L BRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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LioKAKY OF CONGRESS 
 
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 pH8.5 
 
 Mill Run F3.1955 
 
268 
 <27 
 >py 1 
 
 THE liESSIAN PRISON CAMP. 
 Reading, Pennsylvania, 
 1776-1783. 
 
 Proceedings attending presentation of 
 Gold Wedal at the Girls' High School by 
 Mrs. DeB, Randolph Keim, 
 on 
 Washington's Birthday, 
 February 22, 1910. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 -oOo- 
 
 Mrs. De B. Randolph Keim, Regent, Berks 
 County (Reading) Pennsylvaiiia Chapter 
 and Honorary Vice President National 
 Society D. A. R, 
 
 Hov; we kept the Hessians on our mountain 
 side, 
 
 
 FrontispiB ce. 
 
 Mrs. Keim's Washington's Birthday address 
 on presenting the Chapter Gold Medal to 
 the Girls' High School winner of the 
 prize for the best essay upon an American 
 Revolution subject, 
 
 Miss S. Helen Ahren's Prize Essay, 
 
 19 
 
 Wellington Bertolet's Adttress, 
 
 45 
 
 Judge Stephens' Remarks, 
 
 47 
 
 Comments, 
 
 49 
 
 Mfk 
 
 '^OfVuV^iL ft. ftylWA/TN-u 
 
J. 
 
 Mrs. Randolph Keim. 
 
Oa;/^' 
 
^ 
 
 W[ KEPT 
 THE HESSIANS 
 
 ON OUR MOUNTAIN SIDE 
 
 wfRS. KEIM TELLS OF DARK DAYS 
 OF REVOLUTION, WHEN OVER 
 1000 HIRED SOLDIERS LIVED 
 !N HUTS ON MT. PENN— CON- 
 GRESS SHOULD TAKE NOTICE. 
 
I 
 
 
;: 
 
 r- 
 
 THE READING HERALD 
 
 w/,, . .... Establislied 1881. 
 
 WILLIAM Mccormick . c^-x 
 
 Editor and Proprietor 
 
 c^_ --_^ HER ALD BUILDIKO 13 N. 5TH ST. 
 
 READrXc;. PA.. FEBRUARY i'2, 
 
 1910. 
 
 At ^he GiFls' High School this morn- 
 ing, Jdre. I>eB. Randolph Keim made 
 a stirring address on the part that 
 
 Reading played in the RevoluUon. She 
 said: 
 
 As we gather in commemorative 
 celebration of the birth of the hero of 
 heroes to whom we owe the liberty and 
 Independence of this great republic it 
 lis remarkable that the event has no 
 recognition by enactment of the 
 American Congress. 
 I Of all the governments of the world 
 the United States is the only one 
 without a distinctively National holi- 
 day made so by royal order or statute 
 Notwithstanding the festive occasions 
 we enjoy in the course of the year not ' 
 ®r", *^%\Fo"rth of July, the day of 
 all days in our National calendar Is 
 made an occasion of observance ' by 
 National legislation. 
 
.1 
 
 !i 
 
9. 
 
 It does seem that the patriotic spirit 
 of the American people should see that 
 formal statutory recognition be griven 
 to events like the birth of Washing- 
 ton and the Declaration of Indepen- 
 dence but the composite form of our 
 government and partisan harping upon 
 constitutional abstractions would prob- 
 ably interpose obstacles and contro- 
 versy which the people of continental 
 United States have removed by giving 
 these patriotic assemblies the prestige 
 of state law and universal consent. 
 Each state, however, has its own holi- 
 days under its own laws 
 ALL THE STATES OBSERVE IT. 
 Although thus limited in our own 
 particular enjoyment of this happy 
 occasion 45 other states, the Federal 
 District and two territories are with 
 us in a spontaneous outburst of 
 patriotic fervor signalizing the destiny 
 shaping event associated with the 
 birth of George Washington, a son of 
 the old Dominion and common heritage 
 of us all. 
 
 This assemblage of youth and beauty 
 and their elders as witnesses of their 
 advance in education and true Ameri- 
 can spirit shows that the beacon of 
 ' patriotism is ablaze in the schools, 
 among the people of Reading and 
 upon^ every hlU-top of Berks. 
 
 In the preliminaries of war with the 
 
 crown, Berks was In the front rank, 
 
 sending six deputies to represent it in 
 
 the provincial meeting at Philadelphia 
 
 I on July 15, 1774, about nine months be- 
 
 ' fore the Lexington clash of arms. 
 
 BERKS TO THE FRONT. 
 
 * When he took command in July, 1775, 
 
 of the unorganized fighting material 
 
 besieging Boston, Washington was 43 
 
 years of age. As I have shown upon 
 
 I a former occasion the spirit of the in- 
 
 ) dependence of Berks was represented 
 
 on the battle front within 15 days of his 
 
 ! assuming command by report of George 
 
 I Nagle's company of Riflemen, where 
 
 ■ they acted as sharp-shooters picking 
 
 off British officers to such an extent 
 
 that they became the pride of the 
 
 army. 
 

 In all the activities of war which 
 followed Berks county and Reading 
 were important factors. Although 
 never within the area of actual fight- 
 ing they were decidedly within the 
 sphere of Influence which contributed 
 substantially to results. Something 
 has been said along this line in a local 
 way but let us see what the Continen- 
 tal Congress had to say. The Journal 
 of that body on Feb. 19, 1776, five and 
 a half months before the Declaration 
 of Independence entered upon Its min- 
 utes an indebtedness of 11 pounds, 14 
 shillings and 6 pence due to the com- 
 mittee of Berks county for provisions, 
 ammunition, etc., furnished the rifle 
 companies. 
 
 On the 30th of the same 
 month $900 were advanced to Captain 
 Nelson's company of rifles on their 
 march to Reading on the way to Al- 
 bany for service in Canada where they 
 were to join a regiment. An additional 
 $700 was sent to the committee of In- 
 spection at Reading with orders to pay 
 one month's wages to non-commission- 
 ed officers and soldiers of that com- 
 pany upon their arrival at Reading. 
 PRISONERS SENT TO READING. 
 
 On Feb. 6, 1776, the Continental Con- 
 gress mentions a letter announcing the 
 arrival of a number of prisoners at 
 Reading and' a request to know how 
 they were to be supported. The next 
 day a committee of Congress had a 
 conference with David Franks about 
 victualling the king's troops lately 
 brought to Reading. In order to com- 
 ply Franks was authorized to sell his 
 bills for that purpose. 
 
 On the 28th of the same month Con- 
 gress, by resolution, authorized the 
 committee of inspection and observation 
 of Berks county In Pennsylvania to 
 contract for the subsietence of prison- 
 ers in Reading not supplied by Pranks 
 together with the women and children 
 belonging to all the prisoners there. 
 Also to supplj' them with firewood and 
 
 other things absolutely ni 
 their support. _ 
 
•..^^ ■''^■>J 
 
 sT^|»i«;< 
 
f% 
 
 The foUowir\g- M^y the commlttl^^^ 
 Berks county was charged by CongT^i' 
 with $758 for mllltarv purposes. ^ 
 
 WANTED MORE OF OUR TROOPS. 
 
 In July Congress passed a resolution ■ 
 asking the committee of BerKs to hast- 
 en the march of troops to the front 
 with power to muster them and draw 
 one month's pay. * 
 
 Owing to the reverses around New 
 York and retreat across New Jersey the 
 occupation of Philadelphia by the 
 enemy being threatened on July 10, 
 1776, Congress ordered all prisoners of 
 war In the town of Reading to be re- 
 moved to Lancaster for greater se- 
 curity. 
 
 Realizing the importance of a master 
 stroke of arms in order to keep his 
 army together and revive the courage 
 of the people, much disheartened by 
 the events of the year, Washington 
 suddenly crossed the Delaware on 
 Christmas night of 1776 in a wild 
 storm of snow and drifting ice with 
 2400 Continentals, and surprised 1200 
 Hessians at Trenton, New Jersey, 
 while Rail, their commander, and a 
 party of friends were enjoying an all- 
 night bout of wine drinking and cards. 
 The surrender to Washington of over 
 1000 Hessians and death of Rail was 
 accomplished with the loss of but two 
 soldiers killed and two frozen. 
 
 HESSIANS WERE SENT HERE. 
 
 The Hessians taken at Trenton, in 
 order to prevent being recovered by 
 the British, who were in force at 
 Princeton and points nearby, wer^ con- 
 ducted by Washington on his return 
 march for the Pennsylvania side of the 
 Delaware and for their better security 
 were sent under guard to the interior. 
 The entire captured force comprised 
 750 soldiers, one lieutenant colonel, 
 two majors, four captains and 15 sub- 
 alterns, besides material of war, three 
 standards, six cannon and 1000 stands 
 of arms. 
 
 These Hessian prisoners were first 
 marched to Lancaster, whence they 
 were sent to Reading and placed in 
 prison barracks under guard in the 
 Vuthern part of the town. On April 
 
rm-wM 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
/ 
 
 »6, 1777, the Continental Congress re- 
 iHJrted due John Biddle $955 for week- 
 ly allowance paid to officers and men 
 prisoners of war and their women and 
 children at Reading, at the rate of ten 
 pence per ration. 
 
 LAID UP STORES FOR ARMY. 
 In February of the following year 
 Congress, deeming it expedient and 
 necessary to lay up magazines of pro- 
 visions for the support of the army, 
 directed eight thousand barrels of 
 flour to be deiposited at or near Read- 
 ing. Under this requisition, the As- 
 sembly of Pennsylvania appointed 
 commissioners in Berks to purchase 
 or seize wheat flour and other pro- 
 visions. In March, 1778, the Conti- 
 nental Congress requested the govern- 
 ment of Pennsylvania to station 500 
 militia, under active and prudent of- 
 ficers, 200 of whom were placed at 
 Reading for the defense of the maga- 
 zines and other stores, and to hold 
 themselves in communication with the 
 main army and secure from sudden in- 
 cursion of the enemy until the board 
 of war or General Washington could 
 discharge them. 
 
 Although Reading had the care of 
 prisoners of war and furnished the 
 prison guard from among Its own citi- 
 zens from the beginning of military 
 operations, the Hessians captured at 
 Ttenton were the first in large num- 
 bers sent there for safety. At one 
 time the Continental stable at Read- 
 ing, a structure about 175 feet long 
 and 20 wide, with a store house ad- 
 joining almost as large, were suggest- 
 ed for prison barracks, but the an- 
 noyance of such a large body of cap- 
 tured Hessians in the town led to a 
 proposition from President Reed, of 
 Pennsylvania, that huts be built and 
 a prison camip established a short dist- 
 ance from Reading, where wood and 
 water were convenient, 
 
 CAMP MADE ON MT. PENN. 
 
 Colonel Morgan is mentioned as 
 having urged a piece of ground which 
 had belonged to the Proprietaries. This 
 led to the selection of the tract about 
 
I: 
 
 if 
 
 11 
 
 M 
 
9. 
 
 a nait mile east of the town, on the 
 southern declivity of now Mount Penn. 
 where huts were erected, to which the 
 prisoners were removed and a guard 
 stationed over them^ 
 
 In 1780 the prisoners of war at 
 Reading, nearly all Hessians^rmmber- 
 ed 100. In the summer of T^f\., 1100, 
 all Hessians except 63 Emglish, were 
 delivered at Reading, and six com- 
 panies of the enrolled militia of Berks 
 were called out as guard. 
 
 At the surrender of the British army 
 at Torktown, Virginia, 1921 Hessians 
 were among the 8100 prisoners of war 
 captured. Washington sent the entire 
 force, under strong escort, to Fred- 
 erick, Md., and soon after to Lancas- 
 ter. A number of these Hessians were 
 transfered to the prison camp at Mt. 
 Penn, Reading. 
 RcPT HERE TMlL WAR ENDED. 
 
 In February, "l^fi, the county lieu- 
 tenant of Berks was ordered to call 
 out the first class of county m.ilitia to 
 guard them. TTie camp was maintain- 
 ed until the final determination of 
 peace in 1783 and the last foreign sol- 
 diers had left the soil of the free ^nd 
 independent United States of America. 
 
 As late as 1841 many of the prison 
 huts of the Hessians were standing. 
 This Interesting sipot is to this day 
 known as the "Hessian Camp." As 
 the Congress of the United States has 
 now before it a bill for the building 
 of two memorial arches at Valley 
 Forge, at a cost of $50,000, 'it would 
 be very proper to make proper re- 
 cognition, in some suitable way, of the 
 services of the citizens of Reading in 
 forming, out of their own number, a 
 guard sufficient to secure more than 
 1100 prisoners of the army taken In 
 battle and covering a period of seven 
 long years. 
 
 17^ 
 
 ijkl-. 
 
m 
 
 li 
 
n 
 
 ,tSSAY THAT 
 ^ W£PRIZE 
 
 IS THAT Of MISS AHRENS 
 
 SHE GIVES AN INTERESTING 
 STORY OF THE PART PLAYED 
 BY INDIANS IN REVOLUTION 
 AND OF THE BLOODSHED THEY 
 CAUSED TO THE AMERICANS. 
 
 Miss Helen Ahrens wrote the prize- 
 winning essay in the D. A. PL contest 
 at the Girls' High School yesterday. 
 It is as foUows: 
 
 As the French formed an alliance 
 with the Indians during the war of 
 1755, so now the British sought an 
 alliance with those whom twenty years 
 before they attempted to destroy. The 
 American colonists feared this union, 
 for they knew the nature of Indian 
 warfare. 
 
 They knew that an Indian was not 
 a brave, open fighter, but a cowardly, 
 treacherous one; he would lie in con- 
 cealment for days, sometimes for 
 weeks, awaiting a chance of shooting 
 his foe unseen, rather than forming 
 into ranks and fighting face to face. 
 With him a flame of hatred was quick 
 to kindle the fire of revenge; and as 
 every white man knew, an Indian, once 
 aroused, was untiring in seeking the 
 destruction of his enemies and merci- 
 less in dealing with his captives. 
 
i 
 
u 
 
 \ INDIANS LOVED WAR. '"** 
 
 In this struggle between the Ameri- 
 can Colonies and their mother country, 
 the Indians should have, of course, re- 
 mained neutral. The quarrel did not 
 concern them. But they loved war. 
 To an Indian war was a delight, an 
 accomplishment, and even more than 
 that; it was the very source of all 
 things honorabla and glorious. Yet in 
 the first year of the Revolution the 
 Indians were not especially active. It 
 may have been that they were unde- 
 cided, for appeals were constantly be- 
 ing made to them from both sides. 
 
 The Americans were the first to 
 realize the important part which the 
 Iroquois might play if the quarrel 
 came to a clash of arms. Even be- 
 fore the battle of Lexington, the Pro- 
 vincial Congress of Massachusetts 
 formed a company of Stockbridge In- 
 dians as minute-men. They also made 
 an address to the Mohawkee, request- 
 ing them to "whet the hatchet" for 
 war .ag.^inst the English. 
 
 TRIED TO HIRE INDIANS. 
 The Continental Congress, too, de- 
 clared it "highly expedient to engage 
 Indians in the services of the United 
 Colonies." Authority was conferred 
 upon Washington to emplov 2000 In- 
 , dians in Canada; the Six Nations were 
 I to be engaged upon the best terms pos- 
 sible; and instructions for devising 
 ways and means were a^iven to the 
 committee on Indian affairs. 
 
 Up to this time the English seemed 
 reluctant to make use of the savages; 
 but declaring that they were simply 
 following the example of the colonies, 
 by June, 1775, the British agent, Sir 
 , William Johnson, was already winning 
 over the powerful Six Nations. In an 
 address to the Indians, Halimond said: 
 "Now is the time for you to help the 
 King. The war has begtm. Assist the 
 King now and you will find it to your 
 advantage. 
 
 ACTS OF PROVIDENCE. 
 
 "Go now and fight for your posses- 
 sions and whatever you lose of your 
 
f?*??*^* 
 
 n V' r-'"j<;T'''- 
 
property during tne war, the King winT 
 make up to you when peace returrts." , 
 George III and his ministers, more 
 than any other Englishmen, favored I 
 this plan of engaging the services of I 
 the Indians. "His majesty." one of his i 
 advisers said, "wishes to talce advant- ' 
 age of every means which Providence 
 places in his hands." Evidently he 
 considered the wholesale slaughter of 
 innocent women and children the 
 burning the their homes and the de- 
 N-astation of property, acts of Provi- 
 ''ence. 
 
 Very soon the employment of In- 
 aians was undisguised on both sides. 
 In the colonies Schuyler was made the 
 head of the Indian commission which 
 tried to counteract Johnson's influence 
 with the Indians. They convened a 
 council at which five hundred Indians, 
 I finely dressed, were present. Gifts 
 I were distributed among them and they 
 agreed not to take up arms for either 
 Bide. 
 
 BRITISH WON THEM. 
 
 Four other tribes, in an address to 
 the President of Congress, said that 
 they hoped a state of friendship might 
 continue as long as the sun shall 
 shine and the waters run." Yet the 
 British, by promi.ses of magnificent re- 
 wards, succeeded in winning for them- 
 I selves the majority of the Indian 
 [forces. They maintained that the In- 
 ifllans adhered to them because of a 
 (personal attachment to the Johnson's 
 and an earnest loyalty to the crown- 
 the Americans Insisted It was becaus4 
 Of a selfish desire to support the side 
 on which there was most to gain and 
 least to lose. 
 
 The English ministry had great 
 hopes of its Indian allies, who were to 
 play an important part in Burgoyne's 
 Invasion, spreading death and terror 
 along the line of march. The King 
 himself insisted that no restraint be 
 put upon the natural impulses of the 
 red men; and they were even encour- 
 aged in their bloody work, for the 
 British government paid for every 
 scalp they secured. ^ Burgoyne. how- 
 ever, was not ouite so barharo'us. 
 
••I 
 
J^f. 
 
 SCALPED THEIR ENEMIES'! 
 
 thS ^"•""'^nded them not to scalo 
 
 their o d wav anfl -n,,^"!. ^ ^" 
 
 Into their service, protesslnff to be IhtJ 
 
 xr';s ;.^a7„o?i.rreiir "- 
 
 upon them. This feeHnl of h? T! 
 ;as he.^htened by ata"t1,etic t I^et 
 ^vhich occurred Just at this tlmV" "I 
 beautiful youn^ woman. Jane McCre^ 
 enraged in marriage to a member „; 
 .Bur^oyne's army, was on hTr waT f^ 
 Join her love, when she was klllld nn^ ' 
 
 Wi?u'"^ '""' °' Indians'" nd Tr 
 , "t^Hl'i"! tresses carried Into th,. 
 
 British camp as a trophy." 
 
 INDIANS MAKE TROUBLE. 
 
 Disturbances were experienced at 
 times all along the frontier, but until 
 l'79 afairs were not serious. Now 
 how-ever, the Indians plunged into the 
 conflict m earnest. They began to 
 concentrate their forces in the valley 
 of Wyoming. Rumor after rumor 
 reached the settlers that the Indians 
 were preparing an attack. They re- 
 
 fhf !^M,'''^^*^.^°"^''"^^ *« ««n<i home 
 the soldiers who were absent in the 
 
 eaTh Umf ^^"^^' *^"^ ^^''^ '"-^"^ed 
 One day two Indian spies came to' 
 I^fn -^h' P^^t«"<S'ns a visit of friend- ' 
 1,7 ^' . u ^?' '^^'■^ stispected and close- 
 gav^Sf •-,,^" °^^ companion of one 
 gave the Indian so much drink that his 
 tongue was loosened and all their plans 
 revealed. People in the outer settle! 
 
 of the soldiers sent messengers begging 
 them to come home. Still Congress 
 could not let the companies ^ongresa 
 
'I 
 
^ 
 
 PEOPLE WERE BUTCHERED. 
 
 Now came the attack on the little 
 
 band of old men and boys and the few 
 
 soldiers left, made by a number of 
 
 , Tories with a large force of Seneca 
 
 1 warriors, commanded by the Tory leadi 
 
 er, John Butler, a man as merciless as 
 
 . the most ferocious of the Indians. For 
 
 I a time the defenders bravely kept up 
 
 Uhe unevenly matched struggle, but at 
 
 a critical moment they were Uirown 
 /into confusion by a mistaken order; 
 then a sudden charge of the Indians- 
 caused a panic. Women and children, 
 I seeing' the disaster that had overtaken 
 I the soldiers, fled to the woods and' 
 mountains, many of them dying of 
 starvation. The retreating army 
 
 pressed towards the river. A few- 
 swam to safety. Others were shot 
 down In the wkter. Many were lured 
 to the shore by the promise of quarter 
 and then butchered. 
 
 There were several narrow escapes. 
 One man running through the woods, 
 pursued by Indians, crept into the 
 trunk of a hollow tree lying on the 
 ground. Immediately a spider began 
 weaving its web over the opening. The 
 lidians came up and sat down on the 
 log. One even stooped to look inside, 
 but the spider's web satisfied him that 
 nobody had passed within and he did 
 not inve.stigate further. 
 
 GIRL RAISED Hi CAPTORS. 
 One of the captives taken during the 
 massacre was a little girl whose broth- 
 ers .survived the dreadful day. They 
 
 I often wondered concerning her fate. 
 Sixty years passed by, the brothers 
 had become wealthy men, when they 
 heard that a captive woman was liv- 
 
 , ing with Indians in the far away Illi- i 
 nois country. They traveled thither ! 
 
 I mquired for her and recognized their 
 
 jong lost sister. She was invited to 
 
 In'lndi^^'V.'^^"'' '^' l^o^ing only | 
 Tr^ated^she £ ^"'l^^^^»^^ been kindly 
 created, she desired to spend her last 
 days with her captors. I 
 
^/ 
 
 uiher sections besides Wyoming suf?' 
 fared. Urged by British agents, who 
 stopped at nothing, the savages struck 
 whenever opportunity offered. Joseph 
 Brant, the famous Mohawlc chieftain, 
 a relative by blood of Johnson, prom- 
 ised to aid the English, and true to his 
 promise, gave valuable assistance. 
 BURNED THE SETTLEMENTS. 
 
 In November during a driving snow 
 storm, a force of Tories, under Walter 
 Butler and Indians under Brant, de- 
 scended upon Cherry Valley, which 
 was unprepared for defence. Sixteen 
 soldiers were put to death and twice as 
 many women and children. Forty 
 were taken prisoners and led, only 
 half clad, on a long march through a 
 bitterly cold storm, suffering untold 
 misery. Following this attack, the In- 
 dians burned the settlement of Lax- 
 awaxen, besides other houses in the 
 Delaware Valley, and appeared on the 
 Mohawk, killing and ■ capturing a few 
 there. 
 
 To punish the atrocities of the In- 
 dians at Wyoming and other places, 
 Sullivan was sent into the Indian 
 country in center New York against 
 the Iroquois or Six Nations, nearly all 
 of whom had been guilts^ of frightful 
 outrages. In August, 1779, the battle 
 
 of Newton was fought between SuUi- / 
 van's army and the Ii'oquois under* 
 Brant. 
 
 FOUGHT LIKE VETERANS. 
 
 Fire was opened by Sullivan's artil- 
 lery, a form of warefare especially ter- 
 rible to an Indian, for whom the noise 
 of a cannon had exceptional horrors, 
 |Brant's conduct in this conflict was 
 worthy of great praise. Such was the* 
 commanding presence of the great 
 Iroquois captain, and such the confi- j 
 dence he inspired, that his undisci- | 
 plined warriors fought like veterans, I 
 as shot went whizzing through the tree 1 
 tops and ploughing the earth beneath" j 
 them. 
 
 At last the Indians' were forced from 
 ^behind the rocks and ti-ees where t t^ y i 
 
■'( 
 
$1 
 
 had fortified themselves, but uiidSTj 
 Brant's skillful leadei-ship, made a I 
 hasty retreat and were saved from de- 
 struction. Sullivan now burned more 
 than forty Indian villages, destroyed 
 , the Indian power and laid waste the 
 harvest fields so ruthlessly that what 
 had once been a fertile and well-cul- 
 tivated country, was now a dreary 
 desert. 
 
 LASTED TO END OF WAR. 
 
 During the next year of the war, 
 ' 1780, the Indians descended on the 
 I frontier again and again, leaving It 
 as desolate as their own land had been. 
 ' The main war scenes were centered In 
 
 bu^ J!?°/if''*' ^"*^ Schoharie Valleys; 
 
 but all these are not by any means fhA I 
 
 only struggles in which thTSdilns ' 
 
 were participants. Those raids inva- 
 
 ,s>ons and battles would be far too 
 
 , numerous to mention here, for up to 
 
 Zvirt^" °' '^^ ^^ ^^^ I"^^a»° 
 I Sun;.''"'' ^"'•^^ «^"«^»">' and 
 
 S th! T ^^^^^"taere by the employment 
 
 ma ned ? '^?'- '^''^ """^'^«'* ^^ich re- 
 mained loyal to them, only 230, wag so 
 
 Jor hu '^ '"^'^^ ^"' ""'« difference 
 For this reason, authors generally omU 
 the part played by the Indians onThe 
 t^Vl^ ''^' ''^'"^ '^^ Revolution! 
 
 enTW.'^ the English it was differ- 
 ent They could use their larg« force 
 of Indians, nearly 1600, to the freateS 
 advantage, for they were in the enemy's 
 
 j country. The natural impulse o? the 
 red men to murder and scalp, burn and 
 devasrtate, wherever they went could 
 injure only the colonists. YerEngla" d 
 
 [showed the basest ingratitude to her 
 savage allies. The magniflcant prom- 
 ises made at the beginning of the w^r 
 were not fulfilled, and no sooner was 
 the war ended, than she lost all inS 
 
 fest in those who had aided her so weH 
 SATISFIED WITH BLOODSHED I 
 The Indians had fully «atisl^ed their 
 cravings for active warfare in this inn I 
 struggle.jad now, reduced in n'SmSf I 
 
\ 
 
and suffering severe losses, but stiU 
 dauntless and undismayed, they re- 
 turned to their homes, some to bulW 
 anew the villages and huts and restore 
 the crops among which the ravages of 
 ^war had worked such havoc, others to 
 'resume their more peaceful labors and 
 hunting sports, or to follow more close- 
 ly in the foot steps of their neighbors, 
 'the white men. 
 
3r: 
 
 A MODEL CITY 
 
 WASHINGTON MADE ONE 
 
 MORE THAN A CENTURY AGO— IT 
 IS NOT TOO LATE FOR READING 
 TO RISE TO THE OCCASION— 
 MR. BERT,>LET MAKES AP- 
 PEAL FOR A BETTER TOWN. 
 
 At the Girls' High School celebra- 
 day Wellington M. Bertolet drew a 
 splendid lesson from George Washing- 
 
 Wellington M. Bertolet. 
 
tion of Washington's Birthday yester- 
 ton and applied It to Reading, His 
 aauress in full was as follows: 
 
 We Americans have faith in great 
 men. A century of history hag pro- 
 duced for us a list of great names 
 that a nation thrice as old would be 
 I prpud of. To appreciate and publicly 
 )to honor our national heroes has be- 
 I come a distinct and proper part of our 
 I education. And yet, perfect faith and 
 the most devout hero worship will bear 
 but scubby fruit unless rooted in such 
 detailed study of the acts and thousrhts 
 of the men we worship as will liberate 
 and enliven our own sleepine: minds. 
 HERO WORSHIP A FARCE. 
 The general idea of greatness is. of 
 course, inspiring, but if we want really 
 to profit by the life of a great man, we 
 must become industrious diggers into 
 the details of his life. There we shall 
 often be surprised and delighted to 
 find acts done and thoughts expressed 
 that just fit our own purposes. Under 
 the guidance of our heroes we are filled 
 with confidence and we advance. When 
 this happens our faith is justified and 
 immensely profitable. If it does not 
 happen, we find ourselves looking up 
 to a few heroes surrounded by a world 
 of "unheroes," and hero-worship be- 
 comes a pitiable farce. 
 j This birthday that we are celebrat- 
 iing finds the progressive portion of 
 the citizens of Reading deeply inter- 
 ested in the development of a healthier 
 and more beautiful city. We are tir- 
 ing of a vista of red roofs; narrow, 
 filthy, nauseating streets; public build- 
 ings—the Library, City Hall, Court 
 House, this school — choked by adjoin- 
 ing buildings. We are tiring of seeing 
 children chased like little criminals 
 from the streets, their only play- 
 grounds. 
 
 TiRED OF UNPLEASANT THINGS. 
 We are tiring of everything that 
 makes our city unpleasant and un- 
 healthy to live in. In this mode, is it 
 not encouraging to find that the man 
 we honor today selected the site and 
 personally approved the plans of the 
 
$J^ 
 
 model city of this country and one oi 
 the most beautiful in the world? 
 
 The founding of our Federal capitol 
 is an interesting chapter in American 
 history, too hastily disposed of in 
 school histories by the phrase, "The 
 capitol was removed from Philadelphia 
 to Washington." As a matter of fact 
 the planning of the city and the build- 
 ing of the first capitol was so thor- 
 onehly and wisely done that we cannot 
 afford to pass it by without close 
 study. 
 
 With the government organized and 
 Philadelphia considered only a tempor- 
 ary Federal home, Washington became 
 Intensely interested in the selection of 
 a permanent capitoL He^ naturally I 
 
 turned to the low hills along th^ Po- 
 tomac, ground where he had hunted 
 and surveyed as a youth. 
 
 EVEN READING WANTED IT. 
 
 He persuaded Jefferson of the great 
 possibilities of the location, pictured 
 the capitol surrounded by an amphi- 
 theatre of hills with the Potomac at 
 its feet, and finally won congressional 
 approval of the site. This was not ac- 
 complished, however, without a long 
 and trying fight. Pennsylvania wanted 
 the capitol at Philadelphia; New York 
 at Ngw York; Massachuset|;s at Bos- 
 ton. Ipur own Mr. Keim is authority 
 for the fact that the citizens of Read- 
 ing presented a petition to Congress 
 asking that the Federal capital be lo- 
 cated here. \ 
 
 But Washington's judgment in es- 
 tablishing it away from commercial in- 
 terests and influences of the larger 
 cities has certainly been vindicated. 
 
 With the site chosen Washington at 
 once called upon Pierre Charles L'En- 
 fants, a noted French architect, 
 who came to America with Lafayette. 
 Under Washington's personal super- 
 vision this Frenchman drew plans for 
 the city. He avoided the chess-board 
 effect, so rigidly adherred to in most 
 of our cities, by cutting broad avenues 
 all converging at the plot set apart 
 for the capitol building. 
 
 WASHINGTON AT HEAD. 
 
 He provided public parks in varliyjg^ 
 
<f/. 
 
 parts of the city, and these parks to- 
 day are just where L'E^nfants placed 
 them In his plans In 1791. The actual 
 laying- out of the city and .^he con- 
 struction of the first capitol building 
 was done under the supervision of 
 three commissioners,, but Washing-ton 
 was in constant touch with the work, 
 and his many letters to the commis- 
 sioners and trips to the Federal city 
 show what a keen interest he took in 
 it. 
 
 On September 18, 1793, Washington 
 as President and as a past master of 
 the Masonic order, laid his hand on 
 the foundation of the first capitol, a 
 building of marvelous grandeur, sim- 
 plicity and convenience, suggested by 
 the purest of all architectu/^, *hfi 
 Parthenon. / 
 
 It typified the noble simplltlty and 
 strength of the American people at 
 that time when they must have rea- 
 lized that to perpetuate the i' \(;rn- 
 ment they must build solidly a:,c -ell. 
 Washington, despite the al.«orbing 
 duties of his office, found time jjerson- 
 ally to oversee the construction of the 
 capitol building. Every chance *}e got,t 
 he slipped over to the Fede?'i;V city 
 and viewed the work, with all thu in- 
 terest of a man building his firsi, house. 
 NEVER SAW IT FINISHED. 
 
 He pressed for an early completion, 
 saying, "It Is the progress nt that 
 building that is to inspire or depress 
 public confidence." Unfortunately, 
 
 when he last beheld the city shortly 
 before his death in 1799, the capitol 
 was unfinished, but he had laid his 
 plans so well that it rose as- a model 
 of thoroughness, foresight, judgment 
 and genius in city building that is a i 
 credit to the whole nation. ! 
 
 A century ago Washington provided j 
 for the Federal city public parks and 
 
 wide streets that we of Reading are 
 now demanding. When the city of 
 Washington wanted playgrounds for 
 its children, spacious lotp for its public 
 buildings, it found themvon L'Enfantes' 
 plan. ' _«. 
 
n 
 
 . When the city of Reading wants f 
 playgrounds for its children or Vi^cant 
 lots around its public buildings, it is , 
 confronted by petty political con- 
 siderations, lagging charity and much 
 discour igenient from the very sources i 
 that control the immediate situation- 
 all difficulties which strongly organizea 
 public sp'TTiment alone can overcome, 
 WOMEN CAN DO MUCH. 
 In creating public sentiment not only 
 with the capacity, but with the energy 
 to bring about civic improvement, I 
 can think of no more certain influence 
 than that of the women of our city, 
 especially the young active women. 
 
 Women have a way of getting what 
 they want by some secret process un- 
 known to men. If they don't get it, 
 it's because they don't want it hard 
 enough. I wish they would all want 
 clean, broad and well-paved streets. I 
 wish they would all want a new library, 
 a new court house and a new city hall. 
 If they really want these things and 
 make their wants publicly known, the 
 ' men who have the great privilege of 
 representing us in our electoral bodies 
 will soon acquiesce and public senti- 
 ment will be marshalled beyond denial. 
 A SERIOUS HANDICAP. 
 Of course we start with a serious 
 handicap. We have lived together so 
 long that we have grown to be like 
 each other. It seems to be pretty well 
 recognized that many years of com- 
 panionship not only make huusband 
 and wife think alike, but actually look 
 alike. At the present time the people 
 of Reading are certainly afflicted with 
 a sameness of thought, at least, to a 
 remarkable degree— a thought willing 
 to tolerate civic backwardness. If we 
 ■ keep on living together in this mode we 
 \ shall not only grow alike in our 
 thoughts, but we shall all melt into a 
 lump of capacity without energy. 
 \ Our problem is to avoid this lump 
 ' by communing with great men so that 
 we too may take on greatness of 
 tl.ought and manner. 
 
 V 
 
4^57 
 
 MEDAllon 
 MISS AURENS 
 
 SHE WRITES BEST ESSAY 
 
 ON HISTORICAL SUBJECT AND IS 
 PRESENTED WITH GOLD MEDAL 
 BY BERKS D. A. R.— PLAN TO 
 MARK AN HISTORIC LOCAL 
 SPOT IS ALSO ANNOUNCED. 
 
 Despite unfavorable weather condi- 
 tions, scores of patriotic and public 
 spirited citizens flocked to the High 
 School for Girls to attend the D. A. 
 R. exercises in honor of the birthday 
 anniversary of the "Father of Our 
 Country," this morning. 
 
 The meeting was opened wifh prayer 
 by Rev. William E. Harr. The entire 
 school then joined their voices in sing- 
 ing "Speed* Our Republic." Miss Rose 
 C. Kessler then favored the audience 
 with the piano solo "Llebestraum," by 
 Liszt and "Pasquinade," by Gottschalk. 
 Miss Ethel Staples then followed with 
 a vocal solo, "The Flower of Dum- 
 blane." "Impromptu in A flat," by 
 Schubert was rendered by Miss Carrie 
 M. Cramp. 
 
 Here Miss Mayer, principal of the 
 Girls' High School, introduced Well- 
 ington M. Bertolet as the speaker of 
 the day. He spoke in part as follows: 
 TAUGHT US FAITH. 
 
 "During the past 14 years the D. A. 
 R. of Berks county has taught us -how 
 to have great faith in our noble men. 
 
^« 
 
^/. 
 
 We have many great heroes and grear- 
 ness in itself is an incentive to faith. 
 But this greatness Is increased all the 
 more by learning completely the facts 
 of history surrounding these men. 
 
 "We are now in the presence Qf a 
 movement which clamors for a better, 
 cleaner citj'. We are tiring of the 
 narrow streets, tiring of children 
 being chased out of the streets, their 
 only playground. 
 
 "Washington was an advocate of the 
 noble and beautiful in homes and 
 public buildings. He supervised the 
 building of the capitol at Washington, 
 one of the most beautiful buildings in 
 the country. He chose the site — the 
 hills along the Potomac. 
 
 MADE THINGS BEAUTIFUL. 
 
 "On Sept. 18, 1793, Washington laid 
 his hand on the foundation of the 
 first capitol building in this country. 
 It was a noble building, modeled after 
 the Parthenon. Playgrounds were pro- 
 vided for the children and everything 
 was In good order. 
 
 "When we of Reading want play- 
 grounds we are confronted with petty 
 political fusses, with parsimonious 
 charity and with numerous other 
 drawbacks. We must appeal to the 
 women in this work. The women al- 
 ways seem, in some way or other, to 
 be able to get whatever they want. 
 But probably they are not interested 
 enough in the work. We have lived 
 so long together in Reading that we 
 have grown to be like each other. We 
 fail to realize our needs. 
 
 "Now let us commune with great men 
 like Washington and endeavor to take 
 on the greatness of their thought and 
 manner." 
 
 The Girls' High School chorus then 
 rendered "Be Glad Lass and Lad," by 
 Gumbert. Two more numbers were 
 demanded of them by the audience. 
 
 THE ESSAY WINNERS. s,,^ 
 
 Hon. William Kerper Stevens was 
 then introduced as the chairman of the 
 examining committee in the prisse es- 
 say contest held by the D. A. R. He 
 
commended highly the efficiency's!^ 
 the essays and congratulated the m«n- 
 bera of the faculty to whom much of 
 the credit for the good showing in 
 the contest was due. He then an- 
 nounced that essay No. 4 was adjudg- 
 ed best and essay No. 6- was given hon- 
 orable mention. 
 
 Miss Sara Spang Miller then ren- 
 dered "A Liove Song" by Roma, and 
 "Rockln' in de Wind," by Neidlinger. 
 •She was ably accompanied by Miss 
 Elsie Hansen. ^^ 
 
 Mrs. DeB. Randolph Keim, regent ^ 
 the Berks County Chapter, D. A. R., 
 then told of the history of the chapter. 
 She said that it was sixth in point of 
 organization in the United States. Ever 
 since its beginning it has been doing 
 things. 
 
 "The society has been organized to 
 recognize the work and perpetuate the 
 memory of the foremothers of our 
 country. In searching history we can 
 find records of splendid heroism on 
 the part of our foremothers." 
 
 HESSIAN CAMP MEMORIAL. \ 
 
 She then said that the chapter pro- 
 posed erecting a memorial at the Hes- 
 sian camp the historic landmark on 
 Mt. Penn. This will be done within, 
 a year from now. 
 
 Mrs. Keim's admirable historical 
 sketch appears elsewhere. 
 
 Mrs. Keim then Introduced Miss S. 
 Helen Ahrens, contestant No. 4, and 
 presented her with the D. A. R. medal. 
 Miss Elizabeth Van Haagen proved to 
 be contestant No. 6. The other con- 
 testants were Misses Sarah Lins, 
 Ruth N. Moyer, Francina Kurta and 
 Bertha Stoudt. 
 
 The prize essay was read by Miss 
 Ahrens who was followed by Miss Van 
 Haagen. 
 
 "America" was then sung by the en- 
 tire audience. 
 
 i^ 
 
\ 
 
LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 
 
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