t
VOLUME 16
McCONNELLSBURG, PA., FEBRUARY 11,1915.
NUMBER 21
CHARUETRITLE KILLED.
"AULD ACQUAINTANCE."
WILL A RAILROAD PAY?
MOVABLE INSTITUTE SCHOOL.
REV. ADAMS VICTIMIZED.
MEASLES.
Was Working on South Peon Railroad
and Pitched Headfong From a Ho
tor Track Last Fridaj.
Charles H. Tritle, aged 39
years, months and days,
was instantly killed near Ryders
Station on the South Penn branch
of the Cumberland Valley rail
road, between Fort Loudon and
Mercersburg last Friday morn
ing. The funeral took place at
his home at Fort Loudon on Mon
day morning, and interment was
made in the graveyard at the
Reformed church in McConnells
burg. The unfortunate man was a
son of J. Keeley Tritle, lately
deceased, was a native of this
county, and resided in this coun
ty until a few years ago, when
he removed to Fort Loudon, and
went to work with a section gang
on the railroad.
Last Friday morning, Mr. Tri
tle, in company with Section
Foreman Shanholtz and a Mr.
Rosenberry, left Fort Loudon in
a motor car (a hand-car propelled
by a gasoline engine) and pro
ceeded southward to a place
where they intended to work.
As they were ascending the
grade at CreighV'. near Ryder's
Crossing, Charley, who was seat
ed on the fro, t of the car, pitch
ed forward, his head striking be
tween ties and the car struck
him with such force that it was
derailed, but not upset the oth
er two men on it not leaving
they: seats. Word was at once
sent' to Dr. Nevin, Mercersburg,
who hurried to the place of the
accident in his automobile, but it
is supposed that death was al
most instantaneous with the ac
cident Undertaker Lininger of Mer
cersburg took charge of the
body, and on Saturday morning
an inquest was held exonerat
ing the railroad company from
all responsibility as to the acci
dent How, or why, he fell off,
his companions could not tell.
Mr. Tritle is survived by his
widow, who was Winifred, a
daughter of the late Michael and
Matilda Helman, and by seven
children, namely, Goldie, Parker,
Wilbur, Lloyd, Ethel, Mabel, and
Charles.
Good Scarecrows.
Those who have tried it say
that newspapers opened full
length and placed here and there
over a corn field will effectually
scare crows. The paper must be
laid on the ground and a stone
placed on one corner to prevent
blowing away. The wind will
cause the loose end to move, and
this mysterious motion is more
than a crow's nerves will stand.
The same is true of a piece of
bright tin hung from a stake so
that it will swing in the wind.
Try tlm inexpensive newspaper
Bcarescrow this spring. If the
paper is paid in advance so much
the better scarecrow will it make,
perhaps.
Mrs Charles B. Ranck.
Lena Ardinger, wife of Char
les B. Ranck formerly of Bethel
township, died at her home in
West Arlington, Baltimore, on
Saturday, January 23, 1915, af
ter a long illness of tuberculosis,
aged about 35 years. The funer
al took place on . the following
Monday, and interment was made
at Williamsport Md. She is sur
vived by her husband and the fol
lowing children; Virginia, Janet,
and Charlie.
Attended Wedding and Reception.
Miss Ethel Kendall spent a few
days in Maryland last week where
she attended the wedding of her
cousin, Miss Ruth Troupe, near
Clear Spring, Md., and Mr. Nev
in Royer, of Welsh Run, Frank
lin County, Pa. The wedding
took place in the home of the
bride last Saturday. Miss Ken
dall also attended a reception
given the happy bridal couple.
Sabscribo for theNaws.
Bits of News and Gossip Extracted
from the Letters from Oar
Distant Subscribers.
HAS BEEN AWAY 38 YEARS.
S. L. King, Cando, North Da
kota: I see by the little blue la
bel on my paper that it is about
time for me to pay up, so you
will find enclosed a postoffice or
der for two dollars. It will be
just 38 years in March since I
packed up my little belongings
and left good old Fulton County
for the West, and it is needless
to say that I have seen many
changes, and had the average
number of ups and downs that
fall to the lot people in that ma
ny years. Many children have
been born in Fulton County and
grown to mfnVood and to wo
manhood in that time. These
people would Le strangers to me
if I should meet them, and yet
when I see their names in the
News, I am interested in them
because I know of their families,
and am still much interested in
everything that goes on in the
old home county.
I read in the News the death
of Jane Edwards. A many a
good meal I ate at her house
when I was a boy. I notice, also
that my old friend Joseph E Bar
ton is winning fame and honor
and, I trust lots of money in his
new home in the- far-west. He
and I were neighbors and school
mates in our boyhood days.
We have had a very nice win
ternot so much snow, and yet
most of the travel has been on
runners. The coldest weather
we have had this winter has been
only 42 degrees below zero. We
do not apprehend any danger
from Foot and Mouth disease at
least during the winter.
LIKES THE WAR PICTURES.
In sending money to advance
her own subscription and an ex
tra dollar to send the News a
year to her mother, Miss Cathe
rine Palmer, of McKeesport says
the war news and the page of
war pictures is well worth the
dollar asked for the paper, if you
did noc get anything else.
Celebrated Twins' Birthday.
The combined ages of Messrs.
Jacob and John J. Gordon was
162 years on January 17, 1915.
Jacob and John are twins, hence
it will be seen that each was just
81 years of age on that day.
Since these two "boys" enjoy
such good health that they feel
constrained to pursue their accus
tomed habit of keeping at work,
a lot of their friends thought it
would be a good thing to sweep
down on them by surprise at Ja
cob's home and remind them of
what day January 17th was, be
cause John thinks nothing of
walking nine miles to town from
his home in the lower end of Ayr
township, and his friends thought
that the twins should take a day
off from performing that, or sim
ilar, stunts, The party consisted
of Mr. and Mrs. Ahimaaz Clev
enger and their: daughter Catha
rine, William Me.'lott and wife,
Edward Keyser and wife and
their children Gertie, Vinna Ted
die, Archie, Ellen, Jimmie, and
Ruth; Raymond Mellott and wife
and children Wallace and Cath
arine; Jacob Clouser, George
Lynch, Todd Carbaugh, Jacob
Gordon and wife and children
John, Susan and Bessie; Mrs.
Maud Miller and daughter Gladys
Many more were invited but they
could not attend on account of
the storm. A royal dinner was
served, and, needless to say, all
had a great time. All join in
wishing those twin kids many
more such anniversaries.
The many friends of Ed Stev
ens, a former resident of McCon
nellsburg, will regret to learn
that he is in HI health at his home
in Linglestown, Pa. He is suf
fering from valvular heart trou
ble. His father, T. B. Stevens
of this place was down to see
him. ,
A TRIP TO TEXAS. '
G. W. Beinbangb, of Progress, a Sub
orb of Harrisburg, Tells What He
Saw in the Lone Star State.
Editor News: In response to
your request, I will briefly tell
your readers of my recent trip to
Texas. I left Harrisburg on the
St. Louis express at 10:40 p. m.
January 13th, and arrived in St.
Louis at 8:30 next evening. In
that city I went to see the new
home of the Famous & Barr Co,
Railway Exchange Building. It
is said to be the largest office and
store building in the world. Its
floor space covers 33 acres. The
Union Depot in St Louis has over
11 acres under roof and has 30
gates leading to trains on differ
ent tracks.
I then left for Texarkana by
way of Poplar Bluffs, Mo., and
Little Rock, Ark. At Texarkana
I found little of interest except
that the town lies half in Arkan
sas and half in Texas. Next
stop, Palestine, Texas, I found
to be a lively little city in the
timbered district of eastern Tex
as. Traveling southward to
wards Houston one passes through
plains as wide as the eye can see.
These prairies are covered with
grass and cattle. Houston is a
beautiful city of 110,000 inhabi
tants, and is surrounded by the
level country just described. It
i3 a great railway and business
center, and has many eighteen,
and twenty-story buildings. My
next stop was Galveston the
city partially destroyed by a
tidal wave in 1900. In order to
guard against a second inunda
tion, the city built a concrete
wall seventeen feet high and
three miles long, to which the
United States government added
two miles, so that the metropolis
of Texas is now protected by five
miles of sea wall. A beautiful
sand beach lies in front of this
wall where sea shells can be gath
ered. The city claims the finest
surf bathing in the world. Gal
veston is builton an island, and
the bay extends thirty-one miles
inland behind the city. The lo
cality is noted for its fine fishing,
and ten-inch oysters. The cli
mate is ideal. Since the disaster
in 1900, the ruined portion has
been rebuilt and the city has
made more progress since that
time than it ever did before. It
is a beautiful city with wide
streets shaded with Liveoaks and
Palms and the lawns are green
with grass t.nd brilliant with
flowers during all the year.
Being a carpenter, I wish to
say that the Union wage scale
for an eight-hour day is $4.50,
and I am told that this price pre
vails throughout the state.
From Galveston I went to New
Orleans by way of Houston, over
the Southern Pacific railroad.
New Orleans is the greatest cot
ton shipping city in the world,
and one sees the when cotton
that is handled there in one
day, he is lost in wonder as to
what will be done with the bal
ance of the crop.
My next stop was at Atlanta,
Ga., by way of Mobile and Mont
gomery, Ala., over the Louisana
andNashville railroad. Myroute
then led through Spartanburg,
South Carolina, Charlotte, and
Greensburg, North Carolina,
Lynchburg, Va., to Washington
and Baltimore.
I traversed fifteen states while
on my trip. On the 14th and 15
of January I saw many Indiana,
Illinois and Missouri farmers
husking corn. Down in the cot
ton belt I saw them picking cot
ton, and I saw great acreage that
would not be picked on account
of low price, and it was being
ploughed down preparatory to
planting corn. In Louisiana Ala
bama and Georgiia, I saw great.
orchards of hardy satsuma or
anges ladened with fruit
In the belt immediately north
of the orange belt I saw large
peach orchards that were beau
tiful. Then, north of that, from
Lynchburg to Orange, Va., lies
the great apple belt known as
A. B. Ross Enumerates Endless Possi
bilities for Development That Would
Create Freight and Wealth.
We have just read a very long
and interesting letter from Agri
culturist A. B. Ross, of Bedford,
to W. C. Patterson, Brookside
Farm, this county. The letter
was written in answer to one
from Mr. Patterson who wished
to get the unbiased, disinterest
ed views of a practical agricul
turist regarding the possibilities
of profit the farmers of this coun
ty might expect if they build a
railroad from Fort Loudon to
McConnellsburg. Mr. Ross does
not attempt to dictate to the
farmers of this county as to
whether they should or should
not, build the proposed road; in
stead, he takes a broad view of
the matter and contents himself
by reminding us of what the pos
sibilities of the County are, and,
in this way, he puts the matter
squarely up to citizens of the
County as to whetner they will
avail themselves of the opening
a railroad would make. Briefly
as we can state them, Mr. Ross's
arguments are as follows: He has
no patience with the business
men who fear that connection
with the Cumberland Valley rail
road by rail will injure retail busi
ness in McConnellsburg. "Nev
er knew a railroad terminus to
hurt itself yet, anyhow." A
man does his business where he
banks.
A board of trade that would
handle every problem, including
those of the farmer, will hold
and increase business. Appoint
a committee at once to wait on
the new governor and have him
see that the new Department of
Agriculture takes hold quickly
and effectively of actual farm
problems in our county.
Every additional field of Jack
pine that is permitted to grow up
means waste of opportunity and
income. One hundred dollars ju
diciously spent for Canada blue
grass, and given to the farmer
throughout the county would
start the movement of getting
those unploughable hillsides into
grass, and the grass intomeat,
and the meat into money, and the
money into purchases in McCon
nellsburg, where the meat must
be taken for shipment
. Mr. Ross then explains at
length the advantages of a farm
ers' warehouse in McConnells
burg, should the railroad come.
By no means the least advantage
would be a coldstorage plant.
Infertile eggs, for which we get
fifteen to twenty cents during
summer months, could be held
for double that sum. This board
of trade could solve all lime and
fertilizer difficulties. A breed
ers' association organized along
tight lines would standardize
stock especially hogs, and auto
matically open a good market
The State College stands ready to
send instructors to teach a stan
dard method of butter making,
since uniformity in quality insur
es good prices. In fact, Mr.
Ross's letter bubbles over with
the idea of cooperation. He em-
phasizessome points by naming
Dubliri, Hiram, and Licking
Creek township districts as wait
ing for the magic wand of coop
eration to convert these localities
into standardized meat districts.
He insists that the road would
be an outlet for an immense ter
ritory that can be made to yield
marvelously if the owners of the
land can be shown that by unit
ing on something that is suited
to a given locality, they can grade
and ship products by carloads, to
districts that do not produce
their commodity, and in this way
reap the benefits that other dis
tricts are getting by this idea of
organizing and working toward
some one purpose.
the Piedmont district Having
no relatives in southern states,
my trip was wholly among
strangers at whose hands I re
ceived the very best treatment
and I found the people of the
South very kind and congenial.
Brief Report of Some of the Interesting
Features of Sessions I'otil Time
of Going to Press.
The first session of the four
day farmers' institute that is be
ing held in the Court House in
McConnellsburg opened with
about 150 present The visiting
instructors were made to feel at
home by Hon. S. W. Kirk's ad
dress of welcome. Dr. Conard
gave an illustrated lecture on the
economical use of concrete on the
farm, and Prof. Wells Cook lec
tured in the same manner on
Birds. Without the illustrations,
we cannot bring out the points;
the formula for most durable con
crete is as follows: One part
(by measure) Portland cement
two parts sand that has been
made free of all particles of soil
matter, and four parts crushed
stone. Mix on a plank platform
that has no cracks in it to let
water carry cement away.
At the second session, Tuesday
morning, Doctor Conard's inter
esting talk on selecting and Breed
ing Horses for Farm Market was
cut short for want of time. The
judging of horse points is entire
ly too long a subject for a news
paper article. But it will be well
to remember that the Agricultur
al Department is going to great
pains to impress breeders that
all good mares should be bred
at this crisis of the present Euro
pean war. That much the News
mentioned two weeks ago. Al
sires should be fullbloods a fea
ture in stockraising that is urged
for all farm animals, and do not
"mix up" your breeds. The
price of horses is expected to ad
vance rapidly next spring, and
as it requires from four to five
years to breed and raise a colt,
prices will remain high for many
years.
At the same session, Professor
Cook's talk on the Most Profit
able Use of the Silo was listened
to with interest because of the
fact that this modern way of
conserving feed is receiving more
attention every season as farmers
are brought into contact with ex
perience with it Corn harvest
ed in the dent stage, properly
preserved, and fed with a balan
ced ration, was clearly shown to
be nearly 100 per cent perfect
feed the waste being but 3 per
cent On the other hand, corn
husked, and fodder dried in the
usuaK manner shows an actua
loss of 33 per cent
The Court House was crowded
to the limit at the Tuesday after
noon session by reason of the
presence of the school children
of the town. Prof Barton dis
missed the schools that the pu
pil3 might go to hear Mrs. McK.
Lyon's talks on Health in the
Homes, and the topic What Shall
We Eat? Many ladies were pres
ent, and Mrs, Lyons made it very
plain to the housekeepers, and to
the will-be housekeepers, that
there is as much profit calculat
ed in dollars and cents, ' for the
housekeeper to know whether
growing children are receiving a
"balanced ration," a3 it is for
the dairyman and the poultryman
to know what he is feeding to
produce largest quantity and
highest quality of milk and eggs
The "crop" of farm boys and
girls is the most important of
all which the farmer raises.
Where families depend on the
grocer for everything that goes on
the table, there can be no doubt
about the importance to the one
who buys the food to know what
combination of foods go to make
healthful, "balanced rations."
At Tuesday night's session
Mrs. Lyons talked to the ladies
about the useless steps so many
take on account of not having
the kitchen arranged properly.
Some women have few steps to
take between stoves, worktable
and cupboards, while others walk
many useless miles every day be
cause these things are so widely
separated. Ventilation and oth
er sanitary arrangements of liv-
Continued on page 5.
Paid Money to Stranger Who Was Is
ing the Name of Members
of His Congregation.
Rev. John V. Adams, a former
pastor of the Methodist Episcopal
church in McConnellsburg, and
who is well known to the teach
ers of this county by reason
of his having had charge of
the music at the County Institute
on more than one occasion, was
made the victim of a smooth
stranger last Thursday.
Mr. Adams, who is now pastor
of the Baughman Memorial M.
E. church at New Cumberland,
Pa., was called from his study to
see a man who wished to consult
with him upon an "urgent er
rand." The visitor, after greet
ing the pastor in a courteous
way, produced a letter which has
proven to be a forged order upon
Mr. Adams for money. - The pas
tor, thinking it to be an accom
modation to the man whose name
was affixed to the order, paid
over the amount asked for. The
signature was so well copied that
the minister thought it was gen
uine. The crook had used an as
sumed name for himself and forg
ed the name of Charles Koss, a
member of Mr. Adams' congre
gation, whose place of business
is in Steelton and who was out of
town at the time.
As soon as the man left the
parsonage he began to act strange
ly. Persons who saw him come
out of the house and who recog
nized him informed Mr. Adams
of his actions. As the clergy
man ' came out of the house to
investigate, the man started on a
run down Third street toward
the Pennsylvania railroad station
and was seen to turn up an alley
and disappear.
The Rev. Mr. Adams has since
learned the real name of the ear
ly morning caller and has in his
possession the name and address
of the family in Harrisburg with
whom the man had been staying,
When seen by a representative
of The Star-Independent the
clergyman said:
"As a man of my profession, I
have, I presume, had as many
demands for assistance as the
rest of my ministerial brethren,
They have come in requests smal
and great from a night's lodg'
ing to a railroad ticket from Har
risburg to the Pacific Coast but
this is the first of the forgery
class. I would rather, if a fellow
means to pick my pocket, that he
would at least give me the priv
ilege of giving him the grip, a
good, stout punch might be a
real moral relish to such fellows,
even from a preacher."
But Six Living.
We were looking over an old
map of Fulton county recently.
The map was published in 1873
forty-two years ago by J. Pom
eroy Company, and gives a list of
thirty-seven names of business
men of McConnellsburg. But
six of those men are living now.
They are: Robert A. McDonald,
D. B. Nace, J. Nelson Sipes, Dr.
N. B. Shade, Albert Stoner, and
John H. Wilt; only two of which
Sipes and Stoner live in Ma
Connellsburg. It does not seem
long since 1873; but during that
time five out of every six Mc
Connellsburg business men have
passed to the great beyond.
Look Out For Them.
From different parts of the
country come stories of a swin
dle successfully worked on farm
ers who thought they were going
to get cheap groceries. Two
smooth strangers went through
the communities taking orders
for a house in Chicago, pretend
ing to sell a standard brand of
sugar and flour so cheaply that
every farmer visited took from
$10 to $00 worth, and other things
besides. Because of the low
prices the flour and sugar had to
be "paid .'a advance." It is kl-
eged that in one community the
swindlers picked up some $3,000
and no groceries delivered.
Little Talks on Health and Hygiene by
Samuel G. Duonr M. P., LL D.,
Commissioner of Health.
Of the common ailments of
childhood there is none which the
greater number of people hold in
contempt more than measles.
Familiarity may be the blame for
this for the fact that in the great
majority of cases the children re
cover from the acute attack to
such a degree that the parents
do not recognize the highly sus
ceptible condition in which it
leaves most of the organs of the
body. Particularly the lungs are
left in a condition which permits
the germs of tuberculosis to live
in them and cause an untold
number of deaths, yet this re
sult is sufficiently removed from
the acute attack for the layman
not to recognize the relationship.
While far more children die
from this cause than from scarlet
fever, the latter is universally
feared, and measles is looked
upon as a necessary evil.
It is a common practice with
many people of considerable in
telligence to permit children to
be exposed to measles when it is
prevalent "They might as well
get it over with," is the usual
excuse which is offered for this
dangerously ignorant practice.
The after effects of a severe
case of measles may be quite as
menacing to the heath of the .
children as those which often
follow scarlet fever. The weak
ening of the lungs with resulting
bronchial pneumonia and suscep
tibility to tuberculosis follow in
hundreds of cases.
Diseases of the ear are also a
frequent result Despite its uni
versal prevalence there are many
factors in connection with the
disease of which the medical pro
fession is ignorant. It is cer
tain however, that it is most
readily transmitted by the dis
charges from the nose and mouth
of the patient in the early stages
of the disease; and for this rea
son, children who have been
exposed and who have developed
coughs should not be allowed to
associate with other children.
Owing to their ignorance of
the serious nature of the disease,
parents often endeavor to treat
their children without calling in
a physician. In view of the fre
quent serious complications which
means death, no risk can be tak
en. The loss of a little schooling
and sociability cannot be consid
ered by sane persons along side
of death.
For eight years, the death rate
from this disease in Pennsylvania
has been higher than for scarlet
fever; and this is due largely to
the ignorance and indifference of
parents in permitting their own
and other children to be exposed
to measles which affects all the
intefnal organs, and leaves the
mucus membrane a good soil for
tuberculosis.
Prices of Stock Advancing. .
Carefully compiled figures by
the Department of Agriculture
show that the average price of
milch cows in Pennsylvania in
1910 was $39,00, and January 1,
1915, the average was $59.50 per
head, an advance of $20.50. For
horses, the figures for the two
dates were $132.00 for the form
er, and $134. for the latter, an
advance of $2.00. Hogs advanced'
between these two dates from
$9.50 per 100 pounds to $13.50.
The foregoing figures show the
average price of cows, but not
the highest nor the lowest; so
that $59.50 would indicate the
price of an average cow, and not
the price of best grades, and this
will be worth remembering when
you intend to buy or sell cows
this spring. The range of prices
for horses is, perhaps, as great
as that of cows. But a "hog is
a hog" and prices do not vary
much.
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