Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-11-25
Letter from the Keystone State.
LEBANON, Pa. Nov. 81, 1879.

lIEbANON. Id NV. 81,
DEAR JOURNAL My long connection as
local correspondent to your columns leads
me to look upon you as an old friend, and
hence l naturally turn to you for an airing
when in writing mood. The distance from
Maine to central Pennsylvania, in these days
of rapid transit, is not so great that travel
er need to feel any twnges of homesickness,
yet it is pleasant always, after weeks Of alb
miliar newspaper from the "Pine Tree"
State. ! might further add that the distance
between these localities is not so great that
a correspondent should be required to use
much political geography in order to give his
readers definite idea of the location of the
places he may visit. Lebanon where | am
now writing is borough of about
5000 inhabitants situated centrally between
and is the shire town of Lebanon county. one
of the richest and most fertile tracts Of coun-
try in the Keystone State.
The Philadelphia and Reading railroad
WIN It's NUMEROUS tiohc Si'S hS
access to the larger cities and opportunities
for constant interchange of commodities
My brief stay in town has not enabled me to
learn much of its industries, but judging
from superficial survey, l should say that
all branches of business were thriving. All
about the suburbs are immense iron works
where the crude ore is smelted and run into
pigs, and these in turn re-cast into articles of
now in full blast, and around the manufac-
tories are huge piles of pig iron aw rafting ship.
ments by rail or canal.
If one may Judge of the prosperity of a
then Lebanon would take high rank with
towns of its class throughout the country
There are thirteen churches in the borough,
many of which have large and expensive
church buildings erected with an eye to
beauty and architectural skill. The largest
and most elaborate is the Roman Catholic
church, now in process of erection, and next
20 this are the st. Johns Reformed, the Trim
ity United Brethren and the Centenary Meth
odist, each of which are built of brick and
surmounted with lofty spires. Several other
churches are built of limestone Cmmense
quarries of which are all about this region)
some of them having been erected for many
years. DIR. Kremer's church, LIST Reformed,
am told, has been built more than a hun
dred years.
One pleasing feature of the worship in
these churches. so far as my observation goes,
is the singing. While each society has a
choir Of salact al tho Of y,ro ara
not LETT alone to these for vocal utterance.
The whole congregations sing, and with a
spirit too, that at once manifests culture and
interest, and leads a visitor to feel that musi-
cal rendering of hymns is no meaningless
part of worship among this people.
| The teachers institute for this county has
been in session during four days of this week.
and has brought together a large company
of educators from the townships, nearly
two hundred being present, and
what seemed strange to me ma
jority were males; many of them
young men, apparently just entering upon
the profession. My opportunities have not
been such as to enable me to judge much OF
the character of the schools in this section, but
the reports of the convention as given in the
papers indicate that the motto of Pennsy lvania
teachers is like that of New England, 'pro.
erosion"
On the day of my arrival at this town two
men were hung. of which doubtless mention
has been made in your columns. Hundreds
fiocked to town to witness if possible, the
hanging. but comparatively few were admit.
ted to the Jail yard; the housetops however
in the vicinity, were covered with interested
spectators. although am told this is not an
unusual spectacle in this place. These men
by their own confession, with four others
three of whom are now in Jail, were guilty
of procuring an insurance upon the life of a
miserable old man. drowning him, and then
dividing the proceeds Of the insurance. The
parties lived at place called Indian Gap and
from the evidence at the trial had been a sci
of thieves preying upon the outside world
rObbing hen roosts, sheep and COW pastures
and stealing every portable thing that came in
their way. The community is happily rid OF
a great nuisance in the incarceration and
hanging Of these men, and the moral state Of
the community where they dwelt will doubt
less be improved by their removal.
find that my letter has proceeded already
too far, and will close, and leave other mat
/ tiers f0r anofhar tiruo T.