T • •' F • •''T* lT • - s* —. < ~- -.=- •.' -r
VOL.KXVII
CONSOLIDATION.
KKV. JAR. P. TAHANEY INTERVIRWED
I.AKT IVMIHS.
Consolidation For ths Hu
Comraanlty—Sclflshnass Oalv Opposed
to It—The Question Ned Only be Fairly
Stilted to Win—Call tho New City Johns
town.
Rev. Jnmes P. Tahany, pastor of St.
John's Catholic Church of our city was
seen by the reporter Tuesday evening,
and on the subject of consolidation had
the following to say :
" I am for conaolidation all lh time.
I may say, also, that I am somewhat of a
stranger here, but since tk* flood 1 have
learned the Johnstown peonl* pretty
thoroughly. lam interested in the mat
ter of consolidation only as it concerns
our people. I believa it to be to the hest
interests of all the people of lids valley to
consolidate into a city.
" On this matter I feel very much like
Mr. Moxham. There are so many argu
ments in favor of consolidation and so
few against it, that I sometimes think the
ease is hardly wortli contending—that it
should carry on its own strength. 1 have
■O doubt that many of the saloon keepers
•re against it, and many loeal politicians
too. The former have some of our bor
oughs almost in their hands, but with q
city they fear they would be shorn of their
power.
" Then again some of our boroughs ar#
largely Catholic, and there may be some
among their people who think they would
not be able to run those places te suit
themselves. But politics and church
matters should not be mixed. Catholi
cism is aot selfish, it is broad, general,
universal. lam going to build my church
in Johnstown borough. If consolidation
earries I may change my plans end locate
• the chu'ch elsewhere. A lot in Cone
maugh borough belonging to the church
might then be selected. 1 want it in
Johnstown wherever it is.
"This whole valley is known abroad
as Johnstown. A man from Conemaugh
borough goes to soma city hotel, and hs
registers ' Johnstown' ss bis place of res
idence- It is the same if he is from
Morrellville, from Woodvala or any other
place about hers. The people of Johns
town, since the flood, apart from any po
litical 01 religious opinions, have shown
themselves to be very generous. In faet,
I think that nothing else bestdes selfish
ness Is against consolidation. I am op
posed to the local idea- the idea of each
part renaaiaing selfishly by itself, while
the interests of all our people would be
best served by consolidation.
"1 might be said to represent two char
acters. lam a citizen having an Interest
in the civil affairs of our people, and I
am a priest having the spiritual interests
of my flock in charge. As a priest I
think the interests of Catholicism and
temperance would be advanced by con
solidation. It would lossen the power of
Iho saloon elemnnt, order would bn bet
ter, and the morals thereby im
proved. All our intereets would then
be united, and in union there is
strength. A strong csntral governmeut
would certainly be promotion of temper
nnce, order, aDd morals in general. As a
Catholic, my duty is clear on this peint.
As a citizen I represent no ism, but be
lieve in doing what would bs best for all.
Abroad Johnstown is the whole valley.
The other boroughs are unheard of. The
census gives to the borough of Johnstown
a small population. A city of 30,000
people would attract capitalists. They
would be eager to come bore to seek in
vestments. As one who advocates the
interests of the whole valley, I can not
helpurgingthepeople, one and all to vote
for consolidation.
" With a city government Wood vale
would have been cleaned up long ago,
an embankment would have shut out the
river, end the water would not have
made a highway through her heart yes
terday. I can not see what somt people
want.
" It may be that some of our boroughs,
which are largely Catholic, wish to re
main by themselves. All this is wrong.
Some or them do things that are
a scandal to the church. In church
matters we recognize no such thing
as Republican or Democrat. This quasi-
Catholic idea, if any such exist, is op
posed to the spirit of the church. The
church asks for no privileges not accorded
to everyone. Liberty, law, unity, in these
are her strength.
" And after ail are not all the individ
ual interests identical ? If one borough
goes in debt to build a bridge, do not the
people of the other boroughs use it when
ever it suits them ? Should thoy not
help to build it ? Such selfishness lias no
manhood about it.
" Let us have a unity, let us havo
strength, let us have the best men tor our
leaders, men of prominence, men ot
ability, let us have a city with a name
abroad.
" What about the name of the city?"
asked the reporter.
" Let us call it Johnstown. It is nil
Johnstown now among people elsewhere.
Let all this valley lie Johnstown in reality.
JOHNSTOWN, CAMBRIA COUNTY- PA., FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1889.
Then shall wo have the strength to pull
ourselves out of where the great flood has
left us, and then can we best show the
world what we are able to do in the face
of the greatest of modern calamities."
MB. JOHN THOMAS GIVES HI.S VIEWS
OK THE MATTE It.
Strongly In Favor of Consolidation— rder
Would be Better—Taxation Would Not
Nearlly bo Increased—Not a Ques
tion of Dollars and Cents, bnt the Gen
eral Public Good.
Mr. John Thomas, senior member of
the firm ef J. Thomas & Sons, was inter
viewed yesterday evening. Mr. Thomas
lias extensive business interests here and
is the owner of inuoli real estate in several
of our boroughs. As to whether lie
thought all the boroughs of the valley
should uuite and become a city, Mr.
Thomas said:
" I am tor consolidation by all means.
I believe it to he for the Interest of all our
peopli. Ail our boroughs have more to
do thai- they, as boroughs, are able to do.
Improveune.its of every kind ure needed,
anil with each borough struggling for
itself they ennnot be ma !e.
" What oo you think of the taxation
scare ?" asked the reporter.
" There is nothing In it. I want the
improvements, and do not care for the
question of a feW dollars. We cannot
improve with nothing. We must have
money to make them. It will cost a city
far less than it will cost the different
boroughs, each one working by itself."
"How do you think the expense of
running a city government would com
pare with maintaining our ten bor
oughs?"
" It would be less, much less, in my
opinion, (n many instances it would be
clearly au economical move. We should,
as a city, have only oue chief executive,
a mayor, insiead of ten Burgesses, as at
present. How much would'our expenses
be increased by such a move ? In inauy
other matters it would be the same. A
number of different municipal buildings
would not be necessary. With a city we
should have fewer officers than by the
present system.
" Order would certainly he better if we
had a city. I have been strongly in favor
of consolidation this long time. But, if
we are ever to consolidate, now is the
time. Our needs are greater now. United
we shall be better able to build up our
city. A question of a few dollars and
cents should not decide the matter, but
| the general good of all."
i A SPIRITED BCMXESH LETTER.
I The Bookkeeper WM Shown How It Should
be Written.
' From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
A story is told of a prominent Third
street clothing firm. Looking over their
books they discovered an account of long
standing. " Write him a saucy letter,"
said the junior member to the book
keeper. " Yes, make it very strong," re
plied the senior. The bookkeeper fol
lowed instructions, and penned the fol
lowing : " Your account is past due. If
you do not settle within ten days we will
draw on you at sight." This letter was
| handed to the firm.
" Do you think this is a smart letter?"
asked one of them.
"It is a business one," said the book
keeper.
" Well, I don't thiuk so, replied the
former."
" Give me your pen, and I'll show you
the way to do it," and he proceeded to
write the following :
" Who bought the goods? You."
" Who promised to pay for them. You."
" Who didn't do so ? You."
" Who is a liar and a thief ?"
" Yours,"
And, after signing the firm's name, he
handed the effort chuckingly to the
bookkeeper.
Democrat*, Watoh Tour Ticket*.
EHKNBHUIO, Px., October 28, 1889.
The ring of the Republican party in
Ebensburg, commonly called the ''Corner
Drug Store Oang." has always been noted
for its political jobbery and treachery,
and this year is no exception to the rule,
Their motto is : "A Desperate Case
Needs a Desperate Remedy," and they
are resorting to all that is mean and unfair
to elect D. H. Kinkead as the next Regis
ter and Recorder. They are willing to
sacrifice all others on their ticket to elect
their fayorite, and this statement is veri
fied by the fact that thousands of bonus
tickets have been printed at the Cambria
Herald office, this place,and sent through
out the county, principally to the rural
districts. Most of them are Democratic
tickets which have Kinkead's name sub
stituted for that of Blair. Here is a
fae-rimxle:
C 0 IT N T-Y.
Prothonotary, Clerk of tlie court ot
Quarter Sessions ana Clerk of the
Court of Oyer ana Terminer,
James 0. iiarby.
Register of Wills, Recorder of Ilecas ami
clerk of the orphans' court,
]). 11. Klnfißal.
District Attorney—r'l .ncls J. O'Connor.
Dlreetor of the Poor—Raphael lllte.
coroner— Peter McGough.
county Surveyor—Henry Scaulan.
Auaitor—Joseph Illpps.
AGAINST IT.
A CITIIIK OF FRANKLIN BOROUGH
GIVES HIS VIEWS.
Not Vet Beady for Consolidation—'Taxes
Would be Teo High—Rent* Would be
Increased and Only certain Farts of tho
City Benefitted.
FRANKLIN BOROIKJII, Oct., 20, ISB9.
To I/If KM tor Of the Johmtrmon Democrat.
Sin : As you purpose giving the con
solidation question a fair and impartial
hearing, I will take the liberty of -aying
something on the subject.
I think the time for consolidation, so
far as our town is concerned, has not yet
arrived. We are composed largely of
the laboring class, and many of our citi
izens have purchased homes and are grad
ually improving them, and the expense
of a city government would opperate dis
astrously with them.
The Act of the 23d of May, ISB9, gives
the corpoiate powers of a city authority
to levy annually, a tax for general rev
enue purposes, not exceeding ten mills
on the dollar of assessed valuation of the
taxable property, a tax of ten mills for
tlie payments of interest on bonds, a tax
of three mills as a sinking fund for the
payment of bonds, and a poll tax of one
dollar upon every male citizcu in the
city, and in addition, a separate tax ou
the tnxables of each borough, incorpor
ated, to pay its present indebtedness.
Also to levy and collect annually, for
general revenue purposes, a license tax,
as high as one hundred dollars upon all
auctioneers, contractors, diuggists, mer
chants of all kinds, persons selling or
leasing goods upon installments, grocers,
confectioners. butchers, restaurants,
drays, hacks, carriages, omnibusses, carts,
wagons, street railway cars and other
vehicles used for hire or pay, lumber
dealers, furniture dealers, saddle or
barusess dealers, stuioners, jewellers,
livery or boarding stable keepers,
real estate agents, insurance agents,
market house companies, telegraph, tele
phone, steam heating, gas, natural gas,
water, electric light or water companies,
etc., and may also compel the grading,
paving, or macadamizing and curbing of
streets, lanes and alleys by persons own
ing property bordering or abutting there
on. Taking into consideration the con
dition of many of the boroughs to vote
upon the question, we must presume
taxes and licenses will be assessed at the
maximum rates, and business men will
raise their prices accordingly. Council
shall prescribe the number, duties and
compensation of officers, and therefore
we may expect a large force of
officers and high salaries. Ail rev
enue and taxes must be paid into
the city treasury, and will be ex
pended in the city as directed by the city
authorities for such purposes and in such
localities as they may deem proper, and
as we will be only a suburb, we cannot
expect one fourth of the revenue paid by
us to be expended within our present bor
ough limits, for the next fifteen years at
least.
I seo in the columns of the DEMOCRAT,
the views of the prominent gentlemen
upon consolidation, but fail to find in
those views one convincing argument in
favor of such a measure.
lie alleges that in case of a city charter
a railroad may pass through Johnstown
at some future time.
A great railroad now passes through
the territory proposed to be consolidated
and I do not see any prospects of another
road passing through, at least, for a long
time hence.
lie says, most emphaticallly, that if
there had been a consolidation of the
several boroughs, the terrible calamity of
the 31st of May would not have occurred.
I cannot conceivo how a city charter
would, on that fatal day have closed the
windows of Heaven or prevented the
breaking up of the fountains of the
great deep—South Fork dam—as a num
ber of cities have, during the present
year suffered very severely from floods
and fires.
He speaks of eleven punny little boroughs
—although I can count only ten—tha'
with our borough organizations it re
quires dynamite, a wolf or a dog to move
us, but that with a city organization, our
city would respond to every public need,
like a well balanced oiece of machinery,
If a city organization is accomplished,
will not the same persons now residing iu
the several boroughs become citizens of
the city ? And if they are incompetent
to govern a borough, will they be com
petent to govern a city ?
He alludes to well paved streets, clean
sidewalks and fine buildings.
No doubt there will be well paved
streets, clean sidewalks and fine build
ings in some parts of the city, but we
must remember all cities have likewise
a skeleton ill the closet ; they have their
five points, old breweries, and purlieus
of squalid poverty, vice, immorality and
general wretchedness.
tie alleges the richest borough will be
richer.
That may be so, but may not the
poorest one become poorer? At
least eight of the boroughs suf
fered severely from the flood disaster,
ami Ido not see how ons can sc-i-' the
other to restore the heavy losses su j ' pin
ed,therefore in what way will a cily car
ter benefit us?
Much more might be writlen, but I '- ill
only caution every voter to acquaint him
self with the act of Assomhly alluded to,
before casting his ballot on ; o imporflint
a question. Ido not see that a citv char
ter will increase the demand for labor or
raise the wages therefor, and the pro la
bility is that while the workingutan must
labor for tho same wages as now, ho will
have to pay higher rents, higher prices
for the necessaries of life, as higher taxes,
higher and more numerous licenses A ill
nccccssarily raise the juices of these
commodities. PRO BONO PUBLICO.
A BODY GOES DO WN lIIE RIVER.
The Rise of Water Brings the Body of a Hoy
to the Surface, Hut S.-hf of It is Loll
Again.
Tuesday forenoon, between the hours
of 9 and 10, some men were engaged in
dislodging some trees and oilier materials
that had formed a drift iigninst llie
bridge between Woodvalf. and (Jonmaugh
borough. Mr. Jnnu Bracken, of Wood
vale, was one of Hie men. While be and
tbe other men, with looks and poles,
were trying to remove the drift, he dis
covered a body parti v if < at in the water.
The men rau aloug tin banns and tried,
by means of hooks to bring the body
ashore. They were unsuccessful, and
after it had floated about fifty yards, be
ing under the wetei some of the time,
and at no time much of it above the
water, it disappeared. .Search was made for
it some distance below, wl.eic there were
some obstructions against which it might
have lodged, but It could not lie found.
As near as it was possible to tell, the <
body was that of a boy about twaive yean ]
old. The water was swift, and the body ]
remained on the top of the water only a i
very short while at one time. One foot 1
had ou a buttoned shoe, and the other
was bare. The face looked much de
cayed, from which it is evident that it
was the tody of a victim of the flood.
The body also had on it knee breeches.
As people were crossing the Lincoln
bridge all day, it is very probable that the
body did not pass there on the surface of
the water, or it would have been seen. It
may be found when the water falls.
Want* to Know. a
• To the suitor of the Johnstown Democrat:
I see by the papers of Saturday that
1 acting Burgess Hart fined eight young
men for violating a borough ordinance.
Now by what authority does 'Squire Ilart
act as Burgess. The ordinance or law
says that if the Burgess is absent, the
President of Council shall be acting Bur
gess. The Burgess and the President of
Council were both in our city yesterday
and on the corners of our streets, now it
is about time that this should stop. I
know it is cjnvenient for a policeman to
run to acting Burgess Ilart. If it ever
becomes my misfortune to be "pulled in,"
and acting Burgess Hart appears while
Bro. Kennedy, President of Council, is in
the town their will be fun. HALT.
Johnstown, Pa., Oct. 28, 1889.
Repairing St. John*# Convent.
St. John's Convent on Clinton street, is
nearing completion. More than half of
it was taken away by the flood. It is be
being rebuilt tne same size as before, but
improved in appearance by a roof with
pitch, the old roof being flat. Some
cut stone will also add to its appearance.
In the center of the front near the cor
nice is a large stone tablet inscribed as
follows ;
; Flood I
: May 31, 1889. :
: Rebuilt 1889. I
At present Father Tahaney Is occupying
the |part of the building that remains
standing, as a residence.
The Wreck of the Franklin Street Bridge.
The wreck of the Franklin Street bridge
lies on a deposit in the Stony Creek be
low the end of Napoleon street. It would
have been a sight in ordinary times to see
such a wreck, but owing to the awful de
struction caused by the flood, it does not
attract much attention. The bridge was
completely overturned, and lies with the
bottom up. The huge irons are broken
and twisted in an almost incredible man
ner. Workmen of a rliiladelpliia Com
pany, which liougt it from the Edgomore
Bridge Compay,arc engaged in taking the
bridge apart, preparatory to moving
it. It was bought from Johnstown
boroughs by the latter company.
Removing the 11 InIV.
About 135 men, under Contractors T.
Bautou Brown & Co., of Philadelphia,
are at work removing the blult on the
north side of the Pennsylvania Railroad,
opposite the upper works. The rock und
earth, as they are cut from the north Bide
of the track, are carted across and dump-
I ed on the south side to make emfrMik
| mctUs for a new track. Another track
j will also be laid on the north side, at this
j point. By the time ihe contemplated im
-1 provements are finished there will be four
j tracks from below Sheridtin to half a
mile beyond East C. nemaugh.
STAT EAST, YOUNG MAN, STAT EAST
Here's Advice From the Greatest Boom
City of the Booming West.
Mary 8. Putnam, M. D., of Spokane
Falls, Washington, writes to tho New
York Sun: Western towns are built up
by immigration. They lure by exaggera
tion, by the united efprts of Boards of
Trade incorporated by shrewd capitsiists
and a few originial locators, who, less
than a score of years before, had built
their shacks on Government claims.
The unitiated do not know how easy it
is to purchase a column in a leading
journal to boom a town.
Iu less than no time a dull, dreary, un
interesting Godforsaken waste nourishes
into life a row of one-story frame build
ings, foremost a saloon (the Monarch of
the Mountain, the Elite, the Bon Ton, or
the like), then a general merchandise
store, whioh holds the postoffice, amithy,
a lodging house and a restaurant com
bined, and faw primitive buildings, these
form a street—collectively a town.
The place instinctively assumes the
name of the first squatter, who, perhaps,
had not spunk enougli to extricate him
self from the original mud, and the deed
is done.
If there is a creek, there is water
power ; if a measly potato has struggled
intoafeebleexistence there is agriculture;
If a cutting survive its first pangs there is
no end to fruit prophecies. Acres are
laid off int* town lots ; in lieu of the
dusty, rattling stage cuach, liable to peri
odical disbursements to road agents, rail
road schemes are projected, a prospectus
is insinuated everywhere, and laud
auctions, real estate nDd building booms
follow.
Well-to-do farmers in the East sell the
old homestead, mechanics leave fair em
ploy with tools and blankets, professional
people searching for a location take a
new start—one way or another all reach
the promised land, or rather land of
promises.
Once there, there is no retreat. Irrepar
able sacrifices have been made ; money
has been exhausted by exorbitant railroad
rates and a thousand and one extortions
incident to travel; a little to judiciously
invest is all that remains.
Plausible real estate men, with their
small capital of a desk in a convenient
corner, with mock enthusiasm and hack
neyed phrases, bait the anxious newoomer
with " our fine location, " what we have
back of us," " the future county seat or
capital," " the advance in real estate,"
" this is no boom," and such rot.
The shameless success is an easy one.
All is lovely with buyer and builder until
second payments and interests are due.
Provisions have been high ; outlay, inci
dental to getting settled, incessant; sick
ness has come too, and, as is invariably
the case, work is scarce.
And now nothing is left but to sacrifice
improvements and turn the land back.
Real estate has reached its maximum
there is no more speculation, local trans
fers wane. Indeed, for some time, the
fact has been significant that none bin
strangers are purchasers ; aud they, whtn
beaten do not need a second lesson. Out
wardiy the town flourishes but it is never
theless rotten to the core. Stores are
stocked with goods bought on credit,
cheap buildings are put up on leased
gound, everything is heavily mortgaged.
Liquor saloons, gambling resorts, etc,,
a! Ie have a solid basis, vampire-iike
suppiDg the prosperity and dignity of
the town. In consequenco of all this
there is a mad rush to keep head 9
above water. Every one for himself, ami
the devil take the hindmost. There is no
pity, no money for the unsuccessful, the
unfortunate. Honest men stand twenty
deep on the sidewalk, discouraged, re
sentful. But the wheel of fortune turu,
and behold poetic justice I The town
lies in ashes. There has been a great
fire, a terrible, appalling conflagration.
In a few hours millions of dollars L>va
been consumed in a lurid flame. And so,
in the west, history repeats itself from
town to town. The essays of Ella tslls
us that in our antipodes it was also neces
sary to burn a village to get roast pig.
Removing Bodies from Prospect.
The work of removing the dead from
the temporary burial ground to Grand
View continues. A large number of
people has been present over since the
wcrk began, viewing every body that is
raised with the hope of identifying some
lost ones. A number of bodies was re
moved yesterday, one being identified
as Mr. John Fenn, the Washington street
tinner. Mrs. Fenn was present and recog
nized her husband's body by the beard
and teeth. The features were recogniza
ble also, the body being in a fair state of
preservation. This makes two of the
Fenu family that have been recovered, a
little boy haying been identified at Grand
View.
It now appears that the story about
Ivrupp Intending to settle his gun works
in the Monongahcla valley was all a fairy
tale The removal, on reflection, is re
garded not only as improbable, but im
possible, and it is said the story was in
vented to boom certain lands for salable
ourposes.
NO 29.
SEARCHING FOR TUB I)EAJ).
The Work CouMnucs to Progress K*i'UUy
<M® Hodj Found iitf T<lntiHei.
The work of searching for the dead
continues along the Stony Creek, beloW
tho Franklin Street bridge. About eight
feet of a deposit has been removed, lear
ing burc the original bed ef the river in
places. At the present rate of working
ail the deposit will be removed in a short
time
Up to the present three bodies have
been found, one of which, that found yes
terday, was identified as the remains of
Michael Lavelle.
Koine or the Advantage* to bo Derived
From Consolidation.
Wnsuß is, The Johnstown Board of Trade Is
composed of citizens of the several corporate
municipalities, and It deems proper that. IE
should take some action by which the citizens
may be assisted io rebuild their homos with
comfort and satety to their families, and that;
our commercial Interests may he restored; to
that end we believe that these declarations Aro
truths that will solve the problem ot the preaenti
Situation:
First, We aamlt that the benevolent people or
the world have done mere tor us than a sn Cor
ing people could expect, and it la now time mat:
we turn Irom the consideration ot our personal
ailairs io tluioe which affect tho public Interests.
fi>vw.a, wc beileve It is essential tooon-ioll
dme under a city charter, tor these reasons :
:> euhcr borough can raise a SUlflclent sum to re
store Its publleproperty ; the several separate
municipalities sucking public aid to dredge our
rivers and protect their embankments weaken a
lust claim; consolidation would enable us to
better protect our rivers and prevent encroach
ments upon their banks; therefore, and fortlieso
le.tsuus, consolidation Is a necessity.
Third, It we operate under a city charter wa
win then bo able to negotlat a loan, payable
within thirty years. 'lnls fund can be used to
build unnecessary bridges within the proposed
city limit; to construct all public buildings sua
school houses; to open and Improve the high
ways, rivers, sewerage system, and the are de
partments.
A statement ot Indebtedness and assessed
valuation otthe several boroujha tor the year
1888:
Bonded Assessed Valu.
indebtedness. Uon ot Property.
Johnstown 180,000 $1,173,2)0
conemuugh 12,000 884,52'.
MlUvlUe 8,000 754,2 .
Cambria 1,200 161.
Paragraph 10l Section I Act et Assent' :-. .V
May, l8S!i, 18 ns follows;
To levy and collect taxes for general .ft
purposes, not to erceed ten mills on tho r.
any one j ear. on all persons, real, person. .a
mixed tii operey within the limits ot said cio ■
in reference to the Indebtedness of each bor
ough, the following Is an extract from Section 3
ol the same Act:
That when two or more towns or boroughs
shall, under the provisions of this Act, be con
solidated Into a city, the debt or debts of each
ot said tow ns or boroughs contracted prior to
such consolidation shall bo paid by such towns
or boroughs respectively.
Gladstone's Eulogy of America.
Mr. Gladstone made an address at
Chester, England, on Saturday, on
ths condition of the working classes.
He nrged English workmen te study
the history of the American Revo
lution. He claimed that it was by and
from this country that a lore of freedom
was sown in America. England now in
return reaped advantages from tha Amer
ican vindication of those pinciples of
freedom which animated the Revolution.
The system of government in America
combined that love of freedom, respect
for law and desire for order which
formed the surest elements of national
excellence and greatness.
It was no extravagance to say that, al
though there were only two millions of
people in the thirteen States at the time
of the Revolution, the Jgroup of states
men that proceeded from them were a
mutch for any In the whole history of the
world and were superior to those of any
one epoch. '1 heir fortunate appearance
was doubtless due to well-regulated,
muscular freedom.
United Labor League.
From the Union, October 2d, 1889.
" The United Labor League, some
lime ago, sent a communication to Hengp
R. Boyer, late Speaker of the State Hotue
of Representatives and the Republican
candidate for State Treasurer, asking him
to give his reasons for voting against the
Ballot Reform bill, introduced at the last
session of the Legislature. To this rc<
quest Sir. Boyer has made no reply, and
the League, at its last meeting, adopted a
series of resolutions, asking organized
labor to manifest is displeasure at Mr.
Boyer'a action.
The Ballot Reform bill was one of the
most important measures before the last
session of the Legislature, and its defeat
was a public calamity. Mr. Boyer is the
first of the opponents of this measure
that the lovers of honest elections have
had a chance to express their opinion of,
and it would be a warning which the
political bosses would not dare to pass
unheeded if Sir. Boyer were allowod to
continue the practice of law unhampered
by the care of the finances of the State.'
Contractor's Trouble#.
Sheriff McMillan, of Somerset county,
on Monday lBt levied on all the tools,
engines, and other machinery, belonging
to Brown & Emery, and which have been
used by that firm in the work of laying
the thirty-six inch pipe line for the Johns
town Water Company, from Border's Sta
tion, on the Stonycreek, to this city.
There have been rumers for some time
of difficulty between the members of this
firm, and it is presumed that this step has
been taken to bring matters to a crisis.
A Oncer Inscription.
In a graveyard owned by colored
people, near Wetumpkn, Ala., is an old
tombstone with the following inscription:
"To the memory of Henrietta llenririt
ter Demiritter Cream of Tartar Sweet po
j tato Caroline Bostwick, daaghter of Bob
' and Sukey Catlin. Bom at Covington,
I Georgia ; died at Wetumpkn, Alabama.
Aged fourteen years."