The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-06-17

| be had, the one Mr. Fronheisers Hall and the
| other the Union Hall or Theatre. Some OF
| the directors exhibited plan of the cOntem-
! plated changes required 20 FIT it for & court
room, with Offices for the sheriff and prothono-
| tary and two jury rooms, With all the desks,
| chairs and furniture necessary, with heat and
| light. There could be no other opinion bat that
| it would make a magnificent curt room, but
| the directors had not as yet fixed the rental
| They, however, showed US the estimate of the
architect, makiog the remodeling cost about
! $2,Oo9.
Wethen examined Mr. Fronheiser's building.
| His room is on the second floor. Leading to it
| 10 q rather narrow stairs Of steep cent, and
/ the room is of irregular shape, with no Yentila
ton from east to west; story about eleven feet.
! When We,chalked of the required space for the
| bench and bar, it left but little room for the
audience, parties, jurors and witnesses and
| the proposed rooms for the prothonOtary's and
sheriff e Offices are directly under the large
room. We examined it carefully and with the
| determination to make it do if we possibly
! could. Both of US were, believe, Il certain
ly Was,) prejGdiced in it's favor. We told him
(Mr. F y what changes and remodeling would
be required, furniture, etc, part of which be
reluctantly agreed to DO. We did not know
at that time but we could furnish it ourselves
if other things (rent, etc. would justify it
We then ask ed him to fix the rent. He said
he should have 800, but would take $780,
What we would be obliged to do before court
could
$500 at q moderate estimate. We were mach
disappointed at the rent asked. 1t would cost
the county some 5 400 the first year, besides
fuel, light, cleaning, etc. We separated with
out doing anything. Just as we were parting
he agreed to take $500. The following week
Judge Taylor came here and made the same
examination. In the meantime the directors
of Union Hall had net and fixed their rent at
$3.50, with everything in the shape ot expense
included-light, heat, furniture, desks, clean
ing and attended to during the sitting OF the
courts, and the Offices at all times during the
wear. We discovered by the act of Assembly
governing that We possessed no power to re-
model or reft aDy building, bat simply to lease
q suitable place, etc. We really then had but
one chance to lease at all. Mr. L. this day
sGid he would give his room for $500, reserv-
lag tho right 10 use Is at all times during vaca
ton the county, as before, ,remodeling and fit
ting. This, for want of legal authority, we
cOcid not accept, even if given for nothing
We concluded we would be obliged to accept
the Only other offer we had , OF not lease at all.
We separated with the understanding that /
shoult wait q 6sy or two and make an effort to
get the rent reduced. Judge Taylor said he
heard something as if there might be some
duction by private subscription or otherwise
but if net, TO rent the hall, it was all
could do | made this effort, but failed to get
better terms. / was met by the Argument that
it would require three years for them to get
undergo, and give u1 light and heat into the
bargain, which was really true, and l made
partial contract. This same day / received
another proposition in writing from Mr.. r. say
ing that he would do all the necessary rcmod
cling and fitting up, stoves and everything, ex-
cept putting seats in the court room, for $500.
and for seating the court room s., blank
dollarS-the same old difficulty. l sent his
proposition to Judges Taylor and Murray at
once, and Mr.. Fronheiser also sent d copy to
each, l believe. Judge Murray answered me,
saving that this proposal of Mr.. +. settled the
matter on the scOre Sf economy, but, ae in
ferred, leaving the other matters TO be consid
cred eligibility and the balance of the contract
for seats in the court room. Judge Taylor
snswered Se, saying it was pity Mr. +. had
not made this proposal in time that bad as
HE room Eas for the purpose intended, it would
be q great saving to the county if the pr ce Tor
seating the court reom would not be too high,
but ks supposed had contracted with the Other
party. Al this part Of the transaction l was
uncertain what to do. l had made partial
contract with Mr.. Hay, but as he was not very
anxious for the contamination of it, as well
knew, at this time, / concluded TO get an arti
Gle prepared for Mr. r. and zee If we could get
it ciosod up, and went to attorney for that
purpose. The members of the bar came to ne
and asked of me as special favor not to close
q contract with Mr. r. for one day, until they
could have a conference with the President
Judge, to which ! asscnted, and they drew up
q written protest, all signing it, and commits
stoned one of their number 10 go at once and
Law il before the President Judge. He returned
with 3 letter from Judge Taylor to me, saying
great consideration ought to be paid 10 the res
! ideEt members of the bar, and had supposed
! kat & contract had been made.
will here state that l had on several occa-
/ sioas sought council and advice from the mem
| bers of the bar, as L thought they were inter
/ ested more than any Others. They are the Of
fcera Of the court, and their business is in
and in the OH ces,0f the prothonotary snd sher
III. For this l have been ceasured. They tell
me, what have the lawyers to do with tit is
the taxpayers. And pray, gentle reader, how
can you separate the tax payers from the mem
bsr5 of the bar? Do they not pay taxes, and
generally high taxes, tool Well, the members
Of the bar were unanimous in pressing us to
lease the Union Hall, ard not having the ad
vantage of personal conference with nay breth-
rem and as time was urgent, l closed my par
tial contract with the directors of Union Hall
This in substance, is the whole controversy.
It will be seen that the rent is not, as has beeA
stated in some of the journals, $500 per week,
but $500 per annum, With the continual occu
pancy Of offices and jury rooms, which, even in
Rbensburg would bring, light and fuel con-
sider ed half the amount of the whole rent
and our courts may not be confined to four
weeks, but may be twelve, and there are nc
nice little chances here for bringing in extra
bilIs from time to time against the county as
exist IN other places KNOW OIL IOr seFVice5S
repairing, cleansing, etc.
1t having been alleged by some very small
politicians that portion of the Court were
bribed or bought. just reflect, gentle reader,
how much they could afford TO give, after spend
ing, in a cash outlay to prepare the building,
over s., 900 for repairs they could not possibly
use for their other purposes, and give light and
heat and constant attendance, and require
three years to get their money back whole
again7 Why, he must be very low-pTiced
uaaz-less than it costs to get charter for a
bogus Northern Bank of Beachy notOriety.
For Mr.. Fronheiser have nothing but re
spect. He is one of our most enterprising and
energetic citizens, but his room is not well cal
culated for court room. and has not near the
superficial area of the Ebensburg court room,
Notwithstanding the assertion OF the freeman
To the contrary ; and should not the popula-
ton here, being go much greater, require as