December 9, 1857
The Connellsville (Pa.) Enterprise gives us the following. A blind family, consisting of four persons, John, Catharine, Bartholomew, and Samuel Hostetler, were born in German township in this county – the whole of them being at the time of their birth, and are at the present time destitute of eye-balls, but have all the other outward mechanism of the eyes complete. This family is indeed a curiosity, aside from the wonderful proficiency they exhibit as musicians. There execution on various instruments – violin, banjo, tenor-drum, clarionet – is surprising, and they are giving concerts in different places.
Desertion – Mrs. Harriet Conner, of this town, requests us to state that her husband James Conner has deserted her and two children and left them in a distressed situation. He is said now to be living with another woman in Altoona, Blair county. Will the papers of that neighborhood make a note of the matter, so that he may be properly dealt with if the charge is true.
Fire. – On Sunday morning, at 2 ½ o’clock, our citizens were aroused by the cry of fire and the ringing of bells, occasioned by the burning of a shed, stored with valuable lumber, on the premises of Mr. Orth Light, in the southern part of this borough. The lumber belonged to Mr. John Wolf, cabinet maker, upon whom the loss falls heavily. The fire was the work of an incendiary. It is a fact that we have such scoundrels among us, and the sooner a secret committee is formed for their detection, the better.
Every fire occurring in Lebanon, gives a warning of the utter insufficiency of water in case of a conflagration in windy or frozen weather.
The largest apple tree in the U. S. is standing within the limits of the city of Reading, Pa., on the farm of Wm. Schoener. It is called the President – a name given to it many years ago by the venerable Wm. Schoener, father of the present owner. The stock or trunk of the tree measures five feet and a half in diameter; at a point a few feet above the ground there is a protuberance or excrescence of bark, of great thickness, not included, however, in the measurement. Its annual yield of apples was never less than 6 bushels. The apples in size were as large as the Fallenwalder. The tree is estimated to be over one hundred years old, and attained its present size fifty years ago. The upper branches are large massive columns, which would make ten ordinary apple trees, supporting, when it bloom, an arch of foliage of sixty-five feet in diameter, forming a circumference of over two hundred feet. Apple – yellowing green ground, faint red cheek, white flesh, cub-acid, juicy short, thick stem, shape symmetrical, and all of regular size. Season from November till April. We have frequently enjoyed the apple, and found it of superior quality.
The tree is evidently in its dotage, but ten years ago it was in prime condition. The same kind of apple is not known to exit in the county or elsewhere.
Married on the 26th ult., by Rev. A. S. Leinbach, George J. Eckert, Esq., of Reading, to Miss Rebecca Gerhard, of Millcreek township, Lebanon county.
Married on the 3d ult., by Rev. Samuel Yingling, Mr. John Kinsey, of Dauphin co., to Miss Magdalena Hess, of Londonderry tp., this county.
Married on the 15th ult., by Rev. Samuel Yingling, Mr. Samuel Forney, to Miss Rosanna Radabach, both of Palmyra this county.
Married on the 26th ult., by Rev. Samuel Yingling, Mr. Wm. E. Brunner, of Jonestown, to Miss Louisa Hocker, of Campbellstown.
Married on the 27th ult., by Solomon Smith, Esq., Mr. David Brandt, to Miss Elizabeth Garret, both of N. Lebanon Borough.
Married on the 26th ult., by the Rev. N. S. Strassburger, Mr. Jacob G. Gable, of Lebanon, Lebanon co., to Miss Mary Ann Staeffer, of Boyertown, Berks co.
Married on the 26th ult., by Rev. C. A. Hay, Mr. Samuel S. Groff, of Lancaster co., to Miss Elizabeth Newhard, of Lebanon co.
Married on the 26th ult., by Rev. C. A. Hay, Mr. Geo. Bienessderfer, of Lancaster co., to Miss Catharine Keener, of Lebanon co.
Married on the 1st inst., by Rev. A. C. Wedekind, Mr. Chambers Bobb, of Shaefferstown, to Miss Mary Seibert, of Millcreek.
Married on the 19th ult., by Rev. J. Stein, Mr. Jeremiah Behny to Miss Malinda Ditzler, both of Swatara.
Married on the 22d ult., by Rev. J. Stein, Mr. David Hautz to Miss Lavina Loos, both of Bethel.
Married on the 28th ult., by Rev. J. Stein, Mr. Martin Zimmerman to Miss Louisa Trump, both of Pinegrove, Schuylkill county.
Married on the 1st inst., by Rev. F. W. Kremer, Mr. William B. Kreider to Miss Elizabeth Witmer, both of Cornwall tp.
Married on the 3d inst., by Rev. F. W. Kremer, Mr. Edward Backenstoes, of E. Hanover, to Miss Nancy Landis, of Derry tp., Dauphin county.
Married on the 1st inst., by Rev. Charles A. Hay, Mr. Hirani Siegrist, of Lebanon county to Miss Mary Schnavely, of Baltimore county, Md.
Died on the 16th of October, in Bethel township, Franklin, son of Wendle Gerhart, aged 19 years.
Died on the 24th ult., at Shaefferstown, Thomas Bird Yocum, aged 21 years, 9 months and 15 days.
Died on the 28th of Nov., Mary Elizabeth, daughter of John and Susan Yost, aged 1 year, 9 months, and 6 days.
Died on the 22 ult., in East Hanover, Clara Anna, daughter of John H. Strickler, aged 4 years, 3 mo., and 9 days.
Died on the 23d ult., in this borough, Elizabeth, daughter of Matthias and Elizabeth Bassilga, aged 3 years, 3 months and 18 days.
Died on the 2d inst., in Heidleberg, Mr. Cornelius Achy, son of Samuel Achy, Esq., aged about 30 years.
Died on the 30th ult., in Cornwall, Miss Sabina, daughter of John Bleistine, aged 38 years, 11 months and 5 days.
Died on the 2d inst., in this borough, Mary Ellen, child of Adam and Susan Moyer, aged 2 years, 9 months and 15 days.
SOURCE: Lebanon Advertiser Contributed by Shirley Pierce
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