PAGE TWO THE DALLAS POST FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1938 EXCERPTS FROM THE HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY By H. C. BRADSBY (Readers will enjoy Mr. Bradsby’s quaint, paranthetical remarks more if they keep in mind that he was writing this history of Luzerne County forty-five years ago, and refers to conditions as he knew them, mot as they are in 1938.) —EDITOR There were people enough here to begin to form scattered neighborhoods before there was such a thing as social life. The very first visitors were nomads, wandering aimlessly across the mountains and along,the wind- ing streams, coming in sudden surprise upon the wigwams and brush and bark villages, to sit in that calm stolidity of the natives about the camp fires, and then silently pass on. This strange creature was piloting the way across the continent—the vanguard to the millions that were soon’ to follow—and those, too, who came to possess—the nation builders, as they have been proudly called by their descendents. Indeed, they were far more than that; they were both the world’s map makers and the founders of the new civilization. The reflex of their lives have re-mapped the world—recast the fate of the human race. Bundled in this strange, uncouth creatures, these lonely wanderers were the restless spirit of inde- pendence and liberty—the rights of man as against the “divine” rulers. These people were a strange development of their age and time—the marvel of all history—the glintings of the luminous civiliza- tion that was to follow them; whose developing food had been) persecutions by church and state, and sect and heretic, and whose strong and unconquerable manhood and supreme self-reliance had come of cruel blows, or risen, phoenix-like, from the flames. TYPICAL CHARACTER OF OLD TIMES “Old Michael”—the ancient ‘‘sexton and high constable” —John Michael Keinzle, was a most in- teresting and typical character of the good old times. The wicked boys of that day knew him only as “Old Pickle.” He commenced as sexton and grave-digger, and was elected high constable of Wilkes-Barre in 1806, and in his many offices serv- ed until his death in 1846. He was a stumpy, red-faced, bushy-haired and stub-whiskered Swiss. Beneath a rough exterior was a kind heart and infinite love of children, though the wild boys thought him a very ogre. In loyalty and obedience he was a martinet to his church and the law of the land, and yet he would rebuke the judge or the minister with equal bluntness at which he deemed the slightest departure from the proper form. All must behave in his presence—little chil dren, great judges or venerable divines. One of the olden time boys has furnished a reminiscence that is so graphic a picture of the times and customs of the people that we can not do bet- ter than give it substance, much of it in his own words: “I can remember being one of a soldier company of which Ned Mallery was captain and Ned Babb was first lieutenant. Our guns were made in the carenter shop of John P. Babb of good wood, with a snap spring on the side, which filled our pur- pose , and was not dangerous, We used to parade on the Saturday half-holidays (School then com- menced by the sunrise and kept until sundown). We paraded on the river bank, near old Michael's residence, which was in the Arndt storehouse on the edge of the bank opposite. Morgan's tavern. On these occasions Michael would frequently pass along our line and give each of the boys a penny, a great prize to every one of us. We knew he was poor, and we never forgot his kind heart. “He was constable and sexton of the churches, and attended to the opening and cleaning, lighting and bell-ringing, and always snuffed the candles, wearing in the church pumps, and silently, with snuffers, would pass around during the singing. He was the servant of the town, and in many ways its master. On Sunday he sat in the gallery to watch the boys, and woe to the urchin who did not keep still or made a noise. Every night at 9 he rang the bell of the old meeting-house on the square, a notice to the merchants to close up, for all abroad to retire to their homes, and everybody to go to bed. This he did without pay or any re- ward save that of good conscience, and in this he was as punctual as the sun in all weather. “He had a pound on the river near his residence, and cattle found at large at night were driven there and the owner must come and pay his fine. ‘When he found a man drunk and helpless on the ground he went for his wheelbarrow and on this took him to the pound, dumping him in with the domestic animals. In the winter, when the snow would cover the way or coal-ash sidewalks, Michael would be up before day while others slept and with his snow plow! drive along the walks and have all the snow off before the people were up. This, too, was vol untary and with no pay attached. “The pleasure of doing good was his reward. He had the only hay scales in the place, near his resi- dence and the pound. Lon chains were attached to a beam, fastened to the wheels of the wagon, and all was raised clear of the ground, and the weight ascertained. Thus, he was weighmaster, too. His charge for each job was ten cents. “No man was ever more fearless in the discharge of official duties. Many a time he would make an arrest, take the prisoner to the door of the jail, then turn his prisoner loose after frightening him terri bly. This latter applied mostly to youths of the town, when, which was not frequently, he could catch them. He had ‘“‘clumb the mast” in vindica- tion of this claim when a wag intimated a doubt, | and he ascended the steeple of the church and stood | upon the small ball, 125 feet from the ground. (Continued Next Week) By Wiley Padan r WS & IT'S TRUE! OUR PUZZLE CORNER | $ ~% MAUREEN \&N SULTAN DENNIS GHEEFE. M-G-Ms TWO YOUNG 4 \ TEAMED IN THE COMEDY "HOLD J ®\ THAT kiss" 4 5 Mickey T@k BETTY. JAYNES’, YOUTHFUL SCREEN SINGER FOR A JOY RiDE ON A SAN FRANCISCO HRE TRUCA RECENTLY 7 67 \ WAS BORN & PHILA - WAS BORN IN £ N.Y, FEBRLIARY 27% { STUDIED af UNIVERSITY A VIR INIA- « 7 DELPHIA , NOV 7#, FIN HIS 35- YEAR CAREER HE HAS PLAYED 750 ROLES! / Fay — . GF | —— CR A eo % ’ 1 ° 3 . } Grr re, a 7% c j 9. - < . of! Fae ThE] oo hon Nig ¥ FING ys” ny go’) Ws lg ot? : Be "36 aH 3 2)e 209° . 3 Bl e332 1% o 22. Copyright HA! HA! ¥. YOU AIN'T EVEN GOT THATS SURE] |. A FUNNY YOUR FATHER \§ A [Ihe hl ENT UP FROM THE PLANET TOWARD, THE SPACE _SHIPZ ¥ THE RAY SEEMS TO BE HARMLESS ZZ ¢ DOCTOR “THE SHIP'S MOVING /} TE = ME Copyright, Lincoln Newspaper Features, Inc. F SET ME 2 MY BYE y'\= >ou pon TELL © IN WHAT PRISON YOO J | CLAMPED OUR BOY'S YOURE A &AR'! NOW SPILL \T! IN WHAT CooP ARE OLR PALS LOCKED ? GWE ME THE CHIN MUSIC PND I'LL SET You DOSE OF THE FLOODED CHAMBER SPEAK FAST, THEIR BREAKAWAY (S ONEROULE , ALREADY !! A PAIR OF SHOES AN' 2 SHOEMAKER yoo! Vl) ouD KNOCK (0), = OFF W 4 Hi THATS NOTHING! 44 LOOK AT YOUR LITTLE BROTHER! IV EE. ZZ dn A 7 Nr 4 a \% 7 THE RAY’S DRAWING US DOWN o EBT ) WHAT HAPP ME " NEVER KNEW!!! 4m, gn INI RT Elk CENTRAL AND Sou American TOP MINNOWS HAVE THE UPPER HALF oF THEIR EYES ADAPTED FOR VISION WN) THE AIR, AND THE LOWER HALF ADAPTED FOR VISION IN THE DARK WATERS /// FoR ALL AME WHETHER IT 15 TOOTHACHE, BACKACHE. In EARLY STOMACH TRouBtE OR WHAT NOT, TWMES AN FROM ThE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS : SHELLS, COMBS, PINs, TEE, x APPLE SAW-DUST AND BLACK GREASE I! WAS KNOWN AS A NAPPLEY, ot : iii \ ; ye Lincoln Newsgmjer Features, Inc Re FOR YoU NOR ANYONE ELSE NO MATTER \ ENS TO ££ By Srucs 1 A p—00 fi 0B ESS ST ts MEMBER OF THE ACROSS OO0OWN (DruGs aR L-ENOWN 7, 1- FANCIED... Rh TOWN HALL CLLIB A-STRONGLY > DWN HA CS ATTACHED... 2- ORGAN OF : — . 3-£6YPTIAN HEARING... 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