Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-03-31
GCommunication.l
1917 and l877-Then and Now,

In the year 1917 the territory now CON
posing the county of Juniata was a part an
parole of old Mitfiin county, and was the
comparatively sparsely settled. There wer
no free schools till the year 1884. Ther
was no other United States mail than IN
one along the banks of the Juniata, fror
Philadelphia TO Pittsburg. Few books an
10 newspapers were read for, perhap.
one-half OF the citizens could not write
and one-fonrth could not read, hence publi
mails would be of little use. Three month
subscription school during winter. Will
farmers were tramping out wheat, oats anC
cloverseed, they would need their bows a
home, and every farmer had aax to breal
and Scrtch, and some were clearing land
so that their sons got but little time flo
schooling.
In 1917 very hot election for Governo
occurred. William Findlay, Democrat, .
Westmoreland cotnty, was the candidat,
Of his party for Governor, while Josep,
Heister, of Berks county, whig, was tn,
candidate of his party. Politics ran very
high. Betting on elections was universal
Men bet horses and money and new suits o.
clothes; some, a coat or vest pattern only
or bottles of brandy or whisky or wine
Women bet frock patterns or a new cap OF
pair of gloves or a head-comb, aud these
bettings all helped to add fuel to the poIiti-
cal fire in those days. All men drank whis-
ky. At that time there were only two
townships north and east of the Juniata
river. The dividing line commenced in the
Lost Greek Gap of the Shade mountain and
passed through McAlisterville and through
ThompsOntown. dividing both towns. The
FermaTsgs people voted at Miffiin, the
Greenwood people at the house of Joseph
Sellers, Esq, on the KoKolamus creek.
On election day Michael Holman, a tavern
keeper of ThOmpsontown, a Democrat.
would take one or two jugs of whisky to
the Greenwood election, and vote half the
township on that whisky. No one would
get drink unless he would vote the Dean
ocrstic ticket That firmly established
Democracy in old Greenwood township.
You may ask Cox if these things are not so.
In 1917 Andrew n. Gallagher, brother of
the late L. c. Gallagher, started the first
printing press in Mitfiin, and issued a very
small sheet and called it the Mifflin Eagle
this was in early summer time. After har-
vest David Mcclure, Esq, started a Dem
ocratic paper and called it the Miffiin Ad-
vOcate; but after the general election was
over it failed to issue any more papers. 1t
died, not for want of breath but for want of
food-starved TO death. There being no
mails, the editor, finding people in Miffiin
from the country, would send out TO the
country mills, stores, taverns and other
places. his weekly issue. That was the way
people We're Served with their news in those
davs. At a certain place or depository the
retailer of news said often their newspapers
lay there three or four weeks before they
were called for. Then the peOpls were
slow, NOW they can hardly wait from Satur
day till Monday for their news. Some can
hardly wait TIL they get home from church
I'LL they seek Tor news: the gospel is too
old for them.
On the subject of postage the law ran
thus: II letter was mailed at Miffiin for
Mexico, only three miles, the postage was
ftp, that is, 6. cents, and the same 6.
cents would carry that letter 80 miles. As
soon as the distance was over 30 miles and
under so the postage was 10 cents; over 50
and under l5O miles, I2: cents; over $50
and under 400 miles, lSs cents; over 400
miles, % cents. This was the postage law
In those days and for very many years after.
Our present postage law is certainly too
cheap, for it don't maintain itself as it used
10 do. Why not have 3, a 3, and 10
cent postage, as to distance. | think 1t
would then maintain itself. Why must you
and and every body else be indirectly taxed
TO the amount OF millions of dollars TO sup
ply the lack in the Post-office Department.
Surely the business man, writing on busi-
ness and making money by advantage de-
rived through the mails, ought TO pay his
own cost and not tax other people-he get
all the profits and we pay the expense
The mails can be made TO support them
selves, then why not require it of our Con-
gress on the principle Of Reform
TACITUS.