Lydia, widow of James MILLER, of Pottstown formerly, of Niantic, died on Sunday evening after several weeks illness of typhoid fever. The husband died on December 3, of typhoid fever and shortly after Mrs. MILLER was also taken sick with fever, but had recovered from the fever. Her death resulted from a complication of diseases brought on by her enfeebled condition. Mrs. MILLER is but 34 years of age and six small children of which the eldest is 15 years of age are made orphans by her death. A sad feature of the case is that upon Mrs. MILLER being taken ill her sister, Miss Amanda SASSAMAN, of Norristown, went there to nurse her. She too, was taken ill with the fever as well as two children. All the household duties then fell upon Sarah, the thirteen year old daughter. This little girl has done all the work and waited upon her mother, aunt and brother and sister, who were ill of the fever, until a nurse could be secured from the Pottstown Hospital. The two children, Ermeda, who was ill with typhoid pneumonia, and Aaron, with typhoid fever, are both convalescing, but the aunt is very ill with fever. Well water, made impure by surface drainage, is supposed to have been the cause of the trouble.
The automobile has been put to practical use by E.E. SPANGLER, of Lewistown who has so equipped his machine that it does duty as an ice saw. SPANGLER is a mechanical genius and when he came to the conclusion two years ago that he needed an auto in his business he promptly built one capable of running fifteen miles an hour. This winter SPANGLER entered the ice business and as he needed an ice-sawing machine he determined to devote his home-made auto to this purpose. The town blacksmith forged a rough frame for him and a circular saw was soon attached to the rear axle. A big crowd watched the machine in its first test on the ice, but the auto worked so smoothly and rapidly that they saw little but a streak of ice dust.
At the annual meeting of the Montgomery County Bar Association, held at Norristown on Monday afternoon, a resolution was adopted requesting the three judges, A.S. SWARTZ, H.K. WEAND and Wm. F. SOLLY, to wear black silk gowns while presiding in court. The association elected as president George W. ROGERS, to succeed the late Colonel James BOYD. Other officers elected were: Vice President, Miller D. EVANS, of Pottstown; secretary, William F. DANNEHOWER; treasurer, George K. BRECHT. It was decided to give President Rogers a testimonial banquet this month in commemoration of his fifty years as a member of the bar.
Ex-County Treasurers GODSHALL, HALLOWELL and MALSBERGER, having been advised of a decision by the Superior Court against the right of county treasurers to retain for collection services five per cent, of the proportion of liquor licenses fees due boroughs or townships, met on January 2d and decided to pay to the respective boroughs and townships the percentage heretofore so retained. The decision means that each of these ex-treasurers must refund $3,000. It means $6 for each hotel in the county and covers a period of nine years.
An investigation following the death of four cows in the Alderney and Holstein herd of Harry FRANCIS, of Brownbacks Corner, Chester county, led to the discovery by Dr. E.G. GILBERT, a Pottstown veterinarian, of evidence of poisoning with paris green. FRANCIS believes that a thief he shot at on his premises a few weeks ago adopted this means of revenge.
Frank SMITH, hostler at the Tremont House, Lansdale, was robbed of $36.50 . SMITH and a man by the name Michael McCISKI slept in the same room of the hotel on this occasion and some time during the night McCISKI, it is said, took the money from SMITH's pockets, and left for parts unknown. When he left he was dressed in a light cheviot suit and is described as being badly pock-marked on face and hands.
YOUTHFUL GIANT
The largest youth who ever struck Pottstown arrived in town Monday evening and attracted lots of attention as he walked along High street. He is 7 feet 8 inches of height towered away above the heads of ordinary pedestrians, and he took to the middle of the street to avoid signs and awnings. It was originally intended to have him ride in one of the hacks to the Alberta, where he and his manager are stopping, but his 320 pounds of flesh bore down the body of the hack to the springs and he thought it was safer to walk. Titan, as the youthful giant is named, is only 22 years of age. He is well developed and muscular and travels during the summer with the Barnum show. Clayton ISETT, the proprietor of the Alberta, had to arrange two beds for the young man. Incidently, he sat in one of Mr. ISSET's rocking chairs and made it a mass of splinters.
Herbert J. RAUSCH, a shoemakersville boy, at the Kutztown Normal School, who stands 6 feet 3 1/2 inches tall, has been outgrown by a Montgomery county youth, also in his 'teens. The latter is Elmer R. FREED (picture), of Hoppenvile, who is 6 feet 4 inches tall, weighs 175 pounds and like RAUSH, is "still growing." They are apparently almost neck and neck, as is said of the race horses, but FREED has a fine start, for an extra half inch after a boy grows to his altitude is, like the traditional half-inch on the end of a girl's nose, a big thing. Like RAUSCH, FREED is a giant, both in stature and strength, though the latter is not so much of an athlete, but is just a plain cigarmaker. As is the case with RAUSCH, FREED is a fine musician. He plays in the Red Hill Cornet Band, and has lots of fun "looking down on the other fellows" who root, but without the slightest loftiness of spirit. Some day both RAUSCH and FREED should be drum-majors to head the Eastern Pennsylvania parades, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to have both go in some such capacity with the two best Pennsylvania bands that attend President Roosevelt's inauguration next March. Young FREED is a son of Mr. and Mrs. John J. FREED, and his parents are of ordinary heighth.
The stone house and small barn of Wilson SHOTT, formerly the home of H.B. CORRELL, about one mile south of Harlem, was burned down on last Friday night. The house was vacant for about nine months. The fire was caused by an incendiary, as a bottle containing some coal oil was found near the place. It is insured in the Goschenhoppen Mutual Fire Insurance Company, of Pennsburg.
The horse sale of D.K. GRABER, of Pennsburg on Saturday, was exceptionally well attended and he sold twenty head at an average of $154. The sale was advertised exclusively in Town and Country, which shows the value of selecting the right medium for advertising your wares and sales. John F. SEASHOLTZ, of Red Hill, on Wednesday sold nineteen head of horses at exceptional good prices.
Oswin HUBER and Miss Minnie HEFFENTRAYER, both of Trumbauersville, who eloped last September, have been located at San Francisco, Cal. They are living together under the assumed name of Mr. and Mrs. Oliver J. HUNTER. It will be remembered that Mr. HUBER was a married man and deserted his wife and family of six children.
Harvey BARNDT, of Argus, on Wednesday fell from the porch at his home on some ice and received several painful scalp lacerations. A physician had to insert several stitches to draw the parts together. The fall was only a distance of about four feet, but his head struck the sharp edges of ice.
A lecture on the Life of Dr. Martin LUTHER, will be given in the school house at Clayton by Rev. A.R. SCHORMAN, on Monday evening, January 23, at 7.30 o'clock. No admission fee will be charged. A collection will be lifted. The lecture will be in the German language.
Frank SEGRIST, of Argus, broke his arm one day last week while he was visiting a neighbor. He slipped on the ice and fell upon that member which caused the fracture.
Worry over his inability to devise a plan whereby all the creditors of the Lehigh Valley Traction Company, now in the hands of receivers, might receive all that is due them, James K. MOSSER, head of the MOSSER tanning interests in central Pennsylvania, New York city and Boston, is ill with sclerosis of the brain. His recovery is not expected.
Hundreds of attorneys throughout the state have signed a petition to the Legislature requesting the repeal of certain features of the act of Assembly of April, 1794, commonly known as the blue laws. The purpose of the petitions is to have substituted for the old act a law permitting drug, candy, cigar and similar stores to be open on Sunday.
Fire broke out in the smokehouse of Butcher Charles PARKE, in the business section, of Spring City and in less than half an hour his barn and icehouse were burned to the ground. The ice cream manufactory and stables of Fred. DIEMER adjoining were also partly destroyed. The loss is heavy partly covered by insurance.
While removing some goods from the residence of the late Edwin KRUPP, in Franconia, which he purchased on Monday afternoon, Michael SWARTLEY, of Franconia, died Tuesday forenoon at 11 o'clock of heart disease, dropping into the arms of John N. CLEMENS who was with him.
POST OFFICE DISCONTINUED
Layfield post office, near Swamp, has been discontinued. The patrons of the office are now served by the Gilbertsville rural free delivery route. The post office was kept in the mill of Oswin JACOBS, and JACOBS was the postmaster.
Friends of Helen CASWELL and Warren GIVEN, of Norristown, were treated to a surprise on Saturday when the couple announced that they had been married since November 28, 1903. The young people had been keeping company for several years, but no one suspected that they were more than lovers. During a trip up the Hudson they stopped off in the metropolis and were wedded, but agreed to keep the affair a secret.
The secret of successful farming was given to the Farmers' Institute at Richlandtown by the Rev. J.D. DIETERICH, the well-known minister farmer. "The secret," he said, "is in feeding the stock. The stock will feed the farmer and both will feed the minister. The reason so many farms are poor is because the farmers are robbing the soil."
Armed with a hatchet Mrs. Annie KOCH Monday evening attacked her sleeping husband, Preston T. KOCH, in the sleeping apartments of their home at No. 527 Hickory street, Allentown and seriously injured him before her rage had subsided. Complaint was brought against her before an Alderman and she was arrested. Unable to furnish bail for a hearing she was committed to jail. Mrs. KOCH is a husky woman of uncontrollable temper. Married to KOCH for about ten years she has had her own way undisputed and those about her have been pretty thoroughly afraid of her. Monday evening KOCH, who is a cigar dealer and has his stock in his home, became somewhat intoxicated. This was enough to rouse the irritable woman and armed with a large hatchet she started the Carrie Nation act with the stock of cigars and totally ruined about $30 worth before she turned her attention to her husband. Bleeding from numerous deep wounds on his left arm which had also been badly broken, KOCH managed to escape from his wife and brought the charges which landed her in jail and put her out of mischief for a while.
Under a lease for 999 years, the Pottstown Passenger Railway Company on Saturday passed into control of the Pottstown and Reading Railway Company. The last-named company is building a line to Reading and, it is said, will continue its road from Pottstown to Royersford, Valley Forge and through Lower Merion to West Philadelphia. The sale, it is said, was made on the basis of a guaranteed yearly income of 4 per cent on $300,000. Ex-Mayor ASHBRIDGE, of Philadelphia, is president of the Pottstown and Reading Company, and Theodore H. McCALLA is secretary. Ex-County Treasurer George M. MALSBERGER, Calvin FEGELY, Jacob C. SOITER, J.A. HEALY and Samuel H. FRIDAY, all of Pottstown, were the owners of the Pottstown Railway.
While workmen were cleaning out an old abandoned well, about 20 feet deep, on Monday morning, on the farm of John FREY, near Kline's Corner, Lehigh county, a 20-gallon keg of applejack was found at the bottom. Carved on the bottom of the keg was the date "1872." Mr. FREY then remembered that his father, about 30 years ago, had taken the keg from the cellar and placed it in the yard to sell the next day. Next morning the keg was missing, however, and that was the last seen of it until it was found on Monday morning. It is believed that the keg was lowered into the well as a practical joke. What the applejack has lost in quantity it has made up in quality.
The Reading Woman's Club was expected to take action at its meeting last week looking to a general movement among women's organizations all over the State to save the life of Kate EDWARDS, who is in jail at Reading to be hanged in a month. The Board of Directors, however, considered the question before the meeting of the club, and decided that the club make no effort in that direction.
Nicholas MEAGHER, 65 years old, residing at Wissahickon, was killed at Norristown on Friday evening by being struck by an express train at the Mill Street Station of the Reading Railway. MEAGHER was employed as foreman in the foundry of R.S. NEWBOLD & Son Co. With fifty other employes he started to cross the tracks, when the express, going thirty miles an hour, struck him and hurled him fifty feet.
While supervising the erection of a chicken coop on his farm, south of Emaus, Lewis SMITH slipped and fell, cutting off a large part of his left ear. He wanted the piece to be healed on. Dr. BACKENSTOE, of Emaus, is making the experiment, and thinks he will be successful.
The banquet and entertainment given by the Pennsburg Lodge, No. 449, I.O.O.F., to its members and wives on Saturday evening, in honor of the long and faithful services of two of its officers, Henry J. SMITH, and Henry DIMMIG, who served respectively, 31 years as Secretary and 33 years as Treasurer, was a memorable affair. The banquet was held at the Pennsburg Hotel, Charles A. KNEULE proprietor and two hundred guests were served with turkey and all the delicacies that go with it between the hours of 6 and 9 o'clock. The dining room was enlarged so that fifty covers could be laid at one time. The tables were literally groaning with the good things for the inner man and all did justice. The waiters are to be congratulated upon the able manner in which they served the guests so promptly. The manner in which Mine Host KNEULE served such a large concourse of people in so short a space of time speaks well for him as a new man in the business. After the banquet all wended their way across the street into the large and spacious hall belonging to the Odd Fellow where an interesting program was rendered. Eugene W. SCHOLL in a few well chosen words extended a hearty welcome to all. Henry J. SMITH, the veteran Secretary gave a very interesting talk on the good work that the Order of Odd Fellows has accomplished throughtout this section as well as throughout the Union. Henry DIMMIG, the veteran Treasurer read the amount of benefits paid out by the lodge to its members during every year since he had charge of its money. The total amount was more than twenty-five thousand dollars. Dr. Charles T. WAAGE, of Pennsburg, one of the oldest members of the lodge, gave an interesting description of the organization of the lodge in 1849. He also described how the lodge was started in an old frame carpenter shop on the opposite side of the street, where now the drug store of Dr. J.G. MENSCH is located and how the members used to wend their way there after dark, as the opposition to lodges at that time was great. Albrecht KNEULE, of Norristown, another member of the lodge since 1857, made a few remarks on the difference of forty years ago and now, the prejudice of part of the people of that time against secret societies, while now they are honored everywhere for the good work they have done. A large number of vocal and instrumental performances were rendered during the evening. A member of the lodge who is somewhat of a poet wrote the following in respect of the two honored members and it was read by the presiding officer William D. RENNINGER and a copy was presented to each. Friendship, Love and Truth. We give this banquet here to-night, Amid tables with glass galore, To men who served with all their might, For thirty years or more; Worked for their fellow members, For quite a lengthy time, Noble acts which we remember, Seals friendship with us divine; No thought have they of stopping, The work they've done so long, No thought have we of dropping, The love for them grown strong; One word more about our brothers, Before we leave to-night, They shine in the eyes of others, For truth is always bright. L., Norristown. The following were the officers of the evening: Presiding officer, W.D. RENNINGER, N.G.; Committee of Arrangements, D.K. GRABER, Wm. H. BAUER, Milton T. KLINE; Ushers, Charles E. TRUMBORE, Horace KLINE, Eugene BISCHOFF and Harvey FOX.
The treasurer of Ridge Valley Lutheran congregation, Rev. J.H. WAIDELICH pastor, at the annual meeting, reported receipts during the year of $5375 and expenditures of $5066. The receipts were sufficient to wipe out the entire indebtedness of the congregation. Besides paying the mortgage on the church property, a new pipe organ was installed and paid for and the interior of the church was frescoed. This is a showing that our prosperous towns can hardly match.
A Democratic caucus was held at the Harlem hotel, Berks county, on Saturday evening, and a large number of active and enthusiastic members were in attendance. There was no opposition at the caucus and the following nominations for the February election were made: Committeeman, Joseph M. GRIESEMER; delegates, Milton B. WAGNER, Fred. W. HUBER; Justice of the Peace, William H. SALLADE; judge of election, Ambrose B. LEH; inspector, Henry G. SCHMOYER; supervisor, Michael N. GERY, Henry F. WILL; school director, Henry W. FOX, Jacob R. HARTLINE; assessor, Jacob M. GERY; constable, Milton M. GERY; auditor David G. GERHARD; treasurer, Henry W. WETZEL.
A meeting of the Perkiomen Valley Milk Shippers Union was held at the public house of N.H. LEESER, Palm, on Monday. The meeting endorsed the principles of the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia Milk Shippers Union, who have fixed the price of milk for the month of January, 1905, at 4 1/2 cents per quart. The Executive Committee believes that owing to the more rigid enforcement of the law against the use of preservatives in milk and other forms of adulteration, milk should command better prices for the ensuing year than those obtained in 1904. A severe drought during the summer and fall months would still further enhance the value of it.
The spacious lodge room of the Knights of Pythias hall, East Greenville, was filled to overflowing on Saturday evening, when the public installation of the Knights of Golden Eagle lodge was held. A number of appropriate addresses were made by Wallace KEELY, of Easton, and Rev. G.W. LUTZ, of Pennsburg. The installation was conducted by District Deputy K. Willoughby HEINLY, of East Greenville, a member of the lodge. A number of vocal and instrumental selections were ably rendered, as well as a recitation by Miss Ernestine THORNTON, of East Greenville.
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Noah BORNEMAN, of Lucon, a small village near Skippack, was on Wednesday removed to the Insane Asylum at Norristown, by Frank H. FOX, Charles T. JOHNSON and Eli HALLMAN, neighbors. He recently became demented and was becoming unsafe around home. At times he tried to do bodily harm to members of the family and for the past few weeks two of his neighbors were there every night and one during the day guarding the unfortunate man.
Milton S. BREY, of Geryville, is considered the best marksman in eastern Pennsylvania. Only last week he defeated James SOMMERS, a professional wing shot of Easton, for a purse of $50. Mr. BREY killed 24 out of 25 birds and his opponent only 23 out of the same number. Another tournament will probably come off for $100 a side at Rittersville, and to be held some time next month, for the backers of Mr. SOMMERS are anxious to get up the match.
Mrs. Michael GODSHALL, of Vernfield, slipped and fell on the ice while carrying a bucket filled with boiling water. The water was spilled over her, and one of her arms was painfully scalded.
Augustus CHRISTMAN, of Zieglerville, on Saturday slipped on the ice in front of the Weldon House, Delphi, and fell breaking a bone in his leg. He was carried to his home where a physician reduced the fracture.
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