76
be
irug
ten-
bine
in
add
Add
tin,
gg.
pout
This
of
sed
the
Inc.
1 is
gin-
| 8th
lern
logy
ers-
At
1 is
$8
to
the
har-
ere
un-
the
inal
’
as
ton
and
le.
ley
ach
ish
\nd-
eek
June 23, 1976
Daniel Boone didn’t
like coonskin caps
by Sgt. Mike Cohan
Donegal Rangers
Daniel Boone must have
been quite some character.
It is a shame that so much
legend has been built up
around him that nobody
remembers him for - the
things that he actually did.
Ole Dan’l never did carve
his name in a tree (what a
silly thing to do) or rassle a
bear (he was brave, not
crazy) but he did leave
behind a few pointers for
would-be adventurers that
we Rangers might benefit
from. Don’t wear shoes in
the woods, he advised,
because they are too noisy.
Soft buckskin mocassins
can tread on twigs or
leaves silently if you know
how to walk. Ordinary
people walk heel-to-toe but
a real woods-man puts his
toes down first, and gently
so that any crunching will
be muffled. Tip-toeing
through the woods may be
awkward but that’s what
Dan’l advises.
Never stalk game in a
gully or ravine; always stay
on the ridge because that is
where the Indians will be
and even the ‘‘peaceable’’
ones will take your scalp if
you provide the opportun-
ity. Don’t overfill the pan
when priming. Too much
powder can stop up the
vent-hole. Dan’l primed the
pan no more than half full.
As for those buckskins he
is portrayed as wearing 36S
days a year, he says that’s
foolishness. Ain't nothin’
colder’'n wet buckskin nor
nothin’ hotter in the heat.
Boone usually wore linsey-
woolsey. Fringe, he said,
was simply added for
looks. No truth to the story
about shedding water or
blending into the scenery
better. Coonskin caps were
alright for warmth but they
were hot in summer and
had no brim to keep out
sun or rain. Fess Parker
wears a coonskin, the real
Daniel Boone usually wore
a flat brimmed hat like
those of the military rifle-
men. Keeping your feet
warm and dry was accomp-
lished by stuffing dry
leaves or grass into the
mocassins. Deer hairs or
rags will do.
~ Dan’l was a good hunter
because he preferred to sit
and wait for his target.
And he was a good shot
because he rested the long
barrel of his rifle on a rock
or branch. Shootin’ offhand
meant going hungry.
Caring for his rifle was
no ritual for him. A little
beef tallow or bear greases
will keep her from rustin’.
Making a fire to boil water
is like gold; can’t have too
much nor waste too little.
Urine is a good solvent for
blackpowder but you have
to run dry patches through
to clean out the salt, then
protect the bore with a
tallow soaked patch. Heavy
powder charges are hurtful
to a gun and downright
wasteful too. About S50
grains of FFFG is plenty in
any rifle between .45S and
.50 caliber.
As for all those stories
about Daniel Boone and his
‘““Kentucky’’ rifle (he
bought it in Lancaster)
some are history and some
are fiction. ‘Sorting out the
real story is nearly impos-
sible but one interesting
fact comes to light. John
Finley of Donegal was the
first white man to see
Kentucky. Fifteen years
later he and Boone served
in the same battalion in the
PA militia during the
French and Indian War and
it was then that Daniel
Boone first heard of the
lands beyond the Ohio.
Several years later Dan’l
made his first journey
West, laden with Indian
trade-goods that Finley
gave him for the trip.
Seeing this legendary
man in a more factual way
does not detract from his
courage or foresight. He
was not a giant but a
frontiersman from PA like
so many others. It is well
that America has chosen to
remember him so that men
of his kind will not be for-
gotten.
Friendship Fire Co. from 1866 to 1920
This article was compiled
and written by George H.
Hedrick, Jr., of Mount Joy.
George is employed as a
professional fire fighter,
Harrisburg Bureau of Fire;
he is also secretary, histor-
ian, and fire line lieutenant
for Friendship Fire Co.
As historian, he wculd
appreciate an opportunity
to copy any photoes or
documetns pertaining to
Friendship history, which
he hopes to publish. Items
may also be contributed to
the Friendship show case.
Friendship Fire Company
Number 1 can trace its
origins to the year 1866
when in August of that
year a fire destroyed sev-
eral stables covering nearly
a block along West Main
Street. Shortly after this
blaze the council purchased
a second hand engine
which was to remain in
service for 43 years.
The Union Fire Company
was established during this
period; however, for rea-
sons unknown, it was not
well organized and did not
survive.
Public notices were
posted and on January 27,
1868, interested citizens
met in the town hall to
organize a fire company.
25 cents for leaving any
hose off the carriage after
sundown. 25 cents if a
member was absent from a
fire. $1 if intoxicated a-
round the enginehouse or
while wearing company
equipment. 25 cents for
chewing or spitting around
the enginehouse. There are
several more that seem
amusing now that were
dire offenses in 1868.
Mount Joy’s brave lads
responded to the bells in
the traditional equipment
of the era as is evident
from the minutes:
“It was on motion a-
greed to adopt the Black
Fireman’s hat and white
frontpiece and the initials
of the wearers name be
placed on the hat.” Black
belts with red trimming
and the name Friendship,
and of course a red flannel
shirt. S0 men were so
equipped at a cost of $405.
By today’s standards two
men could be dressed to
fight fires at that price.
The Friendship Fire En-
gine Company No. 1, as it
was then known, went into
business with a First Class
Size Button Suction engine
and a ‘‘Spider’’ hose car-
riage with 1000 feet of
leather hose.
A hook and ladder truck
was purchased for $500
from the Philadelphia Fire
Department and served for
several years. :
The Button engine,
which was hauled to the
scene of a fire by man-
power and operated the
same way was ranked
among the most ornate and
powerful engines of its
time. The fact that it was
able to throw a good
stream is evidenced by the
fact that in the Spring of
1875, when the waterworks
opened, a celebration was
held featuring a pumping
contest between the Pio-
neer steamer from Marietta
and Friendship. It was
stated that the hand engine
easily outdistanced the
steamer and came in sec-
- ond only in endurance.
. The first major fire faced
by the boys was the
burning of the Cross Keys
Hotel. The fire building
was a total loss due to the
hard time getting water
from cisterns in the area
and the windy conditions at
the time. The Washington
House was saved only by
superior effort on the part
of the firefighters.
The hand engine gave
way to the internal combus-
tion engine in 1909 when a
waterous pumper was pur-
chased at a cost of $1650.
The pump was powered by
a four cylinder gasoline
engine and the means of
convergence was still man-
power unless Harry Darren
Kamp’s team was available
when the alarm sounded.
This engine, along with
the three hose carriages,
ladder truck, and chemical
cart, served until 1920,
when the first automobile
engines were purchased.
Henry Shaffner was elected
to preside over the meet-
ing. The preliminaries of
setting up committees for
Constitution and By-laws,
securing of funds, and
suggestion of officers were
taken care of at this first
meeting.
One week later the
Constitution and By-laws
were accepted and officers
were elected. Henry Shaff-
ner was elected president,
Richard P. Kelly, Chief
Engineer, and Robert
Whitehead, Chief Hose
Director.
The By-laws carried
some interesting fines, put
there to insure quality
operation of the company.
At the time they were quite
serious and expensive, con-
sidering the value of the
dollar.
Historical atlas
The 1875 Historical Atlas
of Lancaster County, PA by
Everts & Stewart is being
reprinted, sponsored by the
Lancaster County Historical
Society. A pre-publication
sale will be held until July
4, 1976.
A reprint on quality india
paper by The Bookmark,
Knightstown, Ind., national
book and atlas reprint
specialists, will be in its
original size, 14” x 17”.
The atlas contains 138
pages, including 49 pages
containing 129 skillfully
drawn illustrations, 56
pages of landowner maps,
including . lot , owners . in
ess
pdr PA 17603 HE Rpwi pt
: :
towns and villages as well
as townships, 12 pages of
business directories, 18 full
pages of Lancaster County
history, including family
histories.
The pre-publication price
is $13.50 until July 4, and
$5.50 later. Copies will be
mailed for $1.00 extra.
Library-bound copies may
be obtained for an addi-
tional $9.00. (PA residents
add sales tax.) Please allow
approximately six (6) weeks
for delivery of library-
bound copies. Mail orders
to Lancaster County His-
torical Society, 230 N.
President Avenue, Lancas-
SUSQUEHANNA TIMES - Page 15
Teachers couldn’t
chew in school
by Wilbur I. Beahm
About one hundred and
forty years ago the state of
PA passed its first Public
School Law, making free
schools mandatory for
those children whose
parents could not pay for
private teaching. In 1854,
after a long fight, the State
Legislature passed the laws
which established free
Public Schools for all child-
ren of the Commonwealth.
There have been many
changes and revisions since
but the basic principles
were then established.
The western part of the
country was then one
district. Its directors first
employed teachers who had
a room in which the school
could be held, usually in
the home of the teacher.
These teachers thus fur-
nished the school room and
the fuel for heat. Later the
directors decided to build
one room schools which
cost $200 each if not
plastered and $250 if
plastered. The pay for
teaching was $28.00 per
month for women and
$40.00 per month for men;
there was sex discrimina-
tion even then. There were
many areas where the pay
for teachers was less than
in this district.
Later this district was
divided into Marietta Boro
Mount Joy Boro, East
Donegal Township, and
Mount Joy Township.
School buildings containing
several rooms were built in
Marietta, Maytown, and
Mount Joy. The building in
Mount Joy had a gym-
nasium which was the first
gym in a school building in
the country. The Townships
had mainly one room build-
ings with as few as two
rooms. There were four
High Schools, Marietta
High School, Mount Joy
High School, Maytown
High School, and Milton
Grove High School.
The early one room
schools were much like the
one at Valley Forge which
many folks visit each year.
Desks like shelves were
built along the walls and
pupils sat on benches.
Later double desks were
installed in rows with
different sizes for the small
and larger pupils. At first
blackboards were just that,
wide boards painted black.
The school room had a
large pot-bellied stove in
the center. The teacher
taught all grades, one to
eight and was also the
janitor. Several times a
year the directors and/or
the County Supt. would
come to the school to see if
everything was all right
and to hear the pupils
recite their lessons.
About 1895 Mount Joy
published a list of rules for
pupils and teachers, one of
these rules forbade the
chewing of tobacco during
school hours. The teacher
kept a state register which
showed daily attendance of
pupils, the weather, any
visitors, and comments. In
1861 there was a notation
for one day as follows: ‘‘No
school, a day of fasting and
prayer by order of Presi-
dent Lincoln.”
While there is no one
now living who remembers
the beginning of the Public
School System of PA. I am
sure there are some among
the resident of the Donegal
area who can add many.
interesting experiences of
their days in these schools.
Episcopal
Church
history
Compiled by Father Red
from the history of the
Episcopal Church in Mari-
etta.
The history of the
church’s work in the com-
munity of Mariettta long
antedates the building of
the present edifice, at
Market and Chestnut
Streets. Between the years
of 1810 and 1840 Episcopa-
lians worshipped at the Old
Zions Church, a Union
Meeting House which is
still standing and is in use
by the Assembly of God.
After 1840 Rev. Dwight
E. Lyman served as rector
of the Marietta and Colum-
bia congregations, dividing
his time between the two
congregations.
In Marietta, he had
secured the use of a room,
‘‘over a paint shop and up
an alley’’ which he had
fitted up as a beautiful
little chapel.
From the time of Mr.
Lyman’s resignation in the
1850’s until 1865S, the
people of the Marietta
congregation worshipped in
Columbia making the
journey there and back on
a raft by way of the canal.
On Easter Day, April 16,
1865, following the
assassination of President
Lincoln, on Good Friday,
April 14, the Rev. John
(continued on page 16)
ve