Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-03-14

There Is much unnecessary alarm telt
in Frccland regarding the new county.
The claim is made that if Quay county
is established. with HaZleton as the
county seat, that the growth of this bor-
ough will be retarded, property will de-
preciatc in value and business interests
in general will suffer To begin with,
Ilazlcton is by no means certain of
being the county seat. Freeland has a
and but little active work is required to
have the voters declare in favor of this
town.
But allowing that our neighboring
city will become the county seat, in
what manner will that injure Frecland's
future prospects? The anti-new county
people have poisoned many of the busi-
ness men here with that claim, because
the latter did not stop to think whether
the assertion was true or false. What
argument has been presented to show
that courthouse in IIazleton will prove
inimicablc to this towns growth? Moth
ing but the bare statement, which the
men who make it cannot support by a
particle of proof
If Freeland is to be injured because
the county seat is to be located less than
ten miles away, why have not other
towns situated the same distance, or
nearer, to other county seats been
"blighted' and "ruined?" We need not
go outside Of our own county to prove
the falsity Of this ridiculous argument.
As an example, take the borough of
Nanticoke, seven miles from Wilkes
Barre, Its population in 1880 was 1854,
in 1890 it was 1904. Today it is said
to be the best business town in north
eastern Pennsylvania, and the court
house is not known to have any effect
upon its business or property values.
Another town is Plymouth, short
distance from the county seat. Popu-
lation in 1850, 6,O65; in 1890, 9,344. That
borough shows no signs Of decay, whic h
it should according to the arguments
used in this town.
Pittston is another, near enough to
Wilkes-Barrc to be off the map long ago
if the claim that ncighboring towns are
destroyed by county seats held good.
Its population in 1880 was 7,473, in 1890,
l0,3O2. 1t became third-class city a
few months ago.
The boroughs of Ashley, Edwardsville,
Luzerne, Miners Mills, Parsons and
others located three to seven miles from
Wilkes-Barre show corresponding gains
in population during the years between
1880 and 1890 and their business inter
est and valuations of property have
increased in proportion.
A similar state of affairs can be found
by reference to the dozen towns in the
vicinity Of Scranton. The onward
march of the Electric City has spurred
the little boroughS about it to become
larger and more enterprising, and not
one of them considers itself located at a
disadvantage because of the county seat
being few miles distant.
So it would be with Frecland, even
should the courthouse 20 to Hazlcton.
The claim that this town would suffer in
any manner is unfoundcd and cannot be
proven, and the men who are making
themselves ridiculous by preaching dis
aster' and ''ruin" for Freeland ought tc
learn whether or not their statements
are reliable or come only from those who
have axes to grind and desire to make
themselves notorious in this new county
contest.
The TRIBUNE has no particular inter
est in the new county fight. As it:
readers know, it favors the division, but
it has respected the opinions Of those
who think otherwise. 1t will not, how
ever, stand by and hear unprincipleC
men decry the future of this town with
out shadow of proof for such prophecy
Freeland was built up by the hardearn
ed money of poor men, and it cannot b'
wrecked by one or Il dozen courthouse.
which may be built in Hazleton or else
where. Frceland will stand and pros
per while the mines and shops about i
last, and perhaps after they are gone
If it retrogrades the cause will come
llplll SUNNI Oth'i SphiN'' ilOb p'NuhSb "
Il courthouse at Hazlcton, and the mel
who use the argument that the town
future would be imperiled on that ac
count set themselves down as enemic!
of the town who would injurc its stand
Ing among others to serve their own sell
fish ends. The attempt to frighter
property owners and business people
here by lying assertions is not crcdltabl,
to those engaged in the work, but som,
people appear to have lost all sense Of
honor in their efforts to array FreelanC
against the new county measure.
If the borrowers of local newspaper