Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-03-15
llTTla from JUDGE WOODBURY.

february IJd, i pfOmiseu yout feaoet
. that I would give them some account o
the industries of Pottsville and It, edu
|, catiouai, social and benevolent institu
tlons, after I had time % lnvestigst.
, them. Hut four days Of the twenty
/ have been here, has the sun deigned e
make his appearance through the cloud.
aud mIsts that have prevailed. hut
have learned that al the dawn OF thi'
century, In the valley where noe stands
the capital Ut schuykill County aud the
metropolis Of the southern aud middle
coal fields, was an unused waste, In "a
unlnhsblted and almost unknown por'
tion Of I,erks County beyond sharp''
Mountain, surrounded by district
poorly adapted To agriculture and cover
ed With q timber growth, promising po
rich harvest 10 the woodman's are.
Tradition tells us that the first family
Was destroyed by the savage Wild beasts,
or the red msn. no less beastly savage.
About 1910 john Potts, from whom
the borough derives its name, and few
associates, began 90 develop the coal
fields In this valley, aud In isis THE
year In which your correspondent was
born) the first hotel was erected.
Ia 1894 the place contained less than
dozen houses, but before June, 1851, the
number had Increased 10 more than i've
hundred. The first municipal organifa-
tiou Was established In ls2..
To-day We see bustllng, thrifty
borough, % rs 900 Inhabitants, alive to
all the interests that pertain Ia the up
lifting aud improvement of humanity
The educational department ]. under
the supervision ola school board, com
pose'i of twenty-one members, OF which
W. n. Woodbury., an Oxford County
boy, Ia an scti,e worker. There are
twenty " i've hundred scholars, With thlr-
~ primary teachers, twenty grammar
school teachers, aud the high school
With q principal and two assistants.
The principal ~ the high school 10 =. 4.
Thurlow, A. NJ, OF Raymond, Maine, q
graduate u Amherst College, Mass.
lie VAS preccptor % Gould. Academy,
Bethel, for two years, principal OF FREE
port High school six years, and Ia.
been Ia charge % this school eleven
years. The school board elect q super
visor. Rev. u. y. Patterson has been
elected continuously for tventy-elght
years. The schools are In excellent con-
1il,lon. and a credit 20 the board, Ia the
teachers, the supervisor and the citizens.
Next come the religious Institutions.
They have twenty-.lx churcbe. 81 va
rious denominations, all working har-
monloa.ly for On. good of the communi.
~. One can but admire the plan ~
their benevolent Institutions. III.
borough IA divided Into ten districts, aud
q superintendent aud two femsl. assist
ants are chosen for each district, who
receive the giii. II the citizens, make
known the want. of IN. destitute aud
deserving poor, aud distribute these
charities. Without regard 10 their de-
nomlnational connections, color, or
previous conditions. They have q chill
dr.n's home where neglected, destitute
aud orphan children between the ages ~
two aud fifteen years are taken and put
In charge ~ . mstrou, until they are
provided with suitable homes In good
families. While they do not bog for
funds, yet they always have mean. at
hani Ia meet the demands upon their
treasury. Their. again Ne fnd our Maine
boys, Mc.sr.. Thurlow and Woodbury.,
actively engaged In giving direction aud
assistance Ia these benevolent operations.
They civ. good deal ~ time Ia proSid.
Ing suitable home. for the unfortunate
children thrown upon these charities.
We fnd here lodge of .. and \.
Ma.ons, an Arch Chapter, Knight
Templar. aud . knight. ~ fythls., .ir
lodge. ~ Odd Fellows, q u. \. ". Post,
q .ocisty ~ Y. ". 4. A., aud mutual
benefit, savings aud Insurance a.socia-
ton. In great number.
They have one II the beat water sup
pile. Va the country, (alsays excepting
bethel, M.ine) bringing the water ten
miles through Iron pipes aud condults.
The protection against DIRE !. admirable,
under veil regulated fre department.
The indu.trie. are varied aud give em-
ployment 10 a large number % men aud
women. With their rolling mills, smelt.
Ing furnaces, railroad, repair aud manu-
featuring shops. their ak mills, among
the Larger industries, the electric light
company, aud the Infinite number ~
smaller ones, IL I. n wiis-asake, busy
place. Their. are four banks ~ discount,
aud many savings Institutions.
You nni but few general stores. Each
trader conhnc. himself Ia some special
~. While thsr. are hat twenty dry
good. stores, there are loo grocery
.,orr., -four and grain stores, hardware,
drug. aud medicine. jewelry, In fact, you
tlnd al the trades rrpressntei here.
Tie lawyer. locate la the shire town,
anI they have slxty-two located here.
Three ~ the judges ~ the 4. j.. court
reside here. The county has just com
plcir,l a new count house, AZ q cost of
$4,000. They have a real estate com.
psny whose bu.lne.. Z. 90 receive and
loan money on mortgages, With a capt
tai ~ s!JO,OOD, for which they Issue
bouis. Al.O company Ia promote ID.
grosth 30 lii. place aud Increase the
population, by encouraging lsborcrs aud
men 90 small means To osn homes 81
their Own. This company have purchis-
81 tract ~ land just outside the thick
IL settled limits. aud laid u out In house
I0ts, twenty feet front aud one hundred
f-.i deep. They sell these lots on In
.tallnent., or erect house. snI sell them
on in.tallments. In both 81 these our
/ ONfori County bay !. Interested.
hut I must turn Ia sadder phase of
Of the picture. The largest brewery In
the state !. located here. Eighty saloons
are licensed Ia deal out that which de
gra~c. aud destroys men. The saloon
meet. you AZ every turn. While there
ARE noble men and women here fighting
the demon, intoxicating drink, yet IL J.
dealt out day aud night over the count
or. - the gilde,l saloon, under the sane
tIon 81 Law notwithstanding, to-day a
,oung man, member ~ respectable
I family, aud q communicate Ia one Of thc
churches, 1. confined Ia jail "a murder
er, who In q state 81 freuty from intoNl-
cation plunged dagger into the breast
~ companion. The young man being
q nia0r, the saloon keeper. who sold
the llauor are summoned into court la
show cause why their license should not
H. reyoked.' They, the real mHnisr,r',
nay lose the privilege of selling any
more liquor for thl. year, under the
color ~ law, while their victim, a
Young man 81 excellent parentagc, aud
when free from drink. Of unlmpeschable
character, must suffer the penalty OF the
law, imprisonment for ten years. Oh,
Justice. whittier, oh, whittier art thou
hcl:
4 r.. W. WOODBURY..
A. r. kelliher ~ Bethel, Maine, has
spent the past week In pott.yille con
tracing With one of the largest lumber
comptnie. to put In his patent tramsay
for moving logs. They take one mile AZ
an experiment, aud u successful his for
tune l. made. IL IL equally adapted Ia
moving coal, iron, or any heavy sub