I SHORT WALKS IN AND?; ABOUT HARRISBURG - An inquiry .whether Verbeke- town was ever formally annexed to the city of Harrisburg which has just come i to hand opens Verbeketown up . interesting and How It thoughts about Was Absorbed a section of the | j north central I ! section only a short walk from | j the State Capitol. What was | ' known as Verbeketown was lard i out by the late William K. Verbeke, mayor and city controller, in two transactions, the first being in j, 1857. Roughly speaking, it _ ex- tended from just above Cumber¬ land street to Reily. The exact lines are to found in the records ot the Daunhin County Courthouse. Ve "troet was the central hign..-. - it is to the projector • of this developmer ■ that the cityy| owes the width of Rat thorough-, fare. When laid out it was given the name of the man who planned it and ■ not a part of Harris¬ burg. It was, however, covered by the act of I860 annexing every¬ thing between Herr and Maclay ■ streets at the time Harrisburg be¬ came a city. There were a num¬ ber of other developments in that section. Bergner & Mumma, a firm coT sed of two of the sub¬ stantial citizens of Harrisburg, laid out some property in the vi¬ ‘ijj cinity of Sixth street and the ■ |“Town of Paxton” was in the up¬ per part of the present Fifth ward, as has been told. Another devel¬ opment in that section was by the Barnitz family and etill another, toward the river, by the Berners. The Harrisburg Building Associa¬ tion, composed of prominent men, did much toward developing the section of the Fifth ward imme¬ diately east of Third street. The Fox family also contributed to the making of properties available for building. A. tile^IT?rrli3K7Z> '<4 $10,000, and a year the7ea>?erTne'‘ad" 4°”lln® ,faiim of 132 acres for $16,000. After his death his two sons, Henry H and John E. Wiley, in 1870, purchased the homestead for $20,000 and the farm for $13,860 Subsequently, John E ^ iloy, withdrew from 1 • and his brother, Henry H Wiley, bSe ie sole owner of the property.’ Henry Wiley having died a year ago, these fu2Vf 'QS Were resented at public ie latter part of last month, when the homestead, for which Mr Wiw if i of?bS00°a\?S Purchased for Ihe sum DBid '?i§’«wnd he ftrm’ f0r Tvhich he had ! bought for $7,240 bvl the Hoffman brothers, showing a shi ini-7 thSee n Va?S€ °f, °Ver ?20.000S Many of ' the old mills whose busy wheels over a rsn82^nog° nettnd their wners as much as $-,o00 annually, are now silent or if m use, used as chopping mills or for theJ stora^j>f-tol?acco. tbej From, . t;1 ./fiM *M*STOI»4XS I V SESSION "*< annual rT*:Z*:e*M»8 oft ?I auphin**rl1*** M Society \ ^\ ndx«,7 the .:rexercisesu>ses of«* a highly eenj^i - NHr- "r~. ’VPTrticsftocises of,^-e a. i.liighfo • i i o*. pointment in not being- paid for the dy. They crossed the river in the vi- service performed was borne by the /nty of Middletown. 5 and men of his brigade. Such pri¬ General John Forster. ms are, unfortunately, but too com- I The commander of the. First brigade to a soldier’s life, and, in the present was born in Paxton township (then ban- they have been borne with a spirit i caster), now- Dauphin county, on the 17th ');ng soldiers. , [ of September, 1777. The house in which - th return of the troops to their heiwas born stood a short, distance north les and accustomed occupations, and of tthe site of the present State Lunatic n mixing with the pursuits and occur- Hospital. He received a fair education, ?s of civil life, to reflect on the events an<j( was a student at Princeton College, le campaign cannot but yield them Neiv Jersey, when the call for volunteers ire and consolation for the hardships was made by President Washington to “"ations they endured. It will have quell the so-called "Whiskey Insurrection” new associations »f friendship in Western Pennsylvania in 1794. Young mg the gentlemen of all ranks in the Fojrster volunteered, and served as an aid [ado and will draw closer those previ- on the staff of General Murray. Subse- ’ r formed. It will disseminate through j queiitly he read law with General Hanna, 1 on of our State correct notions of j a - distinguished lawyer of the Dauphin ies of an officer and a soldier, and a ] Qchinty Bar, but never applied for admis¬ of information on military subjects sion to the bar. He engaged in mercantile may be highly useful in the crisis of pul-suits, in which he was very successful. e affairs that appears to be approach- Prior to the breaking out of the war in Our country is contending for its ex- lfel2 he was colonel of State militia, his ice. If there be a country worth figlit- •^stes always having a military turn. He ■ for, assuredly it is the one in which was a State Senator from 1814 to ISIS, ’well. The situation of the country and was subsequently/ cashier of the Har- ids many sacrifices from all its eiti- risburb Bank for a period of sixteen years. id it is with pride anticipated by He established the Bank of Lewistown in lev,11 that should an emergency, 1835, and in 1837 was cashier of the Ex¬ - to that which drew the troops now change Bank, of Pittsburg. Subsequently fit from their homes, again occur, it he was chosen president of the Branch met by them with an equal degree Bank at Hollidaysburg, but in a short 4 and patriotism. Should it be the time retired from all business pursuits and :>f the General again to enter the returned to his home in this city. He died ith his present rank, his highest on the 28th of May, 1863. General Forster will be to command a brigade re- was a strikingly picturesque figure until . in col-rectness of conduct the within a short period of his death, xie which he is now about to part, was about 5 feet 8 inches in height, was of feet regularity and good order slender frame, but compactly built, was ’ the march from Baltimore to straight as an arrow, had a piercing eye conducted merits particular and a scholarly, intellectual face. He was he General tenders his thanks the very prince of hosts, and numbered officers of his brigade for their among his friends many of the great men mco during the march, of Pennsylvania and other States during lending the troops, the General his long and useful life. He was a superb, mean .to flatter, unmerited praise graceful horseman, alvyays rode mettled } equally scorn to offer, as they steeds, and this accomplishment he retain¬ disdain to receive. It is not to be ed even in his old age. He was a strict ed that commissions of irregulari- disciplinarian, and during the march of id omissions of duty have occurred his troops to Baltimore from York he per¬ among the officers and privates, but mitted neither foraging nor marauding on it is'-fealieverf, are few in number j the part of his command, but gave his per¬ such as are perhaps inseparable from sonal notes for beef cattle and supplies, ly of troops suddenly transferred and these were subsequently redeemed by eir hornet * encounter the arau- the Government. At the close of the war rigorous duties of a camp, he was tendered the commission of briga¬ In ing leave of the officers and men of dier general in the United States army by /ais land, the General sincerely wishes President Madison, which he declined. n a, safe and happy meeting with their The brigade major, John M. Forster, was lilies and friends, and begs them to ac- his nephew, and the father of the Hon. J. t I. is warmest wishes for their future wrl fare. Montgomery Forster, ex-Jnsuranee Com¬ missioner of the State of Pennsylvania. By order of the Brigadier General. Subsequently he became a prominent law¬ JOHN M. FORSTER, yer at the Dauphin County Bar, and was Brigadier Major. a highly respected and esteemed citizen. i he returning troops from Dauphin and ^ "f counties west and north were review- Privations of Soldiers. on the evening of the 9th of December, During the war of 1812-14, in the early and middle portion thereof, many troops 4 hy'' General Forster from the steps I ice, the building, No. 5 South j marched from this section, and especially nifd by M^skJoh i j Cumberland Valley, to the northern war in 1812 Governor Snyder had, in re of almost sixty sail, arrived in the bay, I sponse to a call for troops from the Fed ■with 6,0Q0 troops, under General Ross, oral Government, issued his proclama destined for the capture of Washington tlon to the people of Pennsylvania, callin' city. Ross landed on the 19th of August upon them to meet the enemy, and tie at Benedict, on the Patuxent, with 5,000 response was prompt and men from ever; tnen, and marched toward the National condition in life volunteered. Thes Capital. Barney’s flotilla, lying higher troops marched to the northern frontiei up the stream, was abandoned and burn¬ and many of them participated in the bat ed, and his marines joined General Win¬ tie of Lundy’s Lane and other engage der's force.