Cumberland Times Excerpts 1884

Excerpts from The Cumberland Times
transcribed by Charles Often

================

1884

================

CUMBERLAND TIMES are missing newspapers from 11 Jan 1883 through 16 Oct 1884.

ARNOLD 08 Dec 1884 Luther Arnold, employed at the rolling mill, died last night following an illness of 10 days. He was about 30 years of age, married and 3 children. He will be buried with military honors from his home on S Mechanic Street tomorrow with services at St Patrick's Catholic Church.

BEALL 25 Oct 1884 Mr William Beall, formerly of this city, now of Silver City AZ, is on a brief visit from home.

BRAMBLE 30 Dec 1884 John Bramble died last night at his residence on Maryland Avenue. He was in his 69th year and burial will be tomorrow at Mt Pleasant.

BRANDLER 28 Nov 1884 Conrad Brandler, a former B&O machinist, who died at Newark OH in March and was buried there was re-buried yesterday in Frostburg, where Mrs Brandler's family lives. The deceased was a brother of J N M Brandler of Cumberland.

BROWNING 16 Dec 1884 Mr Basil D Browning, well known B&O RR employee for 21 years, died yesterday at Baltimore. His death was from an affection of the kidneys. He was 45 years of age.

DOWDEN 24 dec 1884 Mr William Dowden, city market master, died last evening. The funeral will take place tomorrow. Four brothers survive; Mr George Dowden of here is one of them. One of his sons, LH Dowden of McKeesport arrived here to attend his father at his death.

DRUM 25 Oct 1884 John Drum of Eckhart, a miner of Consolidation Coal Co was placed in jail today on suspicion of murder at Eckhart last Tuesday. 29 Oct 1884 John Drum was indicted for murder by the Grand Jury. His case is to come up for trial in the next week or so. His counsel is Price, Sloan, and Bruce. 14 Nov 1884 The Circuit Court trial of John Drum, for shooting of John Bose at Footins saloon in Eckhart began. John Bose was 21 years of age, unmarried. Drum is 5'10" and 250 lbs, a widower and with 2 sons, a native of Bedford Co, a miner from the Broad Top area . He came to this area of the county in 1874, settling in the Pompey Smash area. The testimony continues. 17 Nov 1884 The verdict in the killing of John Bose is Not Guilty.

GRAMLICH 12 Dec 1884 Mrs Gramlich, on Centre Street, died this morning from malignant erysipelas. She was about 75 years of age.

GROSS 13 Dec 1884 Mr Levi T Gross, formerly of this county, died at Austin NE.

KLINE 29 Oct 1884 Mrs John Kline of Mt Savage died of inflamation of the lungs on Sunday (26 Oct). She was married only 6 months ago.

LANEY 30 Dec 1884 Mr Robert V Laney died last night at his residence on N Centre Street. He was in his 65th year of age and leaves a widow and 4 grown sons. Mr Harvey Laney and Mr Zack Laney are businessmen here. The funeral is tomorrow from the Centre Street ME Church, with Rev Mr Baldwin and interment in Rose Hill Cemetery.

LOTTIG 26 Oct 1884 Mr Conrad Lottig died last evening of softening of the brain, aged 57 years. He had been a resident here for over 30 years.

McHENRY 10 Nov 1884 Mrs J A McHenry died yesterday at her residence on Prospect Street. She had been ill for some weeks. Her husband and 2 children survive. The funeral is Wednesday with a Solemn Requiem Mass at Sts Peter & Paul Catholic Church, Father Francis is the Celebrant.

MINING NEWS

18 Nov 1884 The mine companies of the George's Creek Cumberland Coal Region issued an order to miners to take effect on 1 Dec 1884, for the purposes of reducing costs of production. 1-The price of mining coal to be .40 per ton and the wages of the drivers to be $1.00 per day and the reduction of other labor in the mines. 2-The hours of employment remain to be from 15 Mar to 15 Oct, 12 hours per day and from 15 Oct to 15 Mar, 11 hours, and 1 hour for lunch in each case. Miners opinion differ regarding the order. All need jobs and their reaction will not be examined until the order goes into effect. The orders are signed by: A H Stump, President of George's Creek Coal and Iron Co; SS Lee and Son, of Swanton Mines; James Boyce, President of American Union Coal Co; GP Lloyd, President of American Co; Henry Loveridge, President of Maryland Coal Co.; A Spier, President of Blaine Avon Coal Co; CF Mayer, President of Consolidation Coal Co; WS Jacques, President of New Central Coal Co; LN Lowell, President of Borden Mining Co; Lloyd Lowndes, President of Potomac Coal Co; and S Rosenburg, President of Atlantic and George's Creek Consolidated Coal Co.
28 Nov 1884 The miners of the George's Creek Region Knights of Labor respond to the Coal Company Presidents order to employees: The reduction of wages from .50 to .40 is an injustice at the present time and are unwilling to accept this wage reduction. They argue that the competition with coal companies in the Clearfield region is a threadbare reason and would be, therefore, greater competition if accepted. They are willing to meet and arbitrate these demands.
29 Nov 1884 Reports from the Baltimore AMERICAN newspaper regarding the mine operators response: We refused to recognize the Knights of Labor organization during the strike 2 years ago, and thus, have not heard directly from the miners. We need no intercessors when dealing with our employees.
01 Dec 1884 The reduction in the price of mining coal went into effect today. The company predictions, that the men would not strike, was partially fulfilled. No men worked the Atlantic Co mine at Pekin or in Borden Shaft owing to a lack of cars to load. No men worked at Barton, but work proceeded as usual everywhere else.
02 Dec 1884 The mines are quiet and strike seems to have been averted. The companies have saved themselves by their firmness.
04 Dec 1884 The men of the New Central Coal Co refused to work at the Koontz mines yesterday because of the movement of the scales, from the mouth of the damp to a place 1 ½ miles distant. The men say that the loaded cars travel down the tram road on an inclined plane where much of the coal of their labor is jostled out of the cars before being weighed. The Big Vein miners of the Central Company are likely to Strike. The company is asked to set a uniform rate of tares, or allowance for waste, for the scales. Alternately, the building of sides on cars to prevent loss of coal during the tram ride, or better maintenance of the tram rails to avoid excessive jostling is suggested.
09 Dec 1884 The men still refuse to work and ask inspector Sheridan to act as an arbitrator.

NASH 13 Nov 1884 Joseph Nash, a well known citizen of Frostburg, died on Sunday (9 Nov) of erysipelas, aged 63 years. The funeral was yesterday.

PORTER 13 Dec 1884 Old Uncle Billy Porter, who lived near Frostburg on Savage Mt, died and was buried last Tuesday (9 Dec). He was well known as a potato raiser.

QUIGLEY 03 Dec 1884 Peter Quigley, the oldest boatsman on the C&O Canal at age 75, died at his residence on the West Side yesterday. He leaves a wife and several grown children.

REYNOLDS 14 Nov 1884 Mr John Reynolds, of Lonaconing, died on Wednesday (12 Nov) at his home on Church Hill. He was married only 4 years and leaves a wife and no children. He was aged 32 years and was born in Mt Savage. Burial is in the new catholic Cemetery at Westernport.

RUSSELL 25 Oct 1884 Martha S Russell, the relict of the late Abraham Russell, died yesterday in her 73rd year. She was a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church.

SARRIBY 22 Nov 1884 Thomas Sarriby, a miner was killed by a fall of loose coal in the Consolidation Mine Co at Eckhart. He was 33 years of age and connected to the Henry Evans family by having married his sister, who survives with 7 small children.

TROXELL 01 Dec 1884 Mr John Troxell died at the residence of his son-in-law, Mr Asias Willison at Murley's Branch yesterday. He was well known and in his 70th year.

WHITE 24 Oct 1884 Robert White Jr, 19 years of age, was killed at Jackson Mines yesterday by a fall of breast coal.

WILSON 22 Nov 1884 Mrs Susan Wilson, wife of Mr Alfred Wilson of beans Cove PA, 9 miles north of the city, died Thursday (20 Nov) at an advanced age of paralysis.

WOLFORD 06 Nov 1884 Samuel Wolford, a resident of this county for over 60 years, died today at his son David Wolford's residence at the 6 mile house. He was in his 80th year of age. He was confined to his home for the past 6 months. The funeral is from the home and burial in Rose Hill Cemetery.

============

Return to TOC