New-York tribune., 1890-04-01
BAyKRUPrfD Br GEorNDHoG TAILS

The Governments officials may run away 10
! Canada with all the money on hand, state
freasurcrs may get thc last cent in the Treasury,
hut after an smnlicr political divisions some
time. have rrca'"r loads 10 boar Take. for
instance. independence Township. Warren County,
! New Jersey. tie sll case of which WIS noted in
Yesterdays Tribune. Has tie treasurer of Indc-
pcndcrcc Township dcfautcl? Not al al-hr
j, firm as ID rock and puts tie funds under his
bHl mattress c.cry rirht. lh1t is. hr dii 500
.ccrc'c ilrm while they lasted. ard is ready -
continue fic pracflcc $50 soon as tie trustees can
float loan
The troublc in Independence Township bean
tie day Of the recent spring election. on that
dry tie people voted - prs bounty OF fifteen
cents caoh for grounding tails. The idea WAS.
of COURSE. that ire grounding would be- dead
whom ns ia.l was removed. and dead eronndhogs
.n independents, Township were cn'lt dr>icr-
a'nm. Tire cry on election dav was. The
.r.nndnos mr,f .o" 4 nrw conservatives
worked icch'e AGAINST the movement. but they
ucrr booted losa ard optvo'cl five - ONE. ~"
township treasurer $751;, ordered 70 p.y fifteen
cent. .ur each anl crcr. n.rndaoF i.i delivered
~ li, Office when ile voters. OF Independence
Township returned 20 their hon.' ou 'lr ni e''
,f election Gar d. va. with tlc irn conviction
tloi RE cIonufi.t question va, settled ioi-
ever
Bat. in point 81 ac'. the tronhe bad
only just begun l'rlv t'r rc>' morl'n- mcn
and boys begin - arrive af tie treasurer. o.icr
ni'h ronndlos ii.. And this poor official
i.s l-no,su no peace since He ha, s'ood iu his
Office and counted yfounlhog tails fr1m morn 70
rY,n. from noon 70 drwv crc. nni stall they
oon'ilur 10 come. Ilr lH, found crowd a"alt-
iir him cach morulns. aua '4aIf ol ilc time when
ICE n.s closed up ~ ri.A' 81 ia, locn % lc So
Inr OF anxious dcposiiors N.'I bundle, OF -rorni
bog tail, under their au't i.'u thr poor
ircgsircrs brother official. turncl AGAINST huu.
ard tie township clerk hronelt in 200 tll.>,
while the three q, .,toc> have each averaged ahlut
ten per d.y. and thc Iu.iiee oi the peace lls ad-
.oYrncd court iNo lour- clrlcr cich day 40
That lc could lr' ou' anl hook ~ li, traps. The
treasurer complains ari. ~ would seem tu u~.
with reason, that lr i, kept 500 busy counting
tod, tAa, be- clurot find time 90 capture auy
croundlo.s him .r'f llc so; % t-lp the nc,i day
liter election, h.t has NOT lrcn able TO 80 out
- lool, after D. siaoe. lulccd. there j., rimor
that the principal of ihc ,chool~ takes ground
hoe ont of the trr.isur.rs trap each mognin- and
draw, Tie bounty on it, ia the afternoon. Two
or three days ago the treasurer paid out tire last
cent of tie townships mourf. and hcean - hope
for rest Bat II was decided that hc must con-
time to keep track Of tie tdls broneht iu. and
give each applicant due hill. THIS has i'm
crcas..d rather than diminished his work, Tine
township j., clearly bankrupt. and th" conscrya-
tiyci vino opposed tic mc. sure are delighted -
sec their predictions verified: nevertheless. th"'
are ont hunting eroundhoei alons with tie rad-
Gals.
H. is whispered that the sroundho.s from
which tie tails are harvested did not all ol
them inlcst Independence Township-that in fact,
the wIpl, Of Warren County. If not 4 large part
of tire State OF Ncw-Icr.ry. is iciu. drawn on 10
keep up the supply. lut this cannot be proved
there is no distinguishing characteristic about
tie tail OF the Independence Township ground
hos bv which the treasurer can identify II. II
is said, a-o that Ingenious citizens III the
southern part Of the township ere emitting mp the
whole ermndhog hide into tails and imposing
them ON the somewhat short sighted treasurer
thus M kins oac animal count twenty: but
this seems hardly possible If there be fraud
it probably does not extend beyond the intro
duction Of the forrign and exotic groundhoS
An appcal We are told. is 10 br made to the
courts with the hope that they may pronounce
tie measure illegal. This Will take some weeks,
however, and in the meantime II would seem
10 be well for our readers living in Independence
Township 10 rush in their aroundhog tails ana
get their orders on the treasury.