The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-14
Ridgway.

took the cars for Ridgway, partially
on business principally for pleasure.
A run of three hours takes one from
Warren to Ridgway. All along the
route there are evidences of thrift in
the numbering business. AT Ludlow
they have immense piles of lumber
and logs. The mills at this place are
owned by Hoffman & Co., and the
Curtis mills, with which is tannery.
AS we strike the Clarion river, the
mills seem to be well stocked, and the
work of rafting in the boards had be-
gun. Although the winter has been a
mild one, with but little snow, the
lumber trade seems to have been
drived with q zest seldom equaled.
Should our lumbermen in this region
be lucky enough to get their stock to
market, they will bring back large
amount of money, and then there will
be revival ofbusiness throughout the
lumber region. For while our lum-
bermen have been fortunate in getting
in stocks, the fact does not hold good
the country over, and those who have
the lumber will most likely be re-
warded with good prices.
Ridgway, Elk Co., has population
of from 800 to 1000. Among them
are n goodly number of substantial
businessmen. The firm of J. S. g. w.
H. Hyde is perhaps the heaviest firm
| in that county, and for ought we
know, the heaviest in this part of the
State. We are told that j. S. Hyde is
worth in these times of depression,
fully 100000, and yet is not quite
happy, but is busy looking round for
more. Mr.. Hyde has been an inde-
fatigable worker, good calculator,
and a money-saver, and before old age
has taken a firm hold, has amassed u
fortune he can call his own. The firm
of j. S. & w. II. Hyde, dealers in
general merchandise, occupy the most
magnificent retail store i'm this part of
the State, and with but one exception,
Philadelphia, the largest in the State.
Their building is a new one, three
stories in height, the upper story be-
ing Hall, or as it is styled, Hyde's
| Opera House. The size of the build
| ing is 95X65 feet. On the first floor is
their dry goods, grocery, hardware
and stove departments with tin shop.
On the upper floor is the clothing and
carpet department, and private offices.
All these departments are well filled
with goods suitable to the wants of the
people. w. III. Hyde son of j. S.,
presides here, in his quiet, but
thoroughly business way. He has the
confidence of his customers and the
people who know him. They call
him "Will.," to which he responds
with as much alacrity to the least of
his customers as to the largest. He
makes no more noise, nor consumes
no more time, it is said, in a twenty
thousand dollar transaction, than one
of two dollars-always equal to the
emergency. He even gave us his at
tention, well knowing we hadn't a
farthing to pay him, and conducted us
to the innermost recesses of the vast
establishment, showing how the
building is lighted and warmed. The
gas is manufactured within the build
ing, and the whole is warmed with
steam pipes. The Opera House is
almost marvel of beauty for town
of the size of Ridgway. The Hall is
Ga feet square, capable of seating 800
persons. The scenery gives splendid
effect, and was painted at great cost.
In front are two pieces of statuary,
and the frescoing of the Hall is equal
to any work of the kind to be found
anywhere. All was gotten up with
out regard to cost, but with regard to
beauty and convenience. The entire
length of the Hall and stage combined
is 96 feet by GA feet in width. 1t is a
thing the Ridgway people should be
proud of. and to do them justice, we
may say they are so.
The Ridgway Union School is
another institution worth mentioning.
The building is conveniently large for
the scholars, who number something
over 100. Prof. j. B. Johnson is the
Principal, assisted by his wife. Miss
S. b. Kinnear teaches the Intermedi-
ate Department, and Miss B. e. Will
cox the primary department. Prof.
Johnson is considered among the best
of Principals, but we We're astonished
to learn that his salary is but $500 per
year-a hundred dollars per month for
eight months service.
Ridgway has two tanneries, one
owned by Grant & Horton, with 200
watts, the other by w. H. Osterhout,
with 400 watts. There is also Il ma
chine shop. Among the lumbermen
are the Dickinson Brothers, of whom,
Will Dickinson, married a Warren
girl, showing his good judgment re-
garding women, as well as his success
in numbering justifies us in saying he
is a good business man. This I'm,
with another, have built plank road
from their mill through the town to
the depot, a distance of about one
mile, so that in this muddy season the
principal street is dry and pleasant to
travel over.
The Elk Democrat is printed here,
edited by E. J. Miller, young man,