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/463

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES possession as soon as ihe cessation of the Indian hostilities would permit. T his ar­ rangement was probabiv made in Northum­ berland at the fort, as these men came on ac­ cording to contract and set vigorously to work. A fte r a brief stay at Northumberland the M auses went to I.ebanon» where they lived fo r a year, thence relum ing lo Northumber­ land for three or four years, after which they again ventured to settle on the Mahoning. It is supposed Philip Maus w as the first perma­ nent settler in what is now Valley township. M any of the incidents of the early days are !>est recorded in his recollections, which by reason o f his intelligence are regarded as au­ thoritative. Mr. Maus built a sawmill, which w as operated by the waters o f -Mahoning crcck, and there fo r years the lumlicr for nearly every building erected in the surround­ ing country was cut. T he mill and other im­ provements were the attractions which brought together the settlers, whose homes formed the nucleus o f what is now Mausdale. In the ye ar 1800 he erected his flouring riiill. a stone building imposing for the times, and which is still standing, apparently as sound and dura­ ble as ever. The following, taken from a his­ tory of the county published a quarter o f a century ago. is so highly typical of the times and so interesting a part u f the Maus his­ to ry that it is worthy uf repetition: “ Ilis experience in digging his mill-race w as varied, one portion being dug by the Cath­ olics and the other by the Protc.stants; and several times M r. Maus had lo take posses­ sion of the clubs and shillalahs o f both par­ lie s to prevent their being used over bloody heads. This w as called their amusement, and b v way o f explanation of these theological discussions it may be stated that these men consumed eleven barrels o f whiskey while at the work and play o f d i ^ n g the milhrace. “ 1'he experiences of the M aus family arc a graphic illustration o f what were the sources o f pastime and work o f a respectable, intelli­ gent and well-reared people. Only when they had raised their sheep could they clothe themsch'es in woolen goods in the winter. For <ummer they made linen goods of the flax they raised. They were completely thrown upon their own resources. Woolen or linen, the men wore ‘hunting shirts’ much after the style to he seen in the pictures o f Daniel Boone. T he M aus fam ily cultivated, early, two acres of flax. There w as a Scotch family in the settlement that did most of the weav­ ing. Before the era o f wool and flax they dressed deerskins and hides o f other animals,

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and of these made clothing. Rabbit-skin caps were quite an elegant luxury at one time. W c are told that in the Mans home during the long winter evenings, by the light o f lard oil iron lamps, they read books 0 1 devo­ tion. ‘Cook’s Voyages/ Weems’s ‘L ife o f W ashington/ and then, oh, rare treat, they sometimes took turns and read Goldsm iths 'Deserted Village/ ‘V icar o f W akefield/ and even ‘ Don Quixote.’ These were read aloud, and sometimes M r. M aus would contribute immeasurably to the enjoyment by apportion­ ing the dramatis personae among them. “ When the fam ily reached the possession of an ample fortune a fam ily carriage was purchased; it was of the style o f Louis X IV. Nothing ever created a greater sensation in the valley than the arrival o f this fam ily car­ riage. It is said to be the first in w tot is now Montour county. T he two Montgomerys had a gig each, and these three were the only pleasure carriages in the country for miles around/' A fragment of a letter from M rs. Maus dated “ Northumberland, 1 7 8 3, “ ts so full of interest that wc give all that part of it con­ tained in the toni portion of the original let­ ter, as follow s: Vour brother George tikes this place very w e ll When you come dn not fail to bring joo W hile Cliapcl needles ant! tw o or three ounces o f thread suitable fo r tew ing calico and home-spun linen. G ive my love to your grandpa and grandm a, and tell her 1 wish her to come with you and see u s; we will arrange fo r her jo u rn ey to Lebanon and back. Y o u will see R ev. Sto y s patace. T e ll her the Penioton's house up Race street is nothing tu com ­ pare to it and D r. S lo y lives only seventy-five miles from us< • ♦ • T ell the girU ihat Susy and the young girls here take a canoe and go into the river fishing by them selves: the river is as clear as a spring and not h alf a >ar<l deep. T h is is a most beautiful and picturesque place. W e have the wild deer not h alf a mile from us. skipping about the hills where the boys go to fetch the asw s. Y o u r loving mcgher.

FftANCXs Macs.

Philip M aus married Frances Heap, a na­ tive o f England, “ a most estimable wife, mother and friend,” and children were born to them as follow s: George. 1 7 5 9; Elizabeth, 1 7 6 1 : f'hilip, 17 6 3 : Susan. 1 7 6 5; Samuel, i j ( i j (watchm aker and icwclcr at Danville, in 1 8 3 1 ); Lewis, 1 7 7 3; Charles. 1 7 7 5; Joseph, 1 7 7 7; Jacob. 1 7 8 1 . Joscph Maus was born in Lenapc in Octo­ ber, 1 7 7 7, and was about eight years old when the family settled in what is now Valley town­ ship. Montour county. In 1 8 0 8 he married Sally Montgomer)', daughter o f John Mont­ gomery. o f Paradise farm, and they had two