Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-19

receiving for the same about 500 per acre.
Mr.. McCully's glass house occupies the site
on which stood Ensell's works (1S7). En-
sell sold out and moved to Wellsburg, w.
Va.
"About this time Governor Porter bought
the ground on which the Sligo mills stano
from Mrs. Craig, and commenced to pulio
an iron mill. He was not very successful,
and Mr.. George Lyon ana Mr.. Shor5 took
the rolling mill off his hands and made
success OF 1t. This was the beginning OF the
firm of Lyon, Shorb & Co., who owned and
operated the Juniata forges. Their blooms
were hauled over the mountains to this city
in wagons and worked up at the Sligo mills
into nails and bar iron.
THE FAMOUS SLIGO NAIL.
1.-THE Sligo nail was the first of our home
manufactured products put on the market,
and it had reputation all over the country.
| In 1928 or 1929 their coal was delivered into
| the mill BY q chute, which ran up the
| face of Gone Hill at or near the place now
occupied by the Mt. Washington incline.
| 1t was brought from the Christopher Cowan
1 farm, Lyon & Shorb having purchased the
coal right. The coal was hauled to the top
| of the hill in cars under, the superintend-
ence of Mr.. William Chess. Lyon & Shorb
paid Cowan half cent bushel for the coal,
which was then considered big price.
''Let us now return to Sawmill run and
follow it back to the hills. Sawmill run
took its name from the fact thai it furnished
water power for a number of sawmills along
the bank, which supplied nearly all the
lumber used in this region at that
early day. In the fall of the year,
letters were left in a number of mills,
threatening that, unless the gang who wrote
them were furnished with certain sums of
money the mills would be destroyed by fire.
As may be imagined, this created de-
cided sensation, and precautions were taken
to circumvelt the villains
A REIGN OF TERROR.
"Maior Wooiey, who was in command of
the garrison at Lawrenceville, sent muskets
TO some of the mills, and to others two or
three soldiers to aid in protecting the prop
ertv. The West Elliott mill was fired as
threatened, but the flames were
discovered and extinguished. In
were number OF stacks of
hay-some 25 or 30, which were set on fire
and burned for a week or so. Colonel
O'Hara's mill, above on the run, escaped.
The David Boggs mill, mill above
O'Hara's, was burned and all the wheat,
considerable quantity belonging to patrons,
was destroyed, entailing a serious loss to the
whole neignborhood.
''The destroyers then changed their course,
and visited the home of William Dilworth,
on Mt. Washington, and poisoned the well,
from which many OF the residents also drew
their supply of water. Fortunately the
fsct of the poisoning was discovered in time
to. avert serious consequences. The mis-
creants then crossed over into the borough
of Pittsburg and poisoned the public wells.
alaS,, Aioto
the discovery of the poisoning.
ORIGIN OF THE POLICE SYSTEM.
1.-THE citizens became very much alarmed,
and at public meeting decided to place
patrol or watch, composed of some of the
best men in different parts of the borough.
This was the foundation of our present
police system. 1t was never discovered who
the scoundrels were, and the mystery was
never cleared up. Certain parties were sus-
pected, but nothing could be proven against
them.
Zone day while West Elliott was out on
hunting expedition on his farm be came
across a stranger, with whom be entered into
conversation. As the saying is, the tellow
"eave himself away" acknowledging that he
had been a member of the gang who had
done all the devilment. Elliott who was
a very powerful man, Drained the rascal
with the butt of his rife, killing him in
stantly. He reported the matter to the au-
thorities at Pittsburg. the body was buried
aud that was the last of it. Robert Bald
win, OF CHARTERS (then called Shertee),
man celebrated in his day, had the first sue
cessful mill on CHARTERS creek. 1t was also
threatened with destruction, and he, being a
man who knew no fear, watched it gun in
hand.
A RESIDENTS ADVENTURE.
"a bridge crossed the creek to Baldwin's
mill. During the night he heard racket
on the bridge, and, looking out, saw 20
horsemen on the bridge. He raised his
gun and took aim at them, but
just as he was ready to fire, his wife threw
her arms around him. He was discon-
certed, but had his mind made up to protect
his property at all hazards and did not heed
her earnest entreaties to put his gun down.
''The men advanced steadily and at last
he fired. The gang stopped and then scat
tered, no doubt thinking that there were a
number of men on duty, or possibly their
leader was shot. Baldwin reloaded his gun |
and went out and extinguished the flames.
Blood was dicovered on the bridge and |
along the road, and no doubt his bullet did |
good work. This was the last that was
heard of the rufians, and no further cases of |
incendiarism were reported.