NEWS: Items from the Morning Tribune, November 29, 1879, Blair County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by JRB Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/blair/ _______________________________________________ Items from the Morning Tribune, Altoona, Saturday, November 29, 1879 A DESPERATE FIGHT. Disgraceful Scenes that Marked Thanksgiving Day - A Gang that Should be Squelched. The "Seventeenth street gut gang," as the disreputable crowd of ruffianly brats delight to call themselves, held high carnival on the afternoon of Thanksgiving day. The boys range in age from 12 to 18 years. In the crowd in mind there were seven, and the names of four of them are McDonough, Brown, Coyle and Clowner. The other three are not known. They procured a keg of beer by some means and visited Gospel hill, in the vicinity of Sixteenth street, where they indulged in bacchanalian orgies that were a disgrace to the neighborhood. After finishing the beer in a half-drunken condition they descended the hill. The first person they met, if the reports are correct, was A. J. Horrell, who was in his oil wagon at the time. They assaulted him with stones and pelted him so determinedly that he was compelled to leave his wagon, enter his house and arm himself, when the young scoundrels ran away. Near Seventeenth street the ruffians met a drunken man whom they brutally maltreated. Continuing their operations further down the street, in the neighborhood of the Baptist Church they met and set upon a 16-year-old boy named David Peight, a son of Jacob Peight, who lives near Mudtown. With no apparent cause they beat him with their fists and with blackjacks. One miserable little whelp not more than 13 years old had a blackjack concealed on his person, with which he struck the Peight boy on the back of the head, and when he turned around to see who his assailant was he received a blow from the weapon square on the mouth. Covered with blood and dirt young Peight shouted that he could whip any two of the rowdies at a time. Just here several men appeared on the scene and by commands and force held the young gang back from the boy. Having this opportunity young Peight administered a severe and most deserved drubbing to the youthful blackguard who had just attacked him. His offer to "lick" the whole crowd singly was quite enough for the remainder, and one by one they slunk away like whipped curs. This gang of boys is said to be the same that attacked Phil. Halton on Wednesday, and people who know something about them are anxious to learn why, with their names known and warrants in the possession of officers, they have not been arrested. The Fire Department Election. The election of Chief Engineer and Assistant Engineers of the fire department will take place at the respective engine houses of the companies on Tuesday evening next, the 2d of December. The polls will be opened at 7 o'clock and until 9 P.M. the firemen can have an opportunity to cast their ballots. The candidates and the companies they have been selected from are as follows: Chief Engineer - Hon. B. F. Rose, of the Vigilant; William Lafferty, also of the Vigilant, but nominated by the Good Will. Assistant Engineer - East Side - James W. McKee, of the Vigilant; Gust. Klemmert, of the Good Will; West Side - John B. Stahl, of the Excelsior. Injured by a Fall Down Stairs. Miss Jennie Douglass, who resides with her sister, Mrs. George W. Yeager, on Eleventh avenue, above Fourteenth street, was in the act of coming down stairs on Thursday when she tripped and fell headlong to the bottom, dislocating the thumb of her right hand and suffering other bruises. Her little niece was following behind, and she also from some cause fell and rolled down stairs. The little one, being but slightly hurt, rather enjoyed the adventure, however, and on recovering her surprise remarked that she liked that way - they came down so fast! STATE NOTES. R. H. Carey, of Clinton county, while out hunting last Tuesday was leaning on his gun, with his hand over the muzzle and his face resting on his hands. The gun was discharged, the ball passing through one hand, glancing along the face and head, causing a serious wound. The ball also passed through his right arm. The saw and shingle mill of Wilson R. Hoover in Penn township, Clearfield county, was burned down last Saturday. Insured for $750. It is only about a year since his house and barn in Boggs township were burned. A few days before the burning of his mill he had his great toe split in twain by coming in contact with the saw while attempting to kick a piece of bark out of the way. REAL ESTATE SALES. Orphans' Court Sale. BY VIRTUE OF AN ORDER OF the Orphans' Court of Blair county, the undersigned Administrator of the Estate of JOHN SWARTZ deceased, will sell at Public Sale on the premises, on Wednesday, December 12, 1879, At 1 o'clock P.M., The following valuable REAL ESTATE, viz.: All that certain Lot of Ground, Situate on the corner of Seventh avenue and Seventeenth street, Altoona, Pa., fronting 50 feet on said avenue and extending back along said Seventh street, 120 feet to an alley, and having thereon erected a two story DWELLING HOUSE, and a good STOREROOM with WAREROOM attached; STABLE and other necessary outbuildings. Being the property now occupied by J. E. McDowell. Terms of Sale - One third on confirmation of sale, 10 per cent. of which is to be paid on the day of sale, on refunding receipt, and the balance in twelve, eighteen and twenty-four months, with interest from confirmation of sale, to be secured by judgment bonds of purchaser. W. LEE WOODCOCK, J. E. McDOWELL, Administrators of John Swartz, deceased. ASIGNEE'S SALE OF A Valuable Hotel Property. In pursuance of an order of the Court of Common Pleas of Blair county, I will offer at public sale on the premises at Tyrone, Blair county, Pa., on Tuesday, December 23, 1879, At 10 o'clock A.M., the following described Hotel Property, viz: All that desirable and valuable Hotel Property known as the WARD HOUSE, situated on Main street, in Tyrone Borough, at the junction of the Bald Eagle Valley and Tyrone and Clearfield Railroads with the main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The Hotel is a large three-story frame building with fifty-four commodious bedrooms, large dining room, office, reading room, parlor, and bar room, all in the most approved style and in complete and good condition. Connected with the Hotel are three lots of ground, each 60 feet front by 200 feet deep, on which are erected a large frame stable, wash house and other convenient buildings; also, opposite to these lots is a vacant piece of ground 400 feet front by 200 feet deep, which will be offered for sale at the same time and place, rendering the property more valuable on account of possessing all the available ground in that locality, thereby preventing competition in this line of business, and making it as it always has been one of the most desirable as well as best paying hotel properties along the line of the Railroad. Terms of Sale - One-third on confirmation of the sale, balance in equal annual payments, with interest, secured by the bond and mortgage of the purchaser. Persons desiring the property can purchase at private sale. SAMUEL McCAMANT, Assignee of Mary A. Weston. Postoffice address, Tyrone, Blair county, Pa. FROM MARTINSBURG. T. W. Keagy's dwelling on East Allegheny street is nearly completed. Rumor has it that Fred. Is contemplating the addition of a bride. J. Ross Mateer will start for Philadelphia on Saturday night to lay in his stock of Christmas toys, so that when he returns he will be full from door to door. U. Shank is fitting up the basement of Keagy's addition, in which there are three rooms, for a restaurant, and will be ready to cater to the wants of the most fastidious epicurean. The pupils connected with the common schools have organized a literary society to be known as "The Stephens Lyceum." They earnestly request the parents and friends of education to help them. George Vallause, the mighty Nimrod of the township, captured a horned owl on Thanksgiving day, the length of which from tip to tip is something less than seven feet. When it bristles up its feathers to fight a dog it looks about the size of a little bake-oven. It is for sale. J. L. Keagy's addition to his dwelling house is almost completed; the partition walls have been torn out and the old and new store rooms made one, so that now Keagy & Co. have the largest room in the county. The annex, in which they will keep the queensware and boot and shoe department, will not be completed for several weeks yet. They will have a grand opening of the store-room Saturday next. FROM HOLLIDAYSBURG. Twenty-eight applications have already been filed for steward of the Blair county almshouse. Judge Irwin has sold his stock of goods to Mr. Mercer Gray, who is removing them to Frankstown. John Wighaman has removed his cigar store and factory to the room recently occupied by J. Ritz as a drug store. William Kellerman received a despatch yesterday announcing the death of his brother, John Kellerman, at his home in Butler county. John Kinney, son of Councilman Thomas Kinney, was the name of the young man who was seriously injured by a slide of rock in the Keenan quarry on Wednesday afternoon. His injuries are not as serious as was at first supposed. FROM TYRONE. A lad named Thomas Minary broke through the ice on the forge dam yesterday, and but for timely assistance, rendered by a passing farmer, would have been the subject of a different item than this. Miss Ada Haupt and Charles Study while skating together broke through the ice on the dam on Saturday evening last. Unlike romance, Charley had to depend upon the assistance of others to rescue them. The Sheridan Band, in charge of their genial president, D. D. Wood, serenaded John T. Fowler, the coming lumber king, at his home at Fowler's station on the Bald Eagle Valley railroad Thursday night. It is said that John T., being mightily well placed, responded handsomely. A YOUTHFUL HEAVY WEIGHT. Walter McCaslin, of Clearfield county, a perfect wonder in preponderance of flesh, 10 years of age and weighing 125 pounds, passed through Tyrone Thursday morning going east. He stand three feet in height and measures fifty inches around the waist. His mother, who weighs probably 105 pounds, stated that up until he was 8 months old he grew as an ordinary child. About that time he was thrown out of a carriage, and although not badly hurt she thinks his spine was slightly injured, and accounts for his unusual growth in that way. Three other children were with the mother of this prodigy, and are of the ordinary size and weight. The father, James McCaslin, is dead. OUR BIG TANNERY. The Bald Eagle tannery, owned and operated by D. P. Ray, Sr., has been increased to double its former capacity, now having one hundred and seventy- five "layouts," or vats against ninety as before. A double roller has taken the place of the single one. Nothing goes to waste here. A process has been introduced for cleansing, drying and baling the hair taken from the hides, which was formerly thrown away. It is a perfect success. This hair is used in making blankets, and is therefore very valuable. The "fleshings," too, escape the manure hill, being boiled down and the fat or tallow sold to soap manufacturers. Can it be that this is what finds its way eventually to our hands and faces? About 7,000 cords of bark are stowed away in the immense shed connected with this tannery. Ray is certainly a successful tanner. FROM HUNTINGDON. Miss Minnie Carmon, who is attending the seminary at Birmingham, spent Thanksgiving at her home in this place. Two of our deer hunters, Messrs. John McCoy and John Barrick, aver that they heard a panther one night this week while out hunting deer on Jack's mountain. As the question of bringing water to Altoona by means of a siphon is being agitated through the columns of the Tribune by a correspondent, we substantiate the correspondent's theory. Mr. Charles Miller, tanner, of this place, informs us that he has often drawn the water from his vats by means of a siphon. Last summer water was forced from the canal to Henry & Co's dry kiln at the planing mill also by means of a siphon. One of our merchants, W. T. Bare, entered the Benedictine ranks on Wednesday last by taking Miss Sadie Johnson, of Allegheny Furnace, Blair county, as his partner. We wish Mr. Bare and his better half a safe journey over the rugged streams of life.