NEWS: Items from the Cambria Freeman, January 16, 1903, Cambria County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Patty Millich Copyright July 2008. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cambria/ _________________________________________ Cambria Freeman Ebensburg, Pa. Friday, January 16, 1903 EXAMINATION FOR MINE FOREMAN Tuesday morning, January 20th, in the City Hall, Johnstown, will begin the annual examination for mine foreman and fire bosses in the Sixth Bituminous district, in connection with similar quizzes all over the state. The examinations will be in charge of a board composed of Mine Inspector Josiah T. Evans; John Donaldson, foreman of the Conemaugh mine and Peter Connors, foreman of a mine at Well's Creek, Somerset county. The examination will last three days, the first two days being for mine foremen and the last day for fire bosses. Mine Inspector Evans says there is a great scarcity of both mine foremen and fire bosses; that for several weeks he had pending applications for at least six coal companies to secure for them mine foremen but that he has not been able to furnish the men. LOCAL AND PERSONAL Mr. C. R. Jones, of this place, was a visitor to Altoona on Thursday. The erection of a new court house is being agitated in Somerset county. The recent snow storms closed up many of the country roads with drifts. Rev. Father Ludden, of this place, spent several days in Pittsburg this week. Mr. William Frailey, of this place, spent the past week with his parents in Irvona. Miss Bertha McAteer, of Loretto, was a visitor to friends in Ebensburg on Tuesday. H. H. Myers, Esq., went to Philadelphia Thursday evening on a business visit. Miss Nellie Lloyd, of this place, is the guest of Mrs. A. M. Stinerman at South Fork this week. Mrs. Luke Weakland, of this place, who has been seriously ill with pneumonia is much improved and is now on a fair road to recovery. It is reported that a new roundhouse will be constructed in East Hollidaysburg this spring with capacity for thirty-four locomotives. While there are still quite a number of smallpox cases in this county, the disease is reported to be abating considerably. Mr. M. D. Bearer has sold his property on Julian street in the West ward of Ebensburg to Mr. E. J. Luther, the consideration being $3,000. Messrs. John Thomas, of Cambria township, and Richard Tibbott, of this place started on Monday for Iowa City, Iowa, where they will visit relatives. The recent cold snap has covered Lake Rowena with a good quality of ice about 12 inches thick and people having ice houses to fill are busy with the harvest. The commission to inquire into the mental condition of George E. Betz, of Summerhill, this county, appointed at the instance of his wife, have reported that he is perfectly fine. M. D. Kittell, Esq., of this place, left on Monday afternoon for Bellefonte to attend the funeral of ex-Governor, Daniel H. Hastings. Mr. Kittell was an honorary pallbearer. Frank Lewis, a guest at the Merchants Hotel, Johnstown, supposed to hail from Pittsburg, attempted suicide by cutting his throat early Tuesday morning. He was suffering from tremens and was removed to the Memorial hospital. There are 509 cases of smallpox throughout Pennsylvania, exclusive of Philadelphia, and but two deaths from the disease during the month of December, according to the report of Dr. Benjamin Lee, the secretary to the State Board of Health. Hon. John Dean, of Hollidaysburg, is increasing his purchases of mineral rights in the Brush Valley fields. Recently he has purchased about 900 acres of coal lands in Brush Valley township, Indiana county, and is about to close options that he secured on a dozen other tracts. Officials of the Pennsylvania Railroad company in Altoona announced on Friday that the company will pay all employees who were members of the National Guard, during the recent coal strike, full time, the same as if they had been working. It will amount to over $10,000 on the Pennsylvania Railroad division. The coining mill at the Cambria Powder Plant in Westmoreland county near Seward blew up between 1 and 2 o'clock this (Thursday) afternoon and one of the employees, Robert Woods, aged forty years, was badly burned. The cause of the explosion is not known. Two men were killed by an explosion at the same place in November. Charles W. Bowles, son of Prof. J. W. Bowles, of Altoona, was knocked down late Tuesday night in the back yard of his home and stabbed half a dozen times in the region of the heart. It is believed his assailant thought him an Italian fruit dealer living next door, who has had trouble with some fellow countrymen. A new bituminous district has been created of the territory in Cambria county, north of Cresson, and Alex Monteith of Benedictine, has been appointed Mine inspector therein. The semi-annual convention of sub-district No. 2, United Mine Workers of America will be held in the opera house at Hastings on Wednesday, February 27, for the election of officers, including a president, vice president, secretary-treasurer, six members of the sub-district executive board, two adults [sic] and one member to represent the sub district on the district executive board. Frank Trombaugh, night watchman for the Duquesne Coal and Coke company, of Bradenville, Westmoreland county, had a thrilling experience with two negro highwaymen about 2 o'clock Monday morning. They ordered him to hold up his hands and when he politely refused, fired at him, one ball cutting a gash in his head. Then they took all his garments, but his underclothing. The man was almost frozen when he found shelter. John H. McClure, of the People's Credit clothing company of Altoona, was arrested to answer a charge of embezzling preferred by Richard P. McCarthy, general manager of the company. About two or three weeks ago, McClure reported to Chief of Police Tillard that the store had been robbed of $338.35, and that the thieves had evidently gotten in the back way, as there were tracks there. At the time the chief investigated the affair but did not take much stock in the story. The amount of the shortage, including the $338.35 cash, is about $1,200. It is stated that McClure recently lost about the amount of cash that was stolen in an Altoona gambling joint. While thawing out dynamite on Saturday morning about 9 o'clock at the new Gallitzin tunnel, Henry DeVaughn, aged 31 years, and Charles Reonolds, aged 22, both of Bennington, were injured. DeVaughn received a laceration of the scalp while Reonolds received a fracture of both bones of his right forearm. Both men were taken to the Altoona hospital where they are receiving surgical attention. Messrs. Smith & Courtwright are opening up the coal on what is known as the Moore syndicate on the Blacklick, and it is expected that they will be ready to ship coal from one of their operations within the next sixty days. They have secured about twelve hundred acres of coal land and intend to put in three other operations in order to work the coal to the best advantage. Arthur Horn, nineteen years old, was arrested in DuBois Wednesday on charges of desertion from the United States army and horse stealing. He was stationed at Fort Robinson, Neb., and deserted after three months service. He hired a horse at Bakerton, this county, on Monday and failed to return it. He was traced to DuBois and the horse was found in his father's barn. Alfred Ruggles, a young man about 23 years of age, left his home in Altoona Monday evening for no particular destination. He bid the members of his family good-bye and stated that he didn't know when he would see them again. Twenty-four hours later they were startled by receiving letters written by him at Tyrone in which he stated he intended to take his own life and that his body would be found at the bottom of the river. Is he dead or alive, is now a question that is puzzling the members of his family. Recently Mrs. Mary Uncapher of Cambria township, made information before Squire Joseph Jenkins., of West Taylor township, charging John Cox, of Vintondale, with adultery and also an information charging her daughter, Miss Ella B. Uncapher, aged 18 years, with fornication. A warrant was issued for Cox but before the officer succeeded in arresting him he got wind of the warrant and eluded the officer. Miss Uncapher claims that she and Cox were married in Canada while on a visit to Niagara Falls a short time ago; while it is said Cox has a wife and two children in addition to Miss Uncapher. The new Evangelical Lutheran church at Glasgow, this county, will be dedicated on Sunday, January 18th. The church cost $4,000. An Italian, whose name could not be learned but who was employed by Contractor Kerbaugh and who was known as No. 3,308, was run down and killed near Altoona Monday evening about 5 o'clock. The man was walking along the tracks of the main line when a yard engine ran down through the yard, struck him and knocked him to the track, then ran over him, killing him instantly. The whole top of his legs was broken.