The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-10-19

president of the bank-the Lebanon
Trust and Safe Deposit Banll-hut
when he failed in 1893 the bank was
obliged to cease business. In March,
1893, this building was sold at as
signee's sale to another banking insti-
tuition in Lebanon for sS3,500
In 1880, in memory of his deceased
wife, Mr. Coleman built st. Luke's
Episcopal church in Lebanon at a cost
of $15O,000. 1t is finished in highly
polished brick. The floor is of English
tile, the pillars are of the richest gran
lite and the roof is of oak and other
hard wood. The remains of Mrs. Cole
mans first wife rest beneath the
structure. Mr. Coleman re-marriel
and has several children.
ESTATE OF $4,000 ACRES.
Ten years ago Mr.. Coleman had
charge of an estate which required
fifty-four miles of fence to girdle,
which comprised $4,000 acres, and
which had a tenantry of over loo It
extended from Cornwall, in Lebanon
county, to Speedwell, in Lancaster
country. A single road through the
property is over twenty miles long.
The income from all this estate It is
said, was not large enough to be count
ed. The great source OF wealth was
the ore beds. The payroll OF the
whole Coleman estate number,l 2,1C1
people, that of the Cornwall rr jperty
alone 1,200. At it's height the income
from the iron mountains and furnaces
Of the Coleman estate was equivalent
to an income of per cent on $4,000
000
Mr. Coleman's home a Cornwall was
built by his father, and is but short
distance from the ore hills. Over its
threshold is inscribed, "Parvus domus,
magma quies." The house was a little
palace, surrounded with terraced lawns
where fountains bubbled, and provided
with every appointment which art and
science, governed by intellectual taste,
could desire. At the time of his assign
ment Mr.. Coleman was building a large
music hall. to cost 500, 900. At the pres
ent time can be seen shavings and
other evidences of where the working
men stopped No estimate of the cost
of the entire home can be made. but
when the property was offered for sale,
a year ago it was withdrawn because
only $19,5OO was offered.
After Mr.. Coleman had opened his
new railroad he laid out Mt Gretna
| Park, nine miles from Lebanon. Mt
! Gretna was the point of mobilization
| of the Pennsylvania soldiers last year,
| when the call for volunteers was made
| 1t is now the seat of the Pennsylvania
| Chautauqua, the camp meeting of the
| United Brethren in Christ of the East
| Pennsylvania conference; the Mt.
| Gretna Agriculturald Mechanical an
! Industrial Exposition, and the resort
| for many picnickers every year. 1t was
| opened to the public in 1884. In 1885 the
| Third Brigade, General Goblin COM
| manding, camped there for week
| commencing July "a. The plot of
| ground consisted of 120 acres 1t was
| enlarged for the division encampment
which was held there in 1887, and called
| Camp Winfield Scott Hancock. In 1890
the Second division encampment. Camp
Hartranft, was held. Regimental and
! brigade encampments have been held
| there.
THE IRON KING.
Mr.. Coleman was known all over
| Pennsylvania as the Iron King" but
his desire was to be called a railroad
| magnate, and the building of his road
from Lebanon to Conewago did not
suffice to give him that title. The
| Jacksonville Tampa and Key West
railroad was organized some years be-
fore, but nothing was done in the way
of construction until 1883, when Mr..
Coleman, while visiting in Florida got
possession of the majority of shares of
the capital stock and the construction
was begun. Mr.. Coleman was presi-
dent. Everything prospered. Mr.. Cole
mans private car was the finest that
could be built and in winter he al
ways travelled to Florida. Lebanon
county was more prosperous than II
ever had been and the relations exist
ing between Mr.. Coleman and his en-
ployes were such that strikes were
never heard OF.
But when the panic of 1898 came with
it's dreadful results Mr.. Coleman was
unprepared. The Florida railroad went
into the hands of receivers and p note
for 100000 held by the Lebanon bank,
of which Mr.. Coleman was president.
could not be realized upon. Money was
all tied up and the bank failed On the
eighth day of August Mr., Coleman as
signed for the benefit OF his creditors.
The assignees, Henry II. Kendall. OF
Reading and the Pennsylvania Com
pany for the Insurance OF Lives and
Granting OF Annuities. of Philadelphia
in June. 1894, sold to the Lackawanna
Iron and Steel company. of Scranton,
Pa, much of the property II included
the furnaces at Cornwall and Cole
brook and l53 shares of stock I'm the
Cornwall ore Banks company as well
as other minor properties. The lump
sum was S22 5O9,375.
Immediately after his financial diff
culties Mr.. Coleman left Cornwall and
now lives at Lake Saranac, New York
Contempt of Court.
In Cupid's Court, should maids not wed,
Dan Cupid files quick report,
And passes sentence on each head
The spir ster's fate. "cnntcmnt of