JL. LXVII,
OLD LANDMARKS
“
THE FORGOTTEN CITY OF THE
DEAD.
Penns Valley Away Back.—-Farms in the
Family Name to the Fourth and Fifth
Generations,
To the present reader of the CENTRE
REPORTER there is much of interest in
the early history of Penns Valley, run-
ning back one hundred years and
more, when the red man roamed here,
and the valley was a vast forest
stately pines and oaks and hemlocks,
which have bowed to smiling fields of
wheat and corn and oats, and the In-
dian tent has disappeared before
cozy homes and spacious barns of the
farmer.
Near Centre Hall there was a fort,
and in Haines township, on the south
side there was also a fort, where the
early settlers could find shelter when
the wild man made his incursions up-
on the settlers. These forts have dis-
appeared, and happy villages, church-
es and school houses have taken their
places. .
Along the foot of Nittany Mountain,
between it and the Brush Valley road,
within a rifle-shot of the CENTRE RE-
PORTER office, a little to the north-
east, is a dilapidated and almost for-
gotten cemetery, which we struck on
a stroll the other day. Asa matter of
interest to our readers, we explored
this little city of the dead, and noted
the inscriptions on the yet standing
or rather leaning slabs.
Once it was a clear spot, comprising
an acre of ground, donated as a burial
ground by John Bitner, owner of the
farm upon which William Bible now
resides. The acre is now
with young mountain pines thirty
feet high, and it has grown back as a
part of the original forest, trees of na-
ture's planting, over and between the
graves, For aught, we know, there
may be a hundred departed
neath the sod, and it was possible for
us to find crude head and foot
and depressions to mark the final rest
ing place of upwards of fifty.
The acre has no enclosure; but in the
centre there inclosure, 20 x 30,
pale fence, of which three sides are
pretending to be erect, and the fourth,
or south side, rotted This
enclosure contains the graves of the
Pennington family, who were promi-
nent here half century
ago.
Only two of the graves outside the
Pennington inclosure have slabs with
inscriptions. At the north-east corner
at the edge of a deep sink, the first
grave has a common
with the following inscription:
“Moses, son of James and
Phelmley, died Feb. 28, 1832,
months.”
Another slab of similar stone has on
it: “John, 4th son of David and Eliza
Mitchell, died April 29, 1835,
months and 2 days.”’
All the other graves have nothing
but common mountain stones for head
and foot marks, many being graves of
children.
The graves in the inclosure are sup-
plied with marble slabs, and have the
following inseriptions:
“In memory of a young son and
Ann E., daughter of Robert and Ellen
Pennington. Ann E. died Dec. 16
1827, aged 2 years.”
“In memory of Margaret G., daugh-
ter of Robert and Ellen Pennington,
who died Jan. 10, 1835, aged 9 months
aud 5 days.”
“John David, son of James W. and
Rebecea Pennington, died Feb. 12
1849, aged 6 months and 18 days. Al-
so, Catherine Ellen, died May 27, 1853,
aged 1 year and 7 days."
“In memory of R. Henry Clay, son
of Robert and Ellen Pennington, who
died April 4, 1850, aged 7 years and 27
days.”
“In memory of Sarah
who departed this lite, Oct.
aged 35 years and 7 months.”
“In memory of Margaret, wife of
Henry Pennington, died January 5,
1853, in the 77 year of her age.”
overgrown
Ones bee
stones,
is an
is dow i.
a and more
sandstone slab,
Sarah
11
aged
aged
+
ow
Pennington,
2, 1850,
-y
in the 63rd year of his age.”
“In memory of Robert Pennington,
who died February 3rd, 1854, aged 55
years and 5 months.”
“In memory of Rebecca, wife of
Robert Pennington, who died Oet, 17,
1824, aged 65 years.”
“In memory of Robert Pennington,
who died April 22, 1826, aged 72 years.”
“In memory of Rev. John Penning-
ton, son of H. and M. Pennington,
who died January 22, 1830, aged 20
years,”
“In memory of Eliza Pennington,
daughter of Henry and Margaret Pen-
nington. Departed this life July 5,
1833. Age, 17 years and 20 days.”
This was the only graveyard in the
vicinity at that day. Nearby stood a
a Methodist church, built of logs,
eighty years ago, It had high ceil
ings, and one of the
pulpits. Our friend, &
| remembers attending singing school
| in this church, back some fifty years
| ago.
| The church was sold thirty or thir-
| ty-five years ago, torn down, the logs
[sawed into lumber; and out of the
| product were built the Harpster prop-
| erties opposite the REPORTER office.
{ This was the first M. E. church
| built in this valley; it was erected in
15814, on the then Pennington, now
| the William Bible farm. Mr. Bible
thinks the house he lives in was erect-
‘ed about one hundred years ago.
Ebenezer Doolittle preached the first
sermon in this church from the text,
| Prov. ix, 1: “Wisdom hath builded
‘her house. She hath hewn out her
seven pillars.”
PASSED THE CENTURY MARK.
Fhe Stover Farm In Haines Towaship 105
Years in the Family.
The Stover farm, one sand one-half
miles west of Woodward, in Haines
township, along Pine creek, has re-
mained in the family at least 105 to
110 years, going down from Frederick
Stover to his son Martin, and is now
occupied by Martin's Michael
Stover,
son,
Frederick Stover was an early set-
tler, took up this tract some 110 years
ago, cleared it and erected the first
building, log, as was the custom at
| that early day. Finer buildings, mod-
ern in style took the place of the origi-
nal log habitations,
Frederick Stover had a
Frederick,
aged 72 years,
son named
died June 25, 1861,
He was born on this
thirty-three
period of 105
years since he was born upon the |
who
and being dead
years, would
farm,
make =n
homestead in Haines township.
Frederick, the son, died near Centre
REPUBS NOMINATE
THE FAITHFUL TURN OUT INCON-
VENTION:
Convention Held on Tuesday at Bellefonte.
~Large Attendance. ~- Nominations and
Work of the Convention.
The unterrified and faithful
licans held their convention on Tues-
day morning. Owing to the interest
manifested over the judicial contest,
and the conjecture on Legislature, the
turn out was good, the court house be-
ing well filled. During the forenoon
little groups could be found all about
the court house setting up their
schemes and doing a little wire pull-
ing, but the slate had been set up and
only needed a knock on the head to
send it through.
The convention was called to order
at eleven o'clock by county chairman
Reeder. A roll call of delegates was
made, with but oneor two absentees,
Substitutions and corrections were
made, and the convention then began
the real work of the day.
For chairman of convention 8. Cam-
eron Burnside was unanimously elect-
ed. He took the chair and proceeded
to work, after a few words of thanks
to the convention for honor conferred
For secretaries, C. F. Deininger, o
centre Hall, and J. E. Rickard were
elected. For reading clerk H. C.
Quigley, of Bellefonte was elected. A
form of business was adopted which
greatly facilitated the work of the
convention.
A committee of five were appointed
to draw up resolutions. They were J,
L. Holmes, R. T. Comley, 8. 8. Miles,
M. F. Loy, J. A. Hatch.
The nomination of a candidate for
jury commissioner was first in order.
Hall, and is buried in the cemetery at |
this place. He was the father of Sam.
uel Stover, who now resides with Wil- |
linm Bible, a short distance from
town.
our
Thus the Frederick Stover con-
nection might celebrate at least the
105th of the original]
homestead still inpossession of descend- |
anniversary
ants,
OVER THE HUNDRED,
The Hess Farm 108 Years in the Family |
Connection,
Jacob Yarnell, Charles Smith, W.
Williams, John D. Decker, and H. H.
Osman were placed before the conven
tion. The balloting resulted fol
lows:
as
Ballots
Chas. Bnith........
Jacots Yarnell
W.B. Wililams
John D. Decker
H.H Osman...
Decker having received the majori-
1
2
19
- 9
bo »
then made unanimous.
For assembly, P. E. Womelsdorf, of
| CAPITOL GOSSIP
SENATOR QUAY DABBLES IN SU-
AR STOCK.
!
The Pennsylvania Senator Before the Ine
vestigation —~His Evidence Not
i Surprising.
| WASHINGTON, June 18.-—Secretary
| Carlisle, in common with many prom-
inent Democrats, thinks the passage
of a bill introduced by Representative
| Coombs, of N. Y., and now being con- |
| sidered by sub-committee of the
| House committee on Banking and
Currency, would be a very desirable
a
thing. The bill provides for the ap-
{ pointment of a non-partisan currency |
commission, which shall devote the
rest of this year to investigation and |
{study of the subject and then report |
to Congress a bill for a complete bank-
ing, coinage and currency system |
which shall come nearer to meeting |
| the demands of the country than what |
{we have at present. The authors of |
{ this bill are C. N. Jordan, U. 8. Sub- |
| treasurer at New York City, and W. |
D. Trenholm, who was Controller of |
{ Currency under the first Cleveland ad- |
ministration, both of whom have ap-
peared before the committee to argue
in favor of its being favorably reported
to the House. In view of the differ-
ence of opinion on this subject among
| Democrats in Congress, so radical that
{It has so far defeated all attempts at
financial legislation, it would seem
that this bill is one upon which men
{of all opinions could unite, It could
certainly do no harm, and, if the com-
mission was properly made up, might
do much good.
Senator Harris has to grit his teeth |
and bear the unexpected delay in|
reaching a final vote on the tariff bill |
as best he can, being unable to get and
keep forty-three Senators on the floor |
continuously in order to things
The Republicans took |
advantage of this to streteh the debate |
on the wool schedule out of all propor-
tions and this writing they are
threatening to fillibuster against tak-
ing a vote upon it until wool is taken
from the free list, and the charge is
foree
along faster.
at
ed by several Democrats of their will
ingness, if it can be done by agree-
Woodward, in Haines township, has
remained in the family name 108 years
up to this time.
Matthias Hess bought the
land in 1786, and cleared it. After his |
Hes came in|
possession of it, and died on the place, |
tract of |
death his son Michael
when his son, John Hess, became the
owner of the farm, and upon his death
his son Michael purchased it and farm- |
ed it a number of years and retired,
leaving his son on it as tenant, who is |
now farming it, making the fifth gen- |
eration of the Hess family up to this!
time, in a period of 108 years, to occu- |
py the ancestral homestead, and it in |
likely to remain in the same name!
many years yet. It is one of the best
farms in this valley.
108 YEARS,
The Motz Property also 108 Years In
Family.
The well-known Motz property,
mill, tavern and farm land, in and ad-
Joining Woodward, has remained in
the family name 108 years.
John Motz was an early settler there
and made a purchase of a survey in
1786, and built a grist mill in later
years, He died in 1802. His son John
came in possession of the property, in-
eluding the mill, which was destroyed
by fire, and erected the present mill
on the same site. At his death, his
son Jolin C. Motz, became the owner
i of the property. He died a few months
ago, and the property fs still in th
| possession of his estate, and his sons,
{or one of them, is likely to become
jowner of it, and it will likely continue
| thus in the name of Motz for many
Years to come,
the
101 YEARS,
Potter Homestead, In Harris, 101 Years in
the Same Family,
The Potter homestead, three miles
west of Centre Hall, in Harris towne
ship, has remained in the family 101
years, this month of June.
Fergus Potter came to this country
from Ireland, and in June of 1798, he
purchased the survey now constitute
ing the Potter farm. After his death
his son Joshua Potter continued on
the place, where he was born, lived
and died. After the death of Joshua,
which was not many years ago, the
farm continued in the family by his
son Henry Potter and sisters, who oo
cupy the homestead, and will likely
remain there all their lives. This con-
tinues the Potter farm in the same’
family down to the third generation.
The descendants of Fergus Potter had
township, and James A. Fiedler, of
Bellefonte, were nominated. The bal-
lotting resulted as follows:
PF. E. Wosnelsdor!
HK Canin
J. A. Fiedier.....
Womelsdorf and Curtin having re-
ceived a majority were declared nomi-
nated.
For associate Judge, Benjamin Rich,
of Unionville, was nominated. Being
the only candidate his election was
made by acclamation.
For senatorial conferrees,
James W. I. Fleming, and
Clemens,
W. E. Gray in a pointed little speech
placed before the convention the name
of John G. Love, Esq., for President
Judge. When Love's name was an
nounced the applause was great,
letter was read by the clerk from Hon.
A. 0. Furst withdrawing his name
from before the convention. He was
no longer a candidate. Love received
the unanimous vote of the convention.
J. G. Platt, John M. Dale and W.
L. Malin were elected congressional
conferees. For Judicial conferees, W,
E. Gray, 8. Cameron Burnside and J,
W. Dunwiddie were elected.
W. T. Reeder was reelected
chairman by the unanimous
of the convention.
The committee on resolutions then
ported. .
They endorsed the candidacy of
{astings and did not denounce De-
mocracy, ete, which was disappoint-
ng.
John G. Love was then called upon,
and was escorted to the bench. The
applause that greeted him was voelf-
erous. He addressed the convention
at length and was frequently inter
rupted by applause,
Col. James Coburn, of Aaronsburg,
was next called on for an address, He
was loaded and primed for a speech
and his disappointment would have
been great could he not have unloaded,
Unlike all other addresses delivered
before the convention, his was a veri-
table verbal diarrhoea. When a man has
lost all sense of argument he resorts to
abuse. So it was with Coburn. He
denounced the Democrats and the
Democratic party, and laid all ealami-
ties and ills that the flesh Is heir to at
their door,
T. H. Harter, editor of the Gasette,
was next called upon for an address,
which was spirited and pointed.
P. E. Womelsdorf, the nominee for
assembly was next called and respond.
ed with a carefully committed address.
He was followed by H, R. Curtin,
A motion was made to adjourn at
#
A. .
Frank
county
consent
help them get a small duty on wool.
The attempt of a local paper to get a
little notoriety by insinuating that
Representative Richardson, of Tenn
had engaged in real estate transac
tions that were not entirely right and
¥
proper, with representatives of a street
railway syndicate that seeking
Congressional legislation, was a failure
even before Mr. Richardson had taken
the unnecessary trouble to make an
explanation to the House. The man
or newspaper which attacks the integ-
rity of men like Mr. Richardson must
| present absolute proofs, not vague in-
sinuations, before the public's atten- |
tion can be secured.
If the evidence taken by the House
committee on Naval Affairs can be
substantiated, the government should
at once cancel the contract with the
| Carnegie companies for armor plate
for our war ships, and begin suits for
the recovery of every dollar that has |
{ been paid to those concerns for plates |
| that are not what they purport to be.
| This would, of course, result in delay- |
| ing the completion of those ships yet |
| to be armored, but it would be better!
| that they never be completed, than |
| that the crookedness which has been |
| testified to should be allowed to go un- |
| punished. The committee is still tak- |
ling testimony. It will probably be
necessary to remove plates from a
number of the ships in order to ascer-
tain whether witnesses have told the
truth or not, and that will consume
considerable time, and make it impos-
sible for the committee to conclude the
investigation in time to report during
the present session of Congress,
Every Senator at present in Wash
ington, except Quay, of Pa., has de-
clared under oath that he neither
speculated in nor gave information to
others to be used in speculating in the
stock of the sugar trust. Quay says he
has been speculating in sugar stock
whenever he felt like it and that he is
going to continue. The evidence did
not surprise any sensible person, but
all the same it was wise in the investi-
gating committee to examine all the
Senators; beginning with themselves;
it closes the mouths of the buncombe
speakers and writers who have been
continually asking “why not swear
the Senators?’ The only features in
the examination of the Senators hat
varied from the stereotyped denial of
the eight leading questions asked
enough to arouse any special interest
were the confession of Senator Quay
and the statement of Senator Ransom,
that he had a day or two before learn.
u that his son had during the month
is
i
1
course, a foolish thing for young Mr.
Ransom to have done, but the amount
invested is of itself sufficient to clear
NO. 25
STRUCK THE TREE
|
having acted upon any information
beyond his own desire to bet his own
money upon his own judgment. When
side information he puts up more than
$20. Benator Ransom has never
bought a share of speculative stock of
LIGHTNING,
!
|
Under the Shelter of a Tree they are Stan.
ned and Horribly Burned by the Elee
trie Fluid Striking it
| Three young boys of Bellefonte,
| Winfred and Edgar Lose and Charles
the Senate,
Ws Mp
Farmers do the Handsome,
J. C. Neff, residing on a farm near |
Petersburg, Huntingdon county, was |
a great sufferer from the recent flood, |
many of his fences being swept away
{
had corn was completely inundated |
and covered with mud to the depth of |
inches, which necessitated |
plowing and planting again. The |
neighbors around remembering that a |
“friend in need is a friend indeed’ de- |
cided as soon as the ground became |
dry enough, to come and help their |
unfortunate neighbor plow his field. |
On Wednesday morning of last |
week, about eight o'clock, there was |
several
some from the valley, Alexandria and |
Petersburg. In a short time all were |
ready, and the signal for starting was |
given. With the genial proprietor at |
the head, the procession started around
the fifteen acre field. Truly when all i
"Round and ‘round the Jolly plow |
boys went, stopping of course at noon
to regule themselves with a sumptuous |
dinner, and by halt past five the fif-|
teen acres were ploughed, after which |
the boys assembled on the banks of}
the Juniata and gave three rousing |
cheers which went echoing and re-
echoing over valley and hill. |
Wp -
No More Corkscrews
The board of public buildings and
grounds, at Harrisburg, whose duty it
is to furnish the necessary supplies for
senators and members of the lower
house, have gone over the list of requi-
sitions for the and
weeded out a large number of things
coming session
considered “necessary’’ by the various
chiefs of the departments, but not con-
sid ered as “essential” by the board.
On the list of things which will not be
furnished are seven Webster's diction-
aries, four sets Purdon’s digest, pearl
handle penknives, cut glass inkstands,
card gilt-edged memorandum
books, gold-mounted fountain pens,
spiral pocket pencils, ivory knife eras-
ers, scissors, Russian leather memoran-
dum books, silver key rings, silver
malch safes, cases for postage stamps,
CANCE,
envelope openers and corkscrews—pre-
sumably for opening ink bottles—and
reduction was made in lounges at the |
rate of from $300 to £150, and the whole
list in proportion. It is said that the
bill for “necessaries” will thus be re
duced fully forty per cent., which will
be a great saving to the state. The
only item which will be most missed |
by the law-makers, we presume, is the
corkscrews; it is sways hard to open
an ink or mucilage bottle with a pen |
knife.
A Pension Ruling
Assistant Secretary Reynolds, of the
interior department, has rendered an |
important decision, which is far-reach- |
ing in its effect and will involve the
immediate cancellation of thousands!
of pension certificates issued under a |
ruling of the last administration. |
He holds that where a claimant for |
pension has deserted from his first ser-
vice and enlisted in another and differ-
department refuses to remove the
charge of desertion or recognize the le-
gality of the second service but holds
him to be in a continuous state of de-
sertion, that department has exclusive
Jurisdiction, the correction of its rec-
ords and the legality of the soldier's
service, and until the charge of deser-
tion is removed by the war depart-
ment the claimant has no pensionable
status,
How the Mennonites Choose a Minister,
A Harrisburger who attended the
services incident to the selection of a
minister by Mennonites at Salunga,
Lancaster county, during the week
gives this version of the choosing. As
many Bibles as there were candidates
were placed on a platform. In this
case there were ten. In one of the Bi-
bles was placed a slip of paper. The
candidate selecting the Bible contain
ing the paper was the person called to
the ministry.
The ten candidates were seated ace
cording to age and, strange as it may
seem, the slip of paper which designa-
ted him for the place, was drawn by
Hiram Kauffman, of the
youngest of the ten, and therefore the
last to make the selection. Ordination
services followed the selection.
For Sale,
y for 4
| narrowly escaped death by lightning
| last Monday, when the heavy rain and
i storm passed over Nittany and Penns
Valleys.
The three boys in company with
others had gone up Spring Creek,
about a mile above Roopsburg, where
they went in swimming. All but
those mentioned left before the storm
came on. Those remaining, seeing a
storm approaching, betook themselves
to a large tree near by the creek for
shelter,
Here they sat more or less discon-
certed by the violence of the storm,
when (instantly ithe tree shattered
and was felled to the ground, and they
knocked into insensibility.
Winfred Lose, who is about fifteen
years of age, suffered the slightest
shock and alone is able to tell the story
of their tragic experience,
It was about three o'clock when
they took shelter. Winfred’s younger
brother, Eddie, was standing close to
the trunk between them, and was cry-
ing. He said he wanted to go home.
This was the last word uttered. About
ten minutes later he came to and found
himself lying on the ground. At first
he could not tell where he was. He
saw his hat lying some distance away,
he was numb and was too weak to rise,
He looked around and saw his com-
panions lying on the ground. Eddie's
clothing was smoking. He made
effort to arouse them, but could
an
not,
Win. started for help a mile distant,
and arrived in an exhausted condition,
and told his story of the fate of the
boys.
A search was instituted and Charley
Hunter was found in 8 comatose con-
dition at the root of the tree. A few
feet away in the brush Edward Lose
was found struggling in an effort to
get up, apparently unconscious and
visibly exhausted,
The boys were taken to their homes
at Bellefonte. Wins left arm was par-
alyzed and burned where the fluid
struck him. The flash struck him
back of the neck and passed down his
body burning him in a frightful man-
ner. His under shirt was almost
sumed, a few shreds only
con
remaining.
His left arm was burned and a piece of
flesh was torn out of the left leg.
Charley Hunter was severely burned
also. His face was swollen and cover-
ed with a number of bright red spots.
Eddie Lose, who suflered the sever-
est injuries died Wednesday at two
o'clock. The other two boys will like-
ly recover,
REI RR,
Arrested at Tyrone.
Officer Andy Barr, of Tyrone, arrest-
ed a fellow named Ed. Couch, aged
Officer
Barr says that Couch was in the com-
girls and that he administered to the
Miller, a knockout dose and then rob-
bed him of his gold watch and chain.
Miller never recovered from the dose
ing the night. When Barr arrested
Couch he admitted the robbery but
said it was done while he was drunk,
and, not knowing that Miller was
dead, said he would be able to get the
matter fixed up all right with William
as they were both good friends and
had been on a drunk together. Couch
some years ago lived at Tyrone and
seemed to be a quiet and very innocent
fellow, but since then he has fallen in-
to bad company and become some-
what of a moral wreck. He is a bar
ber by trade but owing to his habits
has not done much for some time.
The dose administered to Miller con-
sisted of laudanum, whiskey and nut.
Hungry Coxeyites,
The Coxey army is hard up for “vit
tele’, as the latest advices from Wash
ington say. Food has given out in
the Coxey camp and unless some very
lively hustling is done the men will
likely dine on river water only. Coxey
and Browne have been so busy this
week trying to get an opportunity to
talk before the Congressional commit.
tee that the commissary has beer nog-
lected. The committee of citizens who
have been soliciting contributions for
the Coxeyites have about reached the
end of their rope and find it very hard
now to get a wagon load of provisions,
————