Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1903-07-17
Hr1LsBoRo SIERRA COUNTY, N. NJ, FRIDAY, JULY u, 1908
New Jersey Burg Reduced to Ruin
by Extravagance.
Industrial Expe riment That Came to
knught and Caur ed W Widespread
Disaster $3.50 Flames
Finish In.

IN but ntdTt bl u ltttSt VI sAubhSt
trees in Burlington county Is smoke
blackened chimneys, standing AZ head
stones over the ashes Of as many one.
happy homes, tell the story OF the ut
ter desolation OF a prosperous village
says the Chicago Chronicle.
Batsto, existing now in name only,
stood at the head of Little Egg har-
Dor. on Mullica river. 1t clustered
about lake where once the Indians
bathed, calling II Batsto, a bathing
place. The Quakers settled around it
and one of their number built in 1866
an iron furnace on the brink Of it's
outlet. His name was Bah and an
iron plate which was fastened in the
stone wall recorded the building of
this second iron furnace in the new
country.
The region about Batsto was dotted
with piles of wood covered with sand
and many men found employment
burning charcoal for the furnace.
Under the Quakers the work of inn
provement went on vigorously. Mr..
Ball was in charge Of this work.
Working for Ball was q young Welsh
man, William Richards. At the
Quaker's death Richards succeeded
him and added vastly to the wealth of
the little village. He paid the passage
of immigrants and made them his re-
tainers and on knoll above the lake
still stand the ruins of the stone man
sion he built, with two-story wings. I'm
der William Richards the foundry
prospered A town was laid out and
the streets lined with nlianthus and
buttonvood trees. A two-story brick
store was built near the mansion. An
Office, warehouse, two large stone
stables and many dwellings were erect
ed. la 1912 William Richards died. He
left six sons-Jesse, Samuel, benjamin,
George, William and augustus.
Contentment reigned throughout
the place. There were no walking dele
gates, labor unions, combinations of
capital and Homestead riots In Batsto,
The workmen loved Jesse Richards
and no man was ever imposed upon.
lie looked well to their comfort and
the happiness Of their families.
In 1929 the foundry furnace was re-
built and the date is inscribed on the
old iron plate. by ls40 ten furnaces
were busy in New Jersey. but the dis
covery Of iron and coal in other states
soon dealt them heavy blow, and
from this date Batsto began 80 trace
Us downfall. In 1s4s the furnaces
were so Improbable that the fires
were allowed To die out and they
were never again relighted. Jesse
Richards, in 1854, died, 72 years old,
With three sons and three daughters
20 enjoy his enormous fortune. AS
William had left to his sons a love of
thrift and power, Jesse left to his a
owe Of strong drink. Thomas. Samuel
md Jesse were the executors of the
estate and the will ordered the remain.
ng factories to be run Ia their names.
The broad acres and thriving village
'till returned vast revenue.
They made Robert Stewart. who had
oeen their fathers secretary. their
manager and they left llatsto for Phil
'delphin TO lavish their wealth in
very possible pleasure and dissipa-
ion. They demanded all the profits of
he factories to supply them. and find
ng these inadequate in 1853 sold to
datlack & Allen, of Philadelph
1000 acres Of their land.
The workingmen were left unpaid.
Things went from bad TO worse. At |
nst they threw down their tools and |
he fires in the glass furnaces went out. |
he place busy for half century was
lie.
Ihirfy-fiye years ago the fires went |
'ut for the last time A profitable
iarket for the products Of the entire
ounty was dead. The farmers who
1T Mount Holly every week with
reat loads of pork and other neces-
aries of life ceased to travel the
eaten track to Batsto. No rent col
'ctor called upon the iphabitaats of
he dilapidated tenements and as one
onse became too old and rickety to
We in they moved into another. Desc
Ition hoyered over everything. Not
Iember Of the family remained there.
OF the sons who had so woefnlly mis-
the GRAND estate Thomas
ld died, Jesse occasionally visited the
d place and Samuel resided ia Phila-
.lphia.
Mortgages had grown upon the vii.
&c like moss upon the mill wheels
I'd the court in Mount Holly pnye
obert Stewart a judgment Of $4,000
sainst the estate and smaller ones
others. Joseph Wharton, Of phila-
lphia, bought up the mortgages and
Ith the judgments the once pros
rous village of I3atsto and 6.o0o
res satisfied demand Of about $50
D. Mr.. Wharton is known to-day as
e greatest land proprietor in New
rseys
On the night of February 20, 1874, a
ark from the chimney of Robert
ewart's house burned his own dwell
and then the flames licked up the
tenantable houses. Batsto
IS IN ashes.