The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-11-03
RIIsy AND PROGRESS
SIVE CITY.

sre nrone 10 be content Win tiiei
,~ndings and Indifferent TO tn
- opinion of strangers, bat this
=. - Of somerset, notwithstanding
- e., that it was cut off from raj
'' e.,,n,unication for many years
o'I .,,e reople were 10y forces circum
- -. lonlrelied to live within them
Tho absence Of communica
nth the busy marts Of trade fur
- '' stimulus to intellectual
,I, and - il happened that while
,, vas unknown as a trade
-, spiayed a wide reputation fol
,-..1rirsnee. refinement and eultur'
Io,rsrer. the people were restless t'
,ba chain that bound them in
r,-sr,ed district, in which one was
sasoss1t upon the other for means
sIsrslibo,d. and at the first opportu-
with Characteristic energy and
,.r,.-i-4. they constructed a line Of
- s-,,, somerset to lockwood,
tbsir personal expense, thus con-
INC them with one Of the great
- ofe commerce and giving them
a,d-r for the products Of the soil,
S$lumbsr, coal etc
The lumber interests soon gre" 10
-.,.b n-oportions, and the virgin
-. rf,bfn few miles Of the rail-
- furnished tempting field for
IN. and foreign capitalists nor has
-, -sIusble interest yet ceased to be
81 fine commercial factors of the
,,-y We point with pride to the
-, Lr.ipe-s of the Fox Brothers and
-. The volume Of business annu-
Ur transacted by local lumbermen
r1nli surprise the pioneers who lo-
..,.5 ba-s running as it does up into
~ hundreds Of thousands Of dollars
and rfviug employment to an army OF
q Iab1reTs.
T,. coal industry next attracted at
,.g,f,Y Tais valuable industry can
I..sst, have remained in It's swad-
s-i., clothes up until six years ago,
g.Far he Ne-,rs Krebs developed the
Is-,f. field The name made in The
,..-ga. of the east 10y these people
..Y--f The larger coal producers Of the
4 country to inquire into the develop
r,ar-- making III that important in
4 .II..rv Ia Ibis region, with the result
tssr the Berwind- White Coal Co, the
Isrr4.r concern of the kind in the
e,uDtrv. bought up great tracts of coal
land IN the townships Of Paint, Ogle,
shade Qlemahoning and Stonycreek,
and one vear ago erected at scalp Level
,b. largest and most complete mining
plant in the world.
The introduction of railroad com
mg1iestion. the development of hither-
10 hidden resources and freer contact
with the outside world, revolutionized
b1,fness methods throughout our
county. and many hitherto successful
merchants and business men were com
PEELED TO fall in the rear when brought
into competition with pushing, am
lftiouS. intelligent, younger men.
OF the men engaged in mercantile
pursuits here prior to the war, only
ou.-Nsisr John VI. Holderbaum-the
oldest merchant both in point Of years
and commercial experience, continues
in actiye business, q tribute to his in
t-grity, foresight and untiring energy.
Men who were content 20 make a
meagre living for themselves were
compelled to give way TO such hustlers
as Cook * Beerits, whose grocery and
feed store has grown from q basement
toits present magnificent proportions
with Warerooms equal 10 many city
wholesale establishments.
Charles II. Fisher, whose modest
beginning has developed into book
store and school supply establishment
that would be the pride Of a city OF
lm0t0 people, as il IS the pride OF
Somerset.
Mrs. A. Z. Uhl, whose business tact
and force Of character have won her .
nputa,ion throughout the county and
whose trademark is a guarantee for
sterling honesty and probity.
Sifford * Kuykendall, who have
given TO the people Of Somerset and
Somerset county a department store
that will bear favorable comparison
with similar institutions in towns
many times the size Of Somerset.
James B. Holderbaum, whose great
hardware establishment calls forth the
admiration Of all who inspect it, and
whose trade in agricultural implements
is the largest in western Pennsylvania.
Parker & Phillips, who, although
only year in business, have estab-
lshed q record that old merchants
have striyen many years to obtain and
whose shelves are filled with the fines.
products Of the loom and spindle.
A Touring mill that turns out more
oTesdstuti daily than the population ot
the town can consume in a month; fuI.
nture stores that sell household and ar
furniture without fear Of city competi
Ton; drug stores that are in keeping
with the times; shoe stores that are un
surpassed; hou~e-heating and plumb
ing establishments that seek contract,
wherever good workmanship is appre
ciaie1; two well equipped machine
shops, and foundry at which one o
ihe JssJ gas engines and other ariielei
are manufactured; ia fact: the mer
chant or mechsuic Of thirty years az,
would be veritable Rip Van Winklr
and refuse to believe the evidence he
lore his eyes. could he return to tn.
Somerset Of to-day.
This special edition Of the HERALI
A1s teen prepared under excepiions
circumstances The writer is a natiyr
o The State Of Indiana and has hai
Only iouT weeks in which To make In
a'4 'ainiance Of the people Of Somer
S5' lie has, however, in the brief tim
@ll'lled, endeavOred TO write true an,
accurate biographical sketches Of som
ol 'ae leading citizens, and 10 faithfull
portray the business enterprise and ca
pAei'y Of the merchants, mechanics an,
professional men Of Somerset. ANY eI
i''sr and We trust that We have mad
ol' lev, must he attributed to our linn