One evening last week Allen H. BLANK who tenants the property of the St. Pauls Lutheran church, of near Red Hill, discovered that the house was on fire. He at once started to quench it with water and after some hard work he succeeded. The house has an old fashioned fireplace on the second floor, with a wooden door to close up the chimney. This wooden door was ablaze, when Mr. BLANK detected the fire. Had it broken out a few hours later the family would have been asleep and the hosue possibly destroyed.
W. Jerome GRACE, of Philadelphia, formerly of Pennsburg, several weeks ago met with the misfortune of having his little finger caught in the cog wheels of a machine at which he was working. The finger was badly lacerated but the doctor thought he could heal it. This week the digit became sore and it was deemed best to amputate it, whicih was later done. The wound is now healing nicely.
John TRACE, of Pine Iron Works, near Pottstown has been in hard luck. Five fat pigs, weighing about 375 to 400 pounds, became sick during a night and four of them died during one week. Suspicion was aroused and one was examined by Butcher Geo. SMITH. The pig was found to be in a perfect state of health, as far as the meat was concerned. Evidence points to the hogs having been poisoned.
County Commissioners Benjamin PENROSE and John SHELMIRE, who live near the vicinity of the crime, have decided to offer a reward of $100 for the arrest of COLLINS, the negro robber, who murderously assaulted Constable LOCKHART, at Fitzwatertown.
A horse and wagon belonging to Wm. BLOOM, of near Line Lexington, has disappeared, together with G. HAIG, who had been employed on the BLOOM farm for the past month. A reward of $25 is offered for the arrest of the thief.
Jacob BOOKHAMER, a shoe dealer, of Norristown, died suddenly on Saturday morning while making purchases at the Farmers' Market in that town. He staggered and fell and before a physician could be summoned he had expired.
Mrs. Christian MEYER, of Creamery, this county, made the third attempt to commit suicide on Monday evening by jumping out of the third-story window at her home. Her first attempt was made about two months ago and shortly after her daughter committed suicide by hanging herself in the woodshed, during the absence of the parents. She wanted to hang herself also, but was discovered in time. The second attempt happened about two weeks ago when Mrs. MEYER tried to cut the blood vessels in her arms at the wrists. She was also discovered ere she accomplished her purpose. In her third attempt on Monday evening she was probably maimed for life, as the thigh bone is so badly fractured that the bone could not be set as readily as other fractured bones. The physician in attendance, Dr. J. Newton HUNSBERGER, of Skippack, had a mould made in order to encase the fractured limb. Mrs. MEYER has been very despondent since her daughter committed suicide, and she has been constantly guarded, but these attempts at self-destruction were made when she was not closely guarded.
Charles A. MILLER, 21 years of age, of Allentown, a brakeman on the Perkiomen railroad on Tuesday while helping to shift freight cars at the East Penn Junction near Emaus was jolted off a car and fell on the middle of the track. The appliances projecting from the bottom of the car caught and rolled him, until seventeen cars had passed over him. MILLER was not found until fifteen minutes after the accident. He was bruised from neck to his feet. He had no wounds on his head, and unless he is too severely injured internally, he will recover.
Herbert Z. HEIST, night operator at Emaus, while discharging his duties the other night in handing a caution card on a freight train going west was caught by his vest and nearly dragged under the train, but fortunately the garment gave way by tearing, which saved Mr. HEIST from probably a horrible death. A train had been standing in front of the station eastward bound, and Mr. HEIST had to cross over this to deliver the card to the west-bound train, and had only the narrow space between the two trains to perform his work.
The Prudential Insurance Company made prompt settlement in the claim through the death of Verna, the six year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey MCNOLDY, of Pennsburg. The child died on Sunday and the office was notified on Monday by the collector, Horace S. MOYER, of this borough. On Tuesday morning the adjuster arrived at the MCNOLDY home and fixed the necessary papers. With the Tuesday evenings mail Mr. MCNOLDY received the check for the amount of the claim.
Oswin TRUMBAUER, aged 28, who is employed on the farm of Addison ANDRES, near Trumbauersville, for the last couple of years, was kicked by a horse Monday. His lower jawbone was broken and all his teeth knocked out, but two. Drs. WICKERT and FUNK were summoned immediately and they fear that lockjaw may set in. He was taken to the home of his father, 'Squire Aaron TRUMBAUER. He is in a serious condition.
Rev. Harvey G. ALLEBACH, editor of the Mennonite, Berne, Indiana, formerly of Green Lane, who thought that he had about recovered from the effects of an operation, had to return to the hospital last week and underwent the second operation.
Henry K. WALT (picture), of Philadelphia, a member of the well known shoe firm of Bell, Walt & Co., of that city, was born and raised on a farm near Spring Mount. He was a son of the late Franklin WALT and is a brother to our townsman Frank K. WALT. Henry, was born November 18, 1844. He received his education in the public schools of his native township, during the short winter terms which at that time were in vogue. He assisted his father on the farm until about fourteen years of age when he was apprenticed to learn the shoemaker trade. In business his first venture was in a shoe store, at Schwenksville, in connection with shoemaking and repairing. It was no success and he lost all his money invested. In 1870 he moved to Philadelphia, worked first at shoemaking, when fate turned in his favor in a short time. He started out to sell shoes for the firm in which he is a partner at this time. He was quite successful from the start in selling, and increased the business from year to year. In a few years after one of the partners died, he was taken in as a partner in the firm of Bell, Walt & Co., where he prospered. He bought land at Wyncote, where he erected fine buildings and where he resides at this time and has much money invested. In 1866 he married Elizabeth ROTH, of New Hanover, and one daughter blessed their union. She is married to Dr. NEIFFER, who also resides at Wyncote, and is a successful medical practitioner. His winter months for the last years he spent in Florida. Mr. WALT is well acquainted in this vicinity.
Mrs. Diana LICK, of Reading, has brought suit against her husband John M. LICK, Jr., of near Niantic, to secure a divorce. She claims that he deserted her. The couple were married at Gilbertsville, and have since been separated but later fixed up matters and lived together in Schwenksville, Perkiomenville, Pleasant Run and other places in this vicinity. She is a daughter of Henry FOX, of Reading, formerly near Pleasant Run. Her husband is a son of Mr. and Mrs. John LICK, of near Niantic.
The owners of ice houses along the Perkiomen Creek are very busy at present housing the first crop of ice. The J.C. Hancock Company is housing 10 and 12 inch ice at Powder Valley, Palm and Green Lane. Wm. H. BENFIELD, of Hillegass, is filling his house near East Greenville with ice of similar thickness. Both started work on Thursday. The ice is as clear as crystal.
A very pleasant family reunion was held on Sunday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin SEIBERT, of Lower Milford township, in honor of Mr. SEIBERT's 73rd birthday anniversary. The children and grand children were all present. After the usual greeting dinner was served. The following were present:
Mr. and Mrs. M.K. SEIBERT and sons Watson and Howard, of Allentown
Henry Wilson SEIBERT, of South Bethlehem
Mr. and Mrs. Franklin SEIBERT, Ogontz
Mr. and Mrs. E.T. SEIBERT and daughter Velma, Carpenter, Del.
Mr. and Mrs. Harry FINCK, Levin, Bucks county, Pa.
Mr. and Mrs. Abraham GARIS and daughter Daisy, Point Pleasant, Pa.
Mr. and Mrs. Nathan CASSEL and son Wilson, Lansdale
Mr. and Mrs. W.A. SMITH, Spinnerstown
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin SMITH, of Spinnerstown
Mr. and Mrs. Charles BOYER and children, Elmer, Charles and Mable, Spinnerstown
Mrs. Eva HEIDLER, and children, Agnes, Lawrence and Minnie, Spinnerstown
Raymond and Emmerson KREIBLE, Miss Jennie and Mable KRIEBLE, Lansdale
Geo. C. RAWSON, Carpenter, Del.
The noted damage case of Henry J. HEVENER, of Sumneytown, against the American Ice Company, of Philadelphia with property located below Green Lane, abutting land of Mr. HEVENER, was settled out of court. The case was to be called in court this week, when the court was informed that it was settled by an agreement between the parties.
James SEEDERS, of Pottstown merchant was recently bitten by a rat and this is now causing him considerable pain. He is now under a physicians care.
Mrs. Robert ESHBACH, of Pennsburg, on Tuesday evening fell down the cellar steps at her home. She luckily escaped serious injury. Besides a number of painful bruises she was not injured.
An Odd Fellows lodge will be instituted in Boyertown this evening. GRIM's lodge rooms have been secured as a regular meeting place. Twenty-two candidates of that town went to Douglassville several weeks ago and received the initiatory degree, and these will institute the lodge at 1 p.m. this afternoon. In the evening the lodge will be formally opened, and about thirty others will be taken in as charter members. The name Boyertown Lodge I.O.O.F. has been adopted, and the lodge takes its number of an old lodge that had disbanded. A Reading degree team will be there to perform the ceremonies of initiation. 'Squire HEINS, of Douglassville, the District Deputy of Berks county, will have charge of the ceremonies. The new lodge starts out with bright prospects, and has a good corps of officers to conduct the lodge at its opening. Prominent among those who will be charter members of the new lodge are:
Councilman Levi E. LEFEAVER
Ira SHOBER
Councilman Augustus CONRAD
Irwin REIDNAUER
Dr. R.E. LEFEVRE
Wallace Y. REIGNER
John W. LEAVER
Amos THOMPSON
Thos. GOTTSHALL
Ed. REINERT
Oswin JACOBS
John B. HARTMAN
Lawyer Walter B. FREED
and others.
A number of members of the order living there but belonging to lodges elsewhere, have promised to join the new lodge. The ceremonies this evening will end with an elaborate banquet in the adjoining hall, which will be prepared by a local caterer.
Emanuel W. KRAUSS, of Milledgeville, Illinois, a son of George KRAUSS, of East Greenville, this week sent us a years subscription in advance and tells us about the crops and weather. He did not forget to tell us that he likes the paper ever so much and congratulated us upon the manner it is gotten up. He writes that their summer was awful wet, having lots of rain, but nevertheless they had good crops. The oats yielded from 40 to 55 bushels to the acre and the corn from 45 to 70. He says he raised some corn that yielded 75 bushels to the acre, but it was not all solid corn. They had more or less soft corn which they fed to the cattle. At present they have very cold weather and lots of snow. On Sunday morning it was 25 degrees below zero.
The Allentown evening papers, the Leader, the Chronicle and the Item are the first to be sued under the muzzler act. The plaintiff is Charles HENRY, of Danielsville. His grievance is that the Allentown papers printed a story to the effect that HENRY escaped from a house at Danielsville that had been quarantined on account of smallpox, that he had come to Allentown via Slatington and that the Board of Health had issued an order for his arrest. The article was printed at the request of the Board of Health. The plaintiff claims the publication was in violation of the muzzler. The newspapers will fight the suits to the bitter end.
Sidney RENNINGER, of Sassamansville, had an exciting experience with a steer which he was about to slaughter. The animal had been fastened and was ready to be killed, when the rope broke and it started across the fields. A chase was given the animal by Mr. RENNINGER and his neighbors some on foot and others on horseback. After several hours of hard work the steer was rounded up and driven into the stable of W.H. TAGERT, where he was slaughtered. The carcass was then conveyed to the RENNINGER home on a wagon.
Magistrate LUKENS, of Philadelphia, who owns two farms in Green Lane, has this week purchased another small farm adjoining his. The Albion HART tract of about five acres is the new purchase.
John FORMAN, of Creamery, narrowly escaped drowning while plowing ice, on the creek near that place. He was leading the horse on the ice when the animal broke through and in trying to help the animal to firm ice, Mr. FORMAN slipped and fell under the horse in the water. The animal became very much excited and trod upon Mr. FORMAN, pushing him down in the soft mud at the bottom of the water, and then stood upon him. John DORWORTH who was helping with the work then got into the water and took hold of the horse and helped the animal to terra firma. Mr. FORMAN who had been in the water for nearly a minute was then released put through some stunts to regain his breath. A doctor was called, and it was discovered that Mr. FORMAN had three ribs broken and sustained other injuries from the sharpened hoofs of the horse. At present he is suffering very much from injuries.
The County Commissioners of Lehigh have refused to engage the services of Dr. J.E. DACOSTA, of Philadelphia, to determine whether the blood spots found on the walls of Tom BECHTEL's room, in Allentown, were human. Dr. DACOSTA had offered to make the analysis and testify at $100 a day in the trial of those accused of Mabel BECHTEL's murder.
The family of Benjamin YOUNG, of near Morwood is down with diphtheria. All the members are more or less afflicted with the dreaded disease. Daub's school, near there is also closed as a precaution against the spread of the disease. It was deemed advisable by the board to close the school, as a couple of the afflicted children attended there.
The Emaus Hotel, the property of SICHER Bros., was on Tuesday sold to W.J. BIEVER, of Lebanon, for $17,500. Mr. BIEVER will take possession as soon as the license is transferred. The hotel is located near the East Penn railroad station and enjoys a good trade. The SICHER brothers have not as yet decided what they will do.
Wilson MOYER, of Mertztown, on a trip to the Brandywine mountains, south of Macungie, succeeded in tracking a fox to the rocks. After removing several stones he saw the fox was unable to escape any further. Mr. MOYER reached in and got him out and to his surprise found him to be a gray one.
A child of Abraham GODSHALL, living at Schwenksville, swallowed a safety pin the other day. The pin being closed no serious results are feared. Medical attention was however given the child.
County Superintendent of the Public Schools, R.F. HOFFECKER, of Norristown, died yesterday morning of typhoid pneumonia, after an illness of only a few days. Mr. HOFFECKER has been County Superintendent for the past 28 years.
B. Witman DAMBLY, of Skippack, is an applicant for the appointment of Justice of the Peace, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Issac H. JOHNSON, of Skippack township.
It is reported that Editor Isaiah R. HALDEMAN, of the Harleysville News will again be a candidate for the nomination of Sheriff of this county, at the convention next year.
Amos R. MATTIS, of Limerick, on Saturday secured a license to wed Miss Esther Jane FAUST, of the same place.
Thos. H. HIGGINS, of Chester, a post office rural route inspector visited this section last week and went over the rural routes from the Pennsburg post office. He will recommend the changing of the routes to a certain extent and will also ask to have the Pleasant Run, Hillegass, Hoppenville and Geryville post offices abolished. The removal of the offices and the change of the rural routes will probably be made in the forepart of January next.
The residence of Mr. and Mrs. Edward CARVER, of Norristown, who conducts a boarding house, was quarantined on Saturday morning. Miss Lela BARNHARD, a boarder having smallpox. There are 12 other boarders in the house who will be kept under a strict quarantene for several weeks. On Thanksgiving Day, Miss BARNHARD visited friends in Philadelphia and there was a visitor at a house where a man had a rash which later developed into a case of varioloid.
The public schools of Fagleysville, have been closed for at least a week on account of the prevalence of the measles among the pupils. Many are sick with the disease and the attendance is so slim that the directors thought it advisable to close the schools for the present time.
Dr. I.B. WASHBURN, of Rensselaer, Ind., is dead at a private hospital at Valparaiso, Ind., as the result of a curious blunder made during an operation performed two years ago. He had complained of his side ever since the operation, but did not know the cause of the trouble, and recently decided on a second operation. Dr. LORING operated on Dr. WASHBURN, and was amazed to discover in the patient's side, near the liver, a steel forceps, about five and three-fourths inches in length. The forceps had become rusty. Dr. WASHBURN died a few hours after the operation. His son, who also is a doctor, says the forceps caused death.
Mrs. Warren FENSTERMAKER, of East Greenville, and Mrs. Robert GREGG, of East Greenville, are ill with diphtheria.
George BOYER, of Pennsburg, visited friends at Reading on Saturday and Sunday.
Rev. C.M. DELONG, of East Greenville, spent Wednesday at Bethlehem.
C.M. REED, of Pennsburg, on Wednesday made a business trip to Bethlehem on Wednesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Augustus KEMMERER, of this borough made a business trip to Allentown on Wednesday.
Miss Katie MENSCH, of this borough, visited her sister Mrs. Ella SHIMER at Bethlehem on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Mrs. Daniel MESCHTER and daughter Florence, of East Greenville spent Wednesday in Allentown.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles SCHOLL, of this borough, visited relatives and friends in Philadelphia on Thursday.
D.K. GRABER spent yesterday at the county seat.
Mrs. Victor H. STECKEL, of this borough spent several days this week in Philadelphia.
Horace S. MOYER, of this borough, made a business trip to Allentown on Thursday.
Frank W. HILLEGASS, the asseassor of this borough, made his report at Norristown on Thursday.
D.K. GRABER sold a horse to Dr. Mason MOYER, of Conshohocken, this week.
E.G. BODENHEIMER, of New York and Samuel HUSTEN, of Philadelphia, two horse dealers spent the week in this vicinity buying up horses.
Fred. REINSMITH, the furniture dealer of this borough, will on Wednesday move his business from this place to his home at Emaus.
Rev. C.C. BOYER, of Kutztown, will preach in the St. Marks Lutheran church tomorrow forenoon.
Mrs. Mary SCHAEFFER, of East Greenville, returned to her home on Wednesday after spending a week in Philadelphia.
C.H. STEIN, the new superintendent on the Perkiomen Railroad on Thursday moved from Reading to this borough into the tenant house of Rev. J.L. ROUSH.
Last Modified