The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1886-04-03

encroaching upon and eifacing a little
more OF the great wilderness Agricul-
tural pursuits were commenced, and so
well carried on, that in few years the
people were in comfortable circumstan-
ces. Most important among all of the
settlements, were those which were
| planted by Josiah White and ErSkine
Hazard, the leading spirits of the Le-
high Coal and Navigation Company
descending nayigation) which wa COM
menceJ in 1878. The task which they
undertook, that of making the Lehigh
river a navigable stream by artificial
freshets, was one which had been at.
tempted several times before, and aban-
doned as often as being too expensive as
well as difficult to be successfully carried
out.
In 1920 the first anthracite coal was
sent TO market, the whole quantity be-
| ing three hundred and sixty"fye tons,
which completely gluLted the Philadel-
phia market, and was with difficulty
disposed of during the year. 1t was
sold for 2l.00 per ton. The boats used
in this artificial system of navigation,
commonly called "Arks," were simply
great boxes, from sixteen to eighteen
feet wide and from twenty to twenty
| five feet long and were linked together
almost like railroad cars; the steering
was done with long cars, as upon raft.
None of the boats made more than one
trip; at Philadelphia they 1.-THE boats
were broken up AMI the planks were
sold as lumber, while the spikes, hinges
and other iron were returned to Mauch
Chunk. In 1S27-nine years later-the
canal, or the improved navigation, called
the Slack-water or Ascending Natviga-
tion Of the Lehigh, was commenced,
vigorously prosecuted, and completed in
two years. At present this company
owns land which is estimated to con-
tain, after allowing for faults in mining
and waste, the enormous quantity Of
six hundred million tons of coal.
We cannot hel p noting the difference
in this county now, and what it must
have been fifty years ago, when only
a few tons of coal could be hauled to
the river bank at time, and from
thence boated to civilization, with ten
chances to one against its reaching mar
ket in safety. Now, there are hundreds
of canal boats being loaded and as many
more awaiting their turn in day, whilst
seemingly, almost endless trains make
their way through the valley with their
precious freight rumbling, and shrek
ing songs and cries of triumph, as If re-
ioicing at the wondrous things which
had been accomplished in so short q
time by brain and muscle.
In 1901 coal was first accidentally dis.
covered on the summit of Sharp Mt.
(now Summit HilL by Philip Ginter, &
hunter, who observed it adhering to the
| Nf ,t-l,s Il, l., 4 II
down as he was tramping oyer tht
mountain in search of game. He care
fully took it with him to his cabin, anC
the next day carried it to Col. Jacol
Weiss, residing at Fort Allen, tnov
Wcissport. The Colonel took the speci
men to Philadelphia and submitted it t.
the inspection OF mineralogists, wht
pronounced it stone coal.
The Switchback, or Gravity road
which was constructed for the trans
portion of coal, is said to be the oldes
track in America, excepting one of tw
or the miles in Massachusetts. 1t i
now used exclusively as a pleasure road
and is the great attraction of Maucl
Chunk.
Mauch Chunk is the County Seat an
owes it origin to the enterprise of tn
Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company
1t is considered the most picturesqu
town in tie Union. There are in
several fine churches. schools and he
tells, fine stores and the spacious an
elegant homes of men who by their en-
terprise, energy and public spirit, hav
contributed so greatly to the enrichmcn
of the whole valley. The settlement
when about one year old, contained fol
ty buildings for different purposes
sawmill, grist-mill, smitheries, wor
shops, &c. Nicholas Brink came froI
Philadelphia, as company steward, il
1878. His wife was the first woma
who came to Mauch Chunk. The
brought four children-three sons an
one daughter. The daughter is Mrs
John Painter, who is the only survive
of the family. There was another chill
born to them, which was named in hor
or of the three pioneer proprietors Jos
: ian White ErSkine Hazard George /
4. Brink. AS this was the first Dirt
at the settlement, it was celebrated b
the laborers in quite a demonstrativ
, manner. The forest was illuminate
with pine torches. plenty of what the
called good old, pure whisky was dranl
and the noise and dancing were so grea
that it seemed as if the very tops of I'll
, pines had caught the infection and keT
, time with it. This boy grew to mar
hood, and at the time of his death. 81
1877, was an engineer at Summit Hi
Their house, with a bakery attached
. was the first built, and Mrs. Brink ha
| six hundred boarders to care for.
Y OF the borough of Lehighton, til
southwestern part was occupied by I'll
| Gnaden-Hutten mission. The origin;
town plot was part of tract of Ian
4 which, in 1874, was owned by Colon,
f Jacob Weiss and William Henry, and {
= their instance the plot was laid out wit
e street, alleys and a square, called til
1 town square," which was reserved fC
= public use. The growth of the settl
S ment wus slow until the building of IL
c canal in lS2S-9. At about the SAN
e time postollice was established at Il
c public house of Reuben Haugenbacl
4 previously kept by his father. 1t beir
V the first tavern in the vicinity and W.
: on the site of the present Exchans
Il Hotel. The first tannery was built {
i the site Of the Linderman block.
The borough was incorporated
S 1866, since which time it has gradual
r been growing. There are several il
b dustries carried on here, besides Il
Il claim we hold on Packerton-the extel
: sive car works we have stove work
carriage manufactures, &c. II
# PACKING House of Joseph Obert, is Il
J. only one of the kind in the valley and
IS the largest enterprise carried on in l.
e highton.
!. To our neighboring town. Weisspol
;, no effort was made to establish a villa,
e until the construction of the canal, whl
l. Colonel Weiss, lif am not mistakes
d the great grandfather of our friend NJ
/ Clarence H'eissl offered the compal
e right of way free through his MAJ
y acres of land. The proposition was a
), cepted, and the Colonel and his so
!, laid our a village plot into lots, stree
y and a public square, and formed lc
IS terry scheme, in which each ticket W
e placed at a cost of S75, and was to e
lie title its holder to a lot, the only diflicI
|, ty being in location.
.e The building of houses soon COZ
a menced, but after the destructive foo
a of ha &c ha