Blair County Newspaper Articles
News, obituaries, birth, marriage and death notices, by date.
Items from The Altoona Tribune, Altoona, Pa.,
Thursday, September 6, 1860
LOCAL ITEMS.
Proceedings of Town Council.
Council met September 3d, 1860. Present - A. A. Smyth, R. Greenwood and J. A. M'Dowell, Council, and Wm. C. McCormick, Chief Burgess.
Minutes of last meeting read and approved.
The Chief Burgess presented and read the petition of the citizens of Altoona Borough to the Court of Quarter Sessions, praying the Court to so alter and amend the charter as that the Town Council shall be composed of six members, two of whom shall be elected annually; and that D. R. Miller and D. M. Greene serve one year from the 3d Friday in February 1860, and Ralph Greenwood and J. A, McDowell serve for two years from the same time, and that A. A. Smyth and D. Laughman serve for three years from the time aforesaid.
And further, that the Chief Burgess, who is now elected annually, be hereafter elected biennially; and also, that the present Chief Burgess serve two years from the 3d Friday in February, 1860. Also, presented and read the decree of the Court at August Term, 1860, granting the prayer of the petitioners with all the properly authenticated documents in relation thereto.
Whereupon Mr. David M. Green, being present, after being duly sworn according to law, took his seat as one of the Council, and entered upon the duties of his office.
Council proceeded to the examination of the duplicate of J. K. Ely, Esq., late collector, and allowed him additional exonerations to amount of $8.38 for the year 1859.
The following bills were then presented, and orders for the same granted, to wit:
Jno. M. Campbell, for stone, sand, lime, &o., delivered,
$77.40
J. & J. Lowther, for spikes, shovels and window blinds, 9.42
Chief Burgess for fees paid Prot'y and Reg. & Rec. on amended
charter, 5.20
J. A. McDowell for hauling plank & sills for sewer, and putting
same on, 24.50
Jno. M. Hooper for dressing tools, &c., 4.26
Jno. Allison for plank delivered, 11.00
The Supervisor presented the time of himself and laborers for the month of August, with a statement of the amount, to wit: -
Wm. W. Snyder, Daniel Coyle, Jesse Groves, and Wm. Ferguson.
On motion Council adjourned to meet again on Thursday evening, Sept 13th, 1860, at 6 o'clock P. M. - Extract from Minutes.
RAIL ROAD OFFICERS IN TROUBLE.- For several days past the faithlessness of some of the Conductors and Agents on the Penn'a R. R. has been the subject of conversation on our street-corners and other circles; but as we have no definite information in relation to the affair, we shall say nothing about it; but give the following which we find in the Philadelphia Inquirer of Thursday last: -
Exaggerated accounts have been circulated for the last few days with regard to the loss sustained by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company through the faithlessness of some of the officials on the line of the road. It affords us pleasure to be able to state that the loss, much smaller in itself than generally reported, has been recovered by the Company. At the same time the discovery of the present peculation has secured the Company from further loss of the same sort, by showing its managers the necessity of the adoption of new checks, rendering the detection of such practices inevitable. The means adopted by the officers of the Company during the past three months, were so complete in all the details as to enable them to understand fully the operations of all employees that were suspected. A general examination has taken place in the last few days in this city, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and other places, resulting in the recovery of cash, stock, property, &c., to a considerable amount, being the investments of the proceeds of tickets returned to ticket agents and others, and by them resold, and the daily appropriations from cash collections by conductors. A number of the conductors and several agents have been discharged. With the examples made, and the rigid system now adopted for examination of accounts, those now in the service will no doubt render faithful reports, and lead an honest, upright life for the future. It is supposed that the evil, in a few years, would have grown to be a serious matter to the revenues of the Company, and it is therefore a matter of congratulation that the whole scheme was discovered, and has been so completely checked for the future. The Northern Central Railroad has also suffered considerably.
CAMP MEETING. - The Camp Meeting of the Bethel Church (colored) will be held on the farm of Mr. Thomas Trout, near Blair Furnace, commencing on Friday, Sept. 14th, 1860. Excursion tickets will be issued by the P. R. R. Co., from all stations between Blairsville and Lewistown. Ministers and others are respectfully invited to attend. - A. JOHNSTON, Pastor in charge.
APPOINTED. - We are pleased to note the appointment of C. W. Burkholder, late Clerk in the Superintendent's office in this place, to the position of Ticket Agent at Harrisburg. Mr. B. is an energetic and reliable man, and the Company could not have found a better man for the position. While we regret to lose him as a citizen, we are content since our loss is his gain.
CHANGE. - We see by the last number of the Blair County Union, that the partnership existing between Martin & Ray, in the publication of that paper, has been dissolved, and it is now published by John A. Ray & Co. The paper has also been reduced to five columns per page.
The following local items we clip from the Tyrone Star, of yesterday : -
On last Tuesday evening, Mr. John Shriver, of this County, went to Janesville, in Clearfield county, for the purpose of purchasing a farm. He had a large amount of money in his possession, which he carried in a belt upon his person. He stayed all night at the hotel of Mr. Jordan. The next day he made arrangements with Mr. Wesley Nevling for the purchase of his farm, and after dinner, whilst an article of agreement was being drawn up, he said he would go into a piece of woods, which is upon the place, for the purpose of examining the timber. He went into the woods alone, and from that time nothing has been heard of him. The community in the neighborhood of Janesville is in a great state of excitement. It is believed that he has been foully dealt with, but we have not learned that any one in that neighborhood is suspected.
Little Jimmy Cats, an orphan boy whom Mr. Robert Waring is raising, a few days since was bitten upon the leg by a spotted snake. He was alone in the field at the time, but instantly cut out with his pocket knife the place that was bitten. A few ulcerated sores have made their appearance in the neighborhood of the wound, but beyond this he has sustained no inconvenience from the poison. He is not ten years old, and for his age certainly displayed a great deal of courage and presence of mind. Mr. Waring's farm adjoins Tyrone.
On Saturday last a meeting of the bar of this Judicial District was held at the Logan House, Altoona, for the purpose of adopting a uniform set of rules of court for the District. Hon. George Taylor presided, and the bar of the various counties was largely represented.
On Friday last, a son of Mr. James McFarland, of this place, whilst engaged in gathering plums for his mother, fell from the tree, a distance of some ten feet, injuring himself quite seriously. Fortunately, however no bones were broken.
The child of Biddy Creely (whose arrest we noticed last week) died in the Poor House on Thursday last.
PEOPLE'S PARTY MEETING. - A meeting of the People's Party was held in this place on Monday evening last, which attracted a pretty large crowd. The Altoona "Wide Awake" Club turned out between sixty and seventy torches. Forty of the Club were attired in caps and capes. They were preceded by the Altoona Brass Band. The "Wide Awake" Club of Hollidaysburg, numbering 50, attired in the club uniform, came out on a special train, accompanied by a large crowd. They were met at the depot by the Altoona Club and escorted to the vacant lots in the rear of the Post Office, where the meeting was held. Addresses were delivered by Hon. Daniel Ullman, of New York, and George Cowen, of Westmoreland.
ANOTHER STORE. - We notice that our friend, And. Clabaugh, has fitted up a store room in the corner of the "Brant House," where he has just opened a lot of choice confectionaries, nuts, fruits, cigars, tobacco, &c., to which he invites the attention of the good citizens of Altoona who wish anything in his line. He also intends opening the newspaper and periodical business, and will supply papers and periodicals regularly to all who will leave their names with him. He wishes those who intend patronizing him to leave their names previous to the 10th inst.
FALL OF A BRIDGE. - The bridge which crosses the Juniata between Hollidaysburg and Gaysport, gave way, on Wednesday of last week, whilst a drove of cattle, belonging to Messrs. Berry, Irvin & Co., were passing over it. About thirty of the cattle fell headlong into the river below, and many were more or less injured. - The bridge has been in a very bad condition for a year or two back, and it is hoped the Commissioners will proceed immediately to erect a more substantial structure.
OPENING OF THE SCHOOLS. - A ten months session of the public schools in this place, opened on Monday last, much to the satisfaction of parents, but not so satisfactory, we presume, to those juveniles who have an antipathy "classic halls," and whose backs, owing to a mischievous disposition, come in for frequent applications of "hickory oil." All the advice and consolation we can give them is to keep an eye on the "knight of the birch," when at their pranks, and when caught "grin and bear it."
A. S. S. A. - The Altoona Sabbath School Association will meet in the basement of the Presbyterian Church, on Friday evening, Sept. 7th, 1860, at 7 1/2 o'clock. The following questions will come before the Association for discussion:
1st. Is there any advantage to be derived from the use of Question Books in imparting Biblical instruction to a Sunday School Class?
2d. Is it expedient, under the present circumstances, to continue longer the Altoona Union Sabbath School Association?
HURT. - As the "Wide-Awakes" were passing out of town on the road which leads from Branch street to the Plank Road, on their way to the People's Party Meeting, at Allegheny Furnace, on Thursday evening last, some malicious individual threw a stone at one of the transparencies, which missed its aim and struck a little girl on the head knocking her down and cutting a severe gash.
We intend going East in a few days, to purchase our Fall Stock - and we deem it only necessary to inform our customers of the fact, feeling confident that they will be on hands to square up their accounts. - J. & J. LOWTHER. Sept. 6, 1860.
PIC NIC. - The Presbyterian Sunday School of this place, intend having a pic nic to-day in Millers's Woods.
MARRIED:
In Tyrone, on the 19th ult., by Sam'l Jones, sq., Mr. Peter Denny, of Tyrone, and Miss Catharine A. Powell, of Lewistown, Mifflin co.
On the 16th ult., at the residence of the bride's father, by Rev. Samuel T. Lowrie, Geo. M. Brisbin, Esq., of New Orleans, to Miss Hannah E, oldest daughter of Dr. D. Houtz of Alexandria, Huntingdon County, Pa.
DIED.
At Manor Hill, Huntingdon County, on Thursday, Aug. 30th, after a brief illness, Miss Emily Jane Love, aged 22 years, 6 months and 10 days.
At Claysburg, on the 19th ult., Mrs. Sophia, wife of Maj. Jacob Zeth, aged 47 years, 8 months and 7 days.
In West Point. Lee County, Iowa, May 23d, 1860, Mrs. Willamina Scott, wile of Alexander Barnes, and formerly of this place.
The deceased had long been a consistent member of the Presbyterian church, first in this place, and then in West Point, but for a considerable period preceding her death, the constant alternations between the hope of life and the fear of death, occasioned by the deceitfulness of her disease, consumption, seemed unfavorable to her peace of mind and her assurance of faith in Christ, and to her hope of salvation through him. But when she came to know the certainty of speedy death, though the struggle for resignation to die and leave her family in her heavenly Father's hands was a hard one, yet she did become not only resigned to this, but was in a joyful and triumphant frame of soul for several days before her death; and when the expected summons came, she thrice exclaimed, "Welcome, death," and gave up her spirit into her Saviour's care. One week after, her youngest born was laid in the same grave with his mother, and was thus quickly restored to a mother's society and love.
Altoona Tribune, Altoona, Pa., Thursday, September 6, 1860, page 3