VOL.XXVII.
CONSOLIDATION.
ARTHUR J. MOXIVAR, EHQ lIfTM-
VfHWHI* OR Tffi ftUVI* CI.
Whit Bi Ttilnfc*—Weald Caaaelldallen
Have Prfteirtfrt Mil (Irrat I lootlf —Wo
Macbtierf hj Which the Whole Cem
mnnlt/ Caa Aet— I Taxation Blight be
Heavier, Mat We Canaot Kxpeet bome
lAtng foe ifelhtag.
As announesd ia Wednesday morning's
DBKOCBAT, WE publish to-day tha first in
terview on aousolidation. Mr. ' J. Mox
ham was seen by our reporter -id in re
sponse to question. " What ' you to
■ay aoaaerning aonsoiidation? i '■ for
public,uioß the following :
"You have ashed me to communicate to
you m* views on,the question of consoli
dation. 1 eau ouly do so at a disadvant
age, because to my mind the gain to this
community of consolidation would be
■ imeihitig so great, auii the disadvant
ages of it so small, that I am perhaps able
to take only a ona-sided view of the prob
lem.
"As a matter of temmot sense, if thirty
thousand people want to do a thing, they
can heat do it by clubbing together and
acting as a unit, and just now they have
got something to do. They have got to
gal this place on its fast.
" Even tha opponenia of consolidation
can oaly advauca arguments against it on
what may tia termed party lines. That is
to say, oua borough may claim that it
will not gain as much as the other bor
ough by consolidation. Tnis is undoubt
edly true, but whea the only question is
hew much will each gain, why should
any such consideration he permitted to
influence tha reault?
" Tii richest of our boroughs as they
stand to-day would ha richer, uot poorer
by consolidation.
"There ii sona'hing in the life of a city,
•a in tha lifa of a nan, which, wild* it
cannot be measured with a foot rule, or
wheighad in a pair of acales, take* uo
■mall part in adding to or interfering with
the happluaaa of tfca people.
" Tangibla results are affected by one's
method of life. A oity with well pared
streets, cleanly sidewalks. and buildings
which ar* pleasing t* ui* eye ; citiw# u
which local trenail ia rapid and
good, in wbieh police protection
and discipline are reliable, are
just aa tars to haraa plaaaautar, healthier
and mora psogrsssive life, as a cleanly
and well regulatad household is sura to
enjoy lite more than the household ac
customed to aloranlinas* and dirt.
"Let u* imagine what may very probably
occv. wi' Us. we mat few yt>: wc lactot
a railroad surveyed to pasa within twenty
or thirty utile# of this place. With a
compact city organliatiun how quickly
would a* earnest effort b* matia to ap
proaeh the projectors of sucn a road, and
to induce them to dirart their c item
plated line so as 1* run inrougu Johns
town inatvad *f by it. With an aggrega
tion of boroughs, how hopeless would
such an effort be. So hopeless that
I doubt whether it would be seriously at
tempted.
"Let any public question arise (and
from public questions does a city's pro
gress develop) how much quicker the
machinery of a city can be brought to
bear in influencing results for its own
good than that of eleven puny little bor
oughs.
" Let your readers, Mr. Editor, stop and
ask themselves this question.
" Would we have suffered the calamities
of the flood if we had had a city organi
zation here? I answer emphatically, No.
" The facts which were known "to all
were these : A dangerous body of water
existed in our neighorhood, and grave
doubts were entertained on all sides as to
tbe security of the structure which
dammed it in.
We have the strange spectacle of the
whole community, as a community
not eveu taking the trouble to
investigate the possible danger.
The reason that nothing was
done is very evident, simply this : That
there has never been in these valleys a
competent organization, representative of
the community as a whole, There have
been a baker's dozen of organizations,
representing eacli one a homeopathic pro
portion of the community. I will venture
the assertion that if we had had a city or
ganization, and consequently had beeome
accustomed to acting as a unit, years ago
would this question of the South Fork
dam have been settled.
" Well, we have paid for our criminal
carlcssuess. Paid for it with the lives of
those dear to us ; paid for it with our
homes, and with our savings. And we
shall continue to pay for it the whole of the
. sad winter before us with the bitter tears
that will be shed in secret, and with the
suffering and discomfort that is before us.
But we cannot deny that we brought it
on ourselves. If we do not show on the
sth of next November that we have
learned the lesson there will be vary little
hope in my judgment for our near future.
"You cannot build even a house without
tools to work with, still less can you con
trol and influence public results without
the proper machinery to do it with. Take
the history of affairs in Johnstown
since the flood. We have had many
committees. Please point out to me
among all these committees one com
mittee, who, when it speaks on a general
public question, can speak as representa
tive of the whole community. There is
not one committee in existence that has
not done its work nobly and well. There
is not one that lias not earned the grati
tude of tbe people ; but there is also not
one. who, from the nature of the case, is
to-day in a position to speak for the
whole people.
"Many public questions have arisen and
are arisiug from day to day, and they are
put back to slumber aud uo action taken
upon them. Why ? Because there is no
machinery with which to reach the
people excepting the cumbersome, ma
chinery of lots of little boroughs, and
because life is too short and time is too
quick for any sensible man to undertake
the problem to try to get every little
borough to think alike on the same-ques
tion.
"With a city organization our city would
respond to every public need like a well
balanced piece of machinery; with your
JOHNSTOWN, CAMBRIA COUNTY. PA., FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25 1889.
borough organizations It takes dynamite
to move you.
"With a city organisations you would
govern yourselves and yourselves control
the reaulU which afreet you. With your
borough organization you are passive
like a flock of sheep, and until a dog or
wolf gets after you, or until something
comes along with a bell on its collar to
lead you, you do not move.
"It is open to dispute whether taxation
would be heavier under a city govern
ment. I, myself, think it will, but I also
think it ought to be. You cannot get
something fur nothing, and if you will
look around and see how much more
other people, who have well organized
eity governments, get in the shape of
good sidewalks, well paved streets, good
lights, and a hundred and one little de
tails that go to make up comfort in city
life, it seems to me that the small amount
in dollars and cents per head that would
go to give us these comforts need not
frighten any one who will give it 'a mo
ment's thought.
'II, for one, am looking forward to
the election with great longing.
I am hoping that it will be
the beginning of a new life
for us all, with the dead past so utterly
put behind us that not even the name lie
left, and in the place of a lot of little mis
managed boroughs without a single col
lective name, but called Johnstown, by
courtesy, I would like to see the birth of
a new and vigorous city called Cone
maugh Valley ; a city that has witnessed
the greatest sorrow of the times, and that
has enjoyed the greatest tenderness. It
cannot fail to have a grand future before
it if it only profits by what it has learnt —
we have learnt so much."
THE GNk'OCND DEAD.
An Amount of Yesterday's Meeting of the
Subscribers to the Etmd to Search for
tbo Dead.
Pursuant to a call issued Tuesday for
a meeting of the subscribers to the fund
for searching for the dead, about fifty as
sembled iu the Flood Commission Room,
Market Square, yesterday afternoon at 8
o'clock. Twenty others came during tho
meeting.
On motion of H. W. Storey, Esq., Mr.
A. J. Moxham Jwas made Chairman of
the meeting. I. E. Roberts was chosen
Secretary.
George T. Swank, Esq., offered the fol
lowing resolutions, which were adopted :
Resolved, That a committee of three be ap
pointed by tho President, whose duty It shall
be to Immediately name to this tneotlng for Its
approval a list of names for omeers of the or
ganization to be formed for the purpose of car
rying on the work of searching for the unrc
covered dead of the fiood in the conemaugh
vnllev on the list of Mv. iss'i.
Sfiive d, lhai ihe oiucera of the organiza
tion shall consist of a Treasurer, a Secret arz,
audanKxeoutlve Board of nve members, with
full power of conducting tha search for the un
recovercd dead of the Boon, and of expending
the money subscribed, or that shall, be sub
scribed, for that purpose.
Resolved, That the Chal man of the Execu
tive Committee be the President of the organi
zation.
Chairman Moxham appointed George
T. Swank, Herman Baumer, and H. W.
Storey to carry out the purposes of the
resolutions. They retired, aud after duo
consideration, returned aud offered the
followiug report:
Executive Committee, James McMil
lan, A. J. Moxham, James 11. Gagehy,
John Hannnn, Dr. J. C. Sheridan; Treas
urer, John D. Roberts; Secretary, J.
Earl Ogle.
On motion of Mr. Smith the reDort was
adopted.
Interchange of opinions as to the
method of pursuing the work took up
most of the time, during the absence of
the Committee.
While the Commitiee was out Dr. Geo.
W. Wagoner moved " That the Cambria
Iron Company and the Johnson Company
be respectfully requested to aid the citi
zens in their efforts to recover the dead,
aud that they be requested to adyise the
Executive Committee of their answer to
their request at an early day."
Carried unanimously.
Mr. Moxham recommended thac, as the
State's tools were still in the town, it be
asked of Governor Beaver to let us have
the loan of the tools. Mr. Adair made a
motion to that effect. The following tel
egram was sent the Governor :
Governor Reaver, Barrlstmrgß, Pa.
As Chairman of the citizens who have organ
ized to search for the dead, I am requested to
ask you whether you will loun to us the State
tools now on hand here for this purpose. Kindly
wire answer. A. J. MOXHAM.
On motion of Mr. Storey the following
resolution was adopted : .
Resolved, That all persons who have sub
scribed to this fund, und those who subscribe In
the future, pay their subscriptions, either by
mall or otherwise, to J. Karl Ogle, Secretary, at
the post -office, or to John I). Hoberts. Treasurer,
at the .Klrst National Bank, and that the sub
scriptions paid be published.
Mr. Frank moved that should any va
cancies occur in the organization the Ex
ecutive Committee shall be authorized to
fill them, which was anopted.
The Executive Committee wag request
ed, on motion of C. G. Campbell, to pre
pare a circular setting forth such infor
mation as is essential in connection with
the continuance of subscriptions and the
work.
The meeting then adjourned.
The Executive Committee met after the
adjournment of the meeting but its de
liberations were not learned. Mr. Chas.
L. Calloway, of Bellefonte, Pa., was
reoommended to the Committee for su
pervisor of the works.
Frlghtrul Death of a Blacksmith.
A Greensburg, Ind., telegram says:
John McCain, a blacksmith living at
Smalltown, a village twelve miles distant,
met his death this morning in a most ter
rible manner. McCain was chopping
down a tree, and when it fell he was
caught by one of the branches and
pulled under it, masbing his skull aud
cutting his throat from ear to ear. 2
TIRED OF LIFE.
Mr. John Fritzinger, of Conemangh
Borough, Commits Suicide Be
tween 1 and 2 P. M.
AN AWFUL SIGHT TO WITNESS.
"JOh, Utnnla I Tour Father Has Buu| tUu
•eir!lnsanity Thnnght to He the
Caere—An Opea Raeor letdj U |M|-
lng BT<1 Failed te do the Work—A Clear
Caeo.ofSulcldal Intent—Ne Jary Needed.
Wednesday afternoon, between the
hours of 1 and 2 o'clock, the upper part
of Conemaugh borough was thrown into
excitement by the news that John Frit
zinger had hanged himself. Officer
Brindle, who happened to be noar, was
soon on the sccno of the tragedy, and im
mediately started for Coroner Evans,
stopping on his way to notify Burgess P.
8. Freidhoff.who at once went to No. 181
Church avenue, where the dead man's
body was.
It took a long time to find
the Coroner, as he was not at
home, but about 6 o'clock in
the evening he arrived and took the
statements of Mrs. Fritzinger and the
children, which was substantially as fol
lows :
John Fritzinger was a coal miner by
occupation, and had been at work at Gal
litzin, in Taylor and McCoy's mines for
about nine weeks previous to his return
ing to his family yesterday a week. At
times lie seemed despondent and had
several times threatened to take his own
life, but no attention was paid to his talk.
Festcrday morning he packed his
valise intending to return to Gallitzin.
tlia family told him that they
wanted him to get work down
here so that he could be at home. Ha
bad been drinking some since he was
home, and after being persuaded to re
main at home he went down street, re
turning about 11.30. Dinner was soon
read /, but he refused to eat any, saying,
"I don't care to eat when I don't fe!
like it." In the morning he had threat
ened to kill himself. No attention was
paid to what he said, however, and some
time after dinner he took a hatchet and a
twelve-penny nail and went into the room
adjoining the dining room where there
was a bed. He had previously said that as
he did not feel very well lie would
take a sleep. He was heard to
drive the nail into tho wall,
his family thought to liang his
clothes on. No more noise was heard
although there is only a partition between
the room ho was and that in which liis
family were staying. In the course of an
hour his wife said to Minnie, her daugh
ter, " I'll call John, lie must be sleeping,
he keeps so quiet." " No," said Minnie,
"let him sleep." After a little Mrs.
Fritzinger went into the room for some
thing she needed and was horrified to see
her husband hanging to the wall and ap
parently dead, slic screamed and ex
claimed, "O Minnie, your father has
hung himself I Give me a knife quick,
I think he is still alive." Minnie
responded instantly and brought hiir
mother a case-knife, with which the
string around his neck was quickly cut,
and the body fell like a leaden weight to
the floor. The neighbors were then
alarmed, and the news quickly reached
the public as above stated. Neither the
body nor any article in the room was
moved from the time the body was cut
down till the Coroner arrived.
The Coroner then inspected the room
and found that John Fritzinger had evi
dently taken a pair of suspenders, fasten
ed the front end of each one to a strong
nail in the wall, one of the nails being the
one he drove Into the wall when he went
into the room, and through these
he had put a strong double muslin
band about two inches wide and half a
yard long, which he had tied around his
neck. To secure himself thus he must
have stood on the chair, which was
found near him, and then kicked it away.
Near where lie hung stood a wash
stand, on which, besides a number of
other things, an open razor and the
hatchet with which he had driven the fatal
nail. It looks as if he had taken the
precaution to provide another way of
taking his life should hanging fail.
Further inquiry elicited the informa
tion that at times there was some discord
in the family circle, and that lie
had not been helping to keep the
family, his wife being obliged to keep
boarders, as her husband had been- send
ing them no money all the time he was
at Qallitzln. It i* believed by some
he fancied he had cause to be )
Tbc coroner thought the case R c j ea ,
one of suicidal intent, and not gu .
mon a jury, it being apparent from *,vl,'at
could be seen and les.med that it was a
deliberate act of self-destruction.
The Fritzinger family has lived in Con I
emaugh.borough about a year.and a half,'!
having previously lived at Gallittin foe
eight yean.
Fritzinf#* waa a German, having been
bora la tie eld aouatry, waa about fifty
three yean of age, and cane to this
country thirty years ago. Ha had been
married about twanty-saven years. His
family consists of five children, the eldest,
a daugbtes ie married and lives at Gal
lltzin, the aeeond also a daughter living
at QalllMa, and the rest, two girls and a
boy, live at home.
THB DAVE JOHN VENN.
Hl* Batf is Maw (auwi It be la Prospect
ANar Moatks of Sstrik k; His Wile.
Before the flood Mr. John Fenn kept a
stove end tinware store at 233 and £34
Washington street, where he did a thriv
ing busineea. When the flood came his
family consisting of his wife and seven
bright children, were at his residence, 223
Locuet street, and Mr. Eenn was at his
store. Alarmed at the rapid rise of water
he started for his home byway of Olinton
street, it is presumed to avoid tbe water
on Frank Ua street, but before reaching
his bouse he was overtaken by tbe wave
nod sought refuge in the residence
of the editor of this paper, and
when that house wae knocked to pieces
was swept on to death. Seeing that
be was (loomed to perish before reaching
his loved ease at home, he called to Mr.
Henry Derrltt to tell hie wife and child
ren good-bye. Mrs. Fenn and the
children, with the house maid, were
floated In their house to tbe
neighborheed of Cobaugh's block in
Keravllle, when the house woe 'struck or
caught by other buildings and crushed to
pieces. Tbu children were never seen
afterward. Mrs. Fenn miraculously es
caped, but was unable for week# to learn
of any clue thai might enable he* to find
the remains of any of the missing ones,
being hindered much of the time
by sickness resulting frous the shock
and exposure. Finally the body of
little Bismarck, tho youngest son,
was found and identified, but it seemed
as If none of the others would ever be
found. Mrs. Fenn did not aeepesr of
finding them, however, and persevered In
her search until last Thursday aftsruoon,
when she found in Ike posseeaioo of the
TH/ V" T
with key, pocket-book, containing 18
in small change, and a cottar button, all
of which had bsen taken from the bedy
of her husband at the Presbyterian
Morgue. The number of tbe grave in
Prospect, where he bad bees huried, wee
also learned, and in the near future the
body will be raised, taken to the Presby
terian Church, where memorial sorvices
for the eight lost ones will be held, and
interred in the family lot in Grand View.
THEIR FINAL RESTING PLACE.
sixteen of (lie Unknown Drn<l Laid There
Yesterday—One Body Ideiitllled,
On Monday the work of preparing a
place for the unknown dead in the plot
selected for that purpose in G/rand Yiew
Cemetery, was completed, An d yesterday
sixteen bodies were raised f ro m the old
trench, taken out of tb,e coffins in which
they hnd been burie j, put Into new cas
kets and consignee to what will likely b
their last resting place. It having been
announced tj la t bodies would be removed
yesterday, a large crowd of people
were attracted to the cemetery, some
fro'ji motives of curiosity and others in
Vhe hope of being able to find
the remains of some of their missing
ones. Their searches were not all in
vain, for the brothers of the late Philip
Constable were able to identify his
body, it having been recorded in the
morgue lists that one of the bodies was
thought to be their brother's. If tbe
weather will permit the work of removing
the remaining bodies, more than one hun
dred in number, will be continued to-day.
When the work at Grand View is done
the task of removing the unknown dead
from Prospect will be begun.
The Late liernard Keelan. C''
Mr. Bernard Kcelan, who died in 1 '
burgh on Friday last, formerly resided in (
Prospect borough. About twelve yer c
ago he moved to Pittsburgh. At the t' ]
of the flood he was one among the f tIQ e
come here with a car load of prr vV j s j on9 S
and personally superintended its ,gj 8 t r ibu- '
tion. lie resided in Prospect 1 1
, , , r . for many 1
years and was employed as ■ ~, . ,
the rolling mill of the Cam' * puddler In
pauy. lie was known h> l * l *' ron Com
able and respected ci* m * a " . l ? u s ) , r "
esteemed by many of and highly
Kcelan had been sic' ■ ' our citizens. Mr.
while delirious ge '° r some time and
down stairs, lire- -t "ont'of bed and tell
and three ch' >klng his neck. H s wife
comfortable Jdron survive, and are in
son is rmpl circumstances. lhs oldest
Wnlker, f eyed in the business boose of
Jonlevy & Co., Pittsburgh.
jt Jomplimentary to Miss Ilartoii.
* .t tlic meeting of the Cambria County
*' lictU Society on Friday the following
, ■ r i nlu'ion was passed :
J LETOHED, That the representatives of
tin i Cambria County Medical Society re
sid ung in the Concmaugb Valley, hereby
tei ider to Miss Clara Barton, President of
tb e American Red Cross, there sincere
aD d heartfelt thanks tor tha sweet spirit
of charity and loving kindness which has
pi 'ompteil and controlled her actions with
tl ie stricken people of our community,
ai id for the gracious manner in which she
h is aided us on many occasions.
THE WRECKED WIRE KILUt
Laf|r aid Qftor* fulT Improvement®
Is be MMIS-AU the Ground Mecured
N misery.
There wae>o wort* wreck|caused by tbe
flood'than that of the wire mills, The heavy
i brick structures, strengthened and braced
by Iron work seemed to offer no resistance
to the sweeping torrent. It seems almost
lncredable that water should have such
, power as to over-come the resistance with
which it must have met Then it encoun
tered the strong and heavy buildings in
its course. If previeus to the flood any
man had predicted that the wire mills,
tha Oonemaugh borough fire engine
house and school house would be
swept away should tha resorvoir
break, ha would have been pronounced
out of hie mind by most people. As yet
not much work at straightening up mat
ters about the wire mills has been done
although tha Gautler Mills have been in
aparation for sonso time. On Portage
street and across it from where the wire
mills stood uil for come rods below, is a
deposit seseral feet deep of bricks, sand,
stones, iron framework, wire of every
kind, eastings of all sizes and shapes,
boilers and almost anything Imaginable.
The Cambria Iroa Company has a large
forea of mea employod in clearing up
this debris but tbe work is slow, tbu wire
being matted and tangled so that it is
difficult to remove. It is thought
that ae attempt to rebuild the
wire mills will be made this
full, bvt next spring they will be con
structed oa a much more extensive scale
than before the flood. The company, by
trading and buying, haa secured about all
the ground it desires for rebuilding its
worko in Conemaugh borough, the use of
Portage street and all tha ground between
it end Center street having been obtained.
It ia understood that before the new
works are ereted the level of the ground
will he coaalderably raised, Such a thing
would be a very wisa mova, ae it would
leaaeD tha danger from high water.
A HHCKAT axkumn.
MaeMsm *' 'he Iloot Belief Commission.
PEILADILPHIA, October 22. —Tue Johns
town Flood Relief Commission held their
flrst seeiian at the Manafacturers' Club
to-day.
The session, which lasted two hours
and a half, was secret, no one being ad
mitted except the members. Those
present ware Governor Beaver, Francis
B. Reeves, Robert C. Ogdea and John J.
Huber.
Messrs. Ogden and Reaves made an in
formal report as to the distribution of
funds in Class 4, of which the?* still re
main $1,000,000.
Mr. Ogden was seen after the meeting
adjourned, but refused to give any details
of what wae done until later in tbe day,
but it is thought arrangements wore made
to commence" the payiug out of the mouoy
next Wednesday.
INDIANA NOSXAI SCHOOL.
Tuition Free to the Sufferers by the
Johnstown Flood.
At a meeting of the Board of Trustees
of the Indiana Normal 8011001 the follow
ing resolutions were adopted, which have
been furnished us by tbe Secretary of the
Board :
' Resolved l. That the privileges of our Normal |
, School shall be extended to the sufferers by the
Johnstown flood, for the current school year,
i regular tuition free, with tho privilege of ob
. taming board la or outside of the school bulld
-1 lng as they may choose.
Resolved a, That a committee of three be ap
' pointed by tbe President of tbe Hoard to whom
i applications shall be made, and that, upon these
certificates, applicants for the privileges of the
' school under the above resolutions, snail be re
; celved.
j The following Committee was appoint
, ed : Z. X. Sny der, Principal of School,
, Hon. Joliu P. Elkius, U. B. Marshall.
, Tnos. SUTTON,
Secretary of the Board.
'JEAIN ON THE KAIL.
ohn ( j'Nell of 't:ftfnltriik City Killed ft
QrgmUlturg.
T jesday morniDg Edward O'Neil,? o
.rnbria, received a telegram announcinj
Jiat his son John had been killed a
arecusburg, while serving in tin
capacity of brakeman on the Soutliwes
Branch. O'Neil lived about two hour
after the accident, which happened abou
3 o'clock A. M. He was taken to Derrj
station where his wounds were examinee
by a doctor and pronounced fatal. Hi;
remains were expected to arrive at Cam
bria last night. lie was about twenty
Beven years old, and had been in the em
ploy of the railroad for several years.
Poor Fellow.
A man with the delirium tremens wai
Been running around an old shed on Bed
ford street, near the Johnstown am
Stonycrcek station about 4 o'clock yes
terday morning. No one appeared t(
know who be was, and he was so excitei
he alarmed that whole neighborhood, lit
went into the shed and was still thei*
last evening. If he is not dead by thii
time he soon will be if left to remain li
that fearful plaoe.
Are You Ready.
A Mr. Jones, who has a reputation as s
sprinter, is in the city, and it is said ii
anxious for a race. We aro requested tc
state that if he puts up a forfeit for a raci
of ono hundred and fifty yards he will hi
accommodated.
NO 29.
THE HOARD OF TRADE.
Tli Meeting Lt Night—•l,6o3.oo In tBO
Treaenry—Resolutions Adopted.
The Board of Trade met Monday e?
ening in Its rooms in Frazer's block. Mr*
John Hannan was made President pro
tern.
Br. Yeaglej moved that the reading ot
the resolutions and letters in the previous
regular and special meetings be dig*
pensed with. Agreed to. Minutes wers
then read and approved. No reports
were made from standing coinmmittees.
Treasurer reported $1,565.69 on hand*
Herman Baumer, Chairman of the Com
mittee of Ffttecn, reported progress, and
asked to be continued. Agreed to. Bills
to the amount of $22.85 were read, ap.
proved and ordered paid. Mr. Storey pre*
seeled the following :
WHKKEAS, Geo. C. Hamilton, of WAR*
ren, Pa., hastened to the assistance of tko
sufferers in the Johnstown disaster ot
May 81, 1889, and gave his services in
providing food, clothing, and shelter to
the destitute and in burying tho dead,
until the 12th day of July, when he wag
commissioned Chief Engineer of the Stato
forces in removing tho debris from the
ruins and highways, and continued in this
work until October 19, 1889; therefore,
be it
lietohed, That the thanks of the Johns
town B< aid of Trade is tendered to CapL
Hamilton for his kind and prompt treat
ment to our people, and for his energy and
integrity iu the performance of his duty.
It was decided to have a telephone
placed Iu the room for the board. It was
also arranged to hare a number of circu*
lars containing the preamble and resolu
tion* concerning consolidation adopted
at the last meeting, printed and and dis
tributed by the Committee of Fifteen, In
such a manner as they think best.
On motion the board adjourned.
HJS SHOT HUMSLI.
Sto/.atowß Come* to the Froat With a
Suicide.
On Monday morning Jacob Custer, ot
Stoyestowu, Somerset county, got up,
wrote part of a letter to his wife to bid
hor and the family good bye, but was in
tercepted by licr and did not finish the let
ter. He afterward got possession of fe
revolver, and despite tho efforts of his
wife to hinder him he fired a shot, killing
h'mself Instantly.
There was a itory published tome
weeks ago to which tho above tragedy
is most likely the sequel. Mr. Custer wAs
tho fathor of the young woman who wis
disgraced by Bev. Bell, the latter now
being in the Somerset jail awaiting trial.
He had worried much about the matter
ever since its occurreuce and beiug some,
what Unbalanced at times for several
years, it is likely that the burden bsoamo
too much for him to endure.
TO SEARCH V ill THE DEAD,
More Than 196,000 Subscribed and a Meet*
tug Called for Tills Afternoon.
The subscription started by Mr, Mo*-
hum to recover the dead bodies known
to be in the ruins about the city, has
reached $5,534.50. According to tho
terms of the subscription, au organization
will now be effected. A meeting has been
called for this afternoon at 3 o'clock in
ihe Flood Commission rooms, Market
Square. AU subscribers would do well to
be present with the money subscribed.
Consolidation.
Shall Johnstown and the neighboring
boroughs join bands and become a city?
On this question there is some honest di
-1 vcrsity of opinion. Tlterc are some out
-5 spoken for consolidation, others aro
against it, and still others arc undecided
■ upon the question. The DKMOCRAI pur
i poses to give the matter a fair and im
partial hearing. Without regard to their
political, sectarian or any other predi
lections, we shall interview a number of
our prominent men on the subject and
publish their views. We expect to start
lt to-morrow, and will continue until the
election. t
Tlio New German Catholic School IIoa§e
Contractor Hornick is pushing the
work on the new German Catholic
School House as rapidly as possible. The
building will be three stories high, and
will be of nmple size to accommodate the
increased number of [pupils that will bo
to attend in the future. The first story
will be of brick, and the other two stories
will be wood. In addition there will be a
basement story. A new boiler is being
•daced under the German Oithollo Church
by Waters & Bro., and othor repairs are
also in progress to put the heating appa
ratus in order (or the appfraching, winter.
John T. Harris.
New York World.
A ruddy-faced, brown-mustached man
recently observed in a Philadelphia hotel
has had a sad history. His name is John
T. Harris and ho is Chief of Police at
Johnstown, Pa. Chief Harris lost eleven
of his family of thirteen at the time of tho
flood and his home was swept away. In
spite of this, he worked like a hero at tho
head of his men during the gloomy days
which followed tho disaster, no is a
quiet, reserved man and his face shows
the marks of the mental and physical
suffering ho lias so recently endured.
Dr. J. B. Greene is having a line real,
dence erected in bummerhiU.