Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/222

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES T U B BEBWICR CLUB

With handsomely furnished and equipped rooms, the Berwick Club plays an important part in the life o f Berw ick. The club was organized in M ay, 1894, and its ^ p u la rity among the membership, which comprises many o f Berw ick's most representative citizens, has been constantly increasing. Reading room, card room, pool room and grill room comirisc the suite on the second floor of the F.vans luilding which has been occupied by the club since its oiganization. Among the members are some o f (he best pool shots in this section, and pool tournaments are alw ays a feature during the winter. M IL IT A R Y UATTEBS

“ Training D ay,” coming in the Latter part o f M ay, w as one of the important periods of the year when the memory of the Revolu­ tionary and border w ars was fresh in the minds of the people. A motley crowd of men and boys would gather in the streets and march around to the tune of the fife and the roll of the drum. A n ancient cannon was generally procurable, and this w as cleaned, loaded, pnmcd and fired amid the delighted shouts of the small boys and the shrill screams of the ladies. Among Ihe leaders of the past on these occasions are recalled the names of Capt. Matthew McDowell, the organizer of the first m ilitary com pany; Jam es Pnitt, the drillm astcr: John M. Sn^'dcr and John Bitten­ bender, colonels; and Oeorge Kelehner and Christopher Bowman, majors. Berw ick furnished a full quota o f soldiers in the C ivil war, a company o f thirteen en­ listing in M ay. 1 ^ 1, and twcnty-thrcc a short time afterw ards, while many others joined the arm ies during the prepress o f that great struggle. A number o f soldiers repose in the cemetery at Berw ick, two of the number, Moses D avis and Jam es Pratt, being veterans of the Revolution; three of the w ar o f 18 12 , and two of the M exican war. A number o f military organizations existed in (he town in the past. T h e Jackson Guards, organized in 18 7 1, disbanded in 1880. The B cnvick Guards, organized by Ju liu s H oft, a student of the Prussian military academy, in 1886. with C . G . Jackson as captain, was chiefly a juvenile company and had a short life. Capt. Clarence G . Jackson Post. N o. 759,Grand .Army of the Republic, w as chartered Ja n . 26, 1886, with the follow ing members:

George A. Buckingham, J. T. Chamberlain, Samuel Simpson, D. W. Holley, Abner Welsh, Reuben M oyer, George K eener, W. H. M or­ ton, John W ithers, R. H. Little, W, C. ^ r nard. M inor Hartman, .Martin M cAllister, l.croy T. 'J hoftipson. Tighlman M ohartcr, b. C. Jayn e, A. D. SccIy, W. J. Scott, Michael Thornton. Jo h n W oolcy, K. D. I.i]>kichcr. T his post IS the successor of the one fo r ­ merly known as V. W. Ricketts Post. John H. S ly e r Camp, No. 25. Sons of Veterans, w as instituted M ay 29, 1862, with D. C. Sm ith, captain; E. P. W olfe, first lieutenant; H arry I.owc, second lieutenant; David Thom as, chaplain; Augustus Low e, surgeon; George Hoppes, orderly seigeant; H arry Bam ato, sergeant of the gu ard; David Thomas, quarterm aster; Jerom e P ifer, color sergeant; Albert Low e, coqioral. BERWICK CORNET BAND

Charles H. Stoes, the famous bandmaster o f Danville, came to Berwick about 1857 and gave private lessons to a number o f musically inclined young men of the town. H e also organized a band and purchased a number o f instruments. F o r a time the band partici­ pated in many of the events of the day. but the interest nnally lagged and disbandment followed. T he instruments were stored aw ay until 18O8, when interest w as revived, and the permission of the surviving members of the old band being obtained, the instruments were given to the new organization. T h e Berwick Com et Band w as organized in A pril. 1868, with the follow ing members: E. i. Klinger. Capt. A. H. Rush, W illiam Ruch. Isaiah Bower, Dr. R. H. Little, Joseph Faust. Col. A. D. Seely, Hiram A. Bower, Ritcr Keck. Daniel Reedy, Isidore Chamberlain, Lym an Fowler, .Alem Connelly, Theodore W cingarten. Charles Becker. J. R. M cAnall. J, F. Opdykc. Theodore Fow ler. Fred Spikcr, M or­ dccai Bropsi, Joseph E. Fr>'. Under H arry Grozier. as leader, the band nude its first public appearance on Decora­ tion D ay. M ay 30. 1870. T hey marched proudly lo the top of the hill, and the signal being given, began to play. But scarce had the first note been blown lten Col. Frank Suit, who had planted his fieldpicce at the left of the hilltop, pullcx! the lanyard, and a tre­ mendous explosion shook the earth, stopped the band music and split the lips o f roost of the players. T hereafter the music w as o f a very poor quality and volume. lilr. Grozier resigned after a few years and