V J -II J I II II IL IJ II II
VOLUME 5.
McCONNELLSBURG, PA., APRIL 27, 1904.
NUMUE R 32
MISSION SCHOOL IN INDIA.
Miss Alice Wlshart Speaks - of Her Visit
to One of Them.
GIRLS PRETTY, WITH LARGE DARK EVES
The Bubonic Plague Spreading So Rapidly
That Many School Will Have to be
Closed Alarming Fatality.
AU.AIIAIIAII. Iniiia. Feb. i.
Yesterday I went with Miss
Todd to visit one of our schools in
llie native city, a school of about
fnrty girls ranging from five to
twelve in age, who were to receive
prizes for attendance for the
year. These prizes were dressed
dolls and scrap books sent from
America. We had toleavethegairi
(vehicle) in one of the side streets
and walk some distance through
alloys just about wide enough for
two people abreast. When we
met anyone, it was sometimes
necessary to lean up close to the
wall to let him pass. When we
reached the school, which is held
in a clean, bare, whitewashed
room about 6x12 feet, we found
thirty girls already there, seated
on the lloor with book and slate
iu front of them, arrayed in all
those brilliant colors, and loaded
down with the rings, baugles and
bracelets of which they are very
fond. Such a Variety of chaddars
(veils) I never saw : pink, yellow,
scarlet, orange, and green, and
often all five in one. Some of
them had four or live hoops in
each car,"and nose rings reaching
clown to and below their chins,
with bracelets and anklets galore
and funniest of all, bigihick rings
ou each great toe. Some of the
girls were quite pretty, with
those large, dark eyes, and pen
sive looks. They were all inter
esting and it made one feel like
gathering them all together in
ouo's arms, so as to keep them
for Him, and away from the lives
they have to lead.
Two bright native Christian
women have charge of this
school, one of whom has come out
from Hinduism only within the
past two years. Their work is
not easy, for there are so many
things to keep the children away
from school disincliuation, care
less mothers, influence of some
prejudiced neighbor, feasts,
weddings and holidays ; and just
now there is much persecution,
and plague is raging 57 deaths
reported in a day, which is just
about half the number that oc
cur. It is marvelous what these
girls, both little and big, have
learned in the short time they
have been in school. A number
of the older ones repeated cor
rectly in the native tongue the
Ten Commandments, 13th chap
ter of First Corinthians, cate
chism, and gave answers to ques
tions asked them from. both Old
and New Testaments. The little
tots we' e quite as bright in their
way: they would put our Sunday
school children at home to shame
with their knowledge of the Bi
ble, I am sure.
After the school had finished
"showing off" by singing some
hymns, the dolls and scrap-books
were brought out, the roll call
cd, and each young lady came
shyly but, gracefully forward,
clasped a precious doll to her
heart, salamed (bow with aand to
forehead) to Miss Todd, who was
giving them, and would hurry
back to her seat with anklets
jingling to inspect her dolly's
clothes, discuss in smothered
whispers its beauty, or to com
pare it with her seatmate's. In
addition to the dolls there was
given a very pretty scrap-book to
about a dozen of the older girls,
who had been present one hun
dred times, I think it was, during
the school year. Many of the
girls will soon have to go to their
husband's homes and perhaps
never see Bchool again. Three or
four of the girls' mothers came
to the door and shyly peeped in
to see the dolls being given. It
was a great occasion, you may bo
sure. Plague is so bad and
spreading so fast that we may
have to close several of just such
schools. While Miss Todd was in
ii house teaching, six dead bodies
were carried past her on the way
- to the burning ghat. God it mer
cifully preserving us.
FULTON FOR GOOD ROADS.
Three of Fulton County's Eleven Town
ships to Share Appropriation.
Au enthusiastic Meeting of the
citizens of Ayr ; township was
held at Webster Mills recently
and the supervisors instructed lo
ask the county commissioners to
go ahead and arrange for the
building of 5,000 feet of Macad
amized road in accordance with
the provisions of tho Sprowl
Good Road Law. The piece of
road decided upon extends from
the first lane north of Webster
Mills to about 100 feet north of
the covered bridge at the late Dr.
Cook property, now owned by To
bias Glazier. The commissioners
appointed Civil Engineer F. M.
Taylor to make a profile of tho
road, which he has partly done.
Like action has been taken by
the supervisors of Bethel town
ship, asking for four miles lend
ing from W. B. Stiver's mill
north of Warfordsburg to the
Maryland line. Wells township
has asked for eight miles leading
from the Huntingdon county line
on the north and following the
main road through the Valley lo
Wells Tannery. The prelimina
ry surveys on the latter roads
will be made at once. It is prob
able, however, that Bethel and
Wells will each build but one mite
during the next year.
The Stato Highway Depart
ment has received fifty-eight ap
plications from twenty-seven dif
ferent counties, and covering
nearly 115 miles of roads. Con
tracts have been signed or award
ed for five ditTerent nieces of
road, bids are in on another, and
bids are being asked at the pres
ent time for five more, with the
plans in course of preparation
for several more. Still the appli
cations continue to come in, five
having been received during the
past few days from Erie, Venan
go, Crawford, Lycoming and
Chester counties.
We feel proud of the fact that
Fulton will stand among the pro
gressive counties of the State ;
and as June 1 is the last day for
taking advantage oJ the State aid,
there will be not a few townships
that will be booting themselves
because they didn't get a move
on.
RAILROAD NEWS NOTES.
Will Baltimore & Ohio and Wabash Bid
For Old South Penn?
Tho famous South Peun rail
road, which has planned cuts
through the richest soft coal ter
ritory in Pennsylvania and which
was to have given Pittsburg a new
outlet to Baltimore by meeting
the Western Maryland railroad
at Hagerstowu, is to be sold at
public auction at Somerset, on
May 14, as told in this paper some
time ago. The sale is to be made
under foreclosure proceedings in
stituted by the Union Trust Com
pany of New York under a mort
gage dated January 1, 1805. Railroad-circles
are wondering wheth
er the Baltimore & Ohio aud the
Wabash will appear as competi
tors at the sale.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT.
Explanation of the Age Pension Or
der. To make clear the actual effect
of provisions of the recent nge
pension order of Commissioner
Ware about which a large nu mber
of inquiries are being made, the
following official statement was
issued from Washington Friday :
There appears to be an impres
sion among many ot the soldiers
that allowances of pensions un
der the age order ot the commis
sioner of pensions are in addition
to pensions allowed heretofore.
This Is an erroneous idea of Raid
order. The law prohibits tho
payment of more than one pen
sion to a person of the same peri
od, and the effect of t'.io order on
those haviug a pension already
only will be to increase 8uch pen
sion up to the age limit, if the
pension already drawn is below
that amount
WILL YOU GOTO ST. LOUIS
To Sec the Louisiana Purchase Expo
siton This Summer?
THE GREATEST OF WORLD'S FAIRS.
Mr. Blair W. Truax, a Former Fulton County
Teacher, but Now a Resident ol St. Louis,
Makes Valuable Snggestlnns
As only a few days will elapse j
before the formal opening of the I
greatest of all the"World'sFairs"
(The Louisiana Purchase Exposi
tion), a short article appertaining
to the conditions under which it
will be found, will probably prove
of interest to tho contemplative
visitors to the Fair from old Ful
ton. The first thing to be considered
is tho transportation by which
you expect to reach St. Louis.
All railroads will sell excursion
tickets at greatly reduced rates
during Iho i-ntire season; .aud
probaoly, as toe season advances
the rates will decrease. In the
selection of a road it will be bet
tor for all Fulton county people
to ch"oso the Baltimore and Ohio
as it affords a more direct route
than any other road in southern
Peui"yiv:.niH and parses through
the moss i'fcHiuIfui .voctii'ii of the
country east of the Mississippi
river. The tripaloue will recom
pense vni for your expenditure.
Up"ii arriving iu St. Louis, itis
best 1o maintain a sharp lookout
tor swindlers us you will come in
contact withallclassesof sharpers
ntnl confidence men; and as vou
will soon perceive St. Louis is not
a "Utopia" regarding to strict
laws and their surveillance.
After reaching tho station, tho
first thing to be observed is the
selection of proper lodgings. Do
not go to places adjacent the
"Fair Grounds" for quarters as
tliey will all charge extremely ex
orbitant prices; and as I am well
aware, I am not addressing many
persons wlio have unlimited
means at their command.
I will try to pioseut the most
economical course to be pursued,
consistent with convenience aud
comfort: Select a room in some
of the suburbs of the city, like
Ferguson, Baden, South St. Louis
and many of the little suburban
places which are connected with
the city proper by the street car
hues. You can secure rooms in
these places that are far superior
with regard to being pleasant
and quiet, and with terms but
slightly advaucod above the uor
mal rates; aud, while they may
lack some of the conveniences
found in the large rooming places
the deficiency will scarcely be
perceived by persons who have
spent the greater portion of their
lives iu the rural districts and
country towns. In fact, they will
"feel more at homo" as tho peo
plo who comprise a mnjeity of
the population of the suburban
communities are Germans who
live in a comfortable, prosperous
manner peculiar to that nationali
ty, and which forms one of the
most stable factors iu the pros
perity of our country. It is the
better plan to have a companion
with you, as two cau occupy one
room at a figure but little higher
than for a single individual. Some
may deem it toa inconvenient to
be several miles remote from the
"grounds;" but with the excel
lent 6treet car service which we
anticipate enjoying tho journey
to and fro, will be one of delight
ful recreation after a prolonged
day of sight-seeing.
Wo have two street car linos in
ervice hero. Tho Transit Com
pany and The Suburban Hallway.
The Suburban is considered one
of the finest lines in tho country,
as anyone familiar with it will
testify; and while The Transit
has not boon kept to the same
high standard of efficiency, it
has recently been placed UDder
the management of one of the
ablest street car officials in the
United States, and its rolling
stock has been augmented by
hundreds of new cars of the lat
est and most approved types.
Hence for economy, safety and
FOREST FIRES.
Thousands of Acres Burnt Over on Cove
Mountain. Fire on Ridge.
About livu o'clock last Wednes
day afternoon smoke was seen
ascending from the pine forest
just above Spriggtown on the
east side of tho Uidge west of
this place. The wind was strong,
aud in a few minutes it was dis
covered that the fire was spread
ing rapidly and that the property
along the foot of the ridge was in
danger. Many persons went
promptly to the scene and by
vigorous efforts the fire was un
der control in about an hour.
A tire had been raging in Al
iens Valley several days and on
Friday morning made its way
across the top to the west side of
Cove Mountain. Friday night
there was a line of fire on the
side of the mountain from the
Chamborsburg pike northward
for two or threo miles. The wind
being high and the leaves dry,
the tire burned with a fury that
threatened with destruction ev
erything in its path. About 10
o'clock a horseman came gallop
uigiuto town askiug for men to
go out and help save the dwell
ings of the families living near
th" tYiot of the mountain. Iu a
short time there was a small ar
my of men at work, and it was
not until 2 o'clock next morning
that the danger was considered
past.
PENSION INCREASED.
John Linn's Pension Increased from $12
to $24 by Special Act of Congress.
John Linn of this place, a vet
eran of the Civil War, has just
been granted an increase of pen
sion from twelve to twenty-four
dollars.
During the past few years Mr.
Linn, who had been an industri
ous and skilful carpenter, has al
most entirely lost his sight. Last
fall a petition was circulated
among his frieuds here and Con
gress asked to pass a special act
allowing him an increase of pen
sion, which the pension depart
ment seemed powerless to do.
This has just been done, and Mr.
Linn is truly grateful to ail who
were instrumental in bringing
about tin help which he so much
needed in his declining years.
PLEASANT GROVE.
Our farmers are busy plow
ing. Lige Wink visited J. L. Pies
singer Suuday.
A large crowd attended preach
ing at this place Sunday.
Hiram Hill aud wife visited
Benjamin Truax last Sunday eve
niug. Samuel Truax is busy hauling
out his lime. He says it pays to
lime.
John Truax and Morton Hess
are busy building a house ou the
farm they purchased.
Watson Peck is working for
Moses Hess, but he still has some
attraction near this place.
comfort, it is evidently better to
room in the suburbs, especially
during the congested seasou. As
to meals you cau secure the best
at the numerous restaurants to
be found throughout the city.
One careful statistician has es
timated the entire cost of being
admitted to every department of
the Fair at eighty dollars; but, as
many of the features would bo
unprofitable to tho average sight
seer, one fourth of that amount
will prove am pi .adequate to en
able one to see all the principal
object of interest.
But, in your visit, it U advis
able not to devote your entire
time at the Exposition; you should
form some acquaintance with the
city itself, and its magnificent
and varied industries.
By all means all those who can
should pay a visit to the World's
Fair during the coming summer.
The mere outlay of a few dollars
should deprive no one of so great
an educational advantage.
THE WEEK'S DEATH ROLL.
Those Who Have Been Called Across
to the Other Shore.
HAVE ANSWERED SILENT SUMMONS.
Ex-Postmaster Robert Nlxson Shimer, Charle
Taggart Sloan. Isaiah P. Bradnick,
and Mr. McClcllon IHclil.
It. N SHIM Kit
Robert Nixon Shimer died at
his late re.sider.ee in this place
Thursday, April -1, I'.m-J, aneil
(m years, " months and lit day
Funeral was conducted by his
pastor, Kev. Adams, on Sunday
afternoon and interment made m
tho Methodist graveyard iu town.
While he had been iu declining
health for several months, it was
only two or three weeks ago that
his condition became sufficiently
critical to excite alarm, the cause
V - .f.A
K. NIXON SHIMfcU.
of his death being due to lung
trou ble.
The deceased belonged to one
of the old McConnellsburg fami
lies, and was a thorough Chris
tian gentleman.
On the 4th day of November
18G2 he was mustered into Com
pany I, 15Sth Regiment, Pennsyl
vania Militia, his brother James
(deceased), Samuel Unger (de
ceased), John II. Wilt, aud Philip
H. Snyder bemg members of tiie
same company. His regiment
was sent to North Carolina,
where they spent most of the
winter hi the vicinity of Newborn
and Little Washington ; were
sent northward iu the spring of
180J, and reached Meade iu timo
to join iu the pursuit of Lee as
tho latter was retreating from
Gettysburg. Mr. Shimer was
mustered out with his company
August 12, IStnS.
The war still coutinuing, and
there being repeated calls for
volunteers, Mr. Shimer for the
second time left his young wife
and children aud went to the
front. This time he was muster
ed intoCaptaiu Harvey Wishart's
Company (II), L'osth Regiment,
Pa. Vol., at Camp Curtin during
the first weok in September lf)4,
and they afterward became a
part of 1st Brigade, of Ilart
ranft's (3d) Division, Dth Army
Corps. Among thoso in his com
pany were Elliott Rummel, Wil
liam Stoner, and Nick Ott (de
ceased), tho last named of whom
lost his arm in the hard fighting
before Petersburg in March '(i.".
They saw lots of hot service dur
ing tho closing days of the war,
followed close on tho heels of the
rebels retreating from Peters
burg, and were at Nottoway OH.
on the 9th of April when Leo
passed his sword over to General
Grant.
Juno 1, 1 H .", Mr. Shimer was
mustered out, came home, and
was soon thereafter appointed
postmaster of McConnellsburg,
a position which he held continu
ously uut.il after Cleveland's in
auguration in 1j.
R. N. Shimer was in 1S,"9 mar
ried to Miss Annie Brahm of this
place, who survives. To them
were, born six 'sons and five
daughters, eight of whom are liv
ing, namely, Joseph, Ella, Mary,
Frank, liev. George M., Laura
(Mrs. Lloyd Doyle), Clarence, Al
bert, and Grace.
MltS. M'CLKIXAN DiKHL.
From tho Breeze wood cor res
pondence in tho Everett Itepu oil
can, we learn that the funeral of
Mrs. McClellan Diohl occurred in
j 1
'"7
AVR TOWNSHIP CAVE.
Recent Exploration of Large Underj j
ground Room. I
Attention is again being direct
ed tot heCaveon the farm now occu
' pied by A. L. Lamberson in Ayr
' township. A party composed of
j A. L Lamberson, Nathaniel Mel
i lott.Chas. Ham mors, Uh as. Gross,
Alex L-iiuherson. Hanson Sowers,
1 0a Mellott, Savannah Stevens,
i Flora and Mary Lamberson, and
Ada Mellott, visited this cavern
I recently, noting its condition and
j dimensions, aud make the follow
i ing report: The main chamber
I'O feet square with an average
height of H feet, is reached by an
entrance extending JJ0 leet from
oho outside. A chim uey-hke open
ing asceuds from the cave 20 feet
t the soil above. The cave is in
habited by millions and millions
of bats, that hang iu great clus
ters to the roof of the chamber,
aud add a weirduess to the place
calculated to send a chill scam
pering along onus's spinal column.
On the dark and gloomy walls
inscribed tho names of some of
those who have been brave euough
to explore this cave in years agone.
The names of Frank Hess, now a
retired army officer, and John A.
Robinson (deceased), are about
the only ones easily deciphered,
and those names were likely
placed there when the aforesaid
gentlemen were enjoying their
boyhood days.
Mrs. Maria Mann and daugh
ter Miss Ella ot Saluvia. spent a
day last week the guests of
frieuds in town.
Whips Cove on Tuesday of last
week. Mrs. Diehl had been a
great sufferer for several months
and her husband and other friends
and relatives have sincere sym
pathy in their bereavement.
t'HAUr.KS TA(.i ART SLOAN.
Mr. Charles T. Sloan of Buffa
lo, N. Y., son of the late John M.
Sloan ol this place died at South
ern Pines, a winter resort in
North Carolina, last Thursday
night, and his funeral took place
from his late residence in Buffalo
on Monday.
Mr. Sloan when a young man,
becoming tired ol farm life, joinr
ed a gang of men putting in new
poles on the Western Union line
through this placi and started
digging holes. From, this he
secured a position in Pitts
burg in tho battery depart
ment of the W, U. office, and rose
to tho rank of Chief Electrician.
From this place he was offered an
important position with the Buf
falo Natural Gas and Oil company
and by his natural ability and
close application, he rose from
one step to another until, he took
rank with the hrst electricians
and pipe line constructionists in
the United States, having had
charge of some of the most diffi
cult feats known to the profes
sion. Although only about 5- years
of age, a few months ago, his
health began to fail, and although
everything that a change of cli
mate or the attention of the best
medical skill could do for him, he
succumbed at last to deadly ef
fects of uremic poison.
Mr. Sloan was what is knowu
in the Masonic fraternity as a
"shriner," the highest degree of
that order, and was buried in full
Masonic dress.
ISAIAH HUADN1CK.
At his late home near Knobs
ville Isaiah Bradnick died last
Sunday evening of typhoid fever.
Funeral services on Tuesday and
interment in tho graveyard ot
tho U. B. church at Knobsville.
Mr. Bradnick was an industri
ous citizen, just in tno prime of
life, and a short time ago went to
Pittsburg to seek employment;
but feeling unwell on his arrival
at Pittsburg, he returned home
at ouce, took his bed from which
he never arose in health.
Mr. Bradnick was united In
marriage to Cora, a daughter of
D. LL Myers, who with one child
survives.
ABOUT PEOPLE YOU KNOW
Snapshots at Their Movements, as They
Come and Go.
NAMES OF VISITORS AND VISITED.
Home lor a Vacation, Away lor an Outing, a
Trip lor Business or Pleasure, Vau'll
Find It Right Here.
Miss EfTa Razer visited Mr.
Benjamin Shives at Cambria last
Sunday.
Misses Orpah and Addie Suy
der ol Gem spent a day in town
last week.
Miss Emma Sloan left Tuesday
morning for Shippensburg to
take the spring term at the Nor
mal. Mr. and Mrs. Frank P. Lynch
are happy over the arrival of a
brand new daughter iu their
home.
Our old friend, M. E. H. Bard
of Pleasant Ridge, called at this
office a few minutes while in
town Monday.
The McConnellsburg Manufac
turing Company made a ship
ment of 102,000 insulator pins
oue dav last week.
Charlie Stevens, Merril Nace,
George Harris, and Charlie Bar
ton attended Harrisonville Lodge
last Saturday evening.
Dr. and Mrs. Teeter and Miss
Annie Shimer all of Chambers
burg, came over to attend the fu
neral of Mr. It. N. Shimer.
A band of gypsies Having a
train of ten wagons spent Sun
day in camp near the old toll-gale
on the Ridge.
Rev. Geo. M. Shimer of Osce
ola Mills arrived here Saturday
evening lor the funeral of his fa
ther on Sunday.
Mr. Henry Ewing of Newton
Hamilton, spent a few days last
week with tne family of his broth
er Hughie in Licking Creek town
ship. After a protracted visit in the
home of her uncle, N. H. Peck, at
Ambridge, Pa., Miss Tempie
Snyder has returned to her homo
near Gem.
Elder Thomas Palmer and
son Prof. B. N., of Needmore,
spent last Wednesday at McCon
nellsburg. The father is nursing
a sore finger the result of hand
ling a large stone.
Mr. Chris Buterbaugh, who
lives near Mercersburg, was
stricken with paralysis ou Mon
day evening of last week from
which he has since been confined
to his bed.
Prof. B. C. Lamberson aud N.
E. Hoover of Huston town were iu
town last Saturday. The Profes
sor says the outlook for a big
school here this summer is very
promising.
Miss Marden Stouteagle, who
had been spending several weeks
with her grandparents, Mr. and
Mrs. Amos Hixson, in Brush
Creek Valley, returned home oue
day last week.
Mr. Roy Mason and Miss Ma
ry Rumel were guests of John
Hunt at Cambria a few days ago.
Mr. Mason bad the misfortune
recently to be Injured by a back
ing train at Johnstown.
Mr. Obod T. Mellott and his
grand-daughter, Miss Eva Mel
lott, were In town last Thursday
with a load of twenty-five bushels
of nice apples, which went like
hot-cakes at 10 and ."0 cents a
busheL
Hon. William McClean, nestor
of the Adams county bar, and
former president judge of our
courts recently passed the seven
tieth anniversary of tils ad mission
to the bar. The Jndge has many
frieuds in this county.
Some miscreant on Monday
night tore off tho steam clock,
and otherwise damaged Newt
Mellott's steam engine standing
near Back Run in Ayr township.
Newt has a pretty good Idea who
did it, and if there is any attempt
at a repetition of such conduct,
there is likely to be trouble for
some one.