A Princeton Lady Dead. From a recent number of the Princeton (N. J.) Press we learn of the death of Mrs. Susan Breese Packard, wife of Prof. Packard, of Princeton College, and a cousin of Rev. E. Hazard Snowden, of this valley. Her maternal grandfather, Rev. Samuel Finley Snowden, was from 1795 to 1801 first pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Princeton. She was a descendant in the fifth generation of Benjamin Fitz Randolph, one of the prominent men of Princeton in his time. The connections of her family in different generations included such names as Finley, Breese and Bayard, names that Princeton loves to honor. Her life prior to her marriage had been spent mainly at Orange and Bloomfield, N. J., the scenes of the former pastorate of her father, Rev. Joseph S. Gallagher. Prior to entering the ministry her father spent 20 years in the National service as assistant astronomer and as an artillery officer. Mrs. Packard lost an only daughter four years ago and she gradually declined from that time. She will be lovingly remembered by such of the students as knew her.

A Pioneer Physician's Widow Dead. GORMAN-In Providence, Jan. 23, 1887, Mis. Louis Beecher Gorman, relict of the late James T. Gorman, M. D., aged 92 years and 6 months.

Mrs. Gorman was the relict of the late James T. Gorman, M. D., one of the pioneer physicians of Northeastern Pennsylvania. She was born in Litchfield County, Conn., July 29, 1794, of sturdy New England stock, her childhood was passed in her native county, amid surroundings and influences that tended to the development of deep, strong and abiding virtues. In 1816 she was united in marriage to James T. Gorman, M. D., and in 1836 removed to Abington, where her husband was contemporaneous with the late genial and warm-hearted Dr. Nichols and the venerable and much esteemned Dr. Andrew Bedford-now living. For twenty years she assisted her husband in the arduous duties of his profession, incident to a wide practice in a new and sparsely settled region, until his death in 1856, riding with him often night and day to visit the sick and administer to the wants of the distressed. With a mind keenly sensitive to the needs of humanity, with a heart charitable and ever sympathetic with suffering, and with an energy that never flagged nor faltered, her active life abounded in good deeds. She was the mother of the late Chas. Gorman, M. D., of Pittston; Mrs. I. V. Lynch, of Waverly, and Mrs. D. C. Stanton, of Abington.-Scranton Republican.

Half a Century in Old Luzerne. Albert McAlpine, whose death occured at Pleasant Valley on Jan. 19, was for several years a resident of Wilkes-Barre Township, and was well-known to the older portion of our citizens. He was a native of Winchester, Connecticut, was born April 23, 1813, and came to Wilkes-Barre when 20 years of age. For a time he assisted his brother, Hiram McAlpine, in the management of his factory at Laurel Run, where the latter had estab lished a turning shop in connection with the business of manufacturing scythe snaths, hay-forks, wooden measures, etc., on an extensive scale, by the aid of water power belonging to his father-in-law, Hezekiah Parsons, father of the present Calvin Parsons, of the borough of that name.

He removed to what is now known as Pleasant Valley when the whole country was a wilderness and settled on a tract of wild land, but farming was found not to be a congenial occupation and he soon started the business of manufacturing powder kegs and wooden pails by machinery, which business he conducted successfully until his factory was destroyed by fire, in which he sustained a heavy loss.

He was thrice married; his first wife being Mary Ann Wright, daughter of Josiah Wright, a well-known citizen of WilkesBarre. No issue was left by this marriage, but he leaves a family of sons and daughters all grown to man and womanhood; three sons of the second wife, and two daughters and one son by his surviving widow. The deceased was an honest, conscientious citizen, upright and just to all; one who, after more than halt a century's residence and business career amongst us, has left to his children as their chiefest inheritance an unsullied reputation.

In speaking of the death of Albert McAlpine recently Capt. Calvin Parsons remarked that in 1828 the former's brother, Hiram, came to Wyoming Valley on a business trip and sold Mr. Parsons' father a shingle machine, the trip resulting not only in the sale but in Mr. M.'s falling in love with his customer's daughter, whom he married three years later. In 1833 Calvin Parsons was on one of his carriage trips from Wilkes-Barre to Connecticut and while at New Marlboro he met his brother-in-law, Albert McAlpine, who rode back to Wyoming Valley with him. Mr. Parsons speaks in the highest terms of deceased and states that the friendship formed in that early day was never dimmed for a moment by the lapsing years and that in his death the community lost an upright and useful citi

zen.

The funeral of Mr. McAlpine took place at the Presbyterian Church, Pleasant Valley, January 21, and a large concourse

Dr. Throop, of Scranton, is the owner of a valuable relic of Pennsylvania journalism in the shape of a file of the famous Porcupine's Gazette, which, for a time, the great historian and grammarian, William Cobbett, made famous. This file dates from June 15, 1797, to Oct. 18, 1797, and is remarkably well preserved, which latter fact is partly due to the excellent care the doctor has taken of the papers, and partly from the fact that the paper is hand-made and has a "body" which cannot be found in latter day papers.

The proprietor states in a modest headline that his paper "is published every evening by William Cobbett, opposite Christ's Church." The news published in the papers alluded to, consists chiefly of the proceedings of Congress, which at that time held its sessions in Philadelphia, and letters from a few European capitals. Among the advertisements is one signed by the publisher offering a reward of $500 for the detection of "any postmaster or deputy" who tampered with the Gazette while it was en route to its subscribers. Such work seems to have been prevalent in those days, and Mr. Cobbett stigmatizes it as "dastardly and assassinlike."--Republican.

Letter from Mr. Yarington.

In a letter to the RECORD under date of Carbondale, Jan. 15, Mr. Dilton Yarington

says:

Enclosed you will find stamps sufficient to pay for two of your almanacs. I am just getting up from a severe cold and attack of rheumatism, that has confined me to the house more than a month. I improve slowly indeed.

Since writing the above I received the last week's RECORD, in which I noticed the death of Judge Charles T. Barnum. In 1828 Sloan Hamilton was editor of a paper at Dnndaff, called the Dundaff Republican. Charles T. Barnum was his apprentice. He was a slender little fellow, very bright and intelli gent, and was much loved and respected by Mr. Hamilton's family, and everybody else that became acquainted with him. I remember his parents well, when they lived in Kingston, when Charles was a little boy, in 1817 and 1818.

The Pennsylvanian's Lament. Many of our readers will remember Char les W. Foster, who about 1872 or 1873 came here from Mauch Chunk and kept a music store on Market Street in Chahoon Hall building. Mr. Foster, who is a brother of Mrs. Thomas W. Brown, of this city, soon after went into Philadelphia journalism as 8 reporter on the Press, becoming managing editor of the Evening News in the centennial year and in 1883 being called to the same position on the Cail, then starting. The loss of his wife in 1885, a young writer known as "Florida Hale," was a blow which for a time crushed him in body and brain and he was an invalid for a year. During last year, however, he accepted a position on the Omaha World where he is winning laurels as a humorist. The Omaha Republican speaks of him as "of a quiet, retiring disposition, as near a recluse as it is possi ble for a newspaper writer to become, and of a thoughtful, serions nature, more given to philosophy than fun. He takes little pride in his humorous work, but it has from the first been extensively quoted, not only throughout the United States but in Canada and England. He proposes, he says, to stick to it until the public becomes as tired of it as he is."

The latest we have seen from his pen is the following, entitled "The Pennsylvanian's Lament:"

How sweet to my ears are the names of my child hood,

The names Pennsylvanians worship for aye, Aboriginal cognomens heard in the wildwood When Indians traversed the Minnequa wayTunkhannock, Tamaqua and Hockendock-qua, Tamanend, Tobyhanna and Tonawan-da, Meshoppen, Tomensing and Catasaw-qua,

I love you, I greet you, sweet sounds of PA. How mountain and meadow, and rill and ravine, The broad Susquehanna and Wyoming's ray, Spring forth in the landscape by memory seen-The Lehigh, the Schuylkill and Lackawan-na, Lycoming, Shamokin, Monongahe-la,

Kittann ng, Perkasie and Shenando-a, Towamencin-another, not spelled the same way

I love you, I greet you, sweet sounds of PA. The rivulet's warble and the cataract's roar, The names that I cherish wherever I strayManayunk, Conshohocken. Monococy-more, Nanticoke, Kittatinny, Shickshinny, Hey! Day!

How heart leaps at mention of Catawis-sa, Mahanoy, Nesquehoning, how soothing the lay! Lackawaxen, Shackamaxen, Perkiomen

what, pray,

Is sweeter than Mauch Chunk (Mockchuak so they say)

I love you, I greet you, sweet sounds of PA.

WILLIAM MILL BUTLER.

Sketch of a Former Wilkes-Barre Journalist Who is Winning His Way to Fame.

The Rochester correspondent of the Buffalo Express, gives the following sketch of William Mill Butler, a former well-known journalist of this city:

Very

At

Few men are better known in this city and few journalists in this State than William Mill Butler, who has had a career allotted to him the like of which probably no one in his profession has ever experienced. little of his life has ever been made public, although the Journalist has had one or two articles about him. At a very early age Mr. Butler became fully acquainted with the hard lot in life awaiting him. He was but little over eight years old when he was sent to work in a coal breaker. At six he had already been taught by his mother to read German and English. At twelve he went to work in the mines. For two years he lived an underground life, gaining an experience which I understand will be found portrayed in a novel which he has nearly completed. fourteen, in January, 1872, he met the fate of so many of the workers in the mines, being run over and crushed by a loaded car. After some weeks he recovered and returned to work in the mines but in a few days broke down. A relative took him to Canada, where he was sent to school. He was clerk, bookkeeper and cashier for a time, and began verse-writing. His contributions brought him to the notice of Mr. B. H. Pratt, then city editor of the Scranton Daily Times. The result was that he entered the employ of that paper. He conducted Wilkes-Barre department of the Scranton Times for over six months. He became city editor of the Wilkes-Barre Daily Record, but overworked himself and again broke down. In March, 1877, he became local editor of the Galt, Ont., Reformer, acting as correspondent for the Hamilton, (Ont.) Daily Spectator, and contributing humorous articles and verses to Grip, the Canadian Puck. Returning to Pennsylvania June, 1878, he was placed in charge of the Berwick Independent. In 1879 he began the satire Pantaletta, the authorship of which has never before been divulged. In that year he became a member of the staff of the Evening Express in this city. He has since held various positions on the Rochester press. He wrote a hoax concerning an alleged case in court, in which the details were given of the trial and conviction of a young lady for wearing a high hat at the theatre and obstructing the view of a spectator. So circumstantial was the sketch that it deceived hundreds of people who

the

in

flocked to the court house next day to hear Miss Viola Weatherwax sentenced. It caused a sensation throughout the country. Even as experienced a journalist as James Foster Coates, of New York, telegraphed for particulars. And away out in Kansas City two lawyers got into a dispute over the facts in the case, winding up with a wager, which was duly decided by a member of the Rochester bar, who was applied to in writing. For some months he has given his time mainly to literary work. He is compiling a dramatic dictionary, publishes the Pythian Knight, and is writing a play and a novel.

Was President Polk in Wilkes-Barre? The New York Sun has an article on an old gentleman, Elias Polk, who lately died in Nashville at the age of 80, and whose claim to distinction rested upon the fact that he was a slave in the Polk family and was body servant to President Polk. We clip a portion, thongh remarking that the older inhabitants do not recall any such visit of President Polk to the Wyoming Valley:

When Elias was about 12 years old he was given as a valet to James K. Polk, then a young man in college, and from that time till the President died the two were hardly separated for a week at one time. In those days all journeys had to be made by horse conveyance. It was Elias's custom to drive his master in his carriage to Washington. The first journey was made in 1826, when James K. Polk was elected member of Congress. On one of these trips, after the Tennessean had become President, a night was spent in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. The next morning, while Elias was in the stable getting his horses ready, several white men approached him and asked him if he didn't know he was free.

They told him that he was in a State where a man could not hold slaves, and all he had to do was to leave and his master couldn't do a thing.

"Do you think I would go back on de President dat way? No, sir. You don't know me. I'd sooner die than run off."

The President happened to be near and heard this. He was greatly pleased, and the next day surprised his faithful valet by speaking of it, and told him whenever he wanted his freedom he could have it. When his master died Elias remained with the family until after the war.

At the January meeting of the Oneida, N. Y., Historical Society that organization did our townsman, Hon. E. L. Dana, the honor of electing him to corresponding membership.

Anthropophagy.

The RECORD is in receipt from Charles W. Darling, corresponding secretary of the Oneida Historical Society, Utica, N. Y., of an interesting 47 page pamphlet on "Anthropophagy, Historic and Prehistoric." Gen. Darling is an industrious delver in antiquarian matters, and this pamphlet, printed for private circulation is of particular interest. In it he traces man-eating, from the earliest times, even from the Cyclops of the Odyssey, through many nations down to the latest known instances of cannibalism, as in shipwrecks and other emergencies where life could be sustained in no other way, and among the savages of the African continent. The author states that the North American Indians frequently banqueted on human flesh. The Algonquins were wont to feed on the dead bodies of their enemies, in the belief that by devouring the flesh and blood of fallen foes, the eaters became possessed of their bravery. There also seems to be evidence that the Iroquois were cannibals to a certain extent, as were the Mohawks, in fact the literal meaning of "Mohawk" is said to be man-eater. The Ottawas are said to have devoured an occasional missionary of the Jesuits, while the Hurons were wont to feed on the roasted hearts of their prisoners, the information coming from 17th century Jesuit fathers who were eye witnesses of these practices.

Gen. Darling promises another paper, on Prehistoric Man, in which he will present many facts heretofore unpublished. It also will be privately printed.

Lack of Historical Interest.

The Germantown Telegraph has a correspondent, "Iron Mask," who writes thus forcibly of a lack of interest in historical matters in cla Bucks County, and as the remarks are equally applicable in old Luzerne we reprint them:

The session of the Historical Society was very slimly attended. A man must become

a little musty before he takes any interest in local history. It is something like local geography. All school children know more about Timbuctoo and many countries of unpronoun cable names than they do of the country they live in. Any question of local geography is a poser to urchins. If you want to strike a public school dumb, ask it to find the township the school is situated in, or to name any considerable number of townships ot the county. I do not know that it is of the last importance that children should know these things, nor no I deem it fatal to the child if he fails to tell an exainining committee how high Mount Shasta is, or how far Pekin is from Honolulu. So it is with local history. Few people of any

locality know or care much about it. Young people do not pay the slightest attention to it. Hence it will be noticed that the persons who take any active interest in such matters are old fellows, or young fellows with abnormal old tastes. It cannot be expected that a local Historical Society will attract a large crowd until the younger strata of society begin to manifest a human interest in it.

Coal Sixty-Four Years Ago, [Extract from Harrisburg Chronicle, Dec.2,1822.] "Stone Coal. It is stated in the Philadelphia papers that a large quantity of Lehigh coal lately arrived at that city which was selling at $8 40 per ton. The New York papers in noticing this, preface it with cheap fuel, and so it is. But at Harrisburg it is much cheaper, and on the completion of the Union Canal it will be much cheaper at Philadelphia likewise. The late freshet gave an opportunity to our fellow citizens of Luzerne County to bring down the Susquehanna coal, of which they have inexhaustíble beds, of the same description with the Lehigh coal-it sold out of the arks at less than $4 per ton, and is retailed at $4.25. Water communication through to Philadelphia being established, would reduce the price there at least 25 per cent."

Paper Currency of 65 Years Ago. Following is the sort of "paper money" we had in 1822 and for the benefit of their subscribers the newspapers published every week the amount of discount or depreciation in the exchangeable value of the banks' bills. The other States made a worse show than did Pennsylvania and New York. The next year Milton rose to 17, Centre, Greensburg and Brownsville rose to 6 each. You will notice two Canada banks in the New York list. The figures are taken from the Philadelphia Bank Note Exchange, Dec. 5, 1822:

State of New York banks-New York City banks, par; J. Barker's, no sale; Washington and Warren, 85; Albany, Troy, Mohawk and Lansingburg, 1 cent discount; Newburg, Catskill, Middle District, Auburn, Utica, Geneva, Col. at Hudson, Orange County, Ontario at Utica, one and a half cents discount; Plattsburg, 3 cents; Canada and Montreal, 5 cents.

Pennsylvania banks-Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Reading, Farmer's Laur, Easton, Northampton, Germantown, Montgomery County, Delaware County, Bucks County, Chester County, Lancaster, New Hope Bridge Co., 1; Carlisle, York and Chambersburg, each, 1%; Gettysburg and Pittsburg, each. 2; Milton, 20; Centre, 30; Greensburg, 8; Brownsville, 8.

H. B. P.

BUSINESS MEN OF 1818.

of

Recollectious of Dilton Yarington, Carbondale, Giving a Directory of Wilkes-Barre as it was in His Boyhood Days.

Dilton Yarington, Esq., of Carbondale, was a Wilkes-Barrean in his younger days, and though now advanced in years he is fond of recalling the past and of putting his recollections on paper. Our readers have only recently been favored with something from his pen. Nearly 20 years ago he wrote for the RECORD, and we take pleasure in reprinting some of the matter furnished at that time, for the reason that many of our readers have never seen it and for another reason, that very few have access to files, even the RECORD office having no complete file. The letter we refer to is dated Carbondale, Dec. 14, 1868. In commenting on the list of business men of 1818, he omits himself, Wm. S. Ross, Lord Butler, Jr., Charles Tracy, Washington Ewing, Jacob E. Teetor, Chester A. Colt and David Connor, as being mere youths; Noah Wadhams and Jo hua Green, as not residents of Wilkes-Barre in 1818; Rev. Ard, Hoyt, he having gone as a missionary among the Indians in 1817. In his list he includes Abram Pike, "the Indian slayer," who though not strictly a business man in 1818, was yet a very important business man for his country in the time of her greatest need. "No man then living bad rendered greater services to his country during the Indian wars than he. His name is familiar to all who have read Miner's 'History of Wyoming.'

COURT IN 1818.

Thomas Barnside, president judge, to August Term, 1818, at which term David Scott became president judge, Matthias Hollenback and Jesse Fell, associates.

BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL MEN.

John P. Arndt, landlord, shipbuilder, etc.
Philip Abbott, farmer.

Abial Abbott, carpenter and joiner.
Nathan Allen, carpenter.

H. C. Anhiser, merchant.

Lloyd Alkins, carpenter.

William Apple, carpenter.

Ziba Bennett, merchant's clerk.

John L. Butler, coal operator.

Burton Butler, farmer.

Lord Butler, merchant, coal operator, etc.

Steuben Butler, printer.

Chester Butler, lawyer.

Zebulon Butler, farmer.

Pierce Butler, farmer.

Eleazer Blackman, farmer.

John Bettle, cashier of bank.

Samuel D. Bettle, silversmith.
Nathan Barney, farmer.
Andrew Bolles, farmer.

Stephen Bowles, bookkeeper.

Jonathan Bulkeley, sheriff.

Eliphalet A. Bulkeley, clerk and bookkeeper.

Anthony Brower, tailor.
Thomas Brown, farmer.
William Brown, distiller.
Brittania Barnes, merchant.
Aaron Baty, painter.

Moses Beamer, ferryman and laborer.
Isaac Bowman, tanner and currier.
Samuel Bowman, farmer and tanner.
William L. Bowman, tanner and currier.
Gilbert Barnes, carpenter.

Alexander H. Bowman, U. S. Cadet.
Horatio Bowman,

James W. Bowman, lawyer.
Ebenezer Bowman, lawyer.
Andrew Beaumont, postmaster.
Henry Barrackman, farmer.
Job Barton, carpenter.

William and George Blane, farmers.
Thomas Bartlett, school teacher.
Josiah Brown, butcher.
Miles B. Benedict, hatter.
Gideon Bebee, ferryman.

William Bolton, carpenter.

Elisha Blackman, cabinet maker.

Oristus Collins, lawyer.

Putnam Catlin, lawyer.

Charles Catlin, lawyer.

George Chahoon, carpenter and joiner.
A. O. Chahoon, merchant.
Daniel Collings, silversmith.
Mason Crary, doctor.
Edward Covell, doctor.

Arnold Colt, justice of peace.

Henry Colt, surveyor.

Harris Colt, U. S. soldier.

John Cary, farmer.

Eleazer Carey, justice of peace.

George Clymer, merchant.
William Cox, painter.

John Covert, laborer.

Richard Covert, stage driver.

Joseph H. Chapman,

Edward Chapman,

Isaac A. Chapman, author.

Jacob Cist, merchant.

John Carkhuff,

Thomas J. Carkhuff, sheriff.

Daniel Colkglazer, school teacher.

Samuel Colkglazer, plasterer.

Hugh and Cornelius Connor, carpenters. John and Peter Connor, carpenters. George Denison, lawyer.

Thomas Dyer, lawyer.

James Dickens, Revolutionary soldier.

John and Robert Downer, U. S., soldiers, Anderson and Francis Dana, farmers. Chester Dana, river pilot.

Jonathan and Bateman Downing, farmers. Reuben and Daniel Downing, farmers. Jonathan and David Dale, shoemakers.

Eli and Aaron Downing, farmers.