Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1875-10-29

MR.. CUMMINGS AND THE UNsEATEI
LAND SALEs.-A great effort has beer
made by the Democratic papers in this
county to create political sensation in re-
gard to the sale of the unseated lands
We have given previously a fair and true
statement which is corroborated by the
following letter from r. N. Cummings ESQ
a Democrat, to the Commissioners OF this
county:
To the Commissioners of n Ort hu I'M :
berIand County.
As requested by you herewith send you
statement of my account with the County
Commissioners for unselted lands sod by
them in 1874, as stipulated in a contract
entered into March Sd, .S73, between my
self and Jacob Hunsechr, Amos Vastine
and J. G.. Durham, the Commissioners of
said county. Also, sRtement of all iales
made by the Commissioners of said comfy
of land purchased by thm previous to the
closing of said contract.
There were three pubic sales OF unseited
| lands by the Commlssioers of said comfy
previous to 1873, to wit One in 1881, one
in 1S4S, and one in 1861 BY the sale of
| 1881 ninety-three tracts embracing 26444
acres were sold for S,023.S0, of witch
amount S607.50. only fifteen per cent of
the amount for which he lands were Iold
was paid into the treaslry, as appears by
| the Commissioners sal books of that sar.
In 1S4S forty-on tract containing aout
$500 acres were sold 70 S536.39, of wlch
S17S.39, or 331l per cent was paid intthe
County Treasury. In bth these the otal
expenses of sale are included in the amlnt
paid TO the Treasurer. Vt this saleDne
half of these Al tracts solo for S1.00 ch,
and some for less, only tracts broght
more than 50 each. See Commissions
sale books and Auditors Report for hat
year.
BY the sale of 1867 sixeen tracts iere
sold, but as there was no mcord OF this
sale kept by the Commissioners it limos.
sibe to tell what they weresold for, o. TO
whom they were sold, but the Auditors
report of that year shows hat $4,000 dol
lars were paid into the Trasury from tht
sale of these 16 tracts.
Up to this time one hundred and fifty
tracts containing 40, 600 ares for which
the county had paid Thousands of dollars
had been sold, and yet the ounty had TO
realized or received into he treasury ont
thousand dollars including Ill expenses o
sale. Neither of these sale paying take
aud costs without saying aything of ex
penses. Not only these txes and cost
(beiug the full amount paddy the count,
for these lands) but the Unrest on thes
taxes and costs for fifty-seen years wa
secured to the county out othe first none
received on each tract (witout the count
incurring any expense, or 'un the risk Q
incurring any, referred to, sis ned by my
self and the full board of Commissioners.
In the fulfllment of thiscontract l eS
amined over three hundreCtracts of land
found some improved, sme resold b
Treasurer, some covered b other survey
on which the taxes had beo paid, and re
ported a number of sales u 1873, whic
were sold at that time, ais II tracts fc
sale in 1874, of which AZ trcts were elthe
sold or redeemed by the oVners, the ba
ance are still unsold. On 10 of these 4
tracts the purchase money has not bee
paid, although l have settled for them wit
the county and paid the amount my col
tract demands. The tax costs and intere'
on these AZ tracts amounted to 81, ,59S. 2
On payment of this lhad fulfilled my col
tract, but ! paid in addition to that amour
S5,040.00. as the Commissioners wishe
the costs of printing appear in their r
port, the mDunt wa,paid to the Treasu
er and an order issuedto me for the amour
having already paicit to the printers al
hold their receipts to he amount OF 81 ,0S
80. leaving balance cue me on the sal
of S346.25.
r. Il. CUMMINGS,