C0ltlltj
VOLUME 15
AlcCONNELLSBURG, PA.. SI-l'TI'MlJLR 3, 1014.
NUMBER 51
THE GRIM REAPER.
Short Sketches of the Lives of Per
sons Who Have Recently
Passed Away.
Albert E. Hendersiiot.
Albert E. son of Mr. and Mrs.
J. J. Hendcrshot, of Buck Valley,
this county, was struck and kill
ed by a passenger locomotive
near his home at West Elizabeth,
Allegheny county, Pa., Saturday
night, August 22, 1014.
Mr. Hendcrshot, as constable
of Jefferson township, was called
to Jefferson crossing to make the
crew of a freight train clear the
crossing. His son, who was fol
lowing him, did not know of the
accident until a member of the
crew told him that the 0:12 pas
senger train that had just passed
had struck some one. The son
with a light went back and found
his father's body. Funeral was
held on the following Tuesday, at
Pravosburg, near McKeesport.
The Masonic Order had charge
of the services.
Mr. Hendershot was born in
Buck Valley April 7, 1S72. His
parents, wife, and three sons
survive. His wife's maiden
name was Effie, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. 13. F. Boor, of Bed
ford, Pa.
Samuel McLaughlins
From the Everett papers we
clip the following notice: "Sam
uel McLaughlin, a former resi
dent of Everett and at one time
a stage driver between McCon
nellsburg and Everett, died at
the St. Joseph's hospital, in Pitts
burgh, recently, following an'
operation for stomach trouble.
For a number of years pasf! he
had been a resident of Broad
Ford, Fayette county, having
gone there from Fort Loudon.
A widow and seven children sur
vive." During the building of the
South Penn railroad through the
northern end o? this county ' Mr.
McLaughlin kept store at Water
fall, and at Hustontown. His
wife, who survives him, was the
widow of Oliver Metzler, of Har
risonvide. Our State's Abandoned Farms.
This office received a bulletin
(No. 252) from the Department
of Agriculture, Harrisburg, in
which is given a list of 10G unoc
cupied farms in Pennsylvania.
Only one such farm is reported
from Fulton county. This ' farm
lies in Thompson township, and
belongs to the Henry Gordon
heirs. Huntingdon county has
three such farms. None are re
Ported from Bedford, or Franklin
counties.
As we understand it, the origin
"f the bulletin had its conception
in the newspaper articles which
Mve the impression that one of
the reasons for the high cost of
(iood was because of the great
'creago of abandoned farm land,
eastern states, that formerly
ontributod to the sum total -of
fupplies. To find how far this
son applied to Pennsylvania.
,e State, through the Bureau of
tatistics. comnilpd a list of un-
cuPi'Hl farms to meet the (fe-
f and on the Department for in
flation concernincr these farms
,le list was compiled under the
rection of our former towns-
f a". L. H. Wible, Chief Statis-
an.
Grows 12,000 Cantaloupes. ,
' C. Crider. an exnerienced
frOWflr nf I
- v-auiiiiuupes, who re-
,ornas section to the Vanderau
rm. east of Stoufferstown, on
e Gettysburg pike, has this
w had his greatest success in
e Wowing of that delicious
Just adjoining the turn
P he has an acre and a half
Pted that will yield over 12,000
r-wupea according to actual
r u nne ones and market-
ublic Opinion.
Pf- Eshelman, of "The Cor
F' in Avi f,-u: s !
A Licking Creek Farm.
The W. W. Daniel farm nearSa
luvia, the sale of which we men
tioned last week, contained 720
acres, and sold for $G,500, a trifle
less than $9 per acre. At one
time this was a famous wheat
farm, and much of it could still
be made profitable for grain. But
like a large acreage of Eastern
lands, crop after crop has been
taken off without returning to
the soil its proper share of humus
making material, and $9.00 is all
that it will now sell for, notwith
standing dollar price for wheat.
We personally know Mr. Daniel
to be an expert at renewing
wornout soils. He has been do
ing it for some time, on other
farms, by the clover route, plough
ing down several crops of that
legume, until the soil contained
some "body" for the sustenance
of plant life. But it is doubtful
if it pays to attempt it on a scale
large enough to raise wheat un
unless one has money on wnich
to depend for a living while
the land is being treated in
that way for a period of sev
eral years; because, if even a
part of the clover be removed to
pay for the lime, fertilizer, seed,
labor and interest, the, time of
final restoration would be greatly
extended.
Estates, like the one under dis
cussion, are sometimes brought
under a high state of cultivation
by taking down division fences
and moving them to the border
lines, making a large sheep pas
ture. Limited capital is then ex
pended on a few of the better
acres to grow clover for winter
feed for them. Only a few acres
are devoted to cash crops to tide
the family larder over the years
of restoration. Lime, seed and
fertilizers are then applied to the
untilled land as the owner can af
ford until Nature has restored a
heavy sod. Sheep have a way of
finding weeds that they prefer to
grass or to all grass and in
this way are not hard on sods, un
less too many "are confined to an
enclosure. It is claimed by ex
perimenters that sheep thus han
dled will pay for the money ex
pended for the restoration of the
soi 1 to agricultural condition.
But it requires many years for
the experiment.
Lawn Services Close.
The 1914 series of lawn servi
ces closed last Sabbath night.
During the months of July and
August good audiences met on
the Court House lawn, about 2"0
being the average number that oc
cupied chairs, Court House por
tico, and vehicles. Last year
rain drove the worshipers into
the M. E. church, or prevented
services altogether, several times.
During the season just closed
there was but one wet Sabbath
evening. At no time was the
heat oppressive, as it would have
been had the meetings been held
inside the wall of buildings. We
do not recall that any one of the
pastors conducted the services
more than twice, so that their
labors were lightened during the
hot months. On several occa
sions we were treated to lectures
by officers of mission work, tem
perance work, and organizers for
societies for the uplift of the
race. Every meeting had some
thing of special interest. We are
sure that the spirit of coopera
tion between the denominations
of the town has been greatly
strengthened. Rev. J, L. Year
ick preached the last sermon on
the lawn for the summer. His
earnest appeal to his audience to
be "live wires" in a spiritual
sense, as nearly all are in rela
tion to business, was wellreceived
and we know that his plea will
bear fruit in our town.
Paul, aged three years, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Bipgaman, near
Welsh Run, Franklin county, was
stung on the nose by a bee near
ly two weeks ago, and in a few
days tetanus developed and he
died,
LNGKATLTIL COON.
Dr. Smith Badly Injured by Negro Who
Insisted Upon Remaining In
Automobile.
Dr. E. L. Smith, who, .several
years ago, practiced medicine in
McConnellsburg, is now located
in Sehcllsburg-, Bedford county.
Last Saturday morning the Doc
tor started in hi3 automobile to
go to New Paris, a village not
far from Schellsburg, to see one
of his patients. On the way ho
overtook a darkey who asked
permission to ride. The Doctor
porously granted the request.
When Dr. Smith reached t!.e
home of his patient and alighted
from his car, the negro, declined
to get out, saying that he would
remain in the car, and accom
pany the Doctor farther. This
did not suit the Doctor, and he
"assisted" the negro to alight,
which enraged the negro who
was a big burly fellow, and the
negro grabbed a stone and began
to vigorously pound the Doctor
about the face and head. The
Doctor., who is something of an
athlete, was so taken at a disad
vantage, that he was very seri
ously injured. The authorities
were at once notified by phone,
and the Sheriff and his Deputy,
started in pursuit at once and
succeeded in landing the negro
into the County jail, where he is
now awaiting trial at the fall
term of the Bedford county court.
Immediately after the alterca
tion, Dr. Smith was hurried to
Wolfsburg, where he received
medical attention from Dr. A. C.
Wolf, also well known in McCon
nellsburg. Germany as Harry Invin Saw It.
Mr. Harry Irwin, who repre
sents the Landis Tool Company,"
of Waynesboro, making Cologne
Deutze, Germany, his hcadquar
ters, left that country on August
15th, after the present war in
Europe began. He arrived at
the home of his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. John A. Irwin, in McCon
nellsburg, last Saturday evening,
Mr. Irwin discounts many of
the stories told by returning tour
ists who claim that the Germans
treated them harshly, lie said
that Americans in Germany "lost
their heads" when war broke
out, and rushed pell-mell to the
stations that were already conges
ted with troops that were being
moved to the front, and deman
ded exit; when as a matter of
course, the railroads could not
care for the mountains of bag
gage some Americans carry a
dozen trunks, in many instances.
Occasionally, some of them would
attempt to go in directions for
bidden to private individual?, and
whim guards intercepted them
and turned them back, they, in
their excited state of mind, im
agined that they had been arrest
ed. Mr. Irwin said that he had
no trouble whatever to reach the
cpast of Holland and to find pas
sage with his baggage to Ameri
ca; but lie did not attempt to dic
tate to the management of the
railroads the schedule on which
he desired to travel. Instead, he
calmly waited the convenience of
the overburdened officials to put
trains at the service of civilians.
Mr. Irwin is at a loss to under
stand why Americans, of suppos
ed experience in travel, should
expose themselves to hardships,
and to the loss of baggage, when
if proper judgment had been ex
ercised, they could have come
away with all their trunks.
lias a Sore Arm.
On Tuesday of last week, Earl,
son of Mr. and Mrs. James Truax
east Water street, was turning a
grindstone when a nail in the
crank punctured the flesh of his
forearm and went through it.
Peroxide and turpentine were in
jected, but the next day the arm
was swollen to an alarming ex
tent and Dr. Sappington was call
ed to see the boy. The Doctor
took Earl to the Chambersburg
hospital for treatment for infec
tion.
SEViI-CENTENNIAL.
Thomas F. Sloan Completes Fifty Years
of Continuous Service With The
W. II. Telegraph Company.
Half a century of continuous
service with one company, in one
locality, is a record of which any
man might well be proud. Such
is the record of our townsman,
Thomas F. Sloan, Esq.
OnSeptember 1, 1S(M, Mr. Sloan
was placed in charge of the West
ern Union telegraph ollice in Mc
Connellsburg: hence on Septem
ber 1, l!lt, he had served that
company for an unbroken period
of fifty years. In that time he ha3
seen the line grow from a one
wire service to it3 iresentdimen
sionsof forty-eight silent mediums
lor the instantaneous conveyance
of intelligence to millions of hu
man beings in every part of the
Globe. His position embraced
r.ot only the office of operator bu
included that of manager and
lineman. During the last forty
years he has been ably assisted
by his wife, who, when duty cal
ed him out along the line to make
repairs, received and sent the
messages entrusted to the office,
In r,K);, Mr. Sloan was placed
in charge of the testing station
at the Mountain House on Rays
Hill, thus adding to his responsi
bilities.
He has five sons, all of whom
he trained, and they are now en
gaged in telegraph work.
The first telegraph line between
the East and the West was built
through this place. The first ex
perimental wire was made up of
several strands, and was not
satisfactory. Mr. Sloan recently
found a few feet of that wire,
and as it was among the first
used for public service, both Mr.
Sloan and his Company prize it
highly. Years after the tele
graph had become an established
necessity, he attended a recep
tioii'in New York given in honor
of the aged inventor, Mr. Morse,
where he had the honor of shak
ing hands with the "wizard,"
and received his photograph and
his autograph.
During the Civil War Mr. Sloan
was captured three times by the
Confederates making raids in
to this county twice as a pri
vate citizen who was endeavor
ing to save personal property,
and the third time when his of
fice was raided, his instruments
carried aw ay, and the single line
of communication cut at both
ends of town. Fortunately, Mr.
Sloan had a set of instruments
hidden away, and as soon as it
was safe to do so, they were
brought out, the line repaired,
and next morning after the raid,
he was able to place General
Avcrill, the pursuing officer, in
direct communication with Wash
ington. Would space permit, columns
could be written relating Mr.
Sloan's experience while he
fought his way through Wizards
and floods to find and repair bro
ken wires, and when hewasmak
ing his weekly trip to the Moun
tain House before daylight each
Monday morning. Naturally
modest, he seldom refers to them
except as matters of expected oc
currence. When reporters for
the great dailies were trying ev
ery route to reach the scene of
the Johnstown flood, Mr. Sloan
bravely crossed the torrential,
bridgeless flood at Harrisonville,
with his tools strapped on his
back, repaired his line that had
gone down at that memorable
time, and notified the news agen
cies, and his was the first wire
to tell to a waiting nation the de
tails of that awful catastrophe.
The blizzards of 1888, ' and of
1011, were experiences in which
he realized the possibilities of
losing his life in a storm, especi
ally during the latter, for there
was a time that day when he
could not assure himself of his
return alive to the family fire
side. During the '70's Mr. Sloan's
brother-in-law, the late Hon. W.
Scott Alexander, had his law of
SCHOOL DAYS.
Little Talks on Health and Hygiene by
Samuel 0. Dixon, M. D., LL. D.,
Commissioner Health.
Hundreds of thousands of chil
dren will go trooping back to
school within the next few days.
Immediately following their re
turn, measles, diphtheria, scarlet
fever and certain other commun
icable diseases, which reach their
lowest ebb during the vacation
period, will increase by leaps and
bounds.
The result will be disease and
death for the children and ' more
or less dis-organization in the
schools.
The responsibility for the
spread of much of the contagion
rests with the parents. Unfor
tunately in many homes a cold or
sore throat is not considered a
sufficient excuse for keeping a
child at home, yet these are the
preliminary symptoms of a num
ber of the diseases of childhood.
When Johnny or Jane has a cold
or a sore throat they should re
main at home and have it cared
for. If, a3 often proves to be
the case, it is the first stage of
scarlet fever or diphtheria this
may be of vital importance.
Even if it is a more simple mal
ady, a day's care may prevent a
week's illness. The child with a
cold or sore throat, who comes in
contact with a source of infec
tion, is in an ideal condition to
contract disease. So, primarily
for their own protection and wel
fare and, secondarily, for the
protection of the other children,
they should be kept at home.
Many mis-guided parents ap
parently feel that they are doing
their children a great wrong in
permitting them to stay out of
school on account of what they
consider minor ailment3.
Regularity of attendance may
have a certain importance but
it is not worthy of consideration
when balanced against health.
The parents' boast that "our chil
dren never miss a day of school,"
means that in many instances
they have been forced to go when
they would have been better off
at home. No one questions the
value of that portion of our edu
cation acquired through schooling
but the good health of the child
is the basis upon which rests the
future of the man and woman,
and it not should be jeopardized
for a few hours or days of school
work.
Subscribe for the "News' only
fice in the same rooms as Mr.
Sloan occupied for a telegraph of
fice, and in exchange for teaching
Mr. Alexander how td manipu-
ate the key, Mr. Alexander un
folded to Mr. Sloan the myster
ies of Blackstone, and in 1870,
Mr. Sloan was admitted to prac
tice at the Fulton County bar.
The study of law by Mr. Sloan
and the study of telegraphy by
Mr. Alexander we r e pursued
merely as pastime and the plea
sure derived from the acquisition
of the knowledge gained. Not
being in very vigorous health,
Mr. Sloan took advantage of the
opening of the test station on
ays Hill to place his son Walter
n charge of the local office in
McConnellsburg and he went up
to the test station, with the re
sult that the mountain air and
the advantages of out-door life,
has done wonders for him physi
cally.
Mr. Sloan has received many
etters from the officials of his
company, thanking him for the
splendid service he has rendered
and congratulating him in strong
est terms for having made a re
cord of fifty years of continuous
service with the Company. The
News joins the people of McCon
nellsburg in congratulating one
of its citizens who has served so
ong, and in so many ways as
counselor, officer in the Church,
Justice, of the Peace, and in the
aithful discharge of every duty
of private citizen,
How War Affects Is.
War in Europe affects this
country in several ways. Some
of our manufacturers export
much of their product, and since
war has spread over almost all of
the eastern continent, the coun
tries engaged are not buying
much except foodstuffs. Some
of the factories in this country
cannot get their supplies of raw
material from European mines,
plantations, and other sources.
German dyes are depended upon
to such extent in America that
the lack of them is seriously hin
dering the American manufac
turer of cloth, prints, and other
fabrics.
A war of such magnitude
makes commerce on the high seas
extremely hazardous since each
combating nation has armed crui
sers constantly on the lookout for
merchant vessels of the enemy's
country, and this prevents their
coming to our shores for our sur
plus products of the farm.
Trans-oceanic freighting is not
very profitable business, and it
hds not attracted American in
vestors to any great extent. Too
many more lucrative opportuni
ties for investment offer in Amer
ica. Hence, this country was
not in position to furnish neutral
vessels to carry grain, &c. to Eu
rope when foreign vessels were
driven from the seas, and for
lack of this market for our sur
plus grain, prices are no higher
than in time of peace.
From this general view of the
situation it can be readily under
stood why many miners, laborers,
and skilled mechanics have been
laid off at many places. But we
look for a general reconstruction
of some of our American policies;
opportunities for so doing will be
persented by circumstances aris
ing from the present world-wide
crisis. We will develop more of
our own resources hereafter, and
not be so prodigal with those al
ready developed.
Lightning's Work.
Amos Saville was home for
several days last week. Last
spring he bought a nice farm
near Carlisle, Cumberland coun
ty, and about a month ago sold
it and bought another near Mid-
dletown, below Harrisburg. Mr.
Saville's Cumberland county farm
lay within three farms of J. J.
Conrad's whose dwelling was
struck by lightning and burned
two weeks ago. Amos says that
Mr. Conrad had as fine brick
house as was in the county, and
that it was well furnished. The
oss was between $2,500 and $3,
500 with $1,200 insurance. Two
barns, one on each -side of Sa
ville's former holdings, and near
Conrad's place, were struck by
ightning and burned at the time
the latter's house was destroyed.
Mr. Saville reports that between
forty and fifty buildings were
struck by lightning in the Cum
berland Valley this summer.
. . . .
Winter Eggs.
The hen that lays during the
winter months is one of two
kinds. She either molted in the
fall intime to regain her full vigor
before cold weather, or, she is
a pullet that matured just as cold
weather set in and did not molt,
In addition to these natural con
ditions she finds a place to roost
where she is free from draughts
and she has no lice. She finds
good, hard, sharp grit no smooth
slate. She is comfortable as in
summer time. A three-pound
Leghorn hen will lay her weight
in eggs during each winter month
if her owner will let her. If she
does not do so, it is not always
her fault. But think of the sum
mer food, and the help she must
have, to lay three pounds of
eggs.
Mrs. George W. Parsons and
daughter, Mrs. Clarence Scese
both of Mount Union, Pa., spent
the past two weeks very pleas
antly with friends in Hudson, O.,
and are now with Mrs. Parsons'
children in Pittsburg and vicinity.
ABOUT PEOPLE YOU KNOW.
Snapshots at Their Comings and Goings
Here for a Vacation, or Away
for a Restful Outing.
Mr. Claud Cook, of Lanark, III.,
spent a few days this week with
Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Seylar.
George A. Ott and his son, of
Scalplevel, are visiting the form
er's mother, Mrs. Margaret Gross.
Mr. and Mrs. L. II. Wible, of
Harrisburg, came home last Fri
day and are spending this week
visiting parents and other rela
tives. Mr. and Mrs. S. F. Sliver, of
Bedford, are spending this week
in the homes of C. W., and B.W.
Peck in McConnellsburg. Mrs.
Stiver is a sister of the Peck
brothers.
Miss Ethel E. Sipes, of Hus
tontown spent several days in
town last week, staying with
Mrs. William Kennedy and visit
ing friends.
Hon. and Mrs. J. P. Sipes and
granddaughter Anna Mary, and
Rev. J. V. Royer and wife made
a trip to Gettysburg in Mr. Sipe's
car Tuesday.
Stanley Humbert, of Big Cove
Tannery, was in town Monday
getting supplies preparatory to
taking charge of the Connor's
school. We predict a successful
first term for Stanley.
Dr. M. E. Trout left for Phila
delphia Sunday, after having
spent two weeks with his mother,
Mrs. M. B. Trout. He was ac
companied by his brother-in-law,
Mr. E. R. McClain who will take
a swim at Atlantic City before
returning.
Mrs. Harry Mosser, of Cham
bersburg, is visiting her brother-in-law,
Dr. J. W. Mosser' iler
son Sawyer, who is with her, is
nursing a broken arm, having
broken it while celebrating Old
Home Week. This is the third
time Sawyer has broken the same
arm.
N. B. Hixson and his brother
Blaine, R. II. Swartzwelder and
son Harry, and M. J. Hixson and
W. H. Duvail-all of Brush Creek
Valley were in town a few hours
Tuesday, attending to business
connected with the settlement
of the estate of the late John N.
Hixson.
Thad, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Christmas Shimer, came home
Friday evening after having
spent a year on his uncle John
Doyle's farm, nearPrinceton, III.
Thad will remain at home for an
indefinite period, but says he lik
ed to live out there. However.
there seems to be a fascination
for the dear old mountains of
Pennsylvania that is hard to
shake off when natives go to the
boundless prairies, and the great
change has to be made by de
grees. After Thad gets his pores
filled once more with Tuscarora
ozone he may go back to Illinois.
Miss Elsie Greathead, a former
teacher in the primary depart
ment of our local schools, and la
ter a member of the faculty of
the Ohio University, resigned her
position in the latter institution
and took a post-graduate course
at Columbia University, taking
in June, the degree of B. S. in
the Department of Education,
and a diploma in Elementary
Supervision. Miss Greathead
will leave next Monday for
Springfield, Mo., where she has
accepted the position of Critic
Teacher in the Training Depart
ment of the Normal" College in
that city, at a salary of twelve
hundred dollars a year as a start
er. Rev. Spriggs, pastor-of the A.
M. E. Mission, at Cito, did much
of the mason work on the new
front of the First National bank.
We are told that there are ser
mons in stones, and we have no
doubt that Mr. Sprigs outlines
many a sermon while working at
his trade and handling "rocks of
ages" that reveal the wondrous
works of the Creator.
71