Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-01-10
A TEIREE-MILE WALK
(By Red Cloudy

II WaS aIternOOn on cold, SOM
Der day in the late autumn when
my companion and ] left Penbrook
by the Hoernerstown road. A light
snow furry died away as golden
shafts OF sunlight pierced their way
through the thick clouds. A cold,
singing wind prevented any feeling
OF warmth In the sunlight and the
bright rays served only to add to the
beauty of 4 golden landscape. The
fields lay scar and brown; the dry,
brown leaves rustled on the oak
trees and the woods and hills were
shrouded in a purple haze.
About a mile east OF Penbrook
along this road there stands the
ruins of an old church building. The
entire western wall has fallen out:
the roof hangs by one side only; bits
OF plaster and broken brick lie
among the tall weeds and the at
mosphere OF the place is one of
desolation and neglect Back of the
building II the usual graveyard The
old weather-heaten stones which
now stand at all. angles were placed
there many years ago.
We walked among Them and I'm
the inscriptions read dates such as
these: 17a2, 1TS7. 1873, 1853 and
1I1s- It came to my mind that the
date first mentioned above was the
year of Washington's birth One
whose body lies buried here was
born in the days when the little
American Army lay starving and
freezing at Valley Forge
Ashes from wood fires lay at sew
eral places in the churchyard- An
empty whisky bottle stood on
fallen gravestone. Weeds grow in
Wild profusion without q friendly
hand to check them AS we walked
away, farm wagon ratified by The
driver who passed within ten feet
OF the old graves newer turned his
head. He probably passes here day
after day, but I venture to say that
he does not know how many, many
years before his time the old stones
were lovingly placed at the heads of
the graves that are forgotten and
passed by, unnoticsd-
As we walked toward Prugress,
fIeecy particles Of snow again
danced IN the air. Tnmgles OF black
berry bushes grow along the rail
FENCES that run beside the road. ..
Here and there at the foot of a
fencepost were the red and green
leaves of wild strawberry plants. A
gust OF wind carrisd on its breath
shower OF oak and chestnut leaves.
About half q milR from Progress
there is a picnic grove known as
"Ffshburn's Woods" Fifty yards to
the east OF this grove there tH am
other patch of woodland and tina
casual stroller who tranos the road
between the two patches does not
know that In the smaller onn there
is an old cemetery.
Many of the stDnes tnat once
marked graves have disappeared.
Two markers standing In the wuoGs
bear German Inscriptions and the
dates 174S-t8t3 and 1T80-ra40.. Two
others, lying on the ground, are COW
cred with moist earth and fallen
leaves. The one is broken ih two.
The dates on the stones tell That the
persons for whom they were erected
were born tn the years IT'S and
fItI.. This little graveyard prob
ably holds an Interesting story In
connection with tina enrly hiHtmy
Of Dauphin county.
q walk of another mile Brought
us to the old graveyard that Lies
along the Tonestuwn road, Opposite
Shops Church. Tha sum, low ta
the west, made Inst, brave effort
to shine through tine clouds and the
windows Of church and farmhouse
were ut by ths ref1action of a dull
red glow.
In this burying ground. amid
ciunnps Of boxwood, we found
twelve stones bearing dates between
f68-? and 17g8.. On many stones
the dates have been obliteratad by
Wind and rain. It was by turning
over fallen r1arRers and scraping
away the moist earth that we were
abba 10 fiS.d such dates as I'LL. T75e
and t720.. Ths majority OF these
stpnas tpo bear German Inscriptions.
4 white-haired Student of history,
who lives in the nsighborhood. vol
urteered the information that the
first person buried In this graveyard
was q woman who had been scaiped
by Indians Heialso told Of the days
when the funeral professions were
made up OF hsyiaddsrs and men on
horseback. In later days came. the
pbcturesQtke Conestoga wagon and
after the Conestoga wagon. the
buggy. He told amusfng stores of
the days when gafmnts and country
hssfes came riding, two on @ horse.
to church or. to country pfcnic-but
that may make another story.
BY this time the sun had disap-
peared behind the western hills.
Lights began to glow IN farm house
windows and as daylight faded the
air grew colder and colder Over.
the hill gfowed the Light from @ Lin.
glestovu car. but to have ridden
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