave a
little more property to their children
than they themselves started with in
the world they believed their duty
done. If some of the rising generation
aspired to sufficient education to en-
able them to teach a country school
the ambition was to be commended,
yet for no other reason than because it
brought in a little ready money.
XII.
The social organization of the com-
munity was thoroughly democratic. If
some of the younger members of the
family, whether male or female, could
not be profitably employed at home
they solicited or accepted employment
with a neighboring farmer who needed
their help. They usually dressed as
well and were just as intelligent as
their new environment. Not unfre-
quently a young farmer married a
"hired girl"; and while parents who
were somewhat better supplied with
this world's goods might not exactly
like such a choice they usually made
no serious objections. If a young
woman had the reputation of being a
good housekeeper it covered a multi-
tude of sins both of omission and com-
mission, except a bad character. Acer-
bity of disposition and uncertainty of
temper were secondary considerations.
If on the other hand, she was reputed
to be a "slomp", untidy in person and
menage, she was considered an all-
round failure. No looks however at-
tractive and no disposition however
vivacious could atone for shii'tlessness.
The ability and the will to make a dime
go farther than anybody else was the
largest mantle of charity that was
known in the neighborhood. There
was usually one room in the dwelling-
house that was regarded as a sort of
holy of holies. Almost the only out-
sider admitted was the preacher when
he happened to make an occasional
visit. But he did not visit all the fami-
lies. No ray of sunshine must be let
in, and woe to the inconsiderate fly
that found its erratic way into it. Yet
this chamber was as regularly cleaned
and dusted as if it were occupied by
the entire family day in and day out :
that was at least twice a year; The
70
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
toilet-room was usually an outer
kitchen or annex. Family and visitors
alike were provided with a tin basin
and directed to this annex or an open
porch where they could make their
toilet undisturbed, provided no one
else wanted the place or the movable
property. If there was a pump, water
could be had on the coldest day in
which there was no ice. But as wood
was the only fuel used, the fires all
went out during the night, if indeed
there was more than one, and in cold
weather all the water in the house
froze. Thus it was often necessary to
break the ice in order to get at the
liquid underneath. Any one who
hesitated to apply this frosty element
was ridiculed as effeminate, without
regard to sex. The family towel was
at everybody's disposal ; sometimes the
family comb as well. Men, women and
children were all treated alike. The
regular occupants of the house having
been accustomed to this method of
procedure from infancy made no objec-
tions ; the occasional visitor from town
sometimes found the situation a little
too refreshing. It must be said, how-
ever, that no one was ever known to
be the worse for performing his ablu-
tions in ice-water, or from never hav-
ing worn under-clothing, or from hav-
ing got out of bed into a heavy sprink-
ling of snow that had fallen in the
night and been blown through the
chinks in the roof or walls. Men do
not miss what they never possessed, or
envy those living under conditions of
which they know nothing.
XIII.
One of the institutions much in
vogue with number Two was the sing-
ing-school. Young men and maidens
with a sprinkling of old men and chil-
dren met once a week in the winter for
the purpose of practising psalmody.
This was eventually superseded by the
spelling-school, although both flour-
ished together for a while. As few
could spell well and almost everybody
could sing a little or thought he could,
the opportunity to do so was eagerly
welcomed. A very small number could
sing independently; the rest followed
as best they might. Besides, the abil-
ity to sing lent interest to the church
services. Few even of the best quali-
fied were competent to read a tune at
sight with the notes before them. To
render the task easier and to preclude
the necessity of too much mental exer-
tion the so-called buckwheat notes
were for the most part used. That so
many devices were invented for the
purpose of enabling singers to avoid
the necessity of learning the oval notes
is evidence that this accomplishment
was generally considered a difficult
one. One innovator introduced a sys-
tem in which the tones of the scale
were represented by Arabic numerals
strung along a horizontal line. Another
taught political geography by singing.
In the buckwheat system each of the
seven tones of the scale was designated
by a peculiar character to indicate its
pitch and thus to make it easier to-
read. This system had displaced an
older in which there were only four
different characters, the first and the
fourth, the second and the fifth, the
third and the sixth tones of the scale
being indicated by the same sign.
The seventh was not duplicated. There
lies before me as I write a small
volume entitled The Social Lyrist in
which but four musical characters
were employed. It was published in
Harrisburg. I have never seen an-
other copy. A person who could sing
the oval or round notes, as they were
called, was regarded as something out
of the ordinary. Although there was
a good deal of singing musical knowl-
edge was confined within very narrow
limits. Not a hymn-book with tunes
was used in our neighborhood by any
member of number One or Two. A
new melody was introduced once in a
while at a revival service, but it was
learned by rote. The use of the
"round" notes came in mainly with
melodeons and cabinet organs. I well
remember when a farmer living near
us purchased the first instrument of
A STUDY OP A RURAL COMMUNITY
71
this class in our neighborhood. This
epoch-making event took place early
in the "fifties". Several persons played
one or more smaller instruments,
especially the "fiddle", but it was
generally by sound. I recall that a
young fellow once asked me whether
I supposed the angel Gabriel played by
note.
XIV.
Although the Protestants were
greatly at variance with one another,
the bete noir to all of them was a Ro-
man Catholic. As no Catholic service
has been held in the county to this day,
so far as I know, and as few of the
natives had ever seen a member of that
denomination, they would probably
have been surprised to discover, if the
opportunity had occurred, that he had
neither horns nor cloven feet, and was
in all respects like other human beings.
When this religion was mentioned in
a Sunday School book, it was always
in terms of the deepest abhorrence ;
those who did not read got their prej-
udices where they got the rest of their
opinions. After the winter term of
the public school closed, a Sunday
School was usually begun in the
school houses. A number of the farm-
ers met, elected the necessary officers
who selected the teachers. A few dol-
lars were subscribed with which to
purchase the indispensable books and
a modicum of other supplies; then the
enterprise was ready to be set in mo-
tion. The conservatives opposed this
institution also, partly because it cost
a little money, partly because their
fathers did not have Sunday Schools.
Almost the only instruction book used
was the Bible which was read Contin-
uously beginning with the first chap-
ter of Genesis. Of course not even the
Pentateuch could be completed before
the season was over ; so the next year
a fresh start would be miade. Re-
wards were offered to the pupils who
learned by heart the greatest number
of verses from any part of the Sacred
Book. As these had to be consecutive,
diligent search was made for the
chapters that had the largest number
of short verses. This memorizing
would be condemned by modern peda-
gogy. Albeit, we gained a valuable
possession that we could not have got
in any other way and did it with little
effort. I doubt whether modern Sun-
day School methods do as much. It
is true, however, that only a small sec-
tion of the scholars took the trouble
to learn verses. ' The recitation pre-
ceded the regular reading and with one
or more classes took up a large part of
the hour. Even within this little realm
there was some rivalry, or at least
emulation : the citizen who was elected
superintendent felt duly honored. Here
too fame was the last infirmity of
noble minds, or of some other kind.
The most devout Roman Catholic
could not have believed more firmly
that outside the pale of his church
there is no salvation than some of these
most devoted Christians believed that
the man who had not been miracu-
lously converted, who had not re-
ceived the internal evidence of his con-
version, that is the witness of the
spirit, was doomed to be lost. Yet
these same people whatever might be
their creed, for the most part lived to-
gether amicably at least as amicably
as if no gulf of religious difference
separated them. After all there are
very few people who are not more
seriously concerned about their own
salvation than that of their fellow men,
even of their nearest friends. Not
many men are able to realize that the
peril which threatens the soul is as
much to be feared and provided against
as that which threatens the life. The
mediaeval idea that it is often an act
of mercy to take a man's life even with
excruciating torments, had no place in
the thoughts of the most sanguinary
or the most merciful sectary of the
nineteenth century. To some of these
people the unpardonable sin was pride,
or rather what they called by this
name. One of my father's nearest
neighbors withdrew entirely from ac-
tive participation in church affairs al-
72
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
though he professed to be deeply re-
ligious, for the alleged reason that
members were becoming too proud.
One could hardly discuss a sermon
with him for five minutes that he did
not add: "But the preacher did not say
anything against pride." If a man
had attended a religious service bare-
foot and wearing a ten cent hat this
man would have regarded it as a sign
of humility. If he had worn patent
leather shoes, a silk hat and gloves this
censor would have considered him as
a candidate marked for perdition.
While others were less outspoken they
were hardly less severe in their de-
nunciations. What such men would
have said if they had looked upon a
fashionable congregation addressed by
a minister in broadcloth, served by a
choir and an organ can easily be
imagined. No doubt would have en-
tered their minds that the whole
company was "hovering on the brink
of everlasting woe". On the other
hand, I remember to have listened
more than once to discussions on this
fertile theme in which some of the par-
ticipants maintained that to wear good
clothes was not necessarily a sign of a
proud disposition, and that a man
might be just as ostentatious in rags
as with the finest "toggery''.
XV.
There is little occasion for wonder
that almost all of these farmers were
fundamentally religious, however in-
different they might be to the doc-
trines of the churches. Religion is
after all a mental attitude toward those
mysterious forces that surround us on
every side rather than a formulated be-
lief. The dweller in the country being
in almost constant contact with what
it usually called nature is compelled to
think along certain lines whether he
will or not. Some of these lines con-
cern his very existence, others his
prosperity. Having little conception
of what to the scientist are physical
and psyhic forces he perceives God
everywhere.. Forest and stream, val-
ley and hill and mountain, but above
all the phenomena of the heavens, fill
him with wonder. The nightly sky
impresses him most deeply. Although
he has no conception of time and
space, the thought sometimes enters
his mind that the celestial bodies
moved across the firmament long be-
fore he was born and will continue so
to move after he has departed from
earth. It is however in the presence
of the tempest that he feels his weak-
ness most keenly, or at least has the
most practical realization of it. Al-
though a house or a barn is rarely
struck by lightning, the solitary tree is
not so fortunate. There is hardly a
farm on which there is not at least one
such mute monument of the lightning's
power to blast. Not unfrequently hail
or a downpour partly destroys his
crop or ruins his garden. Yet he can
only stand and look on in dismay. An
unseasonable drouth may discount his
ho^es of a bountiful harvest ; an un-
timelv spell of wet weather may almost
at the last moment diminsh the value
of his grain. To the educated man the
sun is the profundest mysterv of the
heavens. Not so to the rustic. He
sees it only in the davtime when other
objects engross his attention and di-
vert his thoughts from this inscrutable
source of light and life. Unlike the
dweller in city and town, he has con-
stantly before him the miracle of
growth and decaying vegetation, of
blossom and fruit and falling leaves.
They remind him day by day that he
too is subject to the same vicissitudes
of growth, of maturity and of decay.
The intense stillness of the solitary
farm-house at night has about it some-
thing uncanny.That it is occasionally
in summer broken by the bark of a
dog, or the noise of some animal in the
barn, or the hoot of an owl, or the
peculiar note of the whippoorwill, only
makes the solitude more impressive. In
the winter when the snow is falling or
the cold intense the silence is like that
of the grave. The denizen of the most
out-of-the-way farmhouse is however
rarely quite alone ; there are almost
A STUDY OF A RURAL COMMUNITY
73
always about him the members of his
own family. But the nightly wayfarer
over held, or through woods, or even
along the public highway has not even
this company. It is then that he feels
himself alone with his Maker, or it
may be with incorporeal beings that
are more likely to harm than to help
him. Boys are said sometimes to
whistle to keep their courage up. 1
never heard a boy or a man resort to
this stimulus in the late hours of the
night. The rustic is usually so still
that the breaking of a twig under his
footsteps may give him a momentary
start. In such circumstances it is no
wonder that this tense imagination
sometimes sees 'objects that do not
exist except in the realm where they
are created. While it should not be
said that these farmers were by
temperament gloomy or morose, they
were almost without exception serious-
minded. As they never came together
except for some useful purpose there
was little time for merry-making ex-
cept chaff and frivolous conversation.
The employers of the older generation
generally passed the bottle to their
laborers who were also their neigh-
"bors. On such occasion a man of
bibulous proclivities occasionally "put
himself outside" of more fire-water
than was conducive to clearness of
vision or steadiness of gait. But
shortly after the middle of the century
the custom had passed into desuetude
and almost everybody had become
thoroughly sober. After young people
had married they were expected to
settle down at once with their minds
made up to face the practical realities
of life. Their religion too had a somber
cast. That the goodness of God called
men to repentance was a theme rarely
dealt with or dwelt upon by preachers.
Almost without exception they warned
the people to flee from the wrath to
come. A few trusted in the good
providence of God and a still smaller
number occasionally became "shouting
happy". With the progress of intelli-
gence such violent demonstrations be-
came fewer and eventually died out
almost entirely.
XVI.
So far as I had the means of know-
ing, the men of German ancestry were
rather loth to admit it. Probably
many of them were the descendants of
redemptioners and dim tradition of
their lowly origin almost unconscious-
ly led them to wish to forget it.4 The
semi-bondmen who came to this coun-
try had slender reason for remember-
ing the fact ; they certainly could not
do so with feeling of satisfaction. Yet
it is to their credit that they took the
only, although desperate, means to free
themselves from the shackles of a g< »v-
ernment that were almost unendurable.
"Dutchman" was generally used as a
term of disparagement. In this case
neither poverty nor riches was the de-
termining factor, for on the whole the
Teutonic element was fully as well-to-
do as any other. I do not recall a
Pennsylvania German who boasted of
his nationality. I remember, on the
other hand, that one of our neighbors
was proud of being a "raw Irishman",
although he was not raw. In view of
the circumstance that the English
language furnished a bond however
slight with the British Isles while the
German was no bond with anywhere it
is no wonder that to the Teuton "Ger-
many" hardly meant more than did
Mexico or Cuba. Albeit, nobody had
a good word to say for the British and
many had a large allowance of bad
ones. The proverbial "honest Dutch-
man" was not ahvavs in evidence even
among his own. While not a few of
the Pennsylvania Germans were thor-
oughlv trustworthy and reliable, there
were others who needed watching.
Thev Avere as ready and as eager to
drive sharp bargains as anybody, the
despised trade Jew for example. Some
were radically dishonest and would
take advantage in a business transac-
tion by understatement or overstate-
ment. Deliberate lies were not un-
heard of. They carried bad eggs to
market; once in a while put a stone in
74
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
the butter ; made false returns to the
assessor (where isn't this done?) and
did other things of the sort. Common
rumor accurately represented the pub-
lic diagnosis in the current sayings :
"A is honest and l'> is dishonest", or at
least "needs watching". These winged
words had no connection with race or
language, and were no respecter of
persons. I do not recall ever to have
seen or heard, among these third or
fourth remove Germans, anything that
might be called sentiment. It is well
known that the German peasant in his
native soil, possesses a wealth of
nursery rimes, and even lyric poems
of high merit. My father's neighbor
had lost all nnection with the father-
land in this regard as in every other.
The young people sang their ditties in
their games and amusements ; they
recited verses of unknown provenience
which sometimes made sense and
sometimes nonsense ; but they were all
English. When we reflect that at the
utmost not more than four generations
lay between the dates when the an-
cestors of these Germans were still on
the other side of the Atlantic, and note
that their speech was to all intents
and purposes German, mutilated and
limited in vocabulary as it was. it
seems incredible that all traditions had
completely perished. In some respects
they were less matter-of-fact and less
plain spoken than the German peasant
of today in his habitat. I suppose they
would not have presented a young
couple, on their wedding day, with
articles for the nursery, as is often
done beyond-sea ; but in almost every
other respect they kept close to the
firm ground of reality.5
XVII.
I believe it to be no exaggeration to
say that the most conspicuous char-
acteristic of the members of this com-
munity was stoicism. It seems to
have been tacitly although uncon-
sciously regarded as a sign of weak-
ness, especially in a man, to exhibit
any feelings, either of affection or
grief. With the older women the case
was not widely different. This is not
a Teutonic trait ; it may be the trait of
a peasant. The Germans in their native
land exhibit a good deal of vivacity
and no small degree of affection for
the members of their own family
whether they feel it or not. The
Puritan was the proverbial stoic, as we
may learn not only from hundreds of
biographies but from thousands of
novels dealing with them. The typical
Englishman is almost as imperturbable
as a statue. He possesses a good deal
of the ancient Roman gravitas and
seldom loses control of himself. It
would seem, therefore, that the cir-
cumstances we have been considering
transferred or extended this trait from
the English and Scotch settlers to the
whole community. Take what comes
and make the best of it. Never let any
person suspect that you have feelings,
at least feelings of the finer sort. Don't
care. You cay be expected, of course,
to get angry sometimes and to give
utterance to your emotions ; but that is
another matter ; somebody has ill
treated or cheated you or taken ad-
vantage of you in some way. You
might have done the same thing under
similar circumstances. That is how-
ever no reason why you should be
slack in resenting it. This appears to
have been the unconsciously formed
rule of life according to which most of
them lived and died. An aged woman
once said to me : 'When people are
dead I think they ought to be buried
and forgotten". "Never forget that it
is possible to be at the same time a
divine man, and a man unknown to all
the world", wrote the Stoic Seneca.
XVIII.
The amount of labor performed by
the average housewife was prodigious.
With or without help she had the care
of the dwelling from cellar to garret.
She superintended all the marketing.
She milked the cows twice a day; no
member of the male sex ever per-
formed this ceremony since it was re-
garded as essentially woman's work.
She made her own, her husband's and
A STUDY OF A RURAL COMMUNITY
75
her children's clothing until the latter
were grown up. She managed the
garden, and in harvest time occasion-
ally assisted in the fields. She did all
the cooking, which though generally
plain was usually well done. She saw
to it that the tahle was liberally sup-
plied with staple food. She did the
washing and ironing. Besides these
things there were every day a great
many other things that did not fall
under the usual routine but which
nevertheless required her attention.
Although Sunday was generally ob-
served as a day of rest it was not al-
ways one for her ; a neighboring family
might chance to make her a visit, then
there was extra cooking to do. A well
set table, which was rarely lacking,
was an index of the cordiality of the
welcome. Yet those women, fully as
often as those who have an easier time,
lived to a good old age, in the enjoy-
ment of a fair degree of health through
life. The doctor was so rare a visitor
that when he passed along the road in
his sulky everybody wondered where
he was going. He was never sent for
except in cases of extreme necessity.
Although very few of these farmers
were sufficiently well-to-do to provide
for themselves even minor luxuries, no
one found the burden of life so heavy
as to be unbearable. Many years be-
fore my time a man hanged himself in
a deep wood a few miles from my
home. Nobody could give me any
light on the cause. The spot was re-
puted to be haunted. Although I
crossed over it at all hours of the night
I never heard or saw anything excep-
tional. It is true once when in deep
darkness I was passing near the place
a dead twig struck me on the mouth
and gave me a momentary fright. In
an instant however I recognized the
cause of the mishap and my fright left
me almost as quickly as it came. A
man about my father's age who lived
several miles from us committed sui-
cide or at least was reported to have
done so. Whether the deed of self-
destruction was clearlv established I
do not known as I never learned much
about the case. Some years after I
had left the locality a former school-
mate hanged himself in his barn in a
fit of mental aberration, but not owing
to world-weariness. People do not
become tired of life because of what
they do not possess but because of
what they want in vain. I believe it is
a truth of universal validity that sui-
cide is rare among the dwellers in the ■
country, so greatly is rural life con-
ducive to vigorous physical if not to
vigorous intellectual life. Another fact
of general import is that people who-
live in comparative isolation and in
constant contact with mother earth are
less emotional than dwellers in cities.
The stir and bustle and noise, the fierce
struggle of every one with every one
else, have a tendency to make the
nerves unduly sensitive. The early
history of Rome proves this. Her
citizens were essentially agricultural.
The same is true of Sparta. Gravitas
was a peculiarly Roman trait which
later developed into philosophical Sto-
icism. The Ionians, on the -other hand,
who were chiefly dwellers in cities
were more irritable, more sensitive to
external influences and to internal
motives.
2In I860 Lincoln had a majority in the count} over
all his opponents, but in irtiu McClellan carried it
by a majority of about a hundred.
' ?It may be remarked here that this superstition,
like mam- others, seems to be as widespread and as
old as the human race. Sir Richard Burton found
it in Central Arabia, a region that had not been
visited by half a dozen Europeans before him. Be says :
■Most people believe that when an animal howls with-
out apparent cause in the neighborhood of a house,
it forebodes the death of one of the inmates: for the
dog, they say, can distinguish the awful form of
Azrail, the Angel of Death, hovering over the doomed
abode, Whereas man's spiritual sight is dull and dim
by reason of his sins."
*My own observations were curiously confirmed by
the testimony of a friend a short time ago. He said:
"My stepmother is a Pennsylvanian. One daj she
asked me whether l could detect any trace of German
in her speech. I said I could. She has not yel for
given me although the conversation occurred more
than a dozen yeaTS agO."
BSince the above was written T have come across
tile following passage in Reich's Success among
Nations. Since it is in exact accord with my own
observations I transcribe it. "The German
has retained much of the poetry of the olden days;
he has clung tenaciously to a thousand quaint cus-
toms, and has still that wealth of fantastic and
i Heal imagination which has left so profound a
mark on German literature; he is still the repository
of stories, legends and fairy tales, which he has
refused to forget under the grindstone of a matter-
of fact, prosaic age."
76
Fort Augusta
By Cyrus H. Williston, B. S., Shamokin, Pa.
XE of the strongest and
most important of the
fortifications, of the per-
iod, bordering on the
French and Indian war,
was Fort Augusta, at
Shamokin, (now Sun-
bury) Pa.
The following description accom-
panies a copy of the original drawing
deposited in the Geographical and
Topographical collection in the British
Museum :
"Fort Augusta stands at about forty yards
•distance from the river (Susquehanna), on
a bank twenty-four feet high. On the side
which fronts the river, is a strong pallisado,
the bases of the logs being sunk four feet
into the earth; the tops holed and spiked
into strong ribbands which run transverse-
ly, and are morticed into several logs, at a
distance of twelve feet from each other,
which are longer and higher than the rest.
The joints between each pallisado broke
with firm logs well fitted on the inside, and
supported by the platform. The three sides
are formed of logs laid horizontally, neatly
done, dove-tailed and trunnelled down. They
are squared, some of the lower ends being
"five feet in diameter; the least from two
and one-half to one and one-half feet thick,
and mostly of white oak. There are six
four inch cannon mounted. The woods are
cleared a distance of three hundred yards,
and some progress made in cutting the bank
of the river into a glacis."
This is the only trustworthy account
we have of the fort as it stood, com-
pleted.
The causes which led to the build-
ing of a fort at Shamokin, were the
defeat of Braddock and the massacre
of the Penn Creek settlers.
The French and Indian war now be-
ing in full swing, the Provincial
Government perceived that some steps
would have to be taken to protect the
frontier from the ravages of the savage
foemen.
It was brought to their attention
that in the latter part of October, 1756,
a body of 1,500 French and Indians
had left the Ohio, of whom forty were
to be sent against Shamokin, for the
purpose of seizing it and building a
fort there.
At a conference held Feb. 22, 1756,
the friendly Indians expressed them-
selves as follows to Governor Morris:
"We strongly advise you to build a
fort at Shamokin, and we entreat you
not to delay in so doing. It will
strengthen your interests very much to
have a strong house there."
At a conference held in Philadephia,
April 8th, the Governor informed the
Indians: "Agreeable to your request I
am going to build a fort at Shamokin."
In spite of his promise to the Indians
the Governor took no further steps to
build the fort.
Again April 10th, 1756, another
petition was presented by the Indians,
asking for a fort.
The chief objection to the building
of the fort seems to have been the
difficulty of making arrangements,
fear of the enemy, and want of consent
on the part of the commissioners.
It was not until the 16th of April,
1756, that the Governor directed
Colonel Willian Clapham to rendez-
vous his regiment near Hunter's mill,
where a number of canoes were to col-
lect and be fitted to transport stores to
Shamokin.
The Governor himself went to Har-
ris' Ferry to aid in forwarding the
expedition.
All at last being in readiness, in-
structions were sent to Colonel Clap-
ham. These instructions included two
plans for the proposed fort; directions
to build it on the east side of the Sus-
quehanna; also directions for clearing
the ground around the fort, and mak-
ing openings to the river. Log houses
were to be built outside the fort for
the friendly Indians.
The march to Shamokin began in
July, 1756. After a hard march in
which the command was exposed to
the danger from lurking savages, the
FORT AUGUSTA
77
men to the number of four hundred
reached their destination.
It was indeed a beautiful and rugged
spot. Blue Hill from its majestic
heights, looked down, as if in pity,
upon the puny band of men, who had
braved the terrors of the wilderness,
to establish what in the future became
a city.
Beneath their feet the great Susque-
hanna rolled silently toward the sea.
In the shadow of the forest, savage
men, watched their every move, for
sign of weakness.
Once on the ground Colonel Clap-
ham ordered earth-works to be thrown
up, and preparations were made to
erect the fort. Sad to relate, however,
much dissatisfaction existed among
the men. on account of back pay, and
a desire on their part to return home.
This state of affairs reached a climax
July 13th, when the men called a
council to consider what should be
done.
James Young who seems to have
been a pay-master in the service of the
Provincial government, reached Sha-
mokin about this time and found even
the officers on the verge of mutiny. On
the 18th of July 1756, Young wrote to
Governor Morris, giving him a graphic
account of existing affairs, and states
that he "doubts the wisdom of building
a fort at this place".
At this period, money and provisions
were scarce. This is no doubt the
reason the Governor turned a deaf ear
to the complaints from Fort Augusta.
In spite of his opposition from the
Indians and discouragement from the
Provincial authorities, the work of
building the fort continued.
On the 14th of August, Colonel
Clapham writes to Governor Morris,
that his wants were still unsupplied,
and powder was scarce. He also states
that Lieutenant Plunkett has been put
under arrest for mutiny.
On September seventh the Colonel
recommended that the fort be made
cannon proof by doubling it with an-
other case of log's.
On September 14th, Peter Bard noti-
fied the governor that "the fort is al-
most finished and a fine one it is".
Colonel Clapham, himself, wrote to
Benjamin Franklin, that in his opinion,
the fort was of the utmost importance
to the province.
The first report of Commissary Peter
Bard, made September 1756, shows the
supplies of the fort to have been as
follows :
46 lbs. beef and pork, 9 lbs. flour, 5 lbs.
pears, 1 bullock, 1 cwt. powder, 6 cwt. lead,
92 pr. shoes, 1 stock lock, 27 bags flour, 12
carpenter's compasses, 4 quires cartridge
paper, some match rope (poor), 4 lanthorns,
1301 grape shot, 46 hand grenades, 53 can-
non-balls, 50 blankets, 4 brass kettles, 6
falling axes, 11 frying pans, 1 lump chalk,
4 iron squares, 1 ream writing paper, 33
head cattle.
The fort was built under great dif-
ficulties; not only were the supplies
meagre, but Indians lurked in every
thicket, constantly watching for an op-
portunity to cut off the unwary strag-
gler. On August 23rd an express car-
rier, on his way up the river from
Harris' Ferry, was killed and scalped
and the soldiers themselves were not
immune as the following incident will
show.
In the summer of 1750, Colonel Mills
was nearly taken prisoner by the In-
dians. At a distance of about half a
mile from the fort stood a plum tree
that bore excellent fruit. This tree
stood in an open circle of ground, near
what is now called Bloody Spring.
Lieutenant Atlee and Colonel Mills
while walking near this tree were
ambushed by a party of Indians who
lav a short distance from them, con-
cealed in a thicket. The Indians had
nearly succeeded in getting between
them and the fort, when a soldier be-
longing to the bullock guard, came to
the spring to drink. The Indians were
thereby in danger of being discovered,
consequently they fired upon and killed
the soldier; Colonel Mills and Lieu-
tenant Atlee escaping to the fort.
A party of soldiers immediately sal-
lied from the fort, but the Indians
after scalping the soldier escaped.
78
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
On August 20th, 1756, Colonel
Clapham wrote a congratulatory note
from Fort Augusta to Governor Denny
who had succeeded Governor Morris.
From Harris' Ferry Oct. 13, 1756, he
wrote again, informing the Governor
of the condition of the fort.
On the 1 8th of October, a conference
was held at Fort Augusta with the
friendly Indians, who informed the of-
ficers .that a large body of French and
Indians were on their way from
Duquesne to attack the fort. On re-
ceiving this news the garrison was re-
inforced by 59 men, the whole number
being 306.
November 8th, 1756, Colonel Clap-
ham informed Governor Denny, that
fifty miles up the West branch, was
located an Indian town, containing ten
families whence marauding parties
came to pick off sentinels and kill and
scalp stragglers. Captain John Ham-
bright was sent on a secret expedition
against this village, but we have no
record of the result.
Near the close of the year, 1756,
Colonel Clapham was relieved from
duty at Fort Augusta.
He was not by any means a popular
commander, and many harsh criticisms
have been made of the way in which he
filled his office. It is true that he had
many undesirable traits in his charac-
ter ; yet to him and his untiring energy
we owe much. Many a frontier family
was saved from death and worse, by
this man who afterward fell a victim
to the very foes he had labored so hard
to defeat. He was killed by the Wolf
Kikyuscung and two other Indians, at
Swickley Creek, near where West
Newton now stands, on the 28th of
May, 1763, about 3 p. m.
He was followed in command by
Colonel James Burd, who held com-
mand until he departed to join the
Bouquet expedition, in October 1757.
His journal may be found in the Penn-
sylvania Archives, Vol. 2 — 745-820.
On the 6th of May, 1758. Captain
Gordon, an engineer, recommended
that a magazine be constructed in the
South Bastion, 12x20 feet, in the clear.
This magazine was built according to
his suggestion, and today is in a good
state of preservation, being the only
evidence left of the existence of the
fort. A small mound of earth sur-
mounted by a monument, erected by
Mrs. Amelia Hancock Gross, marks
the historic spot.
Access to the magazine is made by
twelve four-inch steps, leading down.
The ground space is 10x12 feet. It is
8 feet from the floor to the apex of the
arched ceiling. The arch is of brick,
made in England. They Avere trans-
ported from Philadelphia to Harris'
Ferry and then up the river by bat-
teau. It has been stated that there was
an underground passage leading from
the magazine to the river, but the evi-
dence favoring such a view is nega-
tive. To suppose that the inhabitants
of the fort would construct a passage
way to the river which would be the
side from which the Indians could
most easily approach, is about as
reasonable as the man would be, who
would lock all the doors on the upper
floor of his house, to keep thieves out
of the lower floor.
On June 2nd, 1758, Colonel Lewis
Trump took command. He reported
189 men in the garrison. That year
and the following one, 1759, was a
quiet one at the fort, owing to the oper-
ations of the provincial forces on the
western frontier.
At a visit of Colonel Burd in 1760 we
find Lieutenant Graydon in command,
with a garrison of 36 men, and few
stores and tools, everything much out
of order.
About this time the question of
abandoning the fort was brought up.
The people of the Susquehanna valley,
however, opposed this step. They
still had a lively remembrance of In-
dian sorties in the past and feared a
duplication of them if the fort was dis-
mantled.
The party surrounding the Governor
finally prevailing, on the 30th of March
1765 the Assembly resolved to evacu-
ate Fort Augusta. The final evacua-
tion however was delaved, and after
FORT AUGUSTA
79
the Revolution began the fort became
the headquarters of what might be
called, The Department of the Upper
Susquehanna. Colonel Hunter was ap-
pointed County Lieutenant and had
control until after the war. Colonel
Hartley was stationed here for a time
during 1777-8.
On the outbreak of the Indians,
those settlements which had furnished
the main body of men bearing arms in
the Continental Army, cried loudly for
aid. After the battle of the Brandy-
wine, General Washington consoli-
dated the Twelfth Pennsylvania Regi-
ment with the Third and Sixth ;
mustered out the officers, and sent
them home to help the people organize
for defense, Capt. John Brady; Capt.
Hawkins Boone and Capt. Samuel
Daugherty being among the number.
A system of forts was decided upon to
cover the settlements.
A few of these were .fortified in the
spring of 1777 and some in 1778.
The Massacre of Wyoming deluged
Fort Augusta with the destitute and
distressed ; already overloaded, they
were now overwhelmed. The most of
•these poor people soon passed on down
the river, and most of- the garrison at
Fort Augusta was withdrawn, but un-
til the end of the war, the West Branch
of the Susquehanna presented a pitiful
spectacle ; destitute families on every
side, many of them without father or
brother to minister to their wants. The
"God of War" had stalked like a pesti-
lence through the land and left noth-
ing but misery in his train.
It has been claimed by some that at
the time of the "Big Runaway''
Colonel Hunter lost his head and pre-
cipitated matters by withdrawing the
garrisons of the forts on the West
Branch. Such however was not the
case. He could not very well do other-
wise. Without means of defence :
menaced by a powerful foe ; his only
course was an honorable retreat. The
interests of the people were his own.
He had spent twenty years of his life
among them, and in their service. In
1784 he died and was buried by the
side of the fort he had so nobly and
ably defended, among the people
whom he had loved so ardently.
The general work of dismantling the
fort was continued in 1780, and the
ground on which it stood, passed into
the hands of Mrs. Elizabeth Billington
and Miss Mary Hunter, two sisters.
about 1855-56 (it being a part of the
Hunter estate, received by grant). It
was purchased by Benjamin Hen-
dricks, who sold the property to
Joseph Cake in 1865-66. Joseph Cake
cut his purchase up into town lots, a
parcel of which was bought by Mrs.
Amelia Lucas Hancock Gross, in May
1895 at a Sheriff's sale, the present
owner of Fort Augusta, who was born
April 11, 1849, at Balzey, Cornwall,
England.
To the energy and patriotism of this
remarkable woman we owe the fact
that today Fort Augusta is not a mass
of crumbling ruins. On the apex of
the mound marking the site of the
magazine, she caused to be erected a
monument of concrete. A concrete
Avail, four by thirty-two feet, facing the
river, on which in raised letters is the
following inscription :
"Fort Augusta, 1756"
has also been built by this energetic
woman.
Today in the great Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, one of the most im-
portant forts in its early history is
owned by a subject of King George of
England. Is this as it should be? I
leave it to posterity to answer.
( )n the side of the fort fronting the
river, is a boulder, surmounted by a
granite slab on which the following in-
scription is found :
"Site of Fort Augusta, built 1756.
This boulder and tablet was erected
by the Sunburv Chapter of the D. A.
R., 1906."
Of the cannon which once frowned
from the walls of this old fort, only
one is known to be in existence. This
relic is owned by Fire Engine House
No. 1, of Sunburv. It is securely
fastened and carefully guarded. It is
so
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
supposed that it was thrown into the
river at the time of the "Great Runa-
way", of 1778 after being' spiked. In
1798 it was reclaimed from its watery
grave, by George and Jacob Shoop.
After they had heated it by burning
several cords of wood, they succeeded
in drilling out the spiked hole. It has
had quite a checkered career, being
stolen from one place to another, to
serve different political parties ; be-
tween times being hidden in conveni-
ent places. In 1834 Dr. R. H. Awl and
ten young men of Sunbury made a
raid on Selinsgrove at night, securing
the coveted relic. Sunbury has re-
tained it ever since. The cannon is of
English make, weighs about one
thousand pounds, and had a three and
one-half inch bore. A drunken negro
sledged off the ring on the muzzle, in
1838. At the height of its power. Fort
Augusta was armed with twelve can-
non and two swivels.
In John Blair Linn's Annals of the
Buffalo Valley, we find mention of two
brothers of the present owner of the
fort who enlisted and fought under
Beach C. Amnions, Co. E Fifty Third
Regiment, Richard and William Han-
cock.
The principal facts regarding Fort
Augusta having -been given, the old
Indian Burying Ground deserves a
passing mention, especially so, when
the statement that it was the burying
place of the noble Shikellemy, has been
disputed. In the light of this dispute
it may be interesting to know what
history records about the subject. It
has been claimed that Shikellemy was
buried near Lewisburg, Pa., probably
at Shikellemy's old town which was
located on the farm of the Hon. George
Miller, at the mouth of Sinking Run,
at the old ferry, one mile below Milton,
on the Union County side.
In the annals of the Buffalo Valley
we find the following account of the
death of Shikellemy : 'Shikellemy after
Conrad Weiser's visit, removed to
Sunbury (Shamokin) as a more con-
venient place for intercourse with the
proprietarv governors."
On the 9th of October 1747, Conrad
Weiser relates that he was at
Shamokin and that "Shikellemy was
sick with fever. He was hardly able
to stretch for his hand."
Loskiel writes as follows : "After
the return of Shikellemy to Shamokin
the grace of God was made manifest
and bestowed on him. In this state
of mind he was taken ill, was attended
by brother Zeisberger, and in his
presence fell asleep in the Lord, in the
full assurance of obtaining eternal life,
through the merits of Christ Jesus."
(All this occurred at Shamokin.)
In the Journal of Cammerhoff and
Joseph Powell is stated the following :
"A short time before Shikellemy died
he turned to Zeisberger and looked
him beseechingly, in the face, and
signified as though he would speak to
him, but could not. He reached out
his hand and made another effort, but
without avail, and as a bright smile
illuminated his countenance, his spirit
quietly took its flight. Zeisberger and
Henrv Fry made him a coffin which
was carried to the grave by three Mo-
ravians, (Post, Loesch and Schmidt)
and a young Indian."
The Indian Burying Ground asso-
ciated with Fort Augusta, lies about
midway between the bridge, across to
Packar's island, and the south point
of the island. The evidence as it stands
is all in favor of Shamokin (Sunbury)
being the last resting place of the
famous Shikellemy. In the words of
Dr. J. J. John, of Shamokin, "there is
no doubt but this is the resting place
of Shikellemy."
Bibliography:
Pennsylvania Archives, Vol. 2, 1, 3.
Colonial Records, Vol. 6, 7.
Wm. Meginness's History of the West
Branch.
Egle's History of Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Colonial and Federal —
Jenkins.
Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania.
I wish to express my thanks to Dr. J. J.
John of Shamokin, Mr. M. L. Hendricks and
Mrs. Amelia Gross of Sunbury for assistance
given in securing the facts regarding Fort
Augusta.
81
Ethnical Origin of the Pennsylvania Germans
By Prof. Oscar Kuhns, Middletown, Conn.
Read at the celebration of the 200th
Anniversary of First Permanent White Set-
tlement in Lancaster County, Sept. 8, 1910.
T IS strange how little the
Pennsylvania Germans
know about their own
origin. They know, in
general, that for about
two hundred, years they
and their ancestors have
lived in America, that
they have taken their share in the de-
velopment of the country, have shed
their blood during the Revolution and
the Civil War, and that in every
respect they are true born Americans,
in blood, in spirit and in truth. Yet
the only thing they know about their
ancestors is that they came from Ger-
many and Switzerland. This is not so
with the other ethnical elements of the
American people. The English have
practically monopolized the whole
field, and we hear Americans called on
general terms xA.nglo-Saxons. This
term designates exacty the racial ante-
cedents of the English people, and
refers to those two branches of the
great Teutonic race that, fifteen hun-
dred years ago, overran and conquered
Great Britain, the Angles and the
Saxons. So, too, the expression "Dutch
of New York" suggests at once the
Holland people, who are the de-
scendants of another Low German,
race, or, rather, mixture, for the Hoi-,
landers are racially a mingling of Low
Frankish with Saxon and Frisian
elements.
It is not our place here to speak of
race. This race was once supposed to
have its original seat in India, and to
have gradually spread east and west;
although it is not certain now where
the original seat was. The race in-
cluded, however, the Persians and
Hindus in the east, and in the west,
or Europe, the various branches of
Greeks and Romans, Celts, Slavs and
Germans. The Germans were divided
originally into the following groups :
The East German groups (including
Goths, Burgundians and Vandals) ; the
North German group (including
Danes, Swedes and Norwegians) ; the
West German group (including the
Belgians, Frisians and Franks). In
addition to these there were two other
groups, one having its seat about the
mouth of the Elbe, and consisting
largely of Saxons, Angles and Cimbri.
The last group, and the one of the
most importance for us, is the Central
or Swabian group. In this are included
the Semnones, the Alemanni and the
Suevi, and their various subdivisions.
One of these subdivisions is that of the
Marcomanni, who having settled in
the territory once occupied by the Boii,
a Slavic race, having since been called
Bavarian. Another division is that of
the Lombards, who settled south of
the Alps, and from whom have come
the inhabitants of Italian Switzerland
and Northern Italy (Lombardy).
Everybody knows how the modern
nations have come into existence; how
the Roman Empire gradually fell be-
fore the repeated assaults of the
Northern Barbarians, as the old Ger-
mans were called by the Romans ; how
the other elements of the American
nation, the Scotch-Irish and the French < early in the fifth century after Christ
Huguenots. It is of interest, however,- the frontiers of the empire were broken
to inquire into the question, just what
racial elements the Pennsylvania Ger-
man belongs to. To discuss this fully
we must go back to the beginning of
things.
The Pennsylvania Germans belong
to the great Aryan or Indo-European
down ; how the Visigoths and Suevi
conquered Spain and formed the basis
of the Spanish and Portuguese of to-
dav ; how the Franks overran the
Roman province of Gaul, and formed
the French nation of today; how the
Angles and Saxons conquered Great
82
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Britain and formed the English nation ;
how the Scandinavians laid the foun-
dation of Sweden, Denmark and Nor-
way; how the Saxons grew to a great
people, now the kingdom of Saxony.
Thus the great territory of Germany,
as we have seen, was composed of a
number of these ethnical elements, the
Saxons, the Swabians, the Bavarians,
the Prussians (a later term), the Hes-
sians, and to the west the Frisians and
Holland Dutch.
It is time now for us to investigate
the question, which of these elements
have formed the origin of the Pennsyl-
vania Germans?
If we read the story of the early
German immigration to Pennsylvania,
we shall see at once that almost entire-
ly they came from South Germany,
especially from the banks of the Rhine
and from Switzerland. Hardly any of
the north German people came over
then. This is due to historical causes
which we have not time to discuss
here. Enough to say that the Penn-
sylvania Germans came almost entirely
from South Germany and Switzerland.
The largest number came from the so-
called Palatinate, lying on the banks of
the Rhine ; so that, indeed, the generic
name of the German immigrants in the
early eighteenth century was "Pala-
tines". Hence, if we are to trace the
ethnical origin of the Pennsylvania
Germans back to the sources we must
find out what races founded the Palati-
nate in Switzerland. This is a very
simple matter, for it is a well-known
fact that the German-Swiss are of the
purest Alemannic blood,1 while the
Palatines are a mixture of Alemannic
and Frankish blood. Whence, then,
were the Alemanni, and who were the
Franks? We have already seen that
the Alemanni belonged to the group of
the Suevi. The name Alemanni2 is
given to a number of lesser tribes
which gathered around the Semnones,
and thus formed a new and important
nation. Their earliest seat was near
the middle region of the river Elbe.
From here they spread south and west,
broke through the Roman limes (wall)
and took possession of the fine lands
between the Upper Rhine and the
Danube. As early as the third century
after Christ, we hear of their wars with
the Romans. In 357 A. D., the Em-
peror Julian fought a terrible battle
against them, near Strasbourg. From
260 to 369 A. D., the Emperor Valen-
tinian I. carried on war against them.
The result of these wars, as we have
seen,, was the final victory of the Ale-
manni and their possession of the
lands across the Rhine. This brings
us to the fifth century, and to the
epoch-making contest between the
Franks and the Alemanni.
As we have seen, the Franks be-
longed to the West German group.
The name is of later origin, and indi-
cates that they were "free-men". They
spread over France, and form the basic
element of the French people of today.
But they were not content to remain
on the banks of the Lower Rhine and
in France, but sought for universal
conquest. Spreading along the banks
of the Upper Rhine, they came in
conflict with the Alemanni, and a
world-shaking contest for supremacy
arose between these two mighty
peoples. At that time Clovis was king
of the Franks. His wife was a Chris-
tian, but he was not. He made an
oath that if the God of his wife would
give him the victory over the Aleman-
ni, he would become a Christian. A
terrible battle took place at Tolbiac,
near Cologne, in 496, in which Clovis
came off victor. He was baptized on
Christmas Day at Rheims, and from
that time on the Franks were Chris-
tians.
The result was the swallowing up of
the Alemanni by the Franks. Those
who would not yield retired beyond
the Alps and formed the modern
Swiss nation. Those who remained on
the Rhine were under Frankish rule,
and gradually the two people mingled
together, the places left by the Ale-
manni who fled to Switzerland being
taken by Frankish colonists.
Thus we see that the two elements
that make up the Pennsylvania Ger-
ETHNICAL ORIGIN OF THE PENNSYLVANIA GERMANS
83
mans belong to the most famous
branches of the Teutonic race; and we
have as much reason to be proud of
our Frankish-Alemannic blood as the
English of their much-boasted Anglo-
Saxon blood. We are told that the
ancient Alemanni were independent,
and insisted on being no man's under-
ling; and the motto of the whole race
might have been that of the Swiss
Paracelsus (whom Browning made the
subject of one of his noblest poems) :
Ernes andern Knecht soil niemand sein,
Der fur sich selbst kann bleiben allein.
We are told that the Alemanni held
their women and the family life far
higher than their neighbors ; that they
loved their homes and yet at the same
time were wanderlustig; that they had
a deep inner life, and were intensely
religious — a fact that explains the
number of sects, not only in Switzer-
land, but in Pennsylvania itself, and
has brought it about that it was among
the modern Alemanni that Pietism had
its root, whence came the recently-
formed denominations of the Metho-
dists and the United Brethren.
And yet, at the same time, the Ale-
manni have always had a tendency to
cheerful company, and were marked
by native wit and a tendency to gentle
humor. The Franks added to this an
element of quickness, readiness, skill
in art, and all those qualities which
mark the French today.
Both Franks and Alemanni were in-
dustrious and hard-working. The task
before them fifteen hundred years ago
was not unlike that of our ancestors
two hundred years ago. They entered
into a wild, unbroken wilderness. They
had to root out great forests, make the
ground fruitful, and to this day place
or family names ending in Ruti, Brand
and Schwand (i. e., land cleared by
fire) show the work they had to do.
It was the Franks, however, that
possessed the greatest skill and talent
in agriculture, as can be seen when we
compare Switzerland with the Palati-
nate (or, indeed, France) in this re-
spect. They have made the Palatinate
the Garden of Germany. As Riehl
says : "The Franks have made the
ground on the banks of the Middle and
Lower Rhine and in the Palatinate
more fruitful than anv other German
soil."
There is a strange resemblance in
this respect between the farmers of
Lancaster County and the Palatinate.
Both have made their farms the finest
in their respective countries; both are
rich and flourishing; both grow even
the same crops, for tobacco is today
the chief element of wealth in the
Palatinate as well as in Lancaster
County. Nay, both are alike in that
the richest farms belong to the Men-
nonites ; as Riehl says of the Palati-
nate, so we can say of Pennsylvania,
"Wo der Pflug durch Goldene Auen
geht, da schlagt auch der Mennonit
sein Bethaus auf." So much for the
ethnical elements of the Pennsylvania
Germans in general. And now a clos-
ing word concerning that branch of
them who first came to Lancaster
County.
We have met today to celebrate the
coming of our ancestors from Switzer-
land to this country, two hundred
years ago. Let every man who is de-
scended from these ancient Swiss be
proud of his ancestral fatherland.
What more beautiful country can you
find in the world than this land of
fredom and of beauty, with its snow-
covered Alps piercing the blue sky;
with its rivers of ice and it vast fields
of snow?
Where the white mists forever
Are spread and upfurled,
In the stir of the forces
Whence issued the world.
What lover of freedom is there
whose heart does not thrill at the name
of Arnold Winkelried and William
Tell? They are long since dead, but
their memory remains a treasure and
an inspiration in the hearts of their
countrymen today. As the poet sings :
The patriot Three that met of yore
Beneath the midnight sky,
And leagued their hearts on the Griitli
In the name of liberty!
shore,
84
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
How silently they sleep
Amidst the hills they freed.
But their rest is only deep,
Till their country's hour of need,
For the Kuhreihen's notes must never sound
In a land that wears the chain,
And the vines on Freedom's holy ground
Untrampled must remain!
And the yellow harvests wave
For no stranger's hand to reap,
While within their silent cave
The men of Griitli sleep.
And shall we not keep in like grate-
fnl remembrance those lovers of re-
ligions liberty, who rather than give
tip their freedom of conscience left the
hills and valleys of their native Switz-
erland, and, crossing the ocean, settled
in this place two hundred years ago?
What sternness of conscience, what
courage and strength it required to do
this, is hard for us to understand. To
leave the lovely valley of the Emmen-
thal, with its green fields and flourish-
ing hamlets, or the shores of Lake
Zurich, stretching like a continuous
garden on both sides of the lake, to go
to an unknown land, a wilderness un-
broken, whose only inhabitants were
the savage men ; what can you and 1
know of such courage as this? Many
a time as I have walked through the
Emmenthal, or sailed along the shores
of Lake Zurich, I have thought to my-
self, "how could these ancestors of
mine leave these wonderful scenes for
the dangers and uncertainties of the
new world !"
Yes, let us glory in our ancestral
fatherland ; let us glory in such men as
Tell and Winkelried; but let us still
more glory in our ancestors, the Herrs,
the Kendigs, the Groffs and all the
rest, who gave up all for freedom to
serve God in their own way, and ac-
cording to their own conscience.
Not as the conqueror comes,
They, the true-hearted, came;
Not with the roll of stirring drums,
And the trumpet that sings of fame;
Not as the flying come,
In silence, and in fear;
They shook the depth of the desert
With hymns of lofty cheer.
'loom
Amidst the storm they sang;
Till the stars heard, and the sea;
And the sounding aisles of the dim wood
rang
To the anthem of the free.
There were men with hoary hair
Amidst that pilgrim band;
Why had they come to wither there,
Away from childhood's land?
There was woman's fearless eye,
Lit by her deep love's truth;
There was manhood's brow serenelv high,
And the fiery heart of youth.
What sought they thus afar?
Bright jewels of the mine?
The wealth of seas? The spoils of war?
No — 'twas a faith's pure shrine.
Yes, call that holy ground,
Which first their brave feet trod!
They left unstained what here they found, —
Freedom to worship God.
85
A Recent Visit to Kriegsheim
By Ralph Haswell Lutz, Ph. D., Seattle, Wash.
1
0
mm
F the numerous villages of
the Palatinate, none is
more closely connected
with the early history of
German emigration to
Pennsylv ariia than
Kriegsheim on the Pfrim,
where the Mennonite
movement acquired prominence early
in the seventeenth century. Ten miles
westward from the ancient city of
Worms lies the large village of Mons-
heim and just a mile to the northeast
on the north bank of the Pfrim, a small
stream which flows eastward into the
Rhine, is Kriegsheim. Clustered at
the foot of one of the small hills, which
here border the western plain of the
Rhine, the venerable village still pre-
serves much of its mediaeval appear-
ance and has probably changed but
little since Penn first visited it in 1761.
To reach the village, one crosses an old
stone bridge near a mill race and en-
ters the principal street, which runs
east and west. The low-lying white-
washed houses with their ancient
yards and high stone walls form a
striking contrast with the modern
shops and inns near the town hall. On
the hill to the northeast of the village
stands the Evangelical Church, whose
severe stonework is quite in harmony
with the weathered gravestones in the
surrounding churchyard. Farther to
the west and higher up on the slope of
the hill is the more modern Catholic
Church, which is erected over the an-
cient Mennonite graveyard.
Kriegsheim was one of the first es-
tates of the cathedral chapter o f
Worms. In the chronicles of that
cathedral it is mentioned that Buggo
IT., bishop of Worms, enfeoffed his
chapter with the estate of Crigisheim
for the betterment of its prebends. Lit-
tle more is known however of the early
history of the village. Even the name
seems to have varied. Kreiensheim
and Kreiktisheim were both used at
different periods. On an ancient court
seal, the name Geriesheim occurs. As
is the case with most villages of the
Palatinate the early church records
have been lost. Those of Kriegsheim
only go back to 1748.
'1 he first record of the Mennonites of
Kriegsheim is found in the Chronik
des Ortes Kriegsheim. An official re-
port to the government of the Palati-
nate, dated February 14, 1608, states :
"The village officers of Wolfsheim sur-
prised the Anabaptists the thirteenth
of August between eleven and twelve
o'clock at night and took the three
elders to the magistracy of Alzei". The
report further suggests that according
to paragraph ten of the Landesord-
nung the estates of the Anabaptists
should be confiscated and their sup-
plies employed in pios usus.
The dreaded word of Anabaptist was
sufficient to cause Frederick IV. of the
Palatinate to order a closer investiga-
tion of the religious disturbances near
Kriegsheim. It was during the minor-
ity of this Prince that the Palatinate
had changed from Lutheranism to the
Reformed faith. The ambition of
Frederick's life was to form a union of
all the Protestant Princes of Germany,
which he finally accomplished May 14.
1608. In view of this policy it is not
surprising that his government should
have been strongly opposed to the
growth of any radical sects within the
Palatinate.
The second reoort to the electrical
prince stated: "In accordance with the
enclosed Actis Decretum No. 10, we
have summoned the pastor of Kriegs-
heim, Nicolaus Maurer, before us and
asked him why he still, ex curiositate
and in spite of the decrees, visits with
his confederate, the schoolmaster, the
nightly conventici of the Anabaptists;
whereupon he gave answer that
neither he nor the schoolmaster had
visited them but the fourteen or fifteen
vear old son of the schoolmaster." The
S6
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
report denounced the Anabaptists for
despising all government and the
exercitio militari; as well as for allow-
ing nnbaptized children to attend their
meetings. The village pastor, having
been cleared of the charge of visiting
the Anabaptists, sent the following list
of members of the sect in Kriegsheim
to the government:
"Leonhard Stroh; his wife Katharina. He
is their Elder and a gluer. A clever
and sarcastic man. Three children of
the father's sort.
Hanns Zunich; his wife Maria. He is now
an architect in the community. Six
children.
Hanns Moroldt; his wife Margaretha; no
children.
Hanns Meyer; his wife Ottilie. Architect;
no children with them.
Hanns Schmidt; his wife Elisabeth, daugh-
ter of the above named (Meyer). Three
children.
Nicolaus Tabach; his wife Anna, daughter
of the above named architect. One
young child.
Phillip Scherer; is still single; went over
with Tabach 1606; a linen-weaver. His
father has an anabaptistic maid. Com-
mon rumor has it, that he is accus-
tomed to come to her nocturna con-
venticula.
Hanns Bidinger; a glazier; his wife Bar-
bara. Four children and an anabap-
tistical maid.
Hanns Herstein ; a cobbler, a wicked
scoffer; his wife Sara, a bad woman.
He has four sons and one daughter.
Georg Beckher; his wife Margaretha. He
has seven children and is a wine mer-
chant.
Feliz Metzger; his wife Ottilie. They have
no children.
Maria Hanns Brohams; Gemeinsmaun; his
wife an Anabaptist.
Paul Bischoff; his wife Dorothea. He is a
field-guard. Two children by his first
wife.
"These are now the anabaptistic brethren
with us, stiff-necked, enthusiastic, despisers
of God and the Holy Sacraments; they
revile since they know nothing, and the
government they scorn. Of them one may
well sing with Luther:
Sie sagen schlect es sei nit recht
Und haben's nie gelesen.
Dated Kriegsheim, August 23, 1608.
NICOLAUS MAURER,
pastor ibidem.''
Later in the year Frederick IV.
wrote to his dear faithful people of
Kriegsheim that he had been fully in-
formed concerning the Anabaptists of
Kriegsheim through the report of the
burgrave and that he had ordered the
punishment i n specie o f Phillip
Scherer's father. The latter was very
probably the only one of the Menno-
nites who were imprisoned.
During the seventeenth century the
Mennonite church in Kriegsheim con-
tinued to increase. In 1655 William
Ames established a Quaker community
there. When Penn visited Kriegsheim
in 1677, he found Peter Schumacher,
Friedrich Cassel and others who lived
according to Quaker ideas. Accord-
ing to a report sent to Heidelberg, June
21, 1683, there were eighty Anabap-
tists and Quakers in Kriegsheim.
The tradition of Penn's visit has
been kept alive in the little village.
Several of the old people are still
familiar with the story as it was related
to them when they were children. The
present Mennonite church is not in
Kriegsheim but is located about a mile
away near the larger village of Mons-
heim. There are at present three
hundred and ten members in the con-
gregation.
91
Johnny Appleseed
NOTE. — The following sketch of one of
the most conspicuous among the early set-
tlers of Ashland County, Ohio, was collated
from Knapp's "History of Ashland County"
(Lippincott 1863), by J. B. Haag, Lititz, Pa.
MONG those whose names
stand conspicuous in the
memorials of the early-
settlers in A s h 1 a n d
County, Ohio, is that of
Jonathan Chapman, but
more usually known as
Johnny Appleseed. Few
were more widely known or more ex-
tensively useful to the pioneers than
this blameless and benevolent man.
The evil that he did, if any, appears
not to have been known ; the good that
he accomplished was not "interred
with his bones", but "lives after him",
and bears its annual fruit over a sur-
face of over a hundred thousand
square miles — extending from the
Ohio River to the Northern chain of
the great lakes. Few men, as unpre-
tending, have been more useful to their
race in their day and generation. Many
of the best orchards now in Ashland
County are of trees which had their
first growth in his forest environed
nurseries. He had one where Lei-digh's
Mill now stands, from which the early
fruit growers of Orange, Montgomery,
and Clearfield obtained their principal
supply of trees. The orchards of Mr.
Ekey and of Mr. Aton, in Clearcreek,
one mile and a quarter east of Ashland,
were from seed planted by him in the
nursery above mentioned. He also
had a nursery between the present
town of Perrysville and the old Indian
Green Town ; another between Charles'
mill, in Mifflin Township, and Mans-
field ; and another on the farm owned
by the late John Oliver in Green
Township, northwest of Loudonville,
on the Perrysville road, and, another
in Mansfield. He doubtless had other
nurseries besides those mentioned.
A letter from Hon. John H. James,
of Urbana, Ohio, dated June II, 1862,
says : "The account of Johnny Apple-
seed, about which you inquire, is con-
tained in a series of letters addressed
to the Cincinnati Horticultural Society
at their request, on 'Early Gardening
in the West'. These letters have been
usually printed in the Cincinnati daily
papers, as a part of the Society pro-
ceedings. That letter was republished
in the Logan Gazette, of which I am
able to send you a copy this mail."
The following is a part of the com-
munication referred to by Mr. James :
"The growing of apple trees from
seeds gave employment to a man who
came hither before this was a State. I
first saw him in 1826, and have since
learned something of his history. He
came to my office in Urbana, bearing a
letter from the late Alexander Kim-
mont. The letter spoke of him as a
man generally known by the name of
Johnny Appleseed, and that he might
desire some counsel about a nursery
he had in Champaign County. His
case was this : Some years before, he
had planted a nursery on the land of
a person who gave him leave to do so,
and-he was told that the land had been
sold, and Avas now in other hands, and
that the present owner might not
recognize his right to the trees. He
did not seem very anxious about it,
and continued walking to and fro as he
talked, and at the same time continued
eating nuts. Having advised him to
go and see the person, and that on
stating his case he might have no dif-
ficulty, the conversation turned. I
asked him about his nursery, and
whether the trees were grafted. He
answered no, rather decidedly, and
said that the proper and natural mode
was to raise fruit from the seed.
"He seemed to know much about
my wife's family, and whence they
came, and this was on account of their
church. He did not ask to see them,
and on being asked whether he would
like to do so, he declined, referring to
his dress, that he was not fit, and he
must yet go some miles on his way.
32
THE PE.XNSYLVAXIA-GERMAN
He was of moderate height, very
•coarsely clad, and his costume was
carelessly worn. His name, as 1 after-
ward learned was Jonathan Chapman.
"In 1801 he came into the territory
with a horse load of apple seeds,
gathered from the cider presses in
Western Pennsylvania. The seeds
were contained in leather hags, which
were better suited to his journey than
linen sacks,- and, besides, linen could
not be spared for such a purpose. He
came first to Licking- County, and se-
lected a fertile spot on the bank of
Licking Creek, where he planted his
seeds. I am able to say that it was on
the farm of Isaac Stadden. In this in-
stance, as in others afterward, he
would clear a spot for his purpose, and
make some slight inclosure about his
plantation — only a slight one was
needed, for there were no cattle roam-
ing about to disturb it. He would then
return for more seeds, and select
other sites for new nurseries. When
the trees were ready for sale, he left
them in charge of some one to sell for
him, at a low price, which was seldom
or never paid in monev, for that was a
thing the settler rarely possessed. If
people were too poor to purchase trees,
they got them without pay. He was at
a little expense, for he was ever wel-
come at the settlers' houses.
"In the use of food he was very ab-
stemious, and one of my informants
thinks that he used only vegetable diet.
At night he slept, of choice, in some
adioining grove.
"He was a zealous propagator of
the doctrines of Emanuel Swedenborg,
and he possessed some very old and
much-worn copies of his works, which
he continually lent where he could
find persons to read them. It is said
that he even divided some of his books
into nieces of a few sheets each, and
would leave fragments at different
places in succession, and would dili-
gentlv supnly the parts, as if his books
were in serial numbers.
"Nearly all the early orchards in
Licking County were planted from his
nursery. He also had nurseries in
Knox, in Richland, and in Wayne
counties. As new counties opened, he
moved westward, and he was seen in
Crawford County in 1832, after which
I traced him no further, until I learned
of his death, at Fort Wayne. The
physician who attended him in his last
illness, and was present at his death,
was heard to inquire what was Johnny
Appleseed's religion — he would like to
know, for he had never seen a man in
so placid a state at the approach of
death, and so readv to go into another
life."
T h e accomplished pen of Miss
Rosella Rice contributes the following
agreeable sketch of the old man :
"He was born in P>oston, Mas-
sachusetts, in the year 1775. No one
knows why Johnny was so eccentric.
Some people thought he had been
crossed in love, and others, that his
passion for growing fruit trees and
planting orchards in those early peril-
ous times had absorbed all tender and
domestic natural to mankind. An old
uncle of ours tells us, the first time he
ever saw Johnny was in 1806, in Jef-
ferson County, Ohio. He had two
canoes lashed together, and was tak-
ing a lot of apple seeds down the Ohio
River. About that time he planted
sixteen bushels of Seeds on one acre of
that grand old farm on the Walhon-
ding River, known as the Butler farm.
"All up and down the Ohio and
Muskingum, and their wild and pretty
tributaries, did poor Johnny glide
along, alone, with his rich freight of
seeds, stopping here and there to plant
nurseries. He always selected rich,
secluded spots of ground. One of them
we remember now, and even still it is
picturesque and beautiful and primal.
He cleared the ground himself, a quiet
nook over which the tall sycamores
reached out their bony arms as if in
protection. Those who are nursery-
men now, should compare their facili-
ties with those of poor Johnny, going
about with a load in a canoe, and,
when occasion demanded, a great load
on his back. To those who could af-
JOHNNY APPLESEED
93:
ford to buy, he always sold on very
fair terms; to those who couldn't, he
always gave or made some accom-
modating trade, or took a note payable
— sometime — and rarely did that time-
ever come.
"Among his many eccentricities was
one of bearing pain like an undaunted
Indian warrior. He gloried in suffer-
ing.
"Very often he would thrust pins
and needles into his flesh without a
tremor or a quiver; and if he had a cut
or a sore, the first thing he did was to
scar it with a red hot iron, and treat it
as a burn.
"lie hardly ever wore shoes, except
in winter; but, if traveling in the sum-
mer time, and the rough roads hurt his
feet, he would wear sandals, and a big
hat that he made himself, out of paste-
board, with one side very large and
wide, and bent down to keep the heat
from his face.
"No matter how oddly he was
dressed or how funny he looked, we
children never laughed at him, because
our parents all loved and revered him
as a good old man, a friend, and a
benefactor.
"Almost the first thing he would do
when he entered a house, and was
weary, was to lie down on the floor,
with his knapsack for a pillow, and his
head toward the light of a door or win-
dow, when he would say, 'Will you
have some fresh news right from
Heaven'? and carefully take out his
worn old books, a testament, and two
or three others, the exponents of the
beautiful religion that Johnny so zeal-
ously lived out — the Swedenborgian
doctrine.
"We can hear him read now, just as
he did that summer day when we were
quite busy quilting up stairs, and he
lay near the door, his voice rising de-
nunciatory and thrilling — strong and
loud as the roar of waves and winds,
then soft and soothing as the balmy
airs that stirred and quivered the
morning-glory leaves about his gray
head.
"His was a strange, deep eloquence
at times. His language was good and
well chosen, and he was undoubtedly
a man of genius.
"Sometimes in speaking of fruit, his
eyes would sparkle, and his counte-
nance grow animated and really beau-
tiful, and if he was at table his knife
and fork would be forgotten. In de-
scribing apples, we could see them just
as he, the word-painter, pictured
them — large, lush, creamy-tinted ones,
or rich, fragrant, and yellow, with a
peachy tint on the sunshiny side, or
crimson red, with the cool juice ready
to burst through the tender rind.
"Johnny had one sister, Persis
Broom, of Indiana. She was not at all
like him ; a very ordinary woman, talk-
ative, and free in her frequent, 'says
she's' and 'says IV.
"He died near Fort Wayne, Indiana,
in 1846 or 1848, a stranger among
strangers, who kindly cared for him.
He died the death of the righteous,
calmly and peacefully, and with little
suffering or pain.
"So long as his memory lives will a
grateful people say: 'He went about
doing good.' '
In the "Ohio Historical Collections'',
by Henry Howe, p. 432, occurs the fol-
lowing notice of Johnny Appleseed,
which generally confirms the state-
ments from other sources :
"He had imbibed a remarkable pas-
sion for the rearing and cultivation of
apple-trees from the seed. He first
made his appearance in Western Penn-
sylvania, and from thence made his
way into Ohio, keeping on the outskirts
of the settlements, and following his
favorite pursuit. He was accustomed
to clear spots in the loamy lands on the
banks of the streams, plant his seeds,
inclose the ground, and then leave the
, lace until the trees had in a measure
grown. When the settlers began to
flock in and open their 'clearings',
Johnny was ready for them with his
young trees, which he either gave
away or sold for some trifle, as an old
coat, or any article of which he could
make use. Thus he proceeded for many
54
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
years, until the whole country was, in
a measure, settled and supplied with
-apple-trees, deriving self-satisfaction
amounting to almost delight, in the in-
dulgence of his engrossing passion.
About twenty years since he removed
to the far West, there to enact over
.again the same career of humble use-
fulness.
"His personal appearance was as
singular as his character. He was a
small 'chunked' man, quick and rest-
less in his motions and .conversation ;
liis beard, though not long, was un-
shaven, and his hair was long and
dark, and his eye black and sparkling.
He lived the roughest life, and often
slept in the woods. His clothing was
mostly old, being generally given to
liim in exchange for apple-trees. He
went bare-footed, and often traveled
miles through snow in that way. In
doctrine he was a follower of Sweden-
f>org, leading a moral, blameless life,
likening himself to the primitive
Christian, literally taking no thought
for the morrow. Wherever he went he
circulated Swedenborgian works, and
if short of them, would tear a book in
two and give each part to different
persons. He was careful not to injure
any animal, and thought hunting
morally wrong. He was welcome
everywhere among the settlers, and
treated with great kindness, even by
the Indians. We give a few anecdotes,
illustrative of his character and eccen-
tricities.
"One cool autumnal night, while ly-
ing by his camp-fire in the woods, he
observed mosquitoes flew in the blaze
and were burned. Johnny, who wore
on his head a tin utensil which an-
swered both as a cap and a mush pot,
filled it with water and quenched the
fire, and afterward remarked, 'God for-
bid that I should build a fire for my
comfort, that should be the means of
destroying any of his creatures.' An-
other time he made his camp-fire at
the end of a hollow log in which he in-
tended to pass the night, but finding it
occupied by a bear and her cubs, he re-
moved his fire to the other end, and
slept on the snow in the open air,
rather than to disturb the bear. He
was one morning in a prairie, and was
bitten by a rattlesnake. Sometime af-
ter, a friend inquired of him about the
matter. He drew a long sigh and re-
plied, 'Poor fellow ! he only touched
me, when I, in an ungodly passion, put
the heel of my scythe on him and went
home. Some time after I went there
for my scythe, and there lay the poor
fellow dead'. He bought a coffee bag,
made a hole in the bottom, through
which he thrust his head and wore it
as a cloak, saying it was as good as
anything. An itinerant preacher was
holding forth on the public square in
Mansfield, and exclaimed, 'Where is
the bare-footed Christian traveling- to
heaven?' Johnny, who was lying on
his back on some timber, taking the
question in its literal sense, raised his
bare feet in the air, and vociferated
'Here he is!' "
In a November month, and when
the weather was unusually rigorous.
Chapman was in Ashland, wearing a
pair of shoes so dilapidated that they
afforded no protection against the
snow and mud. The late Elias Slocum,
having a pair of shoes that he could
not wear, and that were suitable to the
feet of Mr. Chapman, presented them
to the latter, A few days after this oc-
currence, Air. Slocum met the old man
in Mansfield, walking the snow-cov-
ered streets in bare feet. In reply to
the inquiry as to the reason he did not
wear his shoes, Chapman replied that
he had found a poor, bare-footed fam-
ily moving westward, who were in
much greater need of clothing than
himself, and that he had made the man
a present of them.
He declined repeatedly, invitations
to take food with the elder members of
the family at the first table, — and it
was not until he became fully assured
that there would be an abundant sup-
ply of food for the children who had
remained waiting, that he would par-
take of the proffered hospitality.
He was never known to have slept
in a bed — his habit being either to
JOHNNY APPLESEED
95
"camp out" in the woods, or, if sleep-
ing in a house, to occupy the floor. He
placed very little value upon money.
His cash receipts from sales of fruit
trees were invested in objects of char-
ity, or in the purchase of books illus-
trating his peculiar religious faith. On
a morning after he had slept on Mr.
Slocum's floor, Mr. Slocum found a
five-dollar bank-note in the room near
the place where Chapman had passed
the night. Being well persuaded on the
point of ownership, he left his house in
search of Mr. Chapman, and as he 'was
yet in town, soon came up with him
and inquired whether he had not lost
a five-dollar note. Upon examination
of his pockets, Mr. Chapman con-
cluded he had, and receiving the note,
remonstrated with Mr. Slocum against
incurring so much trouble on his ac-
count.
Willard Hickox, of Mansfield, whose
boyhood was passed in Green and
Hanover townships, and who well re-
members Chapman, relates an inci-
dent illustrating a trait of character
which could be cultivated with profit
by the "fast people" of this day. Call-
ing at the cabin of a farmer, Chapman
discovered near the doorway a bucket
of "slops" which the housewife had
probably designed for the pigs, and
upon the surface of which were float-
ing some fragments of bread. He at
once employed himself in removing
these pieces from the bucket, and while
thus engaged, the woman of the house
appeared. He greeted her with a gentle
rebuke of her extravagance — urging
upon her the sinfulness of waste — and
that it was wickedness, and an abuse
of the gifts of a merciful God, to suffer
the smallest quantity of anything
which was designated to minister to
the wants of mankind to be diverted
from its purpose.
He never purchased covering for
his feet. When he used anything in
the form of boots or shoes, they were
cast-off things, or generally unmated,
which he would gather up, however
dilapidated they might appear — al-
ways insisting that it was a sin to
throw aside a bpot or a shoe until it
had become so thoroughly worn out as
to be unable to adhere to a human foot.
His Swedenborgian books were as
before stated, ever-present compan-
ions. Mr. Josiah Thomas inquired of
Johnny whether, in traveling on bare
feet through forests abounding in
venomous snakes, he did not entertain
fears of being bitten. "This book", re-
plied the old man, "is an infallible pro-
tection against all danger, here and
hereafter."
AYe have thus given such incidents
as are deemed from authentic
sources, designed to impress upon the
mind of the reader the characteristics
of this eccentric and remarkable man.
whose simple habits, unostentatious
charities, and life of self-denial, conse-
crated to the relief of suffering human-
ity and the amelioration of all God's
creatures, are embalmed in the mem-
ory of all the early settlers.
It is a striking fact that New Eng-
land has been one of the most prolific
fields for the cultivation of metaphysi-
cal, social and sexual fads. Papers in
Boston have more advertisements of
mysterious powers than in any other
city of similar size in the country.
Witchcraft flourished there in the early
days as nowhere else in the United
States except among the Indians and
Negroes. Millerism ran through New
England like a fire in 1843, and later in
1854. Spiritualism. Shakerism and
Quakerism in an almost crazy form
had a long run. The "free love" aspect
of Spirtualism took root there in many
places; and "Mother" Eddy found a
genial soil in and about Boston. Mor-
monism also caught a large number of
people in its drag net. — The Christian
Advocate.
96
Traits and Characteristics of Pennsylvania Germans
By J. H. A. Lacher, Waukesha, Wis.
LTHO not of Pennsylvania
German stock, I am
greatly interested in the
discussion in your valued
magazine of the traits
— ^^U|| and characteristics o f
^^ \\ that element o'f our popu-
lation. Born and reared in
the Middle West, common report cur-
rent in my youth led me to regard the
Pennsylvania Dutch as the embodi-
ment of ignorance, -suoerstition and
non - progressiveness. Observation of
Pennsylvania Germans, settled in the
West, whon I met in the course of
years, together with an awakened in-
terest in the history of the German
element in the United States, m idified
this opinion materially. Miss Bitting-
er's and Prof. Kuhn's books, especially,
enlightened me and raised my opinion
of the Pennsylvania Germans. Yet
even then I did not know a tithe of
their worth. Not until six years ago,
when I had occasion to travel all over
the Keystone State, did I learn fully to
appreciate the sterling virtues of the
Pennsylvania Germans. I had seen
fine farms in the West, but when I
viewed the country from Harrisburg
to Allentown, to Lancaster, and the
famous Cumberland Valley, I could
understand why John Fiske called
them the best farmers in America.
The weedless, well-tilled farms, the
massive barns, the neat, substantial
houses, the pretty gardens enclosed by
white fences, everything for miles and
miles in spick and span condition, at-
test the thrift, thoroughness and good
sense of the inhabitants.
Whie at Orwigsburg T saw the
school children at play and was struck
by the fact that every single child was
well and neatly dressed, without a
rent, patch, dirty face or soiled gar-
ment in evidence anywhere. Kutztown
aopeared so tidy and clean, with its
streets, side-walks, houses, out-build-
ings, walls, everything, in perfect re-
pair, and looking as if freshly scrubbed
or painted, that I dubbed it "Spotless
Town", when visiting my friends in
the West. I mention these incidents
not because they were isolated obser-
vations, but because they are typical of
the entire region. Schools and churches
I saw everywhere ; evidences of pov-
erty and inefficiency, nowhere. Sure-
ly these are not the signs of niggardli-
ness, the stigma cast upon the Penn-
sylvania Germans by Mr. Hocker.
Fifteen millions of white Americans,
not many of them Pennsylvania Ger-
mans, wear amulets of some kind ; Fri-
day and number thirteen are regarded
as unlucky almost universally, and the
majority of people are influenced more
or less by superstition ; hence it hard-
ly behooves anybody to cast the first
stone when it comes to charging any
particular national element with being
superstitious.
In my travels of 500,000 miles I have
covered the entire country and no-
where have I found hotels so uniform-
ly clean, and the food so nourishing
and palatable, as in southeastern
Pennsylvania. If churches, schools,
thrift, cleanliness, abundance of good
food, neat, sensible dress, tidiness, sub-
stantiality, industry, integrity, general
prosperity and absence of poverty,
make for civilization, then the Penn-
svlvania Germans will take high rank.
What they have wrought speaks
louder than words of mine.
The incident of the butcher's excla-
mation on the 'occasion of his son's ac-
cidental death is misinterpreted by the
critic. We are generous to the dead,
and love or respect recalls and empha-
sizes their predominant merits or
achievements. Had the boy been dis-
tinguished for musical talent, instead
of adeptness at sausage making, the
father would, undoubtedly, have re-
ferred to that.
Political prominence is not neces-
sarily a mark of true greatness or
TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF PENNSYLVANIA GERMANS
97
merit, the influence wielded by a
Wanamaker or a Studebaker being of-
ten more beneficial to the country than
that of many a politician who may
have caught the passing fancy of the
public ; nevertheless there have been
men holding high office in the nation,
who were of Pennsylvania German
stock and few knew it. Who, for ex-
ample, knows that Senator Borah of
Idaho is of Pennsylvania German an-
cestry, or that Congressman Tawney,
chairman of the great Committee of
Appropriations, is of pure Pennsyl-
vania German stock. Yet, I have their
word for it that such is the case.
Wherever I have seen districts set-
tled by descendants of Pennsylvania
Germans, I have found evidence of the
same sterling qualities that character-
ize their brethren of the mother state.
The fairest, thriftiest sections of the
South are those settled by descendants
of Pennsylvania Germans. Notable
among these are northern and' south-
western Virginia, the Piedmont re-
gion of North Carolina and the Blue
Grass region of Kentucky.
About thirty years ago many farm-
ers of southern Minnesota abandoned
their deteriorated farms for the virgin
soil of Dakota, attributing their failure
to raise good crops of grain to an al-
leged change in climate. After some
years one of these emigrants, while on
a visit to his former home, was told in
my presence that his German succes-
sor had been quite successful. "Oh",
said he, "A Dutchman will make a liv-
ing where a white man will starve".
Curious to know why the German had
succeeded where the other had failed,
I learned by inquiry that he had spent
all his spare time hauling manure from
the neighboring village to his farm, in
this manner reclaiming it. His prede-
cessor had never done such menial la-
bor, but had leisurely spent most of
his time in the village telling folks
how to run the government.
The disparaging remark, quoted
above, was formerly almost proverbial
among a certain class of natives ; hence
one is apt to suspect that much of the
criticism of the Pennsvlvania Ger-
mans is due to envy, for anybody ac-
quainted with them knows tha t they
live better, if not so wastefully, than
their detractors. To concede the su-
periority of the Pennsvlvania German
stock and thereby admit their own in-
feriority could hardly be expected of
them. It is also true that the persis-
tence of foreign speech and customs,
aloofness, the broken vernacular, were
strange differentiations, which made
them seem inferior to their English-
speaking neighbors of narrow horizon.
For this reason must we regard with
some charity, even today, all this de-
famation of the Pennsylvania Ger-
mans. They have their faults, but
these are exaggerated to give sem-
blance to the charges preferred against
them. The Pennsylvania Germans,
the German stock in general, must as-
sert themselves by giving a wide pub-
licity to their preeminence in many
spheres and the prominent part they
have played in the making of our coun-
try. Their indifference, or modesty,
has obscured their merits, giving color
to the animadversions of their critics,
and being the cause that many of their
descendants deny their German an-
cestry. Your magazine is on the right
track and is deserving of a hundred
thousand subscribers.
My travels in Pennsylvania are
among my pleasantest recollections,
therefore I gladly pay this tribute to
a people whose achievements made
my sojourn among them a delightful
one.
98
Pennsylvania German Plant Names
By Wilbur L. King, Allentown, Pa.
HE Pennsylvania German
housewife, as a rule, is a
lover of flowers. The
sunny window in her
home is frequently a min-
iature greenhouse and
the winter she
with great care,
In the summer
during
tends,
her potted plants,
she has her flower bed as well as her
vegetable garden and it is with pride
that the delightful "old fashioned"
flowers — the fuchsias, begonias, petu-
nias, bachelor buttons and old maids —
are shown to her visitors and a few
slips of her choice geranium or some
other plant is given to be planted for
the winter garden.
The husbandman, too, loves plants,
else he would not have secured his
well deserved reputation as a success-
ful agriculturist. He has acquainted
himself not only with the plants he
cultivates but with those of the forest
as well. For the plants he raised from
seed which, with care, the Pennsylva-
nia German immigrant brought from
the land of his nativity he also brought
the name, as well as for those which
came with him, unbidden, — our weeds.
But many plants previously unknown
to him and natives of the new world
alone were forced to his attention and
for these he had to adopt a name.
Through association, plant character-
istic or sometimes through the adop-
tion of the English name wth the Ger-
man brogue added, he named them.
Some of the old Pennsylvania Ger-
man names are now seldom heard as
the younger generations are using the
English names. That some are decid-
edly expressive is evident; others per-
petuate tradition and of a number the
names indicate the human ailments
they were supposed to cure.
In collecting these names care must
be taken that the High German names,
such as the preacher or doctor might
use, are not mistaken for Pennsylvania
German names. The names for hops
in High German is "hopfen" but the
Pennsylvania German calls it "huba".
On the other hand a partly anglicised
form cannot properly be recorded as a
Pennsylvania German name, hence our
cinquefoil is not 5-fingergrout but
rather "finfHnger-grout".
A number of the plants have several
names in Pennsylvania German and a
few of the names are applied indis-
criminately to various species of plants
but this is easily explained by the fact
that persons not having made a study
of botany are not certain to recognize
a difference between closely related or
similar plants. The Pennsylvania Ger-
man name for ferns is "fawron" and
although at least fifteen species of
ferns are found in this locality this
name alone is applied to all of these
plants. In the accompanying list the
plant common to the locality has been
given the Pennsylvania German name
which is used indiscriminately for
several species in the family. For
instance, all the high bush blackberries
are known as "blakbera" but in the list
the name is shown but once and then
in connection with a plant of very
common occurence.
The names recorded have been
gathered principally in Lehigh and
Northampton counties and from the
mouths of numerous persons. Dr. A,
R. Home's Pennsylvania German
Manual has also been freely consulted.
PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN PLANT NAMES
99
LIST OF PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN NAMES OF PLANTS AND THEIR CORRESPONDING
ENGLISH AND BOTANICAL NAMES
Peiiiia. German
1 Harshtsung
2 Weis beind
3 Gal beind
4 Hemlock
5 Weis Zadar
6 Wochular
7 Rod Zadar
8 Kotzashwons or
Licht kolva
9 Hinklefus gros
10 Kitsal gros
11 Harsh gros
12 Demadi
13 Kweka
14 How'r
15 Drefts
16 Wadsa
17 Korn
18 Garshd
19 Welshkorn
20 Uxa gros
21 Binsa
22 Bucksbort
23 Inshing zwiw'l or
awrawnzwiw'l
24 Biskotsagrout
25 Kolmus
26 Hechtgrout
27 Shnitloch
28 Wilder knuwluch
29 Zwiw'l
30 Shdarnblum
31 Weibud'la
32 Shlis'lblum
33 Shbaragros
34 Moiblum
35 Oshterblum
36 Shwartli
English
Polypodiaceae
Hart's tongue
Pinaceae
White pine
Yellow pine
Hemlock
Arbor vitae
Juniper
Red cedar
Typhaceae
Broad-leaved cat-tail
Gramineae
Finger grass
Witch grass
Yellow foxtail
Timothy
Kentucky blue grass
Oats
Chess
Wheat
Rye
Barley
Maize
Cyperaceae
Slender cyperus
Great bulrush
Stellate sedge
Araceae
Jack-in-the-pulpit
Skunk cabbage
Sweet flag
Pontederiaceae
Pickerelweed
Lilaceae
Chives
Wild garlic
Onion
Star-of-Bethlehem
Grape hyacinth
Hyacinth
Convallariaceae
Asparagus
Lily-of-the-valley
Amaryllidaceae
Daffodil
Iridaceae
Larger blue flag
Botanical
Scolopendrium Scolopendrium (L) Karst.
Pinus Strobus L.
Pinus echinata Mill.
Tsuga Canadensis (L) Carr.
Thuja occidentalis L.
Juniperus communis L.
Juniperus Virginiana L.
Typha latifolia L.
Syntherisma sanguinalis (L) Nash
Panicum capillare L.
Ixophorus glaucus (L) Nash
Phleum pratense L.
Poa pratensis L.
Avena sativa L.
Bromus secalinus L.
Triticum sativum Lam.
Secale cereale L.
Hordeum sativum Jessen
Zea Mays L.
Cyperus filiculmis Vahl.
Scirpus lacustris L.
Carex rosea Schk.
Arisaema triphyllum (L) Torr
Spathyema foetida (L) Raf.
Acorus Calamus L.
Pontederia cordata L.
Allium Schoenoprasum L.
Allium vineale L.
Allium Cepa L.
Ornithogalum umbellatum L.
Muscari botryoides (L) Mill.
Hyacinthus orientalis L.
Asparagus officinalis L.
Convallaria majalis L.
Narcissus Pseudo-narcissus L.
Iris versicolor L.
100
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
37 Wolnus
38 Weiswolnus
39 Hikarnus
40 Sei hikarnus
41 Hulsfawron
42 Bob'l
43 Weis bob'l
44 Oshba
45 Weida
46 Henkweida
47 Korbweida
48 Hos'lnus
49 Sesbarka
50 Wos'r barka
51 Bucha
52 Keshda
53 Rod acha
54 Schworts acha
55 Grund acha
56 Weis acha
57 Keshda acha
58 Rusha
59 Rudshuls
60 Schworts moulber
61 Weis moulber
62 Huba
63 Hontt
64 Brenas'l
65 Eisgrout
66 Hoi worz'l
67 Hos'l worz'l
68 Glana shlongaworz'l
69 Boigiout
70 Souromb'l
71 Holwargoul
72 Buchwadsa
73 Flagrout
74 Wagdrad'r
75 Rodreb
76 Warmgrout
77 Melda
78 Shbinawd
Juglandaceae
Black walnut
Butternut
Shag-bark
Pig-nut hickory
Myricaceae
Sweet fern
Salicaceae
Lornbardy
White poplar
American aspen
Black willow
Weeping willow
Osier willow
Betulaceae
Hazel-nut
Black birch
River birch
Fagaceae
American beech
American chestnut
Red oak
Black oak
Scrub oak
White oak
Chestnut oak
Ulmaceae
American elm
Slippery elm
Moraceae
Red mulberry
White mulberry
Hop
Hemp
Urticaceae
Stinging nettle
Clear-weed
Aristolochiaceae
Birthwort
Wild ginger
Virginia snakeroot
Polygonaceae
Rhubarb
Sheep sorrel
Curled dock
Buckwheat
Penna Persicaria
Knot-grass
Chenopodiaceae
Beet
Wormseed
Orache
Spinach
Juglans nigra L.
Juglans cinerea L.
Hicoria ovata (Mill) Britt.
Hicoria glabra (Mill) Britt.
Comptonia peregina (L) Coult.
Populus dilatata
Populus alba L.
Populus tremuloides Michx
Salix nigra Marsh.
Salix Babylonica L.
Salix viminalis L.
Corylus Americana Walt.
Betula lenta L.
Betula nigra L.
Fagus Americana' Sweet.
Castanea dentata (Marsh) Bork.
Quercus rubra L.
Quercus velutina Lam.
Quercus nana (Marsh) Sarg.
Quercus alba L.
Quercus Prinus L.
Ulmus Americana L.
Ulmus fulva Michx.
Morus rubra L.
Moms alba L.
Humulus Lupulus L.
Cannabis sativa L.
Urtica diocia L.
Adicea pumila (L) Raf.
Aristolochia Clematitis L.
Asarum Canadense L.
Aristolochia Serpentaria L.
Rheum Rhaponticum L.
Rumex Acetosella L.
Rumex crispus L.
Fagopyrum Fagopyrum (L) Karst.
Polygonum Pennsylvanicum L.
Polygonum aviculare L.
Beta vulgaris L.
Chenopodium anthelminticum L.
Atriplex hortense L.
Spinacia oleraceae Mill.
PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN PLANT NAMES
101
79 Hawnakora
80 Pokbera
•81 Seibarz'l
82 Rawta
83 Hind'ldorm
84 Woss'r lila
85 Houswox
86 Meisora
87 Krishtworz'l
88 Goldworz'l
89 Shworts shlongaworz'l
90 Glukablum
91 Rit'rshbora
92 Windrosa
93 Hawnafus
94 Bud'rblum
95 Gicht rosa
96 Moiob'l
•97 Olakur
98 Sosafros
99 Pef rhuls
100 Mawg
101 Rodworz'l
102 Shelagrout
103 Spechtabilla
104 Doubakrupff
105 Mustard
106 Reb
107 Grout
108 Redich
109 Brunagress
110 Maretich
111 Desh'lgrout
112 Dod'r
113 Grus'lber
114 Shworts konstrouwa
115 Rod konstrouwa
Amaranthaceae
Red amaranth
Phytolaccaceae
Poke
Portulacaceae
Purslane
Caryophyllaceae
Corn cockle
Common ehickweed
Nymphaeaceae
Pond lily
Crassulaceae
Houseleek
Saxifragaceae
Early saxifrage
Ranunculaceae
Christmas rose
Gold-thread
Black snakeroot
Wild columbine
Larkspur
Windflower
Kidney-leaved crowfoot
Meadow buttercup
Peony
Berberidaceae
May apple
Menispermaceae
Canada moonseed
Lauraceae
Sassafras
Spice-bush
Papaveraceae
Garden poppy
Bloodroot
Celadine
Bleeding hearts
Fumitory
Cruciferae
Hedge mustard
Turnip
Cabbage
Radish
Water-cress
Horseradish
Shepherd's purse
False flax
Grossulariaceae
Garden gooseberry
Black currant
Red currant
Amaranthus paniculatus L.
Phytolacca decandra L.
Portulaca oleracea L.
Agrostemma Githago L.
Alsine media L.
Castalia odorata (Dry) W & W
Sempervivum tectorum
Saxifraga Virginiensis Michx
Helleborus niger L
Coptis trifolia (L) Salisb
Cimicifuga racemosa (L) Nutt
Aquilegia Canadensis L.
Delphinium Ajacis L.
Anemone quinquefolia L.
Ranunculus abortivus L.
Ranunculus acris L.
Paeonia officinales Retz
Podophyllum peltatum L.
Menispermum Canadensis L.
Sassafras Sassafras (L) Karst
Benzoin Benzoin (L) Coulter
Papaver somniferum L.
Sanguinaria Canadensis L.
Chelidonium majus L.
Dicentra spectabilis DC.
Fumaria officinalis L.
Sismybrium officinale (L) Scop.
Brassica campestris L.
Brassica oleracea L.
Raphanus sativus L.
Roripa Nasturtium (L) Rusby
Roripa Amoracia (L) A. S. H.
Bursa Bursa-pastorius (L) Brit.
Camelina sativa (L) Crantz
Ribes Uva-crispa L.
Ribes floridum L'Her.
Ribes rubrum L.
102
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
116 Shworts hember
117 Rod hember
118 Blakber
119 Nider Blakber
120 Arber
121 Finf fing'rgrout
122 Od'rmencha
123 Nog'lgrout
124 Wild'r rosa
125 Ber
126 Ob'l
127 Weisdorn
128 Kwit
129 Bloum
130 Obrigosa
131 Kash
132 Wild kash
133 Parshing
134 Mikagrout
135 Hawsagla
136 Rodgla
137 Weisgla
138 Locus
139 Arbs
140 Grundnus
141 Bona
142 Indianischer Kress
143 Hawsagla
144 Floks
145 Routa
146 Shlongaworz'l
147 Buksbawm
148 Moulwurf grout
149 Esich huls
150 Mabla or Ahorn
151 Zuk'r mabla
152 Arlahek
153 Geilskeshta
154 Glawsgrout
Rosaceae
Black raspberry
Red raspberry
High bush blackberry
Dewberry
Strawberry
Cinquefoil
Tall hairy agrimony
Salad burnet
Pasture rose
Pomaceae
Pear
Apple
Hawthorn
Quince
Plum
Apricot
Cherry
Wild black cherry
Peach
Papilionaceae
Wild indigo
Rabbitt-foot clover
Red clover
White clover
Locust
Pea
Peanut
Bean
Seraniaceae
Indian Cress
Oxalidaceae
Yellow wood-sorrel
Linaceae
Flax
Rutaceae
Common rue
Polygalaceae
Seneca snake-root
Euphorbiaceae
Box tree
Cypress spurge
Anacardiaceae
Scarlet sumac
Aceraceae
Red maple
Sugar-maple
Box elder
Hippocastanaceae
Horse chestnut
Balsaminaceae
Jewel-weed
Rubus occidentalis L.
Rubus strigosus Michx
Rubus villosus Ait.
Rubus Canadensis L.
Fragaria Virginiana Duch.
Potentilla Canadensis L.
Agrimonia hirsuta (Muhl) Bick.
Sanguisorba Sanguisorba (L) Brit
Rosa humilis Marsh.
Pyrus communis L.
Malus Malus (L) Britt.
Crataegus Oxyacantha L.
Pyrus Cydonia L.
Prunus domesticus L.
Prunus Armeniaca L.
Prunus Avium L.
Prunus serotina Ehrh.
Amygdalus Persica L.
Baptisia tinctoria (L) R. Br.
Trifolium arvense L.
Trifolium pratense L.
Trifolium repens L.
Robinia Pseudacacia L.
Pisum sativum L.
Apios apios (L) MacM.
Phaseolus vulgaris L.
Tropaeolum majus L.
Oxalis stricta L.
Linum usilatissimum L.
Ruta graveolens L.
Polygala Senega L.
Buxus sempervirens L.
Euphorbia Cyparissias L.
Rhus glabra L.
Acer rubrum L.
Acer Saccharum Marsh.
Acer Negundo L„
AEsculus Hippocastanum
Impatiens aurea MuhL
h
PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN PLANT NAMES
103
155 Shbekdroub
156 Reifdroub
157 Lina
158 Holsrosa
159 Kasbobla
160 Bud'rmudel
161 Bawwul
162 Yohonsgrout
Vitaceae
Fox grape
Chicken grape
Tiliaceae
American linden
Malvaceae
Hollyhock
Low mallow
Velvet leaf
Cotton
Hypericaceae
Common St. John's-wort
Violaceae
163 Veilchen
164 Gal veilchen
165 Jonijumbub
Meadow violet
Yellow violet
Pansy
,
Onagraceae
166 Kevich
Evening-primrose
Umbelliferae
167 Galreb
168 Koriond'r
169 Boshdnawd
170 Fenchel
171 Karnligrout
172 Padarli
173 Selarich
174 Kim'l
175 Lebshdek'l
176 Attig
Wild carrot
Coriander
Parsnip
Fennel
Smooth sweet cicely
Parsley
Celery
Caraway
Lovage
Dwarf elder
Cornaceae
177 Hunshuls
178 Guma
Flowering dogwood
Sour gum
Pyrolaceae
179 Rumadisgrout
180 Wintergreen
Spotted wintergreen
Princes pine
Ericaceae
181 Ardshdreiss
182 Brusht-ta
Trailing arbutus
Checkerberry
Primulaceae
183 Rod'r hink'ldorm
Red pimpernel
Ebenaceae
184 Mishbla
Persimmon
Oleaceae
185 Pingshdablum
186 Esh
Lilac
White ash
Gentianaceae
187 Dousendgildagrout
Bitter-bloom
188 Milchgrout
Asclepiadaceae
Pleurisy-root
Vitis Labrusca L.
Vitis cordifolia Michx.
Tilia Americana L.
Althaea rosea Cav.
Malva rotundifolia L.
Abutilon Abutilon (L) Rusby
Gossyprium herbaceum L.
Hypericum perforatum L.
Viola obliqua Hill.
Viola pubescens Ait.
Viola tricolor L.
Onagra biennis (L) Scop.
Daucus Carota L.
Coriandrum sativa L.
Pastinaca sativa L.
Foeniculum Foeniculum (L) Karst
Washingtonia longistyllis (Tor) Brit
Apium Petroselinum L.
Apium graveolens L.
Carum Carui L.
Levisticum officinale Koch.
AEgopodium Podagraria L.
Cornus florida L.
Nyssa sylvatica Marsh.
Chimaphila maculata (L) Pursh.
Chimaphila umbellata (L) Nutt
Epigaea repens L.
Gaultheria procumbens L.
Anagallis arvensis L.
Diospyros Virginiana L.
Syringa vulgaris L.
Fraxinus Americana L.
Sabbatia angularis (L) Pursh.
Asclepias tuberosa L.
104
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Convolvulaceae
189 Ses grumber
Sweet potato
190 Drechd'rblum
Morning-glory
191 Wina
Bindweed
Cuscutaceae
192 Flokseida
Dodder
Boraginaceae
193 Shoflous
Hound's tongue
194 Sbwortsworz'l
Comfrey
195 Borretscb
Borage
196 Uxatsung
Small Bugloss
Labiatae
197 Gamander
American germander
198 Adorn
White hoarhound
199 Prunelgrout or
Self-heal
Wild'r huba
200 Kotsagrout
Catn'ep
201 Hind'ldorm
Henbit
Verbenaceae
202 Eisenkraut
Blue vervain
203 Solwei
Sage
204 Mud'rgrout
Oswego tea
205 Grudabolsom
American Pennyroyal
206 Bonagrait'l
Savory
207 Eisup
Hyssop
208 Wulgamud
Wild majoram
209 Mawron
Sweet majoram
210 Kwend'l
Creeping thyme
211 Bush-ta
American dittany
212 Bolsom
Spear mint
213 Mawga bolsom
Peppermint
214 Tilesworz'l
Horse-balm
Solanaceae
215 Yudakarsh
Ground cherry
216 Nochshoda
Black nightshade
217 Grumber
Potato
218 T'mats
Tomato
219 Hexakim'l
Thorn apple
220 Duwok
Tobacco
221 Wulashdeng'l
222 Hunsblum
223 Brounworz'l
224 Ar'npreis
225 Seiorabled'r
226 Shbitsawegrich
227 Hul'rber
228 Shofbera
229 Shofknut'l
230 Hunichsuk'l
231 Kordadish'l
Scrophulariaceae
Mullen dock
Butter-and-eggs
Maryland figwort
Common speedwell
Plantaginaceae
Common plantain
Rib-grass
Caprifoliaceae
Sweet elder
Nanny-berry
Black haw
Honeysuckle
Dipsacaceae
Common teasel
Ipomoea Batatas Lam.
Ipomoea purpurea (L) Roth.
Convolvulus repens L.
Cuscuta Gronovii Wild.
Cynoglossum officinale L.
Symphytum officinale L.
Borago officinalis L.
Lycopsis arvensis L.
Teucrium Canadense L.
Marrubium vulgare L.
Prunella vulgaris L.
Nepta Cataria L.
Lamium amplexicaule L.
Verbena hastata L.
Salvia officinale L.
Monarda didyma L.
Hedeoma pulegioides (L) Pers.
Satureia hortensis L.
Hyssopus officinalis L.
Origanum vulgare L.
Origanum Majorana L.
Thymus serpyllum L.
Cunila origanoides (L) Brit.
Mentha spicata L.
Mentha piperita L.
Collinsonia Canadensis L.
Physalis Philadelphica Lam
Solanum nigrum L.
Solanum tuberosum L.
Lycopersicon Lycopersicon (L) Karst
Datura Stramonium L.
Nicotiana Tobacum L.
Verbascum Thapsus L.
Linaria Linaria (L) Karst.
Scrophularia Marylandica L.
Veronica officinalis L.
Plantago major L.
Plantago lanceolata L.
Sambucus Canadensis L.
Viburnum Lentago L.
Lonicera Japonica Thumb.
Dipsacus sylvestris Huds.
Viburnum prunifolium L.
PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN PLANT NAMES
105
232 Karbs
233 Wos'rmelon
234 Gum'r
235 Kolbosht
236 lushing duwok
237 Ondefi
238 Pisabed or
Bid'r solad
239 Bul'ryuk'l or
Bid'rshdeng'l
240 Hunstsung
241 Dorchwox
242 Wundgrout
243 Reinblum
244 Sotsblum
245 Olonsworz'l
246 Sunablum
247 Ardob'l
248 Dalya
249 Bubeleis
250 Madeleis
251 Neragrout
252 Shofriba
253 Wild'r komila
254 Komila
255 Gensblum
256 Maderla
257 Kebiders
258 Warmut
259 Alter mon
260 Alter frau
261 Grud'lrawa
262 Gleda
263 Dishd'l
264 Marien Dishd'l
265 Soffron
Cucurbitaceae
Pumpkin
Watermelon
Cucumber
Gourd
Campanulaceae
Indian tobacco
Cichoriaceae
Endive
Dandelion
Ambrosiaceae
Ragweed
Rattlesnake-weed
Compositae
Boneset
Field golden-rod
Pearly everlasting
«, inged cudweed
Elecampane
Common sunflower
Jerusalem artichoke
Dahlia
Beggar-ticks
Spanish needles
Sneezewort
Common yarrow
Mayweed
Garden camomile
Oxeye daisy
Common feverfew
Tansy
Common wormwood
Southernwood
Common mugwort
Common groundsel
Burdock
Field thistle
Virgin Mary's thistle
Safflower
Cucurbita Pepo L.
Citrullus Citrullus (L) Karst.
Cucumis sativus L.
Lagenaria vulgaris Ger.
Lobelia inflata L.
Cichorium Endivia L.
Taraxacum Taraxacum (L) Karst.
Ambrosia artemisiaefolla L.
Hieracium venosum L.
Eupatorium perfoliatum L.
Solidago nemoralis (L) B & H
Anaphalis margaretacea (L) B & H
Gnaphalium decurrens Ives
Inula Helenium L.
Helianthus annuus L.
Helianthus tuberosus L.
Dahlia variabilis Desf.
Bidens frondosa L.
Bidens bipinnate L.
Achillea Ptarmica L.
Achillea Millefolium L.
Anthemis Cotula L.
Anthemis nobilis L.
Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum L.
Chrysanthemum Parthenium (L) Pers.
Tanacetum vulgare L.
Artemisia Absinthium L.
Artemisia Abrotanum L.
Artemisia vulgaris L.
Senecio vulgaris L.
Arctium Lappa L.
Cardial? discolor (Muhl) Nutt
Mariana Mariana (L) Hill.
Carthamus tinctorius L.
Saur's "Kleines Krauterbuch"
In the " Hoch - Deutsch American-
ischc Calender" for 1762, Christopher
Saur began a series of lessons in
botany which were introduced by the
following- words, set in large type :
"Dem gemeinen Mann zum Dienst will
man die | Tugenden und Wiirckungen der
vornehmsten | Krater und Wurtzeln be-
schreiben: wann nun einer die | Calender
zusammen halt, so bekommt er endlich ein
kleines | Krauter-Buch vor geringen Kosten
und mache den | Aufang mit der Aland
Wurtzel
These lessons appeared annually
until 1778 and must have proved of
great value to the users of the almanac.
We have before ns a collection of these
lessons, formed by stitching together
the successive issues until a book of
more than 125 pages was formed prov-
ing a v e r i t a ble "kurtzgefasseten
Krauterbuch" (Compact Herbal).
In the first installment of the lessons
only the German name of the plant
106
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
was given ; in the others the English,
German and Latin names appeared.
In each lesson the name of the plant
was given first; a description of its
general properties followed and the
method of application to the particular
sickness and ailments formed the con-
clusion. By way of illustration of the
description of the general properties of
the plant we quote the following:
"Der gute Heinrich ist temperirter Natur,
hat viel wasserigen Safts -benebst ein wenig
fliichtig, salpeterischen Salz un etwas
ohligen Theilen bey sich, und daher die
Eigenschaft zu erdunnern, Schmerzen zu
stillen, zu heilen und ein gutes Gebliit zu
zeugen."
In a few cases only the physical
properties of plants are described, e. g.
Eyebright (Augentrost) is said to be
a beautiful little plant growing a span
high, with white flowers, blue with
yellow dots, growing between stem
and leaf. The leaves are dark green,
small, serrated and somewhat astrin-
gent and bitter. It grows in meadows
and blossoms in early Fall. Growing
on hills it usually has only one stem,
but in moist places it has a number of
branches.
Want of space does not permit us to
attempt an enumeration of the virtues
of the different plants as given, nor
have we the technical knowledge to
pass judgment on the merits of the
various remedies. YVe will content
ourselves by noting a few of the minor
characteristics of the treatise itself.
The author dwells at some lengtn
on the virtues of a salve having Liver-
wort as a constituent part. He relates
hi >\v a Doctor Wolfius received from
Prince Ludwig of Hesse a fatted ox
each year for the recipe and then adds
in parenthesis : "Und ich schreibe es so
wohlfeil in dem Calendar". (And I give
it out so cheap in the Almanac.)
The rubbing of the hand of a dead
child over certain parts of the body is
said to have curative power.
The following lines would probably
not be endorsed by present-day prac-
titioners:
Der beruhmte Wundartzt Feliz Wurtz
schreibt: Wenn man die Liebstockel- Wiirtzel
grabe, wann die Sonne in dem Widder
gehet, un.d sie anhanget, seye es ein be-
wahrtes Mittel wider Schwinden und ab-
nehinen der Glieder.
The author was not averse to quot-
ing poetry if it served his purpose as
for example :
"Fur die Geilheit wildes Rasen
Halte Camffer an die Nasen."
"Berthream in dem Mund zerbiszen,
Reinigt das Gehirn von Fliissen."
"Der Fenchel und das Eisenkraut,
Die Roos, das Schellkraut und die Raut,
Sind dienlich dem Gesicht,
Das Dunkelheit anficbt;
Hieraus ein Wasser zubereit,
Das bringt den Augen Heiterkeit."
One might almost feel like suspect-
ing the author of currying favor with
the young ladies when he tells how a
certain plant if used in washing one-
self makes the "Angeischt zart, weisz
und schon".
Old King Mithridates is given as
authority for saying that the use of a
preparation of rue is a preventive of
evil effects from the use of any poison.
To cure toothache the author advises
applying a certain plant to the cheek
until it becomes warm and then bury-
ing it in a manure pile. The toothache
is sure to cease as the plant begins to
decay.
In describing the merits of Cats-
Mint, the author relates the story of a
Swiss executioner who had such a
sympathetic heart that he could not
enforce the laws. He used to chew
this plant and keep it under his tongue
and this made him so revengeful and
bloodthirsty that he could perform his
duty. The author adds in parenthesis
in German: "Would that there were a
root that would make the unmerciful
merciful."
As a method of stopping nose bleed-
ing the reader is told that the placing
of the plant Shepherds-Purse in the
hand of the patient is efficacious.
Figs are said to be quite nourishing
and serviceable therefore in cases of
famine "wann man sie hat" (if one has
them). The free use of dried figs is
said to breed lice.
PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN PLANT NAMES
107
The author dwells on the evil effects
of using too much sugar and adds that
this, although the plain truth :
"Wird bey denen verzukerten Weibsleuten
schlechten Eingang finden, weil sie wenig
darauf sehen, ob etwas gesund ist, wann es
nur susz uud wohl schmeckt."
A little farther on, in condemning
the misuse of sugar, the author says :
"Zumalen auch die heutige Welt, und
sonderlich das candirte Frauenzimmer, also
verschleckt und delicate, dasz man ihuen
bald keine Arzney mehr einschwatzen kan
sie seye dann zu grossem Naclitheil ihrer
Gesundbeit verzuckert."
The following is a list of the names
of the plants mentioned in the Alma-
nac. The numbers placed after the
names indicate that the plants are
probably identical with those of like
number in Mr. King's list preceding
this article. If additional identifica-
tions are established by our readers
we shall be pleased to receive and
print supplementary lists. The spelling
in the Almanac has been followed.
Words in italics were supplied by the
editor.
Anise — Anis — Anisum.
Angelica — Angelicka — Angelica.
Agrimony, Water Hemp — -Odermenig — Agri-
monia. 122
Apples — Aepfel — Malum. 126
Almonds — Mandeln — Amydalarum.
Allgood — Guter Henrich— Bonus Henricus.
Apricocks — Apricosen, Marillen — Malus. 130
Asparagus — Spargen — Asparagi Ameniaca.
33
Ash Tree — Eschbaum — Fraximus. 186
Garden Araches — Zahme Melden — Atriplex
Hortensis. 77
Burdock— Kletten— Bardena. 262
Bugle — Brunella Kraut — Brunella. 199
Brooklime — Bachbungen — Baccabunga.
Basil — Basilien — Ocimum.
Burnet — Bibernell — Pimpinella.
Batony — Betonien — Betonica.
Birthwort — Holwurzel — Aristalachia. 66
Borage — Burretsch — Barrage 195
Blackberry — Brombeer — Rubus. 118
Bayberries — Lorbeeren — Bacca Laura.
Beets — Marigold — Beta. 75
Buglosse — Ochsenzunge — Buglassum. 196 ?
Bryony — Stickwurtz — Bryonia.
Barley — Stickwurtz — Hardeum. 18
Balsam-Apple — Apfel Balsam — Balsamita
Rotundi folia.
Barberries— Sauerling — Berberis.
Beans — Bohnen — Faba. 141
Cinque/oil — Fiinffinger Kraut. 121
Wild Carrot— Wilde Mohren— Wilde Gelb-
riiben — Carata Sylvatica. 167
Calamus — Kalmus — Acorum. 25.
Camphire — Campffer — Campbora.
Coriander — Coriander — Coriandrum. 168
Cresses— Gartenkresse — Nasturtium. 109
Columbine — Agley — Aquilegia. 90
Colewort — Kohl — Brassica.
Cabbage — Kappes — Brassica Capitata. 107
Colocynth — Coloquinten — Colocynthis.
Coffee— Coffee— Caff ea.
Croefoot — Hahnenfusz — Ranunculus. 93
Chickweed — Hiinerdarm — Alsine. 83
Cummin — Kiimmel — Cyminum. 174
Celandine — Schellkraut — Chelidanium. 102
Comfrey — Schwartzwurtz — Symphytum. 194
Centaury — Tausendgulden kraut — Centauri-
um. 187 ?
Chervell — Karfel — Cerefolium.
Cloves — Kramer — Nelcken — Caryophyllum.
Cotton Weed— Rhein Blumen — Stolchas—
Citrina.
Cherries — Kirschen — Cerasarum. 131
Cinnamon — Zimmet — Cinamomi.
Clary — Scharlach kraut — Horminum.
Cats Mint — Katzen Miintze — Nepeta. (200)
Clover— Gemeiner Klee — Trifolium prae-
tense. 136
Citrons — Citronen — Malus Citreum.
Crowesfoot — Krabenfusz — Coranopus.
Currants — St. Johannes Beer — Ribes Vul-
garis.
Ciche — Ziser Erbsen — Cicora.
Cardamoms — Cardamomlein — Cardamomi.
Glove — Gilliflowers — Garten Nagelger —
Caryophile Domestice.
Coco— Cocus — Cacao.
Casia— Casia — Casia.
Cumerick — Gelb Wurz — Curcuma.
Camillen .
Cardobendicten .
Dill— Dillkraut— Anethrum. 170
Daisy — Maszlieben Gansbliimlein — Bellis.
255
Dittanus— Dictam — Dictamnus.
Dragonwort — Drachen Wurz — Dracuncubus.
Dittander — Pfeffer Kraut — Lepidium.
Dock — Grundwurzel — Oxilapathum. 71 ?
Elecampene — Aland Wurtzel . 245
Eyebright — Augentrost — Euphrasia.
Endive — Endive — Endiva. 237
Elder Tree — Holder, Holunder — Sambucus.
227
Elm Tree — Rusten, Ulmen Baum — Ulmus.
58-59
Ehrenpreysz . 58, 59
Dwarf Eder — Entzian Attig — Ebulua. 176
Feamebreak — Fahrenkraut — Felii.
Folefoot (Wild Ginger-root) Haselwurtzel —
Asarum. 67
Fumitory — Faubenkropff — Fumaria. 104
Fennel — Fenchel — Foeniculum. 170
Foenugreck — Bockshorn — Foenugraecum.
Flax — Flacbs — Linum. 144
Feverfew — Mutterkraut — Matricaria. 256 ?
Figs — Feigen — Ficus.
Flaxweed — Sophien Kraut — Herba Sophia.
108
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
-Fiinffinger Kraut-
121
Flower de Luce — Veil Wurzel — Iris. 36
Wild Ginger root — Haselwurzel — Asarum.
67
Galanga- — Galgand Wurtzel — Galanga.
Gold of Measure — Leindotter — Myagrum.
Groundsel — Creutz-Wurz — Senecia. 261
•Germander — G'amanderlein — Chamoldrvs.
197
Garlic — Knoblauch — Alium. 2S
Water Germander — Wasser Bathenig — Lach-
en Knoblauch Knoblauch — Scordium.
Gundelreben
Goldenrod — Heidnisch Wundkraut — Virgae
Aurea. 242
Gourd, Pumpkins — Kiirbse — Cucurbiata. 232
Horehound — Weisser. Andorn — Marrubium
Album. 198
Housleak (Stone crop) — Hauszwurtz — Sem-
per viva. 85
Hysop — Isop — Hyssopus. 207
Horse Radish — Meer Rettig — Raphanus Syl-
vestris. 110
Henbane — Bilsen kraut — Hyascymus.
Harts Tongue — Hirschzunge — Scolopendria.
Hops — Hopfen — Lupulus. 62
Horsetail — Schafftheu — Equisetum.
Hurtleberries — Heydelbeeren — Myrtillus.
Hemlock — Wiitrich — Citata. 4
Black Hellebor — Schwartze Niesz Wurz —
Helleborus Niger.
White Hellebor — Weisze Niesz Wurz — Hel-
leborus Albus.
Honeysuckle — Stern Leberkraut — Hepatica
Stellata.
Climbing Ivy — Flpheu, Eppich — Hedera.
Jalep — Jalapa — Jalapium.
Jack by the Hedge — Knoblauch Kraut— Al-
liaria.
Juniper — Wachholder- — Juniperus. 6
Indian Kresse — Indianischer Kresse — Nas-
turtium Indicum. 142
Kingspear — Alsodillwurz — Aphodelus.
Tiirkischer Kresse — Draba Vulgaris.
Loffel Kraut .
Lime Linden Tree — Linden Baum — Tilia.
157
Limes — Lemonen — Lemonia.
Lovage — Liebstockel — Levisticum. 175
White Lillies — Weisse Lilien — Lilium Album
Larkspur — Ritterspohren — Consolida Rega-
lis. 91
Linewort — Lein Kraut — Osyris.
Lignum Vitae — Frauzosen Holz, Lebens
Holz — Lignum Guajacum. 5 ?
Golden Longwort — Buchkohl — Pulmonaria
Flurea.
Liquor ise — Siiszholtz — Liquiritia.
Liverwort— Leber Kraut — Hepatica.
Lavender — Lavendel — Lavendula.
Lung Wort — Lungenkraut — Pulmonaria.
Marigold — Ringel Blume — Calendula.
Melilot — Stein Klee — Melilatus.
Moss — Baum Moss — Muscus Arboreus.
Marsh Mallow — Eibish — Althae.
May Flowers — Mayenbliimlein — Lilium Con-
valium. 34
Mulberry — Maulbeeren — Marus. 60, 61
Wild Mint — Bach Miinze, Krauser Balsam —
Menthastrum.
Mint — Balsam Miinze — Mentha, Mintha. 212,
213
Mugwort, Motherwort — Beyfusz — Artemisia.
260.
Marjoram — Majoram — Marjorana. 209
French Mercury — Bingel Kraut — Mercurialis
Manna — Manna — Manna.
Water Millions — Wasser Melonen — Mela. 233
Millet — Hirse— Milium.
Milfoile — Garbenkraut Schaffribben — Mille-
folium. 252
Mustard — Senf — Sinapi.
Mouse Ear — Mauszohrlein — Pilasella. 86
Masterwort — Meister Wurtz — Imperatoria.
Mallows — Kasz Pappeln — Malva. 159
Myrrhe — Myrrhen — Myrrha.
Nettle — Nesseln, Brenneseln — Urtica. 64
Nuts — Niisse — Nux Inglans.
Nutmegs — Muscatniisse — Nux Maschata.
Nightshade — Nachtschatten — Salani. 216
Bird's Nest — Vogelnest — Carat Sylvatica. 167
Onions — Zwiebeln — Cepa. 29
Oak Tree — Eichenbaum — Quercus. 53 to 57
Olive Tree — Oelbaum — Olea Domestica.
Oakferne — Engelsusz — Polipodum.
Origane — Dosten — Origanum. 207, 208
Oats — Haber — Avena. 14
Bastard Pellitory — Berthram — Pyrethrum.
Pears — Birn — Pyrum. 125
Plaintain — Wegerich — Plantago. 226
Purslain — Burtzel, Burgel — Portulaca. 81
Parsley— Petersilien — Pitrasilinum. 172
Pennyroyal — Poley — Pulegium. 205
Piony — Gichtrosen — Poeonia. 95
Polypody Oak feme — Engelsusz — Polypodi-
llllL
Pilewort — Feigwartzen Kraut — Chelidom-
inus.
Pine Tree — Fiechten Baum — Pinus Sativa.
2, 3
Pepper — Pfeffer — Piper vulgare.
Pease — Erbsen — Pisa. 139
Water Parsnep — Wasser Mark — Sium.
Pompkins — Kiirbse — Cucurbita. 232
Peach — Pfirsching— Malus Persea. 133
Plums — Pflaumen — Prunum. 129
Pruans — Zwetschken — Prunum.
Pappies — Magsamen — Papaver. 100
Primrose Schliisselblumen — Primula Ve-
ris.
Wild Poppy — Korn Rose — Papaver Eraticum.
Palm of Christ — Wunderbaum — Ricinus.
Water Pepper — Flohkraut — Persicaria. 73
Parsnip — Pastinachen — Pastinaca. 169
Quinces — Quitten — Cydonia. 128
Rampions — Rapunzeln — Rapunculus.
Rosemary — Roszmarin — Rosmarimus.
Rhubarb — Rhebarbara — Rhabarbarum. 69
Rye — Rocken — Secula. 17
Red Beeds — Rothe Rube — Carat Rubra. 75.
Ragwort — Stendelwurz — Orchis.
Rice — Reis — Oryza.
Monk's Rhubarb — Mundis Rhabarbara — Hip-
polabathum.
PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN PLANT NAMES
109-
Raspberry — Himbeeren — Rubus Indolus. 116,
117
Radish — Rettig — Raphanus. 108
Rue — Raute — Ruta Hortensis. 145 ?
Strawberry bush — Erdbeerenkraut — Fraga-
ria. 120
Saffron — Safran — Crucus. 265
Sassafras — Sassafras — Sassafras. 98
Sena — Sene Blatter — Sena.
Southernwood — Stabwurz — Abratanum. 259
Spicknard — Spicknard — Spica Domestica.
Sugar — Zncker — Saecharum.
Servis — Sperwei;, Speyerling — Sarbus.
Sowthistle — Haasen Kohl — Sangus Asper.
Sorrel — Sauerampfel — Acetasa. 70
Sanikle — Sanickel — Sanicula.
Savory — Saturey, Bohnen Kraut — Satureia.
206
Succory — Wegwarten — Cichorium.
Sea Holly — Mannstreu — Eringium.
Savin — Sevenbaum — Sabina. 6
Scabious — Scabiosen — Scabiasoe.
Syves — Schnittlauch — Parrum Sectile. 27
Squillis — Meer Zweiben — Scilla.
Swallow Wort — Schwalbenwurtz — Hirundi-
naria.
Sow Bread — Schweinbrod — Cyclaminus.
Septfoil — Tormentill — Tormentilla.
Silverweed — Genserich — Anserina.
Saxifrage- — Steinbruch — Saxifraga. 86
Spinage — Spinat — Spinachia. 78
Sloes — Schlehen — Acatia Germanica.
Sumach — Shumack, Gerber Baum — Rhus.
149
Snakeweed — Ratterwurz — Bistorta. 68, 89,
146
Stonecrop — Hauszwurtz — Semper viva. 85
Speedivell — Ehrenpreysz . 224
St. Johns Wort — St. Johannis Kraut ..
162
Wood Soot — Schornstein Rusz — Puligo.
Shepherds Purse — Taschelkraut — Bursa
Pastoris. Ill
Golden Stoechas — Stochas Kraut — Stoechas
Citrina.
Our Lady Thistle — Marien Distel — Cardu-
us. Mariae. 264
Carline Thistle — Weisse Eberwurtz — Cha-
moelean.
Tansey — Reinfahren — Tanocetum. 257
Thorow Wort — Durchwachs — Perfoliatae. 241
Thym — Thymiankraut — Thymus. 210
Turpentine — Terpentin — Terebinthae.
Turnips — Ruben — Rapum. 106
Wild Thyme — Quendel — Serpillus. 210
Tea— Thee— Thea.
Wild Tansey — Genserich — Anserina. 257
Fuller's Thistel — Karten Disteln — Dipsacus
Sativus. 231
Tamarind — Tamarinden — Tamarindus.
Tormentil — Tormentilla — Tormentilla.
Valerian — Baldrian — Valeriana.
Dames Violet — Abend Viole — Hiperis. 163,
164
Vervain — Eisenkraut — Verbena. 202
Viper Grass — Haberwurtz — Scorzanera His-
panica.
Violets— Violen— Viola. 163, 164
Vodsower — Sauerklee — Trifolium acetosum.
Weak Robin Cucumpint— Indian Turnips —
Aron — Arum. 23
Woodbine — Waldmeister — Hepatica Stellata.
Wormwood — Wermuth . 258
Winter-Gren — Wintergriin— Pyrola. 180
Wheat — Weitzen — Triticum. 16
Zedoary — Zitwer — Zedoaria.
Hamburg Children
A curious and pretty custom is ob-
served every year in the city of Ham-
burg to celebrate a famous victory
which was won by little children more
than four hundred years ago. In one
of the numerous sieges. Hamburg was
reduced to the last extremity, when it
was suggested that all the children
should be sent out unprotected into the
camp of the besiegers as the mute
appeal for mercy of the helpless and
innocent. This was done. The rough
soldiery of the investing army saw
with amazement, and then with pity,
a long procession of little ones, clad in
white, come out of the city and march
boldly into their camp.
The sight melted their hearts. They
threw down their arms and, plucking
branches of fruit from the neighboring
orchards, they gave them to the chil-
dren to take back to the city as a token
of peace. This was a great victory,
which has ever since been com-
memorated at Hamburg by a proces-
sion of boys and girls dressed in white
and carrying branches of the cherry
tree in their hands. — Selected.
110
The Big Runaway
As professor C. H. Williston in his
article on Fort Augusta (p. 79) refers
to "The Big Runaway", we quote the
following lines from the "History of
the West Branch Valley" by Meginnes.
He tells the story of the Indian Mas-
sacre in the neighborhood where
Williamsport is located, June 10, 1778,
and continues as follows :
"On the intelligence of these murders
reaching. Colonel Hunter a t Fort
Augusta, he became alarmed for the
safety of those that remained above
Fort Muncy, and sent word to Colonel
Hepburn to order them to abandon the
country and retire below. He was
obliged to do this, as there was not a
sufficiency of troops to guard the whole
frontier, and Congress had taken no
action to supply him with men and
supplies. Colonel Hepburn had some
trouble to get a messenger to carry
the order up to Colonel Antes, so panic
stricken were the people on account of
the ravages of the Indians. At length
Robert Covenden, and a young wheel-
wright in the employ of Andrew Cul-
bertson, volunteered their services and
started on the dangerous mission.
They crossed the river and ascended
Bald Eagle mountain and kept along
the summit, till they came to the gap
opposite Ante's fort. They cautiouslv
descended at the head of Nippenose
Bottom, and proceeded to the fort. It
was in the evening, and as they neared
the fort, the report of a rifle rang upon
their ears. A girl had gone outside to
milk a cow, and an Indian being in
ambush, fired upon her. The ball, for-
tunately, passed through her clothes,
and she escaped unharmed. The word
was passed on up to Horn's fort, and
preparations were made for the flight.
Great excitement prevailed. Canoes
were collected, rafts hastily con-
structed, and every available craft that
would float, pressed into service ; and
the goods and also the wives and chil-
dren of the settlers placed on board.
The men, armed with their trusty
rifles, marched down on each side of
the river to guard the convoy. It was
indeed a sudden, as well as melancholy
flight. They were leaving their homes,
their cattle, and their crops, to the
mercy of the enemy, and fleeing for
their lives. Nothing occurred worthy
of note, during the passage to Sunbury,
as the Indians did not venture to attack
the armed force that marched on shore.
It is said that whenever any of their
crafts would ground on a bar, the
women would jump out, and putting
their shoulders against it, launch it
into deep water.
The settlements above Muncy were
all abandoned, and the Indians had full
possession of the country once more.
Companies came up as soon as possible
to secure and drive away the cattle.
They found the Indians burning and
destroying. At Antes' Fort they found
the mill containing a quantity of wheat
and the surrounding buildings, reduced
to ashes. As the smouldering embers
were not yet extinct the air for some
distance around, was tainted with the
odor of roasted wheat. They gathered
up what cattle they could as soon as
possible, and drove them from the
scene of desolation.
Fort Muncy, Freeland's Fort and all
the intermediate points were aban-
doned about the same time. Thus was
the Valley of the West Branch evacu-
ated. The flight was called by the
people of that period the Big Runa-
way, a name which it bears to this
day."
Ill
A Suplee Line of Descent
By J. O. K. Robarts, Phoenixville, Pa.
NOTE. — This record gives account of a
line of nine generations including the im-
migrant pioneer. Can any one give us
record of ten generations. — Editor.
NDREAS SOUPLIS, pro-
genitor of the Suplee
family upon this conti-
nent, was born a Hugue-
not in France, in the year
1634, of patrician blood.
He became an officer in
his country's army, but,
religious persecution caused him to
migrate to Germany, where he married
Gertrude Stiessinger. Learning of this
land of promised freedom, this couple
landed in Philadelphia early in 1684,
became acquainted with Governor
Penn, and soon afterward settled in
Germantown, where they prospered.
In the year 1691 Andris Souplis was
Sheriff of the Corporation of German-
town. He died at the age of 92 years
in 1726, on his plantation in Kings-
essing, Philadelphia County, his wife
surviving several years. Five children
were born to this couple : Margaret,
Ann, Bartholomew, Andrew and Jacob,
In the will of Mr. Souplis, dated March
25, 1724, and probated March 20, 1726,
he referred to his great age, claimed he
was of sound mind and in good health,
and that he was then residing on his
plantation in the township of Kings-
essing, Philadelphia County, Province
of Pennsylvania.
Andrew Supplee2 (Andris Souplis1).
the second son of his parents, was
born in Germantown, in the year 1688.
He was evidently the favorite of his
father, who named him executor of his
will. Andrew was twice married, first
to Miss Anna Stackhouse, and second
to Miss Deborah Thomas. There was
one child, a son named Hance, by the
first wife, and four by the second wife,
namely, Jonas, Andrew, John and
Sarah. Andrew Supplee purchased a
plantation in Upper Merion, Mont-
gomery County, near the village of
Matsunk, where he continued to reside
the remainder of his life. He died in
the year 1747, aged 59 years. His re-
mains are in a vault in Norris City
Cemetery, near Norristown.
Hance Suplee" (Andrew-, Andris
Souplis1), was born in Upper Merion,
aforesaid on July 14th, 1714. His wife,
Miss Madeline Deborah De Haven,
was born November 25th, 1716. They
were married in the First Presbyterian
Church of Philadelphia, August 5th,
1736. Miss De Haven's forbears were
Huguenots.
Hance Suplee and wife resided in
Upper Merion until about the year
1745, when they purchased a large
plantation in Worcester Township,
now Montgomery County, and moved
to it. In 1747 they erected a substan-
tial and commodious mansion which
still exists in good condition, the prop-
erty of Mr. and Mrs. James H. Cassell.
The family product was fourteen chil-
dren as follows : Andrew, Elizabeth.
Sarah, Deborah, Cathar.ine, Peter
(Revolutionary soldier). Abraham, Re-
becca, Hannah, Rachel, Isaac, Jacob
and John (both Revolutionary sol-
diers), and Mary.
In the year 1770 Mr. Hance Suplee
and wife donated a portion of their
land for burial purposes, and also for
the erection of a meeting house.
Strange to say he was first to be buried
therein, and his tombstone shows that
he died December 16th, 1779, aged 56
years, 5 months and 5 days. His
widow, Magdalene, continued to re-
side in the homestead until her death,
which occurred at the age of 85 years,
October 5th, 1801. The land donated
for a meeting house is now the site of
the Bethel M. E. Church.
Peter Suplee4, (Hance1. Andrew-',
Andris Souplis1), a Revolutionary sol-
dier, was born in the Suplee home-
stead. Upper Merion, September 2,
1745: his wife Susanna Wagoner, was
112
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
born in the year 1750; they were mar-
ried in 1774, and two children fol-
lowed, to wit: Rachel, born January
18, 1775. and son Peter, February
8, 1778, fifteen days after the death of
his father, in camp, a soldier, at Val-
ley Forge.
After the death of his father, Hance
Suplee, Peter became the owner of the
Worcester homestead, and Peter and
his wife were living there when Wash-
ington and the Continental army were
facing the British forces under Lord
Howe in Chester County. The battle
of Brandywine was fought on the nth
day of September, 1777, and on the
12th of that month Peter Suplee en-
listed, a volunteer in the Revolution-
ary army, as per the following testi-
m< »ny :
May 1st, 1901
To whom it may concern:
I hereby certify to the following Revolu-
tionary services of
Peter Suplee,
of Worcester township, Philadelphia county,
who was a private in Captain Charles Wil-
son Peale's Company of Philadelphia Militia.
Volunteered September 12th, 1777. For this
reference see Pennsylvania Manuscript
Archives.
Very truly yours,
GEORGE EDWARD REED.
State Librarian and
Editor Penna. Archives.
Beyond question, Peter Suplee was
attached to the Revolutionary army
when it marched from Pennypacker's
Mills to fight the battle of German-
town, said army having encamped up-
on his plantation going to and return-
ing from that fray, while his home was
also occupied by General Washington
and his officers. On the 19th of De-
cember, 1777. the American army en-
camped at Valley Forge, and on the
24th of January following Peter Suplee
died there, and his remains were con-
veyed to the Worcester burial ground
and there interred.
About the year 1785, the widow of
Peter Suplee, soldier, migrated to the
state of New York, settling near Penn
Yann. Rachel married, in due time,
one Morris Shepherd, and bore him
two sons, Charles and George, the de-
scendants of whom possibly are to be
found yet in that section of country.
On the 3d day of September, 1904,
a reunion of the Suplee family was
held at Bethel M. E. Church, in honor
of that Revolutionary hero, and also
for their participation in the exercises
of unveiling a handsome granite monu-
ment suitably worded to perpetuate
his fame.
Peter Suplee , (Peter4, Hance3, An-
drew-, Andris Souplis1), was born on
the ancestral plantation, February 8,
1778, and lived there to manhood, a
comfort no doubt to his mother; with-
out gaining possession of the family
homestead.
In the year 1799 he married Miss
Hannah Eastburn of Upper Merion,
whose age then was seventeen years ;
and, in that year also he purchased
from the estate of James Anderson,
who was the first white settler north
of the Valley Hill, 300 acres of land
(then in Charlestown township, since
1828 in Schuylkill township) and
there this happy couple lived engaged
in the farming industry, until old age
creeping on they retired. For some
years they lived at Suplee's Corners,
and finally moved to Norristown,
where Peter Suplee died in 1859 aged
81 years, his "wife, Hannah Eastburn,
following him in 1874 at the ripe age
of 92 years.
To this family eleven children were
born, viz : Rachel, Samuel, Cadwalder,
Benjamin, Horatio, Margaret, Silas,
Susan, Peter, Hannah and Abigail
Eliza..
Cadwalader Evans Suplee'5, (Peter5,
Peter4, Hance3, Andrew2, Andris
Souplis1), was born July 30, 1804, on
the Schuylkill township homestead,
where he was reared. At the proper
age he learned the trade of blacksmith.
He found his wife in Lower Merion, in
the person of Miss Catharine Jones,
whose ancestor came over the ocean in
1682 on the good ship Welcome, with
William Penn, one of her ancestors
commanding that vessel. Finding em-
ployment at Newtown Square, with his
young wife he settled there for a brief
A SUPLEE LINE OF DESCENT
113
perior, and while there was born to
them a son Edwin Moore Suplee. The
parents later moved back to Schuyl-
kill, became possessed of a portion of
the husband's parents' holdings, and
followed farming' until his death, which
took place February 21, 1882. Seven
children were born to this union, two
sons and five daughters. Of these E.
M. Suplee,, .Mrs. Mary Jones Stephens
and Miss Sarah J. Suplee, of Suplee's
Corners and Mrs. Adaline Rebecca
Del]), of Bridgeport, Montgomery
County are the survivors. The dead
are B. Franklin, Hannah C. and Esther
Ann.
Edwin Moore Suplee7, (Cadwal-
lader Evans6, Peter5, Peter,4, Hance3,
Andrew-, Andris Souplis1), was born
at Newtown Square, Delaware
County, November 15, 1832. His
wife, a native of Schuylkill township,
was Elizabeth B rower Pennypacker,
who became the mother of twins, Isaac
Wayne and Benjamin Franklin Suplee,
born December 6, 1861. At the age of
two months the latter died.
Isaac Wayne Suplee\ (Edwin
Moore7, Cadwallader Evans", Peter5,
Peter4, Hance3, Andrew-, Andris
Souplis1), was born December 6, 1861,
in Schuylkill township, Chester
County, Penna., and was educated in
the schools of this section. He married
Miss Anna Adams, of Philadelphia, by
whom are two children a son, Frank
Leach, and daughter. Miss Edith May
Suplee.
A story is told in Milwaukee con-
cerning an elderly German who con-
ducted a good sized manufacturing
plant on the south side. He had an
engineer at his factory who had been
with him for fifteen years and the old
gentlemen had implicit confidence in
him- It was with a profound shock
that he discovered finally that the
trusted engineer was "grafting" most
shamefully.
The proprietor thought it all over for
a long while and then sent for the en-
gineer. When that functionary arrived
the following dialogue took place :
"Ah, John ! Good morning, John-
How long haf you been vorking by this
place?"
"Fifteen years'"
"Ach, so. And vot are your wages?"
"Twenty-five dollars a week"
"M-m-n. Veil, after today it vill be
$5 a veek more."
The engineer thanked his employer
profusely and withdrew- A week later
the old gentleman sent for him again
and the same conversation ensued,
ending with another $5 a week raise.
The third Saturday he sent for the
engineer again, and after the same
questions and answers he raised his
salary another $5 a week.
On the fourth Saturday the engineer
was again summoned before the boss.
"How long have you been vorking
here, John?" asked the proprietor.
"Fifteen years," replied the engineer,
who by this time had grown to expect
the weekly question and salary raise
as a regular thing-
"And how much vages are you get-
ting?"
"Forty dollars a week."
"Ach, so? Veil, you are fired."
"Fired!" exclaimed the engineer, al-
most fainting. "Why, you have been
raising my salary $5 at a clip for the
last three weeks."
"Sure 1 have," roared the Teutonic
boss, all his indignation flaring out at
once- "And the reason that I did it
vas that it shall make it harder for
you lor vhen I fire yon. you loafer!"
— Milwaukee Wisconsin.
114
Swabian Proverbs and Idioms
The following Proverbs appeared in
"Zeitschrift fur Deutsche Mundarten" 1906,
Berlin, Germany. They were collected by
Wilhelm Unseld at the places indicated by
the letters S., T., U.. B.,— S, signifying
Stuttgart; T, Tubingen; U, Ulm; B, Blau-
beuren.
Readers will confer a great favor, if they
will send us a list of the same or similar
proverbs in use in their neighborhood re-
ferring to this list by number whenever
possible.
i. Loible, du muascht Riebale
hoisza, Riebale, du muascht g'fressa
sei! U.
2. D'r Ebe, und d'r U'ebe hant mit-
einand'r des loible g'fressa. U.
3. Frisz Drag, nay wird d'r's Maul
net feadrig! U.
4. Dear sauft net no, dear friszt au'
d'zua. U.
5. Dear tuat, wia wenn's oin fressa
wott. U.
6. Gib'm oi's aufs Dach ! U.
7. I be' koi' Schlecker, aber was i
net mak, des lasz i schtanda. U.
8. Dau isch brodtrocka. U.
9. I hau' g'fressa, dasz m'r's als waih
tuat. U.
10. Jetzt hau'-n-i aber g'fressa, dasz
i nemme ka'. U.
it. I hau g'fressa, bis i g'fol't hau',
i miiasz verschnella. U.
12. Dear friszt en Ochsa bis zum
Schwa'z. U.
13. Dear friszt a Kalb auf emaul. U.
14. Dear friszt, wia a Scheck. U.
(Scheckige Kuh.)
15. Dear ka' fressa, des ischt nemme
schea'. U.
16. Dear schpeit, was'r scho' vor
acht Tag g'fressa hat. U.
17. D'r Mensch muasz im jauhr
sieba Pfu'd Drag fressa, ob'r will oder
net. U.
18. Des Maul gat 's urn da Kopf. U.
19. Dear hat nex z'naget und nex
z'beiszet. U.
20. Dia fresset und saufet allaweil
geftirnei'. U. (Auf Pump).
21. Essa und Trinka halt Leib und
Seel z'sama. U.
22. Narr, dear friszt di' auf ema
Schuble Kraut. U.
23. De guate Brockala mag dear
selb'r. U.
24. Nex Schlecht's mag dear net. U.
25. Dear woiszt scho' was guat
ischt. U.
26. Ma ka' net maih tua, also gnuag
essa und trinka. U.
2j. Dau muasz d' Koche verliabt
sei', dui Supp ischt versalza. V .
28. Auf deare Supp ka' ma d' Auga
zahla. U. (Die Fettaugen.)
29. Des langt net's Salz an d' Sup-
pa. U.
30. Dear ka' au' maih als Brod
essa. U.
31. Dear schlacht au' koi* schleachta
Kling. U.
32. Dear ischt au' bei koim Pfuscher
in d' Lehr ganga. U. ( Ein starker
Esser.)
33. Bei deam hoiszt's allaweil no,
Mau was witt? U.
34. Dear denkt da ganza Tag an
nex, wia an's Fressa und Saufa. U.
35. Bei deam hoiszt 's au' : Mit d'r
Gab'l isch e'n-Aihr, und mit 'n Loff'l
kriagt ma maih. U.
36. Dia hant au' noh koin Scheff'l
Salz miteinand'r g'fressa. U.
37. 's friszt koi Bau'r u'g'salza, 'r
keit 's Sach z'airscht in Drag. U.
(Wenn jemand Brot o. drgl. auf den
Boden fallt.)
38. Drag macht foist, wear's net
woiszt. U.
39. Salz und Brod macht Wanga
rot. T. S. U. B.
40. Wes Brod ich esz, des Lied ich
sing. T. U.
41. G'schenkt Brod schmeckt wohl.
T. U.
42. Beim Essa und Trinka ischt
dear net links. T. U.
43. Beim Essa und Trinka schtellt
dear sein Ma'. U.
44. Dear kriagt Schtroich schtatt'm
Essa. U.
45. Dear friszt wia a Hamscht'r. T.
U.
46. Der will nex weder Brotes und
Baches. S.
SWABIAN PROVERBS AND IDIOMS
115
47. Dear mampft, dasz'r nemme
Papp saga ka'. U.
48. Dear wurd rumg'aszt. U.
49. I mag net no Briiah, i will au'
Brocka. U.
50. Dear friszt alles mit Schtump
und Schtiel. U.
51. Dear hat alles g'fressa mit Rum-
pes und Schtumpes. U.
52. Wia frisz oin gauh' no net voll !
U. (Wenn man angeschnantzt wird.)
53. Deam sott ma Hieb gea' schatt'm
Fressa. U.
54. Dea' friszt d'r A'rg'r noh. T. U.
55. Dear friszt en Loib Brod auf
emaul, und gucket nach noh maih. U.
56. Des ischt a leisa Supp. U.
57. Des iseht a g'loibt'r Kaffee. U.
(Aufgewarmter Kaffee.)
58. Wear Wittfraua heiratet, und
Kuttelfleck friszt, dear darf net lang
froga, was drinn g'wesa-n-ischt. S.
59. Dear ischt rauhg'frasz. U.
60. Dear jammeret mit 'm volla
Bauch. U.
61. Diar muasz ma d' Zung schaba,
wenn da des net magscht. U.
62. Sei no net so schlauchtig. U.
(Gierig beim Essen.)
64. Dear ka' schoppa. U.
65. 's Schumpfa geit koi Loch im
Kopf. U.
66. Dear hot a Bauranatur, dear ka'
da Schpeck ohne Brod essa. B.
67. Des ischt a reacht'r Suppa-Lalle.
U.
68. Der hat se guat rausg'fuaderet.
U.
69. Was hascht denn fiir a Geworgs,
isch net guat? U.
70. Was du iszt, des gat in en hohla
Zah'. U.
71. Dear darf desmaul d' Supp aus-
fressa. U. (Bei Streitigkeiten.)
72. Wenn oim no's Essa und's
Trinka schmeckt. U.
73. Di' ka' ma ja mit Oichala fiiat-
tera, wia d' San. U.
74. Aus isch, und gar isch, und schad
isch, dasz 's far ischt. U. (Nach einem
guten Essen.)
75. Wenn du net warscht, und \s
taglich Brod, no miiszt m'r d' Suppa
trinka. T. (Wenn einer iibergescheit
sein will.)
76. Dea' schticht d'r Haber. U.
yy. 's ischt net iille Tag Bachtag. U.
78. Wear net kommt zur reachta
Zeit, dear muasz essa, was iibrig
bleibt, moara kochet ma wieder. U.
79. Dear muasz schwitza wia a
Magischt'r, Magischt'r, nex ischt'r,
essa inag'r, nex ka'-ne-'r. T.
80. Dear moi't "r hab alia Witz alloi
g'fressa. S.
81. Dear ka' an' laih als Brod essa.
U. (Mehr als andere Leute.)
82. Du darscht no Tell'r saga, nau
leit glei' a Wu'scht drauf. U.
83. Bei deam isch fiber da-n' Appe-
tit num. U.
84. Dear friszt 'm Au'sl. U. (Au's'l-
Unsinn.)
85. Di' ko't i vor Liabe fressa. U.
86. Dia hant anenand'r a'g'fressa.
U. (Bei Eheleuten.)
87. 1 hau' me ganz a'gessa. U.
88. Des ischt a Brockafress'r. U.
(Lateinische Brocken, Lateinschiiler.)
89. Des hau'-n-i dick, wia mit loff'l
g'fressa. U.
90. Dui vermag oft's Salz an d' Supp
net. U. (1st unsagbar arm.)
91. I hau' Hunger, wia a Wolf. U.
92. I hau' Hunger, dasz i nex maih
sieh. U.
94. I hau' scho' en Gaulshung'r. U.
95. Deam schtecket no allaweil 's
Fressa im Gre't. U. (Im Kopf.)
96. De sischt fiir dea'a Fressa. U.
(Ein gutes Geschaft.)
97. Der hot en Narra an deam
g'fressa. S.
98. Dear schtohf guat in Fuatt'r. S.
99. Dear ischt net von Schleckhausa.
U.
100. Dan tua ma nex wie Kiiachla
und Bacha. V.
101. Dear friszt di' mit llaut und
Hoor. S.
102. Jetzt frisz oin no net vollends.
U.
103. I hau jetzt auguschponna. U.
1 auguschpi inna-Hunger haben.)
104. Glucklich ischt, wear friszt, was
net zum versaufa-n-ischt. U.
116
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
105. Des ischt de rei'scht Kloschter-
supp. U. (Wenn nicht recht erkennbar
ist, welche Suppe man iszt.)
106. Was knaschteret denn dear? U.
107. Dear hat an deam en Affa
g'fressa. U. (Sieht keine Fehler an
ihm.)
108. Dear schmazget, wia d' San. U.
109. Der soil a Floischbriiah . sei?
Des ischt 's hell Schpiialwasser ! U.
no. Dear friszt se noh z'taud. U.
11. Dear hot dea' wiiascht augusch-
peist. S.
112. Dear friszt, wia a Dresch'r. U.
113. Dan ischt Schmalhans Koch. U.
114. Dear ischt mit m'r verwandt,
von sieba Suppa a Schnittle U.
115. Was hat denn dear fur a Ge-
ma'sch? U. (Gema'sch-Manger.)
116. So, schnib 'm 's no voll' hinta
nei. U.
117. Miar isch ganz schwabbelig. S.
( Magenschwach. )
118. Miar fallt fascht d'r Mag aweg.
U. ( Vo'r Hunger. )
119. Dear schwatzt aus'm hohla
Bauch. U.
120. Dear hamschteret net sclecht.
U.
121. Dear hot deam d' Snpp versalza.
S.
122. Des ischt a reacht'r mopfs-
kopf. U.
123. Des ischt a reacht'r Freszode.
T.
124. Des ischt a reacht'r Freszsack.
U.
125. Des ischt a reacht'r Woidfres-
ser. U.
126. Diar kochet ma a b'sonders
Miiasle. U. (Wenn einer stets etwas
anderes haben will als andere haben.)
127. Jetzt hau'-n-i's aber maih wia
satt. U.
128. Deam gucket d'r Hunger zua de
Auga raus. U.
129. D'r We'd o'm koin so en Ranza
na'. U.
130. Vom Netessa und Nettrinka
kriagt ma koin so en Ranza. U.
131. Kinder, wenn 'r brav sind, no
iszt ma heu't im Pfarrahaus z' Nacht.
B.
132. Des ischt de rei'scht Schpittel-
supp. U. (magere Suppe.)
133. Dear ischt kra'k auf d'r Fresz-
ba'k. T.
134. Des hoiszt ma 's Maul fur Narra
halta. U.
135. Des ischt d'r Pegerling auf alle
Suppa. U.
136. Du bischt a reachta Brutt'lsupp.
U. (Einer der stets fort schimpft.)
137. Des schmeckt nach no maih. U.
138. Dear hat d' Weischeit mit Loff'l
g'fressa. U.
139. Du schuibscht ja 's Sach unter
d'r Nas nei'. U.
140. I mnasz ebas Warm's im Maga
ban ! U.
141. I ban' en ganz blaida Maga. 11.
142. Dan ka'scht en langa Maga
kriaga. U.
143. Dear hat en Bettziachamaga. LT.
144. Des ischt scho' a ganzer Sau-
mag. U.
145. Des ischt oi's, 's kommt alles
in oin Maga. U.
146. Des ischt a gnat's Maga-
pflascht'r. U. ■
147. Du darscht no saga. Maul was-
witt? U.
148. Miar isch ganz schlappab. U.
149. Mit ema volla Wampa isch net
guat gampa. U.
150. Dear hat dea' net schleacht
auguschpeist. U. (Abgewiesen.)
151. Hascht Hunger, nan schlupf in
a Gugumer, hascht Du'scht. nau
schlupf in a \\ u'scht ! U.
152. Leis eine, laut ausze! U. Beim
Linsen essen. )
153. Dau hoiszt's an: Vog'l frisz
oder schtirb. U.
154. Fremd Brod schmeckt wohl. U.
155. Dear friszt da Aerg'r in se nei'.
U.
156. Von deam nimmt au' koi' Hu'd
a Schtuckle Brod. U.
157. Des schmeckt zingerlacht. U.
(Saurlich.)
158. Dear hat en reachta Blockles-
gret'l. U.
159. A Riiahle gat fiber a Brueahle.
U.
160. Dear wird net fett, und wenn
ma'n in en Schmalzhafa schteckt. U.
117
A Towamencin Tax List
"A Tax
of one penny half penny on the Pound and Four shillings and six pence
per head laid on the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the City and County of
Philadelphia. To pay the Quotas due to the Loan office and for destroying
of Wolves, Foxes and Crows and defraying other expenses of the County
the onsuing year. Assessed the 21st day of January 1733.
Towamencin, Jacob Fry, Collector
Joseph Morgans
John Roberts
James Wells
John Morgan
Daniel Morgan
Daniel Williams
John Edwards
Joseph Lukin
Jacob Hill
Hugh Evans
Cadwalador Evans
•Christian Weaver
Nicholas Lesher
Paul Hendricks
Jacob Fry
Peter Weaver
Peter Tyson
Christian Brinaman
Lawrence Hendrick
Garrat Schragor
Leonard Hendrick
£ £
s.
d.
12
1
6
12
1
6
14
1
9
12
1
6
16
2
0
per head
4
6
16
2
0
16
2
0
16
2
0
12
1
6
12
1
6
12
1
6
16
2
0
16
2
0
18
2
3
14
1
9
16
2
0
14
1
9
18
2
3
14
1
9
14
1
9
Henry Hendrick
18
2
3
Harman Gottschalk
18
2
3
John Gottschalk
16
2
0
Gottschalk Gottschalk
18
2
3
Abraham Lukins
18
2
3
Francis Griffith
14
1
9
William Xash 1
2 per
1
6
Henry Fry, per head M
ary d 14
1
9
Iety Iety
12
1
6
Felty Bavenhusen
12
1
6
William Tennis
20
2
6
Peter Wence
50
6
3
Peter Hendrick per
head
4
6
William Williams per
head
4
6
Approved 19th February
Rec'd the full contents of the within
Duplicate this 26th of April 1734
Mary Leich"
Xote. — The above copy I made from
the original which came to my hands
a few months ago. N. B. Grubb.
10 — 17 — 1910.
"It Is Easter Day
On the frontier of Austria, on a lit-
tle stream called the 111, is the town of
Fieldkirch. In 1799, when Napoleon
"was sweeping over the continent, Mas-
■sena, one of his generals, suddenly ap-
peared on the heights above the town
at the head of eighteen thousand men.
It was Easter Day, and the sun as it
rose glittered on the weapons of the
French at the top of the range of hills.
The council assembled to see what was
to be done. Defense was impossible,
and caoitulation was talked of. Then
the old dean of the church stood up.
"It is Easter Day", he said. "We
have been reckoning on our own
strength, and that fails. It is the day
of the Lord's resurrection. Let us
ring the bell, and have service as
usual, and leave the matter in God's
hands. We know only <>nr weak-
nesses, and not the power ol God".
The French heard with surprise the
sudden clangor of the bells! and con-
cluding that the Austrian army had ar-
rived in the night to relieve the place.
Massena suddenly broke up his camp,
and before the bells had ceased ringing
not a Frenchman was to be seen. Faith
in God had saved the little town and
all its people. — From the Christian
Herald, by Dr. McLaren.
118
□
n
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
O, Muttersproch, du bist uns lieb " — A. S.
D
ON DER LUMPA PARTY
(A. C. W.)
(No. 3)
Ivverdem war's essa reddy,
Hen yon g'shofft so schmart un schteddy,
Hen g'rippt, g'trennt un g'schnitta
Bis die finger noth g'litta,
Kennie lusst sich tzweh mohl hehsa,
Wop! dert leit des lumpa wehsa.
Yehdrie schtreckt sich aerscht a'biss'l,
Noh gehts noch der grohsa schiss'l.
Lumpa party un ken essa!
Ebbes so wert net fergessa,
Net on's Yockel's, schreib sel onna,
Sel war gute g'nunk ferschtonna.
Now look out fer guta socha
Won die weibsleit parties macha.
Doh wert g'schofft, g'rischt, g'bocka,
Kucha, pie un deitscha wacka',
Werscht un hink'l, — nix fun porra
Brauch m'r doh fer's gravy schtorra,
Kaes un latwerg, butter, jelly, —
Sivva arta, grawd wie sellie
Wuh sich so mit band ferwick'lt,
Hut g'guckt wie'n deppich g'schtick'lt —
Doughnuts, pudding, rice un erbsa,
Tzelrich, chow-chow, tzucker-Kerbsa,
Grumbier mush un saura buhna —
Hoi's der Gucku! will eich schuhna,
S'is yoh grawd wie immer evva
Won die weibsleit parties gevva.
Wunner yuscht wer's aus hut g'funna,
Wunner yuscht wer's aus hut g'sunna,
So fiel schehna, guta socha
Os die weibsleit immer macha
Wan sie wolla; weis der frieda!
Duhn's ferleicht fer nonner bieda,
Sel, of course, duht nimmond schawda
Duht m'r sich net ivverlawda,
Yuscht s'is immer biss'I g'faehrlich
Is m'r noch a'biss'l ehrlich.
Sawg der ovver des is gonga,
So fiel meiler, so fiel wonga,
Aryer noch wie all die schehra,
Konnscht cloi aiga wort net hehra,
Achtzeh wara's, doh konnscht denka,
Konnscht fer sel aw nimmond henka,
Hen g'lacht, g'plaudert, gessa,
Hen sich's maul am schortz g'messa,
Ehnie hut mohl huschta missa,
Hut ihr soch net recht g'bissa
Hut ken tzeit g'hot ivver'm lacha,
Happent evva, was wit macha!
Waer's net fer des happ'na evva
Het's ken hohr im butter gevva.
S'geht wie mit der Fibby Suss'l,
War so ebbes fum'a schuss'l,
War aerscht dreitzeh, war schun g'heiert,
Hut die yugend frieh obg'feiert,
Guckt noch's schenscht in kortza frocka,
Geht uff b'such ons Brunnahocka,
Wert noh g'froagt noch dem un sellem,
Wie sie awkaemt— Gricks der Schellem!
Was sie net schun aerschter Kumma,
Het ken gonsie woch g'numma,
Was sie duh wut — s'naeha lerna?
"Neh ich tzieg on's Bohli Kerna
Won der Joe" — "Was! dausich bedd'l!
"Bischt net g'heiert? So'n yung maed'l!"
"Yah, g'wiss, schun wie fiel wocha — "
"Liehwer droscht! Konnscht wescha,
kocha?
Geh m'r week, was huts' don gevva?"
Nix obbard'ich, s'happent evva."
Well, dert hen sie g'huckt un gessa,
All so hungrich wie die Hessa
Wuh der George for'm brekfescht g'fonga
Wie die hink'l uff de schtonga;
Hen don gessa, s'war ken biedes,
S'gebt so tzeita nix fun miedes'
Hut's yoh all fersucha missa
Het yoh schunscht ken gute g'wissa
Os m'r's all fersucht het g'hotta,
Was deht noh so'n party botta?
Besser gute un kreftich gessa
Os yuscht biss'I g'schtorrt am essar
Wom'r's belt au rum muss schnolla
Duht's de koch am beschta g'folla.
Was waer's lehwa uhna's essa?
Besser lengscht im grawb fergessa!
Gute g'kocht un gute g'bocka,
Noh kan elms die riehwa hocka.
Alles hut'n schtick'l g'schloga,
Ebbes brecht am beschta waga,
Kummt'n tzeit die eppel folia,
Kummt'n tzeit die erbsa knolla,
Kummt'n tzeit — waer's yuscht net's essa —
Dorscht un hunger is fergessa.
Fertich gessa, g'schwetzt, g'plaudert,
Wert net lang doh rum g'maudert,
Derf net bord'ich tzeit ferliehra,
Missa heem so um die fiehra,
Schoffa bis die monsleit kumma,
Hen so'n fashion, duhn gaern brumma,
Won net alles scheh am pletz'l
Wie die katz bei'm yunga kaetz'l.
Bauers-weibsleit sin so evva,
Die duhn nix urn's schoffa gevva,
Hen ken tzeit fer naps' tz' nemma,
Dehta sich wahrhaftich schemma,
All die tzeit is uff g'numma,
Kan net uff der schtrose rum bumma,
Halwa dawg am schpieg'l henka,
Nix wie on der hochmut denka,
Uffg'dresst im town rum lawfa
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
119
Choclat-drops un ice cream kawfa,
Noch der letschta fashion gucka,
Rechts un links d' kop tz' nucka,
Un ferleicht doch alles schuldich
Won credit un schrief g'duldich.
WIE ES ALS WAR
By Frank R. Brunner, M. D.
NOTE. — The following was contributed
and accepted for publication only a few
weeks before the death of the lamented
author in the Boyertown Theatre catas-
trophe, January 14, 1908.
Fer Sechzig Johr, En lange tzeit,
Wars net wie alleweil;
Zu selre zeit sin oft die Leit,
Gefahre mit de Gaul.
Und oxe ah, zuweil im joch,
Hen g'schaft im Plug — Ich wess sel noch.
Im Kerich hen sie ah guth g'schaft,
Bei zwe und ah bei Fier;
So schnel das wie der Fuhrman laaft,
Sin sie ferd mit blessier.
En Fifty-six hangt an Ihrm Halsz;
Sie waare als emol ah falsch.
Und fiel Familie hen en Kuh,
Fer milich, wie Ich wees.
Die Mam hot die als uf gedu,
Fer Butter, Rahm und Kase.
Und Milich Riwel Sup, gar guth;
Brod Brockle ah, wans juscht so suit.
Und appel Dumplings, dick wie Fauscht,
Noh Siise Milich druf;
Mer war so froh das mer recht grauscht,
Sin all an der Disch nuf.
Die Milich war siis, Frisch und Guth,
Sie halt uns g'sund und schterk im Bluth.
Der Butter kumt oft net gros raus,
Die Kuh hen ken Frucht grickt;
Summers schickt mer sie ins Feld naus,
Dert hen sie Gras gepickt.
Noh hot mer plenti Milich kat,
Die Kuh die waare Oweds sadt.
Winters do wars en anre sach,
Do fuder mer juscht Hoy;
Die Milich war als bloh und schwach,
Sie dreciit gewis ken oy.
Mir waare froh fer wos mer hot.
Hen net gemeent das mer meh wod.
Mir hen en Schwartze Kuh mol kat,
Wan die alt-melkig war,
Hot es Rahm drehe nix gebat;
Der Butter drin war rahr.
En Bauer hot sie uns ahkenkt;
Es hot der Pap gar oft gekrenkt.
Wan Ich ans Butter drehe denk.
Und wie lang das es nemt;
Mir hen gedreet an sell're Krank,
Das mer sich oftmols schemt.
Gar oft hen mir ins Fas geguckt;
Gewunnerd ob es net drin schpuckt.
Fun Morgens friih bis oweds schpot,
Wars Butter Fas im gang;
Zu Esse zeit hot es geschtopt,
Sel war net arg lang.
Noh geet es wider — Flip, Flap, Flap,
Bis bedzeit; Sel war als en Tschob.
Und endlich, wan er zammer geet,
Dan war der klumpe kleh:
Hot net bezahlt fer zeit und muh,
Und Weis war Er wie Schnee.
Nau grickt mer nix meh so ins Haus,
Guth fiid're bringt der Butter raus.
Deel Leit hen g'sagt das "unser Kuh,
Die weere schur Ferhext;
Seent juscht mol hie wie derr sin Sie,
Heert wie die Schwartz dert Krext.
Es hot fer alters Hexe kat,
Und hot ah noch; Sie schwatze Klat."
Anre hen g'sagt — "Es is im Rahm,
Gewis net in de Kuh;
En alte Fran, Krumbucklich, lahm,
Die laaft do und dert hie.
Sie hot en Buch, sie hots gelernd,
Und sel is was uns so fergernd."
"Nau folgt mir juscht und nemt en Pan,
Und doth fun dem Rahm nei. —
Und schtellt sie uf es Feuer, dan
Werd sie gezegeld sei,
Es is gewis en grose schand
Das Weibsleit hexe in dem Land."
Der Pap hot g'sagt — "Nau dreet juscht ferd,
Es sin ken Hexe drin;
Ich wees, es drehe geet euch herd,
Es schelde is en sin.
Frucht fiidere dreibt die Hexe naus,
Und bringt bal Butter zum Fas raus."
Ich wunner ob es alleweil,
Noch Deitsche Leit so hot;
Die glaawe mer kent Leit, Fun, Gaul,
Ferhexa wan mer wod?
Wans hut dan los sie denke dra,
Das sie sie sin, ken alte Fran.
Es is gewis bedauerlich,
Das es Heit noch Leit hot,
Die so dum Schwatze; Schauderlich,
Und glaawe doch an Gott.
Ihr Christenheit is arg klee,
Und sie zu Blind sie zu ferschtee.
120
REVIEWS AND NOTES
By Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N. J.
Reginald Wright Kaufmann, author of
"What is Socialism?"; "The House of
Bondage"; etc. is on a lecture tour of the
country in which he will discuss various
economic subjects. ,
JAWCOB STRAUSS and Other Poems —
By Charles Follen Adams, illustrated by
"Boz". Cloth; illustrated with text and
full page illustrations; 311 pp. Price,
net, $1.00; postpaid $1.10. Lothrop.
Lee & Shepherd, Boston. 1910.
The title of the volume is taken from the
first poem, and probably the best known of
the author's poems: "Yawcob Strauss", that
funny "Leedle Poy"; and through the popu-
larity of this poem the author, Mr. Adams,
is frequently called "Yawcob Strauss" by
his admiring friends. The poem was first
published with a few others, in 1878; it
was really this poem that gave the author
a start.
Mr. Adams has been known these thirty
odd years as a clever versifier in the Ger-
man-American dialect, especially such as is
of a humorous nature. He possesses some
poetic power and feeling. Some of the
poems in this complete collection of his
works have a decided merit. One could
wish, however, that he himself had win-
nowed the chaff from the wheat instead of
leaving that task to the reader, as stated in
the Preface. The best poems are in the
German-American dialect — "Leedle Yawcob
Straus"; "Mine Modder-in-Law"; "Der Oak
und der Vine", which poem is a true pic-
ture of the existing conditions of many a
household where the wife is "der shturdy
oak". And lastly comes "Der Long Handled
Dipper, dot hangs py der Sink"; this is
written in imitation of "The Old Oaken
Bucket" and is really one of the best in the
volume. Other good dialect poems are
"The Puzzled Dutchman", who does not
know whether he is "Hans vot's lifting, or
Yawcob vot is tead!" And "Der Spider und
der Fly"; and "Der Vater Mill" (The mill
will never grind with the water that has
passed").
Those written entirely in English have
little poetic merit and are rather common-
place. "John Barely-Corn, My Foe" (Tem-
perance) is probably one of the best;
equallv good may be the "Sequel to the
'One-Horse Shay' ". We believe, however,
that the author would have done better if
he had issued a selection of his poems in-
stead of collection.
OPAL— By Bessie R. Hoover; Author of "Pa
Flickenger's Folks"; Cloth; illustrated;
329 pp. Price $1.20 net. Harper and
Brothers, New York, 1910.
Here is something real; it is a love-story
true to life. Here is human nature, with-
out pretence, conventionality, and sophisti-
cation; but with its humor, laughter, and
tears. It is the tale of an humble folk as
they live in their quiet and unconcerned
way.
The scene is that of a village where every-
body knows everybody else, and where gos-
sip is rife and busy. The story is virtually
a continuation of the author's "Pa Flick-
enger's Folks", the readers of which will be
glad to meet their old acquaintances again.
The characters are all out of the ordinary,
and use expressions that are quaint and
original. In the background of the story is
the earnest and yet futile attempt of Opal,
the heroine, to introduce some polish and
refinement into the household in order to re-
lieve the drugery and humdrum of every-
day life; but it is of no avail. Nor can the
parents see that times have changed, and
that their children have changed and grown
up.
There are several moments of suspense;
one is founded on the occasion when Opal
has permission from her mother, after much
ado, to go to the picnic with Sefton Woods;
but after all the flurry and excitement inci-
dent to the getting ready he does not come:
the misunderstanding is explained later. C|ie
may think the incident a cruel and disap-
pointing one, but it is human nature, these
are not the first lovers that had a quarrel,
and Sefton is not the only "feller" to take
the "other girl" to the picnic.
It is very enjoyable reading, and not un-
likely many young people will try to repress
a sympathetic tear while reading the story
of this humble folk.
Acknowledgment
We are pleased to acknowledge receipt
from C. L. Martzolff, Alumni Sec. Ohio
University, Athens, Ohio, of his "History of
Perry County .Ohio" and his "Archaeological,
Historical and Geological Map of Perry
County" both published in 1902. The book
is full of good things of which we hope in
due time to give our readers a taste. It will
enable us to trace the footsteps of some
"Pennsylvania Germans."
rr
HISTORICAL NOTES AND NEWS
121
— D
II
II
Jl
German Society of Maryland
The German Society of Maryland held its
Annual Meeting January 9, 1911, the veteran
President, L. P. Hennighausen, Esq., oc-
cupying the chair. The Treasurer's report
showed a gross income of $6,620.10 for the
past year. The society gave $3,808.75 dur-
ing the year to needy families, orphans, the
aged, the sick, the oppressed. The neces-
sity of having their own building is deeply
felt by the society.
Death of Noted Historian
General William Watts Hart Davis, a
veteran of the Mexican and civil wars died
in Doylestown, Pa., December 27. General
Davis was 90 years old, and for more than
half a centm-y had been not only a conspic-
uous figure in Pennsylvania, but in na-
tional affairs as well. He was not only a
distinguished soldier, but a veteran news-
paper man and an author of considerable
note.
It was way back in 1846 that General
Davis first entered the service of his coun-
try. He was then studying law at Harvard
University, but left that institution to en-
list in a Massachusetts regiment recruited
for service in the Mexican war. He was
mustered out at the close of the war as cap-
tain.
The great southwest appealed to young
Captain Davis and he decided to locate
there. First practicing law, he later served
in succession as United States district at-
torney, attorney general, secretary of the
territory, acting governor, superintendent of
public buildings. It was in New Mexico
that Davis first engaged in journalism. For
a number of years he was publisher of the
Santa Fe Gazette, a newspaper published in
both the English and Spanish language.
After his experience in the newspaper
field in New Mexico, Captain Davis decided
to return to his home at Doylestown, where
he became editor of the Doylestown Demo-
crat. When the call for soldiers was sent
out by President Lincoln in 1861, Captain
Davis organized the one hundred and fourth
regiment Pennsylvania volunteers and also
Darnell's battery. At the close of the war
he was made a brevet brigadier general for
meritorious service.
General Davis, besides being a member
of the order of the Loyal Legion, was a
member of the Bucks County Historical So-
ciety, Aztec Club, Society of the Army of
the Potomac, the Society of Foreign Wars
and the Sons of the Revolution.
Since the civil war General Davis had
written and published the following works:
"History of the One Hundred and Fourth
Pennsylvania Regiment," "History of the
Hart Family," "Life of General John
Lacey." "History of Bucks County" (a work
of 10 years), "Life of General John Davis."
"The History of the Doylestown Guards"
and "The Fries Rebellion."
The Kittochthray Historical Society
This society has issued a new volume
(Vol. VI) giving the papers read before the
society February 1908 to February 1910.
The following is the table of contents:
Officers of the Society.
Members.
In Memoriam.
Benedict Arnold, Patriot and Traitor.
By Hon. Chas. H. Smiley, New
Bloomfield, Pa.
The Seventh Day Baptist of Snow Hill.
By Chas. W. Cremer, Esq., Waynes-
boro, Pa.
Summer Vacation Assembly at "Ragged
Edge". Guests of Mr. M. C. Ken-
nedy.
James McLene, of The Cumberland
Valley, in Pennsylvania, a States-
man of his Times. By Benjamin
Matthias Nead, of Harrisburg.
The Episcopal Church in the Cumber-
land Valley. By Rev. E. V. Collins.
Mount .Delight. By John M. McDowell,
Two Famous Military Roads of Penn-
sylvania. By Hon. George E. Mapes,
Philadelphia, Pa.
Old Fort Loudon and its Associations.
No. 1. By Geo. O. Seilhamer, Esq.
Old Fort Loudon and its Associations.
No. II. By Geo. O. Seilhamer, Esq.
The Condogwinet Creek. No. 3 (Early
Highways.) By John G. Orr, Esq.
Unveiling of Dr. Agnew Portrait Guests
of Dr. Irvine.Mercersburg Academy.
Vacation Assembly at Summer Home of
.Mr. M. G. Kennedy.
The Dedication of the Capt. E. Cook
Marker. Address by Benjamin
Matthias Need, Esq., Harrisburg,
Pa.
Regular Meeting of Society at "Elders-
lie". Biographical Sketch of Josiah
Culbertson. Read by J. S. Mcll-
vaine.
A Day in the Courts. A. J. White Hut-
ton, Esq.
122
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
A Lawyer's Nosegay. By Linn Har-
baugh, Esq.
A Franklin County Cousin of Robert
Burns. By C. W. Crenier, Esq.,
Waynesboro, Pa.
Pennsylvania Federation of Historical
Societies
The Pennsylvania Federation of Histori-
cal Societies held its Sixth Annual Meeting
in the rooms of the Historical Society of
Dauphin County, Thursday, January 5, 1911,
one o'clock P. M., with an attendance of
representatives from 18 of the 32 societies in
the Federation.
In his address the President, F. R. Diffen-
derffer, Litt. D., set forth in a very practi-
cal way some of the things the Federation
has under way and is assured of accom-
plishing good results ultimately, not failing
however, also to show in what way the as-
sociation "has not quite measured up to the
standard expected of it". The address
throughout was suggestive and encourag-
ing, as one would expect from a veteran in
the service like Dr. Diffenderffer.
Amongst the matters presented in the
Secretary's report was the impressive fact
that the 32 societies in the Federation have
a membership of over 10,000 Pennsylvanians
engaged in historical activity, that during
the year 1910 these societies issued publica-
tions, papers, and addresses on historical
topics to the number of about 195 titles, an
exhibit of historical activity throughout our
state during the short space of a year that
is surprising for its quantity, high quality
and diversity of matter treated, these titles
now made of knowledge accessible far and
wide by means of the Federation's medium
as the assembler and publisher.
By means of the Federation the histori-
cal societies in the state are now becoming
known to one another, their work and pro-
ductions are annually tabulated in a form
for general distribution and common infor-
mation tending in many ways to stimulate
to still larger historical activity, and to
start activity in territory not yet organized
to do historical work. The Federation's an-
nual report is more largely and more wide-
ly asked for every year by distant societies
and libraries.
Allusion was made to the death on De-
cember 27, 1910, in his 90th year of Gen. W.
W. H. Davis, President of the Bucks County
Historical Society, a man distinguished for
his many and valuable services to the State,
and as a voluminous writer on historical
topics.
The two financial reports, one by the
Treasurer of the Federation, and the other
by the State Librarian, as custodian and dis-
tributor of the money appropriated to the
association by the State in 1907, showed the
Federation to be in possession of a good
working balance.
Of the six Standing Committees three re-
ported having been active during the year,
1910; that on Bibliography as having se-
cured the manuscript of a bibliography of
Lancaster County and the same as nearly
ready for publication, and of Chester Coun-
ty's bibliography being in an advanced state.
It was also reported at the meeting that the
Franklin County's Historical Society — the
Kittochtinny — has a bibliography of that
county in advanced preparation.
The report of the Committee on the Pres-
ervation of Manuscript Records, read by
Prof. Herman Ames, chairman of that Com-
mittee, and Chairman of the Public Archives
Commission of the American Historical As-
sociation, was an admirable paper in many
ways, thorough in study, instructive in its
generalizations, and comprehensive in eluci-
dating detail. As a beginning, and for a
working basis, this Committee had issued
during the year a blank form containing 29
questions as to the nature and condition of
the County Archives in the counties of the
state to the commissioners of which a blank
was sent for replies to said questions. Al-
though started late in the year, 22 counties
had been heard from at the time of the read-
ing of the Committee's report. The same
form of interrogatories was sent to local
historical societies for their assistance in
the work. The Committee was continued
and the association was encouraged to feel
that with this Committee's further activity
together with the proffered assistance on
the part of the State Librarian in doing
archive work and the cooperation of local
historical or society effort, there will be
brought about a greatly improved condition
as to the care and preservation and acces-
sibility of written and printed records,
State, County, and minor territorial divis-
ions, records so essential in the elucidation
of the history of said named division, State,
County, and so on.
This valuable report will appear along
with other matter named or not named here,
in the forthcoming published "Acts and
Proceedings of the Federation".
The officers elected for 1911 are: Gilbert
Cope, West Chester, President; Herman V.
Ames, Ph.D., Philadelphia; First Vice Presi-
dent, Hon. Geo. Moscrip, Towanda; Second
ViCe President, George Steinman, Lancas-
ter; Third Vice President; S. P. Heilman, M.
D., Heilmandale, Secretary; Hon. Thos. L.
Montgomery, State Librarian, Harrisburg,
Treasurer; and Chas. Roberts. Allentown,
and Luther R. Kelker, Custodian of State
Archives, Harrisburg, in places on the Ex-
ecutive Committee made vacant by expira-
tion in 1910 of terms of two members of that
Committee.
123:
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GENEALOGICAL NOTES AND QUERIES
Conducted by Mrs. M. N. Robinson. Contributions Solicited. Address, The Penna. German, Lititz, Pa.
D
D
Answer to Query No. 3
The Blauch family migrated 1750 and can
richly count seven and eight generations, as
records show. The family is thus 20 years
ahead of the Fluke family, showing eight
generations in 160, instead of 180 years. So
much for the old Switzer stock.
Johnstown, Pa. D. D. BLAUCH.
QUERY NO. 4
Sheirer- Shire y Family
Walter R. Scheirer, Nazareth, Pa., wishes
to correspond with parties able to give in-
formation respecting Adam Scheirer who
lived in Southampton 1826 and Joseph
Scheirer (Shirey), a saddler, who lived and
died at Reading, Pa., 1843-46 (circa).
QUERT NO. 5
Boone Data
From William R. Boone, Jalapa.Veracruz,
Mexico, comes the following call for infor-
mation. We hope some of our readers will
be able to send us data of the families con-
cerned.
"I take the liberty of addressing you
for assistance in trying to trace my an-
cestors in Penna. Am attaching a list
that I am trying to extend back but I
have been rather unsuccessful so far,
clue to the fact that the family has been
so busy pioneering that it has far out-
stripped its records."
The list referred to is as follows:
William K. Boone (1834 — ), son of
William Boone (1792-1892) and Rebecca
Pursil (1798 — ) was married to Mary
E. Heffelfinger, daughter of William
Heffelfinger (1808-1850) and Margaret
Marks (1808-1893). William Boone was
the son of Hezekiah Boone and Hannah
Lincoln. Rebecca Pursil was the daugh-
ter of Jacob Pursil (1775-1857) and Jane
Irwin (1776-1855). William Heffelfinger
was the son of Thomas Heffelfinger
(1780-1866) and Eve Weaver. Margaret
Marks was the daughter of John Marks
( — 1861) and Margaret Bollinger; the
former, the son of — — Marks and
Meyers, the latter the daughter of John
Bollinger and — Diller.
QUERY NO. 6
Blough-PIough Family
John Blough died in 1765, leaving a wife
Anna and 7 children: John, Cathrine, Anna,
Daniel Barbara, Freena, Christian.
Christian Plough of Lebanon township,
Lancaster County, Pa., died July 1786, leav-
ing a wife Rosanna, and 11 children: John,
Abram, Henry, Anna Barbara, Elizabeth
(married to Christian Berkey), Cathrine
(married to John Schneider), Freenie,
Christiana, Magdalena, Christian. Who can
give me any information?
D. D. BLAUCH. ■
QUERY NO. 7
A Berks County "Dutchman" in California
C. B. Taylor, Stockton, California, a Berks
Countian of the old Keystone State, writes:
"I would like to find out the old fam-
ilies of Taylors, Boones, Hultz, alias
Woods, Douglass — all Old timers and
relatives of mine. Taylors and Hultzes
settled near Philadelphia, the others in
Oley, Berks, and Montgomery Counties.
Who will give the brother light on his
family history.
There was a Schneider, (not of Berks
County) who had changed his name to Tay-
lor who one day in showing his live stock
said of shoats: "I pulled up these walkers
on playwater." Was hut er gemeent?
QUERY NO. 8
Emfoick and Clinesmith Families
Among the early Pennsylvania- Germans
who became pioneers in the settlement and
development of western Maryland was
Matthias Nead (Niedt) who came to Penn-
sylvania from Alsace, in 1753, settling in
Lancaster County and shortly afterwards
going to Maryland, where he settled near
the Conococheague, in the Sharpsburg dis-
trict. He died in 1789, leaving two sons,
Daniel and Jacob, and three daughters,
Barbara, Charlotte and Juliana. Daniel
married Ann Maria, daughter of Peter Hef-
leigh (Hoeflich) ; Juliana married Philip
Empeigh (Enibick) and Barbara a man
named Clinesmith or Kleinsmith. The com-
plete genealogical record of the descendants
of Daniel Nead has been made, but very lit-
tle has been discovered as to the Embick
branch and nothing concerning the Cline-
smith branch. Information is sought con-
cerning these two branches, and it is hoped
that some of the readers of THE PENNSYL-
VANIA-GERMAN may be able to furnish
some clues in this direction.
DANIEL WUNDERLICH NEAD.
1221 Seneca St., Buffalo, N. Y.
124
o:
:□
THE FORUM
The P-G Open Parliament, Question-Box and Clipping Bureau — Communications Invited
Wanted
Penna.-German, Vol. VI, No. 1, Louisa
Miller, Blairsville, Pa.
Vol. I, No. 3 and 4; Vol. 2 complete; Vol.
3, No. 1 ; Vol. 6 No. 1 and 4. John G. Bech-
told, 2121 S. 2nd street, Steelton, Pa.
Vol. 2 and Vol. 6; J. B. L. 152 W. 131 St.,
New York.
Vol. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, J. C. R. care of Penna.-
German, Lititz, Pa.
MEAMXG OF NAMES
By Leouliard Felix Fuld, LL. M., Ph. I).
EDITORIAL NOTE.— Dr. Fuld has kindly
consented to give a brief account of the
derivation and meaning of the surname of
any reader who sends twenty-five cents to
the editor for that purpose.
66. LENHART
LENHART is a variant of LEONHARD.
LEINHARD is a compound of LEIN which
is of Latin origin and means a lion, and
HART which is Germanic and means
brave. LENHART accordingly means brave
as a lion.
67. ROTH
ROTH was originally applied to a child or
a man who was particularly healthy in ap-
pearance. It is German and means red,
ruddy, healthy. It is similar to the English
girl's name RISE and the English boy's
nickname RUDDY. In later years ROTH
has also been used as a nickname in the
case of a man who drinks to excess. In the
sense it is used either alone or in combina-
tions such as ROTNASE, etc.
LEONHARD FELIX FULD.
A Conundrum
A subscriber in renewing his subscrip-
tion expressed himself as follows. Who can
guess in what county the subscriber lives?
Mine groser frind Kriebel:
Dei stcidung date ich lewer lasa
Als we my brote un broteworsht esa
Drum shick ich dier stwa grosa daler
No ishs a yohr uns stwa feel woler.
Vom,
SHNICKELFRITZ.
The Various German Dialects
Rev. D. E. Schoedler of Allentown, Pa.,
has promised to give us during the year
"specimens of poems written in the various
German dialects, showing what few changes
are required to turn them into pure Penn-
sylvania German". Our readers can count
on receiving a rich treat in these specimens.
If any ether readers are preparing contri-
butions for the dialect department they
will confer a favor by notifying us.
What Does It Mean
A Connecticut reader writes: "Recently I
attended a funeral of a German friend here.
In the house I found the morrors turned to
wall. This brought to mind a custom in my
Pennsylvania heme, where on such occa-
sions both mirrors and pictures were
turned to face the wall. What does it
mean? I have forgotten. It mgiht be a
good query for THE PENNSYLVANIA-GER-
MAN if space will permit."
"Dry .Goods and Notions in Penna. German"
From a business house on Third Avenue,
New York City, comes this query: "Can you
furnish us with a book called "Dry Goods
and Notions in Pennsylvania German?" We
know of no book in the dialect by this
name. Possibly some one has issued a joke
book stuffed with "chestnuts" under this
name. Who can give us any information on
the subject?
Correction of Error
January issue, page 36 column 2, second
line from bottom, General Steuben should
be General Scammel.
January issue, page 15, column 2, line 17
reads characteristics for characters.
Page 49 column 1, line 14, reads Amelia
H., for Amelia.
Page 49 column 1, line 16 from bottom
reads Bar for Bar.
Page 49 column 2, line 10 reads 1 d. for
10 d.
Page 49 column
Sarah.
Page 49 column 2 line 6
read Daniel, d. for Daniel b.
Page 51 column 2, line 4
transpose Stamm, Werner.
Page 52, column 2, line 7
read Hohn for Hohon.
line 29 read Lorah for
from bottom,
from bottom
from bottom
The Passing of the German
The following is one of many signs show-
ing that English is gradually displacing
German in old German communities. The
letter was written November 1910, by the
THE FORUM
125-
Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the
Deep Run Meunonite Church, Bucks Co.,
Pa., to their pastor, Rev. Allen M. Fretz.
Dear Pastor:
One of the most important matters
that concerned you directly acted upon
at the annual meeting was the matter of
German services. It was the opinion of
all the trustees (and they were all
present) that the time has come to have
all English services. A motion to that
effect, with the proviso, however, that
should there be such in the services,
that you know prefer the German, to
have some German on the occasion, but
that no German services be regularly
scheduled, was adopted unanimously. It
will be optional with you as to how
much German there shall be on the
specified days. We hope this will meet
your approval.
colony and their illustrious descendants.
We hope his prosperity will not prevent his
preparing the contemplated paper.
Pioneer Germans at Germanna, Va.
Dandrige Spotswood, Consulting Engineer.
Petersburg, Va., and New York City, a
descendant of. the celebrated Governor Alex-
ander Spotswood writes under date of
January 9, 1911 :
If it were not for the fact that I am
rushed with business matters I would
send you a sketch of the early German
Colony who were brought over here by
my family to operate their iron mines.
I have the basis of an interesting article
and will when the weather clears up
journey to Spotsylvania County and get
some views that will be of advantage in
the article. * * * * Some of the mem-
bers of this colony have made highly
esteemed names for themselves and
have produced descendants of great
value to the country. There still lin-
gers a bond of attachment of many to
the old country and its people. * * * I
am going to see if later I cannot contri-
bute an article embodying some facts of
value.
Our readers will be very glad to read Mr.
Spotswood's article on this noted historic
Pennsylvanians on the "Canal Zone''
The following self-explanatory letter is a
new illustration of the ubiquity of the
Penna. Germans.
Canal Zone, Panama, Jan. 2, 1911.
Mr. H. W. Kriebel, Editor,
THE PENNA.-GERMAN,
Lititz, Pa., U. S. A.,
Your letter of the 9th ult., is before
me, as well as the magazine. Being a
Pennsylvania German, I find the paper
as well as the enclosures with your let-
ter of interest. There are a great many
Pennsylvanians on the Isthmus, en-
gaged in the construction of the Canal,
and among them I find quite a number
who really speak the "lingo". There
are at least a dozen Penna. boys right
here in Cristobal who can speak it, and
we have called a first meeting to form
a Club. The former General Manager
of the Panama Railroad 1907 to 1909
was a Penna. German from somewhere
near Allentown, — Slifer by name. The
present General Superintendent of the
Panama Railroad is from Littletown,
Pa., also a Penna. German. I under-
stand he was at one time telegraph
operator or Station Agent at Slatington.
Pa. Colonel Sibert, who is in charge of
the construction, of the famous Gatun
Dam and Locks is from Pittsburg, Pa.
Major Butler, who is in charge of the
Marines at Camp Elliott is a son of
Senator Butler of Penna.
So you see there is material here (as
everywhere) for a good article on
Pennsylvanians, and I intend to write
up such an article for your paper in the
near future, to be accompanied with il-
lustrations of the work they are en-
gaged in.
Sincerely yours,
W. H. KROMER.
In one of the Philadelphia public
schools is a girl whose forebears held
that the principal aim of the life of a
woman is marriage. This little girl is
well up in most of her studies, except
geography. The other day her teacher
sent to her mother to see that the girl
studied her lesson. The next few days
showed no improvement, and the
teacher asked whether she had deliv-
ered the note.
"Yes, ma'am," was the reply.
"What did your mother say?"
"She said that she didn't know geo-
graphy an" she got married, an' my
aunt didn't know geography and she
got married, an' you know geography
and you haven't got married."
— November Lippincott's.
126
©Ije Jfemtstjluama-O^rmatt
(Founded by Rev. Dr. P. C. Croll, 1900.)
H. W. KRIEBEL, Editor and Publisher
THE EXPRESS PRINTING COMPANY, Printers
LITITZ, PENNA.
Editor of Review Department, Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N. J.
Advisory Editorial Board : — I. H. Betz, M. D, York, Pa. : Lucy Forney Bittinger, Sewiekley,
Pa.; A. Y. Casanova, Washington, D. C. ; Rev. P. C. Croll, D. D., Beardstown, 111.; Prof.
G. T. Ettinger, Allentown, Pa.; Prof. Oscar Kuhns, Middletown, Conn.; Daniee Miller,
Reading, Pa.; Gen. John E. Roller, Harrisonburg, Ya. ; Prof. L. S. Shimmel, Harrisburg,
Pa. ; Rev. A. C. Wuchter, Paulding, Ohio.
The Pennsylvania-German is the only, popular, illustrated, monthly magazine of biography, genealogy,
history, folklore, literature, devoted to the early German and Swiss settlers in Pennsylvania and other
states and their descendants. It encourages a restudy of the history of the Germans in America; it res-
cues from oblhion the record of the deeds of those gone before; it unearths, formulates and disseminates
a wealth of historic material of great moment in the right interpretation of our American life ; it meets
the necessity of having a repository for historical contributions and a medium for the expression of opin-
ion on current questions pertaining to its field. It aims to develop a proper regard for ancestry, to
create interest in family history, to promote research along genealogical lines, to unite descendants when-
ever found, to facilitate a scientific, philological study of its dialect; it makes generally accessble to the
future historian the precious incidents of German life and achievements in America, and incidentally be-
comes an eloquent, imperishable monument to a very important element of the citizenship of the United
States.
PRICE. Single Copies 20 cents; per year $2.00
payable in advance. Foreign Postage, Extra : to
Canada, 24 cents: to Germany, 36 cents.
SPECIAL PATES to clubs, to canvassers, on long
term subscriptions and on back numbers. Ask for
particulars.
REMITTANCES will be acknowledged through the
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SUGGESTIONS AND PLANS on how to extend
the sale and influence of the magazine are invited
and, if on trial found to be of value, will be suitably
rewarded.
SPECIAL REPORTS WANTED. Readers will
confer a great favor by reporting important and
significant biographical, bibliographical, genealogical,
social, industrial items appearing in books and cur-
rent literature that relate to our magazine field.
HINTS TO AUTHORS. Condense closely. Write
plainly on one side only of uniform paper. Do not
cram, interline, scrawl, abbreviate (except words to
be abbreviated), roll manuscript, or send incomplete
copy. Spell, capitalize, punctuate and paragraph
carefully and uniformly. Verify quotations, refer-
ences, dates, proper names, foreign words and techni-
cal terms.
CONTRIBUTIONS. Articles on topics connected
with our field are always welcome. Readers of the
magazine are invited to contribute items of interest
and thus help to enhance the value of its pages. Re-
sponsibility for contents of articles is assumed by
contributors. It is taken for granted that names of
contributors may be given in connection with articles
when withholding is not requested. MSS. etc. will
be returned only on request, accompanied by stamps
to pay postage. Corrections of misstatements of tacts
are welcomed; these will be printed and at the end
of the year indexed.
Sinking into Oblivion
Under this heading we called atten-
tion in our January issue to a news-
paper report, attributing a certain
statement to Roosevelt. In explanation
of said report we quote the following
letter from Dr. Schaeffer, Superintend-
•ent of Public Instruction.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Department of Public Instruction
Harrisburg, Pa., Jan. 7, 1911.
Mr. H. W. Kriebel,
Dear Sir: I have been away from home
lor a month and could not work in my
study. I enclose the extract from Roose-
velt's "True Americanism". I do not have
his little book on this topic, and must send
you what I have in my note book. He
thinks that in order to become truly Amer-
icanized one must learn the English lan-
guage. In my opinion he is right. I see
no reason for perpetuating the dialect of
my boyhood in the speech of my children,
but I am very anxious that they shall learn
High German and become saturated with
its literature and with the best which Ger-
man literature embodies. But one can not
get a newspaper to say this because it does
not serve to make a sensational newspaper
story.
Yours truly,
N. C. SCHAEFFER.
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
127
"So it is with the Pennsylvania Germans.
Those of them who became Americanized
have furnished to our history a multitude
of honorable names from the days of the
Muhlenbergs onward; but those of them
who did not become Americanized form to
the present day an unimportant body of
no significance in American life."
Theo. Roosevelt in True Americanism.
A few questions suggest themselves :
when may a Pennsylvania German
said to be Americanized ; when may
we say of American citizens they are
of "no significance in American life"?
Are the hands of the town clock, seen
by everybody, of more significance
than the pinions, screws, weights,
framework, etc., back of the face,
grimy, dusty and never looked at?
Who are our "significant" citizens?
A Word About Our Editorial Policy
An esteemed subscriber wrote re-
cently in answer to a letter inviting
criticism :
"Die Muttersproch": what you usually
admit as such, is — well I have yet to meet
the person who knows what it is, except
that it is not Pennsylvania German. The
reason for its uselessness to a philologist I
gave you on former occasions. 'The Forum.'
Prof. E. S. Gerhard's laudable efforts in the
interest of Justice for Pennsylvania Ger-
mans will forever fall flat if you ever stoop
low enuf to mention a Judge Peter Gross-
cup again. Write to the Appeal to Reason,
Girard, Kansas, and learn who Grosscup is
and correct yourself."
To these words we replied :
"Your words as to what is admitted under
'Muttersproch' are not definite enough to
enable me to locate the offending contribu-
tions. So far as the spelling of the dialect
is concerned I believe I can better serve
the cause of phonetic spelling by pursuing
my present course than by insisting on
uniformity. I doubt very seriously whether
we are far enough advanced to adopt an
ironbound orthography.
So far as Judge Grosscup is concerned, I
see the 'Appeal to Reason' each week. The
pages of the magazine are open to you for a
frank expression of opinion in criticism of
any affirmation of fact made by any con-
tributor to the magazine. You surely recog-
nize the inadvisability of my making 'The
Pennsylvania-German' a propagandist organ
for any ism or ologry, however good, laud-
able or popular."
We may say in addition to what we
wrote to our critic that in spite of
Harbangh, llaldeman. Home, E. II.
Ranch, Grumbine, all of sainted
memory, or the action of the 1'enna.
German Society , living writers like
Daniel Miller, T. II. Harter, Dr. E.
Grumbine, II. M. Miller, Rev. A. C.
Wuchter, Rev. I. S. Stahr, J. \\ . Seip,
M. D., Rev. Adam Stump, Henry
Meyer, Louisa A. Weitzel, and others
have not yet seen their way clear to
adopt uniform spelling. Nor is it in
our province to assume the "dog in the
manger" policy and insist on all dialect
writers spelling and capitalizing as we
tell them. We are as anxious as any
one to see our contributors adopt a
uniform standard and hope eventually
to bring this about. But before this
can be accomplished we must have
some frank discussions on the subject.
The matter can not be settled in a day
or by the fiat of any individual, but the
day and possibilities for settlement are
at hand. We hope to hear from our
readers on the subject.
The Pennsylvania-German is not
prepared to enter the arena to argue
Socialism pro or con — or to become
the mouthpiece of any church.
Penna. -German "Parlors"
On page 69, Dr. Super calls attention
to the proverbial parlor of Penna. I Ger-
man families. This is one of the
favorite subjects on which to say
derogatory things about this class of
people. But men rarely give full credit
to all the impelling motives prompting
the setting aside of the "parlor".
May the act not grow out of a feeling
of reverence for things sacred, un-
common : a desire to cultivate a taste
for the artistic and beautiful — a doing
in a small scale what the rich do in
building their art galleries? A rever-
ence for the Bible, an honoring of
fathers and mothers, a love for the
artistic is thus cultivated which can
not be accomplished in the rush and
bustle, dust and din of modern indus-
trial life. Are we past the necessity
128
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
of cultivating these things today? May
not the parlor have been an important
element in the development of the
Penna. -German character? At any
rate, why not say the good things
about this room, rather than the
opposite?
Use of the word "Pennsylvania
German"
An official of a prominent historical
society recently called the attention of
the editor to the careless use of the
term "Pennsylvania German" as ap-
plied to a class of people. This maga-
zine aims to devote itself to 18th cen-
tury immigrants and their descendants.
The name of the magazine is not of
sufficiently wide scope to cover this
field fully, but it seems inadvisable to
make a change. We believe, how-
ever, that by definition we make the
name distinctive and definite enough.
Shall Pat Schmidt be called an
Irishman or a Dutchman, if his father
was of Penna. -German stock and his
mother of Irish blood? Is John Jones
a Pennsylvania-German providing he
uses the dialect correctly in spite of
the Welsh ancestry of his parents?
An octoroon is classed as a negro ; may
not a citizen with a like strain of
Penna. -German blood b e classed
among the Pennsylvania-Germans?
Years ago there lived in Dauphin
County a man descended from Indian
and Xegro who spoke the lingo as if
of the purest Penna. -German stock.
Was he a Pennsylvania German? Does
language or ancestry, or place of resi-
dence, or physique, or lack of educa-
tion constitute the mark of the Penna.
German?
SUBSCRIPTIONS HAVE BEEN PAID by the persons
the year given — "12—10" signifying December, 1910
D H Landis — 12 — 11
C A Groman — 12 — 11
Isaae S Gerhard — 12 — 11
PENNA.
J A Bender — 12 — 10
H S Heilman — 12 — 11
E M Hartman — 12 — 12
G W Resxler— 12—11
Anna C Murty — 12 — 11
E D Bright — 12 — 11
C D Deppen — 12 — 11
A S Urffer — 12 — 11
S A Seaher — 4 — 11
W P Beck — 12 — 11
M B Schmover — 12 — 11
I! K Gerhard — 12 — 11
W H Limbert — 12 — 11
W Riddle— 12 — 11
Thomas J Mays — 12 — 11
C B Sehneder — 12 — 11
Mrs S A Weir— 2 — 12
I S Stahr — 12—11
J H Klase — 12 — 11
Miss A M Longenecker — 1 — 12
Preston Miller — 12 — 11
Daniel Kendig — 12 — 11
Miss E H Evans— 12 — 11
F P Albright — 1,2 — 10
C J Cooper — 12 — 11
F G Seiler — 12 — 11
A E Heimbach — 12 — 11
J J Rothrock — 12 — 11
Jacob Naschold — 4 — 11
I A Bachman — 2 — 13
H D Hevdt — 12 — 11
J O Ulrich — 12 — 11
N H Kevser — 12 — 11
E R Artman — 12 — 11
C Y Schellv — 12 — 11
Mrs S R Bartholomew — 12 — 11
D E Schoedler — 12 — 11
W M Gehman — 8 — 11
D D Fisher — 12 — 11
W Ktearlv — 12 — 11
E H Kistler — 12 — 11
E Brubaker — 12 — 11
C W Rank — 12 — 11
J S Krieble— 12 — 11
J L Schaadt — 12—11
G A Schneebeli — 4 — 12
E Noll — 12 — 11
H A Weller — 12 — 11
W S M Kuser — 12 — 11
M O Rath — 12 — 11
.1 W Behm — 12 — 11
S D Gettig — 12 — 11
J B Reefer — 12 — 11
A F Derr — 12 — 11
J Irwin Yost — 12 — 11
F W Bover — 12 — 11
M J Shinier — 12 — 11
J A Ruth — 12 — 11
Alvin B inner — 12 — 11
F Beehm — 9 — 10
J Becker — 12 — 10
Moravian Archives — 12 — 11
J A Siegfried — 1 — 11
F J Sassaman — 12 — 11
S J Hartman — 12 — 11
C L DeTurk — 12 — 11
J F Mentzer — 12 — 11
J L Glase — 12 — 11
H W Feglev — 3 — 12
Rev I W Klick — 12 — 14
W J Rutter, Jr. — 12 — 11
W H Sallade — 1 — 12
F R Diffenderffer — 12 — 11
G W Wertz — 12 — 11
G A Gorgas— 12 — 11
H O M Dubbs — 12—11
A M Fretz — 12 — 11
Hist. Soc. of Pa. — 12 — 11
T C Billheimer — 12 — 11
[saac Satzin — 12 — 11
Bernville High School — 12—
Ella K Heebner — 2 — 11
B Bertolet — 12 — 11
C W Shive — 1 — 11
W F Bond — 12 — 11
A S Brendle — 12 — 11
J L Roush — 12—11
W H Welfley — 12 — 11
S Gordon Smvth — Iz — 11
J W Seip — 6 — 11
A P Fogelman — 12 — 11
L Webster Fox — 4 — 12
Mrs C B North — 12 — 12
N B Grubb — 6 — 12
named, to and including month of
Isaac Kreider — 12 — 11
Adam Stump — 2 — 12
Kelley Sta. — 12 — 11
M Reed Minnich — 1 — 12
J E Smith — 12 — 11
OHIO
A C Wuchter — 12 — 14
B F Prince — 12 — 11
C W Super— 12— 11
Mrs. S Stevens — 12 — 11
C Krichbaum — 12 — 11
J A Griffith — 12— .14
NEW JERSEY.
C H Vinton — 12 — 11
J R Shimer — 12 — 11
T O'Conor Sloane — 12 — 11
Sarah E Seigler — 12 — 11
NEW YORK
F O Hanbuer — 12—11
R B Reitz — 12 — 11
S B Heckman — 12 — 11
WASHINGTON, D. C.
Nat, Luth. Home — 12 — 11
F B Smith — 6 — 11
E M Eshleman — 12 — 11
ILLINOIS
Katherine E Beard — 12 — 11
J S Shipton — 12 — 11
IOWA
S G Stein — 12 — 11
Mrs W W Witmer — 12 — 11
CANADA
M J Bieber — 12 — 14
CONNECTICUT
II G Meserole— 12 — 11
INDIANA
C H Smith — 12 — 10
MARYLAND
Steiner Schley — 12 — 11
MASSACHUSETTS
W S Youngman — 12 — 11
NEBRASKA
W O Eiehelberger — 1 — 12
To Feb. 1, 1911.
Vol. XII
MARCH, 191
No. 3
A Study of a Rural Community
By Charles William Super, Ph. D., LL. D. Athens, Ohio
(continued from February issue)
XIX.
LTHOUGH this part of
the Keystone State might
be called new, the soil in
places was so exhausted
that nothing °rew upon
it except scrub pines.
These at the time of my
earliest recollection were
from ten to fifteen feet high and in
spots stood so close together, sending
out their stiff lower branches almost
horizontally, that it was next to im-
possible to pass between them. The
ground was thickly covered with pine
needles amid which johnny jumpups
often sprang up so thickly as to con-
ceal everything under them. It was a
favorite amusement of children to
hook together the bent stems and pull
until one or the other broke. In this
way two antagonists would soon ac-
cumulate a pile of broken stems and
blossoms. Sometimes one stem proved
strong enough to pull the head from
several others ; but its victorious
career seldom went further. Re-
garded from the esthetic point of view
there was a considerable difference
between the tastes of the denizens of
this region. There were houses older
than my recollection that were sub-
stantial and commodious while some
of the newer ones were set in a patch
of woodland with no open space
around them. The best that could be
said in favor of such sites was that
they were always protected by shade.
But as others were erected in the open
field the prospect of shade can not have
been a determining factor. Sometimes
the dwelling house with a few of the
outbuildings had been set on one side
of the road and the barn on the other.
Thus the public thoroughfare could be
used as a passage-way from one to the
other. When all the buildings were on
the same side of the highway and close
to it the same statement is true. In
either case no cultivable land was lost,
although there could be no courtyard
about the domicile. In front of some
of the older houses a few evergreens
had been planted. Lombardy poplars
were somewhat in vogue, and in this
latitude they were long-lived, But .in
almost every location the useful was
preferred before the ornamental. One
might suppose that the fear of vicious
tramps would constrain the farmers to
locate their dwellings within calling
distance of one another. There were
tramps, it is true, and other homeless
wanderers ; but I never heard of any
one being molested by them. Very
few of the original buildings, perhaps
130
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
none at all, were still in use toward the
close of the nineteenth century. One
after another they were torn down to
make way for greater or used for
store-houses. They were abandoned,
not to make room for larger families,
but because smaller families, which
were the rule, wanted more room for
each member. In a few instances the
original house was retained, but so en-
larged and transformed as to be no
longer recognizable.
XX.
In the fall of the year after the win-
ter wheat and sometimes a few acres
of rye had been put into the ground,
the corn-husking began. The jovial
occasions about which the poets have
written when an entire neighborhood
came together were not much in vogue
in my time, in our part of the "Lord's
moral vineyard". I do not recall hav-
ing been present at more than one or
two. The performance was decidedly
prosy, especially in cold weather. Af-
ter the corn and its fodder had been
disposed of, the latter in the barn, the
former in the crib, some of the farmers
laid in their stock of fuel for the win-
ter. It was no trivial matter to provide
fuel for two or three fires for several
months, as no one used coal. A few of
the farms became, in the course of time,
entirely denuded of timber; so the win-
ter's wood had to be hauled several
miles from a hill on which some of the
citizens owned or leased land solely for
this purpose. More than half the farm-
ers provided fire-wood as it was
needed, and sometimes not quite that.
Another fall and winter occupation
was treading out the wheat. The
sheaves were laid on the barn-floor;
then a boy astride of a horse and lead-
ing one or two others, went round
and round upon them until all the
grains were trodden out. Next the
straw was removed, the wheat scraped
to one side, and the same circular per-
formance repeated. Threshing rye
with .flails was more interesting if
more laborious, especially when three
or more performers engaged in it. But
they had need to be very careful to
keep correct time or the end of the im-
plement would hit one or another on
the head. The rhythm of several flails
made a sort of rude music. The straw
was chiefly used in making chop feed
for horses. However, beginning with
the second half of the nineteenth cen-
tury threshing - machines gradually
came into use with other agricultural
implements. The flail, the scythe and
the grain-cradle were rarely called into
service. Although there were no
Yankees in the neighborhood and
therefore no historic whittlers, whit-
tling was a sort of universal subordi-
nate pastime. Little boys and big
boys, young men and men of middle
age, sometimes even old men whittled.
It was however not usually engaged
in as a soiltary game. If two persons
of the male sex happened to meet on
the road, or in the field, or about the
premises of one or the other, the
pocket knife was generally called into
service, barring, of course, some press-
ing labor. It was used on a fence rail,
or on a bit of board, or on a stick that
happened to lie near, or on the smooth
bark of a tree, or on something less
common. I have not now in mind the
frequent use made of the pocket knife
to carve some figure, or inscription on
the school desks : that is a universal
penchant among boys and is usually
yielded to whenever opportunity of-
fers. The whittling I am now thinking
of was much more extensively prac-
ticed: it was far from being confined
within the narrow walls of a school
building and a few months of the
year when there was opportunity for
the employment of this ubiquitous lit-
tle tool in that particular place. The
first article a boy sought to make his
own property was a pocket knife, and
among the serious mishaps that occa-
sionally befell him, to lose or to break
it was far to the fore. For the poorer
boys the oldfashioned "Barlow" that
had but a single blade was the first
piece of pocket cutlery. In the nature
of the case trading knives was a well
established form of juvenile business.
A STUDY OF A RURAL COMMUNITY
131
And a foolish one it was. The fellow
who had a knife to barter assuredly
expected to better himself by the deal
at the expense of the party of the sec-
ond part. This was all the more cer-
tain if he refused to show his stock in
trade in its entirety. Yet many an ex-
change was consummated, "unsight,
unseen", apparently for the mere pur-
pose of promoting internal commerce.
The bitten party generally expected to
recoup himself tor his loss on some one
else. Perhaps too the mere love of ex-
citement was an unconscious attrac-
tion to those who had so few things to
vary the monotony of their lives. It
may be said also that the innate im-
pulse for gambling, which has such a
fascination for men everywhere, began
to show its germ in these unsophisti-
cated youths ; for the deal might turn
upon a slate pencil, or on some object
of even less value. One of the strong
motives that impelled every young
man who purposed to make farming
his vocation was the ambition to pos-
sess a good horse and buggy. Gener-
ally one of the colts that trom time to
time made their appearance about the
premises was put in charge of the son
by the sire. He thenceforth had the
care of it until it was ready for service
and entire possession of the beast af-
terwards. A buggy was not so easily
provided ; but it was usually done
eventually if the horse was on hand. A
riding horse might supply the needs of
one person in a majority of cases; not
so well, of two. The chief use of the
vehicle made by its fortunate possessor
was driving his dulcinea to campmeet-
ings and other places that might prove
sufficiently attractive. The fortunate
possessor was often regarded with
envy by those rustic swains who pre-
ferred to save for other purposes what
little money they might get into their
possession. Sometimes it required no
small measure of self-denial to choose
wisely between the allurements of
present pleasure in the guise of fre-
quent drives by the side of a charming
maid and the more distant prospect of
a larger sphere of usefulness. The
young lady who was so lucky as to
have an admirer who was the fortunate
possessor of a turnout was the envy of
her less favored peers. Sometimes this
piece of property gave the decision be-
tween two claimants who were other-
wise on an equal footing. The pleas-
ures of hope were overborne by the
satisfaction of immediate possession.
A bird in hand was rightly held to be
of more value than a dozen that might
still be disporting themselves among
the leafy branches.
XXI.
To not a few of these people supe-
rior knowledge had about it something
uncanny when it led to doubts upon
the literal inspiration of the Scrip-
tures, or of the commonly received
doctrines of the church. Here were
still to be found lingering vestiges of
the mediaeval spirit that led to so much
bitter persecution. The tree of knowl-
edge bore forbidden fruit and it could
be said of those who had eaten thereof
what Festus said to Paul: "Much
learning hath made thee mad". No
matter how upright a man might be in
his dealings with his neighbors, if he
was not orthodox, the saving trait of
his character was wanting. So long
and in so far as extensive information
increased a man's power as a defender
of the faith once delivered to the saints
it was supposed to enlarge his useful-
ness ; otherwise it made him only the
more to be feared, the more dangerous
to his fellow men. The Bible, or the
dogmas of the church, might be inter-
preted in a number of different ways
without doing material harm, but to
deny them was the most damnable
heresy. Hell-fire and a personal devil
were a stern reality. Albeit, some of
the most steadfast believers were not
members of any church while of those
who were not all were greatly con-
cerned to practice its moral precepts.
Some consoled themselves with the be-
lief that if they were members of the
church they were "all right" ; others
held that mere church-membership
without "conversion" and a "change of
132
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
heart" had no merit whatever. There
did not exist here the primitive notion
that any departure from use would
bring" material disaster upon the tribe ;
the innovator was to be shunned as
one who was certain to bring destruc-
tion upon his own soul and upon all
who shared his doubts. In short, here
were to be found minds that were at
the farthest possible remove from the
typical scientist. Many of these people
had inherited from their remote ances-
tors the • primitive incapacity or un-
willingness to trace, effects to their
causes. A conclusion was usually
jumped at which a little reflection
would have shown to be unfounded.
That phenomena were often worrh
careful study was an idea that never
entered their heads. Effects were at-
tributed to some magical or occult
cause that had no existence outside of
their imagination. If the hens did not
lay they were bewitched. If some ob-
ject was lost and could not readily be
found the devil was concerned in it in
some way. If bulbs did not come up
as expected, it was due to their having
been planted in the wrong sign of the
moon. If a boy was drowned on Sun-
day it was owing to his going into the
water on the Lord's dav ; but' if a simi-
lar accident occurred during the week
it was caused by cramps. If a house
creaked from the frost entering the
ground or from a thaw it portended
the death of an inmate almost as cer-
tainlv as the howl of a dog. If a horse
shied at night it saw a "spook". In
fact night was so much dreaded by a
part of the female population that they
would hardly pass over the threshold
after dark. I can recall very few of
the omens and superstitions and never
knew many. My father paid no atten-
tion to them and mother thought it
wicked to give them any countenance.
What sort of imaginary objects could
terrorize an entire neighborhood is "for-
cibly illustrated by an anecdote I
heard my father relate more than
once. In his boyhood it was current-
ly reported that in a large tract of
woodland a headless man mishit be
seen at night with extended arms cov-
ered with a coating of fire. Being, late
one evening, several miles distant he
started for home, and before he be-
thought himself was heading straight
for the dreaded object. Although not
superstitious his fears for the moment
get the better of him ; but recollecting
that he had an ax, he grasped it firm-
ly with both hands, mustered up his
courage and proceeded. Soon he came
in sight of the uncanny thing. Upon
approaching it closely he found it to
be the tall stump of a tree from which
projected almost at right angles two
dead branches. It was partly covered
with a species of fungus, which, in the
dark, gave to it somewhat the appear-
ance of being on fire. With a few
blows of his ax he felled it to the
ground. Henceforth the man without
a head was seen no more. There were
a few freethinkers in the community.
One of these, a tailor with his son
worked at his trade some years in a
hamlet not far from us. The young
man was fluent in handling the usual
arguments against all forms of super-
naturalism. I was too young to be
able to enter into the spirit of his doc-
trines and recall hardly any of his
specific arguments. I do not know
what eventually became of the pair.
By far the best informed man in the
community and a fine mathematician
had read parts of Voltaire's Philo-
sophical Dictionary, Paine's Age of
Reason, d'Holbach's Svstem of Nature,
Taylor's Diagesis, and other similar
writings. These were not kept with
the rest of his books, so that it was by
a mere chance that I got a glimpse of
them. Although I remembered the
titles I did not know in what spirit
they were written until many years
afterwards. Most of them I have not
seen since. I never heard this man re-
fer to his liberal views and learned in-
cidentally from others what they were.
As might be expected he did not stand
well in the community although his
probity was unquestioned. Notwith-
standing his intelligence he would not
have been allowed to teach a country
A STUDY OF A RURAL COMMUNITY
133
school if he had offered to do so for
nothing. He came to this country
when a mere lad, but had none of the
characteristics of the Pennsylvania
German and spoke the language rather
poorly, probably owing to his having
spent most of his early life in an Eng-
lish family.
Although the community was in
general orderly, there were two occa-
sions on which there was sometimes a
performance that bordered on disorder.
The teachers in the schools were ex-
pected to "treat" the pupils on Christ-
mas day. If they failed to give notice
that such was their intention they
sometimes found themselves "barred
out"' on the morning of said day. Once
in a while there was a long and strenu-
ous contest between the outsider who
was trying to enter and some enter-
prising boys on the inside where they
had fortified themselves during the
night endeavoring to prevent his doing
so. The other was a wedding. Occa-
sionally the "weddiners" were sere-
naded by a callithumpian orchestra
the various instruments of which were
played neither in time nor in tune. The
music was notable for its quantity, not
for its quality, and the players for their
zeal rather than their artistic qualifica-
tions. Usually the victims took it
good-naturedly, but occasionally they
manifested their disapproval in such a
way as to make the performers as un-
comfortable as possible. However,
only a small proportion of the boys
and young men of our community took
part in these noisy demonstrations,
which were moreover not often in-
dulged in unless the parties in-doors
were more or less akin to the sere-
naders in manners and customs.
XXII.
Generation number Three broke
away almost entirely from the tradi-
tions of the elders. They married
heretics and unbelievers. They made
a liberal use of agricultural imple-
ments. They subscribed for and read
agricultural papers, which probably no
member of number Two had clone.
Some of them moved into town. Sev-
eral of the younger members attended
academies, normal schools, and col-
leges. They read a few books and
newspapers. They patronized tailors
and occasionally a dress-maker, while
all that was worn by number Two
except hats and shoes for both sexes
was made in the family, unless the
man of the house once in a while
bought a ready-made suit of clothes ;
if it did not fit that made no difference.
They were not content to do as their
fathers had done. The exodus was so
great that in the latter decades of the
nineteenth century the township had
decreased in population. Whether the
twentieth century with its improved
roads, its rural mail delivery, and other
ameliorations of country life is effect-
ing a reversal of the movement I do
not know. Several cases have come to
my knowledge where young men who
had for some time lived in town re-
turned to the cultivation of the soil.
We may trace the intellectual growth
of the community as exhibited in the
history of certain families that began
their career in this region. One of
these I had the opportunity of tracing
through three cis-Atlantic generations.
A German immigrant came into the
neighborhood early in the nineteenth
century, bringing with him three or
four children. This number was in-
creased by several born on American
soil. He was very poor, although not
a redemptioner, consequently his en-
tire family of boys and girls had to
work at whatever they could find to
do. He bought a farm of perhaps a
hundred acres but not enough could be
raised on it and sold to provide suf-
ficient ready monev for the purchase of
those indispensables that could not be
produced in the household. Then
there were also payments to make on
the property. His wife was a woman
of much more than average intelli-
gence. Several of her children de-
veloped into diligent readers both in
English and German, by which means
they became well informed. None of
them however received any systematic
134
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
education and only a few months
schooling- at most. Of the children of
the first generation two graduated
from a reputable college and supple-
mented the attainments thus acquired
by subsequent study in Europe. A few
more took partial courses. Of the third
American generation at least eight are
college or university graduates, to
which number should be addel several
who graduated from high schools. The
first members who made their way
through college were dependent entire-
ly upon their own efforts ; for while
they can not be said to have worked
their way, they earned the necessary
money at whatever employment that
presented itself. On the other hand,
of those who graduated after 1900 not
one was dependent upon his own re-
sources for his education.
XXIII.
A primitive trait of these people was
hospitality. The casual visitor, wheth-
er neighbor or friend, always had the
best the house afforded set before him.
If it was not the fatted calf it was the
well fed pullet, or a pair of them, that
was the piece de resistance of the meal
or the meals. But if the visitor tarried
too long or came on any other day
than Sunday his welcome, with most
families, was apt to lack somewhat in
heartiness, unless he could make him-
self useful by rendering some service
in the way of manual labor. A typical
anecdote is related of a farmer whose
brother whom he had not seen for
thirty years came to pay him a visit..
As the prospective host happened to be
at work in the cornfield when the new-
comer arrived on the premises he di-
rected his steps thither. After the
former had utterel some words of sur-
prise and expressed his pleasure at the
unexpected meeting he remarked :
"Now if you only had a hoe, what a
nice time we could have together!" It
was at funerals that this hospitality
was most in evidence. When a mem-
ber of the community had answered the
final summons his body was prepared
for the coffin and laid upon a board by
some of his neighbors. Others were
dispatched to dig his grave. A man
who had taken the measure of the
corpse was sent for an undertaker who
came on the day of the burial with a
casket of the proper size in which the
body was placed. If some minister of
the Gospel of the denomination to
which the deceased had belonged or
with which he was affiliated was with-
in reach he was usually summoned to
take charge of the burial services. If
he had no ecclesiastical connection re-
ligious services were occasionally
dispensed with. Once in a while a lay
member of the community conducted
a simple service, for the most irrelig-
ious people were averse from putting
out of sight any member of the family
without some sort of religious cere-
mony, if it consisted of but a hymn or
two and a brief prayer. Usually the
messenger dispatched for the under-
taker also called the designated preach-
er. The funeral cortege was made up
of neighbors who came in their own
conveyances, or if the distance was not
too great, on foot. It was understood
that after the deceased member of a
family had been borne to his final rest-
ing-place all who had formed the
escort to the grave were to consider
themselves invited to return to his late
residence there to partake of a sumptu-
ous repast. I should add that this in-
vitation was generally accepted in the
spirit in which it was given, each one
apparently thinking that his turn
might come next. Sometimes an inter-
loper or two. attracted by the prospect
of more toothsome viands than he was
accustomed to at home, might be found
among those who had a just claim to
a seat at the friendly board ; but
generally the expressed or implied in-
vitation was not abused. It is worth
while to remark that this custom is as
old as the recorded history of the
human race. In some form it was in
vogue among the ancient Greeks anl
Romans beginning with the Homeric
age. In later times we find it obtain-
ing all over Europe. The explanation
seems to be this; death, although of
A STUDY OF A RURAL COMMUNITY
135
common occurrence, is nevertheess one
of the most important events in the life
of the community; consequently it had
a special claim to recognition in some
unusual way. Nothing occupied the
thought of the primitive social organi-
zation so much as food and drink be-
cause of the precarious supply of the
former. Therefore occasions that were
not of routine happening were re-
garded as having a special claim to
recognition by feasting. It was the
last tribute of affection that could be
paid to the departed. Like many other
customs this one has endured in the
rural districts long after their observ-
ance in town and cities has been dis-
continued. A "wake" was always kept
over the dead through the one night
they lay in their late residence, usually
by young people. A few instances of
rowdyism were reported to me as hav-
ing taken place at these wakes, al-
though not within the territory under
review. It should be added that these
unseemly performances were not the
acts of Irishmen or of their American
descendants, but of Pennsylvania Ger-
mans. Instances of drunkenness were
extremely rare in our neighborhood,
although generation number One con-
sumed a good deal of ardent spirits,
for instance at a house-raising or at a
muster, or in the harvest field. Number
Two was even more abstemious, not
over two persons in our community
allowing- themselves to °"et the worse
for strong drink once in a while. Gen-
eration number Three had become en-
tirely sober by a sort of social evolution
as the cause of total abstinence was not
much talked about. Statutory prohibi-
tion has probably made less progress
in the Keystone State than in any
other. It does not follow necessarily
that drunkenness is more common. As
there were no rich people in this com-
munity although some were fairly well
off, so there were also no very poor. I
recall but a single family that once, or
twice asked and received help in time
of sickness, from their neighbors in
clothing and provisions. In this case
the want was due to the shiftlessness
of the housewife. She was constitu-
tionally unable to see that it was her
duty to provide against unforeseen
contingencies. Although the county
had its "poor-house" I never knew any
one to be placed in it. Its few inmates
were recruited from other regions. The
conditions of life were so simple that it
was easy for any one to grow sufficient
grain and vegetables on a small patch
of ground to supply a family; and
while wages were low, every one who
wished to do so could earn enough
money to buy what could not other-
wise be obtained. It will be evident
from what I have already written that
although our community represented,
every phase of religious and unreligr
ious belief from extreme orthodoxy to
extreme rationalism there were other
persons who refused to be confined
within its narrow intellectual bounda-
ries or to let their neighbors do their
thinking for them. Some of the
younger generation were in a different
way dissatisfied with existing condi-
tions and conformed to local usages
only in so far as this was unavoidable.
I was recently permitted to look into
the diary of a youth of fifteen or six-
teen in which, among other things, he
bitterly laments his untoward fate.
The English is fairly good, the spelling
correct, but the rhetoric and the punc-
tuation were very faulty. The diarist
expresses his sorrow that the few
books he could obtain only served to
show him how little he knew and to
sharpen his appetite for knowledge
that he could not appease. He laments
not only the lack of reading matter,
but the want of time and above all the
lack of sympathy in his struggles
against well nigh insurmountable ob-
stacles. He can not understand why
so few people are interested in knowl-
edge for the mere sake of knowing.
This boy was evidently not endowed
with the stoutness of heart and the
vigor of determination which carried
men like Franklin and Burns and
Bloomfield and Lincoln, with not a few
others, to success or eminence although
their early years were passed among
136
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
even more unpropitious surroundings.
The obstacles loomed so large before
his inward vision that he could not see
the rewards to be reaped by those who
overcome, He was one of the "mute,
inglorious Miltons" whose "lot for-
bade" their rising above the lowly sta-
tion in which they were born. The
chief interest to me in this document
lay in the evidence it furnished that
there is probably not a community in
the country that does not embrace
some persons whose life is not a mere
vegetative process and who might,
with the slightest encouragement, rise
to a fair degree of prominence in some
sphere of activity.
XXIV.
Although the temper of the com-
munity was on the whole sedate there
was no lack of occasions for merry-
making; nor was the joviality of the
kind that is generated by the flowing-
bowl. Without any philosophical
maxims to guide them they uncon-
sciously regulated their wants, to a
large extent, by the means of supplying
them within their reach. If they had
enough to eat and drink and a little, a
very little, ready money to spend now
and then they were measurably satis-
fied. When several men were together
much good-natured chaff was bandied
back and forth. A good deal of homely
wit was engendered in the crania of
both sexes that flashed forth in
scintillations which set free many a
hearty laugh on the part of the com-
pany. There often come to my mind
amusing retorts that I heard more
than half a century ago. Sometimes
there were sleighing parties, but more
frequently a sled crowded with young
men and women — the more crowded
the better — visited some distant neigh-
bor or attended some meeting when
there would be no lack of fun going
and coming. Winter was the time,
par excellence, for enjoyment; the rest
of the year was fully occupied with
more or less strenuous labor. Men do
not miss what they never have had and
have no expectation of getting. The
children grow up into the conditions
to which their parents had become ac-
customed; it seemed a necessity of
their existence.0 Far different is the
state of mind of the denizen of the city.
The poor man has always before his
eyes those who are better off than him-
self. He is excited to envy, or is
aroused to exertion, or to destruction,
if there is no hope. In mixed company
the conversation was usually chaste
to prudishness. There were likewise a
considerable number of men who never
let fall a word that would be out of
place anywhere. This is not true of
others, but especially of bovs and
young men. I have often wondered
how and where some of the stories
originated and by what means they
were transmitted that were told once
in a while. They exhibited a degree
of ingenuity in the realm of the un-
mentionable and, I might say, of the
inconceivable, that would have done
credit to Aristophanes or Suetonius.
Some of these "fables" were in versi-
fied form. They were certainly not the
invention of the tellers. But where did
they come from ? for they assuredly
never appeared in print. Most of these
obscene words and phrases are now
accessible in dialect dictionaries ; but
these compilations are of recent date,
and do not contain the lubricious anec-
dotes. Although some boys were ex-
tremely foulmouthed their foulness
ended in words. It was not translated
into action. Their lewd thoughts all
found vent in lewd language. After
being thrown in contact with these
bovs I was wholly ignorant of matters
afterward revealed to me by the hired
man. I have heard similar testimony
from others. The hired man was in-
structor in vices to which country boys
were for the most part strangers.
Themselves corrupt they seemed to
take pleasure in corrupting the young-
er generation. My early experiences
gave the lie to the answer that Socrates
made to his accusers when they
charged him with corrupting the vouth.
He found it unreasonable that any one
should prefer to live with vile associ-
A STUDY OF A RURAL COMMUNITY
137
.ates rather than with such as had been
uncontaminated. The general experi-
ence seems to be that the vicious con-
sider it a gain when they have made
others like unto themselves, since it is
easier than to rid themselves of their
own evil dispositions. Although the
men and women who spoke German
only were for the most part very illit-
erate, especially the latter, their speech
did not diverge farther from the printed
page than did the speech of their con-
temporaries in the Fatherland. On the
other hand, the English of those who
did not know German and in some
cases of those who did, was much
nearer that of books than the English
of the rural regions of Great Britain.
An Englishman who had been brought
up in what is called good society
would have had no difficulty in compre-
hending it, which can not be said of
the rustic speech of his own country.
The disappearance of the German dur-
ing the nineteenth century was rapid.
During my father's earlier years some
ministers of the Gospel preached in
German only. By the middle of the
century there was no demand for a
German preacher unless he could also
serve the younger members of his
church in English. I do not believe a
sermon was delivered in German in our
neighborhood as late as 1865. The few
persons who can "in a pinch" use the
Pennsylvania German are very few.
My recollection is that the Old School
Lutherans and the German Reformed
were the only church members who
insisted on German preaching, altho
most of the Evangelicals and United
"Brethren were Pennsylvania Germans.
in the vocabulary of those persons
who spoke German only no abstract
terms had a place. What was intangi-
ble was likewise inconceivable. The
nearest approach to metaphysical
phraseology occurred when they ven-
tured on a quotation from the Bible or
endeavored to express themselves in
the language of Luther's translation.
In the religions or semi-religious do-
main they sometimes strayed beyond
the bounds of their limited phraseology
but not elsewhere. A few volumes of
verse have been printed the authors of
which profess to portray the feelings
and aspirations of the Pennsylvania
farmer. They are full of errors both as
to matters of fact and to the use of
words. When the rustic German does
not contain the terms the author needs
he simply has recourse to the High
German. He employs words that
would never have come into the minds
of the men and women whose termi-
nology he professes to reproduce.
Nevertheless, most of those verses are
probably as true todife as the majority
of creations of the imagination.
*A striking confirmation of this statement is found
in an anecdote related by George Eliot in her essay
on RiehTs Natural History of German life. "Any-
thing is easier for the peasant than to move out of
his habitual course, and he is attached even to his
privations. Some years ago a peasant youth, out of
the poorest and remotest region of the Westerwald,
was enlisted as a recruit, at Weilburg in Nassau.
The lad having never slept in a bed, when he had to
get into one for the first time, began to cry like s
child : and lie deserted twice because he could not
rconcile himself to sleeping in a bed, and to the 'fine
life' of the barracks: lie was homesick at the thought
of his accustomed poverty and his thatched hut." A
similar anecdote is toll in the ErekmannChatrian
novel Waterloo, where it is related that a recruit
from the Vosges was so elated with the provisions
he received as a soldier that he wantel to send at
once for his brother. As he had before eaten hardly
anything but potatoes he could scarcely realize that
people lived so well as his comrades.
138
Government Weather Forecasts versus Fake Forecasts
and Almanacs
By a "Pennsylvania Dutchman"
ROB ABLY the almanac
has received wider distri-
bution and has been more
greatly cherished by the
people of all nationalities,
than any other publica-
tion next to the Bible. In
manuscript form it was
known centuries before the invention
of printing, and all countries have had
their almanacs, but they were particu-
larly popular in England and Ger-
many. It is not strange that there
should be great demand for the alma-
nac for it is in a certain sense to the
days of the year what the clock is to
the hours of the day. Almanacs were
among the first productions of the
printing presses in the American col-
onies, and preceding as they did by
fifty years, the newspapers and prim-
ers they were for a long time the only
secular current publications found in
a large number of Pennsylvania
homes.
Cambridge, Mass., was the cradle of
the almanac in America. Here the first
printing press was located under the
supervision of Harvard College, and
the first matter printed was the Free-
man's Oath. Then came the almanac,
which was compiled for the year 1639
by William Peirce, a mariner, and who
was the master of the "Mayflower" in
1629. The printer was Stephen Daye
who came to the Massachusetts Bay
Colony with the printing plant. This
production was called "An Almanack
for New England, for 1639", but no
copv has come down to us. The earliest
Pennsylvania almanac was printed by
William Bradford1 at Philadelphia, in
December, 1685. "Being an Almanack
for the year of Grace, 1686" by Samuel
Atkins2. It was known as "Kalendar-
ium Pennsilvaniense, or America's
Messenger", and consisted of 20 un-
paged leaves.
Mr. C. R. Hildeburn in "A Century
of Printing" in this connection writes
as follows :
"But 2 copies are known to exist. One
of these formerly belonged to Mr, Brinley
of Hartford, Conn., at whose sale it realized
$55.00. The other was sold at the disper-
sion of Dr. King's (Newport, R. I.) library
for $520.00, and is now in the collection of
the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Fragments of 2 copies are also known, one
of which belongs to the society just named,
and the other to Mr. S. Gratz".
Another issue of the utmost rarity is
the one by Daniel Leeds3, beginning
with the year 1687 and ended with
1693. It also was printed by William
Bradford, at Philadelphia. The first
Connecticut almanac was compiled by
John Tulley4 for the year 1687. There
being no printing presses in the state
the almanac was printed at Boston. In
this issue a few "weather prognos-
ticks" are found and were perhaps the
earliest printed. He evidently gained
courage for by 1692 he had extended
his forecasts to nearly every day of the
year, and concluded that year with the
following vague and wholly condi-
tional guess :
"December 26-31, Perhaps more wet
weather, after which cold winds and frosty
weather may conclude the year".
It is interesting to note that Tulley
recognized the historical method of
reckoning time, and began the year, as
now, on January 1. More than half a
century before the legal change was
made from the old to the new style —
and he was among the earliest, if not
the earliest, to adopt the custom in this
country.5. In other almanacs prior to
1752 the ecclesiastical or old style of
reckoning was, as a matter of course,
observed ; the years beginning with the
Spring equinox, or March 25 to be
exact. March appeared first in the ar-
rangement of months, while January
and Februarv concluded the vear.
GOVERNMENT VS. FAKE WEATHER FORECASTS
139-
Headquarters building, U. S. Weather Bureau,
Washington, D. C. (Photo by H. E. Hobbs.)
From a literary point of view per-
haps the most important of the early
Pennsvlvania almanacs was the "Poor
Richard's" issued by Benjamin Frank-
lin, Esq. in 1752 and for the 25 years
following. The publication was in
great demand and brought him much
profit. In New England "Thomas'
Old Farmer's Almanac" has been
widely read and its weather forecasts
generally credited since 1793.
The first German almanac published
in America was "Der Teutsche Pil-
grim, auf das jahr MDCCXXXI, zu
Philadelphia, Gedruckt bei Andreas
Bradford" but its life was short — 3
years — and no copy has been pre-
served. The next and best known,
was "Der Hoch Deutsch American-
ische Calendar, auf das jahr 1739, Ge-
druckt und zu finden bey Christoph
Saur" Germantown, August, 1738. Of
the first issue no perfect copy is
known to exist7. An intensely inter-
esting article on this publication, by
Mr. A. II. Cassel, may be found in the
Pennsylvania Magazine of Historv and
Biography, (Vol. 6 pages 58-68) from
which I quote :
"It consisted of 3 sheets — 12 leaves each
— without outside title leaf or cover. In
external aspect it is similar to the 4to
almanacs of the present lay. The calcula-
tions or months followed in close succession
on both sides of the page without any in-
termediate reading matter. The phases of
the moon, etc., were at the bottom of the
pages, and the conjectures of the weather
were interspersed throughout the calcula-
tions. The succeeding copies were similar
in their outward construction until 1743
when he enlarged it to 4 sheets or 16 leaves,
and designed and engraved a highly em-
blematical plate for the outside or cover. As
it is a first attempt at engraving the execu-
tion thereof was (as might be expected)
coarse and rough, although well designed.
Saur's almanac had an unprecedented sale
and being for many years the only one in
the German language he was frequently
obliged to enlarge his editions and yet then
fell short in the demand. The last issue by
him was in 1778 when the Revolution broke
up his establishment and disposed of all his
apparatus. The publication was however
resumed in Philadelphia and continued by
several others printers until about 1835."3
The next in succession was the
"Neu - Eigerichteter Americanische
Geschichts - Kalendar, auf das jahr
1747", a 4to published at Philadelphia
by Benjamin Franklin, Esq., although
it did not succeed. He was busy with
his English editions, and was suc-
ceeded by Armbruester, who continued
the series until 1768. Then came "Der
Neueste, Verbessert, und Zuver-
Exhibit of standard meteorological instruments, U. S. Weather Bureau pattern.
(Photo by W. G. Dudley.)
140
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
lassige Americanische Calendar, auf
das 1763 ste jahr Christi, zum erstemal
heratis gegeben, Philadelphia. Ge-
druckt and zn finden bey 1 feinrich Mil-
ler in der Zweyten Strasse."10 This
publication ceased in 1780. Next we
find Francis Bailey, at Lancaster.
printing from 1776 to 1787. "Der Gantz
Nene Yerbesserte Nord-Americanische
Calendar, V o n Anthony Sharp
(Philo)". The volume for 1779 con-
tains curious cuts of General Washing-
ton, etc., entitled "Das Landes Vater
Washington", and is the first time that
he was publicly called "The Father
of his Country".11
town, and Reading, that hung in the
accustomed place beside the living
room clock in all my early years, and
the childish glee and interest with
which my companions and myself ex-
amined the title page with its conven-
tional disemboweled figure of man's
body as governed by the twelve Con-
stellations ; the pictures depicting rural
scenes at the top of the pages of the
monthly calendar; and the varied his-
torical notes printed opposite dates
throughout the entire year. Then
there were always humorous stories,
problems in arithmetic, puzzles, and
charades, to be "answered in our
m
Automatic river-stage register, with glass cover raised.
In operation on Connecticut River at Hartford, Conn.
(Photo by W. G. Dudley.)
If you love to delve into the past you
cannot get a more vivid impression of
the "gute alte Zeit" than by going over
a file of our childhood's friend^The
Old Almanac. Frequently you will
find the leaves yellow and dirty. Hang-
ing as many of them did over the chim-
ney mantle exposed to the smoke and
fumes of the fire-place, they may
affect the sense of smell, as well as de-
pict the changes that have taken place
in laws, manners, and customs during
the past two centuries. How well do I
remember certain German and Eng-
lish editions from Lancaster, Allen-
next". As soon as a new almanac was
received our parents would at once
look to see which was the "ruling plan-
et" for the year and contemplate as to
what the coming year had in store for
them. Our German ancestors laid
much stress on the "ruling planet" for
these plants not only determined the
character of the weather for their re-
spective years, but the fruitfulness of
the harvest, the health of the commun-
ity, and the disposition of children
born under their influence. There they
also learned the time of sunrise and
sunset ; the moon's phases ; the evening
GOVERNMENT VS. FAKE WEATHER FORECASTS
141
and morning- stars ; eclipses ; dates of
elections and hdidavs ; postal regula-
tions ; distances ; dates of holding state
and federal courts; and weather pre-
dictions, especially for the spring
months, and for haying and harvest-
ting. Sometimes they were inter-
leaved with blank pages on which vital
statistics were entered, or perhaps ex-
tended notes on important happenings,
or unusual weather conditions.
The weather prognostications of the
old almanacs known to our ancestors
were often startling, and a few of the
more curious are here repeated.
"The weather grows more unsettled.
The clouds denote wind and rain.
Pleasant sun.
Perhaps smoky air.
Looks likely for rain but there will
probably be none.
It may thunder in some places.
Now comes rain.
A pretty warm day (February 15).
It may gather up for a storm.
A sudden combustion after a long calm12".
In an old issue was published a hu-
morous prediction which was no doubt
repeated by farmers to lazy boys :
"This year the sun will repeatedly rise
before many people leave their beds and set
before they have done a day's work".
There was always a poem or two of
"solemn meter" in each issue. One
commences thus,
"Begin the year with solemn thought,
How many the last to the grave were
brought,
Thy turn may come thou knowest not
when,
Be sure thou are prepared then".
The early numbers were not lacking
in respect to General Washington : in
a copy for 1796 may be found the fol-
lowing epigram addressed to those
farmers who allowed needless anxiety
for state affairs to interfere with their
more immediate concerns:
"Advice. To Country Politicians".
"Go weed your corn, and plow your land,
And by Columbia's interest stand,
Cast prejudice away:
To able heads leave state affairs,
Give raling o'er, and say your prayers,
For stores of corn and hay.
With politics ne'er break your sleep
But ring your hog and shear your sheep,
And rear your lambs and calves:
And WASHINGTIN will take due care
That Briton never more shall dare
Attempt to make you slaves".
This article will discuss but one of
these numerous subjects, namely:
"weather forecasts" and particularly
that brand of fake long range fore-
casts published in certain almanacs of
current issue. At the suggestion of
the Editor of this magazine I will en-
deavor to explain some of the methods-
and theories by which these fakirs
operate, hoping thereby to help in
counteracting the influence of these
absurd predictions. The weather, since-
the Creator's decree after the deluge
that, "while the earth remaineth, the
seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,
summer and winter, and day and night
shall not cease" has been a subject of
perpetual interest, and it will ever re-
main so, for no factor among the forces
of nature influences man's temporal
well-being more than weather and
climate. In our temperate zone at
least, the entire daily affairs of the
human race are so materially affected
by the constantly varying weather,,
that its changes have been studied
from the earliest times and attempts
made to account for the underlying
causes, and thus to be able to foresee
them. The appearances which were
found to precede weather changes
have been noted from time to time.
These have given rise to many weather
proverbs that are the result of close
observation and study by those com-
pelled to be on the alert, and are there-
fore based in part upon true atmos-
pheric conditions.
In the lookout for weather signs it
was but natural that men should have
scanned the heavens, and have asso-
ciated the celestial bodies with changes
in the weather, often erroneously how-
ever, as to causation. Thus in the
popular mind astronomy has been
closely associated with meteorology,
and perhaps accounts for the ease with
which so many people can be deceived
by weather predictions pretendedly
based upon planetary influence. The
142
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
moon for a long- time held a wide and
•deep hold in popular belief as the great
weather breeder, and was the basis for
nearly all the weather forecasts found
in the almanacs, but in recent years the
lunar idea of weather control has been
largelv abandoned. The moon's appear-
ance to us depends on the relative posi-
tion of the moon and sun in regard to
the observer's horizon, hence it is im-
possible to see from an astronomical
analysis how the varying positions
of the lunar cups could in any wai; be
connected with the character of the
weather. The belief can therefore be
considered nothing more than supersti-
Landing a Kite, Mt. Weather, Va.
(Photo by B. J. Sherry)
tion, and of no value whatever in
weather forecasting. The moon theory
probably grew out of the naturally fre-
quent coincidence between certain
weather changes and selected moon
phases. The moon enters a new quar-
ter about every seventh day, and the
weather in this latitude changes on the
average of one or two times in every
week : hence there must be a great
many accidental coincidences.
As to seasonal predictions based up-
on the behavior and conditions of ani-
mals it is clear that the physical con-
dition of the animal depends upon past
weather conditions anl upon the food
supply which these conditions have
furnished, rather than upon future
weather conditions. There is also a
perverted argument which predicts a
hard winter because berries or nuts
are plentiful. The people who hold
this belief — and many do — forget that
the abundance is not the forerunner of
frost, but an evidence of past mildness
ami normal weather conditions. The
goose-bone prophecy did not emanate
among the Pennsylvania German
farmers, but it is nevertheless a com-
mon superstition, and has been for
centuries among the Germans. Tins
and many other harmless credulities
were brought from the Faderland by
the German pioneers.
The old fashioned almanac was
pushed aside by the more eager adver-
tising almanac whose reason for being
was to make known the matchless vir-
tues of somebody's bitters or pills. This
in turn has been superseded by the
ever present calendar which now greets
the eye with the unequaled advantages
of some life or fire insurance com-
pany, and we may safely say that the
Weather Bureau has by this time de-
prived this old time compendium of
whatever authority it once had. How-
ever in memory of old times the
weather signs are still strung down the
monthly calendar in a carefully am-
biguous manner. For example, "About
this-time-expect-showers" these five
words being so printed that they ap-
ply to a week or ten days of time.
They cannot be held to apply to any
particular day for rain or snow, or fair
or foul, or hot or cold, or to any par-
ticular locality. It is pretty safe to
say. that it will be hot with showers
in July, and cold with snow in Jan-
uary.
From ancient times it has been
the custom to make local weather fore-
casts for the morrow from the aspects
of the sky today, but the later phase
of the question, the prediction of
weather for a distant locality, is of
modern development. Much has been
learned of legitimate forecasting, but
the progress has been slow and even
GOVERNMENT VS. PAKE WEATHER FORECASTS
143
today the work is yet in an empirical
state, with plenty of work ahead for
the honest and capable investigator.
By onr extensive system of daily ob-
servations we are certainly now laying
the foundation of a great system
which will adorn the civilization of
future centuries. When the future
scientist shall have discovered the
fundamental principles underlying
weather changes such as will make it
of the birth of William Penn. One
hundred years later Benjamin Frank-
lin, the celebrated patriot and diplo-
mat, gave to the world his philosophy
of storms. But storms move with such
rapidity that no practical use could be
made of the discovery in warning the
people to the eastward of the approach
of the storm, until a very rapid means
of communication was established be-
tween the west and the east. During
req
Weather Map, 7 a. m. January 9, 1886. Showing a southern storm of great vigor operating
along the Atlantic coast, and a cold wave of great severity over the northwest. Isobars, or solid
lines, pass through equal points of equal pressure. Isotherms, or broken lines, pass through
points of equal temperature. Symbols indicate state of weather, o clear; 3 partly cloudy ; •
cloudy ; R rain ; S snow. See Moore's Descriptive Meteorology , pages 223-232.
possible to foretell the character of the
coming seasons, it will doubtless be
accomplished as the result of a com-
prehensive study of meteorological
data for long periods of time covering
some great geographical area like the
Northern Hemisphere.
The discovery of the principle of the
barometer for measuring the air pres-
sure, and of the thermometer for air
tempeature, was but a little in advance
the first half of the 19th century a
number of American scientists gath-
ered by mail the data of storms after
their passage ; then by displaving
these data on a map, and indicating
by means of lines of equal air pres-
sures and temperatures laid bare the
structure of our extended storms, and
demonstrated their principal motions
as governed by Nature's laws, to be
exactly as Franklin had supposed.
144
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Moreover by drawing" such maps for
successive days the path of the storm
could be accurately traced, and the,
gradual changes followed out. The in-
vention and application of the tele-
graph however finally made it possible
to transmit data at once from the var-
ious observing stations to a central
point, where weather maps could be
made while the storm was still in
progress. Then not only could the
track already passed over by a storm
be traced, but judging from the pre-
vious courses of such storms the
probable future direction and inten-
sity could be pointed out. In 1855,
Prof. Joseph Henry, Secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution, constructed
a daily weather map from observa-
tions collected by telegraph and nearly
simultaneous. He used his map —
without publishing any forecasts — to
demonstrate the .feasibility of organ-
izing a Government weather service.
But it was not until February 1870, af-
ter the country had settled down to
peaceful pursuits after the Civil War,
that .Congress enacted laws for the es-
tablishment of the National service.
During the first twenty years of its de-
velopment the work was conducted by
the Army Signal Corps, but the de-
mand for a strictly scientific bureau,
unhampered by regulations of a mili-
tary character, resulted in a reorgani-
zation of the service in 1891, when the
present Weather Bureau was estab-
lished as a branch of the United States
Department of Agriculture.
In a service of this character the
real value of the observations and
records must largely depend upon the
instruments ; and the accuracy of the
meteorological data obtained can
therefore be no greater than the ac-
curacy and reliability of the instru-
ments themselves. Unfortunately the
general public does not yet recognize
this truth, and the average individual
will, for example, still swear to the ac-
curacy of his old, cheap, tin-back,
thermometer, while, in reality it may
be several degrees in error. It was,
therefore, necessarv at the very be-
ginning of our National Meteorologi-
cal Service, to secure certain standards
and see that every instrument was
compared therewith, so that all obser-
vations and records could be reduced
to one harmonious svstem. The crude
and defective instruments and appara-
tus of fifty years ago, in the hands of
the various mechanical experts having
charge of this part of the work at
Washington, have been constantly
improved and standardized. By 1876
electricity had opened the door to a
wide field of self-recording instru-
ments, and has ever since made our
American meteorological apparatus
practically the standard of the world.
New demands necessitate new inven-
tions, and Yankee ingenuity is ever on
the alert with genuine improvements
and invaluable discoveries to make it
possible for the United States to lead
the world in practical meteorology as
it does now, and has done for 25 years
past. Its forecasts and storm warn-
ings are the deductions and opinions
of able scientists and meteorologists,
and based as they are on semi-daily
observations of the various elements
that make up our weather and climate
are therefore the best obtainable.
While the forecasts are far from per-
fect and leave much to be desired,
they are however sufficiently accurate
to be of incalculable value. Our pres-
ent knowledge of meteorology will not
permit forecasts of greater periods
than 2 or 3 days, or under favorable
conditions for a week at the most.
However great the demand for fore-
casts covering a month or a season,
the science is not sufficiently de-
veloped to render them possible. Not-
withstanding these facts there are per-
sons who, realizing the urgent need of
forecasts for an extended period, and
appreciating the fact that the Ameri-
can people can be humbugged, take
advantage of the same, and frequently
receive pay for it. It is not uncommon
to read in some newspapers, from
time to time, forecasts of a great storm
for a month in advance and for the
weather conditions for a comino- sea-
GOVERNMENT VS. FAKE WEATHER FORECASTS
145
son, or an entire year. Next to the
gold brick and green goods artist, the
long range weather forecaster is the
biggest fakir on the market. There is
not a man living today who can give
the slightest clue as to whether next
July will be wet or dry, abnormally
hot or unusually cold, and whoever
attempts to do so is simply playing on
the credulity of the public. The
average fakir's long range forecast con-
sists of a series of violent storms, tor-
nadoes, hot waves, cold spells and hail
storms, seismic disturbances or tidal
waves, so vaguely worded that they
can not be applied to any locality or
any date.
None of the long range prophets will
explain to the scientific world the basis
upon which he makes his forecasts,
and this should justify the charge of
fraud and chicanery if there were no
other things against it. Predictions of
any sort, scientific or otherwise, seem
to have a strange influence upon us
mortals, therefore the promulgation of
false prophecies of any kind is an in-
jury, simply because there are always
many to believe and take fright at any
prediction of danger, however baseless
such prediction may be. Surely then
the dissemination of predictions pre-
tending to foretell future atmospheric
conditions, such as severe storms,
droughts or floods, when based on er-
ror and superstition is injurious to
public interest. In order to give a
scientific coloring to the nefarious
game astronomical facts are frequent-
ly appended to the long range predic-
tions, as if the position of the stars
and planets were causes of certain co-
incidental disturbances. The changes
in the position of the moon and planets
are like clock work therefore it does
not seem possible that reasonable peo-
ple will believe that the erratic occur-
rences of storms, and weather changes,
are governed by the regularly chang-
ing phases of the planets and moon.
Within the radius of the Keystone
state there may be, and frequently are,
man-- varieties of weather in progress
at the same time, whereas all of this
area has about the same relative posi-
tion to these celestial bodies ; there-
fore, if the position of the planets or
the moon, influenced the weather, all
of such an area should have similar
meteorological conditions at the same
time. With regard to the accuracy of
these long range forecasts. Prof. Wil-
lis L. Moore, Chief of the U. S.
Weather Bureau, lias stated:
"As a result of my personal verification
of the work of the long range weather fore-
casters, some of whom have so far gained
the confidence of the rural press as to re-
ceive liberal compensation for their pre-
dictions, I am led to the conclusion that
these forecasters knowingly perpetrate
fraud and do positive injury to the public at
large".
Interior of Kite House, showing kite reel.
Mt. Weather, Va. (Bulletin, Mt. Weather
Observatory, Vol. 1.)
The Weather Bureau has taken and
ever stands read-" to take the best that
scientific minds, training, and re-
search, are able to produce. There is
no secret or magic about its system of
simultaneous observations, telegraphic
reports, charts, and maps. The best
scientific thought and the life work of
some of the brightest scientific minds,
together with the long experience of
the forecaster, are used in the discus-
sion of these observations and charts
in predetermining the weather ele-
ments for several days in advance.
After living the names of some of
the most persistent advertising fake
146
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
forecasters in the United States and
Europe, Prof. Cleveland Abbe, the
dean of the scientific corps of the
United States weather service, and an
accepted authority the world over in
matters pertaining' to the science of
meteorolop'v, while writing on this
subject, several years ago expressed
himself as follows :
"The community does not allow either
druggists or physicians to operate without
first giving satisfactory evidence that they
are competent drugs that they deal in.
Every state has its laws relative to the
licensing of steam engineers, since a steam
engine in incompetent hands would be a
menace to the lives of many. Whenever the
life and property of the citizens are at
stake, the Government of the people, by the
people, and for the people, must necessarily
look after their interests, and the time
must soon come when a general law shall
forbid the publication of weather predic-
tions and storm warnings, especially of a
sensational character, by others than prop-
erly licensed persons".
Here in Connecticut we have one of
these long' range "prophets who in a ,
vague forecast in connection with the
big 1888 blizzard, suddenly became
famous as a weather sharp. Me con-
tinues his folderol to this day, but it
is regarded as nothing more than a
joke, although he has reached the
point where he has become almost
monomaniacal on the subject and will
not see his mistakes. His forecasts
are couched in terms so vague, and
the district forecasted for so unlimited
in territory, that it would take the
proverbial "Philadelphia Lawyer" to
gather the meaning and make the ap-
plication, let alone the simple mortal
man who spends but a glance and a
single thought and will, in his sim-
plicity say, "Yes he hits the weather
everv time, I know because I read it".
If every one were to keep a daily re-
cord of the weather conditions, the
absurdities would be more appreciated.
His forecasts were recently compared
with actual conditions, period b-" per-
iod, for a year with the result that
nearly all of his prognostications were
found false. He has no more data to
build his forecasts on than any other
private citizen, and no more know-
lelge, and when his forecasts are dis-
sected, the planetary (real or imagi-
nary) theory will soon be apparent, al-
though he stoutly maintains that he
uses some intricate "mathematical
calculation '. Such forecasts should
be classed with fortune telling and
pow-w -owing, and it is largely because
their announcements are not compared
with the facts that anybody places any
reliance upon them.
The Editor has handed me for com-
parison weather forecasts for the
month of November, 1910, as issued by
Rev. I. L. Hicks, and published in an
Eastern Pennsylvania newspaper. To
show the readers of THE PENNSYL-
VANIA-GERMAN the utter worth-
lessness of such material, I had pre-
pared by a valued co-worker, Mr.
George S. Bliss, the Official in Charge
of the Local Weather Bureau office at
Philadelphia, a statement showing the
actual conditions observed at that
point during November last. I have
selected this station because it is the
nearest regular observation station to
the place where the newspaper was
published. As the article is quite
lengthy I will not reproduce it in full
but confine myself to exact quotations
from the salient features :
From the 1st to the 5th inclusive, he
makes no forecast. The conditions observed
show that the heaviest storm of the month
occurred on the 3rd and 4th, causing a large
excess in moisture. Highest wind velocity
for the month was registered on the 3rd-
forty miles per hour from the north.
Hicks' forecast, 6th to 11th incl. "A regu-
lar storm period is central the 8th, dis-
turbing from the 6th to the 11th. Storms of
rain, snow, sleet, and wind, and very cold
for the season". Conditions: Mildest and
best weather during the month. Mean tem-
perature averaged slightly below normal.
No precipitation except 0.01 of an inch on
the 10th.
Forecast, 13th to 16th: A reactionary
storm period covers the 13th to 16th. The
facts that the moon is on the celestial equa-
tor on the 13th and both full and in perigee
on the 16th inlicate that decided storm con-
ditions will begin at the beginning and con-
tinue to the end of the period. Thunder,
wind, and rain. Possibly a November bliz-
zard will set in on the 16th. All coast re-
gions and cities especially exposed to high
tides, or tidal waves, should be reminded of
GOVERNMENT VS. FAKE WEATHER FORECASTS
147
Kiosk. (U. S. Weather Bureau Park Instru-
ment Shelter) in operation on City Hall Square,
Hartford, Conn. (Photo by J. F. Duune. )
possible danger. It is also the center of
the most decided seismic period of the year,
extending 3 to 4 days before and after the
16th. On that date falls the full moon at
an eclipse node, causing a total eclipse of
the moon, and hence bringing earth, moon,
and sun, on a direct line with each other,
Earth, air and seas, will undergo an astro-
nomic strain that will be heard from at
this time". Conditions: "Nothing doing".
Temperature below normal, and there was
light rain on the 14th and 15th.
Forecast, 17th and 22nd: "A regular
storm period is central on the 19th cover-
ing from the 17th to the 22nd. A prolonged
spell of threatening weather, increasing in-
to renewed storms of rain and snow on and
touching the 19th, 20th, and 21st, changing
to much colder with high northwest gales".
Conditions: Taking the state as a whole it
was the best weather of the month ; cool at
night, but seasonable. No precipitation at
Philadelphia, and none of any consequence
in the entire state.
Forecast, 23rd to 26th. "A reactionary
storm period is central on the 23rd to 26th.
Higher temperature with possible lightning,
thunder and very little rain on the 24th and
2. j th.
No forecast, 27th to 29th. Conditions:
Moderate rain on the 28th and light rain on
the 29th.
Forecast 30th to Dec. 1: "The month
goes out at the on-coming of a regular
storm period. Increasing cloudiness will
appear by 30th, bringing rain or snow by
Dec. 1". Conditions: No rain on 30th; on
Dec. 1 there was light snow — just barely
enough to measure.
General forecast: "The 8th to the 30th are
in a seismic period". Conditions: There
was no record of any earthquake, nor was
there any thunder during the entire month.
These forecasts like those of the
Connecticut Oracle can hardly be said
to be less absurd, or to possess more
value than those given in Tulley's
almanac over two centuries ago. This
statement is made without regard as
to whether or not any of the storms
passing across the United States dur-
ing November happened to agree in
some part of the country with the
storm periods mentioned in the "Word
and Works". As storms of more or
less intensity pass over large portions
of our country every few days during
the greater portion of the year, and it
is seldom that the weather chart does
not show one or more storms as oper-
ating somewhere within our broad do-
main, it would be strange indeed if
some of these storms did not agree
with the long range forecast periods.
Believing that the further develop-
ment of our knowledge of storms and
of weather generally depends in large
measure upon a better understanding
of the sun and its relation to the me-
teorology of the earth. Congress sev-
eral years ago, on the recommendation
of Professor Moore, the progressive
weather chief, appropriated a sum of
money to found a meteorological solar
and research observatory. The site
chosen was a peak about 1700 feet
above sea-level, since named Mount
Weather, in the Blue Ridge, 65 miles
west of Washington. Here explora-
tions of the upper levels of the atmos-
phere are being made daily by means
of kites and balloons. Substantial
148
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
buildings have been erected, equipped
with special apparatus, magnetic in-
struments, pyrheliometers, and every,
appliance man's brain has yet devised
to catch the secrets of the sun. With-
out question the Mt. Weather Obser-
vatory is the most important step ever
undertaken for the advancement of
meteorological science and in this
connection. Mr. Gilbert H. Grosvenor,
in an article in the Century Magazine,
several years ago, truly said :
"Here the meteorologist will study the
sun and try to find out how it governs our
rain and sunshine. The sun holds the key
to the weather. The Weather Bureau will
seaich for the kev, and with it, hopes to
unlock the mysteries of cyclones, o f
droughts, and of torrential floods, and thus
foreteli the years of plenty and of famine".
Among the numerous projects be-
fore our country today, none is receiv-
ing greater attention than the conser-
vation of natural resources, especially
the relation between precipitation and
stream flow, and the influence of for-
ests on climate and on floods. This
particular branch of work is ably con-
ducted in the Weather Service, under
the supervision of the Chief of Bureau.
bv a Pennsylvania German, Dr. Harry
C. Frankenfield, of Easton. There are
also many others of Pennsylvania
German blood filling important places
in the service. We might even say
that the head of the Weather Bureau,
Dr. Moore himself, is a "near Pennsyl-
vania German", being a native of
Scranton, with a strain of German on
his mother's side.
1William Bradford and William Penn were inti-
mate friends. Bradford was born in England in
1063 : came to America in 1685, and introduced the
art of printing into the Middle Colonies. He was
the first to follow his calling on the American con-
tinent south of Mass. and north of Mexico. In 1690
he, in conjunction with the Rittenhouses, established
near Wissahickon the first paper mill in America.
He died at New York in 1752. (Pa. Mag. of His.
& Biog. Vol. 10, page 15).
2Penna. Mag. of His. & Biog. Vol. 10. page 83.
"Leeds was a Quaker and joined the Church of
England. He then filled his publications with scur-
rilous attacks on the Quakers.
4Tulley was an Englishman, and lived at Saybrook
Point, Conn. ; a man of superior educaton and for
many years town clerk of Saybrook. He tried his
hand at almanac making as early as 1677: a manu-
script almanac for that year being still preserved. In
1687 his first almanac appeared and the series con-
tinued until 1702; the last being a pasthumous issue,
published wih a mournful border around the title
page. He 'dyed as he was finishing this almanack:
so leaves it as his last legacy to his countrymen".
(Albert C. Bates Sec. Conn. His. Sob. in Connecticut
Quarterly, vol. 4, page 408.)
5H. A. Morrison, compiler of "Morrison's Prelimi-
nary Check List of American Almanacs". Library
of Congress.
"Seidensticker's 'Frst Century of German Print-
ing in America', and Morrison's list.
'Hildeburn.
sThe Library of Congress has a memorandum
made by the late Librarian Spofford, to the effect
that this almanac was published last for 1877, but
makes no explanation for the missing dates.
•'Morrison's List.
'"Hildeburn and Morrison's lists.
"Ibid.
1::Conn. Quarterly. Vol. 4.
The pack-horse required the use of
a pack-saddle. It is thus described by
a writer in a Pittsburg newspaper on
early transportation in Western Penn-
sylvania: "It was made of four pieces
of wood, two being notched, the
notches fitting along the horse's back,
with the front part resting upon the
animal's withers. The other two were
flat pieces about • the length and
breadth of a lap shingle, perhaps
eighteen inches by five inches. They
extended along the sides and were
fastened to the ends of the notched
pieces. Upon these saddles were
placed all kinds of merchandise. Bars
of iron were bent in the middle and
hung across ; large creels pf wicker-
work, containing babies, bed-clothing,
and farm implements, as well as kegs
of powder, caddies of spice, bags of
salt, sacks of charcoal, and boxes of
glass, were thus carried over the
mountains. Shopkeepers from Pitts-
burg went to Philadelphia in squads
of eight or ten to lay in their yearly
supply of goods and brought them to
this city in this manner." — From
Swank's Progressive Pennsylvania.
149
The Allen Infantry in 1861
By James L. Schaadt, Esq., Allentown, Pa.
N the 13th of April, 1861,
being- the day following
the bombardment of Fort
Sumter, and two days
previous t o President
Lincoln's call for 75,000
volunteers, the citizens of
Northampton and Lehigh
counties called and held a public
meeting- in the Square at Easton, "to
consider the posture of affairs and to
take measures for the support of the
National Government". Eloquent and
patriotic speeches were made and the
First Regiment of Pennsylvania Vol-
unteers was formed, a.s the result of
the meeting. There were then in exis-
tence three military companies at Al-
lentown : The Jordan Artillerists, com-
manded by Captain (later Major) W.
H. Gausler; the Allen Rifles, organ-
ized in 1849 and commanded by Cap-
tain (later Colonel) T. H. Good; and
the Allen Infantry, organized about
1859 and commanded by Caotain (later
Major) Thomas Yeager. The Artiller-
ists and the Rifles consolidated and be-
came Company I of the First Regi-
ment, and with the other companies of
the regiment, were mustered in on
April 20, 1 86 1, Captain Good, having
f)een chosen lieutenant colonel of the
regiment. Captain Gausler was se-
lected to command Company I.
No sooner had the news of the at-
tack on Fort Sumter come to Allen-
town than Captain Yeager of the Allen
Infantry hurried to Harrisburg and
tendered the services of himself and
"his commanl to Governor Curtin. He
received one of the first, if not the first,
captain's commission issued for the
Civil War, and with it in his pocket
Tiurried back to Allentown and called
upon his company for volunteers to de-
fend the National Capitol, then threat-
ened by the Secessionists.
The company had been organized in
1859, held regular drills, and had ar-
rived at a fair stage of efficiency in
Scott's Tactis. The uniform was of
gray cloth with black and gold bullion
trimmings. The company paraded for
the first time in the new uniform on
Washington's birthday, 1861, at Phila-
delphia, on the occasion of the raising
of the Flag over Indepenlence Mall by
President Lincoln, and with the Allen
Rifles and the Jordan Artillerists ac-
Thoinas Yeager. First Defender. Captain
Allen Infantry April 18th, 1861, Captain Allen
Infantry 1859-1861. Major 53d Penna. Volun-
teer Infantry, Nov. 7, 1861. Killed in battle at
Fair Oaks, Va., June 1, 1862.
companied the President to Harris-
burg. The men of the Allen Infantry
carried old-fashioned flint-lock guns
with bayonets. The guns were gener-
ally ineffective and unreliable. "They
kicked and spit in our faces," as one of
the survivors says. The company was
not otherwise equipped for the field,
the men having neither great-coats nor
blankets, knapsacks or canteens. The
meeting and drill room was in an up-
per story of what is now No. 716 Ham-
ilton Street, Allentown.
150
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
James L. Schaadt. Allentown, Pa. Historian of the Allen
Infantry. Sergeant Co. D, 4th Regt., Penna. National Guard,
1878. Private Co. B, 4th Regt., Penna. National Guard, 1884.
Corporal Co. B, 4th Regt., Penna. National Guard, 1887.
First Lieutenant and Quartermaster 4th Regt., Penna. Na-
tional Guard, 1889 Captain Co. B, 4th Regt., Penna. Na-
tional Guard, 1891-1896.
On coming back from Harrisburg on
the evening of the i6th of April. Cap-
tain Yeager opened the list for volun-
teers in the company's armory and
called upon the members of his com-
mand to enlist for the service of the
United States. Men, especially young
men, left furrow and work-shop and of-
fice in obedience to the call, and by
noon of the next day 47 had signed the
roll. The excited populace crowded
the armory and the streets ; but Cap-
tain Yeager determined to go that af-
ternoon without waiting for more sign-
ers. The citizens packed a box with
necessary articles of clothing, charged
themselves with the care and support
of the, families of the departing men,
and prepared a farewell dinner at the
Eagle Hotel, Market (now Monu-
ment) Square, placing under each
plate a five-dollar note, contributed by
citizens. Unfortunately, these notes
being issued by local state banks, had
no purchasing power when afterwards
presented in Washington.
What with excitement, what with
tears of parting, the dinner stood itn-
tasted, and at 4 o'clock on the after-
noon of the 17th of April the gallant
band of volunteers, headed by Captain
Yeager and surrounded and followed
by a shouting, cheering, crying crowd
of citizens, marched down Hamilton
Street, lightly covered with snow, to
the East Penn Junction and took train
THE ALLEN INFANTRY IN 1861
151
to Harrisburg. Most of the volunteers
then regarded the journey as a pleas-
ant change from daily occupations, a
picnic and agreeable visit to the Na-
tional Capitol ; a very few, more ser-
ious, realized it was the beginning of
war, with its horrors, cruelties and pri-
vations.
Those who had signed the list on
that memorable day in April were :
1. John E. Webster.
2. William Kress.
3. Solomon Goeble.
4. Joseph T. Wilt.
5. Jonathan W. Reber.
6. Samuel Schneck.
7. William Ruhe.
8. Henry Storch.
9. Daniel Kramer.
10. Charles A. Schaffer.
11. John Hook.
12. David Jacobs.
13. Nathaniel Hillegas.
14. M. W. Leisenring.
15. Edwin Gross.
16. George S. Keiper.
17. Franklin Leh.
IS. Charles Dietrich.
19. James Geidner.
20. Ernst Rottman.
21. M. R. Fuller.
22. Gideon Frederick.
23. Allen Wetherhold.
24. Edwin H. Miller.
25. Norman H. Cole.
26. George W. Hhoads.
27. Benheville Wieand.
28. William Early.
29. M. H. Sigman.
30. Darius Weiss.
31. George Hoxworth.
32. William Wagner.
33. John Romig.
34. Charles A. Pfeiffer.
35. William Wolf.
36. Ignatz Gresser.
37. James Wilson.
38. Lewis Seip.
39. Milton Dunlap.
40. William G. Frame.
41. Edwin Hittle.
42. Wilson H. Derr.
43. Josph Hettinger.
44. William Scott Davis.
45. Joseph Weiss.
46. George F. Henry.
47. Conrad Shalatterdach.
At Reading, Adolphus and Enville
Schadler, and at Lebanon, John E. Uh-
ler, joined the company. They did not
sign the list, but their names appear
on Bates' Official Roll.
At Harrisburg, Captain Yeager,
strict disciplinarian that he was, ex-
pelled one of his men for disobedience.
"1 stripped him myself in the middle of
the street, taking the whole uniform
from him and left him naked except
pantaloons, stockings and shirt, and
took all his money that he received at
Allentown except ten cents". So wrote
Captain Yeager about this two days
later. The total number of men who
Ignatz Gresser. First Defender. Private
Allen Infantry, April 18,, 1861. Wounded by
cobblestone-attack of rebel mob, Baltimore,
April 18, 1861. Corporal Co. D, 128th Penna.
Volunteer Infantry, August 13, 1862. Medal
of honor-battle of Antietam, Sept. 17, 1862.
Vice President First Defenders' Association,
1909-1910. 1910-1911.
marched on April 18 with Captain
Yeager through Baltimore was 49.
The railroad journey from Allen-
town to Harrisburg was marked by no
incident, except the gathering of
crowds at the different stations along
the road, and their cheering. The com-
pany arrived at Harrisburg about 8 p.
m., and bivouacked at the Old Penn-
svlvania Depot with the Ringgold
Light Artillen- of Reading, the Logan
Guards of Lewistown, the Washing! >n
152
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Artillery and the National Light In-
fantry of Pottsville. At i o'clock in
the morning of Thursday, April 18,
General ECeim ordered Captain Yeager
to go on immediately to Washington
with loaded guns. Upon the captain's
objection that the guns were not in
proper condition, had no locks and no
Hints, the general remarked that they
would be good for clubs.
No one in the company except Cap-
tain Yeager anticipated the startling
experience they were to pass through
A V:
'/ *?'•/
":*:.;* % A • :■ A
m
Henry Wilson Derr. First Defender. Pri-
vate Allen Infantry, April 18th, 1861 Wound-
ed by rebel mob in march through Baltimore,
April 18, 1861. Private Co. E, 202d Penna.
Volunteer Infantry, Aug 30, 1864. Mustered
out with company at end of war, August3d, 1865.
that day. Earl}- the same morning, af-
ter breakfast furnished through the
generosity of Rev. Jeremiah Schindel,
senator from Lehigh, the five compan-
ies were mustered into the service of
the United States by Captain Seneca
G. Simmons, /th Infantry, and with a
detachment of 50 men of Company H,
5th Artillery, under command of Lien-
tenant Pemberton, later the General
Commandinp- at Vicksburg, and after
the war sometime a resident of Allen-
town, embarked at 8.10 a. m. on two
Northern Central trains of 21 cars, for
Baltimore, where they arrived at 2 p.
m., again without incident, except that
the loyal cheers which greeted the
train were more frequently mixed with
unfriendly greetings from the believers
in the doctrine of state's rights, who
resented the passage of an armed force
without permission, as an invasion of
their beloved State of Maryland. But
the train arrived near the city without
any overt acts of hostility beyond the
waving of Rebel flags at a college for
women.
Information of the leaving of the
troop train had been telegraphed from
Harrisburg to Baltimore, and when
the news became generally known.
large crowds assembled on the streets,
and the greatest excitement prevailed.
The crowds spent the hours of waiting
for the arrival of the train in singing
"Dixie" and noisily cheering for the
Confederacy. At 9 o'clock a meeting of
the military organization known as the
Maryland National Volunteers was
held and inflammatory speeches made.
Sentiment in Baltimore was divided ;
there were Union men, and there were
Southern sympathizers. All were, how-
ever, equally infuriated by the an-
nouncement that Northern troops were
actually invading "The sacred soil of
Maryland". The mayor of Baltimore
at the time was George W. Brown, and
the marshal of police, George B. Kane,
both men of determined courage and
inflexible honesty, and to them, not-
withstanding their strong Southern
sympathies, and to the police depart-
ment, must be awarded the credit of
safely conducting the five companies
without loss of life, from one depot to
the other, a distance of between two
and three miles, through the streets of
the city filled with an excited mob.
Arriving at Canton, a suburb of Bal-
timore, the regulars and the volunteers
disembarked. The workmen from a
foundry in the neighborhood and a
crowd of about a thousand collected in
the twinkling of an eye. and cries of
"Fieht! Fight!" drew the attention of
THE ALLEN INFANTRY IN 1861
153
our volunteers, who were still of the
opinion that they were on a pleasure
trip; and, bent on enjoying ever" sen-
sation of the journey, eagerly looked
for the fight which they supposed was
going on in the crowd. But Captain
McKnight of the Ringgold Artillery, a
veteran of the Mexican War, at once
recognized the animus of the crowd to
be directed against the new arrivals,
and he ordered the soldiers back into
their cars, the regulars alone remain-
ing on their ground. In a very short
time, Marshal Kane appeared with a
large force of city police, to escort the
soldiers to Bolton Station.
The devoted band, now first realiz-
ing that their trip was not going to be
altogether a picnic, formed in close
column of two, with the regulars at the
head. According to Bates, the Allen
Infantry held the center of the column ;
.according" to their survivors, they were
the rear company. Captain Yeager
was without lieutenants and he de-
tailed Privates William Kress and
William Rube, two of the tallest men,
to protect the rear of the company.
The mob, on seeing the formation of
the column the march begun, were
driven into a frency. At every step
its numbers increased; and when
Lieutenant Pemberton and his regu-
lars left the head of the column and
filed off towards Fort McHenry, the
mob lashed itself into a perfect fury.
Roughs and toughs, longshoremen,
gamblers, floaters, idlers, red-hot seces-
sionists, as well as men ordinarily
sober and steady, crowded upon,
pushed and hustled the little band and
made every effort to break the thin
line. Some, mounted upon horses,
were prevented with difficulty by the
policemen from riding down the volun-
teers.
The mob heaped insults upon the
men, taunted them, cursed them ;
called to them "Let the police go and
we will lick you :" "You will never get
back to Pennsylvania :" "Abolition-
itsts, convicts, stone them, kill them :"
"What muskets; no locks, no powder;"
"Abe Lincoln's militia; see their left
feet;" "Hurrah for Jeff Davis;" "Hur-
rah for South Carolina."
Bolder ones among the rioters got
some of the soldiers by the coat tails
and jerked them about; hissed at them,
spit upon them, and even struck them
with their fists. No picnic now any
more. It was a severe trial for the
volunteers with not a charge of ball or
powder in their pouches; a fortunate
circumstance, as it proved in the end,
for a single shot would have roused the
twenty thousand rioters into uncon-
trollable fury, and in spite of police
protection, not one of the 530 volun-
teers would have escaped with his life.
They pushed steadily forward, with
James Wilson. First Defender. First Lieu-
tenant Allen Infantry, April 18th, 1361.
the useless fire arms at the support,
anl, obedient to the command of their
officers, answered not a word to the
galling insults. The policemen, flank-
ing the column, held the mob in check
and saved several of the soldiers from
becoming its victims.
As the column neared its destination,
the rioters fired bricks and stones,
brandished knives and pistols, and it
required all the efforts of the policemen
to keep them in check. The painful
march finally came to an end, wonder-
ful to relate, without any fatalities, al-
though numbers of the men bore
bruises on their limbs and bodies. Pri-
154
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
vates Hittle and Gresser were serious-
ly lamed. Private Jacobs while going
into the car was struck upon the mouth
with a brick and lost his teeth, and,
falling unconscious, fractured his left
wrist. Private Derr was struck on the
ear with a brick and is deaf to this day
from the blow. lie. however, returned
the compliment to his assailant by
striking1 at him with the butt end of his
Powder hal been sprinkled by the mob
on the floor of the cars in the hope that
a soldier carelessly striking1 a match in
the darkened interior of the freight car
might blow himself and his compan-
ions to perdition. They escaped also
this danger; and finally, after a conflict
between the engineer and some of the
rioters, the train moved off, passed
over the Pratt Street bridge, which had
Joseph T. Wilt. First Defender. Private Allen Infantry
April 18th, 1861. First Lieutenant Allen Infantry. Commis-
sion April 18, 1861. First Lieutenant Co. B, 153d Penna. Vol.
Infantry, Oct. 8th, 1862. Mustered out with Co. B, Julv
24th, 1863.
gun or lock, which tore off the latter's
ear. Fortunately, the cars into which
the infantry clambered were box or
freight cars not furnished with seats,
but wdiose wooden roof and sides pro-
tected the volunteers from the shower
of cobbles and bricks now rained upon
them by the rioters, more than ever in-
furiated at seeing their prey escape.
been set on fire, and at 7 o'clock in the
evening landed the Allen Infantry with
the other four companies at Washing-
ton, to the great joy and relief of the
President and all loyal men.
For, although the five companies
numbered but 530 men, the morning
newspapers of Washington by the dex-
terous use of an additional cipher,
THE ALLEN INFANTRY IN 1861
155-
made the number 5300, sufficient to de-
ter the Rebel soldiers, drilling on the
opposite bank of the Potomac, in their
design to seige Washington and the
Capitol building; and by the time
Rebel spies and sympathizers in the
city communicated the real number of
the Capitol's defenders, other volun-
teers, notably the Sixth Massachusetts
and the Seventh New York, arrived in
sufficient numbers to prevent the cap-
ture of the city.
The five companies were quartered
in the Capitol, the Allen Infantry
being assigned to Vice President
Ereckenridge's room, leading off from
the Senate Chamber. The buildings
were at once barricaded on the inside
with 30,000 barrels of flour, contra-
band of war, seized by order of the
President, which was piled at doors
and windows ; on the outside, with
barrels of cement, iron pipes and boiler
plate. Two entrances were left open.
The Pennsylvanians were at once
visited by Speaker Galusha A. Grow,
Secretary of War Simon Cameron,
Colonel John W. Forney, Hon. James
Campbell of Pottsville, and other
Pennsylvanians living in the city, all
of whom were proud that the soldiers
of the Keystone State were the first to
arrive for the defense of the National
Capitol.
On April 19th, the men of the Allen
Infantry were provided with miriie
muskets from Harper's Ferry Arsenal
and ball ammunition, and were visited
the same day by President Lincoln,
who shook hands with every man, and
Secretary of State Steward. The
President personally directed an army
surgeon to attend to Privates Jacobs,
Gresser and the other injured men and
requested them to go to a hospital, but
they all refused, preferring to stay
with their company. Washington
doctors and a Miss Bache gave them
attention and medical supplies. At
first provisions were short, but Senator
Schindel of Lehigh County came to
their relief. The men were also with-
out underclothing, the box containing
the necessary things which had been
purchased for them at home at Ren-
ninger's store by citizens having been
stolen at Baltimore by the mob.
The ladies of Allentown learning of
their need in this respect shipped a
large box of shirts, underclothing and
socks to the company during the next
10 days. The men settled down and
prepared to make themselves as com-
fortable as possible in their quarters in
the Capitol building. Two large bake
ovens were erected in the basement
and 10,000 loaves of bread baked every
David Jacobs. First Defender. Private Allen
Infantry, April 18th, 1861. Wounded by rebel
mob in march through Baltimore, April 18, 1861.
Private Co. 1, (77th Regt.) 4th Indiana Vol.
Cav., Aug. 16, 1862. Mustered out May 30th,
1865.
other day. But in the 12 days they oc-
cupied the Capitol, the men of the in-
fantry never lived quite comfortablv.
Provisions were scarce, meals meagre;
fresh meat and vegetables were want-
ing; the pork furnished was green and
unpalatable. All the more welcome,
therefore, were the supplies which
came from home, according to letters
from the soldiers, as the apples and the
fresh country eggs sent them (among
156
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
others) by George Roth, grandfather
of ( ieorge R. Rotli of The Leader, a
fanner and ardent Union man of North
\\ hitehall Township. Water connec-
tions were made with the river ami
water works. They stayed in these
George Hoxworth. First Defender. Private
Allen Infantrv, April ISth, 1861. Corporal Co.
D, 128th Peun'a. Vol. Infantry, Aug. 13, .1862.
Mustered out with company, May 19th, 1863.
quarters until the ist of May, drilling-
daily, guarding the Capitol, and pre-
paring for the siege, daily expected to
be begun by the Rebels:
Within a few days after their arri-
val at the Capitol the organization of
the company was completed by the
election of James M. Wilson as first
lieutenant and First Sergeant Joseph
T. Wilt as second lieutenant, and the
appointment of Privates Solomon
Goebel as second sergeant,. Wm. Wolf
as first corporal. John E. Webster as
second corporal, Ignatz Gresser as
third Corporal and Daniel Kramer as
fonrth corporal. On April 30, Lieuten-
ant Wilson went back to the ranks and
Lieutenant Wilt was elected first lieu-
tenant, and Sergeant Goebel, second
lieutenant. Corporal Webster then be-
came first sergeant and served until
June 25. when he was discharged by
order of the War Department, and
Private Charles W. Abbott wa.^ ap
pointed first sergeant in his place.
George F. Henry was the musician.
Stephen Schwartz and George Junker
came from Allentown and joined the
company during the first week it was
in Washington. The latter, while go-
ing through Baltimore, was arrested,
and secured his release by pretending
to be a deserter from Camp Curtin, at
rlarrisburg, on his way to join the
Rebel army. Twenty-eight members
Of Small's Philadelphia Brigade, who
made their way through Baltimore
with the Sixth Massachusetts, when
their brigade turned back from Balti-
more, were by order of the War De-
partment assigned to and mustered in-
George W. Keiper. First Defender. Private
Allen Infantry, April 18th. 1861.
to the Allen Infantry. Charles W. Ab-
bott was mustered in May 9. During
the first week, also while the company
was quartered in the Capitol, Henry
McAnnulty joined the company. He
was a quiet, reserved and reticent man
THE ALLEN INFANTRY IN 1861
15?
who made no friends. No one knew
where he came from. Some of the men
suspected him of having come from the
Rebel ranks on the other side of the
Potomac and that he was no better
than a spv. He disappeared on the
28th of April, just as quietly and mys-
teriously as he had come
No battalion or regimental organiza-
tion of the five original companies was
made until the end of April or begin-
ning of May, and the denomination of
First Regiment which justly belonged
to them, was given to other companies.
The proper numerical designation be-
ing impossible, the companies were
called at times the Advance Regiment,
at other times the Cameron Regiment.
Out of the Ringgold Artillery and the
Pottsville Light Infantry a new com-
pany was formed and out of the Wash-
ington Artillery at Pottsville and
Logan Guards another company was
formed. To the five original compan-
ies, thus increased to seven, three com-
panies were added, recruited at Harris-
burg, Doylestown and Carbondale.
These 10 companies became the 25th
Regiment, of which Lieutenant Henry
L. Cake of Pottsville was elected the
colonel, Captain John V. Selheimer of
Lewistown lieutenant colonel, and
Hon. James H. Campbell of Pottsville
major. The Allen Infantry became
Company G of the regiment. The lieu-
tenant colonelcy of the regiment had
been offered to Captain Yeager, but he
declined, having promised his men to
remain with them. The Ringgold
Band of Reading was mustered in as
the Regimental Band.
On the first day of May, the com-
pany was transferred with Captain
McDonald's Pottsville Light Infantry,
Company D, Captain McCormick's
Company F, Captain Davis' Company
I, and Captain Dart's Company K to
the United States Arsenal, two miles
south of the city, opposite Alexandria,
on the Potomac, for the purpose of
guarding the large quantity of valu-
able war materials, including 70,000
stand of arms and heavy guns with
powder and ammunition, there stored.
The company (Allen Infantry) was
quartered at first on the second story
of the penitentiary, which formed a
part of the Arsenal, and later in rooms
in the Arsenal. Here they were later
formed into a battalion and the Ring-
gold Artillery, Company A and Cap-
tain Nagle's Company C, and under
Major Ramsay, commandant at the-
Arsenal, were regularly drilled i n
Hardee's Tactics, and instructed in
target practice and skirmish drill by
Lieutenant Mears of the U. S. Army.
The dailv routine consisted of reveille-
Charles M. Dietrich: First Defender,
vate Allen Infantry, April 18th, 1861.
Pri-
at 5 A. M., drill at 6, breakfast at 7,
guard mounting at 8, dinner at 12, drill
at 5, followed by dress parade, supper
at 7. tatoo at 9, and taps at 9.45..
Army rations were served. On May 10
regular army uniforms were issued to
the men, consisting of blue pantaloons
and frock coat, fatigue coat, forage cap,
great coat, blue or red woolen shirt,
two pairs of cotton stockings, two
pairs cotton drawers, two pairs shoes,
knapsack, haversack and canteen.
These were the first uniforms issued
158
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
to exchange them for the gray uni-
forms they had been wearing, to which
they tOok a dislike because of its re-
semblance to the Confederate gray.
During this tour of duty, the Allen In-
fantry and Captain McKnight's Ring-
gold Artillery were detailed on June 8
to cross the Long Bridge and to un-
load fnun the boats some 30 large and
heavy cannon, and mount them on
their carriages in the intrenchments at
Arlington Heights.
On the 29th of June, the Allen In-
fantry, Captain Yeager, with the com-
mk
Samuel H. Scbenck. First Defender. Pri-
vate Allen Infantry, April 18th, 1861. Cor-
poral Co. A, 9th Penna. Veteran Volunteer
Cavalry. Lochiel Cavalry (92d Regt. in line),
Oct. 3, 1861. First Sergeant Co. A, 92d Regt.,
May 20th, 1865. Mustered out, July 18th, 1865.
panies of Captains McDonald, McCor-
mick, Davis and Dart, marched under
Lieutenant Colonel Selheimer to Rock-
ville, which they reached the next day,
where they slept in the Fair building,
but because of the heavy rain did not
go any farther that day. They were
provided with tents. ambulances,
transportation wagons and all neces-
sary camp equipage. Colonel Cake as-
sumed charge. The next day, Monday
morning, the battalion marched to
Poolesvillej reporting to Colonel Stone
in charge of the Rockville expedition;
then marched to Point Rocks. Sandy
Hook, Harpers Ferry, where on the
4th of July some skirmishing took
place with the Rebels, then occupying
it. It was expected that an assault
would be made on the morning" of the
6th, but other orders being received,
the command marched to Williams-
port and across the Potomac to Mar-
tinsburg, where it went into camp.
( >n the 15th the brigade marched to
Bunker Hill and encamped there.
Here again it was expected that a gen-
eral engagement would take place, but
on the morning of the 17th the brigade
moved to Charlestown, the Allen In-
fantry camping in the same field where
John Brown and his comrades had
been hanged. The next day the bat-
talion moved to Harpers Ferry and
camped there. The terms of enlist-
ment having expired, General Patter-
son thanked them and directed them
to move by way of Baltimore to Ilar-
risburg, where the entire regiment as-
sembled on the 20th day of July, and
was mustered out on the 23rd.
On the next day, July 24. Captain
Yeager and the Infantry were received
at home by the entire populace of Al-
lentown, with bands of music and an
address by Hon. Robert E. Wright,
and were escorted into the town amid
the ringing of bells and shouts of joy.
A banquet again awaited them at
Schneck's Eagle Hotel ; but this did
not remain untasted like the parting-
dinner, three months before. Captain
Yeager on the 27th of July delivered
the discharge to his men, dated Har-
risburg, July 23. The muster-out-roll
contains the following 78 names with
the ages of the men :
Thomas Yeager, Captain, 35.
Joseph T. Wilt, First Lieutenant, 21.
Solomon Goebel, 2nd Lieutenant, 29.
John E. Webster, First Sergeant, 38.
John A. Winne, Second Sergeant, 22.
William Wagner, Third Sergeant, 21.
Henry W. Sawyer, 4th Sergeant, 26.
George Junker, Fifth Sergeant, 26.
Wm. Wolf, First Corporal, 23.
William Kress, Second Corporal, 24.
THE ALLEN INFANTRY IN 1861
159
Ignatz Gresser, Third Corporal, 25.
Daniel Kramer, Fourth Corporal, 25.
Geo. F. Henry, Drummer, 32.
PRIVATES
Charles W. Abbott, 27.
Theodore Anderson, 31.
Francis Bach, 23.
Henry Cake, 24.
Norman H. Cole, 18.
Charles Dietrich, IS.
Wilson Henry Derr, 18.
Milton H. Dunlap, 18.
Ephraim C. Dore, 28.
William Early, 22.
William T. Frame, 28.
Matthew I. Fuller, 34.
Gideon Frederick, 42.
Charles Clayton Frazer, 25.
Edwin Gross, 25.
James Geidner, 44.
Otto P. Greipp, 21.
John Hawk, 33.
Nathaniel Hillegass, 31.
George Hoxworth, 30.
Joseph Hettinger, 22.
Edwin M. Hittle, 19.
John F. Hoffman, 25.
Joseph Hauser, 58. .
David Jacobs, 22.
George Keiper, 18.
Alexander Kercher, 19.
Isaac Lapp, 19.
Maximilian Lakemeyer, 21.
Paul Lieberman, 34.
Martin Leisenring, 18.
Franklin Leh, 19.
Edwin Miller, 28.
Theodore Mink, 28.
Thomas McAllister, 21.
Henry McNulty, 24.
Charles Orban, 37.
Samuel Garner, 33.
Charles A. Pfeiffer, 18.
William S. Ruhe, 51.
John Romig, 28. :
Ernest Rottman, 44.
George W. Rhoads, 29.
Jonathan Reber, 27.
Lewis G. Seip, 26.
Henry Storch, 19.
Marcus Sigman, 21.
Charles A. Schiffert, 18.
Samuel Schneck, 20.
Stephen Schwartz, 21.
Adolph Schneider, 23.
Ermill Schneider, 18.
Francis Schaffer, 24.
Charles Spring, 28.
Charles Schwartz, 19.
Adolph Stefast, 35.
John Uhler, 19.
Martin Veith, 23.
John Weber, 26.
Darius Weiss, 18.
Benneville Wieand, 18.
Allen Wetherhold, 18.
Joseph Weiss, 26.
James M. Wilson, 44.
Frederick Zuck, 22.
Private Benneville Wieand is car-
ried on the roll as captain's servant.
The following are marked discharged
or dropped: Daniel Kramer, May 27,
1861 ; L. G. Seip, May 25, 1861, on sur-
geon's certificate, approved by Briga-
dier General Mansfield ; Henry Mc-
Annulty, April 28, 1861 ; Franklin Leh
and William Scott Davis, May 9, 1861 ;
John E. Webster, June 25, 1861 ; Nor-
man H. Cole, Milton H. Dunlap and
William Kress. First Defender. Private Allen
Infantry, April 18th, 1861.
Charles A. Pfeiffer on May 31, 1861,
by order of the War Department.
Pfeiffer afterwards enlisted in Com-
pany 8 of the 47th P. V., was wounded
at Winchester and was honorably dis-
charged December 25, 1865. Dunlap
enlisted in the Regular Army, and has
never been heard of since. The men
were paid on July 31, by Major A. M.
Sallade, Paymaster U. S. A. Each pri-
vate received $37.36 in gold. Many of
them re-enlisted in other commands,
especially the 47th, 53rd and 128th P.
V., and attained distinction. Serjeant
160
THE PENN SYLVAN I A-GE RM AX
Charles W. Abbott became lieutenant
colonel of the 47th P. V. Sergeant
George Junker commanded Company
K of the same regiment and died ( )ct.
2'. 1862, of wounds received in the
Battle of Pocotaligo. Private Nathan-
iel llillegass enlisted in Company EC,
54th P. V., and died of wounds re-
ceived at Winchester. Harry \Y. Saw-
of the 53rd Regiment P. V., and gave
his life for the Flag he loved at the
hattle of Fair ( )aks on the 1st of June,
[862. Mis remains were recovered
about four weeks after the hattle and
repose in I nion Cemetery, Allentown.
The sword he wore on the march
through Baltimore is now in posses-
sion of the family of Corporal William
Charles W. Abbott. First Defender. Private Allen Infan-
try, May 4, 1861. First Sergeant Allen Infantry, Co G, 25th
Penna. Volunteer Infantry, June 25th, 1861. First Lieute-
nant Co. K, 47th Penna. Volunteer Infantry, Sept. 7, 1861.
Captain Co. K, 47th Penna. Volunteer Infantry, Sept. 22, I862.
Lieutenant Colonel 47th Penna. Volunteer Infantry, Jan. 3,
1865.
yer hecame a captain in a New Jersey
cavalry regiment, was taken prisoner,
but escaped just as he was about to be
hanged by the Rebels in retaliation.
The gallant Captain Yeager was pre-
sented by his men with a fine and cost-
ly sword in token of the love and re-
spect they bore him. He became major
Wolf. Yeager Post No. 13, G. A. R.T
was named after him.
Major Yeager was a brave, impetu-
ous soldier. With him to think was to
act. With clear vision he saw the im-
measurable advantage the Secession-
ists would gain by seizing Washing-
ton and the public buildings, and judg-
THE ALLEN INFANTRY IN 1861
161
ing them by his own methods he ex-
pected they would at once take the
defenseless city. Not a moment must
be lost ; patriots must at once rush to
the defense of their Capitol. So with
all the men he could hastily assemble,
unprepared as the}' were, he hurried to
the point of the expected attack. Two
davs after arriving at Washington he
writes :
discipline their raw troops, and, whenever
ready, go and demand of Baltimore the right
of transit to the Capitol of the country; if
refused, lay Baltimore and Annapolis in
ashes. That is the only plan. Then Wash-
ington can get as many Northern troops as
they want."
A rare and indomitable spirit this !
No more ardent patriot lives in this
country than the phlegmatic Pennsyl-
vania German. It fills the cup of bit-
William Wolf. First Defender. Corporal Allen Infantry,
April 18th, 1861. In uniform of Allen Infantrv, April 18th,
1861.
"If the Northern men take the stand in
this matter that I did we will between now
and three months march back to our native
firesides with the minies on our shoulders,
drums beating, trumpets sounding and play-
ing 'Hail Columbia,' and the Stars and
Stripes in our hands. But this stand our
people of the free states must take imme-
diately. Let them come in citizen's dress
as passengers; they can be organized here.
* * * * The only way is for the North
to concentrate their troops in divisions and
encamp on the Pennsylvania state line and
terness to the brim for Massachusetts
to realize that the First Defenders of
the National Capitol came from that
section of Pennsylvania, upon whose
inhabitants the descendants of Puritan
New England have always looked as
slow, and stupid, and "illiterate." The
men of Massachusetts are no less pa-
triotic than those of Pennsylvania ; but
the fact remains that five organized,
162
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
uniformed and equipped companies of
Pennsylvania militia, located in four
towns separated at some distance from
each other, not members of one bat-
talion or regiment, were, however,
actuated about the same early moment
by a like patriotic impulse to rush to
the defense of their country imperiled
by traitors. The Pennsylvania com-
panies arrived at Washington at 7 P.
M., April 18, 1861 ; the Massachusetts
Sixth arrived there 24 hours later, on
the 19th.
The merit of greater promptness be-
longs to the Pennsylvania soldiers.
And so it was understood at the time.
The thanks of the country were ten-
dered by the Congress of the United
States on the 22nd of July, 1861, to the
five companies, as the Capital's First
Defenders, and on the 4th of July,
1866, Hon. Simon Cameron, Secretary
of War in 1861, wrote: "I certify that
the Pottsville National Light Infantrv
was the first company of volunteers
whose services were offered for the de-
fense of the Capital. A telegram
reached the War Department on the
13th making the tender — it was imme-
diately accepted. The company
reached Washington on the 18th of
April, 1861, with four additional com-
panies from Pennsylvania, and these
were the first troops to reach the seat
of government at the beginning of the
War of the Rebellion."
No one, at this date, will dispute
that the five companies of Pennsyl-
vania deserve the honor, the glory, and
the credit of having been the first to
defend the National Capital. While
their service was bloodless, yet they
were prepared and ready at all times
to shed their blood in that defense ;
and no one can deny that their prompt
appearance in Washington preserved
the public buildings, the public re-
cords, and the government, to the Un-
ion ; nor can any one deny that the re-
sult of the war would in all probabil-
ity have been entirely different if the
.Secessionist forces had first occupied
and taken them. The march of the 530
Pennsylvanians, insufficiently armed
and supported only by patriotic fervor,
through hostile Baltimore, and their
prompt occupation of the halls of Con-
gress in Rebel-infested Washington,
will rank them in history with the 300
who defended the pass of Thermopy-
lae, and the 600 who charged at Balak-
lava.
All honor, then, in all time to come,
to Captain Yeager and his Pennsyl-
vania German fellow-citizens of the
Allen Infantry for the part they took
in this glorious achievement. Their
action will ever be a matter of pride
and the source of patriotic inspiration
in our community. So it has proven
alreadv ; for in the late Spanish-Amer-
ican trouble, it was the writer's old
command, Company B of the Fourth
Regiment, National Guard of Pennsyl-
vania, under Captain James A. Med-
lar, which first entered the service of
the United States, followed closely by
the Reading and Pottsville companies
of the same regiment.
Anl so, in all time to come, the ex-
ample of the First Defenders will re-
main, an inspiration to patriotism
whenever our Flag and our country
ap-ain need prompt, ready and unhesi-
tating defenders.
163
Early Berks County Tombstone Inscriptions
By Louis Richards, Esq., Reading, Pa.
Pres. Berks County Historical Society
(CONTINUED FROM FEBRUARY ISSUE)
HEIDELBERG
St. Daniel's (Corner) Church
Fischbach, John Yost, b. 1734 ; d. 1804.
Wirheim, George, b. 27 Sept. 1742; d. 12
Feb. 1825; 82 y. 4 m. 15 d.
Sohl, Johannes, b. 11 Jan. 1767; d. 22 Aug.
1837; 70 y. 7 m. 11 d.
Gerharit, Elizabeth, b. 7 May 1752; d. 25
April 1824; 71 y. 11 m. 16 d.
Klopp, John Peter, b. 11 Sept. 1775; d. 13
March 1853; 77 y. 6 m. 2 d.
Seibert, Christian, b. 22 June 1773; d. 28
Aug. 1855; 82 y. 2 m 6 d.
Fidler, Henry, b. 11 Nov. 1779; d. 24 Sept.
1860; 80 y. 9 m. 11 d.
Stupp, John, b. 6 Sept. 1794; d. 20 March
1877; 82 y. 5 m. 14 d
Miller, Matthias, b. 14 Jan. 1762; d. 13
Nov. 1848; 86 y. 9 m. 19 d.
Gmber, Adam, b. 24 Dec. 1735; d. 6
March 1807; 71 y. 2 m. 15 d.
Wether, Wilhelm, b. 23 Dec. 1761; d. 15
June 1849; 87 y. 5 m. 23 d.
Wenrich, Matthew, b. 1735; d. 1808; 73 y.
Gerhart, Jacob, b. 1752; d. 1824; 72 y.
Schardoner, Joel, b 1743; d. 1807; 64 y.
Fidler, Heinrich, b. 1759; d. 1831; 72 y.
Schaeffer, Johannes, b. 20 Feb. 1735; d.
17 Nov. ISO'.; 69 y.
Fisher, Catherine, b. 1737; d. 1795; 58 y.
Schaplcr, Justina, b. 1739; d. 1817; 78 y.
Sohl, Eva, b 1766; d. 1837; 71 y.
Schauer, Heinrich, b. 1750; d. 1818; 68 y.
Schauer, Barbara, b. 1750; d. 1818; 68 y.
Stub, Leohnard, b. 1756; d. 1827; 73 y.
Leininger, Peter, b. 1755; d. 1835; 80 y.
Schucker, Carl, b. 1743 ; d. 1807.
Eckert, John D., b. 8 Dec. 1799; d. 22 Jan.
1871.
LOWER HEIDELBERG TOWNSHIP
Hain's Church Ground
Stein, Casper, b. 1735; d. 3 Jan. 1788; 53 y.
Michael, Elizabeth, wife of John Michael,
b Steiner; b. 6 Dec. 1758; d. 9 Jan. 1797.
Rbscher, Johannes, b. April 1733; d. 12
March 1798.
Ruth, Jacob, b. Sept. 1726; d. 24 Sept.
1797.
Eckert, Conrad, b 6 Feb. 1741; d. 25 July
1791; 50 y. 5 m. 3 w.
Fischer, Eliza Gertrant, wife of Nicholas,
b. 1711; d. 4 Jan. 1768.
Fischer, William, b. 1706; d. 1766.
Hain, Johannes, b. 21 Jan. 1741; d. 21
Nov 1800.
Schaeffer, Nicholas, b. 14 Oct. 1723; d. 3
Nov. 1780.
Fischer, Peter, b. 8 Sept. 1735; d. 23 Nov.
1787.
Hohu, Casper, b. 1724; d. 2 Oct. 1762.
Elizabeth, wife of same, b. 20 Oct. 1727;
81 y. 11 m.
Elizabeth, wife of Conrad Eckert, b. 26
May 1750; d. 29 Sept. 1808; 58 y. 4m. 3 d.
Hohu, Peter, b. 27 Jan. 1761; d. 16 Nov.
1811.
Holm, Frederick, son of Casper, b. 28 Jan.
1756; d. 23 Feb. 1812.
Catharine, b. Haakin, wife of same, b.
1754; d. 1815.
Hohuer, Magdaleua, b. Oct 1723 ; d. 9 May
1796.
Fischer, William, b. 20 June 1773; d. 20
June 1847; 74 y.
Fischer, Margaret, wife of same, b. 29
Sept. 1770; d. 5 Dec. 1846; 76 y. 2 m. 6 d.
Hohn, Margaret, b 1708; d. 1777.
Fischer, Philip, b. 11 Sept. 1777; d. 18
April 1816.
Klop, Merriua, b. Becker, b. 24 June 1713;
d. 30 Nov. 1792.
Klop, Peter, b. 22 May 1719; d. 22 May
1794; 75 y.
Fischer, Philip, b. 25 Sept. 1736; d. 14
Aug. 1803.
Miller, John William, b. in 1731; d. 6 Jan.
1807.
Werner, William, b. 16 July 1796; d. 7 Nov.
1834.
Miller, John, b. 18 March 1757; d. 16 Jan.
1781.
Gerhard, Peter, b. 1 Sept. 1744; d 22 Jan.
1813.
Lasch, Christian, b. 17 July 1740; d. 25
Oct. 1811.
Susanna, b. Bauer, wife of same, b. 4 June
1742; d. 13 Jan. 1809.
Bollman, Johannes, b. 17 May 1728; d. 12
Nov. 1803.
Barbara, b. Scherman, wife of same; b.
25 Feb. 1735; d. 10 July 1813.
Ruth, Michael, b. 1 Dec. 1735; d. 21 Oct.
1803.
Hohn, George, b. 19 May 1746; d. 31 Dec.
1803.
Magdaleua, dau. of Christian and Barbara
Ruth, wife of same, b. 3 Jan. 1764; d. 14
May 1845.
Ruth, Adam, b. 1753; d. 1821.
Spohn, John, Ph., b. 24 Sept. 1737; d. 13
Sept. 1807.
Lerch, John Yost, b. 30 Jan. 1752; d. 8
Dec. 1805.
Rosina, b. Hohn, wife of same, b. 14 Aug.
1762; d. 21 Nov. 1823.
164
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Bittchart, Johan, b. 29 March 1753; d. 3
June 1808.
Beclitel, Frederick, b. 1746; d. 10 July
1812
Klop, Jacob, b. 18 July 1756; d. 2 Feb.
1807.
Hiiricli, George, b. 10 Jan. 1740; d. 15 Oct.
1815.
Guldin, Abraham, b. 4 March 1776; d. 5
June 1S3S; 62 y. 3 m. 1 d.
Goekley, Dieterich, b. 5 June 1777; d. 7
Aug. 1845; 68 y. 2 m. 2 d.
Mohr, Eva ('., wife of same, b. 9 Oct. 1784;
d. 26 Sept. 1851.
HEIDELBERG NORTH
North Heidelberg Church
Conrad, Joseph, b. 6 Jan. 1759; d. 4 Oct.
1822.
Gerhart, Frederick, b. in Germany, 26
March 1715: d. 30 Nov. 1779.
Beckel, Johan Tobias, b. 6 Dec. 1754 ; d. 24
Dec. 1814.
Conrad, Jacob, b. in Muntesheim, in
Hanauschen 3 Feb. 1717; d. 5 Sept. 1798.
Bickel, Anthony, b IS Aug. 1797; d. 2 Nov.
1859.
HEREFORD
Private Burial Ground near Hun's Church
Bechtel, Gerhart, d. 4 June 1791.
Rosina, wife of do., b. Feb. 1747; d. 16
Nov. 1806.
Huff, Johannes Frederick, b. 1734; d. 1816;
82 y.
Susannah, wife of do. and dau. of Johann
and Mary Eliz. Keim., b. 25 Dec. 1739; d. 12
May 1809; 69 y. 4 m. 18 d.
Bechtel, Jacob, b. 30 Aug. 1779; d. 30 Oct.
1800.
Bechtel, Susanna, b. 30 April 1786; d. 14
Nov. 1800.
Bechtel, Isaac, b. 2 May 1778; d. 9 Nov.
1800.
Bechtel, Eva, b. 19 March 1778; d. 9 Nov.
1800.
Huff's Church
Thompson, John, Esq., b. in Chester Co.
28 Oct. 1764; d. at Dale Forge 23 March
1816 in 52 y.
Schall, Baud, 1). 25 May 1801; d. 22 Jan.
1877; 75 y. 28 d.
Schall, Catharine, b. Endy, wife of do., b.
9 March 1805; d. 24 Aug. 1873; 68 y. 5 m.
15 d.
Kl TZTOWN
Lutheran and Reformed Church Ground
Scharer, Michael, b. 4 May 1747; d. 21
June 1828; 81 y. 1 m. 17 d.
Bieber, John Devvald, son of Theobold and
Sibilla, b. 21 Sept. 1758; d. 14 Sept. 1827;
68 y. 11 m. 23 d.
Bieber, Johan, son of Johan and Margaret,
b. 1 May 1748; d. 17 April 1844; 95 y. 11 m.
16 d.
Elizabeth, born Schaeffer, wife of same,
b. 4 June 1752.
Kutz, Anna Eliz., b. Kemp, wife of Jacob
Kutz, b. 3 May 1720; d. 25 May 1805; 85 y.
22 d.
Kutz, Margaret, b. Bieber, wife of George
Kutz, b. 1730; d. 1796.
Schweitzer, Peter, b. 1748; d. 1828.
Ernst, Johan N., son of Peter and Eliza-
beth, b. 8 Feb. 1756; d. 29 Sept. 1825.
Biehl, Johan Gin., b. 17 June 1763; d. 20
Dec. 1813; 50 y. 5 m. 18 d.
Biehl, Abraham, b. 19 Nov. 1754; d. 20
March 1848; 63 y. 4 m. 1 d.
Wanner, Peter, b. 15 Oct. 1739; d. 21 July
1831; 91 y. 9m. 8 d.
Breifog-el, George, b. 4 Feb. 1747 ; d. 6 Oct.
1827.
Kutz, Jacob, b. 13 May 1741; d. 23 Dec.
1821; 80 y. 7 m. 10 d.
Wink, Jacob, b. 30 Oct. 1758; d. 7 Nov.
1842; 84 y. 7 d.
Hoch, David, b. 30 Dec. 1765; d. 17 Aug.
1831; 65 y. 7m. 17 d.
Merkel, Daniel, b. 18 Nov. 1767; d. 24
April 1S52 ; 84 y. 5 m. 6d.
Old, Gabriel, b. 4 March 1779; d. 5 April
1860; 81 y. 1 m. 1 d.
Catharine, wife of same, b. 5 March 1776;
d. 24 Oct. 1857; 81 y. 7 m. 19 d.
'"•Zimmerman, Isaac, b. 10 Feb. 1769; d. S
April 1853; 84 y. 1 m. 28 d.
Kutz, Peter, b. 9 May 1763; d. 20 Feb.
1848.
EsSer, Jacob, b. 29 Nov. 1758; d. 24 Aug.
1845; 86 v. 8 m. 26 d.
Oberbeek, Henry, b. 12 July 1764; d. 30
April 1S2S; 61 y. 9 m. 18 d.
Standi, Jacob, b. 12 Nov. 1738; d. 20 Jan.
1802; 63 y. 2 m. 8 d.
Bieber, Devvald, b. 16 Oct. 1729; d. 26 Jan.
1808.
GlJiser, Anna Maria, wife of Michael, b.
Mohn, b. in Europe 1 Jan. 1735; had 154 de-
scendants; d. 7 Sept. 1831; 96 y. 8 m. 6 d.
Schweitzer, Peter, b. 1748; d. 1828.
Fairvievv Cemetery
Matthias, Jacob, b. 23 Dec. 1793; d. 20 Nov.
1833; 39 v. 10 m. 28 d.
Ely, Solomon, b. Jan. 18 1783; d. 27 Sept.
1865; 82 y. 8 m. 9 d.
Weiser, William, b. 24 Sept. 1782; d. 12
April 1861; 78 v. 6 m. 18 d.
Lobach, William, b. 7 Sept. 1793; d. 17
Dec. 1851; 58 y. 3 m. 19 d.
Gerash, Dr. Charles A., b. in Frankfort,
Prussia, 17 Oct. 1798; d. 22 July 1876; 77 y.
9 m. 5 d.
LONGSWAMF
Longsvvamp Church
Ginking-er, John, b. 2 Feb. 178S; d. 30
Sept. 1861.
Klein, Peter, b. 1731; d. 1813.
Danner, Jacob, d. 17 May 1771; 78 y.
Sands, Samuel, b. 28 April 1782; d. 24
Feb. 1833.
Catharine, wife of same, b. 6 May 1797;
d. 2 Feb. 1827.
EARLY BERKS COUNTY TOMBSTONE INSCRIPTIONS
165
Lescher, Catharine, wife of Jacob Lescher,
and dau. of Jacob Lebenguth, b. 12 Sept.
1737; d. 21 Dec. 1809.
Fensterinacher, Elizabeth, b. 1725.
Butzin, Barbara, b. 26 Nov. 1718; d. 6
March 1795.
Butz, Peter, b. 19 June 1718.
Lutheran Church, Mertztown
Trexler, Keuhen, b. 22 Nov. 1781; d. 29
April 1846.
Ann, wife of same, and dau. of Jacob
Lesher, b. 30 Nov. 1791; d. 12 May 1848; 56
y. 5 m. 22 d.
Private Ground near Mertztown
Trexler, Johan Peter, b. 15 Aug. 1748; d.
13 March 1828; 79 y. 6 m. 28 d.
Catharina, born Grim, wife of same, b. 30
June 1757; d. 7 July 1828; 71 y. 7 d.
Trexler, Daniel, son of foregoing, b. 1
Nov. 1799; d. 15 Sept. 1832.
Trexler, Jonas, b. 26 June 1789; d. 28 Dec.
1841.
Dreseher, Philip, b. 17 June 1785; d. 9
Jan. 1818.
MARION TOWNSHIP
Zion Lutheran, (Reed's) Church
Rieth, Christian, b. 11 April 1777; d. 22
April 1847; 70 y. 11 d.
Forrer, George, b. 5 May 1785; d. 18 Nov.
1852.
Peift'er, George, b. 31 Oct. 1794; d. 13 Nov.
1877.
IVuman, Walter, b. 1723; d. 1744.
Graf, Johan Michael, b. 1716; d. 1761 (?)
son of George and Mary Graf.
Rith, Johan Leonard, b. 1691; d. 1747; had
by wife Ann Eliza Catharine 8 children, 6
sons and 2 daughters.
Reiser, George, b. 1762; d. 19 Nov. 1839;
77 y. 7 m. 5 d.
Braun, Daniel, b. 16 July 1768; d. 5 Feb.
1822; 53 y. 6 m. 16 d.
Elizabeth, born Rieth, wife of same, b.
April 1766; d. 22 Sept. 1830.
Borekholder, Peter, b. 29 April 1769; d. 5
Sept 1821; 52 y. 4 m. 13 d.
Rieth, Valentin, b. 8 Sept. 1749; d. 6 May
1825; 75 y. 7 m. 28 d.
Eva Catharine, born Seltzer, wife of same,
b. 1 Jan. 1759; d. 5 Aug. 1828.
Weiser, Philip, b. 1722; 17 Sept; d. 27
March 1761; 38 y. 5 m. 4 d.
Seibert, John, son of Michael and Cath-
arine, b. 1 July 1766; d. Feb. 1822; 55 y. 7
m.
Maria Barbara, wife of Nicholas Rieth.
dau. of Christopher and Hannah Seibert, b.
18 May 1722; d. 14 Oct 1807; 85 y. 4 m. 3 w.
6 d.
Fohrer, Michael, b. 8 May 1732; d. 5 Nov.
1798; 66 v. 6 m. less 3 d.
Rieth, Daniel, b. 25 Feb. 1735; d. 14 June
1797.
Slichter, Barbara, b. Schumaker, b. 25
Nov. 1728; d. 8 Oct. 1790; 62 y. 10 m. 13 d.
Rieth, Maria Elizabeth, b. 18 Dec. 1725; d.
30 Aug. 1728; 2 y. 2 m. 14 d.
Rieth, Johan Frederick, b. 15 March 1718;
d. 24 Dec. 1794; 76 y. 8 m. 22 d.
Rieth, Johann, b. 17 Dec. 1758; d. 17 Sept.
1801.
Rieth, Leonard, b. in Schochern 10 Sept.
1723; d. 28 April 1803; 79 y. 7 m. 17 d.
Rieth, Johannes, 1). 4 June 1716; d. 7 Jan.
1788; 71 y. 7 m. 3 d.
Rieth, Johann Adam, b. 1756; d. 17 July
1815; 59 y.
Juliana, b. Braun, wife of same, b. 12 Nov.
1766; d. 9 Sept. 1826.
Rieth, John Geo., b. 4 June 1714; d. 23
June 1791 ; 77 y. 2 w 5 d.
Rieth, Jacob, b. June 1746; d. 28 March
1821; 74 y. 9 m.
Christ Lutheran Church (above Stouchs-
burg)
Seharf, Apolonia Elizabeth, b. 1762; d.
17—.
Becker, Maria Catarina, b. 1706; d. 1745.
Auspach, Johann Peter, b. 11 Feb. 1715;
d. 25 May 1797; 82 y. 3 m. 16 d.
Magdalena, wife of same, d. 10 Sept. 1785;
65 y. 6 d.
Leehner, Christian, b. 29 Nov. 1738; d. 26
Oct. 1785.
Weiser, Jacob, son of Christopher, b. in
N. Jersey 22 Sept. 1736; d. 1 Jan. 1808; 71
y. 3 m. 8 d.
Anna Elizabeth, wife of same, b. 5 June
1740; d. 1 Oct. 1805; 65 y. 4 m.
Weiser, Jacob,, b. in Tulpehocken twp. 5
Sept 1774; d. 30 June 1793; 18 y. 9 m. 3 w.
Auspach, Johannes, b. 13 Oct. 1750; d. 23
Sept. 1794; 44 y. 11 m. 3 w.
Weygant, Johan Adam, b. 8 Feb. 1768; d.
5 Dec. 1794; 26 y. 10 m.
Groff, Andreas, b. 25 May 1750; d. 19 June
1817; 67 y. 2 m. 24 d.
Maria Elizabeth, wife of same, b. 26 May
1764; d. 20 April 1839.
Groff, Catharine, b. Seybert, wife of same,
b. 1757; d. 1792.
Spiicker, Elizabeth, dau of Henry Spiick-
er, b. 1788; d. 1790.
Stein, Peter, b. 1729; d. 1799.
Brua, Peter, b. 2 Feb. 1729; d. 1 Oct. 1808;
79 y. 8 m.
Maria, wife of same, b. 1731; d. 13 Feb.
1804; 73 y. 6 m.
Anna Elizabeth, b. Teison, wife of Johan-
nes Lauer; m. 2d. Heinrich Spang; b. 1 Dec.
1753; d. 15 Sept. 1786.
Ege, Elizabeth, dau of Michael and Mar-
garetta Ege, b. 1797; d. 1800.
Schultze, Catharine Henrietta, dau. of
Rev. Andreas Schultze and wife Susanna, b.
26 Dec. 1803; d. 5 Sept. 1807; 3 y. 8 m. 1 w.
3 d.
Leehner, Frederich, b. 15 May 1770; d. 17
Oct 1806.
Barbara, wife of Adam Kehl, b. 18 April
1777; d. 3 May 1826.
166
Pioneers of Ashland County, Ohio
The following data, gleaned from
"Knapp's History of Ashland County" Ohio,
(1863), illustrate the mixed constituency of
the population on the Ohio frontier almost
a century ago. It shows from what States
and counties the original settlers of Ash-
land County came, in what year they came
and in what township they settled.
CONNECTICUT
Bradford Sturtwant — 1816 — Ruggles
Solomon Weston — 1828 — Ruggles.
DELAWARE
James Boots — 1828 — Clearcreek.
ENGLAND
Thomas Newman — 1810 — Mohican.
IRELAND
James Gregg — 1820 — Clearcreek.
MARYLAND
John Finger — 1829 — Orange.
John Hough — 1823 — Clearcreek.
John Neptune — 1824 — Green.
Elijah Oram— 1811— Lake.
George W. Basford— 1824— Mohican.
Joshua R. Glenn — 1818— Perry.
Richard Wingbigler — 1818 — Mohican.
Joseph Chandler — 1814 — Perry.
Jonas H. Gierhart — 1817 — Jackson.
Michael Sprenkle — 1828 — Jackson.
NEW JERSEY
Allen Oliver — 1811 — Green.
Sameuel Garret — 1825 — Hanover.
NEW YORK
Samuel Graham — 1821 — Green.
Ebenezer Rice — 1811 — Green.
Major Tyler — 1814 — Mohican.
Aldrich Carver — 1825 — Ruggles.
Benjamin Moore — 1833 — Troy.
NORTH CAROLINA
John McMurray — 1816 — Clearcreek.
OHIO
BELMONT COUNTY
Robert Culbertson — 1825 — Orange.
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY
Andrew Humphrey — 1824 — Green.
COLUMBIANA COUNTY
Peter Kinney — 1810 — Green.
John Krebs — 1829 — Orange.
Martin Mason — 1815 — Montgomery.
James Andrews — 1816 — Milton.
ONTARIO COUNTY
Josiah Lee — 1819 — Jackson.
FAIRFIELD COUNTY
Luke Ingmand — 1816 — Mohican.
Peter Bryan — 1824 — Jackson.
Thomas Cole — 1819 — Jackson.
JEFFERSON COUNTY
John Cuppy — 1819 — Clearcreek.
Elias Ford— 1819 — Clearcreek.
Elias Slocum — 1817 — Clearcreek.
William Harper — 1815 — Vermilion.
Richard Jackman — 1823 — Vermilion.
William Karnaham — 1815 — Vermilion.
Jonathan Palmer — 1810 — Vermilion.
Joseph Strickline Vermilion.
James Gladden — 1826 — Green.
William Wallace— 1824— Green.
James Allison — 1818 — Perry.
Richard Smalley — 1815 — Perry.
John Stull — 1820— Montgomery.
KNOX COUNTY
Alexander Finley — 1809 — Mohican.
RICHLAND COUNTY
William Irvin— 1816— Green.
STARK COUNTY
Charles Hoy — 1817— Jackson.
James Medowell — 1823 — Montgomery.
SUMMIT COUNTY
Harvey Sackett — 1825 — Ruggles.
TRUMBULL COUNTY
Stephen Smith Vermilion.
Jesse Matthews — 1818 — Jackson.
WOOSTER
George Snyder— 1818 — Hanover.
PENNSYLVANIA
John Aton — 1821 — Clearcreek.
James Gribben — 1825— Clearcreek.
BEAVER COUNTY
Hugh B. McKibben— 1828— Clearcreek.
Thomas Sprott — 1823— Clearcreek.
Jonathan Coulter — 1816 — Green.
Isaac Wolf— 1819— Green.
William Lockhart— 1818— Milton.
BEDFORD COUNTY
William Ryland — 1815 — Vermilion.
William Ewing — 1814 — Mohican.
Philp Fluke— 1816— Orange.
BERKS COUNTY
Jacob Klngaman — 1817 — Perry.
BRADFORD COUNTY
William Taylor — 1821 — Green.
BUTLER COUNTY
Daniel Carter — 1812 — Clearcreek.
Frederick A. Hine — 1829 — Jackson.
CENTER COUNTY
John Hilman— 1818— Perry.
Adam Reichard — 1829 — Perry.
Frederick Wise— 1823— Perry.
Henry Zimmerman — 1S23 — Perry.
John Keen — 1828 — Jackson.
CHESTER COUNTY
Isaac Harvuot — 1819 — Clearcreek.
DAUPHIN COUNTY
William Smith— 1824— Jackson.
PIONEERS OF ASHLAND COUNTY OHIO
167
FAYETTE COUNTY
James Burgan — 1826 — Clearcreek.
David Burns — 1815 — Clearcreek.
FRANKLIN COUNTY
SamuelBurns Clearcreek.
John Fry— 1824— Perry.
Jacob Hiffner, Jr.— 1817— Orange.
GREEN COUNTY
Jacob Myers — 1829 — Clearcreek.
Cornelius Dorland Mohican.
William Fast — 1814 — Orange.
Jacob Fast — 1817 — Orange.
James Copus— 1809 — Mifflin.
HUNTINGDON COUNTY
Daniel Summers — 1817 — Montgomery.
LANCASTER COUNTY
John McMaull — 1815— Clearcreek.
Amos Morris — 1810 — Montgomery.
Benjamin Hershey — 1825 — Mifflin.
Jacob Staman — 1825— Mifflin.
Rudolph Kauffman— 1822— Perry.
Matthias Dickel- — 1818 — Jackson.
MIFFLIN COUNTY
John Swarts — 1813 — Perry.
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY
Leonard Croninger — 1815 — Mifflin.
SOMERSET COUNTY
Nicholas Masters — 1830 — Clearcreek.
Joseph Markley — 1815 — Clearcreek.
Rev. John Cox — 1823 — Vermilion.
Henry Grindle — 1825 — Perry.
Philip Mang— 1816— Perry.
Michael Rickel— 1817— Jackson.
UNION COUNTY
Jacob H. Grubb— 1823— Clearcreek.
Henry Maize — 1823 — Clearcreek.
WASHINGTON COUNTY
John Cook— 1822— Clearcreek.
Patrick Elliott— 1817— Clearcreek.
John Freeborn — 1814 — Clearcreek.
Richard Freeborn — 1814 — Clearcreek.
James Byers — 1821 — Green.
Edward Haley — 1810 — Green.
John Coulter— 1810— Green.
George Marks — 1819 — Green.
Nathan Daly — 1817— Mohican.
John Carr — 1814 — Perry.
Arthur Campbell — 1815 — Perry.
Aaron Carey — 1817 — Perry.
William Hamilton — 1820 — Perry.
Jacob Lash — 1824 — Perry.
Robert Smilie — 1829 — Jackson.
Henry Shissler — 1829 — Jackson.
James Clark — 1818 — Orange.
William Patterson — 1815 — Montgomery.
Christopher Richert — 1822 — Montgomery.
Ephraim Welch — 1828 — Montgomery.
David Braden — 1815— Mifflin.
Arthur Campbell, Sr. — 1817 — Mohican.
John Tilton— 1812 — Montgomery.
WESTMORELAND COUNTY
Abel Bailey— 1816 — Clearcreek.
John Bryte — 1819 — Clearcreek.
Henry Andress — 1826 — Vermilion.
William Reed— 1814 — Vermilion.
William Hunter — 1818— Green.
William Reed— 1829— Green.
Dr. Abraham Ecker— 1818— Perry.
YORK COUNTY
James A. Dinsmore— 1814— Jackson.
PENNSYLVANIA
Jacob McLain— 1822— Clearcreek.
Jared M. Slonaker— 1824— Clearcreek.
James Kuydendell— 1815— Clearcreek.
Christian Miller— 1829— Clearcreek.
Michael Springer— 1815— Clearcreek.
George Thomas— 1815 — Clearcreek.
Alanson Walker — 1822 — Clearcreek.
George Marshall —1822— Vermilion.
Michael Sigler— 1820— Vermilion.
Conrad Castor — 1817— Green.
Thomas Johnston — 1828 — Green.
John White— 1823— Green.
James Loudan Priert— 1810— Hanover.
John Ewalt— 1820— Lake.
John Wetherbee— 1817— Lake.
Richard Hargrave— 1818— Mohican.
Richard Rhamy, Sr.— 1813— Mohican.
John Allison— 1823— Perry.
James Dickason — 1817 — Perry.
Conrad Fridline — 1821 — Perry.
John Kraemer — 1829 — Perry.
John Maurer— 1825 — Perry.
John Shissler— 1823— Perry.
John Tanyer— 1824— Perry.
Henry Worst — 1814 — Perry.
Jacob Berry — 1819— Jaackson.
Michael Keplinger — 1823 — Jackson.
Michael Fast — 1815— Orange.
James McLaughlin — 1816— Montgomery.
Alexander Reed— 1814 — Milton.
John Woodburn— 1825— Milton.
SCOTLAND
William Lemon — 1818 — Vermilion.
VERMONT
Calvin Hill— 1811— Green.
VIRGINIA
James Chamberlain— 1823— Clearcreek.
Daniel Huffman— 1819— Clearcreek.
Abraham Huffman— 1815— Clearcreek.
Thomas Green— 1813 — Mohican.
John Shinabarger— 1810 — Mohican.
Philip Biddinger— 1823— Orange.
Daniel Harlan, Sr.— 1815— Mifflin.
Abraham Doty— 1816— Milton.
UNCLASSIFIED
Thomas C. Cook — 1822— Clearcreek.
Peter Van Nostrand — 1815 — Clearcreek.
Henry Baughman — 1814 — Clearcreek.
Henry Gamble — 1815 — Clearcreek.
Sage Kellogg— 1818— Clearcreek.
Christopher Mykrants — 1823 — Clearcreek.
Andrew Proudfit, Sr. — 1813 — Clearcreek.
Michael Riddle — 1819 — Clearcreek.
Samuel Roland — 1819— Clearcreek.
Joseph Sheets — 1817 — Clearcreek.
William Skilling — 1817 — Clearcreek.
Peter Swineford— 1819— Clearcreek.
168
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Daniel Vantilburg — 1816 — Cleacreek.
Sterling G. Bushnell — 1821 — Vermilion
Joseph Duncan — 1824 — Vermilion.
John Farver — 1817 — Vermilion.
Robert Finley — 1811 — Vermilion.
Andrew Newman — 1825 — Vei milion.
Gilbert Purdy — 1S17 — Vermilion.
John Scott — 1819 — Vermilion.
Moses Jones — 1815 — Green.
William McMaull— 1828— Green.
Nathaniel Haskell— 1826— Hanover.
Mark Mapes — 1822 — Hanover.
John Hilderbrand — 1823 — Hanover.
George Bender — 1828 — Lake.
Jacob Emrick — 1822 — Lake.
John Cooper — 1822 — Mohican.
Thomas Eagle— 1809 — Mohican.
Edmund Ingmand — 1816 — Mohican.
William Newbrough — 1819 — Mohican.
Nicholas Wireman — 1833 — Mohican.
Henry Buffamyer Perry.
Benjamin Emmons — 1810 — Perry.
Thomas Johnson — 1814 — Perry.
Peter Lash— 1823— Perry.
James Scott — 1816 — Perry.
John Smalley — 1818 — Jackson.
Hansom Hamilton — 1815 — Jackson.
John Davoult — 1816 — Jackson.
John Bishop — 1819 — Orange.
James Campbell— Orange.
Edward Muray — 1 820 — Montgomery.
Solomon Uric — 1815 — Montgomery.
Samuel Uric — 1815 — Montgomery.
Jacob Young — 1814 — Montgomery.
Michael Culler— 1816— Mifflin.
Daniel Beach — 1823 — Ruggles.
Norman Carter — 1824 — Ruggles.
James Poag — 1S25 — Ruggles.
Nathaniel Clark— 1834— Troy.
Joseph S. Parker-s-1832— Troy.
Francis Graham — 1821 — Clearcreek.
George Eckley — 1811 — Vermilion.
Simon Rowland — several years after 1812-
Green.
John McConnell Montgomery.
Jacob Young — 1814 — Montgomery.
Thomas Selby— 1813— Mifflin.
Peter Brubaker Mifflin.
Joseph Bechtel Mifflin.
Joseph Charles Mifflin.
John Clay Mifflin.
John Hazlett Mifflin.
Henry Keever Mifflin.
John Neal Mifflin.
Michael Seltzer Mifflin.
"Oh Say" and "Oh Said"
There once lived in Carson City, Nevada,
a teamster known to the oldl community as
"Oh Say." He was not a Chinaman, as one
might think, but a German, and secured his
name from ejaculating "Oh Say" whenever
he spoke to a person.
When the mines of the Comstock lode
were opened, "Oh Say" drove a mule team
from the shaft down to the crushing mill,
and later on his mules were bought by the
owners of the mine, and used for some years
thereafter.
"Oh Say" got other mules, but always had
deep regard for the first mules he ever
owned, which went down into that mine to
drag cars from the facing.
They were named "Oh Say" and "Oh
Said," and for forty years they dragged ore
on the lower level of Comstock mine, never
coming to the surface, nor issuing in the
open air.
But every holiday "Oh Say," the man,
went through the Sutro tunnel to visit his
old mules in the bowels of the earth.
He carried them carrots and other deli-
cacies for a mule's palate, and returned with
curious stories of their affectionate recog-
nition.
In the long interval the teamster had be-
come a freighter, and from that had drifted
into the most important business of the
state. Only his intimate friends recalled
him as "Oh Say," but others spoke of him
as the "Hon. William Keyser," and Mr. Key-
ser never forgot his mules down on the last
level of the Comstock mine, where they
dragged ore through the long, dripping
covert, called "Sutro tunnel." The mangers
of Comstock mine finally introduced ma-
chinery to haul out to the dumps, and the
twenty or thirty mules were out of the job.
Then Hon. Wm. Keyser promptly bought
his mules, "Oh Say" and "Oh Said,'' and
brought them to the surface of the earth,
where they met the sunlight for the first
time in nearly half a century. He turned
them into the rich pasturage which formed
the lawn about his fine home in Carson
City.
There they lived in clover the short period
of two weeks, and there they were both
found dead one morning, cradled in the al-
falfa, which had at once been a great joy to
them, but from eating too much had caused
their death.
The Hon. William Keyser buried them
where they died, and reared over their tomb
a carved stone which bears this inscription:
"OH SAY" and "OH SAID"
Two Mules Who Contributed More to the
Prosperity of Nevada Than the Silver King.
They worked in the Comstock for forty
years. They never took a dollar out of the
state, but they moved millions of the values
of its treasures. This stone is raised by
their old friend, who seeks no higher re-
ward than to rest beside them.
— Our Dumb Animals.
169
Indian Relics of Lehigh County, Pa.
By D. N. Kern, Allentown, Pa.
Y first exploring trip for
Indian relics was made
October 25, 1899, to the
farm of Robert Ritter
near Wannersville about
four miles west of Allen-
town. Around a fine large
spring on this farm the
Indians had a village, and a short dis-
tance away, toward the north along a
slope they had a workshop where they
made arrow points, spears, knives and
drills out of yellow jasper and quartz-
ite. The quartzite they secured at the
Lehigh or South Mountain which is
about five miles to the south ; the jas-
per was brought from the Macungie
quarries. At this place I found in two
hours 39 specimens. Since that time
I have visited this farm about three
times each year and have secured one
thousand specimens. The next im-
portant place I visited was one mile
north of Allentown at Helfrich spring.
Here is one of the largest and finest
springs in Lehigh County, Pa., also a
large cave, a piece of woodland con-
taining about four acres is left. In the
middle of this tract, the Mincie tribe
had a dancing circle, of about one hun-
dred and fifty feet in diameter, a piece
of ground on which no tree or shrub
has grown to this time. A short dis-
tance to the east they had a workshop
where they made many different kinds
of stone implements out of different
■colored jasper, quartzite hornstone.
Around this village site a great num-
ber of grooved axes were found. I my-
self found a ax here that is sharp
enough to chop wood. All the arrows,
knives, rubbing stones, hammer stones,
war clubs and scrapers I found here,
are of the very finest workmanship.
The large cave gave them good shel-
ter during very cold and bad weather.
The big pond around the spring was
always one of the biggest fishing
places for trout along the Jordan
creek. Before the Lehigh and Dela-
ware rivers were obstructed by dams
the shad would come up to this place
to spawn and it was a great harvest
for the Indians to catch this fine large
fish. When they wanted to raise large
corn they would put a fish in the bot-
tom of a foot deep hole, put well pul-
verized soil on top of the fish and plant
therein a few grains of corn and then
keep the soil well stirred around the
plants with their large stone blades or
hoes of which I have many in my
possession. In that way they raised
larger ears of corn than many farmers
do at the present time.
My third place of investigation was
at the jasper quarries at Vera Cruz,
Upper Milford Township, Lehigh
County, Pennsylvania. Through my
uncle, Mr. George Neimyer, I learned
a great deal while I was quite a little
boy. He had shafts sunk, thirty to
forty feet deep. In some of the largest
and deepest holes that the Indians had
dug, perhaps two hundred years be-
fore, he found round pieces of wood
two and three inches in diameter, that
were always pointed and charred.
Occasionally he found large thin blades
of jasper or argillite. Out of the sixty
pits they must have taken great
quantities of red, brown, yellow and
mottled jasper. Their workshop cov-
ered about fifty acres. Here one can
find chips by the hundred thousand.
On this piece of ground I found several
hundred of their hammers, some
weighing only three ounces, others
several pounds. I found one yellow
jasper sledge hammer weighing
twenty-seven pounds, I also found a
great many turtle-backs and axes.
My fourth place of investigation was
the jasper quarries, a little south of
the village of Macungie. Here they
had one hundred and thirty-eight pits.
about one-half of them are in Upper
Milford Township and the others in
Lower Macungie Township. At this
place most of the jasper was yellow.
170
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Their mode of work was about the
same as at Vera Cruz. Their main
workshop covered about forty acres
but from one- fourth to half a mile
away they had smaller work shops,
several covering only half an acre or
less. These were always near a good
spring. Evidences can still be seen
that cooking was done here by the
Indians. In these places I could al-
ways find knives, drills, scrapers,
axes, celts, spears, pestles, beads, rub-
bing stones and broken pottery.
A fifth place to make investigations
was in the Saucon Valley near the vil-
lage of Limeport in Lower Milford,
and Saucon Townships. Around the
pits in Lower Milford I found many
knives and fine blades. Around the
pits in Saucon I found more arrows
and axes. These pits were on the trail
which they passed every year, starting
at the Delaware river passing up the
Saucon Valley to the Perkiomen creek
and following that stream down to the
Schuylkill river into Montgomery
County, Pennsylvania. Towards fall
they returned through Montgomery
and Bucks counties over to the Dela-
ware river again. Along this refute
thev halted at different places to
make arrows, spears, and knives. Over
this route they found plenty of game
and fish. Wild fruits were also plenti-
ful.
After I had studied up these places
quite well I began to trace up smaller
village sites and small work shops.
Some of the finest and rarest things I
found were on the trail leading from
the northern part of Lower Macungie
near Trexertown through Upper Ma-
cungie, Weisenburg and Lynn town-
ships, then across the Blue Mountain
into Schuylkill County. In Upper
Macungie there was a great Bear
swamp and at the edge of this swamp
I found twenty-five large knives,
several axes, some spears, and many
arrows. I came to the conclusion that
here Indians had a great fight with an
old bear. Macungie meant in the In-
dian language Bear swamp. On the
large farm that belongs to the State of
Pennsylvania now, near Rittersville,
where the State Hospital for the In-
sane is located I found a work-shop
where the Indians worked the follow-
ing named stones : yellow and black
jasper, quartzite, hornstone, argillite
and slate. On Kline's Island a little
east of Allentown I found many fine
relics, and a workshop. where they had
worked up the jasper that was mined
in the Saucon Valley. Many fine
grooved axes have been found on the
island. During the time they were
washing sand for building purposes
arrows were found by the hundred and
of the very finest workmanship. The
Indians had brought to this island
soapstone, quartzite, hornstone, black,
brown, and yellow jasper. The quartz-
ite was the only stone found near the
island, the nearest hornstone and
jasper were from six to ten miles
away. The soapstone they had to get
above Easton, a distance of eighteen
miles. Only a short distance from
where the Jordan creek and the little
Lehigh empty into the Lehigh river
was one of the best places to find dif-
ferent kinds of relics. Many axes, and
ceremonial stones were found.
About two miles farther east is the
Geissinger farm, the farm that Jen-
nings got for his service in the
"Walking Purchase", the original
tract having contained five hundred
acres. On this tract the Indians had
a great village site and several work-
shops. Thousands of specimens have
been picked up here, especially grooved
axes of all sizes and shapes. The speci-
mens I collected here are of the very
best workmanship. Lehigh University
at South Bethlehem has a large collec-
tion from this farm.
171
The Early Pennsylvania German as Musician
By R. R. Drummond, Ph. D., Orono, Maine
N looking back over the
centuries, the Pennsyl-
vania German will find
much, of which to be
S^" proud. The pioneers of
«k£ Pennsylvania were, in
great part, Germans, and
as the state grew they
grew with it, and occupied some of the
most important positions, that the
state and later the nation could offer.
They were not only good farmers and
good merchants, but also good teach-
ers, good soldiers, good statesmen and
good musicians.
• Phils df-jphj-a for a time at least, was
the great centre from which the early
settlers were distributed to other parts
of the country, and it is here we should
expect to find the highest develop-
ment of the German settlers in all
lines. However not only in Philadel-
phia but in settlements like those of
Lititz, Nazareth, Bethlehem, Ephrata,
Lancaster, etc., music — especially
church music — was early developed,
and formed an important element in
the life of the people.
In the peculiar religious settlement
at Ephrata music early held a promi-
nent place, and to Conrad Beissel one
of its leaders is assigned the ■honor of
being the first composer of music in
America. The Moravians, too, held
music in high esteem and in addition to
the organ they used flutes, violins,
oboes, clarinets, trombones, trumpets,
drums, etc., in accompanying their
hymns. Practically every religious
sect from Germanv. which was found
in Pennsylvania, had hymn-writers.
Some of the Germans in this coun-
try were also musical-instrument mak-
ers. Of course in the early period or-
gans were most desired to aid the
church service. In the fifth decade of
the eighteenth century there are two
German organ - builders — John G.
Klemm and David Tannenberger — the
latter especially famous. It is known
that Tannenberger made at least four-
teen organs, including some for Lan-
caster, Nazareth, and Lititz, in which
town he lived for some time. Another
organ-builder of renown was Philip
Feyring, who built an organ for St.
Paul's Church in Philadelphia in 1762.
Later in the century other organ-
builders appear, of whom the Krauss
family, of Palm, Montgomery County,
were especially skillful.
In Philadelphia, at least, German
music teacriers and dealers were few. *
Of the former John Stadler, Peter
Kalckoffer, and George Isenberg
taught the German flute, John M.
Kramer, the violin, and Mr. Victor,
the harpsichord, violin, and German
flute. Of the music-dealers Michael
Hillegas, first treasurer of the United-
States, was the most prominent.
Before the close of the Revolution-
ary War there were very few concerts
given, but from 1783 on this form of
entertainment was especially frequent
in Philadelphia and evidently appre-
ciated. As representative of the Ger-
man element, Alexander Reinagle,
one of the managers of the "City Con-
certs" in Philadelphia stands forth. He
was an excellent musician, a fine com-
poser, as well as director and per-
former, and was well known to the
best musicians of Europe. It was un-
doubtedly owing to him that so much
excellent music by German composers
was played at these concerts. Two
other eminent musicians were Philip,
Phile and Philip, whose names occa-
sionally appear on the concert pro-
grams. It is probable that one of these
men wrote the music to "Hail Colum-
bia."
There can be no question that the
musical life in Philadelphia was great-
ly stimulated by German musicians,
and it is likely that in other parts of the
state the German element was still
more prominent in musical affairs, and
we may be sure that there were bands
172
THE PENXCYLVANIA-GERMAN
and orchestras composed largely of
Germans. At the fourth of July cele-
bration at Easton 1798 a German
translation of "Hail Columbia" was
sung. "Vocal and instrumental music
bv a band from Bethlehem and Naz-
areth.*'
An investigation of local records in
different parts of the state would with-
out doubt reveal the fact that the
Pennsylvania Germans were much
more prominent in musical circles
than is shown above. Such an investi-
gation would add greatly to our know-
ledge of the Pennsylvania German, as
well as being an important contribu-
tion to the musical history of America.
NOTE. — For further information concern-
ing music in Philadelphia, see my book,
Early German Music in Philadelphia, pub-
lished by Appleton & Co., N. Y.
Zufriedenheit
Zufriedenheit
My Dear Mr. Kriebel : I beg to of-
fer to the readers of THE PENN-
SYLVANIA-GERMAN an amend-
ment to the "amendment" on page 315
(May 1910) by giving the poem as it
appeared in a book which my father
carried to singing school. It was called
the "Union Choral Harmony" pub-
lished in 1845 by Henry C. Eyer at
Selingsgrove, Pa., and contained 192
pages of hymns and songs in German
and English. The music was printed
in what has been called "shaped
notes" of oval, square and triangular
forms. The last page in the volume
contains the poem from which are in-
correctly quoted on pages 250 and 315
some of its lines. The name of the
exquisite letter poem is
Zufriedenheit
Freund! Ich bin zufrieden,
Geh es wie es will!
Unter meinen Dache
Leb ich froh und still.
Mancher Thor hat alles
Was sein Herz begehrt;
Doch bin ich zufrieden,
Das ist auch Gold werth.
Leuchten keine Kertzen
Mir beim Abendmahl:
Blinken keine Weine
Mir in dem Pokal:
Hab ich was ich brauche
Nur zur Zeit der Noth,
Siisser schmeckt im Schweise
Mir mein Stick'chen Brod.
Schallet auch mein Name
Nicht im fernen Land,
Schmiicken mich nicht Titel,
Stern und Ordensband,
Nur des Herzens Adel
Sey mein hochste Lust,
Und zum Gliick der Briider
Athme meine Brust.
Geben auch Palaste
Mir ein Obdach nicht;
Auch in meiner Hiitte
Scheint der Sonne Licht.
Wo die Liebe wohnet
Lebt und schlaft man froh,
Ob auf Eiderdunen
Oder auf dem Stroh.
Gonnt mir meine Ruhe,
Herrscher dieser Welt!
Schlichtet Krieg und Frieden
Wie es euch gefallt!
In dem engen Raume
Leb ich meiner Pflicht,—
Wiinsche eure Freuden,
Eure Sorgen nicht.
Keine Pyramiden
Zieren einst mein Grab,
Und auf meinem Sorge
Prangt kein Marschalls Stab;
Aber Friede wohnet
Um mein Leichtentuch,
Ein Paar Freunde weinen,
Und das ist genug.
E. GRUMBINE, M. D.
173
A Sundayj among the Seventh Day Baptists of
Snow Hill
H
d a
n n n
AVE part with me in one
of the meetings o f
twenty-five years ago.
Early on Saturday morn-
ing team-loads of people
begin arriving on the
grounds. It is a topo-
graphical fact that all
roads in that section of the county
lead to the Nunnery and all roads hold
an almost unbroken stream of vehicles.
Before the sun is well above the high
hills to the east of the buildings, the
roads close by begin to be congested
and soon one side of each highway is
converted into a hitching place. Teams
are tied to the fences for many rods in
every direction. All the country side
is here or arriving and with them visit-
ing brethren of the faith from the con-
gregation in Morrison Cove, Bedford
County, and many who are attracted
by curiosity from their homes thirty
and fifty miles away.
It is an animated and oddly con-
trasted scene. In their plain garments
come members of the Seventh Day
Baptist Church and older members
greet each other with a kiss— «-men so
saluting each other and women ex-
tending the same custom to the
women. In gayer clothes come the
curious. It is the great clearing house
of mild religious disputation, of crop
prospects, of family prosperity and
family misfortune, of the neighbors'
goings, of the tittle-tattle that brings
a smile or sends away an enemy.
Over all the grounds, over all the
roads they spread. All peer into the
monastery and at the church but not
many go into the sanctuary. Only the
plainly-clad members of the denomina-
tion gather there It is theirs and they
are at home there. They stand in
groups under its shadow while all
around them flit the curious-minded,
many of them pretending to nothing
much but a display of the gay gowns
and brilliant neckties provided for this
occasion.
Along the roads for a quarter mile
in all directions are the stands of
lunch venders, who have brought
sandwiches and cakes and candy and
lemonade and colored water for the re-
freshment of those who purpose
spending the day there.
Around the bend in the road comes
a young man driving a pair of hand-
some horses with heads high and
manes tossed by their speed and the
slight breeze. Everybody gives way
before him. He is the son of a well-
to-do farmer of the neighborhood and
this is a show day for him.
Almost his buggy pole is driven into
the curtains of the plain carriage of a
somberly garbed man who is letting
his sedate old beast pull him and his
family slowlv to the church. This
team load is come for worship.
These are some of the contrasts that
are so many here on this day and that
with every minute make a new picture
for the onlooker.
But you have another purpose in
coming to the grounds and about ten
o'clock you follow the men and women
of the congregation into their church
edifice — plain, white, without attempt
at decoration.
Soon the services are begun. Rev.
John A. Pentz is in charge. There is
singing of tunes that are probably
somewhat familiar in their theme.
There are fervent prayers and there
are sermons. On this particular day
it is your privilege to hear Rev. John
Walk, a minister of the Snow Hill con-
gregation, preach, and Rev. Jacob
Diamond, of Morrison's Cove branch.
They impress you with their earnest-
ness and their sincerity. They ex-
pound the Scriptures, which they hold
to be the only rule of life ; they put
their own interpretation upon them
and they proclaim some doctrines to
174
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
which you may not be willing to sub-
scribe but which you know will lead
men along right lines.
They do not preach from a pulpit or
even from a platform but take their
place behind a good-sized table and
there, on an equality with the lay
membership, they deliver the message
of the Bible. It is a very close- listen-
ing congregation which they address
and one that shows its great interest.
About noon the first service is over.
Everybody leaves the meeting house,
except the committee for the occasion
and its helpers. These people quickly
convert the church into a dining hall,
fill it with tables and then in a remark-
ably short time invite the members of
the congregation and the visitors back
to partake of a lunch. Of course, you
go, if room can be found for you.
In each table are big platters of ap-
plebutter and plates of butter and soon
men come through the aisles carrying
armsful of bread — white as snow, cut
in thick slices and very appetizing —
and serve a slice to each person. After
them come men and women with
steaming, fragrant coffee that has been
boiled in the big boiler in the kitchen
attached to the meeting house.
To each person is given a knife and
he cuts his share of the butter from the
plate and dips out from the platter a
portion of the applebutter for his
hread. Long in the afternoon the
feeding of the visitors is continued.
Before it is over yon may go to the
stream of water at the west end of the
church grounds, where a pool has been
dug out of the sand, and observe the
minister baptize new members. Their
baptism is by trine immersion, the
hodv being inclined forward and the
face going into the water first.
When the last of the converts has
been immersed there is a swaying of
the crowds back and forward for a last
look at all the important places of in-
terest, for the last word with some old
or new friend, if he can be found, and
then a scattering along the road to
find the carriages and start the home-
ward journey.
By the time the sun has gone down
back of the mountains far off on the
other side of the valley, few are left
except members of the denomination.
There remain for them two important
services. The first begins at early
candle light. The first double method
is practised here. Beissel instituted
this method for the church. Two
persons go together in administration
of the rite. One washes the feet and
the other dries them and the work is
generally divided so that each pair
serves only four or half-a-dozen people.
Then follows the Communion, at
which bread and wine are used.
One of the older members will tell
you that more than a half century ago
there was observed the eating of the
Lord's Supper between the feet-wash-
ing and the Communion. This was in
perpetuation of the supper "in the
upper room". The supper consisted of
mutton broth and mutton and bread.
For half a century this has not been
observed.
With the last solemn service of the
Communion the annual meeting comes
to a close. The members from Morri-
son's Cove and elsewhere, who wish
to do so, retire to the nunnery, to
occupy the rooms and the beds once
used by the monastical brothers and
sisters.
The night closes in on them. The
sounds of the day's activity are gone.
A cricket nearby chirps. It seems an
echo — a faint one — of the day full of
life and busy scenes.
The >day and night tell the story of
the Snow Hill monastery.
C. W. Cremer, Esq., Waynesboro,
Pa., in "Papers Read before the Kit-
tochtinny Historical Society, Vol. VI,
p. 10.
175
Celia of Bernville
By Louis Reigner, Wyomissing, Pa.
HEN the old church at
Bernville was razed and
the red bricks were built
into the new edifice, the
church yard with its
ruined wall and its
crumbling neglected head-
stones, was left intact;
that is, intact as time allows. Over
the dim mounds or broken squares of
sandstone and marble the long grass
grows and dies and grows again, and
every year sees the obliteration of
faint letters and the history of a for-
gotten people sinking down into the
earth. On a rounded sandstone, with
a grotesque carved face and a long
neck with a pair of handlike wings, is
graven in better skill than the rude
decoration :
"Hier ruhet CELIA ZORNDORF
geb. 6 November, 1756, s. 3 Juli 1776.
Ach Gott" and the rest is undecipher-
able. Why that despairing cry to the
Almighty for her who saw but 20
years?
Lieutenant Granville Pencoyd, of his
Majesty's Fortieth Regiment of Horse,
in colonial service, was bitter against
the fate that led him along the muddy
Bernville trail in May, 1776. The driv-
ing rain beat upon his long greac coat
and revealed a bit of scarlet coat and
white breeches spattered with mud.
At each lurch of his horse he bewailed
anew the orders which sent him to
"this Godforsaken country" to learn
the "sentiment" of the settlers toward
that monarch who was fast getting
himself into difficulties with his larg-
est possession. Behind him dragged
two troopers, leading a pack horse
with, two heavy portmanteau, for an
officer of George III and the younger
son of Sir Henry Pencoyd of Pencoyd
Hall must travel in state. A glance at
the pack horse now and then reminded
Granville of the dances and teas he
was leaving at Reading and increased
bis prospect of being bored in a back-
wroods settlement with people whose
language he only half understood.
Thus it was that when they pulled up
at the tavern at Bernville, the suspi-
cious looks of the natives depressed
him all the more. His majesty's sov-
ereigns, however, opened the larders
not the hearts of the settlers, and the
detail of the Fortieth found shelter
and stables. The troopers, one of
whom, Hollingford, spoke German,
gradually reached sort of a friendship
with the Pennsylvania Germans. Pen-
coyd, left to himself, spent the time
wandering along the Tulpehocken.
One of these rambles the officer hap-
pened upon a girl, whose slender
figure quite discounted the buxom
tendencies of many of the women of
the settlement. At this venture, "I
beg your pardon: Do I intrude?" he
was surprised to hear in perfect Eng-
lish, "Not unless you prefer a lonely
walk." And the next day she came
again, and the days that followed were
Elysian. His majesty's lieutenant was
learning the sentiment of the section.
The girl's explanation was simple.
Maximilian Zorndorf, her father, had
been at Heidelberg University and had
served under Frederick the Great. It
was he who had taught Celia the lan-
guages.
Granville's friendship with the
head of the community evoked unfa-
vorable comment ; comment which
prew in intensity as neither of the two
apparently noticed it. The crux of
this feeling broke out in a yokel, Bauer
Loomp, a farm hand in the employ of
Zorndorf, and to the latter he blurted
out, "Di madel geht mid der booma-
laddie" — "Hal dei maul !" snapped the
old soldier. Loomp "held his mouth"
before Zorndorf but in the hearing of
Pencoyd he mumbled a slighting re-
mark about the girl and the lieutenant
knocked him down.
Smarting under the blow, Loomp
threatened to "lay the Britisher cold",
176
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
and other ''young sports" egged him
on.
Pencoyd and the girl stood at the
end of a footbridge across a wooded
ravine which separated the farm of
the Zorndorfs from the village. In the
meadow the hay lay in rows, for July
3 saw a late harvest and the crops not
yet housed. Across the field the first
light twinkled in the farm house,
though the sun was just setting. From
the edge of the clearing a whippoor-
will sounded his triple call and a stray
breeze stirred the leaves.
The quiet was undisturbed till Pen-
coyd. with words that stumbled into
his throat, whispered, "Cele-I-can't go
back to England-alone-I" his arm
swept around her neck and her head
rested against his shoulder. Pier hair
disengaged itself and a loop of velvet
fibbon twined itself in Granville's
fingers. "Cele", he said, and she
turned her face up to his, "I — love—"
Crack! "Granville"! she shrieked,
and her arms about his neck tightened
and relaxed and dropped. There was
a scurrying in the bushes. Pencoyd
lowered" the girl little by little, till her
body lay quite still on the ground.
Then he rose and brushed his eyes in
a vague sort of way. The sun had
gone down. He looked curiously at
the ribbon in his hand, and then stuffed
it mechanically into his pocket. * *
Dorndorf was silent in his grief, and
his family busied with the three days
of preparation for the funeral feast,
went about their duties sadly. Loomp
left the settlement without any adieux,
and the natives were divided o n
whether he had been a fool or a bad
marksman. Pencoyd was dazed.
On the day appointed, the old
church was crowded to the doors.
Granville, obeying only instinct, en-
tered the church with his men, and sul-
lenly the natives made standing room
for them in the rear. The Reverend
Kasper Stober mounted the pulpit, and
after a long harangue in German, he
continued: "It is better that this girl
had died than that she go on her sinful
way. Perhaps a worse fate was in
store for her at the hands of — "
Zorndorf half rose in his seat but
the fear of Lord's anointed was strong
upon him and he subsided and bowed
his head. Hollingford wdiispered
rapidly to Pencoyd and the latter
quietly unbuckled his sword and
handed it to the trooper. Then he
walked carefully up the aisle. The min-
ister and the people stared in amaze-
ment. Up the spiral staircase he
moved and steadying himself by the
pupit rail he swung round and slap-
ped the preacher's mouth. Then with
tears in his eves he descended and left
the church.
At the gate a courier met the officer
and handed him a packet, adding in
the hearing of the crowd, for the ser-
vice had broken up : "These rebels
have decided to run this colony them-
selves ; met in Philadelphia and de-
clared war against King George."
Such of the natives as paid attention
said merely: "Yes, well, I knew it
would go that away." In response to
the orders for mobilization, Lieuten-
ant Pencoyd left Bernville within an-
hour and the red coats of the British
Army gleamed for the last time among
the trees along the Tulpehocken. Pen-
coyd did not open his lips till Reading.
The third of July at Pencoyd Hall
was an ever increasing cause of anxiety
to Lady Constance, for on that day
her brother's lonely bachelorhood and
his 75 years became buried in the deep-
est depression. Accustomed as she
was to his solitary habits and his dis-
like for interruptions of his retirement
Lady Constance ventured to enter the
library about evening. He sat by the
west window. "Granville", she whis-
pered softly. "Granville"! she called.
She threw her arms about his neck.
"Granville"! she shrieked. But the
sun had gone dowm forever. In his
hand was twined a bit of velvet ribbon.
177
A "Wheat Market" of Colonial Days
By Clara A. Beck' Centre Square, Pa.
tin
ORE than a century ago,
Malthus, the great Eng-
lish economist declared
that: "The increase in the
world's population, would
be halted by lack of food."
In contradiction of this
dismal prophecy, comes
recently announced fact, that
"Winnipeg has taken from Minneapo-
lis, its long' held position, as the larg-
est receiving point of wheat in Amer-
ica, and ranks next to Chicago, as a
market for this grain". This means,
that a vast grain farming territory, of
more than three million acres under
cultivation, promises to supply the
whole world with food, and involves
methods of finance, in the disposal of
it, such as our fathers never dreamed
of.
It seems "a far cry back" to the days
of the Malthus prophecy, and the
wheat market of a period which
seemed to justify it. Modern progress
is so rapidly wiping out historic land-
marks, or changing them beyond the
possibility of recognition, that it was
with pleasure we agreed to resurrect
the history of one of these "centers of
commerce", which had its beginning
in Colonial days.
Facing the historic Skippack Road,
at Centre Square, Whitpain Township,
Montgomery Co., Pa., stands an old
mansion, now the private residence of
Mr. John Morris.1 The ground on
which it is built, is part of a tract of
4500 acres, which in 1682, William
Penn "released" to Samuel Fox,
Charles Marshall, and James Clay-
pole. These men were not able to meet
their financial obligations, and subse-
quently the whole tract "became
seized in fee", and passed into the
hands of Richard Whitpain", a citizen,
and butcher of London." Whitpain,
after wrom the tract was named, died
in 1689, and five of his creditors be-
came the owners. In 1731, William
Aubrey, "of the town of London", sold
it to Anthony Morris, "a malster, of
Philadelphia", and Thomas Rees, of
Merion. These men, disposed of it to
John Johnson, a money lender, who in
1759 transferred no acres to Abraham
Wentz. His descendents held it more
than a hundred years, and made it a
1By a curious circumstance, we have just learned,
that Anthony Morris, who in 1731, is mentioned as
part owner of the tract of land on which "The
Wheat Market" stands, was a great uncle to Mr.
John Morris, the present owner of the property.
The ' ' Wheat Market ' ' ; Old Tombstones ;
vStump of the "Freak of Nature."
point of historic interest, and the pio-
neer of a great industry.
Abraham Wentz, died the same year
in which he puchased it, and his grand-
son, Colonel John Wentz, inherited
the property. In 1762 he built a large
mansion, and had it licensed as, "A
Public House." It had for its sign a
"Rising Sun", and was known far, and
near, as "The Wheat Market."
This house, practically unaltered,
seems to have escaped the ravages of
time. It is built of brick, red, and
black, alternately. The red brick was
178
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
burnt on the place, and the black,
which is shiny, like glass, was im-
ported at great cost from England.
The floors are of oak, and the joists of
hewn timber, and although the interior
has been somewhat changed, the place
still boasts two open fire places, one
with swinging cranes, the other with
brick tiling. In the days when these
shed their light, and warmth, over a
generation long since called to rest, the
men who kept public houses, were
mostly men of note and prominence ;
The first landlord of "The Wheat
Market", was no exception to this rule.
The Supreme Executive Council of
Pennsylvania, honored him by ap-
pointing him Cornet of the Troop of
Light Horse, in the Militia. For twen-
ty years he was Justice of the Peace.
In 1804 he was elected County Treas-
urer. At the close of the War of 1812,
the Government constituted him Col-
lector of Internal Revenue Tax, and
later he became the Principal Assessor
of the 4th District of Pennsylvania.
Added to this he made his house a
famous "Commercial center."
In those days the farmer was still a
pioneer, with much to learn regarding
soil, and climatic conditions. A "win-
ter wheat", which could be scientific-
ally nurtured, and successfully grown,
was unknown to him. Indeed wheat
did not even ripen well, and much of
the bread was made of "rye-an-injun",
half rye, half corn meal.
Most of the wheat came from the
then, upper counties. Among these, the
Conestoga Valley district, near Lan-
caster,— called "The Garden of Penn-
sylvania",— seemed especially favored.
It was of course necessary to get the
crops to market. There were no
railroad, nor shipping facilities. The
pack horse, and bridle path period, was
just passing, but a bright inspiration
had evolved, and brought into exis-
tence, the Conestoga wagon, and this
became the vehicle of transportation.
In it, the careless observer saw only, a
large canvas covered wagon, but the
man of enterprise, "the promoter" of
that day, saw its vast possibilities.
Gen. Braddock, made it famous in his-
tory, by cutting the first trail across
the Alleghenies. Hovenden, immortal-
ized it in Art, by his "Westward Ho!"
And indeed, for ingenuity of construc-
tion, the Conestoga has known no
rival. These wagons had large boat-
shaped bodies, with curved canoe bot-
toms, which made it possible for them
to carry freight safely, at whatever
angle the body might be. The rear
ends could be lifted from sockets, and
on these, were placed feed troughs for
the horses. On one side of the wagon
was a tool chest, and under the rear
axle tree hung tar buckets, and water
pails, made of tree trunks, hollowed
out. The wheel tires were nearly a
foot wide, and some times a "lazy
seat" was attached to the side of the
wagon, for the driver who grew tired
of walking. The covers of these wagons
were of pure white woven hemp, tight-
ly corded down to arched bows. Each
wagon had a carrying capacity of from
four to six tons, or a ton to each horse.
Of course these horses were large, and
of the Conestoga breed.
In describing market days to the
writer of this article, the late Abraham
Wentz,— grandson of Col. John Wentz
said: "When farmers came from the
upper counties to market their wheat,
it was a sight worth seeing. As a boy
I was impressed by the long proces-
sion of heavily laden Conestogas, each
drawn by a team of horses, wearing
fine harness, gaily decorated with
housings of scarlet fringe, worsted
rosettes, and bells. T he farmers
traveled together, because the roads
were bad, and they could be mutually
helpful. The procession grew, as
farmer after farmer along the route
joined it, and by the time they reached
the "Wheat Market", there were near-
ly a hundred in line. We had stabling
for sixty horses, and as each man had
from four, to six or seven, many had to
be turned out. Every farmer was his
own hostler, and carried feed for his
horses. As he also carried his. own
"grub", coffee, "flip", and drinks gen-
erally, were the only things bought
A "WHEAT MARKET" OF COLONIAL DAYS
179
from the landlord. At night the team-
sters brought blankets, and narrow
mattresses, from their wagons, and
spreading them out on the bar room
floor, slept there.
Next morning early, the millers from
Philadelphia, and the surrounding
country, came to the "Wheat Market."
Then there was a lively time bargain-
ing, disputing, and settling prices. As
Earl C. Wentz, Great Grandson of Col. John
Wentz, founder of the Colonial Wheat Market.
(Photo by Bussa.)
much of the flour in those days was
shipped to England, of course these
transactions were carefully managed.
After a day spent in this way, the buy-
ers returned home, and the farmers
spent a second night at the "Wheat
Market", leaving early the next morn-
ing to deliver the wheat to the millers.
This trip, and the trip back to Centre
Square, was made in one day. After a
third night, spent at the "Market", the
farmers rolled up their blankets, ate
breakfast, took a last drink together,
and with their wagons packed with
necessary produce, bought in Philadel-
phia, returned home. This is how wheat
was marketed for many years, at
Wentz's tavern."
Connected with the history of the
"Wheat Market", yet having no bear-
ing on the subject under consideration,
is a curious story. In those early days
it was decided to build a church on
this tract of ground. Preparatory to
the carrying out of this plan, a grave-
yard was staked off, and a number of
people lie buried here, in unmarked
graves. Two stones only, have stood
the test of storm, and time. One
marks the last resting place of Bar-
bara Kress, who died in 1757, the
other that of Charles Kress, who "fell
asleep", in 1766. Both graves are sur-
rounded by thin timber, and under-
brush, and were under the shadow of
a great tree, which, accounted a freak
of nature, was blown down by a recent
storm. Tradition says, that over a
century ago, when John Vanderslice
was buried here, a person in at-
tendance, stuck his cane in the ground
to mark the grave. As the wood was
fresh and green, it sprouted into a
great maple, but being reversed in the
planting, all the lower limbs crooked
down.
Here, in the silence of a summer's
day, undisturbed by the noise, and
bustle of the busy world, we have
stood and listened to the sweet melody
of song birds, and wondered, what
stories of enterprise, romance, and ad-
venture, could have been told by these
men and women, who so silently rest,
near the once famous "Wheat Market
of Colonial Days."
NOTE. — The writer of this article, wishes
to acknowledge the kindness of Mrs. Elvie
McCann, daughter of the late Hon. Jones
Detweiler, (Archivest), for the privilege of
referring to records in her possession.
180
Merryall Settlement, Bradford Co., Pa.
By G. M. Brumbaugh, M.D., Washington, DVC.
The following quotations are taken
[nun statements of Justus Lewis, late
of Wyalusing, published in History of
Bradford County, Pa., Craft 1878 p.
446:
"On the 13th day of July 1788 Thomas
Lewis and family moved from the river on
to a place now called 'Merryall' (after
Merryall in Connecticut — G. M. B.). The
year before they came from Conn, and
made a temporary residence at the mouth
of the creek, and on that day they settled
in a log cabin in a wild dreary wilderness,
four miles from a neighbor on one side and
forty on the other. The prospect was
dreary enough, but they persevered, and
helped others to come in and settle around
them.
"In 1794 Joseph Elliott, Amasa Wells, &
Guy Wells moved into the neighborhood.
Joseph Elliott to where the family now live,
Amasa Wells where Elijah Camp (lately)
resided. In 1795 the mother of Amasa &
Guy Wells (Hannah Loomis, widow of
Lieut. James Wells) died, and while she
lay a corpse, the neighbors cleared off a
place for the grave, where the present
Merryall burying ground is. She was the
first corpse buried there. In the meantime
the settlers began locating along up the
creek. James Ingham & family came in
1795 William Dalton settled on the west
side of the creek opposite the meeting
house" etc.
Rev. Milton Lewis Cook,1 pastor of
the Merryall Church, resides in the old
ancestral parsonage near the old bury-
ing ground, and opposite the site of the
old Merryall Meeting House, (prac-
tically every vestige of which has dis-
appeared) and carefully preserves the
old church records (made by his grand-
father Rev. Justus Cook, pastor) which
are replete with interesting entries and
should be published so as to become
accessible for all who are interested in
the early settlement of that section of
Pennsylvania. The new church was
erected several miles distant.
Older Inscriptions from Merryall
Burying Ground. Literally repro-
duced as transcribed by the writer in
the summer of 1910:
Hannah Loomis Wells 1725-1795; w. of
Lieut. Jas Wells who was killed in the bat-
tle of Wyiming July 3, 1778. (First inter-
ment).
Sacred to the Memory of Hannah the wife
of Dr. Ebenezer Beeman who Died Jan 7th
AD 1823 In the 46th yr of her age
Sacred to the Memory of EBENEAZEr
BEEMAN who Died Feb 9th 1840 in the 82d
Year of his Age. (Revolutionary soldier).
Joseph Black born June 24, 1762 died
Nov. 20, 1834
Alice Wells Black born Nov. 30, 1772,
died July 8, 1842
Israel Buck "died" Aug 8, 1858 AE 72Yrs
lm & 4d
Our Mother Eliza (Wells) Buck Died Jan
2, 1867 Aged 75yrs
Elijah Camp Died Dec. 17, 1873 Aged 8&
Years 21 Days .
Sally Wife of Elijah Camp Died July 27,.
1849 Aged 58yrs & 4ms
Israel Camp Died Dec 27, 1868 Aged 74
yrs 6 ms
Mary his Wife, (Wells), Died Apr. 16,
1880, aged 83 Yrs 7Ms. Asleep in Jesus.
Here lies Job Camp Died Jan 17th 1822
AE 75 yrs (Revolutionary soldier).
ABIGALL CORNELL DIED JULY THE
1832 AGEB 59 YEARS 1 MONTH AND 14
DAYS.
Here lies Henry Elliott Died Deer. 21st.
1S09 AE 97 y & Mary his wife died Deer. 1
1806 AE 91 y (Revolutionary soldier).
John Elliott Died Feb 19, 1876 AE 84 Yrs
9 Ms
Marietta Wife of John Elliott Died Oct
13, 1864 In the 74th Year of her age
Joseph Elliott Died Mch 31, 1849 Aged 92
ys 5 mos & 21 ds. He served his country In
the Revolution, Lived a Patriott, And has
gone to his reward.
1Address, Wyalusing, Bradford Co., Pa.
Deborah (Lewis) w. of Joseph Elliott died
Feb 24, 1840 AE 69 yrs 4 m & 27 ds.
Wrapped in the shades of death No more
that friendly face I see. Empty, ah empty,.
every place Once filled so well by thee
BRADFORD CO., PA. MERRYALL SETTLEMENT,
1S1
Wm Goodwin Died June 19, 1873 Aged 78
years & 4 ms
Polly wife of William Goodwin Died Apr
25, 1863 Aged 66 years
Ebenezer Lewis Died July 17, 1857 Aged
65 yrs 11 m's & 17 ds
Julia A. his wife died Mar. 16, 1847 Aged
53 yrs 10 ms & 13 ds
Justus Lewis died May 10, 1874 aged
yrs 9 months
Polly (Keeler) Wife of Justus Lewis Died
April 20, 1857 AE 63 yrs 5 ms. 'Asleep in
Jesus" She hath done what she could
Lucy dau of Justus & Polly died Mar 12,
1837 AE 18 yrs & 11 months
Mary (Terrell) w. of Thos. Lewis b at
New Milford Conn Mch 1, 1748 d Jan 21,
1S13.
Here Lies Thomas Lewis Died Feb 7, A D
1810 AEt 64yrs & Mary his Wife Died Jan
21 AD 1813 Aet 64 yrs 10 mos & 12 ds
(Two coffins follow beneath upon the
headstone).
(Thos. Lewis b New London, Conn. May
11, 1745— d Feb. 7, 1810; Revolutionary sol-
dier).
Hannah wife of Asahel Southwell
Died Mar 22 1845 Aged 80 Years
Sen
Mary Wife of Asahel Southwell Jr. Died
Sep 10, 1846 aged 50 yrs 2 months & 10 dys
In memory of Guy Wells Esq. who died
Nov. 8, 1828 AE 62 yrs Elizabeth his wife
died July 23, 1856 aged 86 yrs. 2 mos & 14
ds.
The AE and AD are digraphs, most-
ly carved so as to use the last part of
the former letter as the first part of the
latter. The cemetery is well sustained
— a few of the oldest stones lack in-
scriptions, or contain merely initials.
Washington, D. C, Feb., 191 1.
Luther the German Master Singer
Luther's reforms of public worship
were not at all hasty, but extremely
moderate. Vestments, candles, cruci-
fixes and pictures, if not undue atten-
tion was given to them, he regarded as
indifferent, and every congregation
preserved full liberty of keeping or
rejecting them.
Until then all singing, with the
exception of some German hymns, had
been Latin. Luther now planned a
full German liturgical service (i. e.
singing of the congregation, the choir
and the minister at the altar. Two
musicians, John Walter and Conrad
Kupf, rendered him valuable assistance
for the musical part. He paraphrased
(put in rime) Is. 6:14, some Psalms,
the Ten Commandments, the Creed,
translated and improved some Latin
hymns and the Litany, adding : "In all
time of our tribulation, in all time of
our prosperity, help us, good Lord."
(See Sunday School Hymnal, small ed.
pt. 1, p. 125.)
Luther's hymns produced a great
revival of sacred song throughout
Germany, and were sung everywhere,
in the streets, fields, workshops, pal-
aces, church, "by the children in the
cottage and by the martyrs on the
scaffold." The hymn, A Dear Chris-
tians, One and All Rejoice, is said to
have converted many, and by it a con-
gregation once silenced a Roman
Catholic priest in the cathedral at
Frankfort.
Luther spent many a happy hour in
singing with his children and accom-
panying their son with his lute. Next
to theology he prised the art of music
as the highest gift of God. — Bruegge-
mann's Life of Luther.
182
□
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
O, Muttersproch, du bist uns lieb " — A. S.
.□
Ou Der Lumpa Party
(A. C. W.)
(No. 3)
"Yah, ihr weibsleit", sawgt die Billa,
"Arwet hut's wuh'n guter willa,
Ehnie fertich, kloppt die onner,
Yah, m'r mehnt sie winka nonner
Wie's dert war an's Dilly Gruhwa
Mit'm b'such, paar nochber's buhwa;
S'war uff Sundawg, derf s net lohwa, —
Was wit macha mit so schwohwa?
Gehn dorch alles fun g'beier,
Sei-schtall, wagaschop un scheier,
Hen die nahs in alia ecka
Wie der schrief an's Davy Flecka;
Endlich hen sie alles g'sehna,
Anyhow m'r sut so mehna,
Kumma noh mohl noch'm offa,
Hen's aw werklich gute g'druffa,
Hickerniss un walniss kloppa,
Kerna schtorra, adler ruppa —
Sawg der kan die tzeit ferdreiwa
G'schwinder wie der dreck obreihwa;
Glebra ivverdem die ponna;
'Kummt'n buhwa, setzt eich onna,'
Hen sich aw net schtompa lussa,
Draga lengscht schun langa hussa,
Schmockt'ne wie de Neiyohrschitza,
Mehnt g'wiss sie misste schwitza.
Wara in de rechta yohra
Wuh's em schmockt un nix ferlohra,
Wuh's als hehst: 'Tzum miller gonga,
Brauscht ken dokt'r obtz'fonga',
Hen don gessa un g'drunka
Bis der George 'm Dave g'wunka:
"Well, ich denk m'r missa schtoppa,
Gehn daich widder frisch an's kloppa."
"Yah, so gehts de weibsleit immer,
Rascht un ruh is nie un nimnier,
Morgets frieh gehts schun an's wev'ra,
Dawg un nacht bol rumtz'schtevra,
Schteckt in arwet, kop un ohra,
Deht schier noth m'r graicht sich schpohra,
Kocha, bocka, wescha, flicka,
Reihwa, butza, naeha, schtricka,
Schoffa, macha, gropscha, sam'la,
Muss sich aw noch gons ferhamla
Draus im garta, an der scheier —
So gehts fert, die ewich leier."
Gehn don widder frischt an's schoffa,
Guckt net gute so rum tz' goffa,
Xix wie plaudra, nix wie lacha
Wan die nochbra parties macha;
Geht aw net yuscht grawd fer's essa,
Hehst als glei: 'S'is yuscht urn's fressa!'
Hut so leit die schwetza immer,
Macha alles dreimohl schlimmer,
Muss sich watscha, muss sich hieta,
Schunscht duht's alia deivel bieta.
Gehn die schehra glitchie-wippa,
Dehl am trenna, dehl am rippa,
Nimmond hut 'n wort tz' sawga,
Kent'n meis'l hera nawga,
Geht fun selwer — 'Ouch! tzum henker!'
Schtecht'n weschp die Mollie Schenker,
War dert in d' lumpa g'schtocka,
Im'a schtrump — so'n alter socka,
Hen sie noh g'tzerrt s'waer evva
Net profitlich weschpa hehwa,
Hetscht sie biss'l bonna solla
Wie der Bensch an's Gied's hut wolla —
Mach sie doht! Sie schtecht dich widder!
'Deitschland! in der offa mit d'r!'
Hut sie dert in's feier g'schmissa,
Hut d' schortz noch schier ferrissa,
Hen noh besser schnaufa kenna;
Duht elms ovver weschpa nenna
Duhn sie schun gons tzommafahra,
Gucka rum — wuh kennie wara;
Lacha noh un schmunsla drivver
Won die angscht un f'rcht ferivver.
"Week mit weschpa!" sawgt die Leisy,
"Week fum leib un wae'r'm weisie;
Ovver so gehts efters evva —
S'muss doch biss'l lehwa gevva,
Quakermeeting woll m'r kennie."
"Neh, g'wiss net," sawgt die Jennier
"Hen g'nunk d'heem tz' brutza,
Triebsal blohsa, rotz t' butza;
S'maul tz' henka, s'ehlend klawga
Hengt m'r besser an d' schtawga,
Brauchs'm township net fermochar
Hut g'nunk os huschta, lacha,
Kumma mit paar Hiobsdroppa,
Duhn em uff die axel kloppa,
Guta freind — doch hinner'm buck'I
Is's yuscht so'n daumagsuck'l."
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Finkel, Finkel, klehne Schtern,
Wolt ich wisse, O, so gem,
Wass du Funke maeschte sei,
Juscht wie 'n Daemond in de Skei.
Wann die Sunn als nunner sinkt,
Un die Nacht der Dau haer bringt,
Weiss mer noh dei klehnes Licht,
Finkel, Finkel, mer in's G'sicht.
Vun deim dunkle Himmels Ort,
Seest du mich bal immerfort,
Dorch mei Fenschter in de Nacht,
Dis die Sunn dich weiche macht.
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
183
Schpote Trav'lers uf ihr Reise,
Bitte dich der Weg zu weisse,
Wees net wass du bischt, so fern —
Finkel, finkel, doch du Schtern.
Little Drops of Water
Klehne Droppe Wasser,
Klehne Kernne Sand,
Mache der mechtig Sae,
Un des herrlich Land.
Maenutte, juscht so kleh,
Sie werre net bei Leit
Beacht, doch mache sie
Die lange Ewigkeit.
Unser klehn' mistritte,
Sie feere uns aweck
Vum graate, saefe Weg
Dief in den Sinden Dreck.
Unser milde Dahte,
Die Lieb in unser Werte,
Mache schun 'n Himmel do
Uf derre scheene Erde.
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Die Mary hot en Lamm gehatt,
Mit Woll so weiss wie Schnee;
Un's Lamm war reddie immerfort,
Mit rum spaziere geh.
Es war eh Dag mit in de Schul, —
Un kaepert uf em Floor;
Der Maeschter sagt: " 'Sis geg' de Ruhl,"
Un feert es naus am Ohr.
Sie hen all g'lacht iwers kleh Schoff, —
So'n G'spass war ken defore.
Un's hot getrei gewart im Hoff,
Bis dann die Schul aus war.
Noh kummt's Lamm hie mit schneller Gang
In d' Mary ihre Aerm.
Un scheint zu sage; "Ich net bang,
Du halst mich jo vun Haerm."
"Wass macht des Lamm die Mary liewe?"
War, g'frogt der Maeschter, glei;
Er sagt; "Die Mary duht browere
Zum Lamm recht gut zu sei."
Translation by H. M., Rebersburg, Pa.
Rindfleiseh
When beef goes so high and it's up in the
sky,
Und da ist gar nichts zu thun
Kartoffel salad is not very bad,
When der cow jumps over der moon.
Wir essen und beiszen die feineste speisen
Als immer wir haben der Preis;
Wir alle gesund mt den Arbeiter bund
Und wir leben so gut und so nice.
Mit limburger cheese; it's go as you please,
Pumpernickel is not very dear;
Wir haben so viel and we're not going to
squeal
Mit das Kraut and das gut lagerbier.
GEORGE A. WILLIAMS, M. D.,
Bay City, Mich.
Mary's Lamm
Goethe von Berks.
Die Mary hot en Lammel ghat,
Sei Woll war weiss wie Schnee,
Un wu die Mary hi' gange is,
Des Lamm war schur zu geh.
Es ist emol mit noch der Schul,
Sei Kepers dort zu mache,
Noh hen die Kinner in der Schul.
A' gfange laut zu lache.
Die Meeschtern hot sich noh verzernt,
Un hot ihr Stecke krikt
Un hot die Dier weit uf gemacht
Un hot's Lamm naus gekickt.
Sie hot zu ihre Schiler gsaat:
"Un ihr verbrecht mei Ruhl,
Ich hab schun zu viel junge Schof
In meiner kleene Schul."
Des Lamm is noh urn's Haus rum gsprunge,
Hot sich im Gras verweilt.
Die Mary hot im Schulhaus ghockt
Un hot en paar Stun gheilt.
Noh wie die Schul ausgange war,
Is sie grad uf un fart
Un hot ihr Lamm mit heem genumme
Un hot noch sel'm eigsperrt.
Sie hot's gut gfietert alle Dag,
Sei Trog war alfart voll;
Es is noh starrik ufgewachse
Mit scheener, weiser Woll.
Die Mary hot ihr Scheer noh g'sucht —
Sie hot sie als verlore —
Us hot des Lamm uf Riegel gschnallt
Un hot sei Woll abgschore.
Sie hot noh gschafft an ihre Woll,
En Woch schier Dag un Nacht,
Un hot sich vun der schenschte Woll
En neier Frack gemacht.
Un wie der Frack recht fertig war,
Hot sie sich Nodle krigt,
Un mit der Woll, wu iwrig war,
Hot sie sich Strimplen gstrickt.
Wie's Lamm noch jung war, war's so schee
Wie'n schener Blumestock,
Wie's awer ufgewachse war,
Noh war's en wieschter Bock.
Die Mary hot inn noh verkaaft
Zum alte Butscher Kamm;
Der hot ihn gschlacht un des, ihr Leit,
War's letscht vun Mary's Lamm.
184
n
REVIEWS AND NOTES
By Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N. J.
The Century Company, New York, has
among its spring announcements "When
Half Gods Go" by Helen R. Martin, author
of "The Crossways".
Miss Katherine Riegel Loose ("Georg
Schock") author of "Hearts Contending",
spent the winter at her home in Reading,
Pa. She is at work on a novel in which she
will make use of familiar scenes around her.
The Mercantile Library of Philadelphia
has barred Reginald Wright Kauffman's
latest book, "The House of Bondage", from
its shelves. In consequence of this the
author of the book wrote to the Library as
follows: "I am told that your politicians call
Philadelphia 'The Cradle of Liberty'; I as-
sume that this is because, in Philadelphia,
Liberty has never developed beyond its
infancy." This seems but a fitting rebuke
to the prudery and assumed modesty that
would keep the lid on the pit of social cor-
ruption.
GERMAN STYLE— By Ludwig Lewisohn, A.
M., Instructor in the University of Wis-
consin. Cloth; 215 pp. 16 mo. 75c.
Henry Holt & Company, New York, 1910.
This is a collection of extracts, or speci-
mens, from some of the masters of German
prose; they are chosen for their literary
excellence.
The writer of this book works in a fair
and large field or virgin soil; for German
prose, as far as its formal beauty is con-
cerned, has scarcely been touched in a
technical manner. For, as the writer says,
many German writers on style desert the
treatment of form for that of substance, and
even standard histories of German litera-
ture say very little on the subject. The
book is a study of the formal beauty of
German prose; and it is not a treatise on
its historical development.
Formal German prose as a conscious art-
form is only a century and a half old; it is
thus antedated by English prose by a cen-
tury.
The writer's method of procedure and
treatment is rather new; it seems, neverthe-
less, reasonable and acceptable. He subjects
the prose of the several writers to the
principle of structure; and orderly building
of paragraph and division of thought; to the
principle of diction; the filling up of choice
words discriminately selected for their sig-
nificance and beauty; and lastly to rhythm;
the harmonious arrangement of the diction.
In this manner he takes up the prose style
of Luther, Lessing, Goethe, Heine, and
Nietzsche. Inasmuch as the book has to
do with the prose style of only some of the
German writers, one is not permitted to
make any remarks about the omission of
some conspicious writers.
The book is scholarly and highly analyti-
cal ; it is a serviceable work on the
technique of German prose. It is adapted
only for advanced study.
DEUTSCHE GEDICHTE— With Notes and
Introduction by Camillo Von Klenze,
Ph. D., Professor of German in Brown
University. Second edition; revised.
Cloth; illustrated 332 pp. Henry Holt
& Company, New York, 1911.
Here is a second and revised edition of a
favorite collection of German poems. It first
appeared in 1894. It contains the most
characteristic German literary ballads and
lyrics since the beginning of the classical
period. The editor has wisely omitted speci-
mens of popular poetry (Volkslieder), as
there are a number of such collections, but
he has included some typical German stu-
dent songs. A few new poems have been
added from such noted writers as Hebble,
Storm and others; and several poems of
the first editions have been omitted. The
book does not include the lyrical expression
of the last two decades; this leaves the
field open for the editing of recent lyrical
poetry for use in colleges.
The introduction gives a scholarly and
comprehensive view of German literary his-
tory of the period from which the selections
have been taken.
The concise biographical notices and
critical estimates of the writers concerned
form an admirable feature of the notes.
The notes, furthermore, clear up a number
of linguistic difficulties, and questions re-
garding literary and historical interest.
The editor has grouped the authors in a
way to show the evolution of Germany's
literary life for the last two centuries. An
effort has been made to arrange a writer's
poems so as to reflect the growth of his
literary personality.
Taste differs, and the old maxim says
there is no disputing about it. A poem
that appeals to one person will not appeal
to another person; and so there is no use in
saying that this or that poem should have
been included or omitted. The selections
REVIEWS AND NOTES
185
in this book should meet with the approval
of all lovers of German poetry.
HANDBOOK OF GERMAN IDIOMS— By M.
B. Lambert, Author of "Alltagliches";
Richmond Hill High School, New York
City. Cloth; 100 pp. 40c. Henry Holt
& Company, New York. 1910.
These two thousand of the commoner
idioms and phrases have been compiled
from the Muret-Sanders "Encyklopadisches
Worterbuch", from the Flugel-Schmidt-
Tanger "Worterbuch der Englischen und
Deutschen Sprache", and from Hetzel's "Wie
der Deutsche spricht".
Some of the idioms have more than one
English meaning, but only one is given;
for it is natural that the connotation
should differ as the purpose differs for
which the idiom is used. The book contains
very few proverbs and "stock" expressions;
these have been wisely eliminated, for the
book aims to afford the pupil exercises in
practical conversation, and these proverbial
expressions would hardly tend to do that.
As a means of ready reference, presum-
ably, the idioms have been arranged alpha-
betically according to some key word which
is printed in black-faced type.
The book seems to be another evidence
, of the fact that the trend both in English
and German is more and more away from
the letter and the word and more towards
the sentence as the unit of expression. It
is a workable book; the numerous exercises
at the end make it available for frequent
class drill in composition and conversation.
CALEB ATWATER. THE HISTORIC COL-
LEGE OF THE NORTHWEST.
For two brochures, bearing these titles
and reprinted from the "Ohio Archaeologi-
cal and Historical Quarterly" we are in-
debted to Clement L. Martzolff, Alumni Sec-
retary, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio. Caleb
Atwater was Ohio's first historian, .but had
he never written his History of Ohio his
efforts to provide an educational system
for the state and the record he made in
Archaeology might in themselves be suf-
ficient reason for placing his name in
"Ohio's Hall of Fame". He was a "versatile,
peculiar, eccentric and visionary individual"
....a minister, lawyer, educator, legislator,
author and antiquarian". "Yet when he
died the local paper barely mentioned the
event."
"The Historic College of the Northwest"
gives an interesting account of the rise and
growth of Ohio University, situated at the
little city "which according to Theodore
Roosevelt 'with queer poverty of imagina-
tion and fatuous absence of humor has been
given the name of Athens'." This historic
old school has had an interesting and
checkered career and rejoices in a splendid
list of Alumni, a flourishing present and a
promising future.
Our esteemed friend William Riddle, of
Lancaster, Pa., has issued Cherished Memo-
ries of Old Lancaster — Town and Shire, a
book that has well earned the many flatter-
ing reviews it has received. We quote the
following from the "Lancaster Intelli-
gencer":
There is so much of interest to quote that
the temptation must, in fairness to the book,
be resisted. The volume is, in fact, a mine
of the sort that great historians long for
when seeking to reproduce for us the spirit
and life of an era; but it gives us the daily
life and spirit of our own times not long
gone, and it leads us, by pleasant and dis-
cursive ways, to that point of vantage held
by a man who is old enough to remember
quaint folk and who is not yet too old to
appreciate the men and things of today. Mr.
Riddle has supplied a valuable and enter-
taining contribution to local history.
The author informs us that he has only a
few copies left. (Price $1.50.)
The book is very fascinating, weaving
fact and fancy so closely together that one
is perplexed at times because he can not
tell the one from the other. Personally we
prefer to be saved the sifting process.
Acknowledgment — Books Received
Burning of Chambersburg, (1879), a poem
of 300 lines writtes by Samuel R. Fisher,
D. D., who was a citizen of the place for a
period of twenty-five years prior to the
burning of the place and was an eye witness
of the scenes.
Proceedings of The Pennsylvania-German
Society, Vol. XIX.
A Drama of Ambition and Other Pieces
of Verse. Benjamin F. Meyers (1901), a
limited edition "published for distribution
among the relatives and friends of the
author". The contents of the volume merit
a much wider circulation. We shall quote
from the volume in a later magazine.
Report of the Superintendent of Public
Instruction of Pennsylvania 1910.
186
n —
HISTORICAL NOTES AND NEWS
d:
The German-American Historical Society of
Illinois
held its Twelfth Annual Meeting, Monday,
Feb. 13, 1911, on which occasion Prof. Dr.
Julius Goebel, of the University of Illinois,
gave the address on "The German Origin of
the American Liberty Sentiment".
Historical Society of Montgomery County
The annual meeting of the Historical
Society of Montgomery County, Pa., was
held in the Society's rooms, Penn street,
opposite Court House, Norristown, Pa., on
Wednesday, February 22, at 2 p. m.
The business included reports of officers
and standing committees, and the election
of officers for the ensuing year.
Program: "The Influence of History on
Patriotism," Rev. Charles H. Rorer, D. D. ;
paper, "Since Hancock's Death," Mr. Edward
L. Hocker. Testimonial to General W. W.
H. Davis by Mr. S. Gordon Smythe.
Lancaster County Historical Society
The following are the officers of this
society for the present year: Pres., George
Steinman; Vice President, F. R. Diffenderf-
fer, Litt. D.; W. U. Hensel, Esq.; Record-
ing Secretary, Charles B. Hollinger; Cor-
responding Secretary, Miss Martha B.
Clark; Treasurer, A. K. Hostetter; Libra-
rian, Charles T. Steigerwalt; Executive
Committee, D. F. Magee, Esq., G. F. K. Eris-
man, D. B. Landis, H. Frank Eshleman,
Esq., Mrs. Sarah B. Carpenter, Monroe B.
Hirsh, Miss Lottie M. Bailsman, John L.
Summy, L. B. Herr, Mrs. Mary N. Robinson.
Hamilton Library Association
This Association has issued in pamphlet
form the Annual Report of its President for
the year ending Dec. 31, 1910, containing
an excellent "cut" of the president and 6
pages of print. The report breathes a hope-
ful air. One of the most interesting items
tells of the bequest of $2500 by Charles
Lyte Lamberton of New York City, a de-
scendant of one of the old and prominent
families of Carlisle, the income from which
is to be paid in prizes to the two pupils of
the pubic schools for the best essays upon
the early local history of the Cumberland
Valley and its people. Such prizes must
prove a great stimulus to the pupils of the
public schools to study the history of their
county.
Northampton County Historical Society
At the annual meeting of this society,
Jan. 1911, the following officers were elected
for the ensuing year: President, Dr. Charles
Mclntire; Vice Presidents, Dr. B. Rush
Field and Dr. G. T. Fox, of Bath; Secretary,
David M. Bachman; Treasurer, V. H. Ever-
hart; Librarian, H. F. Marx; Executive
Committee, Charles Stewart, J. V. Bull, F.
S. Bixler, Prof. J. F. L. Raschen, W. J.
Heller and Dr. J. C. Clyde.
W. J. Heller made the following statement:
"On Thursday, April 18, 1861, there was
gathered on South Third street, from the
Square to the Lehigh bridge, the largest
concourse of people ever assembled on that
thoroughfare before or since. This vast
multitude here congregated, consisted not
only of our own enthusiastic citizens, but
of those of the regions 'round-about and
many thousands also lined the hillsides to
witness the departure, southward, under the
noon-day sun of that memorable day, North-
ampton County's First Defenders.
"President Lincoln's call for volunteers
was received and read at a public meeting
in the court house on Monday evening, April
15. Recruiting began on Tuesday, the 16th;
two companies went forward Thursday, the
18th, two more Saturday, the 20th, and one
departed the following Monday, the 22nd.
It is particularly gratifying to note that the
quick response of these five companies
enabled them to reach Harrisburg in time
to be incorporated in the First Regiment of
Pennsylvania Volunteers. They are re-
corded as companies B, C, D, H and G, a
total of 390 men, out of which there is liv-
ing today less than 50.
"Tuesday, April 18th, next, will mark the
lapse of a half century since that famous
exodus began. It is entirely proper for us,
as a historical society, to emphasize the
importance of a public recognition of that
event. I would therefore make a motion
that our secretary communicate with the
Easton Board of Trade requesting a fitting
observance of this fiftieth anniversary."
This suggestion was adopted.
Dr. Charles Mclntire then read a most in-
teresting paper upon "A Century of Presby-
terianism in Easton".
The Historical Society of Schuylkill County
The Society has had a prosperous year;
its membership has increased to nearly two
hundred, but a few faithful members died
within the year. The library is slowly in-
creasing, among the most important addi-
HISTORICAL NOTES AND NEWS
187
tions was a full set of The Pennsylvania
Magazine of History.
Owing to a lock-out in the local printing
offices the Society issued only one publica-
tion, thus completing its second volume.
The principal articles were:
The History of the Henry Clay Monument,
by Miss Ermina Elssler.
Reminiscences of Schuylkill Haven in the
Civil War, by Mr. Isaac Paxson.
Address delivered at the Sesqui-Centen-
nial of the Red Church, by the Hon. D. C.
Henning.
Schuylkill Chronicles for 1827-1828, Col-
lected from the "Berks at Schuylkill Jour-
nal", by Dr. H. J. Herbein.
The Schuylkill Navigation, by Edwin F.
Smith, General Manager.
The Center Turnpike Road, by Dr. J. J.
John.
A separate volume, which is now in press,
is to be composed of "The Blue Mountain
Tales", with in some years ago by the late
Judge D. C. Henning.
At the annual meeting held Jan. 30, all
the officers were re-elected, excepting the
vice presidents: President, Wm. H. Newell,
Vice Presidents, Jos. F. Patterson, Mrs.
Louisa Hausa and Geo. W. Gensemer; Re-
cording Secretary, D. G. Lubold; Treasurer,
J. W. Fox; Librarian, Dr. H. J. Herbein;
Assistant Librarian, Claude G. Unger;
Trustees, Dr. H. J. Herbein, A. A. Hesser.
GENEALOGICAL NOTES AND QUERIES
Conducted by Mrs. M. N. Robinson. Contributions Solicited. Address, The Penna. German, Lititz, Pa.
QUERY NO. 8
Kloss Family Information Wanted
Johann Klass or Klose landed Philadel-
phia, Pa., Nov. 22, 1752, in the ship "Phonix"
from Roterdam and Cowes. He located
within two miles of Bethlehem, Pa., where,
in 1768, he had according to the township
tax list 362 acres of land. He had 9 chil-
dren as follows: "Phillip, Jacob, Michal,
Johannas, Jr., Valentine, Cathren, Elizabeth,
Annamaria, Christian." The writer desires
information about the descendants of Phil-
lip, Michal, Johannas, Jr., and Christian.
The name is spelled Klase, Kloss, Klose,
Glase. I want to gather all the information
I can for the next Family Reunion to be
held the second Wednesday of August, 1911,
at Rolling Green Park, Sunbury, Pa.
J. H. KLASE, Snydertown, Pa.
Sec. Klase Family Reunion.
QUERY NO. 9
Seiler Family Data
Dr. J. H. Seiler, Akron, Ohio, writes:
"I am trying to get track of my Great
Grandfather Seiler who came to this country
from Germany with his family and two
brothers, late in 1790 or about 1800. He
settled in Penna. and was a school teacher.
That is all we know of him. One of his
brothers settled in New England and the
other in the South."
Can any of our readers give information
respecting the family?
Hessian Soldiers
In a former issue of The Pennsylvania-
German a subscriber asked for names of,
and information about the Hessian soldiers.
After the war, those who remained in
Pennsylvania, as a rule, sought the hilly
sections of our eastern counties of the
State.
In the western part of Schuylkill County
settled, among others, the following Hes-
sians who reared families: Johannes
Schwalm, Conrad Dietz (1752-1812), Andraes
Schmeltz, Peter (?) Stein, Yund(en)
Johannes Stang (1761-1855). Tradition
states he was a mere lad when he came to
America, that he often spoke about the war
and New Jersey. All above named pioneers
are buried at Klinger's Church.
The lower end of the Mahantango Valley
embraced in lower Mahanoy Township.
Northumberland County was another settle-
ment of these worthy but much abused
pioneers. Among the numbere were:
Johannes Biagaman — who had sons Adam
and Nicholas, and they have a large de-
scendancy in Northumberland County,
many live about Dalmatia. They are known
even to this day as the "Hessians" — or the
"Black Hessians". The ancestor was of
dark complexion, and had a rather irritable
disposition of mind, and often was called
"Der base Johanny Hess". He was pros-
perous, and one of his grandsons who bore
his name was the largest real estate owner
and leading business man of Georgetown
(Dalmatia) a nice town along the east bank
of the Susquehanna river. Nicholas Bohner
(1754-1837) was another Hessian who-
188
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
founded a large family. Three of his de-
scendants are ministers of the Evangelical
Church, and the family are one of the most
prosperous and esteemed people in that
section of the county. They are most
numerous. The ancestor is buried at Zion's
Union Church in Stone Valley, where many
Hessian pioneers are buried, as well as of
their descendants. Among other Hessians
buried there are Kepners, Dockeys, Sess-
mans, Allemans, Ossmans, Bachmans, Hoff-
mans, Gessners.
The full names so far as I could obtain
and verify were as follows: Hepner,
John Adam Dockey, Johan Lessman, Jacob
Alleman, Ossman, George Hensyl
(Located in Little Mahanoy Township. A
great grandson is an Evangelical minister,
another a doctor located at Rebuck, Pa.).
Daniel Dornsife (His son Daniel located in
Little Mahanoy Township and had a brother
by name Henry who lived in Cameron
Township. They were known as the "Po-
tato Hess".)
In Snyder County, across the Susquehan-
na river from Dalmatia, in Northumberland
County, was another settlement of these
people. Among them were the Kreitzers,
Shatzbergers, and Wolfs.
In Earl Township, in Berks County, many
Hessian soldiers settled after the close of
the War for Independence. These were of
the number who were confined in Hessian
Camp, on Mount Penn, Reading. Among
the number were: Caspar Spohn (He would
become so angry when called "A Hess".
Tradition), Aumans, - — Boyer.
In Rockland Township George Gabel
settled. He too was a Hessian and had 9
children. His will is on record at Reading.
His family genealogy appears in Berks
County History.
In Alsace Township settled Christian
Schaffer, who was 15 years old when he
came to America, Bower, Godleib
Moyer, who had a son George, and others.
In the South Mountains in Berks and
Lancaster Counties was another settlement
of these people. It was there that Peter
Texter made his home, also Fredrick Moyer
and others.
Other Hessians in Berks County were:
Seidel, Althouse, Benver, Hoyer, Rissmiller,
Conrad Shepp m. Christina Close, Bergman,
Stertzer.
WILLIAM J. DIETRICH.
D
THE FORUM
The P-G Open Parliament, Question-Box and Clipping Bureau — Communications Invited
□:
:□
For Sale
Pa.-German Vols. I and II. Thos. S.
Stein, Annville, Pa.
MEANING OF NAMES
By Leonhard Felix Fuld, LL.M., Ph.D.
EDITORIAL NOTE.— Dr. Fuld has kindly
consented to give a brief account of the
derivation and meaning of the surname of
any reader who sends twenty-five cents to
the editor for that purpose.
68. MELL
The surname MELL is derived from MAL-
LET and was used derisively to mean a
head or a person. The mallet was a heavy
wooden hammer used by a carpenter anl the
name MELL was also a surname of occupa-
tion indicating a carpenter. The surname
was also written MALL. The Middle Eng-
lish was MALLE, the Old French MAUL,
the French MAIL, the Italian MAGLIO and
the Latin MALLEUS. The mallet was also
used as a war hammer and the name came
to indicate a good fighter.
From the French and the Spanish MIEL
the surname MELL was used for honey and
its maker and from the Old French verb
MELLER meaning to mix it meant some-
times one who meddles or quarrels.
The surname MELL was also sometimes
given to a man having many children or a
man of bad moral habits.
Where Was or Is Morea?
Charles Spaeth, 61 La Salle St., Chicago,
of the "German Society of Chicago", wishes
to know " if there ever was a town in
Pennsylvania by the name of Morea and
where it is or was located". Parties able
to give the desired information are re-
quested to write to Mr. Spaeth or answer
through the "Forum".
Reputation for Hospitality
A subscriber of Washington, D. C, in
sending in a new subscription says: Ich
habe gewohnt bei Hanover und da sagen sie
— 'Selle weg must du noch Honover ge'
THE FORUM
189
(York Co.) 'un hust du schon dei mittag
esse gehat?' 'Ne?' 'Dann hock dich zu tisch
anne un es.' Un die fra hot mer geve
Flasch, un Krumbere, Pai un Hokelberre
scrnitz un Wei und hot gesaad, 'es dich yust
sott.'
A Bare Old Book
Rev. A. M. Fretz, Souderton, Pa., owns a
book bound in heavy boards, covered with
leather, size 11 by 16 inches, printed at
Noriberge, Germany 1599 by Elias Hutteri
containing the Four Gospels and the Acts
of the Apostles in twelve languages ar-
ranged in parallel columns, named on the
title page: Siriace, Bbraice, Graece, Latine,
Germanice, Bohemice, Italice, Hispanice,
Gallice, Anglice, Danice, Polonice. Interested
parties can address him for additional in-
formation.
The "Good Old Times" in Massachusetts
We find interesting accounts of some
customs of Dunstable (Mass.) at that time.
Dancing at weddings was forbidden. In
1666 William Walker was imprisoned a
month "for courting a maid without the
leave of her parents". In 1675 "there is
manifest pride appearing in our streets" and
also "superstitious ribbands used to tie up
and decorate the hair". These things were
forbidden under severe penalites ; the men
were forbidden "to keep Christmas" because
it was a "Popish custom". — Annals of Iowa,
1610, p. 501.
Death of Rev. William Henry Rice
Rev. William Henry Rice died suddenly
January 11, 1911, at South Bethlehem, Pa..
aged 70 years. During a 50 years' ministry
he served as pastor of Moravian congrega-
tions, New Haven, Conn.; York, Pa.; Brook-
lyn, N. Y. ; Philadelphia, Pa.; New York
City, New Dorp, N. Y. ; Gnadenhiitten, Ohio,
and South Bethlehem, Pa. He was a very
prominent members of the Moravian Church,
senior minister in active service, a devoted
son of the church, proud of its history, loyal
to its spirit and cardinal principles and un-
tiring in its service.
Records of Groundhog's Veracity
William Gehman, one of our subscribers,
of Macungie, has given the groundhog's
veracity as a reliable weather prognostica-
tor a severe blow.
Since 1864 Mr. Gehman has kept a diary
in which he noted carefully each year what
the weather was for the six weeks following-
each annual Candlemas or the day on which
the groundhog either returns to his burrow
or remains outside to frisk and bask in the
sunshine.
Since 1864 the groundhog has made good
about once every ten years. The average
is entirely too low, and to regain former
status and re-establish a record of credulity
the ground hog will have to do much better.
Hatred of Hessians
When the captured Hessians of the Revo-
lution were paroled many of them decided
to stay in the new country and a number
found their way into the Cumberland Val-
ley. In this out-of-the-way valley several
made their new homes. Hessian was a term
of much opprobrium for more than a cen-
tury after the revolution, and the descen-
dants of Hessians were looked on with
suspicion if nothing more. But that feeling
is passing and their descendants are good,
trusty American citizens. — Papers Read be-
fore the Kittochtinny Historical Society,
Vol. VI, 170.
A Gaelic Dictionary
Mr. Edward Dwelly (Ewen Macdonald) of
London, England, after many years of con-
tinuous application will soon isseu the first
complete Gaelic Dictionary, containng 80,000
Gaelic words. He has compiled the words,
set the type, prepared the illustrations,
stereotyped the matter, raised the funds and
performed practically all the work single-
handed. At seventeen he did not know a
word of Gaelic. Twelve years have been
spent on the printing alone. Would that we
had a score of enthusiasts to take up and
work out phases of the history of the Ger-
mans in America!
A IVew Departure in a Branch of the Men-
nonite Church
On Sunday, January 15, 1911, Miss Annie
J. Allebach was ordained to the Gospel min-
istry in the First Mennonite Church of
Philadelphia, Pa., the first occasion of the
kind in the history of this denomination.
Born in Greenlane, Pa., Miss Allebach
studied at Ursinus College, taught in public
schools, took a course in Elocution and
Oratory in Philadelphia, taught at Perkio-
men Seminary and at Darlington Seminary,
became Principal of the East Orange Col-
legiate and began to study at Columbia and
New York Universities taking up the sub-
ject of Pedagogy and Philosophy.
She has been engaged as a church worker
in one of the chapels of Trinity Parish in
New Tork City where she established an
extensive employment bureau, a sten-
ography class, a clothes bureau, a large
Kindergarden, Mother's Society, a church
Monthly, and was assistan treasurer of the
church and taught a large young Men's
Bible Class.
190
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Miss Allebach holds the degree of B. E.,
M. E., A. B., and is studying for the Master's
and Doctor's degree in Pedagogy. She has
lectured on "The Speech Arts in Education"
and is President of the New York University
Philosophical Society and Vice President of
the 23rd Assembly District Club of Woman's
Suffrage in New York City. Her thesis "My
Life's Philosophy" is held to be a good
working Christian Philosophy of life.
is a stream of the Cumberland Valley one,
hundred and eight miles in length flowing
into the Susquehanna). — Papers Read be-
fore the Kittochtinny Historical Society,
Vol. VI, p. 171.
Ten Generations: Who Can Beat This?
My dear Brother H. W. Kriebel:
By the way that was an interesting sketch
in the P.-G. of the Supplees in the Feb.
number. It gave I believe nine genera-
tions. You ask who can give ten genera-
tions. Well, I can do even one better. In
my own family I can give you eleven gen-
erations in straight goods as follows:
Rosier Levering born about 1600 whose
two sons Gerhard and Wichard came to
Germantown in 1685 leaving nineteen brotr-
ers in Germany, so tradition tells us. So
here is brief of sketch:
I Rosier Levering born about 1600.
II. Wichard Levering born 1648.
III. Catharine Levering, born 1673. Mar-
ried Henry Frey 1692.
IV. William Frey born 1693.
V. Elizabeth Frey born 1734. Married
Abraham Grubb son of Pioneer
Henry Grubb who emigrated to
America in 1717.
VI. David Grubb born 1768.
VII. Jacob Grubb born 1793.
VIII. Silas Grubb born 1819.
IX. N. B. Grubb born 1850.
X. Silas M. Grubb born 1873.
XL Robert Rothe Grubb born 1900.
N. B. GRUBB.
Industries of the Past
There have been ninety-one industries on
the Conodogwinet and its tributaries making
use of their various water powers. Of these,
twenty-one were grist mills, twenty-nine
saw mills, four chopping mills, four oil
mills, five fulling mills, two forges, two fur-
naces, one lath mill, one stave mill, two
axe factories, four clover mills, one carding
mill, four stills, two sumac mills five distil-
leries, one cider mill, one buckwheat mill,
one overall factory. Of these the Conodog-
winet had eight grist mills, two chopping
mills, seventeen saw mills, two oil mills,
three fulling mills, one forge furnace, one
lath mill, one stave mill, one axe factory,
one overall factory, one distillery, one still,
one cider mill, one buckwheat mill, three
clover mills, two sumac mills; in all forty-
seven. Of these industries run by water
power four grist mills, five saw mills, one
cider mill, one buckwheat mill, one chop-
ping mill and one overall factory, thirteen,
continue in operation. (The Conodogwinet
The Remarkable Reeord of Pennsylvania
College
The President of Pennsylvania College at
Gettysburg, the oldest Lutheran college in
America, has issued a call for a $300,000 ad-
ditional endowment in which he gives the
following account of the careers of former
students of the college. He says about the
list: "What an amazing record * * * From
top to bottom the list is a most remarkable
one, and no institution known to me can
show an alumni record that equals this
along lines of the highest type of leader-
ship."
Ministers 655
Presidents of Theological Seminaries.... 10
Professors in Theological Seminaries... 26
Presidents of General Synod 13
Presidents of General Coumcil 2
Bishops of the Episcopal Church 1
Secretaries of General Mission Boards. . 9
Internatonal Secretary of Y. M. C. A. . . 1
State Secretary of Y. M. C. A 3
College Presidents 32
College Professors 107
Heads of Departments in Universities... 4
Provost of University of Pennsylvania. . . 1
Vice-Provost of University of Pennsyl-
vania 2
Lawyers 196
Justices of the State Supreme Courts... 2
Chief Justice Supreme Court of District
of Columbia 1
Judges of District Court 14
Physicians 112
Journalists 87
Editors of Papers or Journals 43
State Governors 1
Members of Congress 9
State Senators 10
Members of State Legislatures 29
Bank Presidents 7
Other Bank Officials 48
Railroad Presidents 2
Death of Mrs. Sarah Dechert Young-
Mrs. Sarah Dechert Young, widow of Ed-
mond Stafford Young, one of the oldest
members of the Daughters of the American
Revolution, died January 9 in Dayton, Ohio,
aged 86 years.
Mrs. Young's maiden name was Sarah B.
Dechert, and she was the daughter of Elijah
Dechert, a leading lawyer of Reading, Pa.,
who was a son of Captain Peter Dechert, an
officer in the Revolutionary War. Mrs.
Young's mother, Mary Porter Dechert was
a daughter of Judge Robert Porter, also of
Reading, Pa., who sat for more than twenty
THE FORUM
191
years on the bench in that city. The
Porter family descended from Robert Por-
ter, a native of Ireland, who emigrated to
Londonderry, New Hampshire, and after-
ward removed to Montgomery Co., Pa. The
most prominent and successful son of Ro-
bert Porter was General Andrew Porter, the
great-great-grandfather of Mrs. Young. He
was a prominent Revolutionary officer, and
a close personal friend and associate of
Washington, and after the close of the war
was commissioned major-general of militia
of Pennsylvania. Later he was tendered the
position of secretary of war by President
Madison but declined the honor. Both
General Andrew Porter and his son, Judge
Robert Porter, were members of the order
of the Cincinnati, an honor which has
passed to their descendants. Mrs. Young's
uncle, David R. Porter, was at one time
governor of Pennsylvania, and another
uncle, George B. Porter, was governor of
Michigan. General Horace Porter, recent-
ly minister to France, was a cousin to Mrs.
Young, and Henry M. Dechert, the promi-
nent lawyer, of Philadelphia, Pa., was a
brother. George R. and William H. Young,
sons, of Dayton, Ohio, are the only surviv-
ing members of her immediate family.
Unusual Records of a Justice and Constable
During his two terms, a period of almost
ten years, 'Squire Bartenschlager, of Dallas-
town, Pa., has not had a suit from his
hands to pass before the grand jury and
hundreds of cases have been disposed of.
Mr. Jackson, his constable, has yet to have
a bill of costs taxed by the county solicitor
and approved by the county commissioners
though an officer for almost three years.
The only money received by the constable
from the county was for his quarterly re-
turn to the court, which must be made.
Squire Bartenschlager and his constable
believe in the settlement of all cases in an
amicable manner and the saving to the
parties interested, as well as the county and
taxpayers, considerable expense which law-
suits invariably entail. At the same time
they endeavor to shield the parties from
humiliation and disgrace where it is pos-
sible. While this procedure has been disad-
vantageous to both financially, they look at
it from a humanitarian standpoint and are
satisfied with being able to keep many
homes intact and persuade the majority to
lead a better life.
"When persons come to me with a com-
plaint," said Squire Bartenschlager to The
Gazette, "and desire to enter suit against
some one else, I secure the facts as near as
possible. If the matter is trivial I try to
dissuade them. If not successful, I tell
them to come back at a certain time and I
will have the other party present. I serve
no warrant, but make it plain to the ac-
cused that they must be here at the proper
time or I'll send for them. I then explain
what a suit means — cost of a warrant, serv-
ing same, fees of lawyers, witness fees,
court costs, etc., and ask them if they have
that much money to throw away. It opens
their eyes and an amicable settlement
generally results. Of course there are some
who will not heed my advice and they go
elsewhere to their sorrow as they have
afterwards told me." — Gazette, York, Pa.
"P.-G." English "As She Is Spoke"
Editor Pennsylvania German :
Dear Sir: Answering "Query No. 7"
under "Genealogical Notes" in your Febru-
ary number, I would say that Mr. Taylor,
(Schneider) when he spoke of his shoats
and said, "I pulled up these walkers on
playwater," meant to say, I raised these
shoats on dishwater. He translated ver-
batim from the German, "aufgezogen", "la'
fer" and "Spiel-Wasser."
In his mother tongue he would have said,
"Ich hab diese la'fer 'ufgezoge 'uf Spiel-
wasser." — I have a few almost as good. A
certain boy in Lebanon County in answer
to an inquiry as to the condition of his sick
sister, said, "She is not yed better; she still
breaks herself!" He meant to say, "She is
on better, she still vomits." Here is
another: In ordering her young son not to
climb up a dangerous place a mother called
out to him: "Cheremiah, if you craddle up
dere again I'll take de bakin-sheider and I'll
beat you swartz and blee!" What did she
mean?
E. GRUMBINE.
Mt. Zion, Pa.
192
(Founded by Rev. Dr. P. C. Croll, 1900.)
H. W. KRIEBEL, Editor and Publisher
THE EXPRESS PRINTING COMPANY, Printers
LITITZ, PENNA.
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Advisory Editorial Board : — I. H. Betz, M. D, York, Pa. : Lucy Forney Bittinger, Sewickley,
Pa. : A. Y. Casanova, Washington, D. C. ; Rev. P. C. Croll, D. D., Beardstown, 111. ; Prof.
G. T. Ettinger, Allentown, Pa.; Prof. Oscar Kuhns, Middletown, Conn.; Daniel Miller,
Reading, Pa.; Gen. John E. Roller, Harrisonburg, Va. ; Prof. L. S. Shimmel, Harrisburg,
Pa. ; Rev. A. C. Wuchter, Paulding, Ohio.
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the year given— "12— 10"signifying December, 1910
PENNSYLVANIA
W H Miller — 12 — 11
D P Witmver — 12 — 11
H N Wolf — 12 — 11
J H Behler — 12 — 11/
W J Punk — 12 — 11
D G Lubold — 12 — 11
Schl'k'l Co Hist Soc — 12 — 1
I S Huber — 2 — 10
J G Dubbs— 12— 11
Milton Wolf— 12— 11
A B Bechtel — 12 — 11
P H Knabb — 12 — 11
A P Lee — 12 — 11
H S Gottschall — 12 — 11
D W Miller — 1 — 12
T C Atherholt — 12 — 11
Mrs Sarah Kistler — 12 — 11
James M Landis — 12 — 11
A F Spangler — 12 — 11
C W Shive — 12 — 11
B F Mevers — 12 — 11
T S Stein — 12 — 11
Morgan Hartman — 12 — 11
J L Lemberger — 12 — 11
Converse Cleaves — 12 — 11
J W Rothenberger — 12 — 11
C M Christman — 4 — 12
R D Wenrich — 2 — 12
H F Lutz — 6 — 12
W C Hever — 12 — 11
J T Krum — 9 — 11
W U Hensel — 12 — 11
W T Rummers — 12 — 11
Mont Co Hist Soc — 12 — 11
A B Schelbv — 12 — 11
J A Zehner — 12 — 11
Daniel S. Schultz— 12— 11
J G Romich — 12—11
C M Brownmiller — 12 — 11
W H Kern— 12— 11
A J Kern — 12 — 11
M H Walters— 12 — 11
Sallie Faust — 3 — 11
S P Light — 12 — 11
J M Grimlev — 12 — 11
G W Shoemaker — 12 — 11
E H Smoll — 2 — 12
Henry Houck — 12 — 11
M L Weidman — 12 — 11
W F H Wentzel — 12 — 11
A O Gehman — 12 — 11
J W Kennel — 12 — 11
Mary E Kriebel — 12 — 11
Dimner Becker — 12 — 11
A H Fetterolf — 12 — 11
Harry C Trexler — 12 — 11
Granville Henry — 12 — 11
A S Schropp — 1 — 12
W G Murdook — 12 — 11
Mrs C N Saeger — 12 — 11
Annie E Leisenring — 12 — 11
H C Snavely — 12 — 11
Josephus Gerhard — 12 — 11
Emma Line — 3 — 12
W M Benner — 6 — 11
J H Longeneeker — 12 — 11
. ranios Miller — 12 — 11
Hamilton Lib Assn — 12 — 11
Chas Heber Clark — 2 — 12
J A Singmaster — 12 — 11
A J Gavman — 12 — 11
M Stipp — 12 — 11
A N Brensinger — 12 — 11
J C Bechtel — 12 — 11
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C J Custer — 12 — 11
W D Weikel — 12 — 11
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Edgar F Smith — 12 — 11
J M Swank — 12 — 11
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CONNECTICUT
E C Quiggle — 6—11
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NEW YORK
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MARYLAND
A F Hershey — 12 — 11
ILLINOIS
Charles Spaeth — 12 — 11
OHIO
Floride Kistler Sprague —
S B Stupp — 12 — 11
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CALIF
Robert Morgeneier-
12 — 11
-12 — 11
DIST OF COLUMBIA
C H Wertman — 12 — 11
GERMANY
E E S Johnson — 4 — 12
C D Hartranft — 4 — 12
To March 1, 1911.
Vol. XII
APRIL, 1911
No. 4
A Study of a Rural Community
By Charles William Super, Ph. D., LL. D. Athens, Ohio
(concluded from March issue)
a fii
XXV.
HAVE already stated that
most of these people were
profoundly religious with-
out intending to say that
ii II 11 1 they were Christians, but
Mffe/ only that they had an
S II ever-present sense of a su-
pernatural power that pre-
sides over the destinies of men. No mat-
ter how profane a man might be he
would not use an oath in the presence of
death or a thunderstorm. Most of the
younger generation felt the need of con-
version and admitted its reality even
when they hesitated "to go forward." I
have often pondered the peculiar state
of mind and heart that was so much in
evidence in matters of religion. Gener-
ally the German is rather phlegmatic ; in
fact he has the reputation of being more
so than he is. Nevertheless these Teu-
tons of the third and fourth generations
were frequently surprisingly emotional.
Often during "protracted" meetings, and
not infrequently during the regular ser-
vices they gave vent to their feelings, not
only in words but in actions. These dem-
onstrations were not confined to the
younger folks ; in fact they were as a
rule less impulsive and less demonstra-
tive than those in middle life and be-
yond. I recall a few men who never at-
tended a prayer-meeting or a preaching
service without being taken possession
of by the "spirit" to such an extent that
they shouted and made more or less vio-
lent physical exhibitions. These secta-
ries stoutly maintained that a man can
not be saved by good works without the
internal witness of the spirit. A merely
moral man was held by them to be in
greater danger of damnation than one
who was merely unconverted, because
the moralist was so self-righteous that
the spirit of God could not or would not
enter his heart. On the other hand, the
wicked man might repent and obtain
forgiveness any time before the breath
of life had left his body. Postponement
was nevertheless dangerous. Many
"hurch members regarded such a belief
as the crassest foolishness, although they
did not deny the efficacy of the ordi-
nances of the church. What rationalists
thought is well enough known. I have
often said one could tell from the coun-
tenances of the auditors under the au-
spices of what denomination a religious
service was being held. The older ones
that originated in Germany seemed to
impress upon the countenance a look of
indifference; nor did they hesitate to
talk about secular matters while the ser-
vices were not actually in progress. One
was tempted to believe that to them re-
194
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
ligion meant what it meant to the an-
cient Romans : certain rites to be per-
formed at stated intervals and on par-
ticular occasions in a well established
manner, but not something that need ex-
ercise any influence on the daily life of
the votary. Those that professed the
Presbyterian creed kept solemn faces,
and on the Sabbath day devoted them-
selves to religious affairs and medita-
tions exclusively whether at church ser-
vices or at home. Apropos of this os-
tensible attitude of mind an acquaint-
ance of mine once told me that a neigh-
bor of his recalled to him a Scotchman
who met another riding a fine horse. Ob-
serving this he remarked that if it were
not the Sabbath day he would felicitate
him on his purchase and ask him how
much he had paid for the beast. The re-
play was that if it were not the Sabbath
he would answer twenty pounds. And
so with proviso after proviso the con-
versation went on until one man had
asked and the other answered all the
questions that came to the fore. He
quoted also the following doggerel the
origin of which I do not know although
it sounds Hudibrastic:
"From Roxbury came I, a profane one,
And there I saw a Puritane one
A hanging of his cat on Monday
For killing of a mouse on Sunday."
Those who professed the Methodist
creeds were wont to express their ap-
proval of sentiments voiced in the ser-
mon or in prayer by such ejaculations as
"Amen" ; "Do Lord" ; "Bless the Lord",
and more of the same sort. The Sab-
bath was decorously observed by almost
every one. I do not recall having heard
any one argue that the Puritan Sunday
was not that of the New Testament, or
that the command given to the ancient
Jews to keep it holy had been unwitting-
ly transferred into the New Dispensa-
tion. There was, of course, no ban on
talk. It might range over subjects pro-
fane as well as religious ; in fact the
former had much the larger share, as re-
ligion was not a frequent topic of dis-
cussion, except among a few zealots.
Although but little was known about the
affairs of the "wide, wide world" there
was never any lack of matter for con-
versation when two or three were gath-
ered together. The topics discussed were
quite as important as those which en-
gage the attention of fashionable society,
and the number of lies told far less.
The women had their affairs to recapit-
ulate, the men theirs. When the com-
pany was mixed there was an inter-
change of views on a larger number of
themes. As every-day matters varied
with the seasons and the weather, the
same could be gone over every twelve-
month. Once in a while an occurrence a
little out of the ordinary gave variety to
the conversation. There was so far as
I had the means of knowing, very little
malicious gossip indulged in except by a
very small number of persons. There
were other less frequent occasions when
people met together besides those al-
ready mentioned. The elections once a
year or oftener brought to the township
polls a proportion of men according to
the supposed importance of the issue
involved. The Evangelical Association
held a camp-meeting in the vicinity al-
most every year. It was usually well
attended on Sunday by the people of
our neighborhood. In August there was
often a Sunday school. picnic or Harvest
Home for which two or more Sunday
Schools joined forces. On such occa-
sions there was an abundance of good
cheer and a speech or two. I recall that
when I was a very small boy my father,
along with the rest of the able-bodied
men of the township of military age, at-
tended the annual muster. Those who
had no muskets made canes and sticks
do duty for the lacking firearms. I re-
call too that the commanding officer, the
fifer, and one or two of the prospective
warriors never failed to get drunk ; and
that the fifer who was somewhat of a
local celebrity, bore the name of Kirk-
patrick. It used to be said of him that he
never missed a note although he might
be so maudlin that he could scarcely
walk while his instrument would some-
times be six inches from his lips. The
fire-water was carried to the grounds
for consumption as there was no estab-
lished place for its sale, for as I have
A STUDY OF A RURAL COMMUNITY
195
before stated, there was no incorporated
village within the region. Once in a
while a "woods-meeting" under the
auspices of one of the minor denomina-
tions was held.
XXVII.
Number Three however contained
some survivals of an earlier, perhaps of
a geological age. One family which
contained representatives of this class I
knew well and can therefore portray
accurately. The father although with-
out systematic education, had picked up
a good deal of miscellaneous knowledge.
He understood the government of the
United States and of his own State in
all its details. He bought a book now
and then and read it ; perhaps a History
of the Union, the biography of some dis-
tinguished American, or a volume of
popular lectures on some practical sub-
ject. He subscribed for two or three
newspapers and read them, at least in
the winter. His oldest son took enough
interest in the systematic acquisition of
knowledge to prepare himself for a Civil
Service examination and passed it suc-
cessfully. The mother, on the other
hand, manifested no interest in anything
except in what pertained to her every
day duties. She rarely opened a book or
looked into a periodical. Although she
could read she probably could not do so
with any degree of satisfaction when
the matter dealt with what fell outside
the narrow range of her experience.
She was not particularly industrious and
would sit for hours, especially on Sun-
days, gazing into vacancy. The only la-
bor she performed that was not strictly
practical was to care for some flowers in
spring and summer. All her conversa-
tion was about domestic affairs or the
farm. I doubt whether she added a
word to her vocabulary after she became
of age. She did not care enough about
her neighbors to take part in gossip, al-
though she never refused or withheld
aid when called upon. She seemed to
be without any curiosity whatever and
frowned upon it when exhibited by chil-
dren. To be "good" meant to her to be
indifferent to everything in which she
took no interest. Her whole being was
absorbed in the daily routine of her un-
eventful life. She never showed the
least desire to go a dozen miles from the
spot where she was born. It was next
to impossible to interest her in anything
barring domestic matters. Her daugh-
ter was constructed mentally like her
mother, as was also one son.
The two former had all the character-
istics of Turkish women in their atti-
tude towards knowledge. They exhibited
no more vivacity than a statue and about
as much animation as an Amerind. We
may call this philosophical composure or
designate it as that quality against
which, according to Schiller, the very
gods contend in vain. She seemed to
take a certain pleasure in doing kindness
to others, and was not ungrateful when
she received similar favors from others ;
yet one could hardly infer her feelings
from her words. As for sentiment, she
was as devoid of it as an Eskimo.
Every part of her psyche that approxi-
mated thereto was atrophied. I have
asked myself a good many times how it
was possible for a human being between
the ages of forty and fifty to have so
completely forgotten the days of her
youth. I suppose the frog no longer re-
members that it was once a tadpole ; but
one doesn't expect much of a frog, one
expects a good deal of a person living
towards the close of the nineteenth cen-
tury. Although she sometimes spoke
of the past it did not furnish her mind
with materials for reflection or compari-
son. She was not ill-natured, perhaps
chiefly for the reason that in her later
vears she had become so apathetic that
she was not moved by anything. As her
vocabulary was virtually completed be-
fore she was out of her 'teens she re-
peated the same round of words and
phrases over and over again ; not, of
course, in the same order in all cases.
That a statement might be made with
greater accuracy than in the phraseology
to which she had become accustomed
never entered her mind. She did not
have the mastery of her speech ; it
should rather be said that speech was
her master She never noticed that per-
196
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
sons sometimes used the English lan-
guage differently from herself, although
she did not understand German. Her
psyche appeared to differ but little in
some of its aspects from that of a care-
fully trained brute. It is assumed that
man is a reasonable and reasoning being ;
experience proves that the assumption
is well founded only within very narrow
limits. Often and often as my mind
turns back over the past have I won-
dered how it was possible for persons
who had any intellect at all to be so com-
pletely under the sway of prepossession
and prejudice. The most cogent argu-
ments had no more effect upon their
m.inds than a handful of pebbles upon
the back of an alligator. Sometimes the
very man who endeavored to convince
others by an appeal to their person were
themselves as prejudiced in other mat-
ters, and as hard to convince as those
whom they plied with their arguments.
How hard it is to see ourselves as others
see us, or to translate into action the in-
junction: "Put yourself in his place!"
"I am open to conviction but I should
like to see the man who could convince
me."
XXVIII.
The following trivial incidents are so
characteristic that I must not omit to
mention them in this connection since
they illustrate so clearly the mental hori-
zon of some of my father's neighbors.
One day after taking my seat in a rail-
way car, I noticed that the two men who
sat next to me were talking German.
One of them was a Pennsylvanian, the
other a foreigner, who, as I learned af-
terwards, was on bis way to visit his na-
tive land. The former, who was evi-
dently a farmer of some means was
neatly clad, and had an agreeable, kind-
h countenance. In the course of the
conversation the German mentioned
several countries he had visited naming
among others Italy. To this his inter-
locutor remarked : "There is one coun-
try I should like to see, that is the Holy
Land. Is it in Italy also, or is it a coun-
try by itself?" The speaker had evi-
dently heard of the Holy Land in church
or had read about it in the Bible — prob-
ably both ; yet it had never occurred to
him that he ought to look it up in an
atlas even if he had one within reach as
he surely must have had at some time in
his life. All he knew about Palestine
was so vague that it can hardly be called
knowledge at all. But the fact had been
impressed upon his mind that it was the
country in which most of the events
narrated in the Bible had taken place. I
am sure that many, perhaps, most of the
older people had never looked at a map ;
if they had, their general knowledge
was so meager that it would not have
conveyed to them information of any
value whatever. As a small boy I was
once at a neighbor's when the conversa-
tion turned upon the Atlantic telegraph
cable, which was just then attracting a
good deal of attention. One of the
company "remarked jocosely that the
men engaged in laying it upon the bot-
tom of the ocean must have a wet time.
Thereupon the hostess gave utterance
to this query: "I wonder how they get
down to do it?" I once heard a man
who was perhaps sixty years of age say
that he never rode in a railway train and
had no wish to do so, as railroads were
the work of the devil. Such must have
been the mortals felicitated by Pope in
the oft-quoted lines :
"Happy the man whose wish and care
A few paternal acres bound ;
Content to breathe his native air
On his own ground."
In my later years I have often reflected
upon the complete blindness of my
early associates, including myself also,.
to the beauties of nature that sur-
rounded us on every side. It is often
said that line natural scenery arouses
the imagination to express itself in
poetry. I doubt it. Most people culti-
vated a few flowers, but it was a rare
thing for any one to plant a tree except
for its prospective fruit. The scenery
of this region like that of many other
parts of Pennsylvania i s unusually
varied. From the tops of countless hills
that were cultivated to the summit, the
spectator might view long lines of moun-
tains extending westward until they
faded in the distance. To the east
A STUDY OF A RURAL COMMUNITY
197
Round Top is a conspicuous object.
Within the hundreds of square miles
over which, from many elevated points,
the eye could range, lay woodland and
■clearings, farmhouses and barns with
the necessary outbuildings, furnishing
scenes of intermingled natural and arti-
ficial beauty that it would seem every
one must admire. But as it was in the
olden time, we having these things al-
ways with us were not aware of their
existence ; only later the eye had been
trained by travel, or the enjoyment of
them sharpened by the privations of city
life, did we come to comprehend how
much we had missed.
XXIX.
Although this little volume is designed
to be descriptive and neither philosophi-
cal nor speculative the question suggests
itself whether anyone would deliberate-
ly prefer Arcadian simplicity to the
push and jostle, the hurry and flurry of
urban life. As indicated above, a few-
persons have answered this question in
the affirmative. There is a certain at-
traction in social condition where locks
on doors and granaries are almost un-
known ; where banks do not exist be-
cause no one has money to deposit ;
where the visual method of trade is the
exchange of commodities or labor ;
where it was not always easy to find a
man for Justice of the Peace because
the cost of the indispensable law books
and his commission would likely exceed
the emoluments of the office ; and where
the Common Pleas Court was occasion-
ally heard of but can hardly be said to
have been known since a law-suit was
the one thing above all others to be
avoided. Perhaps the greatest reproach
was brought upon the community by a
few persons who were guilty of sexual
immorality. The question asked above
has been answered in the negative by
many of those best able to pass judg-
ment upon the conditions. They yielded
to stronger attractions elsewhere and
only tbe less energetic, with some excep-
tions, remained behind. It needs to be
repeated here that most of these people
felt less poor than they seemed. Those
who had virtually no money spent
none ; those who had a little hoarded it
and were therefore equally close-listed.
It was an accepted axiom that cash is to
be saved, not to be spent. Hardly any
one was so poor that he had not now and
then at least part of a dollar to give for
something that he might have done
without, to attend a circus, for instance.
or for tobacco, or for sweetmeats.
Riches are not a matter of possession,
but of the absence of wants.
As I look back upon the lives of these
people, and view it across the space of
forty and fifty years and judge it then
in the light of a fairly wide intervening
exDerience I find myself prone to call it
dull and monotonous. But calmer reflec-
tion presents another aspect of their
condition. It was not meaningless or
tiresome to them. There was always
something to do. The time never hung
heavily on their hands. When they
were not at work as on Sundays they
were enjoying a grateful rest. They
were never at a loss for some diversion
with which to kill the slow moving min-
utes and dragging hours. Their enjoy-
ments and their conversation were more
rational than those of people who knew
far mere than they knew. They seldom
talked for the mere purpose of hearing
themselves talk or whiling away the
time. Then too they were producers of
something that benefitted the world, al-
beit in a material way and to a limited
extent. If they did not much add to the
world's store they took nothing from
those who had earned the right to live
decently, if not a little more. I have
since heard teachers in city and town
bewail their fate far more bitterly than
I ever heard a farmer boy or girl be-
wail theirs. When we wish to judge the
attitude of a class toward life we must
regard it from within and by its own
standard, not from without and by an
alien standard, or our judgment will be
unfair and unjust. If we measure the
life of the tiller of the soil we must ad-
mit that it is capable of improvement
from the same standpoint ; it therefore
differs radically from that of the sav-
age which must be totally reconstructed
198
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
before it can be made of any value to
himself or to the world.
I have often pondered over the pos-
sible destiny of a few men in our neigh-
borhood had their circumstances been
more propitious. I am sure they would
not have been "village Hamptons" or
"mute inglorious Miltons", in any case.
But, although "Knowledge to their eyes
unrolled her ample page", Penury re-
pressed their noble rage and froze the
genial current of their souls. "Their
lot forbade." Not only had they to sup-
port themselves; they had also to assist
in supporting their relatives. Figura-
tively speaking, their hands were tied;
literally, the sphere of their activities
was narrowly circumscribed. Had they
been blessed with exceptional energy, or
endowed with extraordinary abilities
they might have triumphed over all ob-
stacles and have at last "commanded the
applause of listening senates". Yet be-
cause they lacked the "one thing need-
ful", it may be said of them that
"Far from the maddening crowd's ignoble
strife
Their sober wishes never learned to stray;
Along the cool sequestered vale of life
They kept the noiseless tenor of their way."
I know they felt that by necesssity they
had missed their calling; but I am
equally certain that this circumstance
did not embitter, as it certainly did not
abridge, their lives.
Although the farmers for the most
part lacked initiative and were content
to do as their fathers had done before
them they took good care to preserve
what they had. Their hay and grain
were carefully stored in barns where
they were in the dry. The same must
be said of their farming utensils. I have
frequently noticed the difference fifty
years later in southeastern Ohio. Reap-
ers, mowers, and other appurtenances
are left in the rain and sun where they
rapidly deteriorate. And the same class
was in no better condition to bear the
loss in the latter region than in the for-
mer. I have observed a similar differ-
ence in morals. A number of cases of
frightful immorality of a kind I never
heard of in my youth have, in my later
vears, been brought to my attention. In
this respect also my later observations
have led me to believe that my earlier
experiences indicated a higher civic and
moral responsibility than that which pre-
vailed in a region that ought to have
represented fifty years further progress.
And it was not foreigners but native
Americans that stood on the lower level.
As my mind travels back over the
vista of the four or five decades lying
between the then and the now and I try
to form a just estimate of the moral
qualities of my father's neighbors com-
pared with the men I have known more
or less intimately since, I find myself
forced to the conclusion that they gain,
more than they lose by the comparison.
The testimony which I have been able to
obtain from persons who have had a
wider experience than mine is conflict-
ing ; but in the main the verdict accords
with my judgment. I am led to con-
clude that the proportion of honest men
among these farmers was somewhat
larger than I have found it in other
spheres of life. Almost all were what
would be called close-fisted and bent on
small gains. They could hardly help
being so. But I doubt whether any one
■vould have taken advantage of a bank-
rupt act. if he had known that he could
do so. The large class proverbially
known as "sharpers" and "dead-beats",
men who make no more than a shallow
pretense of giving an equivalent for
what they get, are not residents of the
country districts. Persons who have a
fixed abode, who can always be found
when wanted, are more likely to deal
"on the square" than those who shift
their quarters to suit the exigencies of
their occupation. Few persons are
aware how much influence the desire to
stand well with their neighbors and
acquaintances has in the formation and
support of morality and integrity of
conduct. A well known writer has truly
said : "A young man is not far from
ruin when he can say, T do not care
what other people think of me.' ':
I am furthermore inclined to believe
that their strong aversion to politics, or
A STUDY OF A RURAL COMMUNITY
199
rather to the politics of that day, was
largely owing to the unreliability, the
dishonesty, and the bibulous practices of
those who engaged in it.
XXX.
It is not my purpose here to furnish
the reader with a list of the peculiarities
of speech that were more or less of a lo-
cal character. I merely note a few that
have occurred to me from time to time.
Some of these are used in other parts of
the Union whither they had been trans-
planted directly from New England;
others have been carried westward by
Pennsylvanians. While the Pennsyl-
vania German is somewhat of a mixture
of different dialects brought from their
native land by immigrants, the largest
contingent of words came from the
Palatinate. A similarity of pronuncia-
tion and intonation has persisted to the
present day. Words designating objects
not known beyond the sea, or that had no
existence before the beginning of the
nineteenth century were for the most
part called by their American names
even by those who spoke no English. To
the first class belong such as fence,
creek, mush, cider, and so forth. To the
second belong railroad, cars, steamboat,
and others. One might also hear such
expressions as "bat loke" (bad luck),
"ope shtairs", "boy" (pie), and many
more. I do not recall hearing any one
use the German word for skates and
skating; "skeets" and "skeeting" did
duty both in English and German.
Proper names were no criterion of na-
tionality. If a family bore the name of
Smith, or Lyons, or Brown, or Cook,
one could not decide whether it was a
transfer or a translation. Most of those
who bore them had a very hazy notion
of their origin, and no curiosity to make
inquiry. Once in a while a farmer got
it into his head that a fortune was
awaiting him in the "old country", but
I never heard of any one who took the
trouble to ^verify the rumor. In our
community no one talked or acted like
the characters in Tillie, a Mennonite
Maid.
All, or all any more. Consumed, used
up. When we find Goethe's Egmont
beginning with, "Nun schieszt Inn
dass es alle zvird" we are inclined to
attribute it to a German origin. Albe-
it, the schoolboys' rhyme: "Peter said
unto Paul, My tobacco is all", seems
to show that it is an abbreviated
phrase.
Allow. Believe, think. Used only by
certain families. The frequency of
this word in the South as well as in
New England proves that it is an im-
migrant from the British Isles.
Brauchen. A German word meaning to
use incantations for the cure of dis-
eases.
Bullyrag. Revile, vilipend.
Bunty. A genus of short-tailed hens.
The Encyclopedic Dictionary says it
means in Scotch, "hen without a
rump".
Catawampus. Awry, unsymmetrical,
out of proper shape.
Chunhen. Pieces of wood about a foot
in length wedged between the logs of
houses. It is evidently connected
, with chinking, and may be a corrup-
tion of this word. The process is
called to chunk. A large piece of any-
thing is also called a chunk.
Dinge. To make an indention on a
hard surface, or the impression itself.
Dumm, meaning stupid is one of the
most frequently used words of re-
proach. As most of the German im-
migrants belonged to the peasant
class who were dull of apprehension
like all of their kind, it is probable
that the epithet was frequently ap-
plied among themselves to one an-
other. Its appropriateness soon be-
came evident to those who spoke Eng-
lish ; they accordingly transferred the
epithet instead of translating it. It has
become so general that it is often em-
ployed by persons of fair education.
It would however be unjust to sup-
pose that the inhabitants of southeast-
ern Pennsylvania have been burdened
with an unusual amount of the qual-
ity which it designates. Yet there is
no doubt tha t the German peasant
had through centuries of oppression
200
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
in his native land, become mentally
more obtuse than his fellow in the
British Isles.
Dominicky. A species of domestic fowl
with regularly speckled gray and
white feathers.
Dipper. A tin cup with a long handle.
The Immersionists were also called
Dippers, a term that did not neces-
sarily convey any reproach. Two con-
stellations in the northern sky were
likewise called Dippers. Dip was the
usual designation of meat-gravy.
Fer was used both in place of far and
for, just as furder was employed to
designate time and space. "What
fer?" "How fer?" "I aint goin' no
furder" ; "I can't sing any furder".
Faze or phaze. To produce an impres-
sion; generally said of hard objects.
Footy. Insignificantly small.
Galluses. Suspenders.
Gathering. A swelling; also called a
bealing.
Jerks. The St. Vitus dance.
Juke or Jouk. To lower the head quick-
ly ; to dodge. The word occurs in
both Scott and Burns.
Juggles. Large chips from logs in
hewing.
I^otes, or lots and slathers or si civs. A
large quantity, or a great many. The
first of these words is common where-
ever the English language is used.
Obstropelous. Stubborn, racalcitrant.
Perhaps a perversion of obstreperous.
It was rather common among the il-
literate.
Old rip. A broken down horse. Ap-
plied also to women as an epithet of
opprobrium.
Roushen or rousen. Big, large, ex-
citing.
Rambunctious. Spirited, fiery.
Real down. Very exceedingly. "A real
down nice boy."
Scutch. To knock nuts from a tree
with a pole. Scutching; a whipping.
Halliwell says the word means "to
beat slightly". In Pennsylvania it
means "to beat hard". To scutch
flax" is a common phrase.
Shite-poke. An awkward or unreliable
person. The word is often employed
by persons who never saw the bird.
Shoe-mouth deep, boot-top deep. A
familiar way of estimating the depth
of mud, water, or snow.
Slantendickler. Evidently a sort of cor-
relative to perpendicular.
Smack. To strike with the palm of the
hand. Spank is not in use.
Snollygoster. Applied to anything that
is unusually large.
Snoot. A vulgar designation of the
mouth. Kuhn says Die Schnutc is
thus applied in Rheinfranken.
Sock. To hit with a ball. Sockball is a
familiar game.
Sturk. A young bullock. So far as I
know this word was used by one fam-
ily only. Its connection with the
Anglo-Saxon is evident.
Throne/. Pressed with work or busi-
7 hroughother. Confused, mixed up.
This is doubtless a translation of
durcheinander.
Swithers. A quandary. "I am in the
swithers what to do". Used by Burns.
Spite is a very common word both in
English and German to signify vex,
annoy, chagrin. "It spites me that I
lost my knife." My man is very much
spited at the storekeeper.'
Still is a word much used with various
significations. In general it means ha-
bitually, customarily. "I still go to
school at eight o'clock", did not mean
I continue to go, etc. In Hamlet we
find : "Thou still hast been the bearer
of good news." Often it seems to be
thrown into a sentence for the reason
that it may mean anything or nothing.
Tin. A tin cup.
Toadsmasher. A wagon with broad tires
on the wheels.
A mattock was called a "grubbin' hoe"
although "mattick" was also used.
The preterit of the verb beat, to out-
do, was bet ; but it seems strange that
the Old and New England hct from
the verb to heat was not in vogue,
am however of the opinion that I
heard overhet.
A STUDY OF A RURAL COMMUNITY
201
Put it past. Be surprised. As, "I
wouldn't put it past him to steal."
Land that was too wet at certain sea-
sons of the year to be cultivated was
said to be spouty ; a weaker term
than swampy.
In looking over J. R. Lowell's Intro-
duction to the Biglow Papers I was sur-
prised to find how long is the list of
words which I heard in my youth that
were current in England aforetime and
thence transplanted into New England
where they were regarded as Yankee-
isms. Among these are coweumber,
Iwnkereher. lick, jist, bde (for boil),
cornish, shet (but not bet) grozved,
blowcd, khowed, hev, hed, hes, rench
and renched (for rinse and rinsed),
thrash, shet (for shut), the latter is also
used for rid but is not in Lowell so far
,as I have noticed, chimley, ferder, chist,
brie hes, slick, git, let ' cr slide, agin, ben
(for been), allow, (for believe or de-
clare), wilt to begin to with, but like-
wise to become suddenly embarrassed,
yon and ydn, crick and run, wrastle,
fleshy (for stout), purvide, heap (for
many, hollow (for a halloo), drozvned
(for drowned), more'n, oust, sight (for
a great many), raise a house and house-
raisin' side-hill, spark (for pay court
to), and a considerable number of
others.
Two words that were never called
into requisition by anybody were whose
and whom ; and the statement holds
good as to the former in both English
and German. You would not hear any
one say : "The man whose wife is sick",
"but : "The man that his wife is sick", or
some similar phrase. In the German
the dative takes the place of the genitive.
The accusative 'who' is probably a sur-
vival rather than a grammatical error,
since we find it so used by the Eliza-
bethan writers. Yon and yan were also
Tieard, but onlv from persons of English
or Irish descent. In German the dative
is much used where the genitive would
"be put in literary speech. It is an inter-
esting fact that in other languages, in
Modern Greek, for example, the genitive
is also lacking in the speech of the un-
lettered. The general statement may be
made that certain words and expressions
were peculiar to the farmers of Scotch-
Irish descent and others to those of Teu-
tonic ancestry and that they were inter-
changed but rarely. Parental usage had
so thoroughly impressed itself upon the
minds of the children in certain pecu-
liarities of speech, in the case of persons
who read little, that it was not eradicated
in mature life. So much is the speech
of the unlettered a part of their person-
ality. Habit is not second nature, but
nature itself.
It must be considered remarkable that
in a community in which there was
probably not a man who had been born
in England there should be in use so
mnay words transplanted from British
dialects. It is hardly less strange that
no more are of German origin in view of
the fact that the German element was so
strongly represented. I recall very few
words used in a somewhat peculiar or
archaic signification among those I have
investigated that I was unable to find in
dialect dictionaries. As late as the six-
teenth century there were no dialects,
strictly speaking, in Great Britain. The
literary language that began to be sys-
tematically developed a little earlier is
made up of selections in use in different
parts of the island that were gradually
disseminated everywhere by means of
the printing-press. In the cases before
us we have the survivals handed down
orally through several generations-
three at least, — although they were not
in the direct line of descent. The inter-
vening ocean did not break the con-
tinuity.
The patriotic and praiseworthy efforts
of a comparatively small number of
Germans to keep alive their language in
this country is not meeting with much
support from their fellow-countrymen.
It is probable that German literature,
German science, German theology and
German philosophy are, on the whole
better known to those to whom the lan-
guage is not a vernacular and who there-
fore do not speak it with ease than to
those whose ancestry is Teutonic. Our
public schools are rapidly Anglicising all
who expect to make their permanent
home within the confines of the Great
Republic.
202
An Interview with Lawrence J. Ibach the Amateur
Astronomer
By Dr. I. H. Betz, York, Pa.
HE partial eclipse of the sun
on Sunday, June 28, 1908,
was an event that called
forth much comment, not
only on the part of the
daily press, but among in-
dividuals of all classes.
Eclipses and comets which
formerly inspired so much uneasiness
and dread among all classes, are now as-
sociated with curiosity from the stand-
point of natural causes which produce
them. But an eclipse even yet is viewed
by savages as a monster who is hiding
the face of the sun, and they believe that
it is their bounden duty to scare him
away with tin pans and torn toms. They
claim to be absolutely successful every
time ! Are not some of our own reason-
ings often on a par with theirs?
Astronomy, as we know it, while
young in name is one of the oldest of the
sciences. It was known during the Mid-
dle Ages by the name of astrology or the
science of the stars. Such phrases as the
"star of destiny," his star is in the ascen-
dant," or the "result of the mission was
disastrous" indicate that stellar and
planetary influences at one time were
predominant. To be born under a lucky
planet, or some other favorable in-
fluence, was "a consummation devoutly
to be wished" by fond parents who had
the welfare of their offspring at heart.
The moon also seemed to shed a ma-
lignant influence upon human kind, since
it was held to produce aberrations of the
mind. From this we derive the terms
"lunatic" and "lunacy", from the fact
that the moon was termed "luna" in the
Latin tongue. Long before this time —
in the dim and distant past — on the
plains of Babylonia and Assyria, where
the air was clear, dry and transparent,
men had viewed the heavenly bodies and
made well marked and definite observa-
tions upon them with the unaided senses.
At a still earlier time, when the
wealth of men consisted in their flocks
which were herded from place to place,
the bright and starry sky offered rare
opportunities in this nomadic life to ob-
serve the starry vault with all the mi-
nute intent that the unaided eye was
capable of. The heavenly bodies being
the most striking and brilliant objects
visible to the inquirer, they became as-
sociated with a host of fancies and crude
speculations. In fact they became adored
and worshipped, and were believed to in-
fluence man and his destiny. Thus man
became a sun worshipper and a worship-
per of the stars and planets as minor
deities. When we defer to the almanac
and its guide marks we but make obei-.
sance to these ancient worthies, to whom
we are indebted for the sexigesimal di-
visions of the day, hours, minutes and
seconds.
The sages of India, Assyria, Babylonia,
Arabia, Phoenicia and China have made
many observations and reached many
conclusions which have been incor-
porated and verified by the modern mind
and have been assimilated by the science
of the day. That many of these old
time beliefs have become antiquated and
discarded goes without saying. The
signs, up and down, in which implicit
confidence is placed by devotees of the
almanac, would seem to be based on
phases of the moon. "Whatever they do
signify is not definitely known yet they
are still deferred to on traditional
grounds. However the day has come, or
is pretty generally at hand, when all old,
time-honored practices and beliefs in the
natural world must give reasons for
their existence. Mere say-so will no
longer pass muster. Mathematics, phys-
ics, chemistry and astronomy are now in
the domain of the exact sciences, and it
LAWRENCE J. IBACH
20a
is vain to enter the arena and challenge
their credentials. The three last have
had their contests in the domain of mat-
ter, motion and force with its modifica-
tions and its transformations, and have
maintained their claims successfully.
That department of physics termed
meteorology is confessedly, still incom-
plete. When we come to the domain of
life and mind, whether in their individ-
ual or collective capacities, the modify-
ing influences become greater and more
involved and those sciences arising from
them are attended with much uncer-
tainty, and can no longer be termed
exact. Thus in biological, pathological,
physiological and psychological science,
differences of opinion may accompany
different methods of interpretation. In
sociology, different forms of govern-
ment may be contended for in different
lands and countries. It is for this rea-
son that different political parties pre-
vail, strenuously maintaining they are
right and if they fail of success the
country will face about towards retro-
gression.
A science so exact that it can predict
long previously an eclipse within a frac-
tion of a second appeals powerfully to
all who observe and reason from cause
to effect. Such sciences are fascinating
in the extreme, and their outcome being
verifiable truth, they produce a habit of
mind that is satisfied with nothing but
exact demonstration.
Of the great astronomers of the world
we may name Ptolemy, Copernicus,
Kepler, Galileo, Tycho Brahe, Herschel,
Newton, Huygens, Proctor, Young,
Newcomb, Holden and others. Their
names and inspiration to pursuits of the
immensities which produce and add
grandeur to the verities of existence.
Boys who have a taste in this direction
can never divest themselves of this
tendency, and even though their desires
are ungratified, they will always in their
musings of the past dwell upon "what
might have been" had fortune smiled
but kindly upon their longings, ambi-
tions and aspirations.
But let us proceed to an amateur as-
tronomer whom the writer met and in-
terviewed years ago at Newmanstowm,
Lebanon County, Pa. This is a small
town on one of the leading highways of
the county and about two miles from the
Philadelphia and Reading railroad, the
nearest railroad station being Sheridan.
This region is fertile limestone land.
About ten or twelve miles to the north
in what is known as the slate land belt
is situated Fredericksburg formerly
known as Stumpstown. This was the
birthplace of James Lick. This town
has about six hundred inhabitants and
is situated a few miles west of the
Berks County line. It is a rural com-
munity and has no railway communica-
tion. We made copious notes of the con-
versation, surroundings and library of
Mr. Lawrence J. Ibach at the time and
found him to be a very interesting gen-
tleman.
His home was a modest unpretending
two-story frame house. In the rear por-
tion of it the philosopher and astrono-
mer had his study. In this were all the
appurtenances of an astronomical stu-
dent's life. On the walls were hung
maps descriptive of his profession.
Placed upon the low old fashioned table
which stood in the middle of the room
were several elegantly mounted globes.
Lying in a rack was a large sectional
telescope while around the room a num-
ber of smaller ones were seen.
In the corners of the apartment were
great stacks of books and also on many
shelves that lined the room. Among his
rare books was a copy of "Montcula"
recounting observations and calculations
many thousands of years ago. Here
were also reminiscences of the Ptolemies
Thales, and others. Here were also
found standard and learned works on
astionomy such as the opinions of Kep-
ler, Lu Caille, Lambert, Tobias Mayer
Euler, Huygens, Galileo, Maupertius,
and others of a more recent date. Our
friend was a lover of Tycho Brahe and
Copernicus. To hear him go into ecsta-
sies over these favorite authors was a
treat.
He was an ardent admirer of Jo-
hannes Muller to whom he claimed
must be assigned the honor of giving the
completest ephemerides.
.'04
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Here and there were scattered only as
a student can scatter, charts and calcu-
lations of wind currents and air lines,
sketches of particular stones, instru-
ments to measure the sun and moon,
and such articles as pertain to the science
of astronomy. It was truly a singular
apartment to those uninitiated. Mr.
Ibach like Elihu Burritt the learned
blacksmith who acquired more than
seventy languages was also a son of Vul-
can who gained his knowledge amidst
patient industry and toil. We noticed
in Mr. Ibach's study a file of the Boston
Investigator a sturdy sheet whose motto
was, "Hear all sides then decide." We
soon learned by his conversation that he'
was an original thinker of no mean or-
der yet exceedingly hospitable toward
new ideas yet conservative as regarded
new departures from those which were
thoroughly based on experience. He did
not base his dicta on other men's opin-
ions and mere say-so but on verified
conclusions not hastily formed but with
time as the arbiter.
During a long and interesting conver-
sation with Air. Ibach we learned much
of his family history and antecedents
and also of his career as a man and as a
student in his favorite study. He was
a son of Gustavus Ibach a native of
Dusseldorf, Germany, and was born
January 17. 1816 at Allentown, Pa. His
father was well known in his day as a
successful worker in skillets and ladles.
Young Lawrence was sent to school un-
til he was 15 years of age after which
he commenced to learn the trade of his
father.
In 1835 the family removed to his
then present residence at Newmanstown,
Lebanon County, where they lived until
1849 when the subject of this sketch
rented a forge near Reading from a Mr.
Sidle a nephew of the then somewhat
noted astronomer Charles F. Engleman.
In 1852 he returned to Newmanstown
the surroundings and climate near Read-
ing not agreeing with him. During his
stay near Reading he was a frequent
visitor to Mr. Engleman and his boyish
love of astronomy and mathematical
subjects was freshly inspired.
The intercourse with Mr. Engleman
proved of much benefit to the nascent
astronomer and he spoke with kindly
feelings of the pleasure and instruction
he received from him on astronomical
topics. At the death of Mr. Engleman
which occurred in i860 he became the
purchaser of all his books, charts and
unfinished calculations. These latter by
the advice of friends he was prevailed
upon to finish. In 1863 his first calcula-
tion appeared. Since that time he had
calculated for various almanacs in the
United States. Among them being the
Hagerstown of Maryland. At that time
he was also engaged in calculating for
some of the largest houses in the coun-
try. He also was in the employ of the
large metropolitan dailies who issued
yearly almanacs.
In 1875 he translated his work into
four different languages, — French,
Spanish, Italian and German, thus show-
ing that though wrapped up in his par-
ticular business he had taken time to
study other branches of learning. Mr.
Ibach being of German descent spoke
the Pennsylvania German dialect in all
its niceties. He was frank, affable and
courteous in his manners and received
strangers with politeness. He was a
good conversationalist and above all a
good listener. He was deferential in
manner but without a trace of obse-
quiousness.
On all subjects our astronomical
friend impressed himself most sanely
and on all the problems of mathematics
and physics which have so often dis-
rupted the understanding. The squar-
ing of the circle, perpetual motion, the
philosopher's stone, the fountain of
youth, the elixir of life, the duplication
of the cube, the dissociation of matter
and force, the destruction of matter and
force and other erratic problems found
no lodgment in his hospitable mind. He
was familiar with all of them and with
their checkered history. His ingenious
comments, his shrewd remarks and in-
ferences impressed one most forcibly.
We took leave of our versatile friend
with many good wishes and thanks for
the interesting hours we had spent with
LAWRENCE J. I BACH
205
him so agreeably and instructively. We
never met' him again but his memory has
recurred to us repeatedly through the
long years which have intervened since
that period. Here and there might for-
merly be met of like tendencies men who
beguiled their leisure hours with stud-
ies which appealed to them. Strange
to say a number of these individuals
were blacksmiths and shoemakers. The
noted mystic philosopher Jacob Boehme
whose influence has been so great upon
this division of thought was a shoe-
maker's apprentice at Gorlitz in Silesia.
The same can be said for Andrew Jack-
son Davis in America and of Benjamin
Often the shoemaker who delivered
courses of lectures in Tammany Hall, or
of Samuel Smiles the shoemaker of
Great Britain who became a self taught
naturalist. Of Elihu Burritt who created
so much attention a generation ago in
pursuits which he anticipated we have
already spoken. The tastes of Air.
George Miller of York in the pursuit of
practical entomology and ornithology
during a long life time in the home field
of York County the fruits of which are
now stored in the rooms of the Histori-
cal Society of York County are most
praiseworthy in character and stamp
their collector as one of tenacity of pur-
pose and of untiring energy. This may
also be said ' of other collectors and
founders of science like the Mels-
iieimers, father and son, of Revs.Wagner
and Morris in York County. Such pur-
suits are stimulating and healthful and
by their example lead others to travel in
their footsteps and thus lead to the
acquisition of knowledge in a field that
seems almost boundless. Therefore the
labors of an Ibach which we have pri-
marily sketched in this paper possess
its uses and let us hope may have many
imitators in this and kindred fields. Mr.
Ibach died some years ago and was suc-
ceeded bv his son.
Things Hiiint No 3Iore Like They Wus
Haint? Things haint no more like they wus
When Me and Becky wus girls,
An did comb alwus in two long plats
And yet two sech nice spit-curls.
Et don't give no more the Bellsnickles
For et calls now Sandy Klaus
Et wonders me too how et comes
But I mean tis jest pecause.
An they dont set no more an tat
Like when me an Beck wus girls,
But set alwus now an broity
The same like the stylie girls.
An tresses do open in back now
Whiles baskes haint stylie you see,
An they comb alwus in sech sigh-keys
But so dumn I don't comb me.
An when fellers come oncet to spark
The old ones don't go to bed
But set alwus up in the parly
And hark at all wot is sed.
An the young ones shame them to work
still
An wear every day kit gluts,
I sham myself too but sure am glad
Things haint no more like they wus.
BECKY-TABOR.
March 12, 1911.
Caleno Falls, Delaware Water Gap
In a covert cool and dim
O'er which trees both great and grim
Lean with limb entwined in limb;
In this dank and darkling dell
Like a cave where monk doth dwell
Thinking that his soul is well;
Mountain waters gently play
On their leaf-hid winding way,
Dashing into softest spray.
To the tinkling water's brink
Downy mosses creep to drink
While their sleepy wee eyes blink.
Timid flowerets here and there
Tremble in the chilly air
That cloth lift their gossamer hair.
Now and then the whir of wings
Brings a mountain bird that sings
Rarely, to his bardic springs.
Where I see her water's fall,
Where I hear her liquid brawl,
I'm Caldeno's willing thrall.
CHARLES K. MESCHTER,-
Bethlehem, Pa.
206
The Germans in North Carolina West of the Catawba
By Rev. L. L. Lohr, Lincolnton, N. C.
ITTLE is known except in a
general way of the history
of the early settlement of
this section Dy the Ger-
man colonists. As there
were no newspapers in this
locality at that time, and
as no local historian ex-
isted among them, there is no record of
their early struggles and conflicts. But
from such accounts as have been handed
down from one generation to another,
there is reason to believe that they were
not without such experiences as usually
accompany pioneer life.
The land was heavily wooded, and as
much of the smaller timber was over-
grown with vines, it was a task of no
small magnitude to clear away the for-
est and prepare the soil for cultivation.
Wild beasts were quite numerous, and
these were a source of considerable an-
noyance, e|pecially on account of their
destruction of small stock. Their Indian
neighbors were not hostile, still they
could not be trusted at all times. Burn-
ing of property and other acts of vio-
lence were by no means uncommon
among them. But according to certain
information, said to be reliable, there
was more trouble with their ghosts than
with the Indians themselves while roam-
ing about in flesh and blood. There are
a few localities which are said to have
been at one time, the scenes of frequent
visits from some departed Indians
whose war-whoop broke in upon the
stillness of the night, till the more heroic
residents would take out their trusted
flint and steel rifles, fire a few shots,
when peace and quiet would again reign
supreme. Another locality said to have
been the burial place of Indians was of-
ten visited on Sunday afternoons by
groups of young men leisurely strolling
here and there. On one occasion one of
them concluded to thrust his walking
stick into one of the graves. He did so
only to find to his great surprise that he
could not withdraw it. His companions
came to his assistance, but to no pur-
pose. The staff remained in the earth
wedged no doubt between the rock, but
supposed by them to be in the firm grip
of the old Indian who had determined
that that stick should never molest him
again in the future. Curious spectators,
it is said, often came and viewed that
mysterious staff protruding from the In-
dian mound, but not being sure as to
what might happen, there was no one
courageous enough to attempt to remove
it.
The entire country abounded also in
witches of various degrees of ability in
witchcraft. These were dreaded even
more than wild beasts, Indians, Indian
ghosts, and the whole category of other
evils. And many of the older residents
had some marvelous and thrilling stor-
ies to relate of their observation and ex-
perience with witches. Of course, this
condition of things has long since passed
away. There is but one residence in all
these parts still supposed by its owner
to be witch-ridden. A visit to that home
when the occupant is away, will afford
the opportunity to see heavy padlocks
swung to the doors, and in addition
massive chains curiously kinked and
knotted, securing the doors to the porch
posts. The former are intended to keep
out thieves ; the latter, to hold back
witches.
Emigration to this locality began
about the year 1750. A few of the set-
tlers may have come as early as 1745.
There is practically no information on
the subject except that which is gotten
from grants, deeds, legal papers, family
Bibles, and tradition. The majority of
the colonists were from Pennsylvania.
Some of them located for a time in
Rowan, a county about fifty miles to the
East ; but hearing of the more fertile
lands on the west bank of the Catawba,
THE GERMANS IN NORTH CAROLINA WEST OF THE CATAWBA
20?
especially on the waters of its principal
tributary, the South Fork, they soon
took possession of these and formed
permanent settlements. However, there
is some reason to believe, as will be ex-
plained later, that part of the emigrants
came directly from the Palatinate ; or
that at least they were not long in this
country before taking up their abode
here. But most of them came directly
from the counties of York and Lancas-
ter without stopping at any intervening
points. The older people of this com-
munity speak of the above counties and
of the experiences of their ancestors in
coming from there to this locality. The
great grandfather of the writer was a
stage driver, and held his position for
several years ; but a tierce encounter
with some highway robbers about two
miles from the present city of Lancaster,
and in which a couple of men were
killed, caused him to change his occupa-
tion and seek his fortune elsewhere. He
was the original pioneer to this section
of the many families who now bear his
name.
As to the causes which brought the
early settlers to this section of the
South, these were the same as those
which sent them to other parts of the
world. In some cases the cause was in-
cidental, as in the above example. But
on the part of those who came directly
from the ancestral homeland, there was
much dissastis faction with the treatment
received at the hands of intolerant
rulers. This hardship was felt by Pala-
tinate German and Swiss alike. The
latter are also represented here by such
family names as, Bauman, (Bowman),
Behm (Beam), Huber (Hoover), Hoff-
stetter, Muller (Miller), Schneider,Tay-
lor), Schenck, and Yoder. Some were
influenced in their coming by Wander-
lust, a trait of character possessed by
the German people in all their history.
But no doubt the primary motive for
many was the desire to acquire, to ac-
cumulate wealth, and to improve their
conditions in general.
And in all this section they could not
Tiave chosen a more desirable locality
than that which is embraced in what is
now the counties of Lincoln, Catawba,
and Gaston, covering an area of about
fifty by thirty miles. The soil is pro-
ductive. Much if it is very fertile.
There are no other lands anywhere in
the South better adapted to agricultural
purposes in general. But under the old
regime of farming which existed here
till within the more recent years, no one
seemed to know just what the soil was
capable of producing. Even down to a
period as recent as thirty years ago
farming was done in a very superficial
way. There was no effort to increase
the yield except by increasing the acre-
age. The bull tongue, the twister, the
bar share ( in some instances with a
wooden mold board), the hoe, the hand
rake, the mattock, the grass scythe, and
the cradle for harvesting wheat, consti-
tuted the entire outfit of farm imple-
ments. With the natural fertility of the
soil, these would have done well enough,
if only better use had been made of
them. But as they had large tracts of
land, there was no desire to cultivate a
particular field longer than to draw out
its natural strength, when the neighbors
were invited in for a chopping and log
rolling, and another was opened up. And
to have seen some of these farms as
they appeared during the 70s and 80s,
overgrown in places with briars and
broom sedge, furrowed with gullies, on
account of poor drainage, lack of ter-
racing, shallow and improper cultiva-
tion, and consequent rapid erosion pro-
duced by the winter rains, would have
been to see a picture of agricultural life
rather univiting. But conditions have
changed. The new awakening which
has come to the South as a whole is no-
where more evident than here. Farm
implements and machinery of the best
and latest designs are being used. The
intensive idea of farming obtains almost
everywhere. Under the more progres-
sive spirit of the present, aided by state
demonstration work, the yield has been
increased a hundred fold. Fields and
farms once discarded and supposed to
b e practically worthless — although
naturally rich but poor on account of
neglect — are being reclaimed. The re-
208
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
spouse to the better treatment is all that
could be desired. In this particular lo-
cality, 50 to 75 bushels of corn, 50
bushels of oats, 30 bushels of wheat, 250
bushels of sweet potatoes, a bale of cot-
ton worth $75.00, can be easily produced
on an acre. This is not a chance pos-
sibility which may occur under certain
extraordinary conditions ; but it is what
is being actually done by all the better
grade farmers.
And just here it ought to be said that
those who pass through the South and
whose observation is limited to the view
obtained from the window or steps of a
moving train, do not see enough to ap-
preciate its agricultural possibilities. In
fact the impression thus obtained is
somewhat disappointing. This is espec-
iallv true, if the observer has ever gone
by rail through the Cumberland or Leba-
non valley, or from Reading to Lancas-
ter, and noted the magnificient farms
that appear on either side. But here the
railroads cross the streams at right
angles, or follow the dividing line on the
water sheds, thus affording but little op-
portunity to see the better sections of the
country.
From an industrial standpoint also,
this territorv is of strategic importance.
It is situated partly on and partly above
the "fall line" which marks the junction
of the Piedmont Plateau with the sandy
coastal plain. It has an abundance of
available water power that is not excel-
led anywhere south of the Merrimac.
Twenty-five vears ago this was un-
utilized ; but the growth of the textile
industries, and the advance in the
knowledge of transmitting electric
power, have given a wonderful impetus
to the development of these falls. There
are now 74 cotton mills in active opera-
tion on this territory. The majority of
these are either run by water or operated
by electric power from the neighboring
streams. Miles and miles of copper and
aluminum wire are now stretched upon
steel towers and wooden poles, and
carrying energy from the source of
power for the use of factories and mills
at points favorable to transportation and
health, instead of requiring the mills to
be built near the streams, where ill
health and poor work are bound to re-
sult. Many of these mills are owned
and controlled by these German descend-
ants, and in others they have large
holdings. The whole section is one of
vast industrial possibilities. And judg-
ing from what has been accomplished
during the last ten years, we may confi-
dently look for greater things in the
future. Natural resources and climatic
conditions are such that the appeal thus
made to the capitalist is very strong. In
fact with the raw material right here on
the ground, and with abundant water
power for manufacturing purposes, this
is destined to become one of the great in-
dustrial centers of the country. It shows
st once the wisdom and the foresight of
the fathers in selecting for themselves
and their children such a goodly land.
In educational matters their training
for many years was not extensive ; but it
was thorough as far as it went. They
made provision for good schools as soon
as conditions and circumstances would
allow. The church and the school house
went up side by side. Their interest in
education of an approved type is seen in
the action which they took in sending
Christopher Rintleman and Christopher
Layrle (1772) as a delegation to Europe
for the purpose of applying to the Con-
sistory Council of Hanover for minis-
ters and school teachers to supply the
various congregations ready to be organ-
ized. They succeeded in getting one
minister, Adolph Nussman, and one
teacher Gottfried Arndt. These came
over the next year (1773), and did
very effective work in caring for the
educational and religious interests of the
colonists. Other helpers would have
followed, and the good work begun by
these pioneer teachers would have pro-
gressed more rapidly ; but the Revolu-
tionary War which came on in the mean-
while, cut off all intercourse with
Europe, and demoralized the country in
general. This section especially felt the
effect of the disturbances to no small de-
gree, as it was the scene of two fierce
conflicts between the Patriots and the
Tories, — that of Ramsour's mill, Tune
THE GERMANS IN NORTH CAROLINA WEST OP THE CATAWBA
209
20, 1780, and the battle of King's Moun-
tain October 7 of the same year.
A very commendable feature of the
educational work of that period, and
one for which the German people have
always been noted, was the emphasis
laid upon the religious idea, making all
their training distinctively Christian.
Ihis is seen in the subject matter of
their text books, — their readers abound-
ing in selections from the Bible, and the
contents as a whole appealing to the
heart as well the mind. Even such
books as the ABC Buchstabir-und
Lesebuch by Billmeyer, and the ABC
Buck by the Henkels, gotten up for the
children, are not without the Creed, the
Lord's Prayer, other short prayers, and
hymns. It is not to be wondered at,
therefore, that the children of that day
grew up as a rule into men and women
with a high sense of honor, a keen ap-
preciation of right and wrong, and with
such other qualities of mind and heart
as help to make up ideal citizenship.
But we have come upon more evil
times. What we have gained in peda-
gogical methods and in meaningless
fairy tales, no doubt somewhat interest-
ing to the children, we have lost in
weightier matters.
The school houses of that period, like
those which existed everywhere else un-
der similar conditions, can not be said to
have been models of construction and
convenience. They were invariably
built of hewn logs, with an immense fire
place, one side of which was occupied
by the teacher, while the scholars
perched on slab benches high enough to
keep the little folks from dangling their
feet on the floor, were gathered around
in a kind of semi-circular order. On the
rear of the building an opening was us-
ually made by cutting out one of the
logs, almost its full length. This, some-
times with sash, but more frequently a
drop shutter hinged with leather straps,
served as a window to throw light upon
the improvised writing desk which was
ordinarily a plank supported on pegs
driven in the wall. Here the children
were gathered together immediately af-
ter the noon hour to receive their usual
instruction in penmanship. How they
could ever learn to write at this particu-
lar period with nerves and muscles all
wrought up from the strenuous exertion
on the play ground, indulging in bull
pen, town ball, shinney, and other vigor-
ous' sports, is somewhat hard to under-
stand. But withal, they did well, re-
markably well, even better than the ma-
jority of the vertical enthusiasts of the
present day. But these old-time school
houses with their cherished memories
have passed away. They were primitive
enough it is true. Still they rendered a
most splendid service as they had to do
with the making of some of the best
men and women which the state has
ever had. In their stead there have
arisen other buildings strictly modern in
their appointments. During the last five
years especially there has been a de-
cided advance in rural educational work.
No other section of the country any-
where has better school houses than
those which are being erected at this
time in this vicinity. Lenoir college (Lu-
theran) at Hickory and Catawba college
(German Reformed) at Newton, are
two flourishing institutions of learning
conducted in the interests of Christian
education. These schools are patronized
not only by the families of German de-
scent but by others also ; and the young
men who go out from them are taking
high positions in the professional, busi-
ness, and social life of the state. From
a denominational viewpoint ihe pioneers
were either German Reformed or Lu-
theran, principally the latter. There
were a few German Baptists at the be-
ginning, but these were never strong
enough to form an organization. For
many years churches were built and used
in common, each denomination how-
ever teaching and preaching the tenets
of its own faith, but at present the un-
ion house of worship is the exception
and not the rule. Almost every family
had its own private burying ground.
This was no doubt in part to the absence
of churches and church cemeteries for
a number of years. In some cases it
may have been due to the lack of bridges
and the consequent inability to cross
210
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
swollen streams. This would necessi-
tate selecting some plot of ground
nearer home, preferably of course on
the old homestead. There was naturally
a desire to bury the rest of the family
at the same place. Hence these family
burying plots when once started were
kept up for years, and in fact until in
some instances desecration to the graves
on the part of new and disinterested
owners of the land caused the younger
generations to see the propriety of tak-
ing their dead to the church cemeteries
w-iere their mortal remains could rest in
peace undisturbed by the ruthless hand
of greed and gain.
Like all their ancestors these people
were devoutly religious and well read in
the Bible and in their devotional books.
Almost every home was supplied with
choice books bearing on religious sub-
jects, even more so than can be found in
many homes of the present day. And
the fact that these Bibles, hymn books,
prayer books, and religious books in
general invariably bore the imprint of
some German publisher, may be taken
as an argument for believing that some
of the early settlers came directly from
the Palatinate. Had all who came into
this section, come directly from Penn-
sylvania, and had they lived there for a
considerable length of time before mov-
ing here, it is reasonable to suppose
that they would have supplied them-
selves with many of the devotional
books gotten out by its numerous pub-
lishers. Of course there are here a
number of books bearing the imprint of
Saur, Billmeyer, Zentler, Cist, Mentz,
and other early German American pub-
lishers, but the greater part of the old
German literature found in this locality
was produced in Germany.
It should be said, however, that with
the beginning of the Henkel publica-
tions in New Market, Va. in 1806, al-
most every house was supplied with the
productions of their press. This print-
ing house on account of its continuous
existence of more than a century, and
on account of the high character of its
publications, has had a remarkable in-
fluence upon the religious life of the
South.
So far as we know, no pastor lived
and labored among these pioneer settlers
during the first twenty-five years of
their residence here. They may have
had an occasional visit from some
traveling missionary. Under existing
conditions, therefore, it became neces-
sary for their school teachers to look af-
ter their spiritual needs, visit the sick,
bury the dead, and read prayers and
sermons in the service on Sundays. They
applied to Muhlenberg for help, but he
had no men to spare. Hence they sent
a delegation to Europe to lay their case
before the church authorities there. As
the result of that effort has already been
stated, it is only necessary to add that
Arndt who came here as a teacher, was
ordained to the office of the ministry two
years later (1775). While there is no
known record of his work as a whole, it
is generally believed that he organized
all the older congregations in this sec-
tion. Rev. Paul Henkel, himself a pio-
neer minister born near Salisbury, Ro-
wan County (1753), and preaching in
that vicinity (1 781- 1792) and again
1 800- 1 805). in a report to a Virginia
Conference, has this to say of the
labors of Rev. Arndt, — "In Lincoln
County there are eight or nine congrega-
tions, several of which are quite large.
All these have erected joint houses of
worship. The Lutheran congregations
were served by Gottfried Arndt for
twenty years ; and even before that time
he had often traveled among these
churches and performed official duties
as far as his circumstances would per-
mit. Four years before his death which
occurred in 1807, he had the misfortune
to lose his sight. He is buried under
the Lutheran Church at Lincolnton.
Living at the same time and caring for
the religious interests of the Reformed
people, was Rev. Andrew Loretz. Lit-
tle is known oLhis history, although he
is supposed to have been a native of
Switzerland. He died in 1812. His
residence, a substantial brick structure
which he erected in 1793, is still fairly
well preserved, and is one of the oldest
THE GERMANS IN NORTH CAROLINA WEST OF THE CATAWBA
211
landmarks in the community. Follow-
ing Arndt came Revs. Philip Henkel,
David Henkel, and Daniel Moser, who
laid deep and well the foundations upon
which much of the present work of the
church is standing. Beginning with the
death of Arndt, their work extended
down to the year 1830. With few ex-
ceptions all the congregations whose or-
ganization dates back to the beginning
of the last century, are strong and flour-
ishing. And although most of them
have sustained the usual losses which
come from death and removal, the old
mother congregations were never more
active and vigorous than now, and they
are showing a most commendable zeal
along lines of practical church work. As
an example of religious activity among
these people, it must be said that the N..
C. Conference of the Tenn. Synod,
which is confined almost entirely to the
territory designated in the caption of
this article, and which is composed of
about twenty-five ministers, has its own
Field Missionary whose whole time and
service are given to the work of develop-
ing new congregations within its bounds.
Of course the strategic importance of
the points cared for, makes this work
necessary ; but it is the co-operation of
the churches already established that
makes it possible.
The oldest plot of ground west of the
Catawba set apart for religious pur-
poses is that jointly owned by the Dan-
iel's Lutheran and Reformed congrega-
tions, and on which since 1889, each has
had its own house of worship. It con-
sists 'of about sixty acres of land and is
comprised of an original grant made by
George III to Matthew Floyd, and
deeded by him to Nicholas Warlick,
Frederick Wise, Urban Ashebanner,
Peter Statler, Peter Summey, and Peter
Hafner, for the consideration of 10 £s,
and by them conveyed to the "two con-
gregations of Lutherans and Calvinists",
January 9, 1774. But we are fully jus-
tified in believing that service was held
here in what was then known as the
school house church, even before the
above date, as the old deed shows that
these parties had purchased the land
from Floyd six years before a formal
transfer was made by them to the con-
gregations.
The location is ideal and one that is
beautiful for situation, and is in the
midst of one of the finest agricultural
sections in the state ; while the sur-
rounding community is made up of sub-
stantial and high-class citizens. This
special mention is made of this particu-
lar locality, because here was the first
settlement west of the Catawba, and the
first congregation ; and because of the
many useful men whom it has sent out
into the professional ranks of life. The
following ministers were born in this
community and partly reared within the
bounds of its two congregations ; Ger-
man Reformed, Revs. John Lantz and
Chas. W. Warlick. Lutheran, — Revs.
Polycarp Henkel, D.D., Socrates Henk-
el, D.D., until his death Editor of "Our
Church Paper", New Market, Va., Jesse
R. Peterson, L. A. Fox, D.D., Professor
of Philosophy in Roanoke College, Va.,
Junius B. Fox. Ph. D., at the time of his
death Professor in Newberry College, S.
C. ; R. A. Yoder, D.D., for many years
President of Lenoir College, Hickory,
N. C, J. A. Rudisill, H. L. Seagle. H.
A Kistler, and the present pastor of the
congregation, L. L. Lohr. And to this
list it may be well to add the name of
the present Supt. of the City Public
Schools of Wilson, S. C, and Pres. of
the State Teachers' Association, Prof.
Chas. L. Coon. The German descendants
in North Carolina west of the Catawba
have done reasonably well in the past ;
and it is confidently hoped that their fu-
ture will show no steps backward.
212
Stories of Old Stumpstown
Under this heading E. Crumbine, M.D., of
Mt. Zion, Pa., has collected a handful of
very interesting sketches giving a history of
events, traditions and anecdotes of early
Fredericksburg. These were read before the
Lebanon County Historical Society in 1909
and 1910 and have been issued in paper
cover book of 152 pages. The following
extracts give a fair idea of the contents of
the whole book. We hope there are many
others at work or ready to go to work to
gather up equally valuable sketches of their
respective communities. — Editor.
FREDERICKSBURG IOO YEARS AGO(p. II9)
One hundred years ago (in 1810), the
name of the village was still unsettled.
It was known as Stump's Town,
"Shtumpa Shtedd'l", New Town and
Fredericksburg. There was no postoffice
before 1826.
There was no free school house. The
school was kept, and only German
taught, in the small log school building
located on the south eastern corner of
St. John's churchyard. There was only
one church, built of logs, and it had no
bell.
Kerosene and other illuminating oils
were unknown. So were electricity and
gas. Tallow candles, and wrought iron
lamps in which hog's fat was burnt, were
in use.
Farmers raised flax, and from it such
warp and woof which was woven on
home-made wooden looms into linen
cloth of finer and coarser texture. Out
of this cloth were made towels, bed-
linen and underwear. They also made
a very coarse fabric of the thicker fibres
of the flax plant, called tow-cloth —
"werrigich Tuch". "Half-linen" or
linsey-woolsey was a cloth made of linen
warp and woolen filling or woof, and
was fashioned into clothing for both
sexes. Both warp and woof were the
product of the spinning-wheel and the
weaving was done on small looms.
Another product of the local weaver was
a heavy woolen bed blanket in two or
more bright colors, with the name of the
maker and the year Anno Domini woven
in. English capitals in one corner. One
of the manufacturers was Emanuel
Neilv, and his name can still be found
packed away in old-fashioned chests and
on beds of Lebanon county guest rooms.
Philip Krebs was a weaver in "Reams-
town" street. These blankets are heir-
looms in some families, having descended
through four or five or more genera-
tions, and they are highly prized by their
owners.
The village contained only two religi-
ous organizations, the Reformed and the
Lutherans, but a mile south the Menno-
nites were numerous, and worshipped
in a building of logs, erected in 1775. It
contained a plain pulpit, unpainted
wooden benches and was erected on an
acre of land donated by Casper Sherrick
in 1774.
Three miles to the northwest of the
little Mountain was a large wooden
structure in which a Moravian congrega-
tion worshipped. It was known as the
"Herrnhuter Schulhaus" — the Moravian
Schoolhouse. The auditorium was on
the second story, while the ground floor
was used as a dwelling by the school-
master, who taught in it six days in the
week during the winter months.
The morals of the town and vicinity
were not of the strictest order, and the
people were not all of the pious and
goody-goody kind as they are described
by some local historians. The village
people at Lebanon and neighboring
counties were not all saints, and had
their vices. Gambling was not unknown
and drunkenness was not uncommon.
Whiskey was cheap, brawls at the
taverns were frequent, while scarcely a
public vendue, a political gathering or a
military parade passed oft" without a
fight. In later years one of the habitual
brawlers of the vicinity acquired the
nickname of Bully Wagner, and another,
a Light, was known as the "Butta Wam-
sher".
Very few newspapers were brought
to the village, and these were mostly
printed in German. Dailies were un-
known ; so were the magazines.
The county was not Lebanon, but
Dauphin. It was not before 1813 that
Lebanon County was erected.
STORIES OF OLD STUMPSTOWN
213
Oranges were seen about twice a year.
When the merchants brought new goods
from Philadelphia their stock of mer-
chandise included a box of oranges.
Bananas were unknown in the town.
The spinning-wheel and reel were in
nearly every home. The reel was called
a "Hoshpel". There were also "wool-
wheels". "Hospel" was often applied to
an unsteady, foolish fellow. The spin-
ning-wheel, the reel and the wool-wheel
have all gone out of business, and only
the foolish, human "hospel" remains.
There was not a mile of telegraph nor
a single trolley car in the State and the
telephone had not even been dreamt of
in Stumpstown, nor in any other town
or out of it.
There was no threshing machine ;
wheat and other cereals were threshed
with flails, or tramped out on the barn-
floor by horses. An able workman could
earn 40 cents per day and board, in
threshing with a flail in a farmer's barn
in the winter time, but he was obliged to
labor from early dawn till dark night.
There were no mowers, no reaping
machines, no self-binders. Grain and
grass were cut with sickles, cradles and
Dutch scythes. The Dutch scythes were
sharpened on a "Denglestock" with a
"Dengle hammer".
Rye-bread was largely eaten, and
applebutter was a universal sauce.
Cherries, apples and peaches were dried
for winter use, and canned fruit was not
known. There were no pure food laws,
and no cases of ptomaine poisoning. So-
called "sanitation" of the present day
would have been hooted and regarded,
with disgust and contempt.
The Sunday collections in church were
taken in a small black velvet bag, eight
inches in depth, the top kept open by
means of an iron ring four inches in
diameter, suspended from the end of a
long pole. The bag had a small bell
attached to the botton, to arouse drowsy
members into a sense of giving. The
coins dropped into it were the big copper
cents of the time. It was called a
"Klingle-Seckly", which means, literally,
a tinkling-bag. There was congregational
singing led by a "fore-singer", and no
instrumental accompaniment.
Within the schoolhouse there were no
wall-maps, charts, globes nor black-
boards. Goosequills were in use instead
of steel pens. 1 he cost of tuition was
two cents per day and the county com-
missioners paid the schooling of indigent
children. Attending school was not com-
pulsory. It was a "free" school, inas-
much as one was free to attend, or not,
as he pleased. And still the children
grew up to useful manhood and woman-
hood.
There were no licensed saloons. Every
storekeeper sold whiskey by the pint or
quart, and the price was six cents per
pint. Lager beer was not heard of.
Neither was ice cream.
Cigars could be bought at the rate of
four for a cent, or twenty cents and less
per hundred, tied together with a strip
of corn husk.
There was not a single organ or piano
in any private house or church in Bethel
Township, and extremely few within the
present borders of our county.
SILENCE — SI LENTZ (p. 45)
One of Mr. Shlatterly's habits was,
when the school-room noises became too
loud and annoying to give a smart, re-
sounding rap on his desk with his rod or
ruler and call out in a loud voice,
"Silence". It so happened that a certain
boy named Bentz came one morning as
a new pupil, and during the day he was
greatly disturbed by the teacher's ex-
clamations, being under the impression
that they were addressed to him indi-
vidually and calling him Si Lentz. Now
be it understood that "Si" in the Penn-
sylvania German lingo stands for the
plural of pig and the poor boy imagined
that he was being called a "Pig-Lentz"
all day long. Therefore after his first
day he astonished his parents by declar-
ing that nothing would induce him to
return to school only to be abused and
called a "Si-Lentz" from morning till
evening. It is interesting to note that
after having the meaning of the term
explained to him, the lad came back,
developed a mathematical turn of mind
and became the best arithmetician in the
district.
214
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
THE BUCHANAN POLE (p. 35)
Twelve years later there was another
pole-raising by the Democrats in front
of John Foesig's tavern, near the corner
of Market and Pinegrove streets. It
was accompanied by an ox-roast and fol-
lowed by a roistering frolic at night.
Three Reading artists were brought to
the place, one to paint in big letters the
names of Buchanan and Breckinridge on
the large square canvas attached to the
pole, and all three to play stringed in-
struments for the crowd. It was a rainy
day, and when the first attempt failed to
raise the shaft and plant it into the deep
hole excavated for its reception, a
gathering of Fremont Republicans on
the opposite side of the street in front of
old Jacob Eshleman's house, cheered
vociferously as it came down into the
mud. But when in a second attempt the
Democrats made a "long pull, a strong
pull and pull altogether", when the pole
reached the perpendicular, and the
names of the distinguished Pennsylva-
nian and the Southern slave-holder were
flung to the drizzling air, then it was
their turn to cheer and they did cheer.
Perhaps their enthusiasm would have
been less vociferous had they foreseen
the long years of bloody strife between
the North and the South which was to
begin before the administration of James
Buchanan and John C. Breckinridge
came to a close.
This occasion furnished a theme for a
rhymester who wrote a lampoon in the
vernacular against the local Democratic
leaders, which appeared in the "Libanon
Demokrat". It was too good to be en-
tirely lost, and a part of it is here re-
produced :
An Invitation.
Hurrah, hurrah, ihr Demokraten !
Komrat herbei zum Ochsenbraten. .
Macht eich raus in aller Freeh,
Es gibt e'n wedderliche Shpree !
E'n alter Ochs ist an der Heck,
Den braten wir mit Haut tin' Dreck ;
Der Kalbs-kop Butcher un der Hans
Die heben schon den Ochs am Schwantz !
Der Buck, so hab ich hoere sagen,
Wollt komme' auf 'm Wind-Muehl
YYagen ;
Und wei bei jeder Lumperei
Ist der Huchster au' dabei.
Der Kueh-Dokter derf der YYampe
lehren,
Und sich e'n neues Hemd raus scheren ;
Und wass noch gibt der groesste G'spass,
Ein gut-gefilltes Whiskey-Fass !
CAKES AND BEER MAMMY STROH(p. 37)
In the northwest corner of Market
Square stood in the first half of the
nineteenth century a steep-roofed brown-
ish-red, one-storied house which was the
residence of Michael Stroh and his wife,
whose maiden name was Rudy. Mrs.
Stroh was known to all the boys and
girls of the village as Mammy Stroh,
and every one loved her and her large
and comfortable sitting room, as well as
the toothsome wares which she sold
there. These consisted of sweet cook-
ies, "mintsticks" and black molasses
candy, called" "mozhey". Besides these
she kept for sale inch-sized blocks of
candy, wrapped in papers of different
colors with narrow slips, on which were
printed sentiments in two rhyming lines,
known as "loveletters". They might
have been termed "courtship made
easy". They were sold at the rate of
four for a cent, and the rhymes were
like these :
"Our joys when united will always in-
crease,
And griefs when divided are Iull'd into
peace."
Another was like this :
Love all sincere, dear youth, is mine,.
For oh ! my faithful heart is thine.
Cigars tied together in bundles of 100
with narrow strips of corn husks were
sold at the rate of four for one big cop-
per cent.
She also made and sold a swreet drink,
known as mead, which was a veritable
nectar to young palates. She wore a
snow-white cap with a big ruffle, or frill,
which surrounded her kind, brown,
STORIES OF OLD STUMPSTOWN
215
wrinkled, motherly, old face as with a
halo of glory. Her room was heated by
means of a big, old-fashioned stove and
the fuel burned in it was white oak and
solid hickory wood. For a youth of
romantic seventeen to sit on the shiny,
old-fashioned, red wood-chest, behind
that warm stove, next to a girl of sweet
sixteen was like enjoying a seat beside a
redeemed Peri in Paradise, and the
buzzing of the hre in the old wood-stove
was like the music of the sphere falling
upon the ears of the blest !
Mammy Stroh's parlor was a sort of,
trysting-place for the Dutch lads and
lassies and many an acquaintance begun
there in the dim light of her fat-lamp
ripened into friendship and the closer
ties of love. Many a matrimonial match
had the beginning in Mistress Stroh's
cake-parlor over a glass oi spicy mead
and a delicious "Leb-kuche", paid for
by the boy's copper pennies. She drove
an especially brisk trade during the
Christmas and New Year holidays,
when many a rip and levy and a big
shower of coppers, found their way into
her money box. The young people of
that day spent more copper than silver
pieces, and despite the fact of having
no end of pure-food legislation in our
time, the dappled cookies and the black
"mozhey" of Mammy Stroh's manufac-
ture were purer and healthier than the
disgusting chewing-gum and the un-
wholesome sweetmeats that are annually
thrust upon the holiday market to sow
the seeds of ill health and bad habits.
a teacher's examination (p. 55)
The advent of the County Superin-
tendent in 1854 marked a new era in
school affairs. The first incumbent was
John H. Kluge of Lebanon, a teacher in
the Lebanon Academy building on the
corner of Willow and the "plankroad"
now Tenth Street. He was a short, fat
man, with a round pleasant face and a
kind heart but withal of a somewhat
sarcastic turn, as the following incident
will show : It was a day in the month
of September, early in the fifties. A
number of old schoolmasters with some
younger men were behind the desks in
room number 4 in the old schoolhouse,
while Mr. Kluge, as examiner, occupied
the large desk facing the class. The
branch was English grammar, and the
examination was oral. "Mr. X," said
the Superintendent in mild tones, "what
is English grammar?"
In a shrill treble Mr. X. replied,
"Well, I cannot say much about it."
"Don't you know anything about Eng-
lish grammar?" was the next question.
"O, yes, I know some."
"Well, then, Mr. X. will you tell me
what a noun is?" said Mr. Kluge.
"A noun?" repeated the old peda-
gogue, rolling his eyes along the ceiling
as if to find an answer there. "No, sir;
I cannot say chust now what — what a
noun is."
"AVhy, Mr. X. if you know anything
at all about grammar you should be able
to answer this question ; it is the sim-
plest one I can ask you."
This was too much for our old friend
Mr. X. and in his thin treble he almost
shouted, "Well, I haf kep' school dese
twenty-five years !"
"Is it possible?" said Mr. Kluge, slow-
ly but with emphasis, and passed on to
the next candidate for pedagogical
privileges.
A PRAYER MEETING INCIDENT (p. 92)
They often suffered persecution at the
hands of the unregenerated sons of
"Belial" who during the evening services
would play all manner of tricks on the
rear and illy lighted benches, or in the
darkness outside. On one occasion, at a
meeting on Mechanic street, held on a
warm summer night, when all were on
their knees and nearly every one's voice
shouting irregular responses and loud
aniens to the one who was leading in
prayer, a certain elderly brother was
kneeling with his back toward the open
window. He wore very long hair, and
when one of the "wicked ones" armed
with a long, slender stick having the end
split into short, brush-like splinters,
quietly poked it through the window,
and, twisting it like a screw into the
devout brother's long locks, gave it a
216
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
sudden wrench and tore out a handful
of hair, the sufferer leaped to his feet
and shouted, "Hier in unsere Mitte is
der Almechtig Gott, aher drous in der
dunkele Nacht ist der lehendig Teufel !"
(Here is our midst is the presence of
Almighty God, hut out in the darkness
of night is the living devil!")
DOMESTIC REMEDIES (p. 78)
The minor ailments, especially of chil-
dren, were as a rule, treated with
domestic remedies in the first fifty years
of the town's existence. The garrets
held a store of recognized remedies for
many of the ills which flesh is heir too.
Suspended from the rafters, tied in
paper, were sage, and hyssop, catnip and
boneset, rue and rosemary, thyme and
mint, horehound and coriander, fennel
and pennyroyal, elecampene root and
hollyhock flowers. For rheumatism
there were the amulets, the pow-wowers
and prickly ash bark ; for erysipelas
there was the woman who, with three
strands of red silk, or red wool, could
charm it away, or if silk and wool were
difficult to get, three shovelfuls of live
coals carried thrice across the person of
the patient would of a certainty afford
relief. In the corner cupboard were the
camphor bottle and the lily-dram, the
walnuts in whiskey and the tansy bitters.
Living the simple life, sleeping in
attics so well ventilated that little snow-
drifts were often found on top of the
featherbed or on their woolen stockings
on the bare floor as they opened their
eyes in the early dawn the boys and girls
became hardy and strong. Making their
morning ahlutions, not in a warmed
bathroom, but out at the pump, sur-
rounded by snow, with icicles pendant
from the spout, they became robust and
rosy-cheeked, and it is safe to say that
the death-rate among the early villagers
was no greater than it is in our own time
of State Health Boards, Anti-toxin
fakes, subsidized, outdoor, hospital
camps and Christian Science humbugs.
the store (p. 74)
The merchants of the olden time
bought their goods at Philadelphia,
whence they were brought in big Cone-
stoga wagons by farmers, who, when
taking to the eastern markets the pro-
ducts of the farm and the still, brought
dry goods, hardware and groceries on
their return home. This was the custom
before the building of the Union Canal,
hut after the opening of that water-way,
the goods were carried to Lebanon by
boat, and thence hauled to their destina-
tion for the retail trade. Spring and
autumn were the seasons for the mer-
chant to replenish his stock, and these
were great times for the housewives who
needed ginghams and calicoes, muslins
and ribbons, to go and see the new goods.
The crowds on these occasions were
similar to those in a modern department
store on a bargain day, and for weeks
the merchant's money-drawer was con-
verted into an instrument of music, as
the Spanish dollars, the quarters, fips
and levies dropped into them in great
profusion.
Among the curious dames who at an
early hour hastened to see the latest
novelties was one whom we will call
Catherine Q. She seldom bought any-
thing, her scant supply of pin-money
forbidding it, but she took a great inter-
est in the newest textile fabric, especially
in blue cotton prints, and she loved to
smoke cigars. She was the first one for
whom the salesman made a display of
calicoes, his silk ribbons and his new fip-
sugar. She spent hours in examining
the various kinds of merchandise, the
proprietor knowing well the value of her
advertising tongue if he was patient and
obliging. After having taken a mental
inventory of almost the entire stock, hut
buying nothing she would say, "And
now you ought to present me with a real
good cigar!" And she got it every time.
She spent the remainder of the day in
going from house to house with a glow-
ing account of the fine bargains to be
had.
Among the merchandise of a general
store were rye, whiskey and other
liquors. Monongahela whiskey could be
bought at eight to ten cents per quart,
and it was a common thing to keep a
STORIES OF OLD STUMPSTOWN
217
rum bottle in the family cupboard. When
new goods arrived, and the huge hogs-
heads of sugar, the puncheons of rum
and the heavy casks of molasses were
unloaded, the whiskey bottle was free to
all obliging persons who assisted in the
work. On one of these occasions a lad
of thirteen was among the busy crowd
and was busiest where the bottle was
kept. In the course of an hour or two
he was unable to walk. His fond mother,
supposing her boy had been taken sud-
denly ill, put him to bed and nursed him
as a sick child. All at once his stomach
rebelled, and there was a fearful up-
heaval, which by its odor, betrayed the
lad's condition to the mother. Starting
awav from him in disgust and indigna-
tion, she cried, "Why, my God, Obadiah,
you are drunk !" "Do you really think
I am, Mom?" said the lad and took his
time to become sober.
THE OLD-FASHIONED BAKE-OVEN (p. II3)
Every Fredericksburger had a meal-
chest, or a flour barrel, a dough-trough,
or "Bock-muld", and also bread-baskets
made of rye-straw and hickory-splints.
These articles were kept in a small room
called the "meal-room". To this room
the miller carried the bag of meal. The
bran was taken to the stable and then fed
to the cow. The miller was always sure
of his pay, for he took toll before grind-
ing the grain. The toll amounted to ten
per cent, and it was measured out with
a small wooden box called a "mulder-
bexly" or toll-box, which was filled and
taken for each bushel that was ground.
Every customer got the flour of his own
wheat, and the miller was said to be
doing "custom work". This custom has
passed away. A farmer may still take
a bag of wheat to the mill, but he only
exchanges it for its value in flour. Every
family in those old days baked its own
bread, in a brick oven. No house was
complete without a "bake-oven". There
were three utensils used in the process
of baking bread, which are quite un-
known to many persons of the present
day. They were the "Back-ofa-kitch",
the "Back-ofa-huddle", and the "Back-
ofa-sheeser". The first of these was a
sort of long-handled hoe with which the
live coals were raked or dragged out of
the oven after it was heated — literally, a
bake-oven catch, catch having been cor-
rupted to "kitch". The second consisted
of a cloth tied to a long pole with, which
the oven was swept clean of what the
"kitch" failed to remove. The last-
literally, a bake-oven shooter — was a
flat, wooden shovel, also with a long
handle, which was used to convey the
pans containing the dough into the hot
oven, as well as to remove them when
baked. The baking was done on Friday,
as a rule, and on the same day was
baked the week's supply of pies. I heard
of a certain economical housewife, who.
when she was boarding the laborers,
baked a supply two weeks ahead in order
to have then stale all the time and
consequently have them last longer.
FUNERAL CUSTOMS (p. 94)
When a death occurred, messengers
were at once sent out to carry the sad
news, with the date and hour of the
funeral, to friends and relatives. Four
persons of the neighborhood were
selected as "grave-makers" — married
men if the deceased died in wedlock;
boys or young men in case of an infant
or' unmarried person. These four dug
the grave, acted as pallbearers, and made
the interment.
Soon after the death the church bell
would ring for a short time, and, after a'
pause, would "toll" forth the number of
years of the deceased. In case of an
infant of an age under three, the bell
would "toll two". The neighbors would
offer their services free to make prepara-
tions for the funeral. A calf would be
killed and numbers of chickens decapi-
tated. There would be roasting and
stewing and baking, and a great array of
funeral meats, cakes and pies would
cover tables and benches in the cellar.
In order to keep rats and mice away,
small lights were improvised by cutting
out of a newspaper or some wrapping
paper, a circular piece the size of a
saucer. The centre of this was twisted
into the shape of an inch-long wick and
218
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
put in the bottom of the saucer. Lard
or hog's fat used for burning in the
saucer in a "Fett-Amshel", or fat-lamp,
was pressed on the paper in the saucer
around the wick-like projection, which
was greased and lighted. Three or four
of these night-lamps were placed at dif-
ferent points in the cellar, where they
burned all night and kept the little four-
footed thieves away.
As late as the middle of the last cen-
tury, and even later, it was a common
custom for the neighbors to sit up all
night and keep watch with the dead.
Though far from approaching the con-
vivial Irish wake, the occasion was made
more or less of a social gathering, and
at midnight refreshments were served
to the watchers. Hymns were sung at
intervals, and the younger folks often
managed to do a little decorous love-
making on the quiet towards the wee
small hours of the morning.
There were no hearses in those days,
and when from the country, the dead
were carried in large "Conestoga"
wagons covered with canvas, spread over
big bows arching from side to side. At
other times the coffin was placed on the
straw-spread bottom of a coverless
wagon, with the driver and undertaker
seated in the forepart on a board laid
across the box. The preacher and the
"foresinger" headed the funeral train in
a rockaway or in an old-fashioned family
carriage. The friends followed in dif-
ferent kinds of vehicles from the heavy
carriage to the lumbering, springless
two-horse wagon which had an abundant
supply of straw in the bottom and had
boards laid across the box to serve as
seats.
The funerals coming from the east,
from the north or from the west, halted
just south of the crossing of Pinegrove
and Market streets. The coffin was
placed on the black bier near the side-
walk. The minister, the "foresinger",
the relatives and friends, together with
a number of idlers and apprentice boys,
were grouped around. A hymn was sung
as the undertaker turned back on its
hinges the upper sections in two parts,
of the coffin lid, exposing the face and
upper parts of the shroud, and then, the
bell began tolling and continued to do so
until the open grave was reached. There
the burial service was recited, another
hymn was sung, generally from the
"Saenger am Grabe" and the coffin was
lowered into the grave. The friends
followed the minister to the church to
sit under a long and often tedious ser-
mon. It was the custom for the kins-
folk to keep their hats on their heads in
church during the services. The appren-
tice boys and the village idlers remained
at the grave until the "grave-makers'r
had rounded the mound and also gone
to the church. Then the boys returned
to their tasks in the shop, and the few
idlers to their accustomed benches and
boxes in the stores and taverns, there
to discuss the merits and faults of the
departed.
219-
ierman oocia
1 Ideal
WISH to thank you most
sincerely for the privilege
of appearing before you
on the birthday of your
national hero who with
Frederic the Great initi-
ated the friendship be-
tween our two countries,
which has existed unbroken ever since.
I most highly appreciate the great honor
conferred on me by this University of
world wide fame. This is all the more
the case as the same honor has some
years ago been conferred on His
Majesty the Emperor. It is exceedingly
gratifying to me, that the degree of
doctor of laws brings me in a lasting
connection with the celebrated Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania which under the
leadership of its distinguished presidents
has become a centre of light and inspira-
tion to the whole world. I am well
aware, that in conferring such a great
honor on me you were less prompted by
the wish to recognize my small personal
merits than by the desire to express your
friendship and sympathy for the nation
I have the honor to represent. Such
friendship seems especially natural at
Philadelphia, as this beautiful city has
been the home of, the first German set-
tlers, who reached this hospitable coun-
try. In the days of the great founder of
this University, Pennsylvania was the
most German of the colonies. That is,
however, a story which you all know
more about than I do. Those German
settlers and the many millions of others
who came here in later days have since
been Americanized and proved to be
very good citizens. They now form a
natural bond of an ever increasing
friendship between Germany and the
United States. Most of them left their
old home, when the name of Germany
only lived in verse and song and the
nation was granulated into many political
units. Unfriendly foreign critics who
regret that Germany cannot in our days
be bullied as in former centuries are apt
to reproach us for having, with our
political sleepiness, also laid aside our
old and true German ideals. This, how-
ever, is not at all the case. I believe that
no better proof could have been given
that idealism is still the chief character-
istic of the German soul and that
righteousness is the dominant motive in
the will of our nation, than by the efforts,
made in my country to solve the social
problem which is the problem of the day.
A celebrated German author has said:
"Mankind is pitiful, as it has not even-
been able to devise a method of clothing
everybody and protecting everybody
against hunger and thirst." We are still
far from attaining this ideal goal. Very
much can, however, be done to alleviate
the state of dependence on the rich man
in which the poor man- now lives. This
state of dependence is apt to lead to
political agitation of a dangerous and
Utopian kind, but one of the great lessons-
history teaches us is, that no population
is ever disturbed by wholly imaginary
grievances and that political agitation
lives and is formidable only by virtue of
what is reasonable in its demands. The
faculty to distinguish clearly how far
such demands are reasonable is an indis-
pensable element of statesmanship, and a
statesman who intends to take the social
problem in hand must be gifted with that
dramatic instinct, that fine, sympathetic
insight, which enables a man to put him-
self for a moment into the condition
and mood of men entirely unlike him-
self in feeling, education, habits and
principles. Our great Bismark was such
a statesman. After he had restored the
unity of the German nation and re-
formed our tariff law, he realized that it
was his duty to take a bold initiative in
the domain of social legislation under
the Government of our present sovereign
with the assistance of the federal states,
the Imperial Parliament, and the whole
nation.
This legislation throws a heavy burden
on the tax payer in general and the
employers especially, a burden which
they, however, have gladly taken on
220
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
their shoulders, hecause the new institu-
tions, in practically raising the wages of
our working classes, have secured to
them a tolerable standard of life, guar-
anteed their physical health and so
furthered their social, moral and intel-
lectual interests.
If the workman is without employ-
ment, all the municipal and associated
effort, skillfully co-ordinated and effici-
ently directed, can do to find him work
is promptly done. For the workless man
who thinks he can better his prospects in
a new home, the "herberge" and the relief
station exist and offer the traveler hos-
pitable lodging and food by the way. To
the needs of the miscellaneous crowd of
unemployed whose love of steady indus-
try is not always above suspicion, labor
colonies, conducted both on industrial
and agricultural lines, minister in their
special way. In the towns exceptional
seasonal distress is more and more met
by the provision of public works. To
encourage the provident a method of
insurance against worklessness has been
introduced in some cities.
If the workman wishes to change his
dwelling, the municipality has a house
agency of its own, at which all desired
information and help can be obtained
without charge. If he wishes to buy or
to build a house for himself, public
funds of various kinds — state, municipal,,
philanthropic — are available, and many
millions of dollars have already been
advanced in this way.
If the money is wanted on loan the
municipality acts as pawnbroker and
offers prompt relief with absolute as-
surance of fair dealing.
If the workman is in difficulty from
want of friendly advice, the municipal
information bureau is prepared to
counsel him on every subject.
If capital and labor have fallen out,
the industrial courts offer facilities for
settling the disagreements expeditiously
and without cost.
If sickness throws its shadow over the
worker's home, the gloom is relieved
owing to the fact that the needs of wife
and children are supplied by the insur-
ance fund to which he has contributed
during health. So, too, in the event of
accident, there are well ordered public
hospitals and convalescent homes, to
which every rate-paying citizen may go
for nursing and rest, and there is also an
excellent system of healing agencies
which has been set up by the insurance
authorities and which is at the disposal
of all insured workers of any age and of
either sex.
When the age of decay and helpless-
ness has come, a pension awaits the
weary soldier of industry, a pension not
large, nor yet as large as it might be, but
a welcome supplement to his own sav-
ings or to the sacrifice of children or
relatives.
All these practical experiments in the
science of social government are re-
markable for their originality. I hope
therefore to foster your friendly feelings
for my country by speaking of them, as
Germany has in this domain shown an
initiative and a boldness which, whether
the results always give satisfaction or
not, compel admiration and respect.
As you see our efforts to solve the
social problem, cover the whoie range of
life and action, and it would therfore be
quite impossible to deal with all our
social institutions today. I would not
venture to engage your attention for
such a long time. I will begin with the
industrial insurance laws, because these
are of the greatest interest to foreign
nations and are being copied by many.
These industrial insurance laws must
be taken into account if we wish to pass
a fair judgment upon the wages and
standard of life of the German work-
men.
On the one hand the employer is
heavily taxed by these laws, a tax which
must be added to the cost of production,
and on the other hand, thanks to the
insurance laws, the employed enjoy
benefits such as the workmen of other
countries can not count on.
The first of the three laws I intend
speaking of without going into more
tedious details than are absolutely neces-
sary, requires insurance against sick-
ness in the case of all persons who are
regularly employed for wages. There
GERMAN SOCIAL IDEALS
!21
are various groups of insurance agencies
whose regulations differ in many details
from one another, but the general basis
of insurance is the same.
The law provides for a minimum
benefit, which consists of free medical
attendance and medicine from the begin-
ning of the sickness ; and in the event
of incapacity for work sick-pay from
the third day of illness, amounting to
half the daily wages, on which the con-
tributions have been based. The long-
est period for which sick-pay is granted
is twenty-six weeks, after which, should
incapacity continue, the liability is
transferred to the invalidity insurance
fund, though medical assistance may
continue for a year.
Instead of insured persons receiving
free medical attendance at home, they
may be treated in hospital — with their
consent in the case of people having
homes of their own — without their con-
sent, when to their cure are necessary
such attending and nursing as cannot be
efficiently given in their own homes.
Where a person upon whom others de-
pend for support is attended in a hospi-
tal, half the sick-pay to which he would
otherwise have had a claim is paid to
them.
It is within the power of most of the
funds to extend the sick relief to a
maximum of one year ,to increase the
benefit to three quarters of the wages
and to increase the relief given to the
families of persons treated in hospital to
half their wages.
The contributions are paid to the
extent of two-thirds by the insured and
to the extent of one-third by the em-
ployers.
The workmen have a large share in
the management of the sick-funds, the
board being elected by employers and
employed. The employers' respresenta-
tives may never number more than half
of the workers' representatives.
The accident insurance laws embrace
the same classes of wage earners. The
insurance is carried out under the guar-
antee of the empire on the mutual system
by the employers united in trade asso-
ciations, which may embrace all the
several branches of industry in certain
districts or in the whole empire, parity
of risk being thus aimed at. The asso-
ciations enjoy the privilege of legal per-
son are self-governing, the members of
each association electing their own exec-
utive, membership to which is honorary.
The imperial insurance board exercises
supreme control and oversight over the
whole of the trade associations, yet only
with a view to the full observance of the
law. Every employer becomes a mem-
ber of the association of his trade by the
fact of his establishing an industrial
undertaking, and the liability to insure
his work-people and to pay contributions
on their behalf necessarily follows. The
whole of the employers are divided into
danger classes and the premiums levied
are fixed accordingly in a danger tariff.
The workmen make no contribution, the
employers bearing the whole liability.
The trade associations do not, however,
confine their attention to paying com-
pensation for accident. As it is evident
that both the trade associations and their
individual members have a strong inter-
est in diminishing the chances of acci-
dents, the law confers on the trade
associations the improtant privilege of
prescribing regulations for the preven-
tion of accidents. By such regulations
not only the employer can be compelled,
under penalty of higher assessments to
adopt the necessary measures for safety,
but the workmen can also be forced by
fines to follow these rules.
Compensation is paid even though
there be negligence on the workman's
part. The compensation payable in case
of injury begins only at the expiration
of thirteen weeks after the occurrence of
the accident, the sick-fund being respon-
sible in the interval. After that time the
association provides all requisite medical
attendance, and also pays a weekly pen-
sion so long as incapacity lasts.
The amount of the pension depends on
the yearly earnings of the injured per-
son and on the degree to which his
earning power is depreciated. The full
pension amounts to two-thirds of the
yearly wages and is given in case of
complete incapacity to work ; while a
:222
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
smaller percentage is given where the
earning capacity is only partially de-
str< tyed.
In place of, free attendance and a
pension an injured person may be given
.gratuitous treatment in a hospital, in the
same way as under the insurance law
against sickness. Should an accident
have fatal result, death-money, to the
extent of one-fifteenth of the yearly
earnings, and pensions are paid to the
relatives dependent upon a deceased per-
son.
Liability to insurance against old age
.and invalidity falls on all workmen who
have completed their sixteenth year, and
no fixed period of employment is neces-
sarv as a prior condition.
The work of insurance is carried on
by insurance societies in co-operation
with State adminstrative bodies subject
to the control of the insurance board of
the empire. These societies are formed
for single or -combined communal unions,
for portions of a State, for a whole
State, or for several States together.
Representatives of the employers and
emploved are elected in equal numbers
upon the several organs of management.
They are honorary officers and have only
a claim to out-of-pocket expenses, these
covering, in the case of work-people, loss
•of time and earnings.
The receipt of an invalidity or old age
pension depends on the payment of the
prescribed statutory contribution and the
occurrence either of inability to earn a
livelihood or the prescribed age of quali-
fication namely, the seventieth year.
'There are three contributions, equal pay-
ments by the employers and their insured
work-people and a subsidy by the empire
of fifty marks toward every pension
granted. The empire also pays the con-
tributions of the workmen while serving
in the army or navy, defrays the
■expenses of the imperial insurance office
and effects gratuitously, as in the case
•of accident insurance, the payment of
pensions through the postoffices. The
premiums are payable for every week of
work and the insured are divided intq
five wage classes. The premiums are
levied in the form of stamps, which are
issued by the various insurance institu-
tions for the several wage classes and
are sold at the postoffices. These stamps
are affixed to receipt cards which are
exchanged for new ones when filled up.
The employer deducts a workman's
premium from his wages and affixes the
stamps.
The amount paid as pension differs
according to the wage class and the
duration of the contribution. The pen-
sions are paid through the local postoffice
where the recipients live. Finally, to
meet the case of those who, after con-
tributing to the funds, do not live to
enjoy the promised benefits, it is pro-
vided that half of the premiums paid by
insured persons shall be returned in the
event of death before the receipt of a
pension and in the event of incapacity
occurring owing to an accident which is
compensated out of the accident insur-
ance funds.
You will have noticed, ladies and
gentlemen, that there is a fundamental
difference between our compulsory in-
surance system and the new English old
age pension law, inasmuch as in the
latter country the workmen pay no con-
tributions. I will, however, refrain
from discussing the merits of the two
systems.
The enormous sums accumulated by
our triple insurance system are not a
dead charge on the national household,
they remain its property and also really
benefit the nation by increasing the
capacity of the workmen, who are im-
proved in health and power by resistance,
by unburdening private charity, and by
furthering important national aims such
as satisfaction of agricultural require-
ments of credit, building of workmen's
homes, hospitals, sanatoriums, schools
and so on.
The workmen's insurance laws have
had a great influence on the German
cities in giving a strong impetus, which
led to the creation of very many useful
municipal institutions.
The cities are burdened by the work-
men's insurance partly in their quality
as administrative authorities having to
perform a certain quantity of work for
GERMAN SOCIAL IDEALS
223
the execution of the three branches of
insurance, partly as the responsible
executors of the communal sick insur-
ance which often requires subvention
out of communal funds, and partly as
employers in the municipal public works,
such as gas, water, electric works, and
tramways.
Considering that the workman is only
entitled to claim the benefits of the
insurance laws in case of sickness, acci-
dent, invalidity and old age, if his posi-
tion is that of a workman from the legal
point of view, many towns have taken
measures to the effect that every healthy
workman gets occupation, if possible,
and remains insured.
For that purpose, labor register offices
have been instituted which, under
responsible direction, form central offices
for the labor market and assist the
workman in looking for employment.
They supply to the unemployed work-
man quick and gratuitous information
about vacancies and so reduce the time
of involuntary idleness and enable him
to earn his living and, at the same time,
to found his legal claim for further
assistance. Hardly any German city of
any industrial importance can be named
which has not in regular operation an
efficient labor registry.
The executive bodies are chosen in
different ways, but employers and work
people are generally given a place and a
voice upon them. In the great majority
of cases the bureaus are independent
departments of municipal government
with separate officials and offices, though
here and there they are associated with
other branches of work. In most cases
the seekers of work like the seekers of
workers are simply registered in lists,
classified according to occupation and at
stated times are invited to call and in-
quire whether their needs can be sup-
plied. Tt is becoming very common,
however, to provide convenient waiting
rooms in which the registered unem-
ployed can be sheltered during the day.
Where this is done a vacancy list is
usually read out in hearing of the as-
sembled applicants at regular intervals.
Several cities have devoted and have
even specially built large and convenient
buildings for this important branch of
work. As a rule the bureaus are open
all day on week ways, and in many cases
a few hours on Sundays as well. Free
service is now the almost universal rule,
whether the applicant be a workman or
an employer, the costs of the institution
all falling on the municipality.
The period for which applicants are
registered varies from a fortnight to
several months, but at the end of the
time registration may be renewed, should
work not have been found. No uniform
rule is followed in the consideration of
applications for employment. Nominally,
indeed, such applications are taken in
the order of priority in the case of un-
skilled workmen, though the head of a
household will not uncommonly be given
preference before a single man. In
dealing with skilled labor a man's
capacity and his fitness for the special
task offered are considered, even where
the employer does not make express
stipulations on the point. It is unusual
for the labor bureau to inquire into the
personal character of the applicants ;
here master and man are left to the test
of experience. It is, however, an almost
invariable rule to require an applicant
for work to legitimatize himself by the
production of some such official docu-
ment as a labor book, army discharge
certificate, or insurance paper, which not
infrequently has to be deposited until he
either finds work or is discharged from
the register. There is no rule debarring
men in work from seeking new employ-
ment through the labor bureau, but it is
seldom that questions are asked on the
point.
The towns are further endeavoring
to reduce involuntary idleness by provid-
ing for work, viz., by having so-called
"distress work" executed. This kind of
work has been undertaken by the cities
to a great extent during the last years of
economic depression. The municipali-
ties are recognizing the opportunity, if
not so readily the duty, of offering a
helping hand to the laboring class in
time of need. In most large cities the
undertaking of "distress works" in times
224
THE PEXNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
of exceptional unemployment is now a
part of a well devised scheme and is
regulated in every detail by elaborate
municipal statutes or By-Laws. As a
rule such works are carried out during
the winter months only, from the begin-
ning of December to the end of Febru-
ary or the middle of March. And yet
the fact should be emphasized that the
municipalities are adverse to any formal
recognition of the workless amongst
their citizens. Even in the cities where
the provision of distress works is syste-
matic and recurs unerringly with the
revolution of the year ,the authorities,
in self-protection, generally take care to
disown any direct social obligation.
They act of grace and not of moral com-
pulsion. Sound reasons point to the
desirability of such a policy of prudence.
The concession of the principle of a
"right to work" involves a responsibility,
which, whether justifiable or not, is one
of immense significance. Moreover, if
a municipality is morally bound to pro-
vide its members with employment it is
obvious that such a responsibility cannot
be extended to outsiders whom roaming
ways, encouraged by an adventurous
spirit or even a genuine desire for work,
may have brought to the town. Jf a
universal right to work be admitted, the
question becomes a national one, and the
State must in that event intervene. At
the same time it is recognized that it is
a wise policy to keep deserving people
off the poor law, so helping them to re-
tain the spirit of independence and self-
reliance and not less to protect them
from idleness, which is so fruitful a
cause of demoralization in every class of
society. It is the recognition of this
fact more than any other consideration
that has led so many municipalities in
Germany to over-ride objections and
difficulties and under proper safe-guards
to create facilities for work in times of
special scarcity. There are two ways of
doing this; where possible work of an
ordinary kind is offered on normal con-
ditions as to wages, either by the munic-
ipality engaging direct from the labor
bureau such of the unemployed as can
be accommodated or by its requiring its
contractors to cover their labor require-
ment from the local supplies. Where
such normal work cannot be offered,
distress or relief works of a temporarv
character are carried on under special
conditions. The works of the latter
kind most commonly undertaken are
excavation, the laying out of parks and
gardens, the constructions of roads and
streets, forest work, sewerage work,
paving, stone breaking and so forth. In
most cities distress work is only offered
to persons selected by various tests, as
residential qualification or responsibility
for the maintenance of others.
Some municipalities have also ap-
proached the question of insuring work-
men against involuntary idleness and
thus providing assistance for them when
they are out of employment.
The institution of insurance against
worklessness is an offshoot of the labor
bureaus. Not only is it a product of
the experience gained in the work of
labor registration, but, where intro-
duced, it has generally been directly
associated with that work, if not under
the same officials, at least as an integral
part of the policy of labor protection.
The enterprising municipal workers of
Cologne were the first to supplement
their existing admirable labor bureau by
an unemployment bureau. Other cities
have followed this example. The execu-
tives of these institutions generally con-
sist of the mayor, or a deputy named by
him, the chairman of the municipal labOr
bureau, and elected members, half
insured workmen, half patrons or honor-
ary members, of whom some must be
employers. Unemployment bureaus
mostly confine insurance and its benefits
to worklessness occurring during winter.
In this way they greatly narrow their
liabilities, while yet protecting their
members against want and suffering in
the most trying season of the year.
Worklessness must also be unavoidable
and free form culpability. Every mem-
ber must pay weekly contributions in
order to be entitled to out-of-work
benefits. There are, however, three
other sources of income,- the contribu-
tions of patrons and honorary members,
GERMAN SOCIAL IDEALS
225
contributions from societies, employers
and others and a liberal subvention from
the municipality.
In return for their contributions the
insured have a claim to support from
the funds in the event of inculpable
worklessness ocurring during the period
December 1 to March i for so long a
time as such condition continues and
work cannot be found for them. Such
unemployed persons are required to pre-
sent themselves at the bureau twice a
day. Should work be offered, suitable
as to the character and remuneration, it
must be accepted on pain of forfeiting
the out-of-work benefit. Here will be
seen the practical advantage of having
the insurance fund connected with the
labor bureau. It is usual to give to
members of the fund prior consideration
in the filling of vacancies by way of
encouraging them in a provident spirit.
The cities are also devoting ever
increasing attention to the housing of
the workmen employed by them and of
the less prosperous inhabitants of their
districts in general. On the one hand,
they construct cheap dwellings of a
small size for the municipal workmen,
or they stipulate by statute that such,
dwellings constructed by them may only
be let or sold to workmen and subaltern
officials, on the other hand, they en-
courage private builders or building
societies to construct such dwellings by
granting them certain favors and sub-
ventions in money or by conceding
municipal ground to build on. Besides,
they endeavor to improve the dwellings
in existence and help the requirements
of offer and demand to be met with by
emitting police rules for the conditions
of dwellings, by appointing inspectors of
dwellings and opening dwellings' regis-
ter offices. In their treatment of this
problem the German municipalities have
an advantage in their favor in the landed
estate which commonly forms an impor-
tant part of a city's assets. It is for the
most part land unbuilt upon and not
always within the present municipal
area, yet its eligibility for public and for
residential purposes increases every year
as the means of locomotion are im-
proved. Berlin, Cologne, Munich, Dres-
den and Frankfurt among the larger
German cities are especially rich in this
respect, thanks largely to the foresight
and intelligence of their local officers in
the matter, and few places of any con-
sequence are entirely without. There
are also few which do not entrust to
their statistical bureau, which forms so
important and so instructive a depart-
ment of municipal government, the duty
of enumerating houses, with details as
to character, proportions, number of
rooms, and inhabitants, rents, etc., so,
full and exact as to give to the report a
high social value. Leipzig is one of the
cities and there are many of them —
which have devoted a portion of their
real estate to the housing of the working
classes. The municipality there has
leased for ioo years at a low rent to a
philanthropic building society a large
piece of communal land in the environs
for the erection of cheap houses. The
majority of the houses have to contain
three and some of them more than four
rooms. This society cannot transfer its
leasehold rights to third parties without
the consent of the municipality, and in
the event of doing so, both the offending
contract and the lease itself may be
cancelled. The municipality undertook
the initial construction of all squares,
roads and footpaths, and went further
in undertaking to advance money on
mortgage for building purposes should
the building societies' revenues prove
inadequate, with the provision that the
society must refund the loan by regular
repayments in such a manner that on
termination of the lease the mortgage
will' be redeemed. The municipality will
then take over the land and the dwellings
built upon it without compensation. It
should be stated that the society itself is
being financed by the insurance board
of the State of Saxony. This is only
one illustration out of many which might
lie cited of insurance boards making
loans for the erection of workingmen's
dwellings. The profitable employment
of the enormous accumulations of in-
surance contributions had become a
226
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
question of acute difficulty until the
happy idea was devised of making ad-
vance from them to public and philan-
thropic societies formed for the estab-
lishment of agencies directly concerned
with the welfare of the working classes.
The cities are further endeavoring to
satisfy the requirements of the working
classes for education, for these require-
ments are steadily increasing with the
improvement of the workman's material
position. For that reason a number of
communities have instituted compulsory
industrial schools for youths, popular
libraries, reading rooms, lectures, house-
keeping schools for the inhabitants,
especially the workmen, for the true
ambition of the masses of the German
nation is less for economic amelioration
and material advantages than for educa-
tion. It is of course difficult to say how
far education is followed for the sake of
the material benefits which it is able to
bestow and therefore is an indirect
object of pursuit. Yet every one who
has followed the German working class
movement and is acquainted with the
intellectual life of the German masses
will be ready to testify to the widespread
popular desire for education, for knowl-
edge, for a greater share in the spiritual
treasures of the time. The masses see
in education endless perspectives ; their
thirst for knowledge, like their ambition,
impels them to one aim, to be educated.
More or less all acknowledge, that this,
more than anything else determines a
man's rank in modern society, that per-
sonality is won by force of education.
All the means of extending and perfect-
ing education are seized with zeal and
often with passion.
For the performance of the social
tasks described above, a number of
towns have thought fit to appoint special
deputations, so-called "social commis-
sions" whose duty it is to propose de-
sirable measures for the welfare of the
working classes and to give their opinion
on similar measures that are proposed
from other quarters. Among the mem-
bers of these commissions there are also
representatives of the working classes,
so that all preliminary work is done
from the very beginning in touch with
the interested workmen and the meas-
ures, when adopted, may be sure of
being well received by them.
What I have mentioned in no way
gives a complete picture of the present
social activity of our communities. But
it will be sufficient to show to what
degree the cities develop and extend the
workmen's insurance and complete the
institutions created on account of it ; it
will show, how, under the influence of
the principles established by the work-
men's insurance, the cities take new
departures in the interest of improving
the conditions of the working classes
and how, by doing all this, they are the
pioneers, as it were, who prepare the
ground for State and imperial legisla-
tion. Thus the cities, these most impor-
tant members of our national household,
have highly developed the effects of the
workmen's insurance and have increased
its influence upon our national economy.
I am afraid of overtaxing your patience,
so I will close my address in thanking
you most sincerely for your kind atten-
tion. I hope I was able to give you the
impression that idealism is still a very
effective motive in the acts of the Ger-
man legislation and that the German
nation feels its social responsibility and
considers it a duty to assist the weaker
classes in their struggle for existence
and to help them to attain a higher
social, moral and intellectual standard.
NOTE.— The foregoing, quoted from "Old
Perm," is the address of the German Am-
bassador, Johann Heinrieh von Bernstbrff.
LL.D., delivered on the occasion of his
receiving the honorary degree of LL.D.,
conferred by the University of Pennsylva-
nia, February 22, 1911.
Germany has been our schoolmaster in
many respects and can teach us as Ameri-
cans how "to assist the weaker classes in
their struggle for existence and to help
them to attain a higher social, moral and
intellectual standard." The address merits
the widest possible circulation. — Editor.
/
227
Historic Pilgrimages Along Mountain By- Ways
By Asa K. Mcllhaney, Bath, Pa.
PART IV.
OHOQUALIN, meaning
" the river between the
mountains," is what the
Indians called the Dela-
ware Water Gap. Here,
where the ponderous Kit-
tatinny is rent asunder,
the majestic Delaware
flows through it with a width of 800
feet, and at an elevation of 300 feet
above tide water. The two formidable
peaks guarding the portals of the pass
tower 1600 feet into the air, — Mount
Minsi commemorates the tribe of the
Minisinks on the Pennsylvania side, and
Mount Tammany, so called in memory
of the great chief of the Lenni Lenapes,
standing sentinel on the New Jersey
side of the river.
Leaving this fairyland of hill and dale
famous for its glorious sunrises and
golden sunsets, we begin our journey
through Upper Mount Bethel the largest
township in Northampton County. It
was erected a separate district in 1787,
from the territory of old Mount Bethel
which was originally a part of Bucks
County before the erection of North-
ampton.
For the next six miles we follow the
course of the Delaware, and of the Dela-
ware, Lackawanna and Western Rail-
road which hugs the banks of the river.
The Mount Minsi Hotel not far from
the southern base of the mountains is
near the Cold Cave of which we have
heard so much. This is a passage in the
loose mountain rock from which con-
stantly issues a current of cold air.
Formerly it was thought by many that a
cave existed here, and that the current
of air probably came from a large sub-
terranean channel of water running un-
der the mountain. A gray-haired hermit
stands guard to its entrance ; but we do
not stop long enough to prove the truth
or falsity of this theory.
It should be stated here that the
Delaware Valley, from this point to
Trenton, is one of the most interesting
and historic locations on the continent,
and perhaps in the world. For the past
thirty years, it has been the theatre of
investigation by the most eminent scien-
tists in the domain of archaeology and
geology. Important discoveries have
been made, as the result of excavations
conducted under the auspices of the
American Museum of Natural History.
Many scientists claim that three distinct
periods of culture existed in this valley,
— the paleolithic, the intermediate, and
the historic Indian. Prof. Putman of
Harvard, Prof. Holmes of the National
Museum, Dr. Brinton of the University
of Pennsylvania, Prof. Libby of Prince-
ton University, and Dr. Abbott of Tren-
ton, are some of the men who have
made investigations.
Looking south from the Gap is seen a
dip of rock under which was the Indian
workshop ; a person is able also to get a
good idea of the passage of the glacier
through the rock gorge down into the
valley where it began to break up in the
vicinity of the rope ferry north of Belvi-
dere. In front of us is
SLATEFORD
situated on Slateford creek which rises
in the mountains near Tot's Gap, and
flows into the Delaware. The slate de-
posits of Pennsylvania begin at this
place, and extend in a southwesterly
direction across the southeastern part of
the state into Maryland, following a line
nearly parallel with the Blue Mountains.
Hon. James Madison Porter of Easton,
Secretary of War under Tyler, owned
and operated the slate quarries here as
early as 1805.
Among the names of the first settlers
in Mount Bethel, we find that of La
Bar, — three brothers Peter, Charles and
Abraham, who emigrated from France
to this country before 1730.
"After landing at Philadelphia,"
writes Capt. Ellis, "they at once started
228
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
out in pursuit of a home. Making their
way up the Delaware, partly through
dense forests, they finally reached the
southern base of the Blue Mountains,
where, believing they had penetrated be-
yond the bounds of civilized man, they
located a tract of land, built a log cabin,
and settled on a place a half mile south
of Slateford. Here the three brothers
commenced the hardships of a pioneer
life. They were the first who cleared
land on the Delaware north of the mouth
of the Lehigh. They had been in their
new home but a short time, when the
tawny neighbors began to manifest a
friendly feeling, and evinced an inclina-
region, for just north of the mountains
they found Nicholas Depui, who was
then quite an old man, and settled at a
place called Shawnee, on the Minisink
lands, one of the hrst settlements made
in the state.
Not long after they found another
small settlement ; probably that part of
the Hunter settlement, planted by the
Scotch-Irish at Williamsburg.
During this brief period, the three
pioneers had obtained considerable
knowledge of the "Forks" region, and
the friendly intercourse with the In-
dians, had enabled them to learn consid-
erable of the Indian language. While at
A STRKRT SCENE, BANGOR
tion to become acquainted. This feeling
being reciprocated by the new pioneers,
it was not long before amicable relations
had been established between the
brothers and the curious red men, then
numerous at this point near the Gap.
This friendship greatly promoted the
safety of the brothers, and enabled them
to procure from the Indians a supply of
corn, which, in those days, must be
pounded in a mortar, by hand; for there
was no grist mill.
At this time, the young pioneers were
progressing favorably, and they began to
look about them. They soon found that
they were not the only whites in this
this place the la Bar brothers married,
and soon afterwards removed north of
the mountain into what is now Monroe
County.
A few years later, George a son of
1 'eter, moved south of the mountain, and
settled near the original La Bar cabin,
where he reared a large family. He lived
to the age of one hundred and six years,
and his son, also named George, died in
1S74 at the age of one hundred and
eleven years and nine months. Many La
Bar descendants still live in this valley."'
We wend our way a mile or two south-
ward, pass the new D. L. & W. railroad
bridge, which is being constructed over
HISTORIC PILGRIMAGES ALONG MOUNTAIN BY-WAYS
229
the Delaware, and enter the borough of
PORTLAND
first known as Dill's Ferry, later as Co-
lumbia Station. It has a population of
about one thousand. The Enterprise a
weekly paper first published here in 1874
is still issued, and growing in circulation.
The D. L. & W. Railroad built in 1856,
passes through the borough, on the west
bank of the river. The land on which
the town was started was originally the
farm of Enos Goble who became the
first station agent.
A few rods north of the station is a
wooden arch bridge, eight hundred feet
long and eighteen feet wide, over the
Delaware, constructed in four spans, and
supported by three stone piers. Before
the erection of the bridge, the inhabi-
tants crossed the river by the ferry, just
north of where the bridge stands. Mr.
Dill was the first ferryman, — about
1780. He also had a log tavern on the
Tiill opposite the ferry. This has long
since been demolished. Other ferrymen
were the Deckers, Jacob Lamb, Michael
Weller, and John Ott. In Portland is
also an excellent flouring mill on the
banks of Jacobus Creek. It was built in
1815, by Robert Butz, and is now
operated under the name of the Portland
Roller Mills.
Just opposite Portland is said to have
been the first slate quarry operated in
the United States. This was in 1804
when a Welshman named Evans worked
It in a primitive way.
Adjoining Portland on the southwest
is a pretty village called Middlevillage.
Here once lived the Shannons, Frys, and
Nelsons.
Hurrying on a few more miles, over
dusty roads brings us to
MOUNT BETHEL
which at first was named Williamsburg.
It is one of the three points of the loca-
tion of the "Hunter Settlement." The
earliest records have been lost or de-
stroyed, which leaves much of its early
history only traditionary. It is known
however that the first log church erected
here was used for school, as well as for
religious purposes. This must have
"been before the Revolution, and the old
graveyard adjoining it, is still older, for
there is in it a tombstone with the date
of a death in 1750. The Lutheran and
German Reformed people built the
church and held the burial-ground in
common.
Some years later a schoolhouse was
built and Mr. Laughlin was the first
teacher in this building. In those days
a winter school of two or three months
was all that could be afforded, and it
was no unusual thing for boys and girls
to have to walk two or three miles, for
the little instruction the schoolroom af-
forded them. The people felt the need
for better schools, and the term was of-
ten extended by subscription. Such was
the case when the project of the Wil-
liamsburg Academy was conceived by a
few of the citizens. The Rev. Gershow
Goble was especially active in the mat-
ter, and it was acted upon so energeti-
cally that in April, 1853, a very comfort-
able academy building had been erected.
Jonathan Moore became the preceptor
and very efficiently filled the position for
twelve years. This school was the
opening of a higher education, and many
who received the benefits of its intel-
lectual training are filling honorable
positions.
In this village lives William Reagle
an acquaintance of one of our party.
Here we stop to give our horses rest,
and to partake of a sumptuous supper in
which the luscious strawberries gratu-
itously'furnished by the Reagles form
the principal repast.
Steering to the west on a road running
parallel with the mountains to the north,
we now travel through a country set-
tled by the Ink. Oyer, Reichard. Miller.
Beck, Reimel and Hess families and
come near to
JOHNSVILLE
which lies at the junction of the Tot's
( rap and Fox Gap roads both of which
lead over the mountains, and into Mon-
roe County. This hamlet was at first
called Roxbury, but later named for Gil-
bert Johnson. Alexander Campbell,
however, was the original owner of the
land in this vicinity. The first log build-
i'::u
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
ing was erected by John Strauss in 1818.
Near by, is the growing town of
EAST BANGOR
founded by Andrew Delp, and known
for many years as Delpsburg. It has a
population of fifteen hundred and is
surrounded by numerous slate quarries.
East Bangor's most prominent citizen is
our friend — the Hon. H. K. Bender, re-
cently elected a member of the State
Legislature. This well-known educator
is a native of Monroe County, and was
principal of the borough schools for fif-
teen years, and later Superintendent of
the Northampton County schools for six
years.
point, and finding here combined, the
three indispensable conditions for profit-
able slate productions, viz. — slate, soft
and tough in quality, and unlimited in
quantity, and lying in a good and acces-
sible location, he in company with Jacob
P Scholl o f Bethlehem and Samuel
Straub of Bath, purchased the farm of
P. La Bar, and on August 1, 1866, these
gentlemen having associated with them
Samuel Lewis of Allentown, Francis
Weiss and E. T. Foster of Bethlehem,
and A. L. Foster of Mauch Chunk,
commenced quarrying under the super-
intendency of Mr. Jones. The name,
Bangor, was given to the quarry and the
A QUARRY SCENE, BANGOR
A drive of another mile brings us to
BANGOR
which is in the heart of the region of
slate — that valuable stone which has in
the past forty years become an impor-
tant product in the list of useful min-
erals, and which dame Nature has de-
posited so plentifully in the hills and val-
leys in eastern Pennsylvania, although it
is found and quarried in other parts of
the world.
The Bangor of today dates its real
beginning from 1866, when R. M. Jones,
Esq., from Caernarvonshire, North
Wales, a practical geologist and slate
quarrying expert, followed the slate
strata from the Delaware River to this
locality on account of the similarity of
their natural features, to those of the
town and quarries of Bangor, in Wales.
As early as 1790, Frederick Teel
opened a blacksmith shop here, and in
time a few more buildings were erected
including a church and a mill. The first
settlers were mostly Pennsylvania Ger-
mans of the Mennonite denomination.
The early name given to the place,
Creektown, from the fact that Martin's
Creek flows through the borough ; later
the central part of the present Bangor
was called New Village, and the upper
part of Main street, Uttsville.
Bangor is located at the foot of hills,
and when approaching it from the north,
HISTORIC PILGRIMAGES ALONG MOUNTAIN BT-WAYS
231
you can look down and survey its di-
mensions with wonderful accuracy and
the view is decidedly pleasing. The
population is about 6000, and with this
growth have come good schools and
many conveniences. Electric lights,
macadamed streets, flagged walks, and
pure water drawn from a reservoir at
the summit of the Blue Mountains.
The mountain region near the Bangors
is very interesting. On its summit and
slope, in the vicinity of the Big Offset,
are found rare plants. Among these
are the large white Globe flower with its
golden centre gleaming in the sunshine ;
the Pitcher plant or Indian dipper whose
flower is a deep reddish-purple and
whose leaves are pitcher shaped; the
round-leafed sundew opening only in
the sunshine; the pretty little Rhodora,
abundant in Monroe County and which
Emerson loved so much as to immortal-
ize it in song. Three species of the yel-
low moccasin, the oak fern and the lit-
tle grape fern give added charm to the
surroundings, for the last-named is very
rare and rejoices the heart of the fern-
hunter who is so fortunate as to find it.
Probably the scarcest of all is the
Canoe or Paper birch, greatly admired
by the late Dr. Thomas C. Porter one of
America's foremost botanists. It is a
tree 60 to 80 feet high, with dull, chalky-
wbite bark which curls away from its
few furrows in horizontal plates. The
Indians easily proved their ingenuity in
the uses of this tree. "They formed
their tents from it, and built canoes rib-
bing them with cedar, and covering them
with large sheets of birch bark. They
sewed the seams with threads made of
spruce or cedar roots, and closed the
chinks with pitch or gum of the Balm
of Gilead. These small craft were
graceful and durable and the Indians
managed them with consummate skill."
Nature has bountifully blessed this lo-
cality, and the boys and girls who live
bere should become familiar with the
names and habits of the principal flora,
so that in distant years, they can boast
of a close friendship with the woods
and streams, and with wild life in its
many varied phases.
The school children in Switzerland
are compelled by law to study the wild-
flowers growing in their own country.
What inspiration they have for nature !
How they love the edelweiss that white
composite flower so much worn by
travelers as a trophy and "which grows
on the most inaccessible cliffs where
even the chamois dare hardly venture" !
The Swiss name signifies "noble purity,"
and the government forbids its sale.
Last September, (1910), George
Chavez the young Peruvian aviator, flew
over the Alps, from Brigue, Switzer-
land,— crossing the Simplon Pass at an
altitude of 7000 feet, and falling finally
at Domo d'Ossola, Italy, in an accident
which caused his death. This unprece-
dented feat remains unequaled. His dy-
ing words were, "Oh, ye Alps ; ye are
conquered."
At the funeral a little Swiss girl laid
upon the casket a bunch of edelweiss
that bloomed alone amid the eternal
snows of the Alps, bound with a ribbon
upon which had been written, "Gathered
among the mountain peaks over which
you flew."
With a parting request that the
younger people will soon enter this gar-
den of Nature in the Kittatinnies, learn
to tread these mountain paths, appre-
ciate the brooks and rocks on every side,
listen to the bird-songs as they pass, and
above all to show the same admiration
for these wondrous-tinted wild flowers
as does the highland maiden hers, we
turn southward. The borough of
PEN ARGYL
lies a few miles to our right. It occupies
a commanding site on an elevation and
is a pretty town. The population is over
5000, and like the town previously de-
scribed,— slate quarrying is the chief in-
dustry. Rough as its surface was, un-
derneath lay one of the most extensive
and best deposits of slate known in the
world today ; but it took a few English-
men who had come to this country to
work in the quarries at Chapmans. to
reveal the hidden wealth beneath the
surface. The building of the Bangor
and Portland railroad by. Conrad Miller,
232
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
and through whose influence the late
John I. I Hair invested in several hun-
dred acres of slate property, possibly
did more to develop the PenArgyl slate
section and build up the borough, than
any other factor.
Here lives our old friend, Joseph H.
Werner, Esq., who for nine years — back
in the eighties, was the efficient county
superintendent of schools. It is said
that to him must be given the credit for
first putting the county schools on a firm
working basis. We would like to stop
Flory, Frutchey, Itterly, Teel, Werk-
heiser, Woodring, I lowers, llursh. Mes-
singer, Young Kessler, Hahn and
Achenbach.
During the Indian wars, a temporary
fort was built and occupied by some ten
or twelve families as a place of refuge.
This strong house became a permanent
dwelling, and as near as can be ascer-
tained was on the late Jacob Ruth farm,
about the middle of the township. The
Indian path leading from their villages
on the Susquehanna to the Falls of the
HON. H. K. BENDER, EAST BANGOR
just long enough to shake hands with
this educator, but time will not allow.
We continue through part of Wash-
ington Township where resided the Al-
bert, Snyder, Lockard, Buzzard, Acker-
man, Bowman and Wetzel families, to
the village of Ackermanville. Here the
first grist mill in the township was built
by Henry Miller in 1788. *At Bitz's
schoolhouse we enter Plainfield, whose
first settlers were Hollanders. They
came in about 1740, but no record of
their names can be found, except those
of the Renders and Hellers. German set-
tlers soon followed, and today de-
scendants remain here by the name of
Delaware and the lower settlements,
passed through the Wind Gap and tra-
versed a part of Plainfield.
It is getting late, and the moon for a
change begins to shine through the dark
clouds and lightens things around us.
We pause at the Edward Repsher home-
stead long enough to quench the thirst,
both of man and beast. Along the road-
side is an old-fashioned watering trough,
near a spring. We look for the cocoa-
nut - shell, or for the long - necked
crooked-handled gourd dipper which in
the olden days always hung in such a
place,a symbol of country simplicity
and purity.
HISTORIC PILGRIMAGES ALONG MOUNTAIN BY-WAYS
233
Leaving Belfast to our right — a vil-
lage which in no way reminds us of its
Irish prototype, and passing through lit-
tle Ashland which is not to be con-
founded with its big namesake i n
Schuylkill County brings us close to an
interesting institution — the
HENRY GUN FACTORY
at beautiful Boulton on the Bushkill.
"From all outward appearances, this
building does not seem different from
hundreds of other small manufacturing
structures, but a little questioning about
the building brings out the information
that this factory is one that was once
prominently identified with the history
of this country. In this factory were
made rifles, muskets and pistols for the
war of 1 812 and for the Civil War, and
for the North American Fur Company,
of which John Jacob Astor was presi-
dent.
liver since the Henrys came from
England to America, they have been
connected, more or less, with govern-
mental service, either as soldiers, states-
men or manufacturers of fire arms. The
first one of them was William Henry,
who established a gun factory at Lan-
caster, Pa., in 1752. His muskets were
in such demand that his little shop could
not make them fast enough. Besides
•conducting the making of fire arms, he
was in charge of small arms in the
French and Indian War, and was pres-
ent at the attack on Fort Duquesne.
During this battle he saved the life of
the Delaware Indian Chief, Killbuck.
It was a custom among the Indians
that when one of them was saved from
death by a white man, names would be
exchanged. So it happened that Henry
and the Indian Chief exchanged names,
and to this day the descendants of the
Killbuck family retain the name of
Henrv as the middle name, both male
and female.
Most of the firearms used during the
Revolutionary W'ar were made by the
Henrys. Shortly before "Mad" Anthony
Wayne made his attack on Stony Point,
he sent to the Henry factory a message,
"Hurry up them Guns".
In 1780, Win. Henry, Second, built a
small 71m factory at Nazareth. He en-
tered into a contract with the State of
Pennsylvania and also the United States
government for the manufacture of fire
arms. Machinery was crude, and men
expert at the trade of gun making hard
to get. He was unable to supply all the
muskets and rifles for which he had or-
ders. Besides he had a very scant sup-
pi v of water power, and in looking
around for a place where he might have
a better supply, he decided upon a place
along the Lehicton Creek, now called
the Bushkill. This was in 181 2, and
Henry moved his factory from Nazareth
to the new site he had selected, which
afterwards was given the name of
Boulton.
The government was keeping him well
supplied with orders for the second war
with Great Britain was then raging. A
few years later William Henry, Second,
retired from active manufacturing and
the charge of the factory was given into
the hands of his sons, John, Joseph,
Henry and Wiliam Henry, Third. The
factory was making special efforts to
bring out a rifle that would stand the
hardest tests of the frontiersmen, and
the fame of the Henry rifle soon spread
along the frontier.
When John Jacob Astor organized
his North American Fur Company, he
ordered his supply of rifles for his hun-
ters and trappers from the Henry fac-
tory. The rifles he wanted were to be
of a certain style and the Henry factory
was the only one that could furnish
them. Mr. Astor even sent Ramsey
Crooks, who afterwards became presi-
dent of the North American Fur Com-
pany, to Boulton to order a supply of
rifles and personally complimented the
Henrys on the quality of the rifles they
were making. Of course, when the fur
trade fell off and the North American
Fur Company went out of existence,
the manufacture of these rifles also
ceased.
During this time, the Henry factory
also made many rifles and pistols for the
234
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
militia of the South and West. Of
course, all the rifles made by the Henrys
were muzzle loaders. Gradually breech
leading rifles were being manufactured
to supplant the old style of rifles. The
Henrys were not equipped to meet the
competition and the manufacturing of
rifles was then dropped.
Attention was then turned to the
making of the "Henry" shot gun, and
this was continued until about ten years
ago. The building has since been used
for various other purposes, but the gen-
eral structure has remained undisturbed
and is still in a fair state of preserva-
tion. The Henry family has interesting
letters written to William Henry at
Lancaster by famous generals and
statesmen of Revolutionary times. The
family has also in its possession the
famous painting "Death of Socrates" by
Benjamin West. The painter was a
great friend of Wiliam Henry, and it
was at the suggestion and request of
Mr. Henry that West painted this great
picture in 1756.1
But time is passing. The king of day
has long moved down the western slope
and disappeared behind the Northamp-
ton hills.
Driving through Nazareth we "strike
the pike" and turn our faces homeward,
leaving behind us, a vast amount of his-
torical material untouched, which, how-
ever, we contemplate examining at a
future day.
In an hour, we reach our destination,
having traversed sixty miles ; and thus
end another interesting historic ramble.
'What is given concerning the Henry Gun Factory is a
quotation through the courtesy of Granville Henry. Esq.,
a direct lineal descendant living at Boulton.
Ziegler's Church, Pa.
In the year 1734 and 1735 several
emigrant trains came from Oley and
Goshenhoppen to the Kittatinny Valley
by the Indian path crossing the Lehigh
Mountain through the Rittenhouse Gap.
The emigrants were attracted by the
fine forests and clear water which ac-
counts for the early settlements of Wei-
senberg and Lynn valleys. The Ziegel
Church stands between the extremes of
Longswamp and Lynn valleys. Many
of the emigrants settled on the slopes
and dales of the ridge on which the
church stands. The congregation was
organized in 1745. In 1747 this congre-
gation was visited by Rev. Michael
Schlatter. From 1735 to 1745, a period
of ten years, they were without pastor
and church, but they assembled in their
log cabins for services. When they had
no schoolmaster the sermons were read
by male members.
The first church built of rough logs
was dedicated July 29, 1750. From the
very beginning it was a union church.
The first Reformed pastor was Philip
Jacob Michael, and the Lutheran pastor
was Jacob Friedrich Schertlein.
Some of the charter members were
Adam Braus, Ludwig Reichard, Bern
hardt Schmidtt, Nicholaus Mayer, Peter
Haas, Joerch Schaefer, Karl Oorn, Ur-
ban Friebel, Johann Merkel, Daniel
Krauss, Michael Hoetz, Johannes Her-
goether, Egitticus Grimm, Zacharias
Heller, Friedrich Windisch, Adam
Weber, Georg Bayer, Johann N. Gift,
Georg Wendel Zimmermann, Michael
Old, Heinrich Ga'genbach, Melchior
Ziegler, Philipp Breinig, Peter Heim-
bach, Bartholomaeus Miller, Georg A.
Leibinsperger, Jacob Kuntz, Albrecht
Himmel, David Muszgenug, Michael
Confort, Andreas Sassamanshausen,
Georg Schumacher, Melchior Seib,
Heinrich Miller, Johannes Vogel, Jacob
Ruemmel, Johannes Hermann, Conrath
Neff, Johannes, Heider, Adam Schmidt,
Philipp Wendel Klein, Johannes Baer,
Jacob Goho, Yost Schlicher, Franz
Wesco, Philipp Fenstermacher, Jacob
Acker, Georg Falk, Daniel Hettler, Ja-
cob Weitknecht, Johannes Doll.
In 1 77 1 the land was patented to the
congregation through Adam Brausz
(Reformed) and Jacob Grimm (Lu-
theran). The tract consists of 41 acres.
— Reformed Church Record.
235.
Early Berks County Tombstone Inscriptions
By Louis Richards, Esq., Reading, Pa.
Pres. Berks County Historical Society
(continued from march issue)
Schultze, Christoph Emanuel, Prediger, b.
25 Dec. 1740 in Saalfield, Saxony, came to
this country in 1765, lived with his wife
Elizabeth 43 years, preached 5 years in Phil-
adelphia and 38 years in Tulpehocken, 9
children; d. 11 March 1809; 68 y. 2 m. 2 w.
Eva Elizabeth, wife of same, b. 10 Feb.
1748; d. 21 July 1808; 60 y. 5 m. 1 w. 4 d.
Maria, wife of Frederick Rapp, b. 3 Nov.
1742; d. 20 Oct. 1806.
Walborn, Martin, b. 15 April 1733; d. 3
Feb. 1816; 82 y. 9 m. 18 d.
Maria Margaretta, wife of same, b. 4 Feb.
1734; d. 9 May 1820; 86 y. 3 m. 5 d.
Walborn, John, b. 1761 ; d. 1847.
Brua, Hannah, b. 24 June 1763; d. 17
March 1810; 46 y. 9 m. 23 d.
Apolonia. wife of Jacob Wagner, b. 15
Aug. 1742; d. 29 Jan. 1815.
Etchborger, John Peter, b. 26 April 1760;
d. 30 Oct. 1823; 63 y. 6 m. 4 d.
Lechner, Christian, b. 8 March 1768; d.
29 May 1823; 55 y. 2 m. 21 d.
Katterman, John, b. 1751; d. 1829.
Moore, Samuel, d. 12 Jan. 1843; 61 y. 6 m.
Weiser, Johan, b. 23 Jan. 1766; b. to Cath-
arine Auspach, d. 7 Nov. 1825; 69 y. 9 m.
4 d.
Illig, Johannes, b. in Lancaster County 22
Aug. 1766; d. 2 Oct. 1824; 48 y. 1 m. 10 d.
Ulrich, Rev. Daniel, b. near Annville 10
Aug. 1789; entered the ministry in 1809;
became pastor of the united congregations
of Tulpehocken, Rehrersburg, Heidelberg
and others, which he served from 1811 to
1851; d. 2 June 1855 while on a visit at Pitts-
bur?: 65 y. 9 m. 22 d.
Elizabeth, wife of same and dau. of the
late John Weidman, Esq.; b. 7 Sept. 1787; d.
10 Dec. 1862; 75 y. 3 m. 3 d.
Schoeh, Jacob, b. 2 Dec. 1807; d. 28 June
1881; 73 y. 6 m. 8 d.
Tulpehocken Refonnd Chureh
Spiicker, Peter, Esq., b. 27 Oct. 1711; d.
13 July 1789; 77 y. 8% m.
Maria Margaret, wife of same, b. 21 March
1721; d. 10 Oct. 1781; 59 y. 6 m. 19 d.
Laner, Christian, b. 19 April 1715; d. 8
Sept. 1786; 71 y.
LeRoy, Anna Maria, b. Aug. 1708; d. 1
Sept 1800; 92 y.
Etchberger, Jacob, b. 13 Feb. 1724; d. 12
Aug. 1806; 82 y. 6 m. less 1 d.
Schiitz, Johan Wm., b. 12 May 1734; d. 29
July 1796: 62 y. 2 m. 17 d.
Zeller, Frantz Daniel, b. 8 April 1751; d.
3 Oct. 1821; 70 y. 5 m. 26 d.
Eckert, Jonas, b. 15 Oct. 1738; d. 19 Sept.
1805.
Catharine, b. Ruth, wife of same, b. 1747;
d. 1813.
Kitzmiller, Johan, b. in 169- ; d. 1745.
Brunner, Heinrich, Esq., b. 18 March
1755; d. 16 Nov. 1802; 47 y. 3 m.
Mier, isack, b. 4 January 1730; d. 15 July
1770; 40 y. 6 m.
Myers, John, Esq., d. 15 Dec. 1819; 55 y»
9 m. 10 d.
Catharine, wife of same and dau. of
Philip Hahn, b. 20 May 1762; d. 9 April
1838
Miller, John, d. 12 May 1817; 87 y.
MAXATAWNY
Sigfried's Church
Hennany, Jacob, son of Nicholas and Eva,,
b. Fisher; b. 13 Nov. 1755; d. 14 Sept. 1836;
81 y. lm. 13 d.
Christiana, b. Lebenguth, wife of same, b.
29 Sept. 1759; d. 10 July 1841; 81 y. 10 m.
19 d.
Siegfried, Daniel, b. 29 Dec. 1763; d. 20-
Nov. 1846; 82 y. 11 m. 21 d.
Grim Family Ground
Grim, Heinrich, b. 1 Aug. 1733; d. 14 Dec.
1804; 71 y. 4 m.
Grim, Jeremiah, b. 6 Dec. 1768; d. 26 Sept.
1824.
Elizabeth, wife of same and dau. of Peter
and Mary Snyder, b. 3 March 1781; d. 11
Sept. 1836.
DeLong's Church, Bowers
Bieber, Theobald, b. 2 June 1756; d. 13
May 1826; 69 y. 11 m. 11 d.
DeLOn£, Michael, b. 26 Dec. 1739; d. 26
Jan. 1819.
Barbara, wife of same, b. 1756; d. 1832.
Ziegler, Andreas, b. 30 Nov. 1744; d. 28-
Feb. 1800.
Henrietta Sophia, wife of same, b. Neidig,
b. 1749; d. 1829.
Bauer, Frederick, b. 8 July 1758; d. 12
April 1845; 86 y. 9 m. 4 d.
Christina, b. Wieant, wife of same, b. &
Feb. 1757; d. 30 Jan. 1837; 79 y. 11 m. 27 d.
Long, Elizabeth, wife of Nicholas Long, b.
10 Aug. 1730; d. 22 Nov. 1807; 87 y. 3 m. 12
d.
Long, Nicholas, b. 10 Aug. 1730; d. 22 Nov.
1817; 87 y. 3 m. 12 d.
Long, Nicholas, b 1728.
DeLong, Joseph, b. 18 March 1763; d. IT
June 1S47; 84 y. 2 m. 29 d.
Schirardin, Jacob, b. in Rauweiler, Europe
in Jan. 1735; d. 11 July 1820; 85 y. 6 m.
23t;
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Schirardin, Margaret, b. Haag, b. 15 Feb.
L735; d. ; 72 y. 11 m. 15 d.
Shirardin, Abraham, b. 25 July 1766; d. 29
Dec. 1818; 52 y. 5 m. 4 d.
Schmick, Johan Caspar, b. 1720; d. 19
Feb. 1S12 in 92d y.
Magdalena, b. Yager, wife of same, b. 14
Oct. 1740; d. 25 Dec. 1809; 69 y. 2 m. 11 d.
Haak, Jacob, b. 3 May 1744; d. 26 Jan.
1829; 88 y. 8 m. 23 d.
Hoffman, Henry, b. 2 Feb. 1741; d. 22 Feb.
1818; 77 y. 20 d.
SchirardJn, Jacob, b. 8 Jan. 1761; d. 9 Jan.
1S22; 61 y. 1 d.
DeLong, John, b. 27 March 1723; d. 22
Nov. 1813; 90 y. 7 m. 27 d.
Scharadin. Peter, b. 25 July 1764; d. 3
March 1841; 76 y. 7 m. 8 d.
Kareher, Johannes, b. 29 Jan. 1758; d. 2
March 1824; 66 y. 1 m. 3 d.
Maria, wife of same, b. 10 Oct. 1753; d. 16
Sept. 1851; 97 y. 11 m. 6 d.
Seibert, Jacob., b. 28 Sept. 1777; d. 11 Mav
1859; 81 y. 7 m. 13 d.
Catharine, b. Butz, wife of same, b. 26
March 1777; d. 26 Dec. 1831; 54 y. 9 m.
Fensterniacher, Jacob, b. 19 Nov. 1751; d.
19 July 1835; 83 y. 8 m.
. Maria, wife of same, b. 22 Oct. 1767; d. 21
Aug. 1850; 82 y. 9 m. 29 d.
Kieffer, Peter, b. 14 Dec. 1736; d. 30 Nov.
1815; 78 y. 11 m. 16 d.
Maria, b. Long, wife of same, b. 19 Nov.
1742; d. 7 March 1816; 73 y. 3 m. 18 d.
Humbert, Jacob, b. 22 Sept. 1798; d. 12
July 1880; 81 y. 9 m. 20 d.
Bauer, Jonas, b. 29 Jan. 1797; d. 6 Sept.
1882; 85 y. 7 m. 7 d.
MUHLENBERG
Alsace Churches
Christian, Johann, b. 11 Feb. 1743; d. 11
Feb. 1798; 55 y.
Christian, Johanna, b. 6 May 1749; d. 2
July 1809; 60 y. 1 m. 14 d.
Berber, Susanna, b. Heyer, b. 2 Dec. 1796;
d. 9 April 1824; 27 y. 4 m. 7 d.
Romig, Maria Magdalena, b. 10 April
1768; d. 25 Sept. 1827; 59 y. 5 m. 15 d.
Romig Johannes, b. in Frankfort-on-
Main. 20 Sept. 1755; d. 11 April 1814; 58 v.
6 m. 21 d.
Peifer, Catharina, b. Sailer, wife of
Henry Peifer, b. 13 March 1794; d. 13 May
1839; 45 y. 2 m.
Schneider, Maria, b. Klose, b. 5 March
1769; d. 13 Oct. 1792.
Haberacker, Johannes, b. 1741; d. 28 Dec
1795; 54 y.
Fischer, Johannes, b. 15 March 1737- d 30
May 1806; 69 y. 2 m. 14 d.
Gehret, Susannah, b. 22 Dec. 1770; d 5
Feb. 1798; 27 y. 1 m. 13 d.
Fielcher, Nicolaus, b. 29 Sept. 1734; d 29
Nov. 1763; 29 y. 2 m.
Fielcher, Daniel, b. 19 Feb. 1768; d ?6
April 1804; 36 y. 2 m. 6 d.
Fielcher, Clara, b. Himmelberg-^r, b. 11
Feb. 1744; d. 2 May 1818; 74 y. 2 m. 21 d.
Rothermel, Samuel, b. 28 March 1782; d.
5 Sept. 1808; 26 y. 5 m. 7 d.
Fischer, Valentin, b. 2 Feb. 1778; d. 30
Jan. 1824; 53 y. 11 m. 28 d.
Schadel, George, b. in Franfort-on-Main
3 April 1754; d. 14 Nov. 1826; 72 y. 7 m. 11 d.
Schadel, Elizabeth, b. Fischer, wife of
Geo. Schadel, b. 21 April 1766; d. 9 April
1830; 65 y. 11 m. 8 d.
Balthaser, Heinrich, b. 27 May 1771; d.
10 Aug. 1846; 75 y. 2 m. 11 d.
Balthaser, Susanna Margaret, wife of
same, b. 20 June 1777; d. 2 Jan. 1862; 84 y.
6 m. 13 d.
Haberacker, Johann Heinrich, b. 1 April
1772; d. 14 June 1850; 78 y. 2 m. 13' d.
Rothenberger, Peter, b. 24 March 1769; d.
4 Jan. 1825; 55 y. 9 m. 10 d.
Rebecca, wife of same, b. Schalter, b. 1
Sept. 1773; d. 28 Nov. 1847; 74 y. 2 m. 27 d.
Fischer, Valentine, b. 2 Feb. 1770; d. 30
Jan. 1824; 53 y. 11 m. 28 d.
Rothermel, .Martin, b. 29 Oct. 1749; d. 21
Nov. 1818; 69 y. 22 d.
Rothermel., Jacob, b. 20 Jau. 1778; d. 3
July 1812; 34 y. 5 m. 13 d.
Fisher, Joseph, b. 19 March 1786; d. 19
June 1809; 23 y. 3 m. '
Baum, Johannes, b. 23 Jan. 1725; d. 28
Feb. 1808; 83 y. 1 m. 4 d.
Baum, Johann Theobold, b. 15 March
1693; d. 27 April 1762.
Strunk, Catharine, b. 1 May 1740; d. 5
May 1811; 71 y. 4 d.
Schop, Conrad, b. 12 May 1753, in Deutsch-
land; d. 15 Jan. 1838; 84 y. 8 m. 3 d.
Schop, Maria Christina, b. Klohs, wife of
same, b. 3 Nov. 1761; d. 13 Aug. 1823; 62 y.
9 m. 10 d.
Spengier, John Heinrich, b. 10 Nov. 1747;
d. 26 March 1826; 78 y. 4 m. 16 d.
Spengier, Johann Adam, b. 4 April 1753;
d. 30 Nov. 1823; 70 y. 8 m. less 4 d.
Schneider, Jacob, son of Abraham and
Maria Eliz. Schneider, b. 20 Sept. 1782;
d. 9 Nov. 1867; 85 v. 1 m. 19 d.
Wanner, Jacob C, b. 15 Feb. 1794; d. 7
Sept. 1854; 60 y. 4m. 22 d.
Catharine, b. Schneider, wife of same, b.
22 Feb. 1797; d. 5 Aug. 1865; 68 y. 5 m. 13
d.
Schneider, Johannes, b. 18 Dec. 1786; d.
20 March 1852; 65 y. 3 m. 2 d.
Leinbach, Heinrich, b. 29 Aug. 1780; d. 19
Nov. 1852; 72 y. 2 m 20 d.
Matrdalena, b. Baum, wife of same, b. 12
Oct. 1785; d. 18 July 1855; 69 y. 9 m. 6 d.
Moller, Johann Heinrich, b. 24 May 1797;
d. 23 Jan. 1885; 87 y. 7 m. 30 d.
Maria, b. Resch, wife of same, b. 12 May
1807; d. 9 March 1848; 40 y. 9 m. 27 d.
Resch, Catharina. b. Eisenhauer, wife of
Philip Resch, b. 1 May 1779; d. 4 Feb. 1847;
67 y. 9 m. 3 d.
EARLY BERKS COUNTT TOMBSTONE INSCRIPTIONS
23T
Haas, Daniel, b. 10 July 1774; d. 18 April
1845; 70 y. 9 m. 21 d.
Hahn, Adam, b. 8 Feb. 1775; d. 12 July
1849; 74 y. 5 m. 1 d.
Moller, Johannes, b. in Deutschland 20
Jan. 1774; d. 20 May 1844; 70 y. 4 m. 10 d.
Moller, Magdalena, b. 6 Sept. 1768; d. 2
Oct. 1823; 55 y. 26 d.
Bauni, Jonas, b. 21 March 1765; d. 24 Nov.
1825; 60 y. 3 m. 3 d.
Elizabeth, b. Zacharias, wife of same, b.
21 Aug. 1768; d. 5 Nov. 1854; 86 y. 2 m. 14
d.
Klohs, Catherine, b. Siegfried, wife of
Jacob Klohs, Sr., b. 4 March 1780; d. 30
May 1846; 66 y. 2 m. 26 d.
Klohs, Jacob, son of John and Maria
Klohs, b. 12. Sept. 1771; d. 30 Jan. 1S49; 77
y. 4 m. 18 d.
Klohs, Magdalena, b. Baum, wife of Jacob
Klohs, b. 14 March 1768; d. 25 Aug. 1833; 65
y. 5 m. 11 d.
Rothenberger, Frederiek, b. 25 Nov. 1771;
d. 5 Dec. 1833; 62 y. 10 d.
Fick, Peter, b. 24 Jan. 1766; d. 14 July
1849; 83 y. 5 m. 20 d.
Maria Magdalena, b. Graul. wife of same,
b. 25 Jan. 1774; d. 19 Jan. 1852; 78 y. less
6 d.
Rapp, Johannes, b. 26 Feb. 1791; d. 13
Jan. 1872; 80 y. 10 m. 17 d.
Harbold, Adam, b. 25 Nov. 1784; d. 19
March 1847; 62 y. 3 m. 24 d.
Elizabeth, wife of same, b. 21 Sept. 1788;
d. 21 March 1859; 70 y. 6 m.
Schmehl, Adam, b. 22 Nov. 1797; d. 19
Aug. 1866; 69 y. 8 m. 28 d.
Mary, b. Emore, wife of same, b. 9 Aug.
1797; d. 30 July 1882; 84 y. 11 m. 21 d.
Lies, Daniel, b. 7 Sept. 1800; d. 21 Feb.
1852; 51 y. 5 m. 14 d.
>'oll, Catharine, wife of Johannes Noll, b.
20 Nov. 1787; d. 18 May 1849; 61 y. 5 m. 28
d.
Gehret, Jacob, b. 25 Feb. 1768; d. 7 April
1852: 84 y. 1 m. 12 d.
Tatnall, Susannah H., wife of John Tat-
nall and daughter of Henry Gehret, b. 10
July 1786; d. 25 March 1849; 62 y. 8 m. 15 d.
Gehret, Henry, b. 3 March 1797; d. 29 Oct.
1844; 47 y. 7 m. 26 d.
Ebling Henry, d. 5 May 1816; 53 y.
Magdalena, wife of same, d. 3 March 1837;
67 y.
Ebling, Frederiek, b. 10 Dec. 1831: 66 y.
Hartman, John Geo., b. 6 Jan. 1748; d. 22
March 1835; 82 y. 2 m. 16 d.
Wahl, Jacob Michael, b. 19 Feb. 1786; d.
26 July 1834; 48 y. 5 m. 7 d.
Heyer, Jacob, b. 19 Dec. 1750; d. 22 May
1834; 73 y. 5 m. 3 d.
Catharine, wife of same, b. 25 March
1781; d. 19 Sent. 1851; 70 y. 5 m. 24 d.
Hyneman, Jane, wife of John M. Hyne-
man, b. in Carlisle 25 Dec. 1778; d. 8 July
1847.
Fie*, Barbara, b. 25 Dec. 1767; d. 30 Jan.
1847; 79 y. 9 m. 5 d.
Private Burying Ground, near Temple
Elding Johannes, b. Aug. 20, 1725; d.
March 21, 1787; 61 y. 7 m. 1 d.
Ebling, Maria Philipina, b. Yager, b. 13
Feb. 1735; d. 6 May 1816; 81 y. 2 m. 23 d.
Ebling, Jacob, son of Paul, b. 24 Aug.
1808; d. 27 Jan 1859; 50 y. 5 m. 3 d.
Ebling, Daniel, son of Jacob and Sarah, b.
1845; d. 1851.
Bernhart, Wendel, b. 6 Jan. 1746; d. 26
Dec. 1813; 67 y. 11 m. 20 d.
Bernhart, Catharine, b. Ebling, b. 11 Dec.
1753; d. 17 Feb. 1830; 76 y. 2 m. 6 d.
Ebling, Maria, b. Bleiler, b. 3 Dec. 1771;
d. 25 July 1817; 45 y. 7 m. 22 d.
Ebling Paul, b. 17 Sept. 1761; d. 13 Sept.
1825; 61 y. 11 m. 26 d.
Bernhardt, Barbara, b. Lasch, b. 22 Dec.
1777; d. 6 Dec. 1833; 55 y. 11 m. 14 d.
Bernhardt, Adam, b. 21 July 1816; d. 5
April 1S48: 31 y. 9 m. 14 d.
Bernhardt, Daniel, b. 1 July 1811; d. 6
Dec. 1834; 23 y. 5 m. 12 d.
OLEY
Snyder Family Ground, Oley Line.
Keim, Nicholas, b. 2 April 1719; d. 2 Aug.
1802.
Barbara, b. Schneider, wife of same, b.
Oct 1757; d. 8 June 1788.
MesserSmith, John K., d. 26 May 1831;
61 y. 9 m. 26 d.
Schneider, Peter, b. 21 Aug. 1752; d. 15
Dec. 1815; 63 y. 3 m. 24 d.
Catharine, born Young, wife of same, b.
2 Aug. 1768: d. 15 Nov. 1840; 72 y. 3 m. 13 d.
Schneider, Daniel, b. 8 Oct. 1750; d. 28
Feb. 1817; 66 y. 4 m. 20 d.
Schneider, Esther, b. Herbein, b. 9 March
1759; d. 24 March 1780.
Schneider, Peter, b. March 1723; d. 27
Oct. 1796; 73 y. less 8 m.
AppOlonia, Eva, b. Young, b. 26 Dec. 1721 :
d. 25 April 1799; 77 y. 3 m. 18 d.
Schneider, Benjamin, b. 21 Dec. 174S; d.
26 Oct. 1816; 67 y. 10 m. 5 d.
Schneider, Johannes, b. Dec. 1687; d. 19
July 1743.
.. wife of Jacob Schneider, 1). 17is;
d. 16 Oct. 1785: 67 y. 3 m.
Schneider, Daniel, son of Jacob, b. 27
Aim. 1749; d. 21 May 1804; 56 y. 8 m. 13 d.
Schneider, Catharine, i>. L688; d. 27 Mar
1774.
Schneider, Henry, b. 1721; d. 1762.
Geehr, Jacob, b. 10 July 1779; d. 23
March 1853.
Esther, b. Schneider, wife of same, b. 1
Aug. 1782; d. 4 Feb. 1819.
Messersmith, Daniel, d. 23 Aug. 1820; 76
y. 1 m. 29 d.
Katherina, b. Keim, wife of same, b. Jan.
1747; d. 25 March 177.:.
238
Swabian Proverbs and Idioms
(CONTINUED FROM FEBRUARY ISSUE)
161. Dear friszt im Anegauh. U.
162. Ma hat noh all Tag z' Nacht
.gessa. U.
163. Dau hoiszt 's schnarrmaula. U.
164. Dia naget am Hungertuach. U.
165. Miar schnurret d'r Maga-ne-ei'.
U.
166. Frisz Drag, wenn d'r des net
.guat gnuag ischt. U.
167. Dui hat a reachta siiasza Gosch.
U. (1st schleckig.)
168. Dear iszt mit Adams Gab'l. U.
169. Dear halt's heut mit de G'mau-
late. U. (Hat nichts zu essen.)
170. No en guata Grung lega, dasz ma
au' trinka ka'. U.
171. Bei deam schlacht's Essa und
Trinka-n-a'. U.
172. Des ischt a habhafts Essa. IT.
173. Mit ui ischt guat Drag essa. B.
174. Des ischt ausganga ohne Butter.
B.
175. Ma schwatzt ja no vom Drag, ma
friszt a ja net. U.
176. Dear friszt oim's Sach vom Maul
weg. U.
177. Du darscht no saga, Maul was
-witt'. U.
178. Du darscht Teller saga, nau leit
glei' a Wurscht drauf. U.
179. Desmaul muascht 's Maul num-
"binda. U.
180. Des ischt a reacht'r Knopf les-
dau'de. U. (Knopflesliebhaber.)
181. Des muasz ma deam us de Zah'
tua. U.
182. Wenn's oim am beschta schmeckt,
soil ma aufhaira. U.
183. Jetzt hau'-n-i aber ehrlich g'essa.
IT. (Ehrlich-tuchtig.)
18. Des ischt a lerks Brod. U. (Lerk-
fad.)
185. Deam traumt's no allaweil vom
Fressa und Saufa. U.
186. Schwatzt dear en Kas. S.
187. Dear ischt kasweis wor'a. U.
188. D'r Hunger treibt Brautwiirscht
na. U. (Ironisch.)
189. Wia ma iszt, so schafft ma-n-au'.
XJ.
190. Viel Koch versalzet da Brei. B.
191. A voller Bauch schtudirt net
gern. U.
192. Dear nimmt Schnitt, wia d'r
Bett'la' auf d'r Kirbe. B.
193. Dear muasz noh maih schwarza
Brei essa. B.
194. Diar muasz ma vom Saumeahl
kocha, wenn d'net guat tuascht. B.
195. Diar muasz ma mit'm Saumeahl
roschta. B.
196. Dear mumpflet. U.
197. Hot dear a Memum'l. U.
198. Ischt des heut a gf rasz ! U.
199. Dui hot allaweil a G'schleck. U.
200. Gib deam au' a Yersuacherle. U.
201. Miar isch ganz wampelig. U.
202. I be' pfropft voll. U.
203. Dear hat alles g'fressa, bei Rubes
und Schtubes. U.
204. Des schmeckt, die de rei'scht
Arznei. U.
205. Miar isch ganz schwachmatisch.
U.
206. Des ischt a wuaschter Surfler. U.
(Beim Suppenessen.)
207. Dear hat heut da Frestag. U.
208. Due schlacht d' Gosch anderscht
drum rum. U.
209. Ma schneid't hinta rum, dasz d'
Heuret lachet. B.(d' Heuret-der Schatz.)
210. Ischt des au'a Fressa? So richt'
ma 's de Saua na'. B.
211. D'r Hung'r ischt d'r bescht
Koch. U.
212. Des Floisch hat en Guh. U.
213. Dear hat da Hacker. U.
214. Dear hot da Gazger. T.
215. Miar schmeckt's, wia amol. B.
216. Jetzt isch babbala! U.
217. Jetz' isch gar. U.
218. Wenn dear no ebes in d'r Pfann
brozla hairt, nau isch scho reacht. U.
219. Was machscht do fiir en Dotsch?
B.
220. Des ischt a furnehms Essa. B.
221. 's Letscht isch 's Bescht. U.
222. Dui hat heut scho' ebas lacherigs
g'essa. U.
223. Des ischt a lumpfa Nud'l. U.
SWABIAN PROVERBS AND IDIOMS
239
224. Ma ka' alles, no net vor', Bacha
in Ofa., und noch'm Essa an Tisch. T.
225. Des ischt a rar's Fressa. U.
226. So sauf d'r d' Gurgel no volls a'.
U.
227. Dear mag weiter au' nex trinka.
U.
228. Dear ischt net dumm. d' Briiah
diirftet mir saufa, und er hatt d'
Brocka. U.
229. Konim m'r teant a bisle Gott
g'segnes. U.
230. Trinkscht noh en Schoppa? In
deane Hosa nemme. U.
231. Dear Wei lauft wie OE1 na. S.
232. Dear hat all Tag oin Rausch. U.
233. Dear kommt aus'm Rausch gar
nemme raus. U.
234. I moi', dea' hab's. U.
235. Dear mag's Biar au' net ! U.
(Ironisch.)
236. Aellamol vor ma goht, hot ma
noh oin ghat. S.
237. Guat fressa und guat saufa
mochtet d' Leut wohl, aber nex schaffa.
U.
238. Des ischt a reachter'r Hock'r. U.
239. Dear hat au' Pech an de Hosa.U.
seel z'sama. U.
240. Dear ka' wohl ebas hintere tua'.
U.
241. Dear schvitt' nex in d' Schtief'l.
U.
242. Wenn dear amual hocket, nau
bringt ma'n nemme fort. U.
23. Deam krachet d' Schtiefel, dear
hat am Schuahmacher koi' Trink-geld
gea ! U.
244. Dear hat en Rausch im G'sicht,
wia a Haus. U.
245. Dear sauft net no, near friszt au'
d'rzua. T.
246. Des ischt a reacht'r Biarludle. T.
247. Saufet bigott! 's ischt a Fescht!
T.
248. Wenn du net warscht, und's tag-
lich Broad, no miiaszt ma d' Suppa
trinka. T.
249. Ema B'soffena gat a Heuwag
us 'm Weag. U.
250. Dear Wei' ischt net schleacht,
dear schmeckt noch noh maih. S.
251. Mit ema Schoppa isch gar net
a'g'fanga. S.
252. Dea' Wei' schpiirt ma bis in
kloina Zaiha na. U.
253. Narr, sauf was d' vertraga
ka'scht. U.
254. Dear sauft, bis oba raus lauft. U.
255. Dia fresset und saufet allaweil
gefiirnei'. U.
256. Dear hat au' z' tuif ins Glasle
gucket. U.
267. Essa und Trinka halt Leib und
seel z'sama. U.
268. D'r a'rscht Schluck ischt d'r
bescht! U.
269. Schpiialwasser loscht au' da
Du'scht. U.
270. Ma ka' net maih tua, als gnuag
essa-n-und trinka. U.
271. Dear ischt au' bei keim Pfuscher
in d' Lehr ganga. U. (Ein floter Trink-
er. )
272. Dear denkt da ganza Tag an nex.
wia an's Fressa und Saufa. U.
2J7,. Dear lauft allaweil in oim Dampf
rum. U.
274. I hau' Du'scht, dasz e nemme zua
de Auga raus sieh ! U.
275. Des ischt a reacht'r Kleaba'. U.
26. Dear sauft im hella U'verschta'd.
U.
277. Dear sauft se da Kraga volends
a. U.
278. Dear hat d' Leab'r auf d'r
Somm'rseita. U. (Trinkt gern.)
279. Beim Essa und Trinka ischt dear
net links. U.
280. Beim Essa und Trinka schtellt
dear sein Ma'. U.
281. Dear sauft, wia a Roig'l. T.
(Roig'l-Mitglied der Konigsesellschaft)
282. Dear sauft fur bassleta'. U.
(passe le temps, Zeitvertreib.)
283. I will d'r's bringa! U. (Zutrink-
en. )
284. Dear dudlet in oimfort. T.
285. Vom viele Saufa schwatzt ma
allaweil, aber net vom viela Du'scht.
286. Dear ka' scho' gott's laschterlich
saufa. S.
287. Dear mag wohl au' lupfa. S.
288. Dear schopplet au' geara.
289. Dear ischt schtierb'soffa. U.
290. Des isch a siiffigs Wei'le. S.
291. Des ischt a reacht'r Suff'l. S.
240
Gabriel Schuler. A Vigorous Pioneer
Elizabeth D. Rosenberger, Covington, Ohio
X Lower Salford Township
Montgomery County, Pa.,
we still have toll-gates.
We remember well the
toll-gate nearest our farm
which was kept by Mrs.
Schuler. She was a de-
scendant of a family well
and favorably known in my neighbor-
hood.
We learned that the elder Mr.
Schuler first lived in Germantown hav-
ing come there from Germany to es-
cape persecution as a follower of
Menno Simon. In my day there was
a Miss Lydia Schuler who excited our
interest and who was much talked
about, because in company with sev-
eral other religiously inclined women
she set her heart on seeing the land of
Palestine. Our timid grandmothers
were sure she never would return, such
unheard-of risks had never been taken
by any other woman whom they knew.
But Miss Lydia was not to be lightly
set aside, she persisted in planning for
her journey, and it is safe to say that
not even Christopher Columbus was
more frowned upon and disapproved
of by his friends than was Lydia
Schuler. Who could tell what might
happen to her when far away from
home and friends? But undaunted,
with high hopes and expectations she
set out on her travels. She was par-
ticularly anxious to visit the Holy
Sepulcher and her account of her stay
in Jerusalem as given in the Gospel
Visitor was most interesting.
But it is with Gabriel Schuler that
our chief interest lies. Lie lived with
his parents in Germantown in the be-
ginning of the eighteenth century.,
And he was fond of the chase and
often wandered into the wilderness
and met the Indians and formed their
acquaintance. 1 1 is family were troub-
led when he risked himself about
twenty miles from Germantown in
what was then an unbroken wilder-
ness, lie was fearless and liked to ex-
plore this new country; in one of these
excursions he came to Lower Salford
Township, and was impressed by its
beauty and no wonder! As I still re-
turn to it as the home of my childhood
I see new beauty in its rolling" fields
and green valleys. Gabriel Schuler
found here in the thick woods a space
that was almost clear, with rivulets of
water, and the green grass and flowers
betokened great fertility of soil.
He decided to come here and live. It
was growing late so he turned his
steps homeward, the sun was his guide
and he blazed his way with an axe,
marking the trees so that he could find
his way back again at some future day.
Put imagine the consternation of his
mother when he told her of his inten-
tion. She wept and urged him to re-
main with them and not brave the dan-
gers of a life in the wilderness, lonely
and unprotected, subject to attack by
the Indians. Rut all her entreaties
were in vain. He left Germantown in
1712 or in 1715 (we are not sure of the
exact date) and traveled north to the
banks of a small stream called the Lit-
tle Branch; we used to drive our cows
there for water in time of a drouth. It
is believed that he built his cabin on
the farm owned in later years by my
cousin Geo. D. Alderfer. There are no
old deeds in existence of these first
purchases of land, but from all Ave can
learn it is probable that in 1718, Ga-
briel Schuler bought a tract of land
containing about 425 acres. The Eng-
hsh government made all these settlers
pay a rent and obtain a title for their
land. By this time many other set-
tlers were in this community. Gabriel
Schuler had prospered sit that he
bought 700 acres of woodland north-
west of his first purchase, which today
forms the township of Franconia. Then
he left his home along the Branch and
moved to Franconia. He was an in-
genious workman in wood, for when
GABRIEL SCHULER. A VIGOROUS PIONEER
241
the Goschenhoppen church was built
he made the pulpit at home and then
donated it to the church.
In this new home Gabriel Schuler,
saw one generation pass away, and an-
other take its place, the log cabins
were being replaced with more com-
fortable houses. His head began to
show the almond blossoms of many
winters and people began to think of
him as an old man, one of the first set-
tlers of the community.
Then one day he came to his son
who was a carpenter. It was on a
rainy day and many farmers had con-
gregated in the carpenter shop. How
well I can remember the circumstances
as related to me by Abraham H. Cas-
sel who was so intimately acquainted
with all these facts. Gabriel Schuler
asked one of the men to turn the grind-
stone. And Schiller's own son turned
the grindstone until the axe had a
keen sharp edge on it. He spoke not a
word and the men who had been
laughing and joking before he entered
were impressed by his serious manner
and his silence ; some of them feared
that the old man had come to give
them word of an Indian uprising. The
mystery was soon made plain. Having
ground the axe until its sharp edge
suited him he said, "Now let each one
follow me."
"Shall we take arms along?" asked
one man.
"Each one may do as he pleases,"
was Schuler's reply.
All the men went with him ; some
were armed. When they came to the
forest, Gabriel Schuler said, "Now let
each of you go into the woods and se-
lect a fine large tree. When you hear
the sound of the trumpet come to me."
The men went in various directions,
and looked at the trees and when the
trumpet sounded they returned to
where Schuler awaited them. Now
let me see the trees you have selected,
he said.
He accompanied them to their trees
but as each one was pointed out to
him, he shook his head. Then he asked
them to see the tree he had selected.
And they all agreed that he had found
the largest, finest oak-tree there. But
none was prepared for what took place,
place.
Gabriel Schuler took off his jacket
and with his axe commenced to cut
down the tree. The men formed a cir-
cle about him, all curiously wondering
what the wild man was going to do.
They watched him as with steady
strokes he chopped through the half of
the tree; then without changing his
position or resting even a moment he
changed his axe from his right to his
left hand and in less than an hour the
tree tottered and fell. Then with a
triumphant laugh Gabriel Schuler
straightened up and explained the
situation.
Standing upon the stump he said, "I
will now explain the meaning of this.
Todav I am ioo years old and to you I
would bear evidence of my well-main-
tained strength. I desire now of each
of you the solemn promise that this
tree, which today I felled before you
without resting, shall remain in its
present position, nor be disturbed nor
removed by any one."
The men solemnly promised and
kept their word for the tree decayed
where it fell and only a few years ago
its fragments could be seen.
Gabriel Schuler was 109 years old
when he died. He was one of the un-
shaken pioneers of civilization and of
German enterprise which made the
wilds of Pennsylvania a Paradise.
Tradition has it that a Gabriel
Schuler kept a public house or country
tavern along the Little Branch for a
number of years. There was another
tavern close by managed by Isaac
Klein. There was a brisk competition
between the two, and Schuler to adver-
tise his business put out a sign with
the following couplet.
"Ich verkaufe bier un vein
80 volfeil als der nachbar Klein."
The first house used as Schuler's
tavern was undoubtedly of logs but I
well remember the old stone house or
242
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
at least a part of it which he had built
in 1748. My uncle added to it some
modern improvements in 1806. It is of
these places that James Y. Heckler, the
author of a history of Lower Salford
writes :
'The little Branch, the little Branch,
In Salford winds around,
And gathers brooks in nooks and crooks
With which it doth abound.
And where the jays in summer days
Build nests upon the trees,
The robin sings her evening hymns
In sweeter strains than these."
Noch eine vergessene deutsche Siedlung in Westindien
NOTE. — The following lines with the
heading are a translation of part of an ar-
ticle in "Deutsche Erde," Vol. 9, (1910) No.
4. The passage was written in a contro-
versy with "Hauptpastor Goeze" in 1778 by
Lessing. According to the writer the Hes-
sian Army Chaplain was captured by the
Americans at Saratoga, 1777. Query, is Les-
sing giving fact or fiction? Editor.
T the beginning of the last
century, a deposed Lu-
theran minister of the
Palatinate wanted to mi-
grate to one of the Brit-
ish colonies with his fam-
ily, consisting of children
of both sexes. The vessel
on which he sailed, was wrecked on a
small uninhabited Bermudian island
and all on board of the ship except the
minister and his family were drowned.
The minister found the island so
pleasant, so healthy, so rich in every-
thing that contributes to the support of
life that he was well content to end his
days there. The storm had driven
among their things a small chest to
shore in which was found a catechism
of Luther with various things for chil-
dren.
It is easily understood that this cate-
chism in the total absence of all other
books became a very precious treasure.
He continued to teach his children
from, it and died. The children taught
their children and died. Only two years
ago an English vessel on which there
was a Hessian army chaplain was
driven out of its course to the island.
The chaplain went with some sailors
to shore to get fresh water and was
not a little surprised to find himself all
at once in a quiet, smiling valley
among a naked, happy people that
spoke German and indeed a German in
which he thought he heard only idioms
and changes of Luther's Catechism.
He became inquisitive and behold he
found that the people not only spoke
with Luther, but also believed with
him and were as orthodox in belief as
any army chaplain. The catechism, as
was natural, was used up in the cen-
tury and a half and nothing was left
but the boards of the cover. "In these
boards," said they, "is found all that
we know" — "was found, my' beloved,'
said the chaplain, — "Is found yet, is
found yet," said they. "We, indeed,
can not read ourselves, scarcely know
what reading is but our fathers read
out of it, and they knew the man who
cut the boards. The man's name was
Luther and he lived shortly after
Christ."
Before I relate more, dear Pastor,
were these good people Christians or
were they not? They believed firmly
that there is a higher being, that they
were poo'r, sinful creatures, that this
highest Being had made preparation
through another equally high being to
make them hereafter eternally happy.
Mr. Pastor, were these people Chris-
tians or were they not?
I have related a story of a Hessian
army chaplain who found on an island
not mentioned in any geography good
Lutheran Christians, who knew but lit-
tle of the catechism and nothing at all
of the Bible. The thing is however so
inconceivable to you because the mail-
carrier brought you nothing about it
and because you undoubtedly know
nothing of it that it seems utterly im-
possible and I am to prove it as it is
customary to prove things seen with
documentary evidence.
24'
Das Deutsche Lied
The following is a fair summary of
the remarks made by Dr. B. I. Wheeler,
President, University of California,
Berkeley, California, in connection with
a recent Sangerfest.
"Seid willkommen hier in den Toren
einer amerikanischen Universitat; seid
herzlich willkommen, ihr Manner und
Frauen von deutschem Blute, von
deutschen Idealen und mit deutschen
Herzen.
Die Gestalt und der Geist der mo-
dernen amerikanischen Universitat wur-
den uns von den Deutschen gegeben, und
dies ist eine Schuld, die nie getilgt
werden kann.
Willkommen hier, ihr deutschen
Sanger. Die ganze Seele Deutschlands
spricht aus der Stimme des deutschen
Liedes.
Deutschland prosperiert heute vor
alien anderen Nationen der Erde. Doch
dieser Wohlstand findet nicht nur seinen
Ausdruck in nie rastenden, sausenden
Fabriken u n d canonengepanzerten
Schiffen, die Nation in ihrer neuge-
griindeten Einingkeit erntet vielmehr die
Frtichte jahrelanger, geduldiger Vor-
bereitung, und den Ertrag eines reichen
und tief en nationalen Charakters.
Erziehung und Denken, Ordnung und
Romantik, Geduld, Studium und Gesang,
darin kommt der Charakter eines Volkes
zum Ausdruck, und heute ist die Ernte-
zeit.
Die kostbaren Gaben, welche das
deutsche Yolk der modernen Welt ge-
geben hat, sind : Philosophic als die
Form des Denkens, Philologie als die
Interpretation des Denkens, Musik als
der Ausdruck des Herzens. Doch wenn
deutsches Wesen sich als ein Ganzes
ausdriicken soil, dann musz es durch den
Gesang sprechen. Das deutsche Lied
kommt den Deutschen aus dem Herze.
Die deutschen Sanger sind das deutsche
Volk. Im Gesang seid ihr wieder zu
Hause.
Mit Schiller's Worten :
Und wie nach hoffnungslosem Sehnen
Nach langer Trennung bittern Schmerz,
Ein Kind mit heiszen Reuethranen
Sich stiirzt an seiner Mutter Herz :
So fuhrt zu seiner Jugend Hiitten,
Zu seiner Unschuld, seinem Gliick,
Vom fernen Ausland fremder Sitten
Den Fliichtling der Gesang zuriick."
Germany
Im Herzen Europa's gelegen fvinfzig
Millionen zahlend, mit ihrer Literatur
Kunst und Wissenschaft in den vorder-
sten Reichen der Nationen stehend, hat
dieses Yolk seine besondere Aufgabe in
der alten Welt, und zwar eine grosze
und herrliche. Wer wollte das bestrei-
ten? Europa wiirde nicht das Europa
sein welches es ist wenn nicht Deutsclv
land ware. Der Rhein mit seinen
Rebenhiigel und seinen Burgen, die
Kaiserstadte Wien und Berlin mit ihren
groszartigen Universitaten : die Konigs-
sitze Dresden und Miinchen mit ihren
uniibertroffenen Kunstschatzen, die
grosze Zahl unserer Dichter, unserer
Musiker, unserer Maler, unserer Ge-
lehrten : unsere groszartigen Bauten
wie die Straszburger Miinster oder der
Kolner Dom, die bliihenden Fabriken,
die bewegten Handelsstraszen, die
Segel unserer Handelsflotten und die
Fahnen unserer Kriegsheere : alle. alle
bezeugen es, dasz hier ein groszes Yolk
wohnt, ein Volk von machtigen Geist
und starken Willen. Wbl.
Der deutsche Pionier, May 1882, p.
72.
244
P
□
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
O, Muttersproch, du bist uns lieb " — A. S.
n
On Der Lunipa Party
(A. C. W.)
(No. 4)
Guck, doh is die Seppy Schtengel,
Mehnt sie waer'n ferschtos'ner eng'l,
Duht ferdoltsei nix wie klawga,
Hut's am hertz un hut's im mawga,
Hut so'n reiszes in de tzeha,
Kan der hals schier nimmie dreha.
Hut's im bertz'l, hut so'n schnuppa,
Schteht druff s'waera hexa kluppa—
'Now waer's fertich rum tz'fussa,
Deht mohl biss'l braucha lussa,
Mehnt ferlicht dehts ebbes botta,
Debt's nix helfa dehts nix schodda,
Het g'nunk fun Inscha pilla,
Solwei-tay un sassafrilla
Gaebt nix drum won dokt'r, porra,
Drivver grounsa, drivver knorra
Bis die fresch im grahwa peifa
Noch'm letschta froscht un reifa!
Wom'r kummt fer sotz tz' lehna,
Wom'r kummt de Joe tz' senna,
Huscht ken tzeit dich hie tz' setza,
Huscht ken tzeit fer biss'l schwetza,
Geht's schun ob die sehm alt leier,
Grawd wie'm Schimp sei kar'cha kweier:
Hut's am hertz un hut's im mawga,
Kan ken koscht un nix ferdrawga,
Hut so'n reiszes in de tzeha,
Kan der hals schier nimmie dreha,
Het doh yetz sich braucha lussa,
Het fiel besser in die hussa — "
"Ach, was!" mehnt die Alameda,
"Luss die Seppy doch in frieda,
Yehders will sei ehlend klawga,
Ebber muss's helfa drawga;
Wie waer's don der Eva gonga,
Het sie net d' Adam g'fonga
Sellamohls im schehna gorta
Uhna lang uff ihn tz' warta?
Yehders hut noh mitleid g'hotta,
Wie sie g'heilt hen dert im schotta
Ivverm schertz un klehder macha.
Uhna g'schposs un nix tz' lacha,
Is em's hertz so schwer wie'n wocka,
Wehs m'r net wuh awtz' pocka,
Wehs m'r net wuh hie, wuh onna,
Wuh schun lang der kop em g'schtonna,
Doh brauch yehders droscht un gnawda,
Gutie hilf fer's obtz' lawda —
No-sir-ee! fer's ehlend drawga
Sawg ich muss m'r's ebber klawga."
"Yah, uff sei hie debt ich schwaera
S'weist sich yoh am cider yaehra" —
Hut die Milla nei g'plaudert,
S'hut sie recht so ivverschaudert,
"Deht m'r's loch tzu teit fertzwenga
Deht's yoh's foss in hutla schprenga,
Wut m'r's ehlend bei sich halta
Deht m'r nimmie lang doh walta,
S'waer schun lengscht'n hivvel derta
Wuh m'r schloft, die link noch Norda.
S'geht em grawd wie sella porra,
Os mitnonner schtreitich wara.
Sin mohl noch'ra meeting gonga
Dert huts noh aerscht recht awg'fonga.
Waer's noch fashion leis tz' hovva
Des waer g'schprunga wie die schaawa
Wom'r kumt mit Barker's Lotion.
Wie sie sawga war's'n caution
Bis der chairmon uff is g'schprunga,
G'schtompt un hut d'gavel g'schwunga."
"Brieder, halt! des geht net lenger,
Ordning! ordning! doh muss schtrenger"-
"Never mind," sawgt noh der onner,
"Luss'n geh, m'r hens mit nonner,
Luss'n yuscht d' ihdrich kaua,
Luss'n warxa, luss'n schpawa,
S'is net gute fer'n schwacher mawga
Tzu fiel schtorkie Koscht tz' drawga,
Luss'n rous mit noh wert's besser,
Nix bleibt siesz in alta fesser."
"Well, ich hoff s'is besser wara,"
Mehnt die Betsy, "mit dem porra,
Anyhow so gehts'm Lenni,
Geht'r als tzum 'Rotha Henni,'
Kummt noh heem un fiehlt so ivvel,
Legt sich hie mit tzomda schtivvel,
Won'r sich noh recht g'brocha
Noh — "Kotzgricks'l! hob mich g'sctocha!"
Macht die Linda mit'm dauma
Dert im maul os wom'r blauma
Schpoteyohrs unnerm bawm obsuckelt —
Hut g'lacht un hut's ferduckelt.
Alles sut m'r net fertzaehla,
Gebt so dings m'r sut's ferhaehla
Won's die menschta leit's aw wissa —
S'bescht m'r watcht sei fedderkissa."
Doh kummt grawd, tzum glick, die Bolly,
Kummt mit wei un kucha, golly!
Hen g'lacht un hen g'grischa,
Dehl duhn schun die meiler wischa
"Ich hob's maul foil schtawb un g'fusser,
Greischt die kleh Sabina Musser,
"War de gonsa dawg om trenna
Ach! was duht mei hals net brenna,
S'geht m'r schier wie'm Marty Wetz'l
Wie'r sellie frischa bretz'l
Gessa hut bei'm Ottfried Etting,
Fuftzeh schtick, fer'n Neiyohrswetting,
Wie der hosier rother peffer
Druf hut fer d' arma Keffer.
Hut yuscht sexa essa kenna,
Duht'n daus'l-lawnisch brenna,
Jumpt noh uff un will ons fechta,
Duht paar uvvarunner ilechta:
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
245
"Hamburg! Deitschland! Kieselwetter!
Froagt der Ottfried: "Wat's de Matter?"
"Vat's die metter! Galgaschwind'l!
Het-i-eich, ihr Ludergsind'l — "
"Marty, week mit sellem messer,
Nemm'a bitters, noh werts besser."
NOTE.— The following poem and letters
show that the spelling of the dialect is still
an open question. We invite communica-
tions on the subject. — Editor.
En Pennsylvania-Peitsch Wanderlied
Ach, naus will ich in die scheene Welt,
Der Himmel is glor un grie des Feld;
Die Barje dat driwwe sin so bio,
Es leit was dehinner, des wees ich jo.
Ja, naus geh ich in die weite Welt,
Dat gebt's was Neies un ah meh Geld;
Ich nem mei Bindel un greif der Hut,
Un wandre naus mit frischem Mut.
Die Harrnhuter blosen en Marjelied,
Es rauscht mer des Lewe in alle Glied;
Mir peifen die Amschle in de Schwem,
Adje, Du Stadel, mei Bethlehem.
Uf'm Gottesacker bliehen die Blumme schun,
Der Karchetarn glantz in der marje Sun,
Die Schwalme fliehen rings drum in der
Heh,
Mei liewe Heemet, Adje, Adje!
Zum Stadel naus, die Stross entlang,
Marschiere ich weiter zum Vogelgsang;
Barg nuf, Barg nunner, an der Saucna
Grick,
Noch eemol steh ich un guck zurick.
Dat winkt mer ebber un schickt en Kuss,
Es is mei Schatz un ihr letschter Gruss.
Ach, scheenes Madel, Adje, Adje!
Wer wandre will muss weiter geh.
PRESTON A. BARBA,
University of Penna.
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia
March 14, 1911.
Mr. H. W. Kriebel,
Editor The Penna.-German,
Dear Sir: I have enclosed a little poem
in the Penna. German dialect which you
may find suitable for publication in your
magazine. You will observe that I have
avoided affecting the humorous which is
unfortunately seldom absent in our later
dialect poetry. Our dialect deserves to be
employed in more serious literary en-
deavors. I have above all attempted to show
that the dialect, homely as it may appear to
some, even lends itself to the more delicate
nuances of genuine lyric poetry.
I have attempted to base the spelling on
the German sound-system, to my mind the
only correct one. If I have succeeded in
helping to bring order into the chaotic form
of the dialect due to the arbitrary methods
of spelling usually employed, I shall con-
sider myself amply rewarded.
Hoping, too, that your readers may also
experience some aesthetic enjoyment in
reading these few verses, I remain, Sir,
Very respectfully yours,
PRESTON A. BARBA.
Lititz, Pa., March 15, 1911.
Mr. Prston A. Barba,
Philadelphia, Pa.,
My Dear Sir: Replying to yours of
March 14, 1 desire in the first place to thank
you heartily for your contribution, "En
Pennsylvani-Deitsch Wanderlied". I will
make room for it in an early issue of the
magazine.
Referring to the contents of your note ac-
companying the contribution I may say that
I am in hearty sympathy with your ex-
pressed opinion that "our dialect deserves
to be employed in more serious literary
endeavors." Alas, here as elsewhere men
toil for the "almighty dollar" and write and
print what will probably "take" and "sell".
I agree with you that the spelling should be
based on the German sound-system. But
when in editing a magazine like The Penn-
sylvania-German the question comes up in
a practical form, and the editor faces prac-
tical conditions, giants seem to be in the
way. There are many intelligent readers of
papers and magazines who talk the dialect
but do not read German print and are
unfamiliar with the German sound-system.
Contributors are apt to have pet theories
and may take offence if any liberties are
taken with their spelling. The question
arises, has an editor even the right to
change a writer's spelling and use of words,
barring obvious mistakes? In the case of
contributors to The Pennsylvania-German,
I am inclined best to the view that I can
hasten the day when there will be uniform-
ity of spelling by letting each contributor
spell and capitalize as he thinks best.
Diversity may hasten the day of uniformity.
Besides it seems to the editor presumptuous
to dictate to a linguist, master of half a
dozen languages, how he shall spell his
words.
I am afraid your present effort will not
"bring order into the chaotic form of the
dialect'". You may have clarified your own
views on the subject, but to get other in-
telligent men to agree with you and adopt
your way of doing things is a "horse of
another color". I do hope your letter and
contribution may help to create and crystal-
lize sentiment on the subject.
By the way, why not spell, "schone",
"grii", "Neues", "Biindel", "Herrnhuter",
"Schwamm", "Deutsch", instead of "schee-
ne", "grie", "Neies", "Bindel", "Harrnhut-
246
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
er", "Schwemra", "Deitsch"? Will our
spelling be entirely satisfactory as long as
scholars competent in the prenises will not
recommend a system of diacritical marks or
a phonetic notation that will be easily
understood, readily workable in the ordinary
printing office?
Awaiting further communications on the
subject from you, I remain,
Yours very truly,
H. W. KRIEBEL.
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia
The College
March 20, 1911.
Mrs. H. W. Kriebel,
Lititz, Pa.,
Dear Sir: In reply to the question in
your letter of the 15th inst. why I do not
use the forms "schone", "grii", "Neues",
"Bundel", "Herrnhuter", "Schwamm", and
"Deutsch" for "scheene", "grie", "Neies",
Bindel", "Harrnhuter", "Schwemm", and
"Deitsch", I shall say that o and ii (French
en and u) represent vowel sounds absolutely
foreign to our Penna. German dialect, and
are represented by the German vowels e
and i (ie) respectively; the diphthong eu
(like English oi in boil) is also not pre-
served, but consistently becomes German
diphthong ei; ii in Schwamm equals German
e, and is simply preseyed in High German
on account of the analogous vowel a in its
singular number (cf. Mann. Manner, etc.).
High German e being very open before r. I
have used German a in Herrnhuter.
You observe, therefore, that in instances
where the original High G'erman vowels are
not represented in the dialect, I have sub-
stituted German vowels representing their
phonetic values.
In support of this usage I offer as prece-
dent the works of the Alemannic poet J. P.
Hebel, (the Bavarians Fritz Gundlach and
Franz v. Kobell, and the Palatinate poet,
Karl Gottfr. Nadler (Vie Anhang to his col-
lection of dialect poems "Frolich Palz, Gott
erhalts!")
Very truly yours,
PRESTON A. BARBA.
REVIEWS AND NOTES
By Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N. J.
STUDIES IN MODERN GERMAN LITERA-
TIRE— By Otto Heller, Ph.D., Professor
of the German Language and Literature
in Washington University. St. Louis.
Cloth. 301 pp. Price $1.25. Ginn and
Company, New York.
These studies are devoted to Sudermann,
Hauptmann, and to Women Writers of the
Nineteenth Century. They thus cover the
most conspicuous figures in modern German
literature. Sudermann and Hauptmann
and their works are treated with a com-
pleteness and exactness that are not found
everywhere.
The studies are not scholastic nor yet
academic. "His cardinal purpose has been
to draw attention afresh to a phase of con-
temporary culture thus far not sufficiently
heeded by the English-speaking world."
They are rather the expression of a keen
interpreter and critic of modern German
literature and culture.
The book is suited for reference work or
collateral reading, and yet it affords interest
for the general reader.
Its merit is vouched for by the opinion of
Professor Francke, the Apostle of culture in
America, when he says he is "convinced
that there is here represented the most
significant accomplishment of American
criticism in the field of contemporary Ger-
man literature."
THE SIEGE OE BOSTON— By Allen French.'
Cloth; illustrated. 450 pp. Price $1.50
net. The Macmillan Company, New
York, 1911.
We have here a brief and readable ac-
count of the siege of Boston, and of the
events which brought it about. The author's
endeavor has been to treat his subject as a
single organic unit of events, and he has
succeeded admirably. Whoever would write
of the early years of the Revolution must
needs write about Boston up to the evacua-
tion of the city by the British troops; for up
to this time the two are inseparably con-
nected.
Frothingham's "Siege of Boston", 1S49, is
an authoritative piece of work; but a great
deal of new material has come to light since
the publication of that book. The present
work is really history told by contempo-
raries for the author has relied upon con-
temporary statements. His incidents, and
illustrative anecdotes he has gathered from1
REVIEWS AND NOTES
247
records, histories, and letters; much of all
this is new. The amount is well propor-
tioned.
The narrative is a popular one and yet
scholarly. It is graphic in style; it is even
dramatic in a way that should appeal to the
interest of young people. It is written with
sustained animation; it might properly be
termed a romance of American history.
GREAT AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES— By
Edwin E. Slosson, M.S. (Kansas) Ph.D.
(Chicago). Cloth; illustrated. 528 pp.
Price $2.50, net. The Macmillan Com-
pany, New York, 1910.
For several years already the colleges and
universities of the country have been freely
investigated and criticised, sometimes rather
harshly, defamed and defended, and written
up and "written down". "Which College for
the Boy?", by John Corbin, published a few
years ago, was probably the first attempt in
book form at a comparative view of these
institutions. "Great American Universities"
by Dr. Slosson is, however, a book of a dif-
ferent type. The contents of both books
appeared originally in the Saturday Evening
Post, and in The Independent respectively.
In this manner they received the benefits of
some severe criticism. "Great American
Universities" may be the least "popular", as
it seems to show the hand of the trained
investigator, who accepts wherever possible
onlv first hand knowledge.
The author adopted a rather unique
method of obtaining his information. He
spent a week in residence at each institu-
tion, "living in some club house or board-
ing house, attending classes and talking
with as many of the faculty and students as
[he] could." And though the work is prob-
ably not as authoritative as it would have
been if written by some officer of the respec-
tive institutions, it is very likely as un-
biased as it can easily be. A great deal is
to be said in favor of the comparative
method adopted here ; on the whole, it af-
fords the institutions represented an oppor-
tunity to see themselves and one another as
others see them.
There are fourteen universities repre-
sented; nine are endowed: Chicago, Yale,
Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Cornell,
Pennsylvania. Leland Stanford, and Johns
Hopkins; and five State Universities: Michi-
gan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, and
Illinois.
There* may be students and alumni of
these institutions who will find fault with
some of the things said; and they may also
hear of things they never heard of before or
ever knew about their Alma Mater. The
author's views, however, may also at times
be a little warped, and his statements mis-
leading. He puts the University of Penn-
sylvania down as having been founded in
1740, wheras authentic and accepted history
says 1751. But these may be minor matters,
for they do not necessarily distort the spirit
of an institution. ,
The book is written in a pleasing, simple,
and refreshing style. It is in no sense
necessary to be a psychologist or an educa-
tionist to read it with pleasure and with a
relish. It is original in style as well as in
matter. A pecular thing about the book is
the fact that every chapter is entirely dif-
fernt. One mgiht think these fourteen
chapters to read nearly alike, being the
views of one man who looked up that many
universities; but far from it, they are as
unlike as if a different man had written each
chapter. This shows that the author's view
is not a superficial one, and that he suc-
ceeded in interpreting the spirit of these
institutions. His original Illustrations often
tell more than a page of explanation.
Speaking of educational machinery he con-
cluded that after all "the product of the mill
depends mostly on what kind of grain is
poured into the hopper". And in speaking
of the qualifications for admission and grad-
uation he says "it is hard to ascertain how
many hours of blacksmithing are equal in
educational profit to one hour piano-play-
ing", and that "educators will agree on this
question in about the same time that econ-
omists agree how high a wall a bricklayer
would have to build to entitle him to hear
Caruso sing".
There is a pleasing expression of frank-
ness; he does not attempt to conceal his
views on the questions considered. He is
free in his bestowal of condemnation and
commendation ; he condemns Harvard for its
extremely elastic courses enabling men to
choose shotgun courses, and he commends
Princeton for its conservatism and Precep-
torial System.
The book is a standard and stands alone.
It is interesting and informing. It reveals
what college catalogues seem to be designed
to conceal.
American Prisoners of the Revolution
Danske Dandridge, Author of "George
Michael Bedinger," "Historic Shepherds-
town," etc., has issued a book of great his-
toric value under the above heading. The
announcement of the book says:
This is an account of some of the Ameri-
can prisoners who suffered in British pris-
ons during the Revolution. It is, in part, a
compilation from many sources; from un-
published Mss. ; from personal narratives;
from contemporary letters and periodicals,
and from histories of the time. A great
many cruel deeds were done, and crimes
were committed that have long laid in ob-
scurity. The writer has presented to the
public this compendium of facts that have
been collected about the prisons and pris-
oners, with the object of reviving the mem-
248
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
ory of these martyrs to the cause of Amer-
ican independence, that their sufferings
may be commiserated and their patriotism
receive due honor. They were faithful un-
to death, and have too long been forgotten
by their countrymen.
The author knows that there were many
kind-hearted Englishmen, opposed to the
war, and does not wish to lay upon a whole
nation the blame due to a few. The hor-
rors of war ought to be dwelt upon by all
advocates for universal peace. That such
pictures are presented to the reader in this
volume of the terrible suffering inflicted by
men upon their fellows may aid in hasten-
ing the time when wars shall cease, is the
earnest hope of the writer.
The book is sold by the author, Danske
Dandrige, Shepherdstown, West Va. (Price
$3.00. Postage 15 cents).
HISTORICAL NOTES AND NEWS
Lebanon County Historical Society
The Thirteenth Annual Dinner of the
Lebanon County Historical Society was held
at the Hotel Weimar, Lebanon, on Thurs-
day, February 16, 1911, at nine o'clock P. M.
The Hon. Chas. V. Henry, Judge of the
Courts of Lebanon County, the Hon. Thos.
L. Montgomery, State Librarian, and the
Hon. Edward E. Beidleman, of the Dauphin
County Bar, responded to toasts, announced
by Eugene D. Siegrist, Esq., of the Lebanon
Bar, the Toastmaster for the evening.
Preceding the Dinner the lady members
of the Society and their lady friends held
a reception, which the members of the So-
ciety, together with their dinner guests, at-
tended. The Imperial Mandolin Orchestra
furnished the music.
The Society held its first 1911 Stated
Meeting in its rooms in the Court House,
Lebanon, Friday, February 17th, two
o'clock P. M., for the Electon of Officers, de-
ferred from the Annual Meeting, December
16th, 1910, the transaction of other business
deferred from that meeting, and new busi-
ness and the hearing of a paper. Dr. Wil-
liam M. Guilford the Nestor of the Medical
profession of the county, was elected Presi-
dent, Dr. E. Grumbine who had served the
office four years, declining a re-election.
Of Interest to Historical Societies
AN ACT
TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE AND EN-
COURAGEMENT OF COUNTY HISTORI-
CAL SOCIETIES WHICH HAVE BEEN
DULY INCORPORATED AND HAVE
BEEN IN CONTINUED EXISTENCE FOR
AT LEAST TEN YEARS.
SECTION 1. Be it enacted, etc., That
from and after the passage of this act the
board of county commissioners of each
county of this commonwealth, shall pay out
of the county funds not otherwise appro-
priated, upon proper voucher therefor being
given, the sum of Five Hundred Dollars,
annually, to the Historical Society of said
county entitled hereinafter provided, to as-
sist in the maintenance of its library and
museum, and the payment of its current ex-
penses, including the salary of its librarian.
SECTION 2. To entitle an historical so-
ciety to receive said sum annually from the
county funds, it shall have been organized
in a county not containing a city of the first
or second class; shall be the oldest histori-
cal society in its county if there be more
than one, and it shall have been duly in-
corporated for at least ten years and for
that period have a continued and active ex-
istence; at the time of the application for
payment it shall have an active member-
ship of at least one hundred members, each
of whom shall have paid into its treasury a
membership fee of at least three dollars; it
shall have established a library containing
at least two thousand books, pamphlets and
periodicals, and a museum for the reception
of historical relics and curios and photo-
graphs and paintings; it shall have adopted
a constitution and code of by-laws, and
shall have held at least two public meet-
ings yearly at which papers shall be read
or discussions had upon historical subjects,
and with its application each year it shall
present satisfactory vouchers of the board
showing that the payment of the previous
year has been properly expended for the
legitimate purposes of the society.
We should like to see this bill become a
law and hope our readers in the House and
Senate will give it ther hearty suport.
The Pennsylvania Federation of Historical
Societies
Standing Committees for the Year 1911.
A. On Bibliography. Object: "The collec-
tion of material for a complete bibli-
ography of the Commonwealth." John
W. Jordan, LL.D., Philadelphia, Pa.;
Capt. H. M. M. Richards, Litt.D., Leba-
non, Pa.; Rev. Hugh T. Henry, Ph.D.,
Philadelphia, Pa.; Julius F. Sachse,
HISTORICAL NOTES AND NEWS
249
Litt. D., Philadelphia, Pa.; Hon. Thomas
L. Montgomery, Harrisburg, Pa. ; George
R. Prowell, York, Pa.; Benjamin F.
Owen, Reading, Pa.
B. On Historical Activity. Object: "The
encouragement of historical activity in
each County of the Commonwealth, and
the formation of local historical socie-
ties." Miss Eleanor E. Wright, Phila-
delphia, Pa.; George Steinman, Lancas-
ter, Pa.; M. R. Allen, Washington, Pa.
C. On Exchanging Duplicates. Object: "The
establishment of a central agency for
the exchange of duplicate historical
material." H. Graham Ashmead, Ches-
ter, Pa.; Ezra Grumbine, M.D., Mt. Zion,
Pa.; Charles R. Roberts, Esq., Allen-
town, Pa.
D. Publication of Lists. Object: "The an-
nual publication of a list of historical
papers relating to the Commonwealth,
and a list of the historical productions
of Pennsylvania." Charles F. Himes,
LL.D., Carlisle, Pa.; Boyd Crumrine,
Esq., Washington, Pa.; Jeremiah Zea-
mer, Esq., Carlisle, Pa.
E. On Preserving Manuscript Records. Ob-
ject: "The encouragement of the preser-
vation of the manuscript records of the
Commonwealth, and eac h sub-division
thereof, and the publication of such
records, when possible." Prof. Herman
V. Ames, Ph.D., Philadelphia, Pa.; H.
Frank Eshleman, Esq., Lancaster, Pa.;
Albert Cook Myers, Moylan, Pa.
F. On State Legislation. Object: "Securing
State Legislation for the promotion of
the object of the Federation, which is:
"The advancement of historical re-
search relating to the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, local and general." Ben-
jamin M. Nead, Esq., Harrisburg, Pa.;
Col. James Gilmore, Chambersburg, Pa.;
Hon. W. U. Hensel, Lancaster, Pa.
By the President,
GILBERT COPE,
Attest: West Chester, Pa.
S. P. HEILMAN, M.D., Secretary,
Heilman Dale, Lebanon Co., Pa.
Lehigh County Historical Society
Announcement has been made of the con-
templated publication of a History of Le-
high County, Pennsylvania, by authority of
the Lehigh County Historical Socety under
the editorship of Charles Rhoads Roberts,
Rev. John Baer Stoudt, Rev. Thomas H.
Krick, William J. Dietrich and Miss Minnie
F. Mickley. The editors have received the
following commission:
"Whereas, the year 1913 marks the close
of the first century of Lehigh's existence
as a separate county, and whereas, Lehigh
county embraces one of the most historic
sections cf the state of Pennsylvania, and,
whereas, no separate and complete history
of the county has ever been published, and,
whereas, it is the sense of the Lehigh
County Historical Society and the county in
general that such a publication would fit-
tingly commemorate this event,
Therefore be it resolved that a committee
of five be appointed by the society to com-
pile and arrange for the publication of the
same.
The following constitute the committee:
Charles R. Roberts, Rev. John B. Stoudt,
Rev. Thomas H. Krick, William J. Dietrich
and Miss Minnie F. Mickley.
Signed: Geo. T. Ettinger, Ph.D., Presi-
dent; Chas. R. Roberts, Secretary."
"The Lehigh County Historical Society
having a Historical Committee to compile
the history of the county for 1912; the
Chamber of Commerce of Allentown, here-
by endorses the publication of such a his-
tory and approves of the plan of publishing
such history by the Historical Society.
[January 9, 1911.]"
The scope of the work is in part indi-
cated by the "Table of Contents: Geology,
Flora, Indians, The German Pioneers, First
Settlement as Part of Bucks County, Revolu-
tionary War, Fries' Rebellion 1798, Organi-
zation of Lehigh County in 1812, Beuch and
Bar. Education in the County, Newspapers,
Medical Profession, War Periods, Public
Charities, Internal Improvements, Census
of the County, Allentown, Boroughs of the
County, Townships of the County, Family
Reunions.
For further particulars address the Secre-
tary of the Historical Society, Charles R.-
Roberts, Allentown, Pa.
250
D
GENEALOGICAL NOTES AND QUERIES
Conducted by Mrs. M. N. Robinson. Contributions Solicited. Address, The Penna. German, Lititz, Pa.
QUERY NO. 10
Eberle
About 1715 the widow Eberle with her
three sons settled at Durlach, Lancaster
county, Pa. Some claim she brought a
daughter also.
Her son Henry about 18 years old on
arrival in America lived on the old home-
stead. He may be the Henry Everly referred
to in The Pennsylvania- German, Vol. XI,
No. 11, p. 699. Can anyone give any infor-
mation on this point? Also name of his
wife
His son Jacob died at Durlach in 1800.
He married a Miss Huber, or Hoover, of
near Columbia, Lancaster county, Pa.
Wanted her name, and names of her par-
ents.
His son Johannes Eberle was born July
5, 1755, and married Elizabeth Bricker, Nov.
24, 1776. She was born June 1, 1759.
Wanted her parents. ,
QUERY NO. 11
Hosier
In 1761 John Rosier when a young man
settled between Elizabethtown and Maytown
and married Miss Longenecker. Wanted
her name, also her parents, and children of
said John Bosler.
His son John Bosler was born Nov. 14,
1765, and married Catharine Gish. Wanted
her parents.
QUERY NO. 12
Webbert
George Webbert was born Oct. 15, 1769.
Wanted his parents.
He married Elizabeth Miller. Wanted her
parents.
QUERY NO. 13
Barnett
Stephen Barnett married Maria, daughter
of Jean Bertolet. She was born 1715 and
died 1802. Wanted their children. Also
parents of Stephen Barnett.
QUERY NO. 14
Beaver
Dieble Beaver came in 1741 to Berks,
county, with three sons. The oldest Hans
George Beaver aged 21. Wanted the names
of their wives.
QUERY NO. 15
Kieffer
Dewald Kieffer came with his father and
two brothers in 1748 and settled in Berks
county. He married Hannah Fox. Wanted
names of her parents.
D
THE FORUM
The P-G Open Parliament, Question-Box and Clipping Bureau — Communications Invited
For Sale
Penna. -German, Vols. IV and V complete,
Vol. Ill No. 4, Vol. IV Nos. 2 and 4, Vol. V
Nos. 1. 2 and 3. John G. Bechtold, Steel-
ton, Pa.
Wanted
Penna. German Society, extra copy,
annual proceedings Vol. 14.
Check list of Penna. County, Town, and
Township Histories, 1794-1892.
State condition and price.
WM. W. NEIFERT,
36 Pearl St., Hartford, Con..
Corrections for Article "Coveriiiiieut vs.
Fake Forecasts
Page 13S, second column, in quotation
$55.00 should read $555.00.
Page 143, in third line underneath the
chart, remove word "equal" between the
words "through" and "points."
Page 146, first column, in quotation 4th
THE FORUM
251
line, insert "to handle" between words
"competent" and drugs."
Page 147, second column, between "light-
ning" last word on 3rd line and "thounder"
1st word on 4th line, insert "thunder and
rai on the 26th. Conditions: Temperature
slightly above normal, no."
An Omission
We regret that through a misunderstand-
ing we failed to state in the March issue
that the "Pennsylvania Dutchman" who con-
tributed the article on "Goverment Weather
Forecasts versus Fake Forecasts and Al-
manacs" was W. W. Neifert, official in
charge of the local office of the weather
bureau, Hartford, Connecticut. This omis-
sion is one of the inexcusable mistakes that
editors are liable to make.
MEANING OF NAMES
By Leonhard Felix Fuld, LL.M., Ph.D.
EDITORIAL NOTE.— Dr. Fuld has kindly
consented to give a brief account of the
derivation and meaning of the surname of
any reader who sends twenty-five cents to
the editor for that purpose.
69. ADERHOLD
ADERHOLD is a compound of two Ger-
man words ADER and HOLD. The original
meaning of ADER is blood vessel and later
it came to mean characteristic as in the
colloquial expression ER HAT KEINE
ADER VON SEINEM VATER, he has no
characteristics of his father. HOLD means
agreeable and friendly. Thus MEINE
HOLDE means my sweetheart. The name
ADERHOLD accordingly means a man hav-
ing agreeable characteristic; a man who in
the language of the day would be called a
fine fellow.
Local Historian Appreciated
The Superintendent of Schools of Union
County in making his report to the Superin-
tendent of Public Instruction said of the
late Dr. G. G. Groff, of Bucknell University:
"His articles on 'Local History Pertaining
to the Early Public Schools of the County'
have been eagerly read by all whenever they
would be published by the press of the
county." ,
Lebanon Countians, Attention!
From the State of Washington comes this
request. We hope our Lebanon readers will
gratify their distant brother:
Bro. Kriebel :
Can't you stir up some of our people in
Lebanon County and give us some items
from Cornwall and Bismarck. Just ask for
something in the next number — say that I
am so far removed and am hungry for news.
Sincerely,
J. H. FERRYMAN.
"Slowness" of Germans
The Government of the Punjab required
a portable sawmill for use in the hills, and
a deal of correspondence ensued with both.
British and American firms, who, however,
"were not ready" to built a machine answer-
ing the requirements of the Punjab authori-
ties. On the other hand, a German firm was
not only "ready" but promptly manufactured
the machine, and actually sent it out to the
Punjab on approval! And yet one often sees
articles in the trade papers wondering how
it is that Continental trade continues to ex-
pand at the expense of other nations. Pre-
sumably enterprise has something to do-
with it. — The Allahabad Pioneer Mail.
Dr. Jolm Baehman, the Distinguished
Naturalist
The Museum of Charleston, S. C, gave an
Audobon-Bachman exhibit in March which
was greatly appreciated. Dr. John Baehman,
of Swiss-German ancestry, formerly the
pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church of,
Charleston, S. C, was the friend and co-
laborer of Audobon. They met for the first
time in 1831, and were fast friends to the
end. Dr. Baehman was a close student of
plant and animal and published many
pamphlets and papers. He has been called
"a cultured and accomplished gentleman, a
famous preacher, a good citizen, a brave
patriot and a naturalist of high distinction".
We hope to give our readers a sketch of Dr.
Baehman in a later issue of The Pennsyl-
vania German.
The Germans in Fayette County, Pa.
A subscriber in Fayette County writes:
"I made a trip by foot 10 miles to see an
old resident well posted but outside of in-
spiration I only got fragments which I can
not put into form. He is a wornout man
and has hardly enough vitality to work out
a consistent piece of work. But he has a
rich store of knowledge and assures me of
the Germans playing an important part in
the history of this section. At one time they
composed over three-fourths of the popula-
tion in this district. I made another trip
for a valuable letter along this line but
failed to land it. I shall make another at-
tempt at the history of the Lutheran Church
and prepare a general statement. These
people migrated from Montgomery County
and located in Virginia and then following
the Washigton Route they landed in this
section where they developed the farming
lands. They have almost completely lost the
dialect or mother tongue. But few are able
to speak it and rarely use it in public."
We thank our good personal friend for his
efforts and hone he will "stick" until he gets
results.
252
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
A Unique Piece of Workmanship
There was on exhibition recently in Har-
risburg, Pa., a unique table made by Levi
M. Longenecker, of Marietta, Pa. It is in-
laid, about a yard square and contains ten
thousand and sixty pieces of one hundred
and thirteen kinds of wood, including wood
from the old Columbia dam and the old Co-
lumbia bridge, burned 1863. This beautiful
piece of work was made in about two years
of time by means of a small saw and a
pocket knife. Mr. L. is a grandson of Peter
Longenecker, who moved from Chester
County to Marietta where he died.
Words of Song Wanted
Editor Penna. -German:
Dear Sir: Half a century ago the school
children of Lebanon County had a game in
which they sang a rhyme like the following:
"Ring around the rosy
Pin upon a posy
There is a man in our town
His name is Uncle Josy.
Mr. Adam Walborn
Miss Maria Bixler," etc.
These were the names of the couple with-
in the "ring."
By clasping each other's hands, eight to
a dozen boys and girls formed a ring with
a boy and girl within it, all singing the
above lines and stepping to the music. The
tune very much resembled that of Yankee
Doodle.
Can any one of the many readers of the
P-G supply all the words of the song?
E. G.
Value of the Magazine
Mr. Editor:
I should like to say a few words for the
magazine. The new cover is very good and
the book itself is better than ever, and I
would feel lost without it. Since we have
"been engaged on the family history I have
read each issue with greater interest than
ever, and I have always felt that it was
money well invested when I subscribed for
it. There is one other point that I wish to
speak about since becoming a subscriber. I
have had letters from people that I have
never met, and I have derived much pleasure
hearing from these people, who are also
engaged in making a family history, and I
have also made some new friends and good
ones, and all through The Pennsjivania-
German. This shows if we will just make
the effort the results are bound to follow,
and I do surely wish the P.-G. all the suc-
cess possible, and that the present year
will be the most ssuccessful of any in its
history.
Yours truly,
F. J. L. BACHERT.
The Passing of the German
Penna. German:
Dear Mr. Kriebel: In the Feb. No. of The
Pennsylvania-German I noticed with inter-
est in the Form — the Passing of the German.
I was brought up among the Brethren in
Christ — cfter called River Brethren. In my
boyhcod and earlier years I was well ac-
quainted with them in Cumberland, my
home country, Franklin, where my grand-
parents lived, Lancaster where I found my
life companion and somewhat in still other
counties. In those earlier days their meet-
ings were a unique mingling of English and
Penna. German. This was specially so in
their testimony meetings when all the people
take part. During the past summer I spent
my vacation in Franklin and Cumberland
counties and attended a number of their
meetings, notably their harvest meetings
when there was much testimony. I missed
the Penna. German. Only one sister, quite
aged, speaking in German in all of several
meetings I attended where formerly at least
one-half was German. The preaching was
all English where years ago there seldom
was a service with not some German often
most.
Yours truly,
(Rev.) A. Z. MYERS,
Shamokin, Pa.
Location of Morea
In the March number 'The Pennsylvania-
German" I notice an inquiry "if there ever
was a town in Pensylvania by the name of
Morea and where it is or was located."
This town is situated on Broad Mountain,
in Schuylkill County; about five miles from
Mahanoy City; about the same distance
from Delano (east of the former place and
south of the latter) ; and about twelve north
of Pottsville. These distances are only ap-
proximate, as I do not have anything but
my boyhood recollections to base my statis-
tics on.
It is a mining (anthracite coal) town and
the population, according to my recollection
and later reports of the development of the
coal property, is about 800 to 1000.
In the late 80s the Penna. R. R. made an
extension of their Schuylkill Valley line
from Pottsville to New Boston Junction.
Morea is only a mile or so south of New
Boston Junction. At the latter place this
railroad connected with a branch of the Le-
high Vallev R. R., which connects with the
Mahanoy Div. at Delano. I was Assistant
Engineer on the L. V. R. R. at the time these
connections were made, and my birth place
near Tamanend in Rush township, same
county, is only about 8 miles to the north-
east of Morea. At the time we made the
surveys for the railroad connection this
place was known as "Morea Colliery". Later
THE FORUM
253
(on railway schedules) it was called Morea.
I do not know by what name the postal de-
partment now knows it.
A. E. BACHERT.
Spiilwasser
Editor Penna.-German :
I fear some of your correspondents in the
February and March numbers are confusing
words in their discussion of Penna. German
idioms. Certainly there is no proper war-
rant for translating as "playwater" the
German word referred to. Evidently
"sptiilwasser" is meant, which Adler's large
dictionary renders, thus: dishwater, dish-
wash, swill, draff, hogwash. It comes from
spiilen, to wash, to rinse, as Der Fluss
spiilt an die Stadtmauer — the river washed
the citywalls. This is quite a different word
from spiel, to play, altho the sound is some-
what similar, and in careless or colloquial
pronunciation, is alike. (The translation,
"playwater" illustrates a class of mistakes,
frequently made in Pennsylvania-German
communities. Another illustration is the re-
mark heard recently on the streets of Lan-
caster: "My off is all." A number of simi-
lar expressions are found in "Things Haint
No More Like They Wus" — see page 205
of this issue. — Editor.) Properly the letter
u with two dots over it, or "umlaut", (some-
times rendered as ue when the marked type
is not available), should be pronounced
with the lips puckered as if to whistle, and
at the same time giving the sound of ee,
long e. This makes a sound much farther
back in the mouth than ee. Other combi-
nations besides spiilwasser, are: spiilbutte,
spiilfass, spiilgelte, a rinsing tub; spiil-
hader, spiillappem, spullumpen, a dishcloth;
sptilkelch Kelch, ablution vessel in church;
spiilkessel, spiilkbel, spiilkumplt, a rinsing
dish, or vessel ; spiilmagd, a pewter scour-
er; spiilnapf, a rinsing bowl; spiilstein, a
sink; spiilwanne, a rinsing pan. There is
also spiilicht, spiilig, swill, dishwater.
(Hon.) J. C. RUPPENTHAL
March 13, 1911.
A New Magazine for Americans of German Descent
The Current Literature Publishing Com-
pany of New York in January heralded a
new publication bearing the above name in
these words:
"Beginning with this month, the publish-
ers of CURRENT LITERATURE take charge
of the publication of a new, illustrated
monthly magazine, printed in the German
language, entitled
RUNDSCHAU ZWEIER WELTEN
(Review of Two Worlds)
This will be, in effect, a German Edition of
CURRENT LITERATURE, with the addition
of a Speeial Department devoted to the
culture-movement fostered so ardently by
the German Emperor and his advisers on
one side and President Taft and President
Roosevelt on the other, for the interchange
of thought between the great universities
of the two countries, the closer acquaint- .
ance of each nation with the Artistic and
Intellectual Achievement of the other, and
in general a better understanding between
these two great sections of the Teutonic
race.
RUNDSCHAU ZWEIER WELTEN
will be the combination of a German CUR-
RENT LITERATURE with the magazine
established in this city several years ago
by Mr. Louis Viereck and published under
the title DER DEUTSCHE VORKAEMP-
FER (The German Pioneer). Mr. Viereck
will continue to cooperate with the new
and greater magazine as its Contributing
Editor, resident in Berlin. The Editorial
Management will be in the hands of his
son, Mr. George Sylvester Viereek, the
young American of German descent who
has already, at the age of 26, made his
name known on both sides of the sea as an
author of notable creative literature both
in prose and poetry. Dr. Edward J. Wheel-
er, editor of CURRENT LITERATURE, will
maintain a speeial advisory relation to the
new magazine.
Among the contributors to the Special
Department of the magazine will be many
of the foremost men both of Germany and
America."
The firm is sending out circulars to or-
ganize a club of 5000 Americans of German
ancestry who will receive a popular edition
of Prof. Faust's "The German Element in
the United States" and a year's subscription
to the new monthly for the nominal sum
of $3.70, the regular price of both being
Ten Dollars. The Pennsylvania-German
extends congratulations to the new enter-
prise and wishes it abundant success.
254
(Founded by Rev. Dr. P. C. Croll, 1900.)
H. W. KRIEBEL, Editor and Publisher
THE EXPRESS PRINTING COMPANY, Printers
LITITZ, PENNA.
Editor of Review Department, Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N. J.
Advisory Editorial Board : — I. H. Betz, M, D, York, Pa. : Lucy Forney BiTTinger, Sewickley,
Pa. ; A. Y. Casanova, Washington, D. C. ; Rev. P. C. Croll, D. D., Beardstown, 111. ; Prof.
G. T. Ettinger, Allentown, Pa.; Prof. Oscar Kuhns, Middletown, Conn.; Daniel Miller,
Reading, Pa.; Gen. John E. Roller, Harrisonburg, Va. ; Prof. L. S. Shimmel, Harrisburg,
Pa. ; Rev. A. C. Wuchter, Paulding, Ohio.
The Pennsylvania-German is the only, popular, illustrated, monthly magazine of biography, genealogy,
history, folklore, literature, devoted to the early German and Swiss settlers in Pennsylvania and other
states' and their descendants. It encourages a restudy of the history of the Germans in America; it res-
cues from oblivion the record of the deeds of those gone before ; it unearths, formulates and disseminates
a wealth of historic material of great moment in the right interpretation of our American life ; it meets
the necessity of having a repository for historical contributions and a medium for the expression of opin-
ion on current questions pertaining to its field. It aims to develop a proper regard for ancestry, to
create interest in family history, to promote research along genealogical lines, to unite descendants where-
ever found, to facilitate a scientific, philological study of its dialect; it makes generally accessble to the
future historian the precious incidents of German life and achievements in America, and incidentally be-
comes an eloquent, imperishable monument to a very important element of the citizenship of the United
States.
PRICE. Single Copies 20 cents; per year $2.00 HINTS TO AUTHORS. Condense closely. Write
payable in advance. Foreign Postage, Extra: to plainly on one side only of uniform paper. Do not
Canada, 24 cents; to Germany, 36 cents. cram, interline, scrawl, abbreviate (except words to
SPECIAL RATES to clubs, to canvassers, on long be abbreviated), roll manuscript, or send incomplete
term subscriptions and on back numbers. Ask for copy. Spell, capitalize, punctuate and paragraph
particulars. carefully and uniformly. Verify quotations, refer-
REMITTANCES will be acknowledged through the ences, dates, proper names, foreign words and techni-
magazine: receipts will be sent only on request. cal terms.
ADVERTISING RATES will be furnished on ap- CONTRIBUTIONS. Articles on topics connected
plication. with our field are alwavs welcome. Readers of the
CHANGES OF ADDRESS. In ordering change magazine are invited to contribute items of interest
of address the old and new addresses should be given and thus help to enhance the value of its pages. Re-
SUGGESTIONS AND PLANS on how to extend sponsibility for contents of articles is assumed by
the sale and influence of the magazine are invited contributors. It is taken for granted that names of
and, if on trial found to be of value, will be suitably contributors may be given in connection with articles
rewarded. when withholding is not requested. MSS. etc. will
SPECIAL REPORTS WANTED. Readers will be retUraed only on request, accompanied by stamps
confer a great favor by reporting important and to pay postage. Corrections of misstatements of facts
significant biographical, bibliographical, genealogical, are welcomed; these will be printed and at the end
social, industrial items appearing in books and cur- of the vear ;n(jexed.
rent literature that relate to our magazine field.
A "Special" Communication
The word "Special" is used in this connection in the sense of "designed for
a particular purpose" "different from others." On the last page of the cover
we offer "Something Special." In explanation of the same the following is
submitted :
The "Special" Campaign
One of the warmest friends of this magazine in a communication dated March
27, 191 1, says, among other things; "The magazine as now conducted should
be' a great success in view of the great body of Pennsylvania Germans to whom
it should appeal * * * * Did our Pennsylvania Germans show the proper inter-
est you would have ioo subscribers where you have but one * * * * What you
need is a good solicitor that should cover the whole country— a good Pennsyl-
vania German who can be all sorts of things to all kinds of people * * * '
They (the subscribers) will not come of themselves but it takes a good man to
get them."
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT 255
It should not be impossible for each of a thousand of our subscribers to get
five short term subscribers by July first at the offer we are making this month.
1 am fully persuaded that nearly every one could do much better than this if
a determined effort were made. I open this campaign because I want each sub-
scriber in my stead to take it upon himself to do what he can to swell the list of
subscribers. I shall do what I can through these offers to win all the new
friends I can for our work. If you do the same we will have good news to
report by July.
The "Special" Purpose
I am continually being urged to secure more advertisements. I want to give
better service. I ought to make original investigations. I want to serve sub-
scribers better.
But all hinges on the subscription list. With a large and growing list of sub-
scribers the value of the "ad." pages naturally increases. This means more in-
come, more margin to be set aside for improvements, better service. I have
certain changes under consideration looking to the improvement of the maga-
zine which 1 do not care to announce unless I am assured that subscribers will
back me sufficiently in taking an advance step. I can only say now that I shall
strive to continually improve the magazine regardless of response to this call,
but the heartier the response the more satisfactory service will be rendered. I
have carried the work forward thus far at a considerable sacrifice, doing what
is done in all other legitimate life pursuits, sowing and toiling in expectation of
reaping "by and by." But come to think about it, is it not about time that you
go out and help to gather a few sheaves for the harvest?
The "Special" Period
By throwing back numbers into the bargain I am giving the magazine at prac-
tically one dollar a year. With the present subscription list such a price would
be suicidal. The results secured in this period will enable us to determine
whether or not our prices are too high. Do not forget that the offers made will
expire June 30 and that the period covered ends Dec. 191 1.
The "Special" Price
Some warm friends of the magazine continue to make the charge that I am
giving too much for the money ; others complain that the price is too high. The
offer we are now making is the most liberal we have yet made. No one ought
to raise a "kick" against getting over 700 pages of special literature at a dollar.
Those who think the price they have been paying is too low have a chance to
equalize matters by presenting subscriptions to their friends. Present subscrib-
ers can benefit by taking advantage of the liberal commissions we give.
Our "Offer" Blanks
The First Form. The back of this card is left blank. We would be pleased
to have you submit a word of commendation of the magazine which will be
printed gratis in this space. We can not do this, however, unless you will cir-
culate at least 50 of the slips either by handing in person to friends, by enclos-
ing them with your letters or getting friends to distribute them for you. The
commissions which will be allowed for business secured Will be given on appli-
cation and to those who order cards for circulation.
256
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
The Second Form. This is self-addressed, is mailable as a postal card and
is to be prepaid by solicitor. Send five dollars for five of these cards and we
will give you in addition to cards credit for a year's subscription. By having
these certificates on hand and speaking a commendatory and timely word you
can get friends to subscribe and thus help the work along.
Kindness Appreciated
We recently referred a correspondent
in Kentucky to a few of our subscrib-
ers for information. Letters were
exchanged and the courteous answers
received led our correspondent to write
us as follows: "It is refreshing to meet
one so responsive and helpful to a
stranger's requests. I quote from letter
of Mr. B., 'Though we are strangers
and can hardly expect to meet we can,
at least do a kind turn for each other.'
You are fortunate in having such men
as your contributors."
We take this means of thanking our
subscribers for showing courtesies to
the Kentucky correspondent and com-
mending their kindness to all our read-
ers. Let us be helpful to one another
in our efforts as "delvers in genealogical
mines."
Professor Fogel's Announced Dialect
Contributions
In answer to the question, where is
Prof. Fogel with his dialect articles, we
submit the following self-explanatory
letter :
Philadelphia, Pa., Mar. 27, 191 1.
Mr. H. W. Kriebel,
Editor Penn.-German.
Dear Mr. Kriebel : I am sorry to
have to tell you that it will be impos-
sible for the present to take up the work
in connection with your contemplated
Dialect Department. As soon as my
book on Pennsylvania German Supersti-
tions is in press I may be able to take
up the work. You may use any method
you see fit to bring these facts before
your readers.
Very trulv yours,
E. M. FOGEL.
Advertise
In a booklet issued by G. W. Wragenseller, Editor and Owner of the Post,
Middleburg, Pa., we find these words:
"Advertise and the world is with you,
Don't and you are alone
For the U. S. A. will never pay
A Cent to the Great Unknown."
Acting on what is here affirmed our good and tried friends, the subscribers
of The Pennsylvania-German can render the magazine a signal service by be-
coming the mutual friend to introduce the magazine among their acquaintances.
The world is flooded with, advertising matter to such an extent that a great
deal falls directly into waste baskets to go up in smoke, unread, unhonored
and unknown. Put your personality at our service, without expense to your-
self and become the best possible advertising medium. Brothers and Sisters,
let's advertise.
Subscriptions Received will be acknowledged in our next issue.
Sri)?
Vol. XII
MAY, 19
GEORG VON BOSSE. (See page 320)
No. 5
m
jm
)^1
I
M
frJf
258
THE
L
AUX
OUX
AUCK P
AUCKS *
OUCKS
FAMILY
First Family Association Meeting
MONO the many notable Pennsylvania family reunions during the
past year none surpassed in point of numbers or in interest the
celebration of the two hundredth anniversary of the landing of
Philip and Nicholas Laux in America, at Brookside Park, at the
city of York Pennsylvania, on June 18, 1910, by their descendants
and by those of their kin who belong to collateral lines.
Nearly a thousand members of this old and influential fam-
ily, spelling their names in five different ways, (Laux, Loux,
Lauck, Laucks, Loucks), were present to take part in the exercises of this their
first reunion.
Owing to the advanced years of the venerable president of the Family
Association, Israel Laucks, Esq., of York, the duties of the chair were at his
request assumed by the Rev. Dr. Michael Loucks, of Marietta, Pa.
The opening exercises consisted of : Music, by the Loganville Band ; Praise
Hymn (composed for the occasion by the Rev. Dr. Michael Loucks) ; Scripture
Reading by Rev. Edgar V. Loucks, Blue Ball, Pa. ; Prayer by Rev. David
Laucks Fogelman of Denver, Pa. ; "Address of Welcome," Augustus Loucks,
York, Pa. ; Response by Alonzo L. Loucks, Esq., Chicago, 111., and Trombone
Solo by Samuel Loucks, of Marietta, Pa.
The following historical address was then delivered : — "Our Huguenot An-
cestrv: The Ancient Home in France," by Hon. James B. Laux, of New York
City/
The exercises for the forenoon were closed with a rousing "Rally Song"
entitled: — "Laux's to the Front," composed by Mr. Charles W. Loux, of Phila-
delphia, Pa., sung to the tune, "Onward Christian Soldiers".
After a bounteous dinner, served by the ladies of Calvary Lutheran Church,
Dover, Pa., and an enjoyable fraternization among visitors the afternoon ses-
sion was opened with music by the Loganville Band, a trombone solo by Mr.
Lester Loucks, of Jacobus, Pa., and the singing of Luther's grand old hymn,
"Ein Feste Burg ist wiser Gott."
The following interesting address was then delivered : — "Landing in the New
World : From Exile in Germany to Schoharie," by Edwin A. Loucks, Esq., of
New York City.
The address was followed with a Recitation, by Master Milton Loucks of
Gloversville, N. Y., a bright young lad of fourteen, entitled : " The Battle of
Oriskany", who rendered it in a very intelligent and spirited manner.
The recitation of this battle poem had a peculiar interest for many of those
present, for their ancestors had taken part in that bloody fight. It has also a
special interest to the descendants of the old Palatine stock, wherever found,
for Oriskany was a battle almost wholly fought by men of the German race,
led by the heroic Herkimer, as well as being one of the most far-reaching in its
effects of all the battles of the Revolution.
The following address was then delivered: — "From Schoharie to Tulpe-
hocken," by Rev. Michael Loucks, D.D., Marietta, Pa.
FIRST FAMILY ASSOCIATION MEETING
259
A most entertaining address, captioned: "Family Characteristics" inter-
spersed with choice bits of humor was given by Mr. Charles W. Loux of Phila-
delphia, receiving the warmest applause.
Adjutant General Joseph B. Lauck, of Sacramento, Calif., who, on account
of rioting in California, was prevented from being present and delivering the
address, "Reminiscences," sent his "heartiest congratulations" by telegram.
Then came the concluding address of the day: "The Loucks' from Berks
County to York County", by Hon. David M. Loucks, Jacobus, York Co., Pa.
Rev. A. G. Fasnacht closed the day's exercises by pronouncing the Mosaic
benediction in German.
Praise Hymn
Composed by Rev. Michael Loucks, D. D.
Today with praise to God,
We meet to own Him Lord;
Oh, let us here our hearts uplift,
In songs of one accord.
He brought us to this day,
A day of memories sweet;
Oh, let us here His name adore,
With love each other greet.
To Him, our fathers' God,
We owe a just acclaim;
He kindly led us here today,
His mercies to proclaim.
Praise to the Lord of love,
For all His goodness past;
And praises give to Him above,
While endless ages last.
Our Huguenot Ancestry : The Ancient Home in France
By Hon. James B. Laux, of New York
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Kinfolk :
I believe it was Ben Jonson who said,
"he who cares not whence he came,
cares not whither he goes," afterwards
paraphrased by Edmund Burke in his
"Reflections o n the Revolution i n
France," when he said: :'People will not
look forward to posterity, who never
look backward to their ancestry."
There is much wisdom in this saying
of the fine old dramatist, and I am sure
this sentiment must commend itself to
you who are gathered here today, to do
honor to the memory of the first of our
name, who came to the New World, the
blessed land of civil and religious liberty.
It is fitting therefore that some mention
should be made of the home in the Old
World that gave birth to, and cradled
the race from which we spring.
When I remind you that we are of
French Huguenot ancestry I am very
sure it must stir your blood and quicken
your heart beats to hear again the story
of that heroic and persecuted race that
has done so much for mankind — moral-
ly, intellectually, and in the realm of art
— a story that stands unparalleled in the
history of the woild, and particularly so
when that story of lofty faith, heroic en-
durance, and sublime devotion to prin-
ciple is epitomized in the recital of the
story of our own ancestry.
In speaking to you of our Huguenot
forefathers you must not expect me to
present each one of you with a family
tree, fully grown, in the topmost limbs
of which you may see your own particu-
lar family snugly ensconced looking
complacently down at the root and soil
from which the tree grew, and expanded
into the mighty trunk, branches and
leaves in the course of centuries. The
growing of family trees I must leave to
each individual family, which should be
regarded as a pleasant duty to be per-
formed without delay, and which, more-
over, should be regarded as a debt due
to your ancestors to be discharged for
260
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
the benefit, not only of yourselves, but
of those who come after you. I will
content myself therefore with giving
you a brief account of the seed from
which our family tree has grown, and
of the soil and times in which it de-
veloped into maturity, with some refer-
ence to the storms that beat upon it in
the days of adversity and persecution,
thereby proving its right to exist in the
sunshine of prosperity under the clear
blue skies of peace, when these storms
had passed, and not to be cut down as
one that crumbereth the ground.
The family of du Laux is one of the
most ancient in France, and on its long
roll appear many distinguished names
throughout the centuries ; soldiers,
statesmen, scholars and ecclesiastics —
Romanists as well as Huguenots, for it
must be remembered that before the
Reformation, Christians of every nation
found their religious home in the bosom
of the Church of Rome, save the Al-
bigenses in the south of France, and the
Vaudois or Waldensians in the secluded
valleys of the Alps, who throughout the
long tyranny of Rome, adhered to the
simple faith and ceremonies of the early
Church, and who hailed as "brethren",
the Huguenots of France, when they
accepted the principles of the Reforma-
tion and threw off the yoke of Rome.
The origin of the family is recorded
in the ancient chronicles of the region
on either side of the Pyrenees in the
extreme southwest of France, and the
claim is made that long before the na-
tions of France and Spain, as we know
them today had an existence; long be-
fore the mighty movement for national
life began to manifest itself in the
heterogeneous collection of petty king-
doms, dukedoms and principalities of
the Feudal Age that were constantly at
war with each other ; long before the
birth even of the French and Spanish
languages; while yet it was a debatable
question whether the pat o is spoken in
Provence, the land of the Troubadours
in the south of France, or that of the He
de France in the north, in the neighbor-
hood of Paris, should become the uni-
versal tongue of the French people, our
ancestors were petty sovereigns of the
principality of Biscay on the bay of the
same name on the Spanish side of the
Pyrenees, speaking a dialect of the old
Gothic tongue. You will remember
that the Visigoths, a warlike branch of
the great Germanic race invaded the
Spanish Peninsula during the fifth cen-
tury and established themselves there,
and in southern France.
In passing it may be said, that the
Goths, though a warlike and conquering
race were noted for their morality, love
of justice, and good-faith, and more-
over, were distinguished for their ap-
preciation of the fine arts, science and
learning, qualities transmitted to their
descendants. Their love of the beautiful
has its enduring monument in the
Gothic architecture. The Goth loved law
and order, and was never an anarchist ;
he never destroyed for mere love of de-
struction, but preserved all that was
worth preserving.
And so with our mind's eye we can
look back to those far-off centuries,
and behold these shadowy Visgothic an-
cestors of ours hard at work in the task
of reducing to obedience the turbulent
population they overcame — a mixture of
Celt and Iberian — and the formation of
a stable form of government in the
foothills, valleys and summits of the
Pyrenees in the region known today as
the Basque Provinces of Biscay and
Alava. Some color of truth is given to
this ancient tradition of the sovereignty
of Biscay from the fact that the
armorial bearings of ancient Biscay are
similar in certain respects to those of
the famille du Laux which have been
handed down to the present day.
Tradition hath it also, for I will not
venture to call it history, although the
claim is staunchly made by the repre-
sentatives of the family in France, that
the chiefs of the Maison du Laux dis-
tinguished themselves greatly in the long
and bitter conflict waged with the Moors
of Granada, and that by reason of these
services they achieved the sovereignty
of Biscay and Alava which took place
towards the close of the ninth century,.
OUR HUGUENOT ANCESTRY
261
the first ruler of which was Don Lope
du Laux.
By consulting your histories you will
be told that the last unconquered refuge
of the Christians of Spain, in the Moor-
ish Conquest was in this very region,
and that from this spot was exerted the
force which under men like Alfonso the
Great, turned the tide of conquest in
favor of Christianity which finally, after
a sanguinary conflict of over six hun-
dred years ended in the expulsion of the
Moors, during the region of Ferdinand
and Isabella, in 1492, the year in which
Columbus discovered America, destined
to be the asylum for the oppressed of
every nation, and of every creed.
According to ancient family records,
in the possession of the present heads of
the family in France, Inigo Lope du
Laux, the sixth Seigneur de Biscaye
and Count of Alava, had two sons :
Lope Sanche, Seigneur du Laux, seventh
Seigneur de Biscaye and Guillaume
Sanche du Laux, a younger son who had
crossed the Pyrenees about the year
1075, and established himself in the Vis-
county of Beam, near the City of Pau,
in what is now, with Henry the Fourth's
ancient Kingdom of Navarre, the De-
partment of Basses Pyrenees.
This Guillaume Sanche du Laux be-
came the founder of the house or family
from which all those bearing the name
of Laux descend. He was made the
Grand Ecuyer of Garcia, King of Na-
varre, and Governor of the town of
Navarre, and married Sancia Vaca,
Souveraine of a little town lying close to
the Pyrenees. He evidently prospered
for he enabled a younger son named
Raimond du Laux, to establish himself
in a right worthy fashion in the adjoin-
ing territory of Armagnac, where his
grandson became the Baron of the lands
of Labour and Arberac in 1 1 5 1 . The
Armagnac territory extended in a strip
from the River Garonne to the Pyrenees,
and in those days was the scene of many
a bloody fray between rival feudal
seigneurs in which the Barons du Laux
took an active part. They were always
in the front.
For many succeeding generations the
Seigneurs du Laux played an active and
important part in the history of Beam
and Navarre, which were a part of
ancient Gascony, all belonging to the
Duchy of Aquitaine, and all of which
was a possession of the Crown of Eng-
land for over three hundred years
( 1 152-1453). These lands were terri-
tory as foreign to the French Kingdom
as the territory of their German and
Spanish neighbors. The French con-
quest of Aquitaine (1451-3), the result
of the Hundred Years' War, was in
reality the conquest of a land which had
ceased to stand in any relation to the
French Crown, and it was therefore to
England that the seigneurs and rulers of
these lands looked as the source of pre-
ferment, and to whom allegiance was
due. This is why we now begin to find
frequent mention of the Seigneurs du
Laux in the service of the Kings of
England. About the year 1235 we meet
with an Arnauld Guillaume du Laux,
Chevalier, and Amagneux du Laux, also
a chevalier, who rendered signal service
to King Henry III in Aquitaine.
This Amagneux du Laux accompanied
Louis IX, or Saint Louis, as he is popu-
larly called in France, in the Seventh
Crusade against the Saracens, and in the
disastrous battle of Mansoura in Egypt
(1250) in which 30,000 Christian sol-
diers were slain, was taken prisoner
with King Louis. After paying a heavy
ransom he returned with the King to
France, and died at the Chateau du Laux
in Armagnac and is buried in the church
at that place, where his tomb and effigy
can be seen to this day. He won great
distinction in this crusade, and in com-
memoration of his services his armorial
bearings were augmented with a bordure
bearing bezants, a coin of the Byzantine
Empire, indicating that the bearer had
distinguished himself as a crusader.
That heraldic insignia has been borne
ever since on the arms of the famille du
Laux.
His successor, Ponce du Laux, mar-
ried October 25, 1264, Jeanne de Cor-
neillan. and had three sons, one of
whom, Pierre, became Bishop o f
262
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Xaintes, and another, Geraud, the Che-
valier, who followed King Edward to
England.
It is interesting to note the frequent
occurrence of Pierre, or Peter, as the
baptismal name after this time.
Throughout all the generations since, in
whatever land the family may have
made its home, or whatever creed it pro-
fessed, you will find the name of Peter
given to some member of it. Is it too
much to say that the custom of naming
a son, Peter, which seems almost to
have become a religious duty in the
olden time, and in our own day, too, had
its origin in naming a son of the
Seigneurs du Laux in honor of Peter,
the Bishop of Xaintes, whose high rank
in the hierarchy of the Church was a
source of pride to the family? There
would be nothing unusual in that, for
the preacher uncle, even in our days, is
considered a great personage, a most
valuable asset of the family. There is
always a great commotion when he visits
the relatives you know, particularly
among the young folk, and in certain
parts of the household domain.
The Seigneurs du Laux seemed to
have had a gift of diplomacy, for fre-
quent mention is made of their acting as
the representatives of the English Kings,
and of the great Feudal Lords in that
part of France, and in conformity with
the custom of the nobles of the ancien
regime, the rich livings of the Church
were not allowed to get away from the
family entirely, nothwithstanding that
they were soldiers almost to a man.
Along the beginning of the fifteenth cen-
tury we find another younger son, Car-
von du Laux, who became bishop of the
Diocese of Bayonne, which lies on the
coast of the Bay of Biscay. He had a
brother, another Pierre, or Peter, who
established himself in the region of
Perigord, in what is now the Department
of Charente Inferieure, where he mar-
ried Agnes de Guihan de Barbassan,
sister of "the noble and valiant Seigneur
Bertrand de Barbassan," and had several
children, the oldest son being another
Pierre, or Peter. A daughter with the
quaint name of Yalerine married the
Yicomte de Signac ; interesting and con-
vincing evidence as to the standing and
fortune of this founder of another
branch of the family, which was des-
tined to arrive at great distinction in the
succeeding generations, being rewarded
with the titles of Marquis and Comte.
A descendant of a branch that abjured
Protestantism after the return of Henry
IV to the Church of Rome, became
Archbishop of Aries, and was guillo-
tined during the French Revolution in
1789. Another descendant, Peter Marie^
Chevalier du Laux, was a colonel in the
d'Agenois Regiment in Rochambeau's
army in our own Revolution, as were
also humbler members of the family in
the navy, under the command of Count
d'Estaing. From an offshoot of this
branch, that of Anjoumois, came several
Henry and Phillipe du Lauxs during the
seventeenth century. Amagneux. a son
of Peter, married Honorine de Saunier,
a name well worth adopting in the New
World. Honorine is a becoming name
for a good, high-minded woman, and is
not a name that can be made into a
silly diminutive.
His great grandson, Jean du Laux, in
1575, married Marie, the daughter of
Francois III, Comte de la Rochefou-
cault and his wife, the Comtesse de
Roussy, sister of Eleanore de Roy, who
became the wife of Louis de Bourbon,
Prince de Conde, altogether a very bril-
liant marriage regarded from a social
and political standpoint and showing the
position he occupied as a member of the
old nobility.
This Jean du Laux was a dis-
tinguished soldier, and a devoted fol-
lower of Henry IV, who showed his
high regard for him in the following
letter which is still in the possession of
the family in France, as are also letters
from Henri IV, the Prince de Conde
and other Huguenot leaders:
"Je vous ecris a la hate, pour vous
prier de venir me joindre a Berger-
ac pour aller a la rencontre de la
Reine, ma femme, en meilleur equip-
age que la brievete du terns pourra
vous le permettre. Vous y serez
Mr. du Laux le tres bien venue et
de bon coeur recu.
Votre atfeetionne ami Henri."
OUR HUGUENOT ANCESTRY
263
Translation
"I write to you in haste, to beg of
you, to join me at Bergerac, to meet
the Queen, my wife, en meilleur
equipage that the shortness of the
time will permit. There you will be
most welcome, Mr. du Laux, and
received most cordially.
Your affectionate friend Henri."
The family of du Laux had long be-
fore this time embraced the tenets of the
Reformation in Beam, the birthplace of
Henri IV under the vigorous missionary
work of Jeanne d'Albret, the mother of
Henri. After this the fortunes of the
family were closely identified with those
of Henri IV in his efforts to secure the
throne of France, and some member of
it was always present in Henri's great
battles, among them, Coutras and Ivry,
and from which in all probability dates
the cri de guerre: "V alliance mene a la
gloirc" which is now the motto of the
family as shown on its coat of arms.
A significant and convincing proof of
the Huguenot character of the family at
this time is shown in the baptismal
names given to many of the sons. We
meet with biblical names like Josias,
Daniel, John and Isaac. The Armands,
Gastons, Francois', Arnaulds, and names
of like character become less frequent in
the period of the Huguenot ascendency.
That many of the members of the
several branches of the family, estab-
lished in different parts of France, be-
came Protestants and suffered in conse-
quence, is shown in the names found in
the list of exiles in foreign countries, as
for instance, in the Denization Roll of
London, for 1544 published by the
Huguenot Society of London, we see the
name of John Laux, a Huguenot, who
was naturalized. Also in the baptismal
records of the French Church in Thread-
Needle Street, the name of Madeleine
Laux, daughter of Jacob Laux in 1567.
In a baptism recorded in the Registry
of the Walloon Church, in Canterbury,
England, we find George Laux as a wit-
ness. Many more instances of this
character could be cited from the re-
cords of the French Huguenot Churches
in England.
Among the officers of the Huguenot
Regiments of William III of England
was a Lieutenant Laux, who was present
at the Battle of the Boyne, under the
command of the old Duke de Schom-
berg and was among the number of the
Duke's Huguenot regiment of Horse
that followed the old hero as pointing
with his sword at the French and Irish
army across the river he cried out : "al-
■ lons, mes amis! Rappclez votre courage
et vos ressentements: VOILA VOS
PERSECUTEURS!" and plunged into
the stream. The defeat of James II and
with it, the downfall of tyranny — politi-
cal and religious — in England, was the
result of that day's work of the Hugue-
not exiles of France, under the glorious
old Schomberg, who here laid down his
life for liberty of conscience at the age
of eighty-two.
We find in the church records also,
even at these early dates, evidence of
the corruption of surnames. The prefix
is dropped, the silent letter as the x in
Laux is omitted as had already been
done in France, where you find in family
documents the name spelled alternately
Laux and Lau. Not the least of the sor-
rows of the old Huguenot families in ex-
ile was the dismemberment and corrup-
tion of the family names. This was par-
ticularly flagrant in Germany, where
they became Germanized in form, and
frequently translated. In this country
also, among the German settlers, with
whom the descendants of Huguenots had
cast their lot, this sad work of disfigur-
ing good old French names has also oc-
curred. Who would recognize Beau-
champ in Bushong, or de la Coeur in
Delliker, or Cauchois in Cushway, or
Sauvage in Sowash, or Voiteurin in
Woodring, or Laux in Loucks or
Laucks, names that are familiar to you
all. "The pity of it, the pity of it !"
With what force and with what truth
the lines from Shakespeare may be used
by the man whose ancestors bore an hon-
orable historic name, but which conies
down to him in a mutilated, grotesque
and unrecognizable form :
"Good name in man and woman
Is the immediate jewel of their souls:
Who steals my purse, steals trash; 'tis
nothing;
264
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
But he, who filches from me my ^ood name,
Robs me of that which not enriches him,
And makes me poor, indeed."
And to think that some thoughtless an-
cestor was guilty of such a senseless
crime.
Further evidence of the profession of
Huguenot doctrines by the family in
France, is found in the Rcgistrc dcs
Manages et Baptismes of the Huguenot
church of St. Quentin in Picardy in the
year 1599, where we have the baptismal
record of Judith de Laux, daughter of
Jehan de Laux, and his wife, Suzanne
Cormelmey.
In the Huguenot David Laux, we have
not only a devout Protestant, but also a
scholar of rare attainments. He was for
a long time one of the editors of the fa-
mous Estienne printing house in Paris,
a Huguenot establishment that flour-
ished in the sixteenth century until it
incurred the enmity of the Sorbonne, be-
cause of its publication and sale of
Bibles when it was removed to Geneva,
Switzerland. David Laux went to Edin-
burgh, Scotland.
The methods employed by the fanati-
cal successors of Henri IV to drive the
Huguenots back into the fold of the Ro-
man Church had the effect of driving
thousands from France. The Corona-
tion oath that Henri IV was compelled
to take gives some idea of what was in
store for the Huguenots of France. It
read like this: "I shall endeavor accord-
ing to my ability, in good faith to drive
from my jurisdiction and from the lands
subject to me, all heretics denounced by
the Church, promising on oath to keep all
that has been said, so help me God, and
the Holy Gospel of God." There is no
question whatever but that Henri's sin-
cerity in the change of his faith was
doubted by a very powerful section of
the Church party, who regarded it
simply as a political subterfuge, and who
believed that at heart he was still a
Protestant and an enemy of the Church.
In fact, the assassin Ravaillac was taught
in the Cloisters of St. Bernard to believe
that Henri was an enemy of the Church
and should therefore be destroyed. The
Promulgation of the Edict of Nantes
four years after his accession to the
throne 1 1598) which was intended as its
title indicated, to bring peace to France:
"An edict of the King for the Healing
of the Trouble of the Kingdom," con-
vinced his enemies of his insincerity and
his assassination soon followed. His ef-
forts to pacify France by granting to the
followers of the Reformed religion as
large a measure as possible of civil and
religious liberty were entirely at variance
with the expectations of his Romanist
supporters, and most grievously did he
answer for it.
His untimely death on the eve of
his departure tor the relief of the Pro-
testant Princes of Germany became a
signal for bold encroachments on the
rights and privileges of the Huguenots
guaranteed by him in the Edict. The
treatment of the Huguenots during the
Regency of Marie de Medici, their bit-
ter enemy, governed by Italian favorites,
who inspired her policy, which, like that
of her family, was always Machiavellian,
was what might have been expected of a
family which did not consider a promise
made by a King to a Protestant as bind-
ing. Little by little, day by day, the con-
cessions accorded Huguenots were con-
tested, reduced and finally denied.
The great massacre of Huguenots in
Beam, the home of Henri IV and of
the du Laux family, where the Protes-
tant worship was suppressed, and Rom-
ish priests installed in their places, not-
withstanding that more than three-
fourths of the people were Huguenots,
and had been so for generations was
one of the greater crimes committed in
the name of the Most High. Massacres
in other sections followed, producing in-
evitable revolts, which armies of the
King hastened to suppress wherever
possible.
Among the many flagrant violations
of the Edict of Nantes and persecutions
that followed upon the death of Henri
IV, mention may be made of the right
of residence accorded to national or for-
eign Protestants, especially to pastors
and professors in all the cities of the
Kingdom ; the enjoyment of complete
liberty of conscience, a right which was
OUR HUGUENOT ANCESTRY
265
restricted and finally suppressed, both
as to the residence, and as to liberty
of conscience ; the destruction of hun-
dreds of Huguenot temples, which after
having existed for sixty years, were
found to be too near the Romish
Churches, because the singing of their
Psalms, the sound of their bells, the pos-
sible meeting of processions, might
gravelv inconvenience the Romish ser-
vice and scandalize the true believers
who had never dreamed of such a thing
"before ; the interdiction forcibly, or by
persuasion, to take children away from
their Protestant parents in order to
have them baptized as Romanists ; the
refusal to admit Protestants to all State
offices, functions, industries, professions,
corporations, masterships, under the
pretext that the Edict of Nantes had
been granted to the Huguenots as a
measure of necessity, and under compul-
sion in dangerous times which the suc-
cessors of Henri IV declared they were
not bound by, perpetual and irrevocable
as it might be called, and how they were
gradually deprived of all their dignities,
offices, and functions, and even denied
the possibility of following a profession,
trade, even as a hatter, livery-stable
keeper, or a washerwoman ; the gradual
reduction of the Chambers of the Edict,
or bi-partisan special tribunals estab-
lished to safeguard the rights of the
Huguenots, and their final suppression ;
how Huguenots were forced to contri-
bute to the support of the Romish
Churches, and their priests ; the suppres-
sion of Protestant colleges, schools and
academies ; the refusal to permit the
holding of consistories, synods and con-
ferences, though expressly guaranteed
by the Edict without previous permis-
sion being required.
These are but a few of the numberless
acts of tyranny and persecution that be-
came the daily portion of the unhappy
Huguenots of France, between the pro-
mulgation of the Edict of Nantes in
I?q8, and the Peace of Westphalia in
1648, which ended the Thirty Years'
War, the last of the religious wars that
deluged the continent of Europe with
"blood in the Name of Jesus Christ, the
Son of Cod.
Let us thank God that we live in an
age of religious liberty enjoyed by
Roman Catholics as well as by Pro-
testants ; an age of toleration and re-
spect for each other, a high example of
which is shown today at Yillanova Col-
lege, a Catholic institution of this state,
where President Taft is being honored
with a college degree conferred but
twice before, and then upon Protestants.
We are Americans and Christians here
no matter what the creed we confess.
WTe worship the same God, whether
Protestant, Catholic or Jew.
The persecutions of the Jews of the
Moors of Spain are alone comparable
with the treatment of the Huguenots of
France for vindicitive. bloodthirsty feroc-
ity. It must not be forgotten that the
Age of Louis XI Y also ushered in the
atrocities of the draggonades, the gal-
leys and the other terrible crimes com-
mitted in the name of religion. Over five
hundred thousand Huguenots, among
the best and most loyal subjects of
France, were driven into exile by the re-
vocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685.
Germany probably received half of
the Huguenot exiles, many thousands
settling in the Palatinate of the Rhine,
where their descendants are living to-
day, with their unmistakable French
family names. The publications of the
German Huguenot Society ''Gescliichts-
blatter des Deutschen Huguenotten-
Verein" of Magdeburg, is devoted to the
fortunes of the Huguenots in Germany.
The Huguenot forefathers of Philip
and Nicholas Laux and also those of my
own ancestor, Peter Laux, of Pucks
County, Pennsylvania, settled in Hesse
Darmstadt and Hesse Nassau, in the
municipalities of Runkel and Epstein in
Darmstadt and in Minister in Nassau.
I had the pleasure, some years ago, of
meeting one of the family still living at
Minister, a soldier of the Franco-Prus-
sian War. who as an officer in a cavalry
regiment in the German armv rode
through the streets of Paris, after it-,
surrender to the Germans. On the staff
of the German Emperor, it is said, were
over seventy officers of Huguenot de-
266
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
scent. Surely an event of great signi-
ficance. This officer discussed with me
the Huguenot origin of the family and
corroborated all that had come down to
us from our Huguenot emigrant ances-
tors.
One of our name is, or was, the pastor
of a Huguenot church in Wurtemberg, a
few years ago. In Wiesbaden, not far
from Runkel and Minister, are found
representatives of the family today; one
an artist, who retains, strange to tell, the
ancient way of spelling the name. Some
of his paintings, in my possession, show
work of superior merit. Many others
are artists and scholars, true children of
the renaissance, for the Huguenots were
that, if nothing else, protesting, as they
did, against the slavery of the human in-
tellect, and in proclaiming their love of
knowledge.
I believe it was Sir Thomas Overbury
who said: "The man who has not any-
thing to boast of but his illustrious an-
cestors is like a potato; the only good
thing belonging to him is under the
ground." Let us hope that this may
never be said of any of our name.
While we are taking pride in being the
descendants of worthy and honorable
ancestors we must not forget that for-
midable noblesse oblige of a gentleman
of France. The higher our endowment
of good blood, sound intellect and good
fortune, the greater the obligation to live
up to the highest standard of life, in
courtliness, kindliness and gentleness of
grace and manner, the refinements that
distinguish the gentleman from the
boor; the greater our duty to our fellow
man, to the community in which we
live, to the State, and to the Nation. It
is the individual example that affects the
whole mass, and he who has been
blessed beyond and above his fellow-
citizens has had at the same time im-
posed upon him responsibilities, which
he must discharge in a manner becoming
his station. He should so live that his
example will make our faith more pure
and stron gin high humanity, an ex-
ample that will beget within the hearts
of those about him something of a finer
reverence for beauty, truth and love —
traits that should be recognized as
synonyms of the name of Laux.
Rally Song, "Laux's to the Front"
Composed by Charles W. Loux, Philadelphia, Pa.
Scions of the noble
"People of the Lakes,"
Hear the call to battle
As the morning breaks.
Giant evil forces
Rise before your ken;
Drones and weaklings falter
But the world needs men.
Chorus: —
Forward, then, and upward,
Brave the battle's brunt,
Set on high the standard,
"Laux's to the front."
From Navarre's dominions,
Persecution's fires
Drove your true and tested
Faith defending sires,
But in God's own garden
Seed of martyr hue,
Tenderly transplanted,
Unto fruitage grew.
Error must be routed,
Evil put to flight;
Truth must be defended,
And enthroned the right.
Men of martyr's courage,
"Whom no foe may daunt,
Hear the Captain's orders, —
''Laux's to the front.'
26T
Landing in the New World— From Exile in Germany to Schoharie
By Edwin A. Loucks, of New York City
Mr. Chairman and Ladies and Gentle-
men :
In describing the coming of Philip
Laux and Nicholas Laux to America,
whose landing two hundred years ago
we celebrate today, I am compelled to
speak of the sufferings and trials of that
contingent of German Palatines in
whose company they arrived in the
City tof New York, for there is no
record of their individual experience
either in Germany, England, or in
America. They all had the same general
record of misery and oppression in the
old world and in the new, and when I
relate what history tells us of that epoch-
making emigration, you will gain some
conception of the life story of your an-
cestors whose settlement on the beauti-
ful banks of the Hudson, we are here to
commemorate in the midst of peace and
plenty under beautiful skies.
First, however, let me express my
great pleasure at meeting so many of
the descendants of the old pioneer,
Philip Laux, of the Hudson and Scho-
harie, who have founded new homes in
this grand old Commonwealth of Penn-
sylvania, and to say that I bring you the
warmest greetings from those of your
kin in Schoharie and in the Mohawk
Valley who find it impossible to be here
with you today.
The history of the Huguenot persecu-
tions in France is known of all men, and
will not be dwelt upon by me. but of the
experiences of our Huguenot ancestors
while in exile in Germany, it will be in-
teresting to speak, for it involves the
recital of the story of one of the most
unhappy periods of human history : the
Thirty Years' War and the Wars of
Louis the XIV which ravaged and des-
olated the Palatinate of the Rhine, in
which so many Huguenots had made
their home.
There is every reason to believe that
the parents or grandparents of Philip
and Nicholas Laux left France previous
to the revocation of the Edict of Nantes,
and settled in the Palatinate before or
during the period of the Thirty Years'
War, which has been called by all his-
torians the most frightful conflict ever
engaged in by human beings. It was a
religious war, and like all wars of that
character, it developed all the latent in-
stincts of savagery in man, and wrought
such horrors in Germany, and left such
wounds on German life and character
that even after the lapse of nearly three
centuries the effects of that dreadful
conflict are still visible.
We know that the German home of
Philip and Nicholas Laux was in Hesse
Darmstadt, now a part of Hesse Nassau,
in the neighborhood of the ancient muni-
cipalities of Runkel and Epstein. This
information is gathered from the church
records in Schoharie and on the Hud-
son, for it seemed to have been the cus-
tom during the early period of the Pala-
tine settlements, for the pastors in re-
cording marriages, to mention the place
from which the contracting parties came,
which was done in the case of several
marriages of members of the Laux
family.
The Palatines who left the valley of
the Rhine in 1708 and 1709 and landed
in London, were perhaps the most sor-
rowful body of emigrants who ever left
Germany for America. Germany had
barely begun to recover from the effects
of the Thirty Years' War, which was
felt more in the Palatinate than in any
other part of the Fatherland, for it was
the garden spot of Germany, when the
wars of Louis XIV of France began,
and life once more was made miserable.
The Palatinate was again the theatre of
those unholy conflicts. On the advice of
the leading generals of the French King,
the Palatinate was ordered to be de-
stroyed, and where once were smiling
fields of grain and vineyards, and con-
tented villages, naught was left but the
blackened ruins of cities, towns and
hamlets, while famine and the pestilence
stalked abroad.
To flee from such horrors became the
268
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
thought of thousands who had given up
all hope of ever seeing Germany the
abode of peace again, where men might
build homes, rear families, and worship
God as their conscience dictated. The
fury of King Louis was directed par-
ticularly against the Palatinate, as it was
the home of many thousands of his
Protestant subjects who had fled from
his tyranny, both before and after the
revocation of the Edict of Nantes ; and
this is why 30,000 Palatines in the
greatest misery and poverty. — for they
had been plundered b y contending
armies of nearly all they possessed, —
went to London, for the kind-hearted
English Queen Anne had invited "the
distressed Protestants of Germany to
make homes in her American Colonies."
In this sad company were Philip and
Nicholas Laux with their families. Of
these suffering, starving, and almost
naked Palatines many were sent back to
the Rhine in a heart-broken condition.
Several thousand were sent to Ireland,
where they made homes in the County
of Limerick ; thousands more perished
at sea and on shipboard from fevers and
from want of iood and drink. Four
thousand, among whom were Philip and
Nicholas Laux, left England in ten ves-
sels on Christmas Day in 1709, and after
a perilous voyage of nearly six months
arrived in New York on June 14th,
1 7 10. Of the four thousand who left
England seventeen hundred died at sea,
and while in the act of landing. The re-
maining twenty-three hundred were en-
camped in tents on Nutting Island, now
Governor's Island. Every descendant
of Philip and Nicholas Laux should
take oft his hat as he passes Governor's
Island as a mark of respect to the mem-
ory of their old brave-hearted ancestors
who believed they had left all misery
and wretchedness behind them when
they left the shores of England for
America.
In the late autumn about fourteen
hundred were taken to Livingston Man-
or, about one hundred miles up the Hud-
. son River. The widows, sickly men and
orphan children remained in New York,
where they were treated shamefully, the
children taken from the remaining par-
ent, and arbitrarily apprenticed by Gov-
ernor Hunter to citizens of Xew York
and New Jersey, many in strange, and
distant communities. Many of these or-
phans never saw their fathers or moth-
ers again.
As Queen Anne in sending these im-
poverished Palatines was put to a very
considerable outlay of money, amount-
ing to 10,000 pounds, the emigrants were
expected to reimburse the Government
under a contract by manufacturing tar,
pitch and raising hemp (naval stores),
in America, for a certain period ' when
their obligations would be considered
discharged.
( )wing to the gross ignorance of Gov-
ernor Hunter and associates, whose
scheme this principally was, the plan
proved a failure, for the forests and soil'
in that region were not adapted to the
production of naval stores and the con-
dition of the Palatines again became
desperate for they were suffering for
the necessaries of life.
While in the streets of London, wait-
ing for transportation to the colonies,
they met a delegation of Indians from
the Mohawk Valley, and wdio, pitying
their forlorn condition, promised them
lands in Schoharie, if they would come
to America. Land was conveyed by the
Indians to Queen Anne for this purpose.
Remembering this in all their troubles
they petitioned Governor Hunter, while
on a visit he made to their villages, that
they might settle in Schoharie on the
lands promised them by the Indians in
London. He insolently refused them in
a great fury, saying: ""Here is your
land, where you must live and die."
The Palatines were men of honor, and
were willing to carry out the terms of
their contract, but in a region where
their labors would be rewarded by sure
returns. They, moreover, showed their
attachment and loyalty to Queen Anne,
by enlisting in the military expedition
that was planned against Canada in
171 1. fully one-third of their able-
bodied men serving in that campaign.
Thejr were to receive wages the same as
other soldiers ; their families were to be
LANDING IN THE NEW WORLD
269-
taken care of while they were ahsent,
and the arms they carried and with
which they fought were to be retained
by them on their return. After serving
with great bravery and credit in this ex-
pedition, in which quite a number of
them lost their lives, the survivors found
their families on their return in a fam-
ished condition, no food having been
given them by the Colonial Govern-
ment as promised during their absence.
The arms they carried were also taken
away from them in spite of promises
made that they should keep them when
they enlisted.
Then the old German hatred of wrong
and injustice burst forth; deceived and
plundered, their families shamefully
treated, they determined to break away
from the spot where nothing but treach-
ery and starvation seemed to be in store
for them if they remained. The watch-
word became "Schoharie, the Promised
Land." Deliberately making their prep-
arations, one hundred and fifty families,
among them Philip Laux and family,
late in the year 171 2, quit the scene of
their miseries and slavery, and started
for Schoharie, about sixty miles north-
west of Livingston Manor, which they
reached after untold suffering. They
had to make their way through a road-
less wilderness without horses to draw
or carry their belongings, with their
little children and weak and delicate
women. They harnessed themselves to
rudely constructed sledges on which they
loaded their baggage, children and the
sick, and then dragged them as best they
could through the snow which covered
the region they journeyed through, fre-
quently encountering long stretches
three feet in depth. It took them over
three weeks to make this journey, ar-
riving at Schoharie half-starved and
suffering from exposure and intense
cold.
Their misery was in no wise dimin-
ished on their arrival ; famine stared
them in the face, and had it not been for
the charity of friendly Indians, who
showed them where to gather edible
roots and herbs, everv soul of them
must have perished. Their indomitable
courage and energy enabled them, how-
ever, to survive their dreadful plight,
and a year later found them housed
with improvement of their land under
way.
Put like the Israelites of old, they
were pursued by their Pharaoh. Gov-
ernor Hunter, who resented their un-
ceremonious departure from Livingston
Manor, was determined to punish them
in spite of the fact that but a short time
before their departure he had notified
them that he could not undertake any
longer to supply them with subsistence,,
and that they would have to shift for
themselves, permitting them to accept
"any employment they might get from
farmers, and others in the Province and
New Jersey for their own and their
families' support until they were recalled
by proclamation, or other public notice.""
He threatened to hang John Conrad
Weiser, their leader, at Schoharie, for
being disobedient and mutinous. His
son, Conrad Weiser, afterwards re-
moved to Tulpehocken, Pennsylvania,
where he. became famous, as you all
know.
Their sojourn in the Schoharie Val-
ley, covering a period of about ten years
was marked by the vindictive animosity
of Hunter and his creatures at Albany,
resulting finally in the loss of their lands
and improvements, owing to defective
titles cunningly contrived by unscrupu-
lous land agents. Then, once more, the
victims of injustice and misfortune, the
greater number left the scenes of their
unrequited labors to found new, and this
time, permanent homes in more hospi-
table regions, the majority going to the
Mohawk Valley, where they soon became
prosperous and where their descendants,
among them many of the descendants of
Philip Laux, are found today, a sturdy.
influential and intelligent people. Their
patriotic services during the Revolution
forms one of the brightest chapters in
the history of the State.
A few families remained in the
Schoharie Valley, where in spite of
spoliation, they eventually acquired new
homes and where their descendants be-
came potent factors in the material
270
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
development of the State, as well as in
its political affairs. Gov. William C.
Bouck (1842-44) was a descendant of
one of the Schoharie Palatines, as was
also Bishop Kemper, the first missionary
bishop of the Protestant Episcopal
Church in the United States.
Little did the English Government of
New York dream when it was tyranniz-
ing over the Palatines of the Livingston
Manor on the Hudson, in Schoharie and
in the Mohawk Valley, and when it was
congratulating itself that the settlement
made there would prove a bulwark and
defense of the English settlers against
the Indians and French aggression that
it was sowing the seeds of a mighty
revolt against oppression, that was to
bear deadly fruit in the future; that it
was disciplining one of the bravest and
most virile bodies of men in the Colonies,
who showed the stuff they were made of
at the Battle of Oriskany, and in other
bloody encounters on the wild frontier
with savage Indians and not less sav-
age white men.
I am sure I will be pardoned for
pointing with pride to the fact that in
the Battle of Oriskany, the prelude to
the surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga,
called by Creasy one of the fifteen de-
cisive battles of the world — Oriskany,
which Washington said, "first reversed
the gloomy scene" of the opening years
of the Revolution, and without which
Burgoyne would not have been defeated,
were men of our family. On the muster
rolls appear the names of Lieutenant
Peter Laux, and his son Peter, and Wil-
liam Laux, who was shot through the
arm, besides other members of the
family. Other representatives of the
family to the number of about forty,
comprising almost the entire able bodied
male membership of the family served
during the Revolution, among them
Lieutenant George Laucks, who served
in the Second Tryon Regiment.
I may say, also, in passing, that the
family of General Herkimer, the hero
of Oriskany, and the Laux family were
united by the ties of marriage, as was
also that of the family of the intrepid
Colonel Bellinger, who lost two sons at
Oriskany.
It is not out of place to dwell here for
a moment on the military record of the
family in the Colony and State of New
York.
Philip and Nicholas Laux, whose ar-
rival in America we celebrate today,
were among the Palatine volunteers for
the expedition against Quebec, Canada,
in 171 1 — the year after their landing.
They belonged to the Haysbury Com-
pany that was formed in Livingston
Manor on the Hudson.
In the French and Indian wars the
family also took an active part. In 1757
Sergeant William Laux and Hendrick
D. Laux were present at Fort William
Henry, under the orders of Sir W'illiam
Johnson, and served elsewhere with
other members of the family in that
protracted and bloody struggle. As late
as August, 1763, we find Henry Laux
and Peter Laux in active service ; in
1768 Captain Adam Laux commanded a
company in Colonel Claus' Regiment of
Foot in the western parts of the old
County of Albany.
Captain Adam Laux afterwards be-
came a magistrate of Tryon County. He
was an able man, and a patriot.
The tradition is that several members
of the family emigrated to Canada dur-
ing the Revolution because of their
attachment to Great Britain. They were,
no doubt, conscientious in their loyalty
to the British Crown, as were many
others, like the De Lanceys, some of
the Livingstons, and even a. son of Ben-
jamin Franklin. We are inclined, at the
present day, to be lenient in our judg-
ment of the loyalists of the Revolution.
There were many good men among
them, who were thoroughly conscien-
tious in their attachment to the English
Government. They became prominent
and influential subjects of the Crown.
Descendants of these loyalist members
of the Laux family are found in Canada
today, among them two clergymen of the
Church of England, one the Canon of
St. George's Cathedral at Kingston, On-
tario, and the other, the Rector of St.
Matthew's at Ottawa. Some have come
LANDING IN THE NEW WORLD
271
back to the States again, one of whom
was candidate for Governor of South
Dakota, some years ago.
The military inclinations of the Laux
family are shown all through the years
succeeding the Revolution, many of them
officers of the militia organizations,
some serving through the War of 1812.
The Civil War also found them present
when the battle roll was called.
In looking over these old muster rolls
of the Revolution, and subsequently, the
same carelessness in the matter of
spelling the family name appears that I
find you encounter in Pennsylvania. The
good old name of Laux borne by Philip
and Nicholas, the original settlers, has
been transformed into Loucks, Laucks,
Lauks and other alien shapes.
One thing that stands out boldly in
the history of the family in Schoharie,
and in the Mohawk Valley, is the seri-
ousness with which the duties of their
lives were performed. They addressed
themselves to their tasks with an abiding
faith and courage that should be an in-
at the present day. Their descendants
spiration to those who bear their name
have done their part well in the upbuild-
ing of the State and Nation; some as
farmers, others as merchants and manu-
facturers, and some as professional men,
winning the good opinions of their
neighbors and of the community in
which they lived, which after all, is one
of the surest tests of the standing of a
man, or of a family.
It rejoices me to see also that here in
Pennsylvania, the family has not lagged
behind in the activities of life, but has
shown itself worthy of the brave old
stock it sprang from. I find men of our
race in the front rank here, as in the
State of New York, and elsewhere. I
am particularly impressed with that fact
right here in the City of York, which
owes so much of its prosperity and en-
terprise to the energy of the Laux,
Laucks blood — may it never cease to be
a force in the grand old Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania.
Recitation
By Master Milton Loucks, of Gloversville, N. Y.
THE BATTLE OF ORISKANY
(August 6, 1777.)
Beleaguered men of Stanwix, brave as those
Who faced a million of their foes
At old Thermopylae;
Good cheer to you upon the wild frontier!
For citizens in arms draw near
Across Oriskany.
But hark! Amidst the forest shades the
crash
Of arms, the savage yell — with flash
Of gory tomahawk;
For Johnson's Royal-Greens, and Leger's
men,
And Brant's Red Fiends, are in that glen
Of dark Oriskany.
From down the valley, where the Mohawk
flows,
Were hurrying on to meet their foes
The patriot yeomanry;
For Gansevoort within his fortress lay,
In peril and besieged that day
Beyond Oriskany.
As men who fight for home and child and
wife,
As men oblivious of life
In holy martyrdom,
The yeomen of the valley fought that day,
Throughout thy fierce and deadly fray —
Blood-red Oriskany.
From rock and tree and clump of twisted
brush
The hissing gusts of battle rush, —
Hot-breathed and horrible!
The roar, and smoke, like mist on stormy
seas,
Sweep through thy splintered trees, —
Hard-fought Oriskany.
Heroes are born in such a chosen hour;
From common men they rise and tower
Like the brave Herkimer!
Who wounded, steedless, still beside the
beech
Cheered on thy men with sword and' speech,
In grim Oriskany.
272
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Now burst the clouds above the battle roar
And from the pitying clouds down pour
Swift floods tumultuous;
Then fires of strife unquenched flame out
again,
Drenching with hot and bloody rain
Thy soil, Oriskany.
But ere the sun went toward the tardy
night,
The valley then beheld the light
Of Freedom's victory;
And wooded Tryon snatched from British
arms
The empire of a million farms —
On bright Oriskany.
The guns of Stanwix thundered to the skies;
The rescued wilderness replies;
Forth dash the garrison!
And routed Tories with their savage aids,
Sink reddening through the sullied shades —
From lost Oriskany.
Behold, Burgoyne, with hot and hating eyes,
The New World's flag at last o'erflies
Your ancient Heraldry;
For over Stanwix floats triumphantly
The rising Banner of the Free —
Beyond Oriskany.
A hundred years have passed since then,
And hosts now rally there again —
To crown the century;
The proud posterity of noble men
Who conquered in the bloody glen
Of famed Oriskany.
— Rev. Charles Downes Helmer, D.D.
From Schoharie to Tulpehocken, Pa.
By Rev. Michael Loucks, D. D., Marietta, Pa.
The environment in which we live,
often causes a spirit of discontent, when
we realize that we might get away from
our surroundings to create for ourselves
new conditions. This was the case with
a number of the Palatines whose hard-
ships in Schoharie Valley seemed to
stand in the way of their advancement.
These people heard through Sir William
Keith, Baronet, Governor of the Pro-
vince of Pennsylvania, of the opportuni-
ties in his Province and of the protec
tion afforded the pioneers, and because
of this were induced to risk life and
property to locate within the borders of
Pennsylvania. They believed they would
have better opportunities of advance-
ment, and looking forward to their new
and peaceful homes, they were willing
to pay the cost and make the trip. The
thought of such a trip under adverse
circumstances, would have disheartened
most people, but the hardy Palatine
braved it all.
Accordingly in 1723 thirty-three fami-
lies prepared to make the trip. There
were heartaches among the women and
children when home ties were about to
be broken, some never again to meet in
this life. Parents gave up their only
sons and daughters that they might find
for themselves a new and better home.
Among them was a young man of reso-
lute character who determined to launch
out for himself and bade adieu to his
parents to share the fate of others who
were willing to trust a Divine Power to
lead them to the land of their dreams.
It was here that Peter Laux, the son
of Philip Laux, the old pioneer of Scho-
harie, showed true manly courage when
he broke his home ties.
Led by a friendly Indian these
families started out over an Indian trail
for the head waters of the Susquehanna
River, up in Southern New York. With
their meager household goods packed on
horses and on their own backs, over
mountains, valleys, and through forests,
they reached the head waters of the
Susquehanna River. Here in the wilds
of the forest they set about constructing
rafts upon which they placed their
women and children and household
goods, and under the most thrilling and
adventurous experiences they floated
down the river for about two hundred
miles to the mouth of Swatara Creek
south of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Here they met the men who drove the
cattle and horses along the river bank.
The experiences of this trip could hardly
be imagined by any one not accustomed
to such hardships. It was thrilling be-
yond description. It revealed again the
LANDING IN THE NEW WORLD
273
stern determination to overcome every
obstacle in their way.
Upon reaching the Swatara, they fol-
lowed its windings until they reached
the beautiful New Lebanon Valley, and
came to the source of the Tulpehocken
Creek. (Tulpehocken is .an Indian name
and means Land of Turtles.) This
beautiful stream winds through the val-
leys and among the hills for a distance
of seventy-five miles and empties into
the Schuylkill. The township known by
that name was recognized as a distinct
territory in 1729. It was along this
stream and over the northwest section of
this township that the people from
Schoharie settled.
SOME OF THE EARLY SETTLERS
We do not consider it necessary to
give a complete list of all who were in
that company, but for purposes of identi-
fication we give a partial list. Many of
these names are still familiar throughout
that region, as many of their descendants
still reside upon the farms of their
ancestors. Among them we find the fol-
lowing: Johannes Lantz, Peter Rieth,
Lorenz Zerbe, Johannes Nicholas
Schaeffer, John Peter Pacht, Sebastian
Fisher, Christian Lauer, John Adam
Lasch. George Anspach, Abraham Laux,
and Peter Laux.
This Peter Laux was the son of Philip
Laux, of Schoharie County, New York,
and a brother of Cornelius, Andrew and
William, who remained in the old home,
he being the only one of the family to
locate in Pennsylvania. He selected a
location on the banks of the Tulpe-
hocken Creek about five miles northwest
of the town of Womelsdorf. Here he
built a log house and barn, with thatched
roofs near a spring of living water.
In 1728 other families followed from
Schoharie, and settled in the same com-
munity, and among them was John
Conrad Weiser, who was prominent
among them in Livingston Manor. He,
however, for some reasons, did not re-
main long, but his noted son, Conrad
Weiser, Jr., the Indian interpreter,
located in the vicinity of Womelsdorf.
He lies buried on the old farm about a
mile east of that town. These first
settlers in Tulpehocken were members
of the Reformed and Lutheran Churches
and were the founders of congregations
throughout that region of the country.
During the early part of their residence
there they worshipped in houses and
barns. The first congregation to be
organized in that region was in 1727, as
a Reformed Church. Rev. John Philip
Boehm adminstered the first communion
at Tulpehocken in October 1727, to
thirty-two persons. Later the Host's
Church was built, to which our ancestors
belonged, inasmuch as here the children
were baptized as is shown in the church
records. Among the early Lutheran
pastors was the Rev. J. Casper Stoever,
in whose private records are found some
interesting facts concerning his ministra-
tions. He performed the marriage cere-
mony for our ancestor, Peter Laux, in
1743-
PETER LAUX'S LAND GRANT AND DEEDS
After having lived on the tract of land,
which he selected as a home, for fifteen
years, he was given a land grant. In the
Archives at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,
we find a record of the land grant to
Peter Laux, for a tract of land located
in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (now
Berks County), adjoining John Server
on Tulpehocken Creek, consisting of a
hundred and fifty acres of land, more or
less, (further described in a copy of the
original grant) "Given under my hand
and lesser seal of our Province, at Phila-
delphia, Pennsylvania, the third day of
November, 1738, signed by Thomas
Penn, as also by Benjamin Eastburn,
Surveyor General."
PATENT DEED
After living upon the above described
grant of land fourteen years, we find a
patent deed to . Peter Laux, dated
November 7th, 1752, describing the
aforesaid tract of land, calling for one
hundred and fifty acres and the allow-
ances, and the allowance of six acres,
per cent for roads, etc. (After being
surveyed it was found to contain one
hundred and ninety-seven and one-half
acres.) This deed was recorded No-
274
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
vember 13th, 1752, signed by James
Hamiltorij Lieutenant Governor of the
Province of Pennsylvania.
Here Peter Laux and his wife, Anna
Barbara Kershner, to whom he was
married June 28th. 1743, continued
farming until the fall of 1776, when he
divided his farm between his two sons,
George and Deobald. (Dewald in tax
list.) This deed was not recorded but is
in the hands of Jacob Laucks, of
Womelsdorf, Pennsylvania, written on
sheep skin and in a perfect state of
preservation.
The following chain of title gives the
descendants of Peter Laux, our ances-
tor: On the iirst day of October, A. D.,
1776, he deeded his son Deobald Laux
ninety-one acres and one hundred and
eighteen perches of land, and allowances
of six acres per cent for roads, etc., and
on June 16th, A. D , 1769, Deobald Laux
and Maria Appolona, his wife, by their
deed conveyed and confirmed to George
Laux, the ninety-one acres and eighteen
perches of land and allowances for
roads, etc. This then gave the whole of
the old farm to his son George Laux,
and on the fifteenth day of December,
A. D.. 1804, George and Catherine, his
wife, conveyed and confirmed unto their
son Peter Laucks, Jr., his heirs and
assigns, all that certain tract or parcel of
land known as the immigrant Peter
. Laux's farm.
Peter had two sons, George and Deo-
bald, and George stands at the head of
our family. Concerning Deobald noth-
ing seems to be known after his disposal
of the land to his brother George. He
may possibly have gone to some other
locality.
THE GEORGE LAUX (LAUCKS) FAMILY
George and his wife Catherine, were
the parents of six children, which fact
is corroborated by his last will and testa-
ment executed on the 3d day of October,
1808, and recorded in the Register of
Wills Office at Reading, Berks County,
Pennsylvania, in Will Book A, page 566.
He made his son Peter the executor of
the estate.
THE NAMES OF GEORGE LAUX (LOUCKS}
1-AM ILY
John Laux ( Loucks ) was born March
3d, 1762 — died April 19, 1832.
Jacob Loucks, born July 17th, 1763 —
died 1837.
Elizabeth Loucks, born September
24th, 1776 — died 1837.
Casper Laux, born August 8th, 1768
—died 1838.
George Loucks (no dates given).
Peter Laux, born Julv 1st, 1776 — died
1850.
Some of these children were baptized
in Host's Reformed Church, Berks
County, Pennsylvania. In the baptismal
records we find the baptism of Casper,
son of George and Catherine Laux. Au-
gust 17th, 1768, and his baptismal name
was Casper Laux, agreeing with the
original way of spelling the name.
In the National Museum at Philadel-
phia is the baptismal certificate of Peter
Laux, son of George, who was born four
days before the Declaration of Indepen-
dence. This certificate was placed there
in 1875, when they were preparing for
the Centennial celebration, and as it
properly belongs to the descendants of
Peter Laucks, they should endeavor to
to secure it.
( >ur ancestors lived during some epoch-
making times of our great country. The
period in which this country was in pro-
cess of formation found them busy with
the duties of home and country. They
had many trials, as they were in the very
midst of the community in which the In-
dians committed fearful atrocities during
the years from 1754 to 1763. History
furnishes abundant proof of the trials
through which all the inhabitants of that
community must have passed. A 1 1
around them their neighbors suffered
martyrdom, and great was the fury of
the wild beasts in human form. They
were among those who organized for
self -protection in case of an attack from
the Indians. Many of the inhabitants
of the Tulpehocken fled for their lives,
while others stood their ground. Numer-
ous forts all over northern Berks County
to the Blue Mountains gave evidence of
LANDING IN THE NEW WORLD
275
the gravity of the situation. So far as
known none of our people fell prey to
the Indians. It was during this time the
story of Regina and her captive life
found its origin. Great things were
making and doing in this country at that
time, to which our ancestors were eye
witnesses, and could we have the record
of their experiences at that time it would
read like a fairy tale compared to some
of our modern fiction. To show how
near the community and home of our
ancestors some of the events took place
during the Indian uprising, we quote
from Brunner's Indians in Berks Coun-
ty, page 57. "The first letter that con-
tains any positive information of the
coming of the Indians, was written by
Conrad Weiser to James Read, of Read-
ing. It was written in Heidelberg, Sun-
day night, October 26, 1755. Mr. Weiser
received intelligence of the approach of
the Indians about ten o'clock that even-
ing, and immediately sent out men to
give the alarm through the neighboring
townships and to call a meeting early at
Peter Spicker's." Peter Spicker lived in
the upper part of Stouchsburg, in a
house now owned by Dr. I. W. New-
comer. The meeting was anonunced to
be held at Peter Spicker's but a letter
written the next day by Conrad Weiser,
reports that the meeting was held at
Benjamin Spicker's about one mile north
of Stouchsburg. This place is not more
than three miles from the home of our
ancestor, Peter Laux, of Tulpehocken,
and in all probability he with some of his
sons were at this meeting. From reliable
history it was somewhere near the Tul-
pehocken Church that a family of the
name of Hartman lived from the expe-
riences of which the interesting story of
Regina comes. This church was or is
only two miles and a half from our an-
cestor's home, and we take the liberty of
briefly giving the facts for the benefit of
those who may not have access to this
history. The parents were pious people
and taught their children to pray and
read the Scriptures and to sing. On Oc-
tober 16th, 1755, the mother and younger
son went to a mill some miles away and
when they returned they were horror-
stricken to find the father and eldest son
murdered and scalped by the Indians,
and the two girls, Regina, twelve years
of age, and Barbara, ten years of age,
taken captive and the buildings burned.
The feelings of the mother cannot be de-
scribed, not knowing the tortures to
which her innocent girls would be sub-
jected. The girls were taken to the
haunts of the Indians. They were finally
separated and another little captive girl
found a friend in Regina. Those two
tried to comfort each other in their cap-
tivity, and endured many hardships dur-
ing their exile. Nine long years passed
and then an order was given by Colonel
Boquet that all captives should be
brought to Carlisle to receive their
freedom and the friends could come and
claim their captive people.
Regina was among those to be set free.
Her mother was there to receive her. but
as one after another took their loved
ones to their bosoms in affectionate em-
brace the mother could not identify her
child, who had become so changed, both
by her life and also by her Indian dress,
that she could not be recognized, and
having lost the language of her child-
hood she could not understand what all
this meant. By and by the colonel said
to the mother, "Did your daughter learn
anything by which she could know you?"
The mother then said, "Yes, she might
know a hymn she had taught her and
her sister." She then sang one verse of
the hymn, "Allein und doch nicht ganz
alleine," and when she had done so Re-
gina came rushing to her embrace and a
happy reunion took place save the
thought of the missing one, who fell' a
prey to the cruelties and hardships to
which she was exposed.
276
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
The Louck's from Berks County to York County,
Pennsylvania
By Hon. David M. Loucks, Jacobus, York Co., Pa.
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen:
I must confess that this is the happiest
day of my life, to meet so many Loucks
relatives. Often when I was quite
young my mother used to speak of our
families, namely the Loucks' and My-
ers'. My mother was a member of the
Myers family. Dr. Samuel Loucks, of
Marietta, Pa!, came to my father's house
very often and stayed three and four
days at a time. During those times
father and mother and he would talk
until the small hours of the morning of
how the Loucks family came to York
County, Pa., and how they lived in pio-
neer days when the county was thinly
settled. Now, my friends, you must ex-
cuse all mistakes, as I am not in the
habit of making speeches. When I was
a young man, I was a school teacher and
later on was elected as a member of the
State Legislature. At those times I was
in line of speech-making, but have now
become quite rusty. My mother, how-
ever, taught me when quite young that
I should always respond when called
upon to perform a duty. I will therefore
do the best I can.
You have been very ably and instruc-
tively entertained by other members of
our family. It puts me in mind of a
story I once heard of a party of squirrel
hunters who went on a hunting trip.
They concluded that each one in the
party should have his chance in turn. So
when the ]ast one's turn came he, hap-
pening to be cross-eyed, his partners
asked him if he were going to shoot
where he looked. He replied, certainly!
The rest at once ran away and left him
alone, so he had the whole field to him-
self. Even so have I the whole field to
myself.
My part brings me to think of taking
a leap in the dark, as our family is an
old one, having been traced back over
1 200 years by one of our friends. From
France to Germany, then to England,
then to America, even to Canada, land-
ing in New York State. They suffered
persecution and torture wherever they
have been and even in New York under
Governor Hunter. They finally settled
in Schoharie, New York. Peter Laux
who came from Schoharie to Berks
County, Pa., had two sons, George and
Dewalt. George became the head of a
large family, consisting of John, Jacob,
Elizabeth, Casper, George and Peter.
These all remained with their father in
Berks County until they severally went
out into the world to shift for them-
selves. They too had an ambition to
seek for larger opportunities for ad-
vancement and naturally sought new
homes where they might have better ad-
vantages. They heard of the very flat-
ering outlook in York County, as a place
where they might anchor and make for
themselves homes. York County was as
yet in its infancy. While there were
many small industrial enterprizes and
York was a pretty little village, yet
there remained much land to be cleared
of its native forests in order to bring it
to a state of proper cultivation. The first
one to leave Berks County and find his
way to York County was John Loucks,
who came in the year 1789. He was a
young man 27 years of age. He soon
found a farm that suited his taste about
one mile west of York and known as
"White Oak Plaines." It is worthy of
note, the name given at this early day to
a farm, showing that even in those early
days they were up to date in their
tastes. The fertility of the soil was so
rich that you could almost mould a tal-
low candle out of it. The farm is owned
today by William Miller, who is also a
relative of the Loucks family. This
farm was purchased by John Loucks
from the estate of Martin Wilder, de-
ceased. John Spangler and Martin
Ebert, executors, making the deed of
transfer, which deed is found in the of-
fice for the recording of deeds in York
County, in Deed Book 2 F, page 34, and
THE LOUCKS FROM BERKS COUNTY TO YORK COUNTY
l!77
is dated April 13th, 17^9. The next of
this particular family to purchase laud
in York County was Jacob Loucks, as
shown by deed dated April nth, 1794,
from Michael Uergis and John Roth-
rock. After this came Casper and Eliza-
beth. From these early representatives
came large families, as is evidenced by
their representatives present on this oc-
casion. They flourished and became
possessors of some of the best farms in
the vicinity of York. They became wide-
ly interested in the various industrial en-
terprises (and financial institutions) of
the town of York and the county. The
milling business seemed to appeal to
many of them, especially John, and after
him his sons and their descendants con-
tinued it and some of these mills are
still owned and managed by them.
We now come to the Loucks or Laux
family that emigrated from Berks Coun-
ty to York County some years before
John Loucks. The head of the name is
somewhat in dispute, some of the family
claim his name was Peter, others claim
that it was Frederick. He located in
Windsor Township, at a place now called
Freysville, where he purchased some 500
acres of land. Upon this land there are
at present erected three churches. From
this particular branch came a large
family, namely, Frederick, Jacob, John,
Daniel. Dr. Samuel, Mary, Mrs.
Sprenkle, Mrs. Wallick and Mrs. Dise.
Daniel Laux bought a farm in Windsor,
now Lower Windsor Township ; Jacob
settled in a place now known as Star
View ; John located near Dillsburg ; Dr.
Samuel at Marietta ; Frederick remained
on part of the home tract at Freysville ;
Mary was never married and remained
with her sister, Mrs. Sprenkle, in Wind-
sor Township ; Mrs. Wallick and Mrs.
Dise remained in Windsor Township,
now Lower Windsor ; they both left
families. The families of Jacob and
John were scattered over the western
country and left numerous descendants.
The families of Frederick, Daniel and
Dr. Samuel remained in York and Lan-
caster counties. Their families were
large and the greater part remained in
the vicinity where they were born and
raised.
Daniel Laux. my grandfather, was
born in Freysville in 1773; he married
a Miss Savior. To them were born the
following children : Henry, Samuel, Mrs.
Emenheiser, Levi, who was my father,
Mrs. Paules, Mrs. Woods, Daniel and
Benjamin. History tells us that the Eng-
lish first came through this country but
the timber was too large and they passed
on and located where the timber was
smaller. But our family located in the
midst of the largest timber land. The
family was poor, being mostly wood-
choppers. Henry, the oldest of the fam-
ily, was a distiller. He owned the old
homestead of my grandfather. Levi,
my father, bought the farm belonging to
my grandfather Myers, on my mother's
side. This farm joined my Grandfather
Laux's farm. When this family first
came to this county, the land was poor,
it was heavily timbered. This necessitated
hard work on the part of the settlers.
There was but little farm land. Timber
was large and plentiful, as were stones
and underbrush ; as a consequence log
cabins were made of the timber and the
stones were utilized to build large and
massive chimneys, which were built on
the outside of the cabin with an entrance
to the same from the inside of the cabin.
The cabins consisted principally of one
room and a small loft under the roof.
The roofs were principally of straw. The
descendants of these families were very
numerous and many of them still remain
in this vicinity. The children of Daniel
Laux were all married except Daniel.
Now, my friends, I will close my
rambling remarks as the clay is fast pass-
ing away and we must have some time
to have a few words with our visitors
in social confab. In conclusion I wish
you all a safe return to your homes
and hope that I may see you all again
and many more at our next reunion.
Representatives
of the
L
AUX
OUX
AUCK
AUCKS
OUCKS
FAMILY
HON J. B. LAUX. (See page 259)
EDWIN A. EOUCKS. (See page 267)
HON. DAVID M. LOUCKS. (See page 276}
278
REV. MICHAEI, I„OUCKS, D. D. (See page 272)
AUGUSTUS L,Ol'CKS. (See page 258)
CHAS. W. I,OUX. (See page 266)
MIl/roM MUCKS. (See page 271)
279
280
The Pennsylvania Germans -of Waterloo County,
Ontario, Canada
By Rev. A. B. Sherk, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
HE historic sense of the peo-
ple of Ontario has been
slowly awakening, and is
keener now than ever be-
fore. It is only when this
sense becomes active that a
people will begin to inquire
for the facts on which the
history of their country is based. It will
prompt them to ask: Who were the fa-
thers of the country? Whence did they
come? Why did they come? When did
they come ? In what sections of the
country did they first locate? What was
the condition of the country at that time ?
What do we find as to their industrial,
social and religious life? What traditions
have been handed down from them?
What material have they left in written
records, letters, accounts, notes, con-
tracts, pamphlets, books, newspapers, im-
plements, etc. To get a satisfactory an-
swer to the questions proposed it will be
necessary to make a special study of the
separate settlements of the country. Each
settlement has an individuality of its
own, and the particular features of that
individuality we need to know. The ma-
terial we thus gather from the settlements
will be the fibre out of which to weave a
correct narrative of the whole country.
Our Province of Ontario is full of his-
toric interest, and rich in historical ma-
terial and it is a pleasure to know that
much is being done to gather and pre-
serve this material. The future historian
and archaeologist will need all we can
treasure up and leave behind. Add to
this the fact that we still have persons
in our country whose fathers and moth-
ers were brought here when the first set-
tlements were being formed. These per-
sons are living links between the original
pioneers and the present generation, and
are prepared to help us to correct data
on many things that relate to the early
past.
When the War of the American Rev-
olution ended and the revolting colonies
got the independence, the exodus of
the U. E. Loyalists at once began. The
beginning of this exodus is the beginning
of the history of our Province. A little
later in the closing years of the same
century another class of refugees came
to seek shelter and a home under the
folds of the Union Jack. These refugees
were the Pennsylvania Germans, com-
monly known as "Pennsylvania Dutch."
The Pennsylvania Germans who set-
tled in Canada at an early day were
mostly of the Mennonite faith. They
were called Mennonites because they ad-
hered to the doctrinal teachings and di-
sciple, Menno Simons, a Holland Re-
former, and contemporary of Martin
Luther. The sect spread rapidly through
Holland, Germany, Switzerland and other
districts of Europe. Many, on account of
their unswerving fidelity to the principles
they had espoused, suffered martyrdom.
The Mennonites, like the Friends, refuse
to bear arms, to take an oath at law, or
to engage in litigation under any circum-
stances. Their ethical system is found
in the fifth, sixth and seventh chapters of
St. Matthew's Gospel, called the "Ser-
mon on the Mount."
These peace-loving people suffered
persecution in all the countries of
Europe to which they had gone ; and
were long sighing for a spot where they
could live unmolested in the exercise of
their peculiar opinions. In the course of
years the way opened. William Penn,
the eminent Quaker and founder of the
colonv of Pennsylvania, invited them to
join his colony. Many gladly accepted
the invitation. The first company crossed
the Atlantic in 1683, and settled near
Philadelphia. The place, because of the
nationality of the first settlers.was called
Germantown, and is now a suburb of the
city. The migration of this people from
THE PENNA. GERMANS OF WATERLOO COUNTY, ONT., CAN.
281
Germany to Pennsylvania continued till
.after the middle of the eighteenth cen-
tury. Here they were under British rule,
and enjoyed the freedom for which they
had been sighing. They loved the soil,
were quiet and industrious, and occupy-
ing the rich valleys of Southern Pennsyl-
vania, many of them became wealthy.
The Mennonite Church grew rapidly in
numbers, and in time became a ruling
element in the rural districts of the colo-
ny. But the War of the Revolution un-
settled everything, and at its close there
was universal unrest, and no one knew
what next to expect. The thirteen colon-
ies were so many disconnected States
whose future was as yet in the balance.
It seems to have been at this juncture of
things that the Mennonites began to
think of seeking a home in Upper Cana-
da. Three causes have been suggested
as influencing their decision.
First, the report that there was plenty
of good land ; secondly, the assurance
that they would have religious freedom ;
and thirdly, the exodus of the U. E.
Loyalists. It is not probable that they
were greatly influenced by the first con-
sideration, for Ohio was then in the mar-
ket with plenty of good land, and could
be more easily reached than Canada. Re-
ligious freedom, however, they prized
very highly, and knew it would not be
endangered under British rule ; but they
were not so sure what the new Republic
might do. The settlement of the U. E.'s
in the wilderness of the north opened
the way for others, and the Mennonites,
who had no sympathy with their expul-
sion, took advantage of the opening and
followed their steps. Some class them
with U. E.'s, other speak of them as late
U. E.'s, since they did not come to Can-
ada till some years after the great U. E.
exodus. These people were in full sym-
pathy with British institutions, and came
here to enjoy their benefit. We must
also keep in mind that many of the Penn-
sylvanians who settled here were Brit-
ish by birth, being born before the revolt
of the colonies. They and their families
were Britons, and came here to claim
their rights as Britons.
The beginning of the migration of the
Pennsylvania Germans to Upper Can-
ada dates from the closing years of the
eighteenth century, some say as late as
1798. It is difficult to settle on the year
when the first ones came, neither are we
able to ascertain how many came ; but
the number was large enough to form
three good-sized colonies or settlements.
First, the Niagara Colony. The set-
tlers of this colony were scattered along
the Upper Niagara ; along Black Creek,
an affluent of the Niagara ; along Lake
Erie, and near "Sugar Loaf," in the vi-
cinity of Port Colborn. There were also
a few small groups of families in the
"Short Hills," south of St. Catharines,
and a large settlement on Twenty-mile
Creek, west of St. Catharines. The sec-
ond was in the Markham Colony. This
colony had its beginning about the time
of the Niagara colony. It was called
Markham after the township in which
the first settlers located. As the set-
tlers multiplied they spread into Whit-
church, Yaughan, etc., so that this be-
came a large and influential colony. The
third was the Waterloo Colony. The
township again suggested the name. Be-
sides the families in these colonies there
were others scattered in small groups
throughout the country, but in the course
of years they were absorbed by other na-
tionalities, and are almost forgotten. It
is the larger groups that retained and de-
veloped distinct peculiarities, and call for
attention as noticeable factors in the
making of country.
The Waterloo colony, to which we now
give our thoughts, had its beginning in a
small way. The colony took its start with
the country. In the fall of 1799, Sam-
uel Betzner and Joseph Sherk crossed
the Niagara River at Black Rock and
entered the new Province of Upper
Canada. They were brothers-in-law, and
came from Chambersburg, Franklin
County, Pennsylvania. There was no
Buffalo then, not even the sign of a vil-
lage. J. Sherk and his family found win-
ter quarters in the vacant house of an-
other Pennsylvanian, who had preceded
them and taken up land on the Niagara
River, a few miles from the Interna-
282
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
tional Bridge. S. Betzner pushed on to
Ancaster and wintered there. The site
of the city of Hamilton was at that time
a dismal swamp, covered with heavy
timber ; Dundas had a small mill and one
dwelling; Ancaster had a few houses,
and was considered to he on the outer-
most limits of civilization. These two
>imple-minded Pennsylvanians came to
this country with their wives and little
ones on a venture ; apparently they had
no definite idea where they would find a
suitable spot to locate. But the report
had gone abroad that there was a fine
tract of land about thirty miles beyond
Ancaster, in the valley of the Grand
River. There was, however, an almost
impenetrable wilderness to pass through
to reach this land of promise. Early in
the spring of 1800, Betzner and Sherk
went in search of the far-off country.
They found it, were greatly pleased with
it, and selected lots for future homes.
Betzner chose a lot on the west side of
the Grand River, four miles from Gait,
where the village of Blair is located.
Sherk chose a lot on the east side of the
river, directly opposite the village of
Doon, and within two miles of Preston.
The two pioneers then returned to An-
cester, settled for their lots, and got their
papers. The land they bought was a part
of what was known as the "Beasley
Tract," but originally belonged to Joseph
Brant, the great Mohawk chief, and was
deeded by him to Richard Beasley, James
Wilson and John B. Rosseau. The whole
tract comprised 94,012 acres.
J. Sherk bought a yoke of oxen and
a sled, and with this conveyance took the
women and children and a few household
goods and other necessaries, through thir-
tv miles of forest to their home in the
"Hush." When these two families set-
tled on tbeir lots they were two miles
apart, and shut out from the rest of the
world. Waterloo was at that time fur-
ther from the frontier than any other set-
tlement ; it was the first colony in the in-
terior of the country. The Markham
colony was only twelve or fifteen miles
from the lake, with Yonge Street on the
west as a way out. All the other colonies
bordered on the Great Lakes and rivers
and had ready access to the outside. It is
true that Waterloo pioneers had the
Grand River, along whose banks they
planted their homes, but they were sev-
enty-five miles from its mouth, and could
not use it as a way to the front. Their
natural and direct line to the front was
Lake Ontario, and to it they had to make
a way, at least as far as Dundas or An-
caster.
The two families who first took peace-
ful possession of Waterloo Township
were iust the vanguard of a great army
of invasion ; the main body soon follow-
ed, and kept up the march for half a
century. Late in the season of 1800-
three more famines came from Pennsyl-
vania, which brought the number up lo
five the first year. Let us follow the for-
tunes of this little settlement for the
First Twextv-Five Years.
The later history of the people is often
full of interest, but usually the greater
interest centers in pioneer life and
deeds. This applies to the Waterloo col-
on}'— we want to know something about
its pioneer days. A few led the way,
numbers soon followed. In 1801 seven
new families were added, which brought
the number up to twelve, the second year
of the colony's history. In this company
was Jacob Bechtel, the first Mennonite
preacher of Waterloo. The pioneers had
at this time had close living, and they
well knew that there were no reserve re-
sources on which to depend. In the win-
ter of this year they saved even the po-
tato peelings so as to have seed for spring
planting. In 1802 there was a still larger
accession of families. E. Eby, in his
"Biographical History of Waterloo," says
"This year a little school was started near
where the village of Blair is now situat-
ed, a person by the name of Rittenhouse
being the first teacher in the county of
Waterloo." The name Rittenhouse holds
a high place in the annals of the Pennsyl-
vania Germans. William Rittenhouse was
the first Mennonite preacher in Pennsyl-
vania, and built the first paper mill in the
United States ; and David Rittenhouse
was a distinguished mathematician and
astronomer, an intimate friend of Ben-
jamin Franklin, and his successor in the
THE PENNA. GERMANS OF WATERLOO COUNTY, ONT., CAN.
2SS
presidency of the American Philosophi-
cal Society. Waterloo was honored in
having a Rittenhouse for its first school
teacher, and so helped to perpetuate the
memory of the name. The opening of a
school in the third year of the colony's
history is quite significant ; it shows that
these plain country people did not wish
their children to grow up in ignorance.
Can any of the pioneer districts of the
Province show a better record than this?
Another much-needed boom came to them
this year in the shape of a grist mill. The
mill was built at Gait by one, John Miller,
of Niagara. One by one the blessings of
civilization were added.
But early in the year 1803 a dark cloud
came over the young colony, and put a
check to its growth and prosperity for a
few years. The settlers learned that the
land they had bought, and for which they
had deeds, was encumbered by a mort-
gage. The mortgage covered a large area
of land and amounted to $20,000. To
meet the difficulty a Joint Stock Company
was suggested. The suggestion was met
with favor, and two of the settlers were
appointed to visit the Mennonite churches
in Pennsylvania and ask their help to
lift them out of their difficulty. The ef-
fort met with succecss, $20,000 was sub-
scribed, and a company, called the Ger-
man Company, was formed. The $20,-
000, all in one-dollar silver coin, was
packed in boxes and placed on a light
wagon furnished by the stockholders. The
money was entrusted to two men, one
from Waterloo, Canada, and the other
from Pennsylvania. These two men car-
ried this immense sum of money ( for
that day ) five hundred miles, most of the
way through "bush" roads, and made
the journey unarmed. It was a big under-
taking, full of risks, but it illustrates the
pluck and determination so characteristic
of these people The Hon. Wm. Dick-
son, of Niagara, prepared the necessary
papers, the money was paid over, the
mortgages cancelled, and the German
Company came in possession of 60,000
acres of land in the township of Water-
loo.
The German Company soon made some
needed changes. They called for a new
survey of the land they had taken over
and introduced a new order of things. As
for the roads of the township, they seem
to have been run to suit the wishes or
whims of the settlers. Very likely the
settlers brought their ideas of, roads from
Pennsylvania, for they certainly resemble
the serpentine roads of the old Keystone
State. The legal difficulty now being re-
moved, immigration set in afresh, and
the Company's lands found a ready mar-
ket. Every year added new settlers in in-
creasing numbers.
The War of 181 2 greatly interfered
with the growth of the Waterloo colony,
as it did with every other section of the
country. Many of the Waterloo young
men were pressed into service. Those
who were not church members were call-
ed with the militia, but those who were
bona fide members of the Mennonite
Church were asked to do duty as team-
sters. To this they made no objection.
As soon as matters were adjusted be-
tween the two countries the stream of
immigration from Pennsylvania com-
menced, and kept up for years ; and when
land in Waterloo became scarce, or too
high in price, newcomers pushed into the
border townships and extended the
boundaries of the Pennsylvania German
colony.
Up to 18 16 all within the sphere of the
influence of the Waterloo colony were
Pennsylvania Germans except a few fam-
ilies of other nationalities, win » had set-
tled among them. By this time the}- were
a strong, vigorous and influential settle-
ment, just beginning to reap the fruit of
their toils and sacrifices. But in the year
1 8 16 the Scotch formed a settlement in
the township of Dumfries, the township
that borders on Waterloo on the south.
The moving spirit in this settlement was
Absalom Shade, also a Pennsylvania Ger-
man. This brought a fresh element into
close touch with the Waterloo Germans
and German and Scotch have been the
ruling elements in the county of Waterloo
ever since. The two have given a promi-
nence and prosperity to Waterloo that is
probably not excelled by any other sec-
tion of Ontario.
284
THE PENXSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Here we must make a pause and take
a backward glance in the history of this
colony, so as to get a clear view of all the
phases of life of this peculiar people. The
pioneers of Waterloo had large families,
and this suggests the question: What
was done to meet the mental, moral and
other needs of the youth of that day ? The
first school, as we have already learned,
was formed in 1802, when the colony was
but two years old. In 1808 another
school was opened, a little south of Ber-
lin. This school was taken to the very
edge of Berlin a year or two later, and
the Menonnite church, the best place
available, was used for a schoolroom for
some years. The schools were all volun-
tary, and new schools were formed as
the people of different localities saw
they needed them. German and English
were usually taught in the schools, the
German at first taking the lead. This
practice continued for half a century,
although in time the English gained
the first place. Defective as these
schools were, they did much for the
pioneer families of Waterloo, and kept
the people from relapsing' into absolute
ignorance, as was feared by Governor
Simcoe might be the case in the early
settlements of Upper Canada. We are
prepared to say for the people of Water-
loo that there was scarcely any illiter-
acy in the generation that came up
then. With few exceptions they could
read and write, and some of them could
do so in two languages.
The pioneers of Waterloo were men
of thought as well as action, and were a
good deal given to reading. This re-
mark especially applies to the leaders
among them. Their reading was mostly
that of standard German books on the
practical phases of the Christian life.
Some had a large stock of books that they
brought with them from Pennsylvania,
and occasionally there was one that came
from the "Fatherland." These books
were freely loaned, passed from one to
another, so that large numbers got the
benefits of a few books. The intelligence
of these people was of a much higher or-
der than has commonly been assumed.
Their simple life, unpretentious appear-
ance, industrious habits and close econo-
my, has led many to suppose that their
mental horizon had a very limited range.
This is a misjudgment.
The language of the Waterloo pioneers
is known as "Pennsylvania Dutch." We
cannot find much fault with the use of
the word "Dutch," for it comes from the
German word "Deutsch," and applies to
all branches of the great Teutonic fami-
ly. The Pennsylvania Dutch is German,
but it has dialectic peculiarities, just as
the spoken language of the shires of En-
gland is English, but differs from the lan-
guage of the schools. The Pennsylvania
Dutch was at first brought from Europe,
but some new words were incorporated
with it both in Pennsylvania and in Can-
ada. (Properly speaking it is just as
much Canadian Dutch as Pennsylvania
Dutch). It is not the German of litera-
ture, but those who use it understand the
proper German. The Pennsylvania Ger-
mans were proud of their distinctive dia-
lect, just as the Scotch are proud of their
Doric accent. Who will blame them ? The
thing is bred in the bones.
A noticeable characteristic of this peo-
ple was their cheerfulness, and we may
say tbev were eminently social. Being
full of life and energy they gave free ex-
pression to their social natures. Their
meetings for worship were great social
occasions. The families living in the vi-
cinity of the churches always prepared
royal entertainment for the throngs of
friends that looked for refreshment af-
ter the morning service. This might not
accord with our view of Sabbath pro-
priety, but they thought otherwise. In-
deed, there was a constant intermingling
of the people, and social culture was pro-
moted.
The Waterloo Germans excelled in the
domestic virtues. Family life was free
and easy, and characterized by what we
might call patriarchal simplicity. Even
domestics were treated, not as subordi-
nates, but as members of the household,
and were expected to join in its councils
when found worthy of confidence.
Here we must emphasize the fact that
the early history of Waterloo is essential-
ly linked with the history of Mennonites.
THE PENNA. GERMANS OF WATERLOO COUNTY, ONT., CAN.
285
The Mennonite Church was at first and
for many years the supreme power in the
colony. All were not members of the
church, but, as a rule, those who were not
members were adherents, and under the
influence of the church. We might call
the colony a moderate theocracy, but not
like the theocracy of the Puritans in the
early days of New England, when "the
ministers were in reality the chief officials
of State" (Art: Theocracy, in Standard
Diet.). Parkman says this was "one of
the most detestable theocracies on rec-
ord." We have called the Mennonite
Church of the early days of the Waterloo
colony a moderate theocracy, for every-
thing on which the people differed or
needed advice was referred to the church
for counsel, adjustment, or adjudication.
And yet nothing was done to interfere
with individual rights or private judg-
ment. It was an admirably conducted
community, and if we are right in call-
ing it a theocracy, it was a theocracy to
which there could be no reasonable ob-
jection.
The life and manners of such a com-
munity are deserving of study. Their
very dress was intended to distinguish
them from the outside. The men dressed
in uniform style, and so did the women;
and both men and women appeared very
much like the old-time Friends. This uni-
formity of dress was especially notice-
able at church, where the men and wo-
men sat apart. Let us bear in mind that
back of this plainness, this severe uni-
formity, there was conscience — they did
all from a sense of Christian duty. This
loyalty to conscience, in what most regard
as a matter of indifference, characterized
the whole life of this people, and did
much to foster and develop those high
moral qualities which they were known
to possess. There was no section of the
country where the morals ranked higher
than in the Waterloo colony, but there
were many places where the morals were
much lower. Even petty offences were
rare, magistrates had little to do, and law-
yers would have starved in the communi-
ty.
At this point we will introduce the
most prominent personality in the early
history of Waterloo, viz. :
BISHOP BENJAMIN EBY
The Bishop was identified with Water-
loo nearly half a century. He came here
in 1806, and settled on a farm on the
south side of Berlin. In 1809, he was
made a preacher of the Mennonite body,
and three years later, in 181 2, he became
bishop of the Waterloo churches. When
he became bishop there were no church
buildings in the township, all the meetings
were held in private houses. The shrewd
bishop saw that the time had come when
churches were necessary to the perma-
nency of the cause. Through his influ-
ence and energy a log church was built
on his farm in 1813. This was the first
church in the township, and the third
church a fine brick building, is now
standing on the same lot.
The Bishop was a great friend of the
public school. For some years the school
of the district was held in the church on
his farm, and for a number of winters
he did the teaching. The Bishop was also
greatly interested in the industrial pros-
perity of the place, and was always ready
to help those who wished to open up new
lines of activity.
Bishop Eby did much for the Mennon-
ite denomination, not only in Waterloo,
but in Canada. He compiled a hymn-
book, which was> universally adopted by
the churches. The hymns of the Eby
collection were selected from the best
German composers. He also prepared a
church directory. The Bishop exercised
a wide influence, not alone in his own
communion, but in others as well, and
was highly esteemed for his many noble
qualities. He was so intimately associat-
ed with the Waterloo colony, almost
from its beginning, that we might speak
of him as the father of the colony. He
was to the pioneers of Waterloo what Ad-
dison was to the pioneers of Niagara. I
am sure it is not too much to claim Bishop
Eby as one of the historic figures in the
early history of our Province. We have
now come to the
-_'sr.
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
TRANSITION PERIOD
in the history of the Waterloo colony,
and will not need to make any further
reference to the Mennonite Church.
About the close of the first quarter of
the century there was a large influx of
Pennsylvanians to Waterloo, but soon the
tide ebbed, and after this now and then
a family came. A new element, however,
was introduced by the incoming of Euro-
pean Germans. These had their measure
and influence even on the conservative
Pennsylvanians, and no doubt helped
them to a broader outlook, in some re-
spects at least.
A new phase of life in Waterloo at
this period was
THE ADVENT OF THE PRESS
The first newspaper in Waterloo
Township was issued at Berlin, August
27, 1835. It was printed in German and
■called "Der Canada Museum." The edi-
tor was H. Peterson. Fortunately a few
years ago, in looking over a large collec-
tion of newspapers of an early date, at
the house of a friend, I found a copy of
the "Museum." It is No. 36 of the first
year's issue, and the day of issue was
Thursday. June 23. Peterson was a
Pennsylvania German, educated as a
clergyman, and entered the ministry of
the Lutheran Church. He drifted into
politics, was elected to a seat in the Up-
per Canada Assembly, and took an ac-
tive part in the debates of the House.
Later he received the appointment of
Registrar of the County of Wellington,
and lived many \ears in Guelph.
The "Museum" was the pioneer news-
paper of Waterloo, and the pioneer
German newspaper of the Province. It
had a short history, but had as its suc-
cessor a German paper called "Der
Deutsche Canadier." The proprietor
and publisher of the "Canadier" was
Henry Eby, a son of Bishop Eby. The
paper was well patronized, had a large
circulation, and did good pioneer ser-
vice among the German speaking popu-
lation, and was for years the only paper
that entered many homes. Eby was an
enterprising publisher.* The historian
Eby says : Henry Eby. "published many
books and all kinds of English and Ger-
man literature." The wiiter can well re-
member when a German spelling-book,
from the Eby press, Berlin, was used in
the public schools of the township of
Waterloo. Here we have one of the
proofs that- the Waterloo people had
some enterprise at an early period in
their history. This brings us to what
I shall call the
INTELLECTUAL AWAKENING
of the Waterloo Germans. The press
was, no doubt, one of the factors in
this awakening, and so was the in-
creased industrial activity, and the grad-
ual opening and outlook for a larger life
in the country, but to my mind the chief
factor was improved schools and better
qualified teachers. These teachers in-
spired the young with ambition for wider
culture. The influence touched the par-
ents, and soon young men began to push
to the schools for advanced education.
This awakening came in the closing pe-
riod of the second quarter 01 the mat
century, and today no people in our
Province take a deeper interest in edu-
cational matters than the people of Wa-
terloo.
The Waterloo pioneers laid an endur-
ing foundation. Many of the old pecu-
liarities are passing away, a thing was to
be expected ; but the lofty ideal they
sought after and taught in regard to life
and morals has left an influence that will
be felt by generations to come. Rural
Waterloo is still mostly in the hands of
the descendants of the Pennsylvania
Germans. The villages and towns have
a large foreign population, but the Ger-
mans continue to hold the chief place.
Everywhere, whether in town or coun-
try, you can see the impress of the old
Pennsylvania German characteristics.
And these people have always been loyal
to the country of their adoption ; sedi-
tion has never had a breeding place
among them.
In studying the early history of this
Province we need to take account of the
German element. Let us not stop with
the Pennsylvania Germans, but in our
estimate take in the Germans of other
settlements. When the canvass is finish-
THE PENNA. GERMANS OP WATERLOO COUNTY, ONT.. CAN.
287
ed we will be surprised to find how large
a proportion of the early settlers of Up-
per Canada were Germans. No nation-
ality was more largely represented than
they. In the wonderful social evolution
of our Province many elements have
been at work, and in making reckoning
with these elements we must not forget
that one of the most potent elements
that entered into its life at the very start,
was good, wholesome German blood.
One of the publishing firms of this
city (Toronto) is issuing a series of
volumes on the "Makers of Canada."
Some numbers of this series have al-
ready been given to the public. We
cannot overestimate the work of the men
whose history is reviewed in these vol-
umes. They helped to solve the prob-
lems that agitated and vexed the coun-
try ; in many cases they brought order
out of confusion, and put the affairs of
the country on a secure basis. But the
men who went into the forest and turn-
ed the wilderness into fruitful fields, and
opened new avenues for trade, did just
as great and important work as the
champions of political, social, education-
al and religious reform. They. too.
were "makers of Canada," and in this
very category we include the Pennsyl-
vania Germans of Waterloo.
(Reprinted from Papers and Records
Vol. VII. Published by the Ontario His-
torical Society, 1906.)
*Lately, through H. M. Bowman, of Berlin. I
have learned of another German paper called "Der
Morgenstern". Its life covered a period of two
years, from September 1839, to September 1841. It
was published at Waterloo village. The proprietor
and editor was Benjamin Burkholder.
An Old Bible Society
What may sometimes be accomplished
through the efforts of one man is
illustrated by the case of a German
named Karl von Canstein. In 1710 he
established a little society for distributing
Bibles among the poor. Its aim was
to sell the New Testament for two
pfennige and the Bible for six. Shortly
afterward an urgent appeal was made
to Christians for money to establish a
printing plant, which brought in 11,000
thalers, equivalent to $7,920. The first
edition was printed in 171 2. Canstein
has been in his grave many years, but
the society which bears his name, still
lives, and recently celebrated its 200th
birthday anniversary. It reported in
1910 an issue of 9,000,000 copies. — Ex-
change.
An Old-Time Philanthropist
Rev. J. F. Dickie, pastor of the
American Church in Berlin, when in
Augsburg, Germany, a few weeks ago,
found a little city in the heart of the
city that was shut in all by itself with
two gates, and is called the "Fuggerei."
It is so called because the one hundred
and six houses within it were all built
with money left by Fugger, the wealthy
sixteenth century banker, who has been
called the J. P. Morgan of that country.
When he died he directed that these
houses should be built and then given to
poor, aged families for four marks and
twelve pfennigs rental a year ; that is,
exactly one American dollar. They have
four rooms and a kitchen, with a little
front garden and a little garden behind.
— Exchange.
The Pennsylvania Germans — Personal and Social
Characteristics
By Granville Henry, Esq., Boulton, Pa.
Read before the Wyoming Historical So-
ciety, May 14, 1909.
HE Pennsylvania German,
otherwise the Pennsylva-
nia Dutchman, has been
the object of satire, ridi-
cule and praise, according
to the various whims of
the numerous writers who
sought food for the pen
among these people. As a matter of
fact, there are few of Dutch descent to
come under the above designation.
Their ancestors were principally emi-
grants from the Palatinate, Wurtem-
berg, Baden; other parts of Germany,
and Switzerland were also represented.
Many American families have names
literally translated from the German,
and until recent years, since genealogi-
cal research has interested them, they
were in many instances probably una-
ware of the original derivation. Some
of them, indeed, were entitled to the
"von" of nobility, but allowed the dis-
tinction to lapse as undemocratic.
It is impossible for anyone who is not
a descendant, or has been born and
grown up among them, or has not passed
years in Germany, and become imbued
with German thoughts and emotion, to
write intelligently of their worth and
character. The term "Pennsylvania
German" is misleading. It is more cor-
rect to say Americans of German de-
scent. We find by their family records
that many are now in the seventh and
eighth generation of native-born Ameri-
cans. They have, as citizens of the
State, taken their places as clergymen,
attorneys, jurists, doctors, and in the po-
litical field as Governors and legislators.
It is, however, in the agricultural work
of the State that they have laid the deep-
est and most enduring foundation.
They are keen observers of nature
and its laws, and while they do not al-
ways follow scientific methods, the sys-
tem they employ, empirical though it
may be in a certain way, has resulted in
the creation of farms that are models in
their appointments of house and barn,
with all the necessary adjuncts, that are
needed by the tiller of the ground. They
have, as a body, constantly improved
the land, so that in those parts of the
State where they predominate, and after
nearly two centuries of cultivation, the
wilderness of their early occupation has
been cleared away and seed time and
harvest have taken its place. In this
respect particularly has their influence
grown beyond the bounds of the State
of their adoption, for where the Penn-
sylvania German has chosen a new home
in the South or West, his habits of in-
dustry and love of home surroundings,
are patent in the substantial house and
barn, and well-cultivated fields.
Emigrants from Holland and Sweden
had settled on land bordering upon the
Delaware river long before the proprie-
tor landed in 1682. Their numbers,
however, were fewer and their impress
upon the destiny of the State was not
important as had been that of the Ger-
man element. Prof. Bolles, in his work,
"Pennsylvania Province and State," ' in-
forms us that in the year 1683, Francis
Daniel Pastorius arrived with German
emigrants, who settled in Germantown.
A few years after this the Germans num-
bered more than one thousand, most of
whom had come from the vicinity of
Worms, in Westphalia. Many Ger-
mans prior to 1712 had settled in New
York State, but dissatisfied with their
reception there, gradually drifted into
Pennsylvania, where they founded new
homes, greatly to the advantage of the
State, as another writer tells us.
Peter Kahn, who traveled in America
in 1748, mentions that the Germans in
Pennsylvania advised their relatives and
friends to avoid New York and settle
in the former State, which many thou-
THE PENNA. GERMANS— PERSONAL AND SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS
289
sands did. The author of ''Province and
State" asserts that the Mennonites came
from the Cantons of Zurich, Bern, and
Schaffhausen, and after the growth of a
generation in Alsace, emigrated to Amer-
ica, where they added to the already
numerous German population.
We see by these authorities that the
German element in the State is nearly
coeval with the English, Welsh, Scotch
and Irish. This influx continued through-
out the eighteenth and part of the last
century, until the rich virgin soil of the
great West offered greater inducements
to those who sought new homes in the
United States.
As most of the Germans settled in
close contact with each other and were
in daily intercourse, it naturally followed
that they should have preserved the
language of the fatherland. Their
church services were, and still are, in
many instances, in German, and those of
the Lutheran and Reformed persuasion
occcupied the same church edifice, each
taking an alternate Sunday.
This dual use of the same building is
yet followed by many congregations, the
expenses, exclusive of the minister's sal-
ary, being shared by both sects. Where
there are no cemeteries in which lots are
private, the same burial ground is used
by both congregations, and it often hap-
pens that Lutheran and Reformed are
laid side by side. As a general custom
the services are attended by members
of either church, so that the family
unity is preserved, the husband and wife
accompanying each other, though they
may not belong to the same denomina-
tions. The Holy Sacrament, however,
while there are exceptions, is, as a rule,
partaken of only by those who are of the
denomination of the officiating minister.
While occasional differences arise, they
are comparatively rare, for their religious
feelings are strong and deep. It is main-
ly in the urban centers where the two
congregations have outgrown the capaci-
ty of the church that a change takes
place and each has its own house of wor-
ship. In many districts the services are
still held in the German, in some the
English is gradually being adopted gen-
erally, alternating with German. Though
the Pennsylvania German is the language
of his hearers, the preacher draws his
inspiration and uses the language of the
German Bible. When the clergyman is
a native German, he is a purist more or
less, but when the speaker is an Ameri-
can, it sometimes happens that the dis-
course is uttered in words that would re-
ceive the approval of the Weimer critics,
A great deal of ignorance prevails
about the dialect in use by the Teutonic
descendants in Pennsylvania. Mr. Beid-
leman, in a work of modest title, "The
Story of the Pennsylvania Germans,"
has given his readers the intelligent pic-
ture available of the people he writes
about. He admits that his work is far
from complete and that the true his-
tory of the Pennsylvania Germans has
never been written. As a descendant of
the race, and with a thorough knowledge
of the dialect, he made the subject a
study, having at various times visited
the Palatinate, where the dialect is the
language of the people at the present
day. The author during his travels did
not confine his observation to the towns
and cities, but went into the country
homes of the people. He asserts that
the infusion of English words into the
German- American dialect has been large-
ly caused by the abolition of German
in our country schools a change that is
greatly to be deplored, as many young
men who have gone from the farm to
the town will acknowledge. Some of
the words were in pure German and in
use up to a generation ago ; they are now
supplanted by a corrupt English. In a
vocabulary Mr. Beidleman gives the
Pennsylvania German with its equiva-
lents in Pfalzisch, German, and English,
showing in most of the words the identi-
ty of the Pennsylvania German with the
Palatinate dialect as it is used there and
to some extent in Germany. It is to be
understood, however, that the cultured
German does not use the dialect in the
Palatinate, or America.
There is no distinctive Pennsylvania
German literature. Many lyrical effu-
sions have been published in the dialect,
in which the sentiments and pathos of
290
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
German thought are well preserved in
its most simple form and expression.
Rev. Air. Harbaugh wrote a number of
poems, published in book form, and
everyone at all acquainted with the dia-
lect has read "Das Alte Schulhaus an
der Krick," where the grown man goes
back to the days of his youth and gath-
ers the flowers of early days, for they
are fragrant to his memory. Translations
from English poetry into the dialect are
also found, as, for instance, Poe's "Ra-
ven", printed in the Pennsylvania Ger-
man Magazine, for August, 1908, in
which the weird spirit of Poe's creation
is transferred to the dialect with effect.
The German Bible is held in reverence
in nearly all homes of the people, and
the reading of it often diligently pursued
and quotations made. Formerly there
were always some German works in
their very limited libraries, generally of
a religious cast. Now the younger gen-
eration are taught to read and write En-
glish, so that papers and magazines find
a larger circulation in the country than
were at the disposal of their fathers
and mothers.
Some local newspapers are yet pub-
lished in German and find a circulation in
those counties where the German Amer-
icans have their homes. . In these papers,
generally of weekly editions, some col-
umns are devoted to the humorous cor-
respondent, who uses the dialect in its
purity, but the reader must be master of
the language in order to understand what
the writer intends to say.
Depicting scenes from the life of these
people has often been attempted for the
benefit of the English reader, but they
are, as interpretations almost always are,
failures. It is impossible for anyone
without a knowledge of their domestic
life, their obligations to and association
with each other, their sympathy and help-
fulness in times of sorrow and distress,
and their proverbial hospitality, to give
to the general reader a true impression
of their inner and outer life, which is
clothed altogether in German thought,
emotion and expression. Strong and
vigorous, if homely, it is the exponent
and embodiment of the traditions that
have come down from their emigrant an-
cestors, upon which the freedom of
thought and action of American life
has produced a striking influence. It has
made them a people of honest purposes,
independent in thought, resentful when
their motives are assailed, claiming all
that is due to them and no more.
Subserviency, as that term is general-
ly understood, is unknown to the Penn-
sylvania German farmer. The owner of
broad acres considers himself the equal
of anyone he meets, and will address him
as such. In this fact, and not only
among this people, but in the hearts of
the great agricultural community lies the
strength of our republican institutions.
They are the only class who while they
may be influenced are not dominated by
the political manager, and in important
political questions will vote according to
convictions and not dictation. When
this conviction has not been aroused by
a great political question, the Pennsyl-
vania German is largely influenced by
heredity, and the partisanship of his eld-
ers is upheld by his descendants.
The Pennsylvania farmer, in his inde-
pendent economic position, has no
thought of class distinction ; he certainly
does not recognize it, and in this respect
he already occupies one of the ends for
which the German socialists of the pres-
ent time are striving, the abrogation of
class differences, but no thought of a
community of goods enters his mind.
He is a strict conservator of private
property. Originally averse to the intro-
duction of the common school, they are
now advancing education wherever pos-
sible, and the latent mentality they pos-
sess manifests itself in the new genera-
tion, many of whom have left, and in in-
creasing numbers are leaving, the farms,
ambitious for a wider sphere of action
in the ministry, law, business and politi-
cal life.
Modernity has invaded their homes,
but any luxury that finds a place there is
always subordinated to the economic, so
that times of financial stress do not
weigh upon them as upon those whose
homes are in urban centers.
THE PENNA. GERMANS— PERSONAL AND SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS
291
Neatness and cleanliness in the house,
the yard and held are a characteristic.
The women love flowers, and it is rare
to find even the most modest home with-
out them in flower beds in summer and at
the windows where the sun brings them
to life in winter.
The love of music is almost universal
among this people, inherited from the
ancestors, who brought with them those
tuneful echoes of a far off home, where
the songs of the people are ingrained
from the days of troubadours. Some of
the Folkslieder collected by Von Aminn
and Kretano, both from printed oral
sources, in that remarkable work, "Das
Knaben ^underhorn" were still heard
in German Pennsylvania homes a genera-
tion ago.
The violin, the organ, and, of late
years, the piano, are found in many
homes, and as wealth increases and bet-
ter instruction is possible, proficiency
gradually advances.
The young generation is more thor-
oughly American than the preceding
one, and adopts what is new with the
greatest ease . The literature of the day
has spread over the land largely through
the rural free delivery. The electric
road has brought many sections into
closer contact with the larger towns and
cities, which received their inspiration
from the metropolis. This power of
adaptability is very apparent in the im-
proved taste of dress of both sexes, par-
ticularly in the young people. The girls
find their field in fashion magazines that
circulate in nearly all the country homes.
The illustrations make a vivid impression
upon their plastic minds and the result
is seen in the good clothes, harmonious
colors, and in the bearing of the wear-
ers, conscious that they are well dress-
ed.
The plain interior of the farm house
has yielded to the changed conditions.
Many are now furnished with articles
of furniture and pictures that show
progress in the direction of a cultivated
taste. A great deal of this is of moderate
cost, though this varies with the
wealth of the owner, but it all tends in
the direction of art development in homes
where as yet the critic has no place.
Boorishness is at times apparent, but
there is at the same time much native
courtesy shown in many ways ; the team-
ster driving along the single track on a
snowbound road will always, when pos-
sible, turn out for the pedestrian.
The destructive tendency of the hood-
lum is foreign to the Pennsylvania Ger-
man, as they have a love of order and
law and respect for private property.
They have a keen sense of humor, sar-
casm, and repartee. To attempt to hold
such a conversation in English would end
in total failure, as has been the fate of
those writers of novel and tale when they
try to give the dialect in an English
dress. During the past sixty years many
changes have taken place in the economic
life of the people here described. While
the methods of the farmer were as thor-
ough as they are today, the mechanical
appliances were few. Reaping was done
with the cradle, which had taken the
place of the sickle, still used in the early
part of the nineteenth. Grass was cut
with the scythe ; the horse rake was in-
troduced in the late years of 1850. The
historic flail was used until the horse-
power threshing machine became a part
of the farmer's equipment. Flax was
cultivated, and the sheep, of which a
number were generally kept, furnished
the wool. The carding machine was of-
ten an adjunct of the local grist nr II,
where it was run by the same power.
The farmer prepared the flax after the
fall work on the farm was done.
The spinning and wool wheel were
found in nearly every farm house, and
the flax and the wool were prepared for
the weaver by the housewife and her
daughters. The weavers had their looms
either in the house or in a shop nearby.
The fabric thus produced was coarse, but
strong and durable, and formed the
everyday clothing for the farmer and his
family. As a rule, it was made up by
the housewife and her daughters or bv
local tailors. The Sunday and holiday
suit of finer material was carefully pre-
served and the styles were not subject
to the rapid changes of the present day.
.'Hi'
THE PENXSYLVAXIA-GERMAN
The spinning wheel, the reel, and the
wool wheel have become things of the
past, and they are now found among the
collected curios of a time that has passed
away. They are at times seen in the
homes of refined and cultured, preserved
as a curious link of the olden time. Does
the fair owner, as she turns the wheel,
realize that a gretchen in real life may
have sat beside the same wheel and spun
to her plaintive song:
Mein ruh ist hin,
Mein herz ist schwer,
Ich finde sie nimmer
L nd nimmer mehr?
Have some of these wheels, too, like
the talking cloak of Sumner Chace, re-
ceived the treasured thoughts of those
who guided the flax to the spindle, tell-
ing of their joys and sorrows, and the
refrain echoes of the cradle song that
mellowed the hum of the wheel to the
little child to whose face the mother
turned from her toil ?
Many of these scenes are but two gen-
erations old, and there are yet living wo-
men who spun in their youthful days.
We live in an age of quick change;
every successive generation looks upon
the life of the preceding one as a matter
of history ; the present man and woman
is separated from the past and assumes
the new role with astonishing adaptabili-
ty. Except in cases of personal worth-
lessness, poverty and want are not found
in these homes, and when by reason of
misfortune or sickness there is need, help
always comes to them. Until within re-
cent years, visiting the sick, whether the
case was contagious or not, was a univer-
sal custom and sympathetic obligation.
The new rules and information dissemi-
nated by the Health Department, have.
however, to a great degree, changed this
practice, and there is now evinced a gen-
eral desire to observe the law as its ne-
cessity is made clear to them. When
death comes and the last rites are to be
performed, relatives and friends gather
at the house of mourning from all sides
in numbers indicating their sympathy and
respect for the deceased. In many, per-
haps most, instances, the traditions de-
mand that the hospitality of the house
should be exercised to its limit on these
mournful occasions, and it is usual for
the relatives and friends to be entertain-
ed not with "cold meats," but the best
that the house can furnish. Professional
grave diggers are not found in ail the
country congregations. Where there are
none, this is generally done by neighbors
at the request of the family, and these
men also act as pall-bearers.
The Pennsylvania German farmer,
with his dialect, will continue for years
to come as an important element in the
State. But the young generation will de-
mand new conditions and a more liberal
consideration from the State, particular-
ly in the way of education. They will
demand, also, as a more liberal education
broadens their minds and expands the
mental powers of which they are pos-
sessed, that social position should be ad-
vanced and their economy in the sustain-
ing of urban life receive due recogni-
tion.
The cry "back to the farms" has no
temptation to those who have been
brought under the glamour of urban life.
The young men and women who leave
their homes to better their condition eco-
nomically, socially or otherwise, go back
to the country in rare instances. The
poor remuneration for the farmer in
nearly all the Eastern States for a num-
ber of years, the difficulty of obtaining
competent help, both for the farmer and
his wife, the spread of education, that
most powerful agent of the time, and,
not least, the social handicap, has influ-
enced the young men and women to de-
sert their homes for urban life, in which
their great adaptability in so many ways
promised greater rewards.
(Reprinted from Proceedings and Collec-
tions of the Wyoming Historical and Geo-
logical Society for the year 1910.)
*The Pennsylvania German farmer has long known
the value of seed selection for obtaining results. The
methods were more primitive than those now prac-
ticed under scientific rules of the agricultural colleges
of the present time. Nevertheless, it was and is today
a part of the farmer's work and progress.
293
William Augustus Muhlenberg
A Great Pennsylvania German — Leader of Religious Thought
and Educator
REV. DR. WM. A. MUHLENBERG
The following "appreciation" of the Rev.
William Augustus Muhlenberg, the "Saintly
Muhlenberg" as he was sometimes called by
those who had an intimate knowledge of his
character, is from the pen of the Rev." Wil-
liam Wilberforce Newton, D.D., an Episcopal
clergyman, who wrote a short sketch of his
life about twenty years ago. To many who
only remember the gifted Muhlenberg as the
author of the famous hymn: "I would not
live alway," Dr. Newton's lines will be a
most welcome picture of one of our great-
est Pennsylvania Germans, who added un-
dying lustre and distinction to a name al-
ready famous when he was born ; a name
dear to every patriotic Pennsylvanian — to
every Pennsylvanian who can claim de-
scent from the bold German pioneers who
took so great a part in the building of our
grand old Commonwealth and of the na-
tion.— Editor.
HE life of the Rev. William
Augustus Muhlenberg is
the record of one of the
marked leaders of Ameri-
can religious thought.
He had not the brilliancy
of Channing, nor the logi-
cal force of Jonathan Ed-
wards, but his character blended most
harmoniously with his career, and he
possessed the three great gifts of leader-
ship,— "the sense of vision," "the dis-
cerning of spirits", and "the ability to
make a movement march".
He passed in his time for a prophet
and a dreamer, but today it is unmistak-
ably discerned that his career furnished
294
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
the formative influence of the past gen-
eration, whose manifested results we dis-
cover in the present condition of Church
life.
Muhlenberg touched liberalism with
one hand, and institutionalism with the
other hand. He founded the first church
hospital. He established the free -
church system by the experiment in the
Church of the Holy Communion in New
York City. He developed the first order
of Protestant Deaconesses. He anti-
cipated the problems of socialism in his
efforts to establish St. Johnland ; and he
lives again in the present age, since his
dreams of an inter-ecclesiastical congress
has become a realized fact, whose
knockings at the door of the House of
Bishops in Chicago have given to Amer-
ican Christendom the Bishops' Mani-
festo upon Christian Unity.
The results of this versatile and com-
prehensive character are making them-
selves felt in the church life of the pres-
ent day in a most marked degree. "Your
Father Abraham", said our Lord, "re-
joiced to see my day, and he saw it and
was glad". The man who makes an
epoch may not live to see the day of its
fruition, but others see it and take cour-
age. The day of Muhlenberg has come
to that church whose loyal son he de-
lighted to be called.* Parties and schools
of thought have led the way up to the
present epoch, but the Church is larger
and wider than any parties in it, and this
was the one doctrine this man persis-
tently preached. The men of his day
said that he was a dreamer, that he was
illogical ; and so this prophet lived and
died among us, and we knew not what
his words meant which he spoke unto us.
He stood for an evangelical pulpit, and
the divine commission to preach Christ
as the Saviour for men ; while at the
same time the Lutheranism in his nature
accepted the sacramental symbolism of
Germany, so that he always came to God
in public worship in the form of the al-
*He received the rite of confirmation in the Protes-
tant Episcopal Church at the hands of Bishop White
of Philadelphia on Easter day 1813 : was ordained
deacon September 18, 1817; advanced to the priest-
hood in October, 1820. and shortly afterward accepted
a call to the rectorship of St. James' Church, Lan-
caster, Pa.
tar service, which typical human act
Bushnell has so profoundly elaborated in
his greatest theological work. He stood
for a wide-heartedness which was larger
than the shibboleths and formulas of any
school or party, and he developed the
institutionalism of the Church as the
only basis upon which any true growth
and enlargement could take place. He
called himself an "Evangelical Catholic",
and at last his day of influence and
power, which has been long in coming,
has dawned.
To rightly describe the life of such a
worker as this is in itself a task worthy
of one possessing more time than it is
mine to give ; but I have thought twice
before declining to do this work, having
realized that, by portraying this charac-
ter for the generations to come, it might
be that a lasting impulse would make it-
self felt through the veins of the Church
of the future, if this strong life could
stand for the coming years as the symbol
of a bold, aggressive Christianity, with-
out fear and without apology — a Chris-
tianity whose face is set toward the hard
problems of the future with a resolute
courage and a determined will. * * * It
never can be other than helpful to study
such a character and build into structural
unity the gathered words and works of
a great creative mind, whose influence
lives on as a motive power long after the
grave has closed over that which is mor-
tal.
There have been many bishops and
doctors who have been leaders in the
church as. preachers, workers, thinkers
and writers, but the magnetic finger of
the present age points unerringly to
Muhlenberg as after all the truest rep-
resentative of that national and historic
church which professes to be both
Catholic and Protestant, the strange
paradox of which is solved by the sim-
ple and beautiful life of this uncon-
scious "leader of religious thought."
MUHLENBERG AS AN EDUCATOR
"Muhlenberg's enthusiasm in educa-
tion was no superficial and visionary
idolatry of a method, but an intelligent
devotion to an intelligent ideal, and an
ideal of the most noble and practical
WILLIAM AUGUSTUS MUHLENBERG
295
kind. In his view, the end of all edu-
cation is the production of the highest
type of individual and corporate char-
acter; and his ideal of education was a
system of culture in which all the requi-
site forces and factors, intellectual,
moral and spiritual, should be systematic-
ally organized to the furtherance of this
one result. Without wide renown or in-
fluence, he yet combined a profound
penetration and practical judgment with
the glad devotion and subduing gentle-
ness of Pestalozzi. The distinguishing
vice of educators has always been an
overwhelming confidence in the efficacy
of some theoretical method of instruc-
tion. The assumption has been that the
perfect method would insure the perfect
school and the perfect education. The
great Comenius was a conspicious of-
fender in this regard, and even the ex-
cellent treatise of Milton betrays its
author's lack of practical experience in
the teaching art by its perpetual lapses
into this besetting sin ; while the over-
rated work of Rosseau is little more than
the impracticable dream of a conceited
enthusiast. It is characteristic of Muh-
lenberg that he thought little and wrote
less about methods of instruction, while
attaching absolute importance to the liv-
ing spirit of the teacher. Education was
not the impartation of knowledge, but
the communication of a spirit ; not the
training of an intelligence, but the de-
velopment and inspiration of a soul ; not
the discipline of powers, but the forma-
tion of a character ; not familiarity with
principles, but the perfection of man-
hood. This is a demand which no method
can ever satisfy — a task for which no
method can ever be adequate. Had this
great educator's ideal of education been
less exalted and noble, he doubtless
might have followed in the beaten path
of the humdrum school teacher. From
his own inner consciousness in this case
it would have happened that the perfect
theory of education — method and all
complete — would have been infallibly
evolved and given to the world with the
glib phraseology of the soul-satisfied
vender in educational wares. Another
"system" would have been tabulated in
the history of pedagogues ; another sys-
tem-maker would have claimed a niche
in the temple of the literary and educa-
tional bureau. But this was never his
way. Instead of describing the moral
system of education, as Plato described
the model republic, he set about in the
most matter-of-fact manner to evolve
his model school. Instead of expending
his powers in building into symmetry a
beautiful and elaborate theory of cul-
ture, he set to work to produce the re-
sults of true education in the shape of
thoroughly developed men. We have
seen how much the experiment cost.
From the threshhold of a life of assured
success, and of national, if not world-
wide, fame in his profession, he deliber-
ately consigned himself to years of ob-
scurity and monotonous drudgery, with
the grave prospect of very possible fail-
ure as his hope of reward in this world.
Yet this is the only true method in edu-
cation. No science of teaching can ever
make a school ; no theory of method in
teaching can ever develop a character
and train a soul, any more than the clas-
sification and analysis of the botanist
can construct a flower. Muhlenberg
knew that what is wanted first and al-
ways is a teacher. And the true teacher
will find his own method, which will in-
fallibly be the right one for him. The
real teaching force resides in the indi-
viduality of the teacher, which the Lord
has made and not man, and which is
worth more than all the man-made
methods in the book. The only stimulat-
ing force in the realm of spirit is
spirit ; the one creative and inspiring
agency in the domain of charac-
ter is character; just as the indispensa-
ble condition prerequisite to the develop-
ment of mind is the presence of other
minds. Thus the "method" of Muhlen-
berg, in so far as he can be said to have
possessed one, was the personal method,
— the method of love, of individual inter-
est and personal contact as the moral and
spiritual force essential to that rounding
of the manhood which is the test of all
true education."
In this respect there is but one of the
many who have won renown in this great
-_'!m;
T 1 1 K PIOXXS YLVAX I A-GERMAN
calling with whom he may be justly
compared. It would be difficult to lay
the finger on a passage in biography at
once so touching and so sublime as that
in which the heroic Pestalozzi details
the simple joys of his passionate self-
devotion to the desolate children of the
I nter-walden, Switzerland, whom he
gathered out of their destitution after
the French invasion of 1798:
"I was from morning till evening almost
alone among them. Everything which was
done for their body or soul proceeded from
my hand. Every assistance, every help in
time of need, every teaching which they re-
ceived, came immediately from me. My
hand lay in their hand, my eye rested on
their eye, my tears flowed with theirs, and
my laughter accompanied theirs. They
were out of the world: they were with me
and I was with them. Their soup was mine,
their drink was mine. Were they well I
stood in their midst; were they ill I slept
in the middle of them. I was the last who
went to bed at night, the first who rose in
the morning. Even in bed I prayed and
taught with them until they were asleep.
They wished it to be so.
Setting aside the adventitious pathos
of the great Swiss teacher's situation at
that time, arising from the circum-
stance that these children had been left
houseless and parentless, to starve and
perish by the accident of war, the words
might be taken as a fair and accurate
representation of Muhlenberg's affec-
tionate devotion to the boys of his
school. He gave himself wholly to his
pupils. The yearning of his heart for
them was as strong and true and tender
as that of a father for his children. He
has been called an apostle to boys ; and
it is impossible to read the record of his
relations with his pupils to hear the nar-
ratives and anecdotes related by those of
them still living, without being reminded
forcibly of those outpourings of tender-
ness and expressions of attachment with
which St. Paul was wont to speak to the
Corinthians and the Philippians. The
secret of his power was in the strong,
true love of that Spirit whose outgoings
are recorded in the words of the sev-
enteenth chapter of St. John.
The joy of his soul for his dear boys
was ever that joy of the apostle of old
when he wrote : "I thank my God that
in every thing ye are enriched by Him
in all utterance, and in all knowledge,
so that ye come behind in no gift." This
ulterior aim of developing character in
thepupils settled the type. dominated the
administration, and shaped the entire pol-
icy of the school. In the selection of as-
sociates in the work, the character, spirit,
and aim of the teacher were ever of
paramount importance to him. What-
ever the abilities and aptitudes of the in-
dividual as a mere instructor, if his in-
fluence and example were not positive
and persistent toward the elevation of the
pupils to the plane of the noblest Chris-
tian manhood, he lacked, in Muhlen-
berg's estimation, the essential qualifi-
cation of a teacher. He required of his
assistants, in the sacred work to which
he had consecrated his energies, that
they should be men of like spirit, aims,
and ideals with himself.
The formation of such an educational
staff about him, was, of course, the re-
sult of a patient process of intelligent se-
lection, and survival of the fittest, and it
is no matter of astonishment that, to-
ward the close of this epoch of his life,
his corps of assistants was very largely
composed of men who had received their
education and the bent of their charac-
ters from him. The collection and train-
ing of such a body of teachers was
one of the important services of his life;
for their influence and active labors af-
ter his retirement from the work served
to perpetuate and determine the type of
church school which he originated, whose
power and influence and rapidly advanc-
ing importance we behold on every side
today. His method of moral training
by personal influence, contact and exam-
ple rendered it necessary that the school
should be organized and ordered after
the pattern of the Christian family. No
other type of constitution or administra-
tion would have afforded scope and op-
portunity for that relation of personal
intimacy between the teacher and the
taught, which he esteemed above every
other instrumentality in the education of
youth. Acordingly master, teachers
and pupils lived and slept under the same
roof, ate from the same table, and felt
equally at home in the school family.
297
Ancestry of Rev. Dr. W. A. Muhlenberg
UHLENBERG could boast
descent from two distin-
guished German ancestors,
one "the blessed and ven-
erable Heinrich Melchior
Muhlenberg," the founder
of the Lutheran Church in
America (born in Eim-
beck, Hanover, Germany, Sept. 6, 171 1;
died in Trappe, Montgomery County,
Pennsylvania, Oct. 7, 1787) ; the other
the celebrated Johann Conrad Weiser —
famous as an Indian interpreter and
peace envoy (born at Afsteadt, in Her-
renberg, Wurtemberg, Germany, 1696,
died at Womelsdorf, July 13, 1760) one
of the poor Palatines who came to New
York in 17 10 and who were subsequent-
ly settled on Livingston Manor, on the
Hudson river. Weiser was among those
who revolted against the injustice of
Governor Hunter and went to Scho-
harie, from whence in 1729 he emigrated
to Tulpehocken, Pennsylvania, where he
soon became a leader in the communi-
ty*. His daughter, Anna Maria, became
the wife of the Rev. Heinrich Melchior
Muhlenberg, and whose son was the fam-
ous Major General Johann Peter Ga-
briel Muhlenberg (born in Trappe, Penn-
sylvania, Oct. 1, 1746; died near Phila-
delphia, Oct. n, 1807) the Revolutionary
patriot, who while a clergyman of the
Lutheran and Episcopal Churches in
Woodstock, Virginia, accepted a Col-
onel's commission in the Continental
army at the earnest solicitation of Wash-
ington, whose friendship he enjoyed. Af-
ter he had received his appointment he
took leave of his congregation in a ser-
mon in which, after eloquently depicting
the wrongs America had suffered from
Great Britain, he exclaimed :"There is a
time for all things — a time to preach and
a time to pray ; but there is also a time
to fight, and that time has now come."
When pronouncing the benediction he
*On the 13th day of November, 1793, General
■George Washington accompanied by General Joseph
Hiester and other distinguished men, stood at his
grave and said : "This departed man rendered many
services to his country, in a difficult period and pos-
terity will not foryet him."
threw off his gown, displaying a full mili-
tary uniform. Proceeding to the door
of the church he ordered the drums to
beat for recruits, and nearly three hun-
dred of his congregation responded to
the appeal. He marched at once with
bis men to the relief of Charleston, South
Carolina, where his "German Regiment,"
the 8th Virginia, quickly gained a fine
reputation for discipline and bravery.
To a relative who complained that he
had abandoned the church for the army,
he said : "I am a clergyman, it is true,
but I am a member of society as well as
the poorest layman, and my liberty is as
dear to me as to any man. Shall I then
sit still and enjoy myself at home when
the best blood of the continent is spill-
ing? * * * Do you think if America
should be conquered I should be safe?
Far from it. And would you not sooner
fight like a man than die like a dog?"
After the close of the Revolutionary
war he was chosen Vice-President of
Pennsylvania, with Benjamin Franklin
as President. He served as Presidential
Elector in 1797. He was elected a mem-
ber of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Con-
gresses and in 1801 was elected to the
United States Senate. His statue has
been placed in the Capitol at Washing-
ton.
Another son, Frederick Augustus
Conrad Muhlenberg, (born in Trappe,
Penna., January t, 1750; died at Lan-
caster, Penna., June 4, 1801) grand-
father of William Augustus, was also a
clergyman of the Lutheran Church and,
like his brother, General Muhlenberg, a
patriot during the Revolution. While
pastor of the congregation at Oley and
New Goshenhoppen he was induced to
become a candidate for Congress, on the
plea that the Germans should have a
representative in that body. He was
elected March 2, 1779 and thus began a
political career for which he was emi-
nently fitted and in which he won the
greatest honor. He was twice Speaker
of the Pennsylvania Legislature, and
twice Speaker of the United States
298
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
House of Representatives in the first and
second Congresses during Washington's
administration.
In the summer of 1795, when the new-
horn nation of the United States was
agitated to a point of childish frenzy
over the Jay Treaty, and when it was
extremely doubtful if the bills necessary
for the enforcement of its terms would
pass the House of Representatives,
(then in session in Philadelphia) a
merchant of that city is reported to have
said to a prominent member of that
body: "If you do not give us (the
Federalists) your vote, your Henry
shall not have my Polly." The speaker
in this interview was Mr. William
Sheafe, a gentleman of German origin,
and "Polly" was his daughter Mary,
whose hand had been asked in marriage
by Henry William Muhlenberg, eldest
son of Frederick A. Muhlenberg,
speaker of the House of Representa-
tives. It was discovered that the vote
so urgently demanded in the interests of
peace by this representative of the mer-
cantile .class was already determined as
desired. Polly was accordingly given to
Henry, and on the 16th of September,
1796, became the mother of William
Augustus Muhlenberg.
Muhlenberg was fond of telling this
little story as showing how nearly he
might not have been what he was (so
high did party feeling run), usually add-
ing, "But the vote went the right way,
peace was secured, and here I am."
The ancestry of Muhlenberg it will be
seen was not only of a line of illustrious
patriots, but also one of purely German
stock for many generations, no inter-
marriage with other races having taken
place, though in this latter respect he
cannot be said to be a unique product of
Pennsylvania, for many of our promi-
nent Pennsylvanians were and are like
Muhlenberg of purely German stock.
Muhlenberg's Famous Hymn
HE noble hymn, T would not
live alway,' has long been
a favorite with the whole
Christian Church. It
breathes a spirit of sweet
comfort, perfect trust, glad
anticipation. It has been
sung by millions scattered
all over the world, and will be sung
no less hopefuly by untold millions
yet unborn. The original first appeared
in the Episcopal- Recorder, in Philadel-
phia, in 1824, in six verses, of eight
lines each. In 1826, a committee of
the Episcopal Church was appointed
to prepare a fuller collection of hymns
to be used in the church service. Dr.
H. Onderdonk, of Brooklyn, a member
of the Committee, abridged the poem to
a hymn of suitable length for divine wor-
ship, and submitted it to its author, the
Rev. William Augustus Muhlenberg, for
revision. There were no changes from
the sentiment of the original composi-
tion. The general Church Committee
did not meet until 1829. The report of
the sub-committee was presented, and
each of the hymns passed upon separate-
ly. When this hymn came up one of the
members said it was very good but
rather sentimental, upon which it was
rejected, Muhlenberg who was not sus-
pected as its author, also voting against
it. This he supposed was the end of it,
for the Committee agreed upon their re-
port that night and adjourned. But the
next morning Dr. Onderdonk, who had
not attended on the previous evening,
called on Muhlenberg to inquire what
had been done. Upon being told that
among the rejected hymns was the one
representing their joint labors, he said,
— "That will never do" ; and went about
among the members of the Committee,
soliciting them to restore the hymn in
their report, which accordingly they did ;
so that to him is due the credit of giving
it to the Church at that time. Muhlen-
berg's hymn beginning, "Since o'er thy
footstool", — a lyric worthy of compari-
MUHLENBERG'S FAMOUS HYMN
299>
son with some of the most renowned
productions in this field, and written in
the same year, at Lancaster, Pa., as his
famous hymn was allowed to go un-
recognized and is even yet almost un-
known. This fact is a suggestive com-
mentary on the contemporary taste in
hymnology."
Muhlenberg died in New York City
April 8, 1877, at the advanced age of
over eighty years.
I WOULD NOT LIVE ALWAT.
Version of 1876.
By William Augustus Muhlenberg.
"I would not. live alway — I ask not to stay,
For nought but to lengthen the term of the
way;
Nay, fondly I've hoped, when my work-days
were done,
Then, soon and undim'd, would go down
my life's sun.
"But, if other my lot, and I'm destined to
wait
Thro' suffering and weakness in useless
estate.
Till I gain my release, gracious Lord, keep
me still,
Unmurmuring, resigned to thy Fatherly
will.
"Yea, thus let it be, so that thereby I grow
More meet for His presence to whom I
would go,
More patient, more loving, more quiet
within,
Thoroughly washed in the Fountain that
cleanseth from sin.
"So the days of my tarrying on to their end,.
Bringing forth what they may, all in
praise I would spend;
Then, no cloud on my faith, when called for
I'd leave,
Calm in prayer, 'Lord Jesus, my spirit re-
ceive.'
"But inside the veil — How, how is it there?
Dare we ask for some sight, or some sound
to declare,
What the blessed are doing — afar or anear?
Oh! but for a whisper, the darkness to
cheer!
"Yet, why aught of darkness? Light, light
enough this,
The Paradise life, — it can be only bliss;
And whatever its kind, or where'r its realm
lies,
The Saviour its glory, the Sun of its skies."
Gutenberg's Services
Gutenberg was the first to cut type
from metal and the first to cut matrices
in which they were cast. This great
genius, to whom the world is immeasur-
ably indebted for one of the greatest
benefits ever enjoyed by man, died in
1467, a quarter of a century after he
had invented printing. He was a man
of means, but spent all he had in experi-
ment to further the art of printing and
died poor and unhonored. It was re-
served for a later century to rescue his
name from the obscurity to which it
fell. It is said that not one of his books
bears his imprint, and that others de-
rived the immediate emoluments and for
a long time the sole honor of his in-
ventions.— Zimmerman.
Platt-Deutsch in the Pulpit
There is a mild agitation going on in
several parts of North Germany, where
Platt-Deutsch, the Low German dialect,
is spoken by everybody, to introduce
Platt-Deutsch preaching in the church
services occasionally. There have al-
ways been some pastors who made use
of the dialect in their Sunday evening
meetings and there have been some who
preached in Low German in the morning
and always had large audiences who
evidently enjoyed the home-flavored
sermons. Whether Bugenhagen's Low
German Bible (1533) is still read, we
are not able to say. Louis Harms de-
lighted in his Platt-Deutsch, but he was
careful not to use funny turns of speech.
— Exchange.
300
The First School Book Printed in Virginia
\ the year 1783 Rev. Adolph
Nuessmann, of Mecklen-
burg county, in North Car-
olina, wrote: "From Geor-
■Sr^~ gia to Maryland there is no
■ rigua German printing office, and
in North Carolina even no
English one." It is, there-
fore, a matter of great satisfaction to
every < ierman- Virginian, that at New-
Market, in the Shenandoah Valley, in
Virginia, or "Neu-Markt," as it was
originally called, soon after the founda-
tion of the Republic, a German printing
•office was established by a descendant of
the first German clergyman in Virginia.
He built the press with his own hands
and undertook the publication of "Ger-
man school books and religious works."
This meritorious man was the Lutheran
Pastor Ambrpsius Hcnkcl, of New-
Market. In 1806, his printing office was
in the hands of his son, Solomon Hcnkcl,
and an "ABC Book" for use in the Ger-
man school at Now Market, — and proba-
bly the first school book ever printed in
Virginia, — was published with lines of
poetry and illustrations for each letter of'
the alphabet, cut in wood by Rev. Henkel
himself. A second edition of this book
appeared in 18 19, of which a copy is in
possession of Charles T. Loehr, of Rich-
mond, Va. The title of the book was :
"The little ABC Book or first lessons for
beginners, with beautiful pictures and
their names arranged in alphabet order,
to facilitate the spelling to children. — Bv
Ambrosius Henkel, New-Market, Shen-
andoah county, Virginia ; printed in Solo-
mon Henkel's printing office, 1819." —
The poetry to each letter is written in a
German dialect almost like "Pennsylva-
nia Dutch ;" it is not very fastidious in
•expression, but adapted to the perceptive
faculty of children, as for instance:
A — Der Adler fliegt hoch in die Hon;
Doch thut ihm Aug und Kopf nicht wen;
Ob er gleich stets die Sonn ansieht;
Er fahrt auch schnell und wird nicht
mud.
B — Der Biber had im Uamm sein Haus,
Bald is er drin; bald ist er draus;
Da wohnt er drinn ; so wie er's baut;
Oft Man ihn fang't, niramt ihm die Haut.
C — Wie Krumm und schief steht der Ca-
meel
Er sieht wohl sauer, bos und schel ;
Doch sacht er nichts und bleibt so stehn;
Bis er mit Sack und Pack muss geh'n.
D — Die Drossel sing't so wie sie kann,
Wann ich so sitz und hor sie an —
So denk' ich oft wie schad es sey
Das ich nicht sing' mit Ernst und Freu.
E — Die Ent, die schwimmt, sie quackt und
schrey't,
Und wann sie will, so fliegt sie weit;
Zur Zeit setz't sie sich doch auch vest,
Bis das sie legt das Ey ins Nest.
F — Der Fuchs der Schalk nimmt sich in
acht,
Wo er sein Weg und Gang hin macht.
Er rich't die Supp wohl iiberall,
Doch tapp't er auch wohl in die Fall'.
G — Der Geier freszt mit Ernst und Muth,
Stinkt wohl das Fleisch, doch schmeckts
ihm gut,
Er hackt mit Kopf und Fuess hinein.
Und freszt es weg bis auf das Bein.
H — Der stolze Hahn wie kiihn er krah't,
Wann er auf beiden Fiissen steht;
Er stratz't herum als wie ein Mann
Doch ist er nur der stolze Hahn.
I — Der Igel hat ein rauhe Haut
Es is kein Hund der sie verkan't.
Weil sie so voller Stacheln steckt.
Darum sie gar zu iibel schmeckt —
J—
K — Die beste Milch, die giebt die Kuh,
Gieb nur den Kindern mosch dazu,
Und auch ein gross Stueck Butterbrod,
So stirbt dir Keins an Hungersnoth.
L — Die Lerch' die fliegt hoch in die Luft.
"Leri, Lere" sie singt und ruft;
Es sind in diesem unsern Land
Doch solche Lerchen nicht bekannt.
M — Die Maus ist nur ein kleines Thier,
Sie such't naehrung, schleich herfiir
Doch gibt sie acht, geht niemals wei't,
Weil sie sich fur den Katzen scheut.
N — Die Nachtigall singt gar so schon,
Sehr lieblich lautet ihr gethon,
Bey uns gibts' keine Nachtigall,
Dann sie sind ja nicht iiberall.
THE FIRST SCHOOL BOOK PUBLISHED IN VIRGINIA
301
O — Opossum aber gibt es hier.
Er heist auf Deutch das "Beutelthier."
Hier fehl't der Raum, es thut sich nicht,
Das ich dich mehr von ihm bericht.
P — Der Papagey der schnattert viel,
Doch hat es weder Hack noch Stiel ;
So plaudert mancher in den Wind,
Wo er nur was zu plaudern find't.
R — Der Rabe riecht das Aas von fern,
Er kommt und freszt das Luder gern, —
Der Damm schmeckt manchem auch so
wohl,
Das er sich saufet toll und voll.
S — Der Schwan fliegt durch Luft und Wind,
Bis wo sie es am besten find't, —
Bald in das warme, bald ins Kalt,
Da hat sie ihrem aufenhalt.
T — Die Taube fliegt aus ihren Haus
Bald auf die gass und Feld hinaus;
Sie Kommt nach Haus mit was sie hat,
Und fiitert ihre Yungen satt.
U — "Uhu! Huhu!" die Eule schrey't.
Man hor't des nachts ihr schreyen weit,
Sie wiirgt und freszt die Hiihner auch,
Das ist der Eulen ihr gebrauch.
V — Der Violinist sitzt dort und geig't,
Sie wie er sinen Bogen streicht,
So tanz't der narr'sche Schlankerfuss,
Weil er so will, nicht weil er muss.
W — Der Wolf is ein gar reissend Thier
Oft schleicht er aus dem Wald herfiir.
Gar selten er sich anders wisst,
Als nur wann er das Schaf zereist.
X — Xerxes der Kdnig hat regiert,
Mit grossem Volk den Krieg gefiihr't,
Er ward dennoch geschlagen sehr,
Trotz seiner Macht und grossem Heer.
Y—
-Zann Konig laut' als ob es war —
Ein grosser Mann und grosser Herr,
Doch ffihr't er gar kin Regiment,
Fast der Kleinste Vogel den Man
Kennt.
The book closes with some
and evening prayers, as :
morning
MORNING AND EVENING SONGS.
Morgen Lied.
Mein lieber Gott. ich danke dir,
Fur deiner Engelwacht,
De sie gehalten fiber mir,
Die letz't vergang'ne Nacht.
Zu dieser frohen Morgenstund,
Be't ich den Schopfer an,
Ich prise inn mit Herz und Mund
So gut ich weis und Kann.
Nun will ich in die Schule gehn*
Und lernen wie ich soil,
Wird mir der liebe Gott beystehn*
So lern ich alles wohl.
Gott segne mich den gansen Tag,
Lass mich gehorsam seyn —
Dass ich mit alien Frommen mag
Auch gehe zum Himmel ein.
Abend Lied.
Nun dieser Tag ist wieder hin,
Die fins'tre Nacht bricht ein,
Dass ich noch an dem Leben bin
Des soil ich dankbar sein.
Ich danke meinen lieben Gott,
Dass er mich heut verspart.
Drum hat mich troffen Keine Noth.
Weil er mich hat bewarhe't.
Das Bose dass ich heut gethan
Das wfird mir Gott verzeih'n
Ruf ihn um Jesu willen an
Er woll mir gnadig seyn.
Nun will ich dann zu Bette gehn
Und sage "Gute Nacht,"
Hoff* Morgen wieder aufzustehn,
Doch wie's Gott mit mir macht.
Courtesy of C. T. Loehr, Esq., Richmond, Va.
for copy of entire series of verses.
— Extracts from Schuricht's "History of
the German Element in Virginia."
In speaking of the printing establish-
ment at New-Market, the Rev. G. D.
Bernheim, in his "History of the German
Settlement and the Lutheran Church in
the Carolinas," says : '"The Lutheran
Church in America has had its publica-
tion boards and societies in abundance,
which doubtless accomplished a good
work, but the oldest establishment of the
kind is the one in New-Market, Virginia ;
which dates its existence as far back at
least as 1810, for the minutes of the
North Carolina Synod were printed there
at that time. It was established by the
Henkel family and has continued under
their management to this day."
— Extracts from Schuricht's "History of
the German Element in Virginia''.
302
Some Incidents in the History of the Gonder Family
By Rev. A. B. Sherk, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
T the close of the Revolu-
tionary struggglc those that
sided with the British
cause came to Canada in
large numbers. On a -count
of their loyalty to the em-
pire they were known as
United Empire Loyalists,
•or simply Loyalists. Their descendants
are still known as Loyalists. Many of
the Loyalists were of German descent,
specially those that came from the Mo-
hawk Valley, New York, and others
were Pennsylvania Germans. It was
the Loyalist element that forme i the
germ out of which has been evolved the
Dominion of Canada, now stretching
from ocean to ocean, and rapidly c ,. :ng
to the front as one of the great powers
of the Anglo-Saxon world.
The fact that many of the Pennsylva-
nia Germans were Loyalists may be a
surprise to some of the readers of The
Pennsylvania-German. We know it to
be a fact, and many of their descend-
ants are now prominent and active citi-
zens of the Dominion. Letters and other
documents have come into our hands,
that show the strugggles through which
one of these Loyalist families went be-
fore coming to Canada. This family was
that of Michael Gonder (German Gan-
der). Michael Gonder was a Lancaster
county man. His son, Jacob, long after
Lis father's death, made application to
the Governor for a grant of land as a
Loyalist. The application is headed as
follows : "To Sir Francis Bond Head,
Lieut. Governor of Upper Canada." One
•of his pleas for favorable consideration
was the loss his father had suffered:
"My late father lost all he had because
he harbored British officers in his house.
The rebels burned his house and all his
property in it. Melancholy to relate one
"human life became a sacrifice to the devour-
ing flames, to the personal knowledge of
your memorialist. His father had not a
coat left to put on the next morning, the
fire taking place in the dead of the night.
He recollects seeing the neighbors collect-
ing the next morning to assist in taking the
body or remains of the victim above men-
tioned from the fiery ruins and buried
them. This is quite fresh in my memory,
although quite a young lad at the time."
The exact date of the above incident is
not given, but it was one of the sad in-
cidents of the war.
Michael Gonder decided to leave the
country, but his wife refused to accom-
pany him. He took two of the children,
Jacob and Margaret ; the others stayed
with their mother in Lancaster county,
Pennsylvania. Jacob gives the year in
which they came to Canada. In the ap-
peal he says :
"Your memorialist would further state to
your Excellency that his late father and
himself came into this Province in the year
1789, and was the means of bringing a
great number of settlers to the Province."
"Memorialist ever since resided in the
Niagara District on the frontier, where he
suffered many hardships, and was twice
made a prisoner of war, during the late war
with the United States."
Jacob Gonder had two good reasons
for pressing his claim upon the Governor
and the Provincial Government, (i) He
had done faithful personal service. (2)
His father, Michael Gonder, had bought
a claim from Dr. Christian Yogt, of Lan-
caster, Pennsylvania. Dr. Vogt was a
Loyalist, but was too old and infirm to go
to Canada in person and put in his claim.
He sold the claim to Michael Gonder for
one hundred, dollars, and gave him a
power of attorney. We copy this paper
in full. It is a carefully worded docu-
ment, is very closely written and the pen-
manship is almost perfect. The paper
gives us a glimpse of legal transactions
a century ago. It reads as follows :
"To all men to whom these presents shall
come, greeting. I Christian Vogt of the
Borough of Lancaster, in the commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, in the United States of
America, one of the American Loyalists,
and by reason thereof and my sufferings
and deprivations in and during the late
contest between Great Britain and the
Provinces, now States of North America,
being entitled to certain grants of land,
privileges, compensation, or emoluments
SOME INCIDENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE GONDER FAMILY
303
from or under the crown of Great Britain,
in the Province of Upper Canada or else-
where within any of the British Dominions,
and certain rewards or pensions; but
hitherto not having received the same, and
being advanced in years and unable per-
sonally to prosecute such my rights and
claims. Now know ye, that I the said
Christian Vogt, Doctor of Physic, in consid-
eration of the sum of one hundred dollars,
lawful money of Pennsylvania to me in hand
paid by Michael Gonder, of the Township of
Willoughby, in the County of Lincoln, in
the Province of Upper Canada, farmer,
have, and by these presents do give, grant,
bargain, sell, alien, assign, transfer and set
over unto the said Michael Gonder, all the
right, title, or interest, claim or demand to
any or all lands, privileges, emoluments,
pensions, favors or grants whatsoever in
the Province of Canada or elsewhere in the
British Dominions, by virtue of any statute
of Great Britain, or Provincial Statute, or
by virtue of any Royal or governmental
proclamation in Great Britain or Province
thereof, giving, granting or confirming unto
me or my children any benefit or right to
lands, pension or other emolument of favors
or rewards by reason of my fidelity and
sufferings aforesaid as an American Loyal-
ist, hereby by vesting the same fully and
completely in the said Michael Gonder, as
I or my children by reason of the premises
ever had, have, or might hereafter have or
derive therefrom. To have and to hold all
the said premises of whatever nature so-
ever, they may be called, designated, or
known, or whether real, personal or equi-
table, or consisting of favor only, to all in-
tents and purposes as I or my children
might in any wise be entitled, to him the
said Michael Gonder, his heirs and assigns
to the only proper use, benefit and behoof
of him the said Michael Gonder his heirs
and assigns forever. Both all and singular
the appurtenances, hereby assigning, trans-
ferring and setting over to the said Michael
Gonder, and intending so to do, all my
loyal right or my claim or demand what-
ever as an American Loyalist as aforesaid,
and I do hereby constitute and appoint the
said Michael Gonder my true and lawful at-
torney irrevocable, to claim, demand, and
recover in my name, but to his own use all
and every such 1-ands, rights or claims
whatever, in and about the premises v/ith
power of substitution, at his own will and
pleasure, hereby ratifying and confirming
and every his acts and deeds in the
premises. Witness my hand and seal at
Lancaster aforesaid this fifth day of Feb-
ruary A. D. 1807
CHRISTIAN VOGT (Seal)
Sealed and delivered in presence of
LEWIS LAWMAN
HENRY DEHUFF
There are several testimonials attached
to the above power of attorney which
we give below.
(a) The first is that of a British mili-
tary officer :
New York 3rd June 1783
I do hereby certify that the Bearer Chris-
tian Vogt, Surgeon, attended the sick of His
Majestys 7th Regim't (or Royal Fus'rs) at
Lancaster in Pennsylvania in the year 1776
(when prisoners of war) with the greatest
care and attention
NATH TAYLOR Qr. Master
Royal Fus'rs
(c) The next is that of Justice of
the Peace, Lancaster County, Pa. :
Personally appeared before me Henry
Dehuff one of the Justices of the Peace in
and for the County of Lancaster aforesaid
the within named Christian Vogt and
acknowledged the within Power of Attorney
as and for his act and deed and desired the
same as such might be recorded. As wit-
ness my hand and seal the fifth day of
February in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and seven
HENRY DEHUFF.
(c) The third is the State testimo-
nial :
In the name and by the authority of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
THOMAS McKEAN
of the said Commonwealth,
To all to whom these Presents shall
come, sends Greetings.
Know ye, that Henry Dehuff Esq. whose
name is subscribed to the instrument of
writing hereunto annexed was at the time
of subscribing the same, and now is, a
Justice of the Peace, in and for the County
of Lancaster in the said Common-
wealth duly appointed and commissioned.
And full Faith and Credit is and ought to
be given to him accordingly.
Given under my hand and the Great Seal
of the State at Lancaster this fifth day of
February in the year of our Lord one
Thousand eight hundred and seven and of
the Commonwealth the thirty first.
By the Governor,
JAMES TRIMBLE
Deputy Sectry.
The form of the above is printed, the
left, half is blank, and at the left corner
at the top of this blank is the Governor's
Seal and Signature. The name is writ-
ten in plain and legible style. Probably
not another copy like this could be found
in all Canada.
We will give some further incidents in
the history of the Gonder Family. Mich-
;k»1
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
ael Gonder died in 1813, at the home of
his daughter, Margaret, who was mar-
ried to David Price. His body rests on
the banks of the W'elland River, within
12 miles of Niagara Falls. His son,
Jacob, succeeded to the homestead on
the Niagara River, eight miles from the
Falls. Jacob was a public-spirited man,
was active in militia, municipal, educa-
tional and church affairs. He lived on
the homestead fifty years, died on it at
the age of 71 (in 1846), and is buried in
the Family Cemetery on the place. He
had a numerous family. His eldest son,
Michael Dunn Gonder, got the old home.
He was born here, lived here 82 years,
and is also buried in the Family Ceme-
tery. The Homestead has been in the
family over one hundred years.
The most cordial relations always ex-
isted between the Pennsylvania and
Canadian members of the Gonder fam-
ily. They frequently corresponded with
each other, visited back and forth, and
were much attached to each other. We
have already stated that Michael Gon-
der's wife refused to migrate with him
to Canada in 1789. She made her home
with her son, Joseph, at Strasburg, Lan-
caster County, Pa., where she died in
1828. A letter from Joseph to his broth-
er, Jacob, in Canada, gives a detailed ac-
count of their mother's sickness and
death. This letter shows him to have
been a very devoted son. There was also
a brother, John, at Millersburg, Penn-
sylvania. There is a letter of his written
to Jacob in 1835, in the hands of the
Canadian Gonders. A brother, Jehu, is
named in some of the letters, but there
is no letter from him. Joseph speaks of
Sister Elizabeth in a letter to Jacob in
1 83 1. She was the only girl in Pennsyl-
vania and lived at Strasburg. This
place has always been regarded as the
home of the early Gonders.
Joseph Gonder, Jr., son of Joseph, of
Strasburg, came to Canada during the
second quarter of the last century. He
was a contractor, and built "Locks" on
the Welland canal. Joseph spent some
years in Canada doing contract work. He
also introduced Samuel Zimmerman, an-
other Pennsylvanian, to the Canadian
public. Zimmerman soon gained promi-
nence as a promoter of public enter-
prises, projected a railway across Cana-
da, but before his project could be exe-
cuted was killed near the city of Hamil-
ton, March 12, 1857, by the collapse of
the railway bridge across the Desjardine
Canal. He was the founder of a bank
called the "Zimmerman Bank". The
stockholders dissolved the bank soon af-
ter the founder's death, and the bills
were redeemed at par. Joseph Gonder
was very successful as a contractor and
bought a beautiful home near Philadel-
phia, but died while still a comparative-
ly young man.
There are still a number of the de-
scendants of Michael Gonder in Canada.
Two of his great grandsons live at Ni-
agara Falls. They belong to the sturdy
and intelligent yeomanry of the country.
Strasburg, the original home of the
Gonders has also retained some of the
descendants. Ben. B. Gonder, a great-
grandson of Michael Gonder, has an ele-
gant home at Strasburg, where he lives
to enjoy the fruits of his successful busi-
ness career.
Holding the Penna.-Germans Up to
Ridicule
I would call your attention to a little item,
rut from the March number of the Penna.-
German, to which I wish to file an excep-
tion (Dr. Grumbine's Note p.191) ; it is an
old, old "chestnut," which has been going
the rounds for fifty years; it is an insult to
the Pennsylvania German people; a slur, to
make them a laughing stock for other peo-
ple, and is an expression of a kind to make
our young people ashamed, and a good rea-
son to deny their German origin ; I can not
endure these slurs; they always make me
angry when I read or hear them; it is poor
judgment in one of our own people to hold
the Germans up to ridicule; don't E. Grum-
bine or, take his own way of translation, E.
Crookedleg, know this? Don't all learners'
of strange languages make mistakes which
are "almost as good," as he says.
This is not the first time the Pennsylvania
German people were held up to ridicule in
the "Pennsylvania German," and we hope
it may not be tolerated again. There are
many of us who "wont stand for it." — A
Subscriber.
305
Anglicized and Corrupted German Names in Virginia
Adler — Eagle,
*Armsteadt — Armistead and Armsteed,
Baer — Bear,
Bauer — Bower,
Baumans — Bowman and Baughman,
Becker — Baker,
Beier — Byer and Byers,
Berger — Barger,
Betz — Bates,
Bieler — Beeler,
Blnme — Bloom,
Blumenberg — Bloomberg,
Boscher — Bosher,
Brauer — Brewer,
Braun — Brown,
Breitkopf — Broadhead,
Brockhauss — Brookhouse,
Buehring — Bouhring,
Buerger — Burger,
Busch — Bush,
Christmann — Chrisman,
Clemenz — Clements and Clemons,
Engel — Angle and Angel,
Erhardt — Airheard and Earhart,
Fischbacli — Fishbach,
Fischer — Fisher,
Flemming — Fleming,
Foerster — Foster,
Frei or Fry — Fry,
Freimann — Freeman,
Freund — Friend,
Froebel — Fravel,
Frohmann — Froman,
Fuchs — Fox,
Fuhrmann — Furman,
Fuerst — Furst,
Gaertner — Gardner,
Gerber — Garber and Tanner,
Gerth — Garth,
Goetz — Gates and Yates,
Gbldschmidt — Goldsmith,
Gottlieb — Cudlipp,
Gruen — Green,
Gruenebaum — Greentree,
Gute or Gude — Goode,
Gutman — Goodman,
Flafer — Haver,
*The mother of President John Tyler was Mary, a
daughter of Rohert Armistead whose grandfather emi-
grated from Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, eventually
settling at New Market. Va. President Tyler was also
of Huguenot ancestry through the Contees. — J. B. L.
Harbach — Harbaugh,
Hardwich — Hardwicke,
Hartenstein — Hartenstine,
Haussmann — Houseman,
Heid— Hite,
Heilmann — Hileman,
Heiner — Hiner,
Heinz — Hines,
Heiss — Hayes,
Hermann — Harman,
Herr — Harr,
Herzog — Duke,
Huth— Hood,
Jaeger — Yager, Yeager and Hunter,
Jehle — Yahley,
John — Jone and Jones,
Jung— Young,
Kaiser — Keyser,
Keil — Kyle,
Kirchman — Churchman,
Kirchwall — Kercheval,
Klein — Cline, Kline, and Little or Small,
Kloess and Kloss — Glaize,
Koch — Cook,
Koenig — King,
Koinath or Kunath — Koiner, Coyner,
Koyner, Coiner, Kiner, Cuyner and
Cyner.
Kohl — Cole,
Kohlmann — Coleman,
Koppel — Copple,
Kraemer — Creamer and Kremer,
Krause — Krouse and Krouse,
Kreutzer — Crozer,
Kreuger — Crigger and Kreger,
Kuhn — Coon,
Kuntz — Coons, Kountz or Coontzy
Kuester — Custer,
Kurz — Short,
Lange and Lang — Long,
Laube — Loube,
Lauter — Lowther,
Lehmann — Layman,
Leibrock — Lybrock,
Lentz — Lantz,
Lieber — Liewer,
Loewe — Lyon and Lyons,
Loewenstein — Lovenstein and Livings-
ton,
Lorenz — Lawrence,
Ludwig — Lewis,
306
THE PEXXSYLVAX I A-( 1 HUMAN
Marschall— Marshall,
Matheus and Matthes- -Mathew, .Matt-
hews and Mathues,
Mejo Mayo,
Mertz — Martz,
Michel— Mitchel,
M< »ritz Mi >rris,
Neubert — Nighbart,
Neukirch — Newkirk,
Neumann — Xewman,
Oehrle — Early,
Puttmann — Putman,
Reimann — Rayman,
Reiner — Riner,
Reiss — Rice,
Ried — Reed,
Riese — Rees and Reese,
Roenier — Romer,
Rothmann — Redman and Rodman,
Sauer — Sower,
Schaefer — Shafer, Shepperd, Sheppard,
Scharf — Sharp,
Schenk — Shank,
Scheuner — Shewner,
Schiener — Schuoner,
Schmal — Small,
Schmidt — Smith,
Schmncker — Smucker,
Schneider — Snyder and Taylor,
Schoeplein — Chapline,
Schreiber — Shriver,
Schuermann — Shurman and Sherman,
Schiiessler — Chisler,
Schuetz — Sheetz,
Schumacher — Shoemaker,
Schumann — Shuman and Choohman,
Schwarz — Sewards and Black,
Schweinfurt — Swineford,
Schweitzer- Switzer,
Seiler — Siler,
Siegel — Siegle, Seagles, Sycle and Side,
Sniedt — Sneed and Snead,
Spielmann — Spilman,
Stahl— Steel,
Stau fer — Stover,
Stein — Stone,
Steinbach — Stainback,
Steiner — Stiner and Stoner,
Steinmetz — Stinemetz,
Stephan — Stephens and Stevens,
Storch — Stork,
Tempel — Temple,
Thalheimer — Thalhimer,
Traut — Trout,
Uhl— Ewel,
Yierlaender — Yerlander,
\Togel — Yogle and Fogel,
W'aechter — Wachter,
Wagner — Wagener,Waggener and \\ ag-
goner,
Wassermann — Waterman,
Weber — Weaver,
Weimar — Wymar,
Weise — Wise and White,
Werner — Warner,
Wieden — Weedon,
Wier — Wyer,
Wieland — Wyland,
Wilhelm — Williams,
Zimmerman — Simmerman and Carpen-
ter.
Compiled by the late Hermann Schu-
richt, of Cobham, Virginia.
Dr. Doddridge's Tribute to the Penna. Germans
The following tribute to the piety,
liberality and musical culture of the
Pennsylvania Germans in early days,
from the celebrated Protestant Episcopal
clergyman, the Rev. Joseph Doddridge,
D.D., ought to be of interest to the
readers of The Pennsylvania-German.
Dr. Doddridge was born Oct. 14, 1789,
in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, and
was a kinsman of that other celebrated
Divine and hymn writer, the Rev. Philip
Doddridge, D.D., of England, whose
mother was a daughter of the Rev. John
Bauman, a Lutheran clergyman of
Prague, Bohemia, who was compelled to
flee to England in consequence of the
religious persecution which occurred on
the expulsion of Frederick, the Elector
Palatine.
Dr. Doddridge, though a member of
an old Episcopalian family, in the begin-
ning of his career, was a traveling
preacher in the Wesleyan connection or
the Methodist Society. During his
DR. DODDRIDGE'S TRIBUTE TO THE PENNA. GERMANS
307
travels in Virginia he met the Rev.
Francis Asbury, one of the founders of
the Methodist Episcopal Church in
America and at his request "he studied
the German language with a view of
preaching in the German settlements.
His knowledge of the German language,
which was thorough, he found very use-
ful to him in after life."
Subsequently he entered Jefferson
Academy at Cannonsburg, Pa., now
Washington and Jefferson College at
Washington, Pa., and while there
determined to enter the ministry of the
Episcopal Church, to which his ances-
tors had for many generations belonged.
He was ordained to the ministry by the
Right Rev. Bishop White of Philadel-
phia, in March, 1800.
For many years he occupied, as his
daughter and biographer Narcissa puts
it : "the cheerless position of an ad-
vanced guard in her (Episcopal) minis-
try" preaching in Virginia, Pennsylvania
and Ohio to the pioneer families of
Episcopalian antecedents. During these
ministrations he became intimately ac-
quainted with many of the German
settlers and their congregations and gave
his impressions of them in his valuable
book entitled: "Notes on the Settlement
and Indian Wars of the Western parts
of Virginia and Pennsylvania from 1763
to 1783 inclusive" published in 1824.
On page 209 of the 2nd Edition, 1876,
of this invaluable work he says : "The
German Lutheran and Reformed
Churches in our Country, as far as I
know them, are doing well. The number
of the Lutheran Congregations is said to
be at least one hundred, that of the Re-
formed, it is presumed, is about the
same number. It is remarkable that
throughout the whole extent of the
United States the Germans, in propor-
tion to their wealth, have the best
churches, organs and graveyards.
It is a fortunate circumstance that
those of our citizens who labor under
the disadvantage of speaking a foreign
language are blessed with a ministry so
evangelical as that of these very numer-
ous and respectable communities."
T. B. L.
The Loreley
Germany is rich in folk-songs, and
the words and airs of several of them
are peculiarly beautiful ; but the Loreley
is the people's favorite. I could not en-
dure it at first, but by and by it began to
take hold of me, and now there is no
tune that I like so well. It is not proba-
ble that it is much known in America,
else I should have heard it before. Lore
was a water-nymph, who used to sit on
a high rock called Ley or Lei. in the
Rhine, and lure boatmen to destruction
in a furious rapid which marred the
channel at that spot. She so bewitched
them with her plaintive songs and her
wonderful beauty, that they forget every-
thing else to gaze up to her, and so they
presently drifted among the broken
reefs and were lost. This song, by Hein-
rich Heine, has been a favorite in Ger-
many for many years.
MARK TWAIN.
The Loreley
Words by Heine. Music by Silcher.
Oh, tell me what it meaneth,
This gloom and tearful eye!
'Tis memory that retaineth
The tale of years gone by,
The fading light grows dimmer,
The Rhine doth calmly flow!
The lofty hill tops glimmer
Red with the sunset glow.
Above, the maiden sitteth,
A wondrous form and fair;
With jewels bright she plaiteth
Her shining golden hair;
With comb of gold prepares it.
The task with song beguiled;
A fitful burden bears it —
That melody so wild.
A boatman on the river
Lists to the song, spellbound;
Or! what shall him deliver
From danger threat'ning round?
The waters deep have caught them.
Both boat and boatman brave;
'Tis Loreley's song hath brought them.
Beneath the foaming wave.
;ns
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
O, Muttersproch, du bist uns lieb " — A. S.
On Der Luinpsi Party
(By A. .C. W.)
NO. 6
"Ei, g'wiss! yuscht recht g'drunka
Won's net raicht don yuscht g'wunka,
Ich bin heit am wei aus schenka,
Muss den schtawb doch nunner schwenka,
Muss sei leit doch biss"l treata,
S'waer net sheh so drucka meeta;
Geh m'r week mit temp'rance 'norra',
Sella leit fehlt noch'n schporra,
Tzweh ferleicht, — was? nix fersucha!
Gott deht sellie all ferflucha —
Seid net bang fer awtz'poka,
Drinkt g'miethlich, lusst's eich schmocka,-
Yah, ich hab doh yetz g'lehsa
Fum'a porra un sei'm wehsa:
'Deht der Heiland's Nachtmohl gevva,
Brot un wei — g'yaehter, evva,
Deht'r's Nachtmohl sure net nemma' —
Yah, so'n porra! Sut sich schenima,
Kummt so ehner in d' himmel
Noh look out, er reit d' schimmel —
Well, wie gleicht'r don mei kucha?
Kennt der Marty's yuscht fersucha!
Was! so'n schtick") dorrich brecha!
S'is net wert de fun tz' schprecha!
Helft eich now, seid net ferschrocka,
S'nemmt a-weil fer heem tz' schtocka;
Kummt net alia dawg so tzomma
Os m'r raus schlippt aus d'klomma,
Waer's net fer die alta lumpa
Kaemt m'r net fum ehsel-schtumpa."
"Yah, g'wiss," sawgt noh die Lessa,
Dert am offa ivver'm essa,
"Wer wut noch fum foitgeh brolla;
Waer die welt am tzomma folia
Graicht m'r nix d'fun tz'hehra,
Mus mit hend un fiesz sich wehra
Os m'r'u chance grickt obtz'kumnra,
S'is aw fertich, wart'n minima,
Hob'm Joe g'sawt geschter morya
S'waer yuscht dumhait, all die sorga,
Breicht net immer kinner hieta,
Gebt's aw schiffbruch mit'm frieda,
Now waer's fertich mit'm tzerra —
Deht yoh bol gons narrisch werra."
Paar hen biss'l drivver g'schmuns'lt,
Dehl hen aw die nahs g'runs'lt.
Der Pihwie
Henry Harbaugh
Pihwie. Pihwie, Pihwittitie!
Ei, Pihwie, bischt zerick?
Nau hock dich uf der Poschte hi'
Un sing dei' Morgeschtick.
"Het'r now don all g'drunka?"
Sawgt die Boll un hut g'wunka,
"S'is doch kens ferhoppast gouge
Wie die hink'l uff d'schtonga
Wuh tzu faul sin obtz'fliega
Won sie ovets welshkorn kriega?
Guck a-mohl! S'fongt au tz' schneha,
Hob g'glawbt es deht sich dreha
Noch for'm ovet. S'gebt so'n wetter
Dch koscht's widder 'Lebensretter',
Wie's als hehst bei'm 'Glucka Danny"
Won'r schtoppt bei'm Rotha Henni."
"Yah, ich denk," sawgt noh die Billa,
S'fehlt'm net am guta willa,
S'geht'm grawd wie'm Juni Freyer
Dert in's Johnnie's alta schier;
Is mohl heem fun's Baldy Schnutza
Mit'ra load fun 'waicha grutza'
Kummt net weiter, legt sich onna,
Grawd wie'n gaul in g'scherr un lonna,
Gaul un fuhrman wara schtreitich,
Alles dreht sich wink'lseitich,
Legt sich noh in's dreschdenn onna.
Hut sei bisniss, waescht, fuschtonna,
Schloft ehns ob, noh wert'r wacker.
Schpierts im leib, so'n doht g'tzwacker,
Geht uff ehmol Rip-van-Wink'l,
Schier os won'nr dutzend hink'l
Moryets fun der schtong obfliega,
Duht'n schier gons tzomma biega;
Wie der schtorm noh biss'l ivver,
Guckt'r's aw un sawgt so drivver
Mit'ma g'sicht gons ehklich bitter:
"Mommy! domt-sei, sauf doch widder."
"Yah", hut ehns g'mehnt. "S'is evva
Hart dehl menscha licht tz' gevva;
Walla nix fun bess'ring wissa,
Alles wert in's dumploch g'schmissa,
Macha fert so, grawd wie immer,
Mehnt. wahrhrftich s'gengt ols schlimmer
Wer don will den lusst m'r minima,
Was wit macha mit so gumma?
Week mit saufa, week mit siffer.
Week mit all so ung'tziffer,
S'is ehns fun d'graeschta laschter
Won's moh^ henkt wie'n mickablaschter;
Week mit so ferdollt g'tzivv'l,
Week mit alia wisky-kivv'l!
Yah, ferschtannich drinka, essa,
Is noch lang net g'soffa, g'fressa."
The Phoebe Bird
(Translated by Hon. B. F. Meyers, Harris-
burg, Pa.)
Peweet! Peweet! Pewittittee!
Why, Peweet, art thou here?
Now perch on yonder post and sing
Thy matin soft and clear.
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
309
Hoscht lang verweilt im Summerland,
Bischt seit Oktower fort;
Bischt drunne ordlich gut bekannt?
Wie geht's de vegel dort?
'S is schee'dort uf de Orenschbeem;
Gell, dort gebt's gar kee' Schnee?
Doch flehlscht du als recht krank for heem
Wann's Zeit is for ze geh'!
Bischt doch uns all recht willkumm do;
Denk, du bischt net zu frieh,
Der Morge gukt emol net so —
Gell net, du klee' Pihwie?
Pihwie! wo bauscht du des Johr hi'?
Kannscht wehle, wo du witt;
"Witt du am Haus 'n Platzeli?
Ich dheel d'rs willig mit.
Ich geb d'r neier Dreck for nix,
Geilshoor un Flax un Helm;
Nemmscht's enninau! — Ich kenn
Trick,
Du schmarter kleener Schelm!
dei
Dess is juscht G'schpass, mei Pihwiefreind,
Ich rechel dich kee' Dieb!
Hettscht mit mei'm Gold dei Nescht geleint,
Du warscht mir juscht so lieb.
'N Fruchtjohr ohne dich, Pihwie,
War wie 'n leeri Welt!
Dei Dienscht, mei liewes Vegeli,
Bezahlt m'r net mit Geld!
Pihwie, wie'n milde Luft du bringscht!
Die Friehjohrssunn, wie schee'!
'S gebt nau, weil du 'mol Morgets singscht,
Kee' winterdage wah'.
Pihwie, Pihwie, Pihwittitie!
Bin froh, du bischt zerick;
Nau hock dich uf dr Poschte hi'
Un sing dei' Morgeschtick!
Long was thy stay in Summer-land,
October saw thy flight;
Art thou well acquainted there? How fare
Birds in that land of light? ?
How fine there 'mon? the orange trees,
Where comes no chilling frost!
But still the bird-heart yearns for home
When Spring's soft breezes blow.
Thou art quite welcome, little bird!
O songster, blithe and sweet!
Hast come too early? Well, the morn
Betokens fair, Peweet!
Where wilt thou build thy nest this year?
Thou may'st where'er thou wilt;
If 'neath the eaves thou make thy choice,
Why, there it shall be built.
Fresh earth I give thee without price,
Flax, horsehair, tiny sticks;
Thou takest if I will or no,
Such are my birdling's tricks.
This but in sport, my little friend;
No thief I reckon thee;
If with my gold thou line thy nest
Thou art as dear to me.
Without thee, blithesome bird, the year
An empty void would seem ;
Gold cannot buy such song as thine,
Such notes as thine redeem.
Peweet! Thou bringest mildest airs,
The sunlight of the Spring;
Thy song dispels the Winter's gloom,
And warmth is in thy wing.
Peweet! Peweet! Pewittitee!
I'm glad that thou art here;
Now perch on yonder post and sing
Thy matin sweet and clear.
Verlorene Lieb.
{Andrew Lang's "Lost Love"
Pennsylvania German.)
By C. C. Ziegler.
done into
Wer gwinnt sei Lieb verliert sie,
Un wer verliert gwinnt doch;
Ihm geischtlich exischtirt sie,
Ihm sichtbar immer noch;
In seinre Seel regiert sie
Wie 'n Schtarn am Himmel hoch.
Far den is sie verlore
Daer sehnt wie, Daag far Daag,
Dar Schtaab vun all de Johre
Uf 's Haupt ihr falle maag —
Wie sie scheint ausgewohre
Mit Driibsal un mit Klaag.
Lost Love.
(By Andrew Lang)
Who wins his Love shall lose her,
Who loses her shall gain,
For still the spirit woos her,
A soul without a stain ;
And Memory still pursues her
With longings not in vain!
He loses her who gains her,
Who watches day by day
The dust of time that stains her,
The griefs that leave her gray —
The flesh that yet enchains her
Whose grace hath passed away!
310
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Ach, glicklich waer net giunne
Die Lieb en anrer findt;
En Freed hot aer gewnnne
'As net vegeht so gschwind—
En Seheeheit wie die Sunne
'As nimmermehr veschwind.
Oh, happier he who gains not
The Love some seem to gain ;
The joy that custom stains not
Shall still with him remain,
The loveliness that wanes not,
The Love that ne'er can wane.
In seine Draame-walder
Jung wandelt sie wie je,
Wann aa die Welt ward kalter
l'n 's Singe is net meh,
Sie ward far inn net alter —
Bleibt jung mi hold un schee!
In dreams she grows not older
The Land of Dreams among,
Though all the world wax colder
Though all the songs be sung,
In dreams doth he behold her
Still fair and kind and young.
Der Wald.
(Rev.) Adam Stump
Die Wahret darf m'r sage, gel?
Wie sie a' manchmal laut;
Gott hot gewiss der Busch gemacht,
Der Mensch die Schtadt gebaut.
Geb mir die schoene, grosse Baem,
Des Mooses gruene Bett;
Die Jacht, der Schtaub, die Back'schtee eich,
Wann ihr sie hawwe wet!
Ich fin en Droscht im schtille Wald,
Der is mir gut un' suess;
Dort kommt jo Gott so naechst zu uns,
Wie z'rick in Paradies.
Im Sommer wohnt die Drooschel doh,
Un' schpielt ihr Piccolo;
Der schlau Chewink, der ruft uns zu,
'Sis Alles jung un' froh!
Die gruene Blaetter un' des Gras,
Die Blume hie un' dort,
Der Schatte un' der Sonneschein,
Macht em en huebscher Ort.
Der Rothkop, schpielt uf seinrer Drum,
Un' greischt, un' macht, un' schelt;
Des Rinnly murmelt einsam fort
In dieser grosse Welt.
Im Winter is dann Alles schtill,
Bedeckt mit Eis un' Schnee,
Un schwer werd em die Einsamkeit
Sie duht em werklich weh.
Doch kommt en Schtim aus Fels un' Holz,
Die in des Harz nei dringt;
Sie rauschelt in dem derre Laub,
Un' wie en Engel singt;
"Allein un' doch a' nicht allein
Bist du, mei liebe Seel!
Ich bin jo doh, erwaehle mich,
Ich bin dei Erebdheel.
Do his ke Hass, doh is ke Pein,
Doh kroent die Liebe dich;
Mit 'me sanfte, warme G'eist
Troest sie jo ewiglich!"
Ich horich zu. Der suesste Freud
Fliesst mir ins schwere Harz;
In heil'ger, sanfte Himmelsruh
Vergeht mir aller Schmarz.
So geh ich oft von Sorge week
Un' mach mich zu da Baem;
Verloss die Welt, mit ihrem Zweck,
Un' bin im Wald daheem!
Fruehjohris^edanke
Louise A. Weitzel, Lititz, Pa.>
'Sis Fruehling uf de Berge
Un Fruehling uf em Land,
Die Voegel peife un singe
So froehlich uf jeder Hand.
Ich kann net hueppe un shpringe,
Es iss mer gar net gut.
Ich mag net peife un singe.
Dazu hav ich ka Mut.
Sie fehle uf alle Seite,
Die Freund vom letschte johr.
Der winter hot sie eigereimt
Zum dunkle Todestor.
Die Blumme bluehe wie immer,
Die Voegel singe so schoe,
Die Ause un de Ohre,
Die fehle. Sel dut mer weh!
Doch a Trosht hot mer alfert,
Wann's werd urn's Herz rum bang.
Wo sie sinn sheint die ewig Sunn
Un schallt der ewig G'sang.
Wann mer sie ah vermisse
Sie sinn viel besser ab.
Sin sinn jusht in er enere Shtub.
Der Eigang war en Grab.
Der lieve Gott, dort drovve.
Der hot en grosses Haus.
Fer in die Himmelshtub eigeh
Geht mer die Erdshtub 'naus.
Fort trau rige Gedanke!
Guck braf ins Leve nei.
Un freu dich mit de Voegel
Dann unser Gott is treu.
311
REVIEWS AND NOTES
By Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N. J.
KLAUS HINKICH BAAS: The Story of a
Self-Made Made Man — By Gustav Frens-
sen; Author of "Jorn Uhl", etc. Trans-
lated from the German by Esther Everett
Lape and Elizabeth Fisher Read. Cloth ;
440 pp. Price $1.50. The Macmillan
Company, New York, 1911.
The writer of this book is one of the most
methodical writers of German fiction of the
present day. He 'spends several hours each
day on his writings. He says he works very
slowly and that most of the time it hurts.
He is absolutely serious in manner; now and
then he attains to a poetic vision of things.
The translation is a good one in its way;
the only thing to mar it is a painful fidelity
to the original. Frequently the involved
structure and cumbersomeness of the typi-
cal German sentence are followed too close-
ly, thus making the translation anything
but fluent.
The book is the story of a self-made man.
It is a story of achievement. It affords a
splendid and striking resemblance in subject
to some American novels. The scene is laid
in and around Hamburg, whose industrial
life and conditions remind one of similar
conditions in this country. Young Baas has
his own way to make like many young men
who have accomplished something. Even
as a boy he dreamt dreams and saw visions
of the activities of his future career. He
wrings success from seeming failure
Whether as a stable-boy or in saving Eschen
& Co. from bankruptcy. In the course of
time he becomes a "figure in the business
world" of Hamburg.
It is the story of a strong, vigorous per-
sonality filled with the detail and variety of
real life.
WHEN HALF-GODS GO— By Helen Reimen-
snyder Martin; Author of "Tillie; A
Mennonite Maid; "The Cross\flays;" etc.
Cloth; 12 mo. 154 pp. Price $1 net.
The Century Company, New York. 1911.
The title of this book is derived from a
saying of Emerson's "When half-gods go, the
gods arrive."
This is the first time Mrs. Martin has for-
saken the field of the Pennsylvania-Germans
in fiction, and has found her characters and
has laid her scenes elsewhere. The story
is centered in Williamsburg, Pennsylvania,
whither Robert Newbold, master of a Con-
servatory of Music, has brought his newly-
wedded wife, Edith.
The book is not overrun with characters
■ — none of Mrs. Martin's books are. There
are at the most only five characters in all;
and with one exception they are of one
household. Robert and his brother, Eliot,
and theif mother, and Edith and Dorothea.
The latter is a substitute teacher in the Con-
servatory. About the time Edith is to be-
come a mother this music teacher, as an
"affinity" (or asininity?) wins away the hus-
band's affection by her great charm and by
her absurd and superficial ideas about the
Absolute and the Universal, as though mor-
tal man in his shortsightedness and finite-
ness could comprehend and understand the
Infinite and the Absolute. Dorothea is one
of those fanatics who never come in contact
with the solid earth until they have wrecked
life, home and happiness for someone. Rob-
ert finally takes his life in an insane asylum.
When he, the "half-god," goes his brother,
the "god," arrives. After a period of deep-
est and darkest despair Edith finds in Eliot
a deeper love and affection than in Robert.
Dorothea is a charming and interesting
personality. She is liked by all who learn to
know her, even Edith likes her. But after
all, she is another of Mrs. Martin's abnor-
mal and, if not impossible, at least, highly
improbable, characters, like Eunice in "His
Courtship," or like Anne Royle in the "Re-
volt of Anne Royle."
The method of narration is by means of
letters written by this young wife to a col-
lege friend in Boston telling her of the expe-
riences of her married life. The replies from
her friend in Boston are only hinted at. The
letters are well written, but there is hardly
anything in the whole book that is really
elevating and ennobling, and it is only by
the most persistent effort that the letters
are kept from becoming commonplace.
The book is interesting reading, just as
all of Mrs. Martin's books are. It may be,
as has been claimed, the strongest book she
has written, but one is afraid that even it
will pass, like the "half-gods," when the
"gods" arrive.
312
HISTORICAL NOTES AND NEWS
REPORTS OF SOCIETY MEETINGS ARE SOLICITED
a:
:a
II
.Lancaster County Historical Society.
The Lancaster County Historical Society
has jnade good from its start. Its published
monthly proceedings make a sizable an-
nual volume, and the entire series consti-
tutes an addition to the historical literature
of Pennsylvania that has much merit, is of-
ten quoted and contains rare material not
found elsewhere. It is making likewise a
notable collection of books and manuscripts,
records, maps, etc., that will sooner or later
call for a permanent depository, in the form
of a home for the society and a meeting
place for its members. When an eligible lo-
cation and building are found it is believed
a number of generous donors in its member-
ship will be ready and willing to contribute
to their establishment.
.Meantime, the society is preparing for its
third annual celebration of some local event
of such general historical interest as to at-
tract popular attention far beyond the bor-
ders of the county. In 1909 this was found
in the centennial Fulton celebration, at the
birthplace of the man who first successfully
established steam navigation.
Last year the bicentennial of the "first
settlements"in the county by the Swiss Men-
nonites engaged the society ; and a great
boulder, with a bronze tablet suitably in-
scribed, remains as a lasting memorial of
this event.
This year the subject of the society's spe-
cial commemoration will be the famous
"Christiana riot" of sixty years ago. That
event happened September 11,1851, in the
Chester valley, about a mile west of Chris-
tiana, and in a section largely settled by
anti-slavery Quakers, through which there
ran a line of the famous "underground rail-
road." Being within about twelve miles of
Mason and Dixon line, bordering the slave
States, it was not very difficult for a fugi-
tive to get into the region; and once shel-
tered there, he was passed from one friend-
ly hand and hospitable roof to another,
through the great Chester valley, until it
crossed the Schuylkill River, and the runa-
way was safely started on his way to Can-
ada and freedom.
When the drastic fugitive-slave law of
1850 was passed and was sought to be en-
forced, it met with little sympathy here-
abouts, and there were constant complaints
that human chattels were secreted and escap-
ing property withheld from their, owners
in this valley. On the other hand, there was
an active element of local spies and slave
catchers, who helped the masters to retake
their slaves; and even, it was charged, occa-
sionally resorted to kidnaping free negroes
and selling them to southern slavery.
Edwin Gorsuch, of Baltimore county, Md.,
had suffered the loss of several slaves whom
he suspected of being harbored about Chris-
tiana; and, being a man of prominence and
determination, he resolved to exhaust the
processes of the federal law to recapture
them. Armed with the necessary legal war-
rants and aided by deputy marshals, as well
as accompanied by his own son and several
other relatives, he and his posse circled
around the cabin of a free negro where the
fugitives were protected and made an early
morning assault upon them. In the melee
that ensued Gorsuch was killed; his son
was desperately wounded and the deputies
were put to flight, while the slaves es-
caped.
Attracted by the exciting events, nearly all
the negroes in the neighborhood and many
of the residents in the vicinity — mostly
with abolition sympathies — were either in-
volved in the fracas or suspected of com-
plicity. The tragic outcome of the collision
created intense excitement, which reached
white heat in a few days and was the sub-
ject of angry political discussion over the
whole country.
The John Brown raid in its later day
scarcely absorbed a larger share of public
attention. The slaveholders being the vic-
tims, the anti-slavery people and their Whig
sympathizers were put upon the defense.
United States officials of high and low de-
gree, large forces of deputy marshals and a
body of marines were hurried to the scene.
The Governor of Maryland called on the
President of the United States to redress the
indignity put upon a sovereign State, and
the Governor of Pennsylvania was loudly
and bitterly assailed for his alleged indif-
ference to the "foul stain" upon the soil of
his Commonwealth by the cruel murder of a
stranger here on a lawful errand.
United States Judge Kane, father of the
famous arctic explorer and grandfather of
Francis Fisher Kane, today of the Philadel-
phia Bar, did not hesitate to pronounce the
riot treasonable; some forty whites and
negroes of the neighborhood were indicted
for treason at Philadelphia — the trials com-
ing on in November before Judges Grier and
Kane in the United States Circuit Court.
The charge against Castner Hanway was
selected as the first for trial and a test case.
He was a conspicuous white man, a promi-
nent citizen, who had hurried to the scene,
and, it was charged, had refused to assist the
marshals. District Attorney Ashmead and
HISTORICAL NOTES AND NEWS
313
the late Judge Ludlow represented the Unit-
ed States, and Maryland sent its Attorney
General and eminent associates to aid rn the
prosecution.
Besides W. Arthur Jackson, the prisoner
was represented by four of the ablest law-
yers and most prominent men in the State —
John M. Read, Joseph J. Lewis, Theodore
Cuyler and Thaddeus Stevens. The other de-
fendants were all in court, the negroes be-
ing chained together; and Lucretia Mott,
who had knitted them red, white and blue
neckties, sat with them. The jury panel was
scanned and sifted with great care, and all
the proceedings were conducted with the
dignity and solemnity of a great State trial.
It ended in the court finding that no trea-
son had been committed, practically direct-
ing an acquittal of Hanway and a discharge
of the other accused.
It is the story of these exciting events,
fraught with so much historical interest,
that will be the subject of the September
celebration. Preparatory to it the society is
Tiaving a series of papers read at its meet-
ings this season, all related to the history
of slavery and abolitionism in Lancaster
county. The story of "the institution" as it
existed in the county, its gradual extinction,
the rise of the abolition spirit, the opera-
tions of the underground railway, etc., have
"been told; other papers are in preparation,
including two on the attitude, respectively.
of James Buchanan and Thaddeus Stevens
toward slavery, and also a view of the fugi-
tive slave law as it appeared to one on the
south side of the border line.
These will be followed by a complete his-
tory of the riot and the trial, to be ready
for the celebration; orators, local and from
abroad, will expound the national signifi-
cance of the tragedy; the descendants of
those who participated, regardless of their
sides and sympathies, will be hunted and
made guests of the occasion.
Pete Woods, an old negro, who was in
the fray and who was imprisoned and in-
dicted, still survives, and will be a conspic-
uous figure. A monument or marker will be
erected somewhere in the valley, over which
the march and flight of the opposing parties
covered several miles. Governor Tener —
whose predecessor, Governor William F.
Johnson, passed through Christiana the day
Gorsuch was killed — will be invited; Con-
gressmen Griest and Butler, Senators Sproul
and Homsher and ex-Vice President Charles
E. Pugh, late of the Pennsylvania Railroad,
will be members of the citizens' committee
assisting the historical society. In all re-
spects it bids fair to be the most notable
event of its kind which the historical society
has yet undertaken, and the forerunner of
many annual commemorations of the notable
events with which the annals of Lancaster
County abound. — North American.
TO BUILD A GERMAN HOUSE
To Hold the Library of the Institution of
(ieriiiaii American Research.
The University of Pennsylvania is endeav-
oring to raise $100,000 for the building of a
deutsches haus. A special appeal is being
made to the German-Americans of the city.
The woik is being directed by Prof. Marion
D. Learned, head of the Germanic Depart-
ment, and by a committee of citizens, of
which Charlemagne Tower is chairman.
The proposed building will contain the li-
brary of German - American manuscripts
and books, together with matter touching
upon the German sources of American his-
tory. It will also be the headquarters of the
Institution of German-American Research,
the Deutsche!* Verein, and the Germanic As-
sociation.
Since the founding of the Institution of
Gei man-American Research in 1909, so
many original documents and manuscripts
dealing with the interaction of German and
American culture have been collected, that
for some time a special building has been
needed to house this library. It is the idea
of the University that the Deutsches Haus
shall further the work of this institution by
becoming a clearing house for investigation
into German matters. The institution is
conducted by graduate students and mem-
bers of the G'erman Faculty. There are
many original sources in the immediate
neighborhood of Philadelphia from which
manuscripts can be obtained. The Univer-
sity has already obtained access to the fol-
lowing places:
Historical Society of Pennsylvania, con-
taining early German-American prints and
manuscripts relating to the Germans in
Pennsylvania; library of the German Soci-
ety of Pennsylvania, founded in 17(54, con-
taining collection of prints and manuscripts
relatig to the early Germans in America;
the archives of the Moravian Church in
Bethlehem, Pa., and the Schwenkfeldian Li-
brary at Pennsburg, Pa., which contains
rare German manuscripts and prints of the
eighteenth century.
Growth of the German Department has
been so great as to make the need for head-
quarters imperative. When the department
was reorganized in 1895, there were two
graduate students and three instructors.
The faculty now consist of twelve men.
There are forty graduate students and
nearly 1,400 undergraduates. The Graduate
Department in German has published re-
searches dealing with Scandinavian litera-
ture, with early German ballads, and a
score of other subjects, including the
Schwenkfelders in America, German-Ameri-
can settlements, and the German theatre in
America.
Publications of the German faculty deal
particularly with German-Amerieanin vest-
314
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
igation. Under the directorship of Profes-
sor Learned, the department has developed
intimate relations with German institutions
of learning. Professor Learned was one of
the delegates who attended the recent jubi-
lee celebration of the University of Berlin.
He has also obtained much valuable mate-
rial from German archives. — Old Penn.
Landmarks Disappearing.
The work of demolishing one of York's
historic landmarks, the old building at the
southwest corner of Market and Beaver
streets, is well under way, and another pic-
turesque relic of colonial days, the Bear
store, is shortly to pass under the hand of
the remodeler. In place of these two bits
of ancient architecture will appear two mod-
ern store buildings.
In this connection it is pertinent to note
that York, which for so many years has
been rich in buildings of historic associa-
tions, is entering upon a new era. The past
five years have made many changes in which
these ancient landmarks have suffered. A
few years more and they will all be gone.
Would it not be a heritage which the future
deserves if the most important and typical
of these buildings should be carefully pho-
tographed and the pictures be given into
the care of the Historical Society, so that
those who come after us may realize some-
thing of how old York looked? We recom-
mend this to the attention of the society
and the citizens in general. York Ga-
zette.
Words well spoken. — Editor.
□
GENEALOGICAL NOTES AND QUERIES
Conducted by Mrs. M. N. Robinson. Contributions Solicited. Address, The Penna. German, Lititz, Pa.
Eberly Data
ANSWER TO QUERY NO. 10
Jacob Eberly, farmer; son Henry, miller
and distiller; Samuel born Feb. 8, 1793, died
Jan. 29, 1876. Wife Catharine Wike,
daughter of John Adam Wike, of Lebanon
Co. — Bio. Annals of Lancaster Co., p. 381.
Lancaster Register of Wills,
Book J. I. p. 48.
Will of Jacob Eberle of Cocalico twp. Wife,
Anna.
Marie, wife of Ludwig Kurtz. Samuel,
Joseph, Jacob, John, David, Elizabeth, Anna,
Susanna.
Signed Jan. 23, 1807. Proved Feb. 25, 1807.
G. 617. The will of Henry Funck men-
tions his daughter Barbara, wife of John
Eberly. Signed Mar. 22, 1800.
The cemetery at Muddy Creek and at
Reamstown have many Eberly graves.
Hosier Data
ANSWER TO QUERY NO. 11
Lancaster, Register of Wills,
Book K, p. 392.
John Bosler of Manheim twp.
Wife, Ann; children: Elizabeth, wife of
John Harnish; Ann, John. Jacob, Christian,
Barbara wife of Christian Brubaker, Mag-
dalena.
Will signed Jan. 1, 1809. Proved Feb. 6, 1813.
I. 69. Joseph Bosler of Strasburg twp.
Wife, Esther. Children: Joseph, Esther
wife of Denlinger, Mary wife of Denlinger,
Elizabeth wife of John Lesher, Magdalen
wife of Peter Anders. Mentions son-in-law.
Martin Mellinger.
Will proved Nov. 21, 1808.
The will of Christian Longenecker of
Donegal twp., dated Mar 14, 1812, named
Ann wife of Abraham Gish.
The will of Abraham Gish. L page 576,
of Donegal twp.. mentions his wife; and
Elizabeth, Nancy, Abraham, John, Jacob,
Christian, Polly, Catharine, David and
Michael.
Signed Aug. 21, 1815. Proved Jan. 6, 1816.
A BARNET ITEM
ANSWER TO QUERY NO. 13
Barnetts lived in neighborhood of Lingles-
town, Dauphin County, 1760 to 1870 when
the family died out. There are many in-
teresting things told of the family: one a
fine long Indian story of the attack, killing
of some and the capturing of a boy (Wil-
liam?) who had a wonderful life with the
Indians till after the French and Indian
War and who when grown up moved west.
QUERY NO. 16
Stambach Family
Harvey C. Stambaugh, Spring Grove, Pa.,
wishes to correspond with representatives
of the Stambach-Stambaugh family. He is
GENEALOGICAL NOTES AND QUERIES
315
particularly interested in the ancestry of
Jacob Stambaugh, buried in York County,
Pa., 1749.
QUERY NO. 17
Umstead Family
Pres. Umstead, Salem, Ohio, writes that
his great grandfather had a sister Nancy
Umstead who was married to a Heffelfmger
that about seventy years ago lived in Phila-
delphia or Norristown, Pa. He desires in-
formation about this family.
QUERY NO. 18
Teter Family
Captain Samuel Teter, born in 1737,
place of birth unknown, died in Union
County, Ohio, Oct. 16, 1823. Maried Mary
Dodridge, daughter of Joseph Dodridge of
Frederick County, Maryland and Bedford
County, Pa?
WANTED.— Information concerning his
parentage. The attention of Virginia and
North Carolina readers of THE PENNSYL-
VANIA-GERMAN magazine to this query is
particularly desired.
QUERY NO 19
Schall Family
Will some one give me the names of the
parents of Capt. George Schall, born Sept.
1, 1756 in Berks County between Reading
and Lebanon, Pa?
He resided in York Co., (since 1769) when
he enlisted 1776 June 1 in Revolutionary
War. He lived in Hagerstown, Md., from
1778 to date of his death in 1837. Received
pension in 1833. :
His second marriage was to Margaret
Krebs in Hagerstown, Md., 1782.
WANTED.— Parents of Margaret Krebs.
In Philadelphia Records these Schalls ap-
pear.
Nicholas Schall, Sr. and Jr. arrived in Phil-
adelphia 1752 on ship Neptune, from
Rotterdam.
John Michael Schall, 1754, Ship Brigantine
Mary and Sarah, from Rotterdam from
the Palatinate.
George Frederick Schall arrived Sept. 10,
1753. Ship Beulah from Rotterdam.
Johannes Schall arrived Sept. 15, 1748 on
ship Judith from Rotterdam.
Tobias Schall arrived Sept. 7, 1748, on ship
Hampshire from Rotterdam.
Were the Schalls brothers? Would like
to know of descendants of these Schalls. I
have line of Tobias Schall.
QUERY NO. 20
Yerger
WANTED. — Parents of Michael Yerger,
son of George Yerger and his second wife
Gertrude Adams. George Yerger was born
in Reading, Pa. His sons by first marriage
were George- and William1. Michael
Yerger married Margaret Schallin 1810 in
Hagerstown, Md. and moved to Lebanon,.
Tenn.
QUERY NO. 21
Gallandet (Golladay)
WANTED.— Parents of Isaac Golladay,
born in Virginia, went to Pa. Married
Elizabeth Schall of Hagerstown, Md., in
1809, moved to Lebanon, Tenn. There was
a George Golladay, of Reading, Pa., who
married Miss Meuller. Moved to Shenan-
doah Valley, Va. Issac ran away from
Uncle David Golladay in Va. (his parents-
dying when he was quite small) and lived
in Penna., and moved to Tenn.
There was a Jacob Golladay in Cumber-
land Co. Militia, 1781 (Pa. Archives). Sons
of George were Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,.
Samuel, William.
I am writing sketches of above families
and would be grateful if these questions
would be answered. Address, Mrs. Anne
Plummer Johnson, 1431 St. James St.,.
Louisville, Ky.
QUERY NO. 22.
Hawk.
Information wanted about David Hawk,
Haeg, or Hag, who married Elizabeth Cath-
arine Wagenseil 1747-58 at the old Goshen-
hoppen church. In 1768 he bought 140-
acres of land in Lower Providence Town-
ship, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania,
where he died in 1808. The name is spelled
HAWK in the deed. Who was the father
of David Haag; where did he come from?
George, the son of David Haag, was mar-
ried to Anna, daughter of Conrad Weyer-
man.
QUERRY, NO. 23.
Everly Family.
Early last year I became interested in
tracing my family genealogy, and began a
line of inquiry which has developed many-
interesting and heretofore, to me, unknown
facts. I am now communicating with you,
and through your very valuable Magazine
hope to receive further information, if you
will kindly publish in your next issue in the
department of Genealogical Notes and Quer-
ies, the following. I will be greatly obliged
to you :
"Leonard Everly (1) perhaps Eberly. b.
172 — ; d. 179 — ; resided in Frederick Co.,.
Maryland, perhaps as early as 1750, re-
moved to Washington Co., Pa., 1781, owning
300 acres unoccupied land in Greene Twp.,
also a taxable in Fallowfield Twp., was in
■316
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
what is now German Tup., Fayette Co., in
1783, 1785, 1786 and 1790, was one of four
or five first trustees of the German Lu-
theran Church in this township in 1785, in
1797 transferred his land grant right to his
son Adam, to a tract of land known as
Dunkard's Neck, located in what is now
Dunkard Tup., Greene Co., was married to
about 1748, and below is given what is
believed to be a list of names of children:
Adam: b. 1750. d. 1802. nX Barbara Smith,
1780. Enlisted as a corporal in 9th Co.,
Light Infantry, Maryland Troops of
Revolution.
John: b. d. m. , received
land grant Frederick Co., 1775.
Nicholas; b. d. m. .lived
in German Twp., Fayette Co., 1783.
Leonard; b. 1756, d. 1830. m. Elizabeth
Platter. 1782, lived in Washington Co.,
Pa. Enlisted as a private in Capt.
Henry Fister's Co., German Reg't,
Maryland Troops. 1776.
Elizabeth; b. , d. , m. George
Shibeler, 1779 in Frederick Co., Md.
George; b. , d. , m. -.
lived in Frederick Co., Md., 1790.
Margaret; b. . d. .
WANTED. — Information of the parents
and birth place of Leonard Everly (1) and
dates and nam.es filled in above list, and
any other information which will assist in
completing the record will be gladly re-
ceived. John Everly settled in Turkeyfoot
Twp., Bedford Co., in 1776, he had three
sons, John, Peter and Henry. Perhaps some
reader can give address of some descendant
of this family, address,
O. W. Everly, Allentown, Pa.
□
THE FORUM
The P-G Open Parliament, Question-Box and Clipping Bureau — Communications Invited
Wanted
Vol. VI, No. 3, Pennsylvania-German,
George Hetrick, M. D., Birdsboro, Pa.
Vol. I, No. 1 and 2, E. Boyd Weitzel, Rid-
ley Park, Pa.
Vol. I and VI complete; Vol. Ill, No. 1
and 2, Jas. L. Schaadt, Allentown, Pa.
'For Sale
One each of Vol. I, No. 2; Vol. II, No. 1;
Vol. IV, No. 4; Vol. VI, No. 3; Vol. VII, No.
1, 2, 3 and 4, and two each of Vol. I, No.
3 and Vol. VII, No. 5, Sowers Printing
Company, Lebanon, Pa.
MEANING OF NAMES
By Leonhard Felix Fuld, LL.M., Ph.D.
EDITORIAL NOTE.— Dr. Fuld has kindly
•consented to give a brief account of the
derivation and meaning of the surname of
any reader who sends twenty-five cents to
the editor for that purpose.
70. STROHM.
The surname STROHM was originally de-
rived from the relationship of lord and vas-
sal and was applied to a lord who -was kind
to his vassals and accordingly to any kind
man. During the name-formation period,
however, it was more frequently derived
from the German word for stream and meant
one who resides near a river or other stream.
The Anglo-Saxon is STREAM — the Dutch
STROOM— the Middle Low German STROM
—the Old High German STROUM— the Mid-
dle High German STRUM— the German
STROM — the Icelandic STRAUMR — the
Danish STROM and the Russian STRUIR.
St. Peter, Minn., April 15, 1911.
THE PENNA.-GERMAN, Lititz, Pa.
Bro. Kriebel : I, too, am like Bro. Ferry-
man, of Washington, "I am so far removed
and am hungry for news", and wish you
would have some of our good, old, York
county conributors give us some contribu-
tions from Dover and Conewago ad New-
berry townships, especially early history of
the former, as well as the latter. I am not
alone in wanting these items, as there are
others in this country who will be interested.
Sincerely yours,
CHAS. G. SEIFERT.
Pennsylvania Boys Win High Honors
Fellowships for the academic year 1911-12
in Columbia University, New York City,
were awarded April 18th In all, fifty-nine
awards were made. In this number we find
the nanies of Mr. S. S. Laucks, of Red Lion,
York county, who won coveted honors in
constitutional law; and W. H. Mechling, of
Philadelphia, in anthropology, both of good,
old Pennsylvania pioneer stock. We bespeak
for them distinguished careers.
THE FORUM
317
German Political Influence
At a special meeting of the German-
American Society, of Illinois, April 7, Prof.
A. J. Herriott, of Drake University, of Iowa,
delivered an address on, "The Germans and
the National Republican Convention of 1860",
based on extensive investigation of German
political influence in the West.
Graveyard History
A warm friend of "The Pennsylvania Ger-
man" expresses himself thus about part of
the contents of the magazine:
'As to the contents, I'd certainly cut out
what I call graveyard history. It's worth-
less. Most men and women are bound to be
forgotten. In fact, 999 out of every 1,000
you print are already forgotten."
This is in striking contrast wth the de-
mands made by some readers who are con-
tinually clamoring for more genealogical
data. What do our readers think of our cor-
respondent's remark?
Napoleon's Tribute to Frederick
When, after the battle of Jena, Napoleon
invaded Prussia, he visited Potsdam, which
contains the mortal remains of the Prussian
kings. The sepulcher of Frederick the
Great occupied a prominent site in the mau-
soleum. When entering the latter, Napoleon
uncovered his head, and went directly up to
the sarcophagus of the noted warrior.
For a moment the conqueror stood still,
seemingly absorbed in deep thought. Then
with the forefinger of his right hand he
wrote the word "Napoleon" in the dust of
the huge stone casket, and turning to his
marshals, said:
"Gentlemen, if he were living, I would not
be here." — Youth's Companion.
Words of Thanks
Deutsche Gesellschaft von Chicago
Chicago, 111., April 25, 1911.
Charles Spaeth of the German (Aid) So-
ciety of Chicago, Illinois, wishes to thank
the following t gentlemen: F. A. Stickler,
Daniel Meschter, J. O. Ulrich, A. M. Stump,
A. E. Bachert, Rev. M. B. Schmoyer, Wm.
Haber, I. W. Fox, D. W. Miller, Charles E.
Wagner, T. L. O'Donnel, Jos. Arner, for
their prompt and courteous information to
my inquiry "Where was or is Morea? in the
March number of THE PENNSYLVANIA-
GERMAN. Will be .glad to reciprocate
favor at any time. Absence from home is
the only cause of this belated acknowledg-
ment and thanks due your subscribers one
and all, to a stranger's request.
Yours very truly,
CHARLES SPAETH.
We desire to thank the gentlemen named
for the kind favor shown Mr. Spaeth. Acts,
like these, though seemingly insignificant
perhaps, help to sweeten life and shed good-
will abroad. We sincerely hope all our
subscribers will hold themselves ready to
"go and do likewise". — Editor.
Zeisberger Memorial Proposed
"Interest is being revived in the proposi-
tion to erect a suitable memorial on the
site of the first school house in Ohio. At
Schoenbrun, the old Moravian Mission, Da-
vid Zeisberger erected the first school house
in the spring of 1772, in what is now Tus-
carawas County, in the village of Schoen-
brun, meaning "Beautiful Spring," which
was located on the farm now owned by Mr.
E. A. Myer, of New Philadelphia, Ohio.
Chief Netawatwas, of the Delawares, se-
lected the site for the location of Schoen-
brun, and gave Zeisberger and John Hecke-
welder a grant of the land in the immediate
vicinity. In the course of a few years the
settlement grew into a cluster of Christian
commmunities of converted Indians; Gnad-
enhuetten (Tents of Grace), Lichtenau (Sun-
lit Meadow), Salem and New Schoenbrun.
Here dwelt in peace and plenty hundreds of
Indian converts and their families, and a
corps of devoted missionaries who labored
under the superintendency of Zeisberger.
Zeisberger would never consent to receive
a salary or become a hireling, as he termed
it, and often suffered from need of food rath-
er than ask the church for assistance. He
was born in Moravia, April 11, 1721, and
came to America after completing his edu-
cation in Europe, and became a student at
the Indian school, at Bethlehem, Pa., in or-
der to prepare himself for the mission ser-
vice, he made himself thoroughly conver-
sant with the Indian languages, and after-
wards gave sixty-two years of his life to the
missionary service. When Zeisberger labor-
ed at Schoenbrun, the spring gushed forth
from near the base of a large elm. in a
copious stream, giving the town its name,
it is now almost dry, because the neighbor-
ing hills have been stripped of the greater
part of their trees.
Zeisberger died a short distance from'
Schoenbrun and his body lies in the Indian
burying ground there near the grave of his
co-worker, Rev. William Edwards. Zeisberg-
er died November 17, 1808, at the age of
eighty-seven years, seven months and six
days." — Canal Dover (Ohio) Reporter.
318
®l|f fbmtayltiattta-Okrman
(Founded by Rev. Dr. P. C. Croll, 1900.)
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To Our Contributors
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EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
319
the end of the year 191 1 are respectfully requested to let us know as soon as
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SUBSCRIPTIONS HAVE BEEN PAID by the persons
"the year given — "12 — 10"signifying December, 1910
Dr F A Strasser — 12 — 10
PENNA
•Clarence Gravbill — 2 — 12
Mrs J F Unger — 12 — 11
Strickland L Kneass — 12 — 11
J Luther Reiter — 2 — 12
Joanna Stauffer — 2 — 12
J R Bittenbender — 2 — 11
J F Mover — 12 — 11
Mrs Henrv C Taylor— 12 — 11
Marv C Illick — 12 — 11
A V Hiester — 12 — 11
John I Romig — 4 — 12
A E Bower — 12 — 11
E B Billingfelt — 12 — 11
M L March — 2 — 11
0 II Pennypacker — 12 — 11
James L Schaadt — 6 — 14
A C Oberholtzer — 12 — 11
W W Feidt— 12 — 11
Clara M Balliet — 12 — 11
Ambrose Ebv — 12 — 1 1
E E Weaver — 12 — 11
H G Allebach — 12 — 11
J J John — 2 — 11 1
J V Brown Library — 12 — 11
B Frank Ibaeh — 12 — 11
W II Barba — 12 — 11
David M Baehman — 3 — 12
J B Horning — 12 — 11
1 C Barlott, MD — 12 — 11
Sarah J Hoover — 12 — 11
S P Hiester — 12 — 11
Jacob Reiff — 12 — 11
Hon H G Mover — 12 — 11
C Hevdrick — 4 — 12
H S Mover — 12 — 11
N E Reist — 12 — 11
A M Seiffert — 12 — 11
H O Dorward — 1 — 12
D S Stauffer — 12 — 11
S W Beeklev — 3 — 12
F E Schnerer — 3 — 12
■C I Lindenmuth — 6 — 11
■C A Marks — 12 — 10
A M Ebv — 12 — 11
H W Bohn, DDS — 12 — 11
C H Howell — 12 — 11
Hist Soc of Frankford — 12 — 11
Dr J H Seiling — 6 — 11
Katye Rittel — 3 — 12
A N Fegley MD — 6 — 12
S F Forgeus — 12 — 12
W II Hunsieker — 4 — 12
W H Anders Jr — 2 — 11
D S Lonkert — 4 — 12
Dr Geo F Ettinger — 12 — 11
H L Sheip — 12 — 11
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C M Brownmiller — 12 — 12
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G F P Young — 12 — 11
A C LaBarre — 12 — 11
L S Schelly — 12 — 11
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H C Stambaugh — 12 — 11
W H Schoff — 12 — 11
F II Lehr— 12 — 11
L H Lavall — 12 — 11
V J Bauer — 12 — 11
A C Young — 12 — 11
E A Brunner — 12 — 11
L H J Grossart — 12 — 11
S Forry Laucks — 12 — 11
Mrs R*C Lippincott — 4 — 12
NEW YORK
Vassar Coll Library — 12 — 11
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Rev S G Trexler — 12 — 11
H G Reist — 6 — 11
John F Becker— 12 — 11
OHIO
J C Shuman — 12 — 11
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H M Mover — 4 — 12
ILLINOIS
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named, to and including month of
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M E Burrell — 4 — 11
NEW JERSEY
W H Richardson — 12 — 14
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H W Dorward — 1 — 12
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KANSAS
J C Ruppenthal — 12 — 11
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DIST OF COLUMBIA
C D Mell — 9 — 11
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MASS
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MINNESOTA
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C G Seiffert— 12 — 11
IOWA
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KENTUCKY
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MISSOURI
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NEBRASKA
M N Bair — 3 — 12
OREGON
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WASHINGTON
J H Ferryman — 12 — 11
WISCONSIN
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CANADA
B S Halhnan — 12 — 11
To May 1. 1911.
320
ANNOUNCEMENT
Beginning with this issue of The Pennsylvania-German Rev. Georg von
Bosse (see page 257) of Philadelphia, Pa., will be connected with it as Asso-
ciate Editor. He is the Secretary of the Archiv Committee of the German
Society of Pennsylvania and member of the Deutscher Pionier Verein and the
German American Historical Society. He is a careful and thorough student of
the history of the Germans in the United States and is the author of the widely
and favorably known "Das Deutsche Element in den Vereinigten Staaten." His
special province will be to edit data respecting
a. The German citizenship of our country that immigrated since the year 1800.
b. The Germans in the Twentieth Century.
c. German ideas and ideals in the world's history.
The space to be devoted to this department and the subjects to be treated
will depend largely though not exclusively on the reception accorded this forward
step and the preference indicated by our readers. Expressions of opinion are
always welcome on this as on all other features of The Pennsylvania-German.
The first contribution by Rev. von Bosse can not appear before the August
issue on account of pressure of work on hand at present.
It may not be amiss to quote in this connection the concluding paragraphs
in Rev. von Bosse's "Deutsche Element.''
We herewith dedicate The Pennsylvania-German as a medium for the ful-
fillment of the prayer uttered in the concluding lines and bespeak the most con-
siderate reception of the author by our widely scattered circle of friends.
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN.
Es ist ein herrliches, von Gott reich gesegnetes Land — Amerika — es ist ein
machtiger, auf eines Menschen wiirdige Grundsatze aufgebauter Staat — die gros-
se Republik — es ist ein rastlos vowarts und aufwarts strebendes Yolk — die Amer-
ikaner — und das heute die Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika dastehen so mach-
tig und stark, so geachtet und bewundert, so reich und unabhangig, wie kaum
ein zweites in der welt, das ist nicht zum geringen Teil mit ein Verdienst des
deutchen Elements, das sein ganzes Konnen, seine besten Krafte dem Dienst des
neuen Heimatlandes geweiht, das in Zeiten des Friedens mit seinem Schweisz,
in Zeiten des Krieges mit seinem Blut den Boden getrankt, das dabei aber nie
des alten Vaterlands vergasz und dessen heiszestes Sehnen war, ist und bleiben
wird, die neue und die alte Heimat von einem Band gegenseitiger Hochachtung
und aufrichtiger Freundschaft umschlungen zu sehen.
Gott schiitze Deutschland und Amerika !
Er erhalte die gegenseitige Freundsschaft der beiden Yolker, ihnen selbst
und der Welt zum Heil und Er setze auch fernerhin die Deutch-Amerikaner zu
einem Segen fur das Land ihrer Wahl.
Vol. XII
JUNE, 19
No. 6
Moravian Towns in Pennsylvania — Exceptional Field
for Modern Writers of Fiction
PeculiarJEarly Customs of the Moravians — Their Historical Monuments — Their
Early Interest in Education — Marriage by Lot — Their Aversion
to War — Their Love for Music — Their Christmas
and Easter Festivals, Etc.
By George E. Nitzsche, LL. B., of the University of Pennsylvania
E are often carried away by
our enthusiasm for those
things in which we have
taken a deep interest, and
often these prejudices pre-
vent us from giving a fair
presentation of a subject,
and we sometimes become
rather impatient that others do not see
the beauties and possibilities involved. It
is with some hesitancy therefore that the
writer submits this sketch to the readers
of the "Pennsylvania-German Maga-
zine." Pie hopes that they will bear with
him in his endeavor to give, in a rambling
way, a meagre picture of the peculiar
customs of the early Moravians, of the
many customs which still survive, and of
some of those of which the writer has a
personal knowledge. Although having
drifted away from the faith of his
fathers many years ago, his love for and
full appreciation of the poetical beauty
of the Moravian customs and ritual is
taking a firmer hold upon him as the
years roll on.
In none of the early New England
settlements immortalized by the pen of
American authors could modern writers
of fiction find such a wealth of material
as in our little Moravian towns of Penn-
sylvania. The beautiful rolling and
mountainous country in which these
hamlets are nestled has a history of facts
more fascinating than the legends upon
which is based some of our best Amer-
ican literature. The Moravian church
records, which are said by historians to
be the most complete records of colonial
times, abound in splendjd material for
the novelist. The very names of these
settlements reveal the beautiful thoughts
with which these early settlers were im-
bued ; for example, in the vicinity of
Nazareth there is a place called "Gna-
denthal," the vale of blessing; "Schoen-
eck," beautiful corner; "Friedensthal,"
vale of peace; " Christianbrunnen ;"
"Gnadenhuetten ;" then there are many
which bear Biblical names.
To understand the Moravians it is
essential to know something of their his-
322
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
tory. In Europe, they have a history
which antedates most of the old Protes-
tant denominations. However, we will
confine ourselves to their history in
America, where they started to migrate
from llerrnhut, Saxony, in 1735, land-
ing in Savannah, Georgia. No perma-
nent settlement was effected however
until they came to what is now called
Nazareth, Pennsylvania, where they
were persuaded to go by George White-
field, and there on a tract of about 5,000
acres, to erect a large stone building
which he designed as a school for colored
children. They arrived there in 1740,
completing the house to the beginning of
the second story, when winter overtook
them, and a number of log cabins were
hastily constructed, and in these they
lived until the following spring, when,
having a dispute with Whitefield, the
whole colony left in 1741 for what is
now Bethlehem. In 1743 the Moravians
returned to Nazareth, purchased the
land from Whitefield, who had become
financially embarrassed, and finished the
stone building which they had started
three years before. This building, and
surroundings was called "Ephrata," and
is still in splendid condition, as is also
one of the log cabins just referred to.
The former is now used by the Mora-
vian Historical Society for its collections,
but in the 171 years of its existence it
has had its uses as a day nursery, where
the babies of the community were cared
for while the parents labored in the
fields ; a theological seminary ; home for
retired ministers, etc. It is a noble
building, and one of the most beautiful
specimens of colonial architecture in this
country, as are many buildings in Naza-
reth and Bethlehem constructed about
this time, such as Count Zinzendorf's
mansion, used as a military boarding
school for boys since 1759, and now
known as "Nazareth Hall." An adjacent
building, the "Sisters' House," was
erected a few years later, and is also
still used by the Hall. Bethlehem also
has many of these ancient monuments,
which from the viewpoint of architec-
tural beauty and purity of style, have no
equal in this country.
Nazareth, which was called the
Barony of Nazareth by Count Zinzen-
dorf, whose religious zeal and restless
spirit was responsible for most of the
early innovations of the Moravians in
America, was divided into four large
tracts. The first was Nazareth; the
second was Gnadenthal, now the site of
the county almshouse ; the third was
Christianbrunnen which was the seat of
an "Economy" for unmarried men until
1796; the fourth was on the Bushkill,
and was known as Friedenthal. All of
these tracts were worked for the benefit
of the Moravians, and were the main
sources of supply of the congregation.
In educational matters the Moravians
took the lead of all other religious sects,
and their schools were running upon a
sound basis when most of our great
American colleges and universities were
in the process of formation. As early as
March, 1745, a man named Amtes, being
desirous of gratifying the wish of the
Moravians in Philadelphia to have their
children educated, offered a site for a
boarding school, which was accepted on
June 3, 1745, two teachers appointed and
a school of 34 boys started in Philadel-
phia. This was four or five years before
the University of Pennsylvania actually
began its sessions. Indeed, if we go back
to 1740, as the date of the founding of
the University, to the Moravians must
go the credit of being partly responsible
for its beginnings, since a group of Mo-
ravians were among the first of those
who subscribed to the fund raised to
erect a permanent building . m which
Whitefield and others might preach, and
in which a free school for the education
of poor children might be conducted.
This building, which the University sub-
sequently occupied until 1802, and the
proposed school are claimed to be the
beginnings of the University of Penn-
sylvania. The corporation of the Uni-
versity still owns the site at 4th and
Arch streets where it stood. Franklin,
and some of the others on those early
boards, have been quoted as having had
a dislike for the Germans, and when the
last Moravian on the Board died, it was
decided not to elect any more of that
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324
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
"troublesome sect." To Franklin, how-
ever, must go the credit of founding the
University, since he drew up the original
plan which led to the establishment of
the College and Academy; but this was
not done until 1749, although Franklin
himself claims that he first made known
his scheme as early as 1743. The earli-
est original document in existence men-
tioning the Charity School is dated July,
1740, and is the draft of an advertise-
ment prepared for the purpose of solicit-
ing funds for the Charity School, which
subsequently became, or was merged
with, the University. Be this as it may,
the Moravians had many flourishing
schools during Colonial days. One of
theses, the Ladies' Seminary at Bethle-
hem, is still in existence, and is the old-
est boarding school for girls in the
United States, and many of the promi-
nent women of the land have received
their education there. During the Revo-
lution one of its buildings was used as a
hospital for the soldiers of the Conti-
nental Army. Nazareth Hall, referred
to above as having been founded in 1759,
is often spoken of as the oldest military
boarding school in the country for boys.
The military feature of this school seems
strange and rather inconsistent, when
we realize how those early Moravians
were opposed to the bearing of arms.
So much so that in 1778 a petition* was
prepared by the Moravians who had
settled in Bethlehem, Nazareth, Lititz,
Emaus, Gnadenhiitten, and of other
small communities, in which they asked
Congress of the United States to have
the Moravians exempt from the require-
ments of the Test Act of 1777. An ex-
tract taken from the Moravian Church
records at Lititz, dated December 4,
1778, indicates that the prayer of the
petition was granted. The entry reads :
"With joy and thankfulness we learn
from the Philadelphia newspapers that
the severity of the formed Test Act has
been mitigated, and that our memorial
has been granted by the Assembly,
namely, that we need not take the oath,
nor pay the penalty of non-conforming,
*An account of this petition and its text appeared in
Tlie Pennsylvania-German, Jan. 1911. •
but we are denied the right of suffrage
and cannot hold office or serve on a jury,
all of which privileges we never troubled
ourselves about."
A few years after the Moravians had
settled in Bethlehem and Nazareth they
received an invitation from the British
Government to settle in North Carolina,
because they were considered such val-
uable immigrants. At that time they
petitioned the king to grant the members
of their church in North Carolina the
same privileges as they enjoyed in
Pennsylvania. Like the Quakers, their
answers were simply "yea" and "nay;"
they were opposed to taking the oath and
also to service in the war ; and by act of
Parliament, for the purpose of encourag-
ing more Moravians to settle in America,
thev were exempt from these things.
The petition to Congress recites that
many of their number were thrown into
jail because of their unwillingness to
bear arms, and because they had con-
scientious scruples against taking the
prescribed oath, and prays for the same
protection as they had enjoyed under the
English government. This is why they
are so often called "Tories" in the early
documents. Cowards they were not ;
and, indeed, many did desert their re-
ligion and enter the army. The writer's
great-grandfather was one of those who
"fell from grace" even before his people
came to those peaceful little communi-
ties in Pennsylvania. He loved fighting
for the sake of it, and leaving his family
in Germany, he came to America and
served as an officer in the Continental
Army under Lafayette.
A peculiar custom, and one which
would now be considered rather revolt-
ing, was that of marriage by lot, or
rather letting God choose for you a part-
ner for life. Indeed, it was customary
to submit questions and problems of all
kinds to the will of the Lord by resort-
ing to the lot. Their childlike faith en-
abled them to crush their own desires ;
passion gave way to a sense of duty, and
there was no such thing as self-sacrifice.
In the case of marriage, the sanction of
the Elders' Conference was required in
all cases of proposal.
MORAVIAN TOWNS IN PENNSYLVANIA
325
Since most maiden sisters were in-
mates of the "Sisters' House/' it was al-
most impossible for the man who wanted
to marry a woman to become acquainted
with her. There were no courtships, no
•divorces, no jealousies nor selhsh ambi-
tions— all were pledged to one spiritual
purpose, and the lack of romance, court-
ship, or even of acquaintance before
marriage detracted little from the con-
nubial bliss. Their belief was that the
imagination was apt to be stronger than
the will, and that men and women fixed
their affections upon an object from the
intensity of their feeling, and thus made
it the ideal of their worship. Those
early Moravians were willing to risk
their happiness rather than be the victims
of momentary infatuation, or the slave
of passionate emotion. Marriage was
considered as the most exalted and re-
fined of human friendships, and being
without passion, it had none of its at-
tendant evils. Their faith in each other
was sublime. Perhaps it might be of
interest here to cite a rather extreme
example of such a marriage. Among
one of the ancient records is recorded
the case of a young man who presented
himself before the "Conference" for
marriage — a mechanic in good circum-
stances. He mentioned the names of
two sisters, the daughters of a widow.
The lots for both were negative. He
then proposed the mother, an invalid,
and the lot was "yea." They were hap-
pily married. A missionary from a
foreign field wrote to the Conference for
a wife, asking for "one willing and de-
voted to my work," and expressing a
preference for "a short, dumpy sister,
of about five feet." as a matter of
economy, adding that his late wife was
of this size, and had left quite a large
wardrobe of excellent clothes, to which
the new wife might fall heir. The Con-
ference approved of the brother, and
only sisters answering his description
were put into the lot. After several
failures, one of the daughters of the
woman just mentioned was selected.
All work, no matter how menial, was
considered honorable ; there was no class
distinction ; all had equal rights and
social standing, and there were practical-
ly no illiterate among them. The likeli-
hood, therefore, of uncongenial mar-
riages was considered slight.
Marriage by lot was practiced in the
United States until 1818. There were a
number of different methods employed,
but it was usually done in the following
manner: If a man did not know any
maiden personally, as for example, in the
case of a foreign missionary, he would
write to his Conference at home and let
it be known that he was in need of a
wife. The Conference would then ask
the "Schwesternpflegerin" — who was the
head of the "Sisters' Home," and chosen
by all because of her piety — to submit
the names of some suitable maidens who
might be available. The lot was then
cast in the following form ; that a pro-
posal of marriage in the name of Brother
A. B. be made to Sister C. D. The
ceremony was conducted very solemnly
and after prayer the lot was cast. If the
lot said "Yes," then the proposal was
made to the maiden on behalf of the man
who wished to be married, and she was
at liberty either to decline or accept,
but as she knew that the proposal was
made after the decision had been left to
the Lord in the lot, the inclination was
invariably to accept, and being very de-
vout, the pressure to accept was very
great. If she did accept, then the brother
who had previously asked for the lot
was bound to take her. If the lot fell
"No," then no proposal could be made
on behalf of the man to that particular
maiden. Another name was suggested
and another lot cast. If the man who
wished to be married knew of some
maiden whom he loved and whom he
thought he would like to marry, he would
ask the Conference to submit her name
to the lot. If the lot said "Yes," then a
proposal was made to her in the name of
God and of the brother concerned, but
she again had the privilege to decline or
accept; however, believing it to be the
will of the Lord, the pressure was very
great to accept. If the lot fell "No" he
could not have that particular maiden.
It is essential to bear in mind that the
sexes were always kept separate in those
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MORAVIAN TOWNS IN PENNSYLVANIA
327
days. The entire community was di-
vided into choirs. The children, youths,
and adults of either sex made six dif-
ferent classes, and the married persons
again formed a distinct class. In at-
tending church they sat in their respec-
tive divisions, but they also had their
own separate meetings and festivals.
These divisions are now no longer main-
tained, although they still have festivals
and love-feasts of sections in which the
survival of these early divisions can be
traced.
Their "God's Acre" — the burial
ground — is still portioned off in this
way, the whole cemetery being divided
into two equal parts, one for the males
and the other for the females ; each of
these is again subdivided into plots for
children, youths, single adults, and mar-
ried people. The tombstones are laid
flat on the grave, and are as near as
possible of a prescribed uniform size.
The life of the average Moravian was
really one of continuous worship. Bless-
ings were asked at every meal, and some-
times verses sung. Before the breakfast
prayer there was a reading of a text
from a book which contained one text
for every day. There were provisions
for worship while traveling, while at
Jabor, while at rest ; there were cradle
hymns, spinning hymns, and forms of
worship for solemnizing almost every
class of occupation. Many of these cus-
toms were still observed when the wrriter
was a boy, and some still are while in
others their origin can be traced directly
. to earlier customs.
It has not been so many years ago
that, among the old Moravians might
still be traced some survivals of the old
style of dressing, when the women wore
plain caps tied under the chin by ribbons
of different colors, to distinguish the
respective choirs ; for instance, the chil-
dren wore light red ; girls, dark red ;
spinsters, pink ; married women, blue,
and widows, white. In a Moravian com-
munity the single women lived at the
"Sisters' House," the single men at the
"Brothers' House," the widows at the
"Widows' House," etc. They lived in
these large buildings as a community,
attending to their respective duties, the
same as other people, and leading useful
lives. These old landmarks are still
standing, both in Nazareth and Bethle-
hem ; at Nazareth two of them are used
by the Moravian Boarding School for
Boys, while at Bethlehem a number of
them are used by the Moravian congre-
gation for the Seminary for Girls, and
for indigent members of the church.
One of the principal charms of the
Moravians is their love of music, which
has descended to the present generation,
and which still forms a very important
part of their service. At some of the
churches a full orchestra is maintained,
or as many pieces as can be gotten to-
gether. These play some of the most
difficult selections from the classics;
while they may not always succeed in
producing what might be called ex-
quisite music, those who listen to it can-
not help being impressed with their
intense interest and seriousness, and the
solemnity of the service.
There are so many celebrations and
festivals, that we shall have to confine
ourselves only to those of Christmas and
Easter, and these only as the writer
knew them to be at Nazareth, where he
spent all of his Christmas holidays as a
child, and where he has missed only a
few of the Easter celebrations since his
boyhood days. Love- feasts always pre-
cede these two festivals, as they do a
great many of the others. This consists
of gathering in the church the evening
before, when a beautiful service is sung
in English and German, accompanied by
orchestral music and the choir. During
this service, which alternately is con-
gregational and responsive, the "dieners"
and "dienerin" of the church serve each
guest with a cup of most delicious coffee
and with a sweet roll. That a love-feast
is to be held is always announced from
the spire of the church by the trombone
choir. The death of a member of the
church is also announced from the
church steeple in a similar way, different
selections being used for each of the
classes; that is, if the death is that of a
male child, a definite selection is played,
328
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
another for a female child, another for
a single brother, and still another for a
single sister, etc.. so that when the trom-
bones are heard, and any one has been
near the point of death in the com-
munity, by the tune that is played the
members are enabled to practically tell
who has been called home.
Among the children, Christmas, of
course, is the most festive of all occa-
sions ; but among the adults in a Mora-
vian community. Easter is by far the
most important. Christmas is ushered
in with a trombone serenade from the
steeple of the church in the afternoon
before. Christmas Eve is celebrated in
the usual way, with a love feast, but in
addition to this the "dieners" near the
close of the service bring in on huge
trays hundreds of lighted wax tapers.
Children look forward to this occasion
with great eagerness and expectation.
The glee with which these tapers are re-
ceived by every child attending the love-
feast, as well as most of the grown-up
folks, is beautiful to behold. The
solemnity of these occasions, mingled
with the beautiful strains from the
orchestra, and the joyful faces glowing
in the flickering light of the wax tapers,
is bound to linger in one's memory as
one of the most impressive scenes ever
witnessed. On Christmas morning,
these happy children stand before what
the Moravians called a "putz." This
usually consists of a portion of a room
(sometimes a half, and sometimes a
whole room), being lined with branches
of spruce trees, and a large platform
fixed up with green moss, rocks, stumps
of trees, and sometimes having little
streams of water flowing into a real
pond. In the composition of the "Putz"
often enters every animal in Noah's ark,
with ducks on the ponds, water wheels
that actually operate various mechanical
home-made contrivances. The "Putz"
room was generally kept in semi dark-
ness, the windows admitting just enough
light to give a mysterious atmosphere,
and invariably lighting up transparencies
containing verses from the Bible. It is
needless to sav that the week between
Christmas and New Year is one contin-
uous round of festivals.
The Easter celebration is also pre-
ceded by selections in the afternoon
rendered by the trombone choir from the
steeple of the church, and the regulation
love-feast in the evening. Shortly after
midnight the trombone choir meets in
the belfry of the church ; this choir us-
ually consists of a double quartette, and
sometimes a triple quartette, and for sev-
eral hours they go from one Moravian
dwelling to another serenading the mem-
bers of each household with a selection
rendered by one of the quartettes.
Everyone is on the alert to catch the
first faint notes of the approaching
musicians, and it is difficult to imagine
anything more beautifully impressive
or more inspiring than to be awakened
out of one's slumber to listen to the
soft, solemn strains of the trombones
in that quiet, peaceful night. One lis-
tens eagerly as they play before one's
own door, as they play before the next
house, then the next and as the soothing
music gradually becomes fainter and
fainter until the last sweet strains are
lost in the dim distance, or become hope-
lessly mingled with the wonderful silence
of the dark night as one again sinks into
oblivion. The origin of this custom, I
believe, was to awaken the members of
the congregation so that they might take
part in the early service. At all events,
the members, after a hasty breakfast of
sugar-cake and coffee, gather in the
church, about half an hour before sun-
rise, and after a brief service, they form
into line, headed by the trombonists,
and slowly proceed to the burial grounds,
or "God's Acre" as they know it, upon
approaching which the trombones are
heard once more. These "God's Acres"
are always very charming spots, and the
one at Nazareth is exceptionally beauti-
ful, and overlooks a landscape which has
but few equals. The procession stops
near the summit, and gathering about the
graves, their heads uncovered, another
short service is held, until the sun makes
its appearance over the horizon, when
the trombones are again heard, this time
in a joyful spirit, announcing that Christ
MORAVIAN TOWNS IN PENNSYLVANIA
329
lias arisen. The walks of the Nazareth
"God's Acre" are lined with huge pines,
spruces, and other evergreens, and by the
time the Easter season opens hundreds
of robins and other song birds are al-
ready at home in their branches, and on
a beautiful Easter morning they enter
into the service with a spirit which is
second only to that of the musicians.
whose selections they seem to endeavor
to drown with their own beautiful notes.
The whole ceremony is so solemn and
awe-inspiring that it cannot help having
a moral uplift, bringing forth in the
most hardened individual everything that
is good in him, and a love for every-
thing that is pure.
"The Rebels Are Coming"
One day, during the late Civil War,
tidings came to the family home in Mill-
bach that the Confederate Army had
•crossed the border line of Pennsylvania
and were making rapid approaches
toward Harrisburg. The Confederates
were almost opposite Columbia, and
.after moving on Harrisburg, would soon
spread through the Kittatinny Valley.
The farmer was disturbed beyond
measure. He agreed with his son that
they should drive their cattle and horses
to the mountain, where the stock would
escape the observation of the soldiers,
and should then return and load the
women and children with household
goods into the big wagon, and take
refuge for safety in flight.
There was nothing to be done, how-
ever, until more definite news arrived of
the approach of the invading host. Now7
it so happened that the farmer's daugh-
ter-in-law, a young mother and her little
babe, had been in the town of Reading
several days before, and had there be-
held a new invention for wheeling small
children around, termed a baby-coach. It
was not of the patent, compressible,
rubber-tire, modern type, which parents
fold up and stow away in their pockets
when they enter a trolley or a railway
car. Its large wooden wheels were
"bound with substantial hoops of iron,
and were set in motion by a long handle
attached to the anterior axle. The
family were delighted with the new in-
vention, and the young mother on this
particular Sunday afternoon had dis-
covered an ideal spot on which to wheel
baby back and forth. It was the long
piazza on the off side of the house.
The farmer sat meditatively that Sun-
day afternoon in the kitchen, reading the
Scriptures for consolation, and await-
ing tidings of the approach of the army.
Suddenly there broke in on the silence
of the farm a great rumbling noise,
proceeding apparently from the dim dis-
tance far up the valley, and resembling
the sound caused by the approach of
cannon wheels and the stamping of the
hoofs of cavalcades of horses, and the
marching of long lines of men. The
farmer listened. The Bible was closed
in a hurry, he leaped up from his seat,
arid called to his son, "The Rebels are
coming," and rushed over to the barn to
get out the stock.
As he wras emptying the barn of its
contents, and the son was about to
spring on the back of one of the horses,
the mother of the family, who had been
attracted and espied the operations in
the barnyard, came running out and in-
quired what was the matter. "Why."
said the father, "the Rebels are coming."
"No, you coward," replied the mother,
"it was only Melinda wheeling the new
baby coach over the front porch!" — The
Lutheran.
330
The Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
T is the aim of this paper to
give a compact, sympa-
thetic historic study of
the Amish of Lancaster
County. ' In doing this we
shall draw freely o n
Gibbon's "Pennsylvania
Dutch" (1873) — Smith's
"The Mennonites o f
America" (1909) — and the historic
sketch of the Amish in the Census Re-
ports.
The article has had the beneht of
criticism by well-informed members of
the faith and by business men of the
community where they reside.
We quote from the Census Reports
the following bearing on the history of
the Amish :
tendency on the part of many of the
Mennonites of the time, during the
interval of rest from persecution, to be-
come lax in their religious life and disci-
pline. Amnion was the acknowledged
leader of those who held to the strict
letter of Menno Simon's teachings and
the literal interpretation of several points
of doctrine presented in the confession
of faith, adopted at the general confer-
ence held at Dort, Holland, in 1632.
Maintaining that, because they were not
literally and rigorously carried out. some
of the articles of the confession were a
dead letter with many of the congrega-
tions, he traveled extensively, laboring
to restore the communities to the spirit-
ual life and condition manifested during
Simon's ministry among them. The
TIIK AMISH
"This branch of the Mennonite bodies
became a separate organization in the
closing years of the seventeenth century.
Jacob Amnion, or Amen, from whose
name the term "Amish" was derived,
was a native of Amenthal, Switzerland ;
but, probably to escape persecution, he
settled in Alsace in 1659. There was a
AT HOME
special point of divergence between his
followers and the other Mennonites was
in regard to the exercise of the ban. or
excommunication of disobedient mem-
bers, as taught in I Corinthians V, 9-1 1 ;
II Thess. Ill, 14; Titus III, 10 and in-
corporated in the confession of faith.
THE AMISH OF LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The Amish party interpreted these pas-
sages as applying to daily life and the
daily table ; while the others understood
them to mean simply the exclusion of
expelled members from the communion
table.
In 1690 two bishops, Amnion and
Blank, acted as a committee to investi-
gate conditions in Switzerland and
Southern Germany. As those accused
of laxity in the particulars mentioned
did not appear when called upon to
answer charges preferred against them,
the Amish leaders expelled them. They
n turn disowned the Amish party, and
the separation was completed in 1698,
Some time aftei ...lis, Amnion and his
followers made overtures for a recon-
ciliation and union of the two factions,
but these were rejected, and it remained
for the closing years of the nineteenth
cei iiry, almost two centuries later, to
see the steps taken that virtually re-
united the two bodies, or the main part
of each, for in the meantime there had
been other divisions between the extreme
elements of both.
At about the time of separation, the
migration of Mennonites from Europe
to the crown lands acquired by William
Penn in America began to assume large
proportions and included many of the
Amish Mennonites, who settled in what
now comprises Lancaster, Mifflin, Som-
erset. Lawrence and Union counties, in
Pennsylvania. (First settlements were
made near Dowingtown, Chester County.
— Editor. J William Penn himself trav-
eled extensively among the Mennonites
in Europe, preaching in their meetings,
and rendering them aid in various ways.
From Pennsylvania the Amish Menno-
nites moved with the westward tide af
migration into Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Nebraska, and other states. There wras
also a large exodus from Pennsylvania
and from Europe direct to Canada,
principally to the section westward of
the large tract acquired by the early
Mennonite settlers in Waterloo County,
( hitario.
Toward the middle of the nineteenth
century a growing sentiment in favor of
closer relations between the two main
bodies of Mennonites became manifest.
Many prominent men of both sides, feel-
ing that the division of 1698 was an
error for which both sides were more or
less to blame, used their influence toward
a reconciliation. The establishment in
1864 of a religious periodical, and later
the publication of other religious litera-
ture, for the benefit of, and supported
by, both the Mennonite Church and the
Amish Mennonites, naturally drew them
into closer relationship. One result was
the revival in both branches of direct
evangelistic and missionary effort, which
had been largely neglected ever since the
migration from Europe to America. In
this resumption of long neglected activi-
ties, denominational lines between the
two bodies were disregarded. The
establishment of a common church
school, in the closing decade of the last .
century, brought the most prominent
men and ablest thinkers, as well as the
young people of both parties into one
working body. Almost simultaneous
with this, and as a natural result of it,
was the establishment of a general con-
ference in which each body was accorded
equal rights in all things pertaining to
conference work. Thus, while no for-
mal declaration of an organic union has
been or probably ever will be made,
these two bodies are, by virtue of their
community of interests in all lines of
denominational work, practically one
church, and the statement of doctrine,
polity and work of the Mennonite
Church is applicable throughout to the
Amish Mennonites.
OLD AMISH
As the movement along more progres-
sive lines in the Amish Mennonite
Church developed, resulting in a virtual
reunion of the conservatively progres-
sive element in that body with a kindred
element in the Mennonite Church, it
encountered not a little opposition from
the more strictly conservative members.
The result was a gradual separation, and
the organization of the Old Amish
Church about 1865.
The members are very strict in the
exercise of the ban, or shunning of ex-
330
THE PEXN'SYLVANIA-GERMAN
pelled members. They have few Sun-
day schools, no evening or protracted
meetings, church conferences, missions,
or benevolent institutions. They worship
for the most part in private houses, and
use the German language exclusively in
their services. They do not associate in
religious work with other bodies, and
are distinctive and severely plain in
their costume, using hooks and eyes in-
stead of buttons. They are, however, by-
no means a unit in all these things, and
the line of distinction between them and
the Amish Mennonites is in many cases
not very clearly drawn. Some are con-
stantly drawing nearer in their relation-
ship toward the more progressive body
which has affiliated with the Mennonite
Church, and some of their congregations
are liberal supporters of the missionary
and charitable work conducted through
the Mennonite Board of Missions and
Charities."
In illustration of the statement that
the Amish are not a unit, a quotation
from Smith's History will be in place.
He says : "The church in Mifflin County
serves as a good illustration of the dif-
ferent varieties of Amish. There are
five in the valley, ranging from the most
conservative, locally known as the
"Nebraskas" whose women still wear
the old Shaker bonnet, tied under the
chin, and whose men are not permitted
to adorn themselves with suspenders ;
and the "Peacheyites," two steps higher,
who may wear one single suspender,
provided it be home-made ; and next,
those who may hold their trousers with
the double suspender but who insist on
most of the other restrictions ; the con-
gregation organized a few years ago by
Abe Zook, then last the Amish Menno-
nites who worship in church houses,
maintain Sunday schools and has dis-
carded most of the restrictions on dress
with the exception of the bonnet." (p.
242)
These distinctions among Old Amish
are not found in Lancaster County to-
day.
The Amish of Lancaster County re-
side only east and south of the Conestoga
River, near the headwaters of the Cones-
toga and the Pequea. extending from
Gap to Morgantown, reaching into
Chester County, occupying the town-
ships of Leacock, Upper Leacock, Lam-
peter, East Lampeter, Paradise, Salis-
bury, Earl, East Earl, West Earl and
Caernarvon. There are about 800 Old
Amish and 300 Meeting House Amish,
the former having no meeting houses,
the latter having three places of public
worship.
Of the names of Amish immigrants.
171 5-1767 — Hostater, Lichty, Brandt,
Konig, Mast, Zug, Pitsche, Stutzma •
Kurtz, Bender, Lapp, Blank, Hochstat-
ler, Kauffman, Schwr ^, Gerber, Beiler,
Hartzler, Blauch, Stoltzfus, Jutzy,
Bietch, (S 211) — the following are
prevalent Amish names in the county to-
dav : Stultzfus, Lapp, Kauffman, King.
Miller, Beiler, Mast, Zook.
Descendants of the early Amish
families of the county have swarmed to
found new colonies elsewhere and in
some cases have joined other faiths in
the community, notably the Russelites.
Two centuries ago a frost gripped the
Amishman which remains in part to this
day on his Godward side but which has
disappeared on the dollarward side. His
Bible is construed literally as to some
passages and ignored as to others.
I Literalism is a relative term, the Amish
by no means being the only or the most
extreme Literalists in the Christian
church today. Feetwashing is enforced
as a church institution ; mission work is
not carried on by the Old Amish as a
religious body although a considerable
amount of such work is done through
other channels without public credit
being sought or given. Being fervent in
business means excellence in farming,
, the membership being discouraged from
engaging in other ways of winning a
livelihood. "Hold fast to that which is
good" has come to mean "hold fast to
what the fathers practiced." Paul's dic-
tum, "They which preach the gospel
should live of the gospel" is a dead let-
ter, but the faithful ministers will not be
allowed to suffer want and some neces-
sary expenses are defrayed for them.
THE AMISH OF LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
333
Exchange of pulpits with other churches
is not practiced.
Customs, growing out of conditions
that have long since passed away have
been exalted into shibboleths to the
practical setting aside of truths that in
the estimation of professing Christians
of other faiths belong to the weightier
elements of the law. The testimony of
the Church universal of every age and
clime is treated as of little or no account.
Originally the Amish held no confer-
ences, each community being indepen-
dent (S 234). This is true of the Old
Amish only today. They are not organ-
ically connected with the Amish of any
other community, although leaders of
other counties or even states have been
and may be called upon for consultation
and advice. Conferences called "Diener
Versammlungen," are held two weeks
prior to the holding of the semi-annual
advancement are thus held in check.
The Meeting House Amish have of-
ficial relationship with the educational,
religious, missionary, activities of the
Mennonite body as noted in the "Census"
report.
The church rules are not a matter of
printed or written record but of oral
delivery or tradition among the Old
Amish. It is not impossible that this
condition may lead to unpleasant and
unlooked-for results some day.
According to Amnion, not even wife
and children of an excommunicated
member were to be permitted to eat with
him at the same table and usual con-
jugal relations were to be suspended. (S
209). This is not observed among the
Meeting House Amish. The Old Amish
in recent years in trying to enforce such
a regulation got into a wrangle resulting
in the loss of members.
AMISH "HOUSE" SERVICES
communion services. In these confer-
ences all members have in theory equal
rights and privileges as to speech and
vote although in practice the younger
members probably feel that men ad-
vanced in age or singled out by position
wield undue influence. Innovations and
Gibbons (p. 19) states that a person
who lived among the Amish reported
that they were obliged to give to beg-
gars or "stragglers" or they would be
turned out of meeting. This was not
true then and is not true now.
If the young of the Old Amish marry
334
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
outside the "faith" expulsion from
membership will, and loss of inheritance
may follow, unless the non-member
adopts the faith and garb. This applies
only to Meeting House Amish in cases
where marriage takes place into families
which are not non-resistant.
The sentiment that a thief can not be
delivered up to civil authorities for
punishment by Amish on account of
their non-resistance principles does not
prevail although individuals may perhaps
hold this view. The story is told that
certain young men took a notion to
abuse a young Amishman, and that after
enduring the ill-treatment for a time the
Amish turned the tables and gave his
assailants a severe and deserved drub-
bing.
It is customary, although not oblig-
atory, to make public announcement of
contemplated marriages usually twro
weeks beforehand. Marriages, by an old
custom, take place usually on Tuesday
or Thursday at the home of the bride,
probably to afford more time for making
and removing preparations for the wed-
ding dinner. A wedding means, besides
the marriage ceremony, a day of feast-
ing and good times lasting into the night.
The ceremony itself would be incomplete
without a suitable sermon which may
last an hour. The marriage feast in one
instance meant 10 turkeys, 10 chickens,
50 lbs. of beef, 100 pies, 10 cakes, be-
sides many extras and accompaniments.
Dinner over, the dishes are washed and
preparations made for the next meal and
the young may be heard singing to their
hearts' content. In time past at least
part of the afternoon was spent in play
in the barn. Gibbons says (p. 33) "One
of my neighbors has told me that the
Amish have great fun at weddings, that
they have a table set all night and that
when the weather is pleasant they play
in the barn. One of the games played
on such occasions was "Bloomsock"
(Hunt-the-slipper). Such games are
not allowed at present.
These things are less incongruous
with the solemnity of the occasion than
the Kalliothumpian bands, the rice-
throwing, the carriage-decorating, the
feasting, the ostentatious display of
presents, costly and useless, among some
non-Amish families.
Last New Year's Mummers Parade
contained "The Beaver Camping Asso-
ciation" which "surely made a hit." "It
was headed by an Amish band male and
female and there was an elephant and
four floats. In line were a lot of fan-
tastics." (Lancaster newspaper report.)
Such an exhibition of thoughtlessness
is out of place, an insult to all religious
associations and orders and merits un-
stinted rebuke. The Amish dress de-
serves as much respect as the garb of the
Catholic Sisters, the Protestant clergy,
the Salvation Army worker. All per-
sons thatvwear a distinctive dress, badge
or emblem are insulted with the Amish
by^siich uncalled-for liberty.
Services of the Old Amish are usual-
ly held at the private houses, the rooms
of which are so arranged that two can
be thrown into one by means of folding
doors. Mothers need fear no frown for
bringing the babies to the services. In
summertime the services may be held in
the barns. In ordinary cases the order
of exercises will be : Introductory Re-
marks. Hymn, Prayer (Kneeling), Ser-
mon, Hymn, Testimony, Prayer, (which
may be from a book of prayers ) , Bene-
diction, Hymn. Gibbons (p. J 2) states
that during the pronouncing of the bene-
diction when the name of Jesus was
mentioned the whole congregation curt-
sied, or made a reverence. This is still
being observed. The singing or chant-
ing tone in preaching mentioned by
Gibbons (p. 69) is rarely heard among
the ( )ld Amish and still less frequently
among the Meeting House Amish.
The Hymnbooks used by the Old
Amish are "Unpartheyisches Gesang-
buch" and "Ausbund," both printed by
John Bar's Sons. In singing, the use of
notes or more than one of the four parts
was not permitted formerly (S 235).
This has become a dead letter. The dia-
lect is still being used by the Old Amish
in preaching — partly out of choice, cus-
tom or necessity. Of the church fes-
tivals the following are observed : Good
Fridav, St. Michael's and Christmas.
THE AMISH OF LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
335
Communion is observed twice a year by
each branch on Sunday with preaching
inThe forenoon and the Supper followed
by feet- washing in the afternoon. It is
only on such occasions that services are
held both in the forenoon and in the
afternoon of the same day with a lunch
between the two. Baptism is admin-
istered four weeks prior to communion
by trine pouring in the name of the
Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
Smith (p. 235) speaks of meetings last-
ing until late in the afternoon. This
has not been in vogue the last 50 years
in the county.
Mr. William Riddle in his "Cherished
Memories" gives the following picture
of an Amish school fifty years ago. The
description is hardly applicable today.
six to sixteen. In little groups they were
huddled together in their quaint dress
of linsey-woolsey, and small sugar-
scooped bonnets of sombre color, from
which sparkled eyes which shone like
silvery beads as they chatted together in
their own idiom. * * * * The branches
taught were confined to the fouTTunda-
mentals — reading in the German Bible,
spelling, writing and a little arithmetic
in the single rule of three. The other
branches, geography, history and gram-
mar, were tabooed, as in no way neces-
sary to make good farmers out of the
DQV.S- and good housewives out of the
girls. * * * * There was a wide differ-
ence of opinion among the Amish, as
they are called, as to the rotundity of
the earth, some believing it was flat,
m 9
«| W iMF * . w
V >8k
THE AMISH SCHOOI,
"The number of little tots, some of
the boys sitting on the fence with their
black felt hats well down over their
heads, with hair cropped long from back
to front, and short roundabouts with
broad- fall trousers scarcely reaching
below the tops of their raw-hide boots.
Ah, but the girls, ranging in ages from
others that it was square and a few more
intelligent that is was spherical in
shape."
According to Smith (p. 242) among
the "new" things which are still under
the ban are telephones, top-buggies,
dashboards, bicycles, furnaces, window
curtains, musical instruments, "note"
336
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
books, "store"' suspenders, etc., among
the Old Order Amish. Carpets and other
comforts and conveniences, not involv-
ing extravagance, are not allowed — ex-
cepting however, musical instruments,
fancy needlework, paintings. In times
past "pictures, curtains, carpets, and
everything that did not serve some use-
ful purpose was discarded as an evidence
of pride." (S 236). Among the diver-
sions encouraged or allowed are the mak-
ing of fancy-work by the women, the
practice of vocal music, whistling, the
reading of books like Martyrs' Mirror,
papers like the Christian Herald, Youth's
Companion, dailies and local weeklies,
the playing of games like checkers,
(card playing not being allowed.) The
taking and exchanging of photographs,
engravings, statuary are not allowed in
Old Amish families; they are permitted
by the Meeting House Amish.
Men are allowed to vote and hold
office at least such as are needed in rural
communities as township offices, School
Directors, Road Supervisors, etc.
Among the early Amish, hooks and
eyes instead of buttons were used on the
clothes of men (S 209) as a Church
regulation. Gibbons (p. 67) says, "Their
coats are plainer than those of the
plainest Quaker and are fastened, ex-
cept the overcoat, with hooks and eyes
in place of buttons.'' TJusJsJxue of the
Old Amish today, and not true of the
Meeting House Amish. Gibbons (p. 67)
says "Pantaloons are worn without
suspenders." Suspenders are being worn
now, even though some are only a 5-8
inch leather lacing. According to Smith
(p. 236) "clothes were home-made, of
prescribed material and cut." (Affirmed
of Old Order Amish of today.) This,
except the cut, is a dead letter.
( ribbons (p. 67) speaks of women
dressed in bright, purple apron, orange
neckerchief or (on Sunday ) white caps
without ruffle, or borders and white
neckerchief with gowns or sober woolen
stuff, and all wearing aprons. Even a
darkeyed Amish maiden of three years
had her sweet face encircled by the
plain muslin cap, the little figure dressed
in that plain gown. Contrary to cur-
rent views the girls are not compelled to
wear the caps from infancy up, neither
in school, nor at home, nor away from
home.
The men wear a distinctive broad,
stiff-brimmed hat.
Necessary jewelry, even gold eye-
glasses, is allowed. The young girls are
expected not to want to own or wear
gold watches. Should they use them,
discipline would follow.
Men may shine their shoes and women
buy polished machine-made footwear.
Gibbons gives the following interest-
ing picture : "I saw a group of Amish at
the railroad station the. other day — men,
women, and a little boy. One of the
voung women wore a pasteboard sun-
bonnet covered with black, and tied with
narrow blue ribbon, among which
showed the thick white strings of her
Amish cap; a gray shawl, without
fringe ; a brown stuff dress, and a purple
apron. One middle-aged man, inclined
to corpulence, had coarse, brown, woolen
clothes, and his pantaloons, without
suspenders (in the Amish fashion) were
unwilling to meet his waistcoat, and
showed one or two inches of white shirt.
No buttons were on his coat behind, but
down the front were hooks and eyes.
One young girl wore a bright brown
sun-bonnet, a green dress, and a light
blue apron. The choicest figure, how-
ever, was the six-year-old, in a jacket,
and with pantaloons plentifully plaited
into the waistband behind; hair cut
straight over the forehead and hanging
to the shoulder; and a round crowned
black hat with an astonishingly wide
brin. The little girls, down to two years
old, wear the plain cap, and the hand-
kerchief crossed upon the breast."
This was an extremely unusual case at
that time and could not be duplicated
today.
The dress peculiarities grow out of an
effort to follow the divine injunction,
"Be not conformed to this world." As
we write these words there lies before
us a current religious paper from which
we quote. As we "were observing and
contrasting the bonnets of two plain sis-
ters with the fashionable head gear of the
THE AMISH OF LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
337
other 29 ladies in our car, we were made
to appreciate more than ever the bon-
nets worn by sisters in the plain
churches. Of the 29 there were no two
alike. Each seemed to be trying to out-
do the other. All shapes and sizes, some
resembled washtubs, bushelbaskets, coal-
buckets, grainscoops, crows' nests, etc.
There were dead birds, dead animals
and a number of other things to cover
the large rolls of false hair and appar-
ently empty heads."
Gibbons (p. 17) says ''When steel or
elliptical springs were introduced, so
great a novelty was not at first patron-
ized by members of the meeting, but
an infirm brother, desiring to visit his
friends, directed the blacksmith to put a
spring inside his wagon under the seat
and since that time steel springs have
been common," and "many of the
wagons were covered with plain yellow
oil-cloth." (p. 17) At present springs
without or within the wagon-body are
allowed but the dasher and whip are not
rjermttteTi. The~ yellow" of the oil-cloth
haTlJTsappeared, lead color having taken
its place, and any style of wagon is
orthodox. A careful observer has said
that where Amish conveyances are
brought together at services or funerals
scarcely any two are alike. Flynets and
lap-blankets are allowed.
The early American Amish were ex-
tremely conservative in their religious
customs, tastes and habits, and general-
ly prosperous. The Old Amish today are
among the first to adopt improvements
pertaining to their pursuit as farmers,
but telephones, top-buggies, dashboards,,
are forbidden ; insurance is an open ques-
tion but telephones are finding their way
into some private houses. Time was
when a brother in financial needs could
count on receiving financial aid from the
brotherhood — but this has been known
to fail, nor will they always pay the debts
of the brother that has failed. They
carry an insurance company among
themselves. The bans against the wind-
mills of fifty years ago has been re-
moved. Stripes and gay colors may ap-
pear on the farm implements used dur-
ing the week but not on the conveyance
used on Sunday.
AT THE COUNTY SEAT
338
The Gutenberg Bible: The First Book Printed
A Copy Recently Sold For $50,000
By Hon. James B. Laux, New York City
ORD BEACONSFIELD in
his most brilliant manner
once remarked that there
were only two events in
history — the Siege of Troy
and the French Revolution.
To have been truly exact,
he should have said: three
events — the third being the invention of
printing, for it immediately became the
greatest force the world has ever
known. Revolutions, spiritual and polity
ical, became its children, and the eman-
cipation of the human intellect its crown-
ing glory. In the midst of darkness
God said— "let there be light", and print-
ing was.
The world is once more reminded of
this Epoch-making event, by the sale at
public auction on the 24th of April in
the rooms of the Anderson Auction
Company in New York City, of a copy
of the famous Gutenberg Bible printed
on vellum, from the library of the late
Robert Hoe, for which the fabulous
sum of fifty thousand dollars was paid
by Mr. Henry E. Huntingdon of Cali-
fornia, the highest price ever paid for a
book,— but such a book— the first ever
printed — the greatest ever written.
Pennsylvania Germans will regret,
while they congratulate Mr. Hunting-
don as a fellow American on his good
fortune in securing so priceless a treas-
ure, that their compatriot Mr. Peter A.
B. ^'idener of Philadelphia, one of the
greatest of American art patrons and
collectors, did not secure it.
Mr. Widener was the only competitor
Mr. Huntingdon had to face after a
$30,000 bid had been made by Bernard
Quaritch the noted book seller of Lon-
don, England. Every Pennsylvania
German would have felt a certain pride
in the fact that a descendant of old pio-
neer German stock had become the
owner of one of the glories of the Ger-
man race. Pennsylvania, the home of so
many thousands who claim Germany as
their fatherland and which enjoys the
high honor of having printed the first
Bible printed in America and that by
Pennsylvania Germans would have been
a most fitting resting place for this
unique product of German genius.
The sight of the ancient book — in
two volumes — which the writer had the
rare pleasure of enjoying, was most in-
teresting. It required no great effort of
memory and but little imagination to
create again the age in which it was
given to an amazed and incredulous
world ; to see it looked upon as a device
of Satan, by the scribes of the monastic
scriptoriums, invented to wreak de-
struction on an industry and art old as
the alphabet itself. The Age of the
Manuscript — of the Missal and the Book
of Hours — had come to an end — and the
Age of the printed book had begun. The
Age of the Few had passed — the Age of
the Many had dawned. Knowledge was
no longer to remain the possession of
the rich or the scholar of the cloister.
Books should now be multiplied like the
leaves of the forest so that the poorest
peasant could also become the owner of
that wonderful thing. Knowledge should
become a universal possession in spite of
the Church's interdict.
All unsuspected the marshalling of the
movable type for the printing of these
precious volumes was the calling into ex-
istence of a glorious company of heroes
and martyrs who should testify through
coming centuries to their love of liberty
and of mankind on the battle field and at
the stake. It created armies that should
annihilate old tyrannies and supersti-
tions, battle fields, the visible manifes-
tations of the Almighty's wrath at the
- degradation of man whom He had made
in his own image. The priming of these
sacred volumes called into existence the
THE GUTENBERG BIBLE; THE FIRST EOOK PRINTED
339
centuries of Luther, Calvin and Zwingli
— of Coligni and William the Silent,
Gustavus Adolphus of Galileo and
Bruno, of Spenser, Shakspere and Mar-
lowe, Voltaire, Rosseau, Goethe, Schiller
— Darwin and Huxley. It gave Ger-
many a language and a national litera-
ture ; Luther's translation of the Bible
into the vernacular did that. Tyranny
and superstition stood aghast when they
beheld this newborn art. As well might
they try to shackle the lightning as to
control this myriad-tongued thing that
announced itself the champion of the op-
pressed and the benighted.
Some conception of the gigantic force
exerted by the invention of movable
types in the distribution of knowledge
monastic libraries, universities and
churches how much worse off must have
been the laity, the humble worshipper.
Even so late as a hundred years ago the
dearth of the Scriptures on the Conti-
nent of Europe was astonishing. Thus
in Lithuania, among 18,000 Germans,
7800 Polish, and 7000 Lithuanian fam-
ilies, not a Bible was to be found. One
half of the population of Holland ap-
peared to be without the Bible. In Po-
land a Bible could hardly be obtained at
any price. In the district of Dorpat (Es-
thonia) containing 106,000 inhabitants,
not 200 Testaments could be found, and
there were Christian pastors who did
not possess the Scriptures in the dialect
in which thev preached. Into Iceland
BINDING OF GUTENBERG BIBLE
may be had in the well-known fact that
thousands of the priests of the Church
before the Reformation never saw a
copy of the Scriptures much less enjoyed
the possession of one. The accidental
discovery of a complete copy of one by
Luther in the monastery at Erfurt,
fragments of which he had only seen
previously, notwithstanding diligent
search, marked the beginning of Lu-
ther's revolt against the tyranny and
teachings of the Church of Rome. If
the Bible was so rarelv found in the
with a population of 50,000, of whom al-
most all could read, not more than 50
copies had found their way, while in
Sweden 14,000 families were without
any.
Before the invention of printing, the
Bible was the most expensive book in the
world, costing in England in the 13th
century £30. a copy. At the time of the
Revolution the cheapest Bibles were
valued at not less than $2 per copy. A
vast change has been effected in the last
hundred years through the work of the
340
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Bible societies of the United States and
Great Britain in the matter of price
and circulation. The Bible has been
translated into over 200 languages and
dialects and over three hundred million
copies have been printed and distributed
— while today Bibles can be bought at as
low a price as 25 cents per copy and
Testaments for 10 cents per copy. Mov-
able type harnessed to steam-driven
machinery has accomplished this — with
one book alone. The countless millions
of other books printed rill the contem-
plative mind with amazement at the vast-
ness of the work accomplished. The
book printing machines of the world
laugh at the Indices Expurgatorium still
attempting to perform a medieval man-
date of the self-appointed censors of the
intellectual product of the ages.
Mr. Hoe's copy had been called the
handsomest and most richly decorated
Gutenberg Bible in existence, and it at-
tained an auction price of $20,000 in
London fourteen years ago, the highest
sum ever paid for a Gutenberg Bible in
the auction room, and the second high-
est price any printed book ever sold for
at auction.
The book holding the record is the fa-
mous Mentz Psalter, richly illuminated,
printed in T459, which brought about
$24,750 in 1884 at the sale of Sir John
Thorold's library in London. It was
bought by Quaritch, the London dealer,
and is now owned by J. Pierpont Mor-
gan. Mr. Morgan has two copies of the
Gutenberg Bible, one on vellum and the
other on paper, the former not as fine a
copy as the one in the Hoe library. Mr.
Hoe also had a paper copy which is to
be sold at a future sale and we trust will
be obtained by a Pennsylvania German.
It is considered to be a finer copy even
than the vellum copy purchased by Mr.
Huntingdon.
Most of the Gutenberg Bibles were
printed on paper. It has been said that
probably 180 copies were so printed.
Thirty copies were printed on vellum.
There are about twenty-seven paper
copies known to be in existence, but five
of these only contain a single volume.
The Bible, as it left the press of Guten-
berg and Faust in Mainz, between the
years 1450 and I455,was in two volumes.
The book bears no date, so that the.
exact year is not positively known. It is
the first book printed from movable
types.
Of the vellum copies, which were
handsomely ornamented with illuminated
capitals and other figures, seven copies
are said to be in existence. The Morgan
and the Hoe copies are the only ones in
America. Of the five vellum copies in
Europe one is in the British Museum,
one in the National Library at Paris,
one in the Royal Library at Berlin, and
two in libraries in Leipsic.
The Hoe copy has an interesting his-
tory. It bears a book plate with the in-
scription, "Ex Bibliotheca Familiae Nos-
titzianae", dated 1774. It is said to have
been at one time in the Mainz Library.
Early in the last century George Nicol, a
prominent book dealer of London, ob-
tained it and at the sale of his effects in
1825 it was bought for Henry Perkins, a
wealthy brewer and one of the greatest
book collectors of his time. He paid for
it about $2,500. On the death of his son
the Perkin library was sold in 1873 and
the vellum Gutenberg was bought by the
Earl of Ashburnham for $17,000.
On the dispersal of the Ashburnham
library in 1897, one of the most magnifi-
cent that ever went under the hammer,
Quaritch paid about $20,000 for the
book, and he priced it at £5,000 or $25,-
000 in his catalogue. Just what Mr. Hoe
paid is not known, but it is believed to
have been a trifle less than $25,000.
The two volumes of this celebrated
Bible contains 641 unnumbered leaves
without signatures or catchwords. Two
of the original leaves, however, are miss-
ing, but they have been perfectly re-
placed in facsimile. The book is what is
known in the bibliographic world as the
forty-two line Gutenberg Bible, as all of
the pages after the sixth leaf contain
forty-two lines to the page, the preceding
leaves having forty and forty-one. It is
adorned with 123 finely painted and il-
luminated miniature initials, many con-
taining highly finished marginal decora-
tions of ornaments, birds, flowers, fruit,
THE GUTENBERG BIBLE; THE FIRST EOOK PRINTED
341
monkeys and grotesques in the best style
of Renaissance art, painted ornamental
capitals, and running titles of the books
in blue and red.
It differs from nearly all of the other
vellum copies in having headings at the
commencement of the Epistle of St. Je-
rome and the first book of Genesis
printed in red. It is presumed that on
account of the difficulty encountered in
printing in a second color the task was
abandoned. In the British Museum copy
these spaces were left blank. The bind-
ing also adds to the historic interest of
owned by James Ellsworth of Chicago,
and the other two are in the New York
Public Library and the General Theologi-
cal Seminary library.
Mr. Ellsworth's copy is the only Guten-
berg Bible that had previously appeared
in American auction rooms. It is the
well-known Brinley copy, which was sold
in 1881 in this city for $8,000 to Hamil-
ton Cole, a prominent New York lawyer.
Brayton Ives bid $7,750 for the book at
the time, and a little later, it is said, he
gave Mr. Cole $10,000 for the Bible.
When Mr. Ives's valuable library was
xtriprrtunlimt:* noii aliuo.fficpofua
mra 1 'it fitm mrcU&iaK ft
0a ttimt Diana jnniuaraurrii:*i8&i=
rati ottfai muntiatn? mmmifu$iu
ttgo a ta glatrij:tun tslmi inujmtu
glaD^ofnratr funuQiriu. 'IX ~
ffponimte aw fop^ar naaraa*
_ r^iKOiJjyir.|DriOTiTggitatonE^
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THE GUTENBERG BIBLE: PART OF A PAGE
the book, being the original contempo-
rary oak boards, covered with pigskin
and having twenty ornamental metal
bosses and eight clasps.
Seven copies of the Gutenberg Bible
are in America. Two of these are the
Hoe and the Morgan vellum copies. Of
the five paper copies Mr. Hoe had one,
which will be sold with a later install-
ment of the library, and Mr. Morgan
owns one, the famous Theodore Irwin
copy containing the complete 641 leaves,
but with two in facsimile. Another is
sold in 1891 Mr. Ellsworth bought the
book for $14,800.
The first Gutenberg Bible that ever
came to this country is the one in the
Lenox Library, now merged into the
magnificent New York Public Library
on Fifth Avenue between 40th and 42nd
streets. It was bought by James Lenox
in 1847 and ^ created a great stir in the
book world. He paid $2,500, and as book
collecting had not attained the grandeur
of such high prices as have become com-
mon today the price was regarded as
342
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
exorbitant. Henry Stevens, who acted
for many years as Mr. Lenox's agent
in Europe, says in his recollections of
Mr. Lenox that it was heralded as a
"mad price" in the London papers. "The
sale," adds Mr. Stevens, "was a biblio-
graphical event and was greatly talked
and written about both in London and
New York, inasmuch as Mr. Lenox,
whose name as that of the unlucky pur-
chaser had been freely used, declined to
clear the book from the New York Cus-
tom House and pay for it. The cost,
including commission, expenses, and cus-
toms duty amounting to about $3,000,
was deemed by him an amount of indis-
cretion for which he could not be re-
sponsible. However, after some reflec-
tion and a good deal of correspondence
he took home the book and soon learned
to cherish it as a bargain and the chief
ornament of his library.
The Gutenberg Bible in the library of
the General Theological Seminary was
presented a few years before his death
by Dean Eugene Hoffman. This also
has an interesting history. In 1884 it
came within $500 of bringing a price
equal to that paid for the Hoe vellum
copy of the Ashburnham sale. Quaritch
paid about $19,500 for it at the sale of
the Sir John Thorold Library, a record
price in the auction room for a paper
copy. It then passed into possession of
the Rev. William Makel'ar of Edinburg,
but at the sale of his library in 1898
brought only £2.980. It is a very hand-
some copy. What Dean Hoffman paid
for it is not known.
The Gutenberg Bible is sometimes re-
ferred to as the Mazarin Bible from the
fact that the first recognized copy of it
was accidentally discovered in the library
of Cardinal Mazarin at Paris.
There was a crowded hall to witness
this great event in the book world, the
sale of this great book, every one of the
400 seats being occupied. There were
bidders there from the English metropo-
lis, from Paris, Erankfort-on-Main, and
Munich, and nearly all the larger cities
of America were represented. A hum
of interest and curiosity went through
the hall as the famous old folio in oak
boards, covered with pigskin, w a s
brought forward.
The first bid was $10,000 from Mr.
Huntingdon's representative. Following
him came substantial raises from Dr.
Rosenbach of Philadelphia, Dodd & Liv-
ingston, Bernard Quaritch of London,
and Joseph Widener, who was represent-
ing P. A. B. Widener of Philadelphia.
The bids were $1,000 at a time. When
$20,000 was reached, the highest pre-
vious price brought by the Bible, there
were "Oh's" and "Ah's" heard in all
parts of the hall.
Quaritch seemed determined to capture
the prize and take it back to London, but
after he bid $30,000 he stopped. The
contest from that time on was between
Mr. Widener and Air. Huntingdon. The
price quickly went up to $35,000, then to
$40,000, without a sign of quitting on
the part of either. When Mr. Hunting-
don bid $48,000 Mr. Widener said $49,-
000 promptly, and Mr. Huntingdon made
it $50,000, and amid a burst of general
applause the treasure was knocked down
to him.
( )ne of the professors of Frederick
Institute, now the Mennonite Home for
the Aged, was returning from a visit to
his lady friend one beautiful moonlight
September night about the midnight
hour. Passing the graveyard he turned
to see if any spooks could be seen and,
behold, as he turned, he saw a man
standing by his side. The professor took
to his heels, but the man by his side kept
pace with him. Reaching the top of a
hill in his mad flight, exhausted from
exertion and fright, he threw himself
upon the ground and said, as he covered
his face with his hands, "Fress mich, der
no hostch mich." (Eat me, then you have
me.) Lying quietly for awhile and not
being disturbed, he lifted his head to see
what became of his man, and, lo ! his
man lay by his side also lifting up his
head; when, alas! he discovered that
what he thought was a man was only
his own shadow.
343
Jacob Leisler: The First German Governor
A Martyr to the Cause of Civil Liberty and Self Government.
Two German Oak Trees Planted in His Memory
WO thousand German-
Americans gathered in
City Hall Park, New York-
City on Sunday afternoon,
April 23rd, to watch and
share in the ceremonies that
attended the planting of
two oak saplings, sent over
as a gift from Frankfort-on-the-Main,
Germany, the native city of Jacob
Leisler, a German-American, who was
put to death not far from that spot two
hundred and twenty years before.
The exercises, held under the auspices
of the United German Societies of the
city, drew a goodly crowd of those who
love the Fatherland to the western side
of the City Hall, where benches had
been placed through the courtesy of the
Commissioner, and a stand erected from
which the United Singers of New York
might enliven the ceremony with har-
mony. The slender trees leaned against
the speakers' platform, guarded by a
score of young men from the cadet corps
of the New York Turn Yerein, when the
chorus opened with the "Shepherd's
Sunday Song."
Theodore Sutro, former Commission-
er of Taxes and president of the United
German Societies, then told why Leisler
was to be honored.
"Whatever Leisler did in his brief
governorship," said Mr. Sutro, "was in-
spired by true patriotism. All his
biographers unite in the verdict that,
instead of being a traitor and demagogue
as was falsely charged, he was a patriot
and statesman and an honor to the
country, both of his birth and his adop-
tion. Therefore we now are to plant in
his memory two oak trees sent as a gift
from his native city of Frankfort."
"It is but a small tribute to pay to
him, this planting of two trees," con-
tinued Mr. Sutro. "I hope that the time
may come when we may see a monument
erected here to his memory worthy of
his name and fame. But it is at all
events a beginning, and so we are thank-
ful to Park Commissioner Stover and to
the public authorities for enabling us to
recall through these tokens for the
nonce what services this great and good
man rendered to his and our country,
America.
"I am sure that I speak the sentiment
of all those whom I represent when I
close by saying that I am proud to
count among the very earliest and fore-
most officials of New York two and a
quarter centuries ago Jacob Leisler, a
German-American, such as we are our-
selves, imbued with fond remembrance
of the land of our origin and, at the same
time, with intense love for our new
fatherland, America."
Dr. Albert J. W. Kern, honorary
president of the United German Socie-
ties, spoke in German of the life and
times of Leisler. Then arose Dr. Max
Walter of Frankfort, commissioned by
Addickes, Mayor of Frankfort for
thirty-six years, to present the trees to
New York". Dr Walter concluded with
this sentiment :
"May the enterprise of the American
mingle with the piercing thoroughness of
the German character in German Amer-
icans to make them worthy of represent-
ing the Fatherland in this country."
The drum corps emitted a long roll
and Park Commissioner Charles B.
Stover appeared to accept the trees for
the city. Mr. Stover said he thought it
about time Capt. Leisler was remem-
bered.
"There is no street, no park, no alley
named after him," he continued. "It is
appropriate that the first memorial
should be a pair of German oaks. In the
last few days some persons have asked
me by what right I expend the people's
money in a celebration such as this. I
344
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
say proudly that this is a celebration not
merely for a German society but for all
the people of New York. Capt. Leisler
is just as worthy of a memorial, if not
more so, as that man over there (Mr.
Stover pointed at the statue of Nathan
Hale), who at a later day laid down his
life for democratic principles."
The Commissioner had been told that
Leisler was a traitor, he said, but he had
"waded through five histories of New
York and in each of them found Leis-
ler regarded as a patriot worthy to be
commemorated forever."
To the music of the bugle corps of the
New York Turner cadets the trees were
set in the ground, while a number of the
frock-coated herren, and bonneted
frauen turned to and shovelled the dirt
back into the holes. The German sham-
rocks which still clung green and tender
to the roots disappeared into the pockets
of those near by as souvenirs of the
occasion and of the old land across the
sea.
Professor Marion D. Learned, of the
University of Pennsylvania, ended the
ceremonies with an estimate of the im-
portance of Leisler in American history.
"'He brought from the old city of
Frankfort," he said, the "the concept of
constitutional rights, the concept of
loyalty to the government's head. When
the colonies were in danger from the
French and from the Indians allied with
them, the people looked to him to rescue
them. At that time he kept intact the
germ of this great Republic in which we
rejoice today. May these oaks cast a
shadow of peace and liberty across the
sea from this land to that land from
which he came, the Fatherland."
Among those present was a descendant
of Governor Leisler of the seventh gen-
eration, Mrs. Montgomery Schuyler, of
New Rochelle, to which town Leisler is
said to have presented the land it covers.
Mrs. Schuyler counts her line back to
the Captain's daughter Hesther, who
married Baron Rynders. She sat with
her husband in the front row of benches
nearest the speakers' stand, where flut-
tered German and American flags and
against which leaned the two oaks from
Frankfort. Near her were Richard Mil-
ler, president of the Deutsche Krieger-
bund; ex-Mayor Lankering of Hoboken,
Rudolph Kronau, who writes of German
history ; Consul General von Francksen,
Herman Ridder and others of German
blood.
CAPTAIN JACOB LEISLER
A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE
In 1660 came to New York from his
native city of Frankfort one Jacob Leis-
ler. He was the son of the Rev. Jacob
Victorian Leisler, pastor of two Re-
formed congregations, a man who had
been persecuted and exiled because of
his religion. The son inherited the
father's stalwart Protestantism. He was
a soldier of the Dutch West India Com-
pany, but soon after landing here he
resigned from this service, and within
two years he had married Elsie Tymens,
the widow of a merchant, Yanderveen,
and a niece of Anneke Jans, whose
estate is even today the bone of conten-
tion between a numerous company of
optimistic "heirs" and the corporation of
Trinity Parish. Elsie brought to Jacob
Leisler lands that included the site of
The Sun building and a business large
and valuable.
Captain Leisler was a man of sense
and valor. In 1667 he was one of a
jury that acquitted two persons accused
of "murder by witchcraft." Eight years
later, as a magistrate, he opposed the
efforts of Governor Andros to install in
the Dutch Church a priest sent over by
King James. For this conduct the
Governor locked him up, but apparent-
ly with no ill will, for three years later
Governor Andros led a movement to
ransom Leisler from the Turks who had
captured him aboard one of his vessels.
In 1670 he was a deacon in the Dutch
Church, sitting with a Bayard and a
Yan Cortlandt. He was a generous man.
When it was proposed to sell into slav-
ery a Huguenot widow and her son, un-
able to pay their ship charges, Leisler
bought their freedom. Under Governor
Dongan he was a Commissioner of the
Admiralty Court.
In 1688 Governor Dongan was suc-
ceeded by Lieutenant-Governor Nichol-
JACOB LEISLER: THE FIRST GERMAN GOVERNOR
345
son. The military training of Jacob
Leisler had brought about his selection
as Captain of one of the five companies
of militia in the city. He was senior
Captain, and this post he held when news
came of William's landing in England
and the overthrow of the Government
of James.
Captain Leisler had on June 3, 1689,
a vessel in the harbor, and on her he
promptly refused to pay duties to the
•collector. Plowman, representative of
James. Party feeling ran high. The
Protestants believed they were to be
massacred by the Catholics. The "com-
mon people" were arrayed against the
"aristocrats." The colonial officers ap-
pointed by James were feared. They
were charged with planning to hold their
places by force of arms. So on June 2
there was an uprising, which resulted
in the seizure of the fort by the militia,
under Leisler and its other Captains.
These stood watch and watch, one to-
day, another tomorrow. They demanded
and obtained the keys from the Council.
Lieutenant-Governor Nicholson departed
for England to learn what was to be
done. The interests of the artistocratic
party, the party of James, were left in
the hands of Bayard, Philipse, Van
Cortlandt. An early act of theirs was to
dismiss Plowman, "to quiet a restless
community."
But the power lay in the hands of the
Leisler faction, and this, on June 10,
under the signatures of the five Cap-
tains, called a convention of delegates
from the counties. This convention,
with Albany and Ulster unrepresented,
established a Committee of Safety of
ten members. The committee assumed
power on June 26, the organ of a popu-
lar revolution. Jacob Leisler was named
Captain of the Fort. He had already
thrown up a battery beyond its walls,
from which the Battery takes its name.
Later, and again by authority of the
Committee of Safety, he was named
Military Captain of the province. Again
he was promoted, this time to the Lieu-
tenant-Governorship by his acceptance
in December of a letter from William,
addressed to "Our Lieutenant-Governor
and Commander-in-Chief in our Pro-
vince of New York, and in his absence,
to such as for the time being care for
preserving the peace and administering
the laws." This he and the Committee
of Safety regarded as recognition by the
Crown of his status. On his assuming
the office of Lieutenant-Governor the
committee disbanded and eight of its
members became the Governor's Coun-
cil.
Captain Leisler seems to have gov-
erned with reasonable mildness, all
things considered. There were impris-
onments, it is true, but there was no
bloodshed. The times were turbulent,
but Leisler, freely condemned as a
"tyrant," "insolent," one who "ruled by
the sword," appears to have been singu-
larly free from bloodletting. History
is written by the "aristocrats." When
Schenectady was burned, when Count
Frontenac opened his campaign on the
frontier, Governor Leisler sent delegates
to confer with the other colonies as to
means of defence. He raised land and
water forces. He called a popular as-
sembly and he called a colonial congress.
He was a democrat and deserves well of
those who believe in popular govern-
ment.
William's selection for Governor of
the Province was Henry Sloughter.
Governor Sloughter on the voyage over
became separated from his convoy, and
Major Richard Ingoldesby entered the
port without him in January, 1691, three
months before the Governor arrived. He
was visited at once by Leisler's enemies.
He demanded of Leisler possession of
the fort. Leisler required of him his
credentials. Ingoldesby had none. Leis-
ler refused to recognize him, but offered
"all courtesy and accommodation for his
troops." The people were aroused. An
encounter took place and two men were
killed. Leisler disclaimed responsibility
and promised punishment. Thereafter
came a deadlock, broken only when
Governor Sloughter sailed into the bay
on March 19. He, after hearing Major
Ingoldesby's story, arrested Leisler's
messengers and sent Ingoldesby to arrest
Leisler and his Council. This was easily
346
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
accomplished. There was no resistance
to Governor Sloughter.
Captain Leisler, his son-in-law Mil-
borne and others of his Councillors were
arrested and tried for treason and mur-
der. Leisler asked at the beginning of
the trial for a decision as to whether
the King's letter had conferred on him
authority to take the government on
himself. On this hinged the legality of
all his acts. The answer was against
him. It sealed his fate. Leisler and
Milborne were tried as mutes and with
six of the Leisler Council were con-
demned to death. They asked for a de-
lay until the King could act, but this
was refused. The warrants for the exe-
cution of Leisler and Milborne were
signed by Sloughter, while he was
drunk, some historians say, on the even-
ing of Thursday, May 15. On May 16
the two men were hanged and their
bodies beheaded. The execution was
conducted near what is now the corner
of Frankfort and Nassau streets. The
bodies were buried in a grave about
where the Franklin statue now stands.
But the case did not end here. Their
Majesties were petitioned to restore the
estates of Leisler and Milborne to their
widows, and did so as an act of mercy.
In 1695, however, the matter came be-
fore Parliament. A committee examined
the case. In spite of strong opposition
Parliament passed a bill reversing the
attainder in full. The other six mem-
bers of Leisler's Council, who in the
meantime had been kept in imprison-
ment, were set at liberty. The bodies of
Leisler and Milborne were taken from
their graves in September, 1698, and
escorted to City Hall, where they lay in
state for several days. A guard of honor
of 100 soldiers were present. Twelve
hundred people witnessed the exhuma-
tion of the bodies, and they were finally
buried in the graveyard back of the Old
Dutch Church in Garden street, now
Exchange place.
This was the Jacob Leisler in whose
honor two oak trees brought from his
native city of Frankfort were planted by
the United German Societies in City
Hall Park. That he was a sturdy, hon-
est man seems to be beyond question.
His contributions to free government ap-
pear to have been considerable. He
apparently was enlightened, brave and
forceful. There is good reason why the
memory of Jacob Leisler should be held
in honor in the city that was his home
and the State that he governed. — New
York Sun.
Germans a Great People
LTpon leaving Germany, Rev. Dr. J.
M. Buckley wrote thus in his able paper:
"In traveling in their own country no-
where have I found a more courteous
and obliging people, who love their
homes and take pleasure in simple
things. All whom we met on this oc-
casion answered this description — a
people who today stand at the top. or
nearly so, 'in matters of industry,
science, schools and universities, army
and navy.' A former American consul
to Germany, in writing of the country
says: 'With Russia, Austria, Italy and
France all jealously watching her from
all sides, and England, with her power-
ful navy, only a stone's throw away, who
is there that does not admire the great-
ness of modern Germany, laboring
under such circumstances, yet pushing
her way to the front against all opposi-
tion, shining all the more brilliantly be-
cause so surrounded, even turning this,
its most serious disadvantage, to the
most excellent advantage imaginable?'
A great country and a great people, may
they go on to even better things." —
Exchange.
34T
Opposition to German ; a Misconception
By E. Schultz Gerhard, Trenton, N. J.
ROBABLY one of the most
perplexing things in deter-
mining what constitutes
real progress is the ability
to know when and where
to hold on, and when and
where to let go. It is not
always an easy matter to
know what things to hold firm, and what
things to discard, for progress is not al-
ways effected by letting go of the old and
striving after the new. Not infrequent-
ly the change is the only thing noticeable,
and the progress is only apparent.
Not unlikely in this age of rapid trans-
it many things are in danger of being dis-
carded whose period of usefulness has
not yet been reached. It is not even a
disputable question that stone ground
flour is not more wholesome than flour
made today by the patent roller process
with the best nourishment refined out of
it. The passing throng with its morbid
curiosity for change, and frequently for
change only, is inclined to fling aside
many means that make for solidarity or
progress, and to be enticed by fads and
fancies that pass with a fleeting breath.
It is sometimes necessary to hold on to
what you have in order to make pro-
gress. It almost -fills one with dismay
and regret at times to behold the jubilant
manifestations that become evident every
time a German newspaper suspends
publication for lack of support, or a
church dispenses with German services.
There is prevalent a feeling of satisfac-
tion and rejoicing that these old land-
marks have been left behind. In nearly
every case it is looked upon as a veri-
table achievement, almost worthy of a
celebration whenever a minister can an-
nounce to his synod, conference or
ministerium that he no longer needs to
preach German. On such occasions
people seem to be wont to throw their
hats and caps into the air and to shout
at the apparent progress they are making.
Are these changes always a sign of
progress ? How much has been achieved,,
if anything, in the way of learning,
of culture, and in the way of appreciat-
ing the eternal fitness of things? It is
a pity if we have become so English that
we can no longer understand the lan-
guage of our forefathers and appreciate
their works, but it is a greater pity if
it is only pretense.
This is a distorted view of things ; it
is wrong. German needs to make no
apology for its existence ; its heritage,,
history, and literature are as honorable
as those of any modern nation, and even
more so than those of some ancient na-
tions. Germany, whether we speak of its
literature, language, or history, has to a
large extent lived down the bitter oppo-
sition of a hundred years ago. Whoever
sneers at it shows his narrowminded-
ness, or rather, his snobbishness. The
German element was as great and im-
portant a force in laying the foundations
and in establishing the institutions of
this country as anything English ; and it
has in no way been derelict in defending
and maintaining them. Germany has
played an indispensable part in making
the United States. "In nearly all the
phases of American life it stands today
at the front." ■
It may be that the old order is chang-
ing; for America is evidently awaking
to an interest in German influence in life,,
literature, and civilization. Happily
some more of the prejudice may be re-
moved by the appearance of such works
like Professor Hoskins' "German In-
fluence on Religious Life and Thought
in America during the Colonial Pe-
riod," (1907); Bosse's "Das Deutsche
Element in den Yereinigten Staaten",
(1908); Cronau's "Eine Geschichte der
Deutschen in den Vereinigten Staaten",
(1909); and Dr. Eaust's "The Ger-
man Element in the United 'States",
(1909). The organization of numerous
German Societies throughout the coun-
try, and the establishing of extensive
348
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
courses of instruction in German in all
schools and institutions of learning is
further evidence of the importance and
influence of German. Just lately one of
the oldest and the best established pub-
lishing houses of New York City began
to publish a German Literary Magazine.
Dr. Munsterberg has of late published
two books; one for the information
of the Americans concerning the Ger-
mans, and the other for the information
of the Germans concerning the Amer-
icans. Whatever Dr. Munsterberg may
be or not be he is at least one of the
keenest interpreters of American life,
and it is hoped that these books may
have a tendency to remove the prejudice
with which each country is overburden-
ed against the other. In view of these
facts, is it the part of wisdom, of com-
mon sense, is it even good policy, to
look down upon the German?
The view that the German newspaprs
are relics and bogies of the past indicates
an attitude that is in direct opposition to
well established educational ideas. The
subject of German is an accepted course
of study in all institutions of learning
from the public schools on up. Millions
of dollars are spent every year to equip
and maintain courses of instruction in
German. When people, then, fling aside
things like the German newspapers as
being back numbers they are in fact cast-
ing aside valuable assistance in mastering
a knowledge of German. One might say
that they kill the goose that lays the
.golden egg.
One of the most important things in
mastering a language and one of the
most difficult in teaching it. is the de-
veloping of a "sprachgefuhl," a "lan-
guage sense," and a right attitude of
mind toward a language. At present
the developing of a "sprachgefuhl" is
considered very important in the study
•of German. It necessitates the creating
•of an "atmosphere" in which both the
recorded and the spoken word are the
vital elements outside of the schoolroom
as well as within it. A stronger attempt
should be made to foster a greater pride
for language ; and so long as there is not
more of it, there will be poor English
and poor German ; for this country is not
noted for its language pride, but for a
lack of it. There is always an urging
that good English be used on all occa-
sions, and that good books, papers and
magazines with good English be read.
Why is not the same done for the Ger-
man? Is it not just as important and
as worthy?
To hurl aside these agencies of in-
struction in German outside of the
school is on the face of it illogical and
unpedagogical, for it is the "living" word
that counts for most in language study ;
and German is next to English the
modern language. A treatment similar
to that accorded the "mother tongue"
may be rightfully claimed by the "speech
of the fatherland."
Many of the older generation can very
likely trace their mastery of the knowl-
edge of German to the German news-
paper and German services at church.
German books and newspapers can
easily be made valuable companions as
often as one likes. Many pupils will
doubtless drop the language in after
life ; and yet there are decided chances
to keep up a reading knowledge of it.
There is enough reading power gained
in school to make the reading of German
a pleasure ; but this alone is not suf-
ficient for those who would obtain a
clear comprehension of things German.
It is not to be maintained for one
minute that this country should be bi-
lingual ; it is extremely doubtful whether
it could be even if it were necessary. It
is a mooted question whether any person
can ever become absolutely bilingual so
that he can become master of two sets of
symbols to express his ideas. This,
however, should not deter any one from
trying to comprehend the eternal fitness
of things ; it should not deter anyone
from acquiring a proper conception of
accomplishments and culture. It should
rather constrain one to hold on to the
language of one's forefathers, to imbibe
its spirit and to be strengthened by its
potency. Not to be able to be a bilinguist
excuses no cultured person, nor even
OPPOSITION TO GERMAN; A MISCONCEPTION
34»
educated, from understanding the posi-
tion occupied by Germany in the civil-
ized world today. The best way to
learn to appreciate the best that German
civilization affords is to study its litera-
ture and history. A writer like Goethe,
the world's greatest lyricist, is a whole
literature in himself.
It seems that the reason for most of
this misconception, of which we have
been speaking, lies to a large extent in a
certain misunderstanding of, and an
unfounded disregard for, things Ger-
man. As said, the opposition to German
a century ago has been largely removed;
but there is still a great deal of it left.
Time was when German was a theme of
derision. It is not yet a hundred years
when instruction in German was first
given at Harvard (1825). The little
class numbering eight pupils was laughed
at and looked upon with ^amazement.
The time for entertaining any feeling of
prejudice against things German should
be entirely past. It is, however, a very
common practice to associate lager beer,
cheese and sour-krout with whatever is
German. This is unnecessary ; such as
are inclined to do this would do well to
see ourselves as the people of other
countries see us by reading Mr. Brooks'
book on that subject; they will find a lot
of woefully uncomplimentary things
said about us.
Least of all does it behoove those
whose very traditions, heritage, and even
blood are German to spurn their origin.
It seems at times as if those of Pennsyl-
vania-German origin are the most un-
compromising and determined to throw
aside anything and everything that is in
any way related to German. There are
those whose fathers and grandfathers
stood in the pulpit and expounded the
Word of God in the German language ;
while their descendants of the present
generation would deride the speech and
traditions of their ancestors. They are
to be pitied who are ashamed of their
ancestry, and who would sell it for a
mess of pottage in order to stand ap-
parently in the good graces of such who
meet every reference to German with a
sneer at the "dumb Dutch." The God of
his fathers will not hold him guiltless
who takes their traditions and language
under foot.
Were our forefathers such weaklings
and ignoramuses that their nationality
should frequently be referred to as
something undesirable and something to
be avoided, and that their common
speech should be spurned?
Our customs, traditions, and our lin-
eage are German, even our blood is.
These attributes and elements can no
more be changed than the leopard can
change his spots or the Ethiopian his.
skin; and why should they be?
"Honor and shame from no condition
arise;
Act well your port, there all the honor
lies."
Whoever does not value his heritage,
and the traditions of his ancestors can-
not expect others to value them.
It is not necessary, at least it should not
be, to dilate here upon the accomplish-
ments and achievements of either the
German Americans or the Pennsylvania-
Germans. Their works and their deeds,
are their vindication . Whoever would
doubt this would do well to read some
of the things referred to earlier in this
article, and also "Pennsylvania in His-
tory," by Ex-Governor Pennypacker.
These things have not been said to
disparage the English, but why should
there be such a pronounced predilection
for the English ? Do German literature,
history, scholarship, civilization, and
culture, not stand for anything? An
impartial investigation would show most
conclusively that they do. It may be
said without fear of contradiction that
the deepest thought of the modern world
is written down in German. President
Garfield once said, that for deep theo-
logical study German is indispensable.
And really without being sacriligeous,
what is there that is more emphatic,
more expressive, and more powerful
than a German prayer, and a German
oath ? There is no language that strikes
deeper at the roots of thought and feel-
ing than the German.
350
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERM AX
An educated person, and much more a
cultured person, is expected to under-
stand the literature and history of a
civilization that has done so much for
mankind as Germany has done ; to un-
derstand Germany's position in the world
today; and to realize that back of its
great literature is a great mind and a
great civilization.
However great this country is, it is
not sufficient unto itself — none is — to
work out the salvation of mankind
alone. It seems to be necessary to ap-
preciate the qualities of other nations
and compare their strength, and weak-
ness, with one's own in order to judge
one's own with fairness.
This is the feeling and attitude that
need to be aroused and established
through the instruction of German, and
inculcated in the minds of the younger
generation. But this is not brought
about by discarding the very means that
go to make such instruction vital and
effective, and that help to foster a
language sense and a cultured apprecia-
tion of the best that has been felt, done,
and said in the world.
A German Musical Clock
About sixty-live years ago the great-
est public attraction to the young and
old in Muncy, Pa., was George Whit-
moyer's musical clock. The proprietor,
was a kind-hearted, thick-set, medium-
height German, whose occupation was
baking gingerbread and making small
Deer, and whose place of business was a
small red building with a basement and
a flight of steps leading from the side-
walk to the cake and clock room. His
cakes were highly esteemed both for
their great size and superior quality.
Some old men who were boys at that
time insist that they were 5 by 8 inches
and two inches thick, and in quality
have never been surpassed.
On an average parents would give
their boys or girls only one cent to buy
a gingerbread, older persons would buy
several gingerbreads and a glass of small
beer. At all events, the cakes and the
"beer, together with the wonderful clock,
made Whitmoyer's house long famous
and a constant place of resort. On public
days he was always thronged, and the
clock was kept playing from morning
until midnight. Many have stood in
silent wonderment before that fascinat-
ing clock, and while munching the old
German's delicious giugercakes, watched
the three prim little musicians on the
case that moved in accord with the tunes
it played. We in this exceptional age
of wonderful inventions, in this new era
of multiplied amusements, of almost
endless luxuries and refinements, or
organs, pianos, phonographs, bands and
orchestras, can but feebly realize how
much real pleasure Whitmoyer's musical
clock afforded the young and many of
the old in the days gone by. It played
six airs. One was "Bonaparte Crossing
the Rhine." It played several waltzes,
it was interesting in watching a number
of Germans waltzing to its music. Mar-
tin Fahrenbach brought the clock from
Germany, when he first came to America
about the year 1826. For many years
it belonged to George Whitmoyer, and
was one of the greatest ornaments and
attraction of the town of Muncy, Pa.
But like all earthly things, the clock had
its day, and other attractions came to
take its place. Whitmoyer died just
before the war with Mexico, and his
widow took the clock at appraisement.
At her death, not a great while after, it
was sold at public sale by Mr. B. S.
Merrill, who was just then beginning
his career of vendue crier, and was
bought by the late Major Isaac Bruner.
In the year 1849 forty of the liveliest
boys in the town secured a truck wagon,
placed the clock on it in proper position
for playing and the forty boys paraded
it about the town and made a great
excitement.
351
Bowmansville
By Hon. A. G. Seyfert, American Consul, Owen Sound, Canada
of i8s8.
OWMANSVILLE, the Cap-
ital of Brecknock Town-
ship, Lancaster County, as
I remember it fifty years
ago, seems like a nightmare
to me, at this distance in
space and time. My father
moved there in the spring
It has been a force of habit
with me to remember dates by associat-
ing events. In the summer of 58 Dona-
tes great comet was the startling object
in the heavens. Comets at that time
created a good deal of consternation
among the average people as they do yet.
The older people would sit in the
open air night after night to view the
celestial visitor, and predict all sorts of
dire calamities to happen, for which the
comet was responsible. The violent agi-
tation of slavery at the time gave many
who were newspaper readers like my
father, a subject to make war certain
with all its horrors as the logical out-
come of the comet's visit. That is 53
years ago, but we boys who were roll-
ing around on the grass at our parents'
feet, were startled more than once at
what we heard.
Bowmansville derived its name from
the founder of the village. Samuel
Bowman built the first house on the
southeast corner of the cross roads. In
the old Mennonite graveyard, south of
the village, stands the largest tombstone
in the graveyard, at the head of Mr.
Bowman's grave. He was buried in the
winter of 1856, according to the inscrip-
tion on the stone. Mr. Bowman was the
cross-road storekeeper, surveyor, school
master, as well as the founder of the
village. His grandson, J. B. Musselman,
still occupies the old store which is the
corner stone of the village. During the
exciting days of the Civil war, the store
room was the headquarters for the people
of the neighborhood, who gathered there
night after night to hear the latest news
from the front and discuss it. Brecknock
had many enemies in the rear, who
were openly opposed to the war for the
preservation of the Union. "The Knights
of the Golden Circle," or better known
in the North as "Copper Heads," were
in a majority in the township. Disloyal-
ty was rampant, drafts were resisted, the
enrolling officers shot, election riots, and
intimidating the non-resident or con-
scientious voter from going to the elec-
tion were frequent occurrences. The
firing upon Fort Sumpter by the Con-
federates aroused a spirit of loyalty for
the old flag that prior to the event was
sleeping but not dead.
The large flag pole which was erected
on the village green, and the flag which
floated from it every day during the
war, was a matter of pride for those
who believed in an undivided Union,
while on the other hand, to those who
were in sympathy with the South, it was
a sight very much disliked, of which
their descendants are ashamed unto this
day.
The village had no more loyal or in-
telligent citizen than Daniel Bowman.
He was an old man and fond of read-
ing. His country club hours at the store
were in the afternoon. He seldom came
for the night sessions, unless some ex-
traordinary news was at hand to be dis-
cussed in the evening. Daniel Bowman
was the oracle of the village club. He
had more time to read than anyone else,
and hence knew more news to tell. He
was a kindly disposed old gentleman, and
we boys often imposed on his good na-
ture and his fine apple orchard.
The member of this self-constitnu-d
club for the preservation of the country
by debating the stirring events around
the stove of the village store, who came
six nights in the week, summer and
winter, the greatest distance is. as far as
I know, at present still living, though
over eighty. All honor to Joseph Good
who then and now lives more than two
miles from the village with only a foot
:::,:'
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
path through the meadows on which he
traveled the darkest nights as safely as
one walks in the electric lighted city
streets now. If the roll was called of
those who gathered at the store fifty
years ago, few would answer. The great
majority, but those who were boys at
the time, are in the Great Beyond. That
store room was the concentrated centre
of the village's intellectual club for mu-
tual improvement as much as the scien-
tific organizations of today are in cities.
It was not only the loafing place as we
are prone to call it, but here met the
ideal rural man to man to seek and com-
mune with his fellow man on the great
historical drama of the age.
I was much interested in reading
"Stories of Old Stumpstown" in the
April number of The Pennsylvania-
German. The conditions as there told
by the writer, which existed in the early
part of the nineteenth century in Dau-
phin, now Lebanon County, were pre-
cisely the same as I remember them
fifty years ago in Bowmansville and
vicinity. Early environments and im-
pressions are undoubtedly the lasting
ones, and were I to attempt to put them
on paper, as I came across them as a
boy of less than ten, I would but repeat
the conditions of that locality so well
told by Dr. Grumbine. The little school
house that stood at that time quite a dis-
tance north of the village, is no more.
A new two story building has long since
taken its place. Here it was that I
started on the royal road to learning,
with a Webster Primer to read, and a
corn stalk pen holder to write. I dare
say that much of my undecipherable
writing, unless put in type by way of
dictation to a typewriter, might be attrib-
uted to the corn stalk as a pen holder
for an excuse today.
During the four months the school
was open, big and little boys and girls
crowded the old stone house, at least
part of the term to suffocation. How
any of us survived the floggings, the
over-heated air, and dust, is a mystery
to me. The introduction of coal for
heating; the discarding of the tenplate
woodstove, and the trouble it created
at first, was an event in school life for
a backwoods boy. The teacher was as
ignorant of how to start, and keep a
coal fire, as he was of the higher
branches that he was not supposed to
teach. Several times was the school dis-
missed and the children sent home be-
cause the new fangled coal fire would
not burn.
The old school house is no more. The
teachers who taught there half a century
ago, as well as most of the pupils have
crossed the bar. A few of the pupils
have made their mark in the world's af-
fairs. On an average as many have
been a success who graduated from the
soft side of the slabs on which we sat
as from other similar rural seats of
learning. The first County Superinten-
dent who came to the school in my
school days was David Evans. It was
during the first year of the war, for here
my association of dates serves me again
to locate the time. To create public
school sentiment, Mr. Evans announced
that he would deliver an educational
address on the night following he paid
his official visit to the school. The house
was well filled that evening, for this was
an innovation of the nightly meetings
around the stove in the store room. Here
was a chance to hear something new.
The only thing which I remtmber and
made an impression on me as told by the
speaker, was when he spoke of the use-
fulness of studying geography. As an
illustration, he said he overheard a con-
versation between two men who were
discussing the war. The capture of
Alexandria by the rebels was the subject;
one of them interrupted the conversation
by asking: "Who was Alexandria any-
how" ? The first political meeting ever
held in the village was in the fall of i860.
This was not only the first political meet-
ing but the first brass band that ever
came to that locality, and created more
excitement than the meeting. A delega-
tion of Republicans, for it was a Lincoln
meeting, headed by the New Holland
Brass Band, came by way of Terre Hill
and the Dry Tavern on a Saturday after-
noon, and passed the corn field where
my father was at work cutting corn.
BOWMANSVILLE
353
Boylike, I wanted to follow the band
wagon, but was not permitted to have
this pleasure. My father, who was a
Douglas Democrat, took no chance in
having one of his seven year old sons
following the Band wagon to a Lincoln
meeting.
The speaking was from the porch of
Squire John B. Good's house. The new
Republican doctrine was heard for the
first time by the crowd, but the brass
band was the greater attraction of the
two. The old Mennonite meeting house,
which stood on the village green, was
for many years the only house of wor-
ship in the village or its locality. In
1854 the New Mennonites erected a
church building south of the village, on
the edge of the Pine Grove, after which
it was named. "Pine Grove Fersuml'mg
House 1854" is the inscription on a
stone of the church facing the road.
A lone pine is the only reminder of
the fine grove of pines as I remember it
in i860 as a play ground for the village
boys, and a noisy resort for the black-
birds which nested in the pine tops over-
head. The old meeting house, the hitch-
ing posts and the horse sheds in the cen-
tre of the village were very objection-
able, and a constant eyesore to the vil-
lagers. All these have long since been
removed. A new church has been built
by the members of the Old Mennonite
congregation, a mile south of the village.
The green on which the old church stood
is now occupied by a number of fine
residences. Two new churches, Lu-
theran and Reformed, and Evangelical
Association are part of the village
where most of the people now worship.
Brecknock was one of the last town-
ships in this county to accept the free
school system. This backward state of
affairs put educational matters for the
children of the township at a great dis-
advantage. For many years this was
severely felt, but the new generation has
now caught up with the other districts
and the school system of the township is
as good as any.
No district in the county has made
more progress during the past twenty
years than Brecknock. The farms have
improved until now an acre of sandstone
soil is as productive as that of any other
in the county. Bowmansville, as I knew
it as a boy, had but half a dozen houses.
It is now one of the progressive over-
grown country villages in the county.
The locality is handicapped from being
four miles from the nearest trolley road,
and seven miles from a steam road.
Notwithstanding that the name Breck-
nock is of Welsh origin, the whole town-
ship was originally settled by the Ger-
mans, and the Pennsylvania Germans
living there now are thrifty, industrious
and well-to-do, an honor and a credit to
the nationality of which they are a part.
May Issue Appreciated
A Connecticut reader, a descendant of
the New York German settlers, says:
"I want to thank you for the most inter-
esting matter in May issue of P.-G. pertain-
ing to early Schoharie and Tulpehocken
history as told by the Loucks descendants.
There ought to be some way to bring
about a closer relation between the N. Y.
and Pa. Germans (Where there's a will,
there's a way." If we will, brother, a way
can be found. Will you will? — Editor).
A New Jersey subscriber has this to say:
"Thanks are due you from the entire
Laux Family (whichever way the members
may spell the name or pronounce it) for the
space and excellent showing you have
given them in the May number of your
magazine. I appreciate very highly having
so much of our family history in this ex-
cellent and permanent form.
"The article in the same issue by Mr.
Granville Henry on characteristics of the
Pennsylvana Germans is also duly appre-
ciated."
I was grateful to see that you thought
my article published by the Wyoming His-
torical Society was worth republication in
the magazine. While I am not a Penna. Ger-
man I was born and have lived all my life
among them. I thought that some matters
could be treated more, intelligently than by
the fleeting correspondent, who generally is
impressed by outward and superficial as-
pects. He always selects those traits that
he can hold up to ridicule and knows noth-
ing of the real life of the Penna. German.
354
Marion Dexter Learned, Ph. D., L. H. D.
The foregoing "cut" with the accompany-
ing biographical note appears in our maga-
zine by courtesy of "Old Penn Weekly
Review.''
Our Nation, all German Americans, every
Pennsylvania "Dutchman" are greatly in-
debted to him who has by his unselfish toil
reared an imperishable monument to him-
self. May his years of usefulness to come
be many and richly fruitful.
HE German Emperor has
conferred on Marion D.
Learned, Ph.D., L.H.D.,
Professor of the Germanic
Languages and Litera-
tures, the decoration of
Knight of the Royal Prus-
sian Order of the Red
Eagle in recognition of his distinguished
services in promoting friendly cultural
relations between Germany and the
United States.
Marian Dexter Learned, Germanist
and author, was born Tuly 10, 1857, near
Dover, Del., U. S. A." His father, Her-
vey Dexter Learned, a native of New
Hampshire, is descended from an old
English family that settled in Charles-
town, Mass., in 1624; his mother, Mary
Elizabeth Griffith, descended from one
of the branches of the ancient family of
Griffiths in Wales, was born in Cam-
bridge, Md. He was educated at the
Wilmington Conference Academy of
Dover, Del. ; Dickinson College, Carlisle,
Pa., the University of Leipzig and Johns
MARION DEXTER LEARNED, Ph.D., L.H.D.
355
Hopkins University, receiving the de-
grees of A.B., A.M., Ph.D. and L.H.D.
He taught in the public schools of Dor-
chester and Caroline counties, Md., at
Williamsport, Dickinson Seminary, and
entered the Johns Hopkins University in
1884, where he was Fellow of Modern
Languages and Instructor, Associate and
Associate Professor of German. Since
1895 he has been Professor of Germanic
Languages and Literatures at the Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania. He is a mem-
ber of the American Philosophical
Society, the Modern Language Associa-
tion of America (President in 1909), the
American Historical Association, the
German-American Historical Society
(organized at his instance and incorpor-
ated 1901), the Goethe Gesellschaft, the
Yereinigung Alter Deutscher Studenten
in Amerika (and a Vice-President), the
Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the
Pennsylvania History Club, correspond-
ing member of the Society for the His-
tory of the Germans in Maryland and
the Gesellig-wissenschaftlicher Verein in
New York, one of the original Vice-
Presidents of the Germanic Museum of
Harvard University, overseas member of
the Authors' Club of London, member
of the Franklin Inn Club of Philadel-
phia, the German Society of Pennsyl-
vania (founded 1764), and President of
Deutsch - amerikanischer Lehrerbund,
1 899- 1 90 1. He was organizer and direc-
tor of the American Ethnographical
Survey inaugurated by the Conestoga
Expedition in Lancaster County, Pa., in
1902, and director (with Albert Cook
Myers) of the Pennsylvania History Ex-
hibit at the Jamestown Exposition in
1907. He was special envoy of the Car-
negie Institution of Washington to
search for sources of American History
in the German Archives in 1909, and
delegate of the University of Pennsyl-
vania to the Jubilee of the University of
Berlin in 1910.
He is founder and editor of the mono-
graph series, "Americana Germanica"
(10 vols, to date), and the periodical
"German-American Annals" (12 vols, to
date), and author of "The Pennsylvania
German Dialect," "The Saga of Walther
of Aquitaine," "The German-American
Turner-Lyric," "A New German Gram-
mar," "Ferdinand Freiligrath in Ameri-
ca," "Herder and America," "Bismarck
and German Culture," "Schwenkf elder
School Documents," "Schiller's Idea of
Liberty," "Schiller's Aesthetics and
America," "Deutsche Ideale in Ameri-
ka," (in Das Buch der Deutschen in
Amerika, 1909), "German Enterprise in
Amerika" (in Festschrift der Ver-
einigten Deutschen Gesellschaften in
New York), "The Life of Francis
Daniel Pastorious," "Abraham Lincoln,"
"An American Migration" (last two
published by W. J. Campbell, Philadel-
phia), and editor of "Tagebuch des
Capitains Wiederholdt" (in the Ameri-
can Revolution), "Waldeck's Diary of
the American Revolution," "Ein Brief
William Penns" (to the merchants of
London), and is the author of a large
number of articles and reviews in vari-
ous periodicals, German and American.
He is the pioneer in academic research
in America in the field of German-
American relations. He delivered a
course of public lectures in the Peabody
Institute on "German Influence in
America," in 1902, and offered the first
courses of academic lectures on the
"Literary Relations of Germany and
America" at the University of Pennsyl-
vania.— Old Pcnn.
356
The Early German Immigrant and the Immigration
Question of Today
By Marion Dexter Learned, Ph.D., L.H.D.
HE Immigration Commis-
sion created by Congress
in 1907 to investigate fully
the question of immigra-
tion, with a view to recom-
mending new legislation
for the regulation of im-
migration, has made a pre-
liminary report containing certain con-
clusions as a guide for new legislations.
While many of these recommendations
of the Commission are commendable,
many strictures have been made on the
Commission's conclusions.
Any conclusions and legislation based,
as they at present must be, upon the
United States Census Reports of the
Conditions of Immigration, or upon the
present status of our knowledge, must
of necessity be defective and premature.
Naturallv our statisticians who furnish
data for the Immigration Commission
and other agencies investigating the con-
dition of immigrants, depend largely
upon the United States Census for their
facts.
Two important considerations show
that the Census as it stands, is inade-
quate for final conclusions on immigra-
tion questions :
1. The Census covers only about
one-half of the period over which our
important alien immigration extends,
that is, from 1790 on — a period of 120
years — and the Census bearing more
especially upon immigrants begins with
1819, and thus covers only a period of
ninety years or about one-third of the
period of European immigration to this
country.
2. The method of taking the national
census is very uneven and defective, not
bearing scientific scrutiny. The census
questions, even in late years, are quite
An address delivered at the annual meeting of the
American Philosophical Society and printed by permission.
insufficient as records of exact facts of
racial, sociological, and other cultural
conditions prevailing in various parts of
the country. Moreover, the census-tak-
ers as a whole are quite untrained for
the service, and incapable of appreciat-
ing the duties to be performed, accepting
with little discrimination the unintelli-
gent or biased answers given to their
questions. Beyond the bare record of na-
tionality, age, number, sex, and occupa-
tion of the population, certain general
industrial and economic data, and recent-
ly, vital statistics of certain selected
States or sections of the country, little
value can be attached to the present cen-
sus as an accurate record of our popula-
tion. If this is true of the last census,
what must be said of earlier decades?
The most important question for the
Immigration Commission to consider is
that of determining the civic value of the
immigrant in the American Common-
wealth ; that is, to begin with the first
immigrants and ascertain with the great-
est possible scientific precision what each
racial group brought into the country as
material or cultural capital, how and in
what way this capital was applied, and
what the material and cultural outcome
of the immigrant and his descendants
through the perod of assimilation or
Americanization has been.
Students of social economy and insti-
tutions know, that the process of assimi-
lation is slow, and must be observed
through long epochs in order to be un-
derstood. A good example of the mis-
takes that can be made, even after a cen-
tury of discussion and agitation, is to be
found in our final violent settlement of
the question of negro slavery, which left
us a race problem that baffles the wisest
economist and statesmen. And how dif-
ferent the economic — not to speak of the
civic — value of the negro and the negro
a hundred vears aeo.
THE EARLY GERMAN IMMIGRANT AND THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION TODAY 357
It is customary to think of our Immi-
gration before 1850, or as the Immigra-
tion Commission vaguely calls it, "older
immigration", as entirely Americanized
or assimilated. The fallacy of this atti-
tude becomes apparent at once, when
one examines the population of localities
in which the flux and flow of social and
economic life is less rapid. We usually
speak of the early Dutch, French and
German elements in our population as
fully assimilated, but a visit to any lo-
cality in which the early speech, cus-
toms, and habits of the immigrants still
survive, will show that we still have race
islands in our surging mass of people]
which sensibly affect our national de-
velopment. Nor, indeed, is this condition
of things confined to racial survivals.
We have also distinctive social or sect
islands, in which a certain religious so-
cial bias continues to assert itself, as for
example, is most localities dominated by
a particular sect or confession. The fact
is, not uniformity but diversity is the
prominent characteristic of our several
communities, and these divergent atti-
tudes .toward the questions of social,
economic, and cultural development of
the nation as a whole are most potent
factors in the Commonwealth.
Moreover, the time and conditions in
which the immigrant joins the Common-
wealth are important. A type of immi-
grant desirable for one set of conditions
may become an "undesirable" for an-
other state of things. It is interesting to
observe how the different race elements
have succeeded one another as the apos-
tles of brawn in the course of our indus-
trial history. Indeed it is not impossible
that many of our so-called assimilated
racial elements have become more un-
desirable than many of the new honest
toilers who are now seeking our shores
to earn their daily bread by the sweat of
their brow.
It is a study of the genetic conditions
which should form the basis for deter-
mining the civic value of the race ele-
ments of our population and for intelli-
gent and effective legislation regulating
the administration of immigrants. How
little the national census contributes to
the solution of this problem we already
know, and we have reason to suspect
that the Immigration Commission will
make little contribution to our knowledge
of the earlier immigration. Not until the
Census shall be reorganized so as to in-
clude an expert ethnographic-sociologi-
cal record of our population, and a his-
toric study of the earlier immigration
will it be possible to legislate wisely upon
the admission of immigrants at the pres-
ent time. Some nine years ago a modest
experiment was made in taking such an
ethnographic census in one of the Ger-
man sections of Pennsylvania. Among
the interesting data collected by this can-
vass of the population the following are
significant as setting forth the difference
between a census taken by experts and
the ordinary national Census. In the
region originally settled by Germans and
Swiss-Germans, the expert census-taker
obtained the following data :
Males, of German and Swiss origin J2c/(
Males, of Scotch-Irish, English, etc. 18%
Males, Undetermined 10%
Females, German and Swiss origin. 63%
Females, Scotch-Irish origin 30%
Females, Undetermined 7%
The same record as given by the peo-
ple themselves and as usually accepted
by the United States Censustakers, was
as follows :
Families of Ger. and Swiss origin. .23%
Families of Scotch-Irish origin 9%
Families Undetermined 68%
These data demonstrate the unreliabil-
ity of the ordinary census on all ques-
tions of race origins. As we see, the
ordinary official census-taker who re-
cords what the people tell him about
themselves, would find 23 per cent, of
the families to be German, while the ex-
pert census-taker records 66 per cent, as
of German origin. While the United
States Census would leave 68 per cent, of
the families undetermined, the expert
census-taker would have only, at the
most, 10 per cent, undetermined. In
other words, the United States Census is
practically valueless for scientific inquiry
into questions of earlier race origin.
It is generally assumed that the early
German immigrants were superior to
358
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
those coming from other countries at the
present day. This assumption is based
on guesses, not on actual knowledge. If
the Immigration Commission would take
the trouble to examine the moral, social,
or material record of the Palatines of
1708-1710, or of the masses of the Ger-
man immigrants of the first half of the
nineteenth century, the result would be
startling, and set both the Commission
and Congress to thinking before legislat-
ing as to "undesirables." It was rather
what the early immigrants to America
became, than what they were. The one
of the Lincolns who came as a "hired
man" gave us the great martyr-presi-
dent, Abraham Lincoln. The same is
true of many notable Germans on the
honor roll of our national history.
It is true that the Germans have made
good and prosperous citizens, but it must
be remembered that even Benjamin
Franklin called the Palatines a "swarthy
race," and like many of his contempo-
raries considered them unpromising and
even dangerous members of the Com-
monwealth. The qualities of economy
and thrift were born of penury and
want, but under the action of free insti-
tutions, brought out the sterling excel-
lencies of German character, redeeming
them from their early traditions and the
sordid life of the land of their birth.
Not all of these prosperous Germans
have assimilated or risen to their full
civic privileges in the American Com-
monwealth. Among them, as among
other ethnic elements in our population,
superstition still casts its spell, forming
stagnant pools in the midst of our en-
lightened civilization. Within less than
a hundred miles of Philadelphia there
are localities in which the pow-wowers,
or practitioners of folk-medicine, out-
number the trained doctors of medicine,
in some cases five to one, and the
standard of ethical and civic intelligence
is correspondingly low, reflecting itself
in religious, political and social life.
What does the United States Census Bu-
reau or the Immigration Commission
know of these and other simiar condi-
tions and their bearing upon the immi-
gration question of the present day?
It is thus clearly necessary to deter-
mine—
1. The causes which have brought
the early race elements, the English,
Dutch, French, Swedes, Welsh, German
and other early immigrants to an accept-
able standard of citizenship;
2. The relative civic and economic
value of each race element of our
national development.
What was it that made of Franklin's
"tawny race" of Palatines and other Ger-
mans of the Colonial and later periods
the acceptable and useful citizens they
are at the present day?
1. They brought with them a much
needed capital in the way of trades and
occupations.
2. They possessed sturdy physical
qualities and practical industry and rigid
economy.
In the early Colonial period in Vir-
ginia, Pennsylvania and other provinces,
there was a great demand for common
artisans, blacksmiths, carpenters, joiners,
shoemakers and the like, and particularly
in Virginia and Pennsylvania for a new
type of farmers. The great mass of the
Palatines and other early Germans were
peasants fron| the south of Germany,
and brought with them a new method of
tilling the soil. They were small farm-
ers, and accustomed to count their
limited acres. The planters of Virginia
depended largely on inferior whites for
overseers and negro slaves for the actual
manual labor on the plantations. The
great crop was tobacco, and the staple
grains were more or less neglected. The
Virginian seems not to have learned the
art of improving the soil. He was
obliged to abandon old land after the
third crop, and to take up new land. A
further weakness of his agricultural
economy was that he made but scanty
provision for housing either his stock or
his crops. The New England Puritan
was little more advanced in his method
of tilling the soil although forced by the
rigors of the climate he gave more atten-
tion than the Virginian to the housing
of his stock. The Dutch farmer of New
York occupied comparatively small ter-
ritorv, and ran to trade. The Swedish
THE EARLY GERMAN IMMIGRANT AND THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION TODAY 359
settlers of the Delaware had a primitive
form of agriculture, and were relatively
few in numbers. The English and Welsh
farmers of Pennsylvania doubtless rep-
resented a higher type of farming, and
surpassed their neighbors north and
south of them.
It was the incoming German and Swiss
German farmers who gave a new
impetus to the agricultural and industrial
economies of the Colonies. These Ger-
mans made positive improvements in
agriculture.
i. They introduced the German
method of selecting the soil ; they sought
out the land of the tall timbers, knowing
that here was the soil of the best bottom.
2. They introduced systematically
the three-field system, or the method of
alternating crops, which allowed the soil
to yield different elements of its
strength in producing different crops in
different seasons and to recuperate by
lying fallow or in pasture.
3. They introduced a thorough sys-
tem of fertilization, which kept the soil
up to a normal productive capacity and
even improved it. In this particular,
German farmers of Pennsylvania,
Western Maryland and Virginia, formed
a striking contrast to the Virginia
planter, who abandoned his acres after
the third crop to the wild sage and the
pines.
4. They introduced the commodious
German or Swiss barn, which housed
both the stock and the crops, as well as
the hay and corn fodder and the farm-
ing implements, and kept the horses
comfortable and sleek, the cows in good
condition for milk and breeding, and
furnished adequate shelter for the sheep,
swine and poultry.
5. They introduced the great draft
wagon in place of the English drag-sled
and the horse and ox cart, thus making
provision for Colonial freight transpor-
tation at a time when railroads were not
dreamed of.
Side by side with these improvements
in agriculture the Colonial Germans in-
troduced many handicrafts which gave
a new impetus to Colonial industry. The
hand industries of the carpenter, black-
smith, shoemaker, wheelwright, saddler,
clockmaker, cooper, mason, weaver,
baker, and others, together with the
gristmills, sawmills, hempmills, fulling-
mills, tanneries, distilleries, forges and
the like, yielded the industrial output
which made our resources so efficient in
the struggle against Britain during the
Revolution.
Among these early German immigrants
were men who had good education and
established churches, schools, printing-
presses and other agencies looking
toward the moral and intellectual im-
provement of the more ignorant masses.
These agencies had much to do with
raising the German element from its
immigrant condition to the high standard
of citizenship which it has at the present
day.
If now we compare the Colonial im-
migration and its actual contribution to
our economic and intellectual growth
with the present immigration from
southern and eastern Europe, and the
conditions under which it comes to us,
we shall see all the more the need of a
searching investigation into the earlier
immigration. Our national life is no
longer distributed over the rural dis-
tricts, as formerly, but is centered in
large cities. The needs of our growing
commerce have brought into existence
great lines of traffic by land and sea;
enormous railway systems span the con-
tinent, and steamship lines traverse the
seas to every clime, bringing foreign
commodities to our market, and develop-
ing new lines of trade.
The results of our Colonial German
immigration made possible the great
transatlantic commerce which now links
us to German lands. In the same way
the growing commercial intercourse of
the present time comes in the wake of
the immigrants from the lands bordering
the Mediterranean. These new immi-
grants, like the starving Palatines of
1708-10, are eager to earn their bread,
and enjoy the blessings of liberty. They
have learned one thing well — that is to
toil. Our so-called native craftsmen are
becoming crafty men, too often depend-
ing upon the unions for their support,
360
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
bringing unrest into our industrial and
economic life, encouraging unskilled
labor to secure by union what it could
not obtain by honest competition, and
sowing the seeds of industrial revolution.
The honest toiler has always been, and
ever should be, welcomed to the land of
opportunity.
What, now, are the forces which have
forged our early German immigration
into sturdy prosperous Americans?
i. They brought, as we have already
seen, a marketable form of ready and
efficient labor.
2. They followed the new paths of
national enterprise, and were thus dis-
tributed, over the newly opened territory
of the west and southwest.
3. They built up new industries, pav-
ing the way for new trade relations with
the home country and enriching Ameri-
can commerce.
4. They formed important cultural
relations between America and their
respective countries, which greatly
strengthened the friendly intercourse at
home and abroad.
5. They rose to higher citizenship by
the American system of free school and
compulsory education.
It is scarcely conceivable that the im-
migration of today is. greatly inferior to
the masses of South Germans who
came to America between 17 10- 1730,
and certainly there is nothing in the
present immigration, not even the Pa-
drone system, which can compare with
the abuses of the old Redemptioner
system, of the eighteenth century. The
so-called "white slave" traffic should
long ago have been eliminated by an
efficient system of government police.
Assuming then, that the immigrant is a
valuable national asset, how shall the in-
flowing mass of unpromising aliens be
disposed of and assimilated?
The Immigration Commission sug-
gests the illiteracy test as an efficient
means of seclusion. The absurdity of
this test is seen in requiring the reading
test of the Bulgarian shepherd, who has
spent his life guarding his flocks, and
comes to America to perform equally
simple work ; while the adventurous
ruffian, who plots burglaries and mur-
ders, may be able to read and speak a
half-dozen languages. There are two
supreme tests of a desirable immigrant,
viz., that of soundness of body, and
soundness of character ; and there is a
third requirement which ought to be
made of the immigrant, and which would
furnish all the restriction necessary.
This requirement is that the alien should
be a bona fide colonist or citizen, and
not simply a migrant laborer, coming in-
to the country to take back his earnings
after 1 few months of toil.
We can learn important lessons from
European countries as to how to keep
records of immigrants and tourists —
records that would greatly enhance per-
sonal safety and eliminate crime. What-
ever else the Government may do, the
following provisions seem, in the light
of history, imperative, if we are to con-
trol and assimilate the new immigration.
1. The Government should cooperate
with the states and municipalities in
establishing a rigid and efficient police
system, which should keep a record not
only of every American but also of every
incoming foreigner, whether he be an
immigrant or a tourist. The police, with
such a record, should keep tab on all
such foreigners as especially under its
surveillance until they become American
citizens. Such a system of policing
would eliminate much of the violence
and crime prevailing all over the land,
and would insure a reasonable amount
of personal safety to American citizens.
2. The Government should provide
for educational agencies, such as night
immigrant schools and the like for
aliens, and should require attendance at
these schools until the immigrant is
qualified to become an American citizen.
In this way the Government could re-
quire the immigrant to have some prac-
tical knowledge of the English language
and of the principles and institutions of
American government. Incidentally,
much could be done in this way to be-
come acquainted with and to improve
the character of the aliens.
3. The Government should insist
upon a systematic distribution of the im-
THE EARLY GERMAN IMMIGRANT AND THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION TODAY 361
migrants to such parts of the country,
.and to such occupations as most require
alien service, and should forhid and pre-
vent the massing of aliens in the large
seaboard cities, and make it impossible
for shrewd adventurers to take advant-
age of the aliens' ignorance of the
language and the country.
4. The Government should encour-
age and provide for a more scientific
study of the history and conditions of
the early immigration in' America by
means of a more accurate census .of the
present, conditions, and by an ethno-
graphic-sociologic investigation of the
earlier period. To base legislation upon
present conditions without reference to
the past is to legislate unwisely, just as
drawing conclusions from the physical
measurements of two generations of
aliens is to ignore what science has
taught us of the laws of heredity. It
would be possible with such a culture
census to direct and adapt immigrants
to those conditions in which the}' could
achieve the greatest success.
Little did Benjamin Franklin and his
contemporaries of the first half of the
eighteenth century dream of the great
commercial and cultural results which
were to follow the trail of the Palatine
and culminate in the many-sided inter-
course of Germany and America in our
day.
It may be that our closer touch with
the hungry toilers of Mediterranean
lands, who seek our shores today, shall
some day bring us a new revival of the
culture of Ancient Greece and Rome and
make vis potent factors in the culture
and commerce of the great Midland Sea
of the ancient world and bear back the
gospel of civic freedom to those who
have lost it.
Germans not a War-loving People
The continuous talk, soon to material-
ize without doubt, of an arbitration
treaty with Great Britain, has greatly
widened in the past week and now in-
cludes talk of a similar treaty with
Germany. It has been said over and
again in recent weeks that Germany did
not bind herself to any agreement that
might affect her honor or territorial
integrity. But last week the wiseacres
were astonished when the German am-
bassador to the United States voluntarily
expressed Germany's willingness to
enter into negotiations for a general ar-
bitration treaty similar to that which has
been outlined for Great Britain. A war
between this country and Germany may
seem remote ; but with a peace treaty, it
would be practically impossible. The
belief that Germany is not building her
great navy for nothing, and that she
really means to use it, that her people
are at heart belligerent, is given a blow
by this move on the part of the German
ambassador. The following editorial
from a New York daily is probably not
far wrong:
"It is a mistake to speak of the Ger-
mans as a war-loving people. They are
not. They fought desperately against
Napoleon for their national existence.
To establish the empire they later waged
three wars in quick succession. But for
forty years, within which time Spain,
Great Britain, Russia, Japan and the
United States have all been engaged in
wars, Germany has kept peace — an
armed peace, it is true, but still the peace.
Her interests and industries are pacific
ones. The arts of civilization are her
people's chief concern."- — H. \Y. E.
— TJic Lutheran.
362
Early Berks County Tombstone Inscriptions
By Louis Richards, Esq., Reading, Pa.
Pres. Berks County Historical Society
(CONTINUED FROM APRIL ISSUE)
Oley Churches (L. & R.)
Van Seed, Margaret, wife of Jacob Van
Reed, b. 13 Nov. 172S; d. 23 Dec. 1807.
Spang, Frederick, b. 1762; m. 1782 Marga-
retta, daughter of Jacob Seltzer, 9 children,
2 sons and 7 daughters; d. 14 Jan. 1826 in
64th year.
Spang, Margaretta, wife of same, b. 1762;
d. 27 July 1822; 59 y. 7 m. 2 d.
Spang, Jacob S„ b. 13 May 1797; d. 7 June
1862; 65 y. 24 d.
Deborah S., wife of same, b. 22 Feb. 1801;
d. 11 Nov. 1S82.
Kauffman, Hannah, wife of John P. Kauff-
man and daughter of John and Rosina Step-
pleton, b. 4 Jan. 1790; d. 29 Aug. 1851; 61
y. 7 m. 25 d.
Fdree, Gen. Daniel, b. in Phila. 5 Aug.
1751, "served in Revolutionary War as Capt,
General, etc., and was also member of Con-
gress"; d. 15 July 1828; 76 y. 11 m. 10 d.
Schneider, Jocab F„ "son-in-law of Gen.
Udree," b. 28 Aug. 1779; d. 11 July 1835; 55
y. 10 m. 13 d.
Yaeger, Nicholas, b. 16 Sept. 1757; d. 26
Aug. 1828; 70 y. 11 m. 16 d.
Dechant, Rct. Jacob Wm., Reformed
preacher, b. 18 Feb. 1784 inEurope; d. 6
Oct. 1832; 48 y. 7 m. 18 d.
Kanfman, Jacob, b. 1757; d. April 1843;
86 y.
Susanna, b. Keim, wife of same, b. 1781;
d. 1870. (Kaufman Burial Ground.)
Union Church Cemetery, near Friedensburg
Bertolet, Daniel, b. 9 May 1741; m. 1768
Maria Yoder; d. 19 Nov. 1797; 56 y. 10 m.
10 d.
Bertolet, Maria, wife of same, b. Yoder, b.
13 Feb. 1749; d. 23 Sept. 1827; 78 y. 7 m.
less 2 d.
Bertolet, Daniel, b. 11 June 1781; m. 1802
Maria Griesemer; d. 20 Sept. 1868; 87 y. 3
m. 9 d.
Bertolet, Maria, wife of same.
ONTELAUNEE
St. John's or Gernant's Church
Schalter, Frantz Balthaser, b. 18 April
1735, in Lebenheim, Europe, d. 13 Oct. 1813;
78 y. 7 m. 5 d.
Schalter, Jacob, b. 1 Jan. 1777; d. 17
March 1853; 76 y. 2 m. 16 d.
Susanna, b. Bernhardt, wife of do.; b. 6
May 1784; d. 24 March 1841; 56 y. 10 m. 18
d.
Fiichs, Christian, b. 15 Aug. 1746; d. 29
Jan. 1814; 67 y. 8 m. 13 d.
Maria Catharine, wife of do. b. Drescher;
b. 27 .Inly 1765; d. 10 June 1842.
Schneider, George, b. 7 Sept. 1783; d. 16
April 1807.
Richtstein, Sophia, wf. of Chas. Richtstein,
geb. Sassaman; b. 11 July 1739; d. 18 April
1808.
Sophia, wf. of Peter Body, b. Richtstein;
b. 12 July 1776; d. 16 Jan. 1805.
Staudt, Johannes, b. 6 June 1737; d. 13
Oct. 1801; 64 y. 4 m. 7 d.
Maria, wf. of do., b. Kerschner; b. 1751;
d. 21 Dec. 1826.
Moll, Heinrich, b. Feb. 1734; d. June 1809;
75 y. 4 m.
Elizabeth, b. Faust, wf. of do.; b. Jan.
1738; d. Oct. 1807; 69 y. 9 m.
Rahn, Jacob, b. 8 Aug. 1728; d. 19 June
1805; 76 y. 10 m. 16 d.
Rahn, Margaret, b. Schetenin; b. 14 Nov.
1708; d. 20 Dec. 1794; 86 y. 1 m. 2 w.
Rahn, Jacob, b. 14 July 1757; d. 1823; 66
y.
Elizabeth, b. Schneider, wf. of do.; b. 26
1765; d. 1831; 66 y.
Rahn, Adam, b. 1762; d. 1842; 79 yrs.
Margaret, b. Schneider, wf. of do; b.
Aug. 1770; d. 1853; 83 y.
Schaeffer, Nicholas, b. in Tulpehocken
twp. 31 Jan. 1736; d. 20 June 1796; 60 y. 4
m.
Susanna, b. Deturk, wf. of do.; b. 27
March 1745; d. 23 Sept. 1811.
Schuster, Heinrich, b. 2 Oct. 1765; d. 25
Oct. 1801; 36 y. 23 d.
Engel, Jacob, b. 7 June 1753; d. 22 Nov.
1800; 47 y. 10 m. 15 d.
Sahela, b. Seltzer, wf. of do.; b. in Eu-
rope 22 March 1760; d. 24 March 1842.
Huy, Jacob, b. 1748; d. 13 April 1820; 72
y.
Gernand, Johannes, b. 23 April 1749; d.
5 March 1821; 71 y. 8 m. 12 d.
Anna Maria, b. Bollman, wf. of do.; b. 14
Aug. 1763; d. 12 April 1830; 66 y. 7 m. 28
d.
Montgomery, Fleming YV., son of John
Montgomery Esq. and Ellinor Montgomery
Lycoming Co.; d. Aug. 12, 1823; 27 y. 10 m.
19 d.
Mee, Jonathan, b. Jan. 10 1761; d. Sept. 6
1S33; 76 y. 2 m. 26 d.
Hester, wf. of do. b. Sept. 1767; d. Dec.
1824.
Mohr. John Jacob, b. Dec. 9 1769; d. Sept.
15 1827; 57 y. 9 m. 6 d.
Huy, John Jacob, b. 11 Nov. 1781; d. 7
May 1S26.
EARLY BERKS COUNTY TOMBSTONE INSCRIPTIONS
362
Gernand, John, son of John and Anna
Maria Gernand; b. March 1 1788; d. Nov. 3
1864; 76 y. 8 m. 2 d.
Catharine, b. Hain, wf. of do.; b. 1 Oct.
1793; d. 29 April 1850; 56 y. 6 m. 28 d.
Adams, Isaac, b. Sept 3 1779; m. to Cath-
arine Eckert Feb. 2 1800; d. May 5 1844; 64
y. 1 m. 16 d.
Schneider, Philip, b. 1768; d. 1841; 72 y.
Moll, Henry, b. 1777; d. 1865; 88 y.
Staudt, John, b. 1737; d. 1801; 64 y.
Duukel, George, b. 19 June 1776; d. 12
Sept. 1841; 65 y. 2 m. 3 d.
Sehucker, Henry, b. 2 Oct. 1755; d. 25
Oct. 1801; 56 y. 23 d.
Herbst, Lieut. William,
"Served in the Mexican War, 1846-48 and
as Lieut of Co. E. 50th Regt. P. V. during
the Rebellion 1861-64, b. Oct. 1822; m. to
Catharine Gonsor; d. in Knoxville, N. Y.,
Aug. 1, 1865; 42 y. 9 m. 6 d."
Finkbone, Samuel, d. at the battle of
Antietam Sept. 17 1862; 44 y. 3 m. 17 d.
Seidel, Jacob, b. 1 Dec. 1776; d. 21 April
1846; 69 y. 4 m. 20 d.
PERRY
Ziou's Church
Rothermel, Daniel, b. 11 Dec. 1782; d. 4
April 1860; 77 y. 3 m. 23 d.
Schappell, Peter, b. 19 April 1770; d. 18
Nov. 1858; 88 y. 6 m. 29 d.
Shappell, Jeremiah, b. March 20, 1774; d.
Sept. 16 1845; 71 y. 5 m. 26 d. "Was Col-
onel in the Baltimore War of 1812 and brig-
ade inspector from 1818 until his death".
Adam. Peter, b. 1 Oct. 1765; d. 1 July
1849; 83 y. 9 m.
Dinner, Jacob, son of Henry and Eliza-
beth Dinner; b. 15 April 1731; d. 24 June
1815; 84 y. 2 m. 7 d.
Shappell, Jeremias, b. 1715; d. Oct. 8 1804;
89 y.
Shappel, Jacob, b. 2 Feb. 1744 in Witten-
burg, Deutschland; d. 11 Sept. 1826; 82 y.
7 m. 9 d.
Susanna, wf. of do.; b. 2 Feb. 1751 d. 24
July 1828; 77 y. 5 m. 22 d.
Heinsel, Philip, b. 17 Sept. 1724; d. 22
Oct. 1793; 69 y. 8 m. 5 d.
Deturk, Johannes Esq., b. 19 Nov. 1771;
d. 15 March 1824; 52 y. 3 m. 23 d.
Unterkofler, Michael, b. 14 Feb. 1750; d.
22 Oct. 1825; 75 y. 8 m. 8 d.
Dewald, 3Iichael, b. Aug. 1716; d. 31 Dec.
1798; 83 y.
Anna Barbara, wf. of do.; b. 9 Oct. 1719;
d. 6 Jan. 1801; 81 y. 3 m.
Stetzler, John Peter, b. 5 May 1724; d. 18
July 1795.
Seidel, Johan Heinrich, b. in Deutschland,
1 April 1732 "und war der eltschten arbur
dieses landes", d. 1801; 69 y. 4 m. 21 d. .
Schoemaker, Charles, Esq., d. 27 March
1820; 78 y. 2 m. 29 d.
Shoemaker, Maria, wf. of do., b. Kepner;
b. Feb. 1746; d. 3 Sept. 1831; 85 y. 7 m.
Shoemaker, Charles, Jr., Esq., d. 8 Nov.
1822; 45 y. 6 m. 20 d.
Elizabeth, wf. of do., b. 5 Jan. 1779; d. 24
May 1849; 70 y. 4 m. 19 d.
Rieser, Daniel, b. 11 March 1763; d. 22
Sept. 1813; 50 y. 6 m. 11 d.
Hinckel, George, b. 25 April 1755; d. 29-
Dec. 1816; 61 y. 8 m. 4 d.
Jacoby, Conrad, b. 30 Nov. 1744; d. 6 Aug.
1823; 78 y. 8 m. 6 d.
Anna Margaret, wf. of do., b. Kreisher; b.
20 Aug. 1757; d. 1 Aug. 1&22; 64 y. 11 m. 11
d.
PIKE
St. Paul's Church, Lobachsville
Tea, Richard, son of Richard and Ann
Tea; b. Aug. 15, 1765; d. 25 June 1846; 80 y.
10 m. 10 d.
Duche, Joseph B., b. Aug. 17 1790; d. Oct
17 1850.
St. Josephs (Hill) Church
Herb, Abraham, b. June 1719; d. 10 July
1779; 60 y. 1 m. 5 d.
Long, Peter, b. 13 Oct. 1737; d. 22 Oct
1777; 40 y. 5 d.
Miller, Maria, b. 9 Nov. 1697; d. 4 Aug.
1776; 78 y. 8 m. 21 d.
Weller, Gertraud, b. 1755; d. 9 May 1855;
100 y.
Bitter, Elizabeth, b. 1710; d. 23 July 1798;
88 v
Gruber, John, b. 1722 ; d. 10 July 1795 ; 72
y.
.Mutter, Allen, b. 1695; d. 1775; 80 y.
Reichcrt, Anna, wf. of David Reichert; b.
30 Dec. 1766; d. 30 Dec. 1831; 65 y.
READING
Trinity Lutheran Ground
Otto, Dr. Bodo, b. 1709; d. June 1787.
Christ, Heinrich, Esq., b. Jan. 27 1721; d.
13 Aug. 1789.
Hyiieman, John M., late Adj. Gen. Pa.";
b. 2 May 1771; d. 8 May 1816; 44 y. 11 m.
25 d.
Brosius, Nicholas, b. June 1749; d. 28
May 1790.
Witman, Adam, Esq., b. 1 Nov. 1723; d.
9 Aug. 1781; 57 y. 9 m. 9 d.
Witman, Catharine, b. 18 April 1730; d.
27 Feb. 1808.
Swaine, Gen. Francis, b. 2 Jan. 1754; d. 17
June 1820; 66 y. 5 m. 15 d.
Phillipj, John, b. 3 April 1784; d. 12 May
1857; 56 y. 1 m. 13 d.
Coller, Johannes, b. 27 Feb. 1763; d. 23
Jan. 1816.
Hess, Casper, b. 23 Nov. 1799; d. 7 Dec.
1831.
Hess, Calvin, b. 29 May 1753; d. S Aug.
1822.
Hess. Barbara, b. 11 Dec. 1764; d. 11 July
1820.
\Yobensmith„ Catharine, b. 10 Sept. 1769;
d. 20 Dec. 1836.
364
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Pottehrcr. Samuel, b. 19 Oct 1800; d. S
May 1837.
Drinkhonse, Adam, d. 26 \ug. IS 17; 52 v.
S d.
Drinkhonse, Catharine E., d. 27 April
L8 15; 76 y. 3 in. 3 d.
Fritz, Frederick, Esq., b. in Germany 14
July 1766; d. 11 Sept. 1822; 56 y. 1 m. 26 d.
Christian, Henry, son of Felix and Re-
becca; b. 14 Feb. 17S2; d. 17 Nov. 1825.
Shoenfelder, Johannes, b. 22 July 1756;
<1. 2 Jan. 1822; 65 y. 5 m. 10 d.
Wood, Catharine, dau. of John and
Catharine Otto; b. Oct. 1794; d. 16 Aug.
1816.
Wood, Joseph, son of Michael and Eliza-
beth; d. Dec. 14, 1816; 22 y. 10 m. 29 d.
RICHMOND
Moselem Chnreh
Yager, Johannes, b. in Europe 25 April
1734; d. 5 May 1806.
Seliumaker, Maria Barbara, wf. of Henry
Schoemaker; b. 27 Oct. 1760; d. 3 Oct. 1794.
Maria Barbara geb. Kuntzin. b. in Europe
16 April 1720; m. May 1742 Nicholas
Schweyer; d. aged 66 y.
Maria Heldenbrandin, wife of George Hel-
denbrand; b. 25 June 1740; d. 1817.
Heldenhraiid, John George, b. 1733; d
1804.
Biehl, Peter, b. 21 March 1726; d. 20 Dec.
1802.
Merkel, Calvin, b. 15 Sept. 1751; d. 9 July
1821.
Blandina, wf. of do. b. Hottenstein; b. 8
Nov. 1755; d. 8 Sept. 1826.
Beehl, Peter, b. 6 Aug. 1766; d. 11 Feb.
1832.
Cmhenhaner, Jonas, b. 10 Oct. 1779; d. 28
March 1815.
Fink, Conrad, d. 23 Oct. 1805; 54 y. 6 m.
Catharine, wf of do. b. Zerrin; b. 12 Jan.
1756; d. 16 Aug. 1820.
Weidenhammer, Johannes, b. 4 Nov. 1726;
d. 3 Aug. 1804; 77 y. 9 m. less 6 d.
Weidenhammer, George, b. 17 July 1761;
m. 1784 Catharine Haberacker; d. 28 May
1807; 45 y. 11 m. 5 d.
Vbgle. John Geo., b. 25 June 1751; d. 15
Oct. 1809.
Catharine Eliz., wf. of do., b. Rehm; b. 4
June 1754; d. 4 Nov. 1809.
Fegley, Samuel, husband of Ester, b.
Reeser; b. 20 May 1789; d. 4 Nov. 1851; 62
y. 5 m. 14 d.; 8 children, 3 sons, 5 daugh-
ters.
Altenderfer, Philip, b. 10 July 1761; d. 8
June 1826.
Lehman, George, b. 19 Dec. 1782; d. 14
Aug. 1847; 64 y. 7 m. 28 d.
Lehman, Maria Eliz., b. Titlow, wf. of
Rev. Danl. Lehman; b. 5 Aug. 1759; m. 1779.
10 children, 28 grandchildren and 2 great-
grandchildren; d. 5 April 1833; 73 y. 8 m.
Beek. George, b. 27 March 1761; d. 2 Jan.
1855; 73 y. 9 m. 6 d.
Schu maker. Nicholas, b. 2 May 1719; d.
15 Sept. 1799.
Schumaker, Margaret, b. 8 May 1713; d. 5
May 1800.
Heftle, Christopher, son of Charles Hef-
fle, b. 25 Jan. 1759; d. 22 Aug. 1821; 62 y.
6 m. 27 d.
Anna Catharine, wf. of do.; b. 14 Jan.
1762; d. 23 Oct. 1804.
Hnyet, Johannes, b. 23 April 1734; d. 5
May 1808.
Catharine, wf. of Jacob Beyer; b. 10
March 1750; d. 13 March 1804.
Heffner, Jno. Geo., b. 10 June 1757; d. 29
April 1818; 60 y. 20 d.
Frederiek, son of Geo. Adam and Cath.
Leibelsperger ; b. 6 May 1761; d. 10 May
1837; 76 y. 2 m. 4 d.
Old St. Peter s Chureh
Hunter, Nicholas William, son of N. V. R.
Hunter and wf. Hanna. b. Spang; b. 29
June 1821; d. 18 Oct. 1823; 2 y. 3 m. 19 d.
Samuel, son of do., b. 15 Dec, 1827; d.
29 Sept. 1843; 15 y. 8 m. 14 d.
Griesemer, Maria, b. Jager; d. 26 June
1828; 39 y. 14 d.
Vogle, Johan Geo., b. 10 Dec. 1721; d. 8
Oct. 1805; 83 y. 10 m. 2 d.
Maria Catharine, wf. of do.; b. 17 Feb.
1727; d. 10 Aug. 1805; 78 y. 5 m. 23 d.
Stenger, Conrad, b. 1731 ; d. 18 April 1798.
Catharine, wf. of do.; d. 16 Dec. 1821; 86
y-
Lanseiseus, Abm., b. 3 July 1773; d. 16
Oct. 1815; 42 y. 3 m. 13 d.
Erdle, Frederiek. b. 1735; d. 30 Jan. 1795;
60 y.
Glass, John, b. 1769; d. 5 July 1823; 54 y.
5 m. 5 d.
Anna Magdalena, wf. of Samuel Kauff-
man. b. Glass; b. 16 Oct. 1789; d. 19 May
1815.
Elizabeth Eckert, wf. of Valentine Eckert;
d. Apr. 20, 1814; 74 y. 4 m.
Eekert, George, son of Valentine and
Elizabeth; d. 1820; 55 y.
Elizabeth, dau. of Valentine and Eliza-
beth; d. April 25. 1814; 54 y;
Graeff, Abraham, b. 2 July 1769; d. 1
April 1838; 63 y. 9 m. 29 d.
Seidel, Heinrieh, b. 12 Nov. 1765; d. 7
Aug. 1847; 81 y. 8 m. 26 d.
Grienawault, Jacob, b. 11 May 1778; d. 24
April 1S56; 77 y. 11 m. 13 d.
Maria, wf. of John G. Kauffman; b. Merk-
el; b. 5 Dec. 1812; d. 5 Sept. 1845; 32 y.
9 m.
Forney, Lydia, b. Hertzler; wf. of John
Forney; b. 6 May 1800; d. Feb. 11 1879; 78
y. 9 m.
ROBESON TOWNSHIP
St. Pauls M. E. Church, Geigertown
McGowan, John, b. 7 Jan. 1764; d. 7 July
184S; 84 y. 6 m.
EARLY BERKS COUNTY TOMBSTONE INSCRIPTIONS
365
McGowan, Mary, wf. of do.; b. 6 Jan. 1771;
d. 9 July 1838; 67 y. 6 m.
Beard, Amos, b. 24 May 1775; d. 1 June
1860; 85 y. 8 d.
Sarah, wife of John Keller; b. 23 June
1798; d. 27 Jan. 1870; 71 y. 7 m. 4 d.
Wamsher, Peter, b. 31 March 1752; d. 11
May 1820; 74 y. 1 m. 12 d.
Geiger, Johaiin Paul, b. in Bemvagen in
Helmstattifehen Deutschland, 15 Nov. 1723;
;d. 2 Aug. 1798; 74 y. 8 m. 17 d.
Maria Eie., b. Kistler; wife of do.
O'Xeall. John, d. 8 Aug. 1840, in 77th year.
Lewis, Abraham, d. 1 Dec. 1801; 66 y.
Martha, wife of do.; d. 22 June 1804; 63 y.
Hiifman. Key. David, b. 7 Jan. 1769; d.
26 May 1855; 86 y. 4 m. 19 d.
Sproul Charles, d. 19 May 1S13 in 67th
Allison, Dr. Ahel T., b. 9 Sept. 1794; d. 4
'April 1858; 63 y. 6 m. 25 d.
Boiee, Abraham, b. 3 Feb. 1761; d. 16 Sept.
1832; 71 y. 7 m. 13 d.
St. John s Church Ground
Hiester, John, b. 24 June 1786; d. 10 June
184S; 61 y. 11 m. 25 d.
Hiester, Catharine, b. Huyett, wife of do.;
b. 13 March 1788; d. 15 May 1880; 92 y. 2
m. 2 d.
Seidel, Jonathan, b. 27 June 1788; d. 12
Feb. 1858; 69 y. 7 m. 15 d.
Moyer. Jacob, b. 10 May 1778; d. 23 June
1851; 73 y. 1 m. 13 d.
Hill, Peter, b. 1 April 1789; d. 17 March
1858; 68 y. 11 m. 13 d.
Hoffman, George, b. 16 March 1775; d. 1
May 1845; 70 y. 1 m. 16 d.
Seidel, Johann Philip, b. 3 July 1769; d.
12 Jan. 1824; 54 y. 6 m. 9 d.
Cmstead. Herman, d. 4 April 1806; 80 y.
18 d.
Cmstead, Ann, wife of do.; d. 17 April
1809; 81 y. 3 m. 5 d.
Martha, wife of Richard Millard, d. 7
Aug. 1784; 30 y. 4 m. 7 d.
Beidler, Conrad, b. 3 April 1730; d. 17
April 1800; 70 y. 14 d.
Beidler, Barbara, wife of do.; b. 27 March
1729;. d. 28 Aug. 1802; 73 y. 5 m. less 1 d.
Geiger, Christopher, d. 15 Oct. 1805; 83 y.
Geiger, Mary, b. Robison, wife of do.; b.
10 March 1747; d. 6 July 1808; 61 y. 4 m.
Lewis, Catharine, wife of Wm. Lewis ; b.
26 June 1757; d. 18 Sept. 1782; 25 y. 2 m.
22 d.
Bechtel, Jacob, b. 9 May 1720; d. 2 Jan.
1803; 83 yrs. less 4 mos.
Bechtel, Henry, b. 12 May 1760; d. 21
Dec. 1838; 78 y. 7 m. 9 d.
Koheson, Mary, wife of Moses Robeson;
d. 1 Oct. 1821; 49 y. 8 m. 13 d.
Fries, Johannes, b. 4 Jan. 1759; d. 20 July
1815; 56 y. 6 m. 16 d.
Geiger, Elisha, d. 12 Nov. 1821; 43 y. 6 m.
12 d.
Kern, William, b. 6 Feb. 1784; d. 30 July
1831; 47 y. 5 m. 24 d.
Kern, Sarah, wife of do.; b. 17 Nov. 1787;
d. 30 July 1831; 43 y. 8 m. 13 d.
Thompson, Christopher, b. 11 April 1786;
d. 19 June 1819; 51 y. 2 m. 8 d.
Thompson, Henry, b. 14 June 1792; d. 31
Jan. 1869; 76 y. 7 m. 17 d.
Liguett, Caleb, M. D.. b. 28 June 1816; d.
IS Feb. 1865; 49 y. 7 m.
Ft. Augusta, Sunbury — Col. Hunter's Burying
Place, Etc.
A Letter of Inquiry
A few years ago the writer paid a
visit to Sunbury in search of historical
information, inspecting Ft. Augusta and
Col. Hunter's burying place. His specif-
ic object was, if possible, to locate the
site of the Fort, or battlefield, where the
Delawares were overcome by the Five
Nations, of which Rev. F. A. C. Muhl-
enberg speaks in his account of his trip
to Shamokin, Selinsgrove, in 1772. It
is a very remarkable fact, that every
trace of that occurrence, then marked
by more than two wagon loads of human
bones, according to Muhlenberg's state-
ments, seems to have been lost, and that
there seems to be even no lingering tradi-
tion of the event.
Not having been able to copy the in-
scriptions on the various tombstones,
Rev. J. N. Wetzler, Ph.D. was appealed
to. He sent the following very satisfac-
tory account, accompanying the same
with a draft of the two cemeteries. He
also gave the inscriptions in the two
cemeteries. He says: "I was over at
Caketown," the name of the N. W. sec-
tion of Sunbury, "this morning to get
some information in regard to Fort Au-
gusta".
"There is a partition, — a wall, — fully
two feet in thickness, between the two
cemeteries", one being Hunter's and the
366
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
other Grant's. Both are surrounded by
a wall two feet in thickness. "The ceme-
tery was private, located on Hunter's
farm. Grant's was above Hunter's, and
they buried together as neighbors". "The
soldiers' burying ground was around
Fort Augusta, only a few feet from the
fort. The Indian grave yard is about
one square further up at the buttonwrood
tree. The Indians had their tents at the
side of, or around Fort Augusta".
''Col. Hunter's wife's maiden name
was Susanna Scott. Her father owned
Packers Island," — between Sunbury and
Northumberland. "She is buried by the
side of her husband. There is a stone
to mark the spot, a rough mountain
stone. No name is on it."
"The underground passage to the
river, started from the soldiers' bar-
racks, instead of from the magazine, as
history affirms." This statement was
made after inspection. He often refers
to a measure introduced into the legis-
lature four years ago for the purchase
of the site. It will not be necessary to
give all he says. But there is one state-
ment worthy of serious consideration.
// the state will not buy it there is dan-
ger that the plot may be cut up into pri-
vate building lots. In that case condem-
nation proceedngs, even if successful,
might be very expensive.
The following were copied in the
Hunter cemetery.
In memory of Samuel Hunter who de-
parted this life April 10th 1784.
"Mary Hunter, born Nov. 14, 1798. Died
Apr. 22, 1836.
Nancy Hunter, dau. of A. and Ann Hun-
ter, b. July 16, 1803; Died Feb. 21, 1859.
"Samuel Hunter, s. of Alexander and Ann
Hunter b. Dec. 25, 1807; died July 3, 1852.
"Ann Hunter, died Sept. 25, 1834.
"Alexander Hunter, died in June 1810.
"Henry Billington. died Nov. 25, 1879 in
the 85 years of his age.
"Barbara H. Hunter, dau. of Robert and
Barbara Hunter born Aug. 27, 1793. Died
Apr. 7, 1862.
"Elizabeth, wf. of Henry Billington; died
Mch. 11, 1884 in the 84th yr. of his age.
"M. D. Buyers, b. June 7, 1819. Died Mch.
25, 1853, aged 33, 9. 18.
"Mrs. Martha Buyers, b. June 5, 1792.
Died June 16, 1854.
"Ann M. Buyers, b. Sept. 6, 1816, died
May 9, 1853. Aged. 36, 8, 3".
In Grant's cemetery are the follow-
ing inscriptions :
"Thomas Grant Esq., died June 16, 1815,
in the 58 yr. of his life.
Underneath — "A heart mild and benevo-
lent, a conduct upright and just marked
him who rests below his too rich fruit of
such a life was the peace within at that
dread portal through which all must
pass, thus to live and thus to die, Oh
Reader by thy care."
"Barbara wife of Thomas Grant, b. Jan.
19, 1763; died Feby. 22, 1845. aged 82 yrs.
1 m. 3 days.
"Debora Grant, b. Feby. 15, 1818. died
Feby. 1, 1851. Aged 32, 11, 15.
"Mary Ann, wf. of Dr. L. Reed, dau. of
Wm. and Dorcas Grant, b. Apr. 29, 1823; died
1823; died Sept. 16, 1849. Aged 26 y. 4 m. ,
and 17 d.
"Also W. Grant Reed, b. Dec. 17, 1847;
died July 3, 1850. Aged 2 y. 7 m. and 13 da.
"Robert Grant, b. Feby 2, 1816. Died Dec.
25, 1840. Aged 23 y. 10 m. 25 d.
"Dorcas Grant, b. Dec. 5, 1790, died July
3, 1863. Aged 72 y. 6 m. and 28 d.
"Margaret Ann Grant, b. Aug. 16, 1820.
Died Sep. 10, 1823.
"Wm. Grant, b. Nov. 7, 1788, died Feby.
28, 1838. Aged 49. 3 m. and 21 d.
"Alexander Grant — died Apr. 17, 1825, in
the 48th year.
"George B. Mark, died Aug. 22, 1830.—
aged 23 years.
"Elizabeth D. wf. of Robert S. Grant,
died Feby. 27, 1837. Aged 31 yrs.
"Robert S. Grant, b. Dec. 4, 1804.— died
Apr. 25, 1849— aged 44, 4, 21.
"George M. Grant, b. May 15, 1831. died
Dec. 28, 1853. Aged 22, 7 m. and 3 d.
"Mary G. Morris — died Apr. 2, 1842 — aged
57 years.
"Glarinda, dau. of Wm. and Dorcas Grant
died Jan. 18, 1867 in the 57 year".
There are a few graves which have no
marked tombstones.
Upon a subsequent trip we. Dr. Wetz-
ler and self, made further investigations.
In a cornfield about half a mile north of
Hummel 's Landing we found some
bones and pieces of skulls, evidently
human. Tradition gives it as the loca-
tion of Ft. Jackson, although the com-
mission locates them near Pawling, on
the Sunbury and Lewistown R. R.
What is it? the site of an Indian fort?
or was it an Indian village and burying
ground? Who can tell?
John.
FT. AUGUSTA, SUNBURY— COL. HUNTER'S BURYING PLACE, ETC.
367
Reply to Letter of Inquiry
Sunbury, Pa., May 15, 191 1.
Mr. H. W. Kriebel,
Lititz, Pa.,
Dear Sir: I am in receipt of your
favor of recent date, also the enclosure.
Replying I give you the data in my pos-
session. Rev. Muhlenberg began his
journey at Harris' Landing, now Harris-
burg, which is on the east side of the
Susquehanna River, following the east
side to the foot of the Mahanoy moun-
tains. He stayed over night with Conrad
Weiser who lived at the foot of those
mountains in a stone house which is
still standing and which was recently
sold by a Mr. Seiler a descendant of
Weiser; the property being continually
in the hands of the Weiser descendants
until this time. The village in which it
is located is now called Fisher's Ferry.
From Weiser's Rev. Muhlenberg crossed
the river to the "Isle of Que," also owned
by Weiser, although he did not reside
there, and from this point the journey
was along the west side of the river to
a point three and one half miles further
north and about three and one half miles
above Hummel's landing or wharf and
one mile south of the village now called
Shamokin Dam. This is the point indi-
cated by Muhlenberg as the one at which
the Five Nations overcame the Dela-
wares. I have a number of articles ob-
tained at this place among them being
two pipes and some of their stone
implements. Concerning the soldiers'
burying ground at Ft. Augusta, it was a
triangular plot of ground lying adjacent
to and directly north of the Hunter and
Grant cemetery; in the plot all soldiers
who were killed, died or were condemned
to death by court martial were buried.
It had been planted with apple trees by
Samuel Hunter and these trees are all
standing although the adjacent ground
has been laid out in building lots and
these extend into and cover the old
burying place, it being the rear of the
lots, the front being on Susquehanna
Avenue. The buttonwood tree alluded
to as the point at which' the Indians had
their burying ground has been cut away
but the ground is where Ft. Augusta
Avenue intersects the road along the
river. In the spring of 1858 I did con-
siderable excavating in this locality and
recovered many of the articles that had
been buried with the Indians. It was at
this place I uncovered the grave of the
famous chief and vice-king of the Six
Nations, Shickellemy, and I now have in
my possession part of the casket in which
he was buried, the nails from the same,
and all the articles that were buried
with him. It should be remembered
that Shickellemy had professed Chris-
tianity and was given a Christian burial,
he being the only Indian in this vicinity
to be buried in a casket. He was buried
by Zinzendorf a Moravian who came
here from Bethlehem for that purpose.
Trusting the above will be satisfactory
I am Respectfully yours,
M. L. Hendricks.
25 N. 3rd St., Sunbury, Pa.
::r,s
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
The Pennsylvania German Dialect in 1 783
T
m
\dfe/
The following lines, quoted from
German American Annals, September-
December, 1910, give a view of Penn-
sylvania life in the year 1783. They
were written by Doctor Johann David
Schoepf who made a trip from New
York through Jersey, Philadelphia,
Reading, Lebanon, Carlisle, Pittsburg,
Warm Springs in Virginia, Baltimore,
Alexandria, Georgtown, Annapolis to
Philadelphia.
HE language which our Ger-
man people make use of is
a miserable, broken, fus-
tian, salmagundy of Eng-
lish and German, with re-
spect both to the words
and their syntaxis. Grown
people come over from
Germany, forget their mother-tongue in
part, while seeking in vain to learn the
new speech, and those born in the
country hardly ever learn their own
language in an orderly way. The chil-
dren of Germans, particularly in the
towns, grow accustomed to English in
the streets ; their parents speak to them
in one language and they answer in the
other. The near kinship of the English
and the German helps to make the con-
fusion worse. If the necessary German
word does not occur to the memory, the
next best English is at once substituted,
and many English words are so current-
ly used as to be taken for good German.
In all legal and public business English
is used solely. Thus English becomes in-
dispensable to the Germans, and by
contact and imitation grows so habitual
that even among themselves they speak,
at times bad German, at times a worse
English, for they have the advantage of
people of other nationalities, in being
masters of no one language. The only
opportunity the Germans have of hear-
ing a set discourse in their own language
( reading being out of the question) is
at church. But even there, the minister
preaching in German they talk among
themselves their bastard jargon There
are a few isolated spots, for example,
among the mountains, where the people
having less intercourse with the English,
understand nothing but German, but
speak none the better. The purest Ger-
man is heard in the Moravian colonies.
As proof I will give literally what a Ger-
man farmer said to me, a German, in
German :
Teh hab' wollen, said he, mit meinem
Nachbar tscheinen (join) und ein Stuck
geklaret (cleared) Land purtchasen
(purchase). Wir hatten, no doubt, ein
guten Barghen (bargain) gemacht, and
hatten konnen gut darauf ausmachen.
Ich war aber net capable so'ne Summe
Geld aufzumachen, und konnt nicht
langer expecten. Das that mein Nach-
bar net gleichen, und tieng an mich ubel
zu yuhsen (use one ill), so dacht' ich, 's
ist besser du thust mit aus (to do with-
out) * * * or thus: Mein Stallion ist
iiber die Fehns getchempt, und hat dem
Nachbar sein Whiet abscheulich ge-
damatscht." That is, Mein Hengst ist
iiber den Zaun gesprungeu, und hat des
Nachbars Weizen ziemlich beschadiget.
But it is not enough, that English words
are used as German — c. g. schmart
(smart, active, clever) — serben, geserbt
haben (serve, etc.) ; they go farther and
translate literally, as absezen instead of
abreiseh, sich auf den Wegmachen, from
the English 'set off' ; eiuen auf den Weg
seceu, einen auf den rechtcii Weg
bringen, from the English 'put one in the
road'; abdrehen, sieli vom Weg abwen-
den} from the English 'turn off; auf-
kommen mit einem, jemanden auf den
Weg cinholcn, from the English 'come
up with one.' — Often they make a Ger-
man word of an English one, merely by
the sound, when the sense of the two is
quite different, as das belangt zu mir
(das gehbrt mir) from the English 'this
belongs to me,' although belangen' and
'belong' have entirely different mean-
ings; or. ich time das nicht gleichen,
from the English T do not like that,' in-
stead of das gefillt mir nicht. It is not
worth the trouble to put down more of
THE PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN DIALECT IN 1783
369
this sort of nonsense, which many of my
countrymen still tickle the ears with.
And besides, speaking scurrily, there is
as bad writing and printing. Melchior
Steiner's German establishment (for-
merly Christoph Sauer's) prints a week-
ly German newspaper1 which contains
numerous sorrowful examples of the
miserably deformed speech of our
American fellow-countrymen. This
newspaper is chiefly made up of trans-
lations from English sheets, but so stiff-
ly done and so anglic as to be mawkish.
The two German ministers and Mr.
Steiner himself oversee the sheet. If I
mistake not, Mr. Kunze2 alone receives
ioo Pd. Pensyl. Current for his work.
Tf we wrote in German,' say the com-
pilers in excuse, 'our American farmers
would neither understand it nor read it.'
It was hardly to be expected that the
German language, even as worst degen-
erated, could ever have gone to ruin and
oblivion with quite such rapidity — public
worship, the Bible, and the esteemable
almanack might, so it seems, transmit a
language for many generations, even if
fresh emigrants did not from time to
time add new strength. But probably
the free and immediate intercourse now
begun between the mother country and
America will involve a betterment of the
language. Since America, in the item
of German literature, is 30-40 years be-
hind, it might possibly be a shrewd
speculation to let loose from their book-
stall prisons all our unread and forgot-
ten poets and prosaists and transport
them to America after the manner of the
English (at one time) and their jail-
birds."
Gemeinnuetzliche Philadelphische Correspondenz.
2 John Christopher Kunze, 1744-1807. Pastor of St.
Michael's and Zion Churches, and Professor in the Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania.
Genoveva of Brabant
MONG the many legends
and folk tales of the Ger-
man fatherland, brought to
the wilds of America by
the emigrant forefathers of
the Pennsylvania Germans,
none were more popular
than or so long preserved
among their descendants as the ancient
and pathetic story of Genoveva of Bra-
bant, with which all German children
are familiar. There must be many among
the older readers of The Pennsylvania-
German who can recall hearing from
their mother's lips in their childhood
days, this old German legend, and how
its recital thrilled and saddened their
young hearts. For the benefit of our
younger readers who are not familiar
with it and to refresh the memory of
older ones we give it space in the maga-
zine.— Editor.
Genoveva of Brabant was a young and
beautiful woman, says the account which
has been handed down through many
generations, and wife of Count Sieg-
fried, a noble baron, whose castle stood
in the country which lies between those
two shining rivers, the Rhine and the
Rhone. He had scarcely been married
to her two months, however, when he
was called away from her he so dearly
loved, to join the Emperor in beating
back the Saracens, who were making
themselves formidable by their con-
quests. Scarcely had Count Siegfried
departed, when Golo, the steward, who
had been left in command of the castler
assumed all the airs and authority of a
master, and even made infamous pro-
posals to Genoveva herself ; and upon
being repulsed with the utmost abhor-
rence by the Countess, to revenge him-
self, he sent word secretly to the Count
that his wife had dishonored him. An
immediate order for her execution from
the too credulous and infuriated hus-
band was the consequence. She was
accordingly taken from the dungeon, in
which she had been confined for many
months, together with her little son, and
led by two of the retainers to the depths
370
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
of a great forest, some distance from
the castle. And here the soldiers would
have taken the young child from Geno-
veva, before killing her, but she implored
so piteously, and so clasped it with all
the energy of maternal love, that, as with
the ruffian in the story of the Babes in
the ll'ood, pity triumphed in their savage
breasts, and they determined not to kill
her, and to leave her the child, on condi-
tion that she promised never to come
again out of the wood. And thus she
was left in the wide forest, with her poor
naked infant, to die. Steinbruck, the
artist, has chosen this moment for his
picture. She is sitting down at the foot
of a great tree, the agony of despair
depicted in her countenance. Wander-
ing in search of some shelter, she at
length reached a great cave ; here at least
was a covering for her head ; but, alas !
she was without food or water. But God
tempers the wind to the shorn lamb, and
as she looked around in the agony of
hunger, the trailing stem of a gourd
seemed as if it were creeping towards
her, and her ear became aware of the
trickling waters of a fountain. Then
suddenly the dry leaves in the neighbor-
hood of the cave began to rustle, and
presently a slender-limbed doe came
trotting up to her and nestled by her
side ; the doe readily gave up its milk
for Little Sorrowful, for so was the
child called by its mother. Genoveva
and her boy remained in the forest for
seven years — the bitter cold of winter
compensated by the splendor of the sum-
mer, and all the beauties which nature so
prodigally displays at that glad season.
The little child grew strong and beauti-
ful, and blessed its mother's ears by
whispering her name; but Genoveva
wasted fast away under the burden of
her great sorrow, that her husband
thought of her with shame. In the mean
time, the Count Siegfried returned from
the wars, and the villainy of Golo, the
false steward, was discovered ; and the
remorse of the noble Count for his too
hasty order for his Genoveva's death was
slowly consuming him, when a faithful
friend, by way of diverting him from his
melancholy, induced him to join a hunt-
ing party. As the Count rode along in
the forest he started a doe, and follow-
ing its track he was led to a cavern. It
was the same doe that had nourished
Genoveva and her child. And in the two
human beings clad in the sheep skin, he
beheld his wife and child. They were
restored amid the rejoicing of the people
to the castle home from which they had
been so cruelly banished, the doe ac-
companying them ; and so good was the
lady to the inhabitants, that after her
death she was reverenced as a saint, and
for nearly a hundred years afterwards,
hoary-headed men prided themselves on
being able to say — "When I was a little
child I was taken to see Genoveva." The
principal events of this story, according
to all accounts, are founded upon facts,
which have been moulded into a poetic
form by their passage through many
generations of dreamy Germans, until in
our later times comes the artist with his
pencil, and embodies them all in his
charming picture How singularly some
simple facts, such as these, running their
course through ages, gather fresh de-
lights at every step, and at last burst into
perfect beauty under the inspiring touch
of the painter, poet, and musician ! —
People's Journal, 1854.
371
A Palatine Musical Genius
HRISTOPH WILIBALD
YON GLUCK, the great
German composer, was
born at Weidenwang in the
Upper Palatinate, July 2,
1714, and died in Vienna,
November 15, 1787. His
father, Alexander Johan-
nes Klukh — as he always wrote his
name, was first a huntsman of Prince
Eugene, afterward removing to Weid-
engang as forester. In 1717 he entered
the service of Count Kaunitz in Bo-
hemia, and thus the young Christoph
came at the age of three to the land
which owing to its great number of
wealthy nobles and convents, was then
the most favorable to the development of
musical talent. His father died, leaving
his son still under age, and without edu-
cation or fortune. Nature, however,
had in great measure compensated young
Gluck for these deficiencies by endow-
ing him with musical talents of the first
order. This natural taste for music is
common in Bohemia, where the rural
population, as well as the inhabitants of
towns, may be heard singing in parts
and playing on various instruments in
the fields or streets, and in groups con-
sisting of men, women and children.
Young Gluck, with very little instruc-
tion, soon became so remarkable for his
skill on various instruments that he de-
termined on journeying from town to
town to procure a livelihood as an itiner-
ant musician. At length he wandered as
far as Vienna, where his talents met
with sufficient encouragement to enable
him to obtain some little instruction,
both in general education and in the
principles of his favorite science. In
1741, he composed a grand opera for the
theatre of Milan. In this composition
Gluck depended entirely upon his own
genius, without asking the advice of any
one, and by so doing he avoided the
usual routine of other composers. In
fact, expression seemed to be his princi-
pal study, whilst he disregarded the dic-
tates of usage and fashion. This opera
so established his fame that he imme-
diately received orders to compose for
several of the principal managers of
Italy. Almost all his works were suc-
cessful, and placed him in the front rank
of his profession. He soon felt that
those beautiful melodies on which the
Italians chiefly relied for the success of
their vocal compositions were in them-
selves capable only of pleasing the ear
and could never reach the heart. When
spoken to concerning the pathos of cer-
tain celebrated Italian airs he replied :
"They are charming, but", adopting an
energetic Italian expression, "they do
not draw blood". In opera he was the
greatest musical genius of his time, tak-
ing with ease and by common consent,
the first place among the composers of
Europe. Burney has characterized him
in a single phrase when he calls him
"the Michael Angelo of Music".
372
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
" O, Muttersproch, du bist uns lieb " — A. S.
On Der Lnmpa Party
(A. C. W.)
No. 7
Draus war's evva noch am schneha,
Ehnie guckt mohl uff fum naeha: —
"Meiner sex! geht's schun uff fiehra?
Weibslfeit now an's feier schiehra,
Wolla des noch fertich macha,
Kennt'n onrie tzeit mohl lacha,
Wisst'r net, sawg: Lacha, heila,
Duhn die saeg mitnonner feila,
Wexla ob wie Mond un Wetter. —
Now bischt aerschter, now bischt tzwetter.
S'war die Leisy ivverm wickla
Tzu d' onra dert am gickla.
Mehnt noh doch s'kennt ehns mohl singa,
S'war ehns fun d' schenschta dinga
Os die menscha dreiva kennta —
"Sing mohl ehnich ebbes, Menda,
Wehr dich net, ich sawg's'm porra,
Sawg's'm darch'n loch wuh'n knorra
Aryets aus der wand is g'folla,
Yah, noh werscht's mohl haera knolla,
Kanscht die awga plenty reihva
Muschta aus'm singchor bleihva."
"Well," mehnt noh die Menda drivver,
"Won"d'r clappt ich sings net ivver,
Sing's eich yuscht tzum guta g'folla—"
'"Menda, luss die musick schalla!"
En Schpruchlied
Der wehwer webt,
Der schtricker schtrickt,
Der mensch der lebt
Wie er sich schickt.
Der Schneider schneit,
Der flicker flickt,
S'gebt fromma leit
Won alles glickt.
Der maeher maeht,
Der reiher reiht.
Wer singt un beht
Hut's nie bereit.
Der hahna kraeht
Bei dawg un nacht,
Wer frieh uffschteht
Grickt's hoy g'macht.
Der hund der blofft
D' hivvel ruff,
Wer fleiszich g'schofft
Haert tzeitlich uff.
Die Welt die dreht
Sich rum un rum,
Wer onna schteht
Bleibt ewich durum.
Der wehwer webt,
Der schtricker schtrickt,
Der mensch der lebt
Wie er sich schickt.
"Menda, sel war schlick un bully,
Sel biet yoh d' Kunrad Lully!
Who is next? wie ols der Jerry
G'sawt hut ivver'm schofebeck schehra,
Raus mit, net lang g'huckt un b'sunna,
Nix g'wogt is nix g'wunna.
Who is next? kumt lusst eich hehra,
Wie guckt's aus, Melinda Sarah?"'
"Muss m'r, ei, so muss m'r evva,
S'derf ken hutchie-kutch nei gevva,
Hebt eich ovver on d' hussa.
Wolla's noh mohl rauscha lussa."
En Budelsaek Lied
Die welt die is'n dud'lsack
Un yehders schpielt druff rum,
Der ehnt der hut sie fer sei peif.
Der onner fer sei drum.
Fiel hen aw noch'n dud'lsack
So seitwegs nehwa bei,
Sie blohsa'n uff un dud'la mit,
S'is alles frank un frei.
Der ehnt der hut die schenschta geil,
Der ehnt die beschta kieh,
Der onner hut die fetta sei,
Der onner's hinkl'l fieh.
Der ehnt der hut die fleisicht frah —
En rarer fogel, sel!
Der onner war schun tzwonsich yohr
Net ivver'n kar'chaschwell.
Der ehnt der schpiert's im hovversack,
Der Dawdy der war reich,
Sie nemma all die erbschaft mit,
Won's obgeht, in d' beich.
Der ehnt der hut sei rummadiss,
Der onner hut sei bloag —
Wie Gott sei sega aus'dehlt
War's mit der letza woag!
Wer g'schtroaft is mit'ma dud'lsack
Den dauert m'r aus noth,
Wer's ovver immer hehra muss
Dem helft nix wie der doht.
"Will ich ivver's heis'l jumpa,
Latwerg aus'm brunna bumpa,
Well, three cheers." sawgt noh die Sinda,
"Fer die Menda un Malihda;
Uhna g'schposs un uhna brolles.
Des war'n party, s'biet yoh alios,
Wom'r'm weil so fert kennt macha,
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
373
Singa, schwetza, plaudra, lacha,
Kennt m'r yoh so'n bich'l drucka,
Dehta noh die leit net gucka
Wom'r's all scheh uff het g'schrivva
Was m'r'n gonsa dawg g'drivva.
So wie heit, tzum beischpiel evva?
Ei! was deht m'r ot't net gevva
Fer's mohl nochderhand tz' lehsa
Won's schun lengscht schier all fergessa,"
"Yah, g'wiss," mehnt noh die Molly,
"S'geht uns daich wie'm lahma Solly,
Wie sei frah mohl fert g'luffa,
Hut sich noh schier narrisch g'suffa,
Doppt mohl ovet's iwer'm melka
In d' kieh-schtall. dert an's Felka,
Tzu der mawd un heilt so biss'l,
Sawgt am end noh: Yah, Lovies'l.
Het ich yuscht mei frah, bei lebbes,
Ei! ich deht'ra ehnich ebbes.
Yah, so geht's daich yehderm evva,
Deht oft ehnich ebbes gevva,
Kennt m'r yuscht sei guter willa
Rumps un schtumps am end erfilla,
Well, m'r hens doch heit g'wunna!
'Het der Yockel's beh ferschunna
Kennt die Bollie nix meh finna
Fers'm orndlich tzu tz' binna."
"Gella, Bollie," mehnt die Billa,
''Des war g'schofft mit gut'm willa,
Guck mohl hie. drei seek foil lumpa.
Nix meh doh wie schtawb un schtumpa!"
"Yah, g'wiss, sei muss m'r lussa,
Kennt eich all noch hertzlich bussa
Fer der g'folla," sawgt die Bolly,
"S'geht m'r au wie'm lahma Solly' — '
"Horch moh! Ruich! gehna bella?
Ei! der Joe, der kummt schun, gella,
Un net ready!" Wut m'r fischa
Wellie os's aerscht g'grischa,
Kennt m'r's grawd so leicht g'winna
Wie im hoyschtock nohd'la finna.
Well, s'war'n picnic, des is gonga,
Schunscht war nix meh ufftz'fonga:
"Hensching — nohd'l — Mittwoch — Leisy!
Schtrump un schtiv'l — schaer — mei weisie,
Geb nix drum — mei schortz — schun finna,
Schtruv'lich — peift'r? — Bolly! — rinna,
Geil unruhich — brill — ferrissa,
Denky — rubbers — schpell — fermissa,
Mittwoch — hals — goodby — mohl nivver," —
Endlich war's don mohl ferivver,
Des is noch'm schlitta gonga,
Hen g'raicht os wie mit tzonga
Fer dert druff un nei tz' plum pa,
S'macht die geil yoh winsla, jumpa,
Noh geht's ob d' hivvel nunner,
Os net umschmeist is'n wunner,
Bella robbla, geil die schpringa,
Hehrt sie noch fun weit'm singa:
Alles hat ja seine Zeit,
Lieben, Lachen, Weinen;
Selig wer in Ewigkeit
Wandelt mit den Reinen.
(Am End.)
Der Neie Freshman '
By A. S.
Ich war juscht vor der Facultie!
Es hut m'r g'fehlt an meien Gnie!
Wie grosse Goetter hen sie g'scheint!
Mei Wisses is m'r ganz verkleint!
Ja, wie en altes Amschellicht
Ausgeht, is Alles weggewicht!
Hab wunners g'maent was ich a' kann,
Bis sie mich a'geguckt — ei dann —
Ei dann, war alles widder Nix!
Un' ich hab g'fielt wie 'n alter Grix,
Der greische kann en ganze Nacht
Un' doch Nix macht oss grosse Jacht!
Ei, gute Karls sin sie jo doch;
Sie henn mich net ganz aus dem Joch.
Ich waes net recht (was soil es sei?)
Gut mit 'conditions" darf ich nei;
Un' wann ich mohl recht inside bin,
Dann, wie en Glett. so bleib ich drin!
O, jetz kummt Griek, Ladeinisch a',
Mit anner K'fraes, sa naeva dra.
Seikolochie kummt's aller letscht;
Ich denk ich werr en manchmahl fescht!
Ich waes woll alles schund von Sei,
Un' Griek — dort duht mer Essich nei!
Un! Science lernt mer heitzutag.
So sagt des narrisch Catalog.
Geil, "cat" — sell is en Katz, net so?
Un' "log", en Bluck — doh lernt mer jo!
Sie sage mir ich darf net naus,
Muss bleiwe, nohch acht Uhr,, im Haus.
Ei, sell is harrt! Ich gleich die Maed;
Hab heit schund aene, schae un' blaed.
Beguckt. 'Sward gsagt, en Senior gingt
Als hie — er het sie ganz umringt.
Dann waer ich ewwe draus, net drin!
Es fliegt mir awwer, dick un' din.
En Plan im Harzlie hie un' her:
Er geht bal fart; so waer's doch fair,
Wann ich noh onne schleiche kennt.
Dann waer sei lichtlie ausgebrennt!
Sie sage mir 's sin Fratties rum —
Ebbes wie sell. Ich bin so dum,
Ich maecht gern wisse was sie sin.
Sag, sin die dick, sag, sin sie dinn?
Ich bild mir ei s'maecht Hexe sei!
Ich halt die Finger aus dem Brei!
Ich halt mei Auge uf un' guk,
Wie Buwe vor 'm wieschte Schpuk.
Ich seh die Hoerne, wann sie henn,
Un' schparr den Satan in sei Pen.
"Doh huscht mich. Deiwel!" sag ich nie,
Un' fall net grad uf meine Gnie.
Es ward m'r doch en wenich bang,
Die Zeit ward mir so ordlich lang!
Die schtolze Seniors sin so g'lehrt,
Wann Alles wahr is wie m'rs haert!
Ich bin so lehr wie 'n holer Baum,
In Lerning matt, un' grum un' laum;
So grie wie Zwiwle uf dem Land,
So ohne Kupp. so Alles Sand.
Doh huscht die Ursach, klugh un' weiss.
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Warum ich dummer Freshman heiss!
Doch Socrates hut aemohl g'sagt,
So henn sie mir's in Herrn nei g'jagt,
Des erscht der Schuler lerne muss
Waer grad des — wie en daube Nuss.
Er gar Nix wsise daeht. Geb Acht!
Ich hab en Schtaert schund g'macht!
Ich reib mei Rick doh an die Wand,
Un' reid en Geilie aus Verschtand.
D'noh ess ich Fish bis mir's verlaed.
Nord werr ich a' en Graduade!
Youth and I Went Out to Sea
By Herbert Kaufman
Youth and I went out to sea;
Hope went with us, we were three.
Ne'er was such a company,
Ne'er was such an argosy —
Cloth of dreams for sails had we.
From the reef of destiny
Called a voice to Youth and me
And to Hope — for we were three-
Voice of molten melody,
Singing love that may not be.
Hope in eagerness believed;
Youth unrecking, was deceived.
Youth lies stark upon the shore;
Hope is gone for evermore;
On the reef I cling bereaved.
— Ch icago In ter- Ocea n .
7]
REVIEWS AND NOTES
By Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N. J.
Reginald Wright Kauffman. author of
"The House of Bondage", has returned to
England from his tour on the Continent. He
is accompanied by Mrs. Kauffman; they are
living at Manor Park. Pet worth, Sussex.
Mr. Kauffman expects to begin at once on a
new book. "The Smart Set" for May con-
tains a page of his verse, entitled "The Well
Beloved".
FROM BOUGH RIDER TO PRESIDENT:—
By Dr. Maux Kullnick; translated from
the original German by Frederick von
Reithdorf. Ph.D.. Professor of Modern
Languages, Monmouth, (111.) College.
(Cloth, gilt top; 289 pp. Price, $1.50
net. A. C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1911.
Here is something rare, and as excellent
as it is rare. For a foreign writer and
scholar to give his time and attention to
the writing of a biography of an American
statesman, living or dead, is such an un-
heard-of thing that one is seemingly safe in
saying that the like of it never occurred
before the appearance of this book. Dr.
Kullnick has paid a compliment to the
American people and has bestowed a high
tribute upon Ex-President Roosevelt, our
most strenuous of presidents anl citizens, in
writing the biography of a man who is the
greatest living exponent of American ideals.
There are several commendable features
about the book: one of them is, that the
German view of the Ex-President is entire-
ly favorable and admirable; and that the
detailed information of his boyhood and
early manhood is accurate, anl cannot be
found in any other account of the man. The
volume is a literary value; it is no so-called
"campaign biography".
The translation is admirable. If all ex-
ternal indications and names were removed,
very few readers would, or even could, sus-
pect that the book was ever translated;
there is every indication that it was orig-
inally written in English. The translator
had the rare gift of being able to preserve
the spirit of the original narrative without
being enslaved to the cumbersomeness of
German sentence structure.
It is not necessary here to exegete on the
qualities and traits of the Ex-President's,
character. The book is intensely interest-
ing, and affords most charming reading. It
will interest Americans and especially
German Americans to see what Germany
thinks of America's only living Ex-Presi-
dent.
Rundschau zweier Welten
Have you seen a copy of this unique
monthly? If not, our advice is, get a copy.
A hasty look through the June issue, con-
taining 54 pages shows reading matter un-
der the different captions ; — Umschau,.
Deutsche Umschau, Manner und Frauen
der Stunde, Technik und Wissenschaft. Eth-
ik und Religion, Musik und Drama, Litera-
tur und Kunst, Neue Dichtung, Austausch
und deutsche Bewegung, Handel, Finanzen
und Industrie, Das Bose, Humor zweier
Welten.
The magazine is well edited, well printed
and ought to be well received. It is one of
the best mediums to acquire or keep fresh
a practical working knowledge of modern
REVIEWS AND NOTES
375
German as used by good writers. (Pub-
lishers, The Current Literature Publishing
Co., New York).
THE END OF DARWINISM
Under this heading Dr. Alfred P. Schultz
of Montieello, N. Y., has issued a well-writ-
ten, copyrighted essay on the theory of evo-
lution which closes with these words:
"Man is an animal endowed with reason;
but the true man, the moral metaphysical,
transcendental man is no animal at all. He
is an eternal being, the image of God. 'Life',
says Kant, 'is the commercio of the soul and
of the body. Birth is the beginning, not of
the soul, but the beginning of this com-
mercio, death is the end, not of the life
of the soul, but the end of this commercio.
Birth, life and death are but conditions of
the soul. The substance persists, though
the body vanishes.' Men of such convic-
tions feel God in them, they know that they
have nothing to fear but doing wrong, they
are of good cheer knowing that nothing can
happen to them but what God permits, they
hold a hand that guides them, they fear no
evil though they walk through the valley of
the shadow of death. A little less material-
ism a little less greed for material things
and pleasures and everybody is better and
happier".
It- is refreshing to read conclusions like
these following a study of Darwinism.
Copies of the essay can be ordered of the
author at 50 cents each.
Announcement
A History of Rockingham County, Vir-
ginia: By John W. Wayland, Ph.D., Profes-
sor of History and Social Science State
Normal School. Harrisonburg, Va. ; Author
of "The German Element of the Shenandoah
Valley", "The Political Opinions of Thomas
Jefferson", "One of John Brown's Men",
"Some Historic Homes of Northern Vir-
ginia" (in preparation) ; Etc. Published
and sold by the Reubush-Elkins Company,
Dayton, Rockingham County, Virginia.
The book will be an octavo of about 400
pages, illustrated, and well bound in cloth.
Price, prepaid, to any address, $2.25.
The above volume, which is in prepara-
tion, and which will be put upon the market
within the next year or two. will be wel-
comed by the sons of Rockingham both at
home and abroad, and will be a worthy trib-
ute to one of the wealthiest and most pop-
ulous counties of the Old Dominion. The
tentative outline of contents gives but a
slight idea of the wealth and variety of in-
teresting facts that are being assembled in
convenient and attractive form, and that
cover practically every phase of the Coun-
ty's history from the earliest settlements to
the present.
The name of the author is a sufficient
guarantee that the historical accuracy and
literary quality of the book will be of a high
standard.
OUTLINE OF CONTENTS
Introduction.
PART I. — Chronological.
I. Geological and Geographical Out-
line.
II. First Settlers, 1727-1738.
III. Rockingham as Part of Augusta,
1738-1777.
IV. The New County and the New Na-
tion, 1777-1820.
V. From 1S20 to 1860.
VI. Rockingham in the Civil War.
VII. The Reconstruction Period.
VIII. From 1876 to the Present.
IX. Rockingham To-day.
PART II.— TOPICAL.
Towns and Villages of Rockingham,
Race Elements and Population.
The Churches and Religious Life.
Education and Schools.
Writers and Printers: Books and
Periodicals.
The Singers of Rockingham.
Rockingham Statesmen.
Farms and Farmers.
Some Interesting Incidents.
Conclusion.
Appendix.
Index.
The author invites correspondence rela-
tive to facts that ought to be incorparted
in the work.
X.
XI.
XI.
XIII.
XIV.
XV.
XVI.
XVII.
XVIII.
Tlie Journal of American History
Frank Alleben of the Frank Alleben Gen-
ealogical Society, New York, is sending out
a circular letter, from whch we quote the
following:
"You will be interested to know that, as
the outcome of carefully-laid plans, the
Corporation of which I am President, I my-
self, and our complete staff of expert his-
torical and genealogical searchers, com-
pilers, and editors have been 'captured' by
Mr. Miller and Mr. Dorman and 'annexed'
to The Journal of American History. The
current number of The Journal, the first
issued under our combined forces, gives
details of a free genealogical service to
subscriber a book-publication service, and
other new features, including an exhaustive
Index of the first five volumes of The
Journal."
By the way, The Journal of Ameriean
History is one of the best, finest and most
interesting historical magazines published
at present.
376
a
HISTORICAL NOTES AND NEWS
REPORTS OF SOCIETY MEETINGS ARK SOLICITED
Lebanon County Historical Society
We acknowledge receipt of Vol. V, No. 6
of the publications of the Lebanon County
Historical Society, containing an account of
the adoption of the seal of the Society, of
the annual meeting. December 1910, the an-
nual dinner and election of officers in
February with necrologies of John Peter
Shindel Gobin, Allen Walborn Ehrgood,
George Washington Hayes and Martha Jane
Ross. We quote the following description
of the seal by Rev. Dr. Schmauk; —
"As the chief office of a Historical So-
ciety differs from that of a Commonwealth
and of a County, in not being for Protection
anl Defense, but in being for the preserva-
tion and prepetuation of a Record, we have
laid, as our basal element of the design, the
lines if an Open Record, instead of a Shield.
anl have transferred the Shield of the
County and the State to an ornamental
place, to illumine the Record of our Society
for History with honor. This ornament of
honor, rests, like a marker, upon the top of
the page and surmounts it. The whole de-
sign, viz.. the Book and the Shield, is
crowned by the Eagle, which indicates the
patriotism, power, and free sweep of the
motive of the Society.
"Within the shield, there are the Candle,
symbolizing thorough investigation and re-
search; anl the Pen, plucked from one of
the feathers of the Eagle, to accurately re-
cord the results of investigation and re-
search.
"The State Seal*s three symbolical ele-
ments of power are transferred to one page
of the Record Book, as being peculiarly ap-
propriate to Lebanon County, except that
the Ship, which signifies maritime com-
merce, has been replaced by the Canal Boat
and the Canal, which is our great historical
feature, and which almost bisects the
County from east to west.
"The activities in our County, symbolized
by the Plow, or manufacture and use of ma-
chinery, embrace such older establishments
as the Weimer Machine Works, the Agri-
cultural Works, the various Boiler Shops,
and also the newer steel concerns such as
the American Iron and Steel Works; as well
as our various Industrial Works. Thus the
results of nature and of human toil, viz.,
the Harvests, the iron anl steel Plow, and
the Transportation industry, occupy the
right hand page of the Record.
"The ground work of the left hand page
of the Record is a cross section of our val-
ley taken from nature itself, and extending
from the Blue Mountains and Gravel Hills
on the north, bisected by the Union Canal,
to the furnace region at Cornwall on the
south. This is to represent old historic
Lebanon County, the hills in the north, the
canal in the centre, and the Cornwall region
on the south. The year 1727 marks the
earliest recorded settlements and the begin-
ning of surveys, deeds, and legal documents.
"These two pages inform us that both the
history and the harvests of the toil of Leba-
non County are recorded for all future time
in the Record, i. e., the Publications of the
Lebanon County Historical Society, whose
object is neither material, nor social, nor
poetic and imaginary, but historical.
"The touch of grace and ornament of
completion is given by the sprays or
wreaths of laurel upon which the book is
resting. The actual and legal historical pil
lar upon which the story of the County it-
self is fastened, is alluded to in the legend,
"Founded 1813," above and beneath the
Book. The outer circle, after the manner of
all the official seals of the various depart-
ments of Lebanon County, is given to that
particuar department of work in the Coun-
ty which has control of this province name-
ly, Lebanon County Historical Society. And
as it is a Historical Society, the date of its
organization, 1898. is also given."
General Hancock's Tomb to Be Cared For
Inasmuch as Town Council decided that
the borough of Norristown has no authority
to assume responsibility for the care of
General Hancock's tomb in Montgomery
Cemetery, it is eminently proper that the
Historical Society of this county should
adopt measures to raise the necessary funds
by means of popular subscription to place
the tomb in a condition of good repair.
This action of the Society will afford an op-
portunity for all citizens to contrbute such
sums as they may deem proper toward the
accomplishment of a most worthy and laud-
able purpose. It may be in order to note in
passing that the Society might effect ar-
rangements to care for a perpetual fund and
devote the income thereof to maintaining
the tomb in good order in future years, pro-
vided the sums that will be subscribed in a
short time aggregate an amount sufficient
to considerably exceed the immediate re-
quirements of the Society in conducting its
present purpose - to a successful issue.
When it is remembered that the late Gen-
eral Hancock was born and raised in this
HISTORICAL NOTES AND NEWS
377
vicinity, that his most distinguished services
in the Civil War were recognized, appre-
ciated, and applauded, by the entire North
in the later years of the rebellion, anl that
his heroic and able Generalship at Gettys-
burg contributed largely to the victory that
stemmed and turned the onsweeping tide of
national disruption, ample reasons become
very apparent why the people of Montgom-
ery County in general and of Norristown in
particular should deem it both a pleasure
and a duty to unite anl rescue the brave
Commander's tomb from disintegration and
put an effectual quietus to the movement to
have his remains transferred to Arlington
Cemetery. There should be, and the Regis
ter believes there is sufficient regard for the
memory of the departed hero on the part of
the people of Norristown and Montgomery
County to impel them to cheerfully provide
the funds necessary to forever hold intact
the last resting place of one who shed en-
during lustre upon the community that with
pride claims him as one of her very fore-
most sons. Now let the just pride of all
of our citizens, with respect to the object
associated therewith, find fitting and sub-
stantial expression to the end that General
Hancock's tomb will for a short time only
continue in its present state of dilapidation
as an illustration of at least apparently for-
gotten greatness. Let everybody contribute
something; no matter how small the sum
— Norristown Register.
GENEALOGICAL NOTES AND QUERIES
Conducted by Mrs. M. N. Robinson. Contributions Solicited. Address, The Penna. German, Lititz, Pa.
D
Long Lived Yoders
One of our readers, G. M. Yoder, Hickory,
N. C, sends us the following list of names
and ages of descendants of Conrad Yoder,
one of the pioneers of South Fork Valley of
North Carolina.
Children: David, 93; Catharine, 86.
Grandchildren: Conrad, 86; Betty, 86;
Catharine, 85; David, 98; Fanny, 85; Eli,
82; Andrew, 88; Emmanuel, 97; Peter, 83;
Christena. 83; Mollie, 82.
Great-grandchildren: David, 86; Daniel,
86; Lovine, 80.
Great-great-grandchildren: G. M. Yoder,
(the writer) 85; Anna. 88 — and others over
80.
This is a remarkable record. The great-
grandchildren and the great-great-grandchil-
dren are still living. They were all well-
to-do farmers and peaceable and law-abid-
ing citizens. They were all moral people
and opposed to negro property. Our corres-
pondent says: "They never would invest any
money in negro property but always in
lands. They always predicted that the time
would come that negroes would not be
worth more than a dead cow as property."
A Remarkable Redemntioner
DIED at his farm in Upper Merion Town-
ship, Montgomery County, Penn., on Satur-
day, October 27, 1821, Mr. Adam Eve, aged
104 years. There is something remarkable
in the history of this old man. According
to his own relation, he emigrated from Ger-
many into this county at the beginning of
the Indian and French war, nearly 70
years ago. Upon his arrival in America, he
was sold for a term of years to pay his
passage, which term he served with fidelity.
By his. industry he acquired a handsome
property, and he raised a large family of
children. He had no recollection of ever
having the smallpox, nor even the usual
sickness while crossing the sea. He never
lost an hour from labor by indisposition,
nor employed a physician, nor took any
medicine in his life. He was completely
worn out with old age. (Genealogical Ex-
change of Buffalo, N. Y., Vol. 7, page 71,
Jan. 1911.)
Captain Henry Kuhn, a >oted Penna.
German
Captain Henry Kuhn, only son of Eman-
uel Kuhn, was born Feb. 2. 1830 in Frank-
lin County, Penn., and died at Topeka,
Kansas, June 11, 1900. He married Miss
Ann Katharine Herr of Greencastle, Penn.
Dec. 26, 1850 and four years later emigrated
to Atchison County, Kansas where he was
actively identified in building up the new
country,. .. .was first county superintendent
of public instruction of Atchison County,
— was sometime appointed county surveyor,
— was an organizer of First National Bank
of Atchison and a director for years, — en-
listed in the Eighth Kansas infantry, leav-
ing the service a commissioned captain, —
lived in Leavenworth after the war, —
helped organize the German Savings Bank
of that city, — built the first railroad in that
city and was at one time its wealthiest citi-
zen,— conceived the idea of sinking a coal
shaft at the state penitentiary, framed a
bill which passed the legislature and ever
378
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
since convicts dig coal for all state institu-
tions,— was chief clerk and at times acting
agent in Indian territory at an Indian
agency during Hayes' and Arthur's terms
as president, — later engaged in farming in
Marion County, and in 1890 engaged with
his son-in-law C. E. Foote in publishing the
Marion Times at Marion in which enter-
prise he was interested until 1899 when he
sold out and returned to Atchison. There
he bought the Atchison Champion and was
editor for several months when failing-
health caused his resignation, — was ap-
pointed by Governor John W. Leedy as a
delegate to the Louisiana Purchase Con-
vention at St. Louis and was a member of
the Kansas committee on arrangements at
his death, — was a member of the Kansas
State Historical Society which was founded
by Judge F. G. Adams, his lifelong friend, —
moved late in 1899 from Atchison to To-
peka, where he died, — to him and his wife
were born eight children. — one daughter
was the first female white child born in
Atchison County, — one daughter is Mrs.
Dr. Tobin of Frankfort, Penn., — was mem-
ber of Lincoln Grand Army post of Topeka,
— belonged to an intelligent, sturdy old fam-
ily of Pennsylvania Dutch, and enjoyed dur-
ing his three score and ten years, good
health and great business activity, was well
informed, a great reader and a forceful, in-
teresting writer. — Vol. 7, Kansas Historical
Collections, page 129. (The two preceding
items were submitted by Hon. J. C. Ruppen-
thal, Russell, Kansas. Thanks. — Editor).
The Jacob Price Family
From a blue print by our esteemel friend,
G. F. P. Wanger of Pottstown, Pa., we
gather the following data respecting one of
the early Montgomery County (Pa.) fam-
ilies.
The blue print is in the form of a con-
centric circles — each circle denoting a gen-
eration, six being thus represented.
The original name Preisz appeared in the
third generation as Preis, in the fourth as
Preis, Prise and Price, in the fifth as Price
exclusively.
Rev. Jacob Price was born in Witzenstein,
Prussia, emigrated 1719, settled at Indian
Creek, now Lower Salford Township, Mont-
gomery County, Pa., in 1721. being the 2nd
settler in that township. He was a member
and missionary of the mother church of the
Brethren, founded at Schwarzeau in 1708.
His son. Rev. John Price (said to have mar-
ried an Indian maiden) in his 17th year at
time of migration of family 1719 was one of
the founders ot the Brethren Church at
Germantown.
In the third generation there was one
minister Rev. John Price: — in the fourth
there were two; in the fifth, four; in the
sixth, nine.
Mr. Wanger has made blue prints of the
line of descent of a number of early Mont-
gomery County families. Those engaged in
working out family trees would do well to
get one of these blue prints. The follow-
ing is the list of charts. (Price $1.00 each).
Genealogical Charts of the Descendants of
HENRY GRUBB, Emigrated from Switz-
erland 1717; settled in Frederick
Township, Montgomery County. Pa.
HENRY GRUBB, Emigrated from Switz-
erland 1743; settled in Coventry
Township, Chester County, Pa.
JOHN GRUBB, Emigrated from England
1677; settled at Grubb's Landing,
Delaware.
HENRY WANGER, Emigrated from Switz-
erland 1717; settled at what is now
Pottstown. Pa.
ABRAHAM BERGE, of Limerick Town-
ship, Montgomery County, Pa., son of
Hans Ulrich Berge, Pioneer.
JACOB PRICE, Emigrated from Prussia,
1719; settled in Lower Salford Town-
ship. Montgomery County, Pa.
Seiler Family Data
ANSWER TO QUERY NO. 9
In response to the inquiry for information
concerning his forebears by Dr. J. H. Sieber
in the March number of THE PENNSYL-
VANIA-GERMAN I beg to submit the fol-
lowing which may prove helpful. Dr. Seiler
it appears has so little knowledge concern-
ing the history of his immigrant ancestor,
for he does not give us his name, that it
is quite possible he may be mistaken as to
the year in which is ancestor landed, and
even as to the generation. It is just pos-
sible that it was his great-great-grand-
father who came to America, and not his
great-grandfather.
In the following list of Seiler-Seyler ar-
rivals at Philadelphia from Germany prior
to 1805, he may find his immigrant ances-
tor:
Sept. 11. 1728— Hans George Seyler, Balt-
zer Seyler.
Sept. 19, 1728— Peter Seyler, Michael Sey-
ler (under 16 years), Valentine Seyler
(under 16 years) Martha Seyler, Matelina
Seyler (probably the wife), Matelina Sey-
ler (probably the daughter).
July 27, 1738— Hans Seiler, Ulrich Seiler Jr.
Sept. 19, 1738— Elias Siler.
August 30. 1749 — Jacob Seiler, Matthias
Seiler, Johannes Seiler, Christophel Seiler,
Martin Seiler. A number of Swiss were
in their company in this ship.
Sept. 15, 1749 — Jacob Seiler, Felix Seiler,
Oct. 2, 1749— Peter Seiler (native of Wur-
temberg).
Sept. 15, 1752 — Johan Christian Seyler.
Sept. 27. 1752 — Johan Ludwig Seiler.
Nov. 8, 1752 — Johannes Seiler.
Sept. 17. 1753— Peter Seiler.
GENEALOGICAL NOTES AND QUERIES
379-
Oct. 6, 1767 — Henrich Seyler, Christopher
Seiler.
Sept. 30, 1774— Nicklas Seiler.
Aug. 26, 1805 — Thomas Siler (farmer, aged
24 years). Barbara (native of Wurtem-
berg, 18 years).
The following data taken from the Penn-
sylvania Archives indicates where the emi-
grants or their descendants settled.
GEORGE SILER received a warrant for
150 acres of land from the State which was
surveyed Feb. 25, 1734. The land was lo-
cated in Philadelphia County. Philadelphia
County at that time comprised a number of
the present eastern counties.
JACOB SEILER received a warrant for 80
acres of land in Lancaster County which
was surveyed August 2, 1750.
FREDERICK SEYLER received a warrant
for 50 acres of land in Lancaster County
which was surveyed Oct. 4, 1754. He was a
resident of Donegal Township as late as
1773, his name appearing on the list of tax-
ables.
A FREDERICK SEYLER, possibly the
same, was a resident of Hereford Township.
Berks County in 1767.
A FREDERICK SEYLER was a resident
of Manchester Township, York Co., in 1782.
MATTHIAS SEYLER received a warrant
for 400 acres in Washington County in west-
ern Pennsylvania surveyed Dec. 31, 1784.
PHILIP SEILER and P. SPYKER received
a warrant for 200 acres of land in Berks
County, surveyed Jan. 9, 1793.
PHILIP SEYLER, possibly the same as
above, received a warrant for 150 acres of
land in Berks County, surveyed May 29,
1793.
PHILIP SEYLER, blacksmith, was a resi-
dent of Tulpehocken Township, Berks
County in 1784-85 as shown on the list of
taxables.
JOHN CHRISTIAN SEYLER and
ELIZABETH SEYLER, presumably a
widow, were resident of Tulpehocken Town-
ship Berks County in 1790 according to the
Census returns.
HENRY SEILER was a resident of Leba-
non Township, Lancaster County in 1773 as
shown on list of taxables.
JOHN SEILER was a resident of Lebanon
Township, Lancaster County in 1773 as
show on list of taxables.
A JOHN SEILER was also a resident of
Bethel Township, Lancaster County, as
shown on list of taxables.
A JOHN SEILER was a resident of
Brother's Valley Township, Bedford County
in 1776 as shown on list of taxables.
CHRISTOPHER SEYLER was a resident
of Sheferstown, Lancaster County in 1779
as shown on list of taxables.
HENRY SEYLER was a resident of Leba-
non Township, Lancaster County in 1779-82
as shown on list of taxables.
JOHN SEYLER Sr. was a resident of Leba-
non Township, Lancaster County in 1779-82
and was the owner of 160 acres of land as
show on list of taxables.
JOHN SEYLER Jr was a resident of
Lebanon Township, Lancaster County in
1779-S2 and was the owner of 200 acres of
land, as shown on list of taxables.
BARTLEY SILER. was a resident of
Windsor Township, York County in 1778-81
as shown on list of taxables.
JACOB SETLER was a resident of East
District Township, Berks County in 1780-84
and owned 80 acres of land, as shown on list
of taxables.
JACOB SEYLER was a resident of the
same township in 1781.
JACOB SEILER was a resident of the'
same township in 1790, according to the
census return.
The name it will be seen is spelled in
four different ways in the above entries.
MICHAEL SEILER was a resident of
Cocalico Township, Lancaster County in
1782 as shown on list of taxables.
YOST SEILER was a resident of Ma-
hanoy Township, Northumberland County
in 17S5-86-87 as shown on list of taxables
and owned 100 acres of land.
VALENTINE SEILER was a resident of
Bethel Township, Berks County, in 1790 ac-
cording to census returns.
ADAM SILER was a resident of Radnor,
Chester County in 1765 and owned 100 acres
of land.
JOSEPH SEILER receieved a warrant for
50 acres of land in Dauphin County, sur-
veyed May 21, 1853.
ALEXANDER SEYLER received a war-
rant for 100 acres of land in Schuylkill
County, surveyed Sept. 10. 1853.
JOHN SEILER and BOOR NICHOLAS re-
ceived a warrant for 138 acres in Cumber-
land County, surveyed Mar. 22, 1824.
Philip, Frederick, George, Henry, John,
Michael, Christopher and Valentine Seiler
served in the Revolutionary armies of
Pennsylvania, as also did George Michael,.
Jacob, Peter and Yost Seyler.
Search among the records of the counties
named above may be rewarded with valu-
able information.
(Contributed by James B. Laux.)
QUERY NO. 24
Blanch Family
Wanted information of any living de-
scendants of Daniel and Christian Blanch
or Plough, sons of John Blauch who at one
time lived in York County, and their four-
sisters, Cathrine. Anna, Barbara, and
Freeny. The father died in 1765.
Also the following descendants of the
children of Christian Blauch or Plough, he
died in 1786, one son Abram and five daugh-
ters Anna Barbara. Freenei, Christina,.
380
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Magdelena and Elizabeth intermarried with
Christina Berkey, Catharine intermarried
with John Schneider, all of these persons at
one time lived in Lancaster, Dauphin, York,
or Cumberland Counties. Valuable infor-
mation may result to those answering as
any of the above descendants.
Who can give any information whose
son Samuel Blough, or Plough was that
served in the Lancaster Militia, in 1778 to
1782? Are any of his descendants living?
Who can give me this information?
I desire to be placed in communication
with any person or society that can furnish
me with the records of our early ancestors,
living in Lancaster. York, Cumberland,
Dauphin or any counties divided from these.
Kindly name the records that give them and
where they can be seen or secured.
Is, there in existence any printed record,
of the Indian Wars and skirmishes, and of
those who lost their lives in the same.
D. D. BLAUCH,
Johnstown, Pa.
QUERY NO. 25
Boehm Family
Can you give me the origin of the Boehm
family? Martin Boehm was the founder of
the United Brethren Church and also built
Boehm's Chapel near Willow Street, Pa.
The family came from Switzerland. Would
like to know from what place in that coun-
try and if possible the name of the vessel
that brough (Jacob Boehm) Martin
Boehm's father to America. I understand
they came in 1715.
M. S. BOEHM.
Guelph. Ontario, Canada.
THE FORUM
The P-G Open Parliament, Question-Box and Clipping Bureau — Communications Invited
Errors in May Issue
P. 307, second column, sixth line from end
read oh! for or!
P. 260, first column, fourteenth line read
■cumbereth for crumbereth.
P. 271, second column, read second line
first.
Editor Penna.-German:
I note on page 275 of your May number,
in an article entitled: "From Schoharie to
Tulpehocken, Pa." by the Rev. Michael
Loucks. D.D., Marietta, Pa., that the old
sterotyped Regina Hartman story is once
again made to do duty. If the Regina that
Dr. Loucks refers to is the historic Regina,
— "Regina, the German captive", the Regina
that Muhlenberg described, and it would
appear from the article that that of course,
is the Regina that Dr. Loucks had in mind,
then he is greatly in error as to some of the
statements he made of her.
In a paper entitled: "A Final Word as to
Regina, the German Captive", read before
the Lebanon County Historical Society.
August 18, 1905, by the writer named below,
as also in a paper entitled: "Pennsylvania
Germans in the French and Indian War"
•contributed to the Pennsylvania German So-
ciety by Capt. H. M. M. Richards, Litt. D.. it
"was shown beyond successful disputation
and for a finality, by reason of later discov-
ered data, data of official, and therefore in-
controvertible kind that Regina's family
name was not Hartman, that the family of
which she was a member resided neither in
Lebanon, Schuylkill or Berks County, but
that they were located near the present site
of Selinsgrove on the West Branch of the
Susquehanna, and that it was there, and as
an incident of the massacre at Penn's
Grove, Oct. 16, 1755, that Regina, whose
family name was Leininger, and not Hart-
man, together with her sister Barbara, and
Maria le Roy, and another little girl whose
name is not now known, were taken prison-
ers, and carried into captivity.
The correct account is further to the ef-
fect that Barbara Leininger was not mur-
dered as the old sterotyped story made it to
appear, but that she, along with her bosom
girl-friend, Maria le Roy, after having been
in captivity for three and one half years,
made their escape with other captives, and
after many day and by devious ways,
made their way to Lancaster, Pa., where
they could "-easily be found". Regina Lein-
inger's period of captivity was for a much
longer period, namely, about nine years, af-
ter which she too was restored, and out of
that restoration was afterwards woven the
well-known story of "Regina, The German
Captive".
The Laux statement is erroneous in that
it is based on an already existing erroneous
statement that "near the Tulpehocken
Church" was the place where Regina's fam-
ily resided and that it was there that its
tragic fate was enacted, notwithstanding
that one Rev. Reuben Weiser once said so,
and that other writers, including Brunner,
THE FORUM
381
the Berks County Indian historian, kept on
saying so.
S. P. HEILMAN, (M. D.),
Secretary, Lebanon County Historical So-
ciety and Pennsylvania Federation of His-
torical Societies.
MEANING OF NAMES
By Leonard Felix Fuld, LL.M., PhJ).
EDITORIAL NOTE.— Dr. Fuld has kind-
ly consented to give a brief account of the
derivation and meaning of the surname of
any reader who sends twenty-five cents to
the Editor for that purpose.
71. KOPF
The word KOPF originally meant a drink-
ing vessel. Later it was used to denote the
head which had the same shape as the old
drinking vessels. When KOPF was adopted
as a surname it was with the idea that the
head which is the seat of understanding is
the most important part of the body. This
is an example of the rhetorical use of a part
to represent the whole. The surname KOPF
was applied to the head man of the tribe or
community, the most important man, the
chief. It is distinctly a complimentary sur-
name.
72. DIETRICH
The German name DIETRICH is not, as
is so. often believed, derived from the same
root as the English name THEODORE which
is a- compound of the Greek THEOS mean-
ing God and DORON meaning a gift. The
German name DIETRICH does not like the
English THEODORE mean a gift of God but
rather a ruler of his people. It is derived
from THEOD meaning people and RIC from
REX meaning king or ruler. The English
equivalent of DITERICH is THEODORIC.
As a common name now DIETRICH means
a skeleton key used by locksmiths and
thieves to open doors. It is likely that in a
few, — a very few cases the name DIETRICH
is a surname of occupation indicating a
locksmith and in a very few other cases it
is a nickname applied to a thief. In most
cases however its derivation is clearly in-
dicated as being from THEOD and RIC
and it is a decidedly complimentary sur-
name applied to one who surpasses his fel-
lowmen in physical powers or intelligence
and is accordingly their leader and ruler.
Plea Made for the Mother Tongue
One of the Pennsylvania National Guards-
men who participated in the military man-
ouvers on the Mexican border was Col. C. T.
O'Neill of Allentown, Pa. He gave a copy
of THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN to a
young officer from Iowa, Captain Stanley
Miller, who in turn gave it to his brother,
Aleck Miller, editor of the Washington,
(Iowa) Democrat. This led the editor to
write a few lines urging those who speak
foreign languages to teach their children
their mother tongue. He believes that it is
better to know two languages rather than
one. We understand Mr. Miller is a Penna.
German who has made good in the newspaper
profession. We would be pleased to hear
from the plucky "Dutchman",
Seholarships at the University of Pennsyl-
vania
In the list of fellowships and scholarships
awarded in the Graduate School of the Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania for 1911-12 we no-
tice the following names: Preston Albert
Barba, Henry Snyder Gehman, Lewis Bur-
ton Hessler, Gottlieb Augustus Betz, Walter
Fischer, Matthew Willard Lampe, Theodore
Arthur Buenger, John Musser, S. L. Mil-
lard Rosenberg, Anna Bertha Miller, John
Young Pennypacker, Edward Ellsworth
Marbaker, Rachel Wilter Pflaum, Agnes
Marie Kalbach, John Edward Jacoby. Wil-
liam Freeman Hoffman, Irma Clarissa Wie-
and, Harry Wayne Kochenderfer, Thomas
Andrew Bock, Warren Floyd Teel, Howard
Morris Stuckert, Max Lehman. Teuton blood
shows up well at the University.
The Youngest Aviator
Howard Levan, an Allentown youth of
seventeen, made a successful flight in a
Vv'right biplane recently from Toledo to Gir-
ard Island, Ohio. He has been flying for
five months during which time he was at
Porto Rico and at the government aviation
meet in the Philippines. He is probably
the world's youngest aviator — and is not
ashamed to say: "I am a Pennsylvania
Dutchman and proud of it.''
A Long Seareh Rewarded
Thirty years ago, one of our subscribers
Henry K. Deisher of Kutztown, an enthu-
siastic archaeologist and collector of Indian
relics and curios found one half of a broken
"banner stone", a stone implement used as
a ceremonial stone by the Indians. Ever
since he and friends for him have been on
the lookout for the companion piece. The
long watch was finally rewarded a few
weeks ago when Mr. Deisher's brother
found the missing piece, the two parts fit-
ting together quite exactly.
Five Generations in One House
At Bechtelsville, Berks County, Pa., five
generations are living in one house of
whom, Mrs. Heydt 80 years old, is able to
walk three miles to church.
382
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Real "Daughter of Revolution ' Dies
Mrs. Phoebe Wooley Painter 89 years old
died in Brookfield, New York, April 27, 1911.
She was the daughter of Jonathan Wooley
who was wounded at the battle of Saratoga,
and, therefore, a real "Daughter of the
American Revolution". Do our readers
know of any other real "Daughters"? If
so, let us hear from you.
"Truth Above Everything Else'
Dear Mr. Kriebel:
I was provoked, not to use a stronger
word, at the spirit displayed by A Sub-
scriber on page 304 of Pa.-German. If the
periodical is to be given up solely to eulogy
it will have very little value. What eulogies
are worth may be seen in those that are
delivered over deceased members of Con-
gress. Nobody reads them except friends,
and nobody consults them for information.
If Dr. Grumbine had held any particular
person up to ridicule the friends of the vic-
tim might feel aggrieved; but his story is
entirely impersonal. If every Jew, every
Irishman, and every negro were to get
angry when any one of their race is cari-
catured they would be in a state of mental
turmoil all the time. Let us have truth
above everything else. When Dr. Johnson
proposed marriage to Mrs. Porter he told
ler, with his blunt honesty, that she prob-
ably would object to connecting her fam-
ily with his as one of his relatives had been
hanged. She replied that she had no objec-
tions on that score, for altho she did not
know that any one of her connections had
been hanged she knew of several that ought
to be hanged. It is a wise maxim not to
spoil a good story for relationship's sake.
AN OHIO SUBSCRIBER.
The critic of Dr. Grumbine, in the May
number, talks absolutely like one who is
demented. He has absolutely no ground for
Tiis talk, which is absolutely senseless. I
am surprised that you gave it room. There
is no one who would be farther away from
ridiculing the Penna.-Germans than Dr.
G., altho apt in delinating their foibles and
characterizations. This fellow ought to do
the apologizing and not Dr. G.
A PENNA. SUBSCRIBER.
$20,400 for si Letter of Martin Luther
At a sale of autograph manuscripts held
in Leipsic, Germany, on the 3rd of May, a
letter from Luther to Charles V. sold for
$20,400. The purchaser was Marini of Flor-
-ence. who was bidding for J. Pierpont
Morgan, of New York City.
The letter was the most important one
Luther ever wrote. In it he described to
the Emperor the proceedings of the Diet of
Worms in 1521, which decided the fate of
the Reformation in Germany. The letter
never reached Charles V., as Luther was ar-
rested shortly afterward and no one ven-
tured to present it to the Emperor.
A letter from Luther to Katharine Bora,
the nun whom he married, and which was
addressed to her as "Sister Christine," sold
for $1,400.
Relative and Demonstrative Pronouns
In the interesting article: "A Study of a
Rural Community", in the April Pennsyl-
vania-German, the writer in referring to
the peculiarities of speech among the com-
munity of which he writes says: "Two
words that were never called into requisi-
tion by anybody were whose and whom
***** You would not hear anybody
say: "The man whose wife is sick'' but
"the man that his wife is sick".
The inability to use relative pronouns
properly, and make their language concise,
by means of interlocutory sentences is, of
course due to the want of education, and is
characteristic not only of the Pennsylvania
Germans, but of the uneducated classes of
every race and language. We find one kind
of shameful confusion in the use of who
and whom in English even in metropolitan
papers, in which a notorious fault can be
met almost daily, in such phrases as: "The
man whom it is said was killed". While
trying to think of some phrases to give as
an illustration, I came upon a phrase of
this kind in a Philadelphia paper when I
was about to prepare this article. In an
account of a tragedy the writer speaks of
a "husband whom the son, Frank, declares
he believes was poisoned''. Another blun-
derer would have perhaps said "the hus-
band, who the son believes to have been
poisoned", which would have erred the
other way.
What can be done in constructing a sen-
tence compactly by the use of relative pro-
nouns may be illustrated by the following
brilliant gem of grammatical style em-
ployed in framing an official notice or offer
of reward, made by the Burgess of a Ger-
man municipality.
"Der der den, der die den Zehnten diesen
Monats augeheftete Warnungstafel, dasz
niemand etwas ins Wasser werfen soil.
selber ins Wasser geworfen hat, angibt er-
halt eine Belohnung von zehn Mark.
Schulteis.''
This sentence, though probably not in a
style that deserves imitation, is gram-
matically correct, and illustrates the capa-
bilities of the German language, and unless
the author was a genius, he had to expend
much labor and thought in the effort to
produce such a compact form of expression.
The sentence is worthy of analysis and pars-
Vol. XII
JULY, 191
No. 7
Canal Lore
Early Conditions Leading to the Building of Canals in Pennsylvania
By Edwin Charles, Lewisburg, Pa.
HE settlement and industrial
development of the great
Susquehanna River Valley,
various transverse valleys
that open into it, bore with
them the natural require-
ments of easy access and
facility for transportation.
The early pioneers probably traversed
the streams in canoes, or followed on
foot the Indian trails along the margins
on either hand. And so long as the
country was but the rendezvous of the
hunter, trapper, and trader, no other
convenience along this line was needed,
for the canoe and the pack horse were
"sufficient unto the day". But, when
the homemaker put in an appearance,
with his greater wants and more bulky
products, and the great economic inter-
dependence of one community upon an-
other, the Indian path evolved into a
highway for vehicles, and the streams in
a crude way, were made more navigable.
These roads, at first, crooked and
rugged, stony and full of stumps, un-
drained and ungraded, without bridges,
and with but precarious fords, were in
due time filled with caravans of cum-
bersome, though picturesque, Conestoga
wagons, lumbering along behind from
one to a dozen spans of toiling horses, or
perhaps, after as many yokes of oxen.
Often only a few miles' progress was
made in a day. A trip now made in a
few hours then required several days or
even an entire week.
The streams were in as bad a shape
as the roads. There were reefs and
rapids, snags and shallows, and general
weather conditions, such as very low
water and dangerous floods, which,
taken together, proved a constant men-
ace to the best of pilots and forbode al-
most certain disaster to the unwary or
unskilled. After a while, however,
channels were located, the more serious
obstructions removed, wing walls were
laid up, and short canals constructed
around the seething rapids at Conewago
Falls, Berry's Falls and elsewhere.
Thenceforth the river was destined to
bear an increased burden. Rafts of
timber and boards were floated in ever
increasing numbers. Innumerable arks,
also, and river boats of large size were
built far in the interior, and were
freighted with all conceivable kinds of
farm and forest products for the markets
below. Yet, while the river afforded the
cheaper, quicker and easier way to the
market, it was next to impossible to re-
turn against the strong current with any-
thing save the lightest boats, with the
386
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
smallest loads, and most irksome labor.
Hence, wagons and horses were not in-
frequently loaded with outgoing car-
goes, in which to make the homebound
trip by road. The craft was usually dis-
posed of, upon reaching its destination,
for lumber. Many barges, though, were
built for sale, and these became factors
in the tidewater and coastwise trade.
But withal, commerce steadily in-
creased. The roads and rivers, improved
though they had been, were still inade-
quate, and were almost constantly con-
gested with traffic. Now, too, vast fields
of coal and other minerals were dis-
covered. Their prospective develop-
ment presaged trade and wealth alike to
State and citizen, provided unrestricted
avenues to market could be secured.
State jealousy now arose from the com-
pletion of the Erie Canal. The citizens
of Pennsylvania, keenly alive to the ad-
vantages that were accruing to New
York, because of the "Big Ditch", now
began to clamor for similar internal im-
provements. So it happened the Com-
monwealth entered upon an era of ex-
tensive canal building. It is true, there
were already at this time, a number of
canals in the State, built by private en-
terprise, but the Pennsylvania Canal, we
believe was the first that was projected
as a State institution.
As a matter of Canal history we in-
clude the following list of Acts passed by
the legislature, authorizing the incor-
poration of canal and lock navigation
companies, as it -appears in Gordon's
Gazeteer of Pennsvlvania, published in
1832.
DATE OF ACTS
Sept. 29. 1791,
April 10, 1792,
April 10, 1793,
Feb. 27, 1798,
Feb. 19. 1801,
Feb. 7. 1803,
March 17. 1806,
April 2, 1811,
March 20, 1813,
March 26, 1814,
March 8, 1815,
Feb. 5, 1817,
March 24,
March 20, 1813,
March 29, 1819,
1S20;
March 27, 1823,
April 21, 1823,
March 13,
April 26, 1825,
March 28, 1820,
March 3, 1825,
April 12,
Feb. 20, 1826,
Feb. 9, 1826,
Feb. 20, 1826,
March 25, 1826,
April 7, 1826,
April 10, 1826,
April 5, 1826,
April 10, 1826,
April 14, 1827,
April 14, 1827,
April 16, 1827,
April 14, 1827,
April 11, 1827,
TITLE OF COMPANIES
Schuylkill & Susquehanna Navigation,
Delaware & Schuylkill Navigation,
Conewago canal west side of river,
Brandywine canal and lock Navigation,
Lehigh Navigation (1814 March 22)
Chesapeake & Delaware Canal,
Conecocheague Navigation,
Conestoga Lock and Dam Navigation,
Union Canal,
Conewago canal, east side of river,
Neshaminy Lock Navigation,
Schuylkill Navigation,
Lackawanna Navigation,
Monongahela Navigation.
Lehigh Navigation, by White & Co.
Schuylkill West Branch Navigation,
Octorara Navigation,
Conestoga, to be made navigable
By Jas. Hopkins,
Harrisburg Canal and Lock Navigation,
Shenango Canal Company,
Improvement and Slack Water Navigation,
Of the Lackawaxen river,
Canal & Lock Navigation of Brandywine,
Conestoga Navigation Company,
Codorus Navigation Company,
Lock Navigation on the Little Schuylkill
Chesapeake Bay and Ohio River,
Tioga Navigation Company,
Susquehanna and Lehigh (Nescopeck)
Petapsico and Susquehanna Canal,
Susquehanna & Del. Canal & Rail Road,
Northumberland Canal and water right Co.
Sunbury Canal,
Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal Company
Shamokin Creek,
Allegheny and Conewango Canal,
Norwegian creek Slack Water Navigation,
Stony Creek Slack Water Navigation,
COUNTIES
Daup. Leb. Berks.
Berks, Mont., Phila.
York.
Chester.
Northap., Luzerne.
Maryland & Delaware.
Franklin.
Lancaster.
Dauphin. Leb.. Berks.
Dauphin, Lancaster.
Bucks.
Sch., Berks, Mont., Phil.
Luzerne.
Fay., Gree., Alleg., Was.,
West.
Northamp., Luzerne.
Schuylkill.
Lancaster, Chester.
Lancaster.
Dauphin.
Crawford.
Luzerne.
Chester, Delaware.
Lancaster,
York.
.Schuylkill Co.
Somerset, Fayette, West-
moreland, Alleg.
Tioga.
Colu., Luz., North'n.
York,
Northampton.
Northumberland.
Northumberland.
Beaver, Allegheny,
Northumberland.
Warren, Venango.
Schuylkill.
Dauphin.
CANAL LORE
387
SCENE ON THE CANAL NEAR PORT TREVORTON, PA.
Cut furnished by E. S. Arnold, Washington, D. C.
March 22, 1827, Mahanoy Navigation Company, Northampton.
March 20, 1827, Schuylkill Valley Navigation, Schuylkill.
March 22, 1827, Delaware and Schuylkill lock Navigation, Philadelphia.
April 27, 1830, Waullunpaupack Improvement Company, Wayne, Luzerne.
Feb. 23, 1830, Penn's Creek Navigation, Union.
It is not our purpose to digress far-
ther into the history of the construction
of this canal. Suffice it to say that it
was built, and immediately thereupon
brought into being, for the region it
traversed, a new occupation, to which
flocked men and boys from other em-
ployments. Some, such as the river-
men, because of the similarity to their
former work ; some from the farms,
the woods, and the trades ; some to see
more of the world, and still others for
the mere novelty of the thing. This
being a rough, hard life, it also attracted
many of the worst characters and ad-
venturers who lived by their physical
prowess and depredation. As a result
there was for many years much fighting,
stealing, drinking and profanity, until
the word boatman was almost synony-
mous with ruffian. However, after a
while the bullies were pretty well elimi-
nated, the floating population learned to
know each other, law and order were
established, and the moral tone became
about as good as the average in other
occupations.
THE BOATS
What the first boats were like we can
only conjecture. Probably a lot of
shawnees or flat bottoms, anything to
provide means of conveyance. Many,
no doubt, of a better class came from
the Union and the Schuylkill canals.
Later the business of boat-building de-
veloped into an important industry. Dis-
tinct types of craft sprang from the dif-
ferent yards. These were variously
known from their general shapes as
Counter-sterns, Bull-heads, Tooth-picks,
Store-boats, etc. Others were known
from the towns at which they were built,
as Marietta, Middletown, Dauphin,
New Buffalo, Selinsgrove and Lewis-
388
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
burg-builds. At these named places, as
well as at many others, there were im-
portant dry-docks and building yards.
At Lewisburg were built many river
barges, also a peculiar type intended for
use on the Lehigh canal known as
"Chunkers". This name was likely ap-
plied for the reason that many of them
were used to transport coal exclusively
from Mauch Chunk. The Pennsylvania
Canal Company, after it secured the
canal from the State, maintained ex-
tensive yards and docks at Espy, where
they built a distinct type of round-
sterns. These were operated in pairs,
coupled one after the other with heavy
chains, and were steered, when loaded,
by means of a horizontal screw passing
back and forth through a vertical wheel.
By turning the wheel, chains were me-
chanically controlled by which the boats
could be swung into an angle in any de-
sired direction. Thus, in fact, one boat
was used as the rudder, and a skilful
steersman could with ease literally bend
his boats around the numerous sharp
curves. This method of coupling and
steering, was alleged to have been an in-
fringement on the patent of Mr.
McCreary. of Middletown, Pa., who is
said to have originated this idea of
coupling, though his guiding process was
accomplished by a vertical windlass with
a horizontal wheel. These doubled-boats
were used principally in the transporta-
tion of coal from the Luzerne region to
Columbia, Havre de Grace, Baltimore.
Philadelphia and New York. This com-
pany had besides the doubled-boats, or
"Snappers", as they were locally known,
a series of West Branch boats, without
decks, that were designed for the carry-
ing of lumber.
The boats were about eighty-five feet
in length, fifteen feet in width, and eight
to ten feet in height. The size was
limited to these dimensions by the size
of the canal locks. A boat weighed ap-
proximately 100,000 pounds, and had a
capacity of about 130 tons, when loaded
to a depth of five feet. The company
boats were painted, the body white and
yellow with trimmings of white or green
and when new, quite handsome. The
individual boats, (those owned by private
parties) were painted, some not at all,
others in the gayest colors according to
the tastes of the different owners.
The company boats were numbered,
while those of private ownership were
named, having the names printed in
large letters, sometimes on the bow, but
most usually on the stern. They were
named for registry purposes, and the
names were generally given in honor of
some patron, or because of some quality
of the craft, or often for sentiment alone.
A few names here recalled are perhaps
characteristic of most of them, as: Gen-
eral Ned Williams of Chapman ; Edwin
S. Arnold of Port Trevorton; Dr. Geo.
B. Weiser of McKees Falls ; Judge Elder
of Lewistown ; Champion; Nellie Bly;
Yankee Spy; Indian Hunter; Vade me-
cura ; The Wooden Child ; Flying Dutch-
man ; Commerce of Philadelphia ; Town
Talk of Liverpool ; Friendship of Bern-
ville; Niagara of Lebanon, etc. An in-
cident is often related concerning a boat
named "The To and Fro." Now, that
name was pretty enough, but some mis-
chievous drivers having a grouch against
the owner, and seeing a chance for sport,
one dark night added a few letters, so
that, the next morning the name ap-
peared, "The Toads & Frogs," much to
the chagrin of the owner, although to
the extreme amusement of the malicious
bovs.
BOAT EQUIPMENT.
Each boat, besides the rings, cleats,
chocks, rudder and so forth, attached to,
and being a part of the boat proper, was
furnished with rigging, which consisted
of towing-lines, stern-lines, poles, pumps,
feed and provision chests, water barrel,
buckets, feed troughs, nose-baskets, lad-
ders, awning, running-plank, fenders,
splasher, night-hawks (head lights), and
cabin equipment. If engaged in the bay
trade, there were tide-poles, gang-planks,
capstan hawsers and anchors. There was
also a curious contrivance called a
bridge-stick. It was about two feet in
length and in form somewhat like a
tennis racket. It was made of solid oak
and had a stout pin extending from both
CANAL LORE
589
sides through the center of the wide
part. This stick was fastened in the
towing-line to slide on the top and on
the inner side of the guard rail of the
towing-path on the river hridges, while
crossing, to prevent the strong current
and heavy lines from bearing directly on
the team and perhaps throwing it from
the bridge.
Save for a few boats that were oper-
ated by steam, the motive power con-
sisted entirely of horses and mules. Two
or three mules was the rule for a single
boat, and from three to five to tow a
pair. These were hitched tandem, and
their appearance reflected the care or
lack of it on the part of the owners or
those having charge of them. Some
were sleek and well-fed, while others
were scrawny and betrayed over-work —
veritable "brow baits". Quite often
would be seen teams with gearings be-
spangled with rings, brass buttons, tas-
sels and bells giving them a sort of holi-
day appearance. With a fair team two
to three miles an hour was the average
rate of progress.
THE CREW
The crew usually consisted of two
men and a boy. The one in authority,
who was in many instances also the
owner, was dignified with the name.
Captain. He had charge of the prop-
erty and papers and was responsible for
them. He also gave the orders and did
the business. His mate or helper was
the bowsman. We are not sure whether
"bowsman" refers to him who had
charge of the fore part of a vessel or
whether it is a corruption of the sailor's
term, boatswain or bo'sun. The boy,
the third member of the crew, was the
driver of the team. Besides the crw, the
family of the captain sometimes lived
aboard, or on certain occasions made a
trip. The homelike appearance and gen-
eral tidiness of such boats, bespoke the
refining influence of woman.
LIFE AND CUSTOMS ON THE BOATS
In many phases, life on the boats was
not unlike camping out, with an addi-
tional feature of almost constant change
of location and shift of scenery. Com-
pared with railway travel, the boats
merely loitered along, and thus allowed
ample time to notice things of interest,
points of scenery and even to become
acquainted with towns and folks along
the route. It is true, the hours were
long, and the work in some respects be-
came slavish and monotonous. In bad
weather, too, it was especially disagree-
able, yet all taken together, it was rather
a fascinating pui suit.
All on board were domiciled in a cabin
built either at the stern or amidship. The
cabin could not be very large but was
constructed in a manner to afford the
greatest amount of convenience and com-
fort from the space available. It may
be a matter of some surprise to learn
that three to six persons could adapt
themselves to having their kitchen, din-
nig-room, bedroom and wardrobe con-
fined to a floor space of less than twelve
feet square, and except in mosquito sea-
son or excessively hot weather, do it
cosily and comfortably, to say nothing of
frequently entertaining friends and
neighbors.
The daily routine while running was
about as follows : — Early, probably two
or three o'clock in the morning, the cap-
tain would arouse the other members of
the crew. With lantern and feed they
would proceed to the stable and feed,
curry and harness the team. This done,
the driver would proceed with it to the
towing-path and hitch to a towing-line
about seventy-five to ninety yards in
length, the other end of which was con-
nected with the fore part of the boat. In
the meanwhile the bowsman would light
the night-hawk, cast off the moorings
and place at the helm to guide the boat
and prevent its running amuck. All
being readiness, the command. "Go
ahead", was given. The driver then
started the team and walked closely be-
side or behind it clucking drowsily to the
mules and occasionally cracking his whip
to startle them into greater activity. Thus
they would go along until daylight, or
until breakfast was ready, which in the
absence of a woman, was prepared by
either the captain or the bowsman. The
one who prepared the meal ate first, then
390
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
relievd the steersman who ate next. Af-
ter this the driver was called to break-
fast. When the boat was light or not
laden it was directed close to the bank
and one of the men would jump off to
take the driver's place. A short ladder
was suspended from the gunwale of the
boat which the lad would grasp and climb
on board. Ofttimes the exchange was
made at a convenient overhead bridge.
But when the boat was laden it could not
approach the towing-path very closely,
and it would also be too far beneath
most bridges to make use of that method
of getting on or off. Then it required
some agility to make the transfer. The
one on the boat would take a pole, set
the one end of it on the bottom of the
canal, and by a swinging leap carry him-
self to terra firma. The one ashore could
not possibly perform the leap from the
shore back to the boat, as the latter was
at a considerable elevation. Hence a
plank about twenty feet in length was
thrown with one end to the tow-path.
The other end was allowed to rest on the
moving boat. It was quite a feat to suc-
cessfully run up the inclined, diagonally-
moving plank. Many a laddie, failing in
the attempt, took an involuntary bath in
the canal before breakfast, instead of
making his customary morning ablutions
from a bucket as was his wont to do.
After his meal the driver cleared the
table, washed the dishes, swept the
floor, took a short rest and then again
took his place with the team. The same
procedure was followed for the other
meals of the day.
In the early days of the canal the cus-
tom was to stop to feed. Wooden
troughs hung on ropes were fastened to
trees in shaded spots where the tired ani-
mals were given a respite from the con-
tinual drag. Evidences of these feeding
places are still to be seen by many heavy
iron spikes protruding from the trunks
of the ancient trees. Numbers of the
trees, too, bear deformities, directly
traceable to cribbing mules. In the lat-
ter days stopping to feed was quite gen-
erally discontinued and a somewhat
novel system came into vogue. Either
nose-baskets or nose-gays were used.
These vessels containing the oats or
corn were suspended by leathern straps
or by ropes fastened over the animals'
heads. The mules fed while traveling
slowly along. The driver from time to
time drew the hangers closer so that the
feed might be reached with more ease.
This method of feeding economized
time, and the teams were fed with more
regularity than by the old-time way.
When meeting a boat moving in the
opposite direction, passing was effected
in the following manner. Each team
would take the left side of the path in
the direction in which it was going. The
boats similarly would take the right side
of the canal. The outside team, usually
the one belonging to a laden boat, would
halt upon meeting the other team, which
in turn passed over the fallen line. There-
upon the other started and stopped again
when the line was close to the on-coming
craft, the line sinking into the water
and the boat passing over it. Thus meet-
ing and going by were accomplished with
scarcely any inconvenience to either
party. Fast boats frequently overtook
slow ones going the same way and went
by them in almost the same manner.
When approaching a lock, and when
still about a fourth of a mile distant
therefrom, a signal was given, so that the
lock if not ready, was made so by the
lock-tender. The signal was made by
sounding a tin horn, a bugle or a conch.
The last mentioned was most generally
in use. Many of the men became expert
shell-artists, and at certain places, where
wood-covered headlands rose to magnifi-
cent heights, they would take delight in
showing their skill. Then to hear the
echoes roll and blend was delightfully
thrilling and awakened thoughts of Ten-
nyson and his "Bugle Song". When the
lock was ready the boat was towed into
it. Having acquired some momentum
there was danger of crashing into or
through the gates at the closed end of the
lock and causing damage and perhaps
disaster. To avoid this element of dan-
ger and to hold the boat in place while
the lock was emptying or filling, posts
were placed at intervals on the tow-path
side. Upon entry of the boat into the
CANAL LORE
391
lock-chamber, the team was stopped and
one of the men would step to the lock-
wall with a bow-line, one end of which
was fastened securely to the bowstem.
He would place several wraps of the line
about one of the posts on the wall and
thus gradually check the speed and
finally stop the boat. This in canal lingo
was called "snubbing". After the boat
was in the lock, the chamber was closed
by raising a sunken gate, or by closing
two vertical gates, one from each side
and meeting midway as a mitre. The
wicket gates at the bottom of the oppo-
site end of the lock were then opened,
and the lock if full was emptied and the
boat lowered to the level of the canal be-
low. On the other hand if the lock was
empty it would fill in a similar way and
the boat would be elevated to the level
above. In either case the gates were
then opened and the craft went on its
way. Generally, boats would run until
about eight to ten o'clock p. m., depend-
ing largely upon the time required for
reaching convenient stopping places, i.
c. ;, places where there were wharves
stables and perhaps groceries. Then the
boat was moored, and made shipshape
for the night. The mules also were un-
harnessed and allowed to indulge a short
while to roll in the dust after which they
were stabled and properly cared for.
This was the customary routine day
after day, which was frequently broken
into by breaks in the banks of the canal,
bars that were washed in by heavy rains,
broken lock gates, sunken boats, etc., all
hindrances which sometimes caused days
of delay, that meant to a full measure a
life of indolence for the employees. At
the points of lading and unlading many
days were consumed awaiting the proper
turns. At times upwards of one hun-
dred boats were in waiting, a veritable
colony of active young men and rollick-
ing boys with practically nothing to do.
So it is no great wonder that sport and
hilarity were dominant. Oh, what days
of excursion into the adjacent country,
or trips into the mills and mines, what
fishing parties, what races and swimming
matches, games and cunning tricks, any-
thing that brought delight and joy to the
juvenile heart! And those glorious
evenings, made merry with music out ac-
cordion, mouth-organ or flute ; those
songs original and peculiar to this float-
ing people; the jests and jokes, and the
recounting of weird tales all help to cast
the glamour of romance over those twi-
light gatherings that causes them to lin-
ger in fond memory long after seeming-
ly more important matters are forgotten.
But there was also another side. Each
hour of undue delay meant a serious loss
to the captain. He was at continuous
expense, whether busy or idle for the
wages of his crew as well as for the
maintenance of his team and other
property. Besides, each day lost affected
his earnings, also his good humor. In
some instances, however, he got demur-
rage for exceptional delay in unloading.
Boats in transit seldom stopped be-
cause of rainy weather. As a means of
protection, the crew donned oilskins or
other waterproof clothing, while the
mules at such times were provided with
housings of leather or canvas. Thus
they managed to move along in a bedrag-
gled way. Sometime a great deal of
water rained into the boats or perhaps
leaked in. Then there was back-break-
ing business on hand for young fellows
as the water must necessarily be gotten
rid of. This was done with suction
hand-pumps. Sometimes pumping was
made easier by attaching a spring pole
to the handle of the pump. The other
end of the pole was fastened in such a
manner that when the pole was pressed
upon its elasticity would cause it to rise
and help raise the weight of water.
In early spring or late fall the weather
was apt to be unpleasant. There were
cold, disagreeable days, when the decks
were dangerously slippery with frost or
snow. Lines were coated with ice and
became heavy, inflexible and difficult to
handle. In very severe weather the canal
was frozen over. Then, if the scum of
ice was not too heavy, planks for ice-
breakers were fixed to the bow. A num-
ber of teams were then used to draw the
boat forward with force. In this way
the ice was crushed and a channel opened
for following craft. When the ice proved
392
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
to be too thick, the boats were frozen in
and navigation was closed for the sea-
son. Then there was a merry ride home
overland on muleback.
In boating on the bay the mules were
taken on the boats in quarters designed
for that purpose. The boats were lashed
together in fleets and towed by powerful
tugs. In the event of storms they were
sometimes placed in single line one after
another to prevent chafing or crashing to-
gether. At first, for want of weather
signals, for lack of skill in handling, and
because of improperly constructed craft,
many were lost in the bay. On one mem-
orable trip between Havre de Grace and
Batimore it is said fourteen out of a fleet
of twenty-seven went to the bottom. A
number of lives were lost on this oc-
casion.
There was in this life on the canal
some tendency toward vulgarity and
other forms of irreligion, owing no doubt
in a measure, to the absence of home as-
sociations and church influences. This
condition was met to some extent by pub-
lic mission services. At Nanticoke, Co-
lumbia and Havre de Grace sermons
were quite frequently preached on the
boats, and tracts and Bibles were distrib-
uted. Not a few men in these latter
days still show with pride the little red
Testaments that were presented to them
when they were boys on the canal. One
aged man, Dr. Ziegler of Lewisburg, was
especially energetic in carrying on this
work.
Canal transportation, as before stated,
was comparatively slow, but it was also
relatively cheap. Coal was carried the
long distance from Nanticoke to New
York City via the Pennsylvania Canal to
Columbia, Pa. ; thence via the Susque-
hanna & Tidewater Canal to Havre de
Grace, Md. ; thence down the Chesapeake
Bay and up the Elk River to Chesapeake
City, Md. ; thence via the Chesapeake &
Delaware Canal to Delaware City, Del. ;
thence up the Delaware River to Borden-
ton, N. J. ; thence via the Delaware &
Raritan Canal to New Brunswick, N. J.,
thence down the Raritan River through
the Staten Island Sound and the Kill von
Kull into New York Bay. This was a
trip of approximately seven hundred
miles circular. A pair of boats had a
freight capacity of two hundred and
sixty tons for which the captain was paid
at the rate of eighty-eight cents per ton.
At the present time the freight rate from
the same mines by rail is probably triple
what it was by water. Yet the boatmen
at the lower rate and an average of seven
trips a season made a fair living and still
bewail the abandonment of the canal and
the loss of their occupation.
Canal life was productive of many tales
of amusing incidents and experiences, a
few of which we append as a close to
this article. We give them substantially
as we heard them from the lips of older
boatmen.
THE FARMER BOATMAN
A certain farmer whose estate bor-
dered the banks of the Juniata Canal,
seeing the boats in gay colors daily glid-
ing by, became tired and dissatisfied with
the routine and tedium of farm life and
therefore exchanged his farm for a canal
outfit. Instead of hiring an experienced
crew to help him in his new line of work,
he undertook to get along with the aid of
his plough-boys. All sorts of laughable
happenings and mistakes naturally fol-
lowed. The most ludicrous of which
perhaps was the boring of a hole into the
bottom of his boat to let the leak water
run out. It was only by the quick action
of others who knew better that the boat
was prevented from sinking. By dint of
great perseverance this bunch of lands-
men bumped along for a number of days
until finally they arrived at the town of
Shickshinny. This place is midway be-
tween Beach Haven and Nanticoke in a
sixteen mile level. Here they stopped for
the night. While they were soundly sleep-
ing, some other boatmen, practical jokers,
turned the boat about endwise at the
wharf. In the morning the crew arose
and unwittingly started in the direction
from which they had come the day
before. Thus they went on eight miles to
Beach Haven when the driver exclaimed,
"Why this looks just like the town we
came through yesterday." It was indeed
the same town. Then, if ever, there was
CANAL LORE
393
an explosion of eloquent profanity. The
deluded farmer make several trips then
became disgusted and sold his boat and
rigging for less than it was worth.
SLINGLE PLAYS SPOOK
Once in a while the drivers became
fatigued from over-work and insuf-
ficiency of sleep. To gain a little rest
they took to riding the mules, or perhaps,
being mostly young fellows they did so,
because of vague imaginings or fear. At
any rate one particular driver formed a
habit of riding. Night after night he
placed himself across the back of a mule
in such a way that his body rested
securely between the projecting horns of
the names. There he slept as only a tired
boy can sleep. As soon as the team
noticed the absence of the driver's lash
or the cessation of his drowsy clucking,
they speedily fell to nibbling bushes
which grew in great profusion in many
places along the outer edge of the towing-
path. Although the driver could not in
the darkness be seen from the boat, the
irregular dipping of the line was notice-
able and acquainted those on the boat
that he was either asleep or at least not
following closely. Slingle, the captain,
had long ago made a vow that this habit
must be broken. Hence one dreary night
when it became apparent that Tom was
again dozing, Slingle determined to
frighten him. Taking a white sheet with
him, he got off the boat and very stealth-
ily approached the unsuspecting boy.
And surely enough Tom was asleep on
the saddle mule. Very quietly Cap
mounted the leader, wound the sheet
about him and forthwith began to moan
most piteously. The mules unused to
such an apparition snorted and reared in
a violent manner. As expected this awoke
Tom, but instead of losing his wits and
running away as it was also supposed he
would do, he merely leaped from his
perch, seized a stone of several pounds
weight and hurled it with all his muscular
might at the terrible spook. This he
followed with several more similar mis-
siles. His aim was true to the mark as
attested by the still more vociferous
though not altogether unfeigned yells of
the startled man, who in his extremity
leaped bodily into the canal and swam
toward the boat still bombarded by the
irate driver. Finally the bowsman caused
Tom to desist and with difficulty rescued
the captain. The inventory showed a
cracked rib, a bruised head, a lost hat, a
torn sheet and a bedraggled though a
wiser "spook."
MIKE PADDY'S PIGS
Among the amusing anecdotes we
must not forget the story of Mike Pad-
dy's pigs. Now Mike was one of the
hale and hearty sons of Erin. He was
also frugal, honest and thrifty. By dint
of these qualities supplemented by
industry, diplomacy and wit, he was
given charge of a lock on the Tidewater
Canal. It seems Mike had a weakness
for the proverbial "Irishman's Pig," and
rested not until he became the proprietor
of a pair of them. So that he might
conveniently bestow all proper attention
upon them, and in anticipation mentally
regale upon his growing beauties, he
built the sty upon the lock-wall. On
that canal, he who boated later than
eight p. m. or earlier than four a. m.
must tend his own lock. It so happened
that such an one, a burly Teuton, did
pass through Mike's lock in the still,
dark hours of an April night. Mike was
in the throes of a deep slumber and all
unconscious of the pigs and the world.
But not so the pigs, they were wakeful
and by sundry grunts betrayed their
presence. The Dutchman too had latent
propensities similar to those of the
Chinaman in "Lamb's Dissertation on
Roast Pig," and hearing the grunts, was
irresistibly led into temptation, pur-
loined the pigs and hid them on his boat.
Mike rose at daybreak and at once
missed his porkers, but instead of be-
moaning his loss, he set about learning
what boats passed through his lock that
night. In the due course of events he
spotted his man and located the pigs
still on the boat. Now other boatmen
also carried pigs and even poultry in
those days but the wily Irishman was
not to be deluded by circumstance. He
knew his man and he knew his property.
394
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Craftily he said nothing to the thief, who
passed hack and forth frequently during
the summer, that would lead him to
think he was suspected. No, not until
the gates were closed upon the boat in
question for the last homebound trip of
the season. Then Mike raised the boat
to the level of the wall, closed the
wickets, squatted upon the balance beam
and demurely puffed away at a stumpy
clay pipe. The following colloquy then
took place.
"What is the matter, Alike?"
"< >h, nothin". Jack."
"Why don't you lock us through?"
"I'm waitin' on yourself. Jack."
"What are you waiting on me for?"
"T am waiting for you to unload me
winther's mate."
"And what do you mean by that?"
"I mane by that, sor, that you shall
unload those pigs you borrowed one
noight lasht spring and have been fat-
tening for me durin' the summer."
"I'll not stand for any insult as that."
"( >h vis you will. You'll unload the
pigs and be quick about it or you may
get a sound beating and a free ride to.
York in the bargain."
Whether or no, the fat hogs were
unloaded and Jack passed on homeward
without even so much as a sausage for
Thanksgiving.
Not Anglo-Saxons
President Benjamin Ide Wheeler of the
University of California delivered an elo-
quent and scholarly address recently, in
which he said:
"What is Americanism, that Americanism
which has its seat in the west? And what
are Americans? Is it a matter of race or
descent? We call ourselves Anglo-Saxons,
we pride ourselves upon our relation to the
English, we point to the bonds which link
us to the British; yet we are not Anglo-
Saxons. We have the English language, we
enjoy the English literature, many of our
customs and ways are English, yet we are
not Anglo-Saxons. The only sections of our
country which were occupied by the English
were New England and the tide water flats
of Virginia. The other colonies were settled
by people of various races. The Dutch in
New York and Pennsylvania, the French
and Spanish to the south, and the Scotch
and Irish in the middle. If you want to find
the racial differences, look at the church.
Where there are English is the Episcopalian
church, and where there are Scotch and
Irish is the Presbyterian church. It was a
Scotch-Irish race which passed over the
mountains into Kentucky and Tennessee.
There are other people there, to be sure, but
you will find that the big-boned, hardy men
and women, of whom Kentucky is so proud,
are all of Scotch-Irish descent.
There are the French in South Carolina
and Georgia and even in New England, for
where you find such names as Bowdoin Col-
lege and Faneuil Hall, there must be some
trace of the French.
There was even a scattering of Jews in
New England, as names such as Lyman and
Lyons will testify. They all come from the
same root. But race lines were lost in the
new land. People were too busy to pay at-
tention to such things, and the distinctive
names soon disappeared. Later came the
Irish, and from them we have gained some
of our national traits. The broad sense of
humor by means of which we have lived,
which carried us through trouble and hard
times, that peculiar religion of the American,
race, we owe it to the Irish.
Later came the Germans, not the Penn-
sylvania Germans, but the Germans of St.
Louis, Milwaukee and Cincinnati. It is a
fact that one-third of the population of this
country is of German descent, and that out
of our 90 millions, 14 millions are pure
German stock. It is, therefore, presumptu-
ous to speak of Americans as Anglo-Saxons.
The American is the product of no race, but.
Americans and Americanism have been
shaped by the geography of the country.
They are the result of a peculiar land."
395
The German Immigration into Colonial New England
By Wilfred H. Schoff, Philadelphia, Pa.
ACOB SCHOFF was one of
• a party of seven Germans
who purchased of the town
of Lexington, "in the
province of the Massa-
chusetts Bay in New Eng-
land," in 1757, a tract of
1000 acres of land in the
plantation then known as "Dorchester
Canada." now the town of Ashburnham,
in the northern party of Worcester
County, which had been awarded by the
Provincial Court to Lexington as pay-
ment for the joint maintenance of a
bridge over the Charles River at Cam-
bridge. The location of this bridge, on
the road from Harvard Square by Sol-
diers' Field to Brighton, is marked by a
commemorative tablet. The name of the
plantation was the result of the disas-
trous expedition of the New England
colonies led by Sir William Phips against
the French fortress of Quebec in 1690;
the various towns having received from
the Provincial Court land in the unsettled
wilderness, instead of money, in payment
for the expense incurred by them in
raising and maintaining troops for the
expedition. At the time of this purchase,
"Dorchester Canada" was a forest con-
taining only a few families of hardy
pioneers, and Fitchburg, twelve miles
southeastward, was the nearest settle-
ment. A road was under construction
from Boston to the settlements along the
southern line of New Hampshire, which,
until a short time before, had been
claimed as territory belonging to Massa-
chusetts. The dispute was arbitrated by
the King of England, who in 1740 drew
the dividing line as it now exists, between
the Merrimac and Connecticut Rivers.
This road, in colonial days, was an
important highway of trade, — one of the
two that led westward from Boston. The
first led to Marlboro and Springfield, and
so to the settlements in Connecticut ;
this second road, from Watertown
through Acton, Leominster, and Fitch-
burg, branched at "Dorchester Canada";
one branch leading to New Ipswich and
Petersboro, connecting ultimately with
both the Merrimac and Connecticut ; the
other to Fitzwilliam and Keene, being
extended subsequently to Walpole on
the Connecticut River, to Rutland in
Vermont and finally to Lake Champlain.
In the year 1757 it had probably gone no
further than "Dorchester Canada," if so
far.
The deed for the German purchase is
recorded at the office of the Register of
Deeds at Worcester, Mass.
This "Bridge Farm" had troubled the
town of Lexington for some time. At a
meeting held March 2, 1752, the same
persons who constituted the committee
of sale were asked to arrange for a sur-
vey and to find a purchaser. (All three
leading men in the town, particularly
the first-named, who was prominent in
the affairs of_the Colony.) In the Boston
Gazette of April 24, 1753, the farm was
advertised for sale. Again at a free-
holders' meeting May 17, 1756, a com-
mittee of three, William Reed being one,
was directed to sell the farm. At another
meeting July 4, 1757, the sale seemed to
be under way, as the committee named
in the deed was reappointed, directed to
lay aside the sale-money for bridge
repairs, and authorized to give a "War-
rantee Deed" and to take security from
the purchasers. The sale was consum-
mated December 31, 1757, and of the
purchase price of £280. a balance of
£226 was left on mortgage executed
January 2, 1758. At a Lexington Free-
holders' meeting January 9, 1758. the
sale was ratified and the purchasers were
given until January 2, 1770, to extinguish
the debt, payments to begin January 2,
1760. (The mortgage was finally can-
celled April 29, 1778.) The Committee
was continued to invest the purchase
money, but William Reed declined to.
serve, and Isaac Bowman, town clerk, j|
before whom the deed was acknowl- 1
edged, was chosen in his place. The j
transaction was closed by a vote of the .
396
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Selectmen, March 6, 1758, ordering a
payment of three shillings to "Mr Joseph
Bridge, it heing his putting ye Dutchs
.Mortgage Deed upon Record."
The earlier history of the German
colonists belongs to a chapter which
reflects small credit on the province of
Massachusetts Bay. Before the outbreak
of the French and Indian war in 1756,
the New England colonists felt them-
selves seriously menaced by the French
in Canada. The treaty of Utrecht in
171 3 had left the boundaries between
French and English possessions in North
America in a very uncertain condition.
The English colonies depended on their
royal charters, but the French, allying
themselves with the Indians, denied most
of the English claims, and asserted
ownership of Lake Champlain on one
side, the upper Connecticut in the center,
and the Kennebec and Penobscot rivers
on the other side, of New Engand. The
English were frightened by the French
activity both in the interior and on the
coasts of Maine, their bold attacks on
English stockades, and their practical
monopoly of the Indian trade-routes
down the Connecticut, Androscoggin and
Kennebec. Immigration into New Eng-
land from the mother country, which had
been due to religious persecution, had
practically ceased after the overthrow of
the Stuarts in 1688; the colonies were
not growing fast enough from their
original stock to fill up the threatened
territory ; and the authorities began to
realize that their very existence might
depend on their obtaining a supply of
immigrants from some friendly source.
(Boston, then the largest city in Amer-
ica, had a population of only 15,700, and
it remained stationary, or actually de-
creased, from 1740 to 1790!)
The natural example of colonial ad-
vancement through foreign .immigration
was Pennsylvania. Here the great
exodus of "Palatines" due to French
invasions, and persecution by their
Elector, which occurred in the early
years of the century, had given place to
a settled business of canvassing through-
out the Rhine valley for people willing
to accept homesteads subject to rentals
to the proprietors of the colony. These
proprietors arranged with certain mer-
chants in Rotterdam, who employed
agents to visit the different towns and
villages, promising all sorts of induce-
ments in order to earn their commission
on the emigrants produced. English
ships were chartered at so much per
passenger, to carry these Germans to
New York, Philadelphia or Baltimore,
and the business was reduced to such a
speculative basis that the profit of the
shipper depended on starving his pas-
sengers during the voyage or on forcing
them to run into debt to the ship by
charging over again at famine prices for
food and supplies promised them for
their passage-money, but withheld on
various pretexts. By 1750 most of the
accessible land in Pennsylvania had been
parcelled out ; but disagreements over
land titles had driven the Germansjrom
New York, and the attractions of Mary-
land, Virginia and Carolina were being
less actively pushed ; so that the proprie-
tors of Pennsylvania, through their
representatives in Rotterdam, still held a
practical monopoly of this traffic.
Under such conditions Massachusetts
was led, by a few interested parties un-
supported by public opinion, to make an
effort to secure a share of this German
immigration. The laws of the province
were very hard on those not of English
birth and Protestant faith. Foreigners
had to bring a large value in money or
goods or pay a high tax, on entering the
province, and those introducing them
had to give security to the town where
they settled that they would abide by the
law, and not become paupers. The
division of Massachusetts into towns,
parcelled out among freeholders, made
it difficult for a foreigner to find any
place to settle even if he could comply
with the other conditions. He could not
own property unless made a freeman of
the town, and this he could not be unless
he were naturalized, whatever the diffi-
culties in his way. He could not be
naturalized unless he had received com-
munion in a Protestant congregation
within three months and he could not
commune unless elected to membership
THE GERMAN IMMIGRATION INTO COLONIAL NEW ENGLAND
397
by the other communicants, after having
given proof of direct personal religious
experience. But fear of the French, and
particularly the desire of the Waldo
family, v holders of one-half interest in
the "Muscongus Patent" in Maine,
determined the Provincial Council to
invite foreign Protestants to come to
Massachusetts. This "Muscongus Pa-
tent" covered a vast and uncertainly de-
fined tract between the Kennebec and
Penobscot rivers, granted to Massachu-
setts proprietors about 1635, and still
mainly undeveloped, except for the fur
trade with the unfriendly Indians. It
adjoined the "Kennebec Purchase,"
bought from the Plymouth Colony, and
the claims overlapped, so that titles were
uncertain. The existence of both was
threatened by the French, who claimed
all the land between Nova Scotia and
the Kennebec. The Province of Massa-
chusetts defended itself there by a
stockade or fort at Pemaquid (now Bris-
tol, Maine, east of the Kennebec mouth),
which was several times destroyed by
French and Indians, and as often rebuilt ;
with frequent appeals to the British
Crown to assume charge of the fort and
relieve the Province of that "insupport-
abel burden."1 The Waldo family were
anxious to get this grant settled, for the
sake of personal profit as well as pro-
vincial security. _As early as 1740,
Brigadier Samuel Waldo had contracted
with one Zauberbiihler for the delivery
of German immigrants to his estate,
making generous and very definite pro-
mises as to the land, provisions, and
supplies which should be given them. In
1742 several families arrived in pitiful
circumstances,2 their passage money
unpaid. Nothing being done for them,
they appealed to the Provincial Council
for relief. Their appeal fell upon deaf
ears and they were left to shift for
themselves. These immigrants are de-
scribed in the Council Archives for 1743
as "Palitinos." They came from Nassau-
Dillenburg, Franconia, Swabia and
Wurtemberg.
Acts and Resolves, VII. 451, etc.
2Eaton, Annals of Warren (Me.), p. 68.
The first German settlement at Broad
Bay was attacked in 1746 by French and
Indians and many of the settlers were
killed, while the rest were carried as
prisoners to Canada, doubtless over the
Indian trade-route by the Androscoggin
and Upper Connecticut. Returning in
1748, they kept in mind the country
through which they had passed, as shown
by later activity of the Broad Bay Ger-
mans in opening it up for settlement.
An Act of Parliament (of XIII George
II) had provided "for naturalizing such
foreign Protestants as are settled, or
shall settle, in any of His Majesty's
Colonies in America." Such persons,
after June 1, 1740, upon completion of
seven years' residence on British terri-
tory, might take the oath of allegiance
before the nearest judge, and have their
names entered in a record to be sent
annually to the Commissioners for Trade
and Plantations in London. They were
to have received the sacrament of the
Lord's Supper in some Protestant or
Reformed congregation within three
months. If Jews or Quakers, this re-
quirement was modified. As against
Papists, all former restrictions still
applied, as set forth in the King's Coro-
nation oath. Such naturalized citizens
were ineligible to office within Great
Britain or Ireland.
The Provincial laws requiring head-
tax and security from immigrants were
still in force.3 From 1749 to 1753,
Spencer Phips, a Maine man interested
in the development of that region, was
lieutenant-governor- o f Massachusetts
and acting governor during the absence
of William Shirley in Europe. His first
Message to the General Court,4 Novem-
ber 23, 1749, contained the following
recommendation :
"As a more general cultivation of our
lands, and thereby the Increase of the
Produce of this Province, as well as the
carrying on the Manufactures in it, is
greatly impeded by reason of the scarcity
of Labourers: May it not therefore de-
serve your consideration, Whether some
thing may not be done to encourage
3Mass. Acts and Resolves, I, 64-68, 45] -3; II,
336-7.
"Mass. Court Records. XIX, 62.
•398
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
industrious and well disposed Protestant
Foreigners to settle among us ; and
whether some of our Acts which require
security to be given by such as bring
them hither have not eventually (tho"
beside the Intention of the Legislature)
discouraged and prevented the importa-
tion of many such, and whether the said
Acts may not be altered and amended,
and such Provision by Law be made as
for the future may prevent so manifest
and extensive an Inconvenience."
This message, speaking only of the
"Scarcity of Labourers" was not very
attractive to immigrants ; but the Com-
mittee of the Council which considered
the matter recommended that a commis-
sion of one dollar be paid for each year's
service procured of a foreign Protestant
indented servant ; the idea of the Council
evidently being that these "Palintinos"
from Germany would be on about the
same plane as negro slaves from the
West Indies, of whom a number had
been brought in by Boston merchants.5
This message of the Lieutenant-
Governor was duly published, and
caught the eye of one Joseph Crellius
(in modern spelling Josef Krell), who
wrote from Philadelphia three weeks
later (December 19, 1749) describing
himself as a "Protestant foreigner"
resident in Philadelphia since 1740, and
offering his services "toward persuading
"his country-People in Europe to go and
settle in Massachusetts."
"I came home in August last," he
wrote, "from a Voyage into Germany,
-with a vessel freighted with German
Protestants, which having been followed
"by 23 or 24 vessels more, all safe arrived,
I expect that there will be as many next
year, and as those that came in last will
"have acquainted their Friends at home
with the difficulty of getting lands here
ior which reason great many are obliged
to move from hence into the Southern
Colonies, it will be the easier to direct
them from Holland to the Northern
Colonies if so be any encouragement was
given."6
nMass. Archives, Emigrants, p. 42.
"Mass. Archives, Einir/rants, p. 48.
On January 25, 1750, the General
Court of Massachusetts Bay, abandoning
the idea of scattering needed laborers
and indented servants through the
settled towns, voted to set aside four
townships; two in the "western parts
nearest Fort Massachusetts," each of 7
miles square (in the Berkshire Hills,
near the modern North Adams, then an
unsettled wilderness, frequented by hos-
tile Indians), and two in the "Eastern
parts near Sebago Pond" in Maine ; each
of 6 miles square (also frequented by
hostile Indians) ; each to be settled with
120 families within three years; and each
to maintain a "learned Protestant minis-
ter within five years." A reserve of 200
acres in each township was granted to
Joseph Crellius on condition that he
should provide the 120 families to each
within three years.7
With no further investigation of this
Joseph Crellius than his hopeful letter,
the Lieutenant-Governor commissioned
him to go to Germany, in the name of the
Province, to find these 480 families ; and
the matter was closed, so the General
Court thought, on February 5, 1750, by
the passage of an Act regulating and
safeguarding the importation of German
passengers, in the hope of avoiding some
of the scandals of overcrowding and
underfeeding which were being com-
plained of in the Pennsylvania traffic.
The depth of their solicitude was shown
by the requirement that each passenger
should have a space six feet long, and
one foot six inches wide ; height not stip-
ulated. But even this was a greater
space than had been customary, the pas-
sengers having been expected to sleep
like the seamen, in bunks shorter than
their own bodies, and between-decks,
where there was usually about 4^/2 to 5
feet head-room ; so that they would lit-
erally be obliged to go on deck to stretch
out at full length.
Obviously 800 acres of timber-lard,
far from roads or rivers, was not much
of a commission to repay Crellius for his
trouble. The four Massachusetts town-
ships seem to have been neglected from
TMass. Acts and Resolves, XIV, 352.
THE GERMAN IMMIGRATION INTO COLONIAL NEW ENGLAND
399
the start. He secured the influence and
support of the Waldos by undertaking
to direct emigrants to their Muscongus
tract ; and he put an iron into the fire for
himself by organizing, in 1750, a com-
pany for establishing a glass factory near
Boston. The partners were John
Franklin, tallow chandler (a brother of
Benjamin Franklin) ; Norton Quincy,
merchant; and Peter Etter (a German)
stocking weaver, all of Boston ; Joseph
Crellius, "late of Philadelphia ;" and sub-
sequently, Isaac Winslow, of Milton.
This company leased of John Quincy,
Shed's Neck in Braintree, fronting on
the Fore River, comprising about 100
acres, for 10 shilling per acre.8 They
laid it out in town lots, under the name
of Germantown, givng the streets and
squares German names. . The object was
to use the German labor for makng glass,
spermaceti candles and chocolate, and
for weaving stockings. And it is a safe
guess that the labor was to be unpaid — •
indentured in settlement of the ship's
passage, as customary in Pennsylvania —
and that Crellius' share in the company's
operations depended on the number of
workmen he could provide on these
terms.
The name Germantown is still applied
to this neck of land. It is on the west
side of the Fore River, just before it
joins Boston Harbor, and is now within
the town of Quincy. A more inaccessible
and unsuitable place for a manufacturing
town could hardly have been devised. In
this year of 1910 it is still almost unoccu-
pied, except for summer residences of
Boston folk. The Germantown company
was foredoomed to failure not only by its
location, but also because the rent fixed
by Col. Quincy, £50 per year for the
tract, with option of purchase at £1000,
was a good round sum as values stood at
that time, and quite beyond the industrial
value of the property. Whatever Lieu-
tenant-Governor Phips might say about
the general good to be expected from
German immigration, John Quincy evi-
dently did not propose that his estate
should lose anything gainable thereby.
8Pattee: Old Braintree and Quincy, pp. 474-486,
and authorities there quoted.
The lease was signed in Boston August
9, 1750, and was recorded January 8,
I752.y
The personnel of the Germantown
company reflects Crellius' Philadelphia
connections. He had the close acquain-
tance of both Benjamin Franklin and
Christopher Saur, through whom later
he doubtless made his connections with
German publishers. In 1747 he had
translated Franklin's Plain Truth into
German, and had already brought several
shiploads of emigrants to Philadelphia.
In 1748 he heard of Waldo's desire for
German settlers on the Muscongus tract,
and sent one ship from the Delaware to
Broad Bay, without notice to the pas-
sengers, who were all bound for Phila-
delphia.10 When the Massachusetts
enterprise took shape, Benjamin Franklin
prepared the plans for the Germantown
settlement, and was no doubt responsible
for introducing Crellius to his brother
John in Boston, through whom the com-
pany was organized.
The Lieutenant-Governor defended his
arrangement with Crellius in a speech
before the Assembly, May 31, 1750, in
which he described the desirability of
German immigration, saying: "By what
I can learn of the Character and Disposi-
tion of that People, I apprehend it to be
of great Importance to encourage their
Settlement among us : For together with
other Benefits likely to accrue from it, It
is probable they will introduce many
useful Manufactures and teach us by
their example those most necessary and
excellent Arts for increasing our Wealth,
I mean Frugality and Diligence, in which
we are at present exceedingly defective.1'
This moral reasoning, as the event
proved, was less to the taste of the
Assembly than the idea of letting these
foreigners serve, as in Pennsylvania, as
a human barrier to protect the colony
against attack by the French and Indians.
After making these arrangements,
Crellius went to Frankfurt-am-Main,
then the center of German trade and
activity, and the seat of the Imperial
"Suffolf Deeds. LXXX. 169-170.
laDeiitscher Pionier, Cincinnati. XIV, 141.
"Mass. Acts and Resolves, III, 558.
400
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Assembly. He carried a letter from
Lieutenant-Governer Phips to Dr. Hein-
rich Ehren fried Luther (a prominent
type-founder and publisher, and a mem-
ber of the Aulic Council of the Empire),
in which the Councillor was informed
that "Mr. Crellius has continued in this
province for divers months, and has by
his good conduct and behaviour acquired
a good character with all that know him."
On the strength of this official recom-
mendation, he was entertained for
months as a guest in the Councillor's
house. He instituted an active canvass
for emigrants, in many districts within
reach of Frankfurt. Advertisements
were inserted in the Kaiserlich Reichs-
Postamts-Zeitung of Frankfurt, and in
the newspapers of Heilbron, Augsburg,
Niirnberg, Stuttgart, Speyer and Her-
born. At each of these places some
reputable printer or publisher was named
to receive applications from intending
emigrants.
The advertisements printed in the
German newspapers relating to the Mas-
sachusetts settlements contained specific
promises of which the following is a
translation :
;Tn each town there shall be given to
the church two hundred acres ; to the
first preacher settling among them, two
hundred ; and to each of the one hundred
and twenty families, one hundred acres
— equal to more than one hundred and
twenty German acres. And this land,
provided they dwell upon it seven whole
years, either in person or through a
substitute, shall be guaranteed to them,
their heirs and assigns forever ; without
their having to make the slightest recom-
pense, or pay any interest for it. Un-
married persons of twenty-one years and
upwards, who permit themselves to be
transported thither, and venture to build
on their land, shall also recieve one hun-
dred acres, and be regarded as a family.
"There shall be given to the colonists
on their arrival necessary support for
from four to six months, according as
they arrive early or late in the season.
"The first families going thither can
all select their residences either in a sea-
port or on navigable rivers, where they
can cut wood into cords for burning, or
into timber for building material, and
convey it to the shore, where it will
always be taken of them by the ships for
ready money and carried to Boston or
other cities ; from thence whatever they
need will be brought back in return, at a
reasonable rate. By means of which the
people are not only able at once to sup-
port themselves until the land is fit for
cultivation, but also are freed from the
trouble and expense of making wagons,
and traveling by land, to which difficul-
ties it is well known Pennsylvania is
subjected.
"Also, the Government at Boston has
heard from the people who have already
come from Pennsylvania, the unjust
treatment (well-known to the world
without any such announcement) which
befell them upon the sea, after they had
sailed from Holland, and has already
made a regulation to prevent the like, for
the future, in the voyage from Holland
to Boston; according to which, not only
the ship-captains who bring the people
over, but those who accompany them,
must govern their conduct by the pre-
scribed regulations, otherwise they will
receive punishment, and be compelled to
give the people satisfaction ; and also the
ship itself will be taken into custody.
Thus are the like mischances in various
ways prevented, and every one is made
secure."12
Most of the responses to these adver-
tisements came from the Westerwald
and Franconia.
By the summer of 175 1, enough pas-
sengers had been obtained to fill a river
transport, in which the emigrants were
sent down the Rhine to Rotterdam.
Here Crellius first showed the duplicity
which marked his conduct throughout
this affair. Although his passengers had
signed agreements to ship through a
reputable firm in Rotterdam recom-
mended by Luther, Crellius ignored his
instructions and chartered of another
broker, not in good repute with the Ger-
mans, a small vessel, quite inadequate for
the purpose. Crellius' motive was ob-
'-Cnllections of the Maine Historical Society, VI.
321 ff.
THE GERMAN IMMIGRATION INTO COLONIAL NEW ENGLAND
401
viously to save himself the difference in
cost between that ship and one of proper
size. His vessel was very disparagingly
referred to in the Rotterdam newspaper,
June 9, 1 75 1.
After waiting in Rotterdam about a
month, Crellius embarked in July, with
his passengers to the number of about
200, in his small vessel, the PrisciUa,
Captain Brown. They touched at Cowes
on July 31, and sailed for Boston, "with
a fair wind," arriving October 27, and
entering through the Custom-House
November 2. The passengers included
Franconians, Wurtemburgers, Swabians,
Hessians, and ''French Protestants from
Germany ;" these latter descended from
Huguenot refugees, of whom great num-
bers had settled in Germany after the
Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in
1685, and at other periods of general
persecution, one of which began in this
very year of 1 750-1.
After the PrisciUa was well out at sea,
the passengers' meals were stopped. As
they had been included in the passage
money, immediate protest was made to
Captain Brown, who explained that
Crellius had not laid in a sufficient sup-
ply of provisions, and that nothing
remained but ship's stores, which the
passengers might buy of the captain, or
starve. And Crellius locked himself in
his cabin, pleading sickness, and refused
to see any one. So such of the pas-
sengers as had any money left, paid
Captain Brown over again for their food
for the rest of the journey, while the
others were forced into debt to the ship ;
a debt which could be cancelled only by
letting the captain auction them off as
indented servants on their arrival in
Boston — a result which was, no doubt
exactly what Crellius intended.
The arrival of the Germans was
anticipated by an advertisement in the
Boston Post-Boy of September 16, 1751,
as follows :
"Whereas, Numbers of Gentlemen
Proprietors of Land Within this Pro-
vince have expressed their Inclination
and Intention to several members of the
United Society to settle their unim-
proved Lands with German and other
Protestants, on advantageous Terms to
the Settlers ; and as the Arrival of a con-
siderable Number of Foreign Protestants
is daily expected ; These therefore are
to request said Gentlemen and other
Proprietors that are alike minded, to
send in their Proposals in Writing; and
therein particularly to express the
Quantity and Quality of the Land they
would dispose of, with their Situation,
whether East or West, &c, and what
distance from Boston, and other Town
of Note, whether on a Bay or River, or
if otherwise, what Distance from Water-
Carriage or Landing-Place, &c, as also
what Encouragement they'l give said
Settlers with regard to Building, Stock,
Utensils, &c.
"N. B. Direct to John Franklin, in
Cornhil, Boston."
This sounds hospitable enough, but
the results did not harmonize with the
promise. A more practical transaction
was the sub-lease of the Germantown
property in Braintree, August 27, 1751,
to General Joseph Palmer and Richard
Cranch, who acted as managers for the
company, and who set about building
chocolate mills, spermaceti and glass
works, stocking and salt factories.
The Boston Post-Boy for October 21
reported the PrisciUa off Marblehead,
and the same paper for October 28 men-
tioned its arrival at Boston "with about
200 Palatines."
No one seemed to know what to do
with them. By Crellius they had been
promised each 1-123 share of 7 miles
square as homesteads ; but they had not
been led to expect either segregation in
the wilderness, as the law provided, or
indenture as servants, as the people of
Boston desired. The General Court took
the position that until 120 families were
on hand no township could be opened ;
and here were but 50, so they might wait
for the arrival of the other 70! They
laid their case before the Lieutenant-
Governor, Spencer Phips, with their let-
ters of introduction from Councillor
Luthr in Frankfurt, and he laid the mat-
ter before his Council.
"Since your last session," his message
related, " a Number of Families have
402
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
arrived here from Germany, with a
Design to settle on some of the unim-
proved lands of the Province: They are
not sufficient to fill up a Township, but
there is Encouragement that a greater
Number will follow them the next Year.
I shall order to be laid before you some
letters I have received from a Gentleman
of Character in Germany (Councillor
Luther), on this Subject, and you will
•consider what is proper to be done by
you with Relation to it."
So the township remained closed until
its full quota of population should be on
hand. What were the Germans to do in
the meantime? Probably the intention
was to force into service such as were
not already bound.
The following advertisement appeared
in the issues of the Boston Evening Post
for November 18, November 25 and
December 2, 1751 :
"Lately arrived at Boston, a Number
of German Protestants; some of them,
both Male and Female, not having paid
their Passage, are willing to hire them-
selves out for a certain Time in order
to have their passages paid. Any person
wanting any of the said Germans, may
treat with William Bowdoin, at his store
in King Street, who acts for said Ger-
mans."
A committee was appointed to inquire
into the condition and circumstances of
the German passengers and report what
they judged necessary to be done. This
was on November 1. On the 5th the
Secretary of the Council was directed to
"deliver to one of the Germans ac-
quainted with the English language a
Copy of the Vote of the General Court
for encouraging Mr. Joseph Crellius's
Transporting German Protestants to
settle within this Province." On Novem-
ber 26 a committee of the "French
Protestants from Germany" were sent
under guidance to view the two town-
ships in the "Western parts," in the
forest over 100 miles from Boston; and
on December 3 a similar committee of
the Germans was sent to view the two
townships in the "Eastern parts," or
Maine. Meantime cold and hunger were
threatening the lives of the unfortunate
passengers, and while the committees
viewed townships in the wilderness, and
the General Court fled to Cambridge and
met semi-occasionally under fear of the
prevailing epidemic of small-pox, the
Commissary was directed by vote of the
General Court, January 1, 1752, "to
supply blankets and beds to the poor
Germans who are now suffering by
reason of the severity of the season,"13
and the following day the Court voted
that those who were without means
should be entitled to poor-relief. This
was the way in which invited guests
tasted of New England hospitality !
The Boston Gazette for January 7,
1752, remarked: "We have had for some
Time past a severe cold Season, whereby
our Harbour is now entirely froze up.
Last Friday Morning a Man was found
froze to Death in his Cabbin, on board
an Oyster Vessel near the Town Dock."
Captain Brown seems to have had
difficulty in getting away from the port
of Boston, doubtless because of the
severe winter. November 18 he "entered
out" for South Carolina; November 25
for North Carolina ; December 9 and
January 27 cleared for the West Indies;
March 23 for Barbadoes; and finally
April 6, 1752, for Philadelphia.
13Mass. Archives, Emigrants, p. 167.
(to be continued.)
40i
The Bi-Centennial of New Bern, N. C.
By Julius Goebel, Ph.D., Professor in the University of Illinois
URING the month of July
19 to the quaint old town
of New Bern, N. C, so
romantically hidden among
huge elms near the rivers
Neuse and Trent, cele-
brated the bi-centennial of
its founding. The celebra-
tion created little attention outside of the
State of North Carolina, although the
event had a national if not world historic
significance, because it marked one of
the earliest steps in the meeting on
American soil of the Anglo-Saxon and
the German, after a separation of many
centuries, for the purpose of shaping
jointly the future destinies of our
country.
And viewing this great historic fact
in this light, there rise, moreover, before
our vision as the final moving causes,
the grand intellectual and religious
movements of the 16th and 17th centur-
ies with the subsequent pictures of end-
less wars and bloodshed, of heroism and
of martyrdom, and of untold distress.
But the convulsion of European society
produced by the religious movements
during these centuries, the persecutions
and sufferings, had created among the
champions of the new religious ideas, a
feeling of solidarity and brotherhood the
force and intensity of which we of today
seldom realize.
That Germany was the real fatherland
of the Reformation, was always recog-
nized by England, and it was for a long
time remembered that the German and
Swiss cities and afterwards . Holland,
then still a part of Germany, had given
shelter and protection to the Puritans
and other English separatists, who had
been driven from their homes. It was,
in fact, during this exile in Germany and
Switzerland, that the Presbyterian
Church had been founded and organized.
When afterwards, chiefly through Crom-
well's efforts and achievements, England
had become the foremost Protestant
power in Europe, considering it her mis-
sion to champion the Protestant cause,
she invited to her American colonies
the suffering Protestants of Germany,
which in the mean time had been devas-
tated and ruined as a poltical power. It
was due, therefore, to these great his-
torical forces, that the meeting of the
German and the Anglo-Saxon on this
continent came about. The humble
founders of New Bern may not have
been conscious of the importance of their
difficult undertaking, but today they
appear to us in the same light as do the
Puritans and Quakers ; the representa-
tives and champions of historical ideas
that have since revolutionized the social
and political conditions of Europe.
While we are thus viewing the found-
ing of this colony in the glorious light of
historical development, we must not for-
get that the actual story of the settle-
ment, like all human enterprises, presents
many features of coarse reality, — ;
feature of human shortcomings as well
as of great heroism.
As early as 1703, Rev. Joshua Koch-
erthal, a Lutheran clergyman at Landau
in the Palatinate, driven to despair over
the dreadful sufferings which his flock
had endured in consequence of the
invasions of the barbarous French
armies and of religious persecutions, had
gone to England to inquire into the ex-
pediency of an emigration of his people.
That he met with encouragement we
may see from the fact that after his
return from London, he published a
book on the Province of Carolina, giving
a glowing description of the climate, the
fertility and the products of this country.
This little book came to thousands of
poor downtrodden people like a divine
message, showing in the distance beyond
the sea a land of promise where they
could find plenty, and that liberty and
peace of soul for which they were crav-
ing. I have in my possession numerous
letters written by these people, which go
to prove that Kocherthal's book was read
in the smallest hamlets in the districts
404
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
along the Rhine. Imploring their Prince
to give them permission to emigrate,
they speak again and again of Carolina
as the coveted land to which they desire
to go. . .
And they did go, permission or no
permission. Encouraged secretly by the
English government, which was as anx-
ious to get foreign Protestant colonists
as it was desirous to keep its own people
at home, a migration ensued such as
Europe had not witnessed since the days
of the Crusades. Within a period of a
few months, between ten and fifteen
thousand people appeared in London,
asking to be transported to the colonies
across the ocean. Among these were the
future settlers of New Bern.
It is impossible here to go into all the
details of the experiences of their stay
in London, where they lived for months
crowded together in tents and barns; to
relate of the generosity of Queen Anne,
and of many noble Englishmen in reliev-
ing their sufferings ; to speak of the
jealousy and hatred of the English mob,
which 'saw in the poor foreigners their
competitors in the labor market; or to
mention the petty disputes in Parliament
to which the coming of the Palatines
gave rise.
After a wait of long months during
which the government tried to solve the
question of how to dispose of the new-
comers, it was finally decided to send
about three thousand to New York,
about an equal number to Ireland,
whither they carried the linen industry
now so famous and flourishing, and
about eight or nine hundred to North
Carolina.
Here is where the man enters with
whose name the founding of New Bern
is connected chiefly: Baron Christoph
von Graffenried. there are few char-
acters in the history of early American
colonization concerning whose life and
work we are so well informed as we are
concerning this great pioneer. I have in
my possession two manuscripts, written
by him towards the close of his life, one
iii French and one in German, giving a
detailed account of the whole expedition,
from its start in England to the time of
his fina.l return to Switzerland, and con-
taining numerous maps, letters by the
colonists, and other valuable historical
documents. I venture to say that no
other American colony can boast of
similar records of its early history. Nor
can any other colony claim as its founder
a man of the distinguished social stand-
ing and the education and refined culture
of von Graffenried.
The scion of an old German noble
family of Switzerland, he had been
educated at Heidelberg and Leyden, then
the leading universities of Europe and
had lived as a welcome guest at the bril-
liant courts of Charles II and Louis
XIY. He was not a religious fanatic,
like so many of our early American
pioneers, but he possessed the devout
piety of the heart, and, above all, he was
endowed with a sense of honor, of in-
tegrity, and of duty that knew no com-
promise.
In the atmosphere of extravagance
and lavishness that prevailed at the
French and English courts, he had de-
veloped to an unusual degree the noble-
man's talent of contracting debts. In
order to regain his depleted fortune, he
hailed with delight the plan of a Swiss
syndicate to found a colony or to acquire
and exploit silver mines in America. At
the same time he hoped to find a greater
field of activity and influence than the
narrow surroundings and limited condi-
tions of Switzerland could offer to a
mind eager for enterprise and adventure.
He embarked for England, and, ow-
ing to his excellent connections suc-
ceeded not only in interesting English
capital to the extent £5000 in his
venture, but also Queen Anne, who
contributed £4000. Having at his dis-
posal over £6000, of which the people
of Bern had subscribed one half, he
purchased from the Lords Proprietors
fifteen thousand acres of land at the
Neuse and Trent rivers and twenty-five
hundred acres at the Weetock River
I wish to emphasize right here that
these German and Swiss settlers did not
come here as paupers, but, like most of
their countrymen who have emigrated
since, they bought their land honestly.
THE BI-CENTENNIAL OF NEW BERN, N. C.
405
Just as the Puritans obtained their land
in Massachusetts through money ad-
vanced to them by land speculators,
money which the settlers had to pay back
in yearly installments from their earn-
ings, so did our Palatines. Many of them
purchased their farms with money they
had brought with them from the father-
land. Untold millions have in this way
during the last two centuries been con-
tributed to our present national wealth ;
not to dwell on the fact that the
resources of this country would never
have been developed as they are today,
had it not been for the six millions or
more of industrious German and Swiss
farmers and tradesmen who in the
course of these two centuries reclaimed
our flourishing farmlands from the
primeval forests and prairies of Amer-
ica.
Baron von Graff enried was careful to
pick only young and able-bodied men for
his new colony, and to have nearly every
trade and craft represented. According
to their nationality the colonists were
partly Palatines chosen from the thou-
sands assembled in London, and partly
Swiss families who had joined Graffen-
ried later. He took with him a school
teacher, and as a clergyman could not be
found to accompany them, Graffenried
himself was authorized by the Bishop of
London to perform marriages and bap-
tisms.
Despite a few adversities at the begin-
ning, and despite that chronic want of
ready cash which then prevailed in most
of the colonies, the new settlement soon
flourished, as the letters written by the
colonists to their friends in Switzerland
show. In laying out the town, in con-
structing fortifications, in building a
water-mill, the first in the colony, and
in organizing the new community, Graf-
fenried displayed a great deal of talent.
Although he had been appointed land-
grave and held judicial power, and
although the colonists, according to a
contract, owed him fidelity and obedi-
ence, the fact must be emphasized never-
theless, that the primitive government of
the colony was democratic in nature.
Twelve of the most capable men, called
overseers managed, together with him,
the affairs of the small community, and
when the little town had been built, it
was named New Bern in solemn assem-
bly. Doubtlessly it was the old Germanic
form of communal democracy, resemb-
ling the New England town-meeting,
which von Graffenried and his colonists
were thus transplanting to Carolina.
That the new colony, despite its
auspicious beginnings, was destined to
pass through troubles and adversities
which almost wrecked it, was not the
fault of Graffenried and his industrious
flock. While it is impossible here to
relate in detail the afflictions which the
poor people had to endure, I shall at
least speak of some of the causes that
led to them, because they are both typical
and instructive.
When Baron von Graffenried made
his contract with the Lords Proprietors
at London, they conferred on him the
title of Landgrave and Baron of Bern-
burg, made him a knight of the order of
the Purple Ribbon and gave him all sorts
of- promises. Among the latter was the
promise that he was to be paid £500 for
the maintenance of the colonists after
his arrival at North Carolina. This
money he never received, despite his
pleadings. Being a man of honor and
duty, who keenly felt the responsibility
of his position as leader of the colonists,
he borrowed money on his personal notes
to keep his people from starvation,
hoping at the same time that, according
to the terms of his contract, he would be
reembursed by the Lords Proprietors.
He could not conceive the idea that
gentlemen would break their contract,
and so he got into endless trouble when
the notes became due. Nor did he fare
better with the syndicate at Bern. Here,
too, he was to learn by bitter experience
that a stock company has neither soul
nor conscience.
Moreover he found out upon his
arrival in North Carolina that the land
which he had purchased in good faith
had never been lawfully acquired from
the Indians. To avoid threatening
trouble he bought from them again the
land for which he had already paid once.
406
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
If, later on, the little colony had to
endure untold sufferings from Indian
attacks, these troubles were not due to
Graffenried and his people, but to the
treachery, the faithlessness, and cruelty
of certain elements among the frontiers-
men. The very fact that Graffenried,
when captured on one of his expeditions,
with an adventurous and disreputable
English surveyor by the name of Law-
son, was released, while the latter was
cruelly murdered by the Indians, is proof
sufficient for my statement.
A word here regarding the relations
between the early German settlers and
the Indians may not be out of place.
Nearly all of the German settlements
of Colonial times were located along the
Indian frontier, extending from Maine
to Georgia. The reason for this is to be
found in the outspoken policy of the
kindhearted English government of
using their German cousins as a kind of
buffer against the French and Indians.
Much in the history of the westward
movement of American civilization and
in the final winning of the West is to be
explained by this. And with pride the
Americans of German descent may point
to the fact that their forefathers, from
the time of Pastorius, the founder of
Germantown, down to Carl Schurz,
looked upon and treated the red man as
a fellow-being whom they considered
their duty to civilize, and not to rob and
exterminate as the Jews did the Canaan-
ites of old. Not a few of Baron von
Graffenried's troubles were due to his
humanity and his refusal to violate his
plighted faith.
To these unmerited troubles, and to
his financial embarrassment, caused by
the breach of contract on the part of his
financial backers, must be added all the
evils and corruption resulting from the
evils of proprietary government in
Colonial times.
It is a most pathetic situation in
which we find von Graffenried after
three years of hardest labor and self-
sacrifice. Misfortune after misfortune
had befallen him. Betrayed by his
friends and suspected even by his own
people, he stood alone between them and
inevitable disaster. But he faced the
situation like a hero. Though in danger
of being captured and imprisoned for
debts which he had contracted to save
his people from starvation, he journeyed
to England to make an appeal to the
Queen, and to plead with the Company
at Bern. But soon after his arrival in
London, the Queen died, and when he
finally reached Bern, he had no money
with which to sue the Company for
breach of contract. Finding that a
further struggle against the inevitable
was useless, he decided to remain in
Switzerland. But in order to defend and
to justify himself, he wrote the accounts
of his American adventures of which I
have spoken before, closing the German
version with this expression of resigna-
tion : "It seems that fortune is decidedly
against me. It seems best, therefore that
I give up those plans and seek those
treasures which neither moth nor rust
doth corrupt.''
The colony which from now on was
more than ever thrown upon its own re-
sources, survived for this very reason.
No better illustration than this of the
fact that paternal government, even in
its mildest form, has no place in this
country, and that the success of the
individual as well as of communities
depends with us in the last analysis upon
the sterling qualities of mind and soul
and character that will stand the test of
adversity as well as of success and
prosperity.
That the pioneers of New Bern
possessed these qualities in a high degree
is shown by the letters to which I have
already referred. I consider these let-
ters historical documents of the greatest
value, not only on account of the insight
they give us into the conditions of the
young colony, but also because they
reflect the intellectual and cultural state
of the colonists, and hence allow us to
form an idea of the contribution these
people and thousands of their country-
men made to the American character
and to American culture. For they were
written by so-called common people and
not by learned clergymen and scholars
as are most of the letters that have come
THE BI-CENTENNIAL. OF NEW BERN, N. C.
407
down to us from that period. The very
fact that these people could express
themselves in writing as they do, proves,
that owing to the superior public-school
system in Germany and Switzerland,
they were better educated than the
average English immigrant of this
period.
Written in the exquisitely simple dia-
lect of the German-Swiss, these letters
give us a glimpse into the inner wealth
of the German soul-life from which
have sprung the music, the poetry, and
the art of Germany which we all admire.
We notice the depth of the religious
feeling of these simple people, the heroic
love of. freedom of conscience of the
Anabaptists who had been driven from
their homes, and we see the courage
with which they met the privations and
sufferings of primitive frontier life.
And these characteristics are typical
of the rich cultural heritage which the
German element of this country has,
during the last two centuries, brought
with it from the fatherland and added
to the development of the American
character. For what we today call the
American national character is not the
character of any particular sectional
element of our population, but the pro-
duct of the qualities of various nation-
alities, chiefly Teutonic : qualities, more-
over, which are partly hereditary, and
partly acquired in the hard school of
frontier life.
Individuals and generations may pass
away, but national and racial traits will
remain, despite all race admixture.
While we may well point with pride to
the character and achievements of our
ancestors, we must not forget the duty to
and heritage they left us. The growth
and prosperity of this powerful new
nation have brought with them dangers
and evils no less formidable than those
which our ancestors had to face. No
social reform will avert or cure these as
long as the individuals who constitute
society and nation are wrong. Simplicity
and integrity, a sense of honor and duty,
fearlessness and modesty, thriftiness
and temperateness in the enjoyment of
the pleasures of life must be the sterling
qualities of the individual, before they
can manifest themselves in our social
and national life. It is in these qualities
that the Americans of German descent
see the lasting heritage of their fore-
fathers, the preservation and propaga-
tion of which, they consider their
national mission.
How Switzerland Manages Divorce Cases
Switzerland has an unusual way of man-
aging her divorce cases. in every town
there is a sort of official paper known as
the Teuille d'Avis, in which one may read
daily announcements like this:
"Monsier and Madam X., who are in in-
stance of divorce, are requested to appear
privately before the Judge alone or with
their lawyers, in order to come to a recon-
ciliation if possible."
Before the beginning of every divorce
case in Switzerland this notice is published
and sent out to the parties concerned, leav-
ing them free to attend before the judge or
not, as they wish. Sometimes the wife, an-
xious to state her wrongs before a kindly
Judge appears and the husband stays away
sometimes it is the other way, and very of-
ten the couple meet.
Although there are no statictics publish-
ed on the subject, a leading lawyer in
Geneva whose specialty is divorce cases
said recently that at least 3 per cent, of
these cases are settled by the advice of the
judge at meetings out of the court. In fact
Swiss lawyers will not definitely take up a
divorce case until it has passed through the
reconciliation process.
When one of the couple does not attend
this means that the affair is to be fought
out, but in any case Swiss divorces are not
expensive. The usual cost in a contested
case is $200 but sometimes it is as low as
$100, while when both parties are agreed the
matter can be settled for $10 or $15.
408
City of Heidelberg, Germany
On May 19, 1910, a company of four
friends— Rev. C. E. Creitz, D.D., Rev. J. F.
Mover, Rev. Henry K. Miller and Daniel
Miller, all of Reading, Pa., sailed from New
York in the North German Lloyd steamship
"Grosser Kurfuerst" for Europe. They
spent three months profitably and delight-
fully in a tour through England, Scotland,
France, Belgium, Holland, Germany. Aus-
tria, Switzerland and Italy. Covering more
than 6,000 miles on the Atlantic Ocean and
over 4,000 miles on land, they visited some
forty cities and towns, including the great
capitals of the countries named. Moreover,
the mountains Rigi, Jungfrau and Vesuvius
were ascended.
One result of the trip is a delightful book
written by Daniel Miller, the veteran edi-
tor and publisher, of Reading, Pa. The
book, "Rambles in Europe" contains 400
pages, is well printed on good paper and
costs only $1.25 (orders received by The
PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN). The book is
full of interesting facts, expressed in plain
language and will be enjoyed by all who
read it. We quote the following as an il-
lustration of the author's style, and skill. —
Editor.
E approached the city of
Heidelberg with a high
degree of pleasure. It is
most beautifully situated
on the river Neckar which
flows into the Rhine at
Mannheim, some twenty
miles below. Heidelberg
was the cradle of the Reformed Church
in Germany. It was for a long time
the centre of Reformed influence. Here
lived and ruled the Electors of the Pala-
tinate, including the pious ^lector, Fred-
erick III, at whose request Zacharias
Ursinus and Casper Olevianus, two
leading professors of the university,
compiled the celebrated Heidelberg
Catechism.
The city is situated in a narrow valley.
There are high mountains on the north
and south. Between the city and the
mountain on the north flows the river
Neckar. On the south is the mountain
Konigstuhl, which is 1,863 feet high.
The population of Heidelberg is about
50,000. Few towns can vie with it in
the beauty of its environs and in historic
interest. Conrad of Hohenstaufen, who
became Count Palatine of the Rhine in
1 155, selected Heidelberg as his principal
residence, and under him and his suc-
cessors the then insignificant place soon
became a town of much importance. It
continued to be the capital of the Palat-
inate for over five hundred years until
1721, when Elector Charles Philip, on
account of differences with the Protes-
tant citizens, transferred his seat to
Mannheim. Since 1802 the city belongs
to the grand-duchy of Baden.
Heidelberg suffered severely during
the Thirty Years' War. In 1622 the
cruel Austrian General Tilly captured
the city and the soldiers plundered the
citizens, whose sufferings were extreme.
The celebrated Palatinate Library was
carried away to Rome. A part of it has
since been returned. In 1689 Heidelberg
again suffered severely, this time at the
hands of the French. They captured the
city, blew up the large and beautiful
castle, and burned a large part of the
city. In 1693 the French once more took
possession of Heidelberg and again
destroyed a large part of it.
First of all we visited the ruins of the
large, famous and once beautiful castle
at the eastern end of the city, long the
home of the rulers of the Palatinate.
This is said to be the most beautiful ruin
in Germany. It is seldom that ruins are
beautiful, but such is the case here. The
castle was very large and before its de-
struction by cruel hands must have been
a magnificent palace. It was both a
fortress and a palace. As the ruins are
located 330 feet above the town, the
ascent of the long hill was no small task.
From the castle an enchanting view is
afforded over the city, the Neckar river
and the country to the west as far as
Mannheim and the Rhine. The country
westward is level and very fertile. Here
many of the ancestors of our eastern
Pennsylvanians lived and suffered relig-
ious persecution. Their crops were re-
peatedly destroyed, and frequently also
their homes. Finally, when their cup of
suffering was full, they accepted the kind
invitation of Queen Anne, of England,
and went to London, where their suffer-
ings, on account of the refugees' large
CITY OP HEIDELBERG, GERMANY
409
numbers, continued. Finally many of
them were sent to New York state,
whence some wended their way under
the two Conrad Weisers to the Tulpe-
hocken region in Pennsylvania. Others
came more directly by way of Philadel-
phia at the invitation of William Penn.
What must have been the feelings of
these people, as they for the last time
set their eyes upon the country in which
they and their ancestors during many
generations had been born and brought
up? With heavy hearts they must have
turned their backs upon their native
land, and to seek homes in the new
western world which was then mostly a
wilderness.
The erection of the castle was com-
menced at the close of the thirteenth
century; it was enlarged in 1410, 1559
and 1607. As stated, it was partly de-
stroyed by the French in 1689 ar>d io93-
and in 1764 lightning completed the
work of destruction. The many beauti-
ful carved stones lying around indicate
the tine character of the building. At
one place there is a very large piece of
masonry from the round tower, which
shows the solid character of the work.
The tower is 79 feet in diameter, and the
walls 21 feet thick. When the French
blew up the tower in 1693, one-half be-
came detached and fell in an unbroken
mass into the moat, where it still remains
as it then fell.
We inspected the extensive ruins of
the castle closely. A portion of the
ruined palace has been restored by the
state. A guide led us through this part.
There are a number of fine paintings in
the rooms and in the chapel.
The government of Baden is anxious
to restore the front of the Otto Heinrich
building at an estimated cost of $60,000,
but the Diet of Baden in the summer of
1910 declined to give its assent.
Among other rooms we were shown
one in which according to the guide, the
Heidelberg Cetechism was composed.
This is not likely. The compilers may
have submitted their work to Frederick
III in that room. Under the restored
part is the so-called Heidelberg Tun — an
immense cask capable of holding 49,000
gallons of wine. It was erected in 175 1 .
It is said to have been full three times.
Why such a monster cask? In those
days many of the people contributed one-
tenth of the wine produced by them to
the Elector, and it was gathered in this
cask, which is the largest in the world.
There is also a smaller Tun in the same
cellar, erected in 1610, and holding
10,000 gallons. This has not been used
since 1803. Aside of the large Tun
stands a grotesque figure of Perkes, the
court-jester of Elector Charles Philip.
In the same place there is a barrel of
most peculiar construction. It is with-
out a single hoop of any knd. How can
this be? The barrel is constructed of
staves, which are dove-tailed into each-
other. But how this could be done with
staves which are bent and narrower at
the ends than in the centre is a mystery
to me. And yet such is the case.
In the ruined part of the castle is a very
large kitchen, in which oxen were
roasted in former times. There is also
an immense oven in which the bread for
the large family was baked. The out-
side walls of the several wings of the
castle are still standing. In the niches
of these walls are several statues, includ-
ing Joshua, Samson, David and Hercu-
les. Below that of David are these
lines :
"David war ein Jungling,
Geherzt und Klug,
Dem frechen Goliath
Den Kopf abschlug."
Then there are allegorical figures of
Strength, Justice, Faith, Hope and
Charity. In the upper niches are the
seven gods of the planets — Saturn, Mars,
Venus, Mercury, Diana, Apollo and
Jupiter.
Connected with the castle before its
destruction were beautiful gardens.
There were magnificent arbors, terraces,
fountains, etc. It is said that King Louis
XIV, of France, was jealous for fear
that the beauty of Heidelberg Castle
should outrival the surroundings of his
palace at Versailles.
After lingering a long while at the
castle we ascended the mountain on the
410
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
south called "Kdnigstuhl," to the place
known as '"Molkenkur," formerly a
dairy, now a restaurant. Here the view
was greatly enlarged. We took supper
here in the open air and enjoyed the
glorious view until late in the evening.
From here the view westward over the
former Palatinate is extensive and most
beautiful. The Neckar, after passing
Heidelberg, winds its way through a
fertile country until it reaches Mann-
heim, where it unites with the historic
Rhine. We could also see the latter
stream for a considerable distance.
One of the most interesting places in
Heidelberg is the Holy Ghost church
near the centre of the city. This church
was erected in the fifteenth century as a
Catholic place of worship. During the
Reformation both the Catholics and the
Reformed claimed the church, and the
matter was compromised by the erection
of a partition wall crosswise through the
centre of it. Since then both parties
have been worshiping in this church — the
Reformed in the western and the Catho-
lics in the eastern part. There is no
quarreling between the parties. In iSt
the wall was removed to provide a suit-
able place in which to celebrate the 500th
anniversary of Heidelberg University.
After that the two religious bodies held
their services at different hours, but in
1892 the Catholics demanded the restora-
tion of the partition wall, and it was
re-erected. The church is very long, and
both parties have sufficent room.
We worshipped with the Reformed
people in the Holy Ghost church on Sun-
day morning, June 26. The church was
well filled and the people appeared to be
devout. The singing was vigorous. The
hymns were not announced. The people
stood during the reading of the Scrip-
ture lesson, according to a good old
custom, which is intended to show rever-
ence for the Word of God. Text : Luke
5: i-n. The theme was — Obeying God's
Word and Following Him. The sermon
by Pastor Goetz was good, but unfor-
tunately we could not understand all on
account of the peculiar brogue of the
speaker and the great echo in the church.
The building was erected for Catholic
worship, in which ceremony is empha-
sized. It is poorly adapted for preaching.
The pastor closed the last prayer with
the Lord's Prayer, at the commencing of
which the bell of the church was rung.
This custom, as I understand it, is to
give notice to the people at home, so that
they may inaudibly unite in prayer.
Here, as in many other places, the
women were largely in the majority.
Like in America, some of them wore
hats so large as to obstruct one's view of
the preacher. After the close of the ser-
vice a considerable number of children
gathered in front seats for catechetical
instruction, a custom which has prevailed
during many generations.
The Holy Ghost church was used as a
Catholic house of worship until near the
close of the year 1545, when Protestant-
ism broke out here. This came sudden-
ly. The community had become impreg-
nated with the Reformation principles,
and on Sunday before Christmas, 1545,
as the priest was about celebrating the
mass, the people began to sing a popular
Reformation hymn of Paul Speratus, the
first line of which is as follows: "Es ist
das Heil uns kommen her." The priest
fled from the church, and this was the
beginning of Protestant worship in the
Holy Ghost church.
With the introduction of Protestantism
came many troubles for the people. The
form of their religion was frequently
changed, because the Elector controlled
this matter. Sometimes the elector was
Reformed, sometimes Lutheran, and at
times Catholic, and as was the Elector,
so the people were expected to be in
religion. Occasionally the Reformed
people had their churches closed against
them, and they were forbidden to hold
services in the town, so they went out to
Neustadt to worship. With the accession
of another Elector their churches were
restored to them. The Reformed flour-
ished mostly during the reign of Freder-
ick III, who was a just and very pious
ruler. It was at his request, as stated
above, that the well-known Heidelberg
Catechism was compiled.
One cause of the sufferings of the
Reformed people came from the fact
CITY OF HEIDELBERG, GERMANY
411
that their catechism, in the answer to the
eighteenth question, called the Popish
Mass an accursed idolatry. In some
editions of the catechism this question
and answer were omitted.
As stated, the church was erected for
Catholic worship, and is somewhat illy
adapted for Protestant purposes. How-
ever, there are no transepts. The ceiling
is quite high, which is »the cause of the
echo, and there are a number of thick
stone pillars to support the heavy stone
roof. These pillars take up much room
and hinder many persons from seeing
the minister in the pulpit, which is built
against a pillar some distance from the
altar. The pastor wore a gown and
surplice.
There is a peculiar arrangement con-
nected with this church. Outside along
the north and south sides of the building
there are numerous stalls against the
church, in which business is carried on
— the sale of pictures, new and second-
hand clothing, fish, fruit, flowers, um-
brellas, clocks, etc. Singularly as soon as
the church service was over these little
stores were opened and business com-
menced. How strange ! We could not
help thinking of how Jesus drove the
money changers out of the temple. In
Heidelberg all kinds of stores are open
on Sunday from eleven in the morning
until four in the afternoon.
After the Reformed service we looked
into the Catholic part and were shown
around by the sexton. These people are
Old Catholics, and differ a good deal
from the regular Catholics. They con-
duct the whole service, including the
Mass, in the German language, instead
of the Latin, and reject both the Pope
and the doctrine of his infallibility.
Neither do they use the confessional.
They secured the church in 1873, and
have since been in possession. King
Rupert is buried under the altar, as is
also his wife, Elizabeth, who was a
sister of the first Elector of Branden-
burg.
At the entrance of the Reformed part
of the church is this inscription : "In
dieser Kirche stand die beruhmte
Pfalzische Universitats und Landes
Bibliothek bis zu ihrer Wegfuhrung
nach Rom durch Tilly im Februar,
1623."
The Holy Ghost church has an inter-
esting history. It was erected in the
beginning of the fifteenth century. In
1693 the cruel French soldiers drove the
people of Heidelberg into this church,
locked the doors and set fire to the
steeple. The shrieking of the people may
be imagined, but this did not move the
hard-hearted soldiers. The steeple fell
upon the neighboring houses and the bell
began to melt. Then the people were
let out of the church. In the crush a
number were killed and many injured.
Aside from the destruction of the steeple
the church was not greatly injured, be-
cause it is constructed of stone, roof as
well as walls. The church stands in the
large open market square.
Opposite the church is the "Hotel zum
Ritter," House of the Knights, erected
in 1692 in the style of the Otto Hein-
rich's Bau of the castle. This was
almost the only house in Heidelberg that
escaped destruction in 1693.
Another interesting building in Heidel-
berg is St. Peter's Protestant church, a
fine large building, erected near the close
of the fifteenth century, and restored in
1865-70. It is surmounted by a fine open
Gothic tower and contains several monu-
ments. It was upon the door of this
church that Jerome of Prague, the well-
known co-laborer of the Reformer Huss,
nailed his theses already in 1406. St.
Peter's was the court church — that is,
the one in which the Elector and his
family worshipped.
Near by are all the buildings of the
famous Heidelberg University, known as
the cradle of science in southern Ger-
many. It was founded in 1386 by Elec-
tor Rupert I, and is, next to Prague and
Vienna, the oldest university. Its time
of greatest prosperity was in the latter
half of the sixteenth century and the
beginning of the seventeenth century. In
this period it was, during the reigns of
the Electors Otto Henry, Frederick III
and Frederick IV, the principal Re-
formed seat of learning in Germany, and
exerted an extended influence. It was a
412
NTVIMHaD-VIMVA^SNiVad 3HX
great power for the truth in Reforma-
tion days. During the stormy times of
the Thirty Years' War and the devas-
tations of the Palatinate by the French,
the library survived with difficulty. In
1886 the live-hundredth anniversary of
the university was celebrated in the Holy
Ghost church, for which purpose the
partition had been removed. The uni-
versity library contains 400,000 volumes,
4,000 manuscripts, 3,000 papyri and 3,200
ancient documents. About one-third of
the manuscripts of the famous Palatine
Library, which was carried to Rome by
Gen. Tilly in 1623, have been returned
at various dates.
Heidelberg contains a Museum, which
is comparatively large and quite inter-
esting. To us one of the most interesting
objects found here is a copy of the first
edition of the Heidelberg Catechism of
1563. The famous eightieth question
and a'nswer about the Roman Mass are
not contained in this edition. There are
editions of the catechism in various
languages. Here are also Luther's wed-
ding ring with the inscription "13 June
1525," and a number of letters written
by Philip Melancthon, Luther's fellow-
laborer in the Reformation. The collec-
tion includes a model of the castle,
portraits of the Electors, professors of
the university and other prominent men,
seals, weapons, etc.
The streets of the city of Heidelberg
are mostly quite narrow. The principal
one is the Hauptstrasse, 1% miles long
and running east and west, with a trolley
line. Even this street is narrow. The
way from the station to the castle leads
along the "Anlage," a park on the south
side of the street. At different points are
found busts of Prince Bismarck and the?
local poet, K. G. Nadler, and a statue of
the Bavarian Field Marshal Wrede.
We spent nearly half a day on the
mountain to the north of Heidelberg,
which is also an interesting region. At
first we followed the Philosophers' Way,
so called because the professors of Hei-
delberg University love to stroll along
this road, which affords a tine view of
the city. But we extended our ramblings
far above this road. First we visited
the round Bismarck Tower, some dis-
tance up the mountain. Ascending J$
steps aflorded us a fine view of the city
and surrounding country. Still higher
up we came to the View Tower, which
was erected from the material of an old
cloister. Here we ascended 87 steps and
were rewarded with a further beautiful
outlook. ,
But we were not yet done climbing the
mountain, which is known as the
"Heiligen Berg." It is said that in early
times the ancestors of the Germans
offered sacrifices on this mountain. After
a long and tiresome walk we came to a
most interesting historic spot — the ruins
of St. Michael's Cloister. This institu-
tion, history informs us, was founded
about the year 880, and rebuilt in the
eleventh century. Now all is in ruins.
But the ruins indicate a large and sub-
stantial building. When the place went
out of existence I cannot state, but his-
tory tells us that the ruins were for
centuries unknown until accidentally
discovered in 1886. From this place we
had one more truly enchanting view of
the country north, west and south. The
land is level and beautiful in the extreme.
On our way from the mountain we
followed the so-called Hirschgasse and
finally came to the hotel in a narrow
valley immediately above the city, which
is famous on account of the many duels
fought there by students of Heidelberg
University. Dueling is an old and brutal
custom which is here continued to this
day. To have a scar on the face is con-
sidered a great honor. We met many
students in the streets bearing such scars.
Duels occur almost every week. One
such was fought the day before our visit.
We were shown through the building.
On the second floor is a comparatively
new hall in which the combats are held.
The fighting is done with swords. On
the floor were several fresh spots of
blood which had been shed the day be-
fore. The eyes and necks of the duelists
are protected, so that death seldom fol-
lows. Surgeons are always at hand to
sew up the wounds. In a room in the
older part of the building the floor is
covered with marks of blood from duel-
CITY OF HEIDELBERG, GERMANY
415
ing. On a large table in this room many
visitors have carved their names, among
them three chancellors of the German
empire who were students here — Bis-
marck, von Billow and Hohenlohe. It is
tice should be tolerated by the authorities
have been fought here since 1670. It is
astonishing that such a barbarous prac-
tice shoudl be tolerated by the authorities
of the university in this enlightened age.
Our visit to Heidelberg was a great
pleasure to us. From here we resumed
our journey and passed on to romantic
Switzerland.
Are Americans Selfish ?
Germany is very justly held up before us
as a shining example of marvelous industrial
progress and prosperity. A very great deal
of the credit for her present condition is
due to her splendid educational system. But
no small factor in her national progress is
the helpful attitude which her industrial
organizations take toward the publicity of
scientific data. The individual does not
suffer, while Germany, both from a purely
scientific and an industrial standpoint, is
rapidly advanced. But too often with us
the president and his board of directors are
alchemists ; they fail to see why, if they
pay the salaries of their research men, they
should give to the public, or their competi-
tors, any part of their results. They exclaim
"What has posterity done for me?"
— Scientific American.
Historic Ephrata Libelled
The following extract from "Colonial By-
ways'' which appeared in the Los Angeles
(Cal.) Herald and the rejoinder (quoted in
part only) thereto by Prof. F. O. Klinger of
the Ephrata Schools appeared in the Lan-
caster New Era recently.
"Imagine a dingy, straggling, unpaved
town, shut in by surrounding hills and by a
low line of mountains, a town which
stopped growing early in the century, and
whose weather-beaten dwellings and other
buildings show that it has been many a day
since there has been work for the carpenter
and painter to do, and one will have a faint
idea of the Dunker village of Ephrata,
which lies twenty miles by rail from Lan-
caster, Pa., and impresses one with the
singular sense of being a place in which
something is about to happen, but nothing
does happen in it or ever will. Quieter it
could not be, unless it were absolutely dead.
"The stranger let down in Ephrata might
easily imagine himself in a peasant village
of South Germany, for its founders came
from Witsgenstein, and, although it is more
than 150 years ago since they built their
huts of log and stone and took up the hard,
laborious lives of the New World pioneers,,
their descendants are still faithful to the
traditions and customs of the Fatherland."
The above is an extract from "Colonial
Byways," whatever that may be, and has.
appeared in a recent issue of the Los Ange-
les (Cal.) Herald. Anybody with a grain
of intelligence, who has visited Ephrata dur-
ing any time of its history, knows that not
a single statement of the above libelous
article is true.
Our town justly ranks as one of the most
progressive and enlightened communities of
Eastern Pennsylvania, The "weather-beaten
dwellings" the writer talks about are an ex-
tremely rare exception at Ephrata and the
borough is especially noted for its many
handsome, substantial and well-kept private
residences, and which are. as a general
thing, owned by their occupants. There is
probably not a single occupied dwelling in
the whole town that is not painted.
Most of our people are of German descent,
a fact of which we are proud, and some of
the older inhabitants speak the Pennsylvania
German dialect, another thing of which we
are not ashamed, either, but to be compared
to the peasantry of South Germany is an
insult to the thrifty, progressive and hospi-
table people of our community.
F. S. KLINGER.
Ephrata. Pa.
414
Historic Pilgrimages along Mountain By- Ways
By Asa K. Mcllhaney, Bath, Pa.
PART V
TRIP today (Wednesday,
August 24, 1 9 10), through
the western section of
Northampton County, into
the southern part of Car-
bon County, and return, is
about as timely an outing
as we could take. Hundreds
of summer tourists go up that way by
steam cars and others by trolley, but our
"tally-ho" enables us to start when we
are ready, to stop wherever we choose,
•and to revel at leisure in the beauties of
Nature which she dispels so lavishly on
.all sides.
Bath is again our starting point. We
will travel northwesterly through terri-
tory that has been named for and by the
red man,and come across such Indian
names as Monoquasy, Catasauqua,
Hockandauqua,, Kittatinny, Lehigh,
Towamensing, and Aquaschicola.
The first part of our journey is over
hilly roads on which, many years ago,
the Easton — Mauch Chunk — Berwick
stages ran daily, having relays of horses
.at stated intervals and certain hotels
where stops were made for meals. From
the top of the first hill, the approach of
the stage was announced by William
Mason the driver blowing his horn while
yet some distance from town, and soon
-all was bustle and rush about the hotel
in exchanging the mail and making final
preparations for the meal. This is the
same highway that Asa Packer with all
"his worldy possessions packed securely in
a large bandanna, trudged over nigh a
century ago, on his way to Mauch
Chunk, coming from the land of "blue
laws and wooden nutmegs." There is no
doubt some truth in this, for the great
philanthropist had many friends here,
who are my authority for this statement.
It was in Bath that he was nominated by
the Democrats, in 1841, for his first
political office, as member of the Legis-
lature.
Be that as it may, we push ahead past
the Bossart, King, Fehnel and Edelman
farms on which the McCooks and Mc-
Connells lived during the American
Revolution, and come to
DANNERSVILLE
the original home of the family by that
name. The two hotels and the -store of
by-gone days have been converted into
comfortable homes. The Silfies, Huth,
Schall, Reimer, Lindeman, Nolf, and
Hoffman families resided here many
years ago. From the last-named, de-
scended the late Dr. Walter J. Hoffman,
of Reading, a surgeon with General
Custer in 1873. and an anthropological
writer of note, long connected with the
United States Government.
Here is the source of the Catasauqua
creek, named by the Indians, the word
signifying, "the earth thirsts for rain,"
or "parched land." It enters the Lehigh
south of the borough of Catasauqua.
Continuing another mile we see ahead
of us the old Palmer homestead, in front
of which stands a large ailanthus tree.
The building though somewhat changed,
presents a colonial appearance. For a
long time, it was known as "Federal
Seat."
George Palmer was, by occupation, a
surveyor, and a native of Horsham,
Montgomery County. He was a personal
friend of the celebrated astronomer
David Rittenhouse, and a nephew of
John Lukens, Esq., who from the year
1761 to 1789 was Surveyor-General of
Pennsylvania.
Upon the death of James Scull, deputy
surveyor of Northampton County, which
took place, July. 1773, George Palmer
was appointed his successor, by a com-
mission bearing date August 4, 1773. The
records of the surveyor's office will attest
his capacity, he having been the incum-
bent for fifty-one successive years.
Athough the province of Pennsyl-
vania had been granted to William Penn
HISTORIC PILGRIMAGES ALONG MOUNTAIN BY-WAYS
415
by Charles II, by letters patent dated
.March 2, 1680, its northern boundary
was not fully determined until I774>
when commissioners were appointed by
Cadwalader Colden, Lieutenant-Gov-
ernor of New York, and John Penn
(grandson of William Penn) Governor
■of Pennsylvania, to settle the line
between the two provinces, and to fix the
beginning of the 43rd degree of north
latitude on the Mohawk, or western
branch of the Delaware River which
latitude is the division line between the
two provinces. Governor Colden ap-
pointed Captain Samuel Holland, an able
engineer, and Governor Penn selected
David Rittenhouse, who appointed as his
assistant George Palmer of Northamp-
ton County. As the latitude could only
be determined by astronomical observa-
tion, the Commissioners at the request of
Governor Colden did not set out until
the latter part of the month of Novem-
ber, 1774, in order to observe "with the
greatest certainty the altitude of the
Polar star, above and below the pole."
According to a return of their work,
dated Philadelphia, December 14, 1774,
we find that they fixed the beginning of
the 43rd degree of north latitude on the
Mohawk or western branch of the Dela-
ware river, and there on a small island
planted a stone with the letters "New
York, 1774" cut on one side, and on the
top "Lat. 42 degrees, Var. 4 degress, 20
minutes" ; thence due west on the west
side of the Delaware River, they col-
lected a heap of stones at high water
mark, and in the said west line four
perches distant, planted another stone
with the letters "Pennsylvania, 1774,"
cut on the south side, and on the top
"Lat. 42 degrees, Var. 4 degrees, 20
minutes" ; and from thence due west,
eighteen perches, marked on an ash
tree; and that the rigor of the season
prevented them from going further.
Palmer's land-office was in Bath, and
about twenty-five years ago, members of
the boundary commission to re-adjust
the division line between New York and
Pennsylvania visited this section and
obtained access to the records and field-
books of the original boundary commis-
sion, in order to re-locate the original
lines and replace the monuments which
had been displaced and effaced during
the past century.
The most valuable of Palmer's papers
have been turned over to the Smithsonian
Institution. Palmer township was named
for him. He died here, March 6, 183 1,
aged 83 years.
Driving to the foot of a long hill
brings us to
BEERSVILLE
a small village with a hotel and a store.
From this point to the mountains, we
will pass by six old-time hostelries, in
about six miles. How interesting it
would be if we were able to give the
original names of all the village inns.
Here and there we study the unintel-
ligible lettering on the fading, creaky
signs, some of which form quite a history
in themselves, often holding a picture
representing some legend. The "Rising
Suns" and the "Half -Moons" are long-
forgotten reminders of Apollo and Diana
but who shall say whence comes the
"White Star" the name of this hostelry,
now run by Thomas Hess, and formerly
by George Beers? The sign-board is
supported on a stout pole, and who
knows but that the painting thereon may
have come from the hands of a West, a
Rutter, or a Woodside?
The Beer, Bush, Beil, Laub, Person,
Danner, Huth, Huber, Young, Gross and
Geiser families were among the early
settlers in this neighborhood. In the last
home in the village lives Peter Huth.
Frank Huth, Esq., who for many years
• was the efficient principal of the Naza-
reth schools, and now one of Northamp-
ton County's leading citizens is his son.
The Huth homestead was originally the
property of Christian Berger.
In front of us flows a beautiful wind-
ing stream — the Hockandauqua. another
Indian monument in name meaning,
"searching for land" ; as no doubt some
whites were observed by the Indians,
prospecting along the stream. Its source
is in Moore Township, midway up the
Blue mountains in the notch called
Smith's Gap.
416
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
After leaving the base of the mountains
this infant stream receives the aid of
tributaries to enable it to perform the
immense requirement upon its power, in
its serpentine wanderings through
Moore, Lehigh, and Allen townships,
until it reaches the Lehigh near the
Lehigh County line.
The first to which its power was ap-
plied in by-gone days was Gross' saw
mill, now Graver's, about a mile from
the base of the mountain ; a mile further
was Scholl's excellent grist mill, now
Barrall's ; another mile was Young's saw
mill with a dam surpassing in extent any
on the creek capable of holding a great
quantity of water; one mile further was
Kleckner's elegant mill ; then came
Kleppinger's, now Santee's, the original
however, was destroyed by fire some
years ago. Cressman's later Esch's fol-
lows. Then the Petersville mill, original-
ly built by Abraham Kreider as a mer-
chant mill which in early times did an
extensive business. Then in Allen Town-
ship in the order named were Heistand's,
Col. Weber's later John Laubach's,
Beck's or Lerch's, and all less than a
mile below Hummel's. Near by Beck's
mill, the Hockandauqua receives as
tributary the Indian creek. Between this
point and the Lehigh a distance of four
miles were Beam's or Leh's later Ho-
well's fine mill and distillery, and lastly
Peter Laubach's now Mauser's at the
mouth of the stream.
This was their Rhine, and it was for
the water power that the early German
settlers came here, — the power that
would turn these mills, the power that
would remind them of the rushing brooks
of the Fatherland. Here many of their
mills still stand, for they were built, like
their houses, to last, and their founda-
tions are as solid as when they were
first laid.
Examine one of these old flouring
mills and see the strong building material,
particularly of posts, beams and girders.
Timbers such as builders of this genera-
tion would put into a six-story building,
were used in constructing these old mills ;
the axe marks hewn there a century and
a half ago may be partly covered up by
the dust of ages, but the live oak is just
as good as ever.
Years ago the Hockandauqua furn-
ished power for driving a flour mill in
every mile of its length from its mouth
to far up near its source ; but this state
of things has changed with the improved
methods of milling and the absorption of
trade by mills erected close to markets
and railroads. The picturesque over-
shot water-wheel has to a very great
extent ceased to turn. "It was 'very
inspiring to the poet, who saw the water
splashing from it in silvery spray, who
made music of the rumble of the ponder-
ous shaft ; but the poet ought to have
been on hand on some cold winter morn-
ing when all was frozen solid, and go
down into a wheel-pit with an axe to
knock off the chunks of ice so that the
mill could be started."
These are some of the dry records
concerning the ancient mills but "they
supply the foundation for fancy to build
anew the old structures and to re-people
with folks long since dead its charming
environment. The Hockandauqua con-
tinues to meander through a fertile
valley between high hills where in by-
gone days could have been seen the
slow-moving ox-cart, or the old farm-
horse with the barefoot boy astride
bearing home the bag of meal."
Crossing the bridge brings us to
TETERSVILLE
a hamlet of about one hundred and fifty
inhabitants. It was originally named
Kernsville. The hotel is run by James
Bilheimer and the Danner and Meyers
homes are the most attractive. This was
a great place for the old-time battalions
and political meetings, and here lived
Christian Wyack long considered the
political "boss" in the "west end."
Tradition says that a large gong was
placed on top of the old tavern and
sounded for the whole neighborhood to
turn out whenever a candidate chanced
to stop at this hostelry. The Young,
Beichy, Solt and Laufer families are
still represented here.
Near by is the Emmanuel church of
the Lutheran and Reformed congrega-
HISTORIC PILGRIMAGES ALONG MOUNTAIN BY-WAYS
417
tions. It is claimed that the first church
within the present limits of Northampton
County was erected at this place a few
hundred feet southeast from the present
edifice. It was a log building. The
150th anniversary of this church was
celebrated September 25, 1873. On that
occasion both pastors, Revs. J. Fritzinger
and R. B. Kistler, read historical sketches
of their respective congregations. In the
same after investigating the records ob-
tainable and hearing the traditions of
aged members, they stated that the
church was built in 1723. Where did
these early settlers come from? There
is no proof that any immigrants came
north of the Lehigh mountains as early
as that date. There was a Dutch settle-
ment, however, in the Minnisink country
near Shawnee, dating back probably to
1682. In 1731 an agent of the colonial
government found it an old settlement.
Did the first settlers at Petersville come
from Minnisink? It is not certain that
the first church' was built in 1723, but
there is proof that it was erected very
early. It still stood in 1772, but was in
a dilapidated condition.
Any one who visits this church will
notice the elevation on which it stands.
The location is beautiful. It commands
a view for many miles around. The
following is a list of the Lutheran
ministers who served this congregation :
Revs. John Philip Streeter, J. Henry
Goethins, John Andrew Fridericks,
Jacob van Buskirk, J. S. Obenhauser,
Frederick Geisenheimer, F. W. Meend-
sen, Augustus Fuchs, D. Kuntz, R. B.
Kistler, and James J. Reitz.
The Reformed pastors were: Revs.
John E. Hecker, Frederick Van der
Sloot, Jacob C. Becker, E. H. Helfrich,
J. Gautenbein, Robert Lisberger, J.
Fritzinger, D. B. Ernst, and J. E. Smith.
Rev. H. M. Muhlenberg writes thus
of Rev. Friderick, in 1778:
"Near the Blue mountains lives Rev.
Friderick, who had studied with me
forty years ago at Goettingen, and who
has labored, struggled and suffered until
he is worn out. He is old, exhausted,
and bedfast, and in pitiable circumstances
because he cannot walk any more."
Again in 1782, he writes of him: "The
old Mr. Friderick who is nearly seventy
years old and unable to preach sits now
in poverty and misery."
From these statements various con-
clusions may be drawn as to the age,
labors, and hardships of the clergy at
that time. Adjoining the church is the
old graveyard, and the inscriptions on
the old tombstones also prove its great
age. The oldest is that of Johann
Nicholas Heil, died February 14, 1760;
next Johann Martin Beck, died 1764;
Johann Frederick Miller, died 1764; An-
na Margaretha Kleppinger, born 1710,
died 1769. Many inscriptions can no
longer be deciphered.
Turning westwardly we soon reach
the late George Kressler homestead
where was born and reared Prof. j. F.
Kressler, one of Allentown's most pro-
gressive public school teachers. We also
pass the Keck, Kleppinger, Fenster-
maker, Newhart and Bachman farms
and come to
PENNSVILLE
snugly nestled among the high hills, and
which years past was the greatest fruit
district in the country. We remember
passing through this village about twenty
years ago, and then saw the trees heavily
loaded with the choicest apples. This
locality was at first called Newhartsville,
and the Newhart mansion still stands
just opposite the tavern, and is one of
the oldest-looking buildings on our route ;
nevertheless it bespeaks rural comfort
and tells a story of substantial thrift in
the century that is past. A short distance
to the north we meet the Indian creek
whose source is in the Blue mountains
north of Rockville. Along the banks of
this stream, our drive becomes romantic.
By the roadside, at the foot of a wood-
land tract, are seen the green leaves of
the arbutus and partridge berry while the
creek is made attractive by beds of the
beautiful cardinal.
The last-named is one of the two wild
flowers whose color is a true red. Quite
a number are commonly spoken of as
red, but they are in reality purplish pink
or reddish lilac. It is our own Oliver
41S
THE PEXXSYLVAXIA-GERMAX
Wendell Holmes who compares the color
of this flower to that of "drops of blood
new fallen from a wounded eagle's
breast." The cardinals like the richest
soil and are often seen to have taken
possesion of a large tract probably of the
blackest muck.
We enter
HOWERSVILLE
named for Colonel Adam Hower of
military fame. Here were his home, store,
mill, hotel and distillery. The Farbers
now run the mill. Lerch's store is not
far distant. Between this place and the
mountains, a century ago, lived the" Op-
lingers, Shafers, Bachmans, Williams,
Henrys, Seips, Fogels, Beckers, Her-
mans, Halls, Anthonys, Esterdays and
Beers, and many of their descendants
even clown to the sixth or seventh genera-
tion till the farms of their ancestors.
At the foot of the mountains is
DANIELSVILLE
a long-drawn-out village surrounded by
slate quarries. The original name was
Little Gap, and now it is large enough
to be a borough. The first hotel was a
log structure built one hundred and
twenty-five years ago, and among its
proprietors were the Hermans, Smiths,
and Bachmans. In 1856, Abraham Bach-
man mov^ed it some distance away, and
built a brick house on the site of the first
hotel. The present proprietor is Wilson
Queen.
A Mr. Williams opened the first slate
uuarries here, in 1848, and a slate factory
was operated by Hagerman, Coffin and
others.
We stop just long enough to call and
pay our respects to our friend, J. Fred
Bachman, Esq., whom the readers of
The Pennsylvania-German remember as
the genial author of the popular Indian
story, Grace Leinberger, or the White
Rose. We also have a few words with
Dr. Elmer E. Bush, just to renew a
friendship formed during our school-
days.
For a mile we ascend the Kittatinny
mountains, the ''endless ones," and take
a view of the surrounding landscapes,
especially the large hills to the north,
often called the Fox mountain. Here is
the old Indian spring which is not known
to run dry. Not far away are the Slip-
pery Rocks, into which many years ago
the people of the neighborhood, drilled
holes and used them to celebrate the 4th
of July. When General Robert E. Lee
surrendered, many people assembled and
used them for the last time. Another
spring with an opening, 12x8 inches, is
the outlet of a small lake on the moun-
tain.
Here the mountains are not so high as
at the Delaware Water Gap, or even at
Smith's Gap. Still they are grand and
lovely. John Burroughs in his delightful
book entitled *'Tn the Catskills" says,
"The Arabs believe that the mountains
steady the earth and hold it together;
but they have only to get on the top of a
high one to see how insignificant moun-
tains are, and how adequate the earth
looks to get along without them. To
the imaginative Oriental" people, moun-
tains seemed to mean much more than
they do to us. They were sacred; they
were the abodes of their divinities. They
offered their sacrifices upon them. In
the Bible mountains are used as a
symbol of that which is great and holy.
Jerusalem is spoken of as a holy moun-
tain. The Syrians were beaten by the
Children of Israel because, said they,
'their gods are gods of the hills ; there-
for were they stronger than we.' It was
on Mount Horeb that God appeared to
Moses in the burning bush, and on Sinai
that He delivered to him the law.
Josephus says that the Hebrew shepherds
never pasture their flocks on Sinai, be-
lieving it to be the abode of Jehovah.
The solitude of mountain-tops is pecu-
liarly impressive, and it is certainly easier
to believe the Deity appeared in a burn-
ing bush there than in the valley below.
When the clouds of heaven, too, come
down and envelop the top of the moun-
tain— how such a circumstance must
have impressed the old God-fearing
Hebrews? Moses knew well how to
surround the law with the pomp and
circumstance that would inspire the
deepest awe and reverence."
HISTORIC PILGRIMAGES ALONG MOUNTAIN BY-WAYS
419
The descent on the Carbon County
side reaches nearly three miles. It brings
us into Towamensing Township, another
Indian word meaning "wilderness," and
originally the name for the entire sur-
rounding country. Mrs. Charles Mark-
ham's home is along this road, in fact
the first we strike, and close to a large
mountain spring.
At the base of the mountains, we
cross the Aquaschicola or "bush-net"
stream whose waters appear as clear as
crystal. It is a mountain current rising
in Monroe County, and courses through
meadow lands furnishing waterpower
for the running of a few grist mills, be-
fore flowing into the Lehigh River at
Lehigh Gap.
In this valley live the Beltzs and Pear-
sons who are experimenting in tobacco
raising, and who live in neat homes. To
our right is the Little Gap hotel run by
Lewis Green, and not far away are two
old-time hostelries known by the names
56 and 57 — the significance of which
we are unable to explain.
But it is past twelve o'clock, so we
stop at the home of Milton Smith, for
an hour, eat our luncheon on the banks
of the Aquaschicola, and refresh our-
selves with fine water taken from his
well near by. This is the Jacob Mehr-
kam farm and the house has stood for
over a century.
After properly caring for man and
beast we start again, pass the Ziegerfuss,
Andrew, Serfass, and Kunsman homes
and come to Millport, an early settled
locality, now called
AQUASCHICOLA
Here are many comfortable homes,
lovely lawns, and, we believe, a very
contented people. The Snyder and the
Nolf grist mills are in the vicinage. A
mile away is the Towamensing church
which we would like to visit but our
time is limited. Close to Millport stood
Fort Lehigh, of which Mr. H. M. M.
Richards, in "Frontier Forts" writes, in
part:
"It stood on property originally be-
longing to Nathaniel Irish, adjoining
that of Nicholas Opplinger where Ben-
jamin Franklin stayed all night, when on
the way to Fort Allen, as he tells us. It
is now the farm of Charles Straub. The
fort was on slightly elevated ground, at
the foot of which a small run of water
meanders down to the Aquaschicola
creek. The importance of its position
is easily seen. It commanded the
entrance to Lehigh Gap, and was at the
junction of the road to Fort Allen, at
Weissport, on the north, and the road to
Fort Norris on the east. We have been
told that it was merely an ordinary
block-house surrounded by a stockade.
We know it to have been built by the
settlers, either in the latter part of 1755
or beginning of 1756. We know noth-
ing, however, of the close of its history,
but have no reason to doubt that it was
abandoned, as a station, during the year
J758, when hostilities had almost come
to an end. There is nothing to indicate
that it was needed or used again in 1763.
Amongst the settlers who lived in the
vicinity of the Fort, during the war, was
a Mr. Boyer. His place was about one
and a half miles east of the fort, on
land now owned by Josiah Arner, James
Ziegenfuss, and George Kunkle. With
the other farmers, he had gathered his
family into the blockhouse for protec-
tion. One day, however, with his son
Frederick, then thirteen years old, and
the other children, he went home to
attend to the crops. Mr. Boyer was
plowing and Fred was hoeing, whilst the
rest of the children were in the house
or playing near by. Without any warn-
ing they were surprised by the appear-
ance of Indians. Mr. Boyer seeing
them, called to Fred to run, and himself
endeavored, to reach the house. Find-
ing he could not do so, he ran towards
the creek, and was shot through the
head as he reached the farther side.
Fred who had escaped to the wheat field
was captured and brought back. The
Indians having scalped the father in his
presence, took the horses from the plow,
his sister and himself, and started for
Stone Hill to the rear of the house.
They there joined another party of
Indians, and marched northward to
Canada. On the march the sisters were
420
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
separated from their brother and never
afterwards heard from. Frederick was
a prisoner with the French and Indians
in Canada for five years, and was then
senl to Philadelphia. Of. Mrs. Boyer,
who remained in the blockhouse, noth-
ing further is known.
After reaching Philadelphia, Freder-
ick made his way to Lehigh Gap and
took possession of the farm. Shortly
after he married a daughter of Conrad
Mehrkam and had a family of four
sons and four daughters. He died Octo-
ber 31, 1832, aged 89 years, and is buried
in the Towamensing churchyard."
There are no ruins to inspect at Fort
Lehigh, so we move on to
PALMERTON
which has during the past few years
evolved from ;i minor manufacturing
village into a model town so far as
homes, schools, sanitation .and general
municipal improvements are concerned
— and still more is promised.
This interesting little town a decade
ago showed promise of great possibili-
ties. Natural resources for the furnish-
ing of materials for industrial establish-
ments are here in abundance. Within a
very short distance of the anthracite
coal region, and with excellent facilities
for shipping to the metropolis and tide-
dater. Palmerton is so located that it
presents exceptional advantages for
manufacturing purposes. Taking ad-
vantage of these opportunities, Stephen
S. Palmer, president of the New Jersey
Zinc Company of Pennsylvania, has, as
the result of several months' personal
supervision of the construction of ad-
ditions to the already extensive zinc
plant here, decided upon further im-
provements to the town. Arrangements
have been made with the Chestnut Ridge
railroad company to extend its line from
Kunkletown to Stroudsburg, to connect
with the Lackawanna line.
The cost of this plant when completed,
will be about ten million dollars. The
furnaces and reducers for the zinc ore
will range along a distance of about
five miles, and to adjust itself to the new
conditions, the Central Railroad of New
Jersey has decided to abandon two old
stations and erect a new one at the
centre of operations, at the cost of about
$100,000.
But with all the industrial growth of
the community, the social and aesthetic
features have not been forgotten.
Mr. Palmer has decided to spend a
million dollars to have an elevated rail-
road, in the first place for the safety of
the children of the town, and in the
second for the economic advantage and
to preserve the beauty of the place.
Palmerton has a population of sixteen
hundred, and is but twelve years old.
The territory it embraces, prior to that,
was a part of Peter Snyder's farm. It
has a fine school building of eight rooms,
its schools are under the supervising
principalship of Prof. Clinton E. Cole,
and rank high when compared with
those of towns of several times its size.
Churches of different denominations
have sprung up, and a hospital complete
in equipment and splendidly managed is
here maintained.
The Horsehead Inn, Palmerton Hotel,
a town park of four acres, a public play-
ground for children, electric light, town
water, and neat and substantial resi-
dences constructed with the idea of
permanent beauty, make Palmerton one
of the prettiest towns in the Lehigh
Valley.
After mailing numerous post-cards of
views in this locality, to our friends, and
speaking a few words with the obliging
postmistress, Miss Bray, we drive to
HAZARD
a small town where we call to see a few
relatives. This town lacks the beauty of
its neighbor, but its mountain view is
grand. At 4:30 we enter the break in
the mountains, well-known as the
Lehigh Water Gap.
(to be continued.)
* Published by Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston.
Easton from a Trolley Window
By W. J. Heller, Easton, Pa.
n
A
PLEASANT summer after-
noon, a delightful anticipa-
t i o n of an historical
excursion in an open
trolley car, may provoke a
reminiscent m ood and
cause a desire to stop in
the mad whirl o f the
American momentum ; recall the delights
recorded in one's memory, which appeal
to the thoughts of the moment, and are
again stored away indefinitely.
If reminiscence is but a pleasant
melancholy, and ignorance is bliss, then
surely 'tis folly to be wise. Come with
us for the time and imagine yourself
occupying a comfortable seat in a
specially equipped car of the Easton
Transit. Company, in one of the shady
corners of the public square in the city
of Easton, Pa., ready for a trip.
Blind, indeed, to the perfection of
God's handiwork in Nature, and inlets
to a sluggish soul, must be the eyes that
fail to see, or grow weary resting on the
beauties of the hills and the valleys of
this chosen garden spot of the owner of
an Empire, his Eden, wherein he desired
to perpetuate his memory.
Our car is standing on a siding at the
southeast corner of the square, where we
will loiter for an hour and go through
the glimmering dream of events that
were. In the circular spot of green
stands Northampton County's tribute to
its young men, who here vowed alleg-
iance to their country and marched
toward the noon-day sun, back in the
6o's. Their history is only told in a
general way by the universal historian;
42-2
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
LAPAWINZO
Last Aboriginal Owner of the Forks. From a Painting
Made for Thomas Penn, 1737.
their achievements will soon be forgot-
ten, as they are now passing, in surpris-
ing numbers, to the Great Beyond and
no one to record their individual experi-
ences, trials and tribulations of a very
eventful period, which the future
historian will chronicle in one small
chapter. This handsome memorial occu-
pies the spot on which, for over a
hundred years, stood the old Northamp-
ton County Court House. Here, to this
ancient edifice, the voting population
residing as far north as Bloomsburg,
Berwick, Mauch Chunk, Scranton,
YYilkes-Barre, Honesdale, Pittston, To-
wanda and -the regions still farther
north, came to deposit their ballot.
Here, on the threshold of this county
shrine was promulgated, in July 1776,
the Declaration of Independence, prob-
ably the first place outside of Philadel-
phia where public approval was given to
that famous transaction, and, probably,
where was first displayed a flag, com-
bining the stars and the stripes as an
emblem of a new nation. There appeared
THE OLD COCRT HOUSE
EASTON FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
423
on July 20th, 1776, in the New England
Journal the following item :
"Easton, Northampton County, July 8th.
This day, the Declaration of Independence
was received here and proclaimed in the
following order: The Colonel and all other
Field Officers of the First Battalion repaired
to the Court House, the light Infantry Com-
pany marching there with drums beating,
fifes playing and the standard (the device
for which is the thirteen united Colonies)
which was ordered to be displayed and after
that the Declaration was read aloud to a
great number of spectators, who gave their
hearty assent with three loud huzzas and
cried out. 'MAY GOD LONG PRESERVE
AND UNITE THE FREE AND INDEPEN-
DENT STATES OF AMERICA.' "
for safe-keeping in the Library Hall. (For
further particulars see the newspapers of
that date.) The Board agreed that the said
flag might be so deposited, but it never was
deposited.1
STEWART KENNEDY, Librarian.
W. H. SITGREAVES, Secretary."
July 24th, 1821.
"The Librarian reports that the Flag
mentioned in the proceedings of the Board
Aug. 1st, 1818 had been delivered to him a
few days since, and deposited in the Hall.
C. INNES, Secretary.
JAMES LINTON, Librarian."
The flag was presented to a company
of emergency men by Miss Iieidleman on'
A HISTORIC FLAG
The flag, here mentioned, is supposed
to be the one which is now in the
possession of the Easton Public Library,
where it was deposited in [821 by the
remnant of a military company that
used it during the War of 181 2.
The following extracts were taken
from the Minute Book of the Library
Association :
August 1, 1818.
"A committee consisting of I. Horn and
Samuel Mcore waited on the Bcaid at this
Meeting with a copy of certain resolutions
and requesting that a certain flag, to which
these resolutions related, might be deposited
September 14, 1X14. This company went
to the front four days after being called
and at the time the famous song of the
' Star Spangled Banner" was made
known and sung by everybody. It is
reasonable to suppose, without further
evidence, that while the flag was pre-
sented on this particular occasion, it was
not made for the purpose, but had its
origin sometime during the period of the
LThe Bag ;it this time u;is hi-ing used by ;i com
pan; in tln> State Militia service and tin- Veterans
wIki carried it to the front, were desirous of regain-
ing thru- possession.
424
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
6 and 8 pointed stars, which was some
years prior to the time of the 5 pointed
star and was also the period of the 13's
both in the stars and the stripes. If the
ladies had found it necessary to make a
flag for the purpose of presentation,
beyond a doubt, it would have been one
more in keeping with the time, which
was, and had been for over 20 years, the
period of 15 stripes and 15 stars, and
quite likely w< »uld have made one for the
other company, which was formed at the
same time.
Long years have passed and many are
the changes that followed each other
since this spot was shorn of its pristine
foliage. The decades of the three half
centuries that have elapsed, have been
crowded with numerous and great
events, but the many thousands, who
pass to and fro over this circular spot of
green, the central pivot that influenced
territory equal to an empire, have ceased
to admire the spectacle here enacted,
from time to time, by those of the nation
makers who selected the regions 'round
about for their activities, their joys and
sorrows. Little does their posterity
know or care that here was sounded the
death-knell of the French and Indian
War, and that here was lost forever the
white man's influence over the red race
of America.
Here, under the lofty oaks, was held
the famous Indian Treaty of 1757, which
created the white man's message that
was to be communicated to the Indian
nations beyond the Ohio River. Its
messenger, Christian Frederick Post,
who started on this long, perilous jour-
ney through 400 miles of wilderness and
hostile Indians, never received the credit
due him for this remarkable undertak-
ing. His life imperilled every minute,
day and night, a big reward having been
offered by the commander of the French
forces at Niagara, who paroled over 300
soldiers with instructions to proceed into
the wilderness to intercept Post and
prevent him from reaching his destina-
tion. After two months of crawling
through trackless forests, evading unseen
enemies, subsisting on uncooked food
and braving the elements with no fire to
cheer his loneliness or prepare his meals,
Post finally readied his destination un-
harmed and, with rare diplomacy, suc-
ceeded in preventing an alliance between
the French forces and the Indians of the
Middle West, and making: a record of a
VIEW OF NORTHAMPTON STREEET
(Taken from Public Square)
EASTON FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
425
journey that has no parallel in the
world's history.
Here it was that Robert Levers, that
fearless patriot and Northampton
County's greatest citizen, announced his
appointment as dictator of local govern-
ment during the darkest period of the
Revolution, when Washington's army
was retreating across New Jersey and
conservative citizens everywhere waver-
ing, falling by the wayside ; Massa-
chusetts declining to contribute its
portion to any further support of the
army; its citizens seeking shelter within
the folds of the British Ensign ; New
jersey harassing Washington and his
army; Tories everywhere in high glee;
the demoralization of old Northampton
County's men of affairs, Lewis Gordon,
James Allen, Andrew Allen and former
Governor James Hamilton, held in
bondage and protection within the closed
doors of this ancient seat of justice;
Robert Trail refusing to take the oath
of office as magistrate, to which he was
just elected; the number of reliable men,
who could be depended upon to transact
the local business, reduced to a few.
But time is too precious to deviate and
punctuality is one of the cardinal virtues
of the Transit Company so we will now
start on our journey up Northampton
Street, and on our return, recount some
other events that transpired at this, our
ancient shrine of patriotic sentiment.
Our car now stops at Bank street and
we notice on both sides modern business
establishments which have finally sup-
planted the numerous smaller affairs
that from time to time had replaced
those of lesser magnitude, through the
decades back to the period of the log-
cabin days. The first buildings erected,
on both south corners of Bank Street,
were hotels. The one occupying the site
of the present Bank building, was a log
structure, the other was brick. Now, as
the town grew, the owners of the log
house found it to greater advantage to
build a new structure at the other end
of the lot, facing the square, and the
yard extended southward to Pine Street.
This was the hotel of Frederick Nun-
gesser and later his son George became
its owner. After the Revolutionary War
the property was sold to Adam Yohe, Jr.,
who conducted the hotel for a number of
years but it was rinally converted to
other uses.
The yard was finally turned into a
market-house ; then a coal-yard under
the same roof ; then changed to an opera
NORTHAMPTON ST. AT THE CLOSE OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR
12 3 4 5 6 7
1, Adam Yohe's Hotel ; 2. Paul Miller's House ; 3. Nicholas .Scull's Hotel 1754, Geo. Taylor's House 1763; 4, Fred-
• erick Nungesser's Hotel ; 5, John Riuker's Hotel 1754 ; 6, Louis Cordon's Home ; 7, Adam Yohe's second Hotel.
426
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
house still under the same roof; and this
same old roof is there today and shelters
the billiard hall and dining room.
I '.nt we are getting too far away from
our car which is moving and we are now
at ( )pera House Court. On the corner
of this alley, on the site where the
present Opera House stands, was erected
the first pretentious house in the town. It
was the residence of Jacob Miner. Jacob,
at a very early period, became infatuated
with the grandeur of Wyoming Valley,
disposed of his Easton residence, and
finally it became the home of Louis
Gordon-.
Directly opposite Gordon's house, on
the present site of the Fraley building,
stood a commodious stone house. It was
built by Nicholas Scull in 1754 and was
used by him as a hotel for a number of
years. During the Indian Treaty of 1758
it was the headquarters of the King of
the Six Nations and his chief men.
This became the home of George Taylor
in 1763 and was the only property that
he owned in Easton. He later sold it to
his son James, who married the daughter
of Louis Gordon. During the Revolu-
tionary War it was used by John Young
as a gunshop3.
The greater portion of this building
was utilized as a part of the present
structure and was finally demolished in
'Gordon was the first Attorney in the new county,
prior to which, lie was employed as a clerk in the
office of Rev. Richard Peters. Peters was Secretary
<>\ tin- Governor's Council in Philadelphia and was
instrumental in having William Parsons appointed
Prothonotary of the new county in 1752, and then
sent Louis Gordon as a check on Parsons. Louis
Gordon was an upright, conscientious man and was
I". pnlar with all his neighbors except Parsons. Con-
siderable friction existed between these two. Gor-
don, becoming disgusted, moved to Burlington, New
rersej where he opened an office as Attorney-at-
Law. Here lie remained until after the death' of
William Parsons, when he returned to Easton and
purchased the residence of Jacob Miner.
George Taylor, whether born in America or in
Europe has not yel been determined, however lie
WB8 reared on his father's farm, in what is now the
pari of Catasauqua. Early in life he had 1><>
Come identified with the Durham Furnace and later
became the lessee and pari owner ,,f the concern.
This brought him. in contact with the men of affairs
in Philadelphia, many of whom were members of the
Durham Company. He still retained his business
after making his residence in Kaston. where
through his influential connections he became a man
of affairs. His reputation was centered in the fact
that he was a signer of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence.
1908 to permit the extension of the
present store room.
During the Indian treaties, the center
of activity was at the corner of Fourth
and Northampton streets. On the site
of the present Central hotel was erected
the first hotel stand of the town. It was
built by Adam Yohe on ground leased
from Paul Miller, who lived next door
to the hotel and conducted a stocking
weaving establishment. Miller was an
intimate friend of William Parsons,
with whom he made numerous business
deals. During the Indian Treaty the
sleeping apartments of this house were
used by Israel Pemberton and a few
others of the Quaker Society of Phila-
delphia, who were present at the treaty
to see that the Indians received justice.
The building was of flimsy construction
as was also the hotel next door and
Pemberton and his associates could
readily perceive the intrigues that were
taking place in the hotel between Secre-
tary Richard Peters and George Crog-
han, deputy Indian Agent, and some
others, members of the Governor's
Council, in their unsuccessful endeavors
to break down the Indian's defence. Al-
though they labored diligently for four
days, plying liquor to these untutored
sons of the forest, they were unsuccess-
ful in changing the Indian's attitude.
The second floor of this hotel was used
as a sort of headquarters for holding
private councils with the Indians during
the Treaties. George Croghan's head-
quarters was at Jasper Scull's hotel,
which stood on the southwest corner of
Fourth street, now the site of the
Northampton County Bank. The build-
ing was demolished in 1908 to make
room for the present bank structure. The
Governor and a few of his men occupied
rooms in William Parsons' house, on the
northwest corner, the site of the present
Pomp building during the Treatv of
17561.
4The writer, some years ago, was fortunate enough
to receive a verification of a tradition that it is well
here to record, the informant being a very old lady,
who received the information from a witness, Mrs.
Michael Opp, who, at the time was a young woman
employed at the Hotel of Adam Yohe", during the
EASTON FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
427
Our car is now standing at the corner
of 4th and Northampton streets, where
we will tarry for a while and look back
through a period of time to the beginning
of civilization at the Forks of the Dela-
ware. In the year 1736, Benjamin East-
surveyed it for Thomas Penn's private
use and which he called the "thousand
acre tract." On the extreme southeast
corner, bordering on the two rivers, was
where he contemplated, later, building a
town, after his own ideals. He had no
FIRST MAP OF EASTON
burn, surveyor general, accompanied by
Thomas Penn, selected the tract of land
at the confluence of the two rivers and
Indian Treaty. The story runs, that while the offi-
cials were intriguing with the Indans at the Hotel,
two intoxicated Indians, for some reasons unknown,
became incensed at their squaws, who were in the
kitchen, assisting the landlord's wife and one of the
cooks. These squaws became frightened and ran
from the house, lustily screaming, in fear of their
lives, pursued by their infuriated husbands, who
overtook them at the Cedar lot, which was in the
vicinity of Church and West Streets, on the slope
of Mount Jefferson a short distance from the hoteJ.
Here, they were cruelly murdered, where after night-
fall they were buried by some of the white neigh-
bors in the burial grounds nearby.
definite time as to when this town was
to be built, evidently contenting himself
with forming plans. Between the years
1736 and 1750, numerous town plots
were made, and there are in existence
today, six of these drawings. One,
which is evidently the first, appears in
the handwriting of Eastburn, the others
are by Nicholas Scull, who was surveyor
general, when the new county was
formed in 1752. At the time Nicholas
Scull was making the surveys of the
town, Thomas Penn was living in Eng-
428
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
land, where he became married to the
daughter of Lord Pomfret, having for-
saken his common-law wife before leav-
ing America. About 1751. he writes to
his commissioners in Philadelphia, to lay
out the town according to his plans, giv-
ing the names of the streets and the
town itself, complimentary to Lord Pom-
fret. About this time a new county was
being agitated which was finally organ-
ized in 1752. This was called Northamp-
ton in accordance with Penn's request.
The county was surveyed by Chapman
and the town by Scull. Scull writes as
follows on the subject:
'"Sir: In pursuance of the Honorable the
Proprietaries direction I have been at the
forks of the Delaware with Dr. Thomas
Greame and in concert with him have care-
fully viewed the ground proposed for a
Town and have laid out the same agreeable
to a plan herewith sent you. for their peru-
sal, by which they will see that the place
is hounded on the East by the Delaware
River, on the South by the West Branch, on
the North by Tatamy"s Creek and a part of
thr West side of high mountains, so that the
plan cannot be enlarged, but on the West
side and there only on two Streets, viz't the
Stints A and B, from whence it may be
extended more than a mile on very good*
ground.
The sides of the Squares are 480 ft. and
the lots except a few, are 60 by 320 feet,
the Square for Public use is 220 by 220
feet, and tho" not placed in the center, we
are of opinion that it is preferable to any
other part of the Town as it is a very dry,
level spot with a descent every way from
it, and from whence there is a beautiful
prospect of the River Delaware and the
Jersey Shore.
We endeavoured to lay the Front Street
nearer to the River at the North end than
it is laid down in the plan. But as that
would have thrown the Street C, D, over
Tatamy's Creek, we judged it best to lay it
out as in the Draught, whereby there is
ground left between the Front Street and
the River, which we conceive will not be
lost if ever the Town comes to be consider-
able, as it will not be granted with the lots
and must in time be wanted for Stores,
Wharfs, etc.
The Front Streel is about 25 feet in per-
pendicular height above the surface of the
River, both Rivers must be more than 12
ft. deep for 200 feet each way from the point
H, the stream not at all rapid, the meeting
of the Rivers forming a'n Eddy.
The situation of the place is very pleasant
and in my opinion has much the advantage
of any other place in the Forks or near it,
especially on account of the Trade.
NIC HO. SCULL."
Early in 1752, Nicholas Scull, having
made survey of the town plots satisfac-
tory to Thomas Perm, writes to William
Parsons, who was then living in Lan-
caster County, that the Commissioners
had not yet appointed a man as Prothon-
otary for the new county, but Richard
Peters was using his influence with
them to have him (Parsons) appointed,
and which they finally did. And then in
May 1752 Nicholas Scull proceeds to the
Forks to lay out the streets, accompanied
by Parsons who was to assume the busi-
ness end of the enterprise. Parsons em-
ployed some of the residents of Williams
Township, on the south side of the
Lehigh, to cut open the streets and to
build his house. This house was made of
sawed lumber and erected on the north-
west corner of 4th and Northampton
streets, on the site of the present Pomp
building and was removed to the rear at
the time the Pomp buiding was erected,
where it stood until about the year 1874
and was then demolished to make room
for the brick building now occupied by
Levi Seiple & Sons, the liquor merchants
on 4th street. Beyond a doubt this was
the first house erected on the ''thousand
acre tract," as it is safe to presume that
no one would have been so foolhardy as
to locate a home on the private grounds
of a man like Thomas Perm. This house
had two entrances, one on each street.
and it was at the one facing 4th Street
that the Governor was sitting in the
afternoon shade of the Sunday,- previous
to the Indian Treaty of 1756. Teedyus-
cung, just having arrived in the town,
called on the Governor to talk business.
The Governor informed him that the
white man did not do business on Sunday
and referred him to the following day,
which took considerable explanation on
the part of Conrad Weiser the next day
to enlighten Teedyuscung, whose days
were all alike, as to the why and where-
fore of such conduct, before he became
convincd that it was not an affront.
In due course of time, the town was
plotted. Parson's house completed, Scull
EASTON FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
429
returned to Philadelphia, from whence
he writes there must be no change from
the original survey of the lots on the east
side of the square, where he had diffi-
culty in making it fit the original design
of Penn, as is fully illustrated in his let-
ter, which is here quoted.
"Nicholas Scull to Wm. Parsons, 1752.
Philad., Saturday, May 23d, 1752.
"Dear Sir: —
This morning, about 7 o'clock, Captain
Shirley arrived from London, by Mr. Peters,
receiv'd a Letter from the Proprietor, con-
cerning the Town of Easton, an Extract of
which he has sent you. I have sent you a
plan, of what I conceive to be the Proprie-
tors intention concerning the Square; you
will see that the Lots on the East side of
the Square, cannot be 120 feet, as his honour
proposed, inasmuch, as the Lots on that
side, are not more than 230 feet deep, as
appears by a rough draft of the plan sent
home, which I have sent you. I have laid
them down 110 feet, as they really will be,
according to the proprietors Scheme; as to
the other parts of his directions concerning
the Lots, you will no doubt conform to what
he proposes, as far as you find it practicable,
for you will see, that after he has given
directions about the Square, the rest of
what he says, is little more than proposing
what may be done, to which I can say noth-
ing, as not knowing how it will affect the
new plan, of which I have no copy.
It is a misfortune, that we did not know
the Proprietors pleasure sooner, but as that
can't be now helpt, we must do as well as
we can; however, make no doubt but you
will clearly see the proprietors design by
his Letter. It seems to me, that if his In-
structions concerning the Lots fronting the
Square, be complied with, it will be a
thing indifferent, how the others adjoining
them are laid. And between Friends, I
think, that the Square proposed by his
Honour, is too small for Publick uses, when
the Fifty Foot Street is left between that
and the buildings; however, you will con-
sider whether it will be best to depart a
little from the Proprietary Scheme, when it
is of manifest advantage in regard to the
Size of the Adjoining Lots to do so, or keep
strictly to his directions.
I Sincerely Sympathize with you in your
present Situation, in regard to the People
who will next Monday apply for Lots, when
by reason of this new Scheme, it will not be
in your power to serve them, till you have
found another plan; how you will manage,
is hard to say, but your known resolution
and dispatch, gives me hopes, that you will
conduct the affair to the satisfaction of all
concerned, nothwithstanding what he wrote
to you Yesterday, that you will not meddle
with the water Lots till further orders. I
know nothing of the contents of the First
Letter, Save the Extract that you have, and
consequently, nothing of what is done about
running the provincial Lines, nor have I
any News to tell you.
I am, dear Friend
Yours Sincerely,
NICHO SCULL."
This, consequently, prevented the sale
of the ground between the square and
SECOND MAP OF EASTON
430
THE PEXXSYLVANIA-GERMAN
the Delaware, upon the day set for the
sale of lots. Parsons who was a genuine
"dyed-in-the-wool" Englishman, arbi-
trary and methodical, and equal to such
an occasion insisted on purchasers mak-
ing their selection above the square. He,
thuSj on the very first day created an
unfriendly feeling among some of the
buyers who wore in attendance. Among
these were many rehired farmers, who
had relinquished their farms to their
children with the intention of living
retired in the new town.
The following letter of Richard Peters,
written on the Tuesday following that
memorable Monday when the sale of
lots took place, illustrates the transac-
tions of that day.
SALE OF LOTS, MONDAY, MAY 25, 1 752
"It was about 11 O'clock yesterday when
your Instructions by Mr. Jones came to
hand and I had just time to read them over
when Mr. James Scull came with yours of
the 23d. The Weather had been so un-
favourable ever since you left Easton that it
was not without Difficulty that the streets
were got in tolerable order against the time
appointed, and Mr. Jones staying so late
that morning gave me some pain lest he
would not come at all that Day, and a great
number of People would be thereby dis-
appointed but upon his appearance their
apprehensions were removed. But you will
easily imagine that I was under great Dif-
ficulties when I read over the abstract of
the Proprietary's letter & saw the Plan
agreeable to it sent me by the Surveyor
Gen'l especially as I saw it absolutely
necessary to make some alterations in it.
It was now about one of the Clock and a
multitude of People waiting in expectation
to have the Lots shown them, while I was
contriving how to dismiss them without
giving offence. How well I succeeded those
that were lookers-on can but say. This I can
assure you that I managed things to the
best of my abilities. And about 30 had
their names entered who all promised to
build this Fall or at least to make large
preparations for building next Spring.
There are 140 appliers in all who also seem
very much in earnest to build. The Persons
most disappointed were such as had been
most active in obtaining the County. The
greatest number of the appliers yesterday
were Germans some of them of my old
acquaintance men in good circumstances.
As I propose to be in Philadelphia next
Monday or Tuesday shall refer the next bill
I shall have the satisfaction to relate it by
word of mouth. I am
WILLIAM PARSONS."
The unpopularity of Parsons retarded
the growth of the town and the first
winter finds him with only eleven
families and numerous rival towns
starting up in the regions roundabout.
The nearest one of these was directly
opposite the town, on the south side of
the Lehigh, which gave Parsons more
concern than any of the others. Parsons
writes to Richard Peters, Secretary of
the Proprietary Government, under date
of December 3, 1752:
"Upon removing my family to this place,
my thoughts have been more engaged in
considering the circumstances of this infant
Town than ever, as well with regard to its
neighborhood as the probability there is of
being furnished with provisions from the
inhabitants near about it; and if there
already is, or probably may in time be, a
sufficient number of settlers to carry on any
trade with the Town, for without these, it is
not likely it would be improved to any great
height, as well with regard to the Town
itself; that is to say, its situation as to
health, trade and pleasantness. The site of
the Town is very pleasant and agreeable;
the banks of all the waters bounding it clear
and high; and if it was as large again as it
is — being now about a hundred acres — it
might be said to be a very beautiful place
for a town. It is true that it is surrounded
on every side by very high hills, which
make it appear under some disadvantage at
a distance, and might give some occasion
for suspicion of its not being very healthful ;
but during all the last summer, which was
very dry, and the fall, which was remark-
ably wet, I don't know that any one has
been visited with the fever, or any other
sickness, nothwithstanding most people
have been much exposed to the night air
and the wet weather, from which I make no
difficulty to conclude the place is, and will
continue, very healthy. And. in regard to
the trade up the river, that would likewise
be very advantageous to the town, as well
as to the country in general, even in the
single article of lumber, as there is plenty
of almost all kinds of timber above the
mountains, where there are many good con-
veniences for erecting saw mills and several
are built already, from whence the town
might be supplied with boards, shingles,
etc. The West branch will also be of ad-
vantage to the town, as it is navigable
several miles for small craft, and Tatamy's
Creek being a good stream of water to erect
mills upon, will also contribute towards the
advancement of the Town; the Jersey side
being at present more settled than near the
river, opposite the forks, than the Pennsyl-
vania side and indeed the land is better
watered and more convenient for settlement
EASTON FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
431
than is on this side, for several miles above
Easton. We have been supplied as much,
or more, from that side as from our own.
But how Mr. Cox's Project of laying out a
town upon his Land adjoining Mr. Martin's
Land, on the side of the River opposite
Easton, may affect this town, is hard to say
and time only can obviate, etc., etc."
Cox's land here referred to, was the
south side of the Lehigh, reaching from
the present Lehigh Valley Passenger
Station up the river to about where the
first street is, in South Easton, thence
back over the hill to certain bounds. The
Mr. Martin's land was that section
reaching from the Lehigh Valley Station
to the Delaware River.
One of the first roads leading from
the new town— one that had been long
agitated — was a continuation of the
present Northampton Street, westward,
taking in all the settlements as far as
Reading. This was known as the Kings
Highway from East Town to Reading's
Town.
We will now proceed on our journey
up Northampton Street. On the right, a
few doors west of Fourth Street, about
where now is the east end of the Field
building, stood the home of Doctor
Frederick Rieger, the first physician in
Easton. A few doors beyond this was the
stone hotel of the Shouses', and directly
across, the Franklin House of today, the
oldest continuous hotel in Easton was
begun under the title of the Green Tree
Inn by John Schook and east of this, on
the site of the present Groetzinger build-
ing, was the hotel of Peter Kachlein and
the Opps'. Between this point and Fifth
Street there were a few residencs, prior
to the Revolutionary War. On the
northwest corner of Fifth Street stands
a stone house, the original building.
During the Revolutionary War it was
the home of Colonel Robert L. Hooper,
Deputy Commissary General of the
Board of War. In the rear, and on the
site of the present Zions Lutheran
church stood a large stone building used
by him as a warehouse and later it was
used as a barracks for the militia.
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EASTON FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
435
fully waged their master's political game
and an untutored Son of the Forest
compelled the White Man's Government
to bend to his will. At a convenient place
in the Square was erected what was
termed a booth, but whether this was
sufficiently extensive to cover the entire
audience or whether its dimensions were
limited to the chief actors, has never
been determined. The first two treaties
in 1756 were preliminary, the greatest
was the one of 1757, when nearly twenty
days were consumed in wrangling before
the public ceremony began. The actors
represented four factions. One was the
Indian seeking justice, another was the
Proprietary Government advancing
means to prevent it, the third was the
Friendly Association demanding an hon-
est proceeding and the fourth consisted
of the Commissioners, appointed by the
Assembly, who represented the people at
large. Their duty was to act in conjunc-
tion with the Governor in all business
relating to the expenditure of public
money. The Friendly Association were
not here officially, but only by right of
might. It was composed of Philadelphia
Quakers, the wealthiest business men of
the province, whose honesty of purpose
dared not be resented by Perm's opera-
bouffe officials.
The official party were represented by
the Governor, four members of the Gov-
ernor's Council and Richard Peters, the
secretary of the Province. The Quaker
party consisted of twenty people, under
the leadership of Israel Pemberton. The
commissioners were mere spectators of
the controversy between the other three
factions, but when they saw that the
chief men of the Six Nations, who hav-
ing become disgusted at the proceedings,
proposed returning home, they wrote a
message to Governor Denny, politely
asking for some information on certain
subjects. The Governor who was a
newly imported Englishman replied in
the same imperious manner that he had
meted out to the Friendly Association
and very forcibly expressed the opinion
that their official duties did not extend
to the Conference with the Indians. To
this, they replied with a very remarkable
message, which frightened poor Denny
so, much, that he failed to take advantage
NATHANIEL VERNON'S FERRY HOUSE 1752 (Photo 1911)
436
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
PARSONS RESIDENCE. ERECTED 1757
of the opportunity and hang the com-
missioners for treason. This famous
document was probably the first outburst
of liberty in the Forks of the Delaware.
In the northwest corner of the Square
was a depression, which reached to the
Bushkill Creek. Southeast from the
Square and extending all the way to the
Lehigh, at a point between Second Street
and Vernon's Ferry House, was a ra-
vine, on both sides of which were paths
leading to Vernons. The one on the
south side made a slight detour, passing
the rear end of the jail which stood on
the corner of Third and Pine. The one
on the north side led down on what is
now Northampton Street to Jacob Bach-
man's Hotel, which was the old stone
building still standing at the northeast
corner of Second and Northampton
streets. From here, its course was di-
rect to the Ferry, passing close to the ra-
vine, to avoid a depression in the land
known as Molasses Hollow. These paths
were travelled quite extensively during
the Conferences, and conversations not
intended for other ears were overheard
and made use of. At the Ferryhouse,
built by Nathaniel Vernon in 1752, and
still standing at the corner of Front and
Ferry streets was erected a large build-
ing, a temporary structure where the In-
dians were served with their meals and
rum. All other hotels were prohibited
from dispensing liquor to the Indians by
a heavy penalty. All available rooms in
the houses of the town, besides the
hotels, were utilized to their utmost to
accommodate the people who were in at-
tendance. The Indians were encamped
in the open air. at convenient places. In
1756 the Governor found lodging in Par-
son's house, corner of Fourth and
Northampton. In 1757 and 1758 he
lodged at Parson's new house, corner of
Fourth and Ferry. His Council and staff
were quartered at Jasper Scull's Hotel,
southwest corner of Fourth and North-
ampton. Isaac Norris and the Commis-
sioners with some of the Friendly Asso-
ciation had their quarters at the hotel of
Sheriff John Rinker, at the southwest
corner of Bank and Northampton. This
hotel property in the year 1767 was sold
to the Trustees of the four Reformed
Congregations — Easton, Dryland, Plain-
field and Greenwich — and converted into
a parsonage. About ten years later, the
Reformed sold it to George Vogel, when
it again became a hotel. Vogel. like
Rinker. became involved and the Sheriff
sold the property. This last purchaser
turned it into a residence, and the build-
ing was finally demolished in the year
1910 and the site is now occupied by the
east end of Laubach's Department Store.
Teedyuscung the plenipotentiary of all
the Indian Nations lodged with Vernon
in 1757 and 1758.
437
The Gutenberg Bible — A Rejoinder
St. Mary's Rectory,
Lancaster, Pa., June 17, 191 1.
Editor of The Pennsylvania-German :
Will you permit me to call your atten-
tion to a glaring error that appears in
the article "The Gutenberg Bible" by
the Hon. James B. Laux in the June
number? On pag 339, he says: "Some
conception of the gigantic force exerted
by the invention of movable type in the
distribution of knowledge may be had in
the well known fact that thousands of
priests of the church never saw a copy
of the Scriptures, much less enjoyed the
possession of one. The accidental dis-
covery of a complete copy of one by
Lurher in the monastery at Erfurt, frag-
ments of which he had only seen pre-
viously notwithstanding diligent search,
marked the beginning of Luther's revolt
against the tyranny and teaching of the
Church of Rome. If the Bible were so
rarely found in monastic libraries, uni-
versities and churches, how much worse
off must have been the laity and humble
worshipers."
This assertion though still religiously
detailed in Sunday School and church
library literature, is out of all accord
with up-to-date historical writing, and
has long since been relegated to the
domain of the legendary by all Protes-
tant writers of critical value and honest
scholarship. The undersigned has given
this precise subject considerable study,
written rather extensively on it, and
pardonably claims a fair knowledge and
familiarity with it. To enter into a cir-
cumstantial account of it, would fill a
good sized volume and is out of line
with the scope of your magazine. I may
be pardoned to quote from the two most
recent lives of Luther, — the one still in
progress of publication, the other fresh
from the press. Dr. McGiffert in his
"Martin Luther 'and His Work," now
appearing serially in "The Century"
maintains with scholarly honesty, that if
Luther was ignorant of the Bible "it was
his own fault." ' He continues — "The
notion that Bible reading was frowned
upon by ecclesiastical authorities of that
age is quite unfounded." (p. 373). Dr.
Preserved Smith, whose "Life and Let-
ters of Martin Luther," was published
on June 6th, makes this statement : "The
young monk was chiefly illumined by the
perusal of the Bible. The book was a
very common one, there having been no
less than one hundred editions of the
Latin Vulgate published before 1500, as
well as a number of German translations.
The rule of the Augustinians prescribed
diligent reading of the Scripture, and
Luther obeyed this regulation with joy-
ous zeal" (p. 14).
If the writer of the article desires
further information on the subject of
the Bible before Luther's translation
( 1 521- 1 532) it will give me pleasure to
furnish date and imprint of seventeen
German editions which preceded it, and
a good-sized bibliography of eminent
Protestants, Luther specialists, who
distinctly disavow the writer's attitude.
As to the assertion that the discovery
of the Bible "marked the beginning of
Luther's revolt," it is so novel, even
unique, that it is the first time I encoun-
tered it though I have no less than thirty
lives of Luther, from Melanchton's
original life or appreciation, prefixed to
the second volume of the Wittenberg
edition of Luther's Works, 1546 — down
to the latest literature on the subject.
I ask you to publish this, which I hope
will be found untinged with any con-
troversial animus, in the interest of his-
torical truth.
Yours respectfully,
(Rev. Dr.) H. G. Ganss.
Philadelphia, June 20, 191 1.
Editor The Pennsylvania-German :
From an article on The Gutenberg
Bible: the first book printed with mov-
able type, by Hon. James B. Laux, of
New York, in your issue for June 191 r,
I take this extract: (p. 339, 1. 16-34)
To these statements I make this reply:
438
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Two important statements in the
article are: First, that "Thousands of
priests of the church before the Refor-
mation never saw a copy of the Scrip-
tures, much less enjoyed the possession
of one.*' This statement is successfully
answered, not only by Catholics, but
even by Protestant writers. Tims the
Rev. Dr. Cutts, a Protestant, says:
"There is a good deal of popular misap-
prehension about the way in which the
Bible was regarded in the Middle Ages"
( "Turning Points of English History,"
p. 200 ). Another fair-minded Protes-
tant writes: "The notion that the people
in the Middle Ages did not read their
Bibles.... is not simply a mistake; it is
one of the most ludicrous and grotesque
blunders" (Church Quarterly Reviczv,
( >ct.. 1879). Dean Maitland, in his
famous volume, "The Dark Ages,"
shows the wonderful familiarity of the
people of these ages with the Bible. He
was a Protestant historian, and his work
is a classic. Now, the Reformation
began in the year 1417 ; Luther's trans-
lation appeared in 1534. The Hon.
James B. Laux states that "Thousands
of priests of the Church before the
Reformation never saw a copy of the
Scriptures." What does the Protestant
Maitland tell us? He tells us of the
abundance of (not merely manuscripts
of the Bible, but ) printed editions of the
whole Bible before Luther was born,
and therefore some little time "before
the Reformation." Maitland takes up
the fairy-tale which forms the second
statement of Mr. Laux. Mr. Laux says :
"The accidental discovery of a complete
copy of one by Luther in the monastery
at Erfurt. .. .notwithstanding diligent
search," etc. This discredited fairy-tale
of the Protestant historian D'Aubigne
and Milner is thus treated by Maitland,
who says: "Really, one hardly knows
how to meet such statements, but will
the reader be so good as to remember
that we are not not talking of the Dark
Ages, but of a period when the press
had been half a century in operation;
and will he give a moment's reflection to
the following statement, which I believe
to be correct, and which cannot, I think,
be so far inaccurate as to affect the argu-
ment. To say nothing of parts of the
Bible, or of books whose place is uncer-
tain, we know of at least twenty differ-
ent editions of the whole Latin Bible
printed in Germany only, before Luther
was born. These had been issued from
Augsburg, Strasburg, Cologne, Ulm,
Mentz (two), Basil (four), Nuremberg
(ten), and were dispersed through Ger-
many, I repeat, before Luther was
born." So much for Germany. Mait-
land goes on to say that the Bible had
also been printed "in Rome...., at
Naples, Florence, and Piacenza ; and
Venice alone had furnished eleven edi-
tions. No doubt we should be within
the truth if we were to say that beside
the multitude of manuscript copies, not
yet fallen into disuse, the press had
issued fifty different editions of the
whole Latin Bible ; to say nothing of
Psalters, New Testaments, or other
parts. And yet, more than twenty years
after, we find a young man who had
received 'a very liberal education,' who
'had made great proficiency in his studies
at Magdeburg, Eisenach, and Erfurth,'
and who, nevertheless, did not know
what a Bible was, simply because 'the
Bible was unknown in those days'."
This most laughable of legends about
Luther's discovery of the Bible has long
since been ridiculed to death amongst
historians. Those who will read D'Au-
bigne or Milner, however, will accept it
unawares.
Respectfully,
Martin I. J. Griffin,
Editor The American Catholic His-
torical Researches.
439
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
O, Muttersproch, du bist uns lieb " — A. S.
XI
Die Kerche im Oley Dahl
By Rev. I. S. Stahr, Oley, Pa.
In alt Berks County gebts en Dahl,
Umringt von Berge iverall,
Es is bekannt uf weit un breit,
Von wege seiner Fruchtbarkeit.
Die Insching ben als drin gewohnt,
Die Jagd gedrieve ken Dier vershont,
De Hersch un Bare sin sie noch,
Durch's Dahl bis uf die Berge hoch.
Ken Fortschnitt hen sie do gemacht.
Sie hen gelebt in dunkler Nacht,
Sie ware wild hen wild gelebt,
Un noch kem bess're Leve g'strebt.
Des Dahl hen sie Olink1 genennt.
Sie hen dort mit en Kessel gemehnt,
Von sellem kumt's Wort Oley her,
Schun lang der Name geve war,
Der William Penn is river kumme,
Hot Pennsylvania ahgenumme,
Un all en Heemet ahgebotte,
Die do im Friede leve wotte.
Do sie sie kumme en grosze Zahl,
Verfolgte un bedrengte all,
A u s Deutschland, Frankreich u n
Schweiz.
Sin do los warre ihre Kreuz.
Sie sin ah glei noch Oley kumme,
Un hen es Land do ufgenumme,
Der Keim,2 DeTurck un der Levan,
Ware es erscht dasz kumme sin.
Noch ihne sin glei anre kumme,
Hen Hemeter in Oley g'funne,
Kauffman. Bertolet, Guldin, Lee,
Hoch, Yoder, Herbein un LeDee,
Des sin die Name von de Leut,
Die iver der See sin kumme weit,
Wo's erst noch Oley kumme sin,
Fer Hemeter zu suche drin.
Die hen es Land geklort von Holz,
Der Grund gelegt zur Hemet stolz,
Noch anre ware ah debei,
Die hen do g'schaft mit groszer Treu.
Mit harter Ervet un viel Miih,
Hen sie in seller Zeit so friih,
Sich schone Bauereie bereit
Sie sin noch schoe zu dere zeit.
Ihr Nochkomling sin als noch do,
Es same Land baure sie ganz froh,
Wo Hire Vater ufgenumme,
Die sellemol ins Land sin kumme.
Des ware Protestante all,
Die kumme sin ins Oley Dahl,
Sie ware verfolgt im Alte Land,
Hen g'sucht in Oley en bessre Stand.
Sie hen die Freyheit g'funne do,
Hen Gott gedient un ware froh,
Doch hen sie 'serscht ken Bred'ger g'hat,
Die ihne treu verkundigt 's Wort.
Aus dem Stand hot's viel Mehn'ge geve,
Wie mer sott im Glave leve,
Sie Sache ware ganz verwerrt
E dehl sin hie un her geerrt.
Der Mathias Bauman3 hot verkinnt.
Der Mensch musst were frei von Siind,
Er musst von neu'm gebohre sei,
Dann war er ganz von Siinde frei.
Der George De Benneville4 is kumme,
Un hot es Wort ah ufgenumme,
Er hot die Leut dann so gelehrt,
Dass alle Mensche selig werd.
Der Zinzendorf5 is kumme dann,
Un hot en groszes Werk gethan,
En Kerch un Shul hot er gebaut
Het treu gelebt, uf Gott vertraut.
der Zu Insching un zu weise Leut,
Hot er gebredigt in seiner Zeit,
Es Evangel ium treu verkinnt,
Zu em e jede Mensche Kind.
Die Kerche hot er vereinige wolle,
So dasz juscht ehne sei hot solle,
Doch war's zu friih zu seller Zeit,
Die Mensche ware net bereit.
Aus seller Ursach hot sei Werk,
Net lang gedauert in dem Bezerk,
Er hot sie Sache gut gemehnt,
Doch ware die Leut net so gewohnt.
In Oley hot's ah Quaker0 g'hat
Die hen en Gottes Haus gebaut
Hen Gott gedient un ware treu,
Doch ware nie net viel debei,
Im unre Dehl vom Oley Dahl,
Hot's Settler g'hat en schone Zahl,
Dort hen sie ah en Kerich7 gebaut
An Gott geglabt, uf inn vertraut.
Der Weiss, der Goetschy un der Boehm,
Ihr Glave war gewest der same,
Es war die Reformirte Lehr,
Die sie gelehrt zu Gottes Elir.
Der Weiss hot's erscht gebredigt dort,
Es Nachtmohl g'nalte an clem Ort,
440
I 1 1 1 : PEXXS YLVAX I A-GERMAX
Hot ah die heilig Douf verricht
Uf Gott vertraul vol] zuversicht,
Uf Gott vertraut voll Zuversicht.
In seine Schrifte mer des find,
Sie b'steht als noch zu Gottes Ehr.
I'n bait noch zu der same Lehr.
Der Goetschy noch em Boehm is kumme,
i'n hot es Werk dort uf genumme ;
Die ilrei die hen der Grund gelegt,
In hen zur Treu die Lent bewegt.
E hunnert. vierunsiev'zig johr,
Die Kerich hot b'stanne in Xoth un G'fohr,
Sie nehnit noch zu an Gliederzahl,
An Lieh un Glave allzumal.
Die Oley Kerich werdt sie g'hese,
Mer kann in alte Schrifte lese.
Dasz sell ihr Xame als schun war
Per men als hunnert t'ufzig johr.
In spatre Johre is noch en Kerich,8
Eentstanne dort in sellem Bezerk,
Die Lutheraner hen sich dort.
En Kerich gebaut an sellem Ort.
'Sis ah schun ball en hunnert Johr.
Dasz sell Work dort ahg'fange war,
Zwee Keriche sicht mer now dort steh,
Sin Hemeter fer zwee Gemeh.
Anre Keriche9 vier an der zahl
Sin noch entstanne im Oley Dahl,
Viel Gutes hen sie schun geleischt,
Zu Gottes Ehr mi's Work vom Geist.
Der Wirwar is vergarige nau,
So wie der Wind verjagt die Sprau,
Es Falsch vergeht was Wohr is bleibt.
So segt der Herr der Herrlichkeit.
Im Friede un im Iverflusz,
Lebt do em Volk, steht im Genusz
Von allem dasz em gliicklich macht.
An Leib un Seel durch Dag un Xacht.
'The Moravian missionary Heckewelder gives Olink
or Wolink or Oh> or VTolo as the original names
from waich the name Oley has been derived. It
means a kettle or a hollow in the hills and taking
int osideration thai the Oley Valley is sur-
rounded on all sides with high hills the name is
very appropriate.
'John Kern: came from near Lindau, Bavaria, and
settled "ii the headwaters of the Afanatawny in
See Stapleton's "Memorials of the Hutnie-
nots", page <u. [saac DeTurk originally from
Northern France cam.' from Krankenthal in the
Palatinate whither the family had fled at the revo-
cation of the Edicl of Nantes, and settled for a short
time at Esopus in New York in 1709. In L712 he
Came to Oley and settled near what is now the vil-
lage of Friedensburg. The land on which he set
tied is .still in the possession of his descendants.
Abraham Levan came about 1715. The land on
whch he settled is still in the possession of Ins
descendants.
■Mathias Bauman came to oley in 1719. He was
the leader of the Bed of the inspired, or Newborn.
They professed sinless perfection, and believed them-
selves sent to convert others. At that eary day they
exercised considerable influence in oley.
KJeorge DeBenneville was a French Nobleman
who eame to Philadelphia inl741, and made his
home with Christopher Sower the noted German
printer of (iermantown. Here lie first met Jean
Bertolet of Oley, upon whose invitation lie settled in
Oley as a tearher and physician. In 1745 he mar
rieil Bertolet's daughter and about the same time
erected a large stone house which is still standing
although lately remodeled. In this house he lived
with his family, taught school and preached on Sun-
days. He was the first man who preached Univer-
salis! doctrine in America, and the house he built
is therefore of great historical interest. On June
r_', L890. during a convention of I'niversalists in
Reading, that body of over a hundred in number
journeyed to this historic spot and honored the
memory of the founder of American Universalism.
He continued to live in Oley until the breaking out
of the French and Indian War in 1755, when in
account of the dsturbed condition of the country and
the troubles with the Indians he moved to German-
town, where he continued to practice and to
preach. He died in 1793, at the ripe age of 90
years.
GThe Moravians came to Oley soon after 1740.
On Feb. 11, 1742, one of their synods was held in
Oley at the DeTurk homestead, then owned by John
DeTurk. This synod was attended by Count Zin
zendorf and Bishop David Nitschman. At this meet-
ing Christian Henry Rauch and Gottlieb Buettnei
were ordained deacons. After his ordination Chris-
tian Henry Rauch baptized three Indans whose names
were Shabath. Seim and Kiop. Shabath was bap-
tized Abraham Seim Isaac and Kiop, Jacob. These
were the first Indians baptized by the Moravians.
The last one of the three was "The Last of the Mo-
hicans" it is said.
Soon after this synod, a church and school build-
ing was erected on 16 acres of land donated by
Diedrich Youngman. This building was three stor-
ies high. The first floor contained the living rooms
for the teachers, the second the school room and
church, the third the sleeping rooms. The building
is now used as a dwelling and is owned by Daniel
Moyer. Services were continued only for a few
years. The school was kept up longer. In 1750 the
Moravian schools of Germantown and Frederick
were united with it and a number of pupils from
distant places were inattendance. In 1776 another
school building was erected, and finally this was
given by the Moravians to Oley township in trust for
school purposes.
"Among the early settlers of the Oley Valley there
were some Quakers. Prominent among them were
the Lee and the Boone families. Daniel Boone the
famous pioneer was born in what was then Oley, but
is now Exeter township. This latter township" was
erected December 7, 1741. out of territory which
originally belonged to Oley. About 1736, the
Quakers erected a meeting-house and meetings were
held until recent years, when they were discon-
tinued. No Quakers are living now in the Olev
Valley.
7The Oley Reformed Church was built near Spangs-
ville, on ground donated by John Lesher April 13.
1734. It is said a small log church was built upon
this ground in 1735. As early as 1727 or 28 Rev.
(i "ge Michael Weiss preached here, celebrated the
holy communion and baptized children. A congre-
gation was formally organized in 1736 by Rev. John
Philip Boehm. He became pastor of the congrega-
tion, but was succeeded the following year by Rev.
John Henry Goetschius.
s('hrist Lutheran Church was built in 1821, and
on Jan. 6, 1822, Rev. Conrad Miller was installed
the first pastor. See Montgomery's History of Berks
Co., page 938.
"Frieden's Union Church was erected in the vil-
lage of Friedensburg in 1830, and both the Re-
formed and Lutheran congregations were organized
the same year. Salem Evangelical Church of Fried-
ensburg, was organized in 1840. Fhenezer Evangel-
ical Church of l'leasantville in 1853, and St. John's
Lutheran Church, of l'leasantville, in 1868.
441
REVIEWS AND NOTES
By Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N. J.
_
Messrs. Moffat. Yard" & Company are an-
nouncing the tenth edition of Reginald
Wright Kauffman's "House of Bondage.'"
Hamilton Wright Mabie, in speaking of
"Hearts Contending," says. "If 'Hearts Con-
tending,' by George Schock, is a book by a
new writer it is an extremely interesting
and promising performance. The style has
very little flow; it does not carry the read-
er forward without cooperation; one
must keep one's mind on it. This may be
an indication of a lack of extended prac-
tice in the art of writing; but the book has
the great quality of vitality. It is alive
from cover to cover. It is a story of a
Pennsylvania family of German descent —
the people who have long been mistakenly
called "the Pennsylvania Dutch." The
household is described with such vitality
that every member of the family can be
seen, and the tragedy is told in such a way
that one gets not the thrill that comes
from a melodramatic climax, but rather
the immense impressiveness of a tragedy
which has something cosmical about it.
The chapter in which the climax is re-
corded has a touch of greatness in its dig-
nity and seriousness of spirit. The book
stands out from the distinctly entertaining
novels of the day because of its reality."
EDUCATION FOR CITIZENSHIP— By Dr.
George Kerschensteiner, member of
The Royal Council of Education, and
Director of the Public Schools of Mu-
nich. Translated from the Fourth
Improved and Enlarged Edition, by A.
J. Pressland, Cloth; 133 pp. Rand
McNally & Company. New York, 1911.
This book is the prize essay in the con-
test that was inaugurated by the Royal
Academy for the Promotion of Useful
Knowledge. The Commercial Club of Chi-
cago, recognizing that the present school
courses need to be supplemented by practi-
cal, vocational training, secured the trans-
lation of this book in order to introduce
the author's methods into America, His
methods are are at present used in Ger-
many. England, and Wales. He has demon-
strated his theories successfully in the con-
tinuation schools of Munich, the city that
probably has the most famous schools in
the world.
This is the first English translation, and
the only authorized English translation.
The translation is a happy one. The trans-
lator has succeeded in conveying to the
mind of the non-German reader a clear
idea of the author's theories and policy;
he has translated the spirit rather than the
letter. The translation is in good English;
there is no enslaving to the cumbersome-
ness of the German style. And all this
is the more remarkable and appreciable
because of the difficulty one encounters in
translating works like this. The English
language has a meager vocabulary when
it comes to the translation of German ar-
ticles on education.
This book is of notable interest for all
who see in education something more than
the mere imparting of information. It
treats of education, as its title indicates, in
its relation to ciizenship. civic virtues, and
civic righteousness as the embodiments of
a wholesome State. The author traces this
conception from Plato's time down to the
present.
It marks a new departure in education.
Although it is vocational in its aim. it yet
shows a sort of reaction toward the com-
mercialism which sees only the money
value in an education, and toward the in-
dustrial training that sends out pupils
poorly trained mechanically, mentally, and
morally. It should engage the attention of
all who take an interest in education; and
it should be read well and pondered over
by all real teachers.
Publications Received
Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin
50. Preliminary Report on a Visit to the
Navaho National Monument Arizona. Wash-
ington, D. C.
Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin
43. Indian Tribes of the Lower Mississippi
Valley, and Adjacent Coast of the Gulf of
Mexico. Washington, D. C.
Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin
44. Indian languages of Mexico and Cen-
tral America.
Bureau of American Ethnology. Bulletin
51. Antiquities of the Mesa Verde National
Park; Cliff Palace.
Jnhrhuch, 1911. Manitowoc Post.
Indian Eve and Her Descendants by Mrs.
Emma A. M. Replogle, Huntingon, Pa.
Saint John Reformed Church of Rlegels-
ville, Pa. B. F. Fackenthal, Jr., Riegels-
ville, Pa.
A History of the Lutheran Church in New
Hanover, Pa., by the pastor. Rev. J. J.
Kline, Ph. D„ Pottstown, Pa.
442
HISTORICAL NOTES AND NEWS
REPORTS OF SOCIETY MEETINGS ARE SOLICITED
Leliiuli Count] Historical Society
A meeting of the Lehigh County Histori-
cal Society was held in the chapel of the
Allentown Preparatory School on Saturday,
June 3rd. 1911. Mr. f. H. Diehl read a pa-
per on "Reminiscences of Rev. S. K.
Brobst."
Historical Society's Annual Outing
Plans for the annual fall outing of the
Historical Society of Montgomery County
on Saturday. October 7, provide for an in-
teresting day's journey with Worcester as
the destination, stopping on the way to
visit the old Norriton Church and the
home of David Rittenhouse, the Worcester
Schwenkfelder Church, Methacton Meeting-
house with the grave of the second Christo-
pher Sauer, Wentz Church, Center Point,
and St. John's Lutheran Church at Centre
Square. The main literary program will
be given in Farmers' Hall, Center Point,
after the lunch which will be served at that
place. At each of the other stopping places
there will be a brief address comprehend-
ing the principal points of historical inter-
est in connection therewith.
Why Not?
The one object of Historical Societies is
to collect and disseminate correct data
respecting their fields of activity. Would
it not be in line with this object to desig-
nate one of their members as publicity sec-
retary whose duty would be to supply to
periodicals the gist of information brought
to light? We make this remark because we
find it difficult to get news from historical
societies for this department. Reader, are
you a member of a historical society? Is
your society's work reported regularly? If
not will you not agitate until notes appear
here and elsewhere regularly?
GENEALOGICAL NOTES AND QUERIES
Conducted by Mrs. M. N. Robinson. Contributions Solicited. Address, The Penna. German, Lititz, Pa.
Answer to Query Mo. 17
July 8, 1808. Ann Umstead married Jacob
Haff el finger.
QUERY NO. 26
Yost Miller Family
Mr. W. H. Miller Stoyestown, Pa., Presi-
dent of the Miller Association of Somerset
County, sends this query. Who can an-
swer?
I have been trying to locate Yost Miller
a German Lutheran somewhere in Berks
County, Pa. Yost and his brother Jere-
miah Miller entered the Revolutionary ser-
vice at Ephrata, Nov., 1777, were in Capt.
Grubs Company. It appears Yost Miller,
married one .Mary Miller, daughter of one
Jacob Miller at Dreyersville. He came to
Somersel County. Pa., about 1733. He had
eight children as follows: Joseph. Peter and
John. Barbara. Elizabeth. Susan. Catharine.
Now I have every reason to believe some of
the early Church Records of the Lutheran
Church in the northern or eastern part of
Berks county will give his location? Who
can give me information on the subject?
QUERY NO. 27
Were Early Blauchs Amishmen?
THE PENNA.-GERMAN,
Lititz, Pa.,
Dear Sirs: In the recent issue June num-
ber of the P.-G. in an article of the Amish
of Lancaster County, you mention among
the immigrant list the names of the early
"BLAUCH". As I have been for years
hunting up the BLAUCH history I am very
much interested to know if there is any re-
cord in existence of any Blauch. being an
Amishman as early as 1767. My great-
grandfather Jacob, was then quite a young
man, or boy. He subsequently married a
Miss Kauffman, anl no doubt, adopted her
religion. From my father I learned that he
at one time was an Amishman, but was ex-
communicated for some trifling matter,
and later became a Mennonite. I do not
believe either Christian or John Blauch,
whose names are on the immigrant list
ever belonged to the Amish Mennonites. as I
find seven of their names on the Lancaster
County Militia Roll from 1778 to 1782. and
my grandfather Jacob (spelled on the roll
GENEALOGICAL NOTES AND QUERIES
443
Plough) was evidently in the War of the
Revolution, as he was nearly captured by
the Hessians, and the further fact that the
Amish or Mennonites did not take up arms
seems to me to be conclusive evidence that
the original Blauchs were not Amish or
Mennonites but of the Evangelical class,
though many of them later became both
Amish and Mennonites by intermarriage.
Records as they seem to be here given in-
terest me very much. Am I mistaken about
the early Blauchs?
Yours respectfully,
D. D. BLAUCH.
Johnstown, Pa.
QUERY NO. 28
Engle Family
Has there ever been anything in your
magazine of a Melchoir Engle or Ingle and
two brothers who lived in Lancaster Coun-
ty, Penn., who came to Virginia about 1750
or earlier? I have heard there was a his-
tory of the Engle family of Lancaster. Penn.
but I have never been able to procure one.
Any information in regard to this will be
gratefully received. Very truly,
Mrs JESSIE ENGLE JOHNSON,
Box 215, Radford, Virginia.
QUERY NO. 29
Hall man Family
Pres. Umstead, Salem, Ohio, writes:
My great-grandmother's maiden name
was Hannah Hallman (b. Aug. 11. 1783).
Others in her family were; Elizabeth (b.
Aug. 11, 1783); Joseph (b. Aug. 18, 1786),
Catharine (b. May 26, 1788), Kenyeit (b.
April 17, 1791). The family lived near Nor-
ristown, Montg. Co.. Pa. I would like to
be placed in communication with descen-
dants of this Hallman family.
Will not the Hallmans of our P.-G.family
favor Mr. Umstead? — Editor.
York, Pa., Family Names in 1800
Ex-Mayor J. St. Clair McCall of York.
Pa., has in his library an original copy of
the York borough county tax duplicate for
the year 1807-8. Its pages were apparent-
ly ruled in ink by hand and the book was
also homemade. The collector of the taxes
levied for the year 1807 was Jacob Heckert
and required him to settle and pay off the
duplicate within three months from May 7,
1808, or suffer the penalty of fine. He was
directed to deliver to the sheriff or the
keeper of the goal such persons as refused
to pay their taxes or whose goods could not
be distressed for the amount of the taxes
and fines. The county commissioners of that
time were Abraham Ignatius and William
Collins, while Jacob Spangler was the clerk
to the commissioners.
The following is a list of family names
made up from the duplicate, and includes
many of the names still familiar in the city
of York today. The original list appeared
in the York Gazette of May 27. 1911.
Armbruster, Albright, Anderson, Armitage,
Barber, Bilmeyer, Breneise, Berry, Braizer,
Barnitz. Busser, Bundle, Brumbach, Beck,
Bohner, Betzer, Bernhart, Burgundes, Beat-
ty, Brooks, Bonnix, Baumgartner, Baum,
Backenstone. Brooks, Bentz, Boring, Brown,
Beaty, Behler, Bange, Benson, Briegler,
Baehm, Breneman, Brinkerhoof, Buttler,
Beitzel. Capatt, Cremer, Collins, Careless,
Clark, Coates, Candler, Cromicker, Chris-
tine, Cunningham, Caldwell, Cole, Cloyd,
Dettimore. Dibbinger, Dugan, Doll, Dehoff,
Danner, Dise, Dinkle, Deitch, Darborough,
Day, Decker, Dobbins, Dowdle, Dritt. Diehl,
Diffenderffer, Davis, Dummely, Davis, Det-
timore, Davidson. Dritt, Dickson, Deven,
Eichelberger, Epply, Eckert, Eyrick, Engels,
Erion, Elger, Ebeth, Ernst, Ebbert, Forsyth,
Fornschildt, Fisher, Fahs, Forry, Foght,
Fink, Frey. Funk, Filby, Foglesong, Faust,
Fettro, Fugitt, Ferguson, Farnshiel, Fritch-
ey, Greer, Gartner, Graybill, Gorges. Good-
vear, Guckes, Gray, Graffins, Glap, Gibbons,
Goodyear, Galleen, Galbraith, Gartman, Ga-
briel. Greenewalt. Glepner, Geesy, Geiple-
man, Galhoon, Garretson, Gortman, Heckert,
Hahn, Hartman, Hess, Hubly, Herbach.
Hively, Hines. Harry, Hay, Hildebrand,
Hersch. Housiegle, Hamersly, Herman,
Harry, Hoilings, Harbaugh, Horner, Huff-
smith, Harris, Hughs, Hutson, How, Hart,
Jessop, Ilgenfritz. Johnston, Jones Imfert,
Irwin, Jourdan, Johnston, Jameson, Jack-
son, Immel, Jcaobs, Innerst, Kreber, Kraft,
Kaufman , Kuntz, Koch, Kurtz, Kellen,
Kreidler, Kulp, Klingman, Kimmerly,
Kramer. Karg, Kohl, Klinedinst, Kirk,
Klinefelter, Knaab. Kelly, Korpman,
Kenedy, Kunkle, King. Keeferkercher,
Krantz, Lanius. Lehr, Leitner, Lenhart,
Leh, Lauman, Lochner, Lafferty, Lehman,
Landis, Leiler, Leatherman, Leather, Lang,
Laumaster, Luttman, Leas, Laub, Love,
Laurence, Leisge. Luttman, Lever, Laub,
Leas, Lawrence. McDowel, Miller, Morris,
Moor, Meyer, McKeever, McMunn, Metzgar,
Mosev. Mondorf, Michael, McClellan, Me-
Cree, Meron, Matthews, McCanless, McFar-
land, Murray. Metzel, McCalmand, Mundorf,
Murray, Mash, Miles. Mcllvain, Morris,
Norton, Norris, Naeff, Ness. Niell, Newman,
Nevinger, Nagle, Neigent, Owings. Oulack.
Penington, Pfatts. Pelieger, Pickel. Philip,
Peterman, Querry. Rupp, Reel, Richardson,
Rudisill, Ritz, Reace, Rudy. Rummel, Rouse,
Reisinger, Reich, Rosemiller. Ramby, Re-
gan, Rothrock. Radfong. Rinehart, Reed,
Robinson, Small, Streber, Shaffer, Spangler,
Sechrist, Shue, Smith. Shultz, Shreder,
Stillinger, Snider, Stroman, Sinn, Shriver,
444
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Shlusser, Sturgls, Sniyser. Strine. Slusser,
Seibert, Stuck, Stump, Schrani, Shettler,
Shall, Strebigh, Stewart, Stroman, Stable,
Sheffel, Swainstake. Sheely, Stautzenberger,
Smuck, Sultzbach, Sterbigh. Shetter, Schleid-
er, Sander, Sparks. Sower, Seitz, Schlicht-
ing, Stahe. Stull, Sell, Stein, Sinclair, Staub.
Strout. Stengle, Stair. Stiles, Thomas, Tay-
lor, Trexler, Test, Tuckey. Updegraff, Upp,
Uctes. Vontermeelen, Vontersaul, Wiser,
Weish, Worley, Wolf. Wells, Williams, Wil-
son, Wilt. Weaver, Welsch, Welshhantz.
Waggoner, Wampler, Wupper. Wertz, Wren,
Weidner, Watt, Wittaker, Weyer, Wilegrose,
Young, Youse, Yost. Ziegle, Zorger, Ziegler,
Zehrfoss. Zimmerman.
n:
:□
THE FORUM
The P-G Open Parliament, Question-Box and Clipping Bureau — Communications Invited
Reprint Issued
A Study of a Rural Community by Charles
William Super, Ph.D. LL.D.. which ran as
a serial in the P.-G. Jan. -April, 1911 has
been issued in pamphlet form. Price, forty
cents a copy, three copies, one dollar. Ad-
dress, THE PENNA.-GERMAN, Lititz, Pa.,
or the author. Athens, Ohio.
Wanted
Penna. -German, Vol. VI. No.
Summers. Conshohocken, Pa.
1. Win.
Wanted
50 copies of the May issue of The Peun-
sylvania-Gerinaii. If you do not preserve
your copy send it to me with a postal card
stating that the copy had been sent. I will
extend your subscription a copy for the fa-
vor.
Wanted: 100 Business Men
to do what one of the friends of The
Penna.-German, a prominent business man
in a leading city of north central Pennsyl-
vania did, to write a letter similar to the
following: "Please send the magazine to
, , Pa. If he does not pay for
it promptly advise me, and I will see that
he does. He is a representative Pennsyl-
•vania-German, cashier of the bank at that
place and should be able to do you a lot
of good in that community."
Do it now and oblige your editor and pub-
lisher.
Lehigh fountains in Illinois
This county (Du Page. 111.) is mostly
settled by Pennsylvanians from the counties
of Northampton, Bucks, Lehigh and Lancas-
ter. I come in contact with many farmers
formerly from Lehigh County most every
day. — Argus 11-19-57.
A German Proverb
Wie der Acker so die Ruben
Wie der Vater so die Biiben.
MEANING OF NAMES
By Leonhard Felix Fuld, LL. M„ Ph. D.
EDITORIAL NOTE.— Dr. Fuld has kindly
consented to give a brief account of the
derivation and meaning of the surname of
any reader who sends twenty-five cents to
the Editor for that purpose.
73. SWEISFORD
SWEISFORD is a compound of SWEIS
and FORD. It is a place name. FORD is
derived from the Anglo Saxon FARAN,
Teutonic FER or FAR, meaning to go. The
English FORD and German FURT means
the crossing of a stream. The word FERRY
is derived from the same root.
There are two possible derivations of the
surname SWEISFORD. It may refer to one
living near the ford of the Swiss. It is
much more likely however that it was ap-
plied to the resident of the ford of the
perspiring men and animals. The German
word SCH WEISS means perspiration.
Portrait of Dr. Hofford Unveiled
With brief but impressive and appropriate
ceremonies a beautiful oil portrait of the
late Rev. Dr. Hofford, one of the founders
and the first president of the Allentown
College for Women was unveiled in Dietz
Hall, Allentown, Pa., May 31. The address
of the occasion was prepared by Rev. Dr.
N. C. Schaeffer, LL. D. State Superintendent
of Public Instruction and in his absence
was read by Rev. Robert M. Kern. The por-
trait was presented by the churches Dr.
Hofford served at the time of his death. The
portrait was painted by Miss Ella Herges-
heimer of Nashville. Tenn., an Allentown
girl.
THE FORUM
445-
A Unique Advertisement
The Free Press of Eastern, Pa., of March
3, 1859, contains the following unique adver-
tisement which had been posted not far from
Easton at that time:
"BUBLIC SALE
as shud be solt at bublic sale on the house
in Downship Norsemten County near
gras rot the 15 of March 1859 as shut be
solt hey by the Dun and Every sing in the
house betes and pet stit and Chairs and
taples burow and 1 gover 2 stoves wis pipes
garbed by the yardt 1 gover wis the thishes
1 iron gitel 2 iron potes barls budaters by
the bushels 3 tups 1 gorne the Contishen will
be mate on the house of
Gets LL.D. Degree at 98
The Rev. Dr. J. F. Mesick, who recently he-
ceived the degree of LL. D. at the commence-
ment exercises of Franklin and Marshall
College, was instrumental in the founding of
the institution, and was vice president when
James Buchanan, President of the United
United States from 1856 to I860, was at its
head. Dr. Mesick, who is a noted linguist,
was offered the presidency when Mr. Bu-
chanan resigned, but refused the offer.
Dr. Mesick celebrated his 98th birthday
Wednesday, June 28. He says he was never
sick in his life. His friends attribute his
good health to his optimistic views. Until
last winter he walked four miles every day
without the use of a cane.
German Pedigree Book
There is in Germany what is known as
the "German Pedigree Book'' or "Deutsches
Geschlechterbuch". The purpose of the
pedigree book, according to a Berlin cor-
respondent, is to record the ancestry not of
nobles, but of bourgeois persons who can
prove that they are of genuine middle class
or working class ancestry and have no noble
blood in their veins. The editor explains in
his preface that, while many German nobles
"out of court and material considerations
have not kept their blood pure, there are
many good business class families which
have managed to do so." By thus encourag-
ing the proper pride of such families the
pedigree book is doing much to eradicate
the traditional envy of the nobles.
The Late Isiah Fawkes Everhart
Isaiah Fawkes Everhart, '63 M., naturalist
and philanthropist, died at Scranton, Pa.,
on May 26, 1911. He was born in Berks
County, Pa., January 22, 1840. He prepared
for the University of Penna. at Franklin and
Marshall College and since graduation had
engaged in practive in surgery and medi-
cine. He was surgeon with the rank of Ma-
jor in the Civil War from 1863 to 1865, and
also served with the Ninth Pennsylvania
Infantry in 1867-69. Dr. Everhart was the
founder and endower of the Everhart Mu-
seum of Natural History, Science and Art;
president of the Everhart Anthracite Coal
Company, Ex-Member of the Scranton
Board of Health, and known throughout the
State of Pennsylvania for his public spirit
and contributions to the advancement of
science. A bronze statue of Dr. Everhart,
presented by Dr. B. H. Warren of West
Chester, has been erected in front of the
musum at Seranton.
"Another Item in Which the P.-G. May
Glory !
"The American Magazine has discovered
that the author of the 'Swat the Fly' slogan
is Dr. Samuel J. Crumbine, secretary of the
Kansas State Board of Health, and. what is
more interesting hereabouts, The American
also learns that Dr. Crumbine is a Pennsyl-
vanian — no doubt, a Pennsylvania German,
judging from his name. So here is another
item over which Brother Kriebel's Pennsyl-
vania-German Magazine, up in Lititz, may
glory in exploiting the great, grand and
glorfious achievebents of the Pennsylvania
Germans."
— Independent Gazette.
Thanks, Brother. As long as men malign,
"Brother Kriebel" believes in standing by
his "Penna. -German" brotherhood. He
would rather be true than for the sake of
gain betray and belittle. — Editor.
The Hat Followed Him
A felt hat blew off a tourist's head last
year as he was leaning out of a railway
train window in Sweden. Of the man him-
self nothing further is known, but the felt
hat has become famous all over the north
of Europe. An employe of the line picked
up the hat where it lay, and. being an hon-
est man, he tried high and low to find its
owner. Finally, all local efforts failing, he
ticketed it and sent it to the next station, to
be claimed by the owner. No such persons
appeared, and the hat was sent on from
station to station, an additional ticket being
stuck on each time it set out. Thus it has
run through the whole of Sweden and Nor-
way, has been at Upsala and Throndhjem.
at Christiania and Goteborg and Maimo, has
been sent on to Zealand and Finland, and is
now being sent through the north of Ger-
many, covered with labels inside and out.
And if it is no longer a fit headgear, it is
at all events a remarkable monument of
northern honesty and perseverance.
— The Lutheran.
446
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
The Sexes in Church
The separation of sexes in church, once
generally prevalent in German churches
but at present generaly done away with,
is not now and was not in the past dis-
tinctive of them. The London Chronicle
Bays: "The separation of the sexes seems to
have been formerly by no means an uncom-
mon practive in the Church of England. In
tact, Edward VI.'S prayer book specially
mentions that at the communion service
"the men shall tarry on one side and the
women on the other." The papers of a
church in Westmoreland include elaborate
directions for the division of the sexes at
its services. All wedded men were to be
placed first before any of the young men,
and all young wives were to "forbear and
come not at their mother-in-law's forms" —
this was presumably before the days of the
pews — "as long as their mother-in-law
lives."
Graveyard History
I cannot agree with "a warm friend of
P.-G." as he expresse himself in favor of
"cutting out graveyard history", in May No.
page 317." I have found that in hunting up
genealogical data old tombstones are one of
the most valuable sources of information.
Perhaps many people are forgotten, no
doubt — are by some people, but I do not ad-
mit that "999 out of every 1,000" are forgot-
ten. Very few families, but can reckon
among their descendants some one who has
a lively interest in his ancestors, and
grasps eagerly at every atom of family his-
tory he can search out, and old tombstones
are certainly one of the most valuable aids.
An Ohio Subscriber.
I was glad to see Mr. Richards' Tomb-
stone Inscriptions resumed. It was the first
thing I looked for last month (as well as
this) and was disappointed at not finding it.
Yours truly,
Buffalo Subscriber.
The True Gentleman
The following definition of "The True
Gentleman", which wan a prize offered by
the Baltimore Sun was given by one of our
our contributors, Prof. John W. Wayland,
Harrisonburg, Va. Copies in colors on fine
cardboard, 4%x7% inches can be had of the
author at 10 cents each, $1.50 per hundred.
The true gentleman is the man whose
conduct proceeds from good-will and an
acute sense of propriety, and whose self-
control is equal to all emergencies; who
does not make the poor man conscious of
his poverty, the obscure man of his obscur-
ity, or any man of his inferiority or deform-
ity ; who is himself humbled if necessity
compel him to humble another; who does
not flatter wealth, cringe before power, or
boast of his own possessions or achieve-
ments; who speaks with frankness, but al-
ways with sincerity and sympathy, and
whose deed follows his word; who thinks of
the rights and feelings of others rather than
of his own; who appears well in any com-
pany, and who is at home what he seems to
be abroad — a man wth whom honor is
sacred and virtue safe.
— John Walter Wayland.
The Amish of Mifflin County, Pa.
Editor PENNA.-GERMAN :
The valuable article on The Amish of
Lancaster County. Pa., in the current num-
ber of The. Pennsylvania - German, has
doubtless been appreciated by your readers.
Exception, however, must be taken to what
is said by way of quotation on the differ-
ences among the Amish of Mifflin County,
Pa. It is doing them an injustice to say
that the wearing of peculiar styles of sus-
penders constitutes the differences existing
between the various bodies of Old Amish in
that county. While the statement in itself
is correct, it is only a part of the truth.
The writer has repeatedly heard frivolous
remarks about the peculiarities of the Free
Methodists as well as of the Old Amish, but
as for the former, they have simply abided
by the opinion held by all Methodists of a
hundred years ago — that to follow the vain
fashions is to transgress the Biblical in-
junction not to be conformed to the wrorld,
and that persistent transgressors of that
part of the Methodist church discipline
which forbade the wearing of certain
articles of dress, should be excluded from
the church. The Old Amish. like the Free
Methodists, hold to restrictions prescribed
by the fathers in regard to dress; the dif-
ference is principally that the rules to
which the former adhere are much older
than those in vogue among the latter. Both
proceed from the principle that to wear
anything for mere ornamentation or show
tends to selfexaltation. As for the suspen-
der it is to this day used as an ornament
in some of the mountainous sections of
Switzerland. A very wide and curiously
wrought pattern is used, and it is worn
without a vest.
The differences among the various bodies
of the Old Amish are" due to the fact that
some persist on the observation of the prim-
itive church rules more vigorously than
others. While some of these differences
are of a trifling nature, the assertion that
the wearing of the suspender constitutes
the differences is an exaggeration of the
facts.
JOHN HORSCH.
Scottdale, Pa.
447
(Founded by Rev. Dr. P. C. Croll, 1900.)
H. W. KRIEBEL, Editor and Publisher
THE EXPRESS PRINTING COMPANY, Printers
LITITZ, PENNA.
Editor of Review Department, Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N. J.
Advisory Editorial Board : — I. H. Betz, M. D, York, Pa. ; Lucy Forney Bittinger, Sewickley,
Pa. ; A. Y. Casanova, Washington, D. C. ; Rev. P. C. Croll, D. D., Beardstown, 111. ; Prof.
G. T. Ettinger, Allentown, Pa. ; Prof. Oscar Kuhns, Middletown, Conn. ; Daniel Miller,
Reading, Pa.; Gen. John E. Roller, Harrisonburg, Va. ; Prof. L. S. Shimmel, Harrisburg,
Pa.; Rev. A. C. Wuchter, Paulding, Ohio.
The Pennsylvania-German is the only, popular, illustrated, monthly magazine of biography, genealogy,
history, folklore, literature, devoted to the early German and Swiss settlers in Pennsylvania and other
states and their descendants. It encourages a restudy of the history of the Germans in America; it res-
cues from oblivion the record of the deeds of those gone before ; it unearths, formulates and disseminates
a wealth of historic material of great moment in the right interpretation of our American life ; it meets
the necessity of having a repository for historical contributions and a medium for the expression of opin-
ion on current questions pertaining to its field. It aims to develop a proper regard for ancestry, to
create interest in family history, to promote research along genealogical lines, to unite descendants where-
ever found, to facilitate a scientific, philological study of its dialect ; it makes generally accessble to the
future historian the precious incidents of German life and achievements in America, and incidentally be-
comes an eloquent, imperishable monument to a very important element of the citizenship of the United
States.
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This Magazine Stops at End of Time
Paid for
Hitherto I have been following the
rule of sending the magazine until its
discontinuance was requested and bill
paid, acceptance being construed as in-
dicating a wish to receive and a promise
to pay for the same, but remissness of
subscribers in making payment causes
extra expense and labor on my part and
checks the growth of the magazine in
consequence ; I have very reluctantly
decided, therefore, to make a change in
method and stop sending the magazine at
time paid for. I am sure subscribers
will be glad to co-operate with me in
taking this step.
Articles Crowded Out
On account of length of some of the
articles in this issue a few contributions
have been crowded out. We ask the
forbearance of the authors and of our
readers.
How Do You Like It?
Readers will confer a favor if they
will let us hear from them. What articles
in this issue do you like best? Should
we see our way clear to add a few pages
to each issue along what lines should we
expand? How do you like Mr. Heller's
trip through historic Easton?
448
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
SUBSCRIPTIONS HAVE BEEN PAID by the persons
the year given- "12—11" signfying December 1911.
Julius F Sachsi — 12 — 11
( p Schaeffer — 12 — 11
B G Kriebel — 3—12
E W Meisenhelder — 5 — 12
Q Gttadfelter — 6 — 12
M II Kratz— 6 — 12
It Horace Schall — 12 — 11
Louis Childs — 12 — 11
1. K Evans — 3 — 13
Mrs Mary Qeiger — 4 — 12
\V II Gansler — 12 — 11
S i: Stofflet — S — 12
Katie Bruaw — 12 — 11
c E Creitz — 12 — 11
\ Oswald— 4— 12
Reading Pub Lib — 12 — 16
.1 II Roush — :i — 12
DC Kauffman — 12 — 12
\V Donat — 12 — 11
\Y c Meschter — 4 — 12
3 W Fox — 3 — 12
F D Raub— 12 — 11
W M Leinbach — 12 — 11
R W Leibert — 5 — 12
J A Trexler— 12 — 11
E M Young— 12 — 11
H George — 12 — 11
M E Seidel — 12 — 11
X A Gobrecht — 5 — 12
Eli Huber — 4 — 11
.1 A Heimbach — 3 — 12
C M DeLong — 12 — 11
W H Frack — 3 — 12
T B Klein — 6 — 12
J D Hoffman — 9 — 11
H E Butz — 12 — 12
S B Miller — 4 — 12
G Scheetz — 12 — 10
W H Leffler — 12 — 11
S L Dunkle— 6— 11
A Z Myers — 12 — 11
.1 J Reitz — 4 — 12
S E Forrv — 5 — 12
c M Schultz — 3 — 12
D Grim — 3 — 12
Sarah L Brobst — 7 — 12
H Kistler — 9 — 11
.1 s Yoder— 12— 11
H M Snvder — 12—11
C Christeson — 6 — 12
Mary Heilman — 6 — 11
G F Baer— 12 — 11
J X Jacobs — 5 — 12
Mrs M II Boyer — 12 — 11
ll K Kriebel — 9 — 11
C E Beckel — 6 — 12
I. B Sterner — 12 — 11
n K Ettwein — 7 — 11
C K Winner — 8 — 11
H S Musser — 7 — 12
W S Oberholtzer — 12 — 11
Asher Seip — 6 — 12
V II Everhart — 6 — 12
E M Hamman — 12 — 11
Max S Erdman — 5 — 12
Amelia Gross — 5 — 12
W II Miller — 12 — 12
R F Wuchter — 12 — 11
Mrs Henry Kri.ebel — 12 — 1
D O Bieler — 12 — 11
J P Schelly — 6 — 12
G X Malsberger — 6 — 11
Thomas Kern — 6 — 12
W D DeLong — 4 — 12
H B Redcav — 4 — 12
E M Loux— 4 — 12
F R Lawatsch— 6 — 12
D M Bare — 6 — 11
C T Clymer — 6 — 11
Charles Kriebl — 5 — 12
W L Hershey — 6 — 12
G B Orladv — 6 — 12
H G Ganss — 6 — 12
E K Stauffer — 12 — 11
J F Sallade — 8 — 12
G J Raesly — 6 — 11
H R Fehr — 6 — 11
H M Herr — 6 — 11
J A Sallade— 12— 12
H A Heckman — 12 — 11
R H Koch — 6 — 12
H Ehman — 6 — 12
Miss M Bannen — 6 — 12
Jonathan Schultz — 6 — 12
Lucina Schultz — 6 — 12
Henrv R Speice — 6 — 12
E L Straub — 12 — 11
ORIO
J Johnson Jr — 12 — 11
J L Zimmerman — 4 — 12
E M Kuhns — 12 — 11
M L Wagner — 4 — 12
J Anthony — 4 — 12
Pres Umstead — 2 — 12
D H Snavely —
named, to and including month of
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
E S Arnold — 6 — 11
J S Diller — 6—12
C A Nourse — 12 — 11
ILLINOIS
M A Garrett — 12 — 11
J H Stehman — 4 — 12
O L Schmidt — 3—12
NEW YORK
T M Rilev — 12 — 11
Buff Hist Soc — 12 — 11
F L Kriebel — 12 — 11
VIRGIXIA
H M Hays — 5—12
P B Graff — 12 — 11
Mrs J E Johnson — 5 — 12
CANADA
M S Boehm — 2 — 12
A B Sherk — 12 — 12
CONNECTICUT
M A Schaeffer — 4 — 12
Oscar Kuhns — 6 — 12
MARYLASD
H H Reichard — 4-
C B Slingluff — 12-
12
-11
NEW JERSEY
Mrs G Merck — 12 — 11
A F Neudoerffer — 5 — 12
CALIFORNIA
J Henry Meyer — 12 — 13
IOWA
Mrs Harvey — 3 — 12
KENTUCKY
L H Gehman — 6 — 12
MISSOURI
M R Trumbour — 4 — 12
N CAROLINA
Charles L Coon — 12 — 12
N DAKOTA
John Umstead — 6 — 11
OREGON
A C Funk — 12 — 11
To July 1, 1911.
Vol. XII
AUGUST, 1911
Easton from a Trolley Window
By W. J. Heller, Easton, Pa.
(CONTINUED FROM AUGUST ISSUE)
No. 8
E will now proceed on our
second journey, which will
take us down South Third
Street into Fishtown, a
section that represents one
hundred and fifty years of
stunted growth and strug-
gling efforts to keep pace
with the rest of the town.
Moving slowly, we note to the right
the southwest corner of the Square and
Third Street. The first person to take
up this corner lot was Moritz Bishop,
clock-maker.0 On it he erected a small
building, which he, later, moved to one
side. Owing to impaired health, he sold
the remainder of the corner lot to Henry
Bush, who erected thereon a stone hotel,
for many years after known as Widow
Bush's Hotel.
This old stone hotel was demolished in
1869, with all the other buildings that
had been constructed thereon, from time
6Bishop carried on the business of clock-making
until 1789 when he died at the age of 33 years.
During his spare moments, he constructed for himself
a clock that displayed remarkable elaborateness of
detail and which passed down several generations of
the family, and is today a highly prized curio of
clock mechanism in one of the modern homes of
Allentown.
jl gg
1 2 3 4
1. Court House, 2. Residence of Governor Andrew Reeder where he bid farewell to the "First Defenders' and where his
grandson, Frank Reeder, Jr., addressed the survivors April IS, 1911. 3. Widow Bush's Hotel. 4. Site of Craig aud Anderson
Hotel.
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
to time, and the entire lot is now covered
by the brick structure known as Porters
Bl. »ck.
Tlie next lot, where now stands the
nine story building of the First National
Bank, was originally purchased by
William Craig. < >n it lie built a
hotel, and in partnership with John
Anderson, secured one of the first
ses m tlie new county. The busi-
however, did not thrive as neither
of them was a hotel man. Anderson
. promoter and speculator, with a
hobby for laying out towns, none of
which ever became more than paper
This war was the struggle between
Pennsylvania and Connecticut for the
possession of that part of Northampton
County bordering on the Susquehanna
River, known a-- Wyoming.
< >n the lot next to the jail was erected,
in the year [761, a stone hotel by Henry
Rinker, and sold by the Sheriff in 1766
to Mem-} Kepple of Philadelphia, who in
turn sold it to Jacob Meyer of Easton in
1774. Meyer immediately transferred it
to Conrad thrie, Senior, of Forks Town-
ship.8
irad llirie. Senior, moved from
his farm to this stone building which he
first jail
plans. William Craig transformed his
hotel into a store and later erected a
stone dwelling at the southeast corner
of Northampton and Sitgreaves streets.-
To the left, at the southeast corner of
Pine Street stood the first jail. In it were
incarcerated during the Pennamite War
about fifty of what later became the
leading citizens of Wyoming Valley. It
was their school of instruction as well
as dormitory, where they probably re-
ceived their first lessons in discipline.
7William Craig was instrumental in having the
new county formed, and was one of the disgruntled
purchasers to whom Parsons refers in his letter,
regarding the day when lots were first sold. Craig's
desire to select his lot below the Square was not
granted by Parsons.
converted into a hotel conducted by him-
self. He became a man of wealth and
influence. In the year 1784 he sold the
property to Peter Nungesser, a potter,
Mt was in this building that Levers hid the
official papers, documents, and money belonging to
Congress, the State and the City of Philadelphia
when the British occupied that city, and which gave
him so much concern in 1778 when he was notified
by Conrad Ihrie to vacate, to make room for his new
son in-law John Arndt. But John didn't go to
Easton, his father. Jacob Arndt. having deeded over
tn him the mill property (now the old mill at Bush-
kill Park), where he remained during the entire
period of the Revolutionary War. The Arndt and
Ihrie families were near neighbors on the Bushkill.
Ihrie owned a farm of a hundred and fifty acres,
mi both sides of the creek, in the vicinity of Kem-
merer's Island. Ihrie. however, insisted on Levers
moving anyway, and threatened to resort to force if
he did not vacate. Levers, not being able to find a
vacant house in the town, made a temporary residence
in Lancaster, but soon returned to Easton.
EASTOX FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
451
BULLS HEAD HOTEL AND JACOB YOKE'S TAP HOUSE (Photo 1885)
from Raubsville, five miles down the
river, who used the building for several
years as a dwelling and then, converted
it into a hotel which he named "Bull's
Head."
Some years previous to this Conrad
Ihrie, Senior, had purchased of Michael
Hart, on the opposite side of the street,
at the southwest corner of Pine, two
lots now fully covered by the present
Drake building and its annex. After
•disposing of his other property to Nun-
gesser, he erected on these two lots the
largest hotel structure in the town,
known later as the American Hotel. The
building reached from the corner of
Pine to the private alley. Across the
alley stood an old log house covered with
red painted weather-boards. Into thi'
Conrad Ihrie, Senior, moved after dis-
posing of his large hotel to his son, Peter
Ihrie, who in turn sold it to his son,
Peter Ihrie, Junior.
Conrad Ihrie, Senior, in time secured
title to the other two lots, therein- be-
coming the owner of the entire block
with a frontage from Pine to Ferry.
These two lots were originally purchased
by Colonel Isaac Sidman. on which, near
the corner of Ferry, he erected about the
year 1780 a frame building that is still
standing. In it he conducted a hotel and
later a general store until 1785 when he
removed to Philadelphia, selling the
i 52
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
property to Conrad Ihrie, Junior, who,
a few vears later, relinquished title in
favor of his father. Conrad, Senior, who
divided the block into three equal parts.
To Peter his son was given the hotel
portion, to another son. Benjamin, the
middle part, and to John Arndt, his son-
in-law, that bordering on Ferry Street.
Arndt shortly after the close of the
RESIDENCE OF JOHN ARNDT (Photo 1911)
Revolutionary War removed to Easton,
making his home in the house formerly
owned by Sidman, and later erected one
on the corner, to which he removed and
where he lived to the end of his days.
Conrad Ihrie, Junior, in the year 1782
transferred the Bushkill Farm back to
the Penns, moved to Easton, and pur-
chased a stone hotel of John Schook, on
the north side of Northampton Street.
Phis was the Jeremiah Trexler building
in which he conducted a general mer-
chandise business from 1754 to 1779.
Ihrie continued this as a hotel until he
was elected County Treasurer, and later
became a land speculator as did also his
brother. The Ihries, during the Revo-
lutionary War, accumulated consider-
able money, which they used to great
advantage in purchasing property, fol-
lowing that event when values had
shrunken to a minimum, and disposing
of it at a maximum profit, thereby in-
creasing their wealth manifold. Unfor-
tunately this wealth and the family
influence disappeared with the adyent_of
the generations which followed.
Xext to Nungesser's Bull's Head
Hotel was a building owned and con-
ducted by Jacob Yohe, son of Adam,
called a hotel but which was only a
tap-house. Xext to this was the home
of Frederick Gwinner. On the lot on
the corner of Ferry, purchased by him
about 1785, Henry Bush built a house,
which he sold a year later to Jacob
Sigman, a shoemaker. In the year 1847
this building was removed and in its
place was erected Odd Fellows Hall,
later known as Masonic Hall, for many
years the only public hall in the town.9
( )n the southeast corner of Ferry was
the property of John Titus, a cabinet
maker. His establishment had a front-
ing on Ferry Street, a short distance
from Third.
On the southwest corner were two
lots selected for the Moravians of Beth-
ODD FELLOWS' HALL, LATER MASONIC HALL
lehem, by Timothy Horsefield, Esq.,
June 1752. Formalities were entered
into by John Okley. March 7, 1757. This
transaction also included a triangular lot
on the Lehigh River, bounded by the
river. Third and Lehigh streets and is
now used as a coal-yard.
"In its corner stone, among other things, was de-
posited tlie first copy <if the tirst newspaper published
in California. The publisher of it was John Bach-
m.-in. a printer at that time living in California, a
sun nt' Sheriff John Bachman, a politician.
EASTON FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
453
Early in the year 1761 the Moravians
began a building to be used for quarter-
ing some of their single men and itin-
erant preachers. According to the plans
the upper floor was to be a hall for
preaching, the first floor was to be used
for the living apartments, while the gar-
ret was for sleeping purposes. While
the building was being constructed,
negotiations were begun in Europe for
the purpose of terminating the Moravian
economy as it then existed and effecting
a new organization, which would have
commercial standing and legal recosrni-
400 pounds. Entry of March [6th
shows that the church wardens paid in
full. This transaction did not include
the triangular lot at the Lehigh. The
Record of Deeds at the Court House
show that Bishop Seidel sold under date
March 11, 1705, to Conrad Streuber of
Lehigh Township, a tanner, in fee for
400 pounds. Nothing is said in this
transfer about the Lutheran congrega-
tion or any body connected with it.
Streuber was a wealthy tanner and evi-
dently purchased this property for his
town residence, wherein he died on Sep-
EW£
J.
f. E f]
F"3 |j~-ji,|!Ta1^vl,S_
* £.
&?n,^A> ,^ «, ,/S4 «-.</-«
W, u /- A . ;/^
DRAUGHT OF THE MORAVIAN HOUSE
tion. The new organization was to take
effect on January 1, 1762, and up to this
period there had been expended on this
new building 341 pounds, 16 shillings
and 11 pence. March 3, 1762, John
Okely passed title to these three parcels
of land to Bishop Nathanal Seidel in
whose name all Moravian property was
being vested.
The records of the Bethlehem Mora-
vians show that the two lots and the
building were sold under date of April
18, 1763, to the Easton Lutheran Church
wardens, Adam Yohe, Conrad Streuber.
Abraham Berlin and Valentine Opp, for
tember 2nd, 1765. Less than 2 months
after his decease, on, October 20th. the
widow sold the property to David Bar-
ringer, a shopkeeper. This last transfer
is in fee simple and with no reference
whatever to the Lutheran congregation,
which is conclusive evidence that if the
Lutheran church wardens were really
interested in its purchase in 1703, they
must have relinquished all calim before
1765. And it is safe to presume that
they were not the purchasers in 17(13. _
Johan David Boehringer and wife
Gertrude were of the "Sea"' congrega-
tion of the Moravians and arrived in
454
THE PEXXSYLVAXIA-GERMAX
America in [743. They withdrew from
the Moravian Economy of Nazareth in
1745. and removed to Saucon Township,
into a lii 'use on the south side of the
Lehigh, opposite Bethlehem, where he
became a shoemaker.10
ehringer evidently became a past
master of the art as we find him en-
deavoring to establish a permanent loca-
tion for himself, where it was necessary
for those desiring his services to take
the work to him. In connection there-
with lie began wdiat may he called a
reformatory for naughty boys and to
which he later added the business of
making fur hats from the skins of rab-
bits. Possibly he utilized the spare time
of his pupils in corralling the cottontail
bunnies in the surrounding mountains.
He removed from the south side of the
Lehigh to Upper Mil ford Township
where he remained until the year 1757,
when he moved to Easton and purchased
a lot with a building on it from John
Graft, on the north-west corner of
Fourth and Ferry streets, now the site
of Christ Lutheran church. Here he
conducted the business of general mer-
chandise. He lost this property through
Sheriff sale in 1782. Boehringer used
the Moravian building as a store and
residence from 1765 .to 1773, when
through an endorsement for John
Rush, on the south of the Lehigh he
became involved and the Sheriff, in
1773, sold the property to Frederick
Xungesser. who transferred the business
to Behringer's clerk, Isaac Sidman, at
that time a young man from Philadel-
phia. Sidman married a daughter of
Frederick Xungesser April 8th, 1774.
Xungesser died May 3, 1774. and then
his widow occupied the building as a
residence. Sidman later became one of
the most popular young men in the
town. Early in 1776 he purchased the
'"This vocation in those (lavs included the educa-
tion of the customers' children. These educated
shoemakers itinerated from house to house and as
these numbers were limited their time was fully
occupied. They would establish themselves in a
convenient pari of the building and impart instruc-
tions i" the children until such time as the repairing
of all the fooi wear of the family was completed.
There were certain fixed charges for the labor and
which always included the fixed hoard and lodging
of the all important pedagogical cobbler.
two lots on the northwest corner of
Ferry and Third streets, erected a hotel
on the second lot, was elected Colonel of
the First Regiment of the Militia in that
year, which caused a great controversy
owing to his youthful appearance. Col-
onel Sidman a few years later relin-
quished the hotel business and converted
the building, on his new lot, into a store
in which he conducted a mercantile busi-
ness, but five years later he disposed of
this property and moved to Philadelphia.
Then about the year 1785, when the di-
vision of the estate of his late father-in-
law, Frederick Xungesser. was taking
place, he returned to Easton and built
the stone structure at the southwest cor-
ner of Xorthampton Street and Centre
Square, where he became the leading
merchant in the town. This lot on which
the store was erected was the portion of
the estate acquired by his wife, and ex-
tended back to Bank Street. The next
lot to it, facing the square, was the por-
tion allotted to George Xungesser, the
oldest son. On it was the original hotel
of his father. Here George conducted
the business for many years. Colonel
Isaac Sidman was a progressive man
and was instrumental in having the
first sidewalk laid in the town, this was
in front of his property. He finally dis-
posed of his mercantile business to his
clerks, Titus and Innes, and moved to
Philadelphia, but again returned to Eas-
ton wdiere he died August 28th, 1807.
In the division of the Xungesser estate,
the two Moravian lots were divided into
three parcels. That portion bordering
on the corner of Ferry was given to
Catherine, the eldest daughter, the wife
of Abraham Bachman, Justice of the
Peace of Lower Saucon Township. The
middle portion, containing the old Mora-
vian building, fell to the lot of the
widow, where she resided with another
daughter, Rachel Smith. The third por-
tion became vested in John Xungesser,
second son. Abraham Bachman built
the frame house, still standing, at the
corner of Ferry, for a residence and
which he finally sold to Moses Davis,
together with the lot extending along
EASTOX FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
4. "3
JLtnfi
fcHi
«wM—t*^k*s>«*i " .rs3»—
RESIDENCE OF ABRAHAM BACHMAN
Ferry as far as the present Sunday Call
building. In the year 1803 ' Bachman
purchased the other two portions from
the heirs, erected a small frame build-
ing, still standing on the south corner of
the private alley. To this the widow
Nungesser removed after vacating the
Moravian building. Bachman in 1805
erected a hotel in front of the old Mora-
vian building, using the second floor of
the old structure as a dining room. The
main floor of the new portion was ele-
vated forming a very commodious por-
tico which was open across the entire
front. Bachman gave it the name of
"Washington Hotel". He also sold the
rear portion of the two lots to Peter
Miller, the famous Easton philanthropist
and merchant, who constructed thereon
his row of brick homes for aged and in-
firm widows. The building was two and
a half stories high with a shingle roof.
This roof, about the year i860, was de-
stroyed by fire, having become ignited
through sparks from a conflagration
that consumed the hotel stables in the
rear. The building was repaired and is
now the row of brick residences stand-
ing at the corner of Bank and Ferry
streets.
Bachman on May roth, 18 15 sold his
hotel property to John Brotzman for
$2400. John, about this time, acquired
quite a fortune, was a good Democrat,
aspired to Democratic honors which
even at that early day were expensive
luxuries, became the executive of the
then rapidly growing town, and in his
efforts to reach still higher, became fi-
nancially involved and the Pennsylvania
Bank closed in on their claim for $13,000
and the Sheriff on August 16th, 1819
sold the hotel as one portion for $4645
to the Bank, who in turn sold it, on
April 20th, 1826, to Jacob Abel for
$7540. Abel conducted the hotel until
April 6th, 1839, when he sold it to John
Bachman of Lower Saucon Township
for $7500. John was also a good Demo-
crat and well equipped with Lower Sau-
con specie. However, about this time,
the Democratic party bad increased in
number and their requirements likewise
inclined upward. This John did not rise
to be greater than Sheriff, before he was
compelled to relinquish his hotel, selling
it to Anthony Transue, his brother-in-
law of Bushkill Township, in 1847, for
$8,300. Transue conducted the hotel
only a few years, then leased it to Peter
Bellis, who there held forth until the
year 1861 when Transue sold the prop-
erty to Frederick Lerch for $8,000.
Lerch converted it into a carriage fac-
tory, enclosed the commodious front
porch and utilized it as a wareroom in
which to display his vehicles. In the
bed chambers he lodged his employees
and the old Moravian building he re-
tained as the dining room. The stables
were converted into the factory proper,
and the bar-room in the front basement
into offices. Lerch relinquished the car-
riage business in January of the year
1870 and sold the property to H. G.
Tombler, wholesale grocer, for $15,000,
who transformed it again into a hotel,
gave it the title of "Merchants' Hotel"
and leased it to Michael Buck, who was
the landlord until 1873 when Tombler
sold the property above the alley to P.
F. Stier, Conrad Killian and Lewis
Roesch, who in turn removed all the old
buildings with the exception of the
stables on the rear end. and the -mall
frame structure which was below the al-
lev and not included in the sale. These
gentlemen erected the three modern
brick structures that are there today.
456
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
East of Third Street no buildings
were constructed until after the War of
lXu. This portion of the town was an
immense plaza and an unobstructed view
of the two rivers was had from this cor-
ner (Third and Ferry streets). Our
story will now revert to a period when
preparations were being made to estab-
lish Thomas 1'enn's long contemplated
town. This was about the year 1750.
What is now known as the South Side.
with lands lying adjacent thereto, form-
ing a level plateau a mile in width, ex-
tending several miles from the Delaware
River westwardly along the Lehigh, and
bordered by the Lehigh Hills or South
.Mountains, was thickly settled many
years before Easton was laid out. The
inhabitants of this vast tract of ground
were fully aware of its advantages as a
town site, hut at the present we are in-
terested only in those ' citizens whose
properties bordered on the two rivers.
On the Delaware side there were three
tracts. The lower was that of Lalser
Hess, who built his house in 1746. It
stood to the left of the lane leading into
the city incinerating plant and was de-
molished in 1906. Next was the proprety
of Anthony Albright. His log house
stood on the foundation of the present
frame building, on the south corner of
Nesquehoning Street and the Delaware
road.1
Next to this, and forming the corner
at the confluence of the two rivers, was
the Ferry tract, of David Martin. Here
in 1739 he erected the stone structure,
still standing, in wdiat is now Snufftown.
This tract reached to about where the
Lehigh Valley Station now stands. From
this point, up the Lehigh to about where
the bridge of the Eastern and Northern
"Anthony took up this tract about 1748, prior to
which he lived in the vicinity of Bethlehem, much
to the annoyance of the Moravian brethren, for
whom he acted as constable.
1 2
HOMES OF (1) JACOB KELLER (2) ANTHONY ALBRIGHT (3) BALZER HESS
EASTOX FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
457
Railroad crosses the Lehigh, was the
portion secured by Lawrence Merkle.11'
Next to Merkle was the property of
John Rush which reached as far west as
the present boundary between the South
Side and Glendon. Rush's home was a
log structure and stood until 1874, sur-
rounded by the buildings of the present
Lehigh Valley Railroad shops.
David Martin had, in the year 1739,
received rights for a ferry across the
Delaware River, extending from Marble
Hill to Tinicum Island, down the river.
[This must have been Richard's Island
or the next one, which was two miles
further down, as below this was within
the rights of Peter Raub who conducted
DRAUGHT OF EASTON SHOWING MARTIN TRACT
ON JERSEY SIDE OF RIVER
a ferry at the mouth of the Po-pohat-
cong Creek, many years before David
• Martin made his appearance at the
Forks. The word "Tinicum" is an Eng-
lish corrupted form of a term, which
in the language of the Minnisink In-
dians means "Island."] Martin acquired
land on the Jersey side, reaching from
the present railroad bridge northward
to about where now is the road, leading
from North Main Street under the rail-
13Lawrence had his home in a log structure still
standing on Canal Street, where it intersects the
small thoroughfare known as Huntington Street, in
what is called "Peppertown." This building, in
time, became also a Ferry House. The chief point
of interest, concerning this structure, was centered
in the fact that within its walls was begun what is
now Lafayette College.
road, to the Delaware, and extending
northeastwardly over the hills to cer-
tain points. The land next to Martin,
and reaching as far as Marble Hill, was
owned by a Mr. Turner of Philadelphia.
Above this was the extensive place of
John Anderson, who lived at what is
now Harmony, while back of all these
was the tract of John Cox.
Before Martin's time there were two roads
leading across Jersey to Raub's Ferry. One
from Brunswick and the other from South
Jersey and Trenton. These two roads con-
verged near the ferry and later, when
Martin began his ferry at the Forks, these
two were formed as one road leading into
what is now Phillipsburg and continuing as
what is now Main Street, thence following
more in line with what is now Mercer
Street, passing the present Lehigh Valley
Freight Station and through the little ham-
let then known as Phillipsburg. The road
led from here to the ferry, over a course of
what later became the inclined plane of the
Morris Canal, under the present railroad
bridges. The landing place was directly
opposite the mouth of the Lehigh, and here
another road led to the northward, on a
slight incline and continuing up what is now
North Main Street. All traces of this road
were obliterated at the time the Delaware
Bridge was constructed, which elevated the
ground on the Jersey side to such a height
that it became what is now Union Square.
The ferry landing on the Pennsylvania side
was on a long point of land projecting from
the south side of the Lehigh. This point of
land was formed through the peculiar man-
ner in which the water of the Lehigh,
flowing northeastwardly into that of the
Delaware coming directly from the opposite
direction. This peculiarity is still in evi-
dence, even after all the improvements that
have taken place at the confluence of these
two rivers. It made a very convenient place
for the landing of the ferry. The road led
from this point, following the present Dela-
ware Canal bed to a short distance below
the present railroad bridge, thence at right
angles up the hillside at what is now the
north end of the Brewery (the large brick
chimney of the brewery now stands in the
middle of this ancient road). After winding
to the top of the hill, it led in a south-
westerly direction to the vicinity of Berwick
Street and Seitz Avenue, thence to the cor-
ner of the Hellertown Road and Line Street.
South Side. In 1745 David Martin petitioned
for a road to Bethlehem on the north side
of the Lehigh, but was advised that the road
on the south side was sufficient. The road
on the south side, referred to. was what is
now known as the Hellertown Road and was
the principal highway from the Forks of the
158
111 B PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
A Section of the Old Lehigh 1'erry Road about 1S6U in Rear of Brewery
Delaware, following the Lehigh Mountains
in a southwesterly direction to the Susque-
hanna. The Forks country was now rapidly
filling ui> with settlers and traffic over the
ferry was on an increase, and about the
year 1717. David Martin passed to the Great
Beyond and the ferry was conducted by his
heirs.
Dr. Thomas Greame <>f Philadelphia,
the most intimate friend of Thomas
Penn. a man of wealth whose property
adjoined that of Thomas Penn, made a
trip to the Forks of the Delaware to as-
certain what the prospects were for
starting a town. After his return to
Philadelphia, he wrote a letter to Penn
under date of September iS, 1750, of
which the following is only an extract,
and the first few lines of which fully set
forth the character of Thomas Penn—
living in England, having abandoned
his American residences, — declining to
favor his best friend and neighbor, who
desired a strip of land which was of no
use or benefit whatever to himself.
GREAME' S LETTER TO PENN
" as it does not suit you
to part with the land I made proposals con-
cerning my last ! am perfectly easy. Only
as it was adjoining mine it gave me some
taste for it. But I observe Sir, by the few
hints T gave you in my last, that you are
sufficiently disposed to have a town laved
out on your thousand acres in the Forks.
On having what 1 wrote properly bounded
by Mr. Peters for which purpose I thought
the best thing I could doe, was to sett forth
the grounds I went upon in reason at full
length, then submit them to Mr. Peters'
examination, and then transmit them to you
Sir. Accordingly they are here enclosed
and I think have met with Mr. Peters' full
approbation, which I am to suppose he at
this time or before writes to you. Besides
him I only showed them to Nicholas Scull
who was also pleased to say, you would find
everything therein advanced to be matters
of fact. The reason I have been so reserved
in showing them to any body • else first,
there was no occasion for others to know on*
what motives you proceded. but my chief
and main objection, was, lest some inter-
ested person should draw such a conclusion
from them as I have myself, that is by con-
sidering what is advanced they would soon
see the great convenience and advantage of
the town as there mentioned, but at the same
time by inference might conclude that a
town over against the Forks point in the
Jerseys would likewise answer for by that
one argument that now exists viz. that the
produce of the Forks is carryd over att the
Ferry in order to be carryd through the
Jerseys to Brunswick for a market, (which
indeed is a monstrous oversight), might
easily lead them into the reflection of the-
expediency of a town on tother side.
EASTOX FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
159
Now the owners of the lands on the Jer-
sey side are Mr. John Cox, Mr. Martin who
has the ferry, and Messrs. Allen and Turner,
the latter two by a late purchase of ten
thousand acres, owned near so many miles
on the River immediately adjoining the
others; and, if they should take the. hint of
the advantage of a town for the advance-
ment of their land, don't know but they
might sett about it. This being an after
reflection of my own, and the arguments
used in the enclosed paper standing strong
and clear enough without it. I chuse only
to communicate this to you, without the par-
ticipation of any mortal else. It is there-
Forks for the purpose of making a draft
of the proposed town to be submitted to
Thomas Penn for his information and
inspection.
While these preliminaries were taking
place, the inhabitants along the Lehigh
were petitioning the Assembly for a new
cminty. Their first efforts to this end
was the presentation of their request at
a meeting of this body, March ii, 1751.
March 1 1, [752, the Governor signed the
bill establishing the new county.
DAVID MARTIN FERRY HOUSE, 1739 (Photo 1911)
fore my opinion the sooner you give direc-
tions in this affair the better, for by obser-
vation when a town is laid out before the
county established there happens little or
no dispute amongst the body of the people
about it. but when it is otherwise tho' they
have no right or claim to the location of
such town. Yet they still make a deal of
wrangling about it "
In answer to this Thomas Penn ap-
pointed Greame a commissioner for lo-
cating the new town and on July 28th,
1751, Dr. Greame and Nicholas Scull,
Surveyor General, accompanied by John
Okley of Pethlehem, arrived at the
Under date of February 20th, 1752,
Nicholas Scull wrote to William Pars-
ons, who was then living in Lancaster
County, where he, — as one of the execu-
tors of Lynford Lardner — was making
settlement of the Lardner estate in that
district. In his letter he states that there
is considerable talk regarding the offices
of the new county.
"We have various conjectures about the
officers, particularly that of Prothonotary.
Your name is often mentioned among others
but as I have not seen the Secretarj for
more than a week, I can give no certain
account how these affairs are to be settled;
Kin
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
but, this I am certain of, viz. that Mr. Peters
will leave no stone unturned to serve you."
Peters was successful in having Pars-
ons appointed and on March 7th. Wil-
liam Parsons and Nicholas Scull started
for the Forks t<> open the streets of the
new town. They arrived at the Ferry
in the evening, where they lodged with
John I. e fever, who was conducting the
Ferry in the interest of the heirs of the
late David Martin, and living in Martin's
stone Ferry house where he was a licen-
sed hotel keeper. Parsons made this his
home until his house, on the corner of
Fourth and Northampton streets, was
completed. John Lefever, recognizing
the fact that there would be some
changes taking place in the great high-
ways after the building of the new
town, and desiring to have a public
house along the principal road, located
by warrant in June 1752 a tract of land
along the Minnisink trail, whereon he
built the stone house, still standing along
what is now the main road, a short dis-
tance south of Fork's Church near Ta-
tatnv. And here in 1753 he presented
the following petition to the Courts for
a license, which was granted.
"To the worshippel the justices of the
quarter sessions of the peace held at Easton
for the County of Northampton for the 19th
day of June 1753 the petition of
humbly showeth that your petitioner's
dwelling-house is well situated for the en-
tertainment of travelers in forks of Dela-
ware Township, in this County, and your
peritioner having heretofore been licensed
to keep a house of public entertainment,
therefore humbly pray that your worship
will be pleased to grant him your recom-
mendation to his honor the Governor for
his license to keep a public tavern at his
dwelling house aforesaid, and your peti-
tioner as in duty bound shall ever pray.
JOHN LEFEVER"
The following expense account of
William Parsons is of sufficient interest
t< » In- here quoted.
May 11, 17.":'.
Received of Richard Paters seven pounds
towards defraying the charges of opening
the streets of Easton.
7.0.0
and per John .lones 23.0.0
and in Philadelphia 20.0.0
Account cf wages paid workmen for clear-
ing the streets in Easton at 3 shillings per
day, they find themselves
May 7. 1752 left Phila. Pa. in company
with Nicholas Schull.
Expense at Abington 0. 3.0
at the Biller 0.14.0
at Alex Poe's 0. 8.0
at Durham 0. 4.0
at Ye Ferry
at John Lefever's 2. 2.0
After Mr. Scull left me 1.12.0
May 14 paid Jacob Bess three and
one half days
May IS George Reimell
May 18 Christian Moller
May 21 Adam Margell Two and
one-half days
George Reimell — Five days
Philip Reimell — Three days
William Marks — Three days
Albert Valtin — Six and one-
half days
Conrad Valtin — Four days
Melchoir Young — Four days
Elias Dietrich — Three days
10.6
10.0
11.0
7.0
5.0
9.0
9.0
12.0
12.0
9.0
Sebastian Kieser — Two days 0. 6.0
6.0
15.0
Peter Best — Two days
Jacob Koch — Five days
Bernhard Walter — Three
days
Michael Blass — Three days
u.
Conrad Menger — Three davs 0
9.0
9.0
9.0
4.0
18.0
Christian Piper — Eight days 1
Philip Piper — Six days 0
Jacob Nierpas — Five and
one-half days 0.16.0
Garret Snyder — Three and
one-half days 0.
Christian Miller— Two days 0.
10.0
10.6
2.6
15.0
, 4.0
Peter Hess — Seven and one-
half days 1
Henry Hess — Five days 0
George Koon — Eight days 1
Anto. Ezer — Six and one-
half days 0.19.6
Melcher Hoy — Six and one-
half days 0.19.6
William Fulbert— Eight days 1. 4.0
Philip Reimell— One day 0. 3.0
George Reimell — per S. W.
—One day 0. 3.0
Isaac Lefever — One and
one-half days
George Stongell — Seven days
Jacob Cough, for boards
Paid Peterson for going ex-
press to Messrs. Brod-
head. Dupui, and Van
Aten 0. 5.0
Paid John Chapman on acct.
running the county line 10. 0.0
0.
4.6
1.
1.0
2.
2.0
L.-.ii.o.n
23.18.0
EASTON FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
461
June 15, John McMichael, wood cut-
ter on acct. boards
June 15, Melcher Young-
June 25, Anto Ezer
Aug. 13, E. Sawyer for beards
Aug. 15, Anto Ezer
Paid John Finley, mason on acct.
by order of ye trustees
Aug. 18, John Chapman for boards
Aug. 20. Geo. and Michael Reimell
for raising the house
10.
0.0
0.
5.0
2
15.0
4.
6.0
5.
8.0
5.
8.0
3.
4.0
6.12.0
The advantages of Eastern as a prob-
able port of commerce was readily seen
by those interested in mercantile traffic
and the projectors of the town reserved
the water front for future revenue pur-
poses. Regardless of the antipathy that
The river front above the bridge was
reserved for the new Ferry, which had
its landing on the north side of the river
at the foot of Fourth Street, and which,
consequently, made Fourth Street the
principal thoroughfare in the new town.
This ferry was an institution of Parson's
creation. It was also about this time
that the two brick warehouses were con-
structed. These two buildings, during
the Revolutionary War, were used by the
Government for storage purposes, Eas-
ton having been one of the principal
depots in the Commissary Department.
During the period of the Revolution,
The Colonial Warehouses Still Standing, also Third Bridge Erected at This Point 1843
Parsons held toward the Moravian
Brethren, he was compelled to survey
for them as he says, "for the use of the
Honorable Proprietary, in order to
agree with the Brethren of Bethlehem
for the same, who desire to have it
granted them for a landing place," and
the privileges was also included to con-
struct a wharf 40 feet into the river.
The lot was quite extensive for that
period and must have been selected with
a view to the future. The frontage on
the river was 404 feet and on Third
Street from the present bridge 336 feet
to Lehigh Street, thence down that street
225 feet to the River.13
there were stored in these buildings, at
one time, 4000 barrels of flour, besides,
immense quantities of other goods. As
the years passed, this river front became
'-Beyond a doubt the Moravian economy intended
doing an extensive shipping trade, through a line
of Durham boats on the Delaware River. Nazareth,
their principal source of production was only 7 miles
distant, making a short haul by wagon. Bethlehem
was accessible bj water, bul they maintained an
overland wagon service to Philadelphia. This wagon
service evidently proved to be very satisfactory as
there is nothing on record to show that they made
use of their wharfirxg privileges, yet, while thej Bold
their two lots on the corner of Ferry street in 1763,
they retained possession of their river lot for nearly
50 years, .lust what connection there was between
tliis lot and the stone house for single brethren, they
had erected on their other property, is not yet quite
clear. Probably the old Moravian building was in-
tended merely for a home for those connected with
the enterprise.
IG2
Til E PEN N S Y L V A X I A - ( '. E R R I AX
Street Scene in Old San Domingo and Last I,og House on San Domingo Street (Photo 1911)
the principal wharfage in the town and
the entire section, bounded by Third,
Lehigh and Fourth streets, was princi-
pally devoted to the transportation busi-
ness, when it became known as San
Domingo. From 1790 to 1805, this dis-
trict as a shipping centre, had reached its
highest point.
About that time, the Penns disposed
of all their landed interests in San Do-
ming) to Jeremiah Piersoll, a commis-
sion merchant of Philadelphia. Piers- .11
converted as much of this land as he
could into building lots. The balance he
transferred to Nathan Gulick and
George Troxell. This portion consisted
of the block hounded by the Lehigh,
Bank Street, Lehigh Street and Third
Street. In [8n they opened, for public
use, what is now Washington Street and
the two small courts that intersect each
other. < )n the Third Street side, reach-
ing from this court to the Lehigh, they
sold a strip of ground 18 feet wide to the
County Commissioners for the purpose
of making an anchorage for the chain
bridge then about to be constructed. At
the northwest corner of Washington,
they sold a part to James Hackett, a
hatter, who erected thereon in the year
1 812 the present stone building which he
conducted for a number of years as a
hotel. About the year 1800 all the water
front of the surrounding districts was
disposed of by the Penns and the town
soon became surrounded by new ware-
houses.
The two Ferries were consolidated
and had a common landing at the foot
of Third Street.
And now, still within the period of
William Parsons' time, — 1752 to 1757 —
we will transport ourselves to the top of
the hill, on the south side of the Lehigh,
and take a further view of the transfor-
mation scene in the Valley below. As
our car passes up the hill we note to the
right a narrow alley leading at right
angles to Canal Street. Where it inter-
sects the latter street, stands the house
built by Lawrence Merkle. Merkle had
already sold this end of the property to
Cox and erected a new house at the
other end of the tract, that he retained,
near Morgans Hill. This house is still
standing although it has undergone
many changes and is now a modern resi-
dence, the summer home of Mr. Reuben
Kolb. Cox transferred his property
hack to the Penns. When Parsons
EASTOX FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
163
I.awrence Merkle's House, 1740; Ferry House, 1752; Lafayette College, 1832 (Photo 1911)
erected the Ferry in 1752 the building
was utilized for the Ferry house.
At last we have reached the summit of
this portion of Lehigh Hills now called
Lachenour Heights, from where we
have a grand panoramic view of the
scene below. Here, we find Parsons
busy with the details necessary in the
settlement of the new town ; Secretary
Peters, Governor Hamilton and Dr.
Greame, active in securing advantages
beneficial to the embryo metropolis.
They acquired the Ferry property from
the Martin heirs on the Jersey side of
the River, and foreclosed on that por-
tion on the Pennsylvania side, which
was held only by lease. They also pur-
chased the property, on the Delaware
side, of Balser Hess and Cox's ambition
for a rival town caused him to purchase
the tract of Anthony Albright, adjoining
it. Parsons, in a letter to Peters writes
that Cox is desirous of disposing of his
holdings, as he doubts Albright's honesty
and fears he might damage the property.
In this letter, he advises Peters to pur-
chase it for the proprietors, as it would
benefit them more than anybody else, ly-
ing as it does between the other two
tracts belonging to Penn. However they
were somewhat dilatory and Cox, over-
anxious, sold the property to Drumhel-
ler, a blacksmith, and thereby vanished
theprospects of a rival town on the south
side of the Lehigh.
In 1752, a road was opened from the
Lehigh Ferry up the hill . and leading
into the old "ferry road and thence along
what is now the Hellertown road, until
it intersected with the road from Bethle-
hem to Durham, thence to Durham — a
distance of 14 miles — which became
known as the Philadelphia Road. There
were considerable changes made to this
highway, after stages began running be-
tween Easton and Philadelphia, and the
distance shortened about 5 miles.
(For cut see July issue. i>. 429.)
Parsons conducted the Lehigh Ferry
and the one over the Delaware, he leased
164
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
to Nathaniel Vernon. Vernon was ferry-
man for the Martin heirs, through
whom he had acquired some rights
which Parsons was inclined to ignore
and brought a suit of ejectment to oust
Vernon. After five days wrangling be-
fore the Court, a verdict was rendered
in favor of Vernon and war continued
between them until the death of Pars-
ons. The executor of Parsons' estate
was forced to bring suit for settlement.
Finally, Vernon rendered an account of
his claims to offset the rent of the Ferry.
.Main- of the items were ridiculous but
were allowed by the executor merely to
get rid of Vernon. One of the items was
for three howls of punch furnished for
Parsons when he moved into his new
house ; another was for five days' ex-
penses atteding court, and lawyer and
witness' fees in the suit brought by
Parsons.14
The two Ferries were consolidated
and leased to Louis Gordon for 50
pounds per annum and tenant to keep
boats in repair. Gordon sublet to Dan-
iel Brodhead for two years and again
renewed. Then later Gordon conducted it
himself with Jacob Abel and Peter Ehler
as Ferrymen. Then in 1778, Abel and
Ehler leased it from Gordon and after
the Revolutionary War. the Penns sold
the Ferry rights to Jeremiah Piersoll,
who in turn employed Abraham Horn
and Jacob Shouse as Ferrymen. The
common landing at this time was at the
fi h >t of Third Street.
In the year 1790. Jacob Keller, black-
smith, who some time previous had pur-
chased the Albright plantation from
"Parsons writes under date March 12, 1757, "By
the enclosed writ, yon will perceive that I am obliged
to enter into a new dispute with Vernon. He, by
some mollis has got my boat into his possession and
refuses to let me have her again."
Vernon \v;is a troublesome citizen. Tn 1758 he
win brought before the court and convicted of selling
liquor unlawfully. On this occasion he stood in the
middle of the room, sauced the Judge and boasted
of being an Englishman and accused all the
County Officials, from the Judge down, of crooked
dealings. Vernon after a turbulent career, relin-
quished possession of the Perry to the Penns and in
I7i;i removed to Bedford County where he invested
his capital in a magnificnt plantation of more than
a thousand acres. This he divided among his chil-
dren without making anj record of the transaction.
During the Revolutionary War. he naturally became
a Tory, stubbornly resisting all overtures, the Gov-
ernmenl confiscated all the property, impoverishing
nut only himself hut all his children.
Cox. acquired the corner tract which
consisted of 46 acres and included the
two Ferry Houses, but by warrant only,
and transferred his rights to Shouse and
Horn. Shouse resided in the house on
the Lehigh and Horn in the old Martin
house on the Delaware side. In the year
[805 Jeremiah Piersoll purchased in fee
this tract and made satisfactory settle-
ment to Keller for his prior rights. Pier-
soll disposed of his ferry to Shouse and
Horn and part of the tract, which is now
Snufftown, to John Ralston who con-
verted it into town lots and sold to va-
rious purchasers. The old Martin ferry-
house he conducted as a hotel. Piersoll
divided the balance of the tract into
small lots which later became known as
Peppertown. Ralston's portion soon be-
came quite a settlement and was called
Williamstown. Soon after this the State
Surveyors appeared on the scene laying
plans for a canal to be constructed by
the State. Later, the canal itself plowed
through, taking away the best houses
and virtually snuffed out the town, and
thus it acquired the title of "Snufftown."
The canal made it a port of entry and
the place became compactly settled with
boatmen and its flickering light received
new energy, and was given the new
name of Williamsport.
Abraham Horn became the sole owner
of the ferry on the Lehigh which he con-
ducted very profitably for a number of
years. Then about the year 1795, he
conceived the scheme of discontinuing
the ferry and constructing a bridge. He
selected the narrowest point on the river,
which happened to be at the same place
as the ferry landing, at the foot of Third
Street. In 1796, he as County Commis-
sioner, interested the county in con-
structing the bridge at this point, and
abutments on each side of the river were
constructed in 1797 and Horn given the
contract to erect the bridge. About this
time, the Lehigh Coal and Navigation
Company became owners of the river
and used it to transport their coal arks
from MaUch Chunk to the Delaware.
These arks were ponderous affairs hold-
ing several hundred tons of coal, and
EASTON FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
463
CHAIN BRIDGE OVER THE LEHIGH RIVER
were flushed down the river from dam to
dam in an uncontrollable manner. This
hap-hazard system caused many of these
arks to topple over losing their entire
contents. It was a common saying not
so many years ago that the river bed
from Mauch Chunk to the Delaware was
lined with coal four feet thick. By this
"flushing" system, it was absolutely
necessary to have a channel free from
obstruction and Abraham Horn was
forced to construct his bridge with only
one span from shore to shore and thus
was built the first birdge across the Le-
high which unfortunately collapsed
shortly after it was completed. A new
chain bridge was constructed, which
remained until 1841, when it was de-
stroyed by high water and replaced by a
wooden structure.
We will now turn back to the year
1752 and continue our journey westward
over this plateau. For many years prior
to this date, this entire section, from the
Delaware to Glendon Valley, was fully
settled and cultivated. The first settlers,
besides those previously mentioned,
were Peter Lattig, Philip Woodring,
Michael Gress, George William Kohl
(Kale), Peter Edelman, Philip Oden-
welder, Lawrence Kuester. Philip Wen-
dell Opp, John Rush, Melchor Hay,
Conrad Hess, Michael Hess — sons of
Balser — Powell Reeser, Dr. Frederick
Ricker, and some of these had numerous
grown sons, making quite a community.
The ravine, a short distance southeast
of the Kleinhaus green-houses, during
the Revolutionary War was the head-
quarters of Procter's Artillery when not
in active service. Here he held a sort of
strategic position, easy of access to the
River and within a day's journey of
either New York or Philadelphia. About
fifty years ago, the ruins of improvised
brick fire-places were still in evidence
through the entire length of the ravine.
Tradition says that hugh piles of cord
wood, placed some distance from the
camps were set on fire by Tories and the
company formed a bucket brigade and
extinguished the fire sustaining a loss of
only a part o£ their firewood. This
community had a settled center, the
south end was where now is Cedarville,
the north end is now Coal Street at the
Lehigh. Where the present Philadel-
phia road, Line Street and the Heller-
town road meet, is an old stone house.
This was the hotel called "Lofty Oaks"
CONRAD HESS'S HOTEL, "LOFTY OAKS
If,.;
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
mm mibmmw
SITE OF THE OLD LUTHERAN CHURCH
and conducted by Conrad Hess. At the
foot of Morgan Hill, on the site of the
present reservoir was a church, erected
about 17^0 which flourished unti 1750.
It was known as the "CONGREGA-
TI< >N ON THE DELAWARE RIVER
I iK LONGING TO THE LUTHERAN
RELIGION". At one time it numbered
about 300 people, living in the regions
tation and when Rush failed Hay pur-
chased the property. Permission was
then given to bury any of the near
neighbors in this cemetery. When the
Odenwelders acquired possesison they
enlarged it for public use and gave it the
present name, in honor of Melchor Hay.
In the valley below us are the ruins of
the Glendon Iron Furnaces, erected
RUINS OF THE OLD GLENDON IRON WORKS
north and east. The burial ground was
the present Hay cemetery, to which we
now come and from this vantage point
we have an extended view up the Le-
high. This burial ground was established
by Jeremiah Bast and John Rush as a
joint family affair. Melchor Hay and
his sons were farmers on the Rush plan-
when iron was king, with domains in
the Lehigh Valley. This concern flour-
ished, notwithstanding its reckless policy
of magnificent extravagance and only
succumbed with the advent of steel.
We will now return to Centre Square,
which terminates our second journey.
VIEW UP THE LEHIGH SHOWING CHAIN DAM AND ISLAND PARK
467
The Enoch Brown Indian Massacre
By I. James Schaff, Chambersburg, Pa.
B( )UT three miles north-
west of Greencastle and
eight miles southwest of
Chambersburg, the seat of
justice of Franklin County
Pennsylvania, occurred
the slaughter of Enoch
Brown and his pupils by
the Indians on July 26, 1764. At that
early day the county was but sparsely
settled, the many thriving towns and
villages, that now dot the landscape, and
located within a short distance of each
•other, were not then in existence.
The early settlers had but few books,
no periodicals and the sources, through
which they obtained knowledge, were
very limited. But, as a rule, they were
■eager that their children should be edu-
cated and as soon as a settlement had
been formed, a school building was
erected, a teacher employed and their
children sent to school. The school
houses of those primitive days were of
the plainest style, within and without,
and would stand out in marked con-
trast with those of the present time.
They were built of logs, the spaces be-
.tween which were filled in with large
chips of wood and over them was placed
a coat of mortar made of clay. Boards
answered the purpose of a roof, and as
there were no stoves a huge chimney,
also built of logs, and then plastered, oc-
cupied nearly one end of the building.
Bi the chimney a roaring fire was kept
burning in cold weather, making the
room fairly comfortable. The benches
were made of logs, split in two pieces
and then hewed to proper thickness.
These were each supported by four
logs, and afforded but little comfort to
the occupants. Apparatus, such as
globes, maps and charts, was an un-
known quantity.
B was in one of these plain structures
that Enoch Brown taught during the
summer of 1764. His school had been
well patronized for several months, but
seasonable duties kept some from con-
tinuing their studies, so that on the day
when the slaughter occurred only eleven
pupils were present — nine boys and two
girls, but, it is said, each represented a
different family. Tradition says that the
children had always been particularly
fond of going to school, but on that fate-
ful dav, were loath to leave home. One
MONUMENT ON SITE OF SCHOOI.HOr.SE
468
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
of the scholars, a lad of probably twelve
years of age, determined not t<> go. J lis
purpose was to spend the day in the
Is and when the hour for dismissal
came to join his companions and return
home as if he had spent the day in the
performance of his school duties. He
did ii' 'i plaj truant long until he was
detected, but his absence from school
prevented him from falling a prey to
savage ferocity. The other children
made their appearance in the school
room, with dinner basket in hand, little
thinking of the direful calamity that so
soon awaited them.
\\ hen the hour for opening school ar-
rived, they took their accustomed
places in the school room and began the
work of preparing their lessons. While
thus engaged a slight noise at the door
attracted the attention of teacher and
pupils and on looking to ascertain the
cause of it, the grim visage of three In-
dians met their gaze. The teacher well
knew the purpose of their coming, if the
children did not. He quickly stepped to
the door and implored the unwelcome
guests to dispose of him in any way
they might deem best but plead with
them to spare the lives of the innocent
children. But his entreaties were in
vain. He was shot by one of the sav-
ages, and then two of them entered the
building, the other remaining on the out-
side to give warning in case any of the
residents should appear. The two who
entered the school room raised blow af-
ter blow upon the heads of the children,
and after scalping them were hurrying
from the building, when one of them
happening to look back, saw an object
in the huge chimney corner, partly con-
cealed behind some wilted boughs. It
was one of the pupils — Archie McCul-
lough. Returning, the Indian dealt him
a blow, scalped him and then beat a re-
treat, joining his companions in crime
who remained on the outside, the trio
making good their escape. It is said
that after the completion of their fiend-
ish deed, the savages struck a "bee-line"'
fin- the Conococheaque Creek, several
miles distant from the scene of slaugh-
ter, and on reaching it waded through
the stream for some distance, in order
that persons, who might be sent in pur-
suit, would be thrown off their trad.
Coming ashore, they headed for the
North Mountain and sought safety in
the forests -to the west and were newer
captured.
Not long after the massacre occurred,
one of the citizens chanced to pass near
the school house, and the unusual quiet-
ness about and in the school building,
caused him to make an investigation as
to the cause of it. On entering the room
he found the teacher and ten of the pu-
pils. King upon the floor cold in death,
and crawling among them was the lad,
Archie McCullough, who had survived
from the blow dealt him by the retreat-
ing savage, and was endeavoring to
make his way to the outside. Although
he lived to an old age his mental powers
were much impaired by the terrible or-
deal through which he passed. Tradi-
tion also says that one of the female pu-
pils also recovered from the stuuning
blow and made her way to the spring
nearby, at which place she was found by
those who assembled at the shool house
on learning of the slaughter. She also,
it is said, lived for many years after-
ward, her death occurring, I believe, in
Ohio, or some other of the western
states, to which she had removed soon
after reaching womanhood. The chil-
dren who died from the injuries re-
ceived, were placed in a large box and
were laid to rest in the same grave with
their teacher, near the place at which
they were so ruthlessly stricken down.
Seventy-nine years after the slaugh-
ter, a number of the leading citizens of
Greencastle made excavations for the
purpose of verifying the traditional ac-
counts as to i the place and manner of
burial. After digging to the depth of
about four feet they came upon parts of
the rough coffin and unearthed nails of
ancient make and which were quite
rusty. Digging still deeper, they found
a number of small skeletons and the.
skull of a full grown person, which up-
on exposure to the air, crumbled to dust..
THE ENOCH BROWN INDIAN .MASSACRE
Hi!)
Metal buttons, portions of a small tin
box, supposed to have been the teacher's
tobacco box — also some teeth were se-
cured and some of them were kept as
relics. The correctness of the tradi-
tional accounts was fully established.
At various times the question of erect-
ing a monument to the memory of teach-
er and pupils was agitated, but no defi-
nite action was taken until 1885. Then
contributions were made by the pupils
and teachers in the public schools, Sun-
day Schools, churches and by private in-
dividuals, the aggregate of which was
-$1400. Twenty acres of land, including
On the top of the limestone founda-
tion which is live feet square, rests the
base of the monument, the size of which
is four feet square and seventeen inches
in height. Next comes the sub-base,
three feet square and two feet high,
each of its four sides being nicely let-
tered. < )n the sub-base rots the shaft
of the monument, two feet square at the
base, rising to the height of ten feet,
tapering gracefully to a pyramidal apex.
Its weight is 4000 pounds. The follow-
ing are the inscriptions:
North side: " Erected' by Directors of
Franklin County Centennial Convention
RAVINE THROUGH WHICH INDIANS ESCAPED
the ground on which the school building
had stood, and that where the unfortu-
nate lie buried, were purchased, two
monuments erected — one on the site of
the school house site — the other at the
graves — the unveiling having occurred
August 4, 1 885, in the presence of fully
5000 persons, who assembled- from the
nearby towns and the surrounding coun-
try. Nine little boys and four girls
pulled the cords, and the covering of
red, white and blue dropped, and the
monument stood out in all its beauty,
much admired by the vast throng in at-
tendance.
of April 22, [SS4 in the name of the
Teachers and Scholars of all the schools
in the county, including Common
Schools, Select Schools and Sunday
Schools. For a full list of contribu-
tions sec Archives of Franklin County
Historical Society or Recorder's Office'.
West side: "Sacred to the memory of
Schoolmaster Enoch Brown and eleven
scholars, viz.: Ruth Hale, Ruth Hait,
Eben Taylor, George Dunstan, Archie
McCullough and six other (names un-
known) who were massacred and
scalped by Indians on this spot, July 26,
1704, during the Pontiac War."
470
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
In [898 the following was added lo
the inscription: ••Two Dean boys were
among the victims heretofore unknown '.
Si mth side :
"The ground is holy where they fell.
And where their mingled ashes lie,
Ye Christian people mark it well
With granite columns strong and high;
And cherish well forevermore
The storied wealth of early years,
The sacred legacies of yore,
The toils and trials of pioneers."
West side: "The remains of Enoch
Brown and ten scholars (Archie Mc-
fence, the plot around the larger monu-
ment being fifteen feet square — that
around the smaller one, being ten feet
square. The exercises at the unveiling
of the monuments were of an impressive
character, the Reformed Church choir,
of Greencastle, sang a number of pa-
triotic hymns — "America", "My Coun-
try 'Tis of Thee" and the "The Indian
Martyrs" a hymn composed by the late
Rev. Henry Harbaugh, D.D., a native
of the county and prominent in Re-
formed Church circles years ago. Rev.
Cyrus Cort, then pastor of the Green-
castle Reformed Church, did much to-
Monument Marking Place of Burial of Enoch Brown and His Pupils
Cullough survived the scalping) lie bur-
ied in a common grave south 62]/^ de-
grees, west 14^2 rods from this monu-
ment. They fell as pioneer martyrs in
the cause of Education and Christian
1 ivilization."
The other monument, a smaller one,
stands on the spot where the teacher and
pupils lie buried. It is of the same ma-
terial as the larger monument — Concord
granite. It is two feet square at the
base and seven feet high and on the side,
facing the grave, bears the following in-
scription :
"The grave of Schoolmaster Enoch
Brown and ten scholars, massacred by
the Indians, July 26, 1764." Each
monument is enclosed by a neat iron
ward securing funds to defray the ex-
penses of the monuments and the fences
enclosing them.
The location, selected for the school
building, was a lonely one, being on a
hillside, which was covered with an un-
dergrowth of pine. A deep and dismal
ravine was not far off and through it the
savages made their way to the school
house, and after committing their das-
tardly work, escaped through the same
vale. The farm on which the school
building stood, is now owned by Henry
Diehl. During one pleasant summer
day I made a visit to the spot on which
Enoch Brown and his pupils were killed
but not a trace of the building, nor of
the foundation on which it stood, are
THE ENOCH BROWN INDIAN MASSACRE
471
now to be seen. Not far from the site
of the monument is a spring, from
which, no doubt, water was procured to
slake the thirst of the pupils while the
school was in session.
As I stood by the monument I could
not but think of the changes that have
taken place, in the county and else-
where, since that memorable 26th of
July, 1764. Then the Indian was, in
many parts of the county, joint posses-
sor of the soil with the hardy settlers
and the lamp of civilization sent forth
rays as feeble and scattering and for a
while as evanescent and fleeting as the
sparkle of a firebug on a summer's
evening. The colonists had not then de-
clared their independence from Eng-
land, and the "Star Spangled Banner"
had not yet been unfurled to the breeze.
Where then stood almost interminable
forests there are now fertile fields
which, at the time of my visit, were cov-
ered with waving grain, green pastures
embracing in their arms of plenty, at-
tractive dwellings within which the in-
mates dwelt secure, without fear of mo-
lestation from the savage foe. Instead
of the Indian trail there are now public
highways, which make intercourse, to
all parts of the valley, easy and safe.
Thriving villages and growing towns
have succeeded the cluster of Indian
wigwams and telegraph and telephone
afford means for the rapid transmission
of thought to all parts of the country.
As I lingered at the monument the
shrill whistle of the locomotive echoed
through the- hills where once was heard
the dreaded war shoop. The puffing of
the iron steed was evidence that it was
toiling hard in its effort to bear its share
of the produce of the valley cityward.
With what wonder Enoch Brown and
the children whom he instructed, would
look upon the scene as it now unfolds
itself to the eye of the beholders, could
they be awakened from their long sleep
and again stand upon the spot where
they were so cruelly massacred !
True Germanism
"True Germanism fully covers true
Americanism. Nowhere has this been
made more manifest than in several of
President Roosevelt's inspiring speeches
to the American people, in which he
took occasion to mention German vir-
tues. Whoever takes to heart the words
of the President uttered on these occa-
sions will render his country the highest
service. Neither Americanism nor Ger-
manism is fundamentally dependent on
place of birth, descent or religion, but it
is the spirit alone that animates man.
Above all, every one, be he American or
German, should always remember that
the achievements of our civilization are
not dependent in the first place on men
of highest talents. They depend in the
main on men who fulfill the virtue- of
the citizen best, and keep their homes
sacred.
"If the German man and the German
woman in their hearts remain true to
the German spirit, if they inculcate it in
the souls of their children and grandchil-
dren, they will best honor the country
of their fathers no matter how many
thousand miles away from Germany
they build their homes. They will then
spread in the new fatherland the good
German qualities. They will thereby
continue to contribute to a sound de-
velopment of the new country, and stand
forth with a distinct purpose and be
reckoned among the best citizens ol the
New World."- Baron Speck von Stern-
berg.
Historic Pilgrimages along Mountain By- Ways
By Asa K. Mcllhaney, Bath, Pa.
PART VI— THE LEHIGH WATER GAP
"So wondrous wild, the whole might
seem
The scenery of a fairy dream."
lRE in the mountains of
eastern Pennsylvania, close
to the heart of nature and
environed h y wonderful
scenic stretches of valley
and hill is the Lehigh
Water Gap. It is only less
striking than the Delaware
Water Gap in its precipitous ruggedness,
but the rock strata at the Lehigh open-
ing has furnished less resistance to the
disintegrating forces of time and the
elements. The promontories rising ab-
ruptly on either hand to great heights,
form a cleft in the mountains nearly or
quite as dec] i as the Delaware Water
Gap. From the mountain ranges ex-
tending for man)- miles both to the right
and left is presented a diversified defile
that is sublime and beautiful.
The theory has been advanced that
ages ago the Lehigh being obstructed by
the mountains, was dammed up into a
lake; hut the waters resisted their har-
rier, and bursting through, formed this
chasm. The presence of shattered rock
thrown together in wild confusion, and
also a strata of rounded stones, seems to
verify such a conclusion. A lonely pile
of rocks, on a towering ridge near the
summit of the opposite mountain is
whimsically named "The Devil's Pul-
pit."
The Delaware Indians called this
chasm Buchkabuchka — "mountains hut-
ting opposite each other," and the river
they named I -eckaweeki — "where there
are forks." This name was given to the
river because through it struck the In-
dian path or thoroughfare coming from
the lower parts of the I >elaware country,
which path on the left side of the river,
forked off into various trails, leading
north and west. Lechawecki was short-
ened into Lecha, the name still in use
among the descendants of earl)' Pennsyl-
vania ( iermans. and of which abbrevia-
tion Lehigh is a corruption.
( )f this noble river, George E. Mapes
writes in part : "More than any other
Pennsylvania stream of equal flow and
length the Lehigh River deserves the
name of a mountain torrent. Its sources
are nearly 2000 feet above the sea level,
and in its ninety mile course to where it
empties into the Delaware river, it
descends nearly 1500 feet. It rises in a
mountain top, and in its rapid course,
breaks through a half dozen or more of
the most prominent ridges of the Appa-
lachian chain, and enters the Delaware
between two folds of the South Moun-
tain range.
At its source the Lehigh consists of
two smaller streams, the Lehigh proper
and the Tobyhanna — "the alder stream"'
— which unite to form the main river
near Stoddartsville, a few miles above
White Haven. The Tobyhanna, which
is the southern stream of the two, takes
its rise in Monroe County and the
Lehigh in southern Wayne. The high
plateau which is drained by the Lehigh
and Tobyhanna on the south and west,
and by the Wallenpaupack — "deep and
dead water" — a tributary of the Lacka-
waxen — "where the roads fork" — on the
north, was known to the early settlers
of the pre-Revolutionary period as the
"Great Swamp" or "The Shades of
Death." Many of the fugitives fleeing
from their savage pursuers, at the time
of the Wyoming massacre, in 1778. lost
their way and perished in this inhospi-
table forest, their unfortunate experience
furnishing the name "Shades of Death."
by which it was known for many years
afterwards.
Like most Pennsylvania streams rising
in high tablelands, the descent of the
Lehigh is very gradual and moderate for
HISTORIC PILGRIMAGES ALONG MOUNTAIN BY-WAYS
4 7::
the first thirty miles of its course. At
White Haven, however, it begins its
rapid descent. Between this place and
Mauch Chunk, a distance of twenty-five
miles, it falls 642 feet, an average of
more than 25 feet to the mile. In the
stretch it cuts its way through Pine Hill,
Bald Ridge, Sharp Spring and Broad
mountains, the Pohopoka, and the Bear
or Mauch Chunk mountains, a succes-
sion of ridges of the great Appalachian
system. Each ridge it encounters fur-
nishes a separate gap. and seems to de-
flect the river in a tortuous course, the
current in this course running to nearly
•every point of the compass."
Of the surroundings of this pic-
turesque stream, we quote from an un-
known writer, the following lines so well
written concerning a neighboring river,
and yet so applicable to the Lehigh :
"Every hour of the day, every change
of the season, gives new tints to these
mountains and valleys. The morning
mists often shroud them beneath their
veil ; the tints of evening spread over
them golden and purple halos. Spring
clothes the landscape in a tender green ;
Summer deepens it into a darker tint,
interspersed with fore-gleams of the
ripening harvests ; Autumn scatters its
gems over all, tingeing the forests the
many hues of the changing foliage, and
Winter brings its mantle of white con-
trasting strikingly with ever-verdant
pines, cedars and hemlocks. In some
places the railroad passes through broad,
cultivated valleys so narrow that its bed
is carved out of the overhanging rocks.
Every mile of its course opens up new
scenes, whch present themselves to the
eye like an everch'anging kaleidoscope."
Colonel Burd who crossed the Blue
Mountains at the Lehigh Gap, in 1758,
wrote of his impressions as follows :
"When I arrived on the top of the
mountains, I could see a great distance
on both sides of it ; the northern part
of the country is an entire barren wilder-
ness not capable of improvement." The
only change that has taken place in the
152 years since Col. Burd wrote this
chronicle is that the merchantable timber
which covered these mountain ridges has
been stripped off, otherwise they remain
as barren and incapable of cultivation as
then, but still grand, imposing, and
beautiful in their unconquerable wild-
ness.
Audubon, the world's great ornitholo-
gist, passed through the Gap in the
autumn of [829, on his trip to the Tine
Swamps at which place "he was disap-
pointed at the extraordinary scarcity of
birds, but surprised at the plentiful deer
and occasional elk. bears, wild turkeys,
pheasants and grouse while trout were
so plentiful that I was made weary with
pulling from the rivulets the sparkling
fish allured by the struggles of the com-
mon grasshopper."
Sir Charles Lyell, the eminent English
geologist, also found this section of
Pennsylvania very interesting, and
visited the Lehigh Gap, October 7. [842,
and "noticed the Gap wooded on both
sides, and almost filled up by the Lehigh
River."
At the base of the mountain, in an
angle formed by the Lehigh and the
Aquaschicola creek is the Picnic Grove,
adjoining which is Craig's Tavern, a
historic old hostelry, which in the days
of journeying by stage coaches wa-> the
dining place for hungry travellers.
This tavern was erected as early as
1789 by Col. Thomas Craig, the grand-
father of Capt. John Craig, lately
deceased, who lived here and managed a
store during a long life. The ancestors
of this family lived in the "Irish settle-
ment" near Bath, during the Revolution,
and all achieved fame and distinction in
that conflict, one of the family receiving
the personal commendation of General
Washington for being the best rider in
the army. Capt. John Craig also left an
honorable record as a soldier in the Civil
War. The Craig tavern is now run by 1'.
Fritzinger.
Mrs. Anne Royall, who travelled
through this section, in October, [828,
wrote: "We arrived at the mountain
about 8 o'clock, which we pass, not over,
but through, at a place called the Gap.
A tavern is kept at the Gap, at which
we breakfast. Here the mountain
scenery begins: in truth, it is often seen
474
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
east of this; bul after passing the Gap,
we arc fairly engulfed in streams, rooks
and mountains; and never was a moun-
tain, it would scorn, without a river.
The tavern whore we breakfasted
(Craigs) stands below the Blue ridge
and the stream (Aquaschicola). Over
this creek there is a very handsome
bridge; the stream runs very swiftly
over a bed of rooks, and also has its hills
parallel to it. A little beyond the oreek,
in full view of the tavern, the canal and
several of the docks appear; also kilns
whore the cement used in constructing
the wall is burnt, and likewise the mills
in which it is ground. Hard by are
blacksmith shops and various other
cabins for the workmen. The Lehigh
River runs close to the canal, and a store
near the tavern. While the wdiole is
environed with wild mountains and huge
rocks, some of which, loosened from
their places, have rolled down near the
road. Thus wo have a rich foretaste of
the much exalted sceneries of Mauch
Chunk, from which it appears I am still
twelve miles distant.
The man of the tavern was not at
hoino. but 1 had a good breakfast, and
found the German girls kind and atten-
tive, though they spoke very little
English.
After breakfast I walked over the
bridge, and ever delighted with swift
running streams, lingered some time
upon the bridge, leaning upon the balus-
trade. The curling of the limpid waters,
and the associations of domestic neat-
ness, awakened by looking at a woman
scrubbing her churns and pails as she
-to, ,,1 in the stream, adding no little to
heighten the glow of feeling set in mo-
tion upon my approach.
I lad the day boon pleasant, I should
have had a delightful walk, but it was
ci Tl and blustering.
I walked on to the canal, not yet
walled up, and kilns and mills for pre-
paring the cement being mentioned. I
can add nothing more, as I would not
have had time to examine them before
the stafre would call I saw a great dust
flying out of the mills, and the men who
conveyed the ground cement away, in
bags to load the wagons, were covered
with dust. I saw a few carpenters at
work upon wood, but could not discover
their object. The canal seemed to be
nearly the size of other canals, and the
workmanship of the locks seems to be
skillfully done. This cement is a sort of
stone which, when prepared, is used in
masonry, and answers a better purpose
than lime, so it is said. I never heard of
it till this day, and great quantities of it
is said to lie in the neighborhood. The
enterprising Mr. White, of the Lehigh
Company, is said to have discovered the
cement."
To the thousands who travel swiftly
along the banks of the Lehigh in
luxurious trains, the scenery is a source
of never ending delight not the least of
the attractions being the old Lehigh
canal with its flat-bottomed boats, the
towpath and the meandering mules.
The canal was opened in 1818, through
a charter granted by the state to Josiah
White, George F. A. Hanto, and Erskine
Hazard for the improvement of the
river Lehigh. It is 108 miles in length
and has been an important artery of
travel and commerce besides conveying
the coal which developed so rapidly.
In 1820, the Lehigh Coal and Naviga-
tion Company began shipping coal from
the Summit Hill region. The canal
from Mauch Chunk to Easton was
opened in 1829, and from Mauch Chunk
to White Haven in 1837.
Passing through the Gap we hear the
tinkle of the bells on the mules as they
slowly tow the cumbersome boats by.
The boatmen who spend their lives on
the canal are an interesting set of fel-
lows. In former days these kindly-faced
men were boys along the towpath as
their sons are today. We are told that
often the wdiole family was on board.
The father and captain usually sat on the
roof smoking his pipe. One of his sons
drove the mules and another little lad
steered the boat. There was also the
young girl in a calico dress and sun-
bonnet, while a woman got the meals
over a small stove on deck amidships.
HISTORIC PILGRIMAGES ALONG MOUNTAIN BY-WAYS
475
Among the boatmen of a half century
ago were Anthony Feight who drove two
white mules, and George Shirer, John
Fink and William Fisher, all of Weiss-
port. Besides these were the McGinleys,
Burns, Drehers, O'Donnells, McBrides,
Gillespies, McFaddens, Dugans, Ottis,
Sweeneys and others.
If time would allow, how gladly would
we stop to enjoy the hospitality of the
old locktender, Daniel Breyfogle, who
attended to this work for many years.
Since that day, he has passed away ; yet
how many interesting tales could he have
level to the top of the upper one. There
are big gates at each end. If a boat is to
ascend, it runs into the lock on the lower
level and lower gates are closed. A
small gate in the large upper gate is then
opened and the water runs in from
above, slowly raising the water in the
lock and with it the boat. When the
water in the lock is even with the water
in the upper level, the big upper gates
are swung open and the boat goes on its
way. In a similar manner boats go down
from higher to lower sections of the
canal."
THE OLD CHAIN BRIDGE
told us of the canal in its heyday. ( )n
duty days and often at night he held his
post and was faithful to his employers.
His son John now fills his position.
For the boats to be passed from one
level to another, it requires these locks.
"If they are small, they can be dragged
up or down between two levels ; but this
method will not serve for large boats
carrying many tons of coal, lumber or
bricks, hence locks are used. A lock is
a short section of a canal, long enough
for the boats used, and having walls
rising' from the bottom of the lower
Spanning the river is the ( )ld Chain
Bridge built in 1830. It rests on chains
and wire, sufficiently strong to hold
heavy loads. The piers and masonry
are solid enough to last another hundred
years. Charles Berlin, of Lockport,
long since dead, helped to forge the
heavy chains. The excellent properties
of this old bridge have been accurately
portrayed in verse by William Craig, of
Blue Springs, Nebraska, a native, how-
ever, of this locality.
Two railroads have been built through
the Cap, the Lehigh Valley in 1855, and
176
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
the Lehigh and Susquehanna in [868.
Bui we have tarried in this delightful
spot longer than w e contemplated, so we
hurry along From the Gap to where the
valley broadens and see extensive and
well-cultivated fields. Most of the
farm-houses arc old, but well-kepi and
in excellenl repair, giving to it the
atmosphere of prosperity and thrift.
Pushing ahead past the Hotel An-
thony, and an old stone tavern not in
use, and the Fenstermaker, Mummey,
and Benninger farms brings us to the
home of the Dauberts, where we notice
a sweet-faced woman stirring apple-
butter, under a large tree in the orchard.
This is a picture which brings to our
minds, the "snitzing parties" and farm-
house frolics of the distant past. We
think of dear old grandmother who used
to sit in the old-fashioned farm-house
kitchen with her little Barlow knife,
peeling the rinds off the red-cheeked
apples, paring and coring them, prior to
placing them next morning in the barrel-
sized copper kettle to be cooked into
apple-butter. Even to the mother of
twenty-five years ago, the apple-butter
party was the "time of the year." She
can hardly realize today that these good
old times are passing away. Bidding
her "make it sweet" we pursue a south-
ward course to
BERLINSVILLE
a village <>f a dozen houses, two churches
and a store. Here is the seat of the
Lehigh Township High School and the
school building is one of the finest seen
in any rural section. The Berlin home-
stead lo,,ks very ancient and certainly
antedates Revolutionary days. A dilapi-
dated grist mills stands on the banks of
Birch creek. No1 far away is
INDIAXLAXD
with an up-to-date hotel, and its newly
painted sign-board on which is repre-
sented a large Indian head and the name
of the hotel proprietor, W. II. Weiser.
The earliest record of this part of
Northampton County is one touching the
surveys and laying out of 6500 acres of
land on which Thomas Pcnn, in 1735,
designed to settle all the Forks Indians;
which tract hence was known as the
"Indian Land." Penn's project was
never realized. This and the Manor of
Fermor were the only Proprietaries',
reservations in the present Northampton
County. Lehigh Township suffered much
during the Indian war. and at time- was
almost depopulated.
Idle Dreisbach family was a prominent
one in this section before as well as
during the Revolution. James Dreisbach
was Colonel of the 3d Battalion of
Militia, in 1775, and Simon, a member
of the Assembly from 1776 to 1779.
The first church in the township was
built here in 1762: The first minister
was Rev. Frederick, and the second
Rev. John Conrad Steiner. The, third
church was erected in 1876, on the site
where the others stood in 1772. It still
retains the name "Indianland Church."
Another mile over a very hilly road
brings us into
CIIERRWILLE
so called from Cherry Row Lane that
seventy years ago comprised one hun-
dred trees. The village commands a
f\ne view of the surrounding country.
Some distance beyond at the foot of a
high hill, near Pennsville is the Kleck-
ner grist mill, where we again follow die
banks of Indian Creek, and where the
Kleppingers and Longs lived in by-gone
days.
Here Robert Long did a merchant
milling business at the "Indian Creek
Mills," for the flour sacks were so
branded. Dr. F. A. Long, a prominent
physician of Madison, Nebraska, is his
son. He was President of the Nebraska
State Medical Association 1906-1907;
delegate from the State Association to
the American Medical Association, in
1007, and in 1908 ; and Nebraska mem-
ber of the National Legislative Council
of the American Medical Association
since 1908.
Between these converging ranges of
hills and along this beautiful stream, this
friend of the Pennsylvania German
spent his boyhood days. The general
appearance of the homestead has
changed some, the grist mill has gone to
HISTORIC PILGRIMAGES ALONG MOUNTAIN BY-WAYS
477
ruin and ivy is clambering its tottering
walls, yet the love for the old home re-
mains.
About three-quarters of a mile west
from this point toward the Lehigh River
and on the top of the Lehigh Mountains
is the overhanging rock. Tradition has
it that many years ago, a young lady
on a banter Vent to the end of the cliff,
stood on one leg, and pulled off her
stocking.
Mr. Derry, the proprietor of the Cata-
sauqua Silk Mills, has laid out in this
environment a large deer park, enclosed
by a high wire fence, containing large
ponds, good pasturage, streams of pure
water, rustic bridges, large trees and
beds of wild flowers in their season.
Years ago, the writer confided his
memory to one of these monarch beech
trees, by carving his initials deep into its
bark. The tree still stands, but we are
unable to see whether the lines are closed
in or not, for trespassing is forbidden.
We are now in the heart of
COLE'S VALLEY " S KOLADAHL "
"a spot made for nature by herself."
When the Indians were still fishing in
these streams and hunting in these
woods, Heinrich Kohl (Cole) a native
of the Palatinate and a young man,
sought a home in this locality. He set
to work, built a log cabin on what is
now the Newhart farm, cleared the land
and planted an orchard.
Soon he had a tract of 146 acres along
the Indian Creek, which was a part of
the original "Indian Tract." Here he
operated a gun-powder mill. His wife
was Christiana Althouse and their eight
children were Henry, Adam, Peter,
John, Mary, Christina, Susan and Cath-
arine.
Heinrich Cole was born September 28,
1732, and died March 2, 1827, aged 94
year, 5 months, and 4 days. He is buried
in Stone Church graveyard. His grave
is marked by a sandstone bearing the
initials "H. K." and the date of his
death.
Of the above-named, John was a
cooper. His wife was Barbara Houser,
and they occupied the old homestead.
Their children were Eliza, Henry,
Reuben, Charles, John, Matilda, Peter
and Susan. The father, John Cole, died
April 22, 1883, aged 93 years and 10
days.
Henry Cole is the only survivor of the
third generation. He occupies a home
on a part of the original tract, and is a
splendid type of a Lehigh Valley farmer.
Although in his 95th year, he appears
hale and hearty, and is happy and con-
HENRY COLE. AGE 95
tented in the enjoyment of what Dr.
Johnson aptly calls "the sunshine of
life." His brother. Charles Cole, who
died Feb. 14, 1874, was the grandfather
of the writer's wife. He was married to
Sophia Mack, a daughter of Henry
Mack.
Charles Cole remodeled the old stone
house of his ancestors, and built a brick
addition in 1 861.
Most of the early settlers in this val-
lev were farmers. Along the many pic-
turesque roads winch wind from all
directions, can be seen the old stone
17^
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
dwellings with gable root's and thick
walls, solidly built, honest pieces of work,
so typical of the people who built them.
In many of these, the descendants of the
builders live even to the present day.
Proceeding on our way, we sec to the
left, standing on the very pinnacle of a
hill, to he seen from almost any part of
thi> secti< >n ( if the C< umtry the
ZION CHURCB
of the Lutheran and Reformed congre-
gations and generally known as '"Stone
Church." An organization was effected
February 25, 1771. The church lot of
one acre and one hundred and fifty two
perches was purchased from Peter
Fried, by deed, dated Dec. 7, 1771, con-
sideration £3. In April, 1772, steps
were taken towards its erection, and the
corner-stone was laid June 18, following,
on which occasion services were held by
Revs. Pitthahn. Reformed and Frieder-
ick, Lutheran. The following is a list of
the ministers who served the congrega-
tion:
Lutheran — Revs. Friederich, Yeager,
< reissenhamer, Mendsen, who served
forty-two years. Rath, Kuntz, Kistler,
Andreas, and Erdman.
Reformed — Revs. Hecker, Van der
Sloot, Pecker, J. C. Pecker, Chas. Dubbs,
Van Court, Gautenbein, Lisberger, Lein-
bach, Rittenhouse.
In the adjoining cemetery lies among
others of our kith and kin our great
aunt Maria C. Kohl, i7iS3-i«^7*j. who
""left to mourn her loss 11 children, 61
grandchildren, 105 great-grandchildren,
and 1 great-great-grandchild."
South of this ancient place of worship
is
KREIDERSVILE
which was laid out a hundred years ago,
by General Conrad Kreider, who was a
wagon-master in the Revolution. At
that time he kept a store here, but later
moved to Bath where he died in 1828,
aged 92 years. Kreidersville was on the
main road from Bethlehem to Berwick,
and on the king's highway to Gnaden-
huetten. At present it contains twenty
dwellings which includes the homes of
the Wolfes, Kerns, and Knerrs. The
Mennonite meeting house is some dis-
tance beyond. It was built in 1802, on
land granted by Thomas Horner to
Jacob I'.aer, Jacob Hiestand, John Zieg-
ler. and Samuel Landes, in trust for the
congregation.
For two miles we are in a country
where the Knauss, Engler, Seem, Lau-
bach, and George families dwelt a cen-
tury ago, in peace and comfort, and then
in
SEEMSVILLE
founded by Jacob Seem. An old record
also informs us that Samuel Caruthers
was an early settler. The Spenglers and
Snyders are now the principal residents.
A mile eastward is Snyder's Church built
in 1874, on the school lot that contained
six acres and sixty-seven perches. As
shown by papers, an agreement was
entered into February 18, 1776, by
George and Johannes Koch, George
Spengler, and Johannes Snyder for the
erection of a school-house on this lot,
which was done soon afterwards. It was
also used as a dwelling for the school-
master. The present is the third struc-
ture and was erected in 1867. The pine
grove in which the annual picnics are
held, and the churchyard also take up a
part of the first site.
At the foot of the hill is Johannes
Snyder's house built prior to the Revolu-
tion when he owned most of the land in
this vicinity. His old spring is one of
the sources of the Catasauqua creek,
and in days gone by, it was kept filled
with the finny trout. The old-fashioned
spring-house where they cooled their
milk and made their butter remains, and
the old grape arbors are so constructed
as to afford shaded paths.
Wending our way past the Bartholo-
mew, Landis, Koch and Dech farms, and
alongside a singing brooklet at the foot
of a winding woodland tract where in
due season the hepatica, arbutus, azalea,
and bird-foot violets grow, brings us
within sight of home and terminates our
much-enjoyed and never-to-be-forgotten
historic mountain pilgrimages.
IT:'
Funerals in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts— A Contrast
By J. W. E.
E shall reserve comments
until we have placed the
two accounts side by side,
so that people may see that
there is no reason why
either should boast very
much. It will hardly be
necessary to say that
other matters beside the mere feasting
will force themselves upon our atten-
tion. This is Rev. Hoover's descrip-
tion.
"The preparations for the feast after
the funeral of James Fetzer were on a
large scale. The like had seldom been
seen even in a community when 'big
funerals' were so common. Twenty-
five chickens, ducks and turkeys, three
calves, an ox and a hog, were slaughter-
ed for the occasion. Four hundred pies
such as only Pennsylvania Dutch house-
wives can make, and one hundred loaves
of bread, besides cakes innumerable of
all kinds, were baked; and all the acces-
sions needed to make a Dutch funeral
table full-orbed and complete, so to
speak, were provided in profusion.
"Be it remembered that among these
folk, in country places, the house of
mourning becomes a house of feasting
just as soon as the dead body has left it.
The minister indeed invites the people
back to the house of mourning; but it
has ceased to be such, at least in the
sense in which Solomon speaks of it. A
wedding is made little of. A couple
agree to get married, the groom places
his bride in a carriage — or perhaps they
journey on foot — and off they go to the
pastor's house and are united in the holy
bonds. No one takes much notice of the
event unless it be the young men and
boys of the neighborhood, who will
probably greet the newly-wedded pair
with a 'Charivari on their return. Likely
there are no invited guests and no spec-
ial meals.
"But a funeral without feasting — that
would be a novelty indeed. The poorest
man in the community would deem
himself disgraced if the people attend-
ing the obsequies of a member of his
family were not invited to return to the
house after the services at the church ;
to partake of such refreshments as may
be set before them ; and in numerous
cases families have plunged themselves
into debt in order to provide the eatables
necessary to satisfy the demands of a
semi-barbarous custom. The bigness of
a funeral is guaged not only by the
numbers at church, but also by the num-
ber of tables filled by those returning to
the house. Hence when a member of an
old wealthy family is buried it is a mat-
ter of pride to the survivors if the
throng of guests is very large.
"Among the ancient Jews there were
professional mourners, and in these
communities on funeral occasions there
are what might be called professional
eaters. These are men and women who
make it the great business of their lives
to attend every funeral for miles
around. At home they seldom have
more than enough to keep body and soul
together. They hear of a funeral with
glee, and a journey of three or four
miles afoot through rain and snow is
nothing to them. They may not go to
the church at all, but whether they do or
not, they are always found promptly on
hand at 'the first table', unless the num-
ber of immediate relatives of the de-
ceased is large enough to fill this set. in
which case they must wait for 'dcr
swet disch.' And if regard for the dead
may be measured by eating and drink-
ing, that of these rounders is often greal
indeed, for some of them have been
known at 'the house of mourning' with-
out much apparent effort to drink six
cups of coffee, Pennsylvania Dutch size,
and to eat in due proportion.
"Those who are cynically inclined
may speak slightingly of all this feasting
and gorging at such times and hold the
sorrow of the feasters and stutters to be
480
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
very shallow. To these cynics the reply
is that high authority informs us that
profound grief and a brave appetite may
co-exist in the same individual and are
not at all incompatible with each ether.
especially if there is not anxiety on the
part of the mourners in regard to the
will which is to be read after dinner.
Moreover, it were well for all such
carpei-- to hear in mind that the motives
from which this funeral custom sprung
had their root in mistaken kindness and
courtesy, and that while at these feasts
tongues are loosed and everyday topics
are often discussed, the best of order
and decorum is commonly observed.
The eating and drinking are hearty, to
be sure, but the guests depart pleased
with themselves for having shown re-
gard for the dead and sympathy for the
living, pleased with the sorrowing fam-
ily for providing so bountifully, and
pleased in some instances with the de-
ceased for furnishing the occasion. What
more does the objector want?
"When the people arrived from the
church the lower part of the Prantman
house at least bore quite a different ap-
pearance from that which it presented a
few hours before. The carpet, which had
been removed, was relaid, the pictures
and looking-glass once more showed
their faces, the old Dutch clock ticked
away steadily, the Bible and hymn book
were closed* and even the pleasant look-
ing bottle hid its smiles for a season in
the cupboard. The sitting room and the
front room, lately the Todeskammer,
each had two great old-fashioned tables
set. These fairly groaned under the
weight of good things — beef, pork, veal,
fowls, pies, cakes, jellies, sauces, slaw,
potatoes time would fail one to name
them all. Old as it was, the house had
never seen such tables before — certainly
not since Hans Prantman became its
owner.
•"The Rev. William lleimer, smiling
very graciously, was duly on hand. He
was seized upon as soon as he arrived
by Mrs. Jemina Gorgelmesser, a very
stout, asthmatic old lady, and shown to
the head of the table in the front room.
For much the same reasons that caused
him to hurry away after preaching to
the drafted men he would gladly have
gone directly home from the church.
But this was not to be thought of. No
end of unfavorable comment would re-
sult from the failure of the officiating
clergyman to return to the house of
mourning after the funeral services to
grace the feast by his presence, unless
he had very urgent reasons for absent-
ing himself. So Heimer with due dig-
nity and solemnity took the place as-
signed him.
"By dint of the most rapid walking of
which he was capable Ad. Sparger
reached the house before all the tables
were quite filled. He was in a perspira-
tion and his shoes and outer garments
were covered with mud. Though sober,
he was not presentable. At one of the
tables in the sitting room there was one
empty chair left. Airs. Gorgelmesser,
who directed the seating of the people,
wished an old woman who came hob-
bling into the apartment to occupy this
vacant seat, but Sparger wanted it.
' T was a watcher Monday night' he
said in a low tone, 'all the other watch-
ers is at the first table and it is my right
to be at it too !'
" 'But this woman has far to go and
you will surely let her sit down', wras
the conciliatory reply.
" 'Anyhow he isn't fit to sit down with
decent people', said a sharp-tongued as-
sistant who stood near.
' 'But I was fit to be asked to watch
and so ought to be fit to eat at the first
table', he retorted. Meanwhile the old
woman in question quietly decided the
dispute by sitting down in the seat
Sparger coveted. There was a good deal
of tittering at his expense among those
nearest and he left the room in high
dudgeon. Going into the kitchen he
threw down his battered 'stovepipe' hat
by the stove and declared he would not
eat at all now but would complain of his
treatment to Hans Prantman.
" 'It is too bad', he growled. T don't
care who gets shot next and I won't be
a watcher again,' but getting no sym-
pathy he became quiet and the sober
FUNERALS IN PENNSYLVANIA AND MASSACHUSETTS— A CONTRAST
481
second thought presently led him to al-
ter his resolution about refusing to dine.
"All being quiet at last, the Rev. Wra,
Heimer said a very brief grace, perhaps
to make up for lost time. Probably,
too, he believed with a Pennsylvania
Dutch Lutheran preacher of a some-
what earlier day that at meals short
prayers and long sausages were most in
consonance with each other and the fit-
ness of things. When the eating and
drinking were once fairly begun conver-
sation grew brisk. 'Heimer resolved if
possible to keep it from turning to war
matters at his end of the table. Mrs.
Fetzer sat next to him on his right. On
his left were Hans Prantman and his
wife, and next to Mrs. Fetzer sat Pete,
Ret and Amos. 'My ! I wish there was
a burying every day', said Ret; 'Isn't
this good eating, Pete?'
" 'Lean on that, clean down', answer-
ed the brother in what was regarded as
very emphatic language, 'and pap and
mam will make us eat beans, bacon and
dry bread and drink cold water all win-
ter, to make up and save the cost of this
here funeral of Jim. So eat all you can
while you've got the chance. Ret, for
there are about ten thousand waiting
outside and there won't be a crust left
after they're all done', and at it they
went with fresh vigor, fairly gorging
themselves with the rich food".
The rest of the chapter is taken up
with the preacher's rather strict devotion
to his appetite, and some political dis-
cussion with no direct reference to the
funeral.
Now let us compare an account of a
New England Funeral, as furnished a
number of years ago, by one of the New
York papers. We shall then, perhaps,
be in a position to decide which is the
more commendable, or noncensurable.
The location of the event is Ransome,
Mass., not very far from Boston. The
first fifty lines or so are omitted, be-
cause they are taken up entirely in dis-
cussing the literary character, or per-
haps we should say, the lack of intellec
tual development, among the people.
Even if all of Rev. F. T. Hoover's awk-
ward translations of peculiar Pennsyl-
vania Dutch expressions were absolute-
ly accurate and reliable, they might be
said to compare favorably with expres-
sions like "How be ye", or of those used
by such as refuse to do any reading, al-
leging "I ain't no time for readin", who
spend their whole lime in loafing ami
smoking. The writer after making the
broad statement that these people de-
sire no instruction or information, closes
with the severe remark: "He who
would convince the worthy Mr. Dunder-
head of any truth which Dunderhead
does not see, must be a master of bis-
art."
The account then continues. "But I
was going to tell you about that funeral.
A man living near us had died after a
long and painful illness; my sister and
I called to ask the family if we could
assist them in any way. We met sever-
al women with lugubrious faces who had
been in to see the corpse. We were in-
vited in for that purpose, and as a great
treat, but declined.
" 'Can we be of any use?' we asked.
" 'Wall', with the conventional Yankee
nasal, which, if you ever thought of it,
is that one does not talk through the
nose, but without the assistance of that
organ ; 'Wall, you couldn't nohow be
waiters to the funeral, now could ye?'
inquired the widow.
"We protested our willingness could
we know what was the duty of waiters.
" 'Wall, you see, when we've all gone
to the grave, the waiters they get up a
supper; coffee, tea, and so on. There'll
be a sight of folks, most likely come
back from the grave, and they'll be
mighty hungry. You'll have to tend right
up to 'em, ye know. There'll be several
tables full, and dishes to wash. Xow,
could ye, now? I'll be so much obleeged
to ye. But,' she added in thoughtful
commiseration pf us, 'if ye do, you
can't go to the grave'.
"We said we would stay and would
try to do what was proper.
" 'How appetizing going to the grave
must be', said Gertrude, as we walked
home.
182
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
•■( In the way we met Nancy Holland,
who was taking down a stranger from
Mill Village. She explained that her
companion had never seen Mr. Ewell,
the man, but that she felt a wish to see
the corpse. Mrs. Holland was old, and
trembling with the interest and excite-
ment of the occasion. She asked if we
were to he present 'to the funeril'. When
told that we were to he 'waiters', she
looked at us with unmistakable surprise
and envy.
"'Be ye now? I declare I told Aliss
Ewell I'd jes' as lieve stay an' help,
on'y 1 can't leave Robert, 'ze know', and
she went on.
"From interviews with several other
neighbors we saw that our office was a
coveted one. Did it not give an almost
unlimited opportunity to peer into every
part of the house ; to see where dust had
collected; to find out just how many pies
had been made, and to judge pretty ac-
curately whether they were made as they
ought to be. I overheard one decrepit
old woman, who remained behind in the
house of mourning, say to another, as
the two tottered along the narrow entry
through which the coffin had just been
borne;
" 'I call it odd that Miss Ewell should
a'had them two gals as waiters ; my gals
would a'been glad to come. 'What do
they know ?' perking her head back in
our direction.
"Oh, how hot it was. It was fervent
as a day in Massachusetts will some-
times be in summer, the heavens being
overspread by a thin, coppery haze, and
without a breath of air. It was the
third day of such heat, and every one
foretold the spell 'would break before
night'. Meanwhile it had not broken,
and we were in the kitchen brewing cof-
fee and tea. We put two tables end to
end in the 'settin' room', and hastened to
spread them with crockery, cake and
pie. stacks of bread and of cold boiled
corned beef.
"The cemetery was not far, and we
were barely ready, when carriage after
carriage drove back from the grave, and
their occupants poured into the house.
Where do the men get their curious
shaped sack coats which bag so in the
hack and sleeves? Hut that the days of
] peripatetic female tailors are over, we
should say that these garments are their
work. These men slouch in and out of
doors, talking in mumbling voices,
while their women in prim dresses pat
their hair before the little looking-glass
in the bed room, then come out one by
one, and peer over the table at us. They
talk, too, and discuss how well, or how
ill, the minister did. One thinks he did
not improve the occasion correctly. An-
other that he was not sufficiently 'feelin'
in his prayer for the widder'. 'Widders
is 'customed to bein' prayed fur more
particular', said Nancy Holland, wdio
spoke, I suppose, from experience, she
having been a widow twice before she
married her Robert".
"Though they all talk, they are evi-
dently impatient for the feast. No less
than ten carriage loads have come. We
learn from • the remarks of one thin,
palefaced woman, that it is a distinction
to have a good many come back from
the grave, and partake of the festival.
" 'When Miss Martin was buried they
only had six carriages to supper', she
says in a congratulatory way to the be-
reaved woman, as if in Mrs. Ewell's
case sorrow had its compensations.
" 'Warren, he had a good many
friends', replied the widow7, a glimmer
of complacency on her face, which is
carewrorn and sallow.
"In a few moments we have the first
tables full, including the minister, who is
in a hurry, having another . funeral to
attend at three o'clock. He drinks,
thirstily, three cups of tea, and is hustled
off after a handshake and gentle mur-
mur of condolence to the widow.
"For the next hour my sister and I
might have been waiters in a crowded
restaurant. We find the feasters very
particular about their coffee and tea, and
very copious in their consumption of
those beverages. We have cut the third
stack of corned beef, of bread and
cake. We have emptied one pickle jar,
and I am groping down cellar after a
second; for one cadaverous woman, in a
blue and green gingham dress, seems to
FUNERALS IN PENNSYLVANIA AND MASSACHUSETTS— A CONTRAST
483
subsist on pickles, and is very arbitrary
in her remarks to me concerning those
relishes. She appears to think that, in
some mysterious way, I am responsible
for the fact that there is a whitish mould
on some of these preserved cucumbers.
When I hand her the dish a third time,
she says in a husky whisper ; 'There
ought to a' been baked beans. Why
didn't ye see to it? Hand me thim
cakes. Ain't there no beans in the
house?' 'I saw a bushel of raw beans
in the shed', I cannot help saying. She
tossed her head pointed to her cup and
said 'Tea'.
"I hurried off cravenly to obey her.
We washed dishes furiously between
whiles, so that the supper might not fail.
After the first tablefull had been fed,
I ran down cellar for more pies. I fell
against a woman in checkered gingham,
who was leisurely looking about. Prob-
ably she was convincing herself that
really there were no beans.
" 'It's a good suller', she said calmly.
T allers did want to see Miss Ewell's
suller. She says it don't freeze; but I
don't know about that. How much
pork hev they got pu' down?' I did not
answer her; I may have laughed in her
face. She seemed thoroughly contempt-
ible.
"Mounting the stairs with three tiers
of pies in each hand, whom should I
meet but the new-made widow. She
caught hold of my sleeve, and asked ex-
citedly: 'Whar's that Miss Skiles? I
knew she was a pryin' ! Jes git her out of
there'. I left Mrs. Ewell Hurriedly de-
scending the stair. How the encounter
ended I never knew.
The afternoon wore away in melting
heat and increasing work. At last the
slow-motioned men brought round their
horses and covered wagons, those big
carriages that, in childhood, we used to
call bedrooms. Deliberately the women
mounted into the vehicles and were car-
ried off. Exhausted, faint, not having
had time to eat a morsel, we walked
homeward, accompanied by Nancy Hol-
land, who, though unable to leave
Robert, had yet remained to the last
minute.
"T don't think Miss Ewell she took
it very hard', said Nancy her head bob-
bing up and down in her earnestness. '!
watched her all through the remarks an'
the prayer, and, ef you'll believe it, she
never cried a drop. She jes' sut still, 1
declare, I should a' thought she'd a'
cried a little.'
"This is one of the funerals where we
were waiters."
So far this account of a funeral in
Massachusetts. A few comments may
not be out of place.
First of all we find that human nature
is pretty much the same the world over.
It does not matter very much whether It
is found in what Rev. Hoover desig-
nates a Pennsylvania Dutchman, or in
a Puritan or New England Yankee,
whom he seems to admire very much.
Whether the Rev. Wm. H'eimer's devo-
tion to the good things of the table, or
the Yankee preacher's fondness for
strong tea, is to be commended the
more, or whether both are alike despic-
able, we shall not attempt to argue. But
to us it seems, as if neither were justi-
fied in condemning the other.
Perhaps it might be regarded as un-
fortunate, that frequently the most ex-
pressive words of a language have no
full equivalent in another. In English
we only have the words gluttony and
drunkenness, when we wish to say that
a man eats or drinks to excess or in a
beastly manner. But the German has
two very expressive words: "Fressen"
and "Sauffen", which say infinitely
more. They are not only applied to the
one who indulges his appetite to an im-
measurable degree, but they also de-
scribe the manner in which he partakes
of his food and drink. According to the
general acceptation of the terms, tinw-
are applied also to the one who gulps
his food and drinks, although the qua ci-
tify may not be an immoderate one. it
is even applied to the one who shows too
great a fondness, or enjoyment in these
things. In fact the terms are applied to
the manner in which the animal proceeds
THE PEXXSYLVAXIA-GERMAN
in these acts. In any event the horse
and cow always "fress" and "saui".
They never "ess", or "trink".
But the truth seems to be, that apart
from all these considerations, there is
more of heathenism, i. e., of its spirit in
the customs described, than there is of
Christianity. The example of King
David, indeed, is sometimes eited in jus-
tification of some of these customs.
But a careful consideration of the inci-
dent recorded, would convince almost
any fair-minded person, that it is not a
parallel case. For, in must of these in-
stances, there is not only eating but even
feasting, by persons not in any way in-
volved and the whole service, including
the singing and the preaching, is intend-
ed only and entirely to eulogize the
dead. And whilst it certainly is not a-
miss for people to show respect for
their dead, it is hardly proper to act as
if we never thought of anything else
but the dead and their dust. Would it
be too much to suggest that while these
things might seem eminently appro-
priate at the funeral of a citizen of an-
cient Rome, or of Athens, and might
possibly even he excused among the in-
habitants of Judea, they hardly seem
befitting those who profess themselves
Christians.
But it would almost seem as if the
customs of society, the customs of social
life, whether in the case of funerals or
other matters, generally have a tendency
to tone down rather than elevate the
moral standard. They seem, almost al-
ways to raise the material, and some-
times even the sensual above the spirit-
ual and the divine. Feeding, clothing
and decking the body seem to be treated
as of far greater importance, than the
development of the intellect, or the pro-
motion of morality and decency.
These aberrations, abuses, and even
vices of social life are therefore trace-
able not so much to a particular class or
race either to the ( ierman or Puritan
stock, as they are the result of the uni-
versal tendency of mankind to exalt and
minister t<> the lower, bodily, or even
animal desires, rather than to foster the
higher, spiritual and moral tendencies.
It is hardly necessary to notice at
length the Mings which F. T. Hoover
continually makes, at Pennsylvania
Dutchmen as he calls them, because of
their alleged great superstition and be-
lief in "spooks", ghosts, hobgoblins and
witches, with which his work abounds.
We will say nothing about the old saw
which condemns the bird for befouling
its own nest. But there is one thing we
may be allowed to say, viz.: that while
no doubt some of the more ignorant of
our people are credulous enough to be-
lieve in things of this kind, the great
mass give very little heed to them and
the larger portion of the more intelli-
gent, treat them all with deserved con-
tempt. Besides all this it is a known
fact that in the Hanovers and in Pax-
tang. Dauphin County originally settled
by the Scotch-Irish as well as in Lon-
donderry and Derry, whose original
inhabitants were largely of the same
class, you can hear as many stories of
witches riding on broomsticks, crawling
through keyholes and torturing poor
cows as well as lazy and over-fed men,
as can be found in any region of equal
extent in the whole United States. In
addition to all this, we hope we will not
be considered unkind, if we recall the
fact, that while some of our people may
still cling to some of these foolish su-
perstitions, they never harmed any one
else on account of them. In New Eng-
land these people became demons
through them and pursued the poor un-
fortunates with lire and sword. It will
hardly be necessary to point out the
coarser features of that New England
funeral. What could well be coarser,
more at variance with all true refine-
ment, and even common decency, than
the conduct of one of those enjoying the
family's hospitality, sneaking into the
cellar to find out how the family arrang-
ed and managed that private depart-
ment. Yet this happened in enlightened
and cultured Massachusetts. Pennsyl-
vania Dutchmen are too unsophisticated
(and so are the women) to attempt any-
thing of the sort. They would not un-
dertake it. because they could not con-
jecture what might happen to them un-
FUNERALS IN PENNSYLVANIA AND MASSACHUSETTS— A CONTRAST
18E
der those circumstances. In fact, in
benighted Pennsylvania, the conse-
quences might he very unpleasant and
even serious.
A word about the short prayers and
long sausages. It may not he possible to
say who originated the expresssion. Hut
at the time the events described by Row
Hoover transpired, it was a man who
had at one time been a Reformed
preacher that took every occasion of-
fered him to repeat what he seemed to
regard as a witticism: "Kuerzera Geb-
bete und laengere Brotwersht". But his
church ( denomination ) had long since
disowned him and treated him as he de-
served to be treated — as a vagabond
preacher.
About this description of marriage or
wedding customs we should not say any-
thing at all, if he had not made an effort
to saddle an abuse connected with them
upon the Pennsylvania Dutchmen, in-
stead of referring it to its proper source,
it being a foreign importation, coming as
it evidently did, from Europe to Can-
ada.
The Charivari, at least 1200 years old,
was at first intended to express possibly
deserved contempt for an old man, who
married a very young woman, better
fitted to stand in the relation of a grand-
daughter than that of a wife, — for al-
irost any altogether unsuitable marriage
when an aged party married a third,
or fourth or even fifth time, — and some-
times, especially that of a handsome
hardened villain to a "soiled dove,'
cases of a similar kind.
As usual with matters of this kind it
became worse and worse, until the au-
thorities, both of the church and of the
state, tried to suppress, Inn evidently
failed, as it survived.
It was transferred to Canada and 0
Louisiana and finally spread over the *
larger part of the entire country.
And while this is bad enough, it still
is not as destructive of all regard for the
sacredness of marriage, as the rough
horseplay, so frequently connected with
occasions of this kind, which has also
reached us from the enlightened sec-
tions of the northeast, e. g., capturing
the parties, applying all manner of outre
decorations, caging them like wild beasts
and similar pranks, which are calculated
to make marriage appear as an every-
day "fool's parade", instead of a solemn
act involving the welfare of the con-
tracting parties for time and eternity.
Germans in the Civil War
Es wird ganz treffend angefuehrt,
dasz waehrend sich die eingeborenen
Amerikaner in zwei feindliche Heer-
lager spalteten, die Deutschen im Lande
nur auf der Seite der Union standen.
Und dieses Faktum sollten sich jene
verbissenen . Angloamerikaner. die sich
einbilden, hochnasig auf das Deutsch-
thum herabblicken zu koennen, hinter
die Ohren schreiben. Auch die "sueszen
Bengel," die noch nicht hinter den
Ohren trocken sind und sich ihrer
deutschen Herkunft, sowie ihrer Mut-
tersprache schaemen. sollten sich dies zu
Herzen nehmen.
The foregoing words occur in a review
of Kaufi'man's "Die Deutschen im
Amerikanischen Burgerkriege" which
appeared in the Allentown Friedensbote
of August 191 1.
186
Augustine Herman
UGUSTINE Herman was of
( ierman nationality and
was born at Prague, Bo-
henna. [621. The year of
his birth is erroneously
given by others as 1605.
But in his last will, written
September 27th, 1684, sub-
scribing his name, lie gives his age as
follows: "Augustine Herman, Bohemian,
aetatis 63." The time of his arrival in
America can only be approximately esti-
mated. What we can say with certainty
1 is that he lived sometime in Amsterdam,
Holland, and in the service of the Dutch-
Westindia Company arrived at New
Amsterdam ( Xew York). Here he soon
gained a reputation in political affairs,
although in a contemporary register of
citizens he is classified as belonging to'
the second or smaller citizen-class. When
the Dutch colonists on the Hudson
despatched nine delegates to Holland to
complain against the Governor and the
above named Company, Herman was
one of the nine men. He never reached
Holland, however, but married in 1650
Janekin Verlett, the sister of a wealthy
merchant and a relative of Governor
Stuyvesant.
Herman made common cause with the
discontented colonists and thus incurred
the hostility of Stuyvesant; the autocrat
even cast him into prison as a traitor.
Yet in the course of time circumstances
must have brought the two into friendly
relations again, for in 1659 we find Her-
man as Stuyvesant's Ambassador to
Governor Fendallof Maryland. A
dispute had arisen concerning the Dutch
Colony on the Delaware. Captain Utie
had in brutal language declared that a
part of the colony in question belonged
to Maryland, and he demanded with
threats of the alarmed colonists, that
they should either leave the district or
subject themselves to the authority of
Maryland. Stuyvesant accordingly sent
a military expedition to the Delaware
with strict orders to seize Utie as a spy.
But when the 1 hitch arrived there, Utie
had repaired to a safe place, having gone
hack in time to Patuxent. Notwithstand-
ing the failure of his military expedition,
Stuyvesant hoped to accomplish his pur-
pose by sending an embassy. But the
negotiation conducted by his delegates
failed also to lead to an agreement ; this
however, must not surprise us, since in
the council, which had to decide the mat-
ter, the same Utie, who was the real
originator of the whole trouble, was
sitting as a member.
This wras on October the 6th, 1659.
After the delegates had been answered
by a refusal, Herman instructed his col-
legue Resolved, (or Rosevelt) Waldron
to return to New Amsterdam and to
deliver there the unpleasant message,
whilst he went to Virginia, pretending to
ask the advice of the Governor of Vir-
ginia, as to how an agreement between
the Hollanders and Marylanders could
be arrived at.. But in reality he seems to
have become utterly tired of living
among the heavy and sluggish Mynheers
on the Hudson and desirous of acquiring
a new homestead.
After visiting George Hack, his
brother-in-law at Accomacke, he re-
turned to Maryland in the Spring of
t66o and decided to settle there.
He was documented as a Denizen
already on January 14th, 1660, but his
naturalization dates from September
17th, 1663, and was ordered by an act of
the Upper House of Maryland, the fol-
lowing being a literal copy of the docu-
ment :
"Then was read the pet'n of Augustyne
Herman for an Act of Naturalization for
himselfe, children, and his brother-in-lawe
George Hack. — ■ — Ordered likewise that an
Act of Naturalization be prepared for
Augustyne Herman and his children and his
brother-in-lawe, George Hack, and his wife
and children."
Besides this there is extant a notice
under date of 1666, which declares that
the naturalization of Herman was
affirmed. This circumstantiality is ex-
plained by the fact that Herman was
afraid of being claimed by the Dutch as
AUGUSTINE HERMAN
487
a subject of theirs; and we may well
believe that he never returned to New
York as long as that place was a Dutch
Colony.
A legend that has long been in circu-
lation in the upper part of Cecil County,
however, seems to point to the contrary.
After having settled in Maryland, Her-
man is said to have returned to New
York to arrange his affairs, but for some
unknown cause was soon imprisoned. In
order to gain an opportunity for escape
he feigned madness, and begged to be
allowed the company of his horse, a fine
gray charger. This peculiar petition was
granted ; but no sooner had the horse
been brought to him than he mounted
and took his way through the windows
of the prison, twenty feet from the
ground. Closely pursued by his enemies
he reached New Castle on the Delaware.
The horse swam the river with his rider
and died from over-exertion after he
had brought his master insecurity to the
further shore.
This legend may be based upon a real
occurrence, for Herman possessed a
painting, commemorating a similar event.
Of this picture two copies are yet extant.
These very disputes about the Colony
on the Delaware had taught Herman
how valuable a good map, comprising the
whole section of the Delaware and
Chesapeake bays, would be. He offered
his services to Lord Baltimore to make
a map of the colony, if His Lordship
would grant him a certain amount of
land with the privilege of a manor. Lord
Baltimore gladly accepted the offer and
in a letter of September 18th, 1660, he
instructed his Governor to assign to
Herman 4000 acres of land.
Herman was now entitled to select the
land where he deemed best ; the only
stipulation being that it should not com-
prise tracts which had already been sur-
veyed for other colonists. This he care-
fully avoided. He chose his land on the
Elk River, where scarcely the foot of a
white man had even trod. There the
silence of the dense primeval forest was
disturbed only by the music of nature :
the sigh of the wind, and the lively call
of the wippurwill or mocking bird and
the rustle of the dry leaves under the
foot of the roe or bear. Unmolested by
the plough and the axe of the white
settlers, there yet stood the wigwam of
the red man, and the chief with his
warriors held council about the next
deerhunt. The land belonged to the wild
and warlike tribe of the Susquehannocks,
and, at it was dangerous to wander with-
in their domain, the 4000 acres were
superficially estimated, and Herman was
left to come to an understanding with
the savages. But Herman on his voyage
as Ambassador had already taken a view
of the land and had probably even
smoked the peace pipe with the chief of
the Susquehannocks.
In the early days of 1661 he started
for his intended new homestead and on
January 14th bought from the Indians
the whole complex lying east of the
upper part of the Chesapeake Bay. After
the conclusion of his treaty with the
Indians, Herman communicated his sur-
cess to Lord Baltimore, who was highly
pleased with the intelligence and pro-
mised Herman in a letter of September
1 8th, 1661, every privilege he should
need ; His Lordship having understood
the communication as though it were the
intention of his new vassal to build a
town, he decided as a special favor that
the place should be called Cecilton, and
the country around it Cecil County. But
this was far from Herman's purpose: he
rather wished to keep his Manor soli-
tary, and like the barons in Europe, to
make his life as independent and dis-
tinguished as possible.
Though Lord Baltimore was some-
what disappointed in his expectation, yet
from the above named letter originates
the formation and name of Cecil
County. Herman planted his new home
in the forest wilderness, and having
things settled fairly, he betook himself
to the work of making the promised map
of Maryland.
About this time must have occurred
the death of his wife, his Janekin ; for
in the act of his naturalization all the
members of his family are mentioned,
except Mrs. Herman, which would not
have been the case if she had been still
INS
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
living at that time. The name of Mrs.
Herman is likewise still missing in the
first will of Herman, made May 24th,
[661 ; and a disposition concerning his
grave and burial, dated [665, gives un-
disputable evidence that Herman was a
widower at that time; he wrote:
"I do appoinl my burial and sepulcher if
1 die in this Bay or in Delaware, to be in
Bohemia Manor in mj garden by my wife
Johanna Varlett's and thai a great sepulcher
stone shall be errected upon our graves
three feel above ground like unto a table
with engraven letters, that I am the first
seater and beginner of Bohemia Manor, A.
D. 1660 and died "
While at work on his map, Herman
was chosen Representative of Baltimore
County to the General Assembly. This
is shown by a resolution of that body in
the month of October 1663. There was
ordered :
"That every County shall satisfye unto
their Representative Burgesses All their
necessary Expenses for meate, drinke and
lodging for thmselves and charges of Boate
and hands for this ensuing crop, as also
one hundred pounds of Tobacco unto
Lieutenant Coll. Jarboe one thousand
pounds of Tobacco to Mr. Augustyne Her-
man."
In a comparatviely short time Herman
was able to complete his map of Mary-
land. Besides the territory now included
in that State, it comprised also the whole
section between North Carolina and the
Hudson River. After the fashion of the
time he embellished the map with his
own portrait. This picture is the only
one we possess and has been published in
several historical works. The map, al-
though in some respects deficient, was a
fine specimen of workmanship and
obtained ample recognition and praise.
In 1670 he sent his proud work to
Lord Baltimore, wdio was at that time
residing at London, England. In a letter
accompanying the map he stated that in
addition to his own labor he had incurred
about 200 pounds Sterling expenses, but
history is silent as to whether he ever
received any further compensation. In
a flattering letter addressed to him, how-
ever, it was stated :
"That His Lordship had received no small
Satisfaction by the variety of that mapp,
and that the Kings .Majesty, His Royall
Highness, and all others commended the
exactness of the work, applauding it for the
best mapp, that ever was drawn of any
count 1 v."
Herman had gained a prominent posi-
tion in the political affairs of the Colony.
It has been previously mentioned that the
first prison for the accommodation of
fugitives and runaways was erect'
his plantation. He also rilled the office
of a sheriff in Baltimore County. Under
date of March 6th, [669, we find among
the proceedings of the General Assembly
the following passage:
"Upon reading of the Act preventing
Servants and Criminal persons from run-
ning out of this province, the House thought
fit to add this Provisoe in it: Providing
always that til Seals from each Several and
respective County Court Can be had to seal
passes As is aforesaid, that all pases sealed
with the Seal of Augustine Herman, afore-
said and signed by him, which he is hereby
authorized, from time to time to sign and
seal for the fee of one Shilling for each
pass."
Further on July 4th, 1665, he was
swrorn in as one of the Lieutenants who
were to be at the disposal of Captain
Sibrey, Commissioner of public security.
In building the "logg house prison"
and in keeping prisoners he believed
himself to have lost money ( that is to
say tobacco) and in a "remonstrance"
of the 8th of April, 1671, he petitioned
for a further subvention by the Govern-
ment. He did not succeed, however, for
the Lower House resolved as follows :
"This house having perused this Remon-
strance and demanded An Account of
Augustyne Herman for 10,000 lbs. tobco.
raised by Act, and what tobco. he hatt re-
ceived of and for Prisoners and he having
sent the same as inclosed: This House not
being therewith Satisfyed have thrown the
same out of this house as not conceiving
the Remonstrance or the Proposals herein
necessary ore reasonable. They judging
his Prison a Charge to the County."
This resolution was submitted to the
Upper House, which quite naturally
approved it. leaving Herman to come to
an understanding with the county
authorities of Baltimore County.
It would appear that in all Herman
did for the public good, he acted upon
AUGUSTINE HERMAN
189
the principle of looking out first for his
own welfare, and in the administration
of his office as County Commissioner he
was never over-scrupulous. Some years
after the affair of the "Remonstrance"
he became involved in a far more serious
case, which was brought before the
Legislature on May 19th, 1670. On that
• late a certain Air. Frisbe appeared be-
fore the Lower House as plaintiff
against the County Commissioners of
Cecil County. From the decision then
made by the House we may learn the
nature of the complaint. Ths is the pur-
port of it :
"This House upon full examination of the
business between Mr. Frisbe and the County
Commissioners of Cecill County are of
Opinion that Augustine Herman, Abraham
Wilde and Henry Ward are guilty of a Ryott
in cutting Mr. Frisbe's Timber off his Land
by force and under Collour of authority."
This decision was sent to the Upper
House for approval, which on the same
■day issued the following order :
"That the papers between Mr. Frisbe and
Mr. Harman etc. be Sent to the Attorney
Gen'll, and that an Indictment be by him
drawne Upon the Same.''
The weak side in Herman's nature was
•evidently a too great eagerness to accu-
mulate earthly possessions. In the course
of time he had brought his holdings of
land in Cecil County to nearly 20,000
acres ; besides this he owned land in
New York. (A parcel near the Bowery
was called long afterwards "Herman's
Orchard.") This vast amount of land
caused him endless troubles and dis-
agreeable suits at law. On one occasion
he ascertained that a piece of land trans-
ferred to him was swampy and unfit for
cultivation ; and again that a tract was
not as extensive as his titles indicated,
and that he accordingly was overtaxed.
Thus, new titles had to be made out, or
the old ones amended. And finally it
occurred that other colonists came and
settled on his land, obstinately refusing
to acknowledge his ownership. There is
especially one case, which deserves men-
tion. A certain Browning insolently
claimed 1400 acres of Herman's land as
belonging to him. Naturally the matter
had to be brought before the court. But
the old Patriarch, lving sick and weak at
home, was unable to undertake the jour-
ney to Patuxent in order to present his
case personally. So he put down his
complaint, and credulously entrusted the
delivery of the paper to the very same
Browning, against whom it was directed.
Browning did nevertheless actuall) de-
liver it, but intercepted the answer which
Governor Hewellin bad written for tier-
man and disappeared somewhere in
Virginia. During the summer Herman
recovered from bis illness sufficiently to
be able to risk the journey to Patuxent.
Arriving there, he was greatly surprised
at learning that his affairs bad been long
ago settled. To make things sure.
Governor Hewellin issued the following
proclamation :
"Whereas John Browning of Bohemia
with George Holland have privately and
secretly shared and surveyed thirteen or
fourteen hundred Acres of Land out of Her-
man's Bohemia River Middle Neck with
intend to snip also Quantity out of the
Manor itself under false, deluding pretence
and colour:
There are therefore to warn and fore-
warne every one whom it may concern, not
to buy or to meddle with the said Land, for
that Augustine Herman shall maintaine
and make appeare that both the said tracts
of Land are to him a proper gift of and
from the Rt Honor'bl Lord Proprietor (for
making the Mapp of Maryland) of about
twenty years standing and ever since con-
firmed."
"EVERY ONE BEWARE OF A CHEATE."
But Herman was not at all sat i sfied
with this proclamation and would not
return to Bohemia Manor until an
entirely new title had been made out for
him.
The dispute between the Hollanders
and Marylanders for the possession of
the Dutch colony on the Delaware, in the
course of which Herman had come to
Maryland as Ambassador, had not yet
been decided. At this point James II.
of England brought the quarrel to a
summary close with one stroke of the
pen by donating to bis brother, the Duke
of York, the whole district between the
Connecticut and the Delaware.
Stuyvesant may have been angry with
his Ambassador Herman, because the
latter had not exercised more energy and
perseverance in defending the cause of
490
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
the 1 Hitch: what good was it for? On
September the 8th, [664, Stuyvesant
was himself obliged to surrender New
Amsterdam ingloriously to the British,
because his mutinous and sluggish Hol-
landers refused to fight.
In the meanwhile new quarrels had
ari>en. this time concerning the bound-
ary between Maryland and Pennsyl-
vania, and in these also Herman in his
old days became involved. His house
was designated as a meeting place where
the negotiations between Lord Baltimore
and Governor Markham of Pennsylvania
should take place. In the Spring of 1682
the first meeting was to be held, but as
Lord Baltimore was having trouble with
his own obstinate colonists and the
hostile Virginians, he sent commission-
ers in his stead. Owing to Markham's
double dealing and his failure to appear,
no agreement could be arrived at. In
the Fall of the same year Lord Balti-
more was twice at Bohemia Manor and
on both occasions he was disappointed
by the Quaker Markham. Thus the
regulation of the boundary between the
two colonies had to remain for the
present unsettled.
After these visits of Lord Baltimore
to Bohemia Manor, Herman meddled no
further with public affairs. The evening
of his life was now approaching, but by
no means an unclouded and peaceable
one, such as he might seem to have de-
served after a life so full of action and
rich in experience. Domestic cares and
troubles darkened the evening-sky of his
life. According to a report of the La-
badist Jasper Danker (Schilders), he
had after the death of his first wife mar-
ried an English woman. Although a
second marriage of Herman can not be
proved by any official record, yet the
acc< >unt of Danker deserves full credit,
as it is based upon personal acquaintance
and observation. Danker mentions twice
this second wife, and, according to him,
she most have been an extremely wicked
person, a regular "hose Sieben."
( Mi page 105 1 English translation by
Murphy) of the journal he writes: "His
(Herman's) plantation was going much
into decay, as well as his body for want
of attention. There was not a Christian
man, as they term it, to serve him ;
nobody but negroes. All this was in-
creased by a miserable, doubly miserably
wife, but so miserable, that I will not
relate here. All his children have been
compelled on her account to leave their
father's house. He spoke to us of his
land and said he would never sell or hire'
to Englishmen, but would sell it to us
cheap, if we were inclined to buy," etc.
This entry in the journal dates from
the 3rd of December, 1679, when Danker
first became acquainted with Herman.
Mrs. Herman had very probably favored
the Labadists with a stormy reception.
But Augustine Herman also receives his
share from the pious Danker. On page
230 of the journal of December 26th we
read :
"Ephrain Hermans is the oldest child of
Augustine Herman; there are living two
brothers and three sisters, one of whom
resides now at Amsterdam. They are all of
a Dutch mother, after whose death their
father married an English woman, who is
the most artful and despicable creature that
can be found. He is a very godless person,
and his wife, by her wickedness, has com-
pelled all these children to leave their
fathers' house and live elsewhere."'
These "eulogies" must not surprise us
and can hardly be taken as according
with the facts ; for Danker in his journal
seems to consider all people wicked, who
showed no inclination to embrace the
doctrines of the Labadists. Those who
did are praised as pious, godly, tender-
hearted, etc.
Mr. and Mrs. Herman were among the
former class, and therefore had to sub-
mit to be thus censured. Indeed, the
very worst of the evils that befell the
old Magnate on the Bohemian River,
came in the train of the Labadists with
their intrigues and machinations.
It had always been the proud endeavor
and favorite wish of Herman to be the
founder of a new Noblefamily. which
through his oldest son Ephraim should
be linked to coming generations. But
herein he had to experience the bitterest
disappointment of his life. Shortly after
his marriage to Elizabeth van Roden-
burgh, Ephraim had met Danker and
AUGUSTINE HERMAN
491
Sluyter in New York, and in their com-
pany brought his young wife to New
Castle, where he was at that time clerk
of the Court. He and his wife were
soon caught by the cunning Sluyter for
the Labadist sect ; and by the aid of
Ephraim these intruders succeeded in
obtaining almost 2000 acres of Herman's
best land.
Herman found out too late with whom
he had been dealing; event the Court, to
which he applied in the matter, decided
against him. In 1684 he made his last
will, and the affixed codicil shows clearly
his sentiment towards the Labadists ; he
wrote :
"Whereas my eldest Son Ephraim Herman
on the other side above named, hath en-
gaged himself deeply unto the labady fac-
tion and Religion, seeking to persuade and
entice his brother Casparus and Sisters to
incline thereunto alsoe, whereby itt is upon
good ground suspected that they will prove
noe true executors of this my last will "
Herman's apprehensions that his
whole possession might fall to the La-
badists were well founded ; he according-
ly directed in the codicil, that after his
death the Court should appoint three
persons, wdiose duty it should be to
attend to the lawful execution of his
will. This codicil, however, was declared
void, having been subscribed to by five
men who were no free citizens and
therefore could not take a legal oath.
This will was opened August 10th,
1686.
In accordance with the confused ideas
of the Labadists concerning married life,
the weak-minded Ephraim abandoned
his wife, though he had had two children
by her. He is said, however, to have
repented later on and to have returned
to his wife ; but his fate was an almost
literal fulfillment of his father's course,
that he should not survive his adherence
to the sect for two years ; for he soon
fell sick, lost his mind and finally died
in 1689.
Thus ended the "Second Lord of Bo-
hemia Manor," three years after the first
Lord-Pioneer Augustine Herman had
been freed from all Labadist and terres-
trial evils. Of a third Lord of Bohemia
Manor the history of Maryland knows
nothing.
From the Fifteenth Animal Report of
the Society for the History of the Ger-
mans in Maryland, 1900-1901.
The Labadists were followers of Jean
dela Badie, a noted Pietist leader (1610-
1674) who taught that "the church is a
communion of holy people who have
been born again from sin ; baptism is the
sign and seal of this regeneration and is
to be administered only to believers ; the
Holy Spirit guides the regenerate into
all truth, and the church possesses
throughout all time those gifts of proph-
ecy which it had in ancient days ; the
community at Jerusalem is the continual
type of every Christian congregation,
therefore there should be a community
of goods, the disciples should live to-
gether, eat together, dance together ;
marriage is a holy ordinance between
two believers and the children of the re-
generate are born without original sin;
marriage with an unregenerate person is
not bindingr."
492
The Study of History
By Georg von Bosse
IK school is a source
whence Mows the education
of man. The fundamental
branches arc Reading.
Writing and Arthmetic ;
-^Hyy! almost as important as the
*-^ i| former are Geography and
History. Not all branches
arc of like interest to every pupil; one
gives preference to this branch, another
has predilection for that one. The main
factor in studying is the teacher; if he is
an instructor of ability, one who under-
stands it well to teach a certain branch
in such a manner as to make it interest-
ing and thereby arouse the interest of the
pupil.
Fr< im youth up I had a great predi-
lection for History which was caused
partly by my teacher, who understood
thoroughly how to teach history intelli-
gently and with spirit, and whose main
aim was not merely to cramp our heads
with dry figures and facts. The charac-
teristics of certain periods, nations and
individuals and their development — this
it was what he presented to us and what
captured our fancy.
When more than twenty years ago I
landed on the shores of America to
serve my German brethren in faith as
minister, my occupation in my free and
quiet hours was the study of our great
country and its people, because if any-
one wants to understand both, learn to
esteem and love them and in the course
of time become an active citizen of the
country, then he must know the history
of the country and its people.
Every good citizen can only approve
of it that immigrants who want to be-
come citizens of this country are
required to know the principal facts of
our people and its government.
In comparison with the history of the
civilized nations of the old world that of
our country does not cover a great space
of time, and yet it is as eventful and
interesting, probably more so, as that of
any other nation, because our country
and its people have had a development
as no other country on the globe. Here
something entirely new was created.
Subjects of nearly all civilized nations
of the old world sought and found a
home in this free country, and with all
their peculiarities, which in many in-
stances they guarded and retained, yet
all joined to form a great nation, and
an entirely new race of mankind was the
result of such a union, and that was
"America." Consequently a new lan-
guage should have been chosen; but this
was not done for political reasons. Any
of the European languages might have
been adopted, for instance French or
German. This too was not done and the
language of that nation from which the
thirteen colonies declared themselves
free and independent by the adoption of
the Declaration of Independence was
retained and consequently the American
nation became an English speaking
nation. Although the English language
has been chosen as the language of our
country, and the American people are a
nation with marked characteristics,
nevertheless it can be stated that every
American retains some qualities of his
forefathers, and even if he is not of
English descent, he will take great care
of the language of his ancestors.
In regard to this, our country, called
the ''land of the free," does not deprive
any one of this privilege as long as he
does his duty towards the laws of the
state. The state does not require at all
that the immigrant should give up his
character and language entirely, as is
done only by the "Knownothings," it
does not interfere with the rights of par-
ents and is satisfied if they can send their
children to parochial schools instead of
the public schools ; it does not concern
itself as to whether the gospel is
preached in English, German, Swedish
or in any other language, as to whether
children are educated in English or Ger-
man Sundav Schools.
THE STUDY OF HISTORY
493
This is without question something
great. And the state fares well in this
situation. Notwithstanding its great
benevolence, it is a master in uniting all
these different people into one great body
and to Americanize them. But to Amer-
icanize the immigrant does not mean for
him to give up his mother-tongue, in case
he is not of English descent, it does not
mean to give up his character entirely,
but it means to study the English lan-
guage thoroughly, to become acquainted
with the great men and facts of our great
"American Republic" and to help along
as much as possible that the country may
be developed more and more, and that
in the national character, still being in
formation and unfolding, he may show
the good peculiarities that distinguish
him and his comrades from the same
descent.
Besides the "History" of the United
States and its people every American of
foreign descent should study the history
of the country of his forefathers, and
imitate where they were helpful in the
building up of our country ; he owes that
to his ancestors and to himself.
This point of view brought me to the
study of "German-American History,"
or the "History of the Germans in
America."
The more I searched the history of the
Germans in the United States the more
I was astonished at the great accomplish-
ments of the Germans in all branches ;
at the same time I also became indignant,
because so very little is known of their
achievements. Most of the historical
works of the United States do not ap-
preciate the merits of the German
elements of our country, and most text
books used in our public schools contain
practically nothing about the merits of
the Germans.
A German-American historical inquiry
was lately made that has accomplished
much in this respect ; but it is a pity that
books and periodicals, containing the
results, are written for the greatest part
in the German language, and are there-
fore accessible mostly only to German
societies and there again only1 to a certain
class of individuals.
Above all things, to make the German
achievements in this country accessible
to circles far and wide, the English
speaking included, and to awake and
further their interest, it is highly neces-
sary that we should have a regular peri-
odical published in the English language,
conducted in German spirit, written by
men that love the German race, and
containing the achievements of the Ger-
mans and their descendants in our
country for our country.
We advocate this not for the purpose
of amusement and sport, not for the dis-
cussion of social and political questions
— we have daily papers for that purpose
— but because the matter in question is
the most interesting and withal the most
necessary in the sphere of human
science ; what can be more interesting
and more necessary than the study of
the "History of the World," and particu-
larly that of the country and its people
to which we belong. Without knowledge
of the history of a country and its people
there is no comprehension of the mani-
fold development and pursuits of the
country and its inhabitants and without
such understanding there is no true
patriotism.
It is our intention to furnish a series
of essays hereafter depicting the Ger-
man-American as farmer, laborer, busi-
ness man, soldier, politician, cherisher of
music and song, gymnast, church mem-
ber, etc., and will try to point out what
benefit our country and what influence
our people have experienced by his
individual character.
194
Early Berks County Tombstone Inscriptions
By Louis Richards, Esq., Reading, Pa.
Pres. Berks County Historical Society
ROBESON
Robeson Church, near Plough TaTern
Jacobs, Thomas, b. 1"> Nov. 1779; d. 10
.March 1843; 63 y. 3 in. 23 d.
Jacobs, Elizabeth, wife of same, b. 9 April
L786; <1. 5 Nov. L842; 51 y. 6 in. 26 d.
Donennauer, Christian, b. 22 Jan. 1758; d.
16 April L835; 77 v. 2 in. 24 d.
Ivini:, Jacob, 1). 22 Sept. 1756; d. 22 Oct.
»; 93 \. 1 m.
Wicklein, Jacob, son of Adam and Catha-
rine Wicklein, b. Jan. 19, 1775; d. 29 Sept.
1826; 51 y. 8 m. 1 d.
K linger, Peter, b. 11 Aug. 1774; d. 12
Sept. 1844: 70 y. 1 m. 1 d.
Stuart. Margaret, wife of James Stuart, b.
8 Aug. L760; d. 23 Jan. 1838; 77 y. 5 m. 15 d.
Roman, Maria Catharina, b. 7 .March 1732;
m (1) Johannes Homan. 7 children (2)
Jacob Werth, 3 children; d. 26 Feb. 1815;
82 y. 11 m. 19 d.
VToliin. Mary, d. 4 June 1775.
ROCKLAND
Drysville Church, Stony Poiut
Danner, Michael, son of Abraham and Eve
Danner. b. 18 Jan. 1770; d. 11 Sept. 1788.
Mertz, Jacob, b. 8 Aug. 1741; d. 9 Nov.
1811; 70 y. 2 m. 21 d.
Catharina, wife of same, b. 22 June 1747;
d. 29 April 1826.
Bauer, .Michael, son of Erhard Bauer, b.
6 Jan. 1729; d. 9 Aug. 1800; 71 y. 7 m. 3 d.
Heffner, Elizabeth, b. 13 Jan. 1736; d.
23 Feb. 1806.
Refiner, Jacob, b. 11 Nov. 1736; d. 31 May
1829; 92 y. 6 m. 20 d.
Meyer, David, Esq., b. 21 Jan. 1777; d. 13
Dec. 1829; 52 y. 8 m. 19 d.
Roth, Matheus, son of Adam and Susanna
Roth, h. 28 Aug. 1765; d. 8 Jan. 1837.
Elizabeth, wife of same, b. 28 March 1766;
d. 2 7 Feb. 1826.
Banner, Abraham, b. Dec. 1741; d. 27 May
L813.
Heist, MelchOir, b. 19 March 1751; d. 2
Jan. 1831.
Baisch, Ernst Ludwig, b. in Phila., Aug.
1. 17s:',: (1. in Uuseombanor, 25 June 1S16.
Tea, Samuel, son of Richard and Hannah
Tea, b. 19 Dec. 1801: d. 2 June 1837.
Schaum, Rev., preacher of Rockland.
Messilim and Andelany: b. 19 Dec. 1721; d.
25 Jan. 1778.
Rl SCOMBM.VNOK
L. and R. Church, Pricetown
Westen, Jacob, b. 5 Jan. 1787; d. 4 Feb.
1867; 80 y. 30 d.
(CONCLUSION)
Levan, Charles. 1). 5 Aug. 1808; d. 26 Oct.
1881: 73 y. 2 m. 21 d.
Levan. .John H., d. 12 April 1878; 73 y. 7
m. 5d.
Hains, Wm. D., b. 2 April 1804; d. 12 Dec.
1867; 63 y. 8 m. 10 d.
Mains. Adam, b. 9 Feb. 1768; d. 23 May
1846; 78 y. 3 m. 4 d.
Margaret, wife of same, d. 13 Oct. 1855;
81 y. 11 m.
Brown, George, b. 14 Dec. 1764; d. 9
March 1845; 80 y. 2 m. 26 d.
Buskirk, Jacob, b. 4 July 1783; d. 17 Aug.
1876; 93 y. 1 m. 13 d.
Rannzahn, Gideon, t>. 28 Jan. 1797; d. 1
April 1868; 71 y. 2 m. 3 d.
Buck. John Jacob, d. 21 Feb. 1870; 79 v.
1 m. 28 d.
Weidner, Barbara, wife of Jonathan Weid-
ner, b. 30 Oct. 1769; d. 29 Dec. 1861; "92 y.
1 m. 29 d.
Schinehl Family Ground
Schtnehl, Conrad, b. 31 Aug. 1754; d. 21
Dec. 1825; 71 y. 3 m. 21 d.
Catharine, wife of same. b. Baum, b. 7
May 1758; d. 12 Sept. 1826; 68 y. 4 m. 5 d.
Danker Meeting House
Catty, Martin, b. 9 May 1742; d. 20 June
1812 ("many years preacher of the Dunk-
ers").
Comber, John Philip, b. 26 May 1764; m.
Catharine Mayer; 3 sons, 6 daughters; d.
29 Sept. 1822; 58 y. 4 m. 3 d. (Jacob Brown
an aged resident, informs that Gomber was
from Germany — that he filled up "tauf-
scheins." and was a rhymster; that he came
to Pricetown on a visit and died there.
Brown also vouched for the fact that Gom-
ber was the author of the "Trauer-Lied" of
Susanna Cox.)
SPRING
Welsh Baptist Ground
Copeland, Eleanor, wife of Isaac Cope-
land, d. 6 Jan. 1792; 54 y.
Copeland, Isaac, d. 11 June 1792; 53 y.
Davis, John, Jr., d. 30 Nov. 1770; 43 y.
Copeland. Isaac, son of Isaac and Eleanor
Copeland, d. 9 June 1800; 19 y.
Davis, Joan, wife of Jonas Davis, d. 1
Sept. 1785: 59 y.
Evans, Sarah., wife of David Evans, d. 8
Nov. 1762; 7S y.
Maria, dan. of Thomas Boyd. d. 18 Mav
1798; 6 m.
Boyd. Mary, d. 18 July 1800; 1 y. 18 d.
Mary, dan. of Thos. and Cath. Bartholo-
mew, d. 2 Oct. 1745; 1 m. 10 d.
EARLY BERKS COUNTY TOMBSTONE INSCRIPTIONS
195
SPRING
Sinking Spring L. and R. Church Ground
Von Bied, Johaim, b. 15 Dec. 1747; d. aged
72 y. 4 m.
Von Bied, Henrietta, b. 1 Jan. 1780; d. 13
July 1826; 46 y. 7 m. 15 d.
Gaul, Johannes, b. in Hermanien in der
Pfaltz, 18 Dec. 1739; d. 2 Feb. 1816; 48 y.
3 m. 28 d.
Marschall, David, b. 28 Dec. 1790; d. 23
Aug. 1865; 74 y. 7 m. 26 d.
Beehtel, Christian, b. 14 Jan. 1752; d. 3
Nov. 1814; 62 y. 9 m. 19 d.
Ruth, Peter, b. 14 Nov. 1764; d. 27 April
1819; 54 y. 5 m. 13 d.
Palm, Dr. William, b. 22 Dec. 1789; d. 7
Dec. 1851; 62 y. less 15 d.
Van Heed, John B., (son of Henry Van
Reed), b. 21 July 1810; d. 8 Aug. 1852.
Van Beed, Anna Maria, wife of Henry Van
Reed, b. 8 Nov. 1778; d. 9 July 1854.
Van Reed, Charles, b. 12 Oct. 1807; d. 23
Feb. 1859; 51 y. 4 m. 11 d.
Van Reed, Margaret, wife of same, b. 10
Feb. 1808; d. 13 Sept. 1868; 60 y. 7 m. 3 d.
Gernand, George, b. 19 July 1771; d. 15
Feb. 1853; 81 y. 6 m. 26 d.
Van Reed, Maria Barbara, wife of same,
b. 10 March 1775; d. 19 Aug. 1852; 77 y. 5
m. 9 d.
Buth, Jonathan, husband of Anne Ger-
nand, b. 3 Sept. 1808; d. 24 Jan. 1880; 71 y.
2 m. 21 d.
Van Beed, Joshua, b. 28 Sept. 1811; d. 20
April 1846; 34 y. 6 m. 22 d.
Van Beed, Johannes, Jr., b. 3 Nov. 1785;
d. 25 July 1823; 37 y.
Addams, William, b. 11 April 1777; d. 30
May 1858; 81 y. 1 m. 22 d.
Addams, Eve, wife of same, and dau. of
John Van Reed, d. 27 Aug. 1826; 44 y. 9 m.
19 d.
Addams, Catharine, wife of William
Addams, 67 y. 4 m. 13 d.
Hill, Johannes, b. 16 March 1759; d. 25
Oct. 1821; 62 y. 6 in. 29 d.
Ludvvig, Jacob, b. 23 Feb. 1761 ; d. 26 Jan.
1813; 51 y. 11 m. 3 d.
Gernand, Christian, b. 7 Oct 1746; d. 5
Feb. 1824; 77 y. 3 m. 28 d.
Dechert, Hanna, dau. of John and De-
borah Dechert, b. 4 June 1795; d. 18 Aug.
1815.
Mayer, Heinrich, b. 19 Dec. 1741; d. 25
Nov. 1820; 78 y. 11 m. 6 d.
Helfenstein, Bev. Charles, b. 29 March
1781; d. 10 Dec. 1842; 61 y. 8 m. 21 d.
Helfenstein, Catharine, wife of same, d. 7
March 1863 in 80th year.
Krick, Franz, b. 6 Nov. 1736; m. Maria, b.
Sponin, 1760; 7 sons, 4 daughters. She
d. 1785; he m. 1787 Catharine, b. Schlegel.
He d. 20 April 1814; 77 y. 5 m. 14 d.
Gernand, Abraham, b. 11 Dec. 1781; d. 5
Jan. 1834; 52 y. 25 d.
Gernand, John, son of John and Barbara
Gernand, b. 17 Sept. 1799; d. 29 May 1862.
Gernand, John, b. 14 Sept. 1773; d. 4 April
1850; 76 \. 6 m. 20 d.
.Miller, Sebastian, b. 3 Nov. 1774; d 20
May 1830; 85 y. 6 m. 17 d.
Ruth, Daniel, b. 25 Oct. 1774; d. 13
1827; 52 y. in m. IS d.
Ruth, Christian, b. 16 Dec. 1729; d. 24
Aug. l ,:i;;: 63 y. 8 m. 8 d.
Stief, PaulttS, b. 25 June 175(1; d. 12 May
1809; 58 y. 10 m. 16 d.
Rullman, Johan Geo., b. 16 Dec. 1756; d.
20 June 1814; 56 y. 6 m. 4 d.
Buy, Johannes, b. Feb. 1751; m. 1786 Mar-
garetta Gernand; d. 25 Jan. 1837; 86 y.
Buy, .Margaret, wife of same, b. 28 March
1766; d. Nov. 1843; 78 y. 8 m.
Feather, Peter, Esq., d. 7 June 1804; 4 4 v.
2 m. 2 w. 2 d.
Feather, Peter, d. 27 Sept. 1801; 76 v. 7
m. 6 d.
Feather, Maria Appolonia, wife of same,
d. 27 Nov. 1801; 71 y. 7 m.
TXLPEBOCKEN
Livingood Family B. Ground, abOTe Win-
ters ville
Lebenguth, Peter, b. 21 March 1763; d. 10
April 1846; 82 y. 11 m. 11 d.
Frantz Family B. Ground, below Millers-
burg
Frantz, Elizabeth, dau. of Matthias
Frantz, b. 27 Oct. 1798; d. 21 April 1810.
Frantz, Mathias, b. 2 Aug. 1769; d. 19
Nov. 1829; 60 y. 3 m. 17 d.
Frantz, Elizabeth, wife of same, b. 31 July
1772; d. 2 July 1852; 79 y. 11 m. 2 .1.
Rebrersbnrg, Lutheran Church
Schlesman, John >*., b. 23 Dec. 1732; d.
Dec. 1817.
Schaeffer, Johan >'., b. 12 April 1751* d
18 Dec. 1812.
Kurr, Jacob, b. 23 Dec. 1750: d. 23 Feb
1815.
Batteicher, Conrad. 1>. I'd). 1765; ,1. II
Jan. 1822.
Hoffman, Daniel, b. 21 Aug. 1748; d. 17
Jan. 1833.
Rohrer, Gottfried, b. 20 April 1760; d. 22
Sept 1823; 5 1 y. 5 m. 2 d.
Tryon, Michael, husband of Elizabeth, b.
Seltzer, b. Aug. l!t. 1761; d. 28 May 1828.
Walborn, Martin, 1>. 12 Nov. 1767; d. 2
Sept. IS 10.
Biehl, John Gottfried, b. 25 Jan. 1765; d.
13 April 1836.
Kurr, Andrew, b. 15 May L813; d. 13 March
1880; 66 y. 9 m. 28 d.
Kurr, Jacob, b. 4 Dec. 1809; d. 16 March
1883; 7.", y. 3 m. 12 d.
Kurr, Elizabeth, wife of same. b. i:> Nov.
1825; d. 20 .lime 1882; 56 y. 7 in. 1 d.
Batdorf, Br. B. L., b. 23 March L824; d.
15 Nov. 1S74.
Emrich, Daniel, b. 14 Oct. 1751; d. 5 Jan.
1S34.
196
THE PKXXSYLVAXIA-GERMAX
Host (lunch
Troutman, Michael, b. 8 .March 1?46; d.
' Nov. L804.
Troutman, Valentine, b. 17 July 1752; a.
L9 \pril is:"-'.
Kalbach, Maria, b. 1 June 1745; d. lb
July L818.
BJegel, John, b. 8 June 1710; d. 9 June
1795
W.ih", Era Catharine, dau. of Geo. and
Anna Maria Wolf, b. 18 April 1749; d. 8
\|.iil is::s; 89 y. less 10 d.
Lingel, .John Jacob, b. 28 Sept. 1760; d. 30
June L808.
Stoy, Wilhelm, preacher, "b. in Nasau-
ischen in Herborn, 14 March 1726, came to
this country in 1742; m. Maria Elizabeth
Xaus, lived with her 44 years, had 9 chil-
dren: d. 14 Sept. 1801; aged 75 y. 6 m."
Stoy, Giistavus, b. 4 Sept. 1768; d. 26 Aug.
1770. '
Weber, John Heinrich, b. 8 May 1735; d.
L0 April 1815; 79 y. 10 m. 1 d.
Leib, Tcter, b. Nov. 1746; d. 22 Dec. 1820;
74 v.
Leho, Christoph, b. 1751; d. 9 June 1826;
75 y.
Troutman, Johan, b. 4 Feb. 1755; d. 2
Dec. 1813.
Derr, John, b. 1755; d. 1831.
Wilhelm, Ph. Jacob, b. 8 Feb. 1764; d. 17
Oct. 1841; 77 y. 8 m. 9 d.
TILPEHOCKEN UPPER
Strausstown Church
Berger, Herbet, b. in Deutschland 10 June
IT::.".; d. 11 Feb. 1815.
Berger, Johan Philip, b. 6 July 1781; d.
1796.
Goodman, Henry, b. May 1743; d. 11 Dec.
L813.
Kantner, Michael, b. 21 March 1761; d. 6
April 1798.
Loose, Conrad, b. 8 Feb. 1753; d. 6 Sept.
1802.
Berger, Ns„ b. 1719; d. 1797; 78 y. 2 m. 1
d.
Berger, Henry, b. Jan. 1723; d. 29 Dec.
1792; 68 v. 11 m. 3 d.
Guthman, Christine, b. 1737; d. 1790.
Hiester, Gabriel, b. 30 Aug. 1795; d. 21
Feb. 1*72; 76 y. 5 m. 21 d.
Hiester, Catharine, wife of same, b.
Em rich. b. 7 Oct. 1794; d. 13 Feb. 1874.
Hiester. Daniel, b. 5 Nov. 1761; d. 16 April
1827; 65 y. 5 m. 11 d.
Seyfcrt, Joseph, d. 15 Jan. 1865 in 65th y.
WASHINGTON
Schwenkfelder Meeting House
Schultz, Christopher (prediger), b. 12 Oct.
1777; ,1. 22 March 1843; 65 y. 5 m. 10 d.
Schultz. George, b. 6 Dec. 1711; d. 30 Oct.
1776; 64 v. in in. 24 d.
Schultz, Maria, b. Yakel, b. 1719; d. 13
Dec. 17!»7; 7S y.
Schultz, Abraham, Sr., b. 3 April 1747; d.
23 Sept L822; 75 y. 8 m. 20 d.
Schultz, Reirina, wife of same, b. 1 Oct.
1749; d. 9 Nov. 1S2G; 77 y. 1 m. 9 d.
Hcyl. Conrad, b. 3 Aug. 1749; d. 25 Sept.
1808; 59 y. 1 m. 3 w.
Schultz. Andreas, b. 29 Jan. 1733; d. 25
Frli. 1802; 49 y. 1 m.
Schultz. Mclchior, b. 24 June 1714; d. 1
Sept. 1787; 73 y 2. m. 8 d.
Yaeckel, Ha It baser, b. in Schlesien 1700;
d. 28 Jan. 1762; 61 y.
Yaeckel, Isaac, b. 3 Nov. 1754; d. 5 Feb.
1830; 75 y. 3 m. 2 d.
Schultz, GregoriOus, d. 25 Feb. 1827; 74 y.
Schultz, Rosina, wife of same, d. 22 Dec.
1819; 67 y. 9 d.
Schultz, Christopher, "b. in Schles, 26
March 1718, in Penna Komen 1734, ver-
ehelicht 9 Oct. 1744, gestorb 9 May 1739."
Schultz. George, "geb. in Schlesin im yahr
1710; d. 21 March 1784; 74 y."
Schultz, Christopher, b. 7 Oct. 1746; d. 10
Sept 1830; 84 y. 27 d.
Schultz, David, b. 10 April 1757, "ver-
ehelicht" 17 May 1781; d. 4 Aug. 1833; 76 y.
3 m. 23 d.
..Schultz, Anna, wife of same, b. 25 Nov.
1758; d. 4 Dec. 1831.
Kriebelin, Susanna, b. 11 May 1762; d. 5
Jan. 1795.
Kriebel, Andreas, b. 17 Sept. 1748; d. 17
April 1830; 81 y. 7 m.
Menuonite Ground
Landis, Johannes, b. 25 Feb: 1758; d. 13
Mav 1821.
Landis, Martin, b. 18 Jan. 1730; d. 18 Jan.
1799; 69 y.
Stauft'er, Christian, b. S Dec. 1728; d. 14
May 1797.
Bauer, Samuel, b. 6 August 1746; d 18
Nov. 1822.
Bauer, Elizabeth, b. 29 June 1746; d. 2
Nov. 1840; 94 y. 4 m. 3 d.
Schneider, George, b. 17 March 1744; d.
6 Oct. 1784; 40 y. 6 m. 19 d.
Beyer, George, b. 3 March 1734; d. 29
March 1806; 72 y. 3 w. 4 d.
Beyer, Elizabeth, b. 25 Dec. 1739; d. 15
July 1806; 67 y. 6 m. 19 d.
Cungelsin, Anna, b. 30 Dec. 1726; d. 20
Nov. 1799.
Kungel,, Peter, d. 27 March 1796.
Springer, Johannes, b. 1765; d. 18 Feb.
1830.
Springer, Catharine, wife of same, b
Kunkel, b. 26 April 1769; d. 29 Dec. 1851;
81 y. 8 m. 3 d.
Stauft'er, Johannes, b. in Oct. 1737; d. 19
Jan. 1808.
Schwarb, Jacob, b. 1737; d. 20 Oct. 1799;
62 y.
Banman, Chasber, b. 6 Jan. 1724; d. 11
July 1789; 75 y.
Eschbach, Christian, b. July 1737; d. 27
April 1S09; 71 y. 11 m.
EARLY BERKS COUNTY TOMBSTONE INSCRIPTIONS
497
Latschar, Frantz, d. 1802; 68 y. 3 m.
Latschar, Anna, b. 1741; d. 13 Jan. 1816;
75 y.
Latschar, A brain 31., b. 1739; d. 5 April
1814; 75 y. 3 m.
Eschbach, Peter, b. 9 Sept. 1762; d. 15 Oct.
1774; 12 y.
Oberholtzer, Jacob, b. 1741; d. 1811.
Yoder, Abraham, b. 20 Oct. 1761; d. 7
April 1S36; 74 y. 5 m. 19 d.
Clemmer, Samuel G, (preacher), b. 10
Aug. 1821; d. 16 Feb. 1870; 48 y. 6 m. 6 d.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
Roman Catholic Ground, Churchville
Gibson, Francis, d. 1775.
Vhtein, Daniel, d. 1797.
Sweetman, John, d. Jan. 22, 1798.
Vhtein, David, d. Feb. 8, 1799.
Maltzberger, Jacob, b. 1732; d. 6 March
1803.
Adam, Simon, b. 1750; d. 27 March 1803.
Reiiihart, Jacob, d. 20 Sept. 1801.
Kunssin, Mary Barbara, d. 8 Oct. 1812.
Ludwig, Francis, b. 1747; d. 4 Dec. 1812.
Sweetman, Richard, d. 9 March 1813.
Klemmer, Maria, d. 21 Aug. 1823.
Covely, John B., d. 22 Jan. 1826.
Eltz, Maria Magdalena, d. 5 April 1827.
Wingert, Mary C, d. 3 Aug. 1828.
Adam, Catharine, b. 1752; d. 27 April
1829.
Bock, Elizabeth, d. 15 May 1829.
WOxMELSDORF
Zion's L. and R. Church
Stouch, Conrad, b. 9 Jan. 1757; d. 15 June
1840; 83 y. 5 m. 6 d.
Kendall, Joseph, b. 7 Dec. 1770 ; d. 7 March
1876.
Moyer, John N., 1769-1828.
Hendel, Rev. William, D. D., b. 15 Oct.
1768, son of Rev. Jno. Wm. and Eliz. Hendel,
was Reformed preacher 50 years; d. 11 July
1846; 77 y. 8 m. 26 d.
Hendel, Margaret, wife of same, b. Hahn,
b. 13 Nov. 1773; d. 23 April 1829; 55 y. 5 m.
10 d.
Weiser, Jabez, b. 27 June 1753; d. 14 May
1S29; 76 y. 10 m. 13 d.
Weiser, Maria, wife of same, b. 18 Sept.
1754; d. 17 Oct. 1835.
Eg-e, George, b. 9 March 1748; d. 11 Dec.
1829.
Eg-e, Elizabeth, wife of same, b. May 1746;
d. 25 Nov. 1831.
Ermentrout, Christophel, b. 8 Feb. 1754;
d. 5 April 1825.
Womelsdorf, Peter, b. 5 June 1757; d. 16
Oct. 1845.
Gries, Johan Fred'k, b. in Baden 10 Nov.
1754; d. 26 Nov. 1833; 70 y. 16 d.
Gries, Maria Magdalena, wife of same,
dau. of Wm. Graeff; b. in Reading 9 July
1760; d. 23 Oct. 1841; 81 y. 3 m. 14 d.
Vanderslice, John, Fsq., b. 30 March 1770;
d 16 March 1846; 75 y. 11 m. 14 d.
Eg-e, Michael, d. 9 Feb. 1824.
Eg-e, Maria Margaret, wife of same,d. 21
Feb. 1849.
Schulze, Frederick A., son of Rev. Imman-
uel Schulze, b. 11 Sept. 1777; d. 1 Feb. 1836;
58 y. 4 m. 20 d.
Richard. John, b. 17 Feb. 1794; m. 1819
Marg't Lorah; d. 10 Nov. 18:]."); 71 v. 8 m. 24
d.
Livingood, Dr. John, b. 12 Nov. 1792; d. 3
July 1S72.
Tryon, Elizabeth Seltzer, wife of same, b-
12 Oct. 1792; d. 17 Nov. 1882; 90 y. 1 m. 5 d.
'E. S., b. 1735; d. 1823-88; W. S., b. 1728;
d. 1799."
Eleman, Anna Margaret, b. Schaeffer, wife
of Nicholas Eleman, b. 2 Feb. 1739; d. 19
Sept. 1815; 76 y. 7 m. 17 d.
Eckert, Nicholas, b. 3 July 1748; d. 4
Sept. 1824; 76 y. 2 m. 1 d.
Eckert, Rosina, wife of same; b. Miller,
b. 14 Oct. 1755; d. 18 Feb. 1815; 59 y. 4 m.
14 d.
Bretzius, Magdalena, b. 5 Sept. 1733;
d. 25 Jan. 1805; 72 y. 5 m. 3 w.
Sehlichter, Nicholas, b. 1 May 1728; d. 10
Sept. 1806; 78 y. 4 m. 10 d.
Moore, Lydia, d. 29 Jan. 1839 in 60th year.
Moore, Rosanna, d. 10 July 1829 in 49th
year.
Moore, Frances, d. 18 Aug. 1858; 81 y. 7
m. 17 d.
Moore, James, d. 23 Feb. 1824 in 79th
year.
Grey, Ann, stepdaughter of James Moore,
d. 19 July 1843 in 74th year.
Mary, consort of John Moore, d. 15 Oct.
1819; 56 y.
Graft*, Daniel, b. in Kirchberg, Germany,
1749; d. 16 Sept. 1808; 59 y. less 15 d.
Margaret Graft", wife of same and dau. of
Michael Ruth, b. 18 Jan. 1761; d. 14 Sept
1808; 47 y. 8 m. less 4 d.
Schoenfelter, Johan Jacob, b 14 Oct. 1762;
d. 15 March 1829; 66 y. 5 m. 1 d.
Tryon, Elizabeth, b. Seltzer, wife of
Michael Tryon, b. 19 May 1766; d. 8 Oct.
1849; 83 y. 4 m. 19 d.
..Seltzer, Jacob, b. 31 Oct. 1732; d. IS Oct.
1788; 55 v. 11 m. 18 d.
Mount, William, b. 18 Jan. 1764; d. 11
July 1833; 69 y. 5 m. 24 d.
i:<s
□
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
O, Muttersproch, du bist uns lieb " — A. S.
\M Shinnerhannes »<i DeskripshoD von der
Fehr
Hochgelobte Feller Sitisens! Die Xellyann
und ich, mir warre alle zwee uf der Ells-
dauner Fahr. M'r henn dehl Hinkel ver-
kaaft, wo die Nochberschaft iiwrig g'hat hot,
und eppes gederrt Hembeere, fars Zehrgeld,
und sin mit der Hack nunner g'fabre. Wie
eener von selle wunnerfitzige Kerls von der
Pliedensbote Druckerei ausg'funne hot das
mir in der Stadt sin hot er ken Ruh g'hat,
mir hen misse mit ihm heem geh und be'm
zu Mittag esse. Dschio Peppers! Was'n
Disch voll neis Esse! Do sin des hoch-
nasige Hahnewackels kenn sirkamstans
dazu-geroscht Rinsfleesch, Brotwerscht,
siisse Grumbeere und annere Grumbeere,
Krautsalat, Rotruwe und Eppelsass, Bay,
diisser Caffee und Butterbrod — keen Wunner
dass die Drucker uf keen gruner zweig
komme. Und newebei hot er uns noch sechs
junge Hahne an voll Preis abkaaft und
Cash dafor bezahlt. Wie des alles vorbei
war, hot er a'fange mich zu verkokse, ich
sott'n Deskripshon von der Fahr for sei
Zeidung schreiwe. Denk ich bei mir sel-
wer, denk ich, so so, der will eppes, for des
is er so neis gege uns (for neis ware sie zu
uns, er und sei Fraa, sell muss ich sage).
Vorneher hot er der Xellyann schon aller-
hand Complimente gemacht g'hat — wie sie so
schone Hoor hatt. und wie sie so'n scho
Gepuschturt Weibsmensch war, und so
Sache bis er sie bal in sei Fawer g'hat hot
und do war ken Abkommes, ich hab's ver-
spreche musse: Wer nau mei Report lese
will do is er:
Mittwoch's wie mir uf die Fahr komme
sin. S'erst was ich genotist hob wie ich uf
der Grund komme bin, war des, das es'n
ferchterliche grosse Fair is und alte Leut
die dort rum ware, hen hehaapt, dass seit
Menschedenke, ennyhau in funf-un-siewezig
Yohr keen so'n Fahr gewest war. Auswen-
nig vor'm grosse Fahrhaus war'n halwer
Acker teit voll Bauere Maschine von alle
Sorte wo mir sich denke kann, so handig
und witzig dass die Bauere nicks men
Bchaffe brauche — 's geht alles schier von
selwert. Die alteste Sitisens ware von
ganzer Seel und Ganzem Herze driiwer
erstaoiut. Uewerall um de Beem run hen
Keris g'stanne wo ausgeguckt hen wie Dieb,
annere ware Kriippel und annere ware 'm
A'sehne noh halwe Affo — die hen 'n eemfort
gegrische for ihr Dings zu verkaafe, 'n dehl
Humbugs, Tricks, Grundniss, Candy, Belly-
goz. Geeschle, Wippe, Pille, Droppe, Seef
unsoweither. Der Gross Stand am Rees-
cors, wo neu gebaut worre is, hot viel
Attrakschon uf sich gezoge und is'n for-
strat Arranschment for die Leut zu sehne,
wie Gaul um sellem Zerkel rum trotte. S's
kost zehe Sent for nuf und die Buwe und
die Mad konne der gonze Dag sitze bleiwe
und nanner die Hand drtiicke for der Walju
von zehe Sent raus zu sitze. 'S war sei
lebdag noch keen so gut und so viel Gauls-
vieh uf'm Platz wie dessemol. Menschene
kann ich abartig keene, — far sell war die
Zeidung zu" klee — awer Dschabers- was
Gaul, was Hengscht, was Fuller, was
Matsch, s'is net zu biete in Amerika und so
viel dass die Manetschers noch siwezig neue
Stall hen baue miisse for sie all unner Dach
bringe. Unne an de Gaulstalle gege der
Stadt zu, is's Hinkelvieh! Die Nellyann hot
sich verstaunt und verwunnert, dass ich
mich schier g'schammt hab vor de Leut. Do
ware, was ich net vergesse hab, hunnerter-
lee von Hahne, ferchterliche grosse und
kleene wunzige, von alle Farwe im Rege-»
bog, juscht ken griine eksept etliche Po-
hahne wo gru ware, grad so viel sorte
Hinkel von alle Farwe eksept griine, Gam-
hahne, Bantyhahne, Strupphahne, fufziger-
lee Dauwe, grosse langhalsige schneewiesse
Schwane in'me Wasserloch — alles abartige
Sorte. Newebei noch Hund, Katze, Schqueii,
Grundsau, Rakune, Fenzemaus.weisse Maus,
Waje, Eule, ungemeen viel Hasa, Ginny-
saucher, Bateriesel und Babegaje. Die Leut
hen sich all verwunnert und'n Layer wo da-
bei g'stanne hot, hot gemeent 's war doch
wunnerbar. dass die Natur so Unnerschied-
liches vorbringe dhat; 'n Parre bissel bes-
ser unne dreht sich awer rum und sagt in
Englisch sagt er zum Layer "die Natur hot
des net gemacht, des hot unser Herrgott
gemacht, dorch und according zum Inner-
liche von de Mensche. Alles was sichtbar-
lich is und G'stalt hot, hot 'n Protcteip grad
wie mir die Dinge do sehne und des es im
Mensch.'" Hinner uns steht der alt Doktor
Dickenschied und sagt "In meine Student
.iohre, sagt er, hab ich oft dodte Mensche
von Kopp zu Fuss helfe verschneide, hab
awer niemols Hinkel oder Hahne iiwerhaapt
keen Federvieh drin g'funne." Der Parre
hot 'n Spruch g'saat aus'm Evangelium an
die Prophete dass des musst geistlich ver-
stanne sei und so fort. Wer Recht g'hat hot,
der Parre oder der Layer oder der Doktor
wees ich net.
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
499
Von do gents an de Bierstands, Pretzel,
Lebkuche, Candy. Lemonade, Oisters,
Schmokwerst nnd noch Dausend annere
sache wo m'r esse und drinke kann, vorbei
— wer vorbei kann. Uf der Rounds hab ich
die Nellyann dreimol getriet, in it Candy,
Grundniss, Lebkuche und Lemonade und bin
selwer dreimol getreit worre, zweemol zu
Lagerbier un eenmol zu eppes was starker
war, ich glaab sie hen's Schluribulari
g'heese. Eener wo mien getriet hot will
schrief werre und der anner will in die Sem-
ly und der drift war der Lawyer Steils aus
der Bekanntschaft, vonwege er war iiweraus
froh for mien zu sehne und hot der Nellyann
noch drei Sent Belligotz kaaft.
Uewerall voll Humbugs, Gahms, Fleying
Kootsch, Kreische, Schwatze und Lache dass
m'r sei eege Wort net hore kann.
Nau komme m'r ans anner End von de
Viehstall wo die Sau und die Schof sin. Doh
sin merkwerdige Dhiere und wer 'm Caoper
sei schwarze Sau biete will muss bessere
Sau hawe wie er hot. Und do kommts Rins-
vieh. Purer geimporter Stock, wo von alle
Rinsviehfreund — Weibsleut und Mannsleut
— bewunnert wird. Do steht uf de Karte
Lady Betsy, Sally Suffy, und noch annere
Madname for die Kiiih und die Rinner wo sie
Ayrschir, Devon', Alderny, Durham und
Common Vieh heese. Ich rechel dass an'me
dausend Stuck Rinsvieh do is.
Do sin ah Schof, machtige schbne Bock
und Lammer, wo feine wull druf is, for
Striimp, Unnerrock und annere Kleeder.
Grad do nachst am Rinsvieh steht'n
koriose Inwenschon, wo die Buwe viel
Plasier macht — awer die Nellyann hot
dorchaus net druf reita wolle, von wege sie
dhat dormlich werre im Kop (ich hab en
dehl Lent g'sehne wo dormlich ware in de
Been und in de Fuss). Dess is en Maschin
wo zwanzig oder dreissig Weloosipeds
annenanner gekoppelt sin. do hockt mir sich
krattlich druwer und tret die Krenk mit de
Fuss, und des geht so ferchterlich stark im
Kringel rum dass die Mad die Hoor grad
naus stehn wien Schippestiel und de
Mannsleut die Hut von de Kopp fliege. Der
Taun Council von Ellsdaun sott so'n Ding
uf'm Square ufrichte for so eppes macht
Geld, wo mir en zimlicher Brocke von der
Stadtschulde mit abbezahle konnt und doch
noch genunk uwrig hat for Strosse uf-
zumache, abzugrawe und ufzufiille.
Inwennig im Hans is alles so voll dass
m'r net wees wo mir hiegucke soil, onch
viel weniger, wie m'rs beschreiwe soil, in
Fakt es kann's niemand beschriewe. Do
stehn fiinf-hunnert sack voll Mehl, was sie
Flour heese, und Frucht von alle Sorte, wo
uf'm Feld wachst, newedra'n iiweraus
weise Stieni-Indschein von dreisig Hors-
pauer mit Patent Boxe wo m'r vier Johr net
schmiere 'braucht. Rader for Sechsgauls-
wage; Carretsche von viel Sorte wo so
feiabg'finischt un so glitzerig sin, dass die
Weibsleut wo selle kriege, keen Spiegel
brauche; Milchwage so scho wie Osteroier
un dergleiche Sache. Urn's Eck rum kommt's
Obst Sache — Eppel, Biere, Bersbing so dick
wie'n Beint-blech und die Eppel sin noch
dicker; Drauwe von alle Farwe. Blaume.
iiwerhaapt alles was uf Beem wachst und so
viel, dass ich und die Nellyann's hatte net
zahle kbnne, Kraut, Grumbeere, Baschtnade,
Oisterblanze, Zuckerriiwe. Mangelwarzel,
Kerbse, Squasches, Mangos, Rettig, Riiwe,
Gummere, Sellery, Tomatoes, Oierblanz,
Salat, Andifty. Kohl, Bohne, Zwiwle, und
noch annere Gewachse, ware noch keen
Yohr so gross; und der Blumer, von der
Bank wo schon dreissig Yohr eener von de
Baase is. hot die Nellyann ge-inschurt dass
in dere ganze zeit net so viel davon do ge-
west war.
Von do sin m'r die Steg nuf. Was do all
for Sache sin, kann keen Mensch in der
Welt verzahle — net's Hahnewackel's Klep-
permiihl wo Betz heest, net wann sie von
heut ab bis Ostere schneppere d'hat. For
des will ich's net prowire weil's doch die
mehnste Leut g'sehne hen.
Am Duunerstag waren so bummeranisch
viel Leut uf der Fahr, dass m'r nichs hot
sehne konne vor lauter Mensche und Weibs-
leut und in der crawd hab ich die Nellyann
verlore g'hat bis nachste Morge. Der Ehren
Eisenhart und der Dschim Wilm, der Parre
Dubbs und der Elei Sager, der RedenWeiler
und ich selwer, m'r hen ausgerechelt bei'm
Squar Fuss, wi viel Leut uf'm Fahrgrund
ware,' — ohnes Vieh-und's ware drei und
verzig dausend, zwee hunnert und fiinf und
sechzig!
Wann's net for die Weibsleut war, war
die Fahr nichs. Wann sie all ihr Duty
dhaten, wie die Weibsleut, war alls Land urn
Ellsdaun net gross genungk for die Fahr zu
halte. Sebn mol was do is aus ihre Lein:
Ei'gemachtes, Preserves, Dschelly. Biekeis,
Wei, Brod, Kuche, Seef, Latwerg, Kas, But-
ter, Hunnig, Schmalz — ich denks' ware net
weniger wie zehe dausend specimens. Und
owernuf — ei was Deppich was feine genahte,
gehakelte, g'strikte, gekroscheete Sache,
was feine Windle, und Bawifrackelcher,
was Fancy-Sadie schier bei Millions, guck
's hot mich gut fiihle mache, dass die Nell-i
yann 'n Weibsnicnseh is. Xoserie ohne die
Weibsleut waar keen Fahr.
Dschimmeny Dsehabers! was hen sie awer
'n Band g'hat. Des war 'n Musife wo eem
frei vora Bodde ufg'howe hot. Stiicker
dreissig Blosherner, Zwergpeife, Haffedeckel
und Drumme. Der Capten von sellere Band
is'n grossr Mensch mit 're Barekapp "'' "n,l
macht 'n grislich G'sicht. In der Hand
tragt er'n Briigel mit 'me Knopp druf so
dick wie'n grosse_ Kalbascht, salid Cold, do
steppt er vornehef mit, und wann eener net
recht blost. remit er'm mit sellem Knopp
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
in dif Ellppe oder uf der Ranch dass-es
rechl dunnert. Oweta in der Nacht hot
selly .Musik band niicli mid die Xollyann
t.iiat, wo ich mich poblicb for die
gross Ehr bedanke dim.
Nan wann eneh der Report net gut ge-
nnnnk is. kunnt 'r 'n ans der Zeitnng haus
losse. Ich hah von alles g'saat was dort
war, eksept der Reesgrund, und do war die
Crowd zu gross dass ich nicks hah sehne
konne. Adjees.
SHINNBRHANNBS.
Octoher 7th, 1874.
From the Allentown Friedensbote. (Lei-
senring, Trexler and Co. Jahregang 62, No.
40)
NOTE: The foregoing, submitted for publication by H. H. Reichard of Johns Hop-
kins University, illustrates the dialect as used in Lehigh County, forty years ago.
Consolation
'Tis no wonder one is out of humor;
Everything goes just as it shouldn't,
How lucky some people are,
They have everything one might wish for.
Don't tell me there is no excuse
To be one who is poor,
Misfortune sometimes comes single
And sometimes it comes from all direc-
tions.
There are people who see farther
Than others see.
One supposes some (persons) are smarter
Yet too smart there is seldom one.
And sometimes the stupidest is stupider
Than one would think he should be;
Yet he is the stupidest not always
Has some smartness along also.
So it is with us in this world;
One has little, another much;
If one is only contented so
One has always the largest share.
See only those things here which are beau-
tiful,
And be blind to all else;
Be happy and be cheerful
And you will have all you wish for.
rt'inundering
'Sish ka wunder ish mar gritlich,
Alles gate yousht we's net set,
Was sin douch adal so glicklich,
Hen yousht alles was mar wet.
Sag mer net; — Es is ki ursach,
For an armer tsu si.
Umglick kumt epmol im afach,
Un epmol kumt alles bi.
Es hut leit se scana weiter.
Us we andera scana dene.
Un mar mand adal sin kscheiter, '
Doch stu kschneit ish seldam ane.
Un epmols dar dumsht ish dummer,
Us mer mand us aer set si,
Dcch ish are dar dumsht net immer.
Hut si kscheitheit ah dabi.
So ish's bi uns uf dar' welt do,
Ane hut wenich andera fehl.
Wan mar nu stufritta ish so,
Hut mer immer's grashta dale.
Sea nu alles was do sha ish,
Un si blint stu alles sunst,
Si nu heiter, un si fralich.
Hosht du alles was du winsht.
Manor Twp. Dialect, Roosevelt Spelling
REVIEWS AND NOTES
By Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N. J.
" Reviews and Notes " are omitted on account of length of article under " Historical Notes
and News."
507
D
ID
HISTORICAL NOTES AND NEWS
REPORTS OF SOCIETY MEETINGS ARE SOLICITED
Kansas Slate Historical Society
The following interesting item was con-
tributed by Hon. J. C. Ruppenthal, of
Kansas. If any of our readers are willing
to help the State Librarian complete the
Kansas files they will confer a great favor
by letting us hear from them.
P. S. As you kindly sent several of the
eariy numbers of the P.-G. to the Kansas
State Historical Society a few months ago
on my request, but found gaps where n the
numbers were missing; and as a library like
this is especially desirable as a placa to
preserve the files permanently, I will ask if
it would not help greatly to make mention
in the magazine of a wish to secure the
missing numbers so as to complete our
Kansas flies? I much desire this. The con-
tract for a $250,000 permanent fireproof
library of the Kansas State Historical
Society was let a few weeks ago, and the
contract for interior a few days since.
Commemoration Medal
The Pennsylvania Society of New York
announces the publication of a Commem-
oration Medal in connection with the dedi-
cation of the Memorial to William Penn in
the Church of Allhallows Barking, London.
The medal is struck in bronze, adjusted
to a blue ribbon, and has been designed for
the Society by John Flanagan, sculptor, of
New York. The obverse presents a profile
portrait of Penn, and is a reduction of the
coresponding face of the Gold Medal of the
Society, while the reverse exhibits an
especially designed inscription relative to
the Penn Memorial.
This medal offers to members an inter-
esting souvenir of one of the most important
undertakings of the Society, and provides at
the same time a handsome work of art of
the highest merit.
The Pennsylvania Federation of Historical
Societies
We acknowledge receipt of the '"Acts and
Proceedings" of the sixth annual meeting of
this federation at Harrisburg, Pa., Jan. 5,
1911. This is a well edited and well printed
brochure of 54 pages full of interesting data
respecting the activities of the historical
societies of the state. It shows that during
the year 1910 work like the following was
carried on: Reading of papers, issuing of
publications, making exhibits, erection and
unveiling of tablets, observance of historic
events, pilgi images, erection of buildings
holding suppers. According to the report
of the secretary: "This tabulated statement
shows a membership of over 10,000 persons
in the societies constituting the Federation
together with the impressive fact that dur-
ing a single year, these societies issued
publications, papers and addresses on h s-
torical topics to the number of about !!»•'
titles. It is an exhibit of historical activity
throughout our State, that id surprisin » for
its quantity, high quality and diversity of
matter treated, and of which wide and com-
mon knowledge is now made possible ly
means of our associated activity."
We give herewith the subjects of the
papers read and publications issued by the
various societies. A letter addressed to the
Secretary at the Post Office given will open
the way for .additional information about
these papers and pub ications.
Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Phila-
delphia—"The Swedish and the Dutch Set-
tlements on the Delaware," "Historical
Pageants in England and America," "Muster
Roll of Three Troops of Loyalist 'Light
Dragoons Raised in Pennsylvania," "Letters
of Dr. John McKinley to His Wife While a
Prisoner of War, 17T7-7S,'' "Letters of
Robert Proud, the Historian, 1777-78," "East
Vincent Township, Chester County, Penn-
sylvania," "The Struggle and Rise of Popu-
lar Power in Pennsylvania's First Two
Decades, 1682-1701," "Hail Columbia, and
its First Publication. A Critical inquiry,"
"From Brandywine to Philadelphia, from
journal of Sergeant Thomas Sullivan "H.
M., 49th Regiment of Fort. fhe Formal
Opening of the New Fireproof Building of
the Historical Society cf Pennsylvania. Apr.
6-7, 1910," "Jefferson's Recollections of
Patrick Henry," "Autobiographoical Sketch
of the Life of Gen. John Burows, of Lyoom
ing County, Pennsylvania." "Sketch of Col.
Ephraim Martin, of the New Jersey Con-
tinental Line," "Pageantry and the Mas-
que," "Benjamin West," "Letters of Dr.
John McKinley to his wife while a Prisoner
if War, 1777-1778."
Lebanon County Historical Society, Leba-
non— "Annville Township and Town," "The
German Newspapers of Lebanon County."
"Stoiies of Old Stumpstown." "The Seal of
the Society," "A Word about Seals."
Bradford County Historical Society,
Bradford — "Count Zinzendorf in Pennsyl-
vania." "Obadiah Gore," "The Old Towanda
Academy," "History of Troy Schools,"
"Hon. Thomas Burnside, Second Judge of
502
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Bradford County." "Moravian .Missions at
Ulster," "Old Time Training Days," "His-
tory of Wilmot Township." "Bradford
County Families, as shown by the' oensusif
1790."
The Historical Society Of Frankford.
Philadelphia— "Sketch of Life of John Com-
ly." "Bird Life in Frankford," "Military
Companies of the War of 1812," "Frank-
ford's Sphere in the Development of Pho-
tography." "Frankfor.d in the Forties,'' "The
Frankford Lyceum."
Wyoming Historical Society, Wilkes-
Barre — "Glacial Erosion in the San Juan
Mountains, Colorado," "Charles Darwin,"
"Influence of the Iroquois in the History
and Archaeology of the Wyoming Valley,"
"Reminiscences of the Rev. Jacob Johnson,
M. A. 1722-1790," "The Pennsylvania Ger-
mans," "Marriage Record of Rev. William
K. Matt. 1832-1885," "Vital Statistics of the.
Wyoming Section," "The Ross Family,"
"Revolutionary Pension Rolls of Pike, Sus-
quehanna and Wayne Counties, Pa. 1835,"
"Some Features of Iroquois Life," "The
Diary of Col. Timothy Pickering, during
His Residence in Wyoming, 1787,'' "An
Unpublished Chapter of O. J. Harvey's His-
tory of Wilkes-Barre, Pa.," "Military Ex-
periences during the * * Wyoming
Veterans."
The Historical Society of Berks County.
Beading — "The German Newspapers of.
Berks Couny," "The Hessian Camp of
Reading during the Revolution," "The
Ancient Public Roads of Berks County,"
"A Goddess in Retirement — The Court
House Statue of Liberty," "A Vanished
Landmark — The Old County Jail."
The Historical Society of Dauphin County,
Hamrisburg — "William A. Kelker," "Conrad
Weiser," "Shikellimy."
The Washington County Historical So-
ciety, Washington — "The Life and Times of
the Hon. James Ross, U. S. Senator, 1794-j
1803," "The Great Gateway." "The Tracing
of Braddock's Road, with maps and Photos."
The Historical Society of Schuylkii
County, PottSTille — "History of the Henry
Clay .Monument at Pottsville," "Reminis-
cences of Schuylkill Haven in the Civil
War," "Sesqui-Centennial of the Reu
Church." "Schuylkill Chronicles for the
Years 1827 and 1S28," "The Schuylkill Navi-
gation," "The Center Turnpike Road."
The Lehigh County Historical Society.
4 Hen to WD — "Survival of the Old Germanic
Heathendom and Pennsylvania German Life
and Superstition," "Pennsylvania German
Nursery Rhymes," "Whitehall Township, its
Organization, Early Land Warrants and
Assessment Lists."
American Catholic Historical Society
Philadelphia — "The Church of the Holy
Trinity, its First Pastor. Rev. John Baptist
Charles Helbron." "Baptismal Register of
the Holy Trinity Church of Philadelphia,
from 17!tn to 1795," "Archives of Baltimore,"
"Letters of Father John Hughes," "Plan of
St. Joseph's Church, New York," "Father
Gallitzin in 1839," "History of the Church
of St. John the Evangelist, Philadelphia,
from 1845 to 1853," "Franciscans of New
France," "Conrad Weiser — His Fear of
Catholics — His Daughter's Conversion — Her
Descendants," "English Jesuits for the Five
Nations of Indians," "A Projected Francis-
can Convent in Pennsylvania — 1804-1810,"
"Founding of the Church at Ogdensburg,
New York," "Father Gibault, Patriot Priest
of the West."
Historical Society of Montgomery County,
Norristown — "Property Exemptions in
Montgomery County in 1815," by Dr. W. H.
Reed, "An Upper Merion Reminiscence," by
Mrs. Sarah Tyson, "Pennsylvania German
Literature," "Audubon, its History and Re-
miniscences." "The Pride of the Pennsyl-
vania Germans," "The St. Clair Family in
Norristown," "Herstein Meeting."
The Historical Society of Western Penn-
sylvania, Pittsburg — "The Braddock Road,"
"John Brown in Western Pennsylvania,"
"The Whiskey Insurrection."
Tire Kittoehtinny Historical Society,
Cbambersbnrg — "Papers read before the
Society February, 1908 to February. K10,"
"Early Engineering Enterprises in Pennsyl-
vania," "Ancient Laws of England," "The
Founding of Two Colleges."
The City History Society of Philadelphia,
Philadelphia — "Secret Service of the Revo-
lutionary Army Operating around Philadel-
phia," "Philadelphia Architecture," "The
District of Kingsessing," "Colonial Music,"
"Historic Bridges of Philadelphia," "For-
gotten Mill Dams on the Wissahickon,"
"Bartram Hall," "The Powell House,"
"Some Houses Still Standing That were
Occupied by Noted People," "Secret Service
of the Revolutionary Army around Philadel-
phia," "Military Operations on the Delaware
in 1777-78."
The Lancaster County Historical Society,
Lancaster — "Reports of the True Character,
Time and Place of the First Regular Settle-
ment in Lancaster County," "The Location
of Susquehannock Fort," "Our Early Cur-
rency and its Value," "Michael Witman,
Loyalist," "The Public Career of John
Wright. Esq.," "Holland Land Company's
Search for Maple Sugar," "Early Items of
Lancaster County History," "Lazarus Stew-
art," "The Shippen House."
Tioga County Historical Society. Wells-
boro — "The Wellsborough and Tioga Plank
Road," "Recollections of An Early Scotch
Settler," "My European Trip," "Origin of
the Welsh Settlement in Tioga County," "A
HISTORICAL NOTES AND NEWS
503
Pioneer Family," "The Old-Time Inns," "A
History of the Railroads in Tioga County,"
"Growth of the Postal Service," "On the
Writing of History."
Tlie Hamilton Library Association, Car-
lisle— "A Few Early Carlisle Publications,"
"The Bench of Cumberland County, Pa.,
1791-1806," "Fiftieth Anniversary of Epsilon
Chapter, Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity."
Historical Society of York Comity, York
"The Early Navigation of the Susquehanna
River," "Conway Cabal," "The Famous
Banquet of General Gates at York in 1778,"
"Beaumarchais, the French Patriot of the
Revolution,'' "Baron Steuben at York in
1778," "A Tale of Early Hanover."
The Presbyterian Historical Society,
Philadelphia — "The Beginning of Presby-
terianism in Albany," "The Early History
of the First Presbyterian Church in Phila-
delphia," "The Parish Church of St. An-
drews, Scotland," "The New England
Church and the First Presbytery," "Self-
Government and Calvinism," "Wm. Mar-
shall's Register of Births and Baptisms,
Part 2," "The Psalm-Book of the Reformed
Churches," "The Monument at Sycamore
Shoals," "The Earliest Account of Protes-
tant Missions, A. D. 1557," "The Early His-
tory of the Ninth Presbyterian Church and
the Chambers Independent Church." "An-
cient Documents and Records," "The New
England Churches," "The Psalm-Book,"
"Protestant Missions."
Northampton County Historical and Gen-
ealogical Society, Easton — "The Walking
Purchase of 1737," "Robert Trail and Wil-
liam Parsons." "Further Remininscences
of Easton and Vicinity in the 30's and 40's."
Site and Relic Society of Germantown,
Philadelphia — "The Early Physicians of
Germantown," "Travels Near Home."
The Pennsylvania Society, >ew York, N.
Y. — "Proceedings at the Eleventh Annual
Festival," "Pennsylvania in the Cabinet,"
"The Gold Medal of Dr. Horace Howard
Furness of Wallingford, Pa.," "The Sons of
Penn.,," "Grave of William Penn at Jor-
dan." "In Memoriam of 20 members," "The
Society's Flags," "The Robert Fulton Cen-
tennial—Sept. 24, 1909," "Civic Festivals in
1909," "Pennsylvania Anniversaries of
1909," "Pennsylvania Monuments and Me-
morials of 1909," "Pennsylvania Books of
1909."
Chester County Historical Society, West
Chester — "From Brandywine to Valley
Forge," "Early Water Transportation along
the Susquehanna."
Bucks County Historical Society, Doyles-
town — "The Swamp of Tinicum and Nocka-
mixon," "Thomas Hicks, the Artist," "Lime-
Burning in Bucks," "Two New Hope Rel-
ics," "Bristol Friends' Meeting House,"
"Remininscences of Bristol," "Manufac-
turers of Bristol," "St. James P. E. Cburch,
Bristol," "History of Bristol," "Edward
Marshall in Springfield," "Tinicum Presby-
terian Church," "China and its Great Wall,"
"Ottsville and Vicinity," "Inaccuracies of
History," "St. John's Ref. Ch., Haycock."
The Church Historical Society, (Episco-
palian) Philadelphia — "Innocent III," "Early
History of the Church in Western Pennsyl-
vania," "Brief Sketches of the Lives of
Bishops White, Onderdonk. Bowman, Potter
and Stevens."
504
GENEALOGICAL NOTES AND QUERIES
Conducted by Mrs. M. N. Robinson. Contributions Solicited Address, The Penna. German, Litirz, Pa.
Answer to Query No. 2<»
Recorder's Office, Book O. p. 57. Jeremias
or Jeremiah Miller of Ross Township, town
of Manheim.and wife Elizabeth. Mortgage
to V. Greiner. Nov. 25. 1768.
Answer to Query No. 27
Orphan's Court Book 1763-67, p. 192. Chris-
tian Blough, executor of John Blough.
Anna, widow and relict. Children, John,
Catharine, Anna, Daniel. Barbara, Frena,
Christian. Sept. 5, 1765.
Answer to Query No. 2s
Lancaster Court House, Recorder's Office,
Book E, p. 159. Melehor Engle, late of
Lancaster Borough, sadler, now of Virginia,
sells to George Groff a lot in Lancaster.
Mar. 1. 1759.
Book D, p. 215. Melchor Engle (Ingle)
and Maudline his wife sell to Wm. Bowsman
land in Lancaster Township. Recorded Feb.
2S, 1755.
Orphan's Court 1767, p. 201. Account of
Estate of Ann Engle. Children, Ulrich,
Anna. John. Barbara. Christina, Jacob, to
each £28 14s. l%d. Oct. 28, 1765.
Register's Office, Book G, p. 504. Will of
Ulrich Engle of Donegal Township. Wife,
Magdalena. Brothers, John and Jacob.
Children. Ann, wife of Christian Shelly;
Barbara, wife of John Wisler; Mary, Su-
sanna. Magdalena. Will signed Oct. 18,
1796. Proved Oct. 21, 1799.
QUERY NO. 30
Grubb Family
Wanted information of the descendants of
any of the following.
Henry Grubb, b. 1S06, d. 1878, wife Cath-
arine. Buried at Centreville, Union or
Snyder County. Pa.
Christian Grubb, d. near Winchester, Va.,
1769, wife Catharine. Children, Jacob, David,
Barbara, Catharine, Frank. Joan, Margaret
and Abraham.
Henry Grubb of Montgomery County. Pa.,
wife Adelheid llitz. Had a son John (1753-
1N31 i who married Anna May Leisenring
and a daughter Anna Catharine (b. 1759)
who married Conrad Leisenring.
Jacob Grubb, d. 1786, Manheim Township,
Lancaster County. Pa., wife Ann Margaret.
Children. Michael, Jacob, Julianna who
married Edward Wishard, and Christian, the
two latter were living in Washington
Township, Franklin County, Pa., in 17S6.
Barbara Grubb, b. 1781. d. 1831, married
Henry Sourbeer, b, 177, d. 1839. Lived pos-
sibly in Lancaster County. Pa.
Henry Grubb, d. 17S8 in Lancaster Co.,
Pa. Owned property in Funckstown or
Hamburg, 2 miles from Charlestown near
the Potomac River in Md.'' Children, An-
drew, Jacob, Michael, Catharine, Christian,
Henry, "Melichoer," Elizabeth, Nancy and
Barbara.
Henry Grubb, d. in Lampeter Township,
Lancaster County, Pa.. Feb. 1816, wife Bar-
bara.
Israel Grub, of Mount Joy Township, Lan-
caster County, Pa., d. 1812, wife Elizabeth.
Children, John, Elizabeth, Ann Mary. Daniel,
Susanna and Christian.
Casper Grub, of Warwick Township, Lan-
caster County, Pa., d. about 1808, wife Eliza-
beth. Children, Christian, George, Casper,
Peter, Jacob, Susanna married to Martin
Bard, and Elizabeth married to Frederick
Kissel.
John Grubb, of Strasburg, Lancaster
County, Pa., a sailor, died 1790. Children.
Jacob, Catharine married to John Creemer
and Elizabeth.
GEO. F. P. W ANGER,
Pottstown, Pa.
Her. John Philip Streeter's Descendants
Mr. Mcllhaney's article in the July num-
ber recalled some interesting data. In
speaking of the old church at Petersville,
he names the earliest ministers, the first
being John Philip Streeter, my own great-
great-grandfather on the maternal side. In
Rupp's Register we find John Philip Streiter
landed at Philadelphia, Sept. 26, 1737. He
went to Bucks County. He took sacrament
Sept. 21, 1740. According to an act of
naturalization he was naturalized Sept. 27,
174D.
John Phillip Von Streiter's people were
of the Roman Catholic faith. He became
Lutheran, left relatives and friends, and
endured the hardships of that day to enjoy
religious freedom. He dropped the "Von"
to his name and many of his descendants
today spell it Strider. Before leaving Ger-
many he married Anna Juliana, daughter of
Philipp Gotfried Whittman.
Among the sponsers of their children
born in Pennsylvania were Henrv Melchior
GENEALOGICAL NOTES AND QUERIES
:,( i.-
Muhlenberg, George Gaugler (or Gaugerl)
Yost Rupp and his beloved housewife Dore-
thea, Conrad Kurtz and others.
His own son Isaac Henry married Chris-
tiana Croft or Krafft whose father Johann
Croft was also a Lutheran .minister, from
Antwerp.
Tradition says he was buried under the
old Lutheran church at Fredericktown, Md.,
marked by a brass plate on the pulpit with
a German inscription. Descendants of Isaac
and Christiana Croft Streiter live in Jeffer-
son County, West Virginia.
When the county was in the Old Dominion
the Streiters were among the wealchiest
people.
Additional information respecting these
people would be very gratefully received.
MRS. JESSIE ENGLE JOHNSON,
Radford, Virginia.
T>r. John Adam Funk
Rev. Dr. Theodore N. Riley, Rector Emeri-
tus of Church Church, Hudson, N. Y., was
much interested in the paper of the July
issue on the city of Heidelberg. His great-
grandfather was a graduate of Heidelberg
University concerning whom he has on re-
quest sent us the following notes written
by one of the descendants of Dr. Frank. We
gladly make room for this interesting let-
ter.— Editor.
Dr. John Adam Frank was born at Frank-
fort-on-the-Main in the year 1722, was a
graduate of Heidelberg University; made
his first voyage to the United States about
1757 or 1758. After a sojourn here returned
to his native land. About 1761 he made a
second voyage to this country and brought
with him a young wife. They settled on the
Mchawk near Schenectady. There were
four children born to them — Kitty. Jacob,
Peter and Daniel. During the Doctor's ah
sence his wife was apprised of the coming
of the Indians. After having dispatched her
children to a place of safety, was herself
overtaken and massacred and their home
laid waste.
After his misfortune the doctor with his
little family made his way to Germantown.
At the death of their mother. Kitty was
about ten (10) years old, Jacob eight (8)
yeais, Peter six (6) years and Daniel four
( 4 ) years of age.
When Washington took command of tin-
army he appointed "our great-grandfather
surgeon. In 1772 he married Juliann Omet,
a native of Carlisle, Pa., at which place he
was established in the drug business. By
this latter marriage there were six children:
Betsey, Juliann, William. Henry, Charles,
and Adam. Uncle Daniel Frask remained in
Carlisle, had several children. His daugh-
ter Mary married a Wm. Harris of New
York. I remember having made a visit to
them with my father, when a child in is::7.
They lived in a large house on Grand Street.
They had three daughters and one sou. I
remember all their names. Another of
Uncle Daniel's daughters was the mother of
Cousin William Riley. I have no doubt that
the Rev. Theodore Riley is a descendant of
William Riley. I have heard said that the
wife of Daniel Dougherty was also one of
his descendants, her maiden name having
been Sallie Frank. Uncle Peter settled in
Toronto, Canada, where no doubt some of his
descendants are living. I remember one of
his visits to my father, for when he left we
sent presents to his children. I also re-
member Uncle Daniel's visit. Cousin Wil-
lian Riley often visted us. I omitted to state
that grandfather died in 1819 aged 97 years
— grandmother died in 1852 aged 91 years.
(Copy of letter written by Mrs. Henry F.
Vache' to Joseph K. Wheeler.)
'Wohl dem, der seiner Vaeter gern gedenkt,
Der froh von ihren Taten, ihrer Groesze
Den Hoerer unterhaelt und sich freuend
Ans Ende dieser schoenen Reihe sich
Geschlossen sieht. " — Got 'the.
S06
D
THE FORUM
The P-G Open Parliament, Question-Box and Clipping Bureau — Communications Invited
□
Dear Reader :
You are thinking about the merits of
this copy of The Pennsylvania-German.
Take a postal card while thinking and
draw a comparison showing
i, What articles you consider Good.
2, What articles you consider BEST.
3, What subject you like BETTER.
than those discussed.
This, costing you a cent, will
mean dollars to us and a better
service to all.
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Send Card Now.
Errors
In July issue
page 424. add "1850" to "View of North-
ampton Street."
page 427. change "First Map of Easton''
to "Draft of Thousand Acre Tract.''
page 430, first column, line 14, change
"of" to "to".
Wanted
Penna. -German, Vol. VI, 1 and 4. J. G.
Bechtold, Steelton, Pa.
Penna.-Cerman, Vol. Ill, l and Vol. VI,
complete. Christian E. Metzler, 67 Com-
mercial Wharf, Boston, Mass.
MEANING OF NAMES
By Leonhard Felix Fuld, Ph.D., LL. M.
EDITORIAL NOTE.— Dr. Fuld has kindly
consented to give a brief account of the
derivation and meaning of the surname of
any reader who sends twenty-five cents to
the Editor for that purpose.
74. KIRSCHNER
The surname KIRSCHNER was generally
applied as a surname of occupation to one
who cultivated cherries [German KIRSCH-
EN] or one who made brandy from cherries.
In a few cases this surname denoted the
wearer of a fur costume, when it was de-
rived from the Old High German CHUR-
SINNA and the Middle High German
KURSEN.
Old Goshenhoppen Church Records
A subscriber desires to know whether
there is extant a copy of the earliest mar-
riage records of the old Goshenhoppen
Church and where it may be consulted. Who
can give the desired information?
Canal Boy in Minnesota
C. G. S. of Minnesota writes: "I was very
interested in your article 'Canal Lore' and
could add considerable to it as I started life
for myself on a canal boat at the age of 13
years and followed it for several years.
Such articles interest me very7 much as well
as all others which appear in the P.-G."'
Thanks! Let us have your recollections
about canal boat life by all means. — Editor.
Daughters of tlie Revolution
Des Moines, Iowa, July 31. 1911.
Pcnna. -German,
Sir: In reply to your request in
June issue for names of "real daughters" of
the American Revolution, am sending you
the names of two "real daughters," members
of Abigail Adams Chapter, D. A. R., Des,
Editor
Dear
THE FORUM
507
Moines, Iowa. They are: Mrs. Sophia M.
Van Dolson Andrews, and Mrs. Catharine
B. Cox.
Very sincerely,
CORNELIA R. STEIN.
Mrs. Andrews was the daughter of John
Van Dolson, of Fishkill, N. Y., whi enlisted
at Newburg, N. Y., at Washington's head-
quarters.
Mrs. Mary Trawick Proctor, aged/ll years,
a real daughter of the American Revolution,
has been discovered in a humble one-room
cabin in Bartow County, Georgia. Her only
companions are her daughter, Miss ary
Proctor, aged ninety, and two great-great-
grandchildren, descendants of another
daughter.
Mrs. Proctor was born in Wake County,
North Carolina, in 1800. At the age of nine-
teen she married Hiram Proctor, a veteran
of the Revolution and the War of 1812. She
has lived under the administration of
twenty-five Presidents.
On a bedding of straw, consisting of a
mattress so thin that the rough plank slats
can be seen, this daughter of the Revolution
lies, her form emaciated, skin wrinkled and
almost a skeleton.
Her aged daughter administers to the
wants of the little household and sometimes
tills the soil in a small cotton and garden
patch nearby. The meagre profits derived
from this labor she adds to the $12 a month
pension Mrs. Proctor receives for the ser-
vices of her husband rendered in the War
of 1812.— Exchange.
Bismark and von Biilow not Students at
Heidelberg
Lafayette College, Easton, Pa.,
August 4, 1911.
My dear Mr. Kriebel:
The article on Heidelberg in your last
number by Mr. D. Miller contains the state-
ment that the three chancellors of the Ger-
man Empire, von Bismarck, von Biilow and
von Hohenlohe had been students at Heidel-
berg. This is erroneous as only the latter
pursued studies at that place. Bismarck
studied at Gottingen and Berlin, von Biilow
at Lausanne and Bonn. As an old Heidel-
berg student and one who knows the
'Pauklokal' in the Hirschgasse only too well
I was surprised to learn that the names of
the aforementioned chancellors are sup-
posed to have been carved there. Perhaps
this is for the delight of the traveler and
the profit of the Gastwirt, much like the
proverbial ink-spot in the Luther-room in
the Wartburg. Gullible travelers are eager
to procure some of the ink-splashed plas-
ter as a souvenir, believing the guide who
connives at their surreptitiously snatchnig a
piece thereof, and leads them to believe that
it is the real ink-spot made by old Doctor
Luther when he hurled the ink-well at his
Satanic majesty. Perhaps the names are
there, but I wager that nine out of ten stu-
dents who go to the Pauklokal for other
reasons do not know it.
The statement that Bismarck and Von
Diilow ever studied there ought to be cor-
rected.
Yours truly,
(Prof.) J. F. L. RASCHEN.
Bostoners Worse Than British Tyrants of
177o
To the discredit and shame of Boston a
boy 13 years old, and the son of a poor
mother, was put in jail over night for play-
ing ball in the streets on Sunday. When it
is remembered how General Gates was pe-
titioned by the boys on Boston Commons, on
account of British tyranny, it is difficult to
avoid the conclusion that the Bostoners
responsible for the treatment of that boy
are worse that the British tyrants of 1775.
(Norristown, Pa.) Register, July 8, 1911.
How should the Sunday sport problem be
solved, Brother Editor?
The German Brift toward Socialism
William C. Dreher contributes a very in-
teresting and instructive paper on this sub-
ject to the July issue of the The Atlantic
Monthly. He sees bright prospects for the
Socialist party for the moment but believes
that if Prussia "would get rid of its pluto-
cratic suffrage law and give real ballot
reform, if the protective duties should be
reduced in the interest of the poorest class
of consumers, it may be safely assumed that
the tide of Socialism would soon begin to
ebb."
Articles Heprinted
The Post, Middleburg, Pa., reprinted .Mr.
Edwin Charles' Article on Canal Lore. The
Public Ledger, Philadelphia. Pa., Mr,
Nitzsche's article on Moravian Towns in
Pennsylvania, (June issue) and the Reading
Eagle quoted at length from Professor Ger-
hard's article on Opposition to (German: A
Misconception. We appreciate these recent
cases of recognition of The l'ennsj hania-
German. If you notice an item that you
think might interest your community ask
the editor of the local paper to reprint it.
Story by Miss Shipmaster
Miss Elsie Singmaster contributed an in-
teresting short story to the Saturday Eyen-
ing Post of July 22, entitled "The Ways of
the Fathers." It is a Christmas story tell-
ing how the fathers of Hans and Elsa I leek-
r.os
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
endorn, of Manhattan, Heinrich Grimmel-
hausen, of Germany, and Maria Xickisch, of
Berlin, tried to dictate the course of love to
their children according to German ideals
and how love took its own course in free
America, leading finally to a happy outcome
— well writti n.
Great Mis-Statement of Facts by Authori-
ties of Independence Hall
We hope the following note will bring its
intended result, the correction of a glaring
error for which there can be no good excuse.
Will the authorities in charge take up the
matter? — Editor.
Editor I'ciuin.-Germnn.
Dear Sir: While going through Indepen-
dence Hall in Philadelphia some time ago P
was surprised to find the following label for
■one of the exhibits: "Iron crows foot found
at the old fort on the Susquehanna opposite
Sunberry, Pa."
These irons were spread over a battlefield
prior to a cavalry charge where they were
used to injure the hoofs of the horses."
A greater mis-statement of facts in the
case could hardly be imagined. In the first
place Fort Augusta was not on the opposite
side of the river from Sunbury (which is
mis-spelled), but was on the same side, and
the site of the fort is included within the
present borough limits.
Fort Augusta is the only place in the
country, so far as the writer has been able
to ascertain, where crows feet were ever
found. They consisted of a piece of iron hav-
ing four sharp prongs an inch or more in
length made in such a way that when
thrown on the ground one prong always
pointed up. Now there never was a cavalry
charge or a battlefield around Fort Augusta.
and the crows feet were not intended to
injure the hoofs of horses. They were
scattered along the Indian paths and trails
and over the ground surrounding the fort
for the purpose of injuring any lurking
Indians who might step upon them, the soft
moccasin offering but little resistance to
the sharp prong. Great quantities of these
crows feet were picked up in the vicinity of
Fort Augusta. Why those having charge of
the exhibits in Independence Hall would
permit the above given description to remain
I cannot understand.
Very truly yours,
WM. G. MTRDOCK.
Milton, Pa.
appended to the Declaration of Indepen-
dence, or who sat in the convention that
framed the Constitution. There are in
public life a few, avery few, men who can
trace their descent collaterally to colonial
times, but the possessors of historic names
have gone. Neither in statecraft nor di-
plomacy is there a Washington, an Adams,
a Jefferson, a Madison, a Monroe, or a
Jackson; there is no Franklin or Otis or
Hamilton or Sherman: no Martin or Greene
or Putman or Lee. The men whose genius
welded the scattered colonies into an empire
and set the infant nation on its way to
greatness either died childless or left small
families."
This is the statement made by Mr. A.
Maurice Low in the second volume of "The
American People, A Study in National
Psychology," which will come from the
press of Houghton-Mifflin Company in the
autumn. Mr. Low also finds that the same
phenomenon in statesmanship has ' its
counterpart in finance and commerce. The
great bankers and merchants and manufac-
turers of thearly days left no descendants.
"In commerce as in public service the men
who today dominate are not the men who
bear historic names, not the men who can
trace their descent back in an unbroken
line to the first baiikers or the first iron
masters or weavers, but men who have no
kinship with these founders of an industry;
'new' men in every sense of the word."
This is the first time, we believe, that
attention has been called to the sterility of
the famous men in American history, and it
is interesting, as Mr. Low says, to ascertain
the cause.
Does the above statement hold true as to
the Germans who were prominent in
church, society and the state prior to 1800?
The Passing of Families
"In America historical families do not
perpetuate themselves. Today in public life
in America there is not a single man who
bears the name of any man who played a
part in the Revolution or whose name was
Indian Grave Gives Up Relics
The grave of an Indian brave who once
roamed the wilds in the foot hills of the
Blue Mountains, was unearthed by Henry
Steinbach. while he was plowing potatoes
on his farm at Round Top Valley, in Bethel
Township.
History relates that upon the death of a
brave he was bedecked in his wart paint and
consigned to the ground with arrows and
bows, war clubs, axes, mortars and other
implements in order that he might find suc-
cessful existence in the happy hunting
grounds.
What was unearthed easily substantiated
the belief that the grave was that of a chief,
as five spear heads, the dimensions of which
were 7%, 6%, 6*4, 6% and 5% inches; a
celt or chisel 1V2 inches long, arrow heads
and an axe were unearthed. These relics
are in a good state of presrvation, the spear
heads being made of quartzite and the celt
of slate, all well sharpened.
THE FORUM
509
The location of the Steinbach farm is near
the historic Fort Henry, erected below
"Round Head," about 1754. This spot is still
pointed out by the residents of that section
as one of the principal points of interest.
It was built in "The Hole," called by the
early inhabitants "Es Loch," a peculiar,
large depression of the earth's surface be-
tween two ridges of mountains. This is
within hailing distance of the Steinbach
farm. Numerous kinds of arrow heads, axes,
war clubs, mortars and other relics of In-
dian days have been found in that vicinity
which bear evidence that that territory was
at one time densely populated by the
aborigines.
A Suggestion from Germany
In the Berlin "Tageblatt" recently ap-
peared a display advertisement of the excel-
lent Opportunities for the location of indus-
trial plants afforded by the new harbor
works at Gelsenkirchen, for which, it was
stated, no less than 6,000,000 marks had been
appropriated. Reference to an atlas shows
that Gelsenkirchen lies in the interior
Province of Westphalia. What important
river runs by Gelsenkirchen?* Not the Rhine
— that is miles away. Inspection of the har-
bor plan reveals a canal connecting with
the Rhine. Was this fuss made over a
"harbor" on a ditch through the hills back
of Oberhausen and nearly $1,500,000 spent
to attract new industries to help make that
outlay pay? Undoubtedly it was. When
your Teuton invests four marks in improve-
ments, he figures that at least five marks
are coming back.
Now picture the citizens of Utica, New
York, laying out a harbor on the Erie Canal
and advertising that fact to the world as
an inducement for the location of new in-
dustries there! Yet Utica is situated, with
respect to the Atlantic Coast, about as
Gelsenkirchen to the North Sea ports. Nor
is this an exceptional instance. Did you
ever hear of Neuss? Not many years ago
its population had sunk to about 4500, and
the good people of the town decided that
something had to be done. After much
deliberation, they borrowed nearly $2,000,-
000, made of the degenerate stream Erft a
deep-water canal to the Rhine, and con-
structed a commodious harbor, with careful-
ly laid out sites for industrial plants. Now
trade of all kinds flourishes, the improve-
ments are paying for themselves, upward of
forty new factories have been secured, in-
cluding branches of two of the greatest
American companies, and the population is
passing the half-way post on its race toward
the 100,000 mark. In our country Neuss
might be compared, in point of situation, to
Norristown, Pennsylvania, although without
the advantages of Norristown. originally, as
to natural location, population, or industries.
But imagine the taxpayers of Norristown
obliging themselves to the extent of $2, ,-
000 to provide a harbor and dockage on the
Schuylkill! At Diisseldorf,' on the Rhine,
early expenditures aggregating close upon
$5,000,000 for encouraging river traffic are
being increased by many millions more.
When its present progressive policy was
inaugurated Diisseldorf had a population
less than that of Wilmington, Del., and few
of the natural advantages of Wilmington
with respect to manufacturing and com-
merce. Now it has six times as many peo-
ple and probably ten times as many factory
operatives. Would Wilmington spend 5.-
000,000 to get started in the same way, and
double that investment a short time after-
ward ? -Mannheim has spent about $9,000,000
on harbor improvements with privatte in-
vestments along its water-fronts that run
into enormous figures. As a manufacturing
and distributing center it takes high rank
among the commercial cities of the world,
with a population of about 175,000. Not long
ago it might have been likened to Little
Rock, Ark. How does Little Rock compare
with it today? In order to meet the in-
creased requirements of river traffic, a new
harbor, including about nine miles of quay
walls and the opening of a basin of 500
acres, is being constructed at Frankfort-on-
the-Main at a cost of $13,690,000. Frankfort
has a population equal to that of Kansas,
City. After herculean efforts on the part of
a few citizens, Kansas City is just getting
one line of packets started down the river.
— Editorial in Collier's for July 22.
H. W. Kriebel, Lititz, Pa.,
My dear sir: Pardon me for trespassing
on your time again after writing you but a
few days ago. However, I read in the July
issue of the Penna.-Gernian some reference
to a German pedigree book, so I thought I
would give you a few facts that I have
gained by much reading and correspon-
dence, besides subscription to German
genealogical publications, and purchase of
German books on the same subject. I do
not know just what book is referred to
above, but your informant is correct in
stating that interest in family history is
growing in Germany and extending tar be-
yond its old narow limits of the nobility. I
will mention a few pariodicals and books.
Fsiiiiilieii.(iesclii('litlielie Qnellenkunde by
Dr. Edward Heydenreich, pp. 517. published
at Leipzig, Germany, 1909, by H. A. Ludwig
Degener. This "source of knowledge of
family history" discusses with great detail
church registers, libraries, monuments,
archives, lists of citizens, taxpayers, school
and college matriculants, almanacs, ship
registers, etc. The price is M.ll:40pf.
(nearly $3).
.-,111
THE PEXXSYLVANIA-GERMAN
There are numerous genealogical societies
in Germany, some of which restrict theni-
3 to nobility, bul others go more widely
into family history. Among societies are:
Die Vcniii Herold (the Herald's Union, or
heraldic anion). Its headquarters are in
Berlin where it issues monthly a magazine,
Der Deutsche Herold (the German Herald).
While this organization devotes itself large-
ly to the so-called "higher classes," it pub-
lishes and aswers inquiries generally as to
genealogy.
A most ambitious publication just begun
with number one of volume one, in April
1911 and to be issued quarterly is: Urkun-
den Quelle, which may be translated as,
original source, or record spring, or archive
spring (or source), meaning not simply the
spring (Quelle) but the fount from which
the spring comes. It is to be sent free of
charge to every pastor in Germany, evan-
gelical. Catholic, etc., and thus will reach
about 24000 congregations in the Fatherland.
Inquiries as to families, and individuals, as
to baptisms, marriages, deaths, etc., are in-
serted and the pastors or church book-
keepers are promised 5 Marks for data
found if original. Insertions cost about 12
marks (nearly $3>. The Quelle is published
in Berlin, at Koenigin Augustas strasse 13,
Berlin W. 9, by W. Brasch & Co.
In 1904 a union was organized to "estab-
lish and maintain a central office for Ger-
man personal and family history." It has
since published an organ Die Familenge-
sehichtlichen Blaetter ' thru H. A. Ludwig
Degener at Leipzig, monthly at about $3 a
year.
The Frankfurter Blaetter fuer Familienge-
•schichte published by Karl Kiefer at
Frankfurt a. M.S., Schulstrasse 10, Ger-
many, devotes itself to the common people
more than many others. It costs about $2.50
a year, and issues monthly.
"Roland," a society for research into lore
of ancestry, arms and seals, publishes a
monthly magazine bearing the same name,
Roland, at 10.40 marks a year, (about $2.60).
The publisher is Gebr. Vogt, a Papiermuehle,
S.-A.. Germany. This society has a card
index catalog of over 250,000 family names
with data of persons and sources, and is
constantly adding thereto. Perhaps this
has been the inspiration for the organization
of the Society of Genealogists at London
this year, with the object of making up a
genealogical card-index as fast as possible.
The many readers of the Pcniia.-Gcrniaii
who value its work in family history can
hardly desire to end their research with the
advent of the family into America, but must
naturally wish to trace their line as far
back as possible in Europe. If one once
finds the place from which the family came
to America, it will be easy, except in rare
instances, to go back many years farther,
because of the fine church records of bap-
tisms, marriages and deaths. The searcher
who has traced his line in America to the
immigrant ancestors and can get no farther,
may well hope to find a clue on the other
side the ocean by means of some of these
German societies or publications if the race
is German.
(Hon.) J. C. RUPPENTHAL,
Russell, Kansas.
Our July Issue
The first article in the number of by Mr.
Charles on early Pennsylvania canals is
extremely interesting to me and I must
thank you for the pleasure of reading it.
The article, "Canal Lore,*'' in the current
number is fine. I would like to see more
articles of this nature, that is treating of a
subject more or less common to the entire
portion of eastern Pennsylvania.
Your number of several months ago
which contained the Laux family history is
open to criticism to my mind because there
was too much of it in one number for those
who are in no way connected with the
family. I like to see variety something to
suit every taste.
Your June issue was a particularly good
one because it treated of so many different
communities, contained the "graveyard his-
tory" (which I look for) and a fine article
on the Amish.
"By all means keep up the 'grave-yard
history.' What one in a thousand does not
want all the other 999 are eager for. 'Eas-
ton from a Torrely Window' is superb — so
is 'Historic Pilgrimages,' by Mcllhaney. Bue
then, what is the use of discriminating, the
'whole shooting-match' from cover to cover
is par excellence."
..11
®t|0 Jfenttsyluattta-tfcmatt
(Founded by Rev. Dr. P. C. Croll, 1900.)
H. W. KRIEBEL, Editor and Publisher
Associate Editors— Rev. Georg Von Bosse, Philadelphia, Pa.; Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N.J.
THE EXPRESS PRINTING COMPANY, Printers
LITITZ, PENNA.
Advisory Editorial Board : — I. H. Betz, M. D, York, Pa. ; Lucy Forney Bittinger, Sewickley,
Pa.; A. Y. Casanova, Washington, D. C. ; Rev. P. C. Croll, D. D., Beardstown, 111.; Prof.'
G. T. Ettinger, Allentown, Pa. ; Prof. Oscar Kuhns, Middletown, Conn. ; Daniel Miller,
Reading, Pa.; Gen. John E. Roller, Harrisonburg, Va. ; Prof. L. S. Shimmel, Harrisburg'
Pa. ; Rev. A. C. Wuchter, Paulding, Ohio.
The Pennsylvania-German is the only, popular, illustrated, monthly magazine of biography, genealogy,
history, folklore, literature, devoted to the early German and Swiss settlers in Pennsylvania and other
states and their descendants. It encourages a restudy of the history of the Germans in America; it res-
cues from oblivion the record of the deeds of those gone before; it unearths, formulates and disseminates
a wealth of historic material of great moment in the right interpretation of our American life ; it meets
the necessity of having a repository for historical contributions and a medium for the expression of opin-
ion on current questions pertaining to its field. It aims to develop a proper regard for ancestry, to
create interest in family history, to promote research along genealogical lines, to unite descendants wh'er -
ever found, to facilitate a scientific, philological study of its dialect; it makes generally accessible to the
future historian the precious incidents of German life and achievements in America, and incidentally be-
comes an eloquent, imperishable monument to a very important element of the citizenship of the United
States.
THIS MAGAZINE STOPS AT THE END OF THE TIME PAID TOR
HINTS TO AUTHORS. Condense closely. Write
plainly on one side only of uniform paper. Do not
cram, interline, scrawl, abbreviate (except words to
be abbreviated), roll manuscript, or send incomplete
copy. Spell, capitalize, punctuate and paragraph
carefully and uniformly. Verify quotations, refer-
ences, dates, proper names, foreign words and techni-
cal terms.
PRICE. Single Copies 20 cents; per year $2.00
payable in advance. Foreign Postage, Extra : to
Canada, 24 cents; to Germany, 36 cents.
SPECIAL RATES to clubs, to canvassers, on long
term subscriptions and on back numbers. Ask for
particulars.
REMITTANCES will be acknowledged through the
magazine; receipts will be sent onlv on request.
ADVERTISING RATES will be furnished on ap-
plication.
CHANGES OF ADDRESS. In ordering change
of address the old and new addresses should be given.
SUGGESTIONS AND PLANS on how to extend
the sale and influence of the magazine are invited
and, if on trial found to be of value, will be suitably
rewarded.
SPECIAL REPORTS WANTED. Readers will
confer a great favor by reporting important and
significant biographical, bibliographical, genealogical,
social, industrial items appearing in books and cur-
rent literature that relate to our magazine field.
CONTRIBUTIONS. Articles on topics connected
with our field are always welcome. Readers of the
magazine are invited to contribute items of interest
and thus help to enhance the value of its pages. Re-
sponsibility for contents of articles is assumed by
contributors. It is taken for granted that names of
contributors may be given in connection with articles
when withholding is not requested. MSS. etc. will
be returned only on request, accompanied by stamps
to pay postage. Corrections of misstatements of facts
are welcomed; these will be printed and at the end
of the year indexed.
Subscriptions Received
The subscription- money received will
be reported in the September issue.
Our' Associate Editor
Rev. Georg von Bosse joins our ranks
with this issue as an Associate Editor.
Our readers will be pleased with the
accession. At the time announcement of
this step was made it was stated that
"his special province will be to edit data
respecting a, The German citizenship of
our country that immigrated since the
year 1800. b, the Germans in the Twen-
tieth Century, c, German ideas and
ideals in the world's historv." This
gives our Associate Editor ample elbow
room. It also widens the scope of the
magazine. The special lines of articles
that will be offered will depend largely
though not exclusively on the reception
accorded this step. We invite communi-
cations on the subject.
Our Premium Offers
Subscribers, new and renewal, are
taking advantage of our premium offers.
We are giving our readers, the hot
book on the ( ierman Element in the
United States, the best hook on the
Pennsylvania-* iermans and the editorial
service of another prize-winning writer
5 1 2
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
in the same field with the only illustrated.
popular monthly magazine touching the
Germans of our country. We hope to
do still better by and by. The two books
are worth their regular retail price $1.50
and S7.50 respectively; the magazines
are fully worth their subscription prices,
$2.00 each. We thus give practically
three times what we ask for in ( )ffcr 4A
at $4.50.
if you have not already done so tell
your neighbors about these offers a 'id
unite them to become subscribers. You
will do them a favor, benefit yourself
and help the work along as well. Will
you not do this AT ONCE?
Get your June issue, study the two
offers on the colored slip and — then 10
work.
A "Sur-Rejoinder" Received
Mr. James B. Laux of New York
sent a "Sur-Rejoinder" to the two com-
munications respecting the Gutenberg
Bible which appeared in the July issue
Being received too late for this it will
appear in the September number. It is
a satisfaction to an editor to get evidence
that the magazine is being read. We
regard rejoinders to articles as very good
proof that at least some of the sub-
scribers peruse the magazine very care-
fully. It must of coure be understood
at all times that authors and not the
editor must be held responsible for the
accuracy of articles, and that allowing
an article to appear does not signify
approval of the sentiments or opinions
expressed.
Family Reunions
This is the season of family reunions.
We have received personal and printed
invitations to some of them and regret
exceedingly that we can not attend these
and in fact all and take part in them.
Neither will it be possible in a few
months to print the "story" of these
families. Our space and our readers
will not allow this. We do expect how-
ever to give in the October issue a list
of some of the reunions with date,
place and the name of some officer or
prominent person connected with the
family. We should also be glad to print
so far as space will allow short accounts
of families. Those who are connected
with such organizations will confer a
great favor if they will remind us of
these gatherings and give us the name of
some member prominently identified
with the association.
Completion of Series of Articles
The series of articles by Louis Rich-
ards, Esq., "Early Berks County Tomb-
stone Inscriptions" comes to an end with
this issue. Providing sufficient interest
is shown a limited edition of the articles
in pamphlet form will be issued. The
page will be the same size as in the
magazine and all the family names will
be indexed alphabetically. Price 25 cents
each. We shall be pleased to hear from
our subscribers on the subject. How
many copies of the reprint will you sub-
scribe for and pay to make the republi-
cation a possibility?
Vol. XII SEPTEMBER, 1911 No. 9
OUR WIDENED PLATFORM
An Open Letter
To Our Subscribers : —
In the August issue of "The Pennsylvania-German" there appeared a re-
print of a letter that had been issued a short time before in which occurred
these words : — %
"The Pennsylvania-German" takes pleasure in making the following proposi-
tion to the members of the German-American Alliance :
PROVIDING AT LEAST 2000 GUARANTEE SUBSCRIPTIONS(Nezv)
ARE PLEDGED, "The Pennsylvania-German" agrees
to increase the number of pages of the magazine per month from 64 to 80, the
added pages as needed to be devoted to Alliance matter,
to insert Alliance notes and news, announcements and reports of important
Alliance events, letters from officers of the Alliance, critical papers and
articles bearing on the principles and activities of the Alliance.
In explanation of the step it is proposed to take according to these words the
following statement is submitted.
Respecting the main features of the platform of the German-American Al-
liance we quote the words of Professor A. B. Faust: — "The object on the whole
is to preserve and unite what is best in German culture and character, and
devote it to the best interests of the adopted country. The principle, therefore,
which Carl Schurz and Friedrich Munch announced for the Germans in America
— namely, that they become American citizens as quickly as possible, without,
however, losinig their culture and character — has won in our own day." ( Par-
ticulars about the platform of the German-American Alliance will be furnished
on application.)
American "Deutschtum" is an ever widening circle of which Pennsylvania
Germans form part of a segment, the early German immigrant and bis descend-
ants, a part that is destined ultimately to be lost in its environment. Viewed
from the standpoint of language or clan- characteristics, a gradual though long
drawn-out extinction is to be looked for. Such tendency narrows very materially
the outlook for a periodical. This was expressed by one of our subscribers
recently (and he but voiced the sentiment of other subscribers) : "I fear you are
in a losing game. The whole tendency of the present age, as properly voiced by
our State Superintendent, Dr. Schaeffer, is to forget our differences in national-
ity and remember above all else that we are Americans, speaking the English
language."
514 THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Personally we are by no means ready to forget whence we have come, to
cast aside entirely the language our fathers spoke; it would be a pleasant occupa-
tion and not a fruitless one to collect and make accessible the rich historic data
pertaining to the particular held of the Pennsylvania Germans but the greater
-service in the wider held lures us. Not that we love Pennsylvania Germans less
but that we love Germans and our country more.
The magazine will gain greatly in perspective and usefulness by recogniz-
ing that the Pennsylvania Germans have been and are but part of a very impor-
tant element in American life and that the present has its duties and problems
to the performance and solution of which the German element can and must
offer its contributions. In the words of A. D. White: "The ultimate end of a
great nation is something besides manufacturing, or carrying, or buying or selling
products; that art, literature, science, and thought, in its highest flights and
widest ranges are greater and more important ; and that highest of all — is the one
growth for which all wealth exists — is the higher and better development of
man, not merely as a planner or a worker or a carrier, or a buyer or seller, but
as a man. In no land has this idea penetrated more deeply than in Germany,
and it is this idea which should penetrate more and more American thought and
practice."
We wrould say to all citizens of German ancestry, near or remote : we are
of one blood ; let the lines between us be low and narrow beds of sweet
flowers rather than thorny hedges and impassable barriers ; let us get together ;
let us know for ourselves and tell our children and neighbors whence and what
we are, and labor for the best interests of our country by making known what
our history teaches. To quote the concluding paragraph in Professor Faust's
monumental and epoch-making history of the "German Element" ; — -"The Ger-
man traits are such as to unite the various formative elements of the American
people more securely and harmoniously. In common with the English stock of
New England, the German is inspired with idealism, the origin of education, music
and art ; he shares with the Scot a stern conscience and a keen sense of duty ;
he touches the Irish with his emotional nature, his joy of living, and his sense
of humor ; and thus, linking the great national elements together, the German
provides the back-bone, with the physical and mental qualities of vigor, sturdi-
ness, and vitality and the moral tone of genuineness, virility and aspiration."
These things are worth while.
Proposed Step Approved
That the proposed step meets with the approval of men prominent in Ger-
man circles is evidenced by words like the following: —
C. J. HEXAMER, President of the National German- American Alliance : .
I heartily indorse "The Pennsylvania-German/' a magazine for the study of
German-American history and for leading Pennsylvania Germans back to Ger-
man culture, a project of importance to all and one that should be encouraged.
FRIEDRICH GROSSE, M. D., Vorsitzer Alldeutscher Verband Ortsgruppe
Neuyork :
It is with great pleasure that I received notice considering an expansion of
"The Pennsylvania-German." The Germans, as organized in the National bund,
need badly an organ just as you are planning.
C. F. HUCH, Sec. Pionier Verein:
I consider "The Pennsylvania-German" a most valuable magazine in the
interest of German-American history.
OUR WIDENED PLATFORM 515
MAX HEINRICI, Editor:
To all friends of German-American history your magazine is indispensable
and I would like to see it in many German homes.
R. K. BUEHRLE, Ex-Supt. of Schools:
I have been a subscriber for "The Pennsylvania-German" for a number of
years and am glad to hear that it proposes to expand.
GEORG VON BOSSE, Pastor, author and editor:
The publisher should have the support of all those that have an interest in
the work of the Germans in this country.
DR. 0. L. SCHMIDT, German Historical Soc. of Illinois:
I have read "The Pennsylvania-German" for the past few years with much
interest and have found it to be a source of much original information. I hope
that the journal will have a successful future as there is nothing at present to
replace it.
DEMOCRAT, Davenport, Iowa:
Wir wollen es uns nicht versagen, unsere Leser recht dringend zu ersuchen,
sich und ihre Kinder mit der deutsch-Amerikanischen Geschichte vertraut zu
machen und die seltene Offerte des Herrn Kriebel nicht unbenutzt zu lassen.
MITTHEIEUNGEN des D. A. N. Bund:
Das Anerbieten des Herrn Kriebel is Bestens zu befehlen.
The Program for 1912
A bigger, brighter, better, more interesting, more valuable and more attrac-
tive magazine than ever, iooo pages of reading matter pertaining to the history,
ideals and activities of the German Element in the United States ; Special
assistance to genealogical students ; biography, genealogy, local history, folklore,
industrial life, humor, articles on platform of the German-American Alliance,
prominent. A free reprint copy of Kuhns's German and Swiss Settlements in
Pennsylvania to all who subscribe before January i, 19 12. (The best general
view of the subject, concise but complete. Publisher's price, $1.50.)
Among the articles to appear in early issues of 1912 may be mentioned:
The Germans in Maine. — Prof essor Garrett W. Thompson of the University
of Maine, Orono, Maine, will contribute a series of papers on the history of the
Germans in Maine based on critical research and embodying considerable hither-
to uncollated material.
The Germans in Nczv York. — The Pastor of the Schoharie, a tale translated
from "Der Waldpfarrer am Schoharie eine Kulturhistorische Erzaehlung," a
vivid pen picture portraying life among the Germans in the Mohawk Valley,
New York, from 1723 to 1777.
Autobiograhy of L. A. Wollemveber, relating his experiences in eastern
Pennsylvania and Virginia 1832 to 1852 very interesting.
The Newborn, written by Georg Michael Weiss, V. D. M., published by
Bradfordt in 1729, only one copy known in America.
The Germans in Kansas, by Hon. J. C. Ruppenthal, Judge, District Courts,
Russell, Kansas.
The Contribution of the Moravian Church to Protestant Church Music. —
A paper by Dr. W. A. Wolf, Lancaster, Pa., learned and scientific, showing that
ibhe Moravian Church stands for the best in music.
516 THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Diary of John Ramsauer, who migrated from Lancaster County, Penna., to
North Carolina in 1752 — intensely interesting and very important.
Rev. von Bosse, Philadelphia, Pa.. Associate Editort author of "Das
Deutsche Element.'* will contribute a series of papers touching the more recent
German citizenship of our country and German ideas and ideals in the world's
history.
( Hher articles equally interesting and valuable by prominent representative
men either have been received or are promised and in preparation.
Regular Monthly Features
The Forum. A Subscribers' Roundtable for the publication and discussion
of brief items of general interest, including contents of the magazine.
Muttersproch. Selections of choice literary productions in German includ-
ing the dialect.
Historical Notes and Nev.'s. Reports and announcements of important his-
torical events and meetings of historical societies.
Genealogical Notes and Queries. A free service for the benefit of those
engaged in genealogical research. A Genealogical Research Bureau will be
conducted to facilitate the work of those engaged in the investigation of the
history of families.
Reviews and Arotes. Announcements, notices and reviews of literary pro-
ductions bearing on German life and thought.
Who, When, Where, Whom. Short, spicy pen sketches of German- Ameri-
can families, giving name of immigrant, date of migration, place from which
and to which migration took place, representative descendants.
Alliance Activities. Announcements and reports of Activities of branches
of the German-American Alliance.
The hearty support of "The Pennsylvania-German" on basis of its enlarged
platform is respectfully asked of all our present subscribers and of all 'to whom
this letter may come, promising the faithful devotion of time, strength and re-
sources to the carrying out of the program as set forth, I remain,
Yours verv trulv,
i^^j^Af
Editor and IYblisher.
517
The German Immigration into Colonial New England
By Wilfred H. Schoff, Philadelphia, Pa.
(CONTINUED FROM JULY ISSUE)
EANWHILE, while winter
lasted the poor passengers
of the Priscilla had to set
to work as best they could,
some to serve the time
stipulated to clear off the
balance advanced on their
passage-money (which they
had already paid in full before leaving
Germany), and all to lay by enough to
buy a bit of land from some one less
hard-hearted than the Provincial Court.
As its promoters expected, the Ger-
mantown Company found a good num-
ber who had no choice but to accept its
terms and become its bond-servants.
Twelve families had signed with the
company by January 8, 1752.
The committee that visited Fort Mas-
sachusetts found that the township re-
served for them was a wilderness,
insecurely guarded against French and
Indians, by whom the fort itself had
been captured and destroyed in 1746,
and that there were no settlements with-
in 30 miles. Some of the "French
Protestants" or Huguenots probably
went there the following year, settling
on the Hoosac River, in what is now
North Adams and Williamstown. In
August, 1754, numerous "Dutch far-
mers" along the Hoosac, whose homes
had been laid waste by French raiders,
sought refuge in the Fort, crowding it
almost beyond defence. The "Glass-
Works grant" later referred to, lay with-
in what is now the town of Lee ; and
other Huguenot and German families
seem to have scattered along the western
boundary, appearing in most of the
towns in the census of 1790. So that
some of the Priscilla passengers certain-
ly went to Fort Massachusetts during
their first winter. A bill from Captain
Ephraim Williams for food supplied to
this committee of French Protestants
was allowed by the General Court, Jan-
uary 25, 1752.
The comittee that visited the "eastern
parts" found the townships north of
Sebago Pond quite unsuitable, and seem
to have gone to Waldo's tract, east of
the Kennebec. During the winter num-
bers of the Pnsalla's passengers, both
German and Huguenot, went to Broad
Bay ( now Waldoboro ) where they
settled, first on "Dutchmen's Neck," and
later scattered over the whole neighbor-
hood, in the modern towns of Dresden
(first called Frankfort Plantation),
Pownalboro, Nobleboro, Waldoboro,
Bristol, Warren and Penobscot.
For the Plymouth Company, control-
ling the "Kennebec Patent" and disput-
ing title to much of the ground claimed
by Waldo as lying within his "Muscon-
gus Patent," immediately set about per-
suading the Germans to desert him. In
December 1751 a "township named
Frankfort" was laid out on the eastern
side of the Kennebec, and a block-house
built for the defence of settlers. And
the directors voted that "Whereas a
number of German protestants are lately
arrived from Germany, that such of
them as will settle in the township afore-
said, have granted them one hundred
acres of land." The company also under-
took to supply the Germans with pro-
visions throughout the winter and spring,
on one year's credit.14
Forts Massachusetts and Pemaquid
had both been recently destroyed by
French and Indians ; these were the
homes chosen for the new settlers. As
in Pennsylvania, the native colonist put
the "foreigner" between himself and the
Indians ; a German scalp might satisfy
the savages and dissuade them from
attacking the older settlements.'"'
"Collections of the Maine Historical Society, VIII.
113.
Historical Society.
518
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Meantime Joseph Crellius had returned
to Germany, still enjoying the hospitality
of Councillor Luther in Frankfurt, and
continued his canvass throughout the
spring of 175-', under strong and grow-
ing opposition. He was in debt to Waldo
for money advanced, in return for which
he had hound himself to supply a sub-
stantial number of settlers to the Broad
Bay estate. He was responsible also to
the Germantown Company, and to the
Province for account of the four town-
ships ; but chiefly he was concerned about
his per capita commissions from the
Rotterdam brokers. In spite of Luther's
warning he made a secret agreement
there for the sale of his passengers. But
it was never to the interest of the Rotter-
dam merchants to let Crellius succeed in
his campaign. His efforts in behalf of
Massachusetts Bay threatened their
established alliance with the proprietors
of Pennsylvania, and they defended
themselves by spreading stories of the
cold climate of New England and the
hardships and disappointments facing
settlers there ; which were fully con-
firmed by letters from the PrisciUa pas-
sengers. Then, too, the colony of Nova
Scotia was making an effective canvass
for German settlers, and decried Massa-
chusetts wherever it could. Its agent in
Germany, whose name was Dick, carried
on a bitter campaign against Crellius in
the German newspapers. He was wrell
supplied with funds (said to come from
the English Government, which was just
then very anxious to stimulate settle-
ments in Nova Scotia), and Dick adver-
tised free transportation to Halifax,
which was far more than Crellius could
offer to Boston. And Samuel Waldo,
who had promised Crellius his support
(and kept his promise as far as money
was concerned) was in London trying
to get Scotch-Irish settlers, even bring-
ing over the frigate Massachusetts on a
disastrous journey with the idea of
carrying back a shipload of Protestants
from the north of Ireland. So Waldo's
time was spent elsewhere, and Luther's
support did not serve to counterbalance
the reports of the Rotterdam merchants
and the personal character of Crellius
himself, who seems to have been a rascal
in every way, and concerning whom all
sorts of salacious gossip was spread
about.
But Luther was fortified by a letter
from the Governor and Council of Mas-
sachusetts Bay, stating that Pennsylva-
nia's canvass for settlers was due to the
advantage arising to the proprietors by
the annual quit-rent from the land
settled by them, whereas the purpose of
Massachusetts was merely "to enlarge
the number of inhabitants and to in-
crease the strength and general interest
of the whole, and in this as well as all
other advantages and privileges the new
settlers will share proportionably with
the old" (forgetting the segregation, the
head-tax and security, the false promises
of land, and the rest) ; and so Crellius
did not despair. Settlers were invited
from all Central Germany; the mouth of
the Ruhr, "a river of Westphalia,"
(Duisburg, an old market-town of the
lower Rhne, eclipsed by Frankfurt) was
named as the rendezvous, from which
every one was to proceed to Rotterdam.
But this year again the greater number
of the emigrants came from the circle of
Franconia, through advertisements pub-
lished at Frankfurt, Niirnberg and Heil-
bron.
Crellius played a double game all this
spring. Openly he worked through
Luther's agents ; secretly he associated
himself with two of the most disrepu-
table canvassers in all Germany, who
published in their own name advertise-
ments for settlers for New England un-
der a form of agreement calling for a
payment of yl/2 pistoles passage and
board, or for reimbursement of the same
by Labor; under the promise that "none
that is unable to pay down his Passage-
Money shall be obliged to serve as a
Slave or Servant ; but as it will be left to
him to work it out by little and little.
Things will be so ordered that he may be
able to go on and thrive, to which Pur-
pose the high Wages paid there and an
opportunity of disposing advantageously
THE GERMAN IMMIGRATION INTO COLONIAL NEW ENGLAND
519
of his workmanship will be very help-
ful."
But these agents were marked men,
for previous frauds committed, and
Crellius was jailed in Hanau for his
dealings with them, from which only
Luther's influence freed him. His ene-
mies seized the opportunity of denounc-
ing him in the Frankfurt papers, and
he replied by publicly disavowing his
canvassers' acts, and by announcing that
no passengers would be received except
such as prepaid their passage. Captain
Heerbrand, one of his agents had an-
nounced a rendezvous of his victims at
Niirnberg, May 15, 1752, but absconded.
Meantime Luther's agent, Leucht, had
been working at Heilbron, and a second
rendezvous was fixed there a day or two
later, at the "Golden Ox" Inn. Leucht
wrote from that place to Crellius, May
19, 1752: "Thanks be to God, our little
transport set out this afternoon. We
have very good people, every one can
pay his freight, except two unmarried
people. Among them is a Master Baker
from Hornberg with 9 children. He is
able to pay for all the freights & to keep
still several hundred florins in his
pockets. Notice is to be taken of this
Man; never a Newland man (emigration
canvasser) came to the place wherefrom
he sets out. Upon his giving a favorable
account to this friends several families
will follow him next year."10
But Crellius was having serious trouble
in Rotterdam. The Rotterdam mer-
chants were keeping every good ship
from him. As General Waldo wrote
subsequently to the Provincial Court.
"The opposition of the Rotterdam mer-
chants to Mr. Crellius arises both from
a personal dislike to him and an Appre-
hension that their Interests in Pensil-
vania would be prejudiced by his suc-
cess." His "freights" were arriving
almost daily, demanding food, shelter
and passage. His life was threatened
several times, so that he had to hide from
them in an attic. Finally came the
Franconian contingent, who had all
signed articles of agreement, acknowl-
16Mass. Archives, Emigrants, p. 135.
edging themselves subjects of the King
of Great Britain in New England, and
had paid each jl/2 pistoles board at sea
and passage-money, and something over
2 ducats for passage on the Neckar and
the Rhine, and had bound themselves to
embark at Rotterdam only in vessels
provided under the direction of Crellius.
This was the last straw. How was he to
charter a good ship of a good broker,
without adequate support from his prin-
cipals in Massachusetts, and (more im-
portant still) without the commissions
which a less reputable broker would pay
him? As before, he ignored his contracts
and chose a poor ship, through an un-
scrupulous broker ; but now he varied
the programme by deserting a large num-
ber of people whose passages on his ship
had already been paid. On June 24,
1752, Crellius wrote to Luther, "The
Tragedy is over. Tomorrow we are set-
ting out from hence for Boston on Board
the St. Andrezv, Alexander Hood, Mas-
ter, having 260 freights; 80 freights
whom we were not able to take in, and
whom I have dismissed at their desire,
have addressed themselves to other mer-
chants and for the greatest part intend
to go to Maryland. I foresee the noise
these people will make, and you may
easily imagine what consequences thence
are likely to result. You may also fancy
what I have suffered besides the Danger
of losing my life wherewith I was
menaced."
The St. Andrezv was, apparently, an
old vessel, which had been carrying emi-
grants from Rotterdam to Philadelphia
for a number of years. The name
appears frequently in the Pennsylvania
Archives before 1750. In October, 1738,
it arrived in Philadelphia, under com-
mand of Captain Steadman (perhaps the
same man who fitted out the Priscilla
in Rotterdom in 1751L with its pas-
sengers "laboring under a malignant,
eruptive fever" ;17 and it was quarantined
and, under the law of that time, the pas-
sengers were kept in their crowded
quarters on board until they were cured
or dead.
^Pennsylvania Colonial Records, V. 410.
520
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
This trip of the St. Andrew to Boston
in 1752 seems to have been much more
fortunate. No deaths occurred on the
voyage, and, by inference, no serious
sickness.
After Crellius' departure it appeared
that he had left his bills unpaid, his
agents' drafts for their commissions dis-
honored, and had made his own private
bargain with the ship-brokers for the dis-
position of the unfortunate passengers.
'! he ship's hooks being kept by the cap-
tain, it would go hard if he might not
show every soul of them in debt at the
end of the journey. Crellius admitted
his duplicity in his last letter to Luther:
"I acted with honesty and sincerity so
long as other people did not swerve from
it with regard to me, but when I thought
that I had reason to suspect the contrary,
/ looked upon myself as obliged to stand
my guard;" that is, as Crellius later
complained to Waldo, Luther •"en-
deavored to exclude him from his com-
mission" from the rascals in Rotterdam,'
by recommending him to men of repute
who were above entering into his
schemes ; as Luther wrote to the Massa-
chusetts Council, "He imagined he would
not get the price he had settled per head
at Rotterdam according to the good cus-
tom of the enlisters; a profit as unjust
as it is sordid, and which this sort of
people make at the expense of the poor
emigrants, in such manner that they may
be considered as sellers of mankind and
traffickers of Christians ; an employment
against which mere humanity inspires
us with horror. If I protected him so
long upon the credit of your recom-
mendatory letters, and have been his
dupe, as without doubt you have been
yourselves, I am incapable of assisting
a Cheat when I find him to be such."
And Waldo confirmed all that Luther
reported, writing from London, "This
Gentleman was the only patron and
friend that Mr. Crellius" had ; his Be-
haviour to him will prevent his being
any further Serviceable to him; his Mis-
fortune hereby is the greater for that he
will not be able to find another Person
in Germany to protect him. I know now
the nature of Mr. Crell's commission,
or by what authority he takes upon him-
self the Title of Commissary to the Pro-
vince, but I am well assured he has
neither done it Honour or Service."
Well might Crellius announce that he
"would be known thenceforth only as a
West Indian merchant." How his vari-
ous promises were realized in New Eng-
land, let the facts relate.
The St. Andrew reached Boston Sep-
tember 19, 1752. The following report
was printed in the Boston Evening Post
for September 25, and, with some
omissions, in the Gazette on the same
day, and was translated into German
and printed in the P ensylvanische Be-
richte of the same date :
"Tuesday last a ship arrived here from
Holland, with about 300 Germans, Men,
Women and Children, some of whom
are going to settle at Germantown{a part
of Braintree), and the others in the
Eastern parts of this Province. 'Tis
said about 40 children were born during
the passage ; and we are told that when
one of the German Women is delivered,
her Friends and Neighbors do not ask
(as we do) what she has got, but how
many children. Among the Artificers
come over in this ship, there are a Num-
ber of Men skilled in making Glass, of
various Sorts, and an House, proper for
carrying on that useful Manufacture,
will be erected at Germantown as soon
as possible."
This year no attempt was made to
open any one of the four townships for
settlement. Although the 120 families
were on hand, two-thirds were mort-
gaged to Waldo, and the rest, whether
actually or on fictitious charges, were
shown to be in debt to the ship, and were
offered for sale. The Evening Post and
the Post Boy for September 25, and the
Evening Post for October 2 and 9 con-
tained the following advertisement :
"Just arrived in the Ship St. Andrew,
Capt. Aexander Hood, from Rotterdam,
in good Health, A Number of very likely
Men & Women, Boys and Girls, from
twelve to twenty-five years old, who will
be disposed of for some Years accord-
THE GERMAN IMMIGRATION INTO COLONIAL NEW ENGLAND
521
ing to their Ages and the different Sums
they owe for their Passages : Any Per-
sons who have occasion for such Ser-
vants, may treat with Mr. John Franklin
in Cornhill, Boston, Mr. Isaac Winslow
at Milton, or Capt. Hood on board his
ship now lying in Braintree River, be-
fore the new Settlement of German-
town."
Thus, then, was the pitiless work com-
pleted, and within the same harbor
where a few years later the battle for
American liberty began, were Christian
men and women, subjects of a friendly
power, and beguiled by the official invi-
tation of the Province through its duly
accredited Commissary, shamefully
tricked and sold into bondage. And an
eminent historian of those days18 speaks
with complacency of the good fortune
of Massachusetts in having so few
foreigners living in by-ways, in their
"hardscrabbles and hell huddles." Better
might he have laid even those few in-
stances of helpless want, as did its own
Governor, Thomas Hutchinson, to the
dishonor of the Province.
The Boston Evening Post for October
22), had the following interesting account
of conditions within a stone's throw of
the Germantown settlement :
"Tuesday last a very large Bear was
kill'd in Braintree, whose Quarters
weighed 59 Pounds each, and his Skin
24 Pounds — According to the Judgment
of many of our Sages, the strolling down
of the Bears into the near Towns, por-
tends a very severe Winter ; We have
others who divine by the Goose-Bone,
and they have all their admirers ; but
there are others such Infidels as to deny
that living Bears, or the Bones of a de-
ceased Goose, know anything about
future Events. These last come off the
worst, being tho't by the vulgar, to be
downright Hereticks."
On November 6, Captain Hood
cleared for Virginia.
While many of these passengers went
to the Germantown company's settle-
ment, and to Fort Massachusetts, and
while others remained in or near Boston,
18Jchn Fiiske: Beginnings of New England.
probably under indenture, the majority
seem to have gone at once to Waldo's
estate in Maine. No one was ready to
receive them. They were crowded into
a large shed, 60 feet long, without chim-
neys, quite unsuited for habitation. Here
they spent a winter of terrible suffering.
Several were frozen to death. The set-
tlers already there were too poor to offer
much help, and labor was at a discount,
a quart of buttermilk, or sometimes a
quart of meal, being a good .day's wage.
This tragic outcome of Waldo's efforts
to secure settlers from Germany, he did
what he could to remedy the following
year (1753) by going to Councillor
Luther's house at Frankfurt, and by
arranging with Crellius' old agents in
Heilbron, Nurnberg, Speyer, Herborn,
and elsewhere, to continue their efforts ;
at the same time appointing a German
agent at Broad Bay to take care of new-
arrivals and assign them home-sites.
Some incidental results may have been
secured, but the business was practically
ended by Crellius' fiasco in 1752. Re-
ports from the passengers on the
Priscilla and the St. Andrew, as well as
the growing scandals in the Pennsylvania
traffic, all, doubtless, debated in the
Council of the Empire, caused several
of the German princes in 1752-3 to stop
all river transports, to forbid further
canvassing for emigrants, and to throw
into jail numbers of these canvassers,
whom they called "sellers of souls." As
Councillor Luther wrote to the Massa-
chusetts Council, protesting against the
bad faith shown by the Colony : We
never thought our poor countrymen
would be treated like slaves or negroes,
without the liberty to settle where they
pleased." "He considered himself as a
sort of publich person,'19 observed
Thomas Hutchinson, later Governor, but
then a member of the Provincial Council,
with the true provincial outlook ; not
supposing, apparently, that a member of
the Aulic Council, or Upper House, of
the Holy Roman Empire, and represent-
ing its capital city, could take rank with
a councillor representing the capital of
"Thomas Hutchinson: History of the Province of
Massachusetts Bey, Vol. III. London: 1828.
522
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Hi- Britannic Majesty's Province of the
Massachusetts Bay in New England.
What signified it that his liege lord, King
George II, was also, for his Kingdom of
Hannover, a subject of that same Holy
Roman Empire? "He was, probably, at
much pains, and some expense, to en-
courage the emigration;" but "the emi-
grants complained of being disappointed"
when not one of the promises advertised
in the German newspapers was fulfilled,
and "the Assembly first slackened their
correspondence with Mr. Luther," and
then "ceased answering his frequent let-
ters, which were filled with complaint."
What right had a foreigner ,even a "sort
of publick person," to scold the Province
for its sin of omission or commission?
Could one wonder that the Empire
closed its rivers to such enterprises?
A petition by the Rotterdam mer-
chants, for raising the embargo, was-
denied on the ground that "the enlisters
had made shameful traffic of the Ger-
mans, and were a set of scoundrels and
cheats, everywhere contemned." This
led to stopping the emigration not only
to Massachusetts, but to America gen-
erally. For the next three years a de-
creasing number of vessels reached
Philadelphia, largely from Hamburg (a
new center of operations), but in 1756-
the outbreak of war ended the whole
unsavory business. And the results of
that war, which relieved New England
of the fear of French encroachment, put
an end to the desire to secure foreign
immigration.
(to be continued)
Mother
I Lines on the death of Mrs. James Miller, Elizabethville, Pa., by her son, H.
M. Miller, known to our readers as "Solly Hulsbuck." — Editor.)
Had I no other proof of God,
This were enough for me, —
The mother 'neath that mounded sod,
And her life's sweet ministry.
Her consecrated motherhood,
Her sacrificial love,
Her reverence for the pure and good,
All spoke of God above.
Like some good angel from the skies
On earthly mission sent.
She made of home a paradise
Of love and heart's content.
And though death crumble in the dust
Her house of mortal clay,
In yonder homeland of the just
Her soul endures for aye.
And as I contemplate it o'er,
This comfort I am given, — -
That she has only gone before
To lead the way to heaven.
Yet in my heart the ache and pain
Of parting hold full sway,
For home is never home again
Since mother's gone away.
That empty pew, that vacant chair,
Once her accustomed place, —
Look where I may, I find nowhere
Her dear familiar face.
But some day, be it soon or late,
Beyond the Silent Sea,
With outstretched arms at heaven's gater
I know she'll welcome me.
522
Hundredth Anniversary of Birth of Rev. Dr. C. F.
W. Walther
By Rev. F. Kuegele, Crimora, Va.
julm n
N October
year the
of the current
one hundredth
anniversary of the birth of
one of the most prominent
and widely known Ger-
man-Americans will be
celebrated, and, though
this man was not of Penn-
sylvania German stock, he very properly
deserves mention in this magazine, be-
cause his life and work has had its
influence with many of the descendants
of the earlier German immigrants. In-
deed, it would be difficult to name
another German-American whose work
contributed as much to the perpetuating
of the German language and the spread
of German literature in our beloved
country as did the work of Rev. Prof.
Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther, D. D.
He was a descendant of an old
preacher family, and was born October
25th, 181 r, in a village of Saxony, Ger-
many, the eighth child in a family of
twelve. His father was a stern man
who reared his children very strictly,
but was intent on giving them a liberal
education. When Carl had completed
his college course his wish was to devote
himself to music for which he was emi-
nently gifted, but when he expressed this
wish to his father he was told: "If you
want to become a musician you must look
out for your own support, but if you will
study theology I will give you a dollar a
week." This was a pittance which al-
lowed of no fast living, but Carl sub-
mitted to the wish of his father, and in
the autumn of the year 1829 he entered
the university at Leipzig.
At that time Rationalism ruled at the
university, but Walther joined in with a
small circle of students who met regu-
larly for Bible study and prayer. It was
then that he experienced the power of
God's word as never before and he came
to a lively faith in Jesus Christ. In 183 1
his health failed, which obliged him to
spend half a year at home. There he
began to read Luther's works, which he
found in his father's library. There he
was deeply impressed with the convic-
tion that a Christian, and especially a
theologian, must take a firm and un-
flinching stand for the truth of the Bible,
as Martin Luther did. Returning to the
university he graduated in 1833 and later
on was called as pastor in Braeunsdorf
in Saxony.
At his ordination he was pledged to
the Bible and the Confessions of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church. In Sax-
ony the formula of ordination, dating
from the time of the Reformation, was
unchanged, but the whole church gov-
ernment was in the hands of Rationalists
who were intent on substituting the light
of reason for the old Gospel, and when
young Walther began to preach and
attempted also to practice in conformity
with his ordination oath he very soon
came in conflict with the church authori-
ties. First sworn to teach the Scriptures
and then reprimanded and fined for
doing it Walthers was greatly burdened
in his conscience, and when Rev. M.
Stephan, who was pastor in Dresden,
formed an emigration society, he joined
the society. This man Stephan had been
inveigling against the corruptions in the
church for some years, had become wide-
ly known as a fearless evangelical
preacher and had gained the confidence
of many earnest Christians, and when he
finally declared that they must emigrate
to some other land if they would be
saved numbers were ready to follow him,
among them some pastors who were
anxious to escape from the oppression of
conscience in the state church.
These colonists, Walther and an elder
brother of his among them, reached St.
Louis early in the spring of 1839, and
some remained in that city, but the great
524
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
majority settled on a tract of land which
Stephan had bought in Perry County,
Mo. During the voyage it already began
to show that Stephan had his own am-
bitions plans. < )n shipboard he had him-
self elected bishop and began to tyran-
nize over the consciences of the people.
Evidently his plan had been to establish
a hierarchy, but not long after the settle-
ment in Perry County he became mani-
fest as an immoral character, was placed
in a skiff, and landed on the Illinois side
of the Mississippi River at a place called
the Devil's Bakeoven.
Now the colony was left in a most
deplorable condition. Some thought of
returning to Germany ; some questioned
whether they were a Christian communi-
ty at all, and no one knew what to say or
do, and it was C. F. W. Walther who
finally brought order into the chaos. At
that time he became critically ill and had
to pass through severe troubles of mind,
but by incessant study he came fully to
understand the teaching of the Lutheran
Confessions on the church, the ministry,
the right to call and ordain pastors and
kindred subjects. In a public debate he
boldly laid bare the errors into which
they had been led by Stephan and vindi-
cated the true Lutheran doctrine with
such clearness and power that the whole
colony, with few exceptions, was fully
convinced. That debate brought peace to
the colonists and awakened new life and
hope in them.
In the same year, 1839, Walther to-
gether with three candidates of the
ministry determined to found a school
for classical education. Money they had
none, so they put their own hands to
work, felled the trees, hewed the stems
into shape and built a one-room log
house. For the dedication of this new
college building, the like of which
Europe could not show, the elder
Walther composed a hymn of seven
verses, each beginning with the refrain :
Komm herein, komm herein,
Weill dies f laus, () Jesu, ein !
Come. O Jesus, come Thou in,
' Consecrate this house to Thee.
This prayer was heard and granted,
for the mustard seed planted in that log
cabin was destined to grow and to spread
wide its branches.
Those of the colonists who had re-
mained at St. Louis organized a congre-
gation, and in the spring of 1841 they
called C. F. W. Walther to become their
pastor. In that city he soon built up a
flourishing church, and now the time had
come for him to enter on a wider sphere
of usefulness. Aided financially by his
congregation he undertook the publish-
ing of a church paper. The first issue
of this semi-monthly paper, comprising
four pages, appeared Sept. 1st, 1844,
bearing the title "Der Lutheraner," and
the motto :
"God's word and Luther's doctrine pure
Shall now and evermore endure."
1 his was taking a bold stand at a time
of universal indifference so that men
thought it necessary to add an apology
when they confessed themselves Luth-
erans. In his prefatory remarks Walther
declared, this paper should be an expo-
nent of the Christian doctrine as it was
taught by Martin Luther and was laid
down in the public confessions of the
church called by his name, and an un-
flinching defender of the same. This was
a declaration that this paper should take
its stand unequivocally on the platform
of the Lutheran reformers of the 16th
century.
Walther did not begin this paper with
the expectation of accomplishing great
things ; he intended it chiefly for his own
congregation and the colonists in Perry
County, but it was welcomed by Luth-
eran pastors in various and widely sepa-
rated parts of our country. Quite a
number of earnest men entered into
correspondence with the editor, and soon
the proposition was made to found a
new synod on the basis on which Der
Lutheraner had taken its stand.
At two preliminary conferences, the
first at St. Louis, the other at Ft. Wayne.
Ind.. a constitution for the proposed
synod was framed. It was at these con-
ference meetings that Walther's talent
as organizer and leader showed to the
HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF BIRTH OF REV. DR. C. F. W. WALTHER 525
best advantage. He was the soul of the
whole movement. When it had become
manifest at these conferences that there
was unity of faith and unanimity of
sentiment between them 22 pastors met
at Chicago in April 1847 and organized
the "German Evangelical Lutheran
Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other
states." The constitution adopted was
Walther's work. As conditions of mem-
bership it lays down : Acknowledgment
of the Old and New Testaments as God's
inspired word and the only rule of faith ;
acceptance of the Lutheran Confessions
as a correct and unadulterated exposition
of the teachings of the divine word;
withdrawal from all syncretism and
unionistic fellowship with such as teach
otherwise, and the use of books in church
and school which are sound in doctrine.
In the chapter treating of the purposes
for which this synod was organized the
first paragraph reads: "Watching over
the purity and unity of doctrine within
the bounds of synod." This constitution
gives evidence that the man who drafted
it had arrived at a settled faith. He
knew where he stood, and because he
himself had been freed from errors and
led to the knowledge of the truth only
through many labors and severe strug-
gles, therefore to him purity and unity
of doctrine was the very first purpose
for which a synod should stand.
A prominent feature in this constitu-
tion is the safeguarding of the rights and
liberties of the congregations. The
synod is only an advisory body. Its
resolutions have no binding power on the
individual congregations. Each congre-
gation retains the right to accept, or to
ignore, or to reject a resolution of the
synod. Their own bitter experience
under Stephan taught the Saxon colo-
nists to insist on the insertion of such a
bulwark against all hierarchical ambition
on the part of the clergy. This always
remained a distinguishing feature in
Walther's theology, the insisting on the
common priesthood of all believers, ( 1
Pet. II, 9), to whom alone belong all
spiritual powers and privileges and the
clergy, as such, have no authority in the
church save that which the congregations
confer.
In 1849 the school which had been
started in Perry County, Mo., was made
the property of synod and was moved to
St. Louis. Walther was made the first
theological professor, but remained pas-
tor of the congregation, and he held both
positions until his death. Twice he
served as president of synod for a num-
ber of terms. He remained chief editor
of "Der Lutheraner," and became chief
contributor to "Lehre und Wehre"
(Teacher and Defender), a theological
monthly published since 1855. In addi-
tion to his ordinary labors he became
the author of a number of books. Be-
sides his sermon books we mention only
these: "The right constitution of a con-
gregation which is independent of the
state." "Church and Ministry." "Pas-
torale" or Practical Theology. Walther
was a busy man, always prompt in all
his duties, and untiring in labors. In
i860, his health having become much
impaired, he was sent on a trip to
Europe, from which he returned so
strengthened that he could resume his
labors with new vigor.
Walther was also . a strong advocate
for the establishing of parochial schools.
He never failed to impress on the minds
of his students that it is the sacred duty
of every Christian congregation to sup-
port its own school for the Christian
education of its children. In the profes-
sor's chair, in public addresses and writ-
ings he insisted that the children of
Christians should have Christian school-
ing, and that Christians should cheer-
fully bear the double burden of paying
school tax and of supporting their own
church school. A teacher's seminary was
established at Addison, 111., in which
hundreds of young men have been edu-
cated for parish school teachers. This
system of church schools was in no way
intended to antagonize the public or state
schools, but Walther insisted on this
principle: It is the duty of the state to
provide secular education for its citizens,
and it is the duty of the church to pro-
vide Christian education for her children.
526
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Great have been the sacrifices which the
followers of Walther have made for the
support of Christian schools. But these
sacrifices have not heen fruitless. It is
generally conceded that the phenomenal
growth of the Missouri synod is very
largely owing to its system of parish
schools.
Rut less this sketch exceed the pre-
scribed limits we hasten to conclude.
Walther was a slender man of middle
stature, hut with sharp-cut profile, eagle
nose and sharp and piercing eye he com-
manded attention at first sight. In his
manners he was affable, friendly and
always polite. He always treated his
students respectfully, though at times he
could be sarcastic. He was a profound
theologian, a sharp thinker, an eloquent
speaker both in the pulpit and on the
floor of synod, and he always spoke to
the point. . He possessed the gift of dis-
tinguishing doctrines in a pre-eminent
measure. He was both a pleasant con-
versationalist and a ready controversi-
alist. His .aptness at repartee is illus-
trated by the following: When in Ger-
many he was once twitted with the asser-
tion that the American form of govern-
ment was not biblical, because it is
written : "The king's heart is in the hand
of the Lord; he turneth it whithersoever
he will," Prov. 21, i, Walter replied:
Again it is written : "The Lord looketh
upon all. He fashioneth their hearts
alike." Psalms 33, 14.
Walther was granted to see much of
the fruit of his labors. At the time of
his death the synod whose founder and
leader he was numbered eleven districts,
938 pastors and 532 parish school teach-
ers. But his influence was by no means
limited to this one synod ; it extended to
other synods. Indeed, his testimony
exerted a wholesome influence on the
entire American Lutheran church, and it
had its effect even in Germany. He died
May 7th, 1887.
The Lutheran Church of America, yea
our whole nation owes thanks to God
for bringing this man across the waters,
and making him a light to many in this
western land.
The Marital Trials of Susan Hinnerschnitz
Becky-Tabor
Say, et wonders me how et comes
Them smart ones alwais.know
To make et for theirselves so good
An us ones is so slow?
Now — look onct at Susan Hinnerschnitz
Whats marrit alreaty twice
She means she'd get ed awful good
But she shure haint got et nice.
First off, she marrit sech a old one
But he wuss so awfll tite
At the pocketbook, that she wuss glat
When he got sick an dite.
Next off, she lets herself marry
To sech a dandy feller
Who wants the old one's cash, but et
Dont do no good to tell her.
Right awais he lays hisself out
To spend at hisself the money
That Susan wuss so wonderful dumn
Haint? et wuss awful funny.
She first catches on when the cash got all
An he would'n do et come home
So she hires now out by the day
An lives agen all alone.
527
Pennsylvania Germans in the Susquehanna Islands
and Surroundings
By Austin Bierbower, Esq., Chicago, 111.
SPENT my childhood on an
island in the Susquehanna
River a few miles south of
Harrisburg, and a sketch
of the region may be inter-
esting to the public. The
river is there nearly two
miles wide and studded
with islands ; and the hills on the oppo-
site shore, with the mountains beyond,
make it one of the most picturesque
spots in the country.
This island had shortly before been
the scene of great shad fisheries, and I
heard my parents relate how in spring-
time men came for miles to engage in
that industry. The fish were caught
with seines, salted in barrels and sent to
different parts of the country. The shad
roes could not all be utilized ; but after
as many were eaten as the fishermen
wanted the rest were thrown away. The
building of dams in the river below the
island subsequently prevented the fish
from ascending the stream, and so
destroyed the value of the locality as a
fishing place.
The island was a fertile spot, seldom
suffering from drought, as the water,
flowing around it, served as an irrigation
stream.
The first white settler of this island
was said to be a refugee from the
British army during the Revolutionary
War, who hid there, in a tree, when
pursued by Americans. He is said to
have been an Englishman, but was more
likely a German — one of the Hessians.
He found the island, however, a good
place to live on so that he settled on it ;
and his descendants are now scattered
over the county and counties adjoining.
It was then uncertain what the soil
would produce ; and many experiments
were made by planting seeds of vege-
tables, grains and trees from Germany,
Great Britain and elsewhere ; so that
when I was a boy, there were more varie-
ties of vegetation than could be found
in almost any part of the country. There
were fig trees, orange trees and lemon
trees, though they bore no fruit, except
when removed indoors in winter. There
was still an almond tree standing from
which I gathered nuts ; and, though these
were sweet, their shell was thick. There
was remaining one tree of English wal-
nuts, one mahogany tree and many per-
simmon trees, also chestnut trees, some
of enormous size which were the wonder
of the country. One bore chestnuts as
large as the French variety, although the
nuts of the other trees were small. Such
experiments were plentifully made in
other parts of the country in early times,
and discontinued when it was learned
that any of the fruits would not grow.
There were, accordingly, at this time,
nearly all kinds of apple trees known ;
also many kinds of peach, pear and other
fruit trees. Forest trees were abundant
— sassafras, slippery elm and everything
that grows in that latitude.
Originally the whole island was cov-
ered with a forest ; but it had been mostly
cleared in my boyhood, and the island
was made into two farms of about one
hundred and fifty acres each ; for the
island was two miles long and a quarter
of a mile wide.
Some bald eagles had their nests in
dead trees at the northern extremity of
the island, from which they sailed
leisurely over the farms and occasionally
swooped down on a chicken or lamb.
There was a series of waterfalls to the
south, whose roar we heard distinctly,
and these have been utilized recently in
an enormous electrical plant.
The people of the island lived more to
themselves than farmers usually do.
They could reach the opposite shores
only in boats and by the expenditure of
much time, so that they made few trips.
528
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
They possessed, however, numerous
boats — skiffs which were propelled by
oars, canoes pushed by poles and flat
boats about forty by ten feet on which
they took their teams across the river.
They had a small telescope to see visitors
on the opposite shore, who hailed them
when they wanted to cross; and the
islanders were accustomed to go in one
of the boats for such.
About the only sports indulged were
fishing and hunting. The people fished
with the simplest torm of rod and line,
with which they caught small fish near
the shore. The boys went fishing nearly
every day, and in schooltime, on every
holiday. The men occasionally fished
with seines, for which they went to an
adjoining island and caught larger fish,
mostly suckers, "stone rollers," carp and
catfish. The river was not then stocked
as now, with bass, salmon and other
valuable varieties.
( Jccasionally the inhabitants of the
island formed a party and went "gig-
ging." They fastened a three-pronged
spear to the end of a pole, which they
called a "gig," with which they speared
fish. They walked up stream at night,
pulling a boat after them in which was
a fagot which lighted up the water. The
fish could be seen sleeping, lying on their
backs, when they could be easily speared.
They were then thrown into the boat;
and sometimes half a boat load were
taken in one night. Once a sturgeon
was caught, whose skin was stuffed with
hay and kept until a few years ago. Fish-
ing in this way was thought to be a great
sport and was an event looked forward
tn with much enthusiasm.
Tli ere was little to hunt on the island
except a few small birds and rabbits,
although there were great flocks of ducks
and occasionaly wild geese, on the river;
and these were sometimes shot by the
men. They did not use the modern
methods of duck hunting, however, and
so did not shoot for market. But, though
nobody shot much, hunting was yet a
great sport.
As stated the people were shut in on
the island and had a life to themselves.
They had a school in one of the farm-
houses, where about two dozen boys and
girls were taught the simple elements of
education. The pupils learned little be-
cause the teacher knew little. Children
of all ages attended so that they could
not be classed.
Not only the school but the church was
for the islanders only. Occasionally a
minister came to hold services which he
did at one of the farmhouses. The
neighbors came from all parts of the
island.
There were many small sects in those
parts and much controversy over re-
ligion. Only a few subjects were dis-
cussed by the islanders, chief of which
were religion and politics. One of their
principal disputes was about the form of
baptism ; for there was an active sect of
Baptists, called Winebrennerians, in that
part of the State. The baptisms in the
river were among the chief attractions
of the people. To witness the ceremony
the islanders went to the opposite shore
in boats, where they met many from all
parts of the county, who generally spent
half a day witnessing the ceremony.
There was a graveyard on the island
where the inhabitants were buried. They
found it too irksome to go to the main-
land for a funeral. A small lot was
fenced off where dilapidated gravestones
still bear witness to the burial of genera-
tions.
It was sometimes necessary for the
people to limit their life to the islands.
In winter the ice flowing in the river
made it impossible to cross. Once the
passage was thus blocked for several
weeks, during which the men's tobacco
gave out ; when there was more suffering
than if their groceries had failed. They
twisted native tobacco into bunches for
chewing, and rubbed dry tobacco in their
hands for their pipes. Sometimes they
could not get news for weeks from the
outside world; but this mattered little
because they were not as curious then
for news as men now are.
Though too small to work on the
farm, except to carry wood and do little
chores about the house, I picked worms
PENNSYLVANIA GERMANS IN THE SUSQUEHANNA ISLANDS
529
from the growing tobacco, helped to re-
move the "suckers" and stripped the leaf
when dried. I also assisted in beating
flax, picking apples for cider and chop-
ping pumpkins for the cattle. I took
great pleasure in gathering chestnuts and
knew the trees which produced them
most abundantly.
When I was about ten years old my
parents moved to a farm on the main-
land. We continued to raise most of the
products of the island ; but the soil and
climate were not adapted to some of
them. Especially was this so of tobacco.
Boys there had simple luxuries. In-
stead of eating costly confections, they
were satisfied with parched corn, pota-
toes baked in ashes and pieces of sausage
broiled before a fire. The recently in-
vented breakfast foods, like Malta Vita
and Force, differ little from the parched
corn which was then eaten in south-
eastern Pennsylvania. In the neighbor-
ing town a confection was sold made of
popcorn mixed with molasses taffy much
like cracker jack. One of the most en-
joyabe bits of food known was a kind of
pie made in the shape of a rat, composed
of a piece of sausage covered with crust,
which was pinched before baking into
the shape of a rat's head at one end and
a tail at the other. Coffee grains were
used for eyes.
The country school was generally kept
by a man, but occasionally by a woman ;
and the principal ambition of the scholars
was to write well. Spelling schools were
conducted in several school houses in the
country, and men went miles to these.
The contests were usually at night. Much
of the time, however, was spent in eating
apples. The boys brought different kinds
of these and traded them. They were
proud of the several varieties which they
had ; for no two orchards produced the
same kind of fruit. Apples and cider
were common luxuries with which guests
were regaled, not only by boys, but by
their parents; and they were enjoyed as
much as ice cream and cake are in cities.
Occasionally there was a debating
society in one of the school houses, which
was another attraction. The vouth would
go miles to attend these ; and sometimes
lawyers from the neighboring town came
to hear themselves talk.
The principal pleasure of boys, how-
ever, was in fishing and hunting, in
which they became expert. A rapid
mountain stream of cold water ran
through our farm, filled with fish, among,
which were speckled trout. We caught
many of these, fishing with the simple
rod and line already mentioned, and
occasionally with a seme. We also had
a fish basket in the stream where eels,
and other fish were taken plentifully.
One method of fishing was to string
a line across the stream and attach
smaller lines to this which hung down
into the water. These small lines had
hooks on the end, and were baited and
the whole was called an "outline." We
often spent the entire night fishing thus,
building a fire on the bank and sleeping
while waiting for bites.
The young folks were still more fond
of hunting, and they knew every kind of
bird in the county. They shot these both
for sport and because they liked to eat
them ; and they would eat every kind
that was taken, including blackbirds,
woodpeckers and meadow larks. We
once saw a fox when hunting, but did
not get near enough to shoot it. There
were a few wildcats in the neighbor-
hood. Muskrats infested the nearest
stream, and we canght these and sold
their pelts. We often wondered whether
their flesh was good, but had not the
hardihood to try it, as have some recent
hunters. The word "rat" deterred us.
The boys liked to roam through the
country over the hills and streams. They
sometimes ran off from school to enjoy
these pleasures. They could easily pick
a good dinner out of the fields and for-
ests, consisting of edible grasses, roots
and berries. They sometimes broiled
their fish and game over a fire built of
sticks.
It was the custom in those parts for a
farmer when he had more daughters
than another farmer, to lend one to his
neighbor to assist about the house. While
she did the work of a servant, she was
530
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
treated as one of the family. In return
for this accommodation a farmer who
had more sons than daughters would
sometimes lend a son to his neighbor.
They thus helped one another and made
all their children valuable.
An apple-butter boiling was an event
among the Pennsylvania Germans. Apple
butter was made by filling a wash kettle
with a barrel of cider in which apples
were boiled down to a pulp. The mixture
was then sweetened and spiced and put
away in earthen crocks to keep. Every
farmer made apple butter in the autumn,
and had it on the table at almost every
meal. It had a delicious flavor and was
relished by all.
Each housewife prided herself on her
apple butter, and on making some sent
samples to her neighbors. Apple butter
was sold in the market like potatoes, and
residents of the cities in that part of the
state are still very fond of it.
A Sunday dinner among the Pennsyl-
vania Germans was an event. Several
chickens were usually killed and served
with sweet potatoes, somewhat as opos-
sums are in the south. Occasionally a
turkey was stuffed and roasted, the
stuffing being made of bread crumbs
thoroughly moistened with milk in which
were fried onions. A rich gravy was
also made; and most boys preferred the
stuffing and gravy to the turkey.
There was rarely any soup at dinner,
which the people regarded as a luxury.
It was made rich and thick, when made
at all, and many made a whole meal of
it, eating several plates. The slaw, al-
though called "cold slaw," was served
hot, being made by pouring scalding
vinegar over it. The lettuce was treated
the same way.
One article much relished was egg
cheese unknown in most parts of the
world. It was yellow like butter, which
it resembled, and was sliced and eaten in
large quantities. It resembled the French
frontage blanc except for the eggs and
color and it was not eaten with cream.
It was made by curdling milk with rennet
and draining it without scalding, so that
it was smooth. Many eggs were used in
the making. It was eaten fresh and
thought to be one of the greatest luxur-
ies of the table.
Among the vegetables consumed was
dried corn which many preferred to the
canned article. Much hominy was used,
which was tender and juicy and much
relished. Nearly every housewife made
hominy several times during the winter,
taking the large whole grains of corn
and putting them in lye to remove the
hull and make them tender. It was
generally frozen and would keep for
months, becoming more tender because
of the freeze. It was served in a rich
broth.
They usually had several kinds of pre-
serves on the table — peach, cherry, plum,
quince, blackberry, etc. The Pennsyl-
vania Germans preserved rather than
canned their fruit, boiling it in sugar and
putting it in jars. Thus preserved, it
lasts for years. In most other parts of
the country men know nothing of this
except an occasional jelly which they eat
on meat. The Pennsylvanians, however,
spread it like other preserved fruit, on
bread.
The usual dessert at the dinner was
pie ; but there were several kinds of this,
and the pies were made without sparing
materials, except, perhaps, shortening.
Pennsylvania pies have a tougher crust
than pies in other parts of the country ;
but it is insisted that it spoils pies to
make the crust too short.
A "butchering" was an event on the
farm of the Pennsylvania Germans. It
occurred two or three times each winter
when half a dozen hogs were killed and
one beef ; and meat was put up for the
succeeding months, some for summer
while portions were used for temporary
purposes. The animals slain were cut up
into hams, shoulders, sides of bacon and
chunks of beef to be dried. The "odds
and ends" were used for sausage ; and
some, including the liver, heart and vari-
ous scraps, together with the bones and
skins, were boiled for "pudding." At a
"butchering" much sausage was made,
part of which was eaten, but most of it
salted and smoked to keep through the
PENNSYLVANIA GERMANS IN THE SUSQUEHANNA ISLANDS
531
winter, or at least till the next butcher-
ing.
The same was true of "pudding." This
was made by chopping fine the boiled
portion of meat mentioned and mixing it
with onions and spices, when it was
stuffed in large skins. It resembled the
German "leber wurst"; but it was much
richer and was thought to be better, as it
was made of better meat, including beef
as well as pork. The sausage also was
made partly of beef, and so was much
harder and drier than pork sausage, and
to most tastes better. It was flavored
with garlic, as was also the "pudding,"
both of which were eaten hot instead of
cold. The ambition of the farmer was
to produce a good quality of "pudding"
and sausage.
When the pudding meat was taken out
of the big kettle there remained many
gallons of rich broth. Into this cornmeal
was sprinkled, making a mush to which
some of the "pudding" meat also was
added. This mush was then put into tin
dishes and allowed to cool, when it was
sliced and fried like mush. It was rich,
and to most tastes delicious. It was
eaten throughout the winter almost daily
by every Pennsylvania farmer and by
most persons in town. In Philadelphia it
is known as "scrapple" ; but most Penn-
sylvanians call it "ponhorse." The origin
of this word is not known, but is sup-
posed to be German, and to have been
originally written "pfanworst," which
means pan sausage ; although some claim
that it is from pfan-hasen, or pan rabbit.
It is one of the most favorite dishes on
the table of Pennsylvania Germans, who,
when living elsewhere complain that they
cannot get "ponhorse."
Other by-products were made at
"butchering." The head of the beef was
made into mincemeat, for which apples
were chopped fine and raisins and spices
added, together with brandy or cider,
when it was packed away to be used
throughout the winter. The pigs' feet
were made into "souse," and the pork
skins were rolled up and pickled, as were
also the brains. No part that was edible
was allowed to be wasted.
After the hams and other products of
the butchering were salted, or kept in
pickle for a while, they were smoked and
put away for summer. The smokehouse
was a common thing among the Pennsyl-
vania Germans where about fifty pieces
of meat could usually be seen being
smoked with a hard wood fire. It was
a small structure, commonly built around
the oven, where the meat was hung in
those parts which the dome of the oven
did not fill.
Another dish prized as a great luxury
was "schnits and canep." For this sweet
apples were taken which had been dried
with the skins and they were boiled with
a piece of smoked ham, usually the end ;
a little molasses was then added and
yeast-raised dumplings about the size of
one's fist. It is a great treat for Penn-
sylvania Germans to have a dinner of
this mixture. It seems anything but
good to one who reads the recipe ; but
Pennsylvanians all like it from the first;
and to some it was the thing that came
on the table.
A common drink made at home by
these people was beer and mead. The
beer was made from bran, sweetened
with molasses and allowed to ferment.
It was kept in jugs and drunk freely
through the summer. It was sharp, since
much gas developed ; but it was not in-
toxicating. Boys liked it better than any
other drink ; and one raised on it could
not easily get accustomed to the bitter-
ness of lager beer. Mead was similarly
made, but with honey instead of mo-
lasses.
The Pennsylvania Germans speak a
language part English and part German,
which was developed during the last two
centuries in southeastern Pennsylvania,
chiefly in Dauphin, York, Adams, Lan-
caster, Cumberland, Berks, Lehigh and
parts of the adjoining counties. The
early settlers came to this part of Penn-
sylvania from south Germany and
Switzerland, mostly along the upper
Rhine. They brought the dialect of
those parts with them, to which they
afterwards added many words from
English as well as from classic German,
:,:',:'
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
making a peculiar mongrel. This is about
the only language that has been recently
developed in the world, except Hindus-
tani which is a mixture of East Indian
and English.
The farmers in the counties named
generally speak the Pennsylvania Dutch,
while in towns English is spoken, though
many there also retain the "Dutch" as
the Pennsylvania German is called. The
preaching when in German was in High
German, although some discourses were
in Pennsylvania German; and a number
of books have been written in this lan-
guage, among them some good poems
and a translation of Shakespeare. The
mongrel has become fixed and its rules
are rigid. It is spoken as uniformly as
other languages. The English cannot
understand Pennsylvania German, al-
though those who speak high German
can. There is more German than English
in it. It is direct and simple, and
thoughts can be expressed easily in it,
and always made clear if not about com-
plicated matters.
The Pennsylvania Germans are a pros-
perous people whose customs are simple,
whose morals are strict and who live as
well as any class in the world. When
their ancestors came to the State of
Pennsylvania they chose the best farm-
ing land within its borders ; and no better
is found in the United States. That of
Lancaster, Dauphin and Chester coun-
ties is particularly famed for fertility ;
and the farms of this section are taken
as models for the rest of the country.
The barns of the peope are large
enough to house the whole crops of a
farm of ordinary size. A common ex-
pression among the people is "My parn
is besser as my house." A great bank of
earth reached to the second story, where
the grain was taken in and thrashed ;
and there was a forebay over the first
story, where the stock was kept. There
were large bins for grain ; and also a
large shed for corn and fodder, in part
of which the sheep were kept in winter.
Nearby was usually a hog pen and a
puddle in which the swine took their
daily ablutions.
In no part of the world is stock so
well cared for as among Pennsylvania
( iermans.
The farm in those parts was a factory
where many industries were carried on
— horseshoeing, carpentering, tailoring,
soap making, etc., as also spinning and
carding. Many of the processes of to-
bacco curing were also conducted. Honey
and wax were produced and fancy
articles made by the women.
A common product of the farm was
cheese. _ This was made in several varie-
ties chief of which were "honspeter" and
"Dutch cheese.'' These were both made
by curds which were heated and drained,
their first form resembling cottage
cheese or "smearkase" as they called it.
For "honspeter" this was heated in the
oven, which caused it to melt and run
when it resembled welsh rare-bit. It was
then put in saucers or molds, and was a
great favorite among the people. "Dutch
cheese" was produced by molding the
cottage cheese into balls, nearly as large
as one's fist and then packing it way
in crocks to be kept several days to
"ripen." It bore a slight resemblance to
Limburger cheese. It was mild and had
a strong flavor, but not so much of the
Limburger smell, though it had a faint
suggestion of it.
Corn huskings among the Pennsylvania
Germans were more simple than in New
England. The neighbors were seated
around a big pile of corn in a barn,
which they proceeded to husk. They
fastened to their hands a gaff to pierce
and tear open the husk. Much corn was
shelled in this way in one night. After
the husking there was a supper usually
consisting of stewed chicken and several
kinds of vegetables, together with a
variety of preserves and pickles which
had been put up in the house. It was a
better slipper than a caterer could pro-
duce in our large cities and vastly more
abundant.
533
The Germans as Farmers
By Georg Von Bosse, Associate Editor
PERSON visiting Germany
is at once impressed by the
great number of soldiers to
be seen everywhere and
many people are tempted to
conclude, that the Germans
are a very quarrelsome
people. This is a mistake
on their part, however, for a large and
powerful army is a necessity in Germany
to protect itself from hostile neighbors
and numerous enviers. Before Germany
was equipped with a powerful land and
naval force everyone imagined, he was
entitled to meddle with its affairs and
the great number of ruins on the banks
of the river Rhine testify to the lust of
acquisition on the part of Germany's
neighbors.
The German is peace-loving by nature
and satisfied if others leave him to him-
self. Not many years ago Germany was
a farming country to a very great extent
and it is astonishing to note, what pro-
ducts the German farmer is able to draw
from his fields in spite of numerous ad-
versities, such as poor climate and soil.
And what a lovely sight does a German
village or cottage farm present !
The German farmer has always been
a most welcome colonist in other coun-
tries. Thousands found a new home in
Russia, where vast tracts of land were
left over to them for settlement and cul-
tivation. Even today large German vil-
lages and farms are existing there and
serve as a very advantageous example
for the poorly cultivated Russian farms.
The same may be said of Hungary,
South America and last but not least of
our own country.
The only aim of our first German
settlers was to remove from the heavy
pressure exerted upon them at home and
to find a new home in the new world,
where they might live in peace and con-
tentment. They were a deeply religious
and industrious people and well skilled in
agriculture. They were the first to lay
the foundation of America's wealth! Of
course this beginning was made very dif-
ficult for them, since the roads of traffic
and communication were highly insuf-
ficient. Oftentimes the Indian trial was
the only path, that could be traversed.
Great was the pleasure and satisfaction
when the government began to hew down
trees, clear the ground and put scanty
bridges across brooks and rivers. Very
few farmers owned good wagons. Many
constructed a sort of vehicle, of which
the wheels were cut from large, round
tree-trunks in one piece. The horses
drew this rough cart with straps cut
from untanned hides. During the long
winter months communication between
the settlements were lacking entirely.
Taking the state of the country with its
forests and poor roads into consideration
it is not very difficult to form an idea of
the many trying circumstances our early
settlers were forced to overcome before
they reached their place of destination.
The Germans were the first to introduce
the cultivation of the vine, which could
boast of a very poor success only in the
beginning however. The forest sucked
up too much moisture and myriads of
little insects destroyed the hard work of
months and years in a very short time.
But, on the other hand, the agriculture
of field and garden thrived and prospered
in excellent manner.
Not alone did the chief kinds of
European products of soil come to
America solely through the German, but
a much better mode of cultivation and
tilling was introduced by hiip in his man-
ner of fertilization and interchanging use
of fields. "A people, industrious to the
care, persevering and domestic," — as the
standing expression for German farmers,
reads in older manuscripts, — penetrated
into the forests with its axe and wherever
it settled, neither Indian, nor beast, nor
other elements dangerous to man were
able to drive it away. The farmer knew
of no rest until vallev or hillside bloomed
534
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
with a wonderful garden. Even as early
as in the first third of the eighteenth
century was Pennsylvania able to send
large quantities of corn to West India
and Spain. Other nationalities in Amer-
ica were sure to be treated fairly when
purchasing horses, cattle, and sheep from
German farmers. The farmers of New
York state, situated on the Hudson and
Mohawk stood forth prominently as well
as those of Pennsylvania on account of
their immense harvests. The Germans of
Virginia were favored with a law by the
legislature, freeing them from tax and
duty two years after their first settle-
ment, the reason being their prosperity
in agriculture. How profitable the farms
at that time must have been, is shown by
a report of Governor Pawnall of 1754,
in which we read: "Between Lancaster
and Wrights ferry (Susquehanna) I saw
the most beautiful country seat that
might be seen anywhere, in most perfect
condition. It belonged -to a Switzer.
Here I found the splendid method of ir-
rigating meadows by canals, into which
the springs flowed, cut into the hillsides,
made use of. The water runs down over
the hill and waters the entire meadow."
The French botanist Fr. And. Michany,
sent to America by minister Chaptal In
1802 reports : "The higher state of agri-
culture and better condition of the fences
and hedges are sufficient proof, that the
seetlement is German. There everything
proclaims such wealth, as is a reward of
industry and hard labor." The plow, a
noble instrument of peace, the device of
Pennsylvania, has been brought to honor
by the German. During the Revolution-
ary War many German farmers were
hindered from participation in the fight
on account of religious principles. They
helped our men on to victory however in
no small measure by supplying the army
with good food.
In the last forty years of the eighteenth
century the migration to the west began
and wherever the German farmer settled,
his crops, gained from the soil by per-
severing assiduity and correct tilling have
filled others with astonishment. A strik-
ing trait of the German American far-
mer is this wish to remain where he has
settled. Has his aim been reached and
he owns a fa.rm he does not wear it out
and sell it profitably, but is happy to have
found a homestead and he tries his best
to give the farm a beautiful appearance
and make it more productive. Another
good attribute of the German character
is his sense of economy. Nothing goes
to waste, everything is made use of.
Economy and orderliness go side by side,
the German farmer has everything at its
own place and things must appear tidy
and neat.
Since he loves the sod, which gives him
his food, and he expects to spend his
whole life upon it, the German farmer
is ever busy to beautify his home by
planting trees and raising flowers. Ger-
man Americans distinguished themselves
in the cultivation of fruit trees. German-
Switzers devoted themselves to cheese-
making. In the breeding and rearing of
cattle they also accomplished excellence
of quality.
Some industries in farm products come
from German farmers only, 1. e. Sauer
Kraut industry. Clyde in Ohio is the
main center for this trade. In its vicinity
about 2000 acres are planted with noth-
ing but cabbage. No less than ten tons
of excellent cabbage are expected from
each acre. Most of the harvest is sold
to the sauer-kraut factories.
A totally new industry, that of the
sugar-beet has been founded by the Ger-
man Klaus Spreckels. This beet is
raised on over 300,000 acres today. In
the manner described the German far-
mer, a solid, industrious, persevering
man, has wrested infinite and immense
riches, so indispensible to the prospertiy
of our blessed country from the soil
since the first attempts of colonization
to our day from the Atlantic to the
Pacific coast and has become one of the
firmest pillars up-holding our state.
535
The Hermit
By Louis Riegner, Reading, Pa.
HE legends of Berks County
have been, almost without
exception, tragedies. Of
all the stories of the early
settlers only those remain
whose characters lived or
ended their lives in sorrow.
Neither is there anything
theatrical in their plots and purposes, for
the Pennsylvania German scorned empty
show, and moved only toward the objec-
tive point. However wild may have been
the emotions that inspired their actions,
the expression thereof is always re-
pressed. Necessity is the only reason
for initiative, and even that was often
passed over for the calm acceptance of
things as they were.
A man lived 40 years in a hut on the
Blue Mountains. When he became ill
neighbors attempted to help him to bet-
ter shelter. He fought them until his
strength failed, and he died in the alms-
house soon afterward.
There are people who say that the hut,
about six feet in diameter at the bottom,
is standing. It may be. But here is the
story :
North and south the Blue Mountains
stretched away into endless glades of oak
and hickory, pine and spruce and chest-
nut, growing from nearer depths of
green to purple shadows in the ravines
and softening into deep blues in the dis-
tances. Here and there in the clear light
of the September morning a thin column
of bluish gray smoke arose from the
mound of a charcoal burner, for in 1793
the industry was at its prime. From the
top of the ridge that marked the borders
of Berks and Schuylkill counties, one
could see rolling country far to the
south, and within a mile the red roofs
of a village.
In a clearing at the base of the "bench"
a young man lolled on the steps of a
new log house, while a country boy
chopped wood in the lean-to, with the
condescension that the native of Penn-
sylvania Dutch extraction exerts in the
employ of a stranger. Jake Schmutz
would have "given a good deal," he said,
to know about "this fancy felluh," who
wore soft clothes and called himself
Rhuys Poisson, or as Jake prononunced
it "Reese Possuey."
Many a night during the two months
since Poisson had come to the village
and hired men to build him a house, "an'
damn fancy fer a log house," Jake sat
in front of the store, with other tobacco-
masticating experts, "wondering where
Possuey come from," and "why he was
so close-mouthed." "Why, he don't
carry no onion when he goes in the rass-
borry bushes, and he won't kill nothin'."
"And he's got chairs like big-bugs, a\\
covered with purple," ran the story, and
soon imagination supplied what Poisson
had failed to relate of his affairs. Then
the wits twisted Poisson (fish) into
"Poison," and though he was not above
30 and good to look upon, "Poison" he
remained.
"Oh where, oh where is my Highland Lad-
die gone?
He's gone to fight the French for King
George upon the throne
And its oh in my heart that I wish him safe
at home."
Crashing through the scrub chestnuts
came a little mare, shaking her mane
free of twigs. Upon her back a girl of
19 brushed the wood cobwebs from her
hair and stared with wide open eyes at
the log house as the song died away on
her lips. Two or three huge, purple
butterflies fluttered across the open space
and a breeze swayed the golden rod.
"And do you hate the French?" sug-
gested Poisson in German as he stood
uncovered. "Not if you are French, and
father says you are. You don't look like
'Poison'," she added frankly. "I am
Francesca Yon Mohl. I came because I
wanted to see your house, and no one
536
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
knows it, and you will not tell, will you?"
"Indeed I will not," answered Rhuys.
He held the door wide open and they
entered. A white sandstone fireplace
governed the room. In the capstone was
carved a rough 'scutcheon : three fleurs-
de-lis. with a chevron. Silver candle
sticks stood upon the mantel piece. The
furniture consisted of a long Empire
settle covered with purple velvet, three
or four Chippendale chairs with purple
leather seats, a shelf of books, a round
table with a brass vase of purple asters,
and a bunk covered with blankets.
In a corner hung a rifle, and a closet
was built beside the chimney. Long silk
curtains, of the color of the furniture,
closed the section of the room where
Poisson kept his larder. The visit lasted
three months and in this time no wood
was chopped.
***** *
Whatever opinion Poisson may have
had about the girl's visits he kept to
himself, sharing with Francesca her
guileless delight in the long afternoons
she spent at his cabin. While he pored
over his Montaigne, or Goethe or Paine,
or studied a bit of rock, or pottered
about his clumsy cooking, she artlessly
told him she was to marry Paar Haar-
baden, the minister, whom she didn't
like, but she might some time. "But he
pinches me," she said, "and his clothes
are soiled, and his Angers are short and
thick, not long and thin like yours.
Father wishes me to marry him because
there is no one else who has been to
school as much as I have. You would
not marry him, would you ?" And Rhuys
laughed with her.
There was a day when Francesca
asked him about France, and why they
cut off King Louis' head, and Poisson
turned away. Of all this Jake Schmutz
missed nothing. And all he knew he
told to Sallie Heisseluft, the "maid" at
the Yon Mohl home.
******
The Rev. Calvin Haarbaden was a
frequent visitor at his chief parishioner's
house, for his eye was cast upon the
future when the red brick mansion, with
its fretted cornices and white observa-
tory peeping above the pine trees, would
fall to his lot with the fair, if some-
what untractable, daughter. Nevertheless
he was not averse to poking the maid's
ribs now and then, and on one of these
occasions she giggled: "I tell you som-
sing. Francey goes ev'ry day to the
loafer in the woods. She tells her pap
she goes to her gra'mam's." The
reverend gentleman's scowl was virtu-
ous, and he strode away to do his Chris-
tian duty. He said :
"Francesca, I cannot have you talk to
that Poison. He is here for no good.
He does not say anything; he ain't
sociable ; he is too good for you. Why.
he won't even listen to my sermons. You
stay away, d'yuh hear me? People say
you are — " and he shook her roughly.
Crying with humiliation the girl broke
away and struck him with her whip.
"He's a king beside you" she shrieked
and ran from the house.
Out along the road the mare pounded
bravely, running with loose rein over the
familiar path to the mountain. Rolling
behind the crest a bank of clouds, grow-
ing darker and darker, finally obscured
the lowering sun and burst into a terrific
thunderstorm. A mighty rushing wind
swept a wall of rain through the trees
and booming thunder followed flashes of
lightning that laid low tree after tree in
the ranks of pine and oak and hemlock.
Behind the child a tall oak toppled and
crashed, and the horse stumbled as the
last branches grazed her back.
Francesca lurched and fell as the mare
rolled into a puddle. Then out of the
din came a voice, "Hold hard Butter-
fly," and two arms closed about her and
she fainted. With the girl in his arms
Poisson dragged the horse by the reins
and beat his way to the cabin. Francesca
revived in a few minutes, and the
Frenchman stirred the fire and put up
the mare in the shack. The storm blazed
and thundered.
It was three hours and almost eight
o'clock before the tremendous rainfall
of the equinox abated sufficiently for the
THE HERMIT
537
•clearing to be seen. Poisson, starting
with the girl to the village, had not
cleared the mountain before he was
effectually blocked by a torrent of water,
a mountain stream swollen out of all
proportion. He searched in vain for a
crossing, till the thickening rain forced
them to go back to shelter.
In the cabin they sat by the fire, while
the rain rattled upon the roof and the
wind bent the trees with the long, un-
broken rushing noise of a great water-
fall. Francesca's aimless talk gradually
drifted off into silence, the distracting
events of the day faded, and she fell
asleep on Poisson's shoulder. The man
placed her among the blankets on the
bunk, picked up another and went out.
He turned and pushed the latch-string
inside the closed door. Then Jie lay
down in the shack.
Francesca awoke as the first pale sun-
beams shot over the wet woods. The
liquid calls of the whippoorwills sounded
strangely in her ears. She opened the
door and bathed her face at the spring.
As she stood before the mirror in the
cabin Rhuys appeared on the threshold,
framed in the sunlight.
"Good morning," she said, "I've lost
my hair clasp." Then she remembered.
"I must go! If they find I've been here
— Oh Rhuys ! Philip !" She buried her
face in his shoulder. "I love you, love
you, love you, Butterfly," he whispered.
"But it is hopeless, hopeless," and her
eyes dimmed. She kissed him quickly,
broke away and the next minute she was
flying along the road to her grand-
mother's and Jake Schmutz stumbled
into the clearing.
Paulus Von Mohl "ripped and tore"
when the Rev. Mr. Haarbaden intimated
the suspicions he founded on Jake's
story. "Ach, nein !" roared Von Mohl,
"she was with her grandmother. Jake
Schmutz is a fool." "Go and see then,"
answered the preacher, "maybe she is
there now." By God I will, and if she
is not, you will marry her tonight. I'll
settle his foolishness."
It was a strange procession that beat
along the patch to Poisson's cabin an
hour later. Rhuys heard the sound of
cursing and tramp of a mob and the
flicker of lights in the trees. Von Mohl
and Haarbaden followed by 15 or more
men carrying torches and lanterns burst
into the clearing, where the Frenchman
stood in his doorway, shielding a candle
with his hand. "January again," he
muttered. The crowd sat around the
house and opened a fire of ribald com-
ments on Poisson, while Von Mohl
shook his fist. "My girl — she is here.
Fetch her out." Poisson did not answer.
"Well, then, I take her out." Poisson
met Von Mohl with a steady look but
he did not move. The German raised
his hand. "Wait once, wait once,"
somebody shrieked in the woods, and
Sallie Heisseluft rushed breathless into
the clearing. "Francey's home — she was
with her grandmother."
"Yes well, I didn't know it," the Ger-
man said in half apology. "I marry her
tonight to Haarbaden. I settle her."
The procession took up its lights and
departed.
Francesca appeared at her father's
summons and found him, Haarbaden.
and the village justice. He began, "You
marry Haarbaden now, but you say first
where you were last night." "I was with
Rhuys Poisson," she returned fearlessly.
"I will not marry the Paar ; he is a
beast." "You give me the big farm,"
broke in Haarbaden, "I marry her any-
how." "What? You want to beat me
like that?" raged the old man. "Go out.
You and your church have the last dol-
lar of mine. Go out." The reverend
went. On the porch he met Jake. "Well,
I married her, allright," and Jake sped
to the mountain with the news. Jake
distributed his information impartially,
and it lost nothing in the telling.
Poisson, thinking the old man's threat
harmless, could not believe his ears. He
grabbed Schmutz by the throat. "Tell
me the truth, you rabble, or I'll kill you."
Schmutz twisted under the grip and
gasped "He married her tonight. She
went away with him." Poisson threw
the man from him and went into the
:,:;, s
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
house. An hour later, with his rifle and
his blanket upon his back, he stood for
a minute gazing at the mirror where
Francesca had stood. Then he walked
slowly up the logger's slide, climbed the
rocky perpendicular face of the bench
and reached the plateau.
* ^t >(c H= * *
Francesca stirred long before daylight
and rode with bounding heart away to
the mountain. She drew up in the clear-
ing, hesitated, called and walked in at
the open door. The first sunbeams were
shooting over the trees. The call of a
whippoorwill sounded strangely to her
ears.
In the cold ashes were traces of
burned papers. Across the 'scutcheon
was a broad black mark. She turned to
the doonvay and called "Rhuys !"
"Philip!" She looked into the mirror,
but no Philip stood upon the threshold
framed in the sunlight. "Why it was
only yesterday he was here," she said to
herself. She saw that the rifle and
blankets were missing. The closets were
empty. "He has gone !" The light died
in her eyes.
Jake Schmutz set fire to the cabin
that night.
Francesca called at sunrise in the
woods and she called in the long days
and nights and months that followed,
till there was left in the slender purple
gowns she wore a body so slight that it
seemed to be a shadow only. Two years
dragged by, and one morning just before
daybreak, a soul flew away into the
mountains and hid in the purple sha-
dows.
The same day a strange bearded man
came to the village and heard the story.
Thereupon he went to the clearing and
built a hut of rails and boards and earth
and lived there. As the former tenant
had owned the land the newcomer was
not disturbed. He spoke only at the
rarest intervals and avoided human com-
pany. Children ran in fear when he
passed through the village, and it was
seldom enough that he did. Not a far-
mer for miles around would approach
his hut at night, and the woodchoppers
for whom he worked held him a surly
idiot. At the end of 40 years the hermit
was an old story to the village.
In September of 1835 the woodchop-
pers found the old man lying helpless in
his narrow bunk. He had been wounded
by his axe as it slipped from his thin,
nerveless fingers. They tried to carry
him to a nearby farm-house in the now
well-settled country. He fought with
his hands and teeth and clung with such
fierce grip to the centre pole of his wig-
wam that the men loosed their holds.
The hermit fell back and died. In an old
worn wallet on his body was found a
woman's hair ornament with the initials
"F. v. M." and a torn, yellow clipping
from a French newspaper. It was trans-
lated eventually, and it read:
"Paris, January 22, 1793. — The direc-
tors on the committee on executions, of
the National Assembly, are excited over
the escape of Ronald Philip d'Orleans,
brother of Louis XVI, upon whom the
people had their sovereign will yesterday.
Philip d'Orleans was the last of Bourbon
family in France, and he is known to
have no near relatives. It is supposed
that he has gone to Amer — "
The wood cutters say there are spirits
in the Blue Mountains.
The historical truth or correctness of
the incidents in this story will be granted,
no doubt, with the exception of the
identity of the hermit with that of the
brother of Louis XVI. The existence
of the hermit will be verified by any
dweller on the south side of the Blue
Mountains. The dates of his forty years
have of course been set back. The
presence of Frenchmen of noble descent
in Berks County at the beginning of the
19th century is proven by the most
cursory glance at the local names of to-
day, in which the prefixes du and de are
frequent. It is with peculiar pride that
the bearers point to emigres of 1789
among their ancestors. Surely the legend
of the "Lost Dauphin" may be credited
to Berks County as well as to a thousand
other sections of the United States. The
THE HERMIT
53&
Bourbon rulers were not chary of
spreading their kingly attributes beyond
the immediate circle of royalty. Their
family name, d'Orleans, was borne more
or less justly by many claimants. Louis
Phillippe, afterward king of the French,
was exiled in 17S9, where, upon the exe-
cution of his father, Louis Phillippe
Joseph in the same year, he succeeded
to the title of duke of Orleans. He
spent part of his twenty-one years of
exile in the United States. — Author's
Note.
Mecklenburg County, N. C, the "Hornets' Nest of
America"
By Miss Julia Johnston Robertson, Charlotte, N. C.
\!^
~^zMMm
HE name Mecklenburg was
in honor of the bride of
King George III of Eng-
land, who was the Prin-
cess Charlotte of Mecklen-
burg— Strelitz in north
Germany. This county
was formed in 1762 from
Anson which was cut off Bladen in
1749, but the settlers had been coming
since about 1740. The present county is
only a portion of the original Mecklen-
burg as parts of it have been cut off to
form other counties. However, Char-
lotte, the original county seat and named
for the same royal lady, is within the
boundaries of the Mecklenburg County
of today.
Early settlers came from various di-
rections. From western Pennsylvania
and Virginia came the Scotch Irish and
some Germans. The former settled the
section which is still Mecklenburg, the
latter in what is now Cabarrus, Lincoln
and Gaston counties. These Germans
preserved the traits of their Fatherland.
They were a strong, hard working eco-
nomical people, bearing their share of
the burden in the conflicts with the In-
dians but taking very little part in pub-
lic affairs at Charlotte during the trouble
period on account of rivalry between
the two districts. The first Germans
positively known to have been in this
community were three young men from
Pennsylvania named Barringer, Dry
and Smith. The Scotch Irish had al-
ready come in sufficient numbers to have
established homes and farms in the best
land. From Pennsylvania, where many
of the Scotch Irish settled on first com-
ing to this country, they spread through
western Maryland into Virginia, where
some of them remained permanently,
others coming farther south after paus-
ing only a short time in Virginia, and
still others coming almost directly to
North Carolina. A mixture of English,
Scotch, German, Huguenot and Swiss
settlers came up from the vicinity of
Charleston, South Carolina. The east-
ern part of North Carolina having pre-
viously been settled by the English it was
but natural for some of them to migrate
to this part of the state. Only a few of
the French Huguenots and Swiss re-
mained and there is little trace of either
of them today. Like the Germans and
others they came to escape religious per-
secution. But of all these various nation-
alities the Scotch Irish were the most nu-
merous and their descendants predomi-
nate at the present time. After arriving
in America returning travellers spread
the good news of fertile land to be
found in the south. Mecklenburg was
the center of this immigration. After
the battle of Culloden in 1746 there was
a rush for the new world by many who
had been on the losing side and deemed
it wise to flee the country.
The first land grants were issued in
1749 when this whole section of country
was still Bladen County. The natural
growth of the soil which the earliest set-
tlers found consisted largely in forests,
540
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
with a few fertile fields where grass and
pea-vines grew. Deer, buffaloes, and
other animals roamed at large. An oc-
casional heaver dam was found on the
creeks. The streams were full of fish
and the air was full of birds. This
must have surely appeared to be a "land
of plenty" to the newcomer. Most of
them came in wagons which were use-
ful to sleep in at night until the houses
were built. Fortunate ones had pewter
dishes, plain delft cups and saucers, iron
and pewter spoons, forks of iron and
buck-horn. They wove the cloth for
their clothes and colored it with vege-
table dyes. They made their own hats
and shoes, raised the flax for linen and
cultivated tobacco for their own use as
well as for sale or "trade". Farming
was the main occupation as most of the
pioneers had their own livings to make
with little or no capital. Soon each man
was trying to learn a trade. Various oc-
cupations came when there was the need
of them but not until then for those
were stern days in the wilderness. Few
men were clothed in the prevailing
eighteenth century fashions of England
and the continent. Homespun and buck-
skin were greatly in evidence instead.
The people were generally temperate
but each farm had its own distillery.
Whiskey and wine wTere served at fun-
erals to refresh those attending from a
great distance, which generally included
nearly every one present ! Saw mills
and flour mills were soon flourishing
and there was an occasional tanyard.
When the time could be spared for
amusements outdoor sports were pre-
ferred, such as horse racing and shoot-
ing matches. After a while the military
parade or "muster", as it was called, be-
came a great occasion both politically
and socially. This custom was con-
tinued until long after the Revolution.
There was much trading but not enough
actual cash in circulation for the needs
of the people. Some paper money was
used, also English, German, French
and Spanish coins. Before the churches
were built an occasional missionary or
travelling minister held service under a
tree or in any building obtainable. An
exception to this was the Reverend John
Thompson who for years ministered reg-
ularly to the people of the upper part
of the county. One of the earliest set-
tlers of Mecklenburg was Thomas
Spratt who arrived about 1740. His
daughter Susan is said to have been the
first white child born between the Ca-
tawba and Yadkin rivers. She afterward
became the wife of Colonel Thomas
Polk, of whom we shall hear later.
From time to time the Indians caused
much annoyance, for where did that not
happen ? The nearest tribes were the
Cherokees and Catawbas. Final peace
with the former was not established un-
til 1776. Between the years 1764 and
1766 unfortunate disturbances were
caused by King George III granting to
George Selwyn, an Englishman, large
tracts of land in Mecklenburg County.
Now on this very land many a farm had
been flourishing for years and naturally
the possessors did not come to terms
without a struggle.
• Although the times called more for
hardihood than for learning, yet many
of these brave men belonged to families
of culture and refinement and for the
sake of their children wanted a college
in their midst. Accordingly an act was
passed at the Colonial Assembly at
Newbern in January 1771 allowing the
founding at Charlotte of "Queen's Co-
lege" or "Museum" as it was sometimes
called. This, however, was distasteful
to the king and he would not allow a
charter but the institution flourished
without one for some years. Ideas of
liberty were here fostered to such an ex-
tent that the name was changed in 1777
to "Liberty Hall Academy". In spite of
feeling keenly the oppression of Great
Britain through the royal governors no
outward manifestation of it was made
until May of 1775. Governor Josiah
Martin had dissolved one Colonial As-
sembly after only a few days' session
and was trying to prevent the meeting cf
another one. The spirited Mecklen-
burgers could stand no more. A con-
vention was called to meet in the court
house at Charlotte on the nineteenth of
May to take whatever steps the occasion
MECKLENBURG CO., N. C, THE "HORxNETS' NEST OF AMERICA"
541
demanded. At the crossing of two
stage roads, now the center of town and
known as Independence Square to this
day, stood the first court house. It was
built of logs and set on brick pillars
about ten feet high. Steps led from the
ground up to the porch in front.
Thomas Polk, as colonel of the county
militia had already been given authority
to call together representatives from
each district if it should become neces-
sary. Accordingly he issued the call for
two representatives from each district
to assemble in the court house on the
nineteenth of May 1775. Almost imme-
diately after taking their seats came
news of the battle of Lexington. If
anything had been needed to bring mat-
ters to a head this would have done so.
But it was unnecessary. The patriots
had already made up their minds. The
deliberations lasted until long after mid-
night, so it was the twentieth before the
conclusion was reached. Every man
present signed the document known as
the Mecklenburg Declaration of Inde-
pendence, in which they declared them-
selves to be a free and independent peo-
ple, dissolving all ties with England,
calling any man an enemy to his coun-
try who espoused the cause of Great
Britain. The signers pledged to the
cause of liberty "their lives, their for-
tunes, and their most sacred honor".
Amidst cheering, at noon on the twenti-
eth of May 1775 on the courthouse steps
this was read to the assembled crowd,
by Thomas Polk, reading also the names
of the signers as follows : Abraham
Alexander, Charles Alexander, Ezra
Alexander, Hezekiah Alexander, John
McKnitt Alexander, Waightstill Avery,
Hezekiah J. Balch, Ephraim Brevard,
Richard Barry, John Davidson, Henry
Donons, John Flennegin, William Gra-
ham, James Harris, Richard Harris,
John Ford, Robert Irwin, William
Kenon, Matthew McLure, Neil Morris-
on, Benjamin Patton, John Phifer,
Thomas Polk, John Query, David
Reese, Zaccheus Wilson. This was a
bold step for twenty-seven men in a new
community to take, and posterity has
honored them in erecting a monument
to commemorate the event and hearing
their names. It is in the square of the
present court house. To the Continental
Congress then in session at Philadelphia
a copy of the Mecklenburg Declaration
of Independence was sent, also copies to
each of the three North Carolina repre-
sentatives in that body. Captain James
Jack was entrusted with this responsible
mission. After a perilous journey on
horseback he arrived in Philadelphia- on
the twenty-third of June and immediate-
ly carried out his instructions. How-
ever, as Congress was still asserting its
loyalty to the king no official notice was
taken of the Mecklenburg Declaration
although several other members, besides
the North Carolina delegation heartily
approved of it. And it was but little
more than a year before Congress took
the very step Mecklenburg had taken !
This has been called the birthplace of
liberty on American soil. In letters to
England Governor Martin denounced
the proceedings as "most infamous" and
"treasonable".
There are other interesting facts to be
related in the history of this county. In
the portion of Mecklenburg which has
since become Union County President
Andrew Jackson was born on the fif-
teenth of March 1767, in the Maxham
settlement. A monument has recently
been erected by the Daughters of the
American Revolution to mark the spot.
In the southern end of the county on the
second of November 1795 President
James Knox Polk was born. The same
patriotic society has also marked that
spot by a suitable monument. At the
battle of Charlotte on the twenty-sixth
of September 1780 and the skirmish at
Mclntyre's branch on the following third
of October Lord Cornwallis was so har-
rassed by the natives that he called this
community "a veritable hornets' nest" ;
so the real hornests' nest is still the em-
blem of the county.
542
Rev. F. A. C. Muhlenberg's Trips to Shamokin
S you published an account
of one of these trips based
entirely on tradition in
your June issue will you
kindly allow me to give
you Rev. Muhlenberg's
itinerary, as given by him-
self in his own Diary. This
was published in the Lutheran Church
Review during 1906 and 1907. Shamo-
kin, as you will understand, is of
rather undetermined extent, reaching
from the Shamokin Hills north of Dan-
ville on the east, and south of Lewisburg
•on the west, southward to Berry's
mountain, and possibly even to Peter's
mountain. Rev. Enterlein's field, ex-
tended from the northern limit men-
tioned to Lykens and even to Arm-
strong valley and was always designated
Shamokin. Rev. Muhlenberg says ; In
the evening, June 24 (1771), after
meeting catechumens at Warwick, and
preaching and catechizing at Schaeffers-
town, he went to Frederic Weiser's,
and got ready for his trip. Under date,
June 17, he says: Mr. Naef's team
brought my goods from Tulpehocken,
and., in God's name, I took up my resi-
dence at Schaefferstown. This therefore
was his home, from which he started.
June 25, In company with Conrad
Weiser, (this was the son of Frederic
Weiser, and grandson of Conrad Weiser
the interpreter who had died July 13,
1760), he started for Shamokin, passed
•over the second, generally known as the
Broad mountain. They lodged in the
woods under the open sky, beside a
good fire. At 1 p. m. on the 26th they
finally reached the habitation of men
again, the residence of Jacob Fisher. In
the afternoon they rode six miles further
to the Susquehanna, which they forded.
They lodged with Caspar Ried, on the
west side of the river. On the 27th they
went up to Benjamin Weiser on the Isle
of "Cew" (Que). On the 28th he in-
spected the larger part of the Weiser
lands. He had appointed confessional
services for the 29th, but rain and high
water kept the people away. On the
30th he held those services, baptized
eighteen children, /;/ a row, as he puts
it, and administered the Lord's Supper
to sixty people. July 1st he returned as
far as the foot of the Second mountain,
on the 2nd to Tulpehocken, and on the
3rd to Schaefferstown.
He tells us that he forwarded the full
report, prepared on the trip to his father.
That is found in Vol 2, Rev. Ed. Hall.
Nach, pp. 7146*. We give the most im-
portant points. It is the fulfillment of a
promise made in a previous letter. He
had intended to set out on the 24th, but
because of a sore foot Frederic Weiser
could not accompany him, and sent his
oldest son, Conrad Weiser. June 25th, in
the morning they packed their pro-
visions, etc., and proceeded as far as
Atolheo (Rehrersburg). At ten o'clock
they resumed the journey and reached
Port Henry, at the foot of the first range
of the Blue mountains. Here they
rested a short time and again proceeded
at 11.30. It will not be necessary to tell
of the trouble with their horses, of
which he speaks, nor yet to repeat his
description of the grand view from the
top of the mountain, taking in all of
Tulpehocken, Heidelberg, Muehlbach
and other places.
By 1 p. m. they had reached the foot
of the mountain on the other side. Here
they remained until 3 p. m. The inn at
which they stopped was the last house
this side of Shamokin. They crossed
the Swatara three times. He also de-
scribes the capes, dangerous and pre-
cipitous rocks, which they passed before
reaching the Second mountain. The
ascent of this latter was comparatively
easy. At 1 p. m. they had reached the
top. The descent on the other side was
difficult and even dangerous. After
traveling eight miles further they came
to a place where a Mr. Althouse had
formerly resided. But house, barn and
stable had been burned when the Indians
drove him away. They reached the
place about 10 o'clock at night and
camped in the woods.
REV. F. A. C. MUHLENBERG'S TRIPS TO SHAMOKIN
543
His description of the immense pine
trees shows that this must have been in
the Pine Valley. The distances given
would indicate that it was in the vicinity
of Sacramento, or where Artz's church
was located. Here they were serenaded
by wolves and entertained by Muskiters
(mosquitoes). Rev. Muhlenberg tried
to rid himself of the attentions of the
latter by the use of Indian tobacco, with
most unpleasant results. On the morn-
ing of the 26th, by 8 o'clock, they
reached a place where a hut had former-
ly stood, after passing through many
narrow places and over many streams.
Here they found a deer which had been
shot, ready washed and prepared. He
here describes this as the Old Tulpe-
hocken Road, where at this season of
the year many people are going to Sha-
mokin, and others to Tulpehocken.
At 1 1 o'clock, reached Jacobs well.
This was on the ''Jacob's Hoeh." or
Hill, some four miles north of Klingers-
town. At 12 o'clock they finally reached
the first house since yesterday at 1
o'clock. "This section is already called
Shamokin, although Shamokin is still
ten miles further up. Here the son of
old Mr. Fisher of Tulpehocken, whom
we also met here, resides. He had ar-
rived yesterday." They partook of re-
freshments, then went on. At 2 o'clock
we reached the Susquehanna, six miles
further."
Mr. Fisher's farm, now owned by Mr.
Schwartz, is located about one fourth or
one half mile east of Schwartz's church.
Mr. Fisher and other members of the
family are buried back of the barn. Not
only would it be impossible for two
men with pack horses to partake of
refreshments and feed their horses, dur-
ing the time indicated and reach Fisher's
Ferry, but Rev. Muhlenberg distinctly
states that the distance to where they
struck the Susquehanna was only six
miles. In his next trip he crossed the
Mahonoy and distinctly states the fact.
He also tells us that Caspar Ried kept a
hotel on the other side, to which they
went, and stopped for the night. After
considerable calling and hallooing two
girls came over to them in a canoe. But
they finally were constrained to ford the
river on horseback. His description of
their experience at this hotel is most
amusing, but not necessary for the
present purpose.
He then adds : After dinner today,
June 27, we rode six miles further to B.
Weiser, residing on an island formed by
the Susquehanna and the Middle Creek.
(At this day this is the main channel of
the Penn's creek.)
"In the afternoon I went up a high
mountain at Mahonoy. Here the Cones-
toga and Delaware Indians formerly had
one of their strongholds (Festung). But
they were vanquished by the Six Na-
tions (auf den Kopf geschlagen). More
than two wagon loads of bones are still
lying here. I tried to fit together a
skeleton, but the time was too short. It
' may happen in the future."
Rev. Muhlenberg distinctly states that
he was stopping with his uncle, Benja-
min Weiser, on the Isle of Que. Accord-
ing to distances and descriptions given,
apparently towards the southern end.
He himself declares that he ascended the
mountain at Mahonoy, which could
hardly be anywhere else than at some
point south of Fisher's Ferry and north
of the Mahonoy creek. Could it not
have been at the juncture of the Seine
and Mahonoy mountains looking west-
ward, or in the cove or kettle eastward.
Has that ever been explored?
This is followed by a full account of
the services as given above.
Toward evening he set out on the
return journey, going down the river
seven miles in a canoe to Caspar Ried's
gain. "Conrad Weiser brought the
horses."
"July 1. Susquehanna high, swam
horses alongside of the canoe. Then to
Fisher's again. Baptized two children,
then with Fisher, senior, started home-
ward. Evening, reached foot of Broad
mountain. Encamped and shifted as
best we could. July 2. After hardships
and fatigues in the mountains reached
Tulpehocken thoroughly soaked."
This was Muhlenberg's first trip. No-
vember 20 of the same year, he set out
on his second trip. This time he was ac-
544
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
companied by Frederick Weiser, "in the
midst of biting wind and snow. By
evening we had passed the first range of
the Blue mountains. 21st. In very bad
weather we crossed the rest of the
mountains and reached Fisher's.
'2nd. At great risk of our lives we
crossed the Mahonony and the Susque-
hanna.
24th. In the open air and very cold
weather, preached to a large number of
people. This same evening I came
across the river in a Batoc, to Fishers.
25th. Rode back alone. Night had
already set in when I passed beyond the
mountains. But rode on and at midnight
I arrived alright at home."
This shows clearly that F. A. C.
Muhlenberg made two trips to Shamokin
to Benjamin Weiser on the southern part
of the Isle of Que. The first was taken
from June 25 to July 3, 1771. On this
first trip his cousin Conrad, son of
Frederic Weiser, accompanied him. On
the second, Nov. 20-25, he was accom-
panied by his uncle, Frederic Weiser,
who failed to return with him and so he
took the homeward journey alone.
Much confusion has been occasioned,
because people fail to remember that
there were three or four and possibly
e\en more men named Conrad Weiser,
besides the interpreter. Some even seem
to be unaware of the fact.
The Conrad mentioned here was the
ancestor of a large portion of the
Weisers in Northumberland and the
upper end of Dauphin County. Another
Conrad, the son of Philip became the
ancestor of a large number of descen-
dants about Selins Grove and in York
County. If not greatly mistaken one or
both of these had descendants also
named Conrad. Why Rev. Muhlenberg
made no more trips to this section has
never been explained. It is certain there
were enough people to organize a re-
spectable congregation.
We can only conjecture that it might
possibly be owing to the fact that he had
not ceased to occupy his former position
as assistant to his father, a field mission-
ary, probably he would be called in our
time, and had settled in a definite par-
ish, Schaefferstown, Warwick, White
Oak and Manheim, to which he subse-
quently added Lebanon.
He had promised these people to visit
them before he accepted his definite
held, and settled at Schaefferstown,
while he was supplying the Tulpehocken
parish.
An itinerary constructed in accordance
with Rev. Muhlenberg's statements
would read about thus : From Schaef-
ferstown, Lebanon County, to F Weiser,
}j mile east of Womelsdorf — thence to
Rehrersburg — to Fort Henry — to Pine
Grove — by Cherryville, Tremont, Don-
aldson— by or near Good Spring,
Rousch Gap — down Pine Valley — by
Klinger's church — through Klingers-
twon, across "Jacob's Hoeh" by Hoof-
land — by Schwartz' or Schaeffer's
tavern — by Smith's tavern — over the
Mahonoy hills on the south side of that
stream, to the fording or ferry just
north of Herndon, above Ziegler's
Island — to Port Trevrdon — thence to B.
Weiser, just above or about the junction
of the present Middle creek with Penn's
creek. Homeward, the* points reversed.
The second trip covered essentially the
same points, except that in leaving
Smith's tavern and going directly west to
the Susquehanna he went nearly north-
west to the head of the Mahonoy moun-
tain, crossing the Mahonoy creek on the
way, thence directly by a ford several
miles further north to B. Weiser. Both
crossing places were still occasionally
used 20 and 30 years ago.
Rev. J. W. Early.
545
m
'-5J iARK HOUR OF AMERICAN REVOLUTION
Easton from a Trolley Window
By W. J. Heller, Easton, Pa.
(continued from august number)
Ho! Lads, put on the Black Cockade,
And follow the rolling drum;
The Battle-field be our parade,
And our cry, The Britons Come!
St. George's Cross, that proudly waves
O'er many a land and sea,
May he a guide for hireling slaves,
But not the flag for me.
Sing the songs of the Hudson ! Revel in the glories of Bunker Hill ! Shout
the Fall of York-town ! Tis well! Battle Fields of a day! Here the heart
bows down. Here is reverence; deeds of sacrifice! This is old Northampton,
an Empire of Resources, Washington's granary ; its devastation the desire of
the British invader, but baffled by the immortal commander. Old Northamp-
ton's men of the hour, penniless and hungry, at the front ; battling for the honor
and supremacy of a new nation; their pay three months in arrears, the State
Treasury depleted by Congress to pay the New England troops, no money for its
own. Massachusetts declining to meet is obligations; old Northampton's north-
ern border threatened with an invasion of Canadian - British and savage In-
dians ; Washington's army retreating across Jersey, in baffling contest with a
superior force, which finally culminate in the smoke of battle : Princeton, Tren-
ton, Germantown, Brandy wine.
Harken to the roar of artillery and musketry! The rumbling, jumbling of
the hundreds of wagons and steeds with their loads of maimed and dying, jost-
ling pell mell overland into old Northampton, dropping hundreds of its bleeding
dead by the wayside ! Yonder in the Union Church are quartered more than
two hundred of the wounded, here in the old Temple of Justice a hundred
more, there in the County's jail, its prisoners turned loose to make room, are
many more. On come the gruesome chariots with their overflowing loads of the
armless and legless, suffering untold agonies, uncared for. Forward they go,
unrelieved in their sufferings, on to Bethlehem, on to Allentown, the shrieks and
supplications adding. to the woe of the hour. Sleepless nights and days of
anguish ! ,
Grand old Northampton — consecrated ground — impoverished, that a new Na-
tion might live. Pennsylvania fought the Revolutionary Wrar and paid the debt.
Old Northampton contributed double and treble its share, all its youth and
manhood, an entire army in itself, did active service not only once, nor thrice,
but a service that was equal to regular. A record that is unparallelled in the
annals of the American Revolution.
546
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Old'Union Church, now the Third Street Reformed. Erected in 1775-1776.
With a change of scene our car moves
around the corner into North Third
Street. Time — January, 1777. Slowly
we approach the front of the Union
Church, bleak and dreary without.
Within, the organ is pealing forth sweet
sounds, the audience drinking rum, not
in jubilation but in solemnity. The
occasion is fraught with import. It
marks an epoch in the History of Amer-
ica. Here assembled are the eminent
counselors of the new state and nation,
putting forth all their brilliant efforts to
induce the famous Indian Confederation
of the Six Nations, to forsake the
British and espouse the cause of the
new American States. The Iroquois
Emperor announcing the termination of
EASTON FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
547
the Conference with an assurance of a
speedy assembling of the Indian Nations
of the North and the prompt answer as
to the result of the deliberations; and
the stoic Emperor and the lesser Kings
of the North Indian Confederation pass
out through the portals of this patriotic
shrine. One by one they go forth, the
door gently closes, and thus passed for-
ever the White Man's influence over the
Red Race of America.
One year later the result of the Indian
deliberation was read in the skies. The
lurid glare of the heavens over old
Northampton's north border ; the aurora
Charity Fund." There were others at
New Providence, Upper Salford, Read-
ing, Tulpehocken, Vincent (Chester
Countv) and Lancaster. They were
under' the charge of the "SOCIETY
FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE
KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AMONG
THE GERMANS." Just how much
more knowledge of God the English
possessed, they failed to record, but,
there is plenty of evidence to show that
they failed utterly in their efforts to
substitute the King James' Version for
the Luther Bible and this was the rock
that foundered the, otherwise creditable,
Old Market House at the Entrance of North Third Street 1812.
borealis of carnage burning homes and
destruction of civilization in the Wyom-
ing Valley ; the unbridled ferociousness
of Queen Ester and her frenzied
demons' thirst for blood, massacreing
the aged men, the women and children,
while their sons, husbands and brothers
are absent on duty for the new Nation.
This grand old historic edifice with
the two lots on which it stands, is now
the property of the Third Street Re-
formed congregation. The lots were
reserved by the Penns for school and
church purposes and here was erected,
m T755> by public subscription, the first
school building and supported by what
was commonly known as the "English
movement. Their original intention was
good but they failed in its application.
The Society's affairs were managed by
a Board of Trustees, composed of Eng-
lish gentry, in Philadelphia and as most
of the residents of Easton were retired
farmers of means, from the surrounding
townships, they expressed their senti-
ments in no mistaken manner when
these Trustees came to Easton, on their
annual inspection, with their retinue of
servants and out-riders and all the glit-
ter and elegance of a pompous show.
Previous to the establishment of these
schools, the Lutheran Church of Ger-
many had sent Henry Muhlenberg to
Pennsylvania for the purpose of promot-
548
THE PENXS YLVAN I A-GERMAN
ijig the Lutheran interest, and. aboutthe
same time, the Reformed Church of
Holland had sent Michael Schlatter
over, t<> inspect the conditions of the
Germans belonging to the Reformed
denomination. They supplied him with
money and Bibles for the scattered con-
gregations. After laboring here for a
few years, and finding that Muhlen-
berg, with greater powers, was attaining
1 letter results he made a husiness trip to
Holland and on his return to America
lie became interested in this English
Educational Movement, and when he
arrived in Pennsylvania, he combined
his pastoral labors and the English edu-
cational efforts and what little success
these schools did acquire, was solely
through Michael Schlatter. Less than a
year later, someone wrote to Holland
that these schools were all English and
political and that the Trustees were all
religious Separatists. This raised the
wrath of the Hollanders and Schlatter
was. forthwith, discharged, whereupon
the English appointed him superinten-
dent of the schools and thus Michael
Schlatter became the Eirst General
Superintendent of the First Public
Schools in America.' These schools,
however, became so unpopular with the
Germans that Schlatter, after only one
year's service as superintendent, was
forced to resign. He then, in 1757, be-
came chaplain in a regiment of loyal
American Infantry and during the
Revolutionary War, being then an old
man, boldly sided with the cause of
liberty, thus rendering himself especially
obnoxious to the British, who missed no
opportunity to humiliate and insult him.
The present Reformed congregation
have in their possession a Bible, which
was presented to them by Schlatter,
either on one of his later visits here, or,
probably, given to one of the Church
officials, or, someone interested, while on
a visit, to his home in Germantown. The
exact time of this occurrence will never
be known as no date is given. The fly-
leaf is very gorgeously decorated and
contains an inscription stating that it
was presented by Schlatter to the con-
gregation in Easton. The handwriting
is not unlike that of Jost Vollert, the
first school teacher. The English school
in this log building did not last very long
and was a failure from the start. Wil-
liam Parsons, sarcastically, writes to
Peters, under date, July 3, 1755:
"If ye original intentions of ye Society
was that ye children of English parents
should receive ye benefit of ye Charity
freely, and that ye poor Germans should pay
for it. then the School at Easton is upon a
right establishment, at present, otherwise
it is not."
One hundred and fifty years have
passed since the events here recorded.
1 he descendants of these Germans still
occupy the territory pre-empted by their
sires, surrounded by a wall of English
education 200 miles thick and that Ger-
manism on the increase.
The Luther .Bible has disappeared,
supplanted by the English version, from
which they take consolation by day. But,
the English Bible, with all its revisions
and additions, has not changed their
German repose at night. Many of these
have gone forth, shining lights in ad-
vanced English education, circumnavi-
gating the globe, as leaders in advanced
English thought, enhanced by American
enlightenment, their Germanism yet un-
conquered ; one of their number, stand-
ing pre-eminent on the highest pinnacles
of American education, whose English
thought by day has enriched the world,
reposing in peaceful slumbers of Ameri-
can Germanism at night, boldly an-
nounces that the time is now, when
Pennsylvania-Germanism should cease.
Will it? Mag so sei; Ich glaabs net.
This old log building was to be used
not only for school purposes, but for
Protestant preaching also. There were
no congregations in Easton at this time
or at any time previous ; everybody
attended services whenever an itinerant
preacher happened along. The Mora-
vians would furnish ministers, whenever
requested. ( )ccasionally there was a call
for a minister of the Reformed denomi-
nation and at other times a Lutheran.
There were always promptly sent as
every denomination was represented in
EASTON FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
549
the Moravian Economy at Bethlehem
and it is to their everlasting credit, that
they never took advantage of existing
conditions to advance the interests of
their Economy. The nearest Lutheran
congregation was at, what is now,
Cedarville, two miles distant. The near-
est Reformed was one at Lower Saucon
Township, the other at White Hall
Township, now Egypt, Lehigh County.
Some of the settlers, in and around
Easton, were Presbyterians, Jews and
Roman Catholics, but they were few in
number. The Presbyterians, however,
were quite numerous in Mount Bethel
anything but harmonious. This difficulty
could have been overcome, if it had not
been for church festivals, such as
Easter, Christmas, etc. The Lutherans
increased in numbers, very rapidly, and
usurped all rights to the house on these
occasions of special ceremony. But,
whether they were always permitted this
exclusive privilege, there is nothing on
record to show, but tradition tells us that
they occasionally worshipped in the
Moravian building. The Reformed are
known to have worshipped, occasionally,
in barns and later in the new Court
House. As the years rolled on the Re-
Old County House Demolished 1868.
and Allen townships. There was also
a small body of them in Phillipsburg,
known as "THE PRESBYTERIAN
CONGREGATION AND MISSION
IN PHILLIPSBURG."
The Reformed showed a steady in-
crease until about 1760, when they
formed a congregation. The Lutherans
of the town, four-fifths of whom were
the new-comers, also organized. The
Presbyterians were yet weak and found
themselves wedged between the two
stronger bodies. This made three de-
nominations to worship in the old log
school-house, an arrangement which was
formed became stronger in membership
and the years of humiliation, under
which they had labored, emboldened
them to resentment. They then secured
a pastor who could not be intimidated
by the Lutherans, whose name was Pit-
han, a man accustomed to the use of
strong drinks and when he had imbibed
some Pennsylvania stone fence (apple-
jack and wild cherry), on a Sunday
morning and arrived at the church door
first, it was a sure sign of Reformed
services for that day. If, however,
there was a lack of noisy demonstration,
on a Sunday morning, and the Lutherans
550
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
were holding services in the church, it
was generally conceded that Pithan had
been making too many trips to the "stone
fence" and, consequently, unable to
preach. This sort of thing went on for
several years without any apparent ill-
feeling between the two congregations.
At last Pithan caused discord in his own
church, his actions causing many to re-
main away from services and two fac-
tions in the congregation was the result.
Pithan apparently, went from bad to
worse and had but few followers, who
after a while became weary of Pithan
and his erratic ways and discharged him.
He then went to the Lower Saucon
Church where he was compelled to re-
sign (The records state for intemper-
ance). He finally landed in North
Carolina and history records him no
further.
Finally the two congregations found
the need of a larger building and called
a general meeting to be held at the
Court House whereat the following
articles of agreement were entered into :
ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT made and
concluded upon at Easton, in the county of
Northampton and the province of Pennsyl-
vania, the nineteenth day of March Anno
177!, between the two German Protestant
congregations in Easton aforesaid to wit,
the Lutheran and Presbyterian congrega-
tions in manner and form following, that is
to say, first, that the members of both said
congregations in do agree to build a church
together jointly for the use of said congre-
gations in Easton aforesaid upon the two
lots where the German school house now
stands viz, on lot No. 70 and 72 unto the
following foundation viz that any other
Protestant preacher or minister of the
Gospel shall have liberty to do public wor-
ship in the said church at any time, when
the preachers or ministers of the said
Lutheran and Presbyterian congregations
does not do public worship therein, pro-
vided they have leave granted them from
the trustees or elders for the time being of
both said congregations and provided also
that no other preacher or minister or con-
g it -at -'on or any other persons whatsoever
shall have any title, claim or demand what-
soever to the said church, but only the said
two Lutheran and Presbyterian Easton
Congregations. Secondly, It is agreed upon
by both said congregations that if hereafter
it shall appear to them, that the church now
intended to be built should be too small to
contain the members of both said congrega-
tions, that the said church shall be valued
and appraised by indifferent and impartial
men to be chosen by the members of both
said congregations, and to whatever of the
said congregations lot of the said church
shall happen, Do promise and agree to and
with the other congregation to pay to them
the one half of the said valuation of cash
towards building another church. Thirdly,
The members of both said Lutheran and
Presbyterian Easton congregations to
choose and appoint Abraham Labar, Lewis
Knouse, Christopher Bittenbender, John
Simon, Henry Barnet and Mathias Miller to
be trustees in order to build and finish the
said church hereby giving them said trus-
tees full power and authority to agree with
all the workmen and to find all materials
fit for the said church building and the
carrying on the same. For this purpose, we
the members of the both said congregations,
do hereby promise and agree to and with
the said trustees to adjust them in cash and
all other necessaries according to our cir-
cumstances at what time the same shall be
demanded of us until such time as the said
church is completely ejected and finished.
And we do further agree with one another,
that all and every article herein mentioned
shall be observed and kept firmly as herein
set forth. And we do also agree that this
article of agreement shall be subscribed by
the before named six trustees in the name
and on the behalf of both said congre-
gations.
This alliance appeared to be satisfac-
tory and they began immediately to con-
struct the building and the corner-stone
was laid with great ceremony in June,
T775- The final dedication took place in
the year 1776.
The two Easton congregations wor-
shipped harmoniously in the new church
for several years, during which time the
unruly element or what was left of the
old Reformed congregation apparently
ceased to exist as a congregation. There
is no record of them during the first
years of the Revolutionary War, prob-
ably their fighting proclivities carried
them to the front, or, the people's atten-
tion was attracted to passing events of
the Revolution more than church affairs.
The War of Independence, evidently,
taught these people that "blood was
thicker than water," as we find a short
time afterward that the English Presby-
terians worshipped in the old log school-
house and all the Germans united in two
EASTON FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
551
congregations, the Lutheran and the
Reformed.
The privilege given to any Protestant
preacher to use the new building provid-
ing they secured permission from the
two preachers and both boards of trus-
tees was far reaching and was evidently
intended to prohibit undesirable persons
from preaching therein. In the year
The IYutheran and Reformed School House, Erected 1778.
(Photo 1911)
1778 the two congregations erected, at
the corner of Church and Sitgreaves
streets, a stone school-house. This build-
ing is still standing. Philip Meixell, a
mason, living along the Delaware River
a short distance below the present Black
Horse Tavern, was the builder of this
stone school-house. The meals, which he
furnished for his workmen were cooked
at his house and were brought all the
way to Easton and served, but whether
these meals were served hot or cold tra-
dition sayeth not.
Meixell accepted Continental currency
in payment of his contract and the de-
preciation of this currency left Meixell
with little or nothing for his labors. A
.Mr. Kempsing was the first teacher in
this new school. The expenses of main-
taining was met jointly by the two con-
gregations. The old log school was con-
ducted in English by the Presbyterians
and where they continued until the
erection of the Union Academy, which
stood on the site of the present High
School building. The old log building
was demolished to make room for the
building now used as Sunday School
rooms by the Reformed Church.
About the year 1790, Anthony Butler,
attorney for the Penns, on his tour
through the state, looking for unsold
tracts belonging to the Penns, found
three tracts in Easton, in possession of
these two German congregations. One,
the two lots, whereon the church stands,
the other the two lots, the corner of
Fourth and Ferry, used by the Luth-
erans for a burying ground ; the third
was the town cemetery on Church Street
between Fifth and Sixth (Library
Park), in charge of the Reformed con-
gregation. Mr. Butler astonished the
citizens by laying claim to these three
properties and notified the trustees to
vacate. A joint congregational meeting
was held and a committee appointed,
with Jacob Arndt, Jr., president of the
Reformed consistory, as its chairman, to
visit John Penn of Philadephia for the
purpose of securing title to these proper-
ties. John Penn received them kindly
and gave assurance that the two congre-
gations would not be disturbed in their
possessions. But no final actions were
taken by the Penns until 1802, when a
deed was granted conveying the three
tracts to Peter Snyder, Nicholas Troxel
and Nicholas Kern, trustees for the Re-
formed and Jacob Weygand, George
William Roup and Conrad Bittenbender,
trustees for the Lutheran congregation.
The Lutherans assumed charge of and
buried their dead in the lot on Ferry
Street and the Reformed did likewise
with the Town Cemetery. But the tract
on which the church stands was held in
common by both. A Reformed could
not be buried in the Lutheran lot and
neither could a Lutheran in that of the
Reformed. Apparently it never occurred
to these people that inter-marriages in
these two congregations might occur and
that, in the case of death, the husband
and wife might desire to have their re-
mains lie in the same cemetery. The
first generation had few such marriages
but among the second, they were more
numerous. This unwritten law regard-
ing burials was often ignored and many
funerals were held in which strategy
was used ; in some instances, they re-
552
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
sorted to violence. This engendered
many bitter feelings among the members
of the two congregations.
In the year 1807 the two congrega-
tions became incorporated, the Lutherans
under the title of the "German Evangel-
ical Lutheran congregation of Easton,"
and the Reformed as "the German Re-
formed congregation of Easton." The
idea of these exclusive burials was not
shared to a great extent by the Re-
formed. The Lutherans, apparently,
were the aggressors as under date of
gregation from the burial place (lying at
the corner of Hamilton and Ferry streets)
from being buried that then the Reformed
Congregation shall exercise its proper right
through entrance upon aforenamed burial
ground and through the burial of their dead
in the same, in such a manner and at such
place as shall be indicated and prescribed
by a committee appointed for such purpose.
While the Lutherans, to a certain de-
gree, complied in accordance with this
resolution, they were not in full sym-
pathy and as there was only one entrance
to the cemetery, which was kept locked
Old Episcopal Church on Spring Garden Street.
June 26th, 1810, a meeting of the Con-
sistory of the Reformed congregation
was held at which the following resolu-
tions were passed:
RESOLVED— That the members of the
German Evangelical Reformed Congregation
have an equal right with the members of
the German Evangelical Lutheran Congre-
gation to bury their dead in both burial
places in the Borough of Easton, and that
the Reformed Congregation defend and sup-
port its individual members in the enjoy-
ment of this right.
RESOLVED— That if the Lutheran Con-
gregation makes an attempt to hinder or
exclude any member of the Reformed Con-
and the key zealously guarded by the
Lutherans, the Reformed undertook to
make a gate to it for their own con-
venience. However they were not'
allowed to complete it by reason of a
war-like demonstration on the part of
the Lutherans. Consequently, on No-
vember 18, 1810, at a general meeting of
the Evangelical Reformed congregation,
Mr. Philip Oden welder reported that he
made at attempt to make a gate in the
lower church-yard in the town of
Easton, but abandoned his purpose
owing to a promise by the Lutherans to
EASTON FROM A TROLLEY WIXDOW
553
arrange it in some other manner. Mr.
Odenwelder reported further that Mr.
Michael Opp agreed to submit the mat-
ter to the judges of the court and that he
would report the action of the Lutheran
Church Council upon the subject, with-
out delay to the Consistory of the Re-
formed congregation. Whereupon
RESOLVED— That we will wait for the
action of the Lutheran Church Council until
the following Tuesday.
RESOLVED— That Messrs. Jacob Arndt
and Christian Butz shall be a committee that
shall have full power to defend before the
Courts the right of the Reformed Congrega-
tion to the said Church yard.
RESOLVED— That the. president of the
Reformed Congregation shall notify the
president of the Lutheran Congregation of
the above resolutions.
It is testified that the above is a true copy
of the Minutes.
Attest: THOMAS POMP, Sec.
sought relief by requesting a compromise
or some arrangement whereby funerals
could be held with less difficulty. Finally
the matter was considered by both con-
gregations and the following resolution
passed :
Whereas certain controversies unhappily
exist between the said parties of and con-
cerning the right, title, interest, use, prop-
erty or possession which the said parties
respectively claim and demand to have of
in to or out of two certain lots of ground
situated in the borough of Easton in the
County of Northampton and Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania.
NOW THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH
that for the amicable adjustment, settlement
and determination of the said controversy
and for the re-establishment and preserva-
tion of peace and concord between the said
parties, they, the said parties have agreed
and by these presents do agree for them-
selvs and their successors respectively each
with the other that all matters and things
Old House now Site of the Chemical Publishing Company Building.
Shortly after this period, arrange-
ments were made whereby a Lutheran
could be buried in the Reformed ceme-
tery and a Reformed in that of the
Lutherans by paying double rate for
such interment. This only made matters
more complicated as the people objected
to this double rate and caused the under-
taker great annoyance. This important
personage was Mordici Churchman, the
only one in the town. He,, at last, be-
coming weary of these controversies,
whatesover had made, arisen, moved or now
depending in dispute or controversy be-
tween them or and concerning the premises
or in any manner relating thereto be sub-
mitted to the award, arbitrament, order,
judgment, final end and determination of
Mordecai Churchman, Daniel Stroud and
George Palmer, Esquires, arbitrators indif-
ferently named, elected and chosen by the
said parties or of any two of them so that
the said arbitrators or 'two of them do make
their award, order, final determination and
judgment in the premises in writing in-
dented under their hands and seals shall
make the said award on or before the
554
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Twelfth Day of August in the year of our
Lord, One Thousand Eight Hundred and
one part thereof deliver or cause to be de-
livered to the President of the Church
Council or vestry of the said G>erman Re-
formed Congregation of Easton, the other
part thereof deliver or cause to be delivered
to the President of the Church Council or
Vest iy of the said German Evangelical
Lutheran Congregation of Easton. And it
is further agreed by and between the said
parties that the said arbitrators shall have
full power and authority to order, direct,
appoint and award such disposition or par-
tition, as shall be deemed just and equitable
in relation to the merits of the said con-
troversy an 1 the pretentions of the said
In accordance with the above, the
arbitrators, on August 12th, 181 1, made
the award to the effect that each con-
gregation was to maintain its own
burial ground. For a while matters ran
along smoothly, but old troubles again
made their appearance some years later
when an appeal was made to the Court.
It was then discovered that neither of
these congregations was the owner of the
property in dispute. Ownership was
vested in the name of Jacob Kern, sole
legatee of his father, Nicholas Kern, the
last surviving member of the trustees to
On -Spring Garden .Street at the Corner of Third.
1 2 3
1. Road on Mt, Jefferson. 2. Philiph Slough's Hotel. 3. Residence of Samuel Sitgreaves.
parties respectively or expedient for the
establishment and preservation of harmony,
peace and concord between them hereafter.
And agree each with the other by these
presents that the said parties or either of
them will not, at any time, hereafter revoke
this present agreement of submission or the
authority thereby given to the said arbitra-
tors, but shall and will in all things acquiese
and submit themselves to their award and
arbitrament in the premises. In testimony
thereof the said parties have hereunto inter-
changeably affixed the corporate seals of
the said corporations respectively the day
and year just before written.
JACOB ARNDT, Pres.
Attest: THOMAS POMP, Sec.
whom the property had been deeded by
the Penns. Jacob Kern then deeded the
properties to the two congregations with
the understanding that they must abide
by the decision of the Board of Arbitra-
tors. Finally, in 1832. the Lutherans
relinquished their rights in the joint
church property according to the original
agreement and purchased of Frederick
Wilhelm two lots on Ferry Street,
adjoining their burial grounds, and built
thereon the large church building, still
standing, known as St. John's Lutheran
Church. Here, the English speaking
EASTON FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
555
members of the congregation formed
themselves into a separate body, under
the name of St. John, and a double ser-
vice was inaugurated. This was con-
tinued for a number of years, the Eng-
lish increasing very rapidly and they soon
became the predominant body. The
Germans were then assigned a preacher
of their own. This continued unsatis-
factorily until 1873 when an agreement
was entered into to separate. The grave-
yard at this time became very valuable
and this was assigned to the German con-
gregation as their portion. This was
ness, until the arrival of Anthony Butler
in 1790, when the unsold lots were
disposed of in a short time. The prin-
cipal buyer was Samuel Sitgreaves, a
noted attorney, and he erected here, on
the northeast corner, a very commodious
dwelling for that period. The building
is still standing and is now known as the
Arlington. On the rear end of the lot,
where now is the brick residence and
store of J. P. Michler, he had erected a
frame building in which he transacted
his law business. Sitgreaves was one of
the few book collectors of that period.
Monument at Lafayette College to the Student Body Who Went to the Front 1861-1865.
sold and, with the proceeds, was pur-
chased the property on North Fifth
Street, where they still exist today as the
German Evangelical Lutheran congrega-
tion, the oldest religious congregation in
Easton.
We will now continue our journey
down North Third Street, the principal
residential thoroughfare, the gateway to
classic Easton. On it, have lived many
people of prominence. Their biographies
are found in all published works on local
history. Our car is now at Third and
Spring Garden streets. The section east-
ward of this point was not of much
importance, either for residence or busi-
He was instrumental in forming the
Easton Library Co. in the year 1810, and
presented all his books and the use of his
office for the enterprise. The library
remained here until the erection of their
own building on Second Street. This
latter building is now the office of the
Board of Education. Many of these
books were rare volumes of American
History and these formed the nucleus of
what is today one of the greatest collec-
tions of Americana in the United States,
and now occupy a special room in the
Easton Public Library. Next to Sit-"
greaves' office was the home and work
shop of Henry Derringer, one of the gun
556
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
makers of the Revolution. Lt was Der-
ringer's son who was the inventor of the
famous Derringer Pistols used all over
the world as the proper fire-arms for
fighting duels.
( >n the northwest corner of Third and
Spring Garden streets stands Easton's
largest hotel, the Karldon. This house
had its beginning *n 1806 when Philip
Slough, Jr., a blacksmith from Bethle-
hem Township, desiring to retire from
business, went to Easton, purchased this
corner lot and erected thereon a stone
hotel. After conducting the business for
about a year he discovered that the hotel
business was rather strenuous for a re-
tired blacksmith. He then transformed
the hotel to his son and in 1808 he
erected the stone house, still standing,
on the rear of the lot, corner of Bank-
Street. Here he lived in retirement for
about a year, then evidently finding that
this sort of an existence was not in ac-
cord with his former vocation, built a
blacksmith shop between the house and
the hotel. Later, this business was trans-
ferred to the rear of the lot, fronting on
Bank Street, and was conducted by the
family for several generations and final-
ly became incorporated as the Easton
Foundry and Machine Company, with an
extensive plant at the west end of Eas-
ton. along the Lehigh, destroyed by a
conflagration in the year 1909, terminat-
ing a business that had a successful
existence for just one hundred years.
We now proceed towards' College Hill,
on the brow of which are extensive
grounds and buildings of Lafayette Col-
lege, a noted institution of learning.
Midway, on the hillside, is emblazoned
within the foliage, the picturesque
memorial of the student body, sacrificed
in the War of the Rebellion. Our car
is now standing on the bridge that spans
the Bushkill Creek, (the Indians called
this creek Lechauheisen, which was cor-
rupted into Lehicton, while the early
Holland explorers called it Bushkill by
which name it is now commonly known.)
/Directly in front of us, is a modern grist
mill. On the facade can be traced the
original structure, built in the year 1790
by John Brotzman and John Hester,
progressive men of that period. At that
time, there was no bridge here. Access
to the mill was had from the one further
up the stream, known as the Bushkill
Street bridge. From this bridge, a road
led down the north side of the creek to
the mill, now known as Delaware Street,
a public thoroughfare two blocks long,
and used by the town for over one hun-
dred years without the expenditure of
one cent of public funds for main-
tenance. The road leading up the hill
and the one leading eastwardly to the
Delaware, are comparatively modern. In
fact, the entire College Hill as a settle-
ment, is of a later development. As we
ascend the hill, we get a grand, extensive
view of the old town.
Passing the College grounds, we con-
tinue on Cattell, a thickly settled street,
woodland in early days, until we reach
the vicinity of what is now Burke
Street. Northward of this and just out-
side of the boundaries of the original
Thousand Acre Tract, is still standing
the log home of Elias Dietrich, erected
about 1760.
Our car is now standing on the corner
of Burke and Cattell streets. Westward,
down in the valley, in plain view is the
old stone mansion of the Wagners and
opposite, the stone home of Andrew Rip-
ple, whose red pump was a landmark for
over one hundred and fifty years. The
road leading from this pump up the hill,
crossing Sullivan Street, continuing to
Cattell Stret, thence making an angle,
continuing on and forming the present
road, to the top of Chestnut Hill where
it again connected with Sullivan Street,
was opened in the year 1788. The angle
was known as Dietrich's corner. From
this corner, a road led straight over the
hill to the Delaware to what is now the
Sanitarium and which was then the ex-
tensive plantation of Andrew Grube.
Grube's house is still standing and his
commodious stone barn has been trans-
formed into the present Sanitarium. The
road continued up the Delaware to the
home of Jacob Kreider, the only settler
on the Delaware at this point. And the
EASTON FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
557
At Brotzman and Hersten Mill— Home of the Miller— Old Foot Bridge— about 1800,
locality here was designated as Kreider's
Rock. The next family above, through
the Whorrogott, was Moyer on the north
side of Boyer Rock, an impassable bar-
rier where the road terminated.
The entire Chestnut Hill on which
now is located Paxinosa Inn, was pur-
chased by Peter Kocher for the express
purpose of prospecting for silver on the
strength of the information advanced by
an Indian Chief that gold was to be
found in the mountain, but true to the
Indian trait, he never would impart to
Kocher the exact locality where it was
to be found. Kocher devoted years to
prospecting without success. Several
holes dug by him on the far east end are
still visible.
We will now return to Sullivan Street.
This is the ancient Minnisink highway
but little used until Easton began, when
it was the main thoroughfare to the
mountains. The supposition that it was
made by General Sullvan in 1779 is er-
roneous. The road that Sullivan con-
structed was through the great swamp
beginning a few miles above Pocono
Lake in Monroe Countv. This road lead-
ing over College Hill was used but very
little after 1788 as the road leading to
the red pump was created to take its
place. Where the present road crosses
the northern boundary of the city and
where it intersects the old Sullivan road,
stands an old stone building, that was the
gun factory of Henry Young during the
Revolutionary War. His log house which
has been re-weatherboarded and modern-
ized, is also still standing, directly oppo-
site on the east side of the street.
Our car will not return to Centre
Square, to our old historic shrine, where
justice evidently was meted out, accord-
ing to the thermometer as the following
note would indicate :
October 2, 1789.
"Whereas it has been recommended by the
Court of Common Pleas of said County to
the Commissioners, that it being moved to
the Court by the Attorneys, that the business
is greatly impeded at December and March
Courts for want of stoves, to keep the people
from suffering by the extreme cold and the
Justices have experienced the great delays
and interruptions of public business for
want of such necessaries. Whereupon the
said Commissioners have appointed John
Hers.ter to furnish the stoves."
558
The Gutenberg Bible — A Sur-rejoinder
Editor of The Pennsylvania-German :
( )ME men hate a fact." So
says Justin Winsor in his
essay on "The Perils of
Historical Narrative." No
fact in the history of civi-
lization has been so fierce-
ly hated and assailed as the
great Reformation, of
which Martin -Luther stands the acknowl-
edged hero, by the writers and contro-
versialists of the Roman Catholic
Church. The least reference to it by
Protestant scholars that reflects however
faintly on the mighty religious institution
that dominated the Middle Ages is sure
to invite ill-natured criticism at the hands
of an ever alert band of partisan writers.
The writer has just experienced this
kind of criticism. In his article on "The
Gutenberg Bible," a copy of which had
recently been sold for the great sum of
$50,000, which appeared in the June
number of your magazine — an article
written in the spirit of an antiquarian,
dealing with the first product of a won-
derful invention fraught with the
mightiest consequences to mankind — the
following paragraph appeared, which
seems to have stirred up two critics in
the Roman camp, the Rev. Dr. Ganss, of
Lancaster, Pa., and Editor Martin I. J.
Griffin, of Philadelphia, as shown in
their letters in your July number:
"Some conception of the gigantic force
exerted by the invention of movable types
in the distribution of knowledge may be had
in the well-known fact that'thousands of the
priests of the Church before the Reforma-
tion never saw a copy of the Scriptures,
much less enjoyed the possession of one.
The accidental discovery of one by Luther
in the monastery at Erfurt, fragments of
which he had only seen previously, notwith-
standing diligent search, marked the begin-
ning of Luther's revolt against the tyranny
and teachings of the Church at Rome. If
the Bible was so rarely found in the monas-
tic libraries, universities and churches how
much worse off must have been the laity,
the humble worshipper."
In no part of my article is there the
least suggestion that "Bible reading was
frowned upon by ecclesiastical authori-
ties of that age," or of any age, and I
fail to see the point of my critics in
dragging in that question unless it was
intended to mislead the readers of your
magazine. The extract quoted above
deals with the scarcity of complete copies
of the Bible in Christendom before the
Reformation and of course during the
Middle Ages before the invention of
printing, with an incidental reference to
Luther's discovery of a complete copy
in the monastery at Erfurt, and the
effect it had on his future career. I wish
to say here that there was no thought of
holding the Roman Catholic Church of
the present day responsible for what took
place in the Middle Ages — or for what
didn't take place. I wish further to say
that with many thousands of Protes-
tants I consider myself a member of the
Catholic Church, notwithstanding the
excommunication of my protesting fore-
fathers and feel at perfect liberty to
study its past and to criticise its pre-
tensions, usurpations and corruption.
The history of the Church previous to
the Reformation is as much the heritage
of Protestants as of Roman Catholics
and as such, in commenting on certain
phases of it during that period, they deal
with their own church history in no
sense intending aught offensive to their
Roman Catholic brethren. I wish to say
too that I am just as desirous of dealing
in facts as my critics profess to be, and
I should be very sorry if I thought there
was the least taint of bigotry in my
makeup. I have yet to be accused of it.
By all means let us have facts. Dr.
Ganss begins his letter by misquoting me,
making me say : "The well known fact
that thousands of the priests of the
church never saw a copy of the Scrip-
tures, etc." What I did say was "that
thousands of the priests of the church
before the Reformation never saw a
THE GUTENBERG BIBLE— A SUR-REJOINDER
559
copy of the Scriptures." The mention I
made of the accidental discovery by
Luther of a complete copy of the Bible
in the monastery at Erfurt he treats with
the accustomed Roman sneer saying that
the "assertion though still religiously de-
tailed in Sunday School and church
library literature, is out of all accord
with up-to-date historical writing and
has long since been relegated to the do-
main of the legendary by all Protestant
writers of critical value and honest
scholarship" — and then quoting Dr.
McGiffert, author of an interesting his-
tory of "Martin Luther and His Work,"
now appearing serially in "The Century"
and from Dr. Preserved Smith's recent
"Life and Letters of Martin Luther" — in
support of his contention. He quotes
Dr. McGiffert as saying that "if Luther
was ignorant of the Bible it was his own
fault." Nevertheless Dr. McGiffert, an
"up-to-date" historical writer and
credited with "scholarly honesty" by Dr.
Ganss repeats the statement I made con-
cerning Luther's discovery of a complete
copy of the Bible and which Dr. Ganss
ridicules as a "Sunday School legend."
Dr. McGiffert says :
"His studies also embraced the writings
of the church fathers and particularly the
Bible, to which he was becoming more and
more attached. He tells us that it was in
his twentieth year that he first saw a com-
plete copy of the Scriptures in the univer-
sity library at Erfurt. He had hitherto sup-
posed that they embraced only the lessons
read in the public services and was
delighted to find much that was quite un-
familiar to him. His ignorance it may be
remarked though not exceptional was his
own fault. The notion that Bible reading
was frowned upon by the ecclesiastical
authorities of that age is quite unfounded.
To be sure it was not considered part of a
Christian duty, as it is in many Protestant
churches and few homes possessed a copy
of the Scriptures; but they were read regu-
larly in church and their study no more
prohibited to university students of that
day than to those of this. And was prob-
ably as little practiced by most of them
then as now.
As to Bible-study, the opinion of the
theological professors of Erfurt was di-
vided. Some favored it ascribing to biblical
writers an authority superior to the fathers
and schoolmen; others advised against it
/because all that was of value in the Bible
could be found in the writings of the
theologians and its study was apt to foster
pride and promote seditions and revolution-
ary spirit."
According to Dr. McGiffert "searching
the Scriptures" before the Reformation
was not a universal habit — but was even
"frowned upon" by some of the Erfurt
professors, as it undoubtedly was if we
may believe Dr. Preserved Smith who
says "The rule of the Augustinians pre-
scribed diligent reading of the Scriptures,
and Luther obeyed this regulation with
zeal." which is quoted by Dr. Ganss who
however fails to finish the sentence
which ends thus : "in spite of the aston-
ishment of Staupitz and discouragement
on the part of Dr. Using en."
This legend or "fairy tale" as the
Editor of The American Catholic His-
torical Researches calls Luther's dis-
covery of a complete copy of the Bible
has done duty in Lives of Luther other
than Protestant. Some years ago I en-
joyed the friendship and companionship
of a Benedictine father, a ripe scholar
and gentleman, whom I learned to ad-
mire and to regard with much affection,
with whom I spent many hours in the
discussion of historical subjects, among
them church history and the career of
Martin Luther. Expressing a desire to
read a life of Luther from the Roman
Catholic standpoint he loaned me a copy
written by M. Audin which he assured
me was one of the best Lives of Luther
written in the Roman Communion. I
read the work with much care and I
trust with an unbiased mind. In it I
found this reference to Mr. Griffin's
"fairy tale" on pages 7 and 8:
"Luther's most pleasant hours were spent
in the library of the Augustinians of Erfurt.
Thanks to Gutenberg, an humble mechanic,
the industry of the conventional brethren
was no longer necessary; printing had been
discovered. At Mayence and Cologne the
sacred books were published in every form
and size. The monastery had purchased at
a large price some Latin Bibles, which were
reluctantly shown to visitors. Luther
opened one and his eyes rested with inex-
pressible ectasy on the story of Hannah and
her son Samuel. "My God!" he said, "I
would seek no other wealth than a copy of
this book." A mighty change was then
.-.till
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
wrought in his mind. Human language, at-
tired in poetry, seemed to him contemptible
in comparison of the inspired word; he
became disgusted with the study of the
law."
In the Rev. William Stang's (a priest
of the Roman Catholic Church) Life of
Martin Luther on page 3 written long
after Audin's Life, Luther is quoted as
saying: "I was twenty years old, and had
not seen a Bible," a statement Father
Stang did not regard as a "fairy tale."
He states his authority for the same:
Luther's S'dmmtliche Werke, Erlangen
[826-1868; Frankfurt 1 862-1870. See
Vol. 6o3 p. 255.
If Roman Catholic writers accept this
"fair}- tale" as a fact, surely Protestant
"Sunday Schools and church libraries"
may be pardoned for "religiously detail-
ing" it and particularly so when Protes-
tant biographers of Luther like Julius
Kostlin continue to embody it in their
writings.
In Kostlin's Life of Martin Luther,
on page 36, of which the historian
Froude said : "At last we have a Life of
Luther which deserves the name. * * *
Such a volume is singularly valuable to
US, now especially, when the forces of
the great spiritual deep are again broken
up." (See Froude's "Luther: A Short
Biography," pp. 7, 8.) and which has
also been characterized by Dr. Ganss
himself in his "Luther and His Protes-
tant Biographer" as "a scholarly work"
the following reference to the "fairy
tale" is found :
"In the town of Erfurt there was an ear-
nest and powerful preacher named Sebas-
tian Weinmann who denounced in incisive
language the prevalent vices of the day and
exposed the corruption of ecclesiastical life,
and whom the students thronged to hear.
But even he had nothing to offer to satisfy
Luther's inward craving of the soul. It was
an episode in his life when he once found
a Lathi Bible in the library of the Univer-
sity. Though then nearly twenty years of
age he had never yet seen a Bible. Now
for the first time he saw how much more it
contained than was read out and explained
in the churches."
The Chevalier Bunsen regarded by
some people as having been a scholar
seems also to have been deceived with
this Luther myth or "fairy tale" for on
page 28 of his Life of Luther he says:
"His mind took more and more deeply a
religious turn; but it was not till he had
been for two years studying at Eisenach
that he discovered an entire Bible, having
until then only known the ecclesiastical
extracts from the sacred volume and the
history of Hannah and Samuel."
Dr. Wilhelm Rein, of Eisenach, Ger-
many, reputed to be "up-to-date" in his
scholarship, also risked his reputation as
a reliable historian in his Life of Luther,
page 28, when he said :
"He also spent considerable of his time
in the library of the university (Erfurt).
Here on one occasion he found a Latin
Bible, a book that he had never seen until
his twentieth year. Greatly astonished, he
noticed that there were many more texts,
epistles and gospels, than he had read in
the pericopes of the Church or heard ex-
plained in the pulpit."
I cannot refrain from calling attention
to what Thomas Carlyle has to say con-
cerning this "fairy tale" even at the risk
of being accused of temerity, remember-
ing the biting sarcasm of Dr. Ganss in
passing judgment on Carlyle's : "The
Hero as Priest." He calls him a "dyspep-
tic croaker" — a "cross between Cato and
Punch." Dr. Ganss is gifted with a
style as original and picturesque as that
of Carlyle, and it is a pleasure to read
him for he is a scholar as well, notwith-
standing his strong, I had almost said,
reckless partisanship. Here is what Car-
lyle said in his lecture on Luther :
"It must have been a most blessed dis-
covery, that of an old Latin Bible which he
found in the Erfurt library. He had never
seen the book before. It taught him another
lesson than that of fasts and vigils * *
Luther learned now that a man was saved
not by singing masses, but by the infinite
grace of God; a more creditable hypothesis.
He gradually got himself founded as on a
rock. No wonder he should venerate the
Bible, which had brought this blessed help
to him. He prized it as the word of the
highest must be prized by such a man. He
determined to hold by that; as through life
and to death he did."
It seems to me that even a superficial
study of Luther's life as told at least by
his Protestant biographers justifies the
opinion I expressed, that his discovery
THE GUTENBERG BIBLE— A SUR-REJOINDER
561
of a complete copy of a Bible at Erfurt
"marked the beginning of Luther's revolt
against the tyranny and teachings of the
Church of Rome" which Dr. Ganss calls
"so novel and even unique" in his ex
cathedra way. Kostlin on page 53 of his
Life of Luther says:
"The first firm ground, however, for his
convictions and his inner life, and the
foundation for all his later teachings and
works was found by Luther in his own per-
severing study of Holy Writ. In this also
he was encouraged by Staupitz who must
however have been amazed at his indefatig-
able industry and zeal. For the interpreta-
tion of the Bible the means at his command
were meagre in the extreme."
Dr. Ganss' favorite Protestant biog-
rapher of Luther, Dr. McGiffert, in Vol.
S2, page 89, of the Century magazine,
says :
"Luther avowed submission to no one.
Only to the clear teaching of the divine
word would he bow and he would read it
with his own and not with other men's
eyes." * * * * "The Bible he read for him-
self and admitted the claim of no Council
or body of men to read it for him. This, in
principle, though he never fully realized it,
and seldom acted upon it, meant the right
of private judgment.''
That complete copies of the Bible
were scarce before the Reformaton is
evident to all students of Bibliography,
notwithstanding the glib references of
Editor Griffin to the numerous editions
printed "before Luther was born," and
notwithstanding the puerile effusion of
the Rev. Dr. William Barry printed in
the London Catholic Times, a patchwork
of emasculated paragraphs taken from
articles in encyclopedias which any
schoolboy can read for himself in their
entirety, which he so politely requested
the editor of the Pennsylvania-German
and the writer "to read" as if they were
in "need" of that kind of information.
The first edition of the Bible printed
was that of Gutenberg as we all know,
and it is claimed took at least five years
in the printing — and that only 210 copies
were printed. The size of editions as well
as their number must be taken into con-
sideration in making an estimate of the
output of the printing presses of the
XVth century. Alfred W. Pollard, M.
A., editor of "Books about Books" in the
article on "Incunabula" in the nth edi-
tion of the Enclycopedia Britannica says
that :
"The total output of the XVth Century
presses in book form is not likely to have
exceeded 40,000 editions. As to the size of
the editions we know that the earliest
printers at Rome favoured 225 copies, those
of Venice 300. By the end of the century
these numbers had increased but the soft
metal in use then for types probably wore
badly enough to keep down the size of
editions, and an average of 500 copies, giv-
ing a possible total of twenty million books
put on the European market during the
XVth Century is probably as near -an esti-
mate as can be made."
At this estimate one hundred editions
of the Bible would show but fifty thou-
sand copies for Christendom in fifty
years — 1450- 1500. Evidently there was
not a ravenous demand for Latin Bibles.
If Brunet may be accepted as an author-
ity this estimate is too high, for many
editions of the classics frequently con-
sisted of but 100 volumes. Printers
became more careful in their ventures ;
they had the example of two noted
printers, Sweynheim and Pannartz, be-
fore them, who were reduced to poverty
by their surplus copies and avoided ex-
ceeding the current demand. Most of
the editions of the Bible were in Latin
which the vast majority of the laity
could not read — and who therefore could
not become acquainted with its contents.
As for complete manuscript copies of the
Bible before the invention of printing
there is nothing to show a great abund-
ance of them. On the contrary a great
scarcity as well as being very costly.
George Haven Putnam, A. M., in his
book on "Books and their Makers in the
Middle Ages," page 44, says:
"It was evidently the case that for cen-
turies the several divisions or books of
which the Bible consists were still frequent-
ly considered in the light of separate and
independent works, and were transcribed
and circulated separately."
It is also a great pleasure to quote
from Dean Maitland's famous volume,
"The Dark Ages," the Dean whom Epis-
copalians like myself have long ago
learned to read with pleasure and profit,
562
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
and I think with more discrimination and
fair-mindedness than Brother Griffin as
will be seen from the following. On
pages 201-202 the Dean has this to say:
"All the instances which I have given
refer to the whole Bible, or, as it is ex-
inipressed in some of them the Bibliotheca
Integra, or Bibliotheca tola; but r must beg
the reader's attention to one circumstance
which is important, if we would understand
matters aright. Undoubtedly Bibles were
scarce in those days; but we are not hastily
to conclude that wherever there existed no
single book called a Bible, the contents of
the Bible were unknown. The Canon of
Scripture was settled, indeed as it is now;
but the several parts of which the Bible
consists were considered more in the light
of separate and independent hooks than
they are by ns. To copy all these books
was a great undertaking * * * not only a
laborious but a very expensive matter. I
am inclined to suppose that at this day
(1844) a copy of our English Bible paid for
at the rate at which law — stationers pay
their waiters for common fair — copy on
paper would cost between £60 and £70
($300 to $350) for the writing only; and
farther that the scribe must be both expert
and industrious to perform the task in much
less than ten months. I mention these cir-
cumstances merely as reasons why we
should not expect to meet with frequent
mention of whole Bibles in the dark ages/'
This does not indicate the "wonderful
familiarity of the people of these ages
with the Bible" as Brother Griffin tells
us is shown in Dean Maitland's book.
On the contrary the Dean shows con-
clusively the great scarcity of complete
Bibles and gives the best of reasons why
they were scarce.
In the Church Quarterly Review, Oct.
1879, page 57, also quoted by Brother
Griffin he skipped (an inadvertence, no
doubt) the following in a sketch of Saint
Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln, and his
Carthusian Priory of Witham :
"The new buildings being completed and
filled with an orderly and decent brother-
hood (he had cleaned out the reprobates)
Hugh began eagerly to seek manuscripts of
learned and pious books which his brothers
according to the rule of the order might
spend their time copying. Above all thing's
he was anxious to obtain a Bibliotheca — i.
e. a complete copy of the Bible — of which
the house seems previously only to have
possessed detached portions."
We read too of a Bible being loaned
from one Conventual Establishment to
another and bonds required to insure its
safe return. This does not indicate a
great plenty of the Scriptures, Brother
Griffin to the contrary notwithstanding.
The great cost of the sacred writings
is further shown in the following extract
from a "Life of Wickliff in British Re-
formers," Vol. 1, page 25 — the Wickliff
whose Bible Brother Griffin's oracle, the
Rev. Dr. William Barry calls "an
apology for sedition, theft, and slaugh-
ter" in his sketch on "The Catholic
Church and the Bible" which Brother
Griffin advises the Protestant Editor of
The Pennsylvania-German and myself —
a believer in Wickliff — to read. Brother
Griffin shows as little tact, to say nothing
of courtesy, in this rather impertinent
request as would be shown by myself
should I request him to read "Dowling's
History of Romanism."
"Prom the register of Alnwick, Bishop of
Norwich in 1429, it appears that the cost of
a testament of Wickliff 's version was 2£,
16s, 8d (equal to more than 20 £, or one
hundred dollars of our present money). At
that time five pounds ($25) were considered
a sufficient allowance for the annual main-
tenance of a tradesman or a curate."
A collection of manuscript books dur-
ing the Middle Ages was so difficult and
costly an affair as shown by Maitland
and other writers, that Princes and Em-
perors bequeathed them as precious
legacies.
"Louis, Elector Palatine, bequeathed in
1421 his library to the University of Heidel-
berg, consisting of 152 volumes. 89 of these
relate to theology, 12 to Canon and civil
law, 45 to medicine and 6 to philosophy."
"The Duke of Gloucester presented the
University of Oxford 'with 600 books, which
seem to have been of extraordinary value,
120 of them having been setimated at
1000 £." See "Hallam's Middle Ages," Vol.
Ill, p. 434.
To show not only the great value at-
tached to MSS. books during the Middle
Ages as well as their scarcity also, but
also the illiteracy of the times let us
quote further from Hallam :
''Those who first undertook to lay open
the stores of ancient learning found in-
credible difficulty from the scarcity of
THE GUTENBERG BIBLE— A SUR-REJOINDER
563
manuscripts. So gross and supine was the
ignorance of the monks, within whose walls
these treasures were concealed that it was
impossible to ascertain except by indefatig-
able researches the extent of what had been
saved out of the great shipwreck of
antiquity."
The "Dark Ages" were well named
when the vast majority of mankind
were steeped in the grossest ignorance —
their habits filthy — even kings, bishops
and archbishops smelling fonlly and their
persons covered with vermin. Yet
Brother Griffin would have us believe
that the "Dark Ages" were one vast
Bible class, where everybody read Latin
out of Bibles that few people even in
this age of printing and money could
afford.
A word or two more concerning the
Rev. Dr. William Barry's discussion of
the "Bible and the Catholic Church"
recommended by Brother Griffin. He
says : "Yet no English Bible was printed
until the New Testament of William
Tyndale made its appearance in 1525.
Why was this ? And how came there to
be such an exception to the rule which
elsewhere provoked churchmen to scat-
ter the Bible broadcast?"
We may give the answer in one word,
and that word "Wycliffe." He then pro-
ceeds to show what a terrible creature
this man Wickliffe was and quotes from
Canon Hensley Henson's article on the
"English Bible" in the Encyclopedia
Brittannica, eleventh edition, to prove his
assertion. But like Brother Griffin he
does not give us the full quotation — just
enough to mislead his readers. Here is
what Canon Hensley Henson does say :
"It is first with the appearance of Wycliffe
and his followers on the arena of religious
controversy that the Bible in English came
to be looked upon with suspicion by the
orthodox party within the Church. For it
is a well known fact that Wycliffe pro-
claimed the Biltle, not the Church or Catho-
lic tradition as a man's supreme spiritual
authority, and that he sought in conse-
quence by every means in his power to
spread the knowledge of it among the
people. It is therefore in all likelihood to
the zeal of Wycliffe and his followers that
we owe the two noble 14th Century transla-
tions of the Bible which tradition has
always associated with his name and which
are the earliest complete renderings that
we possess of the Holy Scriptures into
English."
Why didn't Dr. Barry tell us the whole
story — as told above — and why didn't he
tell his readers that the Council of Con-
stance, May 5, 141 5, "ordered his
(Wyckliffe's) bones to be taken from
consecrated ground and cast upon a dung
hill" but that it was not done till the
Antipope Clement VIII in 1428 ordered
his remains burned and the ashes cast
into the Swift, a branch of the Avon."
Why too, didn't Dr. Barry tell his read-
ers that William Tyndale, the English
Reformer and translator of the Bible,
whom he mentions in his article, for
doing this great work zvas strangled and
then burnt at the stake. Martin Luther,
condemned by the Church, would also
have been burned at the stake had he
ever fallen into the hands of the Roman
Catholic authorities. Great lovers of the
Bible truly were the rulers of the Church
in the Middle Ages.
Brother Griffin in closing ridicules
D'Aubigne and Milner. He would no
doubt have us accept in their stead the
lop-sided work of Jannsen on "The
German People" and Denifel's abusive
book on "Luther and Lutherthum" as
models of honest scholarship and un-
biased criticism. WTith Dr. Ganss I am
loath to prolong this discussion in your
pages inasmuch as it is not within the
scope of your magazine and a contro-
versy of this sort is distasteful to one
who believes in the utmost freedom of
religious opinion and who believes more-
over that nothing is gained by such con-
troversies.
Yours very respectfully,
(Hon.) James B. Laux.
564
The Twin Daughters of a Union Church
From the historic Alsace Church in
the suburbs of Reading, Pa., have
sprung twin churches, which stand out
conspicuously as heacons to indicate the
wise and progressive course for any
Union Church to pursue. The contrast
between the old "Union" building and
the new "Alsace Lutheran Church" is
striking: but in passing out of the city
northward and eastward by train or
trolley a view of the "twin churches"
side by side, with the story of the peace
and prosperity of the Lutheran and Re-
formed congregations presents a con-
crete climax in proofs of the wisdom of
dissolving the "union churches" and
speedily making their existence to be
merely an interesting fact of Church
history.
The Alsace church is one of the his-
toric congregations and that it should
break from its traditions which all
centered in "unionism" is remarkable.
It is also encouraging to those who are
discouraged because of the obstacles
thrown in the way of change.
The neighborhood was settled by
Germans from Alsace in 1691. _ This
gave the name. The first church, which
was union, was built in 1737. This was
eleven years before the city of Reading
was laid out and 15 years before Berks
county was formed. The log church
was replaced by a stone church in 1752.
This was built by the Lutherans : but in
1796 Lutherans and Reformed united
in building the third church — a two-
story brick structure. The fourth church
was built in 1850. It was torn down in
1908 when the property was divided and
two churches erected which are exactly
alike in size, appearance, equipment and
arrangement. The desire of the two
congregations was to separate and to so
establish themselves as to insure the pros-
perity of both congregations and prevent
either from being jealous of the other.
They have succeedd admirably, as the
two massive twin granite edifices which
stand side by side unitedly testify. Two
large congregations, both prosperous,
active and effective in denominational
work however speak eloquently of the
wisdom of those who persuaded them
to effect the separation.
The Alsace church, from the begin-
ning of Trinity Church, Reading, in
1752 was a part of that charge and has
included among its former pastors some
of the leaders in the Lutheran Church in
the days when history was made. The
list of the pastors includes, Rev. Wag-
ner, previous to 1754; Rev. Schumacher,
1754-1758; Rev. John C. Hartwick,
founder of Hartwick Seminary, 1758;
Rev. Bernhard Haushil, 1758-1763;
Rev. John King, 1 764-1 771 ; Rect. F.
Niemeyer and Rev. P. J. Krotz, 1771-
1774; Henry M oiler, 1774- 1776; Rev.
F. A. Muhlenberg, who afterwards be-
came the first speaker of the House of
Representatives of the United States,
1 776- 1 778; Rev. Daniel Lehman and
Rev. Charles F. Wildbahn,, 1 778- 1796;
Rev. Marcard, 1796-1797; Rev. Lehman,
1 797- 1 801 ; Rev. H. A. Muhlenberg,
D.D., 1 803- 1 829; Rev. Jacob Miller,
D.D.. 1829-1850; (The last two served
as President of the Ministerium. Dr.
Muhlenberg became a member of Con-
gress, declined a portfolio in President
Van Buren's cabinet and in 1838 became
U. S. Minister to Austria.) Rev. A. T.
Geissenhainer, 1 851- 185 1 ; Rev. R. S.
Wagner, 18^2-1857; Rev. T. T. laeger,
1857-1865; Rev. Wicklein, 1865-1873;
Rev. F. K. Huntzinger, 1873- 1897; Rev.
Charles E. Kistler, 1898 to the present
time. — The Lutheran.
565
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
O, Muttersproch, du bist uns lieb " — A. S.
x
a
Die Howard Grove Miehl
By D. M. Rothenberger, Lancaster, Pa.
. J
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i: I ^Wm. r mk< r :.■ -Jit. k . • -•
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1 "1 \\
Im Schatte kiehl, schtelit do wie schee,
En alt Gebei, gebaut von Schtee;
En Basement, no noch drei Schtock hoch,
Im Giebel-End, es Portscha-Dach,
Wo druf is g'schriwe schee un plain,
Die Yahr-Zahl, "Achtsee-Hunnert-un-Nine.
Viel Fenschtra, mit der Laada grie,
S'is die "Howard Grove Kunne-Miehl."
Drei Dhiera sin in Giebel-End,
Zwee Dhiera nava in der Wand;
En Blaecha-Dach g'paint schee roth,
Un Schornschtee un Gawidder-Ruht!
Der Rees un Damm, wie's iramer war,
Is noch um Platz, uns Fohr-Bed ah;
Die Wasser-Redder sin um geh,
Sie treiwa die alt Kunne-Miehl.
Im Portscha-Dach, im Geibel-End,
Dort is en Schtrick, der runner hengt;
Dort hoist mir ales mit blessir,
Nuf in die iMehl. vum erschta Floor.
Dort an der Dhier im Geibel-End,
Lawd m'r die Frucht ab was mir bringdt,
Un an der Side-Dhier lawd m'r viel
Was m'r mit Heem nemmt von der Miehl.
Die Miehl-Schtee sin ah noch am geh,
Sie maahla Korn un Weetza-Maehl;
Viel Haaver un viel Welschkorn-Schroad
Wiert do gemaahla, trie un schpote.
Die Schtee die singa immer fordt,
Es same alt Leed, Vor Yohra dort;
Ihr Music heerdt mir weit von Heem,
In Gedanke von der Kunne-Miehl.
Der Miller gleicha al die Leit,
En fraad war's in die Miehl zu geh;
Immer lacht er, un war froh,
Wan m'r in die Miehl kummt doh.
Die Bauer bringa al ihr Frucht,
Uf Weit un Braat do in die Miehl;
Der Miller kaaft die Frucht ah viel
Von Bauer, in der Kunne-Miehl.
566
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
M'r treibt uscht vor die Portsch dort hie,
Der Miller nehmt es in die Miehl;
Weekt uf der Woog inside der Dhier,
Un schreibt's Gawicht schee uf's Babier.
Noh figured er, un sagt wie viel,
M'r hut gebrucht do in die Miehl;
Un kan em saga was er gebt
Vor alles was is in d'r Seeck.
Die Office is neckscht an der Woog,
Mit Schteel un Benk un Safe, wie gross!
Un Desk wo mir es sehreiwes duht
Wan m'r die Bauer ab-bezahlt.
Ach : was is des doch ver en g'fiehl,
Wan m'r now denkt an selle Miehl;
Die yunga Leit sin al dort fordt
Ihr Eltere sehnt mir nimme dort.
Der Miller wahrd sei letscht Weiss Kleit
Dort an der Kerich. by die Leit
Die Sich als dort versamelt hen,
In sella alta Kunne-Miehl.
September 4, 1902.
Im Eck lor.t duht der Offa schteh,
Mit schwatzer Top, Dhier, Rohr un Bee;
Un deehl geweisled, weiss wie Schnee,
Der Miller gelicht ya, alles schee.
Do in die Office, in der Miehl.
Kummt vor die Bauer al ihr Mail;
Un Owets kan m'r immer sell.
Die Bauer zu der Miehl zu geh.
Do sitza sie bis Owets schpote,
Verzahle was im Land ah geht;
Die Zeiting laasa sie Deheem,
Wann sie zurick sin vim der Miehl.
Oh! wer vergest die schee alt Miehl!
Es war als yo, wie Heem vor Viel;
Die Yunga un die alta Leit,
Hen immer viel sich dort verweilt.
Ach! was gebts em en Heem g'fiehl,
Wan m'r now heerdt von sella Miehl,
Ya, leiblich war doch Howard Grove,
Mit ihre alta Kunne-Miehl.
Wann Der Helthniaun Kiimmt
So g'schwind as nau ehns ahfungt krexe,
Vun Rickweh Oder schteife Flexe,
Von Baughweh, Raedle, Oder Gretz, —
So g'schwind es scheint 'sis ebbes letz,
Noh kummt der Helthmann uf der Grund
Am Loh vun verzich Cent die Schtund.
Er schteckt sei Naas am Fenschter nei,
Wu dann die Kranke mechte sei,
No taeckt er schnell en gael Babbeer
Out seit an's Haus naecsht an de Deer,
Un chaest die fremme Leit vum Grund, —
Un maerkt noh pincklich all sei Schtund.
"Nau bleibt ihr Leit for dreisich Dag,
Do in dem Haus, so wohr ich sag,"
Sagt er, noh geht er owe naus,
Examined alle Bauerhaus, ,
Un lauft gahz schlow iwer der Grund,
En schlower Gang macht mehner Schtund.
Er guckt die Scharnstee owe naus,
Un frogt die Weibsleit alles aus;
Zu'm Bauer sagt er scharf: "Moof week,
Dei Seischtall aus dem diefe Dreck.
Ich selwer weis dir'n bess're Grund,
Un chaerg juscht versich Cent de Schtund.
Er weist de Weibsleit ah als wie
Zu melke recht, die fette Kee,
Un wass for'n medicin zu mixe,
Wann Kee forhext sin bei de Hexe,
Un all deweil sei Geltsock, rund,
Er buicht sich dicker alle Schtund.
Mer Arrae un mer Reiche Leit,
Bezahle jo for all sei Zeit;
Ach, Zeite sin net wie sie ware,
Nau muss mer schaffe un ah schpare,
So dass mer kaun, den faule
Bezahle versich Cent die Schtund.
Wann unser Zeit mohl kummt, am End,
Un Taxe hen der lechste Cent, —
Jah, wann der Tod kummt wie'n Dieb,
(Un 'swaer ehm juscht about so lieb)
Noh blantze sie ehm in der Grund,
Un chaerge wieder bei de Schtund.
H. M., Rebersburg, Pa.
Gebriiucke — Bei de Dode Wache
From Miller's Pennsylvania German, Vol. II.
Wie ich jung war hen die Leut Nachts
g'wacht bei de Dode. Die Nochbere sin
zamme kumme un hen die ganz Nacht uf-
gehockt beim Dode. Sell hen sie Wachnacht
g'heese. Ich hab sell ah emol geduh wie
ich 17 Johr alt war. Ich hab helfe wache
bei erne verstorwene Kind. Es ware selle
Nacht just zweh vun uns, un mer hen alle
Stund abg'wechselt. Jedes hot en Stund
allehnig gewacht. Selle Nacht vergess ich
mei Lebdag net. Es war en schreckliche
Zeit for mich. Ich war noch jung un hab
mer allerhand Sache vorgestellt. Ich hab's
dod Kind die ganz Zeit ahgeguckt, un oft
hab ich mer eigebild, ich daht Geister un
Spucks un allerhand so G'fras sehne. So en
schauerliche Zeit hab ich sitter nimme kat.
Es war schrecklich. For was die Leut so en
Gebrauch kat hen wees ich net recht. Ich
hab mer emol sage losse. es war g'weest
for die Mans abzuhalte vum Dode.
Mei Schwoger hot ah emol en Erfahring
kat in dere Lein. Er un zwen Nochbere hen
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
567
g'wacht bei eme dode Mann. Es war en ar-
mer Mann, un der hot inie ehstockige Haus
gewohnt un es war ken Keller unner der
Stub wu der Dod drin gelege hot. Es war
Summers. Die drei Mann hen do g'wacht
un die Zeit is ihne natiirlich lang worre, un
es sin ihne ah allerhand Gedanke in die
Kopp kumme wege Spucks. Noch Halbnacht
sehne sie, class en Eck vum Duch, mit dem
der Dod zugedeckt war, un des schier gar
uf der Bodde gereecht hot, hie un her
geweht is, obwohl ken Windli um der Weg
war. Sie hen nanner ahgeguckt un glei
ware sie all so weiss wie der Schnee. Sie
hen des Ding en Weil g'watscht, un's Duch
hot als mehner geweht. Endlich ware sie
so arg verschrocke, dass sie all drei zum
Haus naus g'sprunge sin. Sie hen sich
zuerst g'fercht zuriick zu gucke. Endlich
hen sie wieder en wenig Kurasche kriegt un
sin zuriick an die DKihr geschniekt, hen nei
geguckt un Alles recht g'funne just hot's
Duch als noch geweht. Sie hen nau ihr
Meind ufgemacht, es miisst en natiirlich
Ursach sei for sell un sie hen die Sach
unnersucht. Sie hen g'funne, das en Paar
Sau unner dem Stubbe Bodde geschlofe hen.
Es war en Riss im Bodde un dort war grad
die Schnuht vun der ehne Sau, un ihr
Schnaufe hot's Duch hi un her geweht. Sell
war der Spuck. Die drei Nachtwachter
ware mausli still wege der Sach un hen nix
rausgelosst bis lang noch derhand. Wann
sie awer zamme kumme sin, dann hen sie
herzlich iiwer die Sach g'lacht.
REVIEWS AND NOTES
By Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N. J.
Miss Elsie Singmaster had one of her
clever short stories, entitled 'The Ways of
the Fathers," in the Saturday Evening Post
for July 22; and another one, "The Rebel-
lion of Wilhelmina," in The Century for
September.
INDIAN EVE AND HER DESCENDANTS—
An Indian Story of Bedford County, Penn-
sylvania.— By Mrs. Emma A. M. Replogle.
Cloth; illustrated; 128 pp. J. L. Rupert,
Book and Job Printer, Huntingdon, Pa.
1911.
Here is another of those outrageous stories
relating the cruelties, butcheries, and atroci-
ties of the Indians centuries ago. Not a
half of these outrageous stories have ever
been told and never will be.
Indian Eve was the wife of Henry Earn-
est, who lived with his wife and six chil-
dren some distance north of Fort Bedford,
Bedford County, Pennsylvania. In an attack
by the Indians the father and several of the
children were scalped, one or two made
their escape, while the mother and the two
youngest, the youngest a boy of only two
years, were taken captive by the Indians to
Detroit, where they were redeemed by
British officers. Nine years afterwards she
returned with her two children to her native
county, having ridden a pony all the way
from Detroit. After her return she was
known as "Indian Eve." She afterwards
married Conrad Samuel. She died in 1815,
leaving a long line of descendants.
The story is soon told, and much of it is
conjecture. The book is devoid of literary
merit. It is written in a very simple, inno-
cent, and, may one say, childlike, manner.
The rest of the book has to do with
extraneous matter; the larger and more
valuable part is taken up by genealogical
records relating to the long line of illustri-
ous posterity left by Indian Eve The record
is an extensive one; how complete it is,
cannot be determined here. The writer has
performed a valuable and commendable
piece of work; and is rightfully entitled to
the commendation and thanks of the long
lien of descendants of this heroine of the
Pennsylvania frontier.
SAINT JOHN REFORMED CHURCH OF
RIEGELSVILLE, Pa Showing the De-
velopment and Growth of the Congrega-
tion from its Organization in 1849 to
January 1, 1911. Its Pastors and Officers;
The Erection of the Buildings; Its Finan-
cial Operations and Constitution; Found-
ing of the Riegelsville Academy and Public
Library; To which is added an Alphabet-
ical List of all its Members, Past and
Present. Published for Private Circulation
by B. F. Faekenthal, Jr., Riegelsville, Pa.
This particular work is a great deal more
than simply an historical account of this
particular church. It contains a lot of val-
uable data of this unobtrusive, historic, and
well-to-do village on the Delaware. It
affords some valuable information for local
history, which is after all frequently the
most captivating and interesting. It is an-
other instance of what may often be found
among the old papers stored away in some
568
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
old garret, where the real history of a
people is often recorded.
It is an ambitious piece of work. Probably
the author was a little too ambitious when
he began his narrative with an account of
the origin of the Reformed Church in
Europe, well nigh four hundred years ago.
One realizes, of course, that it is often
difficult to find a starting place with such a
book.
It is an artistically gotten-up book of over
two hundred pages, in cloth binding, gilt
top, and illustrations. It stands for a good
deal of painstaking labor. The long list of
the names of members at the end will very
likely interest few aside from those who
happen to find their names there. The book
possesses some literary merit, about as
much as a work of this sort usually can
contain, for much is frequently of the nature
of a compilation.
RAFLXESQIE— A Sketch of His Life, With
a Bibliography. By T. J. Fitzpatrick, M.
S., Fellow of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science; Fellow
of the Iowa Academy of Science; Member
of the Torrey Botanical Club; Member of
the American Historical Association.
Cloth; illustrated; 239 pp. Des Moines,
The Historical Department of Iowa. 1911.
The subject of this sketch, Constantine
Samuel Rafinesque, was born near Constan-
tinople in 1783. His father was French and
his mother was German; her name was
Schmaltz. He was a born botanist and
naturalist.
He came to this country the first time in
1802. Then he went back to Sicily. He
returned to this country again in 1815. This
last voyage was disastrous to him; while
rounding Long Island the vessel struck bot-
tom and soon afterward sank, and with it
the reward of twenty years of hard labor.
He lost his ten thousand botanical speci-
mens which he had collected from all parts
of the world and which he was now bringing
to America.
He was furious in his travels, and "mad"
in his collecting of specimens. He roamed
over the whole country and collected speci-
mens of plant and animal life. Many a time
he crossed the Alleghanies on foot in his
travels to and from the West. He was at
one time connected with the University of
Lexington, Ky. The last years of his life
he spent in Philadelphia, where he died in
wretched circumstances in 1842 "in a garret
on Race Street, between Third and Fourth
streets, in the midst of his great collections,
with nothing but a hard cot and pillow for
furniture, and no living soul at hand." His
body was taken by force from the landlord
of the house who was determined to sell it
to the medical school in order to get his
rent! He is supposed to be buried in a
cemetery at Ninth and Catherine streets.
There is probably no more remarkable
figure in the annals of science. He was
decidedly peculiar, in fact eccentric to a
marked degree. But with it all he was of
an industrious and lovable nature. He was
born out of due season; a hundred years
before his time. This may be the reason
why he was considered peculiar, and was
not understood. Seemingly the scientific
age has caught up with him in the last
hundred years and is beginning to perceive
the value of his contributions and dis-
coveries.
The short sketch of only sixty-two pages
is an interesting and inspirational narrative
of a man whose heart and soul were in his
work, who was sadly unfortunate in his
worldly concerns; and yet never gave up in
despair, and whose labors have never re-
ceived the recognition and appreciation they
deserve.
The remaining pages (177) are taken up
by a bibliography containing almost one
thousand items. This in itself is proof of
the man's industry and versatility. His
articles and papers have not yet been all
discovered. The book is a scholarly piece
of work and shows the hand of a trained
investigator.
Old-Time Buckwheats
How well we recall the old-fashioned buck-
wheat cakes,
The buckwheat cakes we had in the days
of long ago;
The buckwheat cakes that rose in the night
till they lifted
The top from the jar and would then
overflow.
The buckwheats that danced as they baked
on the griddle
Each time they were dropped from flat
turning blade;
Hurrah for the buckwheats — the old-fash-
ioned buckwheats,
The sirup-crowned buckwheats that dear
mother made.
A Tombstone Inscription
Er war ein Schneider
Leider!
Hat nie das Masz getroffen,
War oft bes
Er hat sich zerschitten die Hand
Mit der Scheer',
Und hat sich schwer
Mit dem Buegeleisen verbrannt;
Da ist ihm der Faden zerrissen
Und er hot in's Gras gebissen.
569
P
HISTORICAL NOTES AND NEWS
REPORTS OF SOCIETY MEETINGS ARE SOLICITED
Old Milestones Being Restored
Entering a field of historical work not
often trodden, the Philadelphia Colonial
Dames are having the old milestones re-
stored on the Bristol pike from Frankford
to Morrisville. This suggests that similar
restorations might be undertaken along the
various ancient highways entering Philadel-
phia, including the York road, the German-
town road, the Bethlehem road, the Ridge
road and the Lancaster road. On some of
these the original mile stones are still stand-
ing.
Chester County Historical Society to Erect
Marker
On October 7 the Chester County Histori-
cal Society will celebrate the founding of
the old New London Academy, which was
established in 1743.
The chief exercises will be held on the
grounds surrounding the Presbyterian
Church. There will be a short historical
sketch of the school, an original poem by
Prof. John Russell Hayes and addresses by
Dr. Paul Van Dyke, of Princeton University;
Dr. Edgar P. Smith, provost of the Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania, and the Rev. Dr.
John D. Rendall, president of Lincoln Uni-
versity.
The monument to be erected at New Lon-
don will be of native granite, from the
quarries at the falls of French creek, in
Warwick township.
Near the farm of Miller V. Crowl, where
the original academy stood, there will be a
metal marker, with this inscription: "The
original site of 'the New London Academy,
founded in 1743, was * * * yards northwest.
Marked by the Chester County Historical
Society, 1911."
Berks County Historieal Society
On Tuesday, September 12, the stated
meeting of the Historical Society of Berks
County was held at Douglassville. Although
the attendance was not large, there 'was,
nevertheless, quite a number of antiquarian
enthusiasts present and the meeting proved
to be a most interesting one.
The session of the Society was held in
the old St. Gabriel's Protestant Episcopal
church. This building, now used as a parish
house, is one of the oldest, if not the oldest,
of existing places of worship in our county.
It was originally a Swedish Lutheran
church. Built of the red sandstone of the
vicinage, it is the successor of a yet earlier
structure of logs long ago destroyed by fire,
which was the first building in which an
organized congregation of white men, within
the limits of our county, met to worship
their Maker. In the graveyard in which the
old church stands lie a number of the earli-
est settlers of our county, the ancestors of
families which have been of prominence in
the history this section.
Here, among the others, is the oldest
gravestone in the county, of a man named
Robeson, after whom Robeson township was
named. He died, as his queerly carved
stone declares, in the year 1719 20. To many
this record of the tombstone is a curiosity
But the curious dating is understood when
one recalls that at that time New Year Day
came, according to the reckoning of many
folks, at the beginning of spring, about
March 25, instead of at the beginning of
winter, January 1, as at present. For it
was not till 1751, as the histories tell us,
that by law in English-speaking lands the
year was made to begin with January 1. So,
during the time when some began the year
at one time and others at the other, dates
occurring between January 1 and March 25
were written in this curious way, 1719 20,
that as 1719 if the year was considered as
beginning in March, but 1720 if it was re-
garded as beginning in January. In New
England, where very old gravestones are
much more common, such double dating,
although made in a slightly different way,
are rather numerous. This, however, is the
only case in our county of which the writer
has knowledge.
The members of the society visited also
the oldest house in the county, built, as the
date stone shows, in 1716, by Mounce, or
Moses, Jones, also the old "white house"
tavern, one of the two hostelries of the old
Morlatton settlement, as it used to be called.
A paper, giving the history of this ancient
settlement, was read by Mr. Richards, presi-
dent of the society.
The Historical Society of Berks County is
doing a worthy work in gathering up and
preserving the fast disappearing data of the
early time. While a greatly increased in-
terest in the history of our forebears and
in antiquarian affairs generally is mani-
fested, there is nevertheless, a lamentable
neglect or indifference shown by many who
should be interested. Many more of our
citizens should become members of this
society, which is struggling heroically
against the odds of apathy and unconcern.
— Kutztown Patriot.
570
THE PEX.X S Y LV AN I A-GERM AN
Washington County Historical Society,
Virginia
This county lias recently organized a his-
torical society with H. S. Bomberger of
Boonsboro as president.
The constitution sets forth that the
society is for the "collection and preserva-
tion of matter of historical interest; the
encouragement and cultivation of interest in
historical research and dissemination of
historical knowledge amongst the people of
Washington County, more especially of a
local character; the publication of historical
information in newspaper or pamphlet
form; the identification and marking of
spots of historical interest, etc." The or-
ganization is to have no capital stock.
In connection there appeared in a local
paper a communication by one of our sub-
scribers, C. H. Eshelman, Grand Haven,
Mich., a native of Washington County, from
which we quote:
"I am glad to read in the Globe of the
steps toward the organization of a Wash-
ington County Historical Society. One fea-
ture of the work will, of course, be a study
of the part played by the Pennsylvania Ger-
mans from Lancaster and other counties in
Pennsylvania. No doubt some members of
the society will devote special attention to
this.
"The question has arisen in my mind
whether the Pennsylvania German descen-
dants in Washington County are fully aware
of the immense amount of historical work
that is being done in the interest of these
people in Pennsylvania. It seems to me one
of the preliminary steps should be to get
fully in touch with this literature. I would
mention first a little book entitled, "Swiss
and German Colonial Settlements in Penn-
sylvania," by Prof. Oscar Kuhns, published
by Henry Holt & Co.
"There is also the Pennsylvania-German
magazine, published monthly at Lititz, Pa.;
it has many features which would interest
and benefit our people beyond measure. In
the Lititz Express, a weekly newspaper,
there is now appearing a series of articles
on the sufferings of the early Mennonites
in Switzerland. There are also the publica-
tions of the Lancaster County Historical
Society and the Pennsylvania German
Socitety.
"I am not assuming that these facts are
not known in Washington County, but have
reason to believe they are not known gen-
erally as they should be. Nor am I writing
to advertise these publications, for I am
financially disinterested. To any one de-
siring any of this literature, I would suggest
that he first write to 'The Pennsylvania-
German, Lititz, Pa'."
o:
GENEALOGICAL NOTES AND QUERIES
We will insert in this department under "Research Problems" investigators'
requests for data with whom those able to answer will on request be placed in
communication. Ask for particulars.
ID
Our Genealogical Research Bureau
We desire to call attention to the notice
appearing at head of this department. We
were induced to make this announcement by
the following words received from a sub-
scriber: 'Over the United States are thou-
sands of widows and spinsters, of seam-
stresses, music teachers, school teachers,
etc., who hare a wide acquaintance and
knowledge of their communities, present
and past, — if we could but reach them, the
service that they could give would often be
of much value, and if paid for at rates that
professional searchers would rightly deem
low would still lie like money found to these
women. Then too there are local genealo-
gists and local historians who should be
ferreted out and made use of for their own
good and others." We have ample evidence
that tli is department has been of service to
our subscribers in the past. We believe this
new step will make the department still
more valuable.
Subscribers — Ministers, librarians, lawyers,
church and county officials, local and family
historians, genealogists, teachers, etc., can
register as searchers by submitting to us a
statement giving time they can devote to
research, records on which they can work,
and schedule of charges.
Is "Nice* Irish or German?
Having always understood that the name,
''Nice," among Americans, is from the Ger-
man, "Neus" or "Neuss," I was recently
surprised to hear a resident of Hawkins
County, Tennessee, Mr. W. G. Nice, state that
he is of Scotch-Irish origin and that the
family name was originally "Noise"; that
his grandfather's grandfather settled in or
near Philadelphia, Pa., and that one branch
of the family migrated into Virginia and
afterwards into Tennessee; that several in
his line have borne the initials, "W. G."
Somtimes people are misinformed regarding
GENEALOGICAL NOTES AND QUERIES
571
their genealogy. Can the Editor or any of
the readers of this magazine say definitely
whether or not in this instance, "Nice"
originated from the Scotch-Irish?
CYRUS KEHR, Knoxville, Tenn.
Shaffer-Sharer Marriage Certificate
Christian E. Metzler, Boston, Mass., found
among his old papers the certificate of mar-
riage between John Shaffer of LowerNaza-
reth, Pa., to Mrs. Sarah A. Sharer of Bethle-
hem Township, signed by D. F. Brendle.
He is willing to restore it to the owners or
the descendants. Communications respecting
the certificate should be addressed to The
Pennsylvania-German.
Goshenhoppen Church
Editor The Pennsylvania- German.:
Dear Sir: In repl,v to your inquiry in
August number inform your subscriber who
seeks the Goslienhoppen church records that
if his inquiry relates to those of the Catholic
Church these may be read in The Records
of the American Catholic Historical Society
of Philadelphia, Vols. 2, 3, 8, 11. They
cover from 1741 to 1810.
MARTIN I. J. GRIFFIN.
Ruebush Family Data Wanted
J. K. Ruebush, Editor of Musical Million,
published by the Ruebush, Kieffer Co., of
Dayton, Virginia, desires to gain information
about his family. It seems that his great-
grandfather migrated from Germany to
Pennsylvania about the year 1750. His
grandfather, John Ruebush, went to Augusta
County, Virginia, from York, Pa., or there-
abouts, between the years 1804 and 1815.
The father of John and his brothers went
with him or followed him in a short time.
This family knows of no other lines of the
Ruebush tribe. If our readers can throw
light on the subject they will confer a great
favor by corresponding with Mr. Ruebush.
A New Mine for Family History
My dear Kriebel:
It is worth mention in Penna. -German's
genealogical department that the West Pub-
lishing Company of St. Paul, Minn., will
soon issue a complete table of cases decided
by the courts of last resort in the U. S.
from earliest times to October 1st, 1906.
There are about 750,000 of these cases from
every state and territory. The table will
occupy five big volumes, about 7500 pages,
and will be in almost every active lawyer's
office. The table will be by names alpha-
betically and will be a mine for family his-
tory. Very truly,
(Hon.) J. C. RUPPENTHAL.
German Family Names in Virginia and
West Virginia
A hasty glance over the catalogue of the
Shenandoah Collegiate Institute and School
of Music, Dayton, Va., s hows among others
the following German names of directors,
and pupils residing in Virginia and West
Virginia:
Directors: Gruver, Ruebush, Finkhouser,
Armentrout, Miller, Garber, Myers, Andes,
Rinehart.
Students: Aldhizer ,Barnhart, Burtner,
Coffman, Fries, Hinebaugh, Koontz, Landes^
Ludwig, Ruebush, Shrum, Winger, Wyant,
Arbogast, Baugher, Deale, Early, Faught,
Funkhouser, Heatwole, Kiblinger, Sho-
walter, Shuey, Shumaker, Sibert, StoLtz,
Tutwiler, Whetzell, Wise, Hoover, Bowman,
Crumley, Stinespring, Hartman.
A Governor Wolf Story
Mr. H. W. Kriebel,
Editor Penna.- German,
Lititz, Pa.
My dear Sir: For the purpose of having
them appear in his report for the year 1877,.
the then State Superintendent of Public
Instruction secured from the County Super-
intendents short historical sketches of their
counties. In that of Northampton County
occurs the following interesting passage.
Altho somewhat skeptical, like many others
of his day, as to any advantage to be had'
from higher learning, yet he, the elder
Wolf, was willing to try the thing on his
son, the sequel of which was as gratifying
as it was with the sons of so many Penn-
sylvania Germans who came up through like
doubts to places of distinction, and to adorn-
their race and people.
"In the 'History of the Allen Township
Presbyterian Church in the Irish Settlement'
by Rev. John C. Clyde, M. M., we find the
following in reference to this Academy
(erected in 1785 in Allen Township, now
East Allen. Northampton County, on the
Manocacy Creek, about a mile south of the
Borough of Bath, in the centre of what is
known as the 'Irish Settlement'), which will
no doubt be of interest to many of our
readers: Rev. John Rosbrugh was the
father of John Rosbrugh, who used to tell
an aneclote connected with the history of
the building of the Academy at Bath (near
Batr), which was as follows: He, with a
number of other young men wanted the ad-
vantage of something better than a common
school education, and they took measures to
build an academy by subscription. He
called on a German (who lived in the neigh-
borhood) by the name of George Wolf for
aid, but Mr. Wolf refused by saying: "Dis
etioation und dings make raskels.' He re-
fused at first, but afterwards did help to
build it. In the course of the conversation,.
572
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Mr. Rosbrugh told him that his sons, George
and Philip, would have the advantage of an
education, and that his favorite son, George,
might become Governor sooner or later, to
which he replied: 'Veil, den, ven my George
is Gobernor, he will be queer dimes.'
The sequel was that George got his Eng-
lish education in the Academy, and did be-
come Governor of his State, and one of the
most illustrious of the line."
Yours truly,
S. P. HEILMAN.
Heilman Dale, Pa., Aug. 14, 1911.
Ancestral Homes of Haldeman and Brene-
inan Families
I have been making some investigations
on the Haldeman and Breneman families,
the results of which I give as follows:
Haldeman. The meaning of this name is
one who lives on the Halde, which means in
German, precipice, or hillside. Similar
names are under Halde, and Haider. It is a
Swiss name. I do not find it in Directories
of Heidelberg, Worms, Mannheim or Stras-
burg. It occurs there times in Zurich ad-
dress book or directory. In the Canton of
Bern the name occurs 15 times in the Bern
directory (10 years ago). The family is
very numerous in the Valley of Eggiwyl, not
far from the city of Berne. Imobersteg in
his book on the Emmenthal (Bern) says the
Haldiman family of Eggiwyl is said to have
come from Thurgua. I find the name Haldi-
mann also in Lutzelfltih (Canton) Bern, and
in Biel 4 times.
Miiller, ' Gcschiclite der Rerniseher
Tiiufor," page 307, among the names of
those who went from Bern in 1711 o Penn-
sylvania gives the name of Katharia i Haldi-
mann, from Hochstetten (Bern). Tin years
ago I visited Langnau (Canton Bi rn) and
went over the church records of Emmenthal
district, whence so many came to Pennsyl-
vania, I found the name Haldimann in these
records as early as 1560.
Breneman is Swiss and the original spell-
ing is Bronnemann. I find it in the direc-
tories of Biel, also in the villages of
Lutzelfluh, Bolligen and Langnau (all Can-
ton Bern). In the Historical Museum, Bern,
I saw a picture, carved and printed, of a
cow signed Hans Bronnimann, 1782, aus
Mahlern.
When I was in Zurich I saw a manuscript
book called Zurich Geschblechtcr Buch with
hand-printed coats of arms, among them was
a Hans Brennmann, dated 1440, who came
from Horgen on Lake Zurich. Horgen was
one of the places from which the Lancaster
County Anabaptists, or Mennonites, came
and probably this is the same family as
yours. For both these families look in Leu's
Allgemeines Helvetisches oder Sclnvei-
zerschses Lexicon, in 20 volumes. This book
contains the genealogy of the chief Swiss
families; a copy of it is in the State Library
at Harrisburg. Von Mulimen in his Beitrage
zur Heimathkunde des Kantons Berns, says
the Bronnimanns are an old family of
Miinsingen (Bern).
Prof. OSCAR KUHNS,
per Horace L. Haldeman.
Marietta, Pa.
□
THE FORUM
The P-G Open Parliament, Question-Box and Clipping Bureau — Communications Invited
MEANING OF NAMES
By Leonhard Felix Fuld, LL. M., Ph. D.
[Editorial Note. — Dr. Fuld has kindly con-
sented to give a brief account of the deriva-
tion and the meaning of the surname of any
subscriber who sends twenty-five cents to
the Editor for that purpose.]
HAMRICK
The surname HAMRICK may be a corrup-
tion of HEINRIC meaning a rich and power-
ful ruler. It is more likely that it is a
compound of two old High German words
HAM and RIC, of which HAM means cloth-
ing in the sense of armor and RIC means
powerful. The surname accordingly means,
powerful armor, good protection, and inl'er-
entially, a strong man.
An Old Pittsburgh Pike Bridge
Our esteemed friend, J. Watson Ellmaker,
of Lancaster, Pa., sent us a postcard show-
ing the bridge at Juniata Crossing on old
Pittsburgh Pike built 1816. It seems that
after the bridge was finished it was found
too low to allow the covered Conestoga
wagons to pass through. The overhead tim-
bers were consequently hewed out in half
circles, just large enough for the wagons to
pass under and thus it has remained to the
present day. Evidently the fathers of former
days were not above making miscalculations.
THE FORUM
573
Article on the Pennsylvania Germans
Dr. I. H. Betz, one of the writers for 'The
Pennsylvania-German," included an inter-
esting article on "The Pennsylvania Ger-
mans" in his series of sketches appearing
in the York (Pa.) "Gazette." He dwelt on
the European homes, the migration, the
dialect peculiarities, present geographical
distribution of the people.
also made, of which one-half is cider, and
the other mead, both freshly fermented to-
gether."
Egle's Notes and Queries, Vol. II, 3d
Series, p. 424.
Oldest Mennonite in the United States
Mrs. Barbara Hershey, of Millersville, Pa.,
reecntly celebrated her one hundredth birth-
day. She is the oldest Mennonite in the
United States, and since the death two years
ago of Mrs. Elizabeth Lehman at Mt. Joy, at
the age of 103 years, the oldest person in
Lancaster County. She was born near Man-
heim. Excepting for bad hearing, her facul-
ties are unimpaired. Of her five children
three survive, all well advanced in years.
Mrs. Reuben Kauffman, Ephraim H. Her-
shey, both of Millersville, and Joseph Her-
shey, of North Platte, Neb.
Remarkable Longevity
Miss Polly Nauman, of Northampton
Heights, Pa., has passed her 105th birthday
anniversary. Despite her age she is able to
read and write with the aid of glasses and
until two years ago she could sew with
younger damsels.
She attributes her long life to regular
diets of vegetables which must be served
her at a special temperature, neither too
hot or too cold. She partakes of no beef-
steak. Miss Nauman is very careful of her
stomach and taboos all starchy foods. She
has been in perfect health all summer, even
though it was the hottest in forty years.
The aged woman was born near Farmers-
ville and is a daughter of the late Mr. and
Mrs. Nauman, pioneer settlers in Nor-
thampton County.
What is "Cider He' "I
Mr. James B. Laux has furnished us with
the following extract from Egle's Notes and
Queries. We have often heard Pennsylvania
Germans talk of "Cider He" and would like
to have some one who knows tell us what
this beverage is and whether the word is
a corruption of "Cyder Royal." — Editor.
"Cyder Royal is so called when some
quarts of brandy are. thrown into a barrel
of cider, along with several pounds of Mus-
cavado sugar, whereby it becomes stronger
and tastes better. It is then left alone for a
year or so, or taken over the sea, then
thrown off into bottles with some raisins
put in; it may then deserve the name of
applewine. Cyder Royal of another kind is
Germans, Builders of Good Roads
"The Germans, whose ancestors had four
wheeled vehicles in the days of Julius
Caesar, made good roads wherever they
planted themselves. While their English
neighbors were content to travel on horse-
back and to ford and swim streams the
Salzburgers in Georgia began by opening a
wagon-road twelve miles long, with seven
bridges 'which surprised the English might-
ily.' Pennsylvania, the home of the Germans,
alone of the Colonies built good straight
roads; and the facility which these acorded
to the thousand freight-wagons was the
main advantage that gave Philadelphia the
final preeminence among Colonial sea-ports,
and made Lancaster the only considerable
mart in North America."
Extract from article in Scrifoner's Month-
ly, 1884, entitled ''Commerce in the Colonies"
by Edward Eggleston.
They Fear God and the Policeman
Prince Bismarck once said in the Reich-
stag: "We Germans fear God and nothing
else in the world." He might have said
truthfully: "God and the policeman." To a
foreigner no feature of German life is more
striking than the prominence and authority
of the police. The minuteness and the thor-
oughness of their work are a constant sur-
prise to the newcomer. They not only
preserve order in the streets, but exercise a
far-going authority in private houses.
The policeman of your district in Berlin,
for example, undertakes the locking of your
front door at a sufficiently early hour. He
sees that your chimney is cleaned regularly.
At stated times he examines your stove, and
while he is about it he may inspect your
outer locks, your pumping handles, your
ash pit doors. Probably if it be summer,
he also will take a stroll around your fruit
garden and spend a profitable half hour
looking for caterpillars. Loud singing and
piano playing after 10 p. m. are not allowed.
The police look sharply after sellers of
food or of medicine. A milkman, for
example, is driving rapidly along the street.
A policeman halts him, and on the spot
makes inspection of his wares. If anything
wrong is discovered the cans are emptied
into the gutter, and the whole affair is pub-
lished in the newspapers. There is no re-
spect of persons and the rule is "Prompt
and thorough."
574
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Words from Subscribers
A Virginia Subscriber
September 13, 1911.
I wish to say that I enjoy every page of
the magazine and read it over and over
again.
A Tennessee Subscriber
September 11, 1911.
Your magazines have been of great inter-
est and have given much help in many ways.
I have found many courteous and helpful
correspondents who have been uniformly
kind and helpful to me in my search for my
ancestral lineage.
A Philadelphian
Philadelphia. Pa., Sept. 16, 1911.
There are a great many articles in it that
interest me, one recently came very close
to my old home. I am more and more sur-
prised to learn of the large percentage of
German blood in our American population.
A Minnesota Subscriber
St. Peter, Minn., September 6, 1911.
Bro. Kriebel:
In answer to "The Forum" in the August
P. G. relative to the merits of the August
number of the P. G. I will say: No. 1. All
of them. No. 2 Most of them, but do not
like to commit myself to any particular
article. The articles, "Easton from a Trol-
ely Window,'' and "Historic Pilgrimages,"
etc., are very interesting, as well "Historical
Notes and News," and above all, "The
Forum," and "Die Muttersprooh." No. 3.
Should like more Pennsylvania Deitsch, and
do not be afraid of touching the sensibilities
of a few who think they are insulted by a
few comicalities as they are as necessary as
the more serious articles. I, for one love
to read them (as well as anything else in
the P. G.) and I at one time was ''Yust so
lii m wie de ondere'' and it simply goes to
show what progress has been made since
the time we were so "dum," and is relished
by 99 per cent, of the readers of P. G. Also
I like early history from west of the Sus-
quehanna (as well as east of it).
A Pennsylvania Subscriber
Morganza, Pa., Sept. 6, 1911.
My dear Editor:
The whole P. G. was fine the last number.
I like all well, Easton from a trolley Win-
dow and Historic Pilgrimage, etc. better —
and best of all — Gravestone inscriptions.
Enoch Brown's Indian Massacre because my
Pa related it to us little tots when I was a
tot. Funerals in Pa. and Mass. I have a
record of my great-great-grandfather's
funeral at Womelsdorf, Berks Co., Pa. Pass-
ing of names. In the military line we have
not dropped out. I had two forefathers in
French & Indian, 7 in Revolution, 3 were
officers, one in War of 1812, etc., and we
have been in the Reformed Church for S
generations, grandpa being an elder for 40
years.
Indian graves, "bestest," because it oc-
curred in the "Loch" or Monroe Valley
where my ma's people settled, the Miess
later Mease and now uncle spells in Meese.
Where three of the boys were killed by the
Indians, and I still have the large German
family Bible that was shot into while on
the shelf and during an attack. And I have
many more other very interesting relics.
The Secretary of the Penna. Federation of
Historical Societies, Dr. S. P. Heilman,
wrote us in view of the recognition given
the work of the Federation in the August
issue: "to tender you my thanks in behalf
of the Federation. It carries information
of us to many persons and places by whom
and where we would otherwise not be heard
of."
575
(Ell? JI MttHgltrama-drrmatt
(Founded by Rev. Dr. P. C. Croll, 1900.)
H. W. KRIEBEL, Editor and Publisher
Associate Editors — Rev. Geor£ Von Boise, Philadelphia, Pa.; Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N.J.
THE EXPRESS PRINTING COMPANY, Printers
LITITZ, PENNA.
Advisory Editorial Board : — I. H. Betz, M. D, York, Pa. ; Lucy Forney Bittinger, Sewickley,
Pa. ; A. Y. Casanova, Washington, D. C. ; Rev. P. C. Croll, D. D., Beardstown, 111. ; Prof.
G. T. Ettinger, Allentown, Pa.; Prof. Oscar Kuhns, Middletown, Conn.; Daniel Miller,
Reading, Pa.; Gen. John E. Roller, Harrisonburg, Va. ; Prof. L. S. Shimmel, Harrisburg,
Pa. ; Rev. A. C. Wuchter, Paulding, Ohio.
The Pennsylvania-German is the only, popular, illustrated, monthly magazine of biography, genealogy,
history, folklore, literature, devoted to the early German and Swiss settlers in Pennsylvania and other
states and their descendants. It encourages a restudy of the history of the Germans in America; it res-
cues from oblivion the record of the deeds of those gone before; it unearths, formulates and disseminates
a wealth of historic material of great moment in the right interpretation of our American life; it meets
the necessity of having a repository for historical contributions and a medium for the expression of opin-
ion on current questions pertaining to its field. It aims to develop a proper regard for ancestry, to
create interest in family history, to promote research along genealogical lines, to unite descendants wher -
ever found, to facilitate a scientific, philological study of its dialect; it makes generally accessible to the
future historian the precious incidents of German life and achievements in America, and incidentally be-
comes an eloquent, imperishable monument to a very important element of the citizenship of the United
States.
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are welcomed; these will be printed and at the end
of the year indexed.
Interesting Articles to Appear
Among the articles to appear in our
next three numbers may be mentioned :
Sketch of Rev. D. J. Hatter, D.D.,
1806-1901, noted home missionary, by
Rev. A. G. Fastnacht.
Family Reunions in 191 1. List of
over two hundred family reunions held
during 191 1 — valuable as a reference list
for genealogists and those making re-
searches.
Joseph Funk, Father of Song in Nor-
thern Virginia, an article of unusual
interest and value by Dr. Jno. W. Way-
land, Harrisonburg, Va.
Names of Palatines ivho came to Lon-
don 1709, giving church connection,
(Catholic, Reformed, Lutheran), occu-
pation, age and number of children,
many of whom subsequently migrated
to New York and Pennsylvania, a most
interesting and valuable series of papers,
by Hon. James B. Laux, New York.
The Germans in Maine — a series of
papers based on critical research and em-
bodying considerable hitherto uncbllated
material, to be concluded in 19 12, by
Prof. Thompson of University of Maine.
Orono, Maine.
A New Service Hinted At
A correspondent writes: "I have no
disparagement of family history for its
own sake, or to find noble (?) ancestors,
576
THE PEN X S Y LV AX I A-GE RM AX
but I look for the great value of the
science to be later in its help in
eugenics and euthenics." The value of
The Pennsylvania-German is only limited
by the svipport received from those it
does or should interest.
Our Wants
Our forward step creates new wants
— or rather emphasizes wants or needs
always existing. These are cash, coun-
sel, contributions, correspondents, cheer,
canvassers. Send in your subscription
money without delay. Let us know
what you think of our innovation or de-
velopment. If you have or think of
articles that you wish to see in the
magazine let us hear from you. Doing
these things you will make our way
easier and thus bring good cheer. We
want canvassers wherever German blood
is found. If you can not take up the
work yourself you may be able to
recommend some one who can. We
want correspondents to be eyes and ears
for us wherever they are.
Early Berks County Tombstone
Inscriptions
The series of articles by Louis Rich-
ards, Esq., "Early Berks County Tomb-
stone Inscriptions" came to an end in
the August issue.
Providing sufficient interest is shown
a limited edition of the articles will be
issued in pamphlet form. The page will
be the same size as in the magazine and
all the family names will be indexed
alphabetically. Price 25 cents each. How
many copies will you subscribe for and
pay to make the republication a possi-
bility ?
SUBSCRIPTIONS HAVE BEEN PAID by the persons named, to and including month of
the year given— "12 — 11" signifying December, 1911.
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A F Berlin — 6 — 12
Harry E Hartman — 6 — 12
Mrs J S Yoder — 6 — 12
J R Laubach — 12 — 15
Pi D Longecker — 12 — 12
Mrs G E Mays — 12 — 12
M H Kratz — 12 — 9
C Kraus — 5 — 12
I' T Steltz — 12 — 12
J L Mover — 6 — 10
J I, Hertz — 12 — 11
J C Probst — 12 — 11
W I inch — 12 — 11
E C Wagner — 6 — 12
J s Burkhart — 12—9
F Huth — 4 — 12
W S Keck — 5 — 13
A G Peters — 6 — 12
W P Bucher — 7 — 12
A S Kline — 4 — 12
J G Zern — 12 — 12
Mrs S A McClure — 7 — 12
P F Snvder — 12 — 11
D D Blauch — 6 — 12
S C Seaber — 4 — 12
C G Reed — 12 — 11
Jacob Naschold — 4 — 12
G A Endlich — 12 — 11
F S Livingood — 12 — 12 •
J A Shenk— 4 — 12
N B Leaman — 4 — 12
C G Derr — 6 — 12
J F Hunsicker — 8 — 12
D M Blatt — 8 — 12
M A Borhek — 5 — 12
J K Bomberger — 7 — 12
C Bachman — 12 — 11
E Shuey — 12 — 11
E J Henninger — 12 — 11
H G Shull — 7 — 12
John L Endv — 6 — 12
J H Umbenhen — 12 — 11
G S Frank— 12 — 11
G F K Erisman — 12 — 11
H P Keiser — 12 — 11
J J John — 2 — 12
E Bovd Weitzel — G — 12
A S Schelly — 12 — 11
S S Gerhard — 12 — 11
I W Dickert — 12 — 11
T A Stickler — 7 — 12
J G Zeigler — 12 — 12
G S Ludwig — 12 — 11
W H Sponsler — 12 — 12
P P. Brown — (i — 12
M B Schnoyer — 12 — 15
G E Brownback — 8 — 13
C W Horn— 2— 12
Mrs Emme Bower — 12 — 11
K S Krebs— 12 — 12
J K Hoffman — 9 — 11
A S Berky — 6 — 12
To September 1, 1911.
Vol. XII OCTOBER, 1911 No. 1 0
The National German- American Alliance
XT WAS my pleasure and privilege to , attend the recent sixth Conven-
tion of the National German-American Alliance, held in Washington,
D. C, October 6-9, 191 1.
Delegates were present from forty four States in which State
Alliances have been organized. The scope of the subject matter under
consideration by the convention may in part be inferred from the list of standing
committees of the Alliance having to do with themes as wide in range as —
immigration, forestry, orthography, German in public schools, legislation, per-
sonal liberty, the theatre, poetry, intemperance, gymnastics, arbitration, the
erection and preservation of National monuments. To keep in touch with a
National movement considering subjects like these is an education, to cooperate
with it and follow its counsel wherever possible a duty and privilege.
Present at all the day sessions and at the banquet on Saturday evening, t
found throughout an earnestness, gentlemanliness, dignity and breadth of view
of subjects considered that was a great credit to the participants, the people
represented, the Nation of which they are a constituent part.
My study of the convention has convinced me that erroneous views respect-
ing the membership and aims of the Alliance are entertained by some which can
only be due to ignorance of its purposes and practices. It were well for people
of German ancestry everywhere in our country to make themselves fully ac-
quainted with the activities of the Alliance and in addition through membership
become directly identified with it. Aiming "to awaken and strengthen the
sense of unity among the people of German origin in America" it stands on the
suits and affords in its ranks room forrock of common German-American pur
every one whatever his religious or political views.
I had hoped to give in this number a summarized report of the work of the
convention, but for good reasons I have decided to hold the matter over for the
issue of January, J912. The Secretary of the Alliance, Mr. Adolph Timm. has
kindly consented to prepare such report for our special use. This will insure
accuracy not otherwise attainable.
We give on succeeding pages a statement of our views as submitted to the
delegates of the convention, and would also refer our readers to previous issues
of the magazine where we have expressed ourselves at more length on the con-
templated expansion of the magazine.
H. W. Kriebel.
578 THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
To the Members of the Sixth Convention of the National German-
American Alliance :
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN tenders you the greetings of its read-
ers and conveys to you their hope that your meeting may be fraught with the
most fruitful results.
You will find in the September issue of "The Pennsylvania-German" en-
closed herewith an open letter addressed to the subscribers on "Our Widened
Platform." Supplementary to what is there said I take the liberty of addressing
you by these lines.
Yours is a most worthy, a sublime cause; — to make one our country's sons
and daughters of German blood ; to cultivate a friendly feeling between our coun-
try and your cousins in the homeland ; to know and teach what and whence you
are ; to labor for the welfare of the places where you dwell ; to promote the best
of the future by preserving the best of the past.
You are the heirs of two thousand years of struggle for life and light and
love among men and hence endowed with great riches and limitless possibilities.
In view of your history the world's millions have a claim on you; humanity needs
your German idealism, your German conscience, your German "Grundlichkeit and
Gemuthlichkeit" ; generations unborn will bless you for the crumbs from your
bountiful table.
Your program is a very ambitious and far-reaching one' and maps out a
very inviting and tempting magazine field — the Germans, ubiquitous in the coun-
try, more numerous than any other foreign element in our great progressive sec-
tions, active in all pursuits of life. You seek to combine in one organization
those who came to our shores but yesterday with the descendants of those who
sailed the seas two hundred years ago — the scholar, the musician, the artist, the
journalist, the business man, the daily toilers in shop and factory, the minister of
the gospel, the politician, the financier — regardless of age, sex, birth or place of
residence.
Theoretically it should be an easy problem to so conduct "The Pennsylvania-
German" as to serve the National Alliance, its branches and individual member-
ship
i, by making its principles and activities known to the non-German reading
section of the German element as well as to citizenr in general.
2, by popularizing the fruits of the labors of the scholars toiling in the field
of "Deutschtum." The magazine can be content humbly to be a server to the
masses of the good things the masters have been and are producing.
3, by serving as an added tangible bond of union between the constituent
elements of the Alliance.
4, by affording the Alliance a convenient medium for the announcement and
reporting of important meetings of the Alliance and its branches.
5, by providing a free forum for the discussion of the principles of the
Alliance.
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN on account of encouragement received,
dedicates itself to the support of the momentous causes the Alliance has made its
own. Reared in the household of pioneer German-American families it would
say to all of German ancestry: — "We are of one blood; what God has joined to-
gether let no man put asunder." May we with every class, community, society,
State and Nation, notwithstanding manifold divergences and differences, find
common bonds of union and hand-in-hand go forth to conquer.
THE NATIONAL GERMAN-AMERICAN ALLIANCE 579
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN while maintaining connection with its
past life and remembering the rock whence it was hewn, offers its pages as a
propagandist medium for the principles of the Alliance. It would serve as a
bond of union between the constituent elements, and the individuals of. the Alli-
ance, as a shrine to keep alive the altar fires between the times of meeting, as a
voice to invite others to join and labor with you.
In the open letter referred to at the beginning of this communication you
will find a reference to a communication sent out through the "Mittheilungen."
Further study and consultation has produced and strengthened the conviction
that the subscriptions called for will be forthcoming and plans have been laid
based on this assumption. If on a fair trial "The Pennsylvania- German" does
not make good it surely does not merit your support; if it makes good as it hopes
to, your support will surely not be withheld ; all it asks is a year's chance to
make good on "Our Widened Platform."
While being in full sympathy with the principles enunciated by the platform
of the Alliance we all must agree that the English is a world language, that all
citizens of the United States should familiarize themselves with it as the most
widely used, the national language, that no one who has pledged his fealty to the
principles of the Alliance can be averse to the using of the English press to
further the causes so dear to his heart.
Warm friends of the magazine have raised the objection that the more a
magazine spreads out, the thinner it becomes. In answer one needs but consider
modern magazine practice. In March 1906 Munsey's magazine said that it cost
$10,000 to get out the first copy of an issue or $120,000 for the first issues of a
year, but the immense output of the magazine made this but a minor item of
expense and Munsey was then giving its readers twelve pages, of reading matter
for a cent. In the same issue the "Scrap Book" was announced giving twenty
pages of reading for a cent. On the other hand the New England Historical and
Genealogical Register recently made the statement that it had always been pub-
lished at a loss to the Society and that its price would have to be increased and
it gives approximately a page for a cent and is a losing proposition. There is
therefore much more chance of service and success on a broad than a narrow
guage and of thus giving more for the amount charged in each of a number of
special fields.
Our plan contemplates the organization of a company to adequately finance
the magazine; the appointment of an editorial staff and editorial correspondents
of specialists to give breadth of outlook ; the enlargement and improvement of
the magazine as the income may warrant.
Wishing you a successful convention, confirmatory of old and initiative of
new fields of activity and service,
Very respectfully,
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN.
Note. — Trje reader is advised to re-read in connection with the foregoing
statement our open letter in the September issue on "Our Widened Platform." It
is axiomatic that the admission of an article to the pages of a periodical like
"The Pennsylvania-German" does not imply . endorsement of the views main-
tained by the article and that the setting aside of some space for reading matter
bearing on the work of a movement like the Alliance does not commit the mag-
azine to the views or acts of all the members thereof any more than it is already
committed to the views and acts of all Pennsylvania Germans on account of its
name.
iSO
Joseph Funk
Father of Song of Northern Virginia
By John W. Wayland, Ph.D.
Author of the "German Element of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia," "A History of Rockingham County,
Virginia," Etc.
1
o
XE hundred and ten years
ago a young Pennsylvania-
•German, then resident in
the Valley of Virginia,
crossed the low ridge in
the forest east of his
father's house and, start-
ing at a cool spring at the
root of the slope, began to chop out a
clearing. Soon he took some of the
splendid logs of oak and pine and built
a dwelling; his young wife came into
that dwelling, and it became a home ; the
clearing grew and became a heritage ; the
name increased and came into honor far
and wide ; for, having once established a
home for his children, this man became
a benefactor in many homes ; he and his
sons have led one generation after
another into the discovery of divine
gifts, and he still lives in the vitality of
those gifts; his memory is perennial in
the spirit of song.
That young man was Joseph Funk, a
native of Berks County, Pennsylvania.
His domicile in the Virginia forest has
grown into the beautiful little village of
Singer's Glen. The surrounding county
of Rockingham is a famous music center,
not only for the adjacent districts of
Virginia and West Virginia, but also for
a number of States south and west. It
is probably true that there is not another
county in any State of the United States
where the rudimentary knowledge of
music is so generally diffused among the
people, or where the practice of home
and congregational singing is so general-
ly prevalent as -in this County of Rock-
ingham, in the Shenandoah Valley or
Virginia. A careful study of the situa-
tion, its causes and development, will
reveal the fact that these conditions, as
just outlined, have been brought about
primarily by Joseph Funk ; secondarily,
by his sons and grandsons. To one
familiar with the situation, this fact is
obvious. Accordingly, we deem the term
appropriate when we call Joseph Funk
the father of song in Northern Virginia.
Were it possible to use a term still more
expressive of initiative, directive, and
stimulative influence, we believe that the
tribute implied in such a term would not
be undeserved.
According to the date on his tomb-
store, Joseph Funk was born March 9,
1777. He was the eleventh child — the
seventh son — of Henry Funk and Bar-
bara Showalter his wife. Henry Funk
was in the earlier part of his manhood a
preacher in the Mennonite Church. In
singer's glen
The graveyard where Joseph Funk is buried is up on the hill to the left, just out of sight in this picture
JOSEPH FUNK
581
'the
was
was
was
1786 he with all his family except his
oldest son Jacob left Pennsylvania and
came to Virginia, to the then new County
of Rockingham, and settled some nine or
ten miles north of Harrisonburg, the
county-seat, at the eastern foot of
Little North Mountain. Land
abundant and fertile. The forest
cleared away, and the wilderness
made to blossom like the rose. The land
is still fertile, and the Funks are more
abundant. They are still at Singer's
Glen and near it, though many have gone
far abroad ; Squire John Funk, sixth son
of Joseph, is hale and jovial at the age of
89. He lives where his grandfather
Henry Funk settled in 1786, just across
the low ridge west from Singer's Glen,
lived till December 9, 1833, and bore him
nine children: Mary, Joseph, David,
Samuel, Hannah, John, Timothy, Solo-
mon, and Benjamin.
A hundred years ago men were ver-
satile. They needed to be so. Joseph
Funk was a land owner and farmer ; he
was also a schoolmaster ; he knew some-
thing of herbs and their use as simple
remedies for human ailments ; he became
a translator of religious works, the
author of several controversial pam-
phlets, the author and publisher of music
books, the head of a printing, publishing,
and binding establishment, and a famous
itinerant teacher of vocal music. Above
all, he was a man of deep piety, strict
integrity, and a most influential factor in
Home of Joseph Funk, where he lived and died ; now occupied by a grandson, who. with his wife,
appears in the picture. The small house in the foreground is the old loom house, converted into the
print shop in 1847. The big spring is in the shadow at the right.
where the cool spring still flows : the
spring by which .his father, Joseph Funk,
began to chop out the clearing a hundred
and ten years ago.
Joseph Funk was twice married and
twice widowed. On Christmas Day,
1804, he married Elizabeth Rhodes. She
died February 7, 1814, leaving five chil-
dren : Jonathan, Henry, Elizabeth, Susan
and Barbara. On the 6th of September,
1814, he married Rachel Britten, who
the moral uplift of his community and
State..
When, how, or where Joseph Funk
received his educational training is a
matter largely of conjecture. It is prob-
able that he attended school very little.
In the common phrase, he seems to have
been chiefly a self-made man. Whether
he learned mainly from living teachers
or from his own mastery of books, he
learned well. He had a wide knowledge
f.Sl'
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
of books as well as of men ; he rarely
misspelled a word ; his penmanship at its
<best was elegant ; his punctuation and
use of capitals almost without exception
followed accurately the approved stand-
ards of his day ; his command of lan-
guage in the expression of thought
always shows power and nearly always
exactness ; his literary style, as exempli-
fied in his manuscripts and numerous
extant letters, is elevated and dignified.
On the slope of the hill, about eighty
yards from his dwelling, and about half
that distance beyond the spring, Mr.
Funk built a schoolhouse. It stood there
many years, and was used for the pur-
pose originally contemplated. Beside the
spring, near the dwelling house, a loom
house was erected about 1804. The main
floor is five or six feet above the sur-
rounding surface of the ground, and the
apartment below was used as a dairy.
The heavy oak logs of the structure
seem to bear lightly the marks of a cen-
tury and more, even where the weather-
boarding has been some time removed.
This old log loom house was used, at
least occasionally, for school purposes
during the period from 1837 to 1847; m
1847 it was fitted up as the print shop,
and a bindery was built adjoining it. For
many years thereafter — thirty or more —
books and periodicals by the thousand
were sent out from that little log struc-
ture, far and wide into the great world.
One may be confident in the assertion
that in all of those books and papers
there was not a single sentence or word
that would need to be expurgated before
a mother could read them to her chil-
dren.
The old log loom house, alias school-
house, alias printing house, has had all
the subsidiary structures removed, and
now again at the last, as at the first, it
stands by the spring alone. May it long
be spared — preserved — as a relic of by-
gone days, as a monument to a great
man and a great work well done.
Joseph Funk's chief work was done as
a teacher, particularly of vocal music,
and as a compiler and publisher of music
books. Accordingly, the remainder of
this paper shall be devoted to his work
in those phases : other things being men-
tioned only incidentally. Thus we hope' to
be true to the caption chosen, and to
prove its fitness.
When exactly Mr. Funk began study-
ing or teaching music has not been ascer-
tained, but by the year 1832 he had
attained to a considerable degree of ex-
perience and efficiency in the art of song;
for in that year he published the first
edition of his music book that has since
become famous.* I have before me a
copy of that book in its first form. It is
bound in paste boards, covered on the
outside with mottled paper. The back
and corners are leather. The size of the
volume outside is six by nine inches, and
it opens at the end. It contains 208
pages. The first twenty-six are taken up
with the title-page, preface, a metrical
index, and mainlv with an "Elucidation
*Mr. Funk evidently published an earlier music
book, the title of which was "Choral Music." Ac-
cording to an article byElder Daniel Hayt of Broad
way, Va., published April 23, 1908, in the Harrison-
burg. Va., Daily News, "Choral Music" was printed
by Lawrence Wartmann, Harrisonburg, Va., and
appeared in 181G. Says Elder Hays: "The text was
Joseph Funk's printing office, where he set up his press in printed in German, while the music was printed in
1847— said to have been the first Mciinonite press in America. Andrew Law's four shaped notes."
JOSEPH FUNK
583
of the Science of Vocal Music." The
last two pages of the book are devoted
to the "General Index" and "Erratta."
The contents of the title-page are as
follows :
A COMPILATION OF
GENUINE CHURCH MUSIC,
COMPRISING
A VARIETY OF METRES,
ALL
HARMONIZED FOR THREE VOICES
TOGETHER WITH
A COPIUS ELUCIDATION OF
THE SCIENCE OF VOCAL MUSIC.
BY JOSEPH FUNK.
"And the ransomed of the Lord shall
return, and come to Zion, with songs and
everlasting joy upon their heads." —
Isaiah, ch. XXXV. v. 10.
WINCHESTER '.
Published at the Office of the Republican.
(j. W. HOLLIS, PRINTER.)
1832.
The above is an exact copy, except as
to different size of type, length of lines,
etc. The quotation from Isaiah is all in
one line, in small type. "Genuine Church
Music" is displayed as the title proper.
Inside the front lid is a small yellowed
label, "E. Watts, Book-Binder, Char-
lottesville."
It appears, therefore, that the first
edition of Funk's "Genuine Church
Music" was printed in Winchester, Fred-
erick County, Virginia, .bound at Char-
lottesville, in Albermarle County, and
sold from the home of the author at
Singer's Glen (then Mountain Valley),
in Rockingham County. From Singer's
Glen to Winchester is sixty miles : from
Winchester to Charlottesville, eighty
miles ; and from Charlottesville to
Singer's Glen, a little more than forty
miles ; in each case as the bird flies. It
was much further by the wagon roads of
1832. A consideration of these facts
will give us an appreciation of the
difficulties under which Joseph Funk be-
gan his work.
The original title of this book was
retained for the first four editions, that
is, till 1847. In 1851, when the revised
form of the fourth edition came out, the
new title "HARMONIA SACRifc"
appeared. It was by this new title that
the book became best known ; and it is
by that title that thousands of men and
women of the older generations still
know it.
By i860 the Harmonia Sacra had
reached the tenth edition. By the middle
seventies the final edition, the seven-
teenth, had been reached. The first two
were printed at Winchester; the third
was printed and bound at Harrison-
burg, in 1842 ; beginning with the fourth,
all the remaining editions were printed
and bound at Singer's Glen. The num-
ber of volumes thus produced will be in-
dicated further on.
In all the editions of the Harmonia
Sacra "patent" or shaped notes are used :
seven in the later editions; four in the
earlier. The four characters used in the
book before me are MI, the "master
note" ; FAW, SOL, and LAW. On this
score Funk and his successors, as well as
others who have used patent notes, had
to meet a good deal of criticism. Even
in this first edition of the Harmonia
Sacra the author deems it necessary to
justify the use of the shaped characters.
This justification he makes in good style,
referring in the course of his remarks
to Andrew Adgate, whose sixth edition
of "Rudiments of Music" had appeared
in Philadelphia in 1799; to Samuel Dyer,
whose sixth edition of the "Art of Sing-
ing" had been printed at New York in
1828; to the "American Psalmody,"
second edition, published at Hartford in
1830. Further on he speaks of having
consulted "more than a few" noted
authors of vocal music, "both German
and English." Thus we get an idea of
the man's breadth of culture.
A few of the hymn tunes in this old
book are still ' familiar friends: "Old
Hundred," ."Pleyel's Hymn," "Lennox,"
and perhaps "Olney." But the great ma-
jority have gone to join the other great
majorities. One of the more extended
compositions is entitled "Heavenly
Vision," and covers a little more than
5S4
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
two pages. The great climax of the book,
however, is readied in the "Easter
A'nthem." This, too, covers somewhat
more than two pages. When a class
could once sing the "Easter Anthem"
through without a break, they were ad-
judged capable of doing almost anything
in the line of vocal music. It is really
a line composition, and worthy of im-
mortality.
Doubtless Joseph Funk was brought
up to speak German, or Pennsylvania-
German ; and he must have retained his
familiarity with that tongue all his life;
yet almost all of his extant writings — ■
printed books and pamphlets, manu-
scripts, and letters — are in excellent Eng-
lish. In 1837 he published an English
translation that he had made of the Men-
nonite "Confession of Faith." This vol-
ume, a 121110 of 460 pages, contained
also an extended introduction, written by
himself, giving a brief sketch of Men-
nonite history, with other matter of in-
terest. Some twenty years later he be-
came involved in a religious discussion
with Elder John Kline of the Dunker
Church, and wrote at least two consider-
able pamphlets. These, in the original
manuscript, I saw on a recent visit to
Singer's Glen. All these writings prove
that Joseph Funk was well read in the
Bible and kindred literature. If further
evidence that he was a man of broad cul-
ture were needed, it might be found in
a list of the books he gave his daughter
Mary in the year 1837, when she married
John Kieffer, and journeyed to the far-
off land of Missouri.
A CATALOGUE OF BOOKS GIVEN TO
MARY MY DAUGHTER, AND HER HUS-
BAND JOHN KIEFFER.
1. The Bible ' $1.37%
2. Goldsmiths Animated Nature, 4
Vol 5.00
3. Rollins Ancient History, 4 Vol... 4.00
4. Bucks Theological Dictionary... 1.37%
5. Pilgrims Progress 0.87%
6. Young Christian 87%
7. Dodridge's Rise & Progress 37%
8. Baxter's Saints Rest 37%
9. Young's Night Thoughts 50
10. Woodbridge's Geography & Atlas 1.00
11. Walker's Dictionary 37%
12. Hervey's Meditations 50
13. Pollok's Course of Time 50
14. Pike's Guide for Young Disciples .44
15. Burders Village Sermons 2.00
16. W<atts Psalms & Hymn 75
17. Gems of Sacred Poetry 37%
18. Cowper's Poems, 3 Vol 1.00
19. Wandlende Seele 1.00
20. Edwards on the Affections 0.25
21. Baxter's Dying Thoughts 12 %
22. Alleine's Alarm 25
23. Flavel's Touchstone 18%
24. Bennets Letters to a Young Lady.
A present to Mary.
25. Keeping The Heart by the Rev.
John Flavel 18)4
26. Hannah More's Private Devotion .50
27. Pike Persuasives to Early Piety .37%
28. Advice to a Married Couple...... .25
29. A New Testament '. . . . .37%
30. Epitaphs & Eligies 25
$25.44
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FOUR GENERATIONS
Joseph R. Funk. 1855-1911
Timothy Funk, 1824-1909 Edith Funk Bowman, 1880-
Marguerite Bowman, 1900-
The yellow old manuscript, from
which I have made this copy, cccupies in
Joseph Funk's clear, neat hand almost
exactly the same amount of space as my
JOSEPH FUNK
585
typewritten manuscript, single-spaced.
Some thirty letters that he wrote Mrs.
Kieffer during the ten years she was in
Missouri are also before me. They should
be published in full, for they are brimful
of facts that would be of interest not
only to the thousands of Funks in all
parts of the country, but also to other
persons who may wish to get an intimate
picture of long-ago conditions in Vir-
ginia and adjacent States. For their
general interest, and to bring out more
clearly the character of Joseph Funk and
the nature of his work, I shall present
several quotations from these letters.
Rockingham County, Va.,
December 24, 1837.
As respects the music boxes, we
may reasonably infer, that it will take some
time to introduce them, especially where
others are in the way, but this must not
discourage us to make exertions, as they
have went ahead of many others in this
country. (Kieffers had taken about 100 of
Funk's music books to Missouri.) I have
since you left this, had a letter from a
teacher of Music, about 60 miles below
Richmond, for books, who also solicits me
to recommend him an assistant, a young
man, who understands music, whom, when
he has made up schools he will give $30.00
per month. He wishes to introduce my
work generally.
To hear that your books (those listed
above) were uninjured brought to your
journey's end is gratifying to me; I hope
you will make good use of them. What
pleasure it is to a contemplative mind, to
read about that heavenly country to which
we are all travelling, and to acquaint our-
selves with the privileges of its inhabitants,
and their blissful abodes!
May 10, 1838.
I am now sitting at my writing
table, where you saw me sit hundreds of
times; through the window before me I have
a view of your tender Mother's Grave; your
Brother David planted thereon two flowery
Almonds, before he left this, which both are
now in full bloom
I will attend to the business which you
request me to do concerning Jonas Beam.
Your brother Samuel is summoned to attend
at court as a witness in the case, but from
what he tells me his evidence will be more
against the opposite party than you.
Concerning a paper. I hardly know which
to forward you, the "Winchester Virginian,"
now edited by L. Eichelberger, or the
"Rockingham Register." But as the Rock-
ingham Register is printed immediately in
the neighborhood where you resided and in
your native place, it will probably prove the
most interesting; I will therefore send it by
this mail, and if you should prefer the Win-
Mr. Robinson is broke up and has left Win-
chester Virginian you may let me know in
your next and I will then send it on to you.
Mr. Robinson is broke up and has left Win
Chester; and Mr. Hollis is now minting for
me. I purchased the fount of Music types
with the letter types used for the printing
of my work, with which he is now printing
my Appendage, which will contain 32 pages
splendidly executed and fraught with very
interesting Music.
You will endeavor to have my musical
work introduced into the different parts of
your state, which will also tend to your own
interest, as I intend to allow you a good and
generous commission for all vou dispose
of
September 12, 1838.
I wish you would not be discouraged
about the sale of Music books, for. notwith-
standing Mr. Seats opposition, I think they
will work their way through. This sum-
mer, a very respectable Methodist preacher,
who got some of my books in Richmond, Va.,
has ordered 100 copies to be sent on to him.
I sent him the books; and he is now laving
aside the Methodist Harmonist and giving
mine a sreneral introduction into his
schools. This is in North Carolina
September 14, 1839.
May the Lord grant his blessing,
that til my children may, as they grow up,
become useful members of both Church and
State — a pattern of meekness and piety —
and an ornament to society. Thus it is my
aim to use my feeble effort, with His aid, to
bring them up Beware of bad so-
ciety— bad company — shun them, my dear
children, unless it be for the purpose of
making them better
Your brother Joseph has prevailed on me
to suffer him to get a violin, by promising
to devote it to sacred music. He has pro-
gressed rapidly learning to play on it, so
that he can now play a good many tunes
pretty well. He sometimes plays the violin,
and your brother Timothy the Flute, which
in conjunction produce sweet sounds, which
are highly gratifying and cheering. May it
have a tendency to animate us to press for-
ward to that world above to join the com-
pany there who are harping on their harps
and singing hallelujahs to God and the
Lamb for ever and ever.
Your Sister Hannah has learned flowering
and painting, and is anxiously waiting for
you to pay your visit to us, so that she may
then learn you the same also.
:,m;
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
The second paragraph above is of
special interest in several connections.
For one thing, it shows how keen and
lasting was the sense of filial duty in the
Funk home. Joseph, when his father
"suffered" him to get a violin, was
twenty-three years old. It shows also
the habitual disposition of Joseph Funk,
Sr., to seek the spiritual values in the
ordinary things of life. In the third
place, it shows that Mr. Funk was much
more liberal and progressive than many
of his coreligionists. Few of them, we
suspect, would have felt justified in suf-
fering their sons to have violins and
flutes upon any condition. Apropos, we
have this little story. Some of the
prominent brethren — possibly a bishop or
two among them — came one day in their
journey to Brother Funk's hospitable
home. It was evidently after both Joseph
and Timothy, and perhaps another son
or two, had learned to play pretty well
on their respective instruments ; for
Father Funk, to entertain his guests, and
it may be to encourage the diligence of
his sons as musicians, gave a modest
little concert of sacred music in the liv-
ing room. When the pause of silence
came — the proper time for expressions
of appreciation and gratitude — imagine
his surprise when the brethren began to
take him sharply to task — to haul him
over the coals, if I may use a colloquial
phrase common in Northern Virginia —
for his vain worldliness in permitting
and even encouraging the use of instru-
ments of music in his house !
In a letter to Mrs. Kieffer dated Janu-
ary ii, 1840, Joseph Funk makes use of
the only German sentence that I have
thus far found in any of his letters or
manuscripts. He is congratulating his
daughter and her husband upon the fact
that they have secured an 80-acre tract
of land for their own. He concludes the
paragraph thus: "I am well acquainted
with the fact, that an own home is a
great blessing. The German proverb is:
'Eine eigene Herd ist gold werth'."
February 20, 1840.
This moment, as I was sitting
at my table, writing this letter by
candlelight, your brothers, David and Tim-
othy, played the instruments so delightful
that I had to stop a while and go to the
apartment where they were playing — David
on the violin, and Timothy on the flute —
and hear them play. How charming! How
heaven inspiring! is the sound of sacred
music on these instruments! What pity
that they ever should be perverted and
abused to the vilest purposes!
The present writer's mother was many
years ago a member of Joseph Funk's
singing classes at Woodlawn, Shenan-
doah County, Virginia, and perhaps at
other places in the vicinity ; and I re-
member distinctly hearing her remark
upon the ecstatic enthusiasm that would
seize upon the old master when his class
would sing well. Evidently, from the
above quotation, the violin, flute, and
other instruments were capable of affect-
ing him similarly. I have introduced this
quotation also for the purpose of illus-
trating the minute and exact care with
which he detailed many of the home hap-
penings to his daughter, through the
medium of occasional letters. Missouri
in those days was weeks distant from
Virginia for either the emigrant or the
postman. It took an emigrant wagon
seven or eight weeks to make the jour-
ney, and the mail carriers about half that
time. We need not wonder, therefore,
at the solicitude continually expressed in
this father's letters for the welfare of his
daughter and her family, nor be sur-
prised that he should employ his best
efforts to tell her of himself, her
brothers and sisters, and their interests.
He also doubtless felt that there was a
depth and power of response in her
nature that would answer the best in his
own. Later she spoke out to the world
in the poetry of her son; but from her
childhood, we may well believe, she gave
expression to many a thought and emo-
tion that stirred a kindred chord in her
father's heart. Music and poetry, with
the things that are akin to both, must
have been a common source of joy to
father and daughter. ••
May 14, 1841.
I would rather inform you, that be-
sides our farming work, we are busily en-
gaged in building a house for a printing
office. It is high time that we do something
JOSEPH FUNK
587
towards getting a third edition out. I had
a letter from Richmond this spring, for 300
books and could send them but 106; how-
ever, I suppose I can gather some few from
other agents to send on to them. Since
then I had a letter from Mr. Moorehead, to
whom I ordered Mr. Bell my Agent at Win-
chester to send what he could spare. And
a few days ago I had a letter from Mason
County, Va., on the Ohio river, for books.
If I now had those books in your State I
could soon dispose of them. We must use
every means in our power to get a third
edition out as early as practicable. I sent
to Baltimore, with Mr. Shacklet, for to see
about a printing press and paper. The types
we have ready to commence with at any
time.
From the above, as well as from a
letter written March 22, 1841, it is evi-
dent that Mr. Funk and his sons were
preparing to print this third edition of
"Genuine Church Music" themselves, at
Singer's Glen. The excerpts following
will show what changes were made in
their plans. The house in building, re-
ferred to above, was likely one of the
additions to the old loom house, which
have been removed in recent years.
October 9, 1841.
In my last letter, I told you, that I
had appointed a day to go to Martinsburg
to purchase a printing press. But as the
demand for my music became so urgent, I
found that we could not possibly get ready
to have an edition out in time to supply the
demands, and consequently hinted to Wart-
man & Way (Harrisonburg printers) that if
they did the job for me on accommodating
terms, I might be induced to let them have
my types towards part pay, and give them
the job to print: the which they were very
anxious to do, and we soon came to an
agreement. They print the edition, for my
music type and $100. And are bound to
bring it out in neat and elegant style;
which is much cheaper than any of the for-
mer editions. Moreover, your brother
Joseph, has the privilege of working with
them, in the office, while it is in print, and
learn the printing business. We are still
going on to build a house for a printing
office, and bindery, so that, when a fourth
edition is wanted, (which in all probability
will not be long) we may be ready.
Joseph Funk was a man of business
as well as a devotee to music and poetry.
April 4, 1842.
As I expect to see you in a few
months, I shall be brief in my letters. How-
ever I think it advisable to put you in mind
to be careful when you go on your journey,
not to expose yourself to the perils of water,
or inclemency of the weather ; but sooner let
your journey be a few days longer, to avoid
danger.
I traded books, (The Confession of Faith)
for Copper Kettles, two of which I intend
for you, when you come to see us, a small
one and a large one: they are very good
kettles, and will not be heavy carriage for
you to take with you when you return to
the Missouri again. I told you before, if I
mistake not, that your Brother Benjamin
will try to be ready for the thimble when
you come.
The proposed visit of Mrs. Kieffer and
her family to Virginia was delayed — was
not made in the summer of 1842. as
contemplated.
SOLOMON FUNK, 1825-1880
October 2, 1842.
Now concerning the music books I
would just say that you will do with them
the best you can. As they unfortunately
fell in the river, of course they are not
worth as much as if that had not happened
them. If you think you are safe in allowing
me $100 for all the music books which Jon-
athan left in the Missouri (147), and those
which you took (103), I am willing to take
it, and let it stand against you as so much
of your inheritance of my estate. If you
think proper to take them at this offer you
588
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
will inform me in your next letter. The
third edition of music is now out, and it is
with difficulty that I can get them bound
fast enough to meet the demands.
These books sold regularly at $i each ;
-occasionally at $1.25, when there was a
scarcity of supply.
February 28, 1843.
I was very much pleased to hear
that John (Kieffer) has undertaken to teach
music. I know it is calculated to instil
into the mind, sentiments of religion and
refined feeling. May the practice of it be
profitable to you, my dear children, both
in this life and in that which is to come.
Persevere in it, and when your Brother
Joseph comes to you, your united efforts in
teaching music, may perhaps be profitable
to you and the country you live in
My third edition is now selling fast, so that
1 doubt not it will be necessary for us to
commence a fourth edition, if spared, by
next fall. In order to do the most of the
work within ourselves — your Brother Tim-
othy is now in Harrisonburg learning the
Bookbinding business.
May 5. 1843.
After a long and cold winter, we are
now enjoying beautiful spring weather,
vegetation comes out very luxuriant, and
seems to promise a fruitful summer. Our
cherry trees are in full bloom, and the apple
trees are just beginning to open — there is a
prospect for a rich crop of fruit. I must
not forget to tell you, that the Flowery
Almond, on Your Mother's grave, is again
opening its beautiful flowers.
It appears that Mrs. Kieffer and her
family paid her father the long-talked-of
visit in the spring of 1844. On their
return they took a steamboat on the
Great Kanawha River, at or near
Charleston, went down the Kanawha to
its mouth, down the Ohio to the Missis-
sippi, then up the Mississippi to St.
Louis ; then, presumably, on the Missis-
sippi to the mouth of the Missouri, and
thence up the Missouri to Saline County
of the young State. The steamboat on
which they took passage at Charleston
was the Utican, and the charge for tak-
ing the Kieffer family and their effects
from that point to St. Louis was $15.00.
The Kieffers were accompanied to
Charleston by Mrs. Kieffer's father,
Joseph Funk, and her brother Timothy.
Returning to Rockingham, the two men
were on the road eight days'. On July
]<> 1S44, some time after their return,
the father wrote his daughter a letter
from which I quote the following:
Our journey was gratifying, in a high de-
gree, to me and to Timothy both. And I
suppose it will be matter of wonder to you
if I tell you that after I (had) seen the
conveniences of travelling in a Steamboat,
I came to a firm conclusion to pay you a
visit, if the Lord spare me yet a few years,
and give me health and strength to ac-
complish the journey: especially so, as more
of my children are going to settle in your
country. I am now making arrangement to
go to Baltimore to have my Scale printed,
which I want to accomplish ere Joseph
starts for the Missouri.
Spotsylvania County, Virginia,
Sunday Morning, Novr. 23, 1845.
You are aware of the fact that my-
self and your brother Timothy are teaching
Music, in the above county, about 100 miles
from home. And as we have eight sing-
ing schools on hand, and sing every day,
exceipt some Sundays, I have but little time
to write else I should have written you ere
this.
By the goodness of God I have enjoyed
more health since I have engaged riding
about, with your brother Timothy, teaching
music, than I did, when in a sedentary state,
I taught school or read my books and wrote.
And as I mean to devote the remnant of
my days, exclusively, to the teaching of
Music, I have, in order to be disencumbered
from other cares of a secular kind, sold my
place to your brothers David and Samuel for
$4000, reserving a room & homestead for
me. About five weeks ago we were at home,
attending to the sale of my property, which
was on the 15 & 16 days of October by pub-
lic sale. I sold off all my personal property
excepting a bed & bed clothes, my books &
secretary Table, chairs one stone & some
other articles. The sale bill amounted to
upwards of $1000. All your sisters and
brothers were at my sale, & I could have
wished that you also were with us!
Myself and Timothy will close our schools
in this place, if nothing prevents, 'by the 12
or 15 of next month. They will be worth
to us about $200 nett. Teaching music, to a
competent teacher, is, in this place, pretty
good business. We are solicited to teach
this side the mountain (east of the Blue
Ridge) next summer, when we expect to
have larger schools than we had this sum-
mer.
Culpeper County Virginia,
Tuesday, October 13, 1846.
I believe I informed you hereto-
fore, that I, and your brother Timothy, have
JOSEPH FUNK
58*
been engaged, for some time, in teaching
music, in these parts; (Old Virginia) but
as Timothy is the Bookbinder, he had to
stay at home, and bind books, as there is a
strong demand for the books at present.
We will soon have to engage in making a
fourth edition. Solomon is now qualified to
print the books; and Timothy binds them
very neatly, and thus our book business may
yet become profitable to us
So soon as we return home and can get
ready I intend going to Philadelphia, ac-
companied by one of your brothers — Tim-
othy or Solomon — to have my Musical Scale
or map printed, and to see about procuring
materials to print a fourth edition of our
music
This trip to Philadelphia was made by
Joseph Funk and his son Solomon the
latter part of January and the first part
of February, 1847. In 1845 or 1846,
Joseph Funk. Jr., instead of going to
Missouri, went to Hampshire County,
Virginia, buying land and settling on it.
His postoffice was North River Mills.
He was thirty miles northwest of Win-
chester and ten or twelve miles east of
Romney. To his home Joseph Funk, Sr.,.
and Solomon Funk went in January 1847,.
to take the train for Philadelphia. They
rode horseback from their home at
Mountain Valley (Singer's Glen) in
Rockingham County, to young Joseph
Funk's home in Hampshire County, a
distance of at least 60 miles, air line;
and then they were still ten or fifteen
miles from the railroad. They boarded
the Baltimore & Ohio train about 14
miles below Cumberland, and young
Joseph Funk took their horses back to
his home and kept them against the re-
turn.
I now give extracts from a letter that
Joseph Funk wrote to Mrs. Kieffer,
March 26, 1847.
Rockingham County, Va., March 26, 1847.
I have had more than a usual share
of business to attend to the past winter; as
I and your Brother Solomon have been to
Philadelphia, to get my Map on Music
JOHN FUNK, 6th SON OF JOSEPH FUNK, BORN IN 1822
The picture shows one of the famous music charts printed in Philadelphia for Joseph Funk in 1847.
The large saddle bags at the right were used by Joseph Funk for carrying his music books. The
other pair of saddle bags shown belonged to Timothy Funk. The violincello was the property of
Solomon Funk.
590
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
printed; as also, to procure type and print-
ing materials to print a fourth edition of
our music. We succeeded in both cases;
but our musical Map we had to get Litho-
graphed or engraved, as it could not well
be printed typographically; neither had
they a press, in Philadelphia, large enough
to print it. It is Lithographed on three
Stones, two for the Map, and a third for the
Moving Scale. It is handsomely done, and
will look splendid by the time it is mounted
and ready for sale. Its usefulness, I doubt
not, will recommend itself to the public, and
thus, by the blessing of God — as it is in
tended to be used in singing His praises —
it may also be a means of emolument to
me; and a -compensation for time and money
spent in getting it out: it will however be
a month or two from this before it will be
fairly ready for sale. Your Brother Solo-
mon is now engaged in setting up type for
the music; and also for a Pamphlet which
is to accompany the Musical Map, to give
instruction how it is to be used. Our print-
ing press, which I bought in Richmond, has
not yet arrived, but we are looking for it
every day — thus we will, gradually, get our
printing establishment erected, ready to
commence printing: and it is high time we
should commence, for our third edition is
nearly sold out Your brother John
has been working at home this winter in the
shop at his trade, and is yet. And before he
leaves he has some work to do for me,
which is to cover the Loom or Spring house,
and build a small end to the Loom house
part, as we intend to convert it to a printing
establishment (and) put up the Loom in the
kitchen : Your Brother Benjamin is
now going to school, where he is learning
Latin Grammar; he seems to be very studi-
ous and making good progress in his
studies, and has improved in the different
branches of learning very much. I judge
he will turn his attention principally to
Medicine: however in a month or two he
will have (to) aid Solomon in the printing
office till he gets through with the fourth
edition
In a letter that Solomon Funk wrote
January 29, 1847. at Philadelphia, to his
brothers John, Timothy, and Benjamin
at home. I find the following:
We found things quite different in regard
to printing to what we expected. Instead of
having the map printed in the ordinary way,
we find that it has to be engraved on Stone
& printed from that, as are all Maps. The
engraving process is much more simple,
however, than you would imagine. The
engraving will cost $65, & printing $8 per
hundred We have been looking for
a printing press, but as yet have made no
purchase. They have been offered to us for
$140 Our travelling expenses (to
Phila.) have been 29 dollars; & our city
expenses will be about $12.
From Solomon's letter we also learn
that he and his father stopped in Phila-
delphia at a private house, that of Mr.
Win. Hopkins.
It is evident from Joseph Funk's let-
ters and memoranda books that he and
his sons got most of their supplies for
their print shop and bindery, at least
early in their business, from Philadel-
phia. There are numerous entries in re-
gard to the purchase of types, paper,
paste-boards, and leather in the far-off
City of Brotherly Love. T.hey used
leather — usually sheepskin — in binding
most of the books they sent out. The
music books had leather only on the
backs and corners; but all the other vol-
umes I have seen from their bindery are
bound in full sheep. There was a paper
mill about twenty miles southwest of
Mountain Valley, on Mossy Creek in
Augusta County ; and I find an entry in
Joseph Funk's little note book, under
date of November 1857, that seems to
refer to a purchase of paper from the
proprietors of that mill — -Sheets, Miller
& Co.
Joseph Funk likely made a trip to
Richmond soon after his return from
Philadelphia, since he speaks of having
purchased his printing press in Rich-
mond. A large screw for the book press
was obtained in Lynchburg. It was
doubtless the same sort of screw as was
commonly used at Lynchburg and other
market towns of Southern Virginia in
the tobacco presses. This screw seems
to have been brought by water from
Lynchburg to Scottsville, the latter place
being on the James River in the southern
corner of Albermarle County; and from
Scottsville it was hauled in a wagon the
reamining seventy or eighty miles, across
Piedmont, Virginia, the Blue Ridge, and
the Valley, to Singer's Glen. The screw
and the nut into which it fits, cost $25.00.
I use the present tense ; for this old screw
may still be found at Singer's Glen. Only
a few days ago I saw it there, forming a
part of the old book press that Father
JOSEPH FUNK
591
Funk's son John made more than sixty
years ago. That skilled workman him-
self, now nearly ninety years old, walked
brisklv with me around the house and
showed me the massive oak frame,
equipped with the iron screw, standing
under an apple tree, where it was last
used to make cider.
The music map or scale, frequently
referred to above, was a large chart,
with a movable zone, used to illustrate
and explain the transposition of the
musical scales. In size it was about 35
to 55 inches. On my recent visit to
Singer's Glen, a number of these charts
were brought forth from some secure
resting place by Mr. Wm. C. Funk, one
of the accomplished grandsons of Father
Funk. I value very highly the copy of
this chart presented to me. I am only
sorry that it did not prove as profitable
to the publisher as he had fondly, hoped.
Now a few more extracts from the
letters of Father Funk to his daughter in
Missouri.
Rockingham County, Virginia,
July 17, 1847.
Solomon & Benjamin are printing a
fourth edition of our music; and are bring-
ing it out in the most splendid and elegant
manner, far superior to any of the former
editions. We have converted the loomhouse
to a Printing office, and built a shed to the
porch end for the Bindery, and we are
handsomely fixed. Myself and Timothy have
seven singing schools on hand. We have,
at this time, a short vacation, but next
Tuesday, if the Lord will, we will have to
take charge of our schools again
October 24, 1847.
A few days ago myself and your
brother Timothy returned home from our
singing schools, east of the Blue Ridge,
having closed them all for this season. We
had seven schools and did a pretty good
business Solomon and Benjamin
were wanted at home to print the fourth
edition of our music, (with which we are
now nearly through, with the printing; and
now Timothy and Benjamin must be busily
employed in binding them.) We have
now orders for books, which to supply, will
take at least 500 copies. Moreover John
will have to be engaged, for some time, in
mounting the Musical Maps. And so soon
as a quantity of books are bound, and maps
mounted, some of your brothers will have
to take them out to their destined places to
sell.
Janr. 15, 1848.
We have printed our fourth edition
of music, and bound about 500 copies the
most of which are now out among our
agents. We have also printed a Key to the
Map or General Scale of the Scales of
Music; and your Brother Solomon is now
engaged in printing a book for a Gentleman
in Giles County, which will be a profitable
job for us. Your brother Timothy is still
engaged in binding, and your brother Ben-
jamin is going to school at present study-
ing the Latin language, but he will in a
few weeks have to help Solomon to print.
Your brother John is engaged in Mounting
and Varnishing the Musical Maps. After
we get through with printing the job now
on hand we intend printing Sturms Re-
flections— by subscription for which we are
now taking Subscribers names; in all prob-
ability we will get a large number of Sub-
scribers.
It apears, from the foregoing state-
ments, under the respective dates, that
most of the year 1847 was occupied with
setting up the equipment and getting out
the fourth edition of "Genuine Church
Music." Beginning with this edition, the
remaining editions of the book, up to and
including the final 17th edition, were
printed and bound in the little log print-
ery and annexes at Mountain Valley,
now Singer's Glen. The first edition,
printed at Winchester, was 4000 vol-
umes ; the second edition, printed at the
same place, was 8000 volumes ; the third
edition, printed and bound at Harrison-
burg, was 12,000 volumes. The editions
bronght out at Singer's Glen, according
to the statement of Mr. John Funk, were
of 4000 and 5000 volumes each. Basing
a calculation, therefore, upon the mini-
mum numbers, the total number of copies
of this single book, in its seventeen edi-
tions, must have aggregated no less than
80,000.
I find, from letters and other records,
that Joseph Funk and his sons taught
singing classes in no less than ten
counties of Virginia, outside of Rocking-
ham, namely: Shenandoah, Augusta,
Spotsylvania, Green, Madison. Orange,
Culpeper. Page, Nelson and Hampshire.
This was by the year 1858. Possibly
they had classes also in Albermarle. In
a letter written by Father Funk from
Spotsylvania County to his children at
592
III I : I'KXXSYLVANIA-GERMAN
home, under date of August 23. [845. I
find the following passage:
I have been solicited by a Student from the
university at Charlottesville, to come here
to teach. He was 5 days at our schools,
and acknowledged that the singing was
superior to that at the university; it is
likely, if the Lord will, that we will take a
school there next summer others in its
vicinity : this however I do not wish to be
or blazed as it might savor
boasting which is not expedient and of
which 1 disapprove.
A few words in the ahove are worn
off of the manuscript, but their sense can
easily be supplied from the context.
At one other place I found some in-
timation that some teaching might have
been done at Charlottesville. \\ nether
it was actually so or not. I have not thus
far been able to determine. Charlottes-
ville, the seat of the State University, is
in Albermarle County.
Funk's books were sold, as I find by
the records, not only in the counties
named above, where classes were con-
ducted, but also in the following:
Greenbrier, Randolph, Monroe, Boone,
Bath, Preston, Upshur, Floyd, Mercer,
Barbour, King George. Harrison. Lewis.
Buckingham. Washington. Raleigh.
Frederick. Louisa, Fairfax. Botetourt.
Appomattox, and Pocahontas: several
of these now being in West Virginia ; in
the following cities and towns of impor-
tance :
Richmond, Lynchburg, Lexington,
Christiansburg, Lewisburg, and in Co-
lumbus, Ohio; and in the following
States, outside of Virginia :
Georgia, Illinois, Ohio, Maryland,
North Carolina, Indiana, Pennsylvania,
Iowa, Missouri, and Canada West.
All this by 1858.
Apparently, the best individual buyer
of the Funk music books from 1856 to
1858 was Charles Beazley, of Crawford-
ville, Taliaferro County, Georgia.
It will be observed that Joseph Funk
and his sons no sooner had their estab-
lishment equipped for printing and bind-
ing their music books than they also be-
gan to print and bind other books. The
book that was being printed for the
gentleman of Giles County, in January
[848, is mentioned above in the extract
from one of the letters, as is also the
project for getting out Sturm's Reflec-
tions. This project was carried success-
fully to completion, for I have before me
one of the volumes, an octavo of 490
pages, printed in 1X48. In 1849 the
Funks bound a i6mo volume of 476
pages, printed in Harrisonburg by J. H.
Wartman & Brothers, entitled ''Sketches
on a Tour Through the Northern and
Eastern States, The Canadas and Nova
Scotia," by J. C. Myers, of New Hope,
Ya. The second edition of the now
famous Kercheval's History of the Val-
ley of Virginia was printed about 1850,
at Woodstock; and I am informed that
these books were bound at Mountain
Valley. On January 6, 1857, Joseph
Funk made an entry in his little book to
the effect that he had written "to Revd.
Joseph A. Seiss, No. 120 German St.,
Near Green, Baltimore, Md., & sent him
proof sheet &c." They must have been
doing some printing for Dr. Seiss. Later
in 1857 the Funks seem to have printed
3000 copies of some book for Geo.
Hendrickson, of Midway, Craig County,
Virginia, for which they were to receive
$800.00. And so on. Enough examples
have been given to show the rapid de-
velopment and wide scope of their book
publishing and book binding business.
In July 1859 Joseph Funk and Sons
began the publication of a periodical. It
was a 16-page monthly magazine, en-
titled. "The Southern Musical Advocate
and Singer's Friend." In a little while
the subscribers to the Advocate were
numbered by the hundreds, as one may
see by the printed lists of names in the
successive issues ; and were to be found
in all parts of the surrounding country.
Twenty-one issues of this magazine were
printed, the last appearing in March
1861 ; then the war came, and for awhile
destruction and chaos. The publication
of the Advocate was resumed in 1867,
and continued for a year or more. It
was the nercursor of the Musical Million,
a monthly magazine started at Singer's
Glen in January 1870. This magazine is
JOSEPH FUNK
593
still being published, the enterprise hav-
ing been transferred, with the related
publishing interests, from Singer's Glen
to Dayton, ten miles southwest, in 1878.
At Dayton the work begun at Singer's
Glen by Joseph Funk & Sons is being
carried on by their descendants in the
Ruebush-Kieffer Company and the Rue-
bush-Elkins Company, which are among
the best known publishing houses,
especially as regards music publications,
in the Southern States.
Among the contributors to the Musi-
cal Advocate in 1859, i860, and 1861
were two men that are today counted
among the foremost poets, scholars and
literary men of the Shenandoah Valley:
one of these was Joseph Salyards, al-
ready distinguished as a teacher, poet,
and scholar, and later more famous still
as the head master of a great school at
New Market ; the other was young
Aldine Kieffer, Joseph Funk's grandson
— son of that daughter to whom the
elegant letters of Father Funk were writ-
ten from 1837 to 1848.
Joseph Funk died December 24, 1862;
and we end this sketch of him as we
began, by terming him the Father of
Sung in Northern Virginia. He began
his publication of the Harmonia Sacra
when he had to have the printing done
sixty miles away, and the binding more
than forty miles away from his own
place of work. He set up a printing
press and bindery of his own when he
had to get the press at Richmond, 120
miles away; the book press screw at
Lynchburg, 100 miles away; and most of
his printers supplies from Philadelphia,
240 miles away; and all this when the
nearest point on the railroad was 100
miles away. He and his sons taught
hundreds of singing classes all over
Northern Virginia, and to his school at
Singer's Glen young men came to study
from various places distant many miles.
His publications were sent all over Vir-
ginia, and to a dozen other States; and
his work is being perpetuated in the
music school and collegiate institute at
Dayton, as well as in the publishing
houses there already named. If any fur-
ther justification of the term applied to
Joseph Funk were needed, it might be
found in the following incident :
A year or two ago the writer of this
paper asked a dozen competent judges to
GRAVE OF JOSEPH FUNK, JUST TO RIGHT OF THE LARGE CEDAR
594
TH E I'KXXSY LVAXIA-GERMAN
elecl the twelve leading singers and
musicians of Rockingham County, and
to name in addition others deemed
worthy of mention. About eighty differ-
ent men and women were named. Joseph
Funk's name was first on most of the
lists, and when the elect twelve were
fixed upon, one was found to be Joseph
Funk's son, another his grandson, two
others his great-grandsons, and nearly all
the rest direct or remote descendants.
Of the large number receiving honorable
mention, a large proportion were persons
who were kin to him by blood or had
felt the influence of his work.
( hie of the most popular diversions
in Rockingham and adjacent counties
today is to have "old folks' singings,"
in which the Harmonia Sacra is used.
Fre"ssen. — Pastor Gustav Frenssen, who
has been called "the German Dickens," is
the most significant figure in recent German
literature. It was a great day for Germany
when "Jorn Uhl" became a "best seller."
Talking of his art, the Pastor said: "I take
a model and let my imagination play about
his character, putting in bits of other people,
and of myself." I asked him whether he
enjoyed writing.
"Most of the time," he answered, "it is a
species of torture. I work very slowly, and
it hurts. But sometimes the pen begins to
run along smoothly, and then I actually get
some aesthete satisfaction from it — this
morning, for example, when I was writing
about a little child at play. Mine is such a
wearing occupation that I have to take it
easily (so ganz gemiitlilich). I write three
or four hours of a morning, but every half-
hour I jump up and pay a visit to my gar-
den or my wife. I can't hold out longer
than that on one stretch (Langer kann ich's
nicht auslialten). It takes me three years
to write a novel, and I always do it over
twice. There's one good thing about me,
though. As a pastor, I learned not to mind
interruptions."
"But sometimes," his wife put in, "he' is
so far out of himself that nothing could in-
terrupt him. Once when he was writing
'Die Sandgrafin,' I heard a loud voice in the
study. I peeped. There he stood by the
desk, with clenched fists, pleading with
Thorbeeken, his villain: 'Xow, Thorbeeken,
don't be such a selfish old brute, or I fear
I'll have to drive you over the cliff!'"
Frenssen laughed with great appreciation.
"I remember, too," she went on, "that
a tier writing the death of his hero in 'Hil-
ligenlei' he was so used up (angegriffen)
that he could do nothing for a week after-
ward."
"How could you make your African war
story such a convincing piece of realism,"
I asked, "without ever having left Ger-
many?"
"I'll tell you," he said. "When I was
planning 'Peter Moor's Fahrt,' I invited vet-
erans of the African war to come and visit
me, and I pumped them drier than ever vet-
eran was pumped before. I developed a
question-technic all my own. Suppose they
were marching through a certain district:
"'How did the soil look?' I would ask my
veteran.
" 'Brownish yellow.'
" 'How deep were the ruts of the caisson
wheels?'
" 'Ten centimeters.'
" 'Did you walk in the wheel-rut?'
" 'Xo. '6utside.'
'"Why '
" 'It was wet in the rut,' etc.
"In collecting such material, everything
depends on what you ask, and how you ask
it, and how much imaginative endurance
you have.
"I believe my books succeeded because I
was a pastor for thirteen yars and came to
know so intimately the soul of all sorts of
people — also because I love those souls so
well. I prefer to talk Low German with a
longshoreman from Dithmarschen than to
talk with any one else in the world. He is
my real affinity. Aged widows and young
maidens have turned their hearts inside out
to me, and have shown me quite marvelous
things. And nothing pleases me more than
to have the old country people visit me and
call me Gustav. Most German novelists live
a life apart from their kind, writing about
castles, and high society, and extraordinary
people and events; but I think my books
have appealed to people because they are
simple and true and come straight from the
heart." — Robert Haven SchaufHer. in the
Outlook.
595
The Germans in Maine
By Garrett W. Thompson, University of Maine, Orono, Maine
THE SETTLEMENT AT BROAD BAY
ER sichtbare Erfolg, den
Penn mit der Besiedlung
seiner Kolonie durch deut-
sche Protestanten errang,
sowie die gleichfalls erfolg-
reiche Besiedlung eines
Theiles von Virginien
durch Deutsche unter der
Aegide des Gouverneurs Spottswood, zu
Anfang des achtzehnten Jahrhunderts,
liessen die Grundbesitzer in den iibrigen
brittischen Kolonien auch ihr Augen-
merk nach Deutschland richten, urn von
dorther gleichfalls kraftige Bauern und
fleissige Arbeiter fur ihre ungeheuren,
aber wilden, Landstrecken zu gewinnen.
— Nur die Neu England Staaten hielten
sich noch geraume Zeit von dieser
Bewerbung um deutsche Kolonisten fern,
wenn auch bereits im ersten Quartale des
vorigen Jahrhunderts und friiher schon
einzelne deutsche Handwerker und
Kaufleute sich in den grosseren Stadten
Neu Englands niedergelassen batten."1
One of the most prominent of these Ger-
man merchants was Johnathan Waldo, -
who established himself in Boston and
whose son, Samuel,3 was destined to play
a large part in the development of the
settlement at Broad Bay.
JDer deutsche Pionier Vol. XIV. p. 7. H. A.
Rattermann's article entitled "Gesehichte <les deut-
sehen Elements in Staate Maine. Dessen Ursprung,
Entwickelung und Verfall, vom Jahre 1739 bis zur
Gegenwart."
-•Johnathan Waldo was bom inPommerania, of an
old Swedish-Pommeranian family of nobility. His
father was an officer in the Swedish service; his
grandfather a colonel in the army of Gustavus
Adolphus. The original name was "von Waldow,"
but Jonathan took the shorter form. He became a
merchant in a Hamburg house and came to America
in 1690, where he established himself as one of the
first ship owners. His business took him often to
England and Germany. Tie died in 1731. The
family belongs even now to the first circles of nobility
in Prussia; its seat is in Brandenburg.
"Samuel Waldo (1696-1759) was burn in London
according to Eaton, Annals of Warren, p. 109 (tho
Drake, Diet, of Am. Bieg.. p. 947, savs lie was born
in Boston). His mother was also of German descent.
The influence of Boston even in those days was for
culture and refinement, and young Waldo enjoyed the
While the Plymouth Council was in
possession of the "Great Charter for
New England" they made several grants
of lands within the district of Maine,
among which was the Muscongus or
Lincolnshire patent.4 The lands herein
included represented an area of 30 miles
square and lay between the Muscongus
and Penobscot rivers.5 On the second of
March, 1630, these domains were
granted by patent to John Beauchamp of
London, and Thomas Leverett, of Bos-
ton. England. A fifth part of all the
gold and silver ore found on the premises
was reserved for the King, and govern-
mental rights were retained ; in other re-
spects, however, the powers of the hold-
ers were unlimited. During the same
year Ashley and Peirce, agents of the
patentees, came with mechanics and
laborers and established a trading post
benefit nf such an environment. From his father and
in the Latin school he received some instruction but
his education came mostly from men and things. At
18 he was clerK for his father, and later joined his
brother, Cornelius, in a business of fish, naval stores,
provisions and lumber, obtaining cargoes from the
eastern part of the Province, which they exported to
Europe and the West Indies. These transactions
gave them early and extensive acquaintance with
Maine: getting land at low figures they thus acquired
the strong influence of landholders; in Falmouth also
they were large proprietors. Waldo attended Har-
vard College and was later sent to Germany to com-
plete his education. There he entered the body-guard
of the Elector of Hannover, and when the latter
came to England as George T. Waldo accompanied
him in that regiment to London and remained there
until 1714, being advanced to the rank of major.
When he came to Boston to assume his di
father's business the King named him "Colonel of
the militia of Mass. Bay." At the outbreak of the
Spanish war in 1744 he was made Brigadier- Gen
eral of the New England troops, and was a leader in
the expedition against Louisburg, which he took bj
storm. Tn business he was energetic and progressive,
putting life into his enterprises, and is sairl to have
crossed the ocean 15 times. He was of commanding
presence, tall, stout, and of dark complexion. His
portrait bangs in the picture gollery of Bowdoin
College. He was married in 1 72'.! to Lnev Wain-
wright of Ipswich, who died in 17 11. leaving five
children.
4Coll. Maine Hist. Soc, Vol. IX. p. 777. series I,
"Gen. Sam. Waldo," by Will.
5Rev. Dr. Pohlman, "The German Colony and
Luheran Church in Maine."
596
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
on St. George's river (within the present
site of Thomaston). This settlement
was broken up by the first Indian war,
and from 1678 the whole region lay
desolate for nearly 40 years. On the
death of Beauchamp Leverett acquired
sole possession of the tract. Through
him the patent descended to his son,
Governor Leverett, of Mass., and in 1719
to President John Leverett of Harvard
College, the great-grandson of the
original holder. Leverett associated with
himself in the ownership at first 9 and
later in addition 20 others, who came to
be known as the ''30 proprietors." But
while this distribution of ownership re-
lieved individual responsibility, and the
erection of block houses offered security
against the ever dangerous Indians, great
inconveniences came to the owners
through an officer of the Province. David
Dunbar, who went by the titles of "Sur-
veyor General of the King's Woods" and
"Lord Governor of Sagadhoe." With
peculiar disregard of the rights of
patentees he claimed a reservation of all
the pine trees in Maine having a diameter
of over two feet for masts for the British
navy ; he drove the lumbermen from
their horses, seized their timber and
burned their saw-mills. His misde-
meanors led to an investigation and a
determination on the part of the outraged
patentees to send an agent to England to
secure redress. That agent was Samuel
Waldo, "a gentleman from Boston," who
prosecuted the case before the English
government with great vigor. As a re-
sult, Dunbar" was deprived of his ex-
traordinary commission, but he remained
surveyor for 9 or to years longer. For
his valuable and successful services
Waldo received one half of the whole
grant, and continued to be identified with
the fortunes of the settlement until his
death.
There is no doubt that the frequent
attacks of the Indians retarded the de-
velopment of these lands, and the settle-
ment in si line localities was slow as well
as meagre. R. H. Gardiner7 says :
"Eaton. "Annals of Warren," ]>. 50.
"Coll. Min Mist. So.'., Vol. II. p. 279, "Hist, of
Kennelii '" 1 'uivliase . "
"From depositions preserved in the (Ken-
nebec) Company's records it appears that
in 1728 there was only one family at Long
Reach (now Bath) and all the country from
Damariscotta Mills to the ocean was a
wilderness. The difficulty of obtaining
settlers when the expectation of sudden
wealth had subsided and no inducement
existed but the grant of a fruitful soil re-
quiring patient labor and promising slow
returns was very great — Europe had no
surplus population, since the wars had
decimated the people."
On the other hand, the fisheries which
had been actively and successfully de-
veloped by the Plymouth colonists hast-
ened the occupation of the Muscongus
grant. And Eaton8 writes: "In 1730-1
there were 150 families and from 900 to
1000 inhabitants between the Muscongus
and the Kennebec."
Waldo was interested not only in these
land speculations but in the introduction
of settlers as well. In 17329 he had his
possessions divided into severalty; care-
ful surveys were made and extensive
preparations instituted for colonization.
In these enterprises he was not alone,,
however, for in 1733-4, when peace
brought more settled conditions, the gov-
ernment and other proprietors began also
to center their interest on this region
and its colonial possibilities.10 The
Irish1' had been brought there by Dun-
bar and his friends; the English and
New Englanders by Thomas Drowne
and other proprietary aspirants of the
Pemaquid grant, while the German ele-
ment came (later) through Waldo and
the Muscongus patentees. But Waldo's
first transactions were, with Scotch-Irish
immigrants, not with Germans. In 173312
and 1735-6 Irish Protestants of Scotch
descent located in the upper and lower
towns of St. George's and on the land
near its mouth ; the English settled
Medumcook (now Friendship). On
April 13th, 1735, 27 families13 of this
same stock made a contract with Waldo
to settle at Broad Bay; in the following
BEaton, "Annals of Warren," p. 50.
"Der deutsche Pion.. Vol. 14, p. 9. Also Coll.
Maine Hist. Soc, V. VI, p. 322.
"Eaton's Annals, p. 50.
" Williamson, "History of Maine," Vol. II, p. 234.
'-Tl.i.l.
lsEaton's Annals, p. 56.
THE GERMANS IN MAINE
597
year, however, they located not at that
place but chiefly on the St. George
River ; in fact, the colony at Broad Bay
always remained predominantly German.
These settlers contributed zeal and
energy to their task ; they set about
promptly to build houses, which were
constructed of boards from Waldo's
mill. The cellars were unwalled and
reached through a trap door in the main
room ; in addition also to these discom-
forts they were continually exposed to
the attacks of marauding Indians, and
they as well as the ^attle which some of
them had brought suffered14 in no small
degree from the intense cold. S. G.
Drake, the historian, says : "The winter
of 1736-7 was especially hard on the
poor ; many died from its severity, and
sermons were preached on this subject."
Meanwhile, however, Waldo was not in-
sensible to the larger needs of the com-
munity ; he started a lime kiln15 at this
time (later there were two), and his
saw mill, put up in 1735, met an urgent
need.
But with it all, he felt and saw the
need of a larger . agricultural16 popula-
tion, and it was this need which prompted
him in great measure to seek and pro-
mote the immigration of Germans.
In a letter17 to Secretary Popple, Bos-
ton, Aug. 19, 1730, Col. Dunbar states:
"Since I began this letter great Numbers
of people inclined to settle to the Eastward
have been with me, they were informed in
towne that I am to begin but at Penobscott
and that I can give them noe title to ye
Lands I lay out and — they can have no Gov-
ernment— but what must de derived from a
place at a very great distance. It is now the
29th of Aug., 3 days agoe there arrived here
a ship belonging to this towne from Amster-
dam with 230 pallatines, by their contract
bound to Pensilvania, they were much
crowded in ye ship which occasioned the
"Ibid., p. 61.
15Sewall (The Ancient Dominions of Maine, p. 26fl)
says that Robert Mclntyre discovered the properties
of the lime rock in this region and made the kiln.
Gov. Pownal in his Journal says: "General Wa'do
caused the manufacture of lime to be begun near St.
George's in 1734." (Coll. Maine Hist. Sist. Soc,
Vol. V, p. 375, series I). It is probable that Mc-
lntyre was in Waldo's employ at the kiln.
18A. B. Faust. "The German Element in the U.
S.." Vol. I, p. 249.
"Coll. Maine Hist. Soc, Vol. XI, p. 36 seq.,
series 11 .
death of some, & ye want of watre brought
them in here, the Master complained to Mr.
Belcher that the passengers forcd him in,
which the Governor told me was an Act of
piracy, the poor people being frightened
with threats to be prosecuted accordingly
by the Master and Owner, have been obliged
to give up the obligations they had in write-
ing to be put on shore at Philadelphia
whither some of the familys & Acquaintance
had been before them, and where by con-
tract they were to be Allowed 3 Months time
to pay for their passage, and are landed
here & exposed to Sale like Negroes, and are
purchasing by a Company of Mr. Waldoes
proprietors to be planted where the pine
Swamps are in Shepscot river to ye East-
ward of Kennebeck; I begged Mr. Belcher
to see that these poor creatures were not
abused but he is gone to New Hampshire
GOd help them they have a poor chance for
justice — I am told that the Magistrate of
this towne refused to lett the pallatines be
landed here, they are yctt u>pon Island 4
miles from the towne where quarentine is
performed, and are to be put on board the
Same Vessel & sent to Philadelphia, it would
be a fine opportunity to furnish such a num
ber of people to Nova Scotia."
In a letter18 of October 21 he con-
tinues ;
"The poor pallatines mentioned in my
former letter to you are begging about
towne, it would move any other people to
see them, no dyeing Criminals look more
piteously, they were bound to Pensilvania
but brought in here as I formerly mentioned
where they are likely to perish this winter."
There is also a communication19 of P.
Yorke and C. Talbot dated August 11,
173 1, as follows :
"And therefore u'pon a Representation to
His Majesty in Council that some Protes-
tants from Ireland and from the Palatinate
were desirous to Settle upon the said Tract
of Land lying between the rivers St. Croix
and Kennebeck, extending about 180 Miles
in length on the Sea Coast, His Majesty di-
rected that His Surveyor of the Lands in
Nova Scotia should assign them land ac-
cording to their desire, which he according
ly did about a year ago, and several Familys
are now Settled thereon & improving the
same, which were afterwards to be ratified
to them."
Although no importations of Germans
were made en gros until later, still in
view of Waldos early and active interest
in immigration matters and the above
"Ibid., pp. 65-66.
'"Ihid., p. 117.
59S
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
reference of Dunbar to him it is not un-
likely that some of these "pallatines"
found their way to this region (Maine).
Such an assumption would explain a
somewhat unclear statement of William-
son,20 who after mentioning the settle-
ments of 1733 and 1735-6 at St. Georges
and Broad Bay. chiefly by the Irish and
English, says that "Accessions( of Ger-
mans) were made in 40 to the plantation
at Broad Bay," basing his assertion, in a
footnote, on a MS. letter of Mr. Ludwig.
During his many visits to Europe
Waldo was untiringly active in inducing
emigrants to join his settlements. With
.such purpose he went to Germany in
173821 spread circulars among the people
with most alluring notices and promises,
making at the same time arrangements
for the transportation of all who might
accept his offer. The results of his
efforts are embodied in the following
citations.
"There22 were two or three families at
Broad Bay in 1739 and accessions were made
in 40." "A 2Rfew emigrants located at Broad
Bay, supposed to have come in the summer
or autumn of 39 on a vessel which brought
letters of marque and reprisal from the King
of England against the subjects of Spain."
"In 2440 and 41-2 other families came from
Brunswick and Saxony, tempted by the im-
posing offers of Waldo." "A 25few families
came in 39; the next year more; by 60
nearly 1000." "Germans2i;came from Bruns-
wick and Saxony in 40." "To Waldoboro,27
Maine, 40 or more families of Germans had
been decoyed by nattering promises, which
were never fulfilled, as early as 1740."
"Waldoboro, 2S plantation name Broad Bay,
was inhabited by the Germans and perhaps
a few Irish as early as 17.40." "Accessions29
were made to Broad Bay in 40." "In°'n 40
Waldo succeeded in inducing 40 families to
"II 1st. of Maine, Vol. II, p. 285.
aEaton's Annals of Warren, p. 62. Also Der
deutsche Pionier, XIV. p. 9.
--Rev. .Mm w. Starman in a letter to Wm, Willis
An- 81, 1848.
"The German Colon? and the Lutheran Church in
Maine, bv Rev. Dr. Pohlman.
"in's Annals of Warren, p. 65.
--Hist, skodi of the Moravian Mission in Maine
by John W. Jordan.
Ancient Dominions of Maine, by R. K Sewall
p. 269.
-7Hist. of the Evang. Luth. Cr. in the U. S., by
Henry E. Jacobs (Am. Ch. Hist. Series).
^Williamson, "Hist, of Maine, p 393
"Ibid., p. 285.
"oRattermann in "Der deutsche Pionier," Vol. XIV
p. 9.
come." "In the promises1' of 40 Waldo gave
lots of 100 acres, 25 rods in front and run-
ning bach into the wilderness 2 miles." "In
174():;- he succeeded in persuading 40
families from Brunswick and Saxony to ac-
cept his offers to form a colony at Broad
Bay. They settled on both sides of the
Medomak river, but lived in poor circum-
stances until a larger number joined them.
They did not understand the art of fishing
and complained much of disappointment in
their expectations."
As Williamson's History of Maine ap-
peared in 1832, the foregoing statements,
all of which are later, are based on his
findings, while he in turn refers33 to the
MS. letters of M. R. Ludwig as author-
ity. Even Ratterman's assertion rests on
a similar one in Coll. Maine Hist. Soc,
Vol. VI, p. i>22 (series I), which goes
back to Williamson as source.33* In
speaking, however, of the arrival of the
colonists of 42 Rattermann says : "Von34
den wenigen deutschen Familien, welche
bereits bier angesiedelt waren, Braun-
schweiger und Sachsen, wurden sie mit
grossen Jubel aufgenommen." The evi-
dences of a settlement in 40 at Broad Bay
are therefore to the above extent clearly
established.
But Waldo soon discovered that the
business of immigration, if properly
attended to, would require more atten-
tion at home and abroad than he could
personally bestow upon it ; he therefore
engaged Sebastian Zuberbuhler35 to act
as agent for him, and we find him in the
Palatinate in the year 1741 working for
31Rev. Dr. Pohlman, as above.
"-Eaton's Annals of Warren, p. 62.
^Williamson, p. 285.
sx* Williamson's Work (1832). while it antedates
other published histories of Maine, is itself preceded
by the manuscript data of Cyrus Eaton, which the
latter embodied later (1851) in his "Annals of War-
ren."
34Der deutsche Pionier, Vol. XIV, p. 59.
-•Sebastian Zuberbuhler (or Zeuberbuhler) was
probably born at Linden in the Canton Appenzell,
Switzerland. He was sent in 1734 to S. Carolisa to
make investigations for settlements there. He asso-
ciated himself with one Simon, a ship owner of
Rotterdam, and a Swiss. T&chiffefi, in a plan to
establish a colony of Appenzell Swiss on the Santee
river near the border of X. Carolina, having acquired
a large grant of land from English land owners. It
is not known if he really founded the colony of New
Apppenzell. Begide his career as Waldo's agent he
was at one time a magistrate of Luneburg (Lunen-
burg) in Nova Scotia, and when he died was in
good financial circumstances, as appears from the in-
ventory of bis and his daughter's possessions given
by Des Brisay (Hist, of the Co. of Luneburg, pp.
69-72 1 .
THE GERMANS IN MAINE
599
the colonization of the Broad Bay settle-
ment. Given ample freedom in his
methods and movements, Zuberbuhler
lived in Speyer at the hotel "zum golden-
en Loweii" and caused to be distributed
through the Palatinate a recruiting
pamphlet, which he had had printed en-
titled : "Kurtze Beschreibung derer
Landschafft Massachusetts Bay in Neu
England Absonderlich dess Landstrichs
an der Breyten Bay so dem Koniglichen
Britischen Obristen, Samuel Waldo,
Erbherrn der Breyten Bay, zugehorig,
sampt denen Hauptbedingungen nacher
welchen sich fremde Protestanten daselb-
sten ansiedeln mogen. Speyer. 1741." It
is signed by both Waldo and Zuberbuh-
ler under date of July 14. During the
ensuing winter Zuberbuhler was not idle,
for he got together more than 200 per-
sons from Palatine and Wirtembergian
families, most of whom were in good
financial circumstances, among whom
also were many Lutherans, who on ac-
count of the coalition30 between the Re-
formed adherents and the Catholics in
the Palatinate found more joy than sor-
row in leaving thus their native land.
Zuberbuhler "had designated Mannheim
as the rendez-vous of the emigrants, and
in March of the following year (42) a
party from Speyer under his personal
leadership assembled there; they were
soon joined by another party from Wirt-
emberg. They reached Mulheim below
Cologne in safety but great difficulty was
experienced in securing ships and they
were obliged to remain there several
weeks, so that the middle of June was at
hand before they could proceed. Again
in Rotterdam vexatious delays were en-
countered, and the emigrants lost thus
the best time of the year. That they felt
these inconveniences is evident from the
fact that about 30 of them forsook the
expedition and embarked for Pennsyl-
vania ; some returned home, and many
young men joined the English army in
service. Thorugh these depletions the
number of emigrants fell to 150-160.
Finally they left Rotterdam early in
August on the "Lydia," and on the 18th
gained the open sea. It is probable from
a letter of Zuberbuhler that they sailed
north of Scotland to avoid French and
Spanish privateers who infested the
waters along the sea coast.37 At length
Marblehead was reached in October,
where a brief stay was made. Waldo
had foreseen the necessity of making a
good impression on these newcomers, for
he wished them to write home favorably
and thus advertise his subsequent emi-
gration plans. Accordingly he met them
at Marblehead with Governor Shirley,
several Assemblymen and an interpreter,
A. Keller. After being cordially greeted
and entertained the Germans proceeded
on their way under the escort of Waldo
and Zuberbuhler, stopping at St George's
to land some Scotch passengers. They
then sailed, on a November day. into the
mouth of the Medomak, where in Broad
Bay a few huts stood to mark the site of
their new home.38
The experience which lay before the
settlers of 42 was marked by intense
physical and mental suffering. To be
sure, their meeting with the Germans
who had preceded them must have been
pleasant in the extreme; but when the
first greetings were exchanged and a
moment of reflection came two facts
stood forth only too clearly, that their
new environment had been falsely rep-
resented to them and that they were help-
less to cope with the crude realities of
this veritable wilderness. They realized
at once that precious time had been
wasted in these long delays en route, for
the winter which soon set in was un-
usually severe, "wie39 er nie zuvor in der
Gegend beobachtet worden war." The
huts which had been hastily put together
for their shelter had neither windows
nor chimneys. Their clothing, already
worn and scanty, was utterly insufficient
for the low temperature of that region.
They could not sow until the next spring;
hence their supplies had to be brought
from Boston. But they could not fetch
36Bericht von der Pfaltzischen Kirehenhistorie,
chaps. 13 and 14, by B. G. Strove.
■~ I > * ■ i- deutsche Tinnier. Vol. XIV. p. ."it seq.
--A. B. Faust, The German Element in tin: U. S.,
Vol. I, p. 250.
3nDer deutsehe Pionier, Vol. XIV, p. 60.
600
THE PENNS YLVANIA-GERMAN
these themselves, and their money had
already been spent for sustenance during
the long detentions in the Netherlands.
However willing their compatriots might
have been to render assistance they were
also desperately poor and suffering from
the fevers to which unacclimated settlers
were easily exposed. When we consider
furthermore, that they could not speak
English and were therefore segregated
from all intercourse with their Anglo-
Saxon neighbors ; that coming from the
interior they were not accustomed to
shore life ; that they had different ideas
of meadow, glebe, woods, tide, land, etc.,
as applied to sea coast regions ; that the
land, covered with trees and dense
undergrowth, seemed incapable of culti-
vation ; that wharves, mills, and other
paraphernalia of civilization were lack-
ing; that they did not understand the art
of fishing, an occupation so necessary in
those meagre times ; that the beasts and
savages of the forests deterred them
from hunting; when we consider, in ad-
dition to these untoward conditions, that
the country itself was as bleak and deso-
late as the sea, it is small wonder that
discontent and disappointment reigned
among these colonists.
Their feed for the winter consisted of
pickled pork40 and beef, with "Roggen,"
which their countrymen shared with
them. Meal was ground at home with
such devices as were at hand.
They had brought with them a learned
and pious minister, Philipp Gottfried
Kast41 and an educated physician, Fried-
rich Kurtz42 ; also a school teacher and a
surveyor. These men were of no small
comfort to the settlers during the joyless
experience of that memorable winter.
Zuberbuhler43 remained with them until
4nIbid., p. 61.
41Ibid., p. 54.
4:Dr. Jacob Friedrich Kurtz (later Cur this) ap-
pears in divers crooked transactions. Dr. Kast had
a note against Zuberbuhler for 1000 Gulden; the lat-
ter denied the debt. Kurtz \v;is frilled as unmpire
by the disputants and getting the note thus in his
possession is said to have altered Zuberbuhler's in-
terest, so that Kast lost his claim. The matter comes
before the court and Kurtz had to leave the country
in flight. He is also said to have cheated a Boston
merchant, named Baumgarten, out of a lot of goods.
In New York (where he appears as Curtius) he
defrauded a land owner of his lands, substituting his
December, then went to Boston and was
never seen by tliem again.
One episode44 stands out less painfully
in the life of these German settlers
against the darker background of suffer-
ing and gloom. It seems that they were
not on good terms with their Scotch and
Irish neighbors, a fact due largely to the
influence of a Scotchman, Burns, and an
Irishman, Boice Cooper, both practical
jokers and boisterous characters. These
two had on every opportunity stirred
their kinsmen against the Germans of 40
and veritably terrorized them. But when
the Germans of 42 came upon the scene
the tables were turned ; fists were freely
used, and subsequently the worsted mis-
chief makers moved to the more con-
genial environment of the St. George.
When spring came the settlers could
not improve their condition or depart
from the country. They petitioned45 Gov.
Shirley and the Assembly to be taken
away and employed "in such business as
they were capable of to support them-
selves, their wives and children." The
appeal to the Assembly is a severe ar-
raignment of Waldo, "who has failed in
every part of his contract with us by
which means we have lost our substance
and are reduced to penury and want." It
bears the date May 25, 1743, is signed by
Dr. Kast and witnessed by Dr. Kurtz.
The General Court investigated the mat-
ter and the report was given that Dr.
Kast, the preacher of the Germans, and
his Palatines had suffered greatly, and
if help was not given soon they might
stand in need of the compassion of the
government. As Waldo was absent at
this time a settlement was deferred until
the next meeting of the Court. The com-
mittee maintained that each party had
violated the contract: Zuberbuhler in not
providing shipping in due time; Waldo
in not paying the officers' wages ; the
Palatines in not paying their passage
money. They recommended that a suit-
own name in the original deed, for which crime he
was forced to leave America. He appears later in
Rotterdam as a shipper.
43Faust, p. 250.
"Eaton's Annals of Warren, pp. 62-3.
^Mass. Recs. (MS), Vol. 15, A, p. 33 seq.
THE GERMANS IN MAINE
601
able person be appointed to settle their
accounts, and that a sum of money be
granted for provisions and clothing to
aid them through the winter. The report
was not adopted by the Assembly and
the colonists were left to their own re-
sources.
Faust46 says : "The second winter
must have been one of even greater
trials, since the supplies of Waldo failed
them after October, his contract requir-
ing him to serve them only the first
winter." On the other hand Ratter-
mann47 states : "Wie es den armen
Deutschen in dem zweiten Winter
erging, dariiber mangeln alle Nachricht-
en."
Mr. S. L. Miller, the historian of
Waldoboro, in his "Hist. Sketch of Wal-
doboro" in 1873 doubted the existence of
these early settlements, but acknowledges
them in his "History of Waldoboro," of
1910. We offer documentary evidence
which would settle such a contention.
There are two letters from Joseph
Plaisted of York to Waldo, regarding
certain supplies and provisions to be sent
to the latter. These letters are dated
Oct. 9,48 and Nov.49 26, 1742. There is
also a letter50 from James Littell to
Waldo dated Dec. 9, 1742, at Broad Bay,
as follows :
"This is to lett Know my Missfortunes
Since you wass with us last ye Ingeneares
man Hass Kilt a Steere of mine & Settled
with ye Ingenear about Itt he fell a tree on
him & Brooke his back they Killed & Kept
him for nine Days & Sent ye 4 Quarters &
hide to my house with a Gard of men thru
them in & went thire way now body a tome
but my wife I would Doo nothing to him
untill I sent you — If there is not Method
taken with them they may kill All ye
Creaters wee have — "(Signed).
While Littell's English would not indi-
cate that the pen is mightier than the
sword, the date and place are important
for our present discussion.
A letter31 from Gov. Shirley to Col.
Noble dated June 5, 1744, and contain-
ing orders for the assignment of soldiers,
has the following items :
At Madomock & Broad Bay 10 (men)
At ye new Block House one ye
River being the Duch Church 10
At Mr. Zuberbuhlers garrison 10
At Capt. Lanes at the Point
of Broad Bay 10 40
We have a memorial52 which states
that Philip Christopher Vogler came with
his father in 42 to America and located
in New England near Broad Bay. There
is also a legal paper53 endorsed by Elihu
Hewes May 29, 1797, for Lutevick at
Broad Bay, which reads : "There is an
instrument in being that the late Samuel
Waldo signed and sealed to Seb. Zuber-
buhler anno dom. 1741, for the transpor-
tation of 300 families from Rotterdam
to New England — ." Signed "Elihu
Hewes to the descendants of the Ger-
man families that settled at Broad Bay
in the year 41-2." M. R. Ludwig54 states
that a settlement of Germans was made
at Broad Bay in 42. There must also
have been Germans in Broad Bay before
the Louisburg expedition of 45, for
Eaton55 writes that all the men of the
settlement accompanied their leaders on
that occasion. These references demon-
strate beyond a doubt the existence of
early German migrations to Broad Bay.
(to be continued.)
4rFaust, p. 251.
47Der deutsche Pionier, Vol. XIV, p. 62.
48Coll. Maine Hist. Soc, Vol. XI, p. 258 (series
II).
"Ibid., p. 269.
wibid.
B1Coll. Maine Hist. Soc, Vol. XI, p. 296 (series
II).
52Eaton, p. 67. Vogler (1725-1780) was born at
Gundelsheim in the Palatinate. As a youth he
learned the tailor's trade, became a farmer later, and
was forced through the Indian war to become a
soldier. Though brought up as a Lutheran he joined
the Moravians at Broad Bay in 61 and went South
with them in 70. He died at Bethania, N. (J.
B3Eaton, p. 68.
MThe Ludwig Genealogy, p. 201.
EEEaton, p. 67.
602
The German as Soldier
By Rev. Georg von Bosse
HE principal characteristic
of the German is his peace-
loving spirit and attitude.
Very early however the
necessity to take up a mili-
tary profession also, forced
itself upon him, since he
always had to be ready to
defend his sod and hearth, be in against
foreign raiders or oppressors of his own
country. The German land was the
scene of the longest and most bitterly
fought war, the so-called Thirty Year
War. which was a religious struggle be-
tween Protestantism and Catholicism.
The last great contest, which Germany
participated in, was that with France
1 870- 1 87 1 ; it brought an unbroken string
of victories to German arms. Since that
time Germany has not rested idly on the
won laurels, but incessantly has been en-
deavoring to strengthen the army and
attain first rank among the nations. At
the conclusion of this year's manouvers,
the German Kaiser said : "With such
troops, one may look to the future with
calm assurance." The charge is often
made, that the German populace groans
beneath the burden, imposed on it by the
cost of the military display and that
many emigrate, because they do not wish
to serve in the army. Such talk is non-
sense however! There is no army,
which, thanks to extraordinary economy,
costs so little, comparatively speaking, as
the German army, and every young man
— exceptions are found of course — is
proud to serve in the army and delights
in recalling his military life in later
times. The German army forms an ex-
cellent school for young men. The body
is strengthened and hardened, they are
taught orderliness, obedience, punctual-
ity, virtues which remain theirs for life.
I am perfectly aware of what I say,
since I served in the German army my-
self.
Our dear country has also profited by
the ability and efficiency of the German
army. Our country was forced to wage
two terrible conflicts. One, the Revolu-
tionary War brought us independence
and freedom from England; the other,
the Civil War saved our union from
violent rupture. In both wars Germans
distinguished themselves and they were
instrumental in winning the victory in
no small measure.
It is a fact, that the Germans fought
for the fundamental principles of Ameri-
can self-government before the English
ever thought of its realization. The lat-
ter were brought in adherence to Eng-
land and its mode of government and
still more in fidelity to the king, but what
was England to the Germans ? They had
not left Germany with the same inten-
tions as the English left their country,
to stay under its rule, but they were
seeking freedom. They were the first at
almost all points to take arms against
England. In Pennsylvania the German
congregated immediately at the outbreak
of the war and formed societies, the
committees of which showed extraordi-
nary activity by delivering speechs and
spreading pamphlets, as also by collect-
ing weapons and men. The older men,
probably former soldiers, even instituted
a company of veterans. The Pennsyl-
vanian army, in which the colonels,
Mueller, Bouner, Dritt, Schmeiser and
Febiger ranked foremost were able to
accomplish great feats on account of the
numerous German soldiers under their
command. When Washington was
forced to retreat before the enemy, the
farmers of Pennsylvania and Virginia
were the ones to stand by him and with
them, reinforced by a new enlistment of
1500 Pennsylvanians he could risk the
attack of Trenton, which filled the hearts
of the discouraged people with new con-
fidence.
Some of the Pennsylvania German
districts suffered terribly by the war. A
company of tories raided the Wyoming
Valley in 1778, against which Hollen-
THE GERMAN AS SOLDIER
605
bach was able to place 300 Germans
only. They fought with heroic bravery
against the superior force until only fifty
were left alive.
Among the Germans in Pennsylvania
the three brothers Hiester especially dis-
tinguished themselves. Each of them
had gathered a company of men with
personal sacrifice and went to assist
Washington. Joseph Hiester attained
the position of a Major-General during
the war, Johann became Major and
Daniel Colonel. Both last named received
the rank of a General after the war. All
three were elected to Congress several
times, Joseph even holding his position
for fourteen years. At last he was
governor of Pennsylvania.
The merits of the Germans in the
fight for freedom stood forth so promi-
nently, that the legislature of Pennsyl-
vania presented the German High School
at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a large sum
of money, stating expressily, that it was
to be as a grateful recognition and that
the school should always remain under
the supervision of Germans.
In New York State the German
country folk was first to take arms.
Four battalions were organized, each of
which was headed by German colonels.
Herkimer led the first battalion (Cana-
joharie), Jakob Klock the second (Pfalz
district), Friedrich Fischer the third
(Mohawk), and Hanjost Herkimer the
fourth (German Flats and Kings land).
On September 5, 1776, Nikolaus Herki-
mer was made brigadier-general by the
consent of New York State and received
command of all American military
forces in Tyron County. He com-
manded these in the battle of Oriskany.
Ten days after the battle his death re-
sulted from a wound, caused by a bullet,
which shattered his leg. Washington
wrote the following plain but precise
words about him: "It was the hero from
the Mohawk Valley, who brought the
first successful turn in the poor manage-
ment of the northern army. He served
his country out of pure motives of love
and not of ambitions for higher posi-
tions, money not to be mentioned."
In Virginia the country people proved
themselves equally as eager to fight for
independence. A troop of Morgan's
sharpshooters was formed mainly by
Germans. The excellent General Ste-
phens and Colonel Wilhelm Darke,.
afterwards general, a resident of She-
pardstown, to where he had moved from
Pennsylvania, were Germans. Above all
Peter Muhlenberg, son of Heinrich Mel-
chior Muhlenberg, the patriarch of the
Lutheran Church in America, gained
fame. He was pastor of the German
Lutheran congregation in Woodstock,
Virginia. When the war began, he was
thrilled by enthusiasm far the cause of
freedom. It is widely known, how in
January 1776 he thrust aside his stole
after a very impressive sermon and
appeared in uniform urging: "There is
a time for preaching, but also a time for
fighting, and such a time has arrived."
As leader of a regiment, which he him-
self had organized, he fought one year
in Virginia, Carolina and Georgia, where
he developed such sense of duty and
such ability, that Congress gave him the
rank of a brigadier-general. After the
fatal battle at Brandywine he stopped
the English from pursuing the retreat-
ing army. At Germantown he forced
them to flee as the result of a brilliant
bayonet attack upon their left flank. He
and his brigade also showed their mettle
at Yorktown. Later he served in Con-
gress and represented the State of Penn-
sylvania as senator 1801 ; until his death
1802 he was president of the German
Societv of Pennsylvania. October 6,
1910, a beautiful monument of him was
unveiled at the city hall of Philadelphia.
It was in North Carolina, where the
desire for freedom manifested itself
earliest and in a most striking manner.
The governor, who was aware of the
prevailing spirit forced all grown-ups to
swear allegiance to the king, when diffi-
culties with England began. It was of
no avail however. On May 20, 1775,
twentv-seven German-Americans are
supposed to have issued a declaration of
independence in Mecklenburg County,
proclaiming, that the citizens of said
604
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
county were "a free and independent
people, under jurisdiction of God and
congress only." The statement included
five resolutions. Because there were
various changes from these in the decla-
ration written by Jefferson on July 4,
j 771 1, he was called a plagiarist. Jeffer-
son claimed, never to have heard of the
declaration of independence in Mecklen-
burg County and even went so far as to
call it a fraud. Later an investigation
was advised by the legislation of North
Carolina and 1831 the truth was re-
vealed. The declaration was not fiction,
hut had really been proclaimed on May
20, 1775, at Charleston. The original
manuscript had been burnt 1800. In
1819 the whole country heard of it from
notices brought by the "Raleigh Regis-
ter." A few years ago a day was set
aside for the celebration of the memor-
able day and 1906 the United States took
an active part by sending delegates from
the army, navy and government.
In South Carolina the Germans of
Charleston had organized a company
of fusileers, whose lietenant was Michael
Kalteisen. Born in Wurttemberg 1729
he came to the colony at Congaree River
as a boy of eleven years. Later he went
to Charleston and became part owner of
a large firm. In the assault made on
Savannah 1779 and he and his company
took an active part. Later he was com-
mander of Fort Johnson. Another
efficient German was Colonel Mahem.
His fame was so far-spread, that the
English offered him the command of one
of their regiments. His answer wras : "A
German .never leaves his flag!"
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Corrupted Patronymics
A Bane in Genealogical Research
By A. E. Bachert, Tyrone, Pa.
"BACHER (bosh-air) ; BAUCHER
(bo-sha) ; BOCHART (bo-shar) ;
BOUCHER (bo-sha), etc., etc.
IVERSE spellings of the
surname of an ancient
French family, the mem-
bers of which became dis-
persed at the time of the
Crusades, in the Middle
Ages, and again in the six-
teenth and subsequent cen-
turies.
"These various spellings are probably
due to slow processes, as the addition or
elimination of a single letter, or, as some
of the members of several branches of
the family contend, it was brought about
designedly and suddenly to hide their
identity and thereby save the lives of
themselves and their wives and children
from the machinations of the minions of
the (then) dominant and national
(French) creed."
The foregoing (with its source, un-
fortunately, illegible) is among the
writer's first genealogical data of twenty
or more years ago, and agrees conclusive-
ly with the result of his own, his father's,
and his grandfather's research and
family traditions, which, after a thor-
ough sifting and careful comparison
with the traditions and recollections in
other branches of the family, as well as
correspondence with M. Quentin-Bauch-
are, Vice-President of the Societe des
Gens de Lettres, and Member of the
Municipal Council, Paris, France, has
been fully corroborated in every instance.
At least three generations of the
writer's line have used the spelling
(BACHERT) he now uses. His great-
great-grandfather, Nicholas, was a pri-
vate in the American Revolution ; his
surname, in Vol. IV,. Fifth Series
Penna. Archives, being spelled BACH-
ER. In the same list ("Northampton
CORRUPTED PATRONYMICS
605
Go. — Continental Line — Taken from
Manuscript Record, having neither Date
nor Title, but under 'Rangers on the
Frontier, 1778- 1783,' Etc."), neverthe-
less, appears the name of JACOB
BACHERT ; the latter being either a
brother or a cousin to Nicholas.
Rupp, in his "History of Berks and
Lebanon Counties, (Pa.)," gives as tax-
ables in Albany Township, Berks Co., at
the time of the formation of that county
(1752), or shortly thereafter, Jacob
BACHERT, Nicholas BACHERT, and
Solomon BACHER, who are supposed
to have been either brothers or cousins.
William A. Baucher, of the Columbia
and Luzerne counties (Pa.) branch, has
in his possession a bond, given in 1810
to one Leonard Zimmerman (amt. L
15 1 18) by his grandfather Jacob, in
which bond is found the name Jacob
BACHERT.
The BAUCHERT branch of the State
of Indiana, are members of the
BAUCHER branch of Columbia and
Luzerne counties, Pennsylvania.
The descendants of the Solomon men-
tioned by Rupp are sacttered over
southern Schuylkill County, Penna.
They use the same spelling as the writer,
viz: BACHERT.
Among the pioneers who settled in
Fairfield County, Ohio, prior to 1820,
were Jacob and Solomon Bachert, who
were members of the Schuylkill County,
Penna., branches.
The descendants of Jacob, now living
in Fairfield County, Ohio, spell the
name BAUGHER, while the descendants
of Solomon, at present residing in Hock-
ing County, (O.) use BOUGHER.
About two years a Genealogical Com-
pany, helping the writer on research
work, informed him that "this research
is in some ways a very intricate one —
owing in part to the fact that the varie-
ties of spelling used by early settlers in
Pennsylvania is often misleading, and
only the greatest carefulness will prevent
getting the skein still more tangled. For
instance, we have found persons who
are known to have been of your family
with the names in old records as
"PUGHARD."
In making a search for the family
name in "Heads of Families, at the
First Census of the United States, taken
in the year 1790, Pennsylvania," the
writer failed to find a single one of the
name BACHERT, and only one family
(Frederick, in Northumberland Co.) of
the name BACHER.
Guided by the findings of the Genea-
logical Company, he found that Nicholas
PUGHRT, Solomon PUGHARD, and
Jacob PUGHARD were at that time
residents in Penn Township, Northamp-
ton County, Penna.; Nicholas PUG-
HART and Jacob PUGHARD being,
beyond peradventure of doubt, the
Nicholas BACHER and Jacob BACH-
ERT given in the list of Revolutionary
soldiers from said Northampton county,
Vol. IV, Fifth Series, Penna. Archives,
previously mentioned.
To further "clinch" this surmise, it
may be added that this Penn township,
(formerly in Northampton Co) is now
included in West Penn Township,
Schuylkill County, in which the writer's
father, grandfather and, possibly, great-
grandfather were born ; while the
writer himself was born in the adjoining
Township of Rush, which also was em-
braced within the territory .of North-
ampton County before the formation of
Schuylkill County, in 181 1.
Furthermore, in the same township
of Penn (then in Northampton Co.), at
the time of the taking of the First Cen-
sus, there were three families of the
name of Shelhamer. The maiden name
of the wife of Michael Bachert, the
great- grandmother of the writer, was
SHELHAMER, or Shellhammer; or,
possibly, Schellhammer.
Rev. Dr. A. Stapleton, in his "Memor-
ial of the Huguenots," mentions one
George BACHERT as being in Lehigh
County (Pa.), in 1742. In a personal
letter to the writer the Doctor said: "I
have no further information concerning
your forbears, nor have I pursued its
French antecedents further. * * * * In
French and German literature the name
■606
111 E PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
and its variations occur frequently.
T.ochard,' 'Bouchard,' etc., are common."
Rabelais, the French author, who
wrote in the early part of the l6th cen-
tury, mentions "the Island Boughard."
In Lippincott's "Pronouncing Bio-
graphical Dictionary," 1870 Edition, is
found :
"li.U'l [ER, George Frederic, a French
physician, horn in Upper Alsace in 1709,
published several works on the Treat-
ment of Dropsy."
Francois BAUCHER was a noted
French hippologist. Samuel BOCHART,
a noted French Orientalist, was a Hugue-
not minister at Caen, France. The name
BOUCHER is prominent in French
literature, art, theology and science.
An example of how easily corruptions
of names are effected is found in the
1881 edition of "A History of Schuyl-
kill Countv, Penna.," in which William
BACKERT, William M. BACHERT,
and Michael BACH ART are mentioned.
The first was the writer's grandfather,
the second his father, and the third his
uncle.
In the September, io,to, issue of "The
Pennsylvania-German" it was stated:
"Boucher is a corruotion of the French
word BOUCHONNIER which means a
cutter of cork trees. The surname was
applied not only to the cutter but also
to the dealer in cork. Baucher, Bauch-
art, Bouyard, are variants of the same
surname."
M. Ouentin-Bauchart, in a personal
letter to the writer, said : "The name
Bauchart is said to be of Celtic origin
and mean 'From the wood'."
The word BACHER is a French verb
active, signifying "to cover with tarpau-
lin; to tilt"; the latter meaning having
special reference to attack with a lance
or spear in the exercise called the "tilt,"
as in Shakspeare's Othello, ii; 3, 183, —
"Swords out, and tilting one at other's
breast."
This latter meaning apparently agrees
with the family tradition that the an-
cestry were warriors or knights, — tradi-
tion says "closely allied to the French
crown."
This traditionary warriorship is made
still more probable by the findings of the
Genealogical Company. In a preliminary
report they say : "A number of Coats of
Arms have been found, and the name
seems to be an ancient one."
In comparing traditionary notes with
M. Quentin-Bauchart, he says: "What
you tell me of an alliance with a royal
family reminds me that an old document,
found at Soissons, a town close here"
(his home is at the Chateau de Villiersle-
Sec, par Ribemont, Aisne), "relates that
King Klother, or Clotaire, of the Mero-
vingian dynasty, married a Miss Bauch-
art, of our family ; but the following
genealogy is lost."
Which King this connection was with
is now lost in the mists of the past.
Clotaire I., son and successor of Clovis,
was the first king of the Franks in Gaul,
and reigned as sole king from 558 to 561.
Clotaire II., a king of the same Mero-
vingian dynasty, reigned over the Franks
30 years later.
The Merovingians were the first
dynasty of Frankish kings which ruled
over the northern part of Gaul, since
called France. They derived their name
from Merowig (Merovaeus), the grand-
father of Clovis ; ruling from 496 to 752,
when they were supplanted by the Car-
lovingians.
Therefore, this marriage must have
been consummated before the year y^2.
This ancient history is not injected for
the purpose of proving a connection with
royal blood but merely to show the man-
ner in which tradition, or folk-lore some-
times carries facts down through the
fleeting centuries.
It is an indisputable fact that too much
reliance must not be placed on tradition,
because much of it is seasoned ad gustum
(to one's taste), and especially so in mat-
ters pertaining to a personal family his-
tory. It is well, therefore, to thoroughly
sift said traditions, cum t/rauo salis.
The writer's and M. Quentin-Bauch-
art's family traditions, and the findings
of the Genealogical Company, do how-
ever, dovetail together with more than
CORRUPTED PATRONYMICS
607
ordinary exactitude in reference to time,
or the ancient lineage of the family.
Neither is this written to refute the
commonly supposed opinion that the
family name is of purely German origin.
This opinion, it is true, was held, until
very recently, by most of the branches
of the family itself; in only three of
them having remained the vestiges of
traditionary French parentage in the dim
and almost forgotten past, and, so far as
at present ascertained, the writer's
branch being the only one made the
repository of French documentary evi-
dence. This evidence was still in exis-
tence during the writer's youth but has,
unfortunately, been irretrievably lost by
the burning of his grandfather's papers.
With all of the variations of orthog-
raphy of this cognomen the Genealogical
Company well says about the research :
"It is a most interesting one; its very
difficulties making it more interesting to
the genealogical worker. A very inter-
esting little book could be made of the
general history of the family in Penn-
sylvania."
A Unique Old-Time Release
The following is a translation from
the German of a release given to the
first Bomberger settler of Lancaster
County, who located on 700 acres of land
northwest of Lititz, Pa., in 1726, most
of which land is today in possession of
the Bomberger descendants. — Editor.
(ly % Attiljnrttij nf)
The Honorable and Well-born Lord,
Lord Philip Anthony, Baron von der
Fels, Dean of the honorable chapter of
knights at Bruchsal and Capitulary at
Wimpf en, Lord of the lordships ' at
Contre, Heffingen and Eschelbronn, and
Chief Magistrate at Waibstatt :
I, John George Lamperte, hereby and
in virtue hereof, announce and declare
that the bearer, Christian Bamberger,
who has for upwards of twelve years
been a farmer and tenant of the Baron
von der Fels, has now with his wife and
eight children determined to remove
hence to seek his fortune and subsistence
in other lands ; and having for the pro-
motion of the reputation of himself and
family, and for the identification of his
good name, regularly applied at this
office for an honorable dismissal, it has,
therefore, been deemed proper to grant
this reasonable petition.
For as much, then, as the aforesaid
Bamberger personally, as also his wife
and children, have in all things conducted
themselves well, virtuously and honorably
in respect to the officials of our beneficent
government, as well as trustworthy, in-
dustrious and courteous towards resi-
dents and neighbors, and so continue that
we should gladly retain him and his
family as our citizens; nevertheless, the
same person and his family, at their own
pleasure and with the knowledge and
consent of the gracious authorities, are
hereby dismissed and bidden farewell.
Consequently, all and each, exalted and
inferior officials, civil and military rulers,
governments, servants and minor officers,
as well as other Christian-loving people,
are requested in a polite, friendly and
neighborly manner to grant to them kind,
sympathetic, serviceable, genial and
favorable assistance and co-operation ;
more especially as the aforesaid persons
now depart from a place which is healthy
and free from disease, and have been
declared free and absolved from even the
smallest obligations.
The favor herewith conceded will be
reciprocated to the best of our ability on
this and on all other occasions.
Officially granted under the great seal
of my office and attested by my signature.
Eschelbronn, May 22, 1722.
John George Lamperte.
(Seal.)
608
The Significance of a Genealogical Spirit
Read at the Kriebel Family Reunion, Aug.
26, 1911, by Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton,
N. J.— Ediitor.
It is well at times to listen to the
"Choir invisible
Of those immortal dead who live again
In minds made better by their presence."
It is because of such associations, ties
and memories that we are brought to-
gether here out of field and shop, from
desk and school to recount our common
heritage together and to become ac-
quainted with one another. For after
all what is more instructive, more for-
mative, and more powerful than to
know men, to learn of ideas and
opinions, for these are virtually the
powers that rule the world. Behind
every great achievement stands a rep-
resentative man who carries upon his
shoulders the exponents of the world.
He is the embodiment of some great
idea.
To become acquainted with one
another, to trace the lines of kinship, to
hand on to the thousand millions yet to
be the heritage that has come down the
ages, to rectify history, to cherish the
traditions of our forefathers, and to take
increased devotion from our honored
dead — is, or at least ought to be, the real
significance of this family reunion, this
genealogical spirit.
By genealogy we mean a little more
than what is meant in the Biblical narra-
tive when it speaks of the generations of
men, and then begins to enumerate the
progenitors by saying that Abraham
begat Isaac, and Isaac begat Jacob ; and
so on down the list of patriarchs. We
mean to use it rather in its larger sense
as an account, or history, of the de-
scendants of a person or family from an
ancestor. In > fact, all the family history
the term connotes; in other words, uni-
versal history as made and related by
families; for the family is, if not the
unit of the human race, the unit of
government.
Whether you term this an age of
inventions and innovations; of rapid
transit and forward movements; of
trusts and syndicates ; or an age of steel,
and you may spell the word with one
"e" or two, either way is effective; it is
likewise an age of corporations and
cooperation ; and the famly reunion is
simply another manifestation of this
spirit of getting together.
The spirit and purposes of family
reunions are various; there are those
who meet only for the purpose of hav-
ing a little family outing; it is a little
local affair; its object is to afford a
little fleeting pleasure with fleeting tastes
and aims. Others come together to eat,
drink and to be merry, whose taste is no
less ephemeral than it is epicurean. Of
such it may be said in the language of
the youngster of the street "they come
together to eat 'em up." Within recent
years it has virtually become almost an
impossibility to get together a crowd of
people for any purpose without giving
them something to eat. "Refreshments
will be served" is a great drawing card.
Let the family reunion be all this, let
it have all these features. These things
are all right in their way and are in
place; but let it be hoped, however, that
far greater is the number who meet with
a more serious aim and purpose, whose
movement is national and even inter-
national in scope ; who delve into the
records of old, covered wth the dust and
damp of ages, and bring forth the data
that must of necessity form the network
of the history of the- future. After the
family reunion has been stripped of its
fads and fancies, and has reached a
normal level, it may yet become an effec-
tive and indispensable force for the bet-
terment of our social and national life,
both of which need readjustment badly;
and in addition, become an aid in the
formation of the historical narrative of
the future, for it needs a different per-
spective.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A GENEALOGICAL SPIRIT
609
Having considered some of the pur-
poses for which family reunions should
exist, let us see further what this
genealogical spirit signifies and should
signify more strongly yet. In the first
place it should arouse and foster a
wholesome family pride. This, we be-
lieve, is a legitimate and reasonable claim
to make of any family reunion that has
at all a serious aim, and why not have
some seriousness and definiteness about
it? We are a proud nation and rightly
so, for there are many things of which
we may be justly proud. But there are
at least two things in which a legitimate
pride is lacking: language pride and
family pride. The former of these we
never had ; and the latter is in danger of
being lost, and both of them are the
mainstay of our country. The lack of a
language pride may not be so evident to
those not engaged in the teaching pro-
fession, but to those who spend their
time and energy in endeavoring to teach
the technicalities of language, the nice-
ties of expression, the beauties and in-
terpretation of literature, the task seems
almost a hopeless one; and why? Be-
cause there is too little respect and
reverence for propriety and authority,
too little for what is admirable, serious
and sacred. And the same flippancy and
indifference, and irreverence are the
cause of much of the loss of family
pride. Much has been said of late about
the passing of the family, about its dis-
integration, and dissolution ; the appre-
hension is not a fancied one, for the
signs of the times point that way. The
family has become a sort of an in-
cumbrance, a drag. To talk about it or
about things pertaining to it is immodest
and inelegant, and should be avoided.
Higher sounding themes must engage
the time and attention of many people.
When one of these many "Contemporary
Clubs" begins to discuss the question
"Resolved : that the piano is more impor-
tant than the dishpan" there is surely a
change of base. But what more can be
expected of a generation that chases
after cats, cards, clubs, and congresses in
automobiles, and lately, and let us hope
lastly, in airships, fondling terriers and
poodles, and leaving the children, if
there happen to be any, in the care of
hired servants. Such also very likely
have a family pride of a kind, the kind
of pride that manifests itself when some
specimen of senseless, brainless, royalty
offers title and position to the elite of,
not society, but of "sassiety" with a
marriage license in one hand and a di-
vorce paper in the other. Such have not
yet learned the significance of the port's
words when he says that
"Kind hearts are more than coronets
And simple faith than Norman blood."
But aside from standing up for the
sacredness and dignity of the family,
family pride should reasonably exert it-
self in another direction: namely that of
looking up ancestry, the past history of
the family. It is probably hither that
the reunions with some aim have di-
■ rected their attention. It is also here
that genealogy is mainly concerned.
People of this section of the country
have not yet by any means taken as
active an interest in the subject of
genealogy as have the people of the New
England states, who can boast of the
oldest and most efficient genealogical
society in America. This society has
worked up family histories, genealogical
records, and local history that have done
much to place New England in the fore-
front, even to the extent of undue im-
portance and ostentation. We believe
that our section of the country with its
German and Pennsylvania-German ele-
ment is equally as resourceful in family
history and folklore, and has been equal-
ly as instrumental and effective in shap-
ing the country's cause and destiny
Recent publications along this line will
substantiate this assertion. 'Let the
family reunion be the nucleus, of such
work.
It will of course be said that the study
of genealogy and of family history has
a tendency to foster a false and selfish
family pride and exclusiveness that is
considered undemocratic and even un-
patriotic. This is an erroneous idea.
610
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
A knowledge of one's ancestry, if
there are among it such as have been
useful, ought to promote self-respect and
bind closer the family ties which are
after all the essential factors in the de-
velopment of character and the promo-
tion of patriotism. If the solidarity of
the family is to be maintained, then
there must be a closer tie among its
members who must take a more per-
sonal interest in one another. The family
with such a spirit soon reaches out to
others and seeks to know of its forebears
who have in the past contributed to its
character and stability. Our birth is a
matter of accident, and our ancestry a
matter of destiny ; we cannot change the
one or choose the other. It must be a
sad scene, a deplorable plight, if along
the line some ancestors cannot be found
who can inspire us to set higher ideals
and to live nobler lives because of them.
Who knows but that an ancestor of his
may have lain in the trenches before
Atlanta, or may have endured the
horrors of Valley Forge, or suffered the
pangs of starvation in the Siege of
Lyden, or fought the Roman Legions in
the Teutoberg Forest two thousand
years ago ,or perchance he may simply
have been
"a village Hampden, that with dauntless
breast
The little tyrant of his fields withstood."
A noble ancestry is after all a just
cause for family pride, because it is one
of the noblest heritages. A knowledge
of the deeds of good, brave and noble
ancestors should inspire posterity to do
great things with its opportunities and
advantages. We do not half appreciate
the blessings which are ours and which
have been made possible by the hardships
and trials of those who blazed the way
in the past. And so these reunions
should be close and helpful in finding
those of our kindred who have done
something for the country in which we
live.
This brings us to the second topic of
discussion: as a result of this genealogi-
cal spirit engendered by these family
reunions valuable research work may be
•done that should help to mould the his-
torical narrative of the future. This is
likewise an age of research and investi-
gation. Everything needs to be and is,
investigated. Just to think of it, even
the police, after some theft or crime has
been committed, are willing "to investi-
gate"! The subject of history has been
more under the ban during the last
quarter of a century than ever before;
it has been brought to a change of base.
Mankind is no longer mainly concerned
with the doings, privileges, notions, and
follies of kings and rulers, but in the
great social needs of the people. Thus
history is gradually made to withdraw
from the battle field and to cease being
engaged in counting the wounded, and
dead. It must busy itself more with the
everyday life and work of the plain
people, and what a powerful demos, or,
folk they are! What a world of inter-
est, what unwritten history, is found in
the old fashioned customs and modes of
dress, in the peculiar architecture of the
houses, and in the styles of furniture
and domestic arrangements, in the work
in the field and shop, and in the family,
religious, and social life of a people. And
yet how little, how very little, of all this
is recorded on the pages of history for
posterity. There are libraries and libra-
ries filled with books, with histories, and
yet they are in the main but the husks,
the outward form, of a still greater un-
written and probably unwritable history.
How few of the heartaches, and pains,
of the trials and tribulations, of the
shattered hopes and disappointments, of
the inspirations and aspirations, of the
triumphs and achievements that go into
the making of every life and indirectly
into the life of a people do these tomes
contain. All history is subjective, or as
the Sage of Concord says "there is no
History, it is all Biography." We are
all makers of history. Great changes
and advances were made when history
was begun to be told from original
sources and documents and as told by
contemporaries. It is hither that the
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A GENEALOGICAL SPIRIT
611
spirit of investigation and research ex-
tends.
What can these reunions do to fur-
ther the movement. They can aid by
an interchange or disclosure of heir-
looms, records, letters, and manuscripts
found perchance in some old garret! Oh
the garrets of our mothers and grand-
mothers ! What priceless treasures of
bygone days they contained. It is not
at all improbable that out of these
gatherings, may come somethinig that is
not only of local import but of state
wide and national interest. Some relic
or document may be brought to light
which will correct some historical fallacy
or smash some mock pearl of history.
This brings us to the third point of
the discussion, namely, that of publicity ;
it is a spirit that has of late exerted itself
in bringing before the people public
affairs and the doings of those in
authority. Through it have come about
Commissions and Leagues of Publicity
whose purpose and duty it is to lay bare
the doings of government and incidental-
ly to bring to the notice of the public the
industrial and commercial conditions,
features and facilities of their respective
cities or states.
The same efforts producing similar
results, might be brought about by these
reunions organized into one strong
Genealogical Society, such as New Eng-
land has had for over forty years. Why
might there not be a Pennsylvania, or a
Pennsylvania-German Genealogical So-
ciety, that could do for this section of
the country what the New England
Genealogical Society has done for that
section ? Much of the prestige and
prominence that New England enjoys is
in the main traceable to this organized
effort of publicity. Every exploit large
or small has been magnified beyond its
due proportions, while achievements
elsewhere accomplished and of equal
importance go ignored. We need to look
around only in our own Pennsylvania-
German section to notice the partiality of
history. Who for instance makes men-
tion of the name of Michael Hillegass,
the United States Treasurer, who upheld
the finances of the young nation with
means out of his own pocket? Had he
been born in New England, they would
long ago have erected a statue to his
memory. Who says anything of the
first Female Seminary in the United
States, at Bethlehem? Who tells of the
riflemen who rushed to Washington's aid
at Boston, or who followed Arnold dur-
ing that inglorious winter through Cana-
dian snows? Do these New England
writers tell where the rifles, ammunition
and cannon for the Revolution came
from ? And that the seat of the military
equipment of the war was in Pennsyl-
vania? And so one might continue in-
definitely. We are bold to say that the
German element has been as great and
important a force in establishing the
foundations of this country as anything
English, and in no way has it ever been
derelict in defending and maintaining
them.
We also believe that the contest is on
between Puritan glorification and Ger-
man justification, as witnessed by the
labors of Learned, Hoskins, Cronau,
Bosse, Faust and others.
This section of the country has been
under the ban of the historian, of the
novelist and the newspaper man long
enough; the historian has distorted his-
tory, the novelist has perverted fiction
and the newspaper man has murdered
reputation. Is there any reason why
there should be anything but uncompro-
mising censure for the narrow-minded
historian, unmitigated condemnation for
the perverting novelist, and utter detes-
tation for the sneering newspaper scrib-
bler? None of them can credit our
people with a single commendable, noble,
trait without dragging it in the dirt. This
is not meant as an indictment against all
writers, because there are such who see
something commendable in these traits.
These things ought not so to be. Our
history, heritage and traditions are as
noble as those of any people. Surely we
need not be ashamed with them before
our country, or Maker, no not even be-
fore New England, which can learn a
612
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
few things even from the so-called
"dumb Dutch."
This brings us to the fourth and last
topic. The proper genealogical spirit
should cause us to cherish our heritage
and traditions for they are priceless. By
tradition we mean all that wealth of in-
herited lore handed down from time
immemorial, from generation unto gen-
eration by word of mouth like the sagas
of old or through the medium of lan-
guage, as that mark which gives a people
their distinctive character and differenti-
ates them from alien tribes with allied
traditions.
It is well, on some occasions like this,
or on some similar memorial occasion to
consider the heritage and traditions that
are ours, but ours is also the burden to
maintain them and to cherish them so
that we may take increased devotion
from our honored forefathers.
But just as Lord Byron says in one
place that those who would be free must
first strike the blow, so it behooves us to
stand by our traditions and defend them
from unjust charges. Pity such who
are ashamed of their ancestry and who
would sell their birthright for a mess of
pottage so that they may stand in the
good graces of those who meet every
reference -to the Germans with a sneer.
In conclusion we can only repeat what
we said under other circumstances, that
whoever does not value his heritage and
the traditions of his fathers cannot
expect others to value them. Nor will
the god of his fathers hold him guiltless
who takes their traditions and his own
heritage under foot. Our customs and
traditions are what they are — German,
even our blood is ; these attributes and
elements can no more be changed than
the leopard can change his spots or the
Ethiopian can change his skin ; and why
should they be?
''Honor and shame from no condition
rise ;
Act well your part, there all the honor
lies."
Probably we have set too high an aim,
too lofty a purpose. Let the family
reunion be a social and an entertainment,
it must be all this if it is to be anything;
but if it is to be anything lasting and
effective, it must be more. It must have
some legitimate family pride ; it should
be interested in research work to give it
publicity, and it should stand by the tra-
ditions of old. Such a genealogical
spirit sees that the lives of families and
sections of country are but a great part
of national, universal history.
Westward Ho
This heading was suggested by the fol-
lowing paragraph in an article by "Ger-
manicus" in The Lutheran Observer of
May 19. 1911. Will not our readers keep a
sharp lookout for items illustrative of the
westward movements in our country of
Pennsylvania Germans, long or short, and
send them for publication in The Pennsyl-
vania-German?
"When I was a boy in eastern Pennsyl-
vania, more than half a century ago, there
was great excitement when we heard of
some relative or neighbor who had decided
to sell the farm and go to Ohio. At that
time Ohio was the wonderful land of prom-
ise, located in the far west, beyond the Blue
Ridge, away off somewhere among the In-
dians. On my way to school I frequently
met Polly Heckewelder, daughter of the
Moravian missionary, the first white child
born in Ohio. When we said farewell to the
emigrants, we never expected to see them
again. The day of departure was a great
occasion on the countryside. The goods
and chattels were packed away in a long
blue wagon, covered with canvas and
drawn by four stalwart horses. The women
and children were stowed away as comfort-
ably as possible among the mighty feather-
beds which constituted an important item
in the household furniture of those days.
Sometimes several families started off at
the same time, and the procession of horses
and wagons made quite a caravan. After
a six weeks' journey, involving considerable
hardship and suffering they reached the
promised land."
613
Family Reunions ; List of, Held in 1911
We submit herewith a partial list of family
reunions held this year, giving, as nearly
as possible, name, number of reunions,
month, day, place. We append a list of
families not included in the first list that
held reunions in 1910. Doubtless many
others were held of which no notice or re-
port reached us.
Amnion — ( ) — 8-14 — Ephrata.
Arner— (8)— 8-22— Weis sport.
Arnold— ( )— 8-16— Earlville.
Bachman— (1)— 8-10— New Tripoli.
Baer— ( )— 8-12— Kutztown.
Balliet— ( 1 ) —8-9— Mil ton.
Banes— ( )— 8-12— Burhoime Park.
Baunian — ( ) — 9-16 — Congo.
Bechtel— (3)— 9-9— Pottstown.
Benedict— ( )— 8-23— Elmira, N. Y.
Benfield— ( )_ 6-26— Huffs Church.
Benson— ( )— 8-30— Mansfield.
Bergey— (12)— 7-29— Chestnut Hill.
Beyer — ( ) — 8-17 — Mingo.
Bittner— ( )— 8-17— Neffs.
Bitzer— ( )— 8-16— Denver.
BlaiK'h— ( )— 8-30— Somerset.
Bode— (3)— 8-16— Denver.
Bolich— (7)— 8-10— Drehersville.
Borden-Hardy— ( )— 9-2— Delmar.
Bortz— (7)— 8-24— Allentown.
Boyden— ( )— 8-31— Delmar.
Boyer— (7)— 8-30— Tamaqua.
Bradford— 5 ) —9-7— Pottstown.
Brown— (10)— 9-2— Moyer's Station.
Bmn»er— ( )— 8-22— Suplee.
Buch— ( )— 8-16— Lititz.
Buchiiian— (5)— 8-26— Seffs.
Buck— (2)— 9-2— Walnutport.
Buskong — ( 1 ) — 8-17— Rohrerstown.
Carl— (3)— 7-28— Siesholtzville.
Carincll-Finne-Marrison — (12) — 9-16 —
Willow Grove.
Carrel— ( )— 8-5— .
Clauss— (9)— 7-26— Allentown.
Clewell— (4)— 8-24— Shoneck.
Cloos— ( )— 8-17— East Chatham.
Cloud— ( )— 8-9— Swarthmore.
Colegrove — ( ) — 8-26 — Farmington.
Croll— ( )_6-24— Schnecksville.
Crouthamel— ( ) — 9-12 — Perkasie.
Dalrymple — ( ) — 8-3 — East on.
Bartt— ( )— 8-17— Wellsboro.
Batesman— (3)— 9-14— Wind Gap.
Deininger — ( ) — 8-26 — Phoenixville.
Derr— ( )— 8-19— Shorn okin.
Dewey— ( )— 8-26— Charleston.
Diehl— ( )— 8-27-^Stemlersvill.e.
Biener— (2)— S-26— Reading-.
Dierolf— (6)— 8-11— Reading.
Briesbaoli— i 2 i— 8-19— Rittersville.
Bruckeiuniller — (3) — 8-5 — Allentown.
Elser-Olierlin— (9)— 9-9— Lititz.
Endy— (3)— 9-16— Gabelsville.
English— ( )— 8-17— Wtllsboro.
Fastnactat — ( ) — 9 Lititz.
Fennel — (3) — 8-12 — Mooretown.
Fehr— ( )— 8 Katellen.
Fenicle — (14) — 8 Rittersville.
Fetterman— (2)— 9-1— Wind Gap.
Follweiler— ( )— 8-5— Neffs.
Frederick— ( )— 8-22— Neffs.
Fretz— ( )— 9 Tohickon Park.
Fritz— ( 1 ) — 8-1 9— Ritter svi 1 le.
Furry— (7)— 8-26— Reading.
Gee-McCollum— ( )— 8-26.
Gehman — ( ) — 8-12 — Perkasie.
Gehringer — (1) — 9-14 — iSeiberlingsville.
Gehris — (4) — 8-9 — Catasauqua.
Geiger— (4)— 8-27 — Pottstown.
Gerhard — ( ) — 8-21 — Pennsburg.
Gery— ( )— 8-26— ^Siesholtzville.
Geyer— (3)— 9-16— Pottstown.
Gift— (2)— 8-12— Oley.
Glatfelter— (6)— 8-12— Glatfelters.
Glock— ( )— 8-12— Wellsboro.
Godshalk— (7)— 8-25--Chestnut Hill.
Goodwin— ( )— 8-16— Tioga.
Greenawalt — (6) — 8-24 — Allentown.
Greiner— ( )— 8-26— Lititz.
Griffin— ( )— 8-25— Westfield.
Grimm — ( ) — 9-9 — Dallastown.
Grim— (10)— 8-8— Kutztown.
Grosh— ( )— 8-19— Lititz.
Grosjjean-Fuller— ( )— 8-23— Delmar.
(.jrnlior—flO)— 8-17— Tohickon Park.
Gruver— (D— 7-29— York.
Gruver-Kizer— ( )— 8-30— D&erfield.
Guth— (15)— 8-17— Guthsville.
Haas— (4)— 8-11— Allentown.
Haas— (8)— 8-19— Neffs.
Hall— (5)— Rittersville.
Haney— (2)— 8 Ottsville.
Hallman— ( 4 )— 8-3— Chestnut Hill.
Harley— (5)— 9-2— Collegeville.
Hartra«ft— ( )— 8-17— Milton.
Hatt— (5)— 9-6— Wernersville.
Hauck — ( ) — 9-23 — Perkiomenville.
Hayes— ( )— 8-30— Mansfield.
Reinly— 1 1 1)— 8-19— Kutztown.
Heisey— (3)— 8-31— Rheems.
Heller— (6)— 8-26— Wind Gap.
Hen n;' — ( ) — 6-14 — Shoemakersville.
Fershey — 6 — 8-26 — Lancaster.
Hess— (."»)— S-19— Rittersville.
Hertzojj— < )— 8-15— Tapton.
Hoffman— ( )— 9-4— Hoffman's.
Hoo-er— (16)— 8-16— Chetnut Hill.
Horton— ( )— 8-1 4— Mansfield.
Honser — ( ) — 8-3 — Lebanon.
Hudson— ( )— 8-26— Millerton.
Hummel— (2)— 8-9— Rittersville.
Himsicker— (2)— 8-10— Collegeville.
G14
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Hunt— 1 1 )— S-26— Westfield.
Hiisslaiul— ( )— 8-26— Mansfield.
Imbody-Smith— ( ) — 8-5 — Pottstown.
Jacob— (4 )— S-16— Allentown( ?)
Johns— ( )_S-18— .
Jones— ( )— 8-12— West Point.
Kachlein— (3)— 8-9— .
Keen — ( ) — 8 — Pottstown.
Keeney— ( )— 8-30 — Crooked Creek.
Keller — ( ) — 8 Lyons.
Kemper — l ) — 8-12 — Lititz.
Kenned j- — ( ) — 8-31 — Wellsboro.
Kerelmer — (4 ) — 7-27 — Allentown.
Kistler— < 12 >— 8-16— Neffs.
Kinu — ( ) — 8-17 — Oakland Park.
King- Rowland— ( )— 8-24— Westfield.
Klase — (2) — 8-9— Sunbury.
Klinner — ( 1 ) — 7-22 — Gratz
Klotz— ( 11 1—8-19— Neffs.
Knerr — ( ) — 8-14 — Phoenixville.
Kostenbader — ( )— 8 14 — Rupert.
Koons — ( ) — 8-19 — Palmyra.
Kratz— ( )—8-12— Tohickon Park.
Krause— (4)— 8-3— Neffs.
Krause— ( 16 1—8-22— Neffs.
Kresge — (9) — 8-17 — Kresgeville.
Kriek — ( ) — S-19 — Sinking Spring.
Kriebel— (7)— 8-26— West Point.
Kuhns— ( 6 )— S-6 — Jordan.
Landix_(i)_s-16— Perkasie.
Lambert- — (3)— 8-5 — Rittersville.
Laucks— (21— 6 York.
Leiby — (3) — 8-5 — Jacksonville.
Leslier — (2) — 8-17 — Virginsville.
Lei an— ( )— 8-9— Albany.
Lewis— ( )_ 8-12— West Point,
Licliti'iiwalner — ( ) — 8-25 — Allentown.
Light — (1)— 8 Penryn.
Livezey — ( ) — 10-7 — Glen Fern.
Lft ingood— (6 ) —8-26— Oley.
Longenecker— (11) — 8-26 — Pottstown.
Loose — ( ) — 9-7 — Mohrsville.
Ludwig— ( 9 1— 8-10— Lititz.
Lutz— ( )—8-15— Lititz.
Lutz— ( )— 8-12— Albany.
Madlem— (5)— 9-12— .
Miirkley— (4)— 8-12— Chestnut Hill.
Mars — — — Pi negro ve.
Mascho— ( 1—8-26— Troupsburg, N. Y.
Mcllhaney— ( 1 )— 9-2— Bath.
Mellinger— ( 1—8-26— Harrisburg.
Mendsen — ( 1 ) — 9 — Kreidersville.
Mengel— ( ) — 9-4 — Adamsdale.
Henoch — ( )— 6-1— .
Miller— (3)— 8-12— Powder Valley.
Miller— < 4)— 8-22— Neffs.
Miller-Crcasy-Fisher — ( ) — 8-16 — Blooms-
bu-rg.
Montgomery Q u iggle — (8) — 8-23 — Jersey
Shore.
More— (2)— 8-2— Allentown.
Moyer— ( 1—8-26— Perkasie.
Mil m ma — (4) — 8-16 — Lancaster.
N'cwhard— < 4 >— 8-16 — Allentown.
Nicholas — ( ) — 8-5 — Allentown.
Niles — ( ) East Charleston.
Otto— ( )— S 16— Potts ville.
Owlet — ( 1—8-31— Chatham.
Oxenrider — (1 ) — 8 Womelsdorf.
Parlinien-BIesh— ( )— 8-31— Lock Haven.
Peters— (10)— S-ii— Neffs.
Quggle-Montgomery — (Si — 8 — Jersey Shore
Racsly — ( )— 8-16— Easton.
K;; nek — ( 1 ) — 8-16 — Lancaster.
Reedy — (2) West Lawn.
Reill'-Reist— ( )— 8-24— York.
Reim— ( )— 8-24— Neffs.
Rex— ( )— 9-2— Mauch Chunk.
Rex— ( )— 9-14— Chestnut Hill.
Rice— ( 1—8-24— Richmond.
Ripley— ( )— 8-17— Mansfield.
Rittle— ( 1—8-1— Mamlin.
Roadarmel — (6) — 8-14 — Paxinos.
Rohrbach— ( 1—8-12— Hancock.
Rosenberger — (15) — 8-11 — Perkasie.
Sampson— ( )— 8-25— Mansfield.
Saul— (9)— 8-10— Kutztown.
Sclieetz— (291— 7-1S— Perkasie.
Sclieirer— (181— 8-8— Neffs.
Schleisker — (9) ■ Lynnport.
Schmoyer — (2) — 8-3 — Allentown.
Sclraeck— (11— 8 — Egypt.
Scliwalm— (21— 8-17— Valley View.
Schweisford — (5) — 9-4 — Pottstown.
Sclnveitk— (6)— 9— 2— Chestnut Hill.
Schwenck — ( ) — 9-9 — Schwenksville.
Scliultz— (7)— 9— Barto.
Scott— (11— 8 — Coatesville.
Seaman — ( 3 ) — 9-2 — Hamburg.
Sechler— (51— 8-19 — Jacksonville.
Seifert— ( 1—8-12— Oakland Park.
Seipel— ( )— 8-16— Perkasie.
Sensinger— (71— 8-12— Neffs.
Shaw— ( 1—8-24—.
Shinier — ( ) — 8-14 — Riegelsville.
Shuey — ( 31 — 3-7 — Lebanon.
Slinghiff— (14 1—8-17— Chestnut Hill.
Smith— ( )—S-15 — Trexlertown.
Sniith-Imbody — ( ) — 8-5 — Pottstown.
Snyder-McCarthy— ( 1—8-22— Hughesville.
Spare — ( 1 — 8-5 — Collegeville.
■Spaulding — ( 1 — 8-25 — Knoxville.
Spencer — ( ) — 8-29 — Wellsboro.
Staut't'er— ( 1 )— 9-14— Gap.
StaulYer— ( 1—8-14— Pottstown.
Steckel— ( )— 8-6— Egypt.
Strauss— ( )— 8-12— Bernville.
Swoyer — (5) — S-22 — Maidencreek.
Teachman — (17) — 8-17 — L'ttle March.
Teitworth— ( 1 — 8-14— Elysburg.
Thomas— ( 1—8-19— Byers' Station.
Tobins— ( )— 9- — Leinbachs.
Trauger— ( 1—9-2 — Trauger's Park.
Tre::t— ( )— 8-16-^Chatham.
Trego— (10)— 9-2— Honey brook.
FAMILY REUNIONS
6ir,
Waidelich — ( ) — 8 Steinsville.
Walker-Green— ( )— 8-18— Wellsboro.
Walters— (8)— 9-16— Willow Grove.
Werley— ( )— 8-17— Neffs.
West— ( )— 9-2— .
Wetherhold— (9)— 8-12^Neffs.
Wetzel— (5)— 8-9— Seisholtzville.
Wenek— ( )— 8-19— Elmira.
Wliitesell— ( )— 8-9— Nazareth.
Wilson— ( l—S-2 6— Delmar.
Wieder — (2) — 8-21 — Wescoesville.
Wilcox— ( ) —8-24— Delmar.
Wolfe— ( )— 8-16— Oakland Park.
Wotring— (6)— 8-12— Allentown(?)
Yost— ( )— 7-27— Chestnut Hill.
Ziegeiisfus — (3) — 8-17— Bowmans town.
Acker, Adams, Ash. Badmon.
Balthasar, Bertolet, Brady.
Balthasar, Bertolet, Borkey.
Brownback, Brubaker.
Cadwallader, Cherrington.
Cook, Cornell, Coveny, Creitz.
Currens, Davis, Deibert.
DePrefontaine, DeLong, Dietrich.
Dietz, DilLer, Dunkelberger.
Eckert, Essick, Fairchild.
Fausold, Fisher, Finney, Flack.
Flory, Foltz, Fuller, Garrett.
Garrison, Gerberick, Gring, Grubb.
Hafer, Hanna-Gardner, Harrold.
Harter, Hartman, Heilman.
Hench Dromgold, Hilbisch, Hill.
Horn, Hurff, Insinger.
Johnson, Kerschner, Ketner.
Kizer, Klein, Knecht, Knarr.
Knauss, Kocher, Krammes.
Kreider, Kurtz, Schaeffer.
Line, Ludington, Malin.
Michener, Miller (Bloomsburg).
Miller (Drehersville), Miller.
Schnecksvile), Yost Miller (Stoyestown).
Moore, Morrison, Mowery, Myers.
Ogd-en, Park, Pearson, Peter, Philips.
Pursell, Rickenbach, Roth, Ruby.
Ronkle, Schaeffer.
Schenck-Pletcher, Sheive, Shinier,
Shenk, Slocum, Smith-Fargus.
Spohn-Young, Stiteler.
Vetterman, Waiter, Weakley.
Weaver, Wells, Williams,
Winslow, Wood, Worthington.
Wotring, Yearick, Zartman.
Philadelphia Hospitality
In an essay on "Some advantages of being
a Philadelphian" under "The Contributors'
Club" of the July issue of the Atlantic
Monthly occur these words: "Then again, a
genuine Philadelphian has a solemn and
dignified sense of the responsibilities of
hospitality. When you meet a charming
hostess who welcomes you and your next of
kin to dinner at a half-hour's notice, or who
throws wide her hospitable doors for weeks
at a time, to your daughters on their vaca-
tion, you may know that she is not the real
article. Her grandmother came from South
Carolina^'
We believe these words do a gross injus-
tice to a large class of citizens of Philadel-
phia and Pennsylvania, the Germans. Taci-
tus in writing about the Germans said: The
master of the house welcomes every
stranger, and regales him to the best of his
ability. When his provisions are exhausted,
he goes to his neighbor, conducts his new
acquaintance to another hospitable board.
They do not wait to be invited; are received
most cordially. Between an intimate friend
and a stranger no distinction is made."
Goldsmith said: "The most liberal hospital-
ity and disinterestedness mark the character
of the Germans in Europe." Rush in his
"Account of the Germans in Pennsylvania"
said "The Germans are but little addicted
to convivial pleasures. They seldom meet
for the simple purpose of eating and drink-
ing in what was justly called 'feeding
parties'; but they are not strangers to the
virtue of hospitality. The hungry or be-
nighted traveler, is always sure to find a
hearty welcome under their roofs."
What is said by these three trustworthy
writers is exemplified continually by all
worthy sons and daughters of the German
stock. We believe they have exerted a
wholesome and formative influence upon the
Quaker City so far as the reputation for
hospitality goes. To attribute this therefore
to Southern influence is an injustice and a
wrong. In saying this we are not saying
aught against Southern society. We hope
some one will speak the word for the Ger-
man through the columns of The Atlantic
Monthly.
616
Memory Day
The following letter appeared in the York,
(Pa.) Gazette of August 12, 1911. The citi-
zens of York are by no means the only or
the chief offenders in this duty to the de-
parted. There are others. But the condition
reported will in part account for our mak-
ing room in THE PENNSYLVANIA-GER-
MAN for what follows.
Editor The Gazette:
For the consideration and edification of
the more refined, as well as the public
spirited citizens of York, the writer, who is
not a resident of this city, but who has visited
it annually during the last twelve years,
would like to know the reason, object or
propriety of the people of the city of York
in permitting the existence of one of the
most heart-rending and heathen spectacles
visible only in heathen countries, and yet
existing almost in the heart of the city. The
writer refers to the conditon of a so-called
cemetery or graveyard, located on the west
side of North Penn street, this city, above
Paul street. Brushes, thorn, thistles and
and weeds grow and thrive to a height of
from four to six feet, making it the most
unsightly appearance of such a place out-
side of a heathen city.
That a graveyard, where the remains of the
dead repose, within the city limits of York,
should be in such a condition as described,
which the writer defies to contradiction, is
entirely beyond the comprehension of peo-
ple living in a civilized community.
THE HISTORY OF ^MEMORY DAY"
It was on Dec. 6th, 1903, that the
dread angel, Death, visited the home of
the writer and took from earth to
Heaven, the spirit of my previous wife,
and leaving this once happy home,
lonely and desolate. Our only child —
our baby boy— died many years ago.
In the following Spring, after placing
the portion of sacred earth, in the rural
cemetery, four miles distant from the
home, in becoming condition, and re-
moving the remains of our child, from
the grave, by the home, where flowers
had bio med upon it, and burying our
baby by the side of its mother; it v.
then, as I stood by the graves of my
dead, in loneliness and \\ and
though! of the deep interest which my
dear wife ever fell in the highest wel-
fare of all who came within her in-
fluence; it was then and there, that the
desire came to me — almost irresistably —
to do all within my power, in memory of
my precious wife, to better the condition
of the graves of our dead.
With this purpose in view, my resolu-
tion, offered at the Annual Meeting of
the State Association of Farmers'
Clubs, held at the State Capitol, in Dec.
1904, was adopted and endorsed, by the
State Grange, in session, also, at the
same time and place. The resolution
asked that September 30th be designated
"Memory Day'' and be devoted to appro-
priately caring for our cemeteries and
making beautiful, with flowers, the
graves of our dead.
Taking up this matter, with our Legis-
lature, at the following session, success
resulted, an Act being passed, in accord
with the request of the above resolution.
My request, soon after, to the
Governor of the State. Hon. Fred M.
Warner, asking that he issue his Procla-
mation, inviting the people to observe
"Memory Day," was complied with and
the Proclamation issued.
As the years pass, "Memory Day" is
being more and more generally observed
throughout Michigan, and the. hope is
cherished that the time is not far distant
when "Memory Day." in the Autumn-
time, will be as generally and helpfully
observed over this entire land, as
"Decoration Day" is now observed in the
Spring-time.
The writer is laying careful plans, and
with the promised aid of influential
friends, hopes to accomplish this.
The beautiful poem, "Memory Day,"
by Michigan's loved poet, Will Carleton.
and the hymn, "Memory Day," by
Messrs Latta and Gabriel, will surely
touch human hearts and cause more
thoughtful care to lie given to the graves
of our loved ones.
May that day soon come, when there
shall not be "a neglected graveyard"
within tlie borders of this beautiful land
— America.
J. F. Daniells.
St. Johns, Michigan.
MEMORY DAY
617
A BEAUTIFUL CUSTOM
East Greenville, Pa., Aug. 23, 1911.
H. W. Kriebel, Esq.,
Lititz, Pa.
My dear sir : In response to your let-
ter of recent date asking me for a note
on how the New Goshenhoppen Church
has solved the problem of keeping its
cemeteries in good condition, permit me
to say that this work had its beginning
during the summer of 1904. At a meet-
ing of the consistory it was decided to
take steps to improve asd beautify the
burial grounds. Paths were carefully
laid out and covered with crushed stones.
Tombstones were straightened and re-
paired. Lot owners were requested to
see to it that their respective lots were
covered with a good coat of sod. The
trustees hired a man to work on the
cemetery seven months of the year. It
is his duty to regularly cut the grass with
a lawn mower and make all improve-
ments necessary to keep the burial
grounds in good condition.
Of especial interest at New Goshen-
hoppen is the old cemetery. This is the
oldest burial ground in the upper part
of Montgomery County. Here burials
were made almost 200 years ago. In a
number of cases the stones that marked
the graves had sunk below the surface
of the soil. These were raised and care-
fully set in order, as shown in the ac-
companying picture.
Keeping these cemeteries in this con-
dition is quite an expense. We have two
sources of income. All lot owners are
asked to contribute one dollar per year
for this purpose. Although this is not
compulsory, nearly all cheerfully re-
spond. Then also, we receive interest
from legacies that have been given to the
cemetery endowment fund by deceased
members.
What has helped the work perhaps
more than anything else is the fact that
on a Sunday in June every year we hold
a service in memory of the dead. At
this time nearly all the graves are pro-
fusely' decorated with flowers, so that the
whole cemetery looks like a large flower
garden. This beautiful custom which
the pastor of the congregation saw in
The old Cemetery of ihe O isheuhoppen Church, K i^t Greenville. Pa.
€18
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Nuremburg, Germany, he introduced
into this church. So popular is the ser-
vice, that because of the large number
of people attendng, many cannot gain
admittance into the church when the ser-
vice is held. It is the writer's humble
opinion that a general observance of this
custom would do more than anything
else to cause people everywhere to im-
prove and beautify neglected and forgot-
ten cemeteries.
MEMORY DAY
By Will Carleton
Under this mound is a maiden at rest —
Hands white as pearls to her bosom were
pressed;
Tears pure as rays from the stars in the sky
Fell on her face when they bade her good-
bye.
Not long on earth did the soul shed its
cheer :
Only a half-score of days was it here .
Then she was called by her heaven-given
name
Back to the beautiful home whence she
came:
But the bright spirit in passing away,
Left its sweet impress on glorified clay.
So, of the hearts of her kindred possessed,
In this last cradle they kissed her to rest.
Here her fair image lies prone at our feet:
Must not its refuge stay dainty and sweet?
Let this reflection be with us alway —
Deeper than ever on Memory Day!
Under this mound lies the wreck of a joy —
Pride's brightest garlands were hung on
his name:
Manhood and womanhood welcomed the boy,
Thanks went to heaven at the hour that
he came.
Many the hopes that upon him were laid:
Brilliant ambitions were centered within:
Could he not lead in the cohorts of trade?
Might not his genius a world-homage win?
Would he not plead with the listening
throng,
For their right action and word and be-
lief?
Might he not triumph in story or song?
Should not the nation-tribes vote him
their chief?
As by an acorn the oak is possessed,
What might have been in this tiny form
lay:
See that due honors around him shall rest:
Give him his portion of Memory Day.
Under this mound is the bride of a year:
Much did she love, and as much did she
fear.
Life early whispered that loss goes with
gain-
Exquisite bliss carries exquisite pain.
Short were the lessons vouchsafed her to
learn,
Ere to the summer-land she must return.
Perished this girl as a spring-blighted leaf:
Wifehood and motherhood both were so
brief! —
Here is a maid who. though winsome and
gay,
Never knew wedlock — Death wooed her
away.
Here the sweet garb of a soul that was
wrecked —
Lured into triumph — then crushed by
neglect.
Oh, could the beauties of .honor and worth
Sown every day in the gardens of earth,
Rise up in flowers half as lovely as they,
There were less need of our Memory Day!
Brave-hearted youth! how you sprang to the
fight,
Ready and eager your prowess to prove!
Whether you stood for the wrong or the
right,
You were encompassed with pride and
with love.
How in such good as their fond eyes could
see.
Father and mother would triumph and
rest!
How in such actions as faulty might be,
Still they stood by you and hoped for the
best!
So did your strength fill a need of each
hour —
No one could think it could e'er be o'er-
thrown :
You had the courage, but death had the
power,
And you are lying unfeared and alone.
You had a mission that could not be spoiled;
Although but briefly, proud youth has its
way:
Whether for country you battled or toiled,
You have a claim upon Memory Day!
Always save thoughts for the mother and
wife
That, through the burden and toil of a life,
Round those she loved, threw protection and
care,
In the long hours — were they stormy or fair.
Bless the sweet form that in suppliance bent,
Up to high heaven prayers for mercy she
sent;
Though she was working, the while that she
prayed —
Ever she aided, while pleading for aid.
Trouble to her called for swift-speeding
balm:
Over sad spirits her life cast a calm.
Many a soul to beatitudes led,
MEMORY DAY
61$
After it walked through the gates of the
dead,
Told the true words as it came to her near,
"This is the angel that guided me here."
Is not a life that such fruits can display,
E'en of itself one long Memory Day?
Look at the tomb of a king lying here!
Though on his low roof no blazonry be:
Monarch of forests — 'brave peace-pioneer —
Vanguard of civilization was he:
Branches barbaric spread wide where he
came —
Poisons were haunting the swamp-tainted
air;
Beasts growled their fear at his fallow's red
flame —
Reptile assassins were watching him
there.
Loved ones around him fell low in the fray —
Under wild flowers he hid them from
sight ;
Toil was ihis faithfulest comfort by day,
Dreams of the angels his solace by night.
Low is this tomb, for so lofty a heart!
Here as the* centuries drift must it stay:
But should the living, ere hence they depart,
Drape it in splendor each Memory Day!
There lies a soldier whose heart laughed at
fear :
Loud was their praise when they buried him
here!
Garlands upon him descended in showers:
Now he gets yearly a handful of flowers.
Shall his last camp glitter only in view
Of the old comrades, grown feeble and few?
Here is a pastor who toiled night and day:
Help him to pl*eaoh from this pulpit of clay.
Let not his mound, once distinguished and
high,
Shunned by God's worshipers, shrink from
the sky!
Wars for your life this physician oft led:
Give him due thanks 'tis not you that are
dead.
Here is a statesman, whose genius flamed
high:
Let not the glow of his brilliancy die.
Ah, there is never the lack of a way
Justice to render — on Memory Day!
Thousands of tombs have long passed from
our ken,
Those who once guarded them cannot
come nigh:
They, too, have gone from the mansions of
men:
Bleak and oft nameless those sepulchres
lie,
Those who are gone held their earth
dwellings dear?
How can we say but the souls that are
passed,
Still love the bodies that harbored them
here?
Grave-yards? — God's albums! — and when He
has said,
Thund'ring to us through our grief or our
mirth,
"Dying ones, what have you done with my
dead —
All in my image — entrusted to earth?"
"Those that thou gavest, we cherished with
care" —
Thus to the king may we truthfully say:
"Love linked to justice, and work wed with
prayer —
Hail the clear sunrise of Memory Day!"
Hexerei — Press Comments
Of all the tomfoolery one reads about
that story of the "hex" cat at Tumbling
Run is the limit of incredulity. We had
surely thought the witches had all been
exterminated at Salem in the old Puritan
New England days, but it appears they
left descendants. In these days of en-
lightenment, when everybody wants to
be sure of his knowledge, and tries to
lay fast hold on instruction so that he
appear wise and learned, it is descending
into the dark depths of ignorance to
entertain anything pertaining to super-
stition or the uncanny ghost or spirit
lore. No longer do good or evil spirits
reign — we are now governed more by
our impulses than by our imagination. — ■
Quaker tow n Free Press.
Time was when our own Berks County
held unenviable distinction as a shire in
which hex doctors, witches, pow-wowing,
and "hexeri" flourished abundantly. But
of late our reputation for eminence in
occultism has somewhat declined. And
as our fame, or infamy, declined the dis-
tinction of our neighboring counties for
superstition has increased. Lehigh and
Schuylkill counties now cast our county
•620
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
•quite into the shade. In evidence of this
assertion one needs but cite the recent
excitement anertt bewitchment which
agiated Allentown and was the occasion
of an article that occupied almost an en-
tire page in a recent issue of one of the
metropolitan dailies. And now Lehigh
County and Allentown are distanced by
doings up in Schuylkill County, at
Tumbling Run and Pottsville. Witches,
exorcised from this section, or at least
for awhile abating their pernicious, hell-
ish activity hereabouts, have been hold-
ing high revel by the headwaters of the
Schuylkill, as readers of the daily papers
"have been made aware these days just
past.
All of which is a disgrace to these
parts. As a people we are far from being
so enlightened as we have boasted our-
selves to be. Perusing in our histories
the story of the orgies at Salem and other
New England towns, happening some
hundreds of years ago, we have been
condemning the Puritans and boasting of
our civilization and enlightenment. But
here is Pennsylvania in 191 1, her fair
fame besmirched by doings such as may
well be reckoned as characteristic of
times of mediaeval darkness. If light is
"breaking, it is breaking very slowly. One
is forced to wonder what teachers and
preachers, schools and churches have
been doing that such beliefs can yet pre-
vail, that in a land where learning and
religion are so free, such superstition
may yet be found. So long as such
things happen there is abundant room
for instruction in the elements of science
and philosophy. Perhaps the preachers
have tlu- great est opportunity. Theirs is
the privilege to teach the people of law
and order, cause and effect, as these hold
in the universe made and controlled by
the Diety in whom they believe and
whose religion they profess. Turn on
the light, the light of science and religion,
of school and church, in order that what
remains of superstition in these parts
may be destroyed. — Kutztown Patriot.
When will people, especially Pennsyl-
vania Germans, get out of the habit of
believing in "Hexerei"? The "Hex" cat
at Pottsville has aroused the whole clan
of superstitious folk. No sooner had the
newspapers begun to spread the wild
stories of the "Hex" cat, when in Berks
County the "Hex" toad, in Lehigh the
"Seventh Books of Moses," and in Mont-
gomery the "Hex" -peg (wooden) were
again being looked upon with increased
awe and satanic reverence. No amount
of preaching or teaching seems to knock
these senseless notions out of their heads.
They will believe in "Hexerei" and that
settles it. No power on earth, no argu-
ment, no persuasion — nothing avails to
rid them of these vain imaginings.
Without mentioning the satanic "toad-
hex" of Berks and the "Moses-hex" of
Lehigh, the "wooden-peg-hex" of Mont-
gomery and Bucks counties serves our
purpose. Thinking people will hardly
believe us when we say, without exagger-
ation, that we can take you to barns, not
over ten miles from Pennsburg, in which
we can show you "peg-hex" outfits by
the score. Threshing floors, lofts, mows
and stables are full of these 'mysterious'
pegs which are driven into the wood-
work to prevent a peculiar kind of "hex"
from marauding on those premises.
These pegs have to be blessed by a "Hex"
doctor nearly all of whom live either in
Reading or Allentown. Each peg costs
so much in money, and 'mvsterious'
words have to be spoken when the pegs
are driven. For instance — a cow does
not give enough milk to suit the farmer,
or his chickens have the roup, oft he
goes for the "Hex" doctor. A quarter
to a veterinarian would bring the desired
relief. Five dollars to a "Hex" doctor
is preferred, and the pegs are bought.
The way, the almost insane delight, with
which those pegs are driven is highly
amusing, even though it is most ridicu-
lous. The peculiar thing about it is that
the "Hex" is always known and without
exce]'' 1 the farmer hates.
The "Ilex" doctor tells the farmer the
name but not before the farmer has fool-
ishly revealed the name to the doctor.
HEXEREI
621
Country pastors especially are worried
and perplexed about scores of their
parishioners. Minister, Bible nor Church
seem to have any influence whatever to
correct the evil. The problem is a poser.
Investigations have been made to find
out the real cause why persons believe in
"Hexes." Two main causes have been
discovered. One is coincidences, the
other is vanity or conceit. — Town and
Country.
It is a large one, is the "Hex" tribe.
It goes under different names ; but in
spirit and essence, it is the same. There
are good hexes and bad hexes. Hexes
that scare and hexes that amuse. Hexes
that kill and hexes that cure. At least
that is what some people would have us
believe.
Last week the secular press gave much
space to the subject. A black cat up
near Pottsville got more notice than the
meeting of the General Council, with its
three hundred delegates. The uncanny
catches the vulgar eye, and the circula-
tion increases, and vulgarity with it : it
hexes the people, as it were. And the
people like to be hexed, or hoaxed, just
as you please.
As to cause and effect, it all depends.
In Berks County, the papers tell us, it is
known as an old superstition ; and, to be
sure, it is the fruit of ignorance. The
medium, a cat in this case, must be shot
with a gold bullet, made of five dollar
pieces. Before the days of high tariff
and trusts, a silver one would do — a
twenty-five cent piece moulded into bul-
let-shape. Surely we need a change of
government.
Up in cult-crazed Boston, and city
centers everywhere, the thing goes under
other names. It may be Christian
Science, with hallucination as the hex.
They call it culture, and the like. Trans-
cendentalism is its philosophic name. It
fosters a sort of ethereal life. It may be
Spiritualism, with a shadowy anemic as
a hex — a ghostly spirituelle. It gets
messages from the ether-shore. It in-
dulges in such words as psychic, tele-
pathic, subconscious, and works them
overtime to make the untutored stare.
But there is this difference : the medium
of the Pennsylvania German Hex is
killed by a gold bullet ; in the New Eng-
land type, it takes gold wallets to keep
it alive.
The Hex of culture, whatever be its
name or nature, is a semi-religious, semi-
philosophic creature ; and so it is fash-
ionable for people of culture to patronize
it. But there is another phase of the hex
spirit. It is altogether religious ; it bears
a distinctively religious name, with
credulity as its godmother ; it is blasphe-
mous at heart. It goes by the spell-
binding title of "Relics." In Reforma-
tion times, it would be a piece of wood
from the Saviour's cross, or some other
equally genuine medium blessed by the
Pope. It is now a piece of bone from
the forearm of St. Ann, and works all
kinds of wonderful cures. And, once
more, the evil spell is broken by gold—
and a-plenty of it.
And so, it seems that we are living in
the "Hex" age. The Relic Hex, the
Mediumistic Hex, the Eddyite Hex, and
the Black Cat brand near Pottsville. It
is sad to think of it. And whence comes
it? Culture outside of Christ; igno-
rance of Christ. Yes ; it is sad. And the
only cure is where Christ is formed in
men the hope of eternal life. If He is
there, then Hexism of the gross type or
of the refined sort, will get no hold upon
the heart. — The Lutheran.
622
The Gutenberg Bible — A Sur-Sur-Rejoinder
By Martin I. J. Griffin, Philadelphia, Pa.
Editor of The Pennsylvania-German:
An amicable historical discussion of
some cue point is always interesting and
not seldom very enlightening; for the
bane of historical writing is the making
of large generalizations that rest upon
few facts. The fewer the facts, the
greater the care necessary in their cor-
rect analysis and clear definition. I am
convinced that much light has already
been shed upon the question of Luther's
''discovery of the Bible" by the papers
of the Hon. J. B. Laux and the Rev. Dr.
Ganss, and perhaps in some measure by
my own previous communication to
your hospitable pages. Some things
shine out of the discussion :
I. Mr. Laux said: "If the Bible was
so rarely found in the monastic libraries,
universities and churches", etc. Dr.
Ganss quoted in answer, not a Catholic
apology, but the words of Dr. Preserved
Smith, whose "Life and Letters of Mar-
tin Luther" was published on June 6th,
Dr. Smith says : "The young monk was
chiefly illumined by the perusal of the
Bible. The book was a VERY COM-
MON one, there having been no less
than one hundred editions of the Latin
Vulgate published before 1500, as well
as a large number of German transla-
tions. The rule of the Augustinians pre-
scribed the diligent reading of the
Scripture, and Luther obeyed this regula-
tion with joyous zeal". 'The nth edi-
dition of the Encyclopedia Brittanica
estimates that the editions of printed
books of the XVth century, might be
averaged as 500 copies each. Mr. Laux
thinks that 50,000 Bibles printed in a
part of the XVth century does not indi-
cate a "ravenous demand". We cannot
help thinking that 100 EDITIONS of
any book in a part of one century is
a pretty clear proof of a demand; but
certainly, if such books went anywhere,
they would go precisely into those insti-
tutions of learning (such as universi-
ties, monastic libraries and churches)
where, according to Mr. Laux, "the
Bible was so rarely found". But Mr.
Laux forgets the added "number of
German translations" spoken of by Dr.
Preserved Smith. He also forgets the
"multitude of manuscript copies"
spoken of by the Episcopalian Dean
Maitland, in his "Dark Ages". We con-
clude, reasonably, that "The book (the
Bible) was a VERY COMMON one"
(as Dr. Preserved Smith says), and not,
as Mr. Laux would have us believe, "so
rarely found in monastic libraries, uni-
versities and churches". So true is Dr.
Smith's assurance, that the present-day
biographer of Martin Luther, Dr. Mc-
Giffert (whose work is now running in
the Century magazine), maintains that
Luther's ignorance of the Bible "was his
own fault".
II. Mr. Laux complains that his
article, "written in the spirit of an anti-
quarian", should have caused any un-
easiness because of its reference to Lu-
ther. Now it ought to be evident that
"the antiquarian" spirit has really noth-
ing to do with religious controversy.
The antiquarian spirit seeks facts ; the
religious polemist tries to turn these facts
into an argument. Mr. Laux refers to
the very much disputed assertion of
Luther's discovery of the Bible, but he
does not even hint that the assertion is
much questioned by scholars. Assuming
his assertion to be a well-recognized
FACT, he then proceeds to build thereon
a religious argument against "the tryran-
ny and teachings of the Church at
Rome." Is this antiquarianism? Is it
not rather religious polemics?
III. Mr. Laux speaks of Luther's
ignorance of the Bible "notwithstand-
ing diligent search." He gives no author-
ity for the "diligent search". The im-
plication clearly is that an eager, able
student, having heard that there was
somewhere or other a book called the
Bible, bothered professors and librar-
THE GUTENBERG BIBLE— A SUR-SUR-REJOINDER
623
ians and ransacked libraries in a vain
search for the book. Now if this picture
implied by Mr. Laux be in any measure
correct, the Bible must indeed have
been exceedingly scarce in the very cen-
ters of learning of the opening years of
the XVI century. One might fairly
surmise that there was an attempt to
hide that singular volume which had ap-
peared in a HUNDRED EDITIONS
from the over-worked printing presses
of the previous century. Why labor the
point further? Was it quite aside of
the mark, then, for me to quote Protes-
tant writers who declare (with the Rev.
Dr. Cutts), "that there is great deal of
popular misapprehension about the way
in which the Bible was regarded in the
Middle Ages"; and who declare (with
the writer of the article in the "Church
Quarterly Review") that "The notion
that the people in the Middle Ages did
not read their Bibles. . . .is not simply a
mistake ; it is one of the most ludicrous
and grotesque blunders"? If these ex
pressions are harsh, they are not mine,
but the indignant protests of fair-minded
non-Catholics against popular misappre-
hension, fostered by such paragraphs as
the incriminated one of Mr. Laux.
IV. Mr. Laux quotes from Dean
Maitland a long paragraph to show that
WHOLE Bibles were undoubtedly
scarce in the DARK AGES. The Dean,
however, (as Mr. Laux's extract shows)
goes on to warn his readers that "we are
not hastily to conclude that wherever
there existed no single book called a
Bible, the CONTENTS of the Bible
were unknown". Maitland spends much
space in chapters XII seqq. to disabuse
his readers of their misapprehensions ;
and, under the circumstances of those
ages, the familiarity they showed with
Sacred Scripture, for which Maitland
contends, may well be described by the
adjective I used, namely, "wonderful".
However, let us not forget that Mait-
land professes to discuss in his volume
only the four hundred years from A. D.
800 to A. D. 1200. This is his limit of
the "Dark" Ages. The great revival of
learning etc. from thence onward to the
XVIth century multiplied Bibles and
parts of the Bible in manuscript, so
that, not to speak of the roo editions of
printed Bibles before Luther "discov-
ered" the Bible, there were what Mail-
land calls the "MULTITUDE" of
manuscript Bibles and parts of the
Bible in monastic libraries, universities,
and churches — those places, namely,
where Mr. Laux says they were so rare.
V. With respect to Audin, the Bene-
dictine father referred to by Mr. Laux
does not agree with the opinion of the
historians DOELLINGER a n d
KIRSCH, the latter of whom speaks of
Audin's historical works (in the Catho-
lic Encyclopedia, s. v. Audin) : "The
volumes are written in a romantic man-
ner, and contain many particulars which
sober criticism has long proved to be
false. Doellinger says of the work on
Luther: 'Audin's work is written with
an extraordinary, and at time almost
naive ignorance of Luther's writings and
contemporary literature, and of the
general condition of Germany at that
period' (Kirchenlexicon, s. v. Luther)".
If a Catholic historian thus rejects Au-
din as a good historian, he can hardly
appeal to a Catholic as a safe authority.
With respeet to the Rev. Wm. Stang, I
may say that the sentence quoted by
Mr. Laux finished a brief paragraph
which I may quote in full : "It is an
established fact that the study of the
Bible flourished during the fifteenth cen-
tury in a great majority of the colleges
and universities. The schools which
Luther attended must have been very
exceptional, for he writes: "I was twen-
ty years old and had not yet seen the
Bible." Very exceptional, indeed. But
is it quite necessary to trust Luther's
memory exactly? People sometimes
write private letters rather hastily and in
an "off hand" way. At all events, if the
quotation were conclusive, all scholars
must bow to the ascertion ; but Dr.
Ganss, in his article in the Catholic En-
cyclopedia on Luther, mentions a long
list of those who do not adimt the "dis-
covery of the Bible" storv.
624
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
VI. Mr. Laux does me an injustice
(of course unintentionally) when he
speaks of "the glib references of Editor
Griffin to the numerous editions printed
'before Luther was born'...." The
truth is that it was not I who made the
references, glib or otherwise, to those
many editions printed before Luther was
born. What 1 did was to quote Dean
Maitland to that effect. But is Maitland
worthy of respect? Mr. Laux speaks of
Maitland as "the Dean whom Episcopal-
ians like myself have long ago learned
to read with pleasure and profit, and 1
think with more discrimination and fair-
mindedness than Brother Griffin...."
VII. Mr. Laux has not read his Mait-
land and with "discrimination" if he
champions D'Auhigne and Milner, whom
"Brother Griffin in closing ridicules". I
have not said anything against those two
historians comparable with the denuncia-
tion of Dean Maitland, who said of Mil-
ner's paragraph about the ignorance of
Luther's time concerning the Sacred
Scriptures : "Really, one hardly knows
how to meet such statements", and pro-
ceeds to show the immense output of
printed Bibles before Luther was born,
the multitude of manuscript copies, etc.
Again, in his "Letter to Rev. John
King" (London, 1835), Maitland says
(pp. iv) of Milner: "That he frequently
copied incorrectly-garbed, — and inten-
tionally altered what he professed to
quote." Can anything harder be said of
a historian than that he "garbled, and
intentionally altered what he professed
to quote"? So much for Milner. Now
as to D'Auhigne, space would fail me to
illustrate with any fulness the indigna-
tion of Maitland with D'Aubigne. Mait-
land, for instance, writes that two state-
ments he quotes from D'Aubigne
("Dark Ages", new ed., London, 1889,
p. 510)" are broad falsehoods on the
very face of them" ; that a certain argu-
mentative evasion of D'Aubigne's is "too
gross and palpable"; that "It is not at
what he (D'Aubigne) has written as a
theologian, but as an historian, that I
have taken the liberty to laugh, and re-
specting which I have cautioned people
not to believe him" ; that a certain state-
men of D'Aubigne is "outrageous". I
do not wish to give fully the status
of D'Aubigne in Dean Maitland's eyes,
for this would take up too much space;
but I refer Mr. Laux to pages 507-514
of the "new edition" of the "Dark
Ages" (London, 1889). This is a good
Episcopalian (Dean Maitland) writing
about D'Aubigne and Milner. It is so
far beyond any word or implication of
censure of mine on these two historian
worthies, that I wonder at Mr. Laux's
temerity in referring to what he pleases
to consider my ridicule.
Floating Bridges in 1 795
The road to Baltimore is over the lowest
of three floating bridges which have been
thrown across the Schuylkill river in the
neighborhood of Philadelphia. The view on
passing this river, which is about 250 yards
wide, is beautiful. The banks on each side
are high and for many miles above afford
the most delightful situations of villas. A
very elegant one, laid out in English taste,
is seen on passing the river just above the
bridge. Adjoining to it are public gardens
and a house of entertainment with several
good rooms, to which the citizens of Phila-
delphia resort in great numbers during the
summer seasons.
The floating bridges are formed of large
trees, which are placed in the water trans-
versely and are chained together. Beams
are then laid lengthways upon these and the
whole boarded over to render the way con-
venient for passengers. On each side there
is a railing. When very heavy carriages go
across these bridges they sink a few inches
below the surface of the water, but the pas-
sage is by no means dangerous. They are
kept in an even direction across the river
by means of chains and anchors in different
parts and are also strongly secured on both
shores. Over that part of the river where
the channel lies they are so contrived that
a piece can be removed to allow vessels to
pass through. — From "Travels Through the
States of North America," bv Isaac Weld,
Jr., 1795.
625
Alden Theodore Croll— In Memoriam
Alden Theodore Croll, youngest son of Rev. P. C. and Sallie A. Croll, was
born on January 12, 1894, at Lebanon, Pa. His end came in a railroad accident at
Beardstown, 111., June 10, 191 1, within two weeks after graduation from the
Beardstown High School. He was buried at Womelsdorf, Pa., June 13, aside of
his sister, Rose, who ten years previously had died suddenly at the same age and
period of school life. These lines are a loving tribute by his father written in
Philadelphia while the body was being brought east for burial. — Editor.
Dear sunny-hearted Alden, we noticed from thy birth
Thy soul was rilled with sunshine, thy heart with bliss and mirth.
A sparkle lay twixt eye-lids, whole sunsets in thy locks ;
Thy lips were fonts of laughter, thy hands were cubic blocks
Of chubby, baby goodness: — thyself an unsung song,
Which trickeled out in doses of whole-day seasons long.
Dear sunny-hearted Alden, thou curly-headed lad,
Thy Fontleroyish heartstrings could never play the sad ;
They were not set to music but in the major key,
And never gave forth any but notes of gayety.
Thy childhood thoughts were merry, thy dreams were bordered all
With the gilt and glint of sunshine, with laughter's liquid wall.
Dear sunny-hearted Alden, our darling, whistling boy —
Personified streak of sunshine — one optimistic joy ;
Compound of hope and brightness, no clouds hid sky of thine,
Thy cup was ever brimful with quintessence of life's wine.
No earthly dregs could bitter what Nature sweetened so —
And so you spent your boyhood just letting sunshine flow.
Dear sunny-hearted Alden, our growing, singing youth.
A-quaffing at the fountain of only gladdening truth.
Philosophies and logic were smile-wreathed by thine art.
No science could be mail-proof to the laughter of thy heart.
Thy hand grew skilled and cunning, could carve a smile in wood,
No care-brow could resist thee ; no open-hearted would.
Dear sunny-hearted Alden, youth's ladder thou didst climb
On rungs of radiant sunshine, on steps with joy in time.
Thy wings were set for flying in Hope's high-soaring car,
When lo! Elijah's chariot bore thee in glee afar
Beyond this vale of sighing, beyond this life of fears.
Beyond this school of trying, beyond this land of tears.
Dear sunny-hearted Alden, fling back thy robes of light.
Thy mantle wove of sunshine let fall on us tonight,
Who sit here in the shadow, who miss thy merry voice
That oft dispeled our sighing and made our hearts rejoice.
But if thou canst not spare it in the world to which thou 'rt gone,
Then keep up song and gladness till thou come to ( rod's white throne.
Dear sunny-hearted Alden, thy body soon shall rest
Beside thy eldest sister's, on hallowed hillside's crest,
Where you shall sleep together in Death's enfolding arms.
United now in earth and heaven, both free from all alarms.
Some day, our Love-crowned children, now safe forevermore,
We'll join you both in Heaven, on Life's eternal shore.
626
Bedford County Marriages, 1791-1798
By W. H. Welfley, Somerset, Pa.
DAM MILLER, Esq., was
an old time Justice of the
Peace, who was commis-
sioned in 1 79 1 for Brothers
Valley Township, Bedford
Co., Pa., (now Somerset
Co.) and who resided in
Berlin, then an unincor-
porated village. He was born in Ger-
many, May 14, 1750, coming to America
in 1773. He served in the Revolutionary
War as ist Sergeant in Cap. Clubsaddle's
Company of Maryland Militia.
An interesting relic preserved in the
Miller familiy is a bass drum about three
times the height of such a drum of the
present day, that was carried during the
Revolutionary War by another member
of the Miller family.
Shortly after the close of the war Mr.
Miller settled at Berlin. As already
stated he was presently commissioned a
Justice of the Peace for Brothers Valley
Township. His Justice's Docket is still
extant and is in possession of his grand-
son, Francis E. Miller, of Speelman,
Bedford Co., Pa.
This ancient docket offers ample evi-
dence that there must have been not a
few lawless people living, 1790- 1798, in
what is now Somerset County.
Lawsuits were also of frequent occur-
rence, the costs often being greater than
the amount of debt claimed, as for in-
stance, on January 8, 1794, a suit was
brought for nine pence in which the
costs amounted to fifteen shillings and
five pence.
The cases on this docket were re-
turned to Bedford, until April 17, 1795,
when Somerset County was created. The
first deed recorded in Somerset County
was a deed to Adam Miller for a lot
purchased by him in Berlin.
Squire Miller's career as a Justice of
the Peace was terminated by his election
in 1798 as a member of the Assembly for
Somerset County. He must have stood
well with the people for he was honored
by four successive elections to this office.
In 1808 or 1809 ne removed to Bedford
County. His son Josiah became a Jus-
tice of the Peace in that county and also
represented it in the Assembly.
An interesting feature of this ancient
docket is the list of marriages solemnized
by this early Justice which is here sub-
joined.
Andrew Hack, Sara Benp
Adam Cofman, Cinnia Miller
Solomon Kimmel, Elizabeth Brubaker
John Stiveler, Elizabeth Foust
Peter Smith, Elizabeth Shenafield
John Blough, Nelley Barkey
Christian Wagerman, Margaret Kover
Youst Laydig, Hannah Gresing
Casper Statler, Mary Lambert
Alexander Hay, Rebecca Bird
Jacob Schnaider, Susanna Habel
Frederick Fisher, Mary Foust
Cuhnrod Suter, Katharine Suter
John Bemabl 1 (in art illegible), Eva Ward
Ludwick Smith, Susannah Shenafield
Jacob Glessner, Magdalena Foust
Jacob Cofman, Mary Forsyth
Simon Brandt, Mary Spriggs
John Dietz, Eva Serton ( ?)
November 8,
February 5,
April 3,
April 9,
April 17,
April 24,
May 29,
June 5,
June 12,
July 1,
July 3,
July 10,
August 12,
August 14,
August 28,
September 18,
September 18,
September 21,
October 13,
1791
1792
1792
1792
1792
1792
1792
1792
1792
1792
1792
1792
1792
1792
1792
1792
1792
1792
1792
BEDFORD COUNTY MARRIAGES, 1791-711
627
Peter Walker, Sharlot Remsberger
Peter Bernhardt, Susannah Washabaujh
Michael Ream, Catharine Glessner
Casper Keller, Elizabeth Brandt
Abraham Wipkey, Mary Lambert
Philip Hoger (probably Hanger), Barbara Hall
Christian Miller, Magdalena Blough
George Lambert, Elizabeth Stall (Stahl)
Simon Slabach, Rosanna Clingman
John Sutmeyer, Susan Rittner (probably Bittner)
Jacob Good, Susana Smith
James Watkins, Katharine Ham
Martin Warns, Barbara Burkey
David Livingston, Annie Mishler
Jacob Faith, Elizabeth Hogher (Hanger)
Ludwick Sherer, Barbara Springer
Samuel Clark, Markrath Menges
John Wipkey, Katharine Lanhard
Henry Wipkey, Elizabeth Kiffer
Joseph Hostetler, Susana Sever
Michael Ross, Susana Good
David Bemod, Kathern Sheets
George Angenay, Mary Putman
Adam Kiffer, July Kitzmiller
James Sprague, Susana Rife
Peter Foreman, Katharine Haines
Michael Markfelt, Mary Baze
Matthias Back, Eve Cofman
Frederick Bittsher, Katharine Eiler
Philip Shultz, Eve Shuck
Jacob Smith, Katharine Lebold
Michael Kable, Barbary Smith
Joseph Reyle, Mary Hobliglasner
John Miller, Millian Husband
Daniel Bower, Elyabeth StifHer
David Zimmerman, Katharine Shultz
John Bowser, Magdalena Bittner
Daniel Baker, Sally Tressler
Ludwick Baer, Katharine Shiler
John Mangus, Barbary Miller
Adam Coffman, Elizabeth Gardner
Edward Stoy, Mary Kave (perhaps Have)
Michael Kover, Katharine Palm
George Friend, Mary Magdalene Knavel
Alexander McVicker, Jane Fayler probably Tayler)
Henry Bittner, Barbary Danner
Jacob Gall, Katharine Cassman
John Draver, Barbary Barkirson
John Bittner, Rosana Sholleas (Shaulis)
Andrew Rembow. Susan Kiffer
Joseph Cofman, Haley McGraw
Jacob Hosteter, Mary Shultz
Horonamus Biridieon, Susana Bowman
November 13,
November 24,
November 27,
December 18,
December 25,
January 4,
January 25,
April 23,
May 13,
May 14,
June 18,
July 3,
July 16,
July 12,
July 23,
September 17,
September 17,
October 22,
October 29,
May 12,
July 1,
August 29,
in
in
January 25,
March 22,
May 5,
May 17,
June 5,
June 9,
June 9,
>iy 5,
January 4,
January 17,
June 19,
August 23,
November 8,
December 25,
January 10,
April 11,
April 11,
April 14,
May 3,
June 7,
August 28,
March 27,
May 13,
June 13,
July 10,
August 7,
October 12,
October 16.
February 16,
628
A Sermon of the Days of Revolution
Preached on the eve of the Battle of
Brandywine, 11 'ednesday, September
10th, 1777, by a chaplain of the Con-
tinental . Inny,
They that take the sword shall perish
with the sword. — Matt. XXVI, 52.
SOLDIEK S A N D COU N TRY M E N : —
E have met this evening per-
haps for the last time. We
have shared the toil of the
march, the peril of the
right, and the dismay of
the retreat, alike, we have
endured cold and hunger;
the contumely of the in-
ternal foe, and courage of the foreign
oppressor. We have sat, night after
night, heside the camp-hre ; we have
heard together the roll of the reveille,
which called us to duty, or the beat of
the tattoo, which gave the signal for the
hasty sleep of the soldier with the earth
for his bed and a knapsack for his pil-
low. And, now, soldiers and brethren,
we have met in the peaceful valley on
the eve of battle, while the sunlight is
dying away beyond yonder heights — the
sunlight that tomorrow morning will
glimmer on scenes of blood.
We have met amid the whitening tents
of our encampment ; in a time of terror
and gloom have we gathered together.
God grant that it will not be for the last
time! It is a solemn moment, brethren.
Does not the solemn voice of nature seem
to echo the sympathies of the hour? The
flag of our country droops heavily from
yonder staff ; the breeze has died away
along the green plain of Chadd's Ford, —
the plain that stands before us glittering
in the sunlight. The heights of Brandy-
wine arise gloomy and grand beyond the
waters of yonder stream. All nature
In ilds a solemn silence on the eve of the
uproar, of the bloodshed and strife of
tomorrow !
They that take the sword shall perish
ivith the sword.
And have they not taken the sword?
Let the desolated plains, the blood-sod-
den valleys, the burned farm-houses
blackening in the sun, the sacked villages
and the ravished towns answer! Let the
bleaching bones of the butchered farmer,
strewed along the fields of his own home-
stead,answer ! Let the starved mother,
with the babe clinging to the withered
breast that can afford no sustenance, let
her answer with the death rattle mingling
with the murmuring tones that mark the
last struggle of life ! Let that dying
mother and her babe answer !
It was but a little while past and our
land slept in the quiet peace. War was
not here. Wrong was not here. Fraud,
and woe, and misery, and want, dwelt
not among us. From the solitude of the
green woods rose the smoke of the set-
tler's cabin, and golden fields of corn
looked forth from amid the waste of the
wilderness, and the glad music of human
voices awoke the silence of the forest.
Now, God of mercy ! behold the change.
Under the shadow of a pretext, under
the sanctity of the name of God, invok-
ing the Redeemer to their aid, do these
foreign hirelings slap our people. They
swarm our towns, they darken our
plains, and now they encompass our
posts on the plain of Chadd's Ford !
They that take the sword shall perish
with the sword.
Brethren, think me not unworthy of
belief, when I tell you the doom of the
British is near. Think me not vain when
I tell you that beyond the cloud that now
enshrouds us, I see gathering thick and
fast the darker cloud and the blacker
storm of divine retribution ! They may
conquer tomorrow — might and wrong
may prevail, and we may be driven from
this field, but the hour of God's ven-
geance will come! Ah, if in the vast
solitudes of eternal space, if in the heart
of the boundless universe there throbs
the being of an awful God, quick to
avenge and sure to punish guilt, then
will the man George of Brunswick,
called king, feel in his brain and his
heart the vengeance of the eternal
Jehovah ! A blight will be upon his life,
A SERMON OF THE DAYS OF REVOLUTION
629
a withered brain and accursed intellect ;
a blight will be upon his children, and
on his people ! Great God, how great
that punishment ! A crowded populace,
peopling the dense towns, where the man
of money thrives while the laborer
starves ; want striding among its people
in all its forms of terror ; a proud and
merciless nobility adding wrong to
wrong, and heaping insult upon robbery
and fraud; a God-defying priesthood;
royalty corrupt to the very heart and
aristocracy rotten to the core ; crime and
want linked hand in hand, and tempting
men to woe and death ; these are a part
of the doom that will come upon the
English throne and the people of Eng-
land.
Soldiers, I look around into your
familiar faces with strong interest. To-
morrow morning we will all go forth to
the battle ; for need I tell you that your
unworthy minister will march with you,
invoking God's aid in the fight ! Need I
exhort you to fight the good fight ; to
fight for your homesteads, for your
wives, and your children ! My friends I
urge you to fight by the galling memories
of British wrong.
Walton, I might tell you of your
father, slaughtered in the silence of night
on the plains of Trenton ; I might picture
his gray hairs dabbled in blood. I might
ring his death shriek in your ears.
Shelmire, I might tell you of a butch-
ered mother ; the lonely farm house, the
night assault, the roof in flames, the
shouts of the troopers as they dispatched
their victims ; the shouts for mercy, the
pleadings of innocence for pity. I might
paint this all again in the vivid colors of
the terrific reality, if I thought that your
courage needed such wild excitement,
but I know you are strong in the might
of the Lord. You will march forth to
the battle on the morrow with light
hearts and determined spirits, though the
solemn duty, the duty of avenging the
dead, rests heavily on your souls. And
in the hour of battle, when all around
the darkness is lit by the lurid cannon
glare, and the piercing muskets flash,
when the wounded strew the ground and
the dead litter your path, then remember,
soldiers, that God is with you ; the
eternal God fights for you; He rides on
the battle cloud, He sweeps onward with
the march of the hurricane charge! God,
the awful and the infinite, fights for you
and will triumph !
They that take the sword shall perish
•with the sword.
You have taken the sword, but not in
the spirit of wrong and revenge. You
have taken the sword for your homes,
for your wives, for your little ones. You
have taken the sword for truth, for jus-
tice and right; and to you the promise
is, "Be of good cheer," for your foes
have taken the sword .in defiance of all
that man holds dear; in blasphemy of
God. 'They shall perish by the sword."
And now, brethren and soldiers, I bid
you all farewell ! Many of us may fall
in the battle of tomorrow. God rest the
souls of the fallen! Many of us may
live to tell the story of tomorrow, and in
the memory of all will ever rest and
linger the quiet scenes of this autumnal
night.
Solemn twilight advances over the val-
ley. The woods on the opposite heights
fling their long shadows over the green
of the meadow. Around us are the tents
of the continental host; the suppressed
bustle of the camp, the hurried tramp of
the soldiers to and fro among the tents,
the stillness and awe that mark the eve
of battle. When we meet again may the
shadow of twilight be flung over a peace-
ful land. God in heaven grant it.
Let us pray:
Oh God of mercy we pray Thy bless-
ing on the American Armies ; make the
men of our heart strong in Thy wisdom ;
bless, we beseech Thee with renewed life
and strength our hope and Thy instru-
ment, even George Washington; shower
Thy counsels down on the Honorable,
the Continental Congress; visit the tents
of our host; comfort the soldier in his
wounds and afflictions ; nerve him for the
fight ; prepare him for the hour of death ;
and in the hour of defeat, O God of
Hosts, be Thou our stay; and in the
hour of Triumph be Thou our guide!
630
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Teach us to be merciful. Though the
memory of galling wrongs be at our
hearts knocking for admittance, that
they may fill us with the desire of re-
venge ; yet, let us, Lord, spare the van-
quished, though they never spared us in
the hour of butchery and bloodshed. And
in the hour of death do Thou guide us
to the abode prepared for the blessed.
So shall we return thanks unto Thee
through Christ our Redeemer. God pros-
per the cause. Amen.
Rev. Joab Trout.
Use of the Divining Rod
Numerous mechanical devices have
been proposed for detecting the presence
of underground water, ranging in com-
plexity from the simple forked branch of
witch-hazel, peach, or other wood to
more or less elaborate mechanical or
electric contrivances. Many of the
operators of these devices, especially
those who use the home-cut forked
branch, are entirely honest in the belief
that the working of the rod is influenced
by agencies — usually regarded as elec-
tric currents following underground
streams of water — that are entirely in-
dependent of their own bodies, and many
uneducated people have implicit faith in
their ability to locate underground water
in this way. In experiments with a rod
of this type the writer found that at cer-
tain points it seemed to turn downward
independent of his will, but more com-
plete tests showed that this down turn-
ing resulted from slight and. until
watched-for, unconscious muscular ac-
tion, the effects of which were communi-
cated through the arms and wrists to the
rod. No movement of the rod from
causes outside of the body could be de-
tected and it soon became obvious that
the view held by other men of science
is correct — that the operation of the
"divining rod" is generally due to un-
conscious movements of the body or of
the muscles of the hand. The experi-
ments made show that these movements
happen most frequently at places where
the operator's experience has led him to
believe that water may be found.
The uselessness of the divining rod is
indicated by the facts that it may be
worked at will by the operator, that he
fails to detect strong water currents in
tunnels and other channels that afford
no surface indications of water, and that
its locations in limestone regions where
water flows in well-defined channels
are no more successful than those de-
pendent on mere guesses. In fact, its
operations are successful only in regions
in which ground water occurs in a
definite sheet in porous material or in
more or less clayey deposits, such as
pebbly clay or till. In such regions few
failures can occur, for wells can get
water almost anywhere. Ground water
occurs under certain definite conditions,
and just as surface streams may be ex-
pected where there is a valley, so ground
water may be found where certain rocks
and conditions exist. Xo appliance,
either mechanical or electrical, has yet
been devised that will detect water in
places where plain common sense will
not show its presence just as well.
From Tnderground Waters for
Farm Use," Government Printing Office,
1910, p. 15.
631
□
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
O, Muttersproch, du bist uns lieb " — A. S.
n:
Need of Family Reunions
Mister Drucker:
In dein'ra magazine fer Augusht war en
shtick des hut g'sawt es waren on denna
tzeita ken grossa leit odder statesmen bei'm
nahme Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madi-
son, Monroe, Jackson, Franklin, Hamilton,
Sherman, Putnam, Lee un onnera nahme os
mer fint in history; un os die grossa bank-
ers, manufacturers un business leit die mir
now hen daiten net die nahme drawge foon
de grossa bankers un business leit en
honnert yahr 'tzurick.
Sel hut dich uf die notion gebrocht os
selly olta famillya die fiel grossa leit naus
in die Welt g'shickt hen gons ausgonge
mista sei. Noh hut's dich gewoonnert eb sel
ow so ware mit de Deutsche famillya os
noch g'shtanna hen en hoonert yahr tzurick?
Now ich waes net wie's is mit de "hoch"
Deutsche familya, Mister Drucker, ovver
unser Pennsylvania Deutsche leid duen ihr
end tzimlich goot ufholta. Of course, olsa-
mohl fint mer'n schwartz schoaf, ovver so
dorrichaweck shtehen unser Pennsylvania
Deutsche famillya haicher un besser in'ra
nochberschaft os wie ihr gross-eldera un die
ols noch welter hinna naus ols hen. Be
sure, sie sutta ow, in dem os sie bessera
shoola hen un en bessery chance uf olla
wega fer ebbes foon sich mache. Drumm
mehn ich sie daiten ihr end goot ufholta.
Ovver well die Pennsylvania Deutsche
famillya net om hinnersich gehe sin uf sella
wega, sie sin om sebwacb werra uf'n onnera
weg. Unser elshta un besta famillya sin
om glenner werra. En famillya mit'n
houseful kinner is bol nimmy tzu finna. Es
is yusht meh hee-un-doh os mer elf un
tzwelf kinner um en dish rnmm sehna kon,
oil eiferich mit gebroatner mush un buch
waitze Kuche moryets; schnitz-un-gnep,
butt-boy, sour-grout, weiss-grout, "Witzel,"
grumbeara-salaut un shpeck-un-reeva mid-
dawgs; un ovets rivvel-soup, grumbeara-
soup, mush-un-milch, kuddlefleck, tzidderla
un fiel onnera sache os uns eldera ollaweil
noch's moul wessera macht! Wos mer now
sehnt is tzwa odder drei glana on en dish,
un denna holver evvafiel mit ihre toasties,
Quaker oats, puffed rice, shredded wheat un
sellera gleiches os mer' in tootta im shtore
kauft, in blots foon was die mommy ols ge-
macht hut; tzwisha de tzeit grehen die
Kinner Pepsin gum, in blots foon grossa
kolta • buchwaitze-kuche g'shmeered mit
lodwerrick. Ken wonner sin ihr feez so
tzort os sie nimmy borefeeshich shpringe
wolle.
Un des bringt mien on der point woo ich
naus bin g'shtart defohr, os weil unser
Pennsylvania Deutsche famillya om glenner
werra sin un unnich da umshtenda gons
ausgehe kenta, die family reunions os ol-
livver kolta sin werra des shpoteyahr en
firstrate ding warren. Es is gons recht os
en record gemacht sut werra foon denna
famillya, un gons shicklich os es gedueh
sut werra on en tzeit won die leit noch doh
sin.
In de tzeitinga hov ich ow g'sehna census
reports, un reports foon de health registers.
Oil die reports weisa os die auslenner — die
Poles, Slavs, Hungarians, Russians un
Italians — die leit sin woo ollaweil die Kin-
ner grehen. So won die shuckel owholt so
aus fashion tzu kumma unnich unser Penn-
sylvania Deutsche leit. don missa mir ex-
shpecta mit de tzeit, won's family reunions
gebt in unserm end foon Pennsylvania, so
nahme tzu finn wie die:
Snitzky, Slupaky. Shantovitz, Novak,
Onushak. Wejehowski. Raboniwitz, Gorhal-
uscha, Sobszynski, Zaloeski, Mojnagloszik,
Szarak, Ivanosky, Youkowsky, Yonsioz,
Allessandro, Cassellucci. Tavollo, Mozetko,
Capello. Pietro Dranfko. Wiki, Scienkiewiez,
Uletszche, Jaroszy, Ienestokey, Satovitch,
Tzheck, Drakapik, Muschock, Bonosky,
Petroski, Gyeski, Wominski, unso on x-t-y-
tz.
Pawr woche tzurick war ich uf'ra family
reunion im loud, woo en Porra de yunga
bauer g'sawt hut woh sie goot op sei wutta,
don mista sie kinner un epple-behm hovva.
P'leicht war der Porra recht.
OLLY HESS.
Die Schpeckmans
Die Schpeckmans is en nacht gadier
Un hut im dunkla ihr plasier.
Sie flight rumba so schnell un schlick
Un is in sell'm en Maschterschtick.
In freier luft fliegt sie rumhar
Os won sie nie net ruhig war;
Sie kumt so g'schwind wie en wetterlej
Geht fort so schnell in ihrem weg.
Un war die Schpeckmaus schiest im Aug
Is'n expert schitz, verlus dich druf;
Der is net blind un aw net schlow,
Un biet verleicht der Teddy — Oh!
632
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Die Schpeckmaus is net alisfert drous,
Sic fliegl dal mo] grad nei ins nans
l'n schloft die Sally un die Jane —
Gee whiz! des macht en liiim daheern.
Die Sal jumpt uf un werd gans kalt,
Die Jane die glaabt es is der Alt;
Sie schpringa nei, im Dat sei schtub,
l'n greisha, Pap! Oh. Pap! en schpuck.
Der Pap der denkt. "Die Schpeckmaus
hangt,"
l'n schteht net uf — un lacht noch druf.
Die Mam dan sagt zu ihra mad,
"Yusht schloft am fusend alia beet."
Des basd net recht un is zu hase;
Doch bess'r os wie en Schpeckmaus race.
Der Pap is dick un sis zu eng
For inn zu laie bei so're meng.
Da mad ihr bett is leer un gut
Die Schpeckmaus sitzt in d'r Sal ihr'm hut,
Un mehnt es war en give] end,
Grads ding fer'n Schpeckmaus regiment.
Ei Schpeckmaus hie un Schpeckmaus har!
Der Pap schpringt net for ma Teddy bar.
Ins leer belt geM un schloft so sanft,
Die Schpeckmaus hangt om grosa ranft.
Die Sal kumt morgets far ihr hut
So gros das hunnert Schpeckmaus gut
En home un bett drin hove kenna.
Un duht des ding fum nagel nemma.
Gros glick dabei! die Schpeckmaus soil
De Sal net kumma in die woll.
Sie fliegt noh fort wie'n glaner schelm
Un in da fenshdra sin schreens noch sellen.
Composed by H. H. Romig in 1911. 1226
Union Street, Allentown, Pa.
Das Deutsche Lied
Wort und Weise Karlfried Kriebel
Erschalle, du herrlicher Mannergesang.
Dn kraftvoller. markiger Chor!
Es hebt aus dar Brust ein begeisterndes
Lied
Sich jublend und jauchzend empor.
Es braust wie der Sturm, wie das wallende
Meer.
Und fiiistert wie Sommernachtswind.
Es rollt wie der Donner und lachelt so froh
Und sanft wie ein spielendes Kind.
Was singet und saget dies klingende Lied?
Es spricht von des Vaterland's Macht,
Von Ehre und Ruhm und von trutziger
Kraft,
Von Siegen in blutiger Schlacht.
Der Helden gedenkt's die fur Freiheit und
Recht,
A I i t Freuden vergossen ihr Blut.
Die siegend, dem Tode auf blumiger Au'.
Sich weihten mit zornigem Mut.
Und grollend und ziirnend erinnert's an
Sei. much,
Die Deutschland eins knirschend ertrug.
Es schleudert den Raubern und Schandern
ins Grab
Hiiiah einen furchtbaren Fluch.
Vom Wein, der am Rheine so duftend und
mild,
Auf sonnigen Hohen ergliiht,
Von Talern und Bergen, vom rauschenden
Wald,
Singt freudig und fiolich das Lied.
Es wehet so lieblich und sanft wie der
Hauch
Des Friihlings, der Knospen erbricht.
Und innig von Sehnsucht und Hoffnung und
Gliick,
Von Liebe und Freuden es spricht,
Wenn klagend und zagend, in Angst und in
Not,
Fast springet ein trostloses Herz.
Dann wecket und starket die Hoffnung dies
Lied
Und lindert den bittersten Schmerz.
Fromm ehrt es und preist es den giitigen
Gott,
Es griiszet die Sonne, den Mond,
Die blitzenden Sterne in heiliger Ruh',
Wo segnend der Ewige thront.
Es singet von allem, was je das Gemiit
In Ehrfurcht und Liebe erregt,
Bald scherzend und heiter, bald traurig und
ernst
Hat tief uns erfaszt und bewegt.
Erschalle uns machtig, du Mannergesang,
Das wonnig das Herz uns ergliiht.
Du kommst aus der Tiefe der Seele hervor,
Du deutsches, du herrliches Lied!
The Duds What Women Folks Wear
Say, don't yer jist git alfired mad
With duds wot women folks wear,
What shet in back stead o' the front,
Say, wouldn't yer like ter swear?
When yer stan' like a meek old fool,
A strugglin' with all yer might,
Ter find when yer come ter th' end
That yer havn't done et right.
Then yer gota begin agin,
This time yer'll hook et right;
But the ole girl fumes and fusses
An says yer done et fer spite.
That's when yer git mad all over,
An swear that never agin
Will yer hook up that concarned dud
But yer soon on th' job agin.
— Becky-Tabor in Author's Magazine.
633
nn
REVIEWS AND NOTES
By Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N. J.
"_l
THE YEAR BOOK OF THE PENNSYL-
VANIA SOCIETY FOR 1911 — Edited by
Barr Ferree, Secretary of the Society.
Cloth; illustrated; 231 pp. The Pennsyl-
vania Society, New York. 1911.
Within eleven years this society has be-
come the largest of the State Societies of
America. Its historical work, contained
chiefly in its Year Book, presents annually
a summary of historical work and endeavor
relating to Pennsylvania that is not to be
obtained in any other publication or form.
Its membership in December 1910 was 1165.
The Year Book contains an account of
the Twelfth Annual Dinner of the Society,
given in the grand ball room of the Hotel
Astor, New York, January 21, 1911, in honor
of President Taft. Fourteen hundred guests
were present; among them were Governor
Dix of New York, and Governor Tener of
Pennsylvania; Attorney-General Wicker-
sham, Hon. Joseph H. Choate; Andrew Car-
negie, and others.
In addition to the speeches made at this
dinner, the book contains many items of
interest concerning Pennsylvania and Penn-
sylvanians the world over. It also has
some very good illustrations.
A HISTORY OF THE LUTHERAN
CHURCH IN NEW HANOVER, PENN-
SYLVANIA— Compiled and arranged by
the Pastor, Rev. J. J. Kline, Ph. D., Mem-
ber of the The Pennsylvania-German
Society, The Historical Society of Penn-
sylvania, and The Historical Society of
Montgomery County. Cloth; illustrated;
710 pp. Publshed by the Congregation,
New Hanover, Pa. 1910.
This is meant as a bi-centennial edi-
tion to commemorate the two hundredth
anniversary of the organization of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of New Han-
over, Pa. Like the beginning of a great
many things, the early history and the time
of organization of this congregation is not
definitely known. Conjecture has to supply
the connecting link between numerous inci-
dents and dates. It is certain, however,
that it is the oldest of the three original
united congregations, and consequently one
of the oldest Lutheran congregations in
America, and by some claimed as the oldest.
Of the 710 pages in the book, only 270 are
of the nature of a strictly historical narra
tive concerning the organization of the con-
gregation, its buildings, ministers, etc. The
remainder of the volume is taken up with
church records — births, baptisms, catechu-
mens, confirmations, marriages, and deaths.
These pages are very likely interesting only
to those who still have the satisfaction of
finding their names there.
The writer's reasons for producing this
volume are legitimate and praiseworthy; he
is entitled to the commendation of his
church and congregation for endeavoring to
preserve these records of the past.
The work, like all works of its kind, has
very little literary value because of the very
nature of its makeup. Accuracy in such a
work is encumbered with difficulty; to what
extent this particular work is accurate it is
impossible to say at this juncture. It is
another evidence of the spirit, and an
admirable one, that would preserve more of
the historical data of the past. Its field is
naturally somewhat provincial, and conse-
quently it is mainly of local import, but it
is nevertheless a contribution to local
history.
TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION
(178'M784) From the German of Johann
David Schoepf. Translated and edited by
Alfred I. Morrison. Two volumes; cloth;
price $6 net. William J. Campbell, Phila-
delphia. 1911.
The author of this amusing and interest-
ing impression of the United States imme-
diately after the Revolution and before the
adoption of the Constitution was Dr. Johrnn
David Schoepf, a German, who was chief
surgeon of the Ansbach troops during the
Revolution. He was born in 1752 in Wund-
siedel, in Bayreuth, a region of mines and
quarries. He was highly educated as a
physician, but not caring to practice he be-
came interested in biology and mineralogy.
He came to New York in 1777; he returned
to Europe 'in 1784, and died there in 1800.
He wished to see more of the wonderful
region beyond the town where he was close-
ly ^confined for several years; and so after
his official duties had ceased he started ^on
a journev. Leaving New York in July, 1783
he went to Elizabethtown, Brunswick.
Princeton, and Trenton, where he crossed
the Delaware. Coming to the Pennsylvania
side he passes through Bristol, Frankfort
and Philadelphia, where a long stop was
made. Then he went to Germantown,
Chestnut Hill, and Flourtown, and after a
tedious and difficult journey he came to
t;:;i
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Quakertown, which at that time had only
twelve houses. He next came to Bethlehem,
Nazareth, Wyoming Settlement, back to
Nazareth, then to Allentown, whose official
name then was Northampton, and had be-
bween forty and Gfty houses; then to
Maguntchy (Macungie) and Lebanon. He
then tinned to the southern part of the
state and passed through Carlisle on to Bed-
ford, Pittsburg and Kentucky. Coming back
to Kentucky lie passed through the northern
part of Virginia, .Maryland and Delaware,
returning to Philadelphia by way of Chester.
He also makes mention of many more and
insignificant places.
In volume two is an account of a second
trip. Intent on visiting the southern colo-
nies, he leaves Philadelphia a second time.
Starting in November 1783 he goes to Val-
Forge, then through Lancaster and York
counties into Maryland, through to Virginia,
North Carolina, and East Florida, and final-
ly to the Bahama Islands. From here he
■sailed for Europe, where he arrived the first
week in July. 1784.
He was a keen observer; he saw some-
thing—was it the birds of the air, the plants
and trees of the fields, the fishes in the
water, or the rocks and ores under the
earth, or the climate above it — nothing
ed his observing eye. His list of con-
tributions on North American vegetation,
fishes, etc., is a long one. A manuscript
describing the birds of North America was
lost at sea.
He gives delightful descriptions of the
through which he passes — of their
manners and customs, and language; of the
buildings, and country inns and farm houses
where he stopped, of the food that was
: and the water that was to be had.
And into all this is woven a further de-
'i of scenery, soil, vegetation, natural
resources, climate, animals and Indians.
of his observations are amusing, inter-
and prophetic. Spraking of fences he
says, "Fences certain'y a • nowhere, else to
be found of so many .!' nl varieties as in
America, where at any moment the traveller
comes upon a new sort and cannot but be
astonished at the inventive genius of the
inhabitants. But in every case the device
shows that more care has been taken to
avoid trouble than to save wood or to build
durably. Commonly the fences are but dead
enclosures, either light poles or split logs,
bound together in one way and another,
laid one over the other, or, it may be, up-
right stakes worked in and across, and so
forth. The so-called 'worm-fences' are the
commonest, and for this purpose chestnut
wood, if to be had, is used because of its
lightness and because it lasts well, barked."
The first stone house had just been erected
in Pittsburg before his arrival, but he
thought there would soon be more, because
the place reasonably expects to grow large
and considerable with the passage of time.
Returning to Europe he spent several
years in arranging his - notes which he
eventually published at Erlangen in 1788.
This work was translated and edited by
Dr. Alfred J. Morrison; he has preserved
as much as possible the charm and magnet-
ism of the original. The translation may
not be in the best modern English, but there
is an archaic style to it that is entirely in
harmonv with the style of the original; this
adds to it a pleasing sense of quaintness.
The original narrator is still talking but in
a different tongue.
The is the first English translation of
this extraordinary and ' fascinating work
which probably on account of the scarcity
of the original was neglected and forgotten.
It is a veritable treasure of local history.
Any one wishing to see us as others saw us
a century and a quarter ago will find these
two volumes highly informative and inter-
esting. There is no work like it for the
amount of information nor for territory
covered, nor for the period between the
Revolution and the adoption of the Consti-
tution— the critical period of American
history.
The Beyond
I stand on the banks of the Stygian stream
And the mists from its waters arise,
Disclosing the scenes on the farthermost
side
To my awe-stricken wondering eyes.
'Tis the shadowy land of the Dead I behold,
And amid the dim throng on its shore
I see many near ones and dear ones of
mine,
Whom I loved in the days gone before.
Dear comrades I see of my earlier years,
And sweet friends of. a recenter time;
The. kith that were leal and the kin that
were true
And the loves of a manlier prime.
I fancy I hear in the distant beyond
A weird voice from that shadowy side,
Which whispers to me that my own time
is nigh
To embark on that dark, murky tide.
E. Grumbine, M. D., Mt. Zion, Pa.
635-
□:
HISTORICAL NOTES AND NEWS
REPORTS OF SOCIETY MEETINGS ARE SOLICITED
An Old English Stepping Stone
The old stepping stone which for 700
years stood in the public square at Hingham,
England, was presented to Hingham, Mass.,
October 9, on behalf of the people of the
English village by Right Hon. James Bryce,
the British ambassador. The stone is to be
used as the corner stone for a bell tower
to commemorate the landing 275 years ago
of a band of pilgrims, from Hingham, Eng-
land. Former Secretary of the Navy, John
D. Long, presided at the exercises.
Northampton County Historical Society
The annual outing of the Northampton
County Historical Society was held at Bath
this year. The route mapped out was to
Nazareth, thence to Bath, via Christian
Springs — site of the old stockade font. At
Bath a reception was given to the visitors,
after which there was a sight-seeing trip
through East Allen township, visiting the
ancient Irish settlement; the old block-
houses, forts and stockades of the French
and Indian war of 1755: the sites of the
Indian massacres in 1763 and many other
places of historic note. Many people who
were interested in historical subjects ac-
companied the members of the society and
so availed themselves of the opportunity of
coming in close touch with the places of
historic interest in Northampton County.
The committee on arrangements were: Dr.
Charles Mclntyre, David M. Bachman,
Charles Stewart, W. J. Heller, J. V. Hull,
Villias Everhart, F. S Bixler, Rev. J. C.
Clyde and Professor J. F. L. Raschen.
Markers at Valley Forge
The Valley Forge Park Commission has
been informed by the State of Massachusetts
that, the dedication of the monument to its
brave sons who were encamped there' dur-
ing the winter of 1777-1778 will occur on
November 18. The monument is already
erected. It is of granite and located about a
quarter of a mile east of the General Wayne
equestrian statue. It is semi-circular in
form, 20 feet inside measurement and 25 feet
outside measurement, about five feet high,
with a bench running along its inside. The
radius of the curve is 10 feet. In the centre
is a shaft 10 feet in height and half as wide.
The whole is of granite, and presents an
imposing appearance.
It is different from any other marker on
the Colonial camp-ground. On the ends or
posits of the semi-circle ' are inscribed a
cross and the dates 1777 and 1778, and a
tablet with the State's coat-of-arms.
On the monument proper appears this in-
scription: "This monument is erected by a
grateful Commonwealth in memory of the
soldiers of Massachusetts who served at Val-
ley Forge, 19 Dec. 1777, 19 June, 1778." On
the reverse side, on another brass plate,
appear the names of "Massachusetts sol-
diers who served at Valley Forge, Pa., under
his Excellency, General George Washington,
between 19 Dec. 1777, and 19 June, 1778."
Montgomery County Historical Society
The Montgomery County Historical So-
ciety held its annual outing, Saturday, Octo-
ber 7, 1911.
The itinerary took up a coach ride start-
ing from Norristown and taking in points
of interest as "follows:
The old Norriton church, the oldest Pres-
byterian house of worship now existing in
Pennsylvania, the congregation having been
organized about 1705: the old David Ritten-
house property once the home of this dis-
tinguished astronomer and scientist of the
eighteenth century, the transit of Venus
being observed here in 1769 with instruments
made by himself; the Worcester Schwenk-
felder Church; Wentz's Reformed Church,
Skippack, congregation of which was organ-
ized 1727 by George Michael Weiss; Wash-
ington's Headquarters in Worcester, the
home of Peter Wentz occupied by Washing-
ton October 16-21, 1777 where he received
the news of Burgoyne's surrender: Bethel
Meeting House where the first Methodist
congregation in Montgomery County was
organized, 1784; St. .lobn's Lutheran Church,
Centre Square, where a Lutheran congrega-
tion has been in existence since 1771.
Dinner was served at the Centre Point
hotel and a public meeting held in the High
School room in Farmers' Hall, nearby.
636
GENEALOGICAL NOTES AND QUERIES
We will insert in this department under "Research Problems" investigators'
requests for data with whom those ahle to answer will on request be placed in
communication. Ask for particulars.
Our Genealogical Uesearch Bureau
We desire to call attention to the notice
appearing at head of this department. We
were induced to make this announcement by
the following words received from a sub-
scriber: 'Over the United States are thou-
sands of widows and spinsters, of seam-
stresses, music teachers, school teachers,
etc., who have a wide acquaintance and
knowledge of their communities, present
and past, — if we could but reach them, the
service that they could give would often be
of much value, and if paid for at rates that
professional searchers would rightly deem
low would still be like money found to these
women. Then too there are local genealo-
gists and local historians who should be
ferreted out and made use of for their own
good and others." We have ample evidence
that tliis department has been of service to
our subscribers in the past. We believe this
new step will make the department still
more valuable.
Subscribers — Ministers, librarians, lawyers,
church and county officials, local and family
historians, genealogists, teachers, etc., can
register as searchers by submitting to us a
statement giving time they can devote to
research, records on which they can work,
and schedule of charges.
Answer to Query No. 30
GRUBB FAMILY
Register's Office, Lancaster Court House,
Abstracts of Wills.
Book F, page 101.
Ann Margaret, widow of Jacob Grub, of
Manheim township. Sons, Michael and
Jacob. Signed Dec. 25, 1786, proved March
25, 1789.
G, page 356. Ann, widow of Curtis Grubb
of Lancaster Borough; mentions her moth-
er, Hannah. Children, Martha, Juliana,
Samuel. Signed November 26, 1794; proved
Feb. 18, 1795.
I, page 182. Casper Grub of Warwick
township. Wife, Elizabeth, children, Chris-
tian, George, Casper, Peter, Jacob. Susanna,
wife of Martin Bard. Elizabeth, wife of
Frederick Kissel. Signed July 25, 1798;
proved January 8, 1808.
C, page 544. Thomas Grubb of Little Bri-
tain. Children, Ann, wife of Joseph Mc-
Creery; Charity, wife of Alex Laughlin.
Prudence, Jean, Joseph, John, William,
Benjamin. Signed May 27, 1777; proved
August 24, 1779.
M. N. ROBINSON.
German Names in the Shenandoah Valley
Names picked at random from a copy of
a local paper, "Shenandoah Valley," pub-
lished by Henkel & Co., New Market, Va.
Hottel, Clem, Hockman, Burkholder,
Saum, Zerkle, Neff, Myers, Bauserman,
iMiley, Garber, Guyer, Funkhauser, Coffman,
Haun, Keller, Clinedinst, Strickler, Kuhns,
Copenhaver, Huffard, Bowers, Henkel, Good,
Ludwig, Getz, Whitmore, Fulk, Hoover,
Crider, Rosenberger, Lindamood, Grabill,
Fidler, Offman, Bowman, Gochenour, Hein-
nich, Zehring, Repass, Kagey, Huff, Baker,
Smootz, Mauck, Hepner, Audreck, Kerlin,
Moomaw, Wunder, Foltz, Grim, Dellinger,
Tysinger, Heischman, Hiser, Schaeffer.
New England Historic Genealogical Society
This venerable society recently issued the
following important notice:
"Beginning with volume 66 (January,
1912) the price of the New England Histori-
cal and Genealogical Register will be in-
creased from seventy five cents per copy and
three ($3.00) per year to one dollar per
copy and four doilars ($4.00) per year.
The Register has always been published
at a loss to the Society, but the largely
increased cost of material and labor in the
production of the magazine now renders it
necessary to offset this added expense by a
corresponding increase in the subscription
price."
Old Goshen hppen Church Records
Dear Editor:
I presume your subscriber desires to know
of the records of the "Old Goshenhoppen"
church, Lutheran and Reformed, near Sal-
fordville, Montgomery County, Pa.
About 1895, when Dr. Weiser was living,
in company with George Nyce of Frederick
and Rev. Michael Reed Minnich of Philadel-
phia, we went over the "New Goshenhoppen"
records. The Doctor loaned us two other
GENEALOGICAL NOTES AND QUERIES
637
old church records in addition, one was the
"Great Swamp," commencing about 1732,
and the other the "Old Goshenhoppen,"
commencing about the same period. The
information we were after was found in the
"New Goshenhoppen" record, so we did not
bother with the records of the Great Swamp
and the Old Goshenhoppen.
In Vol. Ill, Perkiomen Region, published
by the late Henry S. Batterer, in which the
Rev. Dr. Hincke states, there are no early
Great Siwamp and Old Goshenhoppen
records, as these in the early days consisted
of but one charge, and all entries were made
in the one book, that of the New Goshen-
hoppen.
This statement is incorrect. But a few
years back, I came into possession of the
"Great Swamp" record 'commencing about
1731, made a translation of it, and now a
copy of this can be found either in the
state library at Harrisburg or the Gen-
ealogical Society at Philadelphia.
After the death of Dr. Weiser many of his
books, records and publications, went to
Franklin and Marshall college, at Lancas-
ter, Pa., and while Dr. Dubbs was living, he
discovered this book (the Great Swamp)
record and forwarded it to me, and I in re-
turn sent it to East Greenville, Pa., where
it was placed in the bank vault with the
New Goshenhoppen records for preservation.
The Old Goshenhoppen record may have
also gone to Franklin and Marshall college
with the Dr. Weiser material as the Great
Swamip record did, and if so, I was never
able to locate it. I wish some one would
take this matter up and carry the investiga
tion further, and if found, inform the public
where the original or a translated copy may
be found.
The Reformed congregation of Old Gosh-
enhoppen has a record commencing about
1765 and many think this is the first record.
The Lutheran congregation of Old Gosh-
enhoppen has a record that goes back to
the origin of the church about 1732, and can
be found in the possession of its stated
clerk.
W. H. REED, M. D.,
Norristown, Pa.
D
THE FORUM
The P-G Open Parliament, Question-Box and Clipping Bureau — Communications Invited
Wanted
Copies of the Pennsylvania-German, Nos.
1, 2 and 4 of Volume 1 ; Nos. 1 and 2 of Vol.
3: all numbers of Vol. 6.
Law Offices, Jas. L. Schaadt, 536 Hamilton
Street, Allentown, Pa.
Copy of the Pennsylvania-German, No.
of Volume 1, will sell or exchange No. 1 <
Vol. 1.
NAAMAN H. KEYSER,
33 High St., Germantown,
Philadelphia, Pa.
A Correction
On page 553 the title to illustration should
read "The Bushkill Street Bridge and home
of Philip Becker." The inscription you now
have under it should be included with the
title of the illustration on page 557. In
other words the Chemical Publishing Co.
buildings occupy the site of the "Home of
the Miller." Also the name "Hersten"
should read "Hester." Again page 554, first
column, there is something omitted between
the second and third lines (Twelve and —
Editor). And on page 556, first line the
capital "L" should be "I* while in line 17
the word "transferred" should be placed in-
stead of the word "transformed."
Yours truly,
W. J. HELLER.
MEANING OF NAMES
Edited by Leonhard Felix Fuld, LL.M., PhD.
NOTE. Dr. Fuld has kindly consented to
give a brief account of the derivation and
the meaning of the surname of any reader
who sends twenty-five cents for that pur-
pose.
76. RUEBUSCH
The surname RUEBUSCH is either a com-
pound RUEBEN and BUSCH or a compound
of RUEBEN and BURSCH. RUEBEN means
turnips. BUSCH means bush and BURSCH
a young fellow. The surname RUEBUSCH
was given to a young farmer's boy — a
raiser of turnips. It is a nickname or sur-
name of occupation.
Son of Pennsylvania Honored
Matthew H. Hoover, managing editor of
the Lockport Union-Sun has been appointed
chief of the publication department of the
•638
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
State Conservation Commission of New
York at a salary of $3,000 a year.
The position is one of the greatest im-
portance as it involves the compilation of
the laws, and much special work in regard
to general work of the department. The
commission sought the services of Mr.
Hoover because of his recognized position
as an authority on fish, forest and game.
Mr. Hoover has made a life study of fish
and game in particular and is one of the
pioneers of the organization of anglers'
clubs throughout the state and the move-
ment for state conservation — Exchange.
Squire Hirst to Mr. Gray-
"Excnse''
A School
Old Squire Joseph Hirst, at one time pro-
prietor of the Bath Hotel, Bath, Pa., was
the father of sixteen children, quite a few
of whom attended the "summer school"
taught by a certain Mr. Gray, who demanded
what was something unheard of them, a
written excuse from the parents, in case of
a pupil's absence. The squire kept several
of the children home one day during hay-
making and sent the following note with
one of the smaller ones to the teacher.
Mister Gray,
It is a very fine day,
To make my hay,
So I want Oliver and Jake
To handle the rake,
And Kate, my daughter,
To carry the water.
"Peculiar English"
Editor Penna. -German:
I am often amused and find myself smil-
ing almost unconsciously when I recall the
peculiar English some of my father's neigh-
hors were wont to use. They rarely hesi-
tated for a word or in constructing a sen-
tence, but both, in the language of the
Psalmist, were often "fearfully and wonder-
fully made." A certain Mr. M. who was the
owner of a threshing machine used to thresh
the grain for some of his neighbors. One
fall when he was ready to do his accustomed
work for an Irishman, a new customer, who
spoke only English, the latter said: "Mr. M.
when do you like to have your dinner"? His
answer was "Veil, ven I beess to home I
gits my dinner at half after de 'leven, but
ven I beess avay from home I eats 'im ven
I gits 'im." At another time the same man
was helping a neighbor in the harvest field
when some member of the family who had
a particularly strong voice called the work-
men to dinner. When Mr. M. heard him he
remarked: "Dot feller hass a good schtum-
mick for holleriif." Once when this man
was supervisor of roads one of the hands
questioned the wisdom of some of his sug-
gestions. He cut the critic short by de-
claring: "I beess de maishter-mon." A
woman whose husband had prospered con-
cluded that some change should be made in
the dwelling-house in order to keep the ser-
vants from mingling too freely with the
members of the family. She accordingly told
one of her neighbors that she was going to
have stairs built "up her backside for the
dogmastics (domestics) to go up and down
on." One man always called recess at
school "reasoness," and invariably spoke of
the Sioux Indians, who for some reason in-
terested him a good deal, as "Si-oxes."
CHAS. W. SUPER.
An Old Inventory and Sale List
The undersigned in gathering material
for the history of a prominent family came
across an inventory and sale list of the last
decade of the 18th century. These lists are
written in the Pennsylvania German dialect
of Heidelberg Township, Berks County, Pa.,
and contain some words which cause one
to "scratch his head and think." The spell-
ing is often phonetic. The writer would
gladly receive any explanations, suggestions,
emendations, or confirmations of the doubt-
ful words and expressions.
In the inventory are found the following:
a 2 Rohr Off en mat dem Rohr $ 28.00
What kind of stove is meant?
b Coffee m'iihl and fettern 3.50
If "fettern" is not feathers, what
might it be? Certainly a queer
grouping.
c Ein gros'sen Stat Waggen, twg und
waggentuch 120.00
Is this the old Conestoga wagon
with trough and cover, used to take
the grain to the Stadt— Phila?
d Wagen und Bord Schlelf Ketten. . 34.00
What special drag chain is a Bord
Schlelf Kette?
e 12 Paar Theeschalen 1.75
Are these "tea cups and saucers"?
f Ein Bull und Rind 32.00
g 3 Ochsen. ein Rind 50.00
Is "Rind" always female — a
heifer?
h Leindicher, dischdicher und hands-
well 9.00
What is "handswell"? towels or
toweling.
In the sale list the price is given in £,
s, d. The paper has no heading. It is snp-
posed to be a sale list. In it occur the fol-
lowing:
£— s— d
i Ein Par schlombben vor 0 — 1 — 0
THE FORUM
639
Who knows what a "schlomb"
is? One says it is a kind of cord
used in the first teasing of wool.
j Ein bet ziechen vor 0 — 15 — 0
Is bet ziech everywhere used in
the sense of a covering for a
"feather-bed"?
k Ein Camisol 0—15—0
A French word meaning a
jacket or doublet.
1 — Ein brusttug vor 0 — 7 — 6
An under-waistcoat.
m Ein Kob ziech vor 0 — 3 — 0
n Ein Kesse ziech vor 0 — 4 — 0
What is the distinction be-
tween the above two articles?
o Zwey hand Vel vor 0 — 2 — 6
This is, no doubt, the same as
"handswell" in the Inventory.
p Ein schachter u . Ein Kehr
Virste 0—2—0
What is a "schachter"? The
word in High German means a
Jewish butcher,
q Ein flasch und zwey bor ener. . . . 0 — 2 — 6
The latter term puzzles me.
Might it be bits for boring?
r Zwey Eimer und ein Kiibel vor 0 — 3 — 0
What is the distinction be-
tween these in Berks?
s Ein Reib Eisen und ein sey vor 0 — 3 — 6
A grater and a colander.
t Zwey alte fuder sek vor 0 — 7 — 6
This probably is a canvas feed-
ing-ga suspended from a horse's
head,
u Ein heimesser, ein heisobber und
stoss eissen vor 0 — 4 — 9
Hay knife, hay hook and dig-
ging iron, crowbar or foil?
THOMAS S. STEIN,
Annville, Pa.
Reminiscences
I was very much interested in the article
by Austin Bierbower, Esq., of Chicago, on
"Pennsylvania Germans in the Susquehanna
Islands." as that locality is where I spent
my boyhood days, and many a time have I
roamed over the historic places he men-
tions in his narrative. I infer he has
reference to either "Shelly's Island" or
what was known as "Long Island" for those
two are the only ones in the group of
islands that are of the shape he mentions
and on which are located the shaped farms
he speaks of. There are several other
islands in the group. Notably the famous
Hill Island opposite Middletown, the north-
ern part of which rises into what can be
called a mountain, and the southern part is
comparatively level, where several large
and fertile farms are located. Then there is
what has been know as "Hess" or "Mud
Island" situated a short distance above the
head of the famous Conewago Falls, and
another small island known as "Rush
Island'" or "The Rushes." All except the
latter have well cultivated and fertile farms,
with fine buildings, etc. There is, or was,
also a small island in the middle of the
Conewago Falls (which by the way is not
a perpendicuar fall, but a series of rapids
about a mile long, caused by the river flow-
ing over a ledge or vein of rocks running at
right angles with the river. The fall is, as
I remember it, about 80 feet and makes
some beautiful rapids.) When the river was
low we were able to leap from rock to rock,
and approach this island (which was known
as "Fall Island") from the York County
side. There was nothing on it except some
trees and these, with one or two exceptions,
were small, as they were frequently crushed
during high water and running ice in the
spring of the year when the ice went out.
I have seen ice piled up twenty or thirty
feet high at this place. The exception of
the trees being one or two large ones that
had withstood the onslaught, and on one of
these a bald eagle had built its nest every
year as long as I can remember. On the
east side of this island was the main chan-
nel through which the raftsmen used to
make their perilous journeys in the days
when lumber and logs were "rafted'.' from
the pine woods in Northern and Central
Pennsylvania to the mills and lumber yards
along the Susquehanna River. I well remem-
ber many times standing on the hill above
what is now Falls Station on the Northern
Central Railway and watching the rafts
coming down the river and "rounding" the
point of Long Island, so as to strike the
main ichannel through the falls. It was very
important that the start into the channel
was made right for if not, the raft would
strike the rocks and be dashed to pieces, and
the pilot who undertook to run a raft
through Conewago Falls had to know his
business. The rocks in this ledge were of
the gneiss variety and were very hard, and
some of them, as much as six feet through
had large round holes through them, large
enough for us Lads to crawl through. These
holes were bored by the action of the water
whirling around and small stones rubbing
against the rocks. The process naturally
being very slow it must have taken untold
ages to accomplish the work. Many of the
rocks had holes all the way from one to
four feet deep and these invariably had a
number of round stones and pebbles in them
which showed how tin" work was don >. Well
do I remember the different customs Mr.
Bierbower mentions, which to some may
seem to be rather primitive, but to us who
participated in them, they were the happiest.
640
®tjr Jfctm0ylMttta-(S?rmatt
(Founded by Rev. Dr. P. C. Croll, 1900.)
H. W. KRIEBEL, Editor and Publisher
Associate Editors — Rev. Georg Von Boise, Philadelphia, Pa.; Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N.J.
THE EXPRESS PRINTING COMPANY, Printers
LITITZ. PENNA.
Advisory Editorial Board : — I. H. Betz, M. D, York, Pa. ; Lucy Forney Bittinger, Sewickley,
Pa. : A. Y. Casanova, Washington, D. C. ; Rev. P. C. Croll, D. D., Beardstown, 111. ; Prof.
G. T. Ettinger, Allentown, Pa.; Prof. Oscar Kuhns, Middletown, Conn.; Daniel Miller,
Reading, Pa.; Gen. John E. Roller, Harrisonburg, Va. ; Prof. L. S. Shimmel, Harrisburg,
Pa. ; Rev. A. C. Wuchter, Paulding, Ohio.
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Sty?
Vol. XII NOVEMBER, 1911 No. II
The Gutenberg Bible — Vale
Editor of The Pennsylvania-German :
It was with the greatest regret that I read an account of the sudden death
of Mr. Martin I. J. Griffin, which occurred at his home in Philadelphia, No-
vember the ioth. Mr. Griffin was the founder of the American Catholic His-
torical Society of Philadelphia and Editor of its serial publications, as well as
the Editor of The American Catholic Historical Researches, a quarterly maga-
zine. He was distinguished for an accurate knowledge of American history
during Colonial and Revolutionary days, and for his unrelenting warfare on fake
historical writing. He demolished numerous claims made by over-zealous
writers of his own Church for Catholic worthies of the past — honors to which
he conclusively demonstrated they were not entitled, — notably the claim made
for Archbishop Carroll of Maryland for alleged distinguished service during the
Revolution and the mythical story of "Thirty Irishmen" of Pennsylvania raising
$600,000 to aid Washington's army at Valley Forge. The pages of the magazine
he so ably edited are full of his contentions for the truth of history and urged
with no gentle hand either. There are many "romancers" yet nursing the sore
spots on their knuckles, resulting from the sharp rappings he gave them when he
caught them inventing history or twisting it to suit their purpose.
Mr. Griffin's death is a distinct loss to American historical literature and
his place will be hard to fill. He had chosen a held which was recognized as
peculiarly his own, in which he labored with distinguished success.
The writer had prepared a reply to Mr. Griffin's Sur-Sur-Rejoinder in the
"Gutenberg Bible" controversy which appeared in the October number, but feels
it would be unbecoming to publish it now, inasmuch as the hand that once
handled "the pen of a ready writer" is now cold in death and defenceless. One
of the finest of the old Roman sayings was surely this: De Mortuis nil nisi
bonum. I desire that privilege. How unequal too must be a controversy with
one, who invested with the majesty and omnipotence of death stands in the Com-
pany of the immortals, face to face with the makers of history, and who can read
aright the record of the ages — which mortal man only faintly guesses at.
Respectfully,
James B. Laux.
New York, November 15, 191 1.
642
Easton from a Trolley Window
By W. J. Heller Easton, Pa.
(CONCLUDED FROM SEPTEMBER NUMBER)
This completes the series of articles on
"Easton from a Trolley Window". Errors
may inadvertently creep into such papers. If
our readers have noticed any they will confer
a favor hv writing us at once about them.
| Editor]
EFORE starting on our
fourth journey, it may be
well to observe some of
the numerous changes that
have taken place in this,
the northeast section of
Centre Square.
The present Hotel Hunt-
ington was formed from two buildings.
The one on the corner was the brick
residence of Jacob Arndt, Jr., erected in
THE SOLDIERS MONUMENT
the year 1809, prior to which time the
site was an open lot 32 feet wide. In
the year 1832 it became the residence of
Hopewell Hepburn, and later it became
the property of M. H. Jones, Sr., who
enlarged the structure to its present
height. The other building was also of
brick, erected about the same time by the
Northampton Mutual Insurance Com-
pany. On the site of the latter building
formerly stood a stone structure erected
in the year 1760 by John Stillwagon, a
merchant of that period. In 1772 he
sold this property to Frederick Nun-
gesser for the use of Nungesser's daugh-
ter Rachel, wifeof Bernhard Schmidt.
Schmidt was a . German harness-maker
and did a good business during the
Revolutionary War. One of his em-
ployees was a young Revolutionary sol-
dier, Absalom Reeder, who sometime
later married Schmidt's daughter Chris-
tina. Schmidt about this time relin-
quished the harness business and con-
verted the building into a hotel. Reeder
embarked in the business of the manu-
facturing of fur hats and finally became
owner of the property. Next to this,
and on the site of the Kahn building was
the office of John Brotzman, Chief Bur-
gess of the town.
In 1799 Brotzman sold the property
to Dr. Peter Von Steuben, a brother of
the Revolutionary General. In 1802
Von Steuben transferred it to Nicholas
Kern, who about this time had also pur-
chased the corner property with the in-
tention of converting the entire tract to
the use of the two congregations,
Lutheran and Reformed, .for the purpose
of erecting theron two residences for
their respective pastors. But the con-
troversy existing between the two
congregations caused a change of plans
and Kern, in the year 1808, sold the
entire property to John Hester and
Peter Miller.
The next lot, eastward, adjoining this
and now the site of the present Seip
building was originally the hotel prop-
erty of Arnold Everhardt. Everhardt
and his good wife Margaret were excel-
lent hotel managers and conducted this
place as a leading tap-house in the town.
643
Home of Jacob Arnclt Jr., 1809 John Sfillwagon's Store, 1760
Everhardts and White'Hotel, now Seip Building
Everhardt died in middle life and the
business was conducted by his widow
for a number of years. During celebra-
tions and election times, when all hotels
and tap-houses were taxed to their ut-
most, it was a noticeable feature that at
Everhardt's no carousing or boisterous-
ness was permitted. This gave to the
house an exclusive patronage. Only the
best liquors were sold at the bar and
among these was one that made the
house famous. This was "Everhardt's
Mead" and was known to the extreme
ends of all stage lines leading out of
Easton.
Its formula was a secret, well guarded,
and was a source of revenue for the
family down four generations. Through
it one member, a grandson of Arnold's,
became a bottler of mild drinks and con-
ducted a successful business during his
entire life. Another member of the
family brewed it in large quantities for
one of the local breweries for upwards
of twenty-five years, when the demand
for it became so great that the brewers
procured the formula and the drink
(under a changed name) became one of
their principal products. The change of
name, the advent of modern drinks and
lack of interest on the part of the pro-
ducers of it, may have been the cause of
its having lost its place on the list of
refreshing beverages. The enjoined
secrecy in which the formula was held,
and of which there was probably no
written record, may also have contrib-
uted its share toward causing it to be-
come obsolete. The writer by chance dis-
covered the formula, in part, and after
a lapse of nearly forty years, now fur-
nishes from a somewhat treacherous
memory the following recipe:
Easton's Famous Colonial Drink
% Pound Raisins, 4 Ounces Cloves, 4
Ounces Ginger, 2 Quarts Wild Honey, Vz
Ounce Essence of Birch (Genuine, not
wintergreen), and 1 Pint Yeast.
Mix and boil together, thoroughly, the
raisins, cloves, ginger and birch. Then add
the honey, which first should be thoroughly
mixed with the yeast. Pour into a recep-
tacle holding ten gallons, then fill with
warm water and await fermentation, care-
fully adding water to eject residue until
fermentation ceases, when it is ready for
bottling.
The present building was erected
about 1820 by William White, son-in-
law of Eberhardt, who conducted the
place for many years as the main hotel
in the town. On the next property
fronting the east angle of the Square
stands a dressed stone building that was
erected back in the 30's by Colonel Peter
644
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
-V'-ISte t-.Co ««|nn'.
COL. PETER IHRIE'S HOME l82t
Ihrie for a residence, and is now used
as a business block. Adjoining this, on
the north rear, is part of an old stone
building that was erected during the
Revolutionary War. It was the new
home of Doctor Andrew Ledley, a Brit-
ish sympathizer, although holding an
office under the Commissary Department
of the new government. He was closely
watched by the Loyalists but escaped ap-
prehension, being one of the few who
succeeded in getting through the Revo-
lutionary period without taking the oath
of allegiance. He was a man distrusted
by both forces in that memorable
struggle. One of his official duties con-
sisted of looking after the prisoners of
war on parole in Northampton County
and also for Sussex County in New Jer-
sey. At what is now Green's Bridge, in
the lower end of Phillipsburg, was the
mill of Valentine Beidleman, in whose
employ was one of these paroled prison-
ers, a German stone-mason, who had
been living there for more than a year,
unmolested and unknown to Dr. Ledlev.
Desiring to marry a young woman in
his neighborhood, Beidleman and a num-
ber of influential citizens of Jersey,
petitioned Robert Levers to issue a
license to him. Levers, to make the
license legal, notified Dr. Ledley of the
circumstances and procured the Doctor's
consent to issue a license. After the
wedding Dr. Ledley had the man brought
to Easton and lodged him in jail to
await deposition of the accuracy of his
parole from the Board of War. This
caused great indignation and protest
from all good citizens, but which had no
effect whatever on Dr. Ledley as he was
safe within his rights as Commissary of
Prisoners. However he compromised
with the man by giving him his freedom
provided he would do the mason work
on the Doctor's new house, which was
then in course of construction and for
which services he received only his
board and was compelled to lodge in the
jail at night. The thrifty Doctor
rendered an expense account to the
Government for over a vear's board and
EASTON PROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
645
lodging, thereby getting the mason work
on his new home without any personal
expense. All this time, the man was
refused permission to visit his wife or
his friends. Beidleman and Levers
finally secured his release through an act
of the Committee of Safety and Con-
gress. The man returned to his bride
and in after years he became an influen-
tial citizen of Warren County. Dr. Led-
ley then lost the respect of the entire
community and some years later became
financially involved, lost all his worldlv
possessions and finally died a friendless
man.
Our car now passes around the cor-
ner , ready to proceed down east
Northampton Street. This street was
not opened until the year 1788, when a
petition was presented to court to open a
road from Hamilton and Northampton
streets to the Delaware River. At that
time there were but few houses between
the Square and the river, and while
there are numerous points of historical
interest, limited space compels a curtail-
ment. We note at the south corner of
the Square what is now the Mayer
Building, erected during the Revolution-
ary War by Michael Hart and conducted
by him, first as a hotel and later as a
store.
At the southeast corner of Sitgreaves
Street is where William Craig desired
to locate a hotel but Parsons refused to
sell him a lot east of the Square. Finally
he secured it and in 1754 erected on the
corner a stone residence and store, which
he later converted into a hotel.
Our car moves to Second and
Northampton streets. Here on the
northeast corner is still standing the old
stone hotel of Jacob Bachman, the first
place in Northampton County to receive
a license in June 1752. Opposite this, on
the northwest corner was the hotel of
Theophilus Shannon.
To the northward on Second Street,
crowning Bixler's Bluff, is Easton's
High School Building, supplanting what
wras formerly the old Union Academy —
erected shortly after the Revolutionary
War — and which was later incorporated
as one of the buildings of the new Public
School System. It was here, back in the
6o's, that the writer received inspiration
from both books and rod, during the
period when the yellow-backed dime
novelistic literature of the Far-West
variety made its first appearance, and the
MICHAEL HART'S HOTEL I780 AND LATER GENERAL STORE EAST NORTHAMPTON AND SQUARE
(Photo 191 1 )
646
JACOB BACHMAN'S HOTEL 175- NOW CORNER 2ND AND N STREETS (Photo IQIl)
reading of which — hidden between the
protective covers of the geography-
formed the favorite pastime among the
rising generation, and from which prob-
ably more National History was learned
than was absorbed from the Yankee
Historical Text-Books. "Where they all
did sin, the writer fell in." The new
building, while architecturally not what
it should be, is a vasl improvement over
that of the old, and where they still im-
part to the rising generation New Eng-
land stories as the History of the United
States.
ith Second Street and lower
Northampton Street, after the Revolu-
tionary War, became the popular section
for hotel men. It has often been
wondered why there was a necessity for
so many hotels in Easton at that early
STAGE COACH OF THE PERIOD PRIOR TO RAIEROADS
BASTON PROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
647
period, and the majority of these with so
few rooms for the accommodation of
lodgers, yet with huge barns or sheds and
commodious grounds. This is explained
by the fact that traffic was heavy and on
the increase and consequently the hotels
acquired ample facilities for quartering
horses and wagons. And in this section
of flie town it was to be had, which was
in close proximity to the two ferries and
the two bridges already in contemplation.
Again the overland teams generally con-
sisted of four, six and often eight
horses to each wagon, while there was
seldom more than one wagoner (as
drivers in those days were called), and
occasionally he was accompanied by an
assistant. And he — and very often the
wagoner — would sleep under the wagons
or in the barns. In the spring and fall,
when traffic was the heaviest, the town,
even with its astonishing array of hotels,
"was often taxed to its utmost to accom-
modate them. Stabling of five or six
hundred horses, with their wagons, was
a common occurence. The sheltering of
these was an absolute necessity and
wagoners preferred the hotels that fur-
nished the best accommodations for their
teams.
( hie of these was that of John Spang-
enberg. This was located on the west
side of Second Street, between Pine and
Ferry, about the middle of the block,
with an open lot reaching to Ferry
Street. The new Post Office building
now stands upon this ancient hotel yard.
Opposite this, on the southwest corner
of Ferry, was the hotel of John Nicholas,
with a yard reaching to the Lehigh.
Nicholas in 1806 built a new stone hotel
on the northeast corner. The Ferry
Hotel, at the corner of Front and Ferry
streets, with a yard reaching up Ferry
and adjoining that of John Nicholas',
was then being conducted by Jacob Abel.
On Second Street and adjoining John
Nicholas' hotel property on the rear,
a small frame building. This was
the residence and office of Dr. Andrew
Ledley after he Avas compelled to re-
linquish his property in the Square.
john Nicholas' hotel erected 1806
SECOND AND FERRY STREETS (Photo IQIl)
648
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Between Dr. Ledley and Pine Street
were two lots owned by Colonel Robert
Levers. On the corner lot stood a large
frame building which was the home and
also office as Justice of the Peace. At
this time Levers was an elderly man,
enjoying the fruits of his labors during
the Revolutionary struggle. This sterl-
ing old patriot, ever firm in his endeavors
to do right and always true in principle,
was beloved by all citizens who were
loyal to the American cause. His per-
sistency in the prosecution of Torryism
caused some bitterness among the few
former Tories who had not formed a
part of the great exodus of the Scotch-
Irish Tories from Northampton County,
to the west, and who still had their habi-
tations in the regions round-about.
Among those who were Levers' bitterest
enemies, were the children and grand-
children of Lewis Gordon, who never
left an opportunity escape in which they
could annoy the old gentleman. On one
occasion they were more demonstrative
than usual and making forcible entry
into his home, assaulted the old patriarch
to such an extent that he declined rapid-
ly in health and died a few years later,
leaving the four following children :
Robert, Richard, Elizabeth and Mary.
The perpetrators of this outrage, with
one exception, escaped punishment by
fleeing to Virginia, where they resided
for many years, settling up their inter-
ests in Easton through proxy and
power-of-attorney.
Northampton County, S. S.
To any Constable of this County.
"Whereas — Information upon oath hath
this day been made, before me Peter Rhodes,
one of the Justices of the Peace in and for
the said county, that Robert Levers, Esquire,
also one of the Justices of the said county,
that on the 28th day of July last past, at the
town of Easton, in the County aforesaid,
William Gordon of the said town of Easton,
Gent.: Alexander Gordon of the same place,
Hatter; James Taylor of the same place,
Apprentice to Dr. Andrew Ledlie; James
Pettigrew of the same place, Gent.; with
Michael Shall, constable of Bethlehem
Township in the said county, with force and
arms, that is to say with stones, tomahawks
and axes, before the house of said Robert
Levers of Easton aforesaid, unlawfully,
riotously and rationally did assemble and
gather together to disturb the peace of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and being
so assembled and gathered together the
front door of the dwelling house of the said
Robert Levers, then and there, unlawfully,
riotously and rationally did break open and
thereby did greatly terrify his family and
injuriously and insultingly did treat his
house and his Office of Justice of the Peace
and other doings to the said Robert Levers,
then and there, unlawfully, riotously and
rationally did to the great damage of him,
the said Robert Levers, against the peace of
this Commonwealth. You are therefore
hereby required to apprehend and take the
said William Gordon, Alexander Gordon,
James Taylor, James Pettigrew and Michael
Shall and them bring forthwith before me
or some other Justice of this county to
answer the premises and that they may be
dealt withal according to law, hereof fail
not. Given under my hand and seal the
twenty-first day of September in the year
of our Lord one thousand, seven hundred
and eighty five."
The old stone building standing at the
Southeast corner of Northampton and
Second streets was erected about the
year 1790 by the four combined Luth-
eran congregations, Easton, Dryland,
Plainfield and Greenwich, as a home for
their pastor.
We will now proceed down Northamp-
ton Street, on the north side of which,
in the lower half of the block, stood the
old stone hotel of John Green. Directly
across the street, on the southwest corner
of Green Street, the present stone build-
ing was built about 1/9/ by Peter Nun-
gesser. Nungesser at the time was con-
ducting the Bull's Head Hotel on Third
Street and had in contemplation this
second hotel for his son, but be evidently
changed his mind as, some years later,
we find his son conducting the Bull's
Head Hotel and Peter using this second
building as his home, and in which he
lived until his death.
Very early in the period during the
agitation for the Delaware Bridge a
large frame hotel was erected by Fred-
erick Wagner, Sr., on the opposite cor-
ner of Green Street, on the site of the
present Gerver House. But Wagner,
who was a land speculator, soon tired of
his hotel business and disposing of his
EASTON FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
649
PFTFR NUNGESSER'S HOTEL 2ND AND NORTHAMPTON STREETS (Photo I9Il)
holdings to John Green, erected a stone "Ye Noble Lenape, this was once your do-
building on the site of the present
Sherer Bros, building, where he resided
until the end of his days. Green about
1799, named his hotel the "National"
and by that name it remained until the
This river, these mountains, this fertile
plain.
From time immemorial, by stories handed
down.
You had exclusive title to your homes and
hunting ground.
present owner, Robert Gerver, purchased With sorrow,, grief and suffering, you were
it, about one hundred years later, and
changed the name to "Gerver House."
Northward on Front Street were sev-
eral small buildings that were really
private residences but which were uti-
lized for lodging raftsmen during the
"rush" periods when the downtown
hotels were crowded. At the corner of
Spring Garden Street was erected short-
ly after the Revolutionary War, Sheriff
Jonas Hartzell's Hotel, known as the
"Delaware House," which was strictly a
raftsmen's hotel and remained such dur-
ing the entire rafting period, which
lasted about one hundred years.
We will now cross to the New Jersey
side of the bridge which here spans the
river Delaware, the grand national river 0UR CAR 0N THE NEW JERSEY END 0E THE
of the Lenni Lenape (men of men). Delaware bridge
650
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
From the graves of your forefathers, to a
laud you did not know;
And now the road is open across the stormy
sea.
The white men are invaders and your friends
no longer be."
Immediately on our right and stretch-
ing northward for a mile along the
Jersey side of the river, is a level tract
of ground which, to the first settlers, was
known as the "old Indian fields," while
the Indians called it "Mechonakihan."
At the lower end was the old Indian
town of Chinktewunk. These Indians,
who were supposed to be a part of the
Pompton branch of the Unami or Turtle
division of the Lenni Lenape Nation,
cultivated the entire tract up to Marble
Hill. This hill and the one opposite
(Chestnut Hill), together with the main
ridge of mountains, forms a gap through
which the river winds in a peculiar
manner. The Indians called this place
"Pohachqueunk"' (place where the
waters disappear). The Hollanders
prospecting from the north about the
year 1664 called it "Whorrogott," which
has the same meaning. This latter term
was rather difficult for the English
tongue to enunciate and it soon became
corrupted into "Whycott." This later
found its way into print as "Weygat,"
which is the term commonly used today.
To the present generation there is a
prevailing impression that "Weygat"'
was the name of an Indian Tribe, yet the
word is foreign to any of the Indian
dialects.
A short distance below the Whorro-
gott, rising from the bed of the river is
a peculiar rock formation commonly
known as "Pot Rock.'* This, when the
river is normal, projects above the water
making a fairly level plateau, free from
rubbish or foliage. Into this rock the
Indians had bored their corn mortars,
about thirty in number. Nearly two
hundred years have passed since the In-
dian maidens gathered on this stone
plateau to grind the day's supply of corn.
So deep had some of these holes become
from the excessive grinding through the
ajres that some of them are vet in evi-
dence, and in good state of preservation,
although their edges are crumbling in,
and in many places the rock has entirely
disappeared.
Just below Pot Rock is a sandy beach
which makes a delightful bathing re-
sort, and very popular with the masses.
And "on any nice summer afternoon it is
througed with people. A few hundred
yards below this is the pumping station,
where the city gets its supply of water.
The inlet pipe, which is set in near the
middle of the river, was a favorite place
for venturesome bathers who enjoyed
the sensation of being drawn toward the
opening. But this dangerouss pleasure
has been discontinued as bathers pre-
ferred being nearer the beach, owing to
a sewer outlet between the two places.
i
rflH
»
w HORROGOTT
EASTON FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
651
Just north of the bridge, along Front
Street, is Riverside Park, a creation of
recent years. This is the first re-clama-
tion of land in Easton for a parkway
system and it is the fond hope of the
few citizens who favor a "city beautiful"
to have a parkway reach northward on
the Delaware and westward on the Bush-
kill. These two places, even in their
day. Many of these would strike the
piers of the railroad bridges below, and
often when accidents of this kind did
occur, they were attended with a loss of
life, and the rafts were sure to be com-
pletely wrecked. Easton was one of the
two places on the river where anchorage
could be made — a safe harbor — and was
just a proper distance below the other
Sfe
OLD BRIDGE AND WAREHOUSE BELOW THE DAM ABOUT l8l2
present primitive condition ,form mag-
nificent driveways, the admiration of all
strangers. The north Delaware road is
the main thoroughfare to the Delaware
Water Gap and all mountain resorts to
the north. The old covered bridge, that
formerly spanned the river at the place
where the new iron structure now stands,
was the favorite place during the rafting
period years ago, to watch the rafts float
down the river and under the bridges.
It was a common sight to see several
hundred of these crafts pass down each
for a day's trip and at night there would
often be a string of raft reaching from
the bridge for a mile or more, up the
river. The rafting industry came to an
end about the year 1908 and today not a
raft is seen on these waters, and the
many saw-mills that formerly lined both
river banks have disappeared.
Below the bridge, along the bank of
the river and up the Lehigh to Fourth
Street, was a continuous wharfage. Here
were located the great shipping places,
prior to the advent of canals and rail-
€52
THE PENN SYLVAN I A-GERMAN
roads. On both river fronts were be-
tween twenty and thirty warehouses. Of
these there are but five remaining, two
on the Delaware, one at the dam and two
COLONIAL WAREHOUSE ON DELAWARE
at the foot of Fourth Street. These .old
buildings are mute reminders of the
times that were ; the days when the
Delaware River was the commercial
channel of trade.
Navigation on the river was by means
of light-weight boats. Of these there
were two kinds; the "Flat Boat" and
later the "Durham Boat.' The precise
time when the Durham boat made its
first appearance is not definitely deter-
mined. Probably it was not until after
the Durham Furnace was removed from
Durham to its third location, where it
now stands. This would make the time
after the Revolutionary War. In the
year 1765 in a historic description of the
Delaware Valley, there is no mention
made of the Durham boat, although an
account is given in which it states that
"these flat boats are made like troughs,
square above the heads and sterns, slop-
ing a little fore and aft, generally 40 or
50 feet long, 6 or 7 feet wide, and 2 feet
9 inches or 3 feet deep and draw 20 or
22 inches of water when loaden and
easily carry 500 to 600 bushels of grain.
Freight rate from Easton and below to
Philadelphia at this period was 20 shill-
ings per ton for pig iron, 7 pence a
bushel for wheat, 2 shillings and 6 pence
a barrel for flour."
The Durham boat was shaped like an
Indian canoe, but was wide and long,
similar to a flat boat and had a board or
walk running along on the inner sides.
In later years the boats were finally
made after one pattern and most of
these were constructed at the boat yards
of Thomas Bishop & Son, along the Le-
high. Mr. Thomas Bishop, Jr., a mem-
ber of the firm, informed the writer
some years ago that the last Durham
boat was constructed shortly after the
railroads made their appearance.
This boat was to be used on the Upper
Delaware by Major William Barnett,
who maintained a fleet of them between
Easton and the headwaters of the Dela-
ware. He describes it as being sixty
feet long, seven and one half feet wide
and thirty inches deep with a fifteen
inch running board on both inner sides.
The lower part of the sides was rounded
and both the ends were bluntly rounded,
3*-
DURHAM BOAT
EASTON FROM A TROLLEY WINDOW
653
COLONIAL WAREHOUSE ON DELAWARE
and embellished with a carved wooden
figure-head.
The shores here, where the two rivers
meet, are not what would be expected of
a city that can boast of so many other
features of natural attractiveness. They
are unsightly to the extreme, and the tin
can edging and other defunct matter is
no embellishment whatever. However
it is hoped that the next generation may
be imbued with greater progressiveness ;
profit by the past extravagance and dis-
card that expensive play-thing, the City
Incinerating Furnace ; then utilize the
city's waste material (garbage, ashes and
sewage) ; combine these three elements
with the ad-mixture of cement — forming
a concrete mass, and with this create a
river wall with terraced gardens, and
other architectural features that would
add to its appearance ; erect in the river
bed, at the confluence of the two rivers,
a colossal monument of commemora-
tion. All this would be a greater setting
to this otherwise beautiful city than the
present disfiguration and its freak by
day and monstrosity by night, the slogan
sign.
Our car will now return to Centre
Square, the starting point, where we will
disembark. And now, hoping that you
have all enjoyed in full this historical
excursion, we will gather within the
shadows of this monument that sup-
plants the old historic shrine and con-
clude in song.
"How sweet to my ears are the names of
my childhood,
The names Pennsylvanians worship for aye,
Aboriginal cognomens heard in the wild-
wood
When Indians traversed the Minnequa way.
654
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Tunhannock, Tamauqua and Hokendauqua.
Tamanend, Tobyhanna and Tonawanda, *
Meshoppen, Tomensing and Catasauqua,
I love you, I greet you, sweet sounds of Pa.
"How mountain, and meadow, and rill, and
ravine,
The broad Susquehanna and Wyoming's ray,
Spring forth in the landscape by memory
seen,
The Lehigh, the Schuylkill and Lackawanna,
Lycoming. Shamokin, Monongahela,
Kittanning, Perkasie and Shenandoah,
Towamensin — another, not spelled the same
way,
1 love you, I greet you, sweet sounds of Pa.
"The rivulets warble and cataracts roar
The names that I cherish wherever I stray —
Manayunk, Conshohocken, Monocacy — more
Nanticoke, Kit.tatinny, Shickashinny, Hay!
Day!
My heart leaps at mention of Catawissa,
Mahanoy, Nesquehoning, how soothing the
lay!
Lackawaxen, Shackamaxon, Perkiomen —
what, pray,
Sweeter than Mauch Chunk (Mock-Chunk
as they say).
I love you, I greet you, sweet sounds of Pa."
COLONIAL WAREHOUSE ON LEHIGH
655
Germantown, Ohio
By Rev. J. P. Hentz, Dayton, Ohio
ERMANTOWN, Montg.
Co., Ohio, is situated in a
locality known as the Twin
Valley. This valley derives
its name from two streams
one of which is called the
Big Twin and the other
the Little Twin. These
two streams unite into one at the town
of Germantown. From here the united
stream, now simply called the Twin,
continues on its course southward for
six miles more, and then empties into
the Miami, a tributary of the Ohio. The
town lies in the fork of the Twins. The
valley of the Twins is formed by the
lowlands, or bottoms, contiguous to the
streams, and by the hills by which they
are inclosed.
KNOWN FOR ITS WEALTH
The county of Montgomery is known
far and wide for the wealth and produc-
tiveness of its soil, its handsome home-
steads, fine roads, beautiful farms and
general improved condition. The trav-
eler on its rail and highways coming
from less favored localities, is enrap-
tured by the prospect when he enters
the county. Hundreds of miles away
one can hear, as the writer has done,
the lands and farms about Dayton
spoken of as among the finest, best im-
proved and most fertile of our Union.
But if Montgomery County is one of
the garden spots of Ohio, Twin Valley
it must be owned, is one of the garden
spots of Montgomery County.
OCCUPATION AND SETTLERS
Besides its original occupants, the In-
dians, Twin Valley has had two classes
of settlers, who, as to time, have suc-
ceeded one another. The first of these
were the so-called squatters, who re-
mained but a few years. The second
were the genuine and permanent occu-
pants, known as the pioneers.
THE INDIANS
Previous to the year 1798 the Indians
held undisputed sway in the Twin Va -
ley. Its rich bottoms and fine streams
afforded the red man excellent hunting
and fishing ground. This was one of his
favorite haunts. By the side and upon
the banks of its streams he erected his
wigwam, lived and reared his family, la-
bored and rested. From here he went
to the chase and to the war, and hither
he returned from labor, from victory and
from defeat. And here, when life's
work was done, and the "Great Spirit"
called him to the "hunting grounds
above," his companions laid away his re-
mains as their final resting place of rest.
Savage as he was, and extremely re-
vengeful, this valley ever remained, to
the Indian, an abode and a home of
peace. Within its borders no bloody
scenes were ever witnessed. Here the
aborigine was neither attacked by nor
did attack his white brother, nor en-
gaged in treacherous warfare with those
of his own race and kindred. Neither
history nor tradition record any battles
fought in this valley. Here our red
brother never encountered foe in either
offensive or defensive warfare, but
passed his time in quiet and undisturbed
peace. On that account he loved this
valley all the more. Indians lingered
here with fond attachment even after en-
croaching civilization had bereft them
of their best means to support life. As
late as the year 1804, six years after the
whites had begun to come in, and two
years after Ohio had become a state, the
Shawnees had a town on Shawnee
creek, on land adjoining the village of
Sunsbury, a suburb of Germantown.
And it is said that Tommy Kill Buck,
who was one of their number, and a
chief of their tribe, for a long time re-
fused to leave this country. He built
himself a hut on the west side of the Big
Twin, and for years no amount of per-
656
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
suasion could move him to abandon the
country which had given him birth, and
which had been the scene of his joys and
sorrows, in the years of his youth and
manhood.
And, when grown lonely and weary,
he at last yielded to the inevitable fate
of his race, and concluded to set his face
westward, and left, sad and dejected
Later those same tribes, who had once
lived in this valley, paid frequent visits
to it, and for weeks at a time encamped
by its streams and in the shade of its
groves.
SECOND OCCUPANTS
The second occupants, successors to
the Indians, were a people who came
hither from the state of Kentucky. They
were not natives of that state, at least
not all of them. Some of them were na-
tives of Maryland and Pennsylvania,
while others were Virginians and North
Carolinians. They had left their homes
and associations and had gone to Ken-
tucky in search of new dwelling places,
prompted by the desire of improving
their condition. Not finding in Ken-
tucky what they sought for, or else hear-
ing of Ohio as offering superior advan-
tages, they came to the latter state. They
made their appearance here in the year
1798. The writer has a list of the
names of the most of them, but does
not consider it a matter of sufficient im-
portance to mention them in this connec-
tion.
These people were not actual settlers.
They were squatters only. At the time
of their arrival the land in the Twin
Valley was not yet surveyed, and conse-
quently not in market. Not until about
1802 was there a survey made. After
this some of them purchased land. Many,
however, were too poor, while others
were unwilling to invest in real estate in
this locality. The latter, as soon as cir-
cumstances permitted or necessity im-
pelled, moved away, and made room for
others. The only two of these people
who became permanent residents were
Conrad Eisele, a German, and Nathan-
iel Lyons.
Judging by their names, there seemed
to have been a few Germass among
them, but by far the larger number of
them were English people, or people of
English descent.
PEACE-LOVING PEOPLE
They are said to have been a quiet, or-
derly and peace-loving people; not of
that sporty, dissipated class so often
found on the frontier. They do not
seem to have been very thrifty or very
enterprising. They were content to live
in the most primitive manner and to lead
an unaspiring and an unambitious life.
But while they lacked energy and indus-
try, they were not an immoral people.
They were not given to any excesses, to
no acts of violence or intemperance, and
were honest and considerate in their
dealings with one another. Religiously,
they did not all hold to the same creed.
The Germans among them are said to
have been Lutherans, but the predomi-
nating element seems to have been of the
Baptist persuasion. At least, the first
and only minister who labored among
them, the Rev. Father Lee, was a Bap-
tist preacher. They erected a chapel in
which to conduct divine services, built of
logs, and never quite completed.
The people have left no impression
on the country in which they were mere
sojourners. They built up no towns and
founded no institutions. They did not
even lay out any roads or construct any
bridges. The most that they did was to
erect a log cabin of the simplest con-
struction, without windows, and contain-
ing but one room. This being done, they
cleared away a small patch of forest, on
which they cultivated a few vegetables,
and after this lived mainly on the game
provided from the forest and river.
Once or twice a year they would make
their way to Cincinnati, their nearest
business place, 40 miles away, to ex-
change their furs for such necessaries
as they required, or for such luxuries as
their indulgence craved.
And thus they lived on in happy con-
tentment in the deep shadow and soli-
tude of their forest homes. There was
GERMANTOWN, OHIO
657
but little in their environments tending
to weaken their ambition or to arouse
their energies. Their temporary log
huts have long ago disappeared and
with them have vanished all traces of
their brief residence. They lived here a
short half a dozen years, and then re-
tired from the scene, leaving behind
them the country in about the same con-
dition in which they found it. At pres-
ent not even a spot can be pointed out
where repose the bones of those of their
number who died during the time of
their sojourn in this valley.
Nor have they contributed anything
to the formation of the character and
sentiments of the present population of
the same region of country. Whatever
they may have been morally, religiously
and politically, they exerted no influence
on the minds and lives of their succes-
sors. When they began to leave this
country, they moved away almost in a
body, but few of them remaining long
enough. to mingle with the coming immi-
grants.
Those who came to take their places
were quite a different people, speaking
another language, holding different relig-
ious opinions and habituated to differ-
ent modes of life. They received noth-
ing from their predecessors worthy of
remembrance or preservation.
In this same manner a large portion of
the western states of our Union have
been settled. First have come the ad-
venturous and thriftless backwoodsmen,
squatting down on the soil without leave
from anybody. They do some farming
and raise some stock, but this industry
amounts to but little. They care noth-
ing for schools and churches, and know
nothing of books and newspapers. They
have but few wants, and make but few
improvements. The life which they lead
does not materially differ from that of
the wild Indians. As soon as the popu-
lation around them begins perceptibly
to increase, and the forest begins to let
light through, and neighbors come nearer
to them than a dozen of miles, these
people feel cramped and crowded. They
complain that it is getting "too thick for"
them. They became uneasy and restless,
"pull up stakes" and move on westward
to regions where they can resume their
chosen mode of life, unhindered by the
advance of civilization.
A PECULIAR CLASS
In the course of time these children of
the forest and the prairie have grown to
be a separate and peculiar class of our
American population. As the march of
empire has proceeded on its westward
course, they have moved on before it,
determined not to be overtaken by it.
They have fled over the western plains,
and scaled the Rocky mountains, and
have descended down their western
slopes, until they have reached the storm-
beaten shores of the Pacific. Their work
and mission are nearly accomplished, and
soon they will disappear. As that part
of our country, known as the western
states, will soon have no longer any back-
woods, it will soon have no more occupa-
tion for backwoodsmen. It is only the
mountainous regions of some of the
southern states, Kentucky, Tennessee
and others, where this same class of
people are still numerous, and seem to be
firmly established.
These people have, however, in many
instances, subserved a useful purpose.
They have paved the way for a second
and better class of settlers. The latter
have usually become the permanent oc-
cupants of the soil. This happened to
be the case in the Twin Valley. Here,
when the first settlers went out, the sec-
ond came in to stay. But in many other
instances these last have again sold out,
and have made room for a third class.
Life in the wilderness, with all its hard-
ships and privations, has its charms and
attractions, which men, when tbey have
once become accustomed to them, are
loath again to abandon.
THE THIRD CLASS
The third class of occupants of the
Twin Valley were Pennsylvanians of
German descent. They came principally
from Berks County, and the most of
them from Tulpehocken Township.
658
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Later they were reinforced from the
same and other counties and states by
the same class of people, generally called
Pennsylvania Germans. The course of
events by which Providence led them to
this valley is as here follows :
In the year 1803 Philip Gunckel,
Christopher Emrick, David Miller and
John George Kern, all natives and res-
idents of Berks County, Pennsylvania,
came to Ohio on a prospecting tour.
Their object in taking this trip was to
see the country, and, if they liked it, to
buy land and move on it. They visited
different localities and were well pleased
with what they saw. They concluded to
purchase land, return to Pennsylvania,
move out their families and make Ohio
their future home. Gunckel owned and
operated in Pennsylvania a grist mill,
and this occupation he desired to follow
in Ohio. He therefore, in the selection
of land, aimed in securing a site for a
mill. About 60 miles east of Cincinnati,
is Bullskin Creek, a tributary of the Ohio
River, and a pretty strong stream, fur-
nishing ample water power for the suc-
cessful operation of a mill. On this
stream, near its junction with the Ohio
River, Gunckel decided to locate, and
the other three men approved of his de-
cision. The land of which they made
their choice had originally been a part of
the Virginia military reservation, but
had recently passed into possession of
private parties. Its present owner was a
Virginian by the name of Redford. This
gentleman had an agent in Ohio with
whom the four men contracted for the
purchase of 1,000 acres. This they pur-
posed dividing between them. Having
done so, they started for Virginia to see
Redford and secure from him deed and
title of the land, which they had pur-
chased of his agent. But when they ar-
rived at this man's residence they found
that he had died. An executor of his es-
tate had been appointed, but he lived 150
miles farther away. This was too great
a distance to the men, they being wearied
with their long journey. Annoyed by
their disappointment, they decided to
abandon the project of settling on Bull-
skin, and return at once to Pennsylvania,
still, however, with the intention of mov-
ing to Ohio .
"westward fever" epidemic
On their return to Pennsylvania, these
men gave such a glowing account of the
state of Ohio that the "western fever"
became at once epidemic in their neigh-
borhood. As a result 24 families con-
cluded to sell out and move to Ohio the
following spring. These were all na-
tives of Berks County, but a few of
them were then living in Center County,
in and about the town of Aaronsburg,
having moved there some years previous.
They corresponded by letter and it was
agreed between them that they were all
to start at such a time as to meet in
Pittsburg on or about the same day.
They set out on their westward jour-
ney in the spring of 1804. Such a jour-
ney was at that time no small undertak-
ing. It required many weeks for its ac-
complishment, and was attended by no
small degree of danger and hardship.
The goods, women and children had to
be conveyed by wagon over rough moun-
tain roads. The country through which
the emigrants had to pass was yet but
thinly settled. Wild beasts, such as
wolves, bears and panthers, were still
abounding in the forests, and the treach-
erous Indian was still lurking in forest
and mountain fastness. At night they
usually encamped by the side of some
stream, and while one party laid down to
sleep another kept watch around the en-
campment. Exposure and malaria often
caused serious illness, and not infre-
quently one fell a victim to disease, and
was buried by the wayside.
Our friends, on their way through
Pennsylvania, experienced some of these
evil attendants, but arrived at the time
agreed upon in Pittsburg without having
met with any serious accidents. Here
they engaged river boats, on which they
put their children and families, and then
paddled down the Ohio River. Cincinnati
was their point of destination by water,
where, after a trip of about a week, they
landed. This event occurred on the 29th
GERMANTOWN, OHIO
659
day of June, 1804. From Cincinnati they
went to New Reading, a hamlet not far
distant, where they tarried a fortnight,
considering what next to do, or where
next to direct their steps. A few of them
found employment here and remained,
but to the majority this did not seem the
Canaan of their hopes and the end of
their long and wearisome journey.
They again took up their line of
march. This time their course lay north-
ward. They had heard of the Miami
Valley, and had conceived the thought
of locating in it, but they had no definite
objective point in view, trusting rather
to fortune and the guiding hand of
Providence. Some distance north of
Cincinnati they entered this valley and
were delighted with the country. It was
so very different from the rugged moun-
tain country which they had left in
Pennsylvania. No mountains and bar-
ren, rocky soil were to be seen here. The
forests were much taller, the soil more
productive and the surface much more
level than in the country from which
they came. They passed over many an
attractive spot where they might have
located, but they moved on, doubtlessly
prompted and guided by the invisible
hand of Providence, until they reached
the vicinity of the present site of Miam-
isburg. Here lived a prosperous farmer,
whose name was Nutz, and who spoke
German. They were glad to meet a gen-
tleman who spoke their own tongue.
With him they stopped to rest and re-
fresh themselves, and after forming his
acquaintance, and finding him to be a
genial and kindhearted man, they con-
cluded to encamp awhile on his farm.
It was now midsummer, and the
weather being warm and pleasant, they
took up their abode in the woods, where
they lived in wagons and temporary huts
for about two weeks.
Mr. Gunckel was looked upon by these
people as their leader. He was a man of
superior intelligence, and the only per-
son among them who spoke the English
language with any degree of fluency. For
these and other reasons he exercised a
commanding influence over them, so that
they were inclined to follow his fortunes,
and to locate where he would locate. As
previously stated, he was by occupation
a miller, and hence here, as on Bullskin,
his first object was to secure a site for a
mill. In quest of this, he explored the
country for miles around, and at last
found the object for which he was in
search on Big Twin Creek, a branch of
the Miami River.
FOUNDED NEW COMMUNITY
The precise point chosen by Mr.
Gunckel was about six miles from the
mouth of this stream, now within the
corporate limits of Germantown. When
he made known his decision to his com-
panions, they all concluded to settle near
and around him. Upon this, the en-
campment on the Nutz farm was at once
broken up, the immigrants forded the
Miami River, crossed to its western
bank, ascended the steep bluff adjoining
and then traveled in the direction of the
Twin Creek. And here, by the side and
the vicinity of this stream, they rested at
the end of their long and wearisome
journey. Here, now, was their future
home. Here they were to spend their
remaining days, and to found a dwelling
place for their children and children's
children for ages to come. And here,
when their life's labors were done, their
bones were to be buried and to repose
until the resurrection morn.
This event occurred on or about the
first day of August, 1804. It is an ever
memorable occurrence in the history of
Twin Valley. By it was founded a new
community — a part of a nation. That
August day is the birthday of the settle-
ment of the Twin Valley. As such it
ought ever to be regarded as a hallowed
day by the people who reside here.
The Kentuckians who then lived here
were ready to sell out. Those of the new-
comers, therefore, who had the means at
once purchased land. A few of the lat-
ter found unentered government land,
and secured possession of that. There
took place, then, in this part of the coun-
try a total change of population, a mov-
ing in and a moving out, a coming and a
660
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
leaving, by which all immovable property
changed owners. The Pennsylvanians
brought with them a pluck, a push and
an industry to which the Kentuckians
were strangers, and with which they
were unable to compete. Then there was
this too, that the latter did not under-
stand the language of the former. Hence,
their longer stay was rendered unpleas-
ant to them.
Before winter set in the newly arrived
immigrants had secured land, and had
erected some sort of dwellings, humble
in dimension and simple in construction,
but serving the necessities of their situa-
tion. But that first winter semed long,
and proved very lonely to them. The
country around them was an almost un-
broken forest. Only here and there was
there a light spot of clearing. Storm and
snow swept through the trees, and over
the heads of the colonists with relentless
severity, while wolves made the woods
resound with their doleful howls all the
night long. The people, as they sat
around their log fires, thought and talked
of home, and not without fears and mis-
givings discussed their prospects for the
future, and many a time wished they
were back again in Pennsylvania.
They had harvested no crops the
previous year, nor had they earned any-
thing wherewith to procure the necessa-
ries of life, having spent nearly the whole
summer in their journey hither. Pro-
visions, even if they had had money in
plenty, would have been difficult to pro-
cure, as the settlers around them were
but few, and did not raise more than
their own wants required. Game was
pretty plenty, but that alone did not sup-
ply their needful wants. They did not
starve during this first winter, but were
obliged to live on small allowance. They
tried, however, to cheer their loneliness,
forget their destitution and drive away
the gloom of their situation by frequent
visits to one another. They were not the
kind of people to give way easily to de-
spondency. Some of them were good
musicians, and one can readily imagine
how the violin and flute were called into
requisition to while away the long, lone-
ly hours of that first winter in the wil-
derness.
NEW INSPIRATION
Early in the following spring, when
the snow had melted and the cold, pierc-
ing winds had given way to the genial
breezes of approaching summer, and the
warm sunshine was beginning to awaken
new life, they went to work with a
hearty good will to clear away the trees,
turn up the soil and sow and plant. Their
hardest work, such as clearing, log-roll-
ing, building and harvesting, was mostly
done by crowds, collected together for
the purpose from the entire settlement.
They made what they called a frolic, a
festival time, of their work, passing from
place to place, until they had got through
with all. There was, doubtless, much
pleasure in this manner of performing
their work, and their hard tasks were
much lightened by it. It also kept alive
the social spirit and cheerful humor of
the colony. Hence they continued this
habit of mutual assistance for many
years. Such was their enterprise and
industry that they did more toward the
improvement of the country in one year
than their predecessors had done in a
half dozen years. At the end of the first
year's settlement they had cleared a large
portion of forest land, had raised and
taken in a good harvest, had erected
houses and barns, had put up miles of
fences, had laid out and improved roads,
and had done much other useful work.
From this time forward there was steady
improvement and progress, no more
want and suffering; a condition not of
great wealth and luxury, but of thrift
and independence.
The utmost harmony and good feeling
prevailed for many years. They did not
contend over party politics, being agreed
on matters of civil policy. Nor did they
dispute over questions of religious doc-
trines. Religiously, they were either Lu-
therans or Reformed ; and as in those
days it used to be said that all the differ-
ence between the two denominations was
that in the Lord's Prayer the one said,
"Vater Unser", and the other "Unser
GERMANTOWN, OHIO
661
Vater", there was no occasion for aliena-
tion between them, arising from this
source. For many years the two de-
nominations worshiped on alternate Sun-
days in the same church in perfect peace
and harmony. Doubtless, however, they
had an occasional "fall out". They would
not have been human had they not had.
But matters of that kind were always
easily adjusted, and were not suffered to
cause long-continued ill-feeling.
After the first arrivals came others,
and immigration hither continued stead-
ily for a number of years, and the popu-
lation increased so rapidly that by the
year 1808 Twin Valley was already
thickly peopled, and most of the land of
the township of German had received
owners and occupants.
The following are the names of the most prominent of the pioneers of
German Township, Montgomery County Ohio.
NAMES
1 ( Philip Gunckel
if ^Daniel Gunkel
Daniel (nephew of above)
cp / Michael Emrich
% \ William Emrich
2 ' John Emrich
Michael Emrich
Christopher Emrich
George Emrich
John G. Kern
George Moyer
George Kiester
Peter Kiester
Jacob Baner
Abraham Puntius
John G. Boyer
Peter Caterow
Adam and Geo. Loy
Henry Christ
3 \ Leonard, George
|" J and Michael Stump
Martin Shuy
Michael Cotterman
f (Philip, Henry, Abraham and
3" \ Mathias Schwarzel
Andrew Zellers
Christian Judy
John Casper Stoeber
A descendant of the Reverend of same name
Jonathan Lindamuth
George Cohlman
The Peter Schaefer Family
The first congregation, union of Reformed and Lutherans, was organized July 30, 1809 by
Caspar Stoeber, Sr., Peter Recher, Leonard Stump, William Emrich, Michael Emrich, George
Boyer, Frederick Stoeber, Christian Emrich, John Emrich, Martin Shuey, Caspar Stoeber, Jr.,
Philip Gunckel, Conrad Eisele, Jacob Baner, Jacob Schwank, John Stoeber, George Gener,
Jonathan Lindamuth, William Emrich, Jr., John Gunckel, Henry Holler, Michael Gunckel.
There were then living in German Tp. and Germantown none but Lutherans and Reformed.
Methodists and United Brethren came in later.
WHEN ARRIVED
WHENCE THEY CAME
1804
Center Co., Pa., but native of Berks
1811
Berks Co., Pa.
came still later
Berks Co., Pa.
1806
Berks Co., Pa.
1804
Berks Co., Pa.
1804
Berks Co., Pa.
1804
1804
Berks Co., Pa.
1810
Dauphin Co., Pa.
1806
Berks Co , Pa.
1804
Berks Co., Pa.
1804
Berks Co., Pa.
some years later
Berks Co., Pa.
1804
Center Co., Pa.
1804
Berks Co., Pa.
1805
Berks Co.. Pa.
1803
Frederick Co., Md.
1800
Washington Co., Md.
1805
Berks Co., Pa.
1805
Berks Co., Pa.
1805
Lebanon Co., Pa.
1805
Berks Co., Pa.
1805
Somerset Co., Pa.
1805
Pennsylvania
1805
Dauphin Co., Pa.
1806
Dauphin Co., Pa.
e name
1806
Berks Co., Pa.
1806
Somerset Co., Pa.
1804-1805-1814
Berks Co., Pa.
OF GERMAN DESCENT
The people who came to Twin Valley
and its outlying uplands between the
years 1804 and 1810 were, with few, if
any, exceptions, people of German de-
scent. The most of them were Pennsyl-
662
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
vanians, a goodly number were Mary-
landers, and a few may have come from
Virginia. But whatever state they came
from, they were all of the same stock of
people, and may all be ranked under the
general category of Pennsylvania Ger-
mans. They all spoke the Pennsylvania
German dialect, and were in many re-
spects as like one another as if they had
been brought up in one and the same
family. These are facts which are worthy
of special notice, and therefore special
attention is herebly called to them.
With England, the case is different.
To England our land and nation are
greatly indebted. From England we
have derived our peculiar national char-
acteristics and institutions. It was the
English element which mainly fought
the battles of our freedom, framed our
constitution and laws, and gave us our
democratic form of government. The
leaders of the Revolution, with Washing-
ton at their head, were with few excep-
tions, men of English blood and descent.
Nevertheless, it can not be denied that
among the early immigrants from Eng-
land to our country there was a large
percentage of very worthless and de-
graded men. Criminals and convicts
were shipped over from England, no less
than from France and Spain. But no
such people found their way here from
Germany, unless in some isolated and
rare cases. The German immigrants, of
whom the Pennsylvania Germans are the
descendants, were free from these ele-
ments. They were an exceptionally good
class of people, no adventurers and
fortune-hunters, no exiled criminals, no
serfs to feudal lords. They were, as a
rule, a poor people. Some of them were
so impecunious that on their arrival in
our seaports they were obliged to sell
themselves into long servitude in order
to pay the expenses of their sea voyage.
Poor and destitute they were, but
nothing worse. They were honest, moral
and religious, of industrious and frugal
habits. Wherever they located, in town
or in country, they practiced industry and
virtue, erected churches and school
houses, maintained teachers in both, and
labored to promote the general welfare
of society. They were unquestionably
one of the best accessions that the popu-
lation of our country has ever received.
In some respects they excelled every
other portion of our population. The men
who came in the ship Mayflower and
landed on Plymouth Rock had fled from
religious persecution, but no sooner had
they effected a permanent settlement
than they themselves became religious
persecutors, expelling, imprisoning and
severely punishing those who dared to
hold religious opinions differing from
their own.
SPIRIT OF LUTHER
The Dutch of New Amsterdam evinced
the same spirit of intolerance and prac-
ticed the same cruel persecution. The
French and Spaniards were still more
bigoted and more cruel. The Germans
who early settled in Pennsylvania and
adjoining states differed from all these.
They brought with them the liberal spirit
of Luther — the spirit of freedom of con-
science, of toleration and forbearance in
matters of religion. Although they
were tenaciously attached to their own
creed, their mode of worship and their
church usages, they cherished no malice
toward those who believed, worshiped
and taught differently from themselves.
They met and treated all men in the
spirit of true love, and showed them
their merited honor and respect. And as
they were in matters of religion, so they
were in their general conduct. They were
a most quiet, peaceable and inoffensive
people, diligent in their pursuits and dis-
inclined to meddle in the affairs of their
neighbors. As a consequence, they were
thrifty and prosperous, and beloved and
trusted by all who came in contact with
them.
These characteristics largely cling to
them, as a class, to this day. Pennsyl-
vania Germans are, at this time, spread
over every part of our vast country, but
wherever found, they are always the
same quiet, peace-loving, meditative,
shrewd and thrifty people. Among their
number are enrolled some of the most
successful farmers of our Union, skillful
GERMAJMTOWN, OHIO
663
mechanics and enterprising merchants
and manufacturers and bankers, and not
a few of them are scholars and states-
men of the first rank.
These pioneers were men who were
well adapted to the life which they had
chosen. They were brave and adventur-
ous in spirit, and strong and healthy in
body, none of them measuring less than
six feet in height. The difficulties and
trials with which they met did not dis-
courage them, but only nerved them to
renewed and more vigorous exertion.
They were true pioneers, sons of the soil.
They relished sport no less than labor
and adventure. They loved song and
music, society and amusement. They
were religious and warmly attached to
their own church, but their religion had
nothing in it of the gloomy and the
ascetic. Their piety was characteristically
German, of a cheerful and cheering
nature.
GERMANTOWN
Germantown is an attractive village,
with a population of about 1,760 souls,
distant 40 miles from Cincinnati and 12
miles from Dayton ; to the north of the
former and to the south of the latter city.
It was laid out by Philip Gunckel in the
year 18 14, and received the name of
Germantown from the fact that the
people who lived in and around it were
Germans by blood and by language. The
valley immediately around the town is
on almost all sides inclosed by hills,
which are in large part covered with
trees, forming to the town and valley a
forest-crowned wall and presenting to
the eye a pleasing picture. The town is
regularly laid out, streets wide and well
graded, and ever kept neat and clean.
Shade trees have been planted through-
out, giving the place the appearance of
a city in a forest. Vegetable gardens are
cultivated in the rear, and grassy lawns
in front of the houses.
While the beginning of the previous
century there were in Ohio a number of
counties which were being settled prin-
cipally by German immigrants, the popu-
lation in and about Germantown, un-
doubtedly, was more intensely and more
exclusively German than that of any
other section. It was by preeminence
the German town in Ohio. That was the
impression of it at home and abroad.
There were Germans in those early
days who expected the German to be-
come the landes sprache (the national
language) of the western world. When
they heard of the new town of German-
town in Ohio, they concluded that this
was one of the places destined to grow
into a center of German influence, into
a city of German culture, a kind of
Athens for German-Americans. Im-
pressed with this idea, some well-in-
formed and intelligent Germans made
their appearance here at an early period.
But it did not require many years to
convince them of their error.
It is true for a while it appeared as if
their expectations would be realized.
There arose what was then regarded as
a circle of high-toned intelligence, some
stir in business enterprise and some talk
of higher education. There was, more-
over, a very gratifying growth of popu-
lation. But this state of things did not
long continue. A condition of quietude
and lassitude set in that proved unfavor-
able to the expected rise of the place.
The wise and sanguine men departed,
disappointed, and Germantown dropped
down to the level of a commonplace
village, and has remained so ever since.
The writer has known the town for a
period of almost 40 years. During these
many years the accession to the popula-
tion has been exceedingly small, not
more than 150 souls. Migration has been
away from it, not to it. The young men
of talent and enterprise, not finding
space here for their activity, have gone
elsewhere and prospered and become dis-
tinguished. Hundreds have gone to the
neighboring cities of Cincinnati, Dayton
and nearby towns, and hundreds more
have gone to all parts of the western
states. The town has much improved in
appearance, old houses have been re-
modeled and beautified, and handsome
new residences have been erected, but
there has been little growth in business
and population.
664
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
MANY UNDERSTAND GERMAN
During many years Pennsylvania
German was the only language, and the
exclusive medium of social and business
intercourse among the people of the
town and township. Besides the Penn-
sylvanians, there have always been here
numerous European Germans.
.Many of these brought with them a
pure German dialect, but such was the
dominating force of the Pennsylvania
German that they felt constrained to ac-
quire and to speak it at home as well as
abroad.
Of late years, however, the English
has attained the ascendancy, so that at
present not much German is spoken.
But even at this day the most of the
people understand German, and on the
farms outside the town it is yet largely
spoken.
But ere many more years pass it will
here, as it has done in many other parts
of our country, have become an un-
known tongue. While this is .the doom
awaiting the German language in this
community, a different fate awaits the
German type of character and habits of
thought and life which prevail here.
They will not so soon disappear. They
will, as they always do, survive the lan-
guage, and pass on to children and chil-
dren's children. For German industry
and frugality, German honesty and
fidelity and German cheerfulness and
affability are characteristics worthy of
perpetual preservation.
Sunday Schools 50 Years Ago
A writer in an exchange paper reports
about the Sunday School which he
attended fifty years ago. He says among
other things :
"The Sunday School was in the base-
ment of the church ; the room was rather
dark, and we had no Sunday School
music books, no piano, no papers, no les-
son helps, not even any Sunday School
cards. We sang the hymns that were
used in the church, and the 'leader' was
as apt to start the wrong tune to the
words, as he was the right. In only one
way I can think of were these Sunday
Schools superior to those of today, and
that was that each child was expected to
commit to memory each week a number
of verses from the Bible, and to recite
them before the lesson. I am sorry that
the Sunday Schools of today do not re-
quire the same thing of the children.
"But one day we were greatly ani-
mated by the superintendent saying he
would give a prize to the scholar who
would first commit to memory the Book
of Proverbs. I began working for the
prize, and very frequently on Sunday
would recite two whole chapters, and so
kept on until I had committed the whole
book. I received a hymn book as a re-
ward. Later in life what a rich mine of
knowledge and wisdom I obtained from
the Proverbs of Solomon ! I would not
exchange that knowledge today for all
the prizes that could be offered."
There are many persons now living
with similar recollections and experien-
ces. Many Sunday Schools were con-
ducted in very uninviting places and
without helpful appliances. The First
Reformed Sunday School in Reading
was organized in 1840, and the sessions
were held not exactly in the basement,
but rather in the cellar of the church.
The floor of the church was only a few
feet above the level of the pavement, so
that the floor of the school room was
about six feet below the ground. It was
so dark that tallow dips were used to
enable the members of the school to read.
In this place the school was held during
a number of years. A number of per-
sons are still living who attended this
school in the cellar. As in the case men-
tioned above, there was an entire absence
of helpful facilities. But the Bible had
a much more prominent place in the
Sunday School than at the present time.
— Reformed. Church Record.
665
Origin, Import, and Curiosities of Names
Compiled from Various Sources
By A. E. Bachert, Tyrone, Pa.
"Bonum nomen bonum omen." — Old Proverb.
(A good name is a good omen.)
HILE the proverb quoted is
true, in the main, the con-
trary is shown by Sir
Henry Piers, in the year
1682, in a letter to An-
thony, Lord Bishop of
Meath, giving the follow-
ing account of Irish so-
briquets and cognomens :
* * * "They take much liberty, and seem
to do it with delight, in giving nicknames;
and if a man have any imperfection or evil
habit, he shall be sure to hear of it in the
nickname. Thus, if he be blind, lame,
squint-eyed, gray-eyed, be a stammerer in
speech, be left-handed, to be sure he shall
hav one of these added to his name; so also
from his color of hair, as black, red, yellow,
brown, etc. ; and from his age, as young,
old; or from what he addicts himself to, or
much delights in, as in draining, building,
fencing, or the like; so that no man what-
ever can escape a nickname who lives
among them, or cqnverseth with them; and
sometimes, so libidinous are they in this
kind of raillery, they will give nicknames
per antiplirasim, or contrariety of speech.
"Thus a man of excellent parts, and be-
loved of all men, shall be called Gran a, that
is, naughty, or fit to be complained of. If
a man have a beautiful ocuntenance or love-
ly eyes, they will call him Cueegli, that is,
squint-eyed; if he be a great housekeeper,
he shall be called Ackerisagh, that is
greedy."
Pythagoras, however, taught that the
minds, actions, and success of men
would be according to their fate, genius
and name, and Plato advises men to be
careful in giving fair and happy names.
Such hopeful names as Victor, con-
queror ; Felix, happy, and Fortunatus,
lucky, were called by Cicero, "bona
nomina", and by Tacitus, "fausta
nomina", prosperous names.
Camden said: "Such names among the
Romans were considered so happy and
fortunate, that in the time of Galienus,
Rcgilianus who commanded in' the an-
cient Illyricum, obtained the empire in
consequence of the derivation of his
name. When it was demanded during a
banquet, what was the origin of Rcgilia-
nus, one answered, 'a Regno', to reign,
to be a king; another began to decline,
'Rex (a king), Regis, Regilianus', when
the soldiers began to exclaim, 'Ergo po-
test Rex esse, ergo potest regere, Deus
tibi regis nomen imposuit', and so in-
vested him with the royal robes".
Lewis the Eighth, King of France,
sent two of his embassadors to Al-
phonso, king of Spain, to solicit one of
his daughters in marriage. When the
young ladies, whose names were Urraca
and Blanche, were presented to the em-
bassadors, they made choice of Blanche,
though far less beautiful than her sister,
assigning as a reason that her name
would be better received in France, as
Blanche signified fair and beautiful.
Before taking up surnames, to which
this article will be principally devoted,
let us inquire briefly into the derivation,
— the etymology and significance — of the
names of a few of the infinite number
of objects with which every one is fa-
miliar, but whose actual significance is
comprehended only by a few.
For instance, how many purveyors of
ham and beef can explain the origin of
the word Sandwich? The question at
issue furnishes an example of how a
name may be perpetuated in different
ways. Thus, Captain Cook named the
Sandwich Islands in compliment to
John Montague, fourth Earl of Sand-
wich and First Lord of the Admiralty,
who took his title from Sandwich, or,
as the etymology of this place implies,
the "sand town", one of the ancient
Cinque Ports in Kent. An inveterate
gamester was this Lord Sandwich ; so
666
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
much so that he would sit at the gaming-
table for thirty hours and more at a
stretch, never desisting from the game
to partake of a meal, but from time to
time ordering the waiter to bring him
some slices of meat placed between two
slices of thin bread, from which circum-
stance this convenient form of refresh-
ment received the name of Sandwiches.
Mention of sandwiches reminds us
that very few tradesmen possess the re-
motest idea of the significance of the
names of the various commodities in
which they deal, or how to account for
their individual trade-name. How many
tobacconists are aware of the fact that
the most interesting island in the West
Indies, in connection with the subject
now under discussion, is Tobago Island,
so called by Columbus from its .fancied
resemblance to the Tobaco, or inhaling
pipe or, tube of the aborigines, whence
the word TOBACCO has been derived.
Possibly not one out of every thou-
sand tailors could tell you that the des-
ignation of his trade-name is an Angli-
cized form of the French Tailleur, de-
rived from the verb tattler, to cut.
As nowadays comprehended, a Milli-
ner is one who retails hats, feathers,
bonnets, ribbons, and similar appurte-
nances to female costume. The name is
really a corruption of Milaner, alluding
to the city of Milan, which at one time
set the fashion to the north of Europe in
all matters of taste and elegance. Haber-
dasher is a modern form of the Old
English word Hapertascr, or a retailer
of hapertas cloth, the width of which
was settled by Magna Charta. Grocer is
a contraction and modified spelling of
Engrosser, the denomination of a trades-
man who, in the Middle Ages, claimed
a monopoly for the supply of provisions.
A vender of vegetables is appropriately
called a Greengrocer. The term Carpen-
ter, from the Latin carpentum, a wagon,
originally denoted a mechanic who con-
structed the wooden body of a vehicle
of any kind, as distinguished from the
Wheelwright ; but in process of time the
same term came to be applied to artificers t
in timber generally.
Every American is, at least indirectly,
interested in the colossal ditch now un-
der construction, which will unite the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. How many
of us have taken the trouble to inform
ourselves that the term Panama is Carib-
bean, indicative of the mud fish that
abound in the waters on both sides of the
isthmus? A comparatively late acquisi-
tion to the territorial expanse of the
United States are the Philippine Islands ;
discovered by Magellan in 1621, and
named after Philip II. of Spain.
America honors the memory of •
Amerigo Vespucci, the Florentine navi-
gator, who landed on the New Continent
south of the Equator, the year after Co-
lumbus discovered the northern main-
land in 1498. The name of America
first appeared in a work published by
Waldsemiiller at St. Die, in Lorraine, in
the year 1507. It is worthy of note that
when Columbus landed in America he
imagined he had set foot on part of that
vast territory east of the Ganges vague-
ly known as India ; therefore he gave the
name of Indians to the aborigines. This
also accounts for the islands in the
Caribbean Sea being styled the West
Indies.
Germany was in ancient times known
as Tronges, or the country of the Tun-
gri, a Latin word signifying "speakers" ;.
but the Romans afterwards gave it the
name of Germanus, which was a Latin-
ized Celtic term meaning "neighbors",
originally bestowed by the Gauls upon
the warlike people beyond the Rhine.
Holland is the modern acceptation of
Ollant, the Danish for "marshy ground";:
whereas Belgium denotes the land of the
Belgiae. The fact that the term Nether-
lands is expressive of low countries need
scarcely detain us. Denmark is properly
Danmark, i. e., the territory comprised
within the marc, or boundary estab-
lished by Dan, the Scandinavian chief-
tain. France was known to the Greeks
as Gallatin, and to the Romans as Gal-
lia, afterwards modified into Gaul, be-
cause it was the territory of the Celtiae,
or Celts. The modern settlers of the
country were the Franks, so called from
ORIGIN, IMPORT, AND CURIOSITIES OF NAMES
667
the franca, a kind of javelin which they
carried, who in the fifth century in-
habited the German province of Fran-
conia and, travelling westwards, grad-
ually accomplished the conquest of Gaul.
France, therefore, signifies the country
of the Franks, or, as the Germans call it,
Frankreich, i. c, the Kingdom of the
Franks. All the western nations were
styled Franks by the Turks and Orien-
tals, and anything brought to them from
the west invariably merited a prenomen
description of its origin, as, for example,
Frankincense, by which was meant in-
cense brought from the country of the
Franks.
Every child in the State, old enough
to begin the study of geography, knows
that the appellation Pennsylvania is de-
rived from Sylvania, forest country, the
original name of our Keystone State, to
which Perm, the name of the founder,
was afterward prefixed.
Examples of this sort might be given
ad infinitum or, in fact, ad nauseam,
therefore, we will take up another phase
of the subject in hand.
Dr. Cummings points out a curious
signification of the Hebrew names re-
corded in the 5th chapter of Genesis.
When arranged in order, they present
an epitome of the ruin and recovery of
man through a Redeemer :
These names in the order in which
they are recorded, read thus : "To man,
once made in the image of God, now
substituted by man frail and full of sor-
row, the blessed God himself shall come
down to the earth teaching, and his death
shall send to the humble, consolation."
The son of Abraham and Sarah, by
divine direction was to bear the name of
Isaac, signifying laughter, in allusion
to the circumstances recorded of the
father of the faithful in the 17th chap-
ter of Genesis. In like manner Jacob
received the name Yaakob, that is, he
shall "hold by the heel" or supplant, a
prediction which was fulfilled when he-
supplanted his brother Esau, in the mat-
ter of his birthright.
The ancient Hebrews retained the
greatest simplicity in the use of names,
and generally a single name d i s -
tinguished the individual. Where it was
necessary the name of the father was
added, and sometimes that of the mother,
if she happened to be more celebrated.
Names were first given for the dis-
tinction of persons, and each individual
had, at the beginning, but one proper or
given name, as Joseph among the Jews,
Amasis among the Egyptians, Arbaces
among the Medians, among the Greeks
Ulysses, among the Romans Romidus.
The Jews named their children the
eighth day after the nativity, when the
rite of circumcision was performed. The
Greeks gave the name on the tenth day,
and an entertainment was given by the
parents and friends, and sacrifices of-
fered to the gods.
The Romans gave names to their fe-
male children on the eighth day, and to
the males on the ninth, which they called
Dies lustrions, the day of purification,
on which day they solemnized a feast
called Nominalia.
The name was generally indicative of
some particular circumstance attending,
the birth or infancy, some quality of
Adam, i. e.,
Seth,
Enos,
Canaan,
Mahalaleel,
Tared,
Enoch,
Methuselah,
Lamech,
Noah,
"Man in the image of God";
"Substituted by" ;
"Frail Man"; '
"Lamenting" ;
"The blessed God";
"Shall come down" ;
"Teaching" ;
"His death shall send";
"To the humble" ;
"Rest or consolation".
«68
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
body or mind, or was expressive of the
.good wishes or fond hopes of the parent.
Objects of nature, the most admired and
beautiful, were selected by them to
designate their offspring. The sun, the
moon and stars, the clouds, the beasts of
the field, the trees and the flowers that
adorn the face of nature, were all made
subservient to this end.
Names, epithets, and coriquets were
often bestowed by others than the par-
ents, at a more advanced age, expressive
of character or exploits, of personal
beauty, deformity or blemish — such as,
among the Greeks Alexander, a benefac-
tor of men; among the Romans, Victor,
a conquerer; among the Britons, Cad-
wallader, the leader of the war, and
among the Gaels or Celts, Galgach, or
Golgachus, the fierce fighter of battles.
All proper names have, at first, a pe-
culiarly appropriate meaning, which in
time often becomes obscured and ulti-
mately forgotten. Schlegel traced de-
scriptive epithets in almost all Hindu
names, and the older names among the
Hebrews, Arabs, in fact all Oriental na-
tions, are highly significant and grotes-
que; as, "son of wool", "prince of the
dogs", etc. This is measurably true of
names of Aryan origin, and noticeably
those of Teutonic and Scandanavian
lines. The North American Indian is
usually named from some animal, for
totemic reasons, and later earns another
from some deed of daring performed;
and similar practices prevail in all savage
tribes. In fact, the origin of heraldry
may be looked for in totemic devices and
symbols.
The study of proper names is, then,
not the outcome of idle curiosity or per-
sonal vainglory, but useful in historical
and literary researches— as important
perhaps, as numismatics, heraldry, su-
perstitions, symbolism and tradition. The
name of a man often retains the impress
of his country and sometimes of the per-
iod in which he lived, and may thus fur-
nish a clue to correct a date or vague no-
tion, or to settle a disputed question in
chronology, geography, or genealogy ;
the conquerors of Andalusia, the Van-
dals, gave their name to that province,
and it is hence not derived from Andal-
us, son of Japhet and grandson of
Noah ; the posterity of one man can not,
in reason, cover 30 degrees of longitude,
in three generations, in a barbaric age.
A SURNAME is a name added to the
proper or given name, for the sake of
distinction, and so called because origi-
nally written over the other name, in-
stead of after it, from the French Sur-
nom, or the Latin "Super nomen", sig-
nifying above the name. It may be in-
dicative of descent, habitat, craft, or may
have originated in totemic associations,
clanship, personal peculiarities, or from
vulgar nicknames. A proper name, once
given, or adopted, becomes in time a part
of the individuality. The giving of
names is not necessarily proof of an ad-
vanced civilized condition. It may be,
in fact, considered coaeval with and in-
timately connected with the gift of
speech ; the Adamic tradition of the ori-
gin of common names is a self-evident
proposition when applied to pre-Adamic
savagery. The primal family grew into
the primal tribe, and proper names be-
came necessary ; the land and the gather-
ing of men upon it necessitated proper
designations for each, or the same for
both.
The precise period at which names be-
came stationary, or began to descend
hereditarily, is not known. It is how-
ever, admitted that surnames began to
be adopted in England about 1000 A. D.,
coming mainly from Normandy. Ac-
cording to Camden, surnames began to
be taken up in France about the year
1000, and in England about .the time of
the Conquest (1066), or a very little be-
fore, under King Edward the Confessor.
He said :
"And to this doe the Scottishmen re-
ferre the antiquitie of their surnames, al-
though Buchanan supposeth that they were
not in use in Scotland many years after.
"But in England, certaine it is, that as
the better sort, euen from the Conquest, by
little and little, took surnames, so they were
not settled among the common people until
about the time of King Edward the Second,
but still varied according to the father's
ORIGIN, IMPORT, AND CURIOSITIES OF NAMES
66»
name, as Richardson, if his father were
Richard; Hodgson, if his father were Roger,
or in some other respect, and from thence-
foth began to be established (some say by
statute) in their posteritie.
"This will seem strange to some English-
men and Scottishmen, which, like the Ar-
cadians, think their surnames as ancient as
the moone, or, at least, to reach many an
age beyond the conquest. But they which
thinke it most strange (I speake vnder cor-
rection), I doubt they will hardly flnde any
surname which descended to posteritie be-
fore that time; neither have they seene (I
fear) any deed or donation before the Con-
quest, bu t subsigned with crosses and
single names, without surnames, in this
manner, in England — x Ego Eadredus con-
firmaui; x Ego Edmundus corroboraui ; Ego
Sigarhis conclusi; x Ego Olfstanus consoli-
daui, etc.
"Likewise for Scotland, in an old booke
of Duresme in the Charter, whereby
Edgare, sonne of King Malcolme, gave lands
neare Coldingham to that church, in the
year 1097, the Scottish noblemen, witnesses
thereunto, had no other surnames but the
Christian names of their fathers, for thus
they signed — S. x Gulfi filli Meniani. S. x
Culuerti filli Doncani, etc."
In Rome, family or clan names were
hereditary, but surnames remained indi-
vidual, sanctioned by public consent, as
Scipio Nasica, Pisco Frugi, Lentulus
Sura. In the republics of Greece, no-
tably Athens and Sparta, men's names
were significant of the power, valor, vir-
tues, or victories of the people, as Agesi-
laus, Charidemus, Demagorus, Demoph-
ilus, Demosthenes, Laodice. In fact it
is common among all peoples to exagger-
ate the importance of the significance of
names. Both Greeks and Romans au-
gured well or ill from them. Grecian
names are significant, either of religious
feeling, the remembrance of great events
some happy omen, chance, friendship, or
gratitude. Daughters were named from
their fathers more scrupulously than
were the sons ; Homer uses their names
in this wise without exception, as Chry-
seis, the daughter of Chryses ; Brisis,
the daughter of Briseus. The son's
name was frequently an enlarged form
of the father's, as it was deemed that
polysyllabic names were more honorable
than shorter ones, which were given to
slaves ; the Spartan Hegesander named
his son Hegesandrides, and Hiero, tyrant
of Syracuse, named his son Hieronymus.
There are traces of a desire to adopt
family names among the Greeks, but it
generally ended in a vague reference to
the hero from whom the family sprung;
these surnames were only adopted by
those families who pretended to trace
back to deities or fabulous periods of
history.
The Scandinavians and largely the
Germans had none but individual names ;
every family, as with the Greeks, showed
a decided preference for certain names,
and these were generally transmitted
from grandfather to grandson, or from
uncle to nephew, for some occult reason,
while the daughter was only known by
her father's name (as Alf-hide meaning
literally the child of Alf'r). Others re-
tained the root from which the head of
the family derived his name, but vary-
ing the other syllables (thus, the three
sons of the formidable Argrim retained
the last syllable which signified rage).
There were thus no family names among
the Celts, strictly speaking. The songs
of the Druids have perished with the
names of the heroes they sang of ; but
more fortunate were the heroes of Erin
and Morven, for the ancient national
songs still exist in Ireland and Scotland.
On the authority of Dr. Keating and
his cotemporary Gratianus Lucius, we
learn that surnames became hereditary
in Ireland, in the reign of Brian Boru,
who was killed in the battle of Clontarf,
in the year 1014, in which battle the
Danes were defeated. Previous to this
time, individuals were identified by
Tribe names, after the Patriarchal man-
ner. These tribe names were formed
from those of the progenitors by prefix-
ing the following words, signifying race,
progeny, descendants, etc. : Corca, Cin-
eal, Clan, Muimtir, Siol, Sliocht, Dal,
Tealach, Ua, Ui, or O, which signifies
grandson or descendant.
It is asserted on the authority of the
ancient Irish Manuscripts, that King
Brian ordained that a certain surname
should be imposed on every tribe or clan,
in order that it might be more easily
•670
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
known from what stock each family was
descended; and that these names should
become hereditary and fixed forever. In
the formation of these names, care was
taken that they should not be arbitrarily
assumed. The several families were re-
quired to adopt the names of their fath-
ers or grandfathers, and those ancestors
were generally selected who were cele-
brated for their virtues or renowned for
their valor.
Many of the surnames now common in
Ireland were derived from the chiefs of
the several clans who fought against the
Danes at the battle of Clontarf, under
King Brian, and others were assumed
from ancestors who flourished subse-
quently to the reign of that monarch.
Soon after the invasion of Ireland by
Henry the Second, in the year 1172, the
Anglo-Norman and Welsh families who
had obtained large grants of land in that
kingdom, in reward for their military
services in subduing the inhabitants from
intermarriages and other causes, began
by degrees to adopt the language and
manners of the people, and in process of
time became "Hibcrnis ipis Hibcrni-
ores", — more Irish than the Irish them-
selves. They not only spoke the Irish
language, but conformed to the Irish
custom of surnames, by placing "MAC",
which signifies "son", before the Chris-
tian name of their father. This was par-
ticularly the case in regard to those Eng-
lish and Welsh families who settled in
the province of Connaught. Thus, the
descendants of William De Burgos were
called MacWilliam, that is, the son of
William, and the De Exeters assumed
the name of Mac Jordan, from Jordan
De Exeter, who derived his name from
Exeter, a town in Devonshire, England.
In the year 1465, in the reign of Ed-
ward the Fourth, it was enacted by stat-
ute, that every Irishman dwelling with-
in the English pale, then comprising the
counties of Dublin, Meath, Lowth, and
Kildare, in Ireland, should take an Eng-
lish surname.
"At the request of the Commons, it is
ordeyned and established by authority of
said Parliament, that every Irishman that
dwells betwixt or among Englishmen, in the
county Dublin, Myeth, Uriell, and Kidare,
shall goe like to one Englishman in apparel,
and shaveing off his beard above the mouth,
and shall be within one year sworn the
liege man of the king, in the hands of the
lieutenant, or deputy, or such as he will
assigne to receive this oath for the multi-
tude that is to be sworne, and shall take to
him an English surname of one towne, as
Suttton, Chester Trym, Skryne, Corke, Kins-
dale; or colour, as White, Black, Brown;
or art or science, as Smith, or Carpenter;
or office, as Cook, Butler; and that he and
his issue shall use this name under payne
of forfeyting of his goods yearly till the
premises be done, to be levied two times by
the yeare to the king's warres, according
to the discretion of the lieutenant of the
king or his deputy." — 5 Edward IV., cap. 3.
In obedience to this law, Harris, in his
additions to Ware, remarks that the
Shanachs took the name of Fox, the
McGabhans or McGoivans, that o f
Smith, and the Geals the name of White.
In consequence of this statute of Ed-
ward, many Irish families were induced
to translate or change their names into
English.
The ancient prefixes of Mac and O are
still retained in Irish names, the former
denoting son and, the the latter grand-
son, or descendant. To distinguish the
individual the father's name was used,
and sometimes that of the grandfather
after the manner of the Scripture. Thus,
should Donnel have a son, he would be
called MacDonnel, that is, the son of
Donnel, and his grandson would be
termed O'Donnel; O'Neal, the grandson
of Neal, or the descendant of Neal ;
MacNeal, the son of Neal.
The Welsh, in like manner, prefixed
Ap, mab, ab, or vap to the given or first
or first name to denote son, as David Ap
Howell, David the son of Howell. Evan
Ap Rhys, Evan the son of Rees ; Rich-
ard Ap Evan, Rchard the son of Evan ;
John Ap Hugh, John the son of Hugh.
These names are now abbreviated into
Powell, Price, Bevan and Pugh.
The name of the ancestor was ap-
pended in this manner for half a dozen
generations back, and it is no uncommon
occurrence to find, in their old records a
name like this :
ORIGIN, IMPORT, AND CURIOSITIES OF NAMES
671
"'Evan-ap-Griffith-ap-Jones-ap Wil-
liam-ap Owen-ap lenkin-ap Morgan-ap-
Rheese".
Lower tells of a church at Liangollen,
Wales, dedicated to "St. Collen-ap-
Gwynawg-ap-Clyndawg-ap-Cowdra -ap-
Caradoc - Freichfras - ap-Llyn-Merim-
ap-Einion-Yrth-ap - Cunedda - Wledig
—a name which casts that of the Dutch-
man Tnkvervankodsdorspankkinkadrach-
dern' into the shade".
The old Normans prefixed Fitz, a son,
the same as Fils in French, and Films
in Latin, to the name of the father as a
patronymic, as FitzlVilliam, the son of
William, the same as Williamson.
WITZ, a termination common in
Russian names, denotes son, and is
somewhat analogous to the Nornam
Fits, as Peter Paulo witz, Peter the son
of Paul.
SKY is used in a similar manner by
the Poles, as James Petrowsky, James
the son of Peter.
ING, Teutonic, denoting progeny
which Wachter derives from the British
engi, to produce, bring forth — was
affixed by the Anglo-Saxons to the
father's name as a surname for the son,
as Cuthing the son of Cuth, Hinting the
Fair offspring, Browmng the Dark off-
spring. Gin, in Gaelic, signifies to beget ;
An Gaelic, is a termination of nouns im-
plying the diminutive of that to which it
is annexed, and an, in the Welsh as an
affix, conveys also the idea of littleness.
The termination son was also added
to the father's name, and instead of say-
ing John the son of William, the name
was written John Williamson. While the
English affixed son to the baptismal
name of the father, the Welsh merely ap-
pended "s", as John Matthews, that is,
John the son of Matthew.
Kin, kind, ling, let, et, ot, cic, cock, are
diminutives.
From the German kind, a child, is
formed the diminutive termination kin,
as Watkin the son of Wat or Walter ;
Wilkin the son of Will or William.
LING at the end of a word conveys
the idea of something young or little, as
darling or dearling, firstling, gosling,
and denotes also a situation, state, or
condition of the subject to which it is
applied, as hireling, worldling.
LET, Anglo-Saxon lyt, is sometimes
used for little, as hamlet, ringlet, stream-
let, Bartlet; i. c., little Bart or Bartholo-
mew. The termination et and ot are
used in the same sense, as Willet, Will-
mot, the son of William or little William.
The termination cic or cock is also a
diminutive, and signifies little or son, as
Hiccic, Hiccock, the son of Hig or
Hugh ; Babcock, the son of Bob or
Robert.
The introduction of Christianity,
which taught the equality of man, break-
ing up class distinctions, rapidly ad-
vanced the adopton of surnames by the
use of new or baptismal names — biblical
or saints' names, anything but pagan
cognomens, and this caused endless con-
fusion ; the new names were almost
wholly derived from foreign languages,
and as such had no local or personal
signification.
The rise of feudal power was also
another source of change and confusion,
as retainers or feoffees often bore the
name of their overlord, whose title might
arise from his office at court or his most
valuable estate. The division of estates
led to a new distribution of surnames
among the heirs, taken from the in-
herited estates, only the oldest retaining
the father's name by reason of the name
being attached to the home-estate. The
charters of the ioth and nth centuries
often recited the same individual under
different names— sometimes because he
had lost the manor which gave him title,
or had come into possession of another
which was more flattering to his vanity.
The law of primogeniture finally cleared
away much confusion, the property be-
coming settled in tenure and the owner
desiring to proclaim his patent of nobil-
ity ; from that time the name was never
lost and was further confirmed by the
granting of armorial bearings.
In heraldry we find many surnames
derived from "canting arms," which
clearly proceed from the arms ; as in
Sweden, the family whose arms repre-
672
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
sented the head of an ox took the name
Oxenstiern (like the well-known Front-
de Boeuf ) ; the Racines had originally
placed in their coat-of-arms a rat and a
swan (Rat-Cygne), but the writer of
"Athalie" retained only the swan, as the
rat offended his taste.
Local names form a large class of our
surnames. First among these are those
which are national, .expressing the coun-
try whence the person first bearing the
name came ; as English, Scott, Irish,
French.
German or Gorman ; Brett and Britain ;
Fleming, from Flanders; Burgoyne,
from Burgundy; Cornich and Cornwal-
lis, from Cornwall ; Germaine, Alman
and D'Almaine (D'Allomagne), from
Germany ; Champagne and Champneys,
from Champagne, France ; Gascoyne and
Gaskin, from Gascony ; Romayne, from
Rome; Westphal, from Westphalia;
Hanway, from Hainault; Janeway, a
Genoese; etc., etc. These names had
commonly Le (the) prefixed to them in
old records.
The practice of taking names from
patrimonial estates, or from the place of
residence or birth, was prevalent in Nor-
mandy and the contiguous parts of
France in the latter part of the tenth
century, and was generally adopted in
England and Scotland after the Con-
quest. These names were first given
with the prefix "of," shortened frequent-
ly to "0" or va" signifying from (or
it may be sometimes an abbreviation of
"at"), as John O 'Huntingdon, Adam a
Kirby. These prefixes were af te? a time
dropped, and Adam a Kirby became
Adam Kirby, and John O'Kent took the
form of John Kent.
Besides these, we have a great number
of local surnames which are general and
descriptive of the nature or situation of
the residence of the persons upon whom
they were bestowed, as Hill,Wood, Dale,
Parke, etc. The prefix At or Atte was
generally used before these names, as
John At Hill, John at the hill; James At
Well, Will At-Gate, Tom At-Urood, now
Atwell, Adgate, and Atwood. Atte was
varied to Attcn when the following
name began with a vowel, as Peter
Atten Ash, now Nash; Richard Atten
Oak, now Noakes or Nokes.
Sometimes "a" was used instead of
at, as Thomas a Becket, Jack a Dcane.
By and under were used as prefixes, as
James By-field, Tom Under-hill.
In this way men took their names from
rivers and trees, from residing at or
near them, as Beck, Gill, Eden, Trent,
Grant, and Shannon; Beach, Vine, Ashe.
Bush, and Thorn.
Local names prefixed with De (from)
and terminating in ville, originated in
Normandy, and were introduced into
England at the time of the Conquest.
These names were taken from the dis-
tricts, towns, or hamlets of which they
were possessed, or in which they had
resided previously to their following the
fortunes of William the Conqueror, such
as De Mandeville, De Neville, De Mon-
tague, etc. The prefix De was generally
dropped about the reign of Henry the
Sixth. All these names introduced into
England at the time of the Conquest,
from Normandy and the contiguous
parts of France may easily be distin-
guished by the prefixes, De, Du, Des,
De, La, St., ndd the suffixes, Beau,
Mont, Font, Font, Ers, Age, Ard, Aux,
Bois, Eux, Et, Vol, Court, Vanx, Lay,
Fort, Ot, Champ, and Ville, the com-
ponent parts of names of places in Nor-
mandy.
The greater part of English local sur-
names are composed of the following
words or terminations : Ford, Ham, Ley,
Ey, Ney, Ton, Tun, Ing, Hurst, Wick,
Stow, Sted, Caster, Combe, Cote,Thorpe,
Worth, Burg, Beck, and Gill. There is
an ancient proverb —
"In Ford, in Ham, in Ley and Ton,
The most of English surnames run."
To which Lower had added — •
'Tng, Hurst, and Wood, Wick, Sted and
Field,
Full many English surnames yield.
With Thorpe and Bourne, Cote, Caster,
Oke,
Combe, Bury, Don, and Stowe, and
Stoke,
ORIGIN, IMPORT, AND CURIOSITIES OF NAMES
673
With Ey and Port, Shaw, Worth and
Wade,
Hill, Gate, Well, Stone are many made;
Cliff, March, and Mouth, and Down,
and Sand,
And Beck, and Sea, with numbers
stand."
FORD, Welsh, Fjord, signifies a way,
a road. Ford, Saxon,, from the verb
Fa ran, to go or pass, denotes a shallow
place in a river, where it may be passed
on foot, whence Bradford, Stanford,
Crawford, etc.
HAM, Saxon, a home, a dwelling-
place ; German hcim, a home. It is used
in the names of places, as Waltham,
Durham, etc. Ham, in some localities
in England, indicates a rich, level pas-
ture ; a plot of land near water ; a tri-
angular field.
LEY, LEGH, and LEIGH, a pasture,
field, commons ; uncultivated land. Lie,
Welsh, a place, — Stanley, Raleigh, etc.
EY, NEY, EA are applied to places
contiguous to water ;a wet or watery
place, as Chertsey, Lindsey, etc.
TON and TUNE, Saxon, and TUIN,
Dutch, signify an inclosure ; DUN and
DIN, Gaelic and Welsh, a hill, a forti-
fied place ; now a town, dun, tune, town.
If the residence of the Briton was on a
plain, it was called Llan, from lagen or
logon, an inclosed plain, or a low-lying
place ; if on an eminence, it was called
Dun. Dun, in the Gaelic signifies a
heap ; a hill, mount ; a fortified house or
hill, fortress, castle or tower.
ING is a meadow; low flat lands near
a river, lake, or wash of the sea, as
Lansing, Washington. The termina-
tions ing, kin, son, in English names,
were derived from the Norse ingr,
Kyn, and sonr, the "r" being dropped.
The Danish make the last sen. The di-
minutives: Friesian, ken, Ice, ock, cock
(a foolish fellow, hence the Scotch
"gowk") ; Norman-French et, ctte, let,
ot, otte, el ; Old Norse, i, a, ki, ka, gi,
ga, ungr, ingr, and ling, became quite
common additions to English names
which have since adhered.
HURST, a wood, a grove ; a word
found in many names of places as Bat-
hurst, Crowhurst, etc.
WICK, in old Saxon, is a village,
castle or fort ; the same as vicus in La-
tin ; a bay, a port or harbor, whence
Wickware, Wickliff, Warwick, Sedge-
wick.
STOW, a fixed place or mansion,,
whence Barstow, Bristow, Raystow.
STED, in the Danish, signifies a
place inclosed, an inclosure; a fixed
residence; whence Halsted, 1 lusted,
Stedham, Olmsted, etc.
CEASTER, Saxon, a camp, a city;
Latin, castrum, whence Rochester, Win-
chester, etc.
COMBE, Anglo-Saxon, a valley ;
Welsh cwm, a vale, from which we de-
rive Balcombe, Bascombe, Slocum.
COT, CETE, Saxon, a cottage ; COTE,
French, the sea-coast; a hill, hillock;
down ; the side ; names composed of
these are, Cotesworth, Lippencot, West-
cot.
THORPE, Anglo-Saxon, a village.
Dutch, Dorp, from this comes North-
rop, Northrup or Northorp, Winthorp
or Winthrop.
BURG, BURY, a hill; Dutch, Berg,
a mountain, a hill ; now, a castle, a town.
From these we have Waterbury, Rosen-
burg, etc.
WORTH, a possession, farm ; court,
place ; a fort, an island. Such names
end in worth, as Bosworth, Words-
worth, etc.
TRE, TREF, Welsh, a town, Coven-
try, the town of the Convent ; T re-
lawny, Tremayne.
The following couplet expresses the
usual characteristics of Cornish names :
"By 'Pre, Ros, Pol, Lass, Caer and Pent
You know the most of Cornish men."
These words signify town, heath,
pool, church, castle, and promontory.
BY is a termination of Danish names
of places, and denotes a dwelling, a vil-
lage, or town, as Willoughby, Ormsby,
Selby, etc.
OVER. The Anglo-Saxon over cor-
responds to the German ufer, and signi-
674
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
fies a shore or bank, as Westover.
BECK, a brook, Anglo-Saxon, Bccc,
from which we have Beckford, Beck-
with, Beckley, etc.
A majority of Dutch surnames are lo-
cal, derived from places in Holland.
VAN, Dutch, Von, German, signify of
or from, and denote locality, as Van
Antwerp, belonging to or coming from
the city of Antwerp.
Surnames derived from Christian or
baptismal names are probably next in
number to local surnames. For a long
time, before and even after the intro-
duction of surnames, the name of the
father was used by the child as a sur-
name.
Camden says we have many surnames
formed of such forenames as are now
obsolete, and only occur in Doomsday
Book and other ancient records, of
which he gives a list. The surnames
formed from Christian or baptismal
names are very numerous ; as many as
ten or fifteen are frequently formed
from a single Christian name. Lower
forms no less than twenty from the
name of William.
From nicknames, nursenames, and
abbreviated ones we have JVatsoi;, the
son of Wat or Walter; Watts, the
same ; Simpson, Simms ; Dobson, the
son of Dob or Robert; Dobbs, Hohs< ■■,:,
Hobbs, etc., etc.
Names of Trades, Occupations, .aid
Pursuits, are next in number, as Smith,
Carpenter, Joiner, Taylor, Barber,
Baker, Brewer (a shearman, one who
used to shear cloth), Naylor (nail-
maker), Chapman, Mercer, Jenner
(Joiner), Tucker (a fuller), Mo iger
(a merchant), etc., etc.
OFFICIAL Names, including civil
and ecclesiastical dignities, viz., King,
Lord, Prince, Duke, Earl, Knight, Pope,
Bishop, Priest, Monk, Marshall, Bailey,
Chamberlain, etc.
Many of these titles, as King, Prince,
etc., were imposed on individuals from
mere caprice, as few of these kings or
dukes ever held the distinguished rank
their names indicate. Thousands of
Kings are born every year, but kingdoms
are too scarce to give each one of them a
sceptre.
Personal characteristics (White,
Schwartz, etc.), and those indicating
mental or moral qualities (Good, Moody,
Wise, etc.) ; also those derived from
bodily peculiarity and from feats of
strength or courage (Strong, Long,
Hardy, Ironsides, etc.) stand next in
numerical order.
Some surnames are derived form ani-
mals, such especially ase were noted for
fierceness or courage, as the bear, the
wolf, the lion, whence the names Byron,
or Bear ; Wolf, French Loupe, German
Guelph, the surname of thte existing
Royal Family of Great Britain, etc., etc.
Totemism consistis in the belief that
each family is literally descended from
a particular animal or plant, whose name
it bears, and members of the family for-
merly refused to pluck the plant or kill
the animal after which they were named.
The genealogies of the Anglo-Saxon
kings include such names as those of the
horse, the mare, the ash, the whale. In
the ancient poem, "Beowulf," two of the
characters bear the names of Wulf and
Eofer (boar) ; the wolf and the raven
were sacred animals. The boar was
greatly revered and the Christmas Boar's
head is a survival of the old belief. These
animate and inanimate objects are com-
mon and well-known totems among sa-
vage tribes, and the inference that at
some early period the Anglo-Saxons had
been totemists, is almost irresistible.
Many names were taken from the
signs over the doors of inns, or the
shops of various tradesmen, where goods
were manufactured and sold.
Camden informs us, "that he was told
by them who said they spake of knowl-
edge, that many names that seem unfit-
ting for men, as of brutish beasts, etc.,
come from the very signs of the houses
where they inhabited. That some, in
late time, dwelling at the sign of the
Dolphin, Bull, Whitehorse, Racket, Pea-
cocke, etc., were commonly called
Thomas at the Dolphin, Will at the Bull,
George at the Whitehorse, Robin at the
Racket, which names, as many other of
ORIGIN, IMPORT, AND CURIOSITIES OF NAMES
675
the like sort, with omitting at the, be-
came afterward hereditary to their chil-
dren."
Every kind of beasts, birds, and fishes,
objects animate and inanimate were
taken by tradesmen as signs to distin-
guish their shops from others, and to
excite the attention of customers. From
many of these, names were bestowed,
and we can account in this way for many
surnames which would otherwise seem
strange and absurd.
When England became settled under
Edward the Confessor and the Norse-
man, Saxon and Welshman lived to-
gether under a semblance of law and
order, official names arose : as Lagman
(lawgiver), Fawcett (forseti, judge),
Alderman, Reeve, Sheriff, Tabberer,
Chamberlain, Chancellor, Chaplain,
Clerk, Deacon, Beadle, Latimer (Lati-
narius, an interpreter), Miles (miles, a
soldier), Marshall, Sumner (a summon-
er, as Chaucer's "sompnoure"), Parker,
(a park-keeper), Franklin (a free-
holder), Botiler (Butler).
Trade names and craft names are of
comparatively recent origin, and it is
thought to be an open question whether
some of the names popularly ascribed to
occupations will not bear different inter-
pretation.
Armorial ensigns and heraldic bear-
ings have given surnames to families.
Many of the old knights took their
names from the figure and devices they
bore on their shields.
The royal line of Plantagenet( Broome)
took their surnames from the broom
plant, Fulke, Earl of Anjou, the founder
of the house, having worn a sprig of
broom, as a symbol of humility, and
adopted it as his badge after his pilgrim-
age to the Holy Land.
Names were borrowed from armor
and costume (Fortesque, strong-shield;
Strongbow ; Shaespeare, Curthose, etc.),
as well as taken from the seasons, the
months, days of the week, holidays and
festivals of the church ; most of which
probably orginated from the period of
birth.
Many surnames have originated in
soubriquets, epithets of contempt and
ridicule, and nicknames imposed for per-
sonal peculiarities, habits, and qualities,
or from incidents or accidents which
happened to the original bearers. Such
names are very numerous, and can be
accounted for in no other way. We can
easily imagine how some ridiculous inci-
dent or foolish act or saying would con-
fer a soubriquet or nickname upon a
person by which he would be known and
called through life, and which would
even descend to his children, for we
often see this in our day.
The following anecdote from Lower
is an illustration : "The parish clerk of
Langford, near Wellington, was called
Redcock for many years before his
death ; for having one Sunday slept in
church, and dreaming that he was at a
cock-fight, he cried out, 'a shilling upon
the Redcock!' And behold, the family
are called Redcock to this day."
The foregoing are the principal sources
from which the greater part of our sur-
names are derived; but many names yet
remain for the origin of which is yet
hidden in mystery. However, when we
consider that names have been taken and
bestowed from every imaginable incident
and occurrence unknown to ns, and that
many of them have been so corrupted in
process of time, that we can not logically
trace their originals. Lower truly says:
"Corruptions which many family names
have undergone tend' to baffle alike the
genealogical and etymological inquirer."
At present there are few families
(English) who pretend to higher antiq-
uity than the Norman invasion, and it
is probable that not many of these can
authenticate their pretensions ; a recent
abstract of the British printed peerage
shows that out of 249 noblemen, but 35
laid claim to descent prior to the Con-
quest; 49 to the year 1 100. -'9 prior to
the year 1200; and equal numbers down
to 1700. But this is no sufficient criter-
ion, for, taking the nobility and gentry
together, but a dozen famifes can trace
unbroken descent in the male line to the
Conquest. This serves to show the trans-
676
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
mutations of time and the vicissitudes of
family history in a more tangible form.
In the words of Camden :
"To drawe to an end, no name whatso-
euer is to be disliked, in respect either of
originall or of signification; for neither the
good names doe disgrace the bad, neither
doe euil names disgrace the good. If names
are to be accounted good or bad, in all
countries both good and bad have bin of
the same surnames, which, as they pratici-
pate one with the other in glory, so some-
times in shame. Therefore, for ancestors,
parentage, and names, as Seneca sais, let
eyery man say, Vix ea nostra voce. Time
hath intermingled and confused all, and we
are come all to this present, by successive
variable' descents from high and low; or as
he saith more plainly, — the low are de-
scended from the high, and contrariwise
the high from the low."
NOTE. — With some changes in phraseology
and transpositions, to which are added ex-
tracts from Americana, Wagner's "names
and their Meanings," etc., this article in-
cludes almost the whole of Arthur's "Essays
en the Origin and Import of Family Names,"
published in 1857 and which is in the writ-
er's opinion, worthy of preservation and
perpetuation in other than its present
scarce and out-of-print form.)
677
Falkner-Swamp
Early Wills and Inventories of the Hollenbach Family
By Edward Welles, Wilkes Barre, Pa.
[Mention has been made of George Hol-
lenbach, and some details of his life given
in the Pennsylvania-G'erman Magazine, the
numbers for and March 1909.
It is known that he and his wife came from
Wurtemberg about the year 1717: and that
their four children were born at New Han-
over; the oldest, Matthias, in the year 1718.
A search of the Philadelphia records many
years ago brought to light the original wills
of George and his widow, with their in-
ventories, as well as the inventory of their
son Matthias, who died intestate in the year
1778. It has been thought that these old
documents, containing as they do so many
contemporary names, and so much infor-
mation as to the social life and household
requisites of that early day, the prices-cur-
rent, &c, would be of interest to Anglo-
German present-day readers, the lineal
descendants, in many senses, of the stren-
uous German immigrants who came to
Pennsylvania in such great numbers in the
early part of the eighteenth century, and
spread themselves over the richest lands
of the south-eastern counties.]
WILL OF GEORGE HOLLENBACH
No. 452, Book E,, Page 378, office of Register
of Wills, Philadelphia.
[This transcript has been carefully cor-
rected and the signatures imitated, by com-
parison with the original will.]
In the name of God, Amen — the
Eighteenth Day of July in the year of our
Lord God 1736: I George Holebaugh of
New Hannover township in the County
of Philadelphia in the Province of Penn-
silvania, inn Hoolder, being very sick
and weak in body but of Perfect Mind
and Memory thanks be Given unto God
therefor, calling into Mind the Mortality
of my body, and knowing that it is
appointed for all men once to Dye, Do
Make and ordain this My Last will and
Testament : That is to say, Principally
and first of all I Give and Recommend
my Soul into the hands of God that gave
it; and for my body, I Recommend it
to the Earth, to be buried in a Christian-
Like and Desent Manner at the discra-
tion of my Executors herein after Men-
tioned Nothing Debiting but at the Gen-
eral Resurection I shall Receive the
Same again by the Mighty Power of
God; and as toughing such wordly
Estate wherewith it hath Pleased God to
Bless me in this Life, I Give Devise and
Dispose of the same in the following
Manner and form ; that is to say —
First of all I Give and bequeath unto
Mary My beloved Wife the third Parte
of the vallew of my Real and Personal
Estate to be Paid to her by my Execu-
tors herein after Named, half thereof
within one year after My Death, the
other half within two years after my
Death in Current Lawfull Money of the
Province above said.
Secondly i give unto my wife afore
said one Acer of Land att the place
where my first house was on the Planta-
tion where I now Do live, with the use
of the Spring next thereunto Aioynding
During the time of her widdowhood, and
as Soon as She Doth alter her Condition
by Marredg, or after her Death, it shall
Return to my Eldest Son Matthias hole-
baugh, who shall help her buld a house
on the said Land, or cause it to be bult,
half therof on his own Coste and Charge,
as soon as she doth him therto Requier,
fit for her to live in.
Thirdly I Give and bequeath unto my
Eldest son Matthias afore said all and
singuler the Lands Messuages and Ten-
nements to by him freely to be Possessed
and eniojed by him (sic) his Heirs and
assigns forever; he Paying out of the
Lands and tenements afore said unto my
three other Children thirty Pounds Cur-
rent Lawful money afore said to Each —
that is to say unto My Son John Hole-
baugh thirty Pounds Money afore said
when he Shall be at the age of twenty-
one years, and unto My Daughter Marey
Holebaugh thirty Pounds Money afore
678
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
said when she shall be at the Age or
Eighteen years, and unto My Son George
Holebaugh thirty Pounds Money afore
said when he shall be att the age of
twenty one years.
Fourthly I Doe give unto My Son
Matthias afore said all the Smith's Tools
which att Present are in the Shoop be-
longing to me.
Fifthly, I Do Give all my Stock
Specealties bills bonds Dues and De-
mands household Goods and moveables
to me in aney wise belonging unto my
Four Children afore said to be Equally
devided amongst them.
Sixtly, I will that my two Sons John
and George above said tarry with my
Son Matthias untell they be at the Age
of Seventeen years, and then be bound
to trades such as they shall think best.
Seventh- and Lastly I doe make and
ordain Daniel Sheiner of the township
above said husband man and Matthias
holebaugh my Eldest Son afore said of
the Same Place Executors of this my
Last Will and testament, whome I also
Desire to Pay and Satisfie all my Just
Debts and Duties which I owe in rig-lit
or Concence to aney Manner of Person
or Persons as also funeral Expences and
Legacies within a Convenient time after
my Decease. And I doe hereby utterly
Disallow and Revoke and Disannul all
and Every former testaments Wills
Legacies and Executors by me in aney
wise before this time Named willed and
bequeateth, Ratifying and Confirming
this and no other to be my Last will and
testament : in witnes whereof I have
hereunto Set my hand and Seal the Day
and Year first above written.
(Seal)
Signed Sealed Published Pronounced
and Declared by the said testator as his
Last will and testament in the presence
of us the subscribers.
[Kilian Keloy]
loy* and Mathias Ringer, two of the
witnesses to the foregoing will and on
their oath did declare they saw & heard
George Holebaugh the Testator sign seal
publish and declare the same will to be
his Last will and Testament, and that at
the doing thereof he was of Sound mind
memory and understanding to the best
of their knowledge.
Coram Pet. Evans, Regr Genl
[Letters Testementary]
Be it Remembered that on the 13th
August 1736 the last Will and Testa-
ment of George Holebaugh Deed was
proved in due form of Law, and pro-
bated and Letters Testamentary were
granted to Daniel Sheiner and Mathias
Holebaugh, Executors therein named;
having first sworn well & truly to admin-
ister the said Decedts Estate and bring
an Inventory thereof into the Register
General's office at Philada at or before
the 13th of September next, and also to
render an account when thereunto law-
fully required.
Given under the seal of the said office
pr Pet. Evans, Reg. Genl.
[Inventory of George Hollenbach's Es-
tate, Filed August 13, 1736.]
A trew and Perfect Inventory of the
Estate of George Holebaugh of New
Hannover Township in the County of
Philadelphia in the Province of Penn-
silvania, Inn Holder, Deceased the
twenty eighth Day of July in the year of
our Lord God 1736.
To Cloths [Clothes] £6 15 9
To Beds and bedsteads 3 15 o
To 3 books 1 10 o
To one Loking Glase and Sizers 0100
To 3 Guns 1 o o
To Curtons o 10 o
To 5 tabel Cloths 1 o o
To 6 Towels and special Linnin 0120
To 4 yards of woolen Cloath o 10 o
To 2 Dear skins 080
[Probate] Philada Augst 13th 1736:
Then personally appeared Kilian Keigh-
*There appear to have been but two witnesses to
the will; the name Keloy or Keighloy was doubtless
an interpolated mistranslation of the name of the
first witness, Kilian Kehle.
FALKNER-SWAMP
679
To 5 old Chests
1
15 0
To 14 Chears
1
0 0
To one Table and kneading troff
1
5 0
To one Little table
0
1 6
To one Copper Cittle
4
10 0
To 4 Shovels 3 Dunk forks, one
Dung Hook 3 pitchforks
18 6
To 4 Axes
12 9
To 2 pare of iron hoppels and
10 small chans
1
6 1
To alls and Compas
0
2 6
To one Grubing Hoo 4 weeding
hoos
0
69
To Mall and Weedges
0
4 0
To 4 pare of Trases
1
15 0
To 6 collars
0
12 0
To 2 Quixlers [ ?]
0
12 3
To 2 bridls ,
0
5 3
To 2 blind holters
0
69
To other two blind holters
0
5 3
To his Ridging horse Bridel
wip and Sadie
7
0 0
To one Sadie
0
17 6
To 3 hodgsheds 3 barls one half
barl
1
1 3
To one hodgshed with some
rum in
1
76
To 7 Ronlots & one churn
10 5
To 42 Pounds woolen Yaren
4
0 0
To 28 Pounds wooll
1
0 0
To one Meel Cheast
0
10 0
To one Drusser
0
12 0
To 6 bells
0
10 0
To one Grennston
0
4 0
To one barel with tarr
0
4 0
To one boox Iren
4 3
To flaxen Linnnen
4
10 0
To buckits
0
10 0
To 4 Rasers
0
4 6
To one Iron Sto woven
1
10 0
To one flax hatchell and flax
0
10 0
To 2 Little Spinning wheal
1
0 0
To cleaned wheat
2
5 0
To one Cabitch Shaffer & 5
Spickels [Spigots?]
0
8 0
To 14 Sacks
1
12 0
To Puter and tinn
2
5 0
To 4 Potts
1
0 0
To Pott hanger chane shovel &
tongs
1
10 0
To one frying Pann and small
pans
0
18 0
To 3 Candle Sticks one Lantren
one Cann
5 1
To 5 Siths [scythes]
15 3
To 4 ogers 2 Chisels 2 ham-
mers one saw 2 gouges
1
15 1
To Lumber
0
6 0
To two Plowes Swingels and
and Irens
2
5 0
To one harrow and chane
1
5 0
To one Great Wagen
JO
0 0
To Sawed Plank and Skantlin
2
0 3
To two Plow Shears
1
5 0
To one Colter two Iren Wedges
2 Rings
0
14 0
To two Grubing hoes
0
13 0
To Stell [Steel]
2
76
To Iren
12
0 0
To Skins
0
8 0
To Indian Corn
0
2 0
To hay
6
0 0
To Oats
8
0 0
To Wheat
7
0 0
To Rey
5
0 0
To 6 Milcks Cows
13
12 6
To 4 stears and one bull
7
5 0
To 7 calfs
5
5 0
To 33 Sheep
8
0 0
To 4 hogs
3
0 0
To one Brown Mare
2
0 0
To 13 head of hors Cine
25
0 0
To 2 Coalts
3
0 0
To one black hors
5
10 0
To 4 Working horses
23
0 0
To the Plantation
120
0 0
To Book Debts
133
13 2
To bills and bonds
85
13 4
To Specialitys
12
4 0
£584 4 5
Praised by us the under Subscribers
this second day of August, 1736.
WILL OF MARIA CATHARINA HOLLEN-
BACH, WIDOW OF GEORGE, THE
IMMIGRANT
In the name of God, amen: The
Thirth Day Juley in the Year of our
Lord 1756, I, Chaterina Hollobaching in
the country of Philada Widow, in helth
but ould and feble Thancks be Given
680
Til E 1'KXNSYLVANI A-GERMAX
unto God therefore Calling unto Mind
the Mortality of my body and knowing
that it is appointed for all Men once to
Dye Do make and ordain this my Last
\\ ill and Testament That is to say princi-
pally and first of all 1 Give and recomand
my Soul into the hands of God that
gave it : And for my Body I recomand
it to the Earth to be buried in a Chris-
tian like and Decent Manner at the dis-
cretion of my Executors ; and as Touch-
ing Such Worldv Estate wherewith it
hath Pleased God to bless me in this Life
I give Devise and Dispose of the Same
in the following Manner and form.
Imprimis: it is my will and I do order
That in the first place all my Just Debts
and funeral Charges be payd and Satis-
fied. Item, I give and bequeath unto my
Deceased Daughter Chaterina her chil-
dren whitch is four in Number, Item, my
Son John Hollobach's oune Children,
item, my son George Hollobach's oune
Children all my Moneys wich wil be
Left after my Deceass to be Equaly Di-
vided unto my above named Catherina's
& John's & George's his children ; and
also my Household Goods & Moveables
to be sould by publick Vendue and Credit
to be Given to the buyer as my Execu-
tors shall think proper and my Executors
is to put the Moneys out at Lawful In-
terest and to pay to each of the above-
Named Children their Chare both prin-
cipal and interest as the Comes of Age:
and I Do hereby Nominate Constitute
Macke and ordain Mathias Richard and
Bernhard Doderer for my Executors to
this my Last Will and Testament, and
I do hereby utterly Disallow Revoke and
Disannull all and every other former
Testaments Wills Legacies and Execu-
tors by me in any ways before this time
named willed and Bequeather, Ratify-
ing and Confirming this and no other to
be my Last Will and Testament. In
witness whereof I have hereunto sett my
Hand and Seal the day and year above
written.
her
Catherina X Hollobachin (Seal)
mark
Signed Sealed Published pronounced and
Declared by the sayd Catherina Hollo-
bachin, as her Last Will and Testament
in the presents of us the Subscribers.
Andrew Giesbekts
his
Baltzer X Spitznagel
mark
Mary Koplin
On the 15th day of April 1757 Then
personally appeared Mary Koplin one of
• the Witnesses to the foregoing Will and
on her solemn affirmation according to
law, did declare she saw and heard
Catherina Hollobach the Testatrix there-
in named sign seal publish and declare
the same Will for and as her last Will
and Testament ; and that at the doing
thereof she was of sound mind memory
and understanding to the best of her
knowledge ; and that Andrew Guisberts
and Baltzer Spitznagel the other wit-
nesses thereto did also subscribe their
names at Witnesses in the presence of
and at the request of the Testatrix.
Coram Jno. Campbell
by authority from Wm. Plumsted, Regr
Genl
Andrew Guisberts is now dead, and
Baltzer Spitznagel was not be found.
[Nuncupative Codicil]
Hanover Dec. — l7S^>-
Anna Maria Moyer, who nursed and
attended Catherina Hollenbough, widow,
deceased, in her last illness, on her
solemn oath did declare, That on Friday,
being the tenth day of December instant,
the said Catherina Hollenbaugh, being
then of sound judgment and understand-
ing, but takeing death to be near, did
give and bequeath unto her Grand-
daughter Rosina Hollebaugh, the eldest
daughter of Mathias Hollebaugh her son,
the Goods following: Towels, a small
Bible, six yards check linning, Sixteen
yards and a half of flax linning, and a
silk handkercheff; and that on the Sun-
day following, being the 12th Instant,
FALKNER-SWAMP
681
the said Catherina Hollobaugh departed
this life very Sensible ; and further saith
not.
Coram John Campbell
By Authority from
Wm. Plumsted, R. G.
Letters Testem. To Mathias Hollobach,
son of Catherine Hollobach deed.
Greeting:
Whereas the said Catherine Hollobach
in her lifetime made her last Will & Tes-
tament in writing duly Executed, bear-
ing date the 3d day of July Anno 1756,
& thereof constituted and appointed
Mathias Richard & Bernard Doderer
Executors, who have renounced the
Executorship of the same Testament and
desired the Admo. of the same might be
committed to the Sd. Mathias Hollo-
bach, She the said Catherine Hollobach
having whilst she lived and at the time
of her Death divers Goods, Chattels,
rights and Credits within the said Pro-
vince, by means whereof the full disposi-
tion and power of granting the admini-
stration thereof, and also auditing of the
accompts calculations and reckonings of
the said Admo. and a final Dismission
from the Same, to me is manifestly
known to belong, I, desiring that the
goods chattels rights and credits which
were of the said Decedt. may be well and
truly administered, and the Testament
aforesaid (a true Copy whereof is here-
unto annexed) have its due weight and
Effect, do hereby grant unto you the said
Mathias Hollobach (in whose fiedlity in
this behalf I very much confide) full
power by the tenor of these presents, To
Administer the Good Rights and Credits
which were of the said decedt. within
the said Province. — Inventory to be
exhibited before the 19th day of May
next, and an account at or before the
19th day of April 1758.
Wm. Plumsted, Reg. Genl.
Dated April 18, 1757.
[The Administrator's Pond in the
sum of £400 was filed the same day;
signed by Mathias Hollenbach, John
Schneider and Thomas Gilmore ; and
witnessed by Piet Jerger and John Camp-
bell. The Inventory, amounting to
£171.15.6, was filed Sept. 7th follow-
ing, as follows:]
A Just and True Inventory of all the
personal Estate of Catherina Hollen-
baugh Deceased, which was sold at Ven-
due the 26th of Aprill, 1757.
To 15 yeards 'Check Linen £2 12 6
,To 35 ^2 yds flax Linen 476
To 13 yeards Tow Linen 19 6
To 2 hand Towels ■ 1 6
To 5 Biller Givers [Pillow-
Covers] 6 o
To 5 Table cloths 6 o
To 2 Sheats 4b to 4 Shift ts
3J0 one pound flax o|io 7 10
To one Blancket 5 °
To uper and under Bed, Straw
Bag, I poolster, 4 Billers 400
To one Bety Coat two West
Coats 030
To two Bags with Dryed
apples, one Barrel winegar
two chests one chair 1 4 o
To 3 Iron potts one kittle 2l/>
Barril Syder 1 17 o
To 2 Bags with two Bushel
Corn, one Emty Barril and
a half, and another Kask,
two pewter plates one Dish
one Danckert two paran-
shers, seven spoons, two
pails 170
To one Spinning Wheel one
tape 6 caps 5 °
£18 1 10
The above goods were sold at public
vendue.
Goods sold at Vendue 18 1 10
To Cash in the Chest 12 5
s
BONDS AND NOTES:
To one Bond due by
Christopher Newman 44 3 6
To one Bond due by
Christopher Newman 700
To one Bond due by
Moses Biner 25 o o
To one Bond due by
Tohn Snider 800
682
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
To one Bond clue by
I Yter Sailler
To one Bond due by
Andrew Smith
To one Bond due by
Charles Witz
To one Bond due by
Henry Colston
To one Bond due by
Daniel Rothermel
To one Bond due by
Valentin Vough
To one Bond due by
Jacob Fry
To one Bond due by
William Brooks
To one note due by
Vallentin Voogh
To one note due by
Frederick Eshbough
500
15 o o
500
500
900
300
600
500
200
246
£171 15 6
Exclusive of the goods verbally
willed to Rosina Hollenbough appraised
to £3 19 3
Witness our hands
Maths. Richard
Johannes Schneider
[An examination of the indices of the
Orphan's Court Records gave no infor-
mation in regard to the distribution of
these two estates. The will of George
Hollenbach would, through its ill-con-
sidered provisions, surely prove difficult
of administration : and the fact that his
widow, by her will twenty years later,
wholly ignored her eldest son, is suf-
ficient evidence of some dissatisfaction
with him, some friction which is quite
likely to have had its origin in his ad-
ministration of the paternal estate. Her
own will was equally lacking in wisdom ;
in that it created a life-long trusteeship
for her entire estate, the entire benefit
to go to her grandchildren as each one
attained majority; some being yet in
early infancy, and others yet unborn.
The fault in both cases must lie prin-
*By the above it appears that the only Bible
mentioned in the family was bequeathed by the
widow Hnllenbach to her granddaughter Rosina,
who may have first married George Snider; but who,
according to Governor Hartranft, became the wife of
Philip Kehl of Upper Milford Township, now Lehigh
County: see Deed Book D. 6, P. 84, Recorder's
office, Philadelphia.
cipally with the English-speaking scriv-
eners called in for the purpose of draw-
ing the papers : but who were unlearned
in the law, and therefore bad advisers.
The eldest son Matthias, head of the
family after the death of his parents,
and administrator of both, their estates,
was a man of standing and influence
among the German population; as is
shown by many contemporary notes of
public acts and conveyances Here fol-
lows the record of the administration of
his estate.]
MATTHIAS HOLLENBACH THE ELDER.
Philadelphia Book of Adminstration,
Book I, P. 7.
Memorandum that on the Seventh day
of February, 1778, Letters of Admini-
stration on the estate of Matthias Hol-
lenbach deceased were granted to [Rev.]
Jacobus Van Buskirk and George
Boocher [Bucher — both sons-in-law of
the deceased]. Inventory to be exhibited
on or before the seventh day of March
next ensuing, and an account on or be-
fore the eighth day of February 1779.
Given under the Seal of the Register's
office at Philadelphia.
Saml. Morris, Register.
ADMINISTRATORS' ACCOUNT
The accompt of Jacob Vanbuskirk and
George Boocher [George Dieter Bucher]
Administrators to the Estate of Matth-
ias Hollebough deceased :
Imprimis: The Accomptants charge
themselves with all and singular the
Goods, Chattels, Rights and Credits of
the said deceased as mentioned in an In-
ventory thereof remaining in the Regis-
ters office at Philadelphia, amounting
to £1985 4 3
Dr. with the following sum of
34.7.5, being what the
goods sold for more than
appraised at 34 7 5
£2019.11.8
Item : The said accomptants pray al-
lowance for their several payments and
FALKNER-SWAMP
683
Disbursements made out of the same as
follows, viz :
pd for Leters of Admo. £1.1.9
Do. : [payments to sundry parties, as per
vouchers submitted : the sums being
separately given ; but here the names
only.]
Mr. Vanbuskirk, George Hall, Michael
Boyer, Andrew Smith, Daniel Pile,
George Nice, John Railey, Boyer,
Baltzr. Myerly, Matthias Reichard,
Daniel Pile, John Schnell, Fredk. Miller,
John Depain, Philip Fried, Peter Komer,
Nicholas Lackman, George Gresh, Adam
Brant, Catharine Snider. Adam Wart-
man, Philip Bourbon, Jacob Barnhard,
Catharine Kippler, Geo. Palagrove, Ja-
cob Bishop, John Derr, Wm. Kipler,
Jacob Dengler, John Fried, Jacob Dry,
Philip Fried, Sebastian Heckman, Henry
Engle, Ludwig Harian, Abram Betz,
Simon Burkert, Adam Gilbert, Samuel
Fried, George Hubst, Jacob Huber, Ben-
edict Mentz, John Reichard, Adam
Egolph, Christian Stauffer, John Erao-
rick, Isaac Bitten, Jacob Neiman, Henry
Geiger, Michael Kreps, Peter Reichard,
John Stetler, Philip Hahn, Charles Witz,
Fredk. Barr, Martin Sinnenderfer, Geo.
Burkhard, Adam Guber, John Clayfield,
Bernhard Gilbert.
Total £796.4.6
Paid Register for Stating
ex — g [exemplifying?] and
passing this account 2.17.6
Paid Register for sealing, and
copy of this account 2.12.6
Allowance made admrs. for
their time and Trouble in
Sd. administration 100. 0.0
Total £902.16.3
Ballance to be disposed of as
the Orphan's Court shall
direct £1116.15.5
Settled Philada. April 27th 1779:
Errors Excepted.
Jacob Van Buskirck
George D. Boociier
[Loose note folded in the above ac-
count] Mem" to Enquire of Mr. Booch-
er whether he took away the Admrs.
Bond & Inventory.
Now, October 191 1, it appears that the
question as to the whereabouts of the
bond and inventory has remained un-
solved for over a century and a quarter.
The latter document, as presumably
showing the changes in the manner and
the accessories of living, in the forty
years preceding the American Revolu-
tion, must have furnished an interesting
addition to this paper ; its early loss is
much to be regretted.
The writer's search among the pre-
revolutionary archives of Philadelphia,
though directed to the history of but one
obscure German immigrant and his
family, was sufficient to indicate that to
the expert investigator a rich mine of
early history remains unworked in the
offices of the Register of Wills, the Re-
corder of Deeds, and the Orphan's Court
of the County of Philadelphia.
Wilkes-Barre. Pa. E. W.
684
The Germans in Maine
By Garrett W. Thompson, University of Maine, Orono, Maine
(CONTINUED FROM OCTOBER NUMBER)
HE rapid settlement of lands
in Maine east of the Ken-
nebec aroused great dis-
satisfaction among the In-
dians. They complained in
particular that Waldo's
settlers had penetrated into
their hunting grounds on
the St. George. And indeed so deter-
mined was their attitude that the govern-
ment in 1738 felt obliged to take precau-
tions that the Germans should not claim
or make reservations of land north of
the Falls. With these measures and the
insiduous influence of gifts to the amount
of 100 pds. the Indians were at least
temporarily pacified. But when in the
autumn of 42 the Germans at Waldo's
express directions occupied both sides50
of the Medomak they passed thus over
their northern limits into the territory of
the redmen. There were renewed ex-
postulations and dissatisfaction ; but once
■more recourse was had by the white men
to explanations and presents, and once
more the Indians seemed to be satisfied.
At least they ceased to bring their
grievances to open expression.
In 43, when it was becoming evident
that a conflict with France could not be
postponed much longer, the government
began to strengthen the frontier. Fort
Frederick was enlarged; at Richmond,
Arrowsic, Sheepscott, Damariscotta and
St. George's forts were either built or
Tepaired; but there were no defences at
Broad Bay.57 It was perfectly clear that
the coming struggle would involve the
•colonies in general and threaten most
seriously the settlers in Maine. At a
conference57 held at St. George's be-
tween the Penobscot Indians and repre-
sentatives of the Assembly from Boston
D8Waldo had always supposed that his patent in-
cluded both sides of this river.
BTDer deutsehe Pionier, Vol. XIV. p. 91.
the former gave assurances of a peace-
ful attitude; on the other, hand, the
Passamaquoddy tribe and their allies in
the eastern sections were likely to be
hostile, and as a matter of fact eventual-
ly joined the French. The news of
France's declaration of war, formally
uttered on the 15th of March, 1744, did
not reach the people of Massachusetts
until early summer. The English58
treated the Penobscots as allies and the
struggle which followed was marked on
both sides by extreme fierceness and
barbarity.59 It is on the whole note-
worthy that amid such desperate hostili-
ties this winter of 44-45 should have
been a comparatively peaceful one for
the Germans at Broad Bay, no more
serious depredations being recorded than
the theft of a few cattle.
The movement against Louisburg in
January of 45 was not only determina-
tive in the course of the war, but an
event of no little moment to the colonists
at Broad Bay. Win. Pepperell60 led the
expedition, with Waldo61 (who had re-
ceived the rank of Brigadier-General)
second in command. More than 4,000
soldiers participated, among whom were
many Germans, for according to Eaton62
all the men at Broad Bay enlisted, some63
even taking their families. The others
took refuge in the forts on the Pemaquid
and St. George, so that during this cam-
paign the settlement was virtually closed
and deserted. The German forces, while
they formed a part of Waldo's division
in the army, were under the immediate
MDer deutsehe Pionier, Vol. XIV, p. 91.
^Williamson, Vol. II, p. 218. Also Johnston's
Hist, of Bristol and Bremen, p. 287.
""Pepperell was rnlnnel of the Yorkshire regiment,
and infused a military spirit among the settlers; the
following year there was a partition of the colonial
forces here, the eastern division heing assigned to
Waldo.
• ("Waldo was third in command according to Coll.
Maine Hist. Soc, Vol. IX, p. 82.
02Annals, p. 67.
^Johnston, Hist. Brist. and Brem., p. 290.
THE GERMANS IN MAINE
685
command of John Ulmer, one of the
settlers of 40, who during his sojourn at
Broad Bay served the people in' the sev-
eral capacities of priest, prince and mili-
tary leader. The fall of Louisburg,
while disastrous to French arms, boded
less advantage to the colonists, for the
Indians seemed to cherish greater enmity
against the English, now that their
French associates were defeated. Den04
ersten Angriff machten sie auf das Fort
zu St. Georges am igten Juli, und binnen
zwei Monaten wurde jede Niederlassung
auf der ostlichen Grenze von zerstreuten
Abtheilungen der Wilden heimgesucht,
denen nach dem Blute der weissen An-
siedler durstete. The warfare was most
desolating. Attacks were made on
Pemaquid, Sheepscott and Wiscassett;
dwellings lay on all sides in smoke and
ruins, and owing to the surreptitious
methods of the Indians lives were con-
tinually in danger. In the autumn of 45
the Germans returned to their settlement,
and strangely enough amid this struggle
of annihilation going on all about them
passed the ensuing winter (45-6) also in
peace and security.
But on the 21st of May, 1746, the
blow, so long withheld, fell upon them
with a power and ferocity which the
other settlements had not felt. The sur-
prise and massacre was complete, as is
universally attested.
"In 46'35 the Indians and French captured
the place (Broad Bay) and carried many
captive to Canada." "The UKIndians attacked
in 46; the whole country lay waste till the
treaty of Aix-la-chapelle Oct. 7, 46." "At
Broad Bay07 the Indians killed Piper, Lash
(Losh), Sides, Hermann Kuhn, Henry De-
muth; they captured young Klein." "A
large body"8 of Indians fell on the newly
organized hamlet of Waldoboro; they re-
duced the habitations to ashes, killing some
and carrying some to captivity. The settle-
ment lat waste until the close of the war."
"A large body09 of Indians in May attacked
the Germans at Broad Bay. Unprepared for
the onset the Germans were slain, captured
and all dispersed, some to St. George, others
wDer deutsche Pionier, Vol. XIV, p. 92.
«Hist. Luth. Ch. in U. S., p. 301.
86Annals of Warren, p. 109.
«7Ibid., p. 110.
""Will. II, p. 244-5.
"Sewall, p. 294.
to Fort Frederick, and their houses were
in ashes."
Once more the settlement was aban-
doned and refuge taken in the forts and
at Louisburg. After a long conflict the
peace of Aix-la-chapelle, agreed upon on
the 2nd of July and ratified on the 17th
of October, 1748, closed hostilities in the
American colonies and brought a wel-
come respite from bloodshed. "Aus70
Vorsicht wurde jedoch noch eine starke
Milizmacht tiber Winter gehalten, um
die ostlichen Ansjedlungen gcgen Ueber-
falle der Indianer zu schiitzen, die indes-
sen nichts Feindliches mehr gegen die
weissen unternahmen." On the 16th of
October, 1749, peace was formally
established also between the Indians and
the whites at Falmouth, and the latter
began to return to their forsaken planta-
tions. So too the Germans came back
after an absence of 3 years, and for a
second time the process of rehabilitation
took place. Waldo saw at once that if
the settlement was to have a permanent
future new and substantial accessions
must be made. Accordingly he set about
to procure additional assignments of im-
migrants from Germany, and by a happy
combination of circumstances he was
able to bring 20 or 30 families71 from
Philadelphia, who had just' crossed the
ocean, whose welcome presence instilled
new life and hopefulness into the some-
what disorganized community. Grist and
saw mills were put up, and by mutual
efforts a little church7- was erected,
which obviated the necessity of meeting
in the open, in private houses, and in
barns.
When Crellius'57 stopped in England on
the voyage of the Priscilla to America
™Der deutsche Pionier, Vol. XIV, p. 94.
7lThrse families had been brought to Philadelphia
In Joseph Crellius and were transferred to Broad
Bay through an arrangement with Waldo.
7-Der deutsche Pionier, Vol. XIV, p. 95. As no
regular church was built at Broad Bay until 60
Rattermann'8 references must be to a building used
temporarily for religious purposes, and is probably
the "Block House" referred to in Gov. Shirley's loi-
ter to Col. Noble of June 5, 1744 (already quoted
herein), in which he mentions "ye new Block I Ions.'
on ye River being the Duch Church."
73See section II, "Settlement at Frankfort." of
this paper for identification of Crellius. Luther, etc.
Crellius' first iniportatoii of Germans was to Frank-
fort on the Kennebec in 51, in which he was assisted
€86
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
he met Waldo at Cowes and doubtless
made definite arrangements with him re-
garding future shipments of emigrants
to Broad Bay. After lie had disposed of
his first consignment to the banks of the
Kennebec he prepared actively to take up
matters in Waldo's interest. According-
ly in the winter of 51-2 he went to Ger-
many as agent of the Kennebec Com-
pany, commissioner of New England,
and plenipotentiary of Waldo. It was
this arbitrary assumption of official titles
as well as the practice of dishonest
methods that marked him as a Profes-
sional "newlander" and led to a perma-
nent breach between himself and Hofrat
Luther. When Crellius reached the other
side he arranged with Harvard and Co.,
ship owners of Rotterdam, to transport
a load of emigrants to Broad Bay. He
hoped to collect settlers from the
northern part of Westerwald, the West-
phalia circle, and the adjacent principal-
ities of Wittgenstein and Nassau, and
that too, without delay. He caused pos-
ters to be printed and circulated, in
which he emphasized the advantages of
Waldo's settlement. In the middle of
May, 52, he came to Herborn to receive
recruits and made his headquarters at
the house of the printer Riglein, who
was a friend of Luther. For political
reasons therefore Crellius in a later
pamphlet proclaimed Luther as the pro-
tector of these New England emigra-
tions. Between the 25th of May and the
first of June the number of passengers
who assembled was so small that he
could not use a ship for himself, and as
the vessel on which he proposed to carry
his people was sailing to Boston with its
own quota he was forced to leave thirty
of his colony behind in the Netherlands.
Toward the end of May Germans from
the southern provinces began to gather
in order to descend the Rhine to Hol-
land ; on the 19th of May one hundred
from Wirtemberg left Heilbronn for the
by Luther, an influential printer of Frankfort, Ger-
many. Crellius proved to be a promoter of selfish
aims and crooked methods, who through his duplicity
alienated the confidence of his honest partner and
brought New England as a field for migration into
•disrepute.
same purpose; sixty started at the same
time from Speyer and one hundred were
ready in Franconia. On the first of June
about 350 had thus assembled at the
mouth of the Ruhr, and the conduct of
the transports was given by Crellius to
Philipp Ulrich, who was to bring them
to Rotterdam, while the former hastened
by post to the same city. Here the emi-
grants were destined to suffer much dis-
comfort. During the long delay in which
Crellius' business complications involved
him, they were not allowed to leave their
transports; and as Harvard & Co. re-
fused to provide food for the iterim they
were left to their own resources for
sustenance. Some had money; some had
none. There was in consequence much
suffering. Meanwhile there was con-
tinued delay, much corespondence be-
tween Luther and Crellius, in which the
latter's duplicity and selfish aims came
more and more to the surface. Luther,
moved by humane instincts, wanted the
people, whom he felt to be his country-
men, carried in comfort and without the
disruption of families, neighbors, etc.
Crellius was indifferent to their well-
being. At length, June 24, 52, Crellius
wrote to Luther from Rotterdam: "
Morgen stechen wir ven hier nach Bos-
ton an Bord des Schiffes St. Andrews,
Capitan Alexander Hood, mit 260
Frachten in See. 80 Frachten, die wir
nicht aufnehmen konnten, und welche
ich auf ihren Wunsch entliess, haben sich
an andere Kaufleute gewandt — ." These
Germans arrived in Boston on the 23rd
of September, but we have no record of
their voyage across the ocean or their
ultimate destination after they landed, at
least so far as Maine is concerned. The
Ober-Post-Amts-Zeitung, No. 197, of
Dec. 9, 52, says :
"Milton bey Boston, in Neu-Engelland, vom
23. September. Der diesjahrige Transport,
welcher mit dem Schiff St. Andrews unter
Capitain Hood angelanget, hat die Reise
liber das atlantische Meer binnen fiinf
Wocben in guter G'esundheit vollendet. —
weil es noch friih im Jahr, so wird das
Volck an die anstandige und vertheilhafte
Oerter wiircklich vertheilet, wovon das
nahere kiinfftighin zu berichten."
THE GERMANS IN MAINE
687
The efforts of Crellius to secure re-
cruits for the Broad Bay settlement
came in this way to nought.
The year 1753 brought a change in
immigration conditions. The situation
in Nova Scotia became such that the
English government was forced to make
an investigation. Lord Cornwallis, who
had been governor of that province and
returned to England toward the end of
52, testified that the class of emigrants
who had invaded Nova Scotia was not
desirable; that there was a greater num-
ber of foreigners there than could be
cared for ; that larger promises had been
made to them than could be fulfilled ;
finally, hat general neglect of their inter-
ests and welfare had resulted in sick-
ness.74 In 53-4 untoward conditions in
the German colony Luneburg (Lunnen-
burg) brought on a riot which had to be
quelled by arms These circumstances
caused immgi ration in that quarter to be
stopped. Of Crellius Rattermann75
speaks :
"Die hartnackige Agitation Luthers ge-
gen Crellius hatte die Aufhebung der diesen
gemachten Privilegien zur Folge, weshalb
Crell von der Schaubiihne ganzlich ver-
schwindet. Statt seiner hatten die Kenne-
bec Eigenthiimer den schon erwahnten
Philipp Ulrich beauftragt, fur ihre Land-
ereien Emigranten zu werben. Welcben
Erfolg dieser hatte, entziebt sicb unserer
Beobachtung, indem keineiiei Schriften zur
Hand sind. Da aber Ulrich nach Schluss
des Jahres nicht wieder in Dienste der Ge-
sellschaft zum Vorscbein kommt, so darf
angenommen werden, dass das Resultat
nicht den Erwartungen entsprach und er
deshalb fallen gelassen wurde."
Moreover, Luther had by this time
grown cold toward the cause of emigra-
tion. He had70 endeavored to persuade
the American governments to control the
transportation and settlement of colo-
nists, and to assume greater responsibil-
ity for their safety. But the Assembly
had refused to make emigration a ques-
tion of provincial jurisdiction. This
disappointment together with the worth-
74Reports of the Lords of trade and plantations,
Vol. VIII, p. 391.
75Der deutsche Pionier, Vol. XVI, p. II.
76Letter of Luther to Phips, Mass. Recs. (M S.) p.
67 seq.
less conduct of Crellius no doubt made
him hopeless regarding the conditions he
so desired to bring about. The Kenne-
bec Company offered him a tract of land
on which he could establish and dispose
of his settlers according to his own
wishes ; Waldo also gave him77 a town-
ship and requested him to act as a
European agent. He could not be in-
duced, however, to active participation,
although he offered to assist Waldo, and
it was this offer of assistance which en-
couraged Waldo to make greater efforts
for the rehabilitation of his colony at
Broad Bay.
To this end he sent his son to Germany
that he might put the emigration business
under his personal supervision ; he en-
gaged a ship in Amsterdam which was
to embark passengers in the spring of 53
and carry them to Broad Bay; he pre-
pared a statement and sent it to Luther,
who published it in the papers at Speyer,
Mannheim, Heilbronn and elsewhere,
under date of November 17, 52. At the
beginning of the following year Waldo's
secretary, John Knochel, came to Frank-
fort (on the Main) and established an
emigration bureau with many branches
and sub-agents in many cities. As a
result several families sailed for Boston
in March. But Waldo was apparently
unsatisfied with such meagre returns for
his labors. He came to Germany in per-
son. In Frankfort he was received in
charge of the bureau (which continued
until the autumn of 53) he visited
Regensburg to secure permission for
mustering emigration recruits in the prin-
cipalities. This interest he left in care of
the English ambassador and pushed
toward England. Knochel was also not
idle. In the political part of the Ober-
Postamts-Zeitung of Frankfort for the
20th of January, 53, he contributed a
valuable supplement to Waldo's emigra-
tion literature in the form of a letter
which contained a biography of Waldo,
77Gardiner (Coll. M. Histt. Soc. V. IT, p. 280)
writes "Ebronfield" erroneously for Luther's middle
name "Ehrenfrled," in Btating that this land had
been given to "Henry Bbronfield," whereas the name
was "Heinrieh Ehrenfried Luther." He seems to
have regarded "Luther" as a title.
688
THE PEXXSYLVANIA-GERMAX
a description of his possessions and the
assurance of his benignant attitude
toward emigrants.
There were, however, obstacles in the
\va\ of securing emigrants which Waldo
had not foreseen. The episode of Crel-
lius and the exposures which followed it,
since the methods of the "Newlanders"
were thereby disclosed, had not only
started a reaction against New England
in Wirtemberg and the upper Rhine
countries but constrained the Electors of
the Palatinate and Mayence to forbid
the transportation of emigrants. And
while other avenues to the sea were
eventually found (France, Belgium, etc.)
just at this time (53-4) such prohibitions
placed the upper Rhine principalities be-
yond Waldo's reach. In the northern
districts of Nassau-Dietz-Idstein, Nas-
sau-Dillenburg, and Hachenburg-West-
erburg, however, Waldo obtained per-
mission to seek emigrants. The Count
of Nassau even appointed, at Waldo's
request, a commissioner, Karl Leistner
(a man of intellectual training), who was
to accompany his countrymen to Ameri-
ca and safe-guard their interests. But
here also were many unscrupulous agents
who in the interests of the Kennebec
Company and Boston (New German-
town) so embellished their statements
with attractive untruths that young
Waldo sought to correct these false im-
pressions through the newspapers.
"Trotz7S aller dieser Verwarnungen gegen
die Seelenverkauferei und trotz der Auf-
munterung des waldo'schen Projectes
gingen die Werbungen fur das letztere nur
sehr langsam und schwerfallig von Statten,
indessen die "Neulander" und Auslaufer
fliir die Rotterdamer Rheder ganze Schaaren
von Emigrationslustigen in ihre Netze
fingen."
When we consider that during the
summer of 53 more than four thousand
Germans 79 landed in Philadelphia; that
in the following year three thousand80
embarked in Germany for Pennsylvania ;
and then on the other hand that young
78Der deutsche Pionier, Vol. XVI, p. 76.
™Ober-Postamts-Zeit., No. 136, vom 25. Aug.
17.".::.
soPennsylvanischc Reriehte vom 16. Aug. 1754.
Waldo could not gather enough to fill
one ship, it is not difficult to see that the
personal work of these professional re-
cruiters yielded larger, if less honest, re-
sults. But while this unequal competition
was going on between Waldo* and his
crafty rivals Karl Leistner gathered a
colony of about sixty families in the
mountain districts of the Taunus (dis-
trict of Nassau-Dietz-Idstein). With
characteristic energy Waldo had secured
the ship "Elizabeth," Captain Neale.
which by first of May lay at anchor off
Meuden (near Amsterdam) ready for
the voyage. But it was the middle of
June before the emigrants left Dietz, the
point of mobilisation ; they proceeded
down the Lahn and Rhine to Coblentz,
and at the mouth of- the Ruhr paused to
take on passengers from the Dillenburg
and northern districts, losing also some
in the interim.81 In the same month,
however, they left Amsterdam, touched
at Cowes, where several of them died,82
reached Portsmouth, N. H., and sailed
thence for St. George's. Here they were
transferred to a sloop so inadequate for
their number that they had only standing
room ; in this way they arrived in Broad
Bay in September, 53. Their treatment
on this voyage is said to have cost them
indescribable suffering.83 The crowding
of the ship was due to the fact that
Waldo brought also English and Scotch
emigrants whom he deported at St.
George's in order to strengthen that
colony.
"Whilst his son was procuring emigrants
in Germany General Waldo himself was not
idle. Being in London about this time (as
we have seen) he issued printed circulars,
inviting emigrants to settle upon his lands
— These offers attracted sundry persons in
Stirling, Glasgow and other places in Scot-
land, who — made an agreement — and ar-
rived at St. George's in September 1753. "84
MThis defection is evident from Waldo's "Avertis-
sement" in the Ober-Postamts-Zeit. of June 12, 53.
S2Among these was Joh. Jos. Ludwig (1699-1753),
progenitor of the famous Lugwig family: lie was
born at Niederroth, Province of Dietz, joined the
expedition of 53 with wife and children, was buried
on the coast of France. His wife is buried on the
west bank of the Medomak. Lud. Geneal., p. 22.
83S. L. Miller in "Waldoboro," Monthly News of
February, 1873.
'"Eaton, pp. 83-4.
THE GERMANS IN MAINE
689
The results of these operations were
a distinct disappointment to Waldo. In
the fall of 53 he recalled his son, and
gave up further attempts to secure emi-
grants in Germany. He ascribed the
failure of his enterprises to Luther's
lack of co-operation; in consequence
their hitherto warm friendship sulfered
a permanent rupture. After this year
there were no other endeavors to bring
colonists from the Fatherland to Maine.
The substance of Waldo's circular, as
it was printed under date of March 23,
tySS*85 and distributed among the peas-
ants, is as follows:
Waldo is styled "Royal British Captain
Waldo, Hereditary Lord of Broad Bay." The
circular, written in sections, specifies at tne
outset the only places and persons where
emigrants should apply, and warns against
all others; it reconinienus the climate of
.Maine as healthy, the soil as exceedingly
fruitful, "since the wood is mostly oak,
beech, ash, maple, etc.," as yielding all
manner of fruit "like Germany," but hemp
and flax in greater perfection; it attests
much game in the forests and fish in the
sea and streams where every one has the
right to hunt and fish. The plan of settle-
ment was: (1) divisions of 120 families will
be made; each of the 120 families will get
100 acres of land if it lives 7 whole years
on the land in person or by substitute, the
land being guaranteed to them, their heirs
and assigns forever without the slightest
recompense or interest to pay; unmarried
men over 21 years of age will be regarded
as a family; the church will receive 200
acres and the first purchaser an equal
amount; (2) all foreigners, if protestants,
will have the protection of the laws; will
send a deputy to the General Court to rep-
resent them; need not bear arms or carry
on war; if war arises they will have the
free protection of the government: will have
free exercise of religious rights if protes-
tants; in return, each division of 120 fami-
lies shall call a learned minister within 5
years; (3) necessary support will be given
for from 4to 6 months as their time of
arrival shall determine; (4) if one or two
protectant ministers go at once they will
get free passage, 15 pounds sterling for two
years; boards for the first church will be
furnished; settlers may sell wood, which
will be sent to Boston by ship, and thus the
difficulty of using wagons (as was experi-
enced in Pennsylvania) will be avoided.
^Extract from the Imperial Post, No. 47.
The text of Waldo's pass, given at
Whitehall March 2, 53, is also repro-
duced in full.
In the newspaper account of Waldo's
circular is a statement that the govern-
ment of Boston had granted to foreign-
ers as a beginning in its Province 4 town-
ships, each containing more than 2,000
(German) acres, for settlement. As a
result soon afterwards a shipload of Ger-
mans arrived from Philadelphia and an-
nounced that several hundred families
would follow. It is also stated that other
proprietors imitated this example and
made similar grants.
We quote a few excerpts, which throw
additional light on the immigration of
53-
"Others80 (beside the Lugwig family)
arrived in September at Broad Bay 'with
iron constitutions and confirmed habits of
industry,' supposed to have been influenced
chiefly by Waldo's circular." "About 52
Waldo87 obtained a number of these Ger-
mans to settle on his lands at Broad Bay;
but they were disappointed in their expec-
tations and persuaded by some of their
German brethren in Europe, who had lately
bought lands in the southwest part of Caro-
lina and in that quarter, to a removal."
"Still88 more glowing accounts of prospects
brought a larger colony (the immigration
of 53), many of whom shared a similar fate
at a later invasion (of the Indians).' "In89
52 20 or 30 families came to Maine, having
reached America the year before, and set-
tled on Dutch Neck; possibly others came;
it is said that 50 families were added. These
had lived in the highlands and wine coun-
try which they missed." "In 5290 Waldo
went to Germany — and 1300 Germans emi-
grated to Maine." Influenced'11 by these
(Waldo's) encouragements about 1500 peo-
ple removed from Germany and settled on
the patent of the "Hereditary Lord of
Broad Bay."
The assertion92 of .Faust that this num-
ber of 1500 is the estimate of John W.
Starman rests on doubt on a similar as-
sertion of Rattermann.93. The original
86Ludwig Geneal., ]>. 16.
s7Ainer. Annals, by Abiel Holmes, Vol. II, p. 306,
ssHist. of Evan-. I, nth. Church in the U. S., p.
301. (IT. K. Jacobs).
s"Katon. p. 88.
00John W. Starman in letter to Will. Willis.
^Williamson, p. 399, Vol. II.
"-The German Element in the U. s. (A. B. Faust),
Vol. I, p. 260.
MDer deutsche Pionier, Vol. XVI. p. 197.
690
Tl I K I 'i:.\ X SYLVAN 1A ( 1 BRM AN
statement of the estimate of 1500 comes,
however, from Williamson (1832), and
all subsequent writers, including Star-
man, have copied this estimate, which in
Williamson is unaccompanied by proof.
SewallV" account of the immigration
of 53 gives a darker picture.
"20 or 30 families, influenced by Waldo,
landed at Pleasant Point, St. George's; they
were packed in a sloop and transferred to
Broad Bay. Here they were crowded for
shelter into a shed which had no chimneys.
Many froze to death; others died of hunger,
etc."
Eaton95 says of these who came over
in 53 that some were put into a house,
some cared for among the settlers, and
others kept in a shed 60 feet long and
unfit for habitation, many freezing to
death or dying of diseases induced by
their privations. He also states that
many of the newcomers were fain to
work for a quart of buttermilk a day, or
considered it a boon when they could
gain a quart of meal for a day's labor.
Rattermann confirms these details and
adds:
"Naoh.68 der dritten Bedingung in dem
Walso' schen Circular sellten sie auf sechs
Monate mit Lebensmitteln und den sonstigen
Bediirfnissen versorget werden, sobald sie
in der Kolonie ankommen wiirden; sie
blieben aber ganzlich unberiicksichtigt —
Hier (in the huts and shed) brachten diese
armen, von ihrem Schutzherrn total verlas-
senen Leute einen langen Winter voll der
schrecklichsten Leiden zu — Siebzehn von
ihnen starben an Hunger und Entbliissung,
und ihre Graber sind noch heute auf dem
gegenwartig von Karl P. Willett geeigneten
Felde, mitten in Waldoboro, zu sehen." —
"Ano. Dom. of Maine, p. 285.
!,5Annals, p. 82.
"•Dear deutsche Pionier, Vol. XVI. p. 201.
Viele der Frauen verdingten ihre Kinder
unter die Englischen in Damariscotta und
St. Georges, damit sie nicht vor Hunger
umkamen. Auf Jagd und Fischfang ver-
standen sie sich nicht. Seekrabben war das
Einzige was sie erlangen konnten. Diese
bereiteten sie mit etwas Mehl zu einer Sup-
pe, die ihre alleinige Xahrung war. Etliche
der Emigranten hatten Geld mitgebracht,
allein auch fur Geld waren Lebensmitteln
nicht zu erlangen, so gross war die beherr-
schende Hungersnoth."
When spring finally came, and with it
provisions, Waldo97 appointed Leistner
his regent with full powers to distribute
them, and also to assign the promised
lands. In the exercise of both of these
functions he was charged with partial-
ity.98 Instead of locating the settlers on
the sea coast where they might have the
benefit of shipping, etc., he planted them
in the midst of the forest almost two
miles to the westward of the river, and
allowed, them only a half acre at Broad
Cove for a dwelling place. Here then
at some distance from the fields they
built a compact village of huts, the iso-
lated position of which possessed two ad-
vantages, doubtless not intentionally
planned by Leistner, in that the settlers
were drawn closer together socially, and
could also operate more successfully
against the Indians. There are traces at
the present time which indicate that the
settlement was protected by a wall.99 The
promontory on which it stood, lying be-
tween Broad Bay and Broad Cove, still
bears the name of "Dutch Neck."
(TO BE CONTINUED)
07Ibid., p. 202.
08Testimony of Jos. Ludwig. Also deposition of
Jacob Ludwig in the "Commissioners' Report of
1811," p. 164.
!,9Der deutsche Pionier, Vol. XVI, p. 202.
691
The German as Soldier
By Rev. George von Bosse
(Continued from October number)
HE two men who beside
Washington have proved
to have been most valuable
to the American army are
Kalb and Steuben. They
were widely experienced
commanders, had attained
practical knowledge o f
warfare in the foremost schools of
Europe, Kalb in France, Steuben under
the leadership of Frederick the Great.
and both had acquired the title "general"
and much fame even in Europe.
Johann Kalb was born on June 20,
1721, in Hiittendorf in Bavaria. His
father was a hard-working peasant and
John was forced to earn his own liveli-
hood, as best he might, when finished at
his town school. As a tapster he traveled
to France, where Louis XV maintained
thirteen Swiss and ten German regiments.
In. one of these he took service under
the name Jean de Kalb. Lafayette and
he became fast friends and when the
former was inspirited with enthusiasm
over the fight for freedom in America
both crossed the Atlantic in April 1777.
They landed in Charleston, S. C., and
hurried on to Philadelphia, where Con-
gress was in session, to offer it their ser-
vices. The first year of Kalb's activity
in the American army was spent in New
Jersey and Pennsylvania. His experi-
ences there bore no encouraging and
satisfactory character. The army, under
leadership of Washington, was forced to
retreat continually before the victorious
onslaught of the British. Such state of
affairs was no fault of the soldiers,
however, for they were transfused with
the best spirit and were able and willing
to endure great difficulties. But the
officers lacked experience and informa-
tion.
Jealousy and rivalry among the higher
officers did not tend to alter conditions.
Washington himself was attacked on all
sides at that time and many attempts
were made to take away from him the
commandership. Kalb, who was a mem-
ber of Washington's staff, and exerted
a great influence by virtue of his extra-
ordinary military cognizance and varied
experiences was ever faithful to Wash-
ington and wrote of him : "Washington
has accomplished more and does more
every day, than could be expected from
any general on earth under equal cir-
cumstances and in my opinion he is the
only person, who, through his natural
and attained capabilities, his valor, his
sound character, his honesty and up-
righteousness is able to uphold the good
spirit of the army and people."
Kalb participated in four campaigns
in America and played a conspicuous
part in many dangerous adventures and
strifes, but, queer to say, he was not
active at any of the great, deciding bat-
tles. In July 1780 he went to Camden,
S. C, under General Gates. Twelve
miles south of the city they came upon
a superior force of British regulars. A
spirited combat ensued. Kalb attacked
again and again, received one injury
after the other, was repulsed several
times, but renewed the onslaught until,
when victory was in sight, he fell, bleed-
ing profusely from nine wounds. The
enemy treated him with utmost respect
and greatest care, but death resulted on
August 19, 1780, three days after the
battle. Congress passed a resolution on
October 14 of the same year to erect a
monument in honor of Kalb at Annapo-
lis, bearing the inscription: "Dedicated
to the memory of Baron von Kalb,
brigadier of the French army and major-
general in service of the United States.
After serving with glory and honor for
three years, he gave one last, grand
proof of his devotion to the cause of
freedom for America in that battle at
Camden. By leading the troops of
692
Til E PENNSYLVANIA-GERM AN
Maryland and Delaware against superior
forces and inspiring them to heroic
deeds by setting a good example, he was
wounded several times and died on Aug.
19 in his 59th year."
"The Congress of the United States
of America has erected this monument
in grateful appreciation of his loyalty,
his service and accomplishments."
Among those Germans, who aided the
Americans in their struggle for inde-
pendence, none distinguished himself
more than the baron of Steuben. To
him belongs first rank. His accomplish-
ments are second only to Washington's,
since Steuben first created the army,
with which Washington was able to con-
quer. Born at Magdeburg November
15, 1730, Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben
was reared in the midst of soldiers and
from little up he had no other aim in
view, than to become a useful military
member. At the age of seventeen he
joined the army of Frederick the Great
and took part in the Seven Years' War
from beginning to end. In 1777 he
wished to pay England a visit, chosing
his route over France. At Paris he be-
came acquainted with the American am-
bassador, Benjamin Franklin. In con-
sequence he abandoned his purposed
journey to England and went on to
America, arriving at Portsmouth, N. H.,
on December 1, 1777. He paid Boston
a visit and here received a letter from
Washington, asking him to present him-
self at Congress, which had assembled
at York, Pa. Steuben complied with
this request and expressly stated in his
letter to Congress, that he wished to
enter the army as volunteer and could
be found ready for any service, to which
the commander ordered him. The de-
cree of Congress read as follows: "Since
Baron von Steuben, a lieutenant-general
in foreign service, has offered these
states his service as volunteer in an
extremely unselfish and heroic manner,
be it resolved : that the president assure
Baron von Steuben of the gratitude of
Congress in the name of United States
for the fervor, which he has displayed
in behalf of America and for the un-
selfishness, with which he has offered
his military abilities in such friendly
manner, and that he notify Steuben, that
Congress accepts his offer to serve as
volunteer in the army of these states
with pleasure, and desires, that he join
Washingtotn's forces as soon as possi-
ble."
Steuben left immediately for his point
of destination and was welcomed hearti-
ly by Washington, who was at once im-
bued with a spirit of admiration, respect
and trust for the efficient soldier.
At no time during the whole war was
the army in such a pitiable state, as
when Steuben arrived in the winter-
quarters at Valley Forge. The log-cabins
and huts of loam, in which the soldiers
lay, gave little shelter against the severe
winter and cold, the pangs of which were
felt all the more on account of the lack
of decent clothing and nourishing food.
But Steuben saw at a glance, that the
material was good. He collected 120
men from the troops, with whom he had
military exercises twice daily. Many
officers and soldiers came to witness the
spectacle. "In fourteen days," says
Steuben, "my company could shoulder
the guns correctly, could march and
execute different maneuvers with ac-
curate precision." By this confidence in
him increased, for he taught them in-
telligently and shrewdly, what had been
lacking in their military training. In
consequence the entire army expressed
the wish to partake of these exercises.
Battalions, brigades and divisions were
formed and trained. It was a well-de-
served honor, that the baron was given
the rank of an inspector-general, receiv-
ing the salary of a major-general.
The reorganization of the army in all
its parts however proved to be a much
more difficult task than the exercises.
But Steuben prepared a manual, con-
taining regulations, which he found,
were necessary for an arrangement of a
thorough system of discipline and order-
liness. Every officer received a copy
and the rules were known many years
under the name "Steuben's regulations."
For the first time during- the war the
THE GERMAN AS SOLDIER
693
officers received clearly stated instruc-
tions for their service.
Then Steuben also saw to it, that
these rules were carried out in practice.
He himself held keen inspection every
month, to make siire, that the numbers
really represented men in line, ready for
attack. The officers of the various di-
visions had to give an account for each
missing soldier. Every musket was in-
spected, also each knapsack, and woe to
the officer, who was found negligent in
his responsibilities. Equally exact and
regular was the review of hospitals,
provisions, the work-shops, of every
place and thing. Soon the good results
became apparent. Until the end of the
war, Steuben discharged the duties of
inspector-general with the same zeal,
patriotism and punctuality. Until the
end his work brought forth fruit,
especially in Virginia in the winters of
1780 and '81, during the siege of York-
town, where he captained a division.
Two Germans are the men, to whom
the honor of striking the first and last
decisive blows belong, which downed
the enemy of American freedom. At
the close of the war Steuben remained
in America, not being able to return to
Europe, since all his belongings had been
sacrificed in the fight for independence.
Congress later paid him an annual salary
of $2500, and the states of New York,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New Jersey,
donated vast estates to him, showing
their appreciation of his services. Dur-
ing the summer months Steuben dwelt
in Utica, New York, winter usually
found him in New York City at his
home, 216 Broadway. Here he attended
the German-Lutheran church in Nassau
Street, where his comrade Major North,
had a tablet placed in memoriam for him,
as follows :
Sacred to the memory of
Frederic William Augustus, Baron Steuben,
A German Knight of the Order of Fidelity,
Aid-de-^Camp to Frederic the Great, King of
Prussia,
Major-General and Inspector-General
In the Revolutionary War.
Esteemed, respected and supported by
Washington.
He gave military skill and discipline
To the Citizen Soldiers, who
Fulfilling the Decree of Heaven,
Achieved the Independence of the United
States.
The highly polished manners of the Baron
were graced
By the most noble feelings of the heart;
His Hand, open as Day to melting charity,
Closed only in the Grasp of Death."
Steuben succumbed on November 27,
1797, as the result of a stroke of apo-
plexy. He was buried beneath a pine
near his home, a last wish of his request-
ing it so. But his memory shall live, as
long as a people inhabit the United
States, who cherish independence, helped
to attain by Steuben through his glori-
ous, faithful service — a German to the
core and still a staunch, true American !
To honor Steuben a township in Oneida
Co., N. Y., and Indiana, a county in New
York and Indiana, seven towns in Illi-
nois, Indiana (2), Maine, New York,
Pennsylvania and Ohio, bear his name.
We also find a Steubensville in Ohio and
Indiana. A monument, projected by
Albert Jaegus was unveiled on December
7, 1910, in the presence of President
Taft, member of Congress Barthold,
Ambassador Bernstorff and Dr. Hexa-
mer, all of whom delivered speeches to
the throng, gathered together by thou-
sands to commemorate Steuben.
A similar monument was placed at
Potsdam last summer, the German
emperor officiating.
(to be continued.)
694
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
O, Muttersproch, du bist uns lieb " — A. S.
Es Hemelt 3Iir Aim
J. W. Y.
Sis en Wort dass mir oft in der Sinn komt,
Sei Mehnung is wunnerbar schoen,
Ich kann es doch gar net au siege
Unci sei Mehnung glar niache und blain:
A wit en Gleichniss kummt mir oft wan
ich rum lauf
Dahem, und ich kum no oft dran,
Und der Sprichwort will Ich nau ah do
schreiwe,
Sis yust der — Es hemelt mir aim.
Es hemelt Mir ahn, was en Sprichwort,
Pol Liewe und Hemweh, kaum Schmertz,
Fol Zeitland fuer Dada and Mahma,
Fol Druebsal und dazu en foil Hertz:
Es sagt uns fon Kindheit Vergnuegen,
Zu diesen ist alles en G'mahn;
Mir googt weil, noh steht mer und stoodit,
Nob sagt mir — Es hemelt mir ahn.
Wie oft gehn mir zurueck an die alt Hehru
Wo mir gspielt hen mit Kindlichem Lust;
Won all die Schatze dass Gott gebt
Bliebt kenner wie Hehm in der Brust.
Foil gute zeite is die Schier
Der Hoy bare demmert mit Fun,
Kommt lass uns Blumsack do spiele,
Dii liewer, das hemelt mir ahn.
In der Schier is der Vorschuss der best
blatz
Wann mir en lange Zeit fort war von Hehm,
Just sitze und die Geil abhoerige
Wie die Kette rapple an die Zehm,
Dort ware mir manichmol gsesse,
Und die arwet war epmols net gedoh,
Awers hot greregt, und mir ware niuet
schaffe,
Der alt Vorschuss — Er hemelt mir ahn.
Sei war der Blatz wo der Dada
Mit uns gsitzt hot, und hot uns verzelt,
Vie Sie kschaft hen wie Er noch en Buh
war,
Und hot uns gsadt wo mirs oftmohls ver-
fehlt,
Dort hot er uns glernt Filler breche,
Und die Eld vom e Gaul beim Zah
Und der alle best Weg en Reff hewe,
Der alt Vorschuss — Er hemelt mir ahn.
Im Wage Schop sagt der alt Reaper
Vom Hoy felt, un Ernt felt und Hitz,
Von tricks des die Buwe als gspielt hen
Wan ener zu gros war und gnitz,
Das zeh uhr stueck in dem Ernt felt
Ware mir all halwer naerrlsh fuer drah,
Wan mir zrueck denkt, machts uns all
wenig Hehmwe,
Die sache — Die hemle uns ah.
Alle Ecke im alt haus sage uns deitlich
Von Jahre voll Arwet und Kspass
Voll laches und heiles und denkes,
Und Kindlichem Zorn und Hass.
Die Kammer mit em Bettlei und Schocklei
Is es Denkzeige mit viel Mehnung drah,
Sie sagt uns vom rughiem schlofes,
Ken Druwel — Sie hemelt mir ahn.
Die alt Schockel is now verbroche
Uns das Bettlei hot yust meh drei Beh,
Awer die Fred von der Mehm ihres singes
Kann nie von dem Bettlei weg geh.
Wan krankhet uns do nieder glegt hot
Mit sohniertze im Leb Oder Zah
Noh war die Mehm immer bei Uns,
Das gleh Bettlei — Es hemelt mir ahn.
Jah Ich klaub mir gleiche alle Hehm geh
Und yust lenich sei ergets draus,
Und lansam rum laufe und gooke
Von der Scheir bis nei ans Haus
Unser auge were drueb mit drehne
Als mir stehne und gooke iedeim Gmahn,
Das Hertz werd noh Schwer und mit
Seufze
Sagt mir yust — Es hemelt mir ahn.
Und so hot der Herr es gschaffe,
Kein bleibende Stat hawe mir doh,
Die Blume falle ab und verwelke,
Und die Dadas und die Mamas were groh
Alle yohr stehlt some liewe Denkzeige;
Wan mir Hehm kommt noh denkt mir erst
drah,
So welle die alt Hehm oft bsuohe,
Und danke fuer — Es hemelt mir ahn.
Written by a young man from Miffln
County and is no doubt written in the dialect
as it is spoken in the Kisaquoquillas Valley.
Prof. C. HENRY SMITH,
Goshen, Indiana.
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
695
"Ponhaas," Boy and Man
Des is die zeit foom yahr, Mister Drucker,
won mir Karls uft winsha mir waren widder
boova — boova uf de olta bauerei. Net os mir
gleiche daiten widder aus'm bed geyawkt tzti
werra eb sun-uf moryets, won der reifa un's
wedder draus es bed so warm feela hen mache
un's ufshteha noh so hard is gonge; net os
mir gleiche daiten widder Kolte tzehe odder
shteifa finger grebe ivver'm welshkon boshta ;
net os mir gleiche daiten gehe Keshta suche,
haase-shlip shtella un grundsei aus ihre lecher
grauva ; odder os es tins evvafiel ware fer
widder owfonge in die Winter Shool gehe,
even mit neue shtivvel mit roat ledder uvva
on de rohra.
Nay, sel sin oil sache die mer net gern fer-
gesst, doch sache die mer leever droh denkt
un drivver lacht os wie mer winsht fer sie
widder ivver tzu mache. Ovver wos uns
shpoteyahrs so uft winsha macht fer unser
boova's dawge, Mister Drucker, is der pon-
haas! Of course, es sin ow ononera goota
sache os kumma mit em schlachte — broat-
wersht, levverwersht, tzidderla, "witzel,"
geroashta-ribba mit gravy, flaish-boya, un so
noch goot weiter ; un es is ow die tzeit fer
mince-boya, Karebsa-boya, lodwerrick, epple-
much un buchwaitze-Kuche. Ovver's war der
ponhaas os mir boova ols es besht gegliche hen.
Be-sure, ponhaas is noch blendy now, ovver
er is net immer foon de olta ort — net uf tzu'm
Dr. Wiley standard. Bletsweis duen sie die
sei ohra un die sei-reehsel nei. Now sel mag
oil recht sei fer ponhaas os ferkauft wert uf'm
morrick in Harrisburg, Lancaster, Philadel-
phia,, Reading, Lebanon, Perkiomen un Ma-
cungie, ovver fer selver dehaim'tzu usa is so
ponhaas net orrick obbaditlich. Hee-un-doh
werren ow die sei-schwentz ge-used fer pon-
haas mache ; ovver die mensht tzeit sin sel
blets woo sie die schwentz net im sour-growt
gleiche, doch mehna die schwentz waren tzoo
goot fer in's saifa-fet shmeisa. Noh hut's ow
blets, fiel blets, woo leit mush-mehl usa in
blots foon buchwaitze-mehl fer der ponhaas
shfeif tzu reehra ; un sel doot em ponbaas ow
net mithelfa. Die same tzeit es sin ow noch
blets — hinna draus uf de bauereia — woo die
leit ponhaas foon de olta ort hen, die ort die
Mommay ols gemacht hut. Un even seller
shmockt nimmy so goot wie er ols hut. Ovver
fer ehrlich tzu sei, so ponhaas ondem is yusht
so goot wie der os die Mommy uns ols bei de
ponnaful so sha brau gebroata hut.
Es sheint don, wos letz is gonge, war net
mit em ponhaas, oover mit unserm obbadit.
Der obbadit ferwoxt sich, wie der boo ; won
der boo en mon wert, abbodich bei yah re, don
hut sei lushta om dish ken so eifer meh.
Drumm, wie g'sawt, Mister Drucker, duen
monnicha foon uns winsha die tzeit im yahr
mir waren widder boova — anyhow long ga-
noonk fer nochamohl ponhaas essa !
"Ay, ye gods !
What wealth of relish there!"
OLLY HESS.
"Oily Hess" Appreciated
A reader writes :
"And hugely do I enjoy 'Oily Hess' and
consider you fortunate in having him on your
list of contributors. Would like to shake
hands with 'Oily Hess' and squeeze it a bit
too. Those who make smile for us, in this
vale of tears are the rare jewels and it be-
hooves us to preserve them with all care —
and tenderness.
We — those of us who care for history —
wade through a lot of facts and uniteresting
dates very patiently and feel thankful that we
have the D. D's, Ph. D's, B. A's to enlighten
us of course. But when we come to 'Oily'
with his 'x-t-y-tz's' we rest our weary souls
in the things 'wass die mommy ols gemacht
hut' Die toasties, Quaker Oats, Puffed Rice
sin mer aw evvafiel und gern date ich witter
kolta buchwaitze kuche g'schmiert mit lotwar-
rick essa."
"Oily Hess" will be pleased to learn that
he has cheered a heart and can write with so
much more fervor. We hope to hear from
him again. — Editor.
Another View of the Beyond
(Suggested by poem in Oct. issue, page 604)
I too on the banks of the Stygian stream
Calmly stand and its waters survey;
Bright and fair are the scenes beyond the di-
vide—
It's the dawn of the glorious day.
"Tis the land of the Blessed I perceive over
there,
And the saints crowd in groups on the
shore ;
My mother and many dear friends I behold,
And forget the dark waxes with their roar.
Why should I dismay at the sight of the
stream,
Why linger in dread on the shore.
When all is inviting and beck'ning beyond,
And a safe happy life is in store?
Methinks I do hear midst the roar of the
waves
The sweet voice of my Savior and Friend:
"Fear not, I'll be with thee when thou must
embark
And make of life's journey an end."
T. S. S., Annville, Pa.
696
REVIEWS AND NOTES
By Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N. J.
ARGENTINA AM) HER PEOPLE OE
TO-DAY: An Account of the Customs,
Characteristics, Amusements, History and
Advancement of the Argentinians, and the
Development and Resources of their Coun-
try. By Nevin O. Winter, author of "Mexi-
co and Her People of Today," "Guatemala
and Her People of Today," "Brazil and Her
People of Today," etc. Illustrated from
original and selected photographs by the
author. Cloth, decorative; 421pp. L. C.
Page & Company, Boston, 191 1.
Here is an admirable book based on first
hand knowledge of this great country of
promise, which was known in the old school
geographies of thirty years ago as the "Ar-
gentine Confederation," and later as the
"Argentine Republic," (the Silver Republic),
a country mighty in its possibilities, and inex-
haustible in it's resources.
"We, the people of the United States," arc
so engrossed with our own importance and
greatness that we assume we alone constitute
America ; in fact as far as we are concerned,
"America" is synonomous with the "United
States." The people of this country see.n-
ingly forget that there are Americans to the
north and to the south of them, whose Midden
power and undeveloped possibilities, and
boundless resources will be some of the
mighty factors of future civilization. How
little intercourse there exists between this
country and Argentina, and South America
is a whole, can easily be determined by the
author's regrettable remark in speaking of
the immense traffic of Buenos Aires. '"Here
are vessels from all the carrying nations of
the world, flying the flags of Germany, Italy,
France, Great Britain, Spain, and Austria ; but
the flag of the United States is not visible.
Out of the thousand of vessels which entered
this port last year, there were only four ves-
sels that sailed under the stars and stripes of
Uncle Sam." ( !) And yet the scene in the
harbor of Buenos Aires cannot be duplicated
in New York with its much greater traffic.
The book is by no means simply descriptive ;
it embodies a fine delineation of the charactei
and characteristics of this great republic of
the southland, with a government modeled
after that of the United States. Chapters like
"The People and their Characteristics," "The
People at Play," "Education and the Arts,"
and "Religious Forces," really disclose the
spirit of the Republic.
_ It is good interesting reading ; it is decidedly
literary in style; it is not a compilation of
statistics ; such as there are, are found in the
appendix. Nor is it written for the benefit of
any syndicate or corporation on promoting
South American interests. It is written so
that the "lay" reader can enjoy it. When the
writer has occasion to use big figures in com-
parisons he has the aptness to use some con-
crete statement that means a great deal more
than a large incomprehensible number. In
speaking of the great number of sheep in
Argentina, he says that they would form a
double column from New York to the Golden
Gate.
The book has fifty-one full page illustrations,
a map, index, and an appendix containing
among other things a bibliography of litera-
ture pertaining to South America. The book
is gotten up in an attractive and artistic style.
THE ART OF THE VIENNA GALLERIES
— Giving a Brief History of the Public
and Private Galleries of Vienna, with a
Critical Description of the Paintings There-
in Contained. By David C. Preyer, A. M.
Author of "The Art of the Netherland
Galleries," "The Art of the Metropolitan
Museum," etc. Cloth, decorative ; printed on
special featherweight paper ; illustrated with
forty-eight full page plates duogravure ;
large 12 mo. 331 pp. Price $2.00 net. L. C.
Page & Company, Boston, 191 1.
This is the eleventh volume in the series
entitled "The Art Galleries of Europe." It is
the author's purpose to bring the paintings of
the Vienna Galleries into greater prominence ;
he thinks they are among the least known of
those in Europe and that they are at the same
time the most important. "They are especial-
ly rich in the works of the masters not gen-
erally known to art lovers, but of equal rank
and often higher merit than those whose
names are more familiar."
The first chapter gives an historical account
of the museums and galleries of Vienna. The
remaining chapters give descriptions of the
paintings in the various collections. A short
but rich bibliography is attached ; and also an
index giving the dates of births and deaths of
the artists represented in the different collec-
tions. This arrangement makes the reading
portion of the book look less like a compila-
tion of dates.
The book must undoubtedly be of great in-
terest to all art lovers, especially to such as
know something of the history of painters
and painting, and those who do not, will find
some interesting things here. It may, how-
REVIEWS AND NOTES
697
ever, not be of the greatest interest to the
"lay" reader, though it is written in a simple
style.
The writer shows a fine powoer of dis-
crimination, and an "art-sense," and one of
appreciation that go far in pointing out the
merits and demerits of the many painters and
paintings.
The book is beautifully and artistically
bound, causing the external appearance to har-
monize admirably with the subject treated
internally.
THE SPELL OF HOLLA>D— The Story of
a Pilgrimage to the Land of Dykes and
Windmills — By Burton E. Stevenson ; with
illustrations from photographs by the
author. Cloth, decorative. 395pp. ; boxed,
$2.50. Uniform with Caroline Atwater
Mason's "The Spell of Italy." L. C. Page
& Company, Boston, 191 1.
Here is something new, original, and ex-
ceedingly pleasing and informative. The
author writes from first-hand knowledge and
observation. He has seen what he writes ; he
writes from observation and not from books.
The "spell" of Holland may be strong and
captivating, but the "spell' and charm of the
writer's style may be equally captivating.
No country has stamped upon itself so
strongly the character and taste of the people
as have the Netherlands ; this may be mainly
because the people have made the country
by reclaiming it from the ocean ; verily they
have made the land upon which they live.
They have fashioned it to suit themselves,
trees and vegetation grow just where they
are wanted to grow. One cannot help ad-
miring the industry, frugality, and the dogged-
ness of these people. By the time one gets
through with the book one feels like saying
what the author says. "If I wasn't an Ameri-
can, I believe I should like to be a Dutch-
man."
The narrative is entirely sympathetic and
appreciative. It is doubtful whether a more
sympathetic account has ever been written of
this picturesque land of dykes, windmills and
canals. The writer points out the foibles of
the people rather than their faults. Much
tias been said about the cleanliness of these
people of "Hollowland" ; the author makes
frequent reference of this trait, so that one
must conclude that the "ad" of the "Old
Dutch Cleanser" as used by one of the meat
packing houses is most appropriate and in
place.
Not infrequently books of travel are tedi-
ous and monotonous, when one has read a
chapter or two, one has read the whole book ;
it might be thought that this was especially
true of a narrative of a country whose land-
scape features are as monotonous as those of
Holland. But this is true neither of the style
of the book nor of the features of the land-
scape. Every chapter, every page is an added
charm. Whoever like books of travel will
find "The Spell of Holland" charming and
pleasant reading.
This book, as well as the two noted above
as being by the same publishers, is a fine
speciment of book making. They are all ar-
tistically bound in a very attractive manner,
and reflect credit upon this well established
publishing house.
THE RUGGED WAY— By Harold Morton
Kramer, author of The Chrysalis, etc. Cloth ;
illustrated; 428pp. Price $1.35 net. Lothrop,
Lee & Shepard Company, Boston, 191 1.
The author, Mr Kramer, is the editor of the
"Morning Times" of Frankfort, Ind. He has
written several books that have to do with the
great North-West, a section of country he
seems to know admirably well.
The opening scenes of this story are laid
among successful rich men of New York
where the hero is overwhelmed by calamity,
then they are shifted to the northwest where
he reestablishes himself. There are two women
in the story. On the eve of his betrothal he
is sent to jail for gambling with the funds of
his bank. After his release he starts for the
West where he builds up a career under the
guiding light of a new love.
It is an interesting, vigorous story ; it is not
weighed down with analysis and description,
features of stories that often go begging for
appreciation in these days of hurried read-
ing. It is all narrative, all action. Its style
might be more compact, its sentences less
"long tailed," and its content might be a little
more worth while. Its best feature is its dra-
matic quality, it affords excellent opportuni-
ties on the stage; although it may at times be
somewhat melodramatic. The opening chap-
ters read as if they had been taken from the
scenario of a play, and this tone is prevalent
throughout the book. Consequently the story
is clear, strong, and rapid of movement, there
is somoething "doing." On the whole it is a
good wholesome story.
REPTILIEX IND A.MPHIBIEN I\ SAGE
& SITTE TTND LITERATUR— Von Pro-
fessor Karl Knortz, North Tarrytown, N.
P. Paper ; 90pp. Annaberg, Sachsen ; Gra-
sers Verlag. 191 1.
This is another of this voluminous writer's
works that deal with the peculiar and extra-
ordinary in life and literature. The work has
to do witli the Serpent, Frog, Toad, and other
animals. The writer goes on to show how
these animals have been regarded by the dif-
ferent peoples of the world.
The book contains a large amount of curi-
ous, novel, and interesting information. It
shows boundless reading, and it is written in
the author's usual frank and interesting style.
698
□:
:d
HISTORICAL NOTES AND NEWS
REPORTS i>I" SOCIETY MEETINGS ARE SOLICITED
d:
The Pennsylvania-German Society of Age
The twriuy-iirM annual meeting of the
Pennsylvania-German Society held in the
Senate Chamber of the State Capitol at Har-
risburg, on Friday. October joth, was one of
the most interesting and instructive meetings
in the Society's history. In spite of the un-
favorable weather conditions, about one hun-
dred and fifty members were present when
the President, Rev. Prof. Henry E. Jacobs,
D. D., IX. D., Dean of the faculty of Mount
Airy Seminary, Philadelphia, called the meet-
ing to order at ten A. M. The Divine guid-
ance and blessing on the Society's work was
asked by the Rev. Dr. Ellis N. Kremer, pastor
of Salem Reformed Church, Harrisburg, Pa.
Daniel S. Seitz, Esq., City Solicitor of Har-
risburg, extended a cordial welcome to the
members of the Society to the Capital of the
Keystone State. In the absence of State
Senator, Daniel C. Gerberich, of Lebanon,
Rev. Dr. Theodore E. Schmauck, of Lebanon,
responded and in behalf of the Society thanked
the City and State authorities for the cour-
tesies that were extended, especially for the
privilege of meeting in the magnificent Senate
Chamber of the Capitol.
Dr. Schmauk compared the dominant races
of Pennsylvania to the voices of a church
choir, the Scotch-Irish being the high soprano,
the Quakers the deep heavy bass, and the Ger-
mans the sweet-voiced beautiful contralto.
The scholarly address of the Presidenf, Rev.
Dr. Henry E. Jacobs, was one of the prin-
cipal features of the day.
Dr. Jacobs spoke of the great and lasting
influence the German settlers of Pennsylvania
had in the upbuilding not only of our native
State but of the American nation. He con-
cluded with the assertion that the landing of
the German pilgrims was as important and
necessary to the American evolution as that
of the Puritans in the Mayflower.
The Secretary, Prof. Georg? T. Ettinger, of
Muhlenberg College, presented an interesting
report of the Society's progress during the
year. The total membership numbers 512.
The Treasurer, Julius F. Sachse, Lit. Doctor
gave an itemized report of receipts and ex-
penditures with a balance of over $3000 in the
treasury.
It was decided to increase the Executive
Committee to fifteen members following which
the annual election was held and the follow-
ing nominees were unanimously elected :
President, Henry M. M. Richards, Lebanon;
Vice Presidents, Frank M. Trexler, Allentown ;
George A. Gorgas, Harrisburg ; Treasurer,
Julius F. Sachse, Philadelphia. Members of
the Executive Committee, Charles R. Roberts,
Allentown; Albert G. Rati, Bethlehem; Rev.
A. Stapleton, Jersey Shore; B. F. Fackenthal,
Riegelsville ; Rev. John Baer Stoudt, North-
ampton ; N. H. Keyser, Germantown ; and W.
K. Sahm, Pittsburgh.
Hon. B. M. Nead read an address delivered
in London, England, by George F. Baer,
President of the Reading railroad.
Dr. Samuel P. Heilman, Chairman, read a
very interesting and exhaustive report of
Pennsylvania German Bibliography. Credit
for compiling the report was given Professor
H. H. Reichard of State College, and he was
tendered a vote of thanks by the Society.
An adjournment was then made to the
Assembly room of the Department of Public
Instruction, where Superintendent Schaeffer
in the spirit of true Pennsylvania German
hospitality had provided a bountiful luncheon
for all present. After the wants of the inner
man were fully satisfied an hour was devoted
to sight seeing in the Capitol and State
Museum.
At the afternoon session Dr. Nathan C.
Schaeffer, State Superintendent of Public In-
struction, read a paper on "The Influences of
the Pennsylvania Germans in the Development
of Our Public School System," in which he
traced the beginning of our public school
system back to the days of the father of
Governor George Wolf. Dr. Schaeffer said
"in Northampton County there is a com-
munity known as the Irish Settlement where
no Irishman now lives. Open your mouth
anywhere in that community in the Pennsyl-
vania German vernacular and you get a re-
sponse. But in the eighteenth century the
land was settled by Scotch-Irish Presbyterians
who like all early settlers of that faith
believed in higher education.
Among them lived a thrifty inn-keeper and
farmer from Germany by the name of George
Wolf. A subscription -was started to build an
academy. When the paper was handed to
Wolf, he asked: 'Why should I subscribe for
an Academy?' 'If you subscribe your son
George may become Governor of Pennsyl-
vania' was the reply. The subscription was
made and the boy became Governor.
For six years he served the people of Penn-
sylvania in that capacity. To him belongs the
distinguished honor of having signed the Act
ot [834, creating a system of common schools
in the State of Pennsylvania. In fact he is
known in history as the father of the Common
School System." Not only was it the Pennsyl-
HISTORICAL NOTES AND NEWS
69»
vania German Governor whose influence
established our public schools, but ever since
their establishment they have been practically
under the supervision and guidance of Penn-
sylvania German Superintendents. Dr. Daniel
W. Nead, of Buffalo, N. Y., in his very inter-
esting paper on "The Pennsylvania German in
the settlement of Maryland" brought out some
interesting facts in the early history of that
Commonwealth.
•An admirable paper by Prof. Harry C.
Reichard, of State College, Pennsylvania, on
"Charles Calvin Ziegler, a Pennsylvania-
German Poet," was a revelation to most of
those present of the work done in the dialect
by this author .whose gems of wit, wisdom
and pathos were published some years ago in
Germany under the title "Drauss Und Da-
heem." Prof. Reichard read numerous ex-
tracts in the original with a free translation
which were greatly enjoyed by all present.
After the serious work of the day had been
disposed of an adjournment was had to the
Board of Trade building, where at six P. M.
the annual banquet was held in the auditorium.
After the substantial menu had been properly
stowed away, and the company assumed the
complacent self satisfied expression that fol-
lows well performed duty, Toastmaster James
McCormick Lamberton, after a few prelim-
inary remarks introduced Dr. Nathan C.
Schaeffer, who apologized for the absence of
Governor Tener, and responded to the toast,
"A Voice from the Commonwealth."
Dr. Schaeffer related the early struggles of
the present Executive of Pennsylvania, his
care for his mother and younger brothers and
sisters, showig the inherent good qualities that
have helped him through life. Continuing Dr.
Schaeffer said that where he was neither as
tall or as handsome as the Governor, he was
a much better authority on "Pennsylvania
Dutch." In conclusion he asked his auditors
to take this message from him to the boys at
home: "That the boys who have pluck, and
are willing to work faithfully may reach the
highest post in the gift of the people.
Hon. William U. Hensel, former Attorney
General of Pennsylvania, in responding to the
toast "Of Age," after congratulating the
Society on its 21 years of usefulness, said the
last time he spoke in Harrisburg he did not
have the honor of speaking to such a distin-
guished audience as tonight but he had the
supreme satisfaction of knowing that to all
those who then listened his words carried
conviction.
"The Press and the Pennsylvania Germans"
was responded to by Hon. Edward James
Stackpole, Postmaster of Harrisburg, and
Editor of the Harrisburg Telegraph. Mr.
Stackpole presented the characteristics of
Pennsylvania Germans as viewed through
Scotch-Irish eyes, paying tribute to Thomas
Zimmerman, of Reading, and Thomas H.
Harter. of Bellefonte.
Hon. Henry Houck, Secretary of Internal
Affairs, graphically depicted amid smiles and
tears, "The Home Life of the Pennsylvania
Germans." The humor and pathos of Mr.
Houck are known throughout Pennsylvania
and far beyond its borders has he scattered
sunshine for many years.
The speech making was concluded by the
newly elected President, H. M. M. Richards,,
of Lebanon, Pa., whose theme was "A Word
for the Future."
E. A. S.
To the Editor of The Pennsylvania-German.
The readers of your Journal may recall that
in the December, 1910, number there appeared
a statement to the effect that at the annual
meeting of the Pennsylvania German Society,,
held at York, Pa., Oct. 20, 1910, a Committee
mi A Bibliography of Pennsylvania German
literature was appointed, in which statement
there was also defined what is to comprise the
compilation the committee was to undertake.
It may be of interest to your readers to-
learn that work on this project was imme-
diately entered upon, and during the ensuing
year was so far advanced that at the recent
annual meeting of the Society, held at Harris-
burg, October 20, iyn, an elaborate report as
to the matter could be submitted to the
Society, a report practically almost in com-
pletion of the entire project. The substance
of that report, altho submitted in the name
of the Committee, is in fact the sole and
entire work of Prof. H. H. Reichard, Ph. D.,
Assistant Professor of Greek in State College,
Pennsylvania, who is also a member of the
Committee. The material compiled by Prof.
Reichard had previously been submitted to
the Committee and by it reviewed, and then
was submitted to the Society as the Commit-
tee's report. The Society adopted the report,
and continued the Committee for another year.
The completeness and comprehensiveness of
Prof. Reichard's work was so fully evident
that the Committee in its committee capacity
could not hope to do it as well, and it gladly
availed itself of his generous consent to have
his work, altho prepared by him for a private
and a different purpose, used by the Commit-
tee as a report by it to the Society, and its
use by the Society in fulfillment of the pur-
pose for which it had appointed said Com-
mittee, in other words, in the attainment on
the part of the Society of A P.ibliography of
Pennsylvania German Literature.
The vast quantity along many lines of this
dialectal literature, in poetry, in prose, in
newspapers, in magazines, and so on. already
put into print up to this time, and the many
and wide places of its production and publica-
tion, have made a complete index of it not
only a thing greatly to be desired but virtually
a necessity. To the preparation of such an
index Prof. Reichard has given much study
700
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
and research, so that he made himself thor-
oughly acquainted witih the various shadings
of the literature he has indexed, its authors,
its sources, and its wealth of material. Fur-
thermore he himself is- a Pennsylvania Ger-
man by birth and rearing, and is, therefore
in sympathetic relation with that life and its
people. He is also himself versatile in the
production of this peculiar dialectal literature,
of which he is now also a compiler, in addi-
tion to which he is a young man of much
promise along general literary and educational
lines.
The work of Prof. Reichard, which is en-
titled, "An Index of Pennsylvania German
Dialect Literature," and will comprise up-
wards of 400 pages, will contain eight parts,
named as follows :
Part I. Introduction, pp. 3.
Part II. Beginnings of the Literature, pp.
11-30.
Part III. The Earlier Period; and Writers
no Longer Living, pp. 32-124.
Part IV. The Later Period; Writers Still
Living, pp. 130-231.
Part V. Results and Conclusions, pp. 231-
255-
Part VI. Biographies of Writers and Their
Bibliographies, pp. 255-281.
Part VII. A Bibliography of the Litera-
ture of the Pennsylvania German Dialect.
a. Poetry, pp. 281-319.
b. Prose, pp. 3i9"345-
c. Dictionaries, pp. 345-349.
d. A List of Newspapers, pp. 349-
Part VIII. A Complete Bibliography of
Works — History, Fiction, Essays, Magazine
Articles, etc., treating of, or dealing, with the
Pennsylvania Germans.
Of these eight Parts seven were laid before
the Harrisburg meeting as practically com-
pleted, leaving only Part Eight yet to be made
up, the material for which is however, already
largely in hand, and therefore, needs but a
short time for its writing up, so that the whole
work is in a fair way of being fully completed
long before the next annual meeting of the
Society.
The Committee was able to say for Prof.
Reichard that his work will include : "A gen-
eral essay on the beginnings of Pennsylvania
German Literature, and the reason for its
existence, and causes that called it into being,
following this with an account of thirty or
more dialect workers, authors, translators, and
collectors. In the case of these their biogra-
phies have been united, especially emphasizing
their relations to Pennsylvania Germandom
with an account of their productions, and
when opportunity offered, a comparison with
similar dialect productions of Germans. Also
a long list of works in which the Pennsylvania
Germans, or their literature, are referred to."
The Society can well congratulate itself on
the early realization of this projected index of
Pennsylvania German Dialect Literature, to
comprise all of it that has been put into print,
from its beginning to the present time, thus
assembled into compact form and order, and
which aside of its own intrinsic interest must
prove, of great value as a definite reference
list as to its writers, their productions, their
biographies, the places, and wherein and in
what form their productions may be found,
together with a collateral list of books, and
their writers, on the history, genius, charac-
teristics and achievements of the Pennsylvania
Germans as a class.
S. P. HEILMAN, Chairman.
Heilman Dale, Pa., Nov. 6, 191 1.
Lehigh County Historical Society
Three score members and guests of this
live society had a pleasant outing, following
the invitation sent out by the society which
is reproduced herewith. Sorry we could not
be with you, brethren. — Editor.
"Ye Historical Society of ye County of
Lehigh will journey by ye vehicles which go
without horses," as Mother Shipton prophe-
sied, to ye country near ye Blue Mountains,
leaving ye Hotel Allen promptly at one of the
o'clock on Monday afternoon, October ye
30th, whence ye direction will be over ye
Mickley pike, turning right at Mickley's past
ye Butz school house, hence past ye Old Fort
Deshler, through ye ancient town of Egypt,
where are Kohler's Mill and Egypt Church,
through Ballietsville, where stood ye Balliet's
store 150 years ago, through Neffs and Sae-
gersville to New Tripoli. Here Senator James
A. Miller will welcome ye society and a visit
will be made to ye site of ye house which ye
pioneer Mosser built before ye Revolution,
with oaken floors eight inches thick, used as
a place of refuge against ye red men, ye
homes where divers people yclept Ziesloff and
Sechler were cruelly murdered by ye Savages
in 1756, ye site of Ye Old Fort Everett, gar-
risoned by Captain Wetherhold in ye French
and Indian War, ye site of ye old Moravian
Church and burying ground and ye grave of
ye patriot Frederick Leaser.
Mine Host Miller will then serve ye com-
pany with a bountiful chicken and waffle
repast. Ye return trip will be through ye
Leather Corner Post, Claussville, Guthsville
and ye Wennersville pike. One Spanish milled
dollar will be collected from each participant.
Ye fortunrte persons who are possessed of
ye automobiles are kindly requested to aid ye
harassed Secretary in transporting ye members
to ye scene of action for which ye Muse of
History will give thanks and praise. You are
cordially invited to participate.
CHAS. R. ROBERTS,
GEO T. ETTINGER, Secretary.
President.
701
D
GENEALOGICAL NOTES AND QUERIES
We will insert in tliis department under "Research Problems" investigators'
requests for data, with whom those able to answer will on request be placed in
communication. Ask for particulars.
Kern Immigrants to Pennsylvania Between
1727 and 1776
Compiled by Josiah Quincy Kern, 1825 F.
Street, N. W., Washington, D. C.
Mr. J. Q. Kern aims to work up an inter-
est in the Kern genealogy and is gathering
data with a view to publication some day.
Readers with Kern blood in their veins will
do well to enter into correspondence with
genial Judge Kern. — Editor.
Names Dates of arrival Ages
Nicolaus Kern — Oct. 2, 1727.
Abraham Kern — -Sept. 21, 1731 — 23.
Johannes Kern— Sept. 21, 1731 — under 16.
Katherina Kern — Sept. 21, 1731 — 22.
Elizabeth Kern — Sept. 21, 1731 — 55.
Nicolaus Carn — Sept. 21, 1732 — 39.
Magdalena Carn— Sept. 21, 1732—45.
Margaret Karn — Sept. 21, 1732 — child.
Ulrich Wilhelm Kern — Sept 21, 1732 — under 16
George Carne — Oct. 11, 1732 — 25.
Verena Kern — May 29, 1735 — 30.
Carl Kern— Sept. 1, 1736 — 30.
Johan Thomas Kern — Aug. 30, 1737 — 36.
George Kern — Sept. 24, 1737.
George Kern — Sept. 20, 1738 — 38.
Conrad Kern — Oct. 25, 1738.
Jacob Kern — Oct. 30, 1738 — 18.
Hans Jacob Kern — Feb. 7, 1739 — 20.
Peter Kern — Sept. 3, 1739.
Adrm Carn — Sept. 23, 1741 — 26.
Johan Simon Kern — Oct. 7, 1743 — 25.
Leonhardt Kern — Oct. 7, 1743 — 24.
Mattheis Kern — Oct. 13, 1747.
Henrich Kern — Oct. 13, 1747.
Carl Baltus Kern— Sept. 25, 1748—18.
Jacob Kern— Sept. 9, 1749.
Hans Kern — Sept. ir, 1749.
Valentine Kern — Sept. 13, 1749.
Lndwig Kern — Sept. 27, 1749.
Hans George Kern — Oct. 17, 1749.
Johan Adam Kern — Aug. 15, 1750.
Matheus Kern — Sept. 25, 1751.
George Michael Kern — Oct. 16, 1751.
Frederick Kern — Oct. 23, 1752.
George Adam Kern— Oct. 23, 1752.
Jacob Kern — Sept. 30, 1754.
Matheus Kern — Sept. 30, 1754.
Conrad Kern— Oct. 1, 1754.
Johr.n Henrich Kerne — Sept. 22,, 1766.
Jacob Kern — Oct. 13, 1766.
John Karn — Oct. 1, 1773.
Research Work and Workers
From a reader : "A few days ago, a woman
came to my house, as agent for various wares
and trinkets. She was quite well schooled and
remarked that as a widow with a family she
had to do something and so was canvassing.
She has ample education and intelligence to
examine city and county records here, lists of
deeds, wills, mortgages, births, deaths, mar-
riages, pollbooks of voters, etc., etc., unaided.
No doubt such a widow may be found in every
county seat in America. Did we but know it
a letter to such a one asking for search might
often reveal names, at least give us a clue
which experts could follow, and all at small
costs, relatively speaking. How can we find
such persons and enroll them?"
I shall be very glad to enroll all who apply
or are recommended for such work for the
use of our subscribers, and put students of
family history in communication with them.
If you can do such work, or know of those
who can and will, send names and addresses
and state the district covered. — Editor.
Genealogical Record of the Wunderlich
Family
Charles Albert Cornman has in forty years
written thousands of letters and deciphered
and translated hundreds of old documents to
prepare the family records of the decendants
of Johannes and Daniel Wunderlich recently
issued under the above heading. No attempt
has been made to give any biographical
sketches, the work being purely a genealogical
record. The book is well-arranged, well-
indexed, well printed and deserves to be well
patronized. There are only a few copies left
which will be sold at Five Dollars each.
A Carpenter Inquiry
A subscriber, Columbus, Ohio, writes: "My
grandfather, Dr. Paul Carpenter, was born in
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1S10 and moved to
Lancaster, Ohio, in 1829. No doubt 1 could
trace this part of the family if I knew of
some Carpenter to write to on the subject."
Who can supply the "missing link" to enable
our correspondent to establish his connection
with the Lancaster Carpenters?
702
Till'; PENNSYLVANIA (ittK.MAN
V Genealogical "Bevietr of Reviews"
A correspondent writes as follows:
"It seems to me worth while to have an
organ which shall be a 'Genealogical Index'
or Genealogical Review of Reviews to cover
the whole field of biographical and genea-
logical publications in the world and sum-
marize it in articles and condensations and
indexes from issue to issue, — say 4 times a
year at least. Would not such a periodical be
of great value to any given field, say that of
the Penna.-German?"
To this we replied: "Such a review "would
be most excellent, most expensive and most
unpopular with the masses. I am afraid there
would not be enough specialists to meet the
necessary expense in connection therewith."
We would be very glad to hear from our
specialists in genealogy on the subject. Is
there enough pluck in Pennsylvania German
stock to organize and conduct a review as
suggested ? — Editor.
A "Schall" Research
Mrs. A. P. Johnson, Buntyn, Tenn., is hunt-
ing "missing links,' the parents of her great
grandfather, Capt. George Schall of Pennsyl-
vania. She feels as if chasing "Will 'o the
Wisps."
DI
THE FORUM
The P-G Open Parliament, Question-Box and Clipping Bureau — Communications Invited
ID
For Sale
A complete set of The Pennsylvania-Ger-
man. For particulars apply to
Albert K. Hostetter,
Lancaster, Pa.
A complete set of The Pennsylvania-Ger-
man, elegantly and substantially bound. For
particulars apply to
Ethan A. Weaver,
Germantown, Pa.
Correction of Error
In October issue, page 596, 1st column, line
30, read houses for horses; page 600, 1st col-
umn, line 31, read food for feed.
MEANING OF NAMES
By Leonhard Felix Fuld, LL. M., Ph. D.
[Editorial Note. — Dr. Fuld has kindly con-
sented to give a brief account of the deriva-
tion and meaning of the surname of any
reader who sends twenty-live cents to the
Editor for that purpose.]
78. CRAIG
The surname CRAIG denotes one who lives
among the crags or in a rocky region. It is
derived from the Gaelic word CRAIG mean-
ing a rough steep rock or point.
In a very few cases the surname CRAIG is
of Germanic origin, being derived from the
German KRAGEX meaning the neck. In
these cases it denotes a well-built or more
especially a proud man. This meaning how-
ever is extremely rare.
A Trio of Pennsj Iranians in Kansas
Judge Ruppenthal sent clippings respecting
three Pennsylvanians in Kansas:
Martin C. Walter, born near Harrisburg,
Pa., 1833, a Civil War veteran and highly
respected citizen, died at Salina, Kansas, Sept.
25, IQII.
Levi B. Burger, born in Snyder County, Pa.,
died at Vesper, Kansas, Aug. 30, aged 70
years, also a Civil War veteran.
H. L. Baum, of Watson, Kansas, celebrated
with others the golden wedding of his par-
ents, Kittanning, Pa., Aug. 24.
Examples of the ubiquitous "Dutchman."
The Peiina.-Germans, Hessians?
A reader in New Mexico writes :
I have heard the statement made, I think by
Prof. that the Penna.-Dutch were de-
scendants of the Hessians. I want to combat
the statement."
This reply was given :
Germans came to Pennsylvania almost a
century before the Hessian hirelings fought
against American liberty. Many Germans
came after the Hessian service. Of the Hes-
sians many were killed, many returned, while
some remained to be incorporated in the great
body of Germans. To say that all Penna.-
Germans were of this Hessian stock is too
ridiculous to merit a reply. The best, it seems
to me would be to call a person making such
charges a "prevaricator" and demand docu-
mentary proof. The evidence is all against
such statement.
People have come to Lititz and talked the
same nonsense. If such a remark is made in
your presence, deny at once and demand the
proof.
THE FORUM
703
Well Established Facts, Few
I have no desire to join in the controversy
about the prevalence of the Bible in the later
Middle Age. Such discussions have however
an important use. For while they do not
often change a man's creed they usually modi-
by his opinions. Still there have been some
noteworthy exceptions. Among Englishmen
J. H. Newman and F. W. Faber are the best
known. The creed of only very few persons
is the result of careful and painstaking study.
It is usually the product of conditions that
precede deliberate examination and the weigh-
ing of evidence. Not many men are willing,
in mature life, to admit thtt they have hither-
to held erroneous beliefs. Usually it is more
consoling as it is aways less laborious to hold
long cherished opinions than to take the
trouble to examine the evidence on which they,
are based. A number of years ago a friend
of mine said he did not want to read books
that advocated the current evolutionary
theories lest they might undermine his relig-
ious faith. So many problems are constantly
confronting us which we must solve in some
way that few of us have the time to review
such as can never be finally settled. I think
no Roman Catholic will deny that his church
does not look with favor on the universal
dissemination of the Bible without note or
comment. Whether this is wise or otherwise
is a different question. On the other hand
Protestants have translated the Book into all
known languages and into many dialests and
are actively engaged in disseminating it. 1
do not think this statement will be denied by
either party, and it ought to shed a good deal
of light on the historical attitude of the con-
troversialists. Everybody who has had any
experience in writing history or biography
knows that it is absolutely impossible to
ascertain the whole truth. The evidence is
almost always conflicting. When this is not
more or less the case there arises often the
suspicion of collusion. Not long ago I had
occasion to make inquiry about the moral
character of one of my acquaintances. Some
of his neighbors certified that it was good
while others declared that they would ot be-
lieve him under oath. Both parties judged
the man from their own point of view and in
the light of their personal experience. While
he has no open vices, there is not much room
for doubt that he is a bad man.
For nearly two thousand years almost
everybody woh could read and many who
could not, believed that there was such a per-
son as Jesus. Now comes a certain German
professor named Drews with the overwhelm-
ing evidence, as he declares, that there never
was a Jesus Christ ; hence all that has been
written about him is based on a myth. And
he has made not a few converts. For more
than a century past many men have written
a life of Napoleon. The work is still going
on and will probably never be brought to an
end. How many controversies were raised by
our late civil war! Yet it is only a generation
behind us. Well established historical facts
are few in number. Many great world-
movements are well authenticated. But when
we undertake to determine just how much
was contributed by each individual we have
before us a problem which no man can solve.
C. W. Super.
Memory Day
St. Johns, Michigan, Nov. 4, [911.
Editor H. W. Kriebel,
Dear Sir.
The copies of the October issue of the
"Pennsylvania-German" are gratefully re-
ceived and the good "setting" given to the
subject and poem, of "Memory Day" is ap-
preciated, and 1 fully believe, thereby much
good will result.
It occurs to me, that it might be helpful, if
you would state, that copies of the "Memory
Day" Hymn — with words and music — will be
sent, by miyself, to those asking for them, and
desiring to use them to aid the observance of
"Memory Day." They will be sent without
cost to the recipients. I shall never sell them.
Efforts will be made to have the churches of
Michigan observe the Sabbath next preceed-
ing "Memory Day," as a tribute to those of
their number who have passed from earth. It
will seem to be well if churches in Pennsyl-
vania, and in other states, would adopt the
same plan, on the same Sabbath. Why not
advocate this in "The Pennsylvania-German."
J. T. Daniels.
The Kutztown >*ormal in Fiction
Mrs. Helen R. Martin, author of "Tillie,
the Mennonite Maid," and other books pur-
porting to be studies of Pennsylvania-German
life and manners, is writing a new novel
which is running as a serial in "Smith's
Magazine." The first instalment occurs in the
issue of that periodical for November. The
title of the story is "The Fighting Doctor."
The scene of the first chapters is laid princi-
pally in Lebanon County, but the story should
be of unusual interest to readers of fiction
hereabouts, inasumch as the heroine is a grad-
uate of "the Kutztown Normal school" Sev-
eral years ago a strange lady visited our Nor-
mal school, carefully preserving her incognito.
It is now surmised by some that the strange
lady was Mrs. Martin intent on making studies
for the local color in the novel which is now
beginning to appear.— Kittctown Patriot.
"Better Than Ever*
I am glad to see the Penna.-Germatt "better
than ever" in each successive issue.
A Western Subscriber.
November 6, 191 1.
704
Sty? ftetm0gluatua-0krmatt
(Founded by Rev. Dr. P. C. Croll, 1900.)
H. W. KRIEBEL, Editor and Publisher
Associate Editors — Rev. Georg Von Bojse, Philadelphia, Pa.; Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N. J«
THE EXPRESS PRINTING CO. Printers
LITITZ, PENNA.
Advisory Editorial Board : — I. H. Betz, M. D, York, Pa. ; Lucy Forney Bittinger, Sewickley,
Pa. ; A. Y. Casanova, Washington, D. C. ; Rev. P. C. Croll, D. D., Beardstown, 111. ; Prof.
G. T. Ettinger, Allentown, Pa.; Prof. Oscar Kuhns, Middletown, Conn.; Daniel Miller,
Reading, Pa.; Gen. John E. Roller, Harrisonburg, Va. ; Prof. L. S. Shimmel, Harrisburg,
Pa. ; Rev. A. C. Wuchter, Paulding, Ohio.
Rev. Dr. Hentz's Article
We consider ourselves most fortunate
to have the privilege of reprinting Dr.
Hentz's paper on the Pennsylvania-Ger-
mans in Montgomery County, Ohio,
which appeared originally in the Day-
ton, Ohio, Journal of October 22.
We hope the good Doctor will favor us
with other articles later on. There must
be many such interesting papers in
embryo somewhere. The history has
been acted. There must be men to record
it for our readers. Let us have sugges-
tions, brothers and sisters.
Bills Sent Out
We expect to send out bills before the
December issue is sent out. Please
attend to the same at once. Two Dollars
to you may be a trifle; the withholding
thereof is to us a very serious matter.
Money makes magazines move. If we
had more ready cash we would jog up
our good printer and make him hustle
along so as to get the magazine out on
time. Send in your subscriptions at once
and watch the printer jump.
Solly Hulsbuck Breaks Loose Again
Solly Hulsbuck is ready to issue a new
book of Penna. -German stories, prose
and poetry of over 200 pages at $1.50.
"A sure cure for the blues." You ought
to get this book. Send me your order.
Solly asks us, "Farwos kumsht net 'mol
doh ruf?" to which we can only reply,
"Ich hab mei Nas uf em Schleifsten! ich
kan net geh. 'Hoffnung besserer
Zeiten.' "
Interest in the Magazine
We spent a few days recently with
subscribers in Easton, Allentown, and
Philadelphia, conferring as to best plans
for the future of our magazine. We
were very agreeably surprised at the
genuine interest taken in the welfare of
the magazine. A business man immersed
in rushing business enterprises without
any solicitation whatever on our part
volunteered to pay for ten subscriptions
at regular rates the coming year. He
took pleasure in saying this, I am sure.
A thousand of our subscribers could do
the same. Such a generous act on the
part of a thousand would put us on the
high road to prosperity and would not
impoverish the subscriber. Come to
think about it, you who read this could
do this — if you so decided. Will you?
Important Bibliography in Preparation
for Publication
We have recently made arrangements
with Mr. James Warrington, of Phila-
delphia, to begin in our January issue the
publication of a bibliogiaphy of Church
Music books printed in Pennsylvania,
with notes. Our readers can well flatter
themselves on the valuable contribution
thus secured for our pages.
Subscription Credits
The crediting of subscriptions in this
department is deferred. We will make
an announcement about the matter in our
next issue.
Vol. XII
DECEMBER, 1911
No. 12
Christmas among Pennsylvania Germans
The following article by the late Rev. Dr.
J. H. Dubhs appeared originally in the Pub-
lic Ledger, Philadelphia, Pa.
N the Fatherland the great
majority of Germans have
always attached great im-
portance to the observance
of Christmas. Before their
conversion to Christianity
the northern nations had
celebrated the festival of
Yule, marking the recurrence of the win-
ter solstice, decorating their homes with
•evergreen and preparing feasts at which
there were many guests. Appreciating
the beauty of the festival, the Christians
closely imitated it in the observance of
the birthday of the Lord. In subsequent
ages Christians maintained the two-fold
•character of a religious and domestic
festival. Sometimes, indeed, the church
had to interfere to keep the observance
within proper bounds ; but under all con-
ditions it remained a season of rejoicing.
In this respect the Reformation of the
1 6th century made no important change.
Some of Luther's best hymns were pre-
pared to be sung at Christmas, and there
is a well known picture representing the
■great Reformer and his family gathered
around the Christmas tree.
CUSTOMS OF FATHER! AND
"In Germany it had been usual to ex-
tend the celebration of Christmas over
three days. The first day of the season
was especially consecrated to the service
of the church ; the second and third were
more domestic and social. The evening
before Christmas — Christmas eve — was
largely devoted to the family ; but the
religious features of the festival were
never ignored. It was the season of gifts
and greetings ; in many homes it was the
children's hour as it is at present.
''The German pioneers brought with
them to Pennsylvania the customs of the
fatherland. On Christmas morning they
naturally went to church. To them it
would not have appeared to be a real
Christmas unless they had heard the
story of Bethlehem. Henry Melchior
Muhlenberg, the 'patriarch' of the Luth-
eran Church in this country, and Michael
Schlatter, the founder of the Reformed
coetus or Synod of Pennsylvania, never
failed to preach on the appointed lessons,
and whenever circumstances permitted
administered the communion on that day.
"After the services the members went
home and partook of a good dinner. On
the table there was, of course, a goose or
turkey, and a dish of delectable sauer-
kraut may also have graced the board.
At the feast every guest was welcome,
and the presence of the pastor was re-
garded as a special distinction. In the
evening there may have been a distribu-
tion of spruce beer, honey cakes and
home-made candy, with nuts and apples.
rut;
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
"There were a few lingering supersti-
tions, though we do not think the people
generally believed in them, but boys who
were persuaded to go to the stable at
midnight to behold the miracle were, no
doubt, disappointed not to find the cattle
kneeling in their stalls.
" 'Third Christmas' — that is, the third
day of the festival — was, we believe,
rarely celebrated in this country — the
people were, perhaps, too busy to devote
so much time to holidays. 'Second
Christmas' was, however, pretty general-
ly observed, though the observance was
not always creditable. Muhlenberg tells
us that, even in his day, it had fallen into
the hands of people who 'were at heart
heathen, though they called themselves
Christians.' He had met men, disguised
as clowns, riding along country roads
and shouting at the top of their voices.
At country taverns dances were held —
known as 'frolics' — and these often led
to great excesses. It is not surprising
that the ministers protested against such
rowdyism ; but many years passed before
the celebration of 'Second Christmas'
was generally discontinued.
REVIVAL OF INTEREST
"When the pioneers had passed away
the domestic observance of Christmas
was in many places neglected. Apart
from the fact that old traditions had
been forgotten, it should be remembered
that many English-speaking neighbors
were indifferent, if not hostile, to such
celebrations. That there came a revival
of interest was, we believe, largely due
to the Unitas Fratrum, or Moravians, a
religious body which, though small in
numbers, has exerted an influence which
cannot be too highly esteemed.
"Any reference to the Moravians re-
calls the name of Count Zinzendorf, one
of the noblest characters in the history
of the church. Frederick William I of
Prussia said, ''he was persecuted by his
contemporaries because he wished to live
piously though he was a Count." To
relate how he prepared a refuge for the
exiles of Moravia and Bohemia and
reorganized the Unitas Fratrum would
be beyond our purpose, nor is it neces-
sary to tell how under his hands there
grew up one of the greatest missionary
societies the world has even known. The
number of Moravian converts from
heathenism is at present said to be 95,-
000, and there are Moravian settlements
from Greenland to South Africa.
MORAVIAN EVANGELISTS
"To trace the story of Moravian evan-
gelistic efforts in the early history of
Pennsylvania would be an interesting
task. Apart from the Indian missions,
there must have been at least 50 preach-
ing points in the province ; but from
most of these the Moravians voluntarily
withdrew after the Reformed and Luth-
erans had effected a permanent organi-
zation. From about 1740 to 1748 they
were actively engaged in an effort to pro-
mote the union of all the German
churches ; but this well-meant movement
proved unsuccessful. Perhaps the semi-
communistic life which had come to pre-
vail in their settlements proved unattrac-
tive to outsiders.
"In a special sense the so-called Mora-
vian towns, Bethlehem, Nazareth and
Lititz — became centres of light and lead-
ing. Their schools were of a superior
order, and the school at Bethlehem was
famous for the higher education of
women. The instructors were men and
women of high culture, and some of them
were excellent poets. They composed
beautiful poetic services, or dialogues,
wheh were recited by the pupils, especial-
ly at Christmas. In everything which
they produced there was a spirit so ge-
nial and tender that to certain minds it
was exceedingly attractive ; and we have
known ministers and members of other
denominations to travel considerable dis-
tances to be present at the Christmas
festival at Bethlehem.
"To the children especially, it was an
occasion of unmixed delight. The Christ-
mas tree was, of course, universal ; but in
many a home it was surrounded by a
beautiful artificial landscape, known as
a 'Putz' or 'Krippe,' representing the
.sacred scenes of the Nativity. Gifts were
freely distributed in the church and
home. These were not generally ex-
CHRISTMAS AMONG PENNSYLVANIA GERMANS
707
pensive, for the people were not wealthy,
but they were recognized as genuine of-
ferings of affection.
PREPARATIONS FOR CHRISTMAS
"Long before Christmas, the 'Sisters'
had been busy preparing toys and orna-
ments, and many of these found their
way to the surrounding country, natural-
ly stimulating the celebration of the fes-
tivals. We recall a family whose home
— some 60 years ago — was 10 or 12 miles
from Bethlehem. These people were not
Moravians, but in their celebration of
the holiday they followed them closely.
Every year, a few weeks before Christ-
mas, the father made a trip to Bethlehem
to procure the ornaments most necessary
for decoration ; and, indeed, it was from
the Moravians that the mother had
learned how to make a 'Putz.' The chil-
dren were never told that Santa Claus
came down the chimney — the parents
were too strict in their ideas of truthful-
ness to deceive them even in such a mat-
ter. They were informed that all such
stories were 'make-believe,' and that all
gifts which they received were provided
by members of the family. With this
proviso they were told the 'Kriskingle'
(Christkindlein) myths, as well as a vast
number of stories about gnomes and
fairies ; and though they never supposed
them to relate actual facts, their childish
imaginations were so vivid that for the
moment everything was real.
"They always hung up their stockings
on the night before Christmas and re-
joiced as heartily when they received
their gifts as if they had actually believed
that they had come down the chimney.
For some days the children were ex-
cluded from the room in which their
mother prepared the 'Putz,' and when at
last they were admitted their admiration
knew no bounds. There was the Christ-
mas tree, of course, with its burning
tapers, and gilded decorations; but there
was also what seemd to be a landscape,
with hills of moss and lakes of glass.
There were the shepherds with their
sheep, and in a cave the Holy Family
gathered around the new-born child.
Cakes there were in abundance, molded
in curious forms, and a whole Noah's
ark of animals made of pure, transparent
candy.
"The gifts were as simple as can well
be imagined — a toy or a new garment
was amply sufficient. We remember that
a certain little boy was surprised and de-
lighted to receive a new spelling book,
which happened to be a duplicate of one
already in his possession. It seemed to
him a piece of unwarranted extravagance
and he exclaimed, 'Why, the old one
isn't worn out yet.'
HORSEPLAY AT CHRISTMAS
"There was some horseplay on Christ-
mas Eve among the young folks of the
neighborhoods, and once in a while 'Bels-
nickel' — curiously disguised and beaiing
a bundle of rods to whip bad boys —
came knocking at the door. It was, of
course, not everywhere that his visits
were cordially received."
708
Christmas Eve at Bethlehem, Pa.
By Harriet Washburn Stewart
O
in d
^
F all the days the round year
through, none ever seems
quite so desolate to the
solitary who are not "set in
families" as Christmas
Day. We were feeling it
more than usual with the
dear "aul folk" sojourning
across the continent, and neither brother
nor sister, chick nor child to help us make
the season a true holiday. A sudden in-
spiration seized me. "Let's go to Bethle-
hem," I cried. "The magazines are full
of beautiful stories of the Moravians'
Christmas. If we hurry we can catch
the noon train. And catch the noon train
we did, flushed with haste of preparation
and pleasantly conscious of forming a
part of the holiday throng which was
hurrying ferryward, "going back home"
for the Christmas reunion.
Three hours of travel through flat, un-
interesting country gave us time to read
up on the Moravians and their early set-
tlement of the picturesque town toward
which our faces were turned.
It was already the appointed hour for
the children's "lovefeast," but as we
turned the first corner of the steep climb
leading to the church which crowns the
hill upon the residence side of the river,
we instinctively paused to admire the
venerable ivy-clad building now used as
a Young Ladies' Seminary, but once
known as the Brethren's House, and oc-
cupied for many years by the unmarried
Brethren as their common dwelling. A
plain tablet in the center of this building
told us that it had been used for a time
as a general hospital for the soldiers of
the Revolution, thus linking the history
of the pioneer community with that of
the strange, free land to which they had
pledged their prayerful allegiance.
THE CHILDREN'S HOUR OF SYMBOLIC
FESTIVAL
A burst of melody from within the
church spurred our lagging footsteps.
The children were assembled in the body
of the spacious interior, parents and
friends being banished to the wall pews
during this, the "children's hour." The
almost virgin forests round about the
town had yielded up their choicest treas-
ures for the Christmas celebration. The
great church was literally lined with
magnificent specimens of the balsam fir
tree, whole groups of which filled the
pulpit, and stood guard within the altar
rail, saturating the atmosphere with their
aromatic fragrance. A large painting of
the Nativity, which occupied its present
position only during each Christmas
season, covered the arch in the rear of
the pulpit. The rocky roof, the rude
implement of toil, the manger bed upon
the canvas were wonderfully true in per-
spective, and made the gracious figure of
the Virgin Mother seem a very real and
radiant presence, as she sat in the lowly
chamber with the Babe in her arms and
the village children pressing eagerly,
wonderingly, about her knees.
As we entered the wide open door, the
deep-toned organ, orchestra and choir of
fifty splendidly trained voices pealed
forth together in an exultant German
anthem. The doors at each side were
thrown open and the sacristans, men and
women, entered in procession, six on
each side — the women wearing black
gowns and dainty white lace caps and
aprons. They bore trays filled with
small, white mugs of fragrant coffee and
baskets heaped with buns. Each child
was served with a peculiar gentleness
and care which invested the simple ser-
vice with all the dignity of a sacred rite,
and during all of the time of distribution
the children's spirited singing of hymns
appropriate to the occasion continued,
led by the choir so remarkable in musical
circles throughout the country for its
rendition of Bach compositions. When
all were served, the minister raised his
cup as a signal for partaking together of
CHRISTMAS EVE AT BETHLEHEM
709
the symbolic feast. Gathering the empty
mugs, the sacristans withdrew only to
return with their trays loaded with
lighted wax tapers set in tiny cups of
frilled, multi-colored paper. These were
reverently placed in the hundreds of out-
stretched, childish hands, which held
them steadily as the youthful congrega-
tion rose to join the choir in the trium-
phant ''Amen, Hallelujah" which con-
cluded the service.
It is impossible to describe the simple,
unpretentious earnestness which charac-
terized the entire service. There was the
ideal Christian fellowship embodied in
the feast shared by all in common, irre-
spective of class or rank ; and the in-
spiration of the twinkling star shining in
each little hand to typify that "light of
the world" whose coming was so joy-
ously acclaimed. Surely the lessons of
that hour will never be forgotten !
THE VIGILS OF CHRISTMAS EVE
At six o'clock the Christmas Eve
Vigils were observed, no longer as at
that first solemn service of the pioneer
Brethren, within the humble cattle shed.
But the simple faith from which their
forefathers drew strength for the cares
and burdens of life still directs the quiet,
fervent service of today. The pastor of
the Moravian flock, a man yet young in
years, read the lessons and prayer to a
reverent company of twelve hundred at
least, who filled every seat in the spacious
edifice, with scarcely a "stranger within
the gates." With this exception, the en-
tire service consisted of the singing of
jubilant hymns of praise by the congre-
gation, alternating with chorals rendered
by the choir and a soprano solo sung by
a little boy of seraphic voice and mien.
As in the afternoon, the sacristans,
serene and orderly, distributed lighted
wax candles to the host of happy smiling
children, who received them as they
sang:
"Praise the Lord, whose saving splendor
Shines into the darkest night!
O, what praises shall we render,
For this never-ceasing light?"
Never did the printed word seem so
poor a vehicle for conveying impressions
as at this moment, as the scene of that
hour is so vividly recalled. The severe,
classic outlines of the magnificent inter-
ior, walls and ceiling alike finished in
shades of delicate ivory which formed a
gleaming background for the living green
of the luxuriant fir trees ; the silent,
listening, worshipping multitude; the
full, rich tones of the orchestral accom-
paniment; the ranks of children, filling
the body of the church from the front
pew to the rear, rising in regular steps
from the rows of chubby four-year-olds
to the lads and lasses of fifteen and six-
teen— attentive, earnest, each intent upon
his own brightly glowing flame, as his
voice pealed forth in high and joyous
strains, "Oh, what praises shall we
render!" And over all, smiling down
upon the little ones of this later day, the
beautiful, benignant presence of the
Mary of two thousand years ago, with
her ' own Holy Child clasped to her
breast. Wherever the Christmas Eve of
coming years may find us wandering,
the memory of that solemn vigil service
with the Moravians of Bethlehem will
never grow dim.
During the singing of the closing
hymn I had whispered, "I do wish we
might see a Christmas putz while we are
here." If I were the fortunate possessor
of a veritable Aladdin's lamp, and had
given it my most vigorous rub, the genii
could not sooner have appeared to make
my wish come true. At the conclusion
of the service a most courteous elderly
gentleman addressed us, saying: "My
daughter and I overheard your whis-
pered wish. She is the minister's wife
and the parsonage is just across the
street. We think our putz bears favor-
able with any here in Bethlehem. Will
you not come and enjoy it with our chil-
dren?"
It was an invitation which we required
no urging to accept, and we were soon
the cordially welcomed guests of the
"manse," where a model putz was spread
" out before our wondering and admiring
view. The idea, brought from Germany
710
Til E PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
by the Moravians, is really a miniature
landscape arranged below the Christmas
tree common to all Christendom, and is
developed according to the taste, inge-
nuity— and purse — of the family. In the
center of the large living-room, under the
protecting branches of the noble fir tree
hung with its mysterious Christmas fruit,
was the Nativity scene arranged with
strictest fidelity to familiar detail. Radi-
ating from this central point of interest
— north, south, east and west — with re-
markable accuracy as to relative location,
were roads leading to all the countries of
the world. Here Fujiyama reared its
snowy peak, with almond-eyed "Japs,"
clad in their own native costume, hurry-
ing about their customary occupations, at
her base ; coolies industriously dragged
fair ladies in jinrikishas, while gay
kimmono-ed geisha girls busily served
tea in a typical bamboo tea-house. Over
yonder Fiji Islanders went canoeing in
abbreviated skirts, spearing fish most
realistically; while "Greenland's icy
mountains" held their own lofty north-
east corner against "Afric's sunny foun-
tain," which divided honors with "India's
coral strand," promenaded by stately
turbaned Brahmans. The fountain was
a "really, truly one," although it was
disposed to trickle, rather than "roll
down its golden sands." It was, how-
ever, a brilliant success, and the chief
source of delight to the four-year-old
youngster, whose time was strictly de-
voted to poking a dilatory duck which
would insist upon getting stuck in the
drain pipe during each circular swim in
the fountain basin. In another direction
the Stars and Stripes floated victoriously,
as ever, above the "land of the free and
the home of the brave;" while just across
the foot- wide Atlantic, burly Englishmen
and stolid Germans tilled their soil in
amicable proximity, gathering their hay
into noble cocks quite three inches high.
It was a most elaborate reproduction,
covering half of the floor of the large
room, of this big world of ours, repre-
senting a considerable expenditure of
money as the accumulation was added to
year after year, and much more of time
and labor. \ alleys and mountains, riv-
ers and lakes, houses and horses, men
and cattle, even a baby railroad with its
speeding train, and a sawmill operated
by water power, added to the reality of
the mimic scene. Tiny electric bulbs,
concealed everywhere, shone alike upon
the just and the unjust, shedding their
beams impartially upon Hottentot and
potentate.
The whole display afforded much of
interest to the privileged strangers per-
mitted to inspect it, but made one long
to be a child again — and a Moravian
child at that. Called into anxious con-
sultation by the wee volunteer duck-
herd, I felt all the pride of achievement
when I had rescued from a watery grave
that lone and obstinate duck who in-
sisted upon standing on his tiny wooden
head in the sparkling Indian fountain.
Above this huge map of the world,
worked out so painstakingly and with
such loving care, blazed a great star of
electricity, ever telling its silent story of
the purpose of the day's celebration.
That gleaming star, its beams penetrat-
ing from above the manger of Bethlehem
to every corner of the miniature world,
serves as a powerful object lesson to gen-
erations of the children of Moravian
households. That the Christ-child came
to bring light to the world is the text
which runs — a golden thread through
children's lovefeast, congregation's vigil
service and the Christmas putz in the
sanctuary of home.
The observant visitor in Bethlehem, at
whatever season, and however much in-
terested by the many curious customs of
the place, takes away with him one over-
mastering conviction. The deep religious
spirit of the people, their sublime, un-
swerving faith, their devout adherence
to the religious forms of their ancestors
— these are a truly refreshing oasis in
the desert of this material age. One
cannot well look back upon even a brief
sojourn with the Moravians of Bethle-
hem without the assurance that "the
beauty of the Lord their God is indeed
upon them." — Christian Advocate\
711
St. Luke's Church, Nockamixon, Pa.
By John A. Ruth, Bethlehem, Pa.
ERMAN immigrants began
to locate in Nockamixon
Township, Bucks County,
Pennsylvania, about 1740.
It must have required no
small amount of courage to
settle in this region of
swamps and rocks, where
so much labor was required to clear a
farm. Cheapness of land probably lured
some to this section, and the Germans
were not afraid of hard work. During
the twenty years following 1740 there
was no house of worship in the township.
The nearest churches were Lower Tini-
cum, Tohickon.and Keller's Church, each
a number of miles southward. At
Springfield, about five miles northwest,
there was a log church as early as 1747.
Old Williams Township and Saucon
were many miles distant northward. If
religious services were held in the town-
ship during these years, they must have
been held in the log cabins of the
settlers' itinerant preachers.
Among these settlers were a number of
families of Lutherans and Reformed. In
the year 1761 the Lutherans organized a
congregation, purchased a tract of land
from Michael Messer, and erected there-
on a small log church. It was located
on, or quite near the present site of
Centre Hill school-house, near the vil-
lage of Ferndale. A former resident of
this locality says : "The old log church
near Centre Hill school-house stood
while my grandfather remembered it,
and not many years ago some bones were
exhumed by the supervisor liyhile digging
up ground for repairing the road nearby.
The old graveyard was about fifty yards
east or northeast from the school-house."
Strife and contention soon assailed this
new congregation, and Joseph Insley,
Peter Shepherd and Jacob Looker were,
appointed arbitrators to settle the dis-
putes that had arisen. We are accustomed
to regard arbitration as a modern way of
settling differences, but here is a case
somewhat older than our nation itself.
The arbitrators w ere men of influence
in the community. Joseph Insley was
for some years an innkeeper, and the
captain of a company of rangers in the
French and Indian War. Peter Shep-
herd was the representative of this dis-
trict in the Provincial Assembly from
1764 to 1773. Of Jacob Booker we have
no further record. The oldest document
thus far discovered among the church
records is the report of this board of
arbitrators, which is written in English.
For many years after this all the records
are written in German. It reads as fol-
lows :
"To all whom these presents shall
come : — We, Joseph Insley, Peter Shep-
herd, and Jacob Booker, of the county
of Bucks and Province of Pennsylvania
do send greeting. Whereas there are
several accounts depending, and divers
controversies have arisen, between
Michael Messer of Nockamixon town-
ship, in the county and province afore-
said on the one part, and Harman
Youngham, Henry Frankentield, Peter
Hanie, Frederick Eberhard and Chris-
tian Trauger, all of Nockamixon town-
ship, in the said county and province
aforesaid, of the other part, and whereas
to putting an end to said differences, they
the said Michael Messer, and Harman
Youngham, Henry Frankentield. Peter
Hanie, Frederick Eberhard and Christian
Trauger by their several bonds or obli-
gations bearing date the 28th day of May
last past, are become bound each to the
other in the penal sum of four hundred
pounds to stand, to abide, perform and
keep the award, order and final determi-
nation of us the said Joseph Insley. Peter
Shepherd, and Jacob Booker, or any two
of us, so as the said award be made in
writing, and ready to be delivered to the
said parties in difference on or before
the tenth day of June next as by the said
712
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
obligations and conditions thereof may
appear.
"Now know ye that we the said arbi-
trators whose names are hereunto sub-
scribed and seals affixed, taking upon us
the burden of the said award, and hav-
ing fully examined and duly considered
the proofs and allegations of the said
parties, do make and publish this our
award between the said parties in manner
following :
"That is to say we do award and order
that all actions, suits, quarrels and con-
troversies whatsoever had moved, arisen,
and depending between the said parties
in law or equity for any manner of
cause whatever touching their congre-
gation and church to the day of the date
hereof shall cease and be no further
prosecuted, and that the said Michael
Messer shall pay and bear all charges
and costs in anywise relating to the dis-
putes and differences in behalf and con-
cerning their church, except the expense
at Joseph Insley's, amounting to about
one pound, which Harman Youngham,
Henry Frankenfield, Peter Hanie, Fred-
erick Eberhard and Christian Trauger
shall pay, and be equally divided between
them.
"And we do also award and order that
the said Michael Messer and his party
shall have privilege of the church now
in dispute between the said parties to
employ any Lutheran minister to preach
every other Sunday in the said meeting
house without any hindrance or disturb-
ance of the said Harman Youngham,
Henry Frankenfield, Peter Hanie, Fred-
erick Eberhard, and Christian Trauger
or their parties.
"We do further award and order that
the said Tlarman Youngham, Henry
Frankenfield, Peter Hanie, Frederick
Eberhard and Christian Trauger and
their party shall also have privilege of
the said church now in dispute to employ
or hire any Lutheran minister to preach
every other Sunday in said meeting
house or church without any hindrance
or disturbance of the said Michael Mes-
ser or his party.
"And to prevent other disputes we do*
order that the largest party shall have:
the first Sunday, and then keep every
other Sunday as aforesaid until the two-
parties agree and be as one party, and
any of the two parties shall have the
privilege of employing or hiring a min-
ister to preach to them in the said church
any other day in the week, without any
hindrance from the other party, and if
both parties employ each a minister to
preach in one day, or at one time, to
prevent disputes, the party that first
published that meeting to be at such a
time shall not be disturbed .or hindered
of their sermon or meeting by the other
party for that day.
"And we do so award and order that
the said Michael Messer or his heirs
shall deliver or cause to be delivered to<
the said Lutheran congregation and
church, for the use of the church for both
parties in due form of law, a good and
lawful deed for the half acre of land
where the church now standeth, accord-
ing to an agreement which by an instru-
ment of writing shall appear bearing date
the 20th day of August in the year 1761."
"In witness whereof we have hereunto
set our hands and seals this the second
day of June, One Thousand Seven Hun-
dred and sixty four. 1764.
(Seal.)
"Peter Shepherd. (Seal)
his
"Jacob B. Booker. (Seal)
mark"
During the summer of 1766 the con-
gregation sent out its first call for a
pastor to Rev. John Michael Enderlein,
"Von der Doheck." Rev. Enderlein, who
was also pastor at Keller's Church, and
at Springfield, accepted the call, and be-
gan his pastoral work. He started a
church record. His first baptism was
that of Johan Friederich, son of Michael
and Anna Barbara Krause, born August
12, 1766, baptized September 16, 1766.
The first church officers of whom we
have any record were Christian Trauger
and Frederick Eberhard, deacons. The
discordant elements in the congregation
became united, and on October 23, 1766,
ST. LUJCE'S CHURCH, NOCKAMIXON, PA.
713-
an agreement was drawn up and signed,
of which the following is a translation :
"In the name of the Holy Trinity, God
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
I. We the undersigned have made an
agreement with Michael Messer that he
shall deliver to us the church, and that
it shall remain where it now is.
II. The whole congregation shall bind
themselves to each other in the sum of
^ive Pounds, that whoever begins a
quarrel shall pay the above Five Pounds
into the treasury of the church.
III. The entire congregation shall
assist in putting the church in order.
IV. Herman Yungheim shall have no
authority to hire or to dismiss a pastor.
The church however is not forbidden to
him. He can attend services at any time.
V. Should anyone begin a quarrel,
the congregation shall stand aloof, and
let them fight it out by themselves.
VI. Neither Michael Messer or his
heirs shall have any further claim upon
the church or on the ground on which it
is located.
VII. Michael Messer agrees that as
soon as he secures a deed, or can secure
one, he is in duty bound to give one to
the congregation, and they are in duty
bound to pay for the same.
"Michael Messer."
The names of the entire congregation :
Johannes Henerich.
Jacob E .
Johann Henrich Frankenfeld.
Peter Michel.
Christian Trager.
Jacob Schick.
Johannes Schick.
Friederich Eberhard.
Kalb.
Jacob Ruff.
"riederich Mass.
And two oher names which cannot be
deciphered.
One of the reasons for the strife which
so distracted this congregation was the
failure of Michael Messer to give a deed
for the ground on which the church
stood. This he was unablejo do at this
time, for he was still an alien, and did
not hold a clear title to the original tract
of which the church property was a part.
From Penna. Archives, Sec. II, Vol. 2,
we learn that he was naturalized in Sep-
tember, 1769. It is probable that he died
soon after this date, for we find no
further record of him.
Rev. John Michael Enderlein, the first
pastor at Nockamixon, was born in
Bavaria in 1726, and educated in the
University at Leipsic. He was ordained
in Germany in 1751. The first record we
have of him in America is his marriage
to Anna Barbara Pfeiffer, November 10,
1760, in St. Michael and Zion Lutheran
Church, Philadelphia. She died Febru-
ary 15, 1782. Rev. Enderlein preached
at Keller's Church and Nockamixon
from 1766 to 1770, and at Springfield
from 1763 to 1770. He then went to
what is now Dauphin County, Pennsyl-
vania. On October 6, 1773, he took up
several hundred acres of land in Lykens
Valley. In 1778 he had to leave his
Lome on account of dangers from the
Indians. Of the congregations served by
him in this section we have the names of
Hummelstown, Maytown, Himmels or
Sclnvaben Creek, Raus, Wirts, Fetter-
hoffs, Botschafers, and Hassingers. His
name appears among the ministers who
signed the constitution of the Ministeri-
um of Pennsylvania in 1781. He died of
paralysis March 6, 1800, aged 74 years.
The pastor who followed Rev. Ender-
lein has left no record of his name, and
a somewhat unsatisfactory church
record. This unknown pastor was fol-
lowed by Rev. Jacob S. Miller who was
pastor for several years following 1773.
His successor was Rev. Frederick Wil-
liam De Sanno, who left about 1789. He
was a son of Charles Frederick De San-
no. who came from France and was a
Revolutionary soldier. Rev. De Sanno
was pastor of the First Lutheran Church
at Carlisle, Pa., from about 1800 to 1814,
the end of his pastoral work. The Nock-
amixon records show the baneful effect
of the Revolutionary War upon church
work in general, a state of affairs which
lasted for some years.
714
THIO PENNSYLVANIA CKK.MAN
Rev. Peter Ahl was pastor from 1789
to 1/93- In 1793 and 1794 money was
collected and paid to Rev. Anthony
Hecht, who was also pastor at Keller's
Church. He died December 29, 1794, at
the early age of 31 years, 3 months and
23 days and was buried at Keller's
Church. It is said that his corpse was
carried from his residence to the place
of burial by twelve men, a distance of
two and a half miles.
Rev. John Conrad Yeager was pastor
from March 22, 1795, to March 3, 1799.
He was a native of York County, Penn-
sylvania, where he was born October 14,
[768. In early life he was a cigarmaker.
His first charge was Straw Church, now
St. James, Stewartsville, N. J., in 1792.
He served for several years at Spring-
field and Nockamixon and then located
at Allentown, Pennsylvania, from which
centre he served a number of congrega-
tions to the time of his decease, Novem-
ber 8, 1832, at the age of 64 years. His
wife Barbara, born July 7, 1761, died
September 9, 1847. During the closing
years of her life she was afflicted with
blindness. Rev. Yeager and his wife are
buried at Shoenersville, Lehigh County,
Pennsylvania. Their son, Rev. Joshua
Yeager, was for many years a well
known Lutheran pastor at Allentown,
Pennsylvania. During this pastorate
there seems to have been a division in
the congregation, and the party for whom
Rev. Yeager preached doubtless wor-
shipped in the Reformed Church on the
present site of St. Luke's. Rev. Yeager's
record was kept in a book separate from
the other records of the congregation. It
begins with the baptism of John Jacob,
son of Henrich and Elizabeth Angel-
moyer, March 22, 1795, and ends with
that of John, son of John and Barbara
Ruth, March 3, 1799. During this time
he records 44 baptisms.
Beginning with May 17, 1798, the
regular church record shows baptisms by
Rev. Augustus Henrich Schmidt, who
was pastor from 1798 to i8ot, when he
died and was buried at Keller's Church.
His successor was Rev. John Paul Ferdi-
nand Kramer, who served from 1801 to
1803, and then moved to Dauphin*
County, Pennsylvania, where he preach-
ed in some of the congregations which
had been founded by Rev. Knderlein.
Rev. John Nicholas Mensch then be-
came pastor, from 1S03 to 1823. He
was also pastor at Durham from 181 1 to
1X23. Rev. Henry Seipel Miller officiated
from 1823 to 1838. His charge included
Nockamixon, Springfield, Durham, Tini-
cum, and Keller's Church. To this was
afterwards added Apple's Church, truly
a large held for one pastor. Rev. Miller
was born in Hanover Township, Lehigh
County, Pennsylvania, October 3, 1801,
and died at Phoenixville, Pennsylvania,
August 24, 1887, aged 85 years. He was
buried in Montgomery Cemetery, Norris-
town, Pennsylvania. His service in the
ministry extended over 64 years.
Rev. Charles Frederick YYeldon was
pastor from 1838 to 1842. He was born
in Baden, Germany, September 29, 18 12,
and with his parents landed in New York
City, November 2, 181 8. He served
various congregations in New York, New
Jersey and Pennsylvania, and died at
Philadelphia, October 2, 1897, aged 85
years.
The next pastor was Rev. Charles
Peter Miller, from 1842 to 1865. Rev.
Miller was born in Baltimore, Maryland,
October 26, 1805, the day after the
arrival of his parents from Wittenberg,
Germany. Fie was accustomed to re-
mark that this did not give him much
room to boast of being an American
citizen. He entered the Lutheran min-
istry at the age of 21, and was a mem-
ber of the Pennsylvania Ministerium for
53 years, 41 of which were spent in
active service. He was an able preacher
and a diligent student. Aside from a
knowledge of Latin and Greek, he was
proficient in German, English, French,
Italian, and Spanish. He died January
17, 1880, aged 74, and was buried at
Nockamixon by the side of a beloved son
who fell at Gettysburg. His successors
were Rev. William S. Emery, 1865 to
1879; Rev- Oliver H. Melchor. 1879 to
1892, and the present pastor, Rev. Sam-
uel S. Diehl, who has served since 1892.
ST. LUKE'S CHURCH, NOCKAMIXON, PA.
715-
The Reformed congregation at Nock-
amixon was organized at about the same
time as the Lutheran, and a log church
was erected on the present site of St.
Luke's, about one mile distant from the
first Lutheran church, on a half acre of
ground purchased from Mr. Shoup. The
earliest pastor of whom we have any
record was Rev. Casper Wack, who
started the church record in 1773 and
continued as pastor until 1782. Rev.
Wack was the first American born
preacher of the Reformed Church. When
a boy he was taken into the family of
Rev. Casper D. Weyberg and educated
for the ministry. He resided in Hill-
town Township, Bucks County, Penn-
sylvania. He was an ardent patriot and
a man of great courage. On one occa-
sion he made his way into a British camp
and demanded the return of a horse that
had been stolen. Rev. Kehm says of
him, "Er war ein wackeren Wack." His
wife was Barbara Leidy, whom he mar-
ried April 28, 1776.. He died at the
Trappe, Montgomery County, Pennsyl-
vania, July 19, 1839, aged twenty-seven
days less than 87 years, and was buried
at Leidy's Church, Montgomery County,
Pennsylvania.
Rev. Frederick William Van der Sloot,
Sr„ was pastor from 1787 to 1792. He
was also pastor of the Moore Township
Church in Northampton County, Penn-
sylvania, from 1788 to 1802. He is said
to have died in Northampton County.
His history is not well known, and has
probably been confused with that of his
son, Rev. Frederick William Van der
Sloot, Jr. During his pastorate at Nock-
amixon we find the names of Johannes
Klincker, Michael Worman, Johannes
Nicolaus Hoffman, Jacob Sumstein, and
Johannes Kohl as members of church
council.
Rev. John Mann was pastor from 1792
to 1796. He also preached at Saucon
and Springfield during these years, and
then went to Mt. Bethel. Northampton
County, Pennsylvania, where h e
preached for some time, and then went
to the northern part of the state, where
he died.
Rev. John Henry Hoffmeyer was pas-
tor from 1796 to 1808. He was born in
Anhalt-Cothen, Germany, March 17,
1760, and was educated at Halle. Com-
ing to America in 1793, he made his
home at Hellertown, Pennsylvania, from
which point he served the congregations
at Nockamixon, Durham, Saucon,
Springfield and Shoenersville. His last
charge was the First Reformed Church
at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which he
served for twenty-six years. He passed
away March 18, 1836, aged seventy-six
years.
Rev. Jacob William Dechant was the
next pastor, from 1808 to 181 1. He was
born in Europe, February 18, 1784. He
preached at various stations in eastern
Pennsylvania, and in 1815 went to Ohio,
as the first Reformed missionary to that
State. About 18 19 he came back to the
Old Goshenhoppen charge, which with
several other charges he served to the
time of his decease, from an attack of
Asiatic cholera, October 6, 1832, aged
forty-eight years. He was buried at Oley
Reformed Church, Berks County, Penn-
sylvania.
His successor was Rev. Samuel Stall r,
who was pastor for thirty-two years,
from 181 1 to 1843. This, together with
Springfield, Durham and Tinicum, was
his only charge. He was born October
28, 1785, in Lower Milford, Bucks
County, Pennsylvania, and was prepared
for the ministry under pastors Senn,
Dechant, and Becker. He died Septem-
ber 2/, 1843, aged fifty-seven years, and
was buried in the old graveyard at Dur-
ham Church.
Rev. William F. Gerhard was pastor
from 1843 to 1859, and was succeeded
by Rev. David Rothrock, who served
from 1859 to [892. This was the long-
est of all the pastorates of this church.
Rev. Rothrock was born December 1.
1830, near Hellertown, Pennsylvania,
and was in early life a school teacher.
He was ordained in 1858, and in the fol-
lowing year was called by the Durham,
Nockamixon, Tinicum. and Red Hill
charge, which was his only pastorate. He
retired in 1892 and located at Bethlehem.
716
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERM A\
Pa., where he died June 19, 1897, aged
sixty-six years, and was buried at
Altonah Church. His successor, Rev. C.
B. Weaver, the present pastor, has served
since 1892.
About the year 1812 both the Luth-
eran and Reformed church buildings had
become very much dilapidated. A
movement was started to build a union
church on the site of the original Re-
formed building. On April 3, 1812, a
committee which had been appointed to
canvass for funds, reported favorably.
A building committee was appointed
consisting of Nicholas Kruger, Peter
Long of Durham, Frederick Trauger,
George Adams, Henry Leidigh, and
Abraham Fullmer, with Philip Leidigh
of Durham as treasurer and Henry Mil-
ler as secretary. The cornerstone was
laid April 19, 1813. In 1814 an agree-
ment was made whereby both congrega-
tions were given equal privileges. This
building stood until 1875, when it was
replaced by the present church, one of
the most substantial and commodious
houses of worship in Bucks County.
The year 191 1 completes the 150th
anniversary of the founding of the
Lutheran congregation, and in all prob-
ability very nearly the same anniversary
of the Reformed. From small begin-
nings amid unfavorable surroundings
and adverse conditions, there have arisen
two well established and influential con-
gregations, worshipping in peace and
unity in the same building, and sending
forth an influence not limited by their
immediate territory. Among the present
membership are many descendants of the
original founders.
A Revolutionary Puzzle
Hark, hark, the trumpet sounds, the din of
war's alarms
O'er sea and solid grounds, doth call us all
to arms,
Who for King George doth stand, their
honors soon shall shine,
Their ruin is at hand, who with the Con-
gress join.
The Acts of Parliament, in them I much
delight.
I hate their cursed intent, who for the Con-
gress fight.
The Tories of the day, they are my daily
toast,
They soon will sneak away, who inde*
pendence boast,
Who non-resistant hold, they have my hand
and heart,
May they for slaves be sold, who act the
Whiggish part.
On Mansfield, North and Bute, may daily
blessings pour;
Confusion and Dispute, on Congress ever-
more,
To North and British lords, may honors
still be clone;
I wish a block and cord, to George Wash-
ington."
— National Magazine.
These odd lines were written about 1776.
If read as written they are a tribute to the
king and his army — but if read downward
on either side of the comma, they indicate
an unmistakable spirit of rebellion to both
king and parliament. The author is un-
known.
717
Rev. Daniel Jacob Hauer, D.D.
By Rev. A. G. Fastnacht, Dover, Pa.
ANIEL Jacob Hauer was
born in Frederick, Mary-
land, March 3, 1806. His
parents were George and
Catherine Shelman Hauer.
He died in Hanover, No-
vember 27, 1901, aged 95
years, 8 months and 24
•days. Almost a century of time lay be-
tween these two dates, and in very many
respects the most wonderful century in
the world's history. Dr. Hauer lived
during the period of the world's greatest
advancement in science, in discovery, in
invention, in moral and material pro-
gress. It was the greatest missionary
century since the first, and in the num-
ber of converts from heathendom exceeds
the first. When he was born there was
scarcely a nation without legalized
slavery ; when he died there were but a
few enslaved human .beings anywhere.
The first railroad was just being built in
New England and in South Carolina,
Georgia, Pennsylvania and Maryland,
during the early years of Dr. Hauer's
life. There was no sewing machine; no
mowing machine, but the scythe and
sickle ; there was no thresher except the
flail and the ox or horse. There was no
parlor match, no coal oil lamps, no tele-
graph, no telephone, no trolley cars, no
automobile, and .even a carriage was a
rarity. There were few books, few
schools and they far apart. There was
but one Lutheran institution of learn-
ing (Hartwick Seminary) in this coun-
try. Our Seminary at Gettysburg was
begun after Dr. Hauer entered the min-
istry, and Pennsylvania College came
six years after the Seminary, founded
respectively in 1826 and 1832. But while
Dr. Hauer did not have the advantages
of a college and seminary course, he was
not without educational advantages. He
attended what was called Frederick Col-
lege, in his native town, in which he re-
ceived some classical training. But at
the early age of 17 he began the study
of theology under the instruction of his
pastor, the Rev. Dr. D. F. Sheaffer.
When he was but 19 years of age he was
licensed to preach. He entered at once
upon that earnest and arduous ministe-
rial career that continued for three-
quarters of a century. He was sent as
a missionary into the Valley of Virginia,
and his work extended into the mountain
districts of Rockbridge, Bate-tourt and
Montgomery counties, in Virginia. Into
these wild and rugged regions Dr. Hauer
carried the Gospel and ministered in
season and out of season, in heat and
cold, through storm and flood, to the
scattered sheep of the house of Israel.
That wondrous faith and consecration
that characterized his whole life early
brought blessed seals to his ministry, and
sinners were converted and saints edi-
fied under his earnest ministrations. Of
the seasons of revival that followed his
ministry wherever he preached, Dr.
Hauer loved to speak. The struggles
and hardships of those early missionary
labors were cheerfully borne for the sake
of saving perishing souls. From the
ardor and fiery zeal manifested by Dr.
Hauer even in his later years one may
judge with what warmth and holy energy
his earlier ministrations were character-
ized. But with all his earnest zeal Dr.
Hauer was not a fanatic either in belief
or practice. But he did believe most de-
cidedly in the necessity of the new birth.
To him this was the one thing needful,
and then the holy, consistent life as a
proof of it. He was not sufficiently con-
fessional to satisfy all; but he was so
thoroughly evangelical that his real
Lutheranism would not be readily ques-
tioned. He magnified evangelical Chris-
tianity and not denominationalism,
altho his loyalty to the church of his
fathers none dare question. He was not
a bigoted sectarian, but he knew and
loved his own denominational home
718
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
best ; but he did not love or condone her
faults, and was quick and sharp to re-
buke his own people for laxness in doc-
trine or morals, whenever these were
manifest. He had the fire and courage
of a true and faithful prophet of God.
His face and voice and manner were a
rebuke to sin as he wielded the sword
of the Spirit, and spared not the offender
in, or out of, the church.
This zeal did not wear off as the years
came on.
From Virginia in 1826 (Dr. Mann
says in 1825) when but 20 years of age
the young minister, mainly on horseback,
went to Guilford, Orange, Randolf and
Davison counties, North Carolina, and
took up his residence near Greensburg.
Here, while serving two churches, 10
miles apart, he organized another con-
gregation 50 miles away. About this time
he was ordained at Wythe Court House,
Virginia, by the Synod of North Caro-
lina. Here his parishioners were mostly
people who had emigrated to North
Carolina from the German settlements of
Pennsylvania, shortly before the Revo-
lution. He preached mainly in the Eng-
lish language, the Lutherans being wiser
in North Carolina than they were in
Pennsylvania, where we have lost so
much because of stubborn adherence to
the German language in our church ser-
vices. ( Andrew Jackson, the hero of
New Orleans, was elected President of
the United States during Dr Hauer's
residence in North Carolina. There
were then only 24 states and our entire
population was only eleven millions.)
In 1828 Dr. Hauer returned to Salem,
Virginia, now the seat of Roanoke Col-
lege. From that place, in addition to
Zion and Pinegrove churches in Roanoke
County, he served regularly once a
month at Floyd Court House, in Floyd
County ; at Blacksburg, Montgomery
County, and at New Amsterdam, in Bate-
tourt County, making a circuit of 180
miles, including his home congregations.
He also made a number of extra mis-
sionary tours, on horseback, in three
counties now in West Virginia, distant
from his home over 200 miles, preaching
twice a day during the whole week. Of
this pioneer work Dr. Hauer especially
loved to speak.
In 1828 he was united in marriage to
Miss Henrietta Warner. Dr. Mann says
of her: "She was an only daughter,
reared in a home of refinement and lux-
ury in the city of Baltimore. She was a
true helpmeet from the Lord, and shared
uncomplainingly with her husband the
toils and privations of a frontier mis-
sionary's life."
In 1832 he went to Lovettsville,
Loudoun County, Virginia. He re-
mained here until 1845. Here also his
ministry was marked by great success.
He confirmed 508 adults, added many
by letter, and baptized 1000 children. Dr.
Mann adds, "This is a fair sample of
his whole life's work." And yet this
does not tell the wrhole story of this de-
voted servant of God. Those who knew
the manner of Dr. Hauer's faithful per-
sonal work for the salvation of souls
also know how hard it was for saint or
sinner to get away from the warm grasp
of the hand and the searching look of
the eye, as he said with the tenderness of
a shepherd and the solicitude of a father,
"Brother, what are you now doing for
your soul?" We have had greater
preachers than Dr. Hauer, but it is
doubtful whether we have had more
faithful curates of souls. While at Lo-
vettsville he organized St. Paul's Church
near Harper's Ferry, erected two
churches, a parsonage and two school
houses, one in Tankerville and the other
in Morrisonville, in which he preached
regularly, and where congregations were
subsequently organized. (Miss H.)
In 1845 he accepted a call from the
Jefferson charge, Maryland, which in-
cluded Mt. Zion Church, east of the
Catoctin Mountain, St. Matthews in
Carroll's Manor, and Burkettsville in
Middletown Valley. With his advent
into this field began a new era of pros-
perity. From his faithful ministrations
in the pulpit and out of the pulpit sev-
eral marked spiritual awakenings re-
sulted. In 1850 the excellent parsonage
and beautiful grounds in Jefferson were
REV. DANIEL JACOB HAUER, D. D.
719
secured at a cost of $2,000. The material
interest kept pace with the quickened
spiritual condition in the charge. Dr.
Hauer still had a half century of his
ministry before him.
In 1853 he went as pastor to the Man-
chester charge, Carroll County, Mary-
land. Here he remained 9 years, preach-
ing 2600 times, an average of 5 times a
week. Here his abundant labors again
had large results. In recognition of his
great useful and personal merit he at
this time was honored with the degree of
Doctor of Divinity. In 1862 he came to
Pennsylvania, assuming charge of the
Abbottstown, New Oxford, East Berlin,
and St. Peter's churches.
In 1872, after a fruitful ministry of
ten years in the Abbottstown charge
(where many are still living who bless
his memory), he came to Hanover, hav-
ing taken pastoral charge of Dub's,
Sherman's, and Banghman's churches,
retaining also St. Peter's (or Lischey's).
While serving these congregations, and
subsequently, while serving Lischey's
(which he had again retained when he
resigned the other three congregations),
and St. Paul's of Stoverstown, where he
organized a congregation and built a
church, his ministrations given in this
community resulted in the organization
of St. Paul's congregation in Spring
Grove.
Such was the interest in securing a
church building that on Easter Monday,
1880, a beautiful church, costing above
$13,000 was dedicated, practically on the
site on which this one stands. The
minutes of Synod for that year say: "A
small but vigorous congregation had been
gathered at this point by years of mis-
sionary labor on the part of Dr. Hauer.
The feast of dedication was attended by
Dr. Hauer, Rev. M. J. Alleman, and
others." (The speaker is the only one
now living of the ministers then present,
among whom were Dr. A. W. Lilly and
Rev. J. H. Menges.)
With the completion of the first church
Dr. Hauer retired from the pastorate of
St. Paul's congregation. Rev. Dr. M. J.
Alleman served as pastor for a short
time. In 1881 Dr. Hauer again became
pastor of this congregation, and re-
mained such until January 22, 1890, hav-
ing presented his resignation September
14, 1889. In connection witli St. Paul's
Church of Spring Grove Dr. Hauer also
continued to minister to Lischey's, and
St. Paul's Church, Stoverstown, until he
retired from this congregation in 1890.
Altho this ended his regular pastoral
career Dr. Hauer continued to preach as
opportunity afforded, rendering very ac-
ceptable pulpit service almost to the end
of his days.
The evening of his eventful and use-
ful life was spent in great peace, minis-
tered to by a devoted daughter and
granddaughters.
Many who visited him in his room as
he lingered at the border of the better
land, realized what another has said, that
"The chamber where the good man dies
is blest beyond the common lot of mor-
tals." Dr. Hauer's whole life was a
benefaction and his death a benediction.
He might have said with Addison,
"Come and see with peace a Christian
can die." The sheen of his setting sun
was but the harbinger of an eternal day.
"When it was evening it was light."
Such a life and death as this man's
magnified the grace of God. Such teach
us how useful and noble a human life
can be and to what a glorious end a mere
mortal may attain. And how he did
magnify the grace of God in his own
religious life! How he humbled him-
self before the Cross of Christ! Saved by
grace, through faith, and that not of
himself, it was all the gift of God, to
him. As you listened to his lowly, con-
trite pleadings, as he kneeled in prayer,
you may have been almost moved to
look and see whether he had not actually
prostrated himself bodily on the very
floor before the Lord.
Like Luther he had a keen sense of
sin and his own demerit, but an ever-
abiding and unflinching confidence in the
saving mercy and sufficient righteousness
of God, if humbly accepted, to save even
him. This clear perception of the sin-
ner's need, and his full persuasion, of
720
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
the adequacy of Christ's redeeming work
no doubt contributed largely to his won-
derful success as a winner of souls.
"They that would win souls must be
wise" He had this wisdom. He under-
stood the wielding of the sword of the
spirit. He understood well how rightly
to divide the Word of truth, that saint
and sinner might be profited. He was a
scribe instructed in the kingdom of
heaven and in the conditions of its at-
tainment. With him there was no false
note, no beating of the air, no consulting
with flesh and blood, no fear of man, no
compromise with error, no lowering of
standards — a man of heroic mould.
Many a hard-fought battle did this
strong-hearted soldier of Christ wage
against the enemies of good order and
sobriety and righteousness. He did not
always win, but he did that which speaks
better even than victory ; he never sur-
rendered.
There are many things connected with
Dr. Hauer's life and career calculated
to arouse intensest interest, had we time
to dwell upon them. This man saw and
personally knew many of the prominent
heroes of the Revolution of 1776. He
had clear recollections of the second war
with England. In 18 14 he saw the light
and : moke from the burning of the pub-
lic buildings in Washington. He saw the
troops pass through his native town on
their way to the defense of Baltimore
when attacked by the British. In his
town lived Thomas Johnson, an intimate
friend of Washington. He was the first
Governor of Maryland, after the Decla-
ration of Independence. He it was who,
as a member of the Continental Congress
in 1775, nominated George Washington
to be Commander-in-Chief of the Ameri-
can army, and who two years later
marched at the head of 1800 newly re-
cruited soldiers from Western Maryland
and Virginia to the defense of Washing-
ton in his first Jersey campaign. He was
placed on the bench of the Supreme
Court of the United States and was sub-
sequently offered the position of Secre-
tary of State and Chief Justice, both of
which honors he declined Johnson's
niece married John Quincy Adams,
sixth President of the United States.
These facts assume interest especially
because of Dr. Hauer's vivid recollection
of them even in his latest years, and be-
cause of the influence the patriotic
scenes he witnessed, and the lofty char-
acter of the illustrious statesmen whom
he knew, exerted upon him, stimulating
and inspiring him to a high and noble
ambition.
His life formed a connecting link in
many things between the old and the
new. He witnessed the passing of many
hoary customs and institutions. So many
movements for the betterment of the
world had their inception and wondrous
growth during his long life.
In domestic, social, and even religious
customs he witnessed almost an entire
revolution, some for the better and others
for the worse. There was, when he was
born, no organized missionary, educr
tional, eleemosynary, or temperance
movement. All these he aided in their
rise and fostered in their progress. He
was old in years but young in heart. He
never lost faith in the final triumph of
right, and hence he never ceased to be
interested actively in every effort made
for the welfare of men. He saw his
church rise from obscurity and grow
until she is the third among Protestant
churches in the United States in num-
bers, with a per cent, of increase
equalled by none, and her eighty millions
of members in the world placing her at
the head of all Protestant denomina-
tions. When he entered the ministry
there were only 180 Lutheran ministers,
850 churches and 40,000 members in
America. When he died there were over
5000 ministers, more than 10,000
churches and over 1,500,000 members.
Dr. Hauer's character and ability were
recognized by his Synod. He was a mem-
ber of the Examining Committee for
many years. He was sent a number of
times as delegate to the General Synod.
He preached a number of times by
special appointment of Synod.
He preached the sermon at the ordina-
tion of Rev. L. B. Wolf, D. D., many
REV. DANIEL JACOB HAUER, D. D.
721
years missionary in India, and now Gen-
eral Secretary of the Board of Foreign
Missions, who is only one of the many
men whom Dr. Hauer's efforts led to
choose for their life's work the holy
office of the ministry. This in itself is
one of the marks of a successful minis-
try. Dr. Hauer perpetuated and multi-
plied his ministry in the lives and labors
of those who chose the sacred office
through his influence. Even in this way,
''He being dead yet speaketh."
Dr. Hauer died November 27, 1901.
On Monday, December 2, 1901, the body
was laid to rest in Mt Olivet Cemetery,
at Hanover, beside the form of his wife,
who had preceded him on January 14,
1893.
Rev. Dr. C. M. Stock, President of
Western Pennsylvania Synod, had charge
of the services and read a brief sketch of
Dr. Maner's life and labors. Rev. Dr.
L. A. Mann, whom Dr. Hauer had bap-
tized in infancy, preached the sermon
from the words, "Precious in the sight
of the Lord is the death of I lis saints."
Addresses were made by Rev. II. S.
Cook, Dr. Hauer's pastor, and Rev. Dr.
M. Valentine. The presence of more
than 40 ministers of the Western Penn-
sylvania Synod, the local clergy of Han-
over, and an immense throng of sorrow-
ing friends and former parishioners gave
evidence of the love and esteem in
which this faithful servant of God was
held by ministers and laymen.
Address and Constitution of the Lancaster County
Colonization Society
The following paper, copied from an
original imprint the property of Christian
E. Metzler of Boston, Mass., shows the in-
terest taken by people of Lancaster
County, Pa., in the welfare of the American
slave seventy-five years ago. Some good old
Lancaster County names are found in the
list of officers. Will not some member of
the County Historical Society supplement
this paper by preparing for our pages an
article on the history of the "Lancaster
County Colonization Society". — Editor.
T a meeting of the Lancaster
County Colonization So-
ciety, held on the evening
of the 22d February, 1837,
in the Lutheran Church of
this City, Messrs. Conyng-
ham, Marcelus, and
Franklin, were appointed
a Committee to draft and report an
address to the citizens of Lancaster
county, for the purpose of having ii.
printed and circulated, soliciting aid in
the important work undertaken by the
Society, as will appear by the Resolu-
tion :
ADDRESS
Fellow-Citizens :
Can a Colony of Free Colored People,
on the Coast of Africa, be sustained?
This is no longer problematical. It is
established. It has proved an honor to
its founders, as Statesmen ; to their
morals, as Men ; and to their enterprise,
as American citizens. The great work
is however in its infancy; it must be fol-
lowed by the formation of Sister Colo-
nies along the African Coast, affording
safe Asylums to the Colored Free popu-
lation, and united, like our Confederacy,
for the general good, into a large and
powerful nation. Wherever a Colony
has been planted the Slave Trade has
ceased, and human sacrifices have been
relinquished. Is there not therefore
something noble in the plan of forming
Christian Colonies on the Coast of Africa
to produce such important results? In
fact, we are now carrying into effect the
policy of Rome and Spain, who author-
ized the Africans to be transplanted into
722.
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
America, that they might have an
opportunity of being converted to Chris-
tianity, and instructed in the arts of
civilization ; that in after time their
descendants might be restored to their
father-land and prove the happy instru-
ments of christianizing their African
Brethren. Is not this a delightful con-
summation and seemingly in accordance
with Scripture, that all Nations and
Languages shall be united into one under
the Christian Banners ? Nothing but the
want of correct information of the
object of this Society can prevent its
receiving the support of the intelligent
and humane. Its plan is both feasible
and just; it interferes neither with the
master nor the slave, the rights of
property, the spirit of compromise, nor
the local concerns of the South. Its only
purpose is to Colonize those free colored
people who are willing to emigrate, and
those emancipated on that condition.
This society has received the sanction of
our Southern Brethren. The number of
manumitted Slaves exceeds the ability of
the Parent Society to send to Africa; it
is therefore highly necessary that we
should be active so as to increase the
resources of the Society, and thus enable
it to comply with the demands of all
applicants. Large parts of country in
Africa can be obtained by purchase; and
we offer them in return the spirit of our
free institutions, the arts of civilization,
and the worship of God according ot the
dictates of conscience. Fourteen Church-
es of different denominations have been
already erected in the Colony of Liberia.
— Rice grows on the hills, producing two
crops annually, without any deleterious
effects on the health of the Colonists.
The Coffee Tree has been planted; also,
th Olive and Cotton is cultivated to ad-
vantage. Sugar Cane and Indigo are
indigenous, and Spices abundant, and
indeed all the tropical plants require only,
an introduction to succeed. Commerce
will give a stimulus to industry, and a
regular line of packets will interchange
the commodities of Africa with those of
the United States; and then, in the
prosperous condition of Liberia, we will
behold the free Negro most willingly
quitting our shores for a Clime and a
Soil which promise to him a comfortable
Home. So great an undertaking re-
quires money and zeal ; and we solicit the
assistance of our Fellow Citizens in
Lancaster County. We ask the benevo-
lent spirit of youthful enterprise in
advancing this great work; for we are
not only desirous of colonizing but
civilizing the natives by the introduction
of the arts of civilized life, and placing
them under the control of laws, order,
and religion — imparting to them at the
same time the language, manners and
liberal policy of the United States, that
they may finally take their rank among
the Republics and most enlightened
nations of the Earth. We regard the
Southern Planter a slave-holder from
necessity, not by choice; and offer the
only plan for emancipation consistent
with the integrity of the Union. We
invite the Friends to good order, security
of property, equal rights and African
Colonization, to hold meetings in every
Village, Town and Township of the
County, and elect two or more' Delegates
to unite with the County Colonization
Society in its operation, on the Fourth
of July, in this City. Happy, thrice
happy will every one be, who has con-
tributed towards the formation of an
African Colony on the broad basis of
political and religious freedom ! Heaven
smiles propitiously on he cause ; for it
is just; and, when accomplished, the
Actors in the mighty work will be im-
mortalized by the noble appellation of
Patriotic Philanthropists.
Resolved, That this Society pledge
itself to raise a sufficient sum of money
during the current year, ending April i,
1838, to send to Liberia Twenty Free
Persons of Color or manumitted Slaves,
and that this resolution be attached to
the Address, just reported.
CONSTITUTION
of the Lancaster County Coloniza-
tion Society.
Article 1. This society shall be called
the Lancaster County Colonization
Society, and shall be auxiliary to the
ADDRESS AND CONSTITUTION
723
Colonization Society of Pennsylvania.
Article 2. To provide for civilizing
and christianizing Africa, through the
direct instrumentality of voluntary col-
ored emigrants from the United States.
Article 3. To promote by all legal
and constitutional means, the intellectual
and moral improvement of the African
race.
Article 4. The principles upon which
this society shall base its operations, are
dissuasion from warfare on the part of
the colonists, and the prohibition of the
acquisition of territory except by actual
purchase from the proprietors of the soil.
Article 5. The officers shall consist
of a President, Vice-Presidents, twelve
Managers, a Corresponding Secretary,
three Recording Secretaries & a Treas-
urer, any three of whom shall form a
Board for the transaction of business.
Article 6. The President shall call
meetings of the Board at such times as
may be necessary for the management
of the concerns of this Society. .
Article 7. The subscription to con-
stitute membership to be not less than
one dollar, to be paid annually — the pay-
ment of ten dollars to constitute life
membership.
Article 8. The officers shall be elected
annually, in the month of January, at
such time and place as shall be agreed
upon by the officers. To continue in
office until others shall be elected.
Article 9. The Treasurer shall take
charge of the funds of the Society, keep
its accounts and make payments, subject
to the order of the Board of Managers,
and annually report to the Society the
state of the funds.
LIST OF OFFICERS.
President.
WILLIAM KIRKPATRICK.
Vice Presidents.
Hon. Oristus Collins, Geo. Bryan,
John Yeates, C. Kieffer,
John Steel, Adam Reigart,
Edward B. Grubb, John Wallace.
Charles Hess, Esq.,
Corresponding Secretary.
Wm. F. Bryan.
Recording Secretaries.
C. F. Hoffmeier, Dr. G. B. Kerfoot,
Thomas E. Frankin, Esq.
Treasurer.
Dr. Samuel Humes
Managers.
Emanuel Shaeffer,
Jacob McCully,
John Ehler,
Henry Keffer,
Wm. Frick,
W. K. Huffnagle,
Peter M'Conomy,
C. Hager,
Tohn Brown,
Gen. A. Diller,
C. M'Cleery,
Dr. John Miller.
The Pennsylvania German Rifle
"But I should not close without giv-
ing credit to the Palatinate German for
the introduction of the long rifle, which
made possible the settlement of Ohio
by the Scotch-Irish of Pennsylvania.
The long rifle was brought to the in-
terior of your State by German immi-
grants ; it was a true weapon, and with
it the Indian fighters became marksmen.
When a pioneer went out with a long
rifle and a dozen charges he returned
with that number of game or the unused
bullets. It was with this weapon that
the sharpshooters of the Revolutionary
war were armed and these shartshooters
were largely Pennsylvania Scotch-Irish
pioneers, although without the German
rifle they would have been ineffective.
The rifle was not in use at tide-water;
it was unknown in New England. Had
the brave men at Bunker Hill possessed
these weapons instead of muskets, it
would not have been necessary for them
to await the sight of the whites of
British eyes. Had it not been for the
long rifle Ohio never could have been
settled." 1
724
The Germans in Maine
By Garrett W. Thompson, University of Maine, Orono, Maine
(CONTINUED FROM NOVEMBER NUMBER)
N the year 54 there were
signs of approaching
trouble with the Indians.
They had already com-
plained that the settle-
ments extended beyond the
boundaries stipulated in
their treaties; they claimed
also that Waldo had had a clear under-
standing with them regarding the lands
occupied by the Germans on the Medo-
mak. Now, however, the white settlers
on the Kennebec, the Pemaquid, and the
St. George were penetrating farther into
the interior than their agreements with
the Indians permitted them. And there
were additional grievances, the intrusion
on their hunting grounds, the cutting of
timber, which destroyed the woods, the
forest fires, which desolated their do-
mains and caused them much inconveni-
ence. They charged the Scotch at St.
George's with overstepping their limits
and stealing100 traps, game, etc., which
belonged to the redmen. As early as
October, 53, Louis, chief of the Penob-
scots, served notice that his tribe would
take the war path unless these encroach-
ments ceased. On all sides forts were
strengthened and barracks fitted for the
reception of refugees in case of hostili-
ties. Only at Broad Bay no preparations
were made against the impending
danger. As Waldo seemed apparently
indifferent to the situation the Germans
in the spring of 54 appealed to the
Governor through a petition101 in which
they prayed earnestly for ammunition
and provisions. Whether the Governor
in consequence at this petition issued
orders for the construction of defences
at Broad Bay or not, cannot be proved ;
in the latter part of the summer, how-
ever, a stockaded fort was built at
Sproul's Spring, on the west bank of the
Medomak, alomst in the middle of the
present town of Waldoboro. Further-
more, three blockhouses were put up,
each with a stockade and capable of
sheltering 60 families, at some distance
down stream.102
When in November, 54, the Indians
attacked Fort Frankfort, the war was
in progress. Its fierceness, bitterness and
brutality we have no space to describe.
Women and children found refuge in the
forts ; all forms of labor were conducted
by the men under arms. It was a winter
of hunger and privation, especially for
the newcomers. They had few cattle and
no stock except swine. One of the Ger-
mans went to St. George's to purchase a
cow and having nothing else in the way
of worldly goods offered his wife as
security ; she was accepted and finally re-
deemed when the account was settled.
When spring came the men worked in
the fields always under guard, and at the
boom of a cannon from the large fort
hastened thither in the expectation of a
conflict. The crops were mostly potatoes,
and small vegetables, the ground being
fertilized with rockweed brought from
the banks of the river in push carts by
the women and children as well as men.
The feeding of the cattle which could
not be housed in the stockades, the
gathering of hay and the daily farm work
were attended at all times with great
danger from attack and ambuscade. As
the government delivered 600 guns and
1500 kegs of powder to the colonies in
Maine it was possible to maintain a regu-
lar military organization. In Waldoboro
a company, known thereabouts as the
"Dutch Rangers," was formed with »
Mathaus Romele103 as captain. He had
1 riiis accusation refers to the Boggses,
""Muss. K. is (Ms.). V..]. 15 A, pp. 240-242.
10=Waldoboro, Hist. Sketch, in Monthly News, No 3.
103The name appears as Remflly, Ramelin, Ranxel,
and Rinnele.
THE GERMANS IN MAINE
725
been a soldier in Germany and was the
first officer among the Germans who re-
ceived a formal appointment from the
Governor.104 A company of sharpshoot-
ers was also formed under Leistner as
captain, which gave particular attention
to scouting duty.105 Twenty-five of the
fifty men who composed Captain Thomas
Fletcher's company at St. George's were
Germans ; at Pemaquid the companies of
Captains Nickels and Herrick included
many Germans, as the names in the mus-
ter rolls indicate. In addition to these
volunteer organizations the Governor
distributed detachments of the Provincial
forces among the forts, ij being assigned
to Broad Bay. The following letter
from Captain Thomas Killpatrick to the
Governor and Council, written June 14,
1755, at the block house, St. George's,
contains a reference to Broad Bay :
"May it please your Excellency & honnor
to take into Consideration our present, Dificult
And dangerous circumstances Our woods
round our garrisons are crawling with lurking
Enemies Watching our motion So that we are
in continual fear and Danger — for after their
killing & barberously using & Sculping one
boy they — killed or carried captive another,
and soon after have killed one man, & carried
another captive of the dutch at broad Bay —
And (we pray) provisions to defend Our
selves and families, So that without some
Speedy Assistance we must fall a prey into the
hands of our Enemies, or leave the Countrev
to them — " (signed).1"0
As among the killed we have record
of Heinrich and Samuel Hahnle, a settler
named Bautzer, one Piper, also Lasch,
Lorenz Seitz, Heinrich Demuth, Herman
Kuhn, Jacob Seechrist, one Bruns ; a
boy named Klein was carried captive to
Canada. There were without doubt
many others who suffered death or cap-
tivity, whose names have not been pre-
served.
Governor Shirley's conduct of the war
had lacked energy. The expedition to
Canada which he planned was ineffec-
tual; Fort Otsego f ell into the hands of
General Montcalm with a loss to the
Province of valuable soldiers. At this
time also the Province was laboring
under heavy debt. The Assembly ap-
pealed to the British government to send
German mercenaries at the cost of the
English nation to the district of Maine.
The wisdom of introducing foreign sol-
diers and virtually allowing the Crown
to control the policy of this region was
not apparent to some ; a political dis-
cussion ensued, under pressure of which
the Governor resigned and returned to
England. Six months after his departure
the universally popular Governor Phips
died, whereupon Thomas Pownal was
appointed by the Crown and entered on
his duties in August of 57. Forts were
strengthened and the scouting forces
enlarged. The government issued a call
for 7,000 troops to form an expedition
against Louisburg; by the first of June
6925 men were enrolled, of whom Maine
furnished 600. Recruits10' from the lat-
ter quarter were especially recommended
because they had participated in the for-
mer campaign against Louisburg under
General Waldo (1745). This is a refer-
ence to the Germans when Ulmer cap-
tained and a tribute to their efficiency.
The prevalence of small pox among the
Indians during the winter, 57-58, eased
the rigor of the war for the settlers, and
as the agricultural season was good the
latter enjoved not only material but
mental prosperity as well.
When in the following year the In-
dians renewed their attacks Pownal de-
cided to make an expedition up the
Penobscot and establish a fort there at
a strategic place which would be strong
enough to guard the eastern frontier
from further molestation. This move-
ment started on the fourth of May from
Falmouth (Portland), and was joined at
St. George's by the German companies
under Romele and Leistner.108 It is also
probable that the Germans of Frankfort
and Dresden sent a company. As to the
location of the fort Rattermann says:
"Nachdem109 die Expedition, welche ^\vn
Penobscot Fluss hinauffuhr, sich nach
'«Eat' n. p. 116.
lor'Ibid., P. 89.
"'"OH. Muine Hist Sec, v. XII, p. 419, ser. II.
"'"Williimis.m. vol. II. I'. 3S1.
K*CoU. Maine Hist. Soc, vol. V. " 368.
WDer deutsehe Pionier, vol. XVI, p. 279.
726
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
einem passenden Platz fur das zu errich-
tende Fort umgesehen hatte und Gouv-
erneur Pownal die Lage des heutigen
Bangor dazu bestimmte ." In Wil-
liamson110 we read : "In the expedition up
the Penobscot the Governor was pleased
with the scenery, and chose a place for
the fort on the west bank in the present
town of Prospect." Sewall111 makes a
similar statement. Rattermann com-
ments on the importance of the fort in
connection with other events :
Die Errichtung112 des gedachten Forts, das
den Xanicn "Fort Pownal" erhielt, die Ein-
nahme von Quebec und andere wichtige
Erfolge der englischen Waff en in diesem
Jahre, gaben den Kolonisten grosse Ursache
zur Freude, wie sie den Indianern schweres
Ungemach brachten. Nicht langer von den
Franzosen unterstiitzt, reduzirte sich ihre
Kriegfiihrung auf einzelne Streifpartien — . So
ward es denn auch nothig, dass im nachsten
Winter eine bewaffnete Forec von 160 Mann
auf der ostlichen Grenze unablassig patreuil-
lirte— ."
The expedition, important as it was in
other respects, has always been memor-
able for the fact that General Waldo
here met his death. He had supposed
that the northern limits of his patent ex-
tended somewhere into this region ; he
therefore welcomed this opportunity of
inspecting his possessions as well as that
of giving the expedition the benefit of
his military experience. The circum-
stances of his death are variously stated.
Rattermann : "General Waldo113 war in
Gesellschaft des Gouverneurs und der
Offiziere am Ufer (of the Penobscot)
und bezeichnete den Ort als die Nord-
grenze seines Gebiets, als er plotzlich
hinfiel und an einem Schlaganfalle starb.
Gouverneur Pownal Hess an dem Platze
eine bleierne Platte begraben, mit einer
Schrift, welche den traurigen Verfall
schilderte." Eaton: "One114 day Waldo
was surveying the site for a fort when
he went back a few paces, exclaimed :
'Plere are my bounds,' and dropped
dead, in the present town of Brewer."
""Will., vol II. p. 336.
i "Bewail, p. 313.
113Der deutsche Pionier, vol. XVI, p. 279.
113Ibid.
"'Eatmi. p. 109
Williamson: "Waldo116 went up the river
and sent a message to the Tarratines. On
the 23rd of May he was on the west side.
Governor Pownal and he went up to the
first falls, four and a half miles from the
first ledge. They found cleared ground
on this side; when just above the falls
General Waldo dropped down of apo-
plexy and expired in a few moments.
The exact spot is not known, but is sup-
posed to be not far from Fort Hill in
Bangor." The following items appear
in Pownal's "Journal110 of the Voyage
from Boston to the Penobscot River
(May, 1759) : "Landed on east side and
proceeded to first falls — clear land on
left for four miles — -Brig. Gen. Waldo —
dropped down just above the falls, of
apoplexy and — expired in a few mo-
ments." Attached to these items are two
foot-notes117 by the editor, Jos. Will.,
(1) "Williamson, Vol. II, p. 338, erro-
neously says that Waldo died on the
west side, and locates the scene of his
death within the limits of Bangor. What
authority exists for the statement that
Waldo exclaimed: "Here is my bound?"
Waldo's patent did not extend across the
river." (2) "The falls are in the present
town of Brewer. Historians follow
Williamson in his reference to the west
side. Hon. Lorenzo Sabine in the North
Am. Review, Vol. lviii, p. 313, says:
'Waldo exclaimed: 'Here is my bound,'
and dropped dead on the site of a city.' "
In Pownal's Journal is also the follow-
ing item : "At the head of the falls buried
leaden plate with following inscription:
"May 23, 1759, Province Mass. Bay
Dominion of Great Britain Possession con-
firmed by T. Pownal, Gov."
Attached to this entry also is a foot-
note:118 "Williamson, Vol. II, p. 3(38,
says : "To commemorate the spot the
Governor buried a leaden plate bearing
an inscription of the melancholy events."
Whipple (Acadia, p. 81) says: "Waldo
died while in the act of depositing a
"•"Will., vol. II, p. 336-8.
110Coll. Maine Hist. Soc , vol. V, p. 368.
"Tbid., vol. V, p. 382.
"8Ibid.
THE GERMANS IN MAINE
727
piece of lead." James Phinney Baxter119
in the Trelawny Papers mentions Wal-
do's exclamation and states that the Gov-
ernor commemorated the sad event by
"burying a lead plate suitably inscribed.
In Pownal's Journal120 we find: "May
25th. At evening buried Brigd Waldo
at the Point near the flagstaff with the
honors of war in our power." Finally,
Albert121 Ware Paine in "The Territor-
ial History of Bangor" states: "On the
east side of the river Pownal made claim
to the country as a part of the territory
of Great Britain. In proof of this act
lie then and there buried a leaden plate
with an appropriate inscription signifi-
cant of his object and intention with the
date of its planting." We conclude that
Waldo died on the east side of the river,
that there is insufficient evidence for his
last exclamation, that the leaden plate
had nothing to do with his death. The
Boston News-Letter, May 31, 1759,
prints a full account of his demise and
burial. Although he was buried at Fort
Point there is evidence that his remains
were removed the following year to
King's Chapel Burial-Grounds in Bos-
ton. Among the Knox manuscripts122 is
the account of Thomas Flucker, one of
the administrators of Waldo's estate,
which contains the following charges :
1759. Aug. 3. William Fairfield, re-
pairing the tomb near King's Chapel 6
1760, July 9. To Capt. Sander's people
the care in removing the remains of
the Brigr from Penobscot 1 4s.
Thomas Sanders123 was for many years
commander of the Province Sloop "Mas-
sachusetts,' a vessel frequently employed
in transporting government troops to the
■eastern forts and trading-houses.
In 1760 the Indians began to show a
■disposition toward the cessation of hos-
tilities. They appeared at Fort Pownal
and openly declared themselves in favor
of peace. The settlers emerged from the
forts and made preparations to re-occupy
their dwellings, but with superlative cau-
unIbid., vol. Ill, p. 412n, series II
120Ibid., vol. V, p. 384.
uaibid., vol. IX, p. 224.
^"Ibid., vol IX, p. 93.
J-3Ibid.
tion. There were indeed frequent alarms
and repeated indications of hostile de-
monstrations against Broad Bay ; but
only the most remote houses were en-
tered, and the redmen finding little to
plunder departed in each instance with-
out doing great mischief. Naturally
enough, the Germans welcomed the
approach of quieter times. The war had
caused them many inconveniences. It
was exceedingly difficult to preserve and
maintain their cattle, which grew to
have almost human terror of the Indians
and were lost in large numbers through
flight as well as capture and destruction.
It was also impossible to slaughter them
for food by shooting, as gunshots were
reserved for military signals at the
approach of the enemy. Moreover, the
young men were absent in service, so
that the women were compelled to work
with the men at heavy labor. One of
them in one winter dragged two ship-
loads of wood from the forest to the
bank of the river on a handsled. But
the men themselves were seriously handi-
capped in their field labor, for the neces-
sity of working and keeping guard in
groups at the same time prevented them
from raising a sufficient quantity of pro-
duce to support the settlement. Under
these circumstances the dawn of peace
was indeed a deliverance. On the 13th
of April, 1760, the authorities concluded
terms with the Sagamores of the eastern
tribes, which, however, were not in full
operation until the year 63. The nego-
tiations which were carried on during
the summer of 61 by England and
France came to nought and led to a
bitter renewal of strife in Canada,
western Pennsylvania, western New
York and the valley of the Ohio, which,
however, did not touch Maine.
"Nichtsdestoweniger1-4 waren die Leute im-
mcr noch beunruhigt und unterhielten una-
blassig Miliz-Compagnicn, bis in Fruhjahr
1763 die Nachricht von dem am 10. Pebruar
des gedachten Jahrcs zu Paris abgeschlossenen
Frieden anlangte, in welchem der ganze Dis-
trikt Maine, Neu Schottland, Canada und das
Ohio Gebiet endgiiltig von Frankreich an
England abgetreten wurde."
12JDer deutsche Pionier, vol. XVI, p 281.
728
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
In the absence of exact data Ratter-
mann1-"' estimates that the war occa-
sioned a less of forty or fifty lives at
Broad Hay, while at Frankfort perhaps
a dozen were sacrificed.
In his chapter on "Settlements in New
England" Faust126 states:
"Leistner, reported to be a man of educa-
tion, gathered together about sixty families in
the mountainous districts of the Taunus, and
brought them to the Broad Bay settlements.
This is in all probability a later group than
that reported by the Annals of Warren
0753} to have been housed in a shed unfit for
habitation, many freezing to death, or dying
of diseases induced by privations—. Certainly
under Leistner's magistracy conditions
changed, and many families of distinction
sprang from the immigration of 53."
The information we possess regarding
Leistner's actual administration is too
meagre to support such a statement. Rat-
termann127 speaks of him: " — Karl
Leistner, welcher die in semen Graf-
schaften angeworbenen Leute nach
Amerika geleiten und dafiir sorgen sollte,
dass ihnen unterwegs, sowie an dem Orte
ihrer Bestimmung ihr Recht wurde."
And also: "Was fiir12s andere Dienste
Leistner noch zu versehen hatte, dariiber
mangeln die naheren Nachrichten — ."
His military services we have already
noted ; the details of his other activities
are unknown. We put the following
documentary matter in evidence to show
that during his encumbency (he died
1760) the favorable change of conditions
to which Faust refers could not be
demonstrated without difficulty. The let-
ter of Thomas Henderson to Phips, St.
George's, April II, 175 1, antedates, to
be sure, Leistner's arrival at Broad Bay,
but deals with the same general condi-
tions as prevailed later.
".May It please your Honnour
I have Inclosed sent your honour The coppy
of the Intelligence 1 received Just now from
the Commanding offisar of St. Georges Fort,
I am now going to broad Bay and all the
Inhabitants to give the nessary warning.
The case is very shoking, there is about one
hundred familys In this settlement that with
much Difickulty for want of Provisions was
Indeavoring to plant for a feuter season which
No doubt (weare they not Interupted) would
turn to good acct But if they are forsed to
garrison as I believe will be the Case by the
morrow noon, they have nothing to live upon
not One day, haveing chearfully lived on
clambs this month Past, I — In behalf of the
Inhabitants — prays yr Honour may — use such
speedy measures for our relief as your Hounr
— thinks proper — ."
(signed)129
A letter130 from Mattheis Ramley to
Gov. Shirley, Broad Bay, April 24, 1755,
read :
"I am Sorry to be obliged to Trouble Your
Excellency in Praying Your Assistance for
fire Locks, there being abt 150 able men in
this Settlement, and 75 of them being without
Arms and not Capable to purchase the same,
should there be any rupture it would be a
Damage to this part, for so many People to
be ruined, or Obliged to break up for want
of Arms to Defend them selves — Your most
Submiss full Servant" (signed).
A letter from Thomas Kilpatrick to
the Governor and Council, Block House
(St. G.), April 24, 1755 :131
"Our woods round our garrisons are crawl-
ing with lurking Enemies Watching our mo-
tion So that we are in continual fear and
Danger — they have killed one men & carried
another captive to the dutch at Broad Bay —
And (we pray) provisions to defend Our
selves and families — ■" (signed).
A vote was taken in the House of
Representatives, April 8, 1756,132 re-
garding the people of Broad Bay :
"Whereas it appears to this House Neces-
sary for the safety of the Inhabitants of
Broad Bay & those near Henderson's Fort
near pleasant point & Burton's Block house
that there be a Number of Men Ordered for
their Defence, etc."
There is also a letter from Capt. J.
Freeman133 to Phips, May 15, 1752, re-
garding the dispatch of soldiers to Broad
Bay as per instructions given by the
Gov. and Gen. Court. On134 May 9,
1757, C. C. (Karl) Leissner (Leistner)
i»Ibid.
1S8Faust, vol. I, p. 259.
'-■(ler deutsche Pionier, vol. XVI. p.
"BIbid., p 77.
72.
i-!'Oo]l. Maine Hist. Soc, vol. XII, p. 137 (series
u»Ibid., p. 390.
"'Ibid., p. 419.
i^Ibid., vol. XIII, p. 19.
I33Ibid., p. 24.
"♦Ibid., p. 59.
THE GERMANS IX MAINE
72£
wrote to S. W. Pepperell from Broad
Bay:
"I beg Leave to sent Your Hour inclosed
a Copy of my Journll what Trouble and Bar-
barety Hapned since my Last A Waile Boat
would be a most Necessary thing for this
place, as 1 can't come to the Assistance of the
Inhabitants on each Side of the river, with-
out going round the Falls wch will take near
a Day should therefore be Glad if Your
Honr would please to Order One
Scarceness of time Obliges me to breake of so
Subscribe my self Your most Submissfull
Servt" (signed).
On May 28135 he wrote again: "Your
Honrs humanety, and wonted Goodness
toward the distressed, has been made
known to me ; and as I am their director
the settlers have desired me, to inform
Your Honr of their distress and deplor-
able condition." He then describes the
murder of Cassemir Lash by the Indians,
and prays for provisions for 36 men, 13
to be added to the 13 already on duty,
and pay to be issued only to 13 as be-
fore. The following petition130 under
date of August, 1757, was sent by the
Germans at Broad Bay to the state
authorities :
"May it Please Your Houners
To receive — an Account of the Griefances,
of the most part of the Settlers at Broad Bay
The Continuation of the Warre, and the
cruelty of the Indian Enemy used here, has
been a terror to us and been a Great Hin-
drance to our Labour ; Tho we bare all that
with patience, as long as we were Capable to
mentain in some measure our large Famelys,
but now with Tears in our Eyes, must Ac-
quaint Your Honrs th?t our harvest is so
miserable, as ever been Known by Man Kind,
so that most of Us will not be able to reap
the Seed, which we Sowed with hard Labour,
and in danger of our lives, owing to the deep
Snow, which lasted till the middle of May,
and then the Great drought which followed ;
We See no way to Keep us, and Large
Famelys from Starving (as the respective
Towns in the Western parts, refuse to re-
ceive any of Us), We therefore hope Your
Honrs will — take our deplorable case into
Consideration — We — implore — to allowe onely
an Allowance of Provision for three months,
to each of Us, which with the roots we per-
haps may raise would in some measure make
us able, to cutt Wood, and other Lumber,
against, and during the Winter to provid — for
us and poor Famelys, till a further Harvest — ."
( signed by 60 German first names, many in
blank, "Jo," "Johan" etc.)
"That the Circumstances mentioned in this
Petition being the truth we do hereby Certi-
fie"
C. C. Leistner Comdr
Maths R town Capt
Joseph Kent.
There is also a petition187 of Chas.
Apthorp et al. for raising and station-
ing companies of men from the eastern
frontier towns (Broad Bay, Frankfort,
St. George's, etc.) for protection against
the Indians. It is dated .March 24, 1758.
As the foregoing documents cover the
period of seven years (53-60) during
which Leistner was administrator of
affairs at Broad Bay and contained such
uniform references to poverty and dis-
tress; and as his questionable dealings in
the assignment of land as Waldo's agent
made him unpopular, as we have already
seen, there is no evidence that the settle-
ment at Broad Bay enjoyed better eco-
nomic conditions through his efforts.
But the decade 1750- 1760 did mark
an era in the history of liroad Bay
which, due as it was to natural growth
and development, led to the establish-
ment of a more stable and prosperous
future. The immigration of 53 brought
men of strong type, some of whom
played important parts in the destiny of
the colony. George Werner138 (called
Varner, Vannah in later corruptions)
erected a grist mill; Peter Miilkr18
built a house in which lie maintained a
"Kramladen." This house, though one-
storied, was larger than the others of the
community, and being weather-boarded
in addition was long considered the finest
building thereabout. In the same year
also came the family of Job. Jos. Lud-
wigf, who, as we have already seen, died
at Cowes in England while en route for
America. His eldest son Jacob was born
in 1730; Joseph, bis other son, in 1740.
They located on opposite sides of the
Medomak immediately after their arri-
«5Ibid„ p. 70.
"•Ibid., pp. 102-103.
i^Coll. Maine Hist. Soc, vol. XIII. pp. 127-128.
K*Eaton, ]>. 83.
i»Der deutsche Pionier, vol. XVI. p. 202.
730
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
val, and the farms they bought they con-
tinued to occupy and improve until their
death. The tastes of these brothers were
similar ; both were public-spirited and
often served the town or individuals in
common affairs as well as those of wider
scope and character. They held all the
offices of trust and profit within the gift
of the people from ordinary road sur-
veyor to town representative, beside the
executive appointments of notary public
and justice of the peace. In the latter
part of the French and Indian War
Jacob140 lived in Boston, where he en-
listed in the army, served at Ticonderoga,
Lake George, and Crown Point, and won
the rank of orderly sergeant. He was
the first town clerk at Waldoboro in /J,
when the Broad Bay colony was incor-
porated under that name. He died in
1826, his brother in 1833. "Ritz was a
man of learning, also Dr. Walleazer, a
physician from Prussia, also Henry
Helmshausen, but none participated in
any public business of the town''
(spoken in honor of the Ludwig
brothers).
The principal colonies of the Germans,
Broad Bay and Frankfort, lay within
fourteen or fifteen miles of each other.
Singularly enough, we possess almost no
information regarding the inter-com-
munication which they must have en-
joyed. Between them, however, dwelt
the Pemaquid settlers, into whose terri-
tory there was a gradual migration on
the part of both German colonies, which
began with the Indian war of 46 when
the latter took refuge in Fort Frederick
on the lower Pemaquid. On the Pema-
quid lands also was a number of emi-
grants from northern Ireland, descen-
dants of the Germans who in 17 10 had
gone to Ireland and formed the settle-
ments of Magersfeld, Mageremoor and
Ballygrube. Their presence was mani-
fested even before the year 53 by the
numerous German names to be found in
the Pemaquid region. This process of
intermingling was further advanced
when certain of the Pemaquid property
140Ludwig Geneal., p. 23.
owners145 sold their land individually to
German settlers (although the deeds
were always issued by the Pemaquid
Company). Among these sellers were
John Kneeland (Knieland) and Sarah
Sweetser (Schweitzer), both of German
extraction. In this way the Germans
came into contact and association with
both Irish and English elements. And
as later they pushed eastward as far as
Penobscot Hay a similar coalition of race
and mutual interest took place with the
Scotch (and Irish) settlements on the
St. George. In view of these considera-
tions, at the end of 1753, we find reason-
able grounds for assuming the correct-
ness of Williamson's estimate of 1500
Germans. Rattermann142 places the en-
tire "Deutschtum" at about 2,000. The
checking of emigration into Nova Scotia
by the English government was favor-
able to "the Maine colonies and brought
accessions beyond a doubt from that
quarter. And when New Germantown143
fell into decline about the year 1760
many Germans found their way thence
to Broad Bay and Frankfort, which by
this time throughout New England had
the reputation of permanent and pros-
perous colonies.
"Nach144 dem Frieden nahm die deutsche
Kolonie an der Broad Bai wieder ihren
ruhigen Fortgang. — Obgleich kein director
Zuwachs aus Deutschland mehr folgte, ausser
einzelnen Familien, de entweder uber Boston
oder iiber Philadelphia, durch vorausgegan-
gene Freunde oder Verwandte angezogen
wurden, so nahm doch die Kolonie zusehends
zu, sowohl an Bevolkerungszahl, als auch in
den materiellen Verhaltnissen."
As a result of these accretions in pop-
ulation it wast not long before the good
land at Broad Bay was all occupied ; and
as no eastward movement was possible
the path of expansion lay to the west-
ward and northward of Broad Cove. The
Pemaquid proprietors parted readily
with their lands, and soon the whole dis-
141Coll. Maine Hist. Soc, vol. V, p. 302.
14-Der deutsche Pion., vol. XVI. p. 197.
1<3New Germantown, 10 miles south of Boston in
tile present neighborhood of Braintree, was a colony
of Germans, formed from those who stayed in Bostol
and impressed the Boston promoters as good material
for a settlement.
144Der deutsche Pion., vol. XVI, p. 302.
THE GERMANS IN MAINE
731
trict now known as Bremen was in Ger-
man possession. These purchases were
greatly facilitated through the feeling of
kinship which existed between the Ger-
mans and the Irish-Germans, as we have
already made clear. There is a legal
instrument145 of sale, dated August 27,
1763, by Francis Brindley, signed by
Thomas Drowne, secretary of the Pema-
quid Company. Gradually the whole
country north of Bristol, from the Me-
dumcook River to Pemaquid Pond, in
the neighborhood of Salt Bay as far as
the Damariscotta River, came into the
possession of the Germans, and even
west of the Damariscotta they inter-
mingled with the Scotch and Irish. Be-
fore the close of the century they also
held the territory now occupied by the
town of Bath, as the large number of
Teutonic names attests.
The year 1764 brought an unusually
good agricultural outlook. Rye, which
had been the only grain planted in the
colony, began to be replaced by Indian
corn, which was introduced by Daniel
Feilhorn145 (Filhorn). Its greater pro-
lixity and larger yield per acre gave it a
widespread use. Barley began likewise
to be cultivated, and in the following
year beer was brewed for the first time
by David Weinel (Vinal). Cabbage had
already been planted at Broad Bay, and
through it Sauerkraut became a very
popular article of food not only among
the Germans, but also among the Scotch
and Irish of St George's, who in 1777
commenced to make it for themselves.147
With the early culture of flax looms
were soon in frequent evidence, and
coarse linen was for many years the only
material which the Germans used for
clothing, reinforced in winter by the
skins of various animals. Sheep were
first introduced into this region after the
Indian war by the Scotch, but the Ger-
mans devoted themselves at once to
sheep raising . and soon had woollen
stuffs to wear in place of pelts. Thus
145Coll. M. Hist. Soc, v. V, pp. 303-4.
"6Eaton's Hist, of Thomaston, Rockland and West
Thomaston, p. 89.
"7Eaton, p. 128.
the production of linen and wool became
an important industry among them. On
the other hand the Scotch at St. George's
were more given to commercial activity
and found markets in- the West Indies as
well as Boston for everything which the
colonists had to sell, importing other
commodities in return. In this way the
Germans had a profitable outlet for their
goods.
But these fair prospects for a bright
economic future were blasted by a series
of land disputes which all but disinte-
grated the colony. For the settlers at
Broad Bay the death of Waldo was in
many respects a calamity. He had al-
ways supposed that his patent would
cover all lands from the Muscongus to
the Penobscot ; that this patent was never
definitely bounded is evident from the
uncertainty he manifested at the time of
his death regarding its northern limits.
To the Germans he had issued but eight
14Spersonal deeds; the rights of the
others were vested in the general terms
of agreement under which they had come
to Broad Bay. As early as 1762 the
Pemaquid Company began to dispute the
boundaries between his and their posses-
sions. He claimed that his land extended
westward to the Muscongus River and
Pemaquid Pond ; they insisted that the
Medomak River was the true boundary.
Waldo had granted or sold to the I rer-
mans land on the west bank of the river,
which included "Dutch Neck" and in
fact the entire strip to the westward of
Broad Cove, two miles in breadth. These
Germans who lived east of the Medomak
or had bought their lands of the Pema-
quid Company west of the disputed sec-
tion were not disturbed. The Pemaquid
Company, who as successor to Eldridge
and Aldworth, rested their claim on a
patent issued February 20, 1631, by the
Plymouth Council, authorized Thomas
Drowne as their agent to push their
claim to the west bank of the Medomak.
The matter was taken to court; on the
23rd of May, 1762, a committee ap-
pointed to investigate the case reported
"8Lincoln Co. Deed Book, vol. I.
732
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
in favor of the Pemaquid Company. In
1765 the heirs of Waldo relinquished all
claims to the land west of the Medomak.
Eaton149 says:
"The Waldo patent was construed by com-1
promise to begin at Muscongus Island and ex-
tend up not up the river but to the main river
at the head of the bay, usually called the
Medomak. These two names were used con-
fusedly and often interchanged, but the heirs
of Wahid, the Legislature and Williamson
seem to have considered the latter river as the
true Muscongus."
And Rattermann'"'" writes:
"Es herrscht noch heute in der ganzen
Gegend die Meinung vor, dass der Gesetzge-
bung-Ausschuss sich in seinem Bericht an die
Assembly von den Behauptungen des Generals
Waldo babe leiten lassen, dass seine Landes-
grenze bis nach Bangor hinaufreiche, und
demgemass ihren Entscheid formulirte. Da-
durch ware der Landkomplex der "Dreissig
Eigenthiimer" mehr nach Osten verschoben
worden, und da Waldo nur die Halfte (die
ostliche) des Landes erhalten habe, so miisse
der Medomak und nicht der Muscongus die
Scheidegrenze swischen Waldo und den Pema-
quid Eigenthiimern bilden."
The Germans themselves were in the
unfortunate and helpless predicament of
possessing only sub-claims from one of
the contesting parties, while the real con-
tention was between the Pemaquid Com-
pany and the heirs of Waldo. In these
days when property rights are so clearly
outlined it is less easy to share the feel-
ing of injustice which Rattermann ex-
presses regarding the treatment of his
countrymen, since their difficulty lay in
Waldo's indefiniteness, a difficulty which
might, and ought to, have been corrected
long before Waldo died.
As it was, the majority of the settlers
rebought their land at 2 shillings, 8 pence
per acre and received deeds from
Drowne. "On15] this occasion at least
fifty deeds were executed to persons who
had settled under Waldo. The settlers,
a quiet, industrious people, submitted to
this course, probably, because of the
patent of Eldridge and Aldworth, which
was pressed upon them, and because of
a report of a Legislative Committee, Feb-
ruary 23, 1762, which confined the
Waldo patent between the rivers Penob-
scot and Medomak." According to
Pohlman :152
"The deed trouble was serious, for church
property was threatenened. 60 or 70 families
bought their lands again in 63-4 and got other
deeds from Drowne of the Pemaquid Company.
The latter gave them the right to retain the
lots assigned by Waldo for public uses, so that
deeds were given for 100 acres for a meet-
ing house, 100 also for the ministry, one of 25
and one of 41 for the support of schools."
There were other settlers who refused
to meet the demands of Drowne ; they
carried on litigation, it is said, until 1813,
when they received full justice for their
claims. In 1765, amid the bitterness and
excitement of these contentions, another
claim was advanced by the heirs of John
Brown, which was urged as prior to that
of the Pemaquid Company. John Brown,
who settled at New Harbor in Bristol, in
1625, bought of Samoset, the Indian
chief, for 50 skins a tract of land be-
tween Broad Bay and Damariscotta
River and extending in the country. This
"possessary right" his heirs pushed ; de-
positions were taken, but beyond the ad-
ditional alarm which would naturally be
felt at a feverish time of public opinion
nothing came of the episode.
There were many, however, whose sole
desire was to leave the spot which would
always be associated in their minds with
unpleasant memories. And as in 1770153
a few families of the Moravians had
sought and found a happy home in the
South, where they could enioy free re-
ligious privileges and a less rigorous
climate than they had found at Broad
Bay, the path of deliverance seemed to
lie in that direction. Some sold their
possessions; others1"'4 burned their
houses, barns and stockades, threw
stones upon their fields and meadows,
and simply abandoned the property
which had cost them so much toil and
turmoil. "Injured,1"'"' affronted, dis-
150Der deutsche Pirn., vol. XVI. p. 351.
IMWilliams( n, vol. II, p. 399.
lr,L'PohIman, p. II.
'■"'Si e part II of this paper.
1B*From the oral testimony of inhabitants of Waldo-
boro.
ir-''\\'i:iiamscn, vol. II, p. 39S.
THE GERMANS IN MAINE
733
pleased of the climate, they determined
to be rid of lawsuits and inconveniences,
and in 73 300 families joined the Ger-
mans who had settled in the South.
These were husbandmen for the most
part, of excllent moral character and
considerable agricultural skill, distin-
guished for industry and economic
habits." The same number (300) is
given by Pohlman/56, Sewall,1'"'7 So-
elle,158 Holmes,159 Eaton ;lG0 and Ratter-
man,1131 placing the number of families at
60, concurs with the foregoing authori-
ties as to the total exodus. The political
withdrawal, however, took place in 73,
and not in 70 as Sewall states. That of
70 was a religious movement on the part
of the Moravians, who doubtless fos-
tered the subsequent departure of the
300 by the favorable reports they sent to
Broad Bay regarding their new home.
This second migration in due time
reached the South, where in the south-
western part of North Carolina, on Buf-
falo Creek, in the present Cabarrus
County, they established themselves once
more as a colony.
It is doubtful if any body of Germans
ever endured a greater test of the "Be-
harrlichkeit" for which the race is noted.
All the more remarkable is the fact that
in this very year when the population
was depleted and the general spirit of
the community must have been some-
what demoralized, or at least rent by con-
flicting emotions, the plantation of Broad
Bay was incorporated as the town of
Waldoboro. The date162 of incorporation
was June 23, 1773; in 1780 John Ludwig
went as first representative to the Gen-
eral Court of Massachusetts; from 1786
to 1800 Waldoboro was a shire town.
The surveys for the incorporation were
not carefully made. The boundaries
were described by courses and monu-
ments so inconsistent with each other
that the surveyors in current opinion
lr'sPohlmaii, p. 12.
157Sewall, p. 366.
15SSoelle. report in "Transaction of Mor. Soc."
1=nAm. Annals, v. II, p. 306.
1G0Eaton, p. 134.
li;lI)er deutsche Pion., vol. XVI, pp. 352-3.
16=To\vn Register of Waldoboro.
were reputed to have carried too much
liquor among their instruments. These
inaccuracies led to a dispute between
Waldoboro and Warren (the first town
incorporated on the St. George, Novem-
ber 7, 1776), which, however, was ar-
ranged by mutual consent. The line was
marked by James Malcolm, was again
contested, and finally established in [826
by the Supreme Court. To the Waldo
proprietors the government, July 4, 1785,
proposed to survey a tract equal to 30
miles square, extending between the
Penobscot and Muscongus rivers from
the sea coast as far north as was neces-
sary to complete the amount of land,
provided they would quiet all settlers
found within these limits who were in
possession of their lots before April 19,
1775, and execute a release to all other
lands claimed in virtue of the patent. To
this the proprietors agreed. A survey
was accordingly made which extended
north to the southern line of Dixmont,
Joy and Hampden ; by this measurement,
however, a triangle of several townships
belonging to the Pemaquid Company was
included ; a resurvey was made Febru-
ary 23, 1798 and Thomas Davis, an agent
of the government, appointed to allot
land above the former assignment equal
to the amount lost by the error. Four
townships were thus allotted February
5, 1800.1"3
When Waldoboro was incorporated in
1773 it is estimated that there were about
eighty1'11 families in the settlement in
spite of the defection to the South. A
few who had participated in the latter
movement returned to Broad Bay, set-
tled with the proprietors for their lands,
and "were"1"' received with open arms."
When the Germans left Broad Bay in 70
and 73 many colonists100 came from the
south shore of Massachusetts and bought
the vacant farms. Among these were
William Farnsworth, Charles Sampson,
a coaster, who later kept a tavern, and
Thomas Waterman, who had a store of
^'Williamson, p. 584.
l«*Gazetteer of Maine, p. 560.
"'-•('.ill. Maine Hist. Soc, vol. V, p. 403 seq.
"eSewall, p. 366. Et al.
734
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
West India goods and developed an ex-
tensive trade. Ship building, which was
begun in 1770 by John Ulmer, continued
to be promoted, and Schenck's tanning
trade grew to large proportions, yielding
its owner a comfortable fortune. That
the Germans were meantime alive also to
their political necessities is attested by a
petition167 of the Broad Bay settlers un-
der date of January 14, 1767, praying
for the removal of the courts to the
eastern side of Pownalboro, a point
which was much nearer the center of
population. The petition is signed by
German names. When the Revolution
broke out the Germans performed and
endured their full share of service as
well as hardship. A letter168 from Wil-
liam Loud, written from Muscongus
Island and dated July 20, 1776, is perti-
nent : — I Doubt not Sr. but that you Re-
member Mr. Thomas of Waldoboro who
was up to the Congress the Year past on
acct of Supply for many Settlements — ■
now if no Speedy Supply (comes) and
the Enemy approach you may Expect
Dismall news from this quarter. A peti-
tion169 from Bristol (the same vicinity),
dated July 29, 1775, sets forth very
strongly the need of provisions and pro-
tection. At the close of the war the
Germans, who were mostly farmers,
there being, few among them equipped
for the mechanical arts, returned to agri-
cultural pursuits. At this time also, with
the increased facilities in ship travel and
general intercourse, the descendants of
the Puritans made their way into the
community; the village idea was de-
veloped, and gradually the population
began to change. With this post-Revo-
lution establishment of the town of
Waldoboro our inquiry ends.
10TColl. Maine Hist. Soc, vol. XIV, p. 14 (series
II).
10SIbkl., p. 360.
""Coll. Maine Hist. Soc, vol. XIV, p. 297 (series
II).
General Waldo was married in 1722
to Lucy W'ainwright of Ipswich. She
died in 1741, leaving five children, Sam-
uel, Francis, Ralph, Hannah, and Lucy.
Samuel, the eldest son, was graduated at
Harvard College in 43 and lived there-
after in Falmouth. The following year,
through the influence of his father, he
was chosen Representative to the Gen-
eral Court. He was also the first Judge
of Probate for Cumberland County, and
held that position until the time of his
death in 1770. Francis graduated from
Harvard in 47. He was Collector of
Customs at Falmouth from 58 to 70. At
the commencement of the Revolution he
went to England, on account of his Tory
preferences, and died there in 1784.
Ralph died a minor, and Lucy married
Isaac Winslow of Roxbury. Hannah
married Thomas Flucker, the last Royal
Secretary of the Province. After the
evacuation of Boston she accompanied
her husband, who was a Tory, to Eng-
land, where she died a few years later.
By right of primogeniture Samuel re-
ceived two-fifths of the Waldo patent,
the others one-fifth each. Flucker pur-
chased his shares, while the interest of
Mrs. Winslow, who died without chil-
dren, passed to her brothers and sister.
The property of Flucker and Francis be-
came forfeited to the state and was dealt
with as though the owners were de-
ceased. In 1774 Henry Knox, after-
wards famous in American annals, mar-
ried Lucy, the second daughter of Mrs.
Flucker and thus granddaughter of the
General. After the Revolution Knox
bought four-fifths of the estate, his wife
holding the other fifth, and took posses-
sion in 1792. This consolidation of the
shares, however, was broken before his
death, and the only portion of the
original patent which remains intact is
an island of seven hundred acres in
Penobscot Bay.
735-
School Room Reminders
Through the courtesy of Rev. J. B. Musser, of Orwigsburg, Pa., we are able
to reproduce the wording of a few slips of paper, the reminder, mute though
eloquent, of schoolroom ambitions almost a century ago.
Peter Montelius was a teacher at Reamstown, Lancaster County, about
1822, his work being carried on in the schoolhouse adjoining the church of the
village.
The first of these papers was 6 by 7^ inches; the second, 3 by 4; the third,
11 by 9. German letters were used.
If any reader can give us additional information respecting this teacher, he
will confer a special favor by communicating with us. The Editor.
PAPER 1
Danksgefuhle und Bitten der Kinder, in der Schule zu
R i e m s — T a u n
Dank sey dir Herr Jesu Christ!
Das du so voll Liebe bist;
In der Taufe nahmst du schon,
Uns zu deinem sauren Lohn.
Leider brachen wir den Bund
Ofte; doch in dieser Stund
Nimmst du uns aus Gnaden an,
Wiederum zu Freunden an.
O Herr Jesu ! mochten wir
Von nun an stets f olgen dir !
Mochte doch die Siindenlast,
Herschen nie in unsrer Brust !
Lasz dein Geist uns stets regier'n,
Und uns zur Erkenntnisz fiihr'n,
Fallen wir so hilf uns auf,
Und stark uns im Christen lauf .
Dir sey unser Herz und Sinn,
Von nun an gegeben hin.
Fiihre uns an deiner Hand,
Bis ins f rohe Vaterland !
Bitte der Eltern.
Jesu, starke, du den Wunsch
Dieser Kinder; und lasz uns
Auf dem Weg mit ihnen gehn,
Dasz wir einst vor dir bestehn.
P. Montelius
PAPER 2
Thue das so wirst du leben Luc. 10, 28.
Kinder von drey Sticken laszt euch nicht
abwendig machen. itens von dem
Wort Gottes; Luc. 11, 28. zum 2ten,
vom Glauben an Jesum Christum Joh.
3, 16, und 3 tens von der wahren Gottse-
ligkeit 1 Tim. 6, 6. dan in diesen dreyen
Sticken im Glauben Ebr, 11, 6 in der
Liebe Gottes und des Nachsten bestehet
das ganze Christenthum Matth. 22, 40.
Peter Montelius
"36
THE PENNSYLVAN IA-GER.M AN
PAPER 3
Gott erhore mein gebet, vernimm die
Rede meines mundes. Psalm 54, 4
Gott wird dir geben deine Bitte, die
du von ihm gebeten hast. 1 Sam. 1, 17
( Here follows the apostles' creed; each side is ornamented with conventional
bird and flowering plant.)
DER G LAV BE
Dieses Symbolum und unvergleichliche christliche Glaubenbekentnisz der
alten Kirchenvater, ist so accurat und so vollstandig, und der ganze grund des
christlichen glaubens in so kurzem und wenigen Worten ausgedriick, dasz ich
daruber, erstaune und mich nicht genug dariiber verwundern Kan, und ist von
unschatzbarem Werth zu achten, und es verdienet in alien gottseligen Biichern
mit eingefuhrt zu werden. Und ich kann es hier nicht unterlassen all christlich-
gesinten Religionsgesinnungen treulich zu ermahnen, dasz sie dasselbe, nebst
denen zehen Geboten Gottes, und Vater Unser, ihre Kinder fleiszig lernen und
ihnen einscharfen sollen; ja billig solten sie alle dieselben wohl auswendig ler-
nen : So wiirde dasselbe ein sicheres Praservativ oder Verwahrungsmittel wider
den einreissenden Naturalismus und Deismus seyn. Gedruckt in R i e m s t a u n
am neuen Jahrs-Tag, 1822
PETER MONTELIUS
The Hessians Soldiers of the Revolution
By Rev. James I. Good, D. D., Philadelphia, Pa.
HE Hessians of the Revolu-
tion have always been an
interesting subject to the
writer because of an asso-
ciation in his early life.
Right back of the home
where he was reared at
Reading was the grove of
evergreen trees known as the "Hessian
Camp" It was the property of his
uncle. Isaac Eckert, and many an hour
he spent in it. As a boy he was shown
the excavations or large holes in the
ground, where tradition said the Hes-
sians had built their huts, and an old pic-
ture, later reprinted in one of the Read-
ing papers, seemed to prove the tradition.
These Hessians were brought there, tra-
dition said, after the battle of Trenton
and there is an interesting story of a
trick played upon them while prisoners
there, which led them to believe the In-
dians were upon them and they fled only
to be gathered up again into their orison.
The stories too that have come down
to us of the involuntary service of many
of these Hessions also greatlty interesed
the writer. Lowell in his "The Hessians
of the Revolution" tells the story of John
Gottfried Seume, a theological student,
who though protesting was forced into
the Hessian service. Seume says "No
one was safe from the grip of the seller
of souls. Strangers of all kinds were
arrested, imprisoned and sent off. They
tore up my matriculation papers so I
could not prove my identity. At last I
fretted no more. One can live anywhere.
You can stand what so many do." He
was carried off to Ziegenhain, to Cassel
and then to America. Interesting though
sad was the story of the recruiting officer
who found a tall young carpenter in
Tulich and ordered him to make a stout
THE HESSIAN SOLDIERS OF THE REVOLUTION
737
chest longer than himself. When it was
done he denied it was long enough and
the young man got into it to show that it
was ; when, presto, the officer slammed
the lid, locked him in, and had the box
carried to a safe place, only to find to
his horror that the young carpenter was
dead.
The reception by our people of these
Hessian soldiers was one of great hatred,
for they looked on them as hireling sol-
diers sent here to compass our defeat.
This was later somewhat modified when
it was learned that many of them had
been forced into service against their
will. Still the name "Hessian" was a
hated one in our land for fifty years after
the Revolution. And yet many of them
remained in America, deserting from the
British army. Especially in the Pennsyl-
vania-German districts, although the
Germans were generally strongly at-
tached to the cause of freedom, were
these Germans kindly received; because
they came from the fatherland and be-
cause they spoke the same language as
the Pennsylvania-Germans of that day,
which was the language of the country
Dutch in southern Germany. Those sol-
diers who came from Hesse-Hanau
found here a number of settlers from
their own district, — old acquaintances
perhaps, and, therefore, felt more at
home. As a result many of these Hes-
sians, finding life so congenial in this new
world, remained here. Out of the about
thirty thousand soldiers who came to
America from Hesse, Brunswick, Wal-
deck, Anspach-Beyreuth and Anhalt-
Zerbst, one sixth of them (5000) de-
serted according to Lowell.
The descendants of these Hessian sol-
diers are today found all over the United
States. And we have frequently been
asked by some of them whether they
could not find out where their ancestors
came from. It is for the sake of these
descendants of the Hessians that we
write this article. Almost a year ago, a
friend, the Rev. Dr. B , one of their
descendants, asked the writer whether he
could not find out where his ancestor
came from. As the writer had been pre-
viouslv searching' in the archives of
Hesse for church history he felt he prob-
ably could get some clue to the lists of
these soldiers. Last summer the writer
made inquiry about the matter. Search?
was made in the Hessian archives at the
cost of five dollars, and Lev. Dr. B
is now rejoicing in knowing where his
ancestor came irom. JNot only that, but
he learned some additional interesting,
facts, namely when his ancestor enlisted'
and left England lor America, and
strangest to say that his ancestor de-
serted from the British army at a certain
date in far away Georgia with all his
accoutrements, which ot course belonged
to King George. Plow he wandered
from George to Pennsylvania where he
later settled is not known.
We give these facts in the hope that
others of the descendants of these Hes-
sians, who desire to know from what
place their ancestors came, may be able
to do so. The lists of these Hessian sol-
diers have been carefu.ly kept and gen-
erally give the place irom which the
recruit came, although not always. The
writer would be glad to give any one the
benefit of his knowledge in this search.
Indeed we would mildly suggest whether
it is not worth while for the Pennsyl-
vania-German Society or some Gene-
alogical Society to get these lists copied
and published for the benefit of their
thousands of descendants in America.
As these records often give the place
from which the soldier came they are of
much more value than the records of
the Palatines who came to Philadelphia
in times of peace. The Hessian element,
being 50,000 as compared with 300,000
who came through Philadelphia between
1730- 1 830, is no mean contingent of the
( rerman immigrants but a large propor-
tion, and their descendants deserve a
better recognition than they have already
gotten. For although the Hessian sol-
diers had their faults, being charged with
being hirelings, cruel and uncouth, yet
they also had their virtues. And their
descendants seem to have inherited the
latter rather than the former and to have
retrieved their ancestors' enmity to our
land by a most sincere devotion to this
land of liberty.
738
Letter of Rev. James Maury to Philip Ludwell on the
Defence of the Frontier of Virginia, 1 756
The following interesting letter which appeared in the Virginia Magazine of History
and Biography of July, 191 1, gives the impressions of an eyewitness of the times of the
French and Indian War in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. — Editor.
Rev. James Murray was minister of Fredericksville parish, Louisa County, from 1754
until his death in 1770. He was an energetic man of high character and scholarly attain-
ments, and was one of the most prominent of the colonial clergy of his time. He is now
best known as the plaintiff in the suit in Hanover, under the "Two-penny Act," in which
Patrick Henry first attained public note. He was ancestor of Matthew F. Maury. Philip
Ludwell, to whom the letter was written, was a member of the Council.
The expedition under Major Andrew Lewis, referred to, was what was known as the
"Shawnee Expedition," and as Mr. Maury suspected would be the case, it had little effect.
At the session of March, 1756, the Virginia Assembly directed the building of a chain
of forts from "Henry Enochs on Great — Cape — Capon, in the county of Hampshire," to the
"South Fork on Mayo — River, in the county of Halifax." {Homing, VII, 17, 18.) Many
of these forts were used throughout the French and Indian wars. — Editor.
Louisa, 10 February, 1756.
To the Hon. Philip Ludwell.
Honourable Sir,
However misbecoming it may, in gen-
eral, be thought in such, as act only in a
private Station, to intermeddle in Affairs
of a public Nature ; yet, when our
Country is in Danger, to ward it off
seems to be an Object of common Con-
cern. Hence I trust, any Member of the
Community will be deemed pardonable,
at least, in shewing a Readiness to for-
ward the Accomplishment of that desir-
able End. With this view and Expecta-
tion then, I am about to take the Free-
dom to offer your Honour's Considera-
tion some few Particulars, with which,
peradventure, the great Distance be-
tween Williamsburg and those Parts of
the Country, which are most immediately
affected by them, may have prevented
some Gentlemen, who share in the
Administration, from being so thor-
oughly acquainted, as it is conceived,
public Utility requires they should.
Not to mention the repeated Acts of
Hostility and Violence committed on our
Fellow-subjects, in the remoter Parts of
this Colony, by those bloody Instruments
of french Policy, the Indians; nor the
great Extent of country, on both Sides
the Alleganies, now almost totally de-
populated by them ; which are Facts long
since notorious to all : I beg Leave to
inform You, that such Numbers of
People have lately transplanted them-
selves hence into the more southerly
Governments, as must appear almost
incredible to any, except such, as have
had an Opportunity of knowing it, either
from their own Observation, or the
credible Information of others, or both.
From the waters of Potomac, James and
Roanoke Rivers on the eastern Side of
the above-mentioned Ridge of Moun-
tains, nay from the same Side of the
blue Ridge, hundreds of Families have,
within these few Months past, removed,
deserted their Habitations, & conveyed
themselves & their most valuable Mov-
ables into other Governments. By Bed-
ford Court-house in one week, 'tis said,
&, I believe, truly said, near 300 Persons,
Inhabitants of this Colony, past, on their
way to Carolina. And I have it from
good Authors, that no later in Autumn
than October, 5000 more had crossed
James River, only at one Ferry, that at
Goochland Court-house, journeying
towards the same place : &, doubtless,
great Numbers have past that way since.
And altho' these lands had not all been
settled in Virginia, yet a large Proportion
of them had. From all the upper Coun-
ties, even those on this Side of the blue
Hills, great Numbers are daily following,
LETTER OF REV. JAMES MAURY, 1756
739
& others preparing to follow in the
Spring. Scarce do I know a Neighbour-
hood, but what has lost some Families, &
expects quickly to lose more. And, what
aggravates the Misfortune, is, that many
of these are, not the Idler & the Vagrant,
pests of Society, whom 'is ever salutary
to a Body politic to purge off, but the
honest & industrious, Men of Worth &
Property, whom 'tis an Evil, at any
Time, to a Community to lose, but is
most eminently so to our own, in the
present critical Juncture. Now, Sir, as
many have thus quitted fertile Lands &
comfortable Habitations, quitted their
Friends & Relations & Country, to which
they were attached by many powerful &
indearing Ties ; weighty, we may con-
clude, have been the Reasons, at least
these People have thought them such,
which have already determined many to
act as they have, & will determine others
to follow their example. But, whether
they be weighty, in themselves, or not ;
'tis certain, they are such, as reduce the
Number of our Inhabitants very fast, to
trje great Detriment & Loss of the pub-
lic. As I have had an Opportunity of
conversing with some upon the Subject,
& have thence discovered what Consid-
erations have influenced their Conduct,
in this Point : I shall take the Liberty,
briefly & candidly, to represent them to
your Honour. After which You may
judge, whether they have any weight, or
not ; that, if they have, the Gentlemen,
whose Province it is to direct public
Affairs, may, if upon Enquiry, they find
this Information founded on Truth, con-
sider, what will be the properest Reme-
dies for a timely Prevention of the
further Progress of this Consumption in
our political constitution.
Altho' then, it be natural to suspect,
that the heavy Taxes, which the pressing
Exigences of our Country have rendered
necessary, possibly may, &, perhaps,
actually have determined some to re-
move ; yet, I know none, who have been
prevailed on to do so, purely & simply,
from that Consideration. But, Sir, an
unhappy Concurrence of various sinister
Events & untoward Circumstances, pre-
venting the Colony from reaping Ad-
vantages from the Sums, levied & ex-
pended, adequate to those Sums; to-
gether with a Suspicion & Dread, that
their Persons & Possessions are not suf-
ficiently secured against the Cruelties &
Depredations of the .Savages; are the
prevailing & principal Inducements to
these People thus, to their own private,
as well as to the public, Detriment and
Loss, to become volunatry Exiles. Gentle-
men in the Administration may think, &
I believe do think, that abundant Pro-
vision has been already made for their
Protection & Defence, as well by the sev-
eral Companies of Rangers, sent out in
the all, as by the Present Expedition
against the Shawanese. Whether the
former of these Measures has answered
all the good Ends, which, I presume, the
Government had in view, when it was
resolved on, I undertake not to affirm or
deny. And whether the latter will, no
Man, not endowed with the prophetic
Gift, can foretel. However, I hope it
will, & wish it may. But this is foreign
to my purpose, which is to inform your
Honour of the Sentiments & Reasonings
of these People, who are daily seeking
new Habitations out of the Government.
And they, Sir, notwithstanding those
Measures, & all others, which have yet
been pursued with the Views, still look
upon our Frontiers to be in so insecure
& defenceless a State, as to justify their
Apprehensions, that the same bloody
Tragedies, which were acted at the Ex-
pence of their Neighbours last Summer,
will, if they stay, be reacted the insuing
at their own. If only fifty Indians,
which they beicve to be as many as were
upon our Borders in the South-wes1 last
Year, of which they, perhaps, are the
best Judges, made such Havoc & I I
tion ; drove off upwards of two Thou-
sand Head of Cattle & Horses to support
themselves & the Enemy at Duquesne,
besides what they wantonly destroyed;
& if so contemptible a Band depopulated
& ravaged so large a Tract of Country:
they suspect, much greater Numbers,
animated & tempted by the extraordinary
Success of those few, will e'er long re-
740
Til E PEXXS YLVANIA-GERMAN
new the same Hostilities, &, consequent-
ly, much greater and more extensive Mis-
chiefs insue. And certain it is, should
that be attempted, & no effectual
Methods pursued to defeat the Attempt,
many Parts of the Colony, now several
Miles within their Frontiers, will shortly
become frontier in their Turn. As to
the Expedition under the Command of
Major Lewis, they regard it as a Mark
of the Government's Concern for their
particular Security, & of it's Attention
to the Welfare of the Community at
large. But yet, the Success of it being
uncertain, they think it not prudent to
risque all that is dear in Life, nay Life
itself, upon such an Uncertainty. The
Shawnese, they stedfastly believe, be-
cause it has been confidently affirmed by
Persons, whom they judge worthy of
some Credit, have long since received In-
telligence of the March & Destination of
that Tarty of Cherokees, who are to act
in Concert with the Forces of this
Colony, that are under the Command of
Major Lewis. And hence 'tis concluded,
they mav have Time, either to augment
their Strength sufficiently to face us in
the Field, or else to retreat beyond the
Reach of our Forces, for a While; in
Order, either when they shall be with-
drawn, or even while they continue there
in one Body, to return upon our back
Settlements by some or other of those
various Passes thro' the Alleghany
Mountains, which it will be utterly im-
practicable for those Forces, in that
united State, to command or guard. And.
should this Expedition, for these or any
other Reasons, succeed no better, than
some others have; what our remote In-
habitants have heretofore suffered is
judged but trifling, compared with what
they would suiter, in Consequence of so
disastrous an Event. A Dread of which,
it is greatly to be feared, would deter-
mine all the People beyond the blue
Ridge instantly to abandon their Habi-
tations, & retreat to a "Mace of greater
Security; which they, as well as those.
who have already removed thither, ex-
pect to find in the western Parts of the
Carolinas, in the Neighborhood, &- under
Shelter, of the Catawbas and Cherokees;
whither, 'tis supposed, the northern In-
dians will, at present, scarce think proper
to m,ake any Inroads. For, Sir, in the
present State of our Frontiers, they must
be sensible, if they judge of the future
from the past, that they may, with less
Trouble & Hazard, get both Scalps &
Plunder in Virginia, as valuable, nay
more valuable, than they can well expect
in the Neighbourhood of those two Na-
tions, who are truly formidable to them,
one for it's martial & enterprizing
Genius, the other for it's Numbers. It
is generally believed by the most prudent
& discerning in this Part of the Country,
that, during the present Troubles, noth-
ing will put a Stop to this prevailing
Humour of removing southerly, because
nothing will convince the People they are
safe, but a Line of Forts, extended quite
across the Colony, as a Barrier against
Incursions of the Barbarians. And that
this would, is quite probable : because a
trifling Fort upon Jackson's River, a little
below the Mouth of Carpenter's Creek,
and another, more trifling, at the Dunck-
ards Bottom, have, notwithstanding sur-
rounding Dangers, kept their neighbour-
ing Settlements tolerably well together.
And, Sir, if this be the case, 'tis sub-
mitted to superior Judgments to decide,
whether it will be a prudent & necessary
Measure or not, to have such a Chain of
Forts thrown across the colony with all
convenient Speed. And, should such a
Scheme be resolved on, the following line
might, perhaps, upon being viewed by
proper Persons, be found not altogether
inconvenient to build them on ; beginning
near the Head of Pattison's Creek on
Potomac (for there is one already built
13 Miles from it's Mouth) continued up
the western Branch of Wopocoms, down
Jackson's River & up Craig's Creek,
crossing the Allegany mountains to the
Horse-shoe Bottom on New River,
thence up to the Head of Reedy Creek,
& extended down Holston quite to the
Latitude of our southern Boundary.
Each of these Forts might be built from
other about 30 Miles distant, more or
less, according as the natural Situation
LETTER OF REV. JAMES MAURY, 1756
741
of the Grounds & some other requisite
Conveniences would admit. Each too
might he garrisoned by a Company of
about 50 Men, part Whites, & part In-
dians. As the whole Distance, upon a
direct Course, is not more than 300
Miles, ten or twelve Forts might be suf-
ficient to secure our whole Frontier, and
600 Men at most garrison the whole
Chain. Should it be further determined,
that no person bear any Commission in
these Garrisons, except such, as, besides
some little Fortune & good Character,
are expert Woodsmen ; it might still
further ascertain the Success of this
Measure. And, as his Honour, the
Governor, cannot be so well acquainted
with the Persons, who may be best quali-
fied to command these Companies, as
several Gentlemen in the upper Counties
are, who are themselves experienced
Woodsmen, & personally know such, as
are most proper for such an office, both
on that & the other Accounts just men-
tioned; would it be amiss, should Direc-
tions be given to the several Courts of
Augusta, Frederic & Hamshire, Halifax,
Lunenburg, Prince-Edward & Bedford,
Albermarle & Louisa, Orange, Culpep-
per, Prince William & Fairfax, each to
recommend three or four Persons, the
best qualified in their respective Counties
for that Business, out of whom his
Honour might make Choice of such, as
he should think fit ? Perhaps too it might
be necessary to appoint one general Com-
mander over all these Garrisons ; who,
upon any Emergency, by draughting a
certain Quota from each, would be in-
abled more speedly & more effectually to
relieve any particular Place in Distress,
as well as to harrass & intercept any
Parties of the Enemy, daring enough to
adventure within the Line. And were
these Forttresses built from each other
at the Distance mentioned above, the
whole Extent of Country, from North to
South, would be daily ranged & explored,
& a constant Communication maintained
between Fort & Fort. For each Garrison
would bear dividing into six Parties.
Two might, in regular Rotation, be con-
stantly imployed in scouring the Woods ;
one about 15 Miles to the Northward,
the oher about as far southward, of their
own Fort: while the remaining four con-
tinued at Home, both for their own Re-
freshment, & for the necessary Guard
& Defence of their Post. Each of the
two Dividends upon Duty might be
obliged to range from their own Fort,
as above proposed, to some Distance, as
nearly central, as may be, between it &
that towards which they respectively pa-
troll. The scouting Parties of these two
Forts might there meet each other in the
Evening; camp together that Night for
mutual Security ; and, before they set
out for their several Homes in the Morn-
ing, make an Appointment, where the
two next Detachments from the two
same Garrisons, to be next upon Duty,
should meet & incamp the succeeding
Day ; taking care thus, as frequently as
may be, to change their Places of In-
campment: in order, both to render the
Passage of the Enemy by Night or by
Day more precarious ; & more effectually
to secure themselves against a Surprize
in the Night ; which might also be fur-
ther guarded against, were each Party
to have some few well-tutored & mettal-
some Dogs, which have as strong an
Antipathy against Indians, as Indians
have against them. And by these Par-
ties, thus frequently meeting, any Intel-
ligence might be easily transmitted from
one Extremity of this Line to the other,
or from any of the intermediate Stations
to either Extremity, without any extra-
ordinary Trouble or Expence. And as
all these Garrisons might be under these
same Regulations, and Detachments
from each be daily ranging, in the Man-
ner above mentioned, the Country there-
about would be thoroughly searched &
guarded, and yet the Soldiers, thro' this
alternate Vicissitude of Exercise and
Repose, not obliged to undergo any im-
moderate Fatigue: for two Thirds of
their Time would be spent at their Fort,
and only one Third upon Duty out of
Doors. And, Sir, do not you think it
highly probable, that a Scheme of this
Sort, of which this may be considered
as a very imperfect Sketch, judiciously
742
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
planned and diligently executed, would
render it extremely hazardous for the
Enemy, notwithstanding their celebrated
Activity and Expertness in the Woods
and the Ruggedness and Unevenness of
those Grounds, to make any Inroads
upon us, with Success? The Diligence
and Fidelity, that may be expected in
Officers, thus cautiously chosen ; and the
several Garrisons under their command
having a proper Intermixture of Indians,
no less subtil than the Enemy, as bold,
and equally well versed in all the bar-
barian Arts and Stratagems of War;
would be much more formidable to those
brutal Ravagers and embarrass them
much more, than many Thousands of the
best disciplined Troops ; would either
keep them at due Distance, or, should
they adventure within the Barrier,
severely chastise their Insolence and
Temerity. Such a Measure too, besides
affording the People in that Quarter
greater Security than they have ever had,
it is supposed, will be less expensive to
the Government, than any other, that
seems to promise equal Success. For
good Judges of Work think, that each of
these Forts, together with its necessary
Buildings, will not cost more than forty
Pounds at most, provided the several
Companies be obliged to assist the Un-
dertaker in felling, hewing, sawing and
conveying the Timbers into Place, in
digging the Trenches for the Stockades,
and in other Servces of that Nature ; and
provided Forts, built after the Model, in
the Manner, and of the Dimensions of
that, of which you herewith receive a
Plan, be judged sufficient to answer the
End. Men too may be had to garrison
them with but little Bounty-money, per-
haps, without any ; provided the Govern-
ment would give them Assurance, that
they should not be obliged to enter into
any other Service : and, when inlisted,
they would be much less apt to desert,
than Men are from Corps of a different
Denomination, and destined for Services
of a different Nature. Moreover the In-
dians in these Garrisons will certainly
require less costly Clothing, and, per-
haps, be satisfied with lower Wages, than
Soldiers are commonly allowed. The
white Men also would be clothed as cheap
at least as Soldiers regularly regimented.
Several Officers too, thought necessary
in Corps of this latter Denomination,
would here be needless : such as Colonel,
Lieutenant-Colonel, Major, Commissary,
Adjutant, Quarter-master, nay Pay-
master. For the same Person, whom the
Government thinks worthy to be in-
trusted with the Command of one of
these Garrisons, may, probably, be
thought worthy to be intrusted also from
Time to Time with the Sums necessary
for a Payment of it's Wages. And, if I
am not mistaken in the Pay these several
officers in the Vriginia Regiment receive,
which according to my Calculation
amounts to £177-10 a Month; the 600
Men in these Forts will be cheaper to
the Colony, than the same Number regi-
mented, by £2130, per annum; out of
which however we are to deduct the Pay
of an Officer to command the whole,
which, rated at 20 \ per Day; a very
bountiful and genteel Allowance, leaves
an annual Saving of £1765. As some
of these Forts will be convenient to the
back inhabitants, the Garrisons may be
fed at much less Expence, than the
Colony's Troops at Fort Cumberland
can ; because the heavy Charges of a long
Carriage will be saved. Savings, which
well merit the Attention of a Govern-
ment, most especially when it's Treasury
it well nigh exhausted, and it's Subjects
so little able to replenish it, as our
Country-men at present confessedly are.
But there is another very considerable
Expence, which this Method of guarding
our Frontiers will, probably, render
needless ; and which, therefore, may be
saved. For draughting the Militia might,
perhaps, hence be rendered unnecces-
sary ; which, for aught we know to the
contrary, the Colony may, otherwise, be
necessitated to do. And should only 600
of them be imployed in the Defence of
our Frontiers, upon the Pay. established
by Act of Assembly ; it would be such an
Addition to that Load of Debts and
Taxes, under which the Country at Pre-
sent labours, as, together with it's pre-
LETTER OF REV. JAMES MAURY, 1756
743
sent unhappy Situation, must infallibly
sink it, beyond a Possibility of Recovery
thro' a course of many Years, how
favourable a Turn soever it's present
Circumstances may take? Such a Chain
of Fortresses would also bring back the
Fugitives to their deserted Plantations ;
would encourage others to prosecute
anew their projected Schemes of seating
the back Lands, which the present un-
happy Contests between the Courts of
London and Versailles have deterred
them from executing; and invite new
Setters thither from several of the
neighbouring Colonies, as well as from
the crowded and inferior Parts of our
own. Hence a considerable Augmenta-
tion of Numbers, which has ever been
thought an Augmentation of Power and
Wealth. Industry likewise would hence
revive, which, in the remoter Parts of
the Colony, has, for some Time past,
been in a stagnant State ; occasioned by
the Husbandman's Uncertainty, whether
he were labouring to support the Ene-
mies of his Country, or to maintain his
own Family. Hence too the People
would soon cease to remove, as they
would them believe, that the Government
had fallen upon the most, if not only,
effectual Course to secure it's Frontiers ;
which, as Matters now stand, are daily
contracting, and drawing still nearer and
nearer to it's Centre. Whereas, in the
present perilous and melancholy State of
Things, the People, terrified at the horrid
Acts of Cruelty and Outrage, to which
our Brethren in the southern and
northern Corners of our Frontiers, as
well as our Neighbors in Maryland and
Pennsylvania have been and are still ex-
posed ; and dreading, that they too must
next fall a Sacrifice to the butchering
Hands of the Savages ; will, from a Prin-
ciple of Self-preservation, continue to
transplant themselves to a Place of
greater Safety, except some Measures be
speedily pursued to prevent it.
The Government, it is said, has had it
under Consideration to establish a Fac-
tory somewhere upon Holston for sup-
plying the Indians with Goods, and to
Erect a Fort for it's Protection ; which
might make one of the above mentioned
Chain. General, I believe, it would be
the satisfaction of all Lovers of their
Country, were so wise and politic a
Scheme executed. It would, doubtless,
be productive of many salutary Effects.
It might be a Means of giving still fur-
ther Security to our remoter Inhabitants,
both at present and in Time to come. It
might induce the Cherokees to resume
their Project of making a Settlement
near the great Island of Holston, which
they are said to have been deterred from
completing by the northern Indians,
spirited up against them by the French;
who, thro' their usual Sagacity and Pene-
tration, quickly discovered, what an
additional Strength a Settlement of that
Nation there would be to our western
Planters : Tis highly probable too, that
this would happily retrieve the Interest,
which we have lost with the Twightwees,
Weiandots, Shawanese, & several other
Indian Tribes ; whose Friendship, it has
been generally thought, we have lost for
want of proper Regulations in the Indian
Trade, and because our Indian Traders
have, for the most Part, been so far from
dealing honestly and fairly with them,
that they have shamefully and scandal-
ously imposed on them, equally to the
Prejudice of the public Character and
public Interest. As the Government can
afford to supply them with Necessaries
on much better Terms, than the French
possibly can, more especially should Gen-
eral Shirley compleat the Interruption of
their Communication between Frontenac,
and Niagara and their Forts on Erie and
Ohio ; such a Measure would open a most
profitable Trade and establish a useful
and lasting Friendship between this
Colony and those Indians, as well as
many other Nations upon the western
Banks and Waters of that River, at
present but little known to us. And Sir,
as we frequently see Nations, much more
polite and civilized than these Barbar-
ians, actuated chiefly by Interest in mak-
ing and breaking Treaties, in forming
and dissolving Alliances : may we not
expect, that many Tribes, not only such,
as have hitherto continued neutral, but
744
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
even such, as are actually now ingaged
in the french Service, would, were some
such .Measures as these pursued, no
longer side with our Enemies, and fight
their Battles, but declare for that Party,
to which their Interest would incline
them? And. surely, it will he much more
eligible and less expensive to put an End
to their Hostilities by pacitic than mili-
tary Methods. Tis true. Sir, the Estab-
lishment of such a Factory would be
attended with considerable Expence at
the first Outset. But, when it is con-
sidered, that indian Commodities are
very valuable, and purchased for less
•than the real Worth in Europe ; and that
those, which they would receive from us
in Exchange, might be sold to them at a
good Advance, and yet much cheaper,
than either the Enemy or our own Trad-
ers have been thought to sell them ; and
aPo, that this might, in some Degree,
supercede the Necessity of the frequent
and expensive Presents made to those
People : there seems scarce any Room to
doubt, but that the Government, in a
short Time, would be amply reimbursed,
pro1 ided the Persons, intrusted with the
Maragement of this important Business,
be defective neither in Ability nor In-
tegrity. -The former of these Defects
might be tolerably well guarded against
by a prudent and judicious Choice of
Facforts ; and the latter, in great
Measure, by the wholesome Regulations
pndi r which the wisdom and care of the
Gentlemen in the Administration might
reduce this Trade, and the Persons, who
ar<^ in manage it for the Public: upon
w^icV in Truth, the Success of the
Proiect must mainly depend. And,
Si" ^nuld such a Factory be attended
with all the Advantages, with which
th^ro js Room to expect it would ; any
r •r'able Expence which the Public
cmi''1 bear, that might be judged neces-
sa-v for the Estnb'^hment of it, would,
I n^^ume, notwithstanding our present
P "ty. be cheerfidly bor^e. One happy
O'-spnrience of it would be, that, in the
C ■'•• o of a few Years, we should have
a strong Barrier or fri^ndlv Tneians to
the westward, equally formidable to our
Enemies, and beneficial to ourselves. The
Advantages of which are extremely
obvious, and so very weight}- and im-
portant, that in any Competitions be-
tween european Powers for Territory
upon his Part of the Continent, the
Scale of that Competitor, who enjoys
them in the greatest Degree, will ever
preponderate. And yet, Sir, happy for
us, these Advantages, it is imagined, are
certainly attainable by the Method under
Consideration; a Method, which not only
promises the Attainment of that prin-
cipal End ; but which, instead of being
an Expence and Burden to the Com-
munity, might, probably, after a few
Years, by good Management and wise
Regulations, annually bring a consider-
able Sum into the public Treasury. The
French, fully apprized of the Benefits
accruing from a Trade and Friendship
with the Indians, spare neither Pains nor
Cost, leave no Art unpractised, nor Ex-
pedient unattempted, to promote the one
and cultivate the other: Points, extreme-
ly essential to the Success of their grand
Plan, as wisely concerted at first, as it
has since been steddily pursued, secur-
ing and extending their own Settlements
in America, and interrupting, annoying
and harassing ours. Our own Experi-
ence convinces us how many Advantages
they have already reaped from establish-
ing a Trade and cultivating a friendly
Correspondence with them ; and the
Evils, attenddant on the Want of these,
we have severely felt to our Cost.
As my only aim in giving your. Honour
this Trouble has been a Regard for the
public Good ; I trust, from Your known
Candor and Humanity, as well as Con-
cern for the Prosperity and Welfare of
the Community, that the Goodness of the
Intent will be admitted as an apology for
any Errors on Defects either in the Mat-
ter or Form of the Contents of these
Sheets : & therefore, without trespassing
further on your Patience by offering any
other, give me Eeave to conclude with a
Declaration, that I am a sincere Friend
to my Country and therefore, Honour-
able Sir, Your Honour's most obedient
Humble Servant, James Maury.
14:>
Louis Agassiz
N May 28, 1807, a little Swiss
boy was born in a cottage
home among the snowy
Alps. The boy's father,
Benjamin Agassiz, was a
minister and a teacher, be-
loved by all the people. His
mother was gentle, culti-
vated, and kindly, a woman worthy to
be mother of the son who became known
as one of the greatest of naturalists.
As the boy Louis grew up in that
pleasant home in picturesque Switzer-
land, he showed his natural tastes and
inclinations. He gathered about him ani-
mals of all kinds. The great stone basin
in the yard of the parsonage, which re-
ceived the fresh pure water from the
spring behind it, was his first aquarium.
Here he kept the fishes which he and his
brother caught in Lake Morat near by.
The boys would simply put out their
hands when they were swimming in the
lake, and the fishes, which seemed to
know their boy friends, would easily be
•captured. Besides their aquarium of
fish, Louis and his brother had hares,
rabbits, field-mice, guinea-pigs, and
birds among their pets. The boys stud-
ied the ways of their animal friends; and
they became so familiar with the habits
of animals that a few years after, when
.a student in college, Louis was surprised
to find that he knew more about these
matters than was told in the text-books
then in use.
The boys were gentle and tender
towards all animals. They took good care
of their pets. They never allowed harm
to come to these, and they never shot a
bird or other animal. Even when he was
grown up, Louis would not use a gun
for fear he might injure or cause pain.
When it was necessary to put an animal
to death, he put it out of existence with-
out pain.
Louis's love for animals grew stronger
throughout life. His room, wherever he
was, was always like a menagerie. Once,
when in college, he had in his room about
forty birds, whose home was in a large
pine-tree in the corner of the study. One
day a professor came in suddenly, and
caught one of the birds between the floor
and the door. The little thing fluttered
and died, causing such grief to Louis that
he burst into tears.
As a boy Louis spent all the time he
could spare from classical and mathe-
matical studies in roaming the woods and
fields, searching for treasures. He
would come home loaded with insects,
shells, pebbles, and other trophies, for
all of which his good mother would make
room. From caterpillars he raised beau-
tiful butterflies. And he soon had large
collections of all kinds, including rocks,
fishes, butterflies, and insects. He early
made up his mind that he would be a
naturalist.
Louis did not attend school until he
was ten years old. Before that his noble
parents and Nature were his only teach-
ers. His father and mother taught him
love of all that is good,, true and beauti-
ful. They impressed upon him that
deep, holy reverence for the great Crea-
tor and for spiritual things which re-
mained with him through life. They
taught him to look through nature up to
nature's God.
Louis was a strong and active boy. The
life he led in his mountain home was
hardy and invigorating. He took part
in all the outdoor sports with other boys
— swimming, football, cricket, and fenc-
ing. But he did some good hard study-
ing, too. Nine hours a day was the
length of the session in the first school
which he attended. But none of the boys
seem to have thought the school hours
too long. Louis honored and respected
his teachers. He did faithful work both
at school and college, receiving the high-
est praise from his professors, to the de-
light of his good father and mother.
Louis always had chums at college, his
closest friend being Alexander Braun,
who afterward became a well-known
scientist. Braun said of Agassiz: "I
746
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
learn a great deal from him, for he is
much more at home in zoology than I
am. He is familiar with almost all the
known mammalia, recognizes the birds
from far off by their song, and can give
a name to every fish in the water."
Agassiz used to stroll through the fish-
market with his friends, explaining to
them all the different species. He taught
his college chums how to stuff fishes and
joined with them in making collections.
While he was so well versed in natural
history, he did not neglect other things.
He learned to speak German as well as
his native tongue, French, and had a
good knowledge of English, Latin, and
Greek. Besides this, he studied medicine
in response to the urgent wish of his
parents, who feared he could not earn
his living merely as a scientist.
But a naturalist he was determined to
be. And it was as a naturalist that he
achieved greatness. He seems to have
had a prophetic glimpse of this, for he
wrote to his father: "I wish it may be
said of Louis Agassiz that he was the
first naturalist of his time, a good citizen,
and a good son, beloved of those who
knew him. I feel within myself the
strength of a whole generation to work
towards this end. and I will reach it if
the means are not wanting."
The means were forthcoming. A
generous uncle helped out. And Louis
denied himself in every possible way in
order to get the necessary training. He
worked his way in part through college
by tutoring. And opportunity came to
him in the chance to write a work on the
Brazilian fishes collected by a well-
known naturalist who had just died. This
was his first work of distinction, and
was written when he was twenty-one
years old. And regarding it he wrote
enthusiastically to his brother:
"Will it not seem strange when the
largest and finest book in papa's library
is one written by his Louis, Will it not
be as good as to see his prescription at
the apothecary's ?"
The way opened for the eager natural-
ist, who won all with whom he came in
contact by his brightness and kindly
ways. The great Humboldt and Cuvier
became his friends. When the University
of Neuchatel was established, Agassiz
was chosen head of its natural-science
department. He taught not only the stu-
dents, but also the people in the com-
munity. He established a scientific
society and a museum. He conducted
explorations in the summer among the
Alpine glaciers. So great were his con-
tributions to scientific discovery that he
soon became known throughout the
whole scientific world.
The King of Prussia, recognizing the
value of his work, gave him a grant of
money to carry on further investigations.
This brought him to America, and Har-
vard University captured him to build up
the scientific work in this country. He
helped to found the American Associa-
tion for the Advancement of Science,
and gave this country a museum equal
to any in Europe, the Agassiz Museum at
Cambridge. He also founded the first
summer school ever instituted, that at
Penikese, Buzzard's Bay, Mass.
An indication of the great esteem in
which Agassiz was held is seen in the
semi-humorous poem read by Dr. Oliver
Wendell Holmes at the dinner given to
the great naturalist on the eve of his de-
parture on one of his most important
scientific journeys, the expedition to
Brazil.
"The mountain hearts are yearning,
The lava torches burning ;
The rivers bend to meet him :
The forests bow to greet him ;
It thrills the spinal column
Of fossil fishes solemn ;
And glaciers crawl the faster
To the feet of their old master.
'God bless the great professor ;
And madam, too, God bless her.
Bless him and all his band
On the sea and on the land.
'God bless the great professor
And the land his proud possessor.
Bless them now and evermore."
— C. E. World.
74T
The German as Soldier
By Rev. Georg von Bosse
CONTINUED FROM NOVEMBER NOVEMBER
S in the fight for freedom, so
also in the struggle for
unity have the Germans
fought valiantly. In the
reports, found in the ar-
chives at Washington, the
number of the Germans,
who participated in the
Civil War has been ascertained. Of the
1,118,402 Germans, which the census of
i860 mentions, 187,858 took arms for the
union. There came from New York
36,680, from Missouri 30,890, from Ohio
20,101, from Illinois 18,140, from Penn-
sylvania 17,208, Wisconsin 15,709. The
patriotic spirit of the Germans for their
adopted fatherland could not be checked.
Thousands upon thousands rushed to the
army. Some regiments were entirely
German. That Missouri stood on the
side of the union is due in a very great
measure to the German element in said
State. The Governor, C. F. Jackson, was
most furious and frantic in his efforts to
further the cause of the confederates and
he condemned those proclamations of
Lincoln, calling out volunteers, in the
strongest terms and really thought that
Missouri would not send one man to aid
the "profane crusade." The larger cities,
however, especially St. Louis, the popula-
tion of which was mostly German, were
disposed union-ward. When the Gov-
ernor attempted to carry out a plan of
seizing the U. S. arsenal at St. Louis,
coming from camp Jackson, the confed-
erates were surrounded by a strong party
of 6000 men under the captains, Lyon,
Blair, Brown, Schofield, Fisk, and Oster-
haus, and all the Governor's soldiers
were made prisoners. The victorious
force on their return to the city was
greeted with hoots by the spectators,
most of which sympathized with the
rebels and shouts of "Hurrah for Jeff
Davis," and "Down with the damn
Dutch" were heard. A shot rang out
and the staff-officer of Blair fell, severe-
ly wounded. Now the German troops
returned fire. Dead and wounded cov-
ered the scene of conflict, but the dis-
turbances, which lasted for a few days,
were finally quelled.
That the German element shared in
conducting the military enterprises is
seen by the following names : General
Ad. Engelmann, who was killed at Shi-
loh; General August Hillich, victor at
Bowling Green, Kentucky, thereby cap-
turing this State for the North ; General
Ludwig Blenker, who covered the retreat
from the first, unfortunate battle at Bull
Run ; General Friedrich Hecker, who
performed great deeds in the East and
West ; General Karl Salomo, who dis-
tinguished himself in Missouri ; General
Al. Schimmelpfennig, one of the first to
enter vanquished Charleston ; General
Max Weber, wounded mortally in the
battle of Antietam ; General Johann Fr.
Ballier, who gained fame by his valour
in Sherman's peninsular campaign, the
battles of the Potomac army and in the
final warfare under Grant and Sheridan ;
General Heinrich Bohlen, who fell at
Rappahannok ; General Aug. Moor, who
proved his mettle at Shenandoah ; Gen-
eral Hugo Wangelin, a successful leader
at Pea Ridge, Atlanta, Ringgold and
Lookout Mountain ; General Ad. von
Steinwehr, who helped to win at Chatta-
nooga and Gettysburg. Further we
mention : Major-General Fr. Salomo in
Arkansas ; Franz Sigel, victor at Pea
Ridge ; Julius Stabel, who came into
prominence at Shiloh ; Karl Schurz,.
who reaped laurels at Gettysburg; Jo-
seph Osterhaus, an honor to Germans at
Vicksburg, Chattanooga, Atlanta and
Savannah ; Aug. Kantz, who gave val-
uable service as general of the cavalry;
Jacob Ammen and Gottfried Weitzel,
who led the first regiments into con-
quered Richmond ; Julius Raith, killed at
748
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Shiloh; also the names of the colonels:
Laiboldt, Heck, Buschbeck, von Baum-
bach, ECoch, Kreffler, Winkler, Land-
graeber, Sejdel. Lutermeister, VVoerner,
Weiss, Heintzelmann, Harderberg and
otln.r>.
The most prominent German-Ameri-
can officer of the union in the Civil War,
a soldier of two continents, of the most
striking appearance, was Franz Sigel,
born on November 18, 1824, at Sinsheim,
Baden. He devoted his life to the mili-
tary profession, was drawn into the
movement for freedom in the memorable
days of '48 and came to America in 1852,
when said uprising had failed. From a
position as teacher in a private school in
New York Sigel went to St. Louis as
professor of Mathematics and History
in the "German Institute." He took
active part in politics and self-evidently
was adverse to slavery. 1861 he entered
the third regiment of volunteers of Mis-
souri, which he had helped gather, and
began his American military career.
After various smaller engagements Sigel
commanded the German regiments in the
three-day battle of Pea Ridge. By his
aid in the decisive hour victory was
brought to the standard of General Cur-
tis on the third day. His advancement
to the rank of major-general was a due
reward. After the war Sigel lived in
New York City, holding in turn several
high offices, also being active as a writer,
publishing the German-English "New
York Monthly." He died August 21,
1902.
A minute account of the deeds of
""Germans in the American Civil War"
has been written by W. Kaufmann and
lias appeared in Germany.
The war with Spain, 1898, has proved
once more that the German-American is
a true citizen of this great republic.
Among the officers and soldiers of navy
and army were thousands of German
descent. Along with the few, which
Colonel Roosevelt mentions in a report
of the storm on San Juan hill, we read
the names: Captain Franz and Lieu-
tenant Gruenwald and one of the first
three flags, planted on top of the hill,
was that of Captain Mueller.
Especially conspicuous was Theodor
Schwan, who was born 1841 in Harne-
burg, Germany. 1857 he came to Amer-
ica, entered the regular army, partici-
pated in over twenty battles and skir-
mishes of the Civil War, was made cap-
tain 1866 and fought against the Indians,
later taking a post as military-attache
in Berlin. At the beginning of the
Spanish war Schwan was made general
and as such freed the theatening moun-
tain gaps and regions of Porto Rico from
Spanish troops. Later he served faith-
fully in the Philippines.
In the marine we also find many
efficient Germans. The head gunner of
the "Olympia," who fired the first shot
in the battle of Manila, was Leonard
Kiihlrein.
A brave contre admiral was Louis
Keimpf, the victor of Santiago. Admiral
W. S. Schley also came from Germans.
Much German strength has been spent,
much German blood has soaked Ameri-
can soil in the battle for a glorious
nation ! It must be a duty to us. imposed
by national honor, that we, who have
descended from the German race, point
continually to the words and proclaim
them incessantly to all rising generations :
"As in the past so may it be said also of
these deeds: Germans to the Front."
XOTE — For a notice of Kaufmann's "Germans in the American Civil War," see page
753 of this issue. — Editor.
74»
The Handwerk Family
LONG the base of the Blue
Mountains in the upper
end of Lehigh County, is
Heidelberg Township, one
of the first settled and
original districts, which
was organized long before
the establishment of the
county in 1812. Atrocious Indian mas-
sacres marred the progress of settlement
between the years of 1755-1758. Fifty-
six persons were cruelly scalped and
murdered by the savages during the try-
ing years of the French and Indian War.
Among the early settled people in this
township were the Kern, Peter, Rex,
Bloss, Snyder, Miller, Sensinger, Hun-
sicker, Ohl, Neff, Measemer, Kemmerer,
German, Hoffman, Geiger, Hausman,
Krum', K-raus, Wert, Wehr, and Hand-
werk families. All of these settlers suf-
fered the hardships of a pioneer life.
This narrative will record a brief account
of the Handwerk family. The Hand-
werks are a prolific and prosperous
people. The trite expression of the family
being established by "three brothers"
may be correct. The Pennsylvania Ar-
chives record the emigration of the fol-
lowing: Johannes Handtwerke in 1736;
Nicholas Handwerke in 1739; Peter
Hanwerske in 1743. These pioneers
were Palatinates and doubtless some kin-
ship existed among them. They settled
in the same locality, and had interests in
common. Mr. Eugene M. Handwerk,
son of Edwin, grandson of Michael, of
Germansville, Pa., who is a graduate of
Muhlenberg College, and an esteemed
public school teacher in Heidelberg
Township, is examining old documents
and collecting data with the object of
holding the first reunion next year. The
family is rich in interesting history and
folklore. On the farm of Owen Hun-
sicker, whose wife Julia is a daughter of
Henry Handwerk, long deceased, is an
historic house, erected in 1709. It is
built over a line spring of water. The
house is of stone, 34x24 feet in dimen-
sions, two stories high with an attic and
a cellar. In the latter is the spring
which has never run dry. This historic
house reflects in a high degree the
mechanical skill of those who built it. In
the house, the wood carvings, hand-made
doors and window sashes, the rafter
joints, the wooden pegs, used instead of
spikes, hand-made nails and hinges are
silent evidences of the ability and craft-
manship of the sturdy German settlers
to erect substantial and enduring homes.
Eight generations have passed in and out
the portals of the double doors of this
landmark. Above the opening of the huge
open chimney, yV^x^ feet in dimensions,
is a heavy dressed log, in which is carved
a verse of scripture, but this is almost
entirely obliterated. A stone stairway
leads from the cellar and spring to the
first floor, which was divided into two
large rooms. A stairway in the west side
of the gable end of the house leads to
the second floor, which likewise is di-
vided into two apartments. The garret
is one large room. Large bins for stor-
ing grain and corn are still intact. They
now are filled with relics of colonial use-
fulness. Flaxhead, spinning wheels,
reels and the like are now stored in them.
The rafters and laths are near together,
giving strength to the roof. The gables
of the house face due east and west. In
the south wall is the main entrance. Be-
tween this door and a window on the
second story is a bluish dressed stone,
18x12 inches, upon which is the follow-
ing inscription: "Mid Gott Hab Ich Des
Hause Gebaut, Im Yahr Anno 1769,
Johannes Handwerk." The house is
located about one mile due north from
Germansville.
Johannes Handwerk, Sr., was a large
land owner. On November jy, 1761, he
sold a tract of 400 acres of land, located
in Heidelberg Township, Northampton
(now Lehigh) County, Pa., to his son
John Handwerk, and Nicholas Hand-
werk, and Nicholas Handwerk, Jr., for
the consideration of 300 pounds. < )f this
tract 130 acres were taken up by war-
750
THE PEXNS YLVAN IA-GERM AN
rant from the Province by Henry
Hauser, bearing date of April 25, 1744.
The 400 acre tract was bounded by lands
of Michael Ohl, Peter Handwerk, Bern-
hard NerT and John Hunsicker.
( )n October 26, 1786, just three years
before he died, Johannes Handvverk sold
three more tracts to his son, John Hand-
vverk. They contained 112, 92 and 57
acres, and were respectively taken up by
warrant as follows: Henry Hauser,
April 25, 1744; Rudolph Peter, January
28, 1754; Johannes Handwerk, Sr., No-
vember 9, 1758.
The price paid for the 261 acres (al-
lowing six per cent, for roads) was 150
pounds.
Another sale records the following:
John Handwerk, Elder, on November 27,
1773, s°ld :39 acres of land to John
Handvverk, his son.
The two latter sales of land made by
Johannes Handwerk, Sr., were bounded
by lands of Peter Handwerk, Jacob
Kemmerer, John Hunsicker, Jr., Francis
Measemer, Jacob Hunsicker and Jacob
Peter.
The third Johannes Handwerk (son
of Johannes Jr.) became the owner of
the homestead upon which is erected the
historic house. After the death of his
father, he cultivated this land from the
time of his marriage until he died. His
wife was Catharine Peter. They had
these eight children : Catharine, married
Michael Harter ; Henry, married Eliza-
beth Schmide; Casper, married Elizabeth
German ; Susanna, married George Neff;
Elizabeth, married Peter Benninger;
Michael, married Lydia Schneck ; Re-
becca, married Henry Hoffman ; Nathan,
married Lydia Snyder.
Henry Handwerk (son of Johannes J
was born on the homestead, and thereon
spent all his life, but two months, during
which time he learned the coopering
trade which he followed with farming.
His wife, Elizabeth Smith, bore him
seven children, as follows : Joseph, who
obtained the homestead ; Polly, married
Reuben Henry ; Hettie, married Edwin
Mensch ; Esther, married first a Kistler,
sicker; Sarah, married Aaron Hauser;
Helen, died aged seven years; Isabella,
married Joseph Jones.
Michael Handwerk (son of Johannes),
was a cooper and farmer. He lived
where his son, Edwin Handwerk, now
lives. His children were: Casper, Frank-
lin, Nathan, Elivina, married A. B.
Mensch ; Esther, amrred first a Kistler,
and second Wesley Buch, Joel and Ed-
win. The latter is already a grandfather,
and has nine children.
The Handwerk family are Lutherans,
and many of them are members of the
Heidelberg Church, of which Johannes
Handwerk was an early member. He is
buried on the old graveyard, where a
brown sand-stone marks his grave. He
was born January 29, 1710, and died in
1789, aged 79 years. His son, Johannes,
Jr., was born April 1, 1742, and he died
September 13, 1813, aged 71 years, 5
months and 12 days. His wife, Catha-
rine, was born September 14, 1747, and
died March 10, 1808, aged 60 years and
6 months, less three days.
Peter Handwerk, Jr., was born Sep-
tember 18, 1744, and died February 27,
1826, aged 81 years, 5 months and 10
days. Jacob Handwerk was born Au-
gust 9, 1 77 1, and was married 29 years
to Catharine Seidler. He died May 13,
1826, aged 54 years. 9 months and 4 days.
— Allentown, Pa., Call.
751
Number Eight
NOTE— Concerning this article the author,
:a subscriber and a well-known lawyer in the
•coal regions wrote February 4, 1911:
"The article is a true story of one *****
who was convicted of murder at * * * * * Pa.
He escaped from jail, was captured in the
west, brought back, resentenced to be hanged
and escaped the second time under circum-
stances alleged as narrated and is still at large.
There is no fancy about it if all reports are
true." Doubtless other subscribers can vouch
for the facts in the case. — Editor.
TEVE Romanski had lived
among the rugged hills of
Lithuania since his birth
and when he attained his
majority he concluded to
try his fortune in the
western land of promise.
He tied his bed and
clothes in a gaudy rag and started for
Antwerp. His fatherland had no attrac-
tions. He saw new life in America
where he hoped to meet many of his
neighbors who had preceded him. In
due time he landed at Castle Garden and
joined his shipmates bound for the coal
fields of Pennsylvania. The restraint of
fettered government was cast aside. He
breathed the air of free America. He
thrived at his work. He became a citizen.
He acquired the new language with ease
and spoke it with grace. He was tall
and erect. His military training had been
most beneficial to him. He was a favor-
ite with his people and respected by all
who knew him. He was honest and in-
dustrious. Ten years in his adopted
home had wrought great changes in the
man. His parents had aged rapidly and
were eager to see him again. He had set
the day to return and bring them to his
new -country. Many of his friends
planned a surprise on the eve of his de-
parture and the usual pleasures were in-
dulged ; the violins filled the air with
wild strains of native music ; the peals
of laughter rang out boisterously and
above all came the loud voice of Steve.
"My friends have provided this occa-
sion to give me joy on my return to the
fatherland and you shall not interfere.
Leave us. Take your hand from Chris-
tine's shoulder. Leave, I say, or you will
regret this intrusion," he said, growing
more angry with each word. His friends
did not fully understand all that he said;
the music ceased. Mingled voices mut-
tered threats. The intruder moved
toward Steve. Christine stepped between
them. "I will defend the honor of those
who respect me" cried Steve and with a
quick, heavy blow he struck the unwel-
come guest upon his temple; he fell,
never to rise again; his skull had been
crushed. Steve seized his hat and coat,
bid a hasty farewell to those about him
and left the house. The midnight ex-
press carried him to New York and the
next afternoon he walked the pier from
which the ship was to sail for the old
home. Suddenly Steve heard a familiar
voice saying, "Steve, we want you at
home, come with me." Handcuffs were
slipped on his wrists and Steve was taken
to the Tombs. Extradition was not
necessary; Steve declared his innocence
and willingness to return without delay;
he did not know that the man whom he
had struck was dead. He was tried by
a jury of Americans who bore strong
prejudices against the foreign citizen.
He was convicted, sentenced to be
hanged ; pardon was refused and the day
for execution fixed. Steve had gained
the confidence of the sheriff who was in
charge of the prison and he allowed him
many privileges ; he permitted friends to
talk with him at the barred door of his
cell. The death warrant was issued and
the sheriff opened the outer door of the
cell to read it to Steve, but Steve was not
present. A tiny saw ; two severed win-
dow bars and an improvised rope dang-
ling over the wall explained his absence.
The snow was blown fiercely by a rag-
ing wind ; the camp was deserted, not a
sound, save that of the wind, was heard ;
no living thing ventured out in the bliz-
zard. A shivering figure came to the
cabin and rapped. Not a sound came
752
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
from within. A louder rap and the door
was opened. "Come in," said a woman.
The shattered form of a man stumbled
in and sank upon the floor. A glowing
lire, hot drink and food awakened his
energy; he looked into the face of his
benefactress ; he had seen that face ten
years age Slowly the mist disappeared
and he ventured to whisper, "Christine."
Her face showed great surprise and
Steve quickly followed his opening word
with, "you here, don't mention my
name, if you remember it. Tell no per-
son that you saw me." "Yes, yes, I
know you; 1 remember the night, all,
all." "I know what you mean," said
Steve, "For God's sake, say no more;
give me a place to slee'p and I will tell
you more tomorrow." Christine led him
into her room and covered him with the
warm covering of her bed. Steve slept
while Christine kept a fire roaring in the
cabin chimney. The sun was high when
Steve awoke. It did not take long to tell
the story nor for the two to agree to
remain in this seculded spot for the re-
mainder of their lives. They worked to-
gether and lived in peace with all the
world. The camp increased in numbers.
Gold was plentiful and a new find
brought thousands to the place. Men and
women of all kinds and character settled
among the peaceful residents. Christine
devoted all her time to home duties and
much of it to Ross Brooks who came
there to seek health and. incidentally,
some gold; he was a polished young
man ; he spoke to her of the mysteries of
the heavens and the wonderful forma-
tions of the earth; he had graduated
from Yale and his learning impressed
Christine so that she would rather listen
to him than Steve. Steve was deeply
wounded, but dared not resent the in-
trusion. His past life was ever before
him. A word to Christine might incur
her ill will and he had resolved to trust
no human being. He bore this infliction
and spoke I i Christine in his best man-
ner; he praised Brooks for his learning
and sympathized with him in his misery;
he used many tricks to induce Brooks to
go to another camp where it was more
healthful and profitable. "Christine,"
said Steve, "let us sell our claim to
Brooks and go further north where the
gold can be picked from the surface; we
have worked hard and long here and
have little to show for our toil ; come, let
us go elsewhere." "Steve," she said, "I
know why you want to leave this place ;
you believe that I love Brooks; you have
tried to conceal that thought but you can-
not ; I do not love him, but I enjoy his
company when you are absent." "When
I am absent," he exclaimed, "You have
told me more than I suspected ; Chris-
tine, we must leave here at once."- "I
refuse to leave," she said, "you may go;
go back where you came from ; to the
prison cell and the gallows ; you will be
hanged if you leave here ; Steve Ro-
manski, I have saved your life and I
would not do the slightest thing to injure
you, but I will not leave this cabin." The
cabin door opened and Ross Brooks
stepped in, with drawn revolver in his
hand, saying, "Steve Romanski, I com-
mand you to go with me ; you have
caused me much trouble but 1 have you
at last." The next train carried Steve
and Ross Brooks toward his old cell in
the east ; a new sheriff was presiding in
the prison and Steve was closely
watched ; another death warrant was
issued and read to him ; he heard the
hammers putting up the gallows upon
which he was to forfeit his life ; hope was
gone.
A ring at the prison door was
answered by the wife of the sheriff;
she admitted a wandering vender of
beaded ware ; she brought her into the
living room and examined her wares.
"How many prisoners have you in this
place," inquired the woman. "We have
only six," replied the matron. "Are all
murderers," she asked. "No, indeed."
was the reply, "only one, in number eight
is a murderer and he is to be hanged
soon ; he was convicted several years ago
and escaped but was caught and brought
back a few months ago." "It must be
awful to live with criminals and mur-
derers in a big stone house like this,"
said the stranger. "My husband is not
NUMBER EIGHT
753
away very long and when he goes out I
have the keys and perform his duties."
Suddenly the matron reeled and fell un-
conscious upon the floor. Like a flash
the thought came to Christine that those
keys might be in the hands of the matron
at this moment ; she searched her and
found a bunch of keys ; she hurried to
the hall door and soon had it unlocked ;
she flitted down the narrow corridor and
opened cell number eight. "Steve,
quick, dress, the doors are open, fly, fly,
for your life," she said in hurried tones.
Steve seemed dazed ; he threw aside the
Bible, tore off his stripes and threw on
his coat ; he shuffled down the corridor
toward the street door which was pulled
open when he reached it ; a small pack-
age was thrust into his hand and the door
closed behind him. Christine hastened
to the matron, replaced the keys in her
pocket and disappeared.
Die Deutschen 1m Amenkanischen Burgerkriege, Von
Wilhelm Kaufmann, Oldenbourg, Munchen
und Berlin, 1911
By Ernest Bruncken, Washington, D. C,
HIS is the first work treating
comprehensively, and so
far as that is possible ex-
haustively, o f the part
which the German-born
element has played in the
federal armies during the
Civil War. There have
been numerous publications devoted to
special phases of the subject, and of
necessity there has been some mention
of such matters in works treating in
more general ways of the war or portions
therof. Mr. Kaufmann has used these
partial works, but he has added to the
material so obtained a mass of original
information obtained directly from par-
ticipants in the events described. This
circumstance will make the work an im-
portant original source for future histor
ians, and if the author had done nothing
but collect this scattered information
with unflagging zeal and industry he
would be entitled to high praise.
Mr. Kaufmann, however, has done
much more. With true historical insight
he has discerned that the achievements
of any portion of the Union army,
scattered among the rest and not playing
an independent part in the struggle,
could not be of much importance in the
final picture which historical science will
some day paint of the great conflict. It
must be a very different thing, however,
when the military story is made to
appear as an element in the general de-
scription of German participation in
American life. This is what the author
has done, and the result is an important
contribution, not merely to the military
history, but to the general history of the
growth and development of American
civilization.
The historian who treats of a particu-
lar racial element in the American
people encounters, in additions to the
difficulties besetting every investigator, a
number of special obstacles to a clear
sight of the truth. The very fact that he
picks out for insolated consideration a
small part of a great movement, tends to
make him over-estimate the importance
of his subject. Racial predilections ten<l
towards the same fault, and racial sensi-
tiveness is likely to make him attach un-
due importance to acts or speeches of
outsiders which seem to him deliberate,
perhaps malicious, attacks on his favor-
754
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
ites. German-Americans, neither more
nor less than other nationalities, a'-e
much given to ascribe every casual
criticism of things German to deep-
seated, nativistic prejudice. These pit-
falls the author has avoided to an un-
usual degree. He is able to see that the
German officers were not all heroes nor
military geniuses, and that a man is not
necessarily blinded by anti-German feel-
ings, because he calls the shortcomings
Of some Germans by their right names.
He is also just enough to appreciate that
no nation can be expected to entrust the
highest positions in a national crisis to
foreigners. On the other hand, where
there seems to be really an element of
nativistic hatred, as in the case of the
incapable Gen. O. O. Howard, Mr.
Kaufmann does not hesitate to describe
the animus which stood behind some of
the violent attacks on German soldiers
and officers.
In certain respects the conclusions at
which the author arrives do not conform
to the generally accepted notions, and to
the reviewer it seems that in such cases
Mr. Kaufmann is generally right. This
is conspicuously so in the case of Francis
Sigel. He does full justice, of course,
to the many good qualities possessed by
that favorite of German veterans and
German newspapers. No judicious per-
son would deny that Gen. Sigel fully
deserved the monuments erected in his
memory. But the author points out with
entire propriety that there were other
German officers in high positions who
made a better record than Sigel. Such
is notably Gen. Osterhaus, who is com-
paratively unknown to the general pub-
lic. Mr. Kaufmann shows, among other
things, how Sigel had the advantage of
being pushed .forward by his fellow-
revolutionists of 1848; he might have
added that he continued to enjoy, after
the war was over, the support of the
German papers, the great majority of
which was under the guidance of
"Forty-eighters1' and their friends. Mr.
Kaufmann shows, also, how a large part
of the difficulties with which Sigel had
to contend sprang from his inability to
adapt himself to the manner and ways of
the country, and to make friends among
people not of German nationality. People
of considerable acquaintance among
German-Americans know that in this
respect he was typical of a large class of
able men, who are partial failures be-
cause they never succeed in removing
from the minds of non-Germans the im-
pression of being strangers in a strange
land.
The story of the Germans in the Civil
War lends itself easily to picturesque
writing. Such incidents as the capture
of the rebel militia at St. Louis ; the
sufferings of the Texas Germans ; the
unjustifiable attacks upon the Germans
after the disaster of Chancellorsville;
the hardships of the Shenandoah cam-
paign ; and to mention also the farce
after the tragedy, the grotesque doings
of Gen. Bleuker, hero of the unheroic
first battle of Bull Run — such subjects
present an almost irresistible temptation
to let the literary get the better of the
historical art. It is a special merit of
the present work that in it nowhere has
the literature driven out history. This
is not to say that the book is poorly
written. In the contrary, it reads well
and easily, but nowhere does the reader
forget that he is dealing with serious
history and not with romance.
One of the most valuable portions of
the work for future historians, and
especially genealogists, is the collection
of biographies of German officers. Many
of these data are not accessible in any
other place, and would probably have
been lost without the efforts of Mr.
Kaufmann. Altogether, this book is one
of the most important contributions yet
published to the history of the German-
American element, and likewise an im-
portant contribution to that of the Civil
War. It ought to be published in an
English version.
755
ierman
Hotel;
HE German hotels are the
best in the world — that is,
the most to my taste. The
statement is subject to
some qualifications. I have
not tried the hotels in Asia,
Africa, Australia, or South
America. But I have tried
them in all European countries except
Spain and the Balkan States. They are
smaller and quieter than the American
hotels, give greater variety of food than
the English hotels, more hygienic food
than the French hotels, and are more
sanitary than the Italian hotels. This
statement, like all general statements, is
subject to qualification. There are quiet
hotels in America, hotels with variety in
England, with simple diet in France, and
with adequate sanitary provisions in
Italy. In fact, travel is now so universal
that the great hotels in the great cities
which depend on foreign travel for their
patronage are very cosmopolitan in their
character. There is a certain semblance
in the greater hotels of New York, Lon-
don, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, and Rome.
To get the distinguishing characteristics
of the hotels of any country one must go
to the distinctively native hotels — that is,
to those dependent on native, not on
foreign, patronage ; and those are chiefly
to be found in the smaller cities.
This tendency of the hotels in the
larger cities to borrow each other's
methods is seen in one new feature in
the hotels of Hamburg and Bremen. Ten
years ago rooms with private baths at-
tached were rare on the Continent of
Europe, and I think almost unknown in
England. Going to one of the best hotels
in Hamburg on landing in that city, and
to one of the best hotels in Bremen be-
fore embarking from that city, I found
that to a large number of the rooms a
private bath was attached. It is my habit
on landing to pick out the best hotel in
the city and to pursue the same course
before embarkation. There are two rea-
sons for this policy : If one goes to what
he thinks is a second-class hotel in a great
commercial port like Hamburg or Bre-
men, he is very apt to find himself in a
third-class hotel, unless he has either ex-
traordinarily good luck or extraordinary
advantages for ascertaining about condi-
tions. And on landing from a steamer
which has been more or less waltzing for
ten days, rest under the best possible con-
ditions is desirable for the forty-eight
hours required to adjust one's self to the
sober and steady earth ; and, again, a
similar rest under the most favorable
conditions is a desirable preparation for
embarking. The condition in which a
landsman finds himself for the first two
days on shipboard depends, in no small
degree, on the condition in which he goes
on board his steamer. We embarked at
Bremen from one of the largest and best
hotels in the city. The portier got our
railway tickets and seat tickets to Bre-
merhaven for us, checked the trunks and
brought us the steamship company's
checks, sent our hand luggage to the sta-
tion in advance of us and had it put in
place in the racks of our compartment,
so that we had only to drive to the sta-
tion and get into our seats. The conse-
quence was that we went on board the
Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm absolutely
care-free. The best preventive of sea-
sickness is a rested body and a quiet
mind. The traveler who takes the last
train by which he can reach his
steamer and goes on board wearied and
worried is taking the best possible
course to insure for himself a very un-
comfortable passage. The price for a
short stay in a first-class hotel in a Ger-
man port is not prohibitory ; our hotel
bills in both places, including good-sized
rooms with private baths, and all extras,
tips, etc., were about five dollars a day.
What follows is written for the un-
traveled reader, and will not interest the
traveled reader except as he may be in-
terested to compare his own impressions
with mine.
756
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
There are certain important respects in
which the German hotel differs from the
American hotel. Nowhere is there a
price charged by the day. The traveler
pays a fixed price for his room, depend-
ing on its size and location ; sometimes
the breakfast is included. The price for
a good room in the smaller hotels ranges
from three to five marks — that is, from
seventy-live cents to a dollar and a
dollar and a quarter. The charge in-
cludes attendance and lights ; the traveler
brings his own soap with him. The price
for breakfast ranges from a mark to a
mark and a half — that is, from twenty-
live lo thirty-seven cents. It consists of
rolls and coffee, and the coffee is uni-
formly good. I do not recall a poor cup
of coffee in all my German experience;
it was either good, better, or best. In
England it is almost uniformly bad,
worse, or worst. Personally, I like the
German coffee better than the French ;
I suspect there is some chickory in the
French. One may by special order add
to his breakfast of rolls and coffee, eggs
in almost any form, and, I suppose, also
steak or chops. Save possibly in the dis-
tinctively American hotels in the great
cities, an order of a breakfast food or of
buckwheat cakes would not be compre-
hended by the waiter. There is a fable
d'hote dinner, usually at one or half-past
one, which consists of four or five
courses and costs from two and a half
to five marks — sixty-two and a half cents
to a dollar and a quarter. For supper
you order what you will — the usual order
being cold meat or eggs or both. You
take your dinner and supper where you
like, and do not pay for it at the hotel
unless you take it there. The head waiter
generally asks you at breakfast if you
expect to be at dinner. This is partly to
reserve seats for your party; partly, I
suspect, that, like a prudent housekeeper,
he may know how many guests to pro-
vide for. Save in the large hotels, the
number of those who sit down to the
table d'hote dinner rarely exceeds from
thirty to fifty. In the modern or modern-
ized hotels the long table had given way
to small tables. If you have a party of
two or more, you are sure to have a table
to yourself if you desire it.
If there are any temperance "hotels in
Germany, I neither sawr nor heard of
them. In all the hotels wine and beer
are sold with the meals, and are freely
used. In two of the hotels at which we
stopped the price of dinner was half a
mark more if no wine was ordered;
there was thus a small premium on
ordering wine. On the other hand, there
are no bars in the hotels in Germany ;
at least none in evidence to one who is
not in search of a bar. We went into
one hotel-restaurant one evening for an
ice, and not only found a goodly number
of men and women sitting at the tables
who preferred something to drink rather
than something to eat, but, in going to
our table, passed an open door through
which we saw what looked like an
American bar. And in Berlin I looked
in through the open door of one saloon,
one one of the principal streets, and saw
men and women, some at tables, some at
a bar, drinking with the same freedom
with which similar groups might be seen
on a warm day at a soda-water fountain
in an American city. But in the hotels
proper there were apparently no bars.
Personally, I thing a hotel in which there
is no bar, but in which wine and beer
can be ordered with the meals, is more
worthy to be called a temperance hotel
than a hotel, such as I have seen in
Maine, in which no wine or beer can be
ordered with the meals, but in which
there is a bar in the basement where one
can get stand-up drinks at pleasure.
But if there are no bars in the hotels
in Germany, there is no dearth of places
in which to satisfy thirst. Restaurants,
cafes, gardens, and drinking-shops
abound. There is every variety, for
every kind of taste. I do not know what
the statistics show, but the impression on
the Careless Traveler is that in the
larger cities there is as great a proportion
of drinking-places as in American cities
of equal size — but different in character.
You may go into what in America -would
be an ice-cream saloon and order either
an ice, a bottle of beer, or a bottle of
GERMAN HOTELS
757
wine. You may go into a garden and
find the seats — not benches, but chairs —
ranged round little tables, and a waiter
ready to receive your order for a glass
of milk (which, by the way, is quite
common) or a glass of beer. You may
find on a balcony or piazza of a hotel-
restaurant multitudes of little tables and
multitudes of busy waiters serving eat-
ing and drinking guests. Or, I suppose
— I did try to experiment- — you may go
into what externally looks like an Ameri-
can saloon and take your drink standing.
The Germans are always eating, yet do
not gluttonize, and always drinking, yet
are never drunk. In America we eat
and drink as we put coal on the furnace,
to keep the machinery going; in Ger-
many eating and drinking is an end in
itself. The people eat and drink as one
may read a book — not to get something
out of it for future use, but for the mere
enjoyment of reading. There is at least
•one thing to be said in favor of this : it
is wholly inconsistent with the spirit of
grab and gobble which one often sees at
our American lunch counters in a busi-
ness street in business hours.
The public rooms characteristic of our
great American hotels are in Germany
conspicuous by their absence. If there
is a lobby, it is not used as a lounging-
place. There is often a reading-room,
and sometimes a ladies' parlor, but they
are both quiet and retired. I do not
think if all the lobbies of all the hotels
in Germany were united in one great
lobby, and all the guests in all the Ger-
man lobbies were turned into it, they
would present any scene of dress and
display, lazy luxury and strenuous dis-
cussion, comparable to what may be
seen in any one of half a dozen hotels in
ISfew York City or Chicago. In the
smaller hotels there is a small lobby,
which contains a chair or two, a desk,
and sometimes an office opening out of
it. In this lobby, or in the adjoining
office, is always to be found the portier.
When your cab drives up to the hotel,
the portier comes out in person to greet
you. You are welcomed as a guest. If
you are wise, you leave your baggage in
the cab and ask to see what rooms they
have. You see them, inquire the price,
decline, and drive on to try elsewhere,
or accept, and in ten minutes are settled
and at home. In the smaller hotels the
proprietor is apt to take his dinner with
his guests, or, if not, to come into the
dining-room at the dinner hour and greet
them with a bow. In one hotel the pro-
prietor sent personally a flower to every
lady at the Sunday dinner, and, if for
any reason she could not be down at din-
ner, the flower was sent to her room.
When you go away, the portier, the head
waiter, and perhaps the proprietor, are
present to bid their guests good-by. They
are not always after tips. At one Ger-
man hotel where tips were forbidden, as
we drove away we caught a glimpse of
three of the waiters who had served us
standing at the window smiling to us
their adieux. These farewells are as
cordial where tips are not expected or
not even allowed, or where they have
already been paid, as where they are ex-
pected. In short, if the hotel is small,
you find a personal relationship estab-
lished between yourself and the inn-
keeper and his representatives, and, if
this relationship is accepted in the same
spirit in which it is offered, it lends a
distinct charm to the life such as is not
known in the great hotel. — L. A. in Out-
look.
758
-U
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
" O, Muttersproch, du bist uns lieb " — A. S.
Why There Are No Suffragettes among
Pennsylvania German Women
Mister Drucker:
Mer kon sheer ken tzeitung laesa die dawge
os mer net ebbes sehnt foon "woman suffrage."
On so iiel blets— in fact, sheer oil ivver—
wolle die weibsleit es recht hovva tzu shtimma.
In Idaho, Wyoming. Colorado, Utah un
Washington hen sie so'n recht fer now shoont
ettliche yahre ; un yusht doh im letshta Octo-
ber hut California ow de weibsleit sel recht
gevva. Ondem werren mir doh im Pennsyl-
vania ow in die roy kumma missa.
Es sheint ovver net os won Pennsylvania
orrlck in'ra hurry ware. Un tzu ken set
weibsleit sheint des shtimma so evvafiel tzu
sei os wie tzu unsera Pennsylvania Deutsche
weibsleit ; mer hehrt foon ken'ra Mrs. Pank-
hurst odder Mrs. Belmont os unnich ihne om
schaffe is, un sie gehe net hinnich die kunsh-
dawgler mit longe heet-shpella, wie sie duen
hinnich die police in de shtedt — in fact, ains
foon unsera loud kunshdawgler dait gnops en
suffragette kenna won er ainy sehna dait.
Now es mus en uhrsach sei os unser
Deutsche weibsleit net ow der shlickser grehe
fer's recht hovva tzu shtimma. So hoy ich
mei frau, die Bevy, g'frogt ferwos net sie un
ihre schweshtera, aunts, cousins, un noch-
bera ow naus gengta speecha mache, finshter-
glesser nei-shmeisa, un de kunshdawgler die
g'sichter fersherra? Ich wut du hetsht noh
de Bevy ihre auge sehne kenna, Mister
Drucker ! Sie hut behaupt es ware yoh'n in-
sult fer ebber even tzu denka os Pennsylvania
Deutsche weibsleit sich uffeera kenta wie sel.
Ich war bissel im'ma gla eck drin, s'war plain,
un bin noh raus ge-backed so easy os ich ge-
kent hob ; sel is, ich hob explained ich het net
gemehnt os unser weibsleit so'n fuss mache
sutta odder os es miglich ware os sie sich so
schlecht behafa kenta — wos ich ge-broweered
het fer droh-tzu-kumma ware des: Ferwos die
Pennsylvania Deutsche weibsleit net's recht
wutta hovva fer uf die 'lection gehe un shtim-
ma? Ich hov ow weiter explained os die
weibsleit daiten owfongs die shoola runna, net
yusht ols teachers ovver ow ols directors ; die
weibsleit daiten die hospitals runna, die chil-
dren's homes, die asylums fer die blinda, die
karriche, die missionary societies, un ferwos
net ow die saloons — sel is, politics?
Well, die Bevy hut noh g'shmunzled os
wie'n yunga katz won mer sie de rechta weg
ivver der bookel shtreicht. Die Bevy hut er-
laubt os politics, im airshta blots, ware tzoo
schlecht fer weibsleit ebbes mit tzu dueh hovva.
Noh hov ich g'sawt sel ware yusht die uhrsach
os weibsleit in politics gehe sutta — tin's noh
besser mache. Die monsleit, wie ihr politics,
waren ow net immer wos sie sei sutta, hov ich
g'sawt, ovver ich het doch noch net g'sehna
os wega sellem weibsleit sich weiters foon de
monsleit wek holta daiten. Wy, sie kenta net,
hut die Bevy g'sawt ; die monsleit daiten inne
die gons tzeit noh-shpringe ! Un won ich die
wahret wissa wut, es waren de monsleit, meh
wie ainich ebbes shoonsht, os die weibsleit aus
politics holta daiten.
Noh doh war'n neies uf mich. un ich hob
g'frogt wie don des sei kent, os monsleit die
weibsleit aus politics holta daiten? Die Bevy
hut's noh deitlich gemacht : Ken weibsleit in
de welt waren bessar househelder wie die
Pennsylvania Deutsche weibsleit — fiel net so
goot ; ken set weibsleit daiten ihr heiser un oil
ihr sache so sha un sauver holta ; in fact die
Deutsche weibsleit kenta un daiten olles sauver
holta os sie um sich rumm hetta — except die
monsleit; un mit de monsleit ware evva now
yusht nix tzu dueh. Now won die weibsleit es
recht hetta tzu shtimma dait's net mehna os
sie yusht uf die 'lection gehe sutta, ovver os
sie naus gehe mista committee meetings holta
un tenda ; sie mista campaign plans mache ;
kondidawta raus grehe un onnera net raus
kumma lussa ; festivals holta fer geld grehe,
in blots foon's geld aus de corporations dricka,
un endlich ware's f'leicht gly notewennich os
die weibsleit flying machines hetta fer draus
rumm shwoopa 'lectioneera. Oil sel dait sie
fon haim nemma, un sie foon haim holta.
Noddeerlich, weibsleit daiten sich gern fer-
blaudera, un sellaweg sich f erseima ; sel dait
sie ols noch lenger foon haim holta.
Of course, won ganoonk gebocka ware de-
haim fer a pawr dawg, odder'n woch, don
kenta die monsleit sich selver koche, un oyer
broata — anyhow sie daiten net ferhungera.
Ovver wie ware's noh un wie dait's gooka won
die weibsleit tzurick haim kaimta? Es g'sherr
yusht holver gewesha, messar un govla
rushtich, die ponna smootsich, der shpiel-
lumba shtinkich, es honduch shteif un gro
wie'n olter kolter buchwaitze-kuche. es dish-
duch ferflecked mit coffee un jam, die coffee-
kon holverful grounz, der tay-kessel om rinna,
der koch-kessel deckel ferlora, die karabet full
fet-blocka, die kich net gekehrt, der uffa net
ge-blacked, es oil cloth unnich em uffa shlip-
perich mit shmootz, die wond fershmoked, die
finsht< ra ferdrecked bei de micka, der shonk
lavendjch mit pismires, es keller-ech full
DIE MUTTERSPROCH
759
grumbeara-shawla, die borch full huls, kareb
un si-aimer, die borcha-dreppa ferdreckt mit
hoond's-shpuhra un fersowed bei de hinkle —
olles in fact so unnershts-eversht un so grush-
dich dreckich os nemond sheer in's house kent
odder sich secondeera won's drin ware. Die
Bevy mehnt net, be sure, os unser Pennsyl-
vania Deutsche monsleit shloppicher waren
wie onnera, fer sie secht oil monsleit waren
noddeerlich so.
Un wie mit de kinner Won die Mommy fot
ware 'lectioneera? Wer dait ufshteha nachts
won die glana owfonga daiten heila? Wer
dait'ne tay mache won sie bauchweh hetta
odder'n essich-lumba uf die shtern binna fer
kupweh? Wer dait'ne jelly-brodt gevva odder
cracker soup mache won sie schlecht feela
daiten un hetta ken obbadit? Wer dait der
weh blots blosa won sie die tzeha aryets wed-
der renna daiten? Wos ware im shonk won
sie hungerich sutta werra tzwisbe-de-tzeit?
Wer dait sie mache die feesz wesha ovefs eb
sie in's bed gengta? Un wer dait die gerani-
ums tenda, die tzwiyla hocka, un's ungrowt im
gorda droonna holta?
Nay, mehnt die Bevy, es ware gor net
shicklich fer Pennsylvania Deutsche weibsleit
suffragettes tzu werra.
OLLY HESS.
Der IVei Shoolar
Nou gad mei bub'li noch da shool — mer
man'd es kent net sei ; Es shein'd de yora sin
so kortz un gan so shnel ferbi. 'Sis yoh nuch
gor ken tseit tsurick wor ar doh in da we'k,
Mit brei im moul, un kulik, un en shdim
arshreklich Greek.
Was wor sel ols en bizzy tseit en gonsa lar-
mich nocht ! Es wor ken shlofe im hous, mer
hen yushd g'shuk'ld un gawochd. Un wun ar
shdil wor olsamol un ruich bei degrees, Wos
wor des bub'li duch so leeb!— wos wor der
shlofe so seez !
Ov'r nou hov Teh ken bub'li ma — Ich du
sei frockli 'wek, Far ar mus hussa hovva nou,
mit gallus draw, un sek. De we'k is lar —
we's omshel nesht, de klana sin ol fort, Mer
haerd ken sound fun kenra ord, ken musik
ma fun dort.
Ar's seks yohr heit ! Kon's meglich sei —
ken bub'li ma im hous ! Yaw, we de yora
kuma rei, so gad de yuchend nous. Gook, was
en gros'r bu, we shduls-sei arshta hussa aw!
De tseit gad shnel un eb mer's denkt, sucht ar
sich shun en fraw.
En bub'li wor ar geshd'r g'west, en shoolbu
is ar heit. En menli wart ar morga sei — so
reisend gad de tseit. Dawrum mus Ich nou
bolamol kunsidra wos tsadu, Un wos es end-
lich gevva sul ous unser'm grosa bu.
Hob shun gadenkt weil ar's so shlou un im'r
so ful driks. Dad are recht gute far'n hons-
worsht ud'r far drekich politi <s. Noh wun's
en guta chance mol gebt don mecht ar nuch
urn end. So unfarhuft nei schlicha ols der
U. S. Presidend.
Du lewar tsushdond, wos/ en soch, Ich wist
net wos tsrdu! Der fod'r sei fu'm Presidend
— Ich het yoh gor ken roo. Es is mer arlich
nunar bung, far karls we ar sin rawr. Duch
huf Ich wart ar net elekt— (farleicht is aw
ken g'for).
De momy het don lewar nuch wun ar en
porra war, Dos der deiv'l mol ousdreiva dad
un ging't iv'r de sindar her. Un onra tseita
denkt se ols ar sul en duckd'r sei, En lawyer
ud'r en millionaire, — war sel net gros un fei?
Ov'r horch amol. doh kumt ar nou— harsht
we ar lushdich singt, — Unshuldich fun da
sorya wu de eld mol mit sich bringt ! Ken
gros'r nawma un ken geld os folt tsn'm weld-
lich mon, Is naksht so seez os sel rein hartz,
wun ar's yushd holda kon.
Solly Hulsbuck.
NOTE.— The foregoing is taken from the
new book of Penna. -German Stories, Prose
and Poetry, published by the Hawthorne Press.
Oily Hess' Ponhaas
Oily Hess' "Ponhaas," a dialect article in
the November Pennsylvania-German, rppeared
in English dress in the Independent-Gazette,
of Germantown, early in December. The re-
calling of the smel! and taste of the old-time
country scrapple must have made some one's
mouth water and induced him to make the
translation.
A Little Center County Joke
Years ago, a Rev. Abele preached in
Center County. Traveling one day with a
fine horse, he came to a company of men
fixing the road. One of these said to the
preacher, "Du husht en feiner gaul; des is
zu expensive fer dich. En paar ochsa wara
gute genung far dich." The preacher answ-
ered: "Ya, won ich en yoch het, ochsa huts
plenty."
"A Shmart Fellow''
An old Dutchman undertook to wallop his
son, but Jake turned upon him and walloped
him. The old man consoled himself for his
defeat by rejoicing at his son's manhood —
he' said: "Well, Jake 'ish a shmart fellow.
He can vip his own taddy."
— Argus.
760
REVIEWS AND NOTES
By Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N. J.
I'J
"Smith's Magazine" for November contained
the first instalment of Mrs. Helen R. Martin's
new novel, "The Fighting Doctor," running as
a serial in that magazine. The scene of the
story is laid in Eastern Pennsylvania.
Volume 2 of the "Corpus Schwenckfeldi-
anorum" appeared this fall. The work is
being published by the Schwenckfelder
Church in America. It is the second volume
of a possible series of eighteen volumes,
meant to contain the works of Caspar
Schwenckfeld, the founder of the church, a
Silesian nobleman and reformer, and a con-
temporary of Luther.
According to Konrad Nies, the California
poet, German-American poets must be com-
ing to the forefront. He spoke lately at
Marshall and Spring Garden streets. Phila-
delphia. His address was delivered under the
auspices of the German Society of Pennsyl-
vania. He told the history of German poets
in this country, and recited from the writings
of the most popular ones.
THE MINUTE BOYS OF PHILADEL-
PHIA—By James Otis, author of "The
Minute Boys of Long Island ;" "The Minute
Boys of Wyoming Valley ;" etc. Cloth ;
illustrated by L. J. Bridgman. 315pp. i2mo.
Price $1.25. Dana Estes & Company, Bos-
ton. 1911.
The narrative contained in this book, as its
title would indicate, is based upon the inci-
dents of the American Revolution, when Gen-
eral Howe and his men were living a life of
luxuriant extravagance and ease in Philadel-
phia, while the American soldiers at Valley
Forge were in the most desperate want. It
has to do with the incidents of war that rarely
find their way into history, and yet they are
a vital part of it and virtually help to make it.
The author tells the story in the first person
as one of the "minute boys" by the name of
Richard Salter. Their numerous ventures,
and their escapes from the lobster-backs are
intensely exciting and interesting. They
finally join the Continental Army. We are
not quite sure about the style, whether it con-
tains a mannerism, or whether it is purposely
written thus in order to give the story a touch
of quaintness. Anyway, the book affords good,
wholesome, reading for young people; even
people of a larger growth will find it so. It
is an admirable, inspiring book, and is worth
more and is more acceptable than volumes of
homilies on loyalty and patriotism.
HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH— By A. R. Bru-
bacher, Ph. D., Superintendent of Schools,
Schenectady, N. Y. And Dorothy Snyder,
Head of the English Department, High
School, Schenectady, N. Y. Book 1. Cloth;
375pp. Price $1.00. Charles E. Merrill
Company, New York. 191 1.
If the proverb "of making many books there
is no end" is true of any particular class of
books, it must be true of text books in Eng-
lish. Their number is legion; among them
are some which have no reasonable excuse for
existing, because they contain no definite plan
or purpose, nor any new methods for teach-
ing one of the most important and yet one of
the most indefinite and illusive subjects in the
curriculum.
Once in a great while, however, one meets
with something commendable, like this partic-
ular text-book, which has several unusual
features of merit. It recognizes the futility
of trying to make writers, because they are
usually born. Nor does it do much toward
teaching literature or a love of it. Its first
purpose is to unify the teaching of English in
the high school, and second, to impress the
importance of Oral Composition, Composition
as Self-Expression ; Book Conversations ; and
The Pupil's Self-Criticism, a topic admirably
treated by Mr. Cooper in his "Craftsmanship
of Writing."
There is probably more ado made than
is necessary over the declension of nouns in
a virtually uninflected language : otherwise a
fairly correct proportion is maintained
throughout the book. Probably it shows
rather much compilation in the selections and
of the best found in other books, but in the
use and arrangement of these selections and
in its purpose the book is original. The
Grammar Review is refreshing, which is some-
thing that cannot be said of all Grammar Re-
views. The "Conversations about Books" is
new and inspiring. The book is full of re-
sources, and it is decidedly workable.
HEINRICH HEINE— By Michael Monahan.
author of "Adventures in Life and Letters."
Cloth, i2mo. Price $1.50 net. Mitchel Ken-
nerley, London and New York. 191 1.
This is an Irishman's pleasing tribute to the
poetical genius of a great German poet, and a
Jew at that. Heinrich Heine was born in
Diisseldorf, Germany, in 1790, and died in
Paris in 1859. He was of Hebrew descent,
and felt his share of the Juden-Schmerz,
prevalent in his native land. His life was one
REVIEWS AND NOTES
761
of suffering and sorrow. He was an original
genius, and encountered the opposition that
stands in the way of all such. He was ex-
pelled from the University of Gottingen ; his
books were interdicted by the Prussian Gov-
ernment and he himself was virtually exiled
from his native land ; he finally died in Paris
after suffering terribly from consumption of
the spinal marrow.
He was one of the great poets of Germany,
second only to Goethe, and probably as great
a lyric poet as he ; and in the touch that
"makes the whole world kin" he may be even
greater. His lyric poems will keep his memory
green in German hearts as long as the Rhine
holds its course toward the sea. He was a
born poet if ever there was one. His prose
even, it is said, is better poetry than most
English poetry.
The literature on Heine is voluminous, and
yet this little monograph is very acceptable.
It is doubtful whether anything like it has
appeared since the days of Matthew Arnold,
who was a great admirer of Heine ; in fact,
the two men had a great deal in common, so
much so that Heine has been termed the
Matthew Arnold of Germany. The author's
consideration of Heine is most sympathetic
and appreciative, probably too much so ; seem-
ingly he had no shortcomings. The style is
admirable and fluent, and the diction is almost
profusely poetical, and necessarily rich and
exceedingly mellow.
The book is an artistically gotten-up mono-
graph, printed on handmade paper, rough
edges, bound in brown cloth and stamped in
gold.
GETTYSBURG: THE PIVOTAL BATTLE
OF THE CIVIL WAR— "By Captain R. K.
Beechman, of the First Brigade, First Di-
vision, First Corps, Army of the Potomac.
Cloth ; profusely illustrated. 298pp. Price
$1.75 net. A. C. McClurg & Company, Chi-
cago. 191 1.
If military tactics with their flank move-
ments, marches and counter marches, corps,
brigades, and numbers of wounded, dying and
dead, can be imbued with the spell of ro-
mance and with a dignified literary style, then
is this book a worthy achievement.
The author saw four years of service ; he
fought on the Union side in the famous old
"Iron Brigade" from Wisconsin. A half cen-
tury after the great conflict he comes back
from far-off Puget Sound, three thousand
miles away, to the scenes of battle, not battle-
stained, however, but rather surrounded by a
halo of peace, plenty and prosperity. Turn-
ing his memory back, he records in sober re-
flections, mellowed by the intervening decades,
his impressions and experiences of the great
battle, and writes one of the best short accounts
ever written of one of the world's most de-
cisive battles. He is not carried away by the
.enthusiasm of his subject, and yet there was
every reason for his having, been. For what
treasures of memory must be his who, a half
a century after the memorable conflict, can go
over the old battleground, retrace his foot-
steps of bygone years, see in his mind's eye
the contending forces drawn up in battle array,
and hear once more the echo of the roaring
cannon rolling down through the decades !
The writer spent a number of years in pre-
paring this account of the fight. He does not
hesitate to tell the truth as he understands it.
The style is scholarly and dignified ; and the
treatment, it may be said, is exhaustive and
authoritative. The book shows wide reading,
on the part of the author, in the battle-history
of the world. He has marked descriptive
powers, as shown by the seventh chapter. The
opening chapters of the book have a mellow-
ness and a feeling of sublimity and pathos
about them. And between the military
maneuvers are gems of characterizations of
events and men.
The book is timely on the approach of the
fiftieth anniversary of the battle. It will be
eagerly read by the old veterans as they turn
their memories back to the thrilling days of
the '60s. It ought to have, and will have, a
special interest for every American.
UNIVERSITIES OF THE WORLD — By
Charles Franklin Thwing, LL.D., President
of Western Reserve University and Adel-
bert College. Cloth; illustrated; 284pp.
Price $2.25 net. The Macmillan Company,
New York. 191 1.
President Thwing is probably one of the
best informed men in America on college and
university life and administration. He has
written numerous books concerning schools
and education, and collegiate life and ideals.
Probably at no time have the great educa-
tional institutions of the world been passed in
a saner critical review than is found in the
present volume. The title might be a little
more accurate if it read "Universities of the
Old World" because not a single American
university is treated in this descriptive re-
view. The author considers twenty universi-
ties, every one of which he visited and studied
in its own "habitat" except far-off Melbourne.
The book contains a descriptive review of
the universities of the first rank of importance
in Europe and Asia. These institutions. Presi-
dent Thwing finds, fall into four classes, and
the twenty universities found here are but
types; there is no definite line of demarcation,
because many of the characteristics of a uni-
versity of one tvpe may be found in that of
another type. The first class aims to discover
and publish the truth ; here are found the Ger-
man universities. The second endeavors to
develop character through the power of think-
ing. To this class belong the Scottish uni-
versties and those of the United States. The
purpose of the third class is the making of
gentlemen : of this group Oxford and Cam-
762
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
bridge are the finest examples. The fourth
class contains the type found in the Orient;
it seeks to train men of efficiency, men who
are able to earn a living.
The amount of information crowded into
this volume is marvelous, comprehensive, and
trustworthy. The treatment is concise and dis-
criminating. It is an admirable book in all
respects, ami one that will be read with the
greatest interest in the academic world.
GOETHE AM) HIS WOMEN FRIENDS—
By Alary Caroline Crawford, author of "Old
Boston Days and Ways," "Romantic Days
in Old Boston,"' etc. Decorated cloth ; gilt
top; 8vo. ; illustrated; boxed. Price $3.00
net. Little, Brown & Company, Boston.
1911.
"To be great," said the Sage of Concord,
"is to be misunderstood." That Goethe is one
of the great men of the literary world is not
to be questioned ; that he has been misunder-
stood and as a cousequence has been treated
with abuse and malignity is likewise not to be
disputed. No great man in all literary history
has been accused of more crimes in his rela-
tions with women than he ; and strangely
enough, he is usually found guilty. His rela-
tions with women were numerous, and seem-
ingly questionable and notorious. Goethe was
a man with an extraordinary magnetism, and
had what one might call a monstrous person-
ality. To these forces every one seemed to
surrender, especially women.
To set forth Goethe's true relations with these
many women is the author's purpose.and she has
done it admirably well. She tells in a charm-
ing manner all that is necessary to know about
the many women whose lives were interwoven
with his own. A chapter is devoted to each
of Goethe's loves or friendships. The author
has based the foundation of her work on the
poet's own words. Numerous quotations are
given from the works and letters of Goethe
and from others. A forceful attempt is made
to find out what really happened and not to
accept what other people may have thought or
imagined. Miss Crawford's knowledge of
Goethe's period is entirely creditable and her
description of Weimar of today is fresh and
original. She spent much time in Germany,
especially in the city mentioned above, in
collecting material for her book. There are
many topics brought forth that are not easily
obtainable elsewhere, especially not in English
She has seemingly succeeded in purging
Goethe's character of much of the grossness
that has been attributed to him, and makes
him a finer and cleaner man though he may
appear more selfish and colder.
The style is pleasing and interesting ; it is a
straghtforward narrative that steers safely
through all the obstructions of fact and fiction,
of lie and legend, and of scandal and slander.
The book is entirely sympathetic in its treat-
ment, and fair and discreet in its critical
judgments. It is a valuable addition to the
already large amount of Goethe literature.
D
ID
HISTORICAL NOTES AND NEWS
REPORTS OF SOCIETY MEETINGS ARE SOLICITED
Peniia. Historical Society
MUSTER ROLLS TO BE COPIED
What is regarded as the most important
work ever undertaken by the Historical
Society of Pennsylvania has just been author-
ized by the council of the society, when it
directed that the entire muster rolls of the
loyalist troops engaged in the Amercan Revo-
lution be copied and deposited in the society's
collection. Dr. John W. Jordan, librarian of
the society, said that it is probable that the
rolls will be printed so that the widest use may
be made of them.
"There are about 22,000 names on the rolls,"
said Doctor Jordan, "and it will require about
a year to make the copy, for it does not mean
simply the copying of so many names, but the
rolls are large sheets upon which everything
connected with the enrollment and discharge
of every member of the loyal troops has been
noted. Some of the rolls contain such minutia
as the height of the enlisted men ; they give
the date of their discharge, of their death or
desertion, and other particulars which are of
the greatest value to historians and genealo-
gists.
"In looking over some of the rolls I was
struck with the fact that, so far as the pro-
vinces, now the Middle States, are concerned,
the loyalists seem to have deserted very rapid-
ly. I should say that virtually half of the men
who enlisted between 1776 and 1783 in these
provinces deserted, often almost as quickly as
they had enlisted." — Exchange.
Historical Society of Montgomery County
The Historical Society of Montgomery Co.,
Pa., appointed, February 22, 191 1, a commit-
tee on Bibliography as follows :
I. C. Williams, S. Gordon Smyth, Dr. W.
H. Reed, I. P. Knips, George P. Wanger,
Howard \Y. Kriebel, J. O. K. Robarts, Ed-
ward W. Hocker.
HISTORICAL NOTES AND NEWS.
763:
February 22, 191 1, William Summers, was
added to the committee.
The Bibliographical History as contained in
Bean's History of Montgomery County has
been transcribed and gives the names of 122
authors, and a total of 277 books and pam-
phlets. This completes Vol. I.
Vol. 2 will commence with the names of
the books contained in Kriebel's "Schwenk-
felders of Pennsylvania." This completed, Mr.
William Summers will make further research ;
asking aid from the members of the com-
mittee.
The Pennsylvania . Federation of Historiial
Societies
SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING
The Pennsylvania Federation of Historical
Societies will convene in Seventh Annual
Meeting in the Senate Caucus Room of the
State Capitol Building, Harrisburg, Pa.,
Thursday, January 4, 1912, one o'clock P. M.
sharp.
SOCIETIES AND DELEGATES
The Federation is composed of the follow-
ing named Societies, all of which are requested
to send delegates duly accredited, and in num-
ber their own choosing. Women as well as
men are eligible.
Washington County Historical Society; His-
torical vSociety of Dauphin County ; Wyoming
Historical and Geological Society; Pennsyl-
vania Historical Society; Pennsylvania Ger-
man Society; Chester County Historical So-
ciety; Hamilton Library Association of Car-
lisle; Lebanon County Historical Society;
Berks County Historical Society; York County
Historical Society ; Lancaster County Histori-
cal Society ; Schuylkill County Historical
Society ; Susquehanna County Historical
Society; Montgomery County Historical So-
ciety; Western Pennsylvania Historical So-
ciety ; Presbyterian Historical Society, Phila-
delphia; Kittochtinny Historical Society,
Chambersburg; Delaware County Historical
Society ; American Catholic Historical Socie-
ty, Philadelphia ; Lehigh County Historical
Society; Frankford Historical Society, Phila-
delphia; Tioga County Historical Society;
McKean County Historical Society ; Bucks
County Historical Society; Bradford County
Historical Society ; Pennsylvania Society, New
York; City History Society of Philadelphia;
Northampton County Historical and Genea-
logical Society ; Pennsylvania History Club ;
Librarv Grand Lodge, F. & A. M. of Penn-
sylvania ; Site and Relic Society of German-
town ; The Church Historical Society (Epis-
copalian).
Representatives of other Historical Socie-
ties in Pennsylvania, not members of the
Federation, are cordially invited to attend.
Please make this known to any such Society
in your territory.
The Lancaster Connty Historical Society
The Lancaster County Historical Society
devoted a great deal of attention to a study
of the slavery question this year, leading up
to the erection of a monument at Christiana,
Pa., commemorating the Christiana Riot and
Treason Trials of 185 1. The memorial is a
massive three-ton shaft of granite erected
near the railroad in Christiana. In connection
with these commemorative exercises, Septem-
ber 9, 191 1, Hon. W. U. Hensel prepared a.
historical sketch of the riot and trials. By
way of introduction the author says of this
sketch :
"The preparation of this sketch and contri-
bution to our local history had been long.
contemplated by the Editor and Compiler.
Born near the locality where the events oc-
curred which are its subjects, he has been for
more than half a century intimately related
with their associations. He has regard for
the integrity of motive which alike animated;
both parties to the conflict. It was a minia-
ture of the great struggle of opposing ideas
that culminated in the shock of Civil War,
and was only settled by that stern arbiter. He
rejoices that what seemed to be an irrepres-
sible conflict between Law and Liberty at last
ended in Peace. To help to perpetuate that
condition between long-estranged neighbors
and kin, this offering is made to the work of
the Lancaster County Historical Society.
While it has been written and published for
that Society, no responsibility for anything it
contains or for its promulgation attaches to
any one except the author. Where opinions
are expressed— and they have been generally
avoided as far as possible in disputed matters
—he alone is responsible. Where facts are
stated, except upon authority expressly named,
he accepts the risk of refutation. In all cases
he has tried to ascertain and to tell the exact
truth. He worked in no other spirit and for
no other purpose ; and wherein he has failed;
his is all the blame.
W. U. H.
'Bi.eak House,'
August 12, 191 1."
764
_□
GENEALOGICAL NOTES AND QUERIES
We will insert in this department under "Kesearch Problems" investigators'
requests for data with whom those able to answer will on request be placed iu
communication. Ask for particulars.
Genealogy
I've pointed 'em in Savage, I've run 'em down
in Burke,
Through Hotten's lists and others I've warmed
unto the work,
Till now ['ve got 'em sorted, and set out row
by row,
Two, four and eight, and so on, as far as they
will go.
As they lie spread before me my pride is taken
down
By an undue proportion of Smith and Jones
and Brown.
A fellow has no notion until he hunts about
Of what a lot of fathers it took to fit him out,
But if he keeps on hunting, it won't be very
long
Before they lie in cover some twenty hundred
strong.
Among them kings are wanting, and titles
might be more,
Though Browns and Smiths and Joneses are
reckoned by the score.
I have no foolish scruples about a missing
link,
But forge 'em quite as deftly as Mr. Burke, I
think.
My flying leaps and guesses are always to the
good
And fill a break as neatly as any old link
could.
But still with all my efforts my heart in secret
owns
'That mainly I'm compounded on Brown and
Smith and Jones.
I've stalked a herd of nobles and backed into
a king,
'So that ancestral corner is quite the proper
thing,
And as for lesser lions, celebrities or cranks,
I've resurrected all I own to decorate the
ranks.
'But they make no impression when they are
reckoned with
Humiliating numbers of Brown and Jones and
Smith.
My Smiths are not connected with famous of
their kind,
My Browns and Jones did nothing much so
far as I can find.
But I've a consolation when tempted to ask
why
3t seems to me quite likely they were as good
as I,
And how can 1 be doubtful about my kin and
kith
If I'm a living sample of Brown and Jones
and Smith?
— Exchange.
National Genealogical Society
To make our readers acquainted with this
organization we quote herewith the first two
articles of its constitution. Further informa-
tion may be secured by addressing the
Society at Washington, D. C.
ARTICLE I.— Name and Object.
i. This organization shall be known as the
National Genealogical Society.
2. Its object shall be to collect and preserve
genealogical and historical data, to assist its
members in their genealogical labors, and to
issue such publications and devote such atten-
tion to heraldry as considered advisable and
desirable.
3. Its seal shall consist of the bearings of
the Society displayed on the breast of a con-
ventional eagle, below which is a ribbon or
scroll containing the Motto "NON NOBIS
SOLUM" and above a similar ribbon with the
words "THE NATIONAL GENEALOGI-
CAL SOCIETY," all contained within two or
more concentric circles. The date of the
founding of the Society, "1903," in figures
between the eagle's claws.
4. Its insignia shall be a shield "argent,
three acorns gules within a bordure azure,"
all within a ribbon of gold bearing in black-
letters the name and date, "National Genea-
logical Society, 1903."
ARTICLE II.— Membership.
1. The membership shall be divided into
classes as follows :
2. Resident. — Those who reside within the
District of Columbia or within the immediate
vcinity as decided by the Committee on Mem-
bership.
3. Corresponding. — Those who reside else-
where than in the District of Columbia.
4. Honorary. — Those admitted to such mem-
bership by vote of the Society.
5. The initiation fee for Active members
(which includes resident and corresponding)
shall be one dollar ($1.00).
6. The annual dues payable in advance shall
be $1.00, excepting that the dues of those mem-
bers admitted in October, November and De-
GENEALOGICAL NOTES AND QUERIES
7G5
cember shall pay to the end of the following
year.
7. Nothing but voluntary contributions may
be accepted from honorary members.
8. The Board of Management shall have
control of the admission of members and of
their suspension, expulsion, or resignation, and
it shall establish and promulgate regulations
governing the same.
Genealogy of the Brnmbach Families in
Press
The volume will contain about 600 pages
printed in clear type upon good white book
paper, and will be bound in handsome, dur-
able cloth.
The illustrations are made for this work and
are both excellent and numerous, including
about 192 halftone reproductions (full page)
of the Original Immigrant Ship Papers, Coats
of Arms, other original records, maps, photo-
graphs, etc. Labor and expense have not been
spared and the publication will doubtless find
early approval. Wherever possible the bio-
graphical and historical matter has been ob-
tained from original sources, and the complete
information has been published without cost
to the individuals. Often the photographs,
etc., are also reproduced at the author's ex-
pense, rather than lessen the completeness of
the results attained. Maternal ancestry has
been given especial attention in treatment of
the facts, and genealogists will find a specially
comprehensive index. Reliable facts concern-
ing numerous families, largely of German
origin, are here first published.
CONTENTS OF THE WORK
The Name Brumbach — Brombach.
Extract from the Middle High German Name
Book.
Extract from "Brombach im Wiesenthal."
Foreign Records and Coats of Arms.
Reunions.
Brumbach — Brombach Immigrants.
Conestoga Wagon.
Section A, Gerhard1 Brumbach and Descend-
ants.
Section B, George1 Bombach and Descendants.
Organization of Counties.
Heads of Families, Maryland, Pennsylvania
and Virginia — 1790.
Assessment of Woodbury Township, Bedford
Co., Pa. — 1789 (complete), 1795, etc.
Assessment of Woodbury Township, Hunting-
don Co., Pa. — 1788 (complete), and 1789.
Warranties of Land — 1771-1793.
Germanna — Germantown, Va.
John Brumbach (Brombach) of Lancaster
Co., Pa.
Section D, Johann Melchior1 Brombach, and
"The Widow Brombach," and Their De-
scendants.
Other Brombach — Bromback — Brumback De-
scendants Who Landed at Jamestown, Va.,
about 1770.
Section E, Johannes Heinrich1 Brumbach and
Descendants. (This is quite comprehensive.)
The Metzger Claims, etc., etc.
Section G, Hermanus Emanuel1 Brumbach and
His Descendants.
Comprehensive Index.
Price before publication, $6.00 net.
Published by Gains M. Brumbaugh, M. D..
Washington, D. C.
THE FORUM
The P-G Open Parliament, Question-Box and Clipping Bureau — Communications Invited
d:
MEANING OF NAMES
By Leonhard Felix Fuld, LL.M„ Ph. D.
[Editorial Note. — Dr. Fuld has kindly con-
sented to give a brief account of the deriva-
tion and the meaning of the surname of any
reader who sends twenty-five cents to the
Editor for that purpose.]
WOLFESBERGER
The surname WOLFESBERGER is a sur-
name of residence or location. It consists of
three component elements, WOLFES, BERG,
and ER. The suffix ,R denotes one who is a
resident of. BERG is a hill, or a mountainous
district. WOLF is the equivalent of the Eng-
lish wolf. The surname WOLFESBERGER
accordingly denotes a resident of a mountain-
ous district containing many wolves.
Correction
October issue, p. 817 — Affix name of author.
Rev. C. M. DeLong, to letter.
November issue, p. 678 — Affix names to will.
George Hoi.lenbach (Seal)
Kiluan Kehee, Witness.
Math is Ringer.
The editor, and not the author, is responsi-
ble for these slips. — Editor.
;•;»;
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN
Medal Presented to William U. Hensel
Lancaster, Pa., Dec. 4.— Friends of William
U. Hensel, former Attorney General of Penn-
sylvania, to the number of nearly a hundred,
tendered him a banquet today at the Hamilton
Club, in honor of his sixtieth birthday anni-
versary. Mr. Hensel was presented with a
magnificent gold medal, three inches across,
designed by George T. Morgan, of Philadel-
phia. On one side is a bust in high relief of
Mr. Hensel. Around the edges these words
are engraved :
"Willi; in Uhler Hensel — 1851-1911 — Decem-
ber 4th." On the reverse side is this inscrip-
tion : "This medal attests the esteem of his
neighbors for the journalist, lawyer, friend of
education, citizen, whose devotion to his native
county through an active and useful life has
added lustre to its history, traditions and
honor."
The medal was presented ,by George F.
Parker, of New York, former consul to Bir-
mingham, England. — Press (Philadelphia).
In Praise of the "Dutch"
1 love the Dutch or German race,
Admire their noble deeds,
They left their firesides long ago,
To practice modern creeds.
Oppression drove them from their homes,
From tyrants they did flee,
Some shed their blood, laid down their lives,
In lands beyond the sea.
Those who escaped came to these shores,
Log cabins quickly built,
To shelter parents, children, wife,
Their courage did not wilt.
The wilderness they mr.de to bloom,
And blossom as the rose.
While many dangers lurked about,
From wild and savage foes.
Let us revere the names of those,
Who suffered and who died.
To give us freedom, peace and light,
All obstacles they defied.
Mark Henry.
The Pennsylvania Society of Chicago, 111.
This Society was temporarily organized at a
meeting of eighteen sons of Pennsylvania, on
May 28, 1910, at a luncheon in the rooms of
the Press Club, Chicago.
On July 1st, 1910, at the Grand Pacific Hotel
a permanent organization was effected and
officers elected.
Since the organization of the Society, the
Executive Council has met frequently and
thiee or four meetings have been held for all
whose nr.mes are enrolled, — the largest and
most successful of which meetings was knowu
as "The Ladies' Meeting," held on December
2nd, 1910, in the Florentine Room of the Con-
gress Hotel. At this meeting, Mr. S. E. Kiser,
the distinguished poet and author, was the
principal speaker, and toasts were responded to
by several gentlemen formerly residing in
Pennsylvania.
A meeting of the Society was held Novem-
ber 10th, in the Rose Room of the Sherman
House, with music and an address on "Wm.
Penn and Pennsyvlanians," by Wm. B. Cun-
ningham.
A postponed meeting was held Tuesday
evening. December 12, 8 o'clock, at which
Prof. John II. Stehman, of the Chicago
Schools, a Lancaster Countian (Pa.), gave an
address on "The Germans of Pennsylvania."
The preliminary work of completing a suc-
cessful organization— such as securing the
names of those eligble to membership — has
continued with gratifying progress, and the
Society has now a membership of 82 and an
enrollment of 600.
A Eeminder of Other Bays
It was our pleasure recently to form the
personal acquaintrnce of one of our subscrib-
ers, Captain W. H. Gausler, a man past eighty
and still in active business on Market Street,
Philadelphia, Pa. While serving his country
in the Civil War in 1862 the "Great Flood"
swept his house and stock of lumber at Allen-
town, Pa., down the Lehigh River and thus
indirectly caused his transferring his place of
business from the "Peanut Town" to the City
of Brotherly Love. He favored us with an
■interesting reminder of other days by handing
us a copy of the "Lecha County Patriot" of
July 25, i860, containing the call for a politi-
cal meeting of wdtich he was one of the sign-
ers. The call was worded as follows :
LINCOLN, HAMLIN UND CURTIN !
REPUBLIKANISCHE COUNTY VKRSAMMLUNG
Die demokratischen Republikaner von Lecha
County, und alle Solche welche gegen unsere
jetzige verdorbene und corrupte National
Regierung unter James Buchanan — Alle solche
welche gegen den despotischen Lecompton-
Schwindel, die Bestechungen, und die Eingriffe
in die Wahlen durch dieselbe — Alle solche
welche gegen die weitere Ausbreitung der
verhaszten Menschen-Sclaverei — Alle solche
welche gegen unsere verschwenderiscbe
County Haushrltungen gesonnen sind — und
Alle solche welche zu Gunsten eines beschuetz-
enden Tariff's und zu Gunsten von sparsamen
Haushaltungen in den Vereinigten Staaten, in
diesem County sind- -sind ersucht und einge-
laden einer County versammlung beizuwohnen.
welche auf
THE FORUM
767
SAMSTAGS DEN 4TEN AUGUST
naechstens, um 10 Uhr Vormittags, am Cast
Hause von B. F. Beisel, in Ober Macungie
Tannschip, Lecha County, gehalten werden
soil, fuer den Endzweck Vorbereitungen fuer
■die naechste Wahl zu treffen. Eine zablreicbe
Beiwohnung ist erwartet.
Mr. Gausler was connected with the canal
service between Mauch Chunk and Philadel-
phia from 1840 to 1856. We hope he will find
time to "reminisce" about his experiences of
that interesting period. Captain, our readers
would like to hear from you. — Editor.
Pennsylvania Society Dinner of New York
The following is quoted from the menu card
of the "XII Annual Dinner of The Pennsyl-
vania Society given in the city of New York
in honour of the Committee of Ways and
Means of the Sixty Second Congress, Decem-
ber the ninth MCMXI."
"MENU
Cotuit Oysters
Green Turtle Soup, English Style
Radishes Olives Celery Salted Almonds
Aiguillette of Bass, Villaret
Cucumber Salad
Breast of Chicken, Hungarian
Macedoine of Vegetables in Cream
Medallion of Lamb, Hunter Sauce
Potatoes, French Style
Fancy Sherbet
Red Head Duck, Roasted
Fried Hominy Current Jelly
Salad of Lettuce and Green Peppers
Plombiere of Ghestnuts, Vanilla Sauce
Assorted Cakes Fruit
Coffee
"TOASTS
Colonel Robert Means Thompson, President
of the Society, Presiding
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
My country 'tis of thee,
Sweet tend of liberty,
Of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims' pride,
From every mountain side
Let Freedom ring.
THE COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS
The Honourable Oscar W. Underwood
THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
The Honourable John Dalzell
YESTERDAY, TO-DAY AND TO- MORROW
The Honourable A. Mitchell Palmer
THE UNITED STATES
The Honourable Nicholas Longworth
THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA
The Honourable Rudolph Blankenburg"
The menu was graced with a fine portrait of
Thomas Penn "Reproduced from a private
plate engraved in London by David Martin
(1730-1785), after a portrait painted by Davis
in 1751. From an original print in the collec-
tion of David McNeely Stauffer."
Know'st Thou The Laud?
From Wilhelm Meister's Lehrjahre.
I send you herewith a translation made
recently by myself as a contribution to
the "Pennsylvania-German". I Hv do dout
you hav the original German at hand and
hence I do not send it. I would like, if
possibl, to hav it appear in the spelling
in which I send it. Ther ar not many
words that are simplified and hence the
annoyance to your proof reader and printer
wil not be very great.
As ever yours,
(Ex-Supt.) R. K. BUEHRLE.
Know'st thou the land wher fragrant cit-
rons flower,
The golden orange glow in dark green
bower;
Wher breezes softly blow from bluest sky,
The myrtle silent stands, the laurel high;
Know'st thou it wel? O ther, ay ther,
Would I with thee, my wel-beluved. fare.
Know'st thou that hous, its roof on posts
reclines,
Its hall resplendent, bright its chamber
shines,
The marbl image stands and looks at me;
"What hav they done, poor child, alas, to
thee?"
Know'st thou it wel? O ther, ay ther,
Would I with thee, beluved gardian, fare.
Know'st thou the mountain and the cloud-
ward trail
The mule ther finds his path in fog, nor
fails,
In caverns dwells the dragon's ancient
brood,
The rock descends precipitate, o'er it the
flood,
Know'st thou it wel? O ther, ay ther,
Our way shal lead! O father, let us fare.
768
Stye fbtmaghiama-fcmatt
(Founded by Rev. Dr. P. C. Croll, 1900.)
H. W. KRIEBEL, Editor and Publisher
Associate Editors— Rev. Geor* Von Boise, Philadelphia, Pa.; Prof. E. S. Gerhard, Trenton, N. J.
THE EXPRESS PRINTING CO. Printers
LIT1TZ, PENNA.
Advisory Editorial Board :— I. H. Betz, M. D, York, Pa. ; Lucy Forney Bittinger, Sewickley.
Pa. : A. Y. Casanova, Washington, D. C. ; Rev. P. C. Croll, D. D., Beardstown, 111. ; Pkoe.
G T. Ettinger, Allentown, Pa.; Proe. Oscar Kuhns, Middletown, Conn.; Daniel Miller,
Reading, Pa.; Gen. John E Roller, Harrisonburg, Va. ; Prof. L. S. Shimmel, Harrisburg.
Pa.; Rev. A. C. Wuchter, Paulding, Ohio.
The Pennsylvania-German is the only, popular, illustrated, monthly magazine of biography, genealogy,
historv, folklore, literature, devoted to the early German and Swiss settlers in Pennsylvania and other
states" and their descendants. It encourages a restudy of the history of the Germans in America; it res-
cues from oblivion the record of the deeds of those gone before; it unearths, formulates and disseminates
a wealth of historic mateiial of great moment in the right interpretation of our American life; it meets
the necessity of having a repository for historical contributions and a medium for the expression of opin-
ion on current questions pertaining to its field. It aims to develop a proper regard for ancestry, to
create interest in family history, to promote research along genealogical lines, to unite descendants wher <-
ever found, to facilitate a scientific, philological study of its dialect; it makes generally accessbile to the
future historian the precious incidents of German life and achievements in America, and incidentally be-
comes an eloquent, imperishable monument to a very important element of the citizenship of the United
States.
THIS MAGAZINE STOPS AT THE END OF THE TIME PAID FOR
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This issue closes Vol. XII of "The
Pennsylvania-German."
It is a pleasure and honor to acknowl-
edge the many kind favors shown by our
readers during the past year, by their
words of cheer, by their payment of sub-
scriptions, by the articles prepared for
use in the pages of the magazine. To
all who have in any way whatever helped
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we express our sincerest and heartiest
thanks.
At the same time we cordially invite
all to stay with us as readers the coming
vear. We promise you better service and
more interesting reading matter than
ever before. The fourth cover page will
show you what our plans are. Details
for the yek ' can of course not be given
in advance.
As we go to press we are busy shaping
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respondence more voluminous than
usual. Have patience if your letter does
not receive prompt attention.
At the same time. many letters are over-
due. // yow have not paid your sub-
scription do so at once. We need the
cash and would like to see you start out
in the new year with your subscription
paid in advance.
I
A Pennsylvania L
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