The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-04-18
THE OLD AND THE NEW.
An Interesting Letter From !. W. Hartman

Mr.. |. w. Hartman is one OF
Bloomsburg's Oldest and most high
" respected citizens. Though ad-
vanced in years, his memory Is
good, and he occasionally writes
interesting letters, that are valuable
historically, and entertaining to the
present generation.
The following appeared in the
Morning Press OF Wednesday. and
it is worthy of reproduction in full.
Mr.. Hartman writes:
1t is said the latter times are bet
ter than the former. Let us look
into this saying in the light of past
experience, and see if in all matters
or subjects it is true. We wish to
leave out the great advantages OF
education, churches and business in
this letter and present to the young
er people some simple affairs which
should be interesting to them.
/ desire this, at my time of life,
nearing So years, and close OBJ
server and admirer of these latter
times, to see il l cannot bring out
things the former inhabitants en-
joyed which the latter are deprived
OF. For instance:
Would it not be grand sight for
the Normal students on the hill to
look and see two dozen RATS and
arks floating down the Susquehan-
ma river in the early morning, be-
tween Espy and the turn in the
river near Catawissa-the same
which l have seen many times dur
ing a spring freshet, 90, 65 and 10
years ago. 1t was the only means
of transportation for the dealers in
lumber to get into the markets of
Columbia, Havre de Gras, Balti-
more and Philadelphia, and was a
great outing for men who worked
in the lumber country. On their
return they made the valleys joyous
by their singing, shouting and juhi
liant actions. Some returned by
packet boat, others by stages or
private wagons and many returned
on loot. 1t was said most OF them
were peaceful and quiet citizens at
home, but this was their only out
ing and they certainly did wake up
the farmers and others as they pass
81 ~, tha;r homo road
Take another instance. Do you
suppose Prof. Wilbur or any Of the
teachers could hold class of boys
in the Normal class room when mil
lions of wild pigeons were flying
over the school building upon a
spring day, and the Kressler boys
and others catching them in nets by
the hundreds just near the Dillon
greenhouses. They would without
doubt leave the class room pell NELL,
with a desire to see the net sprung
and the process of killing them by
pinching the heads, also watch the
process of running wires through
the bills and putting them up in
dozens to be sold in the market for
from 6 cents to rs cents per dozen.
Just as the catch was that day.
was an eye witness to many scenes
of that kind 90, 65 aud 10 years
ago.
Again go down with me to the
lower farm of George Hughes on
the river bank and see them haul
ing out shad by the hundreds and
selling them 4 for rs cents, which
i remember, they did when l was
about 7 years old, just previous to
the completion of the canal. An
other-imagine that all the young
men, boys and girls, would run
down Market street when they
heard the sound of the bugle horn
announcing the approach of the
packet boats and It's three prancing
horses on its way either up to
Wilkes Barre or down to Harris
burg.
There are many other instances l
could give which gave great pleas
ure to those who lived 10 years in