mm 'Ivcf VOLUME 12 McCONNELLSBURG, PA., DECEMBER 15, 1910. NUMBER 13 WILLIAM A. GRAY, DEAD. Was the Fourth County Superintendent of This County and Served from June, I860 to June, 1863. CREW TO MANHOOD IN WELLS VALLEY William Alexander Gray was bora August 21, 1822, was mar ried December 31, 1850 to Miss Julia A. Moore, and he died at his residence in Adams, Nebras ka, November 22, 1910, being the last surviving grandchild of Alexander Alexander, the first permanentsettler of WellaValley. Mr. Gray was born in Everett, Pa., and at the death of his moth er, when only five years of age, he was adopted by his aunt, Mrs. Bar ah Bradley, of Wells Valley, this county, where he was brought up. After receiving a good common school education he attended Jefferson College where he finished his education, after which, for several years, he taught a select school in Wells Valley where a number of young men prepared for College. In May, I860, he was elected County Superintendent of schools of Fulton County, and filled that position for three years. Sep tember 8, 1864, he enlisted in Company K., 202d Regiment Penn Infantry, and served un til the close of the war. In the fall of 1868, he, with his family, moved to Nebraska and settled on a farm near Adams, where they lived until the fall of 1886, when they moved into Adams. i He was a sincere Christian and lived a consistent life; he was an Elder in the old Wells Valley Presbyterian Church, and was instrumental in organizing the Presbyterian Church in Adams, which he served as long as his strength permitted. He was es pecially reverent of the Sabbath and a close student of God's word and its promises and consolations were on his lips to the last. Mrs. Julia A. Gray, wife of William A. Gray, was born in Shirleysburg, Huntingdon Coun ty, Pa., January 28, 1829, and died at her residence in Adams, Nebrasks, November 11, 1910, preceding her husband by only eleven days. She was a daugh ter of Dr. James Moore who moved to Wells Valley in 1841, and a Bister of Mrs. Rebecca Alexander, late of this place. Mrs. Gray was converted in childhood and united with the church of which she remained a consistent member during her long life; she, with her husband and children, were charter mem bers of the Adams Presbyterian church organized in 1880.- Mrs. Samuel Grissinger. Mrs. Annie Grissinger, wife of Samuel Gnssinger, died at their home near Cherry Grove, Hunt ingdon county, Thursday, De cember 8, 1910, aged 49 years, 10 months, and 11 days. The funer altookylace on Saturday, the Hev Fleegal of the M. E. church officiating. Mrs. GrlsBinger was a daugh ter of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Gas tor, and an estimable woman. Besides her husband, she is sur vived by two sons and two daugh ters, namely, James and Ernest, indCloe and Philear; also, by her mother "Grandma" Gaster, and three brothers Samuel, near Waterfall; Harry, in Wells Valley, and Jacob, In the pest Mrs. Grisstnger was about her household work as usual, when the was stricken with paralysis, &uk to the porch on which she aa when the stroke came, was unconscious immediately, and in very few minutes the spark of Me had disappeared. The family have the sincere y apathy of a wide circle of friends in this sudden removal of lwing wife and mother. Between two evils it's better for a woman to marry a man who chews tobacco rather than one ho ig always chewing the reg. HILL McGOVERN, Miss Nellie Elizabeth McGovern Became Bride of Mr. James R. Hull at High Noon Yesterday. A very pretty home wedding occurred at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Leslie McGovern in Ayr township, at high noon yes terday, when their daughter Miss Nellie Elizabeth became the brde of James R. Hull, son of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Hull, of this place. The -beautiful and impressive ceremony was performed by the bride's pastor, Rev. John McClay Diehl.of the Presbyterian church, assisted by Rev. E. Clifford Hays, of the Lutheran church, the groom's pastor. Tho bride was gowned in white satin and looked very pretty. Ms8 Ruth Kendall, was the Maid of Honor, and Miss Maria Dick son Alexander played the wed ding march. ( More than half a hundred invited guests were present, and after the ceremony elaborate re freshments were served. The bride and groom are ex cellent young people and have the very best wishes of their numer ous friends for a long life of hap piness and prosperity. Dogs Fooled Him. Daniel Mellott, who lives near Sipes Mill, was awakened a few nights ago by the excited barking of his dogs.. Having visions of smoke-house robbers or granary thieves, he jumped out of bed, and without going to the trouble of putting on bis Sunday clothes, he rushed down stairs, out through the front door, and on in the direction indicated by the barking canines. After a care ful examination of the premises and finding everything all right, he came to the conclusion that the dogs had awakened from an ugly dream and were barking at random; so he went back to the house. Now, during Mr. Mellott's ab sence from the house, a polecat happened to be passing, and see ing the door open, and getting a sniff of the warmth inside, walk ed right in. The stair door being open, the cat's curiosity led it up stairs. - While the cat was up stairs, Mr. Mellott returned, and while stopping by the fire to warm before going back to bed, he was surprised to see the cat come down stairs. The cat was not'ex pecting to see Mr. Mellott, and to hide its embarrassment, took shelter under a three-cornered cupboard. Then there was a bght on, Mr. Mellott chasing the cat from one point to another, and the cat ijmg its beBt to make it unpleasant for Mr. Mellott. Finally, Mr. Mellott, got hold of his gun, took careful aim, and the cat was out of business. It is said the house does not need fumigating, and its inmates will be immune against the in fection of any disease from tooth ache to small pox for a long time to come. ' Cove Farms Sold. On Friday 'of last week, the "Mack" Kendall farm in Ayr township, was sold at public sale to Wm. Secnst, of Thompson township for $12,700. Mr. Se cnst, is a substantial young man, and a son-in-law of J. Calvin Comerer. . . This week, G. Newton Hoke sold bis farm a half mile south of McOonnellsburg, containing 145 acres of farm land, and 60 acres of mountain land, to Conrad Gla zier of Ayr township, for $15,000. Mr. Glazier is, comparatively, a young man. Ha started out on a rented farm, and managed to get enough ahead to buy a few years ago, a ten-thousand dollar farm on the Cove road, four miles south of McConnellsburg, where he now resides. This addition of the Hoke farm is merely an op portunity for the investment of surplus funds. Subscribe for tie "News, 'only ?1.C0 a yetr. THE OLD SECEDER CHURCH OF AYR TOWNSHIP. A Paper Read Before the' Pennsylvania Scotch-Irish Society, February 24, 1910, by T. Elliott Patterson. L v : vV- H?v--- :'-'.' v V-'VxisV .i.-r:k jpi LIKES ILLINOIS. " THE OLD SECEDER CHUKCH OF AYK TOWNSHIP. Carlyle was proud of the work of his stone-mason father, and liked to look on the houses be had built, for he knew "they were honest masonry;" and with like satisfaction may we loots on the work of our fathers. Early in the last century, a con gregation of Associate Reformed Presbyterians, Covenanters, and descendants of the Church ot England, settlers in the Great Cove, then part of Bedford, now Fulton, County, after worship ing for some years in McOon nellsburg, in 1828 built a stone church south of McConnellsburg in Ayr Township. The natue of the township indicates the stock of people that comprised the settlement- As early as 1777 it is mentioned as part of toe fourth election district of Bedford County. Packers' Path, the old bridle trail leading over the mountains, passed throught, and on it tra dition locates an Indian trading post about two miles south of Mc Connellsburg. Following the pack horse and bis narrow foot way came the Conestoga, and the stage coach period, when the turnpike (built 1814-15) leading from Philadelphia and Baltimore to the west, from that point, be came tho great highway across the State. A half mile east of McConnellsburg, the Philadel phia and Baltimore turnpikes joined, and at the point of their intersection was fought the first full cavalry engagement (June 29th, 1803,) between the Federal and confederate forces, and a mile south of it were lighted the last camp fires (July 31st, 1864,) of the confederacy north of the Mason and Dixon line. Two Con federate graves mark the former, a letter of the late Confederate General Bradley T. Johnson con firms the latter. Of the customs and manners ot the Conestoga and stage coach days, we are not dependent upon Buchanan Reed's 'Wagoner of the Alleghenies," nor upon the forsaaen and dilapi dated wogoners' inns thpt mark the entire route from the Chesa peake and the Delaware to the Monongahela and the Ohio to tell us, but from eye witnesses, and from father to son we learned of tne overcrowded stables com pell ingthe team sters to feed their hors es in the streets of the smaller towns at the great wagon troughs, part of evory well-equipped con estoga, that, like the box over the "lazy board' for the convenience of the driver, had enough of the stuff within easy reach "to drive dull care away" and break1 the monotony of the long wearisome trip. The stage coaches, too, were crowded, and the four-in-hand was no unusual sight down to the opening of the Civil War. But the days of the wagon train, stage coach, and long droves of cattle on their way to the eastern markets, like their belled teams, coach drivers' horns, and the cat tle call of the drovers, have passed to their only successor, that great Scotch-Irish transportation com pany, known to this Society as the Pennsylvania Railroad Com pany, which has supplanted the wagon and stage coach, and has taken over into its cold stprage embrace and protection the en tire cattle business, "hoof, horns, hide and hair." Of the early settlers attracted to this locality were a number ot Scotch-Irish families from the Cumberland Valley, who estab lished homes that in many in stances are to this day in pos session of their descendants. Their names(McConnell, Kendall, Taggart, Logan, Patterson, Hun ter, McClelland, Sloan, Johnston, Nelson, Alexander, and later, McNaughtoa, McCullough, and Peoples) suggest the line from which they sprung. In that township is buried the first white woman of the settlement Mar garet Kendall whose descend ants are among the most substan tial citizens of that valley to-day. And with but three or four ex ceptions, all of the above families were worshippers in that old stone church that for many years was the centre of the most pro nounced type of Scotch-Irish and English Puritan training within the State. Archibald Johnston Lord War riston the distinguished lawyer and eloquent speaker whomCrom well elevated to the bench and Charles II condemned to the gal lows, on which he was executed July 22d, 1603, has to-day a de scendant by the same name Archibald Johnston over eighty years of age, a member of the same old Seceder congregation, in which fifteen or eighteen of the descendants of John Cromwell (whose father came to Virginia in 1620) were also members, and to gether they sang in Rouse's ver sion the same old Psalms that had inspired their fathers before them to deeds' of sacrifice and honorable service. The 80th of January, with memorial services to St. Charles I, had so place in their ecclesiastical almanac. THE FIRST ELDERS, From the lips of a grandson, himself an elder and now living at the age of eighty-six years, the following description was given of his grandfather, one of the first elders'of that congrega tlon. "Tall, well-built, and in bis old days wore his hair long and parted in the middle." lie was a soldier m tho Revolution, a member ot the last Legislature that sat in Philadelphia in 1704, a Federalist in politics, and his reverent and devotloual manner in addressing the Deity "Great, Great and Holy" is spoken of among his descendants to the present time. He was born June 12th, 1749, and died May 18th, 1846, at the advanced age of near ly ninetv-seven years. Two of his grandsons succeeded him as elders in the same church, and two of his great-grandsons are now elders in the United Presby terian branch of the same congre gation; for, true to the traditions of their fathers, the day came when the old stone church was not large enough for their differ euces, which like those of their Scotch-Irish brethren in the mountains of Virginia, were pos sibly more imaginary than real, for even the counsel for the lat ter, old Col. Baldwin of Staunton, said he did not understand their difference unless "one set sang through their noses and the other did not." That they were tenaci ous goes without saying, and down to the early sixties it was no unusual Bight on the Sabbath day to see three branches of Presbyterians pass and repass each other on the same common highway, but leading to different portions of the common vineyard committed to their sacred keep ing. And this in the face of the biblical descriptions given to their own land-holdings, as in the case of the old elder above mentioned, a portion of whose farm is des cribed in the records in Bedford County as "Nebuchadnezzar's De feat, "and the grantor's name was Abednego Stevens. Of the other elders, the vener able forms of Sloan, Nelson, John son, and Kendall are still within the memory of the older worship ers ol that congregation. MEMBERSHIP. Their membership was a little community of itself, and though black and white alike sat at the same sacramental table, there was no "occasional hearing," and in matters of faith and discipline the Pope himself ruled with no firmer hand than did the Scotch- Irish preacher and schoolmaster of those times in both secular and religious affairs alike. And so deeply impressed was the late Judge Trunkey with the sturdy teachings and customs of that community, while on a visit among them, that he said they reminded him more of what he bad read of old New England Pur titanism than anything he had ever witnessed. (OuBtlnued next ,) Howard Bolton, on whom, an inquest was held at the London hospital, died from the effects of swallowing a tooth brush while endeavoring to dislodge a tiece of meat that had stuck in Lis throat. Excerpts From a Private Letter From Mrs. Rhoda Lake Edwards For merly of This County. While not written for publica tion, the following from a letter from Mrs. Rhoda Lake Edwards, a sister of Joseph W. Lake, a former merchant at Pleasant Ridge, will be read with interest by her many friends and relatives in this county. "We like Illinois very much. The country is fine. We are liv ing 8 miles north of the town of Kansas, 111., and just one mile due north of the home of my brother J. W. Lake. Today, Sunday, brother Joe and family, mother Lake, and ourselves, spent the day very pleasantly in the home of Ernest Peck and family. Mother Lake has been with us a week. She likes Illi nois very much, and she has had better health since she came out here than she has had for many years. We have a great deal of feed ing to do getting three carloads of cattle, and lots of hogs, ready for market. Crops have been very good here this season. Corn "shuck ing" is about completed. There were over a hundred acres to "shuck" on this farm. I cannot tell you just how much we do enioy the weekly visits of the Fulton County News in our new home. ABOUT PEOPLE YOU KNOW Heard Geo. Shoemaker Preach. Mrs. L. F. Tritle (Ada Mc Donald) of Spirit Lake, Iowa, in sending another year's subscrip tion to the Fulton County News says: "My two daughters and I have just made a visit to Water loo to my daughter, Mrs. L. J, Van Niman, and had the pleasure, while there, of hearing Rev Geo, Shoemaker preach in the First Methodist church. We all en joyed his good sermon very much. We also had a very pleasant visit witu Rev. Shoemaker, wife and daughter at their new home at Cedar Falls. We spent the day very pleasantly recalling old times and friends we all knew at good old McConnellsburg. "inis nas been a prosperous year with us. Everybody had good crops, and we all had good health for which we are thankful. "We all enjoy reading the jnews and nope it will continue to come to us every week for a long time to come." Not Mrs. John A. Hauman. On account of being wrongly informed in regard to the death of Mrs. Hauman, near Sal u via, the News last week was led into writing up the obituary of the wrong person, and it is one of instances in which a person lives to read her own obituary. In stead of its having been Mrs. John A. Hauman, it was Marga ret, wife of David Hauman, near Saluvia, aged about 84 years. She died Saturday night, Decem ber 3, 1910, and was buried at Sideling Hill Christian church, the following Monday. Mrs. Hauman was highly esteemed by her neighbors, and was a con sistent member of the Christian church. Beside her husband, she Is survived by two daughters Florence wife of Adam Wible, living at Broad top, and Mrs. Geo. W. Strait, at Akersviile. A Christinas Present What shall I select for a Christ mas present? ' This is the per plexing question just now. Hun dreds ot dollars are spent every year for stuff that costs good money, and that is of no earthly use to the one that gets it Let us give you a tip. Send your friend the Fulton County News This Is a present that will not be throwu aside unappreciated and forgotten, but that will stay fresh and good, and will be appreciat ed for a whole year and will cost you only one dollar. Try It Your friend will think of yon and be thanking you every week fra whole ytri Snapshots at Their Comings and Goings Here for a Vacation, or Away for a Restful Outing. NAMES OF VISITORS AND VISITED Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Heefner, of Taylor township, spent a few hours in town last Friday. James Raker, near Fort Little ton, was a pleasant visitor in the home of John Mumma last Sun day. . Miss Lillian Fleming ot Clear Ridge spent last Saturday in town doing some Christmas shop ping. Ex County Commissioner, W. C. Davis, of Licking Creek town ship, was in town last Friday at tending1 to business. Ex-Prothonotary James P. Waltz, ot Thompson township, was among the out of town visi tors in town last Friday. Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Mellott, of Ilustontown took a 6leigh ride to McConnellsburg Tuesday and did some holiday shopping. L. L Cunningham, N. G. Cun ningham and Roswell Stains all of New Grenada, were in town Tuesday attending to business. Mr. S. W. Cunningham and family, and Mrs. James Mumma and Mrs. Chas. Si pes, were visi tors m the home of John Snyder lest Sunday. Benjamin W. Fisher, who has spent the past several months at Lewisburg, Pa., is visiting his mother Mrs. Sarah Fisher on East Water street. E. V. Mellott, Howard Swope, and Misses Margaret Daniels, Gertrude and Daisy Mellott all of Sipes Mills, formed a sled load of people that made a trip to Mc Connellsburg last Saturday. Rev. D. W. Kelso, of Knobs ville, called at the News office a few minutes while in town Tues day. From his bright cheery manner one would suppose he was pretty well satisfied with the world, and the world pretty well satisfied with him. Mr. Morgan Deshong, and his son William and daughter Flor ence (Mrs. Michael Mellott) took advantage of the good sledding and came to town Tuesdav. v - Morgan says that the scarcity of water is putting a good many farmers in hard straitsjover that way. Leslie Hart, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. V. Hart in Whips Cove, went to the University Hospital, 34th and Spruce Sts., Philadel phia for treatment on Tuesday of last week. Leslie has been sick for several months, and it is to be hoped that his trip to the hos pital will be greatly beneficial to him. Misses Mary Pittman, Kathryn Cook, Netha Nesbit, Minnie Reisner, and Gertrude Hoke, and Messrs. W. U. Greathead and B. Frank, Henry, formed a sledding party that weat to Fort Littleton last Thursday evening, and had supper at the Wilt Hotel. Roy Cromwell took them up in one of bis backs on runners, and they had a very pleasant outiug. They Did Her Good. Mrs. Sophia (Gress) Smith, of Edmburg, Indiana, wishes through the columns of the Ful County News, to thank her many old-time relatives and friends in Fulton county, for the loving thoughtfulness that prompted them to send her such a large shower of beautiful post cards on her seventy-third birthday.' There were seventy-eight cards. Mrs. Smith wishes to say to her friends that she is in fairly good health, and that the names on the cards revived in . her mind many happy thoughts of by-gone' days. Mrs. Smith is a sister of Mrs. Leonard Hon man of town and of fir. Geora Gress, over the 1:-3.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers