J
VOL. 35.
RLOOMSBUUG, PA. THURSDAY, AUGUST 1G. 1900.
NO. 03
NO EXONERATIONS
OUT ON BAIL
FIRE SWEPT.
BEN. GIDDING.
COUNCIL MEETING
All Industrial Establishments
to bo Taxed.
Council's Action Causes Some
Comment.
It has been the custom of this
town to exonerate new industrial
plants from local taxes for a period of
years, for some time past. It has
been done as an inducement to man
ufacturers to locate here. It is no
secret that, strictly speaking, it was
un'awful, and the recent discovery of
the Town Council that they had no
right to do it, is nothing new. It has
been done for a dozen years or more,
and by common consent no question
has been raised heretofore concerning
it.
The coming of the Silk Mill was
shortly followed by the erection of
nearly twenty dwelling houses by Mr.
Ratti, the construction of whicti gave
employment to our mechanics and
made business for material men, and
upon which taxes have been paid ever
since. And the same may be said of
the Carpet Mill. More than this, the
industrial plants in our community
give employment to labor, and by
their large payrolls every month put
in circulation thousands of dollars,
the benefits of which are felt by the
whole town.
It would not be fair, nor just,
even if lawful, to continue this
system to any plant indefinitely, its
object being only to foster and en
courage them until they are firmly es
tablished. But the action of the
Council, just at this time, when a
Board of Trade has been organized
for the purpose of bringing new in
dustries to our town, seems to be in
opportune and ill-timed. They have
rescinded all such exonerations, and
this is public notice to the world that
no more plants will be exonerated
from taxes, now that they have dis
covered the well-known fact that such
exonerations are unlawful. So is it
unlawful to do a great many other
things that are done. Selling cigars,
soda water, keeping open barber
shops, running milk wagons, ice wag
ons, and the like on Sunday, are un
lawful, and yet they are permitted, by
common consent, because they add to
the comfort and convenience of the
public, and an effort to stop them, a
lew years ago, proved very unpopu
lar. So is it unlawful to use pro
fane and indecent language on the
streets, or in the hearing of ladies,
and yet that sort of thing goes on
with impunity, in the very hearing of
councilmen, and under the noses of
the police, some of whom are them
selves the loudest-mouthed blasphem
ers in town.
If this is a reform movement, the
Council has begun at the wrong end.
The Board of Trade includes all the
leading business and professional men
and manufacturers of the town, and
represents the heaviest taxpayers.
The Town Council should join hands
with them in the effort to enlarge our
business interests and generally bene
fit the town. Instead of this they
seem to have selected a time for ac
tion in this matter of taxes which will
hamper the Board of Trade in their
efforts, and their action is generally
regretted by the representative men of
Bloomsburg.
R1FF0 BEDEKER.
A very pretty nuptial event was
celebrated at the the home of Dr. and
Mrs. F. W. Redeker, on East street
Tuesday morning, at ten o'clock.when
their daughter Lillian A. was married
to Marion B. RiiTo. The ceremony
took place in the parlor, and was per
formed by Rev. M. E. McLinn of the
Lutheran church. Elmer M. Milheim
was best man. Miss Carrie Redeker,
sister of the bride was maid of honor,
and Miss Laura Redeker, also a sister
of the bride, bride's maid. Wagner's
wedding march was beautifull render
ed by Miss Anna Redeker, the bride's
cousin. An elaborate breakfast fol
lowed, after which the happy couple
departed for a trip up the Hudson
River. The groom is a graduate of
the Bloomsburg Normal School, lie
is at present employed in Philadelphia
where they will reside.
.
The employees of the Paul K.
Wirt pen factory and the families
will picnic along Fishingcreek Sat
urday. I
By Furnishing Surety In the
Sum of $2500 Rlter Coss
Is Given His Freedom.
Robert Evans and Charles
VanHorn Testify.
The habeas corpus hearing in the
case of Riter Goss, of Fairmount
township, Luzerne county, charged
with having run down with a team
and caused the death of John Cole,
about two miles above Benton, on
the night of July aist last, was heard
before His Honor Robert R. Little,
and Associates Fox and Kurtz, at
two o'clock Monday afternoon.
The Commonwealth was represent
ed by District Attorney John G. Har
man. assisted by S. B. Karns, Esq.,
of Benton. ' Fred Ikcler, Esq, was
counsel for the defendant
The firs, witness called was Robert
Evan?, of Benton. This is the man
who was injured at the Everett &
Ikeler saw mill explosion, and whose
inability to be present caused the
postponement of the hearing before.
He gave a very lucid account of the
tragedy, was cool and collected, and
measured every wcrd carefully. He
met Goss, for the first time, in Ben
ton, at half past nine, or about an
houi and a half previous to the acci
dent. Together they went about
town, visiting different places stores,
hotels, etc., until a few minutes be
fore eleven o'clock, when they, in
company with Charles VanHorn and
his brother (whose first name we
failed to learn), started in a heavy
farm wagon for home. Goss and Ev
ans were on the seat of the wagon,
while the VanHorn boys were sitting
in the back end. At or near the Ed
son bridge, John Cole, on a bicycle,
caught up to the wagon, and asked
permission to get ahead. Goss an
swered by saying, "No, sir, you can't
pass." The journey homeward was
continued for the distance of about a
half a mile, when Cole sprinted to
one side of the wagon and succeeded
in jetting ahead. Goss at once ap
plied the whip to the horses, and Cole
was run down, The witness was not
positive whether it was the tongue of
the wagon or the wheel which struck
the victim, but he thought it was the
former. He was aware of what had
happened, and wanted to get out, but
Goss would not stop, until he had
reached Edwards' lane, a mile above.
Here Evans left the wagon. As he
was walking away Goss cautioned
him to keep his mouth shut, and said,
"If you meet anybody and they ask
ou if you passed a big wagon, say
no."
The next witness called was Chas.
VanHorn. His story corroborated
that of Evans. Here the Common
wealth rested its case.
Judge Little expressed himself
briefly. The case, in his opinion, was
not a capital one, and that the defend
ant could, if he would furnish surety,
be given his freedom. Bail, in the
sum of $1500, was asked for. Goss
was unable to furnish that amount
and was given into the custody of
Sherirt Black. The case will come
up for trial at September term of
Court.
Bail was furnished on Wednesday
and Goss was released.
At the conclusion of the above the
following other business was disposed
of:
Estate of Franklin McBride. Pe
tition of widow and heirs of deceased
for payment of fund for use of widow
and heirs. Tetition granted.
Ca'awissa Fibre Co. vs. Catiwissa
Water Co. Petition presented for
appointment of viewers to assess dam
ages. September 10, 1900, fixed for
hearing.
Wra. H. Cooke's use vs. Sadie
Jones et al. Petition for rule, and
rule granted, returnable at next term.
II. B. Creasy and M. B. Creasy vs.
the N. & W. B. Railroad Company.
The following viewers were appointed
to assess damages : Russel Karns,
Silas J. Conner, II. T. Young, Frank
Kitchen, J. K. Sharpless, George
Fisher and Philip Harris.
Estate of William A. Kile. Cita
tion on Elmer R. Harvey. Confirma
tion stricken off anil re-sale ordered.
Samuel Gigger has purchased
from the heirs of Mrs. George W.
Supplee .a house and lot in Scott
town.
Despite the Warm Weather An
Unusual Amount of Busi
ness Was Transacted.
Legal Opinion on the Industrial
Exonerations.
The regular monthly meeting of
town Council was called at 7:10
o'clock Thursday evening. Members
present were Messrs. Hartman, Cox,
Dietfenuach, Smith," Jonn and Cronin
In the absence of Frank Ikeler, presi
dent, F. B. Hartman, vice-president,
presided.
The minutes of the last regular
meeting and special meetings read
and approved.
The matter of the exoneration of
the mill property of H. V. White &
Co. exonerating their mill property
from town taxes fot five years was re
considered and the exoneiation was
not allowed.
The opinion of the solicitor regard
ing the exempting of properties from
taxes by the town reads as follows:
'To the President and Members of
the Town Council of the Town of
Bloomsburg.
Gentlememen: There has been
submitted to me the question of the
right of your body to impose the reg
ular rate of taxation upon certain
manufacturing plants heretofore ex
empted from taxation.
At the time these properties were
exempted by the Council they were
either in active operation or about to
be started. The action of the Council
was in line with the generous practice
of former Councils in aiding and en
couraging new industries which might
locate in our midst, and was based
entirely upon the benefits which 'our
Town was about to derive from these
properties.
However, since that time, these
plants have either been practically
destroyed for manufacturing purposes,
or have so long been idle as to furnish
very little hope of their re-opening, at
least within a reasonable time.
In the first place we are clearly of
the opinion that the original exemp
tion of these properties was unlawful.
The Act of Assembly distinctly sets
forth the various kinds of real estate
which can be exempted from the com
mon burden. A manufacturing plant,'
operated for corporate profit, is cer
tainly not one of them. Churches,
burial grounds not used for profit,
hospitals, universities, colleges, semin
aries, academies, institutions of learn
ing, benevolence or charity, founded
or maintained by public or private
charity, county, borough or township
school houses, court houses and jails
are the only varieties of real estate ex
empt by our Act of Assembly.
However, these exemptions of cor
porate property have never been ques
tioned, simply because they have been
considered inducements to manufac
turing companies to locate with us,
thereby benefitting our community.
But strictly speaking, the Town Auth
orities have no more right to favor a
manufacturing business than a mer
cantile establishment or 'other enter
prise. Unquestionably, therefore, these
plants can be made to pay their share
of taxation. They cannot plead that
they have been exempted, because in
all strictness of law that exemption
was itself illegal. But even had it
been legal in the first instance, the
reason lor its exemption no longer ex
ists, and that fact in itself makes it
subject to taxation.
Our Supreme Court decided in the
case of the Jewish Hospital of Phila
delphia, which was no longer used for
its original purpose, that "a building
once used as a hospital, but which
use has been discontinued, is liable to
taxation until such is resumed."
And in the case of Moore vs. Tay
lor, 147 Pa., St., 481, the same Court
said that where a property exempted
because used for charitable purposes,
ceased to be used for such purposes,
it ceased to be exempt, and at once
became liable, even for the proportion
of the year in which its uses changed.
Therefore there is no legal difliculty
n placing upon the properties men
tioned their full rate of taxation.
Fred Ikei.er, Solicitor.
In the matter of erecting gates at
Catherine, Iron and Market streets
the secretary was instructed to ask
the D. L. & W. R. R. Co., to erect
Continued on Page 8 2J Col.
The Village of Turbotvllle the
Scene of an Awful
Conflagration.
Spontaneous Combustion the
Probable Cause.
The village of Turbotville, five
miles east of VV'atsontown, was almost
wiped out by fire Saturday afternoon.
Forty-stven buildings were destroyed
and about 150 people made homeless.
Of the forty-seven buildings burned
twenty-one are dwellings, thiee stores,
and the balance barns and stables.
The fire started about 12:30 in a
large barn occupied jointly by John
Moser and Peter Menges. It is
thought to have originated from spon
taneous combustion, as a large quan
tity of new hay was stored in the
building.
The flames soon gained great head
way. The entire population of the
town turned out.and a bucket brigade
was tormed, but was unable to cope
with the fire, which was soon beyond
control. The flames jumped from
one building to another, and the
frame structures burned like paper.
As the flames spread to the dwell
ing houses women and girls joined
the firefighters and did valiant work,
but it was not until five o'clock that
the flames were gotten under control.
Messages had been sent to Milton
and Watsontown for assistance, but
before the apparatus started for the
scene orders were sent them not to
come, owing to scarcity of water.
Every cistern and well in the town
was pumped dry.
The further spread of the flames
were stopped by a row of brick build-J
ngs.
The heaviest losers are Peter Men
ges, Louis Rubenaltz and R. Hay-
man, who conducted the three stores.
The total loss is estimated at $65,000.
Hundreds of people from the sur
rounding country visited the scene on
Sunday. The section of Main and
adjoining streets, over which the fire
swept, presents a weird and desolate
appearance. Here and there the
blackened skeleton of a house is left
standing, but in most instances noth
ing but ashes remain to mark the
place where a building stood when the
fire fiend began its destructive work.
Occasionally one could see the charred
bones of a horse or some other ani
mal that perished in the flames.
The people who were rendered
homeless by the fire have all been
quartered in the homes of their more
fortunate neighbors, and those who
are in a position to rebuild will be
gin work immediately to replace their
burned structures. Many, however,
have lost everything they had and will
be unable to rebuild.
As an illustration of the rapid
spread of the flames one man stated
that when he saw the fire nearing his
home he picked up a pocketbook con
taining $200 and started to leave. At
that instant he thought of his horse
Continued on rage 8 3d Co!.
J. G WELLS,
Successor to S. P. Peacock
& Co., Market Square.
o
Hay Rope,
Scythes,
Forks, &c,
Canning Boilers.
Come and see my
bargain table, on
which I am closing
out a lot of goods at
cost and less.
General Hardware.
"Youman's"
New
Fall Hat
Out Aug. 10,
$5.00.
Come in
this Hat. It
to buy one.
Ben. Gidding,
Bloomsburg, Penn'a.
13 Come in and see us we'll treat you right.
CARPETS !
Rather warmlnw rlnrinnr (Ma kind nf wpnilier in
. pi
talk of carnets. Rut the
you will want something to
is almost useless tor us to tell you what you so well
know, that we are headquarturs for carpets of all kinds.
in one can snow you tne selection we do, nor tne variety
in quality and prices. We can give you carpets from
10c. up to $2.00 per yard, and all between. Our carpet
room is so well lighted that we can show you just how
your carpet will look when on the floor.
NEW PATTERNS are in and more will arrive in
the next few weeks. Give us the early call.
By a cood contract with the mill we are still able to
offer vou
Wool Velvet
Laid and
FURNITURE.
Rather late, but we offer you a new lot of porch
rockers for $1.80, worth $2.00. Plenty of new rockers
in stock. We have a special bargain in a 0-foot exten
sion table, $0.00.
DRY GOODS.
New lines of all the seasonable goods, at seasonable
prices, fresh from the N. Y. markets. We picked care
fully very carefully. We don't want a big lot of goods
to grow stale on our hands. We want to give you only
what is fresh and new.
SHIRT WAISTS.
To close out. Your own nrices.
GROCERIES.
Same old storv. Same old nlensanr. nrnnf tW wo'
0 -
IT. Business constantly
ot your trade. It you don't
irmi.
TUB LEADER STORK COMPANY, Ltd..
4TII AND MARKET
and ask to see
will pay you
o !"-- - -
full ia oomino nn anacfl nnrl
n i
brighten up your rooms. It
Carpet, Hade
Lined, 90c.
l j w. V V V
growing. But we want more
buy Irom us now, give us a
STS., BLOOMSBURG.