Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-06-12
Ending a Court House War.

Thomas Brown was elected one Of the
Commissioners of Wayne county in ls75
He was then we'll to- do, and occupied
family residence Just outside of
Honesdalc, PA. lie was the leading
member of the Board Of Commissioners,
and controlled it. His son, $. II. Brown
was appointed clerk of the Board
Honesdale became the county scat of
Wayne in 1913. The frame Court House
then erected had never been improved
or enlarged, although the population
and business of the county had more
than doubled. The subject of buiIding
IA new Court House had been agitated
for some years. In 1876 the pyelini.
nary proceedings required 10y law hay
ing been taken, the Court ordered the
County Commissioners 10 bul.d new
Court House. With population of
10000 in the county and no county debt
it was thought that u 100000 Court
House would not be too expensive
Arrangements were made TO erect a
building of that class. From the berlin.
ming the people of the county were
strongly opposed TO the work. The feel
ing was worked upon by ambitious poll
ticians, and il became SO strong that
ordinary party lines were forgotten, and
the only parties in the county were the
Court House and the antiCourt House
parties. OF the former, Commissioner
Thomas Brown was a conspicuous lead
er. William Hartwell, n wealthy and in.
duential farmer, of an interior town
ship, became power in the anti.Court
House party. The opponents OF the
Court House hampered the work by in.
functions and legal proceedings of va.
rious kinds. Thomas Brown used lib.
orally OF his means to carry through the
plans which were devised TO defeat the
efforts of the anti-Court House people.
He was an old contractor and builder,
and had set his heart on perpetuating
his name in the county through work on
the new Court House.
On the result of the election in the
county in 1877 everything depended.
The Court House party had control of
the offices, and the antiCourt House
party were putting forth extraordinary
efforts to secure several to be filled that
year. They elected their ticket by an
overwhelming majority. Probably to
no other person in the county did the
result give more Joy than to william,
Brown and the other Commissioners
should not complete the new Court
House, and the success of his party at
the polls virtually put an end to the
work. The disastrous result of the
election so affected Commissioner
Brown that he died few days after the
news was received. Last fall William
Hartwell was elected To the position
Thomas Brown had filled, two other
anti.Court House men took the places
of Browns colleagues in the Board, aud
Browns son was removed from the
clerkship. The county was in debt $GO,-
900 for the work that had been done on
the Court House. which WAS nearly half
finished. The old Court House was
torn down in 1877. II ia not likely the
new one will be completed for years.
Meanwhile Court is held over bar room
in an out-of.the-way part Of Hor rrsdhlc.
1t was supposed that Thomas Brown
had left his family well provided Tor,
but the troubles of the past two years
had involved him ruInousiy. The
claims against his estate were pressed,
and q few weeks ago the Sheriff levied
on the Brown homestead, and advertis-
ed it for sale. His son, ). II. b., desired
to save the property, it possible, aud sp-
pealed to Commissioner William Hart
well, four weeks ago, to pay off the
claims against the estate, and take
mortgage on the property. Hartwell's
wife had died a few days after be had
been elected County Commissioner. lie
had never seen the widow Of Thomas
Brown. lie went to see her in regard
TO making the arrangement about the
transfer of claims against her property.
He was so pleased with her that few
days after he made a proposal Of mar.
rage to her. She accepted him. lie
paid off the claims against the property
aud made her e wedding present of a
deed to the homestead. They were
married on the 7th ultimo.