With the plans for the building of the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad came a number of so-called “investors” who sought money-making opportunities in the Lykens Valley. At a meeting held in Springville, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, in June 1911, those investors, including Finley Acker, of Philadelphia, talked of plans for the valley which included a school of agriculture at Srpingville [Spring Glen], Schuylkill County, the formation of a Savings and Loan Association, and expansion of the demonstration farm. Were the residents of the Lykens Valley being conned? Or, were the capitalists who descended on the valley honest brokers who had the best interests of the residents as the central selling point in their sales pitches?
The Harrisburg Telegraph reported on the Springville meeting in its 14 June 1911 newspaper:
LYKENS VALLEY WILL HAVE SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE
One Thousand Dollars Pledged for Work at Big Meeting
HARRINGATON’S GIFF
President of New Railroad Company Makes Large Contribution
ACKER ON “PROGRESS”
Philadelphia Praises Rapid Development of Upper End District
By Robert F. Gorman
Springville, Pennsylvania, 14 June [1911] — W. E. Harrington, president of the new Midland Pennsylvania Railroad Company, whose lines will traverse the Lykens Valley, last evening offered $1,000 toward a fund for the establishment of an agricultural school on the Lykens Valley Demonstration Farm near Springville. In a speech Mr. Harrington offered the money and also announced that a number of Philadelphia friends were quite willing to donate money for the same purpose. In the words of Dr.L. W. Liehty, of the State Department of Agriculture, who was one of the speakers at the meeting, “that $1,00 speech was the most eloquent address I have ever heard and I have heard hundreds of speeches.”
The agricultural school proposition has been studied for some time and when Dr. W. B. Phillipy, who has charge of the demonstration farm at the present time, said that it was his intention to organize a class in agriculture for the boys and girls of the Lykens Valley. Mr. Harrington and several other men expressed their willingness to donate sums of money towards the establishment and support of a school.
The meeting last evening was one of the larges held in the Lykens Valley since the Board of Trade was organized almost a year ago. For miles and miles around this town came the members with their families in vehicles of all descriptions. The new hall which was erected by the local Board of Trade and used as a public meeting place for the first time last evening, was crowded to its utmost capacity. Men clamored on the window sills while others tried to make themselves comfortable by sitting on some of their friends shoulders. The interest manifested in the developments all along the valley is becoming more intense each day.
Finley Acker Talks
Quite a number of speakers were called upon. The meeting opened with an address of welcome by Rev. M. H. Heller, pastor of the United Brethren Church at Springville. Finley Acker, of Philadelphia, was the next speaker. The tenor of his address was “Progress” and he showed this so thoroughly that the most skeptical person in the audience was made to see the great progress really made in the valley during the past. Mr. Acker said:
“Every visit I make here shows me new houses, new outbuildings, or improved roads, and now I am in a new building which is indeed a credit to Springville.”
He spoke of intense farming and told of how the people of the present day are endeavoring to get more out of a small thing than they did years ago.
“There is a spirit growing throughout our country and the world,” he said, “to attain greater results from our efforts. The farmer is rising from the unfortunate low position which he formerly occupied to one of the highest positions in the country. Farmers, by intensive farming, are now able to get as much benefit out of ten acres of ground as they were in the times past out of 100 acres by farming the old way.”
Mr. Acker commented on the beauty of the valley and predicted a great future for it.
Dr. Phillipy, in charge of the demonstration farm, gave a good talk on alfalfa and told of the planting of alfalfa about two weeks ago. The stalks are growing nicely and are already above ground. Another new growth to appear on the farm is tobacco. The tobacco was planted only as an experiment. There are about 300 plants and they are all growing. The quality will determine whether it will be profitable to raise the “weed” in the valley.
Arthur Sinclair, a prominent banker and broker of Baltimore, who was sent to the meeting yesterday by his associated in Boston, New York and Baltimore, spoke of his first visit to the valley and said “The Lykens Valley is everything and even more than it had been represented to me.”
Many Make Speeches
Dr. Lichty was the next speaker. He urged the farmers to make business men of themselves and thus enable themselves to succeed. He showed by a practical example how he was able to charge a few cents more per pound for the butter made on his farm simply because of the system of advertising which he worked out. He went on to tell about farm, the poor condition it was in at one time and the flourishing conditions it is in at present. The transformation was brought about by good fertilizing. At one time Dr. Lichty said his farm was so poor that he could not raise weeds. The other speakers were J. A. McKee, W. D. Barrows, J. W. Richardson, Lewis J. Grubb, of Philadelphia; Calvin G. Fencil, of Harrisburg; R. O. Vorse, of Millersburg; Joseph F. Romberger and Dr. Havice, of Berrysburg; J. Irvin Miller, of Springville; Charles Shadel and John Schminkey, of Gratz; and Dr. Barnd, of Hegins.
The meeting last evening was preceded by a business meeting of the board. At this a new association to be known as the Lykens Valley Building and Loan Association was organized and temporary officers and directors were elected. A charter will be gotten at once. The officers elected were as follows:
T. Klinger, president; J. Irvin Miller, vice-president; Joseph F. Romberger, treasurer; Robert H. Sexton, secretary: directors, George M. Weaver, C. E. Hoy, Killinger; J. W. Hartman, Dr. J. C. Havice, Morris Daniel. Joseph R. Romberger, Berrysburg; T. S. Klinger, Frank Hartman, W. O. Rolgers, Gratz; J. Irvin Miller, Robert Bowman, J. M. Schaeffer, Springville; E. M. Steely, Calvin Updefgrpove, Sacramento; Clayton Herb, Dr. William Lebo, Springville; Dr. F. D. Barnd, Frank Boyer, Hegins; C. H. Kessler, W. E. Hoch, Edwin Lucas, A. L. Yoder, Mabel.
The following were elected as associate members of the Board of Trade:
George Crane, Lancaster; John H. Richardson, Myerstown; W. D. Barrows, Philadelphia; W. T. Phillipy, Springville; Calvin Fencil, Harrisburg; O. H. Watts and J. M. Neagley, Millersburg; Anthony Kramer and Robert F. Gorman, Harrisburg.
Plans for a big farmers’ picnic to be held Saturday, 5 August [1911] were also made. The picnic will be held in Shibe’s Grove near here. Those appointed to further the arrangements are Dr. W. T. Phillipy, Robert H. Sexton, Harry Smith, Irvin Miller and Dr. Barndt.
Governor John K. Tener was unanimously elected an honorary member of the Lykens Valley Board of Trade and he will no doubt be asked to attend the next meeting of the board, which will be the anniversary meeting at Berrysburg on 4 July [1911]. The board was organized 4 July 1910. Prominent men will attend the meeting and during the evening there will be a gigantic fireworks display. Subscriptions are being taken up for the fireworks and last evening W. E. Harrington headed the list with a check for $50. The committee on arrangements for the celebration is composed of Joseph F. Romberger, Jacob Hartman and Morris Daniel.
To-day the residents of the valley are being shown how tree stumps can be removed by dynamite. The demonstration is being made by the Dupont Powder Company. The demonstrate showed how trees, with the use of dynamite, could be made to grow healthier and in fact showed that dynamite could be used to good advantage among all lines of agriculture and horticulture. The demonstrators were: E. R. Angst, C. Percy Smith, W. Koch, C. F. Ladd, L. A. Allen, R. Hartwell, R. L. Klotz.
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