Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-12
GRAVE YARD TALES.
Stories of the Past Found in the
Country Burying Grounds
WHERE PATRIARCHS NOW REST.
Scenes About the TOmbS Of This Citys
Early Residents.
MONUMENTS OF PITTSBURGS HISTORY

and other summer resorts. Aslue from our
..-ock-ribbed" hills we have nothing very
ancient in this country except the works OF
The mound-builders, and they have not even
The semi-mvthical history of the pyramids
to render them interesting, but we have 9
century of civilization which one may study
along the Steubenville pike, and ii
Is one peculiar to Western Pennsylvania.
and the legends of the few old
time residents who still cling to the scenes
of their youth, are intensely interesting to
one born and raised in this section. They
have. besides, flavor of antiquity, as 100
wears is a long time in American history on
tie western slope of the Alleghenies.
Il has been said of this pike that it ran
from hilltop to hilltop and from tavern to
tavern, and it might have been added from
one church and cburchyard to another
though churches were not so thlckly DIS
tributed as hostelries The scenery, though
somewhat marred by petroleum develop
rncat in the last few months
is delightful, more beautiful by
far. if not so grand, than that of the Valley
Of Chamouni and at this season Of the year,
reminds one of the unexcelled word paint
ing of T. B. Read, though nearly two
months in advance of Indian summer:
The gray barns looking from their hazy
hills
Der the dim waters widening in the wales.
The ancient worshipers, mostly Presby-
rerian, pitched their temples, built of logs
at first but now of brick, and but little
more prctentious than the originals, on round
lillrops and in defiance of modern sanitary
ideas, buried their dead in lot surrounding
the nctuarv,' and these old graveyards are
enchanting to one ''by lonely contemplation
led City cemeteries do not contain the
same interest, as, in the hurly-burly of city
life. but few names except those of noted
people attract attention.
CHURCHYARDS AS DIRECTORIES.
The country graveyard is a directory of a
large portion of the present inhabitants
who, as proud of their lineage as the de-
scendants of the Norman conquerors, per-
petuate the Christian names of their parents
and grandparents until, as in the Phillips
settlement in Robinson and Moon town.
ships. there are so MANY Samuels, Jonathans,
etc, that each has some peculiar and some
times fantastic adjective attached to his
NuIlrllau udluG III bANCl W ulou A11u
from others of the same prefix.
The growth of wealth and taste, possibly
some Of it ostentation, can also be studied.
Commencing with common sandstone most
# the graves up to the end of the first
quarter Of the century can be dis
1inguished at a glance, except where
the headstones have fallen down and
disappeared under the mold of successive
vegetable growths Between 1926 and 1860
marble stones mark many of the graves, and
since that time granite has been largely
used, the polished shafts growing more
stately and expensive year by year, for
fashion here prevails as well as in millin-
cry. In these old graveyards you will find
TO stones with uncouth rhymes and shape
less sculptIre decked, for Presbyterianism
PREVAILED in the early days of Western
Pcnnsvlvauia, and the then heretical Meth
Cd SITS and Catholics had not gotten the foot
hold they now have, and Presbyterianism
was not much given to sentiment. John
To- the religious bias of this
section, and John Wesley's enthu-
siastic disciples were few and far be-
tween. The long-meter psalms were not a
mine from which sentimental obituary
poetry could be drawn with facility, and
the Philadelphia Ledger obituary poet had
not been horn. On most of the stones the
simple record of name, date of birth and
death are all that are given, but the name
aud the ground usually tell his relationship
or descent and religion with sufficient GER
taintv. You can also tell almost to a GER
tcintv whether the descendants of the patri-
grchs still live in this section or have "gone
VEST BY the condition of the graves.
You viii generally seek in vain
for the descendants of a man or woman
whose burial tablet is lying on its face and
covered with verdure 1t almost seems in
some instances as though nature had kindly
hidden the forgetfulness of some people
who have neglected the graves of their
fathers and mothers.
ToMBs WITH HoNoRED NAMES.
There are two graveyards on the pike al
most within sight of the city of special in
tcrest that are visited yearly by people
from all sections of the Union on account
OF the ashes they contain. They are those
ot the Montour Presbyterian Church and of
the Mt Union United PRESBYTERIAN Church.
They are on high hills less than q mile
apart
In the first named are to be found the
graves of the grandparents of the Drs Nc
Candless, Alexander diving in 1917. The
stonecutter used the long ''S," which had
lot gone entirely out of date then. Samuel
Jeffrey, Sr., was laid to rest here in 179S.
Nancy Byers entered into rest in 1926. Her
husband John tarried 80 years. following
her in 1859, aged 81 years. Many of the
guests Of the yard were gathered at ripe
sge. Mary Boyd, wife of Thomas Boyd,
died in 1845, aged 9S years, and some born
il the last century have been buried quite
recently. From 1898 to the present the
nomenclature is largely composed of the
Guy, McCandless, Young, Ewing, Johnston,
Porter, Gibson and Stonecipher famifies
In but one instance so far as could be de-
ciphered has the character departed from
The line of severe simplicity In this on a
brown sandstone is engraved:
sacred to the memory of
WIN. NJ. HERVEY,
who departed this life May the I'd, 1880,
in the 40th year of his age.
"To meet your god, my friends, If loud or
'0w this call you hear,
'Tis Mercy's voice, dear friends oh haste, .
Ere time be flown and Mercy past"
Tie crude style of the lettering comports
with that of the composition, indicating
that artist was composer as well as sculptor.
While there are many allusions in this |
ancient hurial place calculated to draw ''the |
,assiuc tribute Of sigh" there is one entry |
in this Loomsday book that is cheerfullv |
Suggestive Of martial happiness. 1t is that |
o. Jhc birth and burial of Amos and Letitia |
Mt!lIhC-Eon, who were-born respectively on |
the 18th and 18th of June, 1776, and died on |
the 2ss; and 26th of April, 1856. Letitia |
va born four days after Amos and outlived |
Linn five days. Though nothing is said |
on the subject ii is reasonable to suppose |
they had been married at least so of the 70 |
years Of tlreir lives They lived through |
;he War for Independence, the whisky in |
surrection, the War of 1912 and the Mexi- |
can War, and had they lasted ten wears |