Ref: Town and Country Newspaper Pennsburg, Montgomery County, PA Saturday - September 10, 1904 FIRE DESTROYS BARN The large frame barn as well as all of the out-buildings of Jacob M. LANDIS, of near Morwood, was on Wednesday evening destroyed by fire. The fire started at about 7.30 o'clock and the entire LANDIS family had been away from home. It is supposed that the fire started in the hay mow, where a tramp set it afire by smoking a pipe. The barn was filled to its utmost capacity with this year's crops as well as about 3000 sheaves of rye from last year. The loss is about $4000, insured in the Union Mutual Insurance Company, of Norristown, for only the one half. All the live stock was saved but all the farming implements were consumed. Weston, the twelve year old son was at a neighbors place and as soon as the fire was noticed he ran home and loosened the horses. Some pigeons and chickens were also burned. Mr. LANDIS has lately been quite unfortunate, last fall he accidentally shot himself in the foot and as a consequence could not leave his bed for four months. About two months ago he fell from a wagon and dislocated his arm and now this disaster. The community is in sympathy with Mr. LANDIS. HORSE FALLS AND INJURES DRIVER The horse which Mr. and Mrs. William S. RAHN, of the Hereford Hotel, drove towards Macungie on Tuesday, stumbled and fell when near the farm of Ambrose SCHANTZ. The occupants were thrown out and Mr. RAHN fell close to the animal's feet. In its struggle he was kicked on the abdomen and was rendered partly unconscious. The horse got on its feet and ran to Macungie, where it was caught after running into a wagon and a tree on the pavement. Mrs. RAHN escaped injuries, while Mr. RAHN received minor scratches. TABERNACLE MEETING AT CHAPEL A tabernacle meeting is being held in Jonas KRIEBEL's grove, at Chapel, Berks county, under the auspices of the United Evangelical church. The meeting began on Thursday and will continue until Sunday, September 18 inclusive. An interesting program has been prepared. All the evening services begin at 7.30 o'clock, except Sundays when they begin at 7.30 o'clock. WILL OPERATE DISTILLERY NEAR MERTZTOWN Levi FRITCH, of near Mertztown, is building a rye distillery one mile south of Mertztown, which he expects to put in operation this month. The building is of brick and stone and will have a daily capacity of from twenty to twenty-five bushels of rye. Mr. FRITCH is erecting a bonded warehouse nearby for the storage of his product. NEW CIGAR FACTORY FOR GREEN LANE A stock company will erect a large cigar factory at Green Lane. The building will be 36 by 100 feet and large enough to accommodate one hundred workmen. The cigar manufacturers, JEITLES & BLUMENTHAL who now occupy the J.K. ALLEBACH building in that town, will occupy the new factory when completed. Work on the new building will be started within a few week. It will be three stories high. RETURNED TO THEIR HOMES IN TOWN Charles E. HILLEGASS and family, of Red Hill, yesterday, closed up their summer home, "The Redland" and returned to Philadelphia, to spend the winter there. Dr. Charles Q. HILLEGASS and family, on Wednesday moved from their summer home, "The Catharine" along the banks of the Perkiomen, to their residence, No. 45 Fourth street, Pennsburg. TAME CROW A TERROR TO RATS AND MICE Ever since William K. HUBER, of Niantic, has trained a large crow to be a pet in his family, mice and rats have given his house a wide berth. "Jim" catches all the mice in sigh, tackles rats and makes a meal of bats that venture near. One large rat that Mr. Crow fought got away after a furious battle, but left its tail behind. COG WHEELS INJURE MAN'S FINGER Last week while Emanuel HEEBNER, of Worcester was filling his silos his hired man, Elias G. KRIEBEL, had the misfortune of getting two fingers of the left hand into the cog wheels of the feed cutter, crushing them so badly that they had to be amputated. INJURED WHILE SHARPENING KNIVES Last week while Isaiah BEAN, of Skippack, was grinding machine knives with the horse power, the knives caught in the belt and cut his hand badly so that he was unable to work. FOUND BAGS FILLED WITH LIVE CHICKENS The quiet little village of Skippack, was on Monday night visited by chicken thieves. Almost every family who keeps chickens missed some, while at some places, all they owned were stolen. From all appearances there must have been several gangs of thieves, for one party could hardly visit so many places in one night. The hennery of Irvin A. REIFF was visited and all but a few chickens were stolen. At Jesse SCHOLL's place, the thieves took only a few, but left a bag containing four behind. Melvin ZIEGLER was awakened by a noise at his chicken house and he saw a man there, so he procured his gun and shot at him. He claims he saw the man fall over the wire fence which surrounds the chicken stable. Several other people have missed chickens that were taken that night. On Tuesday morning Charles M. POOL, found two bags filled with chickens, close to his home and back of METZ's general store another bag with chickens was also found, while in Melvin ZIEGLER's corn field two more bags were found containing live chickens. In all, six bags were found and they were mostly all young ones. The supposition is that the thieves were frightened and that they dropped the bags in their hurry to get away. There is no clue to the perpetrators. FIRE DESTROYS AN AUTOMOBILE The Knox automobile of George O. ALBRIGHT, of Allentown, caught fire Sunday evening at Mr. ALBRIGHT's country home, near Fogelsville. Louis R. ALBRIGHT, a son, was preparing to take a trip when suddenly the sparker sparked too vigorously and set fire to the woodwork, which was consumed in a short time. The only part saved was the iron work and three of the tires. The loss to the machine is $1500. CAUGHT LARGE BLACK BASS Frank FILLMAN, of East Greenville, on Monday caught a black bass that measured 23 inches, Mrs. Willoughby STYER, of the same place caught one of eighteen inches, Mrs. Katie SMOYER, of Green Lane, one of 21 inches, and J.C. RENNINGER, of Perkiomenville, one of 20 inches. All these were caught in the Perkiomen creek in the vicinity of Kratz station and Perkiomenville. ADDITION TO RED HILL HOTEL Charles MOTZ, proprietor of the Red Hotel, on Wednesday contracted with Clayton H. FRYER, of Pennsburg, for the erection of an addition to the hotel property. Work will be started next week. When completed, the hotel will be one of the most up-to-date in this section. WILL PREACH AN EDUCATIONAL SERMON Rev. C.M. DELONG, of East Greenville, will tomorrow evening preach an educational sermon in the East Greenville chapel. The theme of the sermon will be "The Public Schools and our Country." SOLD A COW FOR $86.50 John F. SEASHOLTZ, of Red Hill, on Monday sold a cow at public sale for $86.50 to Edwin SCHULTZ, of Palm. This was the largest cow ever shipped to this section. The load sold that day averaged $56.50. PAINTED SIGNS FOR ALLENTOWN HORSE BAZAAR Artist Josiah RENNINGER, of Hillegass, this week painted a beautiful sign for the Allentown Horse Bazaar. He also painted a number of sign boards for the Penn Sign Advertisiing Company. CHOPPED FINGERS OFF WITH AN AX Paul, the two year old son of Mr. and Mrs. James HOFFMAN, of Bechtelsville, chopped off his finger while playing with an ax. Dr. L.Y. LECHNER was summoned who dressed the wound. SECURED MARRIAGE LICENSE Wallace L. GERHARD, of East Greenville, son of Mr. and Mrs. Irwin GERHARD this week secured a license to wed Miss Katie E. BUTTERWECK, of Fruitville.