Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-12-15
THE COUNTY SEAT QUESTION.

the removal OF the county seat IRON Clearfled
to Curwensvile and desire to submit the in
teiligent Taxpayers of the county "a few rea-
sons against said removal, which they hope
will receive some thought.
lst. When the Legislature created the coun
ty, they authorized the appointment of three
Commissioners, who should receive from indi-
viduals or corporations, offers of land or money
or both, as an inducement for locating the
county seat upon the lands of the proposer
Roland Curtin, James Smith and John F1em-
ing were appointed Commissioners for that
purpose by the Governor. They gave notice
that they would receive proposals as they were
authorized. Several propositions were made
for the location of the county seat. Abraham
Wilmer owned the land upon which Clearfield
is built, and he proposed to give TO the Com
mssioners, nine lots of land in Clearfield and
$4,000 in cash, provided, they would locate
the county seat upon his land. His proposal
reported back to the Legislature, and was
accepted by them. A law was then passed fix
ing the county seat on his land and accepting
his proposition. The town was laid out, and
a report and plot of the town was filed in the
office of the Secretary of the Comm onwealth.
Abraham Wilmer paid his So, 200 as he agreed
to do, and he conveyed the lots to the county.
Afterwards the Commonwealth granted him
patent for his tract of land. All the owners
of lots in Clearfield claim under Abraham Wit
mer. Some of them have conveyance direct
ly from himself. 1t will be seen therefore,
that contract was entered into by the Com
monweaith on the one side, and Abraham Wit
mer on the other. On the faith of that con-
tract, the Taxpayers of Clearfield have ex-
pended some $500, 900 in erecting their town,
and rendering it accessible by roads and 9TH
er conTeniences.
Can that contract now be broken2 fit can,
must not the county refund the money that it
has received, to the lot-holders, and pay them
the damages that results from its Infringement
The money alone, and its interest, will amount
to more than the expenses Of the proposed
new Courthouse.
End. The borough of Clearfield and her citi-
zens, pay more of the county rates and levies
than any other two of the remaining districts.
The assessed value of property in that Borough
at the last triennial assessment was S69, ,597.
The assessed value of lands owned by citizens
of the borough of Clearfield in other parts of
the county, at the same assessment, was $780,
467. Making total of Sl90,064.
The assessed value of property in the bor-
ough of Curwensvillc at the same assessment
was S3l ,6S5. The assessed value of lands
owned in other parts of the county by her cit.
liens. WAS S12,056. Making total of S43 Gal.
So that whilst the county rates were 6 mills
CleaTfield and her citizens pay SHOES, and
Curwensville and her citizens pay 1852 "A.
The assessed value of seated property in
1856, in Pike township, was SSS, ,S97, in Law
renee township, $50 800. Total, S17l.7O6.
Tax, Sl030.i0. Less than Clearfield borough,
Sl09.9S. Clearfield and her citizens paying
more county tax by S109.9S each year, than
the whole of the populous townships of Pike
and Lawrence.
Sc. Clearfield borough is in reality a more
central position than Curwensvilie. TheCher-
~ Tree is in Indiana county, at the extreme
south western corner OF the county and Kart
haus is in Clearfield county at least miles
from the county line, so that if it be 81 miles
from CurwensviIc to Cherry Tree, it is 3S
miles from Curwcnsville to the northern coun-
ty line and Clearflcld must be passed in going
there. The distance from Reeder Kings (near
the Cherry Tree) to Clearfield, has always been
counted at 40 miles and the distance from
Clearfield to Three Runs the extreme north
eastern point, is at least 3S miles. The dis
tance across the county is about &c miles and
Clearfeld is within two miles OF the centre of
the county even in that direction. These dis
tances however amount to very little, in con-
sidering this question, inasmuch as the crec-
ton OF Pine county has become 4 fixed fact
and necessarily in its erection, the location of
Clearheld becomes completely central. whilst
| if Curwensville were the county seat, it would
be impossible TO obtain sufficient territory to
| erect Pine county, without approaching too
| near the county seat.
| 4th. The offer of capitalists in Curwensville
to erect the county buildings, is founded in
| speculation, and there is nothing in it but
| sharp business tact The Legislature can
have dozen of offers of the same kind, from
citizens of the county, any one of whom would
| make sa good thing" of it, even at that. Pro-
perty in the vicinity is enhanced in value and
the pockets of the speculator are filled with the
proceeds of the ssnce operation" Look at
the reverse of the picture. The mechanic,
the laboring man or the business man in Clear
field who has invested his money in buying
lot and building him home, on the faith of a
contract with the Commonwealth, finds bis
honest earnings stripped from him to swell
| the already sslarge piles'' of the sharp busi-
ness man. But say they, Clearfeld and her
citizens must build the Court House, in other
words, the money of a. must be taken per-
force, to build house for the Joint accommo-
ton of A. B. G. & ID. Look at the records of
Jury trials in civil cases in our Courts, during
the past five years, see who litigates, and for
lrhons the Court House is used-Since May
Term 1858, there have been but fire cause,
originating in Clearfied or its immediate vicin-
ity tried before Jury OF the County whilst in
the same space of time twonty-nine causes
have gone TO Juries of the county, all of which
originated in the s'peaceful" village of Cur
wensville, or with the citizens of that town,
or its immediate vicinity.
5th. Efforts are being made to prejudice the
public mind, by arousing personal feeling
against individuals in Clearfield we pity the
persons gifted with such petty narrowness of
mind, as to envy any one, whatever his loca-
tion, ary degree of personal position, and still
more do we commiserate the condition of
mind, possessed by him who looks with jeal-
ousy upon the prosperity of the seat of jus
tice, OF county of which it should be his
pride to be citizen. All right minded men
are proud of that which they, as one of So
cal community, can call their own, and we
only need point to the fact that we have now
in Clearfeld 6 churches of different christian
denominations, all built, not alone by this
borough, but by contributions from citizens
of the county. that our own citizens vie with