OLD-TIME ^ ARCHBALD Early Institutions and Industries of the Town Important Happenings in Its History. A SOUVENIR OF THE OLD HOME WEEK CELEBRATION J^^ PKICE, TWENTY-FIVE CENTS ^jf^L^ 4— .. 1 iiiiiliiiiii!illiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiitjiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiii^ 1 1 Old Home Week I T 11 and every other week in the year The Archbald Bank is prepared to do your banking- business. It af- fords all the facilities of the big city banks and has the important advan- tag'e of being- convenient. It is a home institution; its stockholders are almost exclusively residents of the town. It is here- to build up the community and it has already done much in that direction. We ask your business and offer in re- turn to serve you to the best of our ability. ill The Archbald Baiik 1 1 ARCHBALD, PA, i i i 4. uiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^MiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliijkiiiiiiiiiiiJ^^ "H— "M-«l«— «l- «•<— illa-.tl' !lil!liltli|i|llllillifilill!r!l!llllll » I a^M^f BMwta«M>eii* OLD-TIME ARCHBALD The Early Institutions and Industries of the Town. How the Place Looked to Pioneers. — Important Hap- penings in Its History. Compiled and Edited by Hon.P A. Philbin, Prof. James H. White, William D. McHale and F. A. Lally. 1915 CITIZEN PRESS ARCHBALD, PA. Ill ■ n It- xi.^111.— >n— n^— H^H. 1. hAir. ATA- L ■ 15 «!•»— ii'i ii« »» m .«— m— nil in n« „ m, , „ ,„ ri n ■■n -m nil irii -- - rn iln nn ill A i" " i ! I I llntvobuction i F ANY EXPLANATION IS NEEDED EOR ♦/HITn) the printing of this book, it may be found ..*. ^^^^ in the ''Old Home" celebration wiiich ^Im^ takes place here during- the week begin- ning July 5, 1915. The book is made up almost en- tirely of articles that have appeared in the Archbald Citizen at various times during the past twenty one years. They have, however, been re-written in some details and edited in others in order to bring the publication up-to-date. In addition, there are many facts stated that have never before appeared in print. The compilers were fortunate in having assistance in preparing this book from the only person in the town who was capable of giving it, for the reason that he is the sole survivor of those who came to the village in 1845 when the town may be said to have originated. Mr, Daniel J. Gilmartin was a boy [ when he came here, but he has a very keen recoil ec- f tion of the village and its pioneers, and his aid in the | preparation of this book was of great value. It is f a pleasure for the compilers to thus place on record I their indebtedness to Mr. Gilmartin for his generous | and willing help in gathering a mass of inform?) tion f concerning the early history of the town that could f not otherwise be obtained. To other residents of j the town who aided in the preparation of the work, J the thanks of the compilers are hereby tendered. [ THE COMPILERS. 1 J Archbald, Pa., Julv 5, 1915. j i I 3. } ARCHBALD BOROUGH Interesting Facts in its Early History-^^/Our First Burgess WRITE A HISTORY OF TArchbald from the very beginning it is necessary to go back to the year 1841 when the first" log house was erected by a man named Anderson where the Dutch Hill School now stands. At this time the first turn- pike or stage road ex- tending from Providence (then Razorville) to Car- bondale passed through the Welsh settlement on the Ridge, now the Eynon section of Archbald borough. The part of this road between Jermyn and Mott Haven is still used to aome extent, in fact it forms the principal street in the village of Eynon. The site of the Archbald of today was at that time a dense wilderness of pine, interwoven with vines of wild grapes. Laurel and many varie- ties of shrubbery. This virgin forest soon attracted the attention of the Andersons, the Farnhams, the Deck- ers, the Watres', and others, and the building of saw-mills was soon com- menced. For about five years or until the year 1846, lumbering was the only industry, and a few hardy lumber- men and craftamon were the only in- habitants. The few dwellings comprising the settlement were clustered around the saw mills where life at its best must have been dull and monotonous. The forest abounding in game and the streams with fish we can imagine how the early settler spent much of his spare time. With the opening of the coal mines and the building of the Gravity railroad in 1846, the real history of Archbald begins. Archbald is now over thirty-eight years a borough. Although settled in 1846 it was not incorporated until Feb. 7, 1877. John B. Lack one of our best known residents who died several years ago, was the first burgess of Archbald. For nearly thirty years Mr. Lack had been more or less identified with loc- al affairs. He was one of the most active and public spirited citizens of old Blakely township and it was owing largely to his efforts that the move- ment for the creation of Archbald bor- ough was begun and carried to a suc- cessful issue. It was in recognition of JOHN B. LACK his interest in this matter that the people instinctively turned to nim when they were called on to select their first burgess and his conduct in office proved that they had made no mistake. The first election was held in Feb- ruary of that year. Previous to that time Archbald formed a part of Blak- ely township, which included Gib:on- burg (now Jermyn), Archbald, Win- I ton, Peckville, Olyphant and Dickson, j The old township itself, less thun a I hundred years ago, formed part of I Providence and Greenfield town;>ips. It was named for Captain JohiPon Blakely, of County Down, Ireland, and officer in the American navy, during the second war with England. The first settlement in Blaliely township was in what is now Dickson City borough. In 1786 a man named Stevens built a cabin there and in '814 he put up the first mill in the town- ship. In 1795 Uicholas Lenthens built 5. :illllllllll'll|ilili!l|llllllll>llllll|ii'IIIIIH:illlllll =llllllllllllllllllilllil!lltlllllllll|{|ll!lll Illllllllllitllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllltllllllll ^ Klot^ AGENTS:— KLOTS BROTHERS, 221 FOURTH AVE, ^ | NEW YORK. B 1 MARCUS FRIEDER, President. GEORGE KLOTS, Vice President ..na ireasurer. W. J. KLOTS. Secretary. G. d. A. BELIN, Assistant Treasurer. FELIX FELZ, Assistant Secretary. A„ „i, n,i III ,1 iiii__|,„__„i,__,ii|__i,ii__i,i, ,111 „ im jt, CARBONDALE, PENN'A. SCRANTON, PENN'A. FREDERICKSBURG, VA. CUMBERLAND, MD. AROHBALD, PENN'A. LONACONINa, MD. FOREST CITY, PENN'A. ALEXANDRIA, VA. KEYSER, W. VA, '"—"—"* I'i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1,1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 i:i I ri 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 III i 1 1 II 1 1 1 1 1 II II i:i.in I i.i i I III!! 11 If 1 1 1 1 1'!'!! ,11 1 j ! | ! ! ! !'!'),f) w,i m 11 iiriiiii iiuj jiuj iiui^iim im I \mm i mi m i il[,i [.[^■i^ii!.i.i^||,|l|f.li!,l,ii!i,,l!;!.'^^^^^^^ fi. a log cabin where Peckville stantu; In 1797 Captain John Vaughan, setded there and the following year came Moses Dolph. In 1840 the population of the territory included in the town- ship was only 590 and of this number only four were miners and one hun- dred and nineteen were farmers. The development of coal beds during- the ten following years attracted people to the valley and in 1850 the population had increased to 1703. At this time there was only one colliery in the township — the White Oak here, the breaker of which has since been aban- doned. The opening of the Pro>'id- ence and Carbondale turnpike also caused a rapid increase in population, because it made the coal fields more accessible, and by 1860 the population had increased one hundred per cent, over that of 1850. The first settlers in Archbald were Welsh emigrants who came here in 1831 and settled on the "Ridge." hey were the families of John Evans, John D. Jones and Daniel and Evan Price. Three years later came John, Rjf se, David Davis, John Owens, Rev. John Davis and Deacon and John Biwen with their families. They cultiwted small pieces of ground there until coal was discovered underneath when they sold their lands to the TinkeT- f paugh Coal company. For many years I the Ridge was a distinctively Wefsh f settlement. Their well tilled farms J and comfortble homes gave evid».'nce I of the thrift and energy that mark the f true pioneers, but all have passed away I and there is little left, to tell of the I' struggles of those "knights errant of | the woods." The influx of the unde^ s veloped races of central and southern | Eui'Ope has had the effect of banisiung j the old settlers and their children to s; other places. Of the large Welsh set- i tlement in that part of our borough | thirty years ago there are not more f ■ than a dozen families left. ii The first settlers in Archbald prop- |,( er were the late Thom.as Swift, whose If son, the late John J., is said to have i'i been the first white child born in the |' village, the late Hon. M. M. Gikoy, the |' the late Frank Healy, the late Patrick |^ Gilmartin. They came here in 1845. j In 1846 White Oak mine was opened f and the gravity railroad was extended i here. The name of the post office was j "White Oak Run." It was subse- f quently cfhanged to "Archbald" by the I late Alvar Eaton in honor of fais j friend, Hon James Archbald. f The first postmaster of "White Oak I. Run" was G. H. Snyder and he was | lllllililllll IllllllllllilllllUIIIII JIIIIIIIU i;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!i!iiiiii{iiiitiiwi{[iiiiiiiij A. B. KIN BACK I Confectionery and Cigars jf I OLD HOME WEEK VISITORS WELCOME || Williams Ice Cream i MAIN STREET, llllllllllllllllllllllil ARCHBALD, PA lilJIliliililllillllillllllllllllllililillillllll 4.—... 7. appointed in 1847. In those days the mail was received by stage which ran between Carbondale and Providence regular trips were made between these places, road and weather permitting. The first hotel here was conducted by a man named Cannon. It was op- ened in 1846 or 1847 and the bui'ding used for that purpose was burnod in 1862. The first store was opened in 1846 by D. H. Taylor & Co. in a building on the public square. Soon after the op- ening of the Taylor store, John P. Farnham, Peter Walsh and Thomas Healey began business. Othev old time grocers were: Pt.trick Moyles John C. Peters and Thomas Kenny The first school was established here in 1847. The first school teacher was James Savage and he was of the old-fashioned type. The switch, dunce stool and the quill pen were in high favor in those days. The graded school building, removed in 1905 to make room for the present high school buil-ding, was erected in 1877. Our present borough government was formed in 1877. It was incorpor- ated in February and at the first elec- tion held in the same month the fol- lowing officers were elected: Burgess, John B. Lack, Council: Michael Spell- man, (President), Thomas Law, (Sec- retary), Thomas Malone, P. J. Henni- gan, John Hofsommer, chief of Police, M. J. Walsh; school directors, Dr. John Foote, Dr. J. W. Dick, J J. Kear- ney, J. J. Barrett, J T Swift, J. H. White; Justice of the Peace, Edward Carroll, P. J. White; high constable, J. J. Gilroy. The borough was divid- ed into wards in 1879. The fruitful subject of dispute for several years was the southern bound- ary of the borough. As the lines were originally drawn part of the Peck lands were in Blakely and pa't in Archbald borough. For convenience '. the owners of the land desired all Iheir I property located in Blakely borough ! and court ordered a change in the j boundary of Archbald borough to con- I form with their request. The nev/ line ; was not clearly rr.arked so the assess- j ors of Archbald and Blakely agreed j upon a line that was directly favor- ! able to the latter borough. A great I deal of the land in dispute contained I coal and from this Blakely collected J tax for a number of years. In 1892, j after considerable expense to this boi*- i ough, a commission was appointed and I the line was re established. % '|lllililllllll!li|l|llllilll!lil!l^ll :] mt~ Hi i'l 111 ill III iji ||! ii f 1 1 i If 111 ill 111 !■! ill I iU 4" — — - |i|lli]llillll|lllllll^l!IW|lj£llli£lili£l!li|ill]^^ Compliments qf the SCRANTON ELECTRIC CO. II 11 llllll!llllllllllllllillllllllllll!ll|ikl!l"lllllli[llll^^^^ COMPLIMENTS OF LEMENS SILK C0« Main Street v. v. Archbald 9i. ^rcpalb in 1850 HOW THE PLACE APPEARED IN EARLY DAYS —CHANGE OF THREE SCORE YEARS— LARGE SETTLEMENT N0¥/ COVERED BY CULM— THE EARLY BUSINESS MEN JIND THE LOCATION OF THEIR BUSINESS PLACES— GOAL MINING IN THE EARLY DAYS— HOW THE BLACK DIAMONDS WERE SHIPPED TO MARKET. The abandonment of the Gravity railroad, has brought vividly to the mind of every old resident of Archbald and the upper Lackawanna valley, scenes and incidents closely connected with its early history and grov/th. How distinctly do we remember the primitive old road consisting of lines of ten by twelve hemlock rails firmly wedged in a tie or sleeper and capped by a hard wood ribbon and band of scrap iron spiked securely to the lails below. The cars, too, were correspondingly primitive in structure and diminutive in size, with their large open-spoked wheels, which made such a rattle and clatter as they passed through the wooded jungles and circuitous "v/ hid- ings of the road between Carbondale and Blakely (now Archbald) as to startle the deer, wolf and panther in the solemn stillness of their forest home. In those early days of mining the methods employed were entirely dif- ferent from those of today. The op- erations commenced by the Delaware and Hudson Canal Co., at Carbondale some twenty years before, had nov%^ ex- tended to Blakely or White Oak Run at it was frequently called and had wrought an entire change in that set- tlement. The lumber trade that had hitherto prospered had now received a fresh impetus by the opening of the coal mines on the east side of the town and the subsequent enlargement of the population, making Archbald a town of considerable ihnportance. When we consider the fact that the town was less than six years old we must conclude from the evidences of thrift, push and energetic effort of the people to build and improve the town, that, had these continued Arch- bald would today be a place of no mean proportions. But the romantic beauty of the sur- I rounding scenery and the quiet repose of the village itself which nestled so cosily in the shelter of the neighbor- ing hills have passed away forever, and vvith them has gone almost its en- j tire pioneer population. When we take a retrospective glance and mentally compare the tov.-n as we saw it in 1850 with Arch- bald as we see and know it today; we must confess that we have no reason to regret the many and varied changes that have taken place. While the passing years have ob- literated many of the old land-marks, and removed much of the original beauty and scenic grandeur of the place, still these same years have wrought changes infinitely more im- portant to us, changes that directly affect the home life, social environ- ment and domestic affairs of the people. Archbald has failed in some respect to keep pace with some of her young- er and more ambitious neighbors in their zeal to acquire size and com- mercial importance. Still Archbald and its people are not to be despised on account of this. It is less her fault than her misfortune. Fate seems to have vvilled it otherwise. To no cause can this lack of growth and business activity be more fitting- ly ascribed than to a desire on the part of some of the most fortunate, progressive and energetic residents to seek speculative investments abroad. Had their well directed ef- '• forts and liberal investments been , confined to the building up and devel- j opment of home industries and loeal j 10. ..—it f there can be no beneficent results doubt would institutions, at all that follow. While we are disposed to dwell par- ticularly upon the bright side of our local history, still we deem the causes which brought about results adverse to the prosperity and welfare of the people, altogether too important to be entirely overlooked. At no period of our existence could it be truthfully said that our people were less pro- gressive than any of our more preten- tious neighbors or have they shown less improvement alcng the lines of education, refinement, religious sin- cerity, and moral culture. How very few of the old landmarks are now left to either attract notice or serve in calling up from the leten- tive memory-cells in the brain the scenes and impressions imprinted there in the long ago. How vividly we recall the old store house at Scott's crossing where quan- tities of freight were daily transferr- ed from the old gravity cars. With what feelings of dread were we ac- customed to pass that haunted spot lest we beheld the grim specter said to dwell within its somber precincts after the shades of night had begun to fall. Fortunate also did the belat- ed way-farer consider himself if he succeeded in passing the old Hackley store on Main street without an en- counter with ghots or goblin sufficient to send chills cavorting along his spinal column. But these spookish fancies have long since vanished and the memory of them is all that is left today. One of the most noticeable blots on the beauty of the town is caused by the towering heaps of culm and rubb- ish around old White Oak co'.liery. On that sloping hillside in the fifties were situated cosy homes the m^ertiory of which has nearly passed away. In those days by far the major por- tion of the business places were clus- tered around the square on Bridge street. Here were located the gen- eral stores of Dan O'Hara, (Now M. J. Swift's,) Patrick Gilmartin, near the present homestead, and James Moyles, where M. T. Butler is doing business now, the confectionery of Thomas Bonner, in the adjoining building; the drug store of Dr. Van Antes, now John M. Burke's, the shoe iiijliiiiiiiiiiiijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijiiijliiiii FLOWERS FOR ALL OCCASIONS C, H, GERBIG N. Main Street Archbald llillllllllllillllll! !iii;iiiiiii:iiiii:i;iiiiri;i'i;i:iii:iiriTiiiii:n:iiriiiiii:Miitii :rniiii:iiiiiiiiriiiiiiiriiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii !;iiTi ;i;iii'i i:ri:i:ii:n;ru:ii'ini:iniiiii^ iiii{iiiriiiiJiii'iiiiiiiiriiiiriiiiriiiiiiMii:i:i 11 + , , „„ ,J, ^„ JJ^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ _^ ___ _^ _^ _^ _^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ • =■ 1>-^ 1 -—:-_-—— ^r^-_—- '~"-^^^-<^^""^""^^!r^^ '"'"~ *""' ^*'" "" UU— lilt— N«— CH^— BM * "* "" . , J^ __"^ _. _."" ."^— ,_ t-"* "*** James F. Kearney Getiefal Instifance* Hattford Accident and Indem- nity Co. Represented. Fire, Life, Sick and Accidents, Plate Glass, Steam Boiler, Employer's Liability Insurance. Surety Bonds with Power of Attorney, Notary Public: Leases, Deeds, Applications for Auto- mobile License, Applications for Marriaoe Li- cense and all kinds of Notary woi-k. A^-ent for ^^ictor Safe and Lock Co. ( )ftice hours nights from 7:00 P. M. to 9:00 P. M. for anything special that you wish to take up with tlie Burgess. Emporium of Jacob Ritter where Thos. Kenney now resides and the bhick- 1 smithing establishment of John Swee- j ney at the bridge, and of David Wat- ' res, opposite the old borough building j the carriage factory, of Van Schaick and Son covered the Broderick lots, and by the way, this factory was one of considerable importance and mag- 1 nitude giving employment to a num- ber of carriage builders, trimmers, ' painters, and blacksmiths skilled workmen capable of turning out work of every description which for beauty in design and durability in service had acquired an enviable reputation. The Farnham saw mill at the foot of plane B together with the mill of Squire Watres at Mt. Vernon, now Winton, and the sash and blind fac- tory operated by John and Henry Wil- kie, at the same place, also added much to the business activity and prosperity of the town. Many of the changes which follow- ed each other in rapid succession on the west side of the town were mainly due to the openings made in the rich field of anthracite underlying the Hackley estate. The firm of Eaton and Co., whose good fortune it was to secure an op- tion on this vast field of anthracite had not yet been formed. The indi- vidual members of this eminently suc- cessful company was each following his accustomed avocation totally un- conscious of the great measure of suc- cess which was to attend his first ven- ture in coal operations. The late Al- var Eaton, one of the most brainy and energetic men Archbald ever had for a resident, was at this time a track- layer in the mines of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Co., and it can be ^trttthftilly sai'd that to the 'ability,' foresight and energy of Mr. Eaton much of the success and prosperity of the firm was due. The late George Simpson, also an active member of this company was at this time a sta- tionary engineer at old No. 1 engine on the bluff above White Oak break- er. The late Edward Jones, then in the emplov of the Dels. ware & Hud- son Canal Co., in the capacity of iore- man and mine superintendent, together with Dr. Wescott, a resident physic- ian on South Main street composed the company in its entirety. The first openings were made on the west side during the summer of 1856 and a novel method was adopted for delivering the coal into the cars of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Co. j An incline plane running parallel with the openings, was constructed along the hill side. This plane had a double track. A car was controlled in its de- scent by a wheel and brake ai the head. A weighted truck in its de- scent was the motive power that drew an empty car on the opposite track alternately to each of the small sup- ply chutes into which the mine cars were dumped at the different open- ings. This car being loaded some- what heavier than the truck was per- mitted to descend to the large chutes in the rear of what is now the Dickson Store. Here the coal was loaded into gravity cars and drawn by horses ov- er a trestling to the foot of No. 1 plane. This trestling crossed the riv- er in front of Jonas Berger's, building, the track passing near the residence of P. J. J'Rourke at the foot of Hill street. This plane was continued un- til the spring of 1859 when the open- ing of the road to Olyphant brought about changes that were merely but forerunners of still greater one.; oc- casioned by the erection of the coal breaker in 1860. With the advent of the coal breaker and the subsequent waste in the grinding and assorting of the coal into marketable sizes also commenced the piling up of those min- iature mountains of culm and other refuse, that so effectually destroys every vestige of rural beauty and has a tendency to shut out the light of day In those days Main street could boast of having some very extensive general stores. That of Simpson & Shea, where the Dickson Stare com- pany is doing business now, Reese & Ustick in the old Hackley building, now the property of Jonas Berger. Thomas Healey in the Healey bLiild- ing, now burned down, and the store and post office in the adjoining build- ing kept- by Holmes & Seybolt. In the early spring of 1858 the entire west side of Main street extending from Dr. Ottman's drug store (now P. J. Flannery's hotel) to the German Church was destroyed by fire and in the destruction was included the ex- tensive stores of Peter Walsh and sev- al other buildings. The fire is sup- posed to have originated in the care- lessness of one of the inmates of the Meihl building who usually went to bed accompanied by his constant com- panion — his pipe. His life paid the penalty of his negligence as his char- red remains were afterward recovered from the ruins. On South Main street were also located the only hotels in town. The old Moyles hotel, now oc- cupied by J. J. Newcomb, was the reg- ular stopping place for the stage coach in its daily trips between Car- bondale and Wilkes-Barre. The other kept by a man named Cannon, nearly ♦ _., 13 + opposite the site of Healey's old store, was a fair specimen of a first-class country tavern. Of the changes made along Main street none are more noticeable or shows more marked improvement and advancement than those made nlong the river front between the Dickson Coal Go's, store and the Presbyterian church. Of the number of prospeious business place located in this vicinity today Foote's Pharmacy alone was in existence even fifty years ago. The restaurant of Frank Kiefer where the hardware store of Wm. Bishop now Mellow & Carricolo stands, the Vos- burg meat market and the combined barber shop and tailoring establish- ment of John Broecker on the present site of the Odd Fellows building, have long since passed away. In fact Main street has been materially improved in its entire length by the erection of buildings upon the many vacant lots and the alterations and improvements made upon the old ones. This same spirit of improvement in the matter of buildings seems to have continued in this particular part of the town, ex- tending as it has to that portion of town which now comprises the second ward. Here regularly laid out streets and comfortable cozy homes have tak- en the the place of the isolated one story dwelling which at intervals dot- ed this wooded plain. Another noticeable feature in our sur roundings is the enitre obliteration of the straggling settlement made by the hardy, thrifty, law abiding Welsh pioneers on the Ridge. The settle- ment as we see it to day, has assumed the proportions of a town having a mixed foreign population of more than two thousand souls. D. & H. Pasenger Service. In the year 1859, the Delawaie & Hudson made their first attempt at establishing a passenger service be- tween Carbondale and Providence over their newly constructed railroad. This experiment was made by fitt- ? ing up a car of freight car type, a 1 door at either end. Small single pane | windows at the sides furnished Mght f and ventilation. This car made at J first one trip daily. Although crude | in construction this venture was hber- [ ally patronized and was soon supplant- | ed by cars of a better type, well de- | signed for the ease and comfort of 1 passengers. This was the beginning | of the now" superb D. & H. passenger = j miiiiiii|i|ij_ii_iiii£iijii:l£ji|illilililltlili™ 1 |l ! |l 1 ii ! II 1 ii 1 11 ! 11 WALSH LAUREL STREET, ARCHBALD, PA. I |i Confectionery, Ice Cream Cigars and Tobacco 1 1; Complete Line of Sporting Goods 1 1 I l!ill>llHIIvon- der that their efforts were crowned by a measure of success, fully in keeping with the means at hand. The word method for beginners in reading had not yet come into use. The alphabet was the bed rock found- ation upon which the whole structure of educational progress rested. Whether the change to modern methods has been a change for the letter is questionable. It is true how- ever that much good work may be done by either system and vice versa. The first, second and third readers were bv different authors. The sub- ject matter was good but the grading was lost sight of. The fourth and highest grade was "The English Reader," a work that would fit in very well in the schools of today as a IHer- ary reader. It contained extracts from the orations of Demosthenes, Cicero and Cataline with selections from the English poets and other lit- erary gems. There is one thing how- ever can be said of the schools of the old days, they sent out good spellers, good readers, good penmen and good accountants, four essentials even in our advanced system of education. The few important branches that were taught were taught well and thoro- ughly. In 1858 Archbald proper had but three one story single room buildings valued at about two thousand dollars. One of them is nov/ the millinery shop of Gilmartin & Moran, v/hich was at that time located in the rear of the Catholic church. Another was one the site of John M. Doucher's on Hill street. The building has long since passed away. The other was on Academy street in the rear of Flan- nery's hotel. The building is now a dwelling and belongs to the Kinback estate. In the early sixties the overcrowd- ing of the school necessitated the erec- tion of two additional buildings, one on South Main street, now used as a residence and owned bv the late Michael Gilgallon; the other on Cem- etery street now the home of the late Patrick McNulty. Many of those who so' ably filled the position of teacher in these schools, have since passed away. A few however are living and filling prominent positions today. Of the good, zealous and unselfish men who as directors worked so presistently for the advancement of education in those early days, not one is living to contemplate the extent to which their earnest efforts haxe expanded. Before 1875, when the old high school was built, the schools of the borough were not graded. Each of the three schools had complete and independent branches as were taught in those days. With the erection of the high school, there was a graded system introduced. The first prin- cipal was the late Hon P. J, White who taught in the old building from 1875 to 1880. Prof. Shiel of Pittston, deceased, was principal during the term 1880-1. In the latter year the trouble between the Gilroy and the Miller board reached such an acute stage that two separte sets of schools were maintained. Mr. White was principal for the Gilroy board and he taught for that board in the term 1880-1. In 1881-2, Mr. Shiel was principal for the Mill- er board, which conducted a school in the building on N. Main street occu- pied by George Bishop. James H. White, v/as acting principal for this board during the term of 1882-3 and Miss Margaret Foote during the term 1883-4. P. H. Kearney, now a prom- inent eye specialist in Scranton, was principal for the Gilroy board from 1881 to 1884 in the old High School building. Prof. R. N. Davis, now curator at the Everhart Musemun in Scranton served as principal from 1884 to 1897. In the latter year Prof. "" 19 + — .. W. A. Kelly suceeded him. Mr. Kelly was made suferintendent of the bor- ough schools in 1904. Mr. Kelly is a graduate of the Parsons public school and of Mansfield State Normal School. He taught in Parsons for several years before coming to Archbald. OTHER EARLY TEACHERS THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE Several Who Taught Herf Beyond Mr. White's Recollections. From a gentleman whose recollec- tion goes beyond that of this writer we Ie?,rn that the firs; teacher, Mr. Savage was assisted by Miss Benja- min of Peckville, a sister of the late Richard Benjam.in. She taught liere in 1848. Mr. Savage was succeeded by a Mr. Ellis, Another early teach- er was Miss Mott. also of Peckville, v/ho taught a private school in a building on the Broderick lot. She came here late in '46. Her niece, whose name is not remembered taught on the Ridge in 1859. John Walsh eame here about 1850 and taught in a building located on the Anr.'iony Dougher lof en Hill street. Mr. Chil- ton taught en Academy street in 1854. Mary A. Kirkv/ood taught in 18;j6 in the building on Hill street on lot oc- cupied by Wrn. Dougher. Miss Wil- son of Carbondale taught in the Mor- rn building in '56 and Myron Hall taught there in 1851. Mr. Pearson came here in 1860 and taught in the G?,me building. John Rutledge of Pitts- ston, later of Olyphant, taught in the Gillgallon building on Main street in 1866 and his assistant was Miss Mary Gilroy, later Mrs. A. C. Campbell,, now deceased. The late Hon. P. J. White came here in 1858 and taght for a while in the Moran building. About 1860 he went to Hyde Park. He returned to Archbald in 1867 and taught without interruption until 1880. He taught in many parts of the borough and was first principal of our graded school. Another teacher of the early 60's was Miss Mary Kearney of Salem street, later Mrs. Michael Donnelly, of Jessup. She taught in the Mc- Nulty building on the East Side. Another early teacher in the same building was a Mr. Roach, of Dun- more, father of late Hon. D. M. Roche. Later teachers in that building were Miss Mary Grogan, later Mrs. Peter Cawley and the late John J. Timlin. Tear it, beam and joint and raftti, Raze it to the earth, Statlier walls will rise hereafter, Like a Phoenix birth. Who would stop the wheels of progress f Must be hard to please, i Let the youth have newer beauties I We have memories. T Quicker than the workmen raze it, I We can build it up J In our heart of heart, and praise iC. | Filling Memory's cup; 1 Simple days of happy childhood, ] Dreams of long ago, j These arise like woodl5)nd odors l From the waste and woe. j Tear it, beam and joint and rafter | Raze it to the earth, | Statlier walls will rise hereafter, f Like a Phoenix birth; i Fa.irer walls, but non so sacred J To our hearts, as these, | Tear it down but do not pluck i' i From our memories. | DR. JOHN A FOOTE I • „ „„ „„ ,,., ,,„ ,1,1, I May Need in Ihe Candy? Cigars Tobacco, Etc. — 0- + — .. Mrs. Anna McKeon GILMARTIN STREET, I 1 I I I .|. _. — . . . ♦ I . ._„,_„._„. . ,_ + 20 THE OLD GRADED SCHOOL AFTER THIRTY YEARS OF SERVICE THE STRUCTURE WAS RAZED TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE PRESENT BEAUTIFUL HIGH SCHOOL. The old graded school buiidiny of the Archbald school district was razed in 1905 to make room for the prt:;ent stately and imposing building, ftiere was more or less sentiment connected with its demolition, for in the old school many of the men of today were educated. The graded building was erected in 1875. It was built when this ti wn formed a part of Blakely town .ship, 'i and it was the first graded school from the late John Flynn of Taorel street. The building was put up by Con- tractor Flannery, of Dunmore and it was finished in the late Fall of 1875. The first principal of the school was Hon. P. J. White. Other principals succeeding him were: Robert Shiel, deceased of Pittston, R. N. Davi.'^, of Dunmore, and the present superin- tendent W. A. Kelly. The directors in office when it was building in the territory comprisjo-l in the district. It was built only after gi'eat orp usi- tion on the part of the school direct- ors representing the Olyphant syetion of the district. Their opposition was eventually overcome and the school board put up what was then consider- ed an excellent building. It cost, with the lot on v/hich it was biult. about $14,000 The lot was bought erected were; Patrick Boland, prosi- I dent; Anthony Walsh, secretary; John f F. Swift, treasurer and Richard ond % Patrick McHale of Olyphant. I Mfny men and women prominent T here and elsewhere, were educated s within the walls of this building. It I was a bone of contention during the | school troubles of the early 80's when | its possession was sought and hold by j physical force. The old building was | bought by A. J. Cawley for $300. | 21 I 1 1 1 1 i I 1 I OL.Ci THEATRICALS WHEN EX-JUDGE STANTON PLAYED HAMLET GREAT ACTORS WERE RARE— "THERE WERE BUT TWO, FORSOOTH, IN ALL THAT TIME, THE STAGE'S PRIME; AND THE OTHER ONE WAS BOOTH."— MANY PLAYS PRODUCED. In the early days of coal mining in the anthracite region, the miner was one of the best paid of craftsmen. Trade was brisk and the good wages and steady work attracted a cla?s of workmen, that, in point of education and general intelligence, were far superior to the foreign element that now seeks work in the coal mines. With these conditions, it was not sur- prising that adventurous professional and business men should consider the coal fields an excellent field for en- terprise, and that many of them had left the larger cities and towns to lo- cate in the small, but promising set- tlements that dotted the Lackawi-nna and Wyoming valleys. Archbald was one of the oldest, and in mineral wealth, the richest of these settlements. Few, indeed, of the neighboring communities at that time v/ere blessed with anything like what in the cities is called "society," but Archbald contained a circle of men and women who possesed a taste for literature, music and the drama, and who cultivated and exercised that taste as best as they could with '.heir meagre facilities and forbidding envi- ronment. Shut out, though they were, from intercourse with the world by the encircling hills and the evergreen forests, thev decided to make a \vorld of their own, and to enjoy in their primitive community those pleasures and refinements v/hich are consider- ed especially the privilege of the dwellers in large cities. The first move in this direction was made on May 2, 1866, when twenty young men met and organized a dramatic society which they called the Young Men's Institute. Kon. William H. Stanton, of Scranton, now deceased, then of Archbald, who afterwards became a member of Con- gress, and subsequently judge, was President; M. M. Kearney, now de- ceased, was Secretary, and Jacob Al- liard, was Treasurer. There wat. al- so an executive committee consl.sting of Chas. S. Culver, Theodore M. Mill- er, Edward W. Carroll, William H. Kearney and Dr. John Foote. The perplexing and diplomatic duty of this committee was to select plays for presentation, and allot the parts to the members of the society. That their path was not always strewn with roses is shown by the fact that three months after organization it was found necessary to insert a clause in the minute book of the society, which gave the majority of the com- mittee absolute power to proceed in the face of grumbling or dissatis- faction on the part of the minority. Ort's hall, a large, barn-like struc- ture which was situated on South Main street, where the late Kenry Pfocr's residence is now located, was the temple where these primitive dis- ' ciples of Thespis made their first of- , fering. Their first production was I the old play "The Drunkard," and to \ i show their familiarity with the legit- f imate they also gave several scenes i from "Hamlet." W. H. Stanton m.ade ' an excellent Hamlet, but his masLer- j ful impersonation of the melan.-holy [ Dane v/as lost on the audience when j they saw "Billy" Kearney's very sub- ! stantial delineation of the Ghost. It I seems that Mr. Kearney's ghost was i a lively, sprightly creature that was i fair of proportion, and that instead 1 of frightening women and making babies cry, this ghost seemed to lend an air of mirth to the otherwise mor- [ bid and sanguinary drama. The aud- i ience agreed at the close of the per- ! formance that with the possible ex- , ception of the duel scene, the ('-host scene was the hit of the evening. But the duel scene was a thrilling and realistic combat. Thomas Law, who is now a resident of Scrajiton, was Laertes, and proved himself an expert fencer. But for once he was taken off his guard by the fiery and impetuous Hamlet, and he received a 22 garh on the right hand that was not advertised on the program. The King descended from his throne, secured some sticking plaster from Dr. Foote with which to repair the injury, and the duel was then resumed, with the usual, happy result. Many other pieces were presented and a performance was given almost every month. Dr. John Foote paint- ed several scenes, and then when chey had improved their stage facilities the society was enabled to attempt some more pretentious plays. To such a degree of perfection did they arrive that in 1867 they journey- ed to Carbondale and gave a week's performance at the Court house, as Carbondale had no opera house. They carried their scenery and stage prop- erties with them and gave a change of bill nightly. Some of the plays they presented there were 'The Drunkard," "Maurice, the Woodcut- ter," "The Irish Exile," "Handy Andy," "Solon Shingle," "Turn Him Out," "Bombastes Furioso." That the people of the Pioneer city enjoyed and appreciated their performances is shown by the fact that the company netted $141.35 from the week's work. The organization continued in a flourishing condition until 1869, v/hen Ort's hall containing all their prop erty was destroyed by fire. Some lime later it was re-organized under the name of "The Archbald Institute" and for many years this organization was a source of entertainment and culture to the community. Swift's hall was their theatre and a stage was erected by the late Henry Wilkie containing all the mechanical contrivances of the modern stage, and a full set of scen- ery painted by Dr. Foote. Many really meritorious performances were given there, and the repertoire of the com- pany included the best productions of the English dramatists, as well as many pieces adapted from the French. Of the original members of the old Young Men's Institute but a fev/ re- main with us. Some have moved away to busier communities and have i been rewarded with the success after which they strove, and some hav3 re- ceived the final summons to make their exit from the stage of Life and receive judgment on the manner in which they played their "many parts." The few that are amongst us are to be envied, for their's was the joy of living in the Archbald of the olden time before the woodman's axo and the miner's pick had seared and black- ened her beautiful verdure-clad hills. Illlllllill I 1 Hotel Metropole C. F. REEDY PROP. WAYNE STREET, ARCHBALD, PA. Fell Beer Always on T&.p li .— + They are to be envied, for to-dav the dreamy silence of the mountain, the awesome mystery of the forest, and its spectral shadows that flitted through the sombre aisles of pine and fir and seemed to whisper in wiiiffs of fragrant balsam, so sweet to the simple dwellers of the valley — all have changed or vanished before the march of progress and industry. The financial secretary's liook which was left in the hands of the last secretary, D. J. Gilmartin gives the original roll of members of the soci- ety as follows: John Foote, M. D., M. M. Kearney, Jacob Ballinger. Edward Carroll, Wm. H. Stanton, William H. Kearney, Daniel Gilmartin, Ch.irles Culver, James H. White, William Gil- martin, Thomas Gilmartin, Patrick Gilmartin, George Eaton, Thomas Law, Baltasar Alliard, John Corcoran, William Gilgallon, Patrick H. Gilgal- T Ion, Theodore M. Miller and Thomas Malone, Miss Marie Kearney, the late Mrs. Donnelly, of Jessup, Miss Ca?sie Atkinson, who became Mrs. Quinn and removed to one of the wefclern states and Miss Carrie Miller wlio is now Mrs. Wm. Calloway, of Scrr.nton, appear on the book as honorary mem- bers. THE OLD F. M. OPERA HOUSE i For many years the old Father Mathew hall, now occupied by the Novelty Theater, was practically the only opera house here, the hall hav- ing been built largely for the purpose. It was opened on November 10, 1882 with a performance of "A Celebrated Case" which has been recently revived in New York. The cast was made up largely of those who figured in the old Dramatic Institute and of those who participated in the opening per- formance only T. A. White, P. C. Gil- martin, W. H. Blake Mrs Clarence Samcn, Mrs. John O'Rourke and Mrs. J. W. Beck are living to-day. The last performance v/as given Septem- ber 23, 1903 by the Burke-McCann Co. Later the building was occupied by the Archbald Silk Co. At present it is owned by the Cawley estate and used as a Nickelet. A welcome visitor here in the 70's and 80's was the "Dublin Dan Com- pany with John M. Burke in the title role. Other pi'ominent members of the Company were Annie F. Irish, William Ashton and Harry F. Hall. Their performances"were usually given in Moyles' hall, which has since been converted into a dwelling. M. J. SWIFT, Prop. CHURCH bTEEET Wines^ Liquors and Cigars *=: I '■' "" "'■ "" i«— 10j» I I 24 MAIN STREET. Ml I a} JOSEPH MELLOW PfOp. —•- — '•-••- — •♦ I *—"—"—" "' 4» IN THE CIVIL WAR THE MEN WHO WENT TO THE FRONT IN '61— HOW THE WAR NEWS WAS RECEIVED HERE. Archbald since it became a town was prompt to respond to calls for the defense of the national governii.ent in time of war. Her sons have always stood ready to "gird their loins for fight" when the interests of our roiint- ry required it. The town was ."ust coming into existence when the war with Mexico broke out but hostilities did not last long and there was no great need of volunteers. Neverthe- less, one of our citizens took part in that struggle. John Hess, "fought his country's battles' way down in Mexico" and he lived there for many years after the war ended. When the war for the extinctioi of slavery broke out, there was a strong opposition sentiment here. In those days the township (it then formed a part of Blakely) was strongely De:T.o- cratic. The temporizing policy of Bu- chanan's administration found many supporters because a majority of the people were Democratic and the ad- ministration was of the same poiitical faith. The people had no symp.ithy with slavery, hov.'ever. Many of them were exiles from a system that, in some respects, resembled the evil in the South and they did not cross the ocean to encourage any movrnient that was intended to perpetuate it. They disliked to desert their party, they stuck to it until war had actually begun, and many of them remamed Democrats until long after the war ended. But all the Democrats were nor op- ponents of the strong policy of Lin- coln. Indeed, when the crisis ?ame they went to the front with the same alacrity as did many of their fellow- citizens of other political views. When Fort Sumter was fired on and Pr-esi- dent Lincoln issued his call for 7i),000 volunteers so many of our young men responded that it was not possible to make room for them ail, the number alloted to Pennsylvania being full. The list of Archbaldians who re- sponded to the call to save the Union is as complete as it is possible to make it. It is as follows: Owen Flah- erty, James Pidgeon, Deidrich Dus- enbrook, Wm. Gilroy, Peter McAnd- rew, John Lally, John Brogan, Mich- ael Dunn, John White, Francis Bol- and, John Burke, P. J. Coolican, Bry- an, Flaherty, Henry Linderman. John Law, Conrad Bachman, Elias Pfoor, Conrad Schifler, James Hadley, Fi'ank Shannon, James McGrail, Henry Nei- mayer, C. C. Battenberg, H. C. Miller, Nathan B. Brown, Nelson La Rose, Owen Moyles, Conrad Grabb, Joseph OUendyke, August Zimmerman, Thom- as Dougherty, Patrick Hunt, Wi-mot Vail, Henry Welch, Thomas Ma'ione, James Nicholson, Patrick Duffy, Fred- erick Eaton, Preston Eaton, Himry Zimmerman, Charles Culver, Koese Williams, Patrick McDonnell, Patrick Gallagher, Patrick Walsh, John Stanton, Dennis Smith and John Big- lin. During the years of the Civil War it is worthv of note how quickly the news of battles fought and authentic lists of the killed, wounded and miss- ing were published. The Philadelphia papers were relied on most especially the Inquirer, this paper having spec- ial correspondents with every Pennsylvania regiment, who promptly reported all losses. We remember distinctly how the news of the assassination and death of President Lincoln was received and circulated on the morning of April 15 1865. Although the morning was a rainy one the news spread in a .short time to every part of the town. Horror at the dastardly act of the assassin and a heartfelt sorrow for the m.artyred president were heard on every side. — '♦• 1+.— I THE GLACIAL POT-HOLE THE GREAT WORK OF NATURE IN ARCHBALD THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD— HOW THE MARVELOUS NATURAL CURIOSITY WAS FORMED AND HOW DISCOVERED BY A MINER. In the golder summertime there is no more popular place in this locality than the Glacial Pot-hole at the (Ridge) Eynon. Scarcely a season passes that does notb ring its quota of visitors to the great marvel Ol na- I ture. Nor is this surprising in view I of the fact that the Archbald Pot-hole I is the largest in the world, surpassing 'i in size even the more noted pot-holes J of Switzerland and other parts of the i world. It is so long since it was dis- I covered and so few know how ge v)log- I ists acount for it formation that the I brief sketch given herewith will have ] at least an instructive value. I The pot-hole is located on the Hack- s ley track in this borough. It was dis- i covered in April 1883 by Patrick Ma- j hady a miner employed by Jones Simpson & Co. The men were open- ing a chamber in an airway and they struck the pot-hole after discharging a blast. Thev immediately reported to the operators that they had found an outcrop, but the latter knew this could not be so and continued to pros- ecute work at that point. Large round stones and gravel began to pour into the mine, and after removing g-reat quantities of this the rim of the hole was found. The pot hole was then bratticed and used as an air shaft. Negotiations were begun for the pur- chase of the ground suroundiny; the pot-hole. Col. Hackley the ov^ner, declined to sell, but he apropriated $500 for the preservation of the pot- hole in the interests of science. A substantial stone wall was built around the hole and the grounds were otherwise improved under the direc- tion of the late Edward Jones, an en- thusiastic student of geology who was particularly interested in this po^-hole because it was uncovered by some of his employes. Soon after the discovery of this an- other and larger pot-hole was found about 950 feet to the northeast. This has not been uncovered because of the effect it would have on the inine which is still in operation. There are other but much smaller holes in eth- er parts of the borough, especially along White Oak creek, but the one uncovered at the Ridge is the mo.st im- portant of all. The pot-hole is at the foot of a precipitous, wooded hill. The hole is not round. The shape is rather more oblong, and the walls are worn smooth The depth is about forty-five feet; its greatest diameter is twenty feet and its least diameter is eighteen feet. When it was discovered it was prac- tially filled with stones varying in weight from a few grains to twenty pounds. They were worn almost per- fectely round. In the winter of 1883 Jones, Simp- son & Co., informed State Geologist J. P. Lesley of the discovery of the pot-hole, and in a letter in reply Mr. Lesley said. "The Archbald discoverv is a fine case of a well known phenomenon called a glacial pot-hole. There is a public garden in the city of Lucerne, Switzerland, where five or six of these are kept open for the amusement and instructon of the public. When they were cleaned out, a number of the rounded stones (some of large bize) were left in them so that people could see how the holes were made. The glaciers of the Jungfraw, Wit- terhorn and other mountains once flowed down over the city of Lucerne , and far out into the plam of Switzer- land, and even reached the Jui-a moun- tais a hundreds miles distant. This was in the cold age of the world, im- mediately preceding the appearance of mankind. All the Alpine glaciers have now shrunk back into the higher valleys leaving behind them millions of locks of all kinds on the surface, however, some of those stones were kept roll- ing round and round by the melting waters, ers. The traveler on any of the Alpine -|m_.. 2f) I glaciers has an oportunity to see how these holes were made, because r.imi- liar ones are being made todav. The surface of a glacier melts under the hot sunshine, flows over the su.fare of the ice and plunges into crevices to the low bed of the valley dov/n v/hich the glacier is moving. These water- falls make deep pot-holes wherever they keep rocks twirling round in de- pressions of the valley bed. When a pot-hole is finished by a change in the location of the v/ater fall, it gets filled with smaller round- ed boulders, gravel and sani. If there were any horizontal coai beds not far underneath the bed of an Al- pine valley such a coal bed would be sure to have one or more glacial pot- holes in it, perhaps going clear through it, filled with gravel. Now in that cold age, Canada, New England, New York, Northern New Jersey and Northern Pennsyh'ania dov/n to a line stretching from Olean through Ralston, Berwick and Eckley to Belvidere and Amboy, were entirely covered with a solid continuous .sheet of ice in some places 3,000 feet thick (in New Hampshire 6,000 feet) mov- ing southward carrying rocks of all kinds and sizes, plowing and scratch- ing the surface of the country, and making pot-holes of various depths from 10 to 70 and 80 feet, most of which are now concealed by a thick covering of drift, that is, the gravel, s^nd and clav which the ice, ca.-ried forward as it advanced, and left be- hind it when it melted. "Many of these pot-holes have been accidentally uncovered (like yours) and have always been found filled with gravel of a foreign origin, no THE GLACIAL POT HOLE. " 27 I -4» *i*"*~~"" ii1I«— un-^ii" «" I'l M' n nr: un 1 1, cii i.:: im iin uti iin— — iio— — nw.^— OH^— iB^— t^ s matter what the formation was in which the pot-hole was excavated. In some, exposed by cutting a mill race west of Albany, the bones of a mam- moth were found mixed with gravel. "We have calculated the tickne^s of the ice where it moved over Strouds- burg, in Monroe county, at about 1,- 500 feet. It was deep enough to ':ross the Kittatinny mountains at Delaware Water Gap, where it has left on the top of the mountains large masses of limestone torn off from the outcrop in Godfrey's ridge, near Stroudsburg, and therefore carried up by the ice a thousand feet. The ice was thick enough to move over the great high- lands of the Pocono Mountain between Scranton and Stroudsburg more than 2,000 feet above the sea. I have no doubt that the ice at Archbald was at least $2,000 feet thick and it carried fragments of your coal itself from come of your exposed outcrops (ex- f posed at that time, but covered up i with drift now) from the bottom of the Lac'awauna Valley to the top of Bald Mountain, and that they now be scattered over the wilderness highland of the headwaters of the Lehigh River and that they v;ill be discovered there if ever railroad or other cuttings were made through the drift ridges on that table land. "It would be well worth your while to examine closely the cuts along the line of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad for bits of anthra- cite coal and conglomerate which have been carried from Carbo.idale and Archbald and left there by the ice. "Your discovery happens to be one of the very finest illustrations of the subject which we have had the good fortune to encounter." When the pot-hole was discovered the stones and gravel it contained resLed on a cone of coal. Mine Fore- , man James M. Eaton's attention was I called to it and he ordered the mmer ' to blast the coal. When this v/as done the stones came tumbling into the airwav Avith such an awful roar that the -miners who had gatliered neax thought the mountain v/as com- ing in on them. Some of them left the mine, so frightened were they. ' Ihe debris that filled the pot-hole was I removed bv a gang of men under the direction of the late Hon. M. M. Gil- ' roy. Souvenirs of the discovery in j the shape of round stones were very I common here and are still preserved ! in man" hom.cs in town. '" "" '■" ' ^ ■ " '■" " "" "" "" '■"' ▼ P. J. FLANNER.i" Prop. WINES >UORS i I MAIN STREET. ^ .._.=_». . . BURYING THE DEAD. How- It Was Done in Archbald the Early Days, There were few people in the town who knew more about its early his- tory than did the late Jacob Ritter. While he was not engaged in guarding the majesty of the law, as tipstaff, a position he held until death claimed him, Mr. Ritter spent all his tim.e within the shadow of his own vine and fig tree When he was in a reminis- cent mood there was nothing more de- lightful than his talk about old times. A funeral passing his hom.e one day recalled the burial customs that pre- vailed here in the early days and prompted him to speak of the changes time had made even in our treaiment of the dead. "When I came here," I said Mr. Ritter, "there was no such thing as a hearse in this part of the I valley and there were no great pre- j parations made for a funei-al. When anyone died it was the custom to go I to a carpenter or coffin maker and I have a box made large enough to hold i-the body of tlie deceased. In town the principal coffin maker was August Miller, the father of the well known Miller family who later started the Jermyn Coffin and Casket factory. In those days people were not in the habit of paying high prices for coffins. I You could get a pretty good one for ; six or seven dollars and for one made of fine hardwood you would pay ten or twelve dollars and there woudn't I be much fancy work on it either^ but \ it served just as well as the expen- ; sive caskets of today." ^ lilllllllilllllillllllllllllllllilll llilllllllllllllllllllllllllllillliillll , — ,.4. 1 I I ! I I 1 i The Stores That Turn Pass Books Into Bank Book«/* ^ •••" uii^^uii "" nil «■ ''" "" "" nil— MM— Hit— an nii— mi nH-«>N " ^" ▼ ^ il'illllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^ T 4.._.. .._.._.._.._.._. — . ._... "Of course everybody held a wake for two or three days and everybody else considered it a duty to pay re- spect to the dead. In those days there was the best of feeling between people of every class and as the number of people in the town was small every- body went to the funeral. The funer- al was very much the same then as it is now except that every man in the procession was a pall-bearer. When the corpse was taken to church or to the grave yard the coffin rested on a bier, resembling a stretcher with four handles. A man took hold of each handle and carried the body a certain distance. Then the four men at the head of the procession halted until the bier reached them and they took hold and carried it until they reached the next four. So it went until the graveyard was reached, the number of pall- bearers depending on the dis- tance from the home to the cemetery. I have seen two and three dozen serve at a funeral. "This way of caiTying the dead to the grave was kept up until pretty near war times. Then a man named Cameron from Carbondale came here with a hearse. The first person le be I taken to the grave in it was Mrs. John I I White. Of course only one was need- [ ed to introduce a custom that was I more convenient than the old way and i after a v.'hile everybody had the un- [ dertgker and his hearse " f THE FIRST BURGLARY An Event in the Early Days That Created Considerable Excite- ment— $10,000 Stolen. I Baring the years of the Civil war . the first burglary of any account oc- ' curred The money intended for the payment of the employes at the Eaton and cornteny, mines was taken from | the office safe during the night pre- f ceding the regular pay day. I The tvurglar forced an entrance and | recured ebout ten thousand dollars, f There were no time locks in those days and The v/ork of fitting a key to the lock in use was a simple matter. De- tectives v/ere employed to investigate the mattef but failed to incriminate any one. The loss of the money how- ever delayed the payment of the men a few hoifrs. " ♦ A complete line of Candv, Cigars and Tobacco ICE CREAM John L. Hevers i 1 i ! i i .so ..—4. JAMES ARCHBALD FIRST MAYOR OF CARBONDALE AFTER WHOM THIS TOWN WAS NAMED— SKETCH OF A PIONEER WHO WAS A BUILDEROF BIG THINGS Hon. James Archbald, after whom this borough is named, was born in Ayshire, Scotland, March 3, 1793. His father was one of the staunch yeo- manry peculiar to Scotland of that time, a man of few v/ords, but much thought. His mother was descend- ed from Robert Wodrow, a famous Scotch divine in a stormy period of Scotish history. When twelve years old young James came to America with his father and settled in the Mohawk valley of central New "bcork. He followed lumbering and trading. During all this time he studied dili- gently and became quite accomplished in a literary and artistic way. He was a musician of some distinction in hi^-day. He became a contractor about the time the Erie canal was built and made a section of that great water way. His work was so well and hon- estly done that he attracted the atten- tion of the chief engineer of the can- al, John B. Jervis, v/ho offered him a position with the engineering corps. He accepted and when, in 1825 Mr. Jervis was given charge of the Dela- ware & Hudson I'ciroad, Mr. Archbald was employed on it. In 1829 he was elected superintendent of the newly opened mines of the company at Car- bondale and from that date until the time of his death, he resided in this valley almost constantly. In 1837 Mr. Archbald was offered the position of engineer in charge of the enlargement of the Erie canal between Troy and Utica which he ac- cepted. He remained away from Car- bondale only a short time, he having returned to take charge of their road at the earnest solicitation of the Del- aware & Hundson company. In 1847 Mr. Archbald had charge of the construction of the railroad of the Pennsylvania Coal Co., between Pittston and Hawley. About this time, also, he was chosen Mayor of Carbondale, which office, he filled with great satisfaction for four successive terms, or until he left that city. In 1854 he was chosen vice-presi- dent of the Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana railroad of ^vhich road he assumed personal charge. At this time he ended his relations with the Delav/are and Hudson railroad. He remained in the west only a year when he again returned to this region. Soon after his return from the West he succeeded Hon. G. W. Scranton as general agent of the D. L. & W. rail- road. About this time he moved from Carbondale to Scranton From 1858 until his death Mr. Archbald held the positions of President of the Lacka- wanna and Bloomsburg railroad and chief engineer of the Delaware, Lack- awanna & Western Railroad. Mr. Archbald died in Scranton, August 26, 1870. His son is Hon. R. W. Arch- bald, of Scranton. The construction of the gravity planes over the Moosic Mountains were long the admiration and wonder of people in this section of the State. They were constructed under Mr. Wurts' supervision and they admirably served the purpose of the Delaware & Hudson company for more than fifty years. . ^.^ ^1— w- EARLY NEWSPAPERS Journalism in Archbald Past and Present. Two things come forcibly to the mind of everyone, who by reasoTi of long and continued residence in the town, is enabled to indulge in recollec- tions of Archbald as it appeared Tifty years ago. The first of these is in the general topography of the place. The other is the changes which Lime has wrought in the inhabitants. During the first fourteen years of our existence as a town, each succeed- ing year brought but few sudden or important changes in either the ap- pearance of the town or the fortunes of the people. Content to pursu'3 the "even tenor of their way," undisturb- ed by even a spasmodic thrill of fic- titious energy, even at the close of a year of unprecedented financial de- pression and stagnation in all the av- enues of trade and business activity we find the people contented, happy and fairly prosperous. It was not until the spring of 1858 when th'T Del- aware and Hudson Canal company commenced the extension of their Gravity railroad to Olyphant that the beneficent effects of a real, genuine, ! industrial boom were first felt. Dur- ing this year the entire line of double '< track extending from plane A in Archbald to plane G in Olyphant was i \ completed, giving employment to a large number of men and materially increasing the population. This sud- den and much needed impetus given to industrial pursuits was of lasting ben- efit. By it new lines of employment were thrown open to the people, im- proved facilities for the mining and shipment of coal were devised and put into sucessful operation which mt^rked the beginning of an era of unprece- dented growth and pi'osperity. It is only when we take into consideration the primitive methods employed r.p to this time and bv a careful comparison s of the same v/ith those afterwards in- troduced, that we can fully understand and readily account for the trreat change in both place and people. In 1858 Archbald was only a hamlet having but a fev/ hundred population, j nestling cosily among verdant hills and shady valleys; a forest of pine and hemlock stretching away in an unbroken line from Salem road to Mount Vernon, a forest whose still- ness remained unbroken by the sound iiiii!i!iiii!iiiiij!ijiiii'riiiiH{i!iiiii l!lllil!l!|i| I JOE TOKARZ, Prop. | 1 Hill Street, Archbald 1 m\ I Wines Liquors i I and Cigars | Jlllllilllll!ll|iJIIIIII!lllllllllllllll!ll|llill|i|ill|i|lllllilllllllll|||lllllllJ|[l!l!lin a^ "©lb ome c e k ' anb |J)o ur?? {Pleasures ^bat Mill Bever Be jForc3otten. SUCH IS THE WISH OF Samler Bros. CO. SCR ANTON, PA. Outfitters for Men and Boys for Over 43 Years. 32 4»' I of steam whistle or toll of vesper bell. Even in those early days the educa- tional interests of the people were am- ply provided for by the maintenance of three public schools Those schools had a total enrollment of about one hundred and fifty pupils and were under the control of a board of direc- tors usually composed of the be:;t ed- ucated men in the district; thi: quality of education being absolutely necess- ary, inasmuch as the school b'jard vrere the sole judg-es cf the te:: hcr's fitness and qualification for the work, and these arduous duties were usually well performed. That great factor in education: the daily newspaper (which frequently ed- ucates in a wrong direction) wr>s at this time an unknown quantity to the residents of this valley. The people seemed satisfied with what news ^hey could glean from the columns of a few weekly papers among which we re- member the Cnrbondale Advance, the Lackawanna Register, and the Boston Pilot, to which may be added the New York Ledger, famous in those days as a story paper. It was many vears afterward that Archbald had a paper distinctively its own. The first attempt to establish . a newspaper was made in the early six- ties when Fred Goehrs of Goehr'.s Hill having had some experience as an ap- prentice in a printing office, conceived the idea of establishing not only a first class local paper but also an ex- tensive printing establishment. Fred, after securing an oction on what he considered a suitable place in which to Iccste the Dl?nt ordered his presses typ3, and other paraphernalia. This was actually shipped to Archbald, but upon its arrival here the wonld-be journalist v/ac not over- burdened with money snd the outfit was shipped back to New York, as sufficient funds were not available to even pay the freij^ht charges. The disappointment to his dreams and aspirations was more than Fred could bear, so he im- n'_edi:^.te'y left the s:enes of his child- hood and v/as a stranger to Archbald evermore. During the succeeding twenty years several efforts to establish a perma- nent nev/3Daper were made but all were fore-doomed to failure. One of these "creatures" of intellect the writ- er has especiall'/ in »~iin:l. It was the work of a few ambitious gentlemen of decided literary ability. I think their product was known as the Archbald News. The entire caper except a "patent inside" — and by-the-way that GOOD CLEAN HONEST DEALING A desire to pleise everybody. Every customer a satisfied customer that's the policy of this store. MEN'S BOYS' AND YOUNG MENS' FURNISHINGS Everything" you buy here is worth what you pay for it. Gene Kearney 4. , — 4. .._._, _. _«. .._^ 3S '" " innovation was just then coming into general use — was the work of Arch- bald talent. The news and editorial matter were written here, but the copy was converted into type and the paper was printed in Scranton. While the News lasted it was an entertaining sheet, but the patronage it received was not sufficient to justify continuous publication and it died an early and untimely death. The next attempt to establish a paper was made in 1882 when a few persons who believed that a local paper and printing office had become a real necessity, brought out the first numbers of the Truth. The paper was printed in a small building on Hill street on a hand press and it coftinu- ed to grow and prosper to such an ex- tent that its projectors, in a short time, determined to seek a wider field of usefulness. The entire plant was removed to Scranton where it prosper- ed for a time as a weekly paper. From this sprung the Scranton Truth for many years one of the most widely read and influential daily newspapers in the state. Archbald, after the departure of the Truth was without a home paper until a Mr. Gould appeared on the scene in 1894 with the Archbald Bee. Having had considerable experience as a journalist, he no doubt concluded that by carefully avoiding the rocks and shoals he might succeed in Arch- bald where others had failed. It is to be regretted that his well laid plans came to naught. A cyclone of ad- versity struck the second weekly is- sue of the paper and thus the Arch- bald Bee passed into oblivion. Early in the spring of 1894 the late A. F. McNulty, a man of considerable literary attainments and journalistic ability, in partnership with Miss Nellie O'Donnell, seeing that Archbald presented an opening for a local paper, came here for the purpose of looking over the field. Basing his convic- tions on the fact that the people of Archbald were a reading community and would therefore be likely to pa- tronize a paper devoted exclusively to their interests, he accordingly, after the expenditure of much capital and labor succeeded in establishing the Archbald CITIZEN on a permanent and paying basis, a venture that would have proven eminently successful had not his career been cut short by the cruel hand of death. Called away at a time when his services were most liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^^ SUITS, SHOES, TIES, UNDERWEAR, HATS, S OCKS, ETC« Our store is stocked with a com/^ plete and up^to^date line of goods* The store that can Suit you. BERGER'S THE HOME OF GOOD CLOTHES m 4. _„_,._.„_„„_„_„_ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiifiriniirifi 34 4. _._.._-.._.._.._.._.. — _._„_..__.._.._ valuable to the paper, it is no wonder that his loss to the paper was almost irreparable. In the fall of 1898 the ownership of the CITIZEN . passed ,; to . P. . A. Philbin, he having purchased it' from - the heirs of Hon. A. F. McNulty. The first issue under Mr. Philbin's control came from the press on October 1898. He conducted the paper until May 1909 when he sold the plant to W. D. McHale and F. A. Lally, the present proprietors. Since they assumed ownership the office was moved from the old building on Church street, where it had been published since 1894 to a building on Main street which had been specially built for it. The office is now one of the best equipped in the county, having a Mer- genthaler linotype machine and press- es and equipment competent to do al- most any kind of printing. ARCHBALD, THE SITE OF AN INDIAN VILLAGE Many years before v/hite settle- ments were made in Wyoming Valley. a well defined path or trail extended from the Indian villages in Wyoming to the Indian villages of the Delaware Valley where Milford, Pike county now stands. This patch or trail was along the Lackawanna through the Capouse village at Scranton to Arch- bald, thence across the Moosic Moun- tains to the Paupack river through what is now Hawley, to the villages at Milford the countv seat of Pike county. Many of the settlers here to- day can well remember a circular space near the Suspension bridge now known a^ the Mount Vernon section or "stump field" from which all traces of tall trees had been removed, not even a stump remaining. Dr. Hollister, one of the early historians of the Lacka- wanna valley assured the writer, that on this spot stood an Indian village which marked the end of the first day's journey which furnished shelter and rest to those making the journey from Wyoming and the villages in the Dela- ware Valley at Milford. This state- ment rests entirelv upon tradition, still it has distinctive features vhat bring it well within the scope or range of probability. The clearing was made there long before the days of the first white settlers. The question is "Who made it?" We have given the expla- nation as, we have received it^ i BUY SMIT H'S ICE CREAM 1 i 11 I i 35 * I I I EARL'f SETTLERS. i Tho Names of Those Who First I Came Here. I The early records ot the town are 1 so very meagre, that it is an extremely I hard t?.3k to get a complete list of the I first settlers in what is nov/ the cown I of Archbald. From the means at hand I the follcv/ing list has been made up I and it is useful as showing, if no" all, 1 at least a very large percentage of the J early settlers. The settlemeiit on what I is now Rock and Hill streets, was ex- 1 clusively Irish, although a few Ger- I mans came here as early as 1846. Dur- I ing the next few years there was a 1 considerable influx of Welsh and En- I glish and they settled on the low tract ,1 between the foot of Hill street and ii White Oak creek. Nearly all the >i first houses on that tract were built 3 by this class of settlers. Mot--!; of I them left here before the Civil War I and toda;y there c.:e none of them on 'I the tract. , I In the late 70*s a number of Bo- il hemian settlers came to the town ■3 and lived chiefly in the vicinity of 1 ^ Goer's hill. When the government 1 opened up the rich k.nds cf Nebraska | and Kansas to homesteaders, nc-arly = all these Bohemians went Wesc and ! today there are none of them here. | The settlers in the town (exclusive f of the Ridge) in 1845-6-7, as far as 1 we have been able to ascertain them, | are as follows: ! 1845 — Patrick Giimartin, 1 hilip = Sherry, Frank Healy. i 1846 — John Corv/in, James NIchol- | son, John Nicholson, Jar/.es Nicholson, f Jr., Enoch Siddon, Patrick Dolphin, = Conrad Lorenz, Dudley Cou,^hlin, j Michael O'Neill, Richard Jordan, j Henry Rogers, Thomas Swift, John ' Ferguson, Daniel O'Hara, Mark I.Iel- I vin, Hon. Patrick Kearney, Thomas f McLaughlin, Patrick Moran, Pairick 1 McGuire, Henry Mackey, John Rod- I gers, Patrick Kearney, later of I-aurel J street. Michael Giiroy. Richard Gil- i roy, William Gilroy, John Gilroy, Ed- I ward Craig, Bernhardt Wagner, John T Hosie, Alver Eaton, George Simpson, i 1847 — John Hofsommer, Mi' hael I Spellman, John Spangenburg, Mich- T ael Murphy, James Murphy, Michael f Swift, John McCaffrey, Thomas Mc- j Andrew, Roger Finnnerty, Mi.'.hael | Scanlon, John Scanlon, James Bar- i lllllillllllllll|lilllJIIII!l!lllllilll IIIIIIIIIIIIIILIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIilillllll lilllllllllllllllllllll II I 1 I ! 1 m\ olan & Moran J I Groceries and Provisions 1 1 1 1 1 1 } I 1 1 ^ mil 4— . v/, I A'/ Mdwin Street |||||||||||||||l|||||||lj||l|||||||llllllllllllilllllllllll!l!lii;illllllllllll!l!l]|llllll.l^^ •t* ' " "" "" "" "" *" lilt— lt!(^^IIlt— ■II— III! UU till ! lett, Peter Wiltz, Jair.es Hennigan, j William Lynott, Peter Hunt, Aioxan- I der Sweeney, James Corcoran, Martin i Geary, Patrick Clarke, Thomas Mar- I tin, Patrick Moran, 2nd, John O'Rara, I Brian Gaughan, Michael Gaughan, Sr., 1 Patrick Coleman, John Moran, An- 1 thony Coyne, Thomas Loftus, Patrick I Kearney, (later of Chestnut street,) ' Dominick Dougherty, John Meyl, Peter Propst, Michael O'Boyle, Thom- as O'Boyle, Anthony O'Boyle, Anth- ony O'Horo, Patrick t)ougheT, Anth- ony Dougher, Edv/ard Flaherty, Pat- rick Scanlon, Martin Nealon, William McAndrevv, Michael Masterson, John Dougher, Martin Dougher, Fiank Dougher, George Wallace, Tom Pay- ers, Jacob Shearer, Anthony Mc- Laughiln, Patrick McAndrew, John Walsh, Patrick White, John White, Martin Holrr.es, Thomas Boland, Dav- id Middleton. The first house on the hill in the pre:ent Third ward, was built in 1846 and is now a part of the home of Thomas McHa !e. It was built as a residence for Ihomas Sayers, a stat- ionery engineei" in the sei^vice of the Delaware & Hudson company. An- other early house was built on the site of the Thomas Scott home. John —.4. J. Swift, the first child born ti the early settlers, first saw the liglit at what was known as the "Great West- ern," in a house built in a dealing I near the Powder Mill The first bridge in the town was built on the site of the present Gil- martin street bridge, and it wa-- the only means of crossing the Lacka- wa,nna in the town. Archbald borough was divided into three wards in 1879. The first Justices of the Peace of the borough of Archbald were Edward Carroll and P. J. White. The first high constable was James Gilroy. Naturally business followed in the footsteps of the pioneers and within a few years the village became quite prosperous in a business sense. The tiTrst store was opened here in 1847 by Howell & Law. This was built at Gil- martin's corner. Other early s Lore- keepers were: Snyder and Taylor, at Butler's corner in 1848, Peter Walsh 1848, West's store on the present site of t cotes Phar.nacy, 1848. Osborne & Spencer at M. J. Swift's, .848; Patrij c Gilmartin 1850, Patrick Kear- ney, 1850, Daniel O'Hara, 1850, Dol- plin, Coyne and Ferguson, 1851, Dol- phin & Jordan in 1851 and Thomas Healey, in 1854. J. J. BRENNAN Ice Cream, Candy, Cigars 37 SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMEN 1 vERGHANTS OF THE TOWN WHO PROS- lERED IN THE EARLY DAYS OF ARCH- BALD BOROUGH— PORTRAITS AND BRIEF [iEETCEES OF A FEW OF THEM. It is worthy of note that many of the sons of the sturdy settlers of fifty years ago are today found amono- the most sucessfn.l business men of Arch- bald, notably Cawley Brothers, who are today conducting the large depart- ment stores, founded by their father, Martin Cawley some years ago. John ..x^xvTIN CAWLEY. Ki'aft of Main street, also sue needed his father in the grocery trade and is now one of our prosperous merchants. Mr. A. V. Gerbig was one of the pioneer settlers, a harness maker by trade, for many years was engaged in the saddle and harness business Mr. Gerbig was also an expert ac- countant and was for a time in the stores of Peter Walsh. After a long service with the Delaware and Hudson Co. as a telegraph operator and sta- tion agent he retired to engage in the mercantile busines. He conducted a large general store to the time c^ his death a few years ago. The late Justus Bishop was one of | Archbald's most enterprising business j men for many years. He was the 1 JUSTUS BISHOP. I founder of the extensive hardware 1 store and plumbing establishment on | Main street. Mr_ Bishop was also > prominent -^ as an- investor in many j other enterprises. The late Patrick | McDonnell, John M. Dougher and f oJhn Timlin are among the number 1 who were successful business men | m.ore than thirty years ago. eni^y Jxeveis Conti'actoir and ^isildzt PaintSt Brushes and Hardv/are Plans and Specifications Estimates on Application ARCH BALD PA. It ^iiiiiiir^iMi^iiiiirjiiiii™^^ 39 ; "^ "" " ' *" "" ■n— »« HH Nu^^iH^-BiiN— »iin^-*nif^i*itB— RH^^Rii^^ii«-»Hi*^ii«»in««»ni«^i«fl> 4.-., and Realty Co. Lumber, Mill Work, Sash Doors, Moulding and Interior Trim at Wholesale and Re- tail. Special attention given to Contractors' and Architects' Estimates. Prompt Service and Right Piiccs. Get In Touch With Us. YARD AND OFFICE: 707 River Street PECKVILLE, PA. 4-., 40 4* ARCHBALD CHURCHES Facts Concerning- the Early Places of Worship. The earliest church here was the First Welsh Calvanist Methodist church, which was organized at the Ridge by Rev. John Davis in 1834. A building was erected in 1848 at which he conducted services until his death in 1866. The building is still stand- ing. The first church in Archbald was St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic church, built in 1850 a mission church in charge of Father Fitzsimmons of Car- bondale parish. Previous to this vime services were held once a month at the residence of the late Patrick Kear- ney and later on in the home of Pat- rick Gilmartin. Archbald had no resi- dent pastor until the appointment of Rev. Father McSwiggan in 1855. This church, although a small one, seemed to meet all the requirements of the parish for ten years, when it became necessary to enlarge it_ A large ad- dition was built and the original build- MEATS GROCERIES PROVISIONS HENNER and KRIEGER —""—""—"-* jfiftp=Jfibe §ears( OF SATISFACTORY DRUG SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF ARCHBALD. Your father and your grandfather came here for their medicine. Ours is among the pioneer drug stores of this region. It is one of the oldest in the region. But it is not old-fashioned. Always improving, adding new appliances, adopting new methods, everything to advance the art of Pharmacy — we keep abreast of the times. We are thankful to the old residents who have had confidence in us these many years past and hope that they will live to enjoy many more Old Home Weeks. Footers Pharmacy lestabltshet) 1860 41 1 . I li ing remodeled in 1862 under the su- pervision of Richard Benjamin, of Blakely. Archbald was never a fertile field for the exploitation of the Various new and modernized churches which sprung up in other parts of the coun- try. Our churches today are the same in number and the same in teaching as they were sixty years ago. This speaks well of the sincerity of the people in the matter of their re- ligious belief. In the year of 1870 Rev John Lou- ghran began work on the magnificent Roman Catholic church, St. Thomas Aquinas of today. The corner stone was laid in 1873 and the church was dedi- cated in August 1875. It cost origin- ally, $58,000. The Lutherans h^d a church here, where the boiler house of the old White Oak colliery now stands. It was built in the early fif- ties and was burned in 1858. Rebuilt and again burned in 1863. Soon after the present brick edifice was built. Last Coal From Batons. The last ton of coal was drawn from the pockets of the old Eaton breaker of Jones, Simpson & Co., on October 15, 1893. Henry Lorenz, of South Main street, now foreman of the Ray- mond colliery took the coal out of the breaker. A year later, the breaker was partially destroyed by fire and then it was razed entirely. The large high brick stack at the fire room is yet standing, and is in good condition. o Mrs. Pickard, a Pioneer. The lady who has the honor of being the longest resident of the town is Mrs. Mary Pickard, widow of the late Thomas Pickard, of Hill street. Mrs. Pickard came here with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Roger Flaherty in 1846, the year after Mr. Gilmartin came. Mrs. Pickard is still hale and hearty, and rejoices that she has lived to par- ticipate in the present celebration. Butler's Archbald Furniture House I WHERE YOU WILL FIND A STOCK OF j FURNISHINGS THAT WILL PLEASE YOU. j WE TREAT YOU RIGHT I Linoleums, Rugs, Bedding 1 Our Specialty» BUTLER'S ARCHBALD FURNITURE HOUSE OLD HOME" OPENING. 1 j The Excellent Address of ?io- 1 neer, Daniel J. Gilmartin. ' The "Old Home Week," celebration I was opened promptly at midnight Sun- I day when Burgess James F. Kearney I amid the blowing of whistles, the I ringing of bells and shooting of fire- j works, turned affairs over to the Board : of Ti-ade. The key of the town was I handed over by the Burgess to John j R. Cawley, President of the Board of I Trade, v/ho introduced Mr. Daniel J. I Gilmartin, the only one of the pion- 1 eers living, who formally opened the I celebration. Mr. Gilmartin made the 1 following brief, but very excellenc ad- I dress: ? "Mr. President, ladies and gentle- i men and members of the Board of ', Trade: I thank you for the honor I conferred on me, for I consider it a 1 great honor to be selected to open up "Old Home Wee\." Now that the festivities are about to begin, I hope the people of Archbald will be equal to the occasion and that nothinn,' will occur to mar the pleasure or bring j disgrace upon our town. But I have no fear that anything of the kind will happen, for I read in the destiny of our town far Letter hopes, far brighter visions. We who are assembeld here tonight to cele- brate this event must soon be gath- ered to our fathers who have gone before us. The time for our depar- ture is at hand to make way for our children on the theatre of life. May God speed them and theirs. May he who shall stand here seventy years hence to celebrate this day still look around upon a free, happy and a virtuous people. May he have reason to exult, as we do, and may he with all the enthusiasm of truth as well as of poetry, rejoice that Archbald is still on the map and still a good old town to live in." Mr. Gilmartin, the only one of the first settlers now living, was born in New York city, and came to this town when he was a small boy. He has lived here continuously since 1845, and was prominent in the politics of B:ake- iy township and Archbald Borough. He has served as Township Treii^'irer and was three times elected to Arch- bald borough council. He also served ihree times on the school bcr.rd. I *.. — ,:— "r* ll!|||||||||lli;i;i!!i!ilil!l!lllll!i;i!ll!ll!lllllllllilll!l!!il:l!l:l!l!lii:iili;ii|iii|i^ I 11 T.J PLUMBING, TINNING, HARDWARE AND MINE SUPPLIES. I 11 I MAIN STREET, ARCHBALD, PEN N'A. I Ii|{|lilll^^ ^ 4,S CHRISTMAS HALE CENTURY AGO How the Great Feast Was Cel- ebrated in Archbald :iii:ii!i;i:i'i;iiiiiiiiTi:H!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiniiii!iiiiiiiiiiiniiii;iii^^ I |badlat»s|! I EMERGENCY SPRING j j I CLAMP 1 1 1 Manufactured in Archbald = Fifty years ago, the facilities for w. celebrating- Christmas on a very ;]ab-^^ orate scale were poor indeed. Many of the delicacies which play an impor- tant part in modern Christmas feasts were then unknown or at least unob- tainable. Just think for a moinent that in 1860 Archbald was the only ^ town in Lackawanna valley between ] p Carbondale and Scranton, yet its ' W. market did not afford a particle of p fresh fish other than frozen or poor- ' ^ ly preserved oysters, packed for weeks ^ in two quart wooden kegs. Canned w. meat, fruit or vegetables of any kind j p were things unheard of, while celery ^ bananas or even the ordinary vari- ! ^ ties of vegetables were nowhere to be ' ^ found. Anything designated to tickle ' g the palate of an American epicuve in ^ those days must necessarily be an ar- ; m lllllillllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll t'" 1 I I ANYTHING YOU MAY | | I NEED IN THE I 1 — Invented by — JAMES BADLAT, of Archbald, Pa. ^C BADLAT 'S ELECTRIC SHOE FACTORY P^irst Shoe repairing shop in town to use a com- l)lete line of modern shoe machinery. |1 11 11 gl lllllllilllll!lllllllllllllllllllllll!llllillll!lllllllllll!lllllllllllllllll!i:illlillllillllllll rocery and isio r ' ' ^ "OLD HOME WEEK OR ANY OTKE?. WEEK YOU CAI7 GET IT AT GREEN TRUCK I i I MILLER S I JOSEPH MILLER, i Proprietor. ^ SOUTH MAIN STREET, | ARCHBALD. E llilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllillillllllliyilllllllllllllllliill:! JOHN KRAFT MAIN STREET. 44 ! i I I I ! I \ 1 I 1 I I I I I 1 f ! I I I ! I I I 1 I I I I I I I I I tide cf ho-re preparation or manu- factiuc. Nevertheless those .vere I forthcoming, not perhaps in such end- less variety and profusion, but cer- \ tainly served to satisfy the simple '. wants of a not-over fastidious people. '< Christmas in 1860 was observed in Archbald in much the same manner as those that had immediately preced- ed it. It vvras absolutely nece ssary i that the older portion of the family retire enrly on Christmas Eve. lest in the absence of steam whistle or church bell our repose would remain undis- turbed and we fail in our desire to be present at the 5 o'clock mass in the old wooden church in the rear of the post-office. How well v/e remcimber the old structure and the good Father McSwiggan who was then the patitor. If the interior of the church was ex- ceedingly plain, it was nevei-thless cosy and comfortable. In those early days of coal mming in the Lackawanna valley, it was cus- tomary to shut down work at the mine3 during the winter months This period of enforced idleness v/hich came with unvarying regularity and was commonly referred to as "Stop Cars", mdde not only the Christmas holidays but the major portion of the winter a day of rest and recuperation, 1 I General I Blacksmithing I J. KRAFT 1 & SON 1 1 "•* I iiiiiiiii!iiiii{iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii PIO The NEER OF OARBOMDALE. IS NOW DOINa BUS- IN E.SS IN ARCHBALD AFTER AN ABSENCE OF SEVERAL YEARS. WE SOLICIT THE PATRONAGE OF ARCH- BALD PEOPLE AND GUARANTEE GOOD WORK AND PROMPT SERVICE. H, R. Halprin :-^ il + — 4. „ Dry Goods, Notions, Ladies' Ffii*fiishings Piece Goods. .(f3i Main Street — * llllilllllllillllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilllliilllllilllllll! 45 ^.._.._ — . — . — . . ..- whcih was enjoyed to the fullest ex- tent. Game being plentiful on the sur- rounding hills many would take ad- vantage of the season to satisfy their love of hunting either for/the pleasure they found in it, or for the profit it afforded. Others would prefer to while away the time in lounging among the stores or the shoe shop of Jake Ritter. A family resort for the unemployed was the store of Simpson & Shea in the building now used by the Dickson store company. Here the slavery question was viewed from every standpoint and was discussed as was every other question of local or national importance. During the winter months the cus- tomary balls, parties and social gath- erings, followed in quick succession, while coasting, skating and sleighing parties furnished all the amusement the vounger portion of the people de- sired or cared for. Archbald in ihose days was not a dull, monotonous or hum drum place, but was on the con- trary a lively thriving and prosperous community. The children in those days hung up their stocking, but Santa C.aus did not carry such an extensive and var- ied collection of gifts with him as he gives to the little ones now. i Compliments of the I Olyphanl I Water f Co. lllll|l|l|lll|{1llillliriilllll;iilii:ill1l!IIIIIIIIIIIIIllllilllillllllllllllllllllillllllll!llllllllF *— " „_.._„ — 4. JOHN E HARRISON UNDERTAKER NEW 'PHONE MAIN STREET I I S , ,,^ „A I^Jl1i|!|l|!l!|{illllllil!lll!l!|l|JIII|i|llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^ :- I Gent's I Furnishings I Boots and Shoes Hats and Caps NATHAN ^ LEVENE I IJii:ill!i;iliilllilllllllllilll:l!i;ill!l!lllllllli!lllllililllllllllll!IIIIIJIIIIIIIilllllillli 11 46 ef aisa nmmmg aiiii;i;ni!'ii^ ^ ^ ^t E 1, oi'i ools, 2 , : „ ^ ■::till|i|:Llllllll!llllll!!llllillillfil!li!lll!|!liiiiii m 1 ^t Peck Ltimbef Mfg* Co< PECKVILLE, PA. •{•-»~«iii^ai ^ — — ««— »llll«— »»<— »»«--»»H I »ll HH— ~l ««— •««—««•— •«•—««— »«"^««— ««- wBII— ««— nt*— NS- f iiiMiiiiMMiiiiMMih niaiilwwiiili In II !■ !■ 3 ^ I 1 'i =1 LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 014 313 384 9 ELLS' Quick Lunch «JM— M II I » STEAKS SANDWICHES C. OAKLEY ELLS, Prop. Wi ■1 ! « fit II I CHOPS I I I P i \m MAIN STREET gj = 3 i IgatiiaiiiiiMiMiM^^