Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-12-29
To cLEARFIELD, CURwENsvILLE AND
THE REST OF THE FOLKS.


of having the public buildings in your midst.
As we live in free country, have conclu-
ded, though with great diffidence, to lay in my
claims and asI desire to act with perfect
fairness, L shall first cndeavor to examine INTO
yours, and then bring forward my own. If |
should omit anything, l trust yOn Will set me
right, as L would not for little world do you
| injustice.
suppose you would like 10 know my name
and place of residence. [ am sometimes
called Lumberyille, but my right name is
LUMBER CITY; and may be found on the
turnpike leading from Tyrone to Packerville,
| 81 miles North of Tyrone and IA South of
! Lnthersburg, and five miles above Curwens-
vile. Call, gentlemen, and you will find me
alive ard kicking.
To bcgin with Ciearfeld. What are your
claims You say, lst, that you are near the
geographical center; and. ID, that you are
on the great thoroughfare from Tyrone to Erie.
! by way fthe Snow-Shoe and PackeryilieTurn-
| pike Sd. that some of the public buildings
need not to be e-built for many years yet to
come; and 4th, that you have laid out great
| deal of money to accommodate your friends
| gentcelly when they visit yoHr borough.
As to your first claim, l shall not consider
it until Curwensville comes in, she makes
the same claim. Your 2nd | shall postpone
! for the same reason. Your third claim, | ad-
Ht, has some weight, so far as the CommiS-
sioners' and the other officers are concerned;
but as the Gourt-House has to he built, and
the Jail will hold no person that wishes to get
out, it will also very soon have to be rebuilt,
and as in all probability those buildings would
have to be torn down to make room for the
new ones, they would in great measure be
lost whereas, If they were sold as they stand
they would bring sum that wonld buy a situ-
alton at some other place, put up the Offices,
cover the net value of the old materials, and
perhaps be something left in the treasury.
lDur 4tb claim worthy of
but as you have had the honor for near half a
century, is it not right that somebody else
shall have the privilege? l hope You will no;
now be selfish we do not wish TO take any
thing from you that is fairly your own, but
only what belongs to the state of Clcarficld
and even all the public buildings we will allow
you to have into the bargain, provided you
will give more for them than any body else.
But there are some serious charges made a.
gainst you. 1t is said, that since you have
had the direction OF public affairs, you have
permitted the great state OF CieaTfieid 10 get
all out of balance, or what is called lopsidcd,
which occasions great jar in the running
| and that although you got twenty Thousand
dollars from the u. S. Bank, which was ii II put
in the light side on the Snow Shoe and Pack
ervillc turnpike, which does not go near either
point named. And that, besides this, you
have annually drawn very large sum, in the
form OF Sheriff7s and other fees. court charges,
&C., from the heavy side of the state, which
you have deposited in the center, for your
own benefit; but it is still far out OF balance,
so that in the opinion of good mechanics. no
remedy is left but TO remove the gudgeOn
towards the heavy side. Some even so
uBcharitable as to allege that you laid out that
$4,000, besides considerable sum of Your
own and other peoples money, with the espe-
cial view of cutting off intercourse through
the heavy and aspiring side of the state, and
that You have permitted most of said turn
l. - 4
of late orator, to be sslttle more than a wolf
path,' and that for these considerations it is
no more than justice, if your property should
become somewhat dcneciated in value.
Now comes Curwensyille. What are your
claims? You say, lst, that you are very near
the geographical center of the State of Clear
field. and that you are six miles from CIearield
borough towards the heavy side of the State
and that you are unquestionably in the com
mercial center. 2nd. that You are on the great
thoroughfare from Tyrone to Erie and, 3rd
that You possess very valuable water power,
and may at some future time engage in manu-
facturcS, and that you will also probably erect
gas-works, of which the public buildings could
have the benefit, if you were we'll paid for it
that You were talking of building first class
hotel so that the sovereigns OF the great State
of Clearfield might be properly accommodated
when they visited your Borough and fth and
lastly, that you will pay down in cash, to the
10000 dollars for defraying the expense of the
public buildings.
Before considering your claims. ii becomes
necessary that l should present mine. You
must not be too hard on me, as | am very
young, having seen but about five summers
yet my beard has grown and have received
tie charter of manhood, which it required you,
my competi tors, near half century to obtain
| acknowledge that l am at present out of the
geographical center of our great state but
claim that am in the natural, and what must
very soon become the great commercial CEN
ter. | am located on the north side of the NV
er, at the head of the navigation for full RATS
where all the RATS from above land to couple
up, thus saving at least ten dollars on every
raft, which would be expended by running sin
gle to Curwensville. 2nd, that have more
than two miles of first rate landing on each
side Of the river, about equal above and below
town, with bridge connecting the two sides
OF the stream. l am on the turnpike, which
must very soon become the thOroughfarc from
Tyrone to Erie, being only 81 miles from Ty-
rome, whilst Cleartield is 35 by way of Phil
fpsburg, and Curwensvillc is 81 miles direct
You Will thus see that am miles nearer Ty-
rome than Clearield, and 6 miles nearer than
Curwensville; and as it is only five miles to
Curwensville, it follows that the nearest route
from thence to Tyrone is by Lumber CITY
Thus, to 81 add equals Sc, against 81 by
Phillipsburg on the old pike. 1 also claim
this as being the shortest through route for all
travel from Tyrone in the direction of Erie
ThuS-frOm Tyrone to Clearield 80 miles
from Clearfeld to LutherSburg Is miles-5O
miles. From Tyrone to Cuiwensville 37-to
Luthersburg l3-making also so miles. From
Tyrone to Lumber City 3l-to Luthcrsburr
14-making As miles; fire miles in my favor
for all through travel. Observe that Brady
friends. You must all sec that nv claims as