Part 7. From the Lykens Standard, 6 June 1902:
RECOLLECTIONS OF 40 YEARS
Regarding the Lykens Valley Coal Mines and Vicinity Adjacent
BY RICHARD NOLEN, ESQ.
Which first appeared in 1865 in the Upper Dauphin Register and Lykens Valley Miner, published by Samuel B. Coles and G. Washington Fenn.
Where now stands the large and prosperous town of Williamstown, with the largest coal breaker and the most productive colliery in the country, within my recollection there was but a single little log house, with chimney outside made of wood. Now there is a population of nearly two thousand souls, with churches, schoolhouses, stores, spacious hotels, handsome brick buildings, and comfortable homes for all. We see the inhabitants of the valley now, instead of undergoing the labor of climbing the mountain cutting the white pine to make shingles, with its small remuneration, and that after much labor in transporting them to Gratz, Berrysburg or some other neighboring place – instead of that, we behold them now entering the bowels of the earth, with their lams attached to their caps, as pathfinders of the way, and there converting the treasure hidden for centuries into a much sought-after fuel, with labor commanding a reward commensurate with the danger and hardship expended. The land now yields its increase, the free schools educate the children, the workers in Christ’s vineyard labor for the moral elevation of the people, enterprise and capital seek its investment there, and the “desert is made to blossom as the rose.” How marked the contrast of 1864 with 1895!
Allow me here to narrate a little incident that occurred in upper end of Williams Valley as tending to show what the common school system did for one boy: Some years before schools were established in the upper end of the valley there was a small log church standing on the side of the road leading to Tremont, in Schuylkill County, wherein Mr. Stehly preached occasionally. There was a thrifty family residing near where the Williamstown breaker now stands, that attended these services now and then. On a beautiful summer Sabbath morn the father, accompanied by his son, some nine or ten years of age, walked up to this church and reaching it after some ten or fifteen persons had assembled, took seats near the door; the boy never having been from home and being entirely unused to seeing so many persons as had already assembled, was considerably astonished on looking out of the door to see another company of about equal proportions coming around from the head of Clark’s Valley to enter the church, and exclaimed at the top of his voice, in the Pennsylvania Dutch idium: “Dunner un blitzen daudy, to comet noeh ein troop.” Rendered in English it would read: – “thunder and lightning daddy, there comes another drove.” This boy attended school after the introduction of the free school system, and when he had got to be a young man went to Halifax, Dauphin County, and apprenticed himself to Mr. Loomis, who was then publishing a small paper at that place and became what you term a printer’s “devil.” The last I heard of this young man he was working “at case” in the office of the Harrisburg “Telegraph” for Theophilus Fenn, Esq., who was its proprietor at that time.
In recounting the many improvements of Lykens and vicinity, since my acquaintances with it, let me not forget what all intelligent men most pronounce the greatest, to wit: – the establishment of a printing office and the issue of a paper from that lever so potent in framing the morals, religion and politics of the country – the printing press. The first paper was entitled “The Farmers and Miners’ Journal,” its first number appearing on the 17th of August 1856. The office was owned by an association and employed Dr. J. Bower as editor, with S. B. Coles as publisher, but in some three months the association discovered the inability of the veracious doctor, and dispensed with his services. Upon Mr. Coles devolved the management of the office some two weeks, when E. J. Pinkerton of Lancaster, took charge of the office and remained nearly a year, when his merits were discovered and he vamoosed. Mr. Daniel Hoffman then took the paper as publisher and proprietor, with George Wolfe Buehler, Esq., as editor. This continued thirteen months, when Mr. Buehler became proprietor and publisher, and so continued until October, 1861, when the office turned all of its four employees into the army as its quota to aid in the suppression of the rebellion, causing the suspension of the paper.
Let me digress a moment to write the fate of that contribution of the printing office at Lykens to the army: Henry Keiser enlisted as a private to Company G, 96th P. V., [96th Pennsylvania Infantry] served enlistment for over four years, and after passing through more than a dozen hard fought fields returned safe and sound as first sergeant of his company.
John C., Gratz enlisted in the same company and in the winter of 1861-1862 was stricken down with typhoid fever and surrendered his life for his country.
John E. Roberts, although but 15 years of age, enlisted in Company D, 5th Pennsylvania Reserves, and after proving his bravery on three fields, fell at New Market Cross Roads, 26 June 1862, during McClellan’s disastrous peninsula campaign, and though supposed to be but wounded at the time, has never been heard from to the present writing. His Colonel, the brave Simmons, fell the same day.
Christopher C. Hynicka enlisted in the 76th Pennsylvania Volunteers in September, 1861, and in one of its many engagements with the enemy, was captured and after confinement over a year, experiencing all the brutalities and starvation of Rebel prisons, was unable to reach the boat to be transported home, and surrendered his life on the altar of his country.
Thus it will be seen that three of the four printers who went forth from that office, died for their country with honorable careers, and the fourth, after experiencing the brunt of many battles, was spared to return. Where can be shown a better record?
To resume: The office then passed into the hands of S. B. Coles, who published an advertising medium called “The Business Man’s Journal.” This continued until the first of August 1865, when George W. Fenn was induced to purchase one-half of the establishment. The 17th of August 1865, witnessed the first issue of “The Upper Dauphin Register and Lykens Valley Miner” as a Republican paper. This firm continued but a few months, when Mr. Coles again became owner of the concern and published the paper until November 1868, when he sold the office to S. M. Fenn.
Hoping that these few crude, imperfect recollections of a man’s ordinary lifetime, spent in your section, may not prove unprofitable or uninteresting to those, who have perused them, I beg leave to subscriber myself,
Respectfully yours,
RICHARD NOLEN.
(The end.)
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From Newspapers.com.
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