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/242

 COLUMBIA AXD MONTOUR COUNTIES ous nationalities working in the mines. T lie chici of these troubles w as the "M o lly M a­ g u ire" murders, o f which a complete sketch is given in the bar history o f this county. The hrst to fail a victim to the assassin's bullet was Alexander W. Rea, who w as practically the founder o f (he town. Michael Lanahan and Thom as Dougherty followed as victims soon after. Another trouble was the frequency o f in­ cendiary fires in the village. Between 1872 and J878 scarcely a year passed without a severe and extensive tire amongst the dwell­ ings and stores. T h is has now I>ccn suppressed, and the town has experienced a comparative rest from conflagrations for a number o f years. Centralia is characterized by the large num­ ber o f saloons wdthin its corporate limits, one fo r every two hundred persons. There arc twenty in loons, two drug stores, seventeen general stores and groceries, one jew eler and tw o butchers in the town.

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Union now has entire control of the labor sit­ uation and peace has descended upon the field. Centralia is connected with Mount Carmel and Ashland, in Northumberland and Schuyl­ kill counties, respectively, by a trolley line, which makes a long detour in order to over­ come the steep grades. A fare o f sixteen cents is charged for the trip o f less than three miles. Occasionally subsidences of the ground in portions of the town, due to the removal and rotting o f mine supports, have caused damage to buildings and roads, but the State Mine Commission is preparing to have this reme­ died. A t present the two important collieries o f Centralia are the Continental and Rcpcllicr, ,lK)th o f w'hich are operated by the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company. Some stripping is still iKing done at the old Locust Mountain Coal Company’s mines, inside the corporation. Ftnanciol

IVater Supply The Centralia W ater Company was clmrtcrcd in 1866, a reservoir was built on the side o f Locust mountain and wooden mains laid through the town. T he company later became financially involved and the property w as sold in 1876 to William Brj-don. B y this time the mains had rotted and the supply o f water was very inade<}uatc. Br)*don improvctl the property and scrMcc greatly. .After his time the works were successively owned by A . B. Fortner. David C. Black. Kdward WiUiams, A . K . Mcnsch. O . B . M illard, John W. Fort­ ner, and others. Owing to the pumping plants of the mines affecting the w'ater supply the I.ocust Mountain W ater Company w as formed in 1881 fo r the purpose o f building a dam across Brush Valley run to conser’e the supply in a permanent man­ ner. T hey constructed a rcscr*oir on top of the mountain and laid several miles o f mains. T h is removed the possibility o f a water famine. T he fire protection o f Centralia consists o f a volunteer company and a hose and Ladder truck, but o r water pressure hampers the fire fighters greatly. MTSCF.r.l.AXF.Ol^S MATTKRS

Centralia is populaietl chiefly hy persons o f Irish descent, while many nationalities are employed in the mines. There have l>een three strikes 111 these mines since their oDcning, in 1868. 1897 and tqoo. T he Miners*

Centralia has a strong financial institution, the F irst Xational Bank, having a capital o f $25,000 and deposits aggregating over $106,000. It W as organized Sept. 29, 1909, with the fo l­ lowing directors: L. Fcttcnnan, O. B. M illard, W. E. Davis, J. M. Humphrey, T. W. R ilcv, D r. R. M. U S h e lle, J. A. Moran, M. J. M c­ Donnell, II. J. Heffner, J. W. Fortner, I. C. Johnston. It opened for business Dec. 1, 1909, With C. S. Henderson as the first and present cashier. The present directors arc T. W. R il­ ey, M. J. McDonnell. O. B. Millard, J. W. Fortner, G. C Blass, 11. 1. Ilcffn er, D. R. K cllcr, J. Marsh, Eihvard Villianis. T. W. Riley is president, and .M. J. McDonnell, vice presi­ dent. Capt, Ja c k Craxvford Back in the early sixties, when the country w as on the verge of the Civil war, Centralia, then but a little hamlet, look a prominent part in furnishing soldiers, and none has won more enduring fame than Capt. Jack C raw ford, the l>oet-scout. "L ittle Johnny,” as he w as then known, ran aw av from his home in Centralia and enlisted at M incrsvillc. and later bcc4amc one of the famous heroes of the great s t n i^ lc between the North and South. H e was a memlier of the 48th Regiment. Pennsylvania VDluntccr.s. and is still living. O f the many Centralia veterans who have passed aw av durinc the last h alf century there arc nine burie<l in the Odd Fellow s cemetery,