in the snow after the four nation
"jc hills of Valley Forge last Saturday
EE
Dewar, ald
“ -_—
INK SLINGS.
— Talking about rare days in June,
when have you seen rarer ones than
were last Saturday and Sunday.
- —There were no bloody footprints
builders who tramped over the histor-
and Sunday had gone.
—My, wouldn’t that hapless boot-
legger, who was chased out of a local
boarding house recently by an indig-
nant lady have been a welcome guest
in a lot of other places in town.
— Anyway, Col. George Harvey can
point with pride to one friend in the
States. The gentleman who sent him
over to the court of St. James to mis-
represent us seems to be the only per-
son of consequence who hasn’t thrown
a harpoon into him.
__With the constant increase of
public offices it will not be long until
every person in this country will be
carrying as big a load of officials on
his or her shoulders as Germany was
carrying soldiers before the Kaiser
blew up.
— The order to buy two triple pump-
ers for the Bellefonte fire department
has been issued by council. Only de-
linquent tax payers should worry, for
we are advised that the collector is ex-
pected to make them cough up enough
by September 1st to pay for the new
machines.
—The acquisition of another indus-
try in town, through the building of
a second unit to the silk mill, will,
ipso, facto, add still another industry
That of doing their own housework by
a lot of ladies who will no longer be
able to hold onto those who have been |
doing it for them. |
—That announcement of a twenty-
five thousand dollar appropriation for!
new buildings at State College made |
the friends of the institution so mad
that they found little joy in the cor-
rection that followed explaining that
an 0 had been dropped out by a type-
setter and that the real amount was
two hundred-fifty thousand.
__At this great distance from the |
scene we don’t realize all of the hor- |
ror of the floods that wrecked Pueblo |
and devastated a large area of Colo- |
rado last week. The Johnstown flood |
of ’89 was much nearer home and we
viewed its tragedies with sickening '
hearts, but those of Pueblo have been
equally sad and the greatest regret of |
the east will be that they are so far
away as to be beyond the immediate
relief which every one must have im- ;
pulse to offer at this moment. ;
—_On Monday, June sixth, in the '
year of our Lord one-thousand nine
hundred and twenty-one, the Belle-'
fonte council resoluted that one, J.!
Kennedy Johnston Esq., collector of!
taxes for said borough shall settle in!
full all unpaid tax duplicates remain-
ing in his hands on or before Septem- |
ber first of the year of the date of said |
resolution. We have no further com-
ment to make so sit wondering wheth-
er council will be just as resolute
when the first day of September rolls
round.
—_ Washington is having no end of |
trouble in getting rid of the array of |
clerks who enlisted for service when '
the extremities of war swelled Uncle |
Sam’s corps of helpers from thirty- |
five to over two hundred thousand |
Democrats, Republicans, Prohibition- |
ists, political eunichs and what not!
responded to the call four years ago |
and many more thousands than are
welcome to the present administration
are still there. Most of those remain-
ing, of course, are Republicans, but
they are not the kind of Republicans |
who are wanted and they won’t get out
to make room for the boys who did the
real fighting at the polls. Washington
complains because it is too crowded,
but we are inclined to think that it
wouldn't be half so crowded if only
the right crowd were crowding it.
__It is to laugh. An engineer on an
accommodation train on the Nashville,
Chattanooga and St. Louis railroad is
paid $4371.92 annually while the Gov-
ernor of Tennessee works the year for
$371.92 less. And the Governor of
Tennessee was sitting on the labor
board when the fact was brought out.
Then, just to add insult to injury it was
shown that negro flagmen and por-
ters get $146 a year more than the At-
torney General of Tennessee. It must
have been humiliating to his Nobs, the
Governor, but he ought to have taken
the “Watchman’s” advice of months
ago and gone to railroading. You will
recall that as soon as we discovered
that a conductor gets $8.10 for two
hours and eleven minutes’ work on the
run from New York to Philadelphia
we tipped every one off to the easy
i
|
i
| existed. The disturbed and distressed
| consider in connection with this abuse
money.
—Just when Rash Irvin, G. Wash- |
ington Rees and John L. Knisely are
all sure of landing the Bellefonte post-
office along comes a civil service de-
partment order announcing that the
field is open and that any man answer-
ing all of Edison’s or a similar list of
fool questions will take down the
plum. The order is in form, all right
enough, but we haven't the slightest
idea that an examination will ever be
held and if it is, it’s a cinch that the
man who passes highest won’t get the
office unless he happens to be the man
with the pull. Civil service is very
beautiful in theory but it isn’t prac-
tical in politics. It was only a few
years ago that an examination was
held for postmaster at Centre Hall and
if our memory serves us aright a gen-
tleman named Bushman passed so
high that he plumb passed clear out of
sight of the appointing powers and
another, who didn’t passat all, pulled
down the P. O.
‘STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
VOL. 66.
BELLEFONTE, PA. JUNE 10, 1921.
NO. 23.
Harding Speaks Mysterious Language.
The President persists in expressing
his thoughts in the language of mys-
tery. In his speech at Valley Forge
on Sunday he said: “When I pledged
our America to world helpfulness, at
the same time I exact the pledge that
America will cling to her own inde-
pendence of action and to her own con-
science.” He truthfully added that
“ours is a commanding position in the
world today,” and that “the world
could never settle its present-day
turmoils and complications without
the helpfulness of American influence
and example.” But who is threaten-
ing our independence and stifling our
conscience? What sinister influences
withholds that helpfulness that is es-
sential to settle the turmoils of the
world ?
When Mr. Harding was in the Sen-
ate and Woodrow Wilson in the White
House precisely the same conditions
world needed our help and President
Wilson pointed the way to extend it
most effectively. But the Senate per-
versely refused to co-operate in the
movement and Mr. Harding shared in
the opposition. We then truly occu-
pied a commanding position in the
world. We had absolute control of
the finances, practical dominance of
the commerce and mastery of the in-
dustrial life of civilization. If we had
promptly gone into the League of Na-
tions this advantageous position
would have become permanent. Pres-
ident Harding is leading us by a cir-
cuitous path into a back door, but we
have lost our power of control.
We all “want an America of pre-
served conscience,” as well as “an
America of preserved righteousness.”
But who is striving to prevent the con-
summation of these desirable condi-
tions? It is certainly not those who
are urging us to adopt the methods
and manners of peace-loving people.
It is certainly not those who are plead-
ing for a decrease of armaments and
the outward signs of amity. President
Harding is the head of the Republican
party which is in full control of the
government at Washington. If he
doesn’t get what he wants it is be-
cause he is weak in the councils of his
own party. The Democrats in Con-
gress are 1gady and willing to help
get what he pretends to want.
— The farmers are not likely to
get much out of the Emergency tar-
iff bill unless they enjoy contributing
to the dye stuff monopoly.
Saving at the Wrong End.
Governor Sproul is still tinkering
with the spigot. He has written a let-
ter to the heads of several depart-
ments complaining of extravagance in
the use of automobiles. And there is
ample reason for his protest. The
State owns 976 automobiles of which
327 are passenger cars, the others be-
ing trucks used by the highway, the
military and other departments for
freighting. The passenger cars are
high priced vehicles and have been
used quite freely by State officials for
pleasure and other unofficial purposes.
The repair, fuel and other bills for
keeping these cars in motion amounts
to a good deal of money in the course
of a year. The Governor properly
thinks this expense ought to be cur-
tailed.
Besides there are other things to
of what might be called “franking
privilege.” The esteemed Philadel-
phia Ledger is moved to ask “why is
it that ever third assistant sub-deputy
to somebody else in a public job must
have an automobile at his disposal ?”
and leaving the answer to conjecture
adds: “Is there any reason why tax-
payers should maintain machines for
the large number of officials who now
have them at their call? Of course
there is no satisfactory answer to that
question either, beyond the fact that
the custom has grown up from a
smaller beginning through the care-
lessness of higher up officials to their
obligations to serve the public.
This automoble graft is a trifling
affair, however, compared with other
abuses which go without protest. For
example, an office was created by the
last Legislature with the approval of
the Governor to be known as Custo-
dian of Securities, or something of
that sort in the State Treasury, with
a salary of $8,000.00 a year. The
State needed that official about as
much as a dog needs two tails. But
the retiring State Treasurer needed an
office and this one was made for him.
More than a hundred other public of-
ficials have obtained their “soft snaps”
in the same way and if Governor
Sproul were sincere in his desire to
cut down expenses he would stop that
kind of abuse. Save at the bung in-
stead of the spigot.
—If President Harding isn’t care-
ful Senator Lodge will turn against
him and that will be the last of
Gamaliel.
a—————— ee e———
—Cheerfulness shortens, crabbing
“somebody on the wrist.
lengthens the dull day.
What the Plum Tree Will Reveal.
After attending service in the chap-
el at Valley Forge on Sunday, and de-
livering an address from the pulpit of
the open-air cathedral adjacent, Pres-
ident Harding held a conference with
Senator Penrose, Senator Knox and
Governor Sproul upon the question of
distributing spoils in Pennsylvania.
The service in the chapel was brief
but beautiful, according to the press
reports. That in the cathedral was
impressive. It was opened by the
singing of “My Country "Tis of Thee,”
after which the rector eulogized the
President and referred to his presence
as “an event of honor to the men who
sleep in unnamed graves in the sur-
rounding hills.”
What transpired in the conference
held afterward is veiled in a vast vol-
ume of conjecture. In the cathedral
the President spoke in the language
of a truly pious and patriotic man,
which of course he is. In the confer-
ence he probably listened to “tales of
woe” by Penrose and Sproul or com-
plaints of one against the other. Sen-
ator Knox has “no kick coming,” if
recent newspaper statements are to be
relied on. Penrose has always been
for his re-election and Sproul agreed
to support him after a visit to the
President the other day. But Penrose
has had none of the fruits of the vic-
tory of last fall, though entitled to
much, and his purpose on the occa-
sion was to find out why and who is
responsible.
There have been rumors in the air
and stories in the newspapers lately
indicating an estrangement between
the President and our senior Senator
and the purpose of the conference was
probably to iron out any differences
between them. Penrose picked Hard-
ing and had him nominated. It can
hardly be said that any one man elect-
ed him but it must be admitted that
Penrose stopped a stampede when the
story of the thirty million dollar cam-
paign fund was given out. But poli-
ticians are proverbially ungrateful
and when the Pennsylvania boss ridi-
culed Hughes and made game of
Hoover, he offended Harding. Possi-
bly they fixed things up on Sunday,
however. We'll find out when the
plum tree vibrates again.
om — A ———— 2
— Thoughtful persons have a
great many things to wonder about
and some of them may wonder wheth-
er Governor Sproul thinks he is fool-
ing anybody with his pretense of
economizing. :
“The Nigger in the Woodpile.”
When Senator Penrose changed
over night from a militant opponent of
the Fordney Emergency bill to an en-
thusiastic supporter we suspected
some sinister reason had influenced
his mind. The reason is now revealed |
through an investigation following an
assertion of Senator Moses, of New
Hampshire, to the effect that the |
measure was to be made a vehicle for
conveying to the DuPont family a mo- '
nopoly worth many millions of dollars
a year. Senator Moses declared in his i
speech that the highest paid lobby in
the history of American Congress had
been employed to influence votes in
favor of the bill and the expense was '
met by the dye stuff industry control-
led by the DuPonts. ;
The resolution providing for an in-
vestigation was introduced by Sena-
tor King, Democrat, of Utah, and has
already established not only the truth
of the assertion of Senator Moses but
the fact that the dye industry has
further agreed to pay the deficit of
the Republican National committee
amounting to $160,000.00. This por-
tion of the cost of the legislation is
to be provided by the Interessen
Gemeinschaft, a German corporation
which operated largely in this coun-
try before the war and is now affiliat- |
ed with the DuPont interests. It is |
also alleged that this foreign corpora- |
tion contributed large sums to the
campaign funds of certain Republican
Congressmen, under pledge that they
would support such legislation.
Of course Penrose’s interest in the |
legislation centered in the promise to |
pay the debt of the Republican Na-
tional committee. That burden could
not be carried along indefinitely and |
a few members of the committee
would have been obliged to pay it ul-
timately. But it is not right to compel
the tax payers of the country to dis-
charge it and pay the added tribute to
the monopoly in the price of dye
stuffs. The election of a Republican
President and Congress has cost the
people enough without this big item.
It has paralyzed commerce, wrecked
industry and almost destroyed hope.
That is too high a price for the plat-
itudes of Warren Gamaliel Harding,
entrancing as they are.
— Governor Sproul has given no-
tice that unless the gasoline bill is
cut down he will be compelled to slap
em —— ip ———————
——Senator Borah got the pleasant
smile while the munition makers get
the turkey.
Centennial of Oddfellowship.
The centennial and annivesary of
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
in Pennsylvania, which has been cele-
brated in Philadelphia during this
week, is an event of widespread and
unusual interest. Odd Fellowship in
the United States began in Baltimore
in 1819 when Thomas Wildey and four
others organized Washington Lodge
No. 1. In 1821 the first Lodge in
Pennsylvania was organized in Phila-
delphia and the ceremonies during the
week are in honor of that event. The
first lodge of the order was formed in
Manchester, England, in the latter
part of the eighteenth century and
was known as the Manchester Union.
It was convivial and an attempt to
eliminate that feature resulted in a
split and the organization of the Odd
Fellows.
Notwithstanding its British origin,
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
took deep root and made rapid growth
in this country. At the time the char-
ter was issued to the Philadelphia
Lodge one was issued to New York.
A year earlier, in 1820, Massachusetts
organized a lodge and in rapid succes-
sion Grand Lodges were chartered in
other States and now it is probably
the most numerous fraternal organi-
zation in the country. There are
Grand Lodges in every State and fed-
eral district in the country and sub-
ordinate lodges in almost every town
or borough. Besides there are collat-
eral organizations under the jurisdic- !
tion of the Supreme Grand Lodge
known as Encampments, a sort of mil-'
itary branch and Rebekah Lodge for
the women members of Odd Fellow’s
families.
The Independent Order of Odd Fel-'
lows in the United States was among
the first of the beneficial organizations
and its fidelity to its obligations soon
commended it to popular favor. Its
obligations are to relieve the sick and
to bury the dead,
distressed members,
support the widow and educate the
orphans of deceased brothers. These
beneficent offices have been performed
so promptly and with such liberality
that public approval attends the or-
ganization of every new lodge and the
ificrease of the membership of the pre-
viously established lodges. There is
no connection now between the Eng-
“lish and “American organizations but
lodges in Germany, Switzerland, Aus-
tralia and South America work un-
der American charters.
—_The President’s personal caddy
" remarked after he had played the nine
holes at Phoenixville, last Saturday,
that he had seen better golf. Which
was by saying that Mr. Harding is not
as handy with his woods and irons as
he is with keeping his “association of
nations” enshrouded in ambiguous
verbiage.
Would-be Postmasters Must Stand
Examination.
The “Watchman” this week receiv-
ed a circular letter from the U. S. civ-
il service bureau giving a list of post-
offices at which there are now tenta-
tive vacancies by reason of the expira-
tion of the term of the present incum-
bent, who of course holds over until
his successor is appointed, and in the
list appears the Bellefonte postoffice.
Naturally, it is not thus tentatively
vacant because there are no Republi-
cans willing to accept the appoint-
ment, but according to the letter from
the civil service bureau all applicants
must undergo an examination in order
to ascertain whether they will qualify
for the position.
In the examination education and
training will count for twenty points
in the candidate’s qualifications and
business experience and fitness eighty
points. In all cases candidates must
be over 25 years old and under 65;
Candidates will be required to give a
statement of their general, technical
and professional education, what
school or college attended, college de-
grees, etc., (if any). Also, all prac-
tical business experience with names
of firm or firms employed and amount
of compensation received.
Under the above ruling the opportu-
nity is open to all the would-be’s in
| Bellefonte to step to the front and
qualify.
——One trouble with Harding is
that he doesn’t “stay put.” He
changes his mind so frequently that
nobody can tell what to expect next
day on any question.
— Auditor General Lewis is earn-
ing popular approval by cutting out
the surplus office holders, but none of
the other department heads has imi-
tated him.
—— Don’t worry about Bergdoll.
When his money runs out Germany
will be glad to get rid of him and as
he'll have no where else to go we'll
have to take him.
——It’s a safe bet that if Schwab
had to wear a suit ten years he would
be the sorest man in the State.
Brick Manufacturer Makes Assign-
ment for Benefit of Creditors.
Charles W. Albright, of Altoona,
late president of the Lincoln Deposit
and Trust company, of that city,
wholesale dealer and manufacturer,
who last week made an assignment for
the benefit of his creditors, has
through his assignees, Messrs. J. S.
Ginter and R. C. Albright, filed a
statement of assets and liabilities.
The assets are placed at $566,760 and
the liabilities $297,775. In making a
summary of the failure, the state-
ment is made on the schedule:
“The cause of insolvency was due to
the depreciation in the market value
of the securities and the slump in
manufacturing and mining opera-
tions.”
On the face of the schedule, it would
indicate that creditors have security
of almost two dollars for every one in-
vested, but this will not be determined
until the market value of the stock
has been ascertained. Among the as-
sets quoted are: 8,200 shares of Su-
perior Silica Brick company stock,
$320,000; 832 shares of Blair Hotel
company stock, $42,000; 800 shares of
, Lincoln Deposit and Trust company
“stock, $56,000; 300 shares of Howard
Brick and Tile company stock, $30,-
000; 10,000 shares Southern Oil com-
| pany stock, $10,000; 100 shares Boone
coal company stock, $10,000; 842
shares Manufacturing company stock,
$29,410. :
All the other assets noted are of
“similar character, but represent small
amounts. Liabilities include notes for
$245,000 held by a dozen banks, most
; of them Blair county institutions. In-
dividuals hold notes for the remainder
of the liabilities. The Superior Silica
brick plant is located at Port Matilda,
this county, and the Howard brick and
tile plant at Howard.
— The great majority of the stu-
dents of the Bellefonte Aacdemy have
taken their examinations and left for
their various homs. Notwithstanding
the turmoil and disorganization that
necessarily followed the big fire at the
Academy early last week it must be
said to the credit of the one hundred
or more young men, that when they
were brought to a realization of the
fact that headmaster James R.
Hughes would not permit their going
home without taking their examina-
“tions they all buckled down to work
"and the result was that better aver-
ages were made than in former years.
A very few of the students, natural-
ly, failed to pass with sufficient cred-
its to entitle them to enter college,
but they started right in again to take
another examination. With such a
display of grit and determination it is
to be hoped that every one will pass
: and return to their homes with a feel-
! ing that they mot only made good in
their studies but learned a lesson of
stick-to-it-iveness no matter what the
adverse circumstances.
— Hanging in the First National
bank of Bellefonte is a drawing of a
' contemplated remodeling of that in-
stitution’s building which is attract-
ing considerable attention on the part
| of the patrons of that institution. The
' plans provide for doing away with the
cigar store and barber shop in the
basement of the building and lowering
| the floor to practically street level.
| The building will also be increased in
| size by extending the southern wall
| out the limit of the areaway in front
! of the present barber shop. A new
vault is planned to be located in the
rear of the banking room, and various
other changes which will add to the
| comfort and convenience of the offi-
cials of the bank as well as the pa-
trons. Of course, the contemplated
changes will not be made this year,
but it is quite possible that the work
will be done next year.
eo——— i ————
—__We notice that the Pennsylva-
nia R. R. shopmen at Altoona have
chosen two former Bellefonters as el-
igible representatives for them under
the new plan of conferences between
officials and employees of the compa-
ny soon to become operative. Frank
C. Williams has been chosen by the
electricians and their helpers and
Frank W. Dawson by the moulders,
melters, and their helpers. If all of
the others chosen were of the type of
these two men we feel sure that a long
step has been taken in Altoona toward
complete and reasonable accord be-
tween those who direct and those who
work for the Pennsylvania company.
Both are intelligent, conservative men
with vision broad enough to see two
sides to every question and the will to
do justice to both.
|
|
———Ambassador Harvey still seems
to enjoy the confidence of the admin-
istration at Washington notwithstand-
ing the widely different opinions “of
our reasons for going into the war.
~All highways and byways will
lead to State College next week for
the annual commencement exercises.
am———— re e———
—Buy your own paper and read it.
a_i a
' SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—Henry McMullen, a Bradford county
farmer, aged 30 years, tried to drive into
his barn ahead of a thunder storm last Fri-
| day evening. He was too late. As he was
i crossing the threshold,
lightning struck
him on the head. Death was instantane-
ous.
—When criminal court for June conven-
ed in Williamsport on Monday morning,
Judge Whitehead excused the women who
had been drawn for grand jury duty, stat-
jing that until the Supreme court decides
the question now’ before it” he would not
permit them to act.
—Claiming it was too warm to sleep im
his bedroom, Lewis Kish, aged 45 years, of
Marion Heights, went to the attic. When
his ten year old son Charles went to the
attic he found his father’s lifeless body
hanging from a rope attached to a rafter.
There is no motive known for the suicide.
A widow and four children survive.
—As he swerved his car to avoid an ap-
proaching train on the Huntingdon and
Broad Top line, near Huntingdon, last
Thursday, George M. Geisinger, aged 23
years, was killed when the car upset, the
train sideswiping it.- The car was upset
when it struck a high bank. William B.
Geisinger, the boy’s father, leaped to
safety.
—Climbing a telegraph pole on a dare,
Clyde Erdman, of Tower City, was killed
by electricity in that borough last week.
His trip up the pole, it is said, was caus-
ed when a girl companion said gayly:
“Don’t you wish we could be as supple as
cats?” ‘Cats have nothing on me,” de-
clared Erdman as he proceeded to show
his dexterity on a pole.
—Frank Souders, a Pennsylvania rail-
road engineer, of near Philadelphia, lost
his life last Saturday attempting to chloro-
form an aged pet cat at his home in Paoli,
while his family was away. The cat
seratched and struggled as he tried to
hold a chloroform rag to its nose. Sou-
ders fell unconscious and died from the
fumes. The cat ran away.
—Convicted of involuntary manslaugh-
ter, G. N. T. Whitbred, of Altoona, was
sentenced to six months in jail by Judge
Thomas J. Baldridge in Blair county court
on Monday. Whitbred was driving an au-
to which collided with a telephone pole in
Hollidaysburg, October 31st last, in which
accident Matthew G. Dunn and Frank Gur-
wald, both of Altoona, were killed.
—Mrs. Mary Rhyal, of Blacktown, Mer-
cer county, drew her $1500 in Liberty
bonds and $87.50 in cash from a bank when
she heard that bandits had ropped a New
Castle bank. She left them at a neighbor's
house. Burglars entered the place and
took the bonds and cash and a watch be-
longing to a member of the family. Sher-
iff David Jarrett and district attorney Le-
Roy Rickert are investigating.
—TFire of undetermined origin destroyed
the Mason Rose store in Lewistown at an
early hour on Monday and partially burn-
ed the business establishments of W. H.
Wain and C. E. Shull. The loss is $25,000.
The entire business section of the town
was endangered because of the lack of a
fire alarm system, it being fully forty-five
minutes after the blaze was discovered that
water was thrown on the burning build-
ings.
— Richmond, Indiana county, has prob-
ably the meanest thief in the State of
Pennsylvania. One night last week he
broke into the Presbyterian church at that
place and stole the carpet off the floor.
The carpet was an exceptionally fine one,
and was admired greatly by the members
of the congregition, who had recently fin-
ished ‘paying for it. Tracks outside the
church indicate it was hauled away in an
automobile.
— The Pennsylvania Eclectic Medical as-
sociation at the close of its forty-ninth
annual convention at Harrisburg last
Thursday, elected Dr. J. F. J. Livingstone,
of Johnstown, president, and decided to
meet in that city in 1922. Oteher officers
elected were, Dr. W. J. Rouse, Ambler,
vice president; Dr. R. E. Heacock, Bethle-
hem, second vice president; Dr, N. M.
Glenn, State College, treasurer, and Dr. M.
V. Hazen, Harrisburg, secretary.
— The volunteer fire company of Portage
has decided to disband on June 15th, if the
borough council continues to refuse to buy
a fire truck. The subject has been dis-
cussed by council, but thus far the mem-
bers have not been won over to the side of
the men who do the fire fighting for that
town of over 5000 people. The fire equip-
ment now in possession of the firemen is
said to be in condition for the junk deal-
er. New equipment or no fire company is
the slogan of the fire laddies.
Thirty years of continuous service as
pastor of St. John’s Reformed church, of
Shamokin, is the record of the Rev. C. B.
Schneder. The anniversary event was cel-
ebrated on Sunday with special services
throughout the day. During his services
at Shamokin Doctor Schneder has preach-
ed 3912 sermons and officiated at 1728 fun-
erals. He has also confirmed 11860 persons
into the membership of the church during
that period and performed 873 marriage
ceremonies. The present membership of
the congregation is 1418.
According to the final account of 1. A.
DeWitt, auditor, filed last Friday at Sun-
bury, the estate of James C. Pack-
er, a lawyer of that city, totaled
$1,400,828.47, of which not one cent
was willed to charity. Packer's widow,
now Mrs. David Ireland, of New York
city, gets $512,000; Mrs. Nellie Slate, Phila-
delphia, $190,000; William C. Hill, Sunbury;
John C. Packer, Philadelphia; Mary C.
Packer, Sunbury ; Mrs. Mary Thomas, Lew-
isburg, each $80,000; Miss Rhoda Burg,
Sunbury, Packer's stenographer, $30,000,
and Miss Adele C. Seiz, Philadelphia, $30,-
000. Administration fees took up $170,000,
and the taxes on both estate and federal
accounts totaled $100,000, according to De-
witt, who did not indicate what his fee
will be, although J. 8S. Kline, the executor,
received more than $35,000 for his services.
—An effort will be made to set aside the
will of William Penn Snyder, steel magnate
of Pittsburgh, in which he disposed of an
estate estimated to be worth $30,000,000.
The contest is to be made by Mr. Snyder's
daughter, Mrs. Mary Black Snyder. Drew,
wife of Judge James B. Drew, of Alleghe-
ny county. Through an unusual provis-
jon in the will Mrs. Drew is virtually cut
out of participation in the big estate. Un-
der it the estate could not be distributed
for sixty years. The will directs that a
corporation be formed to continue carrying
on Mr. Snyder’s business, chiefly composed
of the Shenango Furnace company. The
Shenango Steamship company, which op-
erates a fleet of boats on the great lakes,
carrying ore from mines he owned in Min-
nesota; a coking plant and coal mines. The
will is regarded as unique in that it pro-
vides for perpetuation of the Snyder indus-
tries before making any provision for le
gal heirs.
.