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/434

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES and sonic o f his substantial old-style furniture has sur’ivcd to the present day. Burrows M oore was long engaged in the same business. “ The Scotch weavers had been famous in the early days of the settlement. O f those who were engaged in the business fiftv years since I can now only recall the names o f Chris­ topher Smith and Peter Goodman. T he latter was a most respectable and industrious G er­ man from the fatherland. "Coppersmiths and tinners — Alexander Wilson, Jam es Wilson, John C . Theil. ••Watchmaker and jew eler, Samuel Maus. "T h e re were several saddlers— .Alexander Best, Hugh Flack, Daniel lloffm an, and pos­ sibly others. "R ifle s were in demand, and had alw ays been much used by the pioneers. These were supjilicil by Samuel Baum and Geoige M ille r; the son of the latter succeeded him and still continues the business. " O f public functionaries, wc had but few, and their removals were few and fa r be­ tween. In the language o f an eminent states­ man, it might then have been truly said : 'Few die and none resign.' Judge Srth Chapman was long the presiding judge o f our courts. He was a man of moderate 1 ^ 1 attainments, yet he nude a good presiding officer. He was assisted by his;^sociates. Ju d ges Montgomery and Rupert. George A. Frick was proihonotary. having been appointed to that office by Governor Snyder in >813. "W illiam Wilson, Rudolph Scchlcr and J o ­ seph Piutzm an were the justices of the peace; Andrew McReynolds, sh e riff; Daniel Came­ ron. constable. Mr. Scchler was also register and recorder. Jam es Loughcad, a dignified yet popular gentleman o f Ht^lish origin, was postmaster, and held the oflwe fo r the long term o f fourteen years, twice as long as any other with one exception. T he office was first established in 1806. Judge Montgomery being the first one appointed, and held his commis­ sion from President Jefferson, and filled the office fo r seven years. T his ju.st and pious man disch.argcd tfiis trust, as he did all others, to the entire satisfaction o f (he government and the community. H e w as succeeded by that other faithful public s«r’ant, Rudolph Sechlcr. who held it fo r a like term o f seven years, until M r. Loughead’s af>pointmcnt. I never knew a more honest man than M r. Sech­ lcr. With him it w as innate. He could not be otherwise than honest. H is countenance, his actions, his words, in short everything alwui him, procbimcd his sterling integrity; and what gave a charm to it. he was quite

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unconscious o f his being more honest than other men. O f his large number o f connec­ tions I never knew one whose integrity was called in question. It is highly gratifyin g to know that in the seventy years the office has been in existence, there has never been a de­ faulter to the national government, and that all of the thirteen incumbents of the office have diligently and faithfully discharged the trust reposed in them. "O ne of the eccentric characters of the vi­ cinity was M r. Finney, who died ten or twelve years subsequent to the period o f which I write, almost a centenarian. H e was a man o f gallantry, a kind o f Beau N ash o f more than eighty, with a peculiar child-like tenor voice, who delighted to play the gallant with the young ladies of the village, ana drive them around the place and vicinity in his old-style chaise. Robin Finney, as he was alw ays called, from his great age and attention to the fair sex. was a great favorite with them, .and w as well known to the people o f that day. H is chaise and one owned by Gen. D . Mont­ gomery and one by Judge Montgomery, were (he only pleasure carriages o f that kind in the county. T b c old-time carriage o f Philip Maus. which attracted the attention and e x ­ cited (he wonder o f (he village urchins, and the more modem carriage of General Mont­ gomery. were the only pleasure carriages of that style. Traveling on horseback w as then (he proper thing fo r bisth sexes, old and young, gentle and simple, and its general disuse is to be regretted. “ .Abe Brown was an A frican, or an .Ameri­ can o f A frican descent, and the only one in the place. H e had been a nuriner, and a fte r he came here was a servant to Mr. Loughcad. H e immigrated to Mahoning county, Ohio, where by industry and frugality he acquired a com­ petency and enjoys the respect of the com­ munity where he resides. Tack H arris was an octoroon, a fine looking lad, and so nearly white that he might pass fo r an Anglo-Am eri­ can. Though not darker than a brunette, the rude boys persisted in calling him Black Jack. These boys attended the schools and were trciitcd with justice. "T h e great flood o f iS ty, usually called the .Augu.st flood, surrounded the place so that, for the time, it became insular. The only ap­ proach was hy boats. I saw the bridge over the brook on the road, then an extension of Church street, float aw ay with a man on it who secured it before it reached the river. "T h e inhabitants were supplied with flour from the mills o f John and .Alexander Mont­