A SEVERE thunder storm passed over the vicinity of Frederick on Wednesday afternoon. During the storm lightning struck the house of Jacob Decker, on what is known as the Jacob Rosenberry farm, near Frederick, in New Hanover township, and killed his one year old son, Ralph.
The little tot was held by an older brother during the storm and the mother and several other children were in the same room. Lightning struck a large walnut tree in front of the house, the electric fluid then passed through the window into the room then on into another room which was occupied by the family. A small child, standing at a table in the centre of the room, was slightly scorched by the electric fluid, when it passed on to where the little tot was seated on his brother's lap at the window, instantly killing the child and scorching the older brother about the legs.
The house was considerably damaged. The window frame and sash through which the bolt passed was completely torn from its place, and boards were torn up from the floor at several places.
It is supposed by some that there were two bolts, one striking the house in the neighborhood of the chimney and the other striking the large walnut tree standing near the house, completely wrecking it. A rooster that had taken refuge from the storm under the tree was instantly killed.
Dr. G.A. Weida was immediately summoned to attend to the injuries of the family. One peculiar feature relative to the marks of those that were scorched by the lightning is that they resembled the branches of trees. The child which met with so untimely a death will be buried at the Swamp Lutheran church cemetery today.
Rev. W.S. Gotshall, of Schwenksville, the present pastor of the Mennonite church at that place was born in Frederick township on the 23rd day of June, 1865. He received his early education at the public schools in his native township, never attending school more than five months in a year. he worked on the farm until 17 years of age, and then took a Spring term course at the Perkiomen Seminary. Rev. Gotshall then began teaching school and taught for three terms, after which he again entered Perkiomen Seminary. He later entered Ursinus College at Collegeville, and while there, through the efforts of a directory of the institution, Dr. Bomberger invited him to take the Theological Course, from which he graduated in the year 1889.
On October 15, 1884, Mr. Gotshall was ordained to the ministry and served as assistant to his father Rev. Moses Gotshall, in the Schwenksville Mennonite church. In November 1886 he was made a bishop, his district then comprising the following congregations: Schwenksville, Bertolet's, Deep Run, Bowmansville, (Lancaster county), and Boyertown. He resigned the Boyertown charge in 1895 and became the first pastor of a newly organized congregation in Pottstown, where he preached until October 1898. He also resigned the Deep Run charge in 1892, but faithfully serves the other above named congregations. Rev. Gottshall enjoys the highest esteem of members of his Church and all who know him. He holds various offices of trust in the Church, which shows the confidence reposed in him. Since 1893 he has been secretary of the Eastern District Conference, and is the president of the Home Mission Board. In 1896 he was elected treasurer of General Conference Home Missions Board, and also a director of Bethel College, at Newton, Kansas, which position he still holds. In 1889 he was elected business manager of The Mennonite, the English organ of the Mennonite General Conference.
Since his ordination he preached in 115 churches and chapels of nearly all Protestant denominations.
Rev. Gottshall is well-known in this borough, where he has made many warm friends when a student at the Perkiomen Seminary. He enjoys the reputation of being an able pulpit orator and is well versed in biblical history.
He is in the Ninetieth Year of His Age and is Still Able to be Out and About. One Interesting Feature is that His Memory Is as Good as that of a Person Many Years Younger. He has been a Member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in this Borough Since the Organization of the Lodge.
Klinesville, a small village situated about a mile east of this borough, in Upper Hanover township, can boast of having as a resident the oldest living odd fellow in the State of Pennsylvania. Peter Hartranft, who is now in the ninetieth year of his age and still able to be about, is a member of Pennsburg Lodge I.O.O.F., No. 449, and belonged to the honorable fraternity when it was considered to be a great sin by the people in this vicinity to belong to a secret society.
He was born in Marlborough township between Green Lane and Hoppenville, on the 12th day of November, 1810, and has lived within a radius of ten miles of his birthplace, his entire life.
It is interesting to hear the aged gentleman relate his knowledge of odd-fellowism. When he first became a member of the order it was considered a great sin for a man to be connected in any way whatsoever with a secret society by many people in this locality.
I was quite common to hear a disinterested person say that the lodge was in league with the devil, and on many occasions preachers in the vicinity would denounce the organization from the pulpit. Popular sentiment had grown so general against the organization that they were obliged to hold their meetings after the citizens had retired.
Mr. Hartranft relates the interesting manner in which they used to attend their lodge as secretly as possible. On the night of the meeting they would attend to their farm duties as usual to throw off any suspicion by the neighbors, and would not start for their place of meeting until after it had become quite dark. Even then they would avoid the public roads, by crossing the different fields, all meeting at the lodge from different directions, no two persons traveling together. The lodge to which Mr. Hartranft belongs is one of the oldest and most staple in this county, and was instituted September 18, 1851, in the second story of an old carpenter shop located where the Dr. James G. Mensch property now stands. In this room the lodge met until May 18, 1853, when it was first convened in the third story of the residence of the late Jacob Hillegass. Being dissatisfied with the accommodations afforded, the lodge erected the present large and spacious hall.
Mr. Hartranft has always been a staunch Odd Fellow and a regular attendent to his lodge up to within a few years ago. He is still a member, but owing to his advanced years he does not attend the meetings of the order but delights in talking over odd-fellowism in years gone by to his brothers who call to see him.
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