NEWS: Items from the Morning Tribune, December 10, 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, Wednesday, December 10, 1879 ADDITIONAL LOCAL NEWS. Infringing the Law. Mayor Hurd last evening did unto Samuel Brimmer as the law directs in cases where men threaten their wives. As previously reported the sinful man abused her and was bound over for a further hearing. If he does not obtain $200 bail he will have to go to prison this morning. Isaac Brimmer, a brother of Samuel, also fell into the iron clutches of the law. He was last night locked up on the general charge of disorderly conduct. The Altoona Company in Line. At the meeting of the Altoona (P.R.R.) Fire Company last evening Messrs. Pierce Klegg, C. W. Kerlin, William L. Hershey, G. F. McNulty and J. D. Stouffer were elected delegates to represent the company at the "union" meetings of the firemen for the purpose of arranging for the proposed great celebration on the 5th of July, 1880. The next meeting will be held this evening at the house of the Empire company on Tenth avenue. The Altoona boys also decided to celebrate in an appropriate manner the eleventh anniversary of their organization, which occurs on January 1, 1880. Some of Our Hotels. Most of Altoona's hotels are for the accommodation of railroad travelers but in the southern portion of the city there are three hotels which receive many traveling salesmen with teams, hucksters, farmers, etc. The White Hall, under the care of H. E. Metcalf, averages seventy-five teams per week. Next comes the Farmer's Home, over which William Myers holds the reins. It accommodates about as many as the former; and following it is the Mountain City, under the care of Silas M. McGough, who has in the neighborhood of forty teams a week. Our New and Old Reporters. Mr. R. P. Sharples, of West Chester, assumes the duties of local editor of the Tribune in place of Mr. J. M. Furey. We regret to part with Mr. Furey, but so it is. He has been a faithful employe, a rapid and graceful writer and has our best wishes. We commend Mr. Sharples to our citizens as a pleasant young man, and hope they will afford him every facility in gathering up the news. He has had considerable experience in journalism, and has the ability to write up the city doings in a readable manner. A Serious Mishap. Yesterday little Willie Goodfield and two companions were playing, when Willie received a severe fall. They were sitting on a wheelbarrow near Seventh avenue and Sixth street, which was standing near a deep gutter. The wheelbarrow tipped over, and threw young Goodfield into the gutter and one of the boys rolled on top of him. He was severely bruised on one side and had his arm sprained. The child was carried to the house and medical attendance brought in. STATE NOTES. August Wegenest, aged 16 years, of Terre Haute, Indiana, was killed in the Harrisburg yard Monday morning by being struck by a shifting engine. Colonel Robert Ingersoll left Conneautville, Crawford county, when fifteen years of age. His board bill was not settled, and when he returned there not long since to lecture he paid it with interest. Franklen Shaub while riding on the bumper of a car on the Pennsylvania railroad, near Lancaster, on Saturday, was thrown off and instantly killed. FROM HOLLIDAYSBURG. Miss Ada McCune, of Altoona, is visiting Miss Sue Bollinger. Miss Lottie Lloyd, of Pittsburgh, is visiting relatives in Gaysport. Harry A. Balsinger, late of the Register office, took his departure last evening for Johnstown. Miss Reno Cramer, of Altoona, who was visiting friends in this place, departed for home yesterday. One of the presents sent to the tin wedding of Prothonotary Stewart was a tin cradle containing two China babies. Hon. Thaddeus Banks was very poorly yesterday, but was slowly improving as we wrote - six o'clock last evening. He has been ill for some time, but has not been considered dangerous. Albert Wertz, the victim of yesterday's railroad accident at Manning & Lewis's stone quarry, will be buried this morning at ten o'clock. The services will be held at the residence of his father in the Loop. The Lutheran entertainment on Saturday evening will no doubt be first-class, as Frank Proctor manages the affair and he knows how to do it. A first-class glee club of young gentlemen will do the singing. The lady sending her picture on October 7, to Henry R. Fleming, Pittsburgh, Pa., can receive it at the postoffice, it having been returned from the Dead Letter office. The face is not familiar to any of the employees of the office in this place. The tin merchants did a good business yesterday. A great many presents were purchased for the tin wedding of Prothonotary Stewart and wife, which took place last evening. A number of persons from Altoona were in attendance. A team belonging to William Vaughn, of Duncansville, was frightened at some object in the diamond yesterday and proceeded to run off. No one was in the wagon at the time but a little boy who was holding the lines. Postmaster Lingafelt seeing the danger of a serious accident stopped the runaways in their mad career. FROM TYRONE. RAILROAD WATER SUPPLY. About January 1 the Pennsylvania Railroad Company will supply their shops and tanks at East Tyrone with water brought in their own pipes from the Bald Eagle creek. The pipes have already been laid through which the water will have a natural fall, and will flow into a brick- lined well ten feet wide by twenty-feet deep, located at the machine shop. From this well it will be forced into the tanks a little further east. Besides saving a big water rent the company will then have a good and never failing supply of water. A CORRESPONDENT CORRECTED. A short time since a correspondent of the Philadelphia Record "did" our town, and in a letter to that paper a few days subsequent, gave a sketch of the place, its past, its present and its promising future. This is all well enough, but in justice to one of our enterprising citizens we desire to correct one of his statements. He mentioned among the industries of our town the photograph copying house of Mr. C. C. Schriver and gave to him the credit of originating this valuable process and overlooked entirely the copying house of Mr. Daniel Harris on Juniata street. Mr. Harris' copying house is the oldest establishment of the two, having been in operation for years, while that of Mr. Schriver is yet comparatively in its infancy. Neither of these gentlemen claim to be the originator of the process, but both have made improvements in the art that places their work second to none in the State. FROM HUNTINGDON. Argument Court will convene in this place on Monday, the 15th inst. Mr. Israel Bordell, who is now in Kansas, will shortly migrate to this place. Our jovial friend, Mr. John Dopp, Pennsylvania railroad tick agent at Petersburg, was in town on Monday. G. W. Price, who was confined in the Blair county jail, because of his weakness for headless chickens, has returned home. Mr. Frank Gage is suffering from a severe attack of rheumatism, and is compelled to Gage his pedestrian exercises by the use of a cane. A son of W. F. Bathurst died of membraneous croup on Friday evening. The remains were interred in the cemetery on Sunday afternoon. We regret to learn of the continued illness of Baggage Master Clark. Mr. Clark is one of the oldest baggage masters on the Huntingdon and Broad Top railroad. We wish him a speedy recovery. The portly form of ex-Sheriff Henderson, of Union Furnace, was visible on our streets yesterday. He informs us that work on his new mill is being pushed forward as rapidly as possible. This mill will be a great convenience to farmers in that vicinity who have to get their flour, etc., at Tyrone and other points. TYRONE FORGES. This unique town has a population of about one hundred, but is, nevertheless, lively for its size. Cards are out for a wedding about Christmas, the high contracting parties being Mr. Cal. Stouffer and Miss Frances Dougherty. Matthew Long, Esq., has purchased the property of Michael Dougherty, deceased, and will erect a new building on the premises. Mr. Long, besides being an extensive property-holder, is one of the staunchest Democrats in Blair county. In fact, he is the only Democrat in Ironsville. In Ironsville, just a short distance from the Forge is the flour mill operated by E. G. Study & Co., of Tyrone. Mr. Joshua Stouffer has charge of the mill, and is an excellent miller, giving satisfaction to all the customers. This mill does a first-class business, and is kept most of the time running night and day. We presume that a letter from this place would be interesting to the readers of the Tribune. Since the forge has been put in operation by a Pittsburgh firm, for the purpose of manufacturing steel in a raw state by a new process, the village has assumed a business-like appearance. At present about thirty men are given employment at the forge, and shortly a larger force will be put on. About ten car loads of this raw material is shipped to Pittsburgh a week. A. G. Morris, of Tyrone, has taken charge of the limekilns formerly operated by Long & MacIntosh, and has laid a railroad track from the main line to the kilns, a distance of about half a mile. He proposes to ship large quantities of lime every day from these kilns. CITY AND COUNTRY. Things Briefly Told. The Lodge of the Mystic Chain, of this city, will give a supper soon. Mr. Ed. Keys, a clerk at the St. Lawrence Hotel, is off on a two week's vacation. Daniel Stoner, of Seventeenth street, is just recovering from a severe attack of catarrh. Mr. J. M. Fenlon, of the Cambria Freeman, of Ebensburg, visited Altoona friends yesterday. On Thursday the Second Baptist Church (colored) will give a musical concert in the Opera House. Twenty-six men were employed yesterday morning to work on the new addition to the wheel foundry. An elegant line of holiday goods, very cheap, at the Altoona drug store. D. G. Hurley, Superintendent. Pat. Rooney's troupe put up at the Central Hotel. The next place they are booked for is Lock Haven. Dr. Bittner, Republican candidate for City Treasurer, is making things boom. The doctor would make a good officer. Dr. S. M. Walker has returned from a visit to Pittsburgh friends. The air of the smoky city seems to suit his constitution. Charles Morse, of the firm of Palmer & Morse, carriage manufacturers, of Altoona, has been quite ill for some time past. The quarterly meeting of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion church will be held on Sunday. Rev. Mr. Evans is pastor in charge. Mr. George Pottsgrove, whose grist mill is a short distance below this city, has attached steam power to, and will start the new machinery in a few days. Treasurer Rutledge is occupying his leisure time in paying off such of the indebtedness of the county as is due, and he says that he is ready to meet the demands of all who hold bonds now matured. General A. H. Coffroth yesterday returned to Washington to resume his Congressional duties. In his intercourse with our people he made himself many friends. Mr. Paul Sharp is having a frame house erected on Seventeenth street, next door to his residence. It is a two story structure and will be used as a tenement. You can get at the Red Lion Hotel a schooner of Iron City beer, cream ale, Niagara stock ale, Buffalo ale, Rochester ale and Canada brown stout. A letter from Mr. Joseph Glasgow, who is now sojourning in Wooster, Ohio, reports him in excellent condition, all of which his many friends here will be glad to hear. Judge Henry Fettinger, who hangs forth his shingle just "fornist" the Logan House, has on his counters the Frank Leslie almanac for 1880. It is a fine 65 page illustrated book. N. P. Mervine, esq., is actively engaged in the canvass for the District Attorneyship under Republican rules. He is making friends on every hand and his chances appear to be flattering. Mary Richter yesterday charged her lord and master, Frederick by name, with desertion. Alderman O'Toole and John both knew he shouldn't do it, and so the man was bound over to appear in court. Messrs. Perry and Hollinger, two knights of the razor, were out hunting on Monday. They are good shots, but some animals know how to hide well, and as a consequence the net gain of the two was a nice little ground hackie. Doan Michener, who had both legs crushed at Marysville, on Sunday, and which were subsequently amputated at the Harrisburg hospital, died there about 11 o'clock Sunday night. He is said to have been worth $30,000. Hon. M. Edgar King, of the Radical, was seen at the depot Monday evening with a handsome coach "purp" peering out from under his overcoat. We learn that the infant canine caused the newspaper man broken slumbers, and required careful nursing to quiet its piercing yells. The quantity of coal and coke carried over the Pennsylvania railroad for the third week of November was 139,516 tons, of which 107,471 tons were coal and 32,045 tons of coke. The total tonnage for the year thus far has been 5,398,055 tons, of which 4,227,805 tons were coal and 1,170,250 tons of coke. An indignant correspondent from "Owl's Misery" is disgusted over light-weight hogs, and wants us to remind the possessors of such trifles once more that Jacob McClelland, of Logan township, butchered two porkers that dressed 608 and 557 pounds respectively, and cites such reputable farmers as Jonathan Hamilton, Robert Harris and Francis Bare as proof. Last night a variety band made night hideous. They tendered John Swoyer and wife a serenade. Dr. P. C. Sanderson, better known as "Yellowstone," was in the city last night dispensing his Indian herbs to afflicted mortality. Dominic Reagan, of Altoona, has within the past few days been promoted to the charge of a freight engine on the Mountain division of the Pennsylvania railroad. Mr. "Chip" Verner, assistant superintendent of the Altoona yards, P.R.R., has been transferred to Middletown, Pa., to assume the supervisorship of Division No. 4. He left on the 1 P.M. train this morning. A young man named Howard Piper, of Alexandria, Huntingdon county, was instantly killed yesterday morning. He was riding a horse to school, when he was thrown off with the above result. Deceased was 10 years of age. City officers yesterday viewed the ground for a new culvert at the corner of Sixteenth street and Plank road. The present means of draining off the water are poor, and the much-needed culvert will probably soon be put in. Champeno's Educated Dog. A little black dog on Twelfth street, owned by William Champeno, can do more than most boys, and that is, obey everything his master tells him. When asked William as a favor exhibits the dog to his friends. The dog is a little black fellow, ugly as the "Old Scratch," and is taught many ways that are dark and tricks that are vain. At his master's beck and call he will lie down and roll over, or stand up on two feet. In one of his performances a coin is laid on his nose and his can walk around with it on his nose while balanced on two feet. When invited to choose his partner for a waltz he takes the tip of his tail between his teeth and goes spinning round and round across the room. He will jump on his master's back and mount with all four feet on his head. His alphabet he knows well, and can understand figures when counted to him. In this latter trick a coin was laid on his nose and he was told to knock it off when five had been counted. Counting past the figure and skipping it resulted in no move, but the moment it was pronounced away went the coin. When given a note to take home, the dog delivered it, and indeed, has been sent on errands half a mile away, which were faithfully executed. He has a hundred amusing little tricks, and is considered as the apple of his master's eye. Five years ago he was an uneducated pup in the oii [oil?] regions and showed remarkable ability before he was taught. When he his master was sick he would not even allow a physician to approach him until first given permission. He is sent to the postoffice on errands, which are always faithfully performed and an answer brought back. Doggy can also sit on a barrel and smoke a clothespin for a cigar. Two Serious Accidents. Marcellus Weakland is a brakeman employed in the Pennsylvania company's yards, and yesterday he met with a serious accident. He tried to jump on a freight car but did not quite make it, and fell to the ground, striking his head a severe blow against the iron rail. He cut a gash across his forehead over one eye, laying the bone bare. His injuries were immediately attended to, and he was then taken to his home. A boy named Charles E. White, employed in the wheel foundry, met with quite a serious accident yesterday evening. Another employe was handling wheels, when two wheels rolled against White, knocking him down and breaking the knee cap of his right leg, which will be permanently injured although not stiffened. He was conveyed to the residence of his brother-in-law at Seventh avenue and Eighth street and medical attendance given him by the company's physicians. His parents reside near Mapleton, Huntingdon county. A Fine Piece of Work. There now stands in John B. Burkett's meat market a beautiful floral wreath made of wax. It may be familiar to some of our readers as the work of Mrs. J. S. Brown. The intention is to chance the piece off at Poffenberger's saloon, at ten cents a chance. The piece is set in a deep glass-covered frame. In the centre is a cross, around which twines a vine, all in white. At either side stands a calla lily, and around the whole is a wreath of beautiful natural-looking flowers in their natural colors. Roses, drooping fuchsias, geraneums [sic], and many others are all tastefully arranged around the central figure. The fortunate man will have a beautiful prize for his ten cents. On the evening of the 24th of December it will go to the person holding a ticket yet to be chosen. Where is John S. Bechtel? John S. Bechtel was at one time very well known to citizens of Altoona as a clerk of Superintendent Cassatt. When the Superintendent went to Philadelphia John still stayed with him, but shortly after became dissipated and mysteriously disappeared. Only a few weeks since his wife died of a broken heart. Since her death it has transpired that she knew of John's whereabouts all the time and was in correspondence with him. When he left her he went to one of the western Territories, and there tried to live a new life. He probably does not know of his faithful wife's decease. Improvements at the Iron Works. Considerable improvement is being made at the Altoona Iron Works. A new guide mill is being put in operation. Three new puddle furnaces have lately been put in, one of which is started and the other two will shortly follow. A large order for 800 tons of bar iron is now being worked up. Owing to the scarcity of wheels the puddle mill has been stopped from working at night. OPERATIONS BY BURGLARS Fries Brothers' Hardware Store Robbed, Two Unsuccessful Attempts on Sixth Avenue. On Monday night the hardware store of Messrs. Fries Bros., on Eleventh avenue, was entered by burglars and a large quantity of goods stolen. The thieves seemed to be after shooting irons, as they paid especial attention to the revolver cases. The revolvers in the show windows, and several butter knives and other small articles were taken. The entrance was made through the cellar window in the rear of the building. From here they made their way to a trap door opening into the main store room. Two large stove plates had to be removed from the trap door before entering, but this was all done successfully and quietly. Two clerks sleeping in the upper rooms of the store were not awakened and knew nothing of the robbery until the next morning. The only clew left by the robbers was a block of wood and an old chisel used in prying the trap open. The loss is estimated to be over two hundred dollars. At 12 o'clock midnight on Monday and at 12:30 o'clock yesterday morning two attempts were made to force an entrance to the residence of William Rhea, No. 918 Sixth avenue. The burglars had made considerable progress when Mrs. Rhea, who has been on a bed of sickness for two months past, was awakened by the noise. She called aloud to her son, who arose and, arming himself with a revolver, proceeded down stairs for the purposes of looking into the affair. The thieves, alarmed at the sound of approaching footsteps, sought safety in flight, and in their haste to retire left behind them some of their tools. The opinion is that the attempt was made either by tramps or by some one familiar with the premises and the ways of the occupants. The Rhea family have procured an additional supply of firearms, and should the burglars renew the attack they will in all probability meet with a warm reception. The Rheas are strengthened in the belief that the outrage was perpetrated by men familiar with the house owing to the fact that at the first attempt they called the dog by name; when they appeared the second time, however, the dog showed fight, barked violently and would not be quieted. A New Industry. The Pennsylvania railroad company have lately instituted a new industry at their works in Altoona. They are now engaged in manufacturing their own files, an industry which is rarely practiced in this country. In a small building near the lower round house, formerly used as a blacksmith shop are six or eight men and boys who are engaged in recutting old files and making new ones. It is under the superintendence of Mr. John Knighton. The files when brought from the shops are unhardened (not untempered as is generally supposed) and are then smoothed off. After this the sharp ridges are again cut in them, and they are ready to be hardened and used. The cutting is all done by hand, with short sharp chisels and a hammer. The files made are mostly of three sorts, according to shape, and about a dozen different grades, from the very fine finishing file up to the coarse bone-rasp. The ones made at the Pennsylvania shops are exclusively for the use of the company. Another Railroad Charter Granted. At the State Department Monday, a charter was granted for a new railroad line to be built by the Susquehanna and Clearfield Railroad Company, which is to be located in the counties of Centre, Clearfield and Clinton, extending from a certain point of the Philadelphia and Erie railroad, near Keating, Clinton county, and thence along the West Branch of the Susquehanna and the Moshannon to a connecting point with the Lock Haven and Clearfield railroad, at or near the mouth of said creek - a distance of thirty-five miles or thereabouts. The company represents a capital stock of $700,000, divided into 14,000 shares of $50 each. Following are the officers of the road: President, George B. Roberts; Directors, Wister Morris, N. Parker Shortridge, Edmund Smith, A. J. Cassatt, Strickland Kneass and John P. Green. Thomas A. Scott represents the Pennsylvania railroad, which owns 3,455 shares of the stock. A New Hospital Project. At the preachers' meeting in the Railroad Men's Christian Association room yesterday morning the subject of establishing a hospital in the city of Altoona was freely discussed. It is the idea to have it supported by the citizens and to be open to all classes. A great need is felt in this direction. No definite action was taken, but the matter will be discussed by our citizens.