NEWS: Items from the Morning Tribune, December 12, 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, Friday, December 12, 1879 ADDITIONAL LOCAL NEWS. On a "Tear." Yesterday morning about 11 o'clock an Eighth ward politician named Charles McDermott created considerable disturbance around town. He first went into Fox's saloon, under the Opera House, where he ordered an oyster stew. This he ate and then told the young man in charge, Harvey C. Liss, that he had no money and would not pay for it. Lias went to the door and told the man he must pay or a policeman would be called. McDermott pushed past him and started up the steps when Lias caught hold of him. In an instant the boy was thrown off and had his clothing badly torn, besides a bruised arm. The boy in [sic] a cripple and has the use of but one side. It was a cruel act to throw him down the stone steps when he could not defend himself. The fellow then went up to Judge Patton's store, on Twelfth street, where he ordered a lot of tobacco. He stated he had no money and the Judge, to get rid of him, told him to clear out. He also visited one or two other places and tried the same game. A warrant has been sworn out for him before Alderman Rose, and he will likely soon be where the wicked cease from troubling. A Grand Break Down. Yesterday evening there was a grand crash at the grocery store of Lingenfelter & Bro., on the corner of Sixth avenue and Ninth street. The upper floor of their store room is used for storing away their goods in bulk. There were piled on the floor, 700 bushels of corn, about 1800 pounds of coffee, a lot of other articles weighing in the aggregate 4200 pounds, independent of 80 barrels of flour. They were still adding to the weight, and had another car load of goods to place on the floor, but the weight was already too great, and seven of the centre joists broke letting the whole storage down into the store room. When they snapped the report was something akin the firing of a small cannon. Three persons were in the store room at the time, but managed to escape injury. About $200 will cover the probable cost. Meeting of the G.A.R. A meeting of the Grand Army of the Republic, Stephen C. Potts post, No. 62, was held last night in their hall. The annual election was held and Dr. W. D. Hall was elected Post Commander; Michael Fitzharris, Senior Vice Commander, and Isaac W. Tooney, Junior Vice Commander; Edward McLean was elected Quartermaster and the Officer of the Day was Theodore Burchfield. A number of other subordinate officers were elected. The post will have a drill in Elway's hall, corner of Eleventh avenue and Ninth street on Saturday at 7:30 P.M. Ten new members were mustered in and about fifteen applied for admission. About one hundred will turn out for Philadelphia. Last night's meeting was fully attended. Broke a Large Glass. On Tuesday night two young men, John Mullen and ----- Coho, broke a large glass in the show window of Mr. A. G. Sink, corner of Eleventh avenue and Seventeenth street. They were leaning against it and were told to go away by Mr. Sink, but paid no attention to his warning. Presently the smash came and an eight dollar pane of glass was broken. Mr. Sink intends to prosecute them for the injury. Runaway and Smashup. Yesterday morning a horse attached to a wagon, belonging to Mr. F. P. Thompson, ran off, starting from the corner of Eleventh avenue and Tenth street. The horse was a very gentle one usually, but was badly frightened at something. He cam in collision with several obstructions and smashed the wagon badly. But he shortly stopped of his own accord and was caught. Sent to the Asylum. Orville Grant, brother of the General, yesterday passed through Altoona on his way to Dr. Kirkbride's insane asylum, where he will be treated. He and an attendant were on the Pacific express. The unfortunate man has been taken to many different places to try the climate, but it nowhere does him any good. He has been afflicted for some time, brought on by business troubles. Meeting of Council. A special meeting of the City Council will be held this evening to consider matters pertaining to the pest house and the dwelling on the Good Will lot; also, upon the streets and pavements. At the last meeting the street commissioner resigned, and a new one will probably be elected. There are a number of applicants for the position. STATE NOTES. The house and barn owned by Utley Castner, in Beale township, Juniata county, was destroyed by fire Monday night. A defective flue caused the mischief. Isaiah Wall, of Penn township, Clearfield county, recently lost a quantity of grain and his farming implements by a fire which consumed an outbuilding in which they had been stored. Will Parks, of Cass township, Huntingdon county, while engaged with some young men in shooting mark with shot guns, was leaning forward with his breast resting on the muzzle of his gun, when one of the young men ran past striking the hammer of the gun with his foot, causing it to discharge its contents in Park's breast and face. The flesh was literally torn from his shoulder and arm, some of the shot passing through his breast and out at his back; his left hand was also badly mutilated, as he had it on the muzzle at the time. A boy about ten or twelve years of age, Henry Baum by name, was instantly killed last Friday afternoon, on the Snow Shoe railroad by being caught between the drawheads of two cars, which crushed his head to a jelly. The cars flying back after meeting suddenly, dropped the lad upon the track when the wheels of one car passed over his head. The old log house and barn in Hill Valley, near the residence of Rev. Jas. R. Lane, eight miles from Mount Union, Huntingdon county, still stand, much as they did forty years ago, when Bob McConaughy murdered six members of the Brown family in and near them. The bullet hole may still be seen in the side of the door made by one of the bullets fired at the old man Brown from the barn, which missed him and left one of the family alive to testify against the murderer. Letter List. ALTOONA, Pa., December 10. - Following is the official list of letters remaining uncalled for in the Altoona postoffice December 10, 1879. If not called for within four weeks, they will be sent to the dead letter office. To obtain any of these letters personal application should be made, giving date of list: LADIES. Barwis, Miss Clara J. Lowe, Mrs. Mary J. Brother, Miss Rose Lego, Mrs. Ellie J. Boyer, Miss Sallie Murrell, Miss Rachel Burns, Miss Ana McAteer, Miss Mary M. Brown, Miss Margaret A. Morgan, Mrs. Margaret Brubaker, Miss Margie Mountz, Miss Jeanette Crouse, Miss Mary McDermitt, Mrs. Andrew Cornell, Miss Mary McDermitt, Miss Celia Devine, Mrs. N. E. Patton, Mrs. Rebecca Dannan, Miss Kate Redline, Mrs. Matilda Fleck, Miss Ella Risher, Miss Maggie Greer, Miss Mollie Ritchey, Miss Eva Garman, Miss Vallie Savage, Mrs. Catherine ?, Mrs. Henry Sharp, Mrs. Sophia Houseman, Mrs. W. T. Tiece, Miss Sallie Kornbaker, Miss Ida Woodley, Miss Maggie Johnson, Mrs. Sarah Will, Miss Nancy Kuhn, Mrs. Mary A. Walls, Miss Annie K?, Miss Clara A. Wills, Miss Jason Logan, Miss Catherine Vaughn, Miss Sallie GENTLEMEN. Arthur, David Kessler, C.W. ?bert, E. B. Keapper, Fred Beamer, Abe Kanes, H. T. Clabaugh, Thos. Klink, Jno. Cornelius, H. C. Long, Jas. Donivan, John McCormick, Jeff Delano, Dave Moore, Jno. Davis, W. D. Mobus, Henry Eichelberger, Dorsey McGough, Frank Ehrenfelt, James More, Elijah Fisher, Jno. H. McManamy, Andrew Fink?, Jno. H. Nichols, Harry Fe?r, Jacob Reynolds, T. P. Farber, Samuel Robertson, Maj. J. L. Fe?er, Henry Solomon, Fred Gibboney, Jno. M. Shaw, P. M. Gorsuch, Wm. Steward, Elmer Greenfield?, L. T. Temple, Wm. Hub?er, Jno. H. Thompson, B. F. Hostler, Reverdy Wilson, James Helsel, S. Wagoner, J.S. Hockenbury, Geo. Waltz, Jer. H?, Ed. Weaver, Harry L. J?, Josh Zerby, S. Keith, Alex FROM HOLLIDAYSBURG. Mr. and Mrs. William Bayley entertained a number of their friends on Wednesday evening at their residence on Walnut street. All those that were in attendance report that they spent a very pleasant evening. CITY AND COUNTRY. Things Briefly Told. Hon. S. S. Blair, of Hollidaysburg, is in Philadelphia. Mr. John C. Trout, of Bedford, was in the city yesterday. Letter held for postage: David Fluke, Six Mile Run, Bedford county, Pa. On Saturday morning Mr. William Rose, of the Vigilant Fire company, received a welcome present - it was a fine baby girl. The city is laying a new stone crossing through the mud at Eleventh avenue and Fourteenth street. Mr. T. P. Reynolds, of Philadelphia, is a great improvement as clerk at the Globe Hotel. An immense quantity of old rails are being received, and piled up by the Cambria Iron Company at their works in Johnstown. Mr. Jack Charles, agent of the Phoenix brewery, of Pittsburgh, was in the city yesterday. Mr. P. S. Fisher, of the firm of Fisher & Co., Johnstown, paid Altoona a visit yesterday. Do not forget the shooting match for a mustang pony at Vaughn's brickyard on Saturday. Honor should be given to whom honor is due. It was Albert Rodgers, and not William Cherry, who shot the deer near Nineveh. Edward Stokes, the slayer of Jim Fisk, was a passenger yesterday on day express. Though yet a young man, comparatively, he is quite gray. H. B. Stouffer, a member of the Mountain City Band, is thinking of locating in the West. Altoona will lose a good citizen and many friends a pleasant companion. Thomas Wilt, an employe of the freight shop, had one of his fingers taken off yesterday. Another employe in the same shop was also injured during the day. Mr. William R. Bowers, night ticket-agent, has been granted a leave of absence for a month to recruit his health. In the meantime, Mr. William C. Westfall will perform the duties of the position. Mrs. Bordell, of Allenville, Mifflin county, whose two children perished in the flames of her house recently burned, noticed last week, has become insane through her grief over the shocking death of her little ones. Dr. E. Cole, of Philadelphia, has been in the city for the past few days, and will leave for home today. He is an excellent physician, who in thirty-six years of practical experience has built up a large business. Owing to a break in the squeezers in B. M. Johnson & Co.'s rolling mill at Hollidaysburg, on Wednesday night, a suspension of operations was ordered for repairs. About fifty men will be thrown out of employment. A portion of the Gautier works, in Johnstown, has been at a standstill this week, owing to a want of stock supply. It is expected that next Monday operations will be resumed. The Blair county bar is for M. W. Acheson, Esq., of Allegheny county, for United States District Judge. Like old mother Huntingdon they have nobody among them "sufficient" for the emergency. They can pick up the chips while somebody else hews. Recently Harvey C. Lias was walking down Eleventh street, near Twelfth avenue, when he slipped and fell. In his endeavor to save himself he threw out his hand which struck the top of a pale and caught on it. The palm was badly torn and a splint ran into it. His other hand was in his pocket, and being a cripple he could not release himself for some time. The wound was quite a bad one. John P. Kahle, formerly mine host of the White Hall Hotel, is moving into a house on the corner of Seventeenth street and Eleventh avenue, where he will open a boarding house in the new building of Mr. Curry. To morrow night the Messrs. Chambers and Edwards will give an entertainment in the Opera House. There is a select programme, but the great attraction will be the concluding sparring match between the above. They are both rather small men, and one is the light weight champion boxer of America. They have been in the city for nearly a week. Fire Company Matters. The Vigilant Steam Fire Company No. 2, are making several improvements. In place of the present floor there will be one laid without any breaks, and the wheel tracks will be done away with. New harness for the horses will be purchased. In place of the present style it will be of the latest and most approved fireman's pattern, that it may be put on quickly. One of the black horses has been disposed of, and the other, which weighs over 1,700 pounds, will be used to the hose carriage. Two new dapple greys will be brought from Maryland to pull the engine. The company will then be run on the best paid fire department principles. A member of the Citizen's Fire Company, No. 3, of Harrisburg, has presented to Mr. W. W. Trout, of the Vigilant, of Altoona, a Spitz dog and a number of other presents. The services of W. W. Trout, driver of the Vigilant company, have been retained and he will serve them another year. Mr. Trout is a prompt and capable officer and should be retained as long as he desires the position. The team committee made a wise choice. Several visiting firemen were in the city yesterday from Philadelphia. They looked through the different houses and stated that the Altoona volunteer fire department was one of the best they had ever seen in its organization. City Councils some time since ordered one thousand feet of leather hose for the Vigilant company and the same amount for the Good Will. Three hundred have recently arrived for the Vigilant and the rest is anxiously looked for. At last! At last! The Tribune has mentioned the need of a brick pavement in front of the Vigilant house, and now the inmates are overjoyed. It is no longer a thing of the future. A FREE KINDERGARTEN Will our Citizens Aid in Establishing and Maintaining One? Rev. Charles Jaekel returned yesterday morning from New York where he had been looking into the workings of the free kindergarten system. He was very much pleased with what he observed, particularly with the institution under the patronage of the Protestant Episcopal Church. He made arrangements by which a lady can be secured for a mere nominal sum to take charge of a free kindergarten for poor children, which is a great and most present want in our city. The question of establishing a school now rests with our benevolent people. Mr. Jaekel will submit his views and observations of a free kindergarten to the Ministerial Association at their meeting next Monday morning, and endeavor to impress the necessity of their respective congregations taking hold of the subject of educating the children who are wholly or partially neglected until they arrive at the proper age to enter the public schools. The fact is, our religious people are spending too much money on foreign missions and neglecting too much of the home work - the interests of the children and those who come to us from foreign lands. The neglect of our churches to look after the poor and their children is operating disastrously to the spread of religion and the growth of Protestant Christianity. The command, "go ye therefore into the highways," is practically obsolete, supplanted by a new one, which reads, "go ye therefore into the banking house, the merchant's palace, the gilded parlor, the rum shop even, and to the rich in all places." We do not say this is specially the case in Altoona, but it is more or less true everywhere. The poor and their children are not so near the heart of the church as the Scriptures command, and herein is the great mistake of modern Christianity. A minister of this city once said to the writer, "Oh, that I could get a hundred of the rabble of Altoona soundly converted and engrafted into my congregation. It would be leaven to my present membership." It is high time Christian people would look this matter square in the face, and cast about for means to afford the neglected waifs of the poor the opportunity for moral and religious education. The free kindergarten is one of the best-known means for accomplishing this result, and its institution and maintenance in our midst could hardly fail to do good to both the bodies and souls of those who are "always with us." Musical Concert. Last evening an audience who desired to help the congregation of the Second Baptist Church in its laudable effort to pay off its debt, about half filled the Opera House. The programmed was quite varied, mostly musical, and consisted of choruses, solos and quartettes. Many of the pieces were encored, but some of them hardly deserved it. "Cousin Jedediah" was an amusing chorus and very well delivered, so were one or two others. The proceeds should be a big help in the extinguishment of the church debt. The principal performers were Misses Ellie E. Olmes, Mollie Palmer and Hattie Dennis, Mrs. Kelley; and Messrs. James Shorter, R. C. Huff, T. B. Thompson, J. W. Brown, G. E. Ormes and W. H. Comes. Fatal Mine Accident. About half past 2 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, two men named James and Patrick Murray were buried under a heavy fall of slate in the Sterling No. 2 mine, about four miles about Osceola, on the Goss run branch, and smothered to death. They were discovered by the driver with the immense mass upon them, and were not unearthed until about 8 o'clock Wednesday evening, in the same position as they had been working - one in the act of having drawn his pick for a blow. One of the unfortunate men leaves a wife and one child; the other was a single man and had only been in this country a few months. The cause of the accident appears to have been a flaw in the coal or slate. The mine is operated by R. H. Powell & Co. Brutally Beaten. On Wednesday a man named John Cherdon beat and severely injured a young man named Augustus Dougherty, who works in the mines, operated by S. C. Baker, above Kittanning Point. Young Dougherty's brother was Constable, and a year ago had occasion to arrest Cherdon, who was bound over to keep the peace for a year. The year expired recently, and Cherdon went to the mine and attacked Dougherty as he came out. He was severely injured and was brought to Altoona to have his wounds dressed. There were many cuts on his face and his jaw was broken.