The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16

three mills long since deserted falling
into ruins. There are rows Of deserted
houses. In a clump of bushes some bro
ken boats lie
Two or three acres make a space sufYi-
Gent to hold all that, to hold the hotel
the two gray. empty streets and the "for
sale or rent" signs of this tiny village
The place is stepped in an atmosphere I'M
fmagfnably calm and still A billygoat, the
beard under his chin full of burrs, loafs
at the lone corners where two streets
meet. and If strangers happen along he
will pursue them.
Nature has been very kind to yallev
Forge. She shows her utmost beauty to
the village. The airs that blow through II
are clear and pure. The sky seems bluer
there than elsewhere. A noble forest rises
upon one side and on the other flows the
Schuylkin. blue stream. winding be-
tween green banks. And thus inclosed by
sky and stream and forest, the s.to let's
signs. the hotel and the billygoat dream
The history of Valley Forge, it's rise. it's
rail-, and its expected second rise NAV be
gathered at the hotel. which Albin Shaw
Keeps. Its revolutionary history. set
forth In familiar collouuial way. NAV
pc gathered at the Potts house. where
Washingtons headquarters were, and
where H. X. Hampton is caretaker Albin
the barroom of the hotel yesterday after
noon, and Benjamin Rossiter, a veteran
OF the civil war; helped him out when his
memory failed. Shaw darted into an in
ner room every little while and returned
with armloads of relics--old lamps. hatch
cts. cannon balls. pieces of wood. Before
ne was done talking the bar was piled so
nigh with these ancient things that only
,ne Top or the young mans head was visi-
BILE behind them. M
Many years ago, before Valley Forge
mad either name or being, certain adj
venturous and brave men settled there
puiit houses and began to till the soil
These were the families of the Pottses
the Browns, the Stephens, the Harvards
the Matsons, the Moores. the Morrises
and the Wilkinsons. These families
owned farms during the encampment of
the continental troops, and their descend
ants, very prosperous people. still own.
In some cases, the same FARMS OF the
stephens, the Moore and the Harvard
families this Is true.
A. stephens, long before the revolution
built forge in the neighborhood 1t
was power forge and it was put up on
the shore of Valley creek. Stephens
made merchant iron there. and Albert
Shaw had piece of the water wheel he
used-a worm-eaten gray board four or
five yards long.
Albin brought the board from his arch
ives yesterday and thumped 1t down on
the bar with pride. He would not part
with II, he says, at any price. A pro-
lessor last summer desired to buy IT
ardently The grooves can still be seen
In 1t where the water buckets hung, and
its big-headed nails have the irregularIty
and roughness that gave individuality
and charm to all hand made things
Those nails. says Benjamin Rosster, are
better than modern ones. They would
split the mean wood which modern men
use. From the forge upon Valley creek
1t is easy to see how the name OF Valley
Forge was born.
The rise of Valley Forge was due to
the building of three mills there big
white mill on Valley creek, with kind
of beifry like that upon meeting house
was built first. A brick mill, lower
down the creek and nearer to the river,
was built next, and afterward shoddy
mill was erected over against the rail-
road station. At the time when these
three plants were running Valley Forge
had over 500 Inhabitants. II has now
not more than rs. There was at one
time. furthermore. a gun factory there,
whore fiint-locked rifles and horse pistols
were turned out
The brick mill was built by Nathan and
Caleb Jones. They made -four in it IN
I'll 1865 Chen Isaiah Pennypacker sue
ceeded Isaiah knauer. and he IN his turn
was succeeded by the American Pulp
and PAPER Company. This company en-
larged the mill and began on huge
scale and with many fourishes 70 make
paper by some strange process out n
palm leaf. The palm leaf paper WAS 20
have been a very wonderful and lucrative
stuff, but Il showed. unfortunately upon
being made. certain imperfectlons-littIe