Early Times Capsule

No one could dispute that in 1910, the Rev. Father Francis Brady was much-beloved by his congregation at St. Jerome's Church in Tamaqua.

His 17-year tenure at St. Jerome's was the longest of his coal region assignments and, in January 1910, the parishioners showed their appreciation by surprising him with a special evening event to mark his 25th year in the priesthood.

The congregation presented him with a purse with $800 in gold for his service, which at the time was seen as a most generous gift. With today's currency rate of exchange, it was a whopping sum of money.

Between Halley's comet, the early "aeroplane" flights and reports of Unidentified Flying Objects, people living during the first decade of the 20th century had good reason to have their eyes glued to the sky.

The Wright Brothers, Wilbur and Orville, were busy pioneering the aviation field. The Ohio brothers received the congressional medal in 1909 for their service in the field of aerial navigation and in June of that year, they conducted trial flights at Fort Meyer, Va., for the U.S. government.

By JIM ZBICK

jzbick@tnonline.com

January 1910 proved to be a deadly month for miners, not only locally but throughout the nation.

The largest loss of life came on the last day of January a century ago when an explosion of gas and dust killed 75 people at the Primero iron mine in Colorado. The Tamaqua Courier carried the story on its front page but somehow it doubled the actual death count in its headline which claimed "150 dead in Mine Horror."

By JIM ZBICK

jzbick@tnonline.com

Pottsville's courtroom was a busy place during the first month of the second decade of the 20th century.

The Tamaqua Courier reported that 19 murders were committed in Schuylkill County during 1909, a number it considered "nothing less than appalling."

"Schuylkill County needs moral strengthening," one writer said.