NEWS: Items from the Morning Tribune, January 26, 1891, Blair County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by JRB Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/blair/ _________________________________________ Items from the Morning Tribune, Altoona, Pa., Monday, January 26, 1891 LEAMERSVILLE ITEMS. The furnace at Mckees will shut down in a few days. John Yingling, of Freedom, lost his valuable young horse a few days ago. We are glad to note that Edward Gonsman, of Freedom, who was so unfortunate some time ago as to have a leg broken while wrestling with a schoolmate, is able to be about again. We do not hope there are any readers of the TRIBUNE who have never heard of or seen Leamersville. Yet, fearing there might be some far enough behind the age as to be in ignorance of the existence of our fair village, we submit the following description of the place: Leamersville is located on both sides of the Juniata river, in Freedom township. It consists of some half dozen families, one school house, church, three shops and a bridge. At one time there was a tavern and a store. The roads from Morrison's Cove and the country lying between the Cove and the Allegheny mountains which, prior to the building of the branch railroad, were the thoroughfares of travel and transportation converged at Leamersville, where the two roads were connected by the bridge that spans the Juniata. Its location in those days of teaming attached to it considerable importance. Here the weary horses were refreshed by water and oats, and the over-heated man drank the Indian's "fire water" to keep cool in summer and warm in winter, in fear that "strange water might not agree with him." Being located about two miles from Shoenberger's iron works it was a convenient place for the forgemen of that day to meet on Saturdays and talk of their work through the week And spend the day In a jolly good way. Talk of hard times And spend their dimes, And go to their beds With awful thick heads. Spend the Sabbath at the stable, Get up on Monday if able; Work hard at the fire To satisfy the desire; That through the landlord's pitcher Made him the richer, While they grow poorer and poorer. Pardon the digression. The subject is so poetical that it naturally flows into measured lines. The fair name of the place is somewhat marred by foul and bloody deeds. Three lives were lost, one by accident and two by assassination. Of the latter, one was killed by an officer and the other was cruelly beaten to death with a hammer by her husband, who carved for himself a name by being the first in the country to tread the platform of the gallows. But the din and bustle of the other days are gone and the place has settled into a quiet neighborhood. A stranger, visiting the place, said: "The people here come the nearest minding their own business and letting that of others alone of any place I know." Two of the shops are in full blast. The ringing of the anvil at all hours indicates that the obliging little smith is drawing out and shaping up the republican iron for the accommodation of his patrons. The measured beat and thuds of the heavy hand ax, early and late, year in and year out, show that Mr. Shade deals in tough oak and has more wagons on the road built by his own hands than any other man in the county. Just on the suburbs of the ancient village are the extensive flouring mills of the Lingenfelter Bros and Hileman & Gates. About ten miles to the north is to be found the younger place now named Altoona.