Page 20—SUSQUEHANNA BULLETIN Hon. Simon Cameron, Maytown’s native son, depicted as scoundrel on local TV channel BR 5 Cr A FB HS SSSR Portrait of Cameron given to Henry Haines family Last Wednesday night at 9 p.m. a television show entitled **Sandburg’s Lin- coln: The Unwilling Warri- or’’, was broadcast over WGAL-TV, Channel 8, Lan- caster. About Lincoln's try- ing carly years as president, the show depicted Simon Cameron, Lincoln's first Secretary of War, as a corrupt and careless admin- Sign in Maytown marking Cameron's birthplace. istrator of the Union's war cffort. Simon Cameron; as an historical sign in the town declares, was a native of Maytown, 1799. Cameron shown as corrupt At a meeting of Lincoln’s cabinet, in the show, evi- dence was brought out showing that Cameron had authorized the re-buying of guns at higher prices, which the Army had previously sold at low prices because they were defective. Sol- diers had reputedly lost thumbs and whole hands in firing these guns. Other damning evidence against Cameron was brought out. As Lincoln listened to the recital of his Secretary's sloppy wrongdoing, he put his head down in his hands. ‘Steal a red hot stove?” Cameron asked if the cabinet considered him a thief. In the show, Lincoln replied he did not think Cameron ‘‘would steal a red hot stove’’. Angered, Cameron asked for a retraction of Lincoln's statement. Lincoln added to Camer- on’s humiliation by reply- ing, ‘Alright, 1 didn’t say you wouldn’t steal a red hot stove.”’ . Afraid of cold? Lincoln told Cameron he would relieve him of his Secretaryship by making him ambassador to the court of the Czar of Russia in St. Petersburg. Lincoln added that he thought the ‘‘Czar.of Pennsylvania’’ (a title Cameron had earned as political boss of his state) should deal well with the Czar of Russia. In the show, Cameron whimpered that he would get cold in St. Petersburg. The Lincoln on Channel 8 volunteered to lend Camer- on some of his presidential long underwear. To check the accuracy of the show's picture of Ca- meron, the Bulletin looked into Sandburg’s biography of Lincoln. In Sandburg’s book, the statements about Camer- on’s inability to steal ‘‘a red hot stove’’ are attributed to Thaddeus Stevens, not Lin- coln. Apparently, the show was not true to its label: **Sandburg’s Lincoln’. Local historical views of Cameron The Bulletin also asked reliable local sources what Cameron was really like. Jack W.W. Loose, pres. of the Lancaster County His- torical Society, was consul- ted. Also, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Haines, IV, May- town, who had aided Prof. Erwin S. Bradley in his recent research on the political career of Simon Cameron. Loose said that Cameron was ‘‘no more crooked than was considered normal for the times...He got contracts for his friends, but he never gave them to himself...Like anyone who is powerful and effective in politics, he had enemies.’ Victim of enemies Loose thinks Cameron was a victim of greed and envy. ‘‘The people who Cameron's mansion near Donegal Church Tulip tree in Maytwon Square planted by Simon Cameron didn’t get the war contracts were very angry... Naturally, they accused Cameron of being dishonest. Eventually Lincoln was forced to go along with them.” The Haineses let the Bulletin read Bradley's life of Cameron, in which the Haines assisted the author. Mr. Haines’ grandfather, Captain Henty Haines, a veteran of Antietam, Shiloh, Vicksburg and the notorious Confederate prison camp, Andersonville, was an inti* mate of Cameron’s. The Haineses made available to Bradley correspondence be- tween Cameron and the Captain, which they have preserved. Bradley states that no real evidence of corruption a- gainst Cameron could ever be found. ‘‘His bitterest enemies could only charge him with poor management and judgement.” Generous to friends To his friends and neigh- bors around Maytown, Cameron was generous. For example, according to the Haineses, he provided both the local Lutheran and Reformed congregations with parsonages. It seems that the best historical research has turn- ed up nothing to refute Cameron’s statement near the end of his 90 years on earth: ““When I am gone all I ask is that people may say that 1 did the best I could and was never untrue to a friend.” The ““tunnel’’ of maple trees along Donegal Springs Road planted by Simon Cameron September 10, 1975 New teachers in Donegal New staff members in the Donegal School District in- clude: Miss Elizabeth A. Maile, a resident of Port Carbon, PA. and a graduate of Penn State University and Nativi- ty BVM High School in Pottsville. = She will be teaching high school home economics, replacing Mrs. Robinson. Miss Maile is a beginning teacher and will also serve as cheerleading ‘coach. Miss Rudelle Ann Durci from Tarentum,PA., who graduated from Shippens- burg State College and Natrona Heights High School, will teach high school business education which is federally funded for one year. Miss Durci is a beginning teacher. Mr. R. Thomas Knorr of Elizabethtown who will re- place Mr. Lytle as health and physical education teacher. Mr. Knorr is a graduate of West Chester State College and Donegal High School. He was previ- ously a substitute teacher in Donegal High School and has been employed by the Lancaster County District Attorney’s office. He will also be assistant football coach and trainer. He is married to a teacher at Elizabethtown and is active in boy scout work. He has achieved Eagle Scout honors and has been active in football, wrestling and swimming. He is a first year teacher. Mr. Charles R. Koerner from Holland, PA., a gradu- ate of E. Stroudsburg State College and Council Rock High School, will teach high school English and social studies, replacing Mrs. Kindbom. Mr. Koerner is married and has served three years in the Army, spending time in West Germany and South Viet- nam. He has also worked for the FBI. He is a first year teacher. Mrs. Marcia Keller of Mount Joy will go from part time to full time status as a high school French teacher, replacing Miss White. She is a graduate of Lock Haven State College and Bald Eagle— Nittany High School. Mrs. Keller also attended the University of Dijon, France and is pre- sently taking courses at Millersville State College. She is married to Mr. Steve Keller, a Donegal graduate. She has been substituting in Donegal schools in recent years. Miss Teresa Walton, a resident of Christiana, will be junior high school home economics teacher, replac- ing Mrs. Brown. She is a graduate of Messiah College and Solanco High School. She was most valuable (continued on page 12) pod ld eh PN eed — « MN re NW Bs ET N00 00MM
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