Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1889-11-30

$3.50 worth of taxable property, and the Can-
didatcs for cuuncilmen need not own any
property, was carried.
That puts the town in the hands of
the Knights of Labor right from the
jump.
AS a journal rejecting the observa-
tlons and experience of taXpaying
people we can inform Homecoming
that the next worst thing below
non-incorporation is town run
by the Noble Order of North America.
TOWN HAPPENINGS
Poor RoWcry-A promenade of
Bowery, i'll muddy weather particular
ly, will convince the town public that
there is something wofullv wrong
somewhere. The strangers impression
we will not consider, for he will think
we are going backward at frightful
pace.
There appears to be Il great muddle
between the people who have laid pave
ments aud II new grade: between
people who must lay new pavements,
but cannot conform TO those adjoining
and both parties generally and the
town council. a torn up street, high
and low curbs here and there, Il
preripice or two and an abyss, sprinkled
with wrecks of wooden sidewalk and
demolished brick encounter the pedes-
trian all along the way. Chaos reigns,
and the road of Dante" was a path of
flowers beside the great Bowery high
way,
The people blame The council, and
the council bIames the people. and be-
tween the two there does not appear
to be force, intelligence or federation
enough to mend matters.
Notwithstanding the innumerabIe
cases, it is said, that have been tried,
even by oar highest appellate court,
there is still donbt as to the power of
municipal cOrpOl alton to compel cit
izen to improve his property, even
where the public is to be also largely
benefited. Law is yet 50 far from an
exact science that legal advice is still
coupled with too many ''ifs"-too
many for our legislators to employ in
forcing people 10 come up to their
grade. The council appears to enjoy
II dstaste for exercises in court. AT
the same time. if AN accident were to
occur AS invited by the condition 0f
Bowcry street. there is no doubt in
many minds that the town could be
held liable.
What is the remedy
Some say the new grade; others the
old grade, and still Others no grade at
all
But there are some who advocate Il
grade yet to be made, SO run as to ac-
commodate all with the least practi-
cable expense.
If this can be done it appears to he
the easiest and clearest way out of the
dangerous deadlock which subjects
the town to daily and nightly jeopardy
of expensive lawsuits for damages to
life and limb.
HoIiday Emfcrt0inmcnts.- an
uouncement elsewhere of the Frost
burg Fire Departments fair and festi-
val during the holidays ought Ia evoke
the interest and encouragement al the
entire community. The company is
not a lrivate affair, nor a secret order,
in which only n comparative few are
concerned, but "A voluntary association
of citizens organized for the protec-
tion Of property and hfo-tLqso TWO
things which all of us prize SO highly
and hold ON to with such tenacity.
They do this often at the risk of their
own limbs and lives, the truth is,
they ought not 10 be forced into this
method Of raising funds to maintain
their organization aud equipment in-
tact. These ought to be kept up by
public money. But since th0y must
look out for themselves--since they
must resort to the fair aud festival for
means to subserve their heroic pur-
pose, everybody ought to patronize
them. In addition, therefore, to the
advertisement fhe JOURNAL states
gu its own responsibility that all
the people are expected to attend and
patronize the company's layout.