Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-01-08
The Direct and House Tax of Mil
ford Township, in the Days of
the Hot Water War.
By PROF. A. 4. GCSS,
oF HUNTINGDON, PA

The Government of the United
States desired to raise revenue t.
reduce the heavy debt incurred in the
Revolutionary war, various expedi
ents were resorted to, with only par
tial success. As early as 1888, by
acts Of Congress and OF this State,
the assessors were required to take
an Inventory of the number of acres
held by each person, and the build
ings thereon-distinguishing dwell
ings from other buildings-which
lists were transmitted to Congress-.
Finally; il eliminated IN the imposi-
ton OF several direct taxes" and
among these was what was known as
'-house TAX
do not know what the exact pro-
visions OF the house tax law were,
rot haTing seen the act, but among
other duties, IL required the assessors
TO measure the houses. from which it
seems that the tax was graded by the
size Of the dwellings. / am under
the impression that it WAS at this
same time that window panes We're
taxed. under the idea that they were
Ii luxury rather than a necessity.
which caused some people to v,ah up
some Of their windows, us l am in
formed
The Revolutionary war had made
some inconsiGerate persons inpatient
of all legal restraint, and certain
s.res were especially odious. Some
OF the people. who had even served
in the war. were fer from being law
abiding. Redressing grievances, real
or imaginary, by means OF a mob, or
a diminutive rebellion, was repeated
" the work Of ignorant and fanatical
advocates Of liberty. Among these
the Whisky Insurrection Of Western
Pennsylvania in 1913 was the most
noted
In 1889 there was great excite
ment in the counties of Bucks, LIE
high, northampton, Berks and Mont
gomery, in consequence of the at
tempts of the Federal government to
collect the House Tax. It was first
commenced by the women, who, from
the peculiar weapons used by them
in this encounter, won for it the name
of The Hot Water War" One John
Fries was the leader of an organized
gang, which ranged the country with
fife and drum, with a feather in the
leaders hat. He was vendue cryer.
and had a smooth tongue. His lieu
tenants were Heany and Getman.
Their headquarters were in Milford
township, Buck county, Pa, from
which it is often called 1.-The Milford
Rebellion" The assaulted assessors.
,,arrangued public meetings, fore
warned officers, and in March, 1893,
marched to Bethlehem and rescued
some Of their number then under ar
rest. Prominent among these insur-
gents was & German preacher named
Eyerman-
Finally the President sent an armed
force and arrested about thirty-fve
of the ringleaders. Fries was cap
tured in a swamp, betrayed by his
little dog, whisky" which always
accompanied him. He was tried anl
convicted of high treason, and con
demned to be hung, but was after
wards pardoned By President Adams.
Many of the others were also tried,
convicted, fined and imprisoned
Eyerman had denounced Congress as
set of ''verdammte spitz-bube. He
fled to New York, but was brought
back and sentenced to a fine of $50
and one years Imprisonment
The above is an interesting bit of
extraneous history. 1 do not know
that there was any resistance or dis
satisfaction to the Direct and House
taxes in this county. There was no
record kept of these tax-Ests that L
am aware of, but the following, of
Milford township, then embracing
also the present Turbett, Spruce Hill
and Beale townships, is a-copy pre-
served among some old papers in the
hands Of W. ". Wilson, ESD, and
came from bis father, George Wilson,
Esq, who was most probably the col
lector of the same There is no date
to the list, cut its internal evidence
fixes it in 1913. 1t viii be observed
that some names are ON both for Di-
rect and House tax, and some are
only on for one. Compared with the
regular county assessments for that
year tnow IN my possession) it seems
that not one-fourth of the taxables of
the township are on this list; nor are
these given here in every case those
paying the largest State and county
taxes, though generally y they are such.
The taxes are estimated in dollars,
cents and mills. In all the tax lists
of Miffiin county-of which Juniata
was then a part-the change from
pounds and shillings to dollars and
cents first appears in 1893. The list
shows how precise tAey were at that
time, counting not only the mills but
half mills.
Cromwell bought the old Forge at