Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03
a Snake .-Taz-payers Beware.

sioners of the county to pay to George Thorn
the amount lost by him on his contract for
building the Court House. A number of
persons. out of personalregard for Mr. Thorn,
who is a most worthy man and estimable
citizen, signed the petition without refiec-
ton OF examination. On subsequent rehec-
ton and investigation, however, it turns out
that instead of being designed for the re-
lief OF Mr.. Thorn, it is III reality piece of
sharp practice to relieve certain other par
ties, who are only using Mr.. Thorn name
as cover
1t will be recollccted by most of our read
ers that when it was proposed to erect new
Court House, sharp controversy arose as
to whether it should be built in Clearfeld or
/ Curwensvie. The citizens of the latter
place agreed, if the county seat was remov
ed to their town, to erect a Court House and
Jail at their own expense. In order to pre-
vent such removal. and to forestall its even
being submitted to a vote. of the people,
certain responsible citizens of Clear6eld en-
tered into bond to the county. in the sum
of 1000, conditioned that if the Commis-
sioners should let the building within thirty
4 daysi it should not cost the county over SIS, :
900. and that the funds to build it should be
| provided without increasing the then current
| rate of taxation, which was six mills on the
dollar. This bond, duly signed, was filed
in the Commissioners Office on the 30th day
of December, 1859, and on the 29th day of
/ II FILL ha
ceeded to let the Court House. The bids
ranged from Sl1 400 to S23, 600 The con-
tract was awarded to George Thorn for the
sum of $l3, goo, and Richard Shaw, Sr.,
| became his surety for its fulfllment Mr..
| Thorn was to erect Court House 60 feet
wide and 96 feet in length, in all respects,
save frescoing, like the new Court House in
Bellefonte, and to deliver it, completed, to
the Commissioners by the third Monday in
| September, 1861
Subsequently,, on the 29th of June, 1859,
! Mr. Thorn applied to the Commissioners to
modify his contract, by adopting certain
plans prepared by Backus & Bros, Archi-
tects and by raising the price to SIC, 500.
This the Commissioners agreed to do, prori-
ded "a majority of the signers of the bond
of the 3Oth December, 1858, agree to renew
said bond so as to cover the whole cost of
SAID building in regard to the county orders,
aud also agree to pay to the contractor all
that 1t costs orer $4,000, and the citizens of
Clearield agree to put clock in said Court
House at their own expense.
No bond of any kind is now to be found
on the files of the Commissioners office, nor
can the Clerk or any of the present board
of Commissioners tell what has become of
any bond that may have been on file A
copy of the bond of the 3Oth of December
1858, duly certified by the Clerk, however,
is in existence. from which the extent of the
liability of the signers is easily ascertained
If the bond was not renewed" and the
conditions of the Commissioners complied
with, then there was no modification of the
first contract, and Mr.. Thorn was bound to
build the Court House complete for 81 3, 900,
and his bail, Judge Shaw, is liable for its
fulillment. If, on the other hand, the con-
ditions of the Commissioners were accepted,
then the signers OF the bond are bound TO
pay Mr.. Thorn all the building cost over
$4,000, so that bill TO authorize the Com
mlssioners to pay to Mr. Thorn any more of
the peoples money, instead of being to re
lieve him, is simply to RI leve the signers of
the bond who have obligated themselves to
pay to him all the building cost over Sic, 900
Mr.. Thorn has received from the county,
ssIr H., h. 81.
ers, in all the sun of So, ,326 % for the
building of the Court House, or 81, 366 OF
more than the price fixed in the original
contract. Now, if the terms fixed by the
Commissioners, when he applied to have
his contract modified, were not complied
with, it must be plain that Mr.. Thorn and
his bail are liable to the county for the whole
amount of the 50, 500 o. If, on the other
hand, the terms were complied with, then
the signers of the bond are liable to the
county for all they have paid Mr. Thorn over
$4,000, to wit: 81, 326 02, and are liable
to Mr.. Thorn for whatever the building cost
him in addition.
Now we submit whether, in the face of
these facts, it would not be gross fraud
upon the taxpayers to pay any more of their
money on the contract? Not single thing
that the signers of that bond of the 3Oth
December, 1858, obligated themselves to do.
has ever been done. They bound themselves
that the Court House should not cost the
county over SIS, 200, yet it has already cost
S23, $40 o. and it is now asked to make it
cost more. They pledged themselves that
the money should be raised without increas
ing the then rate OF taxation,. which was six
mills on the dollar, yet the records of the
Commissioners Office show that the rate of
taxation was twice raised expressly to build
the Court House-first to eight mills, then
to ten. They guaranteed that the citizens
of Ciearfeld would put town clock in the |
Court House at their own expense, yet only |
lately a clock has been put in and paid for |
by the county. Thus the people have been
swiudled by some means, out of everything |
the signerS of the bond bound themselves
to perform, and now it is asked, for their
further relief that the Commissioners be au
thorized to make up Mr. Thorn losses ont
of the nuhlic money