The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-03-01

One deal, the story of which does not APP
pear on the books of the hospital was tho
purchase of farm of Susan w. Yerkes,
which is now embraced within the hos
pital enclosures. The trustees In 1887 OBJ
tanned an option to purchase the farm
within five years. 1t was purchased in
1891. The consideration in the agreement
was 81, 500, and in the title $500 was
given as the consideration money. Judge
Stinson explained the difference by stat
ing that 800 was expended for rental OF
the farm, which during tho continuance
or the agreement was in the trustees care,
and the incidental fee in recording. For
convenience the entire cost of acquiring
the farm was set down as consideration
money.
account Books Not Comprehcnsive.~
All of the trustees were present except
DR.. Thomas, of Quakertown. Treasurer
of the Board of Trustees Bradley was rep
resented by his private secretary, w. Il.
Wilson. The treasurer's account hook
showed the receipt Of s4Si5 80 of the unex-
pended appropriations for 1891, remitted to
Treasurer Bradley by Trustee Stinson and
the subsequent return of the money to the
state treasury. In the language of Sena-
tor Goblin "the account books at the hos
pital were not comprehensive enough for
the subject"
The examination Of Boss Carpenter Hall
and Foreman of Laborers West was con-
fined to selecting names at random from
the payrolls and having the witnesses read
from their time books the hours of en-
ployment made by these selections. In
two or three cases it was found that some
men were credited with more than there
Iii. n
was credited with thrty-four and one.half
days and another with thirty-six days in
the month of December, 1891. In defense
1t was stated that the workmen probably
were employed overtime. Senator Mere
dith Tailed the times as given by the wit.
nesses for comparison with the tally sheets.
To-day the committee went to the Wer-
nersville state hospital to look further into
the charge of alleged cruelty to the sew
eral persons returned to Norristown. Its
labors there will be concluded in one day.
Senator Penrose spent Saturday at
Washington in consultation with United
States Senator Quay. In political circles
1t is believed that upon the result of tho
visit hangs the fate of the proposed legis-
lative Investigation into the workings of
the Bullitt bill so far as Philadelphia is
concerned.
The admittedly strained relations be-
tween Colonel Quay and his erstwhile
faithful lieutenant, David Martin have
not been forgotten amid the jubilation in
cident to the announcement of $4,000
majority for Warwick in Philadelphia,
and all the politicians are anxiously walt
ing to see what will be the next move on
the part Of the Quay forces. The fact that
the ardent followers of Senator Penrose
turned in manfully for the Republican
ticket does not mean that they have for
given the men who so ruthlessly nipped
Penrose's mayoralty aspirations. They
are waiting to hear from Magistrate Dur
ham, their acknowledged leader and they
admit that they are ready and willing to
engage in battle for supremacy in the
party organization, but at the same time
say that the battle must be fought within
the party lines.
Opposing the County Of Quay.
The members of the board of trade of
Wilkesbarre held IA meeting Saturday to
complete plans for fighting the proposed
division of Luzerne county to form the
county OF Quay, and 1t was decided to send
a large delegation Of citizens to this city
next Wednesday to appear before the house
committee on new counties.
There was general discussion on the
arguments on the county division. One of
the chief is the fact that of the 1000 tax
ables in Halle only about 700 are owners
of property, and in Foster only about 450
out of 2, 400. The lands in both townships
are held principally for mining purposes,
and are otherwise valueless The assess
ment of all the lands in Halle is consider
ably short of 81 900 900, and 1915 900 of this
is returned against the owners of the min
erals. The other ownerships are simply
workingmens homes, some 800 odd in
number, covering all told only about 175
acres of the 10000 in the township, and
their aggregate taxable valuation barely
reaches $50, 600, an average of about $1l5
to each stockholder.
In Foster the situation Is similar The
mineral interests own the great bulk of
the lands, with scattered holdings about
collieries for the unpretentious dwellings
of the miners and laborers. The exact
figures for 1894 are: Taxables, 2,3i0; real
estate owners, 1853: occupations, only 1877;
exonerations, /, 1853. The resident property
holders in these two townships only mum
Der about one tenth Of the whole number
of taxables, the other nine tenths being as
sessed on occupations only. This shifts
the burden Of maintaining the new county
almost exclusively upon property holders.
The voters in these two townships, Ha-
zle and Foster outnumber the combined
voting strength in all the agricultural
township within the new county district
both east and west of the Susquehanna,
counting all the way round from the far
ther end of Buck to the remotest corners
of Paramount and Lake. And under the
bill as passed the senate they are empow-
cred to reach out and take into Halle any
or all of these townships.
Protesting Property Owners.
The residents and property owners there
are practically remedyless if tho bill be-
comes law, This is the ground of oppo-
sition by the protesting property owners,
who seek help from Wilkesbarre and the
rest of the country generally in saving
them from the disasters which the new
county prospect entails.
AS business operation the retention of
this section is a matter of prudence and
economy. The townships east of the Sus-
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