NEWS: Items from The Tyrone Herald, March 12, 1912, Blair County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by JO Copyright 2008 All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/blair/ _________________________________________ The Tyrone Herald, Tuesday, March 12, 1912 Samuel Riley, of Washington avenue, one of the well known young firemen on Tyrone division, severed his connection with the company and left Friday for Deadwood, South Dakota, where he will engage in mining gold. The venerable J. J. Miller, who has passed his eighty-second year in life, fell last week and broke his right wrist. The fracture was immediately reduced by a physician. Mr. Miller's many friends wish him a speedy recovery. During the month of February there were twenty births in Tyrone; three in Snyder township; while Tyrone township did not add any to its population. As a usual thing the births more than double the number of deaths, but in February there were sixteen deaths in Tyrone. March 13 Mrs. A. B. Gettys, of Blair avenue, celebrated her birthday anniversary. In the evening thirty-two of her neighbors and friends gathered in, and for several hours had a royal time in games and music and social conversation. At the close of the evening's pleasures an excellent wedding [sic] supper was served. Mrs. Gettys was the recipient of many handsome gifts, among them being fifteen very pretty aprons. George Green, of Wilmington, Delaware, has been visiting at the home of his brother-in-law, Frank Phillips, on Bald Eagle avenue. ON THE RETIRED LIST. William Henderson Bing Has Reached the Age for Retirement. Another veteran of the motive power department of the Tyrone division retired voluntarily from active service on the first of the month, after many years' hard plugging in various capacities on the railroad, and never again will the jovial countenance of William Henderson Bing be seen in the cab window of a locomotive. Mr. Bing is known to about everybody in Tyrone and is referred to frequently as another of our "young" old men. He is old in years and experience, but comparatively young physically, considering his long and arduous career, in which he toiled faithfully and well, and it is with great satisfaction to his family and friends that he is now permitted to retire and enjoy the balance of his natural life in rest and recreation. William H. Bing was born at Coatesville on November 4, 1846, and entered upon his railroad career on the Snow Shoe branch, then known as the Bellefonte and Snow Shoe railroad, in the capacity of freight brakeman, September 1, 1868. Three years later he was transferred to the motive power department and took up locomotive firing, continuing there until 1872, when he again was transferred to the machinist gang and worked on engine repairs until December 1, 1880, at which his ability was substantially recognized by his superiors in making him master mechanic. When the Bellefonte and Snow Shoe branch was taken over by the Bald Eagle Valley, Master Mechanic Bing was retained in that position at the Tyrone shops for several months. When the adjustment was made he elected to go on the road and has been a knight of the throttle since that time, which gives him a railroad record of about forty-nine years, and as an engineer of about twenty-one years, a most enviable and rare record. Apparently Mr. Bing is hale and hearty, but of recent years he developed infirmities which have made it necessary for him to relinquish hard work. A very delightful surprise party was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. James Miller, Tuesday evening, in honor of their daughter Maud's seventeenth birthday anniversary. About fifty guests gathered to spend the evening with her. She received many very pretty gifts. The evening was spent in playing games, etc., including excellent refreshments. In the wee small hours of the morning the guests departed for their homes wishing the young lady many more happy anniversaries. Mrs. Blanche Hamer, the efficient bookkeeper at the Franciscus hardware store, is confined to her home with sickness. Councilman Jacob Hoffman is at the Methodist hospital where he will take special treatment. He will afterwards visit his daughter, Mrs. Budd at New Brunswick, N.J. Mrs. W. D. Klein and son, Kenneth, of Newark, New Jersey, are guests of Mrs. Klein's sisters, Mrs. John H. Grazier, on East Tenth street, and Mrs. Samuel Crabtree, on West Fifteenth street. George Carper and family, who for many years have been respected residents of Franklinville, departed Tuesday for their new home near Thompson, Neb., where Mr. Carper will engage in farming. Miss Margaret Sims, of West Thirteenth street, entertained a number of her friends on Friday evening, the event marking her sixteenth birthday anniversary. Messrs. Joseph and Roy Brownlee, sons of Colonel Millard Filmore Brownlee, the grizzled veteran of the Indian campaign, have returned from a pleasant visit to relatives in Columbus, Ohio. Col. D. D. Wood is celebrating his eighty-fourth birthday anniversary today. The Colonel is down town receiving the hearty congratulations of his host of friends. The Herald wishes him many happy returns of the day. Ira S. Fleck, a former Blair county school teacher and resident of Tyrone township, but who now claims Russell, Kansas, as his home, will celebrate his 65th birthday anniversary next Sunday. Many friends in this county are mailing him post card remembrances. Mr. Fleck has held the offices of county superintendent of schools, clerk of the courts and other public stations in the west. On Thursday Oscar Johnson celebrated his twenty-third birthday anniversary and of course there was something "doin." When the young man arrived home from work in the evening he was surprised to find quite a number of his friends awaiting him. It was not long until several well roasted chickens and all the fixings were placed on the table and a happy, hungry family doing their best to satisfy the inner man. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have apartments in the Odd Fellow block on Pennsylvania avenue.