Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1856-02-09
Evolutionary shettb.
From the Philadelphia Bulletin,
TEE TORY BLAST.FURNACE.
EY D. W. BELIsLE.

During the Revolutionary War, the noun
tains Of North Jersey bordering the state of
New York, afforded an excellent rendezvous
Tor robbers and highwaymen and were not
unIIeqnently visited by bands of Iessans in
the service and pay Of the British Generals.
lnttrspersed with abundance Of rich andsac-
cesslbie minerals, these mountains previous
10 that interesting era, had been taken pos
session OF by manufacturers of iron. and in
due course OF time various blaSt-furGaccs dot
ted the streams which coursed. ike lines of
silver, through the adjacent valleys. Those
furnaces we're objects Of much speculation.
and had strange legends connected with them.
Tor. often at night the inhabitants living far
back in the forest, along the sides of the
mountains and in the intervening Wales. be-
held the sky lighted up by corruscations ra-
dating from them, and to many. such illumi-
Uationa were ominous. They were regarded
as indicative Of evil, more especially as i'm.
presSlons were quite generally entertained by
the people that various localities in that sec
ton were nocturnally visited by supernatural
agents; therefore, it is not unreasonable to
conclude that minds thus educated and ope-
rated upon, were well prepared to create for
themselves strange preiudices, and retain
them with imperturbablc stocism. If the
light from those furnaces on particular orca-
sions presented crimson tngc. it was TO
them prognostiCative of war and Lluodshed.
Hence, long before the actual struggle for
independence commenced, those uneducated
pioneers had superstitiously anticipated many
of its conconitant horrors If tue light was
pale, ol purple or orange tint. il denoted
pesti!enCe aud its attendant evils. In fact.
every prismatic ray had its peculiar augury
and those vagarious notions were as rei-
GlOusIy nrii2""d as were many Of tho pruci.
pies Of moral ethics.
Superstition Is sometimes as potential in
forming the character of Il certain class as
any other agency, and Of this description was
that class who tEen, aud FOR long time af-
terWardS. resided at EingwOod, Passaic coun-
y, New Jersey. and at Stirling, few miles
distant. The furnace at Ringwood was con
dGcted on large scale. and was owned by n
man named RyrrSon. (many Of whose de-
scendants are still living J It was regarded
hy the inhabitants about Stirling, and con
tiguuus places. as destined to evil. because
every cloudy night they witnessed the sky in
that direction tinged with crimson. Suisse
qaently, and during the war, this furnace was
employed in casting cannon balls andg other
missiles FOR the enemy. When the fact was
known to the government a law was passed
closing all furnaces found thus engaged for,
the space Of trenty-nine years.
When we were but youth, we distinctly
remember playing around the ruins of that
old blast-furnace. which had been a source of
so much speculation in former times. In It's
palmy days the peculiar crisis of the times
gave TO 1t great importance, as being centre
where considerable amounts of money were
distributed and all kinds ofgoods were bought
and sold also, because it manufactured and
furnished one Of the staple articles Of warfare.
But, unfortunately for its proprietor, while il
disguised its true character by manufacturing
such material for the American army, it lika-
wise sold balls aud bombs to the British. and
and hence received the designation Of the
TORY Blast, Furnace.
During that interesting period, another fur
mace was owned by General Stirling, and was
conducted by young man, named Charles
IIotT, who had served in the American army
as captain of small company Of volunteers
with signal ability aud success. He was of
medium stature. full of zeal in the cause of
freedom, and like Coolies. often gave battle
aud was remarkable for his vic
tories. He was Of that courageous claas of
men who task no favors and shrink from no
commences, he had been married only few
weeks to daughter Of Moses Tuttle, resi-
dent OF Mount Pleasant.
One evening, just as the last CLEANS OF sun
shine were fading from the tops OF the hills,
the family of Captain Hof were seated around
the table, refreshing themselves with that
much admired, though somewhat ancient dish
'Jnush and milk" conversing 90 the prospects