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)
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