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VOLUME XXXVL
'MEYERSDALE, PA, THURSDAY, NOVEMSTR 26,
1914.
NUMBER 185%
TO CONSIDER
DRILLING FOR
OIL, GAS EIC
The ComimesoiziGiED. of this place,
whose function seems to be that of
the usual board of trade had a visit
on Monday of this week from Mr. P.
L. Wally, of Pittsburg, the object of
the laiter’s coming being to try fo
induce the people of this community
bo assist him in drilling for gas and
oil.
Mr. Wally is an expert prospector,
and at present has eight independent
well driliing outifis in operation. He
is sanguine of success.
"Mr. Paul D. Clutton is the presi-
dent of the Commercial Club and he
will call a meeting soon. of that body
and it is to be hoped that a test drill
ing be made, and if no gas or oil is
struck, the boring will indicate coal
measures and may be an abundant
reservoir of good soft water may be
struck, and this would be a great
boon to Meyersdale, as there is oc-
casionally a shortage of water in dry
~ times.
Ten years ago, Oleveland had no
natural gas and today it has an abun-
dant flow which supplies a great part
of the city with the natural product.
Connellsville and Uniontown in this
section has a big supply of natural
gas. Hooversville has quite a flow of
gas that can be used for commercial
and home purposes. A well was
drilled at Rockwood and the drill
passed through a laver of ‘sand which
is generally a concomitant of gas pro-
ducing strats, Mr. H. E. Bowman in
drilling for good soft water here in
town siruck a vein of gas: which is
being emitted with the flow of good
fresh water and which Mr. Wally
thinks may be separated and made
use of as a luminant. The suggestion
to do something leading to an uncer-
standing of whether this rich cdiinty
does not contain additional natural
resources is a good one. The amount
of money required to make a test.
that would settle this much discussed
topic, is not large and it might add
great wealth to this section. It is
purposed to go down-about three
thousand feet. : .
NEARBY COUNTIES.
What is Going on in This Part
of The State Ff
A band has
Humbert. :
The Somsrset Construction com- |
pany has been awarded the contract
for the construction of & brick high-
way two and ome-half miles long,
from Alliquippa to Monsea. in Beaver
county. - The contract price is $80,000
While smoking her pipe, Mrs Eliz-
abeth Irons, aged 82 years, of near
Eyerott, the - lace curtains nearby
caught fire unknown to her and ‘she
was so badly burned that her death
ensued in a few hours.
Powder exploding from an electric
spark at the Enterprise Coal Oo.
Mine No. 2, at Garrett, recently very
badly injured Alex. Ohler, and Frank
Swarner, two miners. One of the
men was carrying the small can of
powder at this time. :
Harrison Claycomb, a farmer of
beea organized ab
“ Somerset township, sustained frae-
tures of the right arm and right leg,
in a fall from the roof of his barn
. near Somerset last Friday. He was
making some repairs to theroof when
he lost his balance and tumbled to
the ground. Mr. Claycoml is 50 years
old.
Charles Jr., the two-year-old son of
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Definbaugh, of
Earlston, Bedfoad county, was so
badly scalded on Tuesday that he
died that night. The little one and
his brother were playing around the
kitchen when the mother lifted a ket-
tle of boiling water from the stove.
The vessel was overturned, the con-
tents covering the child.
RELEASED FROM THE
COUNTY HOSPITAL.
Mrs. W. 8. Miller of Meyers avenue,
this place who about two weeks ago
was taken to the county hospital on
the ground that she was of unsound
mind, in a hearing befare Judge Rup-
pel on Tuesday, was given into the
charge of her pastor, Rev. J. C. Mat-
teson, as guardian.
] Tiller’s health is poor and she
re sbme medics 1 treatment
nt to the |
little
© |
|HIGH FINANCE OF
BERKLEY EXPOSED.
On Friday afternoon in court ab
Somerset, the Somerset Telephone
Oompany filed answers in eleven
equity cases which had been insti-
tuted against the firm by holders of
alleged bogus stocks issued by H. M.
Berkley while he was acting as Sec-
retary
and Treasurer and who later
absconded.
The answers indicate that the par
valine of the stock issued by Mr Berk-
ley and put up as collateral to secure
loans aggregated $117,250. In some
cases, the stock certificates were en-
tire forgeries, while in others the cer-
tificates are alleged to have been
raised from a small number of shares
up to several hundred. In the entire
11 instances, the answers of the tele-
phone company claim there were 15
genuine shares, of the par value of $26
each, aggregating $375, which was in-
creased to $117,250
On this alleged: fictitious stock,
Berkley borrowed $85,000. Besides
the 11 cases in which answers have
been filed,there are 15 or 20 other cer-
tificates outstanding and alleged to
have been fraudulent, and on which
suit has been brought.
According to the answers of the
company, Mr. Berkley worked a fine
system. He and his wife owned
about 20 or 30 genuine shares of stock
par value of about $500 in the tele-
phone company. Berkley instead of
making out one certificate to cover
all of his shares and another to cover
all of his wife’s shares, made out cer-
tificates calling for various numbers
of shares, some for one, some for two,
three, and five. In this way he had
an opportunity of raising them to
many times their origiral value.
Berkley is conceded to have been
one of the slickest financiers ever in
Somerset, County. Outside of his tele-
phone company shortages, .it is said
that he owes between $75,000 and
$80,000 in the capacity of Assignee,
Trustee, Guardiar, and in other trust-
ed capacities.
The telephone company several
weeks ago offered a reward of $500
for the apprehension of Berkley
Berkley’s downfall, it is generally
conceded, was due to speculation in
«‘bneketshops,’”’ where he hoped to
make good and redeem all the tele-
‘phone certificates put up as collateral;
‘but the market went wrong and he
{was xnable to handle his immense
indebtedness.
SUE HIGGINS AT THE
DONGES THEATRE,
« Commencing Monday, November
30th, the frollicking little actress,
Sue Higgins, and her coterie of fun-
makers will begin a week’s engage-
ment at Donges’ theatre, presenting a
repertoire of standard coxedies in
000! tabloid form with excellent speecial-
ties that will make the entertainment
one of the best that has been seen
here in some vime.
"Sue Higgins is the originator of this
kind of entertainment and the fact
that she has been overwhelmingly
successful is assurance that she knows
just what entertainment her patrons
want. All her plays are worth whi
every member of her compa
thoroughly capable, each little de
of stage management is carefully
looked after, and consequently her
performances are above the average.
On Monday next she will open her
engagement with the delightful com-
edy success, ''The Working Man,”’
in which play she has scored signally
for the past three seasons. This
comedy is replete with bright and
witty sayings, intense dramatic sit-
uations and comedy scenes galore.
During the intermissions singing and
dancing specialties will enliven the
waits so that the éntire performance
will be a continuous one. ' In addition
to the play the latest and best motion
pictures will be shown and all this
for a sum so small that it makes this
attraction the biggest one for the
money that ever came to town.
During the entire week Miss Hig-
gins will not duplicate a gown worn
by her. She will appear each even-
ing in something new. Considering
that she wears a different dress for
each act and each play has three acts
and she changes the play each night
it can be readily seen that she has an
abundance of dresses. One ermine
coat that she wears in ‘The Dashing
Widow?’ is valued at one thousand
doflars.
eee eee
Three and one-half pounds lima
beans for 25 cents, special at Bittner’s
Gr
ery.
Carload Gold Medal Flour, at
{ad Habel & Phillips.
ENTHUSIASM
WAXING WARM
INPIANORACE
The early edition of The. Commer-
cial this week, demanding that all
copy be in the hands of the printer
not later than Wednesday, rendered
impossible a printing of the standing
of the contestants in the Hartley,
Clutton Co., Piano Contest this week.
The first count was not made until
Wednesday, and the list will be pub-
lished in the window of THE WoM-
EN’S STORE on Saturday of this week.
‘Watch this paper for standing of the
contestants after next week’s count.
Never in the history of Meyersdale
has a contest of any kind created
the enthusiasm and interest that this
contest is creating. In the homes,
on the streets, in other business places
one may hear the question on all
sides, ‘I wonder who will get the
piano at Hartley, Clutton Co’s’’. Mr.
Clutton says that hardly a day goes
| by that some one does not ask him
‘‘How can you afford to give away
all of those prizes?’ He explains
that the prizes are given out for work
done for The Women’s Store, that
the contestants are trying to get
their friends and neighbors to patron-
ize that store and that these prizes are
only a token of appreciation to the
customers and friends of the store.
People of all walks of life are en-
tering into the proposition determin-
ed to win a share of the beautiful
prizes that are to be awarded, and
eyery one is looking forward to hav-
ing the grand prize, the beautiful
Player Piano as a piece of tupglinre
in their homes. The piano haseen
tested by pianomen and music teach-
era inthis community and pronounced
a dandy, both in finish, construction,
and tone qualities. A lady brought
her little five yerr-old girl into the
store the other day, and the young-
ster sat down to the piano and play-
ed one of the rolls of music with as
much ease as her mother; the in-
strument almost plays itself.
.Bvery day sees some new enroll-
‘ments, and the contest is only start-
ing.. Remember that no prizes will
be given out for two weeks yet, and | =
that there is plenty of opportunity
to enroll yet. The contest is still
young, no person has piled up a big
count, and the sooner you enroll the
sooner the votes will commence to
pile up for your number.
Silver spoons are given ont with a
limited number of the first enroll-
ments, there are still a few spoons left
and will be given to the first comers.
Remember that no names are di-
vulged, all voting and standings are
conducted by number only.
- The coupon that you find in this
paper on another page, is good for
votes when properly presented at the
store, and would’t this be a good
time to renew that subscription to
The Commercial, or possibly send a
new subscription to some friend as a
Christmas gift, remembering that
each renewal and new subscription
entities you to 1,000 votes on the
iano. ”
gain let us remind you, watch
is paper from now on for standings
d latest news of the contest.
DEATH'S HARVEST.
MRS. CATHARINE GINDLESPERGER.
Mrs. Catharine Gindlesperger died
at her home in Holsopple, Novem-
ber 16th, aged 78 years. The funeral
was held Thursday with interment in
the Blough Mennonite cemetery.
Her husband died several years ago
but a number of children suryive.
ANTHONY WERNER.
Anthony Werner, aged 84 years,
died Wednesday, November 1ith, at
his residence in New Baltimore. He
was taken suddenly ill while attend-
two months'ago and had been con
fined fo the house since. He is sur-
vived by three sisters and one brother.
DANIEL SIPE.
A native of Jenners who for a
number of years has lived in the west
died Friday at his home in Dayton,
Ohio, aged 66 years. For the past
three years’ he has been a guard at
the Soldier’s Home at Dayton.
His body will be laid to rest beside
that of his wife, Mrs Margaret Sipe,
| who died June I3th, 1893.
| viv ing child ren are the
y 8. Hummel,
Miss Lucille
| Court B F.
ing mass in 8t. John’s church about |’
RECENTLY MARRIED
IN THE COUNTY.
Arthur G. Traup, of Somerset and
Miss Ethel I. Woye, of Everett, were
married at the parsonage of Trinity
Lutheran church, Somereet, by Rev.
I. Hess Wagner.
Amos Pyle, and Miss Louisa Neal,
both of Boswell, were married at the
eourtho by Olerk of the Orphan’s
Landis.
James G. Kaufman, of Conemaugh
township, and Miss Nellie L. Lohr,
of Kantner, were married at the par-
sonage of the Stoyestown Lutheran
church by Rev. J. 8. English.
Alvan Beed and Miss Clara Smith
both of Holsopple were married at
Holsopple by Rev A. Davidson.
George W. Tinkey, of Washington,
Pa., and Miss Julia Virginia Peter-
man, of Upper Turkeyfoot towuship,
were married at the court house by
Olerk of the Orphabs’ Court Bert F.
Landis.
Simon Clarence Nicholson and Miss
Rose Beal both of Friedens were mar-
ried at the parsonage of the
Friedens Lutheran church by Rev.
J. 0. MecOarney.
Miss Emma A. Yoder and John W.
Lint, both of Jenner township, were
married at the home of the bride’s
parents, by Justice of the Peace,
Kore Kaufman.
MASONIC BANQUET
NEW YEAR’S NIGHT.
The annual Masonic banquet of the
local lodge which is becoming to be
quite popularand a great social eyent
of the year will be held on New Year’s
night. The event promises to be a
notable one. The committee of ar-
rangements is at work already and
true to Masonic principles of exact-
ness the oceasion will find all things
in readintss. This committee con-
sists of the followizg:—Dr. W. H.
Ryland, and Messrs. Clarence Moore,
Clyde Rowe, Conrad Glesser, James
| Hostetler, John Qates and Paul D.
Clutton.
El ge———
TEACHERS INSTITUTE
Following is the program for a
teachers’ institute to be held at the
Walker school in Summit township,
Friday evening, Dec. 4, 1914, begin-
ning at 7:30 o’clock.
‘Address of Welcome—Mary L.
Gnagey. :
ok how much, but how well—H.
B. Saler.
Teachers opportunity Esther Shu-
maker,
Do you think sgricaivhre should be
taught in the common schools?—A.
G. Maust.
Current Eyents—Mae Moore.
‘Do you think Woman Suffrage
should exist in the United States—J.
F. Schrock.
Reading—Orpha Meyers.
Impromptu class—Lloyd S8humae. -
Essay—Nettie Maust.
- What benefits have you derived
from the county institute?—F. J.
Fike.
Debate—~Resolved—That it would
to the United States than Mexico.
Affirmative—W. E. Walker, E. R.
Hay.
Negative—Samuel Mosholder, 8. C.
Witt.
Paper—Lillian Seibert, Sidney Len-
hart.
All friends of education are cordial-
ly invited 90 attend this meeting.
emma e—
Full pound package of new dates or
raisins for 10 cents at Bittner’s Gro-
cery.
arteries merase
We want you to try Gold Medal
flour it is one of the highest grade
straight spring patents $1.70 per large
bag, at Habel & Phillips. ad
TURKEY SUPPER.
The ladies of the M. E. church will
hold a turkey supper in the social
room of the church December I0th,
from 5 o’clock.
m——————— ei ——
Fancy Norway Mackerel at 10 cents
each at Bittner’s Grocery.
His sur- |
ar LY Qing ~ f
and J. M. Sipe, Of |
Altoona. These brothers and sisters
are alsoliving: Mrs. Mesheck Beam,
‘the affray.
be more profitable to annex Canada |
MURDERS, THEN |
CONFESSES. DUE
10 JEALOUSY
On Tuesday, Officer U. B. Fuller,
of this place returned from Pittsburg
where he had gene to give evidence
concerning the arrest of George Dal-
ler, whom he had apprehended at
Sand Patch the préceding Wednesday
evening on the self-confessed charge
of homicide.
The crime was committed two days
before the arrest was made, and the
scene of the deed was in a shanty
near Charleroi. Those who were
present were besides the murderer
and his victim who was a young man
1 of about his own age, ayoung woman
and another man. Jealousy accen-
tuated by whiskey was the motive of
The men became entan-
gled in a spirited argument, when
Daller drew out his revolver and shot
his opponent through the heart. Then
without hat or coat the man left the
house, but almost immediately he re-
turned for these articles and started
away again. He did not know wheth-
er the shot proved fatal or not until
he got to Sand Patch and saw an ac-
count in a newspaper of the affair in
which he learned that he had killed
the man; it was at this stage of his
wanderings as a fugitive from justice.
that he made known to Mr. Keifer,
the hotel proprietor at Sand Patch,
that he was a murderer and that he
desired to give himself up to the
officers of the law. Accordingly the
police of this place were notified and
the arrest was made, Daller being
brought to Meyersdale and placed in
the lockup. The following day Pitts-
burg officers came for him.
CASES FOR
DECEMBER COURT
More than half a hundred cases
have been placed on the docket for
trial at the December term of Court
commencing on Monday, December
7th. In addition to those previously
reported are the following:
Joseph Naugle of Somerset Borongh
_ | charged with furnishing liquor to per-
‘sons of known intemperate habits;
upon information of County Detective
L. G. Wagner. To many of his ac-
quaintances, the defendant has rep-
resented his business as that of real
estate selling, and not ‘‘boot-legging”’
booze, as set forth in the County De-
tectiye’s information. Naugle was’
committed to jail last week in default
of bail.
John Willis, an aseistant mine fore-
man ot mine No. 119 of the Consolida-
tion Coal Company, is charged with
violating a provision of the mine laws
in not requiring a certain entry to be
made in as safe a condition as possi-
ble. The complaint mas made by F.
W. Cunningham, Mine. Inspector.
A charge of adultery was lodged
against John Helman and . Hester
Brown, by Constable E. M. Hayes of
Paint township. The same officer has
also charged Jacob Beaner with main-
taining a bawdy house, and encourag-
ing idleness and. drink, and furnish-
ing a meeting place for persons en-
gaged in immoral pursuits.
An offense against morality has
been charged against John -Simpsin
and James Nichols. by Calvin Berkey.
David E. Green has caused the
prosecution of Irvin I. Good, charg-
ing him with the larceny of a suit
case from the Gillette station on the
Quemahoning Branch.
John Black, charged with assault
and battery by Edward Merritt.
Irwin Bender, charged with assault
and battery, by Mary UO. Henecca
One of the most important cases set
for trial is that docketed against
Archibald Miller, Superintendent of
the Loyalhanna Coal and Coke Com-
pany, who was arrested upon an in-
formation charging him with pollut-
ing a stream. The information was
sworn to before Squire W. W. Knable
by Raymond O. McIntosh, a State
Coal & Ooke Company, where itis
alleged, poisonous
mine and emptied into Dark Shade
aquatic life.
r————— pe ————
Edward Sipe and teorge Sipe, of
B. Maurer, of Bos-
her, of La-|
E. 8S. Trent
Mrs. 1
of Hia-|
introduced their
Lenses they hav
| cult to wait on
their services. Se
| ment in this issue.
and sulphurous |ing
water has been converted from the
Creek, being poisonous to fish and ad
The Duplex Optical Co., of Phila-
delphia, claims wherever they have |
famous I
Ipoand bag, at Habel & Ph
WHAT IS GOING ON 1
AT THE COURT HOUSE
Friday opened the trial of the action
of Mary L. Metzler vs. the United,
Railway company, an action to re-
propriated by the corporation.
A settlvment was effected in the
case of the Center Evangelical Luth-
eran church vs, the Manufacturers’
$650 to the plaintiff.
Emory B. Daytor, a policeman for
the Quemahoning Coal company ab
Ralphton, entered suit against the
$5,000 damages, alleging false arrest.
In his complaint he alleges that while
in the performance of his duty he *
was arrested several times last July
on charges of assault. The arrests,
the complainant alleges, were made
when he interfered with teams de-
livering beer to persons in the town
of Ralphton. He declares that he
was arrested and taken to Boswell to
give bail in order that beer could be «
delivered in his absence. When the
case of Dayton came to trial in court
he was acquitted. The prosecutor
was Joe Bobish, an employe of the
Jenner Brewing company. The jury
assesses the costs in the case on Bo-
bish. Dayton alleges that the suits
were instituted against him with mali-
cious intent.
we
Throughout the County.
The name of Dr. O. 0. Schlag, for-
merly of Stoystown, appears in the
list of incorporators or the Twenty-
fourth Ward Building and Loan As-
sociation, which was chartered last
week by Pittsburg capitalists. The
company is capitalized at $1,000,000.
Andrew Prositania of Macdonald-
ton has bronght. suit against the
Brothersvalley Coal Company for $15,-
000 damages. His claim is based upon
the fact that his right arm was brok-
en while he was operatizg a mining
machine, which, it is alleged, was not
in proper working order.
Mr. and Mrs. Mesheck Beam of Lin-
coln Township celebrated the fiftieth
anniversary of their marriage recent-
ly at the home of their son-in-law and
daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bald-
pated in the event. Mr. Beam who
served in the Civil War, is in his sev-
enty-ninth year.
A verdict for eight hundred and
fifty dollars has been returned ab
a special term of court in favor of
Samuel G. Braucher and against Som-
erset Borough, because of a change
of grade made on North East street
in 1912, in front of the property owned
at that time by Mr. Braucher;, but
which has since been sold to Dr. E. F.
Shaulis. This was the second trial of
the case, and the verdict is $212 lower
than the first one awarded the plain-
tiff.
A sequel of this fall’s disastrous
drouth is a suit for damages filed in
the equity court of Somerset county
last week by Minnie J. Alwine and
her husband, Jeremiah Alwine, prom-
inent Conemaugh township agricul-
turists, in which the United Coal
company is named as defendant. The
company is charged with interfering
with the riparian rights of the plains
tiffs by pumping water from Bens-
creek five miles above the plaintiffs’
b4-acre farm. It is alleged that the
company conveys the water from the
stream through a six-inch pipe, there-
by diminishing the flow to such an
extent that not sufficient water reach-
needs and irrigating a truck and dairy
farm.
A CHANCE FOR
MEYERSDALE.
The promoters of the International
Train Pipes system of coupling for
railroads and now in use on the West-
ern Maryland, are looking for a suif-
able place to locate their plant. One
ing Cumberland as a suitable place to
fish warden. The alleged offense was | locate. They want 25 acres of ground
committed at Oairnbrook, the new {and $50,000.
mining operations of the Loyalhanna | busy upon this proposition for we
Meyersdale might get
have advantages that are most invit-
to almost any kind -of industry.
r————— {pm ——
Boiled cider, at
Habel & Phillips.
r————————"
Hammond dairy feed, the greaf
milk producer, $1.40 per hundred
) ad
SE ————. be
Did youLy cer Rar of such a
bination ofc. ashe Comn
| for its subscribers?
Judge Bell of Clearfield county, *
cover damages for a right-of-way, ap- *
Jenners Brewing company to recover
win. A number of relatives partici
es their land to supply their domestic *
Water company by the payment of 1
of their representatives is investigat- _