Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-02-18

public feeling against the present
board of county commissioners. The
motive of the men at the head of the
movement may as well be left undis
cussed at this time. They attempt
to create an unfavorable feeling
against the commissioners by trying
to make it appear that promises had
been made that the expenses Of the
county should be reduced. Without
having knowledge of any definite
promises, it does appear, by com
parison of the accounts of the coun
ty for the years 1878 and 1879, tina,
great reduction was made by the
Commissioners in the year 1879, OF
the cost of the year 1878, ON the
cost of such things that could not
well be affected by times or circum-
stances and, as far as the foresight
of a new board could extend, there
was nothing to prevent one from de
claring at the beginning OF the yeal
1879 that the expenses of the county
could be greatly reduced in the year
Just then ushered in. As far as then
foresight extended, and as far as the
surface of affairs of the county indi
Gated, they would have been justif-
able then, if they had made public
declaration In the newspapers that
they would reduce the expenses OF
the county several thousand dollars
1t was additional expense that
arose from unseen sources of eXpen
diture in the county. Additional ex
pense arose where it was not expect
ed. Let us illustrate:
If, on the 1st day of January, 1879,
it had been said to the Presbyterian
congregation in this town; if it had
been said to merchant Weakly; if il
had been said to Mrs. Belford: if il
had been said to EIpressman Weld
man; if it had been said to Mr.. vii
son; if it had been said to the Meth
odist congregation, the funds to meet
the repairs, and running expenses OF
your several properties may be less
than the past year, and certainly not
more, they doubtless all would have
answered in the affirmative None
Of the prcperty-holders could fore
cast the future They could not tell
that storm would come along as it
did on the 11th day of July, 1879,
and damage the property of oil the
people mentioned, and the property
of many others. The Presbyterians
did not know that they would build a
new church, and repair an old one, at
an aggregate cost of several thousand
dollars Mrs Belford did not know
that additional repairs on her prop
erty would cost her five hundred dol
lars; Mr.. Weakly did not know that
he would have to expend thousand
dollars in repairs. So withthe Meth
odist congregation SO with other
people in town; so with Isaac Etka,
Kurt Kaufman and others in the
country. There was no count to be
made against such unseen agency /;
and that is fair illustration of the
unexpected expenses that came as it
were by storm on the county. No
one knew that a herd of tramps In
the Jail would raise a most fieDdish
row in the old building, and threaten
to tear it down, kill the Sheriff, and
burn the town No one knew that
they would so conduct themselves
that the guarding of the Jail would
cost two hundred dollars. No one
knew that so many more foxes would
be caught in the county that an ad-
ditional expense of two hundred dol
lars over that paid in 1878, would be
needed to pay for their scalps in 1879.
The mind of the public may as well
be disabused on the subject Of fox
scalps now as at any other time.
The commissioners are blamed for
having to do with the business; such
is not the case. The law requires
that each scalp shall be paid for at a
fixed price. The man who catches
the fox does not go to the commits
sioners with his scalp; he takes it to
Justice of the Peace, who, after
having qualified him, gives him GER
tifcate like the following:
JUSIATA COUNTY, S. S.:
To the Commissioner, Of Jundtta County {:
Personally appeared before me, a Justice
OF the Peace for said
who being duly sworn, says that he did kill,
in Juniata County one full grown fox in the
month of December 1879, whose scalp he
has produced, and which scalp destroyed
You, the said Commissioners are therefore
required TO pay the
sum allowed by law for killing said fox.
Witness my hand and seal the day and
year above written. Up.
which he presents to the commits
sioners, whose duty is to give him an
order on the county treasurer, from
whom he receives the money for the
scalp. All the commissioners do is
to receive the qualified certificate OF
the Justice and foot the bill.
No one knew that an extra court
w0uid lie held, that would cost three
hundred and fifty dollars. No one
knew that the expense of bridges
would cost nearly eighteen hundred
dollars more than in 1878. Other
items that were as unseen, to the
Board of Commissioners, as was the
storm of the 11th July unseen to
:he people of Mifflintown, might be
mentioned as amcng tie list of ad
ditional expenses, but what has been
mentioned must suffice for the pres
ent And yet with all the unforeseen
additional expense, the debt of the
county has been reduced over one
thousand dollars. The Clackers lay
great stress on the fact that mills
have been levied for the coming year.
The fact that the assessments have |
been reduced about two hundred I
thousand dollars, coupled with the
fsct that there is a county debt