Jesse RENNINGER, the artist, of Hillegass, this week did the lettering on the new delivery wagon for C. KAUFFMAN, the baker of Red Hill. This is the third wagon that he lettered for Mr. KAUFFMAN, and the work is exceedingly well done. All three of these wagons have been purchased at the Pennsburg Carriage Bazaar.
Absolom KOLB, of this borough, bought the brick barn of Mrs. A.L. DECHANT on Monday at private figures. The barn is being razed, and as soon as removed a new one will be erected by Mrs. DECHANT. Mr. KOLB will use the bricks of the old barn to erect a house.
On last Friday evening a barrel in the rear of A.M. NICE's butcher house was set on fire and the flames spread along the butcher house but were extinguished before the building was set on fire. It is supposed that sparks from the freight engine set it on fire.
Franklin N. BENFIELD (picture). The subject of our sketch is one of the best known and most prosperous business men of his native county. He was born 40 years ago in Washington Township and traces his ancestry back to John BENFIELD, a native of England, who was his great-great-grand-father, and who upon his arrival in this county, settled in District township, Berks county. Franklin N. BENFIELD is the son of Abraham BENFIELD and Lucinda (ROHRBACH) BENFIELD. He was educated in the common schools and in the Keystone State Normal School. After leaving school he worked in the creamery at Huff's Church for some years. In 1891 he rented his father's grist mill and engaged in the grain, flour and feed business, which he is still carrying on. He is Secretary and Treasurer of the Royal Dynamite Co., which is operating a powder mill built by Mr. BENFIELD in 1898. Our subject is a director of the Farmers' National Bank of this borough. He is a staunch Democrat in politics, and as such was elected Justice of the Peace in 1885, and has since been re-elected at the expiration of each successive term. In connection with his official work, he is engaged in surveying and conveyancing and serves as agent for a number of fire insurance companies. He has served his party as a member of the standing committee and for some years he served as Deputy Coroner of the county. Mr. BENFIELD is a consistent member of the Reformed congregation of Huff's Church and has for some time served in the consistory. The energy and public spirit displayed in the various enterprises with which Mr. BENFIELD has been connected are a sure index that his usefulness has but commenced.
Charles A. KRAUSE, of Allentown, formerly of Bethlehem was arrested on Wednesday by Deputy United States Marshal HELMS, charged with having used the United States mail for fraudulent purposes. The arrest was based on the allegation that KRAUSE has been receiving all kinds of goods on credit under the representation that he is engaged in business in Allentown. He was taken to Reading and arraigned before United States Commissioner YOUNG.
Camerson, the 9-year-old son of Nicholas MILLER, of East Greenville, fell on a bottle last Friday in play base ball and cut the arteries of one of his hands. Dr. John G. HERSH was called to dress the wound.
The oldest resident of Lehigh county, Dr. Henry HELFRICH, of Allentown, celebrated his birthday on Wednesday, having reached the remarkable age of 99 years. He is still strong and active in body and mind and easily remembers incidents that transpired during the early part of last century. Two years ago he directed and superintended the erection of two dwelling houses, while his principal work at present, as he abandoned the practice af medicine some years ago, is the cultivating of the beautiful flowers in his front yard. His wife died twenty-eight years ago, leaving one daughter, Mrs. Milton M. KLINE. There is only one grandchild, Miss Cora KLINE. Mr. and Mrs. KLINE lived with her father since their marriage, and of this family Dr. HELFRICH is still the head. From present indications he will live to be 100 years old, or more, as he is now as active as the average man of 65.
Miss Minnie MAYBERRY, a 15-year-old girl of Allentown, committed suicide by taking a large dose of laudanum on Sunday in an out house at the home of her brother-in-law George H. NOLL. An autopsy was held which revealed a greenish fluid in her stomach. This was analyzed and found to contain a sufficient quantity of the poison to cause death. No external marks were found on the body. The girl is said to have confessed that she took the fatal dose and gave as her reason that she wanted to die.
The horse of A.L. OBERHOLTZER, proprietor of the Powder Valley Mills, in some manner became entangled in the chain to which he was hitched in front of MESCHTER' s store, East Greenville, on Wednesday afternoon. He made an effort to extricate himself, tore loose and ran off. In turning a corner at the residence of Willoughby HEINLY he lost the wagon which was almost completely demolished. He continued his wild flight till he reached the East Greenville pumping station where he was caught and brought back. Mr. OBERHOLTZER borrowed a wagon into which the horse was hitched. Later on Mr. OBERHOLTZER had occasion to pass in front of the dwelling now building for George ERB. The horse ran away a second time racing down toward the railroad across the field of SIESHOLTZ Bros. In his mad career he again tore loose from the wagon which was a complete wreck. The horse followed the railroad toward the over-head bridge between the laundry and coal yard. At this point he was followed by the milk train which came to a stop as the horse made an effort to cross the bridge and would have been run down if the train had continued. In leaving the rail road he was almost caught but again escaped and was not secured till he reached the Levi WENTLING farm.
The late H.W. GRAUL, Justice of the Peace, Surveyor and Real Estate Agent, of Green Lane, was buried on Monday. Services were held at the late home of the deceased after which the cortege proceeded to the St. Mark's Ev. Luth. Church, Pennsburg. The body was consigned to its last resting place in the cemetery connected with the former Union Church, now the Reformed Church, of Pennsburg. The deceased was born at Hoppenville, November 8, 1839, and brought his age to 62 years, 8 months and 8 days. He was prominent in church, secret and fraternal organizations. A widow Esther A. GRAUL, a daughter Mrs. J.R. ALLEBACH, of Green Lane, one son P.M. GRAUL, Esq., a practicing attorney in Lehighton, Carbon county, and three grand children, Henry F. and Marion L. GRAUL and Newton G. ALLEBACH are left to mourn him.
The 17-year-old son of David GOOD, Leahman Place, Lancaster county was killed by being struck on the head by a base ball on Monday afternoon. A blood vessel in the brain was ruptured and he was unconscious until next day, when he died.
A gruesome discovery was made at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis NEFF, residing about three miles north of Sellersville, on Sunday when the decomposed body of their son, George, was found buried in the hay mow. It is supposed that heart failure caused his death Thursday, July 17th. His absence gave the parents no concern, he having informed them on Thursday that he would go to seek employment and would likely be gone for some time. He had not been feeling in the best of health for several days and probably sought rest in the barn immediately after leaving the house. Northing was known of his whereabouts until his dead body, badly decomposed, was found on Sunday afternoon about 4 o'clock. The attention of the family was attracted to a swarm of flies buzzing in the hay mow. Suspecting something unusual, the elder NEFF called in his neighbor, John ROSENBERGER, to assist in the investigation. The flies swarmed over the entire barn, a sister, Edith, first noticing this strange circumstance. The mystery was soon cleared, the pungent odor giving the clue. Imbedded in the fresh hay, lay the body of George NEFF, covered with flies and insects and swollen to twice its size. His body was in a hideous condition, black and in the last stage of decomposition. The warmth of the new hay had aided nature's work. The clothes had to be cut from his body, so tightly had they been drawn by the swelling corpse. Undertaker SMITH, of Quakertown, had a most unpleasant experience in arranging the corpse for burial. The body was not moved from the barn, remaining in its rude surroundings until Tuesday when the corpse was interred at Schlichtersville. Short services were held at the NEFF home Tuesday morning, Rev. BENNER officiating. George H. NEFF was 43 years, 2 months and 13 days old. It will be recalled that some years ago he was sentenced to the Eastern Penitentiary for twelve years for killing a man by the name of GUNSERT. He served ten years, two years being taken off his sentence for good behavior. Last year a sister committed suicide with a shot-gun.
Cornelius KLINE, of Hoppenville, was injured this week while assisting in unloading a threshing machine at the farm of Charles MILLER, Red Hill. The arm was lacerated at a number of places and required the services of a physician. Dr. Charles T. WAAGE, of Pennsburg, was summoned who placed a number of stitches in the arm to draw the wound together.
John A. BEYER, of Red Hill, is the inventor of an automatic breake for wagons and carriages. Its convenience can not be appreciated unless it is seen and used. Application has been made to have it patented and to the best of our knowledg letters have been issued.
The thirty acre farm of Elizabeth PROTOR, at Spring Mount was sold on Thursday to E.W. FULMER, of Spring Mount. The sale was made by Auctioneer P.U. HENDRICKS, of Woxall. The price paid by Mr. FULMER was $830.
Henry M. FOX, of Alburtis, aged 86 years, paid a visit to his son, near Huff's Church, where he shocked grain for two cradlers for half a day. He lives about six miles from his son and walks the distance in less than two hours. Mr. FOX owns two large farms in District township.
Simon J. CROLL, proprietor of the Eagle Hotel, this borough, assisted in playing a practice game of base ball between the Pennsburg and Red Hill teams last Saturday. In trying to slide to a base Mr. CROLL fractured the thigh bone of one of his legs.
Charles TRUMBORE, of Red Hill, had the middle finger of his right hand crushed on Monday while assisting Charles REED, of this borough, in loading flag stones.
It is reported that suit will be brought in a few days against the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company for $25,000 damages by Mrs. Sarah SCHOENLY, of Upper Hanover township, for the loss of her husband, Samuel SCHOENLY, who was killed at a crossing on the Perkiomen Railroad, in this borough, some time ago. The administrator also is to sue for $1500 for the loss of the team.
John RHOADS, of Boyertown, prothonotary of Berks county received a finely engraved copy of the Magna Charta, given by King John in the English nation in 1215, it being the first state paper guaranteeing civil liberty to the people.
Mrs. John MORGAN had a miraculous escape from death at the residence of Mrs. S.J. GOLDSWORTHY, at Seek, two miles from Tamaqua, during Sunday's storm. She was holding Mrs. GOLDSWORTHY'S infant when the residence was struck by lightning, instantly killing the infant in Mrs. MORGAN's arms. The latter was merely stunned for a few minutes.
Governor STONE on Monday appointed Dr. Joseph THOMAS, of Quakertown, and Samuel L. THOMPSON, of Philadelphia, members of the Board of Trustees of the Norristown Hospital for the Insane.
The Berks county court appointed J. Wilmer FISHER, Dr. T.H. LEIDY and William LEYMASTER as a commission in lunacy to inquire into the sanity of Jacob CLEAVER, of Colebrookdale, who was convicted of larceny. Simon CLOUSER, whose horse he had taken, said CLEAVER told him afterwards that the reason he took it without permission was that he did not wish to awaken him (Mr. CLOUSER). He declared to Mr. CLOUSER he had to tell untruths to make a living. "I can't say whether he is crazy or not, but I think that whenever he has a chance to steal he will do so," testified Mr. CLOUSER. The accused also took some of his chickens. The unfortunate man's wife said he acted strangely since a recent illness. He pulled up all the onions, cut the branches from the peach trees and cut others down; took all the rotten nest eggs into the house and placed them with good ones. He always treated her kindly. Other witnesses testified that CLEAVER often spoke of inheriting money, and that he wanted to start a horse bazaar in Reading and buy the Union House and other property. Since he has been in jail he told the officials that he was wealthy, owned 600 farms and had lots of money in bank, but didn't know which one. He claimed to have 250 children, several hundred wives and 10,000 horses that could go a mile in 2 seconds. When told to take a bath he declined, saying he never washed. One night he destroyed the electric light in his cell. He will be sent to the Harrisburg Asylum, and if cured brought back to the Berks prison to serve his sentence for larceny.
Tired of flowers, plants and shrubbery as lawn decorations, Christian S. STOVER, of Kulpsville, has superseded them by a horse carved out of wood and hitched to a cart. This oddity he placed in his front yard. Strangers visiting Kulpsville are wont to halt in front of the STOVER mansion and gaze with wonder at the queer ornament. Every pedestrian has a different explanation for its presence. "I suppose that's a saddlery shop sign," one remarked the other day. "No," replied the knowing companion, "its a sign for a livery stable." But these surmises were all wrong. Just then STOVER stepped up to explain. "That horse," he said, "is neither a sign nor an oddity. It's simply an ornament, that's all. I've tired of flowers, plants and shrubbery as lawn decorations. I like horses better. So you see I have bought that gray horse and placed it there. Besides, a horse does not require so much care or cultivation." While most of the villagers agree that the horse makes an odd ornament, there has not been a noticeable rush to follow STOVER's reform.
The pre-Civil War economy in our area relied on raw materials from nearby regions. Most of the goods produced here were sold in local markets. In the years following the Civil War, the emergence of steam powered manufacturing, the railroad, the electric motor, the internal combustion engine and the practical application of chemistry allowed us to expand our sources of raw materials and grow the region where we could sell our products. The transformations that took place in American business affected large and small companies alike. Before the Civil War, there were only 400 millionaires in the United States. By 1892, the number had risen to over 4,000. One local, pre-Civil War business in Upper Hanover Township rose to the top of its business game only to fall with the Confederates' surrender at Appomattox. It had an interesting corporate structure for a small general store operating around here in the mid-1800's, and the quest to keep the store in business provided a look at how local shareholders functioned in such a venture. The General Store of John G. HILLEGASS was built in 1851. It stood near where Layfield and Wild Run Roads intersect today in Upper Hanover Township. Located just west of Perkiomen Heights, the area was also know as Hillegass. The name Milltown was the local reference and it was attributed to the number of mills that once dotted that area. A gentleman by the name of Thomas HERSH managed the store for HILLEGASS when it opened for business. When John died later in the same year, George HILLEGASS took over the reigns of the store, and HERSH now worked for him. Soon HERSH moved away, and George hired William PAUL to run the operation. The employer-employee relationship lasted until the winter of 1862-63, when PAUL made some politically related comments that rankled HILLEGASS. Regional Democrat and Republican lines were clearly defined and defended back then, and it didn't take much to offend. George handed PAUL his walking papers and sent him packing. William PAUL eventually opened the general store a couple of miles up the road in Fruitville. George, now without a store manager, was too busy operating the HILLEGASS Post Office out of the local hotel. He had no desire to manage the store himself, and he found that none of his neighbors really wanted to manage the store either. They put their heads, and money together and decided to form a partnership that would be responsible for owning and operating the store. HILLEGASS, along with George BREY, Reuben BREY, Charles DOTTS, Edward FEGLEY, Hester KOLB, Willoughby POE, Jacob RENNINGER, James RENNINGER, Solomon SCHMOYER, Jesse SCHWENK, Nathon SCHWENK, Henry SEASHOLTZ, Jacob SEASHOLTZ, and John STOUT all invested in the company and owned shares in the business. HILLEGASS was the majority shareholder. FEGLEY and Rueben ECKERT took on the clerical responsibilities for the company. DOTTS was hired to manage the day-to-day operation of the store. Before becoming store manager, Charles was the teacher at the Pennsburg School. A sign of respect in those days comes from the fact that DOTTS sought the permission of the parents of his students, and the support of his friends before he took the job. Capital raised for the business venture amounted to $2,600. The enterprise opened under the name of DOTTS, HILLEGASS, & Company in April 1863. Train service to the Upper Perkiomen Valley was still a decade away, so teamsters were needed to haul in goods from Alburtis, Quakertown and Pottstown. Among other things, the method of shipping enticed the entrepreneurs to purchase and warehouse large quantities of goods. Big profits were reportedly made, and the company prospered. After the first year of operation, the company expanded its operation to include manufacturing cigars. Unlike their competion in nearby towns who provided factories for the cigar workers to make larger quantities of the smokes, this effort involved distributing tobacco to local families for at-home processing. There the family could strip the center rib from the tobacco leaves, chop the filler tobacco and roll the cigars. The finished product was returned for packaging and sale at the store. Then the beginning of the collapse came. Prices went up, and sales started to drop. The operation increased well beyond the capital that was invested. Management needed to buy more and more on credit to keep the business operating. The company was able to keep up with their debts for a time, but eventually the red ink spread too far across the ledger. To keep the enterprise operating, HILLEGASS and a few other investors paid some of the bills. It was reported the store had an enormous stock of goods, large quantities of tobacco, and owned more than 4,000,000 cigars. Then the other shoe dropped. Word of Gen. Robert E. LEE's surrender to Gen. Ulysses GRANT at Appomattox, Virginia brought a devastating end to the local corporation. The end of the war caused a drastic depreciation of prices. Already in debt, the company failed immediately. Even the previous year's sales of over $94,000 could not erase the deficit. Shortly after the company's collapse, H.E. ROEDER bought the store and a fraction of the stock on hand. He operated the store for five years. The unsold inventory was auctioned off for a fraction of it's purchased price. When the firm went out of business, it was nearly $30,000 in debt. The deficit was paid by the solvent shareholders, and the creditors paid off. HILLEGASS, as the largest shareholder, lost $13,000 in the three-year venture.
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