Submitted by Leona Baker, president, the Historical Society of Salisbury Township/Written by Brett Snyder, member

Reuben Chambers, who lived from 1801 to 1859, was a Salisbury Township "character" in every sense of the word. He had strong opinions on many things, often reflected in print in his newspaper, The Bethania Palladium. Anecdotes about him abound - appearing in local newspapers during his lifetime and for years afterward. In addition, The Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society published biographical articles in 1896 and in 1932, the latter by Quarryville's George W. Hensel Jr., founder of the famous Slumbering Groundhog Lodge.

Reuben believed that labor was the source of all wealth, so he proposed replacing all currency and coins with his own notes, which he printed himself. The denominations of these "notes" ran from six minutes to 20 hours. When forced to determine an exchange rate, he equated one hour as equal to five cents. As explained on one of the notes: "The Bearer is entitled to receive, on demand Ten Hours labor of the Bethania Manual Labor and Manufacturing Community, or an equivalent in Goods, the product of the Community at the Magazine." Although he labored hard to have this system adopted and printed notes for over 20 years (examples are extant from 1837 until his death in 1859), they were probably seldom, if ever, used. Just a few of these are known to have survived.

Reuben was a believer of the Thomsonian System of Practice of Medicine, founded by Samuel Thompson, a self-taught American herbalist and botanist. Reuben practiced it on himself and "anybody else who would permit him," publishing a book on the subject in 1842. He purchased herbs and other vegetable matter from small boys in the village, paying them with his paper notes, and he proceeded to manufacture his own concoctions, stocking them in his shop. One of his most famous remedies was No. 6 for toothaches, which by all accounts was stronger than red pepper or cayenne.

The press upon which The Bethania Palladium was printed was designed and made by Reuben himself. After his death, the press was reportedly purchased by Samuel Ernst of Millwood, Salisbury Township, who used it to print the monthly German-language religious newspaper Der Waffenlose Waechter (The Weaponless Watchman), and the monthly The Acorn and Germ.

In 1871, Ernst hired a "printer's devil," a 14-year-old apprentice by the name of Milton S. Hershey - the boy's first job. However, Milton did not enjoy this occupation and took steps to get himself fired. One story had him throwing his hat into the rollers of the working press; another was the dropping of a full tray of type. Whichever the method, the required result was attained and Milton was fired for his ineptitude.

As for the press, it was reportedly used by Samuel Thompson in his publishing enterprises first in Gap, then in Lancaster, and after 1884, in Kansas, where he ended his days. After his death, it was, apparently, scrapped as junk.