The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-08-10
BL00MSBU RG % YEARS AGO.

county OF MOntOur was formed
Danviile was made the capital and
it was thought that peace was fin
ally restored between the two belli-
gerent districts, as both now stood
on equal footing, but such was not
the case. Another fierce COMES
arose as to the repeal Of the act of
1880, which finally resulted in the
passage, on the 18th of January,
1858, Of an act to straighten the
division line between the two
counties, by which portion of the
acquired territory was reanexed to
Columbia. And now, after lapse
of nearly thirty years, the fierce
strife has been almost forgotten,
and peace and quie,ness reign be-
tween the people of the two count
les. Columbia contains about 47o
square miles, and according to the
census of 1880 she had population
Of $4,000 which has probably been
increased 500 since that time.
NAMING THE TOWN.
When Mr.. Eyer gave the settle.
ment the name Of Bloomsbury he
was doubtless impressed with the
beauty OF the location, and felt that
there was no place in that region
where town could 6Ioom more lux
uriantly, and he straightway gave
it the title of which it is now so
proud. For many years after it
was named, and particularly during
the contest with Danville (Which
was then coming into prominence
OIL account of its iron manufactories)
it was scarcely ever spoken of by
any other title than that of Bloom"
and that was generally applied
derisively. But it continued TO
grow and bloom on its hillside To-
cation, until it has bloom.ed into
thrifty, active, en,erprising bmg
and it is now accepted by all as the
lovely Bloomsbury, destined, before
many decades roll away, to develop
into full hedged city of twenty or
thirty thousand inhabitants. In
1870 it was organized as the town
OF Bloomsbury, the corporation
taking in all Of what was previously
Bloom township. 1t is not a o.
ough in the general acceptation of
that term, but town" without a
burgess, and its chief executive Of
ficer is the president of the council,
which consists Of six members. The
town is supplied by water pumped
into a reservoir on an elevation
high enough to give sufficient pres
sure 10 throw stream over the
highest church steeples. The water
is very pure and healthy, as it flows
from the mountains, down stream
that has become historic since the
rebellion. The reservoir and works,
which are not far from the town,
cost $40, 900. The court house is
an antiquated structure in the old
part Of the town, but it will either
he greatly improved soon or a new
building erected. AJew Jail south
Of the railroad was recently built at
a cost Of 500, 900. The front is Of
Farrandsville stone and presents a
fine appearance. There are ten
in which the population of
5000 worship, embracing Presby-
terian, Methodist, Baptist. Welsh
Bcptist, Reformed, Lutheran, Evan
gelical, Episcopal, Catholic and
African Methodist. The church
property is valued at about $50, 900.
A MAN OF ENTERPRISE.
Bloomsbury largely owes its pres
ent prosperity to Rev. ID. J. Waller,
who came here more than a third
of century ago as the pastor of
the Presbyterian church. He is an
ardent disciple of Calvin, a man of
broad and liberal views, far seeing,
active. energetic, sagacious and pro-
gressive. For a third of a century
lie administered the Word of God
in the little church of unpretending
which still stands on
the principal street. Finally he re-
tired from pastoral labors, to de-
vote his attention to a different line
of duty, although he has not entire
ly relinquished the pulpit, which he
occasionally fills. With the sagacity
SO characteristic of the man he fore
saw a brilliant future for the place,
and he made heavy purchases Of
lands on the outskirts of
the town, and laid it off into lots,
had fine broad streets surveyed, and |
held out inducements to purchasers |
that were so tempting that many |
availed themselves of the bargains,
and the result was that the town
commenced growing. He donated |
the land on which the Jail is built.
1,.o1I,,., l,1.,