C0ttttf
VOLUME II
McCONNELLSBURG, PA., DECEM13EII 9, 1909.
NU31UER 9
MISSION WORK
IN KENTUCKY,
Miss Martha Kendall
Tells of Conditions as
They Exist Among the
Mountaineers.
As was stated in the News of
September 9th, Miss Martha,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John
p. Kendall, of Ayr township,
went to Kentucky to work as a
' missionary under the auspices of
tbe Associate Presbyterian
church. Miss Kendall is a grad
uate of the McConnellsburg High
School, and of the Cumberland
Valley State Normal, and had she
chosen to engage in the work of
teaching in the public schools of
her own townsttip, could readily
have gotten a salary of fifty dol
lars a month. But her heart was
Miss Martha Kendall.
Oood Porkera.
George W. Glenn, at Webster
Mills, butchered four six-months
old pigs last Wednesday that
made him 568 pounds of nice
pork. The largest one dressed
169 pounds. That's the kind of
pork that makes choice "eating."
Harry Duffy butchered two on
Friday the ages of which we
have not been able to get, but will
risk our reputation as a guesser,
that they were under thirty-nine
years old, one of these hogs
weighed 403 when dressed, and
the other 880. S. S. Hann in
forms us he killed two wbich
weighed respectively 801 and 803
pounds. Scott also imparted the
information that his son in law,
Thos. Oliver killed one that
weighed 837 pounds.
Fernando Decker butcberad a
pig last week for Eld. Ahimiaz
Mellott. The pig was, oniy four
teen months old, but dressed 406
pounds. Mr. Mellott will likely
remember that pig tbe balance of
his days: for when Mr. Decker
shot the pig, it tell over into a de
pression, and Mr. Mellott seized
the animal by one of its front
egs, when the pig began to
struggle, and one of the pig's
hoofs struck tbe back of Mr.
Mellott'a hand peeling almost all
the sum off it.
Noxt!
touched by the stories of the con
dition of the "poor whites" who
live in the mountains of ' eastern
Kentucky, and she chose to leave
a comfortable heme, and go
among those people at a salary of
twenty dollars a month, trusting
that the consciousness of being
an instrument in God's hands in
assisting those unfortunate peo
ple to rise to a higher plain of
right living, would more than
compensate for the difference in
salary. The following letter from
Miss Kendall, telling something
of the conditions that surround
her, will be read with interest:
"Our mission is on Turkey
Creek, Breathitt county, familiar
ly known as "Bloody Breathitt"
This is one of the largest counties
in Kentucky, being ever sixty
miles in length. It has become
notorious on account of the many
bloody deeds committed within
its borders. Smouldering flames
of ancient feuds still exist, which
occasionally burst forth in the
perpetration of some new crime.
The cause, however, of most of
the crimes, now, is intoxication.
Whiskey must be used freely on
all occasions, the mountaineers
think. Just this week a'"Dartv"
was given at one of the homes
aoout three miles down the Creek
from our cottage; drinking was
indulged in; this brought abou
quarreling, and as a result, one
man was shot and very seriously
wounded.
The people of this section make
their living by farmiug corn and
cane being the chief crops. Their
food consists, pnncipally.of pork,
cornbread, beans, sweet potatoes
nd scrghum although a few
other vegetables
Much weaving is done both for
bedding and for clothlntr.
The homes are in a most de
plorable condition. Thev con
talu from one to five rooms, are
neaied hy fireplaces, and only the
wrest necessities exist in the
wy of furniture while they are
oid of anything pertaining to
uiy and culture. A great
uiwy Houses have no windows at
all; hence light must be admitted
through the odaii Anrtr. e,van in
ths coldest weather. But of the
J'P'e, It must be said, they are
Kindest and most hospltabl
8 hkVB fvar f of Th......
Jotch-lrluh decent, but have
hved a the mountains so lorn
tcb
literate and indlflerent-that
Miss Harriet Alexander is vis
iting her brother W. A.- Alexan
der, in Everett
the sterling characteristics of
their ancestors have become al
most extinct.
Education is sadly neglected.
In Breathitt county alone there
are 5,500 school children. Only
about one-fifth of these attend
school. Hundreds of as bright,
promising boys and girls . as
could be found anywhere are
growing up in ignorance, because
they have never been led to see
the need of an education. The
teachers are very often wholly
incompetent and tbe school
house is many cases scarcely bet
ter than a shed; hence nothing
but an innate desire for knowl
edge could attract the children to
school. Compulsory attendance
laws are not enforced; in fact,
no laws are enforced in the moun
tains, as you probably know from
the accounts many of you have
read, of tbe fall election in Breath
itt county. It is said that news
papers reports are sometimes
exaggerated, but conditions were
anything bnt flattering during
tha election season. Yet we are
glad to say that but little blood
was shed.
Tbe mountaineers are a very
self satisfied people. They em
phasize morality to a great extent;
yet their ideals are, indeed, very
low. So many of them think that
morality will effect salvation.
This is a hard barrier to break
down. The native preachers are
illiterate and immoral their lives
being anything but models- for
others to pattern after.
The county of course is very
mountainous. The mountains
are not in a straight range, but
are very Irregular, rising more
as peaks, which aie situated on
all sides, unsystematically. Be-
tweed these peaks flows the creek
which is also the road. While
the autumn leaves hung on the
trees, the scenery was magnifl
cent, and Is, still; although the
leaves added much. All roads
are in tbe creek bed and are very
rough. No buggies are ever
seen here. There is very little
level land. Farming land is ob
tained by clearing patches on
the mountain side. These are
so steep that very often cultiva
tion has to be carried on by means
of hoes.
While tbe mountaineers live in
an uacouth style, there is no rea-
s m why they may 'not attain to
better things. They need help
and enlightenment; and when
they get this, surely there will be
a change.
Maktka Kendall.
Houston, Ky,
THE MAN WHO MADE
THE FIRST STEAMBOAT
The First of a Series of
Incidents of History
Written for the News
by Prof. G. W. Ashton.
It may bo of ii lerst to some
of the readers of the News to
know that the real inventor of tbe
steamb at was not Robert Fulton,
but John ('"itch who was born at
South Windsor, Connecticut, Jan.
19, 1743. And it is doubtful if
history has a sadder page than
that on which the life, struggles
and death of this strange, poor
man are recorded.
A bard hearted, close fisted
father, and an elder brother of
the same character,, made the
boyhood life of poor John Fitch
one long d ly of grief, privation
and humiliation. Attaining his
majority, he learned the trade of
watch-making and settled in
Trenton, N. J. The war of the
Revolution breaking out, he be
came a gunsmith, making arms
for the defenders of his country,
till the British destroyed his
shop. He then entered the army
in time to suffer the horrors of
Valley Forge. From the army
he went about in the country a
tinker of clocks and watches, but
in 178) was Bent by Virginia as
deputy surveyor to the then wilds
of Kentucky. In the west he
was captured by the Indians and
kept a year before he could es
cape, in poverty ana want ne
returned and settled at Warmin
ster, Pa. It was at this place
and period of his life that the
idea of using steam as a motive
power for vehicles and boats
took possession of him. He made
a model of a steamboat identical
in principle with that which has
now become universal in practice.
He went to Philadelphia and there
constructed a steam engine, with
a three-inch cylinder, and ap
plied the same to a skiff. An
authentic historian records,
This was without doubt the first
steamboat ever constructed by
man." Vainly did Fitch appeal
to the Continental Congress, tbe
Assembly of Pennsylvania, and
tbe learned and wealthy men of
his day. Time went by and FUch
got the reputation of being a
crazy man. He finally formed a
company which reluctantly fur
nished the means to build a boat
45 feet long, 12 feet beam, inch
cylinder engine. The inventor
agreed that his boat should make
eight miles an hour. August 22,
1787, the boat made her trial trip
on the Delakare and was success
fuL The members of the-Con
stitutional Convention, with Geo.
Washington at its head, adjourn
ed on invitation and went down
to see the strange invention on its
first voyage. The members
shook their wise beads, left the
crazy man with his craft, and
went back to building tbe Ship
of State. A regular Packet line
with schedule was established on
the Delaware and was maintain
ed for about three years. But
the steamboat business was not
a financial success and Fitch's
boat was fioaliy wrecked by a
storm. From it tbe inventor
went forth into the world penni
less and a beggar. Aftflr wan
dering in this country, and in
Europe to find financial support
for bis steamboat scheme, and
finding none, he wandered again
into the far West, Kentucky.
There in a little room of a tavern
in Bardstown, with not a penny
in tbe world, prematurely old
from despair and' strugnle, his
clothes worn to tatters and rags,
bis face wrinkled and haggard,
on tbe night of July 2, 1798 he
lifted a cup of poison to bis hps,
drank the deadly potion and lay
do-vn, unhonored and unwept, to
die. No stone marks bis grave
aad his last resting place Is now
obscured. Here are. the words
he left in a letter, "Tbe day will
come when some more powerful
man will get fame and riches
SWIFT JUSTICE.
Steals an Automobile, Qets Away Wl h
It, la Captured, Tak;n Into Court,
Gets His Sentence, and Lands
In Reformat ry in Less
Than a Week.
Some time during Tuesday
night of last wee't, Janes W.
Rittsr, who has tee l han. ing
around the garages in Ciamters-
burg for several days, pried a
side door open with a crow bar,
entered Sjhaal'a parage, and
helped himself to Drugixt Skin
ner's 40-horsepqwer Pullnan
touring cvr. Putting five gallons
of gasoleue into the tank, and ap
propriating a pair of fur gloves,
he opened the front doors of tl e
garage, "cranked up," swung out
into the street, and throwing the
throttle w ide open, like a streak
of greased lightning, he sped out
the pike toward St. Thomas. On
he went, thro ugh Loudon,
across the mountain, through
McConnellsburg, and had it not
been that there were a few things
about running automobiles that
James did not know, be might
have been going vet; but when
he ran up against Sideling Hill
mountain, the machine began to
suspect that it was not under the
skilled guidance of Harry Skin
ner, and began to make trouble
for its new master.
By the time the "Crossings"
were reached, the machine lay
down flat on Ritter, and he had to
wait until Salkeld came along
with bis mule team carrying tbe
U. S. mail, when he prevailed on
Uncle Sam's servant to tow his
craft into Everett.
As soon as the skilled eyes of
the Karn boys at the Everett gar
age fell on the machine, they saw
that Ritter had been trying to
run the machine without oil, and
that he had burnt out several im
portant bearings.
" It was half past ten o'clock, be
fore Mr. Skinner found out that
some one bad borrowed his car,
and he at once got busy. Tbe
telephone soon brought him word
that his machine was going
through Harrisonvllle, and soon
after noon, Harry, with a party
of Chambersburg friends, passed
through Mc Connellsburg in pur
suit. When they reached Everett,
they found tbe machine and the
man; but the constable, who was
new in tbe business, fooled a
round until Ritter got away in
the direction of Bedford. Officer
Charley Beegle, of Bedford was
notified by phone to be on tbe
lookout That was enough. They
don't pet away from Charley,
and the next morning he tele
phoned the Chambersburg party
to come to Bedford and get their
man.
They went to Bedford Thurs
day morning, got Ritter, return
ed with him the same day to
Chambersburg, and placed him
in jail. He went into Court Mon
day, plead guilty, and Judge Gil
an sentenced him to the Hunt
ingdon Reformatory, reserving
further sentence, until it is seen
whether the Reformatory will'
work a reformation in bis character.
Bazaar sod Fish-pond.
The Ladies' Aid Society of
Asbury Methodist Episcopal
church of Harrisonville charge,
will hold a bazaar and festival and
conduct a fish-pond at tbe Mann
House, along the pike, near Sa
luvia, Thursday evening, Dec. 16.
Come and buy a nice Christmas
present for your friend and try
your luck at the fish pond.
Committee.
from my invention; but nobody
will believe that poor John Fitcb
can do anything worthy of at
tention." Robert Fulton m the
19th made the steimboat a suc
cess; John Filch in the 18th cen
tury invested it and died a pas per
and a suicide.
Moral: The world does not
always rightly bestow its honor.
Wichita, Kansas.
THE LUTHERAN CHURCH.
ABOUT PEOPLE YOD KNOW
hm?; & (ft m iDp-v.
' s. -, JL
ft,... i trT ' fWwin ,...rMf
" ' -f, t "
Snapshots at Their Comings and Oolnji
Here lor a Vacation, or Away
for a Restful'Outing.
NAMES OF VISITORS AND VISITE)
The above is a picture of the St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran
church of McConnellsburg, and will awaken many recollections of
the past in the minds of those who have gone out from McConnells
burg, but who attended that place of worship in their younger days.
Dunug the more than a hundred years of its existence, twenty
three pastors have served the congregations, and the church is now
in a flourishing condition. The names of the pastors who have serv
ed, and the time each was here, is as follows: Jonathan Ruthiauff,
1804-14; Ferdinand Cramer, 1814-20; M. Schultz, 1826; Reuben Wei
ser ; Diefenbaugh ; Samuel Rothreck, 1835-7; Peter
Zahn, 1837-43; David Smith; 1843-5; V. A. Kopp, 1845-50; Martin
M. Bechtel, 1850-54; Solomon McHenry, 1854-9; G. Roths, 1859-G4;
A. M. Whetstone, 1864-9; Philip Doerr, 1869-71; J. B. Anthony
1871-3; Joseph R. Focht, 1874-6; H. B. Winton, 1876-80; B. b.
Kautz, 1880-88; D. S. Kurtz, 1888-90; J. O. McGaughey, 1891-94; D.
P. Drabaugh, 1895-1900; A. G. Wolf, 1900-06; J. C. Fassold, 1907
to December 1, 1909. The congregation is without a pastor at this
time.
ANOTHER WARNINQ.
CLARENCE SHORE
Well Knows Liveryman in Bedford Near
ly Loses His Life from Mistake
Made in Giving Him Medicine.
The number ol accidents that
have occurred on account of the
carelessness of housekeepers in
keeping drugs and medicines
about the house without having
them labeled properly, should be
a warning, as will be noticed in the
following account taken from last
week's Bedford Inquirer.
The Inquirer says that Ross A
Stiver, the well known livery
man, of Bedford, was poisoned
last Friday evening by taking a
dose of horse medicine in mistake.
He had been out in tbe country
buying horses on Friday and'
stopped at the home of his broth-
er-in-law John Williamson in Bed I
ford township for supper. He
felt ill and was given what Mr.
Williamson and his wife supposed
to be medicine for cramp which
was in a bottle with a label on it
to that effect. In some manner,
Hess's Colic Cure, a horse medi
cine, composed principally cf
chloroform and Indian hemp,
was put into a bottle with a label
similar to the bottle containing
the medicine which Mr. William
sod wished to give Mr. Stiver.
He took three or four tablespoon
tuls of this, about four times tbe
usual dose for a horse, and then
ate his supper. He became very
ill and started at once for Bed
ford, accompanied by Mr. Wll
liamson. Oa the way he became
unconscious. He was taken at
once to his livery stable where
foar physicians worked with him
for several hours before be began
to show anv signs of recovery.
For a long time his body was
rigid with scarcely any percepti
ble sign of life. The persistent
efforts of the physicians, aided by
his naturally vigorous constitu
tion, at length overcome the, ef
fects of the poison, and be begau
to rally. Mr. Stiver is now
thought to be out of danger, but
it was a close call.
We are pleased to note that at
tbe recent convention , of the
Maryland State Christian En
deavor Society, Mr. William
M. Robinson, of Baltimore, a
former McConnellsburg boy,
was cbosed president lor tbe
ensuing year. Wnlle Mr. Rib
lnsoo is a successful business
man, be finds time to make him
self very useful in the several
branches of Christian work In
which bis church is identified.
Tells of His Visit to Clear Ridge During
His Vacation in the Hunting
Season.
As the annual Thanksgiving
vacation comes around and near
ly every one takes advantage of
the sam e. I decided to spend
mine back on the old happy hunt
ing grounds among the hills of
Fulton county.
As I started on my homeward
journey my attention was turned
toward the busy industries along
the road over which I traveled,
and I find that prosperity has al
most returned to Its normal state
or as it was, before the panic of
1907 cast its shadows over our
country.
Traffic of all kinds has been in
creasing daily; and, of course
will continue to do so until after
the holiday rush. The "Pensy"
reports that within twenty-four
hours it handled more than 7,500
cars over the M'ddle Division.
Upon approaching nearer to
the village of Clear Ridge, I was
reminded as the Indian terms it,
that it was several moons ago
that I had been an eye witness of
the beautiful picturesque scenery
of Fulton county. The beautiful
foliage that clustered on the vari
ous trees had disappeared, and
this brought to my mind that
winter was near; and by looking
around, -quite a number of inci
dents arose before me that
brought me back to boyhood days
when I used to roam through the
wooded lands and over the hills.
Next, I found myself within
the village; and after taking note
of some of the changes and im
provements, I find the Patrons
of Husbandry is erecting a two
story lodge and storeroom which
adds to the appearance and pros
perity of tbe village.
General Merchant J. Wine
gardner is still behind the count
er doing his usual amount of
business; and, of course, still
smoking occasionally.
The live and up to date Post
master and notionman is found
at his usual place attending to
the nice little business that is
comiog to him; and, the con
tinuous odor of skunk will not let
one forget that the fur dealer
Bert Winegardner is still In that
business.
N. B. Henry & Son,' contrac
tors and builders, with a large
force of men, are still as busy as
ever; and now, are doing tome
work in Or bison la. Hence busi
ness is still flourishing here as
well as abroad.
I then strolled into the Me-
Mrs. S. B. Worlletand Mrs. J.
W. Mossr spent Tuesday in
Caambersburg shopping.
Lucille Grissinger, spent a fe v
days lat week with the family of
Harry Stevens, near Mercers
burg. Miss Martha Funk, of Need
more, spent a day last week with
Pearl and Hazel Garland, at thoir
home near McConnellsourg.
Miss Lillian Dellart returned
home from Chambersburg, Tues
day, on account of her mother's
illness. She will remain at home
until after the holidays.
Geo. W. Sipes and grand-daugh
ter Esther, and his brother Lew
is, of Whips Cove, were pleasaut
callers at the News office while
in town a few days ago.
Mrs. J. L. Garland, accompa
nied by her mother, Mrs. Har
riet Deshong, ol Mercersburg,
were visiting friends at Huston
town this week.
C. J. Wink, of Plum Run, came
to town last Saturday, and on
Sunday returned home, accompa
nied by his wife, who had been
spending the week in the home
of their son-in-law and daughter,
Ex-Sheriff and Mrs. J. G. Alex
ander. Daniel Naugle and wife, of
Huntingdon county, spent a week
in this county during the deer
hunting season. Part of the time
they were guests of their brother-in-law,
Randolph Pulmer, and
part of the time with the family
of Geo. W, Sipes.
Druggist and Mrs. W. II. Ir
win, of Altoona, spent the time
from Saturday until Monday, in
the home of the former's brother,
John A. Irwin, cl this place.
Will and bis wife and been visit
ing their daughter who is a stu
dent at Wilson College, Cham
bersburg. Last Saturday evening as Mrs.
Mary A. Kelly was quietly sitting
with her mother she was greatly
surprised by Mrs. C. J. Wink and
Mrs. J. G. Alexander and Master
George Barton, entering and
showering 172 post cards down
upon her. Mrs. Kelly wishas to
thank her many friends for so
kindly remembering her on her
birthday.
Miss D. Viola Hixson, daugh
ter of John N. Hixson, of Brush
Creek valley, left on Monday of
las; week for New York City,
where she will be employed as a
profecsional trained nurse, in tho
New York branch of the Flor
ence Crittendoo Home. Miss
Hixson graduated last May from
the Washington, D. C. branch of
that famous institution.
Clayton Troglor, of Denver,
Colo., was a guest m the home of
J. L. Garland and wife, from" Sat
urday until Wednesday. Mr.
Trogler left Mercersburg live
years ago m company with his
parents, to make his home in the
city of Denver, which lies at an
altitude of a milo above sea level,
and from his personal appear
ance the climate has agreed with
Clayton.
chanics Hall and spent the re
mainder of the evening listening
to the sweet straius of musio
rendered by tbe Mechanics Band
under the leadership of David
Fleming.
A series of revival services con
ducted by the Rev. Harry Moyer
was in progress, and was well at
tended both by tbe people nearby
and of the neighboring towns.
- As my vacation draws to a close
I have to retrace my . steps and
return to the busy little city
where I am employed, and if this
letter does not find its way to the
waste bsiiret I may in the future
give yon through, the columns of
the News a description of the
aame. A Vjkitoh,