The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-12-05
Communications.
PORTAGEvs. SONMAN.


OF the 2Sth ult., signed Portage deserves notice
because persons not residing in this locality may
AS to the Post-ofico, we have no disposition to
INSIST That II the Department will not establish
more than one office in this neighborhood, Sonu2an
IS entitled to it. majority of about two TO one OF
than Portage and net nearer Lilly's Munster
Ihan Soninan, reside or are engaged IN pusinG IS
ihhcn nearer TO Sonlnan than TO Portage n: me
latter place is the extreme western limit OF the
district to be accommodated, while the main l'Ts-
ness reputation Is found between Sonnan ana L.
Iy The four collieries and two steam saw mills
at NO. s. and on Ben's Greek employ about three
AID most of these on the Sonman lands. two
miles from Portage and an equal distance from
That there IS larger settlement at Portage stG-
fton than at SonmGn station is freely admitted
put we have yet to learn hat Posto!lces are est
lished for the special accommodation of the resi-
denis of little villages N railway stations. rather
than the entire population of a GiSfr'cf.
An average of twenty-five or thirty cars oil coal
ani lumber per day is shipped from the s.dings at
NO 3, most Of which is taken troTa he SonInan
lan,ls, while for some time past the shipments from
Portage has not averaged ONE car f'cr day, ana IN
NOT uisiant lutuTe TINS dinerence mus
Portage has nothing ship but lumber. bark and
shook, AMI these commodities will soon be gone,
taSe for the last two years have been largely pur-
chased from the owners of the Sonman property
ihe coat at Forage Is about two hunlred ieet pc
lON the surface, and can only be reached by drift
two miles from the railroad, where one OF its two
steam saw mills is located; whereas ~ the coal
veins Of this helI be worked on the SOnman
lands, above water level, directly or near tho
Pa. X. X.
That there are a few more tcItcts sold ct Portage
than at Sonmun may be true. as great many per-
sons residing nearer to Soumal than to Portage
take the mt the latter place. perhaps because
they can "tute' something else there-Wh.ch they
cannot get at SOnman,
As to the mailing of $50 zoo letters in dGy''
Mt Portage, wen remember tidt day, for he then
acting Postmaster of Portage showed me that hea-
w deposit of mail matter consisting Of postal cards
o1 which patent right peddlcr residing at Por-
tage thus advertised his machine!
SScme idea O. the comparative importance OF Bor-
tage and SOnman may be formed from exami-
nation of the tar liSfS, from which ii appears that
our Company dlplIe pays more tax (tOwnShip. ccun-
ty and Statel than al the residents Of Portage I'm
Guiding No p taken together.
ANA here it should be noted that the settlement
at No. is almost near to Sonman as to Portage,
and that majority of that village would prefer to
have the p. O. at ScGuan.
Now. if oar interests as insignificant rs 'Por-
tage' represents. and Portage h,IS many houses
and public Institutions how is it that 400 500 tj
persons do not PSy much tax as the transient
resident and i'll more transient :'TOod choppers"
If in this comparison Of taxes We include the as
sessments paid by he Cambria Iron Go. and the
Penn'a X. X. Co. on those por,ion of the Sonman
lands owned by said corporations and also include
The taxes paid here by les eey. Mcssrs. AXE y
Co.. Ncssrs Bysar5 & Co., Mcssrs. Wolesagle <
Son. and her tenants, then the SOnman lands
and business pay abOu Ii'lt,ie he amount of
paid by all the proper y-holders and residents Of
Por age and No - combined!
And here i, should be sta- ed. that the Sonman
prOper.y has from age on he Pa II. R. of about
a mile anj half, and business improvement
more than one mile from the railroad. so ih1 we
no not take in as much tcrri Org in oar es ina of
pUpula ion and taxes as mus be Included in what
your correspondent calls Forage 10 make his fig
ures more than half true.
We have never been guilty of he QCiNo ic folly
of fighting Windmill ami So Gjicmp no reply 0
/ he JJaISpn0l inUendos OF your correspondent who
chooses 20 be HumclsSS. LEX AURI AsINUM."
Il. B. WEsTBEOOK.
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