Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-08-02

vlded for.
Governor Beaver asked the Captain if
he thought there were stores enough in
Johnstown where the people could get
anything they wanted, provided they had
the money.
Captain Kuhn replied there certainly
was. Anything could be bought from a
cucumber to a sewing machine.
THE FUN COMMENCES,
Rev. DIR. Beale at this point deliberately
arose and threw a bomb-shell into the
camp. He prefaced his remarks by say
ing he did not expect to appear,
as he had supposed the Commis-
sion would hold a star chamber session.
But he was glad to find such was not the
case. He said great dissatisfaction ex-
listed among the people because they
thought the Commission should let the
people have the balance of the money
they now have and let the people use ID
to their own advantage. Build their own
houses; patronize their own merchants.
j. B. Scott-How do you know, Doc
sion
DR.. Besle-Only from the way the Com
mission has acted in the past. The peo-
pie throughout the United States have
been very generous to US, and yet nearly
two months elapsed before we got any
thing from the Commission.
Governor Beaver-Don't you know.
Doctor, that the first dispatch received
said 1--WE don't want money. We want
bread and clothing"
DIR. Beale-That is true at that time.
We had no use for il at that time. But it
is different now.
Gov. Beaver-Well, what about the
second. That said the people wanted
houses.
DR.. Beale-So they did. But that was
about three weeks after. Yon sent them,
and what are they. |, myself, ordered an
Oklahoma, but when saw the kind of a
house it was, countermanded the order.
Ministers as rule have large.
families, and to cook and sleep in two
rooms, | couldn't stand it.
After this little controversy between
the Governor and DR.. Bealc, he pro-
ceeded to pay his respects to Judge Cum
MINIS office. He claimed there were
twenty clerks employed at from three to
five dollars day, and not one
of them belonged to Johns
town. The doctor, however, was mistaken
in this as it was shown there were only
two strangers en-, loyed.
The Doctor next went for thc imported
contractors, He claimed that they came
here and brought their own men, thus
compelling Johnstown contractors and
their employ ccs to stand Idle. He claimed
the Commission should have advanced
our own contractors the necessary where
with to get on their feet. He also claimed
that home contractors could do the work
much better.
The Doctor was cross-examined by
pretty nearly every member of the Board,
but with one or two exceptions held his
own.
Governor Beaver recognized Mr. ]. M.
Rose, and asked that gentleman il he had
anything to say. Mr.. Rose said that up
to a few minutes before the meeting he
hal supposed he was not wanted
in the room. In fact, when
he was coming up stairs he met Il friend
who asked him if he was going in, and he
replied No, don't suppose they
want me-" However he said, he agreed
with DR.. Beale in the main. So far as
the contractors were concerned, ne
thought they were not in position, since
the flood, to do the work. They lost ev-
erything they had. But as regarded the
workings of the Commission he was of the
same mind as other citizens. But now
since he had heard the expressions of the
members, he saw new light. He felt
free to say it was all the result Of misap-
prchensiou.
Mr.. J. B. Scott here said that the $500,
600 which they sent was for the purpose
of getting experience; to see which was
the best way to proceed in paying out
such large amount of money. However,
the Commission could not have sent
more had they so minded. The $500,00O
practically bankrupted the treasury. The
funds in the large cities could not be
drawn for because the committees abso-
lutely refused to allow the money sub
scribed to be paid out in cash. However
now that we know the people of Johns
town, and have witnessed their good sense,
the next payment will probably be the
final one, as we now haYe the money.
General Beaver said he held conversa-
ton, by telegraph, with Mayor Grant, of
New York, trying to explain to him that
if the money he held was expended in
building stores, so that business could be
started, it would be much better than il
it was expended for what,as was claimed,
it was subscribed for.
Mayor Grant replied that the money
was subscribed for the purpose of buying
bread clOthinr tools for men and for the