The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-03-09


e SOMERSET, March :, 1881.
$ The Pasr PRESENT AND FuTUnE.-Durin
5 the time of the extension OF the PittsbsrgI
: & Connellsyille railroad from Connellsyiil
' to Cumberland number of towns were 10
: Gated along the line of the newly construct
5 ed line, each claiming some peculiar loca
! advantage as an inducement for the build
. ing of town.
Il Confluence and Urs;na became the mos
prominent among all the embryo towns
They are only two miles distant by rail and
grew up together like twin sisters, and III
to the time of the panic of 1873 presented
lquite business-like appearance.
The latter had slight advantage in poin;
of time. il being year or more the eldesr,
and deriveda still greater advantage through
the pluck and enterprise ofits founder. who
spent money profusely to promote the
growth and business of the place.
Through his influence and enterprise he
secured the construction of branch raN-
rood into the cold fields and timber tracts
along the head waters of the Laure lhiIl
creek, which for time added much to TIE
business of the town. but for some cause
this road has since been abandoned and the
iron removed, but not until the timber was
nearly exhausted, while the coal remains
undisturbed.
| Confluence had the promise OF much in
the beginning of the town, but secured
nothing. The principal officers of the T. &
c. II. II. had an interest in some of the
land, and they promised 70 have the com
panies shops built at this place, it being
about half way between Pittsburg and Cum
berland, but subsequently became unable to
comply with their promises, and Confluence
was left olt in the cold TO fight its own bat
ties.
The Confluence Co, through the promises
of the railroad officials was enabled TO sell
lots at unusually large figures, but they quiz
etl- put the money in their own pockets
without doing anything to advance the
growth and business OF the place. The
town of Confluence had always 30 depend
upon its local advantage and the enterprise
Of its inhabitants.
This beautiful village is located on the
peninsula formed by the confluence OF The
Upper Yough and the Casselman rivers, and
the Laurel Hin creek, 81 miles eas; of Pitts
burgh. The Upper Yongh forms the natur-
al outlet for portion Of this and Fayetts
counties, also for large portion Of Preston
Co., w V, and Garrett county, Nd. The Up
per Yough is the most delightful stream in
the county, and is admirably adapted for
the rafting and floating of timber. 4 boom
has been built across this river about mile
affords quite convenience for those who
are engaged in the floating of timber down
the river. There are large timber tracts in
Garrett county for which this valley is the
only outlet. The Upper Yough valley is
admirably adopted to agricultural purposes;
the climate being the warmest and most
fertile in the county.
Confluence is the natural shipping point
for all the surrounding country, except that
portion lying east of Ursina- At present il
is, perhaps, the largest shipping point be-
tween Connellsville and Cumberland.
Those who bought lots and built houses
upon them few years ago in the hope that
there would be machine shops built here ac-
corsling to promise were, of course, greatly
disappointed, but after all they have less
cause 70 regret their investment than was
formerly supposed. The surrounding
try is rapidly improving and as the country
improves the town viii also improve.
AZ present there is a scarcely Of houses,
and rents arc consequently high but this
speaks rather more in favor of than agains;
the place 1t will have the effect TO cause
those those who expect to remain here for
some time to build, in preference 20 paying
high rents.
There are eight stores and groceries iR
this place, all Of which seem to be doing
paying business. The medical profession
has three representatives here and they
seem to be fiourishing There are also two
good hotels that are doing fiourishing bus
ine.s. Then too, we have five who wear
clerical robes and are busy calling sinners to
repentance.
The morals OF the place are unsurpassed
anywhere. There aretwo fine church build
ings here the one is owned by the " T..
and the other by the Lutheran church.
All the business enterprises of the town
appear to be in a hourishing condition. Of
course men do not accumulate fortunes
very rapidly, but the enterprisins and in
dustrious are making money. There is one
old citizen, the man who built the first
house in the place after the location of the
town, who has been lucky enough to ac-
|'cumulate sufficient in few years of active
business to retire, and is now growing cor
pulent from Che peace and quiet Of private
life. Another would have been able to ac-
complish similar result had it no. been
for the untinely Intervention of hear,-di-
sease. There are few persons here who are
not proftably employed, and those who are
not are personally responsible for their fail
ure. OF coarse there are some loafers hang
ing about all towns, but Confluence has less
OF this class than any town Of its size in the
county.
Those who contemplate changing their
place of business, or are desirous OF going
into business should visit Confluence before
investing elsewhere. Taxes are low as com
pared with many other boroughs, ond would
be lower, but for the neglect or imcompe-
tency ofsomc former Couneilmen, who bur
dened the tax payers with debt of about
$3.50 for which the borough would not
have been responsible had they understood
or attended to their business properly, but
this debt is in process of cliquidation and
viii soon be no more. X.
Confluence, March 5, 1881.
ANOTHER ExcgRsIoS WEsT.-Therc will
be another excursion West, on Tuesday,
February %, 1881. and on every Tuesday
thereafter until June Ist The II. & O. K.
Il. intends TO run special through ear each
excursion for the benefit of Somerset and
Fayette county passengers. j. H. Fritz,
Passenger and Ticket Agent at Somerset,
Pa, sells the tickets and checks all baggage
through TO destination. For information
call on or write to him at once
Persons in the vicinity of Meyerslale de-
string tickets can see Mr.. Fritz every Friday,
at the Jones House, from TO 5 p M.
1